Vichy Normaderm Anti-Imperfection Hydrating Care

To be fair, I should write about this too.
Ya same story, my sister brought back a sample. Nice smell. It's a miracle anti-swelling agent! After poking at a spot, I dot it on the red, angry area and the swelling and redness went down right before my eyes!

But it didn't help with oil control at all.

So should I still call it a moisturizer, or just use it as an instant swelling relief?

Cheapo me went online to request for another sample :D

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A light moisturizer with Zincadone A that tightens pores, helps reduce oiliness and improves skin clarity.
Helps transforms your skin in 4 weeks.

Skin Type/ Concern: Oily and Acne-prone

Results: After 4 weeks, the appearance of the skin is transformed, imperfections are reduced, pore size is visibly reduced, and the skin’s surface is smooth and even.

Galenic Intense Moisturizing Serum

Thought I should write about this although I tried this sample ages ago.

Brought home at the same time as the Refreshing Moisturizing Cream, I tried this first. It's the best moisturizer I have used! Absorbs fast, only need a small amount and my face remains matte for the longest time. But it's a wee bit sticky if I apply too much. Smells the same as its sister product.

I want it, but I think it cost $80 for 30ml the last time I checked. Faint.

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Product Information

Galenic Soins Hydratants Intense Moisturizing Serum: An extremely hydrating serum for all skin types.

Description: This moisturizing serum contains extracts of wild berries to restore natural moisturizing abilities in the skin. Wheat protein smoothes and softens skin, while glycols provide added moisture. Ideal for all skin types in need of a hydration boost, this serum is suitable for use alone or prior to your day or night cream. The cells become filled with water, skin is smoother and radiance is boosted. The results are immediate and long-lasting, leaving the skin with a soft, fresh finish.

Recommended Use: Apply morning and/or evening to a thoroughly cleansed face, neck and neckline. This moisturizing serum can be used alone or before applying the day cream with wild berries for reinforced action.

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, PEG-12, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Protein (Triticum Vulgare), Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract (Rubus Idaeus), Butylparaben, Carbomer, Chlorphenesin, Chondrus Crispus (Carrageenan) (Chondrus Crispus), Disodium EDTA, Fragrance (Parfum), Mica, Phenoxyethanol, PPG-1-PEG-9 Lauryl Glycol Ether, Ribes Rubrum (Currant) Fruit Extract (Ribes Rubrum), Titanium Dioxide, Triethanolamine, Vaccinium Myrtillus Extract (Vaccinium Myrtillus).

Galenic Refreshing Moisturizing Cream

Tried out the sample my sis brought home.
Although smell is rarely my concern, it's a plus that it smells nice. Too oily for me. I look oily after applying and my face still got oily faster compared to Artistry. O well, it's not meant for my skin type anyway.

It has been sitting in my drawer for a long time. Oil has separated out. Looks like oily stuff cannot be kept there.

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Product Information
Galenic Soins Hydratants Refreshing Moisturizing Cream: A soft, rich day cream for dry and very dry skin types.

Description: This luxurious cream is formulated with extract of wild berries which help to enhance your skin's natural moisturizing abilities. Polyols and polysiloxanes add moisture, comfort and elasticity while vitamin E provides exceptional antioxidant protection. Rich and creamy, this silkening formula is ideal for dry and very dry skin types. Tight, itchy skin is relaxed and sagging skin is plumped, leaving it with a supple, soft look and feel.

Recommended Use: Apply morning and/or evening to a thoroughly cleansed face and neck.

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil (Cocos Nucifera), Dicaprylyl Maleate, Tribehenin PEG-20 Esters, Isohexadecane, Mineral Oil (Paraffinum Liquidum), Cyclomethicone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Myreth-3 Myristate, Glycerin, PEG-8, Benzotriazolyl Dodecyl P-Cresol, Blue 1 (CI 42090), Dimethiconol, Fragrance (Parfum), Methylparaben, Phenoxyethanol, Propylparaben, Red 33 (CI 17200), Ribes Rubrum (Currant) Fruit Extract (Ribes Rubrum), Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract (Rubus Idaeus), Sodium Polyacrylate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Vaccinium Myrtillus Extract (Vaccinium Myrtillus), Yellow 6 (CI 15985).

Treats These Conditions: Anti-Itch, Free Radical Protection

Suitable For These Skin Types: Dry

Ingredient: Vitamin E, Antioxidant, Dimethicone

White Labbit Candy Also Cannot Eat!

