Happenings in October - AVENE Cleanance A.H.A Exfoliating Serum + iVegan

Tuesday 8/10/24

I am already familiar with the AVENE Cleanance range as I am currently using Avene Cleanance Cleansing Gel and Cleanance Comedomed. Hence, adding AVENE Cleanance A.H.A Exfoliating Serum to my routine felt like the perfect complement to complete my skincare set. Thanks Daily Vanity for introducing the product.

AVENE Cleanance A.H.A Exfoliating Serum is suitable for people with sensitive, blemish-prone skin. Its lightweight, watery texture infused with Avène Thermal Spring Water, feels incredibly soothing upon application. 

The serum absorbs quickly into the skin, leaving behind a hydrated, dewy glow without any greasy feeling. The serum is free from fragrance. I noticed it effectively soothed redness and did not trigger any breakouts or discomfort. It’s the perfect addition to my skincare routine.

Saturday 12/10/24

We went to Starbucks for dessert where I had Buttery Scone. It was crispy on the outside and buttery on the inside, with the Lurpak butter adding extra fragrance.

Sunday 13/10/24

Journey to east for iVegan at i12 Katong a health-conscious restaurant offering natural, delicious plant-based whole foods free of MSG and refined sugar. Their dishes use olive oil and pansalt.

Thanks GF for inviting me along to join her and K for the lunch, good opportunity for me to pass her recent overseas souvenirs.

The Crispy Veg Maki was the nicest among the dishes I tried, it does not lose out to the Japanese maki. Made with cucumber, carrot, red cabbage, nori, tomato salsa, vegan mayo and BBQ sauce, it was bursting with flavour.

With the growing demand for vegetarian dining, restaurants are getting more creative with their menus, and I would not mind eating vegetarian more often if it is this delicious.

Sunday 20/10/24

The Tater Waffle with sausage, bacon and scrambled eggs caught my interest. The taste of the tater waffle was a bit unique, it took me awhile to get used to the taste. The smoky, crispy bacon contrasted nicely with the creamy scrambled eggs and the maple syrup added a touch of sweetness.

Thursday 31/10/24

As time was still early, we walked over to The Marmalade Pantry for dessert. I had Pandan Gula Melaka Cake ($14++) with pandan chiffon sponge cake layers filled with a gula melaka mixture of coconut flakes and shavings. The cake was moist and infused with the aromatic flavors of pandan and coconut, making it a sweet dessert choice.

Happenings in August and September - The Modern Izakaya + Senka Perfect UV Gentle Milk SPF 50+

Tuesday 8/8/23

I had my lunch at The Modern Izakaya @Chijmes, a casual Japanese dining restaurant that boosts a chill atmosphere, offering a selection of sake, beer and Japanese cuisine.

I had Tori Chicken Katsu Lunch Set ($18++), it was quite a good deal as it came with salad, main course, chawanmushi, miso soup and a sweet conclusion of mango pudding. The set was decent but well rounded meal, making it valuable for the price paid.

Wednesday 9/8/23

Wearing daily sunscreen can effectively shield our skin from harmful UV rays and preventing premature aging. Incorporating a higher SPF into our skincare routine is one of the most beneficial actions we can take to maintain healthy skin. 

I’m glad to be introduce to Senka Perfect UV Gentle Milk SPF 50+ PA++++, a water-resistant sunscreen specially crafted for sensitive skin. What sets this sunscreen apart is its formulation, which is free from oxybenzone, octinoxate, alcohol, and added fragrance, making it ideal for those with delicate skin. With its high level of protection, SPF 50+ and PA++++, it offers a reliable defense against harmful UV rays. 

Senka's sunscreen has a watery texture that effortlessly blended well into the skin. Being water resistant offers peace of mind even during hot and humid weather. This sunscreen provides both effective sun protection and a comfortable experience throughout the day.

Saturday 26/8/23

The top up for set meal was $8 which includes a starter and dessert. I opt for Mushroom Soup for my start, it was simple and comforting.

The portion of the Mini Brownie was generous, resembling a full size dessert. It was served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Its moist texture and rich flavour paired well together with the ice cream.

Saturday 2/9/23

The Chicken Sofrito Wrap ($25++) was refreshing with its combination of different ingredients consisting of chicken, cucumber, tomato and more. It was accompanied with yoghurt sauce and French fries which gave a savoury touch.

Saturday 9/9/23

I had Aglio Olio with Boneless Chicken Leg ($12.90). While the dish was rather ordinary, the portion of chicken thigh provided was quite generous.

Happenings in June and July - Avene Cleanance Cleansing Gel and Cleanance Comedomed

Sunday 4/6/23

I have started using Avene Cleanance Cleansing Gel for past one week and would like to share these products with those who have blemish-prone and sensitive skin. 

Cleanance Cleansing Gel is in blue gel like form that lather well on skin, it has a light and refreshing smell. The cleanser is gentle and does not dry up my skin, leaving my skin feeling clean after using. One unique fact of the cleanser is that the gel is soap-free, yet it is able to cleanse our skin thoroughly. The cleanser is suitable for people with sensitive skin like me as it contains a plant-based patented active ingredient that reduces excess sebum and soothes skin.

