My Views and Reviews

Nobody Loves Me Like You Do

2012-02-13T09:14:00.004+08:00

When I heard the news yesterday, I didn't know how I felt. Hence, I didn't tweet any single well wishes or write anything at all about her passing.

This morning though, as I sent my eldest to school, Flyfm played the song, I Will Always Love You on the radio and I suddenly felt moved... I became so sad and got a little engulfed in the touchy lyrics. I suddenly felt as if she was talking to me and telling me that when she's gone, she hopes that life will treat me kind and that she hopes I will have all that I dream of... and she wishes me joy and happiness, but above all these, she wishes me love....

I guess I had always loved her... I loved her back then until she got married and destroyed her life. I thought, I didn't like her at all to be all that pathetic and making excuses instead of controlling her own life and destiny. Now she's gone, I still am not sure how I feel about it because I haven't missed her all these while and I may not miss her, to be brutally honest. But I guess I have to admit that she did have the most powerful vocals and she did inspire some of the best singers there are now. In fact, it was that song that I sang in a small competition in my teens, and I won. So, today, I feel so sad. I feel sad that she is gone but most of all, as a mom, I feel extremely sad for her daughter. I am hoping that her daughter will be strong and remain strong.

And today, I feel like sharing this one song that I have always loved. It is from her first album - a duet she did with Jermaine Jackson. I couldn't find the actual video clip on youtube so this is probably the best version I could find. A song apt to be shared on the eve of Valentine's...

Like a candle burning bright
Love is glowing in your eyes
A flame to light our way
That burns brighter everyday
But now I have you
Nobody loves me like you do

Like a leaf upon the wind
I could find no place to land
I dreamed the hours away
And wondered everyday
Do dreams come true
And nobody loves me like you do

What if I'd never met you
Where would I be right now
Funny how life just falls in place somehow
You've touched my heart in places
That I never even knew
'Cause nobody loves me like you do

I was words without a tune
I was a song still unsung
A poem with no rhyme
A dancer out of time
But now there's you
Baby, nobody loves me like you do

What if I'd never met you
Where would I be right now
Funny how life just falls in place somehow
You've touched my heart in places
That I never even knew
Nobody loves me, nobody loves me
Nobody loves me like you do
Nobody loves me like you do

- Were you shocked by the news?

The Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter

2012-02-10T11:06:00.002+08:00

*image credit

I was pulled in by all the hype of Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter, when madame Paris B posted a strong review just before the long weekend *grrrr*. I even got upset when I could not get any opportunity to actually check them out during the four-day break *double grrrr*

Yesterday though, as I was checking out a small Guardian outlet just before I attended a meeting, I finally managed to get my hands on them testers but wasn't quite sure if it fell short of my expectations.

I am not sure whether the excitement worn out due to the frustration of not being able to check them out earlier or the fact that I only had less than 10 minutes to thoroughly make up my mind or I'll be late for my meeting.

And when you're short of time, it is hard to decide... I mean, I didn't really fall in love with them the moment I swatched the colours on my wrist. I guess it felt like any other lipsticks I have. Then, I also actually liked four of the colours and three of them are almost alike!

Although at first I wanted to get Macaroon because it looked like a really pretty burgundy on MWS post but on my wrist, it looked reddish orange, a warmer tone than Cherry Tart. I liked Strawberry Shortcake, a nice light pink but was afraid that the colour might be too light for my complexion.

The lip butter is like a lipgloss but with better colour intensity. Logically, with balmy, super moisturising lipsticks, like a lipgloss, would not have much staying power. Therefore, you should expect that the colour, although more intense, would come out really well when applied but may fade as quickly as a couple of hours.

That said, I thought I would be happier if I were to get a stronger colour instead of those originally light. And with that thought, I chose Cherry Tart - it looked like a strong red and would definitely not disappear on my lips too easily.

I didn't like the plasticky cover, though, but since I didn't want to miss all the hype, I thought it'd be safe for me to try just one colour first.

When I got home, I wasn't sure if it was a purchase that I should have made at all... I mean, I already have so many lip colours... so why do I want to add something that I could probably already have in my collection. But oh well, the purchase was already made and what better way than to swipe the colour on my lips to see if it was really all that good.

Yesterday, I didn't fall in love with it. I was probably just tired, or had too many things on my mind, and so yeah, I didn't think much of it.

But this morning, was a different story.

I began to realise what all the hype was all about. The lip butter is super moisturising that it smoothes out the lips totally! I have dry lips and have always appreciated those lip products that contain silicon because it magnifies the lips (visually) and almost temporarily eliminate those lines synonymous with dry lips. And at RM24.90 for the lip butter, I get at least one of those effect (and not bothered if it doesn't magnify my lips).

