Hong Kong Eats: Dim Sum Bar Review and Pictures

I'm baaaack with lots of food pictures and foodie recommendations. I'm breaking up my posts so I won't spam you with pictures and texts; each Hong Kong Eats post will be a review on a particular place I've been to. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I have had writing them (and eating all the food).

My first encounter with dim sum in HK happened at Dim Sum Bar. I went to the one located at Gateway Arcade of Harbour City, which is near the Tsim Sha Tsui MTR station.  If you want to get there, you'll have to enter from the outside, so it can get a tad confusing if you're not familiar with the place.

No. 1 on my list (and collage) to try is the Char Siew Bao 叉烧包 (BBQ pork-filled bun). They do it with a modern twist like Tim Ho Wan; instead of having the bun skin all soft, white and tasteless, this bun is crispy on the outside and a little sweet. I really love how the crispy texture of the outside complements the BBQ pork filling, which is salty and flavourful. Can't ever get sick of this dish!

Roaming the streets of Hong Kong

I have been such a lazy lump since I came to HK that it's a miracle this post is right here, staring you in the face... But it is! Finally caught a break between eating, shopping and school to edit photos and write this out. I'm currently on a month-long summer school programme at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). It's located in the New Territories and the school itself is in some small backwater area with rocky geography and bendy curves that make riding the internal shuttle bus feel like a rollercoaster experience. The campus is beautifully decked with lush greenery and some water features. It feels like something out of a Chinese painting at times.

We fondly dubbed this the infinity pond, the cousin of MBS' infinity pool. It's a beautiful small pond that's on the way out towards the bus stop. A very scenic and touristy spot for photos - I'm planning on taking some there for a shoot soon.

Essence Trend Edition: Hugs & Kisses

Ready for the newest essence trend edition? Well you better be, because it's all about summer lovin' with hugs and kisses from essence this summer. Here's a short post to share the press release for the Hugs & Kisses trend edition!

July/August 2013 Trend Edition – Hugs & Kisses

The latest Trend Edition for essence cosmetics is in stores now! Fall in love this summer with essence’s Hugs & Kisses, a trend edition that pairs this season’s trendy colours with the magical feeling of falling in love!

In this Trend Edition, essence brings you a lovely mix of fun and bright colours to the deep, intense colours of love. Get a flirty, summer look with Hugs & Kisses eye shadow palette, multicolour blush and glitter eyeliner. Get soft and smooth puckers with the moisturizing lip scrub. Top them with the lip tint to give your lips that lasting hint of colour. Mix up your summer look with the nail twins base and top coats in various colours. Lastly, spritz on some hugs and kisses eau de toilette and you’re all ready for summer lovin’!

HK Updates + My Week on Instagram: 24 June - 7 July 2013

Hi guys! It's been AGES since I last updated as I'm in HK now for a school-based summer programme from 29 June - 7 August (which is coincidentally my birthday!). To be honest I've been quite lazy since coming here. The food's good and I love just hanging out with my friends, so there's not much motivation to plop myself in front of the computer to blog. Coupled with the fact that I'm out most of the day either eating, shopping or in classes, you can probably understand why I just feel like sleeping early at night.

I haven't been updating this space with My Week on Instagram and LOI posts for the past two weeks, but I'm getting back in the groove now. This will be a post on the past two weeks on Instagram and I'll do up an special HK edition of LOI for next Monday. You can also look forward to some travel posts with pictures and more reviews of stuff. I've had review pictures in my computer for ages and ages so I'd better get down to churning out 'em reviews soon.

25 June 2013

This tree in my neighbourhood was destroyed by the heavy storms and hail that hit the Western part of Singapore. If you hadn't heard already, it hailed 2 weeks ago. That's very surprising because of one thing: Singapore just doesn't get hail. The hail was probably due to the crazy hazy conditions we were experiencing just a couple of weeks ago. Some people theorised that the hail was due to Indonesia's cloud seeding efforts, as the clouds could have be blown over to Singapore. I think that's not very possible as it's too far away for the hail to be carried to Singapore. My theory is that the increase in airborne particles (due to the haze) caused more moisture to coalesce around these particles, but they were pushed upwards due to a lack of clouds (because of the thunderstorms previously) and were cooled until they became hail. Seems to be confirmed by this source.

