Yes to Gay Marraige....

Oh finally Friday! Here's something funny! My friend sent me a link of all the hilarious gay marriage protest messages...these two are my favorite....click here to see more....

Happy Friday!

Nina Simone

Lovely......

Marilyn & JFK

Such a lovely photo....sucked to be Jackie O really but I don't think I'll ever see the appeal of Jackie O. Yes, she was elegant and lady-like, but I actually think she was quite ugly with really bad features like eyes set too wide apart, square-jaw, weird mouth and funny teeth....well, all of them dead now anyway....just mindless stuff on an uninspiring Wednesday....

Hada Labo Lip Moisturizer

As you might have already noticed from my previous posts, I'm obsessed with lip balm and my friend HL and I always say that you can never have enough lip balms cos you can put one in every bag and they finish quite fast anyway. So I had to pick up a tube of Hada Labo lip moisturizer when I saw it at Watsons.

I've tried the Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Face Lotion before but I think it's so-so and doesn't live up to the hype. Well, it does its job well but not super wow and I gave it to OGT who actually likes it quite a bit and she said it works pretty well on her. I, on the other hand, wasn't exactly impressed but then again, it's really just about moisture boosting so I can't expect miracle. But if the lotion can allegedly lock in so much moisture, the lip balm gotta be good for my dry lips. I can say that its texture actually rivals the Ettusais Lip Essence quite a bit at a fraction of the price as it's only going at $10.50!

It's got very similar texture as Ettusais Lip Essence which I like. It's a thick gel/balm type with a nice shine and despite the thick texture, it's quite comfortable on the lips and not waxy. Thick lip balms all have staying power and it's the same with this one. I tired it at night before I go to bed and in the morning, there's still a thin layer there and my lips are quite soft. But the only problem is that after I wipe if off, I need to immediately apply lip balm again or my lips will feel dry. I notice that some lip balms need constant reapplying once you use it, otherwise, the moment you have none on, your lips will start to feel dry. This is especially so for the petroleum-based lip balm I think cos whenever I use petroleum-based lip balm like the Vaseline ones, this kind of happens. On the other hand, if I use non petroleum-based lip balms like the Burt's Bees Beewax Lip Balm or Fushi Organic Lip Balm, I don't have this problem at all.

The Hada Labo does give me that though and well guess what? It is petroleum-based. So that's something I don't like about it. Otherwise the texture is not bad. Nonetheless, I don't think I'll buy it again. And right now, my favorite lip balms are still: Fushi Organic Lip Balm, Burt's Bees Beewax Lip Balm and Cle de Peau Beaute Lip Treatment....

Notable Quotable

Once upon a time, William Shakespear said...

"How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child!"


Many centuries later, Miss B said....


"How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless JOB!!!"


Thank Buddha It's Friday....

Jurlique Love Balm

I can't think of a reason not to love the Jurlique Love Balm Rose (limited edition). It's a different scent to the original Love Balm which has a citrus scent and I love this one sooooo much better! It smells divine and it's got such a nice soothing rose scent that I absolutely LOVE.

This multi-purpose balm has Vitamin E, Olive Oil, Soybean oil and Safflower Seed. You can use it anywhere really. Lips, cuticles, hands, elbows etc. It's very much a little tin of TLC for the skin on the go and I pop it in my bag all the time. I use it as a lip balm and hand balm cos I hate lugging a tube of hand cream with me and this one is just great cos it's all in one. I love smelling it too and I sometimes just open it up to take a deep breath in! So nice! Not to mention it does the job of providing TLC very well to your skin! Two thumbs up!

The Temper Trap

Love the songs....and love the fact that I actually feel like one of the boys in there running cos I'm so freaking busy at work jumping fire hoops....

MC Culture

So recently there has been a little talk from the "Führer" about the whole Medical Certificate or MC issue. The Führer said we the minions should be a bit more "conscious" about how we take our sick leave.What the Führer meant was: Don't fucking take so many sick leave you slaves!


The Führer has noticed a spike in the minions throwing in MC for sick leave. The Führer isn't too pleased and said that the spike in MC either means the morale is really low or that staff are overworked. Possibly both, but then how about the staff REALLY falling sick? The Führer also said minions must go see a doctor if we call in sick instead of using our annual leave cos if we do that, it means we're essentially take urgent leave and not sick leave and that is despicable since it's like cheating. 


