Divergence.

Saw the Divergent film and hated it.

HATED IT! Hated it, hated it, HATED IT!!

I hated it even more after reading a random "fangirl" blog post how the film followed true to the book -- LIESS!! I couldn't even read half of her "review" because she made me question if we had been reading the same book!

She clearly read something else and not at all the one written by Veronica Roth.

Which ticks me again. What the heck was Roth thinking, letting the film turned out the way that it did?? It was a whole lot different than the book she wrote! Seriously, I almost called out "WTF!" halfway through the movie. I totally didn't blame Encem for falling asleep in the cinema. I was almost embarassed for wanting to see the film as badly as I did.

Really, I was disappointed. Can you tell?

Perhaps it was my fault thinking that the adaptation would be like how The Hunger Games turned out -- ACTUALLY true to the book and very minimal changes to the characters. (Katniss didn't exactly got her Mockingjay pin from The Hob, but that's nothing major.)

The movie Divergent really diverted from the book. I really didn't feel the connection between any of the characters. Christina was supposed to be taller and tougher than Tris. We didn't even see Al actually 'failing' his tests or Peter being any good except for being just a jackass. Molly didn't think Tris was "cool" in any part of the book and Four definitely did NOT teach Tris how to go through her final test! COME ONN!!

Sorry if I'd spoiled your viewing experience from reading this, but THE BOOK IS SO MUCH BETTER!!!

Go see the movie if you must. I would recommend not to. It's just better to pick up the book instead! Even the Twilight saga had a better adaptation into the movie, seriously.

I am just NOT looking forward to see Insurgent if/when it comes out. Sure, I won't deny that I'll probably go see it anyway but as for Divergent.. It's a complete disappointment for me.

The fangirl in me.. was crushed.

#BeautyBlog 6

Possible future-purchases.

The two things that I adore Sephora the most about is the fact that how friendly and helpful the store assistants are, and how readily they are to give you samples!

(Maybe not the one in Starhill though. They're too stingy when I asked for samples and the store assistants always come off as snobbish!)

KLCC, I love because one time I was just browsing around and one of the girls approached me and asked if I was looking for something. I said no, and that I was just looking if anything pique my interest. She then told me to follow her so she'd show me all the new things in the store!

Pyramid, I love because the assistants were chatty and pretty much able to answer most of my questions about the products I was intrigued about. Also, I got those two little sample pots pictured above from there, which I will go into more in a bit.

Paradigm is my jam, basically! That place has never done me wrong and I don't think it ever could. This one particular guy especially always gets me the best samples available! teehee!

Now, on to something relevant to the picture I attached to this entry.

I've always been keen to try out the Glamglow masks and if you've seen them in stores, you should know that they're RM 240 a pop! That is one damn pricey mask, if you ask me!

Not wanting to make the same mistake as I did with the bloody Kiehl's eye cream, these days I always get samples first for a product (especially skincare!) before forking out my money for the full-size.

Now, even in US Dollars, these masks are pretty pricey at $69 so getting them online plus shipping would turn out to be just about the same as RM 240 I'm sure.

Not knowing even the difference between the two, I asked one of the SAs if I could have small samples of the two products and she adorably put them into their respective packaging colours! (If you haven't tried asking for samples in Sephora, YOU SHOULD!)

I'm glad that I got the samples first, because though both of them felt nice on my skin and worked pretty much the same (both extracted the icky oils from my T-zone and made my skin feel silky smooth), I wasn't too keen of the smell of the Clearing Treatment plus it broke me out the very next day! I haven't had a new breakout in WEEKS so that was annoying! The Exfoliating Mud Mask has chunks in it which looks kinda weird but it's supposed to help you exfoliate the skin whilst removing the mask, and it did!

I don't know.. RM 240 is a LOT man! Should I bite the bullet and get the black Glamglow? I love that I could see all the things it pulled out from my skin.. Is there anything else better out there?

Anyway, we'll see in the coming months. I've already done some bits of damage shopping online when I couldn't sleep few nights ago!

#BeautyBlog 5

Now I feel like I haven't blogged for a long time, but it hasn't been that long really..

Since I haven't been to Sephora for so long, unfortunately I haven't had the chance to try out as many things to blog about. But fear not, I did stop by the ones in Paradigm, Pyramid AND KLCC in the last week so I do have some things to share!

But first, since I mention about them earlier last month, I shall let you know what I think about the new foundations in my collection;

Face And Body by MAC. (N3)

I'll be honest, this was my first MAC purchase because one, I have a little obsession with foundations after lip products.. Two, Pixiwoo of Youtube seemed to really like the product so I was pretty much sucked in!

Personally, I feel like I need to have ample time to properly put this foundation on. Apparently, the more you work on the foundation; the more you buff it into the skin, the thicker it becomes and the higher coverage it gives you. Also, this foundation is best applied with your fingers, which in theory should be perfect for those mornings where you overslept and only have a few minutes to get ready!

But I love my brushes.. Putting on foundation with my fingers feels a bit messy to me. And you do have to set the foundation with some powder because it doesn't really set -- or maybe I'm just too impatient to wait until it does.

Overall it's not a bad foundation really. Somedays when I do have the time, it gives a pretty good coverage that I could skip concealer! The awesome thing about this foundation, you could keep slapping it on layer after layer to get the coverage that you want and it wouldn't look cakey on!

Sheer Glow by NARS. (Stromboli)

Perhaps the best ever foundation I've used in my entire life. Yes, I am biased by the way. Though being advertised to give you a dewy finish (hence the name sheer "glow") it doesn't actually give me that effect. I have combo skin, slightly oily T-zone with some odd dry patches sometimes, and it simply gives me a semi-matte finish.

