Body Beautiful Secrets #2: Fitness!

Hey loves!

Am back with the second part of Body Beautiful Secrets :)

Just a recap, the first and most basic Body Beautiful Secret is to hydrate and moisturise the largest organ of our body, that is our SKIN.

I use Nivea's Express Hydration Body Lotion.

Works wonders on my skin :)

Now, when people talk about being Body Beautiful, images of sexay toned abs and muscular six packs come into mind. But in my humble opinion, being Body Beautiful is not only about being muscular. But rather, it is about being healthy and fit!

Fitness is a really important part of being healthy. There are various ways people keep fit and exercise:

#1: Gym

Some people opt for gym as their workout spot. Gyms these days are awesome. They have everything you need to achieve bikini bods, and not forgetting the awesome facilities such as sauna & steam rooms (my favourite!), huge ass hairdryers, dance and fitness classes of every sort, and so on.

But the down side of gyming is that you really need to constantly push yourself, else you'll just maintain at a comfortable level. Not everyone has a personal trainer to make sure they push themselves hard in their workout.

For me, I used to do gym and I admit to giving in on days where my 'aunty' visits, or when I felt less 'gungho' or enthusiastic to exercise, and plenty of other excuses. Plus, if your gym partner doesn't turn up on that day, chances are you'll shorten your exercise duration or worse, you don't turn up too!

If gym works well for you, go ahead and have the determination to go alternate days at least, and push your physical limits during each visit!

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#2: Jogging

If you're not so much of a gym person (like me), try opting for a jog in the park! :)

Jogging is one of the best ways to build your stamina and to sweat it out! It's extremely economical too ;)

But to me, it is not my first choice either due to these few (valid...hehe) reasons:

#1: Jogging around the neighborhood or park is no longer safe

Acid splashers, flashers, hamsap lous, kidnappers, rapists, etc..

You get the picture.

#2: Jogging is very dependent on the weather

Our lovely and super unpredictable weather makes it hard to plan for jogs these days. Somehow, raining in the evenings seem to be a trend these days! If not rain, it's scorching hawt!

#3: Jogging is opens you up for animal attacks

Okay so this reason may not be valid and applicable to everyone, but for people who have phobia towards animals, YOU KNOW JUST WHAT I MEAN! *Think HUGE dogs ready to devour in houses where their gates are left wide open. Period.

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So what do I do to exercise?

I join Bootcamp!

Here's my sister and I after an intense round of Bootcamp.

HOOYAH!

Bootcamp happens 3 days a week, 1 hour per session, 12 sessions per package.

It consists of various military exercises from push ups, sit ups, jumps, squats (I HATE SQUATS!!!), running, sprinting, sandbag and rifles tortures, tyre-lifting, chain-dragging, etc etc..

Here's one of our very fit and cruel trainers. Hehe

Normally we don't have pictures as we usually have Bootcamp from 6.45am-7.45am and no one is willing to wake up this early to take pictures for us (huhu....), but last Saturday was Bootcamp's Bring-a-friend Day, thus visitors and the pictures :)

So for last Saturday, things were much simpler and easier as there were many new recruits. So it was sorta a rest day for us :D

We did lots (and I mean LOTS) of running back and forth carrying equipments in teams,

Here's my team :) Spot me!

We had to compete with other teams, finish as fast as we could, yet at the same time travel together. That's the tough part. That explains why we were sticking together like a worker's party ;)

After running til we almost turned pale and died, we were required to do abs exercises. I love lying on the grass doing exercises as the view is AWESOME! Blue skies and birdies flying across the sky :))

Here's the wide open field that we always have our Bootcamp sessions :)


We had water but no water breaks allowed. Must curi-curi drink water. CRUEL!

Check out all the red and burned-out faces.

These guys really make sure we push ourselves and work it, man. Which is why I love Bootcamp! Our sharp and dedicated trainers :) They know it when you do only 9 times instead of 10. They know, THEY KNOW! *crying out loud* :'((((

Some abs torture that we had to do multiple times.

The one in grey did it correctly.

