Christmas Themed Nails

'Tis the season to be...exhausted!!! Oh my goodness, I am sitting here and typing this out and its taking me twice as long and my ability to focus is fading away! Just had an amazing company year end dinner last night and the whole of last week was spent preparing for the event and now I am just coming down from the high of a successful night.

It seems whenever times get busy or focus gets low, my go-to posts seem to be about nails! Perhaps its because its easy, I find it therapeutic and my little canvases make me happy!

Last Sunday, I wanted to do something that was Christmas-y and fun yet I didn't want to do anything 3-D or with too many embellishments because I would die if someone had turkey stuffing and bit into a diamante I had lost! So I decided to draw! I started with my left hand because it's always easier and faster. Then my right hand, so I could use the left hand as a reference point.

I used the following items: 

- Base coat (I use OPI Nail Envy)
- Red nail polish (OPI Red Flare)

- White nail polish (OPI Alpine Snow)
- Black nail polish (Sally Hansen Black Out)
- Brownish nail polish (for Rudolph, Orly Coco Beach)
- Nude nail polish (for Santa's nose, Essie Topless and Barefoot. You could also mix a spot of red and a blob of white)

- Top coat (Seche Vite)

- Dotting tools and stripping brush 

- Toothpicks
- Foil (to place the dots of polish)

1. Start with a layer of base coat.
2. I then painted the red nails (pinkie and thumb) and allowed it to dry. I also painted my Santa's hat which is like a half moon with a tail, close to the cuticle but finishing imperfectly at the end.

3. For Rudolph, I painted a half circle and using a toothpick, I dotted and pulled the dot to give it the pointy ear effect.
4. Do a double layer of steps 2-3 and wait for it to dry.
5. Use different sizes of dotting tool to dot the Snowman, Santa's beard and hat and Rudolph's eye with white, then dot the necessary places with the black. and finally a red dot for Rudolph's nose. I used the toothpick to draw a white line on the nose for authenticity. And the antlers were drawn very carefully with a toothpick and black nail polish.
6. Finally, paint the stripes on the pinkie to give it a candy cane effect. I would have done a white base and red stripes to give it a more candy cane look. And, the ribbon on the "gift" finger.

7. Once dry (make sure its really dry because you don't want your colors to streak), paint over with a quick dry top coat. 

8. Repeat on the other hand. 

It looks intricate, but its actually very doable. You just need to be slightly ambidextrous for the other hand.

Have fun trying! I'd love to see pictures too...

Bioderma Skincare, Singapore

Confession time. I'm addicted to skincare! Like any woman past her 30's I am constantly chasing eternal youth and trying to look fabulous.

My Bioderma Haul

Last weekend saw me step into Guardian because I noticed they started carrying Bioderma. Finally! I actually saw/tried this product in October but that was in Australia. I loved the way it felt on my skin so I had the intention of buying the Purifying Cleansing Micelle solution (Sebium H2O), obviously I walked out buying a bit more than that.

I bought the products for combination/oily skin but they also have a range for sensitive skin. All their products contain their exclusive Fluidactiv® patent that biologically regulates sebum quality and prevents pore from getting clogged. Perfect for me because if my facial therapist tells me one more time that my pores are clogged so help me I may punch her.

The Purifying Cleansing Foaming Gel is a soap free product that's supposed to be applied on wet skin, lather and rinse, twice a day. I bought this because there is this side of me that needs to feel squeaky clean before I am certain my face is clean. So this is a backup to the cleansing solution!

The gel formed a nice lather despite its soap free status and when washed off, did not leave a tight feeling on the skin. It had a nice light scent to it too.

The Purifying Cleansing Micelle solution is supposed to gently cleanse and remove make up without drying out the skin. Great for a person who uses makeup daily! Instructions say to cleanse your face and dry gently. So I assume this is used like a toner/make up remover?

I ended up using this after washing with the gel and still came away with a slightly grey cotton pad...Gross! But it left me with extremely hydrated looking skin.

My impulse buy and ultimate sucker purchase is the Sebium Pore Refiner, corrective care for enlarged pores. It's supposed to be used after the foaming gel or Sebium H2O (cleansing solution) twice a day. You can use it on it's own or with your skincare cream. Recommended for whole face if you have oily skin or T-zone only if you have combination skin. "An excellent base to facilitate an even application of makeup" is stated at the bottom of the box so I guess it functions the same as a makeup primer!

