Are friends my priorities?

I do enjoy being alone, but the feeling of loneliness kills. 

Since young, it's never been an issue making new friends to me...  However, I'm usually the kind who'd rather have one best friend, than to have five good friends. Hence, whenever I lose my best friend, I feel like I've no one else to rely on.

I prefer to stick to my usuals, and hardly step out of my comfort zone, because I find it really tough to trust new people, and also because I hate feeling awkward. Used to be quite an introvert, and I'll come up with all kinds of excuses just to reject an opportunity to meet a new friend or bunch of new friends. 

Having thoughts like, "What if I can't fit in?" "What if no one likes me?" "Will people judge me?" tend to hold me back from hanging out with new people.

It got worse when I started becoming more known on social media. 

I met a lot of insincere people; those who pretended they were fine with me when they were not, those who came to me just for favours. And I also had many friends who entered my life and ditched me after they found "better" friends.

I would say that I've gained many experiences that money couldn't buy over the last two years.

I would take a bullet for most of my friends, but half the time, it turns out that they were the ones who pulled the trigger.

I struggled for a really long time; a dilemma between being the one who never stops trying, but gets hurt repeatedly, or the one who doesn't give two f*cks to anything around.

Obviously, the second one sounds like an easier and less painful option, but I couldn't bring myself to do it.

The thing about me is that I find it hard to stop caring. If someone's important to me, I'd still care about them even if they don't deserve a millisecond of my time.

And I used to get really upset over those friends who leave me out, or treat me like their backup plans... I mean I'm pretty sure many of you feel the same way at times right?

Until I eventually grew out of that "emo" stage and told myself that it was time I learn to let go.

Many of you have always been emailing, tweeting me or contacting me through various means to enquire about friendship problems. Not that I'm some aunt agony, neither is it because I know the solutions to every friendship problem there is on this planet... Just my two cents worth of opinion I think I could share.

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So along the way, I did get to know a lot more people, but I've also learnt to take things a lot easier. Life is not always a bed of roses, and you can't expect things to go according to how you want it to be all the time.

Half the time, I wish I could just wake up one day, make a trip to the bank, and realise I turned into a billionaire overnight, and be like...

Yeah, I know I know, it's just me living in my own material world. Money can't buy true happiness, but it can definitely buy loads of things that would make me happy.

Just like friends, they may not be your only source of happiness, but sometimes, you choose to think that they are. You convince yourself into believing that without them, you can't live. You feel that with no friends, life is meaningless. 

Alright, let's make it clear, if you did something to hurt your friend, and he/she dumps you, then you deserve it. :p However, if you've done your part by doing the best you could for someone, going the extra mile and prioritising their happiness before yours, YET they do not reciprocate or appreciate it...

Then perhaps it's time to you receive a slap in the face by reality that you suck. Nah, I'm joking, I hope no one stopped reading from my last sentence lol.

The truth is? LIFE GOES ON!

I've been used, I cried, I've been hurt, but honestly, you should always realise your worth at the end of the day. And your worth isn't determined by anyone, but yourself. Why allow someone to dominate your life? Key word? YOUR LIFE.

I'm not saying friends are not important, cos they are. They are there when you need them, they share your joy but also your tears, they make you feel wanted and they make you feel a sense of belonging.

However, there are more than 7 billion people in this world, although one friend can mean the world to you at times, that doesn't mean that you should lose sight of the remaining people who still cares, especially your family.

Anyway, point is... There are much more important things in life to focus on, so f*ck it if your friend "last seen" you on Whatsapp.

Just kidding. Stay tuned to my next post! :D

DIDD

As you can tell from the colour of my hair, these pictures were taken quite some time ago and I've never really been able to find time to review these beautiful apparels I got from @DIDD

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There's no specific style I'd ever categorised myself under, because I have this tendency of switching it from time to time; A moment I'm particularly into goth and edgy. Next, I feel a little vintage-ish. And at times, I'm into minimalism and monochromatic.

