Hi everyone. I went through a whirlpool of emotions today and I cannot say I'm feeling my best right now but firstly, I want to thank all my friends and followers who stood up for me and defended me on that Instagram post I posted earlier. I eventually stopped reading the comments because I was feeling overwhelmed and the comments were affecting me. I cannot control people's opinions neither can I stop them from commenting but at least there's one factor I can control, which is to ignore and stop reading.

My friends were very sweet to check on me, some acquaintances offered support and Xiuhui even told me that if I ever consider retaking my wedding photos, she will contribute a little to the cost as my wedding gift. I was so touched I just kept tearing. Actually all I want to do is just curl up in bed and cry at the unfairness of it all.

My intention for sharing that blogpost was not to cause distress or harm to T (the lady in the photo), her husband or anyone. Which is why when her husband, X, emailed me and requested me to take down that blogpost, I did because I felt his sincerity in the email and it was affecting them as badly as it was for me.

Some points I want to clarify:

1. It is not a beauty contest and I don't care if she is prettier than me or vice versa. Neither do I care about whose photos look nicer because that is not the point.

2. If you post anything (photos, quotes, whatever) on the internet, private accounts or not, there is no guarantee that the photos/quotes will not be leaked out. As mentioned previously, nothing is ever safe or "private" on the www. Let me repeat: I did not do anything illegal like hacking into her account to get the screenshots. T had 500 over followers on her Instagram account before today and she has since realised not everyone on her followers list is a trusted friend and by the way, she also accepted requests from strangers.

3. I have a blog hence I am a blogger. I have followers hence I have influence. Therefore I should be gracious, considerate, kind, -insert all nice adjectives here- so I shouldn't post their names/faces/dogs/sofa/bicycle because I should be mindful of what I say/post and I should not tarnish another person's reputation like that. I also should not stand up for myself if I realised my pre-wed photos might be replicated. You guys obviously make sense.

I have a blog hence I am a blogger. I have followers hence I have influence. That also makes me a bully because T has no blog, is not a blogger, has lesser followers than I do hence she has lesser influence too. But you guys forgot something - I am also human and I am also entitled to my opinions just like all you keyboard warriors with private Instagram accounts. Why is it always like that - just because I have influence then I have to be the bigger person? Why are you guys bullying me, and forcing me to behave in the way you deem is right? Are you guys condoning (maybe) copying?

Less than 2 hours after I removed the blogpost, X emailed me and requested that I take down the Instagram post as well because in his words, "I have alot my wife's friend come asking about what happen."

This is what I call 得寸进尺 (climbing over my head). You proudly proclaimed in your email to me that your ideas were originally yours/from others and both T and you have never seen any of my pre-wed pictures at all prior to your pre-wed photo shoot (despite her being my fiancé and my Dayre reader/Instagram follower) so tell your friends everything you told me. Why are you dictating me to do things to please the both of you and make your problem my problem when I am equally, if not more, upset than your wife?

I will remove the post but on my own accord.

4. I made it very clear in the blogpost - I did not say the confetti or balloon ideas were originally mine. I drew inspiration from images I saw on Google. Please note there is a difference between drawing inspiration and outright copying. I also did not mention that T cannot wear the same gowns or use the same backgrounds/locations since she obviously paid for the package. This is the frustrating part because the commenters just bark about the above with no substance or sense in their comments - you have no idea what you are defending for.

Hundreds of couples sign packages with said bridal studio every year and they also chose from the same range of gowns, used the same few photographers/makeup artists/hairstylists/locations/backgrounds. My point is - why is it that my photos, their photos and the in-house models' photos can look so different yet T and mine have such an unbelievable similar resemblance? Same ideas, same "feel" at the same locations. And it is not even for just one set of photos.


I have said everything I want (I think) and I just want to move on from this incident. I removed the blogpost because I gave T and X the benefit of the doubt even though there are still some points that do not tally. Intentionally similar or unintentionally, I do not want to pursue it anymore because it is consuming me - I cannot sleep well, I have no appetite and I don't want my days to be 1) revolving around this incident 2) spent defending myself 3) fighting off negative comments.

