Friday 31 October 2014

Scare Fest 2014


Today I went for Scare Fest 2014. Well obviously it was 2014. I don't know why I included that part. It was pretty damn good.

So we were told to come early and start queueing up or else we would only get to go in very late then we would have to go home at 2am. I don't even know. Being a first-year, my friends and I went up at 5pm. 2 hours before the event started. We went up to the booth and the Stage 52 people looked at us like we were absolutely crazy. They told us to come back in 2 hours. So what did we do? We strategically sat ourselves down in library such that we could see the booth (in case the line began to form because we are absolutely nuts like that) and then proceeded to discuss our history with wetting the bed and watching a girl simultaneously puke and have diarrhea. It was a movie. Obviously.

2 hours later, we found ourselves sitting on the floor. We were about 4 people away from the booth and there was still 15 minutes till it opened. Geez.

After watching a headless man and the guy from Vendetta walk round for a bit while complaining about their costumes, we finally were led up the stairs. We were met by 4 stony-faced butlers. Their faces were painted white and if it weren't for the fact that I could recognise them, they would have been pretty creepy. One of them, my friend and old classmate, smiled at me when I waved. So really they weren't that scary.

So we were led all around the building. It was a long walk that included us having to squeeze past the air conditioner things you usually have on the outside of your house or school. The big, chunky things that blow out hot air. I was honestly scared and the air conditioner units made me want to turn around immediately. Plus the creepy doll music was scaring me.

So we entered a door and we were met by a dark hotel like place. We were given some basic instructions and then we followed our butler around a corner. There was a butler sitting at the reception. His face was painted too and he was typing on a typewriter. He was also my friend. So we said hello. He was very good though. He didn't look up. Not even when we (loudly) mentioned how horrible it must be to sit there mindlessly pressing typewriter keys for hours.

We were then led through to 5 different rooms. Amira and I basically spent the whole time hugging each other and screaming. Shu Xian was right behind us and I could feel her hanging on to my bag at times which I actually was grateful for because the first time I felt a tug, I thought a killer clown had grabbed me.

So the rooms were scary. It was very dark and people kept jumping out and suddenly dashing at us and screaming in our faces. I felt my head start to ache after the first room actually. I have issues with loud noises and certainly that wasn't helped by people screaming and jumping at me. But it was very well constructed. Especially the room with the dancers.

My favourite room was the clown room. I don't know how but in that particular room I suddenly found myself at the back of the group. I was gripping Amira's hand and she was pulling me forward but there was a clown in my personal space and he was following me for some time which I found a bit constricting. We also had to go through this dark maze and clowns were jumping out at us randomly and grabbing at our feet. Now that I've written all that down I am starting to question why I thought it was my favourite room...

Finally it was over and I have to say that I enjoyed it. I'm so proud of my friends who were instrumental in this event. I could see how hard they worked and I really think they deserve endless praise. So well done Hannah, Haowei, Rish, Yee Kwan and all the rest!

Thursday 30 October 2014

Happy Halloween!


I have always hated October and for the most part, November as well. That was because I was in Primary and Secondary school. Meaning that I had my final exams and results and report books and all that awful stuff. I was never the best academically. I struggled my whole life with exams and studying. I'm much better at hands-on things that don't involve math. So this year, is my first year of being out of that awful system. This is the first year in which I feel like I can truly appreciate life in itself. The last 11 years have just all been about studying and getting good grades. Dealing with bullies and having meltdowns because I just couldn't cope anymore.

This year, has truly been the absolute best year of my life. This year, I have especially enjoyed October. The first 20 days of October was still part of our semester break so I got to enjoy watching autumn videos and all kinds of awesome halloween things that all the youtubers were doing. I seriously enjoyed this month because I got to appreciate how beautiful autumn made other countries through the vlogs. I got to experience how seriously other countries take halloween and I got to enjoy that.

So thank you Youtubers for letting me experience Autumn and Halloween. Two things which we don't really have here in Singapore.

 Okay I just realised how sad that sounded. It's not my fault that we couldn't travel this year. It's just that my brother's school schedules and mine are completely clashing. Next year should be better because we will be on similar schedules again.

Anyway, I love Halloween and today I'm going to my school's Scare Fest and I'm pretty excited about that.




Happy Halloween guys! If you celebrate Halloween, I hope you have as much fun dressing up as I kind of did. I know it was a pathetic attempt but I tried to be a cat. The ears were more suited to be rabbit ears. So I guess I'm a cabbit. Okay I'll stop now.


P.S. How on earth is it already November tomorrow??!!

Tuesday 28 October 2014

My Hair Routine

My favourite thing about myself is my hair. I have extremely curly hair which used to be very unmanageable when I was younger.

However, after my experimental times between ages 13-15 (straightening it, cutting it super short, letting it grow really long) I think I've found my style and I've more or less grown into my hair. So I have hair that goes just a little past my shoulders. I have a dip dye which has faded to a kind of golden colour.


