Japanese Cosplay booklets Giveaway (RESULTS)

Sorry for the delay guys, I’ve been so up to my throat with life >.<||| I’m finally here with the results for the Cosplay Booklet Giveaways!

Remember how I showed this picture and asked you to guess who and what is happening in the photo behind the aquarium tank?


Before I reveal the answer, let me reveal the winner. The fact is, nobody got the right answer. But I think you guys deserve the booklets merely for the enthusiasm showed, so I chose the closest answer.


Well, close enough I guess xD

Congratulations to YLing for winning the booklets! Please email me at elpheal @gmail.com and let me know your mailing address and recipient name before 30th November 2012.

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It is Touya Hibiki on top of her luggage XD SO CUTE RIGHT XD?????

The picture is taken during the 2nd day of the Singapore Toy Games and Comics Convention where Touya Hibiki and Kousaka Yun were the special guest. We had the chance to chat with them in their resting lounge and caught her doing this xD

Apparently they had to fly back to japan the very night after the event so they brought their luggages to the event itself to leave straight for the airport. So rushed >o<! As with anyone who has travelled before, you’d know the last few hours before leaving is always a battle with your luggage.



But she was so cute while she packed that we couldn’t resist it and took some pictures xD. Don’t worry, we asked for permission before we snapped away xD I was pretty surprised she allowed us to snap the moment since the Japanese guests are usually very wary and mindful of their image. I guess this goes to show her nonchalant and unabashed personality; in fact, she even tore off the flight sticker from her luggage, crushed them and then casually pushed them into Reiko’s hand saying it’s a gift LOL. (yes that meant we saw her real name too)



And she accidentally slipped off the luggage after this picture. SO CUTE LARHHHHHHHH > //// <!!!!!!!

See??? I told you guys it’s a very normal action and you guys will love the original photos LOL! Comment and tell me how much you hate/envy/is jealous of me right now XD!!!!!!!!

Read my Interview with Touya hibiki & Kousaka Yun here!

Taking care of your Skin AFTER Cosplay

Hi guys~! I hope you enjoyed my last video on “How to prep your skin for Cosplay”. I’m here with a follow up video/entry to talk about how you take care of your skin after Cosplay =)

Learn about how to prepare your skin before cosplay here.

1) Remove all traces of make up

Remove ALL traces of makeup on your face and never go to bed with them! There are many different ways to remove your makeup depending on the makeup remover you use. 

Because cosplay makeup tends to be a lot thicker, I would also repeat the makeup removing motion on my face twice, just to make sure I get everything off.

 

I use Bifesta’s water based cleansing lotion. It feels almost like water but cleans effectively and gently.

And ladies, please don't pull your fake lashes off!! Not only will it potentially hurt your real lashes and spoil your fake lashes , it can also cause premature sagging. The skin around our eyes are very delicate, doing this often can cause premature sagging. 

Yes, I use cheapskate MadeinChina wet wipes that cost a dollar and might give me skin cancer in the future haha =x

To correctly remove fake lashes, pump some of your makeup remover cream/ oil/ solution on a cotton pad then rest it on the eyelid for a few seconds. That should ease the lash off easily. I’m too lazy to use separate Makeup remover products for my lips and eyes (I’m sure my skin will pay for the decision one day …) so I just squeeze Bifesta onto my wet wipes and rest it on my close eyelids.

If you intend to reuse the fake lashes like me (cheap!) , then make sure you remove the glue and clean it nicely. 

2) Cleanse thoroughly but gently 

After you are done removing your makeup, cleanse your skin as usual. Be gentle with it and don't rub or pull your skin too much as that can cause premature sagging too. 

I use Cetaphil’s Gentle skin cleanser. Yes, gentle cleanser even though I have Acne Prone skin. It’s a common misconception that “Acne = dirty skin” and people wash and wash and wash their skin with very strong/harsh foam cleansers. While the idea that pimple grows out of dirt isn’t wrong, over washing your skin can end up encouraging active sebum production. In short, your skin becomes even more oily because it instinctively generates more oil to compensate the dryness. And then you end up having to use an anti-shine product to combat the oiliness =_=

I also like cleaning my face with porous sponges like this. It really helps speeds up the cleansing process and ensures a much cleaner face. A downside of using apparatus like this for washing is their ability to mould. I’ve had bad experiences with the less porous sponges moulding on me within a  few weeks. So now, I poke a hole through the sponge and hang it on a suction hook in the bathroom. Ventilation = doesn’t mould so fast!