The one in black at the back cheating wan :P

One hour passed by super quickly as most of the time were spent running about and making sure we don't faint and die. And we came to the favourite part of Bootcamp......the Cooling Down routines! :D

What I love about Bootcamp:

#1: Each session is different!

They're designed to build our stamina, our core strengths, and different parts of our body. That makes it interesting to look forward to Bootcamp as you don't know what (torture) is in store for you each session.

#2: Our trainers are CRUEL.

That's why I love Bootcamp! This is something you don't get when you go for gym and when you do your own exercises at home. In each session, my physical limits are pushed further than before. And before I know it, baby muscles start appearing wheeeeee!! :)

#3: Bootcamp gets me Down & Dirty!

I know I don't seem to be one who enjoys getting down and dirty with the soil and grass and worms but, I do! Although getting my clothes (and inner garments *ahem) soaked to the core in wet, damped soil, and having grass sticking all over my body can be a little yucks, but I really do love being so close to nature. I mean, how often do you get to roll around on an open field with 20 over others and not feel stupid and paiseh? ;)

#3: The Bootcampers HOOYAH!

Bootcamp exercises require us to work a lot in teams, and teamwork is always needed. Supporting and cheering each other on has become a culture in Bootcamp, and that's also something you don't get in gyms and jogging in the park.

Plus, it really strengthens bonds and forges friendship. I love the feeling of teamwork and family, and finishing the race with one another :)

Darling and I :)

Here's the crazy bunch! Life's happier when you hang with fun and crazy peeps :) <3

I can't stop laughing at this GIF! Check out out trainer walking away on the left, Jin on far right and everything else happening!

Read more about super funny laugh-until-can-die Bootcamp stories here:

http://www.gladys-tan.blogspot.com/

#ilovebootcamp :)

Know more about Bootcamp HERE!

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Now, the next best thing to do after having breakfast post-bootcamp, is to have a GREAT cold shower after that! You'll find stuff like soil and leaves and grass sticking all over your body even places you have no idea how they can masuk but anyway, it isn't enough to only shower and cleanse with shower foam. No no no.

Scrubbing is super necessary! Especially if you have sensitive skin, scrubbing and exfoliating helps to get rid of dirt and sweat from your skin, leaving it feeling fresh and clean. So scrub away!

After you scrub your skin, make sure you replenish its moisture by applying body lotion. If not, you'll have really dry skin.

Nivea's Express Hydration instantly seeps into your skin! Totally fuss-free. Plus, it doesn't leave you feeling all-sticky like how other body lotions do. It's perfect for all-day wearing :)

Remember: Hydrate & Moisturise after exercise!

Don't forget to drink lots and lots of water too!! Ultra important! ;)

Toned and fit body is not impossible to achieve. The celebrities that you see on TV and magazines, they work extra hard to achieve their body too! Nothing comes easy. So, start exercising away! ;)

So there you have it, my Body Beautiful Secret on keeping fit :)

Up next: Body Beautiful Secrets #3: Healthy dieting.

love, careen.

Body Beautiful Secrets

Hey loves, it's been a while, huh? Finally Sem 4 is over and I now have the time to sit down and just...blog :) Lotsa stuff to update!

One of the more exciting highlights, I'm one of the Top 3 contestants for Watsons You Awards Season 4 Body Beautiful category.

We heard from the organizers that out of 4000 over participants, the Top 3 of each 8 categories, which makes it 24 of us are the lucky chosen ones out of the whole lot. Which makes me feel really lucky, happy and excited to say the least! :)

So being a Body Beautiful contestant, we're asked to share beauty tips on how to become Body Beautiful. When you hear the words, 'Body Beautiful', what ideas of beauty come to your mind?

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Could it be the ultra thin beauty?


Victoria Beckham

Famous for her super skinny petite frame.

Some find this beautiful. Do you?

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Or the bootylicious, curvaceous, and vivacious?

Beyoncé who invented the 'Bootylicious'

Kim Kardashian

Loved, envied or hated (by her Kardashian sisters. they always call her fat) for her curvessss.

Truth is, they're not fat. They're just well-endowed front and back *ahem*. And when you are, it's hard to look thin!

Is this your idea of body beautiful?

