Michael Todd True Organics AGAIN!

These products work so well (except the Kaolin Clay Mask, which didn't do anything much), that I ordered them again. 

I was waiting for a promotion on them and YES, with the code "clearskin45, I shaved US$25 off the US$70 price tag. In the end my total came to US$59.95 after the addition of shipping (US$14.95 - increased from US$9.95! I hope that means I will receive my items sooner!). 

These Michael Todd True Organics products have kept my acne at bay and they work wonderfully well with my The Body Shop tea tree products. KEEPER ALERT! 

My favourite product has got to be the Organic Lemon Toner. Smells refreshing and made a life-changing impact. I actually noticed a difference between the times that I didn't use this and the times that I did. 

Thank goodness for Michael Todd True Organics!! 

Website

Product link

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Shopping District Beauty Haul (NYX, elf, COVERGIRL, Wet n Wild, jordana)

I got to know of Shopping District from a friend of mine on Twitter and ohmygosh I was hooked once I visited their website!

Just FYI, I'm not sponsored to write this blog post. I just love the site so much I have to write about it! Easy, fast and hassle-free transaction, and they have so many drugstore products that are not available in Singapore! 

Yay, here's my haul!

Wet n Wild Color Icon Collection Eyeshadow Single in Brulee (S$6.90) - Photo from X
COVERGIRL Lashblast 24 Hour Mascara in Very Black 800 (S$15)
NYX Concealer Jar in 04 Beige (S$9.50)
elf Essential Eyelid Primer in Champagne (S$4)

Jordana 12 HR Made To Last Liquid Eyeliner Pencil in 01 Black Point (S$8.90) - Photos from X and X

NYX Matte Lipstick in MLS10 Perfect Red (S$10) - Photo from X
Jordana Easyliner For Lips (S$8) - Photo from X 

Can't wait for all my new toys to arrive! Especially the lipstick and lipliner! 

Website

Facebook

Visuals x 1403

1403 = third week of the year lor. 

That is one of the many mnemonic codes that I learn at work, so shall use it to make my entire life easier. 

Chinese New Year's coming and I'm both anxious and excited. For the first time ever (in Singapore that is), I'm not staying at home during the entire CNY period because I have no house visitations. I'm going to visit Mr Chung's family + extended family and I'm peeing-in-my-pants scared. But okay, I WILL CONQUER. 

Photos, photos...

This was a street away from my office. My office location is great, but sometimes the tourists really ah...SMH

Finished this book in one sitting. Can't believe it has been 14 years since the last book (Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason)?! 

Mr Chung and I tried Bijin Nabe from Tsukada Nojo. It was good but I wouldn't go back again. Slightlt salty aftertaste after the second bowl and I'm still contemplating on whether I'm on the consuming-collagen bandwagon?? It's like eating liquid fat right?! *shudders*

Very cute this Tsukada Nojo. We had this personalised plate of complimentary jelly after our Bijin Nabe. The two miniscule blocks of jelly were quite sad (but tangy and delicious!), but ok lah good effort on plating ah. :D

Finally got my specs! S$55 only from New China Opticians at Peninsula Shopping Complex. I'm no longer blind! 

I don't post selfies often, so here's one! :D 

Happy Chinese New Year guys! HOPE YOU GET MANY MANY ANGBAOS! :) 

5 Days with Converse

Yes, it's true. A pair of low-cut converse shoes really matches with EVERYTHING. 

Top: Zalora | Jeggings: Zara | Necklace: Bugis | Blur arm candy: Casio + Bugis

Dress: Taobao | Sweater: H&M | Watch: Casio

Top: Zara | Skirt: Qoo10 | Arm candy: Taiwan + Cotton On

Blazer: New Look | Tank: New Look | Jeggings: Zara | Watch: Casio

Dress: Taobao | Watch: Casio | Necklace: Forever 21

It has been a very comfortable week for my feet. :D Yay Converse!!

Have a great weekend lovely readers! 

A slight departure

This is a slight deviation from my normal posts.

If you're not into rants and posts full of anger and resentment, then I suggest you scroll down a little bit more to the next post.

