What you need:

• Orange zest
• Mint leaves (to taste)
• 15ml spiced syrup
• 15ml lemon juice
• 40ml freshly brewed, cooled tea (such as English Breakfast or Earl Grey)
• 50ml Ron Zacapa rum
• Handful of ice

Spice Syrup: 

• Cane sugar
• Cloves
• Allspice
• Boil spices in 2 parts cane sugar to 1 part water till sugar has dissolved, allow to cool. Then store in the fridge.

Method:

1. Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass.
2. Garnish with mint leaves.

1. Try a personal touch. Don’t just mass email all your friends. Talk to people in your immediate circle who might be interested and ask them to speak to their contacts. People are more likely to come if they’re being brought by a friend.
2. Have rules, but only a few. Establish an understanding about attendance, skill level and conduct. If you want to start a book club for PhD candidates, make sure that the slow reader in the group knows what he’s getting into. Don’t be too pushy, though. If someone couldn’t finish the book, don’t banish them from book club.
3. Don’t be a dictator. The club certainly won’t be fun if one person thinks they have more authority than everyone else. Be democratic, even if what you want to do isn’t what the majority wants to do.
4. Do be a leader. Walk the fine line between being overbearing and getting things done. In groups of people, it can be hard to get people to speak up and make decisions, set up meeting times and places. Be the one to send the proper emails, asking people to make their suggestions.
5. Rotate responsibility. People respond to being treated as resources. Let members organize meetings on a rotating basis, for example. If your movie club is seeing a film from Bulgaria and there is a Bulgarian in the group, ask them to lead the discussion.
6. Be an ice-breaker. Whether or not you’re the host, make sure that no newcomer feels unnoticed or unwelcomed. Get up and greet them the minute they come in the door and introduce them to everyone.
7. Touch base in between meetings. Start a Facebook page or a blog where members can share thoughts, links and joke around in between meetings. This keeps the momentum going and encourages friendship-building outside of the group’s primary activity.
8. Stick to the plan. If two out of five people suddenly can’t make the usual day, don’t change the day. They’ll be back next week. Continuity counts towards momentum.
9. Avoid drama. If there’s conflict between two members, don’t take sides. Ask the people involved to resolve their differences on their own. The club is not an opportunity for therapy. 
10. Encourage special events. Don’t be strictly business all the time. Make plans to have the next meeting at a new restaurant you all want to try. Or have a pot luck hosted by one of the members.

1 Read the label. Extra virgin olive oil is unrefined and extracted by the first cold pressing of the olives. It’s a superior oil with strong aromas and flavors. Virgin olive oil is still unrefined, but can have a slightly higher acidity, making for less strong flavors. If the label says just olive oil, it’s a mix between virgin or extra virgin olive oils and other olive oils.

2 Have a plan. If your oil is for dressings and cold cooking, go for the extra virgin. If you’re making something with delicate flavors, a robust extra virgin might overpower those flavors.

3 Don’t write off mixed olive oils. They may seem pedestrian, but they also have lower smoke points than extra virgin olive oils. So if you plan to do frying or deep frying, a plain olive oil might be a better idea than an extra virgin.

4 Keep it small. Those giant, retro-looking cans of Italian olive oil may look tempting, but because olive oil is over the hill within a year, go strictly by the best before date and buy small amounts and finish them off quickly once you open them—especially extra virgin that you plan to use cold.

5 Stay in the dark. On a related note, pick a bottle that is made of dark glass to minimize exposure to sunlight. A tin can is even better.

Looking to invest in that piece of canvas or that amazing sculpture? Dr. Pwee Kheng Hock, partner of Utterly Art and FOST Gallery’s Stephanie Fong shares with some expert advice.

A Good Investment?
Do bear in mind that art is a fairly illiquid asset. But with some foresight and luck, that piece of yours may bring you a profit down the road. In the meantime however, do not deprive yourself of enjoying the aesthetic beauty of the artwork. Look upon yourself as a guardian: With good care, the artwork will be your legacy to your children, the next collector(s) or the public, if it is bequeathed to a museum. But as with all classes of investments, there are no guarantees and the doctrine of caveat emptor definitely applies. Here then are four tips to keep in mind when shopping for art.
 

