Singapore Top Travel, Beauty, Food, Lifestyle Blog

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Brunch at Canopy with the furkids!

Happy national day weekend, folks!

Teehee, I'm still on abit of a post-proposal high.. So hopefully everyone bears with me hahaha because I've been posting mushy and lovey-dovey stuff these few days while still soaking in the newfound bliss :P Thank you so much for everyone who's congratulated me in person and offered your heartfelt blessings, or left a comment or message via Instagram, Facebook, Whatsapp and my blog, I feel extremely blessed by all your well-wishes and congratulations!

Coincidentally, it also happened to be YZ and my 6th anniversary last Tuesday, just 3 days after my birthday! Six years sounds like such a long time! It's hard to believe how fast the six years have gone by.

We had enough of excitement so we kept it simple and just went for a simple meal together, and I decided on brunch at Bishan Park 10 minutes away from my home, so that I could bring the furkids out for a rare excursion!

Have you met my two furkids? If you haven't, say hello to shaggy QQ, a miniature Yorkshire terrier and Baby, our overgrown chihuahua (also affectionately known as Ah Fat!)

You have no idea how much they loooove going out "gai-gai", so much that Baby tried to squeeze into QQ's pet carrier, which is way too tiny for her! The only bag that Baby can fit into nicely is my Gucci canvas tote bag which is huge! So in there she went :D

The two furkids all ready for their trip to Bishan Park! Hehe.

I love Bishan Park for being so dog-friendly, apart from the enclosed dog run, many of the food places in Bishan Park are also pet-friendly, such as Grub, and Canopy, which is where we were headed on this day!

Parked at the car park and Canopy is the very first establishment you'll see when you walk into the park!

These two were super excited to roam about! Look at their adorable little faces hehe.

Canopy Garden Dining and Bar was quiet and serene on a Tuesday afternoon, and we opted for a table outdoors as we had the furkids with us!

We got a spot right under a fan, and thankfully the weather was pretty cool because of the slight shower of rain earlier in the morning.

YZ posing with fat Baby! Baby look super happy and adorable! She's about 7 years old by the way, and used to be really hyperactive when she was younger. But now she's extremely lazy and looks like a walking roll of ham LOL.

We ordered the classic Eggs Benedict and Mushroom Pasta in Truffle Cream for our mains. The prices are fairly decent and affordable, but unfortunately the service was very slow and it took us almost 10 minutes to catch the attention of one of the waiters to get our orders taken, even though the restaurant wasn't crowded at all. Quite a turnoff, especially for hungry folks ;(

As for the food, presentation was quite lackluster as well, with seemingly no attention paid to details. Taste-wise, it doesn't compare to some of my favourite brunch places such as Antoinette or Choupinette or even Grub, which is just a short distance away, and could be a better option in future. 

The pasta had a rich and fragrant flavor that was well-infused with truffle, but could do with a more generous portion of mushrooms, I felt. I would also have preferred the sauce to be thicker as well.

Similarly, I felt that the Eggs Benedict were passable, but nothing to shout about. The poached eggs were done nicely, at the least, though the hollandaise sauce and ham were just on the verge of acceptable. I've had worse, to be sure. (Speaking of bad eggs benny, never order the ones at L'etoile! They were so badly cooked and tasteless I didn't even want to finish them!)

It was YZ's first time trying Eggs Benny (I'm inducting him into the brunch cult a tad late, but better late than never!) and he actually enjoyed them alot!


To end off the meal with something for our sweet tooth, we ordered the sticky date pudding! One of my favourite desserts anywhere, and the sticky date pudding at Canopy came with a rich gula melaka caramel sauce that was yum yum! 

Again, I prefer my sticky date pudding at Marmalade Pantry or Halia anytime, but if I were craving for a quick fix, this would still satiate the taste buds :)

We still enjoyed our meal, because of the chill ambience amongst the greens, and with the company of our two adorable and curious pooches!
Look at both of them both greedily licking their lips in this picture.. Haha! Super cute the two of them!