So I thought I might share with you guys what my hair care routine is like. Firstly though, I would like to say that:

 a) I am obviously no hair expert. 
 b) I don't believe in spending hours on your hair daily. I think it's so ridiculous that some people out there take hair care so seriously that they completely neglect their other responsibilities. I had a friend in secondary school who said she spends about an hour on her hair care daily and that her hair was more important then her school work. I mean are you serious? Last time I checked you can't put 'I have soft and shiny hair' on a resume. 

But yes, my hair is my favourite part of my body (does that count as part of your body?) and I think it's important to spend at least 10-15 minutes everyday making sure that you take good care of your hair. Just like it's important to take care of your skin, you need to make sure that your hair is healthy and well kept because that does contribute greatly to how people perceive you as a whole.


1) Shampoo & Conditioner

I'm really proud of this picture I took. 
So the first and most basic part of hair care is of course getting a good shampoo and conditioner and then establishing a regular routine for washing. I use Sunsilk. I think it works very well with my hair and I love the fruity smell they all exude (ooh look at me trying to be all fancy). So I use the 'Damage Reconstructing' shampoo (Orange) and the 'Lively Clean & Fresh' Conditioner (Green). The reason why my shampoo and conditioner are from different ranges is simply because I like to vary the types I use so I get maximum benefits from a single hair wash. Using the same range for shampoo and conditioner means that for at least a month or two, you will be focusing on only one specific aspect of your hair and neglecting the rest. So try to mix them and vary your choices.

Also, don't wash your hair everyday. I have so many friends who tell me that they wash their hair everyday because their hair gets dirty and they can't handle that. My hairdresser actually told me why that is so. Basically when you wash your hair, you are taking away a lot of the natural oils in your hair. so your scalp responds by producing more natural oil to compensate for the ones you washed away. Hence, your hair become greasier faster. It takes a bit of discipline but try washing your hair every other day for about a week. You should then be able to see that your hair can actually manage to stay clean and nice for at least 2 days. It takes time to 'teach' your hair to stay clean. I currently wash my hair every other day and on the days that I know I am not washing my hair, I will simply get my head wet under the shower because I don't know. That's just me. So shampoo and condition your hair about a maximum of once every other day.


2) Hair Masks


I'm proud of this picture too :)
I recently discovered hair masks and learnt how to use them properly. I actually got these two in Bali last December where everything was dirt cheap. I honestly don't know what possessed me to pick them up considering that at that time, I barely knew what a split-end was. But I did and I'm so glad I did.

Over the holidays, I found my hair mask tubs and decided that it was time to start using them. So I did a bit of research (because let's face it, I don't know how to use a hair mask). So I learnt that you were supposed to apply the hair mask on freshly washed hair, leave it for two minutes and then wash it out. So I washed my hair and then dried it and then put the hair mask in. Then I washed it. It was ridiculously time consuming and I don't think I even did it right because my hair was greasy and tangled after that.

After that experience, I decided to try again (MUCH later on because I nearly swore off hair masks). But I used a different method. I put the hair mask in first and then got in the shower and washed my hair. It was SO MUCH BETTER. My hair turned out to be so soft and lovely and clean. I loved it.

So firstly, a hair mask looks something like this:
It's more of a cream really.

  1. So firstly, split your hair into two sections 
  2. Secondly, take a small dollop of the mask (it really depends on how long your hair is. My slightly longer then shoulder length hair needs about 3 dollops in total. By the way, one dollop is about sightly bigger then the size of your finger). 
  3. Then, work the mask into your hair. If you have oily roots, don't apply the mask on your scalp. Focus on the mid section and the ends of your hair. I tried applying it to my scalp the first time and it ended in disaster plus it gets kind of messy.
  4. Once you are done, you might find that your hair is a bit tangled and clumpy. What I like to do is to use a wide toothed comb to brush my hair. This will make washing your hair later much easier and it also helps to spread out the mask a bit more evenly through your hair.
  5. Wait for about 2 minutes.
  6. Then go ahead and wash your hair properly. By the time you are done conditioning, all remaining traces of the mask should be out of your hair.
  7. Enjoy your soft hair.
By the way, I have two tubs and each of them have different benefits. So since it was recommended online to do this twice a week, I use a alternate tubs for each use. I do this for the same reason why I use a different range of shampoo and conditioner. However, I understand that most normal people won't spend money on two different tubs especially if you are trying this out for the first time. It's a bit ridiculous. So unless you are in a place where things are dirt cheap (e.g. Bali) I would recommend just getting one.

3) Hair Serums


This is my favourite part of my hair routine. Applying hair serums! So I've mentioned the SilkPro hair serum I use in one of my favourites but I thought I would mention it again because it is something I use everyday and it works wonders. I simply use about 3 pumps and apply it to my ends and mid-section. It really detangles my hair and makes it soft and nice and curlier.


I also use this root-lock serum from Sunsilk. I got this as another random from Bali and I recently started using it. What you do is you simply apply it on your scalp and massage it in. It's not oily or anything and it smells really lovely. I think it smells like green apples and it makes your hair really nice. Plus I'm guessing that it's healthy for your hair too.












