Cosmopolitan Hotel, Hong Kong

For my extremely swift 3D2N work trip in Hong Kong, my colleague and I stayed in Cosmopolitan Hotel, which is located in the Wan Chai area. 

It's certainly an above average hotel with quite exquisite pre-stay service. After you make your reservation, the hotel will send you an email on the weather conditions during your stay and some suggestions on how you can make your Hong Kong trip more fruitful. Direction from the airport to the hotel was also given and they even provided us with the choice of using a hotel shuttle bus from the airport. 

My colleague and I used the airport express to Hong Kong station (24 minutes only!) and we took a taxi to the hotel. On the way back to the airport, we took the hotel shuttle bus to Hong Kong station and took the airport express again. 

The hotel room itself was magnificent. Both our rooms got upgraded and we had the breathtaking city view. Before checking-in, it's worth asking for either a "city-view" room or a "racecourse-view" room, because if you're unfortunate (or fortunate if you like those kinds of things), you will get assigned a room facing the cemetery. Don't get me wrong, the cemetery itself is majestic and if you have no problem with the superstitious stuff, then all's good for you! However, I'm a coward (excessive horror movie intake) and I was very relieved when we had the city-view rooms. 

It was a very comfortable 2 nights and the wifi is really fast!! :D That's the most important factor right? 

Photos!!

This was outside every room. It's a hotel located opposite the Happy Valley Racecourse so this decor is very appropriate.

The huge king-size bed!

I'm too short to be able to each the other end of the bed diagonally.

The view outside my room!

Morning view.

Cosmopolitan Hotel

 387-397 Queen's Road East

Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Tel : +852 3552 1111

Email : generalmanager@cosmopolitanhotel.com.hk

Website

TripAdvisor page

Stationery shopping on Taobao

Yep, I went overboard on stationery shopping.

It all started with searching for cheapo pens on taobao. That of course opened the evil pandora's box. I then found too-pretty-to-pass notebooks and stickers and markers and photo albums and yes, I bought way too many stuff that I already owned too many of. Well, at least I did purchase the cheapo pens that I needed. The cheapest I found was 13 fucking cents. WTF?! Taobao rocks lah.

So for all the above, I paid less than S$60. Shiok lah!!

You can simply enter search terms like "日记" (diary), "圆珠笔" (ballpoint pen) or "贴纸" (stickers), and a plethora of choices will be blessed upon you. Yes, google translate is my best friend.

Hill Street Tai Hwa BCM

Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodles

#01-12, Tai Hwa Eating House, 466 Crawford Lane 

Open daily: 09:30 - 21:00 (Closed on 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month)

Nearest MRT station: Lavender

Finally tried the highly, highly raved Hill Street Tai Hwa BCM (Bak Chor Mee = Pork Noodles) and I don't think the BCM is worth the price (S$5, S$6, S$8 or S$10), but it was definitely a great bowl of BCM. Springy noodles with tangy sauce, topped with tender pork slices, well-seasoned minced pork, average meatballs, satisfying dumpling and a really delicious slice of fried dried fish. I don't like the meatballs and I'd rather replace those with the addictive fried dried fish. We queued for less than 30 minutes and given the amazing weather that blessed us today, we didn't really mind the queue. 

Happy Sunday guys. Also, Selamat Hari Raya Idul Fitri to all who celebrate! Have a great Lebaran! :) 

Quick Hong Kong Work Trip

First two photos are of the breathtaking views seen from various clients' offices, and the last photo is of the view seen outside my hotel room.

I went to Hong Kong for a quick 3D2N work trip and it was fast-paced and hectic. However, I did get to finally meet our Hong Kong clients; I could finally put a face to the email address.

The weather in Hong Kong now is vile. On the last day, I actually couldn't wait to get back to Singapore. Hong Kong now is more humid, much hotter and much more sunny than Singapore. Being crazy hot didn't mean that the weather was constantly dry - we actually experienced an "amber warning" thunderstorm on the second day.

This brings me to my next important point....

... I'm going to Hong Kong again on 5th August for vacation with Kengyang, and the weather is predicted to be as scorching. I don't know what to expect but I better pack enough shorts and tops made out of light and airy materials.

I need to learn my lesson. This next trip will be my third trip to Hong Kong during their summer season. Aiyoh, next time, I shall plan one shiok trip during autumn/winter lah.

