Now everybody asks me why I'm smiling out from ear to ear
They say love hurts
But I know it's gonna take a little work
Nothing's perfect, but it's worth it after fighting through my tears
And finally you put me first

You're the one that gives your all.
You're the one I can always call.
When I need you make everything stop.
Finally you put my love on top.

Once upon a time, you and I were best friends. And that means that whenever you need me, I’m here. Any time, anywhere, any place. Forever. And I wish you'd know that I could do so much more for you. I wanna help.

When you have no light to guide you
And no one to walk beside you
I will come to you
Oh come to you

Sometimes when all your dreams may have seen better days
And you don't know how or why, but you've lost your way
Have no fear when your tears are fallin'
I will hear your spirit callin'
And I swear that I'll be there come what may

It means no worries for the rest of your days
It's my problem-free philosophy
Hakuna Matata

I finally got my first tattoo, and I am over the moon! I've been wanting one for years, but it was always 'cause I thought it was cool, and not because I wanted something meaningful. And also, for the longest time, I've been terrified of the pain that comes with getting a tattoo.

But recently, I've gotten enlightenment. When life got tough during the past couple of years, I fell into a frenzy - relationships didn't work out, jobs wasn't satisfying enough, I was lonely, and I just needed more and wanted more. I threw myself into work, but I wasn't truly happy because I was fretting. I fretted about everything and anything. I worried about never getting enough out of my career, and I worried about eventually being left on the shelf because I wasn't good enough for anyone.

But then one day, I told myself to just forget it about. Forget about all my worries and just take each day at a time. Work picked up. I realized that if you keep complaining about something, you don't give it a chance to win you over. I realized how much I loved my job and I loved my industry. And at the same time, it gave me the courage to move on. Which seems ironic, but no. It gave me the strength to see past the whining and finally want to make a change. And here I am now, in a company that I think truly reflects my personality and interests.

I also decided to give matters of the heart a rest. I figured the more you try to search for it, the more you won't find anything. So I worked and worked, worked hard. Yea I had a few times when I felt like I met somebody I could get along with, but when it didn't work out, I didn't mope much over it too much. I didn't worry about it and just moved on. And look what I found now! I found my soulmate, my life partner. I found the boy I know I will be spending the rest of my life with.

After watching 'The Lion King' musical, the words 'Hakuna Matata' kept ringing in my head. And I finally decided that from this day forth, that will be my life motto - to have no worries. I will try my bestest to live my life that way. And so now I have 'Hakuna Matata' inked on my forearm, so I can remind myself daily to just let go of my worries. Once you let go of it, happiness will find its way. And also, 'The Lion King' is a huge part of my childhood - back when life was carefree and innocent. I will always wanna remember those days and life live like that.

I always knew that when I get my first tattoo, it will be something meaningful. I'm not one of those girls who would get a butterfly or heart or someotherfunnyshape inked on their body just because it looks 'pretty' or 'cool'. I know that a tattoo is permanent, so I wanna be able to look at it everyday and be reminded of something, and not just abuse my body with ink, and not to mention pain.

When I finally decided to get 'Hakuna Matata' inked on my arm, my biggest hurdle was not the fear of pain, but my Dad. He's an old-fashioned man who feels like a tattoo is tagged with negative connotations, and that if you have a tattoo, you belong to a certain class of people. He was not personally against anyone who had a tattoo, but just afraid of how others would view his daughter if she got a tattoo. When I mentioned getting one, he blew his top. Now, I don't often see my Dad lose his temper, especially at me. I can count, with one hand, the number of times he ever lost his temper at me. But this time he did, and it scared me.

But I knew I had to fight for this. It was something I really wanted. I pride myself on being someone who would never do anything to deliberately upset or disobey her parents. I knew that at the end of the day, if my Dad was adamant about objecting the tattoo, I would not get it. Many people told me to go ahead, 'cause after all I'm his daughter, how long can be stay mad at me? And I knew that was true. I knew that he won't stay mad for long, because he loves me too much. But I was not going to take advantage of that love. If he didn't want me to get it, I wouldn't. I will not disrespect the man who made me who I am today.

So I knew I had to change his mind. I plead my case, but he didn't budge. At the end of the day, it was my Mom who won him over with her moving speech. Fact is, I don't really know what she said, but she talked him into allowing me to get one. And so I had his permission.

My next hurdle was getting over the fear. I was this close to throwing up just before entering the shop. Thank God for my amazing boyfriend who managed to calm my nerves and held my hand tightly throughout the entire process. When the needle went across my skin, I was shocked. Not shocked because of the pain, but shocked because it really was not as bad as I thought it would be. I mean, it did hurt, of course it did, but it was really okay! A bearable pain! And that's coming from me! A scaredy cat!

All in all, I love my tattoo. I don't understand how people can get addicted to this though. It freaking hurts! But that being said, I know this won't be my last. Will probably get another soon together with my boyfriend!

