Jell: 2011

Review: The Skin House deep cleansing foam

Ever since I find out my fav Jap skincare was meant for mature skin, I was horrified. O no.... But I actually super love it. So I let Bonjour's promoter introduced me some skincare for the younger generation (yes, I am young! In your face~! :P). She introduced me some korean skincare call the Skin House deep cleansing foam, hence I am reviewing it after one month of use.

Packaging : Bright green tube packaging, simple and practical.

Texture : Light yellow creamy texture that foams into this light fluffy texture of fine foam.

After rigorous foaming....*sweating and puffing profusely* Ok, not that rigorous la... I admit, I lack exercise~! :P

kinda reminded of the foam ontop of my hot chocolate... *hungry*

Smell : Hard to describe, but it is not citrus, floral or herbal smell. The smell is light and not overpowering, kinda reminds me of some mung beans or red beans. :P

Pricing : App. HKD200 (so about AUD10-20)

Claims : Deep cleansing without the annoying tightness afterwards. All other claims are in korean.

Comments : It is a very basic foam cleanser. Definitely cleanses the face without the feeling of tightness afterwards, however that was pretty much what it does.

Upon washing, it SLIGHTLY reduces the appearance of my blackheads. But apart from that, there is definitely nothing special I can comment on. No extra whitening or brightening or etc... etc...

Pros :

Gentle; did not irritate my skin
Moisturizing for a foam cleanser

Cons :

Quite expensive for such a basic cleanser
Very troublesome to foam, it took me at least 1-2 minutes every time

Who might like it?

If you don't mind spending some time foaming up your cleanser and the price, then you might like this. I think it might be suitable for people with oily to combination skin as it does not strip your skin of its natural barrier.

My verdict?

I finished the whole tube within one and a half month. I honestly think there are cheaper and better alternatives to this. With the money I saved on not buying this, I can buy my fav jap skincare for the mature skin in the future~! Yoohoo...

Till next time,

XOXO

Top 5 loser courtship strategy

Do you remember your first crush, like how when you look across the classroom and you caught your secret crush stealing a glance at you too? How your heart raced like a gazelle and your face reddened? Later, he presented you a card and maybe that single rose on a stalk. Now, that was sweet courtship. That long anticipated wait for the hookup. But as I grow up, I realized that there are more than those sweet moments. There are times when I just wanted to wear thick horn rimmed glasses and sweatpants everywhere just to avoid some of the loser courtship:

1. Bait, hook and sucker~!

Image: Some 'fishies' knows what you are up to, k?

I call it the 'fisherman' style but perhaps this is insulting the absolute professionalism some fisherman adopts. You will know what I mean when you encounter such a person: He started up by selecting his target group (e.g. single, pretty, smart, etc) without really having any emotional attachment whatsoever. Then he set his bait by being super sweet and friendly to you. Suddenly, he wants to send you home; suddenly he calls you out of the blue because he wants to get to know you; suddenly, he walks you to your car. But beware, because apart from you, he is also doing the exact things to other girls. After he had laid down his bait, he waits and observes which girl seems to show attachment or affection for him. And as if you are nothing but another variable in his bar chart, he notes down and compare different girls without their knowledge. He has done well for himself, but have you?

His investment: sweet talk, a little of his time, and some text messages.
ROI : Almost always some girls fell for him thinking that they are special to him. At best, she doesn't know about his fishing tricks out there before her. At best, he developed feelings for her and stay loyal to her. At worst, her best friend would inform her that the guy also showed the same affection to her, leading to a really awkward moment or he is dating someone else behind her back too.
My verdict: Sometimes it works, but sometimes it backfires a LOT. Try dropping hints that you are not perfect and see whether he still comes back for you, if no, move on. If there's plenty of fishies out there for him, there's plenty more fishermen out there for you too.

2. Relationship whiner/moaner

Image: Pity party

These guys started off by being the injured puppy that you wanted to nurse back to full health. It can get very regular when you hear phrases like :

'I love my ex-girlfriend so much and she hurt me so deeply'

'I was betrayed, I don't think I can ever trust again.'

even though when you really think carefully, you are not that close to him.

He is the poor misunderstood sensitive soul who had been let down time and time again, someone who just seriously needed a break from all this bad luck. He wish you could be the one who would teach him how to trust again. But is he?