1. Have a Passion

Identify something that you are passionate about. It could be, for example, collecting nature-based artworks or supporting local artists. If it’s the latter, then do some research on the artists themselves to see who’s in and who’s out. Like what and who you buy, as they can be on your wall for a long time.
 

2. Follow Art Trends

Bone up on the latest art news and trends. Collecting art should be about the thrill you get when you find something that you absolutely love and can’t live without. Who knows, in 10 years that piece might even become famous!
 

3. Decide on a Budget
It’s not true that you need to have deep pockets to be an art collector. Establish your budget first, then buy the best you can afford.
 

4. Do your Homework
Shop around and compare prices. If the gallery is in a swank shopping center with enormous rental costs, chances are you’re paying extra to help keep them in the mall. Secondly, as most art works are unique you’ll need to ask yourself if the perceived value of the artwork (i.e. how much you like it) far outweighs its actual value (i.e. the actual price).

This charming bartender, who placed sixth at the 2010 Diageo World Class Final in Athens earlier this year, spoke to Jalean Wong during his short stopover in Singapore.

Tell us about how you became a bartender.
I’m not actually a drinker, so I never thought I’d be a bartender. In fact, I was afraid to drink. The first time I ever had a drink, it was a shot of B52 and I got so drunk. It was terrible. Since then, I’ve almost become an alcoholic. Now, I can do 20 shots, with champagne, beer and cocktails all night.

What’s your philosophy when it comes to mixing?
I believe the basics are important. Then again, rules are meant to be broken. I trained in the London style, so it’s a very specific way to approach mixing drinks. It’s very different from the Taiwanese style or Japanese style. The London style keeps changing. It’s more about entertaining and is casual and relaxed. The Japanese style is serious and they care a lot about details like how you stir, shake, timing exactly how long you shake it for and even temperature, while the Taiwanese style isn’t developed yet, drawing from other styles as it finds its own.

What inspires you to create new cocktails?
Definitely my customers. I really try to give them what they want, whether it’s something as simple as a fruity cocktail or to suit their mood. The truth is, any good bartender will tell you that it’s not just about the drinks. At the end of the day, it’s all about the people. That’s why I travel. To meet new people, experience some change and keep pushing myself.

What’s the most crucial ingredient to being a good bartender?
Attitude! You can find the knowledge, no problem. But it’s more about discovering what it is you want to show to your audience. I always think of myself as an actor, and the bar is my stage. I just happen to make drinks along the way.

Goal by Angus Zou

What you need:

• 30ml Johnnie Walker Gold Label reserve
• 15ml apricot brandy
• 5ml Martini bianco
• 12.5ml lime juice
• 30ml apple juice
• Handful of ice

Method:

1. Shake all with ice, strain into a martini glass.
2. Garnish with a lemon twist.
    

1. Clean the face before applying a makeup base on the face and neck. Then follow by applying super white foundation cream. The color has to be whiter than the natural face color.

2. Use your hand to rip up a cotton pad, and then roll one piece into a thick roll. Make its length about the same or less than your forehead from left to right. Apply eyelash adhesive glue as a strip along the forehead (same length as the rolled cotton pad). Stick the cotton roll right on the glue line. Make sure that it is well and truly secure.

3. Repeat step 2, and stick the second cotton roll by making its ends touch both ends of the first roll. While waiting for the glue to dry, use the grey eye shadow to make your eyes look more sunken. Also do this to your eyelid, and laughter lines.

4. Apply black or dark brown eye shadow inside the scar circle on your forehead. Add an additional fear factor by making it seemed bruised with red and purple eye shadow. If the scar looks too flat on the face, use some glue to give some additional texture.

5. While waiting for the glue to dry, apply lip balm to your lips and color with the black eye shadow.

6. Blend together the extra dark coffee and grenadine to get your fake blood. Drop the blood onto the scar and let it run down your face naturally. Touch up the scar with extra red lipstick, and back comb your hair for a suitably wild look. Narisa Pokunchanan.

Makeup by Thanakorn Saengsongsin (Khun Elle Makeup
085-046-4545).

Essentials:

Makeup Base, Super white foundation.
Eye shadows: Black, brown, grey, purple and red.
Cotton pads, Eyelash adhesive glue, red lipstick.
Coffee and red grenadine.

