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Six races, six faces: Black beauty

Australia is known for its ethnic diversity. From Indigenous to blonde, Mediterranean, Asian, Celtic and dark-skinned, Australian multi-cultural beauty embraces all races, skin tones, hair and eye colouring and exudes a fresh and natural appeal, which reflects the vibrant, laid-back spirit of the country.

Black beauty

When world-renowned make-up artist Bobbi Brown first started working as a makeup artist in the 1980s, she says it was difficult to find shades and textures that suited black women.

“Thankfully, the marketplace has changed, and there are now many options that cater to an ethnically diverse consumer base,” she comments.

“Black women can have different skin tones within their faces. The skin tends to be darker across the forehead and perimeter of the face and lighter at the middle, including the cheeks.”

“To create a seamless look between the areas, have three foundation shades on hand, so you can experiment to see which shades work best on different areas of your face, and then blend them.”

Blush basics

Avoid any blush that looks ashy on your skin. Lighter skin tones look pretty and natural in dark bronzers. Apricot, rose, plum, and soft pinks also work well.

Lip tricks

The lighter your lips’ natural tone, the lighter your lipstick should be. It should be a reflection of your natural lip colour, so no ashy, pale shades.

“Deep, yet sheer lip colour looks modern and natural on all black women,” says Bobbi.

Eye style

“When a woman has a lot of natural, dark colour in her lids, look at it as a natural eye shadow,” says Bobbi. “But for something special, try a shimmery brown shadow [Bobbi Brown Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow in Chocolate, $44].”

Check out other cultural make-up looks here…

Your Say: What makeup styles do you think suit dark skin? Share your tips below…

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House-swapping, the easier way to holiday

In these times of financial challenge, one way to enjoy an affordable holiday at home or overseas is to house-swap.
bed in a house

House swaps or home exchanges have been around for a long time. How you do it couldn’t be simpler. House swappers decide where and when they’d like to go, check into their swap agency, look at a list of homes available, find something they fancy and then contact the owners direct to organise a possible swap. It could be a direct swap, with two sets of strangers moving into each other’s homes at the same time, a non-simultaneous swap on mutually agreed but different dates, or even a “hospitality” swap in which one household plays resident host to the occupants of another.

In most cases, house swappers simply turn up at the destination, collect the house or apartment keys from a neighbour and take over the home and often the family car for the agreed period. It costs nothing to organise apart from usually minimal agency membership fees, it lands the swapper in the heart of a local culture with a functioning household base and perhaps independent transport and, most importantly, it can save the swapper thousands of dollars in hotel and restaurant bills.

1. Get to know your exchange partner and their home through email, phone calls and photographs. Ask lots of questions, especially about pets, children and allergies.

2. Ask for references – personal and business.

3. Clearly state “house rules” and what is off limits (such as locked rooms or closets, CDs that you value).

4. Discuss with your exchange partner, in advance, the consequences in the event of breakage or damage. Most people will agree to replace or pay for the broken item.

5. Establish do’s and don’ts. Be sure to clarify who is expected to pay how much in terms of utility bills, the use of kitchen staples and bathroom items and computer usage.

6. Get confirmation. Before you make any travel plans, be sure to finalise the date and details with your swap partner.

7. Inform your nearest, trusted neighbour of your plans. They can keep an eye on your property and lend a hand if needed.

8. Remove from the house items of extreme value.

9. Leave a guide and instructions. Provide the phone number of a friendly contact to assist in an emergency, numbers for doctors and dentists, instructions for pet and plant care and info about appliances, locks, or anything else that may need explaining. Compile the guide in a notebook or binder and leave it somewhere prominent so your guests will find it on arrival.

10. Treat the house of your host as if it were your own. Remember, they’re in your home as well. Always leave the house in the same condition you found it.*

Website: www.homeforexchange.com

HomeLink says the international company was established in 1953, the Australian arm in 1980. It claims to be the world’s first and biggest agency, with members in 60 countries and extensive local back-up. Annual membership: $AUD250.

Website: www.homelink.com.au

HomeExchange is a California-based agency established in 1992. The company claims 17,000 listings worldwide. Well-presented site, but listings details are limited for non-members. Annual membership: $US99.95; two years is $US140.