His investment: tears and if you listen carefully, nothing but complaints... complaints... complaints...
ROI: Girls who have a heart of gold, girls who can't say no even to a teacup pig
My verdict: I am appalled by crocodile tears. For a real man, I don't think tears should come that easily. Remember that while he is bitching about his ex and how pitiful he is in front of you, what you are hearing is just a one side story. Until you hear the other side, keep a neutral front. At the end of the day, if you are moved, ask yourself whether it is pity you feel for him or true love?

3 & 4. Mr Better-than-thou and/or Mr show-it-all

Image: show off....

Mr show-it-all sounds like those ma-lak-lo with trench coat by the side of the road, waiting for innocent young girls to come by before flashing his sickly pale pee pee thing to them. In anyho, perhaps it is a evoluted creature of the flasher? Darwin would know better. Mr Better-than-thou and Mr Show-it-all seems like those ego maniacs who continuously belittle you infront of other people or when it was just the two of you together be it directly or indirectly. And when you thought he hates you, he started to drop hints that he is interested in you. But wait... wasn't he way ABOVE my league? Wow, I am honored such a person takes interest in me. STOP!!

His investment: Nothing
ROI: Barney Stinson from 'How I met your Mother' saluted this target group and they are usually girls who have serious daddy issues and low self esteem.
My verdict: Firstly, unless he is seriously richer or influential than you, he is probably 120% more insecure than you. Secondly, if he can't respect you before you guys dated, he is definitely not going to respect you when you guys have your first quarrel.

5. Stalker

FB stalking does not count, blog reading does not count.

Image: What is socially acceptable and what is creepy...

The goosebumps starts to rise when he starts to troll around your FB, your twitter, your blog... soo much that you had to switched on the private settings on your account.

Perhaps at one time, he started off real sweet. Giving you cute pet names that no one else calls, giving you pressie and cards and dropping you calls just to talk. But when you start to reject him, he shows his true color because seriously... he can't get you out of his head. He started to turn up in places you frequent but he had never been before, he started to leave you really creepy msgs like maybe how he wish you and your bf will never meant to be (Omg... is that a threat?), and the worst he started to shadow you. STOP!

Image: Don't laugh, it can get serious...

His investment: His time, his effort and his sanity
ROI: I don't know...
My verdict: He needs help, straightaway!! Don't tolerate this kind of behavior, this is seriously giving the wrong message to his brain. The only time this can get romantic is in the storybook and the movie!!

Image: The only way stalking gets the girl...

It is not surprising that sometimes girl just lose faith in the whole true love thing. I would too, if I wasn't lucky enough to find mine. But more on that next time...

Till then,

XOXO

My december scare

Last Sunday, I recall that I was sitting at home and joking with my friend, talking about skincare and wishing we could go traveling and shopping together. Just girly stuff in her ungirly room. :P

Hence, we weren't expecting her to fell ill the next day. I recall she started having abdominal pain sometime 3 in the morning. She said her stomach felt bloated and she felt nausea at the same time. Initially we thought it was normal food poisoning and I went out to get some Bacuspan painkillers for her acute stomach cramps.

Towards evening, I returned from campus, and she was now in more pain. Half bent over, tears in her eyes as she asked me where is the nearest clinic. Right then, I suspected it was appendicitis. So I drove her to GP after hours, which is right across Royal Perth Hospital. My friend was still half bent over, clutching her stomach in pain and it freaking took us 20 minutes to even register. WHY??

*Highlighting every single word just to annoy me*

Ok, I will try to be kind. Apparently, there is only one doctor on duty (that's alright). Secondly, their computer system is down. And the nurse couldn't print out a notice for early closure. So instead of tending to the patients first, she took out a paper and wrote the notice. And just incase we are here to waste her time, she decided to waste ours by choosing to HIGHLIGHT EVERY SINGLE WORD SLOWLY. If it weren't for the poster saying 'no staff abuse. zero tolerance!' with the image of a policeman pointing straight at me, I think I will scream. So after 20 minutes to register, we waited another 1 hour to see the doc.

Once inside, the doctor (which we didn't immediately identified as doctor because he was waltzing around and around. Impression points: Minus...) proceeded to inspect my friend. As he pressed down on her tummy, she screamed with every tap. It amazed me that he can keep a very calm face, even to the point of BLUR. Then he went to flip through some books before saying that there seem to be infection, MAYBE salmonella. So he prescribed antibiotic and we were dismissed. Before we even left the clinic, we could even hear him getting annoyed with the receptionist for letting more patients come in. Impression points, BIG MINUS~!

