Romping around

Romper: Etam | Sandals: Zalora (similar here) | Bag: Gracious Aires (Similar here)

Bracelet: Vintage (Similar here) | Sunglasses: Pieces (Similar here) 

I hate running. I love running. I hate running. I love running. Mmmm pizza. I love running so I can eat pizza.  

I hate running as much as I enjoy it - I love it when it's over and I feel so accomplished. But it's really hard to actually start. So I've signed up for the Great Eastern Women's Run to kind of force myself to train for it. I'm running the 10km because I'm sure the 21km will make me rue the day I was born. Honestly, mad props to the crazy ladies who run marathons. On top of simply signing up for the race, I've forced my friend Char to join with me and participate in the #runtolivegreat program which is like a side activity on top of the actual race day event to give participants a chance to compete for prizes, prepare for the race day via fitness activities, and get free swag (I know this word is no longer cool but I really find it hilarious to say because it sounds so pretentious). I'm so pleased because we got selected for the program and now we have another excuse to hang out some more and be our truly stupidest selves.

This is my friend Char. I like her a lot. She might not feel the same way seeing as I'm a weirdo.

I'm farting in her general direction clearly

Victory is MIIIIINE!

Escue me, are you a model?

Not sure how we managed to avoid being kicked out of the Adidas store. Shout out to sales assistant Lydia who didn't boot us. 

So we attended the welcome event and received our goody bag which had a Fitbit Flex, a special Run to Live Great Adidas running tee and a pair of Adidas Boost "Vengeful" running shoes! I'm so pleased because I badly needed a pair of running shoes and they are all black, just like my soul. (My inner goth squeals in excitement) I'm going to break them in this weekend as I prepare for the race. By maybe running to get pizza. Mmmmm.

Sometimes you just need a boost

Thanks for reading! Join the race?

It's your choice

Top: French Connection (Similar here) | Skirt: ASOS (Similar here) | Shoes: New Look (Similar here)

Bag: Gracious Aires (Similar here) | Ring: V&A (Similar here) 

I think I mention it over and over - I really am big on sunscreen. I finally used up all of my Biotherm sunscreen but I've been fortunate to have friends who know just how mad I am about the stuff so I routinely get sunscreen as gifts. Angie had given me this awesome RMK UV Face Protector (SPF50+++) sometime back and I finally got to crack it open. Angie is a total beauty junkie so I knew it would be good, but DUDE. It is even better than Biotherm (sorry B). It has a smooth and light texture, not super creamy, so it spreads really easily. It also has no discernible smell which is great because the sunblock smell can be kind of gross. But it's super wow factor has definitely got to be its absorption and non-stickiness. It's so quickly absorbed into the skin that it doesn't leave any trace of that normal oily sticky sunblock feeling. I think it may not be waterproof though which is ok since I just wear it to work.

Protect yo face

I love how the product description tells me that I can "use it daily in the city as well as during leisure or sport activities". It makes it seem like the leisure and sports are all happening out of the city. But what if I want to go to the country? Can I not wear it then??? Better go buy some of that non-city sunscreen for those village days.

I'm now in a wormhole reading all the copy from the whole website. Take these examples:

"Open the compact and prepare to meet the circus’s star attraction." 

I guess it's misleading without the image it references because normally when you think of makeup, you don't automatically jump to "circus' star attraction" unless you think clown makeup is so on trend. But seriously, what is it???

Star attraction in the house.

 How about these lines...

"Cute or sexy, it‘s your choice!" 

and

"Explore your many expressions - sexy, feminine, or just relaxed/casual – by layering on their color and radiance."

But I want to be ALL!!! It is so hard to be a woman. And RMK didn't even consider those days when I want my "expression" to be "accomplished but on edge because of caffeine" or "Hangry but in a model way rather than the greedy person way".   

Alright I need to go and by a star attraction so I can be cute/sexy.

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!

Ain't no mountain high enough

 

 

Dress: Shein | Shoes: Velvet (Similar here) | Bag: Gracious Aires (Similar here)

Earrings: Gift (Similar here) | Ring: Jessica Buurman

I really hope you sang the title of this post when you read it. Sister Act was the bomb. I guess I'm suddenly thinking about mountains because my dress has a mountain printed on it but more importantly, because I just purchased my first pair of trekking shoes!

Sweet-ass new pair of shoes

Come late September, I'll be running around the Dolomites in my sweet-ass new Columbia hiking shoes. If you recall, I went to Yosemite last year and went hiking up a pretty awesome trail. I did so in my Nike track shoes but after the two days of intense walking, my shoes pretty much gave up on me (not that my Nikes weren't good, they had already been through a lot of my stinky feet action over the course of 3 years).

I didn't want to put my cool new Nike flyknits through the same ordeal since I still like to jog in them, so I bought these new shoes. They're not exactly very pretty but they feel really sturdy and supportive. I'm not sure why they don't make chio-er hiking shoes (LIGHTBULB! Business idea!!) but these are not too ugly right?

