Ena’s LASALLE Takeaways Part 1 | 4 Useful Tips for Your Future!

Ena Lasalle

Hi! I’m beginning a series of Ena’s LASALLE Takeaways. Having studied Fashion Media and Industries BA(Hons) degree course, Management specialism in the past 3 years, I have accumulated quite a fair bit fashion knowledge and life experiences which I’d like to share.

For this first installment, I’m re-posting a FB status I posted back in March 10, 2013 when I was in the middle of my final semester of my degree studies and academic life:

Today I met up with a junior (from Lasalle) who wanted to know more about the course I’m taking, so that she can know better whether to go into the communication or marketing & management specialism.

I spoke at length with her but I thought I’d summarize and share a few things that hold true for myself, which hopefully will be helpful to those who are deciding what course to study in the future.

1. Take time to look within yourself, reflect and discover who you are. What do you do and why do you do it, your passions, your interests, your dislikes, etc. Knowing yourself, in my opinion, is far more valuable than others’ perception of yourself.

2. We become good at what we are passionate about. Therefore, study and take up a course that interests you, and not take up a course because it will lead you to a job. Because passion will drive you to desire to excel in your course of study and it is when you excel in your course of study that people; your peers, tutors and your future employees will pay attention to you and thus securing your job.

In the unfortunate scenario where your passion dies after you enter your course of study, then apply the motto “Do what you love, if not, love what you do.” Passion may die but the pride we take in our work must never.

3. Specialism, being excellent in one thing, is higher valued than being average in many things. Ironically the industry calls for institutions to give students an “all/well-rounded” education but eventually give the jobs to individuals who are spectacular at that one thing. Accountants may suck at writing and writers, at counting. You get what I mean. Therefore, identify your strength and work crazy hard at it. Know your weakness and don’t worry if you can’t fix them, know that you will find others who can complement your skill set. But if you don’t have an outstanding strength, then you will just blend in with everyone else.

4. Less is more. Whether it’s presentation slides, CPJ (Creative Process Journal), a speech or a piece of design, less is more. Let’s face it, teachers are busy, they don’t have the time to read every single scribble on our journals. A single big image and a sentence makes more impact than 9 images an a paragraph. Design. Design adds value to your content. Be intentional about everything you produce. Does that additional image add value your work? If it doesn’t, you know what to do.

I’ll also be publishing links to some of the essays, documents and slides which I have worked on during the last three years, beginning with year 1 for this post! So you can expect year 2 works in the second part, and year 3 works in the last installment. Some of the works are Group work, which have all been duly credited with my group members names. 🙂

I’m quite excited to be posting my works from school online because school’s been a HUGE part of my life for the last 3 years and in doing so, you guys and gals will be able to see what I’ve been doing, outside of this blog. 🙂

Also I’ll be glad to answer any queries for all past, present and future fashion students and lovers. So just feel free to ask away!

 

Works below dated from August/September 2010 to May 2011.

Works from Year 1: Click to access links to Issuu for viewing and free download.

Chanel Brand Strategies

Raoul and Massimo Dutti Brands Comparison and Analysis Report

Fashion Essay Analysis of Steven Meisel’s State of Emergency 

Fashion Essay How Mary Quant led the Youth Power Movement in Dress in the 60s. 

Enjoy browsing these Powerpoints slides I’ve uploaded on my Slideshare account. 🙂

 

#AskEna Do people only like Facebook Statuses of People They Like?

ASKENA

Hello Lovelies!

I’m starting to vlog and it’s a Q&A segment where I’ll answer YOUR questions about life and anything in general which I find interesting to answer! 😀 So below you’ll see my first video on Enabalista channel (changed over from my previous preciousicyflame handle, to fit with this blog. :B), where I got inspired to answer a question I saw on QiuQiu’s blog, Do people only like Facebook Statuses of People They Like? Check out the video to see my answer…

And of course, now take part in the poll below! 🙂

If you have any questions that you’d like to appear on #AskEna, you can also comment on this post, or tweet me @ena_teo!

x

Ena

Glomax Aesthetics Facial Review

Hello! A while back I received an invitation from GLOMAX Aesthetics to try one of their facials for a non-obligatory blog review which I promptly agreed and I went down to the salon about 2 weeks ago, on the 14th of June. So though the facial I tried was complimentary, I am in no way paid to write a review for them, but I want to because I am glad to share my pleasant & positive experience with GLOMAX Aesthetics PR lady, manager and beautician as well as the overall ambience of the salon. Plus, there are also perks for YOU, my readers. 🙂 Read on to find out more! Now let’s let the photo do the talking, shall we? 🙂

Ena Glomax Review Before

Before I went down for the facial, I decided to dress up in my new floral printed dress which was perfect for a warm summer day!

GLOMAX Aesthetics – The Face Artistry

Fo location and contact details refer to the end of this post.

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The sixth floor walkway towards GLOMAX Aesthetics. As GLOMAX Aesthetics is located in Soho 2 adjacently above Clarke Quay MRT station, getting there is convenient by MRT. A little bit of a digression, but SoHo is a term that originally means South of Houston, shortened to SoHo where this area, in London was repurposed to the residential neighbourhood into small offices and shops. Credit wiki. Today, the term Soho in Singapore typically refers to buildings with home offices, offices that are small but fully equipped with toilets and kitchenette, where it can double up as both office and home! 🙂 So that’s why getting to GLOMAX Aesthetics is much like visiting a professional acquaintance that stays in a condo, both cosy and posh at the same time.

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GLOMAX Aesthetics’s #06-168 homely entrance. Press the doorbell on the left to enter. 🙂

So after I was welcomed the staff of GLOMAX, I settled down at the counter for a consultation with beautician Sun.

After clearing the basic administrative work like filling in health forms, when was my last facial, where and what type, Sun took a look at my facial skin and recommended me to try GLOMAX Aesthetic’s Intensive Acne Medic Treatment.

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A before facial picture (at my request, kekeke) with beautician Sun. 🙂

Then I was ushered into one of the two beautifully decorated facial rooms.

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Oriental style decor with a golden earthy glow. Very lush and relaxing ambience. Ena Glomax Facial Review 5

Really love the Bamboo and Floral golden printed wallpaper together with the wooden furnishing.

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Then I changed into their in house orange robe/dress. 🙂

Next, it’s time to take close up shots of my face, pre-facial for record purposes. 😀 Ena Glomax Facial Review 6

Frontal.

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Right profile. Ena Glomax Facial Review 8

Left profile.

This was shortly after my trip to Philippines abroad and I unfortunately didn’t take sufficient water and fibre and hence you can see a fair bit of pimples due to congested pores, especially on my right profile.

But otherwise, I am fairly happy with my skin condition as it is under control, not too oily. 🙂

I agreed with Sun’s recommendation to try their Acne Medic treatment which is described as such:

Suitable for problem skin with congested pores and acne, start with a sonic cleansing that gently lifts impurities and dirt off skin surface before the problem areas are healed with a mild antiseptic high frequency. Combined with acne IPL to rebalance the sebum level, problem skin will dramatically clear up after each session.

This description is from GLOMAX, and it is the exact treatment which I went through. After a gentle and thorough cleansing, Sun started with a sonic cleansing, removing the oil and dirt from the pore followed by normal extraction, before administrating IPL which stands for Intense Pulsed Light (wiki link). It is basically technology that utilises specific wavelengths of light to target various chromophores in the skin. What it does to my skin in this case, is to reduce my sebum level, but also has the effect of improving my skin tone and also reduce the rate at which my facial hair follicle grows. Extra information told to me by Sun but you can also refer to my researched link online from here.

It was my FIRST time undergoing IPL! So it was very interesting, to have strong lights shining down, much like take photos with very strong lights, but with eyes closed. It also certainly felt warm.

