What was the pageant like in Jamaica?

It was different. Prior to flying off to Jamaica, I was prepped heavily by Vanessa on what to expect the moment I touched down in Jamaica. I had to remind myself that I was not there for a holiday... which is quite a challenge because Jamaica is such a PARADISE!

View of the Caribbean sea from Sunset Beach Resort, Montego Bay

Photo of one of the pools at Sunset Beach Resort, Montego Bay

I have less than a week of interaction with everyone, and even lesser time with the respective judges, to convince them that I am someone who deserves the title. I was up against really competitive ladies, who are all winners in their own right.

Did you expect to win?

With competition that high, I told myself to do my best. I really did not expect to win. Honestly. I wasn't the prettiest; I wasn't the one with the best body; I wasn't the most talented; and I wasn't the only one with a meaningful cause.

All I had are my ordinary looks, my ordinary figure, my passion for my cause and the determination to do my best to do not only for Singapore or all my supporters proud... but also for myself. I wanted to push my limitations further, learn from this experience, and try to make my cause known because I feel very strongly that people are neglecting our environment.


How does it feel to win the International Title?

I was in shock... and it does feel a little overwhelming. I was glad to be able to have some form of accountability to all those who supported me. But title and crown aside, it's the responsibility of what is to come that weighs the heaviest in my heart.

I recall standing in a circle with Haiti & Belgium, holding their hands tightly while waiting for them to announce the winner. I thought to myself, if I win, what is next for me... what it will all mean and how will I progress from there?


What do you have planned in mind next?

My next step would be to act out what I said I will do, I want to educate youths about our environment and to inspire & motivate them to be passionate for our environment. I am not asking for a 180 Degree change, just baby steps to doing something for the environment is good, like turning off the lights when not in use.

I would also like to share my life to people. Life is hard, nothing is perfect and I grew up with my own set of challenges. The moment that sparked a change in my life is making that decision to push myself out of my limitations. I am not perfect, but I can learn and that's what made me join pageants to learn how to be more confident and outspoken.


Will you join any other pageant and/ or go into the Media Industry?

When I registered for Miss Singapore Global, I told Vanessa that this pageant will be my last. Winning, has not changed that decision. As for the media industry, it depends on the opportunity... I guess I would like to try it out at least once, if I can.

More than 42 hours have passed since I was crowned as the very first Miss Singapore Global,

I feel extremely blessed and am overwhelmed with a sense of accomplishment. 

I believe that this photo below will be something I will develop and keep to show my kids & even grandchildren one day.

Months of preparation unfolded and revealed our personal transformation in the few hours of our Miss Singapore Global's Charity Gala Night.

Our transformation was brought to my attention last night, when I was having a chat with Andrew.

Comparing the photos from our pageant's roadshow to the night of the Finals...

The transformation is evident.

Not just in terms of how we look, but also the way we carry ourselves and the confidence that I have in me now.

I am also honored to be awarded the Subsidiary Title of Miss Personal Branding by Andrew Chow, the man behind IdeaMart and Social Media 247.

All in all, I am truly pleased with myself not just because I won the Crown and Title of Miss Singapore Global but rather, due to the fact that I managed to overcome what I felt and thought were my challenges for the night:

Swimwear & Auction Segment

Q&A Segment

It was a really tough competition from the start with all of my lovely fellow finalists and I am glad that despite the competition, we are still as close and true to each other.

And when I said "tough competition", I am not being modest. 

Here are the accomplishment by my fellow finalists:

1st Runner-Up - (#9) Michelle Qiu 

2nd Runner-Up - (#3) Cheryl Teo 

Top 5 Finalists (excluding me):

(#1) Angie Chua

(#3) Cheryl Teo

(#8) Suwen Warrick

(#9) Michelle Qiu

Subsidiary Awards (excluding Miss Personal Branding):

Miss Inner Beauty - (#3) Cheryl Teo 

Miss Congeniality - (#4) Evelyn Wee

Miss Amaya Lingerie - (#3) Cheryl Teo 

Miss J's Bona Fide Beauty - (#8) Suwen Warrick

Miss Absolute Fitness - (#3) Cheryl Teo

That's the thing I like about joining Beauty Pageants, I get to develop myself as a person, I get to accomplish goals in life and I get to gain new friendships that will last a lifetime.

Awards & Winnings aside...

I would like to thank everyone who supported me on Facebook & the Mobile App!

You made up for the 60% of my chances of entering Top 5!

Secondly, to Khai Lie, my awesome partner for my swimwear!

