I was never blessed with soft or smooth skin. In fact, I have dry, scaly skin on my arms and at the back of my legs, which explains why body moisturizers are essential to my daily beauty routine.

Recently, I had the opportunity to try NIVEA Skin Delight, an oil-in-body-milk moisturizer that has all the nourishing properties of a body oil and yet feels as lightweight as a body milk on your skin. How can something that sounds like an oxymoron possibly be true? I too was skeptical initially, but after testing it out on my skin for a few days, I can attest that NIVEA’s claim is indeed true.

This caring yet highly effective body moisturizer is formulated with NIVEA caring essence and two indulgent floral fragrances: Rose & Lavender. Just look at the runny consistency of the glycerin-based formula. It absorbs readily into your skin like a dream without any sticky after-feel, covering it in a sheer veil of hydration that actually lasts throughout the day, unlike many lightweight body milk moisturizers which do not provide adequate hydration for my parched skin.

It comes as no surprise that 91% of Singaporean women aged between 25 to 44 years old agreed that NIVEA Skin Delight gives them smoother and softer skin even after 12 hours of application!

Aside from its hydrating properties, the floral fragrance smells divine, just like a bouquet of flowers. It is available in Rose and Lavender scents. Rose smells absolutely feminine and has healing and rejuvenating benefits, while Lavender soothes and calms the senses.

Did you know that the best time to apply moisturizer is right after you jump out of the shower, when your skin is still slightly moist? Gently tap the lotion all over your body to lock in the moisture and keep your skin baby soft.

Here’s another tip. To smell good all day long, try layering your body lotion with perfume. Better yet if you have a rose or lavender scented perfume to match NIVEA’s Skin Delight body lotions.

My favourite way to wind down after a long day is to slather a thin layer of NIVEA Skin Delight in Relaxing Lavender to calm my senses before bed and help me to sleep better. I pamper myself with Glowing Rose in the day after my morning shower as it perks me up instantly.

Having tried and tested many body moisturizers and even body oils, I can safely conclude that not many come close to NIVEA Skin Delight in terms of hydration and scent. Plus, it is priced affordably at just S$7.90 (250ml) and  S$10.90 (400ml). I am hooked and I know you wouldn’t want to give this a miss too!

Before we went to Xinjiang, we were warned by everyone we knew that we were venturing  into dangerous territory. Well, we certainly were. If you so decide to follow our footsteps and embark on journey to the west, here are some tips that you might find useful:

1) Don’t eat the fruits

Because they’re so sweet, you can never get used to fruits from other parts of the world (not even Japan) ever again. The fruits here are sweeter than their counterparts from the rest of the world because of the arid climate which results in more sugar deposits. To give you an idea of how yummy the fruits are, we had grapes and cantaloupes everyday, at every meal.

2) Don’t talk to the Uyghurs

Uyghurs are the indigenous population of Xinjiang. Try not to talk to them because you’ll be so enamoured by their sharp features and striking good looks thanks to their Turkish and Central European heritage, you’ll never want to leave their company (look at how adorable the children are!). Don’t even get me started on how friendly and personable they are. Contrary to popular belief that they are hostile and unfriendly, we were greeted with warm smiles and showered with nothing but kindness  throughout our stay in Xinjiang.

3) Don’t try the lamb

The lamb is tender and well marinated with a complex mix of spices. If tastes so amazing, I assure you you’ll never see lamb in the same light or taste lamb that is this good ever again.

4) Don’t visit the ruins

Why? It’s going to be hard to find similar spots anywhere else in the world. Photography enthusiasts and history buffs will be blown away by the enigmatic beauty and rich historical background of beautiful ruins such as Jiaohe Ruins and Gaochang Ruins. The best thing about these places is that they are not touristy at all, which means that you have all the time in the world to soak in the splendour of your surroundings.

Gaochang was once the biggest city in Xinjiang and served as an important commercial and cultural center on the northern edge of the Silk Road. It was also an important religious center. Fans of the novel Journey To The West may also recall that this was where Buddhist monk Xuanzang spent several years teaching Buddhism while he was on his way to India.

Jiaohe Ruins is another important UNESCO World Heritage Site along the Silk Road. Slightly less than 2000 years old, the city was home to 7000 residents before it was destroyed when Genghis Khan led an invasion in the 13th century. This to me, is the Pompeii of the East. Beautiful isn’t it?

5) Don’t dress like a Uyghur

I wore traditional Uyghur dresses to some of the places of attraction. These dresses are instant conversation-starters and drew many compliments from the friendly Uyghur community – a great way to break the ice if you ask me.

