Carousels and Couture

Usually the sleeping masks I know are for moisturizing or oil control. But this sleeping mask targets acne and pimples, and is applied just before you go to bed. I like NuTeen's Oil Away Cool Cleanser so I got suckered into buying this when I was in Watsons. I read quite a lot of good reviews on this product, and the packaging looked really good too, it just called out to me! It comes in a light-weight plastic tub with a screw-on top lid. It has a green top and white bottom, similar to the type of designs of the other products from NuTeen. Inside it is a light green gel that you have to scoop out with your fingers or a spatula. It is meant to be put on after your night moisturizer. It has a very light consistency, and has a cooling feeling. When you wake up the next day, you can wash your face to rinse off the mask. It contains salicylic acid to fight the acne-causing bacteria, and works to prevent and cure acne. However, I'm not exactly very impressed with this. It does ...

  Who doesn't like Old Town White Coffee? It's so nostalgic, from the furniture they have to the food they serve. It's really like a throwback to the simpler times in Singapore. According to Wikipedia, Old Town White Coffee is the largest kopitiam restaurant chain in Malaysia and has over 180 outlets in the region. Can you believe that? I love their kaya toast and of course, their Ipoh Hor Fun. Why go to Penang when you can just enjoy the Hor Fun here? Normally I get those Ipoh Hor Fun that is served in rich gravy, with not much soup. But this one is served in a clear broth, which is perfect for a light meal that is also filling. At the end of it, you won't feel too full or bloated like if you had something richer. The kway teow is served with generous helpings of prawns and chicken shreds every time I go there (my favourite outlet is Playground at East Coast Park, the area that used to be Big Splash. There are 8 outlets in Singapore at the moment, and they ar...

I've already reviewed the Loreal Anti-Frizz Hair Mask ( see review here ) but one day I thought of trying the Total Repair Replenishing Mask to see how it is like. I found a tub in a small shop in Tanjong Katong Complex at only S$6, so I thought, might as well try it! My hair goes through constant blow-drying, hair-dyeing, and occasionally I subject it to hairspray to hold it in place. I think many other girls do the same thing, or use hair curlers or straighteners, damaging their hair even more. And who doesn't want to repair their damaged hair? It comes in a shiny red an white tub and contains 300ml. Basically after shampooing, you massage some into the ends of your hair, wait for about 5 - 30 minutes, then wash it off. Either you can use conditioner before it or after it, or you can replace conditioner with it, it's up to your preference. I always shampoo my hair, use hair mask, then finish with a conditioner. I use a lot of the hair mask every time I wash my ha...

  I love Soup Spoon, but I rarely have time to go and have a meal there. And when I'm out with friends, they usually don't prefer soup, but other things instead so I almost never end up at Soup Spoon. So I was so happy when I heard that the Soup Spoon had take home soup packs for people like me! I knew I had to go and try out all the different varieties and see if they're as good at home as they are in the restaurant. They're available in all the 8 main flavours that they have in store. It is 600ml per pack and serves two, and it comes in a resealable plastic packaging and according to the website, " contains absolutely no preservatives or artificials ". I chose Meatless Minestrone because I was looking for something tomato-based. The soup contains potato, carrot, celery, macaroni, kidney beans, cabbage, zucchini, leek, basil. Delicious! It is very easy to prepare. Just pour it into a container and microwave, and it's ready to eat! I believe you can...

   I was looking to trim and shape my eyebrows, and I heard good reviews from Charme, so I decided to try it out. Charme is located at Far East Plaza, which is good if you want to get some shopping done too. They have 2 outlets, the Charme Hair Studio (4th floor) and Charme Nails (3rd floor) where they also focus on waxing, makeup and eyebrows. Their website showcases all their services and prices. I went for eyebrow shaping at $15. First of all, the place is quite crowded, even when I went on a weekday afternoon. It was a Friday afternoon though, maybe there were a lot of people who ended work early? I had to come back 5 minutes later before they could accommodate me. The place was also small and cramped. They divided their already small area into manicures (at the back) and eyebrow and simple hair-related activities (at the front). I have to admit, I was not impressed with the service from the receptionists. They basically ignored me, and the girl (Rachel) who did my e...