Website: www.homexchange.com

International Home Exchange Network is a US-based agency for home exchange and rentals in some 50 countries. Established 1995, it has limited information about exchanges, but non-member browsers can respond to listings. Annual membership: $US39.95.

Website: www.ihen.com

Aussie House Swap deals only with swaps in Australia and New Zealand. Listings are well-presented, with detailed property information, but contact details available only to members. Annual membership: $AUD48.

Website: www.aussiehouseswap.com.au

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A Singapore fling: unlocking the city of temptations

Singapore has reinvented itself as a city of temptations. Mike Dolan goes to the Lion State in search of the good life and discovers a riot of fun.
Images: Singapore Tourism Board (Australia)

Little India, with its sari shops on Serangoon Road, is the place to shop for fabrics and batik, and to eat spicy vegetarian food. The cafes in Kampong Glam sell succulent Indian meat dishes and Malaysian fare. Seek out the perfume shops on Arab Street for alcohol-free scent made from essential oils. In Chinatown, you’ll find the exotic confection of the Sri Mariamman Indian temple and, close by, the beautiful green Jamae Mosque. There are several small Chinese Buddhist temples here, but ironically, the main Chinese Temple that covers an entire block was the last to be completed. Known for its markets, reflexology parlours, massage booths, noodle bars and exotic pharmacies, Chinatown is the best place in Singapore to shop for bargains.

Visit: www.nhb.gov.sg

Singapore also has superb Chinese, Indian and Malay food, plus a speciality known as Peranakan – a synthesis of Chinese ingredients and Malay spices. Two excellent Peranakan restaurants are Blue Ginger (97 Tanjong Pagar Road), modern and centrally located, and True Blue Cuisine (117 East Coast Road), housed in an exquisite example of a traditional Peranakan dwelling. As 70 per cent of the locals have Chinese roots, there’s excellent Cantonese food. The health-conscious can visit the Imperial Herbal Restaurant (41 Seah Street). Here, you’ll find a range of Chinese cuisines prepared with health-giving herbs. You can even have a consultation with a Chinese medical practitioner, then order with the doctor’s diagnosis in mind.

Head to Serangoon Road for breakfast in Little India and enjoy a masala dosai, a delicate crisp pancake filled with mildly curried potato and lentil gravy ($1.60). Local Malay food can be found in the cafes of Kampong Glam on Arab Street, where the towering Sultan Mosque is the local landmark. East meets West at My Humble House, on the first floor of the Esplanade Theatres on the Bay complex, where exquisite six-course meals – with dishes such as enoki mushrooms with crab meat in spinach broth – are served in Alice in Wonderland-style surrounds. When strolling along the banks of the Singapore River on Clarke Quay, make sure you stop at WineGarage, where you can drink excellent wine by the glass (rare in Singapore) and eat small plates of equally fine food. It’s next to Brewerkz, the city’s famous “microbrewery”, where you can drink ale on the river terrace.

Visit: www.sbestfood.com

There are more than 2500 marine creatures at Underwater World, where you can also dive with Gracie the dugong or swim with dolphins at the Dolphin Lagoon. Located on Sentosa Island, the best way to get there is by cable car from the top of Mount Faber on Singapore Island.

Visit: www.sentosa.com.sg

Visit: www.zoo.com.sg

Visit: www.singapore-raffles.raffles.com

Visit: www.nparks.gov.sg

Visit: www.sgb.org.sg and www.lesamis.com.sg

Visit: www.yixingxuan-teahouse.com

ARRIVAL: It couldn’t be easier to get from Changi Airport to the city – clean, metered taxis take 15 minutes ($15-$20). The MRT (train) takes 15 minutes to get to the city ($1.80).

STAY: Novotel (www.accorhotels.com) – a new, stylish hotel on the river at Clarke Quay. Great pool terrace and modern designer rooms from $160 a night.

The Scarlet (www.thescarlethotel.com), a chic boutique hotel on the edge of Chinatown, has rooms from $220 a night.

The Fullerton (www.fullertonhotel.com), offers five-star luxury with views of the bay and Singapore River. Rooms are from $450 a night.

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Sleep slashes diabetes risk

Getty Images

Sudanese model Akeer Chut-Deng.

