Category Archives: Business

Where to find Below Valuation properties in Singapore?

Hi Loves!

Want to make a guess what is the common thread among the three properties in the following photos below?Below Val Properties Below Valuation Listings Portal Website Singapore_0003Below Val Properties Below Valuation Listings Portal Website Singapore_0001 Below Val Properties Below Valuation Listings Portal Website Singapore_0002(Above photos are taken from BelowVal.Sg.)

Well, the answer is they are all sold below valuation on BelowVal.sg!

For the uninitiated, valuation is what the bank will value the price of the property for, and below valuation basically means the seller is selling the property below what the property is actually worth in the current market! To verify if the property is really below valuation, all you need to do is to send the information to a local residential banker to double check the valuation, which will be indicative, as they can only give an accurate figure if they send a valuer down to the house. šŸ˜‰

There are four main reasons why sellers sell their properties below valuation; migrating, foreclosure, family change and relocation. And what this means is that there can be a happy buyer who can get a property at a lower price!

Check out this informative video to find out more about the Below Val website:

So if you’re keen to find value buy properties do check out the site BelowVal.sg!

Thanks to the good folks behind Below Val and The Influencer Network for sharing the news of Below Val with us over dinner at Monochrome Bistro located at 291 South Beach Road. I had a squid ink risotto which was pretty good and a carrot cake for desserts! I also really like the chic black and white interior, which is perfect for IGĀ snaps.

Monochrome Bistro_0000 Monochrome Bistro_0001 Below Val Properties Below Valuation Listings Portal Website Singapore_0000With the friendly and boisterous group of bloggers!

x

Ena

ThoughtBuzz; Your Social Media Intelligence Platform

Hi Loves!

Thoughtbuzz Social Media Intelligence Blogger Review Enabalista 009

Today I’d like to introduce ThoughtBuzz, a social media intelligence platform where you can log in and access aĀ single view dashboard toĀ see and compare fan growth, engagement on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube simultaneously.Thoughtbuzz Social Media Intelligence Blogger Review Enabalista 007

If you’re a digital influencer or an online marketing executive, you can use this to understand which social platform is working best for which campaigns.

Take a look at what Thoughtbuzz is capable of:

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Here’s summary of my Instagram profile and the Top 2 Posts by Engagement on my Instagram.

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The Interaction Rate by Hour – so I know when is the best time for me to post to get the most views and interaction, which is lunch time at 1-2pm, 4pm or 7pm onwards.Ā Thoughtbuzz Social Media Intelligence Blogger Review Enabalista 004

Interaction Rate by Weekday – Saturdays to Tuesdays in the past week have gained the most interaction.

Now onto interesting insights for my Enabalista Facebook page.Thoughtbuzz Social Media Intelligence Blogger Review Enabalista 006

Here are my top 5 fans based on interactions – likes and comments.
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Here are the insights for which of my recent posts have garnered the most engagements – this will help me see what type of posts garner more likes and comments. Although I can see this information on my Facebook page insights as well, Thoughtbuzz is great because it congregates my other social media accounts all on one convenient platform and dashboard. šŸ™‚

Why don’t you give it a try too?

Thoughtbuzz Social Media Intelligence Blogger Review Enabalista 008Simply sign up on their Thoughtbuzz website hereĀ and follow their Facebook for updates on Social Media intelligence!

Thank you Thoughtbuzz and TIN for providing a single platform to analyze my social media accounts!

x

Ena

Why Is Singapore such a magnet for influential businesses?

 

 

Hi Loves!

Today I have an interesting article to share on my blog. Read on to find out the history and how Singapore came to become a magnet for influential businesses, enjoy! šŸ™‚

Why is SIngapore a Business Magnet

For the past nine years, the Economist Business Unit has voted Singapore the worldā€™s best place to do business. But what has made it such a magnet for companies from all corners of the globe?

Historically, Singaporeā€™s geographical location was strategically important. Sir Stamford Raffles established a British East India trading post here in 1819. For the British, the city-state became both a trading center and key naval base, essential to maintaining control of its vast empire.

In more recent times, as international trade began to flourish, the government of Singapore took steps to capitalize on the stateā€™s historical position as a hub for trade, not only within Asia, but also globally. In the 1960s, the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) was formed and tasked with attracting international businesses to the country. The next step was for the EDB to persuade foreign investors to help fund the establishment of export oriented businesses by first setting up offices in New York and Hong Kong, and later in Europe, Asia and the US.

With Singaporeā€™s reputation for its reliable and skilled workforce, the EDB went on to raise global awareness of Singaporeā€™s technological expertise by establishing links with Japanese, French and German technical institutions. The government, the EDB and the National Research Foundation have together been extremely successful in identifying new trends and technological developments in global commerce, international banking and finance and have continued to ensure the country possesses the expertise and infrastructure necessary to take maximum advantage of them.

By investing heavily in infrastructure projects and encouraging the construction of world-class hotels, retail centers and high quality housing, the government has also attracted highly skilled professionals and international entrepreneurs to settle here and establish locally based high-tech companies. The importance of persuading influential business leaders to relocate to the country cannot be underestimated. The mere fact that people of this stature have chosen to move here sends out a strong message to the rest of the world that Singapore is a great place to live and do business in. Words and phrases you commonly hear to describe the country include diverse, safe, multicultural, low taxes, cutting edge, relaxed and stable.

Ā Typical of the businessmen and women who have taken up residence in the state is Kuwait born and University of Washington educated Fahad Al-Rajaan. Chairman of Wafra Investments Group Inc. and Kuwait Real Estate Investment Consortium KSC, along with a number of other banks and financial institutions, he is ideally placed to spread the word about the benefits of investing in Singapore. An insight into his range of influence can be found by checking out Wikileaks – Fahad Al-Rajaan.

Two of the wealthiest individuals you may have heard of are brothers Robert and Philip Ng, whose Far East Organization and Sino Group is worth some US$4.6b. Their multinational business encompasses property development in Australia and Hong Kong, though they are currently investing US$328m in two new hotels on an ex-military barracks site on Sentosa.

Another name you may be familiar with is the Brazilian born co-founder of Facebook, Eduardo Saverin. Having renounced his US citizenship in 2012, he now lives here in Singapore, where he specializes in investing in international technology startup ventures.

Singapore has not become a world class financial and business center entirely by accident. A natural harbor located at the crossroads of global maritime trading routes was fundamental to the initial growth of the country. However, having a government with the vision to recognize future business trends, then enacting the legislation necessary to attract foreign entrepreneurs and multinational companies, and investing vast amounts in improving the stateā€™s infrastructure have all combined to make Singapore the commercial powerhouse it is today.

Replenish & Rejuvenate with Herbalife SKIN in 7 Days, Event & Products Review

Hi Lovelies!

How was your weekend? My weekend felt quite long cause it started early with my friends on Friday night followed by two eventful days on Sat and Sun. šŸ˜€

Today I’m sharing with you all photos from the Herbalife Skin launch and event from a while back plus my review of the products I’ve used!

When I received the event invite I was quite hesitant to go down because the event was right smack during Audi Fashion Festival week and I had events to attend to before and after. Additionally Herbalife is a nutrition company famous for their meal replacement formulas and their SKIN line is unheard of in Asia. On hindsight, I am veryĀ glad that I made the decision to attend because after personally meeting and hearing from Robert, the co-developerĀ of theĀ products, I have concluded that Herbalife SKIN is really a new force to be reckoned with in the skincare/beauty market. More about the people and products shortly!

