Beauty Canvas Review | Eyebrow Embroidery | First-Time Experience

After discovering the wonders of eyebrow embroidery, I am quite certain that I won't be able to accept the looks of my natural brows anymore. After my wedding last year, I had the sudden thought of going for eyebrows embroidery, with this in mind: I need to wake up looking pretty for my husband every morning! Hahaha. I actually had the thought to do so quite some time ago, I was just a little fickle-minded before.

 My friend recommended me Beauty Canvas which is a home-based salon at Punggol. Back then, there was a pre-CNY promo @ $250 inclusive of 1 session of touchup. Compared to a few other retail salons, the price was very affordable and I was quite satisfied with the before and after photos shown in the Instagram.

My First Visit - Consultation

Although it was a home-based salon, there was a dedicated room just for her clients, and there's also a spa bed and a consultation area at the corner.

Sue, the owner of Beauty Canvas explained the difference between the different types of embroidery - Misty, 3D and combination. I was also given a consultation form to fill in, very professional considering that this is just a home-based salon.

As I wanted a more makeup look without defined strokes, I decided on Misty embroidery which gives a soft and natural-looking effect that also looks like hand drawn brows.

After deciding on the type of embroidery, she proceeded to shape my brows using a brow pencil. It's great because you can customise the shape according to your preference. Thick or thin brows , it's entirely up to you. But bear in mind that the final outlook may shrink a little so the drawing will be thicker. Sue was very patient and she really drew on my brows till they were perfect to me!

Treatment Process

After I was satisfied with the drawing, she provided to put on some numbing cream on my brows, where I dozed off shortly. After about 30 minutes (I can't remember the exact timing), the treatment began, and I felt some needle-like tool poking into my brows. 

It sounds a little scary but truth is, there wasn't a lot of pain. My pain threshold is a little higher than average, where facial extractions are not an issue for me. Overall, I would rate the pain about 2/10. However, there was once where the numbing cream was not absorbed well and I could feel a little more pain, so she helped me apply more of the cream. Other than that, the process was quite comfortable to me. 

Post Treatment

After the treatment, Sue passed me some recovery pack and gave me instructions on how to take care of the brows for maximum healing. 

On my first session + touchup, as I was not familiar with how the colour may turn out, I didn't pick a very dark colour as I was afraid of looking like La Bi Xiao Xin. Hence, the colour was not very dark after 30% faded off. I was quite pleased considering that I did not have to put on brow makeup for the next year or so! 

After 2 weeks

While the treatment process was quite comfortable, I can't say that it's the same for the healing process. Don't get me wrong, there wasn't any pain involved. But I couldn't really stand the itch. It was not exactly entirely unbearable, but there was once where I subconsciously scratched my brows IN MY SLEEP. The horror!!! Luckily back then, I had a complimentary touchup so it wasn't so bad. After that incident, I had to put cotton wool on my brows while sleeping just in case.

The brow also starts to peel after a few days and the colours became uneven. It's better to actually schedule your brow appointment within the period when you don't have any important things going on.

After the full 2 weeks, the brows have healed and the brows were perfect! I saved about 5 minutes every morning before I head out too! I can walk out of the house without eyeliner but I can't really do so without settling my brows as eyebrows frame your entire face - it's really important to get it in the right shape and colour!

Touch Up After 1 Year

Recently, I chanced upon a touch-up promotion (Valid for appointments that were booked within 1 year), hence I decided to go and touchup before CNY!

During the treatment

This time round, Sue recommended me the new pigments which were darker and were more long-lasting. I was honestly quite worried immediately after the treatment as I really look like La Bi Xiao Xin. Thankfully, after the dark tones faded out, I was very satisfied with the colours! (I might be able to accept 1 shade darker in future too as I prefer it to last longer so my money is more worth it HAHA)

In case you're wondering, the tone I chose was Ebony Black Brown tone, which was closest to my hair colour.

Before & After

Post treatment

After 2 weeks

Hope my eyebrow embroidery experience can allow you to better understand about eyebrow embroidery if you're a first timer too! (;

Beauty Canvas

168C Punggol Field S823168
(Full address will be provided when you book your appointment)

Coral Edge LRT STN (Next to Punggol Plaza)

Situated right behind Mac & Community Centre
https://www.instagram.com/beautycanvassg/

Review | Garden Fortune Cookies | Where To Get Fortune Cookies in Singapore

During my big day last year, I've given out fortune cookies as additional wedding favours! And to celebrate this upcoming festive new year, I'll be giving out 2 pieces of fortune cookies to every Monice Bakes customers too! 

