LIFE AS I KNOW IT

Resident Blogger @ My Fat Pocket

2011-05-09T13:36:00.005+08:00

**NEW BLOG URL: http://myfatpocket.com/judging-me**

Dear Readers,

It has been an awesome many years publishing contents (well, my thoughts) on http://judging-me.blogspot.com and sharing them with all of you.

I have joined Singapore Beauty and Fashion Portal - MyFatPocket as a "Resident Blogger"!

Click here and scroll down to spot "JU ANN"! :)

About MyFatPocket:
MyFatPocket.com is one of Singapore leading women's portal. It is your daily read and guide to beauty, fashion, gossip and lifestyle.

As of 1st May, my new URL will be http://myfatpocket.com/judging-me. Please, come on over and say hi!

It's still the same old me blogging, still the same style but there will be new and exciting contents and definitely more updates over there.

So, here's me, signing off from Blogger and saying hello to you from http://myfatpocket.com/judging-me

Dr. Jart+ V7 VitaLaser

2011-04-23T15:15:00.012+08:00

Do you have these skin problems?

I have super dull skin (or so complains my beautician), darkened skin (since I am always out in the sun) and uneven skin (due to my previous spat of breakouts).

Confirm Trading passed me the Dr. Jart V7 VitaLaser Skin Perfecting Revitalizer 2 months back and I've been religiously using it.

I took so long to blog about this cos I wanted to give this a try before giving a review on this. I think the ad below best highlights what's so special about this whitening treatment. The seven kinds of vitamins present in this cream makes this a very saturated formula-like ointment that delivers vitamins and nutrients deep into the skin.

Product Characteristics

Vitamin ointment – solution for complex skin
Healing problematic skin through whitening, moisturizing & restoring

▶ Evens your skin tone for 7 days and gives whitening effect after 7-weeks of use.
Powerful whitening element AA2G inhibits melanin formation removing flaws including freckles and spots.

▶ Outstanding absorption and penetration into the skin
Unique ointment-like texture soaks into skin fast with 7 types of vitamins encapsulated by the nano-liposome technology.

▶ Returns the skin to the original state
Ease the repair of skin cell for regenerating new skin fast and making restoration layer.

▶ Restores uneven skin
Vitamin H and grapefruit skin extract prevents the recurrence of troubles and anti-oxidant function prevents the loss of skin elasticity while restoring the traces of trouble.

▶ Protect damaged and sensitive skin
Portulaca oleracea and grape fruit extract sooths damaged skin and protect the skin from harmful environment to make your sensitive skin stronger.

When squeezed out of the tube, it looks like this. A little translucent. I feel that it's a little thick and takes quite a fair bit of time to be absorbed into the skin. Having said that, after 2 months of continuous usage, I noticed a brighter complexion . The skin in my cheek area has also even'ed out some. Although I had an overall brighter complexion, I went diving a couple of weeks ago and... DAMN, got dark all over again. So, back to more Dr. Jart+ V7 VitaLaser then!

Retail Price: $59.00 (Made in Korea)
Exclusively available at Watsons stores such as Ngee Ann City, ION Orchard, Parkway Parade, Bugis Junction, Jurong Point, Tampines Mall, Vivocity, Serangoon Nex and many more.

Introducing Viccal and Hanamei

2011-04-22T12:46:00.007+08:00

WE WON'T PROMISE YOU INSTANT RESULTS.

WE ONLY CREATE SKINCARE SOLUTIONS THAT WORK WITH YOUR SKIN.

With a tagline like that, Viccal definitely got my attention. Their approach to skincare is to ensure their products remain authentic and pure. Using natural contents and 100% natural actives.

I recently used one of their products. No. 2.11. They have 3 products under this range:

1.10 Nuture and Strengthen (10 referring to 10 active ingredients) - Priced at $145
2.11 Detoxify and Heal (11 referring to 11 active ingredients) - Priced at $165

3.12 Revitalise and Energize (12 referring to 12 active ingredients) - Priced at $185

No.2.11 as seen below which helps to detoxify and heal.

Before, I had heaps of mini breakouts at my forehead area cos of the late nights. No amount of pimple cream healed everything since these pimples just kept popping up!

After 2 weeks of using this, I still have some breakouts but my skin is a lot calmer now. Waited so long for this! :) Products are not cheap (the one I used costs $165!) but treat it like an investment.

And good thing about this is that their website here allows you to request for some samples before you invest in this. Click on the contact us tab at the bottom of the website.

Next up, is another interesting new product which I have been using lately. It's called Hanamei. Heard of it before?

It has these very very sweet pink girly packaging which is so appealing! Ok let's get on to the serious business.

What is Hanamei?

For most hair removal procedures including waxing, plucking and shaving, the undesirable can often be removed but not its side effects. Bumps, ingrown hair, darkening of the skin, inflammation and soreness are just some of the more common problems that your skin can suffer from.

Hanamei is created specifically to care for your most intimate area especially after any hair removal therapies. Besides providing instant relief after waxing, Hanamei® also help keep delicate skin supple, smooth and fair over time.

Rich in pure Japanese botanical extracts, the Hanamei® Intimate Beauty Treatment range is gentle yet effective for everyday use, even on other areas like the underarms, elbows and kneecaps where skin is often rough and darkened.

First up, we review the Hanamei Comforting Mask.

The Hanamei Comforting Mask is specifically designed and formulated to provide instant relief and care for delicate skin in the bikini area that has undergone hair removal therapies.

Hanamei Comforting Mask promises to:
• Soothe and minimise skin soreness
• Reduce redness and skin irritation
• Protect skin against follicle and pore infection

I went for VPL for my bikini line in Jan, which included some shaving and then the VPL treatment. So the shaving left some of my follicles sore and red. I use the Hanamei Comforting Mask chilled. Very comforting. I usually take it out of the fridge and unfold it and then place it on the bikini area. It immediate provides that area with a cool comfort and makes my skin there noticeably more hydrated. There is also a very light, pleasant rose fragrance to this. Only because I was deliberately checking out its fragrance did I detect it.

Next up, we look at the Hanamei Brightening Serum.

The Hanamei Brightening Serum contains multiple botanical actives to minimise ingrown hair and lighten darkened skin caused by hair removal and micro-abrasion especially at the underarms, elbows and kneecaps.

Use the Hanamei Brightening Serum to:
• Maintain elasticity and resilience of skin
• Minimise ingrown hair
• Lighten the appearance of skin darkened by hair removal and micro-abrasion

I use this mostly on my underarm. Many years ago, I took up IPL for my underarm because my underarms have gotten to a very bad stage of ingrown hair that leads to pimples and redness and scars. And the scars are dark and frankly, short sleeved tops are just a no-no. After my several years of IPL treatment, my underarm looks a lot better but now and again, the hair does still grow again. Good thing I found out about this product, for it helps to treat the 2 biggest problems I don't want to have with my underarm - ingrown hair and darken skin. I've been religiously applying this after my shower and I notice slightly brightened skin. Can't say much for the ingrown hair cos after my IPL, the hairs that grow are few.

The serum is easily absorbed and not oily at all. So try it! :)

The Hanamei Brightening Serum can also be used on the underarms, elbows or kneecaps to lighten and smoothen out rough skin!

For more information or sales enquiry on Hanamei, please e-mail hanamei@ilypl.com

P.s.: All products mentioned in this post are kindly sponsored by Hanamei, Viccal and The Sample Store.

Itinerary for Borneo Diving Trip

2011-04-19T14:57:00.007+08:00

So I've been "MIA" for awhile now. Went to pursue my dream of learning how to dive and then diving.

But I'm back now. With more exciting new updates! There's something brewing new for this humble blog of mine and I will be back to update everyone about it soon!

Meanwhile, hola all, I'm back.

Here's sharing my itinerary for my 8D7N Trip to the Borneo Islands.

8D7N combination will get us a diving certification, and 2 days worth of diving at any island in sabah and 1 day at the famous Sipadan island. It is mandatory that we do a dive in any island after our certification before attempting Sipadan Island due to strong currents there. Everyday will be jam-packed! Here goes!

Day 1: Depart Singapore to KL, transfer at KL for 3 hours before departing to Tawau via Air Asia and transfer to Semporna (45mins to 1hour taxi ride ~RM100) and stay with Dragon Inn @ Semporna for the night.

Day 2: Pick up at 7am and transfer to Mabul where we begin the PADI Open Water Course (OWC) and stay with Uncle Chang on Mabul Island.

Day 3 & 4: Open Water Dives X 4 (Part of OWC) and stay with Uncle Chang on Mabul Island.

Day 5: 3 dives at Siamil Island and stay with Uncle Chang on Mabul Island.

Day 6: 3 dives at Sipadan Island and stay with Uncle Chang on Mabul Island.

Day 7: 3 dives at Mataking Island. Dropped off at Semporna and then taxi back to Tawau's King Park Hotel for the night.

Day 8: Check out and prepare for flight back to KL-Singapore via Air Asia and Tiger Airways.

More details on pricing, underwater photos and such coming right up!

PADI Open Water Course at Mabul Island

2011-04-10T09:29:00.003+08:00

I'm at Mabul Island, West Malaysia now taking my PADI Open Water Dive Certification.

Arrived at 8am this morning to Uncle Chang's "resort" and was shuffled off for check in and breakfast. The room assigned to us costed RM90 per person for a twin-sharing room and all meals included.

Today's day one of my lifelong diving adventure. As I walked the little aisles of Uncle Chang's lodge on Mabul Island, I saw a huge turtle swimming by in very shallow waters! Omg! Loved the sight. It looks so free. The waters are clear and full of various marine life like crabs, starfishes and some other fishes that I can't identify.

The first dive was before lunch and we went out to a nearby shallow beach to learn our first dive lesson!

See the great thing about this is, there are no swimming pools (i.e.: no confined water dives!). You're right out there on the first dive! Awesome.

So we learnt in 1.7m deep water for our first practical lesson. We learnt skills like how to set up own our diving equipment, and I had my very first experience breathing under water. So amazing.

The seabed's full of these fancy star fishes! Was so worried I'll step on them and hurt them!

It was challenging to breathe using only my mouth underwater. Thought it would be pretty easy but it seems even when I use my mouth to breathe out, some air escapes from my nose too.

After dive one, I was quite apprehensive as to whether I'll really be mentally and physically ready for an 18M dive at SIPADAN Island in just 3 days!

Will I get used to breathing under water?

So then we had lunch and next up was the practical lesson number two!

This time around we dived in 3M deep waters and learnt more challenging skillsets like what to do if your regulator has no more air, how to do some hand signals, what to do if water gets into your mask, how to take off your entire mask under water, how to inflate yourself if your inflation mechanism in your buoyancy control device (BCD) jacket is not working...and so on. So cool.

I am also given this thick Open Water Diver Manual to study and get tested on by the next day. Back to school! :P

After lesson two, I felt wayyy more confident about diving and am starting to be relaxed.

Tomorrow 4 more dives. Tonight, will finish watching the rest of the 3 video clips before sleeping.

Who knows what day two of my diving adventure will bring. :)

[Blogged on 4th April 2011]

My Chilli Plant

2011-03-29T12:41:00.001+08:00

My dear granny saw how I murdered the previous store bought chilli plant and decided to help me out. I just thought that I should post about it, and reflect on it's little progress.

Day #1

Day #2:

A month later....

At 2 months old....

6 months later!!

WTF why no flowers?? No chilli too :( I've been nursing this thing for half a year!! Oh my, how time flies.

P.s.: Please pardon the shots which are of different lighting and quality. All taken over a span of 6 months ma!

Apple Pie

2011-03-27T11:56:00.005+08:00

I'm going swimming this weekend with the girls so what better reason for me to make a pie than today and then feed it to them!! So apple pie it is.

Well, I cheated this week. It was mad easy to make an apple pie when you cheat. First of all, the pie crust receipe is here. Just the same recipe as the Canned Peach Pie I made the last time. But this time around, I had a new mixing bowl and a new rolling pin - MADE all the difference I tell you. A good rolling pin will make your pie so much better! See here! How neat it looks right!

I also parbaked the bottom crust so that it won't be so soggy when it comes out of the oven.

As for the Apple Pie Filling, cold storage sells this canned apple pie filling and it was on offer so I bought it and used it. So simple and so convenient! The brand is called Wilderness.

I think next time, I shall attempt a savoury pie? :D Who knows!

Old School Friendster Testimonials!

2011-03-25T11:23:00.007+08:00

Do you remember the days of Friendster? Back when I was in secondary school, Friendster was all the rage.

Friendster is so un-userfriendly now! But that's not the point of my post.

The point of it was, I decided to go take a look at my old account and found some interesting memories.

There was this "testimonials" section where people pop by and shout about how much they love or hate you. I found two old testimonials by my 2 best friends, Angeline and Wei Shan written back in 2004. OMG, 7 years ago! So precious!

Thanks girls...!! LOL and yes my dear shannie, the chicken and tuna joke will keep living. It's the joke of a lifetime! And yes hooi, we'll be friends forever~ The only problem with the other part on kids is, shan needs to find a bf first yeah!

Reading the other testimonials I got from decades ago, I realise I haven't really changed. Still that same girl who still goes to gyms, keep hamsters, still as determined as ever, and still as funny as ever of course. Haha!

VICHY Bi-White Reveal Blogger Workshop

2011-03-18T10:20:00.019+08:00

I had a great time at the VICHY Bi-White Reveal Blogger Workshop yesterday at Maxwell Chambers' Once Upon A MilkShake.

1) On the Educational Talk we had

We had Dr Jonathan Lee from Aesthetic Studios giving us a talk on all about pigmentation and the various options for skin problems. You could check out his website for heaps of information on solving your facial woes.

I was reading the brochure he gave me and I'm thinking I need something for minimizing facial pores. Check out this treatment called Spectra Laser Rejuvenation - anyone heard of this before?

Anyhoo, see this video!! So amazing...!

2) On VICHY Bi-White Reveal

Yet another great range by VICHY, Bi-White Reveal targets all dark sports like acne marks, freckles, age spots, sun spots, hand spots and brown spots.

Is this the solution to flawless transparency & inner luminosity? I can't wait to try all the products that VICHY very generously gave us all bloggers.

Products in this range include:

a. Cleanse

Double Corrective Whitening Deep Cleansing Foam

b. Tone

Double Corrective Whitening Lotion

c. Eye Contour

Anti-Dark Circle Corrective Eye Care

d. Moisturize

Double Corrective Whitening Day Cream SPF 20, Night and Emulsion.

e. UV Protection

UV Pro Secure Daily Ultra-Block Fluid SPF40 PA++

I'm pretty excited about all of this products because the VICHY products that I am using now from the Normaderm Series are by far one of the few products which do not make my skin oily and have this superb mattifying effect - yes! Even for their sunblock!

3) On Once Upon A MilkShake

To be honest, I've never heard of them. But then again, I'm not big on milkshakes. The only milkshakes that come to mind are those from Billy Bombers & MacDonalds - and even those I've never tried.

So they were the host for this event. And we were served brownies, mini sandwiches, salad and milkshakes of course.

They had this multitude of flavours. All with such fancy names! But of course I settled with whatever that had chocolate in it - Chocolate Truffle Castle. It was good.. very thick. I love everything chocolate. There's a reason everyday to consume something chocolate! Whether its ice cream, cake, brownie, etc etc, chocolate is always good (well almost always). This milkshake was not one of those that are sickeningly sweet... it was just right.

Yea I know chocolate as a flavour is so boring but hey, classic flavours don't get classic flavour statuses for nothing, you hear!

But after I happily had like 3/4 of the small cup of it, they told me it's made of 3 scoops of ice cream and 60ml of milk. FML?! Omg................ but it was nice. Really. Hahaha

So after that they told us that we'll be making our own Vanilla + Cranberry milkshake - that's how I found out what's in the drink I just enjoyed!

Yes, that'll be me, hard at work. Making a milkshake. Haha... and after making it, I found myself with YET ANOTHER milkshake (and 3 scoops of ice cream in it!). :(

Why am I being tempted this way?

After the event, we just sat around enjoying the milkshakes and ~~texting~~ catching up with the other wonderful bloggers that I have and haven't met prior to this event.

A group shot to end the event! Thanks VICHY for yet another wonderful event. Keep a lookout while I take some time to try out the Bi-White Reveal range of products!

*All pictures credits to VICHY Singapore. ^^

Once Upon A Milk Shake Outlet Locations

32 Maxwell Road
#01-08 Maxwell Chambers
Tel: 9823 3779
Daily: 11am-11pm

2 Orchard Link #02-03/04
Singapore 237978
Tel: +65 9233 1624

1 Raffles Place #B1-03E
Singapore 048616
Tel: +65 9649 7893

A letter to all who are sending me shit about Parenting

2011-03-16T10:31:00.010+08:00

Dear theasianparent.com,

I think, I had about enough. Why did you start sending me so many "irrelevant" edm contents to me recently?