DIDD.CO is every modern woman’s urban fairytale. Embrace feministic independence and celebrate & thrive on sophistication & style. Dress up to every occasion and indulge in sugar, spice and too many things nice.

So as you can see, I picked these two pieces; a polo dress as well as an outerwear.

You know what I like about polo dresses? You can wear it on days you feel a little lazy to dress up, and in this case, I wore some silver accessories to enhance the look. Play around with hairdos and accessories, and that's gonna be two simple ways from not having to face these three moments...

Next, it's this monochrome coat that I really like! 

Monochrome coats as such can be worn with almost anything underneath because of its simple colours that go well with anything. If you're feeling a little playful and experimental, go ahead and add a pop of colour. Go neon, go loud!

As for me, I'd rather keep the simplicity of the coat at its finest, I didn't wanna ruin the elegance of it.

Of course, if you've issues looking for some suitable accessories, @DIDD has that part settled for you.

@DIDD has a Delicate Jewellery Range. Specially handcrafted, Délicat features dainty and classic jewellery pieces that are to be treasured for a lifetime. Their core mission is to offer women across the world a universe of high quality, hand-finished, contemporary jewellery products at affordable prices.

Each item is produced in limited pieces and most importantly helps tells a story, Your story.

All Délicat jewellery products are made from 925 sterling silver and plated with 18k gold.

Sterling silver is the world’s most popular silver alloy. It consists of 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metals to improve durability. It is excellent for jewellery because it is non reactive, hypo allergenic and preserves the colour, lustre and the heft of pure silver and vastly improves its durability. No nickel is added to Délicat’s sterling silver alloy.

Got two rings, in which the anchor's my favourite, and I still wear it until today.

I've always been a big fan of wearing excessive amount accessories, and rings are what I love most. However, 90% of my rings are either badly oxidised or rusted, simply because I have sweaty palms and I'm always washing my hands with my rings on. Hehe.

Hence, it's really tough to keep my accessories as pretty as they first are. To my surprise, the rings are still in good shape till today.

Do check out their Carte Blanche Playsuits

"Our Carte Blanche Playsuit is crafted with a hint of stretch for the perfect fit. It taps one of the biggest trends of the season with gorgeous structured ruffles and carefully constructed pleates. This playsuit is a chic mix of comfort and feminine charm. This relaxed design features an airy wool-blend crepe top spliced with slightly stretchy Jearsey shorts. Wear it on vacation with muted sandals and a luxe backpack."

AND their new summer collection too!

Free door step above $88 and 5% off for you guys, just quote "naomineoxdidd" :)

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Precaution is key

Today's review would be on one of the most highly-raved about cosmetic/skincare brand!!! I guess most of you would have already guessed it from my recent Insta posts?

Well, my skin condition is generally fine on most days.. However there are two problems I tend to face:

1) Visible pores

2) Uneven skin tone

(My "before" picture above would be able to justify my statement.)

And I've never been able to find any foundation/BB cream that's able to solve these two problems, until I was introduced to the KOSÉ SEKKISEI beauty range. :D

Bringing you three of KOSÉ's star products, their White BB cream, Sun Protect Essence Gel and Milk!

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I probably said this a million times, but as the title speaks for itself, it's always better to be safe than sorry. One of the key things to getting healthier-looking skin would be to conscientiously apply sunscreen everyday. 

Many actually neglect this step because they don't see the importance in it. For all you know, this negligible step can make a huge difference in the long run.

Here are five reasons why you should always use sunscreen:

1. The ozone layer is depleting and your body needs shielding from harmful rays.

2. Skin cancer rates are on the rise and sunscreen has been proven to decrease the development of skin cancer.

3. It helps to prevent facial brown spots and skin discolorations.

4. It also helps to reduce the appearance of facial red veins and blotchiness.

5. It slows down the development of wrinkled, premature aging skin.

(More info here) 

Facts: The number of cases diagnosed every year is increasing at near epidemic rates and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. And most skin cancers occur on the face, and can be very disfiguring.

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You wouldn't wanna end up this way right?

Of course there are more than just one reason to be diagnosed with skin cancer, but let me reiterate that sunscreen would certainly lower your chances of getting it.

