Hello! If you have been following me on Instagram @Sugar73 - I guess you would have known that I had a recent maternity shoot in Botanical Gardens by the ever wonderful Jen Pan Photography. I contacted her roughly around 2 months ago on a whim coz I decided that I should do an outdoor photoshoot this time round to be different from the previous indoor studio shoot done by KidsPictures : Here. There are a few packages available for the maternity shoot to suit each couple's budget and if you would like to know which one I chose and how much it is, please feel free to email or drop me a DM on social media. 😇

Preparing for my Maternity Shoot For Baby No.2

The Look 

I have to admit that being a second time mother, I was pretty chillax til it was near to the photoshoot and I decided to get my act together and DO SOMETHING. Firstly, without a doubt - I really wanted my good friend cum makeup artist Fidelis Toh to do my hair and makeup for my upcoming shoot. I love her style so much and really wanted something ethereal looking and somewhat dreamy. Here's some of my inspirational looks that I was going for. Flowers in hair ✌ Check. Soft Makeup ✌ Check. White/Pink Gown (My favorite colors) ✌ Check. Looking into the distance carrying a basketball in my tummy machiam very in love liddat ... ✌ I will try my best in our freaking hot weather 😷

The Outfits

The next thing I needed was to actually get something that can fit my ever growing belly. Although I haven bought many clothes this time round (Im just repeating all my current clothes since I always wear loose tops anyways) - I really wanted something that was suitable for the maternity shoot and the location that we were heading to. I spoke to my photographer and we wanted to have a nice lush background with a waterfall if possible and that leaves us with Botanical Gardens or Gardens By The Bay. I love how natural Botanical Garden would 'feel' so I wanted to get a nice belly baring gown to showcase, well .. the belly. The options locally are rather expensive unfortunately and I really didnt want to spend a bomb on buying or renting something that I would potentially wear once. So the next best thing.. Off to Taobao I go. 😝

I really liked this dress ad thought it looked suitable for the shoot. There were sooo many options that I got lost trying to visualize how it will look on me. I mean, come on its Taobao (or rather I used the English version called MamaApp) and obviously the material will not be as good as they look in pictures. But at $15 (vs hundreds to buy/rent) Im prepared to risk it. LOLOLOL. #Cheapo

Flowers

Lastly I needed real flowers to pull off the whole look I reckon. Initially I got some plastic floral crowns from Mamapp (yes again its my current favorite place to shop!) but in reality they look rather fake, small and weird. Maybe for close-up pictures.. but I didn't think that it will stand out particularly among the lush greenery of Botanical Gardens.  

Thankfully I know who to turn to because we've worked together :Click Here! Floral Garage is a 2 year old Floral and Gifts company that offers lovely and beautiful hand bouquets, along with ready designed bouquets, gifts and party supplies! In fact I was soooo last minute I made the request (you can email them directly at service@floralgragesg.com. for customized orders like mine) for a floral crown and flowers like erm... the day before the shoot. 😅 Im grateful that not only did Floral Garage deliver the flowers on time (same day!) they did such a GREAT JOB! More pictures later ~

Express delivery on the very same day and so so PRETTY! 💗

The Day of The Shoot 

The shoot was supposed to take place in the morning (so that it will not be too hot with harsh sunlight) so I had to wake up bright and early at the ungodly hour of 6am to have my makeup prepped. OMG reminded me of my wedding day man... 😁

Halfway through the makeup session .. someone woke up grumpy coz he cant find his Mama! Awww hahaha poor little guy looking confused coz I had my hair in weird roller curls 

My #InstagramHusband

Take a peek!

Cant wait to see my gorgeous hair by Fidelis!

Flowers in my hair 😍

How does this look?

My hand bouquet by Floral Garage! I requested for something pink and white .. my favorite colors <3 p="">

I loved how rustic it looks! I didnt want it to be wedding-like actually .. so this was perfect!

My favorite shot!

Awww ~ sooo dreamy 

Love love love my total look from Fidelis! She's soooo talented and I cant gush enough what a gorgeous friend she is to me! Her work speaks for itself but really, she's a beautiful person inside out! 💓

Love ya babe xx 

The Photography 

There's not alot of pictures coz it was HOT and Im sweating like a pig while trying to look glamorous and all then we have to make sure Elroy doesnt run too far away coz he kinda like being in the 'park park' 😄 - But thankfully Jen (the Mama half of Jen Pan Photography) has two lovely kids of her own so Elroy warmed up to her rather quickly! He liked her so much he was following her around and even listened to her instructions! 