As usual, photos of the event followed by my review of the skincare products. šŸ˜€

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Herbalife SKIN, designed to Replenish & Rejuvenate in just 7 days!

The stars of the afternoon;Ā beautifully designed and chic Herbalife SKIN products and their packaging. Plus, this is quite possibly the best product shot that I have ever taken in my entire blogging career. The sun rays just streaming down so beautifully! *swoons*
Who says that a skincare product cannot look as good as the ingredients are beneficial for the skin, right?

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Daliea, the VP of Corp. Comm of Asia Pac. of Herbalife, giving an introduction to the companyĀ in Asia region.

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Another representative from Herbalife also sharing about Herbalife’s company and how well it’s doing in US and Asia.

In summary, Herbalife was founded in 1980 in Los Angeles (USA) with the goal to help people achieve a healthy, active life. Their products are sold through a network of independent Herbalife Members, a type of sales channel also known as direct selling. Now operating in 90+ countries with 7400+ employees globally and millions of customers. Herbalife brought in US$4.8 billion in net sales in 2013 and US$1.7 billion in net sales in Asia Pacific region alone and of course, these numbers are expected to be growing.

Herbalife as I mentioned earlier is famous for their Formula 1 Meal Replacement Shakes which is No.1 in the meal replacement category, according to Euromonitor Int. Ltd. 2014. They also have products catering to “Energy, Sports and Fitness”, “Personal Care Outer Nutrition” and “Targeted Nutrition”.

After the introductions, we have a pair of beauty experts sharing with us about the new Herbalife SKIN range; Robert Helmes, Herbalife consultant and co-developer of Herbalife SKIN and Laura Chacon-Garbato, director of Outer Nutrition Product Training of Herbal Life North America.

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Laura here with the model getting ready for the product demonstration.2014-05-16 15.42.40

Robert here sharing with us about the line.

The promise of Herbalife SKIN is to
have beautiful, healthier, younger looking skin through
Formula, Feel & Fast Results.

Formula
is its unique and optimum blend of: Vitamin B, antioxidant Vitamin C and E, Aloe Vera (which Robert likes to simply call Aloe) and other botanical (i.e. natural) ingredients. It is also paraben free, sulfate free and dermatologist tested.

Feel
is to be pampered with lush textures, and be soothed with silky soft lathers, inspired by the scents, smell fresh and be rejuvenated.

Fast Results
is enjoying maximum daily results including softer smoother and more radiant skin with long term benefits of a diminished appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

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A photo with Laura & Robert.

I have attended many training workshops for personal growth, real estate and also beauty, so I know a good speaker when I see one. It’s remarkable, simply to be able to attend a workshop with a good trainer, or in this case 2 good trainers who are experienced, professional and most importantly knowledgeable about their products and range. It is truly a pleasure to have been able to hear from them personally and attend their presentation. šŸ™‚

As I spoke to them after and commended them on their engaging presentation, it was no wonder when they shared that the day after and essentially for the entire duration they are in Singapore they’re giving training workshops to media (like me), press and their own Herbalife members at the Herbalife Convention; where members from Japan, Indonesia and Malaysia come down. They aren’t just small time event trainers but big time event trainers!

I am undoubtedly impressed, it didn’t quite occur to me that a direct selling company such as Herbalife can beĀ so well organized and running impressively like any other corporations would! I guess having had brief experiences with other direct selling companies gave me theĀ mis-conception that direct selling companies generally overpromise and deliver therefore giving the impression that it isĀ inferior (in terms of company structure, products and training) compared to the bigger boys such as the departmental brands or high end brands… Perhaps I have happened to have a better experience and impression of Herbalife SKIN people and products,Ā but I would definitely recommend you to go ahead and give Herbalife SKIN service & products a try! If you already have a current or prior experience, whether good or bad, feel free to share your experience in the comments below to let me know and also to share with other readers~ šŸ™‚

The event was held at Group Therapy Cafe, site here, FB hereĀ and their food and coffee is delightful! Definitely definitely love to go back again for a date or group session~~~

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Quaint decor~2014-05-16 16.47.18

Drink Coffee; do stupid things faster with more energy. HAHAA.

Finally time for product reviews!!!

Sharing my feelings~
I was very excited to use and review their products especially after attending the workshop and I think like watching a movie after reading a good review, even if the movie is indeed awesome, the awesome factor doesn’t weigh up accurately in our minds, because we have already set the bar higher at the awesome level. So it was the same for my pre-use experience and after use experience. I had tried the Clay and Berry Scrub during the workshop and I was completely sold on the premise of the entire range during the presentation. Did the products and range deliver the promise after I used them? Yes. But was I impressed? Not so much, simply because it worked like they said it would! Ok, we humans (or maybe just me? :P) are a bunch of people that’s hard to please, I know! So in essence, I’m trying to tell you is, the premise of the Herbalife SKIN range, it’s wonderful. Try it, use it with an open mind, with no expectations, then, decide for yourself if you’re duly impressed, or not. šŸ˜‰

Well as Herbalife SKIN is currently still fairly new to the Asia Pac market (launched in Oct 2013 in US, launched in June 2014 in Asia Pac) therefore it’s still lesser known, but once other bloggers or the wisdom of the female forums start to leave their recommendations and rave about the products (or my recommendations below, keke) Then you will know what are the really awesomeĀ (to be differentiated from the simply awesome)Ā products.

Omg, I don’t know why I am sooooo chirpy and extra talkative in my review here. I’m not usually this verbose. But verbose is good, right? Moving on…

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Herbalife SKIN was generous in sponsoring the entire set of 10 products for use and review. Lovely packaging, once again! Comes with a sparkly make up pounch and Swarovski pen. I will explain the two bags shortly.

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The Herbalife SKIN offers three skin care programs ā€“ Basic, Advanced or Ultimate ā€“ which combine products from the range to address specific skin care concerns and deliver tailored results to consumers.
1) Basic Program includes Soothing Aloe Cleanser or Polishing Citrus Cleanser, Energizing Herbal Toner, Daily Glow Moisturizer and Replenishing Night Cream

2) Advanced Program includes Basic program with the addition of Line Minimizing Serum, Firming Eye Gel and Hydrating Eye Cream

3) Ultimate Program includes the Advanced Program with the addition of Purifying Mint Clay Mask and Instant Reveal Berry Scrub

Of course by now I’m sure you noticed the obvious numbers on the packaging that helps remind you which product goes on first.Ā Plus if you open the paper wrapped around the casing, it shows you the entire steps too~ Yes, I am a beauty blogger but sometimes even I am not sure which product goes one first (cream, or serum, omg #firstworldproblems. In case you’re wondering, my answer is, it depends. Usually lightweight serum goes first, but where in a case of the cream is more lightweight then, cream before the heavier serum. #QED (stands for Quite Easily Solved, a math geek tutor taught us this in Secondary school, lol.))

Oh yes, btw, Guys can use this system too!

That’s why all the numbers cause it can be confusing, hahaha.

Another SUPER plusĀ point of this entire range is it’s airless pump nozzles. You never have to dig your fingers in to get the products! Major love!!

I will review the products individually before I go into my recommendation of sets and use if you decide to get the full range of 10 products.

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1. Herbalife SKIN Polishing Citrus Cleanser Review (Step 1)

Ingredients such as Vit B, C, E, Aloe Vera, Oils from Orange, Grapefruit, jojoba esters.

