ZIP Beauty Magazine - Issue 05

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a word from the editor

welcome

a word from the editor

I believe that zip with it’s size, its contemporary covers, its Style Gallery and its practical articles directed at the beauty, health and hair industry

is unique in Malta. The market is inundated with lifestyle magazines but zip is specifically targeted at a niche market and its rising popularity proves that it is very much appreciated by those in the professions for which it has been conceived. The informative features we commission from reputable writers are not only there to be read but can be retained for future reference.

This magazine is largely read by women so this month popular family therapist Dr Charlie Azzopardi’s article on The Struggles of Women which starts on page 84 is going to be very well received.

In this issue organizational psychologist Dr Vince Cassar writes about what makes a positive workplace and its benefits for business (p 08) while Ing. Victor Bonello whose article starts on page 20, suggests that buildings should be designed to satisfy their occupants and not adjusted later.

In these days of precarious employment Dr Edward Zammit Lewis, on page 24, points out that loopholes in the law should be removed to protect employees.

We have a number of articles of the ‘How to do it’ variety. The following could come under this category: Interior designer Josette Schembri Vella gives tips on creating a pleasing ambience within beauty salons (p 16) while in a piece starting on page 106 agricultural and environmental consultant Sammy Vella, in time for spring, shares some of his vast knowledge on growing herbs. One newcomer to the magazine is chef-patron Michael Diacono who writes about the healthy Mediterranean cuisine which we would do well to follow. His article starts on page 34 .

Veteran photographer Kevin Casha gives some advice on the choice of a photographer for that special day – your wedding day in an article starting on page 62.

On the health side, starting on page 74, Elaine Vella writes about Pilates which is fast gaining popularity while Anna Risso gives us some advice on alleviating headaches in an article which starts on page 98.

On the lighter side we have five fashion pages; it is what keeps the paparazzi flashbulbs going. The world’s economy has taken a seismic jolt, and department stores and fashion houses are having to face a different reality. Fashion has to be new, has to keep on challenging the previous and persuading us that we want something else, something different. Couture, high street, vintage – heads are spinning as we struggle to define the look this season. But even if we cannot afford haute couture it is still inspiring to look at it. Feast your eyes on pages 44 to 48.

Our makeover starlet for this issue is Alison Zerafa. See what photographer Mark Navarro and the makeup and hairstyling team have done with her in the feature which starts on page 50.

There are other articles which I have not mentioned and which are no less interesting however, lack of space does not permit me to list them all.

Enjoy zip O5 which ushers in the coming spring. It cannot arrive quickly enough!

zip beauty magazine issue 05 april`1202

STYLE GALLERY60's Knockouts

PRECIOUS GEMS AT YOUR FINGERTIPSRomina McCairn

BEAUTY DESTINATIONCatherine Mangion works at her salon Indulge: Salon and Day Spa in Marsaxlokk. She talks to Marie Benoît about her work.

Indulge: Salon and Day Spa

MAKE OVERBeauty Report with Alison Zerafa

MEDITERRANEAN STYLEMichael Diacono

HOW ARE SOCIAL MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY SHAPING THE WORLD WE LIVE IN?Joseph Cuschieri

PHOTOGRAPHERS AND WEDDINGSKevin Casha

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04

56

50 34

28

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contents issue 05

contents


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SPRING IS IN THE AIRSammy Vella106

BUSINESS KNOW HOWKevin Naudi110

also in this issue

THE POSITIVE WORKPLACEDr Vince Cassar 08

TACKLING CHILD ABUSEMr Chris Fearne14

THE EFFECTS OF FINISHES ON DESIRED AMBIENTJosette Schembri Vella

16

ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN CONSTRUCTION & BUILDINGSIng Victor Bonello

20

SAFETY HAZARDS IN BEAUTY SALONSJohn Schembri88

PRECARIOUS WORKDr Edward Zammit Lewis24

HEADACHES AND THEIR MANAGMENTAnna Maria Risso98

TAKING THE FEAR OUT OF FATSBen Pratt36

BREAST IMPLANTS SAFETY Mr Raymond Debono102

MAN ABOUT TOWNMichael Coney108PIECES TO FALL IN LOVE WITH

Marie Benoît 44

JEWELLERY HIT PARADENadège Cassar68

THE STRUGGLES OF WOMENDr Charlie Azzopardi84

PILATES - JUST ANOTHER FITNESS PROGRAMME?Elaine Vella

74

concept matthew attard navarro

make up jean pillow using evagarden®

model kristen for so management

contents issue 05


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FRONT COVER


Most of us, especially working wives and mothers, have very busy and intense lives. For the sake of our well being we need to spend some time and money on ourselves too.

Anyone who said that beauty salons are unimportant – unnecessary even – would eat their words if they saw some of the

beauty salons that I visit to meet their owners. One such I had the pleasure of discovering recently is in Marsaxlokk. Even as you turn from the string of waterfront restaurants and cafés you will come across the neat, state-of-the art façade of Indulge: salon and day Spa. This is where the slim and genial Catherine Mangion holds sway.

She always wanted to be associated with the world of beauty and she was just 18-years-old when she started taking courses, she comments, offering me a cup of coffee. Catherine is the youngest of three sisters and followed a two-year full-time course at the School of Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy which was then in Rudolph Street and now based at MCAST. “In the meantime,” she adds, “I was taking

in a few clients at home.” She also used to run beauty sessions at St Anne’s Clinic in Birkirkara. “After that

I spent two years with Net TV, one of three make-up

artists. We had a roster and would take it in turns to

make up the presenters and participants. I had found

these sessions very interesting and learnt a lot from

them.”

Catherine went on taking part-time courses for a couple more years and continues with her educa-tion and training to this day.

She bought the premises where Indulge can be found, in 2006, taking out a bank loan. She planned every tile, every cupboard, every room in Indulge with an eye to detail. The result is attractive and each cubicle is an oasis of peace and tranquillity. “I chose brown and lime as a backdrop as I like the

combination,” she tells me as we visit each neat room where Catherine’s clients come for beauty

treatments such as waxing, facials, wraps, manicures and pedicures. She has one assistant: her cousin Josianne with whom she works very well. In fact Josianne is responsible for almost all the beauty treatments as Catherine prefers to concentrate on complementary therapies and Chinese medicine: “These include aromatherapy,

reflexology, Chinese cupping, Indian head massage,

stone therapy, ear Hopi – the latter is very good for

you if you are congested with sinusitis, suffer from

Beauty destination

marie benoît witnesses catherine mangion at work at indulge: salon and day spa in marsaxlokk

written by Marie Benoît photography by Kevin Casha

beauty destination - Indulge -

catherine mangionowner at indulge salon & day spa


is!) “I also give make-up courses here – very basic ones.

They are aimed at those at front desks, hotel reception-

ists and so on – it really is a night out of fun, too, as we

experiment while at the same time those who take this

course learn how they can improve their looks and be

better groomed.”

migraines etc. It will make you feel better! And this is

exactly what I like doing. Making people who confide

themselves into my care not only to look better but feel

better too.”

Apart from the treatments they book, when someone walks into a beauty salon they also want to relax; to steal a little time for themselves. Says Catherine: “Most of us, especially working wives

and mothers, have very busy and intense lives. For

the sake of our well being we need to spend some

credibility to beautification encouraging a renewed enthusiasm for hair and make-up experimentation. And if you neglect your nails you are quickly labelled ‘unkempt’ in these days when nail bars have proliferated all over the island.

Not one to sit on her laurels, Catherine also followed courses so that she is a qualified gym and aerobics instructor, too. “I have taught courses to

others at Gharghur, Razzett tal-Hbiberija and here in

Marsaxlokk. I was very fit then!” (Believe me she still


time and money on ourselves too.” I agree with her when she points out that what was once seen as high maintenance is now considered the beauty norm. The beauty rules have changed. A new norm has subverted the idea of the once-stigmatised “high maintenance woman” and brought renewed


Catherine is expecting her first child and she will soon be starting a course for mothers to teach them how to massage their babies. “Massage is

therapeutic and babies will feel better, sleep better if

they are massaged properly,” she says. “A special bond

is created between baby and mother too,” she adds.

As to makeup, Catherine likes taking care of weddings. “I love being with my clients on their special

day. I give the bride a trial makeup session before the

actual wedding day, a kind of dress rehearsal. About

three months before the wedding I meet the family to

consult them as to what treatments they would like to

have. We also discuss the make-up to be applied on

that day. The older members of the family sometimes


opt for a rejuvenation treatment with the IPL machine

which also has hair removal properties.” You cannot get results with the IPL machine in just one session, Catherine points out, so sessions are discussed and arranged well before the wedding day. “This fantastic

machine improves wrinkles, pigmentation and thread

veins. It helps the cells underneath to regenerate. It

works.” Catherine is adamant that unless a treat-ment gives results she will not carry it out. “If I know

a treatment doesn’t give the promised results I don’t

recommend it to my clients, many of whom are now my

friends too. I don’t want to cheat them.”

Josianne and herself have long working hours. “We

usually come in at 8am and stay on until 7pm. There is



no closing at lunchtime. On Wednesdays we have the

luxury of leaving at 5pm and we close on Mondays”, Catherine explains.

She is a great believe in massage and goes elsewhere for hers “around every five weeks if I don’t

get caught up in other things, that is. I need a message

now and then as I use my body a great deal in my work

and occasionally I need some time where someone else

is pampering me.”

Massage for babies may be Catherine’s latest project but it is by no means her last. “I shall be

restarting my Fitness project soon. This time I shall take

one client at a time. I like the idea of personal fitness. I

propose to develop a six week programme for clients by

the end of which they will see results,” she says in her own quiet way but resolutely. Hardworking, efficient and focused it’s fair to say that Catherine’s love of the beauty industry has paid off. z

call for your appointmentt. 27487688m. 99487688e. [email protected] 18, triq is-salvatur, m’xlokk


the positive workplace by vince cassar

Positive Psychology at Work – How positive leadership and appreciative inquiry create inspiring organizations is a recent book by

Sarah Lewis, an Associated Fellow of the British Psychological Society and MD of Appreciating Change. It is published by Wiley-Blackwell (2011). In it one finds a number of enlightening chapters. In particular, Chapter 2 talks about ‘Positive Workplaces’ and I thought it would be a good idea to share this with the readers of ZIP 05 along with some personal thoughts.

Lewis affirms that the best workplaces are those that achieve exceptional performance and hence where outcomes exceed expectations. In a neo-liberal climate, ‘performance’ in business is often associated with profitability, ‘making money’, the ‘bottom-line’. It is assimilated with working more with less, beating the competition at the expense of ignoring the social aspect. Hence, one may be at first surprised that the author refers to ‘best’ workplaces as those exceeding expected performance. However, this is not a contradiction. Rather, the term performance has been twisted and re-packaged to mean this – an aggressive form of performance. Why? Because if we stop for a second to decipher the term ‘performance’, we can easily identify three components: motivation, ability and opportunity. Mathematically, performance is equal to the multiplication of motivation, ability

the positive workplace

and opportunity. Hence it follows that if one of the components is zero, performance is equated to nil! Hardly negative as all these components are in essence positive in nature. Being abled, being motivated (hence having a clear direction and persisting to achieve what you set out to achieve) and being supplied with ample opportunities to experiment and achieve are positive instances; occasions that boost people’s sense of creativity and give them a high sense of meaning (see my article The Meaning of ‘Meaning’ in ZIP 3).

dr vincent cassar is an organisational psychologist chartered with the british psychological society. he is a senior associate with delegate management services and an honorary teaching fellow at birkbeck college, university of london where he teaches work and well-being. dr cassar is founding member and current president of the malta association of work and organisational psychology. in this article he considers what makes the best workplaces.

dr vince cassarphd(lond) csci(uk) cpsychol(uk)

Lewis affirms that the best workplaces are those that achieve exceptional performance and hence where outcomes exceed expectations.

These actually feed into people’s sense of well-being. Ironically, because companies in the ‘80s and ‘90s wanted to achieve higher ‘performance’, they relied on tools like downsizing. However, research has shown that downsizing for the reasons of improving performance has gone in the opposite direction to the effect it was intended to produce. For instance, one of many studies by Cameron,

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Dutton and Quin (1987) showed that downsizing to increase people’s performance resulted in: employ-ee loyalty decrease, team work deterioration, feelings of isolation, best people leaving, morale decline, conflict escalation, decline in creativity, resistance to change and a more secretive work climate amongst others. This meant that motivation decreased and opportunities were reduced… hence a decrease in general performance.

Coming back to Lewis, she refers to what she calls an ‘abundance culture’ which buffers the negative effects of downsizing. More specifically she refers to three characteristics: First, a positive deviance. A positive deviant organization is one that is intrin-sically flourishing, benevolent and honours people and their contributions. Organizations that strive for the bare minimum are not likely to appreciate excellence and instead may stifle it to maintain the status quo.

and do not have false hidden agendas) on followers and how the well-being of both leader and followers is a function of this positive interaction.

Third is affirmative bias. Very often organizations get lost in trying to discipline those who refuse to tow the line, those whose attitude is negative and those whose general behaviour is a bad example to the rest. However, the top and most successful organizations focus on the best and they emphasise the strengths, capabilities and possibilities that can emerge from amongst the workforce. For a couple of years I worked with a US survey company and their primary business was measuring work engagement of employees. One of the top clients was the multinational oil company Shell. With well over 200,000 employees and profit margins beyond one’s imagination, this giant used to (and still does) survey its employees every two years to ensure that the work environment is conducive to


Ironically, because companies in the ‘80s and ‘90s wanted to achieve higher ‘performance’, they relied on tools like downsizing. However, research has shown that downsizing for the reasons of improving performance has gone in the opposite direction to the effect it was intended to produce.

Second, organizations are positive if they possess a culture of virtuous actions. Our behaviours are transmitted to others through a subtle psychologi-cal process we call vicarious learning. It is learning by constantly and (mostly) passively observing and ‘getting used’ to a set of behavioural standards. These can cover both positive and negative behav-iours. The sort of interactions that occur at work determine a lot if that workplace has embedded in it a culture of virtuous actions. This of course has a strong bearing on leadership and recent studies have started to appear on the impact of authentic leadership (that is leaders who are genuine, open

get the best from the very best. Obviously this does not mean not addressing negative behaviours and attitudes but the shift in emphasis should be ‘How can I improve this place?’ rather than ‘How can I stop these behaviours and attitudes?’.