Weddings are happy affairs and I don't wish to make things uglier and more unhappy than it already is. So, I am taking advice from the haters and be the bigger person here. I wish you both newly weds, T and X, a happy and blissful marriage filled with lots of joy and laughters. Xx
  
That's all.

What happened in Jakarta

I was in Jakarta in June and I already had lots of plans in mind weeks before my flight there because hellooooo, I was going to the city of cheap hair washes, yummy food and also, crazy traffic jams. My friend, Fatiha and I stayed at a friend's apartment and we heard about how dangerous the city can be that's why we only took taxis everywhere (meters start at 70cents WHATTTT). Anyway, it helps to have friends there too because during the peak hours, it is almost impossible to get a cab. 

I also learnt a little or two about the culture there like how cars are so freaking affordable (you can get a Toyota SUV for <S$20,000) and the Indonesians who are doing not too bad have at least one personal drivers for the family. I love this personal driver culture and I couldn't stop raving about it to H hahaha. There are so many chauffeurs there, the big malls actually have a room with TV for them to rest and wait while the boss(es) shop! What an awesome job, it's stress-free and easy money.

Food wise, NEVER eat at their food courts because 99% of the time, the food tastes bad and it is extremely unhygienic though cheap. I'd advise you to top up a few bucks for a more satisfying meal at a local restaurant.

On the first night, we went to Pancious and had desserts for dinner because we had a not-so-fantastic late lunch at the food court.

I ordered the apple crumble waffle which was okay 

and it would taste better if they actually have some sweet sauce over it 

because it was a little dry. 

Or maybe I should have ordered a scoop of ice-cream with it.

Fatiha's caramelised banana crepe cake with vanilla ice-cream which was yummy!

The cream was very fresh and light, even the ice-cream was good.

Actually, the savoury items all looked and sounded extremely delicious 

and we vowed to go back again for lunch/dinner but we never made it back 

because our schedule didn't allow 

and there are many other good cafes/restaurants to check out!

After a long day out on the second day, we went for a hair wash at a salon near the apartment.

The mall was EpiWalk and the salon was located at the top level.

I didn't notice what was the name of the salon, sorry!

Wash + Blow costs around S$7?

So damn cheap and the curls last for dayssss (with no hairspray)!!

And their head massage? NO WORDS.

Just look at these curls.

Achieved with your regular hair brush + hairdryer and a super talented hair stylist.

I was in awe.

No wonder the Indonesian tai-tais always have amazing hair with so much volume!

Oh yes, you can also thread your brows (S$5) upper lips (S$3) at this shop 

located on the same stretch as the hair salon.

Cheap!

We didn't feel too hungry at dinner time again so we ordered sides to share at Kafe Betawi.

I forgot the name of this dish but it is some fishcake thingy with satay sauce.

I loved it!

Sate Ayam (Chicken satay)

Tahu Telor

Actually all the food we ordered were good!

3 dishes + 2 drinks at <S$15 I think!

Moving on...

I picked out 2 pieces of apparel from Fashmob which are gorgeous!

Met my girlfriends for high-tea in the Colosseum Monochrome Midi which got me many praises!

I chose to dress down with a pair of sandals since I was at Gardens by the Bay before this 

and I think I looked just as presentable haha.

I'm wearing size S but XS would be a better fit :)

Brought the Donna Playsuit (Pink) to Perth with me 

because I knew this piece was gonna be perfect for the weather!

It was hot and sunny in the day and the chiffon was light and airy to wear.

When it got windy, I just threw on my jacket 

and there I have it, the perfect winter-approaching-spring outfit.

Fashmob (http://shopfashmob.com) always have all these classy, edgy and feminine pieces 

and I am sure you are bound to find something you fancy.

Have fun shopping ;)

On a sidenote, I love Perth's clear blue skies and lush greeneries so, so, SO MUCH.

Cannot wait to be back in Australia!

Wait for my blogposts on Perth okay? :D

The Sloane Clinic

I posted this photo on Instagram a couple of weeks ago and was met with a huge chunk of negative responses.

