New beginnings

A huge shout out to Samson, @7braidstrong for another fun shoot and for making me hang out in a random carpark/fake basketball court. It's always a dope time with him. Follow him on Insta and check out more of his work at 7braidstrong.com.

Anyway, this series of shots became all the more special because I'm using this post to bookmark a change in my life. Having worked in the same financial institution for over five years, I've decided to try something new and will be moving into a new industry - e-commerce! I'm excited by the tech space and I can't wait to be inspired by that whole start-up life.

Obviously I'm nervous too, it's a big change and I'm taking a big step out of my comfort zone but if not now, then when, am I right?

I actually felt a little melancholic when I made my intention to leave known, as it brought back many wonderful memories, getting to know so many people, and having so many great experiences.

Things I will miss include but are not limited to:

• Proximity to acai bowls
• The ease of simply hopping on a train to get some Tori Q
• Free Nescafe coffee that coffee snobs would turn their nose up to, but that I've gotten very accustomed to
• Free company exercise activities 
• Egg tarts from Hong Lim Park
• Full length mirrors in bathrooms with great natural lighting for when you wanna show your friend your outfit cos it's totally on point that day

Last but not least, my work friends! If you're reading this, keep fighting the good fight and soaring towards greater achievements. Thank you for all the guidance, care and advice over the years/months of knowing me. Working was made easier with you around and you will be deeply missed.

Anyway, onward ho! Thanks for reading! BIG HUGS!

You give good face

So I wrote a post about this a while back when Nic was vying to be shortlisted for the top 6 out of 15 finalists for Nyx Singapore's inaugural Face Awards. Anyway, because of her talent, hardwork and dedication, she actually was shortlisted for the top 6!

Her third and final challenge was to create a makeup video around the theme of "Royalty" and she decided to do a video of TWO looks - The queen of light and the queen of darkness! Nic has a lot to be proud of, she's a self-taught special effects makeup artist, a newbie to video creation and editing, and also a newly minted pro skills props maker (she made her crowns and sceptor from scratch)!

Mad pro makeup skillz and photos courtesy of @electric.eggplant

The award ceremony to announce Nyx Singapore's first ever "Beauty Vlogger of the Year" was held on the 13th of July at Pixel Studios and invited us to get to know each of the 6 finalists a little better while also showcasing their videos. I thought they all did well but obviously I was rooting for Nic to win and to get $5000 worth of Nyx makeup and an all-expenses paid trip to California to attend the Nyx USA Face Awards Finals. Unfortunately, Nic didn't manage to bag the top prize  (which went to Rosalie Parnes who goes by @wink818) but I think she's got so much to be proud of since she really grew from strength to strength, learned crazy awesome makeup skills as she competed, and delivered masterful looks that were winners in my eyes.

Giving her short interview about what inspired her looks

Finalists and judges

Still a winner

OOTN!!

Le makeup by yours truly complete with insane flyaways

With pro makeup artist Larry Yeo

Mouse squad for life

I'm always ruining normal photos

Didn't get the memo that we were doing "sexy"

So I thought I would write a post to commemorate the event and pay tribute to Nic's skills, talent, passion and diligence. If you're a makeup junkie, or someone who appreciates art, or even just someone who appreciates hard work, please give her your support. Watch her videos on her YouTube channel and follow her on instagram at @electric.eggplant and do send her positive vibes!

Thanks for reading!

Season's greetings!

DAAAAYYYYUM my friend Samson makes me look good. Check out all his amazing work at www.7braidstrong.com or follow him on instagram @7braidstrong.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! I absolutely love the holiday season for all the shopping, lights and decorations, Christmas tunes and FOOD!

My sister, her husband and her baby will be flying back to Singapore for Christmas, as will my two favouritest cousins and I'm excited for the reunion! There's really just so much to be happy about and thankful for, so it's hard for me to indulge in my usual snarky 'tude. Is it super old-timey that I referred to "attitude" as "tude"? GAH.

Before we get too caught up in the festive season, do take some time to think about the less fortunate. I hope you will be stirred to take action to help those in need. Even if you don't have much to give, don't forget that kindness is free. Treat people with respect and courtesy, and stand up against hatred and injustice. Okay now that I've gotten the preachy-ness out of the way...

WHAT'S UP FRIENDZIES!?!