 

3) Skin care to follow suit

Pat your face semi dry and proceed to apply your usual skincare to it. Don't worry about the moisture on your face , applying your moisturiser when your skin is damp is actually better because the water will get sealed off by the moisturiser.  

 

4) Exfoliate

You don't necessarily have to do this but it is my belief that frequent exfoliating is crucial to my skin. Accumulation of dead skin is one of the biggest reasons why people get acne and skin care products don't work as well. 

Especially after having a thick layer of foundation on the skin for so long, I believe all the dead skin cells that should have flaked off are still stuck to my face because my foundation has held it back. 

Be careful not to over exfoliate though! I’m currently suffering from what I think is a rash/allergy due to over exfoliating and use of Benzoyl Peroxide so don’t say I didn’t warn you!

 

5) Face masks 

After a long day of thick makeup, and skin scrubbing ( refers to the intensive cleaning routine above) I like to pamper my skin to a face mask session.

After all the cleaning and taking away of natural oils, it's a good time to replenish any depleted moisture with a face mask. I usually remove my makeup and bath as soon as I get home. Then I go around unpacking my stuffs with a face mask on. 

I hope you found this entry useful ! Remember to leave me a comment, like TCC’s FB page, follow me on Twitter and share your skin care tips with me !

(Advertorial) Are you ready to flaunt like a shooting star?

A few months back after the OMY Blog awards, I received an email from a company called Skinhub. They shared with me that they were going to start a Beauty competition soon and invited me to be one of their exclusive blogger.

I won't lie, I thought it was spam :x

I couldn't stop myself from wondering why is a Cosplay Blog invited to be part of a beauty challenge? I mean, Cosplay is so ... Sub culture. Then the representative from Skinhub explained that she sees a connection between the theme of the competition and Cosplay; the readiness to become shining stars.

While I'm not sure if every cosplayer is looking to become the next top model or not, I think I'm not wrong to say most of us are ordinary people trying to do something extraordinary in life. And we happen to choose Cosplay as our mode of expression. 

I don't know about you, but being part of a Beauty competition is pretty extraordinary. I'd say the experience is worthy of a page in a scrapbook =)

By this time you’re probably confused about what I’m saying. Continue reading xD

Beauty Challenge 2012:

Skin Hub and I Models Holdings are collaborating this year to organize this first ever Beauty Challenge 2012 entitled “Be Ready To Flaunt Like A Shooting Star”. We are searching for females and males that are 18-35 who are ready to hit the spotlight, who are willing to take the step of transformation. We are ready to educate and train you to become someone much greater than yourself.

Are you ready to take the first step? Enter this Beauty Challenge 2012 and experience the transformation from head to toe. We are determined to bring out the beauty and confidence in you and show case to the world. You would be able to experience the thrill of endorsing for luxurious brands in advertisement. This is a chance like no other, so be prepare!

Pick up your courage and embark on this exciting transformation with us:

• Professional Photo shoot training
• Grooming and make over training
• Modeling 101

Once you are ready, flaunt like a shooting star:

• Act as an Endorser for famous fragrance & luxury brands
• Appear in Magazine & SMRT Trains

Yes, it is payable application. But as someone who has been a customer of numerous Facial Salons, I'd say this a pretty good deal. Especially since the package includes a Make Over session with professional makeup artist and photographer.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to hard sell anything here and yes I will get a bit of commission. But I advocate doing things only if you feel it is right and good for you.

I think the challenge is a good deal where you get actual facial services and modelling tips on top of a chance to be the face of an advertisement. If you were going to buy a facial package and you already dreamt of being a model then why not ?

Pop over to Skinhub’s website here to register if you’re willing to take the challenge. Registration closes 22nd November. If you make it to the Grand Finals, maybe I'll even get to see you there :D, yes the exclusive bloggers will be attending the Finals. Have fun ^_^!

