As promised, here are the reviews on my recent dim sum expedition! Let the pictures do the talking shall we? But first, make sure you prepare a box of tissues for the high possibility of salivation! ;)
Some apple soup which tasted really sweet!
I really liked this soup! It's snow pear soup!
This was a wrong order actually, a mistake made by the staff not us. This soup tasted alright and the meat you see are fish meat. But having to drink so much soup even before we touched the dim sum dishes made us really really full and bloated!
Ha kao?
Not mouth-watering enough?

Wait till you see.....



THIS
Honestly, I'm not a fan of custard buns though I know many are, but seriously, this won me over compared to the ones I've tried at KungFu Paradise. It's really tasty and tasted similar to salted duck eggs texture! 
Assorted mushroom. Was expecting a bigger pot than this.
Fried carrot cakes were so so. Only 2 pcs per order compared to the usual 4 pcs, but didn't matter since we were already stuffed by then!
Braised duck was alright. 
Personally, I'm not a fan of meat cooked this way. It makes me feel as if they were frozen which I think they were, and just steamed it altogether without separating them apart. Like by just dumping them into the steamer, no?

The Chee Cheong Fun was kinda tasteless as well and the sauce was quite oily, that I felt as if I was dipping into a bowl of oil instead of seasoning. I prefer the traditional ones with sweet sauce and sesame seeds or those filled with prawns or cha siew :)
Not sure what the hell was that black thing, but it looks like some charred thing...ugh!
Siew Mai with cooked roe. I prefer those bright orangey fish roe that burst into liquid when bitten!
The desserts were kinda pathetic but the waitress was really thoughtful enough to deliberately serve me the heart shaped one, which I thought was quite meticulous of her and I appreciate it as well. Such small gestures do speak volume - at least their waitress are not serving blindly without utilizing their brain and serving for the sake of serving right? 

Bf and I were satisfied overall and we were really stuffed halfway through the meals. We paid about $28 per pax so I think it was quite alright. But buffets are not my kind of thing because I'm a small eater. 

The restaurant was quite crowded when we arrived at 12 noon and continued to be, and we have seen that some of the customers had to wait quite a long time before they were offered a place. They had to many several trips back to the restaurant to check. 

So my advice is to reserve a place before heading there. They were also kind enough to allow a change of timing, because bf and I couldn't wake up in time, considering the fact of the location from our house!

One bad thing is that, the place is quite small for a restaurant and its location was quite difficult to find. You would have to seek help from the Hotel's Concierge before you can actually find the place. It's not located directly under the Oasia Hotel but the building beside it. I guess both buildings are linked. But nevertheless, thumbs up to the staff at the Concierge who took the trouble to walk out and show us the way to the building to take the lift. Awesome customer service there! :)
Old Hong Kong Essence
8 Sinaran Drive, 
#02-05 
Oasia Hotel @ Novena,Singapore 

Overall rating :
 
There are too many terminologies to remember for foundation and powders and many ladies, like myself, often get ourselves confused. 

Let me clear the air once and for all.

Foundations are meant for coverage purposes and this includes BB Cream and Liquid foundations. 

Compact/pressed powders are meant for light coverage or touch up purposes. 

Another term which we might have come across would be a 2-way cake foundation. This can be used on damp face or applying with a damped sponge. 

For me, I have been using compact powders ever since I'd started on make up, but there was once which I had tried using liquid foundation and thus, would like to share my experience with you.
If I recall correctly, my first and LAST liquid foundation was from Revlon Colorstay Liquid Foundation. It's not that this product is lousy or anything, but I would like to indulge on the fact that I would prefer compact powders over liquid foundation any time, anywhere. 

I had used Maybelline's compact powder and have since switched over to Chanel's compact powder after I was given a generous amount of sample kits by a friend who works at Chanel :) 
For the comparison between these 2 brands, you may wish to read it here :)
Reasons why I prefer compact powders over liquid foundation :

1. As mentioned, although liquid foundation provides a better and greater coverage, as I do not require such heavy make up, light coverage powders work well for me. I do not have any serious blemishes or scars to cover up so compact powders are fine. But let's say if I do have an annoying pimple that pops up over the night, I would use a concealer to gently pat over them and try to conceal them as much as possible, after which, I would gentle pat my compact powder over so that it does not seem all too obvious. I'm using the Loreal True Match Concealer :)

2. The main reason for choosing compact powders is because lesser hassles are involved. Although I'd prefer using my fingers over sponges so that I can have a better control of application, it is actually too messy. Your fingers get dirty and if you have long nails like mine, the liquid foundation gets stuck inside your nails and you would have a hard time digging and washing them off. Using a sponge is so much easier. But for concealers, I do dab on the targetted spot using the tip of the fingernails. I guess that would be difficult when applying liquid foundations. 