Mosquito repellent necessary 

My tired toddler 

It rained inbetween so we got a small break having breakfast and generally having a nice convo about what Jen and Ray used to do (Wedding Videographers!) and how they got into maternity and newborn photography. Its such a meaningful job and I applaud their passion. Its not easy man! Dealing with hormonal pregnant woman (like me), crazy toddlers running around and fragile newborns 😆

We have to wait for passer-bys to 'finish' their walk... and some of them really walk v..e..r..y slowlyyyyy 😒LOLOLOL

Ready to see the pictures???? (These are sneak peeks that we got back on the day of the shoot itself - we haven got the full album back yet so I will do a follow up post when I get all the photos!)

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"I carried you for every second of your life and I will love you with every second of mine." 💗

Thanks for looking :)

For more info, please head to :

Jen Pan Photography : http://jenpan.photography/

Fidelis Toh The Luckiest Chick Hair & Makeup Artistry : http://theluckiestchick-.blogspot.sg/p/blog-page.html 

Flower Garage Singapore : https://floralgaragesg.com/

Although I don't use much makeup these days (coz hello God-saving eyelash extensions and lazy preggy hormones LOL) - sunscreen is definitely a must-have due to my busy mummy lifestyle. As the toddler goes to school in the morning, I need to pick him up at around 12.30pm in the afternoon, which is like the HOTTEST time of the day. Even when Im driving, I can feel the sun burninggggg 💥. Do you know that you should even apply sunscreen while you are home? UV rays penetrate through windows and its best to use a day lotion with some form of SPF to avoid pigmentation in the long run. 

La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL SPF 50+ Fluid Sunscreen Review 

La Roche-Posay's newest sunscreen has very high, broad, photostable UVA/UVB protection.

Optimal SPF 50+ protection reinforced against UVA long rays (stricter than the European recommendation on suncare products) thanks to an optimized version of a filtering system Mexoplex® combined with La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water, which is both soothing and an antioxidant for skin.

Recently its just me and my La Roche-Posay everyday when I go makeup-less especially. 

Being currently pregnant, I am cautious of what I use on my skin and the La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL SPF 50+ Fluid has :

- New ultra-light texture: fluid, non-greasy, imperceptible with an invisible finish.

- Very water resistant

- Tested under dermatological control. 

- Fragrance-free, paraben-free, non-comedogenic

Instructions are simple, simply apply  just before exposure. Re-apply frequently and generously to maintain protection, especially after swimming, perspiring or towelling.

The La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL SPF 50+ Fluid also promises to prevent sun intolerance, commonly known as sun allergies. It also prevents sun-induced pigment spots (hello hello pregnancy, and photosensitization).  

Protects from premature cutaneous ageing and long-term cell damage. (Me - aging skin 😥)

This handy little bottle dispenses sunscreen effectively and quickly. The light white fluid absorbed into my skin and didn't leave a sticky after-feel. There is no scent (which I love, cant stand those super strong smelling sunscreen~) and left my skin feeling hydrated even if I use it alone, without my normal day moisturizer. Upon application, my face has a matte glow, and it doesn't leave an oil sheen like some other sunscreens. There's also a Tinted version (here) for those who prefer a light coverage. 

After 

I used it when I was out at Botanical Gardens taking my Maternity shoot recently and it was perfect for the hot weather! Remember to also use sunscreen on your décolleté areas, shoulders and anywhere that will be exposed to the sun for maximum sun protection. Stay safe and have fun under the sun! Thanks for looking 💋 

The La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL SPF 50+ Fluid Sunscreen 50ml are available at $46.90 each at Lazada online, Watsons and Guardian pharmacies islandwide.

For more info, please head to :

La Roche-Posay Website : http://www.laroche-posay.sg/products-treatments/Anthelios/Anthelios-XL-SPF-50-Fluid-ULTRA-LIGHT-p10686.aspx

La Roche-Posay Facebook Page : https://www.facebook.com/LRPSG

La Roche-Posay Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/lrpsg/

Sometimes I like to use up ingredients so that I can go get more groceries and there's no wastage because, food is expensive really! The toddler loves fruits alot so there is always some kind of fruit at home but fruits like bananas ripe easily and actually, they make a perfect snack without any additional sugar coz they are naturally sweet by itself! 

 3 (Almost!) Ingredient Banana Oatmeal Muffins 

I tweaked the recipe a little by adding some additional stuff like chocolate .. because chocolate. 😋

Recipe for 3 Ingredient Banana Oatmeal Muffins

04 Dole Bananas (These are the small sweet ones)

01 Tablespoon of Oatmeal (I used rolled oats)

01 Egg

Instructions : Mash bananas well and add egg followed by oats. Mix well. 

Sprinkle some chocolate sprinkles into mixture or just as deco. Add a splash of vanilla essence if desire. Makes 06 small cupcake moulds.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees for 10 minutes. Bake at 160 degrees for 18 minutes.