I hope you enjoyed my hair routine. If you noticed, since I included a lot of instructions in this post, I decided to bold some of the key words and phrases so it will be easier for you to read and follow.







Sunday 26 October 2014

Sunday Summary: First Week In School

This week, I went back to school! It was the first week of a brand new semester. New modules, new classmates and new teachers. A fresh start. So here is my Sunday Summary for this week.


♥ My predictions for this semester are that I will love Photography, Web Graphics and Written Communications. Location Production sounds like just a little bit of a drag. I'm not really into movie making anyway. And Media in Society is so dry I just can't even.

♥  I wore this on my first day of school. So like first day of school ootd :)


♥ I learnt how to use the basics of photoshop. Besides making a GIF, I have yet to teach myself much about photoshop so I am so excited. My photoshop (web graphics) teacher is also really good. Last semester, we learnt Adobe Illustrator and my teacher basically just barrelled through it all without caring if we understood or not. So I felt like I only got like 40% of what I was supposed to get out of the whole thing. My photoshop teacher goes step by step and makes sure that every single person in the class can follow before he moves on. Anyway this is what I made in my first class:


 I have Rock Climbing for my sports class this semester and I actually think that might be pretty cool. I start tomorrow and my biggest worry is that someone might see my underwear if I'm climbing and they look up (oh you know what I mean).

  I haven't really been feeling too well this week. Even as I write this, I'm feeling pretty crappy and I'm in a lot of pain.

♥ I finished reading 'Shopaholic Ties The Knot' this week and I started 'Shopaholic & Sister' today. So far I think 'Shopaholic & Sister' is my favourite because it's been so hilarious. I love how she ran across hot coals in the middle of yoga class to get to that merchant selling necklaces. Major LOL moment.

♥ I'm desperately trying to come up with a monthly favourites post for this month but I don't know. It's just not happening and I still haven't had time to take any pictures. I might only manage a music favourites again. Hopefully I'll be able to put something together by the end of the month.

♥ Quite honestly, I've got work to do but I'm procrastinating.

♥ I restarted my previously inactive ask.fm. You can ask me questions through the link here.

 I just finished my first photoshop mini assignment which was to create a collage that included pictures of yourself surrounded by the things you love. I actually really like the finished product. I think it's really me.




Tuesday 21 October 2014

My Daily Face Routine

Oh my goodness I never in a million years thought that I would be writing a blog post about this. But over the holidays, I've managed to establish a regular face and hair routine. I am no expert and I only do three basic things every day and one thing weekly but I still would like to share them with you.

-

1) Tea Tree Oil Facial Wash


So the first thing I do is to wash my face in the shower. I sometimes do this twice a day but if I'm lazy, I only do it once. I use the Tea Tree Oil Facial Wash from The Body Shop. My mom introduced it to me. It's really gentle and suitable for all skin types. If you've ever used Tea Tree Oil before, you would know that it smells amazing and it leaves a really pleasant and cool feeling on your face after you've washed it off. Just don't get it into your eyes because I swear it will burn your eyeballs out.

2) Moisturise



After I get out of the shower, I like to moisturise. Most of time I use a basic baby moisturiser from Johnson's Baby but sometimes I use the Nivea Intensive Moisturiser. Both work just wonderfully, though I personally feel like the Johnson's baby one makes my face feel softer. Also if I'm being frank, the Johnson's Baby one has a better value for money. I got the Nivea one in Bali for a pretty cheap price but it's much more expensive in Singapore. Yet with the design of the tube, it means that it is only half full and it finishes really quickly. So I feel that it's just not worth it.

3) Acne Mark Cleanser



My face scars easily and I hate that. So I use an Acne  Mark Cleanser from Clean & Clear. It smells heavenly! So far I haven't seen much of an improvement in my face but it smells so good that I don't really mind.

4) Exfoliation


This is currently my favourite face product. It's the St Ives Apricot Scrub which aims at giving you fresh skin. It's an exfoliating scrub and it smells amazing! I'm in love with it. It is however a deep exfoliation kind of product so I only use it twice a week (Wednesdays and Sundays though you can pick your own days based on your schedules). You have to be careful not to use this too much because over usage can strip the face of the necessary oils and things and will also stretch your pores. So twice a week is what is recommended on the tube and let me tell you that it makes your face feel so clean and lovely. It's fantastic and every one needs to exfoliate.

St Ives is branded and it was featured in a magazine so it's a little pricy. However it is so worth it. Unlike the Nivea moisturiser, it really gives you value for money. Also considering that you only need a little bit each time, this tube can last you a good amount of time. I would recommend spending the money on this rather then getting a crappy exfoliating wash that might even cause you to break out (I found that the Fruity Burst exfoliating wash by Clean & Clear actually made me break out).

-

I hope this helped you or gave you some ideas about the products you might like to try. Again, I'm no expert and I know that my facial routine is lacking especially compared to a whole lot of other people. But I'm trying and still learning so I think this is currently good enough.

