Monday, June 30, 2014

Giveaway for 3 lucky readers!

Read on to WIN:
- $30 worth Essensuals Bugis vouchers
- Professionals Hair Care and Styling Products
- Essensuals Bugis Membership Card

Finally had time to do hair treatment at my hair salon Essensuals Bugis! As usual, there was warm hospitality with drinks and snack served while we get our hair pampered!



My stylist Wayne applying treatment on my hair. If you are heading to Essensuals Bugis, I highly recommend Wayne at Essensuals Bugis. He is one of the best stylist I had - He knows my hair best, the styles that are suitable for me, and is always patient even when I didn't take care of my hair resulting in him always having to detangle my extremely tangled hair (it is probably a horror story for every stylist). My hair is very fine so I have a tangling problem but I always leave each session at Essensuals Bugis with beautiful hair! Remember to make an appointment before heading down as he might have other customers! You may call 63330039 to book a time slot.


Pretty hair after treatment! Smooth and silky!


To thank my readers for the continuous support of Essensuals Bugis, Essensuals Bugis will be rewarding 3 of my readers with a giveaway!

Prizes:
- $30 worth Essensuals Bugis vouchers
- Professionals Hair Care and Styling Products
- Membership Card

How to take part:
- Leave a comment on my instagram photo: www.instagram.com/theiceangel  with the hashtag #loveessensualsbugis! (e.g #loveessensualsbugis because they are so friendly) and your email address!

**Terms and Conditions**
- All entries / post must have an email address
- Only users with the hashtag #loveessensualsbugis will be eligible.
- Essensuals Bugis's decisions will be final and all prizes are not exchangeable
for cash.

GOOD LUCK!

Sunday, June 29, 2014

Trickeye Museum VS Alive Museum

Two trick art museums opened in Singapore in the same month, so there are bound to be comparisons.

Here are my personal opinions for visitors who are contemplating whether to go to Trick Eye Museum or Alive Museum.

Location

Trick Eye Museum
-1 Located at Sentosa, it is considered inconvenient for many people

Alive Museum
+1 Located at Suntec City Mall, it is centralized and easily accessible.


Number of Exhibits

There is no huge difference in number of exhibits for both museums. Depending on what appeals most to you, each attraction has their own merits.

Trick Eye Musuem
+1 Mostly trick art. I personally find the exhibits here are more interesting.

Alive Museum
+1 A mixture of trick art and just-for-fun exhibits. Some exhibits have special effects like "wind", "trampoline" and others, also, there are more large scale exhibits here.


Ease of photo-taking

Trick Eye Museum
-1 The correct photo angles were not easy to grasp and some poses were difficult
+1 The exhibits were spaced out well enough to avoid people walking into other people's shots.

Alive Museum
+1 I found that the poses required at Alive Museum was easier to accomplish and photo angles are usually accurate
-1 Except for some isolated exhibits, most of the exhibits were difficult to capture because of crowd and space constraints. For example, there are two exhibits on each side of a L shape wall. When one is taking photo of one side, the other exhibit is blocked. Some exhibits had doors behind, hence we had to wait quite a bit whenever someone opens the door from another side. There were some exhibits located in narrow spaces, which makes it difficult to capture shots without people walking into the shot.


Tickets

Trick Eye Museum
$25 per pax.

Alive Museum
-1 $25 per pax. There is 20% off for passion card. However, it was not mentioned to us at the counter and we paid full price even though we had the card.


Navigation

Trick Eye Museum
+1 It is not easy to miss out exhibits because the route was straight forward.

Alive Museum
-1 One can miss out many exhibits if they do not notice the door to another room. Some doors are difficult to spot because they are painted to blend in with the artwork on the wall.


Capacity Control

Trick Eye Museum
+1 It was spacious to walk around without too many people and I had no worries about putting my bag down on the floor while I pose at the exhibit.

Alive Museum
-1 We were quite annoyed by the lack of capacity control at the entrance. There were too many people crowded in such a small space, it was impossible to take any photos. At some points, there were barely-moving human jams. It was a mood-spoiler and I kinda regretted entering and skipped many of the exhibits at first. Thankfully, the crowd eased towards the 2nd half of the museum.


