Monthly Topic #30: 10 Signs You're About To Split

Sometimes, two people can hae radically different ideas about where a relationship is going. One can be positive it's over and plannin the break-up spech, while the other is lissfully unaware that there's a problem. Here's how to tell if you're heading for a fall.

~Image Source: StepChange MoneyAware~

Sometimes, the writing's so obviously on the wall, it might as well be in neon. In other relationships, one person's planning the wedding menu while the other is planning to leave. According to couples' counselors, there are vulnerable points in any partnership - and classic, telltale signs you're about to split. How does your love affair measure up?

You Or Your Partner Experience A Major Life Change
A new job, move to a new country, the death of a parent or a best friend - any major life change pushes the strongest relationship into a vulnerable position. Change gives us a new perspective: we're forced to step outside of the same old routine - and even a short break from normality can make us question how happy we really are. Taking a new job or moving town exposes us to new people: it's easy to stay in a so-so relationship if the only males you mix with are the ancient accounts clerk in the family business where you work. Since more than 65 percent of people meet their future spouse at work, changing jobs can turn up more dates than a disco. Even if you are happy, you're battling the boring old partner syndrome when you meet new men. Someone new is always more interesting and if the two of you have chemistry and work closely together, watch out!

Your Relationship Is At A Turning Point
You've been going out for two years now and everyone's asking when you're getting engaged or married. Secretly, you're both wondering the same thing: is it time to move on or move out? If you're comfortable with commitment and each other, this can open the lines to some much-needed discussion. But if one partner needs more time and feels pressure to make a decision immediately, leaving may seem the best solution.

You Don't Make Love As Often As Before
That touch-me-and-I-melt feeling wanes with time in the healthiest relationship - but there's a huge difference between a natural cooling-off period, and the signals that you're about to split. The telltale sign is "the cringe factor": when you do make love, do you enjoy it - or shrink away? If you're simply caught up with the pressures of life, when both of you finally do make love, it's great and you wonder why you don't make the effort more often. But if either of you go into cringe factor, you're in trouble! Your skin crawls, you close your eyes, shut down your senses - it's a horrible feeling, you can't wait for sex to be over! Partners who are in cringe mode will do just about anything to avoid the bedroom. They'll get drunk, pick a fight, invent exotic illnesses, often be the life of the party simply to avoid going home. Usually, affectionate gestures will also vanish.

One Of You Has Sex With Someone Else
Whether it's a night with an ex-boyfriend or a one-night stand on a business trip, having sexual contact with someone other than your partner means major trouble. For a start, you've broken the pact the two of you had to stay faithful to each other; the relationship loses its "special-ness" and you feel less committed. You could also find yourself getting addicted to the risk-taking. If you don't get caught, it's a way of satisfying that 'naughty' side of us. Other people start playing around because they're not sure how they feel, so they start "testing" their feelings. Some people just don't have the guts to say 'I don't love you anymore' so they start cheating. They find it a lot easier to break up by confessing they've been unfaithful. Once a partner strays, the relationship is in dire straits. The theory is that there are three things that hold relationships together; play, passion and company. When we meet someone, we react like children and think 'Wow! Someone I can play with'. When you start seeing other people it means the play has ceased - you're looking around the recapture that feeling with someone else.

The Blinkers Come Off
The blinkers eventually come off in any relationship and flirting with a guy whose pecs rival Arnie's need not mean you're not happily attached. Flirting makes us feel refreshed and desired, and boosts our ego - it's only when you want to take things further that problems start. Occasionally testing your sexual attractiveness for a bit of a laugh is normal; finding yourself constantly fantasizing about different men isn't.

You Send Out Signals That Others Act On
If you're happily involved, people ask you out even if you do flirt with them. Subliminally, you're sending out an "I'm attached" signal even if you are flicking your hair and sliding your fingers along the stem of your wine glass. Start thinking about splitting, however, and it's a different story. I'm not sure if it's a chemical thing or not, though it's certainly said that people give off pheromones. Either way, I do think we advertise your availability. You may have a ring on your finger and appear to be settled in a relationship but from the moment you decide you want an affair, you give off an unconscious 'I'm available' message that people respond to. Sometimes, our signals are quite deliberate. If you're thinking of leaving, you become more aware of your attractiveness and may start flaunting your sex appeal to see how you'd fare if you were single. Same goes for him. If he's skipping bonding with the boys for a lengthy discussion about fashion with a blushing brunette, consider the danger light on and blinking.

You Stop Talking
Once, you called him five times in as many hours, eager to fill him in on everything that happened in your day. Now, you've won that longed-for promotion and find yourself picking up the phone to call someone else first. The nurturing element, the ability to care for each other, is part of the glue that holds us together. If you're not getting the nurturing from him - or feel you're giving too much - you'll turn to others who do it better. Couples who are disenchanted with each other often stop communicating effectively. Conversations fade to a bored "How was work?" thrown over your shoulder as you're chopping up the vegetables. Not talking about the little things stops you feeling in tune with each other. It's a fact of life; the person who knows most about us is often the person we feel closest to. We naturally move closer to the person we share our secrets with.

You Stop Arguing
In a university study, researchers asked a group of single men and woman to name the opposite to love. Their answer, predictably was hate. When the same question was posed to married couples, they answered "indifference" - a far more realistic and accurate response, at least according to psychologists. While you're arguing, the chances are there's still a relationship there that's functioning. It's when you give up on arguing that spells the end. You've got to the stage where you're indifferent: you despair that you'll ever get your needs met and stop trying.

You Start Seeing Faults
That cute little habit she has of distractedly smoothing hair now seems neurotic; his gregarious personality starts to grate. Your rose-colored glasses have been replaced by magnifying glasses and faults you never noticed before now seem glaringly magnified. Sometimes, our partners do change physically or emotionally into someone who doesn't attract us anymore. But more often than not, it's our perceptions that have altered. When you fall out of love, your tolerance level isn't the same. What was endearing becomes annoying. Finding fault also helps us justify wanting to leave. We gather as many faults as possible as a reason for leaving someone. We try to justify why we're about to be mean and nasty.

You Avoid Spending Time Together
Couples who can't even go to the dentist alone are nauseating, but pay attention if you find yourself preferring to do just about everything solo. You're leaving him out because you feel less restricted and more comfortable on your own. Another clincher: when people stop asking you out as a couple. If the tension between you is so obvious that others notice it, your future together is definitely growing less and less certain. It's one of the tail-end signs that you've drifted apart. If you're no longer spending time together, you're no longer communicating or sharing. And of course, it also means you're free to spend time with someone else.

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Monthly Topic #29: Beat Those Negative Thoughts

You've been promoted. He told you he loves you. You got that apartment. Congratulations! There's just one problem... a niggling little voice in your head that won't let you enjoy your success. Here's how to silence those negative thoughts for good.

~Image Source: Lifehack - Tips for Life~

Life was going well for Jean, She'd been promoted, received a fabulous salary increase, and her incredibly romantic boyfriend proposed by placing a gorgeous diamond ring on top of her dessert at a swanky restaurant - just like in the movies. So why did Jean call her best friend the next day and practically break down on the phone? "I felt so good, so incredibly happy, that I was terrified it would all go wrong. When you really want something badly, it keeps you going. When you get it, you just get scared it'll all be taken away again," she explains.

