alexis blogs: November 2020

Eyebrow Embroidery Singapore Review 2020: Lonni Beauty Brow Studio at Yishun Wisteria Mall Singapore 768698

November 20, 2020

As some of you might know, I am a fan of having NOTHING on my face (esp. hate wearing masks, eurgh). In fact, I've gone to some lengths to achieve that with LASIK, braces and a good skincare regime (including using a silk pillowcase). And brows are an important part of that process, like I mentioned when I first started doing eyebrow embroidery in 2015. That's why it was a pleasant surprise to find out my brow therapist Lisa has now moved to a new location at Yishun's Wisteria Mall called Lonni Beauty Brow - and invited me to go back for a ~~touch up~~ redo.

Here's me on the way to the studio, brows undrawn! In fact I have no makeup on - only sunscreen. As you can see, my brows have faded quite a fair bit since my last touchup 3 years back! It is also reddish or even maroon in some light, which matches my brows somewhat - but not intended!

Here are the special first-time customer rates for LONNI Beauty Brow with Lisa. They also do other services like mole removal and eyebrow threading, but these are what they are known for. Prices are definitely super fair and at market rate. Most people will go for 3D or 6D - the key difference is in how fine the 'hairs' are. Powder gradient is something new - it creates a fade in effect from start of brows to end - which I experienced later with a combination of the 6D micro blading.

If you're curious about their eyelash extensions, here's the different types of eyelash grafting which Lisa is able to do as well, strand by strand! The difference in 3D and 6D is just how many 'branches' come out from each strand.

Here are the new, single-use and hygienic tools for both the powder gradient (needle, much like doing hand poke tattoos) and the 6D embroidery (blade). As Lisa explained, she had to correct the colour underneath with a green dye - hence she will need to do a powder gradient. Then the blade for the hair-like effect.

Here's me with the outline drawn - it looked bigger than the actual shape of course. As usual, Lisa took her time to really meticulously etch out the guidelines, since it is the most important and 'skilful' part of the process. It is also important if this is your first time - to consult with Lisa and come to a consensus on the style (Korean style is straighter, thicker vs natural) and shape! After all they are your brows and you have to be comfortable with them. It took about 20m for her to shape the brows for me this time.

Then she started, first by applying numbing cream and letting them sit for 20 minutes. After that she used the blade to scrape on the skin (not painful at all). Followed by the needle to colour correct with the green dye (against red, equals brown) and then the actual brown colour. I'm not gonna sugarcoat it - the hand poking needle method (powder gradient) was a little more painful for me than the micro blading (especially since Lisa said the skin on my eyebrows' quite thin, which is true). However, most customers are able to tolerate it well. Here's the finished result after about 2 hours so do allocate that amount of time.

Here's the brows the next day. I had to sleep with a towel on the bed because of the protective gel coating which I had to apply thrice daily for a week, and of course she didn't need to say it but avoid washing that area as well at least for the first 4 days. So I had shiny, dark brows for a bit. Haha. Here it is the next day. Skin's still slightly reddish.

They were still looking pretty intense on Day 5! But I noticed some peeling that started.

Here's them after a week. As you can see, the corners have peeled off and they were pretty uneven. It was alright though since I wasn't going out much and working from home.

A full round of peeling afterwards saw much natural brows, 2 weeks after. I could go back for a touch up if I wanted to but I'm pretty happy now at the colour and not eager to experience the pain again.

Here's a side by side comparison from before to after (day 19). As you can see the shape and colour is much more defined!

I strongly believe brows are the window frames to the soul, and I'm super happy I manage to get these redone! If you're interested to check out Lisa from Lonni Beauty Brow, drop me a DM on Instagram or email me at alexischeong@gmail.com and I can help to arrange the timing, style or answer any questions you might have!

food review

Italian Restaurant Review: Casa Manini at 14B Kensington Park Rd, Singapore 557265

November 19, 2020

This is a super delayed post, but me and my friends checked out Italian restaurant Casa Manini near Serangoon Gardens after the circuit breaker and I thought I'll just make a note and food review about it. A family-run restaurant that only takes WhatsApp reservations, they've put out some mouth-watering posts about their pastas on their IG that warranted a visit. So we went for lunch one fine day! The place has lots of plants but they are mostly indoors, which is good since there's always the risk of getting bitten by mozzies by sitting in the green outdoors.