A little goes a long way, feels pretty light on the skin but it gives you a good medium coverage.

The annoying bit about this foundation, for something as pricey, the packaging does not come with a pump so you have to buy it separately! And it's not great to travel with since once you've attached the pump, you can no longer put the cap back on!

The product itself is awesome, but it has one of the oddest packaging I think.

But I would definitely repurchase if mine runs out. (I do love it!) But maybe in a shade lighter since I find Stromboli looks a bit yellow on me some days.

Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush by Tarte. (Light-Medium Neutral)

This is a new one I got because of Youtubers Essiebutton and Missglamorazzi! Seriously, these Youtube videos..

Anyway, I've been keen on trying out powder or mineral foundations lately so I feel like this seemed like a good middle-ground? Haha! It says to have some mineral particles in it so.. yeah.

I've been testing it out this entire week and surprisingly it gives me just as much coverage as any liquid foundations that I own! It didn't dry out on me at all or make me extra shiny by the end of the day. It performed pretty much like any liquid foundation, really!

Odd thing about this though, it kinda settled into my smile-lines.. sometimes. I am guessing that it was because I might not have blended it well enough into my skin. It was recommended to apply the foundation with the specially designed Airbuki brush but I was adamant not to get the brush with the foundation (because that'll mean I would have to spend an extra RM130!! Yikes!) but.. I don't know.. I might get the brush since I do love the feel of the foundation on my skin.

If I had to choose between the three foundation I featured in this entry, I must say that the Sheer Glow Foundation wins the top spot. Not just because it is a NARS product, but I love that even when I am lazy to get my makeup done, I know that this foundation will get it just right. I don't have to be careful or buff like hell to get the job done.

But that's just me.

Now on to some Sephora stuff.. I must admit that I am pretty addicted to that store. So much so that in one of my visits, I told the cashier that I have a 10% off for my purchase which led her to check on her screen;

Cashier: Wow.. You have six 10% off..

W: Yeah.. I have a problem.

Which is true -- I do have a serious shopping problem if I manage to have SIX 10% off!

Anyway, what truly led me to purchase Tarte's powder foundation when I did (it was on my wishlist.. Something 'in the future..' but, well.. I was weak!) was because I bought the mini Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed for RM30. (The regular size is RM120!) I obviously don't need any more blushers but I wanted to try out Tarte's real badly since that's what they're known best for -- and I was not disappointed!

Even though it didn't look like much, Exposed is a beautiful neutral pink that would look good on any skin tone! (Mumu tried it in the store before she got one herself and it looked good on her tanned skin!)

I would LOVE to get more of them if the minis were available and I highly highly recommend the blushers if not anything else. It lasts so well on the skin!

Enough bimbo-talk.. I should discuss on how to save money and not how to spend them! Hahahhaha

Four.

Can't remember the last time I blogged about a book. It's been a while.

I haven't really had the chance to read an actual book in a long time anyway. The last one I read -- before the one I'll tell you about -- was The Mortal Instruments, I think. And reading five of them in the course of a week pretty much put me in a daze. Just too much information, I think!

It was good, but it's nothing extraordinary. It killed my time, but it didn't leave me wondering about it.

So recently I picked up the Divergent series by Veronica Roth. I looked up on her and turns out she is a few years younger than I am! This is like the whole Cecilia Ahern thing all over again! Gahh! Successful young writers always gets me feeling envious. Of course, I never actually sit down and decide to be a serious novelist, but the idea of making writing as a career.. That is the dream.

Yeah, I've said it. I do dream of being a writer. Encem thinks I could do it. But I am rightfully doubtful. Just look at my blog! I can barely focus on one singular thing, how can I possibly write a whole novel?

Anyway, back to Divergent. Some people say that it is similar to The Hunger Games. I wouldn't say that it is, but they are in the same sort of genre. The protagonists were both strong, young women. They are both kinda sad, with bittersweet ending.

The final instalment of the Divergent series were a bit troubling. I dunno.. I finished the book around 6 am in the morning (I can barely put the book down, it was GOOD!) and I couldn't get to sleep because it left me with a heart ache. I also spent the rest of the day and the day after that being lost in thoughts and basically just lacking in the presence of mind -- not great when your job demands focus and your ability to save lives should there be a need.

It really ruined me.

I was kinda sad and pissed by the ending but after reading Roth's blog and thoughts for coming up with the ending.. It just made sense. Sure, it made sense while I was reading the book, but reading her thoughts pretty much clicked something else in my mind.

The odd thing about Divergent and The Hunger Games.. I feel like the first book was the happiest of the series. Hahahhaha! Well, I find that funny since neither of the two series are "happy" but compared to their respective instalments, they seemed a bit more happier.

I still catch myself thinking about Tris and Tobias and the whole stuff about Divergent these days, but it's useless really. It's not like there's anything I can do about it.

Good thing that I've just picked up the books last week too since the movie is coming out later this month!

I am looking forward to it, but I must say that I'm not crazy about it -- knowing how it ends. Just like Mockingjay. I do look forward to it (probably because of Jennifer Lawrence mostly; that girl is the shiz!) but I am going to hate what's going to happen so.. yeah..

If you're thinking of getting something to read, do consider the Divergent series. They were very well written and it just left you wanting more -- hence finishing up the book way past bedtime!

Just life, I guess..

On standby with Encem for two days.

I was called up to a single night in Manila and he was not.

This is really a small matter but I just can't shake off the sadness.

I am sad, I truly am.

I actually numbered the days in my journal for when I hadn't seen my boyfriend; it had been nine. And now the count starts again..

I went to work with hardly any sleep at all yesterday. Even then I still pushed on so I could spend the rest of the day with Encem.

