4 prominent trends were spotted on the runway from top designers and trust M.A.C to come up with collections that will help you achieve these hot looks.

I got a sneak peek of the collections that will be launching in Sept/Oct and I WANT EM ALL! Gregory Arlt, Director of Makeup Artistry from M.A.C, was down in Singapore a couple of weeks back to show us how to achieve these runway inspired looks.

The first of 4 prominent trends where strong eyes were the main focus was aptly titled LID VICIOUS.

Think smudged, greasy, morning-after eyes and you have this season’s attitude driven and deliberate darkness. This is definitely my favourite style because I’m such a sucker for dark, smoky eyes.

With their launch of Style Black come October, I am going to dance in darkness with their Mineralise Eyeshadow in Blue Flame and Cinderella and Greasepaint Stick. The latter promises to spin you right to the depths of smoky, punky glamour. Just look at how he demonstrated the use of the eyeshadow on the model. So punk rock-chick. I’m loving it!

Who’s That Girl? with the red, hot lips?

The next trend Greg spotted on the runway this season was a flamboyant, neon lip contrasted against satiny skin. When it comes to pulling out that individual element, the rule this seasons appears to be: if in doubt, do a lip. And a perfectly lined, exorbitantly coloured one at that.
I’ve always wanted to do a traffic red stopping lip, but never had to guts to.

Greg shows how to transform your matt red lipstick from flat to fab. Instead of your usual matt red lipstick, you can make yourself runway ready, with a hint of Dazzleglass Creme. It makes the models lips super shiny and look like it’s bee-stung! I totally want that! I can’t resist super shiny gloss. It’s hard to say no to lips looking like they’ve been injected with too much silicone.

I’m happy thanks to Whisper.

Check out what they included in their goodie bags for the recent Blogger Dialogue I attended.

MACAROONS by Canele!

THESE THINGS ARE THE BEST THINGS EVER! Especially the chocolate one at the top right corner. The shells were crisp on the outside which contrasted very nicely with the creamy, chocolatey and very gooey inside. Oooo… Thinking about it makes me salivate again. It was absolute bliss and orgasmic. There were other delish flavours like lychee strawberry, coffee and hazelnut, but the chocolate one was a clear winner in my books.

I’ve had other macaroons from different places before, but this wins hands down and is by far the yummiest I’ve tasted to date. I’m sure the other girls were equally thrilled by the awesome find in their goodie bags too.

Ransacking our goodie bags as we get a neck and shoulder massage to relive tension.

But we were there for more than just massages and goodie bags. These, nonetheless, are always a perk to attending events because the element of surprise in finding out what they put inside is sooo thrilling. Haha.

Anyway, back to my point. The cozy discussion at House was facilitated by both Whisper’s Brand Manager and Assistant Brand Manager, Cynthia and Cherisse respectively.

No we were not there to discuss the latest technology on absorption but instead, were there to find out and discuss women’s attitudes and mindsets towards “that time of the month”. Unfortunately, majority of girls aged 18-24 polled have negative attitudes towards their periods, but did you know there’s more to your period than just those few days? Cherisse and Cynthia thus proceeded to share some seekrits with us about the cycle.

Also as part of learning to cope with our periods, we were taught some simple massage techniques that can help alleviate pain.

Eileen and Jan practising hugging themselves while Nadia meditates
“Ommmmmm……”

I, on the other hand, try my hand at weaning my head off from my shoulders.

Jan gets some help from the professionals with the same task.

At the same time Esther and I quality control previous camwhore moments.

Esther: “Ehh! I see PIMPLE! *scrutinizes*
Val: Where? *kaypoh*

I look chio here!

Beautiful Cherisse telling us about the microsite and Facebook page that will launch in conjunction with their campaign on August 19th. You too can learn the seeekrits of the cycle then. So make sure you stay tuned cause I’ll also be bringing you updates!

Final pictures before we leave.

With all the bloggers present that day – Belle, Jan, Nadia, Diana, Eileen, Esther, Kaihui and me. Inside joke: Can you guess who’s dressed as the pad, the blood and the packaging? Lol.

And finally, with the crew.

Your two roving reports for the night.

