Pink (January 2019)

ISSUE171∫JanUary2019

SUPER [SICK] MUM CarIn for a faMIly In ConStant paIn

MASTERING BEAUTY TIPS Straight from the make-up artist’s mouth

IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH BEHIND THE BUZZWORD MIndfUlnESS IS not MEdItatIon

LIFESTYLE MEDICINE ManaIn yoUr own IllnESS

INSIDE

January 2019

26 21

FEATURES 10 PrivateEye silent battles… but surviving Existing with chronic pain 15 InFocus why we should ask our doctors about lifestyle medicine A different way of treating patients 19 LifeStyle online gurus Your quick-fix yoga lesson from your home

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FASHION 26 ShowStopper go large and let loose Stylish in the sales with comfort clothing

HEALTH & BEAUTY 34 BeautyParlour mastering make-up A class on cosmetics tips 38 OnForm shaping up The body-contouring bible 39 RelationTips getting off autopilot How to be a mindful driver

REGULARS 7 EditorsNote 8 MailShot 21 WomanKind a hidden life Nelly Ternan 38 ThinkPink food & form 41 SnapShot the woman behind the acrobat Agnes Moon

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COVER Photography & direction Manuel Bonnici ∫ Styling Marisa Grima [marisagrima.com] ∫ Hair Elexia Borg from Gloss, San Gwann, using Wella Professionals ∫ Make-up Gabrielle Zammit Grungo ∫ Model Gabriella @ Supernova MM, wearing cardigan; PVC trousers, both Noos ∫ polo neck, stylist's own.

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EDITORSNOTE

It’s been a long lull of staying out of touch; of crackling fires and lazy, cosy, pyjama days indoors; of Christmas movies and countless goodies; country walks in unfamiliar and fertile terrain; family time; pantos and parties; piles of presents, wrapping paper, bows and cards…

But the Sleeping Beauty-style magic spell cast over the festive season has to end, and slowly, we start to dip into a reality we have forgotten, but never should.

The news is what it is – no fairy tale and barely a happily ever after. And while it confirms that it was good to be out of touch, it reaffirms the need to be aware and alert to the goings-on around us and to break that magic spell of life in what would seem to be blissful oblivion.

Conversations, by and large, were deflected from the usual drama. If we had one of those heated debates, we were made to seem we were out of it, and maybe at some point, we actually thought that we should stay out of it; that we could let others fight our battles while we basked in an idyllic and peaceful existence.

You don’t need to look back to conclude that 2018 was a hard year for the country; that feeling is hot on the heels of 2019 too.

And many must have been tempted to start the year on a more positive note against the odds.

But as most stories about resolutions go, it’s pointless making these sorts of plans.

The mere notion that attitudes, habits, ways of life, characters even, any damage done, can be reversed overnight is ludicrous and only sets us up to face the frustration of inevitable failure.

The only things that can change are those that have been brewing for a while; mindsets that have almost unconsciously been remoulded and modified along the months; actions that have already started and stopped and attempted to start again.

The motors have been warming up for a while, the wheels have been oiled, the choking, spitting engines are soothed and can start chugging along with the impetus of a new year. And suddenly, things start falling into place.

It’s a slow process and it’s about waiting it out; not to be confused with taking a complacent back seat, but about being aware, patient, and above all, hopeful.

I made a minor attempt to see what I would want to achieve and how on the first day of the year, but I have learnt to keep it simple and lower expectations. And more than anything, I knew what I didn’t want to do that I had done last year and what the general goals of life would be, without going into the nitty-gritty.

For Pink, for example, which enters its 15th year, it should be an exciting time, with some big plans in the pipeline that will set off the birth of its future. That’s one thing that is in our hands and that we can actually resolve to carry out.

For the rest, let’s at least remain mindful – to use a buzzword that is doing the rounds in this issue too – of what’s going on around us and never let anyone cast a spell on us [to carry on the panto theme] because it may just be too late if we sleep for 100 years, or even just one!

January 20, 2019 ∫ Pink is a monthly magazine ∫ Issue 171 ∫ Executive editor Fiona Galea Debono ∫ Publisher Allied Newspapers Ltd ∫ Printing Progress Press Ltd ∫ Production Allied Newspapers Ltd ∫ Contributors Elexia Borg, Iggy Fenech, Helene Fone, Mary Galea Debono, David Grech, Marisa Grima, Helen Raine, Lara Sierra, Antoinette Sinnas, Gabrielle Zammit Grungo ∫ Design Manuel Schembri ∫ Photography Manuel Bonnici, Sarah Buckle ∫ Advertising sales Veronica Grech Sant [2276 4333; veronica.grechsant@timesofmalta.com].

THIS PUBLICATION IS BEING DISTRIBUTED AS PART OF:

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Pink January 2019 ∫ 7

MAILSho

THE LETTER THAT TICKLED Pı THE EXTREMITIES OF LIFE IN MALTA Dear Madam, I may probably not be the sole male reader of your excellent monthly Pink magazine, obviously mainly aimed at a female readership.

I have to say that out of all the different magazines published in local newspapers, I find Pink to be the only one I enjoy reading, practically cover to cover. Other magazines, and there are several, I merely glance at; some I simply discard without even opening. The December issue was exceptional, especially with the variety between a story highlighting the plight of poverty in Malta [No Shame; Just Sharing, InFocus], contrasting with the other side of the coin in another story about a company sourcing extremely expensive exclusive items in a case of sheer absolute wealth [Fashion Fairy Godmothers, FashionStory]. The two stories brought to attention the extremities of life in Malta. Well done for your magazine. Keep up the good work. I look forward to it every month.

JOSEPH V. CARUANA, VIA E-MAIL

The writer of the letter of the month wins a Jimmy Choo Fever eau de parfum; a Coach New York Platinum eau de parfum; PLUS a selection of Diego dalla Palma make-up products, all from Chemimart.

FACING HARDSHIP Dear Madam, I am writing this e-mail to congratulate you for Pink magazine because it is of high interest. I found the article Light After the Tunnel [PrivateEye, December 2018] particularly encouraging, especially to people who are facing different sorts of hardships in life. Many thanks.

MARTHESE ABDILLA VIA E-MAIL

ADVERTS AND ALL Dear Madam, all I want to say is that I am always eager for Pink to come out every month since most of the topics interest me. I also like to take a look at all the adverts, and last but not least, the fashion pages. Thank you, and I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your families a healthy New Year.

MONICA MIFSUD, VIA E-MAIL

ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY Dear editor, thanks for yet another interesting issue of Pink.

I look forward to magazines distributed with The Sunday Times of Malta as they always contain interesting and educational articles. It is a pity that, for the sake of an advert, this month’s [December] issue was encased in plastic. This is even worse than single-use plastic as it is of no use at all and is thrown away [probably in most households together with the advert] immediately! I will reframe your own words in the same issue’s editorial [EditorsNote, December 2018]: "In an age of materialism, consumerism and unstoppable greed, maybe we can use this time of giving to start to realise how wrong it all is…” I suggest that, as a recognised leader in public opinion, you should seriously consider your environmental responsibility and stop using throw-away plastics in this way. You should be an advocate for a healthy environment for all of us.

CHRISTINE BALUCI, FROM NAXXAR

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we want to hear from you. Send us your feedback on Pink and any stories that may have touched you in some way, and you stand a chance of winning an Éclat de Nuit Lanvin eau de parfum from Chemimart; PLUS a bottle of Campari from Farsons Beverage ımports Co. Ltd. write to Pink, with your contact details, at Allied Newspapers Limited, triq l-ıntornjatur, Mrieћel, BKr 3000, or send an e-mail to pink@timesofmalta.com Correspondence may be edited for length and clarity. If prizes are not claimed within two months, they will no longer be available. Winners should be willing to have their photograph taken for marketing purposes.

8 ∫ Pink January 2019

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PRIVATEEYE

Silent battles... but surviving Trying to be a good parent is a tough job, and to be a good parent with chronic pain is even tougher. ANTOINETTE SINNAS is one mother living like this, and she knows the emotional side of it can cut even deeper wounds. Here, she opens up about losing your life, but still existing… From fibromyalgia and myalgic encephalomyelitis to spinal stenosis, this is what it means to suffer – and survive – such silent but excruciating conditions that are still surrounded in stigma.

I

’m no stranger to chronic pain.

What I suffer from is spinal stenosis, a condition that narrows the spinal canal, putting pressure on the spinal cord and nerves.

The left side of my body is most affected, and until my recent surgeries, I experienced excruciating pain that originated from my neck, shooting down to my foot. This used to be accompanied by numbness, tingling and a terrible burning sensation. Although my symptoms are gradually decreasing, my leg is perpetually weak, my knee buckles quite often and I feel like I was being skewered and grilled.

