Toiling to the top

Champa Hill gives tips to redefine your designing skills:

Amalshan GUNERATHNE

Champa Hill

Enchanting brides

Not many would believe that meddling with kiddy dummies and dolls could pave the way to a grand career in fashion designing industry.

"When I was little I used to love playing with dolls. I loved dressing them up with fancy clothes and shaping their hair with all kinds of styles," said Champa Hill, who went on to bring great glory to Sri Lanka at the 'World Hair and Fashion Designing Championship 2010' which was held in Bangkok recently. Champa hit the peak of her career as she triumphed over more than 180 competitors in her event to win the 'Best of Country Award' at the competition.

It was her raw passion towards the art of fashion designing that drew her to the field. Hair dressing was more of a hobby for her than a profession during her childhood. A product of Ferguson High School, Rathnapura, Champa strolled down memory lane to recall the beginning of a grand venture.

"I used to do hairstyles for my friends just for the fun of it, but it was only after I left the school that I really begin to put my heart and soul into the subject. I even attended classes on fashion designing. My first tutor was Dora Aththanayaka. She was instrumental in my development as a fashion designer," she mused.

Champa made her first ever bridal dress in 1993. It was a creation she designed for one of her school mates. The design won her a lot of applause and she has not looked back since. However her path to the glory was never a walk in the park. Finding money to put-up a salon was never an easy task.

Champa notes: "My first salon was established in our house garage in 1993. Thankfully my husband supported me in this task. As the time passed, our business expanded. I am happy to say that we have two salons now: one in the house itself and another one in the city which is handled by my daughter Shashika."

Today with a full staff, she undertakes bridal dressings, hair and beauty care services islandwide.

When asked what advice she could give to budding young designers, she said: "They need to take one step at a time rather than trying to take giant strides. Some think that just because they have followed an obscure course or two on fashion designing, they can start their own salon. That will not get them anywhere. They have to take it slow. At least two years of practical experience is needed to become a good professional designer. Natural talent alone won't take you far in the industry. You have to persevere and commit certain sacrifices to make it big". Many conformists believe that the fashion or modelling industry is not a suitable profession for young women. Questioned on this dilemma Champa quipped: "It is very true. Many young women do face crisis in this field. It is a real shame that such things happen but they should know their limits. Self dignity comes above everything." Looking back on her experiences at 'World Hair and Fashion Designing Championship 2010' Champa expressed: "Luck was never on my side till they eventually crowned me as the winner. To start with, the model they gave me was very short in stature and she was by no means good enough to be fit in to the dress I made.

I complained to the judges, but it was all in vain. I felt there is no point in dressing her up and decided to buy a supermodel from my own money. It cost me more than 20 000 rupees to buy the model. Many sarcastic remarks were passed that I was being stupid, but it was not in vain and the joy I felt after winning the award was simply inexplicable.

Though her glory was hear earned Champa notes that she does not see it as an individual achievement.

Night beauty

The virtues and benefits of a good night's sleep have been extolled for centuries now, but the one thing that is coming into focus along with this is the importance of using a night cream that can help to heal and repair the damage inflicted on the skin during the day.

Revitalize your skin

Busting the myth that night creams are only for those above 40 or are unnecessary, Supriya Niwasi, a make-up stylist and technician, says, "That was two decades ago, but the truth is that now with high amounts of UV rays, pollution and the hectic lifestyle that we lead, sleep is the only time when the skin gets uninterrupted rest and time to repair itself."

Experts say that the ideal time to start using a night cream these days is from the age of 25-27.

Talking about how these creams work, Dr Yamini Deshmukh, a senior skincare specialist, explains, "When you are asleep, is the time for the skin to rejuvenate.

These creams work along with the body's natural sleep cycle and gently help to repair the skin. There are some night creams for specific problems, like wrinkles, crow's feet, etc., and then there are more general ones that only deal with reversing the ageing process."

A night cream needs to be chosen with a lot of care.

"Allow an expert to help you make the right choice, because your skin is very sensitive at night and the cream should do more repair than damage.

What these creams do is increase the production of collagen, add elasticity to your skin and restore moisture - all of which are the ingredients to flawless, healthy skin," she adds.

However, experts also warn that one needs to be very careful while applying these creams.

"One of the most important things that I tell all my clients is that their skin needs to be clean and devoid of any make-up, because if there are any traces of chemicals then the night cream won't work.

Another thing is to apply a very thin layer of the cream - this is because you need to allow your skin to breathe and while a night cream works in sync with the breathing cycle, it should never obstruct it. Also, when you wake up in the morning splash cold water on your face to remove the cream and this also helps to cleanse your skin," says Supriya.

Deccan Chronicle

Signs of a break-up

According to www.cosmopolitan.com, 'tis the season to lose it with your loved one. The cold season is hard on everyone, resulting in a lot of blow-ups and break-ups.

According to a recent survey, couples are more than twice as likely to think about splitting between the holidays and Valentine's Day, due in part to the pressure of the holiday season. But also because scientific reasons compound that stress: "Our energy levels are lower during the cold weather, and we tend to be moodier," explains clinical psychologist Seth Meyers, PhD.

"Both factors make maintaining a relationship difficult." You can't beat Mother Nature, but you can learn to spot these pesky relationship-killing winter symptoms and take the necessary steps to keep your bond going strong.

Here are some signs:

* The last time you went out together on a Saturday night was...uh...

* You haven't had sex in two weeks.

* Every morning, you hit the snooze button four times - after he's already hit it eight times.

* You approach dinner as though you're both eating for two.

* You have a hard time thinking of a day recently in which you haven't criticised him.

* Your workout sneakers haven't left the closet since October, and his biceps have started feeling like mashed potatoes.

* You don't share your feelings nearly as often as you share bottles of wine.

* You doze off in front of the TV together at least twice a week.

* Sweatpants are your new skinny jeans.

To break the cycle, make it a point for you and your guy to eat high-protein foods that have serotonin-boosting nutrients - like fish fillets, cottage cheese and eggs. When you notice a seasonal sex nosedive, grab your guy and hit the gym together. Cosmopolitan.com

Bring on the curry!

Herbal goodness in your cuisine :

Ruwini JAYAWARDANA

Karapincha sambol is a health booster

How many of us add a few curry leaves to our daily cooking but absent-mindedly set them aside to throw away while consuming our daily meal? The habits and routine are familiar and later the consequences are the same.

These beautiful, aromatic, leaves which grow on 0.9 metre high trees possess some of the best qualities of herbal goodness. Not only is it a strong cholesterol fighter but the slightly bitter and fragrant leaves work as a top herbal tonic as well.

The uses of curry leaves varies from strengthening the stomach functioning and also to restore its activity. It is also used as a mild laxative. The curry leaves contain a residual Gluucoside named as Koenigin.

Fresh curry leaf juice, combined with Lime juice and Sugar, is useful in treating morning sickness, nausea and vomiting due to indigestion and excessive use of fats. For stomach upset the curry leaves are grounded to a fine paste and mixed with buttermilk.

Tender curry leaves mixed with honey are useful remedy for treating diarrhoea, dysentery and piles. Diabetes due to heredity factors can be cured by eating t10 fresh fully grown Curry leaves every morning for three months. It is also an effective weight reducing method.

Curry leaves are useful in preventing premature greying of hair. These leaves have the property of nourishing the hair roots.