Guide to WKWSCI Admission Interview

Hello everyone!

PLEASE READ: Please direct all questions to the comments section below so that they will also be visible for other prospective students. Do note that I will not be entertaining any NTU-related enquiries through e-mail from now on. Thank you for your understanding!

The time of the year is here again, when prospective students frantically scour through the internet for tips to ace their college/university admission interviews. I hope what I documented prior to my acceptance to NTU help shed some light on how the interview works. I have also received numerous e-mails pertaining to this so I thought I should share some frequently asked questions here for the benefit of those who’re too shy to approach me.

Please bear in mind that I’m merely a student of the school and not some ambassador who is authorised to speak on behalf of WKWSCI, so everything that is written here are merely my thoughts. It’s always advisable to seek second opinion before forming your own judgement 🙂

You can still e-mail me at askme@fionaseah.com should you have queries not answered here. I’m always very happy to help prospective students!

I also appreciate feedback about the accuracy and helpfulness of this entry! Do share your joy with me if you succeed at your interview as well! 🙂

Before I begin the FAQs, there is ONE thing you’d need to know about WKWSCI before you go for the interview because it’s one achievement that we’re so damn proud of and it’d be a shame if you don’t already know it:

According to the 2014 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings by Subject, NTU’s Communication & Media Studies is ranked 6th in the world…. NTU said the subject Communication & Media Studies jumped an impressive 17 positions within two years since QS started ranking this subject, to become No 1 in Singapore and in the Asia-Pacific.

Source: TODAYonline

Interview FAQs

1. I do not come from a Communication Studies (CS)-related diploma programme. Is my chance of getting accepted into WKWSCI slimmer?

I had received tons of emails about this which makes this the most frequently asked question. This is very subjective so my opinion on this is: yes and no. ‘Yes’ because you may not have relevant portfolio to show that you’re suitable for the course and ‘No’ because you MAY not need to even produce any portfolio (with exception of NAA), thus categorising you with the JC applicants who also have no experience in this field.

In fact, I think that people with CS background stand a slightly lower chance of getting in because they’d expect higher standards from us. When I went for my interview, I had to make a short impromptu speech on top of producing my portfolio which showed my designing AND writing capabilities even though I already expressed my interest in the advertising field clearly from the start. Some of my friends who graduated with Business diplomas on the other hand got it way easier – they didn’t have to produce any portfolio because the interviewers refused to see them so all they did was talk. Of course, a handful of my DBA (a Business course offered by Singapore Poly) friends briefly showed what they did to a different interviewer so it all really boils down to the one(s) interviewing you!

But if you want a definite answer, I think it’d be a ‘No’. I always have the impression that WKWSCI assesses every applicant fairly. They don’t shun people with no CS background nor do they only favour those who have. However, you definitely need to possess 2 sets of IMPORTANT skills in order to be considered, regardless of the specialisation you intend to pursue. They are writing AND public speaking. If you don’t have these skills, CS is probably not the course for you.

2. What should I do if I do not have any CS-related portfolio to show?

First and foremost, I recommend that you decide what specialisation track to pursue if you were accepted into WKWSCI as doing so makes you seem less indecisive. WKWSCI offers the following tracks to concentrate:

  • Journalism
  • Broadcast & Cinema Studies
  • Advertising
  • Public Relations
  • Communication Policy & Research
  • Inter-Disciplinary

 

For me it was, no doubt, advertising like duh… I spent my entire Poly life trying to perfect my advertising/design portfolio hahaha. I had no problem answering any advertising-related questions. What stumbled me was the interviewer’s request to view my writing because I had just too many design works that didn’t show my writing proficiency at all.

Having a track in mind makes your more focused on improving on your portfolio. You can modify it according to what you want to pursue. For example, if you want to be a journalist/PR, you should have more write-ups than anyone else to show your flair for writing. Or if you want to be in the advertising field, you should have some mockups WITH COPY (learn from my mistake). They DON’T have to be perfect/professional because if you’re so good, then why are you applying to University? You can start working already! FYI that was exactly what my interviewer told me -_- I was repeatedly shot down by him when I answered that my works were amateurish. “No no no! What is there to improve on? These are very good! You shouldn’t waste your time here! Go apply into SUTD or SIT!!!111”

Since having good command of English is what makes the cut, producing anything that shows your proficiency in the language should be sufficient in that aspect. Personally I think you can show reports you had done during your Poly course (or GP/History essays done in JC), or you can do a write-up/essay about anything that interests you. I believe the interviewer (typically a professor) will be interested to read about your thoughts. If you were part of a CCA in Poly that required you to write (a writer for the school magazine or something), you should also include that in your portfolio. Once again, it doesn’t have to be of top-notch standard and LONG but it has to be grammatically correct. I showed my copy for a newsletter (about 5 lines) and the interviewer seem pretty satisfied with it. Haha.

