Aimzster
Dianna G7 Beauty Tips my Mother told me
August 6th 2007 01:12
My mother is a character. Everyone tells me so everytime I relay stories of those times she didn’t let me out of a van as the rest of the family piled into church because I was wearing a hanging shirt (you know those cropped shirts in the 80s that expose your belly when you lift up your arms over your head?) or the time she chased me around the house with an iron when she spotted a crease down the side of my dress.
In my 30 years, my mum has sprouted one old wives’ tale after another which I accepted in my later years with the rolling of the eyes and a groan. While some of her old wives’ tales turned out to be true (milk does make the bones stronger and thumb-sucking can damage your teeth to a certain extent), there have been what I think are some doozies -
1) To achieve that pert, upturned nose, pinch the bridge of your nose twice a day
Many Filipinos are obsessed with wanting to look more ‘westernised’ – evident from the millions of whitening products that are sold on beauty shelves. The girls in my primary school who had whiter skin and had a narrow, upturned nose were considered beautiful and, thus, more popular. So it wasn’t uncommon to see the other ‘unfortunate’ girls walking around with their noses pinched with pegs.
2) Eating one tomato a day will make your cheeks rosy
I’m going to need clarification on whether this is true or not. I’ve been checking some sites – half of them say yes, half say it’s total bull. And I’m crossing my fingers it’s bull, otherwise I’m going to have to hear it again from my mum everytime she sees a rosy-cheeked baby.
3) If you pull a face when the wind blows, you’ll be stuck with that expression forever
Even at the age of 7, I saw right through this one especially when this particular old wives’ tale was echoed by my nanny who believed that Coke was far superior to Pepsi ever since she heard the rumour they found scuba divers coming out of the Pepsi tank.
4) For everytime a person steps over your legs, you’ll lose an inch of height
Right, so that’s why I’m so short – apparently, I had a habit of sprawling myself on the bottom step of our staircase with people skipping over me as they went up or down. But if that was the case, I should be no more than 3 feet and 2 inches.
5) Cutting your hair and eyelashes once a week will make them grow longer
It took my mum three tries and me with virtually no lashes to realise this one is a total myth. Read my previous post.
6) Never brush your teeth from side to side. Rather, brush each tooth in a circular motion
Apparently, it’s to prevent your teeth from looking like your toothbrush after six months’ of use.
7) If someone bops you on the head, a little bit of your brain would fall down to your chin. To reverse this, you need to tap your fist up to the bottom of your chin three times, blow into your palm and make a sweeping motion toward your forehead. Do this three times.
My personal favourite. This particular tale was harped into me from the ripe age of 4. I’m embarrassed to admit that I still duck out of sight and tap my chin whenever someone bops me on the head – even when my high school crush caught me once doing it and promptly rolled into the aisle of the train carriage, laughing. Obviously, romance wasn’t on the cards after that incident.
So what beauty myths have you heard? Any ones that actually turned out to be true? Or any other ones that made you groan and ask "Who the hell came up with that???"
In my 30 years, my mum has sprouted one old wives’ tale after another which I accepted in my later years with the rolling of the eyes and a groan. While some of her old wives’ tales turned out to be true (milk does make the bones stronger and thumb-sucking can damage your teeth to a certain extent), there have been what I think are some doozies -
1) To achieve that pert, upturned nose, pinch the bridge of your nose twice a day
hmm...how many pegs does it take to make an elephant's nose 'pert'?
2) Eating one tomato a day will make your cheeks rosy
I’m going to need clarification on whether this is true or not. I’ve been checking some sites – half of them say yes, half say it’s total bull. And I’m crossing my fingers it’s bull, otherwise I’m going to have to hear it again from my mum everytime she sees a rosy-cheeked baby.
3) If you pull a face when the wind blows, you’ll be stuck with that expression forever
Even at the age of 7, I saw right through this one especially when this particular old wives’ tale was echoed by my nanny who believed that Coke was far superior to Pepsi ever since she heard the rumour they found scuba divers coming out of the Pepsi tank.
4) For everytime a person steps over your legs, you’ll lose an inch of height
If I could only take this rock with me...
5) Cutting your hair and eyelashes once a week will make them grow longer
It took my mum three tries and me with virtually no lashes to realise this one is a total myth. Read my previous post.
6) Never brush your teeth from side to side. Rather, brush each tooth in a circular motion
Apparently, it’s to prevent your teeth from looking like your toothbrush after six months’ of use.
7) If someone bops you on the head, a little bit of your brain would fall down to your chin. To reverse this, you need to tap your fist up to the bottom of your chin three times, blow into your palm and make a sweeping motion toward your forehead. Do this three times.
My solution to the next head bop
So what beauty myths have you heard? Any ones that actually turned out to be true? Or any other ones that made you groan and ask "Who the hell came up with that???"
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Comment by Lara M
Love Speaks
Comment by KylieW
Celebrity Obsession
I remember one that my grandmother used to tell us. To prevent a double chinm, you should stroke your chin with the back of your hand, in short sweeping motions from your neck toward your chin.
Not sure how that was supposed to stop a double chin!!!
Comment by katyzzz
Photography Tips
Health Focus
Poetry Lighthouse
MS Paint Art
And, congrats, good way of getting out of going to Church, didn't she inspect you before leaving.
She muffed that one.
Give my love to Mum, we have to stick together.
katyzzz....what a pity belting went out of fashion.
Comment by Aimzster
Health and Beauty
Reality TV
The Jeepney Stop
Hi Kylie, hahahaha double chin??? That's along the lines of the brain dropping down to your chin. You sure my mum and your grandmother aren't related?
Hi Katyzzz, if I could write an essay on growing up with my mum.... belting may have gone out of fashion but pinching still seems to be there - even though you're 30.
Comment by D. Armenta
The Florida Keys and Everglades
The Black Sheep Chronicles
What constitutes bad manners?
The male mystique
Debate Fan
My mum was a science teacher so I never had to suffer old wives' tales from her--but her sisters, ohmigod...
Most of my personal favorites came from Mum's youngest sister--who at 13 was like a fountain of wisdom to my 7-year-old ears:
-That stuff on the kleenex after you sneeze is actually tiny bits of your brain;
-Holding in a sneeze will immediately blow out your eardrums;
-Your hair is dry..let's comb lots of Crisco through it.
-Drinking a quart of milk a day will give you big breasts.
-and the list goes hilariously on...
Comment by Aimzster
Health and Beauty
Reality TV
The Jeepney Stop
Comment by D. Armenta
The Florida Keys and Everglades
The Black Sheep Chronicles
What constitutes bad manners?
The male mystique
Debate Fan
I don't see the chirpy in your style (which is a good thing for me)--but the self-effacing humor, sharp wit and affectionate sarcasm shine right through! I always enjoy your posts.
How do you mean "morbid"? Like Dementia writes? I love her stuff too...
Comment by Ash
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
My mother always used to say that watching too much TV would make your eyes square! And swallowing pips of fruit would result in said fruit sprouting from your stomach. I was always paranoid I would have an orange tree growing out my nose one morning!
Hilarious stuff!
ash
Comment by Aimzster
Health and Beauty
Reality TV
The Jeepney Stop
Hi Ash, oh no! I always get the orange juice with the pips as well!
Comment by --[[Kayla]]--
That's what Heidi says!
But seriously, the whole Peanut Butter and ice to get gum out of your hair
I've heard of the Cisco.
It doesnt work.
Eggs either.
>__>
--[[Kayla]]--