Blackbox April Edition

Just received my complimentary Blackbox delivered by Ta-Q-Bin.

Yay!

This is the April's edition.

Having bought the VanityTrove September edition, I wasn't at all impressed.

I paid $25 and all I got were things that wasn't useful for me!

So this time round, I was praying that the items inside Blackbox were at least usable!

And, I'm pleasantly surprised!

Blackbox not only offers vouchers, cosmetic samples, but also food samples - say yay!

Discount codes for use which includes Qoo10 and Zalora.

But I've no use for them

 Yay, nescafe goodies and my favourite Nature Valley Oats 'n Honey granola bar!

See, at least these edible stuffs are useful!

1. I'm currently using Darlie Expert White & Darlie Double Action Enamel Protect (Strong Mint) from a previous sample I received.

Sadly, while it touts itself as "Clinically Proven", having used it for rather long - around 1 month - I don't see my teeth whitened 

But, the minty smell is great, so I'm still going to continue using it!

I've been a user of Sensodyne toothpaste for years, and despite its claim of being able to protect sensitive teeth, I don't feel any differences either.

So, let's me just say that as long as your toothpaste gives you a refreshing and clean teeth and breathe, it's doing its work. There's no need to purchase expensive toothpaste!

2. Vanish Pink Power Sachet - this will be for my mum, and I'm sure this is handy for any housewives or any households! Another usable item!

3. Belif (The True Cream - Aqua Bomb, First Aid 360 Eye Care Mask, Creamy Cleansing Foam Moist, UV Protector Daily Sunscreen Gel)

This is perhaps the most happy sample I've received :)

I've never tried Belif brand before, and I had no idea it was from Korea.

I swear I did not see any Belif stores when I was there in 2011 - I shall check it out during May this year!

They gave me 4 sachets to use, and all of them will come in handy in my everyday application

Hooray!

If it's good, I'll consider buying them in Seoul, since cosmetics are so much cheaper there ;)

 1. L'Oréal Paris Base Magique - a primer to use before makeup.

Having used Laneige's primer, I realized how useful a primer is. 

It eases the makeup application process, so girls, if you have big pores, try to use it!

I used to think it wasn't helpful, but once I tried it out for myself, I realized a primer is really a must-have!

2. L'Oréal REVITALIFT L.A.S.E.R. X3 Renewing Anti-Aging Serum & New Skin Anti-Aging Cream

Well, I'll just pass this to my mum to use haha

3.Zappy Baby Wipes

No use for me either, but I know who I can pass it to!

All in all, I give Blackbox a THUMBS UP, for containing all the usable items!

I'm looking forward to my next Blackbox already! 

Cheap 4 steps skincare regime

As an early twenties girl, I should be taking care of my skin to prevent premature aging.
Sadly, I'm a very lazy person.
But thankfully, my skin doesn't pose much problems, except that it's rather dry.

However, for many of us, sitting in front of the computer for hours (think radiation), and staying in air-conditioned places can negatively affect our skin conditions.
Plus, Singapore has such a hot and humid climate!

I've been "trying" to make it a point to do some after-care treatment after cleansing.
So, I'll be sharing with you my skincare regime!
Please note that this is non-sponsored and I don't tout myself to be a know-it-all!
I think this is very helpful for those poor students or people looking for skincare products with a budget.
I can safely proclaim that the products I used are really affordable ;)

1. Cleanser
This is a MUST do step for me every day.
It has become a habit for me to incorporate face-cleansing while I am bathing.
I'll apply facial cleanser on my face after I've shampoo my hair!
I'm currently using Eversoft Organic Rice Milk & Honey which is "Double Moisturizing"
Previously, I've used their tomato & cucumber and avocado, which were all good!
I tend to choose facial products that have either fruits or milk labels on them.
They tend to smell really nice too :)

2. Toner
The next step is to apply toner on my face.
This is to close the pores on your face, which were expanded during your bath (especially if you bathe in warm or hot water)
Try to choose alcohol free toner.
According to Neutrogena, "Alcohol-Free Toner refreshes skin without stripping its natural moisturizers."
My Neutrogena toner costs $7.

3. Hydrating lotion
Recently, I started applying the hydrating lotion after receiving a sample bottle from Hada Labo
To be frank, I don't feel much difference when I applied this on my face. For me this step is optional.
But the Hada Labo Hydating Lotion is the 2011 Winner of the Best Beauty Buys of The Singapore's Women's Weekly, and it is said that 1 is sold every 2 seconds in Japan.
How I use this is to dispense a few drops onto my palm and I lightly rub them together before patting them onto my face.
I have to say this is easily absorbed into my skin though :)

4. Moisturizer or sleeping pack
Behold, this is one of the most popular products and one of the MUST BUY when you're in Korea!
I am definitely going back to get this since it's so much cheaper + lots of free samples when you purchase.
I bought 4 bottles of this 1-2 years back in Seoul, 2 of it for my friends.
Currently, the big bottles have been used up, so I'm using the sample sizes now.
Luckily, I'll be heading back to Korea in May yay!
The Laneige Water Sleeping Pack is really hydrating and moisturizing.
I kid not, it is really so awesome!
Just apply on your face and go to sleep.
You'll probably wake up feeling like Song Hye Kyo - the ambassador of Laneige.
hehe
Beware of buying these online or on qoo10 though, just a word of caution that those may not be authentic, but if you're not afraid, by all means!
If I'm not wrong, a bottle costs around $30 in Korea?

