My blog... Wow

Hi Everybody!


I was ecstatic when I saw that more and more people all over the world are looking at my blog!
Wow~

Here I was in Singapore, thinking there are only a few people who click on my website and so far only 1 reader made a comment (waiting for more). I am really encouraged and motivated when I saw this statistical result for my blog.

Do you know I am really bad in Geography and I don't really know where Lativa is (you can find out more about Lativa here) and I have 15 readers from this European country...

I hope that I can contribute more articles for you in the near future.

Thanks for reading!

:)

Pageviews by Countries by week United States 44 Singapore 26 Latvia 15 South Korea 13 Malaysia 8 Netherlands 2 Austria 1 India 1 by month.. Pageviews by Countries United States 235 Singapore 218 Latvia 15 South Korea 14 Malaysia 8 Netherlands 5 Indonesia 4 Canada 2 Sweden 2 Austria 1

All my Phyto Products!

Here's all my Phyto Products...

These are the products in the big box in the above pic...

Centrepoint Robinsons Sale! Lierac and Phyto Haul...

Bought these during Centrepoint Robinsons Sale last night at a total damage of $216 nett!

1. Phytophyline Vials ( 20 vials of 0.25 FLOZ) $59.90, additional 10% discount.

Helps to reduce appearance of cellulite.

2. Morpho-slim Stomach and waist 100ml, Morpho-slim Anti-cellulite concentrate (hips, thighs and butt) 200ml at $89.90 nett.

I bought these Lierac products as they were supposedly useful in slimming the waist, abdomen, remove cellulite. I shall try them out and review soon.

$79

Been dropping lots of hair recently and my hair scalp has become oily out of sudden, resulting in limp wet hair. I'm still searching for a suitable shampoo for controlling the oily scalp, which was why I bought this set comprising of 2 bottles of sebo-regulating shampoo and a bottle of universal elixir.

    

Free gifts. Got a calendar free too. See first picture.

Review on Ahava Bath Time Duet

I got this 'travel set' consisting of a liquid salt and a body lotion of 40ml each. The set is free with purchase of a magazine. 

At first, I thought that I have 2 tubes of the same thing, one new packaging, one old packaging, because on the box, it was stated 'Before' and 'After'. 

I really love the Pure Treat Dead Sea Liquid Salt. When it is being applied, you can feel your body and hands warm up to a nice temperature. I feel very relaxed and happy when I use this product. This gel-like salt glides onto your skin smoothly.The downside is that it is too small and a lot of it oozes out when I squeeze it! I finished using it in about 4 baths before I even used up the body lotion. 

The rich body lotion, Pure Melt body sorbet caress hydrates the body well. 

Overall, the Pure Treat Dead Sea Liquid Salt is a must buy if you are the sort who likes to relax and enjoy spa treatments. I would like to try other Ahava products if given the chance! Hint. Hint.. :) Please throw in a big tube of the liquid salt as well, if that is possible... :)

Daiso haul on 3rd August

completed work using the thread...not sewn by me...

Bought these items in August. The items in the front row are for work-related projects, non-claimable. Haha. They include Cute Pushpins, PINK! carpet thumbtacks and embroidery threads which are quite cheap at only $2 per pack. If you buy it at some shops, these threads go for about 90 cents per piece...

Free Lavender Shower Gel worth $40 with Nov L'officiel

Photo from L'OFFICIEL Singapore facebook

The SG L'officiel November 2010 issue, priced at $5.90 is out on shelves today islandwide. It comes with a free Estebel Lavender shower gel worth $40. Free gel is in Lavender flavour, if interested in other types, you need to get them from Estebel Spa. 

 

The gel is green in colour with a strong Lavender smell but it does not dry out the skin.

Review: Clinique Repairwear - Intensive eye cream

how to use
For repair of eye area wrinkles...

I bought two of this at the airport. It cost about $100 for a duo pack if I didn't remember wrongly.
I gave one away to my sister a few months ago as I had too many products lying around my house. She reflected to me that it was REALLY GOOD!

So, I used it and true to her words, I felt instant rejuvenation when I applied it to my eyes. The cream is not oily at all and is easily absorbed by the skin. The cream soothes and relaxes the muscles about my eye areas and makes my eyes feel less tired.

The cream.. About half used up...