Seriously, I don't cope well (with life) without my dose of my monkey. And twenty-two hours is not enough to make up for the nine days of aloneness..

I am just sad..

Sorry for this seemingly pointless rant. It's just that I am on my way to the airport and already I am missing my boyfriend. Makes it sound kinda pathetic if I think about it, but I do feel kinda pathetic.

Going insane.

Feeling extremely demotivated right now.
Been working too hard with not enough play time.
I am still sick. Encem is away. I'm starting to feel that he is truly my best friend and it seems that I don't cope well without my best friend. I cried while I was on the phone with him. The more he told me not to cry, the more I cried.
I just don't feel like myself.
I feel like quitting my job because it's really starting to feel like a job.
It's taking over my life.
I don't go out. Not for fun anyway. Not even during my nightstops or layover.
I'm too sick to go out.
I think I am losing weight. I barely eat. I have no desire to eat.
I am having my period. Some people eat more when they're having their period. I eat less. And even less since I am sick.
I am freakin' tired, but I can't sleep. I don't sleep well at night. I've been having odd dreams and I've always been a light sleeper.
My hair is crunchy and disgusting. I tried to remember when was the last time I had them washed and I can't remember. Probably three days ago which is just icky. But I don't have the time to wash my hair! I always come home just before midnight and I hate getting into the shower that late at night and if I wash them before work, I won't have enough time to let them dry.
I am just going to keep complaining until I've vent everything out.
I hate my job. I hate that Encem's away. I hate that I'll probably only see him next month. I just HATE that!
I haven't been to Sephora since December. Which surprised me, too.
My body aches. My chest aches. My heart aches. And I have puffy red eyes.

Life is NOT good.

#BeautyBlog 4

Feels like I haven't just chatted in my blog and honestly I don't know if I have anything to just chat about.

Work's been all too consuming and I'm kinda hating that part of my life right now. It's like all I look forward to when the roster comes out are my off days; when am I having my off days.. how many will I be getting this month..? It's sad.. I am having a sad period in my life, work-wise. People are leaving.. Friends are leaving, and I don't blame them. My company's been shitty to us, the little people -- to the point when customers complained about the company, I just agreed! I even told some that they're better off travelling with other airlines.. That's how proud I am of what I'm doing.

Just sad, really..

Plus I feel like I am constantly sick! I was sick at the end of last month, and was barely feeling better when I got sick again! What the hell was that? I know I am getting older (oh, life!) but my body can't have deteriorated that fast!

For that I must blame my bloody roster for not giving me enough rest to get better and fully like myself again. Just not enough time for TLC in my life now that Encem has started flying again.. Oh I won't start on that. Well maybe I will in some other entry!

Anyway, how about I move on to some things that actually gets me a lil more perky!

Painted my nails yesterday after weeks of not doing so. Tried another colour from the Ciaté Mini Mani Month and this time it was the colour Tweed And Tails. I don't know how I feel about it. Not too sure green/olive looks good on my skin. They're not bad I suppose, but I am just more comfortable with my shades of purple and fuschia I think.

Anyway, I am still loving the idea of having all these colours to try out -- even colours that I won't usually go for.

It does get a little annoying how the colour seems to separate a little in the bottle (because I've been ignoring them for a while), and they're too tiny that even when I shake it, it doesn't seem like it does anything to its contents!

I don't know.. I get annoyed pretty easily these days..

Despite being an off day yesterday, I also put on a bit of make-up, mostly to test out if I like some things really..

I had on NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Ginger, Benetint and Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow foundation in Champagne by Benefit, Stila eyeshadow in Kitten and In2It Waterproof Eyebrow Pencil in Acorn. Pretty minimal, I must say but a lot to just go down to the management's office to pay the water bill.

You know I love my NARS concealer so I don't have anything else to say on the subject. The In2It eyebrow pencil I have repurchased three times, so yeah.. I absolutely love that. It comes in a bevel and a fine tip and I adore the fine tip! It comes in two shades and I have them both for home and one more in my overnight make-up bag -- that's how much I love it. It is quite hard in consistency but I prefer to work on them than having put too much accidentally and wipe them out. They are also twist-up so no sharpening needed, always a plus point!

And Kitten is just awesome for the inner-eye highlight. Didn't know why I felt like putting it on for a minimalist look, but I did it anyway.

The products that I was really "testing" out was the Benefit products. The foundation in the particular shade looks quite orange in person but I think it looks okay on my skin? I didn't exactly put a lot of it and I did blend it pretty well, I think. It says to be a "brightening foundation" so it does have a dewy finish. It has a medium coverage, I didn't feel like I cared enough to cover my blemishes with a concealer though.

I didn't set the make-up with powder and in not more than three hours, my face looked super shiny!! It's just.. Ughh! Not loving the foundation. If you have combo skin, stay away! It hadn't even been a super hot day. Ughh!

As for Benetint, the scent strongly reminded me of rose syrup. Which makes you think if they're basically the same thing. If it is, you are better off getting that big bottle of rose syrup and it'd be WAY cheaper!

I don't hate the product, don't get me wrong. I think it works pretty well to give a nice bit of healthy tint to the lips and cheeks.

I'm sure you don't know this but I am really pale without any sort of make-up on and without the Benetint on the photo above, I would've looked as sick as I was feeling. So yeah, Benetint is an okay product. Not too sure how it'll look on deeper skintone though. The one thing that irked me about it was the fact that you're supposed to dab the product with the applicator and then blend with your fingers.. Now, I find that half the product just stained my fingers instead of the intended areas which is really annoying! It really felt as if you had just played around with those rose syrup concentrate!

