Friday, August 29, 2014

WhatHeWants: Ultimate grooming concept store for men

I personally do not have a specific regime or brand that i use when it comes to facial care. To me, as long as the product sounds effective and is able to do what it claims to do then i'm perfectly fine with it. Till date, i don't have a facial product (be it facial wash, cream etc.) that i religiously use and die die have to buy back the same thing once it finishes. I've been switching products every now and then and honestly, i have no idea if a particular product is effective for me a not. LOL I just keep using as long as there isn't any outbreak or any obvious reaction. I'm not even sure what my skin type is like, Is it oily? dry? No one really explain to me before and i never go ask/ consult, HAHAHAHA

Based on looking at the mirror and while photoshopping i mean editing my photos, i figured out that i probably have blackheads, uneven pores and pimples once in awhile - which is why i'm always on a lookout to find products which can tackle these problems. Recently i was invited to WhatHeWants store to pick up a couple of products which i'm interested in. Like the name of the store suggest, the exclusive products at WhatHeWants are catered just for men. Hallelujah! Finally a store where guys can go in and picked whatever grooming products they need. You know how stores out there have a mix of both female and male products (and 90% of them are mostly female stuff and we only have that 10% to search and look through) Now this is like the one-stop for guys to get their facial/grooming product :)
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WhatHeWants is a young and dynamic company dedicated to providing the finest grooming products for men style and substance. You can expect exclusive products from all over the world that suits the grooming needs of men in SG. At WhatHeWants, you can find products ranging from shaving cream to hair products, facial needs and even fragrance! :D
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With so many products to choose from, i had to depend on the sales assistant to recommend some products which i think i might need. Apparently there are about 7 steps to facial cleansing regime (All the while i only have 1 step which is just to wash, LOLOLOL) and she patiently explained to me the bare minimum i should do and told me that i cannot just directly apply those serum and such without cleansing. I was like seriously... so much effort. Pei fu those who religiously cleanse their face everyday without fail, no wonder they got such nice skin. I want my skin to be better too!
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Now that i know what are the types of products i need, i basically spent the next 20 mins choosing from different brands such as Kyoko For Men skincare made using Japanese natural ingredient, Menscience from US, 100% free of fragrance, dyes and irritants, not forgetting to pick up hair products for myself since i pretty much use them everyday! WhatHeWants also carry other notable brands such as Labs Series Skincare for Men, Clinique Man and Biotherm Homme Skincare  products so there is definitely something that is suitable for you guys out there! Men fragrance of popular brands such as Calvin Klein, Prada, DKNY are available too! The last time i went, there were 50%  off selected brands! :)

Here are the products i picked for myself:
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From the left: Menscience Daily facial wash for all skin types, 236ml for $55. Use it like a normal facial wash and it help to clear pore-clogging residues. Gatzmen Oil Free aqua toner for oily skin, 220ml for $65. First time using a toner, basically it helps to hydrate your skin after cleansing. Kyoku Pore reducing serum, 50ml for $65. Apparently this is what is gonna help me as it intensely reduce pore size and minimize blackheads (life saver!! LOLOLOL) and lastly, Gatzmen Men's hard styling wax, $29.90. Today marks the start of my regime and hopefully my skin gets better and better! HAHA
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There are 2 outlets of WhatHeWants in Singapore. One is located at Orchard Central, Level 3 and the other is located at The Cathay on level 1. If you can't find time to head down to the store, you can also browse and purchase online via their webstore, FREE delivery for purchases above $150! For more information of WhatHeWants, check out http://www.whathewants.com.sg. For girls reading this, thinking about What She Wants as well? Fret not, just hop over to their sister store at Superberry.ME (http://superberry.me) right opposite their Orchard Branch to find to find everything a lady needs. Before i end this post, just a piece of advice for everyone (including myself!) Don't be lazy when it comes to cleansing your face! After all, everyone loves a pretty face with good skin!

Monday, August 25, 2014

Stateland Cafe, Red Velvet Waffles!

When i first started this blog 6 or 7 years ago, i was just randomly ranting about my daily life, bitching about school and i had like 20 readers/ day which are probably made up of my classmates and friends. As the years goes by, my readership increased and i started attending events, meeting new people, earning extra income and unknowingly, it's been 7 years! One of the common question i get when i meet with other bloggers for the very first time was, "So what do you blog about?" This was one of the hardest questions back then before the term - "Lifestyle Blogger" came about...

