Everybody loves fimo canes right. I mean, what's not to love!
I just found out about their existence a few days ago (yes I'm slow I know), but I couldn't stop gushing about them ever since.
They come in all kinds of shapes and colours and you can use these to really really spice up your DIY nails and make them 3D looking. So far I've seen pretty much anything under the sun. Flowers, leaves, butterflies, funny faces, cartoon characters, stars, hearts, fruits, brand logos, etc etc. And because of all the different designs they come in, you're bound to find one (or many) that fits the nail art design that you want to do!
And I simply love love love them because they're so simple and easy to use. Some people prefer using nail glues for fimo canes, to make them adhere to the nails longer, but I'd say it works just as well with a good top coat.
The top coat that I'm using is the much-raved Seche Vite. All you have to do is paint your base colour, and stick the fimo cane slices onto your nail before that layer completely dries, then paint about two coats of top coat over, and voila, you have pretty DIY nails! :)
In case you don't know what fimo canes are, they are a type of polymer clay that is sculptured into the desired shapes, then baked so that it'll harden. It comes in a stick form, and is normally about 5cm long and 3mm to 5mm wide. But of course, you can find pre-cut ones on the market to make your life easier.
You can even use them together with your nail art plates and pearls and rhinestones and dotting tools to create all kinds of unique designs.
And fimo canes not just limited to nails! You can use it to jazz up your phone covers, notebooks, laptops, MP3s, remote controls, monitor screens, wallet, for scrap-booking, headphones. They can be used for practically anything that you want to decorate. Useful right!
Below are some nail designs using fimo canes I found on the internet that I really like.
Cool right!
In case you're wondering, I got mine from bornprettystore.com. They even provide free shipping worldwide.
This is not a paid advertisement because I actually bought the fimo canes with my own money.
You can get 10% off your purchases when you use the code "SME10K31" .
It's the usual exam period right now, and there's just so much exam madness going on. There's so many people studying in school, hogging all the study places and cafeterias and even the canteen is so much more crowded during meal time.
Took these sunset photos from my apartment yesterday evening because the skies were looking particularly pretty.
Took the photos using my iPhone 4S with the camera+ app, but the photos came out quite grainy for some reason. But on the whole I thought that the effects were still quite nice.
Took this a few days ago in the afternoon when the sunny sky turned dark suddenly and started pouring not long after.
The past few days has been really wet, with it raining almost daily.
"1. You see students out having fun and are exasperated.
It starts with the high school kids. You see them out at the mall, scowling at things, drinking their energy drinks and just generally being assholes in front of the Pacsun or the Hot Topic. You think, “God, what irritating little warts. Good thing I was never 15,” and then carry on your boring way to go get a loofah at Bed Bath and Beyond or whatever you are there to do. Then you see college kids, getting rowdy in a bar, potentially using terrible fake IDs but still getting away with it because the bartender is cool and they want the money. Despite the fact that you, too, used a fake ID just a few short years ago, you are filled with righteous indignation. “Wait your turn, you brats,” you long to say, “Go drink 4 Loko in your bedrooms until you turn 21, like God intended. The bar is for people with jobs.” "
#1 checked. I can't even remember all the times I've rolled my eyes when I see teenagers making a fool of themselves outside, doing things that I used to do. I get so exasperated when they talk loudly on public transport, act cool, spew vulgarities, and so on and so on. But all these were things that I used to do all the time, and even enjoyed it.
"2. Your idea of fun has become staying home with some blankets and your computer.
There is just something so profoundly beautiful about having a whole night ahead of you with nothing planned but Netflix, perhaps some tea or wine, and chilling out in your jammies under your covers. It is a state of such deep relaxation, it can occasionally reach near-orgasmic levels of joy. Add a little take-out Thai food to be eaten while still firmly in bed into the mix, and you have the makings for a night that would beat a club opening hosted by a nude Ryan Gosling and a snowblower full of free money."
#2 checked. While I used to love going out on Friday nights and weekends, I'm so reluctant to do it nowadays. In the past, you won't catch me at home on a Saturday or Sunday, now, I'm all like "I can't wait for the weekends so that I can stay at home and do nothing".
"3. The only thing keeping you from being obese is being lazy.