By 10:30pm however, (which is 2 hours after taking the painkiller) my friend was still writhing in pain. It was then time to deliver her to the emergency room. It was kinda scary moment for me, for I kept thinking 'Her appendix is gonna BURST~!'. So we drove her to the nearest emergency room, i.e. Royal Perth Hospital. The triage nurse was wonderful, they seem very professional and knowledgeable (compared to the blur doc from previous!!).

*Emergency room at Royal Perth Hospital*

My friend was quickly (after 15 minutes?) escorted to the examination room where they started taking her vitals, took her blood sample and administered morphine to stop the pain. By then, the clock was ticking to 12am. The nurse told us that the test will take one hour (later found out to take 3!), since there is nothing I could do then, I went back to take a rest. Later at 3am, my friend called and informed me that there is traces of infection in the blood, and they will perform ultrasound in the morning to see what is wrong.

After hearing the news, I was too tired and I fell asleep until 10 in the morning. I was pretty sure that it will be appendicitis and that could be easily solved. Like whatever. :P

However, the next day after ultrasound, the doctor delivered a frightening news. The doc said one of her ovary flipped over (like how? why? all don't know). During this process, blood was cut off from it, which means it is slowly dying. If too much time has passed, she might lose her ovary. I was so worried, but the doc joked that she is not dying la!! lol... So, he said we need to transfer to King Edward's Hospital via ambulance ASAP (the time then was 12pm), so I told my friend I will go back for lunch first and then we will meet at King Edward's.

Guess what? I wasn't surprised when she called me at 4pm later. I guess that is what ASAP means. Her surgery was around 6pm and I visited her around 7:30pm. The attending nurse informed me that upon closer inspection, the ovary was not flipped over (so confusing!) and that infact there was a cyst that was causing all the pain. She told me the operation was a success but my friend lost quite some blood (2 liters!!). However, the doctor told us the next day that when they tried to remove the cyst, it burst, which explains the loss of blood. Hmm.. doesn't that mean that the operation wasn't 100% successful? pfff... These ppl.... very confusing, at least they get the job done.

*View from King Eddies Hospital, Subiaco*

By the 4th day she was moved to a ward and resting off her nausea and slight pain from the surgery wound. The nurses encourages her to stand up and walk around ASAP even though she felt slightly nauseous and painful, because inexplicably this facilitates the wound recovery. By now, my heart has slowly calmed down from the fright and worry that was plaguing me. And at 10am, she was finally discharged from the hospital.

All this happened so suddenly that we weren't even mentally prepared. But I guess that is life, right? That it can so ruthless and take everything away in one swipe or it can be filled with so many surprises that it takes your breath away. My friend is younger than me, and to be suddenly diagnosed with this illness has been like a wake up call to all of us. When I asked her whether she was afraid of surgery, she said all she could think of then was 'just take the pain away!'

I realised as they were monitoring her that night after the surgery that we might not comprehend it when we are healthy just how delicate and complicated our inner systems are, that we can do everything normally. Even the simple task of menstruating or even give birth. So don't take it for granted, adopt a healthier lifestyle starting from today~!

*But first, let me indulge in Apple crumble with vanilla ice cream at Imps, East Victoria Park*

My treat for the week~! :P

Hope there will be a next time,
XOXO.

3rd of December's rant~!

Omg... >.< I couldn't stand today soo much I felt so nauseous...

I think the day most asian (especially me!!!) dread is HOT HOT summer day~! Those kind of day when it seems even your eyes dried up and your contact lens turn into crystal to protect itself. (Not even the hottest of the hottest day of summer yet). But it is definitely one of those day that you wish you could just bath in moisturiser and sunscreen instead of applying and re-applying it the whole day. And for me, the dilemma was whether to wear something thick (to avoid direct sunlight) or just tube and shorts (because it is freaking HOT!!)