First off, I had high expectations for this Polishing Citrus Cleanser. I loveee beads in my cleansers that do its little scrubbing magic that makes my skin feel refreshed after a long day outside exposed to dust and all. However I did not fancy these little green beads which are a tad too big and stiff. In the light of things, these beads are seriously tiny, however they still feel fairly bulky (weird to refer these tiny things as bulky) compared to the other beaded cleanser counterparts, which I have used from both drugstores to departmental brands; Johnson & Johnson and Biotherm respectively.Ā The plus of this cleanser is that is cleanses without leaving the skin overly taut/dry plus its awesome refreshing citrus-y scent which is always a welcome for an invigorating morning wash~ This facial wash is recommended for people with normal to oily skin types. I would recommend guys to use this! Especially if you prefer and are looking for beaded cleaners with bigger beads for a better feel during their facial cleansing step.

Screen Shot 2014-07-08 at 1.25.36 am

Digressing a little here to talk about some Enabalista Trivia: According to my FB page insights, the number of recorded Male and Female FB followers are almost equal (Guys 51%), if that is accurate of my blog readers, then I actually have an almost equal male to female readership. Well of course I can’t use and recommend guy’s products to the guys, but I do have guy readers emailing me asking me about facials, one even complaining about my review, lol. If you’re a guy reader, would you like me to recommend skincare for you as well? Let me know! If so I can be more active in attending / researching Men’s Beauty and updating here as well. šŸ˜€

Ā 130812_HerbaLife_Singles_AloeTube_R1_cmyk

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2. Herbalife SKIN Soothing Aloe Cleanser ReviewĀ (Step 1)

Ingredients: Vit B, C, E, Aloe Vera, Coconut derived cleansing ingredients.

This cleanser is soothing and as pictured about it has a gel like consistency~ Recommended for Normal to Dry skin types as it is very hydrating and Aloe is known for its soothingĀ and restorativeĀ abilities so definitely recommended for sensitive skin types as well.
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3. Herbalife SKIN Energizing Herbal Toner ReviewĀ (Step 2)

Ingredients: Vit B, C, E, Aloe Vera, Potassium Alum.
This toner has a sweet mandarin citrus scent that preps the skin to better receive the serum and moisturizer for maximum effects.

I enjoyed using this toner immensely because of the scent which lingers on long after (in my nose and mind) and I look forward to using it. I think this is such a great benefit of the product; I am big with products with nice, sweet scents which are fresh and not cloying. It definitely hydrates the skin and preps it before the moisturizer and serum. I think it would be more appropriate to term this toner a fruity toner, or a citrus toner because I am not sure how the sweet mandarin citrus is herbal, is any way. Mandarin Citrus may be Oriental, but not herbal. Haha.

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4. Herbalife SKIN Line Minimizing SerumĀ (Step 3)

Ingredients: Vit B, C, E and Aloe Vera, Chestnut Seed Extract, Peptide.
Multi functional serum helps diminish the visible signs of aging.

I only use this on my forehead and laugh lines, to prevent lines, lol. The serum is a whitish gel like cream and applies smooth and clears clean. At $100.19 a bottle, it’s the priciest product of the entire range. While it does not have an instant effect and neither can I boast that it has worked on my relatively young (23 year old) skin, what I enjoy and take away from my experience is the texture and feel of this serum is velvety without being oily or greasy AND it did not break me out on my normal to oily skin. *thumbs up*

This product is definitely targeted at an older crowd who is concerned about minimizing lines, able and glad to shell out the dollars.Ā Robert (the Herbalife consultant and co-developer of the range) swears by it andĀ uses it very generously on his face and at his 40s his face still looks like his 30s. Of course he would, and we will have to take his word for it, don’t we? šŸ˜›
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5.Ā Herbalife SKIN Hydrating Eye CreamĀ (Step 4)

Ingredients: Vit B, C, E and Aloe Vera, Macadamia Nut Oil, Cucumber extract, Peptide.

This is my 2ndĀ favourite product from the range. I super love the cucumber scent of this product. It’s refreshing and lightweight eye cream which I would love to apply all over my face except that it would probably be a waste to, so I keep it just around my eyes as recommended, it’s not called an Eye Cream for fun, haha.

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6. Herbalife SKIN Firming Eye GelĀ (Step 4)

Ingredients: Vit B, C, E and Aloe Vera, Macadamia Nut Oil, Cucumber extract.

This Eye Gel isn’t as lightweight as the Hydrating Cream and I personally prefer the Hydrating Eye Cream. As such you can pick which is a bigger concern for you, if you want to increase the firmness of your eye area then you might want to opt for this instead.

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7. Herbalife SKIN Daily Glow MoisturizerĀ (Step 5)

Ingredients: Vit B, C, E and Aloe Vera,Ā Sunflower seed oil, Spilanthes Acmella Flower extract, Macadamia nut oil, Olive oil, Sesame seed oil.

This is my favourite product from the entire range~ ! I super love how my skin has that glow after using, the product is shimmery beige after dispensed from the bottle and I apply it on my skin as the step 5, before sunblock and that’s all I need for a foundation free day or I I want more coverage, with a BB cream after and I feel that my skin has that beautiful glow~ Some people like to look for bronzer to give them a healthy glow, I think this is moisturizer equivalent to a bronzer, or for those who are familiar, it’s like a tinted moisturizer.

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8. Herbalife SKIN Replenishing Night CreamĀ (Step 5)

Ingredients: Vit B, C, E and Aloe Vera,Ā Sunflower seed oil, Macadamia nut oil, Olive oil, Sesame seed oil,Ā Spilanthes Acmella Flower extract.

I definitely recommend this if you’re looking for a night cream that’s hydrating without being oily. I use it especially for nights I have air con turned on to keep my skin hydrated. It’s one of the luxurious night cream that I can safely use without breaking my skin out, woohoo~

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9. Herbalife SKIN Instant Reveal Berry Scrub

Ingredients: Vit B, C, E and Aloe Vera, Coconut derived cleansing ingredients, Ā Exfoliating beads and blueberry seeds.

Ā You can’t see the exfoliating beads which is colourless in the photo above and I love the blueberry seeds which adds to the natural feel and scent of the product. I personally like scrubs with natural fruit seeds for a more raw experience, like I am in touch with nature. Plus, I am a huge fan of Berries (excuse me, who isn’t?) So this is a no brainer, it’s a scrub I recommend~

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10. Herbalife SKIN Purifying Mint Clay Mask

Ingredients: Vit B, C, E and Aloe Vera, Bentomite Clay, Rosemary leaf oil and Spearmint Oil.
This rich clay mask has the absorb and toning effects of bentomite clay to remove dirt and excess oil.

I think the photo demonstration above speak for itself!! For the uninitiated, Clay Masks in addition to being super good for removing dirt and excess oil, they are also known to leave the skin soft and hydrated According to Robert and Laura, the Berry Scrub and Clay Mask are popular favourites in US and my personal experience is in agreement with the US sentiments as well, keke. Also, at S$37.75 it is about 30% cheaper than the Helenere one which I have reviewed before! Do I think this is a alternative to the Helenere one? You bet!

All the products are sold singly, and after using the products, here’s my personal recommendation of 2 set formations:

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Ena’s Recommendation 1) For Normal to Oily Skin, Polishing Citrus & Mint Mask Lovers

Basic Program;Ā Polishing Citrus Cleanser, Energizing Herbal Toner, Daily Glow Moisturizer and Replenishing Night Cream
+ Line Minimizing Serum, Hydrating Eye Cream & Purifying Clay Mask

Day Use:
1. Polishing Citrus Cleanser,
2. Energizing Herbal Toner,
3. Line Minimizing Serum,
4. Hydrating Eye Cream,
5. Daily Glow Moisturizer.