There are so many times when you are overwhelmed with the desire to go a few blocks over to get a big bag of McDonald’s or a Frappucino made out of what appears to be vegetable shortening, or simply a king size candy bar (king size, of course, because if you made the trek out there you’re not going to just get a regular-sized Snickers like a peasant). But then you think, meh, that would require leaving the apartment and turning off this episode of Dexter and putting on something other than a Snuggie, and then it’s just like fuck it, I’ll eat these carrot sticks I have in my refrigerator. Who knows how many potentially-clogged arteries were spared out of sheer will to remain a hermit."
#3 checked. The number of times I've skipped my meals because I'm too lazy to cook (and having to wash afterwards), and I'm too lazy to put on proper clothes just to go downstairs to buy food. Not saying that it's healthy, but I find myself doing it so often.
"4. Staying within budget is not a problem.
There was once a time during which you were truly concerned about spending too much money on things like extravagant nights at the bar or too many dinners/lunches at restaurants, even moderately-priced ones. It seemed like the most efficient way to burn a sizable hole in your checking account and find yourself unable to comfortably make rent at the end of the month. Then, all of a sudden, you realize that actually extracting yourself from the comfort of your apartment every once in a while and finding something worth spending said money on may actually be the more pressing issue, as you are quickly adhering to your pajamas and learning through real-time evolution how to blend your skin in with your patterned bedspread."
#4 checked. Because I used to go out so much more, I was always on a tight budget back then. I would find myself withdrawing money again and again within a short span of time. And now, I can survive a whole week on just $50 if I'm not going anywhere fancy.
"5. You are excited when people cancel plans.
I think we’ve all had a moment or two where you are sitting there, not at all pumped to go to this social outing that you agreed to (it’s not that you don’t like the person, you just don’t like having to go outside right now), when all of a sudden they call you with the thrilling news that they are unable to make it! It’s as though the heavens themselves have parted and shone a light down on your lazy, boring ass personally to sing to you with the voice of a thousand golden angels “Fear not, for you have a few more hours of dicking around on Tumblr ahead of ye.” "
#5 checked. When plans get cancelled, I don't have to shower, to dress up, to pretty-fy myself, and I get to stay in bed and watch TV! No explanations needed for this one right. ^^
"6. You prefer to go to the same restaurants, ordering the same foods.
One minute, we’re these adventurous little sprites of youth and excitement, ready to go anywhere and try anything at the drop of a hat. The next, all we have to do is call our local Chinese takeout and, through only seeing our number on the caller ID, they are downstairs in five minutes with the exactly what we want, right down to the extra soy sauces. When I was a barista, there were many customers for whom we could prepare their drink only seeing them walk through the door. I used to think that they were silly, that they should try to expand their horizons. Now I resent the fact that no one knows me well enough to make my extra-hot grande soy latte when I walk in the door."
#6 checked. I ALWAYS end up buying the same things for lunch and dinner every time I pack food home. I've complained about how sick I am of the repetitive meal items, but somehow I can just never get out of the comfort zone. I just don't want to be adventurous and risk ending up with a lousy dinner.
"7. Literally any plans the following day make going out a hassle.
How is it that you used to be able to stay up until 6 in the morning doing crystal meth and running naked through a forest of pine needles and still be fresh as a spring flower for class the next day, and now you have to really weigh your options about going out for dinner if you know that you have to be up by 10 the next morning to go pick something up at the dry cleaners? How is that possible?"
#7 checked. I have no idea what happened to my spontaneity and adventurous nature seeing how crazy I was as a kid. But suddenly, whenever I make night plans, I find myself mentally checking my calender the next day before agreeing to anything. And I always try to go home early now, what a change from the curfew-breaking kid.
"8. People are no longer surprised when you don’t do things.
In your transition from “chill person who is down for pretty much whatever” to “boring-ass hermit who has a minor panic attack every time the bar they’re in gets too loud and full of amorous college students,” you will notice a time frame in which people still hold out hope that you will prove to be the social butterfly you once were. They will try in vain to extract you from your home-pod, thoroughly disappointed when you don’t accept. Now, of course, they don’t expect you to come out to their various parties and gatherings — they know that you, like any society diva who is so in demand on her own futon, have a lot of potential nights to choose from, and it may just end up being ice cream and The Price Is Right reruns. "
#8. Guilty as charged.
