Za haul + Q. & A. [Part i.]

Recently I bought new products from Za (picture at the end of this post, so read on!) 

First, why do I believe in Za?

1. I am in my 20s. 

I don't need too many potent products when my skin is still youthful. This is because your skin probably heals faster and looks great by itself already, even if you have a few scars. Your youthful glow and smile will cover up all these blemishes...

...And if you are concerned that your blemishes make you less attractive, don't fuss over them. Those who mind don't matter, and those who matter probably see through it. Buy products that matters to you and your beliefs, not what you think matters to other people. In the long haul, it's probably better for both your wallet and mind.

As Za always feels so mild, you can be assured that you are not desensitizing your skin to the richer and more potent products as you age.

2. I am on a budget.

I want value for my buck, and Za has always delivered it consistently- for the past 7 years!
Warning: Nonetheless, if I were to go for products targeting specific problems such as anti-aging or whitening, I will not use Za as my skin does not suit the Za whitening product line. However, if you want basic, moisturising care and make up, Za is the drugstore brand to go to.

Even if the Za product doesn't work, I can toss it without feeling too guilty.

3. I need a mild range of products to use on days I am not pampering my skin. 

I think Za products are immensely underrated. While they do not feel as miraculously brightening or as luxurious as concoctions from certain expensive brands,  must emphasise that Za is great for basic moisturising of skin. And it works, because when you do not expect something great to happen, you will not fall prey to confirmation bias.

For example, if I use a whitening product, I'm going to look very hard for whitened areas. Or products that claim to increase your 'radiance'. It's impossible and will drive you crazy! Whereas, for moisturisers, you can just feel your skin, and notice changes happening slowly. Whether it is less pimples or a smoother surface, it's much more objective, and that's why I believe in my judgement of Za.

There are some days I do not want to burden my skin with too many creams. And there's the outbreak of zits from PMS or stress, that drives us crazy. I recommend dropping the powerful serums and potent creams that could irritate your skin further with heaviness, and a multitude of chemicals and herbs. You should look no further than Za for your daily needs. Dab on the Za toner and liquid moisturiser, then top if off with a moisturising gel of your choice to lock in the fluids.

Well it won't make your skin feel like a million bucks unlike the Laneige Water Sleeping Pack Ex, but I can assure you that it does the job well. Every. Single. Day. By the way, did you know that you should not use sleeping packs everyday anyway?

Now that I have stated the three reasons why I like Za, there is another important question:

Why do I not post before and after pictures, but only photos of the product?

I have a few reasons for not doing this...

1. I do not see a point. 

I know some bloggers do that, but I honestly don't see a point.

The before and after pictures frequently do not have much difference.

Even if they do, it could just be a trick of the light (and they usually are). Even science experiments can be wrong and subject to confirmation bias. We will scour the picture to look for what we want to see in the product. We will even fool ourselves into thinking things like, "Well her skin DOES look better after!" in order to justify our purchase. This is proven in consumer behavioural studies that we frequently justify our odd purchases to remain psychologically consistent.

This brings me to the next point:

2. We lack a control. 

A control is a part of any scientific experiment. Nothing is done to it to increase the reliability of results achieved from the single changed variable.

For example, I apply only La Mer cream to half my face, and leave the other side untouched for the next 6 months to prove that the cream works... But honestly, and realistically, who does that?

Logically, this drastically reduces the reliability of the results of before and after pictures.

Moreover, it is rather obvious to me that the side of the face that received more pampering will always look better, regardless of whether La Mer is really worth the price!

You will still use La Mer anyway, simply because of the prestige of the brand, and your belief that it will make you look better... And it makes you feel happier on a day to day basis. Nothing really matters if it makes you happy.

3. If there is no adverse reaction worthy of a picture to warn people of the product, then it is likely that my before and after picture will not affect your judgement. 

Out of ten people, there will probably be one, ore more people who have achieved exceptional results with the cream. That's why we have celebrity endorsements and paid blog advertisements!

Now, assuming that everyone else did not suffer allergic reactions or nasty results, but enjoyed some measure of success, surely we will still buy the cream hoping that we can look like that one person. There's nothing to lose anyway, if our worst case scenario still improves the status quo.

Thus, having a before and after picture of the product will not help you make a better choice. Rather, I hope to use words to describe the product and give you an objective picture of whether it really works.