Night Use:Ā 
1. Polishing Citrus Cleanser,
2. Energizing Herbal Toner,
3. Line Minimizing Serum,
4. Hydrating Eye Cream,
5. Replenishing Night Cream.

Purifying Clay Mask (1-2 times a week only)

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Ena’s Recommendation 2) For Normal to DryĀ Skin, Soothing AloeĀ Cleanser & Berry ScrubĀ Lovers

Basic Program;Ā Soothing AloeĀ Cleanser, Energizing Herbal Toner, Daily Glow Moisturizer and Replenishing Night Cream
+ Line Minimizing Serum, Hydrating Eye Cream &Ā Berry Scrub

Day Use:
1. Soothing AloeĀ Cleanser,
2. Energizing Herbal Toner,
3. Line Minimizing Serum,
4. Hydrating Eye Cream,
5.Ā Daily Glow Moisturizer.

Night Use:Ā 
1. Soothing AloeĀ Cleanser,
2. Energizing Herbal Toner,
3. Line Minimizing Serum
4.Ā Hydrating Eye Cream,
5. Replenishing Night Cream.

Instant Reveal Berry ScrubĀ (Use when necessary)

Herbal Life Skin Blogger Review

Ena’s Recommendation 3) For Normal skin. Ultimate Program, Full Set with Price List incl. GST in SGD!
Basically use the Polish Citrus in the day, Aloe Cleanser in the night, and Add ons use the Berry Scrub first before using the MInt Mask for a Spa like treatment at home~

Day Use:
1. Polishing Citrus Cleanser, S$44.52
2. Energizing Herbal Toner, S$33.79
3. Line Minimizing Serum,Ā S$100.19
4. Hydrating Eye Cream,Ā S$70.02
5.Ā Daily Glow Moisturizer,Ā S$75.45

Night Use:Ā 
1. Soothing AloeĀ Cleanser, S$44.52
2. Energizing Herbal Toner,S$33.79
3. Line Minimizing Serum,Ā S$100.19
4. Firming Eye Gel,Ā S$70.02
5. Replenishing Night Cream,Ā S$75.45

Instant Reveal Berry ScrubĀ (Use when necessary), S$34.84
Purifying Clay Mask (1-2 times a week only), S$37.75.

Total $511.10.

If you want to get ownĀ Replenish & Rejuvenate with Herbalife Experience, simply contact Herbalife onlineĀ here and they will put you the member closest to yourĀ proximity to contact you~

Thank you Herbalife SKIN for your products, & Fiona & Yvette of In.Fom PR for the invite, I had a lot of fun using and reviewing them~

Thank you for reading~

x

Ena

Blogging for a Living by Grace Tan Book & Workshop Review

 

I first found out about Grace Tan’s new book Blogging for a Living when my aunt shared with me her Facebook post about it, along with an exclusive offer for a free 2 hour blogging workshop for the first 20 that purchased the book from her.

After reading the Facebook post, I promptly paid (Ibank) her for the book and signed up for the course mainly because it is one of my dream to be a book author (along with many of my other life ambitions, heh!) and as a fellow Singaporean blogger, I wanted to support her and also read what she has to say about Blogging. The workshop was simply a bonus and I am really glad I signed up, turned up and met her in person (see her post hereb.). More about that later, I will review the book first followed by the workshop! šŸ™‚

Image
Blogging for a Living by award winning Singaporean blogger Grace Tan

I will not divulge all the tips and tricks that Grace shares in the book, so that you will pay a small cost of ~$22 (slightly more with gst) at major book stores (see below for listings) and support our local author! šŸ™‚

But I will share some parts from the book which I found to be very interesting for me, and hopefully also interest you to get the book. šŸ™‚

Grace Tan’s Tips for blogging success (Summary):

1. Discover your passion.Ā Blog about what you are passionate about so that it does not feel like ‘work’ and will be sustainable in the long run.

Ena: I can’t agree more with her, the reason why I am able to sustain this blog is because I love what I do here. Whether it’s a beauty product review, fashion apparel outfit of the day or restaurant/food places recommendation, I blog about them simply because I enjoy doing so and sharing about them on my blog to my friends and readers!

2. Do something different. Focus on your strengths and who you really are and convey that through your blog. Grace is famous for interviewing entrepreneurs, celebrities and millionaires for her blog. So find a way to make yourself and your blog memorable.

Ena: This is a point that I am still working on, I don’t think I have a very strong unique selling point (USP) that distinguishes me from other Singaporean lifestyle blogger. But I do think right now that my blog name – Ena Teo – is quite unique. I hope in time, people can begin to remember my name, face, blog name and for writing articulate, in-depth and honest reviews about fashion, Ā beauty and more. šŸ˜‰

3. Emulate your way to success. In short, what you want to know about blogging, you can figure out from studying other, more established blogs.

Ena: This is a point that I’ve applied many a times on my own blog. Whenever I am in doubt, I’d reference other blogs and essentially, my blog is a result of my version of the best features that I liked on a few of my favourite blogs. šŸ™‚

Another excerpt from the book, from an interview she had with Silver Ang:
“Also don’t start a blog because you think it will earn you good money. It is a lot of hard work if you don’t enjoy blogging. You want good money? Go into the banking and financing industry. And don’t think that that’s going to be easy either.”

Ena: As a part-time blogger, I can assure you that blogging is not an easy feat. Don’t expect money to drop your way just by writing and posting photos on your blog, that is if you even do that consistently. Just like any other task in life, you reap what you sow. A blogger has to be consistent and diligent in creating good content in order to reap rewards, whether in kind such as products, services or even cash. At this moment, I don’t make a single cent off my blog and in fact I’ve put in some money into this blog, to pay for my own domain. But I’ve reaped rewards in sponsored products sent for reviews, invitation to events and most rewardingly, a community of WordPress bloggers and friends I’ve made through this blog. šŸ™‚

One last excerpt from chapter 9 “Different ways to monetize your blog in Singapore”:

Write a book. If you have the expertise, you can also write a book and get it published, or sell it online as an e-book; it is a great way to earn passive income off your work!

Ena: As an aspiring book author, I have some ideas on what I’d like to write about, mainly about topics such as fashion and beauty which are of keen interest to me. But it’s been simply a “dream” I’ve yet to put any action to. So meeting Grace in person is an inspiration, to know that someone has done it before me and as Singapore entreprenerĀ Adam Khoo would say, “If I can do it, so can you!” Although in this case, it would be, “If Grace can do it, so can you!”. This is a principle I’ve always adopted in life – if I want to achieve something, I’d look to someone who has done it before, and be convinced that if someone has done it before me, surely I can as well! šŸ™‚

Overall book review: 5/5

I’d give this book a 5/5 for it’s content, delivery and layout. For what it’s worth ($22), Grace has shared so many helpful tips in the book that even with many years of blogging, I still found more than 50% of the content to be new and inspiring. It definitely helped that she has interviewed 7 other Singaporean bloggers (Patrick Liew, Celestine Chew, Silver Ang, Alvin Lin, Renee Lorentzen, Daniel Ang & Melissa Koh) who generously shared their experiences about blogging. I love Grace’s writing in the sense that it reads pretty much like how she’d speak to you in person, like a friend. No boring corporate speech but very friendly and engaging. Lastly, the layout was very easy on the eye and there would be lightbulb graphics to emphasize on certain topics of issue of note. If I were a complete newbie to blogging, I might even add a star * to 5/5 because she even has screenshots to detail step by step how to create a blog. That’s a lot of effort for your convenience. Overall, this book is definitely value for money, although I think if there was a special discount for students, it would be even better. As $22 isn’t a lot for me as a working adult but it would be for a student. šŸ˜›

Do go by her blog to check out a Book Hunt giveaway with total $1000 worth of SK-II products. 7 winners will be chosen with at least $100 product each! >>http://workingwithgrace.wordpress.com/2013/08/16/book-hunt-for-s1000-sk-ii-products/Ā Contest ends 12 October, so gotta hurry! For list of places to buy her book, see below. šŸ™‚

Now onto the 2 hour free workshop I attend along with 5 other bloggers!

