Silkygirl Double Intense Eye Shadow & Silkygirl Moisture Shine Lipstick Review

Alpro has a warehouse sale going on in Jaya 33 now and I purchased the Silkygirl Double Intense Eye Shadow in 05 Silver Star and the Silkygirl Moisture Shine Lipstick in 08 Moonlight Pink.

I've never tried any Silkygirl eye shadow before this but since this was deeply discounted, I thought that it would be a great way to give it a try and if it doesn't work out, at least I didn't spend an arm and a leg buying it.

I tried on both products today. I applied the Double Intense Eye Shadow over my NYX eyeshadow primer and was pleasantly surprised as there was no fall out from  either color during application. I applied them using my Zoeva brushes and not the sponge applicator that it came with. I also had no problem with the colors looking washed out or fading on me. I must say though that the silver grey shade is growing on me.

Okay, so I didn't need to purchase ANOTHER lippie but it was cheap! The Moisture Shine Lipstick is a pretty pink. This product has been discontinued, I think, as I didn't see it at either of the two Silkygirl stands that I went to recently.

This is not a lipstick for those of you who prefer a lot of color pay off. This lippie feels moisturising enough when first applied but I found that it tends to dry my lips after a few hours. I have to wear this with a lip gloss otherwise my lips will chap and chapped lips are certainly NOT sexy ;)

All in all, I'm quite pleased with my two purchases at warehouse prices!

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Silkygirl Double Intense Eye Shadow in 05 Silver Star | 3.2g
RM6.00 (I purchased it during the Alpro Warehouse Sale; Normal Retail Price is RM16.90)
Made in Malaysia
Available in Guardian, Watsons

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Silkygirl Moisture Shine Lipstick in 08 Moonlight Pink
RM5.00 (I purchased it during the Alpro Warehouse Sale; I think this product has been discontinued as I could not find it at any of the Silkygirl stands in town)
Made in Malaysia
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Flip Flops

My well used flip flops :/

Thankful

I'm thankful for the kid who came down immediately when I called her to move her car (as she was blocking mine) and for the one empty parking space available when I got back from my errands today :)

Thankful

I woke up late this morning and got ready in a mad dash. I was out of the door in half an hour and am grateful that there wasn't heavy traffic on the way to work thanks to the closure of schools due to the haze.

I got to work just in time to get my preferred parking spot before it was snapped up by someone else --- Phew!!! About a minute after I parked, the covered car park was full! I'm thankful that I got to work just in time!

Note to self: (a) Must not fall asleep while surfing the net and (b) must remember to set the alarm on phone before going to the land of nods.

The Odds...

Went to 1-Utama today to drop off a package at the post office after work last night and while I was there, I saw a TRAVEL PROMOTION starting this Wednesday.

What are the odds that exactly ONE DAY after I make my flight bookings I see promotions to the same place that I want to go to??? To think that I waited so long to make my decision and then THIS happens!!!

Think I should check out the promos just to torment myself???

The e-Ticket Adventure

I've been looking around at flight deals for my upcoming December holidays for a past couple of weeks or so. As is normally the case, I take a mighty long time to come up with a decision as I like to do loads of research to know that I have looked at all the possible options out there.

So I finally got my act together and decided to purchase my flight tickets online. After weeks of careful planning, making sure that I selected the right flights, I finally clicked on the purchase button and then, I got a big, fat, NOTHING!!!

Okay, so that wasn't really true --- Sure, the booking number appeared on the screen but I figured that there was no need to copy it down since I would get an confirmation email anyway that would contain my booking number, right? Wrong!!! I received NO confirmation email!!! Opps... maybe I should have had a pencil and paper on hand and copied down the booking number.... Too late now as the screen had changed and I no longer could access that page --- RATS!!!

Hmmm......maybe it was a little slow in the tube getting from wherever it was supposed to be generated to me. A few minutes came and went.... and then half an hour went by...still nothing in my email inbox.

I decided to drop an email with the air carrier's help desk. Let me tell you that it is an unnerving feeling especially when you have paid a lot of $$$ and the almost immediate text message from your bank confirms that the $$$ has already been billed to your credit card but you have yet to receive a confirmation email of your booking! Now what?????

As it turned out, the confirmation email containing the e-ticket was a late as I received it a few hours later (close to FOUR HOURS later, to be exact), but hey, it finally came in..... and all was well and I could finally go to bed (it was a quarter past 12 midnite by then).

My Regular Brekkie Joint

This is the place that I go to for a few minutes of sanity before I start my work day.

Fragrance Samples

Got some fragrance samples from Sephora recently. I've still got quite a bit of fragrances to go through before I can treat myself to a new purchase but there's no harm in trying out some samples in the meantime!

Empties September 2015

These are the empties in September 2015:

1. Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser
Love this cleanser. I've already repurchased another bottle. I transfer the product into a pump dispenser so that I don't waste the product squeezing it out from the original bottle.

2. Johnson's Baby Skincare Wipes  20's | Ultra Sensitive | Fragrance Free
Bought this pack out of curiosity. I used them to remove makeup.

It says that it's fragrance free but it does has a baby powder sort of scent. Price-wise, this was definitely more expensive than the Tesco Baby Wipes.

I also found these wipes a tad too moist for my liking.

Repurchase? Probably not as I prefer the fresh scent of the Tesco Baby Wipes (and they are a lot cheaper too --- Score!).

3. Daiso Silk Facial Oil Blotters | 100 sheets
This is my default purchase when it comes to facial oil blotters.

Sad :(

What good are all my knowledge and skills if I can't help you? You keep saying that you can't do it. You keep pushing my offer to assist you away. You can't do it, you say. I wish that you have greater faith in me and believe me when I say that you can. You just have to try....Try...that is all I ask of you. Don't give up, please.....

