Best Beauty Bargain Of 2013

Good Day Everyone,

So here it is, as promised in my recent absence post, the best beauty bargain of 2013, in my opinion, the Soap & Glory The Yule Monty gift set.

I came across this completely by chance whilst visiting home last month and was surprised to see it still on the shelves in my local Boots (drugstore) given the hype around this bargain. I’ve never really tried many Soap & Glory products (the busy packaging always put me off) but with the level of discount on offer, naturally I had to pick one up ;o) Or rather my mum picked it up for me as an early birthday present - thanks mum :o) It was only after the purchase that I thought to myself “hmm how’s this going to fit into my suitcase?” as its a very large case. But luckily for me, my hubby is a wiz at packing and we managed to bring this box of goodies back to Singapore with us.

The set contains nine full sized Soap & Glory products all enclosed within this special limited edition bag designed by British fashion designer Jonathan Saunders. This delightful package was reduced from £60 down to £27 so a better than half price deal given the 55% discount. When you unzip the bag there is a pink cardboard box inside, protecting the products. The bag itself has a lovely flower design with a silver zip. On the inside, it is lined in grey / silver coloured fabric with a zip pocket in the lid.

The nine products included are;

1. Hand Food hand cream
2. Sugar Crush body wash
3. The Righteous Butter body butter
4. Peaches and Clean deep purifying cleanser
5. Heel Genius foot cream
6. Butter Yourself moisture lotion
7. The Scrub Of Your Life body buffer
8. Thick & Fast super volume mascara
9. Sexy Mother Pucker XL lipgloss in Pink Out Loud

If you bought these same nine full sized products individually from Boots then they would cost you a total of £70.50 so at £27 I’m sure you will agree that these are a real bargain. Plus you get this lovely bag to keep which will come in very handy for storing my growing collection of makeup ;o)

As well as the nine full sized products, there is also, no not condoms even though that’s what it looks like, but three days worth of the Genius in a Bottle super serum. The sample comes with a £5 off Soap & Glory facial skincare voucher, which I won’t be using now I’m back in Singapore.

For those of you in Singapore, I was at Sephora today and saw that they are selling the Soap & Glory The Yule Monty gift set at a discounted price of $88 SGD (approx. £44) down from $148 SGD, and while that isn't as good a bargain as what I managed to get, it is still a pretty good deal. The Plaza Singapura Sephora store had a lot of these gift sets still for sale, although the bag is not the limited edition one but rather the black and white design with the red zip, just like the Bubble Barrelled gift set I bought a couple of months ago (see photo here).

I haven't used any of these products yet as I currently have quite a few Body Shop products on the go and I don't like to have too many of the same type of products opened at the same time. So I'm going to be good and wait for my current round of body products to finish before I dive into this delightful package.

Did you pick up this bargain by any chance? What was your best beauty bargain of 2013?

Love Sheen xxx

Going Gold Class

Good Day Everyone,

What better way to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon than to go for the ultimate movie experience. That’s right, we finally did it, and we went Gold Class. Going Gold Class at the cinema in Singapore is like the equivalent of going business class on a plane. (I'm not sure what the equivalent is back home in England as I've not been to the cinema for ages but I'm sure something similar does exist). As well as lounge access, you also get greater leg room, more comfortable seats that recline almost flat bed style, a more extensive food and drink menu, waiter service, a blanket to protect you from the ridiculously cold air conditioning, no screaming kids (yep that does happen in cinemas) and that feeling of being pampered, and yes you guessed it… all at a premium price tag! 

Tickets come in a Gold Class envelope

Gold Class lounge

My hubby and I went to see the new Hobbit movie Gold Class and I have to say the whole experience was utterly brilliant. We arrived at the Golden Village Katong cinema 20mins before the movie started. As we entered the Gold Class lounge we were greeted by a friendly member of staff who checked our tickets and showed us into the lounge. The lounge is elegantly decorated with lovely plush fabric seats, lanterns dangling from the ceiling and a bar at the far end. It was really nice to be able to relax in the lounge whilst perusing the food and drink menu, as well as the available magazines. 

Entrance to the two screening rooms

This particular cinema had two screens within Gold Class and whilst waiting for the movie to start we were able to wander into the empty screening room and checkout the seats and layout. In the room there were just 24 seats arranged in pairs across four rows. The rebels that we are (not ;o)) we had reserved the middle two seats on the back row. There was a blanket on the head rest of each seat and a table with a call button in between the seats. The red velvet type fabric seats were spacious and incredibly comfortable with wide arm rests. At the inner side of each seat were the reclining buttons where you could recline the seat and raise the leg rest so it became almost horizontal.

