DIVING FOR BEGINNERS

Ever since i posted on IG 2 weeks ago that I went to Tioman for my Open Waters Course, I’ve been getting an influx of DMs (from my followers) & messages from my own friends asking me all about it. Thus, I’ve decided to do a blogpost for you guys!

I’ve always wanted to learn diving but fear (90% procrastination lol) really put this bucket list dream on hold, plus I have anxiety issues because I HATE it when i lose control of my body so i’ve always had this fear that diving would make me feel claustrophobic & nervous.

Never ever thought I would enjoy diving so much but this is literally one of the best decisions i’ve ever made in my life, especially for an aqua baby like myself. I LOVEEE the water!!! During my first heartbreak, i swam every single day for 2 months because I find comfort & peace being in the water. HAHAHA

I registered for my PADI Open Water Course just 2 weeks before the actual dive because I was feeling YOLO & adventurous.

Before heading to Tioman, we were all required to clock a theory lesson followed by a pool dive to get comfortable being & BREATHING underwater.  I had my pool dive in Orchid Country Club alone because my friends couldn’t make it that day.

Stole this photo from google but this was exactly how the pool dive looked like, except we got to try out the actual diving suit. We were taught the different breathing techniques, learnt how to control our buoyancy (which i still suck at), mask removal underwater (I HATED THIS cause I choked..) & many more.

PLEASE DO NOT WEAR THE SHORT SUIT! Look @ how horrible my tan is. It’s been a month & my tan is still there, opt for the long suit so you can be protected thoroughly and apply plenty of sunblock on your face!

2D2N TIOMAN DIVE TRIP

We left Singapore on Friday at 6pm and arrived at Mersing Jetty at 10pm.

This is the boat we took from Mersing Jetty to Tioman. Please bring a jacket because it’s freeeezing inside, I would recommend you guys to wear tights or long pants too.

& MOST IMPORTANTLY, please bring motion sickness pills. Me & Elaine almost died because the waves were SO STRONG and the boat ride was horribly bumpy!

We reached Tioman- Sun Beach Resort at 2am & went straight to the room after collecting our keys because we were dead tired from all the traveling.

By default, if you’re going in a group of 4, all of you would be sleeping in the same room (2 pax share a queen size bed). If it’s just 2 of you guys, you would share the room with 2 other strangers. This is to help save cost for everyone.

However, if you feel weird sleeping with strangers, like Kim. He paid additional $120 just to keep the room exclusive to me, Elaine & himself.

I rate the room a 6/10, it’s like a typical chalet type of room WITH aircon and a fairly clean interior with proper facilities. However, I’m VERY particular (*cough spoilt *cough) about my lodging, so it wasn’t up to my standard.

SATURDAY

Up early at 7:30am for our breakfast before our dive! I don’t have any pictures of our meals there because I wasn’t planning on blogging/vlogging. It was a social media detox & self reflection kinda trip.

BUT rest assured, every meal was good!!! Especially our lunch that day – the crispy crab (OMG too good) and chicken curry, NOMZ!

Saturday was the test day itself, so we had 3 dives near the shore (deepest was 5m) and we were tested on all of the techniques that were taught during the pool dive. We weren’t allowed to bring our gopro because well, it’s TEST day. So no photos except for this. hahaha

FYI, me & Elaine were named Burden 1 & Burden 2 because we kept complaining how heavy the air tank is (Oops) and we can’t seem to use our fins correctly?! No matter how hard we paddled, we were NOT moving at all!!!!! FYI, we’re partners. HAHAHAHAH Putting 2 burdens together as partners… joke!! Ended up, the other guys towed us. hehehehe

Happy faces after conquering/passing our 3 dives. That’s Ridhuan and Kbee, they’re the 2 guys who helped to tow me & Elaine. hahahahaha

Kim, Elaine & I brought our own rash guard because OCD Kim was telling us how dirty the common diving suit may be and we MAY get rashes from it so we should bring our own rash guard (it’s just a long sleeve swim suit top) and wear it underneath. I got mine from decathlon for $29. Try to get it 1-2 size smaller so that water don’t seep in and bloat you up when you’re underwater.

Caught the sunset before our theory test at 530pm.

Dinner was BBQ Buffet. They had fried rice, fried noodles and even coleslaw.. abit weird but okay.. can

and live BBQ

For all my alcoholic friends, rest assured, beers are going for only $1.50 each. You can drink drank drunk all you want! I was on a detox so that didn’t entice me.

FYI, the wifi was down so all of us didn’t have wifi. You can get SIM Cards from the minimart for 30RM if you really NEED connection for work or to report safety.

THEIR RAMLY BURGER IS DA BOMB?!?!?!? It was SO DAMN GOOD, BEST I’VE EVER HAD!! RM5.50 for this chicken cheese ramly burger. The burger stall will be open when you arrive on friday at 2am. So if you’re starving at 2am, don’t worry, Food is available 🙂

SUNDAY

Woke up feeling all hyped up for our last 2 dives! I had really bad withdrawal symptoms the night before because I wanted to dive MORE!