That's all for now!
Stay tune for my korea trip during mid May and June!

Truth - the 130th post

Rants

If someone wants to be a part of your life, they'll make an effort to be in it 

There are some times when I feel so frustrated, that I would type things out in word document, only to  close the program.
I used to blog frequently on tumblr, doing out typography made me feel better.
I feel best when there are many reblogs, hehe.
But, I'm lacking inspirations now. Sigh.
This post is going to be very incoherent, well not that I always write fluently anyway, but I just am going to type whatever that comes to mind.

Am looking at a blog, and I'm feeling envious of her life.
She has a really warm and sweet family + extended family, who always celebrate events together and go on outings.
I really really wish I had such kind of family. But no.
Even my own family is not bonded.
My dad and mum are "busy" earning money, "busy" with housework.
A lot of times, whatever problems I face, I would suck it up, and think about it silently.
Or just blog or tweet, only to delete them later.
Or sometimes, I would rant to my brother.
I always lament and imagine how blessed it would be to have a strong knitted family.
Our family don't really go out often for dinners now that we're older.
Even if we do, we don't have much to talk about.
It's mostly me v my brother.

Next, it's about me.
I sometimes feel like an anti-social being, with no friends.
Yet, at times I think I'm really friendly to people I meet. However, I don't know how to maintain and create new friendships.
4 years in university, and I don't have any close friend.
I must be a weirdo.
I realized I'm bad at creating conversations too - but there are also people who said I can speak very well.
Hmm, so I guess it lies on whether I am in the mood to talk, and also whether the person and I can click?
Another issue I have is, I am very sensitive towards how people view me.
If people talks about me, I'm very eager to know if it is good or bad. If it's good, what is it good about me.
If it's bad, how bad am I? Am I such a failure?

Also, I have a lot of ideas and expectations of my future life.
I want to have a successful career (can I see some light of what are the jobs I will hold? I'm very open to various opportunities, but I'm unsure of my capabilities.)
I want to create a happy and warm family.
I envision myself living a blessed life as a daughter, a wife and a mother.
I envision being loved, respected, well taken care of, being showed with affection, trust and loving care, and most importantly, being with people who won't make me sad.
Sometimes I wonder, if all these would come true.
And, will I be this lucky?
It seems a bit hazy right now.
Sometimes people fall head over heels with one another, and when things happened, they start rationalizing if things can work out.
I know nothing is smooth-sailing, but I guess pains and hurts can be minimized.
Sometimes a simple respectful and understanding gesture paves a long way.
Sometimes an unkind comment kills the day.
Perhaps before we speak, we should think before opening our mouths?
Guess I need more time for further reflections.

Well I guess that's enough rants for now.
Shan't carry on.
I am only looking forward to my korea trip, which I hope nothing goes wrong then.
I've been to Seoul once for my Summer Exchange, kinda miss the place.
Look forward to my korea post.
Will definitely blog about where to go during my 14 days there (WOW).

Ciao.

Erabelle - eyebrow design

This is a non-sponsored post, which means, what I'm saying here are totally HONEST!

I had my first ever eyebrow design treatment yesterday at Erabelle Bugis.

Let me repeat, it was my first attempt in doing something to fix my brows!

I've long admired artistes with really nice eyebrows.

But I realized a lot of them drawn their eyebrows on - which means when they remove makeup, they're browless.

Gosh, that sounds horrid.

Plus, I think I've a low threshold for pain :(

I can't imagine people plucking my hair out, especially at my eyebrow!

I finally decided to fix my brows because 

1. I want to look neater

2. I am finally prepared

3. For my interview.

I think having neat eyebrows is a MUST, if you're preparing for any job interviews.

Anyway, I highly recommend going to Erabelle for an eyebrow design treatment!

It costs $27.90, and really, you'll see a big difference especially if your brows are really unkempt.

Pain wise, it was bearable :)

I asked the staff if it would be pain and she frankly said that for first-timers, pain is inevitable.

Oh well, I was already seated, didn't feel like running away from it forever!

The whole process was smooth.

While there were occasional pain, it didn't warrant any screaming or kicking.

I guess it boils down to the skills of the staff!

So BIG THUMBS UP FROM ME.

I feel shy showing the BEFORE and AFTER photo, but I realized this post won't be complete without it.

Anyway, it is possible that you do not see much difference from the pictures.

Similarly when I went home, nobody questioned my brows - it looked THAT natural.

Which is good!

Pardon me for my really lousy phone camera.

