Liz and So Forth

Lechetin Recipe

2013-05-24T11:52:00.000+08:00

When I was in my first trimester of pregnancy, I've been craving for my mom's Lechetin dessert (a Gelatin and Leche Flan in one). So I made a lechetin for myself. I've tried different recipes and failed. But this one works for me:

Ingredients:

· 4-6 pcs of whole egg or 8 egg yolk

· 1 big can evaporated milk

· 1 can of water (using the can of the evaporated milk)

· 3/4 can of sugar (using the can of the evaporated milk)

· 4 sachet of Knox powdered unflavored gelatin

· 1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)

· 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Instructions:

1. Prepare 2 plastic tupperware

2. In a large bowl, mix together beaten egg yolks, milk.

3. In a pan, add water, sugar, and simmer in low fire.

4. Once sugar is dissolved, add knox gelatin and mix.

Do not let it boil.

5. Remove from pan, and mix all the ingredients.

6. Pour in the mix on your tupperware.

7. Let it set and cool in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.

Try it and let me know how you liked it!

Preparing for our little one!

2013-05-24T09:59:00.002+08:00

It's been awhile since I blogged. As you can see from my last post about our trip in Sydney and Gold Coast, Australia, well... after our vacation there, a blessing came in! We got pregnant! Yes, I'm currently 7 months pregnant and it's made in Australia! Yey!

Since my due date is in August, hubby and I are making preparation on things to buy for our baby. Everything is expensive here in Singapore, and good thing my brother & sister in law from US are very willing to help us on the things we wanted to buy and they will ship it to us.

We decided to buy Graco Pack N Play Playard with Bassinet instead of a crib. Some prefer cribs, but due to space and affordability, we preferred a Playard. We can just remove the bassinet after a few months, and he can now roll on his playpen.

Graco Pack N Play with Bassinet, Desitin, Pacifiers, and extra bottle nipples

We also bought glow in the dark Avent Infant Pacifiers and medium flow nipples that he can use in 3 months. Good thing Amazon sent a blue pacifier, since it's indicated that it's either yellow or blue!

I've read some reviews and most moms recommended Desitin Diaper Rash Ointment. Better be prepared as early as you can on what to buy for your baby. You can buy small tubes and see if it will work on your baby's skin.

I also saw these Philips AVENT Exclusive Feeding Gift Set in blue and additional 9oz Avent Bottles. I like the color that it's blue so we bought it!

Avent Exclusive Feeding Gift Set in Blue

Since we're using Avent bottles, we decided to buy Avent 3-in-1 Electric Steam Sterilizer. It's cheaper in US than in Singapore, and more expensive in Philippines.

Can't wait to see our package to arrive and use it for our little one!

Chateau Beachside Resort experience!

2012-11-22T12:14:00.002+08:00

Aside from walking around Sydney, we also went to Gold Coast. This time, it's all about food and relaxation!

After spending months of searching where to stay in Gold Coast, we finally decided to book here via booking.com for $379 AUD for 4 nights.

One of the reason we chose Chateau Beachside is because of the location and good reviews from Tripadvisor. Yes, location, safety, and cleanliness are very important to us. Chateau is a beachfront apartment. And right beside the Chateau, there are lots of high end shops, souvenir shops, restaurants, and convenience store. Therefore, we were able to save a few bucks for our breakfast and snacks! Also, Cavill Avenue, Surfer's paradise is just one block away from our apartment (100m to be exact!).

From the airport, we ride bus 902 and paid $7.90 for one way trip to Surfer's paradise. From there, we walk to our apartment which is easy to find. Our room key is ready when we checked in. We went to our hotel and find the room very refreshing and spacious. We love the room!

Front Desk area, there are lots of brochures about whale watching, theme parks, etc.

Our hotel room.. we love the view! There's a small fridge, microwave, electric kettle, and utensils to use.

Spacious room, with cable TV, dresser, iron board and iron.

our own big bathroom!

Chateau pool... heated jacuzzi and sauna are on the left side of the pool...

our view...

Chateau apartment at night...

Lots of restaurants around the Chateau!

Around Chateau...

Clean and cold beach!

Surfer's Paradise!

Cavill Avenue at Surfer's Paradise, lots of shops and eateries!

Pros:

Big room
Clean room
Nice view
Lots of nearby shops and restaurants
Beachfront apartment
Fits our budget

Cons:

No aircon/heater (may not be advisable to stay if the weather is too cold or too hot)
The bedsheet and sofa may need to be changed as it looks dark and old
Curtains does not cover the whole window, so it's a little bright at sunrise which is 4:30am
No daily housekeeping on our 4 night stay which is common in Gold Coast apartments

Yes, we will stay again. The apartment is in perfect location, clean room, and fits our budget.

Perfect location: Hotel Coronation at Sydney, Australia

2012-11-16T12:00:00.003+08:00

Hi guys! I'm back! Based from my previous post on Where to stay in Sydney and Gold Coast?, here's an update on our stay in Hotel Coronation.

