Getting my Degree (Soon)!

Tomorrow is unofficially my last day of University and is also the day when I have to present my research findings as part of my Honours program. I am honestly a bit nervous and teeny bit worried as there's a time limit and I hope I don't mess up too much and go overtime. Wish me luck!

3 years just went by like that. But I am glad that it is ending but also quite scared that I will soon enter the workforce. It's always a love-hate relationship with life.

I am thankful for this overseas experience and all of the learning opportunities that life presented me with. Definitely steep learning curves along the way, but we did make it through, and I did.

University has taught me to take each step as it is, don't run in the journey if it is not your pace. Progress and process are what is important. Outcome, it varies. Sometimes it is good, sometimes not so good. It had allowed me to learn how to settle for something less when I deserved it, but also a new opportunity to do better the next time round.

At this stage, I feel my brain cells are overworked after 16 years of education (excluding nursery and K1 and K2) that's more than half my life spent studying. I have no current intention to further my studies, but I might consider doing specialised courses instead. I am not very into research as it can be a pain to do statistics. Afterall, I am a very hands-on person so I rather be learning more while I work then just to focus on research. Working will also present opportunities for internal research to be done.

I am so happy that I have made it to the end. (I hope to be back blogging more regularly).

Meanwhile, catch me in-game on MaplestorySEA, Aquila Server, 'mikoyeo'

In the near future (very near), I will be heading to South Korea for the very first time all alone, to embark on a self-discovery journey and to really learn more about the culture. & also more beauty and fashion shopping! Might update this space after the trip and I am in the midst of editing a video of my Switzerland trip a few months ago.

Beauty Haul x Sephora Grand Opening @ Chermside Westfield, Brisbane

So, it has actually been more than a year since I wrote an entry for this space. Jokes on me because scroll down and you might find that I wanted to blog more last year. Unfortunately, due to Uni commitments and demand I wasn't able to set aside time to plan content for this space. However, if you followed me on Dayre, I definitely did document a majority of the days of my life on there for 2016.

Now, on the other hand, I feel like coming back to this space. So to kick start my 1st ever post in a year / 2017, I wanted to share some of my beauty hauls and I will also be updating on my skincare routine in the weeks to come. Times changed, people change, routines change.

First up, my first ever 3CE online purchase.

They recently launched the 6 colour-colour correcting concealer palette in their Studio Collection. I have been eyeing on one of these palettes for quite some time (like I was waiting for NYX's, but the rack at Priceline was always empty, not quite sure if it has yet to be brought it or it is always sold out). I also took the opportunity to get a Blush in #Maybe, Longwear Eyeshadow Stick in #Baguette and 2 Rose Lip Pots!



I have only been using the salmon shade (2nd in the Right Column) and a bit of the purple and green. It works alright, but I think you need to moisturise the skin around your eye area prior to using this in order for it to look nice on your skin. This palette also smells amazing!!! My current earcandy is also IU's Palette (just saying).



I am madly in love with the longwear eyeshadow stick! I have always used matte eyeshadows in natural shades like browns with orangey undertones. I had initially wanted to get the one in 'Jumping' which is like the popular colour, but on second thoughts, might be too pink for my liking.

Photo from 3CE / StyleNanda

#Baguette is an orangey/copperish shimmer eyeshadow colour which is very flatterring not only the model's fair skin, but also myself (slightly tan, mid-tone). This has been my go-to for days I put on make-up. So simple to use, just simply draw a few strokes on your lids, blend it out with fingers and good to go. End of year when I am heading to Korea, I will grab more colours.

Next I got myself a new blush! Not being adventurous, I stuck to a peachy one #Maybe. I knew I had to get it after I saw the photos on 3CE's site. The model and the whole make-up with the blush was perfection.

I really love the colour. It gives that natural flush and this blush is really long lasting! I have now placed a small brush (from a Japanese highlight) in the blush so I can bring it out to touch-up (but then again, I don't know why, because I never needed to).

  

My Lip Pots are in #Coral and #BrickRed I love the Brick Red one, gonna use it now that it is autumn and winter soon and I would experience more autumns and winters in Switzerland and Korea. The coral one is alright, not very pigmented, like a usual coral tinted lipbalm just like Liptone from TonyMoly.

