Tag

Blogger

in Beauty & Fashion, Makeup

Beauty: Burt’s Bees Lip Crayon Review (4/6 shades)! Plus: Get your own at a DISCOUNT with this code!

Burt's Bees, Lip Crayon, Lip Colour, Makeup, Beauty, Natural, Organic, Cosmetics, Review, Blogger, Recommendations, Diplomat's Wife, Swatches, Lipstick, Hydrating,

It took a while but finally – Burt’s Bees’ Lip Crayons have finally reached our side of the world! I was lucky enough to be invited at the launch, held at Marini’s in Suria KLCC a couple of weeks ago.

Afternoon tea + blogger friends + makeup. What more can a girl ask for, right?

Burt's Bees, Lip Crayon, Lip Colour, Makeup, Beauty, Natural, Organic, Cosmetics, Review, Blogger, Recommendations, Diplomat's Wife, Swatches, Lipstick, Hydrating,

Six colours were introduced – Hawaiian Smolder, Napa Vineyard, Redwood Forest, Carolina Coast, Niagara Overlook, and Sedona Sands.

My friends and I had fun swatching the  colours during the event but since the lighting at the venue was way too yellow, getting you good pictures that are true-to-colour was quite impossible. But fret not! I took some just yesterday under natural light. And there will be a review of 4 out of the 6 shades that they came out with in this post. 😉 I made the extra effort because you know I love you guys, right? *virtual hugs for my readers*

Burt's Bees, Lip Crayon, Lip Colour, Makeup, Beauty, Natural, Organic, Cosmetics, Review, Blogger, Recommendations, Diplomat's Wife, Swatches, Lipstick, Hydrating,

Continue reading

in Beauty & Fashion

Beauty: ISKIN New York’s LipAddict Voluptuous Lip Plumper Review

ISKIN, ISKIN New York, Lip Gloss, Lip Addict, Lip Plumper, Voluptuous Lip Plumper, Makeup, Skin Care, Review, Blogger, Diplomat's Wife,

Kylie Jenner lips are all the rage these days. But let me just put this out there: There’s a fine line between plump, healthy-looking lips and channeling Daisy Duck. There, I said it. Hit me, Kardashian/Jenner fans. 😛

I’m a fan of healthy-looking lips with just the right amount of plump. 😉 And speaking of plump lips, I was given a tube of ISKIN NewYork’s LipAddict Lip Addict Voluptuous Lip Plumper a while back to try and review.

It did take me a while to actually give it a whirl as normally, I’m more of a lipstick than a gloss kind of girl. In fact, I need the proper mood and hairstyle (all braided up or tied so it won’t stick to my lips when KL decides to be windy) for trying glosses. 😛

ISKIN, ISKIN New York, Lip Gloss, Lip Addict, Lip Plumper, Voluptuous Lip Plumper, Makeup, Skin Care, Review, Blogger, Diplomat's Wife,So on a bright, windy, and busy day in KL, I decided to braid my hair and see whether this gloss will live up to its promise of ‘plumping’ my lips. The info sheet it came with even discouraged women from getting lip injections since you can get the same effect with the product. Wow. That’s a pretty big promise and I was actually curious whether the gloss can live up to it.

I was given the shade ‘Sexy Seductress‘. Hmm. Sounds rather flirty, doesn’t it? *side glance* And the colour is actually rather seductive – a cross between a sexy pink and a bright red.

ISKIN, ISKIN New York, Lip Gloss, Lip Addict, Lip Plumper, Voluptuous Lip Plumper, Makeup, Skin Care, Review, Blogger, Diplomat's Wife,

ISKIN New York is quite known in the skin care department so I was quite surprised when I was given this product to review. I was told, however, that this gloss is also good for my lips as it has anti-ageing properties and even hyaluronic acid and marine collagen to keep my lips hydrated throughout the day.

The LipAddict also contains peptide which penetrates the top layer of your lips to create new collagen. Continued use of the gloss promises to make your lips smoother and look fuller.

With that said, here’s a quickie review on ISKIN NewYork’s LipAddict Lip Addict Voluptuous Lip Plumper:

Continue reading

in Expat Life, KL Food, Kuala Lumpur

Foodie Adventures: Parents’ Day Dinner @ Sky 360

So sorry for yet another short hiatus! I was in Siem Reap over the weekend getting my Tomb Raider on with the husband. But that will be for a different post on a different day. 😉

Today, I want to share with you guys an awesome deal I was lucky enough to get to try last week! 😉 And it involves oh-so good food for a good price!