The two best-known risk factors for type 2 diabetes are a lack of physical activity and overindulgence in refined and processed foods.

Now, according to a study published in the journal Sleep, it appears getting a good night’s rest also protects against diabetes. The study, authored by James Gangswich, PhD, of Columbia University in New York, found that adults who snoozed five hours or less a night were significantly more likely to develop type II diabetes than those who slept for seven hours. Why? Sleep deprivation’s potential to increase body weight increases diabetes incidence, says Gangswich, and so does late-night snacking. There’s also evidence that inadequate sleep decreases glucose tolerance and utilisation, and ramps up nervous system activity and the production of the stress hormone cortisol – in other words, the longer we stay up, the less efficient our bodies become at processing blood sugar fat.

Your Say: Do you get enough sleep? What are your tips for a restful night? Tell us below…

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Make gratitude an attitude

Wife beater given a bravery award

In a study from Miami University, psychologists divided people into three groups, each of which was instructed to keep a different kind of journal. One group recorded daily events, another recorded problems, while the third group listed everything they were grateful for. The researchers found that this third group scored much higher on tests for alertness and optimism, made better progress towards goals, and enjoyed more positive and productive relationships.

To feel more grateful, try the following:

  • Play “Five-plus”. Get into the habit of finding at least five small joys that you appreciate each day, even if it’s just finding a good parking space. Jot them in your diary, write them on a post-it note and stick it on the fridge, or say them aloud or in your mind just before sleeping.

  • Nurture your spirit. Prayer, meditation and quiet contemplation help you to develop emotional and spiritual strength so you can cope better with challenges and appreciate being alive. If you have a partner or children, giving thanks before a meal or bedtime is a calming ritual that develops a healthy and loving attitude towards life.

  • Appreciate people every day. Tell a co-worker what a great job they do; thank a cab driver for his cheery conversation; pay a sales assistant a compliment about the way they have served you. Never miss an opportunity to give a friend or family member a pat on the shoulder, an affectionate squeeze, or an “I love you”.

  • Write to a person who made a difference in your life in the past year. Be specific about how and why their actions enriched your life.

  • Give something back. We all have so much to offer — money, love, ideas, elbow grease, time, and expertise. Helping others will make you feel truly rich and grateful for everything you do have — psychologists call this uplifting side-effect ‘elevation’. Doing something for others also minimises the free-floating anxiety in our post 9/11 world. For example, researchers have found that volunteers who donated blood after the Bali bombings were better able to overcome their shock and anger. Consider the following ideas: volunteering at a soup kitchen or homeless shelter; helping out at a wildlife rescue centre; or supporting your local school or sheltered workshop.

Your Say: What are you grateful for? Tell us below…

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Natalie B — dancing to the top!

Natalie Bassingthwaighte, actor, author, dancer, singer, songwriter and host of Network Ten’s reality show So You Think You Can Dance, explains to Larry Writer why she was born to perform.

Check out beautiful Natalie throughout her career here.

No one who’s been up until 2.30am has any right to be this bouncy. Yet now, just seven hours after finishing a promo for So You Think You Can Dance, Natalie Bassingthwaighte bustles in, a diminutive black-clad dynamo clutching a soy latte and a piece of wholemeal toast.

She executes a balletic high kick, lets out a “Whooo!”, and tells her manager, Mark Byrne, that, of course, she would be honoured to present the Best Television Drama award at Saturday night’s AFI Awards and hopes there can be a ticket for her boyfriend, Cameron McGlinchey. “My day,” the 33-year-old assures The Weekly, as Mark runs through her schedule, “will only get busier.”

When Natalie met ace US pop producer Jimmy Harry last year to plan her new solo album, he asked her which recording star she wanted to emulate. “I said, ‘Emulate? I don’t want to emulate anybody. I want to be me.’ ‘Okay,’ he said, ‘then who are you?’ “

Good question. Natalie wasn’t exactly sure then and, today, chatting about her myriad brilliant careers, she still ponders the conundrum. “The best I can come up with is I’m hardworking, lucky, ambitious and have the resilience to bounce back from rejection.” Typically, she fails to mention her prodigious talent.

