Winter Blossoms

Outfit Ideas: Green Shorts

2012-02-22T15:59:00.001+08:00

♫ SeungRi - 어쩌라고 (What Can I Do)

It's a known fact that Malaysia is a tropical country, which means that we practically have summer all year round. Hot and humid, that's how the weather normally is over here. But then again, there's a standing joke here that we actually have one more season: rainy season. XD

All this hot and humid weather pretty much ensures that we won't be wearing layers of wool knit clothing or fur-trimmed winter jackets anytime soon. Keeping cool is key here, while also staying stylish. So, my wardrobe staple? Shorts.

Seriously, shorts are a must-have if you're living in a hot country like Malaysia. They keep me from melting into a sticky puddle of goo, especially in the midday sun. (Okay, I'm exaggerating, but you get my drift.) Shorts are super versatile, and can be dressed up or down, depending on how you mix and match your outfits. The only bad thing is that they're not exactly meant for formal occasions, so they're pretty much only suited for daily casual wear. Today, I'm going to show you how I regularly style my outfits, using a pair of shorts I recently purchased from Cotton On.

Cotton On Q Short in "Ocean Wave" (green)

First off, I must say that I love tailored black shorts, because they match with practically any kind of top, but I also love candy-coloured shorts because they add a pop of colour to boring outfits. Plus, I always think that matching black tops with black shorts is just waaaay too depressing. =/ Anyway, I chose green for this pair because green is my lucky colour for 2012, and the green colour itself is quite unique. :)

Outfit 1: Casual Outing

Green plain basic tee

White cotton and lace detail vest

Green shorts

+ Off-white woven wedge sandals

+ Chunky bracelet

I love matching colours for my outfits, and this one is no exception. Many people I know avoid wearing green, but I love these particular types of green because it's so refreshing and, more importantly, doesn't clash with my skin tone. (Which is why I never wear orange or yellow.) This outfit is perfect for a casual day out catching up or shopping with friends.

Outfit 2: Ready For School

White polo tee

Green shorts

+ Sneakers

+ Wristwatch

Ah, the classically simple yet effective everyday outfit. This is the normal outfit for most college/university students here. For girls, just throw on a cardigan if the lecture hall dips a few degrees. Nerd glasses are optional. :P

Outfit 3: Laid Back Semi-Formal

Black blazer

Black and white polka dot sheer sleeveless top

Green shorts

+ Oxford shoes OR ankle booties

+ Mulberry-esque sling bag (like this)

This is what I call being 'casually formal'. The shorts and sleeveless chiffon top are great to combat the hot weather, while the blazer instantly adds a semi-formal vibe to the entire look.

Well, that's all for today. I hope these outfits can help inspire you to try out new looks, or dig into your closet to see what you can mix and match with. Do tell me which outfit is your favourite in the comments! :)

What If...

2012-02-19T01:02:00.002+08:00

♫ 林国伟 - 爱情独秀

I was really bored today so I decided to catch up on some good movies that I'd been meaning to watch since last year. In the afternoon, I watched "Anonymous" and I can now say that it has been included in my list of favourite movies. I mean, I was already hooked when I first saw the trailer (but then again, that's what movie trailers do, right?) and promised myself I would go watch it in cinemas, but sadly, it never showed. ~~Stupid Malaysian film censorship system.~~ *coughDorianGraycough*

"But what if I told you, Shakespeare never wrote a single word?"

Just that single sentence, and I was immediately intrigued by the movie's storyline. Ah, the power of words.

I truly enjoyed this movie, because it thoroughly suspends your belief of the world's greatest playwright, and makes you think, "What if all this were true?". I loved the character of the Earl of Oxford, because he is the central character of the story, the character who is directly and indirectly the source of all the events in the story. In fact, it seemed so real that I was almost convinced.. Until the credits came up and I remembered I was watching a work of fiction, that is. Still, it makes you think, makes you wonder, long after the credits have stopped rolling. That, to me, is the sign of a wonderful movie.

Just a short while ago, I finished watching "In Time" and the line that really got to me was this:

For a few to be immortal, many must die.

What happens if time becomes everything in our world?

How would you waste, or rather, spend your time then?

I must admit, I like the concept of the whole story, but the movie itself was kind of... choppy, like they hurried the storyline a bit too much, and everything seems to happen all at once without the proper transitions. Or maybe it's just me. =/ Also, I couldn't seem to take my mind off of one thing throughout the whole movie: How many pairs of 4-inch heels can Sylvia Weis (Amanda Seyfried) change while on the run, and how does she run in them anyway?

And, well, Cillian Murphy is kinda hot.

I'm going off-track again. Back to the topic, yes, I enjoyed the movie, mainly due to the fact that I found its concept very thought-provoking. If we have to count our days, minutes, even seconds to ensure our survival, would we still do the things we do now? Conversely, what would you do if you had so much time, and thus money, to waste?

What if you only had 5 minutes left to live?

Okay, I just realized - a little too late and while typing this post, I might add - that both movies I watched today were 'what if...' movies. O_o Way to watch movies and analyze them, communications major. *facepalms* I know it's a deviation from my usual cosmetics/beauty posts; I do throw in the occasional food or movie or life in general type of posts. :)

Have you watched any of these 2 movies? What did you think of them?

NOTD: Simple Polka Dot Nails

2012-02-15T19:29:00.001+08:00

♫ 林俊杰 -那些你很冒险的梦

Let me bring you back to the beginning of my love for nail polish and nail art.

28 December 2010

This, ladies and gentlemen, was my first real attempt at nail art, and honestly, it lit the spark of my interest into a borderline obsession. There's no other way to describe it.

I was browsing through videos on Youtube one day, and stumbled across this particular video by cutepolish. It looked so pretty, and seemed simple enough, so I chose the colours from my stash, picked up my dotting tool, and the rest is history.

I mean, look at the thumbnail for the video! Isn't that just simple and adorable? :) I was really pleasantly surprised by the results, because I never imagined I could manage to do it, especially with my ~~retarded~~ left hand.

A couple of days ago, I decided to do this particular design again (it was almost the middle of the night, mind you), so I searched for the tutorial on Youtube. Approximately 30mins later, my NOTD was done. :D

I replaced the glittery silver line with gold.

I (still) don't own a silver glitter liner, so I used a gold nail art polish to replace it. What do you think? :)

These are the items I used for this simple polka dot manicure:

Scotch Magic tape
Dotting tool
The Face Shop base coat
Revlon nail polish in "Black Lingerie" (2 coats)
Etude House nail polish in WH702 White (for the polka dots)
Golden Rose nail art polish in 108 Gold
Seche Vite fast dry top coat

Review: Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in "Strawberry Shortcake"

2012-02-05T01:02:00.000+08:00

♫ 五月天 - 干杯

This is probably one of Mayday's best music videos to date. It's funny, heartwarming, touching and will make you smile even though a ninja is cutting onions right behind you.

(All items reviewed were purchased using my own money, unless stated otherwise.)

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters have been raved throughout the beauty blogosphere ever since their release, and the reviews are rave indeed. I'm going to do a review on the Revlon Lip Butter I purchased yesterday, which is in the shade Strawberry Shortcake.

Revlon has really amped up its product line lately, as you can see from these lip butters and updated nail polish line (the ones I mentioned in my previous post). I love the packaging for these lip butters because they're so pretty - they resemble frosted glass with a quilted pattern, and the colour matches that of the product inside. What's more, there is a clear 'window' at the top of the tube so you can clearly see the colour of the lip butter.

In the tube, Strawberry Shortcake shows up as a light blue-based pink. It looks pretty daunting if you don't know that it's actually quite sheer and can be layered up for opacity. :)

You can see that it is definitely a cool-toned shade, and the shimmer is quite evident in this swatch.

Yup, the scary-but-necessary lip swatch photo. I absolutely love this colour! I didn't even have to put lip concealer in order to get the soft milky pink shade so often seen in Japanese makeup guides. ♥

Overall, I must say that the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters do live up to the hype. It's like a cross between lipstick and lip balm! :D The packaging is really cute, the colours are sheer but pigmented, last longer than conventional lip balms, and are unscented. Lately, I've been steering clear of my scented lipsticks and balms because they give me a headache - not a good sign. >_<

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters retails at RM 25.00 (2.55g), available at Watsons and Guardian (not sure about SaSa stores).

✓ Pros: Moisturizing, sheer but pigmented and easily buildable, unscented, pretty packaging, quite long lasting.

✗ Cons: Product might settle into lines if lips are dry/flaky.

CNY Short Trip + Haul

2012-02-03T13:35:00.000+08:00

♫ 张智成 - 你爱上的我

It's time to get back on track with my regular posts! *fingers crossed* Since it's Chinese New Year, we do the usual visiting relatives, eating lots of good food and receive 'ang pao's. :D What's different this year is that we went down to Johor (in 2 cars, no less!) for a few days to visit our relatives there, and also headed to Singapore for a 1-day trip. Of course, we had to stop by the newly opened and much talked about Johor Premium Outlets (JPO). It's practically located in the middle of nowhere. -__-"

The layout and building structures looked similar to the other premium outlets my brother went to in Japan. There were quite a few high-end brands there like Zegna, Burberry, Armani, Michael Kors, as well as other popular brands such as Coach, Levi's, Lacoste, Esprit, La Senza, Nike, Adidas, etc. Nice place to have a stroll, but the prices weren't really all that amazing. Granted, they are cheaper than the ones you get in their KL boutiques, but most of the brands I went into consisted of old stock at prices I could get during sales season anyway. My cousins also said that in the USA it was much cheaper. So.... not impressed. =/

We arrived in the evening. This was the only photo I took of the place.

Had a really late dinner with the relatives in Johor, and everyone slept at 1 a.m., lol. Entered Singapore around noon the next day and went to the Omni-Theatre (my dad loves the place), then had lunch in Tiong Bahru. After that, walked around Orchard Road shopping, shopping, and more (window) shopping.

Hauls from here further down ↓ in the post. :P

We parked in Ngee Ann City, so it was perfect - I could go to both Watsons and Kinokuniya! It was also really close to ION, where I have to get my takoyaki fix.

It was almost 10 p.m. when we arrived at Long Beach to have dinner. Black pepper crabs and crispy duck ftw! <3

One last look at the Marina Bay Sands before we leave.

Car enthusiast in me could not resist snapping a photo of this sleek navy Maserati. :D

Everybody was exhausted at the end of the day. Aunt and I came down with really bad flu the next day and could barely walk around, let alone endure the visits to various houses before the drive back to KL. >_< It was a great trip nevertheless, though a bit short and rushed. :)

Anyway, on to the stuff I managed to get!

The long-lusted pastel green Dolly Wink nail polish (S$ 12.90). I bought the Spring Heart eyeliner (S$ 7.90) because it came with a free Dolly Wink nail polish.

Revlon Top Speed nail polish (S$ 9.90 each) in 110 Pink Lingerie and 610 Lily. Super love the pastel colours! ♥ The Top Speed range isn't available in Malaysia yet. :(

Sheene mini powder compact (S$ 1.90 each). It's really small and cute; great size for a small bag or clutch.

Splurge buy! Steam Cream (S$ 25.90) in the limited edition tin "Nocturne". Been itching to get a tin after seeing it on Serendipity's website.

Finally, from Kinokuniya - super kawaii Uni Style Fit pens! These polka dot ones are limited edition refills (S$ 1.95 each) with a 0.38 point. They're not proper pens but refills, which you pop into the Style Fit multi pen case. Since they're click type retractable, I'll just use them as regular pens because I didn't wanna buy the casing, lol. *is a cheapskate*

So that's about it for now. I'll leave you with a couple of pics of the Revlon nail polish. Totally in love with the sweet pastels! ♥

D.I.Y. - Nail Polish Remover Dip

2012-02-02T23:59:00.002+08:00

When Sephora first opened in KL, I went in for a stroll as well as to drool over the much-raved Urban Decay products, among many others. While I was really excited to see so many new cosmetic and skincare brands entering Malaysia, I was more than a little daunted by their price tags. Sephora's house brand range was pretty huge as well, including their nail polish collection. Moving closer to the display rack, this particular item caught my eye...

Photo credits to The Fashion Economist, as this item isn't listed on Sephora.com

And it was a staggering RM35!!

(Well, give or take a few MYR; I can't remember the exact price.)

It's just a bottle of dip-in nail polish remover! If you haven't seen or heard about these before, nail polish remover dips are basically wide-mouthed plastic containers which have a piece of foam/sponge soaked in nail polish remover liquid inside. You dip your finger into the container, leave it there for about 20 seconds and your nail comes out with all the nail polish gone. Dip 'n done, eh?

Anyway, long story short, I was ~~so disgusted~~ amazed at the ridiculous price, because I have been using the exact same thing (different brand, of course) bought from Daiso since 3 years back. And as you know, stuff from Daiso is only RM5. =/

Ellefar Nail Kiss - nail polish remover dip

This, ladies and gentlemen, is my solution to pesky nail polish removal since 2008! At first they were super easy to find in Daiso around my place, but then their stocks started getting lower, and lower, until finally I couldn't find them anywhere. T__T The last time I saw them in stock, I practically grabbed half a dozen and threw them into my shopping basket without another thought. O__O

Alright, sorry for rambling on with the background story. ^^;; Today's post is about a Do-It-Yourself "How to make your own nail polish remover dip", so let's get on with the step-by-step pictures! :)

First, you'll need to prepare some items.

1. Scissors
2. Craft blade (if you don't have one, you can just use the scissors)
3. Piece of sponge (I use those that people use to wash cars, they're dirt cheap and you can use them lots of times)
4. Plastic container with wide mouth (make sure it's not too deep and your finger can dip inside)
5. Nail polish remover liquid (drugstore brands, your fave strawberry scented ones, etc)

Next, using the base or cover of the container as a guide, roughly measure and cut out a square piece of the sponge. It's okay if the sides are a bit rough, since it can be easily squeezed into the container.

You should get something that looks like this.

Now use the craft blade (or scissors) to cut a slit in the middle of the sponge. This is so that your finger can dip inside and be fully covered by the nail polish remover. For more stubborn nail polish or glitter particles, you can rub your nail against the sponge to remove them more effectively.

Hang in there, we're almost done! :)

It's time to stuff the sponge inside the container! Don't worry if it's a little too big; as long as you've cut it more or less according to the container's size, it should be able to fit in. (In fact, it's better if it's slightly bigger.) The sponge will shrink and become much softer after being soaked in the liquid.

Final step - pour in the nail polish remover. Remember to pour it in little by little, as the dry sponge needs a few seconds to absorb the liquid. Continue pouring until you estimate it to fill about half the container. For mine, that's about 50ml (1/3 of the bottle).

Tadaa! We're all set!

Now you can just dip your finger into the container every time you want to remove your nail polish. No need to mess with cotton pads and spilled nail polish remover! If you find the sponge is getting dirty, just repeat the process, which should take less than 5 minutes. :D

Hope you found this step-by-step DIY tutorial useful~ ^^

P/S: Oh, and check out this really cute animated picture by styleseeking zurich on how 'magical' this dip is, haha!

Giveaway Winner Announcement!

2012-02-01T16:52:00.000+08:00

I know that many of you are eagerly waiting the results of my first ever giveaway. :)

Before I announce who they are, I would like to apologize for the lack of posts lately. It's been a pretty busy + hectic couple of weeks, what with spring cleaning the house, visiting relatives and generally being in a festive holiday mood, all due to it being Chinese New Year. I've also been down with the coughs and sniffles (I hate getting the flu, urgh!), that's why it's taken me this long to finish going through all the entries.

From the various comments I received about my blog (thank you all so much for the constructive and overall lovely comments! ^^) I noticed that many of you were having trouble viewing my template and background properly. To those who were distracted by the overly "flowery" pattern of the background and couldn't read the text properly, I think the page didn't load properly or something. Many apologies indeed! >__< Next time if the plain colour background doesn't load, please refresh the page yeah? :) Here's how my blog looks on a normal day, haha!