2) ASOS

I recently got the thisworks sleepover kit, which has the pillow spray, rollerball and the balm! I would say the roller ball and balm are my favourite. The spray however is not as strong as I had like it to be.

I have since placed the rollerball and balm into my 'skincare kit' that I bring around. 

3) Sephora Opening

A couple weeks back. I did something crazy. I took the 1st bus out to the mall to queue for Sephora. Westfield had new stores opening, and sephora was one of them. The very first one in Brisbane! Last year Sephora opened in Gold Coast.

The queue formed on the night before the actual opening so I actually hesitated that night whether to still go to mall early in the morning. I took my chances and hoped. Took quite a while before we were issued number and wristbands. Was so relieved when I received my card. 

I queued from about 6.15am till 12/1-ish. We had to stay in-line in order to redeem our free gifts! But it was fun talking to strangers (although Asian mums say not to talk to strangers).

A post shared by MIKO. Y | 杨凯婷 🍥 (@mikomxy) on Apr 5, 2017 at 10:12pm PDT

All the things that I got from that day. It was pure joy!

This was the palette that I had to queue 6hours for (better than the 200+ infront of me who possibly queued overnight or from wee hours, I had slept and went early, so it was a better deal for me). The first 300 had the blockbuster kit which I couldn't care less for. Cause too bulky and I don't exactly like sephora lip and cheek stuff.

Here comes all the freebies that were given out while we were in the queue. Swear we were so excited whenever the Sephora staff was handing out all these samples.

This is Tarte's thesculptor in number 1, park ave princess. It is so blendable. But I not very pro with contouring yet. I usually use Benefit's Hoola to do light shading.

This benebalm sample is so cute. So tiny! But very travel-friendly which I love.

A free make-up pouch! There were a few designs, but I got this. Pouches I usually use it to put all my other stuff, so the design don't really matter.

Other sachet samples which till date have not tried. Will try them soon else I will never try them.

They also gave free Sephora Triple Action Cleansing Water. I opened it to smell, and it smells good. All my cleansing product either has to have no fragrance or smell just right.  Travel-friendly product again.

I think I found a dupe for NOV's washing cream (cleanser). YAY to no more needing to spend like bomb on my cleanser. The Dermaclear is a cream type like NOV (unlike what it states foam), but it foams up very finely and smoothly. It is able to remove light make-up. But with make-up I still prefer to double-cleanse. I bought this on the opening together with a concealer brush (since 10% off Sephora Collection)

M.A.C was opening too and they were giving out flyers for us to fill in to redeem a FREE LIPSTICK. I was sold immediately. But the first colour I got was very nude, which I wasn't happy about. So after I paid for my Sephora stuff, I thick-skinnedly went into M.A.C to ask if there were other shades I could swap for. I think that had last one or last few in Testosterone which is a sheer pinkish-red shade that I liked (I saw someone in the Sephora queue had it and I was quite jelly about it).

You will never know if you don't ask. So i was 2x happy that day. Got so much freebies and managed to swap for something I preferred.

Alright that's all. That's me on my way home after Sephora's opening. I think I had #Baguette on my lids and #Maybe on my cheeks. Sorry for the poor quality photos, not sure if blogger made it looked worse. My Samsung NX mini was beyond hope and I had to downgrade, to Sony WX500 which I haven't had much opportunities to play around with. I miss my NX mini with it's manual zoom and touch-screen function.

Hope you enjoyed looking at my new stash of beauty products. Not sure when I would get the time again to blog. But till the next time, work hard and also enjoy~

Innisfree Haul - June 2015

Finally got done with exams last week to film this, just managed to edit it. Haven't used most of the products yet except for the lip tint. I am in love with the tint and wish that Spring would come soon (not even done with Winter here in Brisbane). The tint is just the smell of spring. Color pay off was good, stayed on pretty well, doesn't leave marks when I drink/eat. Will slowly try the other products out and review them here on my blog. Anyway, I have also updated the "Skincare" tab above. Go ahead and click on it. It's kind of sad that I can't get Bioessence here and also some Simple Skincare Products, like my current facial wash. Oh wells... trying new brands here.