FantasyQuest 2012 (Fernwoods Garden, Philippines)

A compilation video of the event footage I managed to sneak during Fantasy Quest 2012 (Philippines). It was SUCH a beautiful event, I highly recommend anyone who can join the event to go and join it next year xD !

You might notice the event missed out on a lot of the key events such as the Red Carpet walk, Guest signing and Grand Ball dance etc. Because I was personally involved in the key events I couldn't sneak out to film us =( I do have a lot of exclusive backstage footage with a lot of Yuegene Fay though wahahaha. Anyway, enjoy the compilation video and envy those who were there xD!

How to Prep your skin before Cosplay

I realise a lot of Cosplayers (and I'm talking about experienced cosplayers!) are actually quite clueless when it comes to skin care. It was sometimes horrifying to see or hear how treat their skin. So I decided to do an amateur entry about skin for cosplay. Amateur because I'm not a guru xD 

I'm not a skin guru so this post won't go into the nitty gritties. But I believe I’ve struggled with enough skin problems to at least have a couple of tips to dish. Hope it’s all helpful !

Because this topic is so extensive , I will break them up into parts for better explanation and categorising. This video and blog entry will focus on things to do before you apply make up.

I have combination, sensitive, dry and acne prone skin. Yeah, pretty sucky deal I got dealt with. So all my life, I’ve been struggling with my skin. While I know I haven’t quite conquered my nemesis, I’m happy to say I’ve progressed a lot.

My tips below:

 

1) clean your face and hands

I know it is a given but I still feel the need to highlight this simple step. Especially important is to make sure your hands are clean before you touch your face, which of course, includes applying makeup up to it. 

Our hands are very susceptible to contacting bacteria and germs. If you don't wash your hands before touching your face with it, there is a high chance you could transfer the germs from your hand to your face, resulting in break outs. 

And by clean, I mean cleaning it JUST before applying makeup. Don't clean it 5 minutes before because 5 minutes is enough for you to touch that dusty table or dirty shoe. 

If you are outdoor and have no access to water, try using wet wipes. 

2) Moisturise your skin

Moisturising your skin adequately gives your skin the water it needs. Moisturising your face well before will also make your epidemic layer more supple and less dry so your foundation glides on better. 

One thing to note though, give your skin some time (5 minutes or so depending ) to absorb the moisturiser before applying makeup.  Foundation usually goes badly on wet skin. So never apply makeup to wet skin unless it is recommended by your makeup company.

My favourite hydrating products. Hada Labo Hydrating Lotion (Toner), Arsainte Eco-Therapy Ideal Essence and Hada Labo Moisturer.

• http://elpheal.blogspot.sg/2012/06/review-hada-labo-moisturiser.html
• http://elpheal.blogspot.sg/2012/05/arsainte-eco-therapy-ideal.html

The contents of the blue bottle is actually Hada labo’s SHA Hydrating Lotion and NOT the whitening Lotion. Tried the whitening lotion, didn’t liked it as much as the Hydrating lotion so I went back to the hydrating lotion but reused the whitening bottle LOL.

 

3) Exfoliate your skin regularly 

Dead and dry skin tends to flake and look even more obvious when you apply makeup.

You don't need to exfoliate your skin every single time you do your makeup. But try to get into the habit of exfoliating regularly once a week. Do this before you apply your usual skincare (moisturiser ) and after cleaning your face.  

There are tonnes of exfoliating products in the store but nowadays, I just stick to the gel or aqua based exfoliators because they are more gentle and can be used more frequently. 

You can also DIY your own exfoliate. Pop over to google for some test and tried home remedy recipes. For me, I just mix salt with either my usual facial cleanser, cold cream or olive oil, depending on the state of my skin. I choose salt over sugar because I fear the invasion of Ants in my bathroom.  

Avoid rubbing too hard when you exfoliate and if you are using granular exfoliator like the above, keep to a maximum of twice a week or you might end up damaging of your skin. 

4) keep your make up brushes and sponge clean

For Reasons as point one. But this seems to be one point MANY people don't religiously follow. And because majority of cosplayers tend to go for pressed powder , the cleanliness of their sponge is even more important.

