Culture
Three Degrees North, Four Degrees Of Separation
The breath of theatre

17.05.2017
By Buro247

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YOU MEAN THE WORLD TO ME

August 2014 at the 5th Georgetown Festival, in the courtyard of the Khoo Kongsi. As night falls the curtain is raised on an ingeniously constructed, visually eloquent double story stage. The beautiful but brutal retelling of a staggering story of love, loyalty and a family’s demons reveals itself to an audience—most of whom are very much at home on the streets of Georgetown, Penang; the actual setting within the play itself. There is an intimacy and immediacy in the telegraphing of gut-wrenching sentiment to the stunned audience culminating in an impassioned curtain-call where the actors themselves struggle to stem their tears. This was my introduction to Saw Teong Hin’s quietly magnificent “almost-autobiographical” Hokkien play You Mean The World To Me.

Fast forward 3 years and here we were in April 2017 at the premiere of You Mean The World To Me—now reworked as the world’s first Hokkien movie. A couple of friends and I (huge fans of Teong Hin’s play) had flown up to Penang almost two years earlier to fill in as extras for a few hours of the 17 day shoot on the island. Yes the China House scene. Yes don’t blink.  Yes we were totally credited, thank you. The movie lacks that emotional crunch that only breathing theatre can deliver. But ohhhhh it’s lovely and tender and extraordinary.  Soaked in the detail and authenticity of 1970s Penang. Most of the cast are reprising their roles from the play and their passion for the project is tangible. It is the women who carry the movie—with their stoicism, their colour, their devotion, their peccadilloes. Neo Swee Lin and Yeo Yann Yann playing mother and sister respectively to Frederick Lee’s Sunny are the flawless foil—in both strength and vulnerability—that allows us to truly see him. Christopher Doyle’s cinematographic genius is a soaring, lingering love ode to Georgetown in particular and Penang as a whole. But the largest applause is reserved for Saw Teong Hin himself, writer, director, subject matter. Thank you for your sensitive, truly generous sharing of this exquisitely brave story. Now please—restage the play.

TROPICANA THE MUSICAL

That crucible of enchantment, GTF 2014 was also the first time I’d seen any work of the much-lauded Singaporean theatrical team Tan Kheng Hua and Lim Yu-Beng. Respectively producer and writer/director of 2 Houses—a site-specific, gorgeously detailed chronicle of World War II in Penang set within the stunning Soonstead Mansion that August. And now there was loud buzz from south of the border surrounding Tan Kheng Hua’s latest production, Tropicana The Musical. An ambitious original musical based on the actual Tropicana Theatre-Restaurant and Niteclub, a Las Vegas-style club situated on Scotts Road, that had been the epitome of glamour, the aspirational Singaporean lifestyle in the swinging 60s. So a campaign of marketing and sponsorship that had folk up in KL taking notes aside, I just really like productions that usher you into the mood as you move through the foyer. Yes, 60s bar (tick). One might just get all the feels one might need cuddling a bottle of Prosecco in one’s plush velvet seat.

TTM managed to assemble a dreamteam of heavyweight talent both on and off stage. With Beatrice Chia-Richmond directing, Cultural Medallion recipient Haresh Sharma providing the script and really the Ocean’s 11 of Singapore thespians (Lim Yu-Beng, Ebi Shankara, Karen Tan, Brendon Fernandez, Rizman Putra, Siti K, Joshua Lim, Mitch Lagos, Audrey Luo, Seong Hui Xuan, Sharda Harrison) fleshing out (literally in some cases) conversations bigger than themselves that Singapore was having with herself back then. In musical harmony. The songs were pretty, loved the costumes (spangled psychedelia and tassled breast petals always work for me), loved the black and white accordion framing of the stage (ok let’s not mention that car). But somehow the sum of its parts were just greater than the whole. Still big kudos to the team for the boldness of staging something totally fresh about this time and space almost forgotten. I for one relished that whiff of ganja-laced nostalgia.

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES

My musical theatre weekend in Singapore continued the next day with Sunday In The Birdcage With George, better known as La Cage Aux Folles. I remember the celluloid version, yes, Birdcage, with Nathan Lane and Robin Williams. Robin Williams improvising madly with Bob Fosse, Martha Graham, Madonna—”but you keep it all inside.” Genius.

Some months back I’d had a chat with my friend Tony Eusoff  who’d mentioned his regret at being unable to reprise his role as George with the W!ld Rice production, after a critically-acclaimed run in Singapore 5 years ago due to, well, you can read about that here. Now, Our Very Own Sean Ghazi with those hips, that swagger and that molten chocolate purr had taken over as the loyal, loving, marginally less-flamboyant George to Ivan Heng’s Albin/Zaza. It was touching that Sean’s bio blurb in the programme had a dedication to Tony. Ivan Heng of course was seemingly born to play Albin/Zaza and could probably just roll out of bed, wig-up and stiletto-twirl into an extravagant birdcage frolic of feather-propelled drama. They were just gorgeous together of course. A perfect elliptical modern family with Aaron Khalid playing their son Jonathan, soon to be marrying the lovely Anne (Mae Ellliessa), with his hussy biological mother permanently MIA. Hmmm… Hossan Leong as Leslie screamingly stole every scene he was in. I just want him at every dinner-party I go to please. The Cagelles were the high-kicking, pecs-n-‘ceps-popping, smoulderingly best cabaret line-up I’d seen… oh, ever. Ferocious, fluttering, powerful and oh soooo sexy. I just want them at every… ok nevermind. Director Glen Goie has taken this classic and refracted it through a charming, pink-dotted local prism for this shimmering spectrum of human hues. Throw in valuable homilies of love and truth and… applause! Sniff! Applause! What a spectacle.

ELECTRA

Back in KL and as I’d mentioned to a friend, I was really needing to not watch anything with feathers or sequins for a while. And along came Electra, a Sophoclean classic of betrayal and retribution. With that white-bread question of terrifying Greek tragedies, “What does it take to kill your mother?” Electra is committed to exhausting despair and a maniacal grief for the murder of her father Agamemnon by her mother Clytemnestra and her stepfather Aegistus until vengeance is exacted by the killing of the pair by her brother Orestes, perhaps then also begging the question “Who does it take to kill your mother?” Big leap. Nary a spangle in sight.

Cake Theatrical Productions continues its work with The Classics with a powerhouse performance from Edith Podesta in the title role. It’s multi-layered, multi-dimensional, modern physical theatre that takes a while to reel you in. The stage is set with a climbing grid in which the actors, playing multiple roles eat, play and die. Sharda Harrison (Hello, Pinky weren’t you in Tropicana just a week ago?) uses mask and beard alternately for her dual roles as female servant and Agamemnon, perhaps strangely looking more at ease in this mournful setting than she did in 60s Singapore. Lian Sutton (and there you have it—first saw him at GTF 2014. Yes 2 Houses J) plays Orestes and bewigged, his mother Clytemnestra—her with chilling sensuality. Andrew Marko leaves only the faintest impression playing three different characters. Electra is well… electrifying. But with a trancelike timelessness. You leave wondering if anyone actually won and if revenge is perhaps best savoured without regret.

You Mean The World To Me is currently playing at selected cinemas nationwide. Everything else—you’ll have to catch their next staging.

So apparently I should say you can follow me on Instagram @goddesshireenxxx.

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Lifestyle
Grammys 2021: Best moments and all the winners

15.03.2021
By Adelina Tan

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Scaled down but no less significant—the 63rd Grammy Awards raised the bar for awards shows in the ongoing pandemic. Held at the Los Angeles Convention Centre instead of the usual Staples Center, the show had no audience, was overseen by Covid-19 safety officers, and featured five equally sized stages arranged in a circle facing inwards.

Hosted by Trevor Noah, the Grammys opened with back-to-back performances by Harry Styles (Best Pop Solo Performance), Billie Eilish and brother Finneas, and the Haim sisters. Dua Lipa, who won Best Pop Vocal Album, shimmied to ‘Levitating’ and ‘Don’t Start Now’ against a moon backdrop reminiscent of a cosmic disco.

Other “out of this world” performances came from Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B who performed ‘WAP’ with dancers dressed as aliens; and Doja Cat who donned a futuristic bodysuit for ‘Say So’ accompanied by “robotic cat” dancers.

Silk Sonic—a project group by Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, who won Best Melodic Rap Performance—made a grooving, 70s-inspired debut with “Leave The Door Open’. BTS dropped in, albeit remotely, like ‘Dynamite’ with a pre-recorded rendition of the song filmed in Seoul.

In three and a half hours, history was made multiple times. Taylor Swift became the first female artist ever to win Album of the Year three times, taking home the prize this year for Folklore. Only three others have achieved this feat: Frank Sinatra, Paul Simon and Stevie Wonder. Swift performed ‘Cardigan’, ‘August’ and ‘Willow’ amidst a magical forest setting.

Beyoncé accepted her record-breaking 28th Grammy award for Best R&B Performance, which she won for ‘Black Parade’. She is now the most-awarded woman in Grammys history, equalling super-producer Qunicy Jones and just three behind classical conductor Sir Georg Solti’s 31 trophies. Nine-year-old Blue Ivy Carter became the second youngest Grammy winner when she won Best Music Video for ‘Brown Skin Girl’ with her mama.
Beyoncé also picked up more trophies with her contribution to Megan Thee Stallion’s ‘Savage’, which won Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance. Megan was also awarded the Best New Artist honour.

