New Hair, A Musical & Twins KFC!

Every week I have new shoes, new clothes, new accessories, new makeup, etc (all thanks to the many shopping coupons online) but I haven't had new hair in almost 2 years! Technically, the shorter do + fringe combo is not something totally new to me. With the help of Timehop and Facebook's "On This Day" function, I was reminded of my shorter do + fringe combo 3 years back, and I looked so much better. So, snip snip it is! 

I cut my hair at my usual cheapo shop at Bugis. Cheapo price but not cheapo cut hor. The cheapest price for a haircut only is S$5.80, but since I opted for haircut+wash+treatment, it was S$21.60. Still not bad! 

YAY NEW HAIR! 

Suddenly, I look thinner because the shorter bob frames my face nicely and the fringe covers more than 75% of my forehead. 

The only difference between now and 3 years ago is how much thinner my hair is. It's no longer as thick and voluminous as before and so without blowdrying and without hairwax, my hairdo can be a sad joke. 

Super high maintenance lah, but okay whatever, got "pong pong" hair can already. 

Kengyang and I caught The LKY Musical last Friday and I teared a little when the cast sang Majulah Singapura. People say the addition of the national anthem was very cheesy and expected. But hor, they sang until got sooooo much feel. Couldn't really stop my eyes from watering. 

Kengyang also had a new hairdo! He is more cheapo than me - he went to Malaysia for his haircut. HAHAHA :P 

He is also very sweet. 

Oh oh! 

If you like Korean Fried Chickens (hence KFC), please try those from Twins! They were so so so good. Both of us polished 8 pieces in less than 15 minutes. Damn nice please. 

We had fried chicken and beer - the quintessential Korean supper. Or maybe that's what Korean dramas taught me. 

The seafood pancake was quite pricey though. For S$20, we expected more. 

The bean powder bingsoo was nice though! 

Twins Korean Restaurant

7 Craig Road 

Singapore 089667

Have a great week guys! :) Remember to try the kickass fried chicken at Twins! 

Zalora Haul (May - July 2015)

ZALORA is truly addictive. I just keep buying and buying because

• Some items too pretty
• Prices quite affordable
• Delivery is easy peasy - I always collect at POPStation. 
• Can return if I don't like the items - I just secure the items properly, follow the given instructions and return at POPStation. 

I always check out 3 brands - ZALORA, ZALORA Basics and Something Borrowed. Over the years, prices have increased, but the quality of the items have also improved. So I don't mind paying a little bit more. By saying "don't mind paying" means anything less than S$35. 

None of them items below cost more than S$35. Some of them are below S$20/S$15 because they were on sale. 

I also only purchase when I have a promo code. 

Photos! Please note that I didn't get these all at one go. They were purchased between May - July 2015 on multiple occasions! 

ZALORA Basics Lace Up Shift Dress
Something Borrowed Denim Boyfriend Shirt Dress (Out of Stock)
ZALORA Colourblock Shirt Dress (Out of Stock)
ZALORA Ruffle Hem Shift Dress

ZALORA Faux Leather Curved Hem Skirt
ZALORA Basics Curve Sides Boxy T-Shirt (Black)
ZALORA Basics Curve Sides Boxy T-Shirt (Cream)

ZALORA Slip On Sneakers
ZALORA Canvas Lace-Up Espadrilles
ZALORA Strappy Flat Sandals With Mix Studs (Out of Stock)
Something Borrowed Lace Up Platform Oxfords
ZALORA Glitter Laced Up Oxfords (Out of Stock)

Online shopping is certainly my vice. :S

Thrilled about the long weekend

Last weekend was simply great. 

Spent two days with precious friends and one day for my bed and I. 

Friday was steamboat at Eve's and actually we spent more time talking and trying to figure out what movie to watch than eating. 

On Saturday, I just slept the entire day away while occasionally switching on the laptop to watch more Game Of Thrones. I'm now at Season 3 Episode 3 and I can't wait to devour the entire season because Huiling, Ronald and Jeremy all said that I NEED to watch till the end of Season 3. Apparently, there's a shocker plot twist (which I have already Googled so....). 

And yes, I'm very slow. Game of Thrones already has 5 seasons out (and preparing for the next) and I just started watching. What to do? I have way too many things to watch! 

Also, I have never watched F.R.I.E.N.D.S. That's how bad I am with American TV series. The last one that I really liked was Breaking Bad, but even for that I only watched Season 1. I'm more of a cable horror/cooking reality kind of person. Oh well~

Anyway, on Sunday, #FKLRsgfoodtrail headed out to Haji Lane for another round of gluttony. 

