Thumb for Lego

If you have been following my blog for a while, you would know that I am quite a fan of Lego. I also have a soft spot of local crafters. When I came across the work done by Thumb for Lego, I felt obliged to do a post on it. If you look through the videos on how he makes each piece, you would feel the pain and hard work that goes into each thumbdrive. 

The Lego thumbdrive I have to say makes a very good gift for Lego fans. It is both practical and adorable. It is also very unique, I don't think you will ever pick up the wrong thumbdrive but I have to be honest...don't save too much important documents in it. Because I am sure there many thieves out there who is eyeing on your thumbdrive (less so your important documents).

When I show the Hubs and Lego fan friends the behind the scene video, the first thing they commented was "woa...so much work, sure not cheap" Crafting it sure isn't easy and I am sure given the tools used, there must have been quite a bit of injury while honing the skill. And for all this, Thumb for Lego could have charged a lot more. 

You will be happy to know that you can get a piece at S$36. For the rarer piece, of course, you may have to pay a little more. Still, it doesn't cost an arm and a leg. A Lego keychain typically cost around S$10, this means you are pretty much paying only S$26 for the crafter's effort!! Here are some videos of the exclusive behind the scene. Be prepared to be in awe. My advice: Quickly stock up for Christmas and anniversaries before Thumb for Lego inflates the price!!!

New Hairdo: Featuring That Shining Star

I chopped off my locks! The weather was seriously too warm for my liking and my hair was getting a littler unruly, so off it went. I was going for a Mako Mori look from Pacific Rim but because of baby, my hairstylist said no-no to any form of change in style that would involve any chemicals. So now, according to my desk buddy, I looked like a woman who offended her hairstylist. 

Honestly, I like my new haircut. It is really chic. If my face looks fat, it has nothing to do with the hairstyle, it might be because I am starting to bloat *nervous laugh* To keep this post light-hearted, I am going to feature the pixel accessories from That Shining Star (cos I am one too!)

Pokemon Series

I have no idea how my little boy is going to resist wrining these off my ears when he arrives. *Faints* I was so inspired by these earrings, I actually went to join a live plushie bid to win a Pokemon plush so that I can feature it in the shoot (but dang, it has been delayed and may not arrive for a while, so I guess you will see these earrings featured again in another post on live bidding :P)

If you want your look to pop literally, pixel earrings really do the job. I feel like I walked out from a 90s video game. It just gives an immediate touch of vibrancy! I have actually never tried pixel style, and I actually quite like the swag that comes along with it!

Weather Series

So far, That Shining Star  has only launched 2 series and both don't disappoint. The rainbow necklace made me wanna do a crazy nyan cat vomiting rainbow, haha. Feeling sad, wear them up your ears. The droplets earrings are insanely adorable as well. Despite the sizes, the accessories are really light and doesn't give too much additional burden. 

Another good point about pixel accessories, the plastic, waterproof texture pretty much means you can wash them without the fear about spoiling them. Great for me again because I keep sweating non-stop lately. Is there something wrong with the weather? Or is it just me? Hope you guys had a good break off baby talk, cos from the next post onwards, Baby is taking over ForFunk again!

Feeling fresh with Jomingo

If life has taught me anything, it seems that as I age, I try to be more environmentally conscious and I seem to gear towards natural products. I came across Jomingo (a local brand) and wanted to share with you guys about this natural deodorant that keep your underarm fresh and stench-free.

To share a bit more, this is actually the first time I am using an organic deodorant. For green friends, you would be happy to know that all ingredients used are natural and ethically sourced. The packaging is also biodegradable. Comparatively, the product may seem a bit more premative. You merely press the side to push the product up (it doesn't have the twist and turn system like our lipsticks) but it doesn't affect the experience.

We reviewed both the Grapefruit and Lisea Cubea scent from Jomingo. If you really love a grapefruit, you will be pleased to know that the grapefruit deodorant smells like the actual fruit. Lisea Cubea is made out of a mixture of aroma scents. Although the ingredients are not specifically listed, I can smell the lemongrass in it. Good for outdoor activities to keep the mosquitoes at bay. 

