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A few lovely months ago, I was invited by the Singapore Polytechnic to share my entrepreneurial journey with some like-minded folks at their 55@SP Entrepreneurship & Industry Talk . The talk centres on the ‘Journey of Starting Up’, from working on business plans to marketing and producing a prototype. Basically, the whole entrepreneurial roller coaster ride. I was very grateful for the honour and privilege of sharing my business adventures with the SP students, alumnus, staff and also industry guests. It was a humbling experience hearing all the inspirational success stories from the participants too. I can’t believe it’s been more than a year since I started Honeyz Cube . What a journey! It hasn’t been easy but you can bet your bottom dollar that we’ll keep working hard to make this beauty world a better place! Yay! Anyway, click to check out the photos from the event and a video of the presentation I made. The actual introductory slide – From Wake Up to Make Up – The Honeyz Cube Story The presentation. 🙂 Haha! I think you might have noticed that I was pretty nervous and the broken mic and pointer really didn’t help. I lose my train of thought whenever they fail to function properly. Urgh! But I thought it still went pretty well. Check out the photos! The talk was also graced by successful serial entrepreneur Nicholas Chan who dispensed his valuable and useful business knowledge during his segment. After the talk, I was also presented a host of questions by the participants about starting a business in Singapore and finding a good reliable team. Guests were asking questions like ‘So how did you manage to find such good teammates like Alex and Yong Thye?’ Honestly, I was surprised that they even remembered their names. This means they were really listening to my stories. Haha! Anyway, I was glad I could be of some help to these aspiring entrepreneurs! 😀 The folks at SP also extended their appreciation with this lovely hamper of products by SP students. Yup, the flavors and formulations were actually invented by their talented students! To find out more about SP’s upcoming business seminars and workshops, you can visit their site here –  http://www.sp.edu.sg/wps/portal/vp-spws/spws.org.medrm.calendar Can’t thank my brother, mommy and fiancé enough for attending the event and capturing every pivotal moment of the presentation. We also gave these mini Honeyz Cube goodie bags to the attendees as souvenirs! The goodie bag includes MVNE and JUJU samples as well as nail polish vouchers proudly sponsored by BeautyDirect.sg and Jacqueline Burchell ! Win these goodie bags! I’ll be giving away two of these Honeyz Cube mini goodie bags to two lucky belles. All you have to do is to follow the simple steps on the widget below: Psst! Follow me on instagram @ilovebunnynet for brownie points! Thank you for your unwavering support, belles! Muuuaaah! :* Please continue to watch this space for more exciting content about beauty, fashion and vacays! Your friend, Juliana #BeautyDirect #personaldevelopment #JacquelineBurchell #contest #FacebookGiveaway #HoneyzCube #lifestyle

Advertorial Have you ever thought that someone is Singaporean and then realized that they’re actually not? I have and these days, it is beginning to surprise me less. Singapore is famed for its unique blend of cultures and recently, our melting pot seemed to have gotten bigger. As of last year, our population is made up of 70% local residents and 30% foreigners. Haha! If you’re wondering why I’m diverting from my usual beauty posts, it’s because I’ve just caught the “Together, we can make it better” clip on TV and the feature actually made me realised that our close-knit multi-cultural community is our little island’s most valuable resource. How many countries actually have that? Unfamiliarity does not scare us at all. In fact, I’ve foreign friends who can speak perfect Singlish and even my granny has recently picked up English and Bahasa Indonesian from our helper. Amazing isn’t it? To be honest, the TVC also stirred up my emotions and here’s why… First, please say hello to Yani! And we go way back! Haha! 3.5 years to be exact. 🙂 On paper, she’s our domestic helper from Indonesia but in our hearts, she’s our friend, sister and family. Yani moved to Singapore all the way from a small kampong in Lumpung Indonesia when she was 22 – an age where most girls have probably just finished university and enjoying the peak of their youth. Yet, this (brave) young woman had to leave her loved ones and seek work in an unfamiliar land in order to support her family of four. I remember when she arrived, she was shy and couldn’t speak a word of English. Nonetheless, she always made sure granny was well taken care of, the house was spick-and-span and our tummies were never hungry. Haha! Unfortunately, due to language barriers, we could never communicate more than just a smile or a few barely understandable body gestures. Then Yani started keeping a notebook with her and constantly taking down notes all the time. I was wondering what she was keeping track of until I saw her little book of Han Yu Pin Yin (a system of romanized spelling for the Chinese language) scribbles one day. She was trying to pick up our language! She would stay up late every night to revise her notes but still made sure she woke up early in time to accompany Granny on her daily walks. It wasn’t an easy journey but impressively, she mastered the language and could understand and speak Chinese and Hokkien well in one year. Amazing eh? Suddenly, we could understand all her thoughts as well as her reason for learning the language. She said she felt very much at home and wanted to joke and laugh with us during dinners just like any of us. She also wanted to make sure she could understand Granny better so she can respond to her needs more quickly. However, her time is Singapore has not always been a bed of roses. One time, during one of her regular checkups, she was diagnosed with a rather life-threatening illness. Her contract was almost up then and I remember the agency which introduced us kept insisting that we should send her back to Indonesia ‘to avoid any losses’. We knew that replacing her would be more ‘convenient for everyone’ but we just couldn’t bring ourselves to do it. We were worried that the treatments in her village may not be adequate and she may even lose her life if she goes back. So my family made the most “financially unsound” decision (according to the agency and people around us) by extending her contract and taking care of her hospital bills for the next few months. And guess what? She eventually recovered. Woo hoo! This incident also brought us closer. These days, we’re even talking about visiting her hometown, starting a business together and even helping her prepare her future wedding. Sometimes we even forget that she is from a different country and culture. Yani feels just like family. Typing this made me miss her cold tofu salad and corn soup already. Haha! Who ever said that nationality, cultural, linguistic differences can hinder a friendship? 