Now imagine that your employees could be nurtured into this way of thinking: a system of think-ing that rewards and celebrates effective behav-iours at work, a mindset where people act genuinely towards each other and a workplace which emphasises strengths rather than weaknesses. The result is that this collective organisational behaviour


will impact very strongly on human and hence organisational performance. Theories and studies on emotion research (e.g. social contagion, affective events theory, etc.) illustrate how emotions are ‘transmitted’ upwards and others may mimic and share in the positive radiance of such acts. Lewis, in her chapter, argues that such an enacted organizational culture builds social capital which is defined as the value within the social networks of the organization. The author, for example illustrates that a strong social capital as a function of a positive organizational culture, increases both organiza-tional resilience (that is the strength to take on more challenges and face difficulties in a determinate manner) and solidarity (that is the willingness to provide support to each other for the common and


collective good of the members in the organiza-tions). What’s the bottom-line in terms of profit if that’s the question you may be asking? Well, let me provide some scientific evidence. A study by Harter, Schmidt and Hayes in the prestigious Journal

of Applied Psychology in 2002 and covering almost 8000 Business Units (Financial, Manufacturing, Retail, Services, Transportation and public utilities) and covering nearly 200,000 employees found that engagement (a function of a positive organizational culture) generally correlated very strongly with composite business-unit performance (customer, profit, productivity, turnover and safety). Moreover, the difference on business outcome measures between the top 25% and the bottom 25% of high engagement companies was assimilated to a 0.8 to



2% difference in customer-satisfaction loyalty and profitability, and between $111,000 and $393,000 per month on productivity!

So it pays to have a positive workplace. But how do we create and sustain a positive workplace that is fantastic to work in and fertile for profits at the same time? Lewis provides 5 principles based on previous studies. The first, she calls the anticipatory

principle which simply translated refers to the power of imagination and creativity and hence the opportunity to experiment, to make mistakes and correct them without the threat of unimaginable consequences. The second is the positive principle which refers to the positive emotional experiences at work which are transmitted to others including newcomers. Third comes the constructionist principle

which refers to developing a workplace that gives meaning and sense of who we are and what we want to achieve. Fourth is the simultaneity principle

which means that change is a holistic process and no change in organizations can be piece meal or half-baked. And finally is the poetic principle which underlies the sense of homeostasis and which is so vital to an organization’s wellness.

How do we achieve all these? How can we ensure that our work environment becomes a positive one? Well, it all starts from the quality of the leadership and how bold that leadership is to tread on unexplored ground. That is indeed the mark of creativity and innovation. Not taking that risk means you either remain where you are or are subject to extinction. z

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tackling child abuse by dr chris fearne

the children’s rights ngo celebrities for kids (cfk) together with ymca homeless recently organised a well attended national conference on “the disadvantaged child – problems and solutions” at the plaza hotel in sliema. the meeting was addressed by experts in the field.

tackling child abuse

Chris Fearne, CfK chairperson and consultant paediatric surgeon, described how after over 20 years of working with children he is still

seeing child abuse which does not seem to have diminished from those years when he was a young doctor. Mr Fearne comments, that treating abused children was not enough. More had to be done to prevent abuse in the first place. He said that there are structural problems within the “system” which are hindering professionals from tackling these problems efficiently and holistically. To manage the problem at source problems relating to families and to whole communities had to be tackled. He stressed that the state needed to allocate more human, infrastructural and financial resources to the social sector.

Sonia Camilleri, Malta’s first Commissioner for Children, berated the Maltese authorities for sitting

on reports that had been commissioned and presented over six years ago. She was speaking specifically about children who were kept in adult wards in the mental hospital, as well as to those young offenders who were incarcerated in the adult prison complex.

Dr Mariella Mangion, consultant paediatrician presented a study that showed that up to 12% of young adults recount that they had suffered episodes of abuse during their childhood

In the afternoon the conference divided into workshops to discuss specific problems and their possible solution. A recurring theme was the need for more professional manpower in all fields related to child care; from social workers, to nurses, to LSAs and psychologists.

CfK and YMCA will be publishing the papers presented and conclusions from the workshops, in booklet form. z


the effect of finishes on desired ambient by josette schembri vella

Most of the time, the first thing that comes to mind when we mention 'successful business' is 'good quality services'. This

statement is entirely true however, some tend to forget that the environment of the business, the internal surroundings and how this affects your client is equally important.

This is especially true for a business in beauty and wellness where the environment created greatly influences the client’s mood, thus the feeling of ‘wellness’. The atmosphere created should be one that completes and complements the client’s sense of well-being when being treated in your beauty clinic. The better they feel the more likely they are to return.

Colour, Texture and Lighting are three factors that all play an active role in creating the ambience within your space of business.

Hence it is important to first consider the type of clientele the salon caters for. For example, is the salon a unisex salon and therefore is it adequate for both men and women? Does the salon cater for busy business people who want to be in and out as quickly as possible? Is the salon catering to holiday

the effect of finishes on desir ed ambient

interior designer josette schembri vella points out how colour, texture and lighting are factors that all play an active role in creating a pleasant ambience within beauty salons

makers who have come to use the spa and have ample time to lounge around? Is the salon meant to be a spa for clients to have a break from their hectic schedules? Is it more of a clinic?

josette schembri vellainterior designer

Colour Colour can easily change the way people feel in a particular space.

Cool colours create a sterile and cold environment. These colours tend to be associated with clinics or offices thus creating an environment which can lend the user to feel a little anxious. Materials and finishes with cool colours, like glass, stainless steel, white glossy surfaces etc. would be well suited for



Clients come to get pampered and have treatments to improve their appearance and sense of well being.

a clinic or salon where the average client is in and out quickly; quite an impersonal experience but well suited to the client on the fast track.

Beauty clinics and spas generally have clients with appointments that take an hour or more. Clients come to get pampered and have treatments to improve their appearance and sense of well being. Here it is important to choose colours which will create a sense of calm and relaxation such as seaside colours or earthy colours. Warm and

earthy tones are ideal to create a warm and inviting environment. These colours also help to reflect rich

tones on skin helping to create a sense of ‘glowing skin’, a sense of well being.

A neutral colour palette gives you the freedom to add splashes of colour by the use of accessories and fabrics allowing you the flexibility to personalize your space according to your company colours.

Texture Although colour plays a major role in setting the mood, texture also has a strong impact on the atmosphere created. Through texture you can also create a sense of warmth rendering your interior more inviting and welcoming. In today’s modern interiors many people omit the use of wood, but wood is a natural material to which we can all relate. The different veins in wood help to create texture – more prominent veins therefore create more warmth whereas less prominent veins create less texture therefore less warmth. This advice is to be taken in the context of each space bearing in mind that each space is different. It does not necessarily


People cannot overlook the fact that the right lighting greatly affects the eventual visual impact of the space.


mean that one must have an overkill of texture to create an inviting space but some texture, used correctly will help create the right atmosphere along with the use of colour.

Texture can be found in many things: upholstery of seating, towels, window treatments, plants, wall coverings, floor coverings etc. Also keep in mind that texture helps to absorb sound. This is an added bonus when you are trying to create a place of calm and serenity, where people can feel relaxed.

colour rendering within the space. If one wants to create a warm and welcoming environment which gives clients a sense of well being then ‘warm’ lighting must be used. Extreme white lighting is very clinical and reminiscent of operating theatres, kitchens and so on. It flushes out the natural warm tones in our skin and will leave your client feeling quite pale. Admittedly it is a good light for beauty technicians to work under especially when dealing with more intricate treatments but this is why lighting should also be flexible. Flexible lighting will

Lighting Lastly, one can never overlook the importance of good lighting. In today’s overly energy efficient world, many people, in both commercial and personal spaces, are unwisely changing all their ‘bulbs’ to fluorescent ones and more recently LED’s, in the hope of reducing their energy consumption thus reducing their overheads. Much else can be done to help in this regard but that can take many more pages to explain.

People cannot overlook the fact that the right lighting greatly affects the eventual visual impact of the space. The right lighting impacts heavily on the

allow the user of the space to create the ambience required in the treatment rooms and will ultimately also help in reducing your overheads.

When designing your space of business, keep these points in mind as you try to create the desired ambience. Remember the age old saying that ‘you never get a second chance to make a first impres-sion’. z


energy efficiency in construction and buildings by ing. victor bonello

couple of weeks of extreme cold conditions but very few then had air conditioning equipment at home. Apart from the complicated installation, an air conditioning unit is far more expensive to buy than a simple room heater, is not portable and thus cannot be put away into the closet or storeroom when the season is over. Moreover, in the case of an air conditioner, maintenance is also required by skilled and expert personnel, which is an added headache. The price of air conditioning units became attain-able by a considerable part of the community only in the late 90’s. This, together with a couple of long hot summers, have lead to the heavy deployment of small air conditioning units in dwellings.

energy efficiencyin construction and buildingsing. victor bonello graduated in 1988 as an electrical engineer. sixteen years ago he established b. nel services ltd, a leading engineering consultancy firm. he is an energy performance assessor with mra and a qualified bre global assessor (uk).

Legal notice 261 of 2008 has established that all new buildings in Malta together with refurbished dwellings, shall comply to the

Energy Performance of Building Regulations. These regulations specify the extent of thermal properties of the building structure to keep energy lost from the building envelope to an acceptable level. People have nowadays become accustomed to ask about the energy efficiency of a domestic appliance, but few are aware that the same labelling exists in dwellings. Few ask for the energy performance certificate when buying a house, to consider and compare its performance to other dwellings on the market. These certificates should be provided by the seller of the property.

It is common knowledge that the way we have been building our dwellings, particularly in the last thirty years, has not been energy efficient at all.

Many people claim that their home is very cold in winter and too hot in summer, with the result that most have to resort to heating or cooling during the respective season, which inevitably means use of energy.

Up to the early 1990’s, the load profile of our power stations reached its peak in the winter months. Less energy was consumed in the summer months. This was mainly due to the fact that most could afford a simple electric radiator heater to use during the

ing victor bonelloelectrical engineer

in this article he argues that people have come to expect comfortable conditions indoors when it comes to temperature. buildings should therefore be designed to satisfy their occupants and not adjusted later to fulfill this purpose

Few ask for the energy performance certificate when buying a house, to consider and compare its performance to other dwellings on the market.

This progressive development in energy use has led to electricity demand in summer to start reaching winter peaks, which in fact happened back in 1995 when it exceeded that of winter. One needs to say that at that time, energy prices in Malta were unsustainably low because they were heavily



double glazed apertures with thermal break should complement the insulating properties of composite walls.

a typical composite insulated brick – courtesy of attard bros ltd.

various forms of indoor insulation

subsidised. A revision of prices which occurred in the succeeding years has in fact led to a reduction in this summer peak as people became more disciplined in the use of energy.

The main issue is that people have come to expect to spend their spare time at home under comfort-able conditions and thus utilize temperature control equipment like heaters and air conditioning units, to adjust the indoor temperature in line with body comfort.

It is the resistance of the building envelope which determines the extent of influence of the exterior conditions on the interior temperature. And this is why the characteristics of its envelope are critical and directly related to the energy performance of the building.

Whereas most of the heating and cooling loads depend on the extent of occupancy and type of activity being undertaken inside a building a signifi-cant amount is directly related to the resistance of the envelope.

Walls need to be adequately insulated in order to protect the interior environment from extreme temperature. The higher the insulation, the less impact the temperature conditions outside have on the desired indoor environment.

However, a balance needs to be found in order to maintain a certain connection between indoor and outdoor conditions, given the excellent mild climate we enjoy for a significant part of the year. Thus, it is more wise to provide shading to a south facing


It is common knowledge that the way we have been building our dwellings, particularly in the last thirty years, has not been energy efficient at all.


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wall or aperture in summer, and expose to sunlight during winter, rather than conservatively provide a thick insulation barrier. Similarly, it is more wise to provide temporary shadings to our roofs in summer, and then expose them to sunlight in winter. In both cases, the thermal inertia of our buildings will assist the heat energy acquired during the day by roofs and walls, to be transferred to the indoor environ-ment at a later time, during the evening and at night, when it is more desired. And the cycle repeats itself from day to day.

In summer, thermal inertia also performs well, as whilst it resists the passage of external heat to penetrate indoors, the night breeze would then cool the walls and roofs, and prepare them for another hot day.

We need to construct our buildings in accordance to their projected function and to the comfort of their occupants. This depends on a number of factors, which are independent on the type of structure being used, but rather dependent on the location, orientation, function, occupants of the

buildings, which factors are all totally independent of the building itself. Regretfully, we tend to adjust our behaviour and activities in a building depending on its construction. This is incorrect as a building should be designed to satisfy its scope of activity and the comfort of its occupants, and not the other way round. z


The word ‘precarious’ when associated with ‘work’ is a term which is being used more profusely both in the work sphere as well as

in the political arena, where a number of Maltese political exponents keep on committing themselves to fight against this ‘precarious work’.

This type of labour is on the increase because the globalisation of the economies and the progression in the technology segment are leading to a situation where the manufacturing sector is dying at a fast rate in most developed economies which in turn is being substituted with the services sector.

In today’s employment world the employees’ flexibility is a must and the idea of standard lifelong employment has almost vanished. This is leading to the proliferation of precarious work. Precarious work can be determined as such if it comprises certain aspects. In my opinion, there are different aspects which indicate that a type of work is indeed precarious.

The first is job security. Precarious employments do not offer job security or else they offer a weak one. It is nowadays very common to find jobs which are based on definite contracts of a few months. This is leading to a situation whereby a person cannot take personal commitments such as loans to buy the first house.

The second factor is the low pay.

The third is that the employer does not assume his responsibilities vis-a-vis the regular payment of contributions with the Social Security department. Precarious work can also be classified as such if an employee is not provided with adequate protection and if he may be terminated without for instance a ‘notice period’.

Another important element is that precarious work does not necessitate vocational training to be carried out and thus the employer does not consider his employee as an investment. The lack of a trade

precaruous work by dr edward zammit-lewis

precarious workdr edward zammit-lewis argues that this type of labour is on the increase. loopholes in the law which are being abused of by employers to deprive employees of their rights should be removed as a first step to protecting employees

dr edward zammit-lewislegal attorney


precaruous work by dr edward zammit-lewis

union representation and a working environment which is not safe and which does not conform to European standards are other aspects which categorize a job as precarious. All these factors which are regarded as negative when considered on their own make a job even more risky when all of them are present in a particular type of work.