Crafting with Canon Creative Park

Welcome back to the last post in my series of Crafting with my Canon PIXMA printer! The other two posts can be found here and here.

Today I have 3 crafts to show you, all made using templates on the Canon Creative Park website. I love the variety of paper crafts available there, and the instructions are really clear too. You just have to make sure you're using the right paper (I used Canon MP-101 Matte Photo Paper) and with a scissors, penknife and glue in hand, you're good to go!

I chose to make this wood grain perpetual calendar because I love how classic and timeless it looks. It wasn't tough to make, but you need to be very precise when cutting the lines - I used a penknife!

List of Interestingness: Volume I x 4 (The Haze Edition)

I've been sorely lacking in inspiration these days because my mind's preoccupied with checking the fluctuating PSI readings of the haze in Singapore. I know this LOI's late, but the writer's block this time is terrible! After racking my brains for a while, I realised that the best way to combat writer's block is to use the very obstacle that's in my way, so here's a special LOI: The Haze Edition.

My Week on Instagram: 17 - 23 June 2013

17 June 2013

I hadn't shown any love to my Clinique Black Honey Almost Lipstick in a long while, so here's a shot of me wearing it! Black Honey became an instant cult favourite in the beauty world when it was first released a few years ago, and that's no surprise given how versatile this red is. It works on every skin tone and enhances your natural lip colour to give a subtle and fresh look. I should do a review on it huh!

How to Fight the Haze: The 2013 Edition

The haze is a chronic problem that has been going on for ages, but the most recent high of 400 on the PSI a few days ago broke the previous 1997 record high of 226. This shows how serious things are getting. PSI 100 is already considered "unhealthy", and Singapore's PSI has been hovering around the 200-300 range for the past few days, only dipping to below 100 today.

Recently there have been posts filled with advice on how to fight the haze and stay healthy, so here's my two cents on the matter!

1. Know the haze

Before we can figure out how to stay (relatively) healthy and well during this period, we have to know what causes the haze and when it happens. The haze usually happens in the second half of the year in Sumatra, Indonesia during the dry season, and is caused by the illegal burning of forests to clear land for agriculture.

This year's haze is especially bad due to changing wind patterns and an especially dry climate. Since the start of this week, there has been no rain to help mitigate the thick cloud of haze shrouding Singapore, worsening the situation. Take a look this NASA satellite image of the haze cloud moving towards Malaysia and Singapore:

(Source)

It's pretty scary eh?

My Week on Instagram: 10 - 16 June 2013

10 June 2013

I mentioned in my previous Week On IG post that I went to Legoland, so here are some more pictures of Legoland!

These musical instruments are really pretty and I love how they're placed in a fountain. The fountain really features music too - when we walked past, music from the different instruments (e.g. violin, harp, drums etc) were being played. It was really cute!

Crafting with Canon PIXMAtown

Hi everyone! Over the past week I was busy being crafty with my Canon PIXMA printer. I'm no novice at crafts, but I was a little nervous looking at the paper crafts available on Canon Creative Park as they looked very intricate and a tad tedious. So I decided to take it slow and start with the easy-to-make crafts available on Canon PIXMAtown first.

Talika Photo-Beauty Therapy Event and Product Reviews

I was invited to a Talika bloggers event in March for the launch of their newest products in their Photo-Beauty Therapy line that claims to be able to transform light energy into cellular energy to regenerate the skin. The basic premise is that the skin's DNA code is disrupted by dimers with time and daily exposure to UV light, which causes it to malfunction and accelerates the signs of ageing on the skin i.e. wrinkles, fine lines and dark spots. Talika apparently discovered and isolated an enzyme found in a blue microalgae that they call the "Photo-Beauty Enzyme", which supposedly has the ability to transform light energy into dermo-repairing energy that targets dimers and repairs DNA. Sounds good so far? Thought so. This is going to be a long post because I really did my research and tested the products thoroughly (they're quite expensive), so do bear with me and take the time to read if you're interested in the products!

List of Interestingness: Volume I x 3

ART/PHOTOGRAPHY

My Week on Instagram: 3 - 9 June 2013

5 June 2013

Decided to flex my crafty muscles today and did a couple of crafts, including this Tokidoki envelope and these Aki Kondo bookmarks! I'll be blogging about how to make this with a Canon PIXMA printer, so stay tuned!