Natalie’s done — and is doing — it all. She is the bubbly, heart-on-the-sleeve host of Network Ten’s reality show So You Think You Can Dance, is releasing her first solo album this month, is ambassador for Garnier hair products (“I’m like the Australian Sarah Jessica Parker!”) and is about to be seen in the Australian horror movie, Prey.

She was Izzy Hoyland, the schemer you love to hate, in Neighbours, has starred in hit musicals, was the frontwoman for APRA-winning dance/pop act Rogue Traders, last year sang the national anthem at the Beijing Olympics, football grand finals and cricket internationals, and co-wrote a book of advice for teenage girls. Some CV.

“All my wildest dreams have come true,” Natalie bubbles, then, tucking her Bikram yoga-toned legs underneath her on the lounge, grows a little pensive. “Maybe I do spread myself too thin,” she admits. “I’m my own worst enemy. I can’t say no to a new challenge and, suddenly, I’m doing 10 things at once and that means pressure because I’m a perfectionist. Trouble is, I love it all. Performing gives me such joy.”

Check out beautiful Natalie throughout her career here.

Your say: What do you think of Natalie? Tell us below…

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Magda’s amazing journey

Funny girl Magda Szubanski has lost a staggering 26 kilograms in a year. As Wendy Squires discovers, the much-loved star of Kath & Kim is now shrinking at the rate of a kilogram a week, and she has gained a whole new, more positive perspective on life.

The Weekly and Jenny Craig give you the chance to meet Magda Szubanski backstage at Guys and Dolls! Click here to enter

Check out amazing Magda throughout her career here.

The mercury is hitting 43°C and Melbourne is in meltdown. Air-conditioners labouring at full blast have exhausted the power grid and much of the city’s famous shopping stretch of Chapel Street is without electricity. Finding a cafe cool enough to sit in means walking several blocks through the oppressive haze, something Magda Szubanski admits she would have found near-impossible only a year ago, when she weighed 121 kilograms.

“Imagine if I was still carrying all that extra fat in this weather!” she says, her cherubic face breaking into a broad smile at the thought. “It would be unbearable. My muscles used to be like these big guy [tent] ropes holding up this massive amount of weight. It was terrible.”

Barely recognisable from the last time she sat down to talk with The Weekly, only four-and-a-half months ago, after joining weight-loss company Jenny Craig, today, Magda is 16 kilos lighter and a whole lot happier as she takes a seat in the city’s famous Caffé e Cucina, where handsome Italian waiters hover ready to flirt with the attractive blonde in their midst. Cheekbones that weren’t noticeable just weeks ago have suddenly appeared, along with a jawline that gives her pretty face more definition. Her shorts are now so big they’re almost falling off and her shirt is so loose she could practically fit in another person. Her hair, her skin, her eyes are all glowing with good health.

She is a new person and she knows it.

“I feel unbelievable,” the 47-year-old exclaims, “and I’m so proud of myself. My mum is really proud, too, although she told me last night that I’m not allowed to get up myself about it.”

The truth is that Magda has every right to be both proud and up herself. In the past year, the comedian, actress and writer has lost a massive 26 kilos, literally saving her own life in the process. Yet it’s joining Jenny Craig 16 weeks ago that Magda credits as the real key to her phenomenal success. Since following their plan, Magda has passed the halfway mark to her goal weight of 85 kilos, her weight when she first hit our TV screens as Pixie-Anne Wheatley on Fast Forward in the late 1980s.

“It’s the small things I’m noticing, such as going upstairs,” she explains. “I don’t even have to think about it now — I just do it. When I get to the top I think, ‘My God, I’ve just walked up stairs!’, whereas before I would stand at the bottom as if they were Mt Everest and go, ‘Oh, my God — how am I going to do this?’ “

Check out some great fashion tips for larger ladies from the AWW fashion team here.

Check out amazing Magda throughout her career here.

Your say: Have you lost weight recently? Tell us your experience and send your message to Magda below…

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Drought disaster: ‘We’ll never leave the land’

By Jackie Brygel

Farmer Ann Sloane is helping to bring hope back to rural battlers, and you can too…

Name: Ann Sloane

Her dream: That all Australians support drought-stricken farmers on Woolworths’ “Backing Our Farmers Day”

Ann Sloane knows all too well just how tough it can be working on the land during a crippling drought. She and her husband Alexander, who live on a property in Savernake in southern New South Wales, recently suffered their third major financial loss with the farm’s dry-land cereal project.

