Never say never... And Derma-roller

To botox, that is.

Since last week, I've noticed this drooping of the lips corner left side.  I think this is the first sign of aging that has been bothering me.  Not that there're no other sign of aging on my 33 yo face but this is nagging. The right side is not too bad but I have the habit of sleeping on my side. One day if I do decided to sleep on my right side for a period of time, I think the right will suffer the same fate.  This got me seriously considering botox as a quick fix, nip it in the bud before the line gets deeper.  Maybe I should do some facercise, try to sleep on my back more (but it's really quite difficult for me)?  The next best thing to do now is to start using the derma-roller diligently to stimulate collagen production.  I have very sensitive skin and prone to ezcema so I have to be careful not to roll too hard (quite impossible to roll really hard anyway) and avoid rolling when there is a breakout.  I've used it 3 times only since getting it 3 weeks ago.  The first time I used it, my hand sort of went jelly as it is really rolling 15mm needles on your face and trying to exert enough pressure to stimulate the skin but not enough to break the skin.  Some people use it with numbing gel but I don't have that.  Let's see if this works with rolling 3 to 5 times a week, for 1 month before shelling out the moolah for the botox.

Note:  I also realised that I like to prop my face up with my hand on the left side.  I think that likely lead to more creasing.  So hands off the face!   

Update: I stopped using after 1 week as I had breakouts.  Haven't touched it since!

Brunch with 18 yrs worth pals and the little ones

 

Hey, do you know these people?  Do you think they will like us?

 My farmer's breakfast.  Yum yum, nicely poached eggs :)

 I love the greens

 Kuma DeeDee is really Princess Lilia's pet, can you tell?

 Peekaboo!

 Whimsical decor in Mimolette

 Let's sit in the shade while the adults go out and play.

It's really the month of gatherings, so here we are, having a nice brunch at Mimolette.  Come to think of it, the last meetup with these old pals was for brekkie at Hediard.  It's a good thing we shifted the date to today as tomorrow, it'll be crowded as they will be having event for Easter.  Walking into Mimo is like walking into a picture as the decor is quite whimsical.  The tables, lightings and chairs are painted in white and outlined in black to look like drawings.  Of cos, this is a not-to-be missed photo opportunity so I brought Lilia,  Red Cherry and Kuma DeeDee.  The friends were a bit alarmed when I whipped out the girls and asked me why do I bring them out? Do I bring them out all the time? I think they overcome their embarrassment later (plus there're only a few tables with politely discreet peeps around us) and helped with the posing of the dolls. 
I had the farmer's breakfast and Ms Bo has the eggs benedict.  We all thought that mine will be quite a big portion but turned out the eggs benedict is the big portioned one.  I think the poached eggs were done quite decently.  One thing missing there are cakes and selection of breads.  

  We wanted to walk around and peek at the stables but the sky looks quite threatening with dark clouds.   It'll be a nice place for gatherings and kids since they can run around quite freely.  Our preggy fren is considering the place for her baby's full month party!  I'm looking forward to it :)

Challenge No.1: Finished-It-Up (FIU)

FIU.
Pronounce as you would the word, "Phew!" Like "FIU! I finished the cleanser/shower foam/lipstic (that almost never happen)!

Like the hoarder I am, there comes a time when I want to open up something new to use, be it makeup or skincare, I'm left with too many choices!  Why do I say it like it's troubling me when other pple have the problem of running out of skincare with none to choose from?
The problem with me is that I hoard stuff from the sales.  I buy and keep until curiosity gets better of me and I decided to open the item.  This usually happen within 24 hours or never.  When I do run out of, say foundation, I go open my cupboard and look through multiple bottles of foundation and think, "What if i don;t get to go to the sale this yr, better save it until absolutely necessary!"
Then I go out and buy a new bottle of foundation.
You see, with such warped mentality, I will never ever finish up my stuff.  I can use them until 80 yrs old!
Recently I've been trying to convert to using more organic products and these can't last that long.  I must really try to use them up.
So here's my first 5 products to use up:

1. John Master Organics: Vitamin C Anti-aging face serum
  I got this probably for about 2 yrs?(!!) and still haven't finish it.  My friend thought it smell abit funky but I think it's what stuck at the nozzle going bad if you don't use it daily.  Anyway vitamin C is known not to be the most stable ingredient and since it must be way past it's prime.  I thought I'll try to use it on the scars on my legs to lighten them if it's still potent.
 Left about 10%, it was too funky to use up!

2. Biore Bodycream: I got this in Japan thinking it's a body shower cream! You can tell how bad my Japanese is.  It was a cold cold night and I was tasked to go out to the nearest 24hr mart to get shower cream for the family so I grabbed whatever Kuri-mu I can figure out.  It's not bad, quite moisturising without the heavy grease.  I wouldn't mind getting it again if I'm out of moisturiser and I can't find Yuskin cream.
Proudly finished!

3. Suki Delicate Moisture Body Oil: Ah, this I got it for J but as it was expired so vendor refunded me and J told me to keep it for myself.  I like this alot and despite it being expired, I don't think the oil went stale.  If you like woodsy fragrance and enjoy using oil as a moisturiser, this will be for you.  It's abit pricey though, hence the small volume dispensed with each pump (hence, lotsa rabbit fur sticking to bottle) so I don't think I will buy it again. 
Proudly finished!