For those who are still looking on where to stay in Sydney that wants your own private room and bathroom, you may try Hotel Coronation. The hotel is in Sydney CBD. It's right beside Town Hall Station, and just few stops away from Circular Quay and Central Station.

We enjoyed our stay here because of the location. We did not have any problems on getting around Sydney on our own. The room is perfect for us as we only need a clean room where we can sleep comfortably.

Hotel Coronation right infront of Town Hall Station. There's also another entrance/exit on the left side corner of Hotel Coronation block.

Basic room

The room is small, but clean. And good for two persons only.

Our view from 3rd floor. On the left corner, you can see Queen Victoria Building, a high-end shop with nice architectural design.

Our view from 3rd floor on the right side. You can see Gloria Jeans, McDonalds, and Hungry Jacks (Burger King).

Bathroom is clean. They provide soap, shampoo, conditioner, body towels, and face towels. They replenish and clean the room daily.

Hotel Coronation entrance is a narrow hallway. It looks like a hostel for backpackers. But for $109/night with your own bathroom and right in Sydney CBD, I can't complain.

Pros:

Location! Location! Location!
There are shops, restaurants, malls (Westfield, etc), food courts around the hotel within 100m
Town Hall Station is right beside the Hotel. We use the train from Airport to Hotel and vice versa. From town hall, you can go to Circular Quay and Central Station where lots of nice places to visit.
Walking distance to Westfield, Queen Victoria Building, Paddy's Market.
Woolsworth (big grocery store) beside the Hotel.
Room and bathroom is clean. With hot and cold water. With aircon/heater.
AUD $109/night with your own room and bathroom.
Daily housekeeping if you want; we only asked then to clean it once on our 3rd day stay.

Cons:

Room is small and looks old
It's not sound proof. You can hear the noises from the street.
Curtains does not cover the whole window, so it's a little bright especially at sunrise which is 5:30am.
Old style elevator. Sometimes, it's not working.
Stairs looks scary because of dim light.

Yes, we will stay here again as the location is perfect! We got the room that we need, and we were able to sleep well!

Enhance your eyes using Starter Set - Real techniques

2012-09-21T13:24:00.003+08:00

It's been a month that I haven't updated my blog. So here it is! One of the brushes I have is Real Techniques Starter set. These are the brushes that you can use to get those gorgeous smokey eyes that we see on magazines, ads, TV, etc. There are lots of brushes out there, but this one seems to fit my requirements: affordable and good quality!

The bristles are very soft and smooth on your eyes. It's also synthetic so it's animal cruelty free. These brushes can be used on powder, mineral, and cream eye make-up.

Here's the packaging: At the back of the box, there are guidelines on how to use the brushes.

The starter set comes with a unique case that has a toggle rope. On the left side of the case, there are two straps where you can put your other brushes.

The case has a toggle rope where you can pull to make the brushes stand. You can bend it like the picture below:

Base shadow brush and Deluxe crease brush:

Brow brush can be used to remove excess powder or foundation on your eyebrow. You can also use this as an eyeliner.

Accent brush and Pixel point eyeliner brush:

For tutorials on how to use this, you may want to check Real techniques site.

If you're a type of person that doesn't wear full make up, then you're good at Travel Essentials. But if you want to enhance your eyes, then get this starter set. These brushes are easy to use, soft bristles, and money wise as it can pick up a lot of make up!

COMEX 2012!

2012-08-30T18:16:00.001+08:00

For those who are in Singapore, it's IT show from August 30 to September 2 at Suntec City Mall. IT/PC show is a quarterly event in Singapore where in you can buy or check new gadgets, mobile phones, mobile deals, desktops, laptops, DSLRs, digital cameras, HDTVs, so on and so forth! Check out COMEX 2012 website for price list. I'm excited to go to IT show this weekend as I'm planning to buy a waterproof camera and hoping to get nice freebies! See you there!

Hello my ramekins!

2012-08-19T11:39:00.001+08:00

I never knew what ramekin is until my husband asked me to bake a chocolate molten lava cake. He even gave me a site to refer on how to bake it! LOL! I checked the site Noob Cook to see if the ingredients are easy to find and instructions are easy to follow. I'm a lazy girl! LOL!

We had a hard time finding ramekins. We went to Ikea Alexandra, Daiso Vivo City, and Daiso Plaza Singapura. As of today, it's S$2.90 per ramekin at IKEA and S$2 at Daiso, and it's out of stock. We found pretty red ramekins at Tangs Vivo City, 4 pcs of ramekin set at S$80, but it's way beyond our budget. Finally, when we thought of giving up, we found it at Spotlight Plaza Singapura! Woohoo! We bought 2 sets of ramekins (4 pcs white and 4 pcs blue) for S$10! Good thing that they are on sale!

These KOO ramekins are dishwasher safe, microwave safe, and oven safe to 260C. Size: 10cm (dia) x 5cm (h).

Ramekins are usually used for baking chocolate molten lava cake, serving desserts, etc. I still need to do more research on what else I can bake using these ramekins.

For now, here's the finish product of my chocolate molten lava cake! Success!!!

For those who love to bake, what else can you bake using these lovely ramekins?