During the application process you would have already indicated your course of study in Poly, hence the interviewers would most probably know that you do not have anything really CS-related to show. Just show what you did during your 3-year course and if possible, select those that are closely related to CS (e.g. event planning, marketing plan etc.).

Always, always bring something to show to your interviewer(s) even though they MAY not look at them (it depends on how lucky you are). Going there empty-handed = bo chup, okay?

3. Since I do not have any background in CS, would it be difficult for me to keep up with the lessons?

NO OF COURSE NOT. You basically start from scratch in Uni and study the fundamentals of everything media before you choose your specialisation. That means you have to, at least once in the course, design a newsletter, write a press release, shoot a short film, study media law, study the history of media and other not-so-fun stuff. The only difference between one with CS background and one without is the ABILITY TO EXEMPT FROM COURSES and end your programme 1 semester earlier. But there are MANY people I know who came from Mass Comm in Poly who chose not to accelerate the programme because the graduation ceremony will be held on the same day anyway.

4. What were some of the questions thrown at you during the interview?

Okay I hope my memory doesn’t fail me. I am not feeding you my responses because if you guys are passionate about the course, you should have your own answers!

“Why did you choose WKWSCI and not elsewhere?” (elsewhere – if you get what I mean)

“What do you like to do?”

“Why do you want to apply into WKWSCI and not enter the working industry since you already have so much experience?”

“Why not SUTD and SIT?” 

“In WKW, we value good writing and public speaking skills. Do you have anything to show your proficiency in writing?”

“Now, give me a 3-minute speech about someone who inspires you or someone whom you look up to.”

And lastly… “If you can’t get in this year, try applying again next year okay?” to which I replied, “This is my second application.” He was a little dumbfounded. “Oh..”

5. What should I wear for the interview?

Anything not too formal, casual, fanciful and revealing. For girls, just be donned in a knee-length dress and for guys, short sleeves top with long pants should do the trick. Jeans are fine too.

6. How long must I wait for the interview results to be out?

I waited for close to 2 weeks but that was during the appeal period. If you had your interview before that, it should be faster.

 

Other WKWSCI-related FAQs

1. What are some essentials I need to have?

There are no needs per se because the school has almost everything. As long as you’re a student there, you get free access to the computer labs and printers (have to pay but through credits). Of course, your life would be much easier if you have the following:

  • Macbook
    … but I’m still coping very well with my HP laptop. Go Windows!!!
  • Adobe Design and Web Premium
    … Basically all you need from there are Photoshop, Dreamweaver and InDesign. Contrary to popular beliefs, it is not expensive to own the authentic Photoshop. You can get the Adobe Design and Web Premium at student price from mine.com.sg.
  • Final Cut Pro (FCP)
    … to edit videos but it’s only available for Mac. Windows users have to edit their videos in school 😦 The authentic copy can cost you thousands of dollars though so usually students get it by other *sinister look* means.
  • Sony Vegas Pro / Adobe Premiere Pro
    … Another alternative for FCP. Sony Vegas Pro and Adobe Premier Pro are also Windows-supported. Likewise, you can only get them by other means.
  • Microsoft Office
    … For report writing and creating presentation slides. MO isn’t that important now that we have Google Drive. But nowadays students also like to act cool and 一个 artsy fartsy and use Prezi instead for their presentation. Huh why? I find Prezi too complicated and error-prone. I have never encountered any group that managed to go through all Prezi transitions smoothly without exclaiming, “Oops!” and then clicking several times before getting to the right frame. I get massive headache just by looking at the slides zooming in and out in fast motion.

 

2. I missed the Freshmen Orientation Camp!!!!! O SHIT WHAT SHOULD I DO!?!?!

NOTHING. Relax and let nature takes its course. If you’re intending to stay in hall, you don’t have to worry at all. If you’re not, you can still meet nice people through group projects and elective classes! Or if you’re free, through clubs and other CCAs. Please always remember that you go to school to study okay, not to be the most popular person or something. Life will still be equally awesome with just 432 Facebook friends and 3 likes on your statuses LOL. Life will still be equally fantastic even if you have to eat, travel and study alone sometimes.

To read more about my friend-making process, click here.

* * *

That’s all from me 🙂 I will update this post as and when I have new questions but please don’t ask me about FASS because I don’t think it’s fair for someone who know nuts about the NUS/FASS to answer them.

