Desktop or laptop

My pc had broken down several times on me, I had lost hope on it…
as im thinking to get a new, and I’m bound with decisions; desktop or laptop.
Definitely desktop is much cheaper n more power, easy to upgrade too… but laptop is a trend now… is getting much affordable plus its portability makes its plus point. And who will often upgrade their own pc… beside of just getting a new one instead.
I was amazed by lot of choices in the current market, must be cos im veri outdated!!... wow… laptops come in lots of colours n surfaces, glossy, leather etc. im impressed by the Sony Vaivo series n Asus ones… come in different themes… fast car Lamborghini, some even come with scents.. Like Fujitsu… There are laptops with fingerprint security... wow... cool, like secret agent. In fact, Asus come in a new technology (Eee pc), a very small cute desktop (which look more like portable vcd player); is cheap… but its lacking pt is no optical drive so u need a portable disc player along.
Now from what I been gather information.
Criteria im looking for; Intel Centrino 2 Processor Technology - Intel Core 2 Duo (with at least 2 GHz), a considerable display screen 14” onwards (as I dun wan to strain my eyes too much) that comes with a much better keyboard and with optical drive, had a webcam 1.3p above, must be under 2kg, not a bulky power adapter (preferably able to use with overseas power supply too), reasonable 2/3 DDR-2 SDRAM, a connsiderable hard disk abt 250GB, safety lock maybe and international warranty etc. And the list may go on... like example an unique colour perphas

Oil

Oil in our products. Although we women are much feared abt oil, as it always associated with the negative facts. Recently, I found out that in fact, it appear in most of our daily products, becoming a necessarily. In Cleaners (forms; soap, cream, milk, water & oils), it removes the dirt n makeup easily because of its slippery texture, so no wiping / too dry tightening is concerned. Plus it is easier to massage on the face compared to the thicker cream stuffs. Most popular oil cleansers: Fancl, DHC, Shu Uemura. Most of our serums connected to oil too, so do our moisturizers n essential oil. It is gd for intensive hydration, which is y it is in some of eye products. Not only smoothen the dehydrated lines, it also lasted longer as it provided an additional barrier function that seals moisture in skin. Eye treatment products; Estee Lauder, Elizabeth Arden‘s eye capsule (pumps up & strength skin), Kiehl. In moisturizers n foundations, it keeps skin soften, looking more healthy n radiant. As for foundations, it helps to glide on smoothly n evenly so there won’t be a cakey finish. These oil are gd for most skin types especially dry / mature skin but not advised for oily & acne-prone skin cos acne can be aggravated by too much oil. So better stick to water-based hydration n normal cleaners, ensure the products are non-comedogenic. Many skincare products are rich in omega oils. Essential / aromatherapy oils are too ‘pure’ to apply directly to skin as they will cause irritation n inflammation.

Health

Im quite health-conscious person, been taking supplements here n then. As I getting older, I would want to know more about these health products. I think early prevention is better. In sg, ppl start getting to notice the health problems. U can see there are health shops planting their roots here; like GNC, Nature etc.. Im not really a pill popping type but if these are reali gd for yr health, y not include it in yr daily routine. It take some time to adjust, n feel immensely pleased when u feel yr health get into a positive turn in life.

As im an avid online shopper, I do surf around to see if there are any cheaper solutions (as GNC do get abit ex, unless u are a member)

is what I recommended to everyone. At first I was abit skeptical in the international shipping system. As I read more about the reviews of ppl all over the world n the reasonable pricing, it gives me a boost to try it. It is a fantastic service I should say. Fast and Reliable iherb has been a long-standing online store for vast selection of brand name natural products.

Now first time customers who shop at iHerb.com and can have $5.00 off their first order when you enter this referral code VAD462 during checkout will receive in an instant.

An article for Sharing

Teeth Whitening Powder
The latest breakthrough in teeth whitening! Use this powder like your normal toothpaste and brush your teeth as per normal.