There are a few things to take note before undergoing IPL to achieve maximum effect from the treatment, that is to avoid strong sunlight pre and post the treatment, about 6 days, or risk undesirable effect/darkening of the skin. So I definitely didn’t go under the strong sun before the facial, as I’ve been avoiding the sun and applying sun block to prevent unnecessary pre-mature aging of the skin.

Also post treatment, I was instructed by Sun to take special care to moisturize my facial skin when it feels dry, which I sure did, as the haze in the air also had a drying effect. Even when I was hiding in the air-con from the haze as well!

Sun said it will take about 6 days to see the full effect taking place on my skin, that is for my skin to clear up and have smooth skin!

So what do I think of this treatment? 

As assured by Sun, my skin did improve over the next 6-7 days after the facial. So I definitely think it was effective. I also enjoyed the facial under the trusted care of Sun who has more than 5 years of experience as a beautician with GLOMAX Aesthetics and before GLOMAX, she worked as an assistant to a dermotologist and before that, she studied in-depth about dermatology and thus has many years of knowledge as well as experience on facials and medical treatments on the face.

What’s my review for GLOMAX Aesthetics?

I would recommend them in under an heartbeat! The reasons are 1. They are polite and professional. When I was talking to them about some of how my readers (yes, some of you 🙂 ) have commented on the inconsistency of other facial salons and described it as “heng shuy”, meaning depends if you are lucky or unlucky, you will get good or bad beautician and corresponding services and treatments. However they, the PR lady and Sun assured me with smiles that with GLOMAX Aesthetics, service and quality is assured to be consistent. 2. Positive service approach. What I mean to say is, the feeling that I experienced and took away from GLOMAX was that my being and my judgement was placed first. That’s how confident GLOMAX is of their service and standard. Sun tells me that most of their customers are recurring customers from years back and even bloggers they previously invited for reviews and I am not surprised at all.

I am considering taking up a package with them when I begin work, which I hope it works out. Depending on where I work, if my work place is convenient, as I stay in the east and it might not be very convenient if I have to travel down during the weekends. I will update you all, when I do! 🙂

The results show, check out the photos I took in the following days after the facial. 🙂

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17 June, 3 days after the facial.

My usual Hada labo 3in1 sun block with very light coverage, blusher and eyeshadow. With the additional moisturizer, also Hada Labo, before that. No primer, foundation or BB cream at all. Ena Glomax Facial Review 14

18 June, 4 days after the facial.

Same as above, with Hada Labo moisturizer, sun block and blusher but without eye make up in this one.

Now for the best part!
☆ ★☆
Enjoy Intensive Acne Medic Treatment 60 mins at only $88* (UP$150) when you quote “Blogger Ena” while making appointment. *For first-timers at GLOMAX Aesthetics and by appointment only
☆ ★☆
Here are the details & HOW to get to GLOMAX Aesthetics from the Central Mall, conveniently for you, after you have made an appointment with them! 😉

GLOMAX Aesthetics – The Face Artistry

12 Eu Tong Sen Street. The Central, Soho 2. #06-168 Singapore 059819

callglomax@gmail.com | Tel: +65 6225 5193

These are the instructions I received: “If you’re driving, park at Central Clarke Quay and cross over to Swissotel Merchant Court (ground floor). We’re next to the hotel. Punch in “06168doorbell” at the intercom and take the left lift up”

 

As for me,  I travelled via MRT, alighted at Clarke Quay MRT station. So some helpful photos:

Ena Glomax Facial Review 11

From there, turn right, walk out of the Central Mall, towards the right and you will see this crossing. Cross and walk just slightly further up.

Ena Glomax Facial Review 10

Then you will see Soho 2 and proceed to take the lift up!

That is all, hope you enjoyed this review!

I’m pretty sure you girls & guys will have questions, ask away! 🙂

Be Beautiful, inside and out! 🙂

xx

Ena

Ohaiyo Japan (5) Tokyo Senso Temple & Asakusa

Ohai~~~~

It’s the last installment of my Japan trip blog series!

Without further a do~

DAY 9

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Our breakfast at Tokyo Grand Hotel. It’s buffet as usual, and here’s what I picked out. ^^

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I find myself fascinated when staffs are suited up! So… classic and professional. 🙂

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Our Lasalle table, where we are busy filling in our thoughts and remarks about the last 8 days of Kizuna project.

Our final day began with an art exhibition commemorating the earthquake and tsunami disaster in an art gallery 3331.

I was curious what 3331 mean and the staff explained that it is the rhythm or claps that Japanese traditionally end their meetings.

It goes:

Clap x3, Clap x3, Clap x3 and Clap! Thus 3331. Cool huh! 🙂

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It’s an art gallery housed in an old elementary school.

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We were introduced to the current exhibition titled “Making as Living” which talks about how artists began socially enterprising businesses and artworks post disaster. It’s when the Japanese began to realize that when there’s nothing else you can do, you begin to make the best of what you have, you make, like how they start to make use of the wood from broken houses to rebuild things and thus Making as Living. It’s very inspiring.

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A huge wall cover of a scene of Tokyo from the birds eye view. Very organized town planning as you can see, in a grid system. 2013-03-19 11.21.57

This art work is a series of 3 long panels which showed the number of artworks, songs, shows. documentary about earthquakes and tsunamis since the 1950s or even before.

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Then we came to this Indian restaurant for lunch near the Asakusa area! It’s very interesting eating Indian flavoured cuisine with Japanese ingredients like vegetables grown in Japan. Very fresh, unique taste. No photos but the food was good, tasty and authentic.

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A pretty flower along the streets!

We came to visit the famous temple at Asakusa.

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It’s said that the smoke gives you good blessing.

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And so is the water from this fountain from what seems like a warrior from the olden days. 🙂

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A sneak photo of Japanese ladies decked out in their traditional kimonos. Very pretty! 🙂

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Another sneak picture of more Japanese girls. Sorry I am so sneaky but I don’t dare know know how to approach them to ask for a photo. >.<

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The food stalls with very Japanese style lanterns and banners.

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Cute bags of cotton candy with cartoons which I like, Hello Kitty and Marie! 🙂 IMG_4609

Des, Calli and Ying looking, choosing Choc-coated Bananas. 🙂

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Grego feeding Des? Heh. IMG_4596

Happy Des.IMG_4584

Cute dog along the road! Japanese dogs are so pretty! 🙂

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Not sure why I was giving such a spastic face! And it was really hot here, like almost 30degrees! We were perspiring…IMG_4576

With Yings! 🙂 601312_10151401431242737_626650512_n

With the whole super gang!!! ^^ So much love.<3 <3 <3 IMG_4547

Cute cartoons on vending machine.IMG_4546

Ice cream dispensers!IMG_4544

Amazing rickshaw pulley who is soooo skinny. >.<

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Cute Yings with a sign that says “Get down the horse” kekeke.
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Our dinner bento before we left for the airport!
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Here’s a pic w our Super leader Ginette. 😀 She posted on FB saying she travelled to HK and Jpn with me. So blessed! :’)2013-03-19 22.13.21

A farewell pic with some of our fave people from the trip! Jacq, Beatrice, Dylan, Dominique , Myself and Ying. 🙂


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We bought Tokyo bananas from the airport. Here’s the giraffe patterned, caramel flavour, its better than the original! 😀

2013-03-20 07.49.19And my goodies loot which I bought back for self, family and friends. 🙂

I am super thankful for the chance to travel to and experience the beautiful country of Japan. It was an awesome cultural experience and I love that the Lasalle group of us had so much fun together and even got together to finish the Kizuna10 project! May God bless the country and people of Japan! We love you Japan! Lots of Love from Singapore! 🙂

xx

Ena

Ohaiyo Japan (4) Isohara Seaside & Tokyo Tower

Ohaiyo~

And I am back with part 4 of Ohaiyo Japan! 🙂


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Another day of pretty breakfast at Isohara Seaside Hotel! You know I don’t think anyone can possibly tire of looking at how beautifully Japanese presents their food!  This is my type of meal, with meat, eggs and vege!