Oh and since it's a stain, it does nothing for you really, than to leave that stain. So if you have dry lips, you'll still have dry lips -- but with a healthy pink tint! Wa-heyy!

Anyway, I just haven't been too impressed with the Benefit's products that I've tried. Kinda disappointed really. They're just one of those brands that I've always wanted to try, like Benetint, I must've wanted to try it since I first ever laid eyes on Benefit products.. that was yeaarss ago!

Fun fact: apart from lip balm, blusher was the first ever make-up that I bought! (Because I was so pale..) I remember getting a pinky Maybelline one (that looked a lot like the Dream Bouncy Blush but with a hard, powdery consistency) from Guardian that I even wore to school sometimes!

I remember getting 'caught' or more like noticed by a teacher once who asked if I had a blusher on and I just laughed and ran away! Hahahahha.. Such a rebel!

Anyway, I still have some more things to try from the Benefit purchase I made.. I don't know, there is still hope that I might like SOMETHING!

Lush haul!!

..NOTTT!!

I was in Mumbai earlier this month and all I could think about was getting some of those Lush bath bombs to try out..

Unfortunately, even after doing a bit of Googling with the limited wi-fi, the internet failed to inform me that the two Lush stores that was closest to the hotel where I was staying is closed! Talk about a waste of time.. and energy!

To mend my broken heart, I sort of spoilt myself to my first MAC purchase -- oh surprise, the Face And Body FOUNDATION!

I've been wanting to try it out so badly so I didn't feel guilty for buying this one, it's just that I didn't really need to get it THEN especially since I had just bought that NARS Sheer Glow foundation last month!

Oh well.. I suppose my blog will write itself by the end of this month.

MAC in general are cheaper in India apparently. I was browsing around the store with a colleague who uses MAC and she was pretty stoked to get her stuff at a cheaper price.
I suppose now there's more than JUST Himalaya products to buy from India..

Another purchase that I made abroad were these Essie cuticle oil and base coat! I was at the airport in Male, walking around to kill some time while waiting for the aircraft when I saw the Essie display. I was pretty excited! It was the first time I ever saw Essie products so of course I had to get something!

After a quick look around, I decided not to get any of the nail polishes since I have loads of those but now that I've tried the base coat.. know that Essie has that wide brush that I love.. oooh I am so tempted to get some the next time I see them!

Funny that I thought I was going to come home without spending a single dollar during my stay -- I stayed in my room all day, not a single step outside my room until call time because I was just SO SICK! -- and then bam! Essie display at the departures hall..
Oh well, what can you do?

I'm still not a hundred percent, which blows. Roster's been bloody packed and flying with a flu and a cough is just not great. Apparently I am flying for 85 hours on a 28-days month.. That is a damn LOT if you ask me. And I am ending the month with a standby so I won't be surprised if I'll hit 90 hours by the end of it!
It is just no wonder that I am sick, really..

Pinhead

Not too sure how well you know this about me but I am a Hard Rock Cafe Pinhead.
Even I forget about that sometimes; when people asks me what my hobbies are, I would immediately think of coffee and the buckets of 'em that I love drinking.
Started off in 2006 when I got my first HRC pin from Amsterdam while Dida was getting the Leather Classic series tee to start off her collection.
I love that Amsterdam pin.. It couldn't be any more Dutch than that!

Since then the leather-logo tee has been discontinued, so Dida had to move on and started to collect the Wood Panel series tees and I carried on with my guitar pin collections.

I mainly collect the ones shaped like a guitar. Ones that depicts the city, and not from the core collection since those are just too blah.. (The only reason I would get the core collection would be if the Rock Shop didn't have any other guitar pin!)

And I normally buy just ONE from one location. I don't know.. I'm an odd sort of pinhead, maybe? I guess I collect them more because of "I've been there" instead of "while I'm there".. does that make any sense?

Anyway, I love how I can practically tell a story of each and every pin, how I acquired them and the adventure it took to get them! Which is why I'd never consider trading my pins with any of the other pin collectors whom have approached me. It's also interesting to see what others would get me when they actually bought some for me.

I've never been to the States so obviously the ones in my collections weren't hand-picked by me. And Bestie somehow always end up getting the Burlesque girls for me; which I think says a lot about him! HAHAHAHHA!!

Despite getting these pins as tokens sometimes, I still want to go to each location myself! Being VIP in the Rewards program means that I will be rewarded at a certain numbered visits.

So yeah, no Ebay purchase will do it for me. Suppose it's like a challenge to myself.

Plus, it's something to look forward to when I go to some place new. Kinda irked that I only knew about Jakarta's new location once I was back from my trip. Also of Andheri on the night before I left Mumbai.. gahhh!! NEXT TIMEE!!

You could see Dida's tee collection on her Facebook album here and my pin collection here. Can't remember when was the last time I updated that though.. Probably a long time ago since there's 58 photos on there while my pin locker on the HRC collector's club has eighty-something!
I guess it's about time that I update that album..

Oh, in case anyone was wondering about the custom-made case that holds all my pins, it was actually a birthday present from Encem three years ago..?

He's awesome like that.

Delivery madness!

To be honest, I'm not really in the writing mood but it's been a while since I blogged and I promised myself an entry a week! So despite having a pretty tiring week, followed by a pretty awesome family gathering yesterday, I decided to blog anyway since tomorrow I'll start another cycle of tiring work-week!

So I apologize in advance if this post turns out to be a half-hearted, rambly entry..

Feels like the end of January is pretty much all about deliveries and well, online shopping!

A lot of offers popped up and to start it off, I shall confess that I DID spend some dough for the Benefit Cosmetics sale-bration that I blogged about earlier of last month!