Your endless refusals never fail to remind me of what I already know....that I can only help those who want to be helped. It's hard for me to stand by and watch you deteriorate. Can't you see that I love you too much to want to let you do that to yourself? I know that I'm your least loved child but knowing that fact will not stop me from hoping.....hoping for that one day when you might have a change of mind and welcome my help...

Serenity

ahhh.....nothing like a serene day just watching fish swim :)

Brekkie!

I have an appointment with the doc and this is my brekkie.... yeah, I know, it's ironic, isn't it?

My Knackered Flats

I guess this just goes to show just how much walking I do daily. I normally walk from my office to the mall nearby twice a day, once in the morning for breakfast and once in the afternoon for lunch. Oh well, at least this would justify my next shoe purchase!  

I Dropped My Compact Powder!!!

Arrrggghhhhh....... I dropped my makeup pouch one morning when I just about to get out of the front door for work. The whole makeup pouch just kind of dropped from my bag onto the floor. And yes... my almost finished NYX Stay Matte Not Flat compact powder foundation broke to bits :(

Oh well, on the brighter side, there's just a little bit more product to use up before I move onto my Naked powder by Revlon.

In case you're wondering, I still carry the NYX powder foundation with me in my bag as the lid is pretty tight and I don't have any problem of having the powder spill out. I intend on using up every last bit of it!

Brekkie at The Gardens Mall

Brekkie was good :) Yum!

Tesco Loves Baby 30 Moisturising Baby Wipes

I'm not a brand snob and am always game to giving house brands a try. Hey, if I can save some bucks for similar quality products at lower prices, why not?

This is my budget friendly solution to makeup removal wipes. It's gentle and it doesn't irritate my skin. On top of that, it is not super wet like some other baby wipes and it smells refreshing (and no, it doesn't smell like baby). It removes my makeup well and is also super affordable. Love!

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Tesco Loves Baby 30 Moisturising Baby Wipes
RM3.49 (I purchased it when Tesco had a promotion going on for two at RM3.49)
Made in Korea
Available in Tesco
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Names

The baby is unfortunately named Andrea. Now, while that may sound pretty normal and even mundane within the western context, this particular Andrea exists not in the western world. There is nothing western about Andrea. Neither of her parents are westerners. In fact, they are as Malay as you can get.

So what were her parents thinking of??? They have obviously not taken into account the context of the surroundings that they exist in when they were selecting a name for her

Ha, be prepared to have your child complain later on that people are ask her if she is Muslim or not...and when she says that she is, they would want to know why she has a non-Muslim name (oh yes, there are going to be people who would want to know that). They might even want to know if she is Malay (pigeon holing people into their respective race categories seems to be a very big thing around here).

Andrea's mother comes from a kampung. She married a city boy. I guess she married up. She doesn't feel comfortable speaking English around more fluent speakers. Perhaps this name choice is more about  Andrea's mother's aspirations to white wash her child in the literal sense?

I think it is important to name your child with a name that would reflect her belonging within the context of the immediate society that she will be raised in. It is important that the name of your child reflects her cultural background as well. After all, shouldn't we all be proud of our respective heritages?

Kipling Fans Day | One Utama

Meet Thijs (hmmm.... strange name but each Kipling gorilla is named after a Kipling member of staff.... perhaps these are his initials???). 

He is part of my Kipling Fans Day door gift in One Utama (the other being the cupcake which was yummy --- have I ever mentioned that I simply looovvvveeee cupcakes???).

The door gifts are for those who signed up for the event on the Kipling page. I decided to drop by their outlet after work since it is only a stone's throw away from where I work and I wanted to see what was on sale.

I'm happy to say that there was nothing that I wanted and I walked out only with the door gifts. I had only recently (in May) purchased a bag and a wallet, both of which I love. I'm happy to say that both are holding up well to my daily use :) I'll only make another purchase if I really need to. In the meantime, I'll enjoy my current Kipling gear :)

Empties August 2015

These are my empties for August 2015:

1. Tesco Loves Baby Gentle Baby Wipes (80 Sheets)
This is what I use as makeup wipes. It smells nice, it's gentle and, most importantly, doesn't cost an arm and a leg --- Score! I've since repurchased this product.

2. Tesco Everyday Value Facial Cotton Pads (100 pieces)
I actually prefer these to the covered cotton pads. I find these nice and soft on my skin. I use these to remove my eye and face makeup at the end of the day.

These were sold in twin packs and I'm on my second pack now.

3. Guardian Facial Blotter (100 Sheets)
This is one of the products that I regret buying. The paper is thick and not very absorbent. To make things worse, I bought not only one but TWO of these when Guardian had a promotion going on in their stores.

As I am not one to waste products, I am plan to go through the second pack. Definitely not a product that I would repurchase.

4. Essence Long Lasting Eyeliner in Berry Merry
Hmmm... This was a product that I purchased out of curiosity. Read the review about it here.

Despite the many rave reviews about this line of products, this is not something that I would repurchase as I think that it is quite pricey for the amount of product and wear that you get out of it. The color doesn't really last that long and I think there are better quality products out there.

Not going to repurchase this one.


Well, like everything else out there, not everything purchased on a budget is going to be great. But then again, you could purchase high end products and still not be pleased with the quality that you get. I digress..... Still, there are many good products out there that you don't have to break the bank to purchase.

I love my little experiment purchases and I especially love it when I am pleasantly surprised when I discover a gem :)

Grateful

Today, I'm grateful for:
1. Getting to a Section 14 safely
2. Having no problems renewing my car road tax
3. Being able to assist a blind man to the door of the post office while I was there renewing my car road tax
4. Being able to buy lunch from the food truck and thus having a different sort of lunch than what I would normally have
5. Being able to park my car in Jaya Supermarket which is super close to the places I needed to go to to do my errands
6. Finding that the parking space that I vacated at my office was still available upon my return from my errands

7. Everything going smoothly and quickly without any hiccups

Freeman Charcoal & Black Sugar Polishing Mask Review

I've been considering buying face sheet masks for quite a while now but most of my online research have found them to be not at all effective. My own experience of sheet masks in the past years ago have not been so memorable either.