3. I cringe at ladies who apply heavy make up. Remember, make ups are meant to enhance your features and as for foundations, they are not meant to look as if you had just whitewashed your face (wrong shade) or painted your face. One trick to find out if the shade if right for you, is to snap a picture with flash of your whole body. Compare the shades of your body and face. If you happen to see a paler shade on your face, then you've got it all wrong. I've seen many ladies with this problem and it's just not flattering at all. Too much of anything is just wrong. Guys, as I know, do not like girls who apply such heavy make up and some of them (including ladies) have jokingly said that if girls with thick make up on gets slapped, their foundation would crack into pieces and just fall off to the ground. I know, it sounds kinda uncouth and insulting, but they do have a point there. Furthermore, do you wish to kiss a cheek filled with lots of foundation and make up? I don't think so. 

4. Setting the right base on your face before applying liquid foundation can be troublesome as well. Personally, I don't use a primer but I do moisturise my face before applying the compact powder. I would leave the moisturiser on for about 5 mins before I apply the powder to preventing it from caking and layering, which is a very ugly sight I tell you. As primers/moisturisers are liquid base, applying another liquid over it can be tricky. You might have to wait longer for the primers/moisturisers to set before you can start applying the liquid foundation. Not a good idea if you are in a rush, especially when you are rushing for work in the morning.  And once it cakes, it would be very difficult to set it right again and you would most probably have to remove it and apply everything all over again.

5. You need not touch up with another cosmetics if you are using compact powder. You can just touch it up on the go and that's one thing less to carry in your make up pouch. If you are using liquid foundation, you would need to set it after it dries for a matte finishing. Extra step, extra costs, extra chemicals on your face, extra difficult to remove it thoroughly.

6. As you may have noticed, the Chanel powder comes with a brush, which I have not used before. I've not experiment using brush for foundation application though and still prefers using sponge. But for liquid foundation, you can't use a brush although you may want to consider using a sponge but most ladies, use their fingers to apply. 

7. Since liquid foundation is more difficult to remove, you may have to remove them twice in total. If it's not removed thoroughly and properly, expect to see those unfriendly zits popping out the next few days. I do not believe when foundations/powders are claimed that they do not clog the pores, especially when you have open pores, it's easier to enter and clog them. The only method is to ensure you do remove your make up and remove them thoroughly and then cleanse your face after that as well. 

8. The only hassle which both liquid foundations and compact powders face together is the touching up, especially if you have combination skin like mine with oily T-zone. You can try getting those suitable for combination skin, but I'm sure more or less, there bound to be secretion of oil at the T-zone and constant touching up is a must. This is especially so when you are out of an air-conditioned room, or even when you are in it!

So ladies, I hope you find these information useful when deciding between liquid foundations and compact powders. If you do not require heavy coverage, I would encourage you to go for compact powder instead. Please do not use loose powder for coverage as they are meant to touch up and set the liquid foundations to a matter finishing. 

Thanks for reading babes! :)

xoxo,
Jean
 
As ladies, we do know the importance of beauty and vanity. However, beauty is not just about stacking and piling tonnes and tonnes of make up on your face, which may result in repercussions, doing more harm than benefiting your skin and eventually, beauty. 

Beauty begins with simple skin care tips that you should pay attention to and beauty also refers to natural beauty. Of course, it would be difficult to search for a lady with 100% flawless skin, but that does not mean it is impossible to work towards that. 

Always remember that cosmetics can only do so much and if you don't wish to scare the hell outta people after removing your make up, or if you are ashamed to remove your make up and go bare faced in public, it simply means that you are acknowledging your skin problems. Why not then target  these problematic areas by developing good skin care habits? They are not difficult to nurture and do not require deep pockets. Just really simple steps which can go a long way!
Credits :  slimvision.net
Here are some useful great tips you should try!