Functions
Whitening
Plague removal
Bacteria control
Prevents tooth diseases
Prevents bad breath

Ingredients
Natural antibacterial polyphenols
Vitamin D
ChlorophyllFluorine
Natural essences

in the book 《美容大王》 by 大S
"牙齿的美容，整齐自然是第一考量，其次就是美白。我本身没矫正牙齿的必要，因为我的牙齿天生健康又整齐，不过我却很注意美白我的牙齿。我做过各式各样的牙齿美白，像是最新流行的冷光美白，但做冷光美白超痛，照的时候简直要酸到脑子里去了，回家后还要继续酸软个三天！！虽然我超怕痛，但是冷光只要做一次就会有很明显的美白效果，如果你不是经常喝咖啡、抽烟的人，加上每天都用美白牙膏确实地刷牙，做一次冷光可以维持好几年，但就是要强忍住痛啊！

更早之前我也试过雷射美白，虽然也痛，但是这种痛是比较能忍受的。做完雷射美白还必须搭配做一附透明齿模，医生会给你牙齿美白剂，要你挤在齿模里头，然后回家咬着它。早期挤在齿模里的美白牙齿剂，要一连使用七个晚上才能见效，可是最新的牙齿美白剂是一个月只需要用一个小时，就可以维持美白效果了。

但有的人不抽烟，也不喝咖啡和茶，牙齿维持得还不错，只是有点黄黑而已，这样的人可以不做冷光或是雷射美白，洗牙就够了。但如果你是天生牙齿黄，就要做一次大的美白，之后再去好好地保养维持。

另外现在有一种美白牙齿笔，它的前端有刷头，睡觉前刷在每一颗牙齿上，隔天早上起床再刷洗掉，也有不错的美白效果。一般牙科都有卖这种美白笔，它和我刚刚说的美白牙齿剂都是Brite Smile这个牌子。

还有一种叫做百龄牌的洁克美白牙粉，这个产品一般超市就有卖，我每天用它来刷牙，牙齿也一天比一天白喔！

我每天至少花上十分钟刷牙。刷牙的方式很重要、选择牙刷也很重要，牙刷最好是锯齿状的，不要选平头状的，这样牙缝才会刷干净，因为牙缝最容易堆积牙秽和沉积色素了。正确的刷牙方式要从牙龈向上往牙齿刷，一次两颗两颗的刷，传统的横向刷法并不正确，既伤牙龈又刷不干净。
还有如果你是容易长痘子的肤质，千万不要用含氟的牙膏，要用盐性牙膏！氟和游泳池里添加的氯，都会使你的皮肤长青春痘，很多人都不知道这一点呢！

很多女艺人一笑起来，就看到她嘴里有黑色的补牙痕迹，我觉得非常不雅观。想当大美女，补牙的材料也要注重。现在新的技术是计算机镶瓷，将蛀牙部分挖掉，用计算机算出精细的补牙形状，由于材料是白色陶瓷，美观坚固，可以维持非常久。不像银粉，说不定在补完几年后吃东西时突然掉了！另外，智齿是使用不到的牙齿，要尽量拔掉。智齿很容易变成蛀牙，黑掉了不但不好看，还会影响到其它牙齿，甚至影响到牙龈。有些人智齿不拔掉，把前排本来排列得美美的牙齿给挤乱了，咬合也因此变差，实在很可惜哟! "

Fish spa

I got a couple of voucher for the foot fish spa... a new ‘game’ relax therpathy in town. In fact, I got them quite some time, but I often delayed it as I was busy with other things; wedding n honeymoon.
A lazy noon was spent on a 40min foot treatment = 20mins fish spa + 20mins foot massage.
Recently, there is a lot of news about it (positive n neg). It is said it was banned in other countries due to hygienic issues (sharing the same pool of fish w every customer, putting yr foot in the very same pool w others; which is also the home of the fish) Anyway, I was abit disturbed, but since it a free voucher, may as well as give it a try for a novel experience. This kind of fish, are called garra rufa but typically known as doctor fish. They were first used in Turkey and have become popular in some Asian countries as well as some global countries. Once we got there, we were told this treatment will be a ticklish one as the fishes will suck away our dead cells (without teeth, so they are harmless). There are 2 versions of the fishes, my hubby n I decided to go for the smaller ones… partly we are abit fearful about the outcome. (N once u choose the pool, u can’t interchange to another one). True enough, it is ticklish n abit scary at first. Especially when fish see yr feet, all swarm towards u n yr feet not even touching the water yet.