I loved Maison Ikkoku and suggested that for our first stop. However, it seems like their food is not as nice as before? My 3-egg omelette was divine but the Break of Dawn (or their huge breakfast platter) was irritatingly underwhelming. Irritating because it was the most expensive breakfast item on the menu at $22. 

Tom Yum Pasta - subtle Tom Yum flavour + huge fresh prawns. Great dish!

Break of Dawn - underwhelming and disappointing. The only redeeming factor is the bread. Scrambled egg was tasteless (I can make better scrambled egg) , potato salad was cold, tasteless and sad, and the grilled mushrooms were really cold. Why like that leh?? I love your food last time leh!

Luckily, my Hangover Omelette was still as awesome as it used to be. 

We also ordered Truffle Fries because we were craving them. 

Maison Ikkoku

20 Kandahar Street 

Singapore 198885

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We then proceeded to I Am... for desert! The rainbow cake was TO DIE FOR. So moist and so dense and so satisfying. We also ordered a slice of red velvet cake but that was the complete opposite in terms of satisfactory level - the red velvet was incredibly dry and after a few mouthfuls, I found it unpalatable. It's a good thing I forgot to take a photo of the red velvet then. 

Each slice of cake is S$8.90. Super cheap for the crazy huge slice. 7 layers of cake leh! SEVEN! Some places sell 3-layer slices for S$6+ each! 

The nutella chocolate was too sinful, but too gooooood! :P

I am...

 674 North Bridge Road

Singapore 199486

Facebook

We then ended up at East Coast Park and played Charades (LOL). After a couple of hours of nua-ing, we made the crazy decision to have steamboat for dinner. Yes, after all that food, we still wanted steamboat for dinner. Our tummies super li hai. 

So yay, Crystal Jade steamboat! :D

Photos from #FLKRsgfoodtrail :D I cringe at this hashtag but I cherish my friends too much to complain more. :) 

Also, I have decided to change my hairstyle today. Hoping for the best that all goes well and I have nice hair after stepping out of the salon. Please pray for me!!! *fingers crossed*

Review: Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner

I cannot do without toning in my skincare routine. It just doesn't feel complete without a toner. It's especially crucial for my oily and acne-prone skin which is laden with makeup almost everyday because it helps to get rid of the excess junk on my skin that was not removed by the makeup remover and cleanser. Furthermore, most toners restores the pH level of your skin quickly - when you use cleansers (well most of them lah), your skin's pH level gets tampered. This disturbance is not beneficial to the skin and without a toner, the skin will still work to reinstate the pH level, but with toner, this work gets done quicker. I also truly believe that a good toner can act as a humectant - it helps a moisturiser moisturise better by locking in the moisture (this sentence like tongue twister haha). 

In the past, I used the Michael Todd Organic Lemon Toner and it was a great toner. It didn't break me out and the refreshing smell was a huge plus, especially when applying in those dreary mornings. My moisturiser was also absorbed quickly and it kept my acne at bay. But, the huge problem is cost and long shipping time. Michael Todd is based in USA and so purchasing items and having them delivered to my house in Singapore is not cheap and not fast enough. 

Hence, a change is needed. 

I recently subscribed to a lot of Korean beauty youtubers and many of them were gushing about the Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner. I bought mine from Qoo10 for S$20.70 (500ml) with free normal mail. 

I was both excited and anxious. This promised 10 benefits, how exciting right?? But at the same time, I was hoping that this will not cause my skin to break out. 

In case my photo's too small, here are the stated 10 benefits of the Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner:

1. Balances skin's ideal pH level
2. Refines skin tones
3. Keeps the elasticity of pores
4. Removes skin surface's dead skin cells
5. Cleanses pore insides with cooling effect
6. Deep cleanses pores
7. Minimizes appearance of pores
8. Controls a large amount of sebum
9. Moisturizes inside and outside of skin
10. Completes smooth glass-like texture (???)

I think they cheated a bit. Isn't point 5 exactly the same as point 6? Okay maybe the addition of "cooling effect" creates the difference. Also, what is point 10?? Why do I want "glass-like texture"??

But you know what, let's not judge a product by its English description. 

My order of Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner came with 50 pieces of Etude House Wonder Pore Daily Cotton Pad. These cotton pads have two sides with different textures - one more rough to help with the dead skin cells and the other smooth and soft just like other cotton pads. 

I use the Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner with the given cotton pads only at night because I don't want to use the rough side on my skin twice in a single day. It's necessary to exfoliate and remove dead skin cells, but too much can also harm your skin. 

But then again, when all 50 pieces have been used up, I don't think I will get more of such cotton pads from Etude House. The usual cotton pad will do just fine. 