I guess it is just plain unlucky that someone scheduled in a house viewing that day, so I dragged my but-it's-weekend bum off the bed in the wee hours of morning (in weekend terms anyway~! :P). Turned my air con full blast and blared cheerful music just to keep upbeat only to be given 'free aeroplane'. Gosh, what is it with these ppl? Gosh, can't you like msg or call in advance to inform me that this isn't happening? Waited there for stupid 30 minutes. *I will remember you... *

Ok, fine, free aeroplane or not, life still needs to go on, I decided to go to uni to check on my simulation runs. By then, the sun has crept to the middle of the sky, making me hallucinate that I am the middle of a desert. Where is my wateerrrr...

Walked into the com lab, felt better after feeling the cool blast of air coming from the air con. Aaahhh..... Switched the monitor on... *Hyperventilation*

Somehow, the uni's network has gone 'kaput' sometime during the night or morning, disconnecting all network licenses from the engineering software. So sometime during the night or morning, it has stopped iteration. WTF? The worst thing? The case and data files are stored in the network database during calculation. So are my stuff saved? or wasn't saved at all? *Heart pumping*. By that time, my vast knowledge of vocab failed, the only work that comes to mind is FUCK (....)!

What to do? All I can do is rest at home / cry my eye balls out or roll around on my bed in boredom, wait till Monday to complain to the stupid IT department. That is if complaining can restore anything at all, or else I am quitting this rubbish. So let me continue my rant as F.....

Aussie TV could be this good! Vote for #RefugeCity to make it happen!

Slim down and get fit for summer~!

One funny thing that made me feel summer is just round the corner, is when those group buying sites (e.g. Cudo, Spreets, Scoopon, stardeals, etc) starts to promote hair removal services, gym and bootcamp discounts.

Technically, summer has already dawn on Oz. But then, it is never too late to slim down and get fit~!

For me, in order to slim down and get fit, I don't like adhering to endless and often out of this world dietings. I am sorry if I sounded mean when I say out-of-this-world dietings, but that is only cause I LOVE food. I have nothing against Atkins or Dukan or whatever more diets there are in this world, but recently I read about a 600-800cal a day no-gluten, no-lactose, no-wheat diet. OMG! I think I am going to faint!! The followers even forgo travelling and eating out because the diet requires meticulous planning, preparation and balancing. Imagine always weighting your food and calculating calories every single time you put that spoon in your mouth!! Pure torture~!

I hate diets that totally depends on certain food while adhering to some mega super food~! Have you heard of the cabbage soup diet? Or total salad? Or only protein and no carbs? Horrible nightmare~! I love getting fit, or even the feel that my jeans are no longer tightly hugging my butt, but totally eliminating certain food from my diet?? Too big of a sacrifice!! And for what? So one dress or jeans could fit me?? NEWSFLASH to jeans and dresses out there, YOU need to suit ME~! (In case of any confusion. =P )

But while I dread calculating calories and planning to the dot, in order to start burning fats is when you adhere to a certain 'calorie-flow' (So called to resemble the word cash flow =P). Whatever calorie comes in via food needs to be balanced with outflow (e.g. exercise, and thinking!! =P).

With that in mind, I did some googling and found out that the recommended daily calorie intake for an adult woman is about 1900-2000cal. Hmm... sounds like a lot, until I check the nutritional facts for my favourite chocolate bar... 230kcal. OMG!! No wonder ppl get fat~! *eye opener* Though this small example made me realise the importance of calorie counting, I decided I am still not becoming those ppl who have no life counting calorie. If I wanna do it, I wanna do it the smart way (AKA lazy way)~! So I downloaded this app, i.e. : MyFitnessPal from iTunes for free.

Simple: Just input your name, your ideal weight, your current weight, the length of your diet/exercise and your lifestyle. Then this app would calculate the approximate amount of calorie flow per day in order for you to lose weight. For mine, I heard a lot of friends mentioned that I should be weighing 50kg (though I keep insisting that I have heavy bones), I'll see whether it is possible.

# Record down what you have been eating, including snacks too!!

# When you are trying to lose weight, don't forget to make sure you don't loss out on those important nutrients~!

Main thing is to record your meals and exercise for each day. This app searches through the web for the nutritional value and calorie content of the food and automatically calculates the amount of calorie you consumed. Similarly, you can choose from a wide range of exercise database to find out how much 5 minutes of walking can burn (psst... not much... not even enough to burn off my usual favourite ice green tea)

If, like me, you cook not according to conventional recipes most of the time, you can create recipe within the app and the app will calculate the calorie content of the food based on the ingredients you choose.