There, now I can conclude that I've became a hell of a boring person. :\
The Tresamme vitamin C deep cleansing shampoo (for hair prone to build-up) is said to be able to:
"clarify and gently remove build-up and heavy residues that diminish hair's inner glow. Its formula, containing vitamin C, is gentle enough for daily use and will deeply purify your hair to get that just-left-the-salon fresh feel."
The shampoo comes in a light transparent greenish-blue hue and has a very minty and fruity smell to it.
This is my first time trying a deep cleansing shampoo, and I decided on Tresamme after reading some positive reviews on it.
Although the Tresamme deep cleanse shampoo is said to be gentle enough for everyday use, I only use it once, or at most twice a week. My hair is kind of dry towards the ends and very prone to split-ends, so I don't want to strip away any more moisture than is needed.
Using a deep cleansing shampoo once in a while is important because it helps to erase build-up and reduce oil. The clarifying components help to regulate sebaceous gland secretions. Because of all the hair products that we use, and the residue left behind from shampoos and conditioners, our hair follicles and "pores" can become blocked over time, this is what causes hair losses, dandruff and so on. So using a deep cleansing shampoo helps you clear all those harmful stuff once in a while.
I read in some reviews that the Tresamme deep cleansing shampoo feels like a mud mask for the scalp, which was one reason that really tempted me because I'm a huge fan of mud masks. But I didn't really get that feeling.
In fact, it didn't feel anything like what I expected, there was a very slight minty smell, but you don't feel that minty fresh feeling you get from some "fresh" shampoos. It just felt like a normal shampoo really.
But after washing my hair, I do feel that it is more clean when I run my fingers through it, so I think it really worked in getting all the gunk out of my hair. And although it's not as smooth as when I'm using my moisturizing shampoo, I seriously liked that cleansed feel afterwards.
I would say thumbs up for this product! :)
Psst. Remember to use a conditioner/hair mask after using the deep cleansing shampoo.
I'm sure everyone loves facials. You get to rid your face of all the impurities and feed it with wholesome goodness while feeling relaxed and pampered.
But sometimes it's hard to go for facials regularly. You may not have the time to take 2 hours off from work, and it's hard to make appointments for after-work hours, or it may be because facials are oh-so-costly, ranging about $70 to $100++ even with packages.
I used to go for facials regularly when I had packages signed up, but now that I've completed them, I have yet to find another salon I like.
So I've began doing facials at home. With that $70-$100 a month, I can buy really good products that I can use again and again.
Of course you don't get all the frills that you enjoy at facial salons, you don't get people serving you and you don't get all the massages, but the price and convenience makes up for it.
What you will need:
1. your normal facial wash
2. a cleansing scrub
3. clarifying clay/mud mask
4. peel off mask
5. face steamer/hot water and a wide-base container or plate
6. pimple extractor
7. moisturizing mask
8. eye mask
9. relaxing soundtrack of your choice
So here's what you do.
Step 1: Play a relaxing soundtrack that you like. You can source for quite a few from youtube.
Try searching under "relaxing spa music" if you don't know where to start. They have quite a few tracks that last for at least an hour so you don't have to keep getting up to switch tracks.
This is one track that I really like. But the down side is that it stops around 37 minutes before resuming again at 60 because that's the time when you're supposed to be 'asleep'. But I have to get up around that time anyway for the next steps so it wasn't a big issue for me.
Step 2: Clean your face with your normal facial cleanser, followed by the cleansing scrub. Pat your face dry.
Step 3: Apply a clarifying mud mask or clay mask.
The mask that I'm using for this step is the Freeman Avocado & Oatmeal facial clay mask. I tried this after reading glowing reviews about it online, and have been using it ever since. It has this pulsating feeling while drying which I really like, makes me feel as if all the impurities are sucked out from my pores. It also leaves your skin baby soft after use.
The Queen Helene Masque Mint Julep is another much raved mud mask that supposedly gives amazing results. I've yet to try that though, maybe after I've finished my tube of Freeman first.