My most favourite aspect of the Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner is the brilliant product packaging! It's similar to those nail polish removers used at nail salons! You just take a cotton pad and with the cotton pad, cover the top of the toner and press down several times. The product is dispensed easily with less effort and less mess. Also, it's a great recyclable bottle! Good job Etude House!

Yes, I'm more excited about the product packaging than the product itself.

Personally, I think the Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner is alright. It didn't break me out and it definitely made my moisturiser sink in faster. But I don't see a difference in the size of my pores (I have used this for close to a month) and I don't see any skin texture refining. I'm only using it because it prepares my skin for my moisturiser well. And of course, the product packaging gave it many many bonus points.

If you have oily, acne-prone skin, the Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner will be a suitable toner to use. However, if you have normal to dry skin, you may want to skip this as the high alcohol content may be too drying for your skin.

Since I bought the 500ml bottle, I think I'm good in the toner department till the end of the year. Repurchasing it will not happen though. I think I want to find a toner that can help more with my acne-prone skin, like reducing redness of acne areas. I can always get another one and replace the packaging with the Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner's right? :D

Have a great day ahead guys! :) Do let me know if you know of any suitable toners that I should try!

Quick Review: Holika Holika Soda Pore Cleansing O2 Bubble Mask

Many years ago (perhaps 7-8 years ago), I tried an oxygen mask from Etude House and fell head over heels in love with it because of how effective it was. I think the product name was 02 White Mask Sheet - I can't really remember now because it has sadly been discontinued by the brand. After that, I just couldn't be bothered to find an alternative (poor JC student's woes) and I stopped using oxygen-infused masks from then on. 

The thought came back to me a couple of months back. What if oxygen masks can help with my acne?! I researched and found one that's particularly suitable for acne-prone skin - Holika Holika Soda Pore Cleansing O2 Bubble Mask. This contains carbonated water, baking powder, tea tree and gold kiwi - all great for cleansing out those dirty clogged pores. 

I bought mine from Qoo10 for S$21.90 (+ S$1.90 shipping) and this has become a staple in my skincare routine. 

First of all, the application process is very ... gratifying. After cleansing, lather one-two pumps of the Holika Holika Soda Pore Cleansing O2 Bubble Mask on your entire face, avoiding the eye and lip area. Then watch the magic happen - the white clay-mask-like consistency froths up steadily, covering your face gradually with dense white bubbles. After 2 minutes, rinse with lukewarm water and you're done! 

I saw a noticeable difference even only after one application - my skin felt immensely smooth and the dry patches on my skin (usually scars from freshly popped pimples) were not so obvious anymore. Also, my face looked so much brighter and more radiant, like as if I just did a 30-min slow jog (minus the sweat). 

I have used the Holika Holika Soda Pore Cleansing O2 Bubble Mask for close to 2 months now - twice weekly - and I have been enjoying every application. Does it tackle pimples? Maybe not so much. However, it didn't break me out and I love how radiant I looked after each application, so it's still a winner in my books. 

I really love incorporating oxygen-infused masks to my skincare routines, so please let me know if you have a similar product from another brand that I can try! :)  

Dating in the West

I have finally done something with my blog layout and template. I wanted to change the background picture and keep everything else, but Blogger is not cooperating at all. So, I changed the entire template. 

It looks markedly different from the previous template but I like how much cleaner and brighter it looks now. Hope you guys like it too! 

Last weekend, Kengyang and I had our brunch date at Rise & Grind Coffee Co. We are not huge brunch eaters but the cafe is located really near to our houses (Bukit Timah Plaza) so there was no transportation woes to stop us from trying out the new joint. 

Overall, it was okay. I'm going to sound terribly obnoxious here but I have tried better brunch food. Better bread at Gaest/Ronin, better guacamole at Guac & Go, better scrambled eggs at Food For Thought, better grilled mushrooms at Toss & Turn, more greens at The Lokal, etc. etc. But they have very Instagram-worthy plates! Kengyang and I enjoyed our food and even though we had better, we were still pleased with the overall experience - near our houses, cosy ambience, and good service!

The Conquistador

Rise & Grind Coffee Co. 

1 Jalan Anak Bukit #L1-CA1, Bukit Timah Plaza, Singapore 588996 

Facebook

We then headed to the UNESCO World Heritage Site for a light stroll! It wasn't a good decision because it was scorching hot and I was in a food coma. Apparently quite entertaining for Kengyang because I started talking gibberish and acting like siaodingdong. Heat + food coma = kee siao me. 

Anyway, congrats to Kengyang for securing his job! Yay, we are both earning money now. Let's hope we save more than we spend :D 

Have a great week ahead guys! 4-day work week! HUAT!

I love The Lokal!

As you can see from the photos in this post, I really love dining at The Lokal. It's so good that I even suggested the restaurant for our company dinner. I was a bit apprehensive about their dinner menu, but NONE of the dishes were subpar. Every single dish (both appetizers and main courses) was delectable. Even my cauliflower appetizer!! 