Millionaire Teacher, my first financial book!

2012-08-12T14:46:00.001+08:00

Have you ever heard of "Millionaire Teacher"?

A friend recommended this book to me. I don't read books, but since I'm so eager to find ways on how we can grow our money, I opened and tried to read the first few pages of this book. From the moment I started reading it, I can't put down the book and started taking notes. I then obliged my hubby to read it right away.

Andrew Hallam is the author of "Millionaire Teacher: The Nine Rules of Wealth You Should Have Learned at School." He's a high school teacher in Singapore and was a middle-income earner. He started investing at the age of 19, and became a millionaire in his 30s.

We find this book simple, entertaining, and informative. I finished reading it in two days! It's direct to the point and situations are realistic. This book will give you an insight on why we should invest on index funds instead of mutual funds. Helpful links are also provided in this book for those who are located in US, Canada, Australia, and Singapore.

I wished that I read this book in my early 20s! Well, it's never too late. I'm very thankful to Andrew Hallam that he wrote Millionaire Teacher: The Nine Rules of Wealth You Should Have Learned at School. He also have a website and it's very helpful, he even answers queries from his site. Just by reading it, I feel that I've learned a lot on index funds. Our next step is doing what Andrew Hallam is doing. Millionaire Teacher is good for those who want to start investing and be financially free. I really love this book and recommended this to my family and friends. This is exactly the financial guide we need and worth sharing.

For those of you that still have no idea what index funds are, how, and what to invest, go get Millionaire Teacher!

Where to stay in Sydney and Gold Coast?

2012-08-06T10:01:00.002+08:00

On my previous post, we were able to catch an airfare promo of FlyScoot for Australia. After that, I did my research on where to stay in Sydney and Gold Coast. I read lots of good and bad reviews from different hostels, hotels, private apartments, etc and was able to narrow down our choices.

In choosing our hotel, these are the factors that we considered:

Location

Sydney

Should be near to Circular Quay, Sydney or Sydney CBD

Gold Coast

Should be near to Cavill Ave (Surfers Paradise shopping and entertainment district)

Area is safe (avoid red district areas (Kings Cross))
Nearby shops

Transport

nearby train or bus

Accommodation

Cleanliness
Private bathroom
Bathroom amenities (towel, soap, etc)
Good customer service

Rate per night

$100 AUD and below for 2 persons

Breakfast and internet

Optional
Most budget hostel and hotels in Australia don't provide breakfast and internet; if breakfast is included, you can expect bread and cereals

In Sydney, below are our choices:

Hotel Coronation

Pros

$109 AUD per night
1.8 km to Circular Quay
Nearby train (96 to Galeries Victoria Monorail Stop; 150m to Town Hall Railway Station)
Nice and comfortable bed
Cleanliness
Daily housekeeping
Good reviews and customer service
Nearby McDonald's, supermarkets, shops, cafe
Hotel has a restaurant with affordable meals and good reviews
Safe area

Cons

No breakfast
No internet
Might hear noise at night because of delivery trucks; hotel is beside Woolworths (large supermarket store)

Big Hostel

Pros

$110 AUD per night on private room with bathroom
2.8 km to Circular Quay
Nearby train and bus (450m to Central Railway Station)
Lots of backpackers for social interaction (if you prefer)
Good reviews and customer service
Cleanliness
Light breakfast included on their shared kitchen: cereals and bread
Can cook on their shared kitchen
Free internet on common area
Safe area

Cons

No daily housekeeping
Need to bring your own bathroom amenities (towel hire is $2 AUD)
Bunky bed as per tripadvisor reviews

Y Hyde Hotel

Pros

1.9km to Circular Quay
$100 AUD per night on private room with shared bathroom; $137 AUD per night on private room with own bathroom
Nearby train (350m to Museum Railway Station)
Nice bedroom
Cleanliness
Good review and customer service
Breakfast included

Cons

Our budget only fits on their private room with shared bathroom
No internet

For those who are on budget, traveling in groups, and fine with shared bathrooms, you may try Big Hostel. Rates per person ranges from $30-34 AUD. The location is good and advisable for backpackers. I read a lot of reviews on other hostels and I don't think you can compare them with Big Hostel's cleanliness and location.

Renting an apartment or room on landed houses are also available in Australia and sometimes cheaper, cleaner, better than hostels, see airbnb. For airbnb, this is one of our choices Sydney City Home with Harbour Views. I love this place and the owner have lots of good reviews. The only downside is we like to be in the city area itself, maybe next time. If you decide airbnb, make sure you read and choose those owners with lots of good reviews for your safety.

In the end, we decided to book at Hotel Coronation as it's in the city area itself, can walk to shops and nearby attractions, and it has the same rate as Big Hostel's Double room with en-suite.