And picture spam of my two little dogs! We placed them on a chair initially but were told later that it's not allowed lol.

These two little dears are such a joy and never fail to put a smile on my face with their antics! They were having a really good time outside, and were sniffing around inquisitively and eliciting smiles from the staff and customers are nearby tables! Just look at their happy little faces :D

Love this shot with both of them smiling away with their tongues out!
They got tired of the over-enthusiasm after awhile. Hahaha.
Fatty looking so smiley hehe.


Happy 6th anniversary, love! And may there be many more to come!

***

Canopy Garden Dining & Bar 

Bishan Park II, 1382 Ang Mo Kio Ave 1 
Phone 65561533 

Hours 
Restaurant: Weekdays - 9am till late Weekends - 8am till late 
Bar: Everyday - 5pm till late 
Last order: 
Sunday to Thursday : 10pm Friday / Saturay / Eve & 
Festive Days & PH : 10.30pm

***

Canopy's abit of a hit and miss for me. I love the location and ambience, as well as the fact that it's pet-friendly, but the mediocre service and food doesn't compel me to want to go back again. For a similar price, Grub is also nearby my place and serves better food :) 

Still had a lovely time nonetheless with my little furkids!

Anyways, hoping that everyone has a fab National Day weekend, and pop by thevelvetdolls.sg for our National Day promotion: you get 10% off all in-stock purchases above $50!

Be back soon to share many more entries, for instance, my gorgeous new hair color by Salon Vim, and the pictures from my birthday/engagement night :*)

Take care y'all and enjoy the long weekend!!!

xoxo

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Monday, August 5, 2013

The Proposal Video

I've already shared the news on my other social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook...) but nothing beats an honest-to-earth blog entry, and Instagram can only do so much with its tiny little square pictures and limited text space! But I'm guessing many of you have already seen the good news.. which is that I got proposed to, right in the middle of my gig at Switch!

 Thought it was just gonna be another fun night singing with the GroundZero folks, but little did I know that there was a mini three-man conspiracy hatching quietly that day.. And YZ with the egging on and help of my two scheming-but-loved friends Evonne and Trish, contrived the hugest birthday present I've ever received in my 26 years. A surprise (and very public) proposal that I did not see coming at all!! Even the band was roped in too to help stage the entire proposal!

 When Evonne started standing up and waving a funny signboard that said "Go Yina! Happy Birthday!" I started to get puzzled and was wondering what was going on, until YZ appeared in a white blazer and holding up even more flash cards.. I began to realise what was going on just started tearing on stage (so embarrassing).. And then came a bouquet of gorgeous roses (it didn't even register to me what color the roses were, or how many stalks there were cos I was so overwhelmed already, even if the roses were made of plastic I doubt I would have realised it at that point in time) before he finally produced a ring box from his pocket and presented it to me. 

For the record, the reason why I wasn't expecting it at all is because the ring that we picked a ring a couple of weeks at JannPaul, but it isn't even ready yet so I didn't entertain any thoughts at all of bring proposed to! Who would have thought that a $8 dummy ring would serve the purpose just as well?

Because I was so shocked and shy on stage yesterday in front of such a huge crowd, I didn't even say those three words I was supposed to say... So here they are: 白永赚, Yes I Do! 

 Thank you to everyone who were present that day at Switch and shared our happiness and joy, we are so immensely blessed!

For my friends and loved ones who weren't present that day and were as shocked as I were to learn of the proposal via social media, this is for you! :D I'm so sorry that some of you couldn't be around to witness it in person, the whole proposal deal was such a surprise hush-hush affair because I think YZ and my friends were worried that someone would give the secret away -.-


Edit: My sissy Lina took another video and uploaded it for me too... So I'll just put it here as well! It's clearer than mine -.- And has YZ's and my singing too. Haha.