Thanks for reading!

Some useful WKWSCI-affiliated links:
WKWSCI Official Facebook
WKWSCI Facebook (student-run)
Wee Write (campus news)
Wee Shoot (compilation of videos shot by the Wee kids)

 

Wanton Mee: Battle of the Koks

(lol ok I know the title reads funny but meh)

Hey there, fellow foodaholics! Since my semester is coming to an end (which also means that I have lesser things to do now ) I shall do a short entry about FOOD. Today’s review is gonna be on one of my favourite local delicacies – Wanton Mee. Now, I know there are NUMEROUS famous Wanton Mee stores in Singapore but I just wanna feature two of them.

Sometimes it’s really great to have a taxi driver dad because no one knows where to find good food better than people in this line. Being a cabbie, there would be times when my dad has to work night shift. He’s one who is constantly looking for places to eat because he’s always hungry. According to my dad, it’s not that difficult to find good food in the wee hours.. as long as you’ve got a car since most of these places are in the more remote, eastern side of Singapore.

Long story short, I was introduced to Koka Wanton Mee just a few weeks ago when I ended work late and hadn’t have my dinner yet. Koka Wanton Mee is located at Lavender (a very short distance from ICA Building) and just like many other famous food stalls, it only starts operating at night.

Koka Wanton Mee Stall

Koka Wanton Mee Stall

It is run by an elderly couple and occasionally assisted by a helper. A small plate of wanton mee costs $3, while a medium one $4 and a large one $5.

I ordered the smallest one on my first visit and got the biggest food shock in my life LOL (see picture below). The amount was SO MISERABLE and I swear I could finish everything with just 3 spoonfuls. Sorry, no picture of that because I was terribly famished that I just gobbled down whatever edibles right in front of me. I have no idea who this measly amount of noodles is intended for. Perhaps kids? Or people who just want to try it first? Anyway I learnt my lesson and only ordered the largest portion on my subsequent visits, which is nowhere near “large”. Also, be sure to order the largest one even if you’re not very hungry because the LONG WAIT (approximately half an hour and it doesn’t help one bit even with the assistant’s presence) is enough to digest every single piece of food in your stomach.

Complaints aside, I do enjoy their wanton noodles which is why I keep going back for more. I love how they also add mushrooms to the dish! The gravy and soup are also to die for. It has the right amount of saltiness and thickness! They seeeeeriously need to work on their speed though because they only start preparing the vegetables, char siew etc. when they get orders -_- Their tardiness has pissed quite a number of hungry patrons off lol. But yeah, as long as your food is good, who cares right? (Psst, if you can’t wait, there’s always Lor Mee beside it. My parents love the Lor Mee there as well)

Koka Wanton Mee

Koka Wanton Mee ($5)

Koka Wanton Mee Charsiew

Koka Wanton Mee Charsiew

Koka Wanton Mee with Shredded Chicken and Mushroom

Koka Wanton Mee with Shredded Chicken and Mushroom

kokawantonmee_3dlrs

You see it here first: $3 portion.

kokawantonmee_3dlrs1

About the size of my palm lol. This portion is probably for kids.

Wanton Soup

Wanton Soup

Shui Gao Tong

Shui Gao Tong

Shui Gao

I personally find their wanton tastier.. but that’s just me. I thought their shui gaos were too overwhelming haha.

Shui Gao Fillings

Shui Gao Fillings

Shui Gao Fillings

Unique ingredients as Shui Gao fillings. One can expect mushrooms and radish on top of the usual pork.

Apologies for the low quality images as these were taken directly on my phone!

Koka Wanton Mee
North Bridge Road Market & Food Centre
861 North Bridge Road
#01-99
Singapore 198783
Operating Hours: 7.30pm – 1.00am
Closed on Mondays

* * *

Moving on to Kok Kee, I’ve been a regular patron of its daytime outlet at Jurong West for close to 5 years now. I was introduced to this by the president of the co-curriculum activity (Food Connoisseurs Club) I was in during my Poly days and through me, my parents also got to know about this stall (if not for me, they would have easily dismissed this as another wanton mee stall). With 505 Jurong West Food Centre, you won’t have to fret about where to eat for lunch because this place offers a wide variety of good food at very affordable prices; you will be spoilt for choice when you’re there! We have our lunch there almost every morning before I was driven to school, which is a 10-minute drive away due to the massive number of traffic lights along the way.

In terms of preparation, Kok Kee is definitely faster and more efficient. You can literally get your wanton mee within 3 minutes of ordering. They only come in 2 sizes: small ($2.50) and large ($3.50).

