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Sunday 21 October 2012

My Minimalist Approach to Skincare

I think I might possibly have the simplest skincare regime around. I’ve split it into day and night so its easier to the difference, although the difference is so minimal. Haha;)
In the morning I use my all time favourite cleanser, the gel moussant from Avene. It has no scent and no colouring or any of that artificial stuff so it’s perfect for my sensitive skin.

Once I’ve dried my face, I use Avene/Vichy thermal water as a toner as i don’t see the need to use an actual toner which involves rubbing my face with a cotton pad since I’m guessing my face doesn’t get very dirty while I sleep.

Once that dries, I slap on some of my Biore face milk which is SPF50+ and off I go! That’s it! Nothing else. I’ve read before the less you put on your face, the better. Anyway skin condition is pretty much determined from what you ingest and not so much of what you apply outside. Which brings me back to my earlier post on supplements!
Once I’m back from work, I use Bivesta makeup remover if i used any makeup which i usually don’t and that pretty much gets off all the goop from my face.

At night i use a better cleanser given the fact my face has been exposed to all that grime, dirt and dust from outside. This has little beads in it and has done a good job so far! I love Kiehl’s products but they’re so expensive!

After cleansing, i use Vichy toner cos it’s the only one that hasn’t irritated my face so far. As a night cream, I use my beloved Laniege sleeping pack or SK2’s cellumination essence. You can’t use Laniege sleeping pack daily as your face will tend to get oily so it’s best you rotate with something else!

That’s it for the daily stuff!
I mask my face about 3-4x a week and the few I’ve been using on a regular basis are as follows:
1.       Queen Helene’s Mint Julep Masque
2.       Queen Helene’s Clay Mask (seems to work the same as #1)
3.       LoveMore’s Aqua Whitening Mask
4.       MyBeautyDiary’s Hydraulic Acid
5.       SK2’s Whitening Mask (I only use this on special occasions cos its $11 a pop!)
And with that I end my skincare post! Once a month, I get a milk peel done at SkinLab as well. It really has saved my skin countless of times and I don’t think I’ll be changing my facial place anytime soon. The therapists there are awesome, but I can’t say the same for the sales personnel. They are pushy and rude and if not for my therapist who I’ve been going to for a year now, I wouldn’t hesitate to change place!

Seeing the good in bad


Retribution is defined as something justly deserved; recompensated. It doesn’t only pertain to bad doings but also to good in a way. Have you heard of the saying kindness begets kindness? I think it’s very true but of course we need to exercise discretion, we can’t be nice to everyone, cos a lot will just take advantage of it but we should try our best to be kind to the people close to us and those in need of help.

So as much as we can, although at times it might be hard especially when dealing with mean people, we should try not to inflict bad thoughts or do bad things to people like backstabbing and bad mouthing. Cos what you do unto others will be done unto you and when that happens, you will look back and wish you tried to be nicer.

Bad things happen for a reason sometimes though. Sometimes when bad things happen it’s because its making way for something good. Like if you don’t get a job you thought you wanted, its cos there’s a better one just around the corner. Or if you break off in a relationship, some time down the road, you will definitely see that it happened for a very good reason. It’s happened a lot to me but I guess it’s very hard to believe in this especially when the bad times hit.

So with that, I say try and be positive friends J


Sunday 14 October 2012

The Link between Dreams and Reality

I used to think that the dreams we had were an indication of what’s to come. A rough guideline of how life would turn out and what was possibly gonna happen. Moreover, there are so many sites with interpretation of dreams. Some of the more common ones:
“To dream that you your teeth have fallen out and you try to refit them back into the mouth signifies a lack of self-confidence and embarrassment”
“To dream that your hair is white or turns white indicates that something important has just been made aware to you. It is a symbol of wisdom and insight. The dream may also be a metaphor suggesting that you are feeling "light-headed". “
“To dream that you are fired from your job indicates that you want to end some relationship or situation in your waking life. It also suggests that you are repressing what you really desire most”
Although I guess you could relate all the above to some event in your life, have you ever wondered if we deliberately look for something in our life to relate to so that the dream makes sense?
After putting much thought to this topic, I came to the conclusion that dreams aren’t really an indication of the future but a manifestation of what’s really on our minds, a manifestation of fear or something you desire with everything you have in you.
Happy Monday J