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A breath-taking panoramic view of the seaside from our room. The hotel is designed so that every room has a seaside view, brilliant isn’t it? 🙂

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We took a walk down to the seaside for a closer look! Look just how serene the place is. 🙂

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Another awe-inspiring panoramic view of the seaside. Click the photo to see an enlarge version!2013-03-17 08.48.10

An obligatory touristy pose with the iconic “rock” on Isohara beach! It’s not actually a rock but rather a tiny island named  Futatsujima. Meaning two-island, Futatsujima is a famous coastal landmark reflecting contract.The north island,with high steep slopes,is covered with grass and visited by thousands of birds at nightfall.The south island is small, and continuously washed over by the sea’s eroding waves. Credits here. Little Futatsujima island used to be covered in green trees and plants but unfortunately was washed away since the 2011 tsunami and has not yet since grown back.

We then proceeded to the Honda Civic Center for our presentation preparation and practice sessions in the day and early afternoon!

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Here are our lovely hand drawn props of Singapore iconic landmarks, by Ade and Xav! 🙂 Merlion, flyer, Esplanade,  CBD area and a hint of MBS! 🙂

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Our group, split into the “actions” team and the “singing” team as we present the song “Singapore Town” ^^  The action team and their props. 🙂

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Our two cute representatives, Beatrice and Dylan, smiling for my camera in between practicing their script for the powerpoint presentation.

We took a break for lunch and here’s a series of selcas with Ying! 🙂 I love how well lit the place is and how lovely the photos turned out, taken with my Iphone and no filter or post processing at all!

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🙂
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Our sandwich lunch box! Mustard sandwiches, Pumpkin sandwiches, Croquette in bread and fruits!

After our morning and afternoon practice sessions, we took a short break at the plaza for #OOTD.

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Thanks to styling and photo whiz Greggy for capturing this photo!

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Anddddd somehow Ginette cajoled Ying and I to take this action photo after we did some jump shots! She used an app to create this dramatic effect! 😀

Next up, we came to “Wedding Place Bihou” which is basically a beautiful hall with a restaurant for weddings. But we were using it for our thank you, farewell and cultural exchange dinner with our hosts from Ibaraki region, meaning all the hosts we’ve met at all the places we’ve been in the Ibaraki region came down! )

Before the event, the 4 groups took turns to practice our short 5 minutes item on the actual stage, so that allowed the other groups to venture the place.

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So here’s another photo! Heh. 🙂

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And another with Ying 🙂

Naturally the spread and the atmosphere of the dinner was fantastic, but as the indoor lightning was dim (intentionally so), so I didn’t manage to capture nice photos. We managed to speak to the managers at the previous Ryokan (traditional Japanese hotel) to thank them for their warm hospitality. 🙂 It was also a great time where we presented our items and enjoyed watching others present theirs. What’s more important was that the Japanese hosts seem to be really delighted by our presentations and we also enjoyed ourselves a lot too. 🙂

150418_10151606849227150_1709844424_nAn commemorative photo of the Lasalle aka SUPER gang: Greg, Des, Ade, Xav, Alex, SJ, Myself, Ying and the elusive Callison (Not sure where he is in the photo lol)!

Day 8 !

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Final breakfast at the Isohara Seaside Hotel, this time with fried fish, meat, pasta and a soft bun. 🙂 Blogging about Japan trip has made me constantly hungry, seriously! >.<  😛 All these fantastic looking food makes me crave for meat and carbo, which I love!!! 😛

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Thought I’d capture the bedside table which felt pretty old school, with the clock, phone and what seems like a radio. Heh.

It’s our last day in Isohara Seaside Hotel and the region of Ibaraki region as a whole, so Greg, Ying and I quickly grabbed the last chance to take our #ootd at the seaside after breakfast.

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The same Isohara seaside, but a totally different feel isn’t it? 🙂 The weather that day wasn’t as great as the day before, it was slightly gloomy and definitely much colder.

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This photo gives you an idea of how cold the place is! Haha, me freezing away with hands tightly tucked in my pockets. Photo &  memories > important than being in the cold! 😛

Another series of #ootd:

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Let’s just say I’m not that skilled in channeling badass. 😛 I’m out-fitted in a Mango plaited top, with a floral and denim vest, grey leggings with a skirt attached, the usual blue coat and brown boots. It’s a country singer inspired look, which is easily created with key items such as plaited top, denim vest and boots!  🙂

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Quickly breaking out into to a smile. 🙂

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Caught with my eyes closed! 😀

Shortly after, we boarded the coach for our 3 hour ride back to Tokyo! 
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The very hospital Isohara Seaside Hotel staff and our Kizuna project hosts waving back to us. We were really very sad to part. :'( We don’t wanna leave!

Anyhoos, by 3pm we reached Tokyo for lunch and after, we proceeded to Tachikawa Life Safety Learning Centre for a very engaging time of fire fighting and earthquake reaction workshops!

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Here our Life Center guide is telling us the varying earthquake degrees and how to react at home/indoors when we experience a severe 7 shindo scale earthquake.

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When earthquake strikes, it’s best to seek shelter under a table where we would be protected by any falling objects.

I have a video for this, where we took turns to experience what it’s like during an earthquake on the simulation stage. We were laughing a lot but of course when it happens for real, it’s not funny at all! I will upload on Youtube and update the link.

Then we proceeded to fight fire! It’s important to know how to, since the second major issue after earthquakes is the fires that erupt due to the earthquake, from houses with the fires left on and unattended before they could be turned off when earthquake strikes. 🙁 Seriously, we are SO fortunate in Singapore that we do not experience earthquakes and I am super grateful for that!

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Check out Xav, Ying, Ade, Alex and SJ all so excited! 😀

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Look at them valiantly picking up their water based fire extinguishers and vanquishing the fire on the screen! 🙂 We all took turns, but I didn’t pose for a picture, heh. It was definitely fun and not difficult either. Now we are fire-proofed!

After the workshop, we headed to Tokyo Tower for our dinner at about 7pm!

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Though not as famous as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, the Tokyo Tower is definitely a famed Tokyo tourist site!

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Look how the tower is reflected on the buses! Heh!

Ying and I decided to skip the buffet dinner catered for us/the group and with permission, we headed to eat the local Japanese ramen within the Tokyo Tower!

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Sorry I have no idea what this stall is called, so you will have to rely on the photos, but I highly recommend you to eat from here given the chance you are visiting Tokyo Tower! They adopt a vending machine ordering and payment method and they will pass you a buzzer for you to collect the meal when the buzzer lights up.

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The collection point.

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My tasty, pork Shoyu (I think it is, keke) ramen. 2013-03-18 19.11.40

My super satisfied face! The photo is not edited but the light behind creates a heavenly effect which I sure felt like I was in ramen heaven! Heh. ^^

After our dinner, we shopped for souvenirs and Tokyo banana ran out of stock! Haha.

We also bought tickets to go up the tower, which costs about SGD$8/9, if I remembered correctly, for entry. 2013-03-18 20.03.54

A panoramic view of Tokyo, from the tower. 2013-03-18 20.09.00

Small wooden cut out panels of writings by lovers and well wishers to make and leave their mark upon the tower! How romantic! ^^

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I thought the viewing gallery on the tower was very lovely…

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A last photo of the Tokyo city. I love the city, not just Tokyo but the proverbial city, with its bright lights shining in the dark. <3

We got back to the hotel about 9pm and we promptly made arrangement to sneak out beyond our 10pm curfew (oopsie!) because we HAD to explore the Tokyo city beyond the hotel and tower, right?!

