Pantai Hospital Klang Pink Charity Run 2014

I completed my very first 12k race! Yay!!!

The 12k Route Map

After the hilly 10k TM Fan Run, I'm thankful for the fairly flat terrain of this run. I must admit that I was pretty hesitant about signing up for this 12k five months ago as I wasn't sure of my ability to go such a distance.

Okay, I know that 12k is really nothing to most other seasoned runners out there but for me, it is a BIG challenge. The only other option is the 5k but I've come to a point where I feel that 5k's are a tad too short of a distance. So at the very last minute (yes, I mulled over it for a lllooonnngggg time), I took the plunge and signed up for the 12k (while at the same time wondering what possessed me to do so!).

I woke up early today to go to this event in Setia Alam (I had no idea that it was that far out when I registered for the race). This event was well organized with plenty of water and 100 Plus provided at the hydration stations. I particularly liked the watermelon served at the end of the race. There were also many pics of me caught in action on camera!

Talking about many pics of me caught on camera, I particularly liked it that one of the photographers brought his especially well trained dog to the run and the doggie was just chilling out --- a pretty cool dog!

Johnson's Baby Lotion as Makeup Remover

Yup, this is my makeup remover. It's a product that has been around for as long as I can remember. It does the job without irritating my skin and it costs a fraction of all the other makeup removers out there. What's not to like?

Getting to the Product at the Bottom of a Tube

There is normally about a week's worth of product at the bottom of a tube which you can't get to unless you cut the tube open (this is especially true for me when it comes to body lotion and moisturisers). I used to cut the tube at the very top end of the packaging but discovered that this wasn't the best solution as the product left in the packaging would be exposed to air and then cake up.

So, in order to overcome that problem, I now cut away the middle portion of the packaging and then use the top half as the cover for the lower half. In this way, it stops from the product still left in the bottom half of the tube from being exposed to air and caking up.

Simple Kind to Skin Cleansing Facial Wipes

Guardian had a one day promotion for the Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes a few weeks ago. The value pack which consists of 2 packs of facial wipes were going for RM20 instead of the usual retail price of RM25. I purchased it for RM15 since I had a RM5 Guardian voucher. Sounds like a steal right?

A pack contains 25 wipes and since I don't use a lot of makeup (I intended of using it only to clean off my facial makeup and not my eye makeup) I figured that I could stretch it out if I cut the wipes into two and thus, it would last twice as long.

This is what the product claims:

"simple goodness...

2 VITAMINS

PRO-VITAMINS B5 AND VITAMIN E

0 ALCOHOL OR OIL
NON DRYING AND NON GREASY

0 NO ARTIFICIAL PERFUME OR COLOUR AND NO HARSH CHEMICALS
SO IT WON'T UPSET YOUR SKIN

Dermatologically Tested and Approved

simple ingredients... impressive results"

I used it to remove my makeup and followed it up with Simple's Facial Cleansing Gel Wash, which I have been using for quite some time. A few minutes after washing my face, I felt a stinging sensation on  my skin. I thought I was imagining things, as I have never had a reaction to skincare products.

I went through the same routine the next time I had to remove makeup. This time, I not only felt a stinging/ burning sensation, but my face was itching as well. You see, I started feeling the stinging, burning and itching sensations only after washing my face with the Simple Facial Cleansing Gel Wash. Maybe, it has something to do with using the combination of the two products one after another?

Unwilling to let the product go to waste, I decided to keep trying to make it work. So, the following day I decided to just use the Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes and then rinse with lots of water. While this seemed to work out a little bit better, I still had the itching sensations. To make things worse, I had a small paper cut on my thumb and contact with the Simple Cleansing Facial Wipe while I was using it to clean my face resulted in my thumb feeling itchy as well, even after rinsing it with lots of water. Even as I write this review, I can feel the itching sensation, and it has been over 10 hours since I last used the product and rinsed it off with a lot of water.

I don't consider my skin to be sensitive and I am surprised of my reaction to this product, especially with its claim to be "Kind to Skin". Looks like this is one product that is anything but "Kind to Skin" as the Simple company would like to have us believe.

Apparently, I am not the only one who had allergic reactions to this product. Many other people reported similar problems, if not worse, online.

The Good
1. It's convenient and less messy than having to remove my makeup with facial cleansing lotion on cotton squares.
2. It smells fresh.
3. RM15 for two packs seemed like a good deal at the time of purchase (though not anymore now).