You're Not Alone

Jean has a very understanding friend who, rather than tell her to grow up and accept her good fortune, agreed and told her, "I know exactly what you're talking about. You're suffering from the Big Foot syndrome." The Big Foot Syndrome, or what I call the "Where d'you think you're going" syndrome, is when life unexpectedly gets good or simply stops being awful. You start to think, Oh yes, when's the Big Foot gonna drop on my head and squash me flat? The Big Foot is very clever. It knows when to leave you alone. And it knows when to strike - just as you think your life is turning a corner, bang! Down it comes. You didn't think you'd get away with any real happiness now, did you? Most people have some degree of self-doubt and question their own worth, especially when success has come to them. There are some arrogant souls who act like they deserve the best and mean it. But nice people - people like you and me - question the randomness of good fortune far more than we question the bad. In a society where hard work is supposed to be its own reward, we expect to earn favors and even when we do, we still question our own worth.But there's something more insidious to this Big Foot fear: for some women, women like Jean, there's a message from childhood that says she doesn't deserve to be happy. So, rather than enjoy the success she worked hard for, she's full of self-doubt. Taken to the extreme, this can be a self-fulfilling prophecy - you don't think you deserve happiness, so you work like a demon to ruin it for yourself.

Stop Self-Doubt

Fortunately, Jean's great pal assured her that she was indeed entitled to her success and warned her not to blow it with too much self-analysis. Carol was not so lucky. The eldest child of three sisters and one younger brother, Carol had always grown up in her younger brother's shadow. "My parents wanted a boy first, so I was a huge disappointment to them. When the longed-for-boy, Alan, arrived, he was treated like the eldest and received all the favors and accolades a first-born usually does. Then, when my sisters Leanne and Margaret came along, my parents accepted them as girls because they had their boy then." This might sound like sour grapes but I know Carol well and I know her parents too. The favoritism towards Alan is painfully obvious. You don't need to be a psychologist to recognize it. Example: when Alan started work, his adoring mother dressed him from head to toe in Armani to ensure the world knew her boy was going to amount to something. A year earlier, when Carol had graduated from university and found a decent job, her mother reluctantly gave her a $0 gift voucher with a grudging "well done".

Alan has found love, happiness and career success. Carol? Now the other side of 30, she's never had a relationship that's lasted more than six months. As soon as a man tells Carol he loves, or even likes her, she does her damnedest to ruin it. Or so it seems. Carol didn't recognize this until Alan's wedding last year. Then, like suddenly acquiring vision for the first time, she felt desperately lonely and left out. She pulled her best friend aside - typically Carol had taken a girlfriend to the bash, not a boyfriend - and wept so copiously her friend nearly called an ambulance. Her friend had never seen such heartbreaking distress. "I wanted to smash her smug, self-satisfied parents in the face for making Carol feel so bad," says her friend. But Alan's wedding was a huge turning point for Carol. Tired to trying to compete with her younger brother, she dropped out of her well-paid publishing job and opened a New Age center. Here, she came in contact with therapists for the first time, and realized that rather than helping others, she desperately needed to help yourself. "I know my case is probably a bit extreme but in many ways, that actually makes it easier to 'cure', because the messages I got from my childhood were so blatant and cruel," she says. For Carol, the answer has been to distance her self from her family. That means avoiding traditional get-togethers and keeping all contact to a bare minimum. "There's no point trying to explain to my mother. Not that I haven't tried. But I've realized now that it's easier and much less painful not to see her at all."

Removed from the cause of her low self-esteem, the cloud above Carol has gradually, though not completely, disappeared. When something happens that makes her happy, or she catches herself enjoying a special sunset or simply feeling good, she tried to savor the moment and silence the "it won't last" voices. "If you can literally live in the moment, rather than worrying about the next one, the fear of everything going wrong is easier to handle," she advises. These negative thoughts that tell us we don't deserve happiness or success are not only the voices of our parents or our teachers. They are all around. Psychologist Louise Beech explains: "It's part of the human make-up to find it easier to be negative about someone or something than positive. No-one knows the reason for this, but it's why we tend to believe the criticisms and not the praise. An actress will read 58 great notices but cry her heart out over the 59th that is mildly critical. In the same way, we all tend to believe our bad critics over our good."

Positive Thinking

Even the great and good can be afraid that their happiness will be snatched away from them. Talking about his mid-life crisis, which he explored in The Information, author Martin Amis told an interviewer that although the crisis was over, better times bring their own concerns. "Happiness has a very strong mixture of paranoia. Beforehand, when you're struggling and you have worries, it kind of toughens you up. Makes you resilient. You think, They can't throw anymore at me now. But when you're happy, you expect a 747 to land on your head or a building to collapse on top of you. Disaster is around every corner," said the award-winning novelist. So what to do? If, like most people, you accept the randomness of bad luck, then why not accept the good too? Because fortune is indeed random. We can work hard to win that promotion, plum jo or the kind of social life we've always wanted. But no matter how hard you try, luck will always play some part. Sometimes it will go against you, but like tossing a coin, it's equally likely to go your way.

No-one has only bad luck or good. It's merely a matter of interpretation. Lottery winners might say, "Why me?", but why not them? Those who think they go through life experiencing nothing but bad luck simply ignore the times when fortune has favored them. They color their life black, not because it is, but because that's how they view it It's familiar and safe. But even if things have always gone wrong, some people manage to stay optimistic. Take Joan, who as a child, grew used to disappointment. "I can't remember how many times I was promised something that never happened, like going to the theater, having an overseas holiday, or indeed any kind of holiday. "None of it ever happened because my parents never had any spare money. But I still manage to look forward to things now, long after the experience should have triumphed over anticipation." However, the disappointment when something goes wrong is still crushing. "And when something I've always looked forward to does come off, I suffer dreadful anti-climaxes afterwards," Joan adds. "But that's the price I am prepared to pay to remain an optimist. Even though w rarely got the treats we were promised, at least our parents had their hearts in the right place. They taught us to look forward to the future. Maybe that's where I get my optimism from."

Louise Beech has a theory about this apparent contradiction. "Not all aspects of our personality can be explained by reference to childhood experiences. We still don't know the whole story on what makes a person's character. Perhaps some of us are born optimists or maybe we inherit this trait. Psychologists used to think everyone was born with a blank slate onto which their upbringing imprinted their personality. We no longer believe that." That's brilliant news because it means we're not prisoners of the way we've been told to be, or what we've been told will happen. We can always reinvent ourselves the way we'd rather be. And wouldn't you rather believe you deserve whatever good fortune comes your way than believe you don't?