However, if you think dressing up like a Uyghur will help you to fit in, especially when you’re taking domestic flights to another city in Xinjiang or other Chinese cities, you can’t be more wrong. I absolutely adore their traditional dresses and decided to wear one of them on board a flight from Kashgar to Urumqi. Thanks to the way I was dressed (and probably due to my supposedly non-Chinese and more Uyghur appearance), I was subjected to much a stricter security screening process as I was viewed as a security threat. The female security officer, who was a Uyghur by the way, singled me out and reached her hands into my undergarments, in the hope of finding perhaps a knife or a bomb attached to my body. The minute I muttered a few words in English (probably expletives), she stopped searching and exclaimed aloud “She is not a Uyghur” in Chinese to her colleague.

That sums up my first-hand experience of discrimination against Uyghurs by Uyghurs.

Now, if you haven’t already realised by now, tip no. 5 is  the only “do not do this” tip that you should abide by.

Xinjiang is such a charming destination and definitely one of my favourite places on the map thus far. It breaks my heart to know that the Uyghurs are treated as strangers in their own land, but let’s save the rest of that story for another day.

Most of us Singaporeans are familiar with Kuala Lumpur (KL), but do you know where to go for authentic Malaysian cuisine besides Jalan Alor? The rule of thumb is always to ask for recommendations from the locals, so before I popped by a few weekends ago, I spoke to my Malaysian friend. One of the restaurants that she recommended was Restoran Rebung by internationally renowned Dato’ Chef Ismail.

Lady luck must have been shining on me because the lovely team from Gaya Travel and Ministry of Tourism & Culture Malaysia already had it all planned!

1. Restoran Rebung

We were personally greeted by the affable Dato’ Chef Ismail who gave us a thorough explanation of all the dishes we had to try (and also gamely posed for the camera with a huge pot of dodol!). You can choose between the ala carte menu or the buffet, but if you want a taste of authentic Malay cuisine in its full glory, I would highly recommend the buffet.

As a Singaporean, most of us are no stranger to delicious Malay food, but believe me, dining at Restoran Rebung is an eye-opening experience, and a very memorable one at that.

We were spoilt for choice with the endless selection of savoury curries and delicacies such as nasi lemak, assam laksa and roti jala. Plus, who could forget the wonderful dessert spread that ended our meal on a sweet note? At a pocket-friendly price of just RM75++ per pax, you can eat to your heart’s delight without worrying about bursting your budget (well, do beware of bursting seams though).

Restoran Rebung

Address:

5-2, Aras 5, Parkir Bertingkat Bukit Aman

No. 1 Jalan Tanglin

Taman Botani Perdana

50480 Kuala Lumpur

Opening hours:

Mon – Sun 7am – 10pm

2. Coliseum Cafe & Grill Room

Take a walk down memory lane at Coliseum Cafe & Grill Room, a restaurant that has been serving colonial heritage Hainanese cuisine since 1921. Much of Coliseum’s interior remains reminiscent of the colonial days and evokes a nostalgic feel. Coliseum Cafe and the beautiful building that it is housed in are gems, especially in this day and age when old buildings are torn down at lightning speed to make way for new ones.

When it comes to Hainanese cuisine, Hainanese pork chop is one dish that you can’t miss out on. All it took was one bite into the crispy crust that enveloped the succulent meat within for me to fall in love with Coliseum’s version of Hainanese pork chop. Popular among both Malaysians and tourists alike, Coliseum is a must-visit for those of us who fancy comfort food, photography enthusiasts and history buffs.

Coliseum Cafe & Grill Room

3. Street Food at Jalan Masjid Night Market

I don’t know about you, but I love night markets (also known as pasar malams) in Malaysia, especially in KL. I visited the pasar malam along Jalan Masjid recently as part of the KL Heritage Night Walk. The street food is amazing, you get to savour old school snacks and the stalls open till late.

I was completely bowled over by the delicious pancakes that were pan-fried to perfection. It left a lasting impression as I haven’t had anything quite like this in Singapore. Now you know where to head to the next time your stomach growls way past dinner time!

*****

Have you tried these places? If there’re any other food haunts that you would recommend, leave a comment or drop me an e-mail!

**This post was brought to you in collaboration with Gaya Travel and Ministry of Tourism & Culture Malaysia.**

Skincare usually takes centerstage in our beauty routine but did you know that our most intimate area requires just as much tender loving care? It’s easy to overlook the nether region because we often assume that a shower gel does the job equally well.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but that’s not how it works.

Ever since I discovered Sebamed, a German feminine care brand, I haven’t looked back. Read on and I’ll tell you why.

Why do you need a feminine wash?

I’m sure you know how important it is to wash your face with a facial cleanser to remove all the grime and dirt that has accumulated throughout the course of the day. By the same logic, it makes sense for us to incorporate a good feminine wash into our cleansing regime too.

Why? Because the vaginal area has thousands of sweat glands. Exercise, tight clothing and our humid weather can result in the growth of bad bacteria that causes odour.

It’s even more important to thoroughly cleanse our genital area during our menstrual cycle to prevent odour and the possible onset of infections.

