Milan Travel Tips & Shopping Itinerary under 48 hours + My Personal Updates for 2nd half of 2017

It has been too long since I wrote anything personal...and I kind of miss connecting with my readers like this, so here comes a post to tell you what I had been and will be up to, for the second half of 2017!

3Day Milan Trip

I followed my partner on his flight to Milan last month (For those who are new here, my hubby is an airline pilot.). We had 3 free days in Milan; as it was a last minute decision for me to join him, I actually didn't prepare a proper travel itinerary. Honestly, even if I do have time to plan a scheduled trip in advance, I wouldn't do it. I am all about #YOLO, you know. Haha! Readers who read my previous trips' notes will know I am quite spontaneous, and well... probably a bit messy.

Shopping in Milan

If you're short of time and have only 48 hours or so, I suggest you banish the thought of sightseeing or taking day trips at all. 

JUST . FOCUS . ON. SHOPPING .

Milan is THE capital of fashion & shopping. Sure... New York, London, Paris, Tokyo have been nominated as fashion capitals as well; but in my humble opinion, MILAN IS KING (Of Fashion) and everyone else is at most, just a Queen. Okay, maybe Paris is on par.

Shops are all over the city and walking streets are longer, busier and more colourful than other cities. This can be a bane if you are short of time coz you will get distracted = waste precious hours.

So, where do you go shopping if you only have 48 hours or less?

Why you should buy from a pet supplies store NOT pet shop

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I recently just adopted a bunny. 

Circling around this "Adopt, Don't Buy" topic, if you also feel the same way about putting a price tag on helpless animals and reaping huge profit margins out of these fur babies, read on.

Top Award-Winning Dishes at Singapore River Not to Be Missed!

Whether you're a local or someone intending to visit the Lion City, Singapore, you'd have heard of Singapore River.

As a Singapore born-and-bred local, I am telling you ....you MUST visit Singapore River if you're a first-time visitor to Singapore! We go a long way back, and this is a place filled with not just the current sights, sounds & smells but it's an area of rich heritage and bustling local night culture.

In conjunction with Singapore River Festival to be held in November, Singapore River One (Singapore River Management) revealed its winners for SR Signature 2017, celebrating the best cuisine along the three quays - Clarke Quay, Boat Quay and Robertson Quay. A panel of judges visited various F&B outlets across the three quays to try their signature dishes, and each selected their top five restaurants.

*My friends & I were invited to a media food tasting to 5 of these restaurants. I am not obligated to write about this event, but I want to; simply because as a Singaporean, I am super proud of my country...and I want to introduce this fabulous place-of-interest to my overseas readers and share some of its finest food offerings in the area!

Well, my focus in this blog post is the FOOD...so I shall spare you the glorious historical deets of Singapore River. If you're keen to know, go to : http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_148_2005-02-02.html

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SR Signature Afterdark Food Trail

1st Stop:
Ramen Keisuke Lobster King
Find out more about the restaurant here: http://www.keisuke.sg/lobster-king-clarke-quay/

 Winning dish: Lobster Broth Ramen Special Rich Soup.

MY THOUGHTS: Flavourful, rich soup with noodles which are more on the soft side. I like softer noodles so this works out for me. The portion is huge for one person, and it is a bowl filled with a variety of fresh ingredients that certainly make a hearty meal.

The Body Shop Superfood Face Masks Review and Giveaway

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Being increasingly health conscious, my interest is often piqued at the word "Superfood". Whether you are into health topics or not, you are bound to see "superfood" related discussions being posted on social media regularly.

How about superfoods for the face? 

Review of su:m37˚ Secret Essence and Sampling Day

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A firm believer of the importance of facial essences & serums in my daily skincare routine, recently I have discovered a K-beauty brand that prides itself as the first in natural fermentation technology and incorporated a "secret" ingredient into its facial essence. 

For those who are not aware, su:m37˚ is a premium Korean skincare and cosmetics brand owned by LG Household and Healthcare. They are highly raved by skincare & makeup gurus on social media. And it is not hard to understand why...

su:m37˚ skincare products are created using traditional natural fermentation process without preservatives, artificial colours and fragrances. They take their brand so seriously that they built their very own Natural Fermentation Research Institute (NFRI), which is currently located in north-eastern part of South Korea - where all the magic happens! 

Fun Fact: 
Do you know why does the Korean beauty brand name ends "37˚" ?

The optimum temperature of fermentation is 37˚C. 

