Festive Sharing and the B Day

Hey Guys,

(Warning: Take your time on this long post since the next time you see me is going to be in 2014. Post on love, food, fashion and the truth! Have fun!)

Festive season is coming to an end soon and how are you feeling right now! For me it's kind of a hate and love feeling, reluctant to let go of the year end holiday mood and stress-free days yet excited to enter 2014 with my list of resolutions and determination to make them happen. Also I can't wait to get rid of this super guilty feeling and start eating clean again. Had enough of me making excuses for myself in front of the food and after hating myself for not having enough determination to conquer each meal. Hey but that's life right, letting go once in a while and indulge in your favorite delicacies!! As long as everything gets back to being in control, who cares ;) For those who knows me, December is also my Birthday month. Which means MORE food!

I spent my Christmas eve being with my dearest in life - Mom and Denver. I always make it a point to stay home when he is not in Singapore so I can compensate for the time spent with bf and friends.
So this year my Christmas gift to Denver is a Durian tart instead of the usual toys which he has more than enough. Durian is his favorite fruit, he goes crazy the moment he sniffs it. I do believe that dogs are like human, spoiling them once in a while just makes the life more interesting. Having said that, I do maintain a very strict diet for Denver ;)

Got my Snowy Durian Ice Cream Tart from SuperDog Kitchen. It is human-friendly too! Seriously, self-made dog food is always healthier than your day to day human food.

Consists of: D-24 durian, strawberries, greek yoghurt, lactose-free milk, butter, honey, eggs, garbanzo bean flour and wheat-free & gluten-free all purpose flour.

Oh, Lemon mint stars is a gift to help freshens up Denver's breath. How sweet is that!

Needless to say, he LOVES it

On Christmas day, I got a date with with one of my close girlfriend from France at OSO Ristorante. Italian restaurant with a cosy alfresco area and amazing food! We took the 4 course Christmas menu at $98++. Since I was already half-drunk after a bottle of wine and glass of champagne, have forgotten to take a picture of the menu so I do not have the exact name of the dishes. ;p Here you are..

One of my favorite cheese - Burrata

Mad love for this Ravioli - there is an egg yolk right in the middle

Lobster

Chestnut and mascarpone cream if I remember correctly

The happy girls

Food was really good especially the ravioli, OSO is definitely a restaurant worth your try! Prices are on the higher side though but just good for a special occasion. I especially love their "200 Gr. roasted beef tenderloin filleto with sabayon asparagus and shaved truffle" which is on the a la carte menu.
We had a great dinner and decided to continue to Screening Room for the unfinished gossips.

We usually go out in a group and were both happy to share some intimate moments together. Ended Christmas with 2 drunk girls and plenty of gossips. When was the last time you met up with your girlfriends, especially for working mums? It is good to maintain the friendship by meeting up often even with your busy personal life or family commitments. Afterall, friends are one of the key aspects in life!

As you know my bf returned from France on the 26th, just in time for my birthday. For the past years, he usually comes back after new year so I am really happy that we can spend my birthday together ;) His return certainly doesn't help with the calories when he brought back all what I am missing.

Miam Miam !!

What is your favorite snack or dessert from France? Chocolate, Madeleine or Macaron? I love Madeleine with a cup of coffee for breakfast. Saucisson and rillettes are my favorite appetizers from France, I can finish a loaf of bread with them! He was not able to bring back rillettes due to long hours of flight. ;( As you can see from the picture, saucisson is a variety of thick, dry cured sausage that originates in France. Typically made of pork, or a mixture of pork and other meats, saucisson are a type of charcuterie similar to salami or summer sausage. They actually taste like our chinese sausage "Lap Cheong".

As always, what I usually do during the day of my birthday is to get a new hairdo. This year I decided to try the salon all the top bloggers are raving on, Salon Vim.  Booked an appointment with one of the directors, Gary Chew. He is nice, friendly and sociable. 