I'm quite annoyed. I tried to avoid participating in arguments but when the filament snaps, I just can't keep quiet. Why is my self-control so ... weak?

As said to many of my close friends, I must be a serial killer who killed happy families in my past life to deserve such a dysfunctional family now. Going into details will be quite redundant because why hang your dirty laundry in public right? Traditional Chinese mindset ingrained since young and kicking in right now.

Nobody listens when you talk.
You are only visible when help is needed.
No presents, no cards, no greetings. Yes the yearly birthday cakes but what's the use when the sincerity's absent? Of course the man in the house sighed when asked to come out to partake in your 5-minute birthday celebration.
Your maternal family sees you eternally as that 11-year-old brat who always creates problems.
Your paternal family ... well, what paternal family?

The list goes on.

But I'm still here. I'm still sensible and I'm still sane.

My life outside this house keeps me going. Then when I step into this hellish abode of mine, my heart stiffens and I start feeling suffocated. It's overwhelming but all I can do is go inside my room, close the door and have earphones ready.

I cry a lot at home. I refuse to cry in public. A strong exterior that's painstakingly built to mask the frail recesses.

Why am I annoyed?

Because till now, I'm unable to break out of the "why" bubble. Why is my family like this? Why am I born into such a family? Why am I treated this way?

I need to change this to a "how" bubble. How can I avoid this? How can I help? How can I get out? How can I make it less difficult? How can I ignore the ill treatment?

Nope. Not even close.

That's why I'm annoyed.

It is a gloomy Thursday night indeed.

Skin update (Hormonal Acne)

My last post on my hormonal acne was in mid-November (http://fitrina-inamorata.blogspot.sg/2013/11/battling-acne.html) and at that time, my skin condition was at its worst. I had new pimples forming daily and it was not the best time of my life. In fact, I was depressed and over-anxious.

2 months+ have passed and I'm glad that my skin has gotten miles better. I have stopped taking Doxycycline pills because those pills are not recommended for long-term intake (many many many problems associated with constant intake of those green pills), and so far everything's great. I'm still consuming the EPO and Vitamin E pills and I think they are keeping my hormones in balance.

I still have the occasional breakout (now I have 2 due to PMS) but nothing major and I'm okay with it.

Some tips on keeping those monsters out of your life:

• If things get out of hand (no products are working etc.), visit a doctor. Sometimes you need antibiotics to treat the problem internally. I was given two months' worth of Doxycycline pills and they worked. 
• Revise and edit your skincare products. Sometimes nothing is working because you are using way too many different products. Initially, I just used a cleanser, toner, moisturiser and tea-tree oil. I stopped using all the different pimple treatment creams and suddenly the situation got better. 
• Try to invest in a good cleansing brush. Clarisonic is good but really expensive. A good alternative will be the Olay Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System. I'm using it nightly with my Michael Todd True Organics Charcoal Detox Cleanser and my face feels super clean and soft after cleansing. A good cleansing brush really helps in removing makeup and other impurities. 
• Drink water and green tea. This sounds like a "duh" advice but seriously, IT WORKS. 
• Don't touch your face. Just stop touching! If you feel like you need to pop a really huge and painful pimple, go ahead. But do it with clean hands and tissue. Don't just use your fingers (more germs and bacteria!!), use a tissue and squeeze that horrible pimple. After that make sure you stop the bleeding by pressing another clean tissue on the wound for a few minutes, then apply tea-tree oil on it. It will sting at first, but the tea-tree oil will help keep bacteria away from the open wound. 
• Try to not sleep with your face touching the pillow/bolster/blanket. And change your bed sheet regularly!
• You can continue using your concealers/liquid foundations if you have to. Of course it's best to not use any of these but well if you need to be presentable then just use them. Just make sure the products are fragrance-free, oil-free, non-comedogenic and mineral-free. It's not that difficult to find products with such criteria nowadays, so don't worry about that. 
• Just stop fretting about the acne. I stopped being obsessed over my acne and it actually made me feel so much better. 
• Invest on evening primrose oil and vitamin E pills. Please consult your doctor on these first. I asked the doctor and she gave me the green light to consume these pills. They keep your hormones in check and they are very effective for hormonal acne. If you have many small spots around your jaw and upper lip area, then it's most likely to be hormonal acne. I take two EPO pills and 1 vitamin E pill a day and my jaw and upper lip area is clear of spots now. :') 