I admit, i don't clean them as much as I ought to.

I usually clean my brushes and sponge with shampoo. This makeup guru on YouTube suggest cleaning with alcohol. I've tried it personally and found it to work miraculously fast but finding affordable alcohol in Singapore is a challenge.

Bottom line , keep your tools clean!

Learn how to make your own Brush Caps here or consider buying a retractable brush to minimise contact with dust =)

5) Lip balm

Flaky lips looks very ew =( It is especially bad when you apply concealer on it for crossdressing purpose, dry concealer on dry lips is not a good idea . So remember to exfoliate your lips regularly, invest in a good lip balm and apply it regularly.

I use Nivea’s Essential Care lip balm.

6) Face Mask

I have combination, dehydrated, sensitive and acne prone skin. I suffered from a really bad allergy reaction before and during that long longgg allergy period, my skin was as dried as sand paper, bumpy, red and itchy. My skin kind of changed forever after that and the effects of a good face mask became very evident to me.

Face Mask is like a sheet of concentrated lifeline that pumps a lot of good stuffs into your skin in the eleventh hour.

Cosplayers who rush costumes and miss out on sleep before their costume debut tend to have very tired looking skin. Face mask helps perks the skin up by pumping moisture into it. Of course, the effects of the mask is dependent on the type and brand.

7) Apply Face Primer

Primer is a base you put after your moisturiser and before your makeup. Depending on the brand, it can help smooth out imperfections,  control oil and allows your makeup to last longer. Some primer also allows your foundation to have a pearl-like effect 

This is not necessary but if you can afford it, try it. 

Daiso has some very affordable base that you can try if you dare. I've personally tried 2 of them and found them relatively good. 

 
Daiso metallic bright up Base. Photo from here

this base creates a shiny metallic/ pearl effect. It's some what sticky which helps the foundation stay on your face longer. I've only used it with powder foundation though. 

This helps a little with smoothing your face, I thinkkkkk.  

E.l.f also has a very affordable primer which serves its purpose well.  It smooths out imperfection and allows your foundation to last longer. A friend of mine experienced break out with this product though. Then again, it is all very dependent on your skin. 

I am using this now; Monistat Chaffing relief powder gel. Hahaha…. go google it! Don’t judge me >//// <!

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I hope you guys enjoyed this entry and learnt something. Remember to leave me a comment, I love reading them ^^!

Tiger and Bunny Movie review

And so, Tiger & Bunny the Movie is now in Singapore! Much thanks to Golden Village for bringing the movie in exclusively ! The website states the movie to be 150 minutes but the actual run was like most Animated movies, only 90 minutes long. The movie is equipped with both Mandarin and English subtitles.

The movie begun with a remake of the first episode of the series which took us aback. Kotetsu appeared in his original Hero suit and exactly like the first episode, He screwed up incredibly bad. 

He soon found his agent company bought over by another company. And he is forced to pair up with an arrogant newbie; Barnaby Brooks Jr. 

Yes, exactly like episode 1.

Fans holding T&B plushie, taking pictures with the poster at Golden Village Vivocity

Thankfully the fun of the original series was a pleasant experience and most of us enjoyed it. My guess is that the producers were trying to cater to both fans and new viewers. 

The story then continues to the enemy that moves statues, same story as the TV Series but this time with a different perspective,  focus and side stories. The progression of the story were obviously sped up which made the bickering dialogue a little rushed but thankfully, no biggie. And the entire theatre got all the jokes even if they were in the background ( Origami Cyclone!!).

And for all the different hero fans out there, you will be happy to find a lot more moments dedicated to each of the heroes. There were so many funny Ivan moments xD !!! And to the Tomoe x Kotetsu fans, you will be happy to find many beautiful scenes of their memories together. I really liked how the producers included Kotetsu’s memories and his promise to Tomoe, it adds a lot more depth to the character and it almost makes you feel his pain.