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A really orderly subway!

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A very tired Ying and I. >.<2013-03-18 21.44.10

We may be tired but we’re happy! 😀
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My first Japanese subway ticket, it’s printed on a material that seems like a very thin and bendable magnet.

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Super cute ad in the subway. Not sure what it’s selling but so cute!

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Here we see (I presume) the top three cities that Japanese would most like to visit! Singapore, London and New York! 😀

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Spotted: Japanese women decked out in cute My Melody (Sanrio cartoon character, like Hello Kitty) bags and luggage!

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We arrived at Shibuya, one of the chic Tokyo area!

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Hachiko the dog says hi! He is famous for being an extremely loyal dog. Check out his wiki page here.

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Japanese 7/11 sells packed ramen! Umm, didn’t get a chance to try it, but fascinating to see!

We could not decide where to eat or what to do and after a longgggg walk, we finally decided on checking out this ramen store! It was actually quite meh~ (read: so-so) in terms of the food and the drinks served. So Ying and I were glad we ate the one at the Tokyo Tower. HEH. 😛

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The ramen food place. Click for a bigger version.

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Ending off the post with a goofy Desmond grin! 🙂
One more installment to go~ It won’t be long before it’s up so watch this space! Heh.
Leave me your thoughts and views of Japan, whether you’ve been here before or not! 😉
xx
Ena

Ohaiyo Japan~ (3) Traditional House Tour and Glass Frosting Workshop

Hello!

Today I’ll be bringing you Ohaiyo Japan 三 , pronounced san in Japanese which is exactly the same as in Mandarin! 😉

I left off at the end of day 4, where we arrived at the beautiful Isohara Seaside Hotel.

So now for…

Day 5! ^^

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Very tasty looking breakfast which I enjoyed a lot. Chicken, egg, wedges and banana.

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A basket of really thick toast for sharing. The morning light is so lovely eh? ^^

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Isohara Seaside Hotel’s entrance, taken from the coach.

And off we go for our first activity of the day, visiting students at Higashi elementary school of Takahagi City, Ibaraki Prefecture.

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Guess who we saw from on the coach? Mr Green Bird! Kekeke. He was the mascot that joined us while we played with the children during our short visit..

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Picture of the field where we lined up to wait for the children to join us. No photos allowed with the children, though we did take a few towards the end, but I won’t be posting here.

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Another clearer picture of Mr Green Bird, that the children LOVED and bullied endlessly…… Kids will be kids, no matter the nationality! >.< Some tried to climb on his back, some tug at his legs (!!!) and some pulled his little tail endlessly. I felt so bad for him.

We were very very sad to part with our elementary school friends, each pair of us were grouped with 2-3 children and we transferred 3 pots of flowers into the planters that we made from the previous day.

After our elementary school visit, we came to tour a traditional Japanese house, the Hozumi Family Residence. 

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Signboard pointing us the way from where we alighted from the coach. IMG_4216

View of the grand house upon entrance. It reminds me a little of the traditional korean houses I watch on dramas. 🙂

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Vintage photos of the house, its garden and its owners.

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A drawing of the house, and it really still looks pretty much like this!

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Photo of the current kitchen, which is updated with modern day sinks.

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Television corner, where a sign says “No smoking.”IMG_4226

The tea corner, with tatami mats and traditional Japanese interior.
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The same tea corner, but from a different view.

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The fire place and an example of how the kettle is hung! 2013-03-15 11.55.41Here I am excitedly standing under a plum tree that’s flowered in early spring. 😀

The next stop was Otsu port, where we observed and heard first hand experiences of the fishermen / staff of the Otsu port.


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Here the two Otsu Port fishermen standing in the middle are sharing about how the crack in the ground where they are standing on, came about after the tsunami and earthquake.

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Here we see where the arrow is placed, the height of the flood brought about by the tsunami back in 2011!

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With Greggy, Ginette, Ying, Dez and Myself. ^^ We were FREEZING in the cold! Heh.

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A castaway starfish on the gravel. This starfish has unfortunately dried and died. Reminds me of the inspiring story of the old man why the young boy why he is picking up starfishes along the beach and throwing them into the sea when it is impossible for him to clear all the starfishes on the beach. The young boy pondered for a moment as he threw in another and replied, “Well, I made a difference to that one!” The story is adapted from The Star Thrower story written by Loren C. Eiseley and it speaks of the idealism of children and youth that can change the world. :’)

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The HUGE seagulls that were about the port. You can’t tell from this photo, but they were roughly twice the size of an average mynah or crow in Singapore. Probably because they thrive on the rich seafood in the area!!! IMG_4255

Here we see workers methodically packing away fresh octopus right from the buckets into styrofoam boxes with ice.

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A boat docked along Otsu port, in the setting sun.

Then we headed back to our hotel for dinner!

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A panoramic shot of our dinner venue in Isohara Seaside Hotel.

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Tuna and mushroom pasta which was super yummy! I am not a fan of tuna but I am a fan of this dish.  Infact I am a huge fan of Japanese and Western fusion pastas, like Spaghetti Goemon restaurant chain in Singapore. ^^

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Not sure if this is a Japanese dish, but it sure looks and tasted like the Vietnamese rice paper spring rolls!

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And yummy tempura fish with a very generous helping of tar tar sauce for sharing.

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Super yummy cream puffs! 5 to a table, each of us took 2-3 and finished the entire plate. 🙂

AS IF we didn’t eat enough. 😛 We headed out because we wanted to try the sashimi plate at the neighbouring restaurant but we were a step too late as they closed at 9pm so we headed to nearby local Japanese fast food chain, Sukiya.2013-03-15 21.36.30

The boys, Greggo, SJ and Alex.

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Adeline, me, Xav and Desmond. We look tired because we probably were but we didn’t want to waste our time sleeping in our rooms and wanted to experience more of Japan instead! 😀

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Obviously we were stuffed from the spread at dinner, so we shared this one beef rice bowl with raw egg dip! 🙂 You can choose to mix it into the bowl or take the beef, dip in the egg and eat it with the rice, we is what we did instead!

Day 6

Our first activity of day 6 was to visit Glass Workshop Silica and attend a workshop to design cups that would be frosted!

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The beautifully designed Glass Workshop Silica, with a modern, futuristic architecture.

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My design, with a four leaf clover inspired design and “爱“ which stands for love, both in Japanese and Mandarin. The cups we design and frosted would be sold in the workshop and funds would go to the Kizuna Bond Project.

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Here’s our group’s resident quirky girl Beatrice while she’s intently at work!IMG_4301

Here Dylan our fashion design extraordinaire is designing his cup.

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And not missing out our super stylist Greg or aka Greggy Woo with his paisley inspired design. They were all too busy to finish up in the all0cated 45min to look up at me for the photos! 😛 IMG_4311

I had minutes to spare so I walked about the workshop and snuck this photo with my #ootd and the simply breathtaking background scenery. :’) I would LOVE to wake up to a scenery like this everyday!!!

For lunch, we came by to this place Ichiba Shokudou which is located right next to a fish market. IMG_4326

It was a super Tempura spread!!! Xav, standing up with the other seated Temasek Poly (TP) fashion design girls. IMG_4329

Omo, omo!!! Fried wedges, fried CHEEZBALLS, fried fish!!! <3<3<3 IMG_4333

Then we took a quick walk at the fish market and here’s a snap of fish sashimi for sampling! Thumbs up for fresh Japanese seafood!

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Before our 1 hour lunch break was up, Ying and I snuck to this beautiful vast plain field for a quick #ootd shoot. My outfit’s inspired by Japanese school girl uniform, hence the school girl skirt, Peter Pan collar top, layered with a red cardigan with matching stockings.  Finishing the look with my trusty coat and boots which I wore for everyday of the trip. Both the coat and boots I bought from my HK trip at Mongkok, Argyle shopping center for about S$20 each. ^^

After the workshop, we headed to Hitachi Civic Center to prepare for our presentation. No photos for that today, but there will be when we are back again on day 7.

