Review of CLOSE COMFORT Cool Focus and Igloo Tent

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With Singapore's tropical climate, the merciless heat and humidity is not exactly conducive for working-from-home and keeping your air conditioner on for 9 hours per day is not sustainable, financially or environmentally. 

Filming beauty tutorials at home without a cool environment is definitely a no-no for the sweaty me, yet long exposure to the cold air of home air-conditioning led to excessive facial sebum on my dehydrated skin (yikes!). With all this issues on my mind, I have been actively searching for sustainable alternatives. Hence, an energy-saving personal portable air-conditioner sounds like an excellent solution!

CLOSE COMFORT Cool Focus

I have friends who personally recommended CLOSE COMFORT Cool Focus + Igloo Tent to me because they have truly enjoyed using this compact & convenient portable air conditioner and assured me that it is the best option out there!

Cool Focus Portable Air Conditioner (SGD649) is mainly made of plastic on its exterior and has a white glossy finish. There is a front (cold air) and back (warmer air), distinguished by a bigger front flap and a smaller back flap which Close Comfort named them as "air covers". This compact unit measures 55.0cm x 27.3cm x 38.5cm (HxWxD) and weighs 17kg. With quality caster wheels fitted at its base, you won't feel the weight at all. Handles are built at the sides for easy lifting, when necessary,

Igloo Tent (SGD129)

Invented by Close Comfort's founder, this unique Igloo Tent is ingeniously designed to work together with Cool Focus Portable Air Conditioner Unit to up the cooling effect by 12°C. Comes in the latest self-erecting technology, it doubles as a glamping tent and can be fitted onto a double, Queen size and King size bed and act as a mosquito protection net! Setting up and packing away the tent takes a bit of practice but once you get the hang of it, it is almost effortless. Video demonstration and instructions can be found here.

WHY I CHOSE CLOSE COMFORT instead of other portable air-conditioners?

Join my #FVTribe today!

Announcement

Happy 2021!

In a post-pandemic world, what has changed for you?

Many things have changed for me : some major, some small, and most, emotional.

I wish I can chat with you face to face. I wish I can personally say thank you to all of you who have supported Faithy Vanity Table in any way, all through these 6 years.

This February, Faithy Vanity Table celebrates its 6th blog anniversary. 

It's been a wild ride! I'd always beat myself up for not blogging more. I want to create more writings because writing is my first love, but my time/resources are limited and my attention span on the blog tapered off, shifting my focus more on building a presence on Instagram as the years glided past... 

I think most of you know at the same time, I was  in teaching, juggling between multiple small businesses and passion projects, volunteering at mental health sites (online & local), and FVT has always been just a side hustle - one that takes up a significant part of my time.

But this year 2021, THINGS WILL CHANGE.

Faithy Vanity Table will be revamped. Not just a website design change.

FVT WILL GET BIGGER AND BETTER.

Faithy Vanity Table pivots to another site that welcomes more
likeminded individuals!

If you have heard of BuyMeACoffee.com, you already know the idea behind the site is for creators to share their passion and creations, and the site is an extremely user-friendly one where communities engage and creators are able to receive appreciation for their efforts via their fans' monetary support. In other words, you can donate to your favourite creators over at buymeacoffee.com to support their work.

No, I am not advertising for their website. I am a real happy user because the platform is going to benefit both you and I! And I invite you to see what I am up to over there. 

Your time is precious, so I want to give you a brief heads up of what to expect when you follow me over to the other side.

✔ You get invited to join an exclusive V.I.P. Membership Club that I created for you and for my supporters. You and I are gonna be tight over there. 👊

 ✔ You will see fresh new content that you have NEVER seen me doing before.

✔ You will receive LOADS OF FREEBIES (far exceeding the value of your membership fees) when you decide to join my VIP Club!

✔ You have an opportunity to contribute to my craft and help me sustain Faithy Vanity Table.

✔ You will get to meet and speak to the real me, either LIVE on screen or in person!

ONCE YOU JOIN MY #FVTribe V.I.P Membership Club ($50/year), you immediately receive:

💢 Downloadable ebook "DIY Skincare: Your Stay Home Guide to Healthy, Glowing Skin" (U.P : US$18)

💢 Instant access to all locked membership-only articles & reports (worth more than $500/year)

💢 LIVE 1-1 coaching session with me with a topic of your choice, on Zoom. (worth $70)

💢FREE GIFT of health/beauty products worth $50, couriered to your doorstep (on your birthday month)

I promise you, #NOFILTER over there. It is a SAFELOCKED SPACE (opened to my supporters only) where I share my most honest thoughts about everything like how a friend does. Topics include but not limited to beauty & health, wellness & mental health, love & relationships, unspoken truths about social media community, SG media industry, airline industry; we can even chat about politics, philosophy, religion if you'll let me! 😂 But okay, mainly Beauty, Health & Wellness related topics.