And of course, no one in the theatre could miss the incredibly sexy (and trolling ) henshin scenes of the different heroes. Yes, the movie had a really high tension ‘SailorMoon-transformation’ moment that showed how the individual heroes changed from their casual wear into their Heroes suit. The mystery of Blue Rose's blue hair is solved !

 
Reiko’s hair done in Kaede style! So cuteee >w<!

The story soon unfolds into an original plot which according to the incrediblybigTigerandBunnyFan Reiko, could be an explanation of Barnaby's sudden shot to stardom in the original TV Series. 

I shall spoil no more and let you enjoy the plot yourself.  All in all, it was a great experience to catch an Anime Movie in the big screens. For me, the companionship found in the crowd was amazing. The movie producers created so many funny moments for the entire cinema to flip over and the roars were astounding! Everyone was just enjoying every moments to bits!

Being the dedicated Blogger I am, I remembered you guys and sneaked some peektures.

 

Remember to catch Tiger & Bunny – The Beginning at your local theatres if it’s showing ^_^ ! Golden Village is screening the movie until 17th October, 7:15pm slot .

Macau Day 3 (Jade Dragon & House of Dancing Water)

Read part 1 of the day here!

Next stop was the much reverend The Venetian Macao! I first read about The Venetian in Kenny Sia's blog and its golden splendour left such a deep impression that my brain has somehow made it synonymous with Macau. Well, along side Portuguese egg tarts that is xD

The beyond amazing ceiling at the main entrance of the resort.

In 2007, the opening of The Venetian Macao was the largest integrated resort of it’s kind in Asia. And It has integrated a full suite of entertainment, shopping and leisure fun.

And these bloggers all walk super fast lah, see? I’m always the last >w<!

Anyway, check out the hotel lobby…

And then the sculptures around O__O

Yes… everything is so gold and shiny it’s almost blinding xD

More kira kira sparkly effect from Lumix GF5  xD. All photos from this trip is taken with the Lumix GF 5!

*Click to continue reading*

 

Check out the high pillars and curved ceiling with intricate trimmings and paintings! And this is still just the Lobby area !!!

The venetian Macao offers more than 1 million square feet of convention and meeting facilities to cater for Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE). Throughout The Venetian macao, guests can dine at more than 30 world-renown restaurants, shop at more than 330 stores in the Shoppes Grand Canal while enjoying peaceful gondola rides and their amazing street performers.

Here’s a pensive looking gondolier! With SPARKLES

And by this time the sparkly scene mode from Lumix GF5 is probably starting to annoy you but mweh, I don’t care. I like it xD!

Our first stop was the Qube adventure zone. The Qube adventure zone is as the name suggests, a place for adventure!

Our innovative activity center offers amazing climbing structures with slides and nets, and more computer games than you could throw a hand controller at.

This 9,000 square-foot (836 sq m) children’s playground features a 6-meter-high multi-climbing facility with a free fall slide, rainbow slides, a V-Net bridge, over and under barriers, zig-zag net climbers and more.

The Qube is designed to offer more than just great fun. It’s also a tool for personal development to boost children’s abilities and confidence.

Teenagers can get on the computers to access the internet, play video games or shoot some pool. And for those celebrating a birthday, the holidays or any other special occasion, kids of all ages can throw their own parties in one of the two themed party rooms at Qube.

It is basically a big playground for young children. The rates start from MOP/HKD 90.  

Strangely, the kids aren't the only ones enjoying the facilities. Look at these bloggers! They are really … *face palms* I think they are happier than the kids xD

And you would never guess this, outside the Cube was a wall of GASHAPON MACHINES !!!

Ok ok. It's no big deal if it's just Gashapon Machine. I've seen plenty to be nonchalant.

But I spotted a NYANKO SENSEI GASHAPON and HOMG THAT'S IT!

The team from OMY.sg kept teasing and fanning me to buy more >w< And then they instagram-ed me >0<?!

Each turn at the Gashapon machine cost only HK$10! Which is equivalent to around $1.70 SGD! So much cheaper than the exorbitant price of at least $3 in Singapore ! And it's Nyanko Sensei >m<!!!

After the crazy Gashapon turning and money burning, it's off to the freezing Ice World!