Book Review: Gone Girl By Gillian Flynn



I finished reading Gone Girl this week and can I just say firstly that it was amazing! I initially read a review of it on Amzon when I was getting a whole lot of books into my Kindle at once. That was a pretty big mistake because I ended up reading only a few of the books I got that day. Anyway, Gone Girl was in that pile and I kept saying that I was going to read it but then I would get distracted with another book.

So after the whole fiasco when my Kindle broke down and I got a new one sent from Amazon, I had to start fresh and basically the first thing I got was Gone Girl and I made sure I read it first because Tanya Burr had just released a video recommending it. Also the book was number 1 basically everywhere and the movie was coming out soon. So I started reading the book and I literally couldn't put it down.

So Gone Girl is a psychological thriller and I loved it from start to finish. It's going to be hard to write this without giving away too much but basically there are a lot of twists in the book. When it starts out, the ending simply seems obvious. Gillian Flynn basically makes you hate the main character. Then, the whole story makes a 360 degree turn and you find yourself loving and hating all the opposite people.

I rarely read thrillers or mystery books so to me, I found the story extremely unique. I guess that was what made it so popular in the first place. Now, a lot of people are talking about how Gone Girl ended. Quite a number of people felt that after all the excitement in the book itself, the ending was kind of anti-climatic and a quite a let-down. Personally I felt like the ending was a bit unrealistic. I thought it was quite strange and I personally wasn't happy with the way it ended. Yet if I look at it from the literature point of view, I do see how it makes sense in some way. I feel like there's some underlying message in the ending that I'm not catching on to. So I guess if I dig deeper, I might actually love the ending.

When the book starts, the language is pretty decent and everything is pretty innocent and all. Then at about the second half of the book, when you've firmly dug your claws into the story, the language becomes pretty vulgar. Usually vulgarities and excessive talk of sex are my immediate turn offs when it comes to books, films or TV shows (I don't care how popular they are. That's why I stopped watching Game Of Thrones and Orange Is The New Black) however, I was at the point where you couldn't put down the book anyway so I just continued. So certainly I wouldn't read the book if you aren't old enough to be reading it. Simply put, this isn't a teenage/young adult novel. Make of that what you will.

So go check out the book and read it. It's honestly one of the more amazing things you will read this year. If you finish it in time, the movie is currently out in cinemas. In Singapore it's rated R21 though and as I mentioned in my last post, I am really upset about that because I desperately want to see if they did the book justice. I am 3 years below the legal age and I'm not about sneaking into movies. So  yes. I'm annoyed by that. I think in some other countries the age limit is M18 though so it really depends on where you live.

If you want to get the book, you can get it at pretty much every book store or you could get the ebook version here.


*P.S. I'm currently reading the Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella. I'm on book 3 and I'm most likely going to review it. If you want me to review any other books, just comment it down below and I'll read it and review it here. I love to read so give me some good titles :)

Sunday 19 October 2014

Sunday Summary: Shopaholic Overdose and New Things

Hello readers! If you follow me on Twitter, you would know that last night I had a bit of a meltdown. So I wrote a full post, complete with perfectly edited photos and then realised at the end that I couldn't post it because it was such a personal thing and while I'm usually pretty open about the things that upset me, this particular episode was not appropriate to share. So I promised to write something today.

I've seen some people do weekly summaries of their entire week. I thought that would be a fun thing to do so lets get to my week.

♥ I went to Yankee Candle for the first time. It was the best thing ever. You can check out what I got here. I also did my first haul post which was this very one that I just linked to.

♥ I finished reading Gone Girl and I loved it so much! I totally recommend it. The movie is also currently in the cinemas and I was so excited to see it because I saw online that it was M18 and since I'm 18 in 2 months anyway, I thought I should be able to get in. However, that must have been the American rating or something. In Singapore, its rated R21. I was so disappointed. I guess I'll have to wait till it's out online or something. (I don't sneak into movies. I'm not that kind of person) 

I started reading the Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella. I'm a little late for the Shopaholic series but I really felt like I was missing out on something great. So I got the books on my kindle. I just finished the first one. I'm on the second and I'm simply loving it! It's so real and funny and I see so much of myself in Becky because she's a writer too who can think so far ahead, no matter how unrealistic, which is really cute and exactly like me. In fact when I read her thought process, I realise that I think almost exactly the same. It's weird but also really awesome.

♥ I watched the Shopaholic movie on impulse. It was nothing like the books (Suze is blond!) but I'll give an allowance for the fact that the movie was made during a time when following a book to the T was not the most important thing in the world. (I guess fangirls  and Tumblr didn't exist then). Anyway it was the most hilarious thing EVER and it's one of my new favourites for sure. You should check it out.


♥ The album that I have been listening to on repeat this week is 'Take Me When You Go' by Betty Who. It was recommended initially by Tyler Oakley. While I pretty much love the entire album, my favourite song is 'Better'.







♥ I played pool for the first time with my friends and I now know how to hold the pool stick and I pretty much understand how the game works (thanks Haowei).
We also might have accidentally
played the whole game using the
wrong type of stick...hmm...