After cleansing, my skin is ready for the next skincare regimen, Cleanance Comedomed that fights blemishes and prevents them from reappearing. Cleanance Comedomed also provide hydration to my skin and I have been using it as a moisturiser, acting as a 2-in-1 product for treatment and moisturiser. The lightweight concentrate has a gel like texture and absorbed into skin almost immediately. I did not experience irritation when using the product nor breakout when I am using the product, it helped to soothe my skin and reduced the bump size. Definitely going to continue using it. 

Wenesday 14/6/23

Met up with Linda for dinner after 5 months of hiccup, she introduced me to Big Fish Small Fish at Bugis Junction.

I had Fried Dory with Aglio Olio ($13.90++) where the fried dory came in a generous portion. The aglio olio was a little spicy but it was counter balanced by the savoury fried dory. Both complemented well with each other and flavourful.

After the meal, Linda treated me to Liho hazelnut milk tea for my early birthday treat. Thanks girl for the drink.

Monday 24/7/23

We had our lunch at Saizeriya, a regular spot for us with lunch sets starting from $7.90. We decided to indulge a bit by sharing two desserts among the four of us - the Chocolate Lava Cake and Apple Crumble.

Happenings in February - Scentopia + Go-Kart

Sunday 12/2/23

I joined GF on a Sunday morning at Sentosa for a perfume making workshop at Scentopia.

Scentopia is situated at Siloso Beach (former WaveHouse). You can take Sentosa Express, alight at Beach Station and walk over to Siloso Beach.

The session started off with a personality test to find out the scents that suits your personality. The scents are grouped into five categories - Citrus, Fresh, Floral, Woody and Oriental. You can choose the perfume scents according to your test result or just choose the scents you like. 

Although my personality scent was Woody, I chose the 10 scents according to the scents I tested and liked, floral and woody formed the majority (3 each out of the 10 scents).

There are over 6000+ scent wands of aroma oils that we can pick from. We were to choose 10 types of scents to customise our unique fragrant of perfume.  

Testing out all the scents to pick my top 10 favourite for perfume making.

Perfume is an essential in my life as I rarely walk out of home without spraying perfume on (unless I am in a rush), the fragrance acts as a finishing ritual to my preparation. 

Fruity scent is one of the scent that I am leaning towards, something I will opt for when going for casual occasion because I love sweet smelling scent. Hence, I picked one scent from the citrus corner.

We were given a paper cup when we pumped the aroma oils based on the selection we choose and blend the oil together to have a sense of how the final product of our perfume will smell like. After satisfied with the scent, I handed my selection form to the perfumer who will convert it into a 100ml (worth $125) bottle for us to take back home.

Other than perfume making perfume, Scentopia offers range of aroma products such as perfumes, reed diffusers, scented candles for sales. This corner is for the scents inspired by Singapore Memories such as orchid scent, suitable for tourists to buy back home.

Thanks GF for the photo and for bringing me along to the workshop.

Friday 24/2/23

I had my first Go-Kart racing experience at KF1 Expo. It was a once in a life time experience for me because I have never expected it to be so fun, experiencing what is it like to be a F1 racer.

The go kart circuit at Expo boosts a length of 750m and 16 corners with many sharp turns. We watched a video on the safety precaution on how to operate the go-kart.

I was assigned to the last kart, kart no. 6. It was quite hard to get into the kart, need to find the correct place to step inside. The kart was quite easy to operate, we just need the steering well to turn the direction, right foot is to accelerate and left root is to brake. Each round is 10 minutes.

The go kart racing was a surreal encounter, I love the adrenaline rush when I did all the sharp turns and it was thrilling as though we were flying around the track. The friendly competition with the other players have increased the fun of the race as we strike to do our best. I finished off in 3rd position during the practice round.

For the qualifying round, I performed better and I got the hang of controlling the kart. I finished off in 2nd position in a 9 players match. It was tough to put the fun and excitement I'm feeling in words. Now I'm utterly in love with playing go-kart and I can't wait for the next time I try it.

Happenings in January - The Skin House Wrinkle Supreme Cream

Saturday 7/1/23

It has been quite awhile since I last had Din Tai Fung, I decided to revisit Din Tai Fung for some of my must order dishes. Since I have posted before some of the dishes, I will only introduce the dishes that I had for first time.

We ordered Sliced Duck in Crispy Spring Onion Pastry which featured a thin sliced of duck wrapped in the pastry. It cames in 6 pieces.

Ended off with Almond Pudding Coated With Black Sesame Dressing. The top layer was coated with black seasme dressing which complemented the strong almond pudding underneath with roasted notes and nutty taste.

Saturday 14/1/23

It has been two years since we last gathered in full strength, we gathered at Legendary Hong Kong at Rochester Commons for a dim sum lunch to celebrate GF's birthday in advance.

We ordered quite a number of dishes for sharing among 8 of us - char siew bun, beancurd roll, rice roll, fried prawn dumpling and etc.