Get Your Hope Back

As well as taking Carol's advice about living for the moment, you can send your black clouds of doubt packing by doing some simple self-esteem exercises (see 7 ways To Sink Self-Doubt), because believing "It will all go wrong" is a classic sign of low self-esteem. Everyone is entitled to happiness. If life appears to treat you badly, it's not because you deserve it or that you've done anything wrong to bring it about. Events are haphazard and rarely follow any kind of pattern. A spot of what psychologists call cognitive restructuring - I'll explain in a minute - can turn such negativity around in a flash. All that fancy expression means is, "see things another way". Interpret events to suit you. So if your roof falls, your boyfriend leaves you and your boss sacks you, don't shrug and say, "Serves me right, I'm a failure, I'm gonna go eat worms." Restructure it and tell yourself: "So I'm going through a rough patch, but I'll get through this and it will make me stronger because I'm a survivor." Then, when things do start to go well - and they will, they always do - accept it wholeheartedly instead of peering at the ceiling, wondering when the roof's gonna cave in again. I can't promise you that the roof won't ever cave in ...but why spend your life looking upwards waiting for the world to crash about you? None of us can make the Big Foot vanish forever, but why give it more room in your brain that it deserves?

7 Ways To Sink Self-Doubt

» Keep your birthday and Christmas cards. Whenever life cuts up rough, get them out and remember how much you are liked and valued.

» Each morning, tell your bathroom mirror reflection how wonderful and worthy you are. It might seem silly but it does work. This is what psychologists call "affirmation".

»Write down at least 10 aspects of yourself that you like or find admirable.

» Join forces with a friend and tell each other how special you are.

» When you need some kind of appraisal, say at work, ask for your good points to be given first.We always hear what is said first more clearly. It'll take the sting out of any criticisms that may follow.

» Give up dieting and take up exercise instead. It works better and releases endorphins into the system; these are the body's natural opiates and they're better than any illegal substitutes.

» Try to find something that you can laugh at, at least 10 times a day.

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Samples Received & Redeemed: May 2015

Well, I think I am getting sick even more easily as compared to last month. Got a cold around a month ago, and my cold is still lingering on like a jilted lover LOL Have been sleeping with a blocked nose for the last 3 weeks or so and I am back to having coughing fits. And the best part? The weather is unusually hot and humid, which makes getting a cold seems like some magical event -_- Hence the lack of posts for the past month, since trying to sleep with blocked nose just makes me even more tired. It doesn't even feel like I slept at all...

Good news is that, I've finally gotten a new digital camera solely for blogging purposes. Expect somewhat nicer photos as compared to previous ones. And digital cameras nowadays have video recording as well, good for future video uploads. But for now, I'll take advantage of the video recording function for my main blog at the moment.

And I didn't have much chance to sift through for free samples recently too, but a little shoutout to The Swanple over at theswanple.blogspot.sg/, Miss Ivy is also an avid product sampler too and I got loads of links for old and previously released samples from her blog when I was just starting to get this blog up too :D

Anyway, less yakking from me as I bring you that monthly long-awaited blog post du jour:

Got to hear about Neostrata hosting a sampling activity, seems like they are becoming regular. So, it is easier to keep their FB page on your Bookmark to check back every now and then. I received:

• Ultra Brightening Cleanser x 1 @ 2ml
• Illuminating Serum x 1 @ 2ml
• Pigment Controller x 1 @ 2ml

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: This sample redemption is over. I got to the Triple Firming Neck Cream Free Samples. If you want to try it out, just go over to NeoStrata Singapore FB page at NeoStrata.SG/app_160430850678443, Like their page and fill in your details. Samples will be mailed to your mailbox :D

Bio-Essence was also hosting a sampling activity. I got the 24K Bio-Gold Gold Water x 1 @ 3g.

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: Sampling is over :(

Well, I always get compliments for my hair. Looks healthy and that I should keep it black instead of coloring so it also brings out my "pale" skin-tone as well LOL I got my hands on the Diane Repair Hair Mask EXTRA Damage Repair at 200g.

My only tip is that, if you have virgin hair, like literally non-colored, non-bleached and non-treated hair, just leave it as it is, that means no coloring, bleaching or anything that will destroy hair. As it means you have to spend more money just to make sure it looks and stay healthy. But if it's colored, bleached, treated, permed, whatever you have done to it, always always use hair conditioner if you wash your hair everyday. At least once or twice a week, use a hair mask to maintain the condition of your hair. This way, even if your hair isn't virgin hair, it will still look healthy. It doesn't even matter whether your scalp is naturally healthy or have dandruff and you have to use anti-dandruff shampoo, still get down to using a conditioner. Your hair will thank you in the long run :D

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: No sample for redemption.

Saw NTUC having a Kleenex promotion, a 3-pack bundle and it costs less than S$4.00. Somewhat forgot the actual price already, but it's inexpensive. Since I have oily/combination face that has some sort of angst issues with pimples, it wouldn't hurt to get it. I can bring it to work everyday :D

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: No sample for redemption.

Why not like my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/PuNiaosProductReviews to be informed of latest samples I found, which is duly updated? Also includes updates to health, beauty & lifestyle tips at least once a day. It will definitely save you the trouble of having to hunt them down :)

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iLa Spa Night Cream Rejuvenating Skin Cells Review

WHAT IS IT: iLa Spa Night Cream Rejuvenating Skin Cells

THE PRODUCT(S):

iLa Spa Night Cream Rejuvenating Skin Cells: ila’s luscious Night Cream aids the restorative benefits of sleep, penetrating skin’s innermost layers to support from deep within. Fatty acids from the marapuama tree restore elasticity and visibly enhance tone and texture while antioxidants repair free radical damage caused by pollution and harsh weather. Potent but entirely natural skin cell rejuvenators, including essential fatty acids and fresh royal jelly, stimulate deep cellular processes helping to reduce fine lines and wrinkles.

Directions for usage is stated clearly. Although it is a Night Cream, I personally find that it's still rather rich for my combination skin. Even though just a really small amount is more than sufficient for the entire face, it still feels like it's too much though. So, I generally use just a small tiny dot and in the event it doesn't sufficiently cover the entire face, another small tiny dot again.

You can see that it is really thick and creamy, so, a really small tiny dot is what you should start with to prevent over-moisturizing.

My skin looks hydrated and moisturized instantly. And depending on how little or how much you apply, the amount of stickiness you feel on your skin varies. As I use a small tiny dot of Night Cream, it doesn't feel as if my skin is too sticky or oily at all.

VERDICT: The scent itself is so heavenly that just one sniff is enough to fool you into thinking you are having a moment at a Spa instead of at home. It helps that the brand name has the word "Spa" in it as well. Just sniffing it before you actually use it just makes your mind goes a flutter as you imagine all the goodness your skin is going to feel and get when you finally apply the product itself to your skin just before bedtime.

As Singapore isn't really a cool climate type of country, so I generally only use it when the night is colder than usual, which typically means never. But it does help with the fact that because Singapore is such a hot and humid country that it is normal to sleep with the air-conditioner on at the coldest or the electric fan at full blast. Just perfect for using it on a nightly basis, in this case.