Anyway, enough of my ramblings. Here are the winners (international and local) of my giveaway...

International giveaway winner is:

Moriela Morandarte from Charmed!

Local giveaway winner is:

Aik from The Bookaholics!

Congratulations, ladies! :) I've already sent out an email to the email you've provided in your entries, so please do reply me within 48 hours, otherwise I will have to pick another winner.

Review: KATE Quick Eyeliner

2012-01-09T19:20:00.000+08:00

(All items reviewed were purchased using my own money, unless stated otherwise.)

Eyeliner is the most important item in my makeup arsenal. (Well, besides concealer.) I started my makeup journey with eyeliner, after watching countless Youtube videos and tutorial websites on how to apply it correctly. They all recommended that beginners start off with pencil eyeliners, but from my own experience, liquid eyeliner (the pen-type ones with felt tips) is my best, and only, choice. It's actually not much different from drawing a line using a Sharpie, lol.

Anyway, back to the topic. I recently purchased the KATE Quick Eyeliner pen in BR-1, which is a "natural brown" shade. I've always wanted to try brown eyeliner, but not many liquid pen types come in that colour, and those that do are quite pricey. This was on sale at Watsons (RM 26.90; usual price RM 38.00), so in it went into the shopping basket. :P

Well, as I've just mentioned, my preferred type of eyeliners are the liquid felt-tip pen type, so this one fit the bill perfectly. It is much thicker than the Empro, Dolly Wink or Maybelline ones though, so you can't really draw superfine lines. >_<

Top: fine line; bottom: thicker line.

As for the shade and intensity, well, it was kind of disappointing, to say the least. :( The swatch above is at least 3 strokes layered over each other, so that the brown colour is more visible. One stroke only yields a light, watery brown line. The colour tends to feather/bleed into the surrounding skin, as you can see on the back of my hand. It does get darker after a while though, but to me it is still a let down.

On my upper lashline, it somehow appears more of a burgundy/burnt umber shade, rather than natural brown. Maybe because in contrast with naturally black lashes? =/ I guess brown just isn't my colour, so I'll have to stick with the usual black eyeliner. ^^" Nevertheless, I think brown eyeliner would be perfect for people who have fairer skin tones and/or lighter-coloured lashes, which would provide a more natural look. :)

✓ Pros: Convenient pen-type liquid eyeliner, brown colour for a more natural look.
✗ Cons: Shade is light and watery, colour will bleed/feather slightly, felt tip is big - not suitable to draw fine lines.

Giveaway Closed!

2012-01-07T08:36:00.000+08:00

Dear all, my giveaway is now officially closed!

Thanks for joining, and look out for the winner announcement on my blog soon. This might take some time as I have to go through each and every entry to check if it is correct, so do bear with me. ^^

Have a great weekend, everyone!

New Year Hauls

2012-01-04T02:54:00.002+08:00

♫ 五月天 - 干杯

It's the beginning of a new year, so... Hello, 2012! ;)

How much do you believe in the 2012 "End of the World" prophecy? :P Personally, I'm fine with it either way. If it happens, it happens; if not, life goes on. *shrugs* At least, I hope so.

Anyway, back to the post. I've been busy yet super free over the recent new year weekend (mindboggling, I know, but that's how it seems to me) the past few days, but I managed to squeeze more than a little time to do some shopping. What can I say? New year sales are pretty awesome.

Thanks to Carina for the pic!

Had new year's eve lunch at Chinoz on the Park at KLCC with YMY, HL, Carina and Yee Ching. Our original plan was to go to Ben's, but after some ~~snobbery~~ attitude problems from their staff, we decided to change the venue to Chinoz. Seriously. Service in KLCC restaurants is the worst I've ever experienced, especially if you're not an ang moh / Middle Easterner and look like a fresh-faced university student to boot. >_>

Anyway, after lunch, we hung out a while in Kinokuniya. After the others had left, I continued browsing and finally came out with 2 items.

Seventeen Japan February 2012 issue, which comes with a Liz Lisa large tote bag GWP

Typical Liz Lisa rose print design. ♥

I love the glittery gold lettering! And the tote is super roomy; the magazine can fit inside with lots of room to spare. The only downside is that it doesn't have any sort of zip or button closure for the top. >.<

I also got a copy of CLEO for RM 5, which included a mini Maybelline BB Cream (6ml) sample. Never tried this before, but it's the perfect size for travelling. :)

I headed to Watsons (as usual) but nothing really caught my eye, until I noticed the Maybelline Angelfit Perfect Concealer was on sale. I'm currently obsessed with finding the perfect concealer for my dark circles, so I figured it would be worth a try. So far, it's been working really well for me. :D

Maybelline Angelfit Perfect Concealer in 01 Light Beige (Sales price RM 16.90)

After that, I went to Sephora to get my hands on something that I'd been looking for ever since I realized something like it actually existed...

Sephora Express Dry Shampoo, 75ml (RM29)

...DRY SHAMPOO! Yes, dry shampoo. This is a total godsend for us in this sweltering hot Malaysian weather, especially those with long hair. It's a powder-form shampoo without having to wash or rinse or even use any water. This is the solution for days when your hair is between washes but feeling oily or icky, and also when you're travelling and don't have time to do the whole shampoo-conditioner-blow dry routine.

The next day (1st Jan) at 10 a.m., I rushed to Isetan The Gardens to grab their Lucky Bags. I'd missed the Lucky Bag frenzy the past couple of years, so this year I was determined to make it there on time. With dad at the wheel, we got there with plenty of time left (although not fast enough to grab any of the Jane Holli Lucky Bags T_T). Still, I had plenty of the Ettusais ones to choose from, and also picked 1 lucky bag from Pop Soda and Avenue each.

Each Ettusais lucky bag was only RM50! Should have taken 2. >_<

Ettusais, RM 50 → hand cream, acne care sheets, eyelash essence, nail polish, eyeshadow (approx RM 280)
Pop Soda, RM 50 → 2 tee shirts, 1 vest, 1 dress (approx RM 250)
Avenue, RM 100 → 2 formal shirts, 2 skirts, 2 business pants (approx RM 600)

I know, lucky bags (or 福袋 'fukubukuro') here are no match for the ones sold in Japan every January, but as far as I know, Isetan is the only departmental store which offers such a thing each year, so they're still pretty worth it. With the exception of a couple of items, I was pretty happy with the stuff from all 3 bags. RM200 for so much stuff, not bad eh?

They were giving out RM5 vouchers (valid for use in Men's and Children's department only) for every RM100 purchased, so I got RM10 worth of vouchers. I used it up right away by using it to buy a spiral-bound notebook. I only paid 10 cents for it, haha!

That's about it for my New Year haul post. :) To all my new followers, thanks for joining the giveaway, and do check back for more new posts and reviews! ^^

Belated Christmas Post!

2011-12-30T14:50:00.000+08:00

OMG It's been 2 weeks since I last blogged, and now it's the second last day of 2011. How time flies.

First of all, I would like to wish you all a Merry (Belated) Christmas and a Happy New Year! I see that many people got some really amazing gifts over Christmas, I'm really envious. :P I got a few presents from under the Christmas tree too. Yes, we do put up a Christmas tree every December and exchange gifts, even though we're Buddhists. XD

Anyway, here are the presents I received.

Looks like a cake with a cherry on top! lol

First of all was the present from my parents. It wasn't exactly a surprise, since I got them from a warehouse sales about a month ago, but it's still a really sweet gift. :D A pair of purple TiAmo flats, with cute ribbon and pearl bow. I absolutely love the shimmery purple because the colour shift is just gorgeous.

The next gift is from my ~~fairy~~ godmother. She got me a Marks & Spencer Floral Collection bath cream set, which includes 6 cute little bottles of bath cream in different scents. Perfect for travelling! :)

Last but not least, is this super adorable little Tony Moly lip balm. FYI, Tony Moly is a popular skincare and cosmetics brand from Korea that has been endorsed by many of Korea's hottest celebrities. My cousin brought his whole family for a trip to Korea during the school holidays, and his wife bought this for me as a little present. So sweet~ ^^ The packaging is really cute and looks like a real cherry indeed, albeit a large one. (It reminds me of the Baviphat lip scrub!) Once opened, the cherry scent is strong but not overpowering. Lovely indeed.

So cute, right? :D

As for this BB cream from Etude House, it isn't Christmas or New Year related, but I just have to post it because it's such a good deal, especially for Etude House BB Cream lovers. From 28th - 31st December, customers can purchase BB Magic Cream/Compact/Balm @ RM 20 only! :) I heard they're discontinuing the range, so if you love it, better hurry and grab some to stock up! I realized mine was running out when I was in Singapore for AFA (Oh the horror!) and have been waiting for a promotion like this ever since. Thank goodness I haven't been using it a lot lately, so it's lasted me until now.

My old tube is almost flat >_<

So that wraps up my post for today. :) To all my new followers, thank you for joining, and do look out for more posts in the new year! ♥

Review: Essence Soft Touch Mousse Make-Up and Essence Mattifying Compact Powder

2011-12-15T15:44:00.002+08:00

♫ Hi-Fi CAMP - この手伸ばして

(Disclaimer: All products in this post were purchased using my own money and NOT sent in for review.)

I noticed that many of my readers, especially those from Malaysia and Singapore, are quite interested in Essence cosmetics, which was recently brought in by COCiCOCi. Not only are the prices super affordable, the quality is not bad either, and their nail polish range (review her e) is honestly to die for! Anyway, on to the topic of today's post, the 2 items I'll be reviewing today are Essence Soft Touch Mousse and Essence Mattifying Compact Powder.

First of all is the Soft Touch Mousse. I purchased it in the shade 02 Matt Beige, a slightly dark beige which leans toward orange. First of all, I must mention that this particular shade is not a perfect match for my skin tone, as it is slightly too dark and orange-y. However, since I can't return it, I've found a way (sort of) to make it work. >_< I'll probably try and get it in the proper shade whenever I'm in Midvalley or Bukit Bintang, where there are friendly sales assistants and more shades to choose from.

The mousse is packed inside a smaller-than-palm-sized glass pot with a plastic screw cap. Not the best or most innovative design, but it's pretty solid and the size is quite travel-friendly. The texture of the mousse itself is very strange, sort of soft and spongy like... well, chocolate mousse, lol. It is quite dense and very pigmented though, so a little bit goes a long way. Also, it has a faint scent (reminds me of hazelnut praline for some weird reason...) which might not be to everybody's liking. It fades away quickly though, after you blend it, so it doesn't bother me.

The amount of product on the back of my hand is more than enough to cover my whole hand. O_o

As you can see, it is darker than my skin tone (T_T) but it does manage to cover up the more visible veins on the back of my hand. When blending, it does show an orange tint but once it is properly blended out, it becomes less noticeable and gives my skin a healthy sun-kissed shade (I hope). Below are the "before and after" comparisons on my cheeks.

The product is a mousse-to-powder finish, so it is very easy to blend and gives my skin a matte finish. It also helps to even out my skin tone. The mousse is really lightweight and once it's blended, you won't even feel it's there. Nevertheless, if you're looking for a make-up primer or foundation with more coverage, this mousse probably isn't for you. ^^"

Notice that 3rd picture? I've patted on the Mattifying Compact Powder so that the matte finish will last longer, as well as to lighten the mousse's darker shade. :)

I decided to pick up this compact powder because both my Maybelline ones were almost used up. I totally love how the packaging is completely transparent so you can see the pretty swirly pattern. The only downside is that it doesn't include an applicator of any sort, so I just washed my old one and used it for this. :)

I was trying to decide between Translucent and Natural Beige, but in the end I chose Natural Beige because there are just some days I am too lazy to put on BB cream or whatever, so I just pat on some powder and go out. Translucent is good for all skin tones though, if you're not sure what shade to choose or just want to use it to set the rest of your makeup.

Conclusion: I am pretty much in love with the products from Essence, as they work really well and the price is very affordable indeed. The only disadvantage is that they are pretty hard to come by, as not all shopping malls or Watsons carry the range. If you're a beginner in makeup, or just want to try out some new products without hurting your wallet too much, this brand will pretty much meet your needs. ^^

As a gentle reminder, as these 2 products have matte finishes, it is advisable to properly moisturize your face before applying them, especially if you have dry skin. :)

Essence Soft Touch Mousse retails at RM 18.90 (16g) and Essence Mattifying Compact Powder retails at RM 14.90 (12g). Available at COCiCOCi stands (Midvalley and Jalan Bukit Bintang) and Watsons (Sunway Pyramid, Sg. Wang, Berjaya Times Square and Pavillion).

Taking It Slow

2011-12-11T21:03:00.002+08:00

♫ Bruno Mars - It Will Rain

It's been a slow week. Slow in the sense that nothing really exciting or memorable happened, unless you count the lunar eclipse last night, which I didn't have the mood to observe.

(Picture taken from The Star Online)

At least I finally managed to find a pair of over-the-knee socks after months of searching. Thank you, Topshop 1Utama! ♥ And also thank you to the really cute and helpful sales assistant. :D There were only cream and orange on the rack, so I asked him if there were any other colours and he went to the back room to search. He came out with several pairs of black ones, and I was like "These are perfect!" +___+ Inside I was "My search is over!" *internal tears of joy*

Rib Over Knee Socks

No, I'm not crazy. I just ~~dislike~~ hate tights/leggings to the point that I would rather wear socks than be stuck in something that is not, and will never be, a replacement for proper trousers. Somebody accused me of being a Wapanese. So sue me. At least I'm Asian and do look sort of Japanese (sometimes). :P

Lee Hom says "Uhh... okay."

(Darn it, why is he so cute!)

Hmm... What else? Well, I did manage to get some more Essence makeup stuff to ~~play with~~ use, and also stocked up on my nail polish removers. They were Buy 2 Free 1 at Watsons so it was a really good deal. :)

And like [almost] everybody else, I cannot resist walking into Daiso if I do pass by it. Could not resist the cute furry pink pen case, and I wanted to try the hair essence to see if it works to make my hair more manageable. So far it's been so-so, but I do love the rose scent in my hair. ^^

Can't believe it's 11th December already! How time flies. Exactly one month ago, I was in Singapore eagerly anticipating Anime Festival Asia. :) And in 2 weeks time, it will be Christmas! I'm no Christian, but I love Christmas not only because of the pretty decorations and sales, but also due to the...

And if you don't get this meme, please click yourself over to 9gag. Knock yourself out. You're welcome.

Breakfast at Tiffany's, Anyone?

2011-12-10T21:18:00.001+08:00

♫ Taylor Swift - Enchanted

If only...

It's not often that I blog about nail polish, or even done a NOTD post. The only other post I've done about nail polish is Polishing Up The Collection, where I finally decided to organize and re-arrange all my nail polish and nail art stuff because they were all over the place.

Which is actually kind of ironic, because as much as I love eyeliners and eyeshadows and other facial cosmetic stuff, my biggest obsession is with - you guessed it - nail polish!

Anyway, I just had to share this particular nail polish with you all because it's just so, so pretty - and it's not even pink! Coming from me, that is quite amazing, because you can be sure that most of my stash is made up of pinks and reds.

China Glaze "For Audrey"

This particular nail polish by China Glaze is named "For Audrey" in honour of Audrey Hepburn and her famous role in Breakfast at Tiffany's, hence the Tiffany blue colour. It's not a dead-on match to the famous Tiffany & Co. colour (because it's trademarked), but it's said to be the closest you can get, and you seriously have to see it on your nails to believe how pretty it is.

Seche Vite fast dry top coat and China Glaze "For Audrey"

China Glaze isn't available in Malaysia, so I had to order it from a nail polish spree. I've used her service a couple of times now, so I can tell you that she's a really good and reliable seller. The pre-orders do take a while to arrive though, so you gotta be patient. :)

Under direct sunlight

In the pictures above, I applied a base coat (The Face Shop), 2 coats of "For Audrey" and a coat of Seche Vite. The formula seemed okay when picked up using the brush, but it applied really thickly so I had to add some nail polish thinner to make it more manageable. As you can see, the colour varies from different angles and in different lights. On my nails, I see it tends to lean towards blue, but in pictures it shows up more green. The last picture has the greatest resemblance to the colour on the bottle.