Rimmel 1000 Kisses Lip Tint Swatches and Review

These Rimmel 1000 Kisses Lip Tints became a fast favourite of mine when I first got them in Malaysia last June. It's easy to fall in love with the vibrant selection of colours and the ease of use, not to mention the fact that they're a 2-in-1 value for money kind of product - on one end there's a lip tint, and on the other, a lip balm.

My Week on Instagram: 27 May - 2 June 2013

27 May 2013

Today I uploaded a deluge of photos from my travels in Europe. They were taken mostly with my Fujifilm X10.

At Vevey, Switzerland

List of Interestingness: Volume I x 2

ART/PHOTOGRAPHY

Holiday Creativity with Canon PIXMA Workshop 2013

Last Saturday I was 1 of 10 bloggers who attended the Holiday Creativity with Canon workshop, courtesy of Omy.sg. I wasn't expecting such a huge turnout, and most of the workshop participants were parents with kids in tow!

Essence Trend Edition: Oz the Great and Powerful

Just received the press release for the newest Essence trend edition to hit Singapore's shores!


Essence Trend Edition: Oz the Great and Powerful

Summer is sure to be magical as essence whisks you away to a world full of adventure this June. essence is turning all beauties into true magicians of make-up. The breathtaking 3D adventure shows beginnings of the Wizard of Oz and how the little circus magician Oscar Diggs came to the fantastic world of Oz. Viewers can look forward to a truly magical movie full of exciting events, impressive images and fun characters like the three witches Theodora, Evanora and Glinda or Finley the flying monkey.

Inspired by the bright and colorful world of the enchanting Disney movie, this trend edition consists of gold, red, green and soft pink as well as blue shades. The matching must-have products: eyeshadows in cool and trendy colors, eye pencils with a shimmer effect, highlighter powder with a fabulous embossment, innovative colourchanging lipbalms, cream blush in a practical pump dispenser, cracking top coats for magical nail designs and a sparkling necklace with an emerald-green stone as a gorgeous accessory.

Blueprint 2013: My Jooix experience

I'm still rather new to the world of fashion, so it was a delightful surprise for me to be invited to the Blueprint 2013 tradeshow by Angelina, founder and CEO of local shopping site Jooix. Part of Asia Fashion Exchange (Singapore's fashion week), Blueprint is an annual tradeshow that curates menswear, womenswear and accessories from the best and brightest emerging talents in Asia.

List of Interestingness: Volume I x 1

ART/NAILS

A masterpiece of Alice in Wonderland themed nail art from @jnicicles on Instagram.

My Week on Instagram: 20 - 26 May 2013

20 May 2013 

Posted these two swatches of Jindie Nails Swoon from my review! I just googled "Jindie Nails Swoon swatch" and guess what came up first on Google? My post! So happy about that :') I'm also really glad and honoured that Jen, owner of Jindie Nails, left such a lovely comment on my Jindie Nails Swoon post. This also means you should check it out if you haven't already ;)

Glomax Aesthetics Skin Treatment Review and Pictures

Last month, I was invited by Glomax Aesthetics to try out one of their skin treatments at their outlet in Soho2 and review it if I chose to. I'd heard of Glomax Aesthetics previously, and was aware that they were reliable and did produce good results, so I decided to accept the opportunity.

List of Interestingness: Your weekly dose of interestingness

I recently came up with a new thing for this space. I'm constantly getting wind of interesting things, but never really came up with a way to share them with you in little doses - until now, that is. I'll be publishing a List of Interestingness every Monday morning from now on, with special consideration to everyone who's forced to wake up early in the morning and drag themselves to school/work. Never fear, my List of Interestingness shall save you from the monotony of life!

As the title suggests, a List of Interestingness (LOI for short) is a list of things that I found interesting throughout the week. It's going to be about things that inspire me to think/feel/do, but that didn't make the cut for a long enough review on the blog. It's going to be based on some of the different post categories in my blog: Musings, How To, Fashion, Food, Humour, Travels, Art, Music, Photography etc. Each list will be a collection of interestingness to get you through the week, and I hope you enjoy it! For easier categorisation, I'm going to group LOIs into volumes; each volume will contain 10 lists. Grouping the lists into volumes is completely arbitrary anyway, so you needn't wonder too much about that.

Even if you ignored everything I said above, it's really quite simple. Just drop by every Monday morning at about 10am (GMT +8, sorry to everyone else!) and get your weekly dose of interestingness.