# Weekly view and average of my calorie intake

# Record and track your weight and weight loss

# WHAT have I been eating?? So cute... even got a pie chart to show you this. :P

Hopefully I can reach my goal before Christmas~!

Till next time, XOXO~!

Let's go shopping~!

Too hot out there? Or raining outside? No problem~!
Want to go shopping but boyfriend is not around to help you carry stuff? No problem~!
Are you are sick at home and just need some retail therapy?

No problem~!

Cause what? Thanks to online shopping~!

So while I am waiting for my simulations to iterate, I can reduce my stress by going retail therapy without leaving my seat~! :D

Pros:
1. Forget about queuing for payment and fitting room, maneuvering through the crowd, trying to deter REALLY PERSUASIVE salesperson, and walking around in those killer heels. Your bum can rest safely in your comfy cushion. YEAAAAHHH...

2. So easy~! Compare prices from different suppliers.. click click click... Check the credibility of the supplier or seller... click click click... purchase... CLICK~! Now let's wait...

3. Some are even fun~! Like shoes of prey's website is so cool~! You get to design your own shoes... now in 3D!!! >.< Just recently I heard that some online retailers allow you to use your webcam to 'wear' the clothes online to see how it looks on your body... OMG~! Have yet to try that though.

Cons:
1. Some products are not as pictured, due to the difference in monitor settings, lighting and angle issues. Maybe PS too??

2. Risk of theft. Always double check the credibility of the seller~! Other than that, some companies' website like to store credit card information.
There was one case when I didn't think twice about it since I purchased from a credible company. However, one day out of blue they charged a small amount to my credit card without my permission. Although it was a small amount, like $15? I got really freaked out and angry because they didn't get a permission from me prior to that transaction. This is THEFT~! So I called and called (kept getting to nobody ... damn those auto answering machine!!) until finally a really strict manager answered the phone. I demanded an explanation for the charge and expressed my BIG unhappiness about it. But it was pretty clear she didn't care at all about my concern as it is a small amount to her, apparently not concerned enough to offer an apology but the money was later refunded. Lesson learnt~! That was the last purchase from that company. Though I really love one of their mask, I think my face will survive. >:P

3. Not to mention, addictive and unhealthy~!
Purchasing online is made so easy that I can do it again and again. The feeling is different, believe it or not. The excitement of receiving something in the mailbox soon afterwards is like Santa's visit again and again. Last year, my ex housie bought me a card and put it in the mailbox instead of passing it to me in person, because he knows how much I love to receive letters and parcels in the mailbox~! :P
With conventional shopping, I have to travel some distance (either by car or walk) to get to those products. By then I would have at least some form of exercises and fresh air. But with online shopping, the ones with most exercise will be my fingers!!

4. And... waiting seems forever~! Some products can take ages to arrive.... >.< (By the time they arrive, I have already forgotten that I purchased those items. Which again makes me feel like Santa has visited~! And the cycle goes on...)

If you are bored online, let me share with you some of those I frequently visit:
Skincare
1.Sasa: I think this should be the top in my list. Hehe... purchased online until I obtained VIP status. *shy smile* Oops?
2. Bonjourhk: Loved this site. They stock up on some brands that I just can't find in Sasa. Both of these sites are based in HK. I haven't tried the online site, but I have been to the shops in HK before and their customer services are great.
3. Ichibankao: For hard to find Japanese product, I can usually find it here. The stated price usually includes shipping cost. Very convenient, however the price is still quite expensive as compared to what I can get in Msia. But since I am in Oz, it is still alright.

Fashion
1. Gmarket: I love to browse through their online site, but I am still finding difficulty trying to place order through their site... Quite extensive collection, from skincare to apparels to household items. However, household items usually are not delivered overseas.

Anyho... these are just the main sites I visit that ships internationally, there are many more smaller sites that I frequent too but doesn't provide international shipping. If you like online shopping and have some really good ones to intro, do drop me comments below.

# It is a boring Sunday afternoon.... :)

Till next time, XOXO~!

Why are you still here?