Happy birthday to Thomas - one of the nicest guys I know! I hope we gave him a good surprise today! Even though I was dead beat from a full day shoot, but I will never miss a wonderful moment with the band. Any time spent with them is always super fun!

Can't wait for Friday!!!!

Face:
- Rimmel's Stay Matte Liquid Foundation in True Ivory
- MAC limited edition Bronzing Powder in Refined Golden ('To the Beach' collection)
- MAC Mineralized Skinfinish in Medium Plus
- MAC Mineralized Skinfinish in Dark
- Canmake Colour Stick in 02

Eyes:
- K-Palette 1 Day Tattoo Real Lasting Eyebrow Liner in 01
- Urban Decay Primer Potion
- NYX 10-colour Eyeshadow Palette in For Brown Eyes
- Maybelline Volum'Xpress Hypercurl Mascara in Very Black
- Maybelline Volum'Xpress Cat Eyes Mascara in Feline Black

Cheeks:
- Sleek Blush in Rose Gold

Lips:
- NYX Round Lipgloss in Real Nude

Nicole Richie inspired braided updo

Waterfall braid

So I recently started a Facebook album called 'My kind of art'. I am planning to fill it with pictures of my different makeup looks.

I'm a sucker for makeup. I've always been. My earliest childhood memories were of me sitting beside my Mom and watching her put on makeup. By age 5, I already knew what different makeup products were, and which part of the face they went on. My Mom always told me that makeup is essential for girls. It is a form of respect to the outside world. And I agree. Some people argue that girls should have 'natural' beauty and not cover their face with makeup. I beg to differ. In this day and age, there really is no such thing as 'natural beauty'. We shave our legs/underarms, we trim our eyebrows, we whiten our teeth, wear contact lenses etc etc. What is 'natural beauty'?

I look at makeup as a form of art. Some people paint on canvases, I prefer to do art on my face instead. Makeup is not just about slapping on some eyeshadow or blush or lipstick. Makeup is about techniques, about the right use of tools and brushes, it's about colours and blending. Makeup is an art. I don't use it to change the way I look or cover my 'natural beauty', I use it to enhance my features. After all, humans are on a perpetual quest of self-improvement.

Anyways, the first picture in my album is a makeup look inspired by Beyonce in her latest 'Party' music video:

Face:
- Rimmel's Stay Matte Liquid Foundation in True Ivory
- MAC limited edition Bronzing Powder in Refined Golden ('To the Beach' collection)
- MAC Mineralized Skinfinish in Medium Plus
- MAC Mineralized Skinfinish in Dark

Eyes:
- K-Palette 1 Day Tattoo Real Lasting Eyebrow Liner in 01
- Urban Decay Primer Potion
- ELF Custom Eyes in Sage
- Sleek's Storm i-Divine palette
- MAC Eyeshadow in Naked Lunch
- Maybelline Volum'Xpress Hypercurl Mascara in Very Black
- Maybelline Volum'Xpress Cat Eyes Mascara in Feline Black

Cheeks:
- NYX Rouge Cream Blush in Glow
- Physicians Formula Happy Booster Blush in Natural

My second look was inspired by Dianna Agron's dark smokey eyes at the Emmy's:

Face:
- Rimmel's Stay Matte Liquid Foundation in True Ivory
- MAC limited edition Bronzing Powder in Refined Golden ('To the Beach' collection)
- MAC Mineralized Skinfinish in Medium Plus
- MAC Mineralized Skinfinish in Dark

Eyes:
- K-Palette 1 Day Tattoo Real Lasting Eyebrow Liner in 01
- Urban Decay Primer Potion
- Urban Decay Naked Palette colours Virgin, Naked, Creep & Gunmetal
- Maybelline Volum'Xpress Hypercurl Mascara in Very Black
- Maybelline Volum'Xpress Cat Eyes Mascara in Feline Black

Cheeks:
- MAC blush in Sunbasque

Lips:
- Revlon Colourburst Lipgloss in Peony

That's what I do - I push people away.
I push and push until I can't push anymore.
Why? I don't know.
I guess I push people away just to see who would be bothered enough to come back.

But you. You never left. And you never will.
You make me a better person.
And I will love you till the day I die.

So my pretty boy (haha!) and I went to the Dinosaurs Live! exhibit at the Singapore Science Centre last weekend. My boyfriend is a huge fan of dinosaurs, kinda like.... Dr. Ross Geller? I must say that he has kinda transformed me into somewhat of a dinosaur lover too! Why else would we be cuddling in bed and watching Terra Nova every weekend?!

The exhibit was fun! Check out our weekend vlog below!

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Also, Kane and I recently helped his friend out with a school project. Check the video out below and 'like' and comment! If it gets enough view, it could be turned into a series!

Had an absolutely perfect time with the cousins last weekend to celebrate Mel's belated birthday! I feel like I haven't hung out with them in ages and I missed their company. Apart from my precious boyfriend, these are the only bunch of people who can make me forget about everything else in the world and just have fun and laugh my heart out.