Earlier, 白兔糖 was alleged to contain formalin, but subsequently cleared. But now it's found to contain melamine!

It's a white powder. Definitely can disguise itself well.

Will this candy be cleared by CNY next year?

Mid-Autumn Sin Festival

Last year, I didn't buy any fanciful mooncakes. This year, I almost didn't too, if I had not pia-ed finish my work by afternoon of the last Sunday before Mid-Autumn Festival.

My siblings and I descended upon where all mooncake hunters in Singapore has converged - Takashimaya. Super crowded, could hardly move. So many hotels! Managed to taste some mooncakes fragments, the size of my pinkie's nail. Is superior cutting skills a job requirement for manning mooncake counters?

Some hotels have sold out, like Goodwood Park, no chance to eat.

There's a brand whose core business is mochi, but has ventured into mooncakes this year. Their snowskin tastes like... mochi. How can lidat? Tsk tsk.

I'm more keen on snowskin mooncakes as I believe my parents will buy the traditional baked-skin from neighbourhood bakeries. And my brother koped a box of branded mooncakes from various hotels hohoho.

After comparing prices, wanted to go taste 美心月饼 for a final decision, but stopped at 香港大班冰皮月饼 booth since it's not so crowded. The black sesame is not bad. Decided to get it since it's less than $40 for 8 different fanciful flavors. It's supposedly blast-frozen at -18°C, but of what concern is it to me when it's going to sit in my home freezer at the end of the day? The sales assistant opened up the box for us to inspect the mooncakes before packing it into a cooler bag. Nice! Don't have to go home immediately!

Ok done with mooncake shopping! No more! $40 this year, not as much as I had expected.

After that was dinner and after that, we went to Raffles City, where we found yet another mooncake fair, albeit EMPTY! It was getting late and many of the booths have closed for the day also lah. Got to taste more mooncakes. Mmm~

Explored the building a bit, and came across Swissotel The Stamford, Sze Chuan Court Restaurant's booth, empty as well. We very boey paiseh, still go and taste although I had totally no intention of buying. Tasted ALL their flavors! Haha!

Champagne Truffle & Chocolate Ganache - Couldn't taste the champagne ley. And I don't really fancy white chocolate with nothing much to contrast its taste (to prevent me from thinking it's just vanilla).

Strawberry & Dark Chocolate - Sweet-smelling and tasting strawberry, but somehow I thought chocolate and lotus paste don't belong together.

Baileys Chocolate - Where's the Baileys? Better to pour my own Baileys over some other mooncake.

Rum & Raisin Chocolate Truffle - Nice! Not too sweet, with a rum-flavored raisin to offer some contrast.

After eating and saying it's nice, what's next? Walk away? >.< Sis wanted to get it, but I didn't really want to, so I proposed splitting the bill. Actually didn't really expect her to pay lah. The mooncakes cost $46, but the good news was there's 15% discount for Citibank. The bad news was haven't count GST yet. Final bill was $41.84, only slightly more expensive than 大班!

The 8 different flavors of 大班. The funny flavors means XX mixed with mung bean paste aka 绿豆蓉. I thought what special bean lor, green bean nia.

Cut open the mooncake... this is the mung bean-only flavor.

The Swissotel mooncake box. There's a removable mirror and stand on the box. Can't see clearly one lah.

The white mooncakes. White lotus paste, white chocolate shell and raisins.

Cut up. Seriously, how did those sales assistants do a clean cut?

This year, the Swissotel mooncakes are the best! The skin is more chewy than 大班's. Flavor wise, it's more exotic than 大班, which is more of the fun factor.

For traditional baked-skin mooncakes, I realized branded ones really do taste better than neighbourhood bakeries'. I could munch on them without feeling 腻, which is actually the reason why I only liked mooncake skin in the past. It's less oily (you should look at the oil seeping through the skin of brandless mooncakes), less sweet and smoother. So next year should kop more back!

The main office sent boxes of mooncakes and boxes to us for giving away to our customers. And not even 1 mooncake for us. Sooooo sad :(

After so many years of indoor-only activity (i.e eat mooncakes only), this year I went to Bishan Park to breathe polluted air! Watched those kids throw sparklers into the pond, make fires and explosions, lanterns burn up... while eating mooncakes brought in the 大班 cooler bag and drinking softdrinks. Pure sin! Before that, I had Thai Express green curry laksa for dinner :X

Eucerin Hyaluron Filler Eye

So how did my free sample work?

Well, it DIDN'T! Yup, lines still there.