Knowing how afraid of the cold I am, I went to change into an additional pair of opaque tights. Liz Lisa cardigan with pink Daiso leg warmers because I'm that scared of the cold xD

Thankfully Winter jackets were provided otherwise I might have died inside xD

Entrance ticket to the Ice World is priced at MOP/HKD100 per person (exhibition until 16 September 2012). The Venetian Macao’s Ice World this year has ten themed zones full of stunning new carvings. Famous landmarks from across Asia, enchanted Fairytale forest and Double Dragon slide are some of the highlights.

And into the winter wonderland we go!   The Imperial Palace in China!

The maze which was pretty difficult to get lost =x

The exhibition this year has many landmarks from Asia and here's our very own Merlion! I may be smiling but HOMG , I really just wanted to get out of the place because it’s just too cold for me T___T

The very fast and exciting Double Dragon Slide! Most of us had a go at it and Sakura Ai was the only one to get stuck halfway XD!!! And she was stuck for 3 times straight! hahahhaha!

Snow dogs and sledge!

The Music zone! This zone showcases the drum set, piano and organ, all encased in ICE!

Yiwei plays the piano here and we were surprised to hear the Piano make a sound! Those things really work! I’m not sure if the Organ and Drum sets worked as well because I was highly distracted by the fact that the exit was just 2 meters away. After taking a few obligatory photos like the responsible Blogger I am,  I dashed out of the exhibition and thawed in the Cloakroom area totally knocked-out.

After the freezing experience at the Ice World, I was more than ready for dinner. 

Next stop was City of Dreams!

When I first saw our travel itinerary and saw ”City of Dreams” I was like “what O_o? Is this a hotel or a museum or a theater show ?”. Turns out City of dreams is quite literally, a small ‘City’ by itself.

City of Dreams (新濠天地) is a property along the Cotai Strip in the Cotai reclamation area in Macau built, owned and managed by Melco Crown Entertainment. City of Dreams is Melco's second mega-sized property in Macau. It is located directly opposite The Venetian Macao.

City of Dreams, is in the style of a podium, with four towers: namely the Hard Rock Hotel, Crown Towers Hotel, and the Grand Hyatt Macau (2 towers). Its three-floor podium includes a mega-casino, over 200 shopping facilities and hotel guest facilities.

And the evening turned out to be quite a dream!

Hard Rock Hotel was our firsts top in City of Dreams because this is where our dinner restaurant is!

Camwhore while walking! There were huge mirrors randomly lounging around the corridors.

Very awe inspiring dragon statue inside the hotel. The statue is probably around 2 levels high with interchanging coloured light.

And then we reach Jade Dragon.

A Chinese culinary masterpiece, Jade Dragon features exquisite, innovative Cantonese cuisine crafted by Chef Tam Kwok Fung and his team using the finest seasonal ingredients and the rarest Chinese delicacies. With enchanting views of Cotai and personalized services, this Chinese restaurant sets the benchmark for fine dining in Macau.

Like how the official webpage describes the restaurant, Jade Dragon can only be appropriately described with ‘exquisite’ and a restaurant that is dressed to impress. Check out the entrance area.

We came out from those lifts. Imagine the grandeur of our arrival LOL! *Atas*

Yes. Jade Dragon statues and a long stretch of traditional Chinese Medical drawers. Impressive is not enough to describe this place… and we haven’t even entered yet!

They even had this super pretty lady to welcome the restaurant patrons in! She was standing so beautifully poise and intricately dressed to theme I had to stop myself from gawking. I was like ‘ da*m, is this lady a superstar or something?!’ .

And I know I’m not the only one because Valyn and Sakurai both went up to take photos of her too. In this picture above Valyn is taking a picture of the lady’s hair accessories.
 

Jade Dragon invites it’s patron into the restaurant with an open concept, glass encased kitchen. Very unique and rare to see of Chinese restaurants much less fine dining restaurants.

We were ushered into a private room reserved just for us. Seriously, who would have thought blogging would bring me here oAo?!

  According to Stephanie from City of Dreams, the intricate wall paintings seen around the room were all hand painted. This particular mural stretches all the way to the ceiling.

