🌸 A Special Note to My Singapore Glow Girls 🌸
This Soft Saturday Diary is lovingly dedicated to you. Whether you're exploring Muji on a quiet Orchard stroll, savoring a sweet treat at Jewel, or just resting your pretty head after a long Monday — I hope this little piece of my weekend brings you warmth, joy, and that gentle reminder to make space for yourself too. 💕
From one glow girl to another — stay soft, stay radiant.✨
With love,
Lady E
We were supposed to go to S&R and my usual haunts. But I was talking to one of my girl friends and she got me missing Muji. And that got me thinking... I miss BGC's ambiance. I just feel so alive and at home there. It was a rainy Saturday. Dark clouds and the cold made it a lazy kind of day, but my spirit was aching to go out. Maybe it was my blood. The women in my family love to go out when it's rainy. They even go out during typhoons. If it's not flooded, they will go out and frolick in the mall or wherever their heart desires. 😁
So I told my husband, change of plans. Let's go to Central Square instead.
Getting Ready for the Day
I took my time in the shower as it's a Saturday. This is my 'Me Time' where I use different products luxuriously. I get to enjoy my showers on Saturdays, not like the rushed showers of weekdays.
I was excited to get ready because I have a few products that I wanted to try, plus my BYS Queen Bee palette didn't disappoint. I was excited to try the other shadows.
One of the products I wanted to try was the Peripera Ink Velvet. Here it is on my lips. I applied Laneige Lip Mask under and on top of it. It's just too dry for me, and I already have dry lips.
I'll do a more thorough review of this product once I've used it a few times.
I spent an hour getting ready. I used to be able to get ready in 15 minutes. So, why 1 hour on this day? That deserves its own post.
I did an almost full face, sans the blush because I have textured skin from papulopustular rosacea and my skin is already red, and when the foundation wears off, the redness in my skin shows. I was quite happy with the way I looked that day, though.
In the car, I noticed that were my hands were screaming for hydration, so I whipped out my new Mumuso Hand Cream. I will also do a separate review for this product.
When I stepped out of the lift on the 3F, my body immediately relaxed. I was a sickly child from grade school and all through my teens, and got some autoimmune diseases in my 20s. I've been to doctor to doctor and one of them said, just go to the mall. Shop, window shop, enjoy the aircon, eat, watch a movie. My mom and I thought, what can we lose? I've been sick for a long time, so maybe just enjoying the sights and smells (hello, Rustans!) will make me feel better.
And you know what? I didn't just feel better, I healed! The mall is my happy place, not necessarily to shop, but it's where I find inspiration for my different projects and endeavors. The hustle and bustle fuel my creativity. Sometimes my son and I just sit and people watch and we'd get ideas for our projects and our businesses.
Marks & Spencer
I went to M&S first as they were on sale. I'm not much into M&S fashion, or maybe I need to take a closer look next time I'm there. What I was interested in were the toiletries. And boy, did they have a lot!
I didn't buy any, though as they weren't on sale. The Greenbelt branch was on sale. I don't pay retail when I know I can get them at a better price. Plus, I still have some body washes and soaps to go through, so next time. I wrote about my latest faves from M&S here.
When I was a teenager through my early 20s, M&S toiletries were a staple in my bathroom. But there was a time when they only carried scents that would appeal to more mature women, and back then I wanted fun, citrusy, happy scents, so I stopped buying. Now that I'm more mature, I've learned to appreciate the deeper, sometimes subtle scents of M&S toiletries.
Muji
After looking around some more, I went to Muji. I had a love-hate relationship with Muji when they first hit our shores, but when they dropped their prices, I started buying from them regularly.
I asked my friend, M, what she thought about Muji's Light Toning Water and she said it's a must-try. It should be gentle enough for my sensitive skin. So, I immediately grabbed a basket and in that small bottle of toner went.
I asked her about the brushes, too. She's a big Muji fan and she said that I should really, really try their brushes, especially because I have a makeup artistry background
I wasn't convinced of her explanation of the eyelash curler, so I skipped that.
This was my main reason for going to Muji - their organizers. The products on my desk have started a rebellion and needed to be corralled. I leave them on my desk to remind me which ones needed to be written about and shared with my Glow Girls. Plus, they make my days soft and luxurious. Looking at pretty things lowers my stress level.
I got that tote in olive.
These were on sale, but didn't have my son's size.
I got the brown sling bag for piano days. You can remove the straps to make it into a pouch.