Last year’s ingenue and big winner, Billie Eilish, continued her record-setting streak this year. Picking up the Record of the Year award for Everything I Wanted, Eilish is now the youngest artist to win the award more than once, and only the fifth to win it twice. Her acceptance speech paid tribute to Megan Thee Stallion, who she said deserved the trophy. Megan summed it up in her speech for Best New Artist: “I don’t want to cry but first of all I wanna say everybody is amazing.”
All winners of the 63rd Grammy Awards:
Record of the Year
Everything I Wanted — Billie Eilish
Album of the Year
Folklore — Taylor Swift
Song of the Year
I Can’t Breathe — Dernst Emile II, H.E.R., and Tiara Thomas, songwriters (H.E.R.)
Best New Artist
Megan Thee Stallion
Best Pop Solo Performance
Watermelon Sugar – Harry Styles
Best Pop Vocal Album
Future Nostalgia — Dua Lipa
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
Rain on Me — Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
American Standard — James Taylor
Best Dance Recording
10% — Kaytranada featuring Kali Uchis
Best Dance/Electronic Album
Bubba — Kaytranada
Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
Live at the Royal Albert Hall — Snarky Puppy
Best Rock Album
The New Abnormal — The Strokes
Best Rock Performance
Shameika — Fiona Apple
Best Rock Song
Stay High — Brittany Howard, songwriter (Brittany Howard)
Best Metal Performance
Bum-Rush — Body Count
Best Alternative Music Album
Fetch the Bolt Cutters — Fiona Apple
Best R&B Performance
Black Parade — Beyoncé
Best R&B Album
Bigger Love — John Legend
Best R&B Song
Better Than I Imagine — Robert Glasper, Meshell Ndegeocello, and Gabriella Wilson, songwriters (Robert Glasper featuring H.E.R. and Meshell Ndegeocello)
Best Traditional R&B Performance
Anything for You — Ledisi
Best Progressive R&B Album
It Is What It Is — Thundercat
Best Rap Song
Savage — Beyoncé, Shawn Carter, Brittany Hazzard, Derrick Milano, Terius Nash, Megan Pete, Bobby Session Jr., Jordan Kyle Lanier Thorpe, and Anthony White, songwriters (Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé)
Best Rap Album
King’s Disease — Nas
Best Rap Performance
Savage — Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé
Best Melodic Rap Performance
Lockdown — Anderson .Paak
Best Comedy Album
Black Mitzvah — Tiffany Haddish
Best Country Solo Performance
When My Amy Prays — Vince Gill
Best Country Duo/Group Performance
10,000 Hours — Dan + Shay and Justin Bieber
Best Country Album
Wildcard — Miranda Lambert
Best Country Song
Crowded Table — Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, and Lori McKenna, songwriters (The Highwomen)
Best New Age Album
More Guitar Stories — Jim “Kimo” West
Best Improvised Jazz Solo
All Blues — Chick Corea, soloist
Best Jazz Vocal Album
Secrets Are the Best Stories — Kurt Elling featuring Danilo Pérez
Best Jazz Instrumental Album
Trilogy 2 — Chick Corea, Christian McBride, and Brian Blade
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
Data Lords — Maria Schneider Orchestra
Best Latin Jazz Album
Four Questions — Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
Best Gospel Performance/Song
Movin’ On — Jonathan McReynolds and Mali Music; Darryl L. Howell, Jonathan Caleb McReynolds, Kortney Jamaal Pollard, and Terrell Demetrius Wilson, songwriters
Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song
There Was Jesus — Zach Williams and Dolly Parton; Case Beathard, Jonathan Smith, and Zach Williams, songwriters
Best Gospel Album
Gospel According to PJ — PJ Morton
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
Jesus Is King — Kanye West
Best Roots Gospel Album
Celebrating Fisk! (The 150th Anniversary Album) — Fisk Jubilee Singers
Best Latin Pop or Urban Album
YHLQMDLG — Bad Bunny
Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album
La Conquista Del Espacio — Fito Paez
Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)
Un Canto por Mexico, Vol. 1 — Natalia Lafourcade
Best Tropical Latin Album
40 — Grupo Niche
Best Americana Album
World on the Ground — Sarah Jarosz
Best American Roots Song
I Remember Everything — Pat McLaughlin and John Prine, songwriters (John Prine)
Best American Roots Performance
I Remember Everything — John Prine
Best Bluegrass Album
Home — Billy Strings
Best Traditional Blues Album
Rawer Than Raw — Bobby Rush
Best Contemporary Blues Album
Have You Lost Your Mind Yet? — Fantastic Negrito
Best Folk Album
All the Good Times — Gillian Welch and David Rawlings
Best Regional Roots Music Album
Atmosphere — New Orleans Nightcrawlers
Best Reggae Album
Got to Be Tough — Toots and the Maytals
Best Global Music Album
Twice as Tall — Burna Boy
Best Children’s Music Album
All the Ladies — Joanie Leeds
Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling)
Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia, and the Richest, Most Destructive Industry on Earth — Rachel Maddow
Best Musical Theater Album
Jagged Little Pill — Original cast
Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media
Jojo Rabbit — Various artists
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
Joker — Hildur Guðnadóttir, composer
Best Song Written for Visual Media
No Time to Die (From No Time to Die) — Billie Eilish O’Connell and Finneas Baird O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
Best Instrumental Composition
Sputnik — Maria Schneider, composer (Maria Schneider)
Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Capella
Donna Lee — John Beasley, arranger (John Beasley)
Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals
He Won’t Hold You — Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier featuring Rapsody)
Best Recording Package
Vols. 11 & 12 — Doug Cunningham and Jason Noto, art directors (Desert Sessions)
Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package
Ode to Joy — Lawrence Azerrad and Jeff Tweedy, art directors (Wilco)
Best Album Notes
Dead Man’s Pop — Bob Mehr, album notes writer (The Replacements)
Best Historical Album
It’s Such a Good Feeling: The Best of Mister Rogers — Lee Lodyga and Cheryl Pawelski, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer (Mister Rogers)
Best Remixed Recording
Roses (Imanbek Remix) — Imanbek Zeikenov, remixer (SAINt JHN)
Best Engineered Album, Classical
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13, ‘Babi Yar’ — David Frost and Charlie Post, engineers; Silas Brown, mastering engineer (Riccardo Muti and Chicago Symphony Orchestra)
Producer of the Year, Classical
David Frost
Best Orchestral Performance
Ives: Complete Symphonies — Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic)
Best Opera Recording
Gershwin: Porgy and Bess — David Robertson, conductor; Angle Blue and Eric Owens; David Frost, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestral The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)
Best Choral Performance
Danielpour: The Passion of Yeshua — JoAnn Falletta, conductor; James K. Bass and Adam Luebke, chorus masters (James K. Bass, J’Nai Bridges, Timothy Fallon, Kenneth Overton, Hila Plitmann, and Matthew Worth; Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra; Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus and UCLA Chamber Singers)
Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance
Contemporary Voices — Pacifica Quartet
Best Classical Instrumental Solo
Theofanidis: Concerto for Viola and Chamber Orchestra — Richard O’Neill; David Alan Miller, conductor (Albany Symphony)
Best Classical Solo Vocal Album
Smyth: The Prison — Sarah Brailey and Dashon Burton; James Blachly, conductor (Experiential Chorus; Experiential Orchestra)
Best Classical Compendium
Thomas, M.T.: From the Diary of Anne Frank & Meditations on Rilke — Isabel Leonard; Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor; Jack Vad, producer
Best Contemporary Classical Composition
Rouse: Symphony No. 5 — Christopher Rouse, composer (Giancarlo Guerrero and Nashville Symphony)
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
Hyperspace — Drew Brown, Andrew Coleman, Shawn Everett, Serban Ghenea, David Greenbaum, Jaycen Joshua, and Mike Larson, engineers; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer (Beck)
Best Music Video
Brown Skin Girl — Beyoncé
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
Andrew Watt
Best Music Film
Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice — Linda Ronstadt
For more on the Grammys, click here.

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Beauty
The mist you need for makeup that last from day to night
Get your fix

30.04.2018
By Gwen Ong

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BURO Beauty Empties Giveaway Week 2: Win up to RM4,500 worth of beauty prizes

To say the modern woman is a go-getter is an understatement. She knows what she wants and she works hard to get to there. Hence, she needs something that works as hard as her in keeping her looking fresh from morning to evening. YSL Beauty rises to the challenge with its new Top Secrets Makeup Setting Spray.
The ultra-refreshing mist is your new secret weapon as you face the world. Think of it as your makeup fixer, one that ensures you’re ready to glow on and off stage. Its power ingredients include hyaluronic acid and glycerin to help skin retain moisture and prevent dehydration. There is also Moroccan walnut leaf extracts to protect skin and jojoba oil to give your complexion a lasting glow.

The YSL Top Secrets Makeup Setting Spray has a lightweight texture to envelop the skin with a ‘protective’ veil so your makeup looks perfect on the go with no smudging or smears. Use it before makeup application to prep the skin and after to seal your look, and then mist your face throughout the day to reset your radiance.

YSL Top Secrets Makeup Setting Spray is available at YSL Beauty stores at Pavilion KL, 1 Utama Shopping Centre and Mid Valley Megamall.

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Film, TV + Theatre
First look at Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II in ‘The Crown’

16.07.2018
By Su Fen Tan

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There you have it, Netflix’s first image of Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II—signifying that we’re one step closer to the upcoming season of The Crown. Colman takes over the role from Claire Foy, and will be playing Her Majesty in the third and fourth season of the hit series.

Filming is currently underway, with the upcoming season slated to arrive in 2019. Other cast changes include Tobias Menzies as Prince Philip, Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret, and Ben Daniels as Margaret’s husband, Antony Armstrong-Jones. The characters of Camelia Parker Bowles and Lady Diana Spencer are also expected to be introduced next season, which will roughly cover the period of 1964 until 1976.

Season two of The Crown just picked up 13 Emmy nominations last week, including one for best drama. Watch the first two seasons of The Crown here.

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Lifestyle
How did the Garmin Fenix 5 fare for a beginner runner?
Trial and error

23.08.2017
By Gwen Ong

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Wearable tech seems to be the key phrase that has permeated the lives of many but mine. What? I’m a slow adopter. Back when my peers were jumping on the smartphone trend, I was still blissfully using my pre-historic Nokia before a broken phone finally pushed me to join the “smart” bandwagon.

Since becoming an avid runner a year ago though, I’ve learned to trust the system and understand how life can benefit from technology. Like many people, I go on runs with the phone attached to me. While I’m encouraged to see how many kilometres my body can go with a trusty running app, it has proven to be quite cumbersome hitting the tracks with a phone in tow.

Hence, I jumped at the chance to strap on the Garmin Fenix 5.

First look
The Fenix 5 falls in the midsize range along with its smaller sibling Fenix 5S and the larger Fenix 5X. At 47mm, the Fenix 5 weighs 87g and comes with a rubber strap. While still considered massive in size, it is reportedly a slightly tinier and lighter model compared to the previous Fenix 3 HR series.

Initially, I did find the Fenix 5 rather bulky on my small wrist but it does have this versatility that can be worn all day as a regular watch. Score! I also had the option of changing up the watch face to get different dial/look, which on the 1.2-inch screen with 240 x 240 resolution provided a good colour display and sharp enough visual. It was no problem reading the screen in the sunlight and the backlight was handy for dimmer indoor use.

The basics
The Fenix 5 is a multisport watch and hence, this is one of the most feature-packed devices of its kind. It can be daunting when you first turned on the watch. But setting it up was easy as a few buttons—five to be exact, which gives you quick access to widgets and functions. While it is not touchscreen friendly, the buttons on either side of the display are a welcome when you have sweaty hands post-workout.