That's about it for my weekly summary. School is starting tomorrow so I imagine next week's summary will be very interesting. At least I hope. I'm just hoping that I fit in with my new class and that people like me and want to be my friends. But I guess everyone's worried about that. Now I need to go and figure out what the heck I'm going to wear for my first day of school. Times like this, I really miss my uniform days...Actually not really. I hated my uniform days.

Thursday 16 October 2014

My Weight, My Business



I wasn't going to post today. I don't have any clever idea for a post. I didn't take any pictures. I'm writing solely because I need to rant.

So let's start by saying this. I'm 151cm (4 feet 11 inches) and I weight 50kg (110 pounds). (oh gosh I can't believe I just told you my weight) I'm within the healthy weight for my height and age and the most important thing, I am happy (for the most part) with how I am.

Last night, someone extremely close to me said, "You've put on weight." I pretty much felt the light go out in my eyes. I could seriously feel my self-confidence plummet. I didn't know what to say. In fact, I didn't say anything. I just looked down until he said, "It must be because of the holidays. I'm sure you'll lose it once school starts." But that was just to cover the fact that he had belatedly realised that he had made a mistake. And this isn't the first time that this has happened. Once he told me that I need to exercise more because my thighs were too big (certainly they aren't too big for me. I don't live to make sure my freaking thighs are the size that you want them to be).

 I'll be lying if I said I wasn't devastated that he looked at me and only saw someone who was fat. I mean, how did he think that saying something like that to me was okay? His words have actually been playing in a constant loop in my head all day and I've been doing things like sucking in and crossing my arms over my stomach today.

Words like that are so powerful. They can (and have) wrecked so many people out there. I don't know why people can't just understand that a person's weight is their own business. That no one has the right, unless specifically asked, to determine what counts as being fat or skinny for another person.

I am happy with my weight. Yes. But just like anyone, I have my insecurities. I wish my tummy was flatter. I wish my arms were skinnier. I wish my boobs were smaller. I'm only human. I wish my metabolism was better but the fact is that I've been varying between 48kg-50kg for years. It's genetic and I guess I could do more about it but the fact is that I don't. And I don't care.

The idea that I'm getting at is that I'm not anorexic. I don't binge. I don't have an eating disorder. I am happy and healthy. How is that not enough? For someone so close to me to almost want me to see something wrong with my body is just...horrifying honestly. Because that's all I see his comments as. A way to get me to see something wrong with my size.

We say that society and the media forces us to constantly find something wrong with ourselves. But when it comes from someone who is supposed to make you feel beautiful and loved, it really hurts. I think coming from a loved one, it just weighs so much more heavily and makes you think and obsess over their comments so much more.

I think to sum up my rant, I would like to tell you to watch what you say to someone. Be it about their weight or various aspects of their body. You really don't know what could be a trigger for someone. You may not feel insecure about your hands but someone else might. It's not up to you to critique and comment on someone's weight and body.

In fact, doing so is like throwing a grenade. You don't know where it's going to land, you don't know how badly people are going to be hurt and you don't know what kind of long term effects and scars you might be leaving. So be sensible. Be respectful and be kind. Don't mindlessly call someone fat or too skinny. Remember that they don't live so that they can be exactly the size you want them to be.

Tuesday 14 October 2014

(Mini) Yankee Candle Haul


Hey guys! So two days ago, I found out something amazing. Yankee Candle is in Singapore!! Yay! Okay okay. I know. Basically I'm at least two years late on that one (as always). I try so hard....

Anyway, I really love scented candles and I've been wanting a Yankee Candle for a long time now. I always see them in haul videos and stuff like that on Youtube so I really wanted one. I just never thought that they may be in Singapore because to me, it was an American brand and American brands like Bath & Body Works and Lush are quite hard to come by in Singapore (though you will be pleased to note that I have since found these two shops in Singapore).

So I found out that there was a Yankee Candle in Singapore and freaked out. So today, my mom and I went there. We went to the Parkway Parade branch. The store is located at Basement 1. The other Singapore outlets are listed here.

We spent a total of $19 on 6 of the small candles because everything is really expensive. Certainly it makes me wonder if it's cheaper in other countries. Anyway, let's get to what we bought. 4 candles are of different scents and the remaining 2 are repeats.

1) Apple Cider


The first one I'm showing you is my ultimate favourite. This is the Apple Cider candle and we got two of these. It smells heavenly. It smells a lot like cinnamon but with a twinge of sweetness so it isn't completely cinnamon-y (cinnamon-y? Who do I think I am?). I personally don't really like cinnamon so I loved how this candle took that cinnamon smell and made it something nicer, sweeter and less intense.


The candle is very strong with it's scent. I burnt it for less then 5 minutes this afternoon and my room instantly filled up with the scent. So I decided to blow it out after a while to save it because my room already smelt strongly of apple cider. It's just fantastic.