Year in, year out, full-blown flare-ups would put me totally out of action. This worsened each year and disrupted my family life, sleep patterns, emotions, stomach, menstrual cycle and made me lax as a wife and mother.

10 ∫ Pink January 2019

A copious amount of drugs and numerous conservative methods of pain relief couldn’t take it away. I was advised that the risk of surgery at my young age may do the trick, or I could end up in a wheelchair… or worse. The strong painkillers were eating into my body due to their harsh side effects. It was a catch22; we didn’t know whether to wind the watch or bark at the moon.

Since January 2018, I have been more or less bedridden. Much as I try, the pain is hard to hide from my children. The guilt monster emerges from under the bed and plagues my feeling of being an incompetent mother. I am in no contest, aiming to be a super mum, but I find it heart-breaking that my young daughters are more attuned to my pain and always put my needs before theirs.

Feeding my guilt just makes things worse and I know my body’s limitations, so we work around my pain threshold as

much as I can. Instead of trips to the park, the beach, or to the mall, we cuddle up, watch movies, play board games, or chitchat. Dazed and confused, I feel it is pivotal that we spend quality time as a family.

Walking to drop off and collect my children from school was the hardest. As I waited for school to finish, I would hear the bell ring and watch all the children running out. I remember that, due to the incapacitating pain, I was unable to lift my arms forward to protect myself if any of them barrelled into me. Scared out of my wits, I’d clench my muscles tight to keep steady and not be propelled off balance.

Hoisting their school bags on my back was like carrying a ton of cargo. My body buckled under the pressure and there came a point when I just couldn’t carry their bags anymore. When my kids saw what was happening, they didn’t allow me to. I guess to others I must have looked like the worst mother on the

PRIVATEEYE tougher. There are so many parents out here living in chronic pain and I know the emotional side of it can cut deeper wounds.

Simple actions like giving my daughters a tight hug, carrying my six-year-old like a little koala, going on family outings, or even simple daily chores like cooking and cleaning would be like asking a woman in the throes of labour to get up and bake you a pie.

It has sure been a learning curve for our family, especially my children who have been so caring and compassionate.

Accompanied with gentle kisses, they have told me countless times: “You’re the most amazing mummy! You’re so strong!” And it always boosts me.

Seeing their mother suffer has taught my kids to persevere through adversity and empathise with others in pain. They’ve also learnt certain tasks, like making their own bowl of cereal for breakfast, tidying up their room and picking out what to wear from their wardrobe. It all adds up.

My husband has been my concrete support throughout this ordeal. His are the set of legs I support myself on when I can’t stand on my own. Friends and neighbours have helped us immensely with food, funds and daily chores. The Maltese Islands may be among the smallest on the planet, but their people truly have the biggest hearts.

After undergoing two major spinal surgeries and several other procedures over the past months, I am on the mend and can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

“I AM IN NO CONTEST, AIMING TO BE A SUPER MUM, BUT I FIND IT HEART-BREAKING THAT MY YOUNG DAUGHTERS ARE MORE ATTUNED TO MY PAIN AND ALWAYS PUT MY NEEDS BEFORE THEIRS” planet, allowing my kids to carry their own bags, while I walked beside them looking bedraggled and berating myself.

But who knew what was really going on?

They couldn’t see the invisible cross on my back. If I saw a person who looked like me on the street, I would have been very judgmental too and formed mistaken conclusions. But now, I’ve realised that unless you’re in their shoes, you’ll never know their story. Everyone is fighting a battle, in some way or another, that we may or may not know anything about. All we can do is empathise and let judgement take a back seat.

Trying to be a good parent is a tough job, and to be a good parent with pain is even

Neither am I in a wheelchair and nor am I pushing up daisies and can put that fear behind me.

I am aware that the road to recovery is long due to severe neural damage, but I am resurfacing to the shore from a deep dark abyss. All credit goes to the remarkable work of an Italian surgeon, Prof. Benedetto Pinto, who specialises in intralaminar surgery, and his team at Saint James Hospital.

They have tried their very best to get me to where I am today, tackling a mechanical issue I had. I may not be able to run a marathon, or arm wrestle, but it doesn’t really matter as long as I’m not a pill head in constant debilitating pain and as long as I get my life back on track.

Rebecca’s invisible disabilities Rebecca Camilleri was an ambitious, happy-go-lucky, independent girl, who actively juggled three jobs… until chronic pain meant it all came crashing down.

“Oh, what a workaholic I was!

I loved studying, playing sports and exploring my creative gene,” she says. She always dreamt of running her own business selling her polymer clay jewellery, along with her fine-art sketches. She strived towards making her dream come true, but little did she know a bleak future lay ahead for her.

As a young child, Rebecca was taken to numerous doctors as she always suffered from severe body pain and headaches. Her condition was attributed to growing pains. Despite this, she tried to keep her spirits high and kept on going. She ping-ponged between so many doctors, they eventually lost interest in her case.

Rebecca’s life took a dramatic turn for the worse at the age of 17 when she was struck with glandular fever, an acute viral infection that mainly affects young adults. “I never went back to my old self again. I felt the body I was in wasn’t mine anymore and that I was a prisoner in my own self,” she admits.

The consequences made her veer off life’s tracks and she began caving in. At the age of 25, Rebecca was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a syndrome that affects the muscles and soft tissue, causing chronic pain.

“I have lived with pain since I was a child, but this and the spasms never stopped me, nor slowed me down. What really altered my life were the other symptoms that crept onto me.

At this point, I still couldn’t fathom whether this was just fibromyalgia, or if was I suffering from something even worse.

Pink January 2019 ∫ 11

PRIVATEEYE “One morning, I woke up and just couldn’t move my legs. I was alone at home and panic gripped me as I couldn’t even reach my phone to call for help.

I knew something was definitely wrong.

I lay still and waited. After two scary hours, I was able to wiggle my toes and move my feet slowly,” Rebecca recalls.

was depressed. She passed through a horrible phase because she felt blamed for something she had no control over.

Time has passed since then and Rebecca is now a single young woman living in poverty, looking after her 72year-old mother, who is suffering from cancer. The pair slip through the cracks

“SHE FELT SCARED OF BEING ‘TOLD OFF’ BY DOCTORS AND COLLEAGUES THAT SHE WAS STRESSED, LAZY, OR AN ATTENTION SEEKER AND THAT IT WAS ALL A BIG FARCE BECAUSE SHE WAS DEPRESSED” “Before I knew it, I had to quit two of my jobs as I physically couldn’t make it to work. I tried to hold on to my third job, which was just a four-hour shift, but even that became too much to bear. I would throw up each morning because I felt nauseous. My body felt too weak to get out of bed, but I would drag myself out with the last drop of strength left in me. I had no choice but to go to work with a paper bag in my hand just in case…”

Rebecca would call in sick quite often and was soon given a warning that she would have to resign should she continue to do so. Every day, she walked into the office as pale as a ghost, but her condition was always brushed aside and made fun of. It was a case of: “Death just walked through the door.”

In her early 30s, doctors told her she could very well be suffering from myalgic encephalomyelitis [ME], an infectious neurological disease, which represents a major attack on the central nervous system and an associated injury of the immune system by the chronic effects of a viral infection, which preceded Rebecca’s attack of glandular fever.

ME and fibromyalgia are two conditions that still have no direct laboratory tests. A person suffering from them can only be diagnosed when a long list of other conditions has been excluded.

When Rebecca was first struck with the conditions over a decade ago, there was practically little or no awareness about either of them. During those years, she felt scared of being ‘told off ’ by doctors and colleagues that she was stressed, lazy, or an attention seeker and that it was all a big farce because she 12 ∫ Pink January 2019

of the system: as neither of them have the ability to work, they live off the mother’s meagre pension. They barely have enough to scrape through each day, with hardly any nutritious food nor enough money for expensive medication and vitamins they both require.

With barely any energy in Rebecca’s body, she can’t venture out to work and gets paid for being her mother’s carer at home. She is concerned about what would happen to her if, God forbid, anything happens to her mother.

Her condition only worsens each day.

With tears streaming down her face, Rebecca says: “How can I possibly work in this condition? For us to survive, my mum needs to continue being ill, so I get paid. My heart bleeds to see her like this.

I regret that she gave up most of her life dodging my disabilities not to live under the critical eye of the public and their views on ME and fibromyalgia. But we take each day as it comes and manage to get by…”

With sadness in her eyes, Rebecca’s mother says: “I’m hoping my cancer goes, but I’m worried that if it does, we might not get help!”