But how can I expect it to, when I sleep after 0030 without fail everyday, stare at the pc almost every minute I'm awake, stressed by work for as long as I've been trying it?

I need a product clinically tested to work despite all my chronic habits above.

After leaving this product in my drawer at room temperature for about 1mth, oil has begun to separate out from the cream. Yeww.

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Product Information


Hyaluron Filler Eye (15ml)

Intensive Wrinkle-Filling Treatment.

Instructions:

Apply the product after cleansing to the eye contour areas by gently dabbing it into the skin. Use regularly every morning and evening.

Attributes:

* Hyaluronic Acid
* Bioactive glucoside Saponin, one of the most effective Hyaluronic Acid stimulants
* Appropriate for use after Hyaluronic-Acid injections
* Non-comedogenic
* With concentrated Dexpanthenol to support the regeneration process over night

Benefits:

* Instantly visible effect: Hyaluronic Acid immediately restores skin volume to visibly reduce wrinkles.
* Wrinkle Filling effect from the inside: the bioactive glucoside Saponin stimulates skin's own synthesis of Hyaluronic Acid in the deeper layers of the skin.
* The dipped connective tissue under the wrinkle is refilled.
* Wrinkles, even deep ones, are plumped up from inside out.

Ingredients:
Aqua, Glycerin, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, C18-36 Acid Triglyceride, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Cetyl Palmitate, Behenyl Alcohol, Methylpropanediol, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Glycine Soja, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Bis- Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Stearyl Alcohol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Silica, Dimethicone, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Trisodium EDTA, Methylparaben, DMDM Hydantoin, Propylparaben, BHT, CI 77891, CI 77491.

Retail price:$51/15ml

River View Hotel Buffet and the Storm Before

The department secretary decided that we had too much money in our department fund and decided we should spend some of them. We have been to Penang Place twice in a year, so it's time for a change. I'm so totally bored of it that I wouldn't go there again. But the question is, where to?

First on the radar was Sakura. Near the office, value for money. But it was dropped for reasons I don't know. I'm ok, since I had it so many times these years.

Other places being considered and dropped were Furama, Swissotel Merchant Court for their durian pastries (too ex)... and a few others. The poor DS must have spent at least 2 weeks planning this. Unfortunately I couldn't contribute the places I have been to or lemming to go, as they were either too pricey or non-Halal, non-vegetarian. It's really a pain to think of a place that caters to all groups. I think a place that makes everybody happy doesn't exist. I wouldn't want to be guilty of suggesting a discriminatory venue. If we end up at Penang Place again, I would rather go home. I wasn't the only one. Even a few Indians weren't keen on the dinner because they thought they would be eating laksa and ice-cream only again (what the non-veg Indians ate at Penang Place).

The DS finally decided on River View Hotel, River Garden Coffee House & Terrace which is a non-Halal, non-vegetarian international buffet. What happened to all the dietary concerns?

L couldn't take it lying down. She replied to everybody in the email invitation, appending "NOT FAIR" to the email subject.

...

Are you implying that vegetarians and people who are particular about HALAL cannot attend ?

We are also part of the department. And if this is a departmental gathering please cater to us also.

Wa so fierce can? I didn't respond to the invite, in case they were going to quarrel or change the venue. In my project, Indians are the majority, but department-wise, Chinese are the majority. Because we have always tried to accommodate the lowest common denominator, I have never truly enjoyed the meals we had together. Because of halal alone, Jap, Chinese and Western food are out. Aiyah whatever lah, looking at this department, I'm resigned to eating Indian food or Penang Place for as long as I'm here.

So I will just watch the email war.

The DS's reply:
...

Thank you for your feedback.

Since you've raised your concern, I would now pass the organising baton to you.

Pls be reminded that the following criteria need to be met :

1) Allocated fund $1,300.00 for 50 headcounts
2) Halal certified compulsory for muslim staff (we have at least 3)
3) Indian vegetarian (some take egg, some don't - pls take into consideration)
4) Chinese Vegetarian (no garlic, no onion)
5) Chinese Food with some Pork dishes inclusive (majorty of populations within dept are chinese)

Boss, L will take over from here, pls follow up with her on updates.

Thank you in advance

Eeks L organize is 101% Indian food! Not twice in a week please!

L's reply:
You cannot pass the baton to me. I have raised a concern.Address it if you can
I am not accepting the Baton.

DS's reply:
The answer is, I CAN'T address your concern. Since you felt is NOT FAIR, then pls take up the challenge.