Transformation in progress

Despite the rave created by all top bloggers, I was disappointed with the results. Not that the results is bad, it's just not as amazing as what you would have expect. Overall I did straightening to the first half of my hair followed by curls on the bottom half and 1 color only to complete the look. To be fair, the service was good until the coloring of my hair when I felt my scalp burning after they applied the dye on it. This is not the first time I do coloring to my hair and I have bleached my hair several times before. I did not tell them about the burning sensation though, thinking that I can hold on for only 30mins. After the wash, I was told that my bottom part of the hair is not able to absorb the color because I have previously dyed black before and now I have a lighter upper head compared to the lower part. It didn't look ugly but just that it did not turned out to be what I wanted. They told me that I could book another appointment 2 weeks later to do highlights to the lower part of the hair to make it look even. Duh! My curls do look great the point I walked out of the salon after the professionals blowing dry them. I have paid $50 more to become a member so I could enjoy the 15% off + 20% since it's my birthday month, all in all $550 damage to my wallet. In order to not waste my $50, I am going to return for my highlights. Having said these, I do like my new look after it's done but my curls didn't quite last till the 3rd day. Maybe it's because I did not blow dry like how I was taught to do but overall it is not as great as what I imagined. Well, some things you just got to experience it to know it.
Now here's my OOTD and new hairdo for the birthday dinner date with him.

Top-Stradivarius, Skirt-ASOS, Shoes-Charles&Keith

He brought me to Fullerton Water BoatHouse for dinner ;) Our first time there.

I actually missed it until he says look below your menu.. LOL !!

Food porn time again!

Appetizer - Duck confit, salad, green beans, shallots, cherry tomatoes, walnut oil - Mine

Appetizer - Provencal fish stew with shellfish, fresh fish of the day - His

Main - Red snapper pan seared, melted cabbage, sweet corn, merguez sausage and harissa salsa - Mine

Main - Rib eye, Dauphinoise potatoes, buttered vegetables and bone marrow in a red wine sauce - His

For dessert, my birthday cake ;)

Please make me the next TOTO winner!! hehe

For the gift, check it out on my instagram account - engellpeh .. ;)
Happy for all the arrangements he made. Feeling blessed!

Not ending the post yet, hahaha.. You have Italian and French food, how can we forget about my roots and the most beloved Chinese food ! Invited mom to dinner on Saturday to thank her for giving birth to such an amazing daughter. ;)

Quote from all moms in the world "Don't go to those expensive restaurants, it's a waste of money! Let's just eat nearby"

Don't judge by the picture cause I was feeling the fullest for this meal. Finished the entire bowl of rice! Love you so much MOM. ;)

Hope you guys enjoyed this super long post! See you in 2014!
Have you thought about your new year resolutions yet? If not, why not try to complete those which you have missed for the past years ;)

Wishing you and your family a very HAPPY NEW YEAR! To a year full of amazing great surprises and many many happy returns. Great health and plenty of joy and laughter. Bundle of love among your families and friends!

With love, xoxo
(Do give comments on my posts if you liked them) ;)

Sawadikap in Bangkok

Sawadikap guys !!

Finally I have time to blog about my trip to Bangkok. Actually this is our last trip for Year2013 and since we don't have many days of leaves left we decided on a short trip for a pre-Christmas celebration before he goes back to France. Visiting Bangkok in the last quarter will be the best choice since it will be less humid. 

What is important for you during your holiday? For me hotel selection is pretty important, a clean, beautiful and luxurious hotel always makes me enjoy my holiday even more. I highly recommend the +Oriental Residence Bangkok located at wireless road. Price is good and both the hotel and service is simply lovely. Well it's more like a service apartment than a hotel. If I really have to pick on something, it will be the lack of variety at the breakfast buffet. Let the pictures do the talking!

Mango Sticky Rice - our welcome desert !

 First night's dinner at Angelini located in Shangri-La Hotel. This was a surprise arrangement from my bf, I am not supposed to know where we are going before-hand. ;) Food porn time !

Lamb Tagliatelle

Veal Milanese

Tiramisu

Alfresco dining at Angelini is overlooking the Chao Phraya River !! Try it !

