[ REVIEW ] : Hada Labo Travel Set

I was suffering an outbreak 3 weeks ago and I really thank God that everything is back to normal now. My skin does not feel like there's thousands of tiny bumps. Because of the outbreak, I was religiously using my DRx products (CF, AB , Max C) and while the outbreak cleared up, the DRx products left me with really dry skin which flakes especially around the mouth area. My whole face felt very tight, uncomfortable and it looked really dull. So I wanted to add a more hydrating set of skincare to my regime but had no idea which. I needed to be extremely cautious not to apply anything that would aggravate my outbreaks or worsen my sensitive skin. So one day while I was walking around in Watson, I saw this Hada Labo travel set. From the advertisements on TV, Hada Labo promises to give you very hydrated skin with the *boink boink* effect. I decided to give this a try since it wasn't a skincare set that was too expensive. This set cost me $15.90 and I got the following; 

From L-R

1. Super Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Milk 20ml

2. Super Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Lotion 20ml

3. Super Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Wash 20g

4.Super Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Make-up Remover 20ml

I have tried the make-up remover and I didn't quite like it. Felt that it was not good enough to remove all the make-up from my face. I had to use many drops of it to feel 'oily' enough to massage and remove the make-up off my face. But perhaps I was comparing it with my SK2 make-up facial oil which I really loved. 

For the hydrating wash, one thing that I didn't enjoy was the smell of it. I am not able to describe the smell, but I really disliked the smell of it. However, my face does feels clean after using it and does not gives me the tight feeling. Would probably continue using this since it's pretty gentle on the face. 

Next up is Super Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Lotion and the Milk which are the star products of the travel set. I personally love this 2 products because after applying it on my skin, my skin no longer feels so tight and taut and the skin around my mouth doesn't peel anymore! 

And true to the advertisements, one drop is all you need! I would normally pour a drop onto my palm and then rub my palms together to warm the lotion before patting it onto my face (heard it increase the absorption of the product by the skin). 

For both the lotion and milk, they have a thick watery consistency. Initially I was still worried that the products might make my face feel sticky and oily and I was pleasantly surprised that it didn't. The products got absorbed very quickly into my skin. Just need to pat it a few more times.

The best selling point of this product was that it DID NOT worsen my breakout or cause any new breakouts!

And I also love packaging of the travel set. It came with this plastic folder which is still enough to fit my travel set SK2 facial cleanser and my Sulwalsoo Snowise sunblock. It's so convenient and I can easily fit it into my work bag. I bring it everywhere I go now, just in case I need to wash my face/reapply the products! 

I love my Hada Labo so much that I proceeded on to buy the second pack which has whitening properties as well. Will properly use it once my skin stabilizes more. 

Hope this review has been helpful to those of  you who's planning to try out Hada Labo :)

NOTW (Nail of the week) : Leopard Prints 

Since I change my nail polish and at times my nail art every week, I think it would be helpful for me to document down all the changes of my nail polishes + nail art. Maybe one day, I will look back at these entries and marvel at how my skills at painting nail art has improved (I hope). 

So this week's manicure was inspired by a fellow instagrammer (can't remember her nick). Base was from Butter London. Love the yellow of the base because it's so sunshine!

I hope this manicure can brighten the rest of my week! :) 

Shopping hauls for May

Retail therapy works for me ALL the time but sometimes it takes a toll on my poor wallet. But it's alright, 'Buy Now, Guilty Later' is my philosophy of life.

So this month, I bought the following ; -

1. DRx toner - the toner I swear by because it removes the last traces of dirt and make-up. This is even more important for me now because I am currently suffering a break-out on the whole face. No idea why this is so even though I have not been lazy when it comes to cleansing and other steps of skin care. Major sigh, skin woes please leave me alone!

2. Kiehls' Rare Earth Pore Cleansing Mask - Since I am suffering from outbreak now, I think I would need to keep more pores really really clean. So after reading the reviews online and checking out the product in the store, I've decided to give this mask a try.

Some info: Intensively purifies to minimize pores. This thoroughly cleansing masque may be used for normal to oily skin types to help eliminate debris and dead surface skin-cell accumulation that can clog pores and leave skin dull-looking. With ingredients sourced from the Marajo Island at the mouth of the Amazon River, this unique formula is rich in minerals and helps eliminate surface toxins from skin. Deep-cleansing masque helps to purify skin, leaving the appearance of pores minimized and skin refined.

3. Lancome La Base Pro Face Primer - I've been using this face primer since I started using makeup and I really love this make up primer. However, I stopped using it for some time as I didn't see the counters selling this anymore and I thought they had discontinued it. Also, I have stopped using make up for some time in the hope that my skin would get better (sigh, it did not).