Now here's my issue with MC: What's up with that whole obsession with MC????? I think it's only in Singapore (okay and Japan...or maybe a few other Asian countries perhaps but I'm not sure) that the HR peeps and bosses are obsessed with the whole MC situation. You can't just rest at home, you MUST get to the doctor to get a sickie. What's up with that? What if you're having a real bad migraine (which I get sometimes and I'm not feigning sick), and you already have the migraine painkiller at home? Do you still go to the doctor for the sake of it? And let's say if you have a migraine and you're in so much pain that the best option is really to pop the painkiller, stay home and sleep it off? Do you still go to the doctor even when the pain is gone simply for the sake of that stupid piece of paper? Oh according to the Führer, it is yes. Never mind the fact that going to the GP means the company paying money for your medical benefits. 


In one of my previous companies, it's even more ridiculous. The HR peeps ONLY accept MC from the company doctor and if you go to other GPs, they don't recognize your MC and guess where the fucking company doctor is? It's in the same building as the office. How stupid is that? If you can make it to the company doctor, it means you can make it to the office and it means you're perhaps not sick enough. 


Then what about the time when the GP only give you 1 day sick leave but you didn't recover within a day and you still have your medications for day 2 onward? Now, do you, again, go back to the GP to fucking beg for another day of MC?


And what's with MC really? I've seen so many people fake a sickie! There's this funny incident where a guy picked up the stomach flu meds (I overheard the pharmacist saying "This is for your stomach pain, this one is for the diarrhea" etc) and then when I walked out of the clinic, I saw him eating a MacSpicy at the MacDonald next to the GP clinic. So if the rationale of getting an official sickie is to deter people from skiving, then honestly, it makes no difference when MCs are so damn easy to get. Easy, go in, look pale, feign migraine, cos they can't check if you really are having one. Or fake a stomach ache and just say it hurts...Bam, you get an MC. 


So I really do not understand what's the big fucking deal with the whole you-must-get-an-official-mc thing. Are the local HR peeps and bosses such slave drivers that it's NOT okay to just call in sick cos you're simply too tired or unwell? Sucks to be minions! 

Moroccan Oil

I think I might have found the best hair treatment oil. I've long heard that argan oil aka Moroccan oil is superb for hair and skin and I was given a bottle of pure argan oil from Morocco and well, you can't be more authentic than that. BUT, the problem is that, because it's pure argan oil and not one made for cosmetic use, it's really very heavy! Yes, it's good for the hair but it leaves hair all heavy and greasy and it's got a weird smell too. So no go!

So instead, I bought a bottle of the original MOROCCANOIL, original in a sense that it's produced by the MOROCCANOIL brand (yes, all caps please) that started the whole Argan oil craze and boy! I'm very impressed by its performance and it's really the best hair oil I've tried.

It's a blend of argan oil rich in vitamins and natural elements that fortify the hair, including Vitamin F (Omega 6), Vitamin A to improve elasticity, Vitamin E to protect against free-radicals, and Phenols to shield against environmental stressors. You use it by applying a tiny amount on damp hair and it gets absorbed really quickly without leaving a trace of oil at all unlike many other hair oil. 


It's so good that on the very first use, my hair is super soft and silky smooth and it doesn't weigh down my hair. I get soft shiny hair that's very light. It works really well on my sun-burnt hair (from the MBS weekend) cos my hair was all dried up and scratchy after a weekend of intense sun and chlorine water from the pool and after one use, my hair got all soft, hydrated and smooth. 


My only complaint, though, is the smell. No, it doesn't smell like weird greasy cooking oil but I just simply don't like the fragrance in the MOROCCANOIL cos it's a bit heavy and mumsy smelling but well, I can overlook that.

Then I looked at the ingredient list and they do have some silicone in there and I don't like having silicone in my hair products cos yes, it gives your hair that super shine but it's also not that good in the long run as the silicone will build up on the hair shafts and make your hair look dull. But according to my hair stylist, a bit of silicone is fine. My only concern is that the different types of silicones are listed as the first 2 ingredients, meaning that it makes up the main bulk of the entire content. Not too good but I guess I'll just have to use a clarifying shampoo every now and then to get rid of the build-up. Something's gotta give I guess!

Apart from the two complaints I have, I'm super impressed and I'm quite likely to buy it again. I got a small 25ml bottle and it's so tiny. But I think after I'm done with this, I might just buy the Kiehl's Argan Oil to try it first cos I don't think that one has any silicone in it. So we'll see!  

Fat by Toiletries

You already know all the chemicals like sulphates, paraben etc in your toiletries are back for you but I just read this scary article that Phthalates, a very common chemicals found in 70% of toiletries and household cleaning products, is very much linked to weight gain and obesity and could very well be making you gain weight!