Anyway, the boo was buying a new pair of soccer boots at Queensway Shopping Centre so I tagged along and I ended up buying these for what I think was a steal - $110. The retail assistant told me that I need to break them in so I guess I'm gonna be stomping around for awhile. I wonder if I could get away wearing them in the office. Hmmmmm.

Anyway, even a noob hiking enthusiast knows that good shoes make a huge difference so I thought I'd share what I know so far. Also good for your consideration if your budget is even tighter are these shoes that Nic recommended. She says they are cheap and good, as are many of the other shoes on the site, apparently. Now I'm kind of wishing I hadn't bought mine on a whim because man these Quechas are cheap!!! Plus I trust Nic's expertise in shoes because she is really a pro in comfortable footwear and doing actual research before making a purchase.

Oh well. Thanks for reading!

Leopard love

Top: H&M | Skirt: Chicnova | Shoes: Pedro (Similar-ish here) | Bag: Gracious Aires (Similar here) | Ring: Jessica Buurman

I'm an animal lover, in case you didn't already know, and my not-so-secret retirement dream is to go live on an elephant sanctuary so I can... I dunno, shovel elephant poop... But also so I can make the lives of those gentle giants better. I would also love to run a dog shelter so I could hang out with Nacho all day and maybe he'd be less cray around other dogs and just chill out and be awesome. 

In the news lately (or not so lately depending on when I post this), Cecil the lion was killed by a hunting enthusiast from the USA.... Not cool man. I don't understand hunting for sport. It doesn't seem very sporty to shoot at animals that are just like, wandering about being chill and majestic and letting the wind blow through their gorgeous manes.  

And prior to that, there was the annual Yulin dog meat festival. I mean, I love dogs, I would never consume dog meat, and I know it's hypocritical of me to be all up in arms about dogs when I eat other types of meat for subsistence, but the inhumane ways people steal, store and kill the meat they eat... That's just horrible business. Plus the fact that dogs are such good companions to humans really makes me wonder what's up in Yulin. Surely some changes can be made.

But not to be a huge Debbie downer... Some super news I read lately about the ending of the mass slaughter of animals in Nepal (and strangely, also Joanna Lumley of Ab Fab fame). Through Ms Lumley's efforts, the mass sacrifice of all animals, big and small, was halted because they mad respect her for her work to champion the recognition of Gurkhas' place and contributions in UK. See? Change can happen. COME ON YULIN. STEP THE HELL UP. 

Thanks for reading guys, go on and hug your dog/cat/hamster/cow now! 

Snake charmer

Top: ASOS (Similar here) | Skirt: Lavish Alice (Similar here) | Shoes: Valentino | Clutch: Sportsgirl (Similar here) | Sunglasses: Ray Ban

 Necklace: Twentyeight Lane (Similar here) | Earrings: Vincci (Similar here) | Ring: Jessica Buurman | Bracelet: Butler & Wilson

In today's fast paced world, it's hard to find someone to love, to cherish, to belong to. With this rapid explosion of people, most of whom are glued to their phones, tablets, laptops - it's hard to actually find the 'one' and connect to him or her in a meaningful, non-filtered way. Take the story of this woman for example, who, after having dated someone for about 6 months, ended up losing her dog!

I would seriously go batshit insane if someone stole Nacho. I would totally do the routine from Taken and I would hunt that son-of-a-B down and DESTROY him. Fortunately, I'm not playing the swinging singles game so the whole Tinder, Match.com, OkCupid, Paktor game isn't for me, although I think some people have been pretty lucky with it, except for lady mentioned above of course!

Anyway, I hope that if you're enjoying the singles game, you'll be careful and take every precaution to safeguard your pooch/cat/hamster/snake/imaginary pet/etc. 

Thanks for reading!

Warning: lady-part related content

Top: Mango (Similar here) | Pants: FCUK (Similar here) | Shoes: Jessica Simpson (Similar here) | Bag: Aldo

Necklace: Bysi (Similar here) | Bracelet: Jessica Buurman | Ring: Vintage (Similar here) | Sunglasses: Aldo

I received a notice from my company's HR department and thought it deserves to be shared.

You can click the link here for more details

I'm all for taking charge of your health and going for regular screenings to ensure that your body is in good working order because the thought of long-term or suffering that could have been prevented just doesn't sit right with me. The Singapore Cancer Society has this annual drive to raise awareness for women's gynaecological cancer and their campaign includes offering free pap smears at participating clinics.

I think one gripe is that I hate to pay for health care because it's not very tangible (except for actually being healthy which I think I probably take for granted most times) and so sometimes I let things slip but this basically gives me no excuse to get out there and get screened. I've already made my appointment and I hope you'll find this useful and make an appointment for yourself* or even for your loved ones.

Thanks for reading!

*In case you were wondering, this is for those with biologically female parts only.

I can see again

 

Shirt: J. Crew (Similar here) | Jeggings: From Jee Fang (Similar here) | Shoes: Superga

 Sunglasses: ASOS (Similar here) | Bag: Gracious Aires (Similar here)

Once upon a time, possibly when I was 10 or 11, I became short-sighted or myopic, and needed to wear spectacles. Of course I looked like a total dork. Small lenses, big lenses, thick frames, skinny frames, no frames - I tried them all. And looked horrible in all.