It's quite a bright pastel shade, so it might not be to everybody's preference, although to be honest, how often do you get to have Tiffany-esque nails, right? :P It's no wonder this particular nail polish is such a cult favourite. Just search for it on Google Images, and you'll get a ton of results.

These two are my absolute favourites from the blogosphere:

Milan & Vanaily's blog

Dorolimited's flickr

Review: Garnier Light BB Eye Roll-On

2011-12-03T11:46:00.000+08:00

♫ Michael Bublé - Grown-Up Christmas List

I've been wanting to try the Garnier Brightening Eye Roll-On ever since I realized my dark eye circles were becoming darker and darker, but never bought it 'coz I wasn't sure how well it would work. Then miraculously, Garnier came out with another version of their Eye Roll-On, the BB (cream) version, which basically does what the original Brightening Eye Roll-On does, except that it has added concealing abilities. I hesitated from buying it (for various reasons) until lately, when I finally decided it was high time I did something to fight those darn panda eyes, lol.

The product claims to have 10 instant visible effects, which claim to make the under-eye area:

Fairer
More radiant
More even-toned
With less dark circles
With less dark spots
Fresher
Smoother
Less tired
More hydrated
Less visible lines/tightened

The BB Eye Roll-On is roughly pen-shaped, with a rounded top. Only the shade "Natural" is available locally, although I believe they have 2 shades available in other countries.

Just roll it on under and around the eye area. The amount dispensed is quite little so you might need to roll it around a few times to get the desired amount in order to cover the whole eye area.

They aren't kidding when they say "light" BB on the packaging. The BB cream (more like a liquid, actually...) is slightly more watery than the usual BB creams we are used to applying on the face, but I like it because that makes it easier to pat and blend into the eye area. However, this also means that it does not provide full coverage for medium to heavy dark eye circles. Sometimes I have to use this together with my Etude House stick concealer so that my panda eyes will be fully covered. =X

In all, I find this Garnier Light BB Roll-On quite useful, as it does make my eye contour area look smoother and fairer, with less visible dark circles and lines. It also does a good job to even out the skin tone around my eye. Overall a good product, and I love its texture which is easy to pat and blend without pulling or tugging at the delicate skin around the eyes.

Retails at RM 24.90 and is available at all major drugstores and pharmacies.

✓ Pros: Comes in a travel-friendly packaging, affordable price, easy to pat and blend, does what it claims (mostly).
✗ Cons: Product sometimes does not come out so you have to shake the tube and roll it on your hand; texture is watery; does not provide full coverage for heavy dark circles.

Diva Accessories Haul

2011-11-29T08:00:00.001+08:00

♫ Woodkid - Iron

Listening to this song makes me feel like an Assassin, wtf. Completely unrelated to this post, but I just had to mention it.

Well then, on to the post. On Saturday, I went down to KL with my bro to pick up his laptop. After that, I wanted to go check out the branded fashion clearance in Fahrenheit88, so we walked the few blocks there. I didn't expect to have to queue up to enter the event hall because it was already the 2nd day, but luckily the line wasn't very long.

I had read Jess' post on the sale and was interested in getting myself some accessories from Diva. :D There were racks and racks of clothes on clearance there, all from popular brands such as Topshop, Topman, Dorothy Perkins, Miss Selfridge and a few others, but they weren't really my style so I just browsed around. Picked up a pair of really cute skorts, but it was too expensive even after the discount. T_T

It was pretty crazy at the Diva corner, as many people were squeezed there, choosing from the huge mound of accessories in the clearance tables. It was basically sweep/dig, pick up something, throw away if you don't like it or stash it in your plastic bag if it looks like a possible buy. Rinse and repeat.

My Diva accessories haul

About 40 minutes later, I came out with 5 accessories and RM50 lighter, lol. All the accessories were RM10 each.

Big bow bangle (Usual price RM 36)

Seriously, this one was like a dream come true! Okay maybe not that dramatic, but close. I'm crazy about accessories with bows and ribbons, and I fell in love with this bangle when I was browsing in Diva a couple of weeks back. I saw the price tag and was like "Y U SO EXPENSIVE! T_T" and put it back in disappointment. Super happy that I managed to dig this one up. It totally goes with my long necklace and ribbon bow ring. ♥

Long cream cord necklace with clear beads (Usual price RM 15)

Price stated was RM15, but I think that was its in-store sales price as the original price tag was covered by a sticker. This one was another good find. All the items were neatly packaged in plastic, so I picked this one up because I thought it looked nice. (I went to a corner later to ~~open~~ check all the items I'd chosen, lol.) The clear beads are very shiny and go well with the accent pewter-coloured flat beads. This piece will look nice with all my plain coloured blouses. :)

Off white satin headband (Usual price RM 29)

I love Diva headbands. I have one polka dot one (you can see it on my previous post) which I wear most often, because it's cute and really comfortable. There were several designs there at the clearance, but most of them didn't really appeal to me except this one.

Layered bead necklace with matching earrings (Usual price AUD 14.99)

Not sure how much this one was in MYR, because there was no price tag in Ringgit. I normally wouldn't really reach for something like this, but the red colour really caught my eye. I love the simple design with a bold yet understated kind of red, which would be suitable for most occasions, casual or formal. Plus, it comes with matching earrings!

Pearly chunky bangle (Usual price RM 53)

This is probably the most expensive and extravagant piece of the lot. It's very big and heavy, with a design that practically screams "Look at me! Look at me!". Not for the faint of heart or thin of wrist, this is definitely a statement piece for any outfit. The underlying chains and huge metal bangle give it an edgy feel, while the pearls soften the effect with its girly vibe. I love this, but I really wonder when I'll be wearing this out. =/

That's all for today. If you went to the fashion clearance at Fahrenheit88 too, what did you manage to get? Do share with me! :)

Chicago Rib House @ 1 Utama

2011-11-28T13:31:00.001+08:00

♫ Micheal Bublé - I'll Be Home For Christmas

Disclaimer: Non-halal post coming up!

Enjoy 2nd order of pork ribs at 50% off, and Classic Mojito at RM3!

If you love pork, then you're definitely gonna love Chicago Rib House, which recently opened in 1 Utama. Dad saw the advertisement in the paper about their opening promotion, and we were in 1 Utama on Friday, so he decided we should have dinner there and try out their pork ribs. :)

"Pork till you drop"! Spot it? :P

This is their menu, where you can see the variety of food you can order. It looks like a real newspaper (albeit using thicker glossy paper), and opens up like one too! :D And to assure you that everything here is crazily related to pork...

100% satisfaction!

From where I was seated, I could see their kitchen area, which was bustling with at least 6 cooks at any given time. They sure were busy this weekend, what with the new opening and attractive food promotion.

Eat, pray, love? Nah...

At the back of the restaurant is their Mojito Bar, where all the ~~alcoholic~~ drinks are prepared. They also have an al fresco dining area behind the bar (because indoors is strictly no-smoking).

Dad placed our orders and it wasn't long before our drinks arrived. We'd ordered Classic Mojitos for all 5 of us, since it was RM3 each (limited to 1 per customer; usual price RM 25.90). It tasted okay; soda mixed with lime and tasted minty from the mint leaves. Instead of rimming the glass with sugar, the mojito was served with a stick of yellow sugarcane. It did help in making the drink sweeter, although it felt kinda weird to be biting/sucking on the sugarcane in public. LOL

Classic Mojito

On to the appetizer! We ordered the Trio Sampler because it was a good way to try their appetizers. The Trio Sampler includes 4 pieces of baked potato skin (pork bacon), 4 buffalo wings and a bowl of chilli con carne with nachos. The buffalo wings were slightly sourer than what we were used to, the potato skins were not bad, but the star of the sampler was definitely the chilli con carne!

Trio Sampler

The pork ribs were served right after we'd finished the appetizer. Dad had ordered a full rack of pork ribs in Flaming Kansas City sauce and the 2nd rack was Original sauce.

Basically, the Flaming Kansas City sauce was a shot of whiskey poured all over the ribs, and then set alight. Didn't manage to take a photo of our server pouring the shot and lighting it up because everybody was busy moving away the plates and stuff, but at least I managed to capture the "flames", haha!

Now you know why it's called "Flaming" Kansas City sauce.

The flames died down in about a minute, so no, you won't get any shots of fire-eating pork rib-lovers here. :P

Original Pork Ribs

Each serving of pork ribs was served with 2 side dishes, so we chose mashed potatoes, (stir fried) fresh vegetables, baked potato and coleslaw.

Mashed potato with bacon bits.

Mum loved the Flaming Kansas City ribs, while my brothers and I preferred the original one, mainly because the taste of whiskey was very very very strong on the former. I saw some 'sauce' on the plate and dipped the ribs into it without thinking, and nearly gagged when I put it into my mouth while realizing at that moment that it was pure (umm... flamed? roasted? burnt?) whiskey. STUPID ME.

Anyhow, both rack of pork ribs was cooked to perfection, with the meat literally falling off the bones, they were so tender and succulent! It would have been awesome if they'd also offered different sauces for the ribs like in Tony Roma's, but I'm not complaining. The ribs here are the best we've tried so far. (Haven't tried the one in Pavilion though. Someday, someday!)

After finishing the main course, bro wanted to have some dessert, so we ordered a chocolate brownie and a slice of cheesecake. I suddenly realized that the soup ordered earlier was not served yet, so we had to ask one of the waiters to check. O_o It came to our table shortly after that, so it wasn't a problem. :)

Baked potato soup (with bacon bits).

Yes, I know there are a lot of pork, bacon and potato in this post. It's because pork and potato are like, best friends in the food industry! :P Okay, lame moment.

Last but not least, our desserts!

They tasted not bad, especially the chocolate brownie, because it was hot brownie + cold ice cream. Nothing spectacular, but still nice.

Overall, it was a really great dining experience. The service was good, the food was great and we had a wonderful family dinner that night.

To end this post, I shall show you a really awesome photo of myself....

Caution: Porking In Progress ಠ_ಠ

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA I KNOW RIGHT! I mean, porking (eating pork ribs) is such a srs bsns ಠ_ಠ

Ok, I know you all are drooling by now. Go have some pork, and "May the PORK be with you"! XD

P/S: Credits to my bro for most of the photographs! :)

Review and Swatch: L.A. Girl 10 Color Palette - Prism

2011-11-20T20:41:00.000+08:00

♫ Big Bang - Tell Me Goodbye

I had been eyeing the L.A. Girl 10 Color Palette ever since I saw it in Singapore back in August, but I hesitated from buying it because it was S$15. On my recent trip to Singapore for AFA 2011, I was in Plaza Singapura where there was a SaSa clearance sale going on, and to my delight, I saw the palettes going for S$12 each! Of course, I grabbed the one I was lemming for - L.A. Girl 10 Color Eye Palette in Prism.

Look at it! The colours are absolutely gorgeous, aren't they? I was deciding between Colorsurge and Prism, but chose Prism in the end because the colours were more 'softer' and more to my liking.

The palette comes with a double-ended sponge applicator, which picks up the product very well. The colours are perfect for everyday use, with a few brights thrown in for a pop of colour. The pink and brown shades at both sides in particular are great for casual and/or neutral eye makeup. :)

Here are the swatches in order of their placement in the palette:

All swatches were done using fingers and without use of primer.

As you can see from the swatches, the 2nd (coral pink) and 3rd (yellow gold) colours are really light and hardly show up on my skin, while the 6th (blue) and 7th (purple) are nice and pigmented. All the colours are slightly shimmery with a metallic sheen to them, which is more obvious in the lighter shades. Overall, the colours are very nice and easy to blend, definitely a good buy if you need a travel-friendly palette or try out new colours. :)

✓ Pros: 10 pretty colours in 1 palette, affordable price, good pigmentation, easy to blend.

✗ Cons: Slight shimmer/metallic sheen, can be a bit chalky.

Winter Blossoms' 1st Giveaway!

2011-11-19T13:57:00.003+08:00

The giveaway is now closed! Thank you everybody for joining! Do look out for the winner announcement soon. :)

Hello there, my lovely readers! :)

As I promised you all earlier this month, I'm finally hosting my first ever giveaway! Without further ado, let me show you the items that you can win. ^^

This giveaway (pictured above) is international, so everybody can join in the fun. :) Here are the items that are included in the giveaway.

Daiso eyeliner coat [review from chaborkia]

Daiso solid fragrance in Cute Fairy (Strawberry scent)

Daiso hair fragrance in Pure Soap [review from wileen]

Kylrie placenta sheet mask (made in Japan)

Snowflake earrings

Fluffy white hair tie

Ettusais Vacance Mini nail colours in Gold Glitter and Orange Sparkle

Bloop eyeliner pencil in Brown

Elianto crystal lip colour in Plum Purple and 3D eyeshadow cube in Emerald Green

Etude House nail polish in Matte Yellow

Etude House Fresh Cherry Tint in #3 Peach

In2It liquid eyeliner in Hot Pink

However, for my Malaysian readers, I have a special surprise for you, which is this:

JUMBO Paul Frank Lip Smacker (Julius' Strawberry Banana flavour)

The JUMBO Paul Frank Lip Smacker is not available in Malaysia (at the moment), so I figured it would be a good way to thank my local readers for their support. Plus, it's my absolute favourite flavour from the Paul Frank range, so I just had to share it. :)

The rules are pretty simple. Just follow the instructions below, and who knows, you might be the lucky one receiving these lovely goodies in the mail. :D

You must be a public follower of my blog. Just click the "Follow" button on the Blogger toolbar at the top of the page, or click "Join this site with Google Friend Connect" on the sidebar on the right.
Leave a comment with your follower/GFC name and contact email address. (Compulsory entry)
What do you like and/or dislike about my blog, so I can improve on my future posts. ^^ (+1 entry)
State what country you're from.
Post a blog entry about my giveaway, and provide the URL. (+3 entries)
Post about my giveaway in your blog's sidebar, using the first image and linking directly back to this post. Provide your blog's URL. (+2 entries)
Share about my giveaway on Facebook, and provide the URL. The post must be set to public so I can see it when I check. (+1 entry)

The giveaway ends on 6th January 2012.

To make it easier for you to enter, you can follow the template below when leaving your entry comment.

GFC/Follower name:
Email:
What do you like/dislike about my blog:
Country:
Blog post URL:
Sidebar post:
Shared on Facebook:

There will be 2 winners for this giveaway (1 international, 1 local), so please do share the love! I'm looking forward to all your entries. :)

Thank you so much for following and reading my blog!

Anime Festival Asia (AFA) 2011

2011-11-17T01:00:00.001+08:00

Over the weekend, I went for my annual "pilgrimage" to the Anime Festival Asia (a.k.a. AFA) 2011 held in Suntec City Convention Centre, Singapore. This year I was accompanied by Rhea and Huei Ling. :)

Disclaimer: This is going to be a picture-heavy post, so please be patient while all the pictures load. Click on the images for a larger view. :)

The event's opening ceremony was on 11.11.11, but we went on the second day (12.11.11, Saturday) because that was when all the festival and stage events really started.

We managed to arrive at Suntec City around 8 a.m., and already there was a long line of people queuing up for tickets. The event hall only opened at 9 a.m., so we were well prepared with breakfast while waiting in line for tickets as well as entry into the festival hall.

My breakfast of coffee + bacon and egg sandwich. :)

Ticket/Admission bracelet for festival + stage halls (S$18)

We were lining up for about 45 minutes on the stairs leading to the floor below (the line snaked all the way down to the lower levels) when, at exactly 9 a.m., we heard a loud cheer from above, signaling that the doors were finally opened.

Queue waiting to enter the festival hall.

The first thing we noticed when we stepped into the hall was a really prominent One Piece booth, where lots of One Piece figurines were displayed.