Apparently, doctors at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York claim that phthalates have been shown to throw the body’s natural weight control system, a delicate balance of hormones, off kilter. They suggest that exposure to phthalates through daily use may be linked to childhood obesity and weight problems in adults. Read more here!

Now that's some serious shit no? Time to look for "non-fattening" options without Phthalates!! I'm gonna go home and go through all my toiletries, read the labels, and do an "audit"....I think brands like Avalon Organics, Akin, John Masters Organics, Balance Me and Aromatherapy Associates do some pretty good Phthalates-free options...time to chuck out the shitty fattening toiletries!

Are you feeding yourself dis-ease?

Watch this if you really care about your health.....it's a bit long but it's worth it if you're a health freak like me! Feel super guilty that I broke my vegetarian diet and gave in to a burger :( .....I paid the bill cos I couldn't sleep that very night from bloated stomach cos my stomach isn't used to digest meat anymore....instant karma!

Hmmm.....raw food for thought?? I wish I have a personal raw food chef!

MBS Weekend....

Just had an indulgent weekend at the MBS Hotel and it was awesome. (mostly because of the company and not so much the hotel)

Well, it didn't start off that awesome cos while checking in, the hotel staff lost my bag and I was freaking out cos it was nowhere to be seen. While I was anxiously twiddling my thumbs waiting for my bag to appear, I was thinking of ways to murder the hotel staff cos I had a pair of Louboutin and a Chanel bag in there!! Good thing there's no carnage at MBS cos the bag came back to me an hour later. Yeah, that bloody took a full hour!

Then it's all good from then on. Well, mostly. Thing is, the hotel wasn't as awesome as I imagined it to be. I'm not trying to be ungrateful but I'm merely stating the facts and observations which happened to be a consensus. There were throngs and throngs of loud PRC tourists from China, Indians and Indonesians, so it wasn't as exclusive as I pictured it to be. Then again, it can't be that exclusive if it's such a massive hotel anyway.

I was on the 39th floor with a pretty splendid view facing the CBD and the perk of staying there was the marvelous National Day Parade rehearsal fireworks right in front of my eyes. It's really a matter of being there at the right time on the right day. It's upclose and personal and it's the best fireworks experience as you could literally feel the vibration of it all. The room, on the other hand, is just basic and didn't quite warrant any pictures of its own.

The legendary hotel pool on the 57th floor, on the other hand, was awesome. Nice view! Although I can do with fewer people....it was a wee bit crowded but the good thing is that they have a separate sections for adults only to ward off the peeing and screaming kids and the life guards there were really diligent to keeping the kids away from the adult-only pool

So I would really say that the MBS hotel is all about the infinity pool cos room and deco wise, The Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton still top MBS. The thing I love most is that the MBS mall is just 3 minutes away and you've got everything there....almost. I was supposed to be in charge of choosing a dinner place but I screwed that up by not making reservations in advance and all the good fine dining places were booked up and left with rubbish time slots like 930pm. Seriously, who the hell eat at that kind of timing??

The whole culinary experience was therefore based on just ONE great meal at db Bistro Moderne. It's a French-American fair by the famous Daniel Boulud.

If you have a thing for burger, well, then you've just died and gone to burger heaven cos the burger here is to die for. So much that I forgot about my vegetarian diet for a day and indulge in the burger. I had the Frenchie Burger which is foie gras free (the signature db Burger has foie gras....mehh....so cruel!) and has arugula that I love....

It's ridiculously juicy and tasty. Not that huge really but it's oh-so satisfying. I would definitely suggest using your hands to eat the burger instead of the chi chi way with fork and knife. Forget about table manners cos you would want to press and cradle the burger while you oohhh and ahhh as you chew....my grandma used to always say that for things like burgers and chicken wings, it's tastier eating with bare hands....The fries were perfect too. It's crispy on the outside and soft on the inside....it's so bloody good...

Well, if you want more photos....click here....didn't wanna go too long winded with this post here...I just wish the MBS mall is a bit more accessible though cos it's a really nice mall and I love the whole mood of it. Reminds me of Chadstone in Melbourne which I adore!

Pill Popper's Anonymous

Hi, I'm Miss B and I'm a pill popper.

Yes, it's been established that health supplements are my favorite candy and I've just added one more pill to my repertoire of daily pills (on top of multivitamins, calcium, evening primrose oil and gingko biloba). And yes, it might be a bit much but with a shitty family history of high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, lung and colon cancer, you can never be too careful.