Dinner time!

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Delish fried fish and cookied veggies~

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More tempura fish, mushrooms and sweet potato.

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Chilled soba (Japanese for noodles) with soba sauce!

On this night, the group of us managed to make it on time to the restaurant next door for a platter of sashimi for sharing and ice cream! But I didn’t manage to capture any flattering photos as I was more caught up with eating. Heh.

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After our 2 rounds of dinner, we headed back to our room, specifically the one I shared with Ade and Xav for our group meeting sesh where we prepared slides and props for our presentation on what and how we plan to share our trip in Japan when we get back to Singapore. That’s how Kizuna 10 came about! 🙂

And with that, sums up Ohaiyo Japan (3), days 5 and 6!

We’re more than mid way into our Japan trip, this series of photos are taking a lotttt longer to edit and caption than I’d expected! AND i am gaining weight while preparing because looking at all these mighty delish food keeps making me hungry and snacking. 😛 Hope you are enjoying it! ^^

xx

Ena

Ohaiyo Japan~ (2)

Hello~

And YAY! For ROUND 2 of updates from my Kizuna Japan trip! ^^v

Ready or not, here we go~!

DAY 3 

I left off after we checked in and spent a night at Hotel Omoide Roman-kan, Daigo Town, Ibaraki Prefecture.

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This is just round 1 of my breakfast serving! It’s an international breakfast spread with traditional japanese food like porridge and side dishes which I took in round 2 but not pictured! 😛

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We woke up to this BEAUTIFUL scenery. After breakfast, Ying, Greg and I decided to go for a quick walk and snap some #OOTD (means outfit of the day, for the uninitiated).

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Cute plants, what do you call this? ^^

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A candid photo of Greg shooting Ying’s #OOTD, using my camera’s miniature mode.

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Our lunch bento box!

After lunch we also went for a walk around our hotel! 🙂

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And we saw little birds lined up on the cables/wires. How cute!

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We also saw red berries along the way… Not sure if they were edible or not! 😛

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The view of Daigo Town, just behind our hotel! Lots of restaurants that seem to thrive from the tourists and also visitors that drive along the road.

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A closer look, the poster seems to say that the noodles are 100% handmade! 🙂

After lunch, we headed to Oku-kuji Recreation Forest area where we made wooden planters to  show support for the reconstruction of the affected areas, as our wooden planters will be used in the elementary school which we were visiting later during our trip. 🙂

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Materials for our wooden planter! Pieces of wood, nails wrapped in the newspaper and wooden hammer.

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A quick shot of our Lasalle team ^^ You can also see the place where we were, it’s all made of wood and a very beautifully constructed place!

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 My buddy Ying very focused in putting the planter together! We took turns to hammer the nails in. 🙂

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Us with our constructed planter! ^^ And pardon our frizzy hair-dos that got all frizzed up in the high static environment, heh!

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Now you see us, now you don’t! >.<

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We also wrote encouraging messages on our planter! 🙂

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A shot of work that is still underway around the Oku-kuji forest area, taken from the coach, hence the blurry effect. IMG_4008

Then we came to Fukuroda Falls! It’s one of the top 3 falls in Japan, with a different look each season. 🙂

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Us again! This time in our coats as it was pretty cold! 🙂

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There, thought you’d like to see the view of Fukuroda Falls in the 4 seasons as I do! ^^ Ok I think it’s just Summer/Spring, Autumn, Winter and then a view of the lake during summer/spring.

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Sadly it’s end of winter so there was only a hint of green and not a very welcoming view but nonetheless you can see the the falls! IMG_4022

Another view of the falls, this time with the top of the valley in sight.

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And another! heh.

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Me and what seems like the mascot of Fukuroda falls! SO CUTE RIGHT. (Mascot, not me, in case you think I’m praising myself, HAHA) I just noticed the falls is pictured on his hat! Mad cute! Basically it says 大子町 on the hat, which is the Japanese name of Daigo and the apple and fish are produces that the town is famous for. Cool huh! 🙂

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A beautiful shot of the group while we walked down from the falls… 🙂 IMG_4056

At the base of the falls were a slew of souvenir shops and as were early in the trip, we didn’t shop intently for souvenirs but we sure did try out the snacks! Here’s a caramel mochi (japanese for rice cake) which is sticky sweet!

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This is the pretty amazing little stall that was barbecuing the rice mochis.

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Then the ice cream booth caught our eyes! Many flavours but only apple and chocolate left by the time we bought.

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Shot of my apple ice cream! I cannot emphasize how delicious it was, it has apple bits in it that I LOVE. Why can’t Singapore have this? >.<

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Our ice cream and our thoroughly satisfied faces! ^^v

Day 4

After breakfast, we made our way to Kami No Sato a local craft workshop for a class on handmade Japanese paper, known as Washi.

This is our workshop tutor, pictured with the frame where he sieved the fibre from the pool of fibre in front of him.

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He then showed us how to make markings on the Washi in the frame.

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And quickly proceeded to fill the markings in with coloured fibre, in this case, red for the apple and brown of the stem.

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The various buckets of coloured Washi fibre where we scooped from for our artwork! 🙂

We didn’t have to do the sieving of the Washi fibre, so we just made the markings and filling in of the colours.

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My completed Washi paper decoration! Our works would be sold in the paper shop and funds would go to supporting Kizuna project, which creates awareness of the reconstruction efforts in Japan since the major disaster happened in 2011.

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Close up of my Washi paper, inspired by Japanese patterns and the produces of Daigo town, which is red apple and green tea. 🙂

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The lovely ladies at the paper shop where we bought ready Washi from! Can you see the beautiful paddle pop coloured papers which were used to wrap the items? Gotta love Japanese packaging! 🙂

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“色即是空” Japan is a largely buddhist country and this is a famous buddhist saying that means what is visible is empty, but an illusion. I don’t subscribed to buddhist teachings, but I find it interesting as it explains the Zen concept which Japan is famous for. You can also see a bit of the ceiling of the paper shop, which is entirely plastered with writings! IMG_4171

How the shop front looks like.IMG_4172

How the Kami No Sato paper shop looks like. It also has a small area for a museum of antique Japanese paper and books. Washi-making is a dying art and I am thankful we could experience something so uniquely Japan and culturally enriching.

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Shot of the road along the paper shop and workshops and a photo-ception with SJ in the picture!

Activity 2 for the day, which we were very excited about, visiting Setsuko’s strawberry farm to pick and eat strawberries!!! ^^V

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Mr Setsuko, the farmer and host telling us his experience of the disaster 2 years ago. He lost many customers as they stopped buying strawberries from him because of harmful rumours and they feared radiation but his produces have been certified to be healthy and fit for consumption. Thankfully his business has began to pick up and has reached 70% of customer support since the disaster struck. 🙂

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We took a walk through his tomato farm. The greenhouse technology is imported from Netherlands and Mr Setsuko expressed thankfulness that the structure and glass was very strong and withstood the severe earthquakes then.

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A happy looking tomato! ^^

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The greenhouse under the beautiful skies.

 

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Plum flowers along the road outside the farm.

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And a picture of us Lasalle girls, from left, Ade, Xav, me and Ying with the flowers! Credits to Xav’s from her FB ^^.

We then arrived at our final destination of the day, which is the next hotel for the trip!