As it is a Night Cream, it is really thick, heavy and creamy and I personally found out that applying only a small tiny dab, just half a pea size is actually more than enough to cover the entire face to give it the moisture it needed. Technically, we should also use a Night Cream instead of a Night Lotion. Reason being, our skin loses moisture at night while we sleep. So, my presumption is that, using a Night Lotion means that your skin will lose just as much moisture while you sleep. But when using a Night Cream instead, even though we do lose moisture from our skin, it won't be that much of a significant loss as we are using a Night Cream (heavy and thick) instead of Night Lotion (light and lightweight).

I personally like how the Night Cream doesn't feel heavy, sticky nor oily on my face, which I attribute the reason to applying sparingly to avoid the greasiness and stickiness encountered with thick and heavy skin creams. As I tend to roll around in bed at night, I sometimes wake up to see imprints of folded sheets leftover on parts of my face, they tend to fade away after a while. But after using this Night Cream, these "imprints" are no longer seen on my face when I wake up in the morning. Yay!!

VERDICT: ✓✓✓

WHAT I THINK: As both the Day Cream and Night Cream is similar in texture and consistency, and the fact that both pots looked literally the same, with the exception of the words stating whether it's Day or Night, one can easily apply the wrong cream at the wrong time of the day without careful looking. So, a tiny half-pea size dab is definitely more than enough, no matter how dry or oily your skin is.

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: No sample for redemption.

Why not like my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/PuNiaosProductReviews to be informed of latest samples I found, which is duly updated? Also includes updates to health, beauty & lifestyle tips at least once a day. It will definitely save you the trouble of having to hunt them down :)

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Samples Received & Redeemed: April 2015

Well, I seemed to be a pro at getting ill recently. Right after my health wasn't going well just 2 weeks ago, now I'm down with a bad sore throat. My voice sounds too impossibly girl for my own taste if I really attempt to talk, in my humblest opinion. Other than that, it's gravitating between voice-less and way too low and way too huskier. Oh well, never mind that. Took a few days to also figure out that it's almost impossible to upload images from my phone to my laptop, have to literally sync everything to Facebook. It's a big roundabout way as mentioned in last month's Samples Received & Redeemed.

SaSa was previously having a massive island-wide and store-wide discount. Was a little tempted to look-see around, at least I now know I can still get My Scheming masks from SaSa although I have no idea why I cannot get it from Watsons anymore :( Anyway, despite having so much "massive" discounts, I personally felt that most of the items didn't seem to look discounted, in terms of price-wise. What made it even worse is that, considering that Singaporeans tend to be dumb, stupid, goondu and blind when you flash the word "Sale" and "Discount" in their eyes, it wouldn't kill to inform every paying customer that membership only costs a maximum spending of S$80 to sign up, instead of the usual S$200. (FYI, there's a dumb, stupid, goondu and blind girl writing this blog post too..)

Bottom line is that, despite you have a slightly longer cashiering process with each customer due to them actually spending that actual $80 just for the sake of getting a cheaper membership, you still ultimately get them to spend additional just for the sake of the membership, am I right? But it seems they can't be bothered with this little deduction. Their main concern, priority and focus for that "Sale" and "Discount" period is to ensure that each and every customer that walked into their store and started browsing around should have a small empty basket thrusted into their hands just so they can have a tiny-as-hell basket to place their purchases in before bringing everything to the counter to pay.

And worse of all? The staff is so bloody bochup, that instead of having a single-transaction receipt to qualify, they should allow maximum 2 same day receipt, or 2 same week receipts to qualify for the membership. This is one of the single reasons why I seldom shop at SaSa, much less consider spending S$200 inside their shop for a membership. It's like, in the end run, you're just a SaSa instead of a Watsons or a Guardian Pharmacy. What the hell type of crap do you actually have in there that justifies me spending at least S$200 each visit? If you're asking me to spend close to S$200 at Watsons and Guardian Pharmacy, it's not that hard since it's like a personal life and toiletries shop. But spending S$200 on purely makeup-related purchases at SaSa?

Which brings to the question of: Just how many mascaras, eyeliners, blushers, foundation/loose powder, lipsticks and makeup removers each person has to buy just to hit that S$200 cap, if said person is only intent and hell-bent on not getting the expensive and well-known brands, just don't mind cheaper alternatives? And considering the fact that makeup has a very short shelf-life life-span, just how fast do you expect a woman to use up her makeup so nothing would go to waste?

Anyways, here's a look at what I bagged for S$40++ before I had that realization stated above.

• Foot Peeling Mask 10 Days Miracle x 3 @ 40ml each
• Baby Smooth Purifying Cleansing Oil (Peach Extract and Sunflower Oil) @ 145ml

I actually bought 3 of the foot peeling mask since they had a "Buy 2 Get 1 Free" promo although I think I was charged the full price for each one individually. I used one on the same night I got home and was expecting to see the dead skin peeling off my foot in less than a week. It took a little more than 2 weeks to see a small sign of peeling. And get this, it's not like there were signs of peeling anywhere. It's a small spot here, then the peeling seemed to subsided and then another spot peeling, subsided. Then on to the next spot, so on and so forth. I doubt it's the product being ineffective, more like I scrubbed and cleansed my feet quite decently. Which probably contributed to the lack of skin peeling I was passionately anticipating for xD Another reason why I do not buy foot peeling jelly of any sort, unless it works on the lower part of my legs as well.

• Mirror-Powder Puff-Powder Compartment thingy
• Gliders Soft-Ties x 5 colors

I recently changed to a loose powder type instead of the regular foundation powder, so I thought I should get this for easy application of powder on my face. My poor makeup brush (a.k.a the one and only I am using as of now) has been overly abused, overly used and overly washed, it's a miracle that none of the bristles are falling off. Yet. As for the Gliders Soft-Ties, do you noticed that if you used the other type of rubber band that is encased in thread/ribbon/whatever it's called to gather up your hair in a pony-tail. It actually leave some sort of a line or crease on the back of your head, just right on top of your hair. Rather unsightly if you have natural straight hair that looks healthy and full and the thread-encased rubber band isn't really gentle on your hair and scalp either.

Because we get the misconception that even though it is a rubber band, but technically, the actual rubber band itself is encased inside a spool of thread. Therefore, we subconsciously think that if the rubber band itself is loose, we just need to tighten it a little more so that pony-tail won't drop off. Again that subconsciousness, even if 'I' were to tighten up the rubber band on my ponytail, my hair won't "hurt" because there's a spool of thread encasing the actual rubber band. And that my dearies, is how you get to mistreat, manhandle and abuse your hair over-time.

Hence, the weird decision on my part to try and use these Gliders Soft-Ties instead to better take care of my hair and scalp. If I am not wrong, you probably can make a similar one if you hav a stash of embroidery stuffs lying around. Just get those elastic bands that you need for the waistband of your pants or skirts, wrap and sewn-up strip of cloth around the elastic band. On-the-spot Gliders Soft-Ties, and you can have your own individuality because it's hand-made by you :D

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: No samples for redemption.