Poor girl was so sleepy & had slight motion sickness despite popping the motion sickness pill.

I have no idea what’s up with the 6 logo but we kept doing it during the whole trip. Hahaha no we’re NOT in some gang…

Went to 2 dive spots – one was Renggis Island which was around 9M deep. Honestly, there was nothing much to see during my 2 dives and 30% of the corals were dead. But it’s all about getting used to being underwater with our gear.

Halfway during my first dive, I had problem descending and I just kept ascending up while everyone else were below me. Despite waving like mad & deflating my BCD (the vest) fully, i just can’t descend down!!!!! Stayed on top for around 15 minutes before everyone realised I was missing & came up to find me. Hahahah

Off to the next dive spot ~

That’s Jag and Andrew beside us! Andrew is an underwater photographer enthusiast and if you’re into diving and underwater micro living photography, you guys can check his IG out: @thenamelessbear

Full crew! It was SO fun with these bunch of awesome peeps! Despite me & Elaine being the biggest burdens, they were so loving and helpful throughout the whole dive.

Ended the dive trip with super awesome prata at the Jetty. Thanks Johnathan from Simply Scuba for being the BEST instructor we can ever ask for. Please look for him if you’re thinking of getting your Open Waters Cert with Simple Scuba.

On the way back ~ I recommend you guys to sit on the higher deck if you’re very prone to motion sickness like me. We left at 230pm and reached Singapore at 10pm!

Thanks Kb & Kim for the photos ~ You guys can watch their diving videos on my instagram (@emmtann)! I cant seem to upload here, i don’t know why!

Okay.. now for the commonly asked questions:

1. Which dive school did you go to?

I was recommended by my friend to learn with Simply Scuba and I’ve no regrets! Please look for Johnathan, he’s very good!

2. How much did you pay for it?

I PAID $590 for everything – Our transport, accommodation, meals and dive course were all included in the $590. (I AM NOT SPONSORED HOR) However, if you apply via ADEX (Asia Dive Expo) which happens once a year, you’ll be able to get it at a super discounted rate. Everybody in my dive group (except me, Elaine & Kim) got it for only $450…

3. How old must I be to learn diving?

Diving starts at the age of 9 years old. So if you have kids above 9 years old, you can encourage your whole family to pick up diving as a family hobby!

4. Can I wear contact lense when I dive? 

Yes, you can. My degree is 600 on each eye so contacts are a MUST MUST for me. Just refrain from opening your eyes in the water. If you feel your contact lense shifting, close your eyes and move your eyeballs, naturally your eyes would find the contact lense.

5. How often do such diving trips happen?

Simply Scuba offer classes every weekend in Tioman, so if you’re feeling adventurous, you can sign up today and go next week!

These are the only questions I’ve received, you guys can head over to their FAQ page to find out more!

I hope that all of you guys have enjoyed this post!
Till next time kiddos 🙂

W.Lab sent me a bunch of makeup & beauty products for me to try out.

W.Lab Cushions

W.lab’s cushions come with an additional plastic packaging to ensure that cleanliness is being well taken care of. All Cushions have SPF50+ PA++

W.Lab Snow CC Cushion contains green tea water that helps to provide a cooling sensation after application. Furthermore, it dries pretty quickly and does not leave a sticky feeling aftermath. Coverage wise is high.

W.Lab Blossom White Cushion contains Damask Rose water to enhance the whitening effect on the face. It dries to a silky smooth feeling yet leaving the skin feeling moisturized the whole day. Coverage is medium.

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 Finishing powder

W.Lab’s finishing powder contains Arnica extract that improves blood circulation and nutrition of the skin. It also has anti-inflammatory that penetrates deep into the epidermis. It feels very lightweight on the skin and really makes my makeup stay matte throughout the day.

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 Compact Kits

W.Lab Color Master Cover Kit

From left to right: Contains 2 base (Colour correcting purple and green), 2 Concealers (Ivory and Beige), 1 highlighter (pink) and a contour shade (dark brown)

*My favourite product*

Flower Lip & Cheek Kit

 It’s a perfect daily touch up kit to bring around as it’s so compact and the colors are super pigmented. If you’re desperate to look good for a last minute dinner, you can even use them as an eyeshadow shade too.

W.Lab Pocket Shadow Palette

From Left: Eye base, Highlighter, Bright Peach, Shine Coral, Shine Gold, Gold Brown, Shade Brown, Mocha Brown

I foresee myself using this palette a lot because not only is this eyeshadow palette SUPER compact, the colors are perfect for day to night eye looks. It may not be the MOST pigmented eyeshadow but surprisingly, it’s quite long lasting. 