ISOHARA SEASIDE HOTEL. *Mad love*

2550 Futatsujima Isohara-machi, Kitaibaraki-shi,
Ibaraki 319-1541 JAPAN
TEL:0293-42-0213 / ( from overseas 81-293-42-0213 )
FAX:0293-42-0536 / ( from overseas 81-293-42-0536 )

Website: http://www.isohara.co.jp/lang/English1.htm

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This time I shared a room with Adeline and Xav. 🙂 The view of the pretty room from the entrance.IMG_4204

The beds.

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THE VIEW of the seaside! SO NICE. *faints*

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The toilet!
That’s all for now, till the next post!
x
Ena
P.S. Haze in Singapore is getting REAL BAD. Please take care guys! <3

3 Ways we can smile at the Haze

By now you should probably be aware of the haze situation that Singapore is in, with smog that comes from forest fires in Indonesia, as Indonesians choose to clear their forests by burning.

Yesterday it reached unhealthy levels of PSI (stands for Pollutant Standards Index) 155 at about 2pm.

Today the haze PSI stands at 115.

I know it’s really bad when I couldn’t sleep late Sunday night because I felt like I was choking instead of breathing and had to turn on the air conditioner.

I know it’s really bad when my family and I choose not to open our house windows because we didn’t want to let the smoke outdoors pollute our home indoor.

I know it’s really bad when I went out Monday evening (last night) and thought if there was any day I were to wear a mask out, it’s not because of H5N7 (new strain of avian flu) but because the haze is getting that bad.

I know it’s really bad because people are starting to curse on Facebook.

You get my drift.

So enough for how bad the haze!

Since the last weekend, I’ve been seeing some really creative and funny ways my friends / subscriptions have reacted on social media! So partly inspired by them, I’ll be sharing 3 Ways to smile at the haze. 😀

1. It’s time you can take memorable smokey and cinematic photos around Singapore, without actually having to lug a smoke-machine around because it’s actually there, and free! We know Singaporeans love a good freebie! 😀

Examples of creative smokey and cinematic photos around Singapore:

Haze Singapore Creative Okay, this is probably a photoshopped picture and not actually in Singapore, but it’s a creative inspiration! credits: igsg instagram

Mystic Falls Singapore

I didn’t get the #TVD (The Vampire Diaries) reference, but a quick google reveals that Mystic Falls is a place featured in the TVD drama series. Told you the haze makes cinematic photos right? ^^ Credits: jovial_jj instagram

2. Imagine you’re in a scene of Harry Potter / Your favourite movie scene which includes some copious amount of smoke. 🙂

Harry Potter Smokey SceneHarry Potter, Smokey, Movie Scene! Image credit:  here

3. Last but not the least, make all the Haze jokes while it lasts!

Heyz Haze JokeHehehe HEYZ! 😛 Credits: Sudy on Twitter

LOTS of creativity on SGAG’s FB!

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Hope you’ve found a reason to smile at the haze now! ^^

x Ena

P.S. Let me know in the comments, on twitter or FB if you’ve got any Haze jokes to share! 😉

Fashion Stylin’ | How to pull off Maxi Skirts effortlessly

Just this week, I had a fashion conversation with a close friend, Joey about how to wear a Maxi skirt.

She told me that she doesn’t venture to wear Maxi skirts because it’s hard to pull it off as it may back fire and make the dresser look short and stumpy instead. She also asked, should wearers of maxi skirts reveal their ankles or wear a maxi that touches the ground and cover their feet completely?

I don’t have a concrete answer for whether the  Maxi skirt/dress should cut off at the ankle or not, and my answer for her was that dressing is about proportion. If you’re not too tall, like I am, I usually don’t venture to wear maxi skirts as well as they overwhelm my petite frame and just isn’t as flattering as if I would wear short skirts. But when I do wear long skirts, then I always ensure that I’m in heels or wedges and that the skirt is highwaisted and usually belted, so that the overall look is elongated, cinched at the right place and looks proportionately balanced.

So by now, you probably might know that I am quite an avid Pinterest user. I started my Pinterest account way back, almost 2 years ago and for a while after I began, I lost interest in it but in the past year I’ve kept returning to it because I find it an immensely inspiring and relaxing portal of fashion, food and lifestyle imagery and it’s completely easy for me to save / “repin” images I love to my own boards and Pinterest page.

So when I was browsing Pinterest today, I came across a slew of images with girls in Maxi skirts and reminded me of the conversation with Joey and I decided to write a blog post about my thoughts and tips for how to pull off  Maxi skirt / dress effortlessly!

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In the photo above, you can see that:

the maxi skirt is worn low at the waist,

paired with heels and the skirt is slit very high that the cut is placed at where a mini skirt would be.

The principle of balance is at play here where a relatively covered up knitted top is paired with a sexy and revealing skirt. Also the proportion is right with the heels, if she was in flats, she won’t look as flattering.

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In this photo,

The same idea of balance is reversed when you see:

The wearer is wearing a laced top which has a peek-a-boo effect and also revealing her tummy area, which some people find very sexy and is definitely a trend this summer!

While she keeps her lower half all covered

AND revealing half her wedges creates a “pedestal” effect that perfects the look.

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In this photo,

The maxi skirt is worn with flats but it’s proportionately flattering because

She wears the skirt above her waist so it elongates her lower half and makes her look like she has longer legs.

There isn’t images of maxi dress per se, but the same elements can be applied to the maxi dress, like cinching the dress at a high waist, if you have a shorter/petite frame and going lower waist belting if you are tall or have a longer torso!

Remember that balance and proportion is key! 

So I hope you’ve learnt a thing or two about how to wear a maxi skirt and venture to wear one after this post, if you’ve never dared to before! And if you do, be sure to @ena_teo on twitter or post in on my FB page here, or leave the url of the photo of you in your maxi skirt in the comments below and i’d be sure to check it out! <3

Have fun! 😉

<3

Ena

Ohaiyo Japan! (1)

Ohaiyo!

Ohaiyo is the informal way of saying Good Morning in Japanese, the short form of Ohaiyo Gozaimasu. I won’t be teaching Japanese on my blog here, as I only know of a few casual phrases myself. ^^

 

Have you checked out our Kizuna 10 FB page? Check it out and LIKE it here if you have not!!!

 

Over this week, I’ll be uploading photos from the 10 day trip that my school mates and I took back in March. We were very generously sponsored and invited by Japan to be part of the Kizuna (Bond) project as part of 100 Singaporean students and tutors to visit and indulge in the rich Japanese culture and heritage! You can check out more of the Kizuna project here.

Without further ado, here are some photos from the 1st 2 days of the 10 day trip that my school mates and I took back in March! 🙂

Ena Japan 2013

Japan Kizuna Trip 11th March – 19th March 2013 (Arriving back to Singapore on the 20th March)

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Pre-flight, with my lovely travel buddy Ying! 🙂

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The view from the plane as we were about to land in Japan… It was the end of winter and early Spring, thus the brown fields.

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As we near nearing, we can begin to see the plane’s shadow! So cute right? ^^

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This is how they unload the cargo from the plane! Yes, I had a very good view from where I was seating. ^^

Our plane landed at about 4pm and we were scheduled to reach the hotel by coach at about 6.30pm but due to peak period traffic, we reach only about 7.30pm! 😮

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Finally got the keys to our room in Tokyo Grand Hotel! I love how vintage the room keys are. ^^ The yellow book is our very detailed and informative handbook for the trip! My schoolmates and I were part of Group A with other students from Temasek Poly and Raffles Design Institute.

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 How the hotel room looks like! Small but well equipped. Beds were very comfy. Japanese style robes were laid on the beds for occupants to change into. The view from our room shows the office opposite and at 7.30pm we still saw office workers working away!

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 The toilet is clean and well equipped.

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As we reached pretty late, dinner was prepared in very dainty lunch boxes. It was far too much rice for us to consume… Heh.