Kok Kee Wanton Mee Jurong West Stall

Kok Kee Wanton Mee Jurong West Stall

There is also a night-time outlet (of the same name and origin) at Lavender. There, you’ll expect longer queue and waiting time (still shorter than Koka’s) and of course, a pricier plate of wanton mee ($4 for small and $5 for large).

Even though both Jurong West and Lavender outlets share the same name, they do taste slightly different. I for one prefer the Lavender one because it’s wetter and more flavourful. The one at Jurong West can be a little bland sometimes (but it’s waaaay cheaper so that makes up for it).

Menu wise, both also offer separate items. At the Jurong West stall, you can opt for hor fun if you don’t want the egg noodles which can be a good change especially when you find yourself growing tired of the usual style. Although this option is not available in the Lavender outlet, it has no doubt more variety of food items their menu. One of the items not offered at the Jurong West outlet would be the fried wanton which I reckon is one of their very popular side dishes albeit the very expensive price tag (If I remember correctly it’s $7 for 7 pieces). One similarity I know for sure between both outlets is their substandard char siew. I have seen some people ordering and requested for no char siew.. perhaps that’s the reason?

Wanton Mee @ Jurong West Market & Food Centre

Wanton Mee @ Jurong West Market & Food Centre

Wanton Hor Fun @ Jurong West Market & Food Centre

Wanton Hor Fun @ Jurong West Market & Food Centre

Close up of the char siew

Close-up of the char siew.

S$2.50 for a plate enough to fill your tummy

S$2.50 for a plate enough to fill your tummy

Shui Gao Tong (Dumpling soup)

Shui Gao Tong (Dumpling soup) at just S$3.50

Close up of the shui jiao

Close-up of the shui jiao. Looks plain but it’s actually quite delish!

(Will update again with pictures of the Lavender stall but food appearance is 95% similar to the Jurong West one, just more gravy and moist)

However, be warned. If you’re going to either outlets for the first time, you may feel intimidated by the hostility of their 小老板娘 (young lady boss). There is one at each outlet taking orders from customers and they are the daughter of the respective stall owners. They exude different kind of hostility. To me, the lady boss at Jurong West talks with hint of belittlement. I dislike her attitude but through the years I’ve grown so accustomed to her behaviour that I don’t care anymore lol. Moreover she rarely takes order now because she has a very friendly and cheery assistant to help her with that. The lady boss at Lavender on the other hand… I don’t know how to describe her hostility (or not?). Talking to her still sends chill down my spine although I don’t show it. I wouldn’t say she’s unfriendly because she IS friendly albeit overdoing it at times. She’s both friendly and confrontational, you geddit?

Oh and a word of caution: NO GREEN CHILLI

Kok Kee Wanton Mee (Jurong West)
Jurong West Food Centre
505 Jurong West Street 52
Singapore 640505
Operating Hours: 7.00 am until it’s fully sold out. Usually at around 12.30pm
Closed on alternate Wednesdays

Kok Kee Wanton Mee (Lavender)
Lavender Food Square
380 Jalan Besar
#01-06
Operating Hours: 11.00 pm – 2.00 am
Closed every 3 weeks on Wednesday & Thursday

Yup, that’s all from me. I hope to do one on fried carrot cake too. Maybe another time!

January-March Carousell Beauty Haul

Hey guys! Before the next school term begins next week (and things start getting crazy again), I want to post about my hauls from Carousell! Yes, my addiction didn’t seem to wear off *guilty* but I think I bought lesser stuff this time.

Recently I’ve been obsessed with lipsticks because I find my lips really pale and lacklustre. It wasn’t my first time wearing lipstick excessively though as I used to own lipsticks from Silkygirl (running on a low budget last time as you can see) and Maybelline. Somehow I stopped using them altogether because they made my lips really dry and they didn’t last very long. I got tired of wearing it for an hour and then seeing it on my serviette after meal. I’m also one who doesn’t have the habit of touching up my make up outdoors so I felt putting on lipstick a little pointless.

That was until I discovered Urban Decay’s Revolution Lipstick! I heard and read so much great reviews about it that I knew I had to get it. Back when it was first launched, no one sold the lipstick on Carousell so I went to shop at Sephora for one. I wanted Turn On though but it was out of stock at the Jem outlet. In the end, I got myself Catfight instead. I tried it for the first time on the day I was supposed to attend a friend’s wedding.

And I was blown away!