Then, there was also the budget factor as sheet masks costs a lot more per use and I didn't want to buy something that did nothing much for my skin.

So, I decided to look at the conventional types of masks which was when I discovered the Freeman Charcoal & Black Sugar Polishing Mask. It comes in a tube and I figured that I was getting more for my money per use compared to sheet masks.

I purchased this product a couple of weeks back as I felt that my face was grimy from all the makeup that I've been wearing day in and day out and my skin needed a good scrub. I have since used this product three times so far.

The Charcoal & Black Sugar Polishing Mask is not like  the other masks out there. In fact, it's more of a scrub than a mask. It contains no parabens which is something that I like about this product.

I get a warm sensation when I first apply it on my face. It is grainy in texture due to the sugar in it and it is not a product that you can smooth on as a normal face mask. With this product, I kind of have to pat in onto my skin. It also has a nice citrusy scent but the scent doesn't last long after I've washed it off.

I leave it on my skin for about 7 minutes (as per the directions on the tube) and then massage it for a bit before rinsing it off.

I love using this product when I feel like I need some me time and pampering :)

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Freeman Charcoal & Black Sugar Polishing Mask
RM20.00 (I got mine for RM15 as I had a RM5 store voucher)
Made in USA
175ml
Available in most drugstores
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Of Hitting Pan

Okay, these are the makeup products that I've hit pan on:

1. Stila Color Convertible in Magnolia
I just love this cream blusher. I got this in the Stila Glow and Behold Gift Set that I purchased around Christmas last year. When I first got it, I did't think that the colour was all that exciting but I was pleasantly surprised when I tried it on my cheeks. It gives my cheeks a natural flush. I wear this to work everyday.

2. NYX Stay Matte Not Flat Powder Foundation
This was purchased around this time last year. I use this as my setting powder. It's an okay product, nothing brilliant.

I'm looking forward to finishing this product so that I can move on to other products.

3. Catrice All Round Concealer Palette
This was purchased early this year and as you can see, I have only used the middle three colors.

I like that this product is not so thick as I find thick concealers tend to look cakey on my under eye area. In fact, all three of the colors that I use are creamy and easy to blend.

I use the salmon color to hide my dark under eye circles and then apply the darkest skin tone shade on top of it. I then use the lighter skin tone color as a highlight in my inner eyes to give me the bright eyed and awake look. This is another one of the staple products that I wear to work everyday.

I may have hit pan on these products but I bet that I still have at least another three months to go on the Catrice All Round Concealer Palette and at least another six months to go (if not more) on the Stila Color Convertible and NYX Powder Foundation.

Glutton

Fat people spend a lot of time talking about food. What a waste of mental energy.

The Female Brain

On being sour grapes after being told that she would be a tutor to another colleague who gets to play the role of lecturer:

"...but the students don't like her." --- Do you have to make such remarks about your colleague in order to feel better about yourself? Are you indirectly saying that the students like you better? What a sad person you are. Since when did being liked equate to being effective as an instructor?

The female brain places waaayyy too much importance on being liked. 

Lies People Choose to Tell Themselves

Why do people tell lies? Has it got to do with self perception or are they just delusional?

Talking about losing weight to be healthy is one thing; you can make plans to cut down on your food intake and exercise and talk about it till the cows come home but you've got to carry out the plans if you want to see any sort of change.

Nobody is suggesting that you loose weight. If being clinically obese is your thing, fine, each to their own. I guess, you don't love yourself enough. You choose to continue to take chances on your health. Well, carry on doing what you're doing. Just DON'T keep asking me what I think.

I'm tired of listening to you talk. Please don't waste my time.

Empties July 2015

These are the  product empties for July 2015:

1. FA Deodorant Purple Passion
I purchased this in a pack of three on one of my trips to Dubai. It keeps me smelling divine :)

2. Benefit Maybe Baby Body Lotion 200 ml
This is the second tube which was purchased on ebay years ago and which I rediscovered in my closet recently. I really love this product and am so sad that it's been discontinued :(

3. Simple Clear Skin Oil Balancing Moisturiser
I used this as a makeup remover.

4. The Body Shop Vitamin E Moisture Cream 15 ml
This is another product that I discovered sitting in my closet. This was a freebie that came with the purchase of other products from the Body Shop. This is another product that I used as a makeup remover as I don't use moisturisers and I hate to see a product go to waste.

5. Daiso Silk Facial Oil Blotter
This is one product that I keep repurchasing over and over again.

Insults

Please, please, please stop the insults. I'm tired of your small mindedness. Grow up.

Essence Long Lasting Eye Pencil in Berry Merry Review

Okay, I've used the Essence Long Lasting Eye Pencil in 18 Merry Berry for a week now and I'm ready to do a review on it.

I purchased this eye liner after reading numerous positive reviews about it online. Unfortunately, my experience with this product isn't as positive :(

This is an automatic eye liner which doesn't come with much product to begin with. Although this is a soft eye liner, I have to apply quite a bit of this product before it shows on my skin. So far, it looks like I've used quite a bit of the product and it's only been a week! I'm not expecting this eye pencil to last very long, by the looks of it.

Considering how much product needs to be applied per wear, it's really not a cheap product for the price paid.

The colour, a beautiful satiny plum color when first applied, doesn't seem to look the same by the end of the work day. It fades and loses its intensity :( It loses its satiny plum color and looks more brown at the end of the day --- go figure! I find this a let down.

The Good

• It's soft
• The color looks beautiful when first applied
• It's an automatic eye liner and is convenient as no sharpening is required
• The packaging color is reflective of the color of the pencil inside which makes it easy to identify the color that I want quickly among my other eye pencils

The Bad

• Not much product to begin with
• The color fades throughout the day
• I need to apply a lot of product before it shows on my skin
• Looks like it won't last me a long time
• The price is not as cheap as it may appear to be in the beginning when you factor in the price per wear

It is unlikely that I'll repurchase this product.