Miao Mi and Miao Mu with our Hello Kitty lipglass moustaches.

There was quite a lot of buzz around this collection and we were super psyched to see what they had in store for us. Although we had some sneak peaks in the form of press releases, it was different when you literally got your paws (pun fully intended!) on it.

It all happened at Vivo City, and it was slated to be an event for media and friends. It was pretty interesting to see the who’s who present for the awesome unveiling of the collection.

A peep into the booth and, wait a minute! Is that a familiar face I see? Yes, some local celebs we scouted included Channel 8 artistes including Quan Yi Feng and Mark Lee. Celebrity stylist Addy Lee was there too.

Of course in the interest of being cool and “important”, you must always remember never to act fangirly in front of celebrities.

Anyway, interesting sights inside included, a Hello Kitty with a MAN’S BODY.

And Hello Kitty balloons! Haha.

Then, the models from the editorials magically walked out of their portraits and appeared on two separate stages. Presenting Kitty Mild and Kitty Wild!

So purty! Beauty that makes all of us feel inferior. The girls were swamped with requests from everyone for a photo opportunity which they willingly obliged.

As Belle and I mingled, we were served hors d’oeuvres and adorable pink drinks that surprised us. They were mixed with alcohol! Haha. There was a make up booth right smack in the centre with the two different collections on display. And we zoomed in on them like hunting hawks testing out the colours on our skin. Hello swatches!

The Too Dolly palette tested on my skin and Belle’s skin. I particularly like how the green and fuchsia turn out. Meowr! The Milk pigment was sooooo beautiful too! It felt like fairy dust and I wanted to sprinkle it all round and dance in the middle of it. Haha.

I then, decided to give the Mild Lucky Tom palette a shot, testing out the purple and black.

Looks like a pretty good combination to me! And they might just be more suited for daily use.

Other than the make up range that is making a splash, there were cute little accessories like the 14″ plush doll, compact mirrors, bracelets, soft vanity cases and limited edition brushes available too.

Although the event was a private one, and we lucky invited guests got to see the items up close firsthand, there were others who wanted in on the action. Check out the crowd in the background in a failed attempt to camwhore with the Hello Kitty ribbon shaped cookies.

And what’s a beauty event without a goody bag?!

The bag was a specially printed one created just for the event. Fantastic! Inside, there was a Tangs voucher for you to get some of the lovely stuff after the event, brochures, an adorable Kitty tattoo and samples! We each got one eyeshadow and a Hello Kitty Lipglass Lip Gloss each! My Lipglass was called Nice Kitty – a wonderful bright pink that gives your lips a healthy flush of colour.

Eyeshadow in Concrete and Nanogold.

I tried the Lip Glass and really liked it because when the lipgloss “dries” your lips look like they’re glassed over, making them shiny and pouty.

My M.A.C face:
Eyes – Royal Assets palette in Smoky Eye,
Cheeks – Pinch ‘o’ Peach
Lips – Lipglass Lip gloss in Nice Kitty

Because we hadnt had our dinner prior to the event, we adjourned for dinner afterward and attempted to eat the yummy-licious lip gloss. Haha!

You can tell the extent of its yummy-ness by how hungry Belle looks. She looks like she’s about to swallow it. Haha!

Twas so much fun. And I have to say a big thank you to Joey from M.A.C for the invite. Thanks babe! A lovely polaroid at the cute M.A.C Hello Kitty wall to end the night off.

I cannot and will not be friends, with people who refuse to let us me be friends with them.

For the ceremony, they printed this Commencement Gazette, the book I call “THE BOOK THAT KNOWS IT ALL” and Bel calls “Kaypoh Book” because you can basically find out who’s graduating with what Degree and which Honours. Everyone who’s graduating this semester has their name printed in there! It’s like an oracle! So you cant hide or lie about WHAT you are graduating with! Bwahahaha.

The ceremony for our class began at 8pm and it was a good thing too because a lot of us had already started work! Which, however, also meant that we couldnt take half day off.

Mum and Dad attended the ceremony in the Hall because each graduate only had 2 tickets. Unless your Valedictorian that is. Then you get 4 more tickets on top of the stipulated 2.