It is so smooth and you could increase the intensity of the colour by applying more layers. It doesn't feel heavy on the lips with more layers and my lips feel really hydrated. When observed closer, it also contains some specks of glitters but it doesn't really show on the lips so I guess, that isn't a huge factor for me.

With this sudden attraction to it, I become very disappointed that we consumers in Malaysia do not get the full range of colours. There are only 8 colours available and I wish I could get my hands on many other colours I saw on Emma Stone and fans of the lip butter, worldwide.

Have you gotten into this hype yet? What do you think of the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters?

Samsung Galaxy Note - A look from a mommy's perspective

2012-02-06T01:43:00.000+08:00

Today I feel like talking about gadgets.

I think this blog is thirsty for a gadget review and although all these while, gadgets were reviewed by Mr Husband, today I feel like giving it a go, with a different perspective - from the eyes of a woman.

Therefore, if you expect some techie post, you'll be very disappointed because I don't believe a woman ever buys any gadget based on the RAM or memory size, at least not for me. To me, I would like my gadget to look uber gorgeous but not dumb inside. Hence, the usability must stand up to my highest standards according to my usage.

Like any gadgets, do not expect one thing to meet 100% of your needs. Gadgets are not as smart as [most] humans. Hence, reserve any comments to this post if you do not fully understand this paragraph ;)

So, today, I shall talk about my new baby who I fondly call, Arnold. He is a Samsung Galaxy Note who is uber gorgeous and perfect for a busy mommy like meself.

First of all, let me tell you that Arnold is also uber heavy. And I like that feeling knowing that I'd miss the weight if I suddenly forgot to put him into my handbag when I needed to go out and I like that I will be less clumsy with a heavy phone.

As you can see, it isn't that thin which is a minute factor for me simply because I love it for its super huge screen that has a sharp resolution - almost like you putting a high-res image on a computer. So surreal!

But of course, the main attraction that got me to fall in love with it was when I saw it on my BFF, Nicole. For someone who used the conservative 3310 for more than 5 years and then switched to another conservative phone, I was surprised that she picked this up and learnt to use it so quickly when she is never familiar with android phones. That said, the wallet-like cover that she had, made it look like a Chanel wallet and that was when I fell in love with it at first sight. Shallow, you think? Read on...

Another steal deal would definitely be the stylus. A phone with a screen that's almost the size of a pocket computer and writing capabilities should be a dream gadget for busy mommies, definitely. Some are just clumsy to type on the virtual keypads and prefer to write, while the Samsung Galaxy also allows pretty darn good voice command features if you are the type who likes to tell a gadget what to do. I cannot comment much about the voice command feature as I hate talking to gadgets but I know Mr Husband does use it frequently on his Galaxy SII and I guess it is good because he says so ;P

Now the size is somewhat of a mix of hits and misses. Above is the photo of a Note in between the HTC Windows phone (left) and Galaxy SII (right).

I was surprised at the so many admirers of the Galaxy Note for its functions, features and speed yet they are willing to forgo the experience only because they think the phone on one's ear looks uber weird.

Look, first of all, there is always a solution to every problem. Secondly, there is this thing called the bluetooth headset, in case you have never heard of it??

But thirdly, which is what I truly feel - who cares how stupid it looks on a person's ear... you don't own one, do you? Therefore, you simply cannot comprehend how wonderful it is to use it. It's almost like god's gift, I tell ya! So what if it is huge and fugly? When you're in love, it becomes just perfect for you, no matter what others say ;)

And if you think battery life is a bane for all android devices, read the above paragraph again on what I said about a solution to every problem... when I am in the car, I would plug it into the car charger and when it is in my handbag, I have it plugged in to the battery charger pack (as in the picture above) that I'd carry in my handbag at all times.

So you wanna tell me more negative points? I will combat it with such easy solutions, you may never even think of ;)

Favourite apps

Next, I shall talk about my favourite apps. As it is with android phones, there are plenty of apps that you can download for free from the Market. If you are an iPhone user, I guess you may say that iPhone has more apps than an android. As I have never used an iPhone before, I may not be able to comment much on this though I am a heavy user of mac (I have the mac mini as my desktop, a macbook air as a laptop and Mr Husband owns an iPad).

But all things mac may be a little boring because familiarity breeds contempt. Haha, well that wasn't exactly why Mr Husband and I do not own an iPhone.