I appreciate their existence in my life. They keep me sane. And for the longest time, they were all the company I had. I really hope this bond we share will never be moved or broken. And now with the addition of little Baby Gerrard in our circle, it just makes the group all the more special! Everyday I thank God for these people. Everyday!

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The highlight of my past weekend was definitely going to watch The Lion King musical at the Marina Bay Sands Theater.

The Lion King is one of my top 3 most favourite Disney movies (the other 2 being 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' and, of course, 'Cinderella') of all time. Period. When I was a kid, my Dad bought me The Lion King laser disc. Yes, it was that old school. I would watch the movie every.single.day. I'm not even trying to exaggerate here. No joke. Every day I would watch it. In order to get me to sit down and eat my lunch before the school bus came to pick me up for afternoon session primary school, my Mom would pop the laser disc in the player, and just like the little mice drawn to the Pipe Piper's magic pipe, I would be glued to the TV. Every day. Without fail.

Needless to say, I watched The Lion King growing up. I can memorize all the dialogues and sing all the songs. I loved the characters, the music, the animation.... everything about it. I laughed when Timon and Pumbaa ran around and did their nonsense, and I cried when young Simba helplessly tried to get his father to wake up, not knowing that he was already dead.

When I heard that The Lion King musical was coming to Singapore, I was ecstatic. But the tickets were pricey, and being the cheapskate that I was, I waited and tried to acquire free tickets. I didn't manage to. Just when I thought all hope was lost and it was too late, The Lion King musical announced that they were extending their show for a last month. I quickly booked tickets immediately, and boy did I not regret it!

The show was absolutely fantastic! I'm a fan of musicals. All musicals. From 'High School Musical' to 'Sweeney Todd', all the way to 'Grease', 'Hairspray' and 'Mamma Mia'. I love anything that bursts into songs and dance! And that was also why 'Sesame Street' and 'Barney' were one of my favourite shows when I was a child.

The Lion King musical made me cry. I cried during the opening when the lady sang 'Circle of Life' with the most beautiful, most soulful voice I have ever heard. I cried again when Mufasa died. And finally, I cried at the end, when Simba defeated Scar and took his rightful place as king.

The colours, the songs, the acting, the stage, the costumes, the choreography... everything about the musical was just spectacular. In fact, if I had to describe the musical in one word, it would be - 'magic'.

And you know what, the broadway musical 'Wicked' is coming to Marina Bay Sands next! I am definitely going to go catch that as well!

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Tonight I'm spending Friday night alone and emo. Haha! I'm just not used to my boyfriend not being here, which makes me feel kinda lonely. But no! I will not be one of those girlfriends who puts her own needs above her boyfriend's all the time. I will give space and time when space and time is deserved! So yes, I feel kinda weird not having my boy to snuggle with in bed tonight, but I know he's out there having fun, and that makes me happy!

Plus, I get to see him tomorrow! And we're gonna go see dinosaursssssss! RAWRRRR!!!!

That sweet conversation we had in the car last night really made me realize how much we worked for this relationship. Which sounds ironic, because everything went very smoothly for us. There were no bumps or pit holes in our quest to be together, but I think in 10 years time when we sit our children on our laps and tell them about the story of how we met, it will be a love story peppered with hope, dreams and compromise.

The both of us went far out of our comfort zone to be where we are with each other now. I did things that I never thought I would. And I am at a place now where I never thought I would be. Honestly, I always thought it would take me a few more 'boyfriends' to finally get to a place where I feel at home with someone. My Dad always told me that given my age, I should 'play the field' a bit and get to know more people. But here I am now, settled down with a boy I'm sure I will be spending the rest of my life with.

We didn't go in order, you know? Before I even knew what your favourite movie was, I knew you lost your father at a young age. Before you knew if I was a dog or a cat person, you knew about my cynicism and pessimistic take on life and love. Our first date did not consist of dinner and a movie. Instead, we sat at a coffeeshop and talked the entire afternoon. The only time we touched was when our arms accidentally brushed against each other's.

The first time you texted me goodnight, I almost hyperventilated. On our third date, I almost didn't show up, because I was so afraid you were going to disappoint me. I wasn't used to the person you made me into - happy, contented, perfect, and most importantly - secure. I began waking up every morning with that extra zest in life. No matter what happened, I knew it was going to be ok, because you were there for me. I was a new person with you, and I love that person I am becoming. It's not like I'm abandoning my old self, more like, you bring out the best in me. We were not getting anywhere close to danger. We were falling in love. We were fine.

And I finally found someone who puts me first. I'm no longer an option. I'm a choice.

Baby it's you.
You're the one I love.
You're the one I need.
You're the only one I see.
Come on baby it's you.

You're the one that gives your all.
You're the one I can always call.
When I need you make everything stop.
Finally you put my love on top.