I once read a self-reflective poster about birds. I couldn't find the poster, but it goes something like this (I am recalling from memory, anyway):

# Image source
"When I was young, I look out the window and saw lotsa birds just perching on the lamp posts. And I wonder to myself, birds have wings, they can go where ever they want to go, why did they choose to stay at the same place every single day? Then when I grow up, I started to ask myself the same question"

A lot of us get stuck with everyday's rut and sometimes we do not let ourselves reflect on what we really need in contrast to what we think we want. We ignore that voice within us that says otherwise. Sometimes, our conscious brain think that it is in control and could definitely silence the smaller voice inside of us. But there are soo many cases where the harder you hit the ball, the higher it will bounce. Instead of silencing the voice, it is like we gave it an amplifier and out of the blue, it wails like a needy baby in the middle of the night.

For example, a simple career decision. I guess I grew up in a community that pressured me to find a career that promises a steady and stable income, regardless whether my heart was in it or not. What I wanted to study, what I wanted to do was sacrificed for what they deemed is a future for me. I think I could hardly blamed them, as they just wanted the best for me. In a world full of kiasu people, I was and still is a very kiasi person. :P

But fast forward to present year, suddenly I could not take it anymore. I feel like a fat and balding guy who is faced with midlife crisis. I couldn't bear the thought of continuing what I am doing. I wake up, feeling fed up and sick instead of excited and motivated.

I tried to talk to other people and see whether they faced with such issue. PhD is not easy, it was never meant to be. But the reason why most people could continue, standing up after each fall and hurdle was in the name of passion. Then I began to question myself, did I lost my passion?

I tried to reflect where or how I lost my passion. It was then I realize I never had it before. (This thought really scared me. How to create what was never there before?) I liked the idea of phD, I like the idea of what I am doing, but in essence I did not like it and hence could not enjoy it. Each setback, each challenge seems more like a confirmation of my resentment instead of an affirmation of an interesting journey.

And with each waking moment I hated it, I felt bad feeling the way I feel. So I was extra hardworking to compensate for what I lack in enthusiasm. In this way, I keep pushing myself back into this abyss and I couldn't seem to tear myself away from it. Why?

I have alternative plans, something to fall back to if I just quit, but I just couldn't. It was then I remembered the bird perching on lamp post analogy. Why? I couldn't answer myself as well. Perhaps when I finally could, I could spread out my wings and fly.

I have heard countless people complaining about their job (O gosh, who doesn't??) But not just everyday complaining, just genuinely sick and tired of where they are. And it was obvious they had other plans in the first place, other hopes and dreams and yet they are stuck in a totally different direction. If today, you faced the same feeling, you are depressed and just o-so-sick with what you are doing, I hope you can reflect with me the analogy of the birds perching on the lamp post. Maybe today is not the day I spread my wings and fly, but perhaps it is for you.

XOXO, till next time~!

Belated spring cleaning

Today I finally did something I kept trying to put off, i.e. spring cleaning. I know it is almost summer anyway, but then it is never too late for cleaning (I hope). If you think it is spring cleaning time for the house, then you are wrong, it is time to spring clean for my make up stash.

When I mean overdue, I mean sooo long overdue. I can be so shameless as to keep make up as old as three years old... (O, the gasps, the disgust and the head banging on the wall would begin... ). But before you judge, I guess it should be fair to point out here and in the pictures you would see below that I do seldom touch my make up. So my logic was that, bacteria shouldn't really thrive, right? (So wrong, I later heard in a tv talk show from a beauty guru that the bacteria tend to bred more happily... or whatever). The point is it is time to get rid of 'em.

# So this is my shameful make up stash~! Bye bye~!

# Red Earth's pink shimmery mineral eye shadow. In my defense, 3-4 years ago my sister mistakenly bought this for me. I used it once or twice but my eyelid got oily real fast and it disappeared along with it. But I really like the shimmery feel it gives. Bye bye, eye shadow~!

# Blusher. OMG... Now I look at this picture, this blusher looks like it has hardly been used before. Note: Cannot let bf see this. This was a gift from him, I totally forgot where or which brand it came from. It gives a really bright pink, so a little goes a long way.

# Third, Brown eyeliner set from Kate~! Perhaps my mum's eye shadow palette would look more popular than this apparently unloved and untouched eye shadow palette. I bet this eye shadow palette cry itself to sleep at night at the lack of attention. But it has been 3 years, and it has turn slightly brittle. >.<

# Maybelline stiletto mascara. I couldn't wait to get my hands on this when it first came out, but that was in 2009... gosh... time really flies... I was reminded by my friend to get rid of mascara after 3-4 months. So bye bye again~!