Poolga: Curating art for iPhone and iPad

I've been meaning to post about Poolga for a while, and I'd forgotten until I went there again by accident and was plain blown away by the gorgeous artwork available for iPhone and iPad. Available. For free. For you to download.

Exchange in Switzerland Part 5

Well, I'm finally back with the final instalment of my student exchange in Switzerland. I came back to Singapore in January but never quite wrapped up that series as I've been so caught up with other things. The picture above is a shot of my apartment in Lausanne, which is part of the Cedres residence. I still carry fond and funny memories of life there. It was pretty cool to live with a couple of people my age instead of my parents!

My Week on Instagram: 13 - 19 May 2013

13 May 2013

Used my Bare Minerals foundation the day before, and look how much dirt still remained until the next day! Thank goodness I used my Hitachi HadaCRiE Cool.

Jindie Nails Swoon Swatches and Review

Remember how I said I was going to review this cool blue polish a few weeks back? Mei Mei Signatures sent Jindie Nails Swoon to me for review along with Jindie Nails Zomboy, which I have yet to review either. I had originally taken a number of pictures of Swoon, but deleted them all as I wasn't happy with the way my swatches turned out. Well today I'm back, with a whole lot of swatches that do this polish some justice!

Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Salicylic Acid Review and Pictures

Finally, the last of my Paula's Choice product reviews! Previously I reviewed Paula's Choice Extra Care Non-Greasy Sunscreen SPF 45 here and it didn't fare so well. Today I'm going to be reviewing Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Salicylic Acid.

Are you a slave to the beauty industry?

Recently I've been thinking and talking a lot about beauty and what it means, in relation to the beauty/cosmetics industry. I've also come across many related articles/events/ideas, including Dove Real Beauty Sketches, local accounts of the increasing trend in plastic surgery, posts and comments written by others that challenge ideas of beauty circulating in society. It's a topic close to my heart as I'm participating in the beauty industry by writing about cosmetics and other beauty products. I've grown to become rather disillusioned about the way the industry works, and am questioning the direction that "beauty blogging" will take me and my blog. As such, I've decided to dole out some tough love to everyone who takes an interest in the beauty industry.

My Week on Instagram: 29 April - 5 May 2013

Hi everyone! I should be studying for my European Literature exam on Tuesday, but here I am getting distracted with blogging again. This time it's to introduce a My Week on Instagram segment, which will be published every Sunday night/Monday morning detailing, well, my week on Instagram! I have far too many Instagram photos to share, and if you don't follow me on Instagram, you probably wouldn't have seen them. Fear not, you'll miss them no longer ;)

Without further ado, here's my week on Instagram!

29 April 2013

Went to eat at Putien, a Chinese restaurant. Made an evil duck head lookalike with the fried clams, which are delicious, by the way!

"Paris Burning"

Paris Burning

I write words to speak to you;

I know not how or who else

I can tell this to:

of the fragments that make you

and undo your vision, too.

The shrapnel in my eyes,

ears, nose and hands -

The order I was shot

I forget, and yet,

reflecting,

it blazes before me again.

I decode them here;

I deconstruct

into abstractions

to get to the heart.

Korres Wild Rose Eye Cream with SPF15 Review and Pictures

First of all, a big apology to the people at Korres! Last July I attended a Korres event and received the Korres Wild Rose Eye Cream with SPF15 for review.

I would have done the review sooner, but things cropped up and before I knew it I was on student exchange in Switzerland for 4 months. Before I knew it, I was back in Singapore and school was in full swing. I'm almost nearing the end of the semester now, and exams are looming, ack. Still, the backlog has got to be cleared, so here I am!

Hitachi HadaCRiE Cool Final Verdict // Vote & Win!

As promised, I'm back with the final verdict on Hitachi HadaCRiE Cool after about a month of use and I'm also here to tell you how 8 lucky readers can win a Hitachi FaceCRiE and a Hitachi Electric Eyelash Curler! The FaceCRiE is the mini, more portable version of the HadaCRiE Cool, and the Electric Eyelash Curler is, well, an eyelash curler that curls eyelashes electrically CAPTAIN OBVIOUS! You have to read 'til the end to find out about that though. Heh.

