Turin: Day 1

good morning! 

typing out this entry while i'm enjoying my breakfast in the hotel.. photos from yesterday to share! :D

we had our rehearsal/workshop session in the morning, followed by the opening parade of the Europa Cantat 2012! the weather was so cool in the morning, but it turned blazing hot in the afternoon!! i hope i spammed on enough sunblock to fend off those nasty UV rays, cos we had to walk about under the hot sun for the parade and we were all dying in our thick polo tees and jeans :( also, cos it's summer, the sun sets really late and totally warps my sense of time. i woke up really early, at 5am, even though i slept at 11.30pm the previous night! haha. having a great time so far, and can't wait to explore the city and shops!

placemats in the hotel dining area. how to say "Good Morning" in Italian!

and there's always a huge spread of pastries and bread! love!

super cute cornflakes dispenser :D

my brekkie, muesli with yogurt, a croissant, ham and scrambled eggs!! :D :D :D

 

HAPPY! :D

we have to walk to get to our rehearsal venues, but it's quite a nice walk in the morning cos the weather is still nice and cool!

on the streets with Fishie!

even the flowers are prettier in Italy.

a newstand.

bookstalls along the streets.

and banners for Europa Cantat hanging along the streets too! it's quite a major event that takes place in Europe every three years. choirs from all over the world sign up to take part in the workshops, known as ateliers, conducted by various well-known composers, conductors and musicians!

the S Y C ensemble singers!

ready...

JUMP!!!

 AW! a super adorable and friendly doggie we met!! it's sooo cute!!

 

very very very friendly and it kissed me. teehee.

SHO CUTE!

 

our rehearsals are held inside a performing theatre, and it's a really small and quaint looking place.

the conductor in charge of our workshop/atelier.

we went to a random pizzeria for lunch, and even random restaurants serve really yummy food already!

and it's SUPER cheap! less than 10 euros for a pizza or pasta, which is about 15 sing. plus the portions are huge, so you can share too!

 

funghi pizza :D

giant servings of pasta!!!

 

Woon and i!

throngs of crowds during the parade.

the patriotic Singaporeans!

LOL.

impromptu street singing and performances from various choirs! it's really fun, everyone just randomly bursts into song and everyone listens and the passerbys actually stop to listen and applaud! definitely wouldn't happen in Singapore :S

there's a really gorgeous mountain view from one side of the city too! 

we ended the parade in the evening, and roamed around shopping, before finally resting our feet for dinner! i swear we must have covered at least 5 or 6km just walking about the entire day! which is actually very good, because it helps to burn off some of the calories :X the food is all so rich and delicious! went to another nearby restaurant which serves really fantastic risotto and crepes, you really won't be able to find such quality in Singapore for the same price!

 

every meal starts with a bread basket. goes wonderful with olive oil and balsamic vinegar!

Marissa's veal!

the giant plate of risotto we shared amongst five because we weren't that hungry. but it was SOOO big! and only like, 9 euros? can feed a lot of people!

 

and the most delicious Nutella white chocolate custard ice cream crepe EVER!!! (only 6 euros!)

Vivien, Shen Een and Hil!

Marissa, me, Fish and Woon!

only paid 5 euros for dinner after breaking down the cost. omg. that's like $7.50 for so much goodness and satisfaction! so happy! :D 

back "home" to our hotel! 

today's going to be rehearsal in the morning again, followed by some free time in the afternoon! i wanna go shopping!!! all the shops are on sale and the prices are really low! teehee. i hope i have enough space in my luggage to shop to my heart's content!!!

i'll update again with more photos! hope you enjoyed looking at them!

have a fabbbb Sunday!!! :D

Goodbye Singapore, Hello Italy!

greetings from Italy!

as i type, it is currently only 7pm in Turin, Italy, but it's almost 1am in Singapore and my eyes are starting to feel heavy already! yes, here i am in my comfortable little hotel room at Hotel Astoria in Turin, and it has taken us the better part of the last 24 hours to transit all the way from Singapore, to Italy!