🙂 Well, if you’ve been following my wedding posts, you would have noticed that my husband is also not local. He’s from the UK and he too has his own account of how cultural nuances have not impacted his friendship with fellow Singaporeans. And here’s his story, “It felt like it was just yesterday that I started medical school in London, but in fact it was 17 years ago. It was the first time I had the opportunity to mingle with an international crowd. I remember a rather enthusiastic bunch of people in my first year, with a strong work hard and play hard ethic, the only people who would run out at the first sight of snow while the rest of us would look on from the warmth of the fireplace, they were the Singaporean students. I became good friends with quite a few Singaporeans and we stayed in touch even after graduation, especially as I started to travel the globe and expand my horizons. In 2010 I reached a turning point. Having completed my specialist training in General Practice, I could have stayed in the same place, in the same job and town for the rest of my life. But I knew that wasn’t for me, there was too much to see and do around the world. As I cast my sights overseas, Singapore once again came to mind. A friendly, sunny, English speaking country where I could continue to care for people while also enjoying the best of east meets west. All it took was a few phone calls and informal chats with the right people and before I knew it, I was in Singapore. I was welcomed by my old friends who went out of their way to show me the best of the local sights, sounds and tastes. In addition to my friends, my new colleagues also gave me a very warm welcome. Working in a polyclinic, I was fortunate to see the true diversity of Singaporean culture and society. Understandably there were language barriers and even cultural barriers at times, but the kind nature of people here ensured that I never felt like an outcast. Soon I started to pick up local slang, Singlish and even some phrases from different dialects. With an amazing team who have embraced me and my ideas, I have been able to implement various measures to improve patient care in the polyclinic. I was humbled the moment my personal achievements were acknowledged and I was awarded the Excellence in Action Award last year. In a way, I had never experienced so much attention before both at work and at play. Every weekend I had new friends wanting to meet up and through them I made even more friends. My social life had never been so busy. It really made me feel special, and with time these new friends have become great friends. Friends who have helped me move home and find my current one, friends who have gone out of their way to help receive all the things I shipped from the UK as I was unable to leave work, friends who helped me open my bank account here, set up my cable TV and mobile phone, set up my electricity and water supply, you name it, they helped me with it! On Saturday 29th October 2011, I met someone who would change the course of my life forever. I was at a friend’s Halloween party and spotted what appeared to be the Statue of Liberty. An amazing woman, intelligent and extremely witty, we clicked as if we had always been best friends. Her name was Juliana Chong. In 2013, with the help of my Singaporean friends, this amazing woman became my fiancée. My friends were now no longer just friends, they were my brothers! They were there as I got engaged, they were there to endure the torment of the gatecrash and they were there the moment I became a happily married man in November last year. Married to the most amazing wife, surrounded by the best friends, life has never been so good. There is a saying where I come from, home is where the heart is and my heart is now firmly in Singapore.”  – Bobby Aww… That is extremely sweet of you, B. 🙂 Well guys, as you can see, a friendship can be forged under any kind of circumstance, regardless of nationality, language or culture. All it takes is the first step! 😀 Together, we can make it better! Have you broken boundaries and formed lasting friendships too? Let me know by commenting below! Your friend, Juliana #advertorial #Personalmusings

The post you’ve been waiting for is finally here! My apologies that it took so long as I’ve been totally swamped with wedding and Honeyz Cube affairs but as the saying goes – better late than never! 😛 As mentioned the last time , taking pictures everyday actually gave me a different perspective about my surroundings and helped me produce more interesting photos. And it seemed like I’ve struck instagram gold with whatever I was doing because I’ve been getting a wee bit more followers and likes than before. Woo hoo! As such, I’ve also been receiving requests through email and my social media channels for a post on how to take images that look clear and well-thought-out. Well, this entry is just what the doctor ordered. 🙂 I’ll be sharing tips and tricks on how you can take great ‘square-ready’ photos with everyday items that won’t cost you an arm and a leg. However… I would like to reiterate that I’m not claiming to be some Instagram expert/celebrity. This article is more like a documentation of what I’ve observed and personally experienced using IG and which types of photos garner more followers and likes. Here we go now! [df_divider el_width=”100″ style=”solid” accent_color=”#EEEEEE” border_t_width=”2px” padding=”20px 0″ position=”align_center” el_class=””] 1) Good natural lighting I can’t emphasize this enough. Before I go on any further, here’s your proof of what bad lighting can do to your photos: Bad lighting Good lighting Another example: Same wooden floor but see what bad lighting did to it. Bad Lighting Good lighting Light completely transformed the vibe of the photo and floor – from bat cave to welcoming cottage. All I did was – open the windows and allow as much as sunlight to enter as possible. Trust me, bright photos look best on your IG feed. If the light is too bright and casts an unsightly shadow on your subject, counter the effect with a reflector. It acts like a mirror that lightens the darkness of the shadow. Place the reflector in the direction where the light is coming from and it should bounce the light back towards the shaded side of your subject. You can get reflectors from any camera store or even online stores. I got mine at  Taobao . 🙂 [df_divider el_width=”100″ style=”solid” accent_color=”#EEEEEE” border_t_width=”2px” padding=”20px 0″ position=”align_center” el_class=””] 2) Cute props These are like the quintessential Instagram ‘Likes Generator’ I tell you. Haha! I realise IG-ers are more prone to click on photos that are decorated with nice flowers, stationery, ornaments, furniture, etc. Don’t believe me? Compare these photos. Which do you like better? Without props With props The difference is massive eh? With the same variables, even toilet paper can look alluring. 😛 As for flatlays, my prop choices differ slightly. I would try to make my photos more interesting by using colored papers as my background. And this is what they can do: Mixing and matching coloured paper will also add an artistic touch to the photos. Before: After: The items do not always have to come from the same color family or be arranged in a very neat fashion. Feel free to mix up the hues and arrange them in a messy yet coordinated style for a more realistic look of your daily lifestyle. The IG community likes that too – a picture that captures a slice of your life. 