💝What's more, by supporting me, you are also supporting Samaritans of Singapore ! 10% of all sales proceeds will be donated to SOS! This is a way of demonstrating my devotion to the cause of raising mental health awareness in Singapore. I also signed up to be an ad-hoc volunteer there, sign up if you are keen here!

How to do a Vacation-Ready Makeup for your Year End Travels

Time really flies, isn't it? It's coming to the end of 2019!

I bet many of you have planned for a year end vacation to somewhere nice. For some of us, getting away to nearby countries such as Bali for the weekend may be the most doable option right now. Whatever your travel plans are, I have a easy glam makeup tutorial just for you!

Simple, Glam, Vacation Makeup Tutorial 

: click below :

Just click on the video and it will take you to my Youtube channel. 

Remember to subscribe to my channel!

Products featured in the video:

How I Lost 14 Kg of Weight with Celevenus Aesthetic LipoCryo and I-Lipo

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Weight loss and body slimming goals have always been on many women's minds. How many of us are blessed with a naturally slender figure and super charged metabolism levels? Rarely. 

That's why this topic is the most discussed health & lifestyle topic among women and even men! Recently, so many of you noticed my weight loss and have approached to ask me about my "secret" to shedding off the excess pounds in such a short time... well, ASK AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE. 

In this blog post, I am going to share with you my entire weight loss & body contouring journey of 4 months! (Keep scrolling down for a sweet little surprise - just for you, my readers and followers!)

How to throw a tea party at home with Simply Blooms’ Flower Gift Set

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"Mothers are like buttons, they hold everything together." 

I adore this quote - find it especially true and endearing. 

Mothers' Day is fast approaching. Have you given a thought about how to celebrate this special day with the special woman in your life?

For the woman who held everything together in my family, I decided to skip the crowds (which Mom hates!) and hold a tea party at the comfort of my home for her! 

How to Throw a Tea party with Simply Blooms’ Flower Gift Set

To hold an awesome girly tea party, the essential items to prepare are:

1. Tea - better if it's floral tea
2. Cookies, pastries, etc.
3. Flowers for ambience and as a gift for dear Mama! (who doesn't love flowers?)
4. Optional : pretty tea cups, crockery and cutlery.

To save the hassle and resources of preparing these individual items, Simply Blooms made it simple for us! I was simply elated when I received the Floral Breakfast flower gift package. It consists of almost everything we need for our tea party.

What's in this gift set:

- Juan Tea Relaxing Blue Tea

- Old Seng Choong Putu Mayam Cookie

- Simply Blooms Hand Bouquet

First, you have to lay the table with some pretty place mats. Next, brew hot water to make some tea with Juan Tea Relaxing Blue Tea which is an aromatic blend of French Rose and Lemongrass to help Mom & you to relax and destress from the normal hectic Singapore life. Then, place out those fragrant, tantalising Old Seng Choong Putu Mayam Cookies and serve them in a nice plate. Simply Blooms Hand Bouquet should be positioned strategically on the dining table as a form of decoration and at the end of the tea session, present the bouquet as part of your Mothers' Day gift to your Mommy Dearest!

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

-

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.

Pepperkoko GSS 2017: Promo code FAITH10

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Great Singapore Sale is round the corner! Are you excited yet? 

GSS is the time I stock up on my clothings, especially Summer wear since it is all year round Summer in Singapore. Recently, I was introduced to a popular online shopping site www.pepperkoko.com.sg. Pepperkoko Singapore spoils us with a wide range of apparels with styles adopted from the Taiwan, Japan and Korea’s fashion scene, with quality & comfort at pocket-friendly prices!

Why shop at Pepperkoko Singapore?

1. Affordability - average of SGD20-40 per piece of apparel.
2. Good quality and comfort
3. Items arrive accurately as depicted on the website
4. Fast Shipping - within 2-3 days
5. Woman apparels, lingerie, shoes, accessories, kids wear, mens wear - they have a huge variety!
6. Sizes go from S to XXXXL!
7. Ease of use on the website
8. Returns within 14 days. More HERE.

I ordered 3 pieces of apparel and 1 necklace (Total cost = SGD105.40). ALL of them exceeded my expectations in terms of quality, comfort and how well they fit me.