Weekend Brooding

My friends and acquaintances currently fall into two broad categories:

1. Graduate --> Work --> Get HDB --> Get married --> Travel a while --> Have children
2. Graduate --> Work --> Further their studies/travel/both at the same time

Sometimes I wonder what my heart wants me to do and whether I'll be able to do what heart wants me to do. I have a great job in a great company with great colleagues. I complain sometimes to close friends and family but I still appreciate being able to work in my area of interest and being able to learn and grow my knowledge and skills every single working day.

I also am going to select my HDB unit soon with Kengyang and it's both exciting and nerve-wrecking. If we can secure the unit of our choice, then we have less than 5 years to do what our hearts want us to do. After that, we have to go the normal route and get our marriage registered in order to get our first home.

Do I really want to stay in Singapore the entire 4 plus years? I have many grand plans of travelling to exotic places, but it's not that easy to just take off. I'm not one to quit and pursue what my heart wants. I constantly need the feeling of security and stability, and having a job fulfills that need. Also, I don't hate my job. In fact, I love my job despite some challenging days.

But of course, that nudge in my heart keeps making me question my decisions.

The only solution I can think of is to work and travel at the same time. No idea how this will turn out, but it's worth discussing with my bosses right? I'm going to Copenhagen in September to visit the company headquarters and learn from my talented Danish colleagues. I'm looking forward to it and it will be a week whereby I find out if I can do the whole work-away-from-home thing.

This reminds me of my exchange days. The first few months I was enjoying myself immensely. However, I became incredibly homesick (and of course this was when Kengyang decided to contact me again after our break-up and we decided to give the relationship one more try) and all I wanted to do was stay in my bed till the time came for me to fly home. I wonder if I have changed at all?

Kengyang and I both decided that if we were given the chance to work overseas, we'll take up the chance even if that meant both of us will be separated for quite some time. I guess the wanderlust (I hate using this word but well it's what we're feeling) is too strong now.

Moving on to beauty/health related issues, I realised as I grow older, I get more concerned with everything and anything that goes inside my body. Am I eating too much? Am I eating healthy? Do I need more supplements? Maybe some expensive juices? How about intense, daily exercising? To work on health now is an investment for the future right? I don't want to accumulate bill after bill when I'm old just because I didn't take care of myself properly when I could.

This is becoming such a ramble haha thank you for reading guys. :)

Ok, I promise this is the last turn.

I spent over S$1000 last week on a 10-session acne-targeted facial. In the past, I would have shunned such an idea. But now, oral antibiotics and topical medication don't really work on my acne anymore and I'm so tired of buying new products and praying that they will work for my skin (most of the time, they don't). So, I plunged and swiped my card. After the first trial session last Tuesday, I felt both liberated and foolish - yes I finally made an expensive decision and I have the financial power to do so, but was it a good decision? Will I get cheated/conned by this beauty salon? I went home with a surgical mask on my face (I had bio-tech extraction done on the problem areas and I didn't look very good with all the redness, so I asked for a mask, and they gladly gave one to me!) and throughout the bus ride home, I silently prayed for miracles, and I prayed that my money would not be wasted.

It has been 3 days since the facial, and I'm feeling amazing. The bumps are gone, the many tiny spots are gone and the painful cystic demons are gone. I still have scars and redness but those are concealed easily with BB cream and concealer. In the past, my foundation routine took bloody ages because I hate dthe tiny spots and I wanted to conceal as much as possible. Today, I finished applying BB cream and concealer in less than 5 minutes because all I had to cover was the scarring and redness. Indeed, the facial has worked and I'm freaking thankful. My next session will be after my Hong Kong trip and I cannot wait for it!! Once I'm done with 5 sessions and if after 5 sessions my skin still looks good and manageable, I'll share with you guys the salon! :)

OMG such a long post. Yikes.

Have a great weekend guys! :) 

First Impression: The Body Shop Tea Tree Flawless BB Cream

When The Body Shop Singapore announced the launch of the Tea Tree Flawless BB Cream, I was ecstatic and so so SO eager to try it out. Seriously man, I have seen so many posts on the Tea Tree Flawless BB Cream and I wanted to have it so bad, but it wasn't available in Singapore! Now, the game has changed. Hurhurhur. 

I didn't purchase one straight away because the what-ifs controlled my impulses. What if this worked horribly? What if I get crazy breakouts? What if it's too thick? What if ... what if.... what if.... So I ended up getting a sample and oh my goodness I LOVE IT. 

Photo from The Body Shop Singapore's facebook page. 

Photo from The Body Shop Singapore's facebook page. 