Some pictures on my visit to the Grand Palace. Remember to dress appropriately because they are really strict in your dressing and you might be force to join the long queue just to rent a sarong ! I kind of feel that this only applies to the foreigners.

OOTD (Top-Adidas, Jeans and Sneakers-ASOS, Metallic Jacket-Flea Market, Bag-Marc Jacobs)

This artistic picture is taken by me !! haha

For those planning to visit the Grand palace, this is quite far from the city center 45mins to 1 hour by taxi depending on the traffic. Opening hours is from 0830 to 1530, so plan your visit earlier. 

After hours of walk under the blazing sun, what is the best cure ? If you remember me saying that food has to be worth the calories, well this statement doesn't apply during holiday !!

Done with the visiting, let's begin with the retail therapy. My biggest passion and my bf's agony. ;) For ladies who have visited Bangkok, I am sure you have been to Platinum - the wholesale shopping mall. I am really interested to hear your views on this mall cause I always make it a point to shop here each time I am in Bangkok, but I always find myself leaving empty handed or forcing myself to buy something just because I have spent like hours here and I don't want to go home with nothing. I agree that the price is really low but same for the quality as well! I might missed some shops due to the complicated layout ;) Share your experience in Platinum with me ! 

Of course I am not going to go back to Singapore empty-handed. I visited one of the popular Thai designers innitbangkok having heard the rave they created during their pop-up shop in Singapore. Brought home with me an amazing skirt and top. Here you are!
(You can find them in Siam Sqaure)

Top - Zara, Skirt - InnitBangkok, Heels - LK Benett, Bag - Chanel

Top - Innitbangkok, Skirt - from HongKong, Platform Heels - Charles & Keith, Bag - Chanel

Oh and I got a surprise early Christmas gift from him as well. ;)

Highlight of the trip is that I finally get to watch Thai Boxing ! I wanted to see this everytime we are in Thailand but somehow it just didn't happen. So we went to Lumpini Boxing Stadium and I can tell you that the experience was AWESOME! Paid 2800Bhat per person because the night we went was the big fight for champion title. Normal nights should be around 2000Bhat per person, all prices quoted are for the ring-side. Anyway, when you enter the stadium ring-side basically belongs to foreigners. ;) There is a sign saying "No-Gambling" but you can see all the locals shouting and placing their bets in the open like a real-time trading room ! This really brings up the atmosphere. Entire stadium smells like Tiger Balm and you can drink while watching. Fights were really entertaining, trust me, you gotta try it !

My favorite fighter !

Pictures are allowed backstage after their fight ! Only with the winner though !

Look at the big bump he got on his forehead from the fight !

Thai Boxing is a must DO, put it in your list for your next trip to Bangkok. 

Now, let's end the post with the all-time favorite - Thai FOOD ! 

Dining in Blue Elephant

Ta-da !! My durian cheesecake...

He was pinching his nose when I am eating it. Haha..

His boring mango sticky rice again .. ;p

Some MORE pictures showing the hotel lobby ;) 

Hope you like my post and recommendations for Bangkok ! Oh while I am finishing up this post, he is already back from France and sitting beside me ;)

Kisses, Xoxo

The Pad Thai ;)

Christmas Greetings !!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO MY DEAR READERS !!

Take time during the rush of the holidays to enjoy the things in life that really matter. Take time to take in the quiet moments spent with friends and loved ones. And may the wonder of Christmas surround you throughout the season.

I am counting down, 2 more days to the return of my OOTD Photographer (my bf) ! ;) Hoping to bring you guys more pictures with him around. Still trying to find the perfect angle though, as you know it's all about the angle right !

Wishing you joy, love and a day full of blessings!! HAPPY HOLIDAY!!

Here's to all the international readers ;) With Love,, xoxo

Saturday's Itinerary on skincare and shopping spree !!