With proud Mummy and Daddy! They bought a bouquet of sunflowers for me! SO SWEEEEETTT! My favourite flower!

And the customary photo-taking after receiving our scrolls follows suit.

With classmates Xiang Long, Gabriel, Raymond, Estee and me!

Leanne and Jeremy.

Pretty Daphne.

Super smart Alethia and me with a balloon. We love NUS. MUUUUAAAHHHH! HAHA!

With pretty Estee! YAY! We did it babe!

Boss Ming was there too!

With the two famous ETs. Estee Teo and Eddie Tong – our favourite lecturer!
We’re trying to read his mind!

And here are the goofy shots!

Doing the Sister Act.

Hollaring!

Goofing around with my baby brother! Haha! He wants to eat my scroll.

Finally, a family portrait!

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2008!

What goes around comes around.

And so it goes, the very place we had our matriculation fair should be the very same place that you venture to, in the last few days of your life as an undergraduate, to collect your commencement gown.

Multi-Purpose Sports Hall 1. Or Multi-purpose Hall as they call it.

The irony was not lost on me.

As I walked into the sparingly populated hall in the early hours of the Wednesday afternoon, I noticed the layout had roughly a similar feel to that of the matriculation fair. I hurried to fill in the hardcopy order form for black sheep who hadnt kept to deadlines and ordered their gowns online. I was bent over the first few tables lined near the entrance providing details about the circumference of my head and whether or not I was going to buy or rent the gown before proceeding to the cashier area cordoned off in another part of the hall to make payment. Even there, they had to segregate and distinctly differentiate between those who were supposed to be there and others who were “scheduled for another day.” I felt like an alien. The exact same feeling I most likely experienced when I stepped into MPSH 1 the very first day I was to be called an undergraduate. All eyes were locked on you when you collected your matriculation card. They were all making sure you were keeping in line and part of a bigger grand plan. You couldn’t be different, and if you were, you had to be filed into a different category.

The first section after payment was filled with racks neatly hung with crisp pressed blue gown sans their various coloured collars. As is expected, they were all labeled according to their sizes for ease of distribution. I veered past them and made it to Section 4 (or was it 5?) unscathed. This was the section for those who had opted to purchase their gowns. After a momentary wait, the guy at the counter who had picked my slip up and disappeared behind a make-shift panel that doubled as the entrance to a storage area, called me by name and handed me 3 separate plastic bags with the dark navy blue gown, collar/sash in GOLD no less (wo0o0ot!) and a very flattened mortar board.

If you thought that was the end of it, think again. I was to proceed to the following section to collect my gown bag, but not before I was ambushed by someone from NUSS (I think) to update my particulars on the computer for the alumni database. Arms full with a semi-dripping umbrella, 3 slippery plastic bags and a camera bag in tow, I felt like them klutzy ge3ks in those American high school movies who fumble even with the simplest of actions, ie, sitting down.

But that was swift and painless, and I moved on to collect a yellow environmentally friendly bag to lug the gown and other random nonsense that they started to thrust in my direction. RSVP form for some dinner, pamphlets advertising graduation family portraits, magazines of all sorts and even an NUS Alumni card which I have yet to research its perks.

It was matriculation all over again. Where they all wanted a piece of you. Back then, you were new; you were FRESH MEAT, and they were all waiting to pounce on you. Come join US they’ll say. Take a flyer here, take one pamphlet there, take another brochure there and by the time you reached the end of the maze, your bag was chock full of randomities more than half of which were forced onto you. This time, there wasnt anything different about the way the external companies marketed their services, the only thing unlike the scenario described above was the sheer number of stalls and knick-knacks distributed.

Still, at the end of the day, I landed myself with a huge package between my legs.

No no, Im no guy. But the yellow bag consisted of goodness-knows-what amidst 3 very important articles of clothing that marks the end of a journey much anticipated.

Tomorrow I join the ranks of working adults. NO MORE CONCESSIONS! Wo0oo0o0ot!

Goodbye undergraduate days.

Arts camp seemed like yesterday.

Commencement for one.

Smart ol’ me missed the deadline of having to register for the all important ceremony by a mere 3 days. When I looked at the email again, I went OMG OMG WTF WTF!