 Grace Tan Blogging Workshop Review 22nd Sept 2013

From left to right: Joanna, Nasri, Carol, Leesa, Grace, Myself and Steven.

Overall workshop review: 4/5

I’ve got to say, my favourite part of attending the session was definitely meeting Grace in person. She is simply one of the most down to earth and honest person I know. She simply speaks her mind, gives excellent advice based on her real life experiences.

To be more specific, her advice for getting more traffic to one’s blog is to make opportunities to appear in mainstream media, such as Television (although, who still watches that? :P), newspapers and radio stations. This will greatly increase a blogger’s credibility and awareness. Perhaps it’s not simply about appearing in the media, but to also own the bragging rights to have appeared on the media, as a badge on your blog and book. šŸ˜‰

Another practical tip she gave on how to be a better blogger is to commit to blogging consistently at least once a week. This is something I have a lot of problems with because I have no obligation to blog, and thus it makes it difficult for me to make a commitment:P However I do see the potential that my blog has, to grow to be a platform known for good recommendations and in-depth reviews for readers and thus I am definitely inspired from the workshop to take my blogging more seriously!Ā Grace is very driven to make a proper/full time income/living off her blog. She sees how every effort she makes towards her blog as a business strategy and opportunity for income and that, is something that is really not easy for many.

Lastly, I am most inspired about how clear she is about living, that she desires to do the things in life that makes her happy and not to waste any moment of it. If there was only one thing I could take away from the workshop, it would definitely be that I want to be able to make decisions that will guide me to a happy living – whether physically, emotionally or spiritually. The reason why I didn’t give the workshop a perfect score is because the session was a tad too long, would be great if it could have been 1.5 hours instead of 2. šŸ™‚

Here’s my review of the workshop, also seen on Grace’s blog:

Jia En, Digital Marketer and Blogger: ā€œI like that I learnt how to be consistent in blogging by making a commitment ā€“ like blogging every Sunday. Thank you Grace, I really appreciate your time and sharingā€..

It’s actually longer than that, but I guess you have the full version above already! šŸ™‚

Do check out and like Grace’s Facebook page.

xx

Ena

You can purchase the Blogging for a Living book at these places here:

1) MPH

Raffles City:Ā 6336 4232

PARCO Millenia:Ā 6336 4232

Robinson Road:Ā 6222 6423

2) KinokuniyaĀ [website]

Singapore Main Store (Ngee Ann City)
Tel: +65 6737 5021

Liang Court Store
Tel: +65 6337 1300

Bugis Junction Store
Tel: +65 6339 1790

Jurong Store
Tel: +65 6430 0868

3) TimesĀ [website]

JCube:Ā 66844150

Jelita:Ā 6466 5702

Tampines 1:Ā 6782 7017

Centrepoint:Ā 6734 9022

Marina Square:Ā 6334 4650

Paragon:Ā 6836 6182

Plaza Singapura:Ā 63368861

4) Popular BookstoresĀ ->Ā Full list of contact numbersĀ HERE

 

Related articles

3 things no one told you before graduation

graduation

I’ve penned several notes about work post graduation but just have not gotten down to compiling them into a sensible post on the blog until now. I’m wary about posting things too personal on the internet in general, lest I look back in the future and cringe at my past self. A bigger reason is of course I worry, tho I’d like to think them as unfounded, about people reading what I write and judging me for it. Which leads me to digress – why am I, or I believe why are we humans so fearful for others’ judgement on us? It isn’t to say that others’ opinions of us will make us more or less of whom we already are, if that makes sense to you.

So anyway, lengthy introduction aside, if I have not already bored you away, here goes my list of 3 things no one told you before graduation:

1.Ā Be certain of uncertainty.

You know how in school we always have that next thing to look forward to? The next semester, the next exam, the next academic year, the next grade, etc.

But when you come to the working world you’ll find that things aren’t as clear cut. There isn’t (for most people or for me at least) a certain bar that you need to meet and pass before you rise up and go on to the next stage or level. Sure, some routes are tried and tested, perhaps you have a manager above you and you have an idea of how long you’ve got to work before you’ll rise to his level. But in the world of business (yes, so if you belong to the public sector this might not be that relevant to you), there is no guarantee. In worse case scenarios the company might go down but in the best case scenarios you might be promoted and be placed in higher position/s that comes with responsibilities perhaps more than you can manage.

2. Ā If you have a choice with whom you can work with, then pick people you’re comfortable with.Ā 

Some of you reading this might go, “Jia En/Ena, isn’t that a “duh/ needless to state opinion” ? Yes, to many it’s common sense, but sometimes in the hustle and bustle and the thick of working life, we forget things. We think that just cause we have goals to meet and benefits to gain from another party, we simply have to suck it up and work with people are simply plain bad. That’s not true.

To elaborate, I’d like to humbly suggest for you to choose toĀ work with accountable and responsible people. If you’re the person in charge, then you’d better be accountable and responsible. Choose to work with people you like and likes you back. I can’t emphasize enough how this mutual good feeling of the other party contributes to the success of a project.

3. Chances are, you’re the only one who feels for your dreams and ambitions and the only one responsible to make them come true.

Yes, keeping in line with the idealistic self in me, and thankfully still am at the young but not so tender age of 23, I still believe in having dreams and ambitions and making them come true.

It’s true. When you’re working for someone else, you’re working and helping them make their dreams come true. Unless your dream is to see the team and company succeed, then it becomes your dream as well.

But what about your dreams and ambitions? The truth is, no one else but you will be responsible for making them come true.Ā If you don’t work on making your dreams come true, chances are, no one else will.

I’ve had a wake up call just recently, on one of the past day this week. I love what I’m doing now but being realistic and wanting to get on faster in the professional life is pointing me to another direction in life that I’ve previously turned down. Anthony Robbins once said, “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve gotten.” And thus, to get what you don’t have, you’ll have to do what you’ve never done. And that my friends, is my wake up call. I want so many things in life, and I know that I have the capability to do so, but I need to take that big step and do it.

Cheers, to life, to knowledge and taking action!

xo

Etude House Pink Play Party

Hello!

If you’ve followed me on my instagram @ena_teo, you’ve seen on last Monday night that I posted about my excitement about attending Etude House Pink Play Party the next day:

SHINee & Sulli
Etude House Pink Play Party Official Poster

I’ll post some photos and videos taken during the event followed about my thoughts and review! šŸ™‚

Etude House Pink Play Party Registration Booth
Registration booth for Media, yeah baby
Etude House Pink Play Party
Just one of the many many group of teenage girls!
It’s the 4th Pink Play Party by Etude House & the first in Singapore! Gotta love the cute Merlion graphic.
Etude House Pink Play Party Singapore
Pink Goodies & my pink heels! šŸ˜›

The collagen water tastes like Dolphin (brand) water and the popcorn had a pink powder coat…
I brought a pair of flats to change out from my heels! šŸ™‚

Outfit of the day
My #Ootd, My new GoJane glitter champagne dress & heels w pink & glitter coated nails. ^^
Pink Nail Art
Close up of my pink nails
Pink Heels
My pink heels, love the ruffle detail by the side!
Etude House Pink Play Party
Goodie bag with popcorn, water, fake/toy mirror, card holder, bb cream samples, wristband & SHINee badges!
Etude House SHINee Badges
I’ve got an extra set of SHINee Badges… anybody wants em?