flights are so tiring and always make me feel so parched and dehydrated, i really wonder how all the flight attendants do it day in, day out! we had an 18 hour flight, and i think i barely slept 3 to 4 hours in total, plane seats definitely don't make for a good night's sleep! thankfully, we have all arrived safely with no mishaps, and the hotel is lovelier than i expected, the best part of course is the Wi-Fi connection! :D i will do my best to update frequently, with snippets of Italy, whenever possible! also, so that the memories stay fresh and alive in my heart and head. i always regret not chronicling all these wonderful experiences and memories while they're still vivid and tangible, so here's me making a conscious effort to!

thank God for my dearest boyfriend who chauffeured me to the airport and helped me with my huge luggage (21kg hahaha i really think i packed too much rubbish!) and sent me off with hugs and kisses!

he really hates it when i go overseas, so i truly appreciate his fortitude and tolerance when it comes to my overseas trips. thankfully, having Wi-Fi here also means we can Skype and talk on the phone for free while we are 10000 miles apart! i love technology.

our last meal together at Paradise Inn at Terminal 1. my flight was at midnight, so we had dinner together before i checked in!

flew Emirates for the first time, and we had to transit from Singapore to Dubai, and then from Dubai to Milan. one of the beautiful bird's eye view from up up and above.

i have a secret confession to make: i actually enjoy airplane food, hehe. some people hate airplane food with a vengeance, but i love having meals onboard and i can never turn down a meal while in transit. we had FOUR meals in total during our two flights, over a span of 18 hours! lol. i felt like all i did was to eat, doze off, wake up again for meal time, and then doze off to sleep again. wonder why we always feel extra hungry when flying/travelling!

hello woon!

other travel companions! i spent most of the time reading on my iPad or dozing off while half-heartedly watching in-flight entertainment. not much of a selection for movies though, but i enjoyed Toy Story 3!

catching the dawn's rays over the sea. i love how surreal it feels, suspended in time and air.

Pinkberry froyo at Dubai airport! sooooooo shiok.

finally reached Milan airport after 18 hours! queuing up to go through customs!

my two favorite travel companions, sans one Aini. all of us looking pretty tired and shagged out after two tiring flights!

and yay, finally in Italy, on the coach to Turin! notice anything different about my hair? :P went back to Salon Vim the day before to do a touch up! will talk about that in a separate blog entry!

Fish and I :D we're roomies too! yippee!

cruising along the quiet streets of Turin. it seems like a rather sleepy and laid back city!

and this is right outside our hotel, which is a tiny apartment facing the streets.

checking in!

and the first thing we do upon arrival at our hotel room: consolidate our cup noodles "pantry"! :D YAY. it's a tradition to stash cup noodles in our luggages for our late night girl talk parties overseas!

our very cosy little room for the next 9 days or so. very simply furnished, but clean and comfortable!

the view from our 4th level room window!

the choral festival/workshop starts tomorrow, and we'll be singing and singing all day long! going to get a good night's rest tonight to escape from the jet lag! hehe. but first, cup noodles party for tonight's dinner!

oh, ending off with my make-up haul from DFS shopping! got all these highly raved products and i can't wait to use them. tried the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair during the flight and it feels amazing! wheee!

hope all you are having an awesome time in Singapore! will update again super soon!

enjoy your weekend!!!

 

Review: Laneige Brightening Sun Powder SPF50+ PA+++

a sunscreen in powder form? i was definitely piqued with interest when i first heard of the Laneige Brightening Sun Powder! dropped by a Laneige counter at NEX a couple days ago, so i grabbed one of these Brightening Sun Powder compacts for myself!

i make it a point to apply liquid sunscreen everyday as part of my skincare routine, but did you know that sunscreen should actually be re-applied every two hours when you’re under the sun? 

honestly, that is really impractical, because how do you actually re-apply sunscreen without getting your make-up all messed up? D: thus, the brilliance of this powder sunscreen reveals itself. due to its powder form, it can be used with ease for extra sun protection for when you’re out and running about under the hot sun, even with a faceful of make up! sounds awesome already!

the powder comes in a handy compact with a lovely holographic cover, which is mesmerizing! opens up to reveal a pink powder that's embossed with a geometric pattern and a beige diamond in the middle. it's so pretty i almost can't bear to use it.


and yes, that beige diamond isn't there just for decorative purposes, it actually contains Vitamin C essence that prevents sebum oxidation under UV rays, to leave the skin bright all day long! the powder also contains Comfrey extracts that effectively soothe skin that's been dulled and reddened skin by the  sunlight.
 
