My Irrational Obsession for Tom Ford- Sex, Power, and Divine Decadence.

Tom Ford.

I don't know about you, but these two words gives me a feeling of World Domination. 

“Fashion’s boldest, most audacious success story ever” is how Bridget Foley of Women’s Wear Daily described the meteoric rise of Tom Ford. 

And just look at the man. I'm always almost precise with my words, but if you ask me to describe him, I don't think smoldering, hot and classy quite takes the cake.

But some will say to me, "Oh but Sharon, he's gay."

And..? That statement is as stale as Rihanna and Chris Brown's on and off love affair. Very 2000 and late. And very, very mundane. 

The truth is, what Tom Ford achieved in his Lifetime, half of the guys (straight) I know do not even come close. And quite honestly, none of them look as good as he does or most gay guys I know does for that matter. 

And just to entertain some of my fantasies, here he is back in November 2005 on Vogue UK.

"The true story of how this architecture graduate from Santa Fe, New Mexico, talked his way into his first design job (with no experience), and, after only a few years, took command of the prestigious (yet cash-strapped) house of Gucci, and then, in less than a decade, rose to the very top of the fashion establishment, puts Ford in a league of his own. And that’s not even taking into account the tidal wave of critical acclaim, the courting by Hollywood movie stars, and the monster profits."

There. 

But I'm not here today to give you an autobiography of the man. He's shit famous and you can very well google it yourself. I'm really writing this for any girl out there who is interested in make-up. Well, I'm no expert on the subject, and you should never take my words literally. I'm just sharing-is all. 

Tom Ford is also a charismatic salesman, a ruthless brand executive, an innovative art director, and a canny marketing guru. And that's why I shamelessly paid almost MYR 600 to date for just 3 products. But I'm just going to do a review on one today, simply because I'm lazy. 

But wait..To be completely frank, sometimes I buy things out of the pure aesthetic pleasure that comes along with it. And that always lands me in shitload of trouble. Like when the end of the month draws closer and I'm starting to feel the tightening of my purse strings, some of my closest friends will tease me with, "Eat your lipstick, then."

But in all fairness, look at his campaign! It's visually killing me. And besides, Lara Stone makes me wish my mum had the smarts to marry a westerner. (Just kidding).

I'm a very visual creature. So that pretty much makes me a victim of the philosophy of art, the philosophy of beauty, the study of attraction and the theory of art. See..a full fledged Libran!

But I was surprised to find that I actually love them. Well, I know the products will be of good quality, they are after all Tom Ford. But I was a little bit apprehensive you know, because not all Western products work with the symmetry of an Asian face. But there you go..I was wrong.

I was pleasantly amaze that I love them enough to be using them almost daily. And saying that is quite a statement because I usually get bored with the same products after a few weeks. 

So anyways, enough ranting. 

The Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate-Intensity One

See what I mean by aesthetic pleasures? 

The shade and illuminate is a god-send for all girls who craves cheekbones. Not the 1980s whack-a-load, slap dash approach. Who could ever forget..the likes of Kylie Minogue and Madonna and Cyndi Lauper...

But rather a subtle lift, if you might, which gives off an illusion of cheekbones. And you don't need to have to master the art of contouring to use this product. I never did. 

When I first got it, I was clueless as to how I was going to use it. Really smart consumer. So, I went on to YouTube and Google and I was overwhelmed with the information out there. Different people using different techniques and not to mention the myriad of useless tips.

So I experimented, which explains why on some days I end up looking like my little cousin drew brown streaks down the sides of my face with Crayolas. But I got the hang of it, albeit 3 weeks later. Don't hate. I have a problem with learning curves. Ask my Manager. 

As you can see, this product is a duet of a highlighter and a shading cream. It comes in two shades, Intensity 1 and 2. I settled for Intensity 1 just because I'm not blessed with tan, healthy looking skin (think Gisele Bündchen) or my sister from another Mum, Rita. And you can also see that this is cream based, which makes it so much easier for retards like me who can't tell one brush from another. 

All I did was to suck in my cheeks and trail a line where my natural shadow will hit. And I used only just my fingers (yeay!!). The trick is blend, blend and blend. The magic of this is layering. Layer it on and blend. Repeat until you achieve the shade that you want. The highlighter adds just the right amount of shine to the top of your cheeks. It's not really meant to highlight but rather to create a dewy, fresh look.