I'll be posting a skincare routine update soon (complete with photos of my acne-scarred skin LOL), but here's a summary of the routine:

Morning

• Mario Badescu Acne Facial Cleanser
• Michael Todd True Organics ORGANIC LEMON AHA + DMAE Toner
• The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Lotion

Night

• Michael Todd True Organics CHARCOAL DETOX Cleanser with Olay Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System Brush
• Michael Todd True Organics JOJOBA CHARCOAL SCRUB (5 days a week, will not use on days I exfoliate)
• Exfoliate with Olay Thermal Crystal Polisher and Olay Pro-X Microdermabrasion Plus Advanced Cleansing System Brush (Wednesdays + Sundays)
• A good clay mask (Wednesdays + Sundays) - I'm alternating 3 different ones that work for me. 
• Michael Todd True Organics ORGANIC LEMON AHA + DMAE Toner
• The Body Shop Tea Tree Blemish Fade Night Lotion with a few drops of The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil

Compared to last time, my skincare routine has been significantly downsized. I don't buy new skincare products to experiment anymore. I know what works and I continue using them. 

So far so good! :) 

I have received a couple of emails regarding my last skincare post. For those of you battling acne, press on and don't overload the products. Consult a doctor and revise your skincare routine! PERSEVERE! 

Highly Raved Drugstore Foundations (Revlon, Neutrogena and CoverGirl)

Yes, I want them all. It has been a known fact to close friends and family that I will not step out of my house without some form of blemish-concealing on my face. As tiring and high-maintenance as it sounds, I only spend a couple of minutes on this daily, so it's not that tedious lah.

Now that my acne freakout (yes, I'd rather call it a freakout than a breakout because I truly freaked and sobbed) is somewhat under control, I'm starting to experiment with liquid foundations again. But, I'm not as adventurous this time round. My focus will be oil-free, liquid foundations that are formulated specially for or suitable for oily/acne-prone skin. Exciting huh?

There are sooooooo many that I want to possess but I don't have all the money in the world, so self-control is needed. Drugstore liquid foundations!

I read quite a number of beauty blogs and subscribe to lots of beauty youtubers, and the 3 most raved about drugstore foundations have been these 3. I really want them all!!

1. CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation
2. Neutrogena SkinClearing Oil-Free Liquid Makeup
3. Revlon ColorStay for Combination/Oily Skin

I know the Revlon one has been around for eons but it's so expensive in Singapore?! I'd rather join a Drugstore.com spree - so much cheaper! 

What's your favourite drugstore liquid foundation? 

This site claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this site are copyright to its respectful owners and the person/entity who created the photos. Images shown on this site are not for sale or for any other commercial purpose - all images are for site presentation purpose only. If there is an image appearing on this site that belongs to you and you do not wish for it appear on this site, please email with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.

January 2014 Haul

Another haul. 

I'm very guilty to say that no, I didn't only buy these things. I also went to H&M and New Look and shamelessly attacked their SALE items. I have 2 long cardigans from H&M, a tank, a pair of denim shorts and a chio-max plaid tweed jacket with leather trims from New Look. 

Oops I did it again? 

Zalora haul (all from EZRA!)

Sequin flats

Lace pencil skirt

Checkered skater skirt

Lace shirt

Lace sleeve woven tee

Two-tone strappy wedges

Blogshop/ASOS haul

TheScarletRoom lace dress (no longer listed)

Love Bonito red dress (no longer listed)

ASOS dress (no longer listed)

Love Bonito Covet Daniella Dress

NO MORE UNTIL FEBRUARY. NO MORE NO MORE!!!!

POP Pilates for Beginners

My new obsession! Some of the moves are basic, but omg some are so tough. Definitely can feel the pain (the good pain ah, not the injury type)! I'm on Day 5 today! :D

Come come join in the fun! Thanks Chay for introducing this to me!