The salesperson at Chinatown Point's The Body Shop wasn't very happy when I asked for a sample, but she gave me one anyway. Shade 02 was a perfect match for me and wow I'm impressed at how amazing this BB cream is!! I used the sample on 3 consecutive days and after those 3 days, I'm a true believer. 

First of all, let me begin by saying that I went for an acne facial 4 days ago, and my skin is no longer as bumpy and no longer infested with small spots. However, I had redness and scars from the first facial session, hence I still needed something legit to cover the problematic areas. 

Quick summary on why I love the Tea Tree Flawless BB Cream so much:

• The really pleasant watery consistency when you blend the BB Cream. It comes out very thick, but when you blend, it becomes more liquefied and cooling. Super shiok. 
• This has medium coverage, despite the more watery application. You don't feel like you're wearing a mask but you get problematic areas sufficiently concealed. You still need concealer if you have super ripe pimples or extreme redness, but overall the coverage is enough for lazy days. 
• No itchy, prickly sensation. I have acne-prone, oily skin and I think my skin is becoming more and more sensitive by the day. I cannot try new face products freely because I get breakouts very easily. For BB Creams, I don't usually get breakouts, but it's very often that I will get sudden strange itchy feeling on the forehead and cheeks a couple of hours after application. With this Tea Tree Flawless BB Cream, no itchiness was documented. It was AMAZING. 
• I have crazy oily skin (quite sure old readers would be really tired of me saying this over and over again haha) and this BB Cream controls oil effectively! WOW! Even after 6 hours, my skin didn't look like a disco ball. I had oily areas but nothing too severe. I actually looked like I had dewy, healthy skin? DOUBLE WOW! 

Wahlao, super awesome. Time to buy the full-sized product! Thank you The Body Shop Singapore for (finally) bringing in this miraculous product!

ASOS Haul (July 2014)

ASOS Contrast Bandeau Cut Out Bikini Top - £5.50
ASOS Denim Premium Jacquard Envelope Skirt - £10.00
ASOS Boxy Crop Check Shirt - £10.00
ASOS Roll Sleeve Crop Blouse in Mono Floral Print - £13.00
ASOS Denim Pelmet Skirt in Washed Indigo - £10.00
ASOS Chill Palm Print Tie Side Bikini Pant - £4.00

I have been busy at work and I almost always slept right after dinner, hence updating blog has been a secondary priority for quite a while. Let me take baby steps - restart with haul posts. 

Quick life updates:

• Kengyang is back! :D
• We're going to select our HDB unit on 15 August 2014. 
• I'm going to Hong Kong from 21-23 July 2014 for work, and then for vacation from 5-9 August 2014. Shioks. 
• My bank account (the one for spending) has gone down to 3 digits because I spent over S$1K on a facial package. The good thing is after one session I saw remarkable improvement. Ok lar right? 

Upcoming: Etude House Lock’n Summer Proof 10 Cushion Lock’n Liner

Very very excellent. I'm still fascinated with the Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion and now they have eyeliners in cushion version? Genius! 

Of course, I had to immediately buy a couple on Qoo10. Anything for my blog right? Hehehehe. They were very affordable, S$7.50 each only!

I got the Etude House Lock’n Summer Proof 10 Cushion Lock’n Liner in Black and Brown. Very boring lor, I know. I wanted to get that amazing midnight blue but I won't get as much wear out of it, so yes, I stuck with my everyday colours. 

Can't wait for them to arrive in the mail. Aiyoh more eyeliners to play. So exciting! :D

Review: Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion in Honey Beige W24

I'm such a laggard when it comes to trying out new cosmetic technology and innovation. I have heard of the various BB Cushions in the market but I have yet to try any...till now. At first, I thought this beauty invention was just a gimmick, but ah, I couldn't be more wrong. 

Paydays are my favourite days. Not only because they make me feel happy about the financial department, but also because the sudden surge in moolah pushes me to buy new products to try out, like this Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion. I bought it for S$20.50 on Qoo10. 

I'm a BB Cushion convert, and here's why...

There are 3 shades available on the Qoo10 site:

• N02 Light Beige
• W13 Natural Beige
• W24 Honey Beige

As with most of South Korean foundation-type products, you have limited choice when it comes to finding the shade to match your skin. I bought the darkest one out of the lot (W24 Honey Beige) and I think it's still too light for me. 

Every single time I use the Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion, I will skip the sunscreen. It has SPF50+/PA++! I think that is a good number for a hot and humid weather like Singapore's.