2) Autumn Leaves


This was my second favourite from all the candles we got today (we got two of these as well). It's the Autumn Leaves scent and (obviously) it's part of the Autumn collection. In Singapore, we have only one season all year round and that is Bloody Hot. So I don't know what Autumn smells like. Personally though, I don't think it had a very Autumn kind of smell but I loved it all the same. It's got a very fresh and mildly sweet scent. I love how it's sweet but not so sweet that you feel stifled. It's got a very 'sitting-next-to-the-fireplace' kind of smell. If I really want to describe it, I would say that I smell it and I see Christmas in a cosy cottage with a fire place blazing. Sitting in front of it with a mug of hot chocolate and wrapped in a warm jumper. That's how Autumn Leaves smells to me. And I love all things cosy so this candle is just perfection to me.

3) Silver Birch


This scent, if I were to be honest, isn't my ultimate favourite. My mom picked it out and her taste is less fruity and sweet and more musky. So this one wasn't sweet at all. However, I loved how relaxing it smelt.


 It smelled very relaxing and it actually smelled manly. I could see a guy using this candle. It's not sweet so it's more masculine in my opinion. Certainly not my cup of tea but if it floats your boat.


4) Bay Leaf Wreath


I love this candle. It smells gorgeous! It's got a very fresh, sweet and relaxing scent about it. It actually smells a lot like Christmas (honestly this smelled more like Christmas then the actual Christmas Eve candle). To me, this candle smells like freshly washed clothes and a lazy Sunday afternoon. Perfect if you want a candle that can hold it's own in regards to the scent but is also subtle enough to make you feel like it's just right.

So that's all for my haul. This is my first time doing a haul and if I base it off other haul videos and blogs that I have seen, I guess there are too little candles for a full haul. So I guess it's a mini haul. That's pretty cute to be honest. Considering that the candles are all mini too.

Anyway, it's a pity that we didn't get more. We were kind of in a little rush and also we decided that since we have a Yankee Candle in Singapore, we can easily go back to buy more.  I hope you enjoy it. Leave me a comment and tell me what your favourite Yankee Candle scent is. I would love to hear about it.


P.S. We basically got to smell every candle in the shop and after we left, my nose was itchy and I couldn't smell properly for like an hour. It's a wonderful shop but really overpowering.


Sunday 12 October 2014

I Tried To Love You

I tried to love you but you pushed me away. I tried to hug you, to say I cared but you said no. Isn't a parent supposed to teach their child to love? Why then are you teaching me not to? Certainly I learnt from the best. I didn't understand. I still don't. Why someone who cries at night because her husband doesn't love her would push away someone trying to be there for her. It makes no sense. Maybe that's why he doesn't love you anymore. Because he once tried to give you love but you found it tiresome. Until one day, he just gave up.

Saturday 11 October 2014

The Official Guide To Being Lazy

Are you lazy? You probably are. Everyone is lazy sometimes (some people more then others). Well today I'm going to give you the ultimate guide on how to be lazy. Because let's face it. It isn't all that bad to be lazy. Being lazy just means you know the easiest way to get things done.

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1) Water Evaporates

I set a bowl on the floor for this picture. The first thing I did was
basically pour water on the floor. Right. Next. To. The Bowl.
You've spilt some water on the floor. Wait what? Don't go and get a rag! Water evaporates my friend! This is the most important lazy rule ever. You didn't spend 7 years learning science to be wiping up spilt water! Pssht.

2) Do A Half-Assed Job 

Hopefully someone will simply get annoyed and finish the job properly for you. Unless you are aiming to be the CEO of something. Then that might not be a very good idea.

SIDE NOTE: Become a CEO. Apparently they don't do very much.

3) Blame Your Sibling/Pet



If you spill something and there's no one around, did you really spill something? I don't think so. Simply blame a sibling (or a smaller and more mute human being) or a pet. They can't defend themselves. Might as well put them to good use.

4) Over Exaggerate Everything 

When someone does something nice for you, SING THEIR FREAKING PRAISE. Go on and on about how wonderful their pasta is. How your food is only nice when they warm it up and serve it on a silver platter to your bed. How your bed is only comfy when they make it. How your teeth are only nice when they brush it for you...Okay maybe not that last one...

5) Never Do Anything

Simply just don't do anything. In my experience, when your mom tells you to put away your clothes and you don't after like three thousand warnings, she will most likely just do it for you. You just have to be patient with this one. Also be careful. This tip doesn't work for everyone.

6) Sit Down For Goodness Sake




Why stand and wash the dishes if you can simply sit down and get the job done just as well? Or why walk all over the house dragging a broom? Just sit on a chair with wheels and zoom around the house with your broom! You could be like Harry Potter.
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I hope you liked that. I would have included more but quite frankly I'm too lazy. Enjoy your new-found laziness tactics (if that's even a phrase).

Wednesday 8 October 2014

The Art Of Always Being Prepared

We've all been there. Gotten caught in an downpour. Forgotten our wallets. Overslept on an important day. Well today, I'm going to help you get over that so that you have a calmer and more organised life.

I like to think that I am a very prepared person. When I was younger, my mom used to pack my school bag with things that I would need should there be an unexpected situation. That habit of always being prepared has pretty much stuck with me and I feel horrible if I'm out and don't have the things I would need should something unexpected happen. So I thought I would give you a list of things to do and have on hand to always ensure that you are ready for anything.