Here's their restaurant menu, but you can also go to their website to view it with pictures. The appetisers are not here as well. Prices are slightly higher for a restaurant of this size/location, but I think we are clearing the $2x mark for most Italian places with pasta dishes.

A bit on their wine selection which of course features Italian wine, my favourite.

First we had the Calamari e gamberi fritti (S$18), which was tasty and light - not overly oily or chewy. It went well with the white wine I had!

Then we had the Mozzarella Truffle Bites (S$10) which is not on the current menu, but was delicious. This was probably my favourite dish. 4/5

Then between the 4 of us we had 3 pastas for fear of food coma. They are the Spaghetti aglio olio e gamberi (S$22), Spaghetti carbonara (S$20) and Spaghetti arrabbiata (S$20). All big classics with oil, cheese and tomato, since we wanted to really taste the pasta. Overall, I felt that the pastas are pretty alright, but not super mind-blowing or stellar. To me, the pasta itself seemed a bit, just a bit, overcooked, such that they felt dense.

The hefty taste could also be from the lack of aromatic oils to lubricate the carbs, in particular the carbonara. 2/5

The Spaghetti arrabbiata (S$20) was quite tasty with the tangy tomatoes, and spice. I think this was the best one of the lot! 3.5/5

The Spaghetti aglio olio e gamberi (S$22) was in second place, because I wished the garlic and seafood flavour were more pronounced. 3/5

I guess I had high expectations which were not met in this case, having built that up in the course of seeing it on Instagram, making a reservation and paying for the rather hefty bill in the end. I wouldn't write them off completely though - the calamari, and the ambience itself was great, and I'm curious about their non-pasta dishes. I'll do an update if I do try those! For now, this place will be a so-so.

Casa Manini
14B Kensington Park Rd, Singapore 557265
Wednesdays to Sundays 12pm to 2pm, Tuesdays to Sundays 6 to 9pm
Closed on Mondays
Reservation by WhatsApp required (no other websites)

lunch

Restaurant Week Lunch Review: Solo Ristorante at 45 Amoy St, Singapore 069871

November 06, 2020

Had my first Restaurant Week meal for a birthday lunch on Friday at Solo Ristorante, an Italian restaurant that's been around at the hip CBD area for a couple of years, but it has a new chef/partner since March 2020 and featured a refreshed menu. I saw it on a few of my foodie friends' Instagrams, and me being an Italian food lover - could not resist checking it out. The place was bustlin' - dare I say full? - on a Friday weekday lunch, but Chef Simone Fratenali here still managed to give me a double peace sign as I walked past! 😅

There are two sitting areas, the other being more casual. However, the downside of an open kitchen is we all ended up smelling a little like what was being cooked, so mind that point if you need to meet anyone F2F after lunch/dinner. But I found walking under the sweltering hot sun to be a good way to get rid of the smell after.

Here's the Restaurant Week menu for lunch. I figured dinner was too heavy at 4 courses so opted for lunch instead. Do note to go to this link instead of the Dining City one to get reservations!

For starters, I opted for the Crema di zucca while my friend chose the Foie Gras (add $12). The butternut soup was light instead of overly creamy with a tinge of herb flavour (from the oil). Perfect for autumn!

Then I had the pasta dish (of course). It's the handmade Strozzapreti from the Emilia Romagna region which according to Chef, translates to "strangled priest", along with sausages and mushrooms. I had thought it to be a carbonara-based dish but turned out to be tomato-based, which was great. The pasta was the perfect bouncy, chewy texture that went well with the bits of minced sausage. My only complaint was this is not a big enough portion!

My friends had the Barramundi instead which having tried it, I was not a fan of. It was too fishy. The quinoa had good reviews though! I'd stick to the pasta dishes if I go back.

For dessert, there was Tiramisu (which my friend got and was pretty decent) or the Limone Tart which me and another friend got. I was pleasantly surprised by the tart and how it was the right balance of sweet and sour. Apparently Amalfi lemons were used? Ah, Amalfi. Brings me back to my travels to Capri and the coast!

That's my quick review of Solo Ristorante, but it won't be my ONLY trip, so... not solo! I'll be back to taste the regular menu soon hopefully and can give a more comprehensive review.

Solo Ristorante

45 Amoy Street Singapore 069871

+65 6260 0762

Tuesdays to Saturdays lunch: 12pm to 2.30pm

Tuesday to Sundays dinner: 6.30pm to 10pm (10.30pm for Fri/Sat)

(Closed on Sundays for lunch and closed all day on Mondays)