Speaking of doing good, I'm totally heading into brag town today but it's adjacent to actual-message city:

I was at the gas station buying some milk, when a young boy, maybe 8 years old, wearing dirty ratty clothes with holes in them, comes up to me and asks if I have $2. I reply "yes" and he asks me to give it to him. So I say "ok, but why?" to which he responds, "I'm hungry". So I give him the $2 but think, what could he possibly buy with just $2.

So I walk up to him, I ask him if he's been fishing in canal and he says "yes, but never catch any fish, that's why I'm hungry." Feeling unusually charitable, I offer to buy him a sandwich. He gladly accepts, then asks if I'll buy one for his friend. I agree. Suddenly 1 boy turns into 3 boys and each boy wants 2 sandwiches because I guess they are hungry and growing. I buy the 6 sandwiches. In the meantime, they are choosing the sandwiches like "hmm eww this one is fish, I'll change it for chicken". I think, 'beggars (not that they are beggars per say but he did ask me for $2 right?) can indeed be choosers.'

I go off on my way, having spent $20 bucks at the gas station on 6 sandwiches and a carton of milk. I feel good but also a little silly for spending so much. Plus those kids kept calling me "auntie". Amazing that I didn't just throw their sandwiches on the floor and say "AUNTIE?!? I'll show you auntie!!!!"

However, the kicker is that I saw them again recently - they were fishing by the canal and as I walked past, I glanced at their fishing rods and gear. That stuff looked high-tech and pretty fancy! And they were fishing with a guy I assumed to be their older brother who most certainly didn't look dirty, ratty-clothed. They most certainly weren't beggars as I had so quickly assumed. So the moral of the story is, while it's nice to buy sandwiches for the less fortunate, it is also really nice to not be totally punked by some hungry free-loading kids with amazing fishing gear. Also, I guess 8 year old boys' clothes will get dirty and ratty and holey because they are 8 year old boys after all.

Happy holidays and thanks for reading!

No pain, no gain

Top: Seed (Similar here) | Skirt: Bysi (Similar here) | Shoes: Zalora (Similar here)

Bag: Gracious Aires (Similar here) | Ring: Twentyeight Lane | Earrings: Chinatown (Similar here) 

In a bid to be a little bit healthier, and also in line with my diet, I’ve initiated a weekly workout session with my friends by my poolside.

It started off as simply as realizing what a wobbly blob I’ve become – I’m not the sort who needs to be super skinny but I do like a bit of muscle, which I realize I definitely was/am lacking. So we asked our fittest friend Anil if he’d coach us and while he thought we were joking at first (I think the idea of us squealing ladies and exercise probably didn’t gel), he agreed and thus began our fitness club.

It’s only been 3 weeks so I can’t say that I really have changed in terms of musculature, but I feel healthy and also happier so I guess it’s going in the right direction. Plus I ached like a b*tch after the first session so I must be waking those fatties up (and probably shocking them) and turning them into MUSCLES.  

For most of our workout sessions, Anil refers to Fitness Blender which is a great site for free workout videos that you can select based on level of intensity, time, what areas you want to work on, etc. Beyond our fitness group where we hopefully motivate one another, I also refer to the site on other days so I can follow the videos and do the workouts in the comfort of my own home (fan at full blast, sweating disgustingly all over the floor) at my own pace (normally slow) and at my desired level (level couch potato with aspirations of being an outdoor fitness yam… I can’t think of what would be the most opposite thing of a couch). Most of the workouts don’t require expensive machines or workout gear like weights and blah blah fitness stuff so it’s really perfect for noobs like me who just want to sweat it out and feel good that I didn’t die.

Anyway, here’s to hoping that I’ll be able to share more on my fitness journey as I become as strong as an ox.

Thanks for reading!

Confidence

Top: Nichii (Similar here) | Culottes: True Decadence (Similar here) | Bag: Gracious Aires (Similar here)

Necklace: Lovisa (Similar here) | Ring: Butler & Wilson (Similar here) | Shoes: ASOS (Similar here)

My sister Mousie came back for the holidays and as part of our sisterly bonding, she arranged a facial for both of us at her regular facial therapist when she's in Singapore - A Confidence. Ok it's pretty chingchongcheenapiang sounding but they use Guinot products and speak in good English so let's get past that. 