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How about the girls who are not as well-endowed?

Keira Knightly

She's a stunning, stunning beauty, just not so well-endowed, and that has been an issue in the Entertainment industry. Look at what they've done to King Arthur's poster. Severely edited and enhanced to suit the society's idea of beauty. Keira was pretty upset about constantly having her photos edited to get her looking more 'womanly'.

But truth is, she is a real beauty with or without those graphic enhancements.

Is she body beautiful to you?

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How about the tall and slim modelesque figure?

Seems perfect, ain't it?

Tall, thin, baggin' a fair size of 'boobage & bootie', no signs of cellulite, etc.

Btw, Miranda Kerr is my all-time favourite model. Love her for her cute face, dolly features, and versatility.

Is this your type of body beautiful?

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What about the pretty face, picture perfect, proportionate body, BUT petite and shorter girls?

Hayden Panettiere

Many guys' dream (at least many guys I know). And as you can see she's not really skinny.

But there's a problem, she's not your typical tall All-American girl.

Standing at only 5"1, which is 155cm, height doesn't seem to be an issue to her self-esteem and career. She is much celebrated and people adore her, for her.

Ultimate girl-next-door, aye guys? ;)

Is Hayden your idea of Body Beautiful?

All the girls above all have different body shapes and sizes, weight and height, cup sizes, and if they ever stand in a row beside each other, it'll be an interesting sight of wide variety.

But there is this ONE thing that they have in common:

Confidence.

They're known and proud of being who they are.

Skinny, curvy, tall, short, big-breasted, flat-chested, etc etc.

That's something I learned, to always be confident and proud of who I am. Be real & natural no matter where you are or who you're with. Be comfortable in your own skin. That makes you Body Beautiful :)

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Now I'm sure you've heard of this phrase:

"There are no ugly women, only lazy ones."

To a certain extend, this saying makes a lot of sense and it's true! Imagine, you're a real beauty with all the God-given goodness. But you do not trim your hair, brush em', trim your brows and other unwanted hair, make sure you smell good, etc, your natural God-given beauty will be a little hard to be noticed.

Since you're already naturally beautiful, why not make the best use out of it and enhance your best features? You only need to put in a little effort :)

Now, there are a hundred and one steps to being Body Beautiful, from skin care regimes, down to healthy diets and exercises.

Since it's been a pretty long blog post already (teehee...),

I'll only share one Body Beautiful tip today.

We'll start with the basic and the essential.

Body Beautiful Tip #1: Hydrate & Moisturise!

The SKIN is the largest organ of the human body *gasp* Oh yeah it is! Many know how important it is to care for the skin (face), but many are unaware that our body needs to be hydrated and constantly moisturised all-day everyday!

Especially in our beloved country, Malaysia where the sun is always bright and shining and most of the time, scorching! You don't have to be under the sun too long to feel the heat and sun burn. All these does a lot of damage to your skin.

And if you're like me, who cannot tolerate heat and you always love to shelter yourself in an air-conditioned room, then using a body lotion is more than ever necessary!

And if you're always busy driving around from place to place and your car is your second home, you really need to moisturise your skin, as being in a confined air-conditioned place dries your skin faster than you can ever imagine.

I use NIVEA's Express Hydration Body Lotion and it works so well on my skin.

Why I love it:

#1: It's as express as it promises to be! Being the busy bee me, express is the way to go. I don't have to sit and wait for the body lotion to seep into my skin. The moment it's applied, voila! It's well-absorbed and it stays tightly in my skin throughout the day.

#2: It's small, easy-to-carry, travel-friendly packaging. They have a variety of sizes for you to choose from. This size is for easy-travelling. You can easily slip it into your tiny girly-girl clutches and bags, and guys can even slip it into their pockets!

#3: Its fluid texture & oh-so-nice fragrance. I love that it is so easy to apply! Unlike some body lotions that turn hard and flaky after a while, this stays fluid and its fragrance is a plus, plus point!

So there you go,

Body Beautiful Tip #1: Hydrate & Moisturise.