🙂 I get most of my props from these retailers: – Typo – Ikea – Artbox – Kikki-k.com – Cath Kidston – Wood Would – Daiso – Totally Hot Stuff – Monoyono –  W.E.E.K.E.N.D.S. [df_divider el_width=”100″ style=”solid” accent_color=”#EEEEEE” border_t_width=”2px” padding=”20px 0″ position=”align_center” el_class=””] 3) Photo Editing Apps Bright and cheery photos tend to garner more likes so I’ve downloaded several apps to counter different photography problems. More specifically, AfterLight to brighten photos, Snapseed to reduce shadows and VSCOcam for artistic filters. And here are the results: Before: After editing: Before: After editing: Depending on the quality of the original photos, I usually permute the order of the apps used. If the photo is too dull, I’ll increase its saturation level and if the photo is not clear enough, I’ll adjust the clarity. After a while, you’ll get the hang of what each feature can do to your photos. Special shoutout to Alene  (aka PaperKitties) for introducing Afterlight to me. It’s an absolute godsend! Thank you! Muuuaaaahh! :* [df_divider el_width=”100″ style=”solid” accent_color=”#EEEEEE” border_t_width=”2px” padding=”20px 0″ position=”align_center” el_class=””] 4) The Square Format The usual composition rules change when you’re taking photos for Instagram. Remember that every photo will be cropped to a square so always take photos like you’re looking through a square window. This is what happens when you don’t take the square frame into consideration: After cropping: Yup, my beautiful orchids got cut off. 🙁 So nowadays, I’m extremely mindful of the square frame by making sure that my subjects are within the frame. And that’s why most of my photos look like this. Haha! #neglectedsurroundings But look what happens after you crop it to a square! My contents filled up the frame perfectly! Make sure you always have extra space surrounding your subject matter so you can crop it later. If you’re looking for more great composition tips for Instagram photos, check out this article – 10 Composition Tips for Stunning Instagram Square Photos . [df_divider el_width=”100″ style=”solid” accent_color=”#EEEEEE” border_t_width=”2px” padding=”20px 0″ position=”align_center” el_class=””] 5) Good Camera I know I’ve mentioned in my intro that the tips will not cost you an arm and a leg but if you’re really committed to becoming the next Ansel Adams of Instagram, you may want to consider investing in a good Wifi-enabled camera (that may actually cost you all your limbs). :p Phone-taken photos simply don’t cut it. You should take as much pride in your Instagram posts, meticulously planning your shots, as you do for your blog posts. I’ve been asked many times about the camera I’m using and here it is  – the Sony NEX-5T. The 16-megapixel Sony NEX-5T compact system camera (CSC) takes some of the most breathtaking photos (This is not an ad). The mirrorless design means the camera is much smaller and less bulky than a DSLR camera but the giant sensor inside means image quality is essentially the same. So you’re basically getting the best of both worlds! A lot of pros are jumping onto the Sony mirrorless bandwagon so don’t be afraid to ditch your tank sized cameras. The proof is in the quality of the photos! Taken by Nikon Pro DSLR Taken by Sony NEX-5T Adjusting shutter speeds, Aperture and ISO is now a breeze because instead of confusing menus and numbers, you are presented with the options in layman terms: Background Defocus, Brightness, Crisp, Warmness, Vividness, etc. But the winning part is its fast Hybrid AF with lightning-quick response which is usually only available on larger, more expensive DSLR cameras. According to Sony, the fast phase-detection AF quickly moves the lens to bring the subject into near focus after which the highly precise contrast-detection AF finishes focusing. It all happens in the blink of an eye so you’re always assured of capturing every fleeting moment. So nowadays I don’t have to anchor my arms against something to take a blur-free photo. It is an interchangeable-lens model so I could also purchase lenses with larger apertures and faster shutters to take photos with nice bokeh blurred backgrounds or even foregrounds. Here’s an example of a blurred foreground taken with a 35 mm f/1.8 lens. More photos of subjects with nice blurred backgrounds: Doesn’t the subject matter stand out more? And this has also proven to help me get more likes than crystal clear photos with everything in focus. And why a Wifi-enabled camera? Well, you want to be able to upload high quality photos even when you’re on the go without lugging a huge laptop, don’t you? So get a good Wifi camera!!! Finally… I hope the above tips will help you achieve your Instagram photography goals. However, I have to remind you that mastering all the skills above does not necessarily mean it will give you an instant surge in followers. Rome wasn’t built in a day. You’ll have to be consistent in your postings and ensure that your newsfeed always looks good as a whole. With this, I wish you all the best in your IG photography endeavours. 🙂 Let’s connect on IG! @ilovebunnynet Your friend, Juliana #beauty #instabeau #Instagram #tutorial

Woo hoo! I just received the keys to Honeyz Cube’s new office space! You bet there are no words to describe the happiness I’m feeling right now. *happy dance* This entrepreneurial journey has been one hell of a ride, fulfilling and exciting yet also laced with a lot of uncertainty and self-doubting. I’m so glad I made it this far. I’ve been asked a thousand times by everyone and more often than ever, my parents, why I decided to take on such a challenging career path. Well, I guess it must be perplexing to them as I used to be the type who would sell my soul for a monthly paycheque and decline any job offer that sounds ‘salesy’. I was naive. Today, I hold a different perspective and I believe it is largely a result of previous job experiences and meeting amazing people along the way. I’ve learnt that finding the dream job is not going to be a walk in the park but it is also not a far-fetched reverie either. It just takes a lot of part time jobs, networking, objectivity and good luck too. I thought it would be interesting to share my experiences and how I eventually found my calling. Maybe it would also help you pick up a tip or two? Here we go! Buck The System It all began when I started my first year of University. Every summer, we get three months off (which is fantastic) but I also don’t get pocket money during this time. This means I’ll be extremely cash-strapped during the holidays. Not a nice feeling as most of you would be able to relate. In order to start padding my empty wallet, I began to look for part time jobs for students  where no job experience or long-term commitment was required. I landed my first job as a data collector at a major MNC, soliciting contact information of company managers. My first calls were disastrous as many receptionists simply refused to disclose any information or even direct me to their managers’ phone lines. Come to think of it – if some random person calls you from a company that you’ve never heard of and asks for your boss’ contact details, would you divulge the info? Guess not. As expected, my fellow interns also faced the same problem. Of course, our managers weren’t happy but also didn’t offer any assistance. So I began to