[insert headdesk]

[/headdesk]

I panicked. Like anyone would. And continued going OMG OMG! HOW HOW! Should I risk not going for the ceremony and disappoint my parents AND grandparents whom already asked when my graduation ceremony was? They wouldnt be able to see me on stage (yet again), this time however in the all important blue gown and mortar board whose material origins I always suspect. A marked difference from the usual getup I’m usually in when on stage – heavy makeup, thick eyelashes, wild hair and various costumes ranging from the skimpy and trashy to the glamourous and sometimes ghetto.

I was stoked when I got my final semester’s results. HOORAY! I MADE IT! No bad grades! I didnt have to worry about staying another semester or registering for special semester. But forget to register I did. Forget to register for Commencement that is. Pffffft. I guess, to me, at the point in time, it was just a tangible ceremony to mark whatever milestone I had passed. In my mind, I had already started my job search and gotten back the results I wanted, thereby marking my own passing into the working world.

However, after some gentle persuasion on my friend’s part, I emailed the Registrar and thankfully got an email reply saying that she would manually register on my behalf. Though I might NOT be able to sit with my batch mates, it was still definitely better than not being able to attend at all. We’d still be able to take a group photo after the traditional ceremony. I would thus be able to share the last few moments of my undergraduate life with new found friends who made the entire Honours year memorable.

Tomorrow I venture into campus grounds once more to order the familiar blue gown donned by several select thousand. Again missing the deadline for online ordering of the gown I have to go down personally and do a first come first serve selection of the sizes. I think the problem will be more of WHETHER THEY HAVE A GOWN LONG ENOUGH FOR ME, rather than having to make sure that everyone else doesnt get their stinking hands on that ONE LAST gown. Great Student Sale in the Multi Purpose Hall.

Even now thinking about it, THIS WILL REALLY BE THE LAST TIME, I CAN CALL MYSELF A STUDENT. And Im somewhat getting emotional about it. After putting on the commencement gown and receiving my scroll, no more, slacking off till the last minute. No more saying, “I dont feel like going to school today” or deciding to cut class halfway because you thought the lecturer was talking crap. After which you venture to town just to blow the rest of the afternoon away and go home and spend the rest of the night online talking to your friends over MSN. Campus days were filled with lotsa freedom and you didnt really have anyone to answer to except yourself. YOU decided how good a grade you wanted to get, YOU decided whether you wanted to go to class. Sure there were expectations but you couldnt care less. And it really didnt matter whether or not you were actually talking as much in the lectures as you should be in the tutorial sessions.

But now, things are different.

However, I wont be joining the ranks of office bound people everyday for the rest of my working career. I wont be getting off the train for the next one month at Tanjong Pagar, nor Raffles Place nor City Hall. Though standard office wear will be the same, I will have more leeway in what I wear. The key thing is that it has to facilitate movement. The environment is great and they are focused on open, honest communication. No hush-hush red-taped types. No having to wait for 3 months or longer before something gets approved. No being stuck in a position you hate because you dont have the proper qualifications. In the first place, if you didnt have the right attitude nor the right skills for the job, you wouldnt have gotten a call-back.

We had 2 days of interview. The first day was a one-on-one, the second day however, was a 4 hour long, 3 round practical interview or rather, behavioural observation where YOU were the subject. We had to demonstrate our creative skills, play skill and even physical strength in front of the other candidates and two supervisors. You had to have thick-skin and not be afraid of making a fool of yourself. For that few hours anyway. By the end of the day, the bunch of us were fatigued, hungry and pretty much well-worn out. And we still had to wait till the following Monday for the results. THAT was excruciating especially since I thought I did okay.

It’s not a job for everyone. And it’s a position that will take great patience. Everyone tells me that it’s a noble job and that I must have a big heart for wanting to undertake such a challenge. But I guess it’s just something that I really want to do. For the 2 rejections that I got, one for a position that was roughly similar to this, ie. Special Needs Officer, THIS one job is the one I REALLY want. Honestly, who can have the title Behaviour Therapist to their name? PLUS, the pay packet is really not that bad comparatively.

But I’ve deviated too much from the main point. And Im horribly late.

Hello Commencement. Goodbye NUS. I will miss you.