Rebecca, together with Ruth Debono and Maria Spiteri, are doing a great job raising awareness about these conditions through the ME/CFS & FM Alliance to help co-sufferers and provide a solid support system for them.

Although she is not confined to her bed, Rebecca is, however, often housebound. She wakes exhausted every morning; so weak, she can barely breathe or utter a word. Even the simple act of writing gives her cramps and excruciating pain in her fingers, which forces her to take breaks every few sentences. She feels a horrific burning

and bruised sensation on her pale, translucent skin when her clothes rub against it. She can barely stand, and sometimes, she can’t even walk up to the front door to open it.

She also suffers from constant excruciating migraines and the slightest noise is amplified in her ears. She tries her best to eat, but the constant feeling of nausea dissuades her. What she craves for sometimes, she can’t afford.

Rebecca sobs as she continues: “Do you know what it feels like to lose your life, but still exist? Because only people like me do. No one chooses to be sick; no one chooses all this.”

Meanwhile, she continues to experience the stigma attached to her invisible disabilities, with the potential judgment from the world around her and the unknown future she faces.

FACTS & FIGURES The term myalgic encephalomyelitis [ME] has been included in the International Classification of Diseases by the World Health Organisation since 1969.

About 75 per cent of sufferers are housebound and cannot work, and of those, 25 per cent are bedridden.

Around 30 per cent of ME cases are progressive and degenerative, and sometimes, ME is fatal. The death rate for ME is roughly three per cent, caused by cardiac failure, brain death, tumours and liver failure. Sudden deaths can also follow exercise/ overexertion and can also occur after a long period of the slowly worsening illness.

Many of these deaths are caused by mistreatment and could have been avoided if patients had been given basic appropriate medical care.

PRIVATEEYE

Hidden wars Dr Amy Chircop offers a medical snapshot of the illnesses Rebecca and Antoinette face so bravely and with such determination.

C

hronic pain is an invisible battle, which unfortunately, a lot of people of varying ages across different walks of life are struggling with on a daily basis.

The list of medical conditions that may contribute to this is never-ending, with three notorious players being fibromyalgia, ME and spinal stenosis.

Fibromyalgia is a syndrome consisting of widespread pain; extreme tiredness and fatigue; cognitive difficulties such as difficulty with concentrating and memorising things [commonly referred to as brain fog]; and persistent unrefreshing sleep.

All this is often accompanied with psychological symptoms, such as anxiety and depression. The functional impairment can range from mild limitation to inability to perform activities of daily living, such as bathing, cooking and mobilising. This stems

from an altered pain-processing system of the brain, which often manifests itself in sufferers having lower thresholds to stimuli, especially pain.

Patients may be subjected to some investigations prior to a diagnosis of fibromyalgia being made. These are important since they help in ruling out other medical conditions, which may present similarly.

The notion that fibromyalgia is the go-to diagnosis when the physician is in a quandary over the complex symptoms being experienced by the patient is irresponsible and should be abolished.

Fibromyalgia is a discrete illness and sufferers should be treated with the same dignity and respect as any other medical condition.

Management is truly multidisciplinary: it should encompass non-medical strategies, such as lifestyle changes, physical activity and psychological support, coupled with medical treatment, such as adequate analgesia.

ME, or as many may know it, chronic fatigue syndrome, is another complex condition affecting different systems in the body. It is important to note that it is distinct from fibromyalgia and is characterised by profound fatigue present for at least six months, cognitive dysfunction, and a variety of other symptoms, such as headaches, muscle weakness, vision disturbances, numbness, and bladder and bowel dysfunction.

In contrast to fibromyalgia and ME, the pain and symptoms experienced by patients with spinal stenosis are due to a structural abnormality of the backbone. In fact, spinal stenosis is a progressive narrowing of the spinal canal, which may be complicated with compression of nerve roots, leading to the symptoms experienced by Antoinette.

Spinal stenosis occurs mostly with degenerative changes as part of the normal ageing process. Patients who have a congenitally narrow spinal canal, meaning that it is present from birth, may be predisposed to experience symptoms earlier on in life, since the acquired changes in the spine throughout the years will add on to the already present narrowing, with greater risk of nerve compression.

The gold standard diagnosing investigation is an MRI, where the level and extent of narrowing can be objectively visualised.

Conservative strategies are initially adopted in the management of spinal stenosis, with great focus on rest, physiotherapy [especially strengthening exercises of the back muscles], and adequate analgesia and muscle relaxants. In severe cases, or when conservative management fails, a surgical intervention is required to relieve the nerve from the compression and prevent further damage.

“THE NOTION THAT FIBROMYALGIA IS THE GO-TO DIAGNOSIS WHEN THE PHYSICIAN IS IN A QUANDARY OVER THE COMPLEX SYMPTOMS BEING EXPERIENCED BY THE PATIENT IS IRRESPONSIBLE AND SHOULD BE ABOLISHED” In some cases, symptoms can be so severe that patients end up being housebound, and in certain instances, bedbound. Characteristically, patients experience a marked deterioration of symptoms with physical or cognitive exertion, such as stress. It has been proffered that the cause of ME is the result of an abnormal immune system and brain function in response to an infection or virus, such as infectious mononucleosis, or as it is often referred to, “the kissing disease”.

As with fibromyalgia, there are no specific investigations to diagnose ME and diagnosis is mostly a clinical one.

Sufferers often face a silent battle when dealing with chronic pain. They fear shame, unfounded judgements and, many a time, a sheer lack of compassion and understanding. This should not be so. Patients should be inundated with support. They should be encouraged to confide in their family doctors and specialists. Support groups should be promoted and empowered to extend their reach because they are the best guiding lights.

No sufferer should face a battle alone. fibromyalgia, ME and spinal stenosis patients and those suffering from chronic pain should not be any different.

Pink January 2019 ∫ 13

INFOCUS

WHY WE SHOULD ASK OUR DOCTORS ABOUT

LIFESTYLE MEDICINE LARA SIERRA looks into a new way of treating patients that could save lives and cut millions off healthcare deficits worldwide. So why don’t we know more about it?

P

hysicians who specialise in lifestyle medicine tend to abhor the title. It sounds like a fad diet, or yet another wellness industry cult.

Yet lifestyle medicine is no joke. A rapidly-growing body of doctors across the world is beginning to realise how monumental a shift in attitudes among healthcare professionals could be. They’ve just got to work out how to do it.

Lifestyle medicine is a branch of healthcare that attempts to manage illness brought about through lifestyle factors such as poor nutrition, chronic stress, or physical inactivity. We’ve been told often enough

that if you eat badly, you can become obese, or develop high cholesterol, or even type 2 diabetes…

The list goes on.

Yet where things get interesting is the vast range of illnesses that lifestyle medicine can be applied to. How about inflammation, chronic pain, some varieties of mental illness, osteoporosis and even some cancers?

The American College of Lifestyle Medicine claims that 80 per cent of healthcare spending is directly tied to the treatment of conditions rooted in lifestyle choices, and more shockingly, that approximately half of all deaths in 1990 could be attributed to lifestyle factors.

Imagine the amount of money and resources that could be saved, then, if patients were treated by making lifestyle alterations, or better yet, if they were treated to prevent illness altogether?

In August 2014, a doctor called Rishi Manchanda filmed a TED talk about a patient named Veronica. She suffered from severe chronic headaches, she had been sent for an array of tests and even once the emergency room. Yet there was no diagnosis or official treatment, and the headaches kept coming.

“THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF LIFESTYLE MEDICINE CLAIMS THAT 80 PER CENT OF HEALTHCARE SPENDING IS DIRECTLY TIED TO THE TREATMENT OF CONDITIONS ROOTED IN LIFESTYLE CHOICES, AND MORE SHOCKINGLY, THAT APPROXIMATELY HALF OF ALL DEATHS IN 1990 COULD BE ATTRIBUTED TO LIFESTYLE FACTORS” Finally, Veronica was introduced to Dr Manchanda, who took a rapidly different approach. He asked her a series of questions, including seemingly bizarre and non-related ones, and within three months, Veronica was cured. The doctor’s diagnosis? Mould and cockroach allergens in her bedroom were making her sick.

She was sick because of lifestyle influences; not from any viruses or bacteria.

Pink January 2019 ∫ 15

INFOCUS

“AS MINDFULNESS EXPLODED INTO 2017, WE LEARNT THAT OUR MENTAL HEALTH, OUR PHYSICAL HEALTH AND HOW WE FEEL ARE ALL INTERRELATED. COCAINE, BEER AND THE DIET COKE DIET WAS OUT; AVOCADO, STRENGTH TRAINING AND MEDITATION WAS IN” “In the last century or so,” says Dr Manchanda in his book The Upstream Doctors, “the culture of medicine has largely been shaped by an exuberant overemphasis on the biological and molecular phenomena of disease. Improving the social conditions that shape health has become an afterthought.”