Venue & Pre-party

The venue was held at the spacious MBS convention hall and there was ample space to go around, so thankfully despite hundreds of fan girls, we didn’t have to feel overwhelmed. The idea was, the concert starts at 7pm proper, but at 5pm, the doors are opened for everyone to try out all the makeup and game stations before you collect all the stamps to enter the stage arena, to save your space for the concert. Needless to say, all the girls rushed to complete and be the earliest in order to get the front row spaces and hence closer to their idols. Station wise, I was quite impressed with the station decor and placement as it was very well done and had girly, theme park vibe to the entire place, much like entering an Etude House theme park. I also think the idea of making them complete the stations in a fun way was a pretty smart way of making them interact with the brand instead of just mindlessly waiting for the concert.

Not so good thing: To get a ticket, one needs to buy $100 worth of Etude House items, technically $20 for one item to get a ticket, collect 5 different tickets to get a chance to be the 1st 400 participants to score invite to the Pink Play Party. Yes, it’s that insane. And that’s how dedicated Kpop / SHINee fan girls are. In a way, you could say the girls paid at least $100 to watch the boy group perform, and Etude House threw in products to boot. But it’s a lot of effort on the girls part in order to get 5 different tickets to then exchange for 1 chance. What if they didn’t make it to the first 400?

Pre-concert & ConcertĀ 

The doors opened at 5pm, my colleague & fellow Kpop lover Carissa and I reached at about 6. But since we had the Media invite, we didn’t have to go around to the stations to collect stamps before we could be admitted into the stage area to save our space for the concert. The event only started proper at 7.30 and the SHINee boys probably only came out at about 7.45pm. So that was approximately a total of 1 hr & 45 minutes of painful waiting which was necessary in order for us to get front row (technically we were standing behind one row of girls, but close enough!). I had to give it up for Kevin Lao Shi’s enthusiastic american accented English and his pretty and demure Kim Tae Hee lookalike model to make the 7 minutes make over pre-concert/obligatory Etude House marketing plug-in that much more bearable.

As for the concert, that was the real highlight! I highly doubt any girl bought tickets for the show to try on Etude House Make Up or check out Etude House theme park venue… It’s definitely for the boys!!! šŸ˜› For me, I was definitely satisfied(x200%)Ā to have seen the SHINee boys perform LIVE, about a mere 2metres away from me. šŸ˜€ Unfortunately my dearest Min Ho was not able to make it! šŸ™ Nonetheless I was still extremely stoked to have met Tae Min & Key. Of the 4 present, Key was the only if not the most engaging member who took more effort to reach out to audience by like waving and smiling and acknowledging the fans. <3

I wasn’t very sure if they would be able to perform as they do on Music Bank, but they sure did, and 4 times over! I didn’t expect anything less than them decked out in pink pastels to suit the Etude House vibe, but if you had expected them to appear in their cool chic image, you’d definitely be disappointed. Over all, they are really good looking, personally I feel that Tae Min looks the prettiest, followed by Onew, who looked better in real life then Key then Joon Hyun. Maybe it’s personal preference because Jong Hyun had a lot of fans in the crowd too!

This event was definitely enjoyable for me, as I got to see Tae Min and Key whom I watch on We Got Married (WGM), in person. They were definitely every bit good looking as they are on screen, duh. They are also really really skinny. I wonder how they have so much energy with so little body mass.Ā Ā >_< I also had a lot of fun experiencing the event and marvel at how Etude House, with their mission to make every girl a princess, integrate their user base’s passion for music and idols to be influencers for their brand across social media platforms (just like this article!). Pretty amazing and splendid job I must say! šŸ™‚

For more photos check them out on Clozette.co >> here!

xo

My Business Ideas

It’s no secret that I aspire to be an entrepreneur some day, and hopefully soon.

Here are some ideas that I was telling, albeit jokingly with my tummy/PPG aka friend Sandy after dinner while shopping around Marine Parade, on Tuesday night.

1. We walked past this Chinese pastry shop at the basement of Parkway Parade right at the entrance of the Food Republic and I bought a red bean pastry which is relatively tiny at $1.60. So I said in future I also wanna open a pastry shop and asked Sandy, who is great at contemporary designs, to help me design the store.

Traditional Teochew bakery Thye Moh Chan
This one: Traditional Teochew bakery Thye Moh Chan

2. Then I also mentioned to her that I always wanted to open a cafe and a tuition center.

Cafe
People with Caffeine Addiction = Money Making Cafe
Tuition Centre
Kiasu Parents + Competitive Culture = Money Making Tuition Centres, seriously.

3. So maybe I will open a designer cafe that sells Chinese pastries for parents to eat and chill while their kids are studying or having tuition at the tuition center next door. Idea? šŸ˜€ Of course the kids themselves can use the place to study and chill.

Light-Bulb
Chinese Pastries + Cafe + Tuition Centre = Innovative IDEA

4. Then while waiting for Sandy when she was in the rest room I took a look around the Ɖtude house shop which is a permanent stall near the atrium and I had SO MUCH FUN testing the lipsticks and pore eraser gels and blushers and what nots.

I want to buy them all!!! I want to be able to wear a new lip colour everyday, seriously.

Lip Colours
I tested more than these. TOO MANY COLOURS. A girl’s spoilt for choice!!!
Etude House Lip Colours
Grabbed this off somewhere else online, pretty sure they have like at least 3 different series of lip stick colours in store, 5 if you count in 2 lip gloss colour series. #Mindblowing #TooMuch #ConsumerismCulture

So I also wanna have my own cosmetics line! šŸ˜›

A girl's dream
A girl can dream, right? šŸ˜€

We also went shopping at Marks & Spencer and I discovered that they now have much nicer and younger stuff under the line “Per Una” and some of the perfumes smell really good!

This one is sweet but not sticky. Surprisingly affordable at S$25 for smaller bottles/vial, might also make sense to get a smaller bottle since perfumes take super long to finish.

5. The last business idea I have is one that I’ve thought about recently and wondered if I should really just give this a shot, which is to start giving small and casual talks on personal grooming and fashion tips since I graduated with a degree in Fashion Media & Industries (read marketing & management). It is definitely a topic that I am enthusiastic about and would love to share about it naturally and it also seems to be like a ready market where people would like to learn hands on and practically how they can improve on their personal style and pick up some fashion tips, right?

Fashion Styling & Grooming
Will you trust me to dish fashion styling advice & grooming tips?
MAC-by-Carine-Roitfeld-Collection-1
Can I be the next Carine Roitfeld?
anna-wintour-1
Or Asia’s Anna Wintour, maybe?

So with 5 good business ideas and the first three can be related…

Does anyone want to open a business with me? I do not have capital to offer but I have many wonderful ideas, an energetic youthful passion and a believe that with excellent products and stellar marketing, we can change the world (see Apple).

You may email me at enabalista@gmail.com, for serious offers only please. šŸ™‚

Call me
I’ll be waiting for your email. šŸ˜‰

xo

P.S. I’ve been writing blog posts while traveling commuting, can’t wait to share my other posts.

A New Fashion Video Platform

Hello!

So today I’m blogging the third & last part of Ā my LASALLE takeaway series, ending off with my mid term research presentations, both the essay and the project.