The basic feature is the heart rate monitoring and activity tracking, both of which work together to keep a record of daily steps and calories burned. I added these stats to the front watch face so I can see if I’m hitting my daily goals of 10,000 steps and five flights of stairs – which admittedly was difficult with a typical day spent typing away at the office but can be done with the ‘move’ reminder set every hour. All the data can then be automatically updated on the Garmin Connect mobile app via Bluetooth. The app is helpful to give you a more detailed look at all your activities.

Though the watch can be worn to monitor sleeping pattern, I decided to forgo this as it was not something I’m used to. As for battery life, the Fenix 5 impressed me with its power—lasting through two weeks with a single charge in smartwatch mode and twice-a-week GPS mode. Hence, a week holiday in a foreign land didn’t require me to charge up at all.

Sport-specific activity
There is a multitude of sports that the Fenix 5 can keep track of including running, hiking, swimming, mountain biking, golfing, skiing, snowboarding and even triathlon among others. You can customise the screens on the Fenix 5 with all the different activities that you do and for each activity screen, you can further customise it with up to four data fields. I tested the Fenix 5 on my new favourite sport – running.

Once you’ve selected the ‘Run’ mode, the watch begins to find satellite coverage with the status being shown in a ring ranging from red to orange then green around the display. It’ll prompt you when there’s a good GPS signal—Fenix 5 uses both GPS and Glonass for accuracy. I’ve taken the Fenix 5 on runs in the heart of KL, roads along Bukit Damansara, a race around a park in PJ and also a quick jog by the beachside of Jeju Island during a holiday. Each time, the smartwatch logged onto the GPS with ease and accuracy.

After every run, I could switch between screens on the watch to understand my activity. For example, I can see a map of where I ran, how much time I spent in each heart rate zone and the recommended recovery hours on top of my average pace, elevation, cadence, stride length, etc. The VO2 max score was an indication of my overall fitness but do note that it takes a few activities in for the watch to adapt to your runs.
{insert gallery tpl=”slide-freesize.tpl” id=”Garmin Fenix 5″ rid=”5401″ order=”a_tstamp”}
One of the things that I like about in the Fenix 5 was the race predictor feature, which lists how fast it thinks I’ll do in a 5K, 10K, half marathon and full marathon. It does this by calculating the training effect from each of my run by giving me a score for both aerobic and anaerobic activity. The Training Status screen shows how productive I have been and whether my fitness level is improving or decreasing, while the Training Load feature shows how much load I’ve been doing in the last seven days and whether this is optimal, undertraining or overtraining. Generally, I fall under ‘unproductive’ and ‘undertraining’ for three continuous days of not running.

As a beginner runner/smartwatch adopter, I was overwhelmed by the wealth of information available. I’m still miles away from becoming a good runner but with these metrics in hand, it does help motivate me to push further each time. It is no doubt that a wearable is an effective tool to consciously nudge you to just get moving. I’ve not set my sights beyond acing my PB at the 10K mark yet but I realised that I could actually meet the target set out by the watch with continuous training. So you might never know, the Garmin Fenix 5 might just push yours truly to make it to a half or even full marathon one day. Like all things in life, you’re told to look at the finer details that make up the sum. Likewise, I now look for the little metric details that make for a fulfilling run.

The Garmin Fenix 5 is priced at RM2,899 and it is now available in stores.

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Lifestyle
Disney+ Hotstar is finally coming to Malaysia on 1 June 2021

04.05.2021
By Rachel Au

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After months of speculation, the official announcement came today that Disney+ Hotstar will be available for streaming in Malaysia beginning 1 June 2021 at the price of RM54.90 for three months. Alternatively, Astro will be offering special packages—Movies Pack customers will only need to top up RM5 per month while non-Movies Pack customers will enjoy other attractive bundles.
Subscribers will get access to exclusive and well-loved content ranging from Disney+ Originals (The Mandalorian and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, and Marvel Studios’ WandaVision, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and Loki) to an extensive library of classic films and shows, as well as blockbuster releases from brands such as Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic. You’ll also be able to stream some of the other general entertainment series and films like Nomadland, The Walking Dead, Jojo Rabbit, Criminal Minds, Fresh off the Boat, The Simpsons, and Grey’s Anatomy.

In addition, and as a bid to support the local film industry, Disney+ Hotstar will also be the exclusive home to some of Malaysia’s highly anticipated blockbusters such as J2: J Retribusi (starring Zul Ariffin, Ashraf Sinclair and Amelia Henderson), Zombitopia (starring Shaheizy Sam, Bront Palarae and Sharifah Amani), and Ada Hantu (starring Hairul Azreen). Some of these films will skip cinemas and launch straight on Disney+ Hotstar. For the kids, they can catch Ejen Ali The Movie 2 on the streaming platform after its premiere in theatres.

That’s not all. Curated for the Asian market, Disney+ Hotstar will also have:*Quoted from the press release

Top-rated local Primetime drama series: TV3’s Single Terlalu Lama and Kekasih Hati Mr. Bodyguard will premiere first at 7am on the same day as the linear telecast

Popular Chinese movies and series:  The Silent Forest, Ip Man 4: The Finale, Agent Mr. Chan, Infernal Affairs, Line Walker 2, The Storm Riders, Number 1 (starts streaming mid-June), The Deer and the Cauldron, The Legend of Hao Lan, Nothing Gold Can Stay and Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace

Exclusive never-seen-before Hindi and Tamil movies and series by Hotstar: Dil Bechara, Lootcase, Khuda Hafiz, Teddy (starts streaming mid-June), Big Bull (starts streaming end-June), 1232 KMS (starts streaming mid-July), The Legend of Hanuman (starts streaming mid-July), Live Telecast and Triples

Tamil blockbusters and Star Vijay series: Vishwaroopam 1 and 2, Maari, Thuppakki, Nanban, Kaaka Muttai, Pandian Stores, Bharathi Kannamma, Raja Rani, Super Singer 8 and Naam Iruvar Namakku Iruvar

There are just too many shows to name. After all, at launch, Disney+ Hotstar will boast over 800 films and 18,000 episodes. Subscribers will be able to access them all via compatible mobile and connected TV devices as well as streaming media players. The majority of the content will be available for download on mobile and tablet via the Disney+ Hotstar app, and then enjoyed offline. Each account can support two concurrent streams.
For Astro customers:
Beginning 4 May, customers can sign up for the Movies Pack with Disney+ Hotstar on 1 June 2021 via WhatsApp +603 9543 3838, Ch200, astro.com.my/Disney, as well as authorised retailers and dealers.
Who’s excited for Disney+ Hotstar? We know we are!
Visit DisneyPlusHotstar.my for more information.

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News
7 Things to do this weekend: 18 & 19 September 2021

17.09.2021
By Natalie Khoo

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7 Things to do in the Klang Valley this weekend: 15 & 16 July 2023

1. Celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival with New World Petaling Jaya’s seasonal menus

When: From 15 to 21 September 2021
Where: New World Petaling Jaya Hotel
Price: RM98 nett per set for the Family Feast / RM148 nett per set for two for the Oriental Indulgence Afternoon Tea at Home
The Mid-Autumn Festival is just around the corner (21st September), and this weekend is the perfect time to celebrate it with your family. Aside from gifting them with the prettiest mooncake boxes and savouring the best mooncake flavours together, no festival is complete without a sumptuous reunion feast.
New World Petaling Jaya has specially prepared the Over The Moon Family Feast for the occasion, featuring three set menus with a selection of oriental dishes to serve up to four. Among the dishes include Braised Chicken with Yam and Mushroom, Steam Tofu with Minced Chicken, and XO Fried Rice with Shrimp.

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Besides that, there’s also an Oriental Indulgence Afternoon Tea at Home set in collaboration with Tea+. Each afternoon tea set features an assortment of oriental-themed savoury and sweet delicacies with one bag of The Royal Puer fermented tea from Tea+, and a complimentary mooncake.
For more information or to order, call +6012 3909949 / +6010 2163810 or send the hotel a message on Facebook or Instagram.
2. Participate in The Kind Run by Kind Kones

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When: 15 to 30 September
Price: RM120
Local plant-based ice cream shop Kind Kones is hosting its first ever virtual run this month to raise funds for those who were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, while encouraging a healthier lifestyle after the prolonged lockdown period. Dubbed The Kind Run, the virtual event takes place from 15 to 30 September with a portion of proceeds going towards The Hope Branch and Colour Away Covid.
Those interested to donate or participate can purchase The Kind Run Kit, which includes a dry-fit shirt, face mask, insulated bottle, tote bag, and an ice cream pint of choice along with products and vouchers from various sponsors. In addition, one mangrove tree will be planted in Indonesia for every kit purchased.
Participants are encouraged to complete the 5km run and share their progress via social media with the hashtag #TheKindRun and tagging @kindkones. The kits can be purchased in-store or online from 4th September onwards. For more information and updates, follow @kindkones on social media.
[READ MORE: #RakyatJagaRakyat: 32 White Flag initiatives to support]
3. Shop the new Puma X Animal Crossing: New Horizons collection

When: From 18 September 2021
Where: PUMA stores in Mid Valley, Tropicana Garden, Paradigm JB; ATMOS KL (Mid Valley) and SoleWhat (The Gardens)
Price: From RM179
Animal Crossing addicts, you won’t want to miss the new Puma collaboration with the well-loved Nintendo Switch game. The crossover features streetwear apparel and footwear for adults and kids, reimagined with natural colours and graphics from the popular franchise. Puma’s timeless Suede, Wild Rider, and Future Rider shoe silhouettes highlight the collection, completing the range of short and long sleeve tees, hoodies, shorts, and sweatpants arriving in the signature color palette of the game and bearing some of its most well-known residents and elements (like Tom Nook and the emblematic Animal Crossing leaf logo).
Shop the Puma x Animal Crossing: New Horizons Collection at selected Puma stores from 18th September 2021.
4. Catch up on the latest films and dramas in our September TV Guide

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Money Heist. Star Wars: Visions. Foundation. These are just some of the most exciting films and TV shows to debut this month. If you feel like staying in and being a couch potato this weekend (no judgement here), we’ve got you covered with our monthly TV Guide here. Alternatively, check out our list of the best new K-dramas to watch on Netflix and iQiyi (featuring stars like Jeon Do-yeon and Kim Go-Eun) here.
5. Grab yourself a can (or pack) of Heineken 0.0

Where: Heineken® 0.0 website
Ever craved a can of cold beer mid-way through a work day? Hold that thought as Heineken is making that possible—minus the guilt and minus the alcohol—in the form of the Heineken® 0.0. To kick-start your Work Smart, Drink Smart routine, all you have to do is sign up on the Heineken 0.0 microsite to redeem a 4-can pack of the non-alcoholic beer, available on a daily first-come, first-served basis. You can also stock up your fridge with the Heineken® 0.0 by purchasing it via the Drinkies app (available on iOS and Android) or website.
For more information and updates, log on to this

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Beauty
Jake Gyllenhaal stars as a dad in the new Calvin Klein Eternity campaign
Modern family

05.10.2017
By Wei Yeen Loh

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BURO Beauty Empties Giveaway Week 2: Win up to RM4,500 worth of beauty prizes

It’s no surprise that Calvin Klein’s Chief Creative Officer Raf Simons is breathing new life into the classic American brand by reinventing its identity with well-crafted élan. From upping the ante for all sublines to recycling old campaigns for a new one this AW17, there’s no shortage of excitement when it comes to creative ingenuity from the brand. Case in point: Calvin Klein has just recently announced Oscar-nominated actor and Broadway star Jake Gyllenhaal to be the new face of Calvin Klein Eternity fragrance.

