Taobao Haul - August 2013

Yah lah, I went crazy again. This is the disaster that will happen frequently when one (maybe me in particular) is working and when one finds cheap deals online. Haiyah. Everyday I lament on my crazy online shopping habits, but every single time I manage to convince myself that THERE ARE WORSE SHOPAHOLICS OUT THERE. Lol. Denial - first step to being a full-pledged gaga shopaholic. 

ANYWAY, let's not dwell on how terrible my money-saving skill is? Let's move on to pictures of what I got from Taobao for August 2013! 

Once again, thank you 65daigou for the seamless service! I'm now waiting for two shipments to arrive, but I'm not worrying because I know everything will arrive intact! :D 

All prices listed below are before shipping! 

Lace+stripe top: S$5.53

Tribal print oversized jacket: S$6.17 (crazy! I saw this going for S$32 on some preorder sites!!)

Stylenanda inspired blue plaid shirt - S$6.36

Pastel blue dress with cut-out shoulders - S$4.89

Blue tropical print outerwear - S$7.40

Floral dress with cut-out shoulders - S$4.26 (no idea why suddenly I wanna go girly HAHA)

Denim jacket - S$7.02

Brown sling bag - S$5.53

Black studded skull print bag - S$5.74

Black patent flats with tiger stud - S$6.81

I first saw these bracelets on Etsy, and they were going for US$5 and above. If I include shipping to the listed prices, the bracelets cost TOO MUCH. So I decided to try my luck on taobao and I found them. At first, I only wanted the Harry Potter themed bracelets, but then I found more!

All 4 bracelets for S$6.53.

ARGH CAN'T WAIT FOR THEM TO ARRIVE.

Now I need to control myself for the rest of August. September 2013, faster come le!!

Review: Good Things Deep Pore Anti Blemish Lotion

The Good Things Deep Pore Anti Blemish Lotion has swiftly become a staple in my daily skincare routine. it retails for 4.99 pounds at boots! 

This product smells like heaven. Every single time I apply it, I feel like drinking the entire thing. If you come from Singapore, you will be familiar with the range of fruit teas from Pokka. The Good Things Deep Pore Anti Blemish Lotion smells like a blend of Pomegranate Tea and Blueberry Tea. I really want to gulp it all down but WHY IS IT INEDIBLE?! ARGH! 

That is the main reason why this lotion (more like a toner?) has become a must-apply for my nightly skincare routine. 

Since it's a "Deep Pore" formulation, I don't apply it twice a day, as directed on the bottle. Instead, I just apply it once at night. Products that deal with deep pore cleansing tend to break you out after the first few applications, so I wanted to somewhat slow down that process haha. No idea if it's working or not, but so far so good!

The Good Things Deep Pore Anti Blemish Lotion is free from all bad things on earth!! Ok I'm obviously kidding but it's great that they inform their consumers of the toxic chemicals that they do not advocate! Very good!

Packaging: I actually love the whole blue-purple theme. It looks super sanitary. Maybe it's just me, but I really pay attention to packaging when it comes to skincare. The fancier it is, the more I will turn away from it. I prefer clean-cut, simple packaging because well, if you are good, you don't need to cover it up with fancy packaging right?

The Good Things Deep Pore Anti Blemish Lotion claims to:

• help unclog pores
• remove excess sebum
• remove makeup
• soften skin (from the hydrating fig extract)
• keep bacteria away from the skin (from the willow bark and licorice extract)

This product is actually a two-in-one product - a cleanser and a toner. 

For those living in tropical countries and like to apply makeup, I'd advise you to use this as an additional step in cleansing away the makeup. Just using this product alone will not remove all the makeup and so it will not get rid of all the impurities and dirt! The best time to use this is after you are done with removing makeup and cleansing (with your trusted makeup remover and cleanser). It helps to get rid of the remaining impurities and prepares the skin for the next step. 

Ingredients List

Smell: DIVINE. Always looking forward to applying this on my skin every night.

Effectiveness: Up till now (which is around 3 weeks after usage), I have yet to see any remarkable difference in my skin condition. However, it did help to slow down the rate of breakouts that I get. Usually when I get a breakout, I GET A BREAKOUT. BOOM BAM WHAM. But with this, I still occasionally get spots, but only two spots at one time at the most, so that's an improvement right?