Was browsing around JEM and WestGate area recently, when I recalled that overly-hyped Tokyu Hands is already opened at WestGate and hence decided to pop in for a visit and see if anyone catches my eye and fancy. It's the same as every girl, on the outside we scoff but on the inside, it's all "OMIGOSH!! I MUST HAVE THAT J*SYCF*TS*C!!!!" Although I do have to admit, Tokyu Hands is just too way over-hyped. In actuality, it's a rather well conceptualized, organized, neat and tidy shop. It seemed so large from other beauty bloggers photos, but it isn't. So, no worries about browsing around until your legs give out. But on the contrary, if you are someone who likes to take his or her time browsing through every single item they have there, I sure bet you would need at least a solid 4 to 6 hours in there just to carefully browse each and every item.

I took multiple u-turns back to the makeup remover shelf because I wanted and at the same time, wasn't so sure if I wanted this makeup remover. Same thing happened with the hand cream shelves in there too. And the same happened with the bags, purses, pouches shelves too. In the end, I only walked away with 2 items as I needed those the most.

• Tsururi Pore Peeling Ghassoul Powder @ 55g
• Panna Pompa Cleansing Water Blood Orange @ 300ml

Like I keep mentioning, pore peeling jelly, creams and the likes are stuffs I wouldn't buy partly because my face is decently well-cleansed. So using pore peeling products is practically wasted on my face. However, pore peeling products aren't just limited to the face only. Anyway on your body that has a layer of skin, you can use it on as well. Let's see, arm-pits are a good place. We think that regular showering and gently scrubbing with a shower puff is enough to cleanse the arm-pits. But in actuality, it isn't.

Another example I can visualize: Imagine that 2 to 3 months later, you started noticing a faint smell coming from your armpits. Despite using deodorants on a daily basis, as much as twice a day. Showering every day without fail, also as much as twice a day too. It still gets a little sweat-smelling after a while. This is where pore peeling products come into play in an effective manner. Before using a pore peeling product on the armpit, smelly right? In the midst of using a pore peeling product on your armpit, you will be amazed to see so much dead skin cells are being rubbed off, it's almost magical but on a wrong perception though. After using a pore peeling product, the smell on your armpit is noticeable gone and your armpit feels so much cleaner and the pores there don't feel so clogged up. And best of all? Your armpit don't look so "darK' as compared to prior using a pore peeling product.

There you have it, the perfect reason for using a pore peeling product on your armpit too!

As for the makeup remover, the panda face on the product convinced me I should buy it. I'm a sucka for panda faces :D

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: No samples for redemption. But previously, the old uncle cashier wanted me to like Tokyu Hands facebook page so I can get a free pen. I couldn't say No to free pens, could I? xD

Bifesta was hosting a sampling activity previously. I got the Bifesta Cleansing Lotion SEBUM (Cotton Type) x 2 cotton pads @ 11.8ml

Actually, it's not the first time I gotten free samples from Bifesta. They are always hosting sampling activities every now and then. If you missed the current one, just wait out for the next one.

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: Samples should be available as the online sample request form is still working. Go over to http://goo.gl/forms/DmrcKZ6nvL and fill in your details. Wait for the sample to arrive in your mailbox.

Was lingering around 7-Eleven, wondering if I should get in on the Mickey Mouse keychain faze or not. I always never participate in these type of shady stuffs, because the #1 reason is: "Sorry, cannot choose keychain hor~~" And I was right -_- I got the Dumbo one when in reality, I wanted the original Mickey Mouse or the black-and-white Mickey with a top hat. But well, life sucks, and it always turns out better in the end anyway.

• Cosmopolitan - Not pictured
• Women's Weekly - Downy Unstoppables In-wash Scent Booster x 1 @ 30g
• Style: - Laura Mercier Foundation Primer X 1 @ 30ml

I bought the Cosmopolitan because the #1 thing that strike my fancy was the small heading that said "Tips To Stop Feeling So Damn Tired". Yep, blow S$5 on a small article in a magazine that may or not may help with my tiredness..

I love my clothes and laundry smelling like it didn't come out of the washing machine, but instead from something more magical. In short, I never like the smell of detergent on my clothes all these years. If possible, the smell of air and sunshine is the best. But I don't live in a field full of meadow or whatever, so the next best thing is to get a Scent Booster such as this.

Laura Mercier = Expensive product. Since there's a sample being given away, no doubt I would get it and have a try and see if it's good to invest in on a long-term basis.

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: Stocks recalled. You have to call up Singapore Press Holding and ask if they have any more stocks left.

Let's just say I already knew in advance, around 1.5 to 2 weeks early, that TBS is coming out with a Fuji range. So, I was naturally excited when the range was finally "released" for the general public to purchase. My only question is that, it claimed to have been harvested around the hills of Mt. Fuji, but... do TBS know that there's a small patch of area at the base of Mt. Fuji which is commonly known as the Suicide Forest? :O So, which base of Mt. Fuji were this product range harvested from? D;

• Fuji Green Tea Body Wash @ 250ml
• Fuji Green Tea Body Sorbet @ 200ml
• Fuji Green Tea Eau De Cologne @ 100ml

Just FYI, I don't get the entire full range for every range released. The body butters are too rich for my skin. I once slid across the floor, after forgetting that I was sitting on the floor earlier. Dangerous times.. I normally get the shower, body lotion or sorbet and the EDT or EDP instead. These are like my 3 essentials from any range at TBS. Unless my skin is really peeling and flaky to the point I looked like I am shedding skin, then I would consider getting the body butter. If not, the body lotion despite being lighter is more than enough to get skin moisturized thoroughly without the thick, cloying and oily feeling.

• Forbidden Flower Shower Gel @ 250ml
• Forbidden Flower Eau De Toilette @ 30ml
• Winding Key - For hand creams

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: No samples for redemption. But then, everyone is going mad for the Fuji Green Tea range, so this is one of the released range that shouldn't be ignore if you want a little Zen in your life.

I received an email mailer which stated that Dr Young was giving out samples. So, I signed up for it :D The samples I received were:

• Triple Action B.B SPF 33 PA+++ x 1 sachet
• Anti Dryness Camellia Deep Cleansing Foam x 1 sachet
• Timeless Forever Young Bamboo Blooming Booster x 1 sahcet

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: Link doesn't seem to be working now :(

Carina Lau Sea Lily Whitening Mask x 1 @ 26ml

The only free sample available from TSS after all this time, was a little disappointed. But at the same time, if there's more of other samples, it'll probably be something I've already tried before though. I always get mixed feelings whenever I go over to TSS to check out which free samples are available for grabs.

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: Fully redeemed. I don't see this product anywhere on the "Free Samples" page now :(

Saw this on the shelves for a couple of years now, but as I was using another hair removal product, I had to give this a miss. Now that my other hair removal cream is almost finishing, it's high time I get a new one to try. I have mostly in-grown hair, which is a pain in the butt most of the time :(

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: No samples for redemption.

Why not like my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/PuNiaosProductReviews to be informed of latest samples I found, which is duly updated? Also includes updates to health, beauty & lifestyle tips at least once a day. It will definitely save you the trouble of having to hunt them down :)

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Monthly Topic #28: Do You Work For A Jerk?

They lie, cheat and steal, howl and scream, ansd suck you dry before tossing you aside. Bad bosses: you can't live with them and you can't run them over, so here's how to cope with their problems personalities.