The delivery came in so neatly packed with one of those tissue paper wrap and though it was delivered through normal postage (one that does not require you to sign off), the Show me the love tin that I bought arrived undamaged. The one thing that irked me a bit about the postage though was the fact that since it does not require to be signed off, the postman just placed the box in front of my apartment door! It was quite large, it didn't fit into the post box nor in between the bars of my gate and he just left it there!
Good thing no one actually bothered to steal the package!

Anyway, apart from the tin, I also bought the sample size of the Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow! foundation, It's Potent! eye cream and two of the Badgal Plum mascara. Why two? Because I've been meaning to try it out and they're discontinuing it and for 12 dollars, I told myself, "what the heck!". hahaha!
Also with any order, you get to select two samples so I picked the Hoola bronzer and The POREfessional: Agent Zero Shine samples which was pretty cool for a sample as it came with a little brush too!

I haven't tried these products enough to say what I really think about them so perhaps I'll have a proper opinion in the coming months.
The only product that I've been using everyday is the mascara and.. meh.. Now that I've tried and tested it out, I can happily move on with my life. It claims to intensify your eye colour and I don't think it did that at all. And as for my lashes, Maybelline still makes the best mascaras in my opinion! (They're Real! is pretty good but it's bloody expensive for what it is! So I'll be sticking to Maybelline once my mascara stash are gone.)

The second delivery that came in was from Luxola, and though I didn't get the full sleep-set that I had also blogged about, I did get the Deep Sleep Pillow Talk duo. I've only used the pillow spray twice and so far so good. I'm not too keen on the smell to be honest but for the two times that I've used it, I've been having long uninterrupted sleep. Not too sure if it's because I've simply been too pooped to be woken up in the middle of the night, or that the stuff actually works! But I'll be carrying it along my hotel stays and we shall see..

The other thing that I bought from Luxola was Sleek Makeup's i-Divine Vintage Romance palette.
Yes, it is another eyeshadow palette and God knows I don't need another one. But it has such gorgeous colours and I said to myself how it'd be perfect for work when I saw it when it first came out some months ago.

The palette is on sale on Luxola and since I'm buying the sleep-set anyway, I figured might as well that I just get it then.

I do love the i-Divine palettes. I love how slim and sleek the packaging is. Vintage Romance is the fourth palette that I got from Sleek Makeup and for $12, I think they're well worth the money! (Luxola sells them for RM51.50, normally.)

sidenote: Sleek Makeup do ship internationally for less than $5!

Since I am using Naked 3 when I'm doing my makeup from home, these i-Divine palette is pretty much my outstation palettes! The ones I have are the Ultra Matte V2, Oh So Special and the Primer Palette. I would recommend getting any of their palettes except maybe the Primer Palette since they're not really "primers" per-se (not on my lids anyway!) but they're still gorgeous colours.

Looking forward to use the Vintage Romance palette tomorrow morning! I love a good purple shade on the lids..

#BeautyBlog 3

Let's talk a bit about skincare..

I am not going to say what really works or anything since my skin hasn't exactly been awesome lately..

But I am going to tell you what I've been liking these days anyway..

Soap & Glory's Peaches And Clean and the Beauty Sleep Accelerator. Both these products smells wonderfully like peaches and if I'm being honest, that's the reason why I like it so much!

Peaches And Clean is a mild sort of cleanser. Perfect for nights when I hadn't had a full face of makeup during the day. Well, I could probably use it even if I have been wearing tons of makeup but I usually gravitate around a scrub or mask on those sort of nights. (Soap & Glory Scrub Your Nose In It.. Love it!)

And though the Beauty Sleep Accelerator doesn't exactly help me get to sleep any faster, I do find that the peach smell calms me down and puts me into a slow mode. Not necessarily puts me to sleep, but definitely makes me want to be in bed all cozied up.

So yeah, I am definitely liking these two things. And they don't break me out or make my existing pimples any worse. The cleanser comes in a pretty huge bottle so I suppose I won't be talking about any facial cleanser anytime soon.

Chai Love.

Ever since we got the Caffitaly System S14 from Woolies, it has seem like we don't ever drink anything else around the house, Bestie and I.

We got the machine for AU$49 (a bargain!) when CBTL sells them for RM 980 for their Kaldi machine (a VERY similar design!) on their website.

Now, being a (self-proclaimed) coffee connoisseur I surprised myself when I  find that I am mostly obsessed with the Gloria Jean's Chai Latte capsules! I have never been a tea drinker, never even tasted a decaffeinated coffee.. I have always been a through and through, full blown coffee lover!

So yeah.. Chai latte! I am totally into it!

But only the one from Gloria Jean's it seems. Tried the one from CBTL and it's nowhere on the same par. The CBTL capsule tasted a tad sour, like it has a bit of tamarind in its ingredients. Don't know if it actually does, but it sure do taste like it did!

In case you didn't know what a chai latte is, it is basically flavoured milk tea. Usually spiced with cardamon, clove or ginger. I suppose if you ask for "chai" in India they would simply give you a cup of milk tea since that's what it means.. "tea" (but they normally drink it like us Malaysians, when you ask for "teh" in a shop, they'll send you a cup of tea with condensed milk already added.)

So in India, they're called "chai Masala".. But I've had one in Hyderabad once and I didn't like it at all! It was really heaty and heavily tasted of ginger.. Ughh!

Aaanyway, I first bought my first pack of ten on a whim during my stay in Perth. Saw the capsules and said, why not? Didn't expect that I would love it so much! So much that everytime I've been out the whole day, I would say to myself that I can't wait to get home and have a cup of chai latte!

Like seriously, I'm obsessed.