POP Pilates for Beginners (28-day plan)

http://www.blogilates.com/blog/2013/06/03/beginners-calendar-for-popsters-just-starting-out/

Review: Essence Soft Touch Eyeshadow in 03 Oh De Prep

Another post on Essence cosmetic products. Seriously, I don't know how this wallet-friendly brand (like super super friendly) manages to churn out great-quality products! I have tried so many products from Essence and most of my experiences has been surprisingly pleasant. 

I'll be in Berlin end of February and I can't wait to get my hands on many many more new Essence products there! 

This post will be about my current favourite cream eyeshadow - Essence Soft Touch Eyeshadow in 03 Oh De Prep. Yes, it has shoved Maybelline Color Tattoo Gel Shadows aside. Personally I think this works better than the Maybelline one. 

I bought this for S$3 at the Essence Private Sale and I don't think it's available in stores any more (Sorry! Do correct me if I'm wrong though!). Let's hope Essence comes out with more cream eyeshadows in future launches! 

As expected, I got the neutral/brown shade (03 Oh De Prep) because I'm a sucker for such shades.

Packaging: The packaging of the Essence Soft Touch Eyeshadow is slightly smaller than the Maybelline Color Tattoo Gel Shadows, however, the container is deeper. Overall, a good product to bring while travelling.

Colour: 03 Oh De Prep is a richly shimmered and metallic taupe-brown shade. When concentrated, the shade is more metallic, and when blended, it is more shimmery. It's not a unique colour, but it's definitely a gorgeous one - especially for those with brown/green eyes.

Swatch taken with normal daylight condition

Swatch taken with camera flash activated

Blended out swatch with normal lighting condition

Blended out swatch with camera flash activated

Pigmentation: Great pigmentation and great colour pay-off! What you see in the pot is what you will get after application. I really am very impressed. There are more expensive brands out there who still can't figure out how to make a well-pigmented cream eyeshadow. Essence, on the other hand, gives you highly pigmented cream eyeshadows with a cheaper price tag. Two thumbs up!

Application: I normally use my middle finger to apply cream eyeshadows. I refrain from using brushes because I don't like how my eyeshadow brushes become slightly damp after application, and also because I think blending out is much easier when using your finger than when using a brush. The Essence Soft Touch Eyeshadow in 03 Oh De Prep is a dream to apply and it blends out easily. Another thing that I like about this is that the colour is very buildable because the cream eyeshadow dries fairly quickly after application. When you apply a second layer, you get a deeper colour effortlessly. No streaks at all! More thumbs up!

Longevity: For those with very oily eyelids (ME ME), I will suggest topping up with a similar shade powder eyeshadow. The first time I used it, the eyeshadow creased on me within a few hours. After a quick dusting of a similar-shade powder eyeshadow, it stayed on really well and creasing was minimal.

Will I buy it again? Yes please! Essence, please launch more cream eyeshadows like this! PLEASE PLEASE!

Hope this review has been useful and informative! Have a great day guys! 

Review: Etude House Oh~ m'Eye Lash Petticoat

Finally back on track! 

This post will be all about my favourite mascara base to date - the Etude House Oh~ m'Eye Lash Petticoat.

I bought it during the Etude House Warehouse Sale last year (for around S$5?) and wow I'm now tempted to repurchase because I'm running out of this tube of amazingness. 

It retails in Etude House stores nationwide for ... a lot of money. I'm sorry, but I don't believe in buying S.Korean skincare/beauty products in stores in Singapore. Prices are jacked up and sometimes you don't get the free samples that you are entitled to. I sound like a spoilt brat. Let me explain myself. When you but skincare/beauty products in S.Korea, they will shower you with lots and lots of free samples, even if you buy only one item! Hence, for a S.Korea skincare/beauty outlet in Singapore, it should stand by this giving-free-samples policy right? CONSISTENCY. But no, I once purchased a huge container of moisturiser (over S$25), and I didn't have a single free sample?! I don't expect free samples from Watsons because hey, it's not in their company policy to give out free samples mah. 