Do you like receiving fortune cookies too?

I never liked the taste of it, and would usually throw away the cookie after reading the blessings. Yea I know it's quite a waste, but I just didn't like the artificial taste of the cookies. But Garden Fortune Cookies have changed my perception of this interesting Chinese New Year snack. Here's my review if you want to find out more! 

Packaging 

Packaged in a bright red box with golden fonts, this gift box screams Chinese New Year and is hard to miss! The eye-catching colour with a simple handle on the top makes it perfect for gifting purposes, especially for corporate gifts. 

I love the gold foil of each individual packing, which makes it more luxurious-looking. 

Taste

I've never tasted many fortune cookies in my life, but I do occasionally get these little treats as a complimentary snack after my meal at restaurants. Let's just say that I only enjoyed pulling the slip out from the cookie. However, for Garden's Fortune Cookies, the taste was pretty legit. It tasted similar to the egg wafer rolls except that this is a harder version. 

It's not just by biased view because even my ex-colleagues commented that the fortune cookies tasted nicer than the usual ones! 

Price

Festive Gift Box (30 individually wrapped pieces): $8.80 (About 29.3 cents each) 

Bulk Pack (300 individually wrapped pieces): $65 *Box has no design* (About 21.6 cents each)

As the price is quite affordable, this works quite well as a gift to a friend or client! 

Where To Get Fortune Cookies in Singapore

You can get your hands on 1 of these boxes at:

1 Ubi View, Focus One, #03-12, Singapore 408555.

If the address is not convenient for you, you may also opt for courier delivery for an additional top-up of $4.5!

*All photos belong to The Garden Company Singapore. 

https://www.foodieland.sg/

https://www.facebook.com/foodielandsg

https://www.instagram.com/gardenfortunecookies/

Christmas Beauty Box Try and Review | Mirage Miracle | Sén Natural | The Skin Firm

I know that Christmas is already over, but since I received the box a little late, this review came a little delayed too! If you haven't heard of Try and Review, it's a legit company that recruits testers to do honest reviews. And you know what? You don't actually have to be a blogger or influencer to receive free products to do a review! They also requested for the reviews to be completely honest, which means users will more well-informed before making a purchase! 

Christmas Beauty Box Review

The Christmas Beauty Box features three beauty products, a candy cane, some information pamphlets, and even a handwritten Christmas card for a festive touch!  

The Skin Firm Pure & Simple Gel Cleanser

I usually prefer using natural or organic skincare products and I was glad to know that The Skin Firm emphasises on natural ingredients that comes with affordability. The Pure & Simple Gel Cleanser is a 99% natural oil-foam cleanser that dissolves sebum and oil and transforms into a light foam as I lather it onto my face. I have sensitive skin type and may sometimes react negatively to oil based products, but this was very effective in removing the impurities from my skin without being too oily. I even tried removing my thick foundation make up together with my Foreo cleanser and my face felt so clean after.

The cleanser is also infused with traditional mechanical botanicals that are effective in treating acne and inflammation. While it doesn't work wonders in eradicating my acne completely within a short period of trial, it helped in controlling the sebum on my skin without stripping away the natural oil. 

Overall, it is effective and I usually prefer to use it in the evening after a whole day out.

Mirage Miracle Hyaluronic Acid Serum

If you're a beauty junkie, you might heard this term "Hyaluronic Acid" being thrown around. About half of it is found in your skin to retain moisture. By applying Hyaluronic acid serum to your face, you're essentially supplementing your skin with extra hydration that it requires. Did you know that 1g of hyaluronic acid can hold up to 6 litres of water? This means that a small portion of the serum will be able to hydrate your skin inside out and restore its radiance and glow. 

Thankfully, my skin is not facing dehydrated issues, so I wasn't able to see a huge difference in terms of the effects. However, the serum glided and was absorbed into my skin very easily. 

Sén Natural Lipstick

Since lip product is something that I would very likely ingest some accidentally throughout the day, I'm relieved that Sén Natural lipsticks are made with natural ingredients. The colour is a gorgeous shade of red that is perfect for date nights or work. My lips are usually quite chapped and dry, but the lipstick was able to glide onto my lips smoothly. It kept my lips moisturised throughout the day and I didn't have to constantly dig out my lip balm.