The lipstick is not only moisturising (bye to dry, chapped lips!), it is also very pigmented and long-wearing! I was pleasantly surprised to see my lips still stained with the lipstick colour after wiping my mouth. Having said that, it also means that it can be rather difficult to remove it entirely.. which happens, but I don’t mind at all. Furthermore I have make up remover wipes which work pretty well so this is no biggie! Since then, I had gone on a search rampage for more Revolution Lipsticks in other shades.

Urban Decay Revolution Lipsticks

My Revolution Lipsticks collection.. crazy I know. BUT IT’S SO WORTH MY EVERY PENNY!! Every one of these was gotten from Carousell except Catfight. Price range between $15-20 each (U.P. $33)

Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick Swatch

My Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick Swatch

I particularly love Protest because it’s the ideal MLBB (My Lips But Better) shade for me. I’m always very worried that I’d look too caked for school but Protest tones down my make up a little. On top of that, my anti-lipstick (for obvious reasons) boyfriend also felt that the colour isn’t too exaggerated and he warned me to only wear this colour when I meet him or else he’ll wipe the lipstick off my lips on the spot -_-

Before I took a picture of the swatches on my hand, I did something really crazy (and silly now that I think of it) but I am still going to include it in this entry anyway because of all the effort I put in…

Swatch on my lips!

… getting all 7 shades on the lips. Well, at least you know how they look like on real lips now. Sadly I can’t really remember which are which LOL. Maybe except for F-Bomb which is obviously the darkest one, and Protest the lightest one.

Urban Decay Protest on me!

(Pardon my eyes) Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Protest on me! It goes really well with my lips.

Protest again

Protest again but without sunlight this time. Somehow it looks a little darker.

Apart from Urban Decay, I also tried lipsticks from other similar high-end brands like Benefit, Anna Sui and Dior which I absolutely adore! No offence to anyone but from this experience, I learn never to buy drugstore lipsticks again! They really pale in comparison in terms of quality. But I guess if money is an issue, you could try lipsticks from Revlon as I’ve also read good reviews about that brand. (And their speciality is supposed to be lipsticks, I heard?)

Benefit Hydra-smooth Lip Colour in Juicy Details

Benefit Hydra-smooth Lip Colour in Juicy Details, at $18 (U.P. S$24 on benefitcosmetics.com)

Benefit Hydra-smooth Lip Colour in Juicy Details

Benefit Hydra-smooth Lip Colour in Juicy Details – swatch

Juicy Details on me!

Juicy Details on me! The wind made me look good LOL.

As suggested on its name, Benefit Hydra-Smooth is a really moisturising lippy which never dehydrates my lips. As you can see from the picture above, Juicy Details is a translucent nude shade which is perfect for dress-down occasions. However it’s not very long-wearing so I’d apply a layer first, then dab my Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder (in Translucent) with my foundation brush through a facial tissue over my lips and then reapply the lipstick again to make it last longer.

Rouge Dior Nude in Shade 418

Rouge Dior Nude in Shade 418, at $20 (U.P. S$48 on sephora.com). As you can see I’m constantly looking for nude lipsticks.

This lipstick by Christian Dior is very creamy and pigmented! The shade complements my slightly-tanned skin tone. I know, I only have a pair of lips but I have so many lipsticks! Honestly I’m spoilt for choice but I enjoy trying out new stuff. Trust me, I rotate my lipsticks everyday.

No real-life pictures for the Dior one as I just received this last Wednesday and I was in a mad rush when I wore it on Thursday! By the time I remembered, it was already in the evening and the stain was partially gone. -_-

Anna Sui Lipstick in Shade 301

Anna Sui Lipstick in Shade 301, at $18 (U.P. US$30 on beautylish.com)

Anna Sui has become one of my favourite cosmetic brands for its scented products and floral designs (my weakness). Some of the make up products I own have this strong chemical smell which makes me feel so paranoid about putting them on my face.

This Anna Sui lipstick shade is also approved by my boyfriend but is slightly pinker than my other nude lipsticks (i.e. Protest). Still, I LOVE IT because it gives me healthy-looking and nice-smelling lips. I feel so much happier whenever I use Anna Sui’s products! What’s worse than looking caked? Smelling like make up!

MAC Cremestick Liner in Softwood

MAC Cremestick Liner in Softwood, $7.50 (U.P. US$15)

MAC Cremestick Liner in Softwood swatch

MAC Cremestick Liner in Softwood swatch

On top of lipsticks, I also wanted to own a lip liner to save the trouble of having to manually draw my lips with lip brush (I use the one from Sephora) and lipstick. Then one day I saw someone selling this like more than half of its retail price and I immediately bought it! (I reiterate: I am 100% sure what I bought on Carousell are authentic because I’m like a secret agent on the app who scrutinises every user’s profile)

MAC Cremestick Liner in Softwood on me!