The good thing about these two products is that they are both amazingly cheap. You can get Freeman products at either Mustafa or Guardian. Mustafa is cheaper though. I'm not so sure about Queen Helene, but drugstore.com definitely has it.
Step 4: Wash off the mud mask, and follow with a peel off mask. (optional step if you have sensitive skin)
I'm using the Kose black peel off mask that you see above. I feel that it helps to remove whatever impurities that my Freeman neglected, because the mud mask already drew all the impurities to the surface.
I tried using the Sophie Monk Strawberry Bye Bye Blackhead peel off mask, but it didn't work as well. I feel that Sophie Monk has this tendency to 'recede', so you find that as it dries, you see more and more dots of your skin exposed, and it makes me feel as if those spots are missed out.
Step 5: Steam your face with a face steamer for a few minutes to open up the pores.
If you don't have one, you can substitute this by pouring hot water into a wide-base container or plate and bending your face over it.
Step 6: Use the round side of a metal pimple extractor and gently press against your nose in the areas prone to whiteheads and blackheads.
So for me, I'll do it mostly on my forehead area near the bridge of my nose, my nose itself, and also my chin. This pushes out the stubborn blackheads and whiteheads that the mud mask and the peel off mask couldn't get out. Try not to prick it or squeeze too hard otherwise you'll damage your skin tissues.
Step 7: Wash your face with cold water to close back your pores. Step 8: Apply a moisturizing mask of your choice, depending on what you want it to do for your skin (brightening, whitening, firming, etc).
For me, I really like the My Beauty Diary Bird Nest masks, followed by beauty buffet masks. But this depends on whatever works for your skin type as well.
You can apply a eye mask after this step, or together. For me, I substitute the eye mask by pouring Hada Labo Hydrating lotion onto cotton pads then placing them over my eyes. It helps to brighten my eyes considerably.
The whole process will take about 1 and a half hours or 2 hours depending on how long you leave each product for.
There, now you have it, home facial that gives you cost-savings and convenience while keeping your skin healthy. :)
Inspired by exaggerated true events and the opera Madame Butterfly by Puccini, David Henry Hwang’s play, M Butterfly, describes the story of a French diplomat who falls in love with the seemingly perfect Oriental woman. His fatal obsession of having his Butterfly in his hands essentially clouded his logical judgements of reality and fantasy that in fact, his Butterfly is actually a disguised communist male spy. The play has been applauded for its postmodern text that actively deconstructs preconceptions of gender and race, and sexuality in a post colonial world.
According to the medical school of Monash University, sex refers to the inherent biological differences between men and women, specifically the “chromosomes, hormonal profiles, internal and external sex organs” while gender describes the “characteristics that a society or culture delineates as masculine or feminine”. In other words, a person’s sex does not parallel his gender role in society. For Song, appearing as subservient, modest and vulnerable gave a boost to his femininity which fuelled Gallimard’s willingness to accept him as a woman, as he/she embodies the natural extensions of Gallimard’s perceptions of the Oriental woman. After gulling Gallimard into thinking that he has snared a Chinese Chio Chio San, Song first convinces Gallimard, before crushing his fantasies by destabilizing any gender and racial expectations that Gallimard holds of him. Song’s successful presentation of the Oriental cannot be singularly attributed to his understanding of Western man, but also Gallimard’s naivety and constant seeking of reassurance for his male pride. With his confidence and his career depending critically on Song’s continual submissive act, Gallimard lives in self-denial and refuses to confront the real world effects of his geisha reverie.
The adoption of the name Rene is one of great significance as Rene is a unisex name that does not echo manliness. Portrayed to be an incapable, impotent beta male in his own White culture, Gallimard’s masculinity is repeatedly contested in the play through the depiction of Helga and Renee, the bold White women that he has relationships with. In Song he finds solace as his masculinity is reassured and reinforced as he finally feels “the absolute power of a man”. The seeming psychological abuse that he imposes on Song, by leaving him/her wanting, appears to be a self-serving mentality boosting his ego and pride, thus creating the illusion that he is finally a whip in the East, when he is nothing but a wimp in his own culture. We see a foreshadowing of the complete role reversal between masculinity and femininity through the action of Gallimard pouring tea for Song. This traditional subservient feminine act is pursued out of relief at the arrival of Song, thus assuring the continuation of his fantasy. It is ironic that he achieves consolation of his manhood through these feminine acts just so the object of his fantasy will stay by him. Gallimard is flawed as he is weak mentally and delusional, traits that are traditionally associated with the idea of femininity. The fluidity of gender identities parallels that biological make-up is not a limiting factor, as shown by Song’s female persona and Gallimard’s feminine tendencies.