In Malta the legislator, especially during these last years did a very good job by providing various laws to protect the employee. Nonetheless precarious work is still on the increase and it is therefore

essential that the competent authorities be more on the lookout for abuses. This phenomenon needs to be controlled and eradicated and the first step towards achieving this is by removing any loopholes in the law which are being abused of by employers to deprive employees of their rights.

Our economy and especially our workforce need to react against the ever increasing challenges of the modern world. On the other hand, it is everyone’s responsibility to ascertain that each and every employee is afforded with minimum

conditions which should be adhered to under every circumstance. The administrative authorities should lead by example by making sure, for instance, that when they award tenders to private individuals or companies, they are to give a guarantee of these basic rights of their employees. This is important not only for the single individual but also for society at large which should ensure that the gaps between the levels of society are not widened and that each member of society lives a decent and respectable life. z

In today’s employment world the employees’ flexibility is a must and the idea of a standard lifelong employment has almost vanished. This is leading to the proliferation of precarious work.


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Technology has always been a catalyst to drive innovation in the way people communicate with each other.

how are social media & technology shaping the world we live in? by joseph cuschieri

how are social media & technology shaping the world we live in?

joseph cuschieri, chief commercial officer – vodafone malta ltd considers the positive and not so positive aspects of social media and sees potential in social media as an enabler for collaborative consumption

joseph cuschierichief commercial officer

Social media fulfils a basic human need i.e. the need to communicate and share information, bridging distance and bringing people

together. It has revolutionised the way we interact both socially and professionally in our daily lives. It has practically eliminated all distance barriers with news and information becoming available instantly. Enabled by ubiquitously accessible and scalable communication techniques, social media has substantially changed the way organisations, communities and individuals interact. Social media platforms are web-based and mobile technology in particular enables the interactive dialogue over these social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, MySpace, Hi5 and so on.

Technology has always been a catalyst to drive innovation in the way people communicate with each other. Mobile voice communication on the other hand is steadily replacing traditional fixed telephony by giving people the freedom to talk from anywhere at any time. Similarly social media has given people the means to communicate and socialise online at a peer or group level anywhere and at any time. I see social media and mobile communications services as complementing and enriching each other. Mobile technology has made it possible for people to consume and interact with social media anywhere and anytime through their Smartphone or tablets. At Vodafone we continuously invest in our infrastructure and new

technologies to provide our customers with an unmatched experience in internet browsing, social media platform access and data downloading over Smartphone and tablets. In fact, for the second year in a row, Vodafone has been found (by an independent entity called P3) to be the fastest and best data network in Malta. Social media is based on social circles. It takes on many different forms including magazines, internet forums, weblogs, social blogs, micro blogging, wikis, podcasts etc. You remain in a community or circle of friends (e.g. Facebook) if you feel you belong there, and if you

feel that you can trust that community. Once you’re in that circle of trusted influence you are able to share the power and benefits of that community.

At Vodafone we are committed to provide an unmatched customer experience to Malta’s largest mobile community across each and every customer point of contact. Our philosophy and culture is focused on the customer and our people.



We continuously challenge ourselves to improve and optimise everything that we do, day in day out, operating with speed and efficiency. The passion we have for our customers and our obsession with maintaining a high quality of service, is reflected month after month in customer satisfaction surveys which clearly place Vodafone as the No.1 player in customer service in Malta. There is no secret formula – we just have a formidable team of people who work hard and with enthusiasm to give the best possible service and keep this large

community happy. Social media can be an enabler for collaborative production and consumption but I would say that it’s neither of the two. Social media, in general, can play a very important role in establishing market or general public demands or needs – just consider the role social media played in the Arab Spring! If you look at technology evolution as an underlying enabler for new communication services in this millennium, this is also heavily

influenced by market needs, but is also subject to economic factors such as cost of production, which could imply that certain products or services are not made available even though there is demand for them and even if consumers organise themselves socially to influence availability. In certain instances however collaborative production is possible and has had a significant impact on specific industries – just look at how open source software development has impacted the traditional software industry. I personally see a lot of potential

in social media as an enabler for collaborative consumption, but culture is an underlying driver for collaboration. In its simplest form social media can be used for age old activities such as bartering and lending but it takes more collaborative effort to use social media for applications such as car-pooling or crowd funding other than for charity fund raising events. From a macro perspective I think that the key word here is collaboration – in a globalised



world stressed by economic difficulties and intense competition, it’s imperative that we look at open collaboration rather than working in silos. Collaborative consumption is hardly evident in local social media circles and this could be symptomatic of a traditionally closed or self-centred culture. Locally we are still at the level of sharing photos and commenting on trivial matters on Facebook, and several local businesses are still more concerned about competition across the street rather than thinking about how to collaborate, share knowledge and resources to compete in a globalised, highly competitive world.

We are now past the service economy that was based purely on the competitive advantage of the digital communications revolution of the past 25 years, and entering an era where collaboration on all fronts is key to economic success.

communication in favour of simply going on-line instead. These are all problems that social media can create for future generations. These are notable pitfalls that keep social media from being as perfect and useful as some people make it out to be. From a personal standpoint, mobility and social media have changed the way I work and play.

I use Facebook and Twitter on my iPhone, BlackBerry and iPad much more than I use it on my laptop these days. What social media has given me is more immediate access to information sources which were previously unavailable. I use social media mainly for news and information. For example, I use Twitter for news about sport, business, technology and politics. I use Facebook more for social interactions keeping in touch with friends, news and knowing what’s going on in your friends’ and family’s lives. I am awful at

Social media, in general, can play a very important role in establishing market or general public demands or needs – just consider the role social media played in the Arab Spring!

There are certain aspects of social media which are not so positive. For example, it could impact the ability of people to communicate with one another in person and disrupts concentration levels for people at work and at home. It disrupts the basic human interaction capabilities and power of communication which is predominantly face to face i.e. connect vs. converse. It is true that social media can be convenient, however, it may steer people into becoming less social than they usually are. It can influence communications because people might become uninterested in personal

remembering birthdays but Facebook reminds me when someone who is on my list of friends has a birthday hence it saves me some occasional embarrassment! z


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The ‘must have’ KeraStraight Brazilian blow-dry treatment for frizz-free, beautiful hair now consists of three treatment formulas; KS Complex Treatment is the original KeraStraight treatment, which is suitable for normal or dry and damaged hair. Colour Protect Treatment is designed for weaker, more frag-ile hair types and those with highly coloured or po-rous hair. Finally, KS Intensive Treatment is designed for hair that is resistant and coarse in texture, very curly or Afro-Caribbean. Now no matter what your hair type or texture is KeraStraight can offer a same day solution to frizz free and manageable hair. This ultra-fabulous salon professional treatment takes

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mediterranean style by michael diacono

When I was asked to write for zip magazine I had a bit of a dilemma as to what to focus my article on. This publication tends to cater for the health conscious and the beauty market so I would have to be careful what ingredients and cooking methods to use.

the middle of this sea of civilisation, with the luxury of having our kitchen influenced by those all around us. This diet is now being taken as an example to follow by many and was even recognised by Unesco in November 2010 as a cultural heritage of Spain, Greece, Morocco and Italy.

The Mediterranean diet encompasses the cuisines of Spain, southern Italy, Greece, Crete, Morocco and parts of the Levant. Copious amounts of fresh vegetables, olive oil, legumes and fruits are supple-mented by fresh fish and low amounts of poultry and red meats. A moderate consumption of wine

mediterranean stylemichael diacono, chef-patron at giuseppi’s restaurant in mellieha, advises us on how we should be eating and offers one of his delicious recipes

michael diaconochef patron at giuseppi's restaurant mellieha

The solution was staring at me all the time: write about the Mediterranean diet of course. The subject is worth repeating. More so because we are bang in

is recommended. Dairy products feature in small amounts and consist mainly of products which include low amounts of fats like goat’s cheese,


mediterranean style by michael diacono

yoghurt and ricotta. Eggs are not normally eaten in large quantities.

The principle ingredient in this diet is undoubtedly olive oil which is high in monounsaturated fats including oleic acid and antioxidants.

Many people look at the Mediterranean diet as a lifestyle more than just a way of eating or what to eat and how to prepare it. Some anthropologists consider the way food is consumed in these parts of the world as being beneficial to our health; namely that we take the time to prepare our food freshly, we sit to eat it together as families and that we use food and low to moderate amounts of wine to socialise with friends, all of which contributes to our well being.

Importance must also be given to the way that we prepare our food. The main cooking styles in this part of the world are grilling, poaching and roasting. It is very sad that in Malta the frying of food, which was introduced by the British during their stay here, seems to be the most popular method used these days. The slow cooking method favoured by our ancestors seems to have been forgotten, maybe as we no longer have the time required for this method.

The recipe on the right is a perfect example of what the Mediterranean diet includes. Other recipes will follow in the next issues of zip magazine. z

4 large coloured peppers8 tomatoes, skinned & quartered4 cloves garlic, peeled & quarteredFew anchovy fillets

8 black olives

8 basil leaves

50g pine nuts

Sea salt and pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

Halve the peppers lengthwise and remove the core. Place into a baking dish.

Fill each half with three wedges of tomatoes and a piece of anchovy. Add garlic to each half and a black olive. Tuck a basil leaf in and season with sea salt and freshly milled pepper. Sprinkle some pine nuts into each pepper and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

Bake in a preheated oven at 200˚C / Gas 6, uncovered, for 45 minutes till peppers are soft and browned.

Serve warm or cold with all the pan juices and a glass of wine.

Ingredients

Method

mediterranean recipe

Unt! "xt ti#!

Baked coloured peppers with a tomato and anchovy stuffing


taking the fear out of fats - fuel your performance by ben pratt

Taking the fear out of fats? But surely everything we hear about fats these days seems to be bad news. Saturated fat leads to heart disease. Too much fat in our diet increases the chances of fat storage and obesity. Excess fat upsets our cholesterol balance and damages our arteries. High fat diets may be linked to increased cancer. A high fat diet may lead to increased respiratory problems as a result of weight gain. The list is endless. Perhaps we do need to be afraid of the ever-present scourge of fat within the human diet!

Let’s step back from this barrage of anti-fat, media driven science and think logically for a few seconds. I say ‘logically’ in a sort of loose, random fashion. The human race has been around for many thousands of years. Most of our understanding about nutrition and food science has only been gleaned in the last 80 - 100 years. Yet the problems associated with chronic health, obesity and heart disease have only been a major problem as far as we can tell on a population and global level in the last 40 - 50 years. So we understand more about nutrition than ever before, but we now have greater levels of chronic ill health than has ever been recorded. Something isn’t right. In the United Kingdom obesity rates have trebled since 1980. The government had only just set official nutritional guidelines in the late 70’s. The simple facts are that

whether government guidelines are being followed or not we have accelerated the size of our waistlines considerably in that period. It seems that having greater knowledge on the subject of food and the importance of nutrient groups has negatively affected our body fat levels and our health!

taking the fear out of fats fuel your performance

ben pratt, research and development manager for active iq, steps back from the barrage of anti-fat, media driven science and finds that fats contribute in a larger way to optimal energy levels during training and performance than originally thought

ben prattresearch and development manager at active iq

So we understand more about nutrition than ever before, but we now have greater levels of chronic ill health than has ever been recorded. Something isn’t right.



So now we have laid the foundations of a minor conspiracy it would seem appropriate to lay down a few science based facts.

Carbohydrates, proteins and fats all provide energy and all contribute to our overall levels of daily energy. It is highly unlikely that energy levels will be optimal when only one of these nutrients is eaten.

Excess intake of refined carbohydrates such as sugars and white flour will lead to lack lustre energy and an increased likelihood of developing diabetes.

Fats not only provide a suitable source of reliable energy but also play an essential role in the growth and development of many structures in the body necessary for improved performance.

Fats play a vital role in protecting the surface of the lungs and aiding the full functioning of our respiratory system and therefore maximal oxygen uptake.

If you are reading this article it is highly likely that you want to know what you need to do to increase your performance in the long term and how to provide optimal energy before and during training. Well, simply put, its got more to it than just filling yourself full of carbohydrates, no matter how ‘scientific’ the marketing appears. Most sports drinks, no matter what grade of carbohydrates are

used are heavily refined and lead to sharp increases in blood glucose followed by significant rebound crashes in blood sugar levels. Low blood sugar will always decrease performance. It’s just a matter of time until this occurs, so what normally happens is when energy levels dip slightly another mouthful of concentrated, ‘highly engineered’ sports sugar ends up in your mouth again. This is not sustainable! It is a short-term fix and the body struggles to deal with this constant carbohydrate kicking.

Most sports drinks, no matter what grade of carbohydrates are used are heavily refined and lead to sharp increases in blood glucose followed by significant rebound crashes in blood sugar levels.

Fats contribute significantly to overall energy levels both at rest and during more intense activity. A Danish study published in 1993 discovered that trained individuals were able to utilise considerably larger levels of fats to fuel their exercise perfor-mance compared to untrained individuals. Another study published in 2001 focused on the energy used by 20 Australian national track athletes across various distances between 200 to 1500 metres. The results challenged the mainstream thoughts. Let me explain. Traditionally sprinting or near maximal efforts have always been considered to be totally anaerobic activities which rely completely on glycogen, or carbohydrates, in order to fuel the system. Lower levels of exercise are considered aerobic activities, which utilise a combination of



fats and carbohydrates to fuel. This has been much of the reason behind the focus on carbohydrates as the emphasis on fuelling exercise. Well this study of elite athletes found that during 200m sprints about 29% of energy burned came through the aerobic system. A complete revelation! 400m sprints used 43% aerobic energy, 800m used 66% aerobic energy and 1500m was as high as 84% aerobic energy. Remember the aerobic system uses both fats and carbohydrates as the fuels to provide energy. This means without question that fats contribute in a larger way to optimal energy levels during training and performance than originally thought!

Fats contribute significantly to overall energy levels both at rest and during more intense activity.

So what’s the bottom line? What should we eat? First and foremost let's not just go out there and start chucking cheap fats and oils down our necks. Look for high quality foods that will provide high quality fats containing a variety of excellent nutrients such as vitamins A, D, E and K. These

will support hormone release and function needed for exercise like adrenaline and cortisol release. These vitamins will also assist with the growth and repair of muscle tissue in between sessions. A gradual introduction of some of the following fats will help to supply needed nutrition to fuel your performance.

