OOTD #30

Dress from H&M, Hong Kong - HKD$150

Bag from Bangkok - 200 baht

Shoes from Marie Claire, Bata - $20 plus

Necklace from Massimo Dutti - gift from bro

STASH #73: Wax Seal

See what came in the mail yesterday!

In love with the pretty packaging! It was a joy to unwrap the paper envelope and box to my very own personal wax seal inside! I've always wanted something like this, but it's quite expensive and those off the shelves only have a single alphabet, which I don't really like. Would be great for couples who are getting married!

I got this from a Groupon deal at only $21.90! Hope the deal comes up again, I confirm buy one more.

STASH #72 : Nose Care Part I - Biore Pore Pack

It's so difficult to not have pores on my nose and I'm sure many of you experience the same problem as me. In the past, I used to squeeze the pores (cheesey like stuff, haha) out and that resulted in my pores becoming even bigger =(

With Biore Pore Pack now, I never had to squeeze anymore because this is much more efficient, fuss-free and painless! I know many of you use this, but I realised not everyone knows how to use them right to maximise it's use! The way I use this may not be the best/right way, but it works for me and I would like to share it with you guys as well!

1. With super dry hands remove the pore strip from the plastic film. Try to hold on near the tip only and never let the strip stick together!

2. Using your other hand, put it under running water and dab some water on your nose area. Alternatively, you can use a wet towel and dab around your nose. The tricky part is to make sure your nose is damp but not too wet! Otherwise the pore strip will lose its power.

3. Dry both hands and place the strip slowly on your nose. Make sure its firmly stuck without any air bubbles. Look out for the sides of your nose, press the pore strip in and hold on it for a few seconds if needed to make sure it's down. This is important because there's pores at the sides of your nose too and you will want the pore strip to pull those pores out!

4. Wait for about 5-10 mins. To speed things up, stay in an air-con room and the strip will be harden and crisp dry much faster.

5. Now it's time to pull it off!

There goes my pores! See how every part of the strip manages to capture the pores out? If there are parts of it which is very wet, you will noticed a patch with white gooey stuff but no pores.

Some tips for you: 

1. If your eyesight is bad, get the black strips so the pores are more visible to you!

2. Best time to use pore pack is after cleansing your face. Steam up your nose to open up the pores so that strip works better!

Pore pack your nose right away!

STASH #71: Vaseline

This pure petroleum jelly is cheap and good, everyone should carry one with them! Let me share with you some of the ways I use them!

1. It is called the number 1 skin protection for a reason! I apply some on my heels once I reach office so that it can moisturise my feet while I sit and work at my desk for hours.

2. This is also good for joints areas, which are usually neglected. For instance, your elbows! Keep your elbows moisturised with Vaseline to prevent them from getting rough and dry.

3. Lips feel dry and you forgot your lip balm? No worries! You can dab some Vaseline on your lips to keep them supple and shiny the whole day!

4. Got paper cuts at work? Seal up the wound with Vaseline to prevent germs from getting in. Prevents infection and allows your wound to heal faster.

5. Finally, and to me the best use. Vaseline can be applied at the heel area and anywhere else on your feet to prevent abrasion you may get from new shoes or heels. Sometimes after a while when my feet starts to hurt, I just apply some vaseline and the pain is immediately lessen! Works better than a plaster!

A must have for travelling too! Get yours now!

STASH #70 : Leg Care Part I - Veet Hair Removal Cream

Look at the unsightly hair on my legs! So much and growing in all directions. Singapore sunny weather makes shorts a great choice to go out in. But... it is important to be able to look good in shorts and one of the way to do so is to have smooth and clean legs!

There! My secret to hairless legs. Veet hair removal cream.

First, squeeze some cream onto the pink spreader that comes together with the tube and spread it all over your hairy legs. It is important to cover all parts thickly with the cream otherwise the hairs may still remain after applying!

Wait for 5 minutes...

Take a look at the reaction of the cream on the hair! If you look closely, you should be able to spot that the hairs have become 'squiggly' looking. This is like an indication that it's time for removal as well!

Use the spreader, which now acts as a scraper, to scrap out all the cream. Look! The hairs are being scraped away too! You will be able to see black stuff scraped off, which is really your hair being disintegrated and mashed up with the cream.. like dirt. eeeks.

After scraping, remember to give your legs a good wash to remove all substances that remains!

Now I have clean, smooth and hairless legs!

I love this product for its convenience and how simple it is to use to remove all hair. However, as you apply the cream, you can actually smell a chemical like substance which I guess is required in order to be able to disintegrate your hair in as short as 5 minutes. So I try not to use it too often as well cos any chemical on your skin shouldn't be too good, right? 