In Gold Coast, below are our choices:

The Shore Holiday Apartment, Surfer's Paradise

Pros:

$86 AUD per night for the 1 bedroom apartment
Fully equipped kitchen (can cook)
1.1km to Ripley's Believe it or Not (Cavill Ave)
Beachfront
Good reviews and customer service
Nearby convenience store
Quiet place
Safe area
With pool

Cons:

No shops and eateries around the apartment
No breakfast
No internet
Non-aircon

Chateau Beachside Resort, Surfer's Paradise

Pros:

$96 AUD per night for 1 bedroom hotel
550m to Ripley's Believe it or Not (Cavill Ave)
Beachfront
Good reviews
Shops, convenience stores, and malls are just beside the Chateau
Safe area
With pool, gym, sauna

Cons:

No breakfast
No internet
Non-aircon for $96AUD rate
As per reviews, furnitures are a bit old but it doesn't matter
Can't cook (if you prefer to cook)

We booked at Chateau Beachside via booking.com as it's very near to Cavill Avenue, lots of shops, and eateries beside the Chateau Resort.

Next agenda, arrange our itineraries and watch our for a domestic airfare promo from Sydney to Gold Coast. Hope that the above accommodations will help you on your future visit to Australia. Feel free to leave a comment if you have questions and suggestions.

BRTC Jasmine Water BB Cream

2012-07-31T08:51:00.003+08:00

BRTC Jasmine Water BB cream is the first BB cream that I bought and wanted to try. If you want to know what BB cream is, see my previous post.

You may apply a moisturizer prior to BB cream application if you have dry skin. You only need a dime size, then apply small dabs on your whole face, and blend in (dab it on your face).

From below pic, the BB cream color has a light color. Once you blend the cream, you will see the pinkish color. Just tap your fingers on it and it will adjust to your skin tone.

After a few minutes, the BB cream sets perfectly on my skin. You can also tap the bb cream on your skin to absorb it. That way, you will get a more flawless natural look.

Pros:

The tube is very light-weight and can bring anywhere
Non-greasy
Non-sticky
Good Oil control
Smoothens your face
No dry or flaky area on my face
Good for acne-prone, sensitive, oily, and combination skin
Whitening properties: it will lighten your dark spots, not the whole face
Wrinkle repair
SPF 30

Cons:

It's hard to squeeze
Since the tube is light-weight, it seems that there's not much BB cream inside the tube
The cream color is kind of pinkish and may not be advisable for dark skin

I will still try other BB creams on my list and will keep you posted for comparison. Have you tried BRTC BB creams? How was it?

BB cream for a flawless look!

2012-07-26T16:57:00.003+08:00

Are you wondering why most Korean stars have a natural flawless look? Have you heard of BB creams?

BB cream stands for Blemish Balm Cream, some calls it Beauty Balm or Beblish Balm. This cream is usually used after laser procedures or surgery to cover and protect the scars as it has soothing and healing properties. This becomes famous when Korean stars started using the cream on their flawless "no make-up make-up look" and the craze has began.

If you're the type of person who wants a quick and light make-up or no make-up make-up look, then this is for you. It's an all in one make-up with moisturizer, sunblock, foundation. It is somewhat like a tinted moisturizer. It conceals blemishes, it's very light, and provide a flawless natural glow. It's also good for sensitive and acne-prone skin. BB cream should have moisturizer, sun protection, whitening properties, anti-aging, anti-oxidant, anti-wrinkle, and skin regeneration. If your BB cream has moisturizer, sun protection, and any of above mentioned properties, then it's a good BB cream. These are used by both men and women.

The only thing that I don't like on BB cream is that the skin selection for your skin tone is very limited. Usually, it comes in one or two skin tone.

Below are some common BB creams:

Etude House
The Face Shop
Skinfood
Skin79
Nature Republic
Hanskin
Missha
Garnier
BRTC
Dr. Jart
Smashbox
Bobbi Brown
Clinique
Dior
Estee Lauder

Some of these BB creams can be bought on your local drugstore, boutique shops, high-end department stores, or online.

Before buying a BB cream, it is best to know your skin type (normal, dry, oily, combination). I have a combination skin type: very oily on nose and forehead area; some dry skin on face and around my nose.

If you're looking for a BB cream for your skin, I advise that you go to stores with testers. Test it on your skin, then walk around the mall to see the results. Some takes 15-20 minutes to see the actual result.

I'm still doing my research on what BB cream won't cause acne on my skin. So far, I've been eyeing on below BB creams, these are good for oily or combination skin:

What's your skin type and BB cream? Share it!

IPL hair removal experience

2012-07-21T15:46:00.000+08:00

From previous post on my favorite aloe vera gel, I've mentioned that I had an IPL hair removal trial. IPL stands for Intense Pulse Light. IPL is one way of reducing hair growth on any part of your body, and it also helps to lighten pigmentation. IPL treatment are usually done in six sessions to be effective. You will be asked to come back between 4-6 weeks.

I came across at Hawaiian Spa (by Fabulous Group) and gave it a try as I don't see any negative reviews and they don't do hard selling.

This is their waiting area, you can hear relaxing music, and the ambience looks like that you're on a beach.

Here's the room where the IPL is being done.

The treatment last for less than 10 minutes on both underarms. First, they will clean your underarms, then get IPL zaps on each underarm. There is no cold gel needed as they are using a pain-free medical grade machine. The machine is cold and the IPL zaps feel like a rubber band snaps. Ant bite is more hurtful than IPL zaps.

