Yes homelessness is not surprising to most New Yorkers. The homeless blend into the scenery along with the graffiti and garbage, barely acknowledged by passers by. However, certain events elicit irrepressible emotions that refuse to be ignored. Particular occurrences evoke pity and fear even in the toughest New Yorker. Pity for the unfortunate human being forced to play a bad hand dealt by life and fear of that fact that no one is immune to homelessness.

Train after train passed by, yet she did not rise from the cold bench. Her unkempt greasy dreadlocks cascade over her slumped shoulders. The woman has her arms folded across her chest, shielding her waiflike body from the wind. Her jacket bulges out at odd angles, and a backpack is tucked securely between the woman’s legs.

After careful observation and a thoughtful analysis, it becomes apparent that in her backpack she carries her prized possessions; this detail is given away by the way she guards her backpack, as a protective mother would over her children. Perhaps the most subtle clue to the woman’s plight is her body language; her slumped shoulders signify a hopeless existence, one that can only be brought about by living in an unsanitary and dirty train station with rats as roommates. She has nothing but her own body heat to warm her at night. The woman is not going home to a hot meal and a warm bed; she is going to stay at the dirty train station, day after day because she is one of the many homeless people in the world. One of many.. but also alone.

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Liquid Eyeliner

Avon Eyewriter
This liquid liner has a thin, felt tip which makes it easy to draw thin lines. It isn’t waterproof, but the color lasts for a good eight hours. However, after constant use, the felt tip begins to disintegrate, causing thin strands of felt to dangle off the end and interfere with application.
Rating 3/5

Maybelline New York Liquid Eyeliner
Coming in various shades such as black, grey, and brown, this liner happens to be waterproof. With a felt tip, it faces the same problems as the Avon Eyewriter after regular use. However, the applicator is too thick, making thin lines virtually impossible.
Rating 2/5

L’oreal Paris Lineur Intense
Out of my three liquid eyeliners, this one is the most unique and my favorite. It too has a felt tip; however, L’oreal incorporated new technology making this one resistant to disintegration. It isn’t waterproof and comes in three colors: Black Mica, Earthen Rock, and my favorite, Mineral, a dark charcoal grey with gold sparkles.
Rating 4/5

Pencil Eyeliner

Avon Dual Definition Lipliner & Eyeliner Duo
While it’s nice to have a 2-in-1 product, the quality of this liner is lacking. It comes in Cosmic Brown, a chocolate color; unfortunately, the color doesn’t last very long and it finds its way into the creases around my eyes within three or four hours. Also, the tip is very thick, making thin lines difficult to achieve.
Rating 1.5/5

Avon Waterproof Glimmersticks
In a world dominated by black and brown eyeliners, it’s refreshing to see bright colors, which is what this product provides. I have it Skymist Blue, a metallic sky blue with sparkle, and Starry Night Blue, a dark blue with shimmer, but it also comes in blacks, browns, greens and pinks. They really brighten up your eyes and make them stand out.
Rating 4/5

Styli-Style Line & Seal
Another refreshing burst of color, silver, is to be found in this liner. While it comes in various other colors, I prefer silver because of its uniqueness. This product is waterproof, and application is easy. While the tip is a little on the thick side, it isn’t a issue if you buy a color like silver, thick lines only adding to the effect.
Rating 3/5

Revlon Soft Stroke Powder Liner
While the name suggests a powder, the liner is actually a pencil. I have it in Iced Gold, and unfortunately I don’t have a review for this product because the tip fell apart the second I pressed it to my lid. Too powdery I guess.
Rating Unavailable

Maybelline New York Line Stylist
This is by far my favorite eyeliner. It comes in a variety of colors such as Black Sparkle, Espresso, Sapphire Glimmer, Jade Flash, Plum Shimmer, and more. The tip is very small, making both thin and thick lines very easy. It isn’t waterproof, but it doesn’t budge once you put it on. It’ll come off easily with soap and water.
Rating 5/5

And of course, if these are too fancy for your liking, there’s always Hashmi Kajol.

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Though there are a few types of eyeliner, the most common are liquid and pencil liners. Liquid eyeliner is easier to apply, as it glides onto the skin; however unless your hand is extremely steady, mistakes are quite common. Pencil eyeliners, on the other hand, are a little bit more difficult to apply, yet mistakes can be avoided and easily corrected.

Liquid Eyeliner
It’s best to only apply liquid eyeliner on the top lash (unless you’re an expert). I find it easier to pull my lid taut and apply a thin line slowly. Rest your elbow on a surface to steady your hand. After the preliminary line, re-draw over your mistakes. Beauty experts often advise us to correct errors with a q-tip dipped in make-up remover; however, I don’t agree with this because most of the time my errors are too tiny for the end of a q-tip. Perhaps you’d like my advice instead: use pencil liners until your hand is extremely steady! I’ve found that colors for liquid eyeliners don’t vary as much as pencil liners and the most common are: black, brown, and grey. If you’re lucky, you might find other colors as well.