High vitamin cod liver oil

Organic liver (studies show a powerful anti-fatigue factor)

Free range, grass-fed butter

Organic whole milk

Cold processed virgin olive oil

Well that deals with some alterations to your daily eating habits and your pre-training meals. But what about fuelling during long distance training sessions? A study last year by Loughborough University compared water to an isotonic sports drink and milk for its hydration ability during exercise. Intriguingly milk hydrated best of all and improved performance by some considerable margin.

So all in all a change of what’s in the drinks bottle may be in order after all! z


different skin types react differently under the sun

How about your skin?

The skin is in a position to protect itself against damage caused by UV radiation. Adaptation over thousands of years has resulted in people

living in sunny or tropical regions having more effec-tive self-protection mechanisms at their disposal than for example central or northern Europeans.

Sunlight, particularly the UV component, stimulates production of melanin. Pigment-forming cells called melanocytes are located in the deeper living layer of the epidermis. These produce the pigment melanin. Its action as a natural sun protector by absorbing UV light (both UV-A as well as UV-B) coupled with a radical trapping capacity. The ability to synthesise melanin and the distribution pattern of the protective pigment are specified in the genetic make-up of every individual and vary from person to person.

Pigmentation is decisive for individual sensitivity to sunlight. On exposure to solar radiation, this changes to the extent that a tan develops. Individuals who are able to produce little melanin do not get much of a tan and retain their sensitivity to light, while people who are able to produce a lot of melanin are able to get tanned easily and are less sensitive. Being aware of one’s personal sensitivity to light is an important prerequisite for effective sun protection.

If the skin is not exposed to UV light, the deposits of melanin and skin thickening will be lost in time due to the constant natural process of cell renewal.

For people, who live in seasonal climates, this means that in winter and spring the ability of the skin to protect itself is minimal. It takes two to three weeks for the skin to build-up its full protection. Sunburn reduces this self-protection, as it brings about the increased shedding of the skin cells. Children are much more sensitive to the sun than adults, due to the looser structure of their skin. This is why it is extremely important that children are protected against sun exposure.

Unpigmented skin such as scars or that found in patients suffering from the disease vitiligo has a much lower level of self-protection. The higher the intensity of the rays, the sooner the skin will be damaged.

It is important to decide, how to categorize your skin type for the best possible protection. The table below will help you judge the self-protection time of your skin (the time that can be spent in the sun without sun protection before burning occurs). z

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written by Oliver F. Scicluna B. Pharm (Hons.), MBA (Edin.)

Ginger Fair Skin Dark Blonde Dark Caucasian

pale skin with freckles

not

sunburned

5 - 10mins Self Protection Time

skin with occasional freckles

lightly

sunburned


medium complexion

sunburnt


burns

Over 45mins Self Protection Time

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zip fashion women

It was polished clothes on the catwalks for the coming season. There were neat skirt suits, lean sheaths, all in suburban sweet pastels.

Dior dresses are ethereal as a dream. Gorgeous slim-line chiffon and full skirted organza dresses with embroidery are highly feminine and wearable.

Peter Copping for Nina Ricci showed an uplifting, feminine and floral collection. He embellishes a white canvas with floral prints and navy blue that is occasionally punctuated with stunning details. He uses textured fabrics: cloqué silk, printed jacquard, raffia tweed, stretch satin, lamé.

Chanel’s haute couture collection was resolutely contemporary and feminine. “Blue, it is the colour of air, of day and of

night. I have never used it so extensively,” commented Karl Lagerfeld. He used a few dreamy feathers accentuated with stones transforming the heroine sometimes into a proud peacock, sometimes as a graceful bird of paradise, but always compellingly modern.

He designed wide boat neck collars cut across the shoulders which have a sculptural effect. The collection bathes in a wealth of detail.

Elie Saab served up a sparkling series of pretty pastel gowns perfect for the red carpet. How can you fail to fall in love with such beautiful pieces? z

pieces tofall in love with

with an eye on the warmer season ahead zip takes a look at the haute couture collections


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SPARKLINGPASTELGOWNS


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collection

uplifting feminine floral

peter copping for Nina Ricci


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“Blue, it is the colour of air, of day and of night. I have never used it so extensively” karl lagerfeld

Trade Enquiries VJ Salomone (Marketing) tel: 8007 2387


beauty reportw i t h a l i s o n z e r a f a

make over - beauty report with alison zerafa

Beauty products come and go – due to trends, new tech-nology or simply because

they don’t live up to expectations. But the best ones stay on, year in, year out, are updated with new colours and textures one season after another. Make-up has ceased to be something to be flirted with: it’s now an intimate familiar and even if it is only a dab of lipstick or eyeshadow we use, we feel naked without it. Indeed even mascara seems almost a basic human right.

The evagarden range of profes-sional makeup is a comprehensive collection and it provides the right look whatever the occasion. It has remained popular and sought after.

Make up artist, Jean Pillow is mistress of her art and she has been working with this range for several years and understands all its possibilities. The model for this issue, Alison Zerafa, is fairly conservative. When she chooses what makeup to wear in the morning she is not particularly influenced by trends. She is far from being a make-up victim.

For Alison’s makeover, makeup artist Jean Pillow came armed with evagarden’s make-up artist’s kit. The change on Alison was not to be too dramatic but Jean wanted

to introduce her to some bright colours which she had never worn before – or indeed even dreamt of ever using.

Alison’s makeup never varies, whether she is presenting a programme on TV, going to teach, attending a special occasion or preparing for a night out. Her hair

wearable nudes to eye popping neons.

However, there is always this rule: wear

what suits you best and you will always

be in high fashion,” Jean advises.

For those fashionistas who want to go the whole hog, Jean tells them to get the Electric Lips look going with a new range of bright and cheerful colours: a vibrant counterpoint to the neutral tones seen lately on the catwalk.

The other big trend is Reds and Purples for the lips. “The colours

seen run from vivid pink, dark purple,

magenta and the neutral nudie pink

as well as a new twist on 1980s retro

Fuchsia. Whatever colour you pick.

evagarden lipcare covers the whole

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By introducing Alison to these new colours the model’s features had already acquired a springtime look.

is invariably straight and long and her eyes smokey and gray.

So Jean chose to combine evagarden’s 207 bright pink and 211 bright orange eyeshadows, to create a warm versus cool contrast but with both colours in harmony. “Both eyeshadows have a

silky finish which leaves a nice sheer

effect for daytime,” Jean remarks. “They are in fact an excellent

makeup ‘update’ for spring time. I

combined these with a soft touch

lipstick 674. By introducing Alison

to these new colours the model’s

features had already acquired a

springtime look.” The model’s lips were also coated in a soft Italian pink lipstick. “evagarden’s

lipcare for Spring 2012 ranges from



Super styling Most women don’t want to stick to one look anymore. Hair has become as disposal as fashion: clients want wavy hair on Monday, poker-straight hair on Tuesday and to wear their hair up on Wedneday. Not so our make-over model Alison. She is used to her long hair. Although she has cut it shorter a couple of times she has never dared chop it all off. For some years she has had a secret longing: to have it cut but she has never had the courage to go through with it. It would be too drastic a change she has always felt.

Hairstylists, Ashley and Angelico of capelli 2000 came to the rescue.

Angelico’s grandfather and great grandfather were both barbers and both were called Angelo, so hair styling is in his blood. He started studying hair dressing when he was just 16-years-old and worked with a neighbour who had a hair salon. He has been working for some 16 years at capelli

2000 at Ghaxaq. He studied hairdressing in Malta, and at Diadema Milan, who style the hair of the Mediaset personalities. He also worked at Fudge in Manchester, at Ethos Academy in Milan and at the Wella School in London. After a long consultation with Alison, Angelico grasped what Alison wanted. She was keen to have a simple and natural-looking style which did not require much maintenance. So he had a suggestion: cut it in layers with a fringe to soften the face. ”I left the hair long in case Alison did

not like what we did to her hair and she could go back to

the previous style easily,” Angelico explained.

Before putting on some benders to curl Alison’s hair the duo used a little Fudge Pump Up to create some volume and texture. “We opted for a cream mousse

for maximum volume,” says Angelico. Next they used Fudge Skyscraper medium hold. “This is an apple

and coconut aerosol hairspray. We followed this with

Fudge Gloss, a defrizz serum infused with natural anti-

oxidants.” Last of all the hairstylists then used Fudge Membrane Gas, a strong, creative texture gas for

hold and flexibility. “This is good in the humid climate

of Malta,” Angelico explained. The result was a softer looking Alison. Most women are wanting to have their hair washed, cut, permed, dyed and generally played around with. Alison is not so keen to conduct a high maintenance life as she has too many inter-ests to pursue. But the result of this session pleased her because the change was not drastic. z



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Skyscraper Medium hold apple & coconut aerosol hairspray

Fat hed - Firm hold volumising texture paste for big fat hair

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Shiny 211 Powder eye shadow with a shimmery finish to obtain different coverage and effects

Soft Touch 674 Long lasting lipstick, with luminous and pearly finish for soft and brilliant lips

lipstickeye shadow eye shadow

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style gallery 60's knockouts

- 60's knockouts -

s t y l e

For style lovers this time of year is always an exciting one. As well as deciding which pieces to pick out for a new-season wardrobe, one

can also play around with the latest hairstyles and decide which one works for them. This is when hairstylists have to bring out the creative side of themselves.

Talented and creative Rosaire and Stephanie pulled ideas from the ‘60's and applied them to the two models. Hairdressers often have to think on their feet as clients ask them for advice on a new hairstyle. The final hairstyle is often the result of a quick consultation with the client and the hairstylist’s imagination.

This motivational photoshoot works in the same way – with a brief but with no limitations on the stylist. The whole point of the exercise is to encourage freedom of creativity and experimentation.

These spontaneous sessions can also highlight any technical problems a stylist might have; sometimes we get a brilliant idea but do not know how to set about creating it. At the motivational photoshoot stylists are made to think about their technique and finishing skills.

It is an opportunity to step out of your salon and explore your creative skills with a model that will not put any limitations on your work as clients sometimes do. Stylists often surprise themselves to discover that outside their comfort zone they are capable of being even more creative and innovative than usual.

Hair is the ultimate fashion accessory after all and women fantasise about changing their hair with just a flick of a comb. We’ve moved away from unkempt, devil-may-care hair towards more

grown-up, chic-styled hair.

With celebrities such as Bridget

Bardot as inspiration hair stylist Rosaire Bugeja gave Zoe a completely different look with tumbling curls while Stephanie gave her model Greta a top knot with soft curls cascading on each shoulder. These looks are

ultra wearable, and translating them into everyday styles isn’t too hard. Both hair styles are feminine, pretty and chic. The make up artist, Louiseann

Bugeja Tate used EvaGarden products. Clothes are by Mangano.

GALLERYStyle Gallery drops in on a motivational photo session with photographer Matthew Attard Navarro,

to observe two young stylists Rosaire Bugeja and Stephanie Mallia, at work.

spontanous creative motivational photoshoots



hair stephanie mallia stylissimo hair salon using fudge products

products skyscraper, membrane gas, fat hed

make up louiseann bugeja tate using evagarden

clothes mangano

GRETA



IN THEMAKING



hair rosaire bugeja straightcut hair salon using no inhibition

products styling gel, smoothing cream and moulding mudd

make up louiseann bugeja tate using evagarden

clothes mangano

ZOE


secrets

Eco Spray - It gives maximum lifting, fixing and volume Versatile and quickly dryable, this hairspray is unique to model and puts the finishing touch to the hairstyle.

With guarana & organic extracts. Fixative polymers create a filming and flexible effect around the hair, for a long-lasting hairstyle. Panthenol has hydrating and soothing actions. Vitamin E acts as an anti-oxidant.


p h o t o s h o o t Stunning hair can only be created with the help of modern hair products. Styling gel, moulding mudd, different hairsprays all have a part to play in holding a hairstyle in place for hours.

Styling Gel - Finishing and styling gel Shapes and fixes in an easy way! Use it to obtain a wet look, as a modeling gel or as a finishing touch. With guarana & organic extracts. High-tech polymers (resin) create a memory effect, without leaving any residuals on the hair, thanks to the static electric-ity of its filming agents. A fixative polymer creates a filming effect around the hair, maintaining a long-lasting styling. Panthenol has hydrating and soothing properties. Vitamin E acts as an anti-oxidant.

Moulding Mudd - To construct and define a matt styling With guarana & organic extracts. A mixture of “kaolin” mudd and opacifying agents build up and cover the hair, making it opaque. A mixture of beeswax hydrates the hair and mudd gives optimal hold. Emollient agents balance the hair shaft hydration. Vitamin E acts as an anti-oxidant. Solar filters protect the hair from sun rays.

Membrane gas Strong creative gas for hold and flexibility

Skyscraper Medium hold apple & coconut aerosol hairspray

Fat hed - Firm hold volumising texture paste for big fat hair

St.Julian’s - Baystreet Level 2 - Malta +356 20997099 [email protected]

www.mangano.com

St.Julian’s - Baystreet Level 2 - Malta +356 20997099 [email protected]

www.mangano.com


photographers and weddings by kevin casha

photographers

the crucial question is who does one entrust with taking his wedding photographs? with over thirty five years of experience in wedding photography, besides other areas of commercial work, professional photographer kevin casha is more than qualified to express his views on this subject.

&weddingskevin casha

www.kevincasha.com

facebook.com/zipbeautymagazine 63www.kevincasha.com


So a couple should book a photographer who is experienced in the genre of photography they require. Doing otherwise is inviting disaster.

In practice, I believe that a competent wedding photographer should be capable of guaranteeing the bride and groom an excellent service and

excellent results whilst at the same time taking up as little of their time as possible.

I wish to stress the importance of discussing beforehand all the details and facets of the couple’s wedding and subsequently fixing a shooting and time schedule according to the couple’s needs.

Getting an experienced professional photographer specializing in wedding photography usually ensures reliability, quality and that the event runs smoothly.