Will I buy it again? Yes I will. If I'm able to! The smell really is too good! Why am I so attracted to smells and packaging, I don't know why! ARGH! But yes, this is a good product. Case closed. HAHA. :)

Long weekend's gone. BOOHOO. But have a great week ahead guys! :)

Review: Super Facialist by Una Brennan Tea Flower Deep Clean Pore Purifying Clay Mask

I have an obsession with clay masks. I just find slathering clay on my skin somewhat therapeutic and very much calming. It's like as if the clay mask is going to do some magic to my skin. The best thing is when the mask smells medicinal. I hate it when clay masks smell like flowers or fruits or other largely artificial smelling scents. It's like The Body Shop's Tea Tree Oil you know? If it smelled like flowers, will you think that it's going to work well? NOPE. So yes,  skincare brands, just make your stuff smell like medicine/herbs and people will naturally think it's going to work. 

I'm kidding. But really, the scent really affects the way you perceive a product!!

I recently acquired the Super Facialist by Una Brennan Tea Flower Deep Clean Pore Purifying Clay Mask, all thanks to Yinghui! This cannot be found in Singapore (or so I think, please leave me a comment if I'm wrong about the availability of this product, thanks!) and I was hugely intrigued to try this out because many beauty bloggers from UK were raving about it. So yay! I got it! :D Thanks Yinghui for helping me get this! 

This 125ml one retails for 8.99 pounds (bought from boots). 

Name: You know I don't normally review a product's name, but can I just make an exception for this? It's a mouthful okay. Super Facialist by Una Brennan Tea Flower Deep Clean Pore Purifying Clay Mask - SO LONG. I usually just refer to it as the Super Facialist Clay Mask. HAHA.

Packaging: It's a simple yet professional looking tube. I can imagine this being displayed in some dermatologist's office; you know how such offices are generally all white and sparkling clean? This fits the location like a glove. I love it! The packaging makes it seem like I'm using a really expensive product! Always playing with the mind ah, these brands.

I love the Super Facialist by Una Brennan Tea Flower Deep Clean Pore Purifying Clay Mask because of the few things that it claims to help with:

• clears skin of yucky things which can lead to breakouts
• helps to unclog congested skin
• absorbs oil
• rebalances the skin

For those with sensitive, yet acne-prone skin, I suggest that you follow the directions exactly. 5 minutes may seem like a really short period of time for a clay mask, but seriously, it tingles A LOT.

Tingling is good of course. It's like YOOHOO! The product is working!! But if you  have sensitive skin, then product may work too well on your skin and backfire if you leave it on longer.

So sensitive skin, 5 minutes, not so sensitive skin, okay can more than 5 minutes. Simple right?

Ingredients List

Scent: Woah woah woah. The Super Facialist by Una Brennan Tea Flower Deep Clean Pore Purifying Clay Mask has a scent that is quite .... unique and intense. As I said at the beginning of this post, the scent of a skincare product makes or breaks the perceived effectiveness of the product. It's exactly what's happening with this one. The clay mask smells like flowers ground up with lots of wild herbs. It's a really funky smell but I got accustomed to it, and now I really love the scent! It's definitely not a generic scent and I love it more because of that. It feels like I'm applying some rare magical mask, HAHA.

Consistency: It's gooey but still easily spreadable on the skin. It also has micro beads of goodness which feels really awesome when you apply it on your face. I really love applying this but I can only do so twice a week, such a pity.

Effectiveness: When you wash off the clay mask, your skin will feel so freaking smooth. I didn't even exfoliate my skin, so I didn't know how it got so smooth! But well, it's an addictive texture to have; you just can't stop caressing your face (sounds really wrong, but you get the point lah).

To be frank, the Super Facialist by Una Brennan Tea Flower Deep Clean Pore Purifying Clay Mask did break me out at the beginning. Not major breakout, but maybe a couple of spots here and there, especially at the T-Zone area. I wasn't shocked or anything and just continued, and those spots disappeared quite quickly. So I'm guessing that the clay mask will detox your skin and hence it's helping to purge the toxins - leading to mild breakouts here and there. All's fine now, and I really love how refreshed my skin looks everytime I use this clay mask!

Will I buy it again? Yes please. But I can't find it here yet. I need it in Singapore!! Watsons, can you please bring this in??? I love this clay mask and hope to never run out of it. :S

Have a great Hari Raya guys! :)

Review: K-Palette Okuma Cover Control Concealer in 01 and 03

If you were to ask me to only choose one product from my makeup collection, I would definitely choose the concealer. Eyeliner and mascara are important, but a good concealer is ESSENTIAL. I have blemishes, I have acne scars and I have panda-like eyes - of course a concealer is always needed in my life. I'm always on the lookout for amazing concealers that conceal perfectly without breaking the bank. It's not an easy task though. I have been disappointed by high-end brands who claim to have the groundbreaking concealer that solves all known problems, but nope all those claims were just plain bullshit. 