I've been trying out both the Sun Protect Essence Gel and Sun Protect Essence Milk. Both are pretty much the same, however due to the climate in Singapore and my relatively oily skin, I personally prefer the Gel one as it caters to my needs more.

You just need to squeeze a little and spread it over your entire face (and neck) 

What I like about it:

1) Unlike many other sunscreens, it doesn't feel greasy or sticky after application and it sets as a really nice base for my face make up because of its smooth-finish and due to how fast it blends into my skin.

2) The scent of it is rather pleasant. I hate sunscreens that smell like body lotion... You know those kind that kids use before they swim?!

3) It also contains oriental plans such as Coix Seed (Chinese pearl barley), Melothria, Angelica and Peach leaf which is said to have effects such as increased metabolism, whitening, moisturising, and prevention of skin roughness.

The Sun Protect Essence Milk is best for its waterproof film which ensures that it doesn't rub off with sweat or water, so I guess it's be more suitable for days when you're gonna do vigorous activities.

Coming to my favourite product of the SEKKISEI series, it's the White BB Cream!!!

It's said to give you Perfect coverage in 80 seconds!

Sounds dubious doesn't it? Well, not until you give it a try!

After since I started using tinted moisturisers or really light foundations, I've never really been fond of any BB creams.

1) I feel that they usually end up becoming too fair for my skin. Like it's totally fine when I apply it to my skin, but once I take pictures which flash... The colour between neck and face creates a literal zebra crossing. -_- Foundations can be too yellow at times as well.

2) They can sometimes look too cakey, especially if they are high in coverage.

Can you imagine how surprised I was when I realised how the colour suits my skin so well? They've only two colours, 1) Light natural skin tone and 2) Natural skin tone, and I'm not too sure if they cater to everyone's skin colour, but the one I'm using (natural skin tone) definitely suits me really well.

Blends in quickly, covers my blemishes/redness and it has a whitening effect as well. It also feels moisturising, and it lasts me through the day.

I'm usually out from 9am to 11pm on most days due to school, and by the time I reach home and get rid of my makeup with my cleansing wipes, I could still see a good amount of BB cream being wiped off. Proves how well it stays on. Of course, that's provided if you're not doing a marathon through the day... lol

Not to mention, it has SPF 40/PA+++ so it's pretty much adequate for you to skip the step on the sunscreen in this case.

Just a thin layer and my zits could easily be covered up. Broke out a little on my T-zone area lately, so I thought it was an appropriate timing to show you how well it covers the redness of the zits :p

You could also tell that it covers up my pores pretty well and has a matte finish. Hence, you can skip loose powder if you want to.

One of the best parts is that it's really small in size, so you could pop it in your bag and touch up on your make up anytime throughout the day!

It costs only $39 and I guess it's pretty worth it??? If you were to buy a sunscreen, moisturiser and whitening cream separately, it would've been more expensive than this in total!

Haha, I'm really satisfied! Definitely a must-try. :D

If you're interested to get your own KOSÉ products, here's the piece of good news!

To my first 300 readers/followers, quote my name + screenshot this blog post and show it to any KOSÉ Robinsons (JEM, Orchard, Raffles City) or Isetan (Scotts, Serangoon, Jurong East Katong, Tampines) counter to receive an extra 2pc skincare sample with purchase of any KOSÉ SEKKISEI regular-sized product. (exclude sundries)

Also, in celebration of the award-winning SEKKISEI brand's 30th Anniversary... Regional beauty are searching for a KOSÉ SEKKISEI Cinderella! 

Radiant beauty selected will win $6000 cash and a trip to Japan. *Squeals* 

6 finalists will be battling from 1st May – 31 May. Public voting will start from 1st June and the winner will be announced in July 2014. You may log on at sg.sekkisei-cinderella.com to vote for your favourite Cinderella! Voters get a special rate purchase a 100ml SEKKISEI lotion at $25, instead of the usual $41. Do follow KOSÉ on FB & IG as well.

Best of luck guys! xx