You know the drill—one seemingly harmless after-work cocktail turns into an all-night drinking championship and the next thing you know, you’re waking up to what sounds like a Cypress Hill concert in your head, snakes swimming in your stomach, acid at the back of your throat and an inability to see straight. Ah, the blessed hangover. So what do you do the morning after? You fight that sonofabitch. Here’s how.

Pop Some Pills
Plenty of people swear by the Berocca Performance tube of multivitamins. Drop one tablet chockfull of vitamin B (brain food) and C (the ultimate virus fighter) into a glass of water, and drink it all up. It’s best consumed before you head out for the night, but that might require more forward planning than you can manage. Australians in particular seem to love the stuff (perhaps because they also created it). We like it because of its refreshing taste (which helps eliminate that sickly-sweet morning-after taste in our mouths) and its alleged ability to fire up the few brain cells we’ve got left. It also makes your pee look golden (because of the excess B vitamins it contains), if you need further proof that it works. Also try consuming cysteine tablets, an amino acid that appears to help combat the toxic effects of acetaldehyde (the culprit for all your morning-after woes). With any luck, it will shorten the duration of your hangover.

Eat It Up
Then there are those days when you’re so hung over you just want to do something, anything, to take your mind off how bad you feel. What better way than with a good ol’ greasy fry-up? Many repeat drinking offenders swear by the restorative properties of such a meal, and they may be on to something. According to nutritionist Yeo, after a night of heavy drinking, you may suffer from an upset stomach and intense migraines because alcohol lowers the body’s production of anti-inflammatory hormones and the protective mucus in the stomach. “Grease or fat actually reduces this effect by coating the stomach lining which prevents inflammation,” she says. If there’s one thing we know as much about as we do about drinking, it’s eating after we’ve been drinking. We highly recommend eating eggs - they are, in fact, a good natural source of cysteine, so put your game face on and head out to settle your mind and stomach with some egg-based breakfasts.

Break a Sweat
Ever wondered why you need to pee so much even after just one or two drinks? Sadly, it’s not your body detoxifying; it’s due to the fact that alcohol is one of the worst of all diuretics, meaning you’re expelling water, but not much else. To get rid of the toxin build up, you’re going to have to take extra measures. It's recommended to sweat out all the toxins from the night before by going for a run or merely walking around in the sun. You need to get rid of all the nasty stuff that’s making your body go into overdrive and causing you pain. Of course, you’ll need to then replenish lost fluids with water or sports drinks that have plenty of sugar or electrolytes. If you can’t bear the thought of pounding the streets, try hot yoga to sweat out all the toxins. At the very least, all that stretching might take your mind of just how awful you feel.

Here's a list of other hangover cures

- Go big and dramatic with these at B500 from M.A.C.

- Let’s get freaky! Neo Fringe B3,500 from Shu Uemura

- On a budget? Get these extra thick and long lashes for B20 on the streets around Silom.

- Stand out from the crowd with these Fluffy Tail lashes at B1,250 from Shu Uemura.

- Set hearts aflutter by adding these feathery lashes to your look for B400. BSC Panadda

- For party animals, go wild with this pair for B935 at Make Up For Ever

how to: Apply false eyelashes in 6 steps

What you’ll need:
A pair of false eyelashes, false eyelash glue, liquid eyeliner, and scissors.

1. Apply a thin line of the eyeliner along the upper eye lid.
2. Compare your eye length to the lash to make sure that they fit perfectly. The length of the lash should not exceed the length of your eye. If it does use the scissors to trim them down.
3. Apply glue to the edge of the lash. Apply a thin layer on each side.
4. Start from the middle of the lash, place it onto the edge of your upper eyelid and use your finger tip to softly press it onto the skin. Make sure that the lash sticks to your real eyelashes as much as possible.
5. Check if the lash is secure. If not, pull it off gently, and repeat step 1-4.
6. Apply the eyeliner once again to achieve the perfect eye curve.'

Essentials

Shu Uemura. 2/F, Siam Discovery Center, Patumwan. 02-658-0263.
M.A.C. 1/F, Central Chidlom, Ploenchit Rd. 02-655-7292.
BSC Panadda. M/F, Beauty Hall, SiamParagon, Rama 1 Rd. 02-610-7761.
Make Up For Ever. G/F, Emporium, Sukhumvit 24 Rd. 02-269-1000.