The One Piece cosplayers were really enthusiastic, lol

We went our different ways in the hall, after agreeing to meet up at 9.40 a.m. so that we could grab some good seats for the main stage event at 10 a.m. I wandered around and came across this - the Mirai Suenaga x Danny Choo itasha. This year it was a BMW. O_o

Nice and simple with cute Mirai-chan

After that, I spotted this booth. Being me, I headed straight for it before the crowd started, and got to chat with the girl at the booth while choosing my kitty ears headband. ^^ It's same as the one she's wearing in the picture below.

HAHAHAHA Random person in a ski mask walked by while I was snapping a photo!

The Nico Nico Douga booth was quite prominent too, with its bright orange colour and cute little TV-like mascot. If you want to watch legit streaming of the all new Fate/Zero series (with subtitles!), just hop on over to the NND website and sign up for free. :D

Nico Nico Douga

The Moe Moe Kyun Maid Cafe and Atelier Royale Butler Cafe. It was still early, so they hadn't opened for business yet. We could see the kawaii maids and ikemen butlers all getting ready inside though. :D

No long queue outside - yet.

This is the outer wall for the Moe Moe Kyun Maid Cafe. The drawings of the maids are really cute! :3

Moe Moe Kyun Maid Cafe

Time passed surprisingly quickly, and it was time for us to go into the main stage area to wait for the first highlight to start, which was the Culture Japan Season 2 showcase by Danny Choo.

Front row seats! Well, almost.

The man himself - Danny Choo

Danny-san also invited vividblaze on-stage to perform the theme song to Culture Japan Season 2. It was a great performance, which was 7 minutes song! (I know 'cause I recorded the whole thing, lol) The song is "Sukirai", and it's the opening theme for Culture Japan S2 as well as the upcoming Mirai Millennium anime.

Moekana is too cute~ >.< And vividblaze's performance was great!

After the Culture Japan showcase, we stayed on for the next highlight, which was a Fate/Zero showcase with producer Atsuhiro Iwakami and performance of the Fate/Zero song by LiSA. Unfortunately, recording was prohibited for this particular stage highlight. The workers were really strict about it too, as they went around catching and warning people who ignored the message.

No recording for the Fate/Zero showcase. T_T

After that, we exited the main stage area to go to the restroom and then went to line up for lunch at the butler cafe. The line was pretty long, and it took us more than half an hour to reach the front of the line. The theme for this year's Atelier Royale Butler Cafe was "Wonderland", so all the 8 butlers were each given a specific character to dress up as, or personify. :)

Urgh, messy hair. >_<

Rules and regulations; the cafe's menu; no photography allowed inside. T__T

The rules and regulations poster had us laughing, mainly because of this particular sentence: "Please refrain from any physical contact with the butlers at all times". Yes, we must keep our fangirl hands to ourselves HAHAHAHA They also required each customer to order at least one of the sets, which was pretty expensive considering it's only a main course/cake + a cup of coffee or tea. Oh well, I guess we were paying more for the ~~eye candy~~ butler service.

No butler pics, but food pics are allowed.

Mine was the Omurice, because I was really hungry and it was my idea to come here in the first place. It tasted pretty good, not super amazingly yummylicious, but not bad. We got Takeshi-kun (The Cheshire Cat) as our butler, and he was really nice. :D I bought one of the photosets (set of 5 random photos) but didn't get any of my favourite butlers. :( Nevermind, at least I got an autographed one from Yuu, hehe~

The photos from my photoset.

Then it was time for us to walk around the festival hall again. Rhea and Huei Ling wanted to go to the main stage for the Chiwa Saito live dubbing session, so I took my time around the area snapping photos and generally absorbing the festive atmosphere.

Every AFA I've attended would not be complete without the Bandai booth, which is a heaven for Gundam-lovers. There were loads of Gundam models ("Gunpla") for sale, and some were limited editions exclusive to AFA.

Stacks and stacks of Gundam models

Damn, should have bought one (or two).

Of course, they also had the models on display in glass cases.

It's transparent!

This one was really awesome.

But not as awesome as this human-sized Gundam Unicorn, aye?

There were also quite a few figmas and nendoroids on display too, but I didn't take pics of all of them.

Fate/Zero

Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Hatsune Miku

I saw a lot of people walking around carrying giant Animax paper bags, so out of curiosity I headed towards the Animax booth. Turns out they were having a free photoshoot session with some of the Beelzebub characters, so I went ahead and took a photo. They gave each participant an Animax/Beelzebub paper bag and told us we could collect our free photos within the hour. It was fun, and who doesn't like free stuff, right? :P

Off duty cosplayers; the Animax booth; convenient mirror to self-cam :P

My photo with Baby Beel (aka Beelzebub IV). XD

Anyway, talking about free stuff, I managed to pick up a sample copy of vividblaze's CD, containing the new Culture Japan theme songs, at the Danny Choo booth.

There were also many other attractions and fun areas in the festival hall, including...

Artists' Alley

Weiß Schwarz and Cardfight! Vanguard corner

Cool Japan pavilion

What else do you think I'm missing from this post? XD If you said cosplayers, you're on the right track! After all, it's the biggest anime and Japanese pop culture event in South East Asia, so of course cosplayers from all around the region will flock here to join the event and show their stuff. ;)

Inazuma Eleven

I have no idea, lol

Elizabeth Middleford from Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler)

Kagamine Rin and Len (Vocaloid twins)

Random creepy bloodstained guy O_o

Nurarihyon no Mago

Ash and Misty from Pokemon! So nostalgic ♥

No idea where they're from, but amazing costumes!

Shiva Sisters from Final Fantasy XIII. Such intricate costumes/props!


Madoka Magica (left) and Assassin's Creed (right)

Like wtf are they doing together?! Both of them are from completely different worlds! LOL

Don't know what character this is supposed to be, but that costume is seriously amazing!

Final Fantasy Type-0

Elves (from Lineage?)

This Ao no Exorcist group seems to be missing its main character...

Well, this is the end of my super long Anime Festival Asia (AFA) 2011 post! Hope you all enjoyed the pictures! ^^

We left the convention center around 3.30 p.m., and returned home by bus on the day itself at 7. It was an exhausting but really fun and satisfying end to our short Singapore trip. Hopefully we'll still be able (and have the time) to attend next year's AFA. :)

Coming Up Next...

2011-11-13T21:00:00.000+08:00

I've been away for a while, but now I'm back! One more hectic day tomorrow, and I'm free for the rest of the month. I'm really looking forward to taking a nice long break. :)

What have I been up to for the past week or so? Maybe this picture will give you a clue:

Doesn't ring a bell? Then what about this photo?

Well, if you've guessed it, I've got a really loooooong and photo-heavy post coming up soon. And if you still have no idea what it's all about, don't worry. You'll find out soon enough. :P

And of course I haven't forgotten about the giveaway! :P

If you want to win some really nice beauty-related items, then start following my blog now. Just click the follow/subscribe button on the sidebar on the right→

I will love you forever and provide you with virtual cupcakez, coz my baking skillz aren't so great at the moment. XD

Sneak Peek

2011-11-03T12:18:00.000+08:00

Sneak peek of what?

My first ever giveaway, of course! :D

I've been blogging for a while now, and after getting to know lots of amazing beauty bloggers out there and entered more than a few blog giveaways, I think it's time I shared some of the awesome things I enjoy using. :)

These are just some of the items I will be including in my giveaway; there are more that I don't want to reveal yet, so you definitely won't want to miss out on it! Follow my blog, and stay tuned!

Pssst... Following my blog is one of the entry criteria - you know what to do! ;)

Peek-a-boo! What's Inside My Concordia Halloween Treat Bag?

2011-11-02T15:36:00.001+08:00

Boo! How's everybody doing? Halloween is over, but our party spirits are still alive and kicking! :D

A couple of days back, I received my Halloween Treat Bag in the mail from Concordia 牵艺轩, who were kind enough to send me some goodies to review. :)

*Note: Promotion date may be extended due to its popularity. So grab them fast!

The Reveal

I was really excited to receive my parcel, especially after seeing the funny-spooky face on the back of the envelope. I hope the postman didn't feel it was too strange, haha!

Inside the parcel, I found these lovely items..

A long flower necklace and flower ring

...as well as these ghoulishly delectable candies.

Anybody missing an ear or a leg from Halloween night? :P

I was pleasantly surprised by the flowery accessories. As you may know, I'm a major fan of girly ribbon bows and flowers, so these items fit perfectly with the stuff in my wardrobe. ;) Let's take a closer look at them, shall we?

The flower ring in the top photo is the Anemone Quartz ring from their Quartz collection, where two sweet polymer clay white anemone flowers sit atop a clear rhinestone base. It's a simple and understated piece that goes well with almost any outfit, in my opinion. It has an adjustable ring, so it's no problem if you have chubby fingers like me. XD

The bottom photo is a long necklace from the Flower Keeper collection. I received the Flora Key necklace in black, which features a large black flower attached to a sturdy brown cord necklace (approx. 41cm long). As its name suggests, there is a key dangling at the end of the necklace, accompanied by two amber-coloured beads.

Lookbook

Since the Flora Key necklace is very eye-catching, it's definitely a statement accessory. My favourite style is to match a statement piece with a simple plain-coloured outfit, so that it doesn't look too cluttered. Pair it with the Anemone Quartz ring, and I'm good to go! :)

If you love unique handmade accessories at affordable prices, drop by and take a look at Concordia's website!

"Like" them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter to get the latest updates on their newest and upcoming collections. Who knows, they might even have some surprises in store for fans! *winks* So what are you waiting for? Visit their online store today!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-29T22:31:00.001+08:00

♫ My Chemical Romance - Helena

Hey, it's the end of October already, so I'd like to wish all my readers......

For some reason, besides the usual bats and ghouls, Halloween always reminds me of My Chemical Romance, especially their music videos "Helena", "Welcome to the Black Parade" and "I Don't Love You". Now that I think about it, "Welcome to the Black Parade" probably started my love for ~~young men with cropped white hair~~ military jackets.

Yup, this was it.

Am I going off tangent there? Anyway, since I'm not really the partying type, I decided to clean out some stuff in my room and managed to dig out some costume headbands from past years.

It's all a mix of Halloween, Christmas, and anime convention hairbands I've collected over the years. My favourites are definitely the cat ears and angel wings, because they are pretty unique and remind me of the good times I had while attending the conventions. :)

This pair of kitty ears and matching bracelet cost me a bomb, but they're totally worth it! I got these from Anime Festival Asia 2010 (AFAX) last year, and they are really well-made, from the soft white (synthetic) fur to the intricate golden bells, which really do ring and can be slightly annoying, I might add. ^^"

As for these angel wing hairbands, they were bought from Comic Fiesta 2008 (left) and Comic Fiesta 2009 (right) respectively. The girl who sold these hand-made them herself, so it was slightly expensive. Nevertheless, they are really cute!

Had some free time before going for the wedding function, so I ~~used them to take camho pics~~ put a couple of them to good use. :P

Suddenly noticed that the two photos above are like total opposites, for some reason. Maybe because of the dark/light difference? O_o

Oh well. Even though it's not a festival we celebrate here in Malaysia, I'm sure many people will be out partying and having fun playing dress up. To those who are, make sure to trick your friends, or better yet, scare them silly! :P As for those of us who prefer to stay at home, we'll just treat ourselves to some scary movies and lots of candy, aye? ;)

Once again, Happy Halloween, everybody!

Review: Rimmel Lipstick, The Face Shop Lipstick and Burberry Lip Glow

2011-10-21T19:31:00.000+08:00

(All items reviewed were purchased using my own money, unless stated otherwise.)

Phew, that's a long title. This time I'll be doing a quick review of 3 lip colour products - two lipsticks and one lip gloss.

Rimmel London Moisture Renew Lipstick and The Face Shop "Face & It" All About Lipstick (Crystal)

Yup, another mouthful just for the product name. Anyway, I wanted to get a red lipstick because my Revlon one broke T_T (*cough*excuse to shop*cough*). I'd read quite a few reviews on the Rimmel London lipsticks, so I decided to get one. :) As for the TFS lipstick, I wasn't intending to get anything from there when I walked in, but it was on promotion so I got one in a shimmery nude shade.

I just realized both tubes are purple. O_o

Rimmel London Moisture Renew Lipstick in 160 Rose Passion 4g (RM24 after 10% discount); made in England
The Face Shop "Face & It" All About Lipstick in Crystal BR801 3.5g (RM20 promo price); made in Korea

The Rimmel lipstick comes in a reflective purple tube, which stands out from the crowd and looks really awesome, especially if you're a purple-lover like me. The TFS lipstick is packaged in a transparent plastic tube that is more of a violet-blue shade rather than purple.

As you can see from the swatch above, Rimmel Rose Passion is quite a bold red shade. One swipe is enough to give your lips a pop of bright colour, so I suggest you go easy with it. :P I really like it because it has a slight scent of roses, but some people might not like it. Not as moisturizing as the name suggests; I normally apply it after lip balm. The colour payoff is amazing though, so I'm not complaining. I'm going to get another one in Vintage Pink, which is a soft pink shade and apparently quite popular among reviewers. ^^

✓ Pros: Great colour payoff, love the sleek purple packaging, wide variety of colours, affordable.

✗ Cons: Not moisturizing enough, rose scent might put off some people.

As for TFS Crystal BR801, it is a nude-coloured lipstick with fine shimmery particles. Unfortunately, it doesn't show up that well in the photo. :( This one has a slightly gritty texture (maybe because of the shimmer? O_o) but it's more moisturizing than the Rimmel lipstick. Unfortunately the colour tends to make me look like a walking corpse -__-" so I usually apply it on top of another colour. I love the shimmer in it, but nude isn't really my colour so I'm going back to get another one in pink if the promo is still on. The Face Shop has promos all year round, different for each month, so it's worth checking out their outlets.

✓ Pros: Nice 'crystal' colour, moisturizing.

✗ Cons: Packaging is a bit awkward (wide top, narrow bottom), slightly pricey if non-promo price.

Burberry Lip Glow in No. 07 Cameo Pink

First of all, yes, this is the real Burberry Lip Gloss. I got it for RM25, and it was about 50% full. Normal price is RM88 for a full tube, so I'm really happy I managed to snap this up. :) You can check out the full range of products and prices at the Burberry online store.

The packaging for this lip gloss is simple yet elegant. 6ml of lip gloss is encased in a solid glass tube, while the cap is made of metal embossed with the signature Burberry pattern. Inside is a doe-foot applicator, which is pretty standard issue. Needless to say, this is one heavy tube of lip gloss that I don't mind carrying around just for the glam factor. :P

The lip gloss itself is an antique/vintage pink with shimmer. The texture is very smooth and non-sticky, which is great. Although it has shimmer in it, this is actually an opaque lip gloss, so you can use it by itself or on top of lipstick or lip liner. However, it has quite a lipstick-y scent (not unlike the D&G lip gloss I reviewed) so that might deter some people. This colour is perfect for me, and if I had the money I would definitely get the lipstick in this shade as well.

✓ Pros: Opaque lip gloss, nice subtle shimmer, smooth and non-sticky, gorgeous packaging.
✗ Cons: Strong lipstick scent, expensive.

Review: Majolica Majorca Puff de Cheek and Stage Eyeliner

2011-10-20T16:00:00.091+08:00

(All items reviewed were purchased using my own money, unless stated otherwise.)

Today I'll be reviewing two items that I've been using on a regular basis for the past couple of weeks. :)

This is the Majolica Majorca Puff de Cheek blusher in PK303 Strawberry Macaron (7g). This is a limited edition colour for the Puff de Cheek series.

The packaging for this blusher is inspired by macarons, hence the name and cute metal tin.

It comes with a puff applicator with a cute little bow on top, matching the colour of the tin. The puff is very soft and velvety, which makes application a breeze. Just a few pats on your cheek and you'll get a nice dolly pink blush. :)

Swatched on the back of my hand. The swatch on the left was done using a brush, while the one on the right was applied using the puff applicator. See how smooth and even the colour is using the puff? ^^

✓ Pros: Beautiful colour, not shimmery, buildable colour, super kawaii packaging.

