Author: plingthinks

Beauty-Pati.com // Review of ASTALIFT Skincare

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To be absolutely honest, I have not come across ASTALIFT till I had to head for appointments in ION Orchard previously. I passed by their retail shop but didn’t get a chance to walk in. It wasn’t until I was handed a trial kit of ASTALIFT that I came into skin contact (pun intended) with this anti-aging skincare. Having won numerous awards in Japan and Singapore, I was surprised that I didn’t discover this brand earlier. Now, I can safely say that I’m a convert of some of their key products, seeing how they make my skin look more supple. Friends even commented that I looked more radiant. They thought that I have had more sleep. But I knew the only thing that had changed during that 1 week was that I was trying out the sample-sized products in the ASTALIFT Trial Kit. I especially love their cleanser, which smells like a walk in an English rose garden. Before I reveal more on this post, please head over to Beauty-Pati.com to read the full review. …

Beauty-Pati.com // From Office to Date in Minutes

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This is a Valentine’s Day special, but it does apply to any day that you need to scoot off from the office to that important date with your beau. Without inconveniencing other users of the same office restroom (read: your colleagues and even your boss), you can look fresh, ravishing but not overly made-up (read: trying too hard) to wow your date. These tips focus on looking natural, smelling great and bringing out accents that are uniquely WOMAN. You can also follow Beauty-Pati on their Facebook Page or Instagram. Don’t miss out on their fabulous giveaways!

Beauty-Pati.com // Chic Red Lipsticks for Asian Skin

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I’m feeling excited and honored that I have been invited to contribute to this new website, Beauty-Pati.com. As the name suggests, this website aims to excite its readers with the latest makeup trends and the hottest beauty reviews. It will be dispensing sound beauty tips, presenting the dos and don’ts for body care, and inspiring your next nail art. This is my first article – Chic Red Lipsticks for Asian Skin. We all know how siren red lipsticks are always going to be in. It’s even more so this year. But it’s always challenging for Asian skin to find a suitable red lipstick that is not going to make us look like we stepped out of a Teochew wayang, or way beyond our age. We want the chicness and grace that Parisian ladies exude when they don their red lippies, so I decided to investigate! You can also follow Beauty-Pati on their Facebook Page or Instagram. Don’t miss out on their fabulous giveaways!

Sagano-Yu Cafe Style Resort // After Arashiyama and Bamboo Groves

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Experience a quick escape from the bustle of Kyoto at Sagano-Yu Cafe 嵯峨野湯, a public bathhouse turned cafe. Located just a short walk from Tenryu-ji and the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, this charming cafe offers a serene atmosphere perfect for coffee, tea, and a respite for tired feet.

Shirakawa Gion // Kyoto’s Most Beautiful Street

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If you are a traveler from overseas on a tour group, tour guides might skip this part of Kyoto and head straight to the busy hub of Gion (祇園) for shopping and . Dubbed by locals as Kyoto’s most beautiful street, Shirakawa (白川) is a few minutes’ walk from central Gion and the Hanamichi (花道小路) area. It is off the beaten path, and there seemed to be no sight of other tourists when we visited it. The street runs into a Y-shape, with a little shrine situated at the intersection. This little red shrine, like the Yasaka Shrine, was frequented by geishas (芸者) living in that area. And by our lucky stars, we caught a happy couple taking their wedding photos at this picturesque place just when we reached it. A babbling stream runs through this street with shops, restaurants and tea houses lining one side of it. On the other side, you see willow trees, cherry blossom trees, and Japanese maple trees. The majestic willow trees were indeed a sight. Their long strings of …

Hisago // The Best Oyako-Don I Have Ever Tasted

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Frankly, I didn’t know what to expect when I decided to locate Hisago (ひさご) in Kyoto, Japan. We definitely did not expect to see such a long queue outside the restaurant, not when the restaurant opens at 11.30am for lunch. It’s off the usual track for most travelers, and pretty out of the way. That is why we didn’t think many would go to the trouble of finding this place. Since we finished early at our previous visit to Kiyomizudera 清水寺, we decided to take a leisurely walk exploring some really old streets and houses. We reached Hisago (ひさご) at about 11am. Somehow, you know you have stumbled upon an excellent place to eat when you see Japanese of different ages in the queue – young, families with toddlers, elderly folk, groups of teenagers, and of course, tourists from different countries. I heard Taiwanese, French, Thai, Korean, English and Chinese while I stood in queue with the rest. Our curiosity piqued with more and more joining the queue. Many times, we contemplated abandoning the queue …

