My Last 2014

I've been really busy with Tree Potatoes work that I barely have the time to write anything here. But since it's the last day of 2014, I am going to squeeze out 30 minutes to write this. Yes, I only have 30 minutes so I doubt I will double check before I post this but who cares.

It's currently 31st December 2014, 6.40pm and I am still in the office. Yes, I am still working. Yes, I am also working tomorrow. Who cares that it's holidays and that it's the new year? Clients certainly don't care as long as I deliver my work. Viewers certainly don't care as long as they get to watch something every week. Life of a YouTuber. There were no rest days this year.

2014 is a crazy, tiring and eventful year. I don't think I have ever gone through so much in one year. It's just mind-blowing.

The year started off with me being so motivated. We just started out new channel, company and team. Everything was in a mess but I knew what we had to do and where we were going. Everyone was supportive and I felt really grateful for all these people. The videos did well, viewers moved over to the new channel and everything was settling down.

Gradually, shit started happening. Unwanted politics and gossips started flying everywhere. I knew such things are rampant in the media industry but I would not expect myself to be embroiled into it. We hate drama. We just want to do our thing. But some people love drama and needed to find a target so I guess we were unlucky.

It was mentally exhausting but we found out who were our true friends and who were not. I learnt to cope in this complicated and selfish industry. I learnt that not everyone has the same point of view as me. I learnt that evil, insecure and selfish people exist in this world.

Come mid-2014, people were still scheming but we were just doing our own thing. We were surviving well on our own. We set a code of conduct and morals to adhere to. We are not delusional, we do know that many people especially young children follow us, even see us as role models. We knew we had to do it right and I am still glad that we did. I am also glad that the rest of the team felt the same way. I guess that's why we make such a great team.

We met new people in the video production industry. New people that turned out to be amazing individuals and mentors. Humble, talented and always so giving. They taught us how to be better people and for that, I am always grateful.

Companies and institutes started noticing us. We were invited for talks, events, presentations, networking sessions, etc. These were invaluable to us. I learnt so much. I've always wanted to do business and these gave me the opportunities to learn and expand.

We were constantly working. My whole 2014 was work. When I travel, it was for work. When I attend an event, it was for work. Everything was work. But I expected this, we're a startup in a very new industry. We need to set things going and set thing right. And I am glad that we are doing it well.

As 2014 comes to an end, we need to plan for the next year. The team was beginning to become restless and unsatisfied. We realized that listical comedy may be popular with the mass but we are not learning if we continue doing the same thing. All of us wanted to try different things. Documentaries, drama, action, etc, you name it, we want to try it. It's not because we are not focused. It's because nothing drives us more than learning new skills and the opportunity to unleash our creativity.

So for 2015, we are embarking on a new journey. A journey of exploration and learning. We are going to make a lot of blunders as we learn but if you stay with us, you get to join us in this wonderful journey of laughters and tears.

I am however really regretful that I have sadly neglected my friends, family and my body this year. It's something that I want to make up for in 2015. I need to spend more time with the people who have been silently supporting. Thank you so much. It really meant a lot to me. I need to start taking care of myself better too. I've been skipping meals, sleep and exercise to complete my work. My body is really taking a toll and I kept falling ill. This needs to change in 2015.

SingTel EasyMobile

My mobile line contract just ended and my phone is wonky so what better time than to source out new lines and phones! After looking around the different plans available, I realized that all of them are about the same. The same amount of SMS/MMS, call time and data, just that it just increases when you pay more with different plans each month.

I use like .....4 SMS a month?! And less than 100 mins call time! Majority of my usage is on data (because I’m always on social media!) and the current plan that I am using now only gives me 2GB which is soooo not enough for me. I exceed 2GB almost every month and it’s really annoying and taxing on my wallet...

My friend told me to check out SingTel’s EasyMobile plan, she told me it’s good or tweaking. Tweaking??? I finally understood what she meant when I went to their website (http://www.easymobile.sg).