Now, I can talk about so many apps until the cows come home, so I guess I will just touch on some of them. Who knows, if this post is popular enough with mommies alike, I may one day do reviews on apps alone :)

1. The Mini Diary

When I was using Mr Husband's Galaxy SII, I fell in love with the Mini Diary. It is almost like a simple blog to me because I can easily paste a photo, put up the location and describe what I did that day, offline. Isn't this one just cute? I can document everything that I've done, even put photos of all those dishes I cooked and write about them so that I could flip the pages one by one and glee in awe as I read what I did days back or weeks back. I so love this app.

It works just like a diary only that you're not able to share it with friends and there's no password option, in case someone decides to look into your phone. That said, if password is what you need, I guess you would be smart enough to lock your screen first and no one can check anything.

As for sharing a page with someone, I have tried sharing a page on facebook but it came out as a photo with description instead of the actual look and feel.

2. The S Memo

Then, comes the point where I said that it has handwriting capabilities for clumsy mommies. This is the S Memo where you can do almost anything. Save them, and this page will appear when you click on S Memo so that you can see your previous saved documents and just touch on it if you want it open.

Well, I shouldn't brand this app for only busy mommies. I'm sure you ladies would have so much fun using this app too. But I wouldn't know because I am a busy mommy ;D

3. The SwiftKey X

But if you think you want to use the keypad, I would highly recommend this SwiftKey X app. I think you'd need to purchase it from the Market but it is worth the buy! The keypad actually learns up your typing pattern and it will predict what you're trying to type so that you will not have to type a whole word everytime. For this, I had programmed it to learn my typing patterns from my gmail, facebook and twitter accounts, and not forgetting the sms as well.

So, when I type just 'He', the tab 'Hey', 'He' and 'Hello' comes out. The more alphabets you type in, the more accurate the tabs will predict the words you're trying to type out.

The positive side of it is that if you're trying to send the same message on several applications, you do not need to copy paste a sentence. It will automatically learn the sentence and predict even before you type the next word! Amazing!

4. Business Calendar

And this one? I have loved this app since the day I used the android Xperia x10 mini. It is a free app called, Business Calendar. Even though free, the app comes in many different widgets for you to choose to place on your home screen, just like what you see at the picture on the very top of this post.

Yes, the Samsung Galaxy has its own very sexy calendar but I much prefer the Business Calendar because it has all my gmail calendars as tabs underneath the calendar (and I can personalise the colours for each calendar). I have a host of email accounts, one with my full name, one I use for work, one for blogging usage and another one for my business use, and so this calendar fits my needs to a T. I also share a calendar with Mr Husband and some other users/functions (which I did not highlight on the calendar unless I need to). Therefore, as a kiasu lady, I know that all those I need is there when I need them but until then, I at least have my personal schedule and Mr Husband's schedule on my phone. I love this app!

And if you need a week view, you can just swipe the week using the stylus and this page will appear. Another plus point there - where you can choose the number of days you want displayed!

5. Photo editing app

This one's another love of mine, introduced by Mr Husband. The pixlr'o'matic allows the most amateur photographer to have an almost professional touch! But that's not the main deal. I guess for the most part, one should NOT compare an 8mp camera phone to an actual 8mp camera. It isn't that great although you should get used to the functions in order for you to get the most of the camera's capabilities (and it can surprise you too). And this app actually makes photo-taking a lovely experience. Just look at the photo below...

It has many different features and after creating a fine border, a normal photo of a capuccino and mocha gets a nice treatment. You can make a sharp photo look blur and a new photo to look ancient. You can have a warm tone look cold and even add details like lights and rainfall to it. It is amazing, and it is FREE! :) When you're done with it, you can share it on Whatsapp or Twitter or fb or even email it to friends! Love love!

6. Cooking app

Now, this app was probably initially designed to be used in an iPhone. It can be downloaded from the Market to your android and it is one of my favourites. I mean, a Note is almost like a pocket computer to me and with this app, I just need to bring the Note with me into the kitchen and I can create magic. Love x3!

7. Games and Entertainment

While waiting for food to be cooked on the stove, I have my virtual kitchen to take care of... this is my bakery, downloaded from the free Bakery Story app. It is almost like Cafe World to users of fb only that this one allows me to be totally anonymous and getting neighbours is a breeze because we hardly know one another. I love this game!

And because I like cooking so much, I also downloaded Restaurant Story. Two huge virtual kitchen and one actual kitchen to take care of, mommy's a busy lady already ;)

8. Mommy's Calendar

And because mommy's so busy, mommy needs an app to tell her when she'll transform into a lion with an awful mood at that time of the month, when she is fertile to have more cubs and many more features which I have yet to discover ;P

This one's an app I purchased because the free version doesn't have a widget. A busy mommy needs her widget. Always.