1. 3 basic skin care steps - Cleanse, Apply Toner and Moisturise on your face

Need I say more? This should already be at your fingertips! 

You may wish to read my reviews on Kose Supreme Sekkisei and Laniege where I've shared some of the reviews as well as info on these 3-step basic skin care tips! 

You may not frequent facials or may not slap on sheet masks every now and then, BUT THESE 3-STEP SKIN CARE ARE RULES OF SKIN LAW (if there's ever such a thing) and YOU MUST DEFINITELY FOLLOW! If you are guilty of otherwise, knock your head 3 times!

2. Facial Treatments

Now, these are not compulsory and essential compared to point 1, but it is highly encourageable! You need to pamper your skin every now and then apart from the fundamentals. Personally, I believe frequenting beauty salons for facials and what more if you fall into the trap of sales talk and gimmicks, causing you to sign up lots of expensive packages, are not compulsory. Putting things into perspective, look at things this way, if you take good care of your skin, you need not burn huge holes in your pockets, right? Well, that is apart from serious skin problems caused naturally/genetics or severe acne problems etc. Plus, results might not be immediate after attending facials or sometimes, they are just pure useless. 

I've rarely, if not, hardly stepped into beauty salons for facials and have always been using sheet/clay/wash off masks at the comfort of my own home. Well, you may say that these masks are not as effective as those potent ingredients beauty salons can offer, but you can't deny that certain masks do work! Read my beauty reviews and you will know! :)

If sheet masks are not your cuppa tea, you may try to DIY masks using natural food ingredients. There are many websites which offer natural remedies, just google it and you will know! But my advice is, to conduct extensive researches (forums,blogs,beauty consultants etc) on these DIY steps before applying anything on your face and take them with a pinch of salt. You have to be extra careful on whatever you are putting on your face. 

Credits :  beautyismyduty.com
Wash off mask
Sheet mask
3. Beauty is only skin deep

I don't mean "Don't judge its book by its cover", but that you may look gorgeous after piling up on your make up, but after removing them, you scare yourself sometimes too! 



YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT. 


And I truly believe that. I'm not a fan of fruits but yes, I hate to admit that they do benefit your skin, apart from other health benefits. 

Fruits which you may wish to try :

a. Kiwi and Pomegranate: Kiwi helps to ensure healthy, clear, beautiful skin by preventing wrinkles and blemishes.  Pomegranates which are filled with antioxidants helps to fight against free radicals, control acne as well prevents wrinkles. 

b. BananaIt is rich in iron, magnesium and potassium and contains lots of vitamin A, B and E and hence works as an anti-aging agent.  Furthermore, bananas contain natural fats and complex proteins to smooth and soften your skin  For DIY masks, you may wish to try mashing banana as facial! 

c. Lemon, berries, oranges : Such citrus fruits contain high dosage of vitamin C as well as antioxidants which help to clarify and rejuvenate your skin. Oranges are also known to slow down ageing process. Those who are obsessed with skin whitening, lemons will do the work for you!

d. Apples are rich in pectin which is a starch that is essential in preventing unsightly acne from popping! 

e. Papaya: Known to be one of the best fruits in achieving great skin would be papaya! Loaded with lots of antioxidants and an enzyme known as papain, it helps to kill dead cells as well as to cure skin impurities! You may also wish to consider drinking payaya milk instead of consuming the fruit itself, or you may want to try applying the flesh of papaya on your skin and wait for the miracle to happen!

f. Mango: Power-packed with vitamin-A and rich antioxidants, it fights against skin aging, regenerates skin cells and restores the elasticity of skin.

g. Tomatoes : Aids in skin whitening, tomatoes contain lycopene which helps to protect your skin from free radicals and boosts your skin's natural sun protection factor (SPF). Also, the vitamins and minerals found in tomatoes clarify you skin and prevent blemishes!