This was my cart. You can see the glass pitcher peeking out. I've wanted to buy that for so long, but didn't have a specific need. I said to myself that I already have the Ikea glass bottle, but now that I use that for water, I got this pitcher for homemade juice and refreshers.
I got a free jute bag. My second from them
A peek into what I bought that day
Was able to wear my favorite Baguio outfit because of the cool, rainy day!
Beauty Bar
After Muji, I went to Beauty Bar and found that Anastasia was on sale.
I got this, but it wasn't on sale as it's a new arrival
Found some Superga shoes that I like. Will buy this next time. My son used to wear Superga from when he was a toddler to about 6 or 7 years old, then he saw Skechers' light up shoes and never looked back.😁
But now that he is older, I'm pretty sure he'll want Superga again soon as he no longer has any sizes at Skechers Kids.
Venchi
I stopped by Venchi. At first I wanted to buy some chocolates, but thought that my son and husband deserved a gelato treat for their patience. They would just stay in one place while I shopped around. So, I called my son and told him to meet me at Venchi.
Mango sorbet, Tiramisu, Chocoviar
Mango sorbet, Vanilla, Brutto & Buono Hazelnut
Let's start with the chocolate coin. It was hard. Too hard for my liking. It's dark chocolate, by the way. Hardly any sweetness.
The mango sorbet was light and refreshing! I like the way the staff asks you all the flavors that you like beforehand, so they can stack it in a way that complements each other. The mango didn't taste like local mangoes. I find that foreign mangoes have this distinct aftertaste. I usually don't like that taste, but it was subtle in this sorbet. I enjoyed it immensely.
The vanilla was intense! I've never tasted vanilla ice cream, or in this case, gelato, like this before! The flavor was full and bold. This is not your regular vanilla gelato. I love vanilla ice cream, but this was too strong for me.
Strawberry sorbet, Straciatella, Brutto & Buono Hazelnut
The Brutto & Buono was my favorite that day! My son agreed. The hazelnut flavor really shines through. I felt like this was a combination of milk and dark chocolate. The pairing was divine. I could probably eat 2 scoops of that and that says a lot because I'm not a big ice cream/gelato eater. I'm usually a 1/2 cup kinda gal.
It looks like the gelato is super soft on the pic. Well, it is, but it didn't melt as fast as say, Gelatissimo's gelato. I was able to maintain a fairly clean cone.
The view while eating gelato
I bring a water bottle everywhere and this is my current favorite
After our gelato break, I went to look around at Charriol and Swarovski, bud didn't find anything I loved, so we headed to The Marketplace for groceries. After that, we headed home.
That Surprise Makeup Remover
I immediately remove makeup when I get home. Aside from my regular makeup remover, I recently discovered this from Mumuso.
I love that silicone brush head. It's gentle enough not to irritate my sensitive skin. I love the foam cleanser even more! It feels so luxe when I remove my makeup.
The foam itself is strong enough to remove makeup, but gentle enough not to leave me with a tight skin. I usually follow up with a sheet mask, but this time I tried the Muji toner that I got earlier in the day.
Here's my eye makeup that day. I didn't want to remove it! This was after a day of shopping already and the eyeshadow didn't move! It still looked vibrant after all that activity! I showed this to M and told her, who needs Urban Decay when you get this quality from BYS! Plus they're hypoallergenic, cruelty-free, vegan, and have environment-friendly packaging!
I also discovered that the bathroom light does justice to my EOTD photos! Hahaha!
I used Spring and Sweet for this look and some red NARS eyeshadow.
Back to Reality - Softly
After washing my face, changing my clothes, and my very enjoyable soft afternoon, I wore my domestic goddess crown, and washed the dishes, cooked salmon sinigang for dinner, and chopped some tomatoes for freezing.
I have a few chopped vegetables and fruits in the freezer to make cooking a breeze.
What I Got From Muji
Here's what I got from Muji. I didn't include the pitcher anymore as I put it in the sink as soon as we got home.
My son and I love Muji socks. We've been sharing socks for years, but these are all his as they are more his colors. The gray and white are for his dad.
Our favorite watagashi. One time, this was on sale at 50% off, and my son and I hoarded them!
The Heart of It All
I don’t know what kind of Saturday you had, but if it was heavy, I hope this lightened it. If it was lonely, I hope this kept you company. And if it was ordinary… maybe next week, you’ll let yourself wander, too.
Tell me: where does your softness live?
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