Generally, I find the deodorants sticks quite easy to use. You merely have to swipe it twice under your armpit and you are good to go. The application is not very even and you may need to flick away the bigger pieces but I don't really find it much of a turn-off. It doesn't keep your pit totally dry, but even when I sweat, I still feel fresh and smells good <3 Honestly, I don't see myself going back to chemical products, given that the organic products work well for me. I am sure some of you may have more questions, so feel free to send them over :D

Foptics: See Bae Happy

Decided to push forward this post instead because a lot of people have been asking about my new spectacles! (And also cos I wanted to give you guys a break from all my travel posts :P) What is so impressive about my new spectacles is its affordability and trendy designs. It is such a good deal that people have been badgering to release the post.

So oh well, guess I have to let this gem out of its bag - early. Foptics started off as an online shop and provides value-for-money prescription glasses. With its huge fan-base of happy customer, Foptics has now finally open its brick and mortar shop to serve them!

The thing about buying prescription glasses online is that you never fully know your prescription. At its shop, Foptics offer a free eye-test and even provide you your prescription. This allows you to buy your glasses online in future. Woohoo! Given that the shop is not really near my house, I was really happy that I have a more convenient option in future.

I have to admit that the selection at Foptics isn't the widest. But it has the latest designs and you will still find something you want there. There are fun frames and also the more serious looking ones which you can wear for work. I more or less knew what I wanted, so I tried on those that were of "Potter-Style". Hehe.

This is my first purchase with Foptics and I think I am already a fan:

1. The staff at Foptics are so nice and give a lot of suggestions/ help if you need it.
2. The store has a young vibe and I feel very at ease trying out the frames. You can just try them freely. 
3. Foptics accept online payment. It makes everything so easy. 
4. It is incredibly affordable. For an extra S$14, you can get a blue-light lens and they even explain to you through a demo on how the lens disperse blue light. See second collage for some demo photos. 
5. It makes wearing specs "in" again. I am so happy with my new look, I have shelved aside my Lasik plans. 

Within 3 working days, my specs were done. And I received my spectacles by post on Day 4. You could totally self-collect from the store. But I opted to top up a bit more for convenience. And I have been loving my specs ever since. I love that it is fun. I love that it shows my personality.

I love that it shapes my face well. I love that it reflects me better. I love the change and I love the new me. I guess you can really say I am "see bae happy" aka sibei happy with Foptics! Hope their shop won't be overwhelmed by the new customers that I have raved to :P

Wedding Talks: Plating and Inking

Happy V-day to all you lovebirds out there. Found a really interesting, customised present that may make a good anniversary present and thought I should share it with you. :)

I am not sure if you guys are familiar with plate-making. But for me, this is the first time (and definitely not the last) that I am being exposed to this. Just before you guys think this is all the way in Thailand (cos it looks so), it isn't, it is 100% local. #SupportLocal

First off, Plate Ink is located at J-Cube#02-71. If it is not convenient for you, you can always go on their online platform to purchase/design your plates in the own comfort of your home. But because there are so many options, if you are poor in colour-combi like me, you better make a trip down for consultation.

I started off not knowing what I want to finally having some clue of what I want. Mind you, I changed my mind back and forth repeatedly. Fortunately Ibrahim, the friendly designer/artist at Plate Ink was patient enough to give me some "professional opinion" and save me from making a huge mess of my plate. Thanks!

Just to guide you noobs out there (like I am not one myself), here are the steps:

1. Pick your plate size: it depends on the number of letters. There is a promotion going on. The small ones for your door/ work desk cost S$9.90 at the moment. Since we had a wedding coming up, we decided to go for the big plates. (Cos a wedding should be a big bang right!) It is also on promotion at S$35!
2. Decide on what you are going to write: Ibrahim suggested something personalised since it was for a wedding. My personal take is if you are here already, watching the birth of your plate and fretting over designs and colours, you must as well make it one in a bizillion and never replicable right!
3. Pick your plate colour: This was hard. But I settled on Gold cos there is something gohden about this wedding :P But trust me all the colours are so pretty with so much potential. 
4. Pick your colours: Now this is complicated. There is so much designs you can go for. Sparkle? What about the Border? Same Colour? I think I died at this stage. Lol! My brain went into overdrive.
5. Add-ons?: You can have hand-drawn art on your plates for 5-10 bucks or even glitter. To make my life simple, I kept it simple. (P.S. the fiane was sure glad I didn't 画蛇添足 cos more is not more in his opinion. Haha!)