# Fifth, Nuskin lip stick in antique rose. I think this should be a case of I never learn my lesson. I accidentally ordered this shade earlier 2009, and it turn out to be really red, which is nice for event and all. (Note: this lipstick is really moisturizing, but can be expensive). But then when I tried to place another order for the shade I wanted, which is Coral glow (which is slightly orangey tint, but I don't have one to show), I somehow chose antique rose. What are the chances?? So I have two tubes of Nuskin lipstick in Antique Rose. Way to go... I definitely won't be able to finish 'em.

# Lippie colour. The colour seems kinda paled since the last time (2 years ago) of use. But overall, I had fun with this colour. However, it doesn't last as long as other creme lippie. (Or maybe I was just hungry... ;P)

# MAC eyeliner

# Eye liner effect. In truth, this eye liner is one I would love to LOVE. The tip of the eye liner was sharp and it was really easy to draw. It is just so easy to draw~! Whee... But the drawback was that it doesn't look black-black and it doesn't look brown's brown (if you get what I am saying...:P). It looks slightly washed out and a weak effort at make up. It really took a long time for me to finally decided other eye liner should be worth more than this and abandon this eyeliner. Bye bye...

# The seventh thing in my list is the EA's foundation. I love the packaging and I love the smell. I love how it is the most expensive foundation currently in my make up stash. It blends well and has good coverage, at the expense of being slightly heavy. But the good thing is no break outs and definitely long lasting. But the downside was I bought this last year and I have markedly gotten fairer during winter. I tried it on last month and my face looked darker than my neck, I was so upset. :( Bye bye... (Btw, I think the recommended stash year for a foundation is 18 months? overdue...)

# The last thing I had to part with is this BB cream. I think a lot of beauty gurus will screech in horror when they know how old it is. (I think 3 years old??) But anyway, this BB cream is a very GOOD example of lesson not learnt. When I first tried this, I tried it on my hand. And omg... if you use a small drop, it blends beautifully and the shade is so nice. It does a good job of covering the imperfection. I tried by putting a drop of water on my hand, the part with the bb cream and the part with none. The water drop forms a nice spherical drop on the part with the bb cream while the water drop forms a puddle like shape on the part without bb cream. Beautiful... beautiful...

But then when I put it on my face... Firstly, you only CAN put a single layer. I tried to build it up, but it doesn't sit in nicely with the other layers, leaving tell tale signs. Secondly, it doesn't fit to your face color (a process some refer to the occurrence of oxidation) after a certain period of time, so it remains quite ashy white. A lot of my friends commented that I looked pale each time I tried this bb cream on. And I am quite ashamed to admit, I actually used it for 4-5 times. Thirdly, and this is the bit that I meant lesson not learnt, is that it leads to break outs in my case. It is so annoying!! My record with this bb cream was 3 break outs. Since my record average was once a month, this was beyond my tolerance. So off to bye bye land you go~!

So anyway, I would have break outs and then I throw this bb cream to the side, then 2 months down the line, digging through my make up stash, I would uncover the bb cream. Then curiosity would tug at me and forgetfulness would creep over me, hence I would restart the whole cycle of trying it out and having break outs. Lesson NOT LEARNT~!

Throwing away all these stuffs makes me feel like I am such an unsustainable person. I guess I should reduce my expenditure on these stuff or buy more environmentally friendlier make up. E.g. something that can be eaten while acting as a make up would be cool. Then I would definitely not have to say bye bye to unused make ups again.

If anyone has better ideas and tips to re-use 'em, don't forget to share with me~!

Till next time, XOXO.

Review: YUMÉI premium white blackhead and pore series

Yes, I admit... I am addicted to beauty product. Every single time I see a new product in glossy packaging and ever awesome claims, my hands really itches to try it out. I guess the boom of the cosmetic industry is largely due to the belief that 'there are no ugly girls, only lazy girls.' :)

On top of that, I am addicted to asian skincare. Bummers, I am asian, what? :P

SO anyway, without further distraction, the product that I couldn't wait to review about are the YUMÉI Blackhead Eliminating Solution and Pore Refining Sebum Toner. I got these two babies when I visited Hong Kong last month. To be honest, I wasn't looking for these products. I didn't read much reviews about it. But just out of curiosity, I asked for some recommendations from the sales girl and she intro these two to me.