experiment with different ways of asking for information by changing the way I projected my voice, the way I worded my introduction, assuring them that we are a reputable directory like Yellow Pages and that they are not obligated to give us information. Consequently, I began to notice a slight improvement in the replies too. So I took note of the things I say that made callees more willing to tell me more and enhanced my script as I go along. By the end of my one-month internship, I reckoned my success rate was almost 98%. Well, there were still a cautious 2% bunch who preferred to keep mum. But that’s fine because for the first time, I felt like I was in control of a situation – with a grown up. I like that they spoke to me like I’m a professional too. When you’d only lived 19 years, you’re probably told what to do most of the time so this to me was a nice turning point. The most gratifying part was when I was asked to teach their employees how to gather such information more effectively. This was certainly fulfilling. And that is my first taste of the corporate world. I learnt that sometimes, even your manager may not know how to solve a problem. You’ll have to be independent and always think on your feet and maybe even buck the system to discover new and efficient ways of doing things. You never know till you try and who knows? You might uncover hidden talents and skills! Close A Sale In my second year of University, finding a short-term job became slightly easier as job portals like Jobcentral, Jobstreet, JobsDB became more popular. Before, I only used the newspapers and there seemed to be more full-time than part time positions. Hence, I was surprised to learn that there’s actually a wide variety of part time jobs in Singapore . The platform allowed me to explore many new jobs in interesting industries and I wound up in a real estate agency, assisting a top property agent in the company. It was a fascinating experience as I got to work with an outstanding and highly driven salesperson and enjoy a front seat view of successful high value transactions. The motivation and positive spirit certainly rubbed off on my young and impressionable mind at that time. Soon, I was volunteering to run sales meetings and even closed a few deals for my boss. I loved seeing the happy customers and their satisfaction with my service made me feel empowered and driven. Soon I found myself attending CEHA courses too to up my sales game. However, my academic workload exponentially increased in my third year of University and the property market also began to slow down after a few months. As such, I decided to call it quits to focus on my final year exams. The experience made me realise again that I enjoy working at my own pace, being my own boss and calling the shots. Interestingly, it also made me recognise the flip side – long hours, irregular income and stressful nature. Not such a great trade-off after all. So when I eventually graduated from school, I went back to square one and looked for a 9 – 5 job. Meet Amazing People This is possibly the most interesting part of my journey. The 9 – 5 job I found wasn’t exactly the way I pictured it to be. Think 5-star dinners, travel privileges and rubbing shoulders with leaders and dignitaries from 21 countries. It is insane, I tell you. I found a job in the APEC Business Advisory Council and helped to organize and host the APEC meetings and conferences, meeting the likes of Teo Chee Hean, Lindsay Fox, Carlos Slim, Jet Li and of course, my favourite, Jack Ma. Honestly, working around these people really keeps you on your toes but it also inspires you every second and makes you believe that if you continue to fight for your dreams, they will eventually come true. These people are real life success stories!  I remember there was one time, Jack Ma shared that he knew how difficult it is to set up a company so the goal of Alibaba is always to help start-ups establish their business and to gain exposure at a fraction of the cost and time. That was the first time I saw someone talk so passionately about his business purpose and vision. It seemed a little altruistic even. The many other CEOs and business owners I met also talked about their goals and dreams in the same fervent tone. Even though they all engaged in different businesses, every one of these successful business leaders seemed to see opportunities in every situation, hold a more positive perspective and they were always eager to make a difference in society. Confucius once said “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”  This phrase suddenly made a lot of sense as I got upclose with these discerning entrepreneurs and witnessed the passion first hand. My key takeaway from this amazing experience is to have a vision for who you want to become, the contributions you want to make and the impact you want to leave. Career longevity is out of date, career satisfaction is more exciting! Brainstorm and Discover I brainstormed a few ideas and also asked myself if there is any job I would work for free for. The answer was vague but I knew I would like to come out of my shell and make a difference. I also would like to be in control of my work environment and time spent in the office. However, I still didn’t have a big enough network, funds and expertise so I went on to work in an IT firm supporting their CSR efforts and creating buzz-worthy websites and apps and that’s when it all came together. As if everything so far had been leading to this point. I finally had the dream and the tools with which to make it happen. I started Honeyz blog followed by Honeyz Cube and haven’t looked back ever since. Basically I created my own job where I got to do everything I love from writing, designing, photography, organising parties and maintaining social media sites in the sectors I’m passionate about – beauty and fashion. Today I look forward to going to work everyday. 🙂 And as mentioned earlier, I just acquired a new space and here it is! It might not look like much now, but hopefully with a few licks of paint and some elbow grease, it will look like this: Have A Vision Don’t give up your day job until you know exactly what you love doing and what makes you feel alive. Have a vision and work towards it. The ball is always in your court. If you need more information or resources towards finding your dream, I would highly recommend you to take up a few part time jobs first to understand what’s out there. These days, it’s much easier. Simply google ‘ part time jobs Singapore ‘ and you’ll have plenty of options. Make the best of every job experience and gather as much info as you need. Life is not meant to be perfect and it will give you lemons all the time, like they always say, go on and just make some zesty lemonade out of it! Wow! You’ve made it this far in this lengthy article, good on ya! Finally, follow you heart and don’t stop believing! And that’s my story. All the best to writing yours! Your friend, Juliana #lifestyle #thoughtpost