Thirdly, to all of my mum's friends who not only supported me online but also in person!

My mum shared with me how all of you were so supportive and on :) Haha!

Thank you very much, I hoped you enjoyed yourself that night.

Fourthly, thank you to my Godparents who are always there for me!

Lastly and oh so importantly, my parents who not only supported me in all that i do... but also guided me down the path to the woman that I am today.

Not known to many, my parents even had a moment where they were competing to see how many people they could get to like and vote for me. My parents are awesome :)

Finally, with that, I would like to give all of my fellow finalist a pat on the back~

WE DID IT!!!

A BIG pat on the back to Marysa Alexander for designing and co-creating the Victoria-Inspired Wings for Auction, and for choreographing the entire show!

And~ the BIGGEST pat on the back goes to Yew Chong & Vanessa Tan for the amazing experience and journey that ended with a success on Saturday night!

Now, the journey continues with

International in Jamaica

&

Executing my cause to educate people about composting (& waste management) for a sustainable future!

A few people have been asking me personally, whether the wings were bought or made and how, after watching my video:

So I have decided to share with you the insider's info of what goes on to create such beautiful wings!

It started out at Mother & Child Project outlet at Millenia Walk of a session of brainstorm on how to turn drawings into actual finished wings.

To withstand the weight of the feathers and to create the structure of the wings, long wires were cut and shaped by hands.

After which, a stocking/ stretchy cloth was measured, cut, sewn and stretched as a base for the feathers.

Long rows of feathers were pinned and hand-sewn onto the fabric.

Then, other design elements were either wired or hand-sewn on; followed by the support strap that are used to secure the wings onto ourselves.

All of the wings were created with its own uniqueness, some had designs that were hand-glued on individually, others had designs hand-sewn on, or hand-painted and even had feathers weaved and wired individually!

All in all, I would really like to thank all of the wonderful people behind the making of the wings for their hard work and dedication to creating these wings for our charity.

Kudos to Marysa for coming up with these designs too~!