Thursday 11 October 2012

The End of the Week

Once u start working the only day of the week you look forward to week in and week out is FRIDAY! Every day we go through the motions awaiting the arrival of Friday and claim to be happiest on Friday.  You want the week to pass by as fast as possible so you can enjoy Friday, where you work a little less and take things easy.
But if you think about it, that’s just really sad. Cos what you’re inadvertently doing is wishing your life away. As I’ve got older, I find the years are just whizzing by and it’s pretty scary. Before I know it, I’m gonna be 40. I can clearly remember my birthday last year like it was yesterday and now my birthday is coming again in less than 2 months. It’s really starting to scare me how fast time flies.
I guess what we all should do is find meaning to life. Take up a sport or an interest that makes every day a good day. Something that makes you look forward to every single day of your life.  Don’t let your life get into a routine. I’ve done this by taking up yoga a year back and recently, taking up driving. I also try and mix it up by going on different days and not doing the same thing every day. At one point I used to do yoga on Sunday mornings, I’ve stopped that now and switched it over to the weekdays. Try doing something like that, and I’m sure you’ll not dread every weekday!
Live every day to the fullest cos you’ll never know when it’ll be your last! Don’t live fearing embarrassment or failure cos that only exists only your mind!

Tuesday 9 October 2012

Money? Happiness? Or both?

This is something that has passed through everyone’s mind at some point. If you say no, then you’re a liar. And it’s not only applicable to choosing your partner. I’ve heard before that love dies but money doesn’t. But if there isn’t any love to begin with, would there be any happiness? Having money is of course a plus point but shouldn’t be a condition. Besides, as a girl, I believe I can earn my own money. I don’t wanna marry some rich dude and forever feel indebted because he’s paid for the e.g. house and car and probably have it rubbed in my face at some point down the road.
And then work. Choose a job you love that might pay badly or one you don’t really like and pays a lot of money? In this aspect I’m afraid I lean more to money. Because with me earning more money in my job, I can choose correctly in love. Makes sense? If you suffer in work, its 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. If you suffer in love, its 24/7, 365 days a year for an indefinite period of time. And changing job is easy, well relatively easy. I took a job last Nov purely for the pay jump. I knew from the first week I worked there that I was in for a hard time. I started looking out for a new one and got one 10 months later. So in making a wrong decision there, I only suffered 10 months but still made the money. And when you change job, of course you make more in the next one, it’s just the way it works.
So, there are times when you should sacrifice happiness for money, but of course in the right aspect of life.

Appreciation

This has been a topic that has always been close to my heart. It’s about appreciating your parents when they’re still around and not when it’s too late. A lot of us young people take for granted that our parents will always be around. Sadly, at this age we realise that they’re getting older; we see them get sick and it hits us that we don’t have as much time as we thought left to spend with them.
So, I as much as we can, we should try and be patient with our parents and hold our tongues before lashing out at them and losing our cool. Try to spend as much time as possible with them, talking to them and sharing your life. Our bf’s and friends are gonna be around a whole lot longer so we should try and not spend every waking minute with them and spare a thought for the ones who selflessly brought us up and gave us everything we needed to become the persons we are today.
As clichéd as it sounds, health is indeed wealth. No matter how rich you are, if you’re stricken with a life threatening illness, no amount of money in the world is gonna save you or help you when you reach heavens gates.  It’s the amount of good you do in your life and your compassion to others that will grant you eternal life in paradise. I’m not saying we should live life being nice people because we don’t want to go to hell but rather do it because you want to. And the people who deserve to be shown the most compassion and love are our parents.
So, do something nice today! Give your mum or dad a call and check in on how they’re doing. Buy them something nice on your way back from work. If you don’t live with your parents, drop in on a surprise visit!
Happy mid week all!

My Coveted Aglio Recipe

Aglio Olio Recipe.
 This is a dish I cook VERY often but have taken ages to perfect. I used to cheat before and use chicken stock to flavour the dish but I don’t know, I don’t think the Italians use chicken stock right? Haha.
So anyway, I usually cook this dish with bacon and mushrooms. One packet of back bacon (attempting to use the healthier version cos streaky bacon has a lot more fat than back bacon) and the pre cut button mushrooms you can get in a pack from GIANT or NTUC, I think they’re like $2.50. I always stick to angel hair pasta for aglio cos because of how thin it is, it absorbs flavour much better which you need for this dish cos it can be bland if you use thicker pastas like linguine.