Update August 29, 2015
I've finished using this product. It only lasted me for seven weeks. A little bit of this eyeliner broke on me when I was applying it one morning. 

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Essence Long Lasting Eye Pencil in 18 Berry Merry
RM12.60 (Available at selected Watson's outlets)
0.28g / 0.01oz
Made in Germany
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Empties June 2015

These are the things that I finished in June:

1. Guardian Facial Squares 100 Pieces

2. Lux Soap in Magical Spell 

A frugal solution that costs a fraction of the shower gels that I used to purchase although I still do enjoy treating myself to shower gels from time to time.

3. Body Shop Japanese Cherry Blossom EDT 50ml

This came as part of my birthday gift set from my sister a few years ago. The gift set consists of a shower gel (which was the first to be used and finished), a body lotion, a body mist spray and an EDT (just finished) which all came in a gift basket. 

It's an okay scent and not something that I would purchase for myself.

4. Daiso Silk Oil Blotters
My favorite oil blotters that I've repurchased this product a zillion times!

Treat: Essence Long Lasting Eye Liners

I caved in and purchased two Essence Long Lasting Eye Liners after reading so many good reviews about them. So far, my only Essence purchase are my Essence Lipstick and the Essence All About Matt! Fixing Loose Powder, both of which I love.

I got them in colors 18 Berry Merry, which is a purple, and 19 Hot Scorch which is a copper brown with glitters in it (something different from the normal brown that I usually have). 

The formula seemed soft when I swatched the testers at the store. I'm looking forward to testing them out to see how long they really last.   

Urban Decay Sheer Revolution Lipstick in Sheer Anarchy Review

It's been a looonngggggg time since I last purchased a branded lipstick. I think the last branded lipstick I had was the Dior lipstick which was purchased many years ago (I kid you not!). So yeah, this was certainly a long awaited treat in the branded lipstick department.

I purchased this lipstick in the last Sephora Black Card Members Sale in May as the whole store was 20% off and yes, it was an impulse purchase and certainly a splurge in my books!

I went there to purchase just the Stila Color Convertibles that I had been eyeing on but somehow, while browsing the stands, I came across the Urban Decay Sheer Revolution lipstick line and the rest, as they say, is history.   

I love, love, love this lipstick. It goes on smoothly and the formula is moisturising (matte dry lipsticks don't do it for me). 

Now that it's Ramadhan and I don't eat during the daylight hours, I actually discovered that this lipstick fades after about 4 to 5 hours. Before this, I thought it was due to eating and all that water sipping that I do throughout the work day. But hey, I'm not complaining as I love the formula.

The color, when it fades, stains to the reddish color. It doesn't look fuchsia at all.

Anarchy is a color that when I swatched it at the store, I just had to have it (yes, it was that bad!). It's a pretty fuchsia color. I've been using this lippie almost every day lately. It makes me feel good. *Love*

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Urban Decay Sheer Revolution Lipstick in Sheer Anarchy 

RM 85.00 (I purchased mine for RM 68.00 during Sephora's 20% off storewide sale in May)
2.8 g/ 0.09 oz

Made in USA

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Free Cetaphil Sample

Look what arrived in the mail  a few weeks ago. This is a product that I like and it's one that I don't mind having a sample of :)

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser Review

This is the cleanser that I've been using for almost the past four months or so.

It's a really mild cleanser which takes some getting used to in the beginning as, unlike many other skin cleansers out there, its consistency is pretty runny. It also doesn't leave my skin feeling dry. I haven't experienced any skin issues after beginning using this product. Thumbs up!

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Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser

RM 28.45 (I purchased mine during Guardian Pharmacy's sale)
250 ml
Made in Canada
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The Body Shop Love Gloss in Sweet Peach Review

I got this as a freebie from the Body Shop somewhere in November last year in exchange for writing a review for one of their products on their facebook page.

Yup, I got it and somehow, didn't open the packaging till today because somehow, the color seemed too blah and far from exciting to me.

Well, I finally got around to opening the packaging today as I needed a clear lip gloss to go on top of my lipstick and wow, it made me wonder what  took me so long to open it! It smells of peaches!!! I just adore the smell!

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The Body Shop Love Lip Gloss in 17 Sweet Peach

Normal Retail Price: RM 49.00 (I got mine FREE!!!)
7.5 ml / 0.25 fl oz
Made in Thailand
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Kipling Polka dot Print Wallet Review

I went to the Kipling Members Sale Preview last week in 1-Utama solely because my then wallet was disintegrating to the point that it was kinda embarrassing to be seen using it and I was looking for a replacement wallet.

The sale itself was mega crazy. There was barely any room to move in that tiny store!

I got this wallet for 40% the original price. It was still pricey after the discount but I desperately had to get a new wallet and let me tell you, I have been looking for a replacement wallet for a long time already and have yet to find something that I liked, until today, that is. 

I have since used this wallet a little over a week now and so far, I love it! It has two zippered compartments, one for cards and the other for cash and coins. I like that the zippers are in fuchsia which contrasts with the polka dot prints. It also feels  comfortable in my hand --- something that I find is important to me. 

Review: Stila Blooming Bright Convertible Color Trio

Sephora recently had a Black Card Members Sale with 20% discount storewide.

I saw the Stila Convertible Trio Sets (there are two to choose from) a few months back and put them on my wish list.

My wish list is one that I create in my head of things that I'd like to have but I'm not sure if it's something that would be something I would really use or just an impulse purchase. So when I see something, I normally don't purchase it immediately but instead wait a little bit to see how I would feel about it much later.

When I received the member's sale text message from Sephora, I  just had to go as I'd been eyeing the Stila Color Convertible Trio for quite some time and thought that I would drop by on the off chance that they might still have them.