And time to do a little campaigning. *ahem! shy*

If you love what you read and want to see me win (Oh, please do! :P), don't forget to drop me a vote at Watsons You Awards app:

https://apps.facebook.com/watsonsyouawards.

You can drop a vote a day. Hope you could help me win! *pats eyelids* :))

That's all for now. Stay tuned for more Body Beautiful tips ;)

xoxo

love, careen

#bestboyfriendintheworld

Favourite word of the day:

STEADY!

Whenever Sarge mentions, "And........steady!", we'd let our muscles loose and I mean all muscles including facial muscles and we would look like saggy monkey faces.

Bootcamp has been getting more intense. Can't walk up and ESPECIALLY down the stairs without making weird 'Ouch, Owwww, Oooooo, Ahhhh, Eeeeek' noises. While in public and such noises are big no-nos, I'd hold everything in which makes me feel like slapping Gladys :D

Sorry getting a tad too random and lame...been up since 5.50am this morning, bootcamp and bonding with sandbags (macho sial now weih don't play play kungfu panda you....), the best shower ever after bootcamp, audition for Watsons You Awards, church service, family dinner and here I am.

Here's a picture we took this morning! LOVE LOVE LOVE this picture! It's picture perfect! Filled with beautiful faces! ;D #hiddenmeaning #sisterlylove #cannotseeghost #uglymustslap

Hahahaha I love my sis :)

HOOYAH!

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It's been a while but I really need to blog/brag/whatever about this :))

Darling bought this as my 3rd gift for our 7th anniversary this Nov. It's sorta a countdown pressie-giving thingy where I'll get 7 gifts building up to our 7th year anniv.

First pressie: Specs

Second pressie: Shu Uemura cleansing oil which I LURVE to the max!

Third pressie: (below)

Shu Uemura Sunset Gold Palette! :)))

Mentioned that I've been looking for a good goldish brownish eye shadow palette and being the broke/pokai me, I always wait til I need it or til I strike lottery only I'll buy. Didn't know darling took note and bought this for me :) it's more than I could ask for...

So since he gave me I must wear right? Wear already must camho right?

So here goes :D

Won't post up so many camho photos at one go. Dowan people to call me bimbo :P

#sensitive issue

Darling, though my eyes could hardly open and my mind is totally insane right now, I still wanna blog about this to tell the whole world just how happy and blessed a gf I am, and how much I love and appreciate you :)

#bestboyfriendintheworld

#happiestgirlfriendintheworld

#goingtosleepwithasmile

My own hashtags :P

OXY Commercial shoot in less than 7 hours so,

Goodnight big, big world!

love, careen.

Chief's Original Bootcamp: Day #1

Confessions of a first-time bootcamper/supposed 'bimbo':

If window shopping/actual shopping is your only exercise, you'll be able to truly identify with me.

It was 6.10am.

Thought I woke up on time as it only takes 10mins to reach USJ1 from my crib. Woke the snoring sis up, washed up, get dressed, tied up a pony tail, all ready to conquer my physical limits and resurrect my stamina.

One problem:

My pants were a tad too long. So I went around the house searching for safety pins. But I could not find a single, miserable, tiny pin in sight. Unbelievable.It was already 6.35am. Bootcamp starts at 6.45am sharp. I am so super late.

Gulped a glass of hot drink and drifted to the battleground.

By the time we reached, everyone and I mean, EVERY SINGLE ONE were already doing their warm ups and everything. Sis and I panicked and ran around aimlessly looking for a place to report ourselves. Apparently we looked like lost chicken but ANYWAY.

We were required to run 5 laps (5 or 6? or 10? lost count! the only thing that I thought abt was to stay alive), come back to our initial starting point, do push ups, sit ups, etc. By the time I was done with the torture, 5 things were running in my mind:

#1: Where did my dancer's stamina go???!!!!

#2: I feel nauseous.

#3: I wanna go home.

#4: What did I get myself into?!

#5: Wait, I really really need to puke.

But I didn't cos I was shy and my puke was also shy like me so it went back in.

Plus, I didn't know where to puke. The open field? The dustbin? The bench?

Then, God sent his rain.

I was secretly feeling happy.