The Bad
1. It is certainly NOT "Kind to Skin".
2. Stinging, burning and itching sensations that can be felt minutes after using the product and doesn't go away even after HOURS of using the product and after rinsing my face with lots of water. This is definitely caused by the nasty chemicals in the product.

Verdict: Definitely NOT Recommended. Stay away from this product.

In retrospect, I don't know what got into me that day as I normally would not purchase something that I have never used before  in bulk. I normally would purchase the smallest possible packaging even though the unit price would cost me a little bit more just in case that the product doesn't agree with me.

Lesson Learned
1. Always purchase a never tried before product in the smallest possible packaging available. Better to pay a little bit more and be sure of a product's suitability with you rather than wasting money on what may initially seem like a cheaper price when bought in bulk.

2. Never assume that ALL products from the same manufacturer are going to work for you. This is one such example where I have used three of their products prior to this and have had no complaints.

I'm ditching the whole idea of incorporating the use of cleansing wipes in my makeup removal routine. My research revealed that facial wipes are one of the nastiest beauty products out there which are most likely to cause undesirable skin reactions.

I'm just going to finish my current supply of Simple products and replace them with other skin care products.

Research the Product Before Making the Purchase

I'm always looking for ways to not only save money but also to cut down on the number of stuff that I purchase and thus reducing clutter. I want to make sure that everything that I purchase is something that I would definitely use. I just hate to see things go to waste.

There are just so many beauty products out there and I just love trying out the product testers at the drugstores and Sephora. If I find a product that interests me, I don't make a purchase right there and then. I normally would make a mental note of it and do some online research by reading reviews on it when I get home. I find that it helps me make better decisions on which products to purchase and which to pass.

I think I have enough stuff in my makeup box for the time being. I have made a wish list of stuff that I'd like to purchase once I run out of the products that I'm currently using. It's sort of an idea list that I can go to when the time comes for me to replace the products that I run out of. Products are only added to the wish list after they have been researched online. In that manner, my purchases have been thought of and are planned and not made on impulse. 

Daiso Volume Mascara

I was browsing through the beauty aisles in Daiso recently and this mascara caught my eye. I've been contemplating on whether to purchase it or not for quite a while now. I'm always worried that cheap beauty products may mean dodgy quality. My past experiences with some Daiso beauty products (an eyeshadow quad and cream blusher) have not been too great.

However, curiosity got the better of me (the cute pink packaging with polka dots on it made it too difficult for me to pass it up) and I decided to give it a go. My online research for reviews on this product revealed people who love it. Besides, I figured that if it turned out to be a dud, I could just toss it out.

To be honest, I wasn't expecting much but guess what I discovered --- it's actually quite a good product and I love it! I've since used it for quite a number of times.

This product is manufactured in Korea. There are five mascaras in this line: Base Coat, Volume, Long Lash (lengthening), Long and Curl, and Top Coat. I chose to try out the Volume.

For RM5, it is certainly a great find especially when compared to Maybelline's mascaras that retail for more than RM30. It will certainly make tossing it out at the three month mark (for hygienic reasons) a lot easier since it is easily replaceable at that price. It doesn't sting my eye and I like it that it is not waterproof which makes it easier to remove than waterproof mascaras.

Pump Bottles for Beauty Products and Toiletries

The lotion cleanser and facial cleanser that I use come in a bottle and tube. I find it annoying when the original containers that the products come in dispense more product than what I really need.

So, here's the solution: I transfer the product from the original tube or bottle to another bottle that has a pump dispenser. In that way, one pump always dispenses the same amount of product and does away with the problem of having excess product being dispensed from the original container that the product came in. The products lasts longer (as you use less of it) and it's also more hygienic as your hand doesn't touch any of the unused product.

NYX Wonder Pencil Review

NYX Wonder Pencil in Light

I've read a lot of positive reviews about the NYX Wonder pencil and simply had to get myself one to find out what the rave was all about. I tried the tester in Sephora KLCC but they only had the product available in "dark" which is too dark for me. This is what I discovered, this is one product that is not easy to get hold of. I had to visit THREE Sephora outlets (yup, you read that right, THREE Sephora outlets) in the city before getting hold of the product in the shade that I wanted (yes, I was THAT determined to get hold of it).

I purchased mine in the shade "light" and I've been using this product for about a month now. It gives a more natural skin tone color than using a stark white pencil on my waterline which would look totally fake. The down side to it is that it doesn't last long but I like the look that I get. I also use this product on the inner corner of my eyes (blended out, of course) to create a more alert effect to my eyes.

I've tried using it as a reverse lip liner, just on my cupid's bow, but I think I'll need to purchase one in medium to do that since the current shade that I have, while it looks good on my waterline, is a tad too light for my skin tone. I think I'll purchase another one in the shade "medium" which would be a better color match for my skin.

It's ineffective when used as a concealer, it just doesn't conceal anything! That said, I'm just happy that it works on my waterline as an eye brightener and look forward to using it to create my cupid's bow when I get around to purchasing another one in "medium".

The Good:
Makes my eyes look more alert when applied to waterline and inner corners of my eyes...yay!!!
Affordable price

The Not So Great:
Difficult to get hold of/  Not easily available
Doesn't last long :(
Not great as a concealer

   

Ikea Pre-Sales Drama

I was in Ikea today. Thought I'd take a look around at the pre-sale event that started today since I was already in the area.

The checkout queue was manic. There were at least 20 people deep, if not more, in all the lines.

A guy (a Malay man, to be exact) in the next line started shouting at the staff. Don't know what about as I was at the checkout counter paying for my purchase. He was really losing it. The cashier, however, was polite. He apparently didn't have something that she needed and he was getting upset.

My heart went out to the cashier. It's hard work having to process so many customers in one go (I know this from personal experience). Getting yelled at is the last thing that they need, not when they are being polite and trying to do their job.

Here's some advice: if you're the kind of person who gets agitated in situations such as queuing up in sales, DON'T shop during sales or pre-sales or warehouse sales or whatever, you get my meaning. There is absolutely NO point in raising your blood pressure. It's simply not worth the hassle and headache (yours, the service staff as well as the people around you who have no choice but to witness your spur of the moment hissy fit). Shop during quiet times, sure, it's not as exciting but there will also be no drama featuring you.

Here's what I normally do when I have to stand in a very long line: I just flip out a book and start reading. Makes the waiting a tad bit more bearable. But then again, that's me. Find something to do to occupy/ amuse yourself while you wait. Getting agitated should not be it. Remember, it's about staying sane... and happy, if that's possible in such situations.

My Teatime Indulgence

Mmmmm......a Cranberry Scone with dripping butter for tea time at The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf in The Curve. It was raining out there and there wasn't anything else to do but to enjoy watching the rain fall as I had my warm scone. I haven't had this in ages and I enjoyed every bite of it :) I washed it down with Passion Fruit Iced Tea. 

H&M 1-Utama Cashier Review

I just hate it when people don't queue AND the staff on duty serves them.

Case in point: I was in H&M 1-Utama today patiently queuing up to pay. The customer who was being served before me was an Indian woman. As her transaction was completing, a family member  (I presume) with a child in tow went up straight to the counter, put her purchases on the counter and started talking to her. Even though the cashier on duty, and there was only one on duty at that time whose name in Nabiha (as stated on her name tag), saw that I was waiting in line (she made eye contact with me),  she served the second Indian woman who obviously had not queued up!!!

Doesn't H&M train their staff on how to handle such situations since quite obviously queuing up is an alien concept for those from counties such as India? Attending to them even though they have obviously not queued up sends the message that H&M condones such customer conduct and that H&M can't give a rat's arse about what their other customers think.

San Francisco Coffee Suria KLCC Review

It's been a loonnngggg time since I've patronized San Francisco Coffee and believe me that when I say a looonnnngggg time, I mean a very looonnngggg time.

Anyway, I saw that they were on MyDeal and were selling RM10 vouchers for RM6. Hmmm.... a 40% discount... so I bought some for a few of their outlets around town.

The deal on MyDeal

This review is for their KLCC outlet which I went to for brunch on last Saturday. I ordered a Smoked Salmon sandwich on Ciabatta. Not being a coffee drinker, I wanted to give their Mango Madness Frappe a go. I was told that it wasn't available. Okaaayyy... how about the OJ Did It then? That also wasn't available. Hmmm... the only frappe that was available was Guava Goodness. Okay, I went with that.

The staff who took my order at the counter was pleasant enough

This is what my brunch looked like.

The whole order came up to RM31.80, of which I paid RM30 with the MyDeal vouchers (yay!!!) and the balance in cash. The processing of the payment via the use of the vouchers was a tad slow, which I expected anyway.

The sandwich was okaayyy... but nothing to shout about. Let's just say that I've had better sandwiches in other coffee outlets. The Guava Goodness Frappe, however, was surprisingly good.

The Verdict
Had I paid the full price for the meal, I would have felt shortchanged. But considering that I got the meal at a discount, it was okay value for the discounted price that I got it for.

Cotton On Body THE SHORT Review

I did it again!!! :( Yep, I don't learn my lessons :(

I purchased yet another Cotton On product. This time it's the Cotton On Body The Short.

I just couldn't help purchasing it as I like the wide comfy waistband and the color contrast is a design plus. In my defense, it was on sale selling at a deep discount. I got it at RM15 (original price is RM59). It seemed like a great deal then...

Besides, I thought that I could use a longer length pair of shorts to wear to races instead of my usual shorts as sometimes, the shirts are unisex and are quite long and would cover the shorts that I usually wear. I don't want to give others the impression that I'm not wearing shorts under my long tee...... Anyway, I digress..... Unfortunately, this product has the same problem with two of the earlier products which I purchased from Cotton On (read about the Cotton On KRA workout bra color run here and the Cotton On Rubi shoes color run here ) --- the color runs!!!

I wore these shorts to the Vitagen walkathon yesterday and my white Vitagen walk tee was stained pink around the waistband area. However, luckily, the color washed out --- phew! I guess that was because it was still damp when I threw it into the wash and maybe the washing detergent that I use is super great at avoiding color stains from setting in. Still, I'm NOT IMPRESSED with the color runs Cotton On! Color runs are simply not acceptable!!!

The Good
Design
Nice color contrast between the waistband and the rest of the shorts
Good decent length
Comfy waistband design
The price when on sale

The Ugly
The color from the waistband runs!!!

In short (pun not intended), this product is really not worth the hassle. NOT recommended.

Vitagen Healthy Digestion Walk 2014 Review

I was at the Vitagen walkathon today. I stopped by the local mamak's for a quick breakfast before going to the venue.

I got to Taman Jaya pretty early, at 6:30 AM to be exact, when it was still dark out there. I went out to examine the booths and at that point had not yet worn my bib, which I left in the car. When I went to register sans bib, I was given the Spanish Inquisition by this bossy Malay woman who was less than polite. She thought that I didn't know my bib number and when I did and I told her what it was, she made an issue of having to check it. Believe it or not, they didn't have a laptop on site and were relying on paper printouts (who would have thought that they would still be living in the Dinosaur Age...).

They gave the participants a bottle of drinking water and a banana at registration and later, they gave Marigold fruit juices (I had OJ) and Vitagens before the run to the participants. It has been a looonngggg time since I last had a Vitagen. Believe it or not, the last time I had Vitagen was when I was 13!!! I was not milk friendly and needed to consume milk (long story there) and this was the closest that my parents could get to getting me to consume a milk based product.

The execution of the walk itself was not very well planned. The path around the lake is quite narrow and when it was flag off time, it was quite impossible to even walk at a comfortable pace and this went on for the whole lap. Most people stopped after the first and second laps thus making it easier to walk after that as there was more space not just to walk but even to run! I did 10 laps (I think I was the only one who did that).

The handing out of the goodie bags at the end of the walk was well executed. Most of the volunteers were sweet and efficient.

The goodie bag 

The contents of the goodie bag

They even included a cooler bag (which came in really handy as the Vitagens needed to be kept at a cool temperature) and a microfiber towel in the bag.

And this is my second breakkie for the day!!! You simply have NO idea how often (and how long) I have thought of having an A&W's waffle with syrup and butter for breakfast!

My second brekkie :)

a much needed treat

Mmmmm.... sheer indulgence on a hot night

A Chocolate Frappe on a very hot night...it's a tad sweet though...

I hope it helps me sleep as I need to wake up early tomorrow morning for the walkathon.

Rubi by Cotton On Red Plimsolls Review

A few weeks ago, I bought two pairs of Rubi canvas plimsolls from Cotton On in Avenue K. They were too cute to pass up and they were on promotion (two for RM80). They are lightweight and look really cute for casual days which for me, is almost everyday really!

I just love the laces that came with the shoes :)

Just too cute. I received compliments wearing this pair.

Color run from the shoes on my brand new Uniqlo footie socks. Bummer  :( :( :(

I have since worn both pairs and guess what... while I had no issues with the Hello Kitty pair ( I have been saving that pair, I must admit, as it is simply too cute!), the perspiration from my feet resulted in a color run from the red pair after the first wear which left stains on my brand new neutral colored socks.

Sheesh...another color run issue from a Cotton On product! I thought it was just the sports bras that had color run issues...you can read about it here in case you missed it earlier.

On top of that, the insole comes off when I take my shoes off without undoing my laces (who does that anyway???). Today, I noticed that the fabric on the insole is coming apart --- double rats!!! :( :( :(

Note the exposed insole as the the fabric coming off it :( :( :(

It's really a shame as I like the designs (and price points, when they have a promo, or better still, go on sale) of the products in Cotton On.

Sooo... looks like it would be better to stay away from Cotton On products unless they're pastel colored and quite unlikely to have color run issues.

In short, this is my take on Cotton On's Red Rubi plimsolls:
The Good
Lightweight
Cute design and color
Love the laces
Comfortable
Price

The Bad
The color runs
Insoles come off when you remove your shoes
Fabric covering insoles begin to come apart after a few days of long hours of wear

Sweetness Overload

Today is the very first day in a very loooonnnngggg time where I indulged in a soft drink. Yes, I had a Sprite (I could have had a Coke to go with my meal, but that would be pushing it as I have had a history with Coke where one isn't always enough), and not just a regular sized one too, I had an upsized Sprite!!!

In my defense, it was not planned (how was I supposed to know that the Old Town White Coffee in Mid Valley Megamall is an "Old Town Signature" outlet that doesn't serve Honey Lemon or Iced Lemon Tea with their tea time sets like all the other "normal" Old Town White Coffee outlets??? So yes, there was no other choice for me but to have a naughty indulgence!

Note the Sprite order listed!

Mmmmm.... it was a very tall glass of Sprite

And as if that wasn't enough, I don't know what possessed me, a few hours later, I ordered a Cendol at Nyonya Colors. 

Super sweet treat

It was one of those things where the idea seemed better than the real thing coz the real thing was extremely sweet (what was I thinking???). I tried to finish it but ended up leaving half of it behind. Note to self: don't order it the next time!!!

Telekom Malaysia's Idea of Customer Service

Telekom Malaysia's (TM) idea of customer service is a reminder text message sent on a Sunday after which the service will be disconnected if TM does not receive the payment within 24 hours. They do this despite knowing that payments made via online banking and the post office takes more than 24 hours to get to them.

Now, why on earth nobody in TM has the common sense (which really isn't all that common nowadays) to send out the message at least a week in advance, so that its customers have ample time to sort out the bill payment, is beyond me. Have they missed the point that customer service is about servicing the customer??? 

Watermelons and Me

I've always loved watermelons. As a child, I was told that I could finish half a watermelon all by myself.

As an adult, I still love watermelons though I've got some watermelon "experiences" to share...like the time that I carefully selected a watermelon at Jusco Supermarket, qued up in a very long line to pay for it (it was a busy weekend), only to realise when I got home that I had left it at the cashier counter in the supermarket!

Once, I purchased a watermelon, took it home and put it on the floor for what I thought would be a minute as I took off my shoes but I soon became distracted and continued doing other things which, I'm afraid, didn't  include putting the watermelon in the fridge ASAP. When I finally remembered it, it was dead in the middle of the night when I was feeling peckish. The watermelon, by then, had sadly gone bad :(

And then, there was another time when I bought a watermelon, paid for it, took it home and put it in the fridge well meaning to eat it but forgot about it until one fine day, I was inspired to see what was in the fridge only to discover the science project that used to be a nice ripe and juicy watermelon!

So nowadays, when I am inspired to purchase a watermelon in the supermarket, I make sure that I consume it within a day of buying it (and before I forget that I ever purchased it in the very first place and before it morphs into a science project!).

Oh, by the way, you might want to know that I purchased a watermelon yesterday and made sure that I carried it home with me. I had it all last night  and it was simply divine! :)

My Wish for You

Good luck for later today. Just know that I love you and wish that your marriage will bring you the happiness you deserve :)