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Post dinner, our first night’s activity began with convenient shops shopping! HAH. There were 3 convenient shops around our hotel and pretty much nothing else. We would soon realize that’s pretty much all the shopping we could do during this except for the last day at Tokyo. 😛 Here you see MUJI stuff at their convenient store! In Singapore MUJI shop has its stand alone boutiques in town, Orchard. The prices are definitely cheaper in Japan, almost 50%! ^^

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This, my dear friends, is one of my favourite food in Japan. It’s sold in the convenient store and you pick out what you want and place them in the containers provided, pour a little soup in and pay up. I bought the sausage and vermicelli  and they were AWESOME. Super tasty! ^^v

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We were told that Tokyo Tower was a 10 min walk away, so the Lasalle group decided to take a walk out together! We came across a subway station and decided to take a look and “recee” for our last night when we get back to Tokyo. 😛

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We made our way back to the convenient shops again! Check out the cup noodles from the land of Nissin! 🙂 Totally reminded me of my JC PW (for the uninitiated, stands for Junior College Project Work) where my group mates and I researched and presented on Momofuku Ando, the founder of Nissin cup noodles!

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My supper for the night! Tasty sweet courn noodles with dessert!

Day 2~!

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My outfit for day 2~

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Selca with cutie Ying~

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Candid of Lasalle peeps, Xav, Adeline, Alex and SJ, during our morning walk around our hotel! 🙂

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Even the dogs in Tokyo are cute!

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This photo commemorates our Lasalle hero, Alex who wore shorts out in the cool weather of below 15 degrees. *thumbs up* 😛

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Our resident cutie Desmond, with his ice cream and Alex photo bombing. HAHA.

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Billboard along the streets of real life Japanese criminal hunt list. :O It’s scary!

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The use of order, pattern and symmetry is found practically everywhere on the streets of Japan.

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Even the office workers smoke in an orderly fashion!

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The flowers along the roads are happy. ^^

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The waterworks covers are too cute! This one’s self explanatory, is for fire hydrant hoses in case of fire.

We had to attend a talk back in the hotel on Earthquakes in Japan, but I won’t be going into details about that. 😛

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Our sushi packed lunch, rice and egg and seaweed.

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After lunch on day 2, we had some free time so we took a walk around the hotel and we discovered this! The REAL Yakiniku (Japanese barbeque) which we often see in Singaporean malls!

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Our brave tutor/supervisor/”SUPER leader” Ginette took the first plunge. HAHA. AND boy it was GOOD. 😀 So we all took turns to buy one stick and shared with each other. ^^

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Here’s a random shot of Ying all happy and cute. ^^

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Look, Ma! Penang restaurant in Japan! 😛

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My buys of the day from convenient store shopping. HEH. Coffee, gums and sugarrr.

After attending the afternoon talk, we packed up and moved out on coach for our next destination for the next few days!

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We stopped at a pit stop during the coach ride and LOOK WHAT I FOUND. A basket of cuties!!!

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I simply couldn’t resist. So I brought one with me. ^^ It costs about S$6. And it has beans in the tummy! It’s happily on my desk now.

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We arrived! At Hotel Omoide Roman-kan, Daigo Town, Ibaraki Prefecture! It’s a Japanese traditional type of hotel stay.

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This is how the room looked like when we first got our bags in and trying to get them sorted~.

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The balcony area.

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The toilet area.

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And I realize in Japan, the exit is called “非常 阶段“ which when translated it means “not the usual steps” cool huh! 🙂

In case you were wondering, I can read and understand chinese characters and traditional Japanese characters use chinese characters. 🙂

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We quickly got things sorted and went down for dinner! 😀

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LOOK AT THE SPREAD YO. This one’s dessert cakes and the super yummy greek style yogurt in the steel bowl! ^^v

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Tomato pasta!!!

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Super yummy Japanese tempura (fried) sticks! An assorted choices of fishes and vegetables with the descriptions, if you can read, on the end of the sticks! <3

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Along the walkway you’ll find many pressed floral art like this! So pretty! 🙂 

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When we got back to our room… IT WAS TRANSFORMED! 😀

 

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We decided to try the tidbit offered in the room! It was complimentary. this one’s plum flavored soft pastry. Super nice, I bought 2 boxes back home before we left. 🙂

That’s all for today! Come back soon for my next update!

<3,

Ena




What’s Kizuna 10?

Hi!

Check out this little video which I’m in, here!

With that, I’d like to introduce to you the latest project that my friends and I are working on! It’s called Kizuna 10!

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Kizuna 10 –  The Kizuna Experience

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Today marks the first day of our project! It follows the day we flew to the land of the rising sun.

You must be wondering. What’s Kizuna 10 about? Read on!

From our FB info page here:

ABOUT: Hi! 10: The Kizuna Experience is the Facebook companion to the 10-day social media project of the same name. We’re a bunch of students from Singapore hoping to do some good with a little bit of our creativity, so why not check us out? 😀

DESCRIPTION: Hi, we are a group of student delegates from Singapore (3rd batch) who went on a Japan exchange programme – KIZUNA BOND PROJECT – from March 11-20, 2012. The Kizuna Bond Project is a youth-exchange programme launched by the Japanese government as part of its reconstruction plans after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011.This platform is an initiative to reach out to the mass on the understanding of Japan’s revival efforts through recreating our 10-day KIZUNA experience. Day by day, hour-by-hour, we will update the site real-time, so that you, our viewer, will be able to walk with us through Japan.

Check out our tumblr page here!

I’ll be taking part in this project, but will also be posting my own set of photos on my blog, combining 2 days into 1 post. I’ll update my own blog post links here when I’m done. 🙂
That’s all for now, I’ll see on you FB and make sure you like our page here ya!
x
Ena
Credits to Callison Neo for the designs and Xaveria for the video!

Ena Reviews Bio-essence New Launch – Royal Jelly + ATP range

Vivian Hsu Bio essence

At the age of 38, Taiwanese actress and model Vivian Hsu don’t actually look a day older than 30, doesn’t she?

Have you ever wondered what’s Vivian Hsu’s secret to her youthfulness and V-shaped face?

That’s what I’ll be sharing with you folks today! 🙂

Bio-essence Royal Jelly + ATP Shape V Face 3 Treasures

Vivian Hsu V Shape Face Bio essence Royal Jelly and ATP

Vivian Hsu endorses Bio-essence’s Royal Jelly & ATP Shape V Series in maintaining

her V-shaped face and youthful skin.

Thanks to Bio-essence Singapore and EK Media’s kind sponsorship, I am able to give my skin a royal treat with the all new innovation from Bio-essence – the Royal Jelly & ATP Shape V Series.

The 3 treasures from the Royal Jelly & ATP Shape V Series are

  1. Deep Exfoliating Gel with Royal Jelly + ATP
  2. Radiant Youth Essence with Royal Jelly + ATP
  3. Face Lifting Cream with Royal Jelly + ATP

Ena Review Bio essence Royal Jelly + ATP 1The 3 treasures still in their pretty and shiny blue boxes delivered in a white Bio-essence bag.

Ena Review Bio essence Royal Jelly + ATP 3

The 3 treasures looking equally if not more stunning in their shiny tubes and tub.

The 3 treasures belong to the Royal Jelly & ATP Shape V Series which consists of:

  1. Deep Cleansing Milk with Royal Jelly & ATP
  2. Deep Exfoliating Gel with Royal Jelly & ATP
  3. Nourishing Deep Cleanser OR Nourishing Foamy Cleanser with Royal Jelly & ATP
  4. Deep Nourishing Toner with Royal Jelly & ATP
  5. Radiant Youth Essence with Royal Jelly & ATP
  6. Face Lifting Cream with Royal Jelly & ATP

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The entire Royal Jelly & ATP Shape V Series Range

Bio-essence has innovatively blended Bio Energy Fluid, Bio Mineral Amino Acid Essence and precious natural ingredients such as Ginseng, Aloe Vera and Angelica with the addition of Royal Jelly & ATP to create the latest V Face Series.