Staff

Trick Eye Museum
-1 Did not see any staff around the exhibits, probably would be good if some could be planted around the premises in case anyone requires some assistance.

Alive Museum
+1 There were some staff(presumably part timers because some of them did not seem to know what they are there for besides standing around). However, one offered to take a photo for couples and I thought that it was a nice gesture so that we do not have to trouble other visitors.


Atmosphere

Trick Eye Museum
+1 Not sure if it was only on the day I went, but many couples were around and the atmosphere was definitely more lively, happier, and fun.

Alive Museum
-1 Probably because of the lack of capacity control, the whole place felt very rowdy and un-magical.



Final Verdict
I had a better time at Trick Eye Museum.

My experience at Trick Eye Museum: http://www.estherxie.com/2014/06/trick-eye-museum.html
My experience at Alive Museum: http://www.estherxie.com/2014/06/alive-museum.html


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Saturday, June 28, 2014

Alive Museum

After visiting Trick Eye Museum earlier this month, me and bf decided to visit the Alive Museum at Suntec City Mall which also opened around the same time!



We took way lesser photos this time though...

First, we totally regretted entering once we saw the crowd inside. There was no capacity control at the entrance and there were too many people standing around, it was almost impossible to take photos properly without any butts getting in the way. It was annoying having to squeeze with so many people and we skipped many of the earlier galleries since they didn't look interesting anyway. We got stuck at a few points. At one, a small corridor led to another room but that corridor had some drawings on the wall which many people want to take photos with. Even people who did not want to take photos in that corridor have to wait for the queue in front to finish taking photos one by one before moving on, since the art filled the entire corridor and it would not be possible to cross the corridor while someone is taking a photo. Then, after that corridor, the crowd was worse. The rooms were very small and it was super jam, like in orchard road during Christmas, and the crowd was not moving at all for awhile.

Luckily, around the middle there weren't that many people and we could finally enjoy ourselves. The exhibits were also better in the later half of the museum and we had fun snapping pics!



My fave photo from that day was on this love boat!
When we took this photo, I got super awkward because bf really went to look deeply into my eyes. After dating for so long, I don't remember him doing that to me before. Hahahah. Suddenly like that make me shy!


I think the photo angles are quite accurate and easy to achieve. Can you see where the wall ends here?






We had to constantly "excuse me" people to get this shot. And there was a door right behind, which constantly had people from another room coming through. Although this photo look very empty, there were actually many people on the left, right, and behind the camera. Haha.


I am in a doll box!!


This one was quite interesting. When you pose, a strong gust of wind comes your way. Very unexpected!


Ending off with this shot! :)


You can read about my experience at Trick Eye Museum too: http://www.estherxie.com/2014/06/trick-eye-museum.html


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Thursday, June 26, 2014

Braces: Tooth Extractions



And so.... I went for my tooth extractions earlier this month. I decided to take all 4 out at one go instead of two by two because I figured that I didn't want to go through the pre-appointment jitters and post-extraction recovery twice. In the two weeks leading up to the extractions, I went on a mission to eat all my favourite food. Haha.

I had already removed all 3rd Molars (Wisdom Tooth). For braces extraction, I removed two upper 1st pre-molars, and two bottom 2nd pre-molars. A total of 4.

So anyway, I was extremely afraid just before the extraction. Tooth extraction was the most dreaded part of the entire braces decision. After all, it was the first time I did something irreversible to myself (after plucking my teeth out I can never have them back, + I was going to have lesser teeth than most people). I have never dared to go for permanent changes like tattoos, plastic surgery, etc. All that I ever did for beauty was simple changes like punching ear holes, dyeing hair, nail polish, make up, etc - all of which can be reversed if I wanted to. If I had the choice, I would definitely avoid removing healthy tooth. However, I did not want to waste two years with braces only to have insignificant results, so I went along with what was recommended for my ideal outcome. Also, many people who went through braces had their teeth extracted too, so I comforted myself that it was a common procedure.