~Image Source: Business Insider Singapore~

Bad Boss Type: The Burglar

How To Spot Them: This person happily adapts other people's ideas to advance his own career. You thought of a way to reduce office stationery overheads? Your boss is with the accountant right now, mouthing off about his cost-cutting plan. You have a great campaign idea for a client? Your boss is on the phone, telling them all about it. How will you ever get anywhere if your contributions aren't recognised?

Coping Strategy: If you're a member of the support staff, it can be very difficult. Try to document your ideas, keep them in a file and, when your appraisal comes around, point out that this is what you contributed and why you deserve a promotion or a raise. Another suggestion is to only put your ideas forward at staff meetings, when more than one person will hear them. If you're higher up the career ladder, put your suggestions in a memo or e-mail to your boss that you "cc" to other colleagues or supervisors. You can add a note saying, "This is an idea I had that I'd like input on from other people," to cover your reason for cc-ing it.

Bad Boss Type: The Swinger

How To Spot Them: Easily confused with The Terrorist, but the difference is that this boss has moments of total approachability mixed with tantrums. Mandy, a 25-year-old architect, used to gauge her boss's mood by monitoring his coffees. Two double lattes and the door closed meant troule; a cappucino and leisurely browsing through the newspaper signalled his mood was sweet. He was tolerant and open to ideas; in the next instant, he screamed about even the simplest things. "You never really know what sort of day you were going to have," Mandy says. "I was constantly on edge."

Coping Strategy: Career advisers say the sanity-saving move here is to determine some kind of pattern to their behaviour. Then, when you've worked out when the bad moods are most likely to hit, the best thing you can do is to stay away. When you think the boss is in a good mood, that's the time to approach.

Bad Boss Type: The Vampire

How To Spot Them: He feels it's his prerogative to call you at home at night or on weekends. And if he needs you to work late, or on Saturday, you'd better count yourself in. And if you have the bad luck to be his secretary, he'll want you to run his personal life, do his errands and lie to his partner too.

Coping Strategy: Before you take a job, you should find out if you'll be required to work weekends, or perform personal errands. If the answer is "sometimes", that means "yes". If you're managerial staff, you will probably want to come in on Saturdays or work late if required, to show that you are professional. However, this shouldn't be the case all the time. If you're support staff, ask if some of your work could be delegated elsewhere, or if there's anything you can start earlier in the day or week, to eliminate last minute panic. With personal errands, either make a game of it or look for another job. Some people like the chance to get out of the office, while others find such chores humiliating. If it's the latter, tell the boss you have work you need to finish, and that doing those errands will mean it doesn't happen.

Bad Boss Type: The Gal Pal

How To Spot Them: No power trips or whip-cracking here - this boss just wants to be liked. It might start with a simple invitation to lunch. Next, it's dinner - soon you'll find it almost impossible to disagree with her over work issues. After all, you're friends. To her, that means unconditional support - something you may not always be willing to give.

Coping Strategy: It's good to work in a friendly place, but you need to know where to draw the line. However reluctant your boss is to lay down the law, she does need to exercise authority - and that means not getting too personal. Find reasons to gently refuse her invitations. While you don't want to be too aloof at work, you may want to politely let your boss know that you prefer to keep your personal and business lives separate.

Bad Boss Type: The Conspiracy Theorist

How To Spot Them: You're called into the boss office's. She wants to know why you were talking to the MD in the lift today. In fact, you said, "Hello, which floor?" Trouble is, this boss is convinced you're out to get her job. She will treat good ideas with fear and suspicion, and will eyeball the outfit you wear to work if it's more expensive than hers, or if you look better in it. Watch out! If she suspects you're dressing for success, or sucking up to senior management, you'll be out of there faster than she can say, "You're fired!"

Coping Strategy: You have to give this boss positive feedback. Make sure she knows you admire and look up to her - reassure her that you're not after her job. Make sure she knows you're willing to be a part of her team, and you're not working hard just to outshine her.

Bad Boss Type: The Terrorist

How To Spot Them: He yells. Screams. The office is a warzone. You leave the office with your head ringing and your hopes destroyed. Says Linda, a 27-year-old web designer. "it didn't seem to matter what I did, I couldn't please my boss. He'd argue about everything, even the most simple design points or ideas. And if I answered back, or in any way tried to defend myself, he'd go crazy."

Coping Strategy: The terrorist boss may have a basic personality disorder that dates back to when your boss was the school bully. Unfortunately, often the only solution is to leave. If you want to stick it out, you'll have to ensure your performance is constantly up to scratch, so there are fewer reasons for tantrums. You must also resist the impulse to fight back, or the battle will intensify. It's important that you try not to escape the situation. Remain calm and, when your boss has settled down, apologise if their anger was caused by something you did. If it wasn't, tell yourself that your boss's anger is not personal and try not to take it that way. You could also try going for a quick 10 minutes walk, by then, you should have cooled off a little and won't say anything you'll regret. Or try deep breathing, as you chant to yourself: "I will not kill my boss, I will not kill my boss..."

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Rausch Willowbark Treatment Shampoo Review

WHAT IS IT: Rausch Willowbark Treatment Shampoo

THE PRODUCT(S):

Rausch Willowbark Treatment Shampoo: Lasting and gentle relief from oily dandruff flakes combined with hair loss. Conditions and soothes the scalp with coconut palm oil and extracts of thyme and willow bark.

The shampoo itself looks like gel-like ribena, to be honest in terms of color xD

It suds pretty decently, but surprisingly, is easy to rinse off with 2 washes. Doesn't leave itchy after-feel on the scalp after washing off the product off my hair and scalp.

VERDICT: I personally find the scent of this shampoo a little minty, which I like it just fine. Normally, mint-scented shampoo guarantees a cooling effect on the scalp after using it. It's a herbal-mint type of scent that thankfully doesn't make you feel nauseous at all. Normally, brandname shampoos with a long history tend to have this particular type of scent that reminds you of your grandparents, but not with this one. It's always a pleasure to want to take a sniff out of this shampoo each time before you want to use it.

The consistency and texture of this shampoo is clear and gel-like with the color of diluted ribena. My apologies for the lack of "imagination" with regards to color-types. I personally find that the shampoo itself feels just like most ordinary gel-like shampoos, although I am personally glad it didn't feel like once it got onto my hands a.k.a skin, it feels as if it's hard to wash off. On the contrary, it is relatively easy to foam it up which ensures that the shampoo foam itself reaches and cleanses my scalp. And it also washes off rather easily too, only 2 rinse/wash-over, last I checked. It's rather sucky when shampoo foam takes more than 4 rinses to get if off your hair and scalp totally.

And after using and washing the shampoo off my hair and scalp, it leaves this really cooling and tingling sensation. Almost similar to the sensation and feeling you get when you use Head 'n' Shoulders Anti-dandruff Shampoo. It has this really comfortable cooling and tingling feeling on your scalp, which reminds you that your hair and scalp is well-cleansed, but without the feeling that the natural oil from your hair and scalp has been thoroughly stripped off. Even when my hair is finally dry, I didn't get any itchy feelings on my scalp. Which I think is rather rare when shampoos promises, but never delivers.