I've added the amazing Aged Garlic Extract (or AGE for short) pill to my daily stash of supplement. I'm taking the Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract Formula 102 Candida Cleanse & Digestion....ok, it means it's got AGE and stuff that's good for stomach in short...

Garlic definitely warrants its own shrine for all the health and medicinal benefits thanks to this thing called the Allicin. That's the active ingredients you get when you crush and pound the garlic. Yup, you need to crush and physically abuse the garlic to activate the Allicin and whole garlic doesn't release Allicin. So if you want to have your garlic intake by swallowing cloves of garlic, it won't work. You need to chew it but let's keep to taking the tablets and pills and not repel vampires and human alike.

Then you'll probably ask why not normal garlic but aged garlic. The difference between normal garlic and aged garlic is that aged garlic doesn't have that pungent smell as it's aged in oil for 20 months before making them into pills. The Allicin in raw garlic is super unstable and it gets denatured and loses its beneficial quality quickly. So when you age the garlic, the process not only eliminate the socially repelling stench, it also transforms the unstable, harsh and potentially irritating compounds in raw garlic to stable, mild and beneficial compounds that's easier to be absorbed by the body.

Anyway, to keep this short and sweet, here are the benefits:

• Anti-bacterial. It's a super powerful natural antibiotics and soldiers in WWII used it to treat infections and stuff like gangrene even! It'll help with infections like sore throat, flu and even prevent food poisoning
• Anti-fungal. If you want natural remedy for yeast and fungal related problems, Garlic is your weapon. Externally, if you have unfortunate things like ringworm or athlete foot, garlic would help and you can even apply chopped garlic directly. And if like many women, you are prone to yeast infection, then garlic would definitely help prevent it
• Anti-viral
• Rich in anti-oxidant
• Reduces the risk of heart diseases 
• Lowers your bad cholesterol 
• Caner prevention. Clinical studies show that it prevents breast, lung, colon, liver, stomach and bladder cancer
• Boost the immune system

Okay, these are just the main ones and there're more but I think that's good enough for anyone to take garlic supplement regularly and that, too, explains why I bought 3 bottles at one go last night....

Lessons in Love

Note to self on the matter of the heart....lessons from both personal and friends' experiences....

• Your happiness is the most important thing. In love and in life alike. If you're not happy, it's not working out.
• You can totally love someone but if the person makes you miserable, it's not working out. Being in love or loving someone isn't an excuse to be unhappy or put up with shitty things.
• NEVER settle for less. If you don't feel 100%, forget it. Don't string people along.
• Be with someone who wants to be with you wholeheartedly, not some booty call douche or "string-er" who's buying time to get someone better
• Often, it's all about being at the right place, at the right time with the right person. Sometimes, it really isn't you but the timing and the person. Be kind to yourself and don't beat yourself over it.
• ALWAYS keep your dignity and pride even in the event of a heartbreak, never grovel because you don't want someone who doesn't want you.
• Sometimes, there simply aren't any answers to whys and hows. Let go if you can't find out. Don't dwell.
• You either love the person or you don't. Sometimes you don't get to choose who you love, so listen to your heart.
• Never get involved with a married person. It will not end well. And never be the 3rd party. 
• Breakups and heartbreaks suck, but you'll be okay. Ride it out like a bad bad flu. You feel like dying initially but slowly that, too, will pass.
• Don't agree to staying as friends with an ex because your pride tells you to. Pride isn't about putting up a brave front to make the ex feel that you're cool. It's about knowing what's best for you and that includes telling the person you need to cut him/her out.
• Never put up with or tolerate abuse of any kind, be it physical or emotional. You're too precious for that.
• Never change anything about yourself for someone, you're lovely as you are and should be loved for who you are. Never let the other person tell you you're not good enough.
• Be honest and faithful in a relationship. Don't cheat. Karma will always come back to bite you in the ass
• People and friends will always give you advice and make comments but only YOU know what's best. Always follow your heart and do things YOUR way, not what other people say or based on consensus
• Choose the good ones. If you know the person is bad news from day one, don't go there. Save yourself the heart ache and pain.
• Sometimes, an ex is an ex for a reason and there's no point keeping them in your life if they're just not a real friend. Axe out the toxic people.
• "I love you" should be about "You"ie the person and not about how loving the person makes YOU feel ie the "I" part. If it's about "I", it won't last
• "Forever" is a stupid concept. 
• It's never just about feelings cos that, too, will pass. Some days you'll wake up not feeling much but relationship is a long-term commitment and you go through days and periods where you don't feel up for it. If you're serious, you persist and stick to it and realize it's about companionship and the deeper sense of love. Not those fleeting honeymoon kind of lovey dovey feeling.
• Never jump in blindly. Be very careful with who you give your heart to. It's YOUR heart that's at stake. Take some time to know the person.
• Trust is to be earned
• Take it with a BIG pinch of salt if someone tells you "I Love You" too soon. It's likely to be that rush of heady honeymoon love that would eventually fade away. Real love takes time to develop.
• Be happy on your own before you start a relationship with anyone. You want to "want" the person and not "need" the person for healthy co-dependency
• It's better to be alone and single than be in something that's not working. You can't force things to happen. Know when to let go. 
• There really are a lot of other fishes out there. Just have to be patient. Good things come to those who are patient.
• Last but not least and corny as it is, Love yourself! YOU are the most important thing ever. If there's no "YOU", there's no "US", no "WE". Get the basic right.