Is it because you think I am old and I need to be already married and having kids already?!!??!!?!? *Unreasonable rant*

I insist it's irrelevant because I'm not married nor do I have kids so why are you sending me so much information on parenting?

I don't know how you got my email. But even if you did get my email address because I gave it to you (for god knows why), it must have been awhile ago and you started sending me all these only since this year, when I'm 27... (actually 26 going on 27).........!!

I may be too sensitive but, seriously, 27 and I'm supposed to have kids already?

Breastfeeding, recently gave birth, meet other mums, dads welcomed.... Oh My God. What's going on here?!

I will be a parent and have my own kids in time but this, this email is too soon and too... disturbing. So pressurizing!!

So while I appreciate all that information, I'm going to unsubscribe and hope I will not hear from you again. Till your content becomes relevant (omg, it will be relevant one day soon right?!).

Yours Sincerely,

Me.

Edited 18th March, 10.30am

SERIOUSLY?

P.s.: For those who don't know, this is just a post that's meant to poke a little fun at myself, so don't take it so seriously! I have nothing against theasianparent.com.

Making Croissants

2011-03-15T11:05:00.003+08:00

So I got a little bit more adventurous after my encouraging attempts the previous weekends on the tarts and pies and thought I could attempt Croissants.

Boy, was I wrong.

Croissants are such a pain in the a** to make!! They take forever and I make them look ugly!! Gosh... No recipe to share here. Just sharing how my... er... "Croissants" turned out. Fats are always meant to be shared so I gave some to my sister and she commented that the taste was buttery and quite good but I should just rename my creation and call it "Breadrolls".

And yea she's right cos what the hell, Croissants are supposed to be light, fluffly and soft. Mine is none of that. Guess the right machine and the right experience and skillset is required for creating the $1.20 Croissants that we see in bakeries and gobble down in a heartbeat.

If you ask me, I'll prolly never attempt Croissants again and will spend more time appreciating those that I see out at stores.

P.s.: This whole Croissant making process took me.... 3-4 hours. To roll, to wait for dough to rise, etc etc etc

P.s.s.: Yea, I'm not exactly patient which is why I'm not a full-time baker.

Hello Sipadan

2011-03-07T15:48:00.008+08:00

In the past 3 months, it seems like I let go of a different lifetime that I lived in and then stumbled onto a new life in which I find happiness and... contentment.

Who knows how long this feeling will last but this is not a post to contemplate the what ifs.

So I went to Bali earlier this year (which ok, fine is not too long ago and only just in end Jan), where it felt like I set myself free (omg I am so dumb'ing down the English Language now...!! Inside joke, sorry)... liberated... It was a great bonding session with my decade-long friends.

And then I decided, it's time to start on that long list of resolutions that I want to do before I die. Hey, one's never too young to start on that list ya...

So one of the things on this list is to get my PADI Diving Certification, and DIVE. Yes.

I'll been planning this (rather half-heartedly) for years now. And it's just that, there were always better places to go, easier places to go to, more safe things to do, and so on and on and on.

But hey, I think it's fate that the "Diving Experience" is going to take place soon.

And it will be at Sipadan Island - a place rated by many dive journals as one of the top dive destinations in the world! It is 600 metres above the seabed. I wonder how deep that is. Will it be scary?

I've snorkeled and swam in Oceans heaps before but I was always at the surface and could always see the seabed from where I am (floating/paddling..haha!)...

So yea, diving's going to be interesting.

I'll be logging all my research in upcoming entries. So keep a lookout!! Meanwhile, you guys can just enjoy the some of these wonderful images I grabbed off the internet to have a feel of how beautiful the marine life at Sipadan is.

Hundreds of Barracudas at the Barracuda Point

Been told that I will definitely see heaps of turtles! Especially the green and hawksbill sea turtles which mate and nest there! :)

Here's a video of what to expect when diving at Sipadan!

Peach Pie

2011-03-04T00:49:00.003+08:00

Peach Pies are yummy. Cos, pie is yummy and so are peaches! LOL ok fine, that was lame.

Anyhoo, I'm on this baking rage. Last week was the Fruit Galette and this week, Peach Pie!!

Okay, here's the recipe I used. I customised this from various websites:

Basic Pie Pastry Ingredients

For a 9 inch (23 cm) double-crust pie:
2 ¼ cups (280g) all purpose (plain) flour
¾ tsp salt

1 tsp sugar
¾ cup (180g) cold butter or shortening
6-7 tbsp cold water, more or less

Combine flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut cold butter into cubes and toss it into the flour. With your fingertips, two knives or a pastry blender, blend the ingredients together, working quickly until you have a mixture of tiny, irregular flakes and bits about the size of coarse bread crumbs. Sprinkle on the water 1 tbsp at a time, stirring gently with a fork after each addition. Add just enough water for the dough to form a rough mass.

With floured hands pat the dough into two small balls, one larger than the other. Roll dough out large enough to cover the pie tin, cover with cling wrap and refrigerate while you prepare the Peach Filling.

*I found the recipe for this pie pastry lacking of sweetness, so I would add 1 tablespoon of sugar to this mixture.

I thought this guy's video on how to make basic pie pastry is quite easy to follow.

Peach Filling Ingredients

1 Can of Peaches

2 Tablespoons of Cornstarch

1/8 Tablespoons of Nutmeg (I couldn't find nutmeg so I didn't add this)

1/8 stick of butter

Drain peaches of the juice. Add in cornstarch, butter and nutmeg to the juice. Mix it and then add the peaches back in.

Fill the pie pastry up with the peach filling and dot the 2 tbsp butter randomly on the filling. Roll out the small dough to cover the pie. Cut a few slashes on the top to let steam escape while baking.

Pre-heat oven to 220 degrees and bake for 15-20 mins till the crust is brown.

And you're done!

My Dedication to Yoga

2011-02-25T07:32:00.000+08:00

Yoga is a wonderful form of exercise. Yoga has been my main (read: only) form of exercise for the past 4 years. It trains you mentally, physically and emotionally. In these 4 years, I have definitely come a long way in terms of flexibility, strength and endurance. My favourite class has to be Hatha Multilevel taught by Instructor, Yogi at Ocean Towers' True Yoga.

To those of you who think yoga is too slow for you, think again! I just went to Bikram Yoga the other day. Bikram is a series of postures performed in a room heated to 37 degrees (think: sauna) for a period of 90 mins and is taught military-style by a instructor.

Gosh I was sweating like nobody's business. The sweat just kept dripping off my nose and into my eyes! It was like a super shiok feeling and you feel really good about yourself after that. It is during the exercise that is killing! As if the heat is not bad enough, you're doing things that even under normal temperatures would make you sweat. Of course, there's the funky smelling people you occasionally are stuck as neighbours. :/

The instructor and a few other more-confident (read: fit) men in the class would tend to be dressed in swimming-truck-lookalike-pants. Erm. Only wearing that.

At my first visit, I had a pleasant surprise. Haha!! Surprise because when I spoke with the instructor prior to going into the class, he was wearing a tee-shirt and shorts...!! It was after the class started that then... woah............LOL. Pleasant becuase the male instructor is quite cute and he did have a good body. My second class wasn't that good becuase, well, it was a caucasian with a lot of body hair. :(

It was shiok I tell you - the way my body felt after the class. But I think I would only go once a while. Bikram is too tiring!! Hahaha

Vinyasa is another form of yoga that makes me perspire in buckets as well. This is performed in an air-conditioned room, so just imagine how tough it is if it makes me drip droplets of sweat in the middle of my chest and down my forehead.

Getting into a pose and holding it is no small feat. And I just love the challenge of doing just that. Never mind the quivering of the muscles. Never mind the sweat rolling down and making it extremely uncomfortable. Never even mind my stupid hair which sticks to my body in the most irritating way. I could go on and on forever! (Well, not literally, but you get the idea!)

But above all, what keeps me going on everyday in my pursuit of better flexibility and increased strength is the little milestones I set for myself.

There are just too many poses and each with varying degrees of difficulty. I can only select those that I like and push myself to achieve it. Slowly. But surely. And besides, Yoga, like any other exercise, is a lifetime commitment. I have a lifetime to conquer it all. :D

Have a great weekend ahead people!!

Fruit Galette (Tart/Pie)

2011-02-21T10:29:00.001+08:00

Galette is French for a flat, round cake. It may also refer to several savory and sweet tarts, and even a small shortbread cookie.

So what we have here is a Mixed Fruit Galette. It was a lovely Saturday and I was happy to be home and alone and have ALL the time to do whatever I wanted so I decided to bake!

Here's the recipe I found online and modified it to be easy and simple to follow:

Ingredients:

Basic Pastry:

175g all-purpose plain flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
113g unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes
2 tablespoons ice water

Fruit Filling:
8-9 similar sized strawberries

15 small grapes

1 kiwi
2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon corn starch

Method:
1. Mix flour, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut the cold butter (must be cold) into small cubes and use a fork to press the butter together with the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

2. Add the ice water and mix until the mixture comes together to form a dough. I then used the dough to form the base of the Galette based on a aluminium disposable "pie pan" and store in freezer to keep it cool while preparing the fruits.

3. Wash and cut the fruits into thick slices (halve the strawberries, thickly slice the kiwi, and the grapes should be fine without cutting). Toss the fruits with the sugar and cornstarch.

4. Go crazy. Be creative. Pile the fruits in any manner you like. Fold the pastry edges up. Brush the dough with egg white. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of sugar. Bake in preheated oven at 200degC for 25-30 minutes or until the crust is golden browned.

Let's take a look at how it looked like before it went into the oven:

I thought it looked kinda weird so what I did was to round up the edges. And in it went into the oven!

25-30 mins later:

Bon appetit~

The Possibilities Are Tremendous

2011-02-19T11:46:00.005+08:00

As I looked out the window of my plane seat, I saw a magnificently different world outside.

A view that screams of so much opportunities, and wonders just lurking in the horizons.

And then I thought of someone, and I know, everything will be alright. Because you're you and I'm me, it all feels right.

Shaw Theatres premiere

2011-02-16T00:42:00.006+08:00

Thanks to an invitation from omy.sg, Angeline and I went for a special screening of Rabbit Hole earlier this week at Shaw Nex (Serangoon).

The thing is, what's so special about this screening, is that the cinema, looks like THIS:

Deluxe leather seats | Dine-in services | RealD 3D digital technology | Exclusive hall of 48 seaters

Each deluxe leather seat can be reclined and comes with an extra legroom compared to those found in regular cinema halls, and are spaced in pairs to cater for additional privacy.

The selection of Western-Continental delicacies on the menu are designed by an in-house chef and freshly prepared in a dedicated kitchen - yes we're still talking about the cinema!!

premiere Signatures - Lemongrass Beef Tenderloin.jpg

And I really liked the extra touch of providing freshly laundered blankets! I always forget a shawl/jacket for movies!

Shaw Theatres premiere also has a lounge area that patrons can hang out before the movie, have dinner, some drinks... perfect for that first date ya!

This is TRULY a very luxurious movie experience with premiere !

Chilling out at the exclusive lounge before the screening, drinking wines with excellent food and service and those big reclinable leather seats.... how nice! Check it out with your other half soon!

Visit SHAW for more information

premiere tickets are priced at $20.00 and $25.00 for off-peak (Mondays to Wednesdays, and Thursdays excluding opening titles) and peak (eve of public holidays, public holidays, opening days, sneak previews and Fridays to Sundays) periods respectively. For 3D movie, tickets are priced at $25.00 for off-peak and $30.00 for peak.

How do women in their late twenties find love?

2011-02-14T09:59:00.001+08:00

Just a question.

Busy executives. Driven. Ambitious. Career-minded. Opinionated.

How do these women in Singapore find a partner?

At 19, you were the youngest at the workplace. Women in their late 20's think maybe you should be up to some mischief instead of working. Men in their late 20's think you're a sweet young thing. You want to maybe look and be 24-25yrs and want to look a little more mature.

And then the years fly by. Suddenly you wake up and realise you're holy macaroons! already 27 years old! Now what? The men around you (colleagues likely, since we're talking about career-minded women here) are now either married, or too young. Those your age still make jokes that are not funny.

Erm, so you meet the random guy at the bar? How often men who make the first moves in a dimly lit bar are reliable?

I mean, how do they even decide you're someone they want to talk to?

You dance with confidence thus, you're easy? You laugh a lot, so you'll likely laugh at his jokes? You dress sexy, so he wants to see more of that fantastic cleavage? You're alone so, hey, pick you up better than that really hot girl at the other end of the room?

I say, loser, take a hike.

So what on earth do these self respecting women who are looking for life-long partners do? Someone who likes her for her character, for her wit, for her opinions, for everything that she is and isn't.

Ah now, this sounds like what I possibly can only find in a fairytale.

Of course, we don't rule out the exceptionals and fate that sometimes steps in.

Do we look among guys in the gym or oh god forbid, your neighbour? Gosh I don't know.

Mom if you are reading this, I'm destined to be your daughter forevermore if I cannot find Mr Right within 3 years!

P.s.: Let's see, maybe I go join a dating website?! That'll be cool wouldn't it? I'm sure there'll be loads of fun! Plus I'll blog about it!

Things to do in Bali: Mount Batur [Part2]

2011-02-07T15:24:00.001+08:00

So I covered Part1 of my adventure on Mount Batur, Bali in another post already but hey, while the pitstop of one's life journey is important, let's not forget the siginificance of what it took to get to the pitstop. So here, this post, I'll be posting pictures of how the ascend to Mount Batur looked like. Interested travellers who want to come this same way, I hope you find this photo log useful.

Remember, bring a windbreaker! Cos it is cold up there! And there are no concrete toilets up there. Only the great big wilderness and monkeys are audiences. Not shitting you. You don't have to train up prior to this climb... it's just like 3 hours of workout on the stairmaster but a helluva lot more interesting.

Now, let the photos, begin!

Ok here's a quick shot of the crater before we descend.

Yup, if you slip, you can actually fall off the "cliff-looking" edge. :/

Mostly volcanic rocks. Better than small volcanic stones because those are mega slippery!

On the way down. It was quite steep. Check out the person in a red jacket just ahead.

Stopped in the midst of my descend to appreciate the fresh air and the view.

Still another picture to show how steep and "cliff-like" it was.

This part was the dangerous part where if you step on a slippery pile of volcanic stones/ash, then byebye!

On one of our many breaks! Still happy! Hahaha

Things to do in Bali: Mount Batur [Part1]

2011-02-04T08:06:00.000+08:00

This is an amazing experience everyone should try at least once! It's not easy but when you make it to top, it's liberating. The picture above, is taken when we were already at the very very peak!

We were picked up at 1.45am from our hotel lobby and ferried to the base of Mount Batur in under 2 hours. It was pitch black!

The climb started easy at about 3am. Easy because it was mostly walking on flatland on volcanic ashes.

I was saying how bad it was of us to get Opin, the tour operator, to help us carry the 1.5L bottle of water and my friend said, "I can't even protect myself and I have to care for another bottle?!" So that got us laughing which also meant that the trek at beginning was really easy.

To get us 3 up there, we had a grand entourage of 3 men! Which actually, on hindsight, should have been scary.

Mom, stop freaking out if you're reading this. I have not even mentioned about the group of men at the base of the mountain!! Ok ok now you can freak out.

So there was Opin, whom we booked this tour with. He was really sweet. He came along with us for a workout and also because we're girls.

And there was the liscensed mountain guide, and the guy selling drinks.

A picture of me and *omg I forgot his name* aka the mountain guide. He warmed up to chit chat during the later part of the trip when we were going down. He is 38 with 3 kids and eldest being a 17 yr old! Lucky man! And he gave me these eyes that were so sympathetic when he heard about my previous relationship. LOL. So cute.

Ok end of digression.

So, the climb took us 2.5 hours. As we got nearer to the top, things got more difficult. The trekking got steeper and more slippery (due to the presence of small volcanic rocks). The mountain guide helped Wei Shan a lot and the drinks man helped Angeline alot. So they were all really very nice. Opin was just happily playing music on his phone and making stupid jokes/enjoying the climb. LOL

We stopped for breaks more too the higher we got. From breaking every 30 mins to 15 to 5 mins. I will be posting more pictures on how the journey is in another post because there are really just too many photos! :P

Anyway, let's speed bullet forward 3 hours and chang-chang! We are at the top already. The air was REALLY fresh and it felt so good. I got loads of oxygen and it was just, very refreshing. I wasn't tired or sleepy. Just felt very energetic and charged you know.

Who wouldn't be as happy as me to finally reach the top and gaze back on the path I conquered?

This is such a nice photo of Wei Shan that I had to post it. The guy behind is currently working in HK (I think) and he chatted Shan up a bit. Seemed like a nice guy.

At the top with Wei Shan! I think I look odd in this photo. But regardless, it's the best I have of me at the top. So there. Don't judge.

And this photo of us three. Precious. :) Nvm that I look super ugly here. But, hey, 2 hours sleep the night before, 3 hours of climbing, and at 8am in the morning, one can hardly look their best. :P

Love More 愛戀膜法

2011-02-01T14:51:00.007+08:00

Love More is one of the Best Selling Mask Brands in Taiwan with ingredients from Japan, Australia, Brazil, France, Swiss & Scotland. This brand is endorsed by celebrities like Tiffany Hsu (Taiwan) and Kary Wu (Hong Kong).

Extract of Kary’s raving:
“I finally finished my work, and the first thing that I do when I reached home is to pamper my skin! I want to recommend "LOVE MORE MASK" which I use daily to everyone! Other than pampering my face, I think it is important to take good care of my neck too! This 3D mask fits perfectly to my face, and the ear-hooks wraps my face and neck~ you will turn beautiful and fair with just 20 minutes a day! To babes who want to become prettier, let us enjoy "LOVE MORE MASK's" Magic!!”

I was given 3 of these ultra cute masks to try out:

- Japan Electric Ore Peptide Firming Duo Lifting Mask (with ear-hooks)

- Australia Agar-agar Lifting Mask

- Japanese Pearls Firming & Whitening Mask

I say ultra cute cos each individual packaging are little envelopes!! So much effort went into the design! Almost too cute to use! :P

Let's check out the Australia Agar-agar Lifting Mask (Blue) & Japanese Pearls Firming & Whitening Mask (Yellow)!

Australia Agar-agar Lifting Mask (Blue)

About it: Are you unable to improve your skin’s elasticity and end up having pimple instead? Now, you do not need to worry anymore that the antioxidant essence is always higher than the hydrating essence in your mask. The Australia agar-agar lifting mask is specially formulated for the 25 to 30 year olds using sea bird nest from Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and other skin lifting ingredients to give you radiant skin just like an 18 year old!

My Review: Mildly fragrance'd and soaked with moisture, this mask is extremely refreshing and soothing! I put it on for like 15 mins and then moved it to my neck to maximise the nutrients. I like how firm and matt my face feels after that. The size of the mask is pretty ok. covers the edges of my face but it's a little short for my nose. Other than that, this is a good buy.

Japanese Pearls Firming & Whitening Mask (Yellow)

About it: Combining 3D mask and using the latest small molecules technology, the pearls from Japan, Isecity, and white gold penetrate deeply into your skin and firms, smoothens and brightens your skin instantly. The condition of your skin improves drastically becoming smooth, firm and bright!

My Review: Love the pretty designs of the packaging.. same with the previous mask too. I wasn't getting regular sleep for the past many days and my skin was looking rather dull. I decided to be a good girl and pamper my skin with this mask. True to it's promise, I find my skin brighter after using the mask. I shall be using more of this as a quick fix to my horrid sleeping patterns! :)

If you like, you can REDEEM A SAMPLE HERE.

All Love More Masks are available exclusively in Watsons: 3D Mask 5 pcs @ $8.90 Mask 5pcs @ $7.90

Lou Hei at the peak of Singapore! At Singapore Flyer!

2011-01-29T00:13:00.018+08:00

First of all, I'd like to wish everyone Happy Chinese New Year (CNY)... Hope you find prosperity, good health, happiness and loads of fun in this new year of the Rabbit.

Small digress here but please don't buy rabbits just cos it's rabbit year!!

Ok, moving right along, so with CNY, traditions are always to have Lou Hei and big reunion dinners. This year, my very first Lou Hei was with the good people at the Singapore Flyer.

I know, you're going like, Lou Hei? Singapore Flyer?! Are you kidding meeeee?!!!

Well, nope I'm not!

See this year, the Singapore Flyer presents to all their Signature Auspicious Trail which promises to harness the right Chi or the cohesive flow of position energy that guarantees prosperity, good fortune and longevity.

Extracted from their website:

"Visitors will receive Heaven Chi when their capsule hits its peak of 165 metres. After the 30-minute flight on the architectural marvel, be blessed with Earth Chi at the Wishing Well. And complete the Auspicious Trail by tossing coins and sounding the Lucky Gong to improve Human Chi.

This triple blessing of Chi will ensure that you leap into the Year of the Rabbit filled with prosperity, wealth and happiness!

Guests who want to usher in the Year of the Rabbit with the traditional Lo Hei can do so in specially-arranged capsules. So do bring your family members or office colleagues to toss “Yu Sheng’’ in style and when you’re literally on top of the world!"

Bloggers gathered to view the auspicious preparation of the Yu Sheng.

How fun right!! Well, if you're interested to take this up, here are the details!! I heard it's $1,888 nett for up to 26 guests!

Thanks to the wonderful organisers, my maiden trip up this Flyer was really quite a wonderful experience. Here are some pictures to remember the event by:

Isn't this view from Singapore Flyer just breathtaking? Like what stock image libraries like Inmagine would sell for like $800-$1,000!!

Yummy Yu Sheng with a truly lovely view of the Singapore Night Scene as a backdrop.

They really did manage to fit 2 of such tables into a cabin for Lou Hei!

Another awesome photo of Singapore. And all I used was my humble Samsung EX-1!

Here are GREAT reasons why the Singapore Flyer is a must-visit this CNY!

1) TAKE GREAT PICTURES!

The facade of the iconic waterfront attraction will be teeming with festive spring flowers, an 83-metre “Chun Dao’ light-up, a 12-metre inflatable giant Cai Shen Ye and various entertainments such as the traditional lion dance and a roving God of Fortune.

2) CHECK OUT THE SG FOOD TRAIL

Enjoy a wide selection of dining opportunities for all at the Flyer’s new lifestyle waterfront dining promenade, as well as, the Singapore Food Trail - a food fiesta that seeks to tell the Singapore food story by transporting visitors back to the 1960s, when Singapore gained independence.

Themed street food stalls and kiosks will be offering the most popular of local fare such as Bak Kut Teh, Satay and Bak Chor Mee!

3) FESTIVE GOODIES AND PROMOTIONS!

Festive goodies await all full-paying flight ticket holders. Receive a Signature Auspicious Trail booklet, red packets, a return 1-for-1 voucher and a chance to win $888 in Singapore Flyer capsule treasure hunt.

Usher in the year of the Rabbit at the Singapore Flyer! Check out their website for more information on their various events and ticket prices!

Tours in Bali: Mr Smiles

2011-01-25T13:09:00.008+08:00

MBA tours (although recommended) seemed to be a bit too pricey so we headed off to find another operator.

Walking along Poppies Lane I, we stopped at a friendly looking guy with a nice smile. His company name is Mr Smiles.

Young chap. Very reliable and sincere. Doesn't beat around the bush with pricing. His name is Opin. Speaks great English too.

Yup that's Opin!

Here's what we got from him:
- Rp400,000 for trekking up Mount Batur
- Rp200,000 for 1hr snorkelling, visit to turtle island, parasailing, and our transport was in a glass bottom boat.
- USD26 with 10% discount (USD26-10%) and free transport to Waterbom Water Theme Park

Stay tuned for an update on how our tours were with Mr Smiles!

(Rp6,500 = SGD1)

White Water Rafting at Bali

2011-01-24T20:08:00.007+08:00

Adventure day! So Bali's a great place for loads of water sports and inland adventure activities. One of things we did when in Bali was White Water Rafting. It was awesome man..

I booked my tour with MBA tours and for 3 of us, the price was Rp300,000 (USD32/SGD42) each.

There are 11 such companies offering this experience and MBA booked us on with Bali International Rafting.

From Kuta beach, the minivan ride was comfortable and took 2 hours thereabouts.

We were all ready to have fun!!

Once there, we had a guide named Malé. His love for fun made our trip really entertaining. He has had 15 years of experience, taking tourists like us on a 2.5 hour rafting experience everyday.

Yes this would be my very cute friend with a leaf, in her helmet

And that's major. If he weren't that experienced, I think our raft would have been stuck a lot among the rocky rivers.

The experience was superb. I'll do it all over again in a heartbeat. Can't believe I missed out on this all those times that I was in Phuket/Krabi!

The best part of the whole thing had to be the 5m high drop that he skillfully manevoured us through! :p

So if you find yourself in Bali, do check out White Water Rafting. :)

Here's an awesome shot of us 3!! Hahaha

Hello from Bali!

2011-01-20T17:16:00.004+08:00

Hi! Greetings from Bali, Indonesia!

Yes, I'm on my maiden trip here and so far, I'm really loving it.

Am staying at the Poppies Hotel at Kuta beach and it's way awesome!

Check out some quick photos here:

Me and my girlfriends are all bunked in a little quaint cottage. Yup, all three of us in single beds.

Very cozy and very comfortable!

Stay tuned for more updates from beautiful Bali.

Here are me and my traveling buddies, Shan and Angeline.

A Photo Post To Remember My Cousins' Trip to Singapore!

2011-01-17T15:46:00.003+08:00

So we went to NEX mall @ Serangoon MRT. Huge place! Was completely lost in there. Finally tried Freshness Burger from Tokyo but wasn't impressed with it.

Photos are taken with LOMOLOMO iPhone app. I think this app is the BEST lomo app ever! Free in App Store!

Here's (L to R) Sophia, My Sis and Leena

Interviewed and Featured

2011-01-15T09:28:00.000+08:00

This was like so many months back! But it's pretty cool. :)

Original post here

Embrace the Present.

2011-01-11T10:29:00.002+08:00

I was floored to have realised this. And I thought, I have a blog and I really need to share this with you all. Please spare some time to read this.

You know how sometimes, we tell ourselves, I will spend time with my kid tomorrow. Or I will go start that healthy regime when I have time.

Well, stop that!

NEVER put off doing things that are important to your well-being and satisfaction to a later time.

Live fully, TODAY. Not later, not when you win the lottery, not when you have time.

A lot of us fool ourselves into thinking...

⁂ I will be a better husband/father/wife/mother when I have enough money.

⁂ I will a more loving husband/wife/daughter/son when I am less busy.

⁂ We'll get married when we have saved enough money because that's when we'll be happy.

⁂ I'll go for that dance class when I have time.

I have, in my life thought of all of the above. And I regret. I always put off enjoying life till I have the luxury of money/time.

When will money ever be enough? When will I ever find enough time?

I wish I could have done a lot of things differently. But I hope I'm not too late to start changing my life right now.

Today, my friends, is the day you seize the moment and live a life that truly satisfying. Today, you live the way you want and harvest your dreams.

Here's an extract from a great inspiration book called The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari:

"Few things are as meaningful as being a part of your children's childhood. What is the point of climbing the steps of success if you have missed the first steps of your own kids? What good is owning the biggest house on your block if you have not taken the time to create a home?

LIVE IN THE MOMENT.

Don't mull over the past. Don't put off things you want to do. Never, never sacrifice happiness for achievement. (If you are reading this, you know who you are, I wish we knew this earlier)

So today, I am thankful for the family that I'm surrounded with. I'm thankful for the time I spent with my cousins over dinner. I'm thankful for the meal we shared and I'm thankful for having all of them. No matter what happened before, or will happen tomorrow, I am grateful for today.

I'll be honest that although this is very inspirational, it is not easy to change the way I live overnight. Instead, what I promise myself is that I will be working very hard to change my thoughts and the way I live. This will not be easy but it will definitely be beneficial.

I end to say, today is the day to live fully.

Don't let your entire life pass by in front of your eyes and miss out on the chance to enjoy it.

Fortune Telling in Singapore

2011-01-09T17:30:00.000+08:00

When the future seems bleak, what do you do?

Image credits to jlascar

Yup. I did what I have never done before. I headed to the Guan Yin Temple along Waterloo Street and prayed for some sign.

The guan yin temple said this about my fortune in 2011:

"As long as I can remain calm in a dilemma, to my rescue comes a saviour I can trust. Don't move with haste and recklessness. Matrimony succeeds and pregnancy leads to a birth of a baby boy. The guest you are expecting has already started on his journey. This lot shows that anyone who can take it easy in times of trouble will find relief from grief and sorrow."

It was a good lot.

I also asked about my love in 2011 which oddly talks about a expected visitor who is also on his way. So weird huh? Out of all 100 lots and I got 2 such similar lots.

I was not convinced and when to hunt down the other lots. DO ALL THE LOTS TALK ABOUT an expected visitor?!

Here you can read the lot interpretation in full here.

(The usual practice is $2 donation)

***

I also decided to have a little more fun and headed for yup, the parakeet fortune tellers!

Here's what the parakeet said.

"I will be married at 28. Don't marry before that. I will have 2 kids. I will lose my bag, wallet, IC and money this year. The house I am living in now is good. I used to be with someone but we're no longer together. Money that I lend to others, I will not get it back."

(I paid $3 for this short one-way conversation-type of reading)

Profound much?

2011-01-08T09:07:00.002+08:00

If a man wants to work, he first needs to raise his head: referring to the process of writing the word 夫.

He needs to do so in order to be a fully grown man. 夫 = man.

Only a man who possesses his own family, is a real man. 丈＝ husband

One, capable of carrying out a big task. 大＝ great things

大丈夫

An Everlasting Relationship

2011-01-07T15:11:00.008+08:00

Check out my dear grandparents.

They've been together for 55 years. That's a lot longer than the entire duration of my life. They have their squabbles and definitely their own fair share of trials and tribulations throughout the course of the life they spent together. They've been through good health and bad health.

They argue about the smallest things now but at the end of the day, you still see sweet moments like these where my grandma feeds my grandpa a little ice cream.

Will I find someone I, too, can depend on and share everything with?

Excited to be going away for awhile

2011-01-05T20:27:00.004+08:00

Been awhile since I had business to attend to in KL, Malaysia. Glad to be going back for the weekend.

When I come back, it'll be the real test. The real beginning of what it means to be independently dependent on myself.

These days I'm quite the confused soul. What am I doing? What am I feeling? Why am I doing the things I am doing? But I know time will sort things out for me. I'll find my way. Someday.

If I lived a life that required me to fly to different places often. I think it has it's own form of loneliness. Waiting alone in airports, eating alone, working alone, sitting alone on planes and always looking at the horizon...

Just like how new things, new environment and everything new will help mend broken hearts, the familiar will often twist these wounded hearts with memories.

Welcoming 2011

2011-01-03T12:36:00.004+08:00

Hi Everyone!

It's my first post for this brand new year. And it's going to be raw and honest.

I was really secure and happy for many, many years. I wasn't afraid of all that will come my way. I didn't even care because I always felt secure.

A new year just meant being older (adding a year to the damn application forms that I fill up).

But this year, it means so much more.

This year of 2011 brings with it a lot of fear, hope and uncertainty. This year, despite all that I feel and am scared of, I only have one path and that is, forward.

I have to hone my willpower to remain positive at all times.

Andrea, the sweetheart, told me "God will not give me more than I can handle".

What will be at the end of the road for me? I'm just like any other, feeling insecure for there's no sight of what my future will be like.

But I tell myself. Every thing happens for a reason. There can be happiness even through bad times. I need to know how to embrace happiness. From the littlest things to the biggest things. Saying yes to the smaller things in life gives me the courage to say yes to the bigger things.

Hopes and dreams can be destroyed. It takes much courage and strength to start anew. I will not let anything beat me down. I will survive this for there is happiness at the other end of the rainbow. I just have to make the journey there. And I have to start as soon as possible.

Along the way, I may fall, I may have some mishaps, I may even do things that cause me to take a few steps backward to misery. But at the end of every day this year, I must know that there is a goal that I am walking towards and forward is the only way to getting there...

My 2010

2010-12-29T15:51:00.004+08:00

In the past 1 year, I have done much. I became a new house owner and made a new home to love and cherish.

My blog really flourished with a new updated look and loads of new sponsored posts.

Bought a iPhone4 finally and then put it into the washer. -.-||

Went to Chengdu, Phuket and China.

Decided that I am exactly where I wanted to be and then only to have things fall apart immediately after. Loved and had the mat pulled out from right under my feet.

Guess I can't have everything my way. Guess I can't have everything perfect. Guess I just have to go with the curveballs life throws at me.

2010 was generally a very happy year for me. I had everything I could have asked for. I lost a best friend, lover and boyfriend. Growing up is not easy. Maybe I didn't cherish what I had enough. Maybe this is yet another huddle I have to go through in life.

Regardless, I hope 2011 will be a wonderful year for me.

Pasta and Meatballs Recipe

2010-12-27T00:59:00.001+08:00

Here's another installment of recipes made by me!

The other day I was inspired by a meatball recipe online and went out to buy some minced meat.

This is a super simple dish to prepare. I only spent 30 mins on this.

Meatball Recipe

Pasta Sauce

First, I fry some chopped garlic till fragrant and then pour in a can of tomato sauce + pop in a few fresh tomatoes to simmer into a thick, pasta sauce. You can add some chopped mushrooms if you like at this point.

Once it simmers, put in all the meatballs that are fresh out of the oven and simmer to a boil for about 2 mins.

After that, pour it on freshly cooked pasta and serve. So simple. And so yummy.

P.s.: If you prefer, you can just buy off the shelf kind of pasta sauce. And if you want to be really healthy, you can also make red sauce from scratch but that will take a long time.

Create your OWN app with Nokia OVI App Wizard

2010-12-23T07:32:00.000+08:00

Good news for those of you who always ever wanted to create your own mobile application for Nokia has launched a new service called the OVI APP WIZARD!

I'm going to show you how easy it is to create your very own app in 4 easy steps!

Yes, let's get started.

Step #1: Enter Your RSS/Atom feeds link.

Ovi app wizard lets you publish web content from RSS/Atom feeds into a mobile application for distribution to millions of consumers on the Symbian platform. To get started, all you have to do in this step is just to enter up to 4 RSS/Atom feeds of your choice.

My website feed is feed://judging-me.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default!! ^^

Step #2: Customise your app!

Here's where you get to define your application name, logo, colours and even your application language. Seriously, it's so easy. And if you are stuck at any point, you can just mouse over the small "?" icon on the top right of every form field.

When you upload your application icon, do remember to check and ensure that you are okay with the way your logo looks in different sizes. Your icon will appear in many forms (e.g.: when users are searching for apps, when users are previewing your app, etc).

Step 3: Monetize your app?

On step 3, there's an option to ask if you'll like to display ads on your app. I didn't enable this cos don't we all hate advertising! I find banner ads on mobile apps invasive!

Step 4: Add your publishing information

Interesting app description and keywords will help to encourage more downloads! Also, the category in which you state your app under is also important. I put mine down as "Lifestyle & Leisure". Well essentially, my blog's about lifestyle and it's for reading leisure! :P

And yes, my humble little blog app is still FREE! LOL! Go download it now!!

You're all ready to publish!

Here's a view of my dashboard. See the green "Submit to Ovi Store" button? Yup, I clicked on that and below's the prompt before I officially publish it! :D

I love how my RSS feeds are appearing!! :) The images + the titles are all appearing very neatly. Once submitted, your app will take about 24 to 48 hours for it to be approved so don't go and try make some popular blogger's website as yours cos it ain't gonne be approved!

Anyway, enough of talk. Go try it out yourself! I only spent 15 mins on this! So easy until I feel it's sinful! :P

Start by visiting their website here, or you can also join them on facebook here.

Here are some reasons why Ovi App Wizard rocks:

- It's absolutely FREE of charge, no registration fees!

- It's very user-friendly and makes creating an app for content publishers like me is so easy!

- Just like how Facebook, Twitter, Delicious, Innit are all ways for me to publicise my content, Nokia Ovi App Wizard helps me create yet another way to reach out to more audiences!

In essence, what Ovi App Wizard does is making mobile software creation EASY as ABC for programming-idiots like me! It's interface for app creation is simple with detailed instructions and takes me only 15 mins! How awesome is that? :D

Now I can say I have a mobile app for my blog. And I created it, MYSELF! LOL! :D

So please my friends, if you're on a NOKIA phone* and you're reading this, DOWNLOAD my APP now. Click the button below!!!

*Only NOKIA phones can download and use this app!

VIRUSES that THREATEN the existence of Our Digital Lives

2010-12-22T13:17:00.012+08:00

You know how we are all so dependent on the WWW now? On my way to work, I tweet and surf the web. Sometimes I do mBanking on the go, sometimes I read and reply emails... then once I read the office, I'll spend 30 mins catching up on Facebook, Twitter and Blogs before really settling down into work.

During work, I read and reply emails, surf the web for information (which also means visiting a lot of never visited before websites), I surf Facebook and other social media outlets a lot because that's part of my job as well and I also do the occasional iBanking.

Lunch's either out with the colleagues or in office doing some casual internet surfing. Sometimes my naughty eyes rove to online blogshops and e-malls which sometimes lead to an online payment transaction.

At home, instead of watching TV like I used to 6-7 years ago, I now go on Facebook, blog, read news, play games, chat, watch videos and so more - all online.

And I believe this is the lifestyle for most of us who live in the digital age today.

But here's something.

DO YOU KNOW that there's a malicious trade out there where people are paid for placing malware into your computer? For stealing bank accounts? For compromising your PCs? For stealing email addresses, passwords and other important information?

HOLY MACAROONS.

And there is 1.5 NEW THREATS every second.

WHAT THIS MEANS to us is that we have slower PCs, we have disruptions at work and our confidential data is at risk! *GASP*

Cybercriminals are now lurking in Social Media Networks and Online Gaming Websites cos that's where most of us are!

For example, we all know the MSN pop up messages that our "friends" seemingly sends to us? Well those are viruses!!

"I saw a sexy photo of you online! Is that you??? Click here: http://www.xxx.com"

Close it asap! Your friend's computer has been compromised already!

Or maybe you received an email from a friend with an email subject like "hi how are you"... but that friend DID not send this email to you!

VIRUS ALERT!

Yes. We all know we need it but we all just kinda, ignore it cos well, anti-virus is just so complicated.

It's expensive, and it takes up a lot of memory space and the frequent scanning just makes it all very unapproachable in general.

Even when Nuffnang and Trend Micro invited me to an educational event about internet security, I was abit skeptical. Erm, are we REALLY going to touch on that?! After the initial hesitations, the information sharing session got more and more interesting.

Ok there are many many brands of Anti-Virus software out there to choose from. From the FREE to the expensive. All offering different pros and cons.

So how to choose???? Ok here are some comparisons with other brands to help you have a better picture. (Click on the images to enlarge for details!)

#1: Trend Micro Titanium is SAFE

#2: Trend Micro Titanium is LIGHT

#3: Trend Micro Titanium is FAST

I am very lucky to be given a copy of Trend Micro's Titanium Anti-Virus to try out for 1 year. Check out the Titanium Advantage here.

By writing this post, I hope you are more aware of the viruses that threaten us in this digital age that we live in and be more aware of them. I think Trend Micro has a GREAT info-sharing fanpage here that updates on the latest malware and viruses that are being created. No harm like'ing their page and keeping yourself updated!

Here's more!

Simply visit Trend Micro's Fanpage and click "Like" and then click on the Contest Tab for more information!!

############################################################

Trend Micro is a global leader in Internet content security advancing threat managament technology to secure data aginst a wide range of threats. They are founded in the United States and are headquarter in Tokyo, Japan. They are also THE security brand with the NO. 1 market share in Japan. You can find out more about them hereor keep updated with the latest new viruses/threats on their Fanpage

Dress Me facial mask

2010-12-20T11:33:00.007+08:00

**Sorry for the horrid photos of me in this post. This past week has been extremely trying on me and I've been super exhuasted hence the breakouts and the eyebags. :(

DIY masks at home are one of the easiest and fuss-free way to better skin. I super love masks cos I can just slap 'em on and do whatever! Even sleeping!

But in choosing what mask is right/good for your skin, you need to make sure the masks are of good quality and not buy them because it's cheap.

Just got meself some of the new Dress Me facial mask series to try out! I heard they use the finest and purest quality ingredients extracted from selected plant concentrates. Should be good!

Dress Me facial masks are ideal for common skin problems; skins that are dehydrated, oily, pigmented, dull and lost of lustre. The hassle-free skin treatment takes only fifteen minutes to complete and is suitable for daily use.

The effective and essential natural ingredients used in the masks are found in many skin care products. The ingredients are Natto, Trehalose, Helichrysum Agustigolium, Spriarea Ulmaria, Gigawhite, Ginkgo Biloba and Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Fruit.

Dress Me facial masks:
• Soften & Clarifying Mask (Clear. Moisture. Revive)
• Moisturizing & Refreshing Mask (Clear. Balance. Revitalize) REVIEWED BELOW!!
• Silky & Soothing Mask (Clear. Moisture. Soften)
• Oil Control & Purifying Mask (Clear. Moisture. Refresh) REVIEWED BELOW!!
• Whitening & Brightening Mask (Clear. Moisture. Tighten)
• Whitening & Revive Mask (Clear. Balance. Restore)
• Revitalizing & Firming Mask (Clear. Balance. Renew)

First up, we try the Dress Me Moisturizing & Refreshing Mask. It hydrates skin with adequate amount of moisture retention that allows skin to remain moisturized for a long period of time.

I put this mask on at night for 15 mins and then took the remaining (still wet) mask and pressed it against my neck. Don't forget to care for your neck ladies!! :)

What I did not like about this product is that I felt that the mask size didn't really fit my face well. There seemed to be some of the top of my forehead that is not covered and the tip of my nose is not covered too.

What I loved is the light-no fragrance. And I chose this mask cos my face is always oily and that means I need more hydration. When I wake up after putting this mask on the night before, my skin is not oily like normal days.

That means that sebum production control was effective at night!

Dress Me Silky & Soothing Mask is the other mask that I tried. It provides protection to the skin and increases moisture retention within the skin. Helichrysum Angustifolium enhances skin’s renewal process and even out skin tone for smooth and relaxed skin.

Lately, I've been having breakouts. Definitely needed a soothing mask. And this is great as it helped me reduce redness. What I loved most about this mask is that it contains Ananas Sativus (Pineapple) Fruit Extract which tightens pores and increases skin renewal process while it controls and lessens pigmentation (saviour to my recent breakouts!!)

Here's an additional tip for my dear readers!!

1) I always store my unused masks (and boy do I have loads) in the fridge! This way, when you take them out to use, the cooling sensation on your face is completely relaxing. Try it!

2) Your skin renews itself between 11pm to 1am. So either you should be sleeping before 11pm or slap on a mask!! :D

PROMOTIONS!!

a. Retailing at thesamplestore.sg
- 50% off all dress me mask
- Buy any 5 pieces of Dress Me mask and get 1 Dress Me Silky & Soothing Mask free
- Buy any 35 pieces of Dress Me mask and enjoy free delivery + 1 Dress Me Silky & Soothing Mask free

b. Retailing at SaSa
- Purchase 2 pieces of Dress Me mask and enjoy 20% off
- Purchase 1 box (5 pieces) of Dress Me mask and enjoy 50% off

For more information and latest news, do join them on facebook page or you can visit their website!

Dress Me Facebook Contest!

Try out the masks and post your reviews in Dress Me Facebook! 3 winners with the best reviews will be selected weekly! You get to win 1 box of Dress Me Masks!

Submission period:
15/12 - 21/12
22/12-28/12
29/12- 4/12
5/12 - 11/12

Rojukiss Protox 3 Wrinkle Solution

2010-12-18T10:33:00.000+08:00

Yes. That would be my forehead looking all elderly. =(

So when Rojukiss's Protox anti-aging range was given to me for sampling, it came at the right time. TIME to do something about my no-longer-young skin!

Ok first, here's a little interesting fact. There are 3 types of wrinkles on your face:

Deep Wrinkles caused by skin cells deterioration and subside on eyes corner cheek hole and forehead
Wide Wrinkles caused by Collagen fiber structure and Elastin were destroyed broken or curl up. It is visible even without movement as cheek hole
Long Wrinkles caused by facial skin muscles contraction from facial expression and frowning

And what Rojukiss's Protox range has here for us is a complete solution to battling these 3 types of wrinkles!

These wrinkles can be filled , narrowed and shortened with Protox Peptides Complexes, small molecule high concentrated products with ingredients like:

Hyaluronic Booster Peptide stimulate Hyaluronic acid one of GAGs to increase skin masss so that noticeable wrinkle can be filled up.
Pro Collagen Complex is peptide which stimulate Collagen fiber synthesis and substrate collagen synthesis with Pro collagen can be up to 158 % so that wide lines can look narrower.
Protox Peptide works similar to Botox which helps minimizing long lines so they become shorter.

I tried the following 3 products for 2 weeks.

Let's review the product one by one.

1) Protox Serum

The serum has a very light fragrance (which is okay with me) and it glides on smoothly. It's texture is gel-like watery - serums are usually this way. I like that its not oily at all. I put this all over my face with concentration on my forehead because that's where all my aging problems seems to take root.

2) Protex Day and Night Cream

The day cream has an ingredient called Camellia Sinensis which is a leaf extract that helps in anti-oxidation and performs 200 times better than vitamin E! While this cream glided on easily and wasn't too oily after application, I felt that it kinda made my skin produce more oil during the day.

The night cream is great for supporting the natural skin renewal process at night. It contains Protox Peptides Complexes which ensures that your skin gets the best nourishment even in an air-conditioned room.

3) Protox Daily Cell Protection SPF50+

I use this at the very last step of my skincare routine before my makeup every morning. The SPF is very high (loves!)! There are also a lot of other attributes to this product which are worth mentioning like how it protects collagen and DNA under your skin layer, and that it provides UV protection for more than 12 hours, water proof and has long lasting anti oxidants!

It has very light fragrance and glides on smoothly. My skin did not feel thick/cakey after application. It made a good base for my makeup. :)

So the BIG QUESTION is, DID THE PRODUCT WORK?

Let the below picture that was taken 2 weeks after using only Rojukiss Protox products tell the story.

:D!

Paintball at PHUKET, Thailand

2010-12-15T14:14:00.000+08:00

I love Paintball. The almost maniacal glee that comes with shooting your enemy is everything! LOL.

If you have not tried paintball, you must. It's not a guy's only game.

Let this photo-post tell the story.

The BF and I, on the same team of course (if not I'm dead for sure - cos he'll shoot me lor!).

The BF, wearing his gear.

Blue Team consisted of Jacky, my, Robin, the BF and Alex (my colleagues!)

The enemy: Leong, CK, Jason, Mindy and Stephen.

Peee!!! And the game starts. Here's a shot of the enemy discussing strategy before we begin!

And I got hit by CK. So pain!!! This blue black mark lasted me 2 weeks to subside fully. From a small dot, it expanded to what you see above! Holy shit.

For those of you travellers going to Phuket and want some Paintballing action, here's sharing where we enjoyed ours.

Paint Ball Asia

Price:
50 bullets 890 THB per person/set
Extra 50 bullets 590 THB per person

Opening hours: daily from 09:00 to 18:00

Reservation: by phone 076-381667, 076-381668 or visit this website

HPB Diet Tracker iPhone App

2010-12-13T06:00:00.002+08:00

And... yes! I am back with another iPhone App Review.

So recently I just got back from a 9 day china trip and all that happy eating carelessly has made itself known in the form of an additional, and UNWELCOMED, 3kg.

So there, when I heard that Health Promotion Board has came up with a diet tracker that allows users to check the calorie and fat content of almost 400 foods, including most of Singaporean dishes.

Erm... yup, that's how the "intro screen" looks like. Surely more can be done? The rest of the pages are the same (see below). Well, at least there is consistency!

So the app asks me to answer some questions about my level of activities and biodata, and then lets me know what's my ideal calorie intake per day.

Now do note, if you are a freak about the details like sugar, sodium, cholestrol and so on and forth, this is not for you.

But if you are looking for a casual gauge, then I think what they have will do well enough.

On the above, I tried to see how much energy and fat I consumed in a day. Er, I had ham sandwich with salad and tomatoes.... but as you can see, I could only select bread (is that energy amt for multi grain or wholemeal or white bread?)

Some screens below to show you the user interface.

All in all, I think that there are a wide variety of people who would use this app and all of them would have different needs... and I think when developing an app like that, it has to be very clear whom it's targetting... and meet that group's needs adequately.

Just for example:

1) The diet freak

These are people who would go right down to details like carbohydrates, sugar, cholestrol, etc. These are people who read food labels and make informed food intake decisions that way. This app is definitely not developed for them.

They get interested for the app concept but they'll likely get turned off by the lack of details. They are also likely to be making their own healthy meals... and this app does not take that into consideration.

2) The casual weight watcher

This is made up of most of Singaporean girls who indulge every once in a while but are otherwise happy with their weight and do casually watch what they eat. They are the type that eat 1/2 a bowl of rice and leave the other half ~~to their BFs to gobble down.~~

These people would likely find the app interesting, use it a few times and then forget about it cos they are really flippant about their food intake. And they might not even know what else is important to know about the food they eat and what kcal and fat means to their body. Maybe this app should address that.

Personally, I only used this app once and didn't use it again. I make my own meals and I find this app quite lacking in terms of accommodating for my needs. To each his own.

What about you? Have you used this app before?

Ginvera Green Tea Marvel Gel and Ginvera Green Tea Jade Eye Roll Away

2010-12-10T12:17:00.007+08:00

Yes my dears. Today I'm going to share with you 2 new products from Ginvera! Enjoy!

Ginvera Green Tea Jade Eye Roll Away (RSP: $18.90, 15ml)

I know. Such a long product name right. Haha. I got to admit here that my eye area is one of the areas that I take the least care of! When I remember I put some cream... but more often than not, I forget to apply anything!

It's just that it's a hassle! Such a small eye area and I have to open a bottle just to apply cream for that small area.

So I really appreciate that Ginvera's new product is really quite easy to use. It has this roller ball made of Jade and massages your delicate eye areas as it reduces dark eye circles and brightens eye contours.

The BF has really bad eye bags so I can't wait to get him to start using this new product! I love how when I roll it, the jade roller ball and the essence is very cooling and soothing. I always like a good eye massage but I can't execute it properly for myself cos of my nails. With this, when I apply a bit of pressure, it becomes a great massage! :P

Here's how to use!

Tilt roller upwards to 95 degrees to allow contents to flow out, then tilt roller to 80 degrees and use roller to gently massage eye contour area (all around the eye). Use once every morning and evening. Use fingers to absorb until fully absorbed.

Did you know: Regularly eye massage will help to reduce eye puffiness, soothe away the dark eye circles and eye bags!

Now I have Ginvera to help! :D

***

Ginvera Green Tea Marvel Gel (RSP: $16.80, 60g)

There are exfoliators that have beads and there are those that don't. One of my favourite ones that don't has always been the white coloured Ginvera Marvel Gel that has been around since forever! My grandma and mother are big fans of that. In fact, I have 1 of this still half used in my toilet!

Ginvera recently launched a newer version of it and it's called the Ginvera Green Tea Marvel Gel.

There are 2 key ingredients that make this product unique and widely popular: Green Tea and Soybean Extracts.

Research has shown that Green Tea has more powerful antioxidants properties than vitamins A, C and E. What it means is that this ingredient is great for anti-bacterial, astringent and anti-ageing as well as UV protection qualities.

Soybean extracts are from soybeans with fermented with Bacillus Subtilis to produce Cellplus+ (a soft liquid product that contains plenty of amino acids) which has strong moisturizing and whitening properties.

10 Amazing Efficacies

1) Helps soften the cornified layer and gently remove the dead skin barrier to instantly reveal a brighter finer complexion.
2) Effectively removes blackheads easily and painlessly in just one step
3) Regulates and helps control sebum secretion for a shine-free complexion whole day long.
4) Whitens and evens out skin tone. Effective in helping to fading pigmentation, spots and acne scars over time.
5) Refines and contracts the appearance of pores to reveal finer, smoother skin.
6) Deeply cleanses pores and helps prevent the onset of skin problems like pimples and blemishes.
7) Helps remove oil seeds
8) Changes dull and rough skin to a smooth complexion, allowing makeup to glide on easily and adhere better to the skin.
9) Helps stimulates skin metabolism, skin looks younger and more supple
10) Allows better and faster absorption of skincare products that is applied subsequently

Directions on how to use:

Before cleansing, squeeze an adequate amount and apply onto dry face and neck (this is a very important!), focusing on the T-zone area in particular. Gently massage in circular motions until you can see small flakes appearing ( these are the dead skin cells and dirt from the skin). After massaging, wet your fingers and gently massage again, and wash off with water afterwards.

BEFORE

Eek! I can see all the little black dots!

AFTER

And this is after just 1 wash. I'm pretty pleased with it! :) It really exfoliates well! I'm going to do this once a week. Blackheads are all removed painlessly in just 1 wash. Superb.

As with all good exfoliation, when you exfoliate regularly, your skin is brighter and look fairer.

But hey, like I always say, don't take my word for it. Grab a sample first! :D

These products are sold at Watsons, Guardian, Robinsons, John Little, BHG, OG, NTUC FairPrice, Carrefour, Giant, C.K. Department Store, SASA and other leading cosmetic houses.

For updates on Ginvera, they have a great fanpage that you might be interested in here!

Swensen's Ice Cream and Dessert Buffet at ION Orchard

2010-12-07T10:00:00.001+08:00

The girlfriends and I are fans of desserts. Chocolates, ice creams, brownies, cakes... if it's categorised under desserts, we'll probably like it!

So when I first read about Swensen's Ice Cream and Dessert Buffet at ION Orchard (Singapore), I knew this was something we had to try!

Here's a picture heavy post to show you what it was like!

The selection for Ice Cream flavours is tremendous. There are really more than 50 flavours to choose from. There were 3 of us, and the most we could stomach was 12 scoops.

Flavours to try: Sticky Chewy Chocolate and Super Lemon. One is ultra chocolately and the other is ultra sour. Sour flavours are great especially when you OD (overdose) on chocolate!

8 cakes to choose from. Nothing to shout about. And they had this oreo cheesecake that went bad already and we ate it! Sheesh. Told the waitress and she just took it without saying a word. No sorry, nothing. Bad service.

We saw one more slice of the same oreo cheesecake still at the buffet spread... not sure if its from the same cake. I hope nobody ate it!

There was a chocolate fountain and very limited goodies to go with it. Only cherries, some chocolate puffs and mashmallows.

The toppings were awesome though. Malteses, smarties, snickers, longan, lychee, cherries, hot fudge, and so much more.

My advice? Don't put so much of those. You'll get really full very quickly.

Here's the white chocolate fountain... I didn't even have stomach for this.

Here's a random shot of the ice cream we ate...

We also ordered a main dish. Pepperoni Pizza which was a bit salty. Considering that the ice cream was super sweet, my taste buds were a bit disoriented.

There was also waffles and pancakes which went VV well with the chocolate ice creams but I made a mistake and ate those first. Those made me very full! T_T

All in all we spent about $18 per person.

Here are the prices for the buffet:

1 for 1 promotion (got this from a flyer) @ $18.90++ for 2 persons

If you order 1 main, and want dessert buffet, you add $12.90++ per person to your meal cost.

If you just want the dessert buffet, it will be $18.90++ per person.

Swensen's is everywhere in Singapore but they only offer this Ice Cream and Dessert Buffet at ION Orchard at the moment.

Would I go back there again?

Nope. Because if anything, eating this buffet answered a question I never quite found the answer to. And that is, HOW MUCH ICE CREAM CAN 1 PERSON EAT?

The answer is max, 2-3 scoops. And this is by a very big fan of chocolate ice creams.

The experience was great cos we literally could have tried ALL of Swensen's Ice Cream flavours!

Confirm Trading's on Facebook!

2010-12-04T18:53:00.004+08:00

Confirm Trading is an established company importing and distributing a wide range of premium quality health and beauty brands like Kinohitmitsu, Rojukiss, BabySkin, Dr. Jart+, Milky Foot, Dentiste and many more.

Here are some samples of their products that I'll be reviewing soon! :) So keep a lookout!

Confirm Trading has a Facebook Fanpage here that you might be interested to join. They have great giveaways and contests there. :)

My Top Ten iPhone Apps

2010-12-03T07:00:00.003+08:00

Through my last horrifying experience of washing my iPhone in the washing machine, I have come to realise my top ten most used iPhone Apps.

In no particular order, here's my most favourite iPhone Apps! I notice most of them are under Social Networking, Gaming and Navigation!

#1: High Noon

I reviewed this fabulous game before. So take a look here and here.

#2: Gothere.sg

This is a great app and one of the most expensive that I paid for. So I must use this more often. In fact, this is really good. Cos taxi drivers will sometimes tell me stupid things like, I don't know how to go from here. Hello, from Bugis to Raffles place - very ulu meh??? So I whip out my HP and tell them how to get there.

#3: Twitter

How do I live without twitter... where I can be as truthful as I want to be. I heard this saying before: "Facebook is where you lie to your friends. Twitter is where you be truthful with strangers."

#4: Facebook

Another social networking must have. Everyone needs to lie (see #3 on Twitter). Haha!

#5: Windows Live Messenger

Thank you Microsoft for coming up with this and making it free! I love you! Who needs SMSes now?? Oh right, those who live in a cave and don't use MSN.

#6: tranSGuide

I use this twice every single day. I love this app. I think I bought the iPhone soley for this app. There's absolutely nothing I hate more than to wait in a bus stop and I have no idea when the next bus is arriving. Especially when I'm in a rush!!

This allows you to do the following:

- Search for bus stops near you

- See bus routes

- Save bus stops as favourites (love this feature)

- See what's the NEXT bus timing plus the bus after that's timing as well!

I would love to see this app expand to include a little of what SBS transit has on their website which is the Journey Planner tool.

#7: Bejeweled 2 + Blitz

This is the PERFECT mindless game when I have free time in between my days. I have reviewed this game before here.

#8: Plants vs. Zombies

Plants vs. Zombies is one of the most entertaining and well-thought out game. I love this game. Haven't done a review on this but will do so soon. This is not free and costs $2.99 in App Store.

#9: DBS mBanking

I love DBS iBanking service. So when mBanking came about, this girl here who grew up in the internet era embraced it wholeheartedly. It is everything that mobile banking should be. Simple, and no fuss. Straight to the point. Lets you do your tasks in the shortest and simplest way possible.

#10: Whatsapp Messenger

When my friends told me about this, and how I must get it. I was thinking, why do I need this when I have MSN/Skype? But hey, MSN and Skype requires you to switch on before you can receive message, but Whatsapp can prompt you even if you're not signed in. It taps into your contact list so you can even contact people who are not on your MSN list via this very useful and free method.

No sign ups, no pins and no usernames! :D And even if your friend is offline, you can send them a message which they can reply to any time!

You can share locations (check where that BF is!), record and send audio message, text message, share photos and videos... with all that, what's not to love about it? $0.99 is definitely worth it.

And my mom (who is in KL) and my sis (who is always flying around the world) and my BF (who is in China) all can contact me via Whatsapp for free! It's cross-platform compliant too! Blackberry and Android users can also join iPhone users on the fun and convenience of Whatsapp!

DKNY: 5 Strangers. 1 Hotel. Too many secrets. Room 303 - Unlock the secrets

2010-12-01T09:04:00.003+08:00

There are 5 strangers, an artist, a backpacker, a rock star, a businessman and a model, who arrive at a strange hotel to meet a mysterious man. What draws these 5 strangers to the hotel? What secrets lurk in Room 303?

What is the identity of the mysterious man in the shadows?

Check out UnlockRoom303.com where there are 5 episodes that will tell us the truth.

***

Room 303 - Unlock the secrets is DKNY Jeans' latest global campaign for their Fall/ Winter 2010 Collection. The campaign involves a series of viral animated webisodes that features DKNY's 5 key looks.

In Singapore, this experience is brought to the retail environment where YOU can participate in a live hunt for clues at the Paragon Shopping Centre.

Last Sunday, I was invited to participate in the hunt for clues! And guess who I saw there! June! So yay, I had a partner to get this done even quicker!

First, we had to download this app (that's iphone and android compatible): SCVNGR (Scavenger)

There are 5 treks that are represented by each of the 5 characters. I chose Justine - the model cos I figure I'll find her most relevant. I don't think I'll do well chasing down clues that could be related to the other 4 characters! :P

There are 3 tasks to complete for each character. Here are the 3 tasks for character Justine - the model:

#1) What is DKNY Jeans' unit number?

Easy! This one just go in and ask! :P

#2) Take a picture of a magazine stand!

Wah this one hard. Where in Paragon has magazine stand?! June and I were heading to 7-eleven (if there is even one...) when we passed by this shop! Lucky us.

#3) Take a picture of a make up counter

Between us two, you think we cannot find make up counter? LOL This one was of course at Metro!!

And... we did it! Completed!! I wish it was more challenging though! :)

Here's a last picture of us - happy with the completion of the challenge!

If you are interested, just head on over to Paragon to play. You only need the SCVNGR app and your smartphone :).

Here's a challenge for the rockstar character!

Of course, all of this, is made possible by DKNY Jeans' new Fall/Winter 2010 Collection.

Exactly Where I Want To Be

2010-11-30T10:00:00.005+08:00

I was just sitting on the couch last night, fiddling with my iphone, my plate of home-cooked pasta (ya, pasta again) on my lap and my leg propped up comfortably when it hit me suddenly that I am now, exactly where I wanted to be during my ~~growing up years~~ teenage/adolescent years (I'm still growing up).

I wanted to have a place to call my own

Every one of us girls is influenced in some small way or other by american TV shows like Ally McBeal, Friends, Sex in the City and so on...

And almost every female in these shows have a place of their own! Or at least, renting the whole apartment to herself or sharing with her bestie.

I wanted the same as well. And I am lucky in more ways than I can imagine to have achieved this.

I wanted to experience living all alone in a foreign country

(I was thinking New York but Singapore will do fine for the moment)

Technically, on paper, I am a Malaysian but really, I grew up both in Malaysia and Singapore. I lived a Malaysian lifestyle and ate Malaysian food...

But I also studied in Singapore, made Singaporean friends and learnt their culture.

So technically again, I am in a foreign country...

I wanted to earn my own keep...

... although, struggling to make ends meet had it's appeal (for a short while as well)

I wanted to love my job and go at it everyday not with dread but with passion

This is something that's happening only recently. I don't expect it to last forever because there are many things that can tip the balance. But I'm enjoying it while it lasts.

I wanted friends whom I could count on for anything

What can I say that's more adequate than "Thank You Ai Hooi and Wei Shan"? For all the tears, the heartbreak, the funny, the ridiculous, the great, the good, the bad and the dumps, you both saw me through it all and I'm really lucky to have friends that I can count on through this life of mine.

I wanted a healthy lifestyle that included regular visits to the gym

At first, when I thought of this, it only because it was cool. Then as I got older, I also got heavier. So I headed to the gym and never stopped since.

I do yoga now. It's fantastic. The way it makes you feel after a great session that is as tough as relaxing. Not many will or are willing to understand yoga. Most dismiss it by asking things like "Do you even sweat?" / "That's just stretching isn't it?"

At first I took the questions like they were really interested to know. Now I know that it's just a statement made to dismiss the topic. *Shrugs" Ah well, their loss not mine.

I wanted to be able to cook a reasonable variety of food off my head

(Ok fine, I was looking to be able to cook almost anything, but hey, I'm only 25. Still at it!)

I loved baking as a kid. But being the person that I am, I often get impatient with most things that require a lot of patience (whether it's the hunting of the ingredients or the process of it). So I stuck to learning easy baking.

I got to say I love my own oreo cheesecake, buttermilk biscuits (like Popeye's) and tiramisu the most so far.

Besides that, I have also learnt how to cook a variety of normal chinese dinners. Hey, useful skill when I live alone ya!

~~I wanted a boyfriend who can become my best friend as well~~

~~Thank you for the laughter, the fun and the support.~~ Broken up!

In short, I wanted to be a single, financially stable, independent working woman.

And here I am. :) So what's in store for me next?

P.s.: Hope you like the hand-drawn pictures! :D

People Go Out, We Dine In

2010-11-29T00:44:00.003+08:00

Before I start this, I want to say a very heartfelt thank you to my best buddies. I'm so lucky to have you both in my life. I really don't know what I'll do without you both.

They knew I was feeling a little lonely and bored last Saturday and they decided to both pop over to cook dinner and hang out!

Of course I was more than happy to have them over. Check out our massive cook out!

That's Angeline cooking "Pumpkin with Salted Egg"

That's our special steamed golden pomfret with too much ingredients!

That would be Shan and myself looking all domesticated!

Between the 3 of us, we accomplished this wonderful dinner within 30 mins.

Yum yum!

By the way, we spent only $25 for the entire meal! And there was much leftovers too! Girls, we should do this more often! Really save money leh!! And the steamed fish, if we go out and order that, that's going to cost us a bomb too!

Yay. It was fun!

Dr Jart's BB Cream

2010-11-28T02:00:00.011+08:00

So many BB creams out there, but what are the ones you have tried before? Well, here's one that I am using right now and I thought I'll share how the product is.

The product is called Dr Jart+ Premium Blemish Base [SPF45/PA+++] aka Dr Jart BB Cream (a korean brand).

When using any product, I always try to find out first what makes this product different from others. For Dr Jart's BB Cream, they have the following:

♥ HIGH SPF Coverage. This is one of the higher ones in the market. This is very important cos it helps to save one step in my skincare regine which is applying sunblock! :D

♥ TRIPLE functioning benefits. It aids in skin whitening and protects your skin against wrinkles from UV. There are also anti-oxidant ingredients in there for wrinkle improvement. Lastly, it contains white gold while gives a high level of coverage with a natural look that's moisturizing.

♥ Main Ingredients.
Biopeptide: Skin elasticity & wrinkle care
EGF: Complexion & wrinkle enhancement
Acasia collagen: Enhancing skin elasticity &
Improving skin texture
White gold ingredient: Protecting & Purifying skin

Here's a swipe to show you how it looks like inside the bottle.

