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I celebrated my 26th birthday two days ago and I just want to share with you guys a few musings I have on turning yet another year older. đ
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When I turned 21 a few years ago, I told myself that I would stop counting and just tell everyone that I’m 21 â FOREVER. Pun intended. đ
However, I never truly stopped counting.
I’ve had my ups and downs with foundation. From not liking it to having to wear the thickest of its kind back when I was doing TV reporting, to finding the ones that I would actually like.
And one thing is for sure: For me to freely fork out money on a foundation, it has to be good to my skin. Nothing too harsh or too heavy (so over that!). Over time, I’ve met a couple who have met the criteria but I’ve often wished for a formula that would also feel lightweight and would let my skin breathe throughout the day. Oh, and it wouldn’t hurt too if it’s long-lasting, right?
Back then, I felt that those things were too much to ask. You can always get a lightweight foundation but you can bet your your toes it won’t be lasting you for more than 4 hours in this humid Southeast Asian weather. You can get a thicker, long-lasting kind but that would just make your skin feel suffocated throughout the day.
So when I got the invite for Shu Uemura‘s launch for their new foundation, I’d have to admit that I had my doubts. A foundation that has all the things I’ve been wishing for? You’ve got to be pulling my leg!
But alas, I am amazed. By now, it’s pretty obvious that I will be raving about this product. But I suggest you read all the way till the end to see what it’s all about. Oh, and you guys do know that I nitpick, right?
It took a while but finally â 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?
Six colours were introduced â 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. đ I made the extra effort because you know I love you guys, right? *virtual hugs for my readers*
A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to La Biosthetique’s Press Launch held in Damansara Perdana. I was thrilled, of course, as La Biosthetique is one of the salon-exclusive brands that I trust and I’m happy to find them here in Malaysia!
It’s always so comforting to know that there’s a go-to brand you can choose in a salon even when you’re in a different country. đ I’ve trusted La Biosthetique ever since it was first introduced to me in Europe a couple of years ago and my impression hasn’t changed.
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. đ
I’m a fan of healthy-looking lips with just the right amount of plump. đ 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. đ
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 â a cross between a sexy pink and a bright red.
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:
“This is so you, Carol”, my friend Miriam said as we entered the Frankitas gallery in Damansara Heights. And I do think she is right.
I don’t really remember when my love for tribal (actual tribal patterns â not the ones you score in F21) and traditional cloth started. But it has turned into a bit of an obsession. 
I remember my first piece (that I bought) being a T’nalak skirt from the T’boli tribe in South Cotabato, Philippines. The T’nalak is literally made out of dreams as the weavers have to dream of the patterns they use before turning them into a woven masterpiece.
Stories like these make traditional fabric much more meaningful â that’s why I fall in love with them over and over. And you know what? I’m extremely happy that I am not alone in this love affair.
I met Francisca “Franki” Turner-Shaik at the media launch for her brand Frankitas. She uses traditional, woven fabric from all over the world, turning them to pieces that are fit for the modern-day woman. She is creative and has so much passion for the art of weaving and helping out the weavers. I loved her right away! đ
A cooking event I attended earlier today reminded me that I haven’t been posting much about my cooking. So I decided to just share with you guys this quickie post on one of my favourite types of comfort food. Almost effortless to make and so yummy!
(RELATED POST:Â Food: Career Girl Cooking Series â Ham, Bacon, and Mushroom Alfredo)
But be warned! This is very fattening! So try not to eat everything on your own. Sharing is caring after all! đ
I made this for my husband back when we first got our electric oven. So yes, this post should have gone up months and months ago but it ended up in the bowels of my file folders. đ Some of the photos even got lost that’s why I only have two to share. Here I go again, justifying the lateness of this post. Sorry. đ
(RELATED POST:Â Food: Career Girl Cooking Series â Baked Chicken Pesto Pockets)
I actually saw this recipe while watching a cooking show back when I was in college. I think this is a really easy dish to make and can even be served to your guests if you plan to entertain at home. So, without further ado, (and so I can go to bed since I have a long day tomorrow) here’s the recipe which I’ve continuously modified through the years:
Ingredients:
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 â better late than never!
My friends here in Malaysia even introduced me to K-Drama â 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 â where their products are much more accessible â 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.
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.
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 â 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 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.
Apologies for being MIA the past few days. If you’ve been following my Instagram, you would have seen that I was in Cebu and Bohol for the 2nd Ambassador’s Tour and I was pretty busy working my butt off, helping the embassy out while enjoying the beautiful sites of my home country. While helping out at the tour was fun and I admit that I learned a lot, I gotta say that it was pretty tiring. I was getting 4 hours of sleep every night and was moving around all day. Prior to that was the ASEAN Summit here in KL and in Langkawi â the husband and I would often sleep at 2 in the morning and get up 4 hours later. You could imagine how that took a toll on my skin.
By the time I got back in from the Ambassador’s Tour, my skin was dry and rather dull. The bags under my eyes were at a really bad state and you can totally tell that I was tired even if you were a mile away. Okay, I’m exaggerating. But seriously â my skin was in bad shape. And then I remembered that I was recently given a product that promises to hydrate and give my skin the boost that it needs but before I tell you how it has worked for me the past few days, let me do a little bit of back tracking. đ
Laneige, a Korean brand that I’ve always heard great reviews of, recently invited me to the launch of their new Water Sleeping Mask. All my friends were talking about Laneige products lately â the BB Cushion, the Two-Tone Lip Bar, etc. I guess it was finally time to see what the fuss is all about. After all, Koreans do have a reputation of really knowing skin care. đ
Hello, Cindy! đ
During my family’s vacation here in KL, we all went to Cameron Highlands for a quick getaway from the city and to catch a cool breeze. My mom and her boyfriend drove up first and we followed during the weekend when Alvin had no work.
For those who aren’t familiar with Cameron Highlands, it’s Malaysia’s version of the Philippines’ Baguio. It’s a district of the state of Pahang which is high up in the mountains.
Since it’s in the mountains, Cameron Highlands is pretty cold and can be a great escape from the rotisserie that is Kuala Lumpur. Seriously. What is it with the heat these days? I feel like I’m one of those Kenny Rogers’ chickens every time I’m out in the city streets. And if you start telling me that it’s already summer, I’ve got a comeback for you: Heavy. Afternoon. Rains! Climate Change right there, everybody.