I already own a full sized Stila Color Convertible in Magnolia which came  in the set that I purchased last Christmas and I love it and wear it everyday. Magnolia is not a bright color and is easy to use. It also gives my cheeks a lovely flush of color that looks natural.

So, I've been wanting to try out the other colors in the line but since I'm on a tight budget, I didn't want to purchase them at full price.

These are limited edition, I think. I thought that the small packaging would be ideal for me since very little is needed for each wear and I would prefer the color variety over the quatity of product. I've been using my Stila Color Convertible in Magnolia to work every day and I have yet to hit pan!

The Blooming Bright Convertible Color Trio is made up of the shades Lilium, Petunia and Hibiscus. These cute little sizes come with a mirror inside the compact!

At first, I found the colors difficult to blend out when applied using my fingers as the colors are quite bright. 

I later discovered a method of applying cream blushers online and decided to give it a try and I'm happy to say, it works! 

What's the method, you ask? Well, apply I these colors using a make up sponge and dab the color onto my cheeks. It gives me more control as to where I want the color to go and also the intensity of color that I want.

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Stila Blooming Bright Convertible Color Trio

RM 70.00 (I purchased mine for RM 56.00 during Sephora's 20% off storewide sale in May)
2 g/ 0.07 oz

Made in China

_____________________________________________________________

Gratitude Day 16

Today, I'm grateful for:
1. Having the time to attend an online webinar
2. Having the energy to go for a run after work
3. Doing a quick exercise routine after my run
4. Having the talk with Idz
5. Having a cool shower after the run & workout
6. Having the complaints as it makes me reflect on how I carry out my work
7. Being able to go for a run when my brain feels challenged.... I've got to do this more often
8. 

Gratitude Day 15

Today, I'm grateful for:
1. Having a day off work....wooohoooo!!!
2. Having the energy to wash Chocky
3. The sky not raining down on me while I was out there washing Chocky
4. Having the energy to go for a long extended walk
5. Bumping into a friendly stranger (with a walking stick) while out walking
6. Being able to feed a kitty in the plaza
7. Getting some grocery shopping done in the early afternoon
8. Getting to snooze in the afternoon :)
9. Getting 10k steps done today --- yay!!!

Gratitude Day 14

Today, I'm grateful for:
1. Being able to snag the last two HeatTech hoodies on the shelf for Grizz
2. Having the energy to walk over 17k steps today :)
3. Finally checking out the Book Xcess outlet in Farenheit
4. Getting a black cardie at a steal of a price! (It's certainly been a long time since I bought something that cheap!)
5. Not blowing a lot of $$$
6. Finding bargains
7. It not raining while I was out today :)
8. The loos not being full in Pavillion
9. Today being super busy despite it being a public holiday today (perhaps most people are spending the long weekend out of town)
10. Going to the city with Ole Faithful :)
11. Doing a little clear up before leaving home in the AM.

Gratitude Day 13

Today, I'm grateful for:
1. Having enough rest
2. Finding John Green's book despite not finding The Rosie Project at the $9.90 book sale
3. Having enough time to browse the books before the store closed for the day
4. Not spending too much at the book sale
5. Going to the book sale with Ole Faithful :)

Gratitude Day 12

Today, I'm grateful for:
1. Not having to go to work... It's Labour Day --- Yay!!!
2. Having the time to catch up on my reading
3. Just having the day to laze around!

Empties: March & April 2015

These are my empties for March and April:

1. Johnson's Baby Lotion
I used this as a makeup remover.

2, Simple Purifying Cleansing Lotion
I sometimes have a reaction towards this product and it doesn't really remove makeup as much as I'd like it to :/

3. Benefit Maybe Baby EDT 50 ml
Love, love, love the scent. This is something I discovered sitting in the dark corner of my closet. It was something I purchased and forgot about until years later! This product has sadly been discontinued :(

4. Nivea Invisible Anti-Perspirant
Does this work? It still left marks on my black clothes :(

5. Daiso Silk Oil Blotters
My favorite oil blotters which is always a repeat buy.

Gratitude Day 11

Today, I'm grateful for:
1. Waking up and remembering to transfer payment to pay for my loan.
2. Having a sweet colleague who got two reams of photocopy paper from the main office.
3. Bumping into Zalina and having a good chat with her 

Gratitude Day 10

Today, I'm grateful for:
1. Seeing the Secret Recipe kitty again after many days of not seeing her...wonder where she went...
2. Being given the heads up about potential problems with students/ parents so that I have enough time to prepare evidence.
3. Being able to find a parking space in Mid Valley after work (who would think that it would be difficult to find a parking space then, huh?).
4. Getting to Mid Valley in less than 45 minutes from work (after work hours).
5. The relatively affordable and quick dinner at Mid Valley.
6. The free seminar conducted by JY's disciples.
7. Getting home safely...thank you Allah.

Gratitude Day 8

Today, I'm grateful for:
1. Remembering just in the nick in time to send in my income tax return (I had it prepared but was giving myself some time to mull over it in case there were other claims that I needed to add to my returns).
2. Seeing that the Inland Revenue Department owes me $$$!!! Yay!!! :)
3. Having food at home.

Gratitude Day 7

Today, I'm grateful for:
1. Going back to reading books
2. Having the energy to prepare my own meals at home :)
3. Purchasing scones at the 2 for 1 price
4. Taking Ole Faithful out for a drive

Gratitude Day 6

I'm thankful for:
1. Waking up early this morning and having the time to catch up on my reading in the early hours and to have another snooze after that!
2. Making my own brekkie at home --- yum!
3. Having the strength and energy (physically and mentally) to go get my maintenance fees paid up to date.
4. Being able to hijack someone else's parking space (I know, I know, that was naughty of me) for the time that I was there to get my bills paid.
5. Getting home just in time before the angry rainstorm started --- Phew!!!