All of this would not have been made possible without them!

~~~

Now, here is the juicy part!

Which wings are each of the individual wearing and what are my opinions of the wings!

A quick photo says it all!

The Most Interesting:

Angie's & Suwen's Wings! 

The Most Exotic:

Hands Down, Michelle's Wings!!!

The Most Angelic:

Evelyn's Wings~

The Most Fairy-Like:

Mine C: 

The Most Wearable Wings:

 Jennifer's & Jolyn's Wings :) 

My Favourite: 

Cheryl's Wings! A pretty butterfly~!

Your bids for our wings will be used to help mothers and children in crisis. 

Click on the link below to find out more on facebook:

Miss Singapore Global

Mother & Child Project

Hi everyone! I finally have some time to spend on my blog!

So most of you may now know, I have been pretty busy with Miss Singapore Global!

Just completed a few photo shoots and video interviews the past weeks, and with all the time spent with thick makeup, my sensitive skin has suffered :(

I managed to keep the worse from happening with facials (thank my godma) and with (a new favourite) Blissoma Solutions Smooth A+ Serum! And yes, after the sample, I got it in full size!

Read my previous review on the serum here!

Thank you Charis Naturals!

"Like" Charis Naturals Facebook page or visit website to be in the loop!

And now, I have another review to share:

 Blissoma Solutions Refine Clay Renewal Mask!

Clogged pores are one of the prime reasons for acne flareups, and REFINE keeps pores open. Willowbark gently dissolves away dead skin cells even without scrubbing, which can aggravate very sensitive skin. The clays and minerals soften pores and encourage them to detox properly. The Zinc content in REFINE also manages bacteria on the surface of the skin and topically soothes. 

This Rhassoul clay based mask also has beneficial ingredients added into it like organic Licorice to lighten sun damage, Willowbark to exfoliate, and a bevy of antibacterial and anti-inflammatory herbs to soothe and prevent flareups. Unrefined Oils of organic Cranberry seed and organic Red Raspberry straight from pressing offer nourishment and natural source Vitamin E.

To Use:

Wash skin with mild soap or crème cleanser. Apply a consistent layer of clay to face and neck or to troubled spots as needed. Wait 15 minutes or until dry. Remove with warm water and gently pat dry. Tone and moisturize. For most skin types use once weekly.

You can dot it on a blemish and leave it on overnight too.

Verdict

Texture: Almost liquid consistency, grainy based mask

Ingredients: infusion of Foeniculum vulgare* (fennel), Stellaria media* (chickweed), Lavandula angustifolia* (lavender), Rosa damascena* (roses), Porphyra umbilicalis* (nori seaweed), Ruscus aculeatus* (butcher’s broom), Rhassoul Clay, Apium graveolens (celery) Juice*, Cocos nucifera (coconut) Oil*, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Zinc Oxide*, Cannabis sativa* (hemp) Oil*, Vaccinium macropacrpon (cranberry) Seed Oil*, Rubus ideaus (red raspberry) Seed Oil*, Extracts of Glycyrrhiza glabra* (licorice), Symphytum officinale* (comfrey), and Salix alba* (willowbark), Populus Tremuloides (Aspen) Bark Extract, Gluconolactone, Cetearyl Alcohol and Cetearyl Glucoside, Extracts of Olea europaea* (olive leaf), Echinacea purpurea*, and Caldendula officinalis*, Essential Oils of Litsea cubeba, Commiphora myrrha, Pelargonium roseum (rose geranium), Citrus reticulata (mandarin), Lavandula angustifolia, Pogostemon cablin (patchouli), Coriandrum sativum (coriander), Cedrus atlantica (cedarwood), Grain Alcohol*, Rosemary Oleoresin Extract citral**, xanthan gum, limonene**, citronellol**, geraniol**, linalool***

*from Certified Organic Agriculture **natural components of essential oils

Benefits: Helps to decongest, detoxify and brighten your skin; effective for aging, troubled, acne prone  lackluster, ashy, and flaky skin.

Smell: Scent of European herbs but the scent of lavender and rose geranium stood out most for me

Cost: $45 

Product Rating: 9/10

Having a combination skin that leans towards the oily side, I am a fan of clay based mask as I find them really effective in drawing out trapped sebum from my pores.I was surprised to find that even though this is a clay based mask, it doesnt leave my face feeling super tight or constricted as it dries up. And after washing it off, it leaves my face feeling soft, clean and naturally scented! As for the sensitivity side of my skin, no irritation or any new breakout after usage, in fact, it does help improve my overall skin condition with the use of Smooth A+ Serum!

 The only concern I would like to bring up to users, is to take note during application as the mask comes in a container. So wash your hands properly or use a spatula to scoop the product out to limit contamination~

Other than that, I have no complains and am very satisfied with it! 

If you are looking for a mask, why not give this a try! 

Click here to go to Charis Naturals Online Shop!

Enjoy a healthier skin with natural organic products!

After Miss Singapore Global 2013 Press Reception which took place at Grand Corpthorne Waterfront, it finally sank into to me that I did it!

Another media exposure that went well!

Despite our smiles and mastered composure, hours before 2pm... We were honestly a little flabbergast! Haha!

Everything went by relatively fast, I can still recall sitting in the chair~ getting my hair curled by Ace from J's Salon and trying to get myself composed, practicing my introduction and getting myself into the right mindset.

I knew that I am already walking my talk and am truly passionate about my cause, and that the introduction was to express that.

Whether I did managed to do so, it up to you to decide on first impression...

And follow me on my Facebook page to experience my progress in my cause with me!

Back to the Press Reception...
We debuted our very First Victoria Secret's Inspired Wing that was handmade with the mothers and staff from Mother and Child Project!

Each of us will be wearing a different wing during our swimwear segment and all the wings will be auctioned off to raise funds for Mother and Child Project!

Please do show your support by bidding on our wings when we release them for biding!

                

The news of Miss Singapore Global's unique voting was also released. Instead of crowning the winner based solely on the judges' decision, Miss Singapore Global's voting system consists of 30% from the total Miss SG Global App Vote Score, followed by 30% from Facebook "likes" and the remaining 40% from the judges.

This means that you, members of the public, have the deciding power to choose who should win.

No disputes about "underhand" methods that have been in everyone's mind about the way pageant winners are crowned. 

~~~

 All in all, I am very happy with my personal moments with the press and the composure that all of us managed to display when it really came down to it.

It was also very heart warming to have our lovely sponsors sitting among the crowd, giving us encouraging smiles and congratulating us on our performance after the conference was done!

Needless to say, if it wasnt for the effort, time and dedication from Vanessa, Yew Chong and Andrew~ 

Everything would not have been possible.

So on behalf of all of the ladies, 

THANK YOU FOR GETTING US MENTALLY, EMOTIONALLY & PHYSICALLY PREPARED

!!!