We had our dinner @ Aston Katong. Keen with curious, we spent abit of time in waiting since we are not that hungry in the first place. My hubby got his beef grilled, tasty as the juice of meat is trapped in, making it tender. While I had BBQ chicken, nice smoky taste as it was a slow cooked food under low temperature. The meat still stays juicy. Although it may not be look like big portions, but served with 2 side dishes, it is fulfilling. It is defiantly worth as compared to botak john. Their blog is at http://astonsspecialties.blogspot.com/ for those who want the exact address.

Tea snacks - non bake

Soya milk & Maple cream (4 per; 20mins + 1day chilling time)
600ml Soya milk
1.5 tbsp corn flour
55g castor sugar
1 vanilla bean
6 egg yolks
100ml maple syrup
3 gelatine leaves
Heat Soya milk in pan.Infuse the vanilla bean, let it cool.Meanwhile, soak the gelatine leaves in cold water to soften. In a whisking bowl, beat egg yolks, sugar & corn flour till it becomes light & creamy. Add in the heated Soya milk. Return the mixture to the pan. Simmer abt 3mins, add the softened gelatine leaves. Pour the mixture into cups. Chill overnight n serve w maple syrup.

Raspberry & Ginger torte (6 per; 20mins + 2hr chilling time)
200g ginger cookies
750g frozen raspberries
50g butter, melted
110g castor sugar
840g non-fat yogurt
4 gelatine leaves
Grease a 24cm pan. Break up the cookies into fine crumbs & mix w butter. Meanwhile soak the leave in cold water to soften. Add raspberries to saucepan with sugar & a little water, then add the leaves n simmer for a few mins. Let it cool. Put crumb mixture in the food processor together w the raspberries mixture. Process until smooth, add in yogurt. Pour the mixture into the pan, chill for 2hrs before serving.

Lime mascarpone tarts(6 per; 30mins)
6 egg yolks
150g butter
200g castor sugar
150g mascarpone
100ml lime juice
6 ready-made tartlet shells
Whisk egg yolks, sugar & lime juice. Once the mixture thickens, whisk in the butter over a bain-marie. Let it cool. Add mascarpone, mix well. Spoon mixture into each tartlet shell n serves.

Chocolate truffle cake (6 per; 15mins)
400g Oreo cookies
50ml cream
50g butter
250g dark chocolate
cocoa power as topping
Break Oreo cookies into crumbs, add butter. Press the mixture into 6 hollow ring pans. Whisk cream; melt the chocolate n fold in the cream till smooth. Spoon the cream into each ring; let it set in the fridge. When ready to serve, heat the side of the rings to remove the cake. Dust w cocoa powder n serve.

Numbers crunch

Eversince the four biggest USA investment company AIG faced the dilemma of fallen due to the bankrupt of Lehman Brothers bank, Singaporeans are all very concerned one of their subsidiary AIA. AIA had established quite a reputable in insurance at Singapore among other giants; Prudential n Aviva.Ppl in fact rush to have an early release of their contracts with AIA despite the rosy picture the company n MAS had comply. True enough, AIA had not been performing well in recent years. Not long after, rumor abt a certain foreign bank is facing problems, again ppl rushed to bail out their accounts w them.
Do bank run in Singapore?? MAS require banks to comply with capital adequacy asset maintenance, limits on credit & investment exposures. Other than, having a robust risk management practices like having sufficient liquidity, for foreign banks; a proportion of their assets need to be “ safe n liquid form of SGD” in sg there are 3 local banks; dbs ocbc, uob(since oub had merge with uob), Citibank Singapore can be counted as the fourth one. Now, what ppl need a ressurance is deposit insurance. Despite US had injected billion in the market, the financial economy is going stealthily into recession. Other countries had been doing the same to save their own financial sectors. Is it the “hole” is much bigger to be seen / mend? One figures.