And for those who scorn 4th year, you’re totally missing out.

WARNING: Image Heavy!

My first class on Tuesdays begin at 9am. For that, I have to drag myself out of bed at 7am. What an ungodly hour. Im rather impressed I managed to snap this picture before my brain has actually woken up.

I decide to wear my funky black and white high socks that very day. After promptly dressing, it’s time to trudge to the station and jostle with the morning crowd.

The people at my station are obedient. Keep LEFT please.

There is a swelling crowd for the train.

The worst part about having class so early in the morning is having to jam-pack yourself into the trains with the rest of the office-going world. Sometimes you run the risk of having a nose job done without your consent; the train doors close just inches from your nose. But since most of them get off at either City Hall, Raffles Place or Tanjong Pagar, I manage to plonk myself down into a much coveted seat for the rest of my 30 minute journey. It the side seats by the glass! Hahaha! My favourite kind.

Look how empty the train is already.

I make good time for class. I am early for once! Wahaha.

Once at Clementi, we’re only halfway to class.

Waiting to cross to the temporary interchange.

I meet a friend on the way. The day’s looking good so far. Tis a good day!

Mmmm… The 96 queue is empty. That’s a first. They set up those extra barricades for us commuters of 96 because the queue snakes like no body’s business during peak periods. Lol.

The favourite number of every NUS student. They even have free Wi-Fi on it! But who has time to log on when the journey’s so short.

Here comes the bus!

96A. Special bus not because it’s free. But because got “A” grade. Haha.

Going to class.

AS7. We have class in the Dean’s office!
NOT.

A big warning greets us before we enter the class seminar room. At the Honours level, it is no longer called a classroom. Too low CLASS already. Haha!

I print my notes in school because my printer refuses to obey me. Sometimes, I photocopy the notes from classmates, before rushing to the canteen to buy my poison.

Fill ‘er up!

When all that’s done, I head back to class.

Today we’ll have a class in Methods in Social Psychology.

Walking along the not-so-unbeaten track.

And class begins with Sage Tong looking cool next to his “podium”.
Note: We dont all call our professors Sage. Tis just a nickname.

We have group discussions in class. Everyone looking serious and thinking hard about the thought-provoking questions.

While other people catch some shut eye.

After 3 hours of Social Psychology (which I scored a sweeeeeeet A- for), it is time for our second class of the day, Human Psychophysiology.

It’s 12 NOON la.

Hardworking students consult our lecturer before the class starts.

While I run to the canteen a second time that day to grab my life-saver.

I munch on some bread to keep myself awake.

Another 3 hours fly by, and we’re finally done for the day! YAYYYY.

It is lunch time!

Adjourning to the canteen!

Having lunch at 3 means not having to deal with an overcrowded canteen. Seats are a-plenty.
See the pretty stars on the ceiling of our newly renovated canteen? Apparently they light up during the night.

This is lunch for some…..

while others prefer to tuck into a decent meal.

The day though done, does not end there for me. I had to go to the studio for rehearsal before my phone died. But not before snapping this picture.

HOORAY FOR FREEDOM!
GRADUATE LOHHHHH!

That’s it. Finito. Goodbye.

First it was trepidation and a tight knot in my heart as I trudged down the stairs.

Then it was excitement as the paper commenced.

Soon, I got fidgety and couldnt wait for the 2 hours to be up.

When time slipped through my fingers, and it was nearing the end, I was plagued with a mixture of excitement and uneasiness. I needed to finish writing my essay!

And then. It was over.

“Please stop writing. You are not allowed to continue writing. Any student found writing will be deemed to have cheated and your identity will be taken note of. Disciplinary actions will be taken against you. You are reminded that you are responsible for submitting the correct answer booklet. If you fail to submit the correct answer booklet, you will be deemed to have sat for and failed the examination. Please sit quietly as your exam scripts are being collected. You are not allowed to leave the examination hall until you are to do so.”

There was no excitement at first. It was over. And there was no fanfare.

Until we stepped outside the MPSH.

“Eh take picture! Take picture!”

So we took pictures. With our lecturer. Who is also on Facebook. Haha!

And until I saw familiar faces from Cognition the excitement didnt overwhelm me.