So this is our final product. Yes, I blocked out some parts because there should be some suspense before the actual wedding. We went Gold, White and Red. Cos too many colours, it may lose its class. We have a teeny wheeny bit of pattern in the middle.

I eventually didn't try too much stuff. I initially wanted gold and sparkly silver but that's probably a blinding combination. Hahaha. Loving my plate at the moment. (And my friends love it too with some of them considering to get the mini one for themselve cos it is quite cheap!) By the way, it takes about an hour or so for my plate. Way faster than I thought :P

** Updates: Quote "ForFunk" and you will get an additional 5% off even for the discounted prices! Not vaild for online purchases!

Organic Lipbalm from Handmade by Mirth

It has been a while since I am crazy and biased towards organic products. Personally, I feel that you don't see the effects immediately when you use all-natural products but in the long run, you will find the inner radiance slowly glowing. Currently, I am still using a mixture of natural and chemical products to maintain the overall looks and not be stripped off my unnatural shine.

As far as Singapore is concerned, organic products are way more expensive, simply because we don't have a big enough consumer base. And so, many of such brands or handmade products will have to be imported. The cost of shipping is simply what jack up the prices.

I was pretty excited when I came across Handmade by Mirth. Firstly, it is really rare to come across handmade lip balms made in Singapore. Secondly, the packaging looks really decent in the photos. Thirdly, there is a good variety. Last but not least, the price is reasonable.

And so I thought, I must definitely give this a go and let you readers know more about this. I am sure some of you only use organic products. And if Handmade by Mirth proves to be a good alternative, you might save some money!

I tried out their mini collection. Just to let you see how cutely tiny it is, I compared it with the size of my hand. Haha. Even though the whole tube has been shrunk, the twisting mechanism was working fine. Tried twisting it up and down a few times. (I came across handmade brand overseas, but the tube was kinda of rudimentary. It could only go up :( ) But Handmade by Mirth's worked perfect. 

Even their namecards were made tiny. #cute. I thought the size was perfect because I get tired of using the same tube after a while. I end up chalking my fridge with lots of my used balm. (Freezing it makes it last longer). For me, this size could be more value for money. (S$6 versus S$10 regular size). Plus I think they make great X'mas gifts!

Generally, the lip balms are pretty good. The application was really smooth and it kept my lips well moistured. I like how some of the scent lingered around my lips. :D I don't use it with lipsticks so I comment on the layering with lipsticks. 

Given the price and the quality, I have to say this Singapore brand is comparable to any other overseas handmade brand. I am proud to say "I am pretty satisfied."

I thought I might share with you my views on the different flavours available as well. *Preferences may differ with each individual.* My least favourite was the French Vanilla. I found the scent a little too strong for my liking. It was very fragrant but I was just not used to such strong tasting lip balm.

My favourite was these 3. Maybe I like more fruity stuff, though Lavender isn't exactly a fruit. I am currently using the watermelon one the most cos I find it more unique than passionfruit. How many other brands have Watermelon lip balms!!!

I really like the lavender one too, however I think it could be an acquired taste. Don't think it is a masses scent. It is either you love it or hate it. And I obviously love it. The passionfruit and watermelon scent would suit any of you who love fruity balms. Hopefully, it doesn't keep your tummy rumbling all day. It does taste and smell pretty yummy!

If you like something more subtle, I would strongly recommend the Aloe Vera and the Original. You won't feel hungry with these 2 cos I find them scentless.  

If you want to get yourself one to try out or a set of minis, you can visit Handmade by Mirth. You can customise your name on it too for an additional $2. (Bridemaid's gifts anyone?) They have bulk orders special price as well. Alternatively, you can always e-mail Han at handmadebymirth@gmail.com

Just for my readers only, quote "HBM0817CY" to get a 5% off you bill! Just some cost savings to make your day sweeter and reward you for reading/ supporting my blog!