Shot by photographer Willy Vanderperre, the black-and-white imagery stars Gyllenhaal alongside model Liya Kebede and child actress Leila in depiction of an intimate moment between a modern family unit. It was also reported that the 36-year old actor worked closely in conceiving the theme of the campaign. “Calvin Klein’s longstanding ideas of romance, love, intimacy, and commitment. Today, those values continue with the focus very much on contemporary life,” said the offical statement by the brand. The film campaign is scheduled for release later this month, watch this space for updates.

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3 Woody men’s fragrances to own this season
CK All proves that Calvin Klein has no common scents

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Beauty
Jennifer Lawrence named as the face of the new Dior fragrance

21.06.2018
By Gwen Ong

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BURO Beauty Empties Giveaway Week 2: Win up to RM4,500 worth of beauty prizes

She’s truly a Dior darling! From fronting its fashion campaigns since 2012, Jennifer Lawrence is taking her relationship with the brand a step further with a new beauty campaign. It has been announced that the actress will be the face of a new mystery Dior perfume. No details yet about the fragrance but it will be out later this year.

This will mark a new era for fragrance at the House of Dior as it’ll be the first perfume to be launched since J’Adore made its debut in 1999. The new offering by perfumer-creator, François Demachy has been described as “an unprecedented fragrance and a powerful universe”.

Lawrence first made an appearance for her first handbag campaign for Dior in 2013 and last year, she took on the Fall 2018 campaign. On the beauty front, she has also starred in the brand’s 2015 campaign for its Dior Addict Lipstick.

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Makeup
The best new makeup launches that are convincing us to wear makeup under our face masks

23.11.2020
By Wei Yeen Loh

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How to nail the Barbiecore look (and everything you’ll need to do it)

Just ’cause we’re staying home (and staying safe) doesn’t mean that you can’t have fun with makeup—or splurge on new launches, for that matter. Skincare sets and hair necessities aside, this holiday season isn’t complete without a handful of new beauty products that are creeping its way to our wishlists.
Ahead, six makeup products that we’ve been experimenting with as of late—and convincing us that makeup shouldn’t be worn to be seen, but to make us feel good (and for that added boost of confidence).
For a diffused glow that gleams (not blinds):
Burberry The Essentials Glow Palette

Burberry The Essentials Glow Palette

You can’t go wrong with a palette that has everything you need to define your complexion to a tee. Case in point: Burberry The Essentials Glow Palette, a new three-in-one winner that has powder and cream formulations to sculpt, define and highlight your visage.
A healthy glow is always the way to go and the palette makes it easy to ace it, especially if you’re not a fan of high-impact finishes. Tip: Pat on Burberry’s Fresh Glow Luminous Base Fluid before using the Essentials Glow Palette if you’re gunning for a luminous effect.
RM340, available here
For lipstick lovers with a (green) conscience:
Lush Christmas 2020 Lipsticks

Lush Christmas 2020 lipstick

Lush is celebrating Christmas 2020 with the best kind of gift—vintage-inspired, eco-friendly lipsticks that come in the most festive of shades. The new Refillable Lipstick Case is made of aluminium and brass (40 percent of which is recycled material), and all you have to do is get your hands on their range of Lush Naked Lipstick Refills in vibrant purple, metallic red and gold glitter to fit ’em right in. Once you’re done, simply refill them!
From RM65, available at Lush stores. For more info, click here.
An everything-in-one makeup kit that anyone will find handy:
Nudestix Nude Blooms Pony Park Kit

Nudestix Nudebloom Pony Park

Nudestix has done it again and we’re all for its latest collaboration with our girl crush Pony Park, South Korean celebrity makeup artist and influencer. The Nude Blooms Kit doesn’t just come with four makeup essentials—each product can be used in more ways than one. And if there’s anything we love more than a day-to-night kit, it’s most definitely multifunctional must-haves.
The multi-use makeup in this kit include the Nudies Bloom in Cherry Blossom Babe for a pink-rose dewy look; the Nudies Glow in Illumi-naughty that can be used on the cheeks, eyelids and lips; and the Magnetic Luminous Eye in Praia that doubles up as an eyeshadow, eyelid primer, and highlighter. Finish of your holiday look with Lip Glace in Nude 04, a hydrating gel lip gloss that leaves a pretty-in-pink hue.
RM305, available here
If you’re looking for a pigment-rich lip colour that doesn’t dry your lips out:
Decorte AQ Lipstick

Decorte AQ Lipstick

We know what you’re thinking: What’s the use of lipstick if your face mask is going to conceal half your face anyway? But hear us out—or rather, what Decorté has to offer this holiday season. The new AQ Lipstick isn’t just another lipstick that offers great colour payoff; the skincare ingredients (white mucuna extract, white birch water, vegetable squalene and more) in this lipstick formulation moisturise the lips while leaving it comfortable and non-sticky.
Got fine lines that don’t look the best with a bold lip colour? Try this lipstick that’s more like a lip care. It comes in 10 shades, from a neutral poppy pink to various reds for a festive-ready look.
RM228, available at Decorté Isetan KLCC and The Gardens Mall
If traditional highlighters bore you:
Fenty Beauty Diamond Bomb All-Over Diamond Veil in Rosé Rave

Fenty eauty Diamond Bomb Rose Rave

What glides on like butter, leaves your skin glitzy (not gritty), and feels like jelly on the skin? If you guessed Fenty Beauty’s bestselling Diamond Bomb All-Over Diamond Veil highlighter for the face and body, you’re not wrong. But what we’re stoked for this season is that it now comes in two new limited-edition shades that aren’t your conventional hues.
Rosé Rave is our favourite for its pink-gold glimmer—swipe this on to complement your pink eye makeup for a dash of monochromatic magic; while the champagne gold Royal Icing will leave you gilded and glam for a night out—or Zoom party-ready.
RM187, available here
For that understated K-beauty lewk:
Dasique Sugar Brownie Eyeshadow

Dasique Sugar Brownie Eyeshadow Ksister

You can never have enough neutral-toned eyeshadow palettes, especially those that come with a couple of glitter-laden, shimmery shades to up the ante. Dasique’s cult favourite Sugar Brownie Eyeshadow palette is a sellout in South Korea and Japan—and for good reason. Nine earthy tones make this palm-sized must-have, and is perfect for minimalist makeup enthusiasts and those who are on the hunt for versatile palettes that offer super blendable shadows (Dasique’s product is easily blended with your fingers if you aren’t huge on makeup brushes or BeautyBlenders!).
RM130, available here
For more holiday gift guides, click here.

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Skincare
7 Skincare habits you should adopt in your 20s

07.09.2021
By Redzhanna Jazmin

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The best acne and spot treatments to help curb your breakouts

If you’re currently in your twenties, take a good look at yourself. This is as good as it’s ever going to get (or so I’m told by literally everyone in my life). Apparently, it only goes downhill from here. While your teens were probably spent under the sun or pulling back-to-back all-nighters without consequence, you won’t be so fortunate by the time your late twenties roll around.
You see, while you may still be young and sprightly, your body is already beginning to give up. It may not happen now, and it may not even happen a year from now, but eventually, you’re going to have to face the repercussions of the choices you make in your youth.
Just to be clear (because I am being a bit dramatic), I’m talking about the repercussions of your choices on your skin, not on your life (that’s a little above my pay grade). From premature ageing to skin cancer, every late night you indulge in and every extra minute of sun you soak up accumulates. Obviously, life isn’t simple and you can’t avoid some things altogether, but when it comes to your skin, there are measures you can take to reduce damage. Ahead, find seven skincare habits you should adopt in your early twenties:
1. Wear sunscreen daily
If you take nothing else from this list, at least remember this point. Wear your sunscreen.

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I pretty much spent the entirety of my teens under the sun (SPF-less, of course), getting tanned and/or burned to my heart’s content. It was only around three years ago that I became woefully aware of the realities of skin cancer. Though it is more common in those over 50 years of age, it can very well affect you early in life, and—believe me—it is no joke. The worst part is that it’s totally preventable, provided that you wear sunscreen. In fact, even the lifestyle choices that you make in your teens and 20s are critical in preventing skin cancer.
Using a broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF15 can reduce your risk of squamous cell carcinoma by about 40 per cent, and your risk of melanoma by 50 per cent. For days predominantly spent outdoors, a minimum of SPF30 is necessary for adequate protection (provided you’re reapplying every two to four hours, of course). For a more in-depth explanation, you can check out our sunscreen guide, but for the TL;DR explanation, sunscreen is an absolute must for your everyday routine as sun damage accumulates over a lifetime (yes, even if you never burn).
READ: Sunscreen 101: Your guide to all things SPF (and PA++++)
If that isn’t enough to convince you, just remember that sun damage ages you too. Yes, ageing is a beautiful and inevitable part of life, and the pressure on women to “age well” is ridiculous. That said, if you could avoid premature wrinkles, age spots, and sagging, why wouldn’t you? You could invest in all of the best anti-ageing creams and potions down the line, but you would save a lot more money by just using SPF in the first place.
2. Don’t forget to double cleanse
Spoiler alert: It takes more than one fleeting wash to get rid of makeup, sunscreen, and grime from the day.