I was invited by a couple of friends to try out the latest menu that Sky 360 especially curated for Parents’ Day. Since my folks are not in KL, I brought my husband along to help with the taste testing and we were practically blown away. (And I don’t say this lightly)

So, without further yapping to get you bored, I’m gonna dive right in and share with you the goodness, shall I?

Parents' Day Meal, Parents' Day Set Dinner, Sky 360, Subang, Restaurant, E-City Hotel, Dining, Fine Dining, Good Food, Where To Eat, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Lamb, Chicken, Aglio Olio, Pasta, Malaysian Food, Western Food, Dessert

My absolute favourite and the star of the show is the Grilled Lamb Shoulder with Black Pepper Sauce. The lamb is grilled to perfection – charred on the outside and extremely tender on the inside with the prettiest hint of pink. The sauce is thick and tasty with the right kick of spice along with the savoury. It comes with mashed potatoes, coleslaw, corn on the cob.

The lamb even passed the ultimate test: my husband. He normally doesn’t eat lamb because of the smell it comes with when it’s not fresh. But that night, he actually loved the lamb and gave it a rare thumbs up! 😉

If you’re more of a white meat kind of person, there’s also the Grilled Chicken Chop with BBQ Sauce. It also comes with the same side dishes as the lamb – mashed potatoes, coleslaw, and corn on the cob. The char-grilled chicken chop is also tasty, perfectly grilled, and comes with smoked hickory BBQ sauce that is not short on the flavour at all.

Parents' Day Meal, Parents' Day Set Dinner, Sky 360, Subang, Restaurant, E-City Hotel, Dining, Fine Dining, Good Food, Where To Eat, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Lamb, Chicken, Aglio Olio, Pasta, Malaysian Food, Western Food, Dessert

Normally, I’m not a fan of aglio olio pasta as I find it too oily for my liking. But this seafood variant that they served us totally changed my mind. First, it’s actually to pretty to eat. Look at that presentation! When you actually do get over how awesome it looks and you finally dig in, you are surprised with an explosion of flavours in your mouth. I would have to admit that I had quite a lot of this pasta that night and I had to go to the gym the next morning to burn all the calories. No complaints, though! It was worth it!

Continue reading

in Beauty & Fashion, Skincare

Beauty: Korean Skin Care Brand Belif Opens First Store in Malaysia

Belif, Korean, Skin Care, Beauty, Blogger, Opening, Launch, Belif Store Malaysia, Belif Store Kuala Lumpur, Belif Store Selangor, Korean Skin Care, Korea, Korean Wave, K-Drama, My Love From Another Star, Korean Skin, Clear Skin, Skin Care Products

For someone who never really dabbled with anything Korean before moving to Kuala Lumpur for our first posting, the recent effect of the Korean wave on me is just crazy.

From skin care, to makeup, and even on our television. It’s starting to hit me pretty hard albeit quite late. But you know what they say – better late than never!

Belif, Korean, Skin Care, Beauty, Blogger, Opening, Launch, Belif Store Malaysia, Belif Store Kuala Lumpur, Belif Store Selangor, Korean Skin Care, Korea, Korean Wave, K-Drama, My Love From Another Star, Korean Skin, Clear Skin, Skin Care Products

My friends here in Malaysia even introduced me to K-Drama – something I ignored as I never imagined I would like it. And here I am, all done with My Love From Another Star in just a little over 2 days of marathon-watching. (Don’t ask what time I slept last night. LOL.)

The Korean influence is even stronger in Filipinos back home, I must say. (K-Pop has a very big and quite loud fan base there) However, it’s here in Kuala Lumpur – where their products are much more accessible – that I decided to really open my door to it. Not that I refused to like it before. I was just used to sticking to my overly-Western preferences and I thought that everything about it was too cutesy (from their beauty products’ packaging to the way their actresses behaved) for me.

Belif, Korean, Skin Care, Beauty, Blogger, Opening, Launch, Belif Store Malaysia, Belif Store Kuala Lumpur, Belif Store Selangor, Korean Skin Care, Korea, Korean Wave, K-Drama, My Love From Another Star, Korean Skin, Clear Skin, Skin Care Products

But now, after trying out their skin care, makeup, and even their drama shows, I actually have more variety in my life. Don’t expect me to act cutesy and do baby-talk in public like Korean actresses do or blast K-Pop in the car, though. I seriously doubt that that image would suit me and my in-between-features the way it looks good on my friends who actually do look Asian.