Pencil Eyeliner
Pencil liners are my favorite, as they are easy to use and quite precise. Pencil liners are often shaped like a normal pencil: one that needs sharpening. The type is the mechanical pencil which doesn’t need to be sharpened. I prefer mechanical pencils because all you need to do is give it a twist, which is so much easier than sharpening. When applying eyeliner, it’s easier to pull the eyelid taut because this prevents dragging. Start off with a light, thin line. Do this slowly to make sure the line is straight. After that, go back and make the line darker and thicker if you wish. Pencil eyeliners can easily be used on the lower lid as well. Pencil liners come in numerous colors such as black, brown, grey, green, blue, purple, silver, gold, along with many others.
While it can be difficult to apply eyeliner at first, with practice anything is possible. Once your eyes are amazingly well-defined, you’ll wonder how you ever went without it!

Stay tuned for Product Reviews on Eyeliner!

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The Body Splash combines an exotic blend of Japanese Cherry Blossom, vanilla rice, several oriental woods and delicate mimosa petals. The top notes of this sensual splash are Asian Pear, Fuji Apple, and Ume Plumb, while Japanese Cherry Blossom, Butterfly Lily, Kyoto Rose, and Mimosa Petals provide the mid notes in the scent. The final result is neither too sweet nor too musky. However, if applied in excess the scent can be quite overpowering. A light spritz on the wrists and neck is enough to reveal the alluring goddess in everyone.

The Body Lotion incorporates the same ingredients as the Splash, fruity and flowery top notes with spicy wood scents as the base notes. Unlike the Body Splash, however, the lotion leaves skin looking soft, smooth and amazingly healthy. Naturally pampering ingredients such as Aloe Vera and Grape Seed Extract, along with nourishing Vitamin E and C, make this lotion delicious and healthy. Smooth a small dollop on your elbows and knees to prevent dried skin.

Finally, the Shower Gel also possesses the same sensuous ingredients, along with cleansing Papaya and conditioning Aloe Vera. It is gentle enough to use every day and will leave your skin feeling refreshed and hydrated. Simply pour a button-sized drop of the gel on a washcloth or a loofah and work it into a lather, perfect for exfoliating.

The exotic blend of ingredients creates a subtle, yet enchanting scent, perfect for the summer. However, too much of one thing isn’t good, so apply carefully. You don’t want to go around smelling like a flower garden (or maybe you do, but I’m sure others don’t). Each product can be bought at the Bath & Body Works website or any of their stories for $ 9.50, except for the Body Splash which is on sale for $ 4.00. Buy these products and you’ll be sure to blossom like a flower.

Rating: 4/5

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Personally, I just love lip gloss. I found about 16 different glosses in my lip gloss drawer (I have separate drawers for different make-up items), and I’m sure there are about 10 more wandering around in purses and pockets.

I’m not sure why, but there is a certain allure to glossy, shimmery lips. I watched a show on TV Guide once where the host walked around NYC asking women of all ages what make-up product has to be in their bags. And you guessed it, the answer was lipgloss.

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Note: The views expressed in this article do not reflect the views of BollySpice.com’s staff or owners. They are solely the views of the writer of this opinion piece/blog.

Young girls are often given Barbie dolls at a young age as an innocent gift. However, loving parents do not realize the detrimental repercussions of the popular toy, and have remained oblivious to the harmful effects that resulted because of Barbie’s influence over numerous generations. Barbie has been considered a role model for girls ever since her creation in 1959; for roughly five decades, young girls all over the world idolized Barbie. With golden blonde hair, blue eyes, and breasts that are larger than life, Barbie successfully tainted the self-perception of young girls by diminishing their outlook on beauty.

Approximately half a billion dolls have sold since Barbie’s creation in over one hundred and forty different countries. Due to the doll’s vast popularity, it is nearly impossible to find a child immune from Barbie’s charm; because of this, the majority of girls wish to possess all of the doll’s characteristics; no one is free from Barbie’s inescapable sphere of influence. Dark-haired and dark-eyed girls are devastated because they do not live up to the standards created by Barbie’s monopoly. Barbie has manipulated society’s perspective, and girls are forced to imitate the toy’s appearance to be accepted. The doll’s immense impact over the female (and male) population has led millions of people to believe that a voluminous bust and a miniscule waist are the main components of a beautiful woman.