I can choose how much talk time, SMS and data I want to have in my plan, simply by moving the units around. The number of units that I have is determined by the “size” of the plan that I want to apply for.

I am going to apply for the L plan which gives me 16 units a month. Since I am not a heavy user of SMS and talk time, I will assign 1 unit to SMS, 2 units to talk time and have the rest on my data. This gives me 6.5GB of data, now I don’t have to worry about exceeding my monthly data usage!

Once I have chosen my customized plan, I proceed to register for a new line. As with all new lines and recontracts, I can buy a new phone! I can select whichever phone that I want from the list.

Choose a number from the list of numbers provided or retain my existing number from a different provider. For me, I am switching from a different service provider but I wish to keep my number so I am going to select “Retain my Starhub/M1 mobile number”. I don’t have to call up my current service provider to inform them, SingTel will do it for me and it will automatically change on my 

determined port in date. So convenient!

I can choose to include any add-ons such as Caller-ID (super useful!) or AutoRoam for better usability when I am overseas. These add-ons are optional but if you wish to add them to your plan, do note that the cost is additional to the current plan that you chose at the beginning of registration.

I can also purchase any accessories for my phone during the process. I already have a power bank for my phone so I will skip this option.

Throughout the shopping process, I can see my order on the right side of the screen. This constantly reminds me what I have previously selected and I can refer back to the order to check on the cost. 

Once you’ve clicked check out, SingTel will prompt you to start a OnePass ID. This OnePass ID will allow you to easily access your plan information such as your bills and data usage. All these can be easily accessible when you sign in to the SingTel app on your mobile phone using this OnePass ID.

If you are an existing SingTel user, you should already have a OnePass ID and can just log in using your particulars. However, I am not a current SingTel user so I have to sign up for it!

After I got my OnePass ID, I have to provide my billing and delivery addresses. Billing address refers to the location that I wish to receive my monthly bills while delivery address is the location that I want to receive my phone.

I am then prompted to select the payment method. The delivery of my phone is free! I love free shipping!

I also get to choose my delivery date and port in date! Port in date refers to the date that the line is activated on this plan. I am going to select 1 November so that it’s easy for me to remember and track. 

And that’s all to the registration! It’s so easy. Everything is guided with contextual FAQs at every single step. If I made a mistake, I can easily go back to the previous option to make the necessary changes. 

I really like the concept of this plan. I can rearrange my units to my desired combinations each month. For example, if I know I am going to use way more SMSes next month, I will then assign 3 units to my SMS component, 2 units to talk time and 11 units to data. The changes made each month will only be activated in the next month though, so take note! All these changes can be done on the SingTel app on your smartphone, how convenient!

However do note that trade-in of phones are not applicable for this plan, which is good! I can now backup and transfer the data onto the new device at the comfort of my home. Do also take note that this plan is only available online so you actually can’t register for this plan at any SingTel shops. I am not complaining though, I hate waiting at the SingTel shops and the lines are always so crazily long. This plan allows me to apply for it in the comfort of my own home!

Any questions that you may have with regards to the plan can be easily found on their website (http://info.singtel.com/personal/easymobile/support#learn). No more long waiting customer service phone calls! 

Now I am going to sit at home and wait for my phone to arrive! YAYYYY

Subway Buy One Get One Free Day!

People who know me well know that I am a cheapskate. I love good deals, especially for products that I like! So I got really excited when I found out about Subway’s Buy One Get One Free Day on 10^th October 2014 from 9am to 9pm!

I am a fan of Subway sandwiches. I really like their Subway Melt®(turkey, bacon, ham and of course, melted cheese!) and Cold Cut Trio (turkey, turkey ham, turkey salami). Always have a tough time deciding between these two. >.< Oh! Not forgetting those yummy cookies! (Macademia White Chocolate Chip Cookie!!!!)

Now with Buy One Get One Free Day(only available for their 6” Subs), Subway just solved the problem for me! I’m such a glutton! LOL

For those of you who are not as greedy as me, you can share your extra Sub with someone special. Sharing is caring. :D And it cannot get any better with these pretty bags with special messages for that special someone. Use the free sub and bag to tell that someone how you really feel, because after all, sometimes words alone aren’t enough.

