Christmas - the most beautiful day because it testifies the greatest Love in this world. Other than celebrating it and basking in the season of giving, my family took some time to reflect about our year and shared about our goals for 2017.

We prepared a mini feast and had an intimate sharing session on the eve of Christmas, where we started with a simple prayer and I shared how our evening would unfold.

With very hectic individual schedules, it is very rare of us to have a complete family dinner for 5 of us. The only time we are glued together would be vacations that dad would plan and special occasions like this. Having more meals and spending more quality time together is one of our goals that we hope to work towards as well.

After dinner, I dished out a sheet of paper for each person - where they were given some time to reflect on the year and filled it up. We also had a family section, where we shared about one thing that we wanted to achieve as a family.

Full details are found in the image below!


Thereafter, everyone would place their filled up sheets in the centre of the table and we would go one round - sharing about those points in detail. Not only is the perfect bonding time for the family, but we get to share our goals explicitly in 2017 and spur each other on to achieve them. It was also a a stepping stone for our family as we connected with one another on a deeper level and listened intentionally and grow as one.

If you still do not have any plans for your countdown, you could take this time to bring your family members together and spend a few hours sharing about what you have learnt in 2016 and goals you have planned for 2017. You could get participation from your closest friends or other half too!

Most of the time, we would do a reflection for the year but I shared with my family that reflections need not be a yearly affair - but it could happen with more frequency, perhaps a weekly basis where you would dedicate some time thinking about how your week has been and what you can do better in the next.

With impending deadlines and long to-do lists, we tend to rush through the motion and it does not occur to us that if we took a step back and thought about how we felt and dealt with things, we could learn to manage what we had better.

Some questions we could post to ourselves would be:
1. Why did I react this way? (eg: being angry with my partner over not closing the door)
2. Why am I more patient towards this and more impatient towards that?
3. How can I delegate time for ______?
4. What really matters to me?
5. How can I react differently?

Not only does it gives you more clarity about yourself, but it gives yourself more intention to become a better individual as you take time to review your week.

I hope this would be a blessing to you.

Blessed Christmas!

I think I'm in love with Czech and it's beautiful vibrant architecture. Our first stop upon entering its borders led us to Cesky Krumlov, a UNESCO Heritage site where we were offered an incredible bird's eye view of this 800 year old town.

From cobbled floors to lines of colourful shop houses, I was very much mesmerised. It got me seriously thinking of paying a visit to Italy next year.

Winter in Czech was awfully cold, with temperatures fluctuating from 2 to -2 degrees, I was hovering between my heat packs and camera buttons. Pulling the zipper of my pants has proven to be a daunting task in winter as well. So, I opted for a minimalist and chic sling to go with my furry vest - providing the added convenience for reaching to my phone while keeping tabs on my belongings.
This bag doubles up as a clutch as well, with detachable slings.. and are made completely out of leather and studs! We're really pleased to say that this new label, Anastasia By Raine - is also available for purchase on our website. Expect to receive products lovingly made, using only the finest leather.

No two items are the same, with every single piece specially handcrafted by Raine herself. She carefully procures the leather and personally makes the bags from scratch. Other than bags, we'll be launching some of her specially curated items like the Pom pom ring key chains and leather cardholders which we will be unveiled in the next few posts!

We're pretty sure her items belong to the lust list!

Seated 50,000 feet above ground, my flight enroute to Budapest got me penning down what goes into my carry-on luggage every time I pack for an icy cold vacation.

I’m a huge fan of layering, so I love visiting countries during winter because I get to play around with different coats and put on knee-length boots without getting any judgmental stares.

What really bothers me would be the skin care I need, because planning your skin care routine for such trips would render completely different purposes you would look for. Every product has to be extra moisturising to sustain your skin’s suppleness.

With Kiehl’s sending me their media kits consisting of travel sized toners, moisturisers and my favourite midnight recovery oil - these handy items are always on my hand-carry for me to apply each time I step into a flight.

I’d start off with removing my makeup, completing my skin routine and taking some further steps by keeping my hands, lips and hair hydrated.