✗ Cons: Expensive for drugstore brand, limited edition.

~ ❀~ ❀ ~ ❀ ~ ❀ ~

Next is the Stage Cosmetics eyeliner in West End White. I got this during their sales for RM12. The original price is around RM45.

I use this just to line the waterline and tear duct area. This makes your eyes look bigger, brighter and more awake. :D

It is slightly hard and kind of waxy, but this eyeliner definitely has some staying power! It won't budge even if you rub it really hard; you'll have to remove it with makeup remover, preferably an oil-based one. I also have this eyeliner in gold, which I haven't used.

✓ Pros: Great staying power, creamy texture, blendable, nice classy packaging.

✗ Cons: Difficult to remove, texture can be slightly hard and waxy.

New Template!

2011-10-20T15:46:00.000+08:00

Yup, I've just changed the template/layout for my blog here. ^^

I'm kinda sad at seeing the pink background go, but I love this one because it's much wider (so I can post all the photos in all their glory, muahahaha! *cough*) and it has flowers (well, roses to be exact)!

Hope you will like it, and continue supporting my little bloggie! ♥

Blog Action Day 2011: Let's Talk About Food!

2011-10-16T20:41:00.001+08:00

Warning: This post contains many images of (sometimes non-halal) food. Please do not read on an empty stomach. :)

I love food, you love food, I think everybody loves food! Right?

This year's Blog Action Day coincides with World Food Day, so we're gonna be talking about food~ :D

Thanks to my dad, I have been trained to be a foodie since young. What kind of training? Well, besides the (obvious) fact of trying out all kinds of food wherever we went, we took it further by going all the way up North and down South just to have yummy food around Malaysia. Not only that, we also go over the causeway to have our favourite foods in Singapore!

My food journey from then till now has been nothing short of delicious. XD Of course, there were some misses along the way, with bad service and really awful cooking sometimes souring our appetites, but it has been an amazing experience, and one I hope will never end.

From roast pork noodles in Petaling Jaya...

..."lao shu fen" in Seremban...

...satay celup in Melaka...

...salted egg crabs in Batu Pahat, Johor....

...to black pepper crabs and satay bihun in Singapore...

...it's no wonder I am the size I am today! LOL As long as it is good food, we would not hesistate to travel long distances just to have a taste ourselves.

I am really thankful that I live in Malaysia, where good food is everywhere. We get to enjoy food from foreign countries and cultures, some which tantalise our tastebuds so much that we keep coming back for more. :)
For example....

Chinese dim sum

Taiwanese beef noodles

Western chicken and mushroom pie

Japanese sushi

Indian fish head curry

I mean, how awesome are these food, right?! We are so used to having these kind of food every single day that at times it is hard to decide what to eat! And these examples are just the tip of the iceberg of all the yummylicious food found here in our sunny homeland.

Food is not only a necessity for us now; it has become a culture. Through food, we can have endless conversation topics, make new friends, discover new (and sometimes horrible) experiences, and generally enjoy the whole process.

(click image to enlarge)

Be it having a cuppa alone, sharing a luxurious dessert with a loved one, having a festive gathering with classmates or just having a few drinks with good friends, food heals our soul and brings us all together.

Let us take this opportunity to be thankful for the food that we enjoy every single day. Be it a simple breakfast in an old-fashioned kopitiam, or a fancy dinner in a high class restaurant, we are much more fortunate than 1.4billion people in the world, who live in hunger and poverty daily.

So, next time you decide to order more than you can ~~chew~~ eat, take a moment to remember those less fortunate than us, and reduce food wastage, especially during buffets and all-you-can-eat steamboat meals. :)

For more info, visit the Blog Action Day 2011 website.

Sample-Sized

2011-10-16T09:30:00.000+08:00

♫ EXILE - もっと強く

Over the past couple of weeks, I've been receiving samples of some products to try. It was all really simple: just "like" the product's page on Facebook, register/apply for the sample and wait for your sample to arrive. :) Online social media is very effective for promoting stuff.

Bausch + Lomb Biotrue multi-purpose solution

This is the Bausch + Lomb Biotrue multi-purpose solution for contact lenses. It's a 60ml bottle, which is quite generous. I am definitely taking this for a test run for trips, because it's the perfect size for travelling! Request for the sample here.

Esmeria Organics facial trial set

Here is the sample for Esmeria Organics' 3-step system for skin care. I requested the sample product for normal/combination skin and I got the Prickly Pear range. :) It says three-step but the sample provided was for the balancing cleansing gel and moisturiser. It smells really good, even in the envelope! XD You can request for the sample here.

Mini Lipice in Strawberry

This is the sample for Lip Ice strawberry. I must say, this is the cutest mini lip balm ever! It's approximately 1.5 inches tall and smells like strawberry candy when opened. Perfect to put into those small little clutches for a quick boost of moisture on the go. However, I'm not a big fan of lip balms with menthol, so I probably won't buy the full-sized one. (Sorry, Lip Ice!) You can get a sample from their Facebook page under the Try Lipice tab.

Bioré Makeup Remover for Eye and Lip

This sample arrived yesterday, and it's the one I am most excited to try out. It's the Bioré Makeup Remover for Eye and Lip (18ml). I've been using the Bioré Cleansing Oil to remove makeup, and it's amazing! Hopefully this one will turn out just as good, especially in removing mascara (jeez I hate mascara...) lol. I requested for the sample from Bioré's Facebook page, but I think the request period is over by now.

The MPC Diaries: Seligi Pavillion

2011-10-15T16:03:00.003+08:00

♫ 王力宏 - 依然爱你

Note: If you want to read more of my previous posts on the Malaysian Petroleum Club (MPC), they're HERE in my old blog. Also, this is a pic-heavy post. Click on the collages to view larger images. :)

So, two weeks back my dad decided to treat my newlywed cousin and some close relatives to have dinner at the MPC's Chinese restaurant. The last time I was there, I was totally hooked by the cod steamed in soy sauce, so this time I was really looking forward to it, as well as the tasty prawns in oats. :)

Nyehehehe round table photo (but blur pic T_T)

Everything was served on Noritake china. O_o

Clockwise from top left: prawns in oats, stir-fried kai-lan with crispy onion garnishing, steamed cod fish in soy sauce, claypot tofu, crispy boneless chicken in Thai sauce.

Simple food, buy boy did it taste great! The cod fish was just as delicious as I remembered it, and even though the prawns were smaller, the amount they gave us more than made up for the size. The kai-lan was fresh and crisp, which went really well with the prawns. The chicken was nice and crispy, with the Thai chilli sauce giving it a spicy, tangy flavour, while the tofu was served with a generous amount seafood and gravy.

For dessert we had lotus paste "wo beng" (a type of crispy pastry) as well as sea coconut with longan and a hint of lemon. These two desserts complimented each other perfectly, and made a fitting ending to our lovely dinner.

After dinner, mum and I hung around the lounge area outside the restaurant while dad brought the others to take a look inside the Japanese restaurant. Took some snapshots while sitting around. Did I mention that I really love the night scenery from up here? :D

Hello!

We went down one floor to the Bayan Bar to sit down and have coffee. Of course, before that, a visit to the luxurious study room. :)

Need directions?

Study room.

The area around the Bayan Bar and Dulang Suite was occupied by another function that evening, so we waited until the guests had mostly dispersed before going in. In the meantime, everybody relaxed in the relative privacy of the study room.

Leftovers from the other function's cocktail party, lol.

Part of the interior of Bayan Bar.

As the name suggests, it's a bar, so technically only those aged 21 years and above are allowed in. Hey, I'm completely legal this year okay? :P

Coffee with a stick (literally!) of sugar.

The coffee came with a cute little sugar stick, where sugar crystals were sort of melted around the base of a wooden stirrer. I think it's pretty cool. This way, the sugar won't make a mess if you accidentally spill it (like if you pour it out of a packet), and you can control how sweet you want your coffee. Not to mention it makes for a really good presentation. :)

That's all for today. Till then, have a good weekend, everyone! ♥

Sales Season!

2011-10-09T09:52:00.001+08:00

♫ 郭静 - 陪着我的时候想着她

Temptation comes in many forms. This is one of them.

The TANGS Anniversary Sale is from 30th September - 30th October 2011, but cardmembers had a special closed-door preview one day before, with breakfast for the first 100 cardmembers on that day. The Isetan Anniversary Sale is the same, from 7th October (one day for members only) until 20th October 2011.

First, the TANGS sale. To be honest, I'm not so fond of this sale because there are only 2 TANGS outlets in the Klang Valley, and both are pretty small compared to other departmental stores. This time, only the Pavilion outlet was open, due to the unfortunate incident at Empire Gallery. Anyway, we (mum, dad and I) got there really early, so we had free breakfast at Island Cafe *coughnasilemakcough* before starting our shopping. :D

Onitsuka Tiger - Moppet ♥

Sequin red evening clutch (90% off!)

Nerd glasses (yes, kinda pointless, but fun!)

*insert picture of purple dress here*

Also managed to find a nice dress for cuzzie's wedding dinner, and it was 60% (or 70%) off. Sorry for the non-pic, I couldn't find a nice place to take a photo and it looks kinda plain on the rack but pretty nice when worn. :) Mum also got a couple of items there, a wallet for bro and a red handbag for herself.

Next is the Isetan sales. I love Isetan, not only because of the large variety of choices for everything from clothes to food, but also because their sales prices are really awesome. I am still going gaga over the military-style jacket I got from their last sales for RM38; it was 80% off (for members) and it's seriously the coolest thing I have in my closet. So anyway, we went to the Lot 10 outlet on Friday after my lecture. Isetan Lot 10 is my favourite branch because it's the oldest Isetan in KL, it has a really cozy atmosphere the ones in KLCC and Gardens lack (not as shiny bright + spanking new, lol), and best of all, it has the Lot 10 Hutong in the basement, where the best of KL's hawker om noms are gathered. :D

White blouses from Iora (I love this brand!) @ 60% off

Shorts from SEED (70% off)


Hairbands from Isetan Shoten (70% off)

Sanrio Hello Kitty makeup pouch (50% off)

Mum bought a paint-it-yourself painting, lol. Pretty surprised, but I guess it'll help her pass some time. Can't wait to see how the finished work will look like, haha! ;) Also bought half a dozen bottles of fruit juice, couple packets of cheese and oats from the Foodmarket, because those are our staples and they were having some really cheap promos.

Since I'm really on a roll now, let me show you some other items I've been loving recently.

Cute bow ring bought in Sunway Pyramid (RM10)

Majolica Majorca Puff de Cheek blushes. Aren't they adorable?

These blushes have been tempting me ever since I saw them in Watsons quite a while ago, but they were kinda expensive so I tried very hard to ignore them. Then lately I've been seeing them around the beauty blogs, and my resistance just... melted. AND THEN I saw that they have a 10% discount right now, so I grabbed the peach macaron (PK301) because they didn't have the strawberry macaron (PK303), which is limited edition. I still wasn't satisfied so I emailed Watsons' customer service to ask if any other outlets still had it. Thank goodness it was still available in the Sg Wang branch, so I popped over after the Isetan sales and grabbed it. I'll probably keep the peach macaron for a present or blog swap or something.

So yup, that's about it for today. Hope you liked the pics! >:D

The Charms of Tokyo Street Photography Exhibition

2011-10-03T12:53:00.004+08:00

I know, you must be thinking "What?! Another blog post about Tokyo Street?" and to be honest, I kind of have the same reaction. Nevertheless, repetition aside, I really do have something that makes me personally happy to share with you guys today. :)

So then, back in August, I was in Tokyo Street @ Pavilion KL. Since I had my bro's DSLR with me that day, I decided to snap some photos and join The Click Shop x Tokyo Street Photo Contest. I submitted 3 photos (the maximum allowed) really close to the deadline in early September and crossed my fingers.

Entry #1

Entry #2

Entry #3

So last week I was in Pavilion for the TANGS Closed-Door Preview Sales, and after the shopping was done, I was walking along the link bridge at level 4 when I came across the photography contest exhibition. Imagine my surprise when I saw a very familiar-looking photo displayed right next to the 3 winners...

Tadaa! Somebody added a caption for it too.

That was probably my most syiok sendiri yet FML moment - looking at the exhibition photos and seeing my submission made it as a finalist, but placed right next to the top 3 winners. Makes me wonder how close was I to winning one of those limited edition lomo cameras. =/ Oh well. I didn't really expect to win anyway. It was just a fun opportunity to snap some nice photos and try my luck. :)

See you next time at

StrawberryNET Cosmetics Mini Haul + Review

2011-09-27T14:46:00.002+08:00

♫ Sam Tsui - Explosion Medly

(As per usual, click on photos for larger image. ^^)

This post is like super overdue, but what the heck. First of all, I apologize for the lack of updates lately. I haven't had much time or energy to blog over the past week, what with falling sick, my cousin's wedding and assignments. So, back to the topic, I recently bought some items from StrawberryNET with the Groupons I purchased a couple of weeks ago.

I had heard about and visited the website a few times before, but didn't buy anything; online window shopping, if you will. :) So when I saw the offer on Groupon, I quickly grabbed the chance to get some nice items. There were some hiccups with the ordering/purchasing process, but it was solved in the end and I got my items all safe and sound (as you can see from the first photo).

3 separate boxes carefully packaged to prevent damage to the items.

I was really impressed by their packaging,. The parcels were all nicely tied with ribbon on the outside, and the box was stuffed with styrofoam packing peanuts to protect the items inside. With the exception of the lip gloss, the other two items were carefully wrapped in bubble wrap and holographic paper. It felt like I was opening presents on my birthday or Christmas, lol.

Now on to the items!
Top: Dolce & Gabbana Lip Gloss in #60 Nude (unboxed)
Middle: Givenchy Shadow Show eye shadow in #03 Stylish Grey (unboxed)
Bottom: Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Personnel lipstick in #19 Brun Chic

These aren't exactly the newest products, but they were from brands I normally couldn't afford to buy from the departmental store counters, and I really wanted to try them out. Yes, I plead guilty to being a brand whore ~~most of the time~~ sometimes.

Dolce & Gabbana Lip Gloss in #60 Nude

The first item is a sheer, shimmery lip gloss from Dolce & Gabbana. Totally love the simple yet elegant design of the tube. Even though the colour stated is Nude, in reality it has a pinkish sheen to it. The lip gloss is a subtle pink shade with pink, gold and purple microglitter in it. Its consistency is a bit on the thick side, so I normally layer it over lip balm or lipstick. This is my current favourite lip gloss.

Givenchy Shadow Show eye shadow in #03 Stylish Grey

Left: heavy swatch; right: light sweep with applicator.

Next up is the Givenchy Shadow Show mono eyeshadow in Stylish Grey. The casing for this tiny pan is so pretty; it has the signature Givenchy logo on top of a holographic grey background. The eye shadow colour itself is an almost-matte grey with superfine holographic shimmer, which is not noticeable unless you look closely. The texture is very smooth, and you can build up the colour from light to dark, perfect for subtle and intense smokey eye makeup. I've been using this on its own and also with the UD 15th anniversary palette for the past couple of weeks. Definitely a keeper, this one. ♥

Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Personnel in #19 Brun Chic

Last but not least is this YSL lipstick in Brun Chic. Yup, it's brown. A slightly red-toned brown, but still brown nonetheless. The colour doesn't really suit me, as my lips are quite pigmented and the colour doesn't show up when I apply it. Maybe it will look better if I use some lip concealer under this first. Not as creamy as I expected, and needs quite a few swipes to build up some colour. A hit-and-miss for now, but I'll see what I can do with it.