July Muse 2011

Reading: British Vogue....Honestly, I prefer British magazines to American ones anytime because British mags are simply better in terms of contents and style. They're just heaps better...I've been getting the British Vogue after giving in to the exorbitant prices. Annoying that it costs about $19 here when it's just less than 5 quids in UK. But well, what to do?? It's a good read....

Listening to: Shock Value by Timbaland.....Not new obviously but I've always loved Timbaland and he makes great snappy music. Now I'm listening to him cos my pole dance class is choreographed to his song "The way I are"....

Wearing: Cool Down Crop by Lululemon. Lululemon's been my favorite sportswear brand since I shelled out quite a bit of money to get my first pair (okay, first 3 pairs since I bought 3 at one go then) years ago. Eight years down the road, they're still in pretty good condition. So yes, all Lululemon's stuff is worth the premium price and this Cool Down Crop is super comfy and lightweight. Perfect for me to wear it after my pole dance class. I'll probably be wearing it a lot over the weekends. And I've bought quite a few of their sports bra...super comfy....the only complain is that I need to order online and pay $30USD every time for shipping...mehhh

Essie nail color in Haute as Hello....it's a great coral color perfect for the "summer"...not that there's any other seasons in Singapore but it's a nice chirpy hue

Carrying: Balenciaga Part Time in Pink....okay, you see, I'm now saving money and it's not about buying new bags but it's revisiting what I already have and haven't used for a bit. This pink Part Time is my first Balenciaga and I love it still. I've been recently using my new one in purple and have neglected the pink one. Fret not, it's out again, and just nice for the chirpy "Summer" hue...

Using: Balance Me Super Oil....Omg, this award-winning oil is...well SUPER! I've been a Balance Me fan and the Super Oil is my favorite product. Balance Me does really awesome natural products that's no-nasty and free of Paraben, Sulphate, mineral oil, artificial fragrance and all the lousy stuff that's bad for the skin. It's all heavenly scented with natural aromatherapy skin loving essential oils. I use this super oil in place of a body moisturizer now and it's a dry oil that gets absorbed quickly. It's got all the goodness of Bergamot, Juniper, Geranium, lavender and good fatty acid from Jojoba, Macadamia, Sweet Almond and Wheat Germ. Super awesome. My skin gets very hydrated and super soft. It's also supposed to boost blood circulation too and if you dry brush your skin before applying, it'll help with cellulite too. What's there to not like? It's available at Super Nature by Club 21 in Orchard Boulevard.

Waiting for: Moroccan Oil....I've just ordered the oil from US and this is Argan Oil which is also known as Moroccan Oil. It's all the rage for being awesome to the hair and has received raving reviews, so I can't wait to receive it as it's still "in transit" somewhere in the US. Will write more about it when I finally get my hands on it.

Loving: Peony Lim.....probably one of the best-dressed 23-year-olds, this UK lass runs her own blog on fashion and is one-third of the PRP aka the Photographing Real People blog on street style and fashion. She causes major wardrobe envy. Definitely not the typical beauty of mixed parentage (Chinese & British...actually she looks a bit odd if you ask me...a wee bit like the Devon Aoki type) but she definitely has that x-factor with impeccable style. Thing is, I wonder if she's super loaded cos how does she afford all the Chanel, Hermes et al??? At age 23? Now it's a love hate thing no?

Lusting after: Fuji X100 camera.....OMFG....it's so freaking beautiful...it's built to have a retro look but apparently it's a great camera too. And despite the single lens which you can't change, I WANT!! But the cool $1500 price tag means I probably will not be getting it....not to mention I'm still very happy with my Olympus Pen but well, you can never have enough cameras (or not?)