Some info: Benefits

• Refines skin’s texture and diffuses light to visibly reduce imperfections
• Glides smoothly and evenly over skin
• Promises better makeup wear - stay true, more vibrant color
• Leaves skin perfectly matte and satiny‑soft, never greasy
• Ideal for all skin types

Technology

• Elasto-Smooth™ technology forms a silk‑like network on skin to create a soft‑focus effect, like a filter on a camera lens
• Contains silicons and emollients that create an even canvas for foundation
• Oil‑free formula feels comfortable on skin and controls shine

4. Nail polishes - China glaze's Ruby pumps. My all time favourite red nail polish. / Seche vite Quick dry top coat / OPI - (can't remember the name) / Etude House Easy Peel-off base coat.

5. Yellow suitcase from Paper Market : Talked about it in earlier post!

6. Infinity Ring : One of the few rings that I own because I am not a ring-person. I prefer earrings and necklaces. I actually saw this ring last week and was contemplating if I should buy it. I decided against it in the end. But the days after, I kept thinking about the ring and hence I decided to buy it in the end, yesterday! I will also be making the boyfriend pay for it (only $4 la) to represent his infinity love for me. heh heh.

That's all for this month & I am actually feeling guilty about buying all these things already. :(

Hello Kitty 

How cute are these Hello Kitty nail polishes ? A colleague/mentor who is also a nail polish fan gave these to me.  

Photoshoot #2 : The props 

I had a photo shoot some time last year in December and I had thoroughly enjoyed the process. It was tiring and at times stressful because you constantly have to think of the next pose. Even though the photographer may give you some pointers and tips on the ways to pose, I preferred to come up with my own poses so that the outcome would be more natural, more 'personalised'. I loved the pictures of the photoshoot so much and every time I look back at these pictures, they would definitely put a smile on my face.

The photoshoot was also quite cheap as I got it off Groupon. I only paid $15 for the voucher which came with 1.5hrs of photo shoot an 10 edited pictures. I paid an additional $68 on the day of the photoshoot to get all pictures (approx 200+ pictures) and 40-60 edited pictures, which I thought was still pretty reasonable.

So when Groupon offered another Groupon deal for photoshoot, I immediately had to get it! This time the photoshoot will be done by Firefly instead of Lumiere and I have chosen Fort Canning as the location. The photo shoot will be this coming Sunday and I am so excited for it!

In each photoshoot, besides the model themselves, I believed props are also very important to spice up the photoshoot. So previously, I had prepared the following as my props; -
- Bubbles
-Alphabets of our initials
-Big colourful umbrella
-Fake flowers

This time, I am going to prepare the following;-
-Alphabets of our initials
-Pinic mat
-'Suitcase'
-Balloons

(and still deciding on what else I can prepare)

So yesterday while shopping, I decided to buy a 'suitcase' and design it myself. So here's what I came up with.

From this....

The suitcase that I bought from Paper Market and some scrapbooking materials that I already had.

To this.....

What do you think? I love the final product but thought it would have been better if the 'K' and 'W' alphabets had a more vintage//rustic/floral feel to it.

But anyhows, I think the suitcase would look good in the photoshoot!

" I loved it all " 

picture credits to: The Battle We Didn't Choose 

I came across this webpage over the weekend, set up by a husband to document his his wife's journey against breast cancer. I have finished reading all the entries and I am deeply touched by the husband's love for the wife. I am also equally impressed by the love that they had shared for each other. 

What touched me most was an entry about how they had ended each night when they found out that she had only a few more days to live. Before they end each night, they would ask each other about the best and the worse things that had happened for them that day. On that particular night, the husband asked the wife that question. She took a while to think and she said ' I loved it all'. 

More often than not, it is always when we have lost something so precious to us before learning to cherish it. and sometimes, it may be too late to start cherishing it. What I have learnt from his webpage is that I need to 'learn to let go of the dumb stuff' (in the husband's words). I need to learn to ignore the little little things that my partner may do/have to irritate me. I need to learn to be more forgiving of my partner. I need to learn to love the annoying habits of my partner. Because he's not perfect, and that why I love him. 

I also learnt that, yes, quarrels and arguments are inevitable in a relationships but they are also important in the growth of a relationship. Instead of letting these petty quarrels and arguments affect the relationship negatively, why not 'embrace' these opportunities of quarrels and arguments and learn from these incidents to improve the relationship. 

Thank you Jennifer, Thank you Angelo for teaching me these precious lessons of life. 

Brow Resurrection Natural 

Ugly brows have never really mattered to me, because I am not one who have been born with nice, tidy, dark brows. So I guess I got used to seeing my ugly brows and I thought they looked okay. I just had to keep it tidy by going for regular tweezing during facial sessions, and that was all I did for my brows. There are times when I would make an effort to draw them nicely, but that was only for special occasions.

However recently, I have been seeing how eye brows can change the entire look of a person. A nice neat dark eyebrows can lighten the whole look of the person. This was when I started to pay more attention to my own eyebrows and wondered how I could stand looking at myself in the mirror everyday with those eyebrows of mine.