StyleAsia

StyleAsia Teaser Video Cover

My final presentation’s on a business proposal for Asia’s first Fashion Video platform combining commerce and community. Imagine Youtube’s video platform, ASOS shopping site and WordPress or LinkedIn community. That’s what we’re talking about! I initially termed it StyleAsia. But for the final name it’s something else. I’m not posting about it yet or publishing it publicly… As I hope I can find a team or business to really create this platform, if God allows. šŸ™‚

So what you’ll be seeing here today, for my essay research presentation, was my initial idea on the rise of blogging, vlogging and its impact on the fashion industry.

The business idea to create a bloggers management entity was later aborted because blogging is on a downwards trend. So I pivoted the idea to a video platform as video production and consumption is on an upwards trend.Ā Cisco research says in 2013, 90% of internet traffic is driven by video content! Yeah baby!

So here are the works I’ve done for my final year’s mid terms!:

Research on rise of bloggers and vloggers and their impact:

Mid-term research on the Fashion Video Platform business concept:

Accompanying StyleAsia Teaser Video:

If you’d like to find out more about my:

1. Final Thesis titled:

FashionŹ¼s Digital Frontier:Ā How successful fashion brands utilize online videos to brand andĀ market themselves in the social media sphere to achieve internationalĀ recognition.

2. Final Business proposal on the World and Asia’s first Fashion Video platform that combines commerce and community

You can email me your business enquiries at teojiaen90@gmail.com.

For other non business related queries, email me at enabalista@gmail.com! šŸ™‚

That’s all for now!

<3,

Ena

What is Fashion Marketing & Management?

Giorgio Armani

Giorgio Armani, the man touted to be both a brilliant designer & businessman.

For the last 3 years I’ve been studying Fashion Marketing and Management in LASALLE College of the Arts, under the degree title BA(Hons) Fashion Media & Industries.

When people ask me about what I study and I reply “Fashion Management (sometimes adding & Marketing)”.

They will almost always react with a “Wow! ?!”

And followed by, “So what is that?” or “What exactly do you study?”

Well, so my blog post today is to answer and clarify what Fashion Management and Marketing Studies is exactly! This way, you also have a better idea of what I have been doing for the last 3 years and where my skills, knowledge and specialization lies. šŸ™‚

Usually I will answer in a nutshell that Fashion Management & Marketing is the basically Business Marketing studies but specific to the Fashion industry and we also study Fashion theories, history, trends, creative direction and graphic design.

But to be more specific, the modules I have taken in the last three years include:

Marketing,
Advertising,
Cultural and Contextual Studies in Fashion (Fashion theories, history, academic research and writing),
Branding,
Integrated Marketing Communications,
Visualization and Presentation (both digital and traditional, i.e. drawing by hand, softwares like Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign),
Finance (Budgeting, Financial Proposals)
Visual Merchandising,
Entrepreneurship,
Project Management,
Product Development,
Fashion Retail,
International Fashion Marketing
& Studio for putting our soft skills & knowledge into practical proposals such as Concept stores and Brands.

It is tough to define what Fashion Management and Marketing is exactly, but I have googled and found two pretty decent answers:

Fashion management is the promotion of apparel sales and involves all of the tasks necessary to deliver the clothing requests and meet the needs of potential customers and designers. Developing campaigns, displays and advertisements, directing manufacturing and marketing, and creating sales strategies are the various parts of Fashion management. Credits here.

Fashion marketing is much the same as product marketing. Integrating brand into the product is something always popular in the fashion world for many popular retail fashion wares. Basically fashion marketing is marketing to either fashion conscious consumers or to distribution channels such as retail franchises and so forth. Credits here.

So you may ask, why did I decide to study something as specific as Fashion Marketing and Management?

The reasons are simple, I love Fashion and I discovered after JC (Junior College) that I was more interested in the Business of Fashion rather than design. Also I really love branding, design and marketing. Also back then, after JC, I thought I wanted to be a Fashion Buyer. But over the last four years I have changed my mind.

I am not exactly sure yet what I am going to do or be in the near and distant future, if it will be directly related to Fashion or not, but I am quite sure that the skills and knowledge that I have picked up over the last 3 years will still be relevant wherever I may be.

You may also ask, so what are the Career prospects of Fashion Marketing and Management studies?

The typical ones will be, but not limited to:

Retail Manager
Stylist
Visual Merchandiser
Fashion Buyer
Public Relations Manager
Human Resource Manager
Production Manager
Fashion Journalist
Entrepreneur of Fashion Brand/Label/Marketing firm/Fashion related business

So now that you have a better idea of what Fashion Management and Marketing is, you might wanna check out the works I’ve done in Year 2, from August 2011-April 2012:

Reports:

Retail Scene for Concept Store in Singapore
Fashion Essay: Define Radical Fashion. Case Studies Alexander McQueen & Azzedine Alaia
Group Branding Proposal for Multi-label Concept Store Biaten
Proposed Branding Creative Brief for Accessories Brand Allure
Fashion Critical / Literature Review on Sustainable FashionĀ 
Group Project Comparing & Constrasting 3 Departmental Stores in Singapore

Slides:

That’s all! Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below!

x

Ena

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

Ena Lasalle

Hi! I’m beginning a series of Ena’s LASALLEĀ 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. šŸ™‚

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. šŸ™‚

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 EmergencyĀ 

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

Enjoy browsing these Powerpoints slides I’ve uploaded on my Slideshare account. šŸ™‚

 

Your Pass to Digital Fashion Week 2012

Hi lovelies!

I’m here to announce the first ever Digital Fashion Week happen right here in Singapore, right here on the internet where everyone with internet connection can access to Front Row views of the fashion shows!

Digital Fashion Week is truly revolutionary, being the world’s first live-streaming only fashion week, no front row guests at the show, where home-grown Singaporean designers will be presenting along side international designers.

Additionally, viewers online can purchase the runway pieces seen in the videos on Zalora, a Singapore based e-commerce website. Check out the DFW specific site here.

Digital Fashion Week takes place live from 20-22 October.

DFW features Singaporean designers Thomas Wee, Pauline.Ning, Tse Goh, JR Chan of J-A-S-O-N, Eugene Lin, OwnMuse and acclaimed Chinese designer, Guo Pei Ci.

Featured celebrity personalities include legendary stylist Patricia Field of Sex and the City fame, latest America’s Next Top Model Winner Sophie Summer and androgynous super model Andrej Pejic (he deserves a whole blog post on his own, which I will post!).

Check out the schedules for the Fashion Shows, Google+ Hangout timings with the designers and backstage happenings on http://www.digitalfashionweek.com/

You can also follow DFW on these social media platforms:

Youtube –Ā http://www.youtube.com/DigitalFashionWeek

Google+ – Digital Fashion Week

Facebook – DigitalFashionWeek

Twitter – @DigitalFashWeek

Instagram – @digitalfashionweek

Go watch DFW NOW on Youtube here!

L.o.L,

Ena

Images credit to DigitalFashionWeek.

Book Recommendation | The Luxury Strategy : Break the Rules of Marketing to Build Luxury Brands by J.N. Kapferer and V. Bastien

The Luxury Strategy : Break the Rules of Marketing to Build Luxury Brands is written by Jean-Noel Kapferer andĀ  Vincent Bastien.

Book introduction from Amazon:

Luxury is in fashion and is now to be found in almost every retail, manufacturing and service sector. New terms like “mass-luxury,” “new luxury” and “hyper luxury” attempt to qualify luxury, causing confusion today about what really makes a luxury product, a luxury brand or a luxury company.