Dear readers,

Thanks for reading my first post, hope you enjoyed it. Initially I planned to write about my recent trip to Bangkok during the week but I am just too busy with my job. Finally it's the weekend! What are you up to this weekend? Shopping for Christmas gifts?
I LOVE shopping during this time of the year, walking down the streets with the amazing Christmas decorations and all the carols played in the malls. It just feels magical!! Not forgetting the year end SALE ;)

A month ago, I decided to visit my dermatologist "Joyce Lim" again after 5years. Yeah, reason is because those counter brands don't seem to be working on me. As you are aware of my dry skin problem, I always have numerous freckles around my cheeks and forehead. Joyce has managed to clear all of them 5 years ago but sadly they are back now after all my activities under the sun (without sunblock) ! My bf has a part to play in this as I always remember him telling me that having freckles on the face is actually very cute, like Lindsay Lohan. This statement was made when we just started to date. As you can guess, my freckles went out of control after (still I don't look a bit like Lindsay Lohan). I have tried many brands (US, Korea, Japan and Europe), none seems to work. My mum encouraged me to return to Joyce and so today is my 2nd visit after 1month.

All these are what I got during my first visit

All these plus the consultation cost you about $400+ but I am still using them now so lifespan for each bottle is more than a month. Of course some of them like Retin-A is going to last more than 2months. The most popular product from Joyce will be her vitamin C/E essence, it brightens your skin, minimize the pores and gives you a smoother texture. You can feel it in a week's time. The main reason why I prefer dermatologist products to OTC brands is because dermatologists are allowed to prescribe a higher dosage and ingredients which are prohibited in counter brands. Hey I am not advertising for Dr. Joyce as you know I just started blogging so I do not have any business yet. I just wanted to share what I feel and know, you can disagree as well, leave comments to tell me! ;)

One of the most important ingredient will be Retinol. Of course there are more and more counter products containing retinol but at the lowest dosage. This may slow down the process or even show no results as there are many layers on your skin and if your freckles/scars are too deep down, this is not going to work.
"Retinol is a topical formulation of vitamin A in its purest form. It naturally provides a more rapid exfoliation of the skin (or skin cell renewal), which works well for its anti-aging benefits as well as acne control and prevention." Bad thing is you are going to peel in the beginning but do you know that peeling is a form of skin renewal !!

Today's visit costs me $220 for consultation, 1 new product and to replenish 1 other product.

Antioxidant Moisture Infusion

I have only used her products for a month and my freckles have already lightened a lot! I can't show you a picture before my treatment cause I browse through my Facebook and they are either too far or with make-up on. I have taken 1 just now, without makeup on and let's view the results together after 1 month !! Deal !

No make-up and no filter

OK there are more on the right side but it's not so visible due to the lighting. Let you be my judge in 1 month's time. Although my freckles are much lesser now, I must admit that I have endured the weird stares and questioning due to the peeling. Dr Joyce told me that this is going to be on and off and will last for 2 to 3months depending on the amount of dead skin cells you have. Some days I wore a mask in the office. My boss must be thinking that I am so hardworking, sick and still working :p

Before I end my story on skincare products, here is a picture of my cleansing routine. Tell me about yours !!

Enough on skincare, my first stop of today's itinerary. Today is also the mother and daughter day ;) My mum is my best shopping mate! Am sure sometimes you feel a bit bored shopping with your girlfriends when they spend more than an hour looking and deciding on whether to buy or not. Well the gfs are going to feel the same as well. Shopping with mum means that she has the whole world of patience to check on what I like and watch me parading in front of her. Of course it also means that sometimes I will have to pay for her purchases ;) Hey but I am more than happy to do that !

I was trying to look for a pair of comfortable flats for my day to day walk from the train station to the office. Tried Tory Burch and On Pedder but they were either not to my liking or too expensive. (Both were on sale though, check it out for your New Year look) Finally I found the comfortable, pretty and office looking pair from Coach. Selling at $426 with 50% and I paid only $213 !! OMG! Good buy, best buy, must BUY right !!