Thought we could go home but NO, another 8 laps to go. In the rain. In the cold, cold rain.

In my heart I was singing,

'I know that You are for me,

I know that You will never forsake me in my weakness.'

God. Whyyy.

But anyway, drama aside, managed to finish all 8 laps with Andrea Kee, who also felt as nauseous as me.

As time went by, it all became easier.

Lookin' forward to the next Bootcamp! ;)

No, I mean it.

Here's our victory rawwwwwwr!

Ok, just me and Gladys :(

Gotta go get ready for a shoot now.

Long day ahead, but I feel refreshed :)

Hooyah!

love, careen

'Someday' by Justin Bieber

It's a new song by Justin Bieber!

No, kidding. It's a new fragrance by Bieber. For girls. And their moms.

I've never been a fan of Bieber, and nope, not here to attack him. For this new soon-to-be-launched fragrance called 'Someday' by Bieber, I put aside all my dislikes towards him (not hatred okay. there's a fine line...), and watched the ad purely on a neutral mode.

I find that there's a problem with this ad.

Is it just me, or does this video feel extremely paedophilic?

I can't help but feel a little grossed out when Biebs flied around with a girl who looks my age. Or maybe older. And the whole hugging and smiling sheepishly while twisting around in the air thing, I don't get it! Don't get me started on him lying against her bosom and looking comfortable. And excited.

Sorry, am taught to analyse ads in class so forgive me if I over-describe or, analyse.

But I really don't get the concept.

Beliebers, please don't attack me. This is my personal feeling and opinion as I watched the ad. I respect your decision for loving Bieber, and you should respect me for my standpoint too *peace* :) Let's just be neutral here, aight?

But guys, honestly, am I the only one who feels a little grossed out about this ad?

Honestly?

love, careen.

Heart on sleeves at quarter after one.

Hello there :)

Just finished an assignment rush the entire last week. It was a mad rush.

Lack of sleep- skin deteriorate, weight loss. Hey, the latter doesn't sound too bad, does it? ;)

Had to deal with possibly one of the most fun yet tedious subject for me- SOUND. Sound is SO technical. Gotta kowtow to all the sound engineers out there.

Editing became fun once I knew how to go about it :) The problem was the quality of my sound recording. How do you deal with static sounds and 'air' sounds?? It's annoying.

Anyway, it's done and over with :)

More major assignments ahead but for now, let's just take a breather, shall we? :)

Appreciate it when photographers make the effort to make me look pretty in pictures.

Love the whole feel of the photo :)

God has been great to me.

So many blessings and opportunities keep pouring in, til I have no time to pick everything up. It feels surreal that He really answers my prayers and helps me fulfil my goals each time. He never fails :)

It's been less than 2 years since I stepped into freelance modelling, emcee-ing, as well as commercial shooting only since beginning of this year. Seeing how far I've come, I only have God to thank...for bringing me to the right people, the right friends, the right agents and clients, the right connections. It all just happened. Thinking about it all just, amazes me.

I'm not super successful or top at my field. But for the little time and effort put in due to the many other commitments I have in my hands, it just feels so natural and effortless that things just come by, without me having to strive for it.

If it's not God, then who?

Many think that it is not an industry safe to step into. It could be, but in my experience, it really depends on how far you're willing to go/what you're willing to sacrifice to step up. If you want it bad enough, you'll give in and compromise. So, it depends, really.

But to me, this is honestly just momentary. I'm enjoying every single bit of it. I love my job, but I don't intend to dwell here forever. Have got long term plans which excites me each time I think about it :) Thus, I'm not willing to work so hard for things. I already have everything in place. I have the love of my life, my beautiful family, my wonderful church.

Why sacrifice? Why jeopardise?

Knowing the industry especially in Msia. Uh uh, it's not worth it.

Which explains why others are at the top while I'm not. I just don't see the point of giving so much and pushing so hard. This is not what I want to do for life, and I'm not desperate for the money. I'm content being the girl who is picky with her jobs ;) Yes, I'm boring like that.

Crossroads in life.

Family or career?

I don't know why but it's becoming clearer to me everyday :)

Perhaps.

love, careen.