In reality, a couple should keep in mind that a good “general practice” photographer might not be the most suitable person to shoot a wedding. In health matters, although we may go to a GP whenever we have minor ailments we eventually consult a specialist when matters become more serious. The same parallel can be easily drawn when employing a photographer for a wedding. One should definitely source out someone who has experience and a proven track record of photographing weddings. A good portraitist or photojournalist might not be the right choice. Would you go to a dermatologist if you had, say, a muscular problem? Of course not! The same goes for a photographer. There are very few really good “all rounders” (although one might suppose otherwise from the various adverts and hype in the media).

So a couple should book a photographer who is experienced in the genre of photography they require. Doing otherwise is inviting disaster.

It is obvious that a wedding is a very special occasion and the more planning that goes into the preparations, the better.

Each wedding has its own story and each couple their needs, and a good photographer should be

able to make their day a memorable one – naturally, for the right reasons!

The couple should not be taken in by aggressive and repetitive advertising. How “professional” and great a photographer declares himself to be is no yardstick as to how good he really is. The couple should listen to referrals from their friends and the general public who might have already employed a particular photographer and were pleased with his work, attitude and service.

It is important that initially, before the couple finalizes their booking, they discuss at length what type of images they want and how they visualize the evolvement of their wedding. A good, experienced professional photographer can make a wedding fun, just as much as an inexperienced and ill prepared photographer can turn it into a nightmare.

Budgets, prices, editing and whether images are going to come in an album or just on DVD should be made clear prior to the booking. What is being paid, and for what it is being paid, should be made clear to all parties.

One must also be prepared to allocate some time in which to take the posed set-up photographs and group shots. The photographer cannot guarantee quality if most times he is shooting in a candid, haphazard manner. A degree of control is needed in most photographs. Still, if everyone is organized and co-operative, this should not take an experienced photographer more than three quarters of an hour.



One should also make sure that the dressmaker has already delivered everything on time. It is not unknown that a dress arrives on the wedding day sometimes with disastrous results!

Lively children can be difficult to photograph. I don’t believe they should form part of the bridal retinue. These will invariably start playing up and cause nervousness all round. However, if the kids are relatively well behaved, then it is not a problem.

For exceptional wedding photographs, one should also consider carefully the venue and time of the wedding. A morning wedding can usually give more rewarding results than an evening one and a well-thought out wedding hall can further help the photographer to create memorable images. The fact is that it is not so easy to create certain images at night for the complications and time factor are bound to increase.

Today’s trend towards simple, more comfortable dresses, textiles and natural looking hairstyles, help

www.kevincasha.com

Group photographs, which are usually quite trouble-some, should be kept to a minimum and only feature the couple’s immediate family. The day for shooting all the guests at a reception has long been super-seded, especially with video service being virtually an ever-present part of today’s weddings. Group images should be done as early as possible before the reception starts. This ensures the cooperation and the good state of all the featured guests.

Punctuality is another important factor and the bride should ensure that her hairdresser and make-up artist stick to their time schedules. Unfortunately, the practice seems widespread where some supposedly “professionals” just don’t care when they finish their work and into whose time they are encroaching upon.

A sure way of starting on the wrong foot is when the bride fails to be ready by the agreed time. A photographer, no matter how experienced, cannot do the same standard of work in half the time he would usually allocate.



A good, experienced professional photographer can make a wedding fun, just as much as an inexperienced and ill prepared photographer can turn it into a nightmare.

kevin casha is president of the malta institute of professional photography (mipp) and runs the new higher national diploma course in photography at the malta college of arts science & technology (mcast)

www.kevincasha.com

to make the bride more relaxed on her big day, thus contributing to better, more natural photographs. Everyone knows that a grumpy, uncomfortable, irritated bride is not the ideal person to try to photograph looking radiant!

One thing which bothers me is when clients employ the services of an experienced photographer and then proceed to ignore his advice, restrict him and do not co-operate or stick to what has been agreed. It is a fact that to take good quality photographs at a

wedding is no easy task and time and concentration needed. If the couple do not even want to concede this, it is best not to employ a good photographer in the first place.

Remember, a photographer has one sharp “guillo-

tine” hovering above his head – he cannot afford to go wrong on such an important day. There are no second chances. The same applies to the bride and groom’s choice of photographer. The choice should be well thought out and studied. z


jewellery hit parade by nadège cassar

jewellery hit parade

nadège cassar talks about her thriving jewellery business and how she wishes to make her own contribution to keeping this craft alive as part of our cultural heritage

I took the leap. I started designing and producing contemporary silver jewellery some six years ago. It was not easy. I would arrive home after a

long day at the job I was doing then, eat my evening meal and then settle in my workshop until the late hours of the night. Since I enjoy creating, working at night helps me unwind. The positive response from members of the public who were beginning to appreciate my pieces encouraged me to keep going. I had spent a considerable sum of money to set up a fully-equipped workshop but in those days I never imagined that my business and myself would get this far.

As my passion grew, I started investing in this evening hobby. But giving up my day job and earning

a living as a jewellery artist was a mere daydream then. Just a year ago I took the plunge, after I received my B.A (Hons) in 3D Design and Interior Design, specializing in jewellery, from the MCAST Institute of Art and Design. I never felt so focused about what I really wanted to do when I grew up as it did then!

I mainly work with sterling silver, incorporating other materials such as precious and semi-precious stones, pearls, crystals, leather and even wood and other materials. I make everything myself, and most of the time I take the trouble to design clasps that make a piece of jewellery more special. My main projects are usually personal collections, which are of a limited-edition nature, and custom-made

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(H/I) Ascending line of eye(J) Descending third, (K) Horizontal third, (L) Ascending third.(M/N) Ascending third, (O)Descending third.(P) Ascending third of crease, (O/R) Descending third of crease.

8 Low crease before 8 After7 Hight crease before 7 After 9 Sagging crease before 9 After

6 Short & closed before 6 After

1 Eye model before 2 Short & open before 2 After 3 Long & open before 3 After

4 Long & closed before 4 After 5 Ascending before 5 After

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one-off pieces of jewellery for specific clients. In both these cases I design to cater for a specific need. In all cases creating pieces of jewellery is an exercise in imagination and creativity.

Locally the crafts of jewellery-making and silversmithing are slowly fading out as fine jewellery is being imported in cost-effective bulk, mainly from regions where the cost of manufacture is much lower. I could quote Asian and North African countries in particular. Nowadays, modern, elegant jewellery is in fashion and retail outlets are catering for this demand and also importing contemporary jewellery by famous designers. Unfortunately however, not much jewellery designed and made locally is displayed in shop windows alongside the imported pieces. As a result, the general public does not seem to be able to connect good contemporary design with local talent. In fact, I am frequently asked whether my jewellery is imported. This saddens me, since this denotes that there is a perception that good jewellery could only come from abroad. Clearly, we need to raise awareness about the quality of craftsmanship of local hand-made products when compared to the inferior quality of mass-produced items. Through my venture, I aim to promote locally-made jewellery with the intent of helping to keep this craft, which is also part of our cultural identity, alive. Maltese buyers need to discover that locally-made jewellery can also be modern, stylish and highly fashionable.

The symbolism of a piece of jewellery is an impor-tant tool of self-expression, where wearers may feel the need to own a symbolic bond with someone special. I am particularly fond of such projects. Frequently, I am asked to work upon jewellery with the specific request of creating bonding symbolism, either between a couple, a mother and daughter, or even an entire family. In the latter instance, I was commissioned by the parents of a family of five, to design a piece of jewellery for each member of the family. I came up with a strong symbolic aspect in

Unfortunately however, not much jewellery designed and made locally is displayed in shop windows alongside the imported pieces.

over the years, I have also learned to become analytical about my own products, sometimes perhaps a little bit too much! Techniques, approaches and a good eye for a finished product improve, but the change of style is merely a change in perception of how one feels and connects to a specific design idea at that specific moment. Till now I have never looked back at any past creation of mine with regret even if today, with experience, I would tackle certain problems differently.

Nevertheless recalling past projects always brings me back good memories. z

a sculptural piece represented by a blooming Lotus. This piece stands as an artistic sculpture when all individual pieces are put together. Each piece was designed to suit the individual taste of each member.

Thus, commissioned projects take me on a more personal journey to fulfill the clients’ desires. Each project is consulted, sketched and amended during its making. It is by inviting clients to my workshop that I am able to explain techniques and processes in order to aid the clients to visualise their finished product. New skills and techniques are learned along the way. The beauty of this art is that one never ceases to experiment with the materials themselves. Design is about providing a solution to an existing problem, and by training myself to be a constant problem-solver in this field, I have become increasingly confident and independent in what I do. As my work has gradually become more nuanced



The symbolism of a piece of jewellery is an important tool of self-expression, where wearers may feel the need to own a symbolic bond with someone special.

nadege cassar jewellery m. 99 229 345 e. [email protected] www.nadegerenee.com


Legs are under a lot of pressure to support us through our busy lives, especially when you think that on average, we walk about 9,000 steps a day! That’s why Antistax® Healthy Active Leg Capsules – a supplement that’s scientifically proven to help you avoid tired, heavy, and achy legs – has just launched www.leghealthcentre.co.uk. Antistax leg health experts have built the site as a fun and friendly hub that offers top tips on keeping your leg health in shape, practical advice and information on common problems. Make it your first stop when it comes to leg care!

When we’re on the move our leg veins are hard at work pumping blood to our hearts against the natural pull of gravity, using our calf muscles to help. But during prolonged periods of inactivity – either standing or sitting – blood collects in our legs, causing fluid to build up. Common problems experienced by women include heavy, tired, achy, tingly or puffy legs, varicose veins, calf cramps or painful joints. Antistax® Healthy Active Leg Capsules contain a natural and unique red grape vine leaf extract, known as Flaven®, that when you have to stand up or sit for long periods of time, can help avoid swelling of the lower legs and feet when taken for four to six weeks.

If you are worried about your legs you should of course speak to your doctor. But here are some top tips for keeping legs healthy, from GP Dr Jas Kalsi for improving leg health:

At work, try to move around every thirty minutes

Whether seated at a desk or in a job that involves a lot of standing, do leg stretches and rotate your ankles from time to time

Wear clothes and shoes that aren’t too tight and allow movement

Eat a well balanced diet and exercise regularly – this will help to manage your weight and improve circulation

Don’t cross your legs – this causes pressure on veins

Don’t wear high heeled or rigid shoes

Our lifestyles, diet, exercise uptake, climate, clothing, smoking habits and jobs can all contribute to leg health problems. During the summer months it’s common to experience tired and heavy legs, so try keeping a supply of Antistax® Cooling Leg Gel to hand at work to quickly revitalise your legs. Not only will it soothe your poor pins, but it smells delicious too!

As with any other food supplement, Antistax® Healthy Active Leg Capsules should be taken as part of a well-balanced diet and active lifestyle. Antistax® Healthy Active Leg Capsules are available from leading pharmacies across Malta and Gozo. Ask your pharmacist if you need more information or advice.

Always read the label.

love your legs

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jobs that require us to stand or sit for the majority of our working day can cause leg problems. with thousands of women in professions that involve standing or sitting for long periods of time, there are a lot of ladies suffering with tired, achy legs. these include shop assistants, pharmacists, hairdressers, chefs, office workers, nurses or midwives.

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pilates - just another fitness programme? by elaine vella

The list of celebrities who practice Pilates is almost endless: from Liz Hurley, Gwyneth

Paltrow, Jennifer Lopez and Madonna to Hugh

Grant and John Cleese.

The Origins of Pilates Pilates originates back to the 1920’s and was devised by Joseph Pilates (1880-1967) for rehabili-tation purposes. Some of the first people who were treated using Pilates were soldiers returning from war and dancers such as Martha Graham and George Balanchine.

What is Pilates?

pilates just another fitness programme?

elaine vella, a qualified physiotherapist furthered her studies graduating with a masters degree in sports & exercise science at the manchester metropolitan university (uk). in this article she introduces our readers to the concept of core stability training – what might be better known as pilates.

elaine vellaphysiotherapist

roller and hand held weights are commonly used in local studios when practicing these exercises.

The Fundamentals Of Pilates alignment Alignment refers to the way we position our body both when we are ‘still’ and when moving. The reason this is so important is that if our body is habitually out of good alignment, it places an enormous strain on our joints, ligaments and muscles, and has a detrimental effect on how we move.

Our posture is affected by a wide variety of influences ranging from genetics to personal and medical history, environmental and cultural influences. Pilates aims to improve body awareness thus facilitating lasting changes to posture and movement patterns.

Pilates is a form of exercise focused on improving flexibility, strength, and body awareness, without necessarily building muscle bulk. The original exercises were mat-based but over time Joseph Pilates created various pieces of studio equipment. Machines like the Reformer, Cadillac and Wunda Chair provide variable resistance via springs. These machines facilitate the flow of movement with control, challenging stability in one direction whilst providing stability and control in another. Other equipment such as the elastic band, gym ball, foam

Our posture is affected by a wide variety of influences ranging from genetics to personal and medical history, environmental and cultural influences.


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Bioderma Laser Skin Care offers a 3-step skin care system after the laser session to ensure fast relief and recovery as well as long term wellbeing and protection to your skin type. The dermatologically approved products consist of Sensibio H20, Cicabio Cream, and Photoderm SPOT for your specific skin. Use the 3-step skin care system at the time of the laser sessions following the instructions

use sensibio h20 before and after laser treatment to cleanse the skin. soak a cotton pad with sensibio h20, clean skin and dry gently.

Sensibio H20 is a gentle non-rinse cleanser for sensitive, weakened or intolerant skin suitable for after beauty procedures such as chemical peels or laser treatment. The mild non-rinse cleanser eliminates impurities and also removes make up. Sensibio H20 has an anti-inflammatory effect which soothes the skin and provides immediate sensation of freshness. Easy and pleasant to use, Sensibio H20 is also fragrance and alcohol free.

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pilates - just another fitness programme? by elaine vella

the neutral zones Pilates strengthens the deep postural muscles, (namely the multifidus, transversus abdominis and pelvic floor muscles) which when we stand or sit, work constantly to keep us well aligned. Strengthening the deep postural muscles makes standing ‘tall’ become easier to control. A cue that is popular with most pilates instructors is to ‘lengthen up’ through the spine, aiming for a spine that is able to retain its natural curves.