And unlike the apple store, the Android Market allows a full refund within 15 minutes of purchase if you're not happy about the app. But then again, if you're a smart mommy like moi, you should try out all the free versions relevant to your usage before you decide which one is going to be worth the purchase. Am I right or am I right?

So, to conclude, this is my note on my Note. As seen here, my home screen where I have loads of widget and apps. On the top, is a Galaxy exclusive, me thinks. I have all the cute photos screen played live so that I can look at them every time I miss my munchkins. Heck, I even have pictures of dishes I've cooked just so that the stream of pictures would look enticing ;) mommy loves....

The super large screen allows for more apps and programmes to be placed on the home screen. Of course, you can have more pages if you have more apps but I prefer the important ones to be placed at the most front, within easy reach.

And there on the left side is one of the widgets from the business calendar. There are plenty of variations and size options but I chose this size as it looks just perfect.

So, you'd ask me what I think of the Samsung Galaxy Note... and I'd say, it is just perfect.

Do you own a Note? Don't you just love it?

New Fragrance - Trésor Midnight Rose by Lancome

2012-01-13T03:50:00.001+08:00

When I saw Emma Watson as the face of Trésor Midnight Rose by Lancome, I had mixed feelings. I mean I love Trésor. I think it is one of Lancome's best treasures. It's been there for the longest time and I love the deep sensuous scent.

image credit

The name, Midnight Rose somehow gave me the impression that it is a sweeter more seductive scent but the face of it doesn't quite fit the impression. All these while, with classic beauties like Penelope Cruz, Isabella Rossellini and Kate Winslet gave Trésor a distinctive hold to the mature and more confident women. And that was how I always looked at the fragrance and what it provides me - the confidence and dash of classic sexiness.

So when this bottle landed on me, I am not sure if it will suit me. The fact that Emma Watson was chosen was probably for a reason - that the fragrance is probably tailored to the much younger market who is nevertheless confident but very fresh. I'd like something bold, something more mature and one that evoke a sense of happiness, calmness and strength.

A whiff of it kinda surprised me, though... because it still retain that boldness of Trésor yet it feels fresh but not light enough to dissipate too quickly. It lingers on to a sweet romantic scent that made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Unlike many fragrances with a bold note, the scent does not sting and my children felt completely calm and comfortable when they're near me. In fact, the Trésor Midnight Rose is good enough to be worn on any occasions - not necessarily a sexy night out with your date or on a social event.

This has quickly become a favourite for me. I have one particular fragrance which I'd use very often because of the unique and fresh scent and the Trésor Midnight Rose seems to have that same element and more. The sweet romantic feeling it brings gives me such a lovely experience and since its bottle is much easier to grab (compared to my supposedly all time favourite bottle) I would always want to reach out to it amongst those other bottles of fragrances on my vanity desk.

These are what make the scent so desirable but I really couldn't tell because everything sorta blended well together. I am sure, though, that the winning formula must be the jasmine and vanilla contents.

I think Lancome is currently doing a promotion on Trésor Midnight Rose. You can check out Lancome Malaysia's facebook page to find out more about the fragrance and you can redeem a free sample when you register with them.

This EDP retails at RM205 for its 50ml bottle and RM265 for the 75ml.

Have you ever tried Lancome's Trésor? Do you like it? I still think that Emma Watson is not really suitable as the face of Trésor Midnight Rose but I guess in this case, it is really irrelevant because the fragrance speaks for itself.

A Belated Happy New Year Wish ;P

2012-01-10T22:52:00.002+08:00

I think you all may have noticed that I've been a little slacking in the 'wishing' department. There wasn't any Christmas wish or New Year and there wasn't any new year resolution post. This is partly due to me being really bad at wishing people (heck, I know that there are a few friends whom I have not wished them Happy Birthday) and partly due to laziness :-/

As for the resolution bit, I believe I have not really thought of any resolutions since 2005 haha... could be because I feel that I already have what I wanted (or needed) and that I should focus on what I already have rather than concentrate on the 1% that I don't and end up not being grateful for what I have achieved. Of course there would always be room for improvements in almost anything so that we continue to progress. But I don't have anything too intense that warrants a resolution etched on paper / online.

So, truthfully, if you ask me what I haven't achieved and would like to for 2012, I would want to create a self-KPI that's so easy to achieve yet very difficult to execute. Why difficult? Because I am not sure if anyone has achieved it, ever! But this part will definitely not damper those 99% that I already have in life because it is something truly fun that my entire family would be able to enjoy it. And if I don't achieve it in a particular month, no biggie! What is it, you may ask. Well... I would like take advantage of the Baskin Robbins ice cream deal every 31st of the month! Pretty silly, you may think?? Who cares *sniggers*

Anyways, the new year came and went really quickly but started off on a really memorable note for me. It was the 2nd time that I got involved in a small gathering of wonderful gals for the new year and this time, I made sure I was totally prepared for it.