I received a free bottle of Brand's Innershine Prune Plus Essence and decided to try it out. Of course, the results would probably appear after regular use, and taking one bottle would not necessarily have obvious results. Brand's is far more famous for their chicken essence, which they claim promotes brain power. They constantly use the top scorers in schools as their ambassadors and I've seen plenty of their print advertisements around. It is made from California prunes of the finest quality, and prune skin and pulp are added into the essence. It promises clear and radiant skin and also promotes bowel movement. Targeted at women, it provides the nutrients we women need without having to compromise on our already-busy lifestyles. Since it works best while we sleep, it is probably best consumed at night or during dinnertime. The essence can be taken after refrigeration or at room temperature. I drank it at room temperature, but I think it would have tasted nicer if it...

Just some fun trivia that I enjoyed doing! Let me know your answers! My preferred fashion style on the weekend is - Casual, most likely with jeggings! My go-to pick me up is - Milk Chocolate!  I feel silliest when - I completely worry over something, and then in the end there's nothing to it. I feel most accomplished when - I come out of the gym or swimming pool My favourite feel-good movie is - The Devil Wears Prada or Mean Girls!   If I could go back in time and be any age again, I would be - In Kindergarten, because it was all play and no homework! If I could borrow any celebrity's wardrobe, I would choose - Victoria Beckham! Who doesn't want her extensive collection of shoes and bags? Even her bedroom slippers are to-die-for! My easiest way to stay organized is by - Writing  it down on my notebook; I keep a current and updated one beside me all the time The bravest thing I've done is - Not run out of an interview! I hate int...

I've already tried dying my hair with Liese 3 times. The third time, I used Antique Rose ( see review here ). The second time, I tried out Sweet Apricot ( see review here ). The first time I ever tried this simple shampoo-like hair dye, I tried Cassis Berry. Back then, the collection of Liese hair dyes just came out on the market. It was quite exciting, because not only were the colours so pretty, they used a new technique of bubble hair dyes, where you apply it on your hair and massage it sort of like shampoo. So after looking at the selection, I wanted red hair so I looked at either Sweet Pink or Cassis Berry. I got Cassis Berry because it was a darker shade of red-pink, and I thought it looked nicer. It was easy to apply, especially since the instructions are there in English. Within an hour or so, you can have a new hair colour all in the comfort of your own home. And you don't need help from anyone else, you can do it all on your own. Colour-wise, I have to admit...

I wrote about the Hugo Boss Bottled Sport endorsed by F1 driver Jenson Button, but that is not the only perfume for men I own. Actually, I own only two, and the Hugo Boss Just Different is the other one (I seem to like my Hugo Boss, don't I?). The one I got is the Just Different Eu De Toilette, but it is also available in the forms of Aftershave Balm, Shower Gel, Deodorant Stick and Deodorant Spray. The Hugo Boss Just Different is endorsed by actor and 30 Seconds To Mars singer Jared Leto. If you haven't watched the Inception-like commercial, you should definitely check it out. Hugo Boss Just Different 2011 is apparently a new edition of the fragrance that was made popular in 1995.  According to the official website, it is "for the man who takes inspiration from everything around him. He has the ability to see the world around him differently". And the fragrance certainly seems to reflect that. The  fragrance is very different from most other masculine fragran...

There's very few people in the world who haven't heard of Angelina Jolie. She's one of the most famous actresses in the world, and on top of that she's a director and a high-profile humanitarian. Here, she leaves Bosnia via a private jet along with three of her children. She wore an all black ensemble, consisting of a bat-wing top, slim black trousers and peep-toe wedges. Bat wing tops were all the rage a little while ago, they can hide tummy bulges and look glamorous if worn right. They can also channel casual chic, with they slouchy look. However, I ind that they can be tricky too, you have to pair them with slim-cut bottoms or you might look dumpy. If you're really creative, you could try making your own long-sleeved top. I like this video by GiannyL, where she sews a very simple bat wing style top.

  Usually I hate watching book-to-movie films after I've already read the book. They never live up to the expectations of the movie in my head. There's only been one movie so far that I find better than the book, and that is the Lord of the Rings.  So, after reading The Hunger Games (you can read my book review here), I watched the movie starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth and Stanley Tucci. And... I was very disappointed. NOTE: the rest of the review will contain strong hints and spoilers of what happened in the book and the movie. If you do not wish to be spoiled, it is best to not read on. Of course, for those who've read the book, you'll know that what worked in the story was the narration of the protagonist Katniss, what she was thinking, and her flashbacks. That is always difficult to show in a film so the movie struggled with that. And despite their big budget, I was rather unimpressed with most of the CGI scenes, especially whe...