Foods which you may wish to try :

a. Whole wheat : Another ingredient in some foods that is really good for your skin is selenium. This is found in whole wheat cereals, breads and baked goods. It helps to improve the skin at a cellular level and keeps you looking young and beautiful.

b. Salmon : along with other fatty fish, walnuts and flaxseed, is high in healthy fatty acids that are key for achieving healthy skin. Essential fatty acids such as omega-3s help keep cell membranes healthy by keeping out harmful substances as well as allowing nutrients to enter cells and exit with waste products. Omega-3s also reduce the body's production of inflammatory agents that can damage the skin.

c. Carrots : They are an excellent source of vitamin A, which is a required nutrient for healthy skin. They also contain high levels of antioxidants, which prevent free radical damage of skin cells. Vitamin A is required for developing and maintaining skin cells, and a deficiency of the vitamin can cause dry skin.
You should also :

a. Hydrate yourself with plenty of water : at least your individual minimum intake -- will help keep your skin young and healthy-looking. Water in caffeinated or sugary beverages does not count; water intake must be from pure, clean water, which rejuvenates skin cells. Water both hydrates cells and helps them move toxins out and nutrients in. 

b. Drink Green Tea : Besides the other health benefits which green tea offers,  it is rich in antioxidants that reduces inflammation and protect cell membranes. It has been proven to reduce the damage of sunburns and overexposure to ultraviolet light, which in turn reduces the risk of skin cancer. Green tea is also high in polyphenols -- compounds that eliminate cancer-causing free radicals. Some believe that drinking green tea helps to lose weight too!   
4. Detox every once/twice a month by eating only fruits and drinking water the whole day to keep your skin healthy and to wash out those toxins. It aids in constipation as fruits and water works hand in hand to soften the stools.

5. Applying sunblock : Whether or not you are a fan of fair skin, preventing sun and uv rays from damaging your skin should apply across the board. Plus, uv rays cause acne scars to darken as well. Click here to read on how to choose the right sunscreen.

6. Try indulging in a long, relaxing shower or bath at least once a week. This helps to soothe the skin as well as a form of destressing method. Lesser stress, lesser acnes!

7. Exfoliate : And I don't mean just your facial skin. Try exfoliating your whole body skin as well to remove dead skin cells, leaving your skin smoother, more supple and fairer! Also, since we are encouraged to exfoliate our face before applying any mask as it helps to open up pores, logically, exfoliating the body skin would assist in the absorption of body moisturisers!

8. If you're a make up fan and can't leave without concealing, remember to change your foundation sponge regularly if you are a compact powder user. A dirty sponge not only result in uneven application of the powder, it may also increase the chances of you contracting acnes as bacteria gets built up in it! 

9. Remove all make up thoroughly at the end of the day. I'm quite sure most of us are guilty for not following this rule of skin law, at least once in our entire lifetime. I too, am guilt-stricken purely out of laziness, but have since avoided such bad habit and will still force myself to quickly remove my make up before I head to bed. Make up clogs pores through impurities which would result in a breakout. You may read my reviews on makeup removers

10. Of course, good skin care is also a matter of healthy lifestyle choices as beauty is only skin deep. Smoking does a lot of damage on the body including the skin—not only does it contribute to premature aging and wrinkles, it is also the leading cause of more serious health risks like emphysema or lung cancer. The right way to protect the skin in this situation is to simply give up the habit. People have to keep in mind that what they do on the outside affects underlying conditions in the body. This is also why a balanced diet rich in fibre, lean protein, good fats, vitamins and minerals also promotes healthy young-looking skin. Stress affects a person’s peace of mind and makes the skin vulnerable to skin problems like acne breakouts. Managing stress can help a person not only feel good, but look good. 

I hope you babes will find these tips useful in achieving your perfect flawless skin!

As the saying goes, "There is no ugly women only lazy ones!"

xoxo
Jean :)
 
My dark circles are horrid! I'm still in the midst of searching for that one and only HOLY GRAIL! But more HGs are welcomed too!

Tried out the eye mask from Leaders InSolution sponsored by Cossy Pte Ltd and loving the cooling effect it offers to my tired looking eyes. My suggestion is that you can either chill your masks (including facial masks) or you can just mask in an air-conditioned room (although this might dry out the moisture and essence very fast?). Nothing beats the relaxing cooling effect that masks offers on your skin after a loooonngggggg day at work/school! Work hard yes, but we should also pamper ourselves to balance out the stress! Don't be guilt-stricken because you deserve it and you are only human! Even robots breakdown, no? :)

These eye masks from Leaders InSolution are packed similar to those you see in eye masks which are highly raved in 女人我最大. 
Honestly, did not see any immediate effects after using them but I shall diagnose the possible reasons myself :

1. I did not close and rest my eyes while masking. Yes, I was occupied with the computer and was having my dinner at the same time while the masks were on. I know, I should feel guilty, because the instructions say to rest your eyes while masking and I didn't.