They smell so so good right out of the oven! Soft and warm ~ yums!

Simple #Yumbox Banana Oatmeal Muffins and fruits for the boy when he comes home from school! He liked so much! 💋 I couldnt resist having one too and he said, "Mama NO (dont) finish my cupcake!!!" 😝😝

Thanks for looking! 

Try it and let me know if your kid likes it! xo

Being kinda heavily pregnant and unable to go for facials (cant imagine lying down for hours with a ball inside my belly LOL), the next best thing that I can do for my skin is to diligently mask my skin at home. When I was about to go for my maternity shoot last week, I really felt that I needed an extra intensive boost to hydrate my skin and make sure I look good during the shoot 😁

 eFresh CO2 Oxygen Face Mask Review 

Co2 Gel Mask is a high quality advanced skincare mask that is designed to diminish the look and improve the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, enhanced colour and visible imperfections.

There are several types of CO2 Masks that eFresh carries, so choose one for your needs. My main problem is hydration, aging and moisture-replenishing so the Aqua CO2 Mask would be perfect. 

With the chemical combination process of Concentrated Gel and Nutritious Powder, the CO2 Oxygen Face Mask creates a high concentration of CO2 through "Bohr Effect" which stimulate red blood cells to release non-stop supply of oxygen to skin cell, resulting in activating skin cell for repairing and metabolism. CO2 Mask can also provide drainage effect to improve skin firmness and lifting effect.

With Key Ingredients like Sodium Hyaluronate, Chitosan Moisturizing Factor, Allantoin

and Gingko Extracts in the gel mask, the powder has ingredients like Malic Acid, Carbon Bicarbonate and Sodium Hyaluronate. 

The instructions are fairly simple. Simply pour gel and CO2 powder together. Remember to only do so when you are ready to apply the mask else the effects will diminish quickly once the mixture is exposed. 

Great for travel too! These packs are so slim and each portion comes with a handy spatula for easy application. So cute! *Tip* Use the same spatula to remove the mask by scapping before rinsing off! 

Ok please use a small mixing bowl. I ish lazy so I humtum the powder inside the pack 😅*Note : You dont have to really dissolve all the powder in the gel mask Just agar agar like me lol.

Still works well! 

Mix like science experiment ok haha

Apply generously and leave on for 30-40 minutes

Feels so relaxing 💦

AFTER 

Simply apply your normal skincare regime after rinsing off your eFresh CO2 Aqua Mask. Its recommended to use the CO2 Mask 1-2 times a week :)

Smooth smooth supple *boink boink* skin and the eFresh CO2 Aqua Mask really helped my makeup to go on so smoothly the next day when I had to wake up at the ungodly hours of 5am (machiam wedding!!) to get ready for the shoot.

Will share pictures on my maternity shoot soon too! 

eFresh CO2 Oxygen Face Mask retails at $80 per box of 5. Quote "ELAINE10" for 10% off all products at https://efreshsingapore.com for the month of August. 

For more info, please head to : https://efreshsingapore.com 

Facebook Page : https://www.facebook.com/efreshsg

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/efreshsingapore/

I guess the only way I can explain all the weight gain.... YES WE'RE EXPECTING BABY NO.2!

Im sorry if you all - suspected/dont dare ask/been guessing/totally oblivious/ blur-like-sotong/huh-simi-taiji til now... but yes Im in my 3rd trimester and almost bursting out of this bikini when I badgered my hub to take a shot for my during our recent staycation. 

To be honest I didnt really mean for it to be a secret or anything. I was open to anyone who asked LOL but I mean its our second baby, so we just took it rather easy this time round. (Sorry No.2) 

For Elroy I remember we took some pictures and then announced it even before that bump was obvious, but I guess coz it was our first and then we were praying for a baby for some time. No.2 is a complete surprise and definitely God's Gift and we are so grateful to be blessed with another. 👶

The Gist

I remember it was Chinese New Year and I was feeling really tired and forgetful. I attributed it to the festive season and lack of sleep preparing for the new year and what-not. I did feel bloated but also, I thought it was all the pigging on food during the many gatherings that we went but when my period didnt come (Im usually very 'spot-on'.) I had to get myself a pregnancy kit .. pronto! Then this happened. 

I was shaking while trying to message my hub who was in the office I remember very vividly tat Elroy walked into the toilet and asked me innocently "Mama what this?" 😅

So it's a new beginning of a new life 

Im so glad to share my joy with everyone and looking forward to meeting the newest addition to our small family! Thank you all for the love~ 💓

Back soon xx

 “Before you were born I carried you under my heart. From the moment you arrived in this world until the moment I leave it, I will always carry you in my heart.”