It's especially difficult to find a concealer that works well when you are "blessed" with oily skin and are living in a tropical country. It's like a lose-lose situation - the first hour your skin looks good, the next hour your skin looks like ... a pool of oil. NOT GLAM OKAY. 

During my Japan graduation trip, I chanced upon the K-Palette Okuma Cover Control Concealer and I was extremely intrigued especially because the shades are not differentiated by colour, but by purpose. For example, type 01 is more for the fatigued working person while type 03 is more for a person who uses computers or other visual electronic devices frequently. I love this concept! However, loving a concept does not mean that the concealer will work well, and this is perfectly illustrated by this concealer. I hate to say this, but the K-Palette Okuma Cover Control Concealers have been a waste of my money. :( 

The K-Palette Okuma Cover Control Concealer retails for 950yen (before tax). That estimates to around S$11.90. Quite affordable!

Packaging: You probably have read the many times I go ga-ga over Japanese cosmetic product packagings. These concealers are no different. Pretty (and cute, look at the bear!!) packaging that catches your attention while looking through the myriad of products. I really like the bear paws haha.

One thing I like about these concealers is how much control you have over the amount of product that you want to use. The plastic tube packaging allows practicality and you can squeeze as little or as much as you want. I will advise that you don't apply straight to your skin though. Using your clean fingers to apply the product will be much more hygienic.

Shade: The K-Palette Okuma Cover Control Concealer in 01 tackles overall fatigue and it's perfect for those who don't sleep very much. It has a darker shade than 03 and I guess it's a more universal shade for girls living in tropical countries. The K-Palette Okuma Cover Control Concealer in 03 tackles problems concentrated on the eye area. If you stare at computers all day at work, then this is the shade for your eye area. The problem with 03 is that it's a really fair colour. To be honest, not many girls have porcelain skin. Shade 03 is too white for me and when I use it, I normally mix it with a darker shade concealer.

Coverage: It's amazing for the eye area. The amazingness ends there. I tried to use it on blemishes, and it didn't work. The concealer slides too much during application. I'd prefer it to be a little bit more gooey.

Application: I really dislike how the K-Palette Okuma Cover Control Concealer applies. It slides around too much and I think the formulation is quite oily. It's okay when using it on my eye area, but when I try to apply it on other areas, I just cannot apply it properly! I tried using my fingers, FAIL. I tried using a brush, FAIL. I just don't know how to work with this concealer. I really don't want to waste them, so what I do now is I mix them with a thicker concealer. It's much easier to apply and conceal when the concealer is not so watery.

Longevity: Ah, where do I start with this? I don't really want to come across as being too harsh, but to put it simply, I don't like the K-Palette Okuma Cover Control Concealer even more because it fails to stay on my face for more than an hour. Of course I can't solely blame the product; I have really oily skin so any product that has oil in it will look terrible very quickly. Moreover, Singapore is not a very weather-friendly country and this concealer just melts wayyyy too easily! I remembered that fateful day when I only used the K-Palette Okuma Cover Control Concealer in the morning before work, then when I reached my office, I checked my face and I was in shock. The concealer melts too easily and too obviously! I had patches of oily concealer all over my face! MAJOR FAIL.

I want to be fair to this concealer, so I will only advise those with dry or normal skin to get it. To be frank, it does a good job concealing dark eye circles and all other eye area problems.

Will I buy it again? Definitely not. I'm trying to use both up now by mixing them with other concealers that have thicker consistencies.

It's not nice when I have to rate a product negatively and I don't like writing negative reviews. But what to do? This concealer really just failed me badly :((

Negativity aside, enjoy the long weekend ahead guys! :)

I'm a Graduate! (WKWSCI Convocation Class of 2013)

OHYEAH I FINALLY GRADUATED FROM UNIVERSITY!!! 

14 years of education in Singapore has finally concluded. It didn't start easy at all. My gosh. Thinking back, the process was really quite painful. 