Shortly before the movie was about to start we were informed that we could go into the screening room and make ourselves comfortable and that out food and drink would be served to us. The food came right on cue just as the commercials were starting. My hubby had a pot of tea, whilst I had a hot chocolate and we got a portion of fries and some focaccia which was served with hummus and olive tapenade (as you can tell I took a break from my health eating on this particular afternoon). The fries were a huge portion and came with ketchup and mayonnaise. The focaccia was served warm and the hummus was very tasty. The only criticism of the food that I would have is that the olive tapenade was just too oily for my liking but other than that we were happy with the food and drink. Half way during the movie my hubby pressed the call button on our table and a waiter appeared to take his order for a cup of coffee. We spent $47 SGD (approx. £24) for our three drinks and the fries and focaccia which we didn’t think was too bad as naturally you do expect to pay a bit of a premium given the environment. As the movie ended and I got up from my seat I realised that my arthritic joints were not as stiff as they typically would be considering that I’d just been sat down for the best part of three hours – that’s a real testament as to just how comfortable the seats were :o)

As we went at peak time tickets were $39 SGD (approx. £20) per person but I think you can get them for $29 SGD (approx. £15) if you go during the week at non-peak times. Luckily we didn’t pay for our tickets. We had saved up the points on one of our credit cards which we could then cash in for vouchers for various treats and we chose Gold Class cinema tickets. The whole Gold Class experience was a really great and now that we’ve had a taste of it I’m sure this won’t be the last time that we go Gold Class. Whilst it is a bit on the expensive side, we think it is worth it as a special treat, especially for a particularly long movie such as the Hobbit.

Have you ever been Gold Class? What was your experience? Do you think it’s worth paying the extra?

Love Sheen xxx
P.S. sorry about the poor image quality. These photos were taken on my iphone and not my grown up camera.

New Year New Start

Good Day Everyone,

There’s something about the Christmas / New Year holiday season that makes me take a step back and reflect upon life – we’re getting deep here ;o). It’s a time of year where I like to take stock, reflect on how the year has been and think about what I want to get out of the coming year. As I’ve been pretty much cooped up at home these past few weeks riding out an arthritic flare, I’ve had plenty of time to reflect, ponder and plan.

I have few changes that I want to make in my day to day life, as well as getting back on track with a few things that I’ve let slip recently. So here are some of my goals for 2014;

1.       Eat / drink healthier: I know most people usually have are a New Year’s resolution around eating healthier / drinking more water but for me this is a really important one. What I eat has a big impact on Arthur and I also think it has a big effect on how quickly my arthritis progresses and spreads to new joints. Over the last six months my healthy eating has really slipped and so in 2014 I am going to be eating healthy and dramatically reducing (even trying to eliminate) foods that are not good for autoimmune disease sufferers like me. The kind of foods / drink that I’m talking about include dairy, eggs, grains (wheat / gluten / rice), fried food, meat, nightshade vegetables and obviously sugar and processed foods, as well as coffee - the latter is going to be a tough one! At the same time I’m going to make a concerted effort to eat more anti-inflammatory foods and drink turmeric / ginger teas and water.

2.       Exercise more: I want to get back into the habit of exercising daily to help improve my joint flexibility and mobility. In 2012 I started hula hooping and walking on the treadmill and both of these activities did wonders for my arthritic hips. In 2013 I focussed more on yoga based stretching but during the last six months things slipped and I want to get back on track. I also want to take advantage of living so close to the sea by more weekend walks by the beach.

3.       Relax before bed: Whilst we don’t have a television in our home, I’ve noticed that my hubby and I are not winding down before we go to sleep. We both tend to be on our laptops/ipads/iphones etc right before bed and then have trouble sleeping. Since the new year, we’ve been putting most of our technology gadgets down, lighting oil burning candles and listening to some calming music before bed and its working a treat already :o)

4.       Stress / worry less: I am one of life’s little worriers. I can’t help it! It’s in my genes – I get it from my mum as she’s the same whereas my dad doesn’t stress or worry about anything, like nothing at all, ever! I fret over things that haven’t even happened yet and if I’m totally honest I do my own head in. On a rational level I know there’s no need to worry so much, especially over things that haven’t happened, but on an emotional / psychological level I just can’t seem to help it. I end up giving myself quite severe anxiety at times and even headaches by worrying. My hubby can always tell when I’m stressing over something and will always do the so what question with me. I’m always what if this happens or what if that doesn’t happen and he’s always so what, so what if that happens, what’s the worst that could possibly happen. This year I’m going to be doing the so what voice in my head whenever my mind starts to worry and go all what iffy on me.