After applying on my T-zone as per the instructions, I noticed that it looked quite matte. Even after applying my own moisturizer on the rest of my face and over the T-zone, I noticed the moisturizer over that area was absorbed quickly and still finished matte.

After 4 days, I am enjoying the use of the products however I still do both wash and use the cleansing solution. I don't see any drastic changes on my skin yet but I do like using the pore refiner as a makeup base. I noticed that my skin was less oily looking throughout the day. I shall post before and after pics in a month. 

** Disclaimer: My reviews and opinions are my own and based on my personal experience with a product. I am not affiliated nor endorsed by any brands unless otherwise mentioned. Results may vary on all items I review, so please proceed to try the products with caution and awareness.

Shenton Way Golden Bridge Roasted Meat Chicken Rice, CBD

So I've been meaning to blog about this little treasure of a find but have held myself back for fear of going to the place and finding a queue around the block. Unfortunately for me and lucky for everyone else, I am desperate for a post subject!

Let's start with the eye candy first!

Steam Chicken drumstick + roast pork + egg $5.50

Steam Chicken Drumstick + Egg $4.50

Yup, so as anyone can see, my standard order is always the steam chicken drumstick with a side of siew yoke (crispy pork) and my "must have" stewed egg. Guess how much? $5.50!!! OMG! Talk about bang for your buck! Usually when I order chicken rice with all my nonsense at Lau Pa Sat, it costs about $7! And the aunty and uncle, a husband and wife duo who are always so cheerful and efficient are really nice and courteous that I would walk all the way there (if time permits) just to order from them. 

Anyways, this little gem is located on 17 Phillip Street at Thye Hong Cafe, directly opposite the temple. If you go during peak hour 12.15pm till about 1pm, you will be able to see the queue before you see the stall. I'm sure a lot of office people have their lunch there because its really one of those places that serves food like the good ol'days! When a chicken drumstick is ordered, you not only get the drumstick, you get the entire leg! For once, I always have more meat than rice! 

Look at all that yummy meat hanging there!

I am not too impressed by the chilli and find that it could do with a bit more kick but their sambal is awesome albeit a little on the salty side. Also, I always tell the aunty to ease up on the black sauce because its really thick and everything is flavorful enough even without the sauce.  

So definitely go try it out but go during off peak hours please! And, if you see me, allow me to cut queue...Hehe!

Shenton Way Golden Bridge Roasted Meat Chicken Rice
17 Phillip Street
Thye Hong Cafe
Singapore 048693

My Fitness Progress

Today's post is somewhat special for me- it's my fitness log. Last Saturday was my last progress photo after 20 sessions of working out with a personal trainer and what I saw made me the happiest girl! 

The results!

I'd actually started to notice the changes in my body a few days ago when I was in Hong Kong. A few changes that were very prominent was that I was getting a waist, my arms weren't waving every time I waved and my butt was starting to defy gravity again! 

All this was motivation enough to keep me going! A few things that allowed me to stay sane during these months were: 

1) No strict dietary rules imposed.

As a matter of fact, I was encouraged to eat!!! A lot! Before workouts, after workouts, breakfast, midday, snacks, dinner! As a matter of fact, I think I was eating more than ever! 

But I was making smarter choices. I had fruits and nuts for snacks, I started choosing healthier cooking methods and eating more and more vegetables and proteins. I had my carbs... and fried chicken whenever I wanted but eventually, after all that hard work, I just started to make better choices on the whole. Eating these things no longer gave me the same pleasure as before...

2) Check yourself out! Ignore the damn scales!

That's what I was told- so you start to notice every single change and pat yourself on the back for it! Knowing my body well, I had aimed to make changes to the things I could first- my back and my upper body in general. I felt a sense of pride when ever I could see tiny muscles start to look more defined in certain areas.

Also, one of the things my trainer taught me was to stop obsessing with the scales. I am actually 2kgs heavier now than when I first started! Imagine my horror during the first 3 weeks when I stepped on the scales and all I saw were my numbers going up! So I started to listen to my body- my clothes were getting loose, my jeans were falling off my ass and I wasn't as lumpy as before. I'll take this over being light any day. 