We are currently half way through this journey and I will be looking forward to the final training, photo shoots media exposures, rehearsal AND~ the Finals on 31st August!

~~~

To end things off~ Here are lots of self shots, smiles and laughter!

My Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Jody.Liu.Yt
Miss Singapore Global's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MissSingaporeGlobal
Miss SG Global App:https://itunes.apple.com/app/miss-singapore-global/id657087933?ign-mpt=uo%3D5

To Vote:
Find the voting page under the "More" & then "Polls" tab. 

Simply enter your name and email on the page of mine to VOTE.
1 email address is entitled to 1 vote, voters may make multiple votes under a different email add *hint*

Download Miss Singapore Global app from IOS ITunes! ♥

Because I have something important to share.

Yes, it is that simple.

Being part of an upcoming pageant in Singapore, I believe it has presented me the opportunity to publicize the thing that I have (for the longest time) been wanting to share with Singaporeans.

In the back of our very occupied head, we all thought about things relating to this topic at some time in our Singaporean lives...

Rubbish.

In Singapore, we are very privileged. We throw things away down a chute and if things goes well, we wont have to go near what's right at the bottom of it.

These people will...

Such a job seems to require a certain type of tolerance that Singaporeans lack...

But the state of the bottom of a chute is a reality that we have been ignoring because we dont have to handle them personally.

QUIZ TIME

Do you know what happens to these rubbish? Do you know where it goes to?

ANSWER

Yes, it goes to our very effective incineration plants.

By the way, we have five of them.

The main purpose of having them is to reduce the volume of our waste to as little as 10 per cent of its original volume. I dont want to get very touchy about how this contributes to climate change but, using this procedure, does affect our air quality. 

The ash from incinerated waste eventually has to go into our landfill and we have only one landfill:

Pulau Semakau

It covers a total area of 3.5 square kilometres, has a capacity of 63 million m³ and...

It is estimated that this area will last Singapore until 2045.

REFLECTION TIME

What will happen to our rubbish after 2045? How will the lack of a landfill space affect us?

Will we resort to exporting our trash???

What kind of effects will that have to the importing countries?

What if we end up having to live with our waste around us?

Currently, based on MEWR's website, the ash are being recycled into road material and our recycling rates are optimistic... But honestly, we all know that percentage comes mostly from the construction and industry sectors.

The Not-So-Big Fact of our community recycling effort is that it is down right pathetic.

Honestly, I won't mince it.

Ideally, we want a yellow bin full of cans only; a blue bins full of recyclable paper only (NO TISSUE PAPERS); and a red bin full of  recyclable plastic (NO plastic with number 3 or 6).

However, this is the reality of our recyclable bins.

Very close to the dramatized reality in the video above, right?

WHO AM I?

I am an ordinary female living in Singapore,

with a passion for arts, learning more about the environment and all things beautiful. 

The term "Beauty Queen" latched on after I started taking part in pageants,

it is merely a characteristic that became part of me as I progress.

I have been volunteering in a NGO with a Green focus ever since my University days and it has been feeding my passion to learn more.. and boy~ are there lots to learn.

SO WHAT'S MY CAUSE??

Composting

What It Means?

Recycling and decomposing of organic matter, like food waste and garden waste, into a nutrient rich fertilizer.

It is a long shot and trust me, it is going to be a tough road...

People in the industry have told me it's like driving an old dying manual car up a super steep road.

I am determined.

Recycling plastic, cans and paper is one thing... I want to target on food waste.

Do You Know?

In Singapore, the National Environment Agency (NEA) reported that 0.618 million tonnes of food were thrown away and only 12% was recycled in 2012.

That amounts to more than 100kg of food waste generated per person in 2012.

Now, food waste are biodegradable. Based on my personal experience, it takes roughly 2 weeks for green food waste (fruit peels, vegetables) to decompose completely with the right condition. If we can do our part to reduce such waste from ending up in incineration plants and into our garden plants instead, how much better would that be?

So in the next few months to come, my goal is to start a program to share with fellow Singaporean on how we can turn our food waste into fertilizers. I am keen in getting people to really do it and not for a short period of time, but for future sustainability... as a hobby... and as a habit. 

Composting and vermicomposting are really therapeutic and you really dont have to do much once the balance system is in placed. It doesnt take much time too, just 10 mins each day.

If you are interested to learn more, do follow me on my Facebook Page for updates (I just starting composting with earthworms), email me if you wish to collaborate or drop me a comment down below to talk to me.

With that I would like to end with this thought:

Waste is not waste but potential resources to be used again.