His video received over a million and a half views on TED.com and a further 75,000 on YouTube. Although medical practitioners had been actively looking into lifestyle-as-medicine from 2010, this was the first time that it was propelled into the public mindset.

While Jane Fonda got everyone exercising in the 1980s and Robert Atkins gained popularity with his cult-status diet in the noughties, lifestyle trends used to be primarily geared towards rapid weight loss with the aim of looking good.

The headlines screamed: “Cut carbs to get skinny”; “Shred belly fat with this simple trick!” Healthy was not the goal – it was all about the aesthetic.

There is no denying that such consumerism still drives the majority of lifestyle marketing. Yet, slowly but surely, things are changing. At around the same time as 16 ∫ Pink January 2019

Dr Manchanda’s TED talk, media campaigns started rupturing the surface of what was previously a very onedimensional industry.

“Get fit not thin,” campaigned a host of celebrities such as Ellie Golding and Daisy Lowe; “Strong is the new skinny,” shouted the media with glee; and women all over the world breathed a long-awaited sigh of relief over their jeans.

Slowly, as we began to think about our body in terms of health and fitness instead of just calories, we started thinking about our health in other ways, too. Are we too stressed? Are we getting enough sleep? As mindfulness exploded into 2017, we learnt that our mental health, our physical health and how we feel are all interrelated.

Cocaine, beer and the Diet Coke diet was out; avocado, strength training and meditation was in.

But hang on a minute. Weren’t we talking about medicine and not about the wellness industry? So, we were, and herein lies the true reason why physicians may find the term ‘lifestyle medicine’ so problematic.

A quick glance at social media shows 72,000 tags for lifestyle medicine. Many are from doctors, dieticians, or

INFOCUS other healthcare professionals, but many more are simply from self-styled ‘experts’ who are using the term to endorse their own brands, such as protein powders, vegan snacks, or essential oils.

So, is there a genuine possibility that lifestyle medicine will be swallowed up by the lucrative ‘lifestyle’ industry?

Before we’ve even understood how it works?

Bettina Campolucci Bordi is a chef and blogger living in the UK. She struggled to conceive a child for several years.

She was diagnosed with severe PCOS and endometriosis, and after taking the contraceptive pill for 10 years, she found her symptoms became much more severe once she came off.

Bettina Campolucci Bordi

Instead of taking the medication that is generally prescribed for such conditions, she began researching how to ease her own symptoms. “I read lots of books,” she explains. “I began taking supplements and I made some lifestyle alterations. Within seven months, I was pregnant.”

She is cautious, however, of claiming that what she did could work for everybody: “PCOS is a hormonal thing, and it makes you crave things such as sugar and carbohydrates, which are bad for you. The normal things that all doctors will recommend to you, such as eating healthily [and by that, I mean eating as many vegetables as possible and cutting down on sugary treats], exercising, sleeping well and so on, all made a big difference to me. But my suggestion is to find out what works for you.”

Bettina is certainly not the first to claim that selfprescribed lifestyle adjustments have cured a previously chronic condition. We now find ourselves living in an era of Deliciously Ella heroes, where a hardened army of sufferers from non-communicable diseases are working their own way back to good health through canny research, careful self-monitoring and endless self-discipline.

Deliciously Ella, AKA Ella Mills, famously “cured” herself of an autoimmune disorder called Postural Tachycardia Syndrome through a complete lifestyle overhaul. The fact that she became a millionaire in the process is proof that the rest of the world sat up and took notice.

“THE CONCEPT OF LIFESTYLE MEDICINE IS FAIRLY SIMPLE; LOOK AFTER YOURSELF TO AVOID GETTING SICK AND LOOK AFTER YOURSELF TO RECOVER” It makes for a fantastic story, as does Bettina’s, to cure oneself of a disease through one’s own introspection and hard work. Yet it is at this point that a sense of weariness may enter the debate. Who should be preaching to whom?

Celebrity psychologist Jordan Peterson is touring the world with grand proclamations that he eats steak with salt and nothing else, and it has cured him of depression.

The wellness gurus mentioned above are simply recommending a healthier approach to living, yet subsisting on a diet of steak with salt stinks of extremism, which would send most physicians running to the hills.

This begs the question then: how can doctors begin to take more control in addressing our lifestyle to prevent unqualified celebrities filling in the gaps? But also, how can doctors manage to do this in their already overstretched and under-resourced field?

Dr Timmy Camilleri, a family doctor with decades of experience behind him, helps explain the situaElla Mills tion. “In most countries, medical students are now being trained in lifestyle medicine.

“Thirty or so years ago, we were taught to advise patients in-clinic about not smoking, eating more healthily and so on, but they were only ever recommendations or advice; nothing official. Now, lifestyle medicine allows family doctors, as the first port of call, to advise on a patient’s lifestyle as medication.

“Doctors do not have the time or resources to counsel a patient fully through a comprehensive lifestyle change, such as a healthy eating regime, so here in Malta, clinics are being opened, which will provide this as a service to patients.”

Health.gov.mt explains that these Lifestyle Clinics “will allow for a detailed and individualised health needs assessment of a person by a specialised nurse in order to identify the risks to a person’s health”. At last count, 14 of these clinics are in operation in Malta, with two in Gozo.

The concept of lifestyle medicine is fairly simple; look after yourself to avoid getting sick and look after yourself to recover. There will, of course, always be the need for traditional medicine; some diseases are simply too powerful. Yet, for those which are not, it is a welcome relief to know that doctors are there to support us through the lifestyle shifts we know we need to make.

For more on Bettina’s story, find her blog on Bettina’s kitchen.com, follow her eponymous account on Instagram, or order her book, Happy Food from Amazon.

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LIFESTYLE megawatt ‘yogagrin’, but her sessions can really help a bad back. She has specific videos depending on the location of the problem [such as lower back, or shoulders and neck] – choose what works for you.

POSERS

ONLINE GURUS

HELEN RAINE sends her third eye to track down the best yoga gurus on the web in case you don’t have enough time to make it to that class.

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swallowed a New Age yogi marketing bible, and she’s rather annoyingly perfectlooking, but her bite-sized yoga is perfect for busy people who would like to bring a few chatarungas into their living rooms.

QUICK SHARP

Yoga can be a lifesaver if you have back or shoulder problems. The best options are specifically designed for back pain, as they will help you to avoid some of the poses that might exacerbate your problem.

Rodney Yee [Back Care Yoga with Rodney Yee on YouTube] gets straight down to business in his video – no rabbiting about

ometimes, there just aren’t enough hours in the day to make it to the yoga studio. But if you spend your life hunched over a computer, driving or rushing around on your feet, yoga is exactly what you need to decompress your body and your soul. The solution is simple – online yoga. Here’s where to send your third eye to find the best gurus on the web.

Gymnast Juliana Semenova and husband Mark converted a van into a tiny home, and as they travelled across the US, raising money for charity, they recorded yoga videos in stunning locations. It would be quite easy to hate them, these beautiful people who are taut, toned and ultra-cool. Luckily, the yoga lives up to the hype. On their site, Bohobeautifullife, there’s a selection of nicely shot videos that are generally short and sweet.

You can follow a yoga flow filmed in the Joshua Tree National Park – it only requires 15 minutes less shut eye to complete; or try five-minute bedtime yoga to ease you into blissful sleep. The yin yoga for stress relief is a great way to unwind and you only need half an hour to complete it. Juliana sounds like she

BACK BASICS

If you already have some yoga experience but want to master those Instagramready poses that the average class doesn’t cover, then ‘Yoga Rebel’ Tara Stiles can help [TaraStiles on YouTube]. She’ll ease you into poses like Crow, Side Crow, Bird of Paradise, or handstand.

Allie the Journey Junkie [YouTube] also has a 30-pose journey, which will take you gradually from the foundations of yoga to headstands, forearm balances, handstands, eight-angle pose, flying splits and flying pigeon. Her Yoga for Strength video doesn’t mess around – within three minutes [heavily punctuated by “gratitude”] you’re in a headstand.

If you want to get really technical, go with Olav Aarts from Ekhart Yoga on YouTube; he’ll work you into a peacock pose in six minutes flat.