 

 

Emerald green patent leather

What do you think?? Right, Denver is going to be in the pictures now as he is interested in my purchases as well ;) So shopping for 1 pair of flats turned into the below !! I just cant seem to control myself when it comes to shopping. :(

Not all is mine !! 2 belong to my mum, make a guess. The rest are all from Charles & Keith. The pair of heels after discount is only selling at $29.90. WOW ! Yes, we also got the mother and daughter sandals. Silver one is for me ;) My mum got a bag and wallet for her as well. Hehe, it's a fruitful day!

That's all for today my friends! Hope my post is interesting and useful to you. Tomorrow I will write about my trip to Bangkok. Have a great night all !! Xoxo..

A dreamer, attention seeker and control freak.. Read me!!

Welcome to Engellpeh's blog !!

I have been wanting to start a blog for the longest time. This is really not easy though, takes a hell lot of time. To those active bloggers out there, thumbs up!! Tougher for me though since this is not my full time job. So I have been in the banking industry for coming 9 years which means always involving in the much hated politics game as well. Got my new Macbook pro retina (read more on dayre.me/engellpeh) and all the more I should blog with it !!

This is my first post so lets start with the basics. Like any other girl I am in love with fashion and beauty. From designer brands to vintage items, you name it, I love it. Am I too old to start a blog now?? Well, of course not !! Met Japan bridal designer Yumi Katsura at Fide Fashion Week 2013 whom represents very well the phrase "Age doesn't matters" !! Anyway come on, I am only 29 this year. 28 to be exact, since I am a December baby... Oh and I have the cutest childhood nickname "Cartoon". This doesn't mean I am as cute as the cartoon characters, it just meant that I was as clumsy as them..

She inspires me!!

As for beauty, what is important for me, a good complexion says it all. I have dry skin so it's prone to freckles issue plus bad dark undereye circles. Have tried a lot of counter brands but nothing can be compared to visiting a dermatologist. Trust me !! To be fair I have yet to try brands like La Prairie, La Mer and SKII. It's like if you are willing to spend the amount of money on these brands, why not visit a dermatologist and treat the roots of your problems. Will blog more about why I prefer dermatologists to those OTC brands.

Taken at Blue Elephant - during my recent trip to Bangkok

Am a wanderluster even in my dreams!! Love to travel and me being a control freak, I always plan my travel itinerary and ensure that I complete all that I wanna see and tasted all that I wanna eat. If you prefer to laze around by the pool or in the bed, why not book a weekend trip to Bali instead.. Food to me is as long as it's worth the calories, don't even pause for a second thought. Make sure that it's really worth the calories though !! Do you agree with me that no place in the world is not worth your visit. Love being up close and personal to wildlife animals the most !! Walking with the lions was one of the best experience I had in Mauritius!! Am gonna blog about it too !!

Taken at one of my most fulfilling trip - India

Being on land is not enough, underwater world is just as beautiful as I imagine it to be. Scuba diving is one of my favorite too, though I admit there are times where I experienced panic attack underwater.This is no joke, I really felt like I was about to die..

Being an only child does makes me less sociable so I guess writing a blog will help opens up my life. I do have a lifetime friend / soulmate / furkid, the biggest love of my life.. Meet Denver the golden retriever ! He is 6 years young. People can tell you all the cons about owning a dog but I can write you a longer list on the pros you will have with them.

Meet my boy !

Right, not gonna bore you with my entire biography on the first post. In short, you are going to read about fashion, beauty, amazing restaurants, travels, animals, politics, the hottest topics people are raving on and surely my humble life... Hey basically everything under the sun !! I am excited !! Hope you are too in reading. Actions speak louder though. Follow me on Twitter Instagram Dayre Facebook and of course my blog !!

"You'll love me, You'll love me, You'll love me
And where I go U'll follow, U'll follow, U'll follow
You'll always be my true love, my true love, my true love
From now until forever, forever, forever"

Not bad right, written a lot on the first post. That's for me to say and for you to judge. Give comments, give criticisms (be nice lah) give encouragement for many more posts to come.. Oh !! Have I mention that I love watching UFC too, fan of B.J. Penn !! Ta da.. ciao ciao

 

Till the next one.. xoxo....