The thang is.. I've been having a reaaaaaaaally bad sore throat recently and it's killing me because I cannot eat anything without feeling the pain. Yes, even water. I have a swollen wisdom tooth which is double damage and so I consulted the doc. Turns out, it's my wisdom tooth that's causing the bad pain in my throat, in fact.. My throat is completely fine.
So........
TMR I'M HAVING MY WISDOM TOOTH SURGERY. AT 11.30AM.
I can't go to school and I feel so afraid I'm gona die.
Because I am TERRIFIED. Not because the pain is going to be excruciating and the fever will come after the anesthetic wears off, but because the anesthetic needle is thick and it's gona be injected into my gum. And it's gona be no joke because a wisdom tooth is approximately the size of a 10cent coin (width) and around 2to3 cm long. That's how big it is.
I absolutely HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE
NEEDLES))))))):
Someone save me pretty please?
As my post title suggests, please read on at your own risk.
This post isn't for people who are squeamish/afraid and hate bugs.
(: Since I talked about loving to explore new creatures.. I thought I'll share about something that I stumbled on and research about during November.

I had my first experience with this bug when I was around the age of 13? I was involved in a Girl Guides camp and when I was folding and taking down the tent, I saw it sitting on the tent and immediately shuddered away in fright. I hated this bug ever since because of it's scary appearance but when my boyfriend told me that he used to keep these as pets, I figured they wouldn't be too bad. As such, I did some research and I wasn't disappointed because I was truely intrigued by these bugs. This bug is no doubt, the one of the most fascinating and interesting creatures in the world. The praying mantis.


Looks like a friendly insect?

NOT!!!!!!!!!!

Now, this face scared the hell out of me during my girl guides days.

10 Interesting Facts about the Praying Mantis

1. The name derives from their posture. The way they put their legs together make them look like they are praying. People often mistake their names as Preying Mantids which is acceptable as well because they are such skilled predators.

2. Praying mantids have spiked forelegs and a mouth that has strong cutting components to cut through insect exteriors. Never underestimate the foreleg of a praying mantis because it is extremly powerful for their size and can crush their prey into half.

3. Praying mantids with their huge compound eyes (which I am very afraid of) on their triangular ailen-like head, allow them to have a keen sight for detecting movement of prey.
The praying mantis eyes, mouth and head are a very good combination.

(If you ask me why I made this picture so small, its because if I made it big, I think no one would ever read my blog again, even I half-closed my eyes upon seeing the large picture.)

4. Together with a flexible head that can turn 180 degrees, eyes for excellent vision and antennae for hearing, these three features make them a very very skilled predator.

5. They can be found in all parts of the world, most likely during late spring to late summer. They tend to be in gardens, forests or vegetated areas.

6. Praying mantids are carnivorous insects. They prey on other insects and other larger species are able to devour larger animals like frogs and hummingbirds!!!!! As cruel as it seems, praying mantises are cannibals and they prey on each other during nymph stages and most often during mating. The female mantis will devour the male mantis. (The male mantis has to run quick man!) The male provides protein for the female to produces eggs))):

As you can see, that's the size difference of the female (big, green one) and male praying (small, brown one) mantis. Poor guy, he's going to be eaten up. R.I.P


7. The smallest praying mantis is 1.2cm and the largest praying mantis can go up to 15cm.

8. They have the ability to use their camouflage to blend into the surroundings and wait very patiently and still for several minutes to reach striking distance. They will use teir forelegs to grab the prey and eat it alive. Some species can mimic the look of flowers as well.

9. When threatened, the mantis will stand tall and spread their forelegs wth the wings fanning out and their mouths wide open. This defensive stance will make them look larger to scare opponents. If the attacker insists, they will proceed to strike with their forelegs, pinch or bite. (they are no cowards!)

Defensive stance

10. Predators that like to eat the praying mantis for lunch are bats, spiders, monkeys, large frogs, large birds, giant hornets and snakes etc.

Here are 3 different breeds of praying mantids that are considered to be top-notch at flower mimicking. Get ready to be fascinated!

1. The Devil Flower Mantis- Sometimes known as the "King of all Mantids" because of its beauty, size and rarity. It is considered to be one of the largest species that can mimic flowers.

Devil flower mantis

2. Spiny Flower Mantis- It is a beautiful species with an array of colours from brown, red, blue, green or mixes of each colour on its wing case and body.

Spiny Flower Mantis

With wings fanned out

3. The Orchid Praying Mantis -By it's name, you already know what flower it resembles.

Orchid Praying Mantis



This has got to be my favourite mantis of all time(: It's beautiful and amazing isn't it?

And I have to say even though I'm amazed by these insects because they are created in such a perfect manner, I kinda hate them in a way too. Especially their eyes, it makes me turn away in disgust. That's the thing with insects. NEVER have a close of view of their faces. It's terrifying. Sigh, I might have a nightmare of that green mantis staring at me tonight):

Goodbye!

Hello!
I promised to upload the photos for Izzy's birthday so here they are!