The people here are nice and my therapist is Adniah. After my treatment, I just went to the counter and pay. Their trial costs S$48. I'm happy that they did not do hard selling. Adniah just discussed their promotion while she's doing the treatment.

After a week, hair starts to fall. You can pull it using your hands. I prefer to use tweezers to pull the hair strands. You can pull the hair strands without force, it's like the hair is not connected to your skin. As for the result, the hair grows very slowly and thinner. Also, there is no redness or irritation.

For those located on other countries, I suggest that you look for reviews and feedbacks online about the salon or clinic where you want to do your hair removal treatment. If you're interested, do an IPL trial first, then observe within a month if hair grows slower and thinner. It is also important that the treatment will not cause skin irritations. Always go for IPL trial, and observe the result before signing up an IPL session package. Hope this helps!

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer

2012-07-18T20:17:00.001+08:00

Laura Mercier is known for creating flawless looks and enhancing women's natural beauty.

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer is a moisturizer foundation that provides light to medium coverage. Laura believes that women should still look natural so she created foundations to be used only where it is needed. Oh, that's the look I want!

I got the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 Oil-free (Bisque) at Sephora shop in Singapore. They also gave me a free travel size Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 in Nude color.

My hand before applying the tinted moisturizer:

See below TM swatches in Bisque and Nude. Picture with Tinted moisturizer in Bisque and Nude.

As you can see, both colors don't have much difference on my skin tone.

Result after blending:

Bisque looks darker than nude. Looks like nude is my color, but I prefer bisque as it evens out the redness on my face.

Pros:

Good for acne-prone, sensitive, oily, combination skin
Good oil control, especially when pressed with a Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Powder
UVA/UVB Sunscreen protection (SPF 20)
Very light on face; no make-up feeling
A dime size can cover my whole face
Evens out the redness on my face
Natural look and feels smoother
Non-greasy and sticky
Comes in different shades for our skin tones and skin types
Easy to remove

Cons:

Does not conceal blemishes, acne, and scars
Large pores can still be seen
Not for full coverage
Some color transfer so be careful if you're wearing a light blouse
Expensive (S$68)

Overall, I love this product! My next target is NARS tinted moisturizer oil free. Hopefully, it will be available soon at Sephora Singapore. I read a lot of reviews that it's affordable and can level to Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer. Hmm.. Can anyone confirm it? What do you think?

Scoot to Australia!

2012-07-11T20:39:00.000+08:00

If you're from Singapore, you might have heard of FlyScoot. FlyScoot is a Singapore based low-cost airline that will scoot you from Singapore to Bangkok, Taipei, and Australia. They offer airfares at an affordable price. As of today, FlyScoot has a S$99 dollar promo from Singapore to Sydney/Gold Coast, Australia till July 13, 2012. The usual price that I see in some budget airlines from SG to Australia is S$800-900 roundtrip airfare per person.

We were able to book the following at Fly Scoot for our November trip:

Singapore to Sydney for $254 (SGD). One-way airfare for two persons.
Gold Coast to Singapore for $230 (AUD). A separate one-way airfare for two persons.

In total, the airfare cost us less than $600 (SGD) for two persons. I'm glad that we were able to book this promo. My next tasks are to look for a budget hotel and organize our itinerary. Oh, we also have to apply for a tourist visa, which is S$150 per person. Hopefully, it will be approved.

Also, from Sydney to Gold Coast, we plan to book a one-way domestic airfare that would cost $100 (AUD) for two persons through Jetstar, Tiger Airways, or Virgin Australia, whichever is cheaper.

The above prices are "Fly only" promo for two persons. We did add one check-in baggage (20 kg). Food is not included. It will cost around S$400 roundtrip airfare per person if you choose "Fly with check-in baggage and food".

By the way, can anyone suggest a safe and budget place to stay in Sydney and Gold Coast? I've read reviews to avoid King's Cross, Glebe, and Redfern in Sydney.

Getting Rid of Acne

2012-07-10T09:59:00.001+08:00

Five days ago before our cruise, I have these irritating pimples on my forehead and at my back. I'm very acne prone, especially at my back. I went to our local drugstore (Guardian) and bought Acne Clear Pimple Treatment Cream (ICM).

Acne Clear Pimple Treatment Cream (ICM) does:

Kills Acne Bacteria
Unblocks Oily Pores
Dries Up Pimples

You can apply the cream twice a day or as prescribed by your doctor. You only need to apply a very thin layer on your acne. It dries very fast. My acne get smaller after five days. I'm satisfied, but not happy with the result. I'm expecting to get rid of these ASAP. My acne on my forehead is gone, but there's an acne scar. The acne at my back gets smaller, but it's still there till now.

I recommend this Acne Clear for mild acne/pimple. But for those with stubborn acne, you might need a stronger acne cream or see a dermatologist for an advice.

I also tried Oxy10 at my back, but it seems that it's not for me. It's causing more redness on my acne so I stopped using it, and continue with Acne Clear.

Can anyone suggest an effective acne cream?