I tried Sebamed during my menstrual cycle last month and I’m happy to report that it kept me feeling clean and fresh all day long. Don’t even get me started on the amazing floral scent. Not only does it cleanse effectively and smell heavenly,  it is moisturizing and has anti-bacterial properties to prevent infection too. It also doesn’t irritate your skin because it’s paraben-free, soap-free and dermatologically tested. In fact, Sebamed has been tried and tested by gynecologists as well, so you can rest assured that you’re in safe hands.

Can’t we use conventional soaps or shower gel?

5.5 is the pH level of healthy skin. Conventional soap is too alkaline, which makes it way too harsh and drying for our delicate genital area.

Sebamed’s feminine wash is formulated with a pH value of 3.8 which is the natural pH of our genital area during childbearing age.

For our mums who are likely to be experiencing menopause now, Sebamed has another feminine wash specially formulated with a pH value of 6.8.

How do I use it?

Pour a coin sized amount onto your palm, lather it up with water and you’re all ready to cleanse your genital area. Remember to wash your anal area last to prevent bacteria from being transferred to your genital area.

**Exclusive Privilege for my readers**

 Get a FREE Sebamed Shower Gel Grape Fruit (worth $19.80) with every purchase of Sebamed Feminine Wash (200ml) at $17.45!

All you have to do is quote my name “REGINA” in the Buyers Memo for the Free Gift entitlement when you check out with Qoo10!

Can you believe it? You’ll actually receive a free gift that costs more than the feminine wash!

Click on the links below to shop now:

Sebamed Feminine Intimate Wash ( http://bit.ly/Sebamed38 )

Sebamed Feminine Intimate Wash for Menopause ( http://bit.ly/Sebamed68 )

Promotion Valid till 16 October 2016

I rely heavily on my DSLR camera most of the time but whenever my arms need a break, I never fail to turn to Casio. I already own the Casio Exilim EX-ZR3600 and TR70, but I’m excited to announce that a new camera model has since been released and it’s none other than the Casio EX-ZR5000!

What’s different about this model is its super wide angle lens (19mm) which is just perfect for capturing expansive landscape scenery, even when taking wefies or selfies! If you used to have difficulties fitting in the background without cutting yourself or your friends out, you’ll never have to worry about this issue again.

Besides the wide angle lens, I’ll be highlighting some of my favourite features of this camera that will cater to all your photography needs. None of these photos/videos are edited so you can be assured that what you see is truly what you get.

Travel

I love the time lapse function on this camera. Thanks to this amazing feature, I managed to capture the beautiful transition between sunset and nightfall in its full glory from Nobu restaurant at the Petronas Tower during my recent media trip to KL. I basically just left the camera on the table and let it work its magic while I indulged in Nobu’s delectable Japanese fusion dishes. The reflection from the glass window was greatly reduced thanks to the bright F2.7 moulded glass lens of the camera, which not only reduces surface reflection but corrects optical aberration too in order to produce sharper images with higher resolution.

The wide angle lens also gave me the flexibility to shoot at a closer proximity to my subject. Case in point: I could easily fit the two magnificent Petronas towers into one frame!

You can also instantly create and share eye-catching travel highlights with the camera’s Highlight Movie and Highlight Photo functions. Here’re some highlights from my recent media trip to KL:

Food

If you’re a foodie and enjoy taking photos of food, you’re in for a treat. Check out the blurred background function of this camera (don’t the otak otak fish & chips from Wonder Mama in KL look so tantalizing?), which literally makes your food come alive even in low light conditions.

Blurred Background

Low-light conditions at Nobu Restaurant@KL

Selfie

Casio’s selfie function doesn’t need any introduction. Besides the makeup mode, the camera comes with different selfie art modes to help you to achieve the selfie of your dreams.

My favourite selfie art scene is Elegant, as it gives the illusion that light is streaming in through the windows.

There is a total of five selfie art scenes that you can choose from, depending on what tickles your fancy.

These are the other four scenes:

Thanks to the EX-ZR5000’s inverted processing feature, you’ll never have to manually flip your selfies again. It is automatically inverted from left to right to process the image as it appears on screen.

Like it’s predecessor, it is also equipped with the Motion Shutter detector, which means you can easily activate the shutter by just waving your hand in front of the camera!

Product Shots

I take product shots for advertorials all the time and I absolutely adore the camera’s various art modes for close-up shots. Just let your creative juices flow and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the images produced.

My personal favourite has got to be the miniature scene as the bokeh is beyond stunning. Doesn’t this shot look like it was taken with a DSLR?

Here’s another perk for Instagram addicts who are aiming for a more cohesive feed. You can easily do so with the ZR5000 without any post editing!

Check out these other scenes:

Saturation

Toy Camera

Soft Focus

Light Tone

Don’t you agree that Casio EX-ZR5000 is the most versatile camera around? Plus, it is so compact and handy, I can take it with me everywhere!

The Casio EXILIM EX-ZR5000 is now available at the Casio Concept Store in Tampines and licensed retailers. It retails at S$629 and comes in White, Green and Pink. There is also a limited edition model that comes in Black which retails at S$699.