“Because when you look around, this life is pretty amazing.” To say that these past couple of weeks have been overwhelming would be an understatement. I was completely taken aback by the support and the sheer number of votes I received for my entry in the Singapore Blog Awards competition. To win the contest, you’ll need to pen a fixed number of blog posts and acquire the most number of votes. Here’s the thing, voting usually spans over four weeks and supporters are encouraged to cast their votes everyday. I’ve been a finalist in this contest twice but I never actively reached out to my loved ones for votes before. I didn’t wanna hound them everyday for votes in case they think I’m a huge nag.  I’ll usually just post a couple of pictures on Facebook to canvass for votes. Needless to say, I always end up in the bottom few in the contest. This year, my good friend Tiffany decided to nominate me for the contest again and by an incredible stroke of luck, I was selected as one of the top ten finalists in the beauty category! Third time! Well, but the truth is third time will not be a charm if I continue to rest on my laurels. So this time, I decided to approach my close friends and family for help. What I didn’t expect was the astounding response I was going to receive. Within hours of contacting them, my vote count went up by two-fold and I even had a fan page set up by a good friend that I haven’t seen in ages! Haha! Yup, I was wrong. No one thought I was a huge nag, instead they even blamed me for not informing them earlier about the competition so they could help me sooner. I can’t be more thankful to be blessed with family and friends as supportive and loving as them. Even though, the odds are not in my favour yet, I already feel like a winner for these amazing friendships and relationships. Here’s a small tribute to the loves of my life. 🙂 My Girls They’ve always been there, unconditionally helping me with everything – from my wedding, blog events, surprises for Bobby and to the blog awards, reminding each other and pestering all their friends and family members to vote for me everyday. I cannot ask for better friends than them. “A friend is like a teddy bear; you hug it and cry to it when you’re sad you talk to it when you feel alone! it doesn’t matter what color, size or condition it’s in, it’s there for you no matter what.” I’m so lucky to have met you ladies and you can be sure that you’ll always have me as your cuddly snuggly teddy bear! I wuv you! Dong Hao I met Dong Hao in secondary school a million years ago, a fellow blogger ( fatclay.com ), here he is looking suave with his beautiful wife. As is so often the case, life has gotten in the way of catching up for so many years. In fact I don’t think we’ve actually met again since then, but of course we’ve been able to remain connected with all our school buddies via Facebook. Needless to say, my breath was taken away when Dong Hao actually created a Facebook group with the sole purpose of gathering the troops and bringing all my old friends together for this common goal. Woo hoo! The solidarity shown by all my friends has literally brought me to tears! And whatever the outcome of this contest, I know that with friends like these in my corner, I’ll always be a winner! 😛 My Extended Family from Bangladesh One of the most surreal experiences of my life was going to Bangladesh with my entire family for wedding Part 2. If you had told me 10 years ago that I’d one day be having a wedding in Bangladesh, I’d probably have laughed in disbelief. But fast forward to present day and I’m smiling for a different reason. I’m smiling because I’ve been welcomed into such a loving family. They brought my dreams of having a princess wedding to another level with horse drawn carriages and fanfare – think Aladdin wedding and you’ll have a rough idea. And what’s more, they’ve become ardent fans of my blog, diligently voting for me every day! I’m sure the blog awards committee are gonna be puzzled to see my votes coming in from so many different exotic locations! Thank you B-desh family! Ami tumake bhalo bashi!!! The Brothers Here comes the Wolf Pack! Bobby’s brothers have also risen to the challenge of trying to help me get to the top. Busy lawyers, bankers and doctors, taking time out in the midst of operating and who knows what not, to vote for little ol’ me! Some have even been trying to get their employees to vote for me, unbelievable! They may call themselves the Wolf Pack, but I think Care Bear Bunch is a more befitting name. 😛 Thank you guys! You’re the best brothers Bobby could ever ask for. Our Wedding Planner Beth, Beth, Beth! Thank you!!!! Anyone who’s ever worked with me will know I can be a tough and demanding cookie, a perfectionist with borderline insane attention to detail. So trust me, as my wedding planner, coordinating the most important day of my life, Beth did not have an easy time at all. I thought she would hate me (haha!), but instead the opposite has happened. Not only have we become friends, but Beth has been following my blog and supporting me ever since that day. I love waking up to see Beth’s messages and I’m truly moved every time I see her efforts to help, getting her family vote, even all the way out in the USA. For a perfect wedding and a great friendship, thank you Beth! I will always be in your debt. The Partner Best friend, best business partner and of course, best videographer! Thank you Yong Thye, for voting for me every day, for taking time our from your busy wedding schedule and everything else, to help film my Wake Up With Me Video. Year upon year, every time I’ve been able to reach the finals of the Singapore Blog Awards, you’ve taken the time to help me with your support and amazing videography skills. I’m sorry so far all these efforts have been in vain as we’ve never managed to nab that elusive title. But please know that your efforts will never be forgotten. You’re an excellent friend and the best business partner I could ever wish for. I might not say it enough, but really thank you from the bottom of my heart! The Love Of My Life He’s always there as my best friend, pillar of strength and loyal fan. Because of his unwavering support, I was able to step out of my comfort zone and pursue my passion. He’s also the reason why I could stay the course all this while and never give up despite all the odds. Thank you for everything. I’ll always love you. With love, Your Bubbaloo Bear Finally… Please forgive me if I didn’t mention you because there really is like a million people I want to thank, not only for voting, but for supporting me and my blog all these years. Fellow bloggers, readers, my new IT team, mummy and daddy, all my school mates, ex-colleagues, my blog managers at Blackbox.sg , friends of friends, my property agent, that guy in Italy we bought something from on eBay (no joke) and some of the best beauty brands in the world! Thank you, always! We’re still 2 days away so there’s still a teeny weeny possibility that I may be able to win the competition. Please help me realise my dreams by casting a vote in my favour here – https://apps.facebook.com/panasonic_sg_vote/?eid=7&event=14  I’ll be eternally grateful. Thank you. 🙂 Your friend, Juliana #SingaporeBlogAwards #SingaporeBlogAwards2015 #thoughtpost

