Surprise Yourself with Hundred & Nine

Happy Chinese New Ears guys! (Hehe, pun intended!) I got my first ever surprise box from Hundred & Nine. I am quite impressed with the owner cos she got my taste pretty well. Even the "adventurous ear-goodies" were also within my "acceptable range". One of the sweetest owners I would say, cos each ear-rings came with 2 studs (another first for me).

If you are a frequent reader, you would know that I love changing my ears accessories to suit different occasions. Today, I found another place with great earrings designs. And...if you are on a tight budget, fret not, cos their price are pretty reasonable.

1. Daisy Ear Crawlers ($7.90)

I cheated a little here and requested for this piece and I am so glad I did cos this piece is gorgeous. I am something similar as a wedding gift from my mum. FYI, such pieces can be worn both ways either as a cuff or dangling down. But I always feel it defeats the purpose to wear it dangling downwards, so I always wear mine as a cuff.

It is a dainty and classy piece and I enjoy wearing to work. Sometimes, if I have something fancy after work, I would also pop this piece on cos it is just so versatile. Most importantly, it is only $7.90. Such a steal!

2. Moon-Star Drop Earring ($9.90)

It seems like I am starting 2020 on a more sweet, docile vibe. Oops, I cheated again and this is another piece I explicitly stated was my style. Haha. It is a great piece, but I am a little swayed towards the daisy crawlers. Plus this piece is slightly more expensive too! :P

I personally think that this earring may have some imitations in the market but the crystals won't be as shiny as this set. For something so tiny, it is rather sparkly and eye-catching. 

3. Mermaid Tail Drop Earring ($9.90)

This is the first surprise from my Surprise Box. Honestly, I am quite surprised to like it that much. It is a very interesting design and I really love playing with he dangling tail. In fact, I think I might even like this piece more than the Moon-Star Drop Earring. I guess it is true that someone might even know you more than you know yourself. 

As a fan of the mystics myself, I think if you have any friends who love the imaginary hocus pocus, this would make a very lovely, classy piece for them. Plus, it doesn't quite burn a hole in your pockets. 

4. Fiesta Bauble Studs ($8.90)

This is my favourite in the whole selection. And there is no reason not to love it. First of all, the design is extraordinarily unique. The baubles are filled with sparkly beads and a frozen rose. The catchment is also quite mind-boggling. There is this rubber material that can make way for the stud. So no matter how many times you poke it, there won't be any additional holes. 

I had a mini modeling gig and wore this set. My colleagues kept commenting I might have worn the wrong way. The thing is you can wear either the big bauble or small bauble in front. But it will look more easy on the eye if you keep the big bauble in front Haha. Apart from the festive red, I find the pastel pink quite a romantic piece suited for V-day! *winks* You know what to get, boys!

5. Encased Druzy & Pearls Asymmetrical Earring ($8.90)

My last surprise piece didn't quite grow on me. Don't get me wrong, it is a pretty and elegant piece. But I think Druzy still ain't my thing. If both of the sides were the dangling pearls, this might fly up on my list to one of my favourite dangling favs. In fact, I might even have a piece like this made from real pearls. 

But you know what, one woman's disdain might be another woman's love. This piece was an apple of my mother's eye. So I guess you know whose ears you will be seeing them on in future. Maybe Druzy are more mature crystals that I may eventually love in life. You might see me snatching them back from my Mama. :P The next time you purchase your ear candies, go ask for a surprise box! It will stretch you to try out more styles and there is always somewhat guaranteed euphoria in surprises :D

Update: Quote "ChaaYen15" for a 15% discount storewide. 

Stay Flawless with Iryasa

Recently, I am super busy...boo hoo hoo. No thanks to the festivities. With stress, little sleep, my skin has been looking kinda of dull (like my mood, kidding). When I am in a rush, I actually dash off without make-up (this might be shocking to you girls who are very into make-up). So it is imperative for me to keep my skin in tip top condition.

I do a bit of facial once a month. Honestly, if you don't do daily maintenance, it can be quite difficult to maintain a dewy, radiant look without make-up. To help my skin get pass these days, I have been trying out some products from Iryasa.

Day-Products

Just to share, these are the 2 products I use for the day. Every morning, I will dab on the Day Luxuriate Gel ($42).  This product won me over with its dainty pink colour and spa-like fragrance. There is some therapeutic de-stressing effect when you apply on your face each morning. Don't be be fooled by its appearance because this product contains lots of plant-based antioxidants that helps to give you face a moistured, glowy look. Day Luxuriate Gel looks a bit viscous, but it is really light on the face, you can barely even feel it. Thumbs up. 

