VanityTrove -Beauty right at your doorstep!

Isn’t it every girl’s dream to receive beautifully wrapped parcels filled with a range of beauty products right at your doorstep?

Inspired by the concept of fukuburuko, the mystery grabbag style of presenting products from the fashion hub of Japan, VanityTrove bring this concept to Singapore –this new trend is set to grab the hearts of ladies who deserve some pampering.

How VanityTrove works:
1) Sign up for an account and subscribe to the service on www.VanityTrove.com for the monthly subscription fee of only S$25/- (inclusive of packing, shipping and handling fees) or S$300/- for 13 months (1 month free!)
2) On the 15th of every month, VanityTrove sends out specially curated sets of beautiful surprises to paid subscribers
3) Receive the troves hand-delivered to you and enjoy the beautiful surprises within it!

For S$25/-, you get to receive the top products in the beauty industry. Beauty experts behind the scene identify and pick the newest beauty trends for you to test; beauty sampling and pampering has never been made so accessible and affordable!

This January, here’s what VanityTrove has packed in:

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Movie Review: The Descendants

Directed by award-winning Alexander Payne, The Descendants conveys the love and anger of a lawyer, Matt King (George Clooney), who makes gruelling efforts to connect with his two daughters – the mischievious10-year-old Scottie (Amara Miller) and the rebellious 17-year-old Alexandra (Shailene Woodley) – while battling to cope with his wife’s unconsciousness from a boating accident. His poor relationship with his wife and daughters were resulted from his engrossed commitment to his job, and he later found out about his wife’s extramarital affair, which led to an intense zeal to hunting down her fling.

As the descendants of a plot of land, handed down from Hawaiian royalty and missionaries, the livelihoods of his cousins lie in the hands of Matt, who holds the stringent decision of churning an empty plot of land into a massive income, with a mere signature on the deed.

Along with tear inducing scenes and heart-wrenching moments, together with a fair share of giggle triggering humour, a medley of emotions is experienced within a touching story.

Watch how he gets back on his feet from the devastating crisis, facing the responsibilities of a father and importance of his role in his children’s upbringing and mending his relationship with his daughters.
George Clooney’s performance in this film is outstanding, with emotions that one can relate to, and tears that are hard to fake.

Apart from a touching storyline one can empathise with, a stunning panoramic view of the Hawaiian tropical beach will take your breath away. You get to travel virtually around Hawaii, gaining a deeper hindsight on how the islands are developed into villas and houses, bearing minimal resemblance to a typically stereotyped laidback vibe with islanders sipping cocktails and Hula-dancing all day long. The reality is that Hawaii isn’t immune to stress; and issues encountered in bustling cities are no less evident in a retreating island as such.

Watch the trailer here:
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Hua Kee Hougang Famous Wan Ton Mee


Wan Ton Noodles (Dry) $3

I have never been a fan of these thin, tough (or so they call springy) noodles – it is just a personal preference – so I can’t comment on the noodles to be fair. As for the accompanying dumplings, I adored the soft and tender, well-marinated meat encased in a smooth wanton skin. I enjoyed it so much that I exchanged all my char siew for more wantons, with my mum, thus I didn’t get to taste it.

I would order an entire bowl of dumplings the next time I visit, dunked in their specially concocted chilli sauce.


Here’s an idea of how long you have to queue for the FAMOUS wan ton mee!

Hua Kee Hougang Famous Wan Ton Mee

Singapore
Closed on Monday

Chong Chong Pork Porridge

Nothing beats a piping hot bowl of congee, of a thick and smooth consistency, topped with cut-up chunks of dough sticks, drizzled with fragrant sesame oil, and finished off with a crack of an egg, for the ultimate comfort food.


Pork and liver porridge with egg, $3.50

I love my congee with a high level of brokenness. Chomp Chomp’s isn’t the best, but ample to satisfy my fastidious taste buds.

How do you like your congee?

Chomp Chomp Food Centre


Crust Gourmet Pizza

Breaking into our pizza scene is Crust, an Australian company that prides in quality gourmet pizza – they believe that real gourmet pizza is all about fresh quality ingredients, coupled with proper preparation technique – offering healthier pizza options that will cater to the growing health conscious diners.

The Upper Thomson outlet that I went to is an expansion from Crust Gourmet’s first Singapore store at ; its vibrant interior is brightly illuminated, simple, uncluttered, functional and not peculiarly ornate. With the emphasis on the quality and freshness of ingredients, they are on display at the pizza counter where you can watch as your pizza is being prepared.

At the recent Meet, Greet and Eat session, a bunch of food writers, including CY from hungryepicurean and Nathanael from rubbisheatrubbishgrow, witnessed how pizza is made from scratch, demonstrated by the creative Chef Peter Augoustic all the way from down under.

Chef’s secret (or not so secret now) of priming the pizza dough is by poking it with a fork –this will improve the texture of the dough during the baking process for a result of a lighter crust.

All pizzas come in a 13-inch x 8-inch rectangle size, except Kids Pizzas and Gluten Free Pizzas that come in a 9-inch round size.
Pizzas are priced according to 4 different categories: Vegetarian ($21), Poultry ($22), Meat ($23) and Seafood ($25).


Kungpow Chicken ($22)

The Singapore menu is tailored for the local palate with Asian inspired flavours such as Roast Duck, Five Spice Pork Belly, Thai Chicken and Szechuan Chilli Prawn, alongside popular Crust classics.


Wild Mushroom ($21, wild marinated mushroom mix, asparagus, pine nuts, topped with parmesan & a drizzle of truffle oil on a Bechamel cream sauce base)

I like how their pizzas are fragrant and not at all burnt –their crusts are baked to a light crisp on the outside, and they are neither tough nor overly chewy on the inside. Although the crusts aren’t extremely crispy and paper-thin, they’re sufficiently thin and crunchy without being heavy on the stomach, delivering an adequate ratio of ingredients to carbohydrate.


Moroccan Lamb ($23, Moroccan lamb, Spanish onions & baby spinach, topped with mint yoghurt & a squeeze of lemon)

Chef Peter Augoustis’ all-round approach to quality gourmet pizza has earned him numerous awards, both at home in Australia and on the international stage. This Moroccan Lamb pizza scored top marks against competitors from around the world in the International Pizza Event in Las Vegas in 2007.

For those who tend to avoid lamb for its gamey odour, the Moroccan Lamb will bring you glad tidings. The lamb is rubbed with spice, masking any possible stench without being overpowering. Mint leaves are added for a refreshing lift and mint yoghurt adds moisture to its teaming counterparts.


Peri-Peri Chicken ($22, Marinated chicken breast fillets, spring onions, roasted red peppers, caramelised onions & bocconcini, topped with Peri-peri sauce)

Peri Peri chicken is one of the best sellers in Australia and is now a popular favourite in Singapore, with its strong, fresh flavours and fantastic presentation.


Spicy Pesto Scallops ($25, spicy sundried tomato pesto, scallops, spring onions, roasted red peppers & goat cheese topped with toasted pine nuts)
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