3rd Month Mark

So time flew past. It's already my third month in Brisbane. Neglected this space once again due to overwhelming school assignments. Managed to clear 3 assignments last week. I have just started on my exam revision (Notes Preparation Stage), did more than I expected so I decided to blog for a little while masking. 10 weeks of school passed. I'm tired. Trying to prevent burn-out. I have other commitments as of now as well. Helping out with design/marketing for Singaporean activities. So, I get a little more stressed and conscious of the time I have on hand. If I have 2 meetings a week, that means I have AT LEAST 4-6 hours LESSER than others to do my revision, my school work. 4-6 hours is enough to complete 2 sets of notes. Time is definitely not on my side, so I have to take every chance, of what ever time I have on time to be a nerd, and start preparing for exams before it's too late. After I was done with notes just now, I realised, it's really much better back in Singapore. Whenever my fingers/hand get tired from writing notes, my mum would massage them for me. Whenever my back aches from sitting too long, writing notes, she would help massage and stretch for me. And I don't have to worry about a single meal. Here, I have NOTHING. Zero. I have to endure the aches, rely on muscle relief gels/cream, get on with life studying and cook my meals (but thankfully, I have housemates who usually do the cooking). I miss my Singaporean friends. Unfortunately, not going back to Singapore this July, because I need to save money. & 1 month break back in SG is not enough. So, I'm heading back end November instead. School's been pretty alright I would say, though I often zone out during lectures, either because I am too sleepy or I catch no ball. Trying not to give myself too much stress, but time to continue adapting and get used to everything. But, I would say I have been doing quite alright since it's my 1st semester in University. Just 10 weeks in, I think what I have achieved now is considered good (since I have to factor in housework etc, the reduction of time available to study). I think that's all for now. I will try to be back once I'm done with finals. My finals end on the 22nd June. Let's do this Miko, we will survive this. To my readers, all the best and work hard in your lives!

Singapore : Brisbane

Since my arrival in Brisbane, I have been experiencing new things and comparing what Brisbane has to offer to what my home country, Singapore has. I am taking time out every other day to piece the content of this post together (though it may sound very pro-Singapore). It is a fact that I appreciate Singapore a whole lot better after coming to Brisbane. This post is of no intention of me complaining that Brisbane is bad, it's just different, very different as an International Student. Shopping  Singapore : Australia 11pm : ~5.30pm Man, these Australians are taking the 9-5 rule way too seriously. Out of 7 days, only 1/2 days the shops extend their opening hours. In Singapore, even if we end school at 4/5/6pm we could still head to almost ANYWHERE with a mall to grab a meal, do some window shopping. Here in Brisbane, what it's literal window shopping - that is the glass windows between you and the shops. No chance of entering shops if you reach the shopping area late. The pros of this is that it forces you to head back home after classes (especially if I end classes at the campus near the city). Oh, what's worse is that during public holiday, NO SHOPS are open. (WTF, most lucrative business day also don't want, and man, it's so boring. In SG, even if it's Lunar New Year, shopping malls are still open). Anyway, shopping here isn't all that good. I would say Singapore has better style and fashion shops than in Brisbane. p/s: some clothes here are really ugly. Postal Service I'm not sure if it's because of where I stay and how the whole entire apartment building layout is weird that cause my REGISTERED parcels not delivered to my doorstep. The stairway to the main side door of the apartment where the intercom is, is beside the all the mailbox/letterbox (but with a wall dividing these 2 areas). So, I have been receiving parcel collection slips in my mailboxes till now. Sometimes, if the parcel is small, I go to the post office in school, or if it's too big, or the postman is just lazy to deliver, I have to take a bus, down 2 stops and walk a distance into the bigger Post Office at Bishop Street. Just dislike it that they do not even attempt to ring the intercom to get the parcels delivered. Heard from another group of Singaporean living downstairs that sometimes the postman will just leave the parcels outside the main side door (anyone could have taken it). EzLink : Go Card (Or Transport in general) Here in Brisbane, I have to have my Go Card, which serves the same function as an Ezlink back in Singapore, but I have to bring along my Tertiary Transport Concession Card in order to use my go card (student concession price). Why so many cards just to take public transport?  Waiting time for a train here in brisbane can be 2-5 times longer than in Singapore, so glad I live nearby school so I get spared the torture of waiting for public transport. Internet This has got to be the worst! Okay, before I get down to the nitty gritty, who agrees to a limited data usage ON CAMPUS? No Singaporeans will say 'yes'. Here in Australia, they give u a limited amount of data to use while you connect to the school's wifi. Mine's 3GB/Month. LIKE WHATTTT?! The only less sad thing about it is that after 5pm and on weekends, whatever you use will not count towards your 3GB/Month. But still, it's so restrictive right? So, even if you have long breaks in between your lessons, no youtube, no running man etc to spend your time. Not sure if it's Australia's government aim to get students to study > play. Because, if you only read journal articles etc, you wouldn't use up 1GB, whereas, if you watch youtube and running man, 1 episode of running man is at least 600-700MB (0.6-0.7GB, if you can't do math). So, I guess you might want to say "Use the house's internet then!" I wish I could, but it's either laggy or it disconnects mysteriously. Let's look at this: 