The angle of the pelvis will also have an impact on the curvature of the spine. If the pelvis is tilted backwards (tucking your tailbone under), you will lose the hollow curve (lordosis) of the spine. If the pelvis is tilted forwards (moving the pubic bone under) you will increase the hollow of your spine. What we are looking for is the mid-position

and thigh-bones, thus providing a stable base from which to move.

breathing Breathing influences our actions and can help to facilitate ease of movement. Lateral breathing is encouraged during pilates exercises, as this ensures good chest expansion, whilst keeping the shoulders relaxed.

centering This refers to the ability of stabilising and controlling the position of the pelvis, spine, torso, shoulders and head by recruiting the deep core muscles. Gaining stability in this core area provides a strong and stable base of support from which all Pilates movements are initiated. Over emphasising the stability process can lead to ‘bracing’ or ‘fixing’ which will stifle flowing efficient movement and even contribute to muscular tension.

mobility Pilates improves mobility by establishing sound movement patterns rather than simply stretching tight muscles. Tight muscles could be the result of a faulty recruitment pattern or a lack of stability around that joint. In such cases passive stretching in an attempt to increase flexibility could do more harm than good.

The traditional Pilates exercises have been adapted by physiotherapists using scientific research and clinical reasoning and broken down into levels!to allow!a steady and gradual progression towards correct movement patterns. These exercise sessions are usually supervised by specially trained physiotherapists or instructors. Due to its versatility, pilates may be used as part of clinical rehabilitation following various surgeries as well as part of rehabilitation programmes for patients with back pain. Apart from its rehabilitation purposes, Pilates gives people a sense of well-being and is also used across various sports disciplines as part of the training regime. z

Due to its versatility, pilates may be used as part of clinical rehabilitation following various surgeries as well as part of rehabilitaiton programmes for patients with back pain.

between these two extremes. This is the most balanced position of the pelvis relative to the spine

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mercredes-benz fashion week malta with adrian j. mizzi

with the month of may approaching, everyone interested in fashion is eagerly awaiting the second edition of the mercedes-benz fashion week malta which starts on sunday 6th may, and the diet coke malta fashion awards

which closes fashion week on saturday 12th may. we caught up with the executive producer adrian j. mizzi to see what’s going on behind the scenes

more information may be found at

www.fashionweek.com.mt

is coming

© simon pruciak

adrian j. mizziexecutive producer

the biggest fashion event in malta

Where are you with the organisation of these events right now? We started working on this year’s event right after the 2011 edition was concluded, and although as you can imagine, we have put in a lot of effort already, it is really in the last few weeks that everything starts to come together. We are currently finalizing contracts with some foreign media and companies to come on board in a big way, and although I still cannot reveal all the details, I can tell you that if last year was big, this year is going to be huge!!

So you cannot reveal any details at this stage? All will be revealed in the coming days, and I strongly urge everyone to visit the website www.fashionweek.com.mt and find us on Facebook to keep abreast of the latest news as it breaks.


mercredes-benz fashion week malta with adrian j. mizzi

Last year’s event was covered by international media, do you expect the same exposure this year? Yes of course, and most probably much more. We are using Social Media and the Internet very effectively and are dealing with a number of foreign media and fashion bloggers to have them cover what’s going on in Malta during fashion week. Last year we had 3 million hits on the website in the first few weeks and this year, traffic is already increasing, even though we’re more than a month away.

This is a massive challenge for you to put together, what sort of difficulties do you encounter? Our biggest challenge is always to find funding

last minute hitches. I guess it’s normal when you are dealing with so many variables, but in the end it all works out. The sooner we confirm everyone, the sooner we can launch and everyone starts benefitting earlier – but it’s not that easy. It’s part of the process and no matter how early we start, it’s always in the last few weeks that the event takes a life of its own. Our plan is to announce the final programme one month before the event kicks off on 6th May.

Co-ordinating all the people must be a massive challenge, is it? With regards to the organisation, the event involves hundreds of people in various different sectors. Initially everyone is working alone or in teams on specific tasks or different parts of the event. Now, towards the end, all this work starts to come together. Over the years we have built an excellent team of people working in a very dedicated manner on their role and we have few problems in terms of internal resources. It’s really when you’re dealing with external people that things become a bit more complex, as not everyone has the same agenda in the end.

Do you find Malta has enough talent in this industry? I must say that I am constantly being impressed with the abundance of talent this country has. Ever since I started organising the Malta Fashion Awards more than fifteen years ago, the level of talent has continued to improve and today we have Maltese people building excellent professional careers with some of the biggest names in the world of International fashion. This is after all the main scope behind Malta Fashion Week – to put Malta firmly on

the international map of fashion. z

for all the events that make up Fashion Week, as almost all events are free of charge to the general public. We do not have any state funding, so the only source of revenue is from supporting sponsors. We are extremely fortunate to have Mercedes-Benz supporting us in a big way and Diet Coke supporting the organisation of the Fashion Awards, but these alone are not enough to produce the entire week’s events. Many sub-sponsors are already confirmed and I am very encouraged by the support we are getting. However you always have those few companies that keep dragging their feet till the end to confirm, and some that drop out causing

© jj chircop

© jj chircop


venere - the shoot

The makeup artist is engrossed painting away on a beautiful canvas. A few steps away, on the other side of the room the hairstylist

is busily tugging away at another girl's hair. In the remaining section of the medium-sized room, yet another girl is having a micro-painting drawn on her nails.

The atmosphere is very, very busy but today there seems to be a lingering air of anxiety amongst the team. A look outside the window explains it all. The sky is grey, very grey; the wind is blowing hard, quite hard and it is cold, too cold.

This is merely the start of one episode of Venere. Every week a team of hairstylists, makeup artists and photographers conjure up a theme and develop it in an exquisite photo shoot. Venere is a cocktail for creativity. The makeup artist works out her

magic while the hairstylist comes up with an in-novative way to make hair defy the worst of gravity. Both of them however must work in unison so that the individual creativity is reflected in the final work that is one whole.

Makeup and hair done, the girls slip into their clothes for the day and the stylist comes in with her myriad of accessories, belts and loads of tricks of the trade. The clothes magnificently pin the theme, however they are not exactly appropriate for the im-passioned weather outside. The girls are shivering.

Thirteen girls of different ages, different back-grounds and varied interests make up the pool of models. A few of the girls had experience on the catwalk, others had never had full make up applied before. One girl is sixteen-years-old while another is thirty. We have a footballer, a mum; graphic art-

© clint scerri harkinsn

the

shoot


ists and a European Union specialist just to name a few. One girl was not even interested in becoming one of the Venere girls, she merely accompanied her sister to the auditions and the team noticed her and asked if she would join.

The models wrap rags and jackets to protect them-selves from the elements, get in the cars and they’re off to today's chosen location. It is threatening to rain and all would rather be inside, cosy around a fireplace instead of being out facing the elements. The photographer is a bit concerned but he's in a good mood. First girl is up: off with the rag, a few instructions and click and flash and repeat over and over. The model is wearing skimpy clothes when

the island. An innumerable number of themes, from Androids to fairy tales to Seventies, have been cov-ered. Then there were editorial shoots and there’s so much more planned out.

The drizzle becomes constant and soon turns into a shower. The team waits for a short while but is soon out again to get more and more shots in what almost becomes a waltz with the weather. The models, who by now have gained considerable experience, perform beautifully. They just have a few minutes to bring out their best in front of the lens; there is no time for warming up or hesitation; one pose, one shot.

venere - the shoot

the weather requires fur coats and warm jackets, however the shivering stops as soon as the photog-rapher is about to shoot the first picture. The model strikes one pose after another. It starts to drizzle.

The weather plays a huge role in Venere as its team steers away from the boring studios where everything is under absolute control. Members of the team prefer to roam around and discover corners and places around the islands that might fit well with the chosen theme. Over the years they have been to a great number of locations: ships, boats, planes, garages and the remotest places on

Finally the team manages to pull off a shoot that, at the onset, seemed a huge leap in the dark. The camera was there throughout capturing every single event of this tortuous but satisfying journey while the protagonists excitedly recount their expe-riences, emotions and state of mind.

Join us on our journey of adventure - Thursdays at 22:30 on TVM.

every thursday at 22.30

© bernard polidano

© steve muliett© tonio lombardi


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Background Dyspepsia is a clinical syndrome characterised by recurrent or chronic symptoms of the upper intes-tinal tract. Symptoms, including abdominal pain or discomfort , bloating, nausea or vomit and belching, could be associated either with food consumption or not. Dyspepsia, in the absence of a clinically unidentifiable structural lesion causing symptoms, is usually referred to as functional dyspepsia.

Frequently drug therapy achieves only partial relief of symptoms in the majority of cases. Clinical observations suggest that mineral waters, depend-ing on their chemical and physical properties, may modulate gastrointestinal motility, which is the more frequent alteration in the development of symptoms. This study aims to assess the effect of carbonated water intake in patients with dyspepsia symptoms.

Methods 50 patients were recruited and divided into two groups: the first group was formed by 30 patients who daily consumed 1 Litre of Lete mineral water for 10 days, and the second one formed by 20 patients as a control one, who consumed tap water from the Florence aqueduct. A questionnaire was delivered to the patients before and after treatment for the symptoms valuation.

Results All the patients treated with Lete mineral water

EFFECTS OF THE 'LETE' BICARBONATECALCIC WATER ADMINISTRATION IN FUNCTIONAL DYSPEPSIA

showed a significant improvement of symptoms in respect to those who drank tap water, both in frequency and in intensity, with the exception of abdominal pain frequency.

Conclusion Lete mineral water supplementation to the diet improves dyspepsia symptoms, modulating gastro-intestinal motility and secretion activity. z

this case study was taken from medicina clinica e termale n.61 anno xix, 2006

dipartimento di fisiopatologia clinicaunita di gastroenterologiauniversita degli studi di firenzeprof. calogero surrenti mdprofessore ordinario di gastroenerologiauniversita degli studi di firenzeviale morgagni 85, 50134 firenze


the struggles of women by dr charlie azzopardi

the struggles of Womendr charlie azzopardi is a systemic family therapist obtained his master’s degree in family therapy from the institute of psychiatry in london, and his doctorate in systemic psychotherapy from the university of east london in conjunction with the tavistock clinic.!he works privately in his own clinic meeting families and individuals with various difficulties. in this article he argues that men’s support is essential for women’s success and for families to find the right balance

Women have throughout the ages contributed highly to society, no matter how unnoticed their work may go.

Nowadays, as societies are becoming increasingly volatile and versatile, women continue to contribute to social development as much as they did in the past; more so than men, as women struggle between two increasingly demanding realities, they

dr charlie azzopardisystemic family therapist

seem to pay a high price in their juggling between work and family life. For a man, writing about women is never an insider’s perspective, however. Mine is perhaps a masculine attempt at portraying women’s struggles to find the right balance.

Talk to a woman who has children and works and you’ll immediately realise how the distribution


The guilt and other confusing feelings some women experience for having to leave their newborn behind and return to work is something most men cannot understand


of roles in families have been shifting from the traditional to accommodate current demands. Men’s roles have remained relatively the same: work, work, and work. This is increasing the distance between husband and wife, thus creating marital tension. Many women feel their lot is unfair as they have to take primary responsibility for rearing the children, working full-time outside the home, coping with another full-time job at home, at times also with the responsibility of taking care of the expenses of running the household. This is definitely further aggravating the gender divide rather than bringing the genders closer.

The internal struggles women undergo to maintain a work-family-life balance is not without its toll. First of all there is the enormous dilemma of when to return to work after delivering the baby. The guilt and other confusing feelings some women experience for having to leave their newborn behind and return to work is something most men cannot understand. The experience is usually local however, meaning that women often feel angry at their husbands/partners and perceive him as restraining and suffocating. Some may feel betrayed by life and their partner and build up an uncomfort-able anger, which starts killing the romantic passion in the relationship.

Moreover, most women feel torn between the moral pressure of rearing their children alongside

the social pressure of going out to work. In their attempt to find a balance between the two, women often feel betrayed by life which makes conflicting demands, and by a husband who is perceived as not caring enough.

Yet, if we take a family perspective, where the partners’ resources are pooled and shared, there is no contrast really. Work and family life can go together hand in hand, only if all the family, particu-larly men, learn to contribute (as I am sure many are learning to do) within the family as much as women contribute outside it. Men’s support is as essential for women’s success in this acrobatic balance as is women’s support for men’s well being.

Women have already proved that they can do men’s work. Apart from being good at rearing children, women have shown their abilities in many other areas. They are at least able to go out and work and continue to care for their children and families.

women undergo internal struggles to maintain a work - family - life balance



They are also able to do work traditionally associ-ated with men. But how would men fare if they had to face just a handful of women’s dilemmas? This being an invitation, rather than an accusation, I know that many men are becoming more flexible and are increasingly appreciating the fruits of their contributions at home and within their families.

Moreover, most women feel torn between the moral pressure of rearing their children alongside the social pressure of going out to work.

I am aware that many men do house chores as much as women do and spend time with their children as women do. These men contribute to often happier families, contented wives, and increasingly flexible children who one day will not have it fixed in their minds that men were born to provide financially and women to provide care. Hopefully our children will talk about us as an anachronism, a time when nurses were women and doctors were men; firemen were men and secretaries women, and where politicians were men and their women mere figures in the background.

Yes charity begins at home and I invite you men to think of what it is you can do at home to improve

your gender role flexibility; to discuss your thinking with your spouse/partner and to listen to what she has to say without discarding it a priori. If you do so you would be neglecting a part of yourself which can flourish. No matter how good you think you are there is always something which you can improve upon or learn.

Then I invite you women to come forward and voice your concerns; to challenge the unspoken language of power and give it words. Only you can help us men discard our macho mentality and embrace a more realistic view of ourselves. z


john schembri is managing director of shield consultants. he holds a master of science in security and risk management from the university of leicester and a post graduate certificate in occupational health and safety from portsmouth university. he is currently reading for a second msc in safety and the environment. in this article he looks briefly at hazards, dangers and risks in beauty salons

safety hazards in beauty salons by john schembri

PHBS take Health and Safety very seriously, both in terms of safety at their

premises and when it comes to promoting its importance to their customers, clients and people in the health and beauty industry in general. After all, it is relatively easy to get injured or fall ill; full recovery and getting our lives back on track can be a different story altogether, though.

john schembrimanaging diretor of shield consultants

safety hazards in beauty salons

Today we shall focus on a specific topic – hazards, dangers and risks in beauty salons. Alright, I admit, this topic might sound a little far-fetched because, after all, most salons are well designed, well fitted-out and well-run, aren’t they? Well, this rather depends on how we look at it.

dangers – or safety hazards, to use the more precise term – in

beauty salons are present in the same way as they are found in all other types of work places. It’s just that in this case, these dangers are a little less obvious. This would also mean that they are a little more tricky to control. Safety laws in Malta require that the employer – salon or parlour owner in this case – takes full responsibility to identify dangers, assessing the risk and


safety hazards in beauty salons by john schembri

implementing effective controls. So let’s take a look at some hazards that quickly spring to mind.