5.       Less makeup more care: In 2013 I bought more makeup than I did in the last decade of my life! Losing the steroid weight in 2012 and feeling healthier and happier with Arthur, I suddenly had a greater appreciation for the face and body that I’ve been blessed with. I no longer despaired about my flaws but celebrated and enjoyed the things that I did like about my appearance (knowing that one day I will most likely lose them as my arthritis progresses). This new found appreciation ignited a suppressed passion for makeup and so I indulged... a lot!So in 2014 I’ve put myself on a six month ban from purchasing anymore makeup as I use up what is already in my stash because makeup just lasts forever. Seriously I’ve probably only ever finished about half a dozen makeup items in my life (excluding mascara of course). In the meantime, I have neglected more general body care so this year I am going to invest more time in looking after my nails, hair and general skin.

6.       Keep in touch better: One of the hardest things about living overseas is not being able to see / catch up with friends as much as I used to. Not being able to see people in person means more effort is required to sustain friendships and these last couple of years have helped to filter out those friends that I know will be a part of my life for many years to come versus those friends that were either more like acquaintances or friends in the moment – you know where if you’re both in the same place at the same time then great but once you’re not you just seem to drift apart. And that’s ok. Not all friends are destined to be your friends for your whole life. This year I want to be better at keeping in touch with friends and I’m going to make a real effort to catch up with friends on a more regular basis.

7.       Lifting spirits: I'm not talking about the alcoholic kind! This year I’m on a mission to lift people’s spirits, be it strangers or people that I actually know. Life can be tough at times and most of the time we don’t know what battles people are fighting in their own lives, however, a random gesture or compliment can greatly lift a person’s spirit and put a smile on their face that lasts the whole day. So I’m going to be paying people a lot more compliments and doing little things that will hopefully make someone else's day a little better.

So there you have it. Some of my goals for 2014. What New Year’s resolutions or goals have you set yourself?

Love Sheen xxx

Recent Absence

Good Day Everyone,

I hope you’ve been keeping well over this past month and had a great festive season. I know I’ve been absent for the best part of a month but trust me I didn’t have much choice in the matter. 

So what have I been up to? Well, in December my hubby surprised me by booking me a ticket back home which was wonderful. He had to go back to England for a week on business and given how expensive the ticket prices were and the fact that the journey home takes 2 x 7.5hr flights and 2-3hrs transit time in between flights, I’d made the decision not to go back with him as I didn’t think Arthur (aka arthritis) could cope and I certainly couldn’t cope with a moody Arthur! However, I’d also been feeling a bit homesick during November/December time which my hubby picked up on and so a trip home was just what I needed :o)

As it was only the second week of December most friends were not on holiday leave yet so I didn’t see everyone I wanted but I was so happy to see those that I could. It’s amazing how much of a tonic a catch up with a few close girlfriends can be. My spirits were lifted and I felt a lot more positive and happier after this brief trip back home. Even though we’ve been in Singapore over two and half a years I do still occasionally get bouts of homesickness, after all there’s no place like home, right?

It was lovely spending some quality time with my mum too. Naturally we had a couple of girly shopping days. I always use a trip back home as an opportunity to stock up on my toiletries and things that I can’t get in Singapore. My mum (and dad of course) treated me to a couple of early birthday presents as it's my birthday this month and I obviously won't be seeing them. The day before we were due to fly back I popped into Boots (drugstore) to pick up a prescription when my mum and I spotted what must be (in my opinion) the best beauty bargain of 2013. If you live in England and shop at Boots then I’m sure you know what I’m talking about ;o) and if you don’t then not to worry I’ll be sharing it in a blog post very soon. Having heard the frenzy around this beauty bargain I was surprised to see it still on the shelves as it sold out at most Boots ridiculously quickly. When I explained the hysteria around it to my mum, we both took it as a sign that I was meant to have one ;o)

Once back in Singapore I got ill, really ill. You see over the past few months I’ve known (at the back of my mind) that I wasn’t looking after Arthur as best as I should and tensions between us had been mounting for some time. Needless to say things came to a head after the long return journey from England. Clearly Arthur had had enough and he wasn’t shy in letting me know either! Whilst I was very good at looking after Arthur through a healthy diet and daily exercise and physio sessions the first half of 2013, I let things slip during the second half of the year. Mid 2013 my hubby’s office got very busy and they were short staffed so I stepped in and started helping out 3-4 days a week working just half days (my joints couldn’t cope with full days). As I was feeling much better and Arthur and I had been getting along wonderfully I thought I’d be fine working part time but then complacency set in. I wasn’t going to the gym much and my diet started to slip too. Healthy breakfasts of fresh fruit and smoothies were being replaced by croissants and iced mochas. Even though I was only working half days, typically afternoons, I found I was too tired to cook in the evenings and too tired for the gym in the mornings. Gradually things slipped further and further and I knew I needed to take control but I was having too much fun spending time with hubby and being in a work environment and ultimately ended up neglecting Arthur.