Before the extractions, I had injections done to my gums to numb the area. The injections were quite bearable for me, and I have a low tolerance for pain, so I guess it should be ok for most people. While Dr Co was pulling out my teeth, in my heart all I could think of was, "What am I doing??!! Why am I removing perfectly healthy good teeth????" I felt a lot of heart pain for my teeth and I was honestly very sad about it because I know that once they are gone, they are gone. They would never grow back. When the fourth tooth came out, I knew I had to proceed with the braces already... No more backing out and cannot give up half way already - because I lost four healthy tooth for it, plus now there's a gap, I must bear with braces for the entire duration!

I think I kinda underestimated tooth extraction.... I thought it would be a breeze but I guess because I was sleeping throughout wisdom tooth surgery previously, I was a little uncomfortable being conscious this time while the teeth was tugged. It's just my mind troubling me, because actually it was not pain at all.

On every session, there was an assistant beside to help with anything. So to me I felt quite safe in the hands of TLC Dental Centre! After any extractions or treatment, the staff also called in the evening to follow up about my teeth. Very good service and I felt cared for!



After the extractions, Dr Co gave me a mask to cover my numb lips.


Took this selfie to send to my colleagues because they asked for a pic. Haha.


Although there was lots of bleeding when I got home and it scared me a little, I just had to change the gauze and the soreness only lasted 2-3 hours. I woke up fine the next day and could head to work already! No problems talking! As for eating, probably a little weird to have gaps between the teeth, so I tried to eat slowly. But it's okay because I could still bite with my front teeth.

The extractions didn't look obvious from the front, unless I smile very widely then you can see it from the side. Not many people realize until I deliberately show them!



From the front can't really see the gaps!


I had my braces put on 2 days later. Will blog about it in the next braces update!

TLC DENTAL CENTRE
9 Penang Road #07-27
Park Mall
Singapore 238459

Phone: (65) 6338 6639

Website: http://www.tlcdental.com.sg/aesthetic-braces/


To read all my entries featuring my braces journey, click HERE.


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Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Woodshed 204

This happened on the day I lost my camera and a miracle brought it back to me! Read about it here: http://www.estherxie.com/2014/04/a-kind-couple.html




Sunday, June 22, 2014

Choupinette



The Best Eggs Benedict Ever.

Choupinette is well known for their Eggs Benedict and before heading over, I was contemplating between the Eggs Royals (Smoked Salmon version) or the much-raved Eggs Benedict. I usually prefer smoked salmon over ham/bacon, but I am so glad I decided on the Eggs Benedict in the end because they are AWESOME. I can never eat another Eggs Benedict without comparing it to this one anymore. The layered meat went so well with the whole dish, it was heavenly. I take back all my praises for other Eggs Benedicts in the past because nothing came close to this.


Choupinette is a cozy, tiny café near Coronation Plaza and doesn't take reservations, so it is likely that diners have to wait outside for quite a while before getting a table.





Bf went to the pastry counter and came back with this. Donut with rainbow sprinkles! So instagrammable! Haha. It was nicer than I thought... I guess I was hungry.


Bf got himself the Tristan Set.


Don't you think the eggs benedicts look perfect? Well, they taste perfect too. Was so pleased with my meal.


The sets available were quite pricey, mostly above $20. However, they come with a hot drink - coffee/tea/chocolate and fruit juice. The juice was great for pairing with the meal, while the hot drink was a nice way to end the meal.


Hot Chocolate for bf.


And latte for me.


Wore this bright and cheery dress from Earthdoll (Bukit Panjang Plaza #03-21)! I really like how sunshine and summery this design was! The material was light and breezy, perfect for our sunny island. Can wear it to the beach next time!

Friday, June 20, 2014

Escape Room Games

I thought that I did a draft blog entry on this before but I can't find it anywhere. Guess I have to try and remember what happened!

I first found out about these Escape Room games earlier this year and was quite keen to go! My colleagues were also interested and so we went! I honestly thought that we are super clever and confirm can win the game..... Guess what, we failed on the first attempt just because we think too much.

The attendant told us to save the "help call" towards the end and not waste it too early in the game. Shouldn't have listened to him because we got stuck for very long before we pressed the help button and turns out one clue leads to another very quickly. Wasted so much time! In the end the game was straightforward and had nothing to do with its back story. Apparently this was the easiest game at FreeingSG and we did not manage to solve it. Quite saddening!