Destroyed Denim Jacket + Layered Tulle Long Skirt Suede

Button Down Peek Shoulder Drawstring Dress 

Lazada GSS Sale and Unboxing of Lazada X Astalift Beauty Box (Promo Code at the end)

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How many of you have shopped on Lazada before? Hands up! 

I have, definitely, on numerous occasions. Watches, clothing, electronics, collagen drinks... whatever you can conceive in your mind, I have done my (window) shopping there. 

I am pretty sure many of you did too!

By now, you'd know you can get all sorts of stuff on Lazada... But DO YOU KNOW? To help you get the most bang for your buck, this year GSS, Lazada has planned out many promotional activities!! 

For the period of 6th-8th June:

• Discounts up to 90% off
• Vouchers up to $100 off
• Crazy Flash Deals every 2 hours
• Surprise Boxes will be back in-stock again!

The nice folks at Lazada Singapore knows me best, and decided to send me a Surprise Box containing my number 1 passion, beauty products - Lazada X Astalift Beauty Box!

Eager to see what are the stuff in my surprise box? Let's do this!!

Win Group Tickets to Maybelline Singapore HUGE Beauty Bash of the Year!

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This June, Maybelline Singapore will be holding the single, most important, high-profile beauty bash of the year - #MAKEITHAPPEN PARTY!

It will be a night of fashion, beauty, drinks and music and the expected turnout will be over 1000 friends & fans of Maybelline.

Date: 9th June 2017

Time: Drinks start pouring at 7pm, stage activity starts at 8pm

Venue: Zouk Singapore

Wanna party with me + other celebrity influencers & friends of Maybelline? 

We heard you! I am giving away group tickets of 4 to EIGHT of my followers and her 3 friends! 

Ready for summer holiday with Gaston Luga Backpack

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Being a serial wanderluster, a functional yet stylish backpack is a godsend. However, practicality and style hardly goes together...at least not for backpacks. Right? That's what most people would think.

Not after I met Gaston Luga.

Gaston Luga is a Swedish label which showcases an array of Scandinavian minimalist backpacks made for the trendy traveller who doesn't wish to lose that touch of elegance.

http://gastonluga.com/sg/

Gaston Luga is not the actual name of the designer - Carl Sundqvist is. The story behind the very first Gaston Luga backpack is really interesting - you'd never expect it was remade from a Louis Vuitton! Read more HERE.

Creating Flatlay photos for your Instagram : Tips and Tricks

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If you have been following me on Instagram and Facebook, you'd have noticed my recent flatlay pics seem to have been revolving around marble theme. Guess what? It was totally on purpose.

After my home renovations last year, I was constantly on the lookout for pretty home decoration to beautify my home. My preferred picks are always along the colour themes of either feminine pinks or minimalist whites.

When I saw marble trays at the mall, I was immediately allured to them! I mean, who wouldn't? However, marble slabs are pretty heavy weighing a few hefty kilos and it was pretty inconvenient for me to lug them back home by myself, so I kept putting off the idea of marble-shopping.

Then I turned to online shopping... it was a total game-changer due to its delivery option!

Was comparing between some available options and honestly, there weren't too many in Singapore yet. And I was pretty picky about my marble decor. The ones I saw instore at the local mall were a little too greyish.

So when I saw the range of clean, white and beautiful marble range from Beyond Basic on their website, I was ecstatic!  

New York Travelogue and Travel Tips, From a Singaporean Perspective

Spring 2017 has arrived.

But the beautiful snowy Winter scenery of New York City has yet to fade in my memory....

Just want to share some tips on travelling in New York before I totally lose the momentum of blogging about this trip. Sorry folks for the delayed post - it is already Spring season now; hopefully when you get to travel to New York next Fall, this can come in handy. In fact, what I share will probably be universally useful, no matter which season you decide to visit the Big Apple. Also, I can't seem to find much informative, comprehensive, right-from-the-heart personal sort of travel blog posts about New York, especially by Singaporeans!

Please click HERE for printable full copy of my personal travel notes for NYC.  Do keep in mind it is far from a professional itinerary - just some very real, raw (read: messy) notes that I refer to while in NYC.

MY TRAVEL NOTES

I spent about 6 nights in New York, and 2 days of being 36000 feet up in the air.

Flights from Singapore to New York are horrendously long, especially when there is a transit stop, like my flight (Total flight time inclusive of transit = 24 hours. Zomg). My flight was as usual, by Singapore Airlines (SQ26), with a stopover at Frankfurt. You can choose to stay overnight at Frankfurt hotels before embarking on your NYC adventure... unlike us; but too bad we did not have the luxury of extended annual leave.