The other product I use is the facial mist ($26) which you can double up as a toner. I am not very consistent in using it because I use it more as a freshener whenever I am feeling warm. If the bottle was a little smaller, I would bring it along with me. But now it is sitting at my office. It is quite fast at refreshing my tired and is definitely one of the better facial mist I have used thus far. Its potency is probably due to the rich botanical extracts and antioxidants ingredients such as aloe vera, green tea, ylang ylang, holy basil and chamomile. 

Night-Products

For the night, I use the night indulge cream ($48) which has a light lemon scent.  For optimum effect, the night indulge cream should be used on every night. There are some nights I am so drained I just skip this product and the effects can be quite visible The night indulge cream helps to boost the moisture level in the skin. So when I don't use it, my skin looks visibly drier in the morning. 

Other effects of the night indulge cream includes slowing down the signs of aging and reducing hyperpigmentation. I can't really verify the effects of this as of this point because I haven't been using it for that long a period but so far I am quite pleased with the hydration effect. I just need to make my skincare routine part of my bedtime habit and not be lazy!

Apart from the products I am using, Iryasa has quite a wide range of products. Given the effectiveness of their products, I am quite keen to try out the Under Eye Oil ($27), Purifying Face Oil ($88) as well as the essential oil series. From now until 2nd Feb, you can get $18 off for any purchases above $88 using the discount code "Prosper". It is quite a good time to buy if you are interested to try out their products! :)

Ready for CNY with Nat Collection

If you ask me if "more is more" applicable, I would give a resounding yes. Because this statement definitely holds true for earrings. Somehow or another, there are always more designs that steal my heart. Only one pair of ears, but a pair for each occasion :D

Today, my collection comes from Nat Collection. It is a case I would call a good haul because I love them all. <3 And the amazing thing about their packaging is that all their earrings came with a heart sponge, so all the ear studs remain straight and intact. Super considerate. 

1. Peach Earrings

This is my favourite in the haul because is so realistically cute. To date, I don have any food-related earrings. So this is really a first for me. (Me "um-chio-ing" at how pretty they are on my ears.) In the Chinese traditions, peach are very auspicious fruits because they represent longevity.

There are quite a bit of events I think I can wear it for. This is definitely CNY appropriate and I am definitely going to wear it for my ah-ma's bday. I think it will get a lot of compliments for the old folks. #BestMillienial

2. Cat Earrings

It is the ear of the mouse, but cats will do as well. In fact, I will be wearing cat-like for CNY so stay tune for that LOTD. Call me crazy, I bought the dress to match my earrings...haha. If you are a cat-lady or simply a meow-lover, this is a must-have to your collection. Catch all the lucky mice this CNY! Huat!

Nat Collection has quite a cute selection of asymmetrical earrings. Will be showcasing 2 more seres in their collection. It is time to give each ear some personality, don't you think :P

Here's a break from my face for you....lol. My next set is the perfect piece to wear to catch at the next solar phenomenon. Presenting...

3. Planets Earrings

If you are female version of my bro who is obsessed with the solar system, this is a geek-chic piece. Actually it might be even a great conversation starter too given that there are some many elements in the design. Clouds, plants, stars etc. Maybe you might even "hook" yourself a new like-minded friend with this...hehe. 

The colour combination of this piece is really appealing to me. The blue is a unique dark turquoise and blue with gold is always a winner in my eyes. The next time I am checking out the astronomical phenomenon, my ears will be ready! Whee!

4. Parrot Earring

Cactus was in. Flamingo was once upon trendy. Unicorn used to be the next big thing. I don't know for you, but it is quite difficult for me to predict the next hype. But one thing I know for sure, the parrots hasn't been in the "Hot" list yet...which means it has a chance to be there. So I am holding to this piece and waiting for its moment to shine.

I find this piece adoringly philosophical. On one ear, it is so prim, normal and casual. On the other ear, out of the blue, a parrot perches on top of the round ready to mimic. It does reflect a lot about the multiple facets of humans , which may be at time at contradictory. Going deep last minute to leave you some moments to think how accessories can reflect life. :P

Only the finest with Shabestan

If you are into something exotic, you are in luck. Because today, I will be sharing about one of the finest Persian cuisine I ever had in my whole life. This is my second time having food from the middle east region and the experience was so different from my first. The first time I had such food was at a shop at Tanjong Pagar at a recommendation of my colleague. Boy oh boy, that was the last time I ever wanted to taste such food.

The good thing about me is that I am always open to second chances. And there are good reasons for doing so. Shebestan is a fine example of that. If I didn't give middle eastern food another chance, I would have never stumbled upon this gem. While I was at Shebestan, I noticed that most of their clientele was non-Chinese. Quite a pity really, because their taste is quite suitable for locals.