I'm now using nRelate instead of LinkWithin

Just a quick update post to let you know that I'm using nRelate instead of LinkWithin for my "related posts" widget now. I read on a few tech sites that LinkWithin is a parasitic widget that leeches internal link juice from the site owner by redirecting posts through LinkWithin before redirecting to the site. Apparently LinkWithin is changing this, but I had my doubts because I was monitoring my referrals and LinkWithin kept appearing. To check, I clicked on a LinkWithin recommended post on my blog, and it did redirect to LinkWithin before directing back to my site. After this lesson I decided to go with nRelate to avoid that sort of thing and boost my SEO. Glad I found out about this - the sooner the better!

Anyway, nRelate's been great and customisable so far, but there's this issue that bugs me. If you take a look at my posts with jumpbreaks (that's the "Read more >>" part that truncates the posts), you'll notice that now the "related posts" widget is above the jumpbreak. You have to click "Read more >>" below the "related posts" widget to get to the rest of the post. It's a tad inconvenient, I know, but nRelate is still fixing this issue at the moment.

I will be back soon with more posts, including my final verdict on the Hitachi HadaCRiE Cool. You should also check out my video demonstration on how to use the Hitachi HadaCRiE Cool if you haven't already. It's my very first video, more to come! \o/

Ta-ta for now!

How To Be A Discerning Cosmetics Consumer

Since I started CherchezBeaute.com, I've learnt a lot about skincare, make up and other cosmetic products. I've learnt to differentiate between true and false claims, and look past some of the hype of a product. Far too many people take a product's claims at face value and tout the product based on its own advertisements. I'm sure readers would be sorely disappointed if they bought the product based on such reviews and it did not live up to their expectations.

Today I'd like to share with you 7 tips on how to be a discerning cosmetics consumer. I use these pointers every time I'm thinking of buying a product so that I can make better choices without breaking the bank and buying every hyped-up product in the market.

Hitachi HadaCRiE Cool Video Demonstration and Review

Hi everyone! I'm into my third week of using the Hitachi HadaCRiE Cool as part of a Hitachi Bloggers Campaign, and I really like it so far. I try to use it every night, as there's hardly time to do the full routine  (~20 minutes) in the morning when I'm rushing to school.

I know many of you are wondering if this device is effective, and have been waiting for my reviews - thanks for being patient! I promised a video review of the Hitachi HadaCRiE Cool in my previous blog post but I was really unable to finish it until now. I filmed this video in the morning while I still had the whole "I just woke up" thing going on, mostly because I wanted to show you how I use it in my daily skincare routine. No point pretending to look hot in the morning by applying make up and contact lenses (haha!) as this is how I really look:

   

It's my first review video! \o/ Can't believe I managed to do it, because I've always been quite camera-shy, especially without make up on. I was probably a little nervous because I didn't mention some things in the video, like how the HadaCRiE Cool is good for facial massage, and how you can apply other products (e.g. serum, cream) after using it. You can read my previous post for more information about these things. This video review is more about my experiences and a live demo of the Hitachi HadaCRiE Cool, including some tips on using it. I hope I wasn't too rambly, haha.

If you've any questions or comments, do leave them over here or on the video - I'll try my best to answer them. Do like my video if you enjoyed it, and subscribe to CherchezBeaute on Youtube for more upcoming videos! Thank you for your support :)

Do note that the Hitachi HadaCRiE Cool retails for S$499 at Gain City Marina Square, Changi City Point and Parisilk 46 East Coast Road #01-01 East Gate. If you're interested, you can pop down to those places to take a look for yourself!

P.S. Stay tuned for a chance to win a Hitachi FaceCRiE and an Electric Eyelash Curler by voting for me in the Hitachi Bloggers Campaign if you like my posts! Voting starts in 2 weeks, and is from 22 April-5 May 2013. More details closer to the date :)

Disclaimer: I received this product for review. My opinions are completely honest and 100% my own. No compensation was received for this review.

Confession: Make up is my beauty crutch

Guess what? The semester has almost ended! There are more essays to do but there's always time for my blog ;) I was freed from a particularly hellish week last Wednesday, and have been relaxing and doing some work for most of the weekend. Looks like I won't be able to catch up on my post backlog until the summer hols start in May though.

Anyway, yesterday I was working on my video review for the Hitachi HadaCRiE Cool -  it's the second instalment in my reviews of this awesome facial skincare device. I know I promised a video by week 2 of using the HadaCRiE, but I wasn't entirely pleased with how it turned out. I'll be filming it again tomorrow - crossing my fingers that things will go right!