I apologize for the lousy hand held quality from my camera and my amateur editing skills... As well as our awkward unscripted dialogue and floundering about. But this is as real as it gets. And I'm so thankful for it :)

There are many pictures that I haven't received from my lovely friends and close ones, but I really want to share the wonderful news with everyone, so I hope this video of the proposal itself will suffice first! Edited it myself in iMovie HAHAHA. Thus I added in all the captions here and there.. So that you might get a better idea of how I felt! I could probably write a ten thousand word essay on this, lol. But I'll save it for a future entry (with more pictures!)

For now.....
WE ARE OFFICIALLY ENGAGED!!! ❤

The two masterminds ❤ Trish and Evonne! Big fat round of applause goes to these two amazing people. Will share more in another entry I promise!!! Love you two girls!

The entire party that turned up to share this extremely special day with me (There are more who weren't in the picture!). THANK YOU EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU! You guys make me feel so blessed! :)

xoxo
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Monday, July 29, 2013

The Phantom of the Opera at MBS MasterCard Theatres

My love for musicals began when I was a teenager, with the Phantom of the Opera. 

 I remember being utterly enthralled with the famous lake scene (you have to watch it if you don't know what I'm talking about!), the soaring high notes, the beautiful duets that dipped and rose together with the live orchestra in haunting harmony. The final scene.. It's so heart-wrenching and poignant with despair and loss, sorrow and despondency. So glad that I got to watch this a second time in my life, and even had an opportunity to meet and speak to the creative team and cast in person! 

If you have never experienced the magic of the Phantom of the Opera before, you are missing out on an incredible show!


Melissa and I attended the media call together (our first time!) and got first dibs on a sneak preview of the show, as well as getting to speak to the creative team and cast in person! It was a wonderful privilege and experience, and we had a really insightful session!


While the rest of the media were busy snapping pictures of the performances and speeches... Yup, here we are taking selcas :D #shamelessbloggers

That's not to say we didn't take any photos of the show! I don't want to spoil the show for you if you'll be watching it, but here are a few shots of my favourite scenes! The die-hard Phantom fans will certainly recognise every scene!





We listened in while Brad Little (The Phantom), Claire Lyon (Christine Daae) and Anthony Downing (Raoul) were being interviewed by various media personnel, and it was a really interesting session!

Anthony Downing, who plays Raoul, Christine's passionate lover.


Beautiful Claire Lyon who plays Christine, she did an incredible job!



Here's some Phantom trivia for you:

*22 containers were shipped into Singapore for The Phantom of the Opera: that's how huge the production is!

*A large number of the orchestra musicians you hear performing the beautiful music of the Phantom are all our very own local talents, who auditioned for the parts when the creative team flew in a few months ago! I'm so proud of our local musicians! :)

*Brad Little (who plays the Phantom) actually used to play Raoul on Broadway, but has starred in over 2200 performances in the travelling tour of The Phantom of the Opera as the Phantom, and this is his second time playing the Phantom in Singapore!

*The musical is based on a novel "Le Fantome De L’Opera" written by Gaston Leroux in 1909, and was popularised by Andrew Lloyd Webber in 1986, that makes the Phantom over a century old! (I actually read the novel a long time ago after watching the musical in 2007, and I re-read it again a few days ago!)

*Claire Lyon is one of the few Christines to be involved in both The Phantom of the Opera and Love Never Dies (the sequel to Phantom), but ironically, she first performed the role of Christine in Love Never Dies, and not Phantom.

You can find tonnes more of Phanton trivia on fan sites all over the internet, so I'm not gonna bore you out if you haven't yet been inducted into the cult of the Phantom! *cue evil laughter*

***

After the media call in the afternoon, Mel and I popped over to City Plaza for lunch: my favourite ban mian!! (Walao, ever since then, I've been having MAJOR ban mian cravings =__=) And then we went back home to freshen up, before heading back to the MasterCard Theatres in the evening again for the Gala Show of The Phantom of the Opera!


Mel and I both changed into long dresses for the evening: the theme was "Black Tie" and what better chance to dress up than the gala opening of such a celebrated musical?