Sticking to warm and neutral tones, my first coordinate in Europe would be a turtleneck knit wear and jeans, with a camel coat that I’ve been religiously bringing on my trips.

Some of my other travel essentials includes my sleeping gear - a neck pillow and an eye mask, a pair of chic sunglasses and a pouch which carries my cash and cards!

A little more about the minimalistic card holder as seen in the pictures above, they’re handcrafted with the finest leather and was specially curated by a local designer - Anastasia By Raine. We have a special collaboration in store, and I’m really excited as we unveil more throughout my trip!

I’m really particular about selecting a bag which goes up on the plane with me, because it has to be roomy enough and completely versatile to complement my looks seamlessly.

An upcoming item, our Wonderlust Bucket Bag comes in 3 colours and you’ll definitely spot them in this travelogue as I incorporate them into my outfits.

As you can guess, I’ll be actively updating this space and my social media accounts so that we can be on this trip together! I’ll be landing in 1hour and 11minutes and I’m absolutely thrilled!

For more, head over to my instagram @unveiledlust and click on IG stories for more.

Rewinding back to my solo trip to BKK, this cafe was on my go-to list. Even when it meant enduring through the crazy morning jam and battling with the rain, I found myself as their first customer on that very day - entering their doors at 8:55am.
สุขุมวิท, 6/9 ซอย สุขุมวิท 49/11 Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand
+66 83 656 6141
9AM–6PM

Always feeling so loved when Kiehl's sends me their media kit! #Loveyourlocals was their recent campaign where they incorporated a heart-shaped graphic of Singapore's iconic places and food found on their products.

Back during my solo trip to Bangkok, I bought a bottle of their limited edition Kiehl's Calendula Herbal Extract Toner. Imprinted on it was LOVE BANGKOK and I kept the bottle because I'm really such a hoarder. Kiehl's sent me the Singapore version so now I have another one to keep!

This toner works really well for people with sensitive skin like me, so it is no surprise that I'm on my 7th bottle. I even kept their Christmas edition bottle from last year too! #hoarderalert

In the package, it has 2 other signature products - Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream and Ultra Facial Gel Cream (Oil-free). I got the biggest tub of their Ultra Facial Cream while travelling to New Zealand last year when I realised I left out facial moisturizer for my winter trip. Thereafter, this amazing tub followed me through my travels.

I highly recommend it for harsher weather conditions and applying it twice a day: Before you start on your makeup and right before you head to bed. It left my complexion smoother and healthier-looking, allowing easier application of make-up products.

In humid weathers like Singapore, I would only apply it after I've showered. Not forgetting facial wash, toner and a serum before scooping a generous portion of their best-selling moisturizer out of the tub.

It's never too early to start shopping for Christmas, so spread your love by gifting your precious ones with Kiehls!

I knew I had to shoot with this quirky Flamingo backdrop after Bicky and Brew's signature wallpaper made it's way up on many Instagram accounts. That very day, we packed a luggage-full of Madame Flamingo shoes on a search for this cafe. Our grab car thought it was a good day to be dead on us and we were left stranded in the middle of the expressway before we hopped onto another taxi.

We stepped into this quaint and cosy cafe, where I spontaneously ordered a cup of tea. The lady boss running this place was really sweet too! We had a short chat and she shared that this wallpaper was from Australia, and she shipped it here and developed a love for flamingos through it.

She bakes her own confectionaries like bagels and muffins too. I took away their banana chocolate muffin ($3) and I thought it was really worth it! The best part of it was the oozing chocolate and how it was mildly sweet - exactly what I would crave for in a muffin.

We got down to work, snapping images of our range of signature flamingo footwear. F'flamingo was first introduced in 2014, and we have added new colours - beige and white to it. This pair definitely injects a very playful vibe and is perfect for dress down days!

For something more work appropriate, the design was revised into a pair of 2-inch heels - Mimi Flamingo. Of course, if you're looking for a pair of sandals, there's always our Flamingo Crush you can count on!

It's always a flamingo party over here at Madame Flamingo Singapore.

Preorder closes this Thursday, 10 Nov.