when applied on the skin, the powder is so finely milled that it's non-cakey and barely visible. it blends right in after awhile, with a slight brightening effect from the pink powder! :D

i've been using it for a couple of days already, and to be honest, i have no idea just how effective it is as a sun screen! it's supposed to contain SPF 50+ PA+++, so that should count for something. since it's near impossible to re-apply sunscreen once i'm out, this is definitely the next best option, and for kiasu people like me, better be safe than sorry, right? :S however, i feel that it's still a must to apply your liquid sunscreen as per usual, as your primary protection.

also, there is no coverage at all, and it also cannot be used to set your foundation base. i tried it, and ended up getting white splotchy bits on my face instead! thus, you'd still need to use a loose powder or pressed powder on top of your foundation. it does help with mattifying my oily T-zone, so if you're like me and don't bother with touching up your loose powder/pressed powder often while you're out, this would work well for extra sun protection while reducing any oily shine at the same time! i have to say, the sponge isn't very useful when it comes to application, and i think a brush would do the job better! IMO, this powder should be applied as the last step of your make-up routine, and subsequently you can touch it up in the course of the day if you're under the sun and require more sun protection.

overall, i really like this product! the idea of being able to ensure that i get as much sun protection as possible throughout the day appeals to me, and being able to brighten my skin slightly and mattify at the same time! the price of the product seems fairly reasonable too and i would re-purchase it for sure, especially if i see visible results from the extra sun protection!

Laneige Brightening Sun Powder costs SGD48, and it's available at Laneige counters locally. i got it from Isetan at NEX, Serangoon! :)

***

on a another note, i am flying for Italy tomorrow night omg and yes i STILL haven't packed my luggage yet u__u no sleeping tonight so that i can wrap up all the loose ends before i depart on my two week adventure! i'll still be active on Instagram and Twitter and my blog, hopefully, because there should be internet while i'm over there, so, please don't abandon my blog!

meanwhile, here's some Instagram pictures of my lovable doggies to entertain you. they are mad adorable and are my four-legged clowns in the house to perk up my day!

i hope they don't miss me when i'm gone! :S

Event: Origins Plantscription at Prive + Randoms

guess whaaattttttt hardworking blogger is back again today! :D :D :D

#self-congratulatary *pats self on back*

i've had a little bit of spare time, so i'm taking the chance to blog as much as i can, before i start getting all backlogged and end up blogging things that happened two months ago! (honestly, most of the time if i don't get to blogging about something within a few weeks, i probably never will! lost interest already. hahaha. i prefer to keep readers updated on more current happenings too!)

you were probably still enjoying your beauty sleep one fine Saturday morning, but a group of us girls were breakfasting at Prive Cafe, Keppel Bay, and getting all excited over a preview of Origins' Plantscription range, a new anti-aging collection that will be hitting our shores next month! :)

i'm actually a huge fan of Origins products, especially their masks! they are products that really work for me, and i was veryyy looking forward to attending this session!

spot Ling again with her crazy ombre pink hair. haha! we look quite a sight together, her with her pink/purple hair, and also my pink streaks in my hair.

the lovely team from Origins shared a short presentation on Plantscription with us, and we got to test the different products too! (will not be blogging about the products themselves yet, so wait for my review in another couple weeks' time!)

here's what i learnt:

if you think you're too young to have to bother about anti-aging, think again! did you know that signs of aging starts as early as age 25??? which happens to be my age :( prevention is always better than cure, and you don't want to have fine lines, wrinkles, loss of radiance and skin elasticity plaguing you before your time is up!

you may have heard of, or tried products containing Retin-A, which is currently one of the most effective chemicals available via doctor's prescription to combat anti-aging. however, the problem with Retin-A is that it's such a strong chemical that the side effects are numerous: dry, flaky skin, increased sensitivity to the sun, stinging, redness and irritation, and may even cause major acne breakouts, due to the skin being too sensitive! :( 

and here's where Origins Plantscription comes into the picture. being formulated with a natural plant extract, Anogeissus, as well as other natural ingredients, Plantscription has been clinically proven to be 88% as effective as any Retin-A prescription, BUT without any of those side effects mentioned earlier! it is much gentler and kinder to your skin, while still working its magic!