Veet hair removal also contains aloe vera and vitamin E which are gentle to your skin and keeps your skin smooth, shiny and healthy as you can see from mine!

This product can be found at all major drugstores and I bought it a while back ago at about 11 bucks.

Try it too!

*I've stopped blogging here but you can find me at www.mabelkohhz.blogspot.com for more updates!

OOTD #29

You should have seen this watch before if you read my previous OOTD posts! Main focus of this picture should be the bracelet which I got from Bangkok! Costs about SGD$8 and I was attracted by the simple design which can be worn with any outfit.

STASH #69: L'Oreal Magnique primer

Bought this jar of magic cream a while ago when there was sale in Watsons for L'Oreal products and only got down to use it recently. I personally don't have the habit of using a primer and I thought I should try since primer is suppose to be an important step to set the foundation and make-up on such that it will last the whole day.

When I opened it up, it is like a plop of baby pink marshmallow! But I had a problem - I did not know how I am going to start using it. You see, since it is in a jar, I was wondering should I just dig my finger in to get the cream out? But I thought that would be so unhygienic. Imagine if I continue digging into that jar for weeks and months. The amount of bacteria accumulated inside would kill my skin. In the end I used a spatula (the one from my laneige water bank gel!) to get the cream out. A small amount would suffice, about the size of my pinky nail, for full coverage on my face. A little goes a long way.

The texture is rather creamy and a bit of strength is required to apply it all over your face. What surprises me was after the application. My skin felt powdery smooth immediately! This definitely makes the application of the other make-up so much easier. Colours of my eyeliner and eye shadow were also more intense, making my whole look brighter.

For the price and after texture it gives to my face, I think it is a not bad product to use. However, the down sides are firstly, the inconvenience of using a spatula in a jar and secondly, the cream is a little thick and I am a bit worried about clogging of pores.

I should try it for a longer period to put it to test!

STASH #68: Cotton On, Kate Spade and Naraya

Loving my blood red sandals from Cotton On (Anchorpoint Outlet) for $5. Comes in other colours like gold, silver and maroon as well.

Taking more than half of the picture is my Naraya bag which I bought from Bangkok a few months bag. Can't remember the pricing at the moment but it's less than 20 bucks i think. I super like the houndstooth prints with the big black bow! Got the tissue pack holder in the same print!

Using my bag as the backdrop, admire my new Kate Spade wallet from my boy. A tinge of retro polka dot prints with a glossy finish. Done up my nails with dark copper brown with a glittery sliver nail on the ring finger. And my ring, an old buy from a roadside stall in China.

STASH #67: Jergens Ultra Healing Moisturizer

It's a moody Monday after a long weekend! Brought a new tube of Jergens  ultra healing moisturizer to work for my dry and cracking skin. 

Super in love with this moisturizer because it works wonders on my skin!

Use it on my dry and cracked heels nightly and it heals my heels in like a couple of days. 

Bought this small handy tube for only $2 at Watsons or Guardian. You should get one too!

Have a great week ahead!

STASH #66: Sportswear - Gym shoes

Check out my new kicks from Adidas! Since my old pair split 2 months ago, I've been searching high and low for cheap, good and pretty shoes. I visited Queensway Shopping Centre, which is known to be a haven for sportswear, but was disappointed because most of the shoes were above 100 bucks! Even those on sale. How can it beeeeeee.

Went all the way to the east at Changi City Point and went home empty-handed again. Not cheap at all.. At least for my size 7 feet. I saw some pretty decent shoes for less than 100 bucks at Nike outlet but they all come in smaller sizes.

I also checked out a small Nike outlet at West Coast plaza, but nothing for me. However, I bought a sports bra from a sportswear shop beside Nike for only $9.90!

So in the end I went to Shaw Tower at Balestier. They have a sportswear shop at the ground floor, right in front of the main entrance. Quite a wide variety of shoes of different brands to choose from.  Many below 100 for  odd sizes, and even some affordable ones with available sizes! This particular cross trainers caught my eye. Love the contrast between the black and bright pink, and I intend to change the laces to some neon colour in the future when I get bored with this!

Only for $89! 

Hope they do me well at my gym sessions!

OOTD #28

Got this lovely mint flare dress from The Blush Inc for only $12.40 (inclusive of postage)! 

The cutting is flattering, and the length is just right for me. Don't have to worry about side arm hole or dress being translucent because it's all covered and lined!

Paired it up with a turquoise pumps from Mitju ($6 bought during their sales) and my $8 Bangkok bag and I'm ready for work!

STASH #65 : Ukulele

Mid July was my boy's birthday and with all the obvious hints, I did my research and finally bought a ukelele from Ukulele Movement. Ask those who plays the ukulele and most if not all would tell you to get your ukulele from UM.