I will definitely use this bag to leave someplace earlier, it would be super funny to see the person’s reaction when they see the captions on the bag!

These “Say It With A Sub” bags are really fun with interesting and provoking messages. They are specially designed by the world’s best artists such as Tom Whalen, So Youn Lee and JP Cuison. Do grab these limited edition bags fast before they run out as they are in limited quantities, only while stocks last!

However, if you want another bag design and do charity at the same time,

head over to Subway Singapore’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/SubwaySingapore) for a link to an online charity auction!

You can bid for any of the signed artwork by these artists from now till 17 October.

All proceeds will go to the Business Times Budding Artist Fund (www.baf.sg),  a charity which supports The Little Arts Academy’s arts training programmes for children and youth from financially-disadvantaged backgrounds. So what are you waiting for?

The Buy One Get One Free  promotion and “Say It With A Sub” bags are only available on 10^th October 2014 (one day only) so don’t miss this opportunity!

The Best Way to Relax (and ENJOY LIFE)!

Recently I have been working my arse off (not literally. Well, almost...) so I decided I needed a break. A long deserved break.

So this was how I spent my Sunday.

Trick Eye Museum

This is an incredibly amusing place to visit. Look at the awesome pictures that I took! 

Having some whaling good time with my pet killer whale!

I excel at everything, including synchronized swimming (no, I'm not)

When my mind is at peace, I can achieve great things... like levitation!

Balancing on a thin pole over waters? Easy peasy.

I took so many pictures and every single one of them is just mind-blowing! It's a great place to bring your family to on a weekend!

W Hotel Sentosa Cove

The highlight of my relaxing weekend has got to be my stay at W Hotel Sentosa Cove. It's situated at the heart of Sentosa Cove, right next to Quayside Isle where all the yummy food and beautiful yachts are docked. The scenery is simply stunning from my room. 

The beautiful view from my balcony. I didn't take a picture during the day. What a pity. :(

The first thing that I always check out upon entering a room is the bed! I love the designs and lights! The lights changes with just one switch! You can opt for different light themes to change the mood of the room. I spent the whole night playing with the lights. Hahahaha

I like this lighting the best. The neon feel!

I just had to take some pictures on my comfy and fluffy bed. >.<

Here are the pictures from the rest of the room!

The doorway to the room.

The mirror in the toilet is so pretty! Just look at the design on the edges of the mirror!

I've stayed in many hotels before and I got to say that this bathtub has got to be one of the biggest. It opens out to the room so I can take a steamy hot bath and watch TV at the same time. What a life...

I cannot describe how happy I am to see a full length mirror in the room. This is something that is lacking in many hotels and I am so happy W Hotel Sentosa Cove has it installed at such a convenient location.

There are beautiful couches and table in the balcony to let you take in the beautiful view of the waters. The light theme that you can play with in the room affects the lights in the balcony too, completing the whole feel. Awesome!

Right from the start when I walked into the hotel, I was impressed by the decor. Everything looked so lavish and stunning. The hotel staff were so sweet and polite, always attending to me with a smile. I don't think I have seen happier service staff, the employment perks here must be damn good. I signed up for the Starwood Preferred Guest membership when I checked in and I got to say, it was the best choice that I have made this weekend. The membership is free and it gives me 15% discount to all Starwood hotels worldwide and all the stores located within the hotels. 

Had my Sherly Temple at the WOOBAR when I arrived and I got a 15% discount because of the SPG membership! Yeah! I love discounts!

SKIRT

Went to SKIRT restaurant at the lobby of W Hotel for dinner and my oh my, one of the best steaks that I have ever eaten. I ordered their famous Full Blood Wagyu Blackmores M9+ Skirt steak ($68++ for 200g) and I absolutely love it! The meat is so tender and juicy, I finished eating the steak in 10 minutes! I'm so going back again! Best part? I got 15% discount. Muahahahaha!