My dear friends and loved ones, After a last minute flurry of activity, with votes coming in left, right and centre, pushing my final vote count to an unimaginable 1101, I still only managed to finish in second place. As I write this, I’m wiping away a tear from my eye. Not a tear of sorrow, but a tear of joy and gratitude. I never in my wildest dreams thought I’d be able to garner more than a handful of votes, never mind enough votes to make me a serious contender for the top spot. No matter what happens, what the outcome, I know that I’m truly the luckiest gal in the world. Whee! Waking up everyday to see your encouraging messages gave me the strength and courage to keep going, even when it seemed like there was no hope. But dear friends, hope is not lost. With your support, I was able to pour my heart and soul into two posts which were submitted to the judges for their consideration. You can read all the finalists’ submissions here – http://blog.omy.sg/sba-plus/category/2015-best-beauty-blog/ With the ‘Most Popular’ spot taken, we can still vie for the judges’ choice for Best Beauty Blog 2015. If lady luck was to shine on me one more time, this will surely be a prize that we all earned together. The award ceremony takes place on July 23rd, I hope that the next time you hear from me, I will be bringing tidings of joy. You’re my life force, you’re my friends. I wuv you all!! Your friend, Juliana #SingaporeBlogAwards2015 #thoughtpost

Today, I fired up my web browser to write a beauty review entry but I found myself pondering my goals and career milestones instead. So I decided to pen this post – My reflections of 2015 so far. Well, I’ve done quite a lot this year – hosted my very first health and wellness event with my husband , went on a nice honeymoon , got married again in the UK (haha!), took part in the Singapore Blog Awards and acquired a new office space for Honeyz Cube . Even though I’ve got a lot going on for me and my young company,  I realised I’m no longer as driven and enthusiastic as before. My creative juices seemed to have stopped flowing. I feel like I’m juggling too many roles at once. I’m not even motivated to update my company or blog social media pages anymore. I’ve just been going where the wind blows and working like I have to, and not because I want to. Everything that I’ve created today is what I envisioned and exactly what I wanted. But somehow, I was beginning to feel ‘work fatigue’. What’s going on? Anyone ever felt like this? I watched The Intern  (starring Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway) last week and Anne Hathaway’s predicament in the movie actually made me question my career and business decisions. Ugh! Okay, I won’t elaborate too much about the movie since it’s still playing in the theatres. All I can say is that it was very heartwarming yet thought-provoking for me.  You have to go watch it! 😛 I had a meeting with my team yesterday about our upcoming website revamp and our goals for 2016 and that’s when it struck me – amidst all the planning, expanding and revolutionising, I’d forgotten why I started Honeyz Cube in the first place. Here’s a recap – I used to have nasty skin problems and as such, I’d tried many beauty treatments and over-the-counter products to rectify the problem. These beauty endeavours had good and bad effects. But I can tell you – the ramifications of using bad beauty treatments still linger today. I wished there was an avenue for me to read others’ comments and feedback about treatments and regimes, or even share my own experiences so others wouldn’t commit the same mistakes. Bad skin or bad beauty practices can not only hurt your self-esteem, it can even be detrimental to your health. Honeyz Cube was born out of this need – an informative platform and a community where like-minded individuals could convene, network, share their own pleasant or unpleasant beauty experiences and ultimately, help each other make more informed and optimised purchase decisions in the shortest time possible. None of us realised during our meeting yesterday that all the new features and modules being suggested were no longer in line with what we wanted to achieve when we first started out. Halfway through the meeting, my husband, Bobby, who had sat through the meeting in silence, suddenly banged one of our products on the table like it was a Judge’s gavel and said ‘What’s happened to the beauty encyclopedia?” That literally woke all of us up. We realised we’d been chasing the dollar instead of our dream. The rising bills associated with having your own office, the hunger for short-term gains had derailed us from our real goal and Honeyz Cube’s initial purpose. That explains all the frustration and the deadpan attitude I’ve had recently towards my work. (Thank you Bobby!) So we went back to the drawing board to re-write our targets and goals. I’m proud to say that we are now on track and we also have a new project schedule that is perfectly in line with our initial objectives. Think user-friendly interfaces, beauty video tutorials and workshops for beauty lovers to meet, discuss and learn new beauty hacks. We promise that Honeyz Cube will continue to be your little coffret of delightful beauty finds and content. And the best part is, we now have a new studio to support all our project activities! Whee! Being your own boss and taking the path less travelled is never easy. You have to take care of your company’s welfare, take care of your staff and your colleagues, it really pushes you to the edge of your sanity. I guess the pressure really got to me and I began to make decisions that benefited us in the short term but could have actually been harmful in the long run. It was scary! Right now, I’m just happy that I have my husband and my teammates’ full support. We’ll be able to get through this together. Writing this post has helped me reflect on my personal resolutions and also reminded me of the reason why I created Honeyz Cube in the first place. I’ll never stop trying or believing. You shouldn’t either! I hope my story can also spur you to stay true to YOUR own goals and not lose sight of your vision. Life is too short to spend time on things that don’t matter. Have fun and stay inspired! Your friend, Juliana #HoneyzPaintHouse #reflections #thoughtpost #HoneyzCube #lifestyle

“Happiness is, when you make unexpected new friends.” Before I met my husband, Bobby, I spent most of my time at my workplace and free time at home on my couch creating new content for my blog and business. In other words, I wasn’t going out and meeting new people at all. So I was single for a while. My friends decided that enough was enough and eventually, dragged me out of my cave, into the sunlight by inviting me to several parties every week. On Halloween, I finally succumbed to the “peer pressure” and attended a Halloween cocktail party and there I met the love of my life, Bobby. The rest is history. Thank you, friends. 🙂 But what are the odds? I think my social circle actually shrunk tenfold after I left school. With our crazy “adulthood schedules” now, I reckon you have to be a real social butterfly to meet tons of new people everyday. What happens if you’re the social cocoon who can never run out of things to say to your close friends but can barely strike a conversation with people you just met? Don’t fret, it’s 2016 and the dating game is vastly different now, thanks to technology. If I did time travel back to five years ago when I was single, the thought of meeting my soulmate through an online site or app would seem pretty implausible. Maybe even hover close to the being creepy line. Haha! My single friends are telling me they are successfully meeting new people through dating apps that match them to people they like and find attractive. Please allow me to be more precise (and blunt), physically attractive to be exact. It’s pretty obvious that the downside of this is that it can get pretty superficial and you can end up dating “the wrong one”. The good news is, recently I was introduced to a new dating app called Happn that allows you to find the people you’ve crossed paths with in real life! Now imagine this – you just met this new guy at the gas station and you guys hit it off right away. Then you leave the premises with butterflies in your stomach all excited about this happy encounter… … and boom! You realize you forgot to exchange contacts. Great. Now what do you do. 