It is suitable for all ages and most asian skin tones. The product is actually gold in colour. The one I have in the product above is a sampler product.

I think that the coverage is quite light - perfect for those who are looking for the natural look that's not cakey! The effect is what I call "Naturally Dewy". My photo above is a close up of my skin with this BB Cream. The BB Cream also glides on very smoothly which makes it very easy to apply. My friend commented on how even my skin tone looks - but did I reveal my secret? :)

Oh and I just want to add also that I brought this handy little tube with me on my recent trip to China where it was very cold and I love this BB cream a lot! It kept my face moisturized! Not once did I feel tightness on my face (which would have been likely if I were using foundation!). Kudos!

Go try it out at a Watsons near you! Dr Jart+ Premium BB Cream is sold at $59.00 exclusively at Watsons and found in most stores. For more info, you can click here or join their FB fanpage here.

Where the blue is bluer and the weather is really hot

2010-11-26T00:15:00.011+08:00

Some time back in August, the whole gang of us at Oasis went for our annual office retreat and this year it was to Phuket.

We've had a good year this year. Everybody worked really hard as a team despite the challenging deadlines. Phuket came as a superb treat for us all to rest, relax and bond for both our offices in Singapore and Malaysia.

It was mostly hot throughout our trip with occasional showers. The sun, sea, food and awesome food made this trip one to remember by.

Check out some of the fun photos we took.

That would be me and the BF discussing how to get that fish down there. LOL. If you click on this picture to enlarge, you'll see the blue waters are really quite awesome.

I met a dog on the beach. His name was Stephen.

Adeline and I @ the beach. It was windy yes. But we were also puking 5 mins before we took this shot. Bad case of sea sickness.

A group shot of half the team I work with.

This can be roughly called the other half that's missing in the above picture.

I swear it was mad hot. Covering myself from head to toe? NECESSARY. The one on the left of the pic with no head is me. :)

This is Mindy. Don't ask me why she put a lime green cloth to cover her face. Maybe she wanted to look different from me - seeing I was all blue and all.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this little update. More in another post! :)

Skin Test Machines Don't Lie!

2010-11-25T13:35:00.008+08:00

Yesterday, Angeline and I went over to Tanglin Mall's Guardian outlet where VICHY has a big counter and a big skin test machine to get our final test.

Just wanted to share with all her report card. Haha!

Before

After using VICHY Normaderm Series for 2 weeks

That's some mega improvement after only 2 weeks and I'm really happy for her. After the test, we went to Chilli's at Tanglin Mall to celebrate.

For those who haven't been to Chilli's, the ribs are good! Way better than the Tony Roma's ones. They also have this dish called Chips with Salsa and it's $6.90 for freeflow! Shiok! Haha. Perfect for those who drink beer and want some munchies to go with it!

Anyway, so when we were seated, we were still pretty excited about the test results and was yakking on about it when another of our friend, Shan, came. Woah! She has this spurt of angry pimples and Angeline immediately became a brand advocate. LOL. I took this series of photos in amusement.

Oh you got pimple, use this! Come lemme squeeze some for you to try at home.

Now that all her pimples are gone, I know what I need to buy her for Christmas!!! The VICHY Double Corrective Whitening Essence for her to clear her acne scars! :D

***

Here's my outfit of the day.

And here's a grouppie shot with the VICHY folks!

Opening up, dwelling deeper

2010-11-25T00:59:00.008+08:00

This blog has always been a mix of so many topics ranging from iphone app reviews to food, from travel to beauty and so much more.

I have always been hesitant to write about personal stuff because well, I don't know. It seems my blog is overly diverse already.

But hey, I decided that I am going to start writing about more personal stuff. Isn't this what life is?

Life as I know it, is made up of so much more than the material things we own, the places we go and the experiences we get. It is also made up of so much more emotions that are often classified as personal. And to be true to this blog of mine, it is my life, as I know it.

So keep a lookout for more of em' personal posts. :)

Here is a quickie shot of my little furries that make me smile in life.

Sleepyhead, greedy furball

How to make Healthy Salads and Sandwiches in Singapore

2010-11-25T00:00:00.001+08:00

My motto in dieting is always about the right diet and good exercise. I don't believe in shit like slimming centres or pills, or slimming drinks. But that's another story for another time.

My purpose of this post is to share with you the meals I have prepared for myself which are wholesome and very healthy (in my opinion). The ingredients are as easy to find as bread and eggs. Promise!

See, in Singapore, everywhere beckons sinful food. You hardly find reasonably priced salads/sandwiches which are healthy (unless you work at Raffles Place and have a lot of $ to spend on $10 salads!!). So that makes healthy eating in Singapore, quite a challenge. There's always junk food/chicken rice/fried noodles/etc etc that are readily available, but those aren't exactly everyday healthy food.

So, I head to the supermarket's raw food aisle often and make my own! Enjoy!

1) Multi-grain Sandwich

I start each day with a yummy healthy sandwich.

Layer a slice of ham, butterhead lettuce, cherry tomatoes and thinly sliced cucumbers between 2 slices of multi-grain bread and you're ready to rock and roll. No sauce, no butter. It's nice!

You may replace ham with egg mayo (low fat mayo mixed with smashed boiled egg) or replace it with tuna mayo (low fat mayo mixed with canned tuna in water).

I always believe in DIY'ing your own egg/tuna mayo. That way you know exactly what goes in between your sandwich! :)

2) Salads

Contrary to popular belief, salads are not boring. Think of them as empty canvases on which you can paint anything you imagine. And be warned. My salads don't come with sauce. Of any kind.

See I make my own tuna mayo as a topping or just plain tuna on a bed of fresh greens. That's it! No sauce, nothing else needed. The topping has to be really yummy too la. For the above, I also added a couple of hard boiled eggs cut neatly into slices.

I love my salads with a little shredded salmon that's grilled with a tiny bit of butter. See I take a salmon slab, take a small cube of butter and put it in the oven. I grill it for 15 mins and out it comes, smelling very yummy!

At Carrefour, you will also see them selling roast chickens. Well that's a good buy! Take off the skin (and visible fats) and cut up the meat! It makes as a great addition to your salads!

All of the above are great on its own. If you prefer, you can buy shredded bacon bits/bread crumbs to add on but I think that's unnecessary carbo.

For my salad, I add a mixture of butterhead lettuce, lettuce, cherry tomatoes and sliced cucumber. You can also add little corns (which add yums to the whole salad).

3) Meatballs

For more protein, I take fresh minced beef, marinate it overnight with oyster sauce, pepper, basil, 1 egg and sesame oil. I then form them into little balls and pop them into the oven for a little grilling. 15 mins later, out comes the yummy meatballs.

Don't throw the sauce/"juice" that came out of the meatballs! Cut the broccoli up, pour in the juices and go for another steam. 5-8mins will do.

Meatballs + Broccoli? Max yums.

****

I hope you enjoyed my little healthy post. Healthy and yummy food can go hand in hand and it does NOT have to be expensive.

Does dieting mean you only eat salad? Nope. It means you watch what you eat and eat everything in moderation.

Just a little note, if you notice the ingredients above, all of them are interchangeable to keep things interesting. E.g.: Broccoli goes super well with Salmon too!

VICHY Normaderm Zero Imperfection Challenge Update 3/3

2010-11-23T00:39:00.005+08:00

The challenge ends this Wed, 24 Nov. I'll just like to write a little post to share my challenger and my journey with VICHY.

1 month back, VICHY contacted me regarding this contest. They told me that Normaderm, the anti-blemish range, helps to reduce acne, redness and shine. And they are max confident of their products. They told me to find a friend who has these skin problems and they'll put her on a 2 week skin challenge.

I attended a rather educational talk about their product USPs and they even gave me a skin test. Of which I tested results of moderate to very high sebum on my cheeks and forehead. :/

1 month later, the challenge has ended and my dearest friend, Angeline, who was my friend who took up this challenge, has benefited so much from this.

Angeline and I go way back. We've been friends for... 13 years...! Check out an old secondary school photo of us!

It was racial harmony day. Angeline's the one on the left most of this pic and I'm the one in the blue sari. Oh those were the times. I think her skin was better then cos we didn't have makeup on in secondary school.

We kept in touch and 13 years later, and we're closer than we've ever been. Thanks to VICHY of course. However what makes this challenge most rewarding would be that:

Her skin actually made progress!

to this!

Day #14

The end result may not look like there was much improvements and to be honest, I didn't notice it myself too. Not until I met her in person and took a closer look.

1) Her pores on her cheek area are smaller.
2) Her pimples have cleared (even though midway through the challenge there was a fresh bout of ache attack)
3) She uses less oil absorbent sheets and skin stays matt longer.
4) But the BEST change of it all? Her chin area which used to be SEVERELY plaugued with tiny acne, is now completely cleared. Yup. Cleared. What's left are the nasty acne scars which will heal in time.

Did other products do it for her? Nope.

What helped her achieve this result? Yes, VICHY's Normaderm range. Click here to read her account of this challenge.

Even her hubby noticed this change. Her hubby who, like most husbands, are oblivious to the little changes in a woman's life. I'm glad to hear her friends asking her what's her secret and hearing her sharing her VICHY experience.

Most importantly, she gained the confidence that there is a cure/solution for her skin.

Girl, I'm loving the new confident you! :)

***

Throughout this challenge, a lot of emphasis was placed on getting all your friends to vote for you everyday. It started with just 3 photos, once every day and at this point, it was to vote 15 photos, once everyday. It has been 1 month of voting. I hereby sincerely thank all who voted for Angeline. I know it was tiring. But thank you for your support.

A lot of people asked me whether their constant voting is worth it, seeing that the other contestant's votes were a lot higher. I told them to give their best.

I had to keep reminding Angeline and myself that this challenge is NOT about the voting. It's about whose face as made the most improvements. And I believe the Normaderm products on Angeline's face have done us proud.

As all females can probably relate, it wasn't easy for Angeline to show photos of herself without makeup and up close shots of herself on Facebook where, as we all know, all your friends, acquaintances, colleagues, enemies and family all are. It wasn't easy at all.

She's extremely video shy so I didn't push her to do a video like the other contestants. So we made do with photos and tried to make it as interesting as possible.

If you ask me, I think it might have caused us a bit of brownie points but, well, my friend's feelings come first! :)

We're at the last leg of the contest now. I can't wait to see who wins but may the best man (woman) win. At the end of the day, having better skin makes us all winners already.

***

Three cheers to Angeline, who fought her fear of showing her "ugly" photos to all her friends on facebook. Who showed much bravery by participating in this and "expose" her skin this way. Because hey, I'm not so sure I'll be able to do the same!

Three cheers to the great people at VICHY, who gave me and Angeline this opportunity.

Three cheers to our friends and readers who voted. Every vote counts. Thank you!
VICHY is now giving away S$300 VICHY Hampers! All you have to do is vote for Angeline here and you could walk away with a hamper! Click here naooo!!

Every photo you see there is the progress of Angeline using the VICHY products. See her progress! Every photo (15 of them!) is clickable and click on the GREEN VOTE button! You can vote everyday!
P.s.: You can click here and here for previous updates on this challenge.
P.p.s: To answer a question many of you emailed me about, here's the list of products Angeline used.
P.p.p.s: To find out more about VICHY Normaderm's products, click here / visit their facebook.
Day #0:

Eucerin DermoPURIFYER's 3-step skincare regime

2010-11-22T19:36:00.009+08:00

The Eucerin DermoPURIFYER skincare regime is made up of 3 products (cleanser, exfoliating scrub and moisturiser. They key ingredient in this product is the Lactic Acid that is proprietary to Eucerin. The lactic acid reaches the pores where pimples and blackheads originate and effectively eradicates them.

Here's something I found in their ad:

“Derived from milk, Lactic Acid is well-known not only for its skin hydrating properties but as one of the gentler AHA exfoliants to unclog pores.”

Dr Lawrence Khoo,Consultant Dermatologist

3-step Skincare Regime: Cleanse, Exfoliate and Moisturize!

I hear you have sensitive skin? Well, Lactic Acid is found naturally on our skin, so no allergic reations on even the most sensitive of skins.

Eucerin DermoPURIFYER Cleanser ($21.20)

Here's how the cleanser looks like on the inside. It does not form much and has no strong fragrance. I like cleansers that give me a fresh after feel. This does and there's no tightness to the skin after washing.

Eucerin DermoPURIFYER Creme Gel and Scrub

On the left is the creme gel ($25.70). It's a water-based mosisturiser which means that if you have oily skin, this is great for you. Skin that is only does not mean that you do not moisturise. It means that you have to moisturise with water-based products! And moisturise well if not your skin will produce excess sebum, causing an oily face.

On the right, is the super nice smelling scrub ($18.60). What I love most of the scrub is the relatively huge beads! Most scrubs come with tiny beads but this one is really special. You can see the glob I squeezed out and the green ones are the beads. Most would think that this could mean that the scrub is harsh but on the contrary, I think it's rather gentle.

The Eucerin DermoPURIFYER range is suitable for those:

♥ with oily, occasionally blemished or acne-prone skin

♥ suffering from dry skin in need of moisturizing care with Lactic Acid.

INTERESTED? Well, don't take my word for it. Grab a sample here:

The method is gentle. The results are clear. For more product information, please visit www.eucerin.com.sg :)

Hainan Chicken Rice at Haikou, Hainan

2010-11-22T07:39:00.001+08:00

In Singapore, every famous chicken rice in Singapore is called Hainanese Chicken Rice. If all of the yummy chicken rice in Singapore "hails" from Hainan, then when at Haikou, Hainan, I obviously must try the Chicken Rice.

It wasn't easy to find one in Haikou. Most of Haikou had loads of steamboat places. But nonetheless, I found one after getting lost.

Check out the pictures!

Looks nice right? But it's not. The texture is chewy... like the chicken is a bit undercooked. There was no chilli provided and the rice is sticky normal rice.

I always thought the beauty and art of every chicken rice is in 3 areas which is the Chicken, the Rice and the Chilli. Perfection in all 3 would give you the best. But this Hainan Chicken Rice (they call it Wen Chang Ji in China) failed on all 3 counts.

And because I want to have some vegetables to go with this...

The hot plate brinjal is not nice. It should be renamed cold plate brinjal.

As I passed by some rows of shops in a cab, I saw a shop named Singapore Hainan Chicken Rice!! LOL.

Maybe after Wen Chang Ji came to Singapore, the people here made it fabulous and call it Singapore Hainan Chicken Rice now.

If you're interested, here's the address:

No.22 Datong Road, Longhua District, Haikou 570102, China [Map here]

The iPhone that went in the washer

2010-11-21T09:53:00.001+08:00

If you have been reading my blog here for awhile now, you would know that ever since I got my iPhone4, I have been completely consumed by it. I was always mindful of it and if I were overseas, I would check my iPhone4 first before my passport.

But last Sunday, something really really REALLY bad happened. =((!!

See, I woke up to a very hot Sunday and decided to be productive. The sheets needed washing so I hauled the whole lot to the machine and put it through a 30 degrees wash and dry mode.

Then there was this horrible thumping sound in the machine that made it sound like I overloaded it. That got me worried about it. The BF said maybe the washing machine was unbalanced and asked me to check it later.

I soon forgot about it and then when it was done, I happily took out the laundry and saw my iPhone4 in there.

T_T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was HORRIFIED!!

I heard people say that if your iPhone has water damage, you put it in a bowl of rice and hope for the best.

Nope, didn't work. But then hey, it might if it was just a little water. But mine, my baby iPhone4 went through a 30 degree wash and dry. :/

I sped it off to Singtel/Apple Service Centre at Comcentre aka hospital and begged for help.

To my expected dismay, they took a torch light and shined to the top and bottom of my phone and the water indicator was marked red already which indicated water damage. -.-

So since warranty doesn't cover that, they offered me a scheme called out of warranty whereby I had to trade in my phone and pay $350 and in return I get a brand new iPhone4.

I was left with no choice right?! And well, honestly, this is cheaper than buying a new phone T_T

So there.

I am so careless. :(

Super big hugz to my friend Shan and Angeline who drove over, picked me up and went to Singtel Comcentre with me to solve my problem of my phone. What would I do without best friends????

My VICHY Skincare Routine

2010-11-18T08:21:00.002+08:00

My skin problems are plenty but my main concerns are enlarged pores, oily skin (cheeks, nose, chin and forehead - oh wait is that the whole face?!) and whiteheads and blackheads and the occasional breakouts.

I was recommended to VICHY some time back and you probably already know that because I have not exactly been very quiet about my love for this product.

I have received some questions about my skincare routine with VICHY (i.e.: what do you use first? and when do you apply this and that?). So today, I shall address it all in a graphical post. :)

1) CLEANSE, you must.