I had a friend come over just a few nights ago and he had a mad shit idea of taking my pictures. I was feeling and looking like a schlumpadinka and he thought taking my pictures would inspire me again. But that's another grandma story for another day. 

Here's a picture of how I look with my shade and illuminate. I also have a touch of Chanel Joues Contraste in 76 Frivole just on the apple of my cheeks. 

Sorry if the picture is not high-def. Like I mention, I don't do reviews professionally, but rather as a hobby if you like. 

Thanks to Evon who brought this all the way back from Hong Kong for me. If you're interested, you can bug any friend who is going to Hong Kong or Singapore like I did. Evon got it for me from Lane Crawford at Times Square. She also swears that the man who works the Tom Ford counter is HOT. Anyways, it retails for HKD 550. Do your own maths. =)

And girls remember, make-up is not rocket science. Have fun!

If I'd Known Then- Part 2

Continuing from the little mini project I started among my friends, here's a letter from one of my girls to herself when she was 16.

In order to protect her privacy, I've agreed to not disclose her identity. 

After all, this is something I started to inspire and motivate anyone who's willing to read. And at the same time, this remains a sort of therapy to all of us within this circle. 

Dear Me,

You were 16 when you found your first love. Sadly, that lasted for ten years only. You were young and silly (very) and you thought that Life will be perfect since you've found your so called soul mate. 

You thought that Life will be good and that all your dreams are in place. Wrong.

In years to come, you will be sacrificing your dreams in order to make way for his. You will end up surrendering a large part of your Life to make his Life perfect. You will eat away at yourself, giving everything that you have to secure what you think is a Life together. 

Silly you, but you didn't see that coming. In all fairness, you were blindsided. 

See, Life can turn upside down in a heartbeat but yet you choose to believe that it's just a hurdle that you could overcome. 

You will learn that God creates the Universe round for a reason...what goes up must come down. Life is an ongoing lesson. The silver lining of course is that Karma is a bitch..

You will soon see that the love of your Life cheated not once but thrice on you. Please don't be a retard and wait for him. Because I did and guess what? Thirteen years of your life wasted for a dream that was never yours to begin with.

Words can be deceiving. Trust me. And when he confesses that he only loved you for what you sacrificed to him, leave. Run as fast as you can and never look back.  

That time will be tough on you. Delusion is what keeps you alive and dying will seem like the best option.

But guess what? Soon your tears will dry up because in time to come you'll know that it's just a story that has been written, a lesson learned.  

Whatever is it, you will learn to be glad that he's out of your Life. You don't need a despicable man. You don't ok?

But I am proud to tell you, that you are stronger than you think you are. Just one thing, that man you keep dreaming of, you know-prince charming? Stop making up names for him, will you? What are you? 6?

Be a fool no more. Regret no more.

Sincerely,

Me

P/S:- Keep your dreams alive. You've come so far! :)

If I'd Known Then

A very close friend of mine recently gave me a book. 

Well, one would know that I was in a rut at that moment because why else would my girl throw me a book helplessly and shamelessly categorised under "Self Help"..Anyways, I took a chance and I thought I would start this.

"If I'd Known Then" is actually a sequel to the 2008 New York Times bestseller, "What I Know Now", edited by Ellyn Spragins. The theme of both books is that if you could write a letter back through time to your younger self, what would the letter say. The book compiles letters from remarkable women the likes of Maya Angelou, Madeleine Albright, Queen Nor of Jordan, Ann Curry just to name a few. 

Writing a letter to my younger self seemed like a good idea, until I actually sat down to write it.  What started as a fun, senseless thing to do turned into a few days of soul searching and honest reflection which I would avoid at all cost. At first I tried to get out of the whole thing and quite sneakily I would say. I knew this was coming up, I actually have the whole weekend dedicated to this, but by Saturday, I was desperately trying to get out of the situation that I single handedly put myself in. I tried to see if I could have gone out for dinner or drinks, but I thought, you know what? Done. I've dodged the bullet long enough and it's time I face the one person I have been eluding-myself. 

So here goes. 

*Disclaimer:- This letter is written sincerely to myself and if it offends anyone in any manner, I'm not apologizing for it. 

Hey Kid,

Listen. 15 years is a very long time and I want you to know some things that I wish you had known then.