My scalp feels calm and soothed, like a baby. Not sure what my scalp will say if it can talk though. But my hair doesn't feel and look oily, and neither does it feel too overly dry. And get this, I didn't use my regular conditioner when trial-testing shampoo samples, unless the shampoo sample comes with it's own conditioner and/or treatment sample as well. But thankfully, this shampoo when used alone doesn't make my hair feel dry nor tangled up without warning since my hair sometimes have a mind of it's own and starts the tangling process from the ends without and "external" influences such as a breeze, to quote for example.

VERDICT: ✓✓✓

WHAT I THINK: I love the smell, I love how it is easy to foam up and rinsed off without too much trouble. And I especially love how my hair doesn't feel dry and my scalp doesn't feel itchy or irritated after usage. This is one of those products I would consider using on a long-term basis.

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: Samples fully redeemed.

Why not like my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/PuNiaosProductReviews to be informed of latest samples I found, which is duly updated? Also includes updates to health, beauty & lifestyle tips at least once a day. It will definitely save you the trouble of having to hunt them down :)

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Monthly Topic #27: How To Talk To A Man

Stop worrying about the difficulties of sending signals from Venus to Mars - Here is a solution to better communication in your relationship.

~Image Source: The Telegraph~

You've heard it a million times - the secret to a good relationship is communication. And it's totally true; without it a relationship can quickly wither. So how come we haven't learned to be better at it? Put simply, it's because men and women communicate in such different ways that we may appear to be speaking foreighn languages sometimes. Tell me everything I don't know, I hear you cry. Well, let's get specific about the most common communication problems between the sexes and how to deal with them.

The "thing" Thing

Problem: The most significant of these differences is that women primarily focus on people, whereas men make objects their No. 1 priority. This trait is evident from early childhood and manifests itself in the way men prefer to discuss business, sports, gadgets and how things work. Or, as Dr Ken Druck, author of The Secrets Men Keep, says, "Men are adept at talking about things, rather than their feelings about the things." Women, on the other hand, communicate mostly about people and their responses, problems, reactions, failings and foibles. Even at work, women are far more likely to e sensitive to how individuals work together, tensions within a work group, or how best to create a smooth workin environment. The shared experience of a conversation is crucial to women, who will often ask questions to maintain the momentum of the interaction, whereas men simply regard questions - and often conversations - as an efficient manner of exchanging information. This is further complicated by the fact that, linguistically speaking, men live in a world of competition where every exchange has a winner and a loser - whereas women collaborate.

Solution: Try to talk about the things he loves, stuff like football and Ferraris. Although it may seem to have the emotional nourishment of a Matt Le Blanc movie, he will feel closer to you for having shared something that he is passionate about. And he should return the favour. Point out that it's through talking about people and their experiences that you form the strongest bond with them. While "thing" talk is fine, explain that you find it almost impersonal and distancing - as if he's feeling afraid to reveal his innermost self.

Jekyll And Hide

Problem: You're at a party and he's hoggin' the floor, telling joke after joke. But you get into the car to go home and it's as if he's metamorphosed into an mute chauffeur. Not a word. This behaviour relates back to the "things" versus "people" conversation mentality. More specifically, the intimate circumstances of home life or even a car ride are better suited to women's style of communication. "While women sometimes express to express," explains relationships Joe Tannenbaum, :men almost always express to resolve. These respective traits cause most damage in times of relationship strife, as many women feel 'the relationship' is working as long as we can talk about it.' Men, on the other hand, are usually more inclined to take the view that 'the relationship is not working if we have to talk about it'."

Solution:When you're alone together, be mindful of engulfing him in conversations about subjects - such as people, emotions and people's emotions - with which he's not comfortable. This is not to say these conversations should not take place. After all, you deserve emotional sustenance and he needs training. Try to make sure he understands that you like to talk for the sake of talking because suich an emotional exchange makes you feel closer to him.

A Paler Shade of Grey

Problem: Men live in a world that's black and white, whereas women inhabit one that's coloured by a million different shades of grey. Men are on a mission to make a point, they assume that women have the same agenda and become frustrated with what they see as pointless tangents. A case in point: my friend's colleague has a shocking taste in men. It's one loser after another. Recently, we met the latest instalment in this cavalcade of mediocrity and I muttered "yet another beauty". My friend, on the other hand, the head of the Freud squad, was interested in why her colleague kept selecting below-par suitors. Did it make her feel superior? Did it give her an easy out when the heady romance wore off? Was this the kind of man her father was? While I feel this approach does have its merits, these theories - whether prove or unproven - do nothing to alter the reality of the situation. Yet men's penchant for sticking to facts have dangerous consequences. Especially when communicating with women who read between the lines. "What men find worth telling are facts about such topics as history, sports, politics are how things work," wrote Deborah Tannen in You Just Don't Understand. "Women often perceive the telling of facts as lecturing, which not only does NOT carry a meta-message of rapport, but carries instead of a meta-message of condescension: I am the teacher, you are the student. I'm knowledgeable, you're ignorant."

Solution: Say what you mean to him and try not to over-analyse what he says to you. Nine times out of 10, he's being straight down the line, I swear. He, in turn, has to develop patience with your right to analyse what others say and do, as it is your way of understanding the world around you. (Plus, it's probably far more sophisticated than his blinkered approach). Let him understand that by sharing your analytical revelations with him, you feel more intimate as a couple.

Laying Down The Law

Problem: Historically speaking, men have had the power, the money and the patriarchy to back them up when making demands. Women, however, have had to be more circusmpect and diplomatic about attaning their goals and have been rather unjustly accused of being sneaky and manipulative. But the reverse is true in the private domain: "When trying to negotiate mutual preferences and decisions, women are often more indirect than men," explains Deborah Tannen. "But when it comes to talking about their personal relationships and feelings, it's the men who are indirect."

Solution: Quit saying things like "What would you think if we were to..." or "I'm not sure if this is right but..." or "If it's ok with you." If you want to do something, tell him. If you want to say something, say it.

The Word Race

Problem: How many times have you been chatting with a man when you begin to suspect that instead of listening, he's simply waiting for you to pause for breath so that he can jump in with his point of view? Plenty, I'll bet. Women tend to be better listeners than men, who often perceive the role of listener as inferior. As a result, they'll often challenge the speaker, or more specifically, their facts. "Since women tend to build rapport, they're inclined to play down their expertise rather than display it," notes Tannen. Women tend to view the roles of talker and listener as equal in the quest to enhance understanding and intimacy. Facts, figures and power plays rarely figures in these talks. Listening is one of the greatest communication challenge within a relationship. Many couples feel that because they've been together so long, each knows how the other thinks and feels, without having to listen or ask. "This becomes particularly apparent when they argue," says Dr Bob Montgomery in Living & Loving Together. "Both are so busy preparing the next verbal salvo inside their heads that neither has the time to listen to what the other has actually said."

