Latest Beauty Loves

Biore Foam Facial Wash, SKII Signs Signature Eye Cream
and Crabtree & Evelyn's Rosewater Body Lotion

Ever since I was 18, I have had a beauty regime. It started with a Kao Biore cleanser and Oil of Ulan (this was before Olay came along) moisturizer. Then it gradually got more complicated as time went by. LOL

Over the years, I have tried many products but I still go back to SKII for all my basic needs, I guess its a matter of finding something that suits your skin and your lifestyle. I stopped using fancy serums and creams sometime back simply because it felt ridiculous to put on 6 different types of products at night and repeat the procedure again when I wake up. Now after washing my face, I simply go for a toner, moisturizer and eye cream before I hit the bed. When its time to leave the house in the morning, I reach for my sunscreen, slap on some makeup (if its a work day) and then just Go!

Here are my 3 current favourites:

1. Biore Foam Facial Wash

I love this! I cannot get enough of the foamy soft texture and the slight fragrance that it leaves behind on my skin. Best of all, it is fuss-free, affordable and each refill goes a long way.

2. SKII Signs Signature Eye Cream

Amongst all my SKII products, this is my favourite. A couple of years back, I developed some really deep creases under my eye. It freaked me out and that was putting it mildly. Then I decided to try the Chanel Sublimage Eye Cream after reading this post on Beauty Snob and splurged I did. It worked! After a month, the lines receded and I was hooked. Sigh, but the cream doesn't come cheap at more than $400 per jar. 

To cut the long story short, after a loooong odyssey of trying to find the next perfect eye cream at less cost, I finally found it in my trusty SKII range. I kick myself for missing it all this while because this eye cream is a gem (unlike the tube gel version that I used to use). It absorbs readily into my eye area, something the gel never managed to do and my fine lines definitely look plumped up immediately after application. Yes, I am not kidding, this cream works like a charm for me. I daresay I found the perfect replacement for my Chanel cream at a fraction of the price!

3. Crabtree & Evelyn Rosewater Body Lotion

I understand that with most people, rose scented products are either a yes or a firm no. I used to equate the smell with old people, bandung (haha) and musky nooks but after using this while I was in London in May, I started to understand why people love rose. Its delicate, elegant and reminds me of blooming flowers. Maybe I never used the right product before or maybe your preference just evolves with time but I am definitely a rose person now. For now, this particular lotion brings back memories of my time driving around in the UK and it doesn't hurt that it smells so fragrant and the lotion is incredibly light, great for our humid Singapore weather.

Rainy Tribute

I love the rain. It's not just because the weather these days has been so unbearably humid and warm that I shudder to think about how our electricity bills will look like for the indulgent amount of air-conditioning swimming around in the house recently.

I love the rain because it smells fresh and clean. It emphasizes the smell of all the greenery surrounding you. I never miss the chance to open my balcony doors or windows when it rains to stick my head out, inhaling that scent of grass mixed with fresh air deeply. Getting it all into my system and then taking yet another deep breath again and again till my head feels clear and...my nose gets a little wet. I can never ever get enough of that rainy grassy smell.

I love the rain because it feels like the world is getting shrouded in a safe cocoon of misty showers that mute out the sound of traffic or conversation or the radio or the TV. You can only hear raindrops hitting every surface that is landing on and the occassional clap of thunder. For that duration, everything goes on silent mode. Just the rain matters and nothing much else penetrates my senses. I feel like I'm in one of those gifty glass globes with fake snowflakes swirling around whenever you shake it. Only that the snowflakes are raindrops and I am in my own little space, cut off from the rest who live outside my rainy little ball.

I love the rain because it's fun to poke my foot or hand out of the shelter and feel it get all wet and cold. It's like how kids love to jump into a water fountain and splish splash to their heart's content. Occasionally I get possessed by that inner child and actually do run around in the rain in my clumsy thirty-two year old body. I feel embarressed to act like a big kid but secretly I am enjoying every moment, the worries of catching a cold far behind me. I'm lucky enough to find a mate who actually joins me in these mad antics. Trust me, it's very therapeutic for your relationship to prance around together in the rain in the middle of the Botanical Gardens. I know this from experience. :)

There are so many reasons I feel excited everytime my nose catches a whiff of an impending downfall. There are so many memories I have that are associated with a good old shower of rain.

And when the first drops of rain start to fall, I make sure I am ready to marvel again at the little joys my favourite kind of weather brings. Until the sky clears and the sun peeks out from the sky, you can be sure to find me in my comfortable little rain globe creating memories to keep.

Sunny Sunflowers

Our gorgeous sunflowers perky after a good rain. I decided to wait for the little one at the bottom to bloom a little before taking a photo.

Caring for our garden has brought me so much unexpected joy. I could be getting old or it could just be that nature really is beautiful.

Belated Post: Nutella Muffins and Shrimpy Friends

This is a seriously belated post, I need to get into the groove of this blogging thing quick.

I recently went away with my parents for a short trip, it was only for 4 days but I could just see Mr M (also known as "the husband") skulking around the kitchen with nothing to eat. So I decided to be sweet and baked him a batch of muffins so he could have one for breakfast everyday. He loooves Nutella and usually has that on toast so I surfed around the net for Nutella Muffins and found this yummy recipe.

I picked this one out of the dozens online because I liked the idea of having that creamy pocket of Nutella hidden inside the muffin as a surprise. Its like spooning the stuff in your mouth only that it comes hidden in a sweet yummy Vanilla muffin.

That's how they looked like after adding the Nutella,
I then topped it with another layer of batter.

And they are done!

In other (unrelated) news, I got a couple of shrimps for my aquarium the other day and they look so pretty I just have to share a photo.

They remind me of Nemo!

These shrimp don't come cheap at about $5 each but I couldn't resist them. They're called Banded Coral Shrimp and I was hoping that they would beautify my aquarium after a couple of my fancy guppies died. However sad to say that the moment I released them, they pretty much went into hiding and only come out occasionally to eat. Here's hoping that they will become braver as they grow. I notice that the other fish tend to mistake them for food which explains their reticence.

And that's it for today! Our sunflowers have been blooming beautifully lately so I shall be sharing some photos from the garden soon.