What are some questions influencing my beliefs on beauty reviews, if I do not rely on photographic 'evidence'?

1. The most important thing to me is how this product makes you feel. 

Does your skin feel tighter?

Does it feel smoother and bouncier?

These are things that you can't really see, unless you have surgical intervention. And you need to be objective about whether the product is really delivering on its promise, to avoid putting nonsensical and damaging products on your face that does nothing, but take up the space where a better and more effective product could exist!

2. How the products interacts with the your habits and your other products matters more than how it makes your skin look under the slap. 

Does the product help you put your make up on smoother?

Do you get any more scar-inducing breakouts? Is this moisturiser too heavy in combination with other skin care products you own?

These can only be answered through words and not via before and after pictures.

Finally, there is no such thing as a 'miracle' cure. 

There are many, many reasons why people get breakouts or have less than ideal skin. What works to cure my skin may not work for you. Moreover, our standards differ and are culturally relative. You may have a very different ideal of 'smooth skin'. Another glaring example is that I am Asian and therefore, I enjoy using and talking about skin whitening products. Someone from the West may be befuddled by my obsession with porcelain skin.

Most flaws may merely exist in our minds as well. Honestly, how often do you really remember someone's blemishes? I am not even referring to full blown acne worthy of medical textbooks, but just what most people face on a day to day basis and battle with. We are mostly interested in only ourselves, and thus our minor flaws are always amplified in our minds. These creams and serums can only do so much to correct that flawed self image we possess, and give us a small confidence boost as long as we use the product.

In the long run, genetics, diet, environment and many other non-controllable factors will have an equally long-lasting effect as our skin care habits. I do not want to give anybody illusions on what this product can do to them, because I know that many of these miracles only exist in the mind's eye and photographs serve to create that illusion.

I aim to seek to address how products make my skin feel, I test them to see if they are safe, and recommend them for occasions and frequency of usage. That way, I can give more objective reviews based on my experiences, without resorting to image editing or special effects. And the most important is for you to test it out yourself, for a happier purchase.

Alright, next post will be my reviews of the individual products!

To be reviewed in the next post

Laneige Water Sleeping Pack EX [Review]

Beautiful blue. 

Laneige (The Snow) in French, is a Korean brand by Amore Pacific. This may be surprising given that the medicinal blue, glassy packaging and the minimalist font do not look like the typically bubbly and colourful products from the East. Laneige is hardly a drugstore brand too- the product is priced above the average moisturiser, but I am convinced for good reason. On top of its elegant and beautiful packaging, it promises much to your skin, and delivers it wonderfully.

Description
This sleeping pack looks like mint coloured cream, feels like/ has the consistency of gel, and spreads out like water. It's nothing like I've ever used, as it is more like a watery gel which consistency adapts and morphs to suit your skin. It's really amazing yet odd, and the gimmicky term 'water science' Laneige employs suddenly sounds... incredibly credible.

But the effects the product gives are definitely more stunning than the cream itself.

How I felt 
With normal skin and no breakouts usually, I use this as my only moisturiser as I find it moisturising enough for my skin. It can even be applied under my eyes as it is not too heavy.

If you are used to a more diverse and disciplined routine unlike me, you should apply this only at the very last, to lock in all the goodness from your serums, essences and what not.

Although this is a sleeping pack, the gel is absorbed nearly immediately and has no residue at all. However, your skin WILL feel cooler, tighter and bouncier. While I have read reviews saying that they felt a 'film' over their skin, I did not feel that at all.

I went to sleep with none of the uncomfortable feeling of having a sleeping pack on, and woke up to dewy and pretty skin. A few splashes of cold tap water, and I was good to go.

One overlooked perk... 
One perk of having great skin in the morning, after the Laneige Water Sleeping Pack Ex soothes and moisturises it throughout the night, is that my make up glided on, looking fresher, and more vibrant than usual. I think this is a very important and extremely underrated benefit of this product! It was not through nature, or by virture of my application of my brow powder, that my eyebrows looked so much more bright and natural the next day. My brush glided in more even strokes and colour was applied onto my skin more easily. Thus, the dewyness of your skin and the vibrance of the makeup on your face can be enhanced with this sleeping pack, making you look younger and better.

Any side effects? 
I have not experienced pimples or milia with this product, although I have with other products from brands like Neutrogena and Bioessence. To be sure about your skin condition however, you should ideally have a sample and use it at least twice!