2. Maybe eye masks/creams are not miracle solutions and they have to be constantly maintained with masks/cream for gradual improvements to occur. 

3. Maybe my dark circles are beyond hope :(

However, the good thing is that, you need not damp your eye areas before you smack on those eye masks. These gel-like masks stick on perfectly without slipping off! Yes, not even when I am sitting up right savouring my food away... Would be a disaster if they slipped off and dropped into my dinner right?! UGH!

So overall rating :
 
Bf and I, together with 2 of our friends, settled down at Tiong Shian Porridge Centre. I remember visiting this place when I was much younger for porridge, which I'm not really a fan of, but my parents are. 

This place sells frog porridge too which I'm not quite a fan too because I've visited factories where I've personally witnessed the deskinning process of frogs. So everytime I hear 'frog leg porridge', that gruesome image flashes in my mind.

But, I've learnt to eat frog leg porridge recently because bf likes it. Well, more of accommodating I think, haha! 

He knows I dislike porridge so he ordered two claypots of fish head (?!) noodles and a pot of frog leg. They have two flavours - Ginger and Spicy - which I loathe both! Settled for spicy eventually. =/

The fish head noodles were really tasty BUT NOT the fish head itself. There were lots of bones (when asked, bf says there's only fish head stated in the menu?!) and there were several disgusting googy jelly like body parts of the fish as well. Totally spoilt our appetites. Feel nauseous whenever I recall. :(

Frog legs had lots of bones as well. Not much meat. 

Total damage for the food alone (2 claypots of fish head noodles and 1 claypot of spicy frog leg) cost us $27+! 
Quite expensive IMO, considering the fact, there were so many bones and little meat and the icky gooooggyyyy stuffs! Solid mucus I shall call it! UGH! 

Apologies for the bad lighting and pictures because it was already at night and the place was kinda dim. 

On a side note, I need to invest in a better camera - DSLR/SLR. :D

Overall rating :
 
If you have been reading my blog, you would have noticed immediately that the top bar navigation consists of only 3 sections now. 

Yes, I have merged all the posts into one, which I think it looks so much better, isn't it? Now you guys just have to click on one page to read all the reviews that are up! :)

Would also like to thank each and every one of you for your invaluable support thus far! Much appreciated and much love <3
Psst, DIM SUM LOVERS!!! Do keep a lookout on my food reviews on my recent dim sum adventure! :D

Psst psst, BEAUTY PRODUCT LOVERS!!! Do keep your eyes peeled for my upcoming giveaways as well! I promise it would be much better than the previous one! :D
 
I'm loving Vanity Trove more and more! What I dig in this September's issue : Rimmel London eyeshadow, Princess Pinki (Interesting!), Leaders InSolution eye mask (though I have tonnes which I've not tried it out yet) and Essie's nail polish (Came just in time when I wanted to try out other nail polishes besides China Glaze and OPI!) :D <3
Leaders InSolution Hydrogel Eye Therapy Patch
Oilum Body cleanser and Revitalizing Lotion (20ml each) 
Montagne Jennesse Masque Deep Cleansing Masque
Princess Pinki Magic Pink Cream
Rimmel London Eyeshadow! So pretty! And how apt, just when I was looking for eyeshadows... :D
YAY! I can finally tryout Essie nail polish without spending a bomb! I know it's sold for $10++ at retail stores... :D
Goodskin labs Smooth 365 - Intensive Clarity + Smoothing Peptide Serum
Shu Uemura’s White Recovery EX Brightening Cleansing Oil 
And along with some other vouchers... There was also a leaflet on Sally Hansen's nail course workshop! Feel like going but have to pay $38 for that but a $100 worth of goodie bag provided! :D

Happy that most of the items in Sept's edition are awesome! Except for the fact that they have now included those confetti thing in the box which I think is not only to beautify its appearance, but as well as to 'fill up' the emptiness of the box, making it seem 'fuller' and 'complete'..No? =/
 
I'm not a fan of lipsticks and because of the hassle to reapply again and again after eating/drinking, I seldom use them. But decided to get one just for the fun of it and because my lips are usually rather pale looking, I think painting some colours would do me good. 