Excuse me, this happens EVERYDAY, countless times. I am so thankful my past 20 years in Singapore, I do not have to deal with this shit. Even dial-up doesn't lose its connection! Australia has to step up on its internet game.  Washrooms Washrooms here are so old school and manual (not that I have no hands, but it's for hygiene purpose), turning head taps? I am skeptical about the cleanliness of the toilets, like people who pee/poo and clean themselves up then touch part of the tap? Eeeww. What's worse for girls is the sanitary pad bins. IT DOESN'T HAVE A STEP-LIFT FUNCTION. You have to lift it up yourself. My goodness. Toilet designs are also so bad here. Most toilets have 2 doors (an additional one before it leads you to where the toilet cubicles are), and the sink area is in between these 2 doors. How do you open/push the door with your bacteria filled hands? Or would you even want to touch the door? #AussieLogic #IDontGeddit  So glad that Singapore has sensor taps, and step-lift functional sanitary pad bins. These are 2 very basic improvisation that make life happier. There are differences and similarities while living here in Brisbane, so I'm really glad to experience a different life and appreciate what I have back home.  I might blog soon again, hopefully with a video as well. Mini-haul about things that I have bought in Brisbane, might be going to Habourtown in Gold Coast (all hail the factory outlets) this coming mid-semester break. I see lots of sports brands there, hopefully able to get a bit of stuff.  Till then, HAPPY EASTER!

Brisbane Settling Down: Part 2

Continuing from where I have left off previously, faster post all the photos before they become even more back-dated. So my and aunt were here with me in Brisbane till 22nd Feb, just 1 day before my school term starts. During the period while they were here I enjoyed a lot of local dishes (which I still do, because Alfred is a great cook). Really count my blessings to keep in contact with him when he graduated from SP. Else, I wouldn't be living in my current apartment and enjoying all the food. 

It was near Chinese New Year and my aunt ask if I had any requests, so I daringly said Salted Veg. Duck Soup. It's a soup I always enjoy during CNY back in Singapore. Not the best, but it's good.

Some fancy bacon rolled with asparagus and carrots.

On another night, we decided to have steamboat! But something unusual, one the soup base is hong-kong style: Corianders (my love) and century egg.

Setting up the table, the usuals - all kind of balls, prawns, vegetables etc.

All ready to feast! Singaporean favourite, steamboat all day, every day!

Oh, we also made fruit and vege YuSheng almost every other day during dinner time!

My little corner for CNY. What's CNY without CNY goodies right?

Lo Hei / Lau Yu Sheng!

Mango Sticky Rice! (cooked with brown sugar, explains the brown hue)

Here comes the Lor-Bak!

Creation by Xuan and I. We are the Yu Sheng Mastas.

Brinjals~

Uni life is getting tougher and tougher, a race against time. Even right now as I am typing this, I am thinking of all my projects and my first mid-sems happening on Friday!  So glad I finished up my notes yesterday morning. I cannot do without my handwritten notes, except if the unit is too wordy, then I give it a miss and only write down main points that I feel I must understand.