There are some specific types of bloggers where they can easily introduce themselves. Some examples would Travel bloggers and Food bloggers as 90% of their blog content are focused on a certain topic. I am like the "everything under the sun" kind of blogger since i literally blog about everything from food, places, reviews etc. Now that the term "Lifestyle Blogger" is more recognized, it's so much easier as people understand that "lifestyle" basically covers everything, LOL For me, i share on my travel trips, cafes i visit, do reviews, share tips and new products... Oh! By the way, sharing some lifestyle offers (ASOS, Pizza hut and more) by CupoNation. Help you all save $$ along the way, HAHA

While i have couple of adverts to submit and my still yet-to-finish Korea travelogue,  here's another post on a cafe that i recently visited! If you have been following my list of cafes i visited, this is like dunno the how many cafes i went already,  maybe 30th? Time to count! HAHA So many cafes have been popping out recently and is making me think twice whether to open my own. The question is "what is gonna differentiate my cafe from all the rest out there." Anyway, went to Stateland cafe which is known for their Red velvet waffle! I wanted to try it for myself to see if it's really good!
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Stateland Cafe
30 Bali Lane. Nearest MRT: Bugis Station
Mon - Thu: 12:00 - 22:00 | Fri - Sat: 12:00 - 00:00 | Sun: 10:00 - 18:00 | Closed: Tuesday
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Was quite lucky and got ourselves a table almost immediately. Doesn't seem crowded but there's actually a queue outside at the other entrance. Stateland cafe actually occupies 2 of the shophouses along the street. Quite easy to spot.
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We ordered an Eggs Benedict ($14.90), Big Breakfast ($17.90) and a Carbonara (Not in photo, $10.90) Waited close to 45 mins for the food to arrive, and finished it within 10 mins because we were that hungry. Service was pretty slow but it might be due to the crowd that day since it's a weekend. Felt that the food was pretty normal, nothing to wow about but i did like the home made tomato chilli jam that came along with my Eggs Benedict! It tasted really refreshing, nice!
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Highlight of the afternoon - The Red Velvet waffle topped with cream cheese glaze and vanilla ice cream ($14.90)

Light and slightly chewy, and i thought the cream cheese really compliments the velvety chocolate waffle. I can easily finish the whole thing on my own because there's definitely room for dessert! HAHAHA If i were to return to Stateland, i would definitely want to try the other waffles such as the Black forest and S'mores but for food wise, i think i would give it a miss. Maybe just a hot drink and waffle will do ;) Was cafe hopping on a weekday and i realised i enjoyed it so much more. Less crowd, less noise, no queue, good music and no rush. Weekend is totally the opposite, LOL #ohwells

If you have any good deals or cafes to share, do tweet me @andystorm. I know people seldom comment on blogs nowadays unlike in the past, HAHA Ending this post with a couple of Zalora coupons if you guys are interested :)

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Cafe hopping to Chye Seng Huat Hardware!

Been to the Jalan Besar area a couple of times to visit a few cafes. At the same time, i've heard of Chye Seng Huat Hardware through blogs and instagram but little did i expect this cafe to be located at Jalan Besar. Well then again, it's quite possible to walk past Chye Seng Huat Hardware without even realizing because on the outside, it seem like any other building that is closed all the time, LOL The entrance to this cafe is actually from the side of it, secretly hidden ;)
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Upon entering from the "side gate", a rather vintage-y cafe greets you and that's how the actual Chye Seng Huat Cafe looks like. Perhaps this unique way of entering is one of their selling point other than their coffee. Read reviews that this cafe gets rather crowded during the weekend (in fact, all cafes are rather crowded during weekend, LOL) Went during a weekday and we got ourselves counter seats. Looked through the menu and decided to get something light and simple. This is actually the 2nd cafe we visited that day, and there was still one more to go :| #cafehoppinginsingapore
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I was quite delight that they sell the nyona kuehs over the counter! I mean this is the first time i see a cafe selling these old school kuehs. Ordered a Almond Croissant, a layered kueh and a cup of hot chocolate for myself while Don got himself a Italian breakfast ($12) - Toasted Foccacia with 2 Poached Eggs, topped with Pork Bolognese Sauce and Cheese.
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Chye Seck Huat seem like a really good place to spend your afternoon because of the low lighting ambiance, good music and it's not so crowded during weekdays. The decor, furnitures are all very vintage and good for photo taking. Not really a fan of coffee but i heard they got one of the best coffee around and i saw they have this black coffee which is served like a cup of Guinness stout, HAHHAHA If i'm around the area during week days and have time to spare, this cafe would definitely be one of the cafes to hang out at, maybe grab an ang gu kueh or two and a hot drink for the rest of the day.
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Chye Seng Huat Hardware
150 Tyrwhitt Road
Tue - Fri: 09:00 - 19:00
Sat - Sun: 09:00 - 22:00
Closed on Monday
Nearest MRT: Lavender
Till the next post,                                

Sunday, August 10, 2014

Alive Museum in Singapore!