Apparently, Barbie represents the epitome of beauty and perfection; women all over the world struggle to become flawless like the doll. Many women have a dwindling self-esteem, while others feel worthless and constantly insecure because they cannot live up to society’s expectations. These emotional and mental effects lead to other harmful physical consequences. The lesser affected women dye their hair and buy contact lenses, while some go through extreme measures to mirror Barbie’s appearance by spending thousands of dollars on surgical enhancements such as liposuction and breast implants. Others, particularly teenagers, starve themselves to the point of death in order to attain a twenty-one inch waist.

Barbie’s popularity led many girls to believe that in order to be beautiful, one must have blue eyes, blonde hair, and unbelievably disproportionate measurements. The doll’s domination over the past fifty years has been relatively unchallenged, and because of this, Barbie has played a major role in eating disorders and insecurity among women and teenagers. Despite the fact that some may see Barbie as a harmless toy, the numbers of anorexic and bulimic females trying to emulate Barbie’s physique are overwhelming, thus, making Barbie a disease against the emotional and physical health of women.

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George Washington, the only unanimously elected president in the history of the United States, advised his country to avoid entanglements with other nations. Throughout the early years of American history, the government adhered to Washington’s guidelines until diplomatic relations with other countries became inevitable. Actions have been taken and decisions have been made of which the first president would have disapproved, such as the prolonged War in Iraq. Beginning in 2003, the Iraqi War has been a disputed topic among the American people. Some believe that the expansion of democracy, among other reasons such as the supposed weapons of mass destruction, justifies the war, while others argue that the United States government is not the ideal model for all cultures and deny the existence of the much-searched for weapons.

Although supporters of the Iraqi War believe that the spread of democracy is vital and necessary, the attempts to establish a democratic government in Iraq have been futile. Current president George W. Bush acknowledges that his goal is massive and strenuous, yet he emphasizes that the “failure of Iraqi democracy would embolden terrorists around the world, increase dangers to the American people, and extinguish the hopes of millions in the region.” Along with establishing a successful democracy, the current president and his advocates hope to halt the oppression of the Iraqi people and bring an end to the decades of suffering.

Desiring to aid Iraqi citizens living in turmoil is not the sole reason for U.S. intervention; at the time of the invasion, President Bush was adamant that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction. According to Colin Powell, “Iraq had and still has the capability to manufacture not only chemical but biological weapons.” The Pro-Iraqi War faction in the United States felt that it was imperative to locate and destroy these weapons, as they posed a major threat to national security.

While the Iraqi-War supporters present a strong argument, those opposing the conflict proffer a convincing response. American citizens that are against the war in Iraq argue that no weapons of mass destruction were ever discovered; the U.S. Army searched the country, yet found nothing. Even if Iraq possessed the technology to produce such weapons in the past, the devastated country must now focus on its economic, social and political problems. There is no reason to delay U.S. withdrawal.

Anti-War supporters criticize the claim that one of the conflict’s purposes is to stop oppression of Iraqi citizens. Although “there were times in the past when the killing was so intense that humanitarian intervention would have been justified,” no assistance was supplied to the maltreated. Particularly vehement disapprovers go as far as to incorporate the situation in Darfur: innocent civilians are being murdered, abused, and raped every day, yet little to no aid is being provided to alleviate the suffering. Anti-War supporters also highlight the fact that some American soldiers are mistreating Iraqi citizen, in reference to Abh Ghraib. While those who support the war argue that a democratic government would resolve these problems in Iraq, the opposition bravely declares that the United States “is not the political, economic, and social model for every culture and every political system,” and even if it were, it took years for the newly-created democracy in the United States to meet the needs of the American people. Issues involving education, employment and poverty must be addressed before a successful government can be established.

The Iraqi War has separated the American people based on their beliefs; some argue that the war in Iraq is justified by the expansion of democracy, along with the destruction of weapons of mass destruction and the improvement of life for Iraqi citizens. However, those opposing the war proclaim that the war serves no real purpose and causes more damage than relief. With the fate of the war still unresolved, the United States stands a country divided, similar to Iraq.

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At department stores, the different styles of clothing on sale is unsurprisingly too revealing for my tastes. Hoodies and sweat-suits come in different brands such as Ecko, Rocawear, JLO, G-Unit and XOXO, yet I find them to leave little to the imagination. Skirts from Guess and and Rampage are either much too short or are accompanied with a slit up to mid-thigh. Shirts are sheer and strapless. It is very rare that I find something gorgeous to wear which suits my modest taste, and I’m sure I’m not the only one with this dilemma.

Aside from the distastefulness of today’s trends, South-Asian girls face another predicament. How many of you have had trouble finding a pair of jeans that fit you perfectly? From personal experience, I probably have maybe one or two jeans that fit me to perfection. Apparently my hips are considered too large for my tiny five foot frame. Whenever I find a pair of jeans that fit me around my hips, they are almost always too long; if a pair is consistent with the length of my legs, I won’t be able to pull them all the way up, let alone get the button closed. What is a brown girl to do in the White Woman’s world?