I was very excited because it was YZ's first time watching The Phantom of the Opera, he had other plans that evening initially but I wheedled and persuaded him to come watch the musical with me, and I'm so glad I did because he enjoyed it thoroughly as well!

The show was spectacular, even better than what I remembered, honestly! And if you are fond of the Phantom and its music, trust me, you will definitely enjoy the brilliance of the live singing and music, my skin was literally prickling with goosebumps the moment the opening interlude started!

I loved the huge singing acts and humour in the show, they brought liveliness and comic relief to set off the intimate and quieter scenes with stanza after stanza of heartfelt singing. Claire Lyon really shone as Christine, and I was blown away with her voice and how well she portrayed the part.

The chemistry between the Phantom and Christine was simply amazing as well, I was almost brought to tears by the raw emotions of the Phantom, and how he turned from the fear-evoking antagonist to a broken, desolate creature who only longs to be loved.. :'( The final scene is just so heartbreaking! I was glued to the edge of my seat, rapt with attention, as the scene unfolded.

Apart from the wonderful storytelling and music, the show itself is so visually stunning! You'd find yourself sucked right into the world of the Opera Populaire and the Phantom, with the elaborate attention to detail in the props, costumes and stage settings! It was a feast for all of my senses!

My words are rather inadequate, so please, watch it for yourself instead!


With some other gorgeous ladies, Claire, Sophie and Mel at the After Party!


Fabulous canapes after the great show, and we got to mingle with the cast too!


With my hansum partner! ❤

The Phantom Of The Opera season in Singapore will close on Sept 1, with shows running daily at prices starting from S$55 to S$230, excluding booking fee. More information can be found at (baseentertainmentasia.com) or (marinabaysands.com) or by calling +65 6688 8826.

***


Outfit details:
Diane Peekaboo Maxi in White
Courtney Box Clutch in White

Love the full white ensemble, including my pair of white platform heels! Teehee.


And my look of the day, with YSL Chromatics eyeshadow palette! I used it wet and the intensity was super love! ❤ Pray ignore mine unsightly Roaccutane-ed peely lips.

Also on the face:

Lancome Mat Miracle Liquid Foundation
Shiseido Maquillage True Cheek RD321
Shu Uemura Hard Formula Brow Pencil
Lancome Hypnose Star Mascara
Amazing Cosmetics Cream Concealer


Did a simple gradient smoky eye with a winged tip.


:D :D :D

Listening to the 25th Anniversary OST of Phantom as I'm writing this and the music is so timeless and wonderful. I love it! My family is so annoyed by my non-stop singing of the Phantom songs. They are all like, 你干嘛,鬼叫啊?! but I don't care!

Another week beckons, so I wish everyone a blessed week ahead!
Thank you for reading this space :)

xoxo
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Thursday, July 25, 2013

Review: Biotherm Aquasource Deep Serum

I thought I'd share a little about some of the products in my current skincare routine, which are from one of my favourite brands: Biotherm!

My first experiece with Biotherm's famed Aquasource was more than two years ago, with the Aquasource Deep Hydration Moisturiser! I loved it upon first usage, with its powerful hydrating properties as well as light gel texture which absorbs extremely well!

Aquasource is Biotherm's no.1 best-selling hydration range, and after 15 years of history, Biotherm is now launching Aquasource's most powerful serum yet: the Aquasource Deep Serum!

Aquasource Deep Serum's next-generation formula captures 3–times the concentrations of Aquasource’s regenerating Life Plankton™ and ultra-moisturizing Mannose to deliver deep hydration so skin looks radiant, re-plumped and regenerated!

What I really love about Biotherm is its approach towards creating effective skincare products that really work. All Biotherm products contain thermal plankton, a micro-organism found in the hot springs of the Pyrenees Mountains.

The average body is made up of about 60% of water, and this is the reason why Biotherm has delved into the waters of the earth, in order to find substances that have the closest affinity to our skin, and they discovered thermal plankton, which has a similar structure as certain skin cells!