Update: Use the promo code "aliveopen" to get 20% discount when booking tickets online :D

In the midst of blogging my Korea travelogue (i know it's taking forever to complete, lol) I shall share with you guys a newly opened attraction that arrived in Singapore and originated from South Korea! Not to be confused with the newly opened Trick eye Museum at RWS, i went to the Alive Museum located at Suntec City Mall! Joyce and i got the invites from OMY and we brought Don and Angie along for this 1.5 hours of non stop laughter filled and photo taking visit! Having been to such illusion museums in Korea itself, i was quite excited to see what the Singapore outlet has to offer!
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The Alive Museum is opened from 10am to 10pm daily and last admission is at 9pm. We wanted to avoid all the crowd and maximize the time we have inside so we went in at exactly 8.30pm, with 1.5 hours to spare to take all the photos!
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A thing to note before i start spamming all the photos i took (lol!) is the "Photo Point" sticker that you can find pasted on the floor! These are the "spots" that the photographer should stand on in order to bring out the perfect picture! If you have no idea how to pose at a certain art work, fret not because at the side of every art work, there's an example of how you can/ should pose. Just let your inner drama queen/ king take over and pose like no one's business. HAHAHHA
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Honestly i felt that not all of the art work are easy to take. There are some of them that no matter how you take, it still feels weird and it's like you can still visually see the corners of the room even though you took the photo from the photo point. (i thought the above photo was rather obvious) Oh ya, don't expect every shot to be perfect because there can be people at the side of your photo due to crowd or side walls of a different colour etc so at the end of the day in order to get the best picture, you still have to do a bit of editing and cropping - which is what i did for my photos...

One thing which i was quite disappointed was the harsh spot lights from above each artwork which created these white patches in the photos. It might not be that obvious in my photos as i tried to use Photoshop and cover them up... I would rather the whole museum to be bright lit (like the one i visited in Korea) so there is no need for the spotlights :(
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But still, we had a great 1.5 hours inside with over 80 artworks and of which 9 are locally themed and unique to Singapore and by early 2015, we can expect more than 100 artworks in the museum. The returning factor would be 30% of the paintings would be changed every 12 to 18 months and during special occasions, we can expect special artworks!
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The Merlion and MBS artwork are 2 out of 9 of the Singapore themed paintings :D
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There is this mirror room about half way through the museum which Joyce and I wasted i mean spend most of the time inside camwhoring! LOL All the walls, floor, ceiling are mirrored and they have this disco light and funky music playing. Like as if you are in a club, HAHHAHA But one thing to note for girls, it's better to wear shorts due to the reflections from the floor and it's also easier when taking photos with artworks that require you to erm... "climb" or "mount". LOLOL
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What do you call a guy mermaid? Ok, i just googled. It's called Merman, LOL

Anyway, here's a good example of what i meant by the harsh spot lights which created the white patches on the photo. I know it's supposed to brighten up the whole picture but then again. Maybe one of minority that would notice it. HAHA
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The ones below are my favorites of the day so they deserve a huge space for their own :D
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Look at the huge difference in size!
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Skydiving is one of the things in my bucket list.
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Even though i posted quite a lot of art works in this blog post, there are still a lot others which is not shown here! There were some pretty cool ones but they were under maintenance T_T But all in all, it was a fun experience and i would recommend that you cater about 2 hours for your visit. (It was quite empty that night and we already took 1.5 hours...)

The Alive museum is located at Suntec City Mall #03-372, between Tower 3 and 4. Ticket price is at $25 for adults, $20 for children from age 3 to 12. There is currently a promotion now by the way! "Like" Alive Museum on their Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/alivemuseumsingapore), purchase a full priced ticket and redeem a Burger King Meal Meal (Fish’N Crisp or Chick’N Crisp burger, small fries and a small coke) for FREE. Promotion till 30 September 2014 :D

Have fun!                                     

Monday, August 4, 2014

NOM - Bistro & Bakery: Somewhere over the rainbows.

The rainbow cakes from NOM Bistro & Bakery (By the way, the NOM stands for No Other Meaning, lol) has been making waves on Instagram lately so i decided to make a trip down just to try the cake! Food was not too bad, quite simple and affordable. Truffle fries was a little tad oily. Highlight of the day was definitely the Salted caramel 6 layered rainbow cake! (Other flavour such as Oreo, chocolate available too, $7.90 a slice) If you look at NOM instagram geotag, you will see 90% of the photos are all photos of their rainbow cake, LOL I would say it's worth a trip down just to try the cake :D
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NOM Bistro & Bakery
Macpherson Community Club Level 1 – 400 
Paya Lebar Way, Singapore 379131
Nearest MRT Station: Macpherson MRT Station
Opening hours: 11:00 am – 11:00 pm