Consider trying to take a walk on Orchard Road trying to get from one building to another. Buskers line the street, and gawking idiots will all gather around the buskers but leave a five-foot-way between them and the performer’s tip box. So 5 precious feet of walking space is lost. Not only that, the slow lorises who amble by will slow down even more (I don’t know how they do it but apparently it is possible in our universe) and slow down the human traffic.

Then there are the monkeys. You know how monkeys in their free time love to pick lice off each other in a straight line?

Image taken from http://anabruno.wordpress.com/2008/08/06/ubud-bali-indonesia/

It’s the same with the monkeys in shopping malls who must walk hand-in-hand. Really ? A narrow walkway and you choose to do this to other users of the same walkway?

It’s the sheer crowd out there composed of such creatures that make me so mad. If I were given a dollar each time I roll my eyes during the holiday season, I would be a millionaire twenty times over. If you’re gonna say being caught in the crowd is part of this holiday experience, I’d personally buy you a dildo to screw yourself. Really.

I am a self-professed lipbalm junkie – how does this lipbalm measure up?

I was given a sample of the Mentholatum Mogitate Kajitsu lipbalm to try. I received the Mogitate Orange and Mango scented one. According to product info, it contains natural fruit juice, honey and beeswax. Sounds fab already!

I am lipbalm junkie – I have dry lips that crack very easily, so I always have a tube of lipbalm with me. I have used almost every lipbalm from Mentholatum, and more from other brands including both locally available and overseas brands. I need my lipbalm to be emollient, tasteless (I abhor lipbalm made with artificial sweeteners- a common ingredient in American brand lipbalms) and lasting.

The Mentholatum juicy lipbalm has several ingredients that are good for lipbalms – beeswax, grapeseed oil and glycerin. These give it a very smooth emollient texture that glides on to the lips effortlessly. I love the scent, but it is not lasting on the lips. An added bonus is the UV protection – lips need their sunscreen too!

So does this lipbalm pass my test?

I have certainly used better lipbalms (such as the Mentholatum Lip Pure range). This lipbalm is no frills, smells good and passable. I won’t mind using it, but it is not my holy grail lipbalm. I like the UV protection, which is not common among locally available lipbalm, which makes it unique. Do check it out if you are in need of a lipbalm!

I had the opportunity to try two products from Sophie Monk – the Strawberry Bye Bye Blackhead set and Double Lifting mask. Read my review below!

The Strawberry Bye Bye Blackhead set consists of 3 steps – first a softener, then a peel-off mask, and then a pore minimizer. After massaging the skin softening for 2-3 minutes, rinse it and apply the peel off mask.

The peel off mask is pink! It smells faintly of strawberries. The mask will dry in about 20 minutes. Please apply LIBERALLY so that it will be easier to peel off. After peeling off, apply the pore minimizer.

Verdict: I do not have a lot of blackhead, but the skin softener did help to surface some of the whiteheads, which we know to be the precursor of blackheads. The peel off mask is pleasant but I suggest only using it on the t-zone because it can get quite tight after drying. Unless you have blackhead problem on your cheeks too, you can just apply at problem areas. Like other peel-off masks it serves to cleanse the surface of the skin of excess dead skin and micro hair. The pore tightener/ minimizer doesn’t seem to work; I am not sure of the mechanism behind that. Do I recommend this product? If you are in the market for a peel-off mask for your t-zone and would like something that smells pleasant, you can consider this. (RRP: $25.90)

The next product I tried is the Double Lifting Mask, also from Sophie Monk.

The full range consists of Super Moisturizing (blue), Shiny Brightening Whitening (pink), Youth V-Shape (yellow), Deep Cleansing Soothing Pore Minimizing (green) and Anti-Aging SOS (black). For the purpose of testing, I used the most potent of them all – the black one.