THE MALTESE CROSS For online yoga with a Maltese flavour, try LotusRoomYogaCentre Malta on YouTube. Against the stunning backdrop of the ancient Roman apiaries in Xemxija, instructor Jenny takes you through a “peaceful standing pose flow” for power and energy. She also has a beautiful clifftop Sun Salutation, which will get you moving in the morning, as well as meditations. If you prefer, you can buy the Lotus Room’s video, Yoga Sadhana.

Lahlah Yoga also has videos on their website [lahlahyoga.com]. Choose from options such as an hour-long gentle flow,

“HER BITE-SIZED YOGA IS PERFECT FOR BUSY PEOPLE WHO WOULD LIKE TO BRING A FEW CHATARUNGAS INTO THEIR LIVING ROOMS” the rightness of the universe for this yogi.

His delivery is slow and methodical and it’s easy to follow his directions as he contorts against a beach backdrop. The music is a ghastly sort of ‘ethereal electronic panpipe’ affair, but you can more or less tune the pipers out. Rod will chime with men who prefer their yoga to have a masculine touch.

For the rest of us, Adriene [Yoga with Adriene on YouTube] is wonderful. She practises in a studio and has the obligatory

a seven-minute meditation or a ‘be kind to your wrists and shoulders’ salutation.

Experienced yogis can go for the 30-minute dynamic flow.

And to stay in the Maltese groove, finish off with the Sharva Udara-karshanasana; that Sanskrit tongue twister is called the Maltese Cross in English. Find a ‘how to’ with Sanjana Batra [Only my Health Yoga on YouTube]; this spinal twist is a great stress buster.

Pink January 2019 ∫ 19

Charles Dickens and Nelly Ternan

WOMANKIND

A hidden life Although the discovery that Charles Dickens had had a secret affair with young actress Nelly Ternan, 30 years his junior, does not alter our admiration of the man as a writer, MARY GALEA DEBONO maintains it does modify and throw a new light on the overall picture of both the person and the Victorian era in which he lived.

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harles Dickens was not only a great writer; he was also a social reformer. In his lifetime, he was a public idol, revered for the values that he stood for.

Yet it is now an established fact that from 1857 to 1870, the year he died, he had had an affair with Nelly Ternan, a young actress for whom he had abandoned his wife of many years and with whom he had had nine children. When the relationship started, he was 48; Nelly was just 18.

In the first decade after his death, biographers were reluctant to write about this aspect of his private life and this is understandable in the context of the time. In the 1890s, hints of this clandestine affair, which began to trickle out, caused a strong reaction; the public outrightly dismissed such allegations.

Many considered it an iconoclastic exercise with the sole purpose of harming the great man’s reputation; others were genuinely unaware of this aspect of the author’s life and they found it difficult to accept that this man, known for his social conscience, could have been capable of such dissimulation.

Dickens had taken great pains to keep this private detail a secret. He had made sure that all his correspondence was destroyed, and he expected his closest friends and confidants, who had been privy to it, to do the same.

Nelly herself, keen on safeguarding her newly won freedom and respectability after his death, too destroyed all the letters and never referred to this period of her life.

Dickens’s children as well as Nelly’s own sisters kept up until the end the

pretence that the author’s interest in her was similar to that of a godfather to his godchild.

What, one might legitimately query, can be gained from researching and uncovering such a ‘secret’?

The story in itself would be of minor importance – possibly even provide a touch of glamour – if Dickens were living in the 21st century; but he lived in the Victorian age, and although this discovery does not alter our admiration of the man as a writer, it does modify and throw a new light on the overall picture of both the person and the era in which he lived.

One of the most compelling and brilliant accounts of this love affair was written by Claire Tomlin. Her biography, aptly titled The Invisible Woman, was published in 1990 and a lot of scholarship and research, as well as Pink January 2019 ∫ 21

WOMANKIND some detective work, went into this project. It is a story of a 19th-century woman, told with empathy by a 20thcentury one. Not many new details emerge about the relationship itself; its main interest lies in establishing that it really did occur in spite of all the attempts to hide it. Tomlin is of the opinion that encouraging a belief in myths is tantamount to suppressing the truth and rewriting history.

Ellen, or Nelly, as she was known throughout her life, was the youngest of three daughters whose parents were both actors. After their marriage in 1834, the Ternans immediately set out for America, where their first daughter, Fanny, was born. The tour was a great success financially, mostly due to the mother who was a good actress and managed to secure leading roles. She was, in fact, the real breadwinner of the family.

The father was less talented and, perhaps resentful of the success of his wife, on their return to England, he attempted to manage one of the theatres but failed.

When Nelly was five, he became ill and was taken to the Insane Asylum at Bethnal Green; two years later, he was dead. He may have been suffering from syphilis.

taking part, it was then a common practice for amateur gentlemen actors to have recourse to professional actresses.

The Ternans were elated when they discovered that Dickens was interested in them; he was, after all, the most popular man in the country; well-known for the help he gave to anyone in difficulty; a man who worked with and for the underdog; a man who advocated kindness towards women.

“A YOUNG WOMAN, SEDUCED BY A GENTLEMAN WHO ALREADY HAD A DAUGHTER OF THE SAME AGE, MEANT SHE WAS DOOMED TO NEVER FIND A GOOD HUSBAND LATER” After his death, Ms Ternan and her daughters had no alternative other than persevering in their acting careers. The Ternans had always lived – as all actors did in those times – an itinerant life, moving from one provincial theatre to another with the company to which they belonged, and this remained their lifestyle.

The difficulties encountered were not few. All three girls had already made their first stage appearance at the age of three, but it was Fanny, the most gifted one, who was able to contribute most to their meagre family income.

Nelly met Dickens in 1857 when the famous writer, by nature a very generous man, was planning to put up the play The Frozen Deep, which he had written, to raise money for the family of a playwright who had just died. In order to do this, he needed the help of professional actresses. Because acting was not then a reputable profession and precluded wives and daughters from 22 ∫ Pink January 2019

Dickens travelled with the actors to Manchester where the play was to be performed. He was attentive to the whole family, but showed special interest in Nelly, who, although not as beautiful as her mother, was quite attractive. He pursued her with more than ordinary interest.

It was at this point that his relationship with his wife, Catherine, deteriorated to the extent that he blocked the door between his dressing room and what formerly had been the marital bedroom. Humiliated by the man who had always extolled domestic virtues, they publicly separated after 22 years of marriage – then an unheard-of step – and Catherine never returned to the matrimonial home.

The Ternans, on the other hand, were flattered by the interest the great man showed in them even if it was obvious that a young woman, seduced by a gentleman who already had a daughter

of the same age, meant she was doomed to never find a good husband later.

That Nelly was an actress, with all the connotations attached to such a career, would have been another added drawback. Tomlin suggests that the fact that her mother did not warn her, as it was her duty to do, about the grave consequences to her future, is an indication that she was compliant.

Dickens too had much to lose by this liaison. He knew that he was responsible for the young woman’s reputation, but what bothered him most was the fact that his own was at stake. He never contemplated going against the legal or moral system of his age. “He could not bear the image of a rake,” concludes Tomlin. But guarding the secret was in itself a burden.

To protect himself from the risk of a public scandal, he resorted to all sorts of subterfuge. He had four different residences, which made it difficult for anyone to track him down, and when he bought Nelly a house to live in, where he could visit her, he did so in a very roundabout way, making the transaction difficult to trace and using a false name when it came to payment.

He also destroyed his diaries where he noted his engagements – which would have unequivocally proved the relationship – and was greatly upset when in 1867 he lost one of them.

For a time, Nelly lived in France with her mother and there is the possibility that sometime in 1862/1863 she was expecting a baby – a circumstance that would have been an even graver blot on his good name.

Although there is conflicting evidence about this fact, Dickens’s own son, Henry, is recorded as having later stated that “there was a baby but it died”.

What is sure, writes Tomlin, is that the author often went to see her in her house, which was in or close to Paris, the last recorded visit being that of June 9, 1865.

What almost threatened to expose the whole situation was a train accident that occurred in Staplehurst in Kent, when Dickens, Nelly and her mother were returning to England from France and the middle coaches overturned killing 10 passengers. Nelly was slightly injured, but Dickens acted as if he had nothing to do with the two women and even refused to give evidence at the inquest, so fearful was he for his good name.

For the duration of the affair, Nelly continued to live in isolation; these were her “hidden years”. She had ample leisure time and was well provided for, but little else; she made herself available and waited patiently for his visits when he would discuss his work with her and she would be given the proofs of his novels to read. Dickens modelled several of his characters on her, notably Lucie Manette in A Tale of Two Cities.

In 1869, Dickens became ill and suffered a stroke. He prepared a will in which he named Ellen Lawless Ternan as the legatee of a small sum of money. There was also a secret financial provision, which allowed her to live sufficiently comfortable for the rest of her life. Officially, he had died at Gad’s Hill, his main residence, but later, new evidence surfaced that he had passed away when he was staying with Nelly at her new house in Peckham.