Time to step up on slowing down aging process with The Skin House Wrinkle Supreme Cream as age catching up and fine lines showing up with you smile. 

The anti-wrinkle function Cream is suitable for all skin types, especially for those who wants to improve and prevent wrinkles. It contains red ginseng which promotes elasticity and collagen, as well as 9 types of mushroom which is rich in antioxidants. 

Just apply a small amount of the cream, spread it along the skin texture and neck. Initially I was worried the cream may have a strong scent of ginseng, but it turned out to be a mild pleasant scent which gave me a sense of relaxation. The cream has a heavier texture but it does not leave the skin feeling sticky after the application, it gave my skin a radiant boost, hydration and result in a firmer skin.

Tuesday 17/1/23

Met up with my friends after work, it was a mad rush because I was held up at work and only left office at 6.45pm. Nevertheless, I still managed to reach the same time as the rest as my traveling time was shorter.

The free flow buffet and milk tea at the cost of only $16.80 nett per pax.

The thing about having mookata was that we spent all our time grilling and eating the food, we hardly have the time to even talk to each other because we need to toss and turn the food. It was only after we finished the dinner, then we spent another hour talking.

Thursday 26/1/23

Happy Chinese New Year, I had my second lo hei at Tiffany Café & Restaurant @ Furama City Centre.

Welcome the year of rabbit with a prosperity start, tossing the yusheng as high as we can for a fantastic year of fortune.

The Best of Tiffany's Buffet Feast was disappointing as the selection was limited and overpriced at $42++ per pax. This was all I had at the buffet lunch, definitely not worth paying $42++.

Happenings in December - Shandi Global Plant-Based Chicken Products + RAVIEL Serum + Poulet

Thursday 8/12/22

Shandi Global (Shandi) has launched the opening of plant-based chicken manufacturing facility in Singapore which produce plant-based chicken products in various formats such as patties, pieces, shreds, strips, and drumsticks.

With the reality of a global food shortage as the world population continues to increase, Shandi seeks alternatives for a sustainable food source for the world.

I received a sampling set from Shandi comprising of plant based chicken sandwich and plant based chicken crispy nuggets for review.

Shandi’s plant-based chicken has a protein content of close to 30%, on par with the protein content of actual chicken meat. making it a healthier more sustainable option without sacrificing the benefit of protein for those switching to a meatless diet.

There are 8 pieces of plant based chicken crispy nuggets in a packet. The chicken nugget was well seasoned with mild spices and the exterior tasted really like popcorn chicken while the inner resembled chewy mushroom texture.

The plant based chicken sandwich was made up of bread wrapped with plant based chicken slices, onion, tomato, lettuce and sauce. The resemblance of chicken sandwich is lower as compared to chicken nuggets, I think the spice and batter really make a lot of difference. Nevertheless, it was still tasty.

With Shandi’s plant-based chicken so similar to meat, it encourages consumer to switch to a plant-based diet while consuming the same food we love without compromising taste and nutrition.

For more information, please visit https://www.shandiglobal.com/

Saturday 10/12/22

Ended off with S'mores Ice Cream, it was my first time trying out this flavour. I can't really describe the taste but the fragrance was delectable and sweet.

Sunday 18/12/22

RAVIEL Multi Vitamin Dark Spot & Blemish Care Serum is a serum that tackle various skincare issues: dark spot and blemish correcting, evening skin tone, hydrating, brightening and wrinkle repair.

The alcohol free and unscented serum has a watery gel-like texture, which is non sticky, lightweight and absorbed fast into the skin. A non-irritating serum suitable for all skin types as it is made with 100% safe ingredients (EWG green ingredients). 

The serum hydrated my skin by locking in the moisture and smoothing the skin with diminished red spots. It gave my skin a radiant glow after the application and a dose of moisture, leaving my skin feeling soft and prep my skin for better absorption on the next step of skincare regime. It is an important skincare step in our regime that we should not miss.

Wednesday 28/12/22

Met up with GF for Christmas gathering and she introduced me to this place, Downstairs (楼下) at Suntec City basement level. The eatery has simple interior and they incorporated some retro furnishings that brings good memories with a smile such as the chess table, letterbox, hopscotch that we can find downstairs in the older days.

I had Curry Pork Cutlet Rice and Lime Juice ($8.70) which was simple and delicious. The curry sauce added richness to the ingredients and I savoured everything clean.

Friday 30/12/22

We have come to the last working day of 2022 and I bid farewell to 2022 by having a feast. We headed to Poulet @ Vivo City for lunch because they are having 3 course set lunch at $27++.

I was surprised by the generous portion of their starter because usually set meal comes in a petite portion. The Truffle Fries were served in a standard size of tray. The truffle seasoning added aroma to the lightly salted fries.

I had Chicken Aglio Olio which was infused with a touch of spice to the pasta, it contained cube chunk of chicken and bacon bits. The spiciness was still manageable without reaching for drink.

Ended off the lunch with Milk Pudding which has a milky taste, the pudding was soft and smooth. It was topped with biscuit crumbles which provide a contrast in texture with crunchy bite.