well, i got to bring home the Plantscription Anti-aging cleanser, toner, and eye treatment, and i've already started using the Plantscription range religiously!! so i'll be back in a couple of weeks to share my review on how well i think these products work, as well as conducting a give-away! :D :D :D

back to Prive Cafe, we carried on with brunch after the sharing session, and i must say i was pretty disappointed with my food. ordered the Ultimate Brekkie ($20) and it was so bad :( the sunny side ups were literally swimming in oil, the sausage was dry and tasteless, the toasted bread tasted stale and soft, and even the mushrooms (you can hardly go wrong with mushrooms) were so oily i couldn't enjoy them fully.

definitely not gonna order that at Prive Cafe again. what a waste of stomach space and money! the omelette, eggs ben and pancakes fared a little better, from what i heard.

not really my kind of breakfast after all. i should have just stuck to the muffins and croissants :S

nonetheless, Prive Cafe is a decent restaurant with lovely ambience and a picturesque view of the stunning waterfront at Keppel Bay, so it would be a nice place to chill for brunch or dinner! will not order the Ultimate Brekkie again.

***

Prive Cafe
2 Keppel Bay Vista, 
GF Marina at Keppel Bay, Singapore 
Tel: +65 6776 0777 

***

another picture with pretty Ling! :)

and here's some of the other pretty ladies present at the event, Beatrice, Selene, Melissa (thank you for the picture!!) together with Ling and myself! :D

pardon the height difference, poor Ling was suffering from a sprained ankle and could only hobble around in flats! :X

 

my outfit! :) Ashford Pastel Blazer in White (unreleased), Springfling Denim Bralet in Florals, and Crayola Two-Pocket Shorts (unreleased) all from TheVelvetDolls teehee. loving my flatforms from Sœurs too! 

close-up of the pretty prints, and my arm candy that isn't very visible heh.

once again, thank you to the wonderful team at Origins for extending the invitation to a very lovely session, and i will be back with a review of the products soon! the full Plantscription Anti-aging collection will be available at all Origins counters from August 2012 :)

***

anyways, i bought a new bag, and it is making me very happy!!! :D :D :D got it on sale as well, which makes me doubly happy! unfortunately, the GSS is ending, and the only bit of sale shopping i did was 2 months ago when GSS started, and getting this bag! ah well :(

i had to add lots of stardust and cosmic sparkles to this photo. I LOVEEEE IT! it's a huge bucket bag and i'm  gonna bring it with me overseas in a few days time. teehee. the size is so awesome cos i can even fit my laptop and iPad both, inside!

also a closer look at my gorgeous and insanely comfy flatforms, from Sœurs! they are so easy to walk in, and the nude colors makes them super versatile too! Sœurs is located at Cathay Cineleisure, #02-12! :) just mention that you're a reader and you'll get 10% off regular purchases!

more shopping buys of the week. i realize that shopping really does help me de-stress, or rather, i tend to spend without thinking when i'm stressed! :( but well, one can never have enough makeup/skincare products, no? :X

also in preparation of my trip, because it's gonna be summer in Italy, so it will be lots of sun, and it will be hot hot hot!!! got the Sunplay SPF75PA++ Body Mist Sunblock, as i really don't want to come back a shade or two darker D: 

i hardly buy Laneige products, but the Brightening Sun Powder with SPF50+ PA+++ sounds like the perfect product for me to carry around when i'm running about under the sun, as i'd be able to touch up my oily T-zone and enforce on sun protection at the same time! :D

my other buys: Maybelline Hyper Sharp Liner 0.05mm, KATE Eyebrow Mascara, and Heroine Make eyelash curler! don't you just love drugstore cosmetics. will review these products when i get to use them!

***

couldn't resist re-working a similar outfit as to the one above, except with my new bag this time, and the Jagger Distressed Denim Shorts in Dark Wash (unreleased) from TheVelvetDolls! :) it looks a little more toned down instead. white blazers are so timeless, and it instantly adds style points to a casual get-up!

tiny little details like the pretty sunburst button and distressed denim are love.

going to bed now, so that my liver can do its work! LOL. i actually stopped jogging the past couple of weeks, because i figured that getting enough sleep and rest is more important to me at the moment than waking up at 6am to run. though i definitely want to resume the jogs when i'm back from Italy! two more days, and i haven't even packed D:

good night everyone! :) have a fabulous week ahead!

PS. the winner of the CURE give-away is Carol Yeo! :) will be emailing you shortly!