Image: Urban Skin Rx
Are you guilty of leaving your makeup on while you sleep? Yes? Boo, you. No? Interesting. What does your cleansing routine look like, huh?
If you said something along the lines of “I wash my face at the end of the day with a good cleanser, and that’s that”, then we need to talk. And—before you say it—no, your toner is not a cleansing step.
Things like makeup and sunscreen are typically oil-based, and it takes a lot more than just a single wash to adequately remove them. If you find that your cotton pads are getting dirtied during your toning step, all that means is that you haven’t done a good enough job while cleansing. While we’re on this topic, you should ditch the makeup wipes while you’re at it—in addition to being horrible for the environment, they’re not an adequate cleansing step either.
Why is it so important to cleanse properly? Well, sleeping with makeup on (and, thus, leaving dirt and environmental pollutants to run wild on your skin) can lead to breakouts, eye irritation, and premature ageing. I personally find that doing a minute-long oil cleanse followed by a minute-long cleanse gentle foaming face wash works perfectly for me, but oil cleansers aren’t necessary. You can double cleanse with any kind of cleanser—even the same one twice! It just depends on your skin type.
READ: If you have acne, you should be oil cleansing for 15 minutes straight—here’s why
3. Exfoliate the correct way
Harsh scrubs and compromised skin barriers are so 2010—here’s how you should be exfoliating instead.

Image: Versed
I’ll be the first to admit that I was a huge fan of a certain apricot scrub in my teens. In fact, I am responsible for introducing said scrub to many of my unsuspecting friends (whoops). It was only a few years ago (AKA once I hit 20) that I finally saw the light—those coarse, harsh face scrubs are terrible for your skin. Fortunately, I don’t think my skin has suffered too much damage at the hands of my indiscretion, but it does still make me cringe when I think about it.
Nowadays, I am more partial to the chemical variety of exfoliants, such as your enzymes, AHAs, BHAs, and PHAs. They are pretty much everywhere these days, and you can find them in rather high concentrations. That said, I have found that using these super high concentrations don’t work for me—rather, I benefit more from using them often and in milder formulations.
Exfoliants are in pretty much every step of my routine, from the salicylic acid in my face wash to the lactic acid in my moisturiser and the assorted acids in my current go-to clay mask. Doing things this way ensures that I don’t over-exfoliate my skin and disrupt my skin barrier. That said, that is just what works for me, and it may greatly differ from what benefits you.
Whether you’re partial to potent formulations or to my milder method, the most important thing when it comes to exfoliation is knowing when to stop. Don’t overdo it, because you’re just going to end up worse off. Plus, while chemical exfoliants are my preference, this doesn’t mean that physical exfoliants are totally out of the question. While you should definitely be wary of coarse scrubs, using gentle physical exfoliants like rice powder are great. All in all, whatever works for you is what is best.
4. Invest in preventative skincare
Being young and hot won’t last forever—prolong the inevitable and hop on the anti-ageing trend ASAP.

Image: Sunday Riley
Okay, once again, I want to reiterate that the concept of “ageing badly” is inherently sexist and impossible to live up to as a beauty standard. That said, as a young woman who has been force-fed the narrative my entire life, I admit that it is something that I worry about to an extent (as I’m sure many others do). Not ageing in general—that I’m looking forward to, really—but one day looking in the mirror and knowing that I could have avoided the hyperpigmentation and premature wrinkles on my complexion entirely.
Call it vain, call it whatever you’d like, but at the end of the day, I would like to take care of my skin (and body) as much as I can. That’s why (in addition to regular SPF use) I’ve introduced a few anti-ageing staples into my routine like retinol, vitamin C, niacinamide, and coenzyme Q10, to name a few.
Obviously, they are all powerful antioxidants, so they protect against free radical damage, in turn preventing premature ageing. In the case of retinol, also known as vitamin A, it has the added benefit of being able to boost collagen production and skin turnover, thus plumping the skin and reducing the appearance of fine lines, dark spots, and acne scarring. These aren’t the only anti-ageing ingredients you can use, but they are the ones that I happen to like best.
Now, I do not currently have (nor have I ever had) obvious wrinkles or any other signs of photoaging, but that’s kind of the point. I’m nipping premature ageing in the bud. Once the damage is done, it is incredibly difficult to reverse, so I am doing all that I can to prevent it.

5. Don’t forget your neck and chest
Fun fact: The first signs of ageing show up on 1) your eyes and 2) your décolletage.

Image: Pinterest
The décolletage (neck, chest, and shoulders) is often overlooked in skincare, and I cannot see why it should be. If you’re applying sunscreen or skincare to your face, it really doesn’t take too much effort to bring it down your neck and chest. That’s all.
6. Ditch the hot showers
Hot showers may feel good, but they’re terrible for your skin.

This applies to all skin types, but especially to dry skin types. Hot showers can leave your skin dry and irritated, in addition to exacerbating certain skin conditions like eczema. Instead, opt for a lukewarm shower.
If, however, you cannot bring yourself to turn the heat down, at least keep your face out of the piping hot stream. The skin on your face is the thinnest on your body, and hot water is the worst possible thing you could inflict on it. Not to mention, hot water is terrible for your hair!
7. Sleep well and often
“Beauty sleep” isn’t just a empty saying—getting a good night’s sleep comes with many benefits.

Image: Pinterest
This is one habit I’m definitely still working on. I never really grew out of my university days (I blame the pandemic), and all-nighters are still a regular part of my routine. That said, I’m gradually trying to improve my habits because, at 23, my body is beginning to feel the effects of my poor sleep schedule in full force.
Sunken, puffy eye bags are one symptom, and dry, dull skin is another. In addition, I have noticed increased breakouts and a certain sallow quality to my face. If you could see what I look like as I’m writing this, you’d understand.
Further, poor sleep reduces the effectiveness of your nighttime skincare routine and contributes to premature ageing. This is because sleep is necessary for your body to enter “repair mode”. Either way, while my sleep schedule is currently dire, I’m working on getting between seven to eight hours of quality snoozing in per night, in addition to drastically cutting back on said all-nighters.
Beauty drawbacks aside, poor sleep has some other obvious consequences. Irritability, low productivity, and increased stress is something I have felt acutely lately, and it’s all down to my erratic sleep schedule. Now, I have issues with insomnia and a big problem with revenge bedtime procrastination, so this has been quite an uphill battle. That said, sleep is necessary and your 20s are the ideal time to get your routine on track.
PSST: While we’re on the topic of beauty sleep, if you’re worried about wrinkles, try to sleep on your back rather than on your side or your belly. The friction from your pillow against your face (not to mention all the smooshing that goes with it) can also lead to premature ageing. If you can’t, try investing in a silk pillow. Or, you know, just do what you want because a few fine lines won’t break you.
Find more beauty tips and reviews here.

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Beauty
#BackstageBeauty: How to get sleek straight locks spotted at Victoria Beckham SS17
Crowning glory

25.10.2016
By Wei Yeen Loh

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BURO Beauty Empties Giveaway Week 2: Win up to RM4,500 worth of beauty prizes

Ever wanted to get the straight, shiny locks that you usually see on models in hair ads but found that you can never really ace it no matter how hard you try? Sleek hair is perhaps the easiest and most effortless way to ooze class, demonstrated at Victoria Beckham’s show during New York Fashion Week SS17. Ultra-groomed, straight hair was the focal point of the beauty look that resonated with the simple chic silhouettes from the collection.

“For me, polished, glossy hair is such a classic beauty look,” says Victoria Beckham. “It’s both modern and timeless – qualities that are reflected in my collections too.”

Internationally renowned hair stylist Guido Palau shows us how to score with pin-straight tresses using GHD’s award-winning heat-styling tools:
1. Apply a primer and heat protectant to clean, damp hair. According to Palau, a primer reduces the time taken to blow-dry your hair, and a heat protectant is essential for shielding your locks from the high heat.
2. Part the hair in the centre and blow dry using GHD Natural Bristle Radial Brush Size 2 and GHD Air Hairdryer for a smooth finish.
3. Glide GHD Platinum Styler over the hair from root to tip to reduce flyaways and leave a glossy, ultra straight finish. “GHD Air Dryer and Platinum Styler are super quick and speed up the process of straightening hair. One pass of the Platinum Styler and hair is super straight and shiny.”

GHD Platinum Styler now comes in a limited edition Electric Pink colour in a roll bag (RM1,210). Available at Sephora stores nationwide.

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5 Useful hairstyling tips every woman should know

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Food + Drink
The Macallan adds Double Cask 15 Years Old and Double Cask 18 Years Old to its enticing portfolio

15.10.2020
By Ronn Tan

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Review: Sky35 KL presents an omakase experience plated on Hermès finery

Whisky or whiskey, it is one of the most iconic and popular distilled alcoholic beverages around. While there are a myriad of whisky brands (including Malaysia’s very own Timah), one of the most prominent and well-known is The Macallan.

Founded by Alexander Reid in 1824, The Macallan has some of the most admired single malt whiskies and in 2018, the brand unveiled its new £140 million (approximately RM752,757,000) distillery and visitor experience on its Speyside estate—with an architecture that takes its cues from ancient Scottish Hills; cutting into the slope of the land.
Now, The Macallan is making headlines once again with the introduction of Double Cask 15 Years Old and Double Cask 18 Years Old—an expansion of the range that begun with The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old in 2016. The collection is an amalgamation of American and European oak sherry seasoned casks; combining to concoct a well-balanced single malt Scotch whisky that is warm, soft, and sweet in character.

Enhancing the existing Double Cask range, expect aromas of dried fruit, toffee, and vanilla from The Macallan Double Cask 15 Years Old. In addition to a creamy mouthfeel, you’ll notice that The Macallan’s more traditional characteristics of rich fruits, sherry, and wood spice are, in fact, balanced with flavours of American oak including honey, citrus, and chocolate. You can appreciate the flavour notes by having it neat, over ice, or in a cocktail.

As for The Macallan Double Cask 18 Years Old, its rich amber honey tone is instantly visible and you’ll be able to identify notes of dried fruits, ginger, and toffee as well as a warm oak spice finish that’s balanced by flavours of sweet orange. When compared with Double Cask 15 Years Old, this is said to be offer more complexity—especially with the addition of raisin and sultana. The whisky is best enjoyed near or over ice to savour the layers of flavour.
The Macallan’s single malts rely massively on oak for quality, natural colour, as well as distinctive aromas and flavours. For Double Cask, The Macallan sources European oak from forests of northern Spain and the French Pyrenees as well as forests of Ohio, Missouri, and Kentucky for American oak.

The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old, Double Cask 15 Years Old, and Double Cask 18 Years Old are priced at RM360, RM540, and RM1,120 respectively. Time to treat yourself to some euphoric harmony with these whiskies.
For more information, visit this website.