4. Juice Beauty: Oil -free moisturiser
  This came with the trial size kit that I got quite long ago too.  As it feel rather sticky on the face, I have neglected using it for a long time.  Also, my face is quite sensitive on and off, I forgot about it until digging it out recently.  I shall give it a try again as it is supposed to have a matte finish and not sticky.  Then again, with out humid weather, everything can turn sticky.
 Still 50% left, not funky yet

5.  Origins: A Perfect World Antioxidant moisturizer with White tea
  I really this what this does for me.  It plumps up the skin when I used it on skin stressed by sun or lack of hydration.  My working environment can be quite drying and unclean due to the dirty air ducts (full of dust and fungus) so if I do diligently use it nightly, the skin behaves quite well.  It's almost used up, probably a few more nights' application.  I can't quite remember why I stopped using it though. 
 Finished!

Oh hey, it's Earth Day today!  Perhaps it's quite apt to post this challenge to myself today.


I like what The Non-Consumer Advocate says:  “Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without”

My very first link exchange!

Hi!  Here's my very first and probably only link exchange cos I'm really not active online.  SP has already put this up eons ago and I've postponed it until now cos I haven't got the time to write something decent to do her justice!  She has 2 blogs, one of all things crafty and beautiful and another on blythes dolls.  If you're also a Blythe collector, pick up some tips from her blog as she's very adventurous in customizing the dolls :)

One down, one more to go

 Red Cherry having her treatment done.   

Phew! The counter is actually clear of clutter and clean enough not to dirty my pretty dress!

For the past 3 days, time flew by in a blur.  I was suddenly down with flu with no sniffles but lotsa coughing and tightening of my airway.  My doc must have been very kind or he has misheard me asking,"Can you please cover me for today?" as a plea for 2 days's rest.  Even the old doc is coughing so I guess it's the former!
I must have slept for more than 15 hours each day for the first 2 days of rest.  Then on the day of the planned leave, hubs is down with flu.  Lotsa of sniffles but no cough.  When a man is down with flu, oh man, he's like a big baby!  Actually worse, cos babies can't verbalise, yet.  Today we're still grounded cos it seems to have gotten worse.  I have no choice but to let him have the anti-viral tablets that costs more than $10 a pop.
"Here, this is from Dr Bryan, u better get well on these as it's more than $10 per tablet"
I peeled out the 1st and then started on the 2nd.
"What?!!" so this is like $30???!!!" said hapless hubs whom I think is considering that i keep the 2nd tablet.
"Aiya, just eat lah!"
The thing about hubs is that he doesn't seems to take to my medication well.  He slept for like 3 hours straight and woke up groggy, eyes throbbing.
But of cos, who wouldn't when one is cooped up in an airless room?? Don't blame it on the drugs.

Anyway, while he's out, I had nothing to do but to find my own entertainment.  Oh dear, this is but royal weekend!  There's nothing to watch on national TV except programmes on royalty!
Which got me feeling conscious of my unpolished skin and decided to do some facial pampering.  Hmmm.... which got me thinking, what's this time wasted doing nothing (sleeping is not nothing, mind you!)?
I shall do some cleaning up and tidying.
Why can't I relaxed doing nothing while having a mask on?
Well, 1 thing for sure is that now that we're fully fledged in a tiny hdb flat, parents aren't going to clean up after us, there is no dog to put the blame on for the messiness.  Boy, isn't the pressure great to present to friends and relatives a sparkling home when they come to visit?  While I know that most of my friends don't mind my college kids kinda living conditions, you know, books, mags everywhere, dishes unwashed, mailers on the dinning table,  I've heard comments that I certainly do not welcome on a few occasion when all I've done is to generously open my home. 
For the record, I love having mags and books within reach ALL the time.  Not doing dishes can't kill me so what's up with the dirty look (pun fully intended).
But that said, I do love the fren who did rolled up her sleeves and helped me with my kitchen malfunction.  It's a better place after she left.
My point is, as with a lot of other issues, if you can help, offer.  If you can't, please don't look at things so negatively without putting yourself in others' shoes.

Seed cards from Cargo Plant Love

Have you tried growing things from seed cards?  I haven't and this is the first!  I got Cargo Plant love lipsticks for a friend and myself online over a year ago.  The Plantlove range from Cargo is free from parabens, phthalates,synthetic fragrance, synthetic dyes and petro-chemicals.  The lipsticks are named after celebrities and the colours are quite pretty.  I've got a hot red (Maria) and something alot milder for friend (forgot the name of the colour).  One of reasons I got them, other than the fact that it's on sale, is that the packaging is eco-friendly and has wildflowers seeds embedded.  I finally got down to planting the seeds after I decided to pull out the bryophyllum which is becoming too much for me to handle.  I also planted Pangea's boxes which have basil seed embedded. I didn't manage to take pictures of Pangea's boxes or notes printed on the non-plant-able  cardboard cos hubs threw them away.

The pot with Plantlove has already sprouted while those with Pangea has only a few sprouted between the 2 pots planted.  I'm not sure if all the seedlings are from the seed cards as the soil was recycled from a big pot of bitter herb (good for sorethroat) that I uprooted some months ago (yes, I'm a plant killer).  I'm hoping that they are and I'm very curious to see how the wildflowers will turn out.  More so, I want some basil for my pesto!

Guess who?

 Introducing Kuma DeeDee and Princess Lilia

 Kuma Deedee is cheeky and loves photography.

 Princess Lilia loves anything in shades of purple and her new lavender filled comfy cushion

 Oh, and she loves to be photographed!  More than Momo who, by the way, just had a trim and rebonding done. Can you tell?