🙁 Use Happn ! Happn  is the dating app that gives you that precious and inconceivable second chance after you missed the first one! Haha! Its key purpose is to help you discover and contact the people you have crossed paths with and would like to find again. The app is geolocated and uses real-time. This means every time you cross paths with another member, their profile will appear on your app. It’s really easy to sign up. All you have to download the app from App Store, Play Store or Windows Store, then sign in with your Facebook account and you can embark on this exciting friendship journey in a jiffy! Next, allow Happn to access your location and you’re on your way to connecting with the people you just met! When you cross paths with that special someone, you can like them with the heart icon as shown below. Don’t worry, you won’t look creepy as they’ll never find out unless they reciprocate with a heart too! And when that happens, you can happy dance because you can now start a conversation! You may also send a Charm to let them know you’re interested! A Charm sends the other person a notification. If you both like each other, you can start a conversation too! Yay! I found the guy at the gas station! What I love about the app is not only can you chat with the other Happner (Come on! Which dating app can’t let you do that?), but it also allows you guys to connect on a deeper level by sharing your favorite tunes through Spotify! Now that’s something. So is the app free I hear you ask? The app is available on a freemium basis. This means you can download and use some of the features for free. Liking profiles and having conversations are free. A premium is charged when you want to send a Charm. Each Charm is worth one credit. A virtual store is available directly on the app or you can earn credits by referring friends to the app. I know there might still be some security concerns lingering at the back of your mind. What if the other party is a weirdo or starts stalking you? Here are some measures Happn has rolled out to mitigate those “creeps”, The location of a user remains completely invisible to the other users, as only the location of where you have passed each other is saved. You can block another user or report any unwanted behaviour at any time. Facebook Connect is used only to show common friends and interests, and to prevent fake profiles. Happn will never post anything on the Facebook walls of its members without their approval. The concept of reciprocity guarantees an app experience without any spamming or harassment. All in all… Aristotle said “Man is by nature a social animal” but it’s never easy putting ourselves out there. The fear of embarrassing face-to-face rejections usually outweighs any intense desire to start a conversation with someone you like. So I think this is an amazing app to begin your exciting dating journey with. Forget about the traditional stigmas about online dating. There are no real protocols as to how you should date. Happn gives us a second chance, the chance to discover and to meet that person that has caught your eye, and to avoid all those missed connections. When everything goes well and falls into place, this will surely become one hell of a modern day fairytale to tell your grandkids. Seize everyday coincidences and take advantage of paths crossed in real life. Download the Happn App here –  happn.com Your friend, Juliana #advertorial #Happn

HUAT are you wearing this Chinese New Year? Haha! Pardon the wordplay. I just can’t help it! To answer the question myself, anything and everything red of course! Besides being grandma’s favorite color, the fiery hue also symbolizes good fortune and joy. I definitely need some good luck for the rest of the year as I embark on my new business venture. Hehe! 2018 has been one hell of a ride. I’ve been burying my head in work almost everyday since I got back from Sydney in early January. From styling shoots in the studio, creating new content for the blog to preparations for the new business. I think I’ve accomplished more these few weeks than I did in the whole of last year. Haha! Well, it isn’t all doom and gloom. Despite the unforgiving schedule, I’m still doing what I love, having fun and making sure I’m wearing an amazing closet while tackling the challenges at work. 😛 I hope it’s the same for you too! Let’s all promise to always stay inspired in creating a life we love, shall we? Okay, back to today’s subject – Chinese New Year get-ups! I have a bunch of cool dresses with mandarin collars but I decided to go for an edgier vintage look for the festive season. Tweed is definitely making a comeback and here’s my take on Coco Chanel’s signature look! Psst! To add a little punch in my garb, I paired the tweed skirt with this unique cropped top that features a scrunch petal hem detail. Keep scrolling and go vintage wandering with me! THE FASH SQUAD Top and skirt: Joop Boutique (Quote CNYBunny to enjoy $10 off your total bill with min. $88 purchase at www.jovet.com.sg, from now through 15 Feb 2018.) Bag and sunshades: Chanel Heels:  Pedro Earrings: Lovisa Hair: Shunji Matsuo Ngee Ann (Quote ‘Honeyz’ to enjoy 10% off any chemical service by senior stylist, William.) Photography  by  Bobby Stryker In this paw-some and glorious year of the Dog, I wish you smiles of paws-perity and lots of great opportunities! Huat ah! Lotsa love, luck and cheer, Juliana #JoopBoutique

I first witnessed the glory of TaoBao when I organised a business delegation to participate in the APEC SME Summit in Hangzhou five years ago. Since the conference was enthusiastically supported by Alibaba.com’s founder, Jack Ma, the event inherently included a major Taobao trade fair that was attended by more than 150,000 retailers, wholesalers and of course, zealous shoppers. 😛 To be honest, I was overwhelmed by the magnitude of the event. Never in my life have I seen so many stores, types of products and passionate entrepreneurs all in one place. Not to mention, the millions of rmb being transacted within a few days. For the exact numbers, you can check out  here and here . (These links also contain press releases that I had written for the event). Even though TaoBao was already a huge hit in China then, there was still excessive regulations and difficulties that prevented me from purchasing the products from Singapore. So I stuck to eBay and Gmarket. Well today, the world has changed and digital boundaries are also less prevalent. With the sprawling network of TaoBao agents, we can now explore China’s wholesale paradise and shop with ease. But not every TaoBao agent is created equal. It took me ages before I found my shopping saviour that is reliable, customer oriented and reasonably priced. Meet 65 Daigou , my new global shopping concierge. My wedding props arrived in one perfect piece from TaoBao just before my wedding shoot. Read on to find out how fast it took via 65Daigou! 