Chye Seng Huat Hardware Birthday Lunch

Finally got to meet up with the girls (and YL's bf who became our photographer of the day-Thanks KT!) for lunch before flying off to Japan (I'm already back from Japan, and it was AWESOME)! Thanks to our busy schedules, such meet-ups are hard to come by:(  Pris couldn't join us as she was in Boracay with her family. 

Hui suggested that we try out this cafe called Chye Seng Huat Hardware. It is kinda like a coffee bar, brunch type cafe with a hippie vibe (found out that it's brought to you by the same people from Papa Pelheta). I've heard about it before, but had yet to try it out. I mean, the name itself hardly sounds like an enticing place to hangout with your girlfriends. We were joking that the owners didn't have enough funds to change the exterior and a signboard, so they decided to just leave it as such.  

Chye Seng Huat Hardware is located on Tyrwhitt road. It's not extremely convenient, about 10-15min walk from Farrer Park mrt. We arrived at around 2pm and the cafe was still quite crowded. We  managed to get seats though, so it wasn't too bad. The tables outside were pretty much untaken, as it was scorching hot and humid that day (actually almost everyday-.- Sg weather).

The menu itself wasn't very extensive. There were only about 10 mains to choose from. Between the 5 of us, we ordered the scrambled eggs with bacons (2sets), the french toast with butterscotch sauce and bananas (2sets) and the black pepper pork chop. We also ordered some coffee since, well, its opened by the people from Papa Pelheta who are known for their coffee!

Joa's french toast with butterscotch sauce and bananas.

My scrambled eggs with bacons and a cup of expresso with milk.

The cafe was quite small. The five of us were seated at the bar area, which wasn't very conducive for group chit-chats. But we got to spy on the barista while they made our coffee. 

The coffee was really aromatic and smooth, but not too bitter. I'm not a coffee connoisseur, so I can't comment in depth. I'm usually more of an iced coffee person, but this cuppa was really enjoyable, and I can see myself going back for more.

I thoroughly enjoyed my scrambled eggs with bacons!! Actually, what I mega love was their baked beans instead of the actual eggs and bacons. I'm not really a baked beans person, like I'm okay with or without it. But they added bits of freaking tasty bacons in their baked beans!! And its not those kind of typical baked beans with the slightly translucent brown sauce, the sauce was a little thicker and much more tastier. Ahhhhh, it was sooo good. The bacon itself was a little dry, but not too bad. Scrambled egg was moist and quite standard, good enough for me! The toast was just normal toast, not something I'll go crazy over.

Scrapped off the very last bit.

Overall, given the way they design the seating area, this cafe is not really ideal for big groups (more than 4 people), unless you don't mind sitting outside where they have bigger tables. I feel that it is more suitable for an intimate couple lunch/dinner or just 2-3 close friends hanging out. The price was quite reasonable. My scrambled eggs with bacons was $11 and they didn't even have service tax. The service was okay, not exactly the warmest/friendliest. Some of the staff came across as slightly aloof to me, but I guess that's just their 'hipster' attitude.

Love you girls!

Thanks Hui for the treat!! Super love my new bag from Joa also, used it almost everyday in Japan thank you lao dou (: And thank you yl and kt for the awesome spa set (have yet to use it, but it looks good!)

Chye Seng Huat Hardware

150 Tyrwhitt Road

Singapore 207563

Hair Perming at Act Point Salon

IMPORTANT UPDATE at the end of the post!

Act Point is the only place that I will visit for hair perming services. For the past 3 years, I've been heading over once a year for my yearly perm and I totally trust my stylist (Anson) to give me the result I want. Prior to Act Point, I've tried perming my hair at two other salons, but the curls just didn't last on my hair. I came to know of Act Point when I was searching online for the best salon for hair perming services. It came up on several forums, mostly raving about its affordable services and experienced stylists. So I picked up the phone and made a reservation with Anson (also highly recommended on forums), and that was probably one of the best decisions I've ever made for my hair.

The following is my experience at Act Point Salon (International Building) when I permed my hair last week. The entire experience was pretty consistent with my past 2 visits. 

Anson is really very popular, so please call to reserve before visiting. I could only get the 11am slot because he was fully booked in the afternoon.

Usually before we start the treatment, Anson will take a while to understand my history with hair chemical processes (eg did I dye my hair in the past year) and the outcome I was looking for (large/small curl, thick/thin ends). I think he has some basic information of my hair stored in their computer system, but he just needed to double check. The quality of my hair will determine the type of chemicals he can use.

Btw, they have very new magazines like May edition of Style, Cleo etc and they gave each customers a thick stack of magazines to read. They also serve tea!

Hi my love <3

Spotted a nice bag!

During the treatment process, Anson will also briefly describe what each chemical does, and what effect it has on the hair. Even though I've already heard the same thing for 3 years, he still does it every single time.