It has been such a long while since I came to a restaurant which I have absolutely nothing but raves for. From left to right, top to bottom:

1. Tabouli Salad ($12): We ordered this simply because the other table beside us had this. And I am glad we did that cos this is an extremely good appetizer. This dish is made of familiar vegetables such as chopped parsley, onions and tomatoes, but the taste is highly unfamiliar and in a very, very good way. It is not a typical salad, so try it if you must. 

2. Soups - Ash Reshth or Soup E-Jow ($11): Generally, I will never recommend having 2 soups at a restaurant because one would always be an obvious winner. But this time round, I am truly conflicted. I think I ever had Ash Reshth (a yogurt-based lentil soup with Persian noodles) elsewhere and it was horrid, but this was divine. I slurped up both the soup. Chef Hamid told us that the soups are boiled and brewed for hours to get such a taste, and I am thankful he put so much effort into food preparation. Otherwise, we would never taste such goodness. Go for both cos they are just that good. 

3. Appetiser Platter ($35): The dips for this is out of this world. If they sell the dips in bottles, I might have bought a few for my bread. You get 5 dips in total. All are excellent but I will rank them for your sake. Homemade Cheese -> Muhamara (walnuts) -> Hummus -> Borani Esfanaj (spinach), Halim Bademjan (eggplant). Personally, I feel that the salad, soups and appetizer platter would serve as a good meal for 2 already. So come in a group if you want to taste more of what Shebestan can offer. 

4. Horesh-E-Gureh-O-Jujeh-O-Bademjan ($30): I feel really bad for this dish because I felt like a bad parent comparing my kids, and this was the kid that didn't do as well. Mind you, this spring chicken is still an A, the flesh was so tender that it tore off the bone. But the thing is, if I have limited stomach space, I am going to give this a miss because I think I can find something similar outside. 

Yes, we stuffed ourselves for your sake, so read on. From left to right, top to bottom:

5. Persian Saffron Ice Cream ($8): This was the last dish I had there. Madan, the store manager insisted that I had to try this when I told him I was too full. And I am glad I caved in, cos this pistachios ice-cream is out of this world and Shebestan isn''t even an ice-cream maker. I told him I only have room for 1. After I had it, I actually had room for 2. Haha. Dang Desserts Tummy. 

6. Shabestan Platter for 4 ($165): Value-for-money, this is what I would call it. It is definitely too much meat for 4, it is more like for a party of 8. You get to taste all the meat, but I am not into all. Highlights for me are the prawn kebab (Yes, for someone with slight prawn allergies, I risked it all because this was exceptional), lamb on the bone, beef fillet (always a beef girl). 

7. Assorted Rice: This is a special made, so ask for it when you are there. I love all the rice types, especially the rice biscuits. All I can say about Shebestan is that you either never had such dish before or had it elsewhere but they just seem to do it better. It is not a little better but so much better, till it is memorable and you know you will come back for more. 

8. Drinks selection: Most restaurants tend to lose focus when it comes to the sides and their drinks but not Shebestan. I can safely say, try anything that catches your eye because they never fail to impress.

Mind you, it is not only their food that is fine. If you want an intimate setting, grab a table indoors. If you want something more light-hearted, go alfresco. It is a perfect place for special occasions with family and friends. I don't think it comes as any surprise but Shebestan was awarded the Best Middle-eastern Restaurant in Singapore. 

For the Chinese Singaporeans, I think you are missing out. This is one hidden gem that you must try! For me, the question is when can I find the occassion to come back. Heehee.  

S10+: To new beginings

To ring in the new year, I finally got myself a new phone and a case for it. Lol. Quite honestly, my phone has been in the box for the longest time because I wanted to find something suitable and good for my phone. Finally found a pink spigen case for him which blocked my rather chio-looking prism white back casing. 

The rose colour is really pretty but it is still quite disaapointing cos the case didn't manage to fully protect my phone and it is quite expensive too. Generally S10+ has quite a good camera. I can now take better close-ups and do more effects. I am quite excited with the better quality of photos I will be able to post. Feels like a good new begining already.

I have been using Samsung for ages and I am embarrassed to share that I just recently knew that Samsung can map over your old phone's information. It is really cool, cos you save the time hassle of slowly downloading each and every app etc. Guess now you might be looking at a Samsung user for life. 

On the downside, the convenince made me too lazy to do a cleansing of the information in the phone. I still have a lot of crap in my phone and I didn't even bother to run through and cut down unused contacts in my phone. Gah. Guess I will sit down one day and do it, meanwhile I needa clear my backlog T.T To new beginings and hopefully more me time. Here I come 2020!