Sorry for the blur picture. Didn't realize it was blur and ate up the entire steak before I knew it.

Their homemade BBQ sauce and apple-flavoured palate cleanser.

Grilled Portobello Mushroom! Enough said.

After dinner, I went back upstairs and got a surprise gift from W Hotel! 

They sent me a tray of chocolates and a handwritten card. They really know how to make me happy. Chocolates, never fail to lift my mood.

When I woke up the next day and realized that I had to check out, I was so reluctant to leave. I had such a tough time getting myself out of the comfy bed. :( The whole stay was so enjoyable and relaxing, totally recharged me for the crazy work that was awaiting me. I love the view, location, staff, amenities, everything! I am so going back again. The next time, I'll bring my entire team there for a team staycation!

Dove Nourishing Oil Care Serum

In one of my previous post, I mentioned that I was trying out the Dove Nourishing Oil Care serum. Well, here are the results!

Look how frizzy my hair is! This is the condition of my hair after washing and left to dry naturally. You can see the crazy flyaways and frizz.

This is how my hair looks AFTER applying the serum. I didn't even comb it or anything after applying. It cleared up most of my flyaways and frizz just like that!

I really think it is the nutrients from the coconut oil and almond oil that really help. These oils are easily absorbed by the hair to help strengthen and maintain moisture. I was initially worried about the smell since it is coconut oil but surprisingly, the oil smells really good!

Of course it won't remove all the frizz and flyaways with just one use. It will take some time for the hair to absorb up the nutrients from the serum and slowly improve. But so far, I'm happy with the results!

The other thing that I really like about the Dove Nourishing Oil Care serum is the fact that it is not greasy. Considering how much coconut oil and almond oil that went into it, it doesn't make my hair or hands feel greasy after applying. 

Did a comparative test with a hair oil serum that I was using previously (Brand X) and Dove Nourishing Hair Oil Care serum.

The oil serum is not properly absorbed by the paper towel even after I left it there for 5 minutes. 

On the other hand, the paper towel absorbed the Dove Nourishing Oil Care serum really quickly. 

There is actually a technique to apply the serum properly. 

1. Pump about 3-5 pumps of the oil serum onto the palm of your hand.

2. Press palms together to use the heat from your hands to warm up the serum. This helps the hair to absorb the serum better.

3. Spread the serum onto the ends of your hair gently. Don't rub. 

My recent obsession with my frizz and dry hair is crazy. I needed to combat the frizz monster so I did some research on frizz. Well, you need to know your enemy well in order to win the battle, right?

Causes of frizz:

1. Genetics

Curly or wavy hair tends to be drier because the natural oil may not coat the hair strands as well as straight hair. The hair strands are more prone to becoming raised, resulting in greater friction. -> I have straight hair. Point eliminated. 

Damn you, weather!

2. Environment

What kills your skin are probably killing your hair too. UV rays and humidity. Sun dries and damages the hair, while humidity causes dry and porous hair to suck up moisture so the hair shaft swells unevenly, giving the appearance of full and frizzy hair. -> Biggest enemy of all Singaporean women, also my enemy. 

3. Heat styling and hair products

Hair dryers, curling irons and flat irons may be my BFFs before an event but definitely my enemies after the event. These heat styling tools do what you think they do, they "burn" your hair, at least that is what I think I am doing to my hair whenever I use these tools. Alcohol is a dehydrating agent so hair products that contain alcohol are also boo boo. -> Yes, I am guilty of these.

4. Friction

Simple things that YOU ARE DEFINITELY GUILTY OF DOING like combing your hair with your fingers and drying your hair by rubbing with towel actually cause friction and results in frizz. -> I am tempted to cut off my fingers now because I have a habit of playing with my hair. T_T

My Vanity Trove

I have been super excited to share this with you guys and this is why!

My very own VanityTrove box! I worked with VanityTrove recently to come up with a special edition VanityTrove box that contains numerous beauty products that I love! Super awesome! It even comes with a personalized greeting card from me!