  Thanks to the popularity of the Liese Antique Rose review that I did ( you may read it here ) and the Cassis Berry review ( read here ), I've decided to recount my previous experiences with Liese hair dyes. I've already tried it for a total of three times, and the second time I went for Sweet Apricot. Liese released Sweet Apricot (brown) along with Platinum Beige (ash), and I picked up Sweet Apricot as I was tempted to see what it would look like. But, I forgot to massage it in completely, so I was left with uneven hair, especially the roots and the inner layers of the hair. And since this was a bright colour, the black (my original hair colour) was very obvious. The colour itself was quite nice. It turned out a little more brown than the orange that is on the cover of the box, but it is a nice bright colour. Also, on the second wash it still looks exactly the same (unlike some other brands that will start to fade). In real life, it is a little less bright but when you...

My style is usually something short and comfortable. Since Singapore is so hot, I hate to wear jeans or anything too cumbersome. Also, since I'm petite, I always thought that long dresses would look terrible on me. I also prefer cute short dresses that either show off a beach summer look, or a glamorous look depending on the colour and fabrics. So I'm still a little slow on the uptake, but my current obsessions are over maxi dresses. Celebrities like Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton wear them often as they embrace the boho style, but I felt that they make them look shorter and frumpy. And that is definitely not a flattering look at all.   I always thought that maxi dresses would suit only the long and leggy girls, like Megan Fox. She always looks great in long satin dresses at movie premieres.   See? Since I am neither, I felt that it was useless to bother with long skirts and go for short and knee-length dresses. Hayden Panettiere proves me wrong while she...

Magnum ice cream. Despite their chocolate shells that might break in the wrong direction when you eat them, I find myself loving them more and more. I started with Magnum Gold and tried all the other flavours after that. Double caramel was my all-time favourite even though it could get sickeningly sweet. But I love caramel, and it was just the perfect blend of caramel and chocolate. I'd crave for it everyday, especially after watching the advertisement starring Eva Longoria. When Magnum came out with 2 new flavours, labeling them Magnum Temptation , I wasn't quite interested at first.   I mean, they seem okay, but not tempting enough. I loved double caramel, I wasn't budging on that stance. Until one day I caved in and bought a hazelnut temptation. Both are the same size, and the brown one is filled with hazelnut bonbons, while the red one is a fruit-based ice cream with Fruit of the Forest syrup and cranberry pieces. It comes in a sleek sexy box with a shiny ...

Loreal has somehow been a constant in my life, as my mother loves to use their shampoo and conditioner. As I always have frizzy hair, I felt that conditioner was not enough, and branched out to hair masks and treatments. I tried the Loreal Anti-Frizz Hair Mask when I was 14, and years later, it still remains one of my favourite hair masks of all time. Despite my willingness to try new and different hair masks in the market, I've come to the realization that I love this the most. Hair masks are more intense and moisturizing than conditioners and hair treatments, and also need a longer time to soak into the hair. The timing differs, with some needing only 1 minute, and others up to 30 minutes. Usually I will leave the Loreal hair mask on for about 5 minutes, but if I have time I will leave it on for longer so that my hair can soak up the goodness. I once asked a hair expert about why we couldn't just leave it on for a long time (surely the longer the time spent, the mor...

Winter's Bone put her on the list of breakout stars, The Hunger Games catapulted her into a box office star. Jennifer Lawrence steps out for the Dior catwalk show in Paris wearing a floral red and white dress, nude heels and white Dior bag. I thought the ensemble was a chic look perfect for a summer in Paris. The dress is conservative and mature, and I like how she accessorized with the nude peep-toes instead of basic black. The white chained shoulder bag is also a great touch, and keeps the look effortless and fuss-free. The actress will be seen in the Silver Linings Playbook, and is currently shooting Serena, from the novel of the same name.

I often look out for what celebrities are wearing, particularly the ones I like. Since celebs are the ones who have the money to burn, and designers on speed-dial, they're definitely the ones with their fingers on the pulse of what's trending. So I love dissecting what they wear and don't wear, and emulate them if I like their style. Blake Lively may be a familiar face and name in the fashion and pop culture world. She is a favourite for fashion big-wigs Karl Lagerfeld and Christian Louboutin. So of course, she's always dressed in the best. Here she is promoting her new film Savages at the Late Show With David Letterman.     With a dress by Jenny Packham and and shoes by Christian Louboutin, the actress looks stunning in white. I'm absolutely loving the crystal-encrusted neckline and cuff details. The floaty wrap dress is a simple yet glamorous look and she keeps her hair in her trademark half up-do blonde waves. What do you think? Loving the look...