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1. Extra Money



This is the absolute most important thing you need to have at all times. Extra money. Growing up, my mom would always tell my brother and I that it never hurt to have a little spare money tucked away in a corner of your bag in case of an emergency.

Personally, and thanks to my mom again, I hate to borrow money. And if I do, I will usually return it as soon as possible unless there is some extraordinary circumstances. Even then, the debt will haunt me till I repay it. So for me, forgetting my wallet and having to borrow money from someone is my worst nightmare. 

That's why I always tuck a little bit of money into my bag when I'm going out. It doesn't have to be a lot of money. Even just 10 bucks is fine. 10 bucks can buy you a meal (or two). 10 bucks can get you a ride home in a taxi. 10 bucks can do a lot if find yourself without a wallet and in an emergency. So don't ever forget your spare cash.

If you are the type of person that frequently changes bags, do what I do. Put money in each of the bags that you use most often. This little trick has saved me more then once and I guarantee that it will help you too.

Fun Fact: The picture is folded up because I wasn't sure if I was allowed to photograph money. So I googled it and found this under the Singapore laws:

This isn't an advertisement and I mean this picture in the most innocent way but I don't want to get into trouble so I'll just be safe.

2. An Umbrella



An umbrella is important because you never know when you might get caught in a rain. I have a small little pink umbrella that's very light and easy to carry around. That said, I only really bring umbrellas when I'm going to school because I hand-carry my Macbook to and from school and even though I have a laptop case, I would still hate it to get drenched obviously. Any other time, if I don't have my laptop, I will simply leg it.

3. Pads



Ladies! This is so so important and I don't know why it is that not every girl knows to always carry a pad with her! 

After I got my first period, my mom made sure that I always had a spare pad in my school bag even if it was no where close to my time. As I grew, I learnt to start carrying two pads in my bag. 

Why? Well simply because I went to an all-girls school till I was 16. So I would have friends come up to me frequently asking for a pad because they had been taken off guard and were not prepared. So I bring two pads so that I can freely give one up without worrying about myself.

(SIDE NOTE: If a friend asks for a pad, ALWAYS give one to them. It's not the best thing in the world to go person to person asking for a pad while panicking that you might have a stain. Let's all be nice to the rest of our female humans)

So I carry a pad in my bag at all times. I don't care about my cycle. Just that I must have a pad with me always. So find a pad that is very thin (it doesn't have to be the ones you usually use. In fact I use different pads for my bag) so that it doesn't take up too much space. And just pop it into your bag. And that's it. Think about it. It saves so much embarrassment.

If you do however find yourself in a situation where you are surprised and have no way of obtaining a pad, go to the bathroom, get lots of toilet paper and layer it on your underwear as a temporary 'pad'. It's not a permanent solution but it's effective.

4. Tissues



Personally, I don't use tissues very often so I rarely pack them. However, they are very helpful. It's good to know that you have tissues in case you need a napkin, get sweaty or get the sniffles. Just get one of the small little packs and throw it in your bag.

5. A Water Bottle



If you know me, you would know that I not only have the world's smallest bladder but that because of that, I am a slow drinker and I often just don't bother drinking anything (which I know is really bad. I'm working on it). So for me, a water bottle simply takes up space and is a heavy, unnecessary object.  However, my mom tends to force me to take a water bottle and I'm glad she does because I often find myself grateful for my bottle when I'm in a long lecture and can't get a drink.

If you really find it too heavy, you can buy mini water bottles. They are relatively easy to find and they can store just enough water to keep your thirst under control while you finish that last half hour of lecture. It's also much lighter obviously because there's less water. You could also just fill a normal bottle up only half way to save yourself from the weight.

6. Body Spray/Perfume/Deodorant


This is very important. Let's face it, we all get stinky sometimes. We all get sweaty and gross at the end of a long day. But also, the worst thing in the world is to be with someone who stinks. So it's nothing embarrassing to carry around a small bottle of deodorant, perfume or body spray to save yourself and others from having to tolerate a stink. You just need to pop it in your bag and you don't have to worry because now you're prepared in case you find yourself feeling a bit gross at the end of the day.

If you have a small bag, you can just toss in a perfume sample that you can get at any perfume store. The little bottles are perfect for these situations.

7. Mints or Gum


This is a kind of continuation from my 6th point. Sometimes, through no fault of our own, our breath could become a little stale and stinky. So all you really need to do is pop in a mint or piece of gum and you're good to go. 

In Singapore we aren't allowed gum and I know in certain schools worldwide, you aren't allowed gum. So be careful with that one. Honestly, the simplest thing to do is to pop in a small mint tic-tac and you should be fine.

Don't find yourself having a chat with someone and desperately wishing you had a mint because you had onions in your lunch. It's not worth the stress, my friend.

8. Be Early



I'm an early bird. I love to be early and my friends can tell you that, instantly. I like to plan to arrive in school 30 minutes before every tutorial or lecture. Just so that I can be calm. I can get a fruit juice and take my time walking to class. I hate to rush and it astounds me how people can always be late and make people wait. I find it very irresponsible.