Buy this product if: 

1. You want better skin! Seriously, I haven't used a better sleeping pack/ moisturiser than this... 
2. You want to wake up to better skin. I haven't used a product that could just improve my skin quality so significantly overnight. 
3. You have a mid-range budget. While you do not want to purchase a drugstore product, you do not want to splurge on something expensive either. 

More tips for skincare from me: 

1. Don't listen to everything the experts say. Believe in your own skin, know how it reacts to different products. Do your own research. 
2. Have 'safe' products as a back up. You know that cheap and trusty moisturiser that doesn't break you out but doesn't do much for you either? Have those handy in case you break out from the jazzier, newer inventions. 
3. Drink water. Yes, it's that simple... Just keep drinking it. I try to have 2 litres a day.  

Do leave me a comment, if you have any more questions on this product. 

Kose, Nivea and Za Cosmetics [Beauty Review]

Kose, Nivea and Za.

I'm both a lucky and unlucky girl. You see, I was born with great skin, but I have recently developed strange allergies. I will develop bumps, like large insect bites, on my face suddenly if I use the wrong product overnight, and boy, they are huge and red! Thus I do not use toners anymore, and I have to be extremely stringent with the choice of my sunscreens and facial washes (only gel, never foam).

So hopefully, if you have highly sensitive skin like mine, you will find these three products handy.



Kose Sekkisei Day Essence (SPF25/PA+)
I got this because my previous sunscreen was breaking me out and I wanted something that moisturised my skin in the morning with a little sun protection. I was also getting worried about the multitude of chemicals in sunscreens, which could potentially cause other flare ups. Thus, I settled for what I believe is a compromise between a moisturiser and some sun protection.

Honestly, I do not know how well this day essence can protect my skin from the sun, so I cannot comment on its efficacy. And there are also debates on whether sun screen is good for you in the first place (though I am inclined towards believing that a little goes a long way...)

Kose products always smell divine, and this is no exception. It also moisturises decently and acts as a pretty good make up base. Overall, I am pleased with it but I wouldn't use it on days I am staying out late.

Note: If I apply this day essence in the morning, I have to remove it no later than 10pm, or angry red spots will start forming... You may want to consider this too before purchasing this product.



Nivea's Aqua Sensation Invigorating Day Cream
I apply this over my day essence, and it's surprisingly light for its oddly blue-green creamy texture. Yes, I find it extremely odd. I was so convinced I would break out from the strange chemicals giving it that medicinal green look, and the heavy clogging creaminess...

But I didn't, and my skin actually felt better after applying this cream. In fact, it cleared up some of my spots. I suppose this cream moisturised it well thus calming some of my overactive sebum glands thanks to a harsh and drying face wash I was using. I'm nearly down to the bottom of the tub, and I give it a very hearty stamp of approval.



Za's Total Hydration Night Cream White
Za is one brand I truly trust. I started using it in my teenage years and it was always reliable. However, they discontinued a line I particularly liked and started this new range which I was unsure about until I tried it recently. It made me even more loyal to their brand, and I hope it will work for you too.

This is more gel than cream and has the faint scent of raspberries. It spreads on thinly and I feel almost lovely after applying a thin layer of it on my face. My skin feels plumper and looks smoother the whole night and the morning after. This gel-like cream fills in the little wrinkles under my eyes nicely too, so there is no need for an eye cream after that.

There are some benefits of this cream here listed below, but honestly who can tell if it is really that good for you? This cream doesn't break me out, smells good and does its job to moisturise.

From Everbluec

I love anything with the smell of raspberries- it's tart and it has this strange, deep and mellow fragrance. It makes me think of a lovely berry pink every time I smell it, and I feel quite calm after that. And I love to think that it will give me good dreams at night, when I wear it to sleep.

So, if you have normal skin like mine (not dry, and not oily either, just normal), and you are exceptionally fearful of breaking out from unknown chemicals, I think these are products for you.


Again, I must emphasise that price does not mean quality, and that Za is a brand that works very well for me. You may be pleasantly surprised by what this drugstore brand can do for you.

Tiny Tower By Mobage [Game Review]

Tiny Tower
It is business as usual for Mobage with Tiny Tower: Build your own skyscraper with this game by constructing residential apartments and stores, and expand your empire into the skies above!

My tower.