If you're looking for a more subtle look, you can use your fingers to dab a little to get a lighter and sweet tone, instead of directly applying the product to your lips. The colours are quite long-lasting throughout the day and I don't have to constantly reapply. Bonus: I love the black and gold tones of the lipstick! 

This Christmas Beauty Box from Try and Review is great to create a community that encourages honest and balanced reviews of various products ranging from beauty to household products. Go sign up now if you haven't! Who knows, you might be in line to receive the next review kit too! 

Special thanks to Try and Review for sending this over! 

Walking on Sunshine | Pamper & Prosecco Party

Planning a girl's day out with your girlfriends? Or looking for activities to do for your hen's party? Walking on Sunshine has a new promotional package called the Pamper & Prosecco Party, which is inspired by Ladies Night!

On every Wednesday 10am-10pm, enjoy a hairstyling service with Dyson Supersonic while sipping on a glass of Prosecco (free flow). After getting your hair all glammed up, have a mini photoshoot with their photographers if you like!

Photo credit: Gwen

Not just like any other ordinary salon, Walking on Sunshine makes a great place for a nice pampering session because of the ambience and nature theme. Once you step foot into the salon or cafe area, you'll be greeted with a lush and beautiful "garden" filled with potted plants and vines hanging around the salon. 

Photo credit: Gwen

Photo credit: Gwen

The stylist suggested to give me some large curls so I went along with it. During the process, I was also given some nail pampering mask to get smooth fingers! Enjoying life to the max! 

Photo Credit: Walking on Sunshine 

Although I already had my hair permed about a week ago, the curls were quite messy as I did not have time to style my hair properly. Thankfully, I was given this hairstyling session right before my company event! This opportunity came at the right time! I love the big bouncy curls as it gives my hair a lot more volume than before. 

My colleagues could tell that I specially went to set my hair and I even received compliments that day! 

Photo Credit: Walking on Sunshine

Photo Credit: Walking on Sunshine

For just $30, the price is quite affordable especially when it comes with free flow Prosecco! I don't really fancy alcoholic drinks but if you enjoy drinking, this is going to be a great #taitai experience! Walking on Sunshine also offers many other services such as colour, perm, treatment, and even other beauty services such as manicure. 

Photo Credit: Walking on Sunshine

Walking on Sunshine

181 Orchard Road, #03-07 Orchard Central, 238896
Salon: (+65)8877 8800
Cafe: (+65)8877 0088

https://www.walkingonsunshine.sg/

My Business Class Flight Experience with Singapore Airlines

As I’ve grown older, I’ve also grown out of the excitement of taking a plane. All those turbulence that seem like a fun roller coaster ride, freaks me out now (probably due to too much disaster movies I’ve watched). As my family was at Beijing and I had to travel alone to meet them at Shanghai, my very thoughtful parents redeemed a Business class ticket so that I could enjoy the food and facilities without being lonely. Awww.

For those who are intending to splurge on the Business class for your vacation, here’s a review of my experience!

Having a business class ticket has one really great advantage - you literally get priority for almost everything. From check-in counters, boarding the plane, to baggage claims, you can cut the queue and there’s hardly any waiting time. But then again, there’s not really a need to rush into the plane especially if it’s a long haul flight where you will have to sit for several hours.

Before the boarding time, I was able to visit the Krisflyer Business Class Lounge to rest and enjoy my food. The place was pretty crowded when I arrived hence I didn’t have much opportunity to take many photos. To be honest, I felt quite out of place. They serve a wider selection of food and drinks compared to the normal lounge. And I was excited to see that they have different types of croissants from Tiong Bahru Bakery as well! Even though the lounge was filled with people, it was spacious enough for me to easily find a seat at the corner after grabbing some food.

IG story: @m0nice

I hardly had to wait during the boarding process too! But I would prefer to go up the plane at a later timing especially for long haul flights. I have to admit, it felt quite awesome to be able to enter through a different door and also to enjoy a more attentive service from the crew.

Even though I had only slept for a couple of hours, I told myself to stay awake throughout the flight so that I could enjoy it properly. The best part of Business class is obviously the seat! It was super spacious and I had one corner to myself. No more elbow hitting or squeezing through to get to the toilets.