I’m a huge herb user in my cooking and for this I usually use Thyme and Parsley flakes. Rule of thumb; don’t mix more than 2 herbs in one dish. The taste is really overpowering and you’ll probably feel sick after just a few mouthfuls. And of course, my favourite spice of all time, black pepper.


Alright, time to get organised. These are the ingredients you’re gonna need:
1.      Garlic (A whole bulb or you can use the pre cut one but that burns easily so don’t be lazy!)
2.      2 Chilli Padi
3.      Olive Oil
4.      Garlic Powder (if you have! It’s not really that necessary)
5.      Thyme and Parsley ( it doesn’t have to be the fresh one, you can just get the bottled ones)
6.      San Remo Angel Hair Pasta
7.      Sea Salt
8.      A packet of back bacon
9.      A packet of mushrooms
And here’s the way to cook it:

1.      Boil your pasta in a pot of boiling water seasoned with salt and olive oil.
2.      Coat your pan with olive oil and fry the bacon, once the bacon is browned you can add the mushrooms
3.      Remove the bacon and mushrooms and use the bacon-flavored oil to fry the garlic. Make sure it doesn’t burn!
4.      Add a few tablespoons of the pasta water to the pan and let it simmer abit before adding the thyme,parsley, salt and pepper.
5.      Add the cooked angel hair in and toss the pasta till it’s coated in the sauce.
6.      Add back the bacon and mushrooms and you’re done!


Monday 8 October 2012

Fashion Forward

I’ve wondered for awhile, what’s my style? I’ve never really followed fashion trends religiously. You can see me wearing knit even in June but I guess to an extent I do adopt some of the ideas of the latest trends. My latest, although I’m abit slow, is colored bottoms.
I’ve been looking for a nice pair of mint bottoms for the longest time!! I saw a pair in H&M but I looked like a tub of lard in them so those were a miss. And then I don’t buy pants from local blogshops cos the material is usually rough and the length is all wrong.
Eventually.. I FOUND THEM! Hooray! From my favourite ever! ASOS! Perfect length and cut, I basically stick to 98% cotton and 2% elastane for ASOS bottoms and so far they’ve all fit really well.

Another essential item are white pants. They look so clean cut yet stylish but it is very hard to get the right pair. I typically prefer super skinny cuts as it makes the legs look longer and slimmer. Bootcut and flares are a big no-no. I remember earlier this year the extreme flare pants were in, I avoided that like the plague! And for good reason, I don’t see them much anymore and I still see skinny everywhere!

So, I guess, wear what you like and what you feel flatters your figure. Some stuff although it looks nice on others might not look good on you, so don’t follow trends blindly!

Wednesday 3 October 2012

The Game of Life

As much as most people would not like to admit, life is essentially a game. I’d put it as 90% of the time you’re playing and only at 10% do people actually see the real you. I guess it boils down to wanting to be accepted. And by wanting to be accepted and looked up to you, you have certain ideals in your head of the type of person you need to be to achieve those results.
There’s nothing wrong with a game plan but when you do it in the wrong circumstance is when it starts to hurt people. An excellent example would be in relationships and you’ve come across enormous flirts (be it guys or girls). Some have their game down so good, you don’t even realise they’re players till you get hurt.
But I guess the most important place to execute a game plan would be in the office. The girl that just sat there and did her daily tasks with her head hung low never got anywhere. Its people who are dynamic, have the right interpersonal as well as presentation skills are the ones who get far. I’ve seen myself people who are actually shallow in terms of knowledge present themselves so well you’d think they had a whole lot of experience. You just gotta get sounding smart down to a t. Easier said than done though. Unfortunately, it’s something you have acquire to get anywhere.
I’m not gonna go on about this cos why would I wanna oust myself and reveal MY game plan right. ;) HAHA. I’m kidding. I’m gonna end by saying if you see yourself going nowhere in life, reflect and look at yourself and see what you’re doing wrong. Everyone can be a winner! It just depends how much you want it!