I'm wondering how the teabag version of chai by the other brands tastes like. I know Coffee Bean and Lipton makes them but dare I spend on them only to be disappointed? hmm.. We shall see. Perhaps I'll try them out once I ran out of my capsules stash.

Ramble ramble..

If I'm being honest, pay day isn't 'til next week but already I'm window-shopping online.
And if I'm really truly honest, I am actually looking for presents.. sigh. I'd much rather shop for myself really (hahahha!) but I really should find something for the two people in my life whose having their birthday next month.
Is it weird how engrossed I get when finding presents for people?
I myself appreciate getting practical things, but normal practical things aren't great for gifting especially when the receiver could easily get them on their own. So the challenge is finding something that may or may not be a luxury to that someone that is still practical in their everyday lives.
THAT'S my definition of a perfect gift anyway. Luxurious practicality.. hahahha!

It's like how Bestie gave me that Ciaté Mini Mani Month.. It's not necessarily something that I need, but I LOVE painting my nails, and I definitely wasn't going to buy it myself!
So anyway.. his birthday is coming up next month so here I am, glued to the laptop window shopping for inspiration.

Instead of finding things for people though, I find myself being distracted by this instead;

If you know me, then you know that I'm basically nocturnal. I really have a hard time falling asleep at night, and not for the lack of trying! I'm staying away from any medications, and would much prefer trying out a natural way to help me sleep. I don't know.. This whole set is a LOT of money though.

Anyway! I'm pretty sure that I have an idea of what to get my friends next month.. Kinda excited to get them the stuff!

#BeautyBlog 2

NARSissist Spring 2014 Gifting

SHITE!

How am I supposed to save when I am tempted this way, damn it!! The eyeshadow palette seem to be in that "goood" category as mentioned in my resolution post.. shit!

It'll retail at US$79.. Like.. seriously.. Bloody hell!

I wish I wasn't such a NARSissist..

I think I should keep my resolution.. right? It's only January. I should hold out 'til the REAL good stuff comes along.. Right?

Moving on to my first official beauty-buy this year, I saw that the Revlon's Colorburst Matte Balm has finally arrived to our shores during my nighstop in KK last week -- no, I have not eyed on them (the exact words from my resolution) physically but I have been wanting them since their release in The US.

Let's just say that I had a mix of excitement, followed by a small cuss when I saw the display.

And though I didn't need to get any new lip product, I reasoned that there is nothing wrong with getting a nude shade since I lost Honey of the Kissable Lip Balm Stains that was in my snatched sling-bag. After a quick deliberation, I decided on the shade Complex which is a beautiful cream nude with a slight browny-peachy tone. (On me anyway.)

The product feels good when applied, no tugging on the lips.. and as all the other crayon lippy products, it is very easy to apply! I highly recommend this product if you love matte lipsticks.

I can't comment on the staying power since I eat whatever no matter what's on my lips! Plus, pretty much everything is drying when you're in an airplane! hahahaha!

I'm like the WORST beauty blogger, so thank God I am not actually one. Just someone who writes about beauty.. sometimes.

Anyway, no signs of the Lacquer Balms yet.. But I don't think I can find an excuse for getting those anytime in the near future.. (Too many lip products to go through!)

PER/KUL/KTM

This has been a pretty cool week..

Mostly because I've been visiting places with cool temperatures! Ha!

Earlier this week I flew to Perth which was supposed to be in the summer but the nights were actually 12-ish degrees Celcius. No complaints there of course; I'd like to think that that is my kind of weather!

It was a pretty short stay, one that only allowed me to go to Woolworth and grab some necessities. (Coffees mostly!) Went a little nuts with the Caffitaly capsules, spent AU$50 on them pretty much! Hahahahhaha!!

At least I know that I'm good for the rest of the month. Those capsules are sold at RM 20+ at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf for a box of ten while I got it at AU$6 for a box of sixteen from Woolies! I'd call that a good bargain so yeah, that's one reason to jump for joy!

The day after coming back from Perth, I flew to Kathmandu. It was my first time nightstopping there so I was really looking forward to it!

What's fun about the whole trip was the bit where I flew with all girls and they were all not too far from my batch!

They've been there multiple times so they showed me around. Our hotel was actually within walking distance to one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Kathmandu, The Boudhanath Stupa.

I must say that the whole atmosphere kinda called to my artistic side and you'd probably notice from my Instagram photos..

The weather was brilliant, it didn't rain at all so I had a wonderful time walking around to see what Kathmandu has to offer! It was as dusty as any Indian countries I've been to though, so my shoes changed colours by the end of the day!

Overall, my week was pretty awesome! I look forward to another day in Kathmandu in the future. Perhaps next time I'll bring along my Diana+ or my Nikon. I haven't been to any place worth the trouble (of carrying a film-camera) in such a long time.

And now I got an extra day off because there was some scheduling error/changes in my roster so instead of having to do a Xiamen turnaround tomorrow, I get three solid days off! woohoo!

Have an awesome week ahead, dear readers!

2014

Oh shucks.. guess it's time for me to go a lil' deep (ha!) and talk about something of more substance..
I blame the moody weather. It's been raining pretty much everyday here in Bukit Jalil.
Also The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty.
That movie is the shiz. Reminiscent of The Alchemist. To me at least. I find that the movie is interpreted differently by the audiences. Some would see it and say that the movie is about travelling.. I saw it as a whole lot more. Are we even remotely surprised? (I wasn't.)

If you haven't seen that film, you better! It's one of those movies that anyone could enjoy.. but if you're someone like me, you might end up leaving the cinema feeling a tad bittersweet and.. poignant.