“NELLY, NOW SETTLED AS THE SCHOOLMASTER’S WIFE, BURIED ALL REFERENCES TO HER WORKING CHILDHOOD, HER STAGE EXPERIENCES AND HER LIFE WITH DICKENS AND BECAME A MODEL OF RESPECTABILITY AND PROPRIETY” Nelly was free after the death of Dickens and she started to travel, accompanied by her faithful maid and life-long companion, Jane Wheeler. She visited her sister Fanny, who had married Thomas Trollope, brother of the novelist Anthony Trollope, and was living in Florence.

In 1870, at a college party she attended with her sister Maria, she met George Wharton Robinson, an undergraduate at Oxford, aiming for a Church career. He was much younger than her, but the ever-resourceful Nelly solved this problem by expediently abolishing 14 years of her age, making herself two years younger than him.

After their marriage in 1876, having dissuaded him from becoming a clergyman, the couple settled in Margate where George became co-proprietor of a high school.

Nelly, now settled as the schoolmaster’s wife, buried all references to her working childhood, her stage experiences and her life with Dickens and became a model of respectability and propriety. She dedicated herself to charity work and helped in the organisation of plays and concerts.

She and George had two children, Geoffrey and Gladys.

In 1886, George suffered a health breakdown and the school closed down, bringing new financial difficulties.

Endeavours to set up a new school were unsuccessful as was their attempt to invest in a market garden near Reading.

Nelly started giving lessons to relieve the financial situation.

One positive thing was that they managed to buy a commission as a second lieutenant in the army for their son Geoffrey, who was given a colonial posting in Malta with the Lancashire Fusiliers.

In 1907, Nelly was operated on for breast cancer and George, distressed, fell ill himself and died. She was emotionally supported by Fanny to whom she was very close.

She remained, however, in good spirits and went on working as a teacher in a small girls’ school. Fanny died in 1913 and Nelly in April the following year.

PINKPROMO

ENTERING RED Ana de Armas is the star of Campari Red Diaries 2019, Entering Red, a short movie directed by Matteo Garrone for the iconic Italian aperitif.

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ampari Red Diaries 2019 returns with Entering Red, an enigmatic short movie featuring a Hollywood actress in the lead and award-winning talent at the director’s chair.

Fuelled with mystery and romance, viewers are taken on an unexpected journey of discovery into the world of Campari. For Campari, as “every cocktail tells a story”, Entering Red not only tells a tale of intrigue, but it is also an ode to the iconic Negroni,

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Campari’s signature cocktail, marking its centenary in 2019.

Starring internationally renowned actress Ana de Armas – the star of blockbuster film, Blade Runner 2049, as well as Italian actor Lorenzo Richelmy, and directed by awardwinning Italian director Matteo Garrone, who’s latest film Dogman received the Best Actor prize at Cannes and has been submitted by Italy for the 2019 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, the new

short movie will be the core element of a fully integrated campaign in 2019.

With a love for cinematography and as main sponsor of the Venice International Film Festival of La Biennale di Venezia, this short movie comes as a new and exciting addition to Campari’s recognised history of short movies and storytelling content.

Entering Red is a suspenseful and intriguing story, where viewers will get to know Ana, played by the eponymous de Armas, whose curious soul explores

PINKProo

“De Armas perfectly depicts the character’s evolution, tentatively following scarlet clues that the charming city of Milan has left behind for her to find”

the charismatic city of Milano through the captivating and pleasurable lens of Campari.

The cinematographic experience is heightened by Garrone’s talent in this highly stylised short movie, where the audience will ‘enter red’ simultaneously with Ana, discovering the unexpected, enchanting world of Campari together, and venturing through the birthplace of the iconic vibrant red aperitif.

De Armas perfectly depicts the character’s evolution, tentatively following scarlet clues that the charming city of Milan has left behind for her to find.

The cast this year also welcomes cameos from Campari’s ‘Red Hands’, six of the world’s best bartenders, as well as social influencers in front of the camera for the first time.

“It’s an incredible honour to be a part of this short movie, Entering Red, and the Campari Red Diaries campaign. It was also a privilege to work with such an acclaimed director.

I loved playing a character that showed such passion and curiosity on her journey of self-discovery in the beautiful city of Milan,” de Armas comments.

“This year’s film is set to bring to life the intriguing journey that is the discovery of Campari. It was an honour and a challenge to be given this responsibility in such a pivotal year for the brand, celebrating two truly Italian icons recognised worldwide. A Negroni does not exist without Campari, and so to tell the story, entering the red bitter sweet drink is where it all begins,” Garrone adds.

“Our cocktails are more than just a drink; they each tell a story. And this year, we are celebrating the Negroni,” says Bob Kunze-Concewitz, CEO of Campari Group.

“Turning 100 years old in 2019, Campari Red Diaries will bring the cocktail to life and take viewers on a journey as they enter the red. The iconic drink, of which Campari is a key defining ingredient, has created a great legacy and it will be amazing to see it all brought to life, with the support of great talent, also of the bartenders and Campari advocates from around the world.”

Entering Red will premier in its birthplace, Milan, with a red-carpet event on February 5, followed by a simultaneous digital launch worldwide.

The short movie can be viewed on Campari’s official YouTube channel www.youtube.com/EnjoyCampari.

Follow Campari’s social media channels for further information on the local Campari official Facebook page www.facebook.com/Camparimalta; www.campari.com; instagram.com/campariofficial; twitter.com/campari

Campari is marketed and distributed by Farsons Beverage Imports Co. Ltd. For trade enquiries, call on 2381 4400.

Pink January 2019 ∫ 25

SHOWSTOPPER

Go large and let loose Nothing beats a simple polo neck to stave off the cold in winter. Slip it under anything – especially if it’s larger and looser than usual for relaxed comfort at a time when dressing up seems like an extra chore, but there’s still lots to experiment and have fun with in the sales. Now’s also the time for that must-have double-breasted jacket if you haven’t ticked the box yet.

Photography & direction Manuel Bonnici Styling Marisa Grima [marisagrima.com] Hair Elexia Borg from Gloss, San Gwann, using Wella Professionals Make-up Gabrielle Zammit Grungo Model Gabriella @ Supernova MM *Most items are on sale Jacket; necklace, both Oltre ∫ polo neck, stylist’s own.

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SHOWSTOPPER Coat; shirt; trousers, all Marks & Spencer ∫ polo neck, stylist’s own.

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SHOWSTOPPER Dress, Oasis ∫ polo neck, stylist’s own.

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SHOWSTOPPER Jacket; skirt, both Oasis ∫ polo neck, stylist's own ∫ shoes, model's own.

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SHOWSTOPPER Top; boots, both Marks & Spencer ∫ Etnia Barcelona spectacles, O’hea Opticians ∫ polo neck, stylist’s own.

Jacket; trousers, both Cortefiel ∫ Etnia Barcelona sunglasses, O’hea Opticians ∫ polo neck, stylist’s own ∫ trainers, model’s own.

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SHOWSTOPPER

Polo neck; joggers; hat, all Noos.

Pink January 2019 ∫ 31

SHOWSTOPPER Dress, Pedro del Hierro ∫ scarf, Cortefiel ∫ polo neck, stylist's own.

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BEAUTYPARLOUR

Mastering make-up Make-up artist Jennifer Dimech believes all women should definitely undergo training in how to apply their own make-up at some stage in their life. The woman who creates and enhances the looks of Malta’s most prominent artists spills the contents of her own make-up bag and reveals her basic 10-minute daily routine she herself would never leave the house without.

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our tool is make-up. What do you feel about people who never use it, and would you consider leaving the house without it?

Make-up, like many other things, is a matter of preference. Some people feel comfortable without it and that’s just fine. To many, make-up is, however, a tool to boost their confidence and the way they feel about themselves. Naturally, different occasions require different levels of make-up application. But at the end of the day, as long as the person feels comfortable in what they are doing, that is what really counts.

Do you think the Maltese wear too much make-up in general and what do you feel about a natural look? What is worse: too much or too little?

It would be wrong to generalise by saying the Maltese wear too much make-up. It is more of a personal preference and what they feel suits them. I, personally, feel that when it comes to make-up, less is more.

I love a natural look because it is aimed at highlighting the natural beauty of the face.

Of all the make-up products that we apply, what do you think is the single most important item that no one should really do without and that should always be in our handbag?