How I apply...
Apply a little bit using my index finger and dab it to the other ring finger. Apply to under the eyelids and on the area just above the eyebrows. Avoid application of excess cream.


Note:
Do not apply on the eyelids as someone told me that the eyelids have no oil glands and applying it there will make eye oily and puffy. It will also make your eyes hurt if you apply it to your eyelids and the cream goes into your eyes.

Decleor products and reviews

Here's the photograph of all my decleor products. I already gave some away to my sister and mum. So,
here's what are left...

I got this duo for $122 with a free body cream.

cleansing milk and toner when new

The cleansing milk with essential oils (lavender, petit grain) and essential waters (orange, kiwi and mallow) is very soothing to the skin and removes makeup effectively. 

I would squeeze out at least a 20 cents size cleansing milk and apply it to my face. Then wipe off gently using a cotton pad. Wash thoroughly with water. 

Follow up with the toning lotion. 

Singpost and smartpac at $4.20

Finally, Singpost decides to improve its delivery system and comes up with an affordable NEXT day delivery box at $4.20 for up to 3kg.

From Singpost website:
Singpost's new postage paid solution:


SINGPOST LAUNCHES NEW POSTAGE PAID SOLUTION
- SMARTPAC DOMESTIC
Flat-Rate Box Gives Consumers Next Working Day Delivery Option at S$4.20
Singapore, 25 October 2010 - Singapore Post Limited (SingPost) is launching a
new postage paid delivery solution - SmartPac Domestic, giving consumers another
choice of having their items delivered anywhere in Singapore* the next working day
for a fixed price.

Designed to meet the needs of consumers, the new SmartPac Domestic offers next
day doorstep delivery service at an attractive price of just S$4.20. It is ideal for
accessories, clothing, electronics, shoes, books, toys, bags or other items, providing
consumers especially online local retailers another convenient and affordable
solution. This new innovative product is part of SingPost’s continued efforts to deliver
increasing value to customers.

The new SmartPac Domestic, measuring 300mm x 190mm x 70mm and holding up
to 3 kg, is now available for sale in all post offices. Customers have to post SmartPac
Domestic at the bulk posting boxes at any of SingPost’s 62 post offices by 7 pm
within the Central Business District (CBD) and 5 pm outside CBD area on Mondays
to Thursdays and an extended hour on Fridays for next working day delivery.
Customers are advised to pack fragile items with bubble wrap to prevent damage.
SmartPac Domestic is a welcome addition to the popular A.M. Mail, providing
customers with another option for next working day delivery at an affordable flat-rate.
SingPost’s A.M. Mail, launched in December 2008, offers a time-certain delivery
service at S$2.60 or S$3.90 if customers prefer the mail to be delivered to their
addressees’ doorstep.
The public can call 1605 or visit SingPost’s website, www.singpost.com for more
information on this new product.


From : Smartpac

Root canal infection... Again

Previously, I have been affected by some nerve pain due to another tooth. Pls refer to this post.. painful-root-canal-and-then-extraction. I've been in much pain recently because of this molar tooth. Comtemplating to pluck out all my molar teeth to do braces since each implant cost me $4500. Each set of Root canal treatments  and crown cost me $1.5k Considering that I have done uncountable fillings,5 root canals, 4 crowns, 1 implants, can you image how much I have spent on my teeth?!

Please teach your children to brush teeth and give them a decent set of SOFT toothbrush and toothpaste because when I was young, we were too poor to afford that on a constant basis. The toothbrushes at 20cents always scrub against your gums till  they bleed..

When my father wanted us to go bed, it meant straightaway, on the dot lights out at 8pm and no T.V., no going to toilet, no brushing teeth. All my molar teeth had cavities by 12 years old. When I was 8 years old, I discovered my older brother had a whole set of clean straight white teeth where previously they were all sharp and rotten. He told me that each person could have 2 set of teeth; if they dropped together, they will grow out together.

Thus, I thought I should just let all rot together and a whole new set would grow in their place. Just throw your teeth under your bed and pray for the tooth fairy to grant you a cute little tooth. Little did I know that the molar and premolar teeth are permanent adult teeth and not milk teeth at all... The dreams of a child!

Now, no matter how much dental care we get, there's no road to return.