There's a row of buttons for you to adjust your seat, honestly I was very confused at the start and had to trial and error many times to figure them out. If you need to take a nap, you can even straighten the whole chair and turn it into a mini bed. I also like how the side panel gives me more privacy so that others can't really peep over when I'm really unglam.

The food served on Business class flights are also a lot more appetising and atas. I was so happy to see satay on the menu! They were very meticulous about everything and even checked if I prefer the sauce to be on the side or drizzled over the satay. I was also very impressed when they placed a tablecloth over my table before serving. Wow. Effort 100%. The smoked duck was actually pretty good! The fat to meat ratio was just nice. 

The beef pho tasted more like normal beef horfun but still acceptable as I wasn't expecting high class restaurant standards on a plane. Besides, I was already super full from non-stop eating since 7am in the morning. 

Overall, the experience on a Business class flight was super awesome! Of course, it comes with a hefty price as well. I count myself lucky to be able to enjoy it from miles redemption! If you're able to afford this and don't mind splurging the money, you have to try it at least once in your lifetime!

Review | Hashtag Cafe | Probably The Best Burger I've Tried

Thanks to the Entertainer app, my bro and I managed to find this hidden gem near Arab Street while we were out to try out another Ice-cream cafe nearby! It was a rather spontaneous decision as we chanced upon this random cafe while searching for nearby 1-for-1 deals. The name sounded quite quirky and interesting so we were thinking, why not give this a try?

The cafe may seem rather small on first glance, but there are actually extra tables on the 2nd level which are enough to cater for large group gatherings. Hashtag Cafe serves up Halal Western fusion dishes that are relatively affordable which did not disappoint as well. 

As we wanted to save our tummies for dessert, we only ordered 2 mains from their menu. We initially wanted the Slipper Lobster & Mussel Pasta but it was sadly unavailable that day. Well, it's probably a blessing in disguise because the alternative we've picked really did give us a pleasant surprise - Linguine Kolam (Pond)($21.50)! I love how they combine the essence of a traditional Malay dish into a pasta broth that has just the right amount of flavour and spiciness kick. Fusion right on point there! The chef later told us that the dish was inspired from a traditional home-cooked meal that was prepared by their mother.

On the other hand, the Nacho Cheezy Burgs ($17.80), seemingly ordinary and unpretentious, just wow-ed our taste buds on the first bite. Who doesn't love a delicious burger? There was absolutely nothing to complain about. The texture and taste was delightful and everything was balanced properly. The patty was juicy and meat-to-fat ratio was perfect. The fresh and fragrant bun, together with the warmy and gooey nacho cheese, came together in perfect harmony.

Just look at that generous portion of overflowing nacho cheese! 

I don't usually fancy burgers because it's simply hard to find a good one that suit my palate (not overly salty). But this was the bomb! We can't stop talking about it after that meal. Yes, it is that good, and I have never NEVER craved for a specific burger this much. 

While I usually do not step foot in the same cafe within a period of time, I can see myself revisiting Hashtag Cafe soon, because of the best burger I've tried. My brother would probably agree too. 

Some other interesting dishes include Has#tag Samyang Ribs, Szechuan NZ Ribeye and D24 Durian Molten Lava Cake.

Hashtag Cafe

743 North Bridge Rd, Singapore 198711

9722 4628

A1 Crab Vermicelli Review

I've been dying to try the A One Crab Vermicelli after seeing so many good reviews and hype online. NTUC Fairprice online has been short of stocks for quite a while before I tried my luck and managed to order one for myself recently! The price is about $7+ which comes with 4 packets, and while it is slightly more expensive than the other brands, it's really worth the money!

Each packet comes with the vermicelli, seasoning, garnish, shredded crab meat and oil.

One thing I really like about cooking "beehoon" type of noodles, is the short waiting time as compared to instant noodles. I can get really impatient waiting for the noodles to be cooked when I'm hungry, and even 1 minute of waiting time might seem endless. #firstworldproblems

Within seconds of adding the seasoning into the soup, the soup magically turned white and milky, unlike the other brands of instant noodles which have a more translucent broth. There wasn't a very prominent crab taste but the creamy soup made the dish more fragrant. 

While the MSG taste is still prominent and you might find yourself gulping down a few glasses of ice water after your meal, I felt that it was a pretty good substitute to your cravings for a satisfying bowl of crab beehoon. 

I might actually consider putting in some crab meat in the future too!

What are your thoughts?