It's been a week of 2014 and things have been alright so far. Nothing major happened so there's nothing much to tell. Though I must say that I have been having less emotional breakdowns for the past couple of months.. which was great! I'd been crying over a lot of things at the first half of last year and that just went away somehow.
I haven't been too crazy about work though, which isn't so great. I hate the days when I have to remind myself to smile. There's nothing worse than having days like that.

Of course like everyone I've set a few resolutions for myself. To no surprise, most of them revolves around finance. Surprisingly I didn't jot down "eat healthy" for once.. probably because I haven't been eating a lot of junk anyway, and I haven't been eating much altogether! Perhaps I should write down "eat" instead. Dieting didn't at all cross my mind, but I am just.. uninterested. Which is sad, I know.

Actual resolution worth sharing includes;
1. For every clothing that I buy, I must throw/give away a piece that I no longer wear.
I have way too many clothes, really, yet I keep wearing the saame things over and again. (Then say that I have nothing to wear, of course!) So in hopes to de-clutter my wardrobe (and maybe life) I am starting with that. I have also just set aside a big bag of clothes that I no longer wear yesterday. Yayy!
2. No girly-things splurges unless something really good comes along, or I've been eyeing on that certain thing for more than say.. three months.
I shop way too much last year. Way waaay too much! So I am putting my foot down on splurges. Buys are okay, but no more splurges! I am planning to hold off on splurges until November; that's when the good sales comes along and all the awesome holiday sets comes out! teehee..
3. Enough shoes, bags and jackets!
Seriously, I have a problem in this area too apart from my make-up stuff. As I was sorting my closet yesterday I find that for someone who lives in the tropics, I have way too many jackets, sweaters and scarves! And though I believe that there's nothing wrong for having a shoe for every mood and occasion, owning SIX boots is a bit too much, don't you think?
4. Slow down on the cigarettes, Starbucks and Coffee Bean.
Well, this one is no stranger to my new year's resolution..
5. Blog again.. Once a week at least.
Hence, the regular updates again! I feel like ever since I've become an iPhone user, I've been extremely distracted from my normal habits like reading and writing. In a way, I love that it keeps me occupied when bored (which is pretty often) but I'm not impressed by how easily it kept me away from my first love. I blame myself, really.
Anyway, since I've been into beauty related things lately I figured that I will have things to write about every week. I could probably alternate between life and beauty each week. Or just beauty stuff when my life gets too boring. *sigh*

Okay, I had a pretty good two days off from work and now I better start packing for my trip. It will be a long week for me, Perth tomorrow night and Kathmandu a day after that!
I hope everyone is doing well and keeping safe. Have a great week!

#BeautyBlog 1

Guess I'll start like a series of girly stuff that I am into in this blog..
So if you're not into that, keep away from my blog when you see the hashtag.
I haven't found the right mood to talk about 2013/2014 yet, so I'll skip that new year's entry for now..

Benefit Cosmetics is having a SALE-abration online and I can't help feeling intrigued by the offer.
When you use the offer code WINTERSALE at checkout, you will get free international shipping with $75 order. I know, 75 dollars is not a small amount of money.. (about RM 250 according to XE.com) but I've been meaning to get (and try out) some things from the brand.
Wouldn't this be a great opportunity to do so?

Oooh, the temptation..
For $36, this set includes a full size of Benetint, a full size of They're Real mascara and a deluxe-size sample of The POREfessional in a cute little tin!
I do need to get a new mascara soon. They're Real is a pretty good mascara after all and the mascara alone is retailed at RM 85 here! (Although to be honest, Maybelline's The Falsies is still #1 in my book!)
Anyway, I suppose you'll know soon enough if I actually purchase anything during this sale-abration. I'm still contemplating.. Trying to be strong, really.

This offer is valid 'til the 17th and if you're in the US, you get free shipping with any order! (Lucky bitch!) If you are from Malaysia like me, and wouldn't want to spend RM 250 to get the free shipping but still want to get something from the brand, the standard shipping rate is $18.95. (About RM 63.. ughhhh!!)
Might as well ask around if your friends want to get something too.. Or buy your girly girlfriends their birthday gift in advance! That's what I do to justify my shopping most of the time anyway..
HAHAHHAHAHAHHA!

Happy New Year!

I had a good start of 2014..

Though I didn't get to spend new year's eve with loved ones (two years in a row, now) I did get awesome colleagues on my three days trip!

We had new year's eve in Bangkok which was different.. Despite the political chaos there, it was pretty safe to wander around the city as everyone was in such a party mood.

The streets were packed, the malls were packed, pretty much everywhere was packed with Thais!

We arrived at noon and went straight out into the city to bask in the atmosphere. Not exactly my thing, to be honest. There were just TOO MANY PEOPLE!!

But anyway, what I wanted to do the most was to check out the NARS counter in Siam Paragon and Boots just outside of the mall! Hahahahha

So anyway.. I did my final purchases of 2013 there..

The original plan was to only "check out" the prices at the counter and then actually purchase the items on my wishlist at the airport as they would be duty free there. But Siam Paragon had a sale while I was there, and as the prices were cheaper than in the store back home, I decided to just grab the chance!

Since these items had been on my wishlist for a good few months at least, I have done my research!

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in the shade Stromboli. This retails at US$ 44. In KL it retails at RM 165. I read in a blog somewhere that it was around THB 1450 at the airport. At Siam Paragon itself, it is retailed at THB 1700 (VAT!) but because of the sale (15% off), I got mine at THB 1445! I consider that a bargain.

Of course it could've been even more cheaper at the airport since I might get some sort of a staff-discount. But I don't want to deal with the disappointment in case my shade wasn't available.. I'm happy enough to get it cheaper than in KL to be honest!