The 2nd time, we got more people and tried a game at Breakout - "Forever Young". My conclusion is.... too many cooks spoil the broth.... Hahaha.

We started off trying to think as little as possible after the first game but actually the clues in this room required more "thinking out of the box". Glad that we eventually did win the game! I did feel that the puzzles in this game was much more fun and interesting compared to the first escape game we played. Thumbs up for Breakout!


And because Breakout left such a good impression on me, I decided to bring bf and his friends for a session! There were only three games at Breakout and since I already played "Forever Young", we have "The Magician" and "The Scientist" to choose from. We started with "The Scientist" and bf was so into the game that he asked that we play "The Magician" right after! Haha.

"The Scientist" was supposedly easier than "The Magician" but I felt otherwise! "The Scientist" was extremely difficult in my opinion and we only managed to win because of his friend who was damn good at figuring out the clues. I thought that the solutions were quite unlikely for a normal person to think of!

Although they said "The Magician" was difficult, I thought that the clues were easier to solve, just that there were a lot more puzzles to break in this room, hence, we didn't have enough time to solve all. We almost won by just 1 last puzzle! This is my favourite room because this is the most logical room in my opinion. The puzzles were also very interesting.


So much fun! I hope to play more escape room games after this!

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Miska at Quayside Isle

























I have been wanting to visit Quayside Isle ever since I saw the pretty photos on Instagram. Didn't really plan what to eat, so we settled on the nearest one we saw the moment we reached - Miska Cafe. Brunch food again. While ordering, many items on the menu were out of stock and we had to change our orders plenty times before we finally got something that was available. The food was kinda mediocre... but we got an awesome view! It was raining that day, so I ended up taking my OOTD in the rain just to feature the pretty view! Settled in another nearby cafĂ© while waiting for the rain to stop but the rain just kept going so in the end we just ran into the rain, snap snap, and left. Haha.

Would love to come by again and I hope this time it would be sunshine!

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Braces: Review and Mould

After gum treatment, this was the first official session for braces! To read all my entries featuring my braces journey, click HERE. While researching for braces, I realize that there are very few braces journey blog entries based in Singapore, so I hope that all my entries would be a good reference point for any of you who are planning to get braces and understand what to expect! :)

So for this session, it was just a review to plan which tooth to extract and to do my teeth mould! It was a relatively relaxing and scare-free appointment for me! Asked Dr Sham some questions about braces which I was worrying about! I was very afraid that I would look uglier with braces! Haha.

One of my main concern was whether it would be worth it. Many people who exclaimed that braces was the best decision ever, were the ones with very crooked teeth to begin with. Putting on braces was 90% bound to make them look better. But I had acceptable teeth... Not perfect, but no overcrowding issue and straighter than many people... I was unsure if the risk would be worth it. I had no idea how I would look like after braces. What if my features looked better with my current face before braces? What happens if I grow old and got lazy with retainers? My side view was bad but I felt that my front view was relatively ok, not very pretty but at least average. It wasn't a major problem in my life and I felt contented with my looks so I was kinda afraid I would regret braces. But I think if I do not do it now, I might regret in the future too! Furthermore, I have total trust in Dr Sham so.... I gave it a go!

Here are some photos of how TLC Dental Centre looks like. I like the clean, and simple interior!





One thing I noticed on my previous visit was that.... the dentist chair is quite comfy leh. Haha.


Reviewing of my teeth and Dr Sham telling me which tooth will be extracted.... Total of 4 - two from top row and 2 from below.


Then, we took some photos for comparison!


Afterwards was the mould part. Many people said that it was the most uncomfortable for them and made them gag... For me, I think it was quite bearable, though the taste of the mould was quite unpleasant like plasticine. Photos were also taken of my teeth.


The different types of braces available - Metal, Ceramic, Invisalign.


Dr Sham explaining more about ceramic braces and what to expect.


This is how ceramic braces would look like on teeth! It is almost invisible! Can't really be seen unless close up. Definitely a good choice for people who are not suitable for invisalign!


More updates about my tooth extraction and braces fitting soon!

TLC DENTAL CENTRE
9 Penang Road #07-27
Park Mall
Singapore 238459

Phone: (65) 6338 6639

Website: http://www.tlcdental.com.sg/aesthetic-braces/




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