Verdict: The mask does not fit my face properly, quite like the Sexylook one I tried. The ear hooks are tight, so they are meant for a smaller face. The mask lifts up from the nose area, they are meant for people with flatter noses? The scent of the mask is strange; it reminds me way too much of mall toilet air freshener, if you get what I mean. That is a big difference from the nice strawberry scented products. However, I like how hydrating the mask is! It is quite SOS in the sense of erasing (most of) the signs of late nights I suppose. Is it lifting? I can’t tell the difference. (RRP: $2) At the price of $2 each, they are quite affordable if you are looking for a hydrating mask that treats the chin too!

Both of these products are available at Guardian stores islandwide. Do check them out if you are interested!

Read my review below.

Mineral Bubble Face Wash, RRP $14.90

Bubble face wash seem to be all the rage here. A couple of years back I tried one by SANA and didn’t like it – it was too drying, smelled strange and overall not a very pleasant experience. This time round, the Mineral Bubble Face Wash by Amethystory is purported to be good for skin – it contains hyaluronic acid, which all skincare addicts know as a moisturizing ingredient. It also contains Bio Energy Fluid, claimed to “provide ample mineral & trace mineral elements to nourish skin cells and effectively rejuvenate skin and keep skin hydrated”.

Similar to another brand out there, this bubble face wash doesn’t drip (at least not within the first few seconds). I used the face wash, and it’s quite pleasant. There is a faint smell to it that is nice, and it is soft on the skin. It is easy to use – pump out of the bottle and directly on to wet face. (Look out for my next post comparing bubble face wash.)

However, it doesn’t feel as moisturizing as it should be. I attribute it to the presence of sodium laureth sulphate (SLS) in the product. SLS is a surfactant that is quite harsh on skin, and it is quite drying. It is found in most face wash, shampoo and body wash because it is relatively cheaper than its “better” cousins. So those sensitive to SLS products, take note.

Nonetheless, comparing this with regular liquid and cream face wash, it is easier to use and more pleasant.

Mineral Aqua Whitening Enhancer, RRP $19.90

This enhancer comes after face wash, and is intended to be absorbed by the skin. Just take a couple of drops on your palm and gently pat it in. As it gets absorbed it gets a little tacky, then it dries up and leave the skin smooth and tight. For whitening effect, the active ingredient is Tranexamic Acid.

I like how it gets absorbed by the skin, reminiscent of the Hada Labo lotion. A few drops go a long way, so this bottle will last you many months!

Mineral Aqua Gel, RRP $24.90

This is the star product of the range. The mineral aqua gel is a gentle exfoliant. Like the same-brand product Marvel Gel, this gel purports to remove dead skin. This gel is very liquidy, compared to the marvel gel, which comes out of a tube. As you rub this gel into your skin, small white flakes form. I am wary about calling those dead skin cells; such products are not caustic that way to remove dead skin cells chemically. Rather, the gel is formulated to react with skin to form those white flakes and beads so that you can use those beads to massage and exfoliate the skin gently. Really, if just by pouring the gel on my hand and moving it around and dead skin fall off, I’d use it wash the toilet instead.

To me this is a no-frills exfoliating product. I expected more, but it is no different from the other gel exfoliant out there, including Ginvera’s own Marvel Gel.

Overall, my favourite product from this range is the whitening enhancer.

Want free samples? Get a free trial size sample of the Mineral Aqua Gel from Facebook! Simply click the link below!

https://www.facebook.com/amethystory?ref=ts&sk=app_213564948660624

Those who know me will know that I bitch about Sistic service standards all the time, from their booking process to ticket collection. My encounter at the ticket concierge yesterday changed my opinion about them, somewhat. See, I went over to the Tampines One counter during lunch time to collect my tickets, and I expected a queue, but there was only one other patron ahead of me, already completing her transaction. So I gave them my IC and credit card to collect my ticket. And I gave them the wrong credit card, so I fished out another one, and collected tickets to a show later in November this year, not the one I intended to collect for my show next week. I told her that never mind, I’ll go back and check which card I booked my tickets with. Then she proceeded to print my other tickets and showed me each one to confirm the time, date and seats, and filled up the collection form for me. All these while I have been collection tickets with Sistic, I have never had the concierge out of their own volition fill up the form for me. So I was pleasantly surprised.