MAC Cremestick Liner in Softwood on me! Lined my Protest with it.

I absolutely love it! It gave me fuller and a more complete-looking pair of lips. It also acts like a guideline for lipstick application LOL. Without my brush, you don’t know how many times I had to wipe off the excess lipstick that bleeds out of my lips. (Blame my shaky hands). Also, can you see that it gives me ombre and two-toned lips? LOVE.

Now, moving on to other parts of the face…

Benefit Benetint

Benefit Benetint, at $25 (U.P. $51 at local Sephora stores)

Benefit Cha Cha Tint

Benefit Chachatint, at $15 (U.P. $51 at local Sephora stores)

Benefit Posietint

Benefit Posietint, at $15 (U.P. $51 at local Sephora stores)

Benefit Posietint and Cha Cha Tint

Benefit Posietint and Chachatint

The “tint” range from Benefit isn’t just for the face but also for the lips as well. It has a dual function as it’s both a lip and cheek stain – like blusher and lipstick in one. I bought Benetint first and I fell in love with it because firstly it’s ROSE-SCENTED (shut up and take my money!!) and secondly it stains really well on my cheeks and lips. If you’re always in a hurry and have no time to apply blusher and lipstick separately, this is the product you need to get! Benetint is in a redder shade and smells like bandung LOL.

Since I was so satisfied with Benetint, I bought the other two tints. They were in funkier shades – pink for Posietint and orange for Chachatint. Not sure if it’s me but both tints aren’t scented 😥 Anyway, Posietint looks rather weird on my tanned skin tone so I reckon it’s meant for fairer people (as Google Image implies to me) but I see myself wearing Chachatint in the future! It’s in this rather oriental orange shade which is perfect for Chinese New Year! 😛 But really, it surprisingly complements my skin tone!

Benefit (Singapore) is launching Lollitint. The name itself is already so appealing please, and it’s in a purplish shade! I’m so gonna get my hands on the new product.

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow in Shade Honey

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow in Shade Honey, $35 (U.P. $55 at local Sephora stores)

Remember I had a sample size of this in my previous haul entry? I received compliments from my hairdresser that my skin looked flawless when I was wearing it. WOW! (no pun intended) That compliment meant a lot to me because as you guys might have already known, I have troubled skin. So I knew I HAD to get the full-sized one. It wasn’t easy finding this shade on Carousell because Singaporeans are generally very fair so most of the time only the Petal/Ivory shade is put up for sale. This is probably the ONLY full-sized Honey shade that was on Carousell so far.

Anna Sui Liquid Foundation in Shade 103

Anna Sui Liquid Foundation in Shade 103, at $25 (U.P. US$38 on beauty.com)

I received sample sizes of this Anna Sui liquid foundation in shade 102 in my Love, Bonito goodie bag last year at their sale event and had already used up both bottles! Same reason as the Anna Sui lipstick, I love the foundation coz it’s scented and somehow covers up my pores and blemishes rather well. I wanted to get a full-sized bottle in a shade darker at Taoyuan Airport last December but they ran out of stock for it 😦 It’s fine though, because Carousell had it at a waaaay lower price hehehe.

Benefit Agent Zero Shine shine-vanishing PRO powder

Benefit Agent Zero Shine shine-vanishing PRO powder, at $30. (U.P. $47 at local Sephora stores)

I got this from a fellow Carouseller who works at Sephora *yay* so this is guaranteed authentic (I had no way to verify it since it was the newest product from Benefit). I participated in Benefit’s Guess-The-Price for this new product on Instagram but didn’t win because I over-estimated it by $2! It’s quite strange though, that both POREfessional and Agent Zero Shine are priced at US$30 on benefitcosmetics.com but the former is $2 more expensive than the latter here. So I guess S$47 is only a promotional price and will eventually inflate as time goes by.. just like POREfessional (was S$48 last year but has gone up by a dollar the last time I checked last month).

Anyway, I was looking for an alternative to my Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder (from ASOS) so the launch was a timely one. I haven’t tried it yet but looking at the reviews, I don’t think it’s gonna disappoint me!

Anyone wants a review on this? Drop me a comment!

Benefit Dr. Feelgood

Benefit Dr. Feelgood, at $28 (U.P. $49 at local Sephora stores)

Benefit Dr. Feelgood with sponge

Benefit Dr. Feelgood with sponge. I accidentally deleted the pictures of its brand new state. The balm was actually covered with a seal before it was broken my me.