Let's take a look at what the box contains!

First up the Skin Food Black Sugar Perfect First Serum voucher. It's a double-functioning first serum that contains black sugar extract to soften and smooth dry, rough skin. It also contains other actives that improve skin condition and create a flawless skin texture. Head down to any Skin Food outlet to exchange the voucher for a free bottle of serum!

Out all day and hair starts to get greasy and gross? I get that with my fringe a lot especially with this weather here in Singapore. That's when the Batiste Dry Shampoo comes into handy! Just shake the bottle and spray the contents onto your hair, and it's done! So easy! The small bottle also makes it easy to carry in your handbag especially for us girls, this can easily fit into our pouch!

I love smelling sweet all day! Honey by Marc Jacobs keeps me feeling energized, refreshed and smelling like honey all day with just a few sprays! Super LOVE!

EmerginC Peel Pad and Phytocell Detox Mask. The peel pad is super convenient to use, simply wipe it across clean, dry skin to remove dead skin cells and it also aids in reducing wrinkles. Really like this brand as EmerginC Scientific Organics is an active, 100% natural, paraben-free, petrochemical-free, synthetic fragrance-free range of skincare. On top of that, every product contains a minimum of 70% organic ingredients; and for every product sold, a tree is planted. A corporate tree planting program to support the natural environment. 

The Phytocell Detox Mask is a French-green-clay mask that helps to draw out impurities and improve your skin tone/texture. It remained soft on my face and rinses off really well! Love how it helps add that glow on my face! 

I love sleeping mask because I'm usually too lazy and this Skin Food sleeping pack even comes packed with the Vitamin C goodness from Tomatoes. Yum!

Too Cool for School is a relatively new beauty brand in Singapore but it's quite well-known in Korea! I have been using their BB cream, McGirly Rice Wine Secret and love it.

Pink Girl Jelly Base is my key to getting a glowing skin. This can be used as either a makeup base or highlighter. It has a fresh floral scent and the skin absorbs it quickly without it leaving it sticky like what some makeup base do to your skin. Just apply a thin layer under your makeup and voila, soft, dewy glowing skin!

My other secret to a brighter skin is the Sothys Cleansing Cream. It's really useful to remove pigmentation, a common concern for us ladies when we spend so much time under the blazing sun. It also helps even out skin tone to reveal a brighter and healthier looking skin.

The Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse oil is really useful for people with dry skin! This product is really light in texture but moisturising, and I really like the smell! Add a drop of oil onto your powders to get smooth glide-on effect and the best part about this is it leaves your skin smooth without letting you feel a tinge of greasiness. You can also use this oil to give your hair a healthy gleam after a bath and before bedtime. 

Well, at the end of the day, we all need a good makeup remover to clear up all the makeup and junk that you have accumulated on your face! A good remover is essential to keep your face clean and healthy, and SILKYGIRL makeup remover is very gentle (good for sensitive skin) and thorough and it also removes waterproof makeup which can sometimes be extremely hard to remove.

Last but not least is my favourite product in the box, Skin Inc Pure Revival Peel from the Get Awesome Skin set! It's awesome at removing dullness and dead skin cells, giving me a brighter and more youthful complexion especially on days when I have to be constantly exposed under the sun because of filming. This is one of the 3 items from the Get Awesome Skin set that will be included in the trove - Pure Revival Peel 20ml, Encapsulated Serum 5ml (Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Collagen, Coenzyme Q10, Hyaluronic Acid, Chlorella, French Pine Bark, Licorice or Ceramide) or Pure Deep Sea Hydrating Mask 20ml. 

If you have been wondering what beauty products I like and use, you can purchase this box to try them out in their sample sizes first. The box can be purchased from https://www.vanitytrove.com/sg/shop/special for just $35. 

There is something special out there for my fans too! just quote JANICECHIANGVT during the purchase and get a full-sized item in your box! This promotion is only valid for the 1st 50 customers so do hurry! 

Here's to a great start of the week and I can't wait for you to try out all the products yourself too!