I might have left out in the caption that I will not be going through a big surgery to change how I look because my parents have given me perfect features and I know I am very fortunate. So don't worry guys, my eyes, nose, lips will remain! Even my ears will still be this protruding though I hate them and that's precisely why you don't see many photos of me with my hair up!

I don't condemn plastic surgery as I feel it's a personal choice. Beauty ideals have been highly coveted by all the celebrities you see on screen and if you are not harming anyone by enhancing your physique, to me, it is - why not?

Not everyone undergoes beauty enhancements just because they are vain. There are numerous reasons such as hair transplant, medical facials, corrective surgeries, etc, so don't be put off the moment a friend confided in you that he/she did something.

I went to The Face of Beauty Workshop organised by The Sloane Clinic last month with Beatrice, Evonne and Valerie to learn about the wonders of plastic surgery. The Sloane Clinic is a chain of aesthetic clinics offering total beauty solutions of invasive and non-invasive aesthetic treatments in Singapore and Malaysia.

Here's all of us with the renowned Dr Moon Hyoung Jin from Korea! It was very interesting to listen to him share about the current plastic surgery trend in Korea, what defines beauty there and what are some of the enhancements the locals undergo to look beautiful.

The above photo summarises it all!
By the way, cute eye smiles refers to "aegyo sal", those puffy, cute looking eye pouches that make you look younger!

Based on the beauty ideals in Korea, this is what a super gorgeous Korean lady would look like and what most Korean ladies hope to achieve through surgeries.

In comparison, how the rest of us around the world view beauty.
Top-bottom, L-R: African, Caucasian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean
Common features: big eyes, small nose, oval-ish face shape, defined lips and flawless complexion
ALL look super gorgeous please!!

With the other 2 doctors, Dr Tan Ying Chien and Dr Chua Han Boon from The Sloane Clinic, who shared secrets on how to achieve a beautiful face and how to have flawless skin respectively.

As we age, skin sags, the radiance is no longer seen on our face hence we look perpetually tired. As seen in the before/after pictures above, the lady was transformed after deciding on the Restylane® Hydrolift procedure.

Restylane® Hydrolift is one of the options you can consider to revive youthful, moisture skin and at the same time lift and contour faces sans scalpel using natural hyaluronic acid. That's why you see how her face shape seems to be more defined, and more oval in shape after the procedure.

Studies have shown that Restylane® also stimulates your body’s own production of collagen, explaining why over the next 2-3 weeks, you will notice further lifting of your facial contour, together with more radiant, luminous skin. Similar to fillers and botox, the procedure is very safe and you can expect minimal downtime, and results last for 4-6 months!

Everyone in the room went "ooohhh" and "aaahhhh" when this slide came on and I assume that's because dark circles + wrinkles at the eye area is the most common problem most of us face. I rub my eyes too frequently and now I have lines under my eyes + dark eye circles which nothing seems to cure. T_T

If you are in a similar situation as I am, you would be relieved to know that there is a solution afterall!!!

"The Sloane Clinic's Eye Revival Program is a unique game-changing protocol to rescue woeful panda eyes with a multitude of deep issues:  

Laser Toning dispels the dark cloudy pigments, while activating intensive collagen production and improving microcirculation to put fine lines and puffiness out to pasture. Revitalift works synergistically to level out undereye trenches, quench thirsty dull lids to ignite a healthy sparkle from within, and restore dermal elasticity and thickness for that youthful bounce as you spring across the winning line!"

So you see, you don't always have to do anything drastic to your face to look good! Simple contouring with plumper, youthful-looking skin and wrinkle-free eyes CAN and WILL take ten years off your age! And the best thing? You do not have to worry about how you will look after the procedures because it is almost guaranteed you will look good with aesthetic treatments as such.

The Sloane Clinic has a vast number of treatment/procedures available and I'm sure you can find something that can improve your physical appearance, be it skin laser, body shaping, permanent hair removal or even liposuction. You can find out the services available at their website: http://www.sloaneclinic.com

Do note that double eyelid, epicanthoplasty and lower eyebag removal surgery are performed at The Sloane Clinic Plastic Surgery Centre while all other non-invasive procedures and injectables are available at all other branches.

Contact The Sloane Clinic at help@sloaneclinic.com for enquiries!