I have been raving about this face balm ever since my previous haul entry and I had already finished TWO sample tubs. When benefitcosmetics.com had a sale a couple of weeks ago, I contemplated carting this out because Dr Feelgood is really pricey here. But I removed it in the end as my total bill had already come up to close to US$100 T_T See that huge hole in my pocket? THANKFULLY, it was a blessing in disguise because about 2 weeks later, some kind lady sold this BRAND NEW piece at a lower price (only a few bucks cheaper than that on benefitcosmetics.com but meh.. still money okay). The full-sized one comes with a sponge which I find totally redundant.. Maybe it’s just me but the sponge made me feel that I’m not applying any product on my face so I tend to apply numerous times ’til I feel something y’know :\ So nowadays, I just use my fingers.

TheBalm NUDE'tude

TheBalm NUDE’tude, at $33 (U.P. $50+ at local Sasa outlets)

TheBalm NUDE'tude close-up

TheBalm NUDE’tude close-up

Many people say that this is a dupe for the Urban Decay Naked palette but I beg to differ. The Naked palette is obviously better but this is also awesome in its own way because it has very pretty and usable matt colours (love Sultry and Sexy)! However when I first opened it up to inspect the colours, I found the mirror dusted with the eyeshadow (I can’t remember if it came with a protective sheet. Highly unlikely). Cleaned it and it happened again the next time I opened it, as you can see on the above picture. Zzz! I’m one who uses the mirror that comes with the palette (minus points for those that don’t) because I’m lazy to walk to my full-length mirror which is attached behind my wardrobe door sometimes (and I don’t get the best lighting behind the wardrobe door) so this is definitely unacceptable to me. Furthermore, the packaging is made of paper so I’d have to be extra careful not to touch it with my wet hands. On the overall, it’s a pretty decent palette to own and definitely more travel-friendly than the Naked palette since it’s lighter and thinner. If you on a tight budget, this is definitely a good alternative 🙂

Urban Decay Vice Palette

Urban Decay Vice Palette, at $30 (U.P $88 at local Sephora stores)

I know Vice 2 was already released but I feel that the shades on the first Vice palette were much prettier. Okay yeah actually I prefer the first Vice because of Noise, the electric punch pink colour because I love pink. But don’t you guys agree that the shadows in Vice 1 are more exciting? Anyway, I’ve dipped into every shadow already and I’m relieved that I could pull off the look (or so I thought) because I’m always worried that shimmery colours would make me look 2 times my age :\

UD Love NYC Palette

UD Love NYC Palette at $25 (U.P. unknown but should be around $88 locally back then when it was launched. This is no longer available in stores now)

UD Love NYC Palette Pop-up DIsplay

UD Love NYC Palette Pop-up Display

UD Love NYC Palette shadows

UD Love NYC Palette shadows

The palette is SO GORGEOUS! I’m a design junkie and I wouldn’t mind paying just a little bit more for pretty packaging! This definitely is the prettiest palette I’ve ever owned (the next being Book of Shadows). The pop-up display lights up (you can’t really see from the pictures) when opened and the shadows are really amazing! My go-to shadows from this palette are Perversion, Loaded, Rockstar, Smog, Bordello, Radiuh, Suspect and Psychedelic Sister. Oh yeah, if you haven’t realised, most of the shades here part of the permanent range of UD’s 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil.

Urban Decay Oz The Great & Powerful Palettes (Front View)

Urban Decay Oz The Great & Powerful Palettes (Front View) at $35 each (U.P. $78 in local Sephora stores)

Urban Decay Oz The Great & Powerful Palettes (Back View)

Urban Decay Oz The Great & Powerful Palettes (Back View)

Urban Decay Oz The Great and Powerful Glinda Palette

Urban Decay Oz The Great & Powerful Glinda Palette. Also includes a Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color in Glinda which I forgot to take out from the box at time of photo-taking.

Urban Decay Oz The Great & Powerful Theodora Palette

Urban Decay Oz The Great & Powerful Theodora Palette. Also includes a Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color in Theodora which I forgot to take out from the box at time of photo-taking.

We have to give props to Urban Decay for coming up with palettes inspired by fantasy films. If I remember correctly, these Oz The Great & Powerful palettes were released alongside of the Disney’s movie. They also tied in with Disney/Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland 4 years ago to launch a palette with the same name.

I bought both limited edition palettes (yup, no longer in stores already) because of their different functions though I have to admit that the packaging plays a part as well (Theodora’s one is really nice). The Glinda palette leans more towards the neutral and innocent look while the Theodora one gives a more dark and sinister appearance. I personally prefer the Theodora palette because I like Mila Kunis it flatters my darker skin tone better. Also, both palettes come with a step-by-step instructions booklet for you to recreate Glinda’s and Theodora’s looks! AWESOME!!