Izzy's beautiful family

Bestfriend's forever

♥♥♥ sigh! i always look bad in pictures):

That's about it, the rest are unrelated to me. Haha

Anyway, I went trekking with the boyfriend today at Macritchie Reservoir and it was hell of an exercise man. The rocky ground, muddy steep upward and downward slopes just made it more difficult to trek. But of course, the mountain that I climbed at Bintan when I was younger was so much tougher. Guess how much we walked? 12 km! And without breakfast. By the time we were done, which was around 4 hours later, we were starving and perspiring like mad dogs. It started raining too, so we got a little bath. Then we took a bus down to Thomson to grab some chendol from Old School Delights and roti prata as well. Went home after that, bathed and we both fell asleep.

I really like nature and the outdoors. My friends would probably mock me if they saw this statement because I hate being in the sun NOT because I'm spoilt or anything because I don't want to become tanned. I would look horrid if I was. But I love looking at new animals that I've never seen before, watching how they move and they way they look like. I love breathing in the fresh air that surrounds me and the tranquility that I can experience admist of all those trees. I love the feeling of walking on grasses and rocks, snapping pictures of new flora and fauna that I see. It just really saddens me how all this is disappearing.

I saw a really huge monitor lizard, an orange and white butterfly that was really pretty and this scary bee that was in blue! A blue bee! And not just any blue, it's the type of blue that glows! It was flying towards me and it rested on my leg for a while which totally freaked me out. I just stayed really still hoping it wouldn't sting me or something. But at least I got to see it close. hehe(: I saw a blue-brown sparrow too. I just wished I had a "Pokedex" like Ash in Pokemon. Then I would be able to find out about each animal just by using it. A pity that the beauty and movement of animals cannot be fully capture in photographs. I LOVE THE NATURE(: I'm happy to have a boyfriend that loves the nature too but in a different way haha. You're still going to see him throwing or spitting on the ground when he has no choice. I wouldn't do that.

Treasure the nature. Without the nature.. Many beautiful things in the world would disappear. We should do our part in preserving the world's beauty for our children to experience. I'll just leave you people with a picture and a random fact(:

Do you know that only less than 6% of the land is occupied by rainforests now? And these trees are responsible for 40% of the oxygen that we breathe in. Just think about it, what if we lost that 40%?

Hi!
I came across this picture today. It makes a lot of sense to me.

When I was younger, I came up with a list of "My ideal/dream boyfriend" or something like that. I wrote things like "He must like animals, be at least 180cm, be kind, be faithful, be humorous and just be everything nice." My bestfriends had lists like that too and I'm sure many girls still do. Recently, I was catching up w a close friend of mine and he told me he didn't know why he wasn't attached. Not because he is ugly, has protruding teeth or is only 5ft2" tall but in fact, he is a really good catch and many girls do admire him. He just told me that he is waiting for that dream girl to appear.

I scoffed. People above the age of sixteen who are still coming up with stupid lists and still mucking around waiting for dream partners to appear, please wake up and quit being childish. The keyword in your dictionary that you have to realise is DREAM. Dreams don't happen in reality and you are NEVER EVER gona find someone who is perfect. The more you understand and love a person for who he/she is, the more perfect they will seem to you. Perfections happen when you embrace the imperfections. Only when you start making comments like, you're a jerk, you're not caring enough, you're so irritating!! etc, and you still love them, your love is perfect and most importantly, imperfections need time to show. This is usually the reason why couples break up especially during quarrels, because they find that they cannot accept certain things about another. So, when you go around looking for that special someone.. Look for the right one, NOT the perfect one.

He has buck teeth and a bad complexion. She has small eyes and is a noisy chatterbox. He isn't rich, he doesn't drive a Ferrari. She doesn't have boobs and an ass. He's too scrawny and OMG, she's obese. He isn't gentle, she's too rough. She can't cook and he can't say something nice. The dream partner you had on your list isn't who's beside you now. If you have a boyfriend like that or a girlfriend like that, (fill in the descriptions youself), you still love them for who they are and they are perfect in your eyes. Now, that's a really big deal. *smiles*

HAPPY NEW YEAR! *screaaaammmms*
(okay, i know it's a Christmas tree behind this picture but it's superrr cute! Just ignore it heheh)

3.Bestfriendsforever- Hello Izzy! Times flies. It's been two years since I've met you and I really thank God for placing you in my life. You're always there to listen to all the unhappiness that I have and you make me feel like I'm not alone when I face problems. We laugh at the stupidest things and we're like soulmates, we think alike because we have great minds *DUH?*You know what? Our friendship still has so much space to grow and nourish and we still have so much more to learn about each other. But nevertheless, I also believe that we will remain bestfriends forever and always till we're old. Well, that's exactly what BFF means right? hehe. We will strive together to get our desired grades and always be there for each other just like how we are now. I hope you enjoyed your day and remember, you're worth every effort. I love you Izzy ♥



I've disappeared for some time but i've returned with some good products to share(: I've changed a few products that were in my makeup pouch and I'm pleased with them. So just in case any ladies (not guys, i hope) wants to change or is looking for any new makeup, you can refer to my review(: Since I'm doing my review, it means that opinions are solely from me and it does not mean that the same results will be delivered to everyone.