Okay rant over. HAHA. 

Next best place to get this either than during a Warehouse Sale? Qoo10!!

I have two links for the Etude House Oh~ m'Eye Lash Petticoat:

1. http://list.qoo10.sg/item/ETUDE-HOUSE-OH-MY-EYE-LASH-MASCARA/404076737
2. http://list.qoo10.sg/item/SWEET-BOX-OH-MY-EYE-LASH-MASCARA/404220871

Review time!! 

Packaging: Straightforward and fuss-free. The mascara base packaging looks really old but that's a combination of my lighting and ... it being quite old. I paid S$5 for this so I didn't expect a new product. It was manufactured in late 2012 though, so all's good!

The Etude House Oh~ m'Eye Lash Petticoat promises to:

• enhance the volume
• enhance the length of EVERY mascara
• maximize the effect of mascara

Has it delivered on all 3 accounts? Most definitely. 

Ingredients List

I realised the two photos after this is a bit eeky. SORRY GUYS! I assure you that the brush is not that yellow in real life! I don't know what happened with the lighting!

There's a yellow tinge, but not as pigmented as in these photos. Gosh.

Brush design: A standard mascara brush with a firm mascara wand. The bristles are not very condensed, but still condensed enough to separate the lashes. I hate it when bristles are not plastic and very condensed - a clumpy nightmare.

Volumising and Lengthening? Personally, it's more lengthening than volumising with this product. I also like how it doesn't clump the lashes no matter how many coats I apply. Sometimes, I just want to load up on mascara base so that after mascara application, I look like I've fake lashes on. However, the process can be a headache when you use a clumpy mascara base that dries way too quickly. You get thick ugly lashes that are almost impossible to separate. NOT GOOD. The Etude House Oh~ m'Eye Lash Petticoat separates really well no matter how many coats I use!

Defines EVERY lash? I'm so impressed with the Etude House Oh~ m'Eye Lash Petticoat because it honestly really defines every single lash! After one application, I could see all my lashes coated with the white base, even those teeny tiny inner ones! Great, great job.

Works well with mascara? I have used this mascara base with almost all of my favourite mascaras and I promise no placebo effect happened - all my mascaras worked better! They are all already my favourite mascaras, but with this Etude House Oh~ m'Eye Lash Petticoat as a foundation, I see better-looking lashes. Just wow! Oh, one more thing: I love how gradual the drying process is. Some mascara bases dry almost as soon as you apply and you get thick, straight lashes after you apply your mascara. With this, you are able to control the curve of the lashes while applying mascara because it doesn't dry as quickly! LOVE IT.

Will I buy it again? Oh yes, yes, YES! I cannot go a day without the Etude House Oh~ m'Eye Lash Petticoat and it shows because I have run out! Time to get a new one!

Hope this review has been useful! Have a great week ahead guys! :) 

Visuals | January 2014 | Week 1

I'm seriously one of the worst bloggers in the world. I call myself a beauty blogger and yet I don't blog about beauty products often?! TERRIBLE. I'm deeply sorry, my dear readers. PLEASE DON'T ABANDON THIS BLOG. 

To revive this blog, I have a few exciting posts coming up:

• My night skincare routine - this will be complete from makeup removal to downing my last cup of water. YES MAKEUP REMOVAL to show you my SCARRED SKIN. I shall be a warrior who is not afraid of showing the world her scarred face. 
• Get ready with me (Morning Rush Edition) - also another complete post from the moment I wake up to the moment I step out of my door. I know a lot of people do videos for this, but I'm just using photos and words for this! 
• Etude House Oh~ m'Eye Lash Petticoat Review - LOVE
• Etude House Proof 10 Mascara Review - another LOVE
• Essence Soft Touch Eyeshadow in 03 Oh De Prep Review - one of my favourite cream eyeshadows now
• LORAC Pro Palette Review - LOVE LOVE LOVE OMG LOVE

In the meantime, please enjoy some visuals from first week of January 2014. 

One for my tea, and one for my coffee. 