Yup, I use this twice a day, once in the day and once in the night. Use warm water so that the dirt and makeup comes off easier. Use a 20cent-sized glob of this, then rinse with warm water. Remember to take off your makeup with a proper makeup remover!

2) TONING closes your pores

4 years back, I was this goondu thinking toning is unnecessary. And I squeezed at my pimples a lot. Look how enlarged my pores are now. :( Now I am religiously toning everyday. It becomes a habit that you come to enjoy. I swear by it!

It's alcohol free and feels very soothing to my face.

3) MINIMISE those pores!

Yes. This wonderful product (as reviewed here previously) works wonders. So slap it on!

4) MOISTURISE moisturise moisturise

Yea baby. Get your skin hydrated with the day cream (as reviewed here previously). If your skin is hydrated, it won't be deceived into thinking you have dry skin and start to over-produce oil ya!

In the night, I use the night cream (as reviewed here previously).

5) ELIMINATE those pimples!

This is a great pimple cream. When put at night, it works magic overnight and the next day, the pimple will harden and dry up. :) Quick relief!

6) CAMOUFLAGE and heal!

In the day, I use this as a "concealer" for my pimples as well. It's great cos it helps to conceal and heal the product at the same time.

And... we're done! After that comes all the makeup, primers, bb creams, etc etc. :) Hope you learnt something!

VICHY is now giving away S$300 VICHY Hampers via the VICHY Anti-Perfection Challenge! All you have to do is vote for me here and you could walk away with a hamper! Click here naooo!!

Every photo you see there is the progress of my friend using the VICHY products. See her progress! Every photo is clickable (there are 12 of them!) and click on the GREEN VOTE button! You can vote everyday!

VICHY Normaderm Zero Imperfection Challenge Update 2/3

2010-11-16T08:28:00.009+08:00

Hola folks. It's been 1 intensive week of VICHY products for my challenger, Angeline who is in pursuit of better skin.

Let's recap. Her skin problems were: oily cheeks, chin and forehead, frequent breakouts (acne) and enlarged pores. VICHY kindly did a skin analysis with her and you can read all about it here.

And the following range of products has been recommended for her.

The above range consists of: Normaderm Purifying Cleansing Gel, Normaderm Imperfection-Prone Skin Lotion, Normaderm Refine Total Pore Resurfacing Essence, Normaderm Anti-Imperfection Hydrating Care, Normaderm Active Anti-Imperfection Concentrate, UV Pro Secure Daily Ultra-Block Fluid SPF40 PA+++ (Combination to Oily Skin), Vichy Thermal Spa Water 50ml

Tip: If you want to know what VICHY product will work best for your skin, head on down to their Tanglin Mall, Guardian outlet to have a skin anaylsis done FOC for you! Just like what Angeline had.

In every recommendation of a skincare product, what we all want to see are RESULTS. Angeline's MAIN area of concern are the cheeks and chin area. Let's see a pictorial journey in her past week.

Day #0:

Day #3:

Day #7:

All 3 photos are taken without/very minimal makeup. See the difference!

Her chin area is less red and her pores are minimized. I like it that her complexion is more smooth and even after 7 days. She is still troubled by her acne breakouts (see bottom left chin batch which sprouted on Day 4).

VICHY is now giving away S$300 VICHY Hampers via the VICHY Anti-Perfection Challenge! All you have to do is vote for me here and you could walk away with a hamper! Click here naooo!!

Every photo you see there is the progress of my friend using the VICHY products. See her progress! Every photo is clickable and click on the GREEN VOTE button! You can vote everyday!

Acne is caused by many factors like genetic makeup, stress, lack of sleep, diet or your choice of skincare and makeup. And for severe acne sufferers like Angeline (skin is red and inflamed with occasional large, painful lumps), the correct skincare routine and product must be used to keep it under control.

Do check out my review here on what's my favourite 3 products from the above range.

Skincare is very important. Yes, makeup can cover a lot, but at the end of the day, when you remove the makeup, you are staring what's most important - your skin. The base of your makeup. Take good care of that, the confidence and the effortless beauty will follow.

Cheap Toiletries at Chinatown!

2010-11-14T13:35:00.000+08:00

Hear hear! If you didn't already know, Chinatown Block 32 People's Park, Upper Cross Street is THE place for cheap import toiletries.

Check out what I scored at the place today!

All of the above for about $50! *SCORED* All from outlets #1 and #2 below

Pantene Shampoo - 2 for $10
Pantene Conditioner - 2 for $10
Pantene Hair Mask - $3.50
Dove Deodorant (Spray on) - $3.60
KAO attack refill - $4
Gatsby/Clean & Clear Facial Blotters - $2.70 each
Thirsty Hippos X 6 - $10.80

Here are 3 outlets that I usually visit (listed in order of preference):

1) Ley Wah #03-1118

I like this store for their industrial sized hair salon brands like Redken, L'Oreal and the likes. The Gatsby and Johnsons & Johnsons oil blotter sheets here are mega cheap at $2.70 per pack (Watsons/Guardian selling at $3.70 thereabouts!)

2) Swanston #02-1002/04

I patron this store for their cheap shampoo and conditioners for brands like Pantene, Sunsilk, Ginvera, L'Oreal Elseve. Their toothpastes, sanitary pads and washing detergents are mega cheap too! Oh yes and the ever useful thirsty Hippos.

3) Ocean #03-1058/60

This is another store that is similar to the two above. I like to pop by this store as well when I am at Chinatown. :)

All three have very good prices. If you're game, you can check out all three outlets' prices before making your purchase.

So what are you waiting for? :)

This weekend Swanston had a sale and I ended up with too much to carry home!

Me Doodle iPhone Game

2010-11-13T15:33:00.005+08:00

Introducing.... We Doodle!

We Doodle is a online multiplayer word guessing game. Much like Pictionary. Back when I was young, I had to find friends game enough to play Pictionary with me but now, hey hey, I just need my iPhone, log on, and play randomly with others!

And just like our real-life Pictionary game, the guessing is often hilarious and the drawing is often worth more than a chuckle.

The game play is fun but there's much to be improved in terms of usability. As a first time user, there were a lot of things that were not intuitive. But if you're patient, you'll get to the drawing and guessing (read: fun) part eventually!

Playing this game on a iPhone 4, there are quite a few bugs (e.g.: I got the ans correct but they said it's wrong) and it crashes quite often.

Anyway, here's something fun. Check these out. Try to guess them!

#Drawing 1

#Drawing 2

#Drawing 3

#Drawing 4

This game is fun and all but play long enough and the words are repeated. So perhaps the interest span for a user wouldn't be more than 1 hour of gameplay. Let's see if ngmoco:) will add more words to this.

The art shop is where you get to upgrade your pen/pencils and buy colour. The colour ones are way too expensive (i.e.: you have to earn a lot of coins through gameplay to buy a colour). And the art shop is a bit again, confusing so, there's much to be improved on this game.

We Doodle is compatible with all iOS 3.0 and above devices. Free in Apple App Store.

VICHY Normaderm Anti-Imperfection Range

2010-11-11T15:00:00.006+08:00

I just started using the Normaderm Anti-Imperfection Range.

There are 3 products in particular which I've tried from the above range which I'll like to rave about.

The Anti-Imperfection Hydrating Care (Day Cream), the Night Chrono-Active Anti-Imperfection Care (Night Cream) and the Refine Total Pore Resurfacing Essence.

They all have this amazing after-feel much like what a primer does to our face.

Ok, first off, my face gets really oily mid-day and especially under the hot sun or in air con room... I use 4 full oil absorbent sheets in a day!

See! All fully utilised one!

Most of the creams/lotions I use have this shiny/oily after feel. I used to like that cos when I apply the foundation, it's like applying two-way foundation (wet). But of course, that matt look doesn't last cos the oil will seep thru the foundation and then the whole cycle of the blotter comes about.

The VICHY Anti-Imperfection Hydrating Care is really good cos when applied, it glides on smoothly like a normal cream and then it gets absorbed really quickly and forms this matt feel. Same goes for the Pore Resurfacing essence. I usually use the essence after toner and then the Hydrating Care.

As for the VICHY Refine Total Pore Resurfacing Essence, it is said to micro-exfoliate dead skin cells for an immediate smoothening effect and promises to reduce enlarged pores after 4 weeks >> I have been using this for the past 2 weeks, so far so good. Not sure if it's my imagination or did the pores tighten up a bit... let's see in another 2 weeks time!!

I love VICHY. I really do. They are pricey but as long as there are results, it's worth it. Another great product from this range is the VICHY Night Chrono-Active Anti-Imperfection Care aka the NIGHT cream.

I use this (duh) at night after the Pore Resurfacing essence. Again it glides on smooth and blends in quickly, leaving a matt feel to your skin. The morning after, the pores are tighter and there is more even skin tone. Brighter too and not oily.

I don't know why but some creams make my skin really shiny in the morning!

To sum up, I think the primer like-feel for all of the above products is the perfect base for foundation/BB cream. When it's matt, it's smooth. And you feel good.

Good buy IMHO. I really hope that by using these 3 product consistently, my pores will be invisible in time to come and shine is reduced! :D

VICHY is now giving away S$300 VICHY Hampers via the VICHY Anti-Perfection Challenge! All you have to do is vote for me here and you could walk away with a hamper! Click here naooo!!

Every photo you see there is the progress of my friend using the VICHY products. See her progress! Every photo is clickable and click on the GREEN VOTE button! You can vote everyday!

VICHY Normaderm Zero Imperfection Challenge 1/3

2010-11-09T17:33:00.011+08:00

Recently I was invited to participate in a bloggers challenge for ZERO SKIN IMPERFECTION. I have always been interested in VICHY Normaderm products. Since this opportunity would give me a better understanding of the product and the brand, I decided to take it up.

Plus, I roped in my dear friend, Angeline, who has problematic skin like redness, acne, and localised shine to take up this challenge with me.

Basically, we will go through a 2 week challenge whereby Angeline will try a range of VICHY Normaderm products selected for her skin problems and we will see if her skin really improves at the end of the challenge.

Today is Day 5 of the challenge. Here is a before and after photo to share after using the products for 5 days.

I will be updating the VICHY Diary of her progress every 3 days. Do check back to see whether VICHY is an effective product for her! I'm mighty excited about this range of products!

If you think that her skin improvement is significant, please VOTE for us. Every vote counts. :)

Review of Bejeweled 2 + Blitz (iPhone App)

2010-11-07T18:38:00.006+08:00

Yes I am back for another review of the iPhone games that take over my life.

This time around, I am going to review the Bejeweled 2 + Blitz (USD 2.99 on iTunes)

Ok there's many types of game play on this app but I love the Blitz mode the most. It allows for Facebook Connect which means there's the well-loved Bejeweled Blitz on Facebook brought to your iPhone. Yes! Your friends who are also playing this game will be visible on this leaderboard.

Week after week, I wait in anticipation for Wednesdays at around 1am when the leaderboard will refresh and I will rush to play and be at the very top.

***

How to Play?

For those uninitiated, you need to match 3 jewels of the same colour to burst it. Match 4 and a power cube appears (will explode and destroy jewels around it). Match 5 and a hypercube appears (will explode all jewels of your chosen colour). Match 5 in a L or a t shape, you will get another super cube that will destroy all jewels in the same horizontal and vertical row.

Boosts?

I love boosts! They spice up the game so well! There are 5 different boosts that you can possibily buy but I won't go into detail here. I usually go for the reshuffle, extra 5 secs and multipler gem!

***

I usually try to aim for 500K before I take a little breather. My friends range from 400-600K. Yes, those in the 600K + range are spoilers only because I am not better than them! LOL

The victorious feeling when you top the chart or a specific friend is indescribable. And people actually bond over this game. What's not to love?

Even my mother who finds Facebook.com confusing loves this game! Come join us!

Thank you Pop Cap, for making my every minute with Bejeweled the most enjoyable minute of my day! I can play this all day, minute after glorious minute.

***

Here's a little trivia:

I never liked games like these. Nope. Tiny colour jewels and matching them? No sire, not my cuppa tea.

Then the BF of mine kept bursting these jewels non-stop one weekend on Facebook! The music was loud and quite honestly very irritating.

But hear me out.

So he was all protective about his scores and his boosts when I wanted to play on his account and that of course spurred my interest to want to play on his account even more.

I did manage to do it one day when he ran off to the toilet. And boy, the rest is as they say, history.

L’Oreal Perfect Clean

2010-11-03T15:42:00.003+08:00

L'Oreal launched yet another great product - the Perfect Clean Range!

From right to left, we have REFRESHING, EXFOLIATING, SOOTHING and PURIFYING.

But what's really exciting about this great new product is the Scrublet™! It comes with 500 soft, flexible bristles to gently scrub but effectively cleanse the skin, PORE BY PORE, without drying out the skin. The bristles’ tips maximize the cleansing formula’s performance to eliminate deep impurities.

I love the cleaning experience. Extremely pleasurable! As the brand promises, my skin does not feel tight or dry. It feels velvety smooth. Makes me wanne go wash my face all over again. :)

When I have a pimple, I use the purifying. It has this minty afterfeel which I am so in love with.

When I want a little exfoliation, the exfoliating one is superb. It smells like, ripe mangoes?? And that's my favourite fruit. Super nice smelling la.

The design of the packaging is very innovative. No more worrying about where on earth to keep my facial sponges when I clean my face coz now I can just stick the Scrublet™ in the bottle!!

Love. :)

Here are some photos of the launch event.

Was addicted to the lovely smell!

Angeline and I

L'Oreal has a facebook fanpage here that you might want to join! :)

L’Oreal Paris Dermo-Expertise Youth Code

2010-10-31T21:40:00.001+08:00

Just be patient with me while I explain why this piece of information is relevant to you.

Remember how when we were in our teens and we could have late nights every night and look just as fresh the next morning? We could sleep for like 2 hours and still have the energy and the spunk to get through a long day?

Remember how when we were in our teens, we had great skin. We didn't put makeup or use expensive/sophiscated skincare but yet, we were glowing.

Remember how in your 20's you could drink and drink and never get hangovers or feel tired?

Well, as we hit late twenties and above, things just change.

Women are busy nowadays. They have loads to do in one day. Take me, single, working executive at 26 years old.

In my ideal day, I would like to find time to have a leisurely breakfast, finish all my work in a day. Go for a yoga class during lunch and have a dinner date, drinks after work...

In this day and age? Unless I have 48 hours in a day, I won't be able to do it all. So then I priotise and then end up with little "me-time".

My skin's been suffering. Signs of fatigue are appearing faster and more intensely. My dark circles look deeper, my complexion is really dull and loses its freshness. And I'm afraid these signs of fatigue are getting harder to conceal with makeup.

So I was really glad to have received news that Loreal has again launched another great product relevant to today's women!

L’Oréal Paris Dermo-Expertise Youth Code

*Images of the product above are not to size.

Something for everything! So Loreal can't turn 24 hours to 48 hours but these babies here promise to disguise the signs of fatigue.

After toning my face in the mornings, I apply this. It promises to give me the radiance of well-rested skin. Make it luminouse and look less fatigue. What I love most about this cream is the feel of my skin after application. Its very velvety soft. Perfect for applying makeup. And did I mention that I love the scent of this cream!

Dark circles and under-eye bags - I have loads. The eye cream promises to restore radiance and care for the eye area. Do you know I don't have any eye creams? Yes... it's unspeakable. I'm now applying this religiously now. It is very light and non-greasy.

Last product in this range is the Rejuvenating Concentrate.

Youth Code is formulated to combat tired-looking skin, helping to restore its youth & radiance regardless of its age (both young and mature skin). This new skincare range is catered to help every woman with a hectic lifestyle. I'm excited to start on this once I finish my current skincare.

Youth Code Anti-Wrinkle Rejuvenating Day Cream retails at $42.90 (50ml)
Youth Code Anti-Wrinkle Rejuvenating Concentrate retails at $45.90 (30ml)
Youth Code Anti-Wrinkle Rejuvenating Eye Care retails at $42.90 (15ml)

Transform your hair with Liese!

2010-10-29T00:23:00.001+08:00

It's TIME for work! My everyday!

9am: All dressed and made up. But argh! Messy HAIRR!!!!! GAH! Can't go to work this way my friends!

Time to dress my hair!

Poor hair is always tied up in buns. No chance to be pretty.

Macro shot of my tired, frizzy, dry looking ends. :(

9.15am: Time for the usual pump of Liese's (Lee-zay) Hair Cocktail - a moisturising hair serum with peach and prune extracts! Yummeh!

The top layer's nourishing water and the bottom layer is the anti-frizz oil. Shaken together, it is easily absorbed and coats each strand of hair evenly. Here's their dual-layer hair serum secret.

Now that it is well-shaken, it turns milky and is ready for use!

I pour a 50 cent coin worth of hair serum out onto my palm and apply it to my hair to smoothen and nourish those sad looking ends. I run my hands through my hair, giving more attention to the ends of my hair and comb my hair straight.