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Five-star tinned cuisine

Food + Drink
Five-star tinned cuisine
Conserved delicacies

11.10.2015
By Buro247

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Review: Sky35 KL presents an omakase experience plated on Hermès finery

The thought of admitting to eating Spam or tuna dripping oil out of a can was almost as shameful as admitting to spying on your sister while she was in the shower. Until now, that is. Top chefs are admitting to using and consuming canned food (I almost wept with joy when sommelier and restaurateur Ignatius Chan-who routinely serves such highbrow fare as Gillardeau oysters and Japanese snow crab-told an interviewer that he indulges in Ma Ling luncheon meat, “baked for an hour, at 50˚C, late at night, by myself.”), but it’s really the Spanish who have elevated the humble tin and turned it into a gourmet delicacy in its own right.

Forget the current fad for fermented food that’s dutifully doing the rounds. How much kimchi and sauerkraut can one consume and stay sane, for heaven’s sake? Feast your thoughts instead on Granada sturgeon, pickled pheasant, and top quality Galician clams—which normally sell for €600 per kilogram—in a cunningly designed tin where 20 perfect opalescent pieces cost €97, which you’ll agree is hardly the price of junk food. Indeed, the Spanish have mastered the tradition of treating tinned food with reverence. Gastronomic capital San Sebastian is punctuated by restaurant menus which regularly and unabashedly feature a selection of tinned foods, while Barcelona’s famed bodega Quimet y Quimet is a veritable shrine to canned produce that gastronomes flock to savour. Proprietor Quim Pérez’s exhaustive selection of mind-boggling tapas and montaditos are made using preserved ingredients, which makes absolute sense when you consider that Cantabrian anchovies are only harvested in April for optimum fat and flavour, but thanks to canning, diners can enjoy all year long.
Indeed, the Spanish have mastered the tradition of treating tinned food with reverence.
Known as conservas, food that’s preserved in cans and jars are beautifully packaged in Spain (and many parts of Europe) and contain a treasure trove of gourmet delicacies. Factors such as time of harvesting, preserving ingredients, and even ageing time all play a role in the ultimate flavour of the product. To wit: Catalan caviar, from sturgeon that’s been raised in the pristine waters of the Pyrenees in the Vall d’Aran, is prepared in the traditional Siberian method—fresh, not pasteurised—and they accordingly fetch a not inconsiderable €77 for a meagre 30-gram tin. The next time you’re in Barcelona, head for the historic colmados which specialise in conservas (as well as wines and spirits), of which the creme de la creme has to be Colmado Quilez and seek out such gems as their truffle foie gras, Kamchatka king crab, and 180-days aged Cantabrian anchovies. Just be forewarned that you will leave with arms laden, and it won’t behoof you to run out of luggage allowance.

Because when push comes to shove, you won’t want to be the gastronome who discovered too late the joys of canned cuisine. Best of all, you won’t need much more than a perfect loaf of bread, cold-pressed olive oil, and a salt-flake infused chunk of butter before you can settle down to a five-star meal replete with gourmet credentials, and all without even having to turn on the stove. Oh, and they look great on your shelves too. Now, what’s not to love about that?

Follow Fay on Twitter and Instagram at @misskhoo.

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Buro Book Club: Empowering books

Lifestyle
Buro Book Club: Empowering books

05.02.2020
By Ronn Tan

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Motoring
The limited edition Jaguar F-Pace roars into Malaysia—with only 20 units available

27.07.2020
By Ronn Tan

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Known as one of the world’s premier luxury sports saloon and sports car marques, the British automaker—part of Jaguar Land Rover—is bringing the brand’s best-selling SUV into Malaysia. Three variants (Prestige, R-Sport Mid-Spec, and R-Sport Hi-Spec) will be available for the limited edition Jaguar F-Pace. Yes, limited because there will only be 20 units in the country. If you’re a massive fan of one-of-a-kind vehicles, this is one you’d want to check out!

Equipped with a new state-of-the-art two-litre, turbocharged Ingenium petrol engine (Jaguar’s most powerful engine of the type in production), the latest F-Pace has a top speed of 233 kilometres per hour. The vehicle can also achieve the century sprint in 6.1 seconds. For smooth acceleration, the F-Pace comes with the ZF 8HP45 eight-speed automatic transmission.
To reduce turbo lag while improving engine response, Jaguar has paired the F-Pace’s engine’s twin scroll turbocharger with an unified exhaust manifold that synchronises exhaust pulses from two different duos of cylinders.

Designed for everyday use, the F-Pace is the brand’s first aluminium-intensive model in its class—created using the automaker’s Lightweight Aluminium Architecture. Notable features include Configurable and Adaptive Dynamics (Jaguar proprietary leading technologies). There are also systems such as the Gesture tailgate, 10-inch Touch Pro, Pro Services, Wi-Fi Hotspot, Lane Keep Assist and Driver Condition Monitor, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. They are available in all three variants. Yes, all three of them.
Known as the entry-level version, the Prestige variant is equipped with enhanced exterior, Tyre Pressure Monitoring System, a 20-inch five split-spoke Style 5031 with Grey Diamond Turned finish alloy wheel, Rear Seat Remote Release Levers, and Power Reclining Rear Seat. As for the R-Sport (Mid-Spec) variant, it has Adaptive LED Headlamps, Signature Daytime Running Lights (DRL), Auto High Beam Assist (AHBA), Ambient Interior Lighting, and Gloss Black Roof Rails.

In addition to 22-inch wheels, exclusive to the R-Sport (Hi-Spec) variant is the Adaptive Surface Response (AdsR)—recognising differences between surfaces to capitalise on existing grip by adapting engine and brake settings.
Available in six colour options (Fuji White, Santorini Black, Eiger Grey, Portofino Blue, Firenze Red, and Indus Silver), the Jaguar F-Pace Prestige (Entry level), R-Sport (Mid- Spec), and R-Sport (Hi-Spec) are priced at RM436,420.82, RM470,212.97, and RM485,433.81 respectively. Even better news is that you can actually roar along while taking the new model out on a test drive. What are your thoughts on the new Jaguar F-Pace in Malaysia?
For more information, visit this website.

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Film, TV + Theatre
Review: Final episode of ‘It’s Okay To Not Be Okay’

09.08.2020
By Ronn Tan

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Spoilers ahead
Can you believe that the show has ended? It’s Okay To Not Be Okay—arguably the most popular Korean drama of 2020—premiered the final episode (Episode 16) after weeks of laughter, tears, horror, and more. The show reminded the world why Kim Soo Hyun is still one of the most beloved Korean actors in the industry as well as introduced Seo Ye Ji and Oh Jung Se to a global audience.

Photo by tvN and Netflix
Every Saturday and Sunday, fans of It’s Okay To Not Be Okay were treated to a brilliant story, impeccable acting across the board, and quality visuals. The drama highlighted the relationship between the trio of Gang Tae, Mun Yeong, and Sang Tae—including how they ended up healing each other’s emotional and psychological wounds. What are your thoughts on the entire series?

Photo by tvN and Netflix
So much happened throughout the drama leading up to the surprising (and terrifying) reveal in Episode 15 that OK Psychiatric Hospital’s head nurse Heung Ja is Mun Yeong’s mother. Many were not expecting this with some guessing Park Ok Ran to be the actual murderer of Gang Tae and Sang Tae’s mother. The sudden character and personality change of Heung Ja really highlighted Jang Young Nam’s extraordinary talent as an actress. She was genuinely horrifying towards the end of the season—a stark contrast from how she behaved in the beginning.

Photo by tvN and Netflix
Speaking about changes, we also saw how Joo Ri went from a person suffering miserably from a one-sided love for Gang Tae to someone who knows what’s best for herself as well as others. Director Oh, can you promote Joo Ri to head nurse of OK Psychiatric Hospital, please? She definitely deserves a promotion. Did you find her personality unpleasing at the beginning of the show? Are Joo Ri and Sang In a good fit? We sure hope things work out for them!

Photo by tvN and Netfllix
Before we get to Mun Yeong and Gang Tae, let’s have a look at Sang Tae’s character progress in It’s Okay To Not Be Okay. Oh Jung Se’s performance in the drama is beyond magnificent; showcasing his extraordinary acting abilities. Moon Sang Tae—who finally achieved his goal of being an illustrator—made everyone (in the show and the viewers) happy when he gave his approval of his brother and Mun Yeong’s relationship.
He’s an older brother, after all; and he proved that by being there for those who need him. In Episode 15, he was there to help save Mun Yeong and Gang Tae from Heung Ja. He was also the one who consoled Mun Yeong when she was at her lowest and was always there for Gang Tae.

Photo by tvN and Netflix
In the final episode, Mun Yeong released Finding The Real Face, her latest book, which Sang Tae illustrated. While we didn’t see much of her connection to being an author after the first few episodes (for obvious reasons), the new book was a great way of highlighting the changes in her personality and tone of writing. It’s undeniable that the Mun Yeong character is a perfect fit for Seo Ye Ji.
From the way she portrayed the multi-dimensional character to her gorgeous style—ten points across the board! She made Sang Tae’s dream come true and opened up to Gang Tae; allowing him to be there for her no matter what happens.

Photo by tvN and Netflix
As for Gang Tae, a character that audiences sympathised with from the start of the show, didn’t only step up when the people around him needed him—he also decided to love himself more. He allowed himself to let loose and eventually, became a happier person despite finding out that Mun Yeong’s mother was the one responsible for his own mother’s death. He understood that what happened wasn’t his girlfriend’s fault. Gang Tae definitely smiled a lot more towards the end of the drama and we saw how proud he was of his older brother.

Photo by tvN and Netflix
Gang Tae and Mun Yeong’s relationship has had its ups and downs. The duo were there for each other through butterflies, blood, tears, and more. However, one thing that’s apparent is that they are destined to be together despite the challenges. Their romance appeared natural and alluring—with a tremendous amount of sexual tension.

Photo by tvN and Netflix
It’s Okay To Not Be Okay is by far one of the most successful Korean dramas of 2020—joining a list that includes Crash Landing On You and Itaewon Class. The drama spawned amazing original songs such as Hallelujah by Kim Feel, Puzzle by Yongzoo, and Lee Su Hyun’s In Your Time. Viewers are introduced to so many interesting performers as well, from Choi Woo Sung (who played Director Oh’s son) and Park Jin Joo (who played Seung Jae). Kwak Dong Yeon’s cameo is in a class of its own. Truly iconic.