I ♥ these two! :D

Okay, that's it for today. Hope you enjoyed the review(s)! :)

Review: Daiso Rose Jewelry Lip

2011-09-20T12:52:00.006+08:00

Phew, it seems like a while since I've posted anything. Been down with a bad cough the past week, and now that it has receded, I feel a flu coming to take its place thanks to the erratically cold weather. >_<

Anyway, I was at the mall on Saturday to buy some essentials, and dropped by Daiso to see if there was anything new. The first thing that caught my attention was this display of super cute rose design lip glosses, which immediately reminded me of those from Anna Sui. There were 5 colours (I think) available, but I was attracted by two of them. Couldn't decide which colour to pick, so I grabbed both. :P

Soft Scarlet and Happy Pink

I figured I could choose later at home, and leave the other one for my swap. :) Well, the one I chose to open for myself is the Soft Scarlet. It's a slightly darker pink compared to the Happy Pink

Cannot resist. It's pink, rose, and bling all in one!

Opened up, it looks like this.

(Click image to enlarge)

The side with the rose design is actually the bottom of the lip gloss pot. When you take it out from the packaging, there's a transparent cover over the top, which you replace with the jewel cover. It's slightly larger than a 50sen coin, so carrying it around won't be too much hassle. The only problem is, it can get quite messy if you apply the lip gloss on with your fingers. The instructions suggest you apply it using a lip brush.

Jewel on one side, rose on the other. ♥

For the swatch, I just used my finger to swipe a bit of the product onto the back of my hand.

The texture of the lip gloss is smooth and not at all sticky. It is a sheer red gloss with gold shimmer, so I would suggest applying this over a lipstick, unless you're going for a subtle lip colour. :)

This Rose Lip Jewelry was purchased at Daiso 1Utama (New Wing). Besides scarlet and pink, it also comes in red, orange and nude.

✓ Pros: Cheap, cute design, comes in a variety of colours, texture is smooth and non-sticky.

✗ Cons: Sheer, not for those who dislike shimmery/glittery glosses, messy to apply with fingers, not very long lasting.

五月天《追梦3DNA》 Special Screening @ GSC MAXX

2011-09-15T00:25:00.002+08:00

♫ 不知道不明了不想要为什么我的心
    明明是想靠近却孤单到黎明
不知道不明了不想要为什么我的心
    那爱情的绮丽总是在孤单里
    再把我的最好的爱给你……   ♪

(Photo credits to 中国娱乐网)

I'm sure many of you who are familiar with Chinese music, especially those born in the 80's and 90's, would know this song, or at least its melody. 《温柔》 is one of Mayday 五月天's earlier works, and is also one of their most famous and memorable songs.

I have been a fan of Mayday since 2003, when I bought their 《时光机》 album, and I've never looked back. Their songs have become a major part in the soundtrack of my life. :)

《五月天追梦3DNA电影》

Anyway, I managed to get 2 tickets to the special screening of Mayday's 3D movie, titled 《五月天追梦3DNA电影》, at GSC MAXX in Berjaya Times Square last Sunday (11 September). The movie opens in cinemas worldwide on 16 September 2011, so we were one of the first ones to watch it! I had originally planned to watch this with a friend who is also a huge fan of Mayday, but she won't be back till this coming weekend :( so I asked my bro to accompany me to the premier screening.

*Must resist temptation to rip down and take home*

When we arrived at GSC MAXX (it's the old IMAX theater on the 10th floor of BTS), the 988 DJs were already halfway through giving out movie merchandise, so I quickly went to collect my tickets from the GSC booth and then joined in the fun. :P

988 DJs

The host announced that they were going to give out THREE autographed movie posters, so a whole bunch of us were eagerly waiting. Before that, however, they gave out some plastic folders to a few lucky fans. After that was the big one. The host gave the 3 guest DJs one poster each, and they would turn around with their backs to the crowd and throw it for us to grab. I was standing pretty near the front and missed the first two, but the third and last one...

...fell right into my hands! ♥ Autographed poster by all 5 members!

The top of the poster was slightly crumpled due to the bunch of people who were grabbing it at the same time, but it's not a big deal. I mean, it's a huge autographed poster with the signatures of all 5 Mayday members! Even my bro was like 'Whoa, nice!'. :D

Merchandise booth.

There was a merchandise booth there selling t-shirts and document folders, as well as a pre-order list for their movie soundtrack. The t-shirts cost RM80 and the folder was RM20. Kinda tempted to get the folder, but at RM20, I figured it was pretty expensive (plus I already had the priceless autographed poster in my hands muahahahahaha *evil laugh*).

The movie was scheduled to start at 11 a.m., so everybody started lining up to get into the cinema about 15 minutes before.

Our seats - K28 and K29.

Everybody was handed a pair of 3D glasses and a glow-in-the-dark stick when entering the cinema hall, to make it seem more like a concert. When the lights were dimmed, it really did look like we were inside an indoor stadium for a private concert. How cool is that!

Very high tech-looking 3D glasses.

Bro and I got purple ones.

Atmosphere was pretty much like a real concert.

The movie lasted about 1 hour 30 minutes. It's basically a Mayday concert on film in 3D, with 3 different stories concerning different people slotted in between. The 3 stories revolve around Mayday and their Shanghai concert, and in the end the 3 stories intersect with each other. The last story was really touching. T_T I had fun singing along, and the guy sitting next to me was also singing along with 阿信 and the rest, haha!

It was a great experience to watch this 3D concert-movie, and it was all the more enjoyable and memorable for me because it is Mayday's first 3D movie. If you're a Mayday fan or like their songs, then go for it! It's much cheaper than going to an actual concert, lol. Nevertheless, I'll still be saving up for tickets to their next concert here in Malaysia.

Before I go, one last picture of me with the 988 DJ host. :)

That's the sign for Mayday 五月天! ♥

Getting Lucky on Facebook?

2011-09-11T02:30:00.001+08:00

♫ 五月天 - 知足

I guess you could say that I've been pretty lucky this year on Facebook. I like to think it's a mixture of luck, crazy typing speed and mad refreshing skills. Not to mention a non-laggy connection ~~most of the time~~. XD

Let me see.....

The first one was from Colour Culture, where I won a OPI hamper worth RM237 from their weekly random pick.

Then I managed to win an invite to the Charles Worthington launch party and got myself a goodie bag with RM100 worth of CW products.

In June, I posted on the picture provided by La Senza Malaysia every day in an attempt to win myself one of the RM50 shopping vouchers, and I got it! I was super duper happy, because I could finally get myself some of their gorgeous lingerie. ;)

End of June, I was bored and browsing Facebook when I saw CloveTWO holding a contest to win either Jennifer Lopez or Lady Gaga's album, so I decided to join in. Many refreshes and a comment saying "Lady Gaga!" later, I grabbed myself a copy of Lady Gaga's "Born This Way". :)

July came around not long after, bringing with it my rekindled Harry Potter mania. I knew I just had to get tickets to watch the final movie, so I kept my eyes and ears peeled for any contests that would let me win tickets. I was lucky; OneFM was having a 'comment and win' contest giving away 4 tickets to watch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II, so I put my F5-mashing skills to the test.

I also got two tickets for any movie from a Coca-Cola contest around the same time, so I got to watch HP:DH twice in cinemas. :D

August was an uneventful month, but September has gotten off to a good start for me, because I got two winning notifications on the same day! ♥ This Thursday, in fact, but I was kinda busy doing an assignment and didn't get the news until Friday.

First was the LaSenza RM100 voucher giveaway...

Wheeeeee~!! ♥

...and then invites to the special screening for Mayday's 3DNA movie at GSC Maxx.

I get to watch it like 1 week before it's out in cinemas, and in 3D! Now this is a really big deal for me, because I've been a major fan of Mayday 五月天 since 2003, and this will be the first time I'm watching a 3D concert/movie in a cinema instead of a stadium.

Okay, I think it's time to sleep now, because the screening is (later) this morning! I haven't been to the cinema in Times Square since IMAX moved out, so it'll be interesting to see how the place is like now.

Till then, good night (or morning) peeps! ^^

Highlight of the Day

2011-09-06T17:55:00.000+08:00

♫ Pitbull ft. Ne-to & Nayer - Give Me Everything

Today, I finally went and did something that I've been wanting to do for a very, very long time. And that is....

...highlight my hair!

The last time I dyed all my hair dark brown was early last year, if I remember correctly, so now it's back to its original deep black colour (with dark brown tips). I decided it was time to take the plunge and go for a highlight instead, since there was an offer by Nikel Hair Studio on Groupon a couple of months back. Ruth also wanted to try highlights, so I bought 2 vouchers.

Photo taken 1 week before highlight.

This is what my hair (colour) looked like before today. A bit brown at the tips, leftover from my previous dye job. I know the ends are like super dry; every salon I went to for trimming commented on the same thing. T_T


	(photo credits to Nikel Hair Academy)

So anyway, we'd made our reservations for this morning, so I think we were the first customers for the day. I had my heart set on red highlights, while Ruth opted for light brown ones. The choices included in the voucher were pretty limited, so I topped up RM50 for more streaks and a brighter red colour, which needed prior bleaching.

Waiting for the bleach to work its magic. ~_~

What was supposed to be a relatively short dyeing process turned out to be longer than expected because of my stubbornly dark black hair (as usual -_-"). The first round of bleach wasn't really absorbed into the hair, so they had to use a 'steamer' kind of thing the second time around to make sure it was bleached lighter in order for the red highlight colour to show up properly. After that, the red dye was applied to the bleached strands and 'steamed' again, lol.

Red highlights taken in daylight.

Under artificial lighting.

I must say, I thought the strips it would be more... concentrated (?) into visible streaks instead of being sort of distributed around to sort of cover my black hair underneath. Nevertheless, the red colour is very close to what I wanted, so I am quite satisfied. ^^

My Precious......

2011-09-04T12:35:00.001+08:00

♫ 五月天 - OAOA

......Urban Decay 15 Year Anniversary Eyeshadow Collection!

Finally got my hands on this much-raved limited edition eyeshadow collection from Urban Decay! It's my first ever product from UD (forgive me, primer potion, but this is limited edition; I'll buy you and Naked later) and I think it's a great first purchase. ;)

Still unopened, tee hee!

The box is very solid + heavy because it's made from gunmetal(?) and has some seriously reflective issues going on. That does make it a fingerprint magnet, as most of the reviews point out, and makes it pretty hard to photograph. It features a faceted purple jewel “UD” on the cover, which is a statement all by itself. The engraved filigree pattern on the box cover's side is just so awesomely pretty, and the purple velvet box is super plush! You can remove the eyeshadow plate when you've finished up all the eyeshadows (I can't even imagine that) and use the velvet box as a jewelry/trinket box.

That's all from me today. I won't be doing any swatches or reviews on this, as there are way more and better blogs out there who've already done it. :) If you're interested in how the eyeshadows look, I recommend Temptalia's post (it's split into 2 parts, so you know it's gonna be in-depth).

Dolly Girl by Anna Sui 2011 e-mook

2011-08-30T23:10:00.001+08:00

Dolly Girl by Anna Sui 2011 e-mook

I picked this up at Kinokuniya KLCC (RM77.75 before 20% discount) on Sunday, when I went to the Book Fest @ Malaysia 2011 held at the convention centre.

The main reason I chose this over another GWP Anna Sui is because it of its size - it's a big tote bag. That, and because it can be flipped inside out and used. :D Plus, it's such a pretty colour.

Opened up. :)

As you can see from the next photo (below), it's made from synthetic leather with a sort of snake(?) skin print on it. I was really surprised at how sturdy the material was; it's even more tough than my fox sling bag!

Pattern on outside and inside.

The inside lining is waterproof, and you can flip it inside out to give it a whole other look and feel. The Dolly Girl by Anna Sui logo is printed on the inside as well.

It can fit A4 size documents easily if placed horizontally. The compartment on the outside can be used to put tissue and other small flat items. :)

If you place A4 sized documents upright, a bit will stick out. ^^" These Japanese magazine GWP bags seldom come with zippers, so that's about the only flaw with them. The price... well, it's super hiked up from the price stated in Japanese yen, but I guess that can't be helped. >_<

I still love the GWPs though, and I love browsing around Kinokuniya for them. Whenever I tell people I go to Kino to shop for books AND bags, they look at me like I'm crazy. This post is proof that I'm not..... right?

Food and Stuff from the Lion City

2011-08-29T12:22:00.002+08:00

♫ All Time Low - I Feel Like Dancin'

Only in Singapore can you go down to the convenience store and buy ~~pork flavoured~~ instant noodles in the middle of the night.

I've been putting off continuing from my previous blog post about my Singapore trip, because I've been ~~too lazy~~ busy going out and about the last few days. And before that I was rushing 2 assignments in the same week. Anyhow, I'm back now, and it's about time I posted something (in case you guys miss me or my posts... or something). XD

Alright, so our second day in Singapore was all about shopping. I particularly love going into the local drugstores (Watsons and Guardian) because they carry way more brands with more variety of choices than the ones here in Malaysia.

Brought this around town. :P

I decided to bring along the fox bag to carry around my essentials during the trip because it was new and just too adorable to leave behind, even though it was pretty small. Surprisingly, it could fit everything that I needed to carry around! Think wallet, camera, phone, tissue, eye drops, lip gloss and compact powder. Yay-ness! ♥

Glossyblossom nail lacquers

So my first beauty purchase were these two bottles of Glossyblossom nail lacquers at OG. Priced at S$8.00 each, they were on a "Buy 1 get 1 free" offer, so I picked up a creamy nude (been looking for a colour like this for a long time!) and a shimmery creme pinkish coral.

After checking out, we headed to Orchard. Takashimaya has been like my second home since forever -_-" First pic below is a mooncake fair with lots of different mooncake brands. I still think mooncakes in Malaysia are tastier - and definitely cheaper.

Sorry, that last pic is deliciously non-halal. =X

Believe me when I say I went into every single Guardian and Watsons all the way and on both sides from Centerpoint to Ngee Ann City.

Biore Marshmallow Whip facial wash and Essential hair mask.

I was so happy to see the Biore Marshmallow Whip facial wash (S$13.90; refill pack S$10.90) at Guardian! I'd been dying to try it out ever since I got to know about it, but it's not available locally. :( I picked up the Essential Ultra Honey & Shea Butter hair mask (S$8.50) at Watsons because my dry hair needs some major nutrition. >_<

Jumbo Paul Frank Lip Smacker!

I love the scent of Paul Frank Julius' Strawberry Banana Lip Smacker (S$8.90) so much that I just had to get the jumbo version lip gloss. :D See how big it is compared to the normal sized ones!

Milkshake hair dyes, anyone?

While in Watsons, I saw these super kawaii milkshake-esque hair dyes by Liese on the shelves. So cute right? And the colours were really nice too. Tempted to buy one and try it, but I kept reminding myself that I was going for a highlight next week and didn't really need the extra hair damage. Also spotted were the Palty hair dyes which were slightly cheaper at S12.90, but I guess those will be my purchases for another day.

McDonald's Teriyaki Chicken McGrill burger

Shopping makes one hungry, so we stopped at a McDonald's to rest our feet and fill our tummies. I shared this Teriyaki Chicken McGrill burger with my dad, and it was really yummy! (Think juicy grilled chicken~) Sorry to all the GCB-lovers out there, but this one tastes so much better. I tried the GCB once, and all I could taste was bun and grilled skin. Urgh!

Then I saw this and the glutton in me was convinced to get it for dessert...

Crème Brûlée Mcflurry (S$2.90) with free Oreo Star

Crème Brûlée Mcflurry aaaaaaaahhh! I'm probably going to die of sugar overload from this, but I didn't really care at that time because it tastes so nice! At first when the guy handed me the cup, I was like "Eh, this just looks like regular Oreo McFlurry." So I went back to the counter and asked if they'd given me the wrong order. He reassured me that it was the correct one; the crème brûlée taste was actually just from the syrup, which you can't really see after it's all mixed up with the ice-cream and Oreo bits. Sweet, sugary, toothache-inducing bliss indeed. :D (If it looks anything like the one here I think I'd have died from a coronary right then and there.)

My folks were feeling pretty tired by then, and it was almost time to meet up with my cousins for dinner, so I decided to pop over to Somerset 313 to get the Kosé Junkisei stuff.