But while their farm ? along with so many others across the country ? has been ravaged by the drought, Ann and Alexander can’t imagine living anywhere else.

“Alexander’s family selected this block back in 1862,” explains Ann, 56. “He’s been farming full-time since the 1960s. I was a country girl and also have a strong affinity with the land.

“Doing what we do is full of challenges, but the rewards are very real. And we feel we have such a strong family heritage here and such a love of the land, so we will continue on.”

Parents to four grown-up children, the enterprising couple recently began diversifying into other areas, such as prime lamb, tourism and photography, to bolster their floundering income.

“None of them raises amounts as large as a wheat crop would, but we’re doing what we can,” Ann explains. “You have to try to be adaptable with this drought.

“We have rainfall records dating all the way back to the 1860s. The drought in the last few years has broken all of those records.”

Deeply concerned about the level of despair among local farmers, Ann and a friend last year organised a drought support dinner at Ann’s local RSL club.

“It’s heartbreaking for some farmers,” she says. “They don’t know what’s going to be around the corner from day to day.

“The dinner I organised was in response to the suicides that I heard about in the area. People were just without hope. It can be overwhelming, the blackness that they feel, and they do think there’s nowhere to turn.

“I wanted to try and bring a message of hope and faith back into people’s lives and show them that they can get through these tough times,” she continues.

“It can’t ever be that tough that you should take your own life, and that was my motivation. We had a full crowd for the dinner and it was a really moving night.”

Ann also urges everyone to participate in Woolworths’ Backing Our Farmers Day. On Friday February 20 Woolworths will donate the entire trading day’s profits from all purchases made at any Woolworths or Safeway store to our farmers.

Woolworths expects to raise more than $5million from the day. The money will be used to fund emergency assistance grants and community infrastructure projects in rural Australia.

“It’s important to generate an understanding in the city of what lies behind the supermarket shelves. This day helps to do that by raising awareness.”

Have your say below…

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The bizarre life of the octuplets mum

Mum of 14 Nadya Suleman is being branded an Angelina copy-cat, amid fears for her eight newborn babies.

The strange life of octuplets mum Nadya Suleman is causing concern, with the unemployed 33-year-old single mother denying claims that she’s obsessed with Angelina Jolie, and brushing off concerns she will be unable to look after her 14 kids.

Nadya already had six children aged two to seven, conceived by IVF, and lives on a disability pension. She has sparked outrage over her decision to undergo IVF treatment and deliberately have six embryos implanted. Two embryos split into twins, so eight babies were born.

“Those are my children and that was what was available and I used them,” Nadya told the Today show in the US last week. “I took a risk. A gamble.”

Nadya’s own mother, Angela, is leading the chorus of criticism.

“The truth is, Nadya’s not capable of raising 14 children,” says Angela, who lives with her daughter and calls her actions “unconscionable”.

“She already has six beautiful children. Why would she do this?”

The Insider television program reports that Nadya is up to $50,000 in debt. A website has been set up in her name to help raise money for the babies…

Would you donate to a cause like Nadya’s? Have your say below…

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Fergie under fire over orphanage scandal

The former Duchess of York is accused of failing to fulfil her promises to Romania’s poor…

Sarah Ferguson has come under fire for failing to come up with the $617,000 she promised to help establish a health care centre for women in the Romanian town of Tinca.

Her pledge was made last year on an ITV documentary. The program, A Tonight Special — Duchess and Daughters: Their Secret Mission, aired in the UK in November, and saw Fergie, Beatrice and Eugenie highlight the plight of abandoned children across Eastern Europe, including the appalling conditions of state-run orphanages in Romania and Turkey.

During a visit to poverty-stricken Tinca, Fergie vowed to raise funds to equip and staff a medical centre.

Charity organisation Romanian Relief had enough funds to construct the building’s shell, but needed more money to make the clinic operational.

“I knew I had to find a solution. I couldn’t have gone with you and seen abhorrent sights and not back it up,” Fergie told ITV presenter Chris Rogers, who travelled with her. “I am not that sort of person. I am absolutely adamant about it. You cannot make false promises.”

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