The game is a feast for the eyes- a palette of colourful pixels and yawning characters will brighten up your day. When you construct a level, you get to choose between building a residence and a store. There are also 5 different types of stores to choose from: retail, food, services (e.g. barber, pet shop), recreation and creative (e.g. wood works, soda brewing).

This game is very basic, so you do not have to worry about the cost as long as you have coins available. You'll make it back easily since the game is designed for indefinite play.

Running your stores
The most time consuming activity of this game must be stocking and restocking your shelves. Every store gets to sell 3 different items for the 3 different employees hired. Stocks run out in a matter of hours, and restocking lasts anywhere from 5 mins to 3 or more hours.

You will get a notification when your restocking is done. However, you have to pay careful attention to your dwindling stocks. You are not notified when stocks run out, but only when all items are sold out. Then your store closes till the next time you play the game, and so you won't make any money.

In the example below, you will have to press tuna sushi to stock it in your store. After 8 minutes of virtual stocking, you will get a notification telling you to reopen the app to stock it.

Mm, sushi.

Hire workers: 
Your employees come from your residences in the same building. It is every employer's dream- they live, and work for you! They however, have preferences in where they want to work, and if you successfully match their dream job to the store in which they are employed, you get one very happy character and a bonus buck. There are however no penalties if they are unhappy with their jobs.

A Rose dressed like a cactus.

Tips: 

• Upgrade your lift! You only get one lift, and you receive 'assignments' like random visitors who will ask you to scroll them up to a particular floor on the tower. By upgrading the lift, you will travel much faster and ease some frustration in earning that few extra coins. 
• Invest some bucks in repainting homes, and dress your characters living in the same flat in similar colours for better organisation. 
• Don't be afraid to evict residents if their stats are not as high as you would like them to be. I think there is reasonable cause to evict anybody whose stats are all below 6.
• Save your VIPs for another time- don't be in a hurry to use them. The VIPs are characters who can speed up your construction or restocking time, celebrities who increase demand for your products when you deliver them into a specific store via the lift etc. 
• Build stores first then residences. Every additional floor costs more and more to build. Building stores ahead of residences means you will always have that extra bit of income generating in the background, than 5 characters idling around doing nothing! 

So, all in all, play this game if 

• You like cute games. 
• You like having your own tower (who doesn't, anyway?)
• You like games to play with for hours, but easy to leave behind during busy periods. 
• You want to easily return to the game when you eventually feel like it. (It is perfectly fine not to play Tiny Towers for a few days, and then go back to it to revive the game.)

Check out  my review of Pocket Planes here.

Pocket Planes By Mobage [Game Review]

In this post, I will review a game by Mobage: Pocket Planes. Mobage also developed Tiny Towers, which I will review in a later post.

Like many other games, this game is about doing business and expanding it. Players manage their airlines or their towers, and make money to further expand the business. However, they will also notice that the games are simple and that it is nearly impossible to wind up the business

In general, the pixel art makes the graphics look pleasant and novel, yet lending greater scope of customisation to the player. Players can customise the colour and names of every single thing, which is lovely for organising one's items. What really impressed me was how the pixels were also used to represent pearl necklaces or earrings which can then further customise the characters. This was quite creative.

Left: Pocket Planes, Right: Tiny Tower

Pocket Planes 
What else can this game be about besides buying planes, acquiring parts and airports, and flying them on routes? You will start off with a screen indicating the continent where you want to start the game. For example, I chose Europe to help me to remember where its major cities are, whereas the example below (taken from Google Play) shows America.

The screen below shows a plan enroute to New York. The plan carries both cargo and passengers. You can customise the pilot's clothes and the colour of the plane. Use the arrows to toggle between your different aircrafts.

And you will never experience birds or turbulence... or crying babies.

I'm pretty sure New York doesn't look like this, though. 

At the airport, you can choose what to load on your plane. Certain planes can only load cargo, other planes for passengers and some can handle both jobs. Sometimes it is more profitable to select jobs that pay less, especially if they are heading in the same direction- you get a percentage bonus.

Anne Price is not cargo and is also not on sale, unlike what her name suggests.

You will not need to deal with weather conditions, unless the airport is inaccessible- in which case, you simply select a different route to take. Map your routes by tapping on the airports, but note the amount of profit you will make. Sometimes selecting a different route earns you more money.

Note that the population size is listed below- the bigger the crowd the more expensive buying the airport will be.