Shopping in Gion // Buys that are uniquely Kyoto

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One place that no tourist would miss in Kyoto is spending an evening in Gion (祇園) – a place best known as the district where geishas reside, entertain, wait to be ‘rescued’ by their patrons, and where maikos learn their art while serving the needs of their bigger sisters. And if you have read or watched ‘Memoirs of the Geisha’, a visit to Gion must be in the cards. There is much to do here – shopping for scarves and superbly made canvas totes, having , exploring the most beautiful street in Kyoto near the babbling brook of Shirakawa (白川), and watching the sunset over Gion Shrine (八坂神社 / 祇園神社). To leisurely enjoy the sights and experiences that Gion has to offer, I would suggest heading to Gion in late afternoon to get some shopping done, and then enjoy a stroll to catch the sun setting over Shirakawa and Gion Shrine, before dinner at one of those nostalgic restaurants along Hanamichi which will bring you back in time. Shopping – Kimono, Yōjiya, Scarves, Purses, Canvas …

Yuzu Ramen at Eitaro // Hidden Gem in Kyoto, Shijo

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Did I share that I simply love the taste of yuzu (ゆず、柚子) ? From yuzu vinegar to yuzu fruit, yuzu sake to yuzu cakes, I’ve tried it all! Naturally, when I hear that there is a shop in Kyoto serving yuzu ramen, I had to go try. I was already imagining how such disparate flavors would combine – one is obviously a fruit! I arrived at Eitaro (英多朗) at 11am, when the shop opens and way before the lunch crowd hits. The shop exterior is not eye-catching and one could have easily missed it. So, here’s a picture to help. Eitaro is a small ramen shop and does not have a lot of seats, so it was good to get there early. Of course, I ordered the yuzu ramen (ゆずラメン) at ¥700 (approximately S$9 – S$10). When the bowl of piping hot noodles was served, the refreshing whiff of the citrus fruit  greeted me first before the fragrant chicken broth started mingling with its fruity accent. You can either squeeze the mini yuzu fruit or …

Fushimi Inari Shrine // Senbon Torii

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If you have been a fan of Japanese animation films, you’ll be familiar with images of foxes often appearing as mystical messengers. But that’s the not reason why Fushimi Inari Shrine (伏見稲荷大社 Fushimi Inari Taisha) attracted me and many visitors from afar. Located just 2 stations away from Kyoto Station at the JR Inari Station, this shrine housed the famed and flaming red torii gates (鳥居) in the thousands all the way up the Inari mountain (稲荷山), promising a sight not to be missed. That’s how this sight got its name – Senbon Torii (千本鳥居), literally meaning thousands of torii gates. But, before we get to that… On a beautiful autumn day, we arrive at the entrance of Fushimi Inari Shrine, where young Japnese maple trees lined the avenue against clear blue skies and the Inari Mountain in the background. There are 2 torii gates at the entrance, with the one located at the end of this avenue being the larger one. It was a good day – lots of sunshine, a cool temperature, and …

Nijo Castle // 二条城

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Nijo Castle (二条城) is the first castle I visited in Japan. Situated in Kyoto, this Castle is famed for its “nightingale floors” (鴬張りuguisubari) found in the corridors of Ninomaru Palace (二の丸御殿 Ninomaru goten) – a National Treasure that one has got to see, and in this instance, hear in order to experience how it must have been like to live in the 16th century where shoguns ruled the day. The Castle was built upon the order of the 1st Tokugawa shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616) in 1603. It was completed during the reign of the 3rd shogun, Iemitsu, in 1626. The Castle served as the Tokugawa shogunate’s center of power in Kyoto. Teamed with the dramatic, stormy skies that day, Nijo Castle appeared like it came right out of a samurai movie. I could almost envision ninjas darting across roofs in a silent attempt to assassinate some officials. This white building, found at the corners of the Nijo Castle, is probably where guards would station themselves to look out for possible attacks. A wide moat surrounds …