Soft Luxe Days: Little Luxuries, Oil-Based Nail Polish Benefits, & Curated Purchases from BYS

There’s a quiet magic in little luxuries — the kind that doesn’t shout, but whispers. This past week was all about savoring those small, elegant moments that make life feel softer, warmer, and just a little more luxe. From everyday beauty rituals to a BYS haul that made my heart flutter, here’s a peek into the small joys that lit up my days.

A Soft Luxe Week Begins

And what a soft luxe week it was because Lady Flo was visiting. I wrote all about my Sacred Rest Ritual here. I also made my Sacred Inhaler to use during red days. 

I had fatigue and didn't know what to cook one day for breakfast. Add to that, our fridge was running empty. I decided to toss a bunch of things together and came up with this potato-hotdog hash:

I added pizza cheese and Chick-Fil-A sauce

My son loved this so much that he finished about 3/4 of the pan. I ate 1/4. It’s funny how the simplest kitchen experiments, made on low-energy days, can turn into the week’s most heartwarming memory.

Mini Moments That Made Me Smile

By the end of the week, I was strong enough to get out of the house. I was still a little weak, and decided to make a happy eye look. Here's another orange eye look:

It's a little blurry, but you can still see the orange shades. I used my BYS Queen Bee Palette for this look. 

I used Buzz, Dew, Fresh, Sweet, and Royalty for this look. There’s something quietly empowering about catching your reflection and seeing a pop of color looking back at you — even if you’re in your comfiest clothes.

I was still feeling fat, bloated, and a little lazy, so I didn't want to dress up. I made up for it with my makeup. 

My son totally cracks me up when he's taking photos. He likes taking random photos like this one. Sometimes it's just his hand. 

I didn't know that he was taking photos of me while I was fixing our things. 

I saw a few interesting things at Mumuso. 

I wondered if I could use these on my rashes, but my kuya (our term of endearment for an older brother or older person, like onii-chan in Japanese or hyeong in Korean) /colleague/health care provider said no. 

Snapshots from My SIL

In my last post, I featured some pictures taken by my SIL in Singapore. It's Singapore's 60th Birthday. She's now officially a senior citizen. 😊 To celebrate that, stores are having special promotions and sales. Check out which stores are having sales here.

Today (Sunday, Aug 10), my SIL, Kristine, went to Takashimaya. I love Takashimaya because they always have special promotions like these in the atrium:

Are those tiffins? I'm in love!

I love this Chicken Rice shirt! Are you team steamed or roasted?

Look at these quirky earrings! Poor earlobes!

These are beautiful! I love that white plate and those trays! 

Ooh, I love that fan and those tea towels! I can never have enough tea towels! I'm actually on the look out for some. And pouches. I love pouches as well. Can you tell?

Those water bottles are so pretty, but such a pain to wash!

Look at these foldable tote bags! I have an on and off love affair with tote bags. Sometimes I feel I have too many of them, sometimes I feel I don't have the right one! Kristine said that she wanted to buy a tote bag, but opted for rubber shoes instead. 

Special thanks to my SIL, Kristine, for taking the photos and sharing with us her shopping adventure today! 

It’s such a joy to live vicariously through someone else’s stroll in a beautiful city — a reminder that inspiration can arrive in snapshots and shopping bags.

Little Indulgences I Couldn’t Resist

I tried to do some writing last week and while talking to one of my mentors, I applied nail polish on my nails. I just finished applying when I took this photo that's why there are still some bits outside the nail. 

This is from Miniso. It's oil based. 

I did a quick research about oil-based nail polish. 

Oil-Based Nail Polish Quick Facts

Formula: Infused with nourishing natural oils (like argan, almond, or vitamin E oil).

Finish: Usually gives a smoother, glossier finish with fewer brush streaks (You can tell from the photo, right?)

Feel: Feels a bit more hydrating on nails, less harsh than regular formulas.

Care factor: Helps condition nails as you wear it, reducing brittleness over time.

Best For: If your nails chip or dry out easily, or you're doing frequent polish changes. 

From now on, I'm choosing oil-based nail polish... Is what I'd love to say, but Miniso has a lot of shades that really suit my palette that are just regular nail polish. I can't wait to go back to buy them. I wish they'd come up with oil based versions of the shades I like.   

One day, my friend and I were talking about what to have for lunch and he asked what I had thawing. I said chicken. He said, "then just do a stir fried soy-based version." I was craving some kimchi and oi muchim that day, so I whipped up this chicken dish in no time and ate them with the fermented banchan. 

On one of our days out, my son and I had Llao Llao. That dark chocolate is really good, but too rich and sweet for me. I like my dark chocolate bitter with just a hint of sweetness. Still, it's the only sauce we get at Llao Llao. 

On one of our mini dates, my son and I decided to try Ramen Kuroda. The food was really good. We both liked the ramen and the pork teriyaki. We were supposed to share it but the restaurant was very hot. There was only one working air conditioner and a cooler. I was worried that I'd get an MCAS/histamine flare from the heat, so I asked for the bowl to be packed for takeaway and gave it to Zac's dad for his lunch. 

Ramen was 5/5 stars for us. We would try the food again, but maybe at night and al fresco. I'd also like to try more of their rice dishes because the teriyaki pork was tender and very flavorful. 

These little indulgences — a perfect nail color, a comforting lunch, or a date over noodles — are proof that beauty and joy live in the smallest corners of our days.

The Star of the Week: My BYS Curated Beauty Purchases

Now this is what I'm very excited to show you. 

2 peptide lip tints, 4 palettes, 2 eye shadow brushes, 2 angled brushes, 2 eye liners, and 2 lip glosses

Lip liners

Full Coverage Foundation

I told you about my problem with the BYS Cloudskin foundation, but I found a hack that solved the white cast and the caking! I'll share that with you on a future post. Because of this discovery, I said yes to trying out this foundation. 

Why the doubles, you may ask? BYS was on BOGO! That's why I got two of everything! What I love about BYS, aside from their better ingredients, is they regularly have promos and sales! I think I only have two items in my whole stash that I got on retail. All of them were either 30-50% off or free, like the ones above.

Wrapping Up the Week in Soft Luxe Style

It’s easy to overlook life’s little indulgences, but they’re often the very things that make our weeks unforgettable. Whether it’s the glow from a new palette, a thoughtful photo from my SIL, or a quiet moment over coffee, these touches of beauty remind me that living softly is a choice. Here’s to another week of savoring life’s little luxuries — because elegance isn’t just in what we wear or buy, but in how we live. Because in the end, Glow Girls know: elegance isn’t just in what we wear or buy — it’s in the way we collect our moments, and the way we let them collect us. 💌