Gratitude Day 5

I'm thankful for:
1. Being able to treat myself to a Mango Frappe at San Francisco's Coffee.
2. The friendly and smiling barista who took my order at San Francisco's Coffee.
3. Not losing Tesco's yellow chip coin (I had left it on the passenger seat of the car).
4. Finding checkout lane 35 free of any customers when the other lanes were busy in the grocery store.
5. Not having to pay for parking (I did it all in the 3 hours of free parking time --- yay!!!).
6. Waking up totally refreshed from the 12 hour long sleep that I had last night (yup, what had initially supposed to have been a nap turn out to be a lot longer! I was totally zonked out!).

Gratitude Day 4

I'm thankful for:
1. Having the time to get started on working on the Teaching File student work samples.
2. Not having misplaced any of the students works.
3. The Nasi Lemak breakkie that was purchased for me. The serving was so big that I didn't need to go out for lunch --- yes, I saved $$$ !

Gratitude Day 3

I'm grateful for:
1. Not spending a lot of money today
2. Going to work and getting home safely
3. Having the luxury of time at work to do research for my next batch of classes

Gratitude Day 2

I'm grateful for:
1. Having RM15.60 off on my grocery shopping ( RM3.00 Off Voucher for Friskies, RM0.60 Off Voucher for F&N Ginger Ale and RM12 Off for Purchases RM80 and above Tesco Voucher)
2. Having the energy to cook dinner once I got home with all the shopping
3. Finally dropping off two of my many bookcrossing books (and thus reclaiming some space) at the bookcrossing zone in The Curve
4. Not "bumping" into the snake in the stairwell! Having collegues warn me just in time --- phew!!!

Gratitude Day 1

1. The Kitty I've been feeding at work didn't run away when I took a peek at him. Instead, although he was wary of me, he looked back at me.
2. Having the time in the morning to fix myself a quick breakfast to take to work.
3. Having a car and getting to work safely.
4. Having leftover food for an early dinner when I got home from work.

Dr Cafe at The Curve

Armchairs, Mocha Frappe....Just me making myself feel at home while working in a little cosy little nook in Dr Cafe at The Curve. 

FYI Dr Cafe at The Curve is currently running a promo. My Grande Mocha Frappe cost me only RM6.

Mc D's Breakfast Day

My Mc D's free Egg Mc Muffin. I decided to give the Latte a go since I was given coupon for it. Not being a coffee person, all that caffeine left me jittery for most of the morning!

Catrice Photo Finish 18 Hour Liquid Foundation Review

I've been using this product every day for over a week or so now and I'm ready to write a review on it.

The Catrice Photo Finish 18 Hour Liquid Foundation comes in a 30 ml frosted glass pump bottle and a clear cap. I like the pump as it's pretty easy to control if I want to dispense less than a pump of product. This is an oil free foundation and it is creamy in texture.

I get a light to medium coverage when applied with my buffer brush and more of a medium coverage when applied with a makeup sponge. Personally, I find that this looks better on me if I apply it with my buffer brush instead of a makeup sponge.

Finding a matching shade may be a problem for many people as there are only three shades to choose from (I wish they would make more). I bought mine the shade 020 Rosy Beige which I think is a tad too light for me when I first put it on in the mornings but I find that the foundation oxides as the day goes on and then, it looks okay on my skin.

I read somewhere that this is a dupe for Makeup Forever's Mat Velvet. This foundation doesn't transfer as much as the Bourjois 123 Perfect foundation. Once on the skin, it feels light and it lasts around 5 hours on my extremely oily skin before my oil blotters have to come to the rescue. Around mid day, I normally would blot my face and apply setting powder and that lasts till the end of my workday.

Overall, I love this product. I have read many complaints about the rosy scent of this foundation but I have no issues with it. The best thing about this product, I think, is that it's great value for the price.

The Good
The price!
It's a good quality product.
The pump dispenser allows me enough control to dispense less than one pump for product.

The Not So Great
The colour selection is small (only three shades, to be exact).
The rosy scent may be an issue with some people.

Update May11, 2015:
I purchased the next shade 030 Caramel Beige as I found the shade that I had initially bought, 020 Rose Beige, to be a little bit light for my skin (yes, this was only after 6 weeks of wearing the lighter shade!). In order to not waste the lighter shade, I now mix the two shades together.

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Catrice Photo Finish 18 Hour Liquid Foundation | 30 ml 
Made in Germany
Retail Price: RM 37.90 (I purchased mine for RM26.55 as it was on 30% discount)
Available from selected Guardian outlets
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My Wild Catrice Photo Finish 18 Hour Liquid Foundation Chase!

After weeks of looking at and visiting the Catrice foundations in Guardian, and reading as well as watching reviews on their two foundations online, I finally decided to give it a go. So last Saturday, I went to Mid Valley Mega Mall with one thing in mind --- to purchase the Catrice Photo Finish 18 Hour Liquid Foundation from Guardian's.

Once there, I decided look around the mall and to purchase the foundation only on my way out of the mall as I didn't want to be loaded with stuff as I walked around the mall. As luck would have it, when I finally went up to the cashier after a long wait in the queue, I was asked by the sulky cashier if I had another card on me other than the Amex that I had given her because  apparently, she said that it takes a long time to get an approval code on Amex. Tired and turned off by her less than polite tone and non-customer oriented attitude, I asked for my card back, told her to cancel the purchase and walked out. Yes, it was something that I would have liked to have but not something that I had to have as I still have about another half bottle worth of my Bourjois 123 Perfect Foundation left (even though I wear it to work everyday!).

The following day, on Sunday, I was in KLCC and once again, I visited the Catrice stand there but decided not to purchase the foundation then as there was a long queue at the check out counters. Then Monday rolled around and lo and behold, what did I see on my FB feed --- Guardian announced that some selected makeup brands were going for 30% less and one of the brands was Catrice!!! WooHoo!!!