Students streaming out. WE’RE DONE!

Twinnie who was also in the same exam hall.

Where it all ends.

With the source of our torture. Haha. But honestly, it wasnt THAT bad I guess. Though the questions were a little vague.

Cam whoring friends.

Raymond goofing off with everyone’s glasses.

Pretty Fangling. Check out my sleep-deprived face. That’s the face of an Honours student yo. Haha!

NO MORE EXAMINATION IN PROGRESS. HAHA! WE WILL MAKE AS MUCH NOISE AS WE WANT!

Past the swimming pool.

Onto the stairs to freedom. National University of STAIRS. There are STAIRS everywhere in NUS.

More shots to commemorate new found friends. And our new found freedom.
With counseling peeps after Counseling paper. The presentation we had so much fun preparing for. We worked hard and played hard, eventually bagging ourselves a schweeeet A.

We re-enacted a murder for our presentation and it seems like Melvin cant get enough of being EVIL. Haha!

We love being QUIET.

The criminal and his PINK gun. Courtesy of the 9eek9oddess in the PINK. Haha.

This is really it. After 6+ 4 + 2 + 4 (does 2 years of Kindergarten count?) years of formal education, we have GRADUATED! And I can safely call myself a University GRADUATE or a Psychology student. I’ve sat for countless exams testing me on my half-baked knowledge on the empirical science of human behaviour. I have been trained and grilled in the art of reading journal articles after journal articles. I’ve skillfully mastered the art of skipping lessons yet managing to catch up eventually. Doctrine upon doctrines of theories including Biological Psych, Abnormal Psych, Developmental Psych and what not have been ingrained in my system. And above all, I’ve managed to endure 4 years of bi-annual exams! Wahahaha!

I AM NOW A PSYCHOLOGY STUDENT WITH HONOURS! HAHAHAHAHAHA!

WTF. Hao lian la. HAHAHA.

Eh. People just ORD GRADUATE can, let them hao lian a bit or not. Haha.

Since Im on that note, people like ME have the honour of using the term, PSYCHOLOGY STUDENT because I’ve endured 4 years of training and grinding in the scientific art of conducting experiments on human subjects. Hee. People who are undergraduates and are still doing their course, should just say that they are UNDERGRADUATES because you never know if you might decide to change your major halfway. Plus you dont have as much knowledge as we 4th years do. HAHAHA! You have to be humble yknow. It sounds really prestigious to tag yourself a PSYCHOLOGY STUDENT, WAH SO BIG LIDAT. But dont do it for the sake of being GLAMOUROUS. Because it is an INSULT to Psychology, for it is a SCIENCE.

And it also really irritates the hell out of me when people say, “OH YOU DO PSYCHOLOGY. WAH I DONT WANT TALK TO YOU. WAIT YOU READ MY MIND.”

Eh. I dont have extra sensory perception. Only PSYCHICS do that. Not psychologists. We’re the people you come to see if you are a bit gila.

But seriously, Psychology isnt about the reading OF ONE’S MINDS. We read BEHAVIOUR. And the reasons that instigate said behaviour. We’re like detectives. But we look into processes such as the brain, group processes or early childhood development problems that may have casual influences on a person’s behaviour.

Still dont get it?

I READ YOUR MIND THEN YOU KNOW.

HAHAHAHAHA!

But enough about school, though I know I will really miss reading my textbooks cause Im a geek that way, though commencement isnt till July, excitement buzzed through me as I made my way home. I wanted to scream and shout and rejoice. Because now the rest of my life looms ahead of me. And I dont know what exciting things lie ahead. Though the job search may be tedious and rejections aplenty, it’ll only mean landing myself the right job.

As we bid one institution goodbye, we say HELLO to the rest of our lives.

HELLO WORLD.

The paper was astonishingly comprehensible. And we were all pretty surprised that we UNDERSTOOD THE QUESTION. HAHAHA. I was amazed I had answers to it in fact.

As a treat to myself for making it through 2 hours of torture, I did my nails when I got home. And here’s the result. With a couple of artistic shots to show for it. Bling it on baby! I LOVE PRETTY NAILS!

I call them red tipped superstardom. Hahaha!