You may wonder what exactly are the effects of the much touted Royal Jelly and ATP?

Bio essence Royal Jelly and ATP

ATP stands for Adenosine Triphosphate, which provides energy to skin cells, effectively improving micro circulation to renew and repair skin.

Royal Jelly is a thick and nutritious liquid secreted by the nurse bees and Queen bees feed exclusively on this which accounts for their incredible longevity. Thus it has superior youth restoring power.

Bio essence Royal JellyRoyal Jelly contains proteins and 17 types of amino acids (sources of protein which is the growth factor of skin cells), vitamins (B1, B2, B6, B12), abundant minerals and trace amounts of carbohydrates and fats.

Royal Jelly deeply nourishes skin, improves skin’s radiance, leaving skin soft, smooth, fair and glowing with a feminine charm. It also has excellent anti-bacterial property which helps to disinfect pimples and acne skin.

Let me now introduce the 3 treasures and their efficacies before I review each of them.

1. Bio-essence Deep Exfoliating Gel with Royal Jelly + ATP

Bio essence Deep Exfoliating Gel with Royal Jelly + ATP

Ena Reviews:

The Bio-essence Deep Exfoliating Gel with Royal Jelly + ATP is a thick consistency, jelly like substance when dispensed from the tube. When I apply it on the face, it begins to disintegrate like liquid on the face and when I rub  it in circular motion on my face as recommended, small flakes, much like eraser flakes begin to form, gently and painlessly exfoliating a layer of my dead facial skin. After rinsing my face with water, my skin looks brighter and feels more ready for facial cleansing. I feel my skin is more ready for cleansing because the layer of dead skin is removed, which previously forms a layer preventing the cleansing foam to deeply cleanse my facial skin.

2. Bio essence Radiant Youth Essence with Royal Jelly + ATP

Bio essence Radiant Youth Essence with Royal Jelly + ATP2. Bio essence Radiant Youth Essence with Royal Jelly + ATP

Ena Reviews Bio Essence 2

Ena Reviews:

The Bio essence Radiant Youth Essence with Royal Jelly + ATP is a green and oil like liquid when shaken well and dispensed from the tube. This is because it contains 95% Green Tea extract. When applied on my face, it glides smoothly across and is rapidly absorbed into my skin. Even hours after application, my skin still feels smooth and supple, which proofs its effectiveness in hydrating the skin and locking the moisture. I will definitely recommend this to be used in cold weather where is air is very dry!

3. Bio-essence Face Lifting Cream with Royal Jelly and ATP

Bio-essence Face Lifting Cream with Royal Jelly and ATP

Bio-essence Face Lifting Cream with Royal Jelly and ATP

Ena Reviews Bio Essence 3
Ena Reviews:
The Bio-essence Face Lifting Cream with Royal Jelly and ATP is a white and fairly thick consistency cream. When applied on my face it feels nourishing and moisturizing and also has a tightening effect which is unlike other moisturizing cream I have used before and also explains its facial skin lifting effect! I would recommend this to women with busy schedules which reveals signs of fatigue on their skin and is looking for a product which will boost and tighten their skin to look fresh and young. It is most definitely useful for women in their 30s and above who is looking for a product that will maintain and lift their facial skin while keeping it moisturized and supple.
Bio-essence  Royal Jelly and ATP
This image explains the Bio-essence Royal Jelly and ATP Skin Care Regime.
I am currently using the Bio-essence milk based make up remover, but the non Royal Jelly and ATP version, having bought 2 bottles on offer at a Robinsons sale last year. As I only use a little in removing my eye make up, 1 bottle has lasted me almost a year.  I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking for a milk based make up remover as it surprisingly cleanses well despite it’s milky consistency while additionally having a nourishing effect.
When I bought the Bio-essence milk based make up remover I was told by the lady promoter that it is a popular bio-essence product and she also gifted me a full size deep cleanser. The Bio-essence deep cleanser also includes ATP and is milky like, which feels nourishing even as it cleanses. I would recommend it to anyone who prefers and is looking for a cleanser that feels nourishing.
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My Bio-essence deep cleansing milk, deep cleanser along with the 3 treasures from the new V Shape Royal Jelly and ATP Series
Do visit Bio-essence’s Facebook page and take part in their app game here, “Unlock Your Feminine Charm” and stand to win daily prizes!
Ena Reviews Bio Essence
That is all, ending off with a final photo!
Lots of Love <3,
Ena

Laneige, Korean Actress Song Hye Kyo’s Beauty Secret

This is my entry for a Nuffnang & Laneige sponsored blogger’s challenge.

I am a K-drama fan, and I have loved watching Korean actress Song Hye Kyo in dramas especially since her Full House days. I also loved watching her in the drama, Worlds Within, where she had spectacular chemistry with her co-star Hyun Bin, whom she dated for a while after the show.

Full-House-jung-ji-hoon-rain-bi-3536304-800-600Song Hye Kyo and Rain in korean drama, Full House

Worlds Within Song Hye KyoThey had such good chemistry in Worlds Within, Song Hye Kyo and Hyun Bin.

Most recently, Song Hye Kyo starred in That Winter the Wind Blows, where she doesn’t seem to have aged and her skin is still flawless and fair…

Song Hye Kyo That Winter The Wind Blows

With her co star, Jo In Sung and Song Hye Kyo, looking fine as ever.

The secret to Song Hye Kyo’s fair and bouncy skin is Laneige, being their face and ambassador, Song Hye Kyo has no lack of access to their very hydrating products that keeps her skin smooth and supple!

Laneige is introducing their new BB cushion which is a compact that contains a patented cushion filled with cooling air and BB cream. It is a unique type of BB product with 5 benefits; soothing, skin tone correction, SPF 50+ PA+++, brightening and sweat proof.

Laneige BB Cushion

How the Laneige BB Cushion looks like!

Laneige is looking for 10 winner who will attend the make up session recreating K-beauty looks with the Laneigh BB cushion.

And thanks to Laneige and Nuffnang, the 10 K-Beauty looks will enter the Laneige Beautiful Blogger Challenge where a Grand Winner will be crowned through public voting. The lucky beautiful blogger will win a 1 year Laneige K Beauty Blogger contract & $2000 cash price from Laneige!

The question we are to blog about is:

Which is your favourite Laneige skincare & make-up product, and why?

And my answer would have to be Laneige’s Water Drop Sun Care!

Laneige Sun Block

And of the three above, I’d pick Sun Block Supreme!

Laneige Sun Block Supreme

That’s because I think the most important beauty routine is protection against the sun’s harmful rays to prevent pre mature aging (ugly spots!!!) and the Sun Block Supreme has powerful sunscreen and waterproof formula that resists water and sweat which would be the most suitable in Singapore’s sunny and humid weather! 🙂

If I am selected to be one of the top 10 winners, I would choose to re-create of my favourite looks from below:

1. Song Hye Kyo’s cute sexy looks in Full House

Song Hye Kyo Full HouseSong Hye Kyo

Cute floral inspired looks with pink and purple eye shadow and blush colours.

2. Son Ga In’s sultry sexy looks

Son Ga In Sexy 1

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I probably won’t go shirtless like she did… HA.

Edgy and rock chic brown and black eye colours.

Last but not the least I might also go for Yoon Eun Hye’s Pretty in Pink in her Missing You look:

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In the show she gives off a feminine fashionista look often carrying very light pink lip colours and au naturel looking skin, lightly brushed facial foundation coverage.

 

If I were to be selected, which look would you like me to recreate? Vote below and I’d go with the most popular /voted look!

Ending off with a photo of what I’d consider a typical Ena make up look, bare face and dark eye liner! 😉

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xx

Ena