Luxury experts Jean-Noel Kapferer and Vincent Bastien provide the first rigorous blueprint for effectively managing luxury brands and companies at the highest level. The new edition of The Luxury Strategy includes more information about digital strategy, globalization, sustainable development and why luxury brands are resilient to recessions.

It analyzes in depth the essence of luxury, highlights its managerial implications and rationalizes the highly original methods ā€“ often very far from the usual marketing strategies ā€“ used to transform small family businesses such as Ferrari, BMW, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Chanel, Armani or Ralph Lauren into worldwide successes.

The Luxury Strategy rationalizes those business models which have achieved profitability, while sustaining the luxury status of their brands, and sets out the counter-intuitive rules for successfully marketing luxury goods and services.

My review:

Published in the early 2009, this book attempts to piece together the strategies for luxury to survive in todayā€™s cut throat economy.

I wanted to read the book because Iā€™ve been studying about Fashion, high-end luxury fashion to be exact and I was very intrigued to know more about luxury.

I have to admit, I have not completed the book but Iā€™ve read more than half of the book and Iā€™ve gained a lot of insights. Each chapter is like a professionally written academic article about luxury. Interestingly, Iā€™ve read another review on the book which Iā€™ll link below and it says itā€™s supposed to be a manual for new luxury brand entrepreneurs but I think itā€™s more appropriate for it to be like a text-book for luxury brand marketers and managers, which is logical considering both authors are current professors in HEC.

The book begins with the history and philosophy of luxury, which is to live beyond death, think Pharaoh in Egypt and to create a legacy. And I must say, the book has clearly defined luxury and premium. Luxury is repeatedly stated as a dream, a desirable object that is created artistically while premium is the highest tier of a normal range product, with added function for value. Ferrari is luxury, but Lexus is premium. I wonā€™t bother explaining in detail here because the authors did a splendid job in the book and I wonā€™t be doing it justice at all by attempting.

There were several useful graphs in the book that helped to illustrate the various concepts of luxury or what makes a lucury brand which I thought were very insightful.

So in conclusion, I would strongly recommend this book for ALL marketing and brand owners because you will be able to learn how Luxury works and take a few tips for your own brand! Creating a desire and a dream is not a special privilege for the Luxury consumers. Mid-range brands that have identified this early in the game are already winning (Think Mr Bean Soya Bean Milk Franchaise in Singapore, or global brand H&M). Also itā€™s also a great read for all luxury lovers who wants to know more about luxury and be further educated on the topic. It would be terrible if you bought a luxury product and realize itā€™s actually a premium brand isnā€™t it? Iā€™m kidding. šŸ˜› Youā€™d generally be safe if the press says/splashes on the news ā€œLUXURY BRAND XXXā€.

Jokes aside, The Luxury Book is a very information guide and itā€™s not for skimming. Youā€™ve been warned, if you are going to borrow it from the local libracy like I did, then Iā€™d say itā€™ll take a good 2 weeks to really complete each chapter a night. Think of it as a Luxury Strategy Bible! (;

I read the first few chapters and tried to skim the rest but I couldnā€™t because there were just too many new concepts and graphs to grasp so I hope to get my hands on the book again.

If you enjoyed my review, do check out a more daring and differing review on Forbes here.

Also I just found out that thereā€™ll beĀ  NEW EDITION coming out in October and pre-orders are available! You can preorder on Amazon here:

The Luxury Strategy 2012 Edition

Book introduction on Amazon:

Luxury is in fashion and is now to be found in almost every retail, manufacturing and service sector. New terms like “mass-luxury,” “new luxury” and “hyper luxury” attempt to qualify luxury, causing confusion today about what really makes a luxury product, a luxury brand or a luxury company.

Luxury experts Jean-Noel Kapferer and Vincent Bastien provide the first rigorous blueprint for effectively managing luxury brands and companies at the highest level. The new edition of The Luxury Strategy includes more information about digital strategy, globalization, sustainable development and why luxury brands are resilient to recessions.

It analyzes in depth the essence of luxury, highlights its managerial implications and rationalizes the highly original methods ā€“ often very far from the usual marketing strategies ā€“ used to transform small family businesses such as Ferrari, BMW, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Chanel, Armani or Ralph Lauren into worldwide successes.

The Luxury Strategy rationalizes those business models which have achieved profitability, while sustaining the luxury status of their brands, and sets out the counter-intuitive rules for successfully marketing luxury goods and services.

Check out the authors’ profiles on HEC here.

A little more trivia, thoughts on my mind:

I used to want to further my studies in Luxury Branding, it was my dream to take up Masters in Luxury Branding / Strategy in Europe, Paris. So it would have been my dream to have these authors as my professors. But I now have a different perspective in life. I don’t want to study to learn to be an excellent marketer or manager anymore. I want to be my own boss. I’d still want to continue studying, but I also want to be working and learn how to manage my own business at the same time. I’m not sure if I’ll continue my studies after my degree yet, I’ll start work first and see how it goes! (;

Book Recommendation | How to Sell and Market Your Way Out of This Recession and Get Your Business Buzzing Like Never Before (even Though Your Customers Don’t Want to Know!)

There are a few reasons why I picked up the book by Bate.

The first of which is that the bright fluorescent orange colour caught my attention as I browsed at the Marketing books department in the local library.

The second, of course is that I am about to enter the real estate industry and I wanted to arm myself with useful sales knowledge in a downturn economy. Despite a super lengthy title, which by the way is one of those big no-no rules for a book title because too long people cannot remember and recommend, I was keen to browse through it as it made me interested to see what the author has to say.

Check out the screen shots of the contents page I took from Amazon’s website. You can check out some of the pages of the book here.

What is superb about the book is that Bate is very detailed about what you should say to your clients / business prospects. He even writes the actual questions you can ask your clients to improve your business. Itā€™s a business manual and thatā€™s what makes it awesome. See what I mean for yourself here, another screenshot from Amazon:

Talking about awesome, it reminds me of one of my favourite lines from the book and it goes,

“Simply decide to be awesome. They will be after you. You can name your price.” – Nicholas Bate

And I believe thatā€™s how Bate lives his life and writes his book thatā€™s why itā€™s awesome and thatā€™s why if you are business owner or you are a sales person, you should pick up the book!

Another tip I love, okay, last one because if not you’ve got no impetus to go read the book for yourself. Under the Negotiation chapter, he says, which I paraphrase, ā€œGive small and always make sure you get some back in return.ā€ So that itā€™s a win-win! Smart eh?

You can buy the book on Amazon here.

Let me tell you something amazing that happened recently after I read Bateā€™s book. Please be forewarned that there is some serious gushing ahead. So it goes, because I was so impressed by Bateā€™s writing, I decided to quote him on my Twitter to share with my followers, which is the line that goes “Simply decide to be awesome. They will be after you. You can name your price.” and it turns out that Bate himself came across my tweet and emailed me to offer to send me a couple of his books. I was so pleasantly surprised to receive his email that I felt like I struck lottery. Then I realized, Iā€™m more enamored by book authors than celebrities. When I saw many celebrities at Audi Fashion Festival in Singapore, they seemed like pretty faces that stepped out of a screen and I was very calm but when I saw Robert Kiyosaki in real life, and when Nicholas Bate wrote a personal email to me, I felt very excited. HAHA. Iā€™m definitely a geek. šŸ˜€

I am looking forward to read more of Nicholas Bateā€™s books and reviewing them here on my blog!

Let me know if youā€™ve read Bate’s books or any good sales and marketing books by sharing under comments!

xx