And I shall attempt to summarize them for you. 

1.  Apply 'softener' to soften the hair. For my hair, he had to do 2 different types of softener-a stronger one for my new grown hair and a mild one for the ends of my hair which went through a perm last year. The healthier your hair, the longer it will take for the softener to penetrate into the hair. 

Shiseido products for chemical proceses

2. Apply rollers. Anson helped me to put in a mixture of curls. For my outer layer, he mixed large and medium curls, and for the inner layer, he did small curls(because the inner layer gets loose faster than the outer layers). I think the different types of curls really help to add dimension to the entire look, so that it doesn't look flat and boring. My curls started at the ears level so that it creates an illusion of a rounder face (because I have quite thin and long face).

I love my new cat app

3. Wire the rollers. The stylists attached wires to the rollers in my hair and that's where my hair gets 'digitally permed'. It got pretty hot because of the heat, but there were sponges between my scalp and the rollers, so it was still manageable. I remember last year when I did my perm, the heat was too much for me and the stylists had to use hair dryers to blow cold air into my hair (quite shiok actually).

4. Neutralizer. The chemicals used during the treatment process were all alkaline in nature. So they need to sprinkle some mild acid to neutralize the whole procedure and to lock in the curls. 

Freakishly tight curls

5. Treatment. After they washed off the neutralizer, I was given a simple treatment (just a mask, nothing fancy) to round up the entire process. There's also a partition between the washing area and the main service area, so that customers can enjoy some privacy when getting their hair washed.

One thing I really appreciate about Act Point is that there was no hard selling unlike other hair salons that I’ve patronized before, which made the entire process much more comfortable. Anson will remind customers to use products on their hair (eg serum, masks etc) but he will never promote the products they sell (unless you ask him to recommend).

Speaking of products, Anson commented that my hair was super healthy!!!(:(:(: I think the weekly hair mask sessions helps! He looked quite pleased with me when I told him I'll still apply serum before I head out. And I felt like a model student. Oh but he also said I should stop plucking my white hair because it's not good for the scalp. He recommended that I cut them for now, but if they start appearing everywhere then maybe can consider trying some ammonia-free dye. 

This is my before and after!

I think I look younger with straighter hair. Hahahaa, anyway it's normal to look auntie for the first few days, because fresh curls are always tighter. With a couple washes, these curls are going to loosen up nicely. 

Maintenance:
Contrary to popular belief, I don't think permed hair requires high maintenance. The only thing I do to  maintain my curls is to twirl my hair into a couple of spirals and let it air dry after I bathe. The entire process of twirling takes like 1-2mins? Aside from that, I'll apply serum whenever I go out and do my weekly hair mask (in replacement of a conditioner)! But thats my normal hair routine (I'll still do it even without my curls). So the only extra thing to do when I perm my hair is to twirl them after I bathe. 

Of cos it's always good to apply some hair products (eg. Potion 9) to enhance the longevity of the curls. However, I usually bathe at night, and I don't want my hair to have products in it when I go to bed, so I'll just skip the step. My curls/waves usually last me for about 10-12months, which I think is quite good!

Price: 
SGD195 nett, inclusive of digital perm, treatment and cut. The prices vary for different hairstylist. Anson is the director of the salon, so he charges a higher price. I suggest calling to check if they are running any promotions (sometimes they do).

Will be visiting Japan for GRAD TRIP tml!!! So excited, can't wait!! That means 2 weeks of hiatus for me. Hahaha, But I will be updating this blog with my JAPAN TRIP!!(:

IMPORTANT UPDATE!
My stylist Anson will be opening his own salon at the end of July 2013!
Address:
D'sire Hair
14 Scotts Road
Far East Plaza #02-04
Spore 228213
Hp: 90066052
If you're interested in his service, do call or sms him directly for an appointment as he is no longer with Actpoint!
And yes, I'll still be going back to him for hair services!

Birthday Dinner at La Pizzaiol and Wimbly Lu

I turned 22 on 8th May 2013!

Almost every year, I'll spend my birthdays preparing for exams. Luckily for me, my last paper (ever!) ended on 6th May!

The plan was to visit La Pizzaiol for dinner and Wimbly Lu for dessert (I seriously can't get enough of it) since both of them are located at Jalan Riang. Haven't heard much about La Pizzaiol, but the reviews I found online looked pretty good. People were saying that they serve affordable and good quality pizzas.

Raymond made a reservation at 7pm for La Pizzaiol. When we reached at 645pm, there was already a good amount of dinner crowd. 

I didn't take photos of the restaurant, cos it wasn't too interesting. But here are some screenshots I took from their website. 

 

Quite a cozy place with the warm lighting and wooden furniture. Customer service was quite good. The staff who served us were super enthusiastic.

We ordered the Rucola Parma ($16.90). 

Half eaten pizza because I suck at remembering to take pictures before I eat.