1. Urban Decay Naked Palette- Comes with 12 neutral shades (Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked, Smog, Dark Horse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep and Gunmetal). Also comes with a mini UD primer potion and one eyeliner with two colours. (Zero and I forgot)

Swatches! According to the order of names given, left to right.
Sorry if the first few colours are barely visible. My skin is quite fair and the flash just washed out the colours. Much stronger in real life!

Verdict:
Pros: As usual, Urban Decay eyeshadows do live up to their expectations. They are extremly pigmented and the colours are beautiful. You can go from a very simple basic look during work or school and just add some darker colors from the palette for a night's out. The eyeshadows are in a velvety brown palette, classy and sleek!

Cons: Many people swear by the Urban Decay eyeliner because it is really smooth which allows easy application. However, i don't really fancy it because it smudges on me, BIG TIME. Good for a smokey effect though.

Rating: 9/10
Repurchase: Yes, if i even get to finish using it. I'm not sure if this palette is a limited edition.
Retail Price: $78.00

2. Maybelline's Magnum Volum Express Waterproof- In white countries, they name this mascara the Colossal Volum Express Waterproof. They changed the name to Magnum Volum Express in Asia and made the mascara wand smaller so that it would be easier for our Asian lashes. The formula is still exactly the same. If i am not wrong, there is another similar tube in stores but with different names " Colossal Volum Express". This one isn't waterproof. Be sure to check before you make your purchase! Says to lengthen up to 9x and collagen increases volume. The brush creates a dramatic and no clump look.

Verdict:

Pros: I like this mascara. Obviously 9x lengthening is an exaggeration, i would say at most 3x which is already a pretty big deal and the collagen does a very good job at providing lashes with volume too. This mascara holds up curls which is a additional plus plus point for me because I have stubborn lashes and does not feel heavy. It smudges a little but i guess thats only because my eyes tear very easily.

Cons: However, I dislike the brush in this mascara because it makes the mascara clump on my lashes though this can be easily solved if you sweep a dry mascara wand over your coated lashes.

Rating: 8/10
Repurchase: Most probably.
Retail price: I got it on sale so it was slightly below $20.00.

3. Skin 79 BB Cream, Triple Functions (Hot Pink)- Comes in Hot pink for oily skin and Gold for dry skin i think. The triple functions in both bb creams are more or less the same just that the gold one says Wrinkle Improvement which means... for people with wrinkles? (no offence) and the hot pink one says Wrinkle Free which means to prevent wrinkles.

Verdict:

Pros: I love this. I'm quite anal towards foundations which is why i bought a BB cream for everyday use and even though BB creams are somewhat like foundations, it makes me feel that it does less harm to my skin. The consistency isn't too thick and provides a decent medium coverage. It does a good job controlling the oil shine on the face and closes up ALOT of pores. In real life, the colour has a dark greyish hue to it in contrast to the nude beige you see in pictures. The colour fits well into my skin as well.

Cons: Because this only provides a medium coverage, you need a little concealer if you have redness or obvious acne.

Rating: 9/10
Repurchase: Yes!
Retail Price: Close to $30 or slightly over that.

4. Le Prisme Libre Air Sensation Loose Powder Quartet (HOLY GRAIL PRODUCT)- Comes in four shades of different coloured powder that merge together to give you that flawless, transparent look. There are different coloured powder palettes for different looks, Ultra soft/Natural and Sunkissed complexions. It all depends on your preference.

Packaging of product

Shade 01.Light Pastel- For the ultimate ultra soft complexion.

Verdict:

Pros: Trust me. I've tried many different kinds of powders (ZA, Loreal, Laneige and Dior) and I fnally found the perfect face powder. I LOVE THIS PRODUCT. I got my shade in 01. Light Pastel. The four coloured powders are blue/green/pink and white. When i first saw this powder, i was amazed by how these four different coloured powders merge together to give a flawless complexion. Each coloured powder has a different purpose (correcting redness etc) as well. It has little shimmers in it that aren't too over the top or rough to touch and like it's description, it gives me a flawless, dewy, healthy and trasparent look. The packaging is freaking pretty btw, super elegant and i know it looks very heavy but ironically, it isn't.

Cons: It doesn't control oil very well. My nose produces quite a large amount of oil and if i wear this alone, i have to do retouches. This is why i pair it up with the Skin79 BB cream(: For people who prefer a very matte look and mind carrying a bulky box of powder around , this powder isn't for you.

Rating:9.5/10
Repurchase: YES!!!!!!!
Retail price: $85.00

Hehe.. Such a long post! If you're wondering why my ratings for each product is so high, it's because whenever I buy a product (eg, a face powder), I do alot of research to see which are the better ones and come up with a list of choices before eliminating and coming down to the one I like best. I'm still a student so i don't wana waste my money on things that I won't use.

Bye my dears, I hoped this helped!(: