Essence Cookies & Cream Blush Cake Pop That's Top Review

I picked up the Essence Cookies & Cream blush at the same time that I purchased the Essence Cookies & Cream Hand Balm (you can read the review here).

There is only one blusher in this limited edition line and the shade is named Cake Pop That's Top.

I didn't need another blusher but the color was just hard for me to walk away from. I not only love the color but also the texture --- it's buttery soft and I just need to touch my brush a tad bit to get a lot of color payoff.

This is a shimmery sort of blusher but the shimmer particles are very fine and not noticeable. It just gives my cheeks a nice glow of color. 

I love this blusher and I'm glad that I purchased it :) 

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Essence Cookies & Cream Blush in Cake Pop That's Top

Normal Retail Price: RM15.85 (I got mine for RM11.10 @ 30% Off)

Made in Poland

Available in selected Watson's

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wooo hooo!!!

I just got back from the doctor's and my BP was 120/ 61!!! Cause for a celebration, me thinks!!!

aarrrgggghhhh!!!!!!!

It's raining outside and I just washed my car over the weekend....yes, as you can tell, I don't wash my car often and on the rare occasion that I do get around to doing it, I try to keep it out of the rain as best as I can!

Essence Cookies & Cream Hand Balm Review

I saw the Essence Cookies & Cream Hand Balm while I was browsing the Essence stand last Thursday. This is part of the Cookies and Cream line which is limited edition. It was the only one on the shelf. It only took me one sniff of the product to know that I just had to have it. It smells sooo yummy!

The packaging is cute and the texture of the hand balm is very light and non-greasy after it sinks into your skin after about a minute after application. I definitely love this product for its scent hands down! :)

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Essence Cookies & Cream Hand Balm | 100 ml
Normal Retail Price: RM10.90 (I got mine at RM7.65 @ 30% off)
Made in Poland
Available at selected Watson's
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Soap & Glory Peaches and Clean 4 in 1 Wash Off Deep Cleansing Milk Review

I've been using this product for the past few months. To be quite honest, this is one product that I really didn't need but I bought it to pamper myself and besides,  I just love the smell of peaches. 

When I first got it, I tried just using this product and then rinsing it off with water. However, I felt like it didn't quite feel clean. I now use it after I remove my makeup with baby wipes. One pump is enough to remove the makeup residue off my face.

Would I repurchase it? Well, this was a treat purchase but for the price that I paid for it, I can probably get a comparable product for the fraction of the price.

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Soap & Glory Peaches and Clean 4 in 1 Wash Off Deep Cleansing Milk | 350 ml
RM90.00 
Made in the UK
Available in Sephora
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oohhhh....

I was in Sephora a few days ago (on Tuesday, to be exact) just to browse.... The holiday sets are out and ooohhhh.... so many nice stuff! I don't need anything but everything looked soooo pretty!!!

Renewing Your Malaysian Passport

Here's what you need to know if you're about to renew your Malaysian passport:

1. Mugshots are no longer required. Mugshots are taken on the spot at the counter together with your scans of your thumbprints.

2. Wear a dark colored top as the background for the photograph is now white.

3. You need to have:
a. Your existing passport
b. Your My Kad
c. RM200

4. There are no forms to fill out for the renewal of passports.

5. The Immigration Dept in KL is situated in the Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN) and is bigger and is a more comfortable environment than the Immigration Dept in Kelana Jaya as the whole complex is air-conditioned.

6. Whichever location you decide to go to, get there early.

7. External parking is free in KDN.

8. Getting your passport in an hour's time? Yup, that's true but it's one hour from the point of payment and not from the point of you arriving at the Immigration Dept itself.

9. The whole process could take HOURS. Be prepared to wait. Bring something to read or do to kill time.

10. Avoid school holidays if you can. FYI, the whole process took me approximately four hours and twenty five minutes from start to finish today as it's the school holidays (lucky me...NOT!!!).

You can read more about my experience by clicking on the following links:
Passport Renewal Adventure Episode 2
Passport Renewal Adventure Episode 1

Passport Renewal Adventure Episode 2

Trying to renew your passport during the school holidays is to be avoided at all costs unless you're like me and you haven't the slightest clue as to when the school holidays are. I did consider having my passport renewed in December but I didn't want to leave it too late in case there were any "technical issues" going on at the Immigration Dept.

After the Immigration Office Adventure Episode 1 (read about it here), I decided to try another location and surprise, surprise, it's much closer to home!

I got there around 8:15 AM and luckily, was able to park in one of the last few parking spaces available (outdoor and FREE!!!).

The external carpark is free of charge!

Once again, the officer tasked with giving out the number was a PITA (Pain-In-The-Ass and oh, by the way, it was a female officer this time).

I got a number at 8:20 AM. I was number 1199 which means that 198 people got there ahead of me.

Number 1199 at 8:20 AM

I went to breakfast at Kayu Nasi Kandar. Nasi Lemak Biasa and a bottle of mineral water cost RM4.75. Nothing great, but at least I wasn't going to go hungry for the next few hours.

 Nasi Lemak Biasa and Mineral Water Brekkie

Kayu Nasi Kandar on the Ground Floor

At around 9:00 AM, there was an announcement over the PA system. Surprise, surprise, they were experiencing "technical difficulties" and people who were urgently in need of passports renewed were advised to go to the other branches. Many people left, I persevered. I figured that if many left, than it would work out in my favour as there would be less than 198 people ahead of me now. I'm not complaining!

At least there are ample number of seats here

My number was called only at around 11:00 AM. The procedure itself was quite quick. No pictures are required now (those are the old days folks).

Mugshots are taken on the spot now. Just make sure that you wear a dark colored top or else they might make you wear a jacket as the background for the passport pic is now white. The mugshots are in black and white now.

I then had to wait to be called again at another counter in order to pay RM200 for a five year renewal (technically only 4 and a half years since you can't do any travelling with the last 6 months on your passport).

Payment was made at 11:33 AM. The officer was nice and pleasant. He informed me that my passport would be ready for collection after 2 PM and I was thinking --- WHAT??? Still, I smiled, the guy was nice and was only doing his job.

Payment Time: 11:33:46

Waiting...waiting...waiting...

Still, I decided to wait till 12:30 just to see if I might be lucky and that my passport would be ready by then. Otherwise, I just might have to come back another day as I had spent already half a day there (and therefore, away from the office).

Luckily for me, my passport was ready at 12:40 PM. The officer at the pick up zone was female and polite too. I can't imagine how long I would have to have waited had all those folks not left after the announcement earlier in the morning.

I'm just glad that I managed to get it done today.

KLCC Twin Towers

Jewels in the sky

The fountain lit up at night

Shoes!!!

This was how I spent Diwali :)

Passport Renewal Adventure Episode 1

Immigration Office Kelana Jaya: Standing Room Only

So, it's that time again --- time to renew my passport. Having had a great passport renewal experience five years ago when the Immigration Office in Damansara was still in service and when I could literally get my passport renewed in one hour from the point of putting all of my documents and payment into the machine, I was sad to learn that the Damansara office is no longer in service :(

And so, off to the Internet I went, in search of another Immigration Dept to go to. I finally settled on going to the Kelana Jaya branch since I figured that it would be convenient since it was near my office.

As Monday was the eve of Diwali, I thought that nobody would be renewing their passports. Boy, was I in for a surprise!

As it turned out, it took me TWO HOURS to get to the Kelana Jaya office as I just could not figure out how to get from one side of Kelana Jaya to the other and I kept going around in circles and burning fuel! Frustrating as it was, I decided to persevere and finally stopped at the police station in Kelana Jaya to get some directions.

It was around noon when I finally got there and guess what --- the WHOLE WORLD was there too! It was a mad house with standing room only and there was some pushing going on, I kid you not.

Many people were irritable and the male officer who was tasked with giving out the numbers had an attitude, wasn't very polite or helpful. It was hot in there (what do you expect, small space, loads of people, go figure!).

About half an hour later, there was a announcement over the PA system about them facing "technical difficulties" and that they were only going to give out numbers to applicants under 12 years of age.

Although I had already got a number by then, I decided to forget about it since it seemed like a long ordeal. I figured that I would come back (or not, as the case may be) and give it a try another day.

I went back to the office, looked up for the location of the KL office and on the way home from work, I decided to check out the location of the Immigration Dept in KL and guess what I discovered --- it's pretty near my home!!!

Well, at least, I learned how to get to the the Kelana Jaya Immigration Office today!

Worried still

The more I know, the more worried I become :( There is much truth in the saying, "Ignorance is bliss".

Empties October 2015

These are the products that I finished in October 2015:

1. Fa Pink Passion Deodorant | 150 ml

I purchased this  in a set of three in Dubai two years ago. I like the floral fragrance. Expect to see this product reappearing again in the future as I have two more bottles to go through.

2. Guardian Wet Wipes | Sea Breeze | 10 Sheets

This was a freebie that was given to me during one of the health fairs in Mid Valley last year, I think. I found the sheets rough and I much prefer the Tesco Loves Baby Moisturising Wipes over this one.

3. Tesco Loves Baby | 30 Moisturising Baby Wipes

These wipes are sold in twin packs and this is the first pack that I have finished using (you can read my review on this product here). I used this as makeup remover wipes and it does the job! It also smells nice. I'm using the second pack now :)

4. Sunsilk Smooth & Manageable Conditioner | Trial Sachet | 6 ml
This product has a strong chemical smell and it really didn't do anything for my hair.  

Worried

I've been reading up on the subject. I'm worried. It's going to be a very long wait :/

morbid

It's a morbid thought.

The Technologically Challenged

A colleague who is in her 60's sits at the computer and starts hammering on the keyboard. She then turns to me and sighs that the computer is not working. I looked at her and switched on the electricity source. She then looks at the computer screen and says "Look, it's so slow...". I assumed that when I switched on the electricity supply to the computer that she would know how to turn it on. Well, I assumed wrong. I turned on the computer for her when she wasn't looking.

I hate to be mean, but if they are so technologically challenged, shouldn't they just stay home?