And the result?

Smoother, healthier ends! Yes, scroll right up and see the difference!!

This is ideal for moisturising hair that is dry - perfect since I wash my hair at night.

9.20am: Time to run for work! I ain't no lucky person to be born with beautiful hair, but I am lucky to have products that make it look beautiful with little effort.

The Liese Hair Cocktail Mositurising Hair Serum does not make your hair oily after application and is easily absorbed. I like its unique scent of peaches! And its not overly sweet/strong too. There are some serums that are so oily that you have to wash your hands after application but this? This is definitely your apply and go handy product.

There's a special date and I wanne look pretty!!

I have straight hair but once in a while, I, too like to look a little different with some curls. As we all know, temporary curls rarely lasts unless you use hair spray that freezes up your hair solidly. I prefer my curls soft and as natural looking as possible.

I apply a little of Liese's Wax Cube for Permed Hair... I gotta say, honestly, I LOVE this. Even if my curling tongs are not super good, I can use a bit of this wax and curl my hair with my fingers and scrunge them. And it curls.

Check out chio hair that you can only achieve with hair blowing.

Here's another closeup.

Nice? :D

The Liese Clear Cube Wax for Permed Hair is not hard and keeps my curls bouncy and natural!! Me likes. Maybe you wanne check out some styling tutorials with this product here!

Liese can be purchased at all Watsons and Guardian & selected super and hypermarkets. Check out their full-range of hair products:

And before I end off, all Liese fans are gathered here already. What are you waiting for!!

Biore's solution to removing makeup

2010-10-23T12:29:00.010+08:00

Makeup's lovely but taking it off can be quite a hassle that I know I want to avoid.

Biore is a brand we have all heard of but did you know they provide quite an extensive range of makeup removers?

Here are the 3 makeup removers that Biore offers:

Biore Cleansing Oil Cotton Facial Sheets
Biore Makeup Remover for Eye and Lip
Biore Hydra-Clear Makeup Remover

Ah ok, I hear you. The names don't tell you what's the right one for you. Ok let's go in detail.

Quick, one-step removal

You are often a no-nonsense, straight forward girl. If something can be done in a simpler and less time-consuming way and still achieve optimum results, you'll do it!

The Biore Cleansing Oil Cotton Facial Sheets is IT for you. I usually use cotton pad, dab, and then wipe and repeat twice for the eye area and then use facial wash to wash my foundation, lipstick and whatever else I put on my face off. That's a LOT of steps for someone like me.

But ever since I discovered these sheets, I'm sold.

All I need is 1 sheet and it will dissolve and remove face, eye and lip makeup - even my waterproof mascara!!

It comes in 3 pack sizes, the regular (48 sheets, $16.50), the refill (48 sheets, $11.50) and the handy pack (10 sheets, $2.95). The handy size is superb for travelling!!! 1 sheet 1 day = can last you for 10 day trip!!

Special attention for the eyes and the lips!

You love exploring eye colours. From the fiery red to the dare-devil metallic shades. You often put on fake lashies and love the focus of your everyday makeup to be on your mesmerizing eyes. Perhaps you love a deep shade of sexy siren red for your lippie as well.

Our eyes are very sensitive areas and deserve the best attention they can get. Hence, Biore Makeup Remover for Eye and Lip would be most suitable for you.

Here's a test I did.

Take a look!

The above, using my usual eye makeup. Eye brow liner, eye liner, mascara and eye shadow.

This is after 1 single swipe.

First I shake the bottle, put some on cotton pad and off the makeup goes! It also contains Hyaluronic acid which is a mositurising ingredient to keep the skin around our eyes supple and fresh.

I love pampering my eyes with this on the days when I go with heavy eye and lip makeup.

Get hands on, massage and watch it dissolve

Makeup is often referred to as our mask. The mask we put on to meet the world. And this mask is often addictive. Some say, when you put it on, your mask only gets thicker in time and then we will fear taking it off.

Mask or not, your skin needs to be at its very best. If you put on makeup, then you have to take it off. And well, or else, more makeup will need to be piled on to conceal the damage.

So for those of you who prefer washing away makeup, the Biore Hydra-Clear Makeup Remover is it for you. You pour a bit on your palm and massage is gently all over your dry face and eye area. After which, rinse off with water. No cotton pads, no tissues, nothing! No mess. :)

So what makeup remover suits you? I know the facial sheets are my calling. :)

Retails at $22.90 (200ml)

Extra extra! Hear all about it!

Here's a great deal to share! Redeem 1 Travel size of Biore Makeup Remover for Eye & Lip, 1 Travel size of Biore Cleansing Oil Cotton Sheets (2 Pcs) here!

Wish you were here

2010-10-21T22:26:00.008+08:00

This week's been boring and honestly, rather lonely.

I oversleep every morning, jump hurriedly out of bed, spend too much time deciding what to wear, curse my limited wardrobe, wish I were skinny, check in on Tummy (dog), wave Tummy a goodbye, struggle with the keys and out I go.

It's almost routine that I then take out my iPhone to check on when the next bus will arrive at the bus stop and either rushing or cursing my way to the bus stop - depending on whether the next bus is 3 mins or 15 mins.

I get up the bus, and let my Bejeweled iPhone app envelope my five senses till I reach the office. Every single morning.

The work day passes by quickly with occasional bouts and spurts of anger and laughter.

Drained by the time 7.30pm arrives, I would head home, heat up cold food, sit meself in front of the computer and watch Sex and the City till 1am. Superb show by the way.

And then, it repeats all over again.

Life gets a little grey, a little too routined, a little too.... Well, I wish you were around.

L'Oreal HiP Intensity Eye Makeup

2010-10-18T11:12:00.004+08:00

I've never been a fan of eyeshadows till L'Oreal came into my life.

I've always associated eyeshadows with the beautiful magazine cover models and never with me. With me, if I put on eyeshadow, I will always almost look like I got punched in the eye (my attempts at smokey eyes) or my eye's swollen (if I use pink or yellow) or I use the oh-so-common blue and make myself look like a prostitute.

Man, I was stuck in that phase for a good 10 years!

But anyhow, I have grown to learn about and love eyeshadows. With them, I can better achieve a very natural look and go from office to party. Max loves!

Recently, L'Oreal launched a new range of eyeshadows. Check them out here:

From L to R, the duo colour palettes are called Flare, Riotous, Showy and Flashy. So cute max the names! It's also available in 4 other shades.

The liquid pencils on the left are L'Oreal's new HiP Color Chrome Eyeliner are Gold Charge and Violet Volt - intense and metallic, these provide an interesting new kind of definition to my eyes.

There's also a new primer called Base Magique which promises to make your face a beautiful base on which to put on your makeup. Smoothing wrinkles, fine lines, hides pores and skin imperfection, this is something I never used before but something I am definitely looking forward to using. No need to use Gaussian blur on photoshop for my photos anymore hopefully! :P

Here are my two favourite colours. :D

I usually go for light, natural makeup look and gold's my ultimate favourite.

I love it!! It brightens up my eye completely. The dark orangey gold is a really intense and lovely colour. The colour you see on the palette is really exactly what you'll get on your eyelids. Prettyy!!

Simple and so easy to apply. The colours are really intense and a light dab would do the trick. I have not given it the FULL DAY test challenge (i.e: Will the colours stay as intense after one full working day? Note: My eyelids are max oily!) but I will and update here! :)

Here's the complete makeup look.

The barely-there au-natural sun-kissed look. Haha!

HiP High Intensity Pigements Bright Shadow Duo @ $18.90
HiP Color Chrome Eyeliner @ $17.90

The HiP collection will only be available for a limited period at Watsons!

L'Oreal is also another great brand who has ventured out onto Facebook to connect with their consumers like you and me! Let's give them some support here!

Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe

2010-10-12T07:00:00.000+08:00

Recipe time! This week, I took some time to do a little baking and what better thing to try than the latest obsession I have with Popeyes Buttermilk Biscuits.

There's nothing like tender, fluffy biscuits like these, fresh out of an oven, piping hot and served immediately with butter, honey or jam.

Easy and quick to make, these buttermilk biscuits are completely satisfying as a side dish in any meal of your day, though with my love for these, an entire meal can be made out of them.

There is something quite magical about gently breaking apart a freshly baked biscuit, watch the steam float out the middle and then sinking in to the warm, yummy goodness of there buttery, flaky bits.

Anyway, enough of the tempting thoughts. Let's dive right in.

The Recipe
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 (~64g) cup unsalted butter, cold
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup milk
Melted butter, to brush on top

Step by Step Instructions
1) Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
2) Mix together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
3) Slice cold butter into cubes and use a pastry knife or spoon to cut butter into dry mixture until no large chunks of butter remain.
4) Add buttermilk and milk and stir till it's mixed.
5) Form little balls of the dough (about size of golfball) and arrange on a lightly-greased baking sheet/aluminum foil.
6) Bake for 15-20 minutes or until tops begin to turn light brown.
7) Remove biscuits from the oven and cool for a couple of minutes, then brush each biscuit top with melted butter.

See! Easy and yummy, I promise you. And I am hungry from blogging this nao.

Rich & Good Cake Shop (Swiss Rolls @ Kandahar Street)

2010-10-10T15:03:00.005+08:00

Rich and Good Cakeshop was listed in Straits Times top 50 yummiest cake! Having heard and read about them for many times, I didn't have the chance to give these famous swiss rolls a try till last weekend.

This is one shop that has been raved by newspapers, forum'ers and bloggers. So since I had to go to the Kandahar Street area to pick my mom and grandma who were visiting from KL, I decided to head on over to the Rich & Good Cake Shop.

It was super easy to find the place. Just walk right in to Jalan Kandahar street and you will be able to find their shopfront.

Jalan Kandahar may not sound familiar to most but it's actually a very charming quaint row of shophouses that sell really almost anything. You could be at a cake shop first, then to a place that sells gowns and next to it could be a shop that sells carpets. Truly unique.

Very humble looking place. Nothing fancy. Definitely none of those sophisticated, well decorated refrigerated cake displays. Because I did research beforehand, I walked in and ordered a durian and a kaya flavoured roll. 1 of each. $6.50 X 2 = $13.00 for two 30cm long swiss rolls.

And out I was in a jiffy. The two ladies whom I ordered from were swift and very friendly. Kept saying thank you.

I got home asap and opened them up immediately to noms!

I was looking forward very much to eating the durian flavoured one. The BF is also a big fan of durians.

The spongy cake layer is very soft and fluffy. This roll is sandwiched with a layer of durian cream and durian puree (with real durian pulp!). Yummy but if you ask a fan of durians such as I am, I think more durian flavour can definitely be packed in these swiss rolls. The good thing about this is, I don't feel very "jelat" after eating it as well. The layer of cream is also thin and not overpowering.

The kaya flavoured one is not a favourite of mine since I'm not a fan of kaya. My family enjoyed it very much though. It had very traditional-tasting kaya layered with the sponge cake - a great combination. It's not too sweet and is very aromatic.

There are a total of 7 flavours but pandan & durian ones are touted to be most popular. I would go back there again to buy it since Jalan Kandahar is not that difficult to get to from my place. And the next time around, I will be trying out the Mango and Chocolate.

Note: Don't leave the swiss rolls in room temperature/out of the fridge for more than 2 hours. Consume within 2-3 days in the fridge. If you want it to last longer, put it in the freezer!

Rich & Good Cake Shop [map] [facebook]
24 Kandahar Street
Singapore 198887
(65) 6294 3324
Bus services: 7, 32, 51, 61, 63, 80, 145, 175, 197
Nearest MRT: Bugis

Opening hours:
8am-5pm (Mon-Fri), 8am-4pm (Sat), 12pm-3:30pm (Sun)

Ladies, love your neck too!

2010-10-08T16:29:00.000+08:00

Here's something on beauty to share. I don't know about you but I am always vaguely aware that my neck needs some care just like the care that I shower on my face.

But just like many other girls out there, I think I still have time before I have to start worrying about sagging, wrinkled necks. What it is is I am plain taking healthy skin that I have now for granted.

But hey, one day, Sothys presented me with their shaping neck cream and that gave me a little nudge to remind me of my neck's need for care.

So I started researching on the importance of neck care.

DO YOU KNOW?
Your skin at the neck area is very thin and is where the first signs of aging starts to show.

If you don’t care for your neck correctly, you might just end up with dull, saggy/loose skin. Especially so at the neck. We don't think of it this way often but let's not forget that the neck is the extension of our face and the tell tale signs of aging often appear here first.

A basic beauty regime for the neck is quite important.

Dang! I have some wrinkles forming already... :(

Sothys is a brand most have heard of but are unsure who they really are. They are a global leader in professional skincare innovation and has been in Singapore since 1988. Sothys is a professional skincare line from France. Their expertise is in skincare treatments.

This is the product I'll be reviewing.

Sothys' shaping neck care cream comes in a clean, classy tube. Very handy size.

A super-formula of Mamaku Extract, Watercress and Biomimetic peptides remodel the neck contour, and refine and re-sculpt the lower part of the face, neck and décolletage.

Fragrance: It has a very soothing fragrance with a tinge of vanilla. I love the fragrance.

The texture: After applying the cream on my neck, it felt soft. Haha... like, it felt moisturised and not at all oily/sticky. And this is important in humid Singapore. Try putting oily creams on yourself and prepare to suffer when you're under the hot sun.

So I applied this repeatedly for 2 weeks, day and night religiously and I've gotten used to applying cream on my neck. At first, it felt like a burden. An additional step to my skincare regime. But surely a smoother neck now and in the future is worth 2 mins more everyday?

Application Method:

a) On the chin, apply from left to right.
b) On the neck, apply from top to bottom.
Position 1: Keep your neck straight & place your thumbs under the chin
c) Press lightly to the top with your thumbs while you try to open the mouth. Repeat for 5 times.
d) Keep the mouth open while you press the top. Repeat for 5 times.
Position 2: Keep your back straight, shoulders down & bend your head backward
e) Clench your teeth while contracting your chin & neck. Repeat for 5 times.
Position 2: Keep your back straight, shoulders down
f) Put your tongue on the palate while contracting your chin & neck muscle for 6 seconds. Repeat for 5 times.
g) Bend your head backward & forward. From left to right. Repeat for 5 times.

Where to buy: If you're interested, here's where you can buy this cream.

Price: $129 (30ml)

Stay in contact with Sothys Singapore on their Facebook Fanpage!

Addicted to High Noon (iPhone Game)

2010-10-04T19:00:00.002+08:00

Since the last review I did of High Noon, I've fallen in love with the game even more! And yes, one month later, I'm still at it!

I took some photos of the game I partake in everyday.

Seriously, if the developers have a tracking mechanism (which they probably do), they will see that yours truly logs in like more than 10 times a day.

My friend even sent me a telegram saying, "Eh you very free ah? Keep logging in and out looking for trouble...!!"

Haha! Btw, kuddos to the developers (Happylatte). This is one game that has consistency IN YOUR FACE. From the mini contests in-game, to the items, to the telegrams from the POSTMASTER and right down to the notification messages... it all has the same theme throughout.

Copywriting for this game is ace.

This is my character - looking like a faggot with the hat and the lack of hair. Haha! But I emphasize, it's the SKILL that counts!

Like this. Haha! This is the screen you see when you win. I wanted to take shots of how the in-game looks like from my screen but I'm taking my wins and losses very seriously so of course, while playing, my hands are occupied.

And if I lose, this is how it looks like.

Oh yes, the beer fest. October, in our real lives, is beer feast month! And I love that they brought it to the game as well. And their little contests like these are plenty and often. These contests gives all players the reason to keep playing. For example, for Beer Feast, Beer (when drunk during a fight will heal you) must be drunk during a fight and users get 200 gold bonus! Top 1000 beer drinkers get free Wampums!!!

Contests gives us new goals, new things to do and to buy! I especially loved the one about choosing sides (held in Sep 2010).

There is this also little side activity that I can do which is to "STEAL GOLD". It's too simple to steal. Just click "Steal Gold". Haha and this has caused much laughter and frustration among me and my friends. People around me must mistake the objective of this game to be stealing. :P

Oops I did it again.

I once laughed uncontrollably when my poor friend sent me a telegraph pleading me to stop stealing from him! And another time, I spotted my friend spending 600 gold to buy a safe to protect his SUM assets of 2,000 miserable gold! LOL So farni really.

My colleague even once set an alarm to wake at 6.30am, just to steal my money!! Grrrrrrr!! But in return, he was tired from chasing time this way. Wahaha! He thought he could sleep after stealing money but he kept thinking about how angry I'll get and I guess he was satisfied that way.

Seriously iPhone users out there, if you have not played this game, what are you waiting for?! DOWNLOAD IT, get competitive and get uglyyyyy!!