The essence that goes into every su:m37˚ product is derived from extracts of more than 80 types of herbs & plants that have been fermented in cedar barrels under 37 degrees celsius, for at least 365 days. These conditions have been proven to yield 16 times more beneficial probiotics than any artificially-driven process

NEW IN : L'Oréal Paris Makeup Designer Infallible Le Rouge, Lip Liner, Makeup Brushes Review and Demo

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As we usher into the third quarter of the year (wow, how time passes!),  L'Oréal Paris Singapore introduces their latest makeup additions and completes the ever-popular Infallible range with their Infallible Le Rouge and Infallible Never Fail Lip Liner.

There are 10 shades in Infallible Le Rouge range, covering from bold pinks, everyday nudes to bright reds/oranges, with matching lip liners - 6 shades of Infallible Never Fail Lip Liner.

Infallible Le Rouge (S$23.90)

10-hour long-wearing & moisturising lipsticks formulated with Vitamin E, and claims to stay on lips after meals. Lipstick application finishes with a satin creamy sheen, and dries up to semi-matte  finish after colour sets on the lips. So yep, this is unlike their previous launches which were mattes.

The star shade of Infallible Le Rouge is #212 Rambling Rose - a vibrant pinkish-red with neutral undertones, universally flattering colour for most skin tones. Matching lip liner in Rose.

Infallible 6 Hour Never Fail Lip Liner (S$14.90)

At last, a reputable drugstore beauty brand comes up with good quality lip liners attached with in-built sharpener! Boasting of 6 wearable shades and here's the recommended shade chart for their complementary Infallible Lip colours:

BROWN - 737

ROSE - 212, 519.

NUDE - 423

RED/WINE - 337

MAUVE - 741

PLUM (Available in July) - 712

MY THOUGHTS

Intrigued with the gorgeous lip liner shades, I was further impressed by how creamy and smooth the Infallible Lip Liners are. Colors are beautiful enough on its own & non-drying to use alone as a lipstick. Depending on individual's level of creativity, these liners can also be mixed with lipsticks to create ombre lips or to achieve your own unique lip colour. 

With a lip liner, it's so much easier to manipulate your lips to produce a fuller or thinner effect, and of course change up the shape of your lips a little if you know how! (View helpful video tutorials on L'Oréal Paris Singapore YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTZ6tVq0OLk )

On the other end of the spectrum, I wished I could like Infallible Le Rouge the same way I adore the lip liners. Their claims of 10-hour longevity and "non-transferablity" needs to be looked into. Most of the Infallible Le Rouge colours wore off  from my lips after a meal, BUT the lip liners in the darker shades stayed on much better! One positive thing about Le Rouge is, the variety of shades did not disappoint as usual - I love vibrant, flattering and happy shades and L'Oréal Paris Makeup Designer excels at producing such; and for this particular range, the creamy lipsticks feels hydrating to wear throughout the day.

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Makeup Designer Tools

L'Oréal Paris Makeup Designer also launches their range of makeup brushes in Singapore this month.

A collection of 8 brushes made from synthetic hair (Yay! Cruelty-free!) - this collection completes your entire makeup regime, covering from base makeup to eye and lip makeup: 

Foundation Brush (S$24.90)

Kabuki Brush (S$32.90)

Blender Brush (S$17.90)

Powder Brush (S$21.90)

Blush Brush (S$16.90)

Duo-Ended Sculpting Brush (S$29.90)

Lip Brush (S$14.90)

Eyeshadow Brush (S$13.90)

It's not hard to tell that my favourite among the lot is the Duo-Ended Sculpting Brush!

MY THOUGHTS

Shopping for affordable and high-quality synthetic makeup brushes can be a chore sometimes. Currently, there seems to be a limited offering of good synthetic brushes in the beauty market. Many luxury, high-end brushes are made from animal hair; so to find high-performing brushes which do not compromise your personal values is somewhat a refreshing notion. :)

L'Oréal Paris Makeup Designer brushes feel super soft on the skin, yet they are crafted with hairs dense enough to pick up powders and deliver smoothly onto skin. The sizes & shapes of the brushes fit facial contours perfectly, making them effortless to use! On an everyday basis, I find myself neglecting my high end synthetic brushes for these (honestly and surprisingly). Haha!

Faithy's Recommendation: Don't miss the retractable Lip Brush and Duo-Ended Sculpting Brush!

Both brushes make darling travelling companions; major score for the sculpting brush which can double up as a foundation brush on one end!

Dior Addict Lip Tattoo and Dior PumpNVolume Mascara Review, Swatch and Video Demo

This Spring/Summer 2017, Dior Makeup introduces many goodies and pretties as per previous years. What struck me the most weren't their eyeshadow quads (which in all honesty are really gorgeous collectibles), but these two items - Dior Addict Lip Tattoo and Dior Pump'N'Volume Mascara.