Anyway, I'm hands off for this.

If you not accepting the baton, pls find someone you can passed it on.

We shall stopped all emails from here to avoid flooding the mailbox.

Aiyah end of email war. Nobody did anything then. Bosses all not in also.

The next day, when boss came in, it's time for him to put his conflict-resolving skills to use.

What I overheard:

**
Boss: If you have something to say, you should just email DS only and not to the whole department! What is the meaning of sending to everybody?
L: No, I didn't mean anything! I just thought everybody should know and see if they want a change.
Boss: If they want a change, they will tell DS! No need to email everybody like that!
DS: I'm ok if you email me only. You know how much time I spent on this, trying to cater for everybody? You know how hurt I am when you sent that mail to everybody?

The truth is, I don't think anybody will speak up at all, except L. And she sure knows the power of sending emails to onlookers. She likes to cc the PM when asking me to assist in her official testing, and not cc-ing the PM when asking me to help in things she could have done herself.

**
L: I think it's discriminating against halal and vegetarians.
Boss: All along, we tried to cater to halal and vegetarians. But the Chinese always have nothing to eat! You know the Chinese must eat pork? No pork nothing to eat! If you look, the majority here are Chinese. So everytime the majority not happy when we go out to eat! Now we want to enjoy one time. What you are saying now is discriminating also!
L: No I am not discriminating!
Boss: No, no, no, you are. Discriminating means excluding a certain group!
L: Then the vegetarians have nothing to eat! Even the Chinese vegetarians!
Boss: How many Indian vegetarians are there? You want us to eat the same thing for the few people? How many Chinese vegetarians are there here? DS you are vegetarian right?
DS: Yes, I can only eat salad and dessert at the buffet but I still decided on that place you know.

Well-said boss! I know you are carnivorous, standing up for your own rights now!

**
Boss: Since you have objections, why don't you organize?
L: I can't, it's not my responsibility.
Boss: Then you shouldn't make noise! If you organize, you can go to a place you like.

Ya, so I don't make noise also hehe.

So we still stuck to River View and DS still had to organize. She asked the hotel for directions. She was told that the nearest MRT is Clarke Quay, followed by a 10-15min walk or 2 bus stops away. They even showed us a map on their website.


When I looked at their map, cannot be lor, trying hard to make Ngee Ann City look like it's only 1 street away! I checked out the street directory. At the default magnification of 6, I couldn't see Clarke Quay. 5 also cannot. 4 then can see lor!
Does this look like a 15min walk at all? If I used to take 8min to walk to AMK MRT, this would easily take 30min.

Anyway, I wouldn't be walking there. Good luck to the rest!

Most people took 30-40min to get there, plus losing their way. The record was 1hr. Some gave up and wanted to take the bus, but they saw the buses but no bus stop. Many taxis cruising around, but too expensive at evening lah.

We were assigned tables at the alfresco area. Not warm lah, the Singapore longkang river and Robertson Bridge are right outside. After eating, still can go jalan jalan for digestion and come back for next round. If you like, you can even walk and never come back. How thoughtful.


No soft drinks in the buffet. Must pay $3.50. Don't think their coffee and tea are included too. Not interested also, it's Thursday.

Their Coffee Pork Ribs looked interesting, but some commented there was no coffee taste. So... it's coffee-colored only? And it looked too tough, when a colleague was trying to cut it but made noise instead.

Things I didn't eat (and can remember):

• Prawn mee, laksa, sushi. Too filling.
• Roast pork, chicken and duck. Why, don't I eat them often enough? Except the pork.
• Ordinary-looking ham. Yawn.
• Smoked salmon. Not a fan.
• Marinated octopus. I strongly feel I might get to eat it at a coming wedding.
• Deep fried money bags. Not a fan of fried food.
• Cold seafood like scallops, mussels and prawns. Where are the oysters?
• Chilli crab. Not there to dirty my hands! Don't eat chilli crab anyway.

Things I ate:

• Prawns fried with meat-floss-like thing, which felt overcooked.
• Chawanmushi, which has corn in it.
• Chicken satay. Meaty with peanutty sauce, nice, but a bit cold.
• Sashimi, but as usual I was stuffing myself silly with salmon sashimi, which can hardly go wrong.
• Fruits. Got papaya, dragon fruit UNPEELED (how dare them!), apple, melon.
• Chendol drink and chin chow soy bean milk. For the chendol, they just put glasses of coconut milk with 料 in them and my colleagues took them just like that. Chendol what, where is the gula melaka and ice? Funny one haha.
• Various cakes, but not many varieties. The best was a warm pie, something like a watery Portuguese egg tart.