# Blackhead Eliminating Solution

# Pore Refining Sebum Toner

They cost about $20-25 per piece, but then since it is quite a big bottle, I purchased it anyway.

So first step, take a cotton pad and soak it with the Blackhead Eliminating Solution. What this solution does is once applied on the face, it claims to be able to open the pores which cleans the pores. Sounds cool... but didn't other products also made the exact same claim?? Let's put it to the test...

# A swab of Blackhead Eliminating Solution. Probably the lighting isn't too right... the liquid is suppose to look slightly murky, not clear liquid. And this goes on to the troubled area for about 10-20 minutes. And it needs to be wet the entire time. I guess I was anxious the first time, so I resprayed more solution on the cotton halfway through. :P It wasn't exactly a disaster, except then my nose smells like the solution, which is a bit like detergent.

As my blackhead is submerged kind, the salesgirl did mention I need to apply slight pressure (less than usual) to get the naughty things out. But in that case, it is hard to see the actual result, so I invited my cute model with visible Blackhead to test this out for me~!

# Ta da~! The results... So creepy!!! *Shrieks in horror + fascination* If you care to take a look at my previous post , I assure you there is a MAJOR difference. Not only the nose strip adheres really well but the blackhead came out as a WHOLE, not halfway.

This is the pic after our little experiment, and it looks so awesomely shiny and definitely smooth. There are areas where the nose strip did not reach, but we later cleaned it up with tweezers. Very easy and totally crazy~!!

# Sorry I just had to show this pic~! :P I know I don't have a before pic coz I didn't trust this product before we try. But next time, I will... I promise...

But anyway, incase you get too worked up by my review, here are some pores... oops, I meant pros (:P) and cons of this product, according to me.

Pros:
1. It really helps with the removal of Black head, especially for those with strawberry nose syndrome.
2. Unlike my previous review, this does not contain scrub and it is not abrasive for the skin. Hence, you can use it more than once a month (subjected to skin type). This comment is really in contrast to the previous product I tried.

Cons:
1. You need to let the solution sit on your face for 10-20 minutes, which is a long time which you have nothing to do. (But I felt that since it requires some time, it gives me flexibility to do my work while having it on my nose. So, not really a con)
2. Unfortunately for those with submerged blackhead like mine, I may still need to use pressure to get my nose really clean. Otherwise, I can still opt for nose strip to clean it up.

O yeah, Don't forget to use a pore refining lotion or serum after this (I am using the pore refining sebum toner in this case, yet to comment...). What has been open, needs to be close now. :)

O yeah, like my eyes.... Good night~! And have fun~!! XD

Random pics from HK & Macau trip

Gosh... I figure I should have finish my HK and Macau travel bits and pieces before the end of October, but I was faced with lotsa deadline the minute I return. Could only find the time to update this now.

The minute I reach HK, I couldn't wait to taste their food after hearing about 'em for such a long time... such as ... Their dessert and 'tong shui'...

#Portuguese egg tart. So similar to the one in Malaysia. Nothing special in that... Continue on...

# Fried durian puff~! Yum... Love this~!

# Chinese translation: thousand layer mango crepe... Like what the name describe... Crepe layered with whip cream and mango slices... not bad...

# I even bought a Michelin guide book for Hong Kong and Macau and tried to follow the Michelin trail.

# Famous Beijing dumpling, rated in the Michelin guide book.

# Found in Wong fu... Kinda disappointed... was kinda average...

# Prawn dumpling in Tsuen Wan Restaurant, The peak. This one is even better... yum yum...

# And this one~! Swiss style chicken wings...

# Or this one... Double layer milk. Which taste like the chinese version of creme brulee. Less sweet.. seems more healthier. However, the one I tasted here is not as nice as the one I tasted in Nanjing, so kinda disappointed... O no...

# Was kinda disappointed. From the price and the taste of the food so far, I started to miss Malaysian food desperately. So once I noted a queue of people outside a japanese restauarant, I waited along with them. Guess what? This is my mini unagi rice... >.<

I guess I should forget about it. So I decided to focus my energy on my skincare purchase in HK, since it is so cheap and abundant here. Especially since I am so interested in asian brand, like those from Japan, Taiwan and China.