No airline is complete without the ability to make or customise your own planes. Mobage uses 'bucks' to achieve this. Bucks are harder to get compared to the golden coins which you earn from flying your planes... You can think of it this way: bucks are generally used to cover your overheads (fixed costs, such as buying the plane) as well as make desirable upgrades to the plane (e.g. reducing weight or increasing fuel capacity to increase profitability), and coins are used for variable costs like expanding the business.

In real life, the prices come with a few zeroes behind.

That's all for the game play, and I'll leave you to discover the rest of the gems. Hint: Check the 'BitBook' for amusing posts by the pixel characters.

Play this game if 

• You enjoy playing games related to running a business. 
• You like cute graphics when playing games. 
• You have always dreamt of owning your own airline. 
• You love to travel and you are delighted to fly virtual planes to various cities.
• You do not mind getting consistent notifications on your phone telling you that your planes have landed every 10 minutes.

Do not play it if 

• You hate games that take up too much of your time. 

Check out my review of Tiny Tower here.

Caro Emerald: Back It Up

“Most people just didn’t see it at all. Some labels told us Caro wasn’t suitable as an artist. We realised they didn’t know what the hell they were talking about.” 

         - Songwriter/producer, David Schreurs (read more)

Caro Emerald - Back It Up (Official Video)
from the album: Deleted Scenes From The Cutting Room Floor

"New Orleans...1951...a bar full of genius players, double dealing, sweet talking players with more on their mind than numbers, converge where the hustlers lay on the sugar thicker than the cheap wine that flows in the back rooms of the gambling halls. Eyes shift to the white girl who is obviously lost, or from out of town. And as soon as the timpani plays and she grabs the microphone, her voice moves her from pariah to princess of the pleasure dome. A coincidence ? No, not really..."

Emerald's voice is divine- rich, natural jazz layered over easy listening beats infused with trombones and contrabass. Play this song with a cup of sweet sherry, on a sultry night you feel like dancing in swinging drunkenness.

A Raisin In The Sun by Lorraine Hansberry: What does being a man mean? [Book review]

I'll be reviewing a play/book I immensely enjoy today, A Raisin In The Sun. Check out the film for sublime acting and fidelity to the play's original dialogue and stage directions.

 

The best film version of the play in my opinion.

Back to the play- what does being a man mean? What does being 'a man' mean to women? What does being a man mean to the man himself?

A Raisin in the Sun

The definition of being a man, espoused by the women in A Raisin in the Sun, is someone who takes care of the family by providing for them, and defends them against threats to their lives and their dignity.

As dignity can be such a nebulous concept, I will follow the meaning of dignity in the book rather than one I've made up in my mind. To have dignity simply means to have a right to live as equals with the rest of the world. For example, no one has the right to tell you to live somewhere purely due to your skin colour. Today, it is just known as racial prejudice.

While there are many multi-dimensional characters worth our time in the book, such as Mama, Beneatha and even Ruth, I am most interested in Walter Younger as he is the character who changes the most by the end.

Walter is an ambitious young father who desires money and class. He complains about his life and his social standing, and is essentially unhappy with who he is. He is displeased with his job. He has no self-dignity and frequently engages in self-depreciation, which comes across as rather pathetic at times. This is probably because he holds the simplistic belief that having a higher social status can make him a more dignified and important person.

Walter is also unable to provide for his family and sees himself as the child in the family who has yet to fulfil his dreams. Moreover he blames “coloured women” for not making their husbands “feel like they somebody” although it is clear that they are in hardly any position to do anything about it.

Walter thus desperately wants to invest in a business. He looks up to Charlie Atkin because he earns a lot of money. That is someone who Ruth clearly dislikes and describes as someone who talks a lot but contributes little to others. He also worries Mama by investing in a liquor business with Willy Harris, and in the play, it is implied that as a religious conservative Mama disapproves of it.

As he is so fixated on his 'dreams', Walter appears to be selfish and insensitive in the process of demanding support from the women without respecting himself or others. By the end of the play though, Walter overturns all of these initial impressions and becomes a rather likable character. I'll leave you to discover if you really agree with me, but I genuinely believe, that the ending is an optimistic one.

Why read this book? 

• Enjoy 2 hours and more of dramatic tension in the household
• Learn what a great play should feel like (intense, gripping and tight yet having a neat conclusion) 
• Engage in the various themes like race, marriage, gender and family that the play presents.