😀 [df_divider el_width=”100″ style=”solid” accent_color=”#EEEEEE” border_t_width=”2px” padding=”20px 0″ position=”align_center” el_class=””] So why do you need a Taobao agent? Previously, Taobao only allowed consumers to purchase with Chinese credit cards, so by engaging an agent, you can bypass the credit card restrictions and purchase your products. If you think the trouble is over. Well, not exactly. Many sellers are not willing to ship overseas so the agents act like Vpost and help you receive the products with a Chinese address. Also, if you’re not apt in the Chinese language, it could be a nightmare shopping on Taobao as everything is written in Mandarin. Most Taobao agents are bilingual so that eliminates the language barrier. So what makes 65Daigou stand out? On top of everything that was mentioned, they also inspect the condition of the items received and send them back to the sellers if they are faulty. And!!! My new shopping partner does exactly what its carrier bag says – buys the world for ya! Besides Taobao, you can also use 65Daigou’s services to purchase your favorite Victoria’s Secret bikinis, Gucci handbags, household items from Macy’s and many many more . All you have to do is  register a 65daigou account .  That’s Step One. 🙂 Step Two: Find the product you want to purchase on Taobao.com or any other shopping site. Then cut and paste the item’s url on this bar that is located on the top of the page. The bar is available on every page so you can’t miss it. Today, I’m looking for props for my Disney-themed wedding. So I’m gonna search for Disney (迪士尼) on Taobao.com. Aha! I found the best representation of classic Disney characters – Mrs Potts and Chip! 😀 Now cut and paste their product url on the bar. Then hover over the “EZ-BUY” button and click to submit your purchasing request. This screen should appear. Psst! Many of you have asked me for the url of this adorable tea set, here it is –  http://www.65daigou.com/Production/AgentProductDetail.aspx?id=22198776070 .  This is where 65Daigou captures all the info of the product from Taobao.com. You can select the shipping method or submit any additional remarks for the item. I selected Express Air which took 10 days to arrive. It could have been earlier actually. Why?  Because one of the wedding accessories I bought comes in a set that comprises of a veil and headband. However, its default option is to purchase the headband only. Take note that many Taobao product pages which sell more than one item usually offers different combinations so you’ll have to make sure that you selected the correct one. I wanted both the veil and headband but I obviously missed out the different options that were highlighted under 颜色 (see image above). I was surprised to receive the following messages from 65Daigou shortly after I checked out my items. They contacted me to confirm the combination of products that I wanted. After clarifying that I actually wanted both the veil and headband, they proceeded to change the order and deduct the correct amount from my 65Daigou Prepay account on my behalf. This is why delivery took slightly longer than expected. Mistake corrected without me lifting a finger. I was absolutely impressed with the impeccable level of service. 🙂 Step Three: Are you done with your orders? Great. Now review them in your shopping cart. As you can tell from the screenshot, they also offer insurance for your purchases, giving customers peace of mind while shopping. Step Four: Now proceed to pay 65Daigou via your very own 65Daigou prepay account. No money in the account? No worries! You can top up the account by clicking on “My Prepay” or “My Payment” and pay via internet banking, ATM transfer, Paypal or credit card. Do note that transaction costs may apply for certain payment methods. This payment covers the product cost and domestic shipping fee. After your orders are processed and shipped to Singapore, you’ll have to make your second payment for the international shipping fee and 65Daigou’s service fees. Step Five: Are you still with me? Good. Now you can check the status of the deliveries under “My Order”. Step Six: Once the items have arrived our sunny shores, make your second payment as mentioned earlier and select the delivery method (home delivery /self-collection / MRT pickup / Neighborhood collection). And now your items are on their way! Honeyz Shopping Tip! There are many sellers on Taobao who will offer the same products so remember to check seller ratings before purchasing. For more information about seller ratings, services and what-nots, you can check out this blogpost that dissected every detail of shopping on Taobao and 65daigou. And now let’s check out my star buys! ‘FRAGILE’ shipping labels were plastered all over my package. The accessories arrived in padded envelopes and the glassware was nicely cushioned with bubble wrap. Aww.. they look so much better in real life! Mrs Potts and Chip Tea Set I also bought some hair accessories for my Paris wedding shoot back in May. The items look exactly or better than the stock images on Taobao. I was utterly amazed by their immaculate quality. Here’s a quick comparison of the items I received and their Taobao images: Taobao: Item received:  Taobao: Taobao: Taobao: Item received: Taobao: Item received: I was pretty worried that my shoulder necklace might arrived tangled but guess what? It came in mint condition and was nicely assembled in a classy box. You can check out more photos of my Taobao accessories on these posts: – Bridal Beauty Log: My DIY Wedding Looks – “My Love From The Star” Cheon Song Yi Bridal Makeup Tutorial Also ‘hauled’ a reflector disc from Taobao for only 5 bucks. The exact same one costs about 30 bucks on Qoo10. What a steal! 😀 Taobao: The crazy world of Taobao can put any shopaholic in the throes of depression. So make sure you do your homework by reading lots of reviews and compare seller ratings and of course, also engage a reliable agent! 65Daigou’s bilingual features, timely updates and multiple delivery options just kicks it up a notch and makes shopping on Taobao less intimidating. They basically streamlined the entire buying process for me! To top it off, they also reward their customers with discounts in the form of credit points for future purchases as well as delightful giveaways. What more can you ask for? Eh.. an exclusive Honeyz promo code of course! 😀 Exclusive Offer For Honeyz Belles! Receive 15% off by quoting 65FIRST15 upon check out.  Current promotion: Top up Prepay account with your UOB credit card and get 15% off shipping fee (Promo code – UOBV65DG) Find out more: 65Daigou.com ,  65daigou Facebook  &  65daigou Instagram Your friend, Juliana Disclaimer: Please be rest assured that even though the products were sponsored, they do not have any bearing on the content of this post. Opinions stated are objective and genuine. Also note that all sources, information, content, links are valid to change at any time. #65Daigou #Wedding #beautyreview #beauty #shopping #BridalBeautyLog