Phuket - Langkawi Starcruises Experience -Part 2

2012-07-05T19:14:00.002+08:00

Continuation of Phuket - Langkawi Starcruises Experience -Part 1...

Day 3: Langkawi, Malaysia

We're already at Langkawi, Malaysia Port around 11am on Day 3.

Lunch at the Pavilion - Chinese Cuisine

While other guests are busy on Langkawi trips, we were also busy eating chinese food! hahaha

After our delicious lunch, we went outside and walk around Langkawi Port.

There's a nearby resort at Langkawi Port, it's Awana Resort!

Awana Resort Lobby

Awana Resort Reception Area

Souvenir shop

We liked to try the Awana Spa, but no one is inside.

Pool view at Awana Resort

Dinner time at Mediterranean Buffet!

Woohoo! Lots of food!

Yummy pudding!

Assorted cakes!

Tiramisu!

pudding again!

There's a Gala dinner at Grand Piazza. Anyone can join but you have to wear formal attire.

Picture taking with Starcruises Captain and Chef!

The Stars at Somewhere In Time starcruises show.

Time to watch Nikita at 11:45pm!

Day 4: SG - Last day

Starcruises provide daily itineraries with the list of their shows and activities. This will keep you busy for the whole day. =)

Last breakfast at Starcruises!

Mediterranean Buffet - we love to eat here because it's yummy and the food is unlimited! hehe

Cheerful cooks at Mediterranean!

Lots of bread!

Kid's pool

Playing chess with hubby. I won!

Blue Lagoon

Hallway

Stairs

Going to cabin

Hallway to cabin

Last lunch at Starcruises. This time, we chose Bella Vista. I ate Tossed Pasta Linguini, yummy!

Grilled Veal Sausage for hubby

Desserts!

Last view of Superstar Virgo

The Taverna - our favorite bar. It's at deck 13 and the view is very nice!

Deck 13

Deck 12 at Parthenon Pool

The things that we did not like at Starcruises are:

Long queue at check-in
Long queue at immigration
Our room was not clean; there were candy wrappers on the carpet, skid marks and urine splash on toilet bowl when we check-in at our cabin.
The housekeeping guy is always missing one hand towel daily; on our day 3, he did not give us a bath mat.
The housekeeping guy did not leave us a "Do not disturb/Please make up our cabin" sign.
If you do not have a "do not disturb" sign and no one answers the door, crew can go inside your cabin to leave the daily itineraries or receipts on your bed.
Check-out at cabin is 1pm; After 1pm, you have to stay somewhere and wait for the 3PM arrival at Singapore immigration.

The above things did not spoil our cruise. We did not opt for Phuket and Langkawi tours as there are lots of activities that you can do at Superstar Virgo. We had fun and would like to cruise again. Hopefully, next time, we can try the Royal Caribbean cruise!

Tips:

Do an early check-in 1-2 days before you cruise at Park Mall (Dhoby Ghaut MRT).
For check-out, go to assemble area right away to avoid the long queue. It's a first come first serve basis.
If you can afford, go for Balcony Class. Balcony Class and above are on priority. You don't need to queue and you can check-in/check-out first on Starcruises.

Phuket - Langkawi Starcruises Experience -Part 1

2012-07-05T19:12:00.001+08:00

Two weeks ago from my previous post, I mentioned that we'll be having a cruise for our wedding anniversary celebration. We're back from our 4D/3N Phuket Langkawi experience. We got this at Starcruises site at S$1234 only. It's good for 2 pax already; food and accommodation are inclusive on Starcruises rates.

Enjoy the pictures below!

There is a long queue for check-in and another long queue for immigration. Good thing we did an early check-in at Park Mall the day before the cruise. After 1hr of queueing at immigration, we were able to board at Starcruises - Superstar Virgo.

Way to cabins

When we went to our room (Ocean view w/ Porthole), it is still "cleaning in progress" which made us disappointed because we want to leave our bags and check out the cruise.

Toilets have separate shower area, toilet bowl area, and toilet sink. Toilet bowl area does not have a bidet or a faucet. So if you need to wash your thing, you have to use tissue, then go to the shower area, or bring a pale & soap with you.

Since our room is not yet ready, we decided to eat at Mediterranean buffet. Guests can already eat after boarding. Yey!

Sail away dance by Starcruises crew

After sail away party, we went back at 4pm to check if our cabin is ready. It looks like that the housekeeping is done on his cleaning. But when we went inside, there were candy wrappers on the carpet, skid marks, and urine splash on the toilet bowl. Not so happy! Anyway, we just clean the toilet ourselves. Everyday, the housekeeping guy is giving us one hand towel. On their list, we should get two hand towels, otherwise, we have to pay if it's missing. On our day 3, we have 1 missing hand towel and bath mat. We did not complain and just let it go. Cleanliness: THUMBS DOWN!

For dinner, we tried Bella Vista. Presentation is nice, but food is average. I could say that the desserts are delicious.

sword fish steak - this fish is very tough to eat, not so tender...

love the seafood pasta!

yummy dessert!