Love these handcreams! Extremely moisturizing and not sticky at all. Get it here for S$5.90 each with free Korea Normal Airmail. 

Chinese New Year decorations at NEX

Chinese New Year decorations at Chinatown

Design on the file that I bought from Taiwan. Glad I bought it because it's pretty and functional, but it's over S$6 so OUCH. 

My new 2014 planner! This was the highlight of my entire week. So pretty and soooooo precious! Spirited Away is one of my favourite movies ever (I've watched it for more than 20-30 times and I'm still not bored of it) and having a Spirited Away planner is AWESOME!

Have a great week ahead guys! Be awesome and amazing! :)

Ramen Bar Suzuki

It's another food-related post! 

My last beauty review was posted in mid-December so I feel a little bit guilty to my loyal readers. I'm just not feeling inspired to write about beauty-related stuff! I have so so so many products to review and I have already taken so so so many photographs but I get writer's block on all these beauty products. WHY BRAIN WHY!! I just feel like I'm not ... qualified enough to be dishing out reviews and tips. 

Ok, I'll meditate and MAKE IT WORK. 

No more of random talk because this post is all about one of the most delicious ramen I've ever tasted and it's from Ramen Bar Suzuki. Seriously, that bowl of ramen was THE BOMB. 

Ramen Bar Suzuki

61 Circular Road #01-01

Singapore 049415

Facebook page

First of all, you get free flow hard-boiled eggs. FREE FLOW!!! For an egg fanatic like me (even though I know I should be wary because having high cholesterol runs in the family), this is the best service a restaurant can give. To add to that, we had free flow cabbage salad and iced tea too! 

Let me dedicate an entire paragraph for the small bowl of cabbage salad. Is it a normal bowl of cabbage salad? DEFINITELY NOT. Ramen Bar Suzuki stores the julienned cabbage (fancy term learned from Youtube food videos hehehehe) in an ice-cold jar and this keeps the cabbage super cold and super fresh. Then you get a choice of 2 dressings - the usual thousand island or a Japanese sesame onion dressing. I mixed the two dressings together and expected a bowl of vomit-tasting stuff, but no, I was pleasantly surprised at how well the two dressings worked together!! I then had another bowl with only the Japanese dressing and it was as marvelous. In total, I had 3 bowls of this. I told Kengyang that I could just eat the cabbages for an entire day! I need to learn how to make this!!! First, I need to get a huge glass jar that will fit the freezer. OKAY DAISO!

I ordered the Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen with Fish Powder (S$15.40++) and it was so delicious and so comforting. I was afraid the addition of fish powder would be too fishy for Kengyang (he ordered the non-spicy version) but it was savoury and palatable for him! YAY!

The flavoured egg was cooked perfectly. The broth was addictive. The citrus pepper paste was strangely up my alley but it's an acquired taste (Kengyang hated the paste haha). The noodles was "Q" enough. The slice of char siu was extremely flavourful and tender. I tell you, I was in ramen heaven lah. I wanted to finish all the soup but my very naggy boyfriend reminded me that nobody needs the extra sodium, so okay loh I listened HAHA.

I will definitely be back for another bowl of ramen, and another, and another, and another..........

Do check it out guys!! Confirm will blow your mind!! :D

Christmas 2013 and New Year 2014

I feel like I'm too late for this post. It's already the fifth day of 2014 and I'm blogging about Christmas 2013 and New Year 2014? I guess it's never too late to thank the angels who landed in my sombre world and made things a little bit more colourful ... and bearable. 

My Christmas was spent in Taiwan with Kengyang and his family. Coincidentally, we also spent Christmas lighting up a lantern at Pingxi. A lantern which was filled with all our hopes and wishes for 2014 and the far future. I found it quite endearing (perhaps on the verge of beguiling? Lighting up a lantern to make our wishes come true seems like a huge marketing ploy for the village) that every one of us made sure the lantern was lit properly and as it floated away, no one spoke - our eyes just followed the floating lantern, and when it was nowhere in sight, all of us automatically continued our chit-chats and bickering. 