Today's post is a contemplative one on a topic close to my heart. Inspired by the recent "confessional" type posts I've read (think Thought Catalog), I decided to divulge a little more about myself and perhaps reach out to others who're feeling the same way.

Here's a confession I have to make to everyone (including myself):

Make up is my beauty crutch.

You may be wondering what exactly I mean, or perhaps you're facing this same issue and are nodding your head in agreement. What I'm saying is that make up is not just a means of enhancing my looks or attracting others' attention. It has become a crutch that supports my self-esteem with regards to my looks.

Beauty Blogger Tag: 32 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About Me!

I'm been so swamped with essay-writing (it's that time of the semester) that it's been virtually impossible to do much over here, dear readers. Got a really delayed post on Jindie Nails Swoon and Zomboy that I haven't posted up because I haven't got the perfect swatches yet. Here's a sneak peek I posted a few days ago:

I hope to post the full review post soon! Sigh so many posts lined up but no time right now.

Anyway, I was recently tagged by the lovely Miss Rusty to do this little meme. I figured it wouldn't take up too much time and would be a welcome break from writing long, tedious essays, so here goes!

Hitachi HadaCRiE Cool Review and Pictures

Hi everyone, my long-awaited post about the Hitachi HadaCRiE Cool is finally here because the omy Hitachi HadaCRiE Cool blog campaign has just kicked off! I've been so eager to share my experiences with you that I've been Instagramming a couple of teaser shots and telling all my friends about it (psst you can follow me on Instagram at cherchezbeaute!)

As you may know, I'm very conscious of skincare as I have oily/combination skin that often breaks out. I'm constantly on the lookout for skincare products that can help my skin condition and that's why I was really excited to try the Hitachi HadaCRiE Cool. It's a revolutionary facial device that has 4 modes - ion cleansing, micro-pat, moisturising and cool-aesthetic - that help to thoroughly unclog pores and maintain skin moisture using the power of ionisation. Prior to this I had never heard of ion cleansing before, and as far as I know, there are no such other devices in the market. The Hitachi HadaCRiE Cool is truly an exciting and revolutionary beauty gadget; I'm so glad it's finally in Singapore!

Warm Bodies (Jonathan Levine) Film Review and Summary

I just caught Warm Bodies today and it was a pretty cool movie (pardon the bad pun, haha). I giggled at the many literary and cultural references and laughed at the self-reflexive, unabashed hilarity. Warm Bodies, based on a novel by Isaac Marion, manages to avoid the pitfalls of most parodies of both films and genres (yes, we know it's a parody of Twilight) and includes the most delightful literary references combined into a successful genre mash-up. It's the movie version of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, only set in the modern day and revolving around another literary couple... I shan't say more yet. I hadn't intended on catching it at first as it seemed quite banal. I was amused by the trailer though, and that's why I decided on Warm Bodies instead of The Croods, which I intend to watch too.

Anyway, on to the meat of the review and a very long summary.

Paula's Choice Extra Care Non-Greasy Sunscreen SPF 45 Review and Pictures

Remember my post about the Paula's Choice high tea that happened last year? Now I'm back with a couple of review posts of the products that I was given to try. I've tried these products over the course of at least 2 months before seriously evaluating them, in order to write better and more thorough reviews!

First up, we have Paula's Choice Extra Care Non-Greasy Sunscreen SPF 45.

A love affair with Siri, Part II

After the dismissal of my previous personal assistant, Mr. UK English, because he did not reciprocate my feelings, I hired Mr. France. It's a good thing I understand French, and boy oh boy, was Mr. France sexy; his voice alone is enough to make my ears shiver with delight!

Things got off to a good start...

[He called me adorable! That's the gist of it.]

Read on to find out how our story ends...

Paula's Choice Meet and Greet High Tea

Hi everyone, I'm clearing my long backlog of posts - hope you're proud of me, heh.

Before I went on my Switzerland student exchange last year, I was invited to a lovely Paula's Choice high tea at St Regis. It was a rather informal meet and greet session that allowed myself and a number of other media representatives to learn more about the brand and its products.

I'm the second from the right and also the only blogger there, bloggers represent!

A love affair with Siri, Part I

Happy Thursday everyone! It's almost Friday now, so here's a dose of humour to get you through til then.