Fast forward to after work – I finally realised which card I booked with, so I went down to Tampines One again. The concierge was still on duty and she recognized me! Then I collected my tickets and received the same confirmation treatment. I have never hard such pleasant experience collection tickets from Sistic, so I was quite surprised. Perhaps they are under Tampines One management, perhaps there’s been a recent change in service standards by Sistic, I won’t know but let’s say I am prepared to give them another chance to impress me.

Then there’s my encounter at Bugis Junction Starbucks today. I have a reputation among my friends for having insanely complicated drink order – I usually get a Iced Grande Decaf Non-fat Sugar-free Vanilla Latte. A mouthful to say, even harder to remember. The drink was well-executed, and it’s always pleasant when the staff chit-chat with you. Then I sat down to read my insanely thick book (read: Under The Dome, Stephen King, 877 pages), and after a while the staff came to me and offered me a receipt (not my own) – this receipt has a URL and special code to do an online survey, after which I can redeem a free Tall drink. Never done this before, very interesting. And then we chat about more and I fist-bumped the staff. I have never fist-bumped a stranger (or a friend, for the matter), so it was fun!

Now all that talk about awesome service and all – I guess it’s largely due to me being less angsty and more open-minded that I can truly see how people serve. Coupled with the fact I am now in the service industry myself – I appreciate good service more (but at the same time I have higher standards). I’m at a happy place, and I think you know it.

G: I cannot download the transcript, do you think I can just use exam result slip?
B1: what does the instruction say?
B2: why don’t you go to the office and request for the official transcript?
G: will the office do it on the spot?
B2: go and ask? No harm going, it’s just at the X building.
G: but I heard from my senior you have to apply and pay for it.
B1. I don’t know, you should go to the office.
G: I think I can use my exam results. Plus I uploaded my Dean’s List cert that should be ok right. (Fiddles with smartphone). They said either transcript or exam results. But there’s a limit to how much I can attach to the online portal.
B1: why don’t you call up the people in charge and ask.
G: I don’t want to!~~ wait let me call X. (Calls X- whine a little about not wanting to call the scholarship in charge)
G: maybe I just shouldn’t apply, the deadline is tomorrow, I’m too late.
B1: if it’s online you can do it tonight.
G: but I cannot upload my documents. I think it’s fated I shouldn’t apply.

I hate to say this but in this scenario this charboh is damn wishy-washy can? Robin Lakoff nailed this aspect in her research, no doubt.

We talked about books. A couple of sci-fi and fantasy fans were ablaze, and I was inducted into some interesting reads. And we discussed academia, religion, Facebook … it’s places like this I can truly admit I don’t get poetry without feeling any tinge of inadequacy. It’s places like this I can meet someone who is not at all from my field but is whom I can earnestly talk to about my thesis and get affirmation. It’s places like this I can say “hey that’s bullshit and you know it” and not have the other party feel stupid. It’s places like this where there is some kind of common understanding of some … je ne sais quoi. It’s a place that makes me feel alive, something I haven’t felt in a long time. .. I have to admit I would dearly miss an environment like that however ivory-tower-intellectual-wanking it is.

I’m sure if you had seen me there you’d say something like “the Wanni of 2003 is back”. The girl who was rah-rah and excitable, the girl who truly enjoyed what she did, the girl who makes sunshine seem dull because she shines more (ok, that is a little too much, but you get the idea).

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate talking to the rest of you smart down-to-earth people. It just takes certain topics to get me excited, but these things don’t come up very often. I want to try to engage without being hypocritical, I want to learn to accept without betraying my own beliefs, I want to connect without fear of dumbing down. Now I am only afraid that knowing heaven will make earth hell.

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