Happy 20th birthday to myself!

It is my birthday today. I believe that wisdom grows with age, so I am happy to be one year older today. =)

Daddy and mommy came back from Taiwan yesterday. They bought lotsa things for us. More than what we had expected. They went with two luggages and came back with four. Among the many things they bought were four big boxes of royal jelly, which they claim to be my birthday present. Didn't get the Majorlica Majorca eye shadow I wanted though.

Had lunch with Pauline and RouShen after tuition with Yati. Walked all the way from Khatib to Yishun! My legs almost broke! Thought it was just a short distance. I really appreciate the MRT station at Khatib now. =X

Daddy came to pick me up at NorthPoint and we went to Parkway Parade from there. Isetan was having a sale for cardholders. Bought Anna Sui's concealer, loose powder and a limited edition shimmering lipstick. Spent a total of $138 and received a gift pack which consists of their latest whitening skincare products and a very pretty 'Secret Wish' cosmetic pouch.

Anna Sui's 'Secret Wish' cosmetic pouch

Topped up the amount to $150 with 3 Skin Food sheet masks and got $15 worth of rebate voucher. Wanted to get Anna Sui's mask and conditioning mist pack with the voucher but mommy wanted to use the voucher for her Shiseido softener. =/

Bought lots of cosmetics and skincare this month and of course, spent a lot of money. Spent almost half of my monthly income on skin care and cosmetics alone.

Part of my skin care and cosmetics purchase this month.

I know that is quite a bit for one month. I have decided that I shall not buy anymore skin care products next month since I already got so many this month. Geez, it is high time I start saving.

My first purchase from Chanel!

Was feeling super lazy today and decided to skip the Macroeconomics lecture today. Since both JiaRui and I are not going for the lecture, we got one of our IM team mates, Pirakash to help us to submit our assignment which is due to today.

Took a cab to town after passing our assignments to Pirakash.

Went to the Chanel counter at Isetan to get the eye tonic which JiaRui strongly recommended and the T-Mat which I found to be good for controlling shine on the T-zone after trying the sample the SA gave me.

We also went to JiaRui's favourite departmental store, Tangs, where she got herself a grey cap from Nike. She put it on immediately after we left Tangs. I felt like I was walking with a celebrity trying to hide herself from public attention. HaHa~!

Walked over to Takashimaya after Tangs. Bought a Q&A book for FTT from Kinokuniya. Wanted to get some recipe books as well but decided not to since I don't have much time to meddle with food anyway.

Came back to Admiralty to teach ShiYing so that I won't have to run all over the place like a mad woman tomorrow. Deliberately arranged to teach her at 3PM so that I won't bump into Mark when I leave her house.

Went over to Geraldine's house in the evening. She was having some kinda family gathering at her house and her aunts mistook me for her other aunt. Her cousins were very cute. One of them even greeted me good afternoon before I enter the room and bidded me goodbye when I left the house. HaHa~! Before I left, heard one of the aunts asking her kid's opinion about engaging my service. I am still quite popular, ya? *Grinz*

Jaslyn called to cancel tuition for tonight and her mother made me go for tuition on Saturday night instead of the usual Saturday afternoon. I don't understand why she dislike tuition in the afternoon. The daughter and the maid are coping very well with the afternoon tuition sessions from what I have observed, but the mother insisted that they can't cope. Super fussy woman who fusses over nothing.

No appointments tomorrow morning. Gonna sleep early tonight to make up for lost sleep. Need my beauty sleep badly.

Wonder Irene!

I know I have said this more than a dozen time, but I am going to say it again. It is tough being the eldest child! Besides being obliged to be the role model for the younger sister, I also got to be her temporary mom while the full time mom goes on holiday. Not only do I not get a single cent for doing so, I also got to fork out money from my own pockets for the groceries! Please don't come and tell me that I ought to appreciate my mom more now that I have experienced how tough it is to be doing her job or how it feels like to not have her around in the house. I do appreciate what my mom does for us and acknowlegdes the significance of her existence, but I must say that she is not having it worse than me. She, as a full time mom, does not have to go to school, study, do assignments, take tests and work on top of her duty to take care of the family. I, on the other hand, have to do all of the above! I am not wonder woman. I need to rest too. I can't assume the role of an elder sister, a dad and a mom, all at the same time. I will break down! I mean it physically and psychologically. My body is protesting. It is not getting enough rest. The dumb haze is making it worse. Wanted to see the doctor today but I was put off by the thought of the queue at the clinic. The sight of the huge pile of laundry to be done gives me a headache. I wonder if I can last till this Saturday. I may just faint tomorrow and end up having to celebrate my birthday at the hospital this Sunday.

Please also don't tell me that I can take advantage of my parents' absence and enjoy the freedom that comes with it. I have got so many things added to my already jam packed to-do list because of their absence and there really isn't any time left for me to enjoy myself. In fact, I would be much better off if they haven't gone on holiday.

Just look at what I went through today and you will understand my plight.

Overslept this morning and woke up just in time to go out for tuition with Charlene and Shermaine. Had to rush out of the house without any food. The three hour tuition was kinda torturous as my stomach growled non-stop.

It was almost 4PM when our tuition ended. Neither here nor there. Decided to go back home and cook dinner instead of eating lunch.

Dropped by the NTUC located at the Woodlands Civic Plaza on the way home and bought some groceries.