Photo by tvN and Netflix
We found out the truth of the main characters’ pasts; experiences that have haunted them their entire lives. If there’s one thing about It’s Okay To Not Be Okay, it’s how important it is to show someone you love that you really care. At the same time, we have to de-stigmatise mental health and encourage those who are suffering from emotional issues to speak up and seek help—whether from friends, family, or even professionals. It really is okay to not be okay.

Photo by tvN and Netflix
Moon Gang Tae definitely belongs to Moon Gang Tae and Sang Tae belongs to himself. The final scene was full of appreciation and happiness but it was also one of the most tearjerking scenes of the entire drama. The troublemaker trio finally went on a camping trip only for Sang Tae to depart with Sang In on his journey to become a full time illustrator of children’s books.
The show ends on a happy note for everyone; a well-deserved and hard-fought happy ending. It’s Okay To Not Be Okay set a benchmark for how a drama should be written. What are your thoughts on the final episode and the series as a whole?
For more on It’s Okay To Not Be Okay, click here.

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Technology
Review: The Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 is where acoustics and aesthetics meet
Small but powerful

12.09.2022
By Marissa Chin

PHOTO: Huawei

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It’s no understatement to say that customers who are looking to own a pair of wireless earbuds are spoilt for choice these days. From wireless earbuds with features specialising in fitness to work to lifestyle, you’ll find products that fit your every need. If you’re a serious audiophile though, I’m happy to recommend the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2.
Launched in July, the new and improved Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 promises to deliver the brand’s best audio experience yet, which I can attest to after almost a month of testing it out.  But does it stand out against all of its earbuds? Read on for my in-depth review.

DESIGN & COMFORT

The Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 is packaged in your typical curve-edged rectangular case with magnetic closing and a back mirror. There are three colourways available: Ceramic White, Silver Frost, and Silver Blue (which I received). Out of the box, though, I was immediately struck by the look and feel of the case. If you’re big on aesthetic packaging like me, then you will appreciate the iridescent glimmers that capture natural light beautifully. The silver blue also extends to the inside of the case and earbuds, which gives them a shinier finish—a fashion piece for those looking for more bling. Alternatively, you can opt for Ceramic White which comes in a matte finish.
Upon picking it up, I was also surprised at how lightweight the product is. The case only weighs 52g and each earbud approximately 6g, which makes the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 one of the lightest on the market. This ergonomic compact design meant that I could easily fit it into my work bag or purse without worrying that it will take up space. I also hardly felt it in my pocket or my ears when I was working for long periods or during my jogs.

However, its lightweight feature can be a double-edged sword. Combining this with its shiny surface, there were several occasions where I found that the earbuds were slippery and wished for a sturdier grip, especially after a gym workout (or if you are blessed with chronic sweaty hands like me). Despite that, it does sit nicely in my ear and doesn’t budge, thanks to its short and stubby Piano Key ear stem ensuring a compact fit.
Another key detail about the FreeBuds is that there are no visible ridges or buttons on its surface. Instead, it uses touch controls such as tap and pinch, which I found to be perfectly intuitive and straightforward. Just bear in mind that the buds are very touch-sensitive, so any small movement or adjustment you make to the buds can trigger the controls.

Significantly, the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 comes with volume control—simply slide your finger up or down the ear stem to adjust the volume—and this is a game changer. As someone who is constantly listening to music and podcasts, I found this to be incredibly useful for adjusting my volume on the fly quickly.

AUDIO QUALITY

I’ve already mentioned earlier that the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 is sonically impressive, but here’s why. Firstly, the earbuds sport a dual-driver setup which consists of an 11mm quad-magnet dynamic driver and a flat voice coil planar diaphragm driver. Not only does this boost the driving force of the buds by 30 per cent compared to its predecessor, but it also increases the driven area by six times compared to normal driver units. This means that the hearing range of the earbuds can capture frequencies as low as 14 Hz all the way to 48kHz. The result? An extremely satisfying soundscape that captures booming bass, rich textures and timbres. I’m happy to report that my friend—who is a musician and works a lot on music editing software programmes—was also impressed by the FreeBuds and mentioned that it could pick up sounds that she couldn’t otherwise hear before in her own earbuds.
The other top-notch quality of the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 is its noise cancellation technology. In the active noise cancellation (ANC) mode, the intelligent dynamic software is able to switch your earbuds to the optimal noise cancellation mode in real-time and adjust it according to your environmental needs. The newly improved ANC 2.0 comes with three highly-sensitive microphones that boost the ANC depth by 15 per cent, and contributes to an even wider frequency range of 50 Hz to 3000 Hz. This allowed the buds to do the work for me, and I didn’t have to worry about adjusting it myself when I walked from noisier crowds to quieter spaces.
There are three modes of intensity: Ultra for the maximum ANC; Cosy for reducing the presence of common white noises; and General for the lowest but still conducive listening experience. They can be turned off by pinching and holding the ear stem or on Huawei’s AI Life App (available in the App Store and Google Play).

BATTERY & PERFORMANCE

As someone who works with my Spotify Wrapped constantly on loop, I love having the ANC on full blast to enjoy my favourite tunes. In this case, music playback only lasts for four hours on ANC mode and around six and a half hours with ANC disabled. However, I can confirm that its 30-hour battery life with its charging case rings true. Even though my earbuds usually run out of juice at the end of a working day, I was able to pop both earphones back into the case to get them fully charged up to three times. Plus, I also managed to get six charges from a single earphone using the case, which greatly saved battery life and allowed me to use the case for up to a week before recharging it again.
It’s apparent that the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 was made to go hand in hand with its AI Life app. There are tons of useful features that will maximise your experience with it such as customisation of touch controls, audio playback quality, volume sync, and so on. Nonetheless, as an Apple user, I enjoyed the default settings of the buds and didn’t feel the need to customise anything. Pairing it was also an easy and seamless process.

FINAL VERDICT

All in all, the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 surprised me in more ways than one. For its price point, it is the definition of small but powerful. Sonically, the audio was crystal clear and full-bodied without getting too ‘crisp’, whether I was enjoying action-packed films or a laid-back podcast. It also has tons of practical features that anyone who lives on the go would find super helpful (my personal favourite, of course, being the volume touch controls). From its impressive dynamic active noise cancellation to stylish design, the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 is where acoustics and aesthetics meet. If you prioritise a rich audio experience over long battery life, the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 is an excellent choice.
The Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 is priced at RM899 and is available at selected retailers and Huawei’s official e-stores on Lazada and Shopee. For more information, please visit their website here.

For more tech reviews, head here.

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Culture
Ancient New Years’ practices that were way cooler than ours
Looking far, far back

30.12.2015
By Buro247

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Festival of Drunkenness, Egypt

The name itself says it all: Ancient Egyptions knew how to party the heck out of New Years. Although this doesn’t seem too far off from what we’d probably do today, this practice turns out to be deeply rooted in Egyptian mythology.
The story goes this way: Sekhmet, the lion-headed goddess of war – was out to destroy all of mankind, but the sun god Ra tricked her into drinking red-coloured beer that resembled human blood. Sekhmet ended up drinking herself unconscious.
To celebrate this close shave with the extinction of human race, each new year was welcomed with pretty darn hardcore drinking paired with music, sex and revelry, all in honour of mankind’s salvation.

Akitu, Babylon

At first glance, there doesn’t seem anything out of the ordinary for Akitu, the Babylonian festival that celebrated the new year back in circa 2,000 B.C. The festival honoured the supreme god Marduk in what would be today’s March or April, which marked the beginning of the growing season.
But here’s where it gets fascinating: during this festival the Babylonian king would go through a kind of ritual humiliation. He would be brought before a statue of Marduk and stripped off his royal regalia. Then a high priest would slap him around, dragging him by the ears in an attempt to make him cry (not much trouble there!)
If the king cried, this was a sign that Marduk was giving the thumbs up to them in satisfaction, while symbolically extending the king’s rule.

Feast of Circumcision, Early Christianity

Christianity may have many feasts, but this is perhaps one with the most fascinating names, and it was called the Feast of Circumcision that fell on January 1. This was a coincidence, perhaps, when Julius Caesar adopted the Julian calendar in 46 B.C.
The Feast of Circumcision fell eight days after December 25 – the pagan celebration of Jesus Christ’s birthday. Apparently there had been a “Law of Moses” which declared that all male children should be circumcised eight days after birth, so January 1 was symbolic for the occasion, also overlapping pagan celebrations.
While this feast has long faded away, we aren’t currently missing out on anything particularly interesting, as the Feast of Circumcision was traditionally meant to be a day of reading and prayers.

Festival to Janus, Rome

The month of January apparently gets its name from Janus – chief of the ancient Roman deities. Janus was a two-faced god who was celebrated on the first day of the new year.
With Janus having one head that looked ahead and the other looking behind, the Roman celebrants would thus spend the day reflecting backwards, and planning ahead for the new year.
A day of giving presents, abstaining from sin, putting a stop to quarrels, and being generally nice to each other, the new year was believed to carry forward what they’d sown on that day itself.

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Great romantic quotes from literature

Culture
Great romantic quotes from literature
Penned thoughts

12.02.2016
By Buro247

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Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
“You should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how.”

The Symposium by Plato
“And when one of them meets with his other half, the actual half off himself, whether he be a lover of youth or a lover of another sort, the pair are lost in an amazement of love and friendship and intimacy.”

Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx
“I wish I knew how to quit you.”

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
“To love or have loved, that is enough. Ask nothing further. There is no other pearl to be found in the dark folds of life.”

Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak
“You and I, it’s as though we have been taught to kiss in heaven and sent down to earth together, to see if we know what we were taught.”

Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
“His examination revealed that he had no fever, no pain anywhere, and that his only concrete feeling was an urgent desire to die. All that was needed was shrewd questioning… to conclude once again that the symptoms of love were the same as those of cholera.”

Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence
“All hopes of eternity and all gain from the past he would have given to have her there, to be wrapped warm with him in one blanket, and sleep, only sleep. It seemed the sleep with the woman in his arms was the only necessity.”

Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer
“The more you love someone, he came to think, the harder it is to tell them. It surprised him that strangers didn’t stop each other on the street to say I love you.”

Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres
“When you fall in love, it is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake, and then it subsides. And when it subsides, you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots are to become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the desire to mate every second of the day. It is not lying awake at night imagining that he is kissing every part of your body. No … don’t blush. I am telling you some truths. For that is just being in love; which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over, when being in love has burned away. Doesn’t sound very exciting, does it? But it is!”

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K Rowling
“Always.”