I came to Singapore not knowing a single word in English or Chinese. Basically I was a really unhappy 8-year-old in a foreign land. I had to leave my close friends and comfortable surroundings and immediately, I was sent to numerous tuitions. Back then, I had to stay in a host house. Although my mom was in Singapore, my tuition centre was at Parkway Parade, so she had no choice but to spend money on me living in a house full of other Indonesian kids. It was expensive okay. Like S$1000 a month expensive. Even though yes the house was really huge, but there were a lot of kids staying in the house. 

Even though I was surrounded by other Indonesian kids, I didn't feel at home at all. Too many kids meant that I was constantly ignored. Moreover, I was a really ugly kid, so nobody really cared. Hence, instead of studying, I did the extreme opposite. I ignored my homework and became a thief. I stole so many things that belonged to other kids. All I wanted was attention. My stealing habit got so bad that all the other kids avoided me and they put all their valuables in a locker. I didn't steal because I wanted the things, I stole because I wanted people to look at me. 

Then in 1999, I attended a true-blue heartland primary school (Ghim Moh Primary School). Oh dear gosh me, the first year was just as bad. By then, I could already converse in English, but once again I didn't really bother about my studies. In the end, I did well only in Mathematics and failed everything else. 

Eventually I woke up but it was too late because I didn't get satisfactory PSLE score. 

Then, I went to Choa Chu Kang Secondary School, and I must say that my secondary school years were one of my best years. I had great friends, great classmates and great teachers. Everything was awesome and I did really well for O Levels! 

I was excited to go into a more branded school. Anderson Junior College was branded then because top-tier neighbourhood secondary school students would normally choose to go into AJC. I was ambitious, so I did that. It was definitely the wrong choice. Don't get me wrong. My friends and teachers were really amazing and I had fun. But, I really was terrible in Physics and Chemistry and I did Science stream in JC because my mom told me to do so. I did so badly that during prelims, I only passed General Paper and Economics. The rest was graded "U" and my percentile was single digits for those subjects that I failed. 

Obviously I got really scared. I worked my ass off and I was able to pass A Levels with not so terrible grades. 

I chose NTU - WKWSCI and I waited and waited and waited. The letter didn't come until a couple of weeks before the closing of the registration period. HOMG THANK YOU WKWSCI FOR GIVING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY. 

My university years have been my most fruitful and most enjoyable years. I love how WKWSCI undergraduates know each other because the cohort is so small! I love everything about WKWSCI. Yes, some of the modules were tough and competition was crazy because everyone is so talented, but the process was very much satisfying. 

Now that I have graduated, I'm embarking on a new chapter in life - MY CAREER. 

To be frank, I kinda miss my school days. The grass is always greener on the other side, eh? 

Nevertheless, YAY I AM A GRADUATE!! :) 

My FYP mates are like family. We have heated arguments sometimes but we know everything will be okay the next time. Without them, I don't think I can survive my final year in WKWSCI so easily.

Thank you Mr Nielsen Ong, Kokky and Konkon. :')

YAY JAPAN TRAVEL BUDDIES. :) Cray Chay is my KPOP partner and we go crazy over stupid songs like EXO's Wolf. HAHAHAHA.

Thanks to my secondary school friends, Junyi, Lily and Mr Chung (yes we start wayyyy back hahaha) for coming and celebrating my convocation with me!!

Ah, what more can I say about Mr Chung? I'm not the most calm-headed and rational person to be with and this person has tolerated every of my flaws. Let's give him a round of applause for being the world's best boyfriend. :')

Bo! Or formally known as Dr. Jung YoungBo. Stats genius and a master at his specialisation. Our FYP wouldn't have gotten an A+ without his help! THANK YOU BO THANK YOU THANK YOU!!

Yay. I was super bloated during convocation but ohwell, smile and everything will be alright! Also, why are Marko and APH looking so glum? Dr D, on the other hand, smiled at EVERYONE. Also, thank you Dr D for remembering my name and calling me out for sneakily grabbing the last slice of cake during the graduation bash! A bit paiseh but I was so touched that he remembered my name! :')

I must of course thank my mom and my sis for coming! Family is always important when it comes to events like convocations!!

Of course, I cannot forget the Paverts. We used to be tight last time, but we chose different academic paths and hence we drifted apart from each other. However, at the end of the day, we know that we'll be there for each other. Going for FOC in 2009 was the best decision that I have ever made prior to university education!

Stockholm gang! Thanks for making my 6 months in Stockholm and Europe a more pleasant one! :)

I shall end this post with this lepak photo. Actually, I think this is the best photo in the entire album! Heh.

AH, ONTO CAREER AND SAVING MONEY! :D

Happy graduation to all 2013 graduates! :))