Sharing the table with me was Iris, Sakura Haruka, Willy, Valyn and Sau Jun!

Have you ever seen a chopstick holder made out of real Jade? Here’s one  

The black chopsticks are for personal use and the white pair is for communal use; like when you use it to scoop the food from the main plate to your own plate. Hygiene much !

Jade Dragon’s Menu. A dragon is symbolically embroidered onto it with a piece of jade for it’s eye. Yes a real piece of jade. We were told that the cutleries used for this meal collectively cost MOP $10,000 !!! That’s like SGD$1666! I wonder what happens if someone decides to slip something home…

I know you guys are probably hungry right now. Here, look at what we had for dinner =)

Our appetiser. Scallop with fruit pudding and diced strawberry. The fruit pudding was pure heaven to me. I love zesty citrus flavours and the pudding was this perfect flavour of Pomelo and maybe a little bit of orange. The consistency of the pudding wasn’t too firm nor was it too gooey; it was a soft but firm gel like consistency. I’m not a particularly big fan of scallop but I was amazed at how well these 2 ingredients match up! I almost couldn’t bear to finish it but the next dish was already served….

The 2nd dish to be served was this trio. Deep-fried Fine de Claire Oyster, Jade Dragon Prime-Cut Iberico Barbecue Pork and Deep-fried Bean Curd with Chilli and Salt.

Being placed in the centre, you know this beautifully barbecued piece of meat is the diva. Not only is it Prime-Cut Iberico Pork which is famous for their exceptional texture, it is also barbequed with, get it,  not just any wood but LYCHEE WOOD! A highly skilled chef with some of the finest ingredients can only produce exceptional indulgence like these. This is also the one piece of meat every blogger was craving for when we came back.

For someone who don’t like the fishy smell of Oysters, I’d say the chef did a pretty good job masking and seasoning it.

But the fried beancurd has got to be the biggest surprise. It was so soft and dense and simple and nice! It felt like the beancurd had been marinated for hours before it was gently fried. When you munch into it, you barely feel the resistance of the crispy skin. The softness and intense flavour of the tofu inside made me felt like crying . You mean this is what the rich people had been eating all along?! Da*m! this is just a tofu! Why does it taste so different from the ones at home?!??!!  NOT FAIR LAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

 

The entire restaurant also employs an ‘open window’ concept for diners to enjoy the beautiful Macau scenery while they dine.

Camwhore to prove that i was really there!

The 3rd dish was the Hot and Sour Soup with Hairy Crab meat.  A peppery hot and slightly sour soup with shredded hairy crab meat and a soft boiled egg on top. Helps open up the appetite!

Then it was Lychee Wood Roasted Goose!! Ah~ This is one dish that taste as good as it looks. Nicely flavoured and slightly smoky with a hint of lychee aroma. The skin is crispy and waxy, I don’t know if that makes sense but that’s pretty much how it felt like.

The 4th dish was fish! Steamed Green Garoupa with Egg White in “Hua Diao'” Wine Sauce.  Very little seasoning was used in this dish to accentuate the freshness of the fish. I would prefer a bit more salt but that’s probably just me. Check out the intricate silver ware!

The next dish was a Plum Wine sorbet. Apparently this little baby is not even considered a dish, it’s just something to cleanse our palate and it was very nice T____T richpeoplewaijoosogoodlifeeeeeeeee 

Stir-fried Prawns with Lobster Bisque (2 head) . Very very crunchy Prawn ‘dumpling’ that is made out of 2 Tiger prawns. I don’t know how they managed to intertwine the 2 tiger prawns together to make it look like 1 circular prawn dumpling but it looks pretty cool doesn’t it? 
We didn’t get the name of this dish but it’s some sort of blanched vegetables with a very thing slice of, if I’m not wrong, Dry-cured Ham (JinHua Ham). I think it’s another palate cleansing dish.

And finally came the carbohydrates. Jade Dragon’s Signature Fried Rice with Prawn, Sakura Shrimp, Conpoy and Goose. This little pot of fried rice was very intensely flavoured with the usage of dried Sakura shrimps and prawn. The side ingredients mixed in with the rice was abundant and every scoop was a nice mix of rice and meat. Very fragrant *_*

THEN IT WAS TIME FOR DESSERTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jade Dragon prepared the Petit Fours Selection for us and it consists of…

French Macaroons with Durian fillings

Chocolate sprinkled with soy bean powder.