Belif, Korean, Skin Care, Beauty, Blogger, Opening, Launch, Belif Store Malaysia, Belif Store Kuala Lumpur, Belif Store Selangor, Korean Skin Care, Korea, Korean Wave, K-Drama, My Love From Another Star, Korean Skin, Clear Skin, Skin Care Products

And speaking of Korea and everything that’s so awesome from their country, another Korean skin care brand decided to set up shop in Malaysia. Woohoo! I’m pretty sure we don’t have it in Manila – yet. But I’m hoping they open there soon as well as I am sure they will be as big of a hit there as in KL.

Belif, Korean, Skin Care, Beauty, Blogger, Opening, Launch, Belif Store Malaysia, Belif Store Kuala Lumpur, Belif Store Selangor, Korean Skin Care, Korea, Korean Wave, K-Drama, My Love From Another Star, Korean Skin, Clear Skin, Skin Care Products

Belif is a skin care brand that marries apothecary traditions and cutting-edge Korean skin care technology. Their first store in Malaysia is located in Sunway Pyramid Mall and I fell in love with the interior right away.

Continue reading

in Expat Life, KL Food

Foodie Adventures: Mono Coffee Opens at Publika

Mono Coffee, Publika, Cafe, Expat Dining, Foodie, Food, Cafe, Coffee, Coffee Place, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Solaris Dutamas, Diplomat's Wife, Recommendation, Laid Back Cafe, Cosans Coffee, Review, Opening, Launch

I love Publika and I notice that a lot of expats do too. I guess it’s because of the fine selection of restaurants, cafes, and shops in that mall. I often go there with the husband for tapas, actually. 😉

Recently, another cafe has opened in Publika to add to the place’s list of establishments. Mono Coffee is yet another place for people who want to hang out, enjoy a cuppa, and meet up with friends in the Solaris Dutamas area.

Mono Coffee, Publika, Cafe, Expat Dining, Foodie, Food, Cafe, Coffee, Coffee Place, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Solaris Dutamas, Diplomat's Wife, Recommendation, Laid Back Cafe, Cosans Coffee, Review, Opening, Launch

(RELATED POST: Foodie Adventures: JEQ in the House (Seksyen 17, Petaling Jaya))

But one thing that’s really nice about the place is the atmosphere. The lighting, the unfinished and slight industrial feel of the cafe also makes it quite relaxing.

The cafe was opened by the Brandker Group – the company behind one of Klang Valley’s most well known cafe chains: Cosans Coffee.

Mono Coffee, Publika, Cafe, Expat Dining, Foodie, Food, Cafe, Coffee, Coffee Place, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Solaris Dutamas, Diplomat's Wife, Recommendation, Laid Back Cafe, Cosans Coffee, Review, Opening, Launch

Mono Coffee, Publika, Cafe, Expat Dining, Foodie, Food, Cafe, Coffee, Coffee Place, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Solaris Dutamas, Diplomat's Wife, Recommendation, Laid Back Cafe, Cosans Coffee, Review, Opening, Launch, Where to eat in KL

You can say that Mono is Cosan’s hipster brother. With Mono specialising on serving artisan brews. It’s for coffee aficionados and those who actually appreciate the proper process of getting your beans into your cup.

Continue reading

//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
in Diplomatic Incidents, Personal Musings

Random Thoughts and Happenings 2

Things that have been happening lately compiled into one blog post. Get ready for the word vomit! 😉

Home Alone

The husband is off to another work trip and this time, he’s going to Davao, in the Philippines for a couple of days. I’ve always been an independent person but I don’t think I will ever be used to him going on work trips and being gone for days. Knowing that he won’t be coming home for lunch and at around 7pm (yes, the people at the Philippine Embassy in KL work long hours) feels weird for me.