Kosé Junkisei Prime Cream Wash and Lotion

I've been using the Kosé Sekkisei range for about 2 years now, but I've never seen the Kosé Junkisei range here before, so I decided to get the Cream Wash (S$9.95) and Lotion (S13.95) because they were on sale at Guardian. The reason I had to dash to Somerset 313 was because all the other Guardians only had either the wash or lotion in stock, and the one nearest to McDonald's didn't even label them as a sale item! *piff*

So anyway, that's about it for this trip. Didn't really go shopping for clothes, even though I did go into a few shops to look see. I badly wanted to buy a pair of chunky heeled pumps in the newly-opened New Look store, but they had no more in my size. T__T

I can't wait for my next trip there! AFA'11 I'm waiting for you~! :)

A Singaporean Affair

2011-08-23T23:29:00.000+08:00

♫ 福山潤 - 君にありがとう

(As usual, click for bigger images)

Over the weekend, I went down to Singapore to attend a wedding dinner. My dad's good friend from Singapore had invited us to his daughter's wedding, so mum and I came along for the trip. :)

The dinner was on Saturday night, so after spending a night in Johor, we went into Singapore on Saturday afternoon. It was lunch time and we were pretty hungry, so dad brought us to have chicken rice.

(Zheng) Swee Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice

It was not bad, but it still couldn't beat the chicken rice in Seremban. That one is omfgwtfawesomesauce delicious like you wouldn't believe until you've tried it yourself. I would compare this to our local Nam Heong chicken rice.

Stomachs filled, we went to check in. Dad had booked the 'family room' at a small little hotel; we didn't expect it to be so big! ~~I still miss the Le Méridien and Pan Pacific though T_T~~

My private lil corner in the room. :)

I was so happy to see that they had a small corner with a bed! No sleeping on the floor this time! The awesome-yet-weird thing is that it's divided from the main room by a sliding wooden partition. Makes it look like I'm in a cage or prison wtflol

Took a short rest until about 5pm, then we walked the short distance to find my 2 cousins, who were working nearby. I almost couldn't recognize them and they almost couldn't recognize me, haha! Well, it has been quite a few years since I've seen them. We talked for a while then went back to the hotel to change into our dinner clothes and freshen up. Didn't expect it to rain so heavily as we were heading out, and only managed to get a taxi by the roadside after several tries by the concierge to phone for a cab. >_<

Finally arrived! And we weren't late at all. :D

So cute right?

(click for bigger image)

It was the usual schedule for wedding dinners held at hotels, with the cocktail party before going to our seats in the ballroom, then the entrance of the bride and groom. What I didn't expect after that was the buffet dinner part though, because here in Malaysia it's always been 10-course dinners. Is it usual for Singaporean wedding dinners to be buffet-style instead of sit-and-dine? I'm interested to know. :D

Afterparty!

What amused me the most was actually the ending part. The ballroom was turned into a club (sorta) after all the food was consumed, and everybody started getting up and dancing, even the older ones! So amazing la. Maybe it's because most of the guests are Eurasian (both bride and groom are Eurasian btw) and perhaps Singaporeans are more outgoing? :D Over here, probably only the younger ones would join in and the elders would start leaving or something.

This bubbly chandelier caught my eye as we were leaving the hotel. O_o

That's about it for Saturday. Will blog about more food and shopping haul from Sunday in my next post!

Happy Tidings

2011-08-17T01:26:00.002+08:00

♫ ツバサ･クロニクル OST: Future Soundscape I

Today my cousin and his fiancée were going for their marriage registration, so I acted as photographer-of-the-day. I only had one class for today which ended early, so my parents picked me up at uni and we went straightaway to the registration department.

It was a long wait for the registrar to arrive, but the registration was carried out smoothly and the ceremony was finally concluded in less than half an hour.

Congratulations! ♥

After the ceremony, which was attended by family and friends, we proceeded to Pavilion's Wong Kok for lunch. Luckily they'd already booked seats for 30 people, two of whom were having their birthday that day. Birthday at Wong Kok means you get a super duper giant bucket of iced milk tea. The restaurant also gave our group extra 2 buckets when informed it was also a marriage registration party, so with 4 huge buckets, there was more than enough milk tea for the 30 of us.

The 'cake' - 24 peach buns (寿桃） with different fillings.

After lunch, our family party headed to Tokyo Street for a look around. (Everybody else had gone back to work.)

The giant lantern and Tanabana arches hung with wishing cards.

Ngek ngek ngek. This pass makes me feel so ~~badass~~ paparazzi-ish.

Hello Kitty = Japan. Don't argue with me on this.

This photo is purely to feed my inner otaku. :D

That's about it. Went back to my aunt's place and ~~slept on the sofa~~ killed time until it was time to go out for dinner. See my previous post about Tokyo Street if you want to know more about the place. :)

Oh yes, before I forget, let me show you the bags I ordered and finally received after 3 weeks of eager anticipation.

Cute fox bag. (Yes, a lot of people say it looks like an owl.)

Pink vintage satchel. Super love this one!

Both bags are sling bags with a long single strap. The fox bag is smaller than I expected, and the material is soft synthetic leather. It does not have any extra pockets and can be rather floppy. It also cannot hold much besides a wallet, compact, handphone and lip gloss, but the fox design is so cute that I can overlook these flaws, lol. The pink vintage satchel, I am happy to report, is quite large (though it can't fit A4 documents) and very sturdy. It can fit my pencil case, wallet, notebook, handphone, earphones and lip gloss; perfect for a day in uni! :) It's bright pink and white colour combo is very striking, and many friends have remarked that it is very "Barbie doll" and so me, lol.

These bags were ordered from TaoBao via Lux. I was a bit apprehensive at first, but after this shipment, I am super happy and satisfied with their service! Lux is a very friendly, helpful and efficient seller, so be rest assured that your enquiry/email will be replied ASAP.

That's it for today! Time for me to get some sleep. It's a public holiday for Selangor tomorrow, so no class. Wheeeee~

True Story, Bro

2011-08-13T12:33:00.000+08:00

So bro was gonna take a shower and he turned on the bathroom light.
Me: "Broad daylight still need to on the light meh?"
Bro: La~ La~ La~ *closes door*
Me: (typing typing) *suddenly notices that it's super bright*
The wall light was on in my own bedroom. FML

End of true story for today.

Timetable Tizzy

2011-08-13T01:17:00.003+08:00

♫ 周杰伦 - 雨下一整晚

(click for larger image)

Ah, the famous Taylor's University Lakeside Campus. So pretty, right?

Well, don't judge a book by its cover. Or in this case, a university by its freaking large campus (lake, hotel and commercial block included). If you live in the Klang Valley and haven't heard of it, I applaud you. It means you've really managed to evade the clutches of all known media in Malaysia.

By night.

Today marks the end of the second week of this semester, and the timetable for our course (and presumably the other Communications courses as well) is still in a major mess. We've had at least 4 revisions of the general timetable and it's still not finalized yet. Classroom clashes, grouping woes, confusing personal timetables and all-round chaos thanks to the fucked up schedule has been getting on everybody's nerves the past couple of weeks. Remember the 7-hour break I mentioned before? That's just the beginning of our ~~long-standing frustration with the school and its administration~~ troubles.

The only other thing worth mentioning about this place - besides the glaringly obvious lake - is the library. It's a nice place to chill, read books and hang out with your laptop, if you don't mind the subzero temperature inside. The only problem is finding one of the many elusive plug points during lunch hour, half of which are faulty and might electrocute anybody trying to plug in their electronic device. =/

Also, we have a cozy little sound recording studio. It's even more fun to hang out inside here, because it's private and soundproof ~~and you can blast "Like A G6" however loud you want and have a party inside~~. Unfortunately, access to this room is quite strict, so if you haven't gotten a lecturer's permission or valid reason to use it, NO ENTRY, sorry.

Chatime @ Taylor's

The best thing that happened to the commercial block (a.k.a. Syops @ The Boardwalk) is the opening of Chatime. If you've been there, you're probably saying "But what about all those restaurants there?!". Let's just say that I've almost resorted to having a basket of potato wedges (RM4.20 w/ tax) for lunch because it's one of the cheapest items there.

I'll be a nice person and break it down for you. Dear potential future students, if you're considering taking business or communications courses, by all means, JOIN US. See how effective their advertising is and how much business they're raking in. If you're interested in culinary arts, please take a look too. There are at least 4 restaurants operated by the university itself. Other courses... well, may the Force (and finance) be with you.

Okay, end of rant. Time to sleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~

Sneak peek!

Stay tuned to catch these 2 cuties in my upcoming posts. :)

What Time Is It?

2011-08-10T22:43:00.001+08:00

"Hey. It's 9.23 p.m. where I am now. What time is it for you over there?"

Do you ever wonder if there's a person out there, somewhere in the world, who is doing the same thing as you, thinking similar thoughts, right at that very moment?

Maybe I have too much time to think idle thoughts. Perhaps I feel bored without having anything to focus on, be it an activity, problem or rhetorical question. Most likely it's because I lack the capacity to get riled-up over an issue for long, at which point I go back to scrolling endlessly through my news feed and bookmarks looking for new things to catch my interest.

I don't hate; I seldom love. If I do, then please, take it as a compliment. Being a silent spectator is my forte; it doesn't mean I am snobbish or not paying attention. I am simply too shy to speak out, or waiting for my turn to talk. If you want to steal the show, go ahead, I won't stop you. I will forgive, but I don't often forget.

All that sounds so morbid, doesn't it? I hope you understand that there's also a lighter side to me. Laughter is my best friend. They tell me I have a weird sense of humour, although I don't think it's particularly weird. It's not hard to make me smile, or laugh. Pull out all the stops when telling a joke or funny story, and I guarantee you'll have (one of) the best audience in me. Pardon me if my funny bone is hot-wired to my sarcasm glands. I do try to reduce the dosage when actually talking to people.

I have a weak spot for cute stuff, although 'cute' is subjective. I love pink, but I wear black and white. I dislike most stuffed toys, but more than half a dozen share my single bed. ~~Mary, Mary,~~ Laura, Laura, quite contrary, where did your train of thought go?

Lost, that's where. In the middle of Nowhere.

Tokyo Street & Neway CEO

2011-08-08T12:27:00.001+08:00

♫ I.M.C. - 星の在処

Once again, I'm on a 7-hour break between classes on Monday. Taylor's, if you're seeing this, I (and the rest of my coursemates) am saying this is absolutely ridiculous!

That aside, since there's nothing much to do, I shall blog about the usual mundane stuff I did over the weekend. Well, Saturday, to be exact. Which basically consists of walking around the newly-opened Tokyo Street in Pavilion KL and hanging out in the super blinged-out Neway CEO karaoke lounge.

I'll let the pictures do most of the talking.

Tokyo Street at Pavilion KL (Level 6)

It's a pretty cute place, with stereotypical Japanese style mini shops and decorations. One side consists of all the food and beverage outlets, while the rest is a mix of snacks, beauty and miscellaneous shops. The end of the 'street' is dominated by a huge Daiso. Which isn't large at all when you walk into it. -__-"

Bumped into some friends there! :)

Cafe Takahashi - one of the Japanese style cafes in Tokyo Street.

I was the first to arrive, so I was walking around when I bumped into Yee Ching and her sister, who were meeting up with Yvonne. Decided to have a bite with them first, since the others were going to be late. I ordered a banana chocolate parfait because we were supposed to meet up for lunch later.

Oyaki by The Loaf

I'd heard about the oyaki sold in Tokyo Street, so I bought some back to eat. They were having a promo, 6 for the price of 5. Oyaki is essentially a Japanese dumpling made from fermented buckwheat dough wrapped around a stuffing of Japanese vegetables, fruit, or anko bean paste and then roasted on an iron pan. (Sorry, I got that from Wikipedia. XD)

Then we (this time meaning WH, Carina and I) walked over to Neway CEO which was located opposite in Fahrenheit88. Supposed to have more people joining us but they ~~FFK us~~ couldn't make it, so the 3 of us went ahead and used the RM50 cash voucher. :P

Lobby of Neway CEO.

I was almost blinded when I stepped out of the lift. The lobby itself was just... bling. Bling everywhere. Glittery floor, reflective walls, huge glittery chandeliers, bling decorations... This place could put those sparkly vampires to shame. Well, it's supposed to be fancy, hence the name, lol.

Very bling yet very TRON at the same time. O__o

Freaking huge party room.

So while waiting for our room to be ~~cleaned~~ prepared, they gave us this room as a waiting room of sorts. It's one of the super big rooms meant for big parties, and the inside was super plush! See that humongous chandelier and the velvet sofa? O__O

Our ~~box~~ room. Why do I keep seeing TRON references here...

Our room was tiny in comparison, lol. We took the tea-time buffet session which is one drink each + buffet, so there was lots of food. Looked more like lunch to me. The food was quite good, and there was a large selection, from salads, mains, cold dishes and dessert. 3pm to 7pm, enough for us to eat for 1 hour+ and sing to our heart's content.

Teresa Teng song. Our parents would be so proud. :P

Would I go back there for another k-session? Absolutely! It's more expensive than the normal Neway or RedBox rates, but with such a buffet spread and awesome decor, it's definitely worth the price.

Random Thoughts In A Computer Lab

2011-08-05T13:20:00.000+08:00

Second day I'm at school for this semester. :) Since there's a few hours break between lectures today, I'm hanging out in the PR Room using the ~~lousy~~ computer to online, which basically means Facebook, Blogger, YouTube and other assorted websites that I might find remotely interesting.

Okay, so this is the only YouTube video I've been spamming the replay button on.

Super Junior's new song, Mr. Simple.

Everytime I watch their videos, it's like this in my head:

WTF how do they dance so awesomely when there's like a dozen people in a group?!
Their songs all sound similar but they're all so catchy I can't help but listen to it over and over again until I get sick of it at some point.
Why am I even listening to K-Pop boybands asdfghjklqw =_=

Polishing Up The Collection

2011-08-04T17:57:00.000+08:00

Color Club Wicked Sweet collection + China Glaze matte topcoat

I've been letting my nails have a breather since last night, so today I decided to clean up my nail polish collection. I'm a major nail polish junkie so I have dozens of nail polish, along with nail art stickers and some other miscellaneous nail art-related items.

This is what it looked like when I dumped everything on the floor. (Of course I had to put newspaper in case of any accidental spillage.) I knew my nail polish collection wasn't small, but never realized it was quite this scary. -_-"

Armed with a damp cloth, a dry rag, a bottle of nail polish remover and several transparent storage boxes, I went to work. The aforementioned 'work' includes:

Wiping the storage boxes clean.
Wiping all the bottles clean.
Arranging nail polish according to brand and height.
Cleaning the ones with nail polish crusted at the top using the dry rag and nail polish remover.
Adding thinner to the ones with thicker consistency.
Sorting out the ones I wanna keep or throw.

I threw away the oldest ones from my collection. Some of them had been around since 2007 (I think), would you believe it?! ~~I have HOARDER written all over my forehead.~~

Saying goodbye to these.

Everything nice and tidy! :)

It feels so nice to see everything arranged all neat and tidy in the boxes. Also makes it easier for me to pick and store them before and after I paint my nails. :) At least I feel that I've accomplished something today! Now I just need to clear out my wardrobe..... *gulp*

(Click for larger image)

Bliss Magazine UK (July 2011) GWP

2011-08-03T00:37:00.001+08:00

♫ Travie McCoy - We'll Be Alright

Bliss UK, July 2011 issue

I picked up the July issue of Bliss magazine (UK) when I was in Popular last Friday. I have to admit, I do enjoy browsing the "teen" foreign magazine section whenever I'm in Popular, MPH or Kinokuniya in the hopes of stumbling across some magazines with nice GWPs. Although not as nice as those in the Japanese magazines, some of them do come with some fun cosmetic items. Bliss magazine costs RM9.90 in Popular bookstores and the July issue comes with an eyes/lips colour palette.

The palette comes in 3 different style sets for summer:
Beach Babe, Fashionista and English Rose.

It came with a very flimsy brush which I threw away.

This shows the lipgloss colour in their pans more clearly.

Swatch done according to their places in the palette.