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Fashion
Shop now: 8 Fashion brands that support Breast Cancer Awareness Month

16.10.2018
By Joan Kong

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Kittie Yiyi

In conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness month, Kittieyiyi has launched not one, but three limited edition T-shirts to lend its support and raise awareness for the cause. RM10 from every purchase of the T-shirts—take your pick from the oh-so-cute ‘Beenosaur’, ‘Beenicorn’ and ‘Beemaid’ designs—will be donated to the Pink Ribbon Wellness Foundation in October. To purchase, click here.

Alia B.

First spotted on the KLFW 2018 runway, Alia B. launched the Titwink T-shirt and sweatshirt in memory of the late Nelleisa Omar, who founded The Godmothers to raise awareness on cancer through statement T-shirts. All proceeds from the sales will be directed to the National Cancer Society of Malaysia. The limited edition pieces are now available at Isetan, Robinsons at Shoppes, ShoesShoesShoes and FashionValet.

H&M

Did you know H&M’s Close to My Heart collection was inspired by its imployee who struggled to find functional and fashionable lingerie after surviving breast cancer? Designed with their comfort in mind, the bras helped to meet the needs of women who have had a single or double mastectomy. Aside from a fuller cup, the bra also has pockets for prostheses, ranging from 32A to 38D. Available in three designs—a plain bra, a lace bra, and a front zipped sports bra, they can also be worn by women who haven’t had a mastectomy.

Raf Simons

Belgian designer Raf Simons is also joining the fight and has announced his team-up with the Belgium-based organisation, Pink Ribbon, that helps in research and prevention of breast cancer. Releasing a pink ribbon of his own, the ribbon features the word “Heroes”, which represents all the women who have fought against breast cancer and those who raised awareness for the cause, along with his initial sewn on it. The ribbon is sold on Pink Ribbon’s website for three Euros (approximately RM14.40).

Tory Burch

From October 1 to 31, Tory Burch will be donating 20% from the purchase of any item in the Fleming collection to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, up to USD$35,000. The BCRF is dedicated to advancing the world’s most promising research to eradicate breast cancer. The Fleming triple-compartment tote, in particular, is as roomy as it sounds. The perfect day-to-night bag, you can pack along your 13″ laptop and even an extra pair of flats in it.

Ralph Lauren

The Pink Pony campaign has been Ralph Lauren’s worldwide initiative in its fight against cancer since 2000, and this year, it has launched its biggest one yet—the Together in Pink campaign—featuring survivors and families who have been affected by the disease. 25% from the sale of each item in the Pink Pony collection will be directed to an international network of cancer charities, and in Malaysia, it’ll be the National Cancer Society of Malaysia. The Big Shirt Fit polo T-shirt has a menswear-inspired silhouette that gives an oversized finish—perfect when worn with slim-fitted trousers on your days off.

New Balance

This year, New Balance will be contributing 5% of the sale of each product from its Lace Up for the Cure collection to Susan G. Komen, the largest breast cancer organisation in the United States, with a minimum donation of $500,000. Available for both men and women, the line—consists of shirts, shoes, and accessories will definitely make your next workouts that bit more meaningful. The Pink Ribbon 990v4, in particular, caught our attention. One of the brand’s most loved designs for the past 30 years, the fourth generation is more breathable to ensure comfort, and features a lace keeper and a streamlined logo.

Stella McCartney

Breast cancer awareness has been a personal cause for Stella McCartney as her mother, Linda McCartney, passed away from it in 1998. This year, aside from tapping Idris Elba as the face of her campaign, she is also launching a lingerie set, Rose Romancing, that aims to provide a positive message and break the taboos related to breast cancer. The proceeds will benefit different foundations worldwide, including the Linda McCartney Centre in Liverpool, the Hello Beautiful Foundation in London and Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York in providing the most advanced early detection programmes and treatments.

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Music
All the K-pop comebacks to check out right now: (G)I-DLE’s ‘HWAA’, Twice’s ‘Cry for Me’ and more

13.01.2021
By Melissa Foong

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South Korean pop has undoubtedly conquered the world. Their glittering outfits, super synchronised dance moves and striking visuals in music videos have garnered a substantial following—we’re not surprised that diehard fans are always eager to find out what their favourite idols are up to. Hence, K-pop comebacks are often the most anticipated events of the year.
Here, we’ve compiled a list of the latest releases from the ladies and gents of the K-pop circuit:
1. TREASURE – ‘MY TREASURE’

Rookie boy group from YG Entertainment, TREASURE has dropped their first full album along with a music video for the title track—MY TREASURE. The video amassed a whopping amount of 6.9 million views just in a day. It’s flamboyant and all sunshine and rainbows (literally), combining the group’s distinctive hip-hop sound with pop references.
READ: Could this be the next BTS or Blackpink? These are 5 new rookie K-pop groups to watch out for
2. (G)I-DLE – ‘HWAA’

Releasing their fourth EP HWAA most recently, (G)I-DLE isn’t letting us forget their inimitable talents in this recent comeback. Unlike their last release Oh My God, HWAA seamlessly infuses Western pop with hints of Korean traditional instrumental music—coupled with that aesthetically tasteful music video? Let’s just say that it’s been on repeat in our playlist.
3. Enhypen – ‘Let Me In (20 CUBE)’

Fresh off of their debut in November, monster K-pop rookie boy group is back with a brand new music video for their track Let Me In (20 CUBE). Despite its cheerful sound, the song is paired with unique cinematography —featuring classic horror elements that add to its supernatural-leaning narrative. The reggae-inspired beat and the dance elements definitely make it an interesting song to listen to.
READ: Top 5 K-pop albums of 2020: Blackpink’s ‘The Album’, BTS’s ‘Be’ and more
4. Groovyroom X Hoody – ‘follow the light’

Hip-hop producers Groovyroom seem to be working day and night, putting out new music and appearing on rap competition shows ever so often. The duo has recently worked with Korean R&B singer Hoody on a collaboration track, follow the light. Known for her buttery smooth vocals, the female singer never fails to allure the audience with her unique voice—perfectly complementing the producers’ groovy beats to create a beautiful blend of melodies.
5. TWICE – ‘CRY FOR ME’

Currently one of South Korea’s most popular girl groups, TWICE surprised their fans with an unreleased track during their performance at the 2020 Mnet Asian Music Awards in December—ONCEs (TWICE’s fan base) were hooked with the track and have been calling for an official release. Their wishes did not fall on deaf ears—the full emotional pop song was revealed to the public just two weeks after the award show.
Eagle-eyed fans were quick to spot the names of some of the biggest hitmakers in the music scene: J.Y.Park (the founder of TWICE’s label) and Ryan Tedder (OneRepublic’s main vocalist and Grammy award-winning producer). Not only that, fans were even surprised to find Heize, another major name in the Korean R&B scene, in the rolling credits for the song.
READ: Here are the best Twitter reactions to Blackpink’s ‘The Album’
These artists have definitely helped us set foot in the new year—what are your thoughts on the songs listed above? Are they worthy enough to make it into your playlist?
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Beauty
Your new three-step hair care routine for shiny, glorious tresses
Haircare holy grails

17.11.2022
By Redzhanna Jazmin

Image: Instagram/@hairbyashleyh

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Have you ever wanted great hair? To have locks that are bouncy, shiny, and full of life? Join the club. Fortunately, we’ve found the perfect routine for you.
No longer will you have to lament over your frizzy, unmanageable mane. Ahead, our foolproof three-step styling routine will take your locks from drab to fab in no time. From the importance of masking up to the type of styler to choose, we’re covering the need-to-knows of hairstyling ahead:

STEP 1: MASK UP AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK

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The first and most important step to a truly great hair day is to start with healthy, hydrated hair. Now, don’t get us wrong—we love a good colour and perm, but we can’t say that the damage is always worth the trouble.
Fortunately, if you’re a victim to frazzled, stringy strands as a result of chemical processing, there is a way to turn back the clock and restore your hair’s natural lustre. Witness the reincarnation of your dull, dead, and damaged tresses with the Davines Heart of Glass Intense Treatment.
Created to strengthen and nourish your hair, this hair treatment is infused with the brand’s Biacidic bond complex and Baobab extract, which help to prevent breakage and tame stressed tresses. It also has an additional brightening effect on blonde hair, thanks to the treatment’s violet hue.
After shampooing, towel dry your hair before working the treatment through your lengths and ends, distributing the product evenly with a comb. Then, leave it in for five to 10 minutes before rinsing thoroughly.
SHOP HERE, RM108

STEP 2: PREP YOUR HAIR FOR HEAT STYLING

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Now that your hair has been fortified with the treatment, it’s time to prep it for styling with the Davines Oi Oil. This multi-function oil hydrates, defrizzes, and detangles the hair without weighing it down, in addition to acting as a heat protectant. The star ingredient in this hair must-have is Roucou oil, a beta-carotene and antioxidant-rich oil that protects against environmental damage and strengthens each strand from within.
Simply apply two to three pumps onto your towel-dried tresses before drying to reveal softer, sleeker hair—even before styling!
SHOP HERE, RM139

STEP 3: STYLE AWAY!

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When it comes to styling your hair, always go for the gold standard—or, ideally, go one step further and make a bee line for the GHD Platinum+ Styler. Highly revered by professional stylists, the Platinum+ is the smartest hair straightener you’ll ever encounter.
The Platinum+ Styler constantly adapts to your hair’s needs, keeping its styling plates at the optimum styling temperature. Plus, it has been designed with Ultra-Zone Technology, which ensures even heat distribution across each styling plate for the most consistent results. All of this comes together to create an efficient styling experience that doesnt compromise your hair’s health. Whether you’re looking to create soft waves, bouncy curls or sleek lengths, this styler will deliver.
SHOP HERE, RM1,445

BONUS STEP: SEAL YOUR STYLE IN

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You could probably stop there, but why not go the extra mile and finish off your routine with a little extra touch of the Oi Oil. Indeed, it can be used both before and after styling your hair, as a protector and as a finisher.
Simply smooth the oil through your lengths and ends (avoiding your roots) to add an extra boost of shine and sleekness to your style. The result? Bouncy, shiny, and healthy-looking lengths that’ll be the envy of everyone around you.
So, there you have it! The perfect three-step styling routine for a glorious hair day, every day. Happy styling!
PS: The Davines Heart Of Glass Intense Treatment, Oi Oil, and GHD Platinum+ Styler were the winners of the ‘Best for Damaged Hair’, ‘Best for Dry Hair’ and ‘Best Styling Tool’ categories in our 2022 BURO Beauty Empties. Find the full winners list here.

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