There are 3 ladies who run the place:

• The elderly proprietor whom I shall refer to as Momma 
• The daughter of Momma
• The lady who may or may not be related but was in charge of slathering my body with oil and massaging it. I'll call her the Masseuse.

My sister had really sold me on the various facial activities that would happen but I really wasn't prepared for such an experience. We went to this small little shop in RELC and were ushered into the back room by the Daughter. The back room is basically one larger room, separated by curtains. Inside the room were Momma and Masseuse, sitting in wait to apply various liquids to my face. 

I was told me to remove my top and lay down. I'm not shy so I just took it off, bra and all, but it was kind of strange to be removing one's clothes in front of 3 strangers who were just sitting there, looking. 

Momma then started the facial and I'd like to describe it in full details but honestly there were SO many applications of so many things that I actually lost count. Also, I had some kind of wet tissue placed over my eyes so I couldn't see anything and had to just experience various sensations.

Some notable moments include: 

• The vibrator for my eyes. Yeeeeaaaah I know how that sounds but I don't know what it was, but they placed it above my closed eyes and it was vibrating. 
• The steamer which would suddenly eject warm steam to my face which was actually quite pleasant but it made me giggle because I wasn't expecting it
• The extraction which the Daughter did for me and was the most pleasant extraction I've ever had because normally it feels like I'm being attacked with a needle.
• The zapzap machine which was like two metal spatulas being rolled around my face while giving very very slight static shocks. It wasn't uncomfortable and it was so light I wasn't sure it was actually happening or whether it was my imagination.
• The squid.

I have to go into detail about the squid because it was hilariously weird. There were 4 strips of what felt like a heavy squid being laid on my face. It was room temperature and I guess it was like a mask of some sort, then the Daughter (I think) started rolling some kind of super cold rolling stick (maybe) thing over the squid which would actually make the cold go through the squid and feel like liquid nitrogen was being applied to my face. 

Anyway, during the entire facial, the masseuse was giving my arms and legs a massage, and after massaging each limb, she'd apply a warm liquid that felt like it had bits of wet tissue paper in it, then wrap the limb in plastic. Strange but also quite relaxing. 

Momma asked me if I fell asleep at any point during the facial but I definitely didn't because there was just so much happening and I'm pretty sure I felt like how a baby first out of the womb feels, like omg what is this what is that is this real life what is going on???? 

After all these experiences, I'd say my skin looks not bad, although I don't think I have bad skin to start with. The treatment, as a first timer, cost about $60 with an additional cost for the leg massage (Mousie treated so I don't know the actual cost). It's generally pricey, but it's a 2 hour non-stop experience session for about $120 I think so not too shabby if you hate facials where they leave you in a cold room with a mask on your face and you're left to only your thoughts. 

Good to consider if you feel like normal facials are just too run of the mill or if you feel like you need to know what expensive cold squid on the face feels like.

Thanks to Mousie for the treat and to A Confidence for giving me the confidence to strip in front of 3 strangers, and for you, for reading all the way to the end!

Bonjour

T-shirt: Gap (Similar here) | Skirt: Romwe | Bag: Mango (Similar here) | Sunglasses: Karen Walker

Necklace: Old (Similar here) | Ring: Old (Similar here) | Shoes: Koumi Koumi

I read somewhere that the 2 most important things for you to put on before you face the harsh elements of reality are a good sunblock and a good moisturiser. Obviously in this scenario, putting on clothes is a given so you are not arrested for public indecency. So before you even think to slap on a nice coat of makeup to make you look like a fresh daisy, you should be investing in those two first!

I've spoken about my sunblock preferences already but I've been on the hunt for a good daytime moisturiser and I think I've gotten a good one. I've got combination skin (I think) and I prefer light moisturisers for daily day time use. I'm already using the Laneige Water Sleeping Pack_EX so I thought I'd give the Laneige Water Bank Gel Cream_EX a shot - so far so good! It smells nice and as you would have deduced from its name, it's got a gel-like texture which gets absorbed into the skin fairly quickly leaving a bouncy toingtoing feeling without that oily creamy after effect. I have no idea what the 'EX' is for but I'm just gonna say it means 'expensive'. While not pricey like another day cream I used to use (Biotherm), at $52 (thereabouts) from Sephora (I think), it's not exactly super affordable.

Anyway, here's to hoping I don't suddenly get a breakout, or turn purple, or maybe suddenly become really attractive to llamas or something.

Thanks for reading!