My New Year was ... a joke. Actually, more of a I'm-gonna-laugh-at-it-in-the-future kind of a joke and not I'm-so-depressed-I-hate-life kind of a joke. Kengyang and I wanted to countdown to 2014 at Marina, but we figured it's going to be a nightmare due to the crowd. We decided on town but realised the traffic home would be another nightmare. So okay, let's go to a heartland mall! But we made the wrong decision to shake leg at Kengyang's house first because we ended up counting down in his house while watching the countdown celebration programme on the telly. All I can say about that programme is - WLH, why you lipsync your upbeat songs?? 

However, I'm not complaining about my "lacklustre" New Year countdown. At least I got to spend it with the love of my life and his family, and I didn't have to struggle and squeeze while trying to go home. Oh, and I munched on McDonalds while watching the telly. BLISS~

Christmas presents! 

Thank you Kengyang for the electronic toothbrush. I randomly said I needed on and he bought it for me. :') 

Thank you Kenny for the cookies, potpourri and inspirational pencil! Kenny was my secret santa this year! 

Thank you Serene for the accessories, the L'occitane goodies and the loofah!

Thank you Chay for the instant (but from Laos, so very exotic haha) coffee! 

Kenny, I don't think I will ever use this pencil! I'll just tape it on my office table and stare at it whenever I feel drab. 

We had our annual Christmas+New Year party yesterday. A bit late, but it didn't matter since all of us could make it and it was a great gathering! 

Our boxer chef, Wang (#wangcancook) cooked up a storm and wow each dish was DELICIOUS. 

Our Italian-Mediterranean menu

Greek Salad

Pesto Chicken Nuggets

Shakshuka

Ricotta Pasta

Caramelised Apples with Vanilla Ice Cream (not in photo)

Cheers to a great 2014! :) 

2014 Beauty Wants

1. URBAN DECAY Naked3 Palette

2. VIKTOR & ROLF Flowerbomb

3. MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Complexion Starter Kit

4. NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base

5. KAT VON D Lock-It Tattoo Foundation

6. URBAN DECAY Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup

I really want to try out more high-end liquid foundations. Especially those with full coverage ones! MONEY, FALL FROM THE SKY NOW! 

This site claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this site are copyright to its respectful owners and the person/entity who created the photos. Images shown on this site are not for sale or for any other commercial purpose - all images are for site presentation purpose only. If there is an image appearing on this site that belongs to you and you do not wish for it appear on this site, please email with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.

OOTD - TDF (to die for) Zara leggings

Sometimes it's so difficult getting ready in the morning. I want to wear something different so that I have material for Instagram but I also want to be comfortable for the long workday ahead. 

I have come to a conclusion that I'm more of a comfort person. I buy a lot of experimental apparels but I always go back to the same few outfits. 

I didn't regret purchasing my new Zara leggings though. They are a dream to wear and I already know I'm going to wear them too much. I actually wanted to buy them a couple of months ago when a few fashion Youtubers raved about them. They were S$39.90 a pair and that's not a cheap price for a pair of leggings so I held back. I kept going back in to Zara to specifically feel the material and one night the obsession escalated and I DREAMT ABOUT THE LEGGINGS. 

So ok lah, I got them. I got 2 pairs. :D They are so comfortable and incredibly slimming. I feel extra confident wearing them because suddenly I have uber flat tummy and my butt area looks painstakingly sculpted (like as if I embarked on a 30-day 200 squats and 2000 crunches regime). 

The above photo is very silly. I'm raving about a pair of BOMBDIGGITY leggings but you can only see a little bit HAHA. But don't worry lah, I'm sure I'll wear this frequently and I promise to have a better photo next time!! 

Outfit summary:

Printed top - Uniqlo (NT590)

Navy leggings - Zara (S$39.90)

Spiked sandals - Cotton On (on sale for S$10)

Mint bag - Taobao 

Touring Taiwan (December 2013) with Chan Brothers - Accommodation

It's only the 3rd day of 2014 and I'm already feeling miserable because of this terrible headache. So I thought to myself, let's blog to distract the excruciating pain? Great idea right?

This post is about all the 5 hotels that I stayed in during my trip to Taiwan. Yes, 7-day-6-night trip and FIVE hotels.