Chemicals such as solvents, sprays, mixing solutions and a range of other essential chemicals could harm people in a variety of ways. The point is that in this case, the hazardous chemicals could affect both employees and customers and therefore the issue merits more careful attention.

Heat is another hazard to which we have to pay attention. Excessively hot hair dryers, heat guns, tap water and other sources should be carefully controlled so as to avoid burns and scalds, which can be very painful and unpleasant as well as harmful to the skin in general.

Ventilation is yet another aspect that merits close attention, particularly during periods of intensive work activity. When we then factor-in electrical hazards; slips, trips and falls; lifting of heavy loads, fire risk and even safety aspects during work-related driving, the picture quickly emerges that the beauty and well-being industry must also take into account health and safety in its operations.

A suitable and systematic risk assessment should be sufficient to cover against all hazards,

Ventilation is yet another aspect that merits close attention, particularly during periods of intensive work activity.

and remember, this is a legal obligation!

You may well be asking yourself, “Okay, fine, so what do I do about

this?” Well, the answer is not that difficult. First, one has to identify the hazards at the workplace and try to consider as much as is reasonable what can harm people and how. This is actually simpler than it sounds – try it out for yourself to see.

Then one has to consider what controls are already in place and whether these are effective enough to control the risk. If not, then think of ways of improving control – and implement these measures. The other thing to do is to write this all down and

keep it on file somewhere so that you can go back to it if you need to implement change or further improvements.

Sounds like common sense, doesn’t it? A little time intensive, maybe, but common sense nevertheless. Well, if you can follow these procedures at your workplace, then you have completed a risk assess-ment as required by law and taken steps to securing your business against unnecessary claims or legal liabilities.

In the next issue of zip we shall look at risk assessments in a little bit more detail.

In the meantime enjoy your work and stay safe. z


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This Smartphone is so tiny it is hard to believe it contains such advanced technology. So light to hold, it makes you recheck your pocket constantly to make sure its still there. The BB Orlando is the first Curve without a physical QWERTY keyboard and all buttons went touch screen.

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The Curve 9380 feels really light in the hand compared to the 150+g Smartphones that are becoming the norm, making it hard to believe it contains such advanced technology

The Blackberry 9830 Orlando is the new line up Blackberry for the Curve Family. With a 5MP camera, VGA Video recording, Wi-Fi, GPS support, Bluetooth 2.1, MicroSD card support and NFC built in. The Curve 9380 feels really light in the hand compared to the 150+g Smartphones that are

The Blackberry 9380 is the new line up Blackberry for the Curve Family and the first Touch screen for the Curve Family

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vodafone makes people's lives better

Vodafone is leader when it comes to offering the public, products and services that support data on your mobile. Vodafone is the main driver of the super mobile strategy in Malta for it has the best network on the islands. Offering the Best Network for your Smartphone, Vodafone accompanies you ¬

Vodafone offers the best mobile internet experience with the fastest speeds and an extensive coverage both indoors and outdoors. Moreover, Vodafone is the most consistent mobile service provider, always investing to improve further its service in all areas around the islands.

its customer ¬ in all the most important moments of your life. Let’s face it, when something important happens you want to communicate it to the world and you’ll end up doing this either through your Smartphone or your tablet. If you receive a good result, if your partner has just proposed, if you have a new baby, if you receive some good news or even bad, the probability is that you’ll call, sms, tweet or Facebook your loved ones there and then.

This is the fun of living in today’s world. Everything is instant, and emotions are expressed immediately. And what’s more we are lucky to have a mobile operator on which we can rely and which supports us all the way.

The super mobile experience is not limited only to customers who are high-spenders. Today technology is available to all, with devices such as the Vodafone Smart Android starting from as little as ¤69. This offers a superior Smartphone experience for a reasonable price. Or there is the latest HTC Sensation XL and popular tablets such as the iPad2 which entice all those who are tech-savvy.

Vodafone is committed to enable people to further express their emotions through its network. By being at the forefront of innovation, particularly since data penetration is ever-increasing this leading mobile operator can provide the best service on the islands. z


precious gems at your fingertips with romina mccairn

Getting your nails cared for with a fortnightly mani and pedi is almost a must these days, otherwise you are shoved firmly into the

realm of the unkempt. Not a happy place to be. The rise of specialist service providers ensure this appearance-polishing procedure is fitted into a girl’s diary with little fuss. There is an increasing number of clients who block-book a weekly appointment for months ahead. They’ll want a demure French polish one week and a blast of Ibiza orange the next. It’s a lifestyle, not an ad-hoc treat.

A dynamic young lady who quickly became expert at nail art and manicure and pedicure is 25-year-old Romina McCairn whose beauty salon, Beautilicous – can be found in the bowels of Mosta. There you can also get the usual treatments which are normally available at such establishments. Where did she come across the name I wanted to know, as I was greeted at the door by Gucci her Shih-tzu. Romina was busy buffing a client’s nails while her assistant Roxanne was at another nail bar giving a client a French manicure. I hid my nails as they were not looking their best. Romina told me that the name of her salon came from the internet. “I have been here

for three years but I had been doing manicures and

pedicures for eight years when I was employed by other

beauty salons. But there came a time when I knew I

could make it on my own,” she explains.

Romina is a ball of energy and is answering her iphone while her client’s nails are being dried under a machine. She studied Beauty Therapy privately while she was working full-time. “I followed a course

at Audrey’s Health and Beauty Centre in Mtarfa where

I live. It was just next door. Following this I also followed

a course for a Diploma. Eventually I went to Spain and

romina mccairn at beautilicous beauty salon in mosta, shares a slice of her autobiography with marie benoît

written by Marie Benoît

romina mccairnnail technician

twice to Brussels to sit some exams connected with

courses for nails.”

Last December Romina participated in an Italian competition in Rome: Competizione Italiana Unghie. How did she get to know about it? “The girl who

comes round selling nail products mentioned it. It

was also all over the internet and difficult to miss. So I

decided to participate.” There were three participants from Malta and two of them won First Place in two different categories. “The other winner was

p r e c i o u s

fingertipsgems

at your



Noella Genovese who went in for the Soak Off Gel

Manicure category. This is a long lasting nail varnish

used on natural nails and lasts from 3 to 4 weeks. It is

only available at beauty salons and you cannot apply

it yourself at home for it’s not that simple to apply,” Romina explains.

"I had to choose a theme and I chose Egypt and painted the Eye of Horus, which is a symbol of protection, on my nails."

In the competition in Rome she went in for the Nail Art Category which lasted for two-and-a half hours. “I had to choose a theme and I chose Egypt and painted

the Eye of Horus, which is a symbol of protection, on

my nails. There were six international judges. Roxanne

came up to Rome with me and I used her nails to paint

on. She was my model for the competition. I had to build

the nails from scratch. They had to be symmetrical – of

the same height and width. It was not easy. It was the

hardest job for even if each nail is different your end

result has to be of the same shape.” Romina explained

that the judges do not see either you or the model, just the model’s hands. “They inspect each nail

thoroughly. We were very excited. They could not see

us nor us them. The set up was such that they could only

see the nails of each model. But they must have liked

what they saw as I was placed First in that category,” she tells me obviously thrilled to pieces. The eye of Horus brought her luck. I also saw some of her

"I don’t sleep at night. I just dream of nails. If I think of something I come into the salon and do it first thing the following morning!"



nail art and it is quite astonishing. The girl is gifted, knows what she wants and is prepared to work for it. Appointments are back to back. The variety of nails you can have seems endless: square or round, pointed even; in shades of amethyst, ruby or garnet. The pastel shades which are going to be all the rage this spring-summer are of course also available to clients. Or you can have acrylic nails or gel nails; painted in a variety of colours and designs or simply plain. The mind boggles at the choice.

Romina is the eldest of three children and her father is Scottish. She invites me to go to her basement and tells me that next week she is going to start

giving nail courses there. She has painted the walls pink, her favourite colour and put up attractive posters. “So now I have my own school,” she says delighted at the very thought. Certainly, a great achievement for one so young.

”I don’t sleep at night. I just dream of nails. If I think of

something I come into the salon and do it first thing the

following morning!”

I can well believe it. She will go from strength to strength but she also has to learn to slow down occasionally. z

LET US BE PARTNERS IN SUCCESS

Distributed by Liberty Business Culture ltd. T. 21410008 or E. [email protected]


headaches and their management by anna maria risso

Headaches have been called one of the most common complaints of mankind, represent-ing a substantial figure of around 66% of the

global population as reported in a recent study. In general, headaches are all different and exist in vari-ous types but more often than not the symptoms are either generalised or of a more focussed type of discomfort in the head/neck region. There are those that present with what is called an ‘aura’ and others which are migraine in nature and more prolonged. It is important to realise that not every headache is a migraine, a migraine is only one type of headache. The International Headache Society (IHS) has a classification of at least 14 different types of headaches for which each has been given a detailed description. The most common type of headache is the tension-type followed by the migraine type (an intense throbbing pain usually around one side of your head, unilateral around the eye or back of the head) and the chronic daily type. More often than not, identifying the source of your headache is difficult as many different factors may contribute to different symptoms.

The first question that would spring to mind is trying to understand what has caused this headache. The aim is to try and seek a cure to our ever so disabling symptoms if severe, in the hope of never having to feel this way again.

Hence one would ask: what can cause a headache? The following is a list of possibilities.

viral and vascular (e.g. Migraine) related headaches are usually related to a previous or present underlying medical condition such as a viral infection or high blood pressure and are often relieved through medication.

headachesand their management

anna maria rissosenior physiotherapist

anna maria risso bsc (hons), msc (london), mmacp, mcsp, srp is a senior physiotherapist working with the health department and the education officer of the malta association of physiotherapists. in this article she identifies a number of headaches and gives some tips on how to alleviate them

Headaches arising due to trauma or abnormali-ties in the brain (e.g. tumour or a bleed) require more extensive and aggressive treatment for which proper medical diagnosis and advice should be sought.

On the other hand, headaches arising from bad posture, exercise related or those referred from the neck (Cervicogenic headaches) have been found to respond well to one form or another of physi-otherapeutic intervention. Cervicogenic headaches refer to those types of headaches which are referred from the neck.

Physiotherapy can help in identifying headaches that arise from a dysfunction in movement of the joints, muscles, fascia and neural structures of the neck region. The mechanism of production of headache from such abnormalities varies but


evidence has shown that physiotherapy can help towards easing such symptoms by correcting the movement dysfunction. The methods used for treatment include manual and exercise therapy, advice and electrotherapy.

exercise related headaches are headaches caused due to excessive exertion during exercise. Athletes such as competitive swimmers, runners and weightlifters often suffer from what is known as benign exertional headache. The IHS classifies such headaches as being short (5mins -24hrs) in duration, brought on by excessive exertion, bilateral and throbbing in nature.

What can one do to relieve this? Avoid excessive

exertion during any type of sport or exercise or

pace your exercise regime in order to increase

gradually in intensity not suddenly over a period

of time.

external compression headache (IHS 4.2)t has been associated with swimmers/divers. This type of headache manifests as pain in the facial and temporal area commonly caused by excessive tightening of the goggles especially manifested during descent. The symptoms are believed to be caused by an increase in stimulation of the cutane-ous nerves from excessive pressure.

Management of such headaches is usually dealt

with through adapting your equipment in order to

prevent symptoms from recurring.

Needless to say, not every type of headache can be treated with physiotherapy. Those that can are identified through a comprehensive assessment

¬ Headaches that are usually related to stress are relieved through relaxation and gentle stretches of the neck. So do take a nice long hot bath and gently stretch your neck following your bath. This usually does the trick.

¬ Find time during your office work to sit up straight and arrange your neck in a more comfortable position. Gentle exercises at work have shown to decrease the amount of reported injuries from work due to sustained bad postures. So do get up and walk around, and do some gentle neck exercises.

¬ If a headache persists for longer than is normal for you and is always on the same side, do seek medical help.

¬ If symptoms of facial numbness, difficulty in speech, facial paralysis/asymmetry and double vision is accom-panied by a severe headache please seek medical advice. Remember they may be the early features of a stroke.

¬ Our body manifests symptoms also coming from a poor diet regime. So healthy options and regular exercise usually decreases the recurrance of headaches related to e.g. high blood pressure.

headaches and their management by anna maria risso

of the cervical spine (the neck). Evidence has shown that a thorough assessment of the head and neck along with a comprehensive analysis of the patient’s history may narrow down the source of the headache and identify patients who will benefit from physiotherapy intervention. z

references

1 hall t, briffa k, and hopper d. (2008) clinical evaluation of cervicogenic headache: a clinical perspective. j man manip ther.!2008;!16(2): 73–80.

2 brukner p. and kahn k. (2010). clinical sports medicine. revised third edition. mcgraw-hill (australia)

3 international headache society headache classification committee. classification and diagnostic criteria for headache disorders, cranial neuralgias and facial pain. cephalalgia 1988; 8(7s): 1-96. as adopted from brukner and kahn, 2010.

4 bogduk n. and mcguirk b. (2006). management of acute and chronic neck pain. elsivier (edinburgh).


breast implant safety by mr raymond debono

Good quality breast implants implanted by a reputable surgeon are safe. In this context the likelihood of patients needing further surgery after breast augmentation is about 10% at 10 years; the other 90% do not need more surgery. There is a whole range of reasons for needing maintenance surgery including sagging of the breasts, desire for larger or smaller implants, rotation or movement of implants, rupture of implants and capsular

contracture. Actual implant rupture rate is less than 1%.

