Frank Ocean/Tame Impala

We're a week + 1 day into the new year and I hope everyone still feeling fresh and new! Never mind if the weather's kinda crazy these days. (It never behaves the way we want it anyway, no?)

As we move further and further away from the beloved 2012, the cool quotient of things discovered in 2012 plummets faster than you can say 'last year' and fades into a dark oblivion, until someone else points it out and make you realize, oh, I really did miss out on some really good things in 2012 huh? This lag normally takes a good 6 months to culminate but I'm feeling it right now, 8 days into the new year. 

I first heard Frank Ocean's Channel Orange someday in  2012 and didn't thought much of it. When it came out tops in many of the "Album of the Year" lists, I gave the album a second spin and finally understood why it's good. Channel Orange sounds like a more subdued and minimalistic version of Neptune's sleek jams and riches that once dominated airwaves circa 2003-2004. If the R&B of those years were an endless MTV of luxurious lifestyle of champagne and candy girls, the first half of Channel Orange exists as an honest introspection to the vanity and emptiness of the obscenely rich (Sweet Life, Super Rich Kids, Sierra Leone) while the second half laces the usual drugs, sex and a stinging heart with references to really spiritual stuff (Monk, Bad Religion, White). Whoa pretty deep there isn't it. Impressive or what? Great story-telling matched with a great, great voice. 

Tame Impala's Lonerism ranks high in 2012's lists and I'd recommend "Elephant". I'm not a big fan of the rest of their songs but Elephant gets my feet tapping all the time! Forgive me for saying this but I think the lead singer sounds like John Lennon. I always imagine the Beatles jamming to this tune in their preppy suits, which is funny, 'cos unless the Beatles are floating in space, the image really doesn't go with Lonerism's psychedelic soundscapes. 

Listen to Channel Orange here and Lonerism here.

Tiffany♫

Hair care update: Garnier Neril Anti-dandruff shampoo saves the day!

Last July, I wrote a post about my dandruff problem and a possible shampoo that I thought would solve my problem. The Dermaveen Oatmeal shampoo, albeit super-duper nice smelling and left my hair light and clean, did not solve the problem. I continued to have dry flakes, mostly concentrating on the top of my skull and forehead.

But now, about 6 months later, I come back with some good news. I have possibly found a shampoo worth raving about for my scalp condition. I don't suffer from an overly oily scalp and I would say I have a 'combination-type' scalp. It is occasionally more oily and on some days it is dry (and gets even flakier). I have been using this particular shampoo for a few months now and am onto my second bottle. To tell the truth, it works. My hair is (I would say) more than 90% clear of dandruff (not that I had a severe problem in the first place).

My miracle shampoo is....(cues drumroll)...

The Garnier Neril hair treatment SHAMPOO ANTI-DANDRUFF shield in frequent usage.

The shampoo comes in a 200ml bottle, quite little for a frequent-wash shampoo, but I guess it adds to the credibility and pow-wow factor. It surprisingly lathers quite easily and has a slightly medicated scent to it. It does not, however, leave me with the most luxuriously silky hair but nothing a little conditioner won't fix! Now that my scalp is much more stable, I tend to deviate shampoos once every two days (so I don't use it up as fast!).

It comes also in a tonic form to up the game to the next level. Garnier Neril also does a hair fall series so don't get mixed up by the similar packaging!

I'm so glad to have chanced upon it while browsing through the Venus Beauty nearby, and purchased it at SGD5.50 for a 200ml bottle. If you're in Singapore, and want to try it, check it out at the various supermarkets/Watson's/Guardian/Venus Beauty!

Hope this helps!

cheers,
HL

Good Morning!

Good morning! Sundays are great for pancakes with really liberal amounts of berries and syrup. 

Have a sweet, sweet day!

Tiffany ☀

LC-A Korea

Taken with LC-A/Lomography CN400

Spent a good 9 days with the family in Korea and I thereby conclude that I'll never travel in winter again. My tropical body just can't take the cold! I reached a new level of sloth by relying mostly on the LC-A throughout the trip, simply because it was just wayyyy to hard to adjust lenses and settings on the DSLR with gloves! Thankfully, the pictures on film turned out to be more amazing than it could ever be.

For film of choice, I used Lomo's Color Negative 400. The bluish tint of the film gave a very nice contrast against the frost and accentuated the blueness of the sky. The richness in color could also be a result of the very vacation-friendly LC-A - the camera is the King of Vignettes! All in all, I think it's great film to use, especially if you like your pictures bright and blue. Really happy with the photos :)

Tiffany☃

Drinks on me

Hand-dripped Latte at Alice&Dorothy (Hongdae/Seoul)

Drinks at Maison Ikkoku 

Tea (& new specs!) at Henry Congressional on it's last day of operation

Happy new year lovelies! Sorry for the short hiatus. The whole of December was split between exams, birthday preparations for my man and a long, snowy holiday in Korea. 

1) 

Korea has a really strong coffee-drinking culture. There are so many coffee houses everywhere in the city! It's been said that Alice&Dorothy has the best hand-dripped coffee in Seoul.....but I was pretty disappointed. Which was such a waste since it's such a nice little cafe! A more detailed post up soon!

2)

Had a drink at Maison Ikkoku on new year's eve before heading out for the annual firework outing. I really like that place. It could be the false sense of intimacy that the no-menu principle brings - the bartender concocts a unique blend according to your tastes and safe to say, the drinks were really palatable. Or, it could be the odd emptiness during my hour of visit, or the dim lighting that seemed perfect for a little swirl of the wine glass and candidness.

3)

2012 was the year I learnt to drink tea. I thank the English weather for leading me down that path and pssst, i'll make a little confession - I'll pick tea over coffee anytime. I hope to be drinking tea (or coffee) with more people this year! 

Getting my blogging momentum back!

Tiffany ✌