Urban Decay Black Market 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil Set

Urban Decay Black Market 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil Set, at $26 (U.P. $60 at local Sephora stores)

One of Urban Decay’s latest products and I’m so glad I chose to wait instead of getting it off the shelf at Sephora when it was released. As compared to the Ocho Loco set, this comes in shades that I would use. I love the eye pencil series from Urban Decay (already have 2 regular-sized ones in Demolition and Rockstar) because they glide on smoothly and no matter how much I sharpen them, they do not poke nor hurt my lids. I have an eyeliner-cum-eyebrow pencil from Wet N Wild and it pricks! So I had no choice but to use it as an eyebrow pencil. My favourite colour from this set is Desperation.. and can I have another one? Okay, and Black Market.

Benefit They're Real! Mascara

Benefit They’re Real! Mascara

This isn’t my first They’re Real! mascara as I previously bought a deluxe-sized one. It really volumises my lashes and opens up my eyes. With this, falsies are totally pointless (saying this coz I don’t wear falsies myself at all Hahaha). However being mascara, it also has the same problem of clumping. When oh when will there be a non-clump mascara? But anyway I learnt that if you apply a waterproof mascara on your lower lash, it will solve the problem of clumping. So I tried the other day with my Urban Decay Cannonball waterproof mascara and IT REALLY WORKED like magic!

New addition to the brush family!

New addition to the brush family! Sigma Eyeliner E05 brush at $5, Tightline Liner (E16) and Waterline Liner (E17) brushes at $9 each. (All retail at US$12 each on sigmabeauty.com)

I first learned about Sigma brushes from Frmheadtotoe but I didn’t really bother as I thought they were only available in the States (silly me, nothing is impossible with the internet these days) but I was surprised to see people selling them on Carousell! They usually buy in a set from US and sell those brushes that are of no use to them (but have to be careful too because apparently, there are also FAKE Sigma brushes -_-) I personally have an angled eyeliner brush from Sephora but I felt that it wasn’t doing its job well after some time. Perhaps it’s only good in drawing cat eyes but not in lining my upper and lower lids.

Apart from make up, I also ventured into fragrance. I’m not really a heavy perfume user to begin with but I’ve been using Body Shop’s Dreams Unlimited EDP for a longggg time (ok la only 2 years hahaha) and I grew sick of the scent already. That was also my first expensive one as I had never paid more than $15 for perfumes. Boyfriend also recently bought me Marc Jacobs’ Daisy Perfume EDT (tsk, wrong kind) at Changi Airport when he arrived from Bangkok and I totally fell in love with the floral scent!!

I’m not being a snob here (for the record, I still use Rexona deodorant on days when I have to run errands. Rexona okay. Sometimes Dove) but there’s some truth in the Chinese saying “一分钱一分货” which means “the more money you pay, the better quality you get”. Just like how Silkygirl products pale in comparison to my Urban Decay babies. It’s the same for perfumes. If you’re too broke to get from retail stores like me, just Carousell.

Juicy Couture EDP Spray Vaporisateur (50ml)

Juicy Couture EDP Spray Vaporisateur (50ml) at $25. (U.P. $Idon’tknow)

The above EDP was left out from the previous haul post! It was actually bought last year, brand new and sealed. Look at how much I’ve used it already! BECAUSE IT’S AWESOME. I see people going crazy over Juicy Couture (*cough*Xiaxue*cough*) products and I didn’t know why until I bought this perfume. It’s really damn nice sia. I wore it almost everyday until…

Benefit Ring My Bella EDP (30ml)

Benefit Ring My Bella EDP (30ml) at $18 (U.P. US$36 on benefitcosmetics.com)

THIS came into my life! I haven’t personally tried all the Benefit scent but this has all the smell I’m looking for: baby shampoo, sensuous, womanly.. As it’s only 30ml, I’m trying to reduce my usage of this perfume but I fail very miserably every morning. LOL Heck it, finish then finish lor. I’ll buy a new one from the flagship store at Westgate if this empties. (*prays someone sells this on Carousell before it really happens*)

This is off-topic but I believe the name was derived from this song:

RING MA BELLLL

Okay that’s about it! Hope you guys enjoyed my second haul post. Maybe Carousell should appoint me as their ambassador haha.

Before I sign off, here’s another #muotd picture from me:

#muotd

#muotd but not of today. It was like a few days ago LOL.

Thanks for reading!