Gather around students.

I never really felt comfortable wearing specs so I started wearing contacts during the day when I went to school and while it felt much more comfortable, I guess I really wished that I didn't have that additional hassle to put them on and take them off, and ensure they were clean so I didn't get an eye infection. Finally, in March last year, Mousie and I decided to try for Lasik since we felt like our degrees had more or less stabilised and it would be a great sister bonding experience.

We decided to go with Dr. Jacob Cheng from Eagle Eye Centre because the rates there weren't crazy expensive (my friend paid $8000!! while we paid half of that) and my sister had heard good reviews of this clinic (and also because this hottie doctor wasn't available I think). We booked our first appointment to see Dr. Cheng and were advised not to wear contact lenses for a week prior.

At our first appointment, they applied some eye-drops to dilate our eyes then we went through a bunch of tests run by nurses to scan our eyeballs to see if we were eligible for the surgery. Basically, what I understood was that I would need pretty meaty corneas so that they could slice away at it to make the eyes see good. Science pro right here.

When the good doctor concluded that our corneas were indeed fat enough to be spliced, we were slotted in that very afternoon for the surgery, once the dilation had gone away. Mousie tightly wrapped her sunnies around her face because she had major light sensitivity while I just wore my sunnies and exited the hospital pretending to be a celebrity who had just had plastic surgery.

We went back later that afternoon and Mousie's eyes were still dilated because she's just the best at everything she does, including maintaining eye dilation. Dr. Cheng decided it was ok to proceed on her so the nurses gave us some pills, one of which was Valium, to calm our jitters. Mousie, normally anxious and tightly wound floated like a cloud, while I just felt sleepy. We laughed a lot wearing our hospital gowns, shoes and shower caps.

Pre-surgery feeling sleepy while trying to rock the shower cap look

I don't even remember this. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

The latest in fashion footwear

Then I died.

Ok, I didn't die. It was time for my surgery so I went into the sterile room, and lay on a bed surrounded by machines and had the big zappy laser pointer that was going to cut my freaking eyeballs pointed at my face. I believe they clamped my head down but honestly I kinda blocked a lot out because TRAUMA. I went from kind of sleepy to extremely tense and scared. The doctor pressed something firmly down with a lot of pressure over my eyeball, I presume some suction thing to keep my eyeball in place before the laser cutting. With that, the sight went from that eye and I went dead quiet. That feeling was so foreign and so uncomfortable to me I might as well have been abducted by aliens and experimented on. The suction held on for about 30 seconds, there was a burning smell (my eyeball being cooked by aliens), and then they removed the suction thing. One eye down, one more to go. My heart was racing and it felt like it took FOREVER when in fact each eye probably took less than a minute.

Those are my toes curling from the fear

Mousie was totally floating

And then she prepared to give birth

After Dr. Cheng had completed both eyes, they helped me sit up and asked me to tell them the time from a large clock that was about 2 metres away. I was so flummoxed that aliens were asking me for the time, then it dawned on me. I could see. Not perfectly, but quite well! Hallelujah I wasn't blind!! Then out of nowhere, someone whipped out a camera and said, 'CHEESE!' and took possibly the ugliest photo* of me ever. They later gifted me this photo in hard copy. So they give you sight and then make you see the ugliest thing ever. That seems a little cruel.

Immediately after surgery. It looks like I'm crying because I totally felt like I should have!!

OMG this post has run really long so I'm going to stop here but I'll write another post about the healing process in the next one! Sorry to leave with such an awful picture LOL! Thanks for reading!

* I was unable to locate the picture which is seriously a pity because I looked SO bad and you would have definitely enjoyed the laugh but the above one is probably second runner up in terms of ugliness so you're welcome. 

Sharing is caring

Dress: ASOS (Similar here) | Bag: Vincci (Similar here) | Shoes: H&M (Similar here) | Sunglasses: ASOS (Similar here)

 Necklace: Jessica Buurman | Bracelet:Gift (Similar here) | Ring: Jessica Buurman

I struggled with a bout of stomach flu last week which made me too exhausted to think about what I was going to wear to work so I threw on my trusty ol' black sack dress and super comfy H&M flats and called it a day. I actually really like this sack dress because it's very forgiving when I have a huge lunch and it matches easily with other things and it allows me to take naps in dark places with less chance of being seen.

I hear that the stomach flu bug is actually going around so protect yourself, don't go sharing your food and beverages with just anyone. In fact, be like me, don't share it AT ALL. Because 'selfish' is my middle name. I don't actually know how I got it, but I did meet the mouse squad and CC had had it the previous week, and although we didn't share food, I imagine her germs, being the nasty little creatures that they are, jumped from her Nam Nam noodles into my bowl, and then I ingested them and then they became runny poo. THANKS A LOT CC. Friendship over.

Anyway, as the ever-doting girlfriend, I've shared my best friend's gift to me, with my boo. THANKS A LOT CC.

Protect yourself. Thanks for reading!