MBT Vs Sketchers shoes

Bought Sketchers Shape-ups 'Mary Jane' shoes almost a month ago during a 10% off for citibank card holders.I bought a bigger size then because my size was sold out. I bought a size 7. It was quite loose but luckily the velcro strap can be adjusted. I didn't really wear them often because I was sick and bedridden for some days for the 2-3 weeks of fever and illness. I think I should have worn about 5 times.

2 days ago, a lady saw me walking in the Sketchers shoes and she asked if they were the MBT shoes. I told her the shoes I wore are a cheaper alternative to the MBT shoes and I continued telling her for about 10 mins about my shoes.

On that very day, I saw a promotion in which the MBT shoes were going for $280 instead of the usual $399! I was very tempted by the huge discount. I tried the shoes and couldn't find my size, as the sizes were sold out. Then, I just grabbed the smaller size (36 and 1/3) and paid for them as I couldn't resist the chance to try out the shoes.. 

The boxes...
Sketchers shoes come with a CD on how to walk wearing the shoes but I have not watched it yet.
You are not supposed to wear for more than 30mins for the first 2 weeks so as to get accustomed to wearing and walking with them. I didn't abide by this rule and my legs felt extremely tired after one day. Now, I have accustomed to wearing them so I don't really feel as tired now.

The shoes... 

Dark Brown on the left are MBT shoes. The greyish ones on the right are Sketchers shoes.

It might not be accurate to compare the two brands of shoes which are not of the similar make. 

I didn't get the more expensive similar make version for the Sketchers shoes as they are black and not visually as aesthetic as this pair of MBT shoes.

However, since they work on the same principle of maintaining balance/equilibrium, so it is quite alright.
I find it easier to wear the Sketchers shoes by opening and closing the velcro straps and the tightness of the fit can be adjusted too. The drawback would be the velcro tends to stick to my socks and some velcro would become frayed...

The shoelaces for MBT are shorter than usual sports shoes' but I cannot adjust the shoe size any further and thus my feet feel cramped inside. Perhaps if I were able to get a bigger pair of MBT shoes, then this problem won't exist. The MBT shoes are made of Gore-tex material is is waterproof and this is useful particularly when you go out during rainy seasons. The front of both brands of shoes are very hard and durable.

The exterior side views of the shoes. Notice the sole portions. Initially the Sketchers shoes will rock forth and back when you are not walking but after some time, there is no more rocking movement as I feel when I walk, the voluminous base seemed to be flattened now, especially so when you balance yourself on one leg. The MBT will still rock forth and back when you are not walking. the black part of the sole (see pic) will be depressed when you exert pressure on it and even when you balance yourself on one leg.

The Sketches shoes cost $152.10 after 10% off $169 while the MBT shoes cost $280.

Though there is a size difference from the brand labels but both the inner sole pads are of the size as seen in the photographs, this shows that the cutting of the shoes are different.
But because the MBT shoes have more covered  parts than the Sketches shoes, which make the shoes seem tighter and smaller to me as I have wide and triangular feet.

After wearing either of these 2 pairs of shoes, my legs feel less tired than usual. Both of them have their pros and cons and are better than a lot of health shoes. 

Beware of Counterfeit money. How to differentiate fake SG $10 note!

The below article was printed in the local chinese newspaper, Lianhe Wanbao. and this is from their facebook .

I cannot believe it! This morning I searched my purse for the cabinet key so i can lock my bag inside my cabinet. Then, I thought my dollar notes were in a big mess, I wanted to sort them and put them into my wallet so that my purse would not be so cluttered.

One of the ten dollar notes, which were stacked in 4 pieces and folded, had a brown line and the texture felt weirdly thick and did not have a plastic feel. On closer look, I realised that it had two plastic components which also looked weird. I held it high up against the light but there was no visible sign of the President's face in the white space. As I used to collect notes, especially old notes, I know that one of the way to check for counterfeit notes is to check the white space against the UV light for the Lion or President watermark in notes.

I immediately asked my colleagues to check for me but they also cannot tell the difference if they don't look closely. I called up one Chinese Media but I think they didn't want to do a special feature on it because she said she would ask her boss. If he wanted to do so, she would call me at 1 plus. She advised me to take pictures before reporting to the police. I thought I could get some compensation because I was cheated of $10. Then I called up one of the police centres and he said I can report to any nearest npc.