Anyway, I can't tell what I think of this yet   since I've only used it twice. This is also my very first time owning a high-end brand foundation so my opinion on it wouldn't be fair since I only have drugstore/pharmacy brands to compare it to! (Not sure if I'd mentioned this anywhere but I don't even own anything from MAC!)

The other item that I got was the lipstick that I've been wanting, the Semi Matte Lipstick in the shade Funny Face.

($26 in the US, RM 90 in KL and THB 990 in Thailand! After discount it was THB 841.) I've asked three times for it at Pavilion but it never seems to be in stock. Oh well, I've got it now!

The other two items in the photo of my 'final purchases' were a sample of the face primer that I got with my purchase at Siam Paragon and the foundation pump that I bought at Pavilion the last time I was there.

Yes, I bought the pump before I got the foundation.. I am just that nutty!

Oh and the only item I got from Boots was Soap & Glory Peaches and Clean cleanser that was RM 20 cheaper than in Sephora KL! Aghhh! I was so irked that that was all I got left in my purse or I would've stock up on a LOT of the Soap & Glory stuff!

Okay, gonna stop rambling now. I had so much fun and laughs with my crew, but not enough sleep for the past three days.. Tomorrow's pick-up is at 3 am so I suppose I should head to bed now.

Hahahahahaha!

Have a good 2014, dear readers..

Perhaps I'll write an actual, sappy kind of new year's entry sometime this week!

Friday 13th Haul

I got pretty awesome pressies on my birthday this year and I can't just shut up about it! So I am going to share them with you right here.. I don't mean to brag, I am just super duper excited about them!

The first was no surprise as Mami actually asked me if I would like one -- and yes, I really don't mind another as my make-up stuff were overflowing the clear traincase that I got from Sephora!

It's black, it's huge and also comes with a shoulder strap! Hahahha! As if I am actually travelling with all my makeup, but it's a nice touch. I have not transferred my makeup into this traincase yet though. Before I do that I need to make room on my desk where I get ready first!

Mumu gave me a bag of things;

A vanilla scented candle, Soap & Glory Beauty Sleep Accelerator cream that I was eyeing on the last time we were in Sephora together (which she got, and I asked her to let me know what she thinks of it!) and a funny keychain of quotes on shopaholics! Hahahaha.

Dida got me a pair of martini glasses.. There was a point in my life when I was obsessed with looking for one that was nice but not crazy expensive! I guess she found them and I love it!

I don't even drink martinis (or alcohol for that matter!) but I like having the occasional Shirley Temple in a fancy glass at home..

Encem got me a set of CBTL/Caffitaly capsules that is some sort of the sampler of all the flavours available. It has one each of everything and I find it hard to take one out of the box and leave a gap in it! Hmm..

 

Bestie went overboard this year and did a two-parter of my birthday present;

First he (and Gracie) replaced the Moleskine that he gifted me last year that was snatched a few months ago (I still miss that awesome Star Wars pocket diary!) with this awesome Lego edition Moleskine..

Then a week later he left me a Ciaté Mini Mani Month on my dresser without saying anything! I came back from work, hung out in the living room just chatting with him.. Finally got into my room to take off the uniform (after almost an hour, I think) and there it was! I actually teared up because it was TOO FREAKIN' AWESOME!!!

I felt like hugging and slapping him at the same time! I guess I'll be spending the next two months figuring out what to get him for his birthday..

I myself spent quite a bit (that's an understatement) with the excuse that it is my birthday month. But of all the things that I spent on, this is the ONE thing that I felt like a total birthday splurge;

A large jar Yankee Candle in Crisp Apple Strudel that cost me S$35! I saw the stand while nightstopping in Singapore and told myself that I HAVE to get something! Wasn't planning to get the biggest size there is but Bestie talked me into it!

No regrets though.. The whole apartment smells as if I was baking an apple strudel everytime I burn the candle and it is just awesome!

Awesome as long as I don't work out the currency exchange that is! Hahahahaha

It's been a good month, and I had a wonderful birthday.. I am grateful for the friends and family that surrounds me..

I totally forgot to thank those who wrote me birthday messages on my Facebook wall, is that terrible? I always thought it was cheating because Facebook reminded them of my birthday anyway.. As if all those people would remember on their own! Oh well..

Thank you God for the family and the little friends that fills up my heart.. Alhamdulillah.

Two days 'til new year!! Eeeep!

Follow Me

I'm on a beauty-blog mode, so please bear with me..

I am slowly but certainly starting a collection of NARS products; started with the concealer and eyeliners that I got while nightstopping in Bangkok, then the blush palette that I bought online. Then NARS opened up a store in Pavilion Mall.. *dun dun dunn* I got the lovely satin lip pencil last month, and since then I've bought a lipstick and a nail polish!

So today I'll be writing about the incredible nail polish that I got from their Guy Bourdain Holiday Collection!

This Opaque Nail Polish in the shade Follow Me retails at RM 60. Described as "deep fuschia" on the website, I would have to say that it is pretty accurate. And when they say "opaque", they really meant it! I only had ONE coat on for the picture!

Formulation-wise, it was a dream to work with! If it had came with a wide brush like OPI or Ciaté it would've been perfect! But even without the ideal brush, this is easily one of my favourite nail polish! (Being a NARS product has nothing to do with it!)

The thing that I need to point out though, is the fact that the retail price in the US is $19, which according to my currency exchange app, the nail polish is actually cheaper here (surprise!) where as OPI nail polishes that are also sold at RM 60 here is actually around $9 to $12 in the US!

I don't know about you, but that price difference kinda irks me a bit.

Makes me want to get all the Opaque Nail Polish that I can get my hands on, except that I have way too many nail polishes already!