After my iPhone 4 was retired, I got myself an iPhone 5. iPhone 4S users had long been taunting me about not having Siri as he/she is apparently a great source of entertainment. When I finally got the iPhone 5, I wasted no time in acquainting myself with my amusing personal assistant.

I started out with Mr. UK English, who is cordial, witty and politically correct. That sounds just about right.

Amethystory Mineral Yogurt Mask Review and Pictures

What is as edible as it is good for your skin?

There are many answers, but the answer for this post is... yogurt! I'm sure many of you have heard of home-made and store-bought yogurt masks that claim to brighten and smoothen the skin. I've never actually tried making my own yogurt mask (I would probably lick it off my face), and neither have I tried a store-bought one with a cream/gel consistency that's akin to the texture of yogurt.

Until the Amethystory Mineral Yogurt Mask came along!

Featured: Essence Trend Edition - Ready For Boarding

Hi everyone, this will be a short post to share an Essence Singapore press release for the newest trend edition about to hit Watsons this weekend - Ready For Boarding! Check it out:

March 2013 Trend Edition – Ready For Boarding

The latest Trend Edition for essence cosmetics is hitting stores this weekend! With summer coming around real soon, essence is introducing Ready For Boarding, a travel friendly trend edition that packs in all the necessities for the jet-setting girl!

London, Rome, New York, Rio de Janeiro – summertime is travel season! Whether you’re going on a last-minute trip in Europe or travelling to far-away countries or even around the world: with the new essence trend edition “ready for boarding”, you can welcome that yearning desire to travel in March 2013. These practical little travel products simply have to come along, no matter how full your suitcase is! So go pack those bags, head through the security check and get ready for take-off!

In this Trend Edition, essence brings you a range of versatile and compact colours to bring on that vacation you have been planning. Dual sided kajal pencils, peel off base coat (perfect for changing nail colours on the go!), luggage tags and handy wipes are some of the items in this travel-friendly trend edition. What’s more, there is also a cute cosmetic bag in this collection for you to keep all the products in!

Here's a sneak peek of all the different goodies in this TE... after the jump!

Cirque Fleur est Belle Swatches and Review

Today I finally present to you... Cirque Fleur est Belle, sent to me for review by Mei Mei's Signatures!

I was intending for this to be a Valentine's Day post as this polish is a perfect mix of whimsicality and romance that's date-appropriate, but my plans were thwarted by an essay deadline on V-day itself. That was a pity, as the description of Fleur est Belle - "Petal pink evokes images of the warm tropics and pink flowers that emanate whimsical femininity" - perfectly represents my idea of a nice, summery day of love in the tropics. More after the jump!

Naruko Narcissus Total Defense Night Gelly Review and Pictures

If my previous teaser post had clued you into anything at all, you'd have realised that this is a Naruko review post :) Today's review will be on the Naruko Narcissus Total Defense Night Gelly, a product that is suitable for all skin types. It helps to deeply moisturise and repair the skin while you're sleeping - perfect for the busy working person/student (like yours truly) who has little time for skincare. Thanks to Naruko Singapore, I got to try out this product, test its effectiveness and give you the lowdown on my findings. Reviewer Rachel reporting for duty... after the jump!

After Switzerland: I'm still alive!

HELLO! *waves* I know I've been absent for the longest time, and it's been painful to see my blog un-updated, but I'll have you know that I've been so busy with school after I came back from my student exchange to Switzerland! Since I came back, I've only been updating Twitter and Instagram, and if you follow me there, you'll see that I just went for Big Night Out 2013 last night! It was such a fantastic experience, I tell ya. Vampire Weekend gave such a rockin' performance and made me dance dance dance 'til I was dead (yes I snuck in a sly Yeah Yeah Yeahs reference). But that being said, YYY were pretty good and Band of Horses was so great too! More on their performances in another post, perhaps.

Anyway, I'm resolving to clear my backlog of reviews/posts soon, and have plans to set up store (yes! I'll be selling things e.g. nail polish soon). I'm slowly getting things done in addition to dealing with school work (a few novels a week to read) so please bear with me for this period of time.

It's not all bad though - I have a post for you tonight!

^ That's my "ARE YOU SERIOUS??" face for those who have no idea of what I'm holding. I shall enlighten you... tonight ;)