What a waste of money! Got cheated of $10 for nothing. Perhaps I was still lucky because I heard that other people were cheated of $50. I have never imagined that it would ever happened to me. I guess that my life is indeed very eventful.

I couldn't recall where I have gotten the money from. I had a vague recollection that the money came from spending one of my $50 note and I think i got $46, 4 $10 and 3 $2 notes then from buying either food or beverage. It looked so real that I must have not noticed it as it was stacked in the midst of other $10 notes. Besides, I wasn't really feeling well these 3 weeks and I just returned to work last Monday. I don't go checking notes all day long. I always believe that if you are in Singapore, justice will prevail...

 Normally, I spend cash on meals, food and drinks.

Usually I use credit cards for purchases,basically only using cash where credit cards cannot be used. I just dumped my cash into my purse recently as my wallet is quite full.

After work, I reported to the Police, They asked how I know it is fake? Using common sense, it is easy to see the difference.

The young officer seemed to take a long time to type out my complaint. One hour plus to process one report. And I wasn't very happy with one of the older officers who asked me repeatedly where I found this note, asked me for my office location and seem to insinuate that the culprit must be someone in my workplace. But I repeated reinforced that I am sure (100% sure) I didn't get it from my workplace, because I used a different purse there containing mostly shillings and smaller change. $50 is too big to be used here to get change. I just happened to check my money then at my workplace. If  only I checked my money somewhere else, then my workplace will not be implicated at all. Stupid! Why must they be so insistent that it is one place they will look into?

He even asked one of his staff to switch on the lights, presumably to make sure they could capture my face in their surveillance cameras. It was 2pm and they didn't bother to switch on the lights earlier, why now?

I was quite uncomfortable with the way they handled the issue. I am not the culprit. I am reporting the incident as a responsible citizen who got cheated. I had to report in case others get cheated too. One of the other officers even took the note away to have more detailed examination even though it was none of his business.
The older man commanded him to return the note back to us. I wondered what's the rationale behind reporting to the police when you are being treated like a suspect, as if you are the one who is making the counterfeit note. Luckily, the older officer walked away. If he kept doubting me, I would have made a big scene there and then.

The young officer 'seized' my money and I had to sign some documents. I don't have the note now.


I did a search online and I found that recently there were cases of people making counterfeit money. I copied some of their information into this blog below (in Blue) that may be useful to all of us reading my blog, I hope they won't mind.

From Channel Newsasia 14 Aug 2010:
Fake $50 notes surface in Boon Lay Market and Food Centre.
SINGAPORE: Over the past four days, six hawkers at the Market and Food Centre at blocks 221, 221A and 221B in Boon Lay Place each received a fake 50—dollar note.


From Singapore Police Force's Facebook notes:
Crime Alert : Use of Counterfeit Money as Mode of Payment

Between 4 Aug 2010 and 11 Aug 2010, Police received 7 reports pertaining to counterfeit Singapore Portrait series currency notes bearing the following serial numbers:

From MAS: Distinguishing Counterfeit Notes updated 19/03/2007.
Identifiable Security Features in Presidential Notes:
- Engraved Portrait
- Protrait Watermark
- Intaglio (raised)Prints
- Lithographic Prints'
- Highlight Watermark
- Asymmetrical Serial Numbers (Vertical + Horizontal)
- Kinegram
- Lift Twin
- Micro-Printing
- Fluorescent Ink
- Anti-Colour Copying line Structures
- Perfect Registration
- Security Thread
- Invisible Feature

However, I don't think all of these features apply to plastic notes.

From Barangay Singapore: 

Two Men Arrested For Allegedly Using Counterfeit Singapore Currency

The Straits Times dated Sep 23, 2010: 2 nabbed for using counterfeit money By Lee Jia Xin

POLICE arrested on Wednesday two men who are believed to have printed and used counterfeit Singapore currency as payment to retail outlets and taxi-drivers in various parts of Singapore.

Both suspects, aged 31, may have been involved in a series of cases where counterfeit Singapore currency notes in $10 and $50 denominations had been used.

The Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) also recovered a colour printer cum copier, thought to have been used in the counterfeiting process.

The duo will be charged in Court on Friday for conspiracy to use genuine counterfeit currency.

If convicted, they can be jailed up to 20 years and fined.