Solution: Since your listening skills are probably more than adequate and his are probably practically non-existent, it would be wiser not to live in hope of re-wiring his brain. Instead of pleading for him to not only listen to you but also indicate that he's actually comprehending what you're saying, become proactive and make him hear you. Hone your speaking skills, don't be afraid to challenge him and it worst comes to worst, give him a taste of his own reticence by cutting down the amount of verbal and non-verbal feedback you gave while he's spouting forth.

To The Rescue

Problem: The final major communication battleground between the sexes is that of crisis. When women go to their mate with an emotional problem, they seek empathy and understanding. Unfortunately, what they receive are solutions: a plan of action to resolve and therefore negate the dilemma. Not so fast, Einsten. Men fail to understand that women have cottoned only the true healing power of empathy and they like giving it as much as they need to receive it. Most guys also don't realise that women like to talk a problem out, elaborating details and experiencing an emotional catharsis, which is as important as any conclusion they might reach.

Solution: Point out to your man that although his ready-made problem-solvers to your every emotional problem are appreciated, you'd be far better supported through such crisis if he were aware of the following three responses from Chris Evatt's He & She:

» She is upset, wants empathy now and advice some other time - maybe even never.

» She is upset, wants empathy now and solutions only after she expresses her feelings.

» She is not upset and wants to discuss a solution to the problem.

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Samples Received & Redeemed: March 2015

My apologies for taking a few days longer to post this up, as my phone is acting all weird on me once again. Luckily, I've gotten my bonus so I got a Asus Memo Pad. Hopefully, I'm able to take slightly better photos and the Memo Pad won't act all "naughty" like my phone does. I had to manually sync all these photos from my phone to Facebook privately. Then re-download back to my laptop and edit/cleanup the images. So much manual labour just for the photos LOL

Although on a side note, I'm rather impressed that I managed to bag some decent amount of mail-box samples for the month of March. I wasn't really expecting anything past 2 or 3 free samples, but I was a little off. Not much, but it still accounts for something. It didn't help that TSS was giving out free facial vouchers on their website for a short while, so it's somewhat "deflating" that not much freebies was being doled out for redemption too.

Without further ado, here's a look at the freebies I managed to bag for the month of March~ :D

I can't really remember how I got to know about this samping activity, although I do recall seeing this newly released product in supermarkets and drug stores. What caught my eye was the Bollywood inspired design of the bottle, but nothing more. I got the:

• Inner Rich Shampoo x 1 @ 15ml
• Inner Rich Conditioner x 1 @ 15ml

This Inner Rich series is suitable for dry, frizzy & unmanageable hair, with floral fruity fragrance. I also noticed that they have the Nature Smooth series meant for oily scalp and oily, tangled ends. I wish companies let us choose the type of samples most suitable for our skin, hair, etc.

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: No samples for redemption. I've googled and re-googled, but can't find the link anywhere. But then, Asience is also constantly coming up with new products, so it shouldn't be too long a wait before the next sample for the next new product comes up again.

When Essential first released this product, Deep Cleansing Care Shampoo & Conditioner ,I really wanted to give this a try. But I don't want the commitment of a huge 750ml, in the event it doesn't do any good for my scalp and hair. So, I waited and waited and wished and wished. And finally, they released the trial pack that is only 200ml. And it was only retailing for S$5.90 for both the shampoo and conditioner, both 200ml each :D

As I have oily scalp but dry hair ends, it's like a tricky hair issue. What promises might not necessarily deliver, so I am a little skeptical and hesitant to buy products that seemed suitable for me, but in 500ml and up packages. It's like, if it doesn't work, it feels awkward to have to ask around friends and colleagues who wants the somewhat newly, once-used shampoo and conditioner. What if it doesn't work for them too? That is one big awkwardness and urm, hurt feelings that borders on mane-sabotage. But if it's a trial and/or travel-friendly version, at least if it turns out bad and nobody wants it, it wouldn't hurt that much to dispose something that doesn't cost past S$10.00

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: No sample for redemption. I got the trial pack for S$5.90 for both the shampoo and conditioner, 200ml each.

This UV Aqua White Makeup Remover Wipes has been around the market for quite a while. It's only recently I'm on a makeup remover crazy spree. Anything that looks interesting, innovative, blah blah, I just grab because I want to try it out and see what works for me. As I am a lazy person by nature, some nights, I just want to literally wipe off the layer of makeup on my face, splash some water on my face. Pat it dry, and drop into bed like a sleep-deprived zombie. But sometimes, I want to take the trouble to thoroughly double-cleanse my face and skin so it doesn't get clogged, irritated too.

This UV Aqua White Makeup Remover Wipes comes in 30 wipes, promises to whiten, hydrate, illuminate, tighten and increase skin elasticity. I'm somewhat aiming for the "perfect for sensitive skin, pH 5.5 balanced formulation" line that it promises. And it claims that no rinsing is required, just wipe and I can go to bed and do my nightly "oink-ing", hassle-free.

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: No samples for redemption. I forgot how much I paid for it, but the price seemed decent and I only wanted the makeup remover wipes instead of the wipes and moisturizer bundle.

Finally, TSS is doling out free actual you-can-hold-in-your-hands-and-giggle-like-a-crazy-girl samples that is actually redeemable and will be mailed to your mailbox. For a moment, I thought they were done with giving out the free samples and only wanted to give out free facial and spa voucher sample.

From left to right:

• 3M Nexcare Waterproof Bandages x 1 pack (5 bandages inside)
Me and paper-cuts are real tight, we're actually BFFs in our previous lives.. Like Meh..
• Klarity Lasertox CC Miracle White Lotion SPF 30/PA++ x 1 @ 5ml
Instant whitening, somewhat curious to find out if this will make my light make-up looks cakey at the end of the day
• Dr Jart+ BB Dis A Pore Beauty Balm x 3 sachets @ 1ml each
Same with the above.
• Comfort Ultra Aromatherapy Fabric Conditioner x 1 sachet @ 21ml
Like, who doesn't want soft clothes that smells heavenly? I know I do :D

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: Samples are still available for free redemption at TSS.

Cafe21 was previously hosting a sampling activity. Seems like they've released a new Cafe21 Low Fat coffee. Hey, I love my coffee free. Most of the time.

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: Sample redemption is now closed.

TSS suddenly had a few more updated free samples a few days after I posted up the previous ones on my FB page. So, yeah, freebie redemption time once more. I've redeemed for:

• Bazaar Man September 2014 issue x 1
It's Minister of State Teo Ser Luck and MP Baey Yam Keng on the cover. They looked quite impressive on the cover LOL
• Cure Natural Aqua Gel x 1 sachet @ 3g
TSS kept periodically giving out free old samples. It's a shame not to get them, I think.
• Bio-essence Deep Exfoliating Gel with Royal Jelly & ATP x 1 sachet
Free exfoliating product. Yay!!
• Palmer's Skin Therapy Oil for Face x 1 sachet @ 30ml
It's good to try out different face oil and see which one is the best :D

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: Samples are still available for free redemption at TSS.

Why not like my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/PuNiaosProductReviews to be informed of latest samples I found, which is duly updated? Also includes updates to health, beauty & lifestyle tips at least once a day. It will definitely save you the trouble of having to hunt them down :)

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