This was DA BOMB! Rich, dense, aromatic and not too sweet describes this little confectionery best. Coupled with the nutty flavour of the Soy Bean powder makes for a very luxurious piece of chocolate. Think of it like chocolate fudge minus the diabetic sweetness.

Handmade Mango & Cherry sweets

Handmade Milk Tea & Black Sesame Ice Cream

I really liked this one too. I’m a fan of Milk Tea and I’ve never seen it as an ice cream before. It was such a nice, smooth and subtle flavour XD

After the fabulous dinner so generously sponsored by Jade Dragon, it was a mad rush to the theatre! It was so rushed we were stuffing the ice creams into our mouth while we ran LOL *gluttons*

It was time for “ The House of Dancing Water” !

“The House of Dancing Water” is a truly unique show in every sense. Following five years of development, two years of rehearsal, and with production investment running at over HKD2 billion (USD250 million), this incredible production has become the iconic entertainment centerpiece of City of Dreams and is deservedly garnering a growing international reputation as one of the most innovative and awe-inspiring productions to be staged anywhere in the world.

Envisioned by Mr. Lawrence Ho, Co-Chairman and CEO of Melco Crown Entertainment, and personally created and directed by the world's greatest showmaker Mr. Franco Dragone, “The House of Dancing Water” is a creative masterpiece blending the best of the best entertainment elements from both East and West. A never-been-seen-before production that combines theater, dance, gymnastic artistry and high-performance diving, all of which push the physical boundaries of human performance and which leave audiences amazed and astounded.

 

The House of Dancing Water is the world’s largest and most spectacular water-based show. Costing over USD250 Million to put together, the show is a world-class production exclusive to Macau.

The show is performed by a superb cast of approximately 80 international performance artists and approximately 160 world-class production staff, technicians and professional divers from more than 25 countries around the world.

The Dark Queen descends!

The hanging cabaret! Such a spectacular sight!

The entire set suddenly turned into such a sparkly world!!!! so pretty!

The stage became a swimming pool and fountain!

Sigh, isn’t it just spectacular? The moveable stage and excellent combination of all the performer’s abilities really puts this world-class production at the top. I must also note that the cinematography design of the show was also breath taking. Every scene was well thought out and executed while every sight was a sight to marvel.

Everything that my eyes took it was like a piece of beauty artwork…. it was so breath taking >w<! I highly recommend anyone going Macau to check out this production!

Took a camwhore with the super lovely Iris from Macau Tourist Office. She had been such a dear the entire trip haha!

Willy deciding whether to buy the “House of Dancing Water” collectibles xD Here he is, seeking everyone’s opinion to buy or not xD

The interior of the Hard Rock Hotel. Shot this while we were on our way out and back to the hotel.

Sneaked a moment to Camwhore with the huge mirrors in the hotel again xD

Speedy camwhore (again!) in the hotel before I remove my makeup and bath and waited for Rinka to visit me in my hotel room >w<!  Really liked how the triple flick eyeliner style worked. Yessss, I am wearing a bathing cap Was about to bath before I decided to camwhore LOL

Look at what this lovely girl brought me!

Tiramisu, Cream puffs, egg pudding inside an egg and tonnes of Vietnamese Kuehs XD It was way too much food for 2 girls but I guess it just shows how much love and thought she put into it

She even gave me a fishbone keychain and a Llama earephone lug xD *hugs Rinka* XD

A while ago, a fellow Cosplay friend asked me if I ever felt like Cosplay is something I shouldn’t have started. While many sacrifices were made for this hobby and I won’t lie, the journey of a cosplayer can be very lonely and tough. But when I look back, I realise there were a lot more smiles than tears. I count my blessings and am thankful for all the wonderful people I befriended through this hobby.

After such a long entry… I just want to say it was an awesome awesome day and it was all thanks to OMY.sg and Macau Government Tourist Office. I’m definitely counting my blessings =)