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2. Oprah Winfrey
Her talk show reaches millions each day, while addressing numerous important issues. She is an inspirational figure to African Americans and people everywhere with the way she handles touchy controversies so bluntly.

1. Tyra Banks
A supermodel, an actress, a talk-show host, and a reality show producer: it seems as if Tyra Banks has done it all. Her achievements have made her a role model for girls all over. Her role as a talk show host suggests that she is following in Oprah’s footsteps. Her show addresses different subjects, some lighthearted and humorous and others serious. Perhaps her new reality show, America’s Next Top Model, adds to her influence. Millions of girls watch her show religiously, and because she chooses a diversity of models, girls from all ethnicities are affected.

Music
3. Jay-Z
He is one of the best known rappers and his lyrics are like a Bible to many people. He’s the superstar of the rap world, idolized by millions, and no matter how low the rap world sinks, he always manages to bring it back to the top with a new hit.

2. Atif Aslam
Back up Sonu and Kunal, there’s a new guy in town. Atif Aslam was the first Pakistani singer to be appreciated and recognized globally for his singing in a Bollywood movie.

1. Eminem
He was the first white guy to make it big in the rap industry. His lyrics aren’t stereotypically about drugs and sex, they speak out to people and he has a way of entertaining people.

Fashion
3. Miuccia Prada
Miuccia Prada designs purses, shoes, dresses, hats along with much more. For a long time her products have been viewed as extremely “stylish”.

2. Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren perfume, clothing, sunglasses. You name it, he’s done it. Ralph Lauren has managed to top several different industries. He has remained on top of the fashion industry for a while, and it looks like his products will be popular (and expensive) for a while longer.

1. Kimora Lee Simmons
Creator of the popular Baby Phat line, Kimora Lee Simmons designs everything from clothing to belts and back. Her products are very popular among both adults, teenagers and children.

Politics
3. Pope Benedict
As the head of the Church, the Pope already possesses a significant amount of influence. However, this year we’ve seen exactly how influential he can be. With a few words, he provoked Muslims all over the world into rioting.

2. Osama Bin Laden
Five years after the attack on the Twin Towers, Muslims are still being degraded and discriminated against. Some people believe Islam to be a Cultist and satanic religion with encourages violence.

1. George W. Bush
Doing even more damage in his second term than his first, George W. Bush succeeded in tearing the world apart. He single-handedly elicited ungodly amounts of hate towards the U.S., much more than prior to Iraq.

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America’s Next Top Model is a reality show produced by Tyra Banks. Girls are selected from ages between 18 and 29, of various ethnic backgrounds to participate in the reality show. The girls live like models and must perform in various photoshoots and tasks; their performances and best photos all play a part in deciding which girl must go home, and the last girl standing will be America’s Next Top Model.

This is currently the seventh season of the show and it is the first time a girl of South-Asian descent is present. Anchal is a beautiful girl with gorgeous waist-length tresses, large almond shaped eyes and amazing bone structure. However, Anchal doesn’t think she’s pretty, which is an obstacle in her path. She will need a lot more confidence to get ahead in this show. I really like her as a person; she doesn’t have a bitchy attitude like some of the other girls and is very humble, and although she’s a nice girl, she tends to blend in; she does not stand out much.

Anchal’s first photoshoot required her to play a narcissistic model and she “rocked this shoot.” This was a controversial photoshoot, involving different stereotypes for models, such as anorexic and bulimic models.

The second photoshoot of the season involved makeovers for the girls; their hair was styled in various unique ways. Anchal’s hair didn’t change much. She just got a few layers, probably because the producers find her sleek, long hair very unique, along with some painful forehead threading (Ouch!). Her photoshoot involved an elaborate up-do which she pulled off skillfully.

The third photoshoot involved walking down a runway which was situated on top of a pool. The catch? It was broken up into different segments which WOBBLED! Anchal had to maintain her balance, however, this photoshoot did not go over as well as the others; the judges thought she did not put enough energy in her pose.

In the episode entitled “Circus Freaks,” Anchal revealed some very personal information about herself. I’m sure many people can relate to this: “I never really had friends. I always got made fun of. And nobody believes that because of the way I look now, but it’s really hard for me to believe in myself.” I personally think that is a very hard confession to make, especially on television.

In her photoshoot, Anchal played the a role of “The Giant” in the circus. I don’t think she looked very much like a giant but that isn’t her fault. She really does look like a model and I love the expressions on her face.

Will Anchal’s debut on America’s Next Top Model open the doors for Indian models in the U.S.?

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