Here's my Cauliflower 3 Ways with Ricotta and Almond. How come cauliflowers can taste so good one ar?!!

Many also opted for the deep fried squid and all only had praises for the starter. 

I didn't try the Chicken Liver Parfait because I was too full from my order, but those who tried said it was a good choice because the bread was stellar and a great base for the chicken liver parfait. 

No idea what this is... I'm sorry if you came here for useful information about The Lokal because obviously you obtained almost none. 

but hey food photos! 

I remember this! Yajing and Chen Yan ordered the seafood stew and they were pleased with the abundance of seafood served. 

My steak!!!

No need to get all fancy with words because hor it was SOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOD. 

That was more impactful than me churning out 20+ flowery words to describe the beef. No need for all that. TOOO GOOOOOOOOOOD. 

ORDER! 

:D

I also love The Lokal's brunch options. Especially their smoked salmon. 

On the three occasions that I've been here for brunch, I have ordered Roasted Pumpkin Salad with additional Smoked Salmon all 3 times. 

I now look forward to many many many meals at The Lokal. Can't wait to bring Kengyang here! :)

The Lokal

136 Neil Road

Singapore 088865

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Have a good weekend guys! I haven't been blogging much - busy-bee at work, and glued on my bed once home. Will try to at least blog once a week! 

Review: Peripera Peri's Cushion Lips (OR04 Secret Trip and PK07 Mini Dress)

Peripera is a Korean cosmetics brand that I'm highly unfamiliar with. A quick Google revealed that it's owned by CLIO, which is a brand that I associate with high quality products and relatively more expensive prices. So I guess the company is trying to reach out to a different target demography now? 

To be honest, just by these Peripera Peri's Cushion Lips alone, I don't think I'll ever go in to Peripera to buy any of their products. I didn't like these lip products and I would not recommend them to anyone. 

It's not nightmarishly bad (still good for those who are not as fussy and want to support the current spokesperson, A Pink's Son Na Eun) but you can definitely spend less money on other brand's lip products and they will be more of higher quality than the Peripera Peri's Cushion Lips.  

I got mine on Qoo10 for S$11+ each with free normal mail. 

Packaging: Cutesy and questionable. Initially, I thought the packaging was adorable and fitting for the younger customers that Peripera is trying to target, but it's not functional at all! The "cushion" part in Peripera Peri's Cushion Lips is for the application head of the product. You have to squeeze the tube so that the product is dispensed on the cushion/sponge, then you apply it on your lips as per normal. The cushion is designed to aid even application. Well, it's a great intention, but that's provided you can get product dispensed to the cushion! I squeezed, and squeezed and squeezed and squeezed on different parts of the tube, and NOTHING came out. After like my 2856th squeeze, the product was finally dispensed but it was like a volcanic eruption - I had lip product all over my fingers!

I thought okay, maybe it was blocked due to difference in air pressure while it was being mailed to Singapore, so I tried with the second tube, and this time I squeezed gently once and the product SQUIRTED OUT. I think I wasted like 1/3 of the product. ZZZ.

Yes you have cute packaging and all, but can make it a little bit more user-friendly and function or not???

OR04 Secret Trip

PK07 Mini Dress

Left: OR04 Secret Trip
Right: PK07 Mini Dress

Pigmentation and application: After I got some product out of both tubes, I decided to ignore the packaging blunder and try out the products on my lips. Initial swatches on the back of my hand (also called "opisthenar". I just Googled hahaha) were very assuring because at least the colours were intense and both were decently pigmented. The Peripera Peri's Cushion Lips also swatched very evenly and I was glad that the packaging mishap did not affect the product quality. 

I thought too soon.   

As soon as I applied the Peripera Peri's Cushion Lips on my lips, I realised how much I didn't like them. Here is a list of reasons for my dislike:

• Application was streaky. In the photos below, you can actually see some of the unevenness. I tried my best to apply evenly already but still cannot! Why like that one?
• Pigmentation was not as satisfactory on the lips. I had to go over a few times to get reasonable pigmentation.
• Not long-lasting at all. I made myself coffee after applying PK07 Mini Dress and after I finished my cup of coffee, most of the lip product has transferred to the cup. I understand that all lip products transfer but this one too fast and furious already! It was only a cup of coffee gulped down in less than 10 minutes!! 

OR04 Secret Trip

PK07 Mini Dress
The streakiness is very obvious here. 

I was not a happy camper.

After that day of trial, I have thrown the Peripera Peri's Cushion Lips aside. What a waste of my money! :(

Perhaps I got defective products....

Have a great week guys!