Ingredients list

Packaging: A slightly hefty round compact that scores high marks in terms of product hygiene. There's a plastic separator between the puff and the cushion. The cushion is also sealed and you have to remove the safety seal before usage.

How to use: The application process is quite different, but it's not rocket science. You take the given puff and press the blue side on the cushion till you get the desired amount of product. Then you apply the puff on your face by either patting it on or spreading it all over the face. The application will have to depend on your skin condition and what you want out of the product. Relatively clear and smooth skin? Then spreading it all over is enough. If you have redness or acne to cover up, the pat the puff on the area - more coverage this way!

Usefulness of provided puff: It's marketed as the Collagen Air Puff and I understand why there's no "sponge" anywhere in the name. This puff doesn't absorb the product like a sponge! It picks up the cream and the cream will stay at the surface without getting absorbed. When you apply it on your face, you are applying what you dispensed out of the cushion. No wastage due to absorption! Also, the puff makes application a breeze. It also makes the cream look more even and smooth as compared to when you apply using your fingers.

Product consistency/texture: The Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion has a runnier consistency than the usual BB creams. I guess this slightly liquid consistency helps the puff pick up the cream better.

Application: As mentioned briefly above, application with the aid of the puff is a breeze. I don't know how they created the puff; it's amazing! Now I use it with my other liquid foundations too. First of all, the cream applies beautifully and evenly. The puff also ensures that the product is not just sitting on top of large pores and making them more obvious. With the puff, the Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion makes any large pores miraculously disappear. It's not an exaggeration - I have huge pores around my nose area and after using the puff with any of my liquid foundations, they are no longer as pronounced. I can't even see them anymore unless I go really close to the mirror.

Starting from the left:
1. Bare skin
2. One layer of Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion
3. Two layers of Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion

Coverage: The Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion has a medium coverage that's definitely buildable to a full coverage. As you can see from the photo above, one layer of Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion can cover most redness. Two layers can conceal the redness and acne better. Even after two layers, my skin doesn't look cakey or thick. It still looks like ... my skin... but better! For those with dry skin, you don't need the loose powder at all. This dries to a semi-matte finish. However, if you're like me and you have overworked sebaceous glands, then yes, loose powder is a must to finish things off.

Longevity: This lasted a good 3-4 hours before my skin looked like an oil spill occurred. I'm not complaining though because the product won't move when you blot. You don't get that irritating uneven patches on your face after the tissue/blotter picked up some product in the process. This will work VERY well for users with normal to combination skin. You will have dewy skin by the end of the day!

Will I buy it again? Wah I definitely will. It has high SPF and it has coverage that can rival liquid foundations. Moreover, the given puff is AMAZING. Of course will buy again lah. I hope Etude House provides more shades. So many people will love your product you know? Expand your target market!!

Hope this has been helpful! Have a great day guys! :)

Review: Klarity Lasertox™ CC Miracle White Lotion

When I received the email to review the Klarity Lasertox™ CC Miracle White Lotion, I was frankly on the fence. Not because I heard bad things about the brand, but because my skin wasn't (and currently also still is not) in the condition to test out new facial products. As I read on, I realised it wasn't just for the face, it can be used on the body too! That part intrigued me - a CC lotion useable on the body? Ok. Let's give it a go! 

The Klarity Lasertox™ CC Miracle White Lotion retails for S$29.00 (30ml) or S$49.00 (100ml). 

Before I continue with my review, let me explain a little on my skin condition. Ever since 2-3 weeks ago, my skin has been acting up and I have a lot of painful pimples around my jaw area (obvious indication of a hormonal imbalance or pre-menstrual syndrome). I did not want to risk worsening my condition. Moreover, there was a caution written on the label as to "not use on sensitive or irritated skin". Not testing the product on my face was a blessing on disguise though because I wouldn't have thought a CC Lotion would work so well on the body! 

Ingredients list

The 11 short and sweet claims: whitening, purifying, repairing, firming, smoothing, soothing, hydrating, toning, anti-aging, sun-screen protection and being water-proof.

The most interesting feature of the product is the trademarked term "lasertox" - so fancy right? So what exactly is this "lasertox" technology?

"It's a functional treatment methodology that brings you targeted treatment to improve on specific concerns, by adopting the laser technology. This laser technology reinforces efficient penetration of the natural beauty essences into the skin's dermis layer." 