Early 1990’s breast implant controversy in the USA In the early 1990’s three patients with breast augmentation (out of thousands) in the USA were reported to have developed connective tissue

breast implant safetyThe facts you need to know

mr raymond debono is a consultant plastic reconstructive aesthetic and hand surgeon in private practice in the uk and malta. in this article he assures the reader that good quality breast implants have been safe for many years

mr raymond debonoplastic surgeon


No scientific evidence of any relation with breast cancer In women with breast implants there is no known risk of breast cancer over and above that of the general population. Major large epidemiological studies such

In women with breast implants there is no known risk of breast cancer over and above that of the general population.


disease (a form of autoimmune disease). This led to a ban on silicone implants in the USA for almost 15 years. It also triggered numerous studies across the two continents into the safety of silicone breast implants. In both the USA and in Europe many studies showed no evidence of any correlation between breast implants and connective tissue disease and the ban was eventually lifted in 2005.

as the one from Alberta in Canada in 1992, and the one from Los Angeles in 1995 showed no increased risk of breast cancer in women with breast implants.

Furthermore current evidence does not indicate that women with breast implants are in any disadvantage from breast cancer detection, treatment and survival, provided that they are properly assessed in special-ized facilities.

Mammography is safe in women with breast implants provided the radiographer is informed of the implants.



Capsular contracture Whenever an implant is placed in the body, the body forms a shell or capsule around it. In most cases the shell remains soft, however in a number of patients the shell can harden and the breasts can become hard and painful. The incidence of capsular contracture is much higher (up to 40% risk) if the

Mammography is safe in women with breast implants provided the radiographer is informed of the implants.

capsules with complete removal of the capsule and laboratory examination of the capsule.

Breast Feeding Women with breast implants can breast feed. The milk from a woman with breast implants has less silicone than formula milk.

implants are placed above the pectoralis muscle and much lower if placed under the muscle (2-10%).

Recently, January 2010, there were three reported cases of lymphoma (ALCL) developing in hardened breast implant capsules in the USA. The incidence of ALCL is extremely low and the current recom-mendation is to treat patients with very tight

Conclusion Breast implants have been proven to be safe over many, many years. The recent problem with specific PIP implants as clearly described in the media is a worrisome case of medical fraud and should not influence the decision making of anyone currently considering breast augmentation. z

Most herbs either become totally dormant or else slow down on their growth when temperatures tumble during winter.

There is one particular herb that is hardly ever cultivated notwithstanding its usefulness because we are so used to finding an abundance of it growing wild in our countryside. Yet I have received numerous requests to provide potted specimens this winter. This is the Borage – or as it is known in Maltese: il-Fidloqqom.

Borage figures prominently in herbal cough remedies. Borage helps to sooth irritated trachea or larynx and it also helps to dislodge any mucous or catarrh that may be blocking bronchi or clinging to trachea. There is a straightforward recipe


spring is in the air by sammy vella

Spring is in the air. There’s a perceptible but definite thaw in the ground and in everything around us; and an air of expectancy. Every-

one’s mood is starting to pick up at the prospect of less cold, wind and rain. The day is now tangibly longer and the sun is not only brighter but also warmer. The almond trees are in full bloom and many south-facing rubble walls in the countryside have exploded into lush carpets of golden Cape Sorrel.

Yes, Spring is definitely here. This is the time to get started in earnest if you want to get your collection of herbs on the ball. Most herbs either become totally dormant or else slow down on their growth when temperatures tumble during winter. Some herbs such as celery, parsley, onions, garlic, manage to sustain growth and actually relish the moist climate of our Mediterranean winters. But even they slow down when temperatures drop below 10°Celsius. But we’ve left the winter behind us now and any herb you invest in is bound to thrive. Well, it just might be a bit too early for your basil yet, but even this lovely aromatic sun-loving herb would survive if planted in a south-facing sunny corner.

Those who have green fingers could start new plants with cuttings. This is definitely the time for it.

If you’re already adept at it, consider starting off some new plants for your friends. Marjoram, rosemary, thyme, lavender, sage, rue, oregano – all of these could be propagated by cuttings. You could also try dividing plants. But that involves taking out the whole plant out of the ground or out of the pot. If you intend to do this, make sure that you choose a calm windless day to carry this out; and the more humid the day is, the better. Some herbs can be started off from seed or bulbs. If you have mint or Melissa (lemon balm) in your garden, it is quite easy to dig up some plants with roots and simply re-plant them in pots. They will soon start growing into lush bushes if kept in a sunny location – and are well watered on a regular basis.

spring is in the airsammy vella msc. agric. sciences is an agricultural and environmental consultant and currently lectures at the institute of earth sciences, university of malta. in this article he shares some of his vast knowledge on growing herbs and also gives us two useful recipes


Borage helps to sooth irritated trachea or larynx and it also helps to dislodge any mucous or catarrh that may be blocking bronchi or clinging to trachea.

for preparing an effective cough syrup using borage. I shall include it here because I have had so many requests for it and the weather could still play some unpleasant tricks on us before summer arrives in earnest.

You need some borage leaves, some bottled water, some honey or carob syrup (gulepp tal-harrub) and a couple of lemons. You can make as much as you like assuming you have the borage leaves in the first place. Whatever volumes you decide on, it’s important that you use the same measure for all your ingredients. If you’re using a cup measure, make sure it’s always the same cup.

Here are the proportions. One cup of shredded borage leaves, and one cup of good bottled water. Place them in the blender and blend until you have a creamy mixture. Judge for yourself how much of the water to use depending on whether the mixture remains lumpy or too liquidy. I find that I prefer my mixture to be strong on the borage side. After all, that is the active ingredient. Then place in a stainless steel or pyrex saucepan (make sure that you do not use aluminium utensils!), place on the cooker to heat and add two cups of honey or carob syrup. Make sure that you keep the mixture stirring to prevent it sticking to the bottom. When the borage and honey mixture starts to boil, turn the heat off and allow to cool until it becomes lukewarm. Then add the juice of two large lemons and mix thoroughly. Pour into a screw-top bottle and keep in the fridge. You may take a couple of spoon-fuls of this syrup every time you feel that a cough is developing. I find this remedy particularly helpful when I develop a dry cough. The borage fragments tend to separate a bit in the bottle, so make sure you always shake the bottle well before taking a dose.

spring is in the air by sammy vella

Here’s another recipe to tackle sore throats and congested chests and nasal passages.

I find this recipe most convenient if I use a large teapot.

You will need the following herbs: sage, mint, Melissa

and rosemary but you will be able to enjoy a good

healing tisane from any of these even if you cannot

get all of them. However, in my opinion, the sage is

indispensable.

Place about 50 grams of each of these herbs in the teapot and pour hot water over them until you fill the teapot. These measurements are for fresh herbs. If you use dry herbs, you should use half the dose. The water need not be boiling – just hot. Cover the pot with a tea towel to keep it warm and allow the herbs to steep in the hot water for about 20 minutes. Then strain off the leaves and drink to your heart’s content. All these herbs have potent anti-microbial action, the mint and rosemary also have notable anticongestant properties and the Melissa is most helpful in inducing a relaxed sensation apart from imparting a notable lemony flavour to the tisane.

Just a word of caution with regard to using sage. The doses mentioned above are what we refer to as medicinal doses. Medicinal doses of sage could upset or interfere with female hormones. In particular, girls in puberty and lactating mothers should avoid taking medicinal doses of sage.

So, it is time to plant some of these popular herbs in your garden and not only enjoy fresh-from-the-earth taste at your dinner table but also help cure that cough. z


michael coney is customer operations manager at vodafone. he is 32-years-old and graduated bachelor of commerce (banking &

finance) from the university of malta in 2001. he also obtained a masters degree in applied finance from monash university, melbourne australia, in 2004. michael has been working for vodafone in various areas of the company, from finance to commercial, for a little over 7 years. he also spent a couple of years working for the vodafone group in the uk. michael was recently married to janice and they are still enjoying their honeymoon, so a romance it is.

man about town with michael coney

man about town

What do you love best about your job? I guess there are many aspects that I love. The industry itself is just amazing; the technology and devices are always changing and constantly provid-ing us with new challenges.

Managing our customers’ needs also brings about a whole set of variables and one can never be prepared enough for every eventuality that presents itself. Flexibility is a necessary part of the job. All of this together with the mix of people from all walks of life means that there is never a dull moment, every day is different and I never really know what to expect.

What do you dislike most? People who don’t appreciate this lovely island and are constantly complaining. I’d like to cow them into submission.

What is your greatest food weakness? Chocolate which is a must-have at different points in my day. Then again I love any type of food

especially when cooked by my dad.

What are you scared of? The Water and Electricity bill which has become one of the mysteries of life. I don’t understand it and cannot seem to control it either.

Surely you must have a favourite place in the world. Where is it? The Dolomites: skiing through the mountain ranges followed by a late lunch and a glass or two of grappa makes for an ideal holiday; a wonderful escape. I am busy plotting, planning and strategizing for another visit there with Janice. Life is about creat-ing the right balance of hard work, productivity and fun.

If you could only carry one item with you what would it be? Definitely my iPhone®, it’s such a great device, the way I am able to integrate it with almost everything that I do is just amazing. Most importantly it allows me to keep in touch with family and friends; with the great and the good.

What do you find most relaxing? I love to dive, nothing can compare to the feeling I get from being 30m underwater, the weightlessness, the bright blue haze and there’s always the surprise of the appearance of a few big fish. I find that being under water I clear my head and just switch off.

What would one always find in your fridge? Beer certainly has a permanent spot! Sipping cold beer when I am relaxing is one of my minor enjoyments.

What is the most recent item added to your wardrobe? I’m chivalrous so I leave it in Janice’s hands. She is the one responsible for putting my wardrobe together. z

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Example of customer loyalty & reputation – A clear example of a business growing due to one man’s dedication, reputation and customer loyalty is that of a now very famous fast food outlet (in America and internationally).

Whilst other fast food franchises were dominating the market thanks to their very strong capital, the unknown fast food outlet started delivering quality food, good prices, fun and interactive staff and the very “first modern day drive-through window”.

Before starting a business, one needs to have a passion and knowledge of the business he or she will be starting up

business know how by kevin naudi

business know howkevin naudi is head of marketing and director of one of malta’s leading advertising and marketing consultant agencies responsible for handling various top accounts. in this fourth article, he gives advice on how to set up a business which is going to be successful

kevin naudidirector & head of marketing at active enterprises co ltd.

Starting up There are many factors that differentiate a successful business to an unsuccessful one. Many of us think that one can simply wake up in the morning and decide to start up a business simply because they have the resources to do so. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like this, at least in most cases.

Before starting a business, one needs to have a passion and knowledge of the business he or she will be starting up. Experience and reputation will follow and a successful business venture will be born.

Another important factor is research. One needs to do in depth research on the specific market he or she will be entering to know what is and what is not needed, what people want, why people need it, costs of product/service of their competition, and many other factors to know whether you are entering the right business.

Planning and organization makes a very big differ-ence in the long term i.e starting off your business with a web-site, annual forecast, financial planning and a few other factors that will have you prepared for your business venture.

Business reputation & growth Once your business gets going, and your service or product is being well received by your clients/

customers, your reputation will start growing and with a reputation comes more responsibility and dedication. Why? Because that means more and more people will be requesting your service/product which means you need to be structurally set up to service/deliver what your clients want, and keeping loyal to your clients needs is what differentiates one business to another.


business know how by kevin naudi

The only way for a business to survive all the obstacles that one faces when running a business is to be loyal to their business ethics.

check out kevin’s previous zip articles on his linked in page.

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/kevin-naudi/25/432/293

In no time, this fast food outlet became one of America’s top burger franchises and has managed to stick it out with the big guns.

All this was thanks to quality, customer loyalty, dedication and transmitting his/her passion into providing a top quality service/product.

Business ethics Starting up, growth and a healthy business reputation is only the start of a long term successful business. The only way for a business to survive all the

obstacles that one faces when running a business is to be loyal to their business ethics. Although competition could be a thorn in your side, if you use this competition wisely it will actually make your business stronger and more successful. Using your competitors pros and cons in your favour and move your business further up the ladder, keeping in mind that being the biggest is not always what brings in the cash, but being the best is a guaranteed success!

Being ethical towards your competitor is one of the main factors in a healthy growth. You never know

who you will need to fall back on, or partner up with in the future, so keeping your competition close is vital for your business’ growth.

Managing your turnover & profits Employees, overheads and investments are all factors that affect your end of year profits. All these expenses are removed from your turnover, so keeping a balance in the management of your business along with your sales revenue is vital to see a healthy profit at the end of your business year.

The infamous “turnover is vanity” quote applies to all businesses. One needs to forecast their overheads, employment and any other expenses throughout the year, compare with the prospective sales for that year and balance the lot. This is the only way to manage and monitor your turnover and turn them into healthy profits. z


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Publishers Well Being Services Ltd.

Editor Marie Benoît

e. [email protected]

Publication Co-Ordinators

Nicole Cashae. [email protected]

John Muscate. [email protected]

Design & Art Direction Matt Cassare. [email protected]

Front Cover, Makeover & Style Gallery

Matthew Attard Navarrophotography & direction e. [email protected]

Photography Kevin Casha


Sales Matthew Spiteri


Printer Gutenberg Presswww.gutenberg.com.mt

Thanks to

Psychologist Vince Cassar e. [email protected]

Physiotherapist Anna Maria Risso e. [email protected]

Plastic Surgeon Mr Raymond Debonoe. [email protected]

Interior Designer Josette Schembri Vellae. [email protected]

Beauty Specialist Catherine Mangione. [email protected]

Consultant Paediatric Surgeon Chris Fearnee. [email protected]

MG Shield Security Consultant John Schembrie. [email protected]

Head of Commercial Operations At Vodafone Malta Ltd. Joseph Cuschierie. [email protected]

Head of Marketing at Active Enterprises Co. Ltd. Kevin Naudie. [email protected]

Customer Operations Manager At Vodafone Malta Michael Coneye. [email protected]

Chef Patron At Giuseppi’s Michael Diaconoe. [email protected]

Jewellery Designer/Maker Nadège Cassare. [email protected]

Physiotherapist Elaine Vellae. [email protected]

Legal Attorney Dr Edward Zammit Lewise. [email protected]

Engineering Consultant Ing Victor Bonelloe. [email protected]

Nail technician Romina Mc Cairne. [email protected]

Agricultural & Environmental Consultant Sammy Vellae. [email protected]

Research & Development Manager of Active IQ Ben Pratte. [email protected]

Family Therapist Dr Charlie Azzopardie. [email protected]

contributors

Tel. 21 332 667/9

Email. [email protected]

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ZIP Beauty Magazine - Issue 05

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Transcript of ZIP Beauty Magazine - Issue 05