So be early. Early people are prepared people because they take into account that there might be a huge jam or that the bus might take a long while to arrive. 

9. Set Alarms


I am the kind of person that usually wakes up within the first 2-3 rings of my alarm. I rarely oversleep and I almost never need more then one alarm to get me out of bed. I know that a lot of you aren't like me though. So you can do what I like to do. I like to take precautions and I set about 5-6 alarms regardless of the fact that I actually don't need them. 

One alarm to wake me up 5 minutes before I actually have to be up. One at the time I'm supposed to be up. Another one for the time I should be done getting dressed. One for when I should be eating. One for 5 minutes before I should leave for school and one for when I am supposed to leave the house.

This is because I no longer run on a regular school schedule. I sometimes have classes at 9am and sometimes I have class at 3pm. So I like my alarms and I will always plan the night before and set them all so that I never oversleep or take too long to do something. 

This is super important when it comes to being prepared and will overall contribute to a more peaceful and organised life.

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I hope you enjoyed my tips. Do let me know in the comments if they've helped you or if you've used my tips. I would love to know. Stay tuned for my next post by following my blog or subscribing to email alerts.

I love you!

Sunday 5 October 2014

New Experiences And A Touch Of Social Anxiety

Hello readers! I feel so weird now that I'm not daily blogging. I don't like this feeling... Hmm...

So I decided to write this post because yesterday, I had a great day which was full of new experiences and I wanted to tell you all about it.

So yesterday, my cousin invited me out to a play that was being produced by one of his old school friends. It was called 'The Beaux Stratagem" and it was hilarious and classic and really wonderfully done in my opinion. I was really impressed. I loved how they strung their words together to form something so elaborate and extravagant. The actors were all so confident and loud. It was extremely well put together and I enjoyed myself tremendously. So well done to the cast and crew!


After that, my cousin surprised me by bring me to the Fullerton Bay Hotel. We went up to the Lantern bar. He bought me a Gunner (it's a mocktail that's made up of ginger ale and some other stuff. Overall it was extremely tasty). He had a cocktail drink that was full of mint leaves. I thought his drink tasted 'leafy'.


We just chilled out at the bar for a bit. The view was absolutely spectacular. I can't even describe it properly. You had to be there to see how lovely the city skyline was. In this instance, pictures do not speak a thousand words.



While we were there, my aunt and uncle surprised us. They came along and had drinks with us. Then they took us to Pasta Brava for dinner. Pasta Brava is an Italian restaurant which they frequent very often. Everyone was so nice especially to me because I was the new face at the table.

We had Portobello mushrooms and ravioli for appetisers. I had seafood linguini for my main and we shared a crêpe and a tiramisu for dessert. We had really nice wine too and we did limoncello shots together. It was amazing. It was my first time doing a limoncello shot (or any shot for that matter) so that was an interesting experience. (I would later find out that it made me really tired and that night, I woke up disorientated at 5am but that might not have been because of the shot)






Overall it was a wonderful and amazing day. It was very overwhelming. I've never been to a place where a drink costs 20 bucks. I tried ravioli for the first time. I did my first shot. It was really a lovely experience and I'm glad that I put myself out there and did all this. 

When my cousin first called me to invite me for the play, honestly, the first thing that came to my mind was, "Why me? Did he have no one else better to take?". That was my instinctive reaction to his invite even though I know that my cousin and I love spending time together and that he and I are pretty much siblings. I instinctively assumed that my company was horrible.

I hated that I felt that way. On Saturday, I was very careful when I picked my outfit. I made extra effort and I even did a little something special with my hair. Yet the second I got there, I started to feel ugly and fat. I felt out of place and I had this horrible fear in the pit of my stomach. I don't know where it came from but I know that I was no stranger to it.

I frequently experience this. This almost crippling fear that I look horrible, that I might say the wrong thing, that I might embarrass myself. It's always when I find myself with people that are not in my household. It's why I don't really go out much and why I prefer to stay at home, holed up in my room, typing up what I feel to post on my blog. I struggle with social interaction. Especially one-on-one interactions. 

It didn't matter that it was just my cousin with whom I had grown up with. It didn't matter that I was with my closest aunt and uncle whom with I spend time with every week. I still felt crippled. If I wasn't busy being overwhelmed by everything, I might have started to panic. I don't know. I mean, yesterday was a really lovely day. Yet internally, I just felt so strange and a little tipped on one side, if you know what I mean. 

I hate feeling like that. Like I'm somehow not up to a standard that I think I should be at. A standard which, by the way, is pretty unattainable. I think I've mentioned before that I am my biggest critic. I guess this is a pretty big personal stumbling block for me. I don't know. I'm rambling. 

It's late and I want to sleep more then anything. I've got exciting posts coming up. I got a new camera yesterday too and I will review it once I feel like I know it well enough. So don't forget to subscribe by typing in your email address in the box in the side bar to get an email when I post something!

Love you loads!