Even though some people may not view this as a make-up product, I think that 34 ∫ Pink January 2019

moisturiser is the one thing no one can do without, reason being that without good skincare, you can’t have a flawless look. And the better your skin, the less make-up you need. Following that, concealer would be next on my list.

If you, personally, had to use only two items in your make-up bag, what would they be?

Today’s life is fast. What do you suggest to women who are pressed for time, but still don’t want to forget their own grooming completely? What is the bare minimum?

What’s the biggest mistake people make when applying everyday make-up?

1.

2.

3.

4.

A good skincare routine Concealer A light foundation Powder to make it last throughout the day and not be too shiny.

5. Slight contouring 6. Blusher 7. A highlighter 8. Eyebrow definition 9. Highlighting the inner eye corner 10. Mascara 11. Lip balm/lipstick.

Even though this might look like a lot of work, this is a basic 10-minute daily routine I never leave the house without.

I always want my ‘brows on fleek’ even after I cleanse my face. So, that would be eyebrow pencil and concealer.

I always stand by the belief that less is more, so the biggest mistake we can make is when we overdo it. Everyone should apply make-up according to their facial features. This is not a one-size-fitsall situation. In the past year, I have been teaching students how to recognise their facial features and what suits their skin and face.

You do up local celebrities. What does this mean to you – that they trust you with their look? And how does making up a public figure differ from making up someone else?

I always feel very honoured when artists and public figures trust me with their look and I usually make an effort to translate

BEAUTYPARLOUR their image into their make-up. When working on local celebrities, it is always a very challenging task because not only are they looking to embellish their face, but most of the time, they would also require a different look. I give my all to all my clients, whoever they are. The only difference is that when I’m working with an artist, I get the opportunity to be more creative.

Which international celebrity would you most like to apply make-up to?

And whose look would you change completely if you could?

I would choose to work on Beyoncé among many others. As a matter of fact, I have also been trained by two of her personal make-up artists. There isn’t anyone in particular whose look I would like to change. However, there are many I’d love to work with as it would be an opportunity to experiment on their features and give them my personal touch.

What’s your advice to women to achieve a good blank canvas as a starting point to applying make-up?

What would you say were the highlights of 2018 and what plans do you have in the pipeline for this year?

I cannot stress enough how essential a good skincare routine is for the application of make-up. Having good skin will also put you in a better position to need less and have a breathtaking look.

Last year was very eventful for me: not only did I win for the second time in a row Best Make-Up Artist at Malta Fashion Awards, but it was also a year where I had the opportunity to lead a number of challenging projects. I am particularly proud to have headed the make-up department for Christabelle’s journey throughout the Eurovision Song Contest, including the crazy task of creating a look for over 100 actors in her music video.

Last year, I also had the opportunity to create and develop the looks for Malta’s most prominent artists. It was also very important from a self-growth perspective as I further invested in my career by attending Sir John's Beauty Masterclass.

All that I learnt through this has not only made me a better make-up artist, but it has also given me the motivation to pass it on. My main focus now is to strengthen my technical knowledge to a more advanced level by attending a number of courses hosted by celebrity make-up artists, as well as working during London Fashion Week alongside a very wellknown make-up artist and hosting for the first time ever my very own masterclass.

I still cannot believe I have all this planned and it’s only January.

What is the trick to fighting a sallow look in winter, when the radiance seems to have been sapped out of our faces and we are looking our worst?

Who doesn’t love looking bright and radiant even during the winter months?

My favourite trick to keep that radiant look, even when the weather will not cooperate, is to mix a strobing fluid or highlight illuminator with the foundation.

This helps to have an overall radiant look.

What are the colours and the look of the season ahead? Give us some insight

Tell us about the upcoming masterclass: when, why and what?

Do you believe all women should undergo training in how to apply their own make-up at some stage in their life?

Definitely! It is not only important to know what you are doing, but it is also essential to know what products you are using and if they are right for you. In all of my training sessions, my aim is to empower my students to be independent, know what make-up is appropriate for different occasions and, ultimately, what to look out for when choosing products off a shelf.

into the trends and how they differ from last season’s look.

2019 is looking like it’s going to bring back the glossy lip look and lots of colours round the eyes. It is also important to keep in mind that trends for fashion events do not always mean they should be incorporated in everyday looks. When applying make-up on a daily basis, it is always most important to be yourself and to bring out your unique features, and that will always be in trend.

The masterclass is the culmination of a full year of make-up classes given to over 150 students in Malta and is in response to the huge demand there is for the knowledge of make-up application and techniques by aspiring make-up artists and the public. It will attract over 70 attendees whose ages will range between 19 and 30. Besides the regular attendees, we will also invite Malta’s top fashion and cosmetics influencers to participate. The masterclass will consist of a full day of lectures and demos and will be held at The Palace Hotel in Sliema. It aspires to match the high-level make-up masterclasses happening around Europe and will include a high-value gift bag for each attendee, eight hours of learning time and demos, a breathtaking stage and set-up, including a live projection of the lecture for additional detail, a floral set-up within the premises and a lavish lunch break for all attendees.

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ONFORM

THINKPINK FOOD & FORM

MEMORABLE DINING

Shaping up Dr DAVID GRECH, ClinicaJoia director, tells you what you need to know about body contouring before embarking on liposuction, a tummy tuck, or other surgical options…

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f you’re thinking about having surgery to tweak or tighten your tummy, thighs, arms, or buttocks, body contouring is an option that can improve your shape. However, like diet and exercise, it’s a process that takes careful planning and time. And it’s important to have a realistic outlook on what surgery can accomplish.

So, when is body contouring a good option? Body-shaping surgeries can remove fat or excess skin, tighten skin and help recontour the body. Liposuction in particular has come a long way to being a safe and effective procedure under local anaesthesia with the use of assistive technologies such as power liposculpture and laser-induced skin tightening to maximise results.

There are various reasons where surgery may be considered.

Some of these are significant weight loss, stubborn fat in specific areas, post pregnancy, or a genetic disposition to disproportionate upper and lower body. Depending on particular needs, multiple procedures may be required to obtain optimal results.

Treatment areas that are very popular in both women and men are the abdomen and waist. Tummy tuck/abdominoplasty and liposculpture are the two procedures that target these areas.

Liposculpture is ideal to remove excess fat and improve the silhouette. If skin and muscle integrity are compromised, abdominoplasty is a better solution as it removes excess fat and involves muscle repositioning in order to tighten relaxed muscles.

The incision may also be extended to get rid of excess skin from the back [circumferential abdominoplasty], which is needed more often after massive weight loss.

The lower body can be treated with liposculpture too; mainly the buttocks, hips and thighs. This is the main procedure needed for excess fat removal from the buttocks, hips, or thighs. However, skin condition is also a factor that needs to be considered for optimal results. In such a situation, a tuck/lift of the concerned area would be necessary in combination with the liposculpture.

The above only scratches the surface of the body-contouring options. All kinds of lifts/tucks, such as breast, arm and thigh lifts, fall under this umbrella. A qualified plastic and reconstructive surgeon and a cosmetic physician can better guide when it comes to this extensive field.

While, understandably, the focus would be on the end result, a specialist would be able to explain the road to get there while establishing realistic goals.

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Experience memorable dining at Silver Heron Restaurant within Urban Valley Resort, surrounded by the beautiful landscape of Wied Ghollieqa natural reserve. Dine indoors or outdoors in a serene and tranquil setting. A variety of cold and hot dishes are served to whet everyone’s appetite. The culinary team, led by executive chef Matthew Azzopardi, offers a tempting selection of healthy salads, scrumptious pasta, flat breads, burgers and more. Juicy grilled meat joints and home-smoked steaks wait to be discovered. Savour the delicate taste of leek and mushroom pot pie, a vegetarian favourite, or indulge in a 500-gramme in-house smoked beef rib served on the bone with celeriac remoulade and pickled onions. Don’t miss out on the dessert options to finish your meal on a sweet note!

Complimentary parking is available on site for a more hassle-free experience, while Leela’s hut, a children’s outdoor play area, will keep your little ones amused. Silver Heron is open from Monday to Sunday for dinner. Advance bookings are recommended by calling on 2138 5926. For further information and to view the menu, visit urbanvalleyresort.com

QUIRKY DUTCH BRANDS AT FORM Zuiver is an interior label with a large collection of trendy products that will make anyone feel at ease and comfortable in their surroundings. Already a hit in more than 60 countries, the design team constantly creates new products for a contemporary collection that is known for being on trend, fresh, young and original. They are products that easily blend with any lifestyle. Dutchbone is inspired by global interiors. The design team travels around the world, looking for the right product inspiration for the home. Warm southern tones inspire the collection. A touch nomad with a splash of roughness, their products are the precise blend of handcraft and industry, affordable and always expanding.