So yeah, I made my way to the Guardian in IPC after work and finally purchased a bottle of the Catrice Photo Finish 18 Hour Liquid Foundation. I guess, I was lucky that I didn't purchase the foundation just two days earlier as it on only a 10% discount then instead of the 30% discount when I purchased it yesterday. Mmmm.... can't wait to try it out!

Oh, btw, all the Catrice products were going at a 30% discount and I was going gaga just looking at the prices. I had to keep reminding myself that I still had A LOT of fairly recently purchased makeup to use up before I can reward myself with more.

Joey Yap's Feng Shui 2015 Seminar Encore

Learning on a Sunday. I love his seminars.

There's this annoying male usher-er who is insisting that I close the gap and sit in the row in front of where I have already seated myself. I know, you are only doing your job but I'm stubborn and choose not to move. Sorry. He's clearly not impressed when I tell him that other people will come in and and those seats will be occupied... only not by me.  

Empties: February 2015

Just thought I'd share with you my empties in February 2015:

1. Minnie Mouse Cotton Facial Pads   150 pieces
Purchased this in Guardian while it was on sale. Thought that the packaging was cute.

2. Daiso Facial Oil Blotters
I use the ones in the box at home. Not brilliant but it does the job, so I can't complain.

3. Daiso Facial Oil Blotters
I usually have a pack in my handbag for use throughout the day when I am at work. This isn't the kind that I would normally purchase at Daiso but they were out of my regular ones and I was desperate for some!

4. Nivea Anti-Perspirant Spray in Energy Fresh   150ml
This is one of my repeat buys from time to time.

5. Clear Anti-Dandruff Shampoo   350ml
I've had this for AGES!!!

6. Benefit's Maybe Baby Body Lotion   200ml
Purchased this years ago and forgot all about it until I rediscovered it recently. I simply adore this product. It's a shame that it has been discontinued :( And oh, it's got tiny shimmers in it that can only be seen when light shines on your skin. I love, love, love the scent!

7. Marks and Spencers Peach and Almond Bath   500ml
This was my treat purchase last Raya. While the product is good, the scent isn't something that I am likely to repurchase. The bottle is pretty and I'm saving it to be used for other products that I buy in refill packs.

On Time and Self Development

I think I shouldn't waste time and should instead use it wisely. So this is the plan: I'm going to spend at least an hour on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday on self development.

I started day one of self development yesterday by reading a book I found in the library entitled, "Money Smart: Secrets Women Need to Know about Money".

I'd have made good use of my time if I learn something.

Silky Girl Moisture Boost Lipcolor Balm Review

I'm always on the lookout for a good bargain. Guardian recently had a buy one get one free promotion and the Silky Girl Moisture Boost Lipcolor Balm was one of the items offered. I figured that it would be a good time to try out this product as I have been curious about this product but was not about to break the bank and pay the full price for it but since it was going at half price each, I thought, "Why not?".

So I purchased mine in Coral and Ruby. I've so far have only used the Coral one and I find that it doesn't feel as moisturising as my Essence lippie but it doesn't feel drying on the lips either. I was quite surprised to find that the colour lasts a lot longer than I expected since it is classified as a lip balm. I also like the bright  Coral color. By the way, the coral color is much brighter in life than in the photograph.

According to the Silky Girl website, this product doesn't contain fragrance, parabens, carmine and isn't tested on animals. So that ranks pretty high on my list.

I couldn't get any information on the amount of product that you get but by the looks of it, it seems to be less that your normal lipstick. That's kinda okay with me as I like to have the colour variety and one lip color lasts a mighty long time for me.

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Product: Silky Girl Moisture Boost Lipcolor Balm
Retail Price: RM20.90 (I purchased mine during the Buy 1 Get 1 Free Promotion at Guardian Pharmacy)
Product Amount: 3.2g
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Key chain

Meet my new key chain. This guy was just too difficult for me to pass up on. I just had to purchase him. I use this specifically for my thumb drive as it would make it more visible especially when it's in my handbag that has got LOADS of stuff.

A Makeup Trick I Learned and It WORKS!!! :)

My super oil slick skin drives me up the wall sometimes. I've recently been experiencing my makeup transferring onto my handouts when I happen to touch my face and then the handouts (not cool!). I initially thought that perhaps I should be on the lookout for a more matte foundation but I recently came across this video tip on youtube from one of my fav makeup artists and I am eternally thankful for it.

If you're like me, all you need to do it to apply loose powder all over your face BEFORE you apply your foundation. That's it! It's that simple! And best of all, it WORKS!!! My makeup lasts a lot longer now. Now, this is not a miracle solution as if you've got oily skin, your skin will be what it is --- oily! BUT this tip will make your makeup last a lot longer than normal. This tip has helped me save $$$ as I no longer feel the need to run out and get myself another bottle of foundation and I can now look forward to finishing my current bottle of foundation. Hope this helps! :)

Essence Almost Famous Lipstick Review

Drugstore makeup have certainly come a loonnngggg way since I was a teenager. They used to be cheap and nasty. That, I'm pleasantly surprised to discover, is no longer the case now. Nowadays, it's pretty easy to get good quality makeup products at a budget from the drugstore.

I bought an Essence lipstick yesterday. Up until very recently, I had no idea that this brand even existed! I happened to stumble upon it on the Watsons online store website and upon research discovered that many bloggers and vloogers were raving over Essence products.

For the uninitiated, Essence is a German drugstore makeup brand. It's not available in all drugstores in Malaysia, only in selected Watsons outlets. I literally had to hunt it down to find it!

I was actually looking for 'All About Cupcake' lipstick since I'd read many positive reviews on it but discovered that the shade was more of a light pink (I swatched the tester). Then, I tried swatching 'Almost Famous' and discovered that although it's a red, it has a touch of pink to it. Although reds are not colors that I would naturally veer towards, I figured that I would give this one a go since it seemed pretty. It's been a looonngggg time since I used a bright lipstick colour and it took some getting used to but like I said, it's such a pretty colour.