Since mid December I've had a severe case of pleuritis (inflammation in and around the lungs) which has been very painful as it causes chest pains when breathing, especially when taking deep breaths - a bit scary to say the least. I also had severe inflammation of the tissue and cartilage around my ribs on the left side. That, in particular, was excruciatingly painful and I had a week of nauseating pain, sleepless nights and being unable to eat properly. Many people think that arthritis is just a few aches and pains in ones joints and that most of us probably suffer from this at some stage in our lives. But trust me that is so not the case. Arthritis is so much more than a few aches and pains. It can cause excruciating, nauseating pain as well as debilitating fatigue where you don’t even have the energy to get out of bed. It causes joint deformity that can be very visible (and embarrassing). It restricts your movement and ability to do simple everyday tasks - it really is a life changing condition.

The arthritis in my right wrist has been and still is very active and inflamed which makes typing difficult and that was another reason for my recent absence. I’ve been trying to rest my wrist as much as possible and sleeping with a wrist support at night. With all this going on I was completely out of action for a while. After lots of rest, heat therapy, healthy eating and Thai massages I finally started to feel better after Christmas. Around New Year I got severe mouth ulcers and a bad case of fatigue. As a result, Christmas and New Year was a pretty quite affair for us. I did manage to attend my hubby’s work Christmas lunch and take part in their office Secret Santa. I got a tube of the Urban Decay Primer Potion in my Secret Santa. Most people in my hubby’s office know I love makeup, especially eye shadows. In fact, one afternoon I had a Naked session with the girls in my hubby’s office. A couple of the girls had bought the Naked 3 palette and wanted me to show them how to create various looks. So one afternoon, I took in my Naked original and Naked 2 palette and the girls brought in their Naked 3 palette and we all got to compare and contrast the three palettes and have some fun :o)

I started New Year’s Day with a severe headache that lasted three whole days and not feeling particularly great which is not the best way to start 2014. However, I have started 2014 with the realisation that I need to prioritise Arthur above all else, even when I am feeling well and we are getting along just fine, because if I get complacent he won’t hesitate in letting me know and I really don’t want to go through another bad arthritic flare. So with that in mind, I have made a good start with a much cleaner diet this first week. Next week I plan to start my exercise regime again and getting back into a routine of looking after my permanent, albeit unwanted, guest. I won’t be helping out at my hubby’s office anymore as I need to reserve all my energy for getting along with Arthur and that does make me a little sad as I really miss working (and having a career) but I also appreciate that keeping my health for as long as I can is much more important – c’est la vie.

I hope you gorgeous glisteners glistened over the festive period and had a great Christmas. Here’s to a happy and healthy 2014 for us all :o)

Love Sheen xxx
P.S. I hope you enjoyed the few more shots above of Christmas lights in Singapore

Sorry I'm Late

Good Day Everyone,

A (very belated) Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year! I know, I know I'm ridiculously late to two of the biggest celebrations of the year. What can I say except that sometimes one can have little control of one's own life... such is life.

There are a number of reasons for my absence of late which I will cover in a separate post as I don't want my first post of 2014 to be negative or whiny but one of the main reasons for my absence was because Arthur (aka arthritis) and I had a big fight. Tensions had been mounting between us for a few months and I knew if I didn't take control soon that things would erupt into a big battle... and they did... right before party season! And it's fair to say that I came off worse than Arthur!

I had so many ideas of blog posts I was going to do over the festive season, from Secret Santa to work Christmas party / lunch looks to makeup and festive decorations and much much more... but alas I failed :o(

Whilst Christmas isn't as Chrismassy in a hot, humid climate as it is back home in England, Singapore sure knows how to do Christmas lights and decorations to get the whole nation into the festive mood.

So one Friday when I was feeling a bit better I managed to persuade my hubby to be my cameraman (as Arthur wouldn't allow me to pick up my own camera) and take a stroll down Orchard Road, the main shopping street in Singapore, and capture some photos of all the festive decorations and lights. Don't they look beautiful?

I hope you all had a wonderful break over the festive season and managed to spend quality time with loved ones and that you had a great start to 2014! As I'm finally starting to feel better I will be back with my regular blog posts so be sure to check back soon and here's hoping that 2014 will be a happy and healthy year for us all :o)

Love Sheen xxx