Honestly, the pizza was okay, above average, but I don't think it was anything too special to warrant a second visit. The Parma ham was thin and nice, very generous portion. But I'm not a fan of the crust. It wasn't as crispy as what I expected and I had a hard time trying to cut it into small pieces (gave up and used my hands).

Devil chili flakes

We made a mistake of spamming the chili flakes, thinking that it was the innocent 'Pizza Hut Chili'. Holy mother of cats, that thing burnt our lips. Be very careful with this little pot of devil. Use sparingly.

Pizzoccheri Della Valtellina

The Pizzoccheri Della Valtellina looked interesting. I've never seen a pasta that looks like that before. But we didn't try it due to several reasons:

1. The Parma ham was okay, not too impressive
2. Our tongues were still recovering from the chili flakes shock
3. We were itching all over and we can't wait to get out.

We were seated right next to the plant, big big mistake. Please avoid that area if you don't want to end up like this...

Huge mosquito bites:(

Itchy face-hahaa,  don't kill me.

So we paid for our pizza and left for the highlight of the night. WIMBLY WIMBLY LU!!

They hung up holographic papers on the ceiling, so it glitters when the light shine on it. So pretty!!!

Super romantic atmosphere

This time round, we tried the root beer cake ($6) and of course my favorite Salted Caramel ice cream (double scoop) with waffle!

Root Beer Cake, comes with vanilla ice cream

The cake is actually root beer flavored chocolate cake. And it really tasted just like ROOT BEER! It's  very interesting, totally not artificial at all. I suspect they drizzled some root beer on the cake before serving us cos it was really quite legit. There was sufficient amount of chocolate, but not too much such that it overwhelms the root beer. The combination of the root beer cake and vanilla ice cream is genius. It doesn't taste like root beer float of course (don't expect so much from a dessert), but the ice cream was quite refreshing. Somehow everything I tried from Wimbly Lu has the perfect amount of sweetness that is somewhat satisfying, but not jelak.

I think I've said too much about their waffle ice cream. Please read my review here and i strongly suggest you do.

An awkward smile. 

But this is the only picture i took with my double salted caramel waffle. 

Thank you <3

La Pizzaiol  

Address: 15-3 Jalan Riang, Singapore 358987
Phone:+65 6282 5031

Wimbly Lu
Address: 15 Jalan Riang, Singapore 358987
Phone:+65 6289 1489

Sleek Blush in Rose Gold

So I wrote a full blog post, saved it as draft and accidentally deleted my draft. Smart ass me. Therefore, I'm re-writing this blog post. Okay, here we go...

Take 2, ACTION.

What is it:

Peachy-pink blush with gold shimmers.

Also known to be a great dupe for Nars 'Orgasm' blush.

What it is formulated to do:

Creates a subtle glow with a hint of colour on the cheeks.

Brighten and define cheekbones

How to use it:

Since this blush is very pigmented, use a light hand and sweep it over your cheeks. 

Or you can also use it over another blush as a highlighter. 

*I also like to put a little down the bridge of my nose and inner corners of my eyes, in replacement of a highlighter. 

Price:

$14 $11.90(8grams) at Luxola.com.
Very affordable and comes with 8grams of product, which is a lot. If I'm not mistaken, Nars blushes only have 4.5grams of product.

Luxola is currenly running a promotion for various credit cards, so I got mine at 15% off. I love shopping at Luxola cos they have free door step delivery, and you can have it shipped the next working day. 

Comes with a free mini lip gloss too!

Texture:

Finely milled, not powdery at all. 

The shimmers did not feel chunky or gritty.

Swatches:

Packaging

The packaging is pretty compact and it comes with a mirror, which is always a plus. But the case is quite hard to open, especially if you have longer fingernails. 

Application

Taken at the end of the day.

What I like:

• When I swatched it on my hands, I was quite taken aback by how shimmery it looked. But on the cheeks, its another story. The gold shimmers seem to blend in with my yellow-tone skin and create a pretty golden sheen when the light hits it. Overall, it just looked like healthy glowy skin!
• Extremely pigmented, means that I don't have to build it up. Blends very well into the skin too. 
• Lasted the entire day. I actually prefer the way it looks at the end of the day cos it's more natural looking. 

What can be improved:

• I don't think I have big/obvious pores, but this product(probably the shimmers) definitely emphasized my pores and oil seeds i.e basically any unevenness on the skin. I would recommend using a primer to smooth out the skin and create a nice base. 
• I would prefer it to have less shimmers, just because it looks more natural. But the current formula doubles up as a highlighter as well.

Final conclusion is I really like it, but it is not holy grail status. Can't wait to try out more of sleek's blushes though! I'm eyeing mirror pink! But Luxola doesn't carry that shade:(

A point to note: Sleek blushes do not come with a brush, which makes it less travel friendly. You'll need to use a brush from your own makeup stash!

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