I really detest Galaxy Note 2's camera! HTC is so much better
Should have used a proper digicam or something XD

Since the photos are so blur, I'll just tell you that my brows BEFORE was unkempt and had no arch.
The staff told me that, this makes me look less alert.

Not only did she created a minor arch for me, she trimmed off the hairs between my two brows.

Yeah....if not, i'll looked like i've a single long eyebrow. Kidding.

It looks really neater IRL.

The after photo is taken 3 days later because the previous one was too dim!

I hope I didn't scare you with the pics.

Till then!

Dian Xiao Er

Treat my family to dinner at Dian Xiao Er Vivo some time ago.

Forgot to blog about this :S

Pardon me for the lousy photos.
My camera doesn't work well in dim-lighted environments.
I found that editing the photos make it really ugly!
Would source for a better camera soon ;)

It was my first visit here.

If it wasn't for my e-voucher, I probably wouldn't have entered this place.

To be frank I've never heard of this place before, however, it seems like DXE is popular because there was a long queue at the Vivo outlet!

Service wise, it was really good - we didn't wait very long for our seats.

Furthermore, the young staff inside were rather pleasant.

Anyway, the outlet resembles some kind of olden restaurant - those that you'll see in old China dramas haha

I don't really fancy such setting, sorry, furthermore, it was rather dark inside.

We ordered a few dishes, enough for 5 people - all in SMALL portion.

Managed to clear everything in the end!

Ordered 1 portion of the black chicken soup for myself :) 

 Dong Po pork

  

 THIS, IS THE MUST ORDER - ROASTED DUCK. (herbal roast duck)

I believe this is their signature dish, because a lot of people were ordering it.

Furthermore, when you enter the restaurant, you'd see the cooks preparing the duck meat.

  

Total bill sets me to about $120 T.T

It was really expensive, I'd prefer eating at tze char stall, really.

Food tasted really average, and the only nice dish was the roasted duck.

Other than that, the dishes were rather pricey.

I believe my post is a non-biased one since I've no association with DXE.

Found a lot of positive reviews by bloggers on DXE's websites (duh, they're paid or invited for tastings).

Seriously, sometimes I wonder how true their reviews are.

Even if I'm paid or given a food tasting session, I WOULD NOT blatantly give positive reviews when the food does not meet my expectations.

Wouldn't go back again, unless I've received vouchers or have enough money to spare D:

VivoCity, 1 Harbourfront Walk 

#02/137/8 

Tel: +65 6376 9786

Savour 2013

Courtesy of Kiss92 and NespressoSG, I had the chance to visit Savour.

This biggest Gourmet Event in Singapore is held at the F1 Pit Building.

Well for more information, visit http://www.savour.sg/what-is-savour to know more.

My aim here is not to bore you with information.

With my pair of Savour Premier Pass, I invited my friend along with me on the 11th.

With $60 worth of vouchers, we had the chance to try on various specialties.

But there were quite a lot of misses.

Well I'll let the photos do the talking-  photo credits goes mostly to my friend :)

Please credit the photo if you intend to use it.

 

Stellar @ 1-Altitude's Smoked short rib of Beef is a MUST ORDER.

This is 1 of the HITS for me that day.

Traditional Peruvian Seafood Appetiser of Shrimps, Scallops and Octupus

 The appetizer from ASTRID & GASTON is good.

I particularly like the octopus, as it was really soft.

I can't figure out what's that yellow mash of thing as I'm not a food prodigy nor chef, but it was really really good.

Felt like mash potato, but I know there's more to it than that.

The chilli added the oomph to this dish.

Another HIT of the day.

 Remember to redeem your FREE Nespresso drinks!

Better order the Cold Latte as it's really hot there ;)

 THE ULTIMATE HIT OF THE DAY- baking session.

To be exact, it was just a cupcake decorating session

but as the first attempt for both of us girls, it was really fun :D

So please don't laugh at our works, I think we did a great job for our first tries!

 My work below

My friend's work:

 Squid and Mackerel "Burger" Salad of Sea Greens, Moroccan Lemon Peel

We ordered this after watching Chef Anthony Demetre's demo at the Gourmet Auditorium.
He's a chef from Wild Honey, UK with 1 Michelin Star

Sadly, it was a MISS for me. 

I'm sorry, but I wouldn't pay good money for this.

 Seared Scallop, Aerated Scallop and Dill Vichysoisse, Barley and Squid Ink Crumble
Just so-so.

Under the humid weather in Singapore (even at night), our chocolate dessert melted :(

I can't say this was good, but it did left a cool experience, because of the popping sensation in my mouth.

It reminded me of the sweet I ate when I was young.

*pop pop pop*

Unfortunately, all the appetizers below did not impress.

 Ending shot to mark the day

 All in all, a wonderful experience, particularly the baking session.

Would love to camp there and enjoy ALL the cooking sessions there.

unfortunately, time is not in my hands.

I'm sure there are plenty more HITS in the event.

So, head over there now - the event ends tomorrow.

11-14TH APRIL 2013 

1 REPUBLIC BOULEVARD F1 PIT BUILDING AND PADDOCK