Despite Song’s extraordinary masquerade as a woman, his act is regularly penetrated by his masculine traits in the way he dictates the thoughts and actions of Gallimard through manipulation for what he cannot achieve explicitly. His vocal intrusion throughout the play amplifies his presence on stage, implying that he is unable to totally fulfil Gallimard’s expectations. Even when he tries hard to fit the image of the perfect Oriental woman, he cannot disregard his inherent nature of want of control. This dispels the belief that Asian men are subpar and more effeminate in comparison to the dominant White male.
The play also presupposes Orientalism as an existing and present concept. The temporal fulfilment of Gallimard’s Orientalist fantasy upheld the relationship between the two characters. Through stereotypes shaped by his own illusions about the Orient, Gallimard succumbs to the notion of the mysterious and erotically exotic as they act like a shortcut to his understanding and interpretation of the Asian culture. By dissolving the barriers to the diversity of cultural boundaries, Gallimard limits his knowledge about the operatic tradition of actors assuming the role of actresses in opera houses due to it being an artistic matter, thus allowing for the careless mistake of misjudgement of identity. Song’s overt portrayal of the Orient character then acted in his favour by skewing Gallimard’s opinions towards him. Gallimard’s obsession and total absorption with the imagined realm of his Butterfly, and his fictitious perception of reality consumes him, perpetrating his self destruction and eventual downfall.
The self proclamation by Song that he is “an Oriental” and thus can “never completely be a man” is also out of character. Orientalism is seen as a derogatory and dehumanising term used by the West in their misconceptions of the East. It reflects a whole spectrum of Western attitudes and prejudices against the Asian race and its culture. It is also atypical that a man questions his male authority and manhood with the conclusion that he does not make the cut and therefore does not encompass the quality of the male race. As such, a lack of self-respect and the act of self-degrading is reflected and the audience is left to wonder about the mental stability of a person who is willing to hide his manhood for twenty years when even his colleague is unable to identify with him, calling him belittling and offensive terms like “homos” and “pervert”. Song’s hollow victory at the end did little to lift him out of the reductive category of Orientalism. It seemed that even though in the play Hwang constantly criticises Western ideals of Asians and tries to dispel the images of the Asian race being mere play things for the West, portraying Song to be a cunning, manipulative man that will stop at nothing, even by putting himself down to the lowest just to achieve his warped means may not be the best way to do so. It acted to reinforce the stereotype of the Orient race and merely offers a repositioning of the marginalised at best.
In M Butterfly, it is clear that perceived notions of sex and gender fail to address the issue that biological make-up is not a good reflection of gender identities as one can always counter stipulated roles and expectations through the avenue of drag and deception. The ideals of Orientalism give Western men the hope that there is a Chio Chio San reincarnated out there for his taking. In this case, it acts to butter up Gallimard’s ego and pride so that he thought more highly of himself than what society deems of him, thus luring him into a false sense of security. When forced to confront the disturbing truth of his transvestite act, Gallimard chooses to commit suicide to keep his heterosexual union and fantasies of the Orient intact.
This is a very word-heavy post with little pictures because I just want to share my experience.
Went for a facial treatment trial at FIL Skin, Body & Spa Intelligence.
I went to the Ngee Ann City branch, but now they've moved to Plaza Singapura instead I think.
FIL Skin, Body & Spa Intelligence boasts several award winning facial treatments that will take your skin back to its heydays.
Some of FIL's more famous facial treatments are:
FIL Hyaluronic Concentrated Essence Face Therapy - Voted Best Hydrating Facial (STYLE, Aug 2011)An intensive hydrating treatment to help the skin maintain a youthful look, this facial is the skin’s ‘thirst quencher’ that gives an elastic lift, adds firmness and locks in moisture to dry skin.