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Blusher

W.Lab Bling Bling Cheek is a multi-purpose blusher that contains a pink gradient blush, from matte to shimmer. The shimmer shade can even be used as a highlighter to highlight your cheekbones and nose bridge.

Full Face with W.Lab products 

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Beauty Products

White Holic Quick Whitening Cream – White Holic is an intensive whitening cream that helps lighten age spots, acne and uneven skin tone problems. If you’re someone whose looking to whiten your skin instantly, White Holic is perfect for you.

W.Lab Milk Bubble Body Scrub – I loveee body scrubs! They make me feel so fresh after a long day out. W.Lab’s body scrub is very generous with their granules, so you can make sure that it scrubs every inch of your body without leaving any out.

W.Lab Sebum Out Peel Off Mask – It was my first time trying a peel off mask and to my surprise, it wasn’t painful at all. W.Lab’s peel off mask is very gentle to the skin and it really got all my dirt out, especially the white and black heads around my T-Zone.

Milk Protein Cleansing Foam – It is a cleansing foam that helps to remove sebum, blackhead and dead skin. Apricot seed fine powder provides silky skin care and prevent pores from sagging. Elastic mojji texture to absorb impurities.

Black Kill Pore Tightening Pack – Not only does this baby removes blackhead, it also helps in lifting our skin & tightening our pore. Unlike the usual mask, it only requires 10 minutes to get full removal of your black and white heads.

W.lab Milk Protein Cleansing Balm – It works as great makeup cleanser for people who loves applying thick & heavy makeup as the milk protein cleansing balm would melt the makeup and removes excess sebum on our skin. It comes with a spatula to make application more convenient. 

W.Lab Black Kill Pore Cleanser – It comes with a soft silicone bristle brush that massages and cleanses each pore gently and evenly and it also comes with a button on left to ensure that you do not overpump the product out. I have really bad blackheads on my nose, so this really gets the job of the removal of my blackheads done perfectly.  

Hope you guys find this post helpful!
See you next time x

ORBIS – RENEWED | AQUAFORCE

I’ve been really stoked to get this post out & about for you guys.

It’s been around 6 months since I was introduced to ORBIS and I’ve been extremely pleased with their products so far. Being where I am, I’m constantly receiving new products from various brands to review. However, without a doubt, ORBIS will ALWAYS be my one of my top choices because my skin accustoms well to their products. Before we get into this post, some of you may ask, what’s ORBIS Emily?

“ORBIS is well known for its 100% OIL FREE skincare range that originates from Japan” 

AQUA FORCE is ORBIS’s renewed hydration range that utilises enhanced moisture locking technology with Moisture Magnet AQ to actively increase the amount of moisture in our skin.

STEP 1: AQUAFORCE | Mild Wash
$23/120g

The AQUA FORCE Mild Wash lathers up quickly as it contains a dense moisture formula.

 It gently captures and cleanses away dirt. This is a very important factor that I look out for in facial foams. I detest the tight feeling cause it makes me feel like the product sucked out all my moisture.

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STEP 2: AQUAFORCE | Lotion
$27/180mg

Fun fact: Japanese usually use the term “lotion” for our toners. 

AQUAFORCE’s lotion replenishes the skin’s moisture with a Moist Pool Formula containing Laminaria A that locks our cells in with its pool of moisture. The best part about this lotion compared to the others which I’ve tried would be the fact that it absorbs into my skin VERY QUICKLY.

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STEP 3: AQUAFORCE | Moisture
$30/50g

*MY FAVOURITE PRODUCT*

It forms a protective layer with its Moisture Capture Veil that prevents moisture loss from within and ensures that your skin gets long lasting hydration.

Left: Old Packaging | Right: Renewed Packaging

This is my second bottle of their AQUAFORCE moisture. If you’ve been following me on my Instagram, you would know that I absolutely adore their moisturizer. I brought it to New Zealand with me & had zero signs of dryness throughout my 5 days stay. I swear by this product, sisters!

The renewed formula feels much lighter after application compared to the older version as it absorbs into our skin much faster. Personally, I think it’s 80% faster than their older formula. #TriedAndTested

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Dont forget to thumbs up & subscribe to Fatfoal!

I always get questions on my skincare routine & here’s part of it. ORBIS’s moisturizer is a definite must-have in my skincare routine. Everything stated here are my 100% honest opinions on their products. The effect may vary for different skin types. Thus, the most optimal option is to head down to their various outlets to get a skin consultation for a suitable range.

Head over to their website to find out more:

https://orbis.com.sg/

xxx

BTS:

Daisy was happily posing with the products so my mom took this opportunity to snap these shots of her. She’s werrrking it, little fat doggy. hahahah 

Can’t believe after 5 years, I’ve finally decided to start to blogging again. All thanks to myfatpocket for welcoming me into their family with open arms. I’ll be back to update with more Fashion, beauty & lifestyle related posts 🙂