After dinner, we went to Ms. Universe Bingo program! We played Bingo though we did not win. The hosts are funny and it looks like that you're in a comedy bar. LOL!

On our day 2, we went to arcade after breakfast! Let's be kids again!

There's an Arcade! We played different games here!

For lunch, we tried the Pavilion - Chinese Cuisine. Food here are delicious! We really enjoy eating chinese food here.

every food we ate at the Pavilion are delicious!!!

After lunch, we watch one of the Starcruises shows. Everyday, starcruises will give you their daily itinerary. You can see the list of activities and shows for the day.

One of the show on Starcruises: Crew Show Extravaganza

After the show, we ate again..hehehe

Afternoon Tea! Eating time again!

Kid's area at Mediterranean Buffet

Spa pool and gym

Dinner Time - We chose BBQ party at the Parthenon Pool as the food looks delicious.

Grilled chicken, lamb, squid, and sausage! yum yum!

fruits and bread

nom nom nom!

After dinner, we went to Taverna bar to get some beer, mocktails, and relax. Drinks are not included in the package.

The Taverna

Pool at night

Phuket Port - We arrived at Phuket, Thailand around 5pm. There are a few of souvenir shops and thai eateries at Phuket port. We went outside and sip a fresh coconut juice!

Click here for Phuket - Langkawi Starcruises Experience -Part 2.

What to pack on a cruise?

2012-06-30T09:56:00.002+08:00

One day to go and we're on a cruise. We haven't pack anything yet for our 4D/3N SG-Phuket-Langkawi-SG Cruise. I guess we have to start on our basic amenities and medicines.

Here's what we plan to bring:

Beautifying kit (Travel Essentials, Sleek makeup, loose powder, lip balm)
Facial wash - I need to bring my own facial wash or else, I'll end up with acne.
Lotion - We should always have lotion to avoid dry skin
Sunblock lotion
Deodorant
Toothbrush & toothepaste- Starcruises provides toothbrush & toothpaste, but we prefer to bring our own.
Aloe vera gel - I can't leave without this!
Perfume - Yes, we bring perfume when traveling!
Medicines - For fever, headache, stomache, allergy, LBM, and vitamins!
Flip-flops
Swimwear
Shades
Dry bag
Close shoes - Flip flops are not allowed on fine dining restaurants on cruise.
Casual wear - These are required when eating at fine dining restaurants.
Formal wear - These are required incase you plan to attend the "Gala" dinner. Ladies have to wear their cocktail dresses and mens on their long sleeves.

We're still thinking if we will go for a Langkawi adventure, but we decided to bring clothes for outdoor adventure anyway.

I did my research and read that we have to pack our things based on our itinerary. The problem is, we don't have an itinerary as we want to enjoy the cruise and relax! LOL! Oh well, hakuna matata!

What else do you need for a cruise? Any suggestion?

The magic of Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Powder

2012-06-28T11:22:00.001+08:00

Are you looking for a loose powder to lessen the shine or oil on your face?

Or are you one of the people I know that doesn't want to put anything on their face?

Well, you need to try Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Powder. This can be used as a loose powder or a setting powder. This can be applied after you're done on your make up for prolong wear, or for those who don't wear make up at all. This will help you avoid pasty or cakey look on your face. This is oil-free and suitable for all skin types.

If you always look tired and haggard, apply a little amount of loose or pressed powder to freshen up and that will change the mood.

You just need a very small amount of powder and you're good to go. Use a velour puff and pressed it on where you need coverage.

Usually, I pressed it on my nose, forehead, and cheekbones as those are the shiny and oily areas on my face. This will definitely give you a natural glowy look.

Pros:

A light touch of powder can last for half a day without retouching
Very light on face
Not cakey or powdery
Good oil control
Does not clog pores
No breakouts so far
Lid is easy to open and close
No shimmering bits
No transfer color

Cons:

Expensive at S$56 (Sephora SG)

I will still look for other affordable pressed powder that is good for our skin, and keep you posted. Right now, I'm so in love with this powder and definitely worth the money.

Anyone tried this product? How was it?

Sleek's Flamingo vs Life's A Peach Blush

2012-06-25T15:35:00.000+08:00

I've been having a hard time to decide which of the Sleek blushes to buy, so I end up buying two blushes!

The packaging: It's very small and can bring it anywhere. Size is 1 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches.

Flamingo and Life's A Peach blushes:

Here are the swatches for Life's A Peach and Flamingo blushes:

Pros:

Good quality
Very affordable (S$14 at Luxola; $6.50 at SleekMakeUp site)
Both are matte colors

Cons:

Sleek blush case is hard to open.

Comparison:

Flamingo is very pigmented and you only need one light swipe and you can use it on both cheeks already for a light blush.
Life's a peach is very light and not pigmented. I need to swipe more than five times in order to have a light blush on my cheek.
I prefer the Flamingo blush for a long day wear or parties, and use Life's A Peach blush for everyday no make up make up look.

So which do you think is prettier? Flamingo or Life's A Peach? These Sleek MakeUp Blush comes with different colors. Click Luxola to find out!