This affinity of thermal plankton allows our skin to effectively absorb its nutrients and goodness, such as its unequaled healing properties to regenerate, repair and soothe, enhancing skin quality to leave the complexion soft, smooth and glowing!

Here are some fun facts about Biotherm, and Aquasource! (From Biotherm's Aquasource Deep Serum website here)



Back to Aquasource Deep Serum. It contains THREE TIMES the concentration of Life Thermal Plankton and Mannose as compared to Aquasource gel, in order to deliver deep moisture to dehydrated skin!

 It's like a super booster pack with THREE TIMES efficacy! (Like playing video game like that. HAHAHA. Life Up x 3 times!)

Mannose, a simple sugar derived from tree pulp helps to deliver hydration and vital protein boosters to all layers of the epidermis, while Life Plankton helps to improve the renewal of epidermal cells, and contains 4 vitamins, 23 amino-acids, and 9 oligo elements.

Other than these two key ingredients, Aquasource Deep Serum also contains millions of micro pearls which help to beautify the skin by diffusing light and enhancing the skin's brightness and luminosity!
The texture of Aquasource Deep Serum is pretty amazing. It is extremely light-weight and has a lovely pearly sheen to it, thanks to the illuminating micro pearls! It spreads easily across the skin, and is instantly absorbed, leaving my skin feeling really nice and moist!

By the way, I love the scent of the product too, just like all other Biotherm products, Aquasource Deep Serum has got a really fresh and invigorating scent! ❤

These are the results from a study that Biotherm conducted! Doesn't it make you feel like running out now to get a bottle of Aquasource Deep Serum for yourself? :S


Biotherm Aquasource Deep Serum retails at SGD85 and can be found at all Biotherm counters in Singapore.

PS. Don't say I never share ah! If you're interested to try out this product, you can actually redeem a 3-day trial on Biotherm's website!


My skin has never been in need of hydration more, because of Roaccutane! ;( I've been taking Roaccutane for about three months now, and thankfully I've stopped breaking out and my skin is now on the road to recovery! However, Roaccutane has dried out my skin a lot, and thus I'm very grateful for the intense hydration that Aquasource Deep Serum provides.

Right after Aquasource Deep Serum, I use Pure.fect Skin Hydrating Gel, which I feel helps to lock in the hydration from Aquasource Deep Serum, while still feeling very light on my skin! I also feel that Deep Serum, while very hydrating, tends to feel slightly sticky after application, and Pure.fect Skin Hydrating Gel helps to remove that stickiness and leaves my skin feeling matte and clean.

Definitely my two favourite skincare products from Biotherm at the moment! ;) I'd probably share more about Pure.fect Skin Hydrating Gel in another blog post soon, it is one of my top favourite moisturisers and I have already finished off TWO bottles of it together with my sissy who loves it too! :)


Look of the day: Did a simple look with glam eyes to watch The Phantom of the Opera at Marina Bay Sands MasterCard Theatres! :D Gonna be blogging about that next! Praying that my skin continues to recover well! I will never take clear skin for granted again :(

Onward to Friday and the weekend very soon, wheee! And July is passing by so quickly, seriously. I'm turning 26 in 8 days time! :( Starting to feel the numbers already, meh~

Can't wait for tomorrow cos it's photoshoot day for TheVelvetDolls! Eggcited to shoot the new collection! ^.^ That's probably been the best part of 2013 for me, TVD's shift to our new website! Really love how much more convenient the shopping cart system is, and how professional it looks. Still some bugs here and there, but on the whole it's been so much better on the new website!

Next up, will be our move to a new and bigger office! That'll be happening in November, and it's gonna be a huge op with major renovations and fitting up of the new space that we've just signed the lease for. And of courseeeee, giant moving out sale probably in October! Sounds like it's gonna be a hectic last four months of the year! :) But in a goooood way :D

Go go fighting!

xoxo
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© Yina Goes

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