It is important to get your ukulele from a reliable source for good quality wood, workmanship and sound. There are a lot of cheap ukuleles out there but they can be an imitation of certain brands or are of low quality.

You can either head down to their shop to get a feel of the different types and sounds, or if you are familiar and know what you want already, you can just buy them online. UM has a wide range of ukuleles for all players, from beginners to the pros.

For a start, I got this Makala Soprano MK-S. For an affordable price of $89, you get this instrument made of agathis wood (a common material used to make ukeleles and guitars) with a mahogany (reddish brown wood which is durable) neck, rosewood fingerboard and bridge with a satin finish.

Instrument comes with a free bag too! Buy some cute little button badges to personalise your gig bag at $1.50 each!

Besides this classic looking ukulele, the Makala Dolphin caught my eye too. 

look at the pretty colours! There are 19 bright and cheery colours for you to choose from, with a unique dolphin shaped bridge. Only for $74! 

Besides the ukulele, I brought my boy down to get a guidebook for beginners for about $19 (comes with cd-rom) and a pick. There are courses held at UM as well. You can practically get anything you need from there and their staff are friendly and patient in explaining any questions that you may have.

Do visit UM Loft at 66 Kampong Bugis, Level 5, Kallang Rivergreen Building, Singapore 338987

Showroom operating hours
Tuesday – Saturday: 12pm – 9pm. Sunday: 12pm – 6pm.
Closed on Mondays and public holidays.

You can visit their website at ukulelemovement.com for directions there and more items that they have in store!

All pictures and information are taken from ukulele movement website.

OOTD #27

Outfit for date today!

Dress from Bangkok, Platinum Mall- 300 baht

Necklace from Bangkok, Platinum Mall - 100 baht

Bag from Bangkok, make-shift bag stall at night near Platinum Mall - 200 baht

Sandals from Mitju during warehouse sales - $6

STASH #64 : Leg and Feet Care with Scholl

 

Would like to introduce 2 Scholl products that have become essential in my life since I love shoes yet many pretty shoes have to be so painful when worn. Especially when in heels.

 

First one would be Scholl's Heel Leather Liners. I've seen too many ladies with injured and scarred back heels. Some shoes, especially when they are new and stiff, tend to "bite" our feet, causing our poor feet to bleed and we have to continue to walk in them! Now I always try to line all my shoes with these liners right from the beginning to prevent my heels from being more injured than it already is.

This is great because it is made from leather, has a thick layer of cushion and is super sticky on all shoes! It is about 5 bucks per pair, a little pricy if you are gonna get one for every pair of shoes, so sometimes I do get brandless substitutes from shoe shops (some shoe shops do sell or even give them for free! just ask!) or from Diaso, but of course the quality is different. Most of the cheap ones don't stick well and the ones from Diaso does peel off after a while. So you have to pay for quality. Get them if you know you are gonna wear the shoe often!

 

Description	Improves the fit of loose fitting shoes. Has soft cushioning leather for optimum comfort. It is shaped for a comfortable fit around the heel which prevents heel slip and friction. Ideal for all types of closed footwear. Quick and easy to fit.
Directions Text	Ensure heel area of shoe is clean and dry. Remove heel liner from backing paper. Fix firmly in heel of shoe with the long curved edge uppermost. Allow 8 hours before wearing.

 

 

Second best buy would be Scholl's Pressure Point Foam Padding.

 

Description	Scholl Pressure Point Foam Padding reduces pressure and friction, and relieves pain immediately. The material can be cut to suit any part of the foot or shoe to give cushioning protection to heels, toes etc and is particularly useful for sports footwear. For closer fitting shoes Scholl Sore Spot Moleskin is available.
Directions Text	Feet should be clean and dry. Cut foam to the required shape and remove backing paper. Apply and press firmly to ensure foam is securely attached. In case of broken skin, apply over a first aid dressing.

information taken from http://www.scholl.com

This foam padding comes in one big piece for you to cut into whatever sizes you require for different parts of your feet. As instructed and shown on the product, it is mainly used to stick onto the skin. I find that quite wasteful so I always stick them on my shoes instead. haha. As I have bunion problem, the front of my feet hurts often when in covered shoes. So I cut these foam pads into small pieces and line them at the front of my covered shoes, near the toes area, as well as the side where my bone structure juts out due to my bunion. It solves my problems instantly! Sometimes it is difficult to find which are the points that hurts because different shoes are made differently. So I usually carry readily cut out pieces with me and stick them inside my shoes as and when I feel a bit of pain. This way, I can accurately find the points that troubles me too.

The foam padding is very sticky as well, so you don't have to worry about them falling off. You can cut them in bigger pieces to be used as a substitute for the heel leather liners too! And best of all, this is cheaper. About $3.60 at Watsons, Guardian or at certain departmental stores.