My favourites have got to be the dark red lip gloss (top row right) and the purple eyeshadow (bottom row middle). The Beach Babe combo does not show up at all on my skin. Yellow/gold-toned colours do not suit me at all. :(

All the lipglosses have some slight glitter in them and are very sheer, while the eyeshadows are shimmery. Of course, the Fashionista set is the one I love the most. :D

Zouk Cafe Bar and Austin Chase @ The Gardens

2011-08-02T15:35:00.000+08:00

♫ Tony Orlando - Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree

Lately, many group buy websites have been cropping up in Malaysia, and they seem to be a big hit with online shoppers and bargain hunters everywhere. I have bought some of these 'deals' from a couple of these sites, and I have to say that so far they have not disappointed me.

Last Sunday, my brother and I went to The Gardens to have lunch at Zouk Cafe Bar. He'd bought a coupon from MilkADeal and it was the last day to redeem it, so we set out around 11am to try and beat the car park jam. (Procrastination, tsktsk.)

Since his meal was already paid for, I browsed the menu and decided on chicken lasagna. A few minutes later, the waiter came back and told me it wasn't available that day because their oven was rosak (spoilt). -__-" So I changed my order to a Caesar salad.


Indoor alfresco dining area. (iPads everywhere wtf. Spot two in the photo.)

Zouk Cafe Bar is located on the ground floor of The Gardens, right next to the Midvalley-The Gardens link entrance. They have two dining sections: the open-air area outside next to the fountain, and the indoor dining area.

Beef burger with fries and salad.

Bro opted for the Zouk Cafe Bar Burger and free flow soft drink from his coupon. You can choose either beef or chicken patty for the burger. The burger wasn't very big, but it was good enough for a lunch meal. They were quite generous with the fries (I nabbed some, muahahaha!) and the salad looked okay. The white pieces you see are onions, not the usual cabbage.

Caesar salad with grilled chicken.

My Caesar salad with grilled chicken. This was surprisingly tasty! Fresh vegetables, crispy beef bacon, grated cheese, tender grilled chicken, eggs and the rich mayo dressing combined to make it a light yet filling meal. The garlic bread was just so-so, because it wasn't warm or crispy when the salad arrived. Nonetheless, I enjoyed every bite of this. =)

After lunch, we went up to Austin Chase to redeem my Groupon. To me, Groupon is one of the best and most reliable group buy websites, having bought several different ones from them.

Summer drinks from Austin Chase

The Groupon had stated that I could choose any one from these three choices, but when I got there they told me that the Espresso Chip Frappe was not available that day. Not being a huge fan of strawberry or guava, I choose the other frappe.

Strawberry Mocha Cookie Frappe with whipped cream

I'm glad I chose the Strawberry Mocha Cookie Frappe, if only for the crispy crunchy cookie bits in it, haha! Except for it being slightly too sweet for my tastebuds, I must say that it is a nice blend of mocha and strawberry. Extra points for whipped cream and cookie bits, of course. :P

Have you tried any of the two F&B places above? If so, share with me your thoughts and experiences too! :)

Review: Essence Nail Polish and Eyeshadow

2011-07-26T15:01:00.003+08:00

♫ Gym Class Heroes ft. Adam Levine - Stereo Hearts

(Disclaimer: All products in this post were purchased using my own money and NOT sent in for review.)

Today I'm going to do a small review on 2 Essence nail polishes (and a swatch of their powder eyeshadow). I have often seen Essence nail polish swatches on various blogs but since it was not available in Malaysia, I could only drool at them in front of the laptop.

Well, good news for Malaysian nail polish fanatics like myself: Essence Cosmetics are now in Malaysia! :) It has been brought in by COCiCOCi and their chic little booths can be found in Midvalley Megamall and Jalan Bukit Bintang (sidewalk beside Lot 10). The Bukit Bintang outlet has been open for almost 4 months, and the Midvalley one about a month.

Update: Essence cosmetics can be found in Watsons now! You can probably find it in most of the bigger Watsons outlets. I'm not too sure about the smaller shops. ^^"

(Photos taken from COCiCOCi Malaysia's Facebook page)

These are my recent Essence purchases from COCiCOCi.

Essence 'Colour & Go' in Ultimate Pink, 5ml (RM 6.90)
Essence 'Colour & Go' in Can't Cheat On Me, 5ml (RM 6.90)
Essence matt top coat, 8ml (RM8.90)
Essence nail polish remover pen (RM 8.90)
Essence mono eyeshadow in 24 Love Me (RM 7.90)

As you can see, all the items are very pocket-friendly. The 'Colour & Go' collection is the most affordable and comes in a wide selection of fun colours. Even better, the colours are really opaque, so if you have shorter nails, a single coat is enough. Of course, you can always apply 2 coats for a more even finish and to cover up any VNL (visible nail line) if your nails are longer.

(Click for larger image)

The swatches in the photo above are all done with 2 coats, and a layer of matte topcoat for the middle and pinky fingers. As you can see, Ultimate Pink is a glossy deep pink colour, while Can't Cheat On Me is a clear base with lots of grey-ish holographic micro-glitter. The nail line is very visible for Can't Cheat On Me, so I was pleasantly surprised at the effect of a matte topcoat on it, which makes it much less visible and gives it a frosty, shimmery look. ♥ I think Ultimate Pink is better left as it is, a glossy nail polish, because it pales in comparison to OPI's La-Pazitively Hot (Matte).

I also purchased their powder eyeshadow in #24 Love Me, which is a shimmery gold shade, in the hopes of it being a (temporary) substitute for the Dolly Wink Cream Eyeshadow mentioned in my previous post. Priced at RM 7.90, I reasoned that it could be worth a try.

I must say, it looked better when I swatched it on the back of my hand while in the store. Swatching it for the second time at home, I found that it is not very pigmented and the colour does not show up very well, even in direct sunlight, even though there is some reasonably visible gold shimmer when blended. Looks like I'll only be using this eyeshadow as a base/highlight shade.

Essence 'Colour & Go' Nail Polish

✓ Pros: Very affordable price, opaque in one coat, quick drying (if you do 1 coat), comes in a wide variety of fun colours.

✗ Cons: None? I love them, and would go and buy more!

Essence Matt Top Coat

✓ Pros: Cheap, dries fast.

✗ Cons: Not really a 'matte' finish., more of a satin-matte (to me, anyway).

Essence Mono Eyeshadow

✓ Pros: Cheap, large selection of colours, available in matte, shimmer and creamy textures.

✗ Cons: Slightly too hard and powdery, not very pigmented.

I highly recommend their polish polish, as it is very affordable and high quality, not to mention that you can choose from so many colours. Besides the 'Colour & Go' collection, they also have the 'Multi Dimension XXXL Shine' series, as well as their newest 'Metallics Magnetic' nail polish collection. That's the one I am most eager to try, because I am absolutely fascinated by the idea of using magnets to create nail art after reading about these nail polishes on All Lacquered Up.

Well, that's all for today. Hope you liked my review and swatches, and do leave a comment. :) Thanks!

Train Ride

2011-07-26T02:18:00.000+08:00

(Photo from bearyari @ Deviantart)

Even before the train stops at the station, you scan the coaches as they pass by. Some are full, some have a few empty seats in between, some are almost empty. Do you harbour a little wish that the carriage that stops in front of you will be almost empty, with only a few passengers scattered in the corners and maybe a lone ranger standing by the doorway with his headphones on?

Take a step in and a gush of cold air brushes over you, bringing with it the unmistakable yet indescribable odour of the automated light rail transit train. It carries with it a whiff of electrical ozone and the intangible passages of the countless people who have passed through its automatic doors.

Most people will choose the corner seats. If there are none available, you weigh your options. Should I sit in the middle of a row with two (or more) strangers next to me, or would I rather stand in the small space next to the door? The carriage is empty except for the few people sitting in the corners, so you take you chances and sit right in the middle of that 5-seat row. You feel somewhat relieved to see that nobody is sitting opposite, so you can stare out the opposite window without trying to avoid eye contact.

Your luck runs out sooner than you think it will. The train reaches the next station and somebody takes the middle seat in the opposite row. You observe the person with some curiosity at first. Black trousers, black shirt with the top button undone, a black bag, black formal shoes, today's newspaper. A glint of gold around his neck and wrist, hair cut almost to his scalp and a serious expression.

Aha, your mind says. He looks like a gangster from some Hong Kong film. Imagination goes into overdrive thinking about the possible scenarios of reasons why this person is on the train. What's that in his bag? Is he going to meet somebody in a sinister place? Why use public transport? Did he just get off 'work'?

In reality, the man places his bag on the floor between his feet, smooths his hair, opens up the newspaper, and starts reading the news. You find yourself almost staring, and quickly look away, pretending to be interested in the scenery from another window. It's funny how our minds can stereotype and make up stories about people whom we know nothing about.

Two more stations pass. It's an interchange, and the passenger on your right gets off at that stop. So does the passenger on the man's right. It's strange, how you automatically move over to the just-vacated corner seat, and feeling slightly amused to see that he has done the same.

Now your view has changed. There's a different person sitting opposite you now. It's a fairly large man with his earphones on, playing with his handphone. He's so intent on his activity that you don't feel weird taking a longer look. You see him shaking his head to the beat of some inaudible music, and twitching the phone left, right, up, down, horizontal, vertical as (you presume) he plays some game.

Meanwhile, the man all in black turns another page, pulls out the Business section of the newspaper, puts on the empty seat next to him, and continues reading. From here, you find that he seems much more normal; just another commuter on the train.

Another stop. A lady with a child enters the coach. You can almost see her evaluating the situation. One, take the middle seat between the two men. Two, take the middle seat in between two women. She walks in your direction, and sits down in the middle seat while her child clambers up to the seat beside you. You smile at the kid, and then quickly look away.

Two more stops. Or maybe it was three? It doesn't matter. The train comes to a stop at another station, and the child sees something that makes him jump off the seat and drag the lady out of the train with him. Maybe he saw his father, or a beloved relative? Perhaps it was a familiar landmark, or just an attractive toy. You want to turn around and look, but it's too late, the train is already pulling out of the station. Nevermind. You continue staring at your hands.

(Photo by trappedinreality @ Deviantart)

The train passes a few more stations. You see people come and go, walk past on their way to other carriages. You see a high school boy walk past and choose a seat in the next coach. He pulls out a sweater from his backpack, puts in on, and then takes out an almost dog-eared paperback novel. It looks vaguely familiar, that scribble on the back cover looking like an Agatha Cristie autograph from one of the books in your bookshelf at home. You suddenly feel envious of the boy, and also the man with the newspaper, because they can read on the train without feeling dizzy or sick.

Then again, if your eyes were focused on printed material all the time while on any kind of transport, you wouldn't have the chance to people-watch, you tell yourself.

Four more stops from your destination. At the next stop, the man in black gets off. He stands up, folds up his newspaper, picks up his bag and walks out when the train stops. You suddenly notice that the guy with the earphones has disappeared while you weren't looking.

An elderly lady takes a seat in the same row. There's nothing particularly outstanding about her. Average height, average clothes, average face. She could be anybody, and you wouldn't have a single clue.

Three more stops. The phone rings, and you answer the call, telling the caller you'll arrive in about 10 minutes. The rest of the journey you spend looking out the opposite window again, seeing buildings and trees go past, sometimes slowly, sometimes in a flash of green or grey.

Suddenly you hear the final station being announced. That's your cue to make sure your bags are all there, cash card safely in your pocket. The train slowly comes to a halt at the station, and you stand up, eager to get off the train and be home sweet home.

That's enough people-watching on a train ride for today, you think to yourself.

(Photo by devilsmile @ Deviantart)

Koji Dolly Wink Limited Edition Liquid Eyeliner

2011-07-22T17:35:00.003+08:00

♫ ST☆RISH - マジ Love 1000%

The lovely Dolly Wink Limited Edition Eyeliners are finally here! ♥

While walking around Isetan, The Gardens with YC before the movie (Harry Potter! Wheee~), I saw this table that made me go all starry-eyed...

Koji products!

So naturally I went over and was delighted to see the limited edition Dolly Wink eyeliners on display there. I asked the sales assistant and she told me they were having a promotion for them, and those on display were the only ones left. Being the ~~kiasu~~ type to be suckered in by cute limited edition items, I couldn't resist.

Limited Edition Dolly Wink Liquid Eyeliner, RM49 (Normal retail price RM55.90)

Plus, I figured it would match the pencil eyeliner I bought last year, which is from the Koji Lash Specialist Limited Edition Black Mascara + Pencil Eyeliner set.

Koji Lash Specialist Limited Edition set

These 3 make such a cute set omg

I haven't opened the new liquid eyeliner yet because I'm still using my current one from Empro, but I can show you how the pencil eyeliner and mascara from Koji Lash Specialist look like. The pencil eyeliner is the retractable type.

(click for larger image)

I love the deep black colour of both the eyeliner and mascara. I do not often apply mascara, but whenever I do put this on, it gives my eyelashes more volume and adds a bit of length. As for the eyeliner, it was quite creamy when I first opened it, but now it has hardened slightly. Normally I like to use liquid eyeliner to achieve a more accurate and thin line. However, this is my go-to eyeliner for days when I want a thicker line and want my eyeliner to stay on all day, or to get that natural/'smudged' eye makeup look. :) And when I say all day, I mean all day. This pencil eyeliner definitely has some staying power!

I was sorely tempted to get the Dolly Wink cream eyeshadow in 01 Gold as well, but since it wasn't on promotion, I decided to skip it for the time being. They also had a "Buy 2 Free 1" promotion for the Dolly Wink nail polish, but I'd already bought the colours I wanted before CNY with the same promo, AND they don't allow Malaysia to bring in the pastel green for some weird reason. (Plus I was running on limited funds that day. >_<)

If it's one makeup product I cannot live without, it's eyeliner.

Convinced myself to buy it so that it'd match the pencil eyeliner LOL

Winter Blossoms

Outfit Ideas: Green Shorts

What If...

NOTD: Simple Polka Dot Nails

Review: Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in "Strawberry Shortcake"

CNY Short Trip + Haul

D.I.Y. - Nail Polish Remover Dip

Giveaway Winner Announcement!

Review: KATE Quick Eyeliner

Giveaway Closed!

New Year Hauls

Belated Christmas Post!

Review: Essence Soft Touch Mousse Make-Up and Essence Mattifying Compact Powder

Taking It Slow

Breakfast at Tiffany's, Anyone?

Review: Garnier Light BB Eye Roll-On

Diva Accessories Haul

Chicago Rib House @ 1 Utama

Review and Swatch: L.A. Girl 10 Color Palette - Prism

Winter Blossoms' 1st Giveaway!

Anime Festival Asia (AFA) 2011

Coming Up Next...

Sneak Peek

Peek-a-boo! What's Inside My Concordia Halloween Treat Bag?

Happy Halloween!

Review: Rimmel Lipstick, The Face Shop Lipstick and Burberry Lip Glow

Review: Majolica Majorca Puff de Cheek and Stage Eyeliner

New Template!

Blog Action Day 2011: Let's Talk About Food!

Sample-Sized

The MPC Diaries: Seligi Pavillion

Sales Season!

The Charms of Tokyo Street Photography Exhibition

StrawberryNET Cosmetics Mini Haul + Review

Review: Daiso Rose Jewelry Lip

五月天 《追梦3DNA》 Special Screening @ GSC MAXX

Getting Lucky on Facebook?

Highlight of the Day

My Precious......

Dolly Girl by Anna Sui 2011 e-mook

Food and Stuff from the Lion City

A Singaporean Affair

Happy Tidings

True Story, Bro

Timetable Tizzy

What Time Is It?

Tokyo Street & Neway CEO

Random Thoughts In A Computer Lab

Polishing Up The Collection

Bliss Magazine UK (July 2011) GWP

Zouk Cafe Bar and Austin Chase @ The Gardens

Review: Essence Nail Polish and Eyeshadow

Train Ride

Koji Dolly Wink Limited Edition Liquid Eyeliner

五月天《追梦3DNA》 Special Screening @ GSC MAXX