My Weekends

Im pleased w myself. I dyed my hair at a cheaper price as I used the student service (personally, I think if u wan to dye e whole head, no professional is needed as long the hair got the colour u want, is ok unless u wan highlight) since I got my fav hair stylist, I often refuse others offer to cut. Luckily I managed to book him; (mine is strictly by appt basis cos he got too many regulars) he is good. This time I had him cut off my damaged tresses (dry n frizzled, got in tangles), look nicer / cuter now hehehhaaa.
I even got to visit some of the branded boutique just to upgrade my knowledge catch the latest styles / designs/ fashion. Sales everywhere... make the world look more pleasant n fun.

Fashion talk

Right now in the market, there are so many makeup products; really heard to decide which is nice for us / best for our skin. It seem like every mth, pops out a new brand n raves about its benefits to us as women; totally confusing!! Fake eyelashes are ‘in’ now? I almost find it everywhere even in the convenient stores. In fact, if u notice the convenient stores like Guardian n Watson is getting bigger n bigger, having to be sold all products. There are various counters selling different kinds of skincare / cosmetics / supplement. Even, KOSE have a counter in Guardian… wow. (In case u dun know, this brand is quite famous + ex like Lancôme) In Watson, there is a section for kawaii (Japanese) products…

Foundation
Find the right foundation by testing along yr jawline. Foundation is to dot on area with uneven pigmentation / scar to even out yr skin tone n leave the rest uncovered. Always rem to blend, blend, blend for perfect cover up.

6 basic types of foundations:-
Loose powder; good for light covering; oily / sensitive skin
Coverage: used it over foundation to set makeup – unless it is in mineral formulation which can act as foundation too. Pros: Mineral ones wont clog pores n have sunblock & skin-soothing uses. Cons: these can be messy as it gets all over yr dressing table or clothes.

Pressed Powder; good for normal – combination skin; toning down the shine from sunscreen.
Coverage: sheer to medium. Pros: light on skin, easy to apply, great for quick application on the go. Cons: Not for flaky skin as it will make skin look drier. Tends to run off face throughout the course of the day

Mousse; good for most skin type except very dry skin
Coverage: medium. Pros: whipped texture makes it easy to spread, while give a powdery matte finish for polished professional look. Cons: tend to dry out quickly n emphasizes dry areas of the face.

Gel; good for dry to combination skin
Coverage: medium. Pros: the texture feels cool to skin for sg humid climate. Cons: tends to come off oily skin after half a day.

Liquid; good for dry to combination skin
Coverage: medium to high. Pros: greater coverage than powdered versions. Easy to apply n not cakey. Cons: too many choices from matte to dewy have to try a few before settle on the right coverage n finish.

Cream; good for dry to normal skin
Coverage: medium to high. Pros: helps to cover fine lines n minor pigmentation; give luster to dry skin. Cons: could look cakey is applying w heavily

Stick; good for blemished faces n most skin types except for very oily.
Coverage: high. Pros: can be applying lightly / layered on for more coverage; works as concealer too. Cons: not for those with very oily skin as cream tends to wear off easily.

Bags;
branded bag are rage now. To own one of them is a ger’s dream… but nowadays, there are even had similar replica version at a reduced prices. And gers!! I m not talking about imitation goods!… this makes me abit mad.. Here im saving hard for that branded bag, then it had a similar replica version out in the market. It seems to make the brand / design of bag abit downvalued.
Clutch for lunch for u to take into any makan place. Im not talking for a big oversized clutch, but compact beauties here. Best to put the essentials; tissue packets, cellphone, makeup and some change n best not look like an auntie... Small enough to fit into an average-size tote bag, stylish enough to carry on its own and nt mistaken as a freebie make-up pouch. Versatile, designer, easily to match, lightweight, ladylike, organized.

Colored lens; said to make yr eyes look bigger / cool sunshades; Ray ban / vintage fashion / maxis dress / hair extension even eyelash extension are common. Gladiator sandals are a HIT now!! I also wan!! They are cool, personally I think of them as boots, still decide whether to go for heels or flats… mmm…mm