Passed by Causeway Point on my way to the Woodlands MRT station and decided to go to The Face Shop and pick up some masks. Was short of $0.20 to qualify for the membership. A girl named Samantha from HCJC who was in the queue behind me was kind enough to volunteer her receipt and saved me from buying another bottle of nail polish. From there, I lugged 4 heavy plastic bags and a big paper bag full of masks to the MRT station, where I took a train back to Admiralty.

At Admiralty, I met XiangHong, who was happily chewing on some french fries. We talked for a while before parting ways. We were supposed to meet for a movie yesterday but didn't 'coz Pauline couldn't go on leave. God must have known that I miss my dear friend so much that he decided to arrange a coincidental meeting for us today. =)

Started cooking after unpacking all the things in the plastic bags once I reached home. Cooked baked rice, lemon chicken and an omelette for dinner.

My first attempt at cooking lemon chicken. Looks not bad right? It tastes delicious too! HeE~!

My specialty, baked rice. Are you hungry yet? HaHa~!

The simple dinner for two poor sisters.

Made a big mess in the kitchen. Spent some time cleaning up the kitchen. Did the laundry after mopping the floor.

See what I meant?

7 simple steps to clear skin.

As promised, and also to celebrate my blog's 100th post-versary, I shall blog about my beauty regime today. I do not have a very good complexion but at least my face is clear most of the time (except for that time of the month). I feel that is something to be proud of. HeE~!

I am a lazy girl to begin with, so I only do simple things to maintain my skin. I do not visit salons for facial treatment. Instead, I do it myself at home. These are what I do:

Step 1: Wash the face with a cleanser.
Make sure there are enough bubbles before applying it on the face. This is to ensure that the cleanser is evenly distributed on the face. Wash the T-zone first before proceeding to wash the cheeks as the T-zone is more oily as compared to the cheeks. Rinse the face in cold running water.

Step 2: Exfoliate.
For this, I like the Ginvera marvel gel as it effectively removes dead skin and blackheads.

Apply minimal amount of the marvel gel on the forehead, the two cheeks, the chin and the nose. Massage these areas in a circular motion, smoothing out the marvel gel. While doing so, white particles will be formed on the face. Rinse the face in cold running water.

Step 3: Mask.
I use all sorts of mask. Have used wash-off masks, peel-off masks and sheet masks before. Each has its own advantages. Wash-off masks are good for deep cleansing, peel-off masks are good for removing surface impurities while sheet masks are good for hydration. The type of mask to use is dependent to the individual's needs and preferences.

I like the masks from The Face Shop. They carry an extensive range of masks at affordable prices.

Step 4: Toner.
Choose one that contains less alcohol so that it does not dry up the face. Use a cotton pad to apply it to the entire face.

Step 5: Eye brightening essence.
I have serious dark eye circles due to frequent late nights. Had been trying lots of products but so far I have not found a product that effectively solves my problem. Despite so, I still use my Fasio eye brightening essence and Toujour La Vie eye firming serum every night. I find both products quite effective in reducing puffiness though.

Apply the essence to the eyes using the ring finger. Gently dab the essence around the eye contour from the inner side of the eye contour to the outer side of the eye contour.

Do not pull or tug at the delicate skin around the eye as it will cause fine lines to form.

Step 6: Whitening cream.
I am using the Fasio extra white whitening cream to lighten my skin tone.

Just have to apply the whitening cream to the entire face, carefully avoiding the eyes and the mouth.

Step 7: Moisturiser.
Similary, apply the moisturiser to the entire face, carefully avoiding the eyes and the mouth.

I am currently using the Shiseido Pureness 3-steps. Love the mattifying effect the moisturiser has on my face. My face feels and looks good after using the moisturiser. Two thumbs up!

That's it. 7 simple steps and I am done. Will take some time to do all these but for the sake of healthy looking skin, it is all worth it. =)

Disclaimer: The above records my personal opinions and is not written to advertise or to influence anyone. Regime recorded is only for reference and may not be suitable for everyone. Try it at your own risk!

The haze is back!

The haze is terrible. It is making me sick. I may need to see the doctor soon. SiGh~!

My skin which is very sensitive, is also affected by the haze. I find myself buying a lot of beauty products recently. The reason being the condition of my skin is getting from bad to worse. It is important to take extra care of our delicate skin with the wind blowing the haze in our direction. Spent a lot of money, but I feel that it is money well spent. Found some really good products which work well for me.

I bought the peel-off rice mask pack from The Face Shop after reading about it in the October issue of Seventeen. The introduction on the label says that this mask pack works deep to remove impurities and dead skin cells. It also says that rice extract helps to restore vital nutrients, moisturizes and protects the skin. I find that to be quite the case after using the mask. My skin really did feel cleaner and more hydrated. In fact, it is so good that I used it when doing facial for mommy. She too felt the effects of the mask. It is truly amazing.

Bought the Fancl Inner Active Pack while I was shopping at the Fancl counter in OG Orchard Point last Sunday.

It functions to banish dullness and dispel roughness in just 15 minutes! It is true! I applied the mask to my face after cleansing and rinsed it off after leaving it on for 15 minutes. After I dry my face, I could feel that my skin was smoother and more supple. I am not kidding. It really worked!

Enough reviews for today. It is getting late and I am tired. Will share my beauty regime and more product reviews in the next entry. Shall turn in soon. It is going to be a long day for me again tomorrow.