I also got this glitter nail polish for free (worth S$35) at Luxola. Anyone interested on this nail polish? I'll be happy to give it to you!

Sleek Black Waterproof Mascara & Storm eye shadow make up

2012-06-23T14:31:00.000+08:00

I bought a mascara to define my thin and short eyelashes. I plan to buy clear mascara, but it's not available on Luxola, so I bought a Sleek Black Waterproof Mascara. I prefer waterproof to avoid scary black smudges. Before, I had an ELF clear mascara and I like it.

We use mascara to enhance our eyelashes. It's not necessary but, wouldn't you like to have nice eyelashes?

See below before and after picture.

This is taken after I removed the eye make up. No eye make-up and mascara;

Sleek Storm eye shadow make-up with no mascara:

Sleek Storm eye shadow make-up with Sleek waterproof mascara:

Pros:

Very affordable (S$11 at Luxulo; $6 at Sleek site)
Waterproof
No smearing
Smudge free

Cons:

There's clumping of eyelashes
There are some smudges whenever I remove my eye make-up

I like this mascara as it makes my eyelashes thick and black, but I still prefer a clear mascara.

Sleek MakeUp Storm i-Divine Palette

2012-06-22T23:57:00.001+08:00

My new Sleek MakeUp Palette has arrived. I bought the Storm i-Divine Palette from Luxola online, and got it the next day. They shipped very fast!

So here it is:

The packaging: Palette is small and can carry anywhere.

Sleek Storm i-Divine Palette: 3 matte and 9 shimmering eye shadow w/mirror

Here are the swatches of Storm Palette:

Pros:

Very affordable for an eye shadow palette (S$20 at Luxola; $10.50 at Sleek site)
Good quality
Very pigmented; rich in color so no need to apply a lot of eye shadow if you want light make-up
You can use it by day or night
Sleek have varieties of eye shadow palettes and can't wait to have the Oh So Special palette.

Cons:

Palette is hard to open

I'm very excited to experiment this palette, I'll post pictures once I know how to do an eye shadow make-up! LOL!

For UK, EU, and International countries, you can buy at Sleek MakeUp site.

If you're in Singapore or will be in SG, Luxola will deliver it the next business day. So go get your Sleek Palette now!

Acne, stay away!

2012-06-21T09:55:00.001+08:00

Since we're going on a cruise, I need to make sure that I'm acne-free. I'm usually the type of person who can't switch facial cleansers anytime I want to. I have an oily face, large pores, and acne prone skin.

I can't remember when I start using Clean & Clear; it's more than 6 years for sure. Every now and then, I try other oil-free facial cleansers such as Clean & Clear Deep Action Refreshing Cleanser, Ponds, etc. but I still end up with acne. Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash and BodyShop Tea Tree Facial Wash are effective, but I can only use it once a week. I'll have breakouts if I use it continuously for 1-2 weeks.

So far, my face is only comfortable with Clean & Clear deep action cleanser (oil-free) for everyday use. The only thing I don't like on Clean & Clear is I'm getting a dry skin around my nose.

Any recommended facial wash for oily and acne-prone skin? What's your facial wash and how was it?

Two weeks to go and I'm on a cruise!

2012-06-19T13:46:00.000+08:00

Last Feb 2012, we had a NATAS fair in Singapore. And if you go to any Singapore sites, you will see lots of promo fare on travels. Every year, I always look on where we will spend our anniversary. I saw on Starcruises site that they also have NATAS promo. The regular fare will cost you S$2000 plus. I booked for 4 days/ 3 nights cruise. The route is from Singapore > Phuket, Thailand > Langkawi, Malaysia > Singapore. For S$1,2xx, meals and accommodation are all included. The price is for two persons already and we get 6 meals daily! Sweet deal!

I'm very excited, and preparing the things I need to bring. Well, my travel essentials brushes are ready to go.

Can't wait to relax, beautify, and enjoy!

Drugstore Nose Strip review

2012-06-17T15:09:00.002+08:00

Since it's weekend, I decided to do something to clean the blackheads on my nose. Facial spa in Singapore is expensive so I prefer the cheaper one - nose strips. I'm supposed to buy Clean & Clear nose trip but it's not available in our near drugstore, so I bought the drugstore's nose strip.

The first time I tried it, I'm very disappointed as the strip got few blackheads. I tried it again on my nose for the second time, and made sure that my nose is very wet. The result is better, it stripped a lot of my blackheads, and I'm happy with it. I''m very satisfied and it's only S$3.90 for 10 nose strips. I will definitely buy this again. I prefer not to show pictures as it's not a pretty picture to show, and I'm the only one who enjoys looking on it.

Tips:

Exfoliate or clean your face thoroughly before you begin.
Before applying the nose strip, it's advisable to steam your face, or you can put a warm cloth on your nose to open the pores.
Do not stretch your face when putting the nose strip except if you plan to make your whole face stretched for the whole 15 minutes. This will just make the nose strip wrinkled.
After removing the nose strip, apply a cold cloth or cloth with an ice to close the pores.
Lastly, apply an aloe vera gel to soothe your pores.