FIL ReFirme Vibra-Lymph Face Therapy - Voted Best Firm and Contour Facial (Singapore Women’s Weekly, May 2011)A treatment that both firms and contours, this facial improves lymphatic circulation and smoothes out wrinkles for a firmer appearance by tightening and firming facial muscles, preventing aging and uplifts saggy skin by improving the permeability of skin for better nutrition absorption.
FIL Young Anti-Aging Treatment - Voted Best Anti-aging Facial (Harpers Bazaar Spa Awards 2010)Attain soft, supple skin reminiscent of your glowing younger days with this treatment. The infusion of collagen and elastin into your skin plumps up your skin’s elasticity and eliminates the appearance of premature aging and dull complexions, reducing the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines and crows’ feet.
FIL Face/Neck Slimming/ Contouring Treatment - Voted Best Neck Reviver (Singapore Women’s Weekly, May 2008) & Voted Best Contouring Facial (Singapore Women’s Weekly, May 2009)Achieve a firm, contoured jaw line and neck. This treatment reduces fatty deposits around face and neck, helping to minimize double chins and tones saggy cheeks to attain an accentuated outlook.
FIL Surgical Pulsed Light Skin Therapy - Voted Most Revolutionary Treatment (Harpers Bazaar, February 2009)A revolutionary treatment that stimulates the production of new cells and collagen to energize skin cells, minimize pores, compacts the epidermis and improves skin radiance. Blood circulation is also increased to regenerate tissue and combat skin aging.
FIL Oxus-2 Face Therapy - Voted Most Revitalizing Facial (Parent’s World, September/October 2009)An advanced treatment that increases the metabolism rate of skin cells, this face therapy minimizes and tightens pores, reduces pigmentation, brightens skin and diminishes fines lines to lifts and contour saggy face shapes.
When you enter the shop, you'll be asked to fill up a form with your particulars and some of the concerns you want to address, like whether you're most concern with blemishes, dark eye circles and the like.
Then you'll be led into a consultation room where the consultant will ask you more questions on what kind of facial treatments you're looking for. I didn't really have any preferences and I wasn't sure which was more suitable so she recommended me the face contouring one.
A stylish aunty, probably in her 50s, was the one who did my facial for me. She did the normal routine, with cleansing, extractions eyebrow shaping and all.
The most notable part was when she did the contouring massage. She did only half of my face first, and when you look into the mirror, you can actually see quite significant results.
On the whole, I would say that the service and the facial treatments were really good. In fact, I would say that it is one of the best that I've been to.
But their packages are quite expensive. On my visit there, they were having some promotion for their facial packages, with $75 per treatment that can be used for other services like body and spa as well. But the catch is that you have to sign up for 30 sessions at one go. Being used to signing up for only 6 sessions, this was a realy shock to me, especially when you times $75 to 30 sessions. So I didn't get it in the end.
My concern with signing up for so many sessions is that, with some of my previous facial salons, it started off really good but then the service and quality just started going down after a while when you have paid fullyfor your package. So there wasn't anything you can do.
But if you have cash to spare, do go for FIL Skin, Body & Spa Intelligence's trials and consider their packages. I would say that it is much more worth it if you plan to visit them for the long run because each individual session can cost up $300.
I didn't think of reviewing the Lifebuoy Antibacterial Handwash at first because it's such a common everyday product. But I finally decided to because I really really like this handwash. I picked this up at my local beauty store because they didn't sell the dettol handwash in individual bottles, so I guess I took a lucky chance. :)
The Lifebuoy antibacterial handwash boasts the ability to kill 99% of germs in just 10 seconds. It has a very nice clean smell to it that makes you feel that your hands are really clean. It smells a bit like dettol, but the strong is not that strong that makes it smell like you just spilled alcohol on your hands.
I used to have eye infections quite often because I wear contacts everyday, it might be due to the handwash I was using at that time I'm not sure, but ever since I started using the Lifebuoy antibacterial handwash, I haven't gotten any eye infections so far.
And it isn't expensive! It's retailing at only around $2 for a bottle, and can last you for quite a few months. So the next time you're thinking of buying some handwash, do give this a try!
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