Of Boys and Love

You’re delusional. Romeo and Juliet are fucktards who killed themselves over love. That’s hardly romantic. It’s shallowness at its best. In the next 15 years, you will learn that boys are awful and they are made of absolutely nothing but hormones until they learn to grow brains or balls for that matter. So, please, don’t ever think that you’re in it forever or commit yourself overly to a person. 

He’s never the one if you have doubts nagging inside your head. Thinking that you might be able to change someone is foolishness. No man that is worth you is ever going to need any change. He won’t be perfect but he will just be right.

Don’t get too hung up over any guy. It’s never the end of the World though you will go through your fair share of heartaches. Years down the road, the World will make a success story out of a girl who wrote and sang a song about someone like him too. 

And let me assure you that when “Someone like you” hits the music industry like a tidal wave, you will relive every word and you will smile. That’s when you will allow yourself to admit that you’re truly glad that things turn out the way it did. And would you change your path? No, you would not even if you can. 

So if he’s a douche bag, drop it like it’s hot. And if he gives you attitude, pop it like it’s hot. 

Please do not ever pick up the habit of drunk dialing or texting your exes. I don’t give a shit how drunk you are, because when you wake up the next day, it’s hardly funny. And it's always such a tedious job trying to convince the idiot that you were just submitting yourself to a moment of nitwittedness and that you don't actually want him back. 

Another thing, years down the road, your exes are going to want to get back. You would want to remember why it never worked out in the first place. If all else fails, please refer to their Pros and Cons list (yes you have one). DNR. Okay? DO NOT RESUSCITATE. Getting together with an ex is like going to a yard sale and buying your own crap back. Hardly smart and very distasteful.  

Girl, you better recognize the game. 

There’s a reason they would remain the best thing you never had. Trust me. 

And always remember, Sharon, down the road, you’ll find that your taste is going to become more sophisticated. And what might seem to be the perfect fit to you now will be nothing but mediocrity in the future. 

Of Self Esteem and Everything Nice

You’re beautiful. Own it and live it, please, I beg of you. The beginning of the millennium gives nothing back to real women and girls everywhere. In years to come, you will learn that women everywhere are starting to embrace their curves and their natural beauty. 

You will learn to love the gym and the results that come with it and you will love doing nothing but the best for yourself. Sure, you cheat here and there, and some days you just want to laze around with your jammies. The weight comes off and on like a rollercoaster but guess what? You’re having fun. That’s what is most important and I need you to be a little bit kinder to yourself. 

And oh one more thing. Please don’t ever cut your hair short. You will end up looking like a trainwreck. Trust me. Because I did. 

Of Family and Friends

Give your brother a call. Hug him just one more time and hold on just a little longer. Remember his smile and his twinkling laugh. Spend a little more time with him. Give him whatever he asks of you. For he will give you the most painful, unrelenting and ruthless of all heartbreaks. 

You will spiral out of control and you will sink to your knees every night. And you will never ever feel any agony greater than this. The day he leaves you to be with God will be the day you change forever.

But you will have friends and family to see you through. True friends who will allow you to cry just a little longer. Friends who believe that they will see you through the darkest time in your Life and friends who stayed with you as you literally tore your own Life apart. Friends who watched quietly by the side as you allow yourself to be devoured by the blackness. And when you feel like you’re done destroying whatever is left of you, there they are, ready to catch you.

Of Life and Lemonades

You’ll learn that Life will ultimately be what you make of it. So please don’t drag your feet around. Be present in every moment and feel. Don’t survive it. Live it.

Eventually you’ll learn your lessons the hard way. Everyday you’ll need to fight for your future somethings. A thousand little wars you have to choose. But I’ll tell you, that when you finally graduate from the School of Hard Knocks with flying colours, you’ll prefect the art of fending for yourself. Remember that no matter how heavy boots you get, tilt your head back, shoulders square, back straight, chin up and one chic, refined heel in front of the other, and strut. Not walk, kid. Strut it like you just don’t care.

When Life hands you lemons, don’t be a retard and make lemonades. Throw them back, dust it out and move on. There’s no reason to make lemonades. You’ll never learn to like lemonades anyway. Still a beer kinda girl. 

So kid, that’s all I have for now. Be good to yourself and mostly importantly don’t always be so hard on yourself. And when you make mistakes, please for the love of God, forgive yourself. Whoever created the word “Perfect” is a narcissist. 

Seeing the sun on you,

Miss Much Classier and Sophisticated