Also, I do tend to worry and I’m not that used to sleeping alone anymore. The teddy bears on our bed are actually there for a reason, you guys. 😉

Continue reading

in Expat Life, KL Food, Kuala Lumpur

Foodie Adventures: JEQ in the House (Seksyen 17, Petaling Jaya)

JEQ in the House, Restaurant, Cafe, Review, Petaling Jaya, Seksyen 17, Restaurant Review, Cafe Review, Food Review, Comfort Food, Pasta, Coffee, Coffee Art, Malaysia

Living in KLCC is like being inside your own bubble. Sometimes, you don’t really think of venturing out since everything you need seems to be a stone’s throw away. Great restaurants, malls, supermarkets – everything.

JEQ in the House, Restaurant, Cafe, Review, Petaling Jaya, Seksyen 17, Restaurant Review, Cafe Review, Food Review, Comfort Food, Pasta, Coffee, Coffee Art, Malaysia

However, after making friends with expats who have been here for a while as well as with locals, I found out that there’s more to Kuala Lumpur and its neighbouring city Petaling Jaya when it comes to shopping and food choices.

JEQ in the House, Restaurant, Cafe, Review, Petaling Jaya, Seksyen 17, Restaurant Review, Cafe Review, Food Review, Comfort Food, Pasta, Coffee, Coffee Art, Malaysia

In fact, the more you move away from the city centre, the more realise that when it comes to choices, things can get quite overwhelming (and budget friendly too!). That’s why I’m so thankful for my friends’ recommendations! 😉

JEQ in the House, Restaurant, Cafe, Review, Petaling Jaya, Seksyen 17, Restaurant Review, Cafe Review, Food Review, Comfort Food, Pasta, Coffee, Coffee Art, Malaysia

Situated in a quiet, residential area in Seksyen (Section) 17 of Petaling Jaya is a cafe that serves food that will really make me forget about dieting. Not that I have problems with that. 😉

JEQ in the House, Restaurant, Cafe, Review, Petaling Jaya, Seksyen 17, Restaurant Review, Cafe Review, Food Review, Comfort Food, Pasta, Coffee, Coffee Art, Malaysia

There’s nothing like comfort food and good coffee on a hot, humid weekend and JEQ in the House was able to provide both while I enjoyed the cafe’s ambiance.

Continue reading

in Beauty & Fashion

Beauty + Review: MAC x Toledo Collection Sin Lipstick

MAC, MAC Cosmetics, Sin, Lipstick, Ruben Toledo, Isabel Toledo, Toledo, Toledo Collection, Dark, Bold, Red

As I recently posted on Instagram, I was actually looking forward to getting a lipstick from the Cinderella Collection but was rather turned off about how the colours washed me out. I guess I’m just too pale for them and I need my lipsticks to have a bit of opacity and not just shimmer all over.

It was a good thing that MAC Cosmetics’ Toledo Collection was also out and so I had another collection to turn to for this season (the Bao Bao Wan collection is also out, by the way but I wasn’t in the mood for colours that were that bright).

The Toledo collection is inspired by Isabel and Ruben Toledo – arguably one of the most prolific couples in the art world and in fashion too. Their creations are known to be… err.. what’s the term? I don’t think there’s actually one word to describe their works but let’s go with eccentric-chic. Bold colours, vintage cuts with a modern twist for clothes, exaggerated lines for illustrated faces. It’s quirky yet with such an air of sophistication that only this couple can pull off.

So it’s no wonder that when MAC announced that they will have a collection inspired by this couple, bold reds and a parade of colours suddenly appeared in my brain. And I was right. The collection does not disappoint with the variety of colours available – especially for the eyeshadows. But of course, I was there for lipsticks that day. 😉

I was leaning towards getting Oxblood – a peachy-nude colour. I don’t really have enough nudes in my collection and I have a tonne of reds. But then I realised that I miss Sin – a shade that I used to wear back in college when I was totally into anything gothic.

MAC, MAC Cosmetics, Sin, Lipstick, Ruben Toledo, Isabel Toledo, Toledo, Toledo Collection, Dark, Bold, Red

I ended up getting that one as I found the other reds to similar to ones that I already own. Sin is a permanent colour so yes, I was basically buying this for packaging – which is gorgeous by the way. On the brighter side of things, I won’t get my heart broken once I finish a limited edition lipstick and MAC is no longer re-releasing it. Hello, Maleficent Collection’s True Love’s Kiss. (I know what limited editions do to me but I still buy certain colours. Call it a bad romance of sorts.)

Sin is quite popular when it comes to being included in certain collections. Aside from the Toledo collection, it was also recently included in MAC’s Rocky Horror Picture Show Collection launched last year.

Continue reading

Close