RELATIONTIPS

GETTING OFF AUTOPILOT Psychotherapist and mindfulness trainer HELENA FONE offers tips on how to be mindful behind the wheel. This is the ability to focus on the present when our mind tries to take us into the future, or the past, causing stress, anxiety and even depression.

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magine this scene: you get in your car, arrive at your destination and can’t even remember how you got there. Or perhaps you suddenly realise you’re on the wrong road and find yourself stuck there until the next exit?

These things have happened to most of us at some time or another, and sometimes, it can be downright dangerous. This is what we refer to as ‘being on autopilot’ due to your brain being programmed to carry out repeated instructions automatically.

Each time we learn something new, the brain builds a new neuropathway, and the more we use it, the easier it is to access this information [much like having an app on your phone]. That’s great for everyday routines, such as tying your shoelaces or brushing your teeth, but not always great when finding yourself on the wrong road!

A staggering 47 per cent of the time, our mind is distracted so we’re not really concentrating on the job in hand.

Being mindful allows us to become physically and mentally present by fully

experiencing what is going on around and inside of us. Autopilot is the opposite of being mindful.

Mindfulness is the ability to focus on the present when our mind tries to take us into the future or the past, which can cause stress, anxiety and even depression. It works on the simple act of focusing on the breath each time we’re distracted.

• Be aware of your surroundings [something pleasant if possible].

• Notice the traffic around you.

• Turn off the radio/CD. • Switch off your hands-free phone if possible.

• Maintain focus on where you are going.

• Practise breathing from your tummy [long and slow].

• Instead of wishing things were different [especially if you are stuck in a traffic jam], think of accepting things just as they are. Being agitated and stressed won’t get you there any quicker so try being relaxed and calm.

• Resist the temptation to check the time on the clock [this is the anxious mind at work].

“A STAGGERING 47 PER CENT OF THE TIME, OUR MIND IS DISTRACTED SO WE’RE NOT REALLY CONCENTRATING ON THE JOB IN HAND” Do not confuse it with meditation, which is taking yourself into an altered state of consciousness.

Mindfulness has been clinically proven to relax the mind and help with concentration as well as decisionmaking skills.

Here are some hints and tips on how you can practise mindful driving. Give them a try for a couple of weeks, and if practised regularly, you should notice a difference.

• When encountering angry drivers, try to be non-judgemental. Give them a smile.

• Notice when your mind starts to wander and gently bring it back to the present.

• Teach your kids how to be mindful passengers.

• Enjoy the ride!

For more information, free downloads on mindfulness and information on training courses, check out www.eftandmindfulness.com

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SNAPSHOT

The Woman Behind The Acrobat As Unifaun Theatre Productions sets the stage for The Acrobat – a play based on an Italian male-to-male vampire romance – IGGY FENECH chats to the author of the original, Agnes Moon, to find out more about the plot and the genre.

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talian author Agnes Moon lives a very typical life in suburban Rome: she’s married to a man who, she says, is on his way to sainthood, has two teenage children, and a dog named, Aki. Yet, in her free time, Agnes is one of the trailblazers in a genre that is pretty new to Italy and, indeed, Malta.

“I love immersing myself in a universe made up of books, writing and music,” she explains. “My passion for literature comes from roots that have become lost in the depths of time, but the one for the male-to-male [M/M] genre is relatively recent.”

Agnes has published two series in the genre: I lupi di Stockton Town [The Wolves of Stockton Town], which is about werewolves, and Legami di sangue [Blood Ties], which features vampires and where L’Acrobata [The Acrobat] fits in.

Now, the story is being turned into a play directed by Stephen Oliver and featuring a cast and crew that hails from Malta, New York, the UK, Italy, Switzerland and Hungary. But, before all that, Agnes tells us more about the story.

How did The Acrobat end up being staged in Malta? Pushed by my desire to

make my name known outside of Italy, in February 2017 I had L’Acrobata translated into English. The story of Vincent and Liam was received incredibly well by anglophones, to the point where it has also been picked up by Adrian Buckle and Unifaun Theatre Productions in Malta. That’s where the decision to bring the book to the stage began, and it’s been almost two years since.

Notwithstanding the funny and easy moments in the story, The Acrobat also has a lot of emotion woven into its lines, and the values of friendship, loyalty and courage take centre stage.

The protagonists [Liam and Vincent] have suffered a lot in their past and their armour is not easily chinked. Both of the main characters find it difficult to trust each other but, as with every self-respecting romance, in the end, love conquers all.

“THE M/M ROMANCE, HOWEVER, IS AIMED AT A PREDOMINANTLY STRAIGHT FEMALE READERSHIP, EVEN THOUGH IT’S USUALLY GAY MEN WHO FEEL AN AFFINITY FOR THE GENRE” What inspired The Acrobat? Liam’s story [the main character] has a decisively Dickensian flavour, especially in the beginning. The plot, however, evolves in a rather unexpected way, as it’s more adventurous and romantic.

Yet, at its core, there are the difficulties faced by a courageous and enterprising orphan who fights to find his place in the world… in a very unusual way, may I add. Our Liam is an acrobatic thief – which is where the book gets its title from – who manages to get into any place he sets his mind to.

What can you tell us about the gay themes in The Acrobat?

There are two kinds of literature that revolve around homosexual themes: the LGBT narrative and that of the M/M. The first is, usually, more essay like or autobiographical and written by writers who are themselves part of the LGBT community. The M/M romance, however, is aimed at a predominantly straight female readership, even though it’s usually gay men who feel an affinity for the genre.

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SNAPSHOT In the US, this phenomenon is more widespread than it is here in Italy, where it’s slowly finding its footing even though our country isn’t excelling at equal rights for LGBT people. I, personally, have been close to the LGBT community for many years, and I have fought for their rights – which, I believe, are also ours – and when I decided to write a book, I found it natural to want to tell a story about two men.

In terms of The Acrobat, however, the truth is that, other than the fact that I wanted to write a book about two men, the homosexual theme is not very relevant.

Love is love in any shape or form. The plot that I had in mind was perfect for Liam. In fact, it was all shaped around his particular character, his tragic past and his courage.

I wanted him to have someone who had a strong and mature character, but who had not lost the light-heartedness that only feelings can give us. In my mind, that translated into having a male character like Vincent flanking him, but it could have been a woman, or a story about two women, two aliens, or two unicorns. What counts is their story, their characters and the depth of their emotions.

We know The Acrobat has a happy ending – but so do all your other books.

Why’s that? Yes, all the books I’ve

written have a happy ending. The reason, I guess, is that the M/M romance has rules that need to be adhered to: it doesn’t matter how many obstacles the protagonists face, or how difficult things may be; in the end, love has to win.

Naturally, there is also a personal reason for these endings, which stems from my character and preferences. As an author, I don’t like sad endings or, even worse, open ones. Because of that, it was natural for me to write stories with a happy ending, which I wish for all my characters.

What can you tell us about working with Adrian Buckle and what can the public expect from the staged version of the book? I’m very emotional about The

Acrobat being staged in Malta – as well as scared, to be honest… It’s a dream come true. The characters that have so far had a life in my imagination will become real.

It’s difficult to explain how I’m feeling, but it definitely feels like happiness.

So far, Adrian and I have only spoken online, so I can’t wait to meet him face-toface come February. Over and above the 42 ∫ Pink January 2019

Marco Michel and Cody Hively.

Photography Sarah Buckle

“I, PERSONALLY, HAVE BEEN CLOSE TO THE LGBT COMMUNITY FOR MANY YEARS, AND I HAVE FOUGHT FOR THEIR RIGHTS – WHICH, I BELIEVE, ARE ALSO OURS – AND WHEN I DECIDED TO WRITE A BOOK, I FOUND IT NATURAL TO WANT TO TELL A STORY ABOUT TWO MEN” fact that he has the courage to put on such an ‘atypical’ play, I can’t thank him enough for always making me feel part of this adventure, and for showing me the adapted script and listening to my suggestions.

I am going to be honest here and say that I don’t know Malta’s dynamic when it comes to civil liberties, but whatever they are, I do believe that a play that handles homosexuality in such a normalised way, and which shows love can exist in every form, is of great importance to any society.

As for what the Maltese public can expect, the play and book revolve around two charismatic characters who are as different from each other as the moon and the sun. It’s a love story with adventure, humour and a pinch of sensuality thrown in for good measure…

You’ll laugh and you’ll feel moved.

The Acrobat, which has been partly funded by the Malta Arts Fund – Arts Council Malta, is on at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta on February 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23 and 24. For more information, visit www.unifauntheatre.com