What do I think of the many hotels?

I DON'T LOVE IT. I can't really say I hate it because some of the hotels were really really excellent.

• I have to pack my luggage every single morning. That will be alright if we had a later gathering time. Nope, our morning calls averaged at 645am. My goodness. Also, I'm not the type of person who can throw everything into the luggage and just pray that it will zip up. I need to fold/roll everything and fit them nicely, if not I will feel utterly miserable. So basically, I woke up 1 hour before the morning calls almost every morning and by the time I was on the bus, I was snoring away. 
• I wasn't able to really appreciate the beauty of some hotels We were so excited about our own personal hot-spring in our hotel at Taitung, but since we reached the hotel late, we were only able to soak once/twice and then we just slept because we were so tired. I wished we had two nights in that beautiful hotel! 
• Some hotels were freaking scary. One thing I hate about travelling is staying in a freaky hotel room. I'm born a Catholic and my mom always told me (more like snapped at me LOL) to ignore hotel superstitions. She can do it, BUT I CANNOT. Every single time I opened the door to a new hotel room, I will knock first. It has become a habit. Better safe than sorry right?? Anyway, some freaky stuff happened on the first night at Nantou - I couldn't fall asleep because of a really bad tummyache so I just closed my eyes and I prayed that the pain would go away. Then all of a sudden, I heard water droplets coming out of the tap in the toilet? "Tuk....tuk...tuk...tuk..tuk.." WTF I FREAKED OUT and just froze. I thought I was just imagining it all, so I just brushed it off. But the frequency got quicker and finally it stopped entirely. Then I decided to check what time it was (So stupid seriously). I grabbed my phone and as I pressed the home button, the clock turned from 259am to 3am. WTF. I immediately just turned to kengyang and prayed and PRAYED. So yes, freakish hotel rooms SUCK.

This is the first hotel that we stayed in. Our hotel room was very spacious and looked just like the photo provided on the website. We had a huge window too but lol, our view was the carpark and not Sun Moon Lake. SIAN.

1. Nantou Einhan Resorts

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We spent our second night in Kaohsiung and it was not a luxurious hotel. I"m guessing it's because we were staying in a city, instead of the suburbs, so the hotel rooms naturally were smaller and more cramped.

2. Kaohsiung Metropolitan Hotel 

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My favourite hotel of the lot. We had our own hot spring in the toilet and the room was HUMONGOUS. I really wished we had more nights in this beautiful hotel!

3. Taitung Royal Chihpen Spa

Our hotel room looked exactly like the photo provided on the website. AMAZING HOTEL!

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Our hotel in Hualien was also very comfortable and luxurious. The breakfast buffet was super delicious as well!!

4. Hualien Fullon Hotel

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We spent the last 2 nights in Taipei and I didn't really like the hotel that we stayed in. It was really cramped and the beds were tiny. I refused to sleep on one of the beds because it directly faced a mirror wtf. What kind of a hotel will do that?! It's hotel taboo! (The myth is your soul may get sucked into the mirror when you sleep and there's a possibility that your soul cannot get back into your body). I don't swear by hotel superstitions but it's really better safe than sorry lah. You know may have problem already, then you sleep on it for what right??

This hotel was really really old too and some of our drawers were damaged. BOO.

5. Taipei Fullerton East Hotel (changed from Taipei Imperial Hotel)

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So that's it! All the 5 hotels that I stayed in during my 7-day-6-night trip to Taiwan. I don't think I'll be joining a tour group for my future Taiwan trips. I'd rather stick to one/two hotels and explore each city more in a 7-day period. Or stay in an airbnb house! I love airbnb!!

My next trip will be from 27Feb to 2Mar for a company getaway. The location is still unknown though. The rumour is we're going to a Scandinavia country! YAY!

After that, I'll be going to Japan in August! I haven't really planned anything but I really want to spend summer in Japan! :) It's going to be blistering hot and freaking humid, but aiyoh, what's new when you live in Singapore?

Have a great Friday guys, YAY WEEKEND IS HERE! :)