** That said, I am now trying to include 1 good run a week to help with the fat burn.

3) Changing up the routine. 

My trainer was fabulous with this. There were no 2 routines that were ever the same! I had explained early on to my trainer that I get bored easily and so she helped me to change things up, push me when I needed and listening to my body (because I am just not young anymore and my knees protest whenever I try to do too much) as we went along. 

In the end, she encouraged me to share my progress with people. It's a testimony of what I did for myself and it helps to keep me going for the future. So here goes:

First pics top L-R: 2/10/2014
Second pics bottom L-R: 30/10/2014

Bottom L-R: 6/12/2014
After 5 weeks of working out!

At the end of the day, it's not a lot but it's a step in the right direction. I'm much more confident and happy about the place I am in now and it's the best thing I ever did for my 30 year old self. 

I'm looking forward to what next year will bring and the progress I will achieve. 

Thanks to my PT for encouraging me and pushing me within my limits. Thanks to my lovely husband who knows I become majorly depressed and grumpy when not in shape. 

And here is to an awesome 2015!!!

DIY Clothes Dividers

Last weekend was project weekend. Mary had a project for clothes dividers for Princess K's closet and was kind enough to let me join her and be totally inspired and OCD! 

We bought most of the items from Daiso and Spotlight in Plaza Singapura. 

Items used

Items used are:

- Wooden dividers ($3.50 each) 

- Patterned Paper ($10/set, half used)

- Thickers ($9.90- Papermarket) 

- Mod Podge ($19.90- Spotlight) 

- Acrylic paint ($4)

- Blade ($2- Daiso) 

This is a fairly simple project that can be completed in about 3 hours and the outcome is impressive and satisfying. 

We started simultaneously by cutting the paper according to the shape of the dividers. We used the blade as it was easier to maneuver than a penknife. Initially we traced the paper but realized it was faster and more efficient to just cut along the dividers with the blade. Don't forget to number the paper and the dividers which it was traced with. 

All that focus!

Eventually I just ran the blade against the sides of the dividers, it was faster and less chance of boo-boos.
Just watch your fingers!

Then Mary used the acrylic paint to paint the sides. Instead of using a paint brush, we used a sponge as it made for a more even application. Don't worry about painting over the sides as this will be covered by the paper. 

The drying process was fairly fast and the next step was to spread Mod Podge on one side of the divider and stick the pre-cut patterned paper on as precisely as you can. Small edges that jut can be trimmed with a pair of scissors after. 

Repeat on the other side. 

Nearly done!

Next, we will use a sponge and spread a thin layer of Mod Podge on one side. Wait for it to dry and repeat on the other side. Do this about 2-3 times until satisfied with the coverage and effect on the finished divider. (This was where we paused for the night, in between layers) 

To finish, Mary touched up the sides with a small paint brush.

This requires concentration which I rarely have patience for!

Use the Thickers (thick stickers) to stick on the numbers accordingly. 

The finished project!

Viola! 

Simple Nail Design with Studs

Simple post today as I have just got to Hong Kong and am running around trying to eat everything in sight for the next 3 days, posts will follow! 

Finished results!

My nail design of the week is inspired by fun neon colors and a bit of an edge using studs as opposed to nail polish color.  

Items used

This simple design took me 1 hour to do and only required the following items: 

- Base coat (I use OPI Nail Envy)

- White nail polish (or any color you fancy)

- Top coat (Always Seche Vite)

- Gem picker

- Selection of studs (I used Vivcat Odyssey Neon series) 

1. Start with a layer of base coat.

2. Paint on the white polish on all 10 fingers, don't worry about the streaks.  When you do the second layer, paint quickly and lightly with enough paint on the brush to cover the entire nail. 

3. On one hand, start applying the studs with a gem picker. 

4. Once done, paint over with a quick dry top coat. 

5. Repeat on the other hand. 

Unfortunately, because I was using nail polish instead of gel, the design was only able to last 2 days before the studs started falling off. Well, gives me a chance to try more new designs. 

Comment and add photos if you have tried the design or a variation. 

Good luck and have fun!