So I'm still quite a picky eater huh. Many warm dishes, but mostly not special enough. It's $28+++ mah, what to expect.

There was a handicapped live singer. Boss went to xian1 his minder and found that they are members of the hotel, so we got 15% discount!

By 9pm, people started to leave. 5 of us were going to lompang the bosses home, but they were still happily chatting, like don't want to leave! We waited a while more, but by 9.30pm, we couldn't take it anymore. So much to say meh? Or was it because the bosses' boss was there?

Me: How, they talk until 依依不舍.
K: Don't know ley, go and tell them?
Me: B, you go ask ley, PM more convenient!
B: Huh don't want, big boss is there!
K: Or I drive you all back lah! Boss J left his car keys with me.
Us: Huh why he gave you his keys? Men a lot of pockets one right.
K: Don't know ley, he gave me lor. Wallet also gave me lor.
Me: Maybe pants too tight.
(Anyway it's not the first time Boss J did that. Last time at xx event also throw his bag to a lady (again) and don't want to take back)
K: Can lah! You all got buy insurance right?
Me: Wallet also here? If out of petrol can go pump! And tomorrow morning can come pick me up!
Silence
E: How?
Me: K, we share cab lah.
E, H: We go first lah. Bye!
B, K, Me: (Shouting) Bye! BYE!!! BYEEEE!!!
E, H: Bye!
B, K, Me: (Shouting) BYEEEE!!!

Then the bosses said it's late and the girls wanted to go home, so they stopped! YAY! They caught the hint!

O this Boss J so cheapo, say don't want to eat buffet, want to drink beer only. In the end still kop the dessert to eat! At least he did lah, better than a drink-driver on an empty stomach.

In all, just slightly more than half the department turned up.

Khansama Tandoori Village

G is going to London (a change from the usual back-to-India after marriage), hence L volunteered to organize a farewell dinner for him at Khansama Tandoori Village. The public transport directions sounded nightmarish. Take bus/MRT to Buona Vista MRT, then take 92 and drop off at the last stop. Haha I bet everybody was super turned off after hearing that! So near, yet so far.

Out of the blue, R is leaving as well (and paying for his notice), so it became a farewell for 2.

I'm not a fan of Indian food. Coupled with the fact that it's not a department-sponsored event and I had a slight sore throat, I contemplated flying plane. What's worse was that all bosses aka drivers were not in office by evening, which meant I would have to spend on taxi to eat something I didn't fancy. But there were 3 more people willing to share with me, so I went lor.

Before we set off, I checked the street directory as evening is a bad time to lose your way in a taxi. Wa it's located in the depths of Science Park I lor! Exit AYE at Buona Vista, turn to Science Park Drive and drive till the end of the road. It's good in a way, because it's easy to remember.

The taxi fare was $12. Ouch.

The restaurant deco is very cosy and Indian. The place was rather quiet, save for a few tvs screening Bollywood MVs. The food was surprisingly palatable to me. It's not exceedingly loaded with spices that go up my nose. The curries are not too spicy.
The only thing I couldn't take was a baked cracker.

1 of the guys was breaking fast. I think he really made up for all the 3 meals! O_O For me sure cannot 1 lah, miss already, that's it. Can't make up for it later.

A: How come the movies they playing are all so short?
Me: They are MVs lah.
A: Is it? Look like movies ley.
G: It's MV but taken from the movies.
Me: O... so clever can save money.

Since it's a farewell, after we were done eating, must have some interaction. But G and R didn't say much, their bosses didn't either, and people who usually are very talkative also nothing to say. It didn't help when we couldn't hear very well with the tv above us. When my father came and I got up to leave, they all too the opportunity to leave too -_-;;

It could have been better if we ordered catering instead, since all of us without our own transport took taxi.

Since 25 people accepted the dinner invitation, excluding the 2 we were treating, the restaurant suggested providing us with a special buffet costing $522. But 6 people flew plane, hence we faced the grim prospect of paying for all those we didn't turn up. Weird lor those people, at the end of the day still said coming coming, in the end disappeared. Some informed beforehand that they wouldn't be able to make it, but most didn't. Fortunately, a PM stood up for all of us and made the pilots pay. If not really boey tahan!

Think we will all be wary of farewells in future. Luckily I still went! If not never go but still must pay!