Basically, using a laser method of focusing penetration on a target area to purify (detox) the skin layers for better absorption of the essence. Laser + Detox = Lasertox™!

The Klarity Lasertox™ CC Miracle White Lotion:

• promises to give you one tone lighter whitening effect instantaneously.
• is enriched with diamond powder - instant glow after application
• is enriched with wild rosehip extract - source of powerful antioxidant, prolongs skin youthfulness
• has sunscreen factor of SPF30/PA++
• is light on skin and colorant & paraben free 
• does not clog pores
• leaves skin smoother and more moisturised without stickiness and oily shine

As with all BB and CC products, there are a lot of claims that need to be tested out. 

Packaging: The box and the product are both in this gorgeous and mesmerizing holographic hue. I may sound crazily biased, but please ah, I'm a holographic freak, you give me a product packaged totally in holographic awesomeness, confirm two thumbs up from me! The first time I received this in the mail, I was a bit pissed because the mail was in a bad condition, hence denting the product box. Then I saw the holographic magic in full effect and I forgot my displeasure with Singpost. I just sat on bed and admired the product for a good minute or so. So pretty leh!

Texture: The Klarity Lasertox™ CC Miracle White Lotion has a texture that is like a cross between a thick night cream and a mousse-like eye cream. Not heavy at all and very smooth. Once blended out, the texture becomes a little bit more runny and patchy.

Application: When the Klarity Lasertox™ CC Miracle White Lotion is applied, there's this extremely pleasant instant cooling effect. The product blends out quite patchily but it will eventually blend out to a smooth and even finish. It just takes slightly longer than other similar products.

Whitening effect: I was highly skeptical about this claim so I put it to the ultimate test. I didn't capture my test in photos, but here's what I did - I applied the Klarity Lasertox™ CC Miracle White Lotion on my right leg and right arm, and then around 5 minutes, I tried to see if there were any differences in skin tone under different lighting. To be really honest, the difference in skin tone varies according to body parts. The difference is more prominent when I compared the darker parts like the elbow and the knee. So yes, if you are concerned about your elbows and knees, this may be a good solution.

Actually in the photo below, you can somewhat see the difference (comparing to the first photo of my hand).

The best thing about this is there's no white cast even though it's packed with SPF30 and I took this photo with flash. That's always a plus in my books! No more ghost-face disaster!

Overall thoughts: I wasn't able to test out the Klarity Lasertox™ CC Miracle White Lotion on my face, so that's a bummer. However, I love applying it on my body in the mornings, especially right after shower. It's like instant aircon for 2-3 minutes. Super shiok. :D

Ok ok, other than the temperature gratification, the CC lotion does not leave a sticky feeling and it dries to a complete matte almost instantaneously. This will of course vary according to how much product you actually use, but at the end of the day, you don't feel that eeky sticky sensation and you won't feel like the product is melting under the hot Singapore sun. The essence is absorbed entirely and you don't even feel like you have anything applied!

Will I buy it again? When I'm feeling rich, I will buy it again. As of now with my successful HDB BTO balloting, I need to seriously reprioritise my finances. Maybe I will use the Klarity Lasertox™ CC Miracle White Lotion sparingly now and once my bonus comes in at the end of the year, I will get more!

Klarity SG - Facebook

Product page - 30ml

Product page - 100ml

Hopefully this has been a useful read! Have a great Saturday! :)

Makeup Buys on Zalora SG!

Me and my never-ending fascination with beauty products. Some people call me obsessed and wasteful (they don't understand why I have so many different black eyeliners), while some others enjoy the recaps of my exploration to find the perfect product. I can go on and on about why I have so many eyeliners (different purposes, different occasions, different brushes, different pigmentation, different looks, aiyah can go on forever) but I think the more important thing is to share with those who are interested the various websites that you can buy beauty products on. 

I have been a Zalora customer since 2012 (remember this post?) and I was extremely excited when they added more and more brands and products to their Beauty section, especially the women makeup products section. 

What am I most excited about? Definitely the addition of Sephora make-up products. I still remember what my first Sephora makeup product was - Sephora Sun Disk in Light. I didn't know what it was for but I bought it because I just received my very first pay and I wanted to splurge on a new product.   

This is way out of point and incredibly random, but look how gorgeous the website layout is for Sephora! 

I'm already eyeing some makeup items; the Smart Liner is different from the myriad of eyeliners in the market and I'm intrigued!!

Now I hope Zalora will add in more and more brands to the Beauty section!

Have a great day ahead guys! :)