A friend of mine happened to be obsessed with her brows and she had been telling me that she wants to try eye brow embroidery. This also coincided with a couple of bloggers reviewing the Brow Resurrection that they had gone for at Browhaus. After seeing this pictures of their eyebrows, man, I was tempted.

I kept thinking and mulling over it, did my research, looked at the reviews online and I finally decided to take the plunge and just do it!

My biggest concern was that I was afraid that this brow treatment would be similar to eyebrow tattoo. I did not want my eyebrow to fade to a blue-ish green after some time (as seen on some aunties). After the therapist assured me that it wouldn't, I excitedly gave her the go-ahead to start the treatment.

The whole treatment took about 1.5 hours (including the numbing cream + actual treatment) and because of the numbing cream that was applied 20 minutes earlier, the whole process was a pain-free one.

Some info of Brow Resurrection:

Brow Resurrection is our signature semi-permanent treatment, an advanced brow embroidery technique that is unique to Browhaus. It boasts a more detailed and natural stroke perfected by our dedicated Research and Development team, with a finer finish than normal brow embroidery.

So here are my before and after picture of my brows. 

Before 

After (about 1.5 hours later)

I totally loved my brows after the session and have not regretted it since. Everyday I look into the mirror with pride and I cannot help but keep staring at my brows. 

Even the boyfriend has commented that my new brows look nice on me. 

So, don't wait anymore and just do it! Every minute of procrastinating = every minute wasted to look beautiful.

Failed attempt #1

Was craving for brownies and I had been wanting to bake it for the longest time. Managed to get some time off work last week and that made it a good day to put my baking skills to use. I was researching for the easiest, fool-proof recipe and I managed to found one! What made the recipe more 'credible' was that it came from a blogger who had baked frequently. This particular blogger blogged about the recipe and she repeatedly emphasized that the brownie turned out to be really nice. I was full of hopes that my brownie will turned out to be like hers.

Ingredients 

An 8" circle baking tin for baking the brownies in

Non-stick cooking spray
♥ -- 2 eggs
♥ -- 1/2 cup butter (melted, salted. if you do not have salted butter, use 1/2 teaspoon salt)
♥ -- 3/4 cup white sugar
♥ -- 3/4 cup self-raising flour
♥ -- 1/2 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
♥ -- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
♥ -- 3 tablespoons chocolate milk (or only 2 tablespoons if you like it fudgey!)
♥ -- 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Steps 

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C. Spray your non-stick cooking spray over your 8" baking tin, or if you don't have cooking spray, grease it lightly with butter.
Step 2: Combine the vanilla extract, sugar, and butter in a big bowl. Mix well
Step 3: Add the eggs in, one by one while mixing thoroughly.
Step 4: Carefully combine the cocoa powder and flour to your previous mixture. This will thicken up the batter a lot, so don't freak out if it's really dry, we'll be adding milk in a bit
Step 5: Pour in 3 tablespoons of chocolate milk and lightly stir in the chocolate chips. It will take a minute or two of constant slow stirring for your batter to absorb the chocolate milk in, but once it does.
Step 6: Pour the batter evenly into your greased baking pan and set the timer for 40-50 minutes, or until you insert a toothpick / chopstick and it comes out clean.

credits to: shiberty

See, it looks pretty idiot-proof right? I followed the recipe step for step but I have no idea why my brownie turned out to be more like a cake, a very dry cake for that matter. :(

I'm guessing it was the flour or the amount of time I baked it in the oven. From my past baking experiences, I had just used normal flour instead of self-raising flour. Was wondering if it was the flour that made it taste more like a cake and not the fudgey fudgey kinds.

Of course, I will continue to try baking brownies again and not be deterred by this one failed attempt!
Fighting Fighting!

Another milestone in life

In case you didn't know, I was sponsored by my company to further my studies last year. I have finally completed my studies last December and I am back to embracing my weekends. No more rushing of assignments during weekends/ studying for exams during my precious weekends.

Although late, but here was the graduation ceremony.

I will always look back at this picture and be reminded of how much I absolutely abhor studying. This picture will also serve as a reminder of how bad I look in short hair.

And this is my classmates who endured the painful 9 months with me.

Now, I can finally tell people that I AM trained in Social Work. YAY!

How I spend my weekend

Spending time with people I love the most. 

Been craving for steamboat for the longest time and since no one seems to be as interested in steamboat, I had to eat it myself :( . I had the mini version of it during lunch at Jurong Point's Feast today and this yummy pot of seafood steamboat was also very pocket friendly. ,Cost me only $5.70, just what I need for cash-strapped days.

I had a fufilling lunch and I went back to office feeling recharged, albeit slightly. But better than nothing! :)

Happy colours to welcome the weekend ! :) 

I don't blame you for leaving. I need to thank you for making this decision.
Because you made me realise that I actually deserved someone better.

1 year 2 months going on strong, I've never been happier.