As always, I only bought one lipstick to try out as I have never purchased any lipstick from Essence before and was curious to find out how I would get on with the formula. My first impression of the product is that the formula is really creamy and moisturising (something really important for me as my lips tend to dry out rather easily). The color is sheer but buildable. There are no shimmery flecks in it, something which is difficult to come by nowadays. It also has a yummy scent which I like.

Like most other moisturising lipsticks, it doesn't last long before requiring a touch up but this doesn't bother me as I'm used to it and in fact, expect it to not last long. Long lasting colors tend to be very drying on my lips.

I have only applied the lipstick from the tube thrice  so far and the lipstick bullet looks like it's moving around in the packaging and getting squished into the sides of the lipstick packaging just from the pressure applied when using the lipstick (hmmm...that explains why the testers were all swished up and messy). I'm worried that if I carry on applying this lipstick from the tube (as I do with other lipsticks) the lipstick is going to break. Yes, it is that soft of a formula! Looks like I'm going to have to use my lip brush for this lipstick to avoid from squishing it further. Apart from that though, I'm generally pleased with my purchase.

____________________________________________________________
Product: Essence 44 'Almost Famous' Lipstick
Retail Price: RM11.90
Available at selected Watson's outlets
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Valentine's

Will you be my Valentine?

Grateful

Today I'm grateful for:
1. the quiet lunch hour that I had
2. having been excluded from the lunch that was provided by the 60-something part-time staff and thus saving on calories :)
3. the gift of the cookies by a more civil colleague

I'm grateful for having more than enough. 

Of Immaturity and the 60-something-year-old

Something happened at work today to reinforce what I already know to be true --- age is certainly no indicator of maturity.

Case in point: A 60-something part-time staff came into work with lunch for everyone in the office  except for the head of the department (and yours truly). For your information, there are only seven of us in my department.

When I came back from lunch (I normally take my lunch early ahead of the lunch crowd), they were all in the office eating at their desks. The head of department was there too and she was looking over their shoulders and making remarks about being left out of the lunch fest as they were busy stuffing their faces. She was whining and they all just ignored her.

I found it all very strange behavior on the part of all the parties involved. I mean, why openly exclude anyone? What good is it going to do anyone? Why not be diplomatic and get food for everyone? Wouldn't that give you the fuzzy feel good feeling? Wouldn't that feel good vibe result in not only a happier you but also a healthier you? I think it was immature to exclude anyone from a food fest. Openly excluding anyone is not about them but about you. It just seems like some people have never played in the sandbox as children.

On my part, I wasn't really upset about not having had been included in the lunch fest but I did find the whole thing extremely strange though... By not buying lunch for me (it was nasi lemak, by the way), she saved me the calories. No complains there! Like everything else, I choose to focus on the positive. I can't change the people around me but I can change my perception of the situation that I'm in.  

Catrice Ultimate Lipstick Review

Catrice is finally here! After reading reviews on the net, I decided to give this brand a try.

I purchased the Allround Concealer Pallette and the Ultimate Colour Lipstick in 140 Pinker-bell. I haven't tried the Allround Concealer yet. I purchased it because it has the pink colour concealer and I'm curious to see if the pink will cancel my under eye circles.

I wore the lipstick today and it lasted a lot longer than I thought it would. It was moisturising enough (a VERY important requirement on my lipstick buying list). I love the bright colour.  It's a pigmented creamy lipstick that goes on smoothly.

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Catrice Ultimate Colour Lipstick 

Price: RM19.70 (Price is after 10% discount at Guardian Pharmacy)
Product Amount: 3.8g / 0.13oz
Made in Italy

Catrice Allround Concealer

Price: RM17.00 (Price is after 10% discount at Guardian Pharmacy)
Product Amount: 6g / 0.21oz
Made in China

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Steve Madden Handbag

I've been browsing for a nice, trendy and affordable handbag suitable for work recently. Oftentimes I would find something I like but the price tag is just way out of my budget and not something that I can justify splurging on.

I went in to the Nine West store in the Gardens Mall and saw a brown coloured bag that I liked but unfortunately, they didn't have one in stock (they just had the display bag). So, after asking them to check out for stocks in other stores, I was directed to the Nine West outlet in Robinsons which is just around the corner and in the same mall.

Upon getting there though, I discovered two things: one, the bag that I was after, although was displayed on the shelf in Robinsons, they too, didn't have any in stock and two, I saw the bag that I eventually purchased in the Steve Madden outlet which happens to be right next to Nine West. Although I liked the Nine West bag's design, I preferred the material of the Steve Madden Bag more. Moreover, the Steve Madden Bag was slightly cheaper than the Nine West bag, so, win! :)

After finding out recently that Maybank Treats Points have expiry dates and are good for only 3 years. So, with that in mind, I went ahead and traded some of my Maybank Treats Points for Robinsons gift vouchers and purchased this Steve Madden handbag :)

I'm glad that I didn't purchase the bag in H&M a few months back. This bag looks way nicer :) It's roomy (read that to mean that I can thrown in loads of things into it including a book, newspaper, a bottle of water for those hot days and perhaps small shopping purchases on top of my regular handbag things) and hopefully it'll last me a long time.

On Being Blacklisted

I finally received my Sephora Black Card after months of wait. I reached my 250 points in November last year but only received my Black Card recently. The customer service of Sephora sucks.

Note: The card comes personalised with my name and card number which I have taken liberty to edit out of the photo.

AEON BiG Gift Card

My steam iron decided to retire a few days ago without giving me prior notice. I discovered this in the morning when I was trying to iron my top for work.

So, after shopping around for a replacement iron, I decided to purchase one from AEON BiG Mid Valley since I could trade in my Maybank Treats Points for a AEON BiG Gift Card worth RM105 at the Maybank Credit Card Centre in the Gardens Mall. I used the gift card to not only purchase an iron but also some groceries and I've still got a balance on the card! I'm not complaining :)