Thus, randomly gotten one from Maybelline while I was patronising Guardian. I usually get stuffs from Watsons but I couldn't find a store the other day so just randomly hopped into Guardian as I wanted to get the Nivea body lotions. 

Since I'm not obsessed over lipsticks and reckon that I wouldn't be a frequent user, price factor is a great consideration. Wanted to get 1 from Revlon that has both lipbalm and lipstick functions but the colour of the Maybelline one won me over. I tried out a few lipsticks on my hand before deciding to get this Maybelline one.
There weren't so many varieties to choose from when I was deciding my take. 
Yes it's my cup of uncle looking kopi behind. The bf and I are such coffee addicts that we still enjoy our coffee even on weekends! Be it brewed or instant packets! :D
And because I've not gotten myself a SLR/DSLR and didn't have my digi cam with me, here's a clearer picture of the lipstick I bought, taken with flash to showcase the slight shimmer.

Credits to indianvanitycase.com
Red lips, though highly sexy and seductive, are definitely not my cuppa tea. I prefer sweet pinkish ones to match my sweet pink blusher. Perhaps when I've decided that I've blossomed into a fine mature lady (i.e. older la), then I'll set my lips to hot striking red. But for now I'll stick to sweet pinkish shades. Wanted to get a nude colour from Revlon but decided that it would most prolly make me look paler? LOL

Though this Maybelline one doesn't have lipbalm functions, it' actually quite alright I guess. One of the reason why I don't usually put lipsticks is because I feel they 'suck out' moisture from your lips, leaving it dry and flaky. As it is, I do have cold sore problems, tracing back to my sec sch days (unknown cause), and hence, I would usually smack on lipbalms only. 

But before applying lipstick, this Maybelline color sensational allows me to apply it over my lipbalm so that I get to retain the moisture as well. I'm using lipbalms from Maybelline as well. HAHA.

Apart from that, a minus point of this lipstick is that its appearance doesn't seem as slick and classy compared to others. Its transparent plastic cap causes it to look like some cheapo lipstick. I think the price is reasonable, got it at Guardian for $17.90. 

Overall rating :
 
If you're a fan of reading and would like to save the hassle and $ of purchasing books, bringing them wherever you go, try reading them as ebooks/pdf formats! 

Recently, I have been trying to cultivate the habit of reading, to improve my English standard as well as to widen my knowledge and improve my vocab! Of course, many would advise you to try throwing yourself into the habit of classics. But as you might already know, it's just kinda boring for average people like you and me. Although I've read Literature almost all my life in my educational years (Secondary + JC days), reading another classic just doesn't flood me with positive memories. Didn't enjoy reading classics back then and might not now as well, I guess it all depends but I'm willing to give them a shot, again.

The gist of this post is actually to introduce to you guys this rather awesome website for free downloads of ebooks. To me, it doesn't matter whether they have the 'ebook format' meaning which you can flip through the pages horizontally, I'm equally fine with pdf formats as well, as long as I get to read them. 

The website is http://www.obooko.com ! You can find many awesome stories with myriads of categories, satisfying your interests :)

And if you are interested to find out what exciting books others are reading, you can register with Goodreads and connect with your friends or the public, read reviews and be recommended to awesome books! It's more like a social media for avid readers :) 

Currently on my next book : After Life by Simon Funk

Hope it's a good read. :D

Enjoy reading and have a great weekend ahead! <3 
 
Sorry, this came in a little late... 

But nonetheless... Pretty satisfied with this month's box of love! :D
This August's surprises consist of :

- Enavose Probiotics Exfoliance Gommage
- Facial Fresh CollagenTreatment Mask
- Anna Sui Eye Color Crayon 900
- L'oreal Youth Code Boosting Essence
- China Glaze Nail Polish 
- Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Skincare that includes a sachet of Skin Balancing Exfoliating Cleanser, Optimizing Skin Serum and Skin Balancing Lotion each
- I Love SG reusable bag


Loving the China Glaze nail polish and the Collagen mask! :D
Will take closer pictures of individual items soon and post up reviews once tried! :D

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