Anyways, whilst in NYC, most of the time I stuck around Manhattan and the furthest I went was Brooklyn and Bronx. No time to explore out of NYC definitely; not even a day to visit Long Island.

Accommodation: Times Square, Hilton Hotel

As you probably know me by now,  the words I'd normally use to describe my preferred mode of travel are "safe", "comfortable", "travel-in-style" and "touristy"...perhaps sometimes borderline "luxury". I don't do backpacking; nor am I super adventurous. So yep, I stayed at a boring Hilton chain hotel...which is NOT AT ALL boring to me. In fact, calling the heart of the forever-vibrant Times Square your home for 6 nights is nowhere near boring.

 

Check out my view from the hotel room! 

I was put up at a room on level 36, I think. New York City is the King of Urban Jungles worldwide - no other city does skyscrapers like NYC! Hence, whichever hotel you stay, I bet you get a view not too far from mine.

Some traveller once commented on a TripAdvisor: "Don't go to New York for Applebee's, unless your home doesn't have one." Well, embarrassed to say this...but yeah, Applebee's has yet to grace the sunny shores of Singapore, so Applebee's I shall devour!! Can't help when my choice of residence is just right next to the said restaurant!

Weather: -10 degree celcius to 5 degree celcius. Rain, Snow, Wind all present.

Attire: FULL WINTER GEAR with inner wear designed for subzero degree weather!

Cutest photobomb ever!
 

We met with a snow storm which killed several people in a night! It was on the news. We didn't even know it was that dire, and just continued with our travel plans. How adventurous (when I was just saying how safety-conscious we were! LOL)!!

SAFETY TIP: Please check the weather forecast EVERY MORNING before you head out during deep winter in January! Stay indoors during the storm!

FOOD : CHEAP EATS

My travel partner is not into fine dining, so we mostly ate meals that cost below SGD40 for each person.

My Home Interior Design by The Interior Place + Five Tips for Choosing a Good ID

By now I think everyone who knows me knew I just shifted into my first home (matrimonial home), and I was busy with renovations a while back. It's been four months now and I finally got my ass down to blog about our "finished project"!

I will not be showcasing all the rooms in my humble home - just the rooms with most of the ID's carpentry works. My apartment comes in a 'move-in condition' with kitchen, toilets, floor tiles, air conditioners, oven, walk-in wardrobe etc. all done. We decided to minimise hacking works and not have major overhaul since we both like the designs the apartment came in.

**Just to make things clear, this blog post is in no way sponsored nor affiliated to any companies - purely good ol' sharing on my own accord.

All photos taken by: Junerick Enriquez Photography

Interior Designer: The Interior Place

Design Theme: Modern Victorian

___

Living Area

Honest, Unsponsored Review of Hello Kitty Orchid Garden Cafe Singapore

Five solid months after the grand opening of the first Hello Kitty cafe in Singapore - Hello Kitty Orchid Garden Cafe at Changi Airport, I thought it would be a good time for an ex-Hello Kitty fan to visit her old friend since the hype would have died down by now.

Well, not really. Hello Kitty is not my friend.

I went mainly because I am picking up someone from the airport, and it's the only prominent cafe I have not dined in at the airport. Also because I think I need some cute photos on Instagram, because my recent IG wall has been plastered with mainly my selfies and I am bored looking at my face. 

Apologies, my photos in this post are horribly-taken by iPhone, because I wasn't prepared to do any blog reviews so I did not bring along my DSLR. Eventually I still decided to review because when I did an online search of blog reviews of this cafe, I saw that many of them were sponsored. I believe there is a sizeable online community, especially overseas tourists, out there wanting real, honest non-sponsored reviews of this inaugural Hello Kitty Singapore cafe. And that's where I come in.

As a beauty blogger, I usually reject doing food reviews, especially sponsored food reviews. I mean, I have nothing against free food but I REALLY enjoy my food...and I don't want to spend half an hour fussing about taking amazing photos and end up eating cold food, unable to totally enjoy the meal. 

Bringing a kitty out to meet another!

Shop with EZBuy and SAVE SAVE SAVE!

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Me and my new Victorian-styled chair from Taobao!

Hello Lovelies!

Remember in my previous posts, I mentioned I just moved into my new home? And as you know, shifting is a tedious task and to top it off, shopping for furniture and furnishings can  be stressful when what you have in mind are not accessible in your country. Even when they are available, they may be priced out of your budget due to high shipping costs or high markup by local sellers.

That's why I decided to source my home stuff from Taobao. If you're an avid online shopper like I am, you'd have heard of Taobao long ago. If you're new to Taobao, then read on!