One for each of them...

There were 11 of us altogether and we gathered at a spa for a relaxing start to the new year while we appreciate each other's company.

Receiving gifts feels so good but giving them out feels even better!

L-R: Lyn, Yvonne & Plue

Sharing some light-hearted moments. I think Beetrice is probably guessing at what was in that package ;)

L-R: Connie, Rinnah & Beetrice

Seen only with nose & teeth: Paris B ;P

Most right (cheeks visible): Xin

And I went home feeling smashing. Can you spot a handmade item within the stash? Clue: delicious slices that'll leave you hungry ;)

you can also read about the gathering here.

As they say, a good start at anything may probably leave you with a lasting effect. I am just so grateful with good fortunes that doesn't necessarily come in colourful notes.

So, while I try to fulfill my ice-cream goal, I shall balance it up with a healthy diet and lifestyle that don't necessarily need to be included as a new year resolution. After all, eating healthy and regular exercise should already be a part of us. I mean, even weekend shopping in malls is already considered exercise, don't you think ;)

Life is so amazing, I'd always say. You could either choose to take action in your life and live it as positive as possible or you could mope around and blame everyone else for anything that goes wrong. For me, I try to always have an open mind and accept most opportunities that come my way because you will never know which doors open for you to grab a once-in-a-lifetime chance. If it doesn't work out, at least I know I've tried my best, of course within calculated risks or limitations. Life is too short for one to worry too much about the 'what ifs'. Once you've made a decision, stick with it, be responsible about it and never second guess yourself. But if it doesn't work out, have the guts to admit that you've made a mistake and learn from it.

What do you think? How has 2012 been so far?

New Habit Picked Up: Painting Nails

2012-01-05T11:24:00.000+08:00

I can't remember when was the last time I actually painted my own nails... although I do recall how much I loved painting my nails in Uni and I'd use bold colours - too bold then for a Malay student - like dark blue and black ;P

Painting nails is pretty cumbersome. I mean, you need to be mindful of what you do with your hands or you risk getting the colours chipped. Heck, even waiting time for the paint to dry takes ages! And I hate getting manicures... I would always, without fail, get hurt in the process from those "pros" who'd either over-buff my nails and hurt the thin skin near the nail area or that they'd cut my cuticles too deep that I'd bleed. The moment they press the alcohol swab on the area, I feel like imprinting my high heel shoes on their face. That hurts, ok! *stupid pros*

And don't ask me about my last 3-4 years... having babies and doing lotsa house work never permit me to grow my nails, let alone think of brushing colours onto them. And I never really felt any need to anyways.

However, recent development getting inducted into a group of very experienced beauty bloggers tempted me... especially when they were trying to do a group order for some nail polish at a really good price. And so, I relented :)

not bad, eh?? a perfectly new post as the first post of the new year ;)

I must admit I may still be a virgin (ahaks!) when it comes to applying nail polish. I am so bad at it and I always get bubbles on my nails when the colours dry up. But thanks to the helpful tip from Beetrice, the paint look absolutely smooth on my nails and almost professionally done. I am ecstatic!

And what better way than to indulge in quite an abundant stock for a beginner, from the stash I brought home after a new year gathering with the beauty bloggers, last weekend...

quite promising, for someone who hardly ever painted her nails...

And since I have no patience with the waiting time, while I wait for a stock of "magic top coat" to come in, I found this top coat from Sally Hansen. This will do for now, and so far it is quite good already ;)

Do you feel a need or a want to colour your nails? Or are you the type who doesn't bother about it at all?

I wonder how often does an average woman colour her nails...

Burt's Bees Baby Bee Diaper Ointment, Lotion, Shampoo & Wash, Nourishing Oil and Skin Cream.

2011-12-13T08:03:00.002+08:00

Burt's Bees isn't new to my family as my eldest son has been using its lotion. It was a pleasant discovery as I instantly trusted my gut that its honey and shea butter content may be a winning combo when I was browsing their products at their outlet in The Curve. We found that it is an excellent alternative for eczema sufferers as it helps eliminate the issues of terribly dry, itchy and scaly skin without the use of steroid creams.

Recently though, when I gave birth to little JR, my best pal gave me this pack to try, from their Baby Bee range.

First of all, let me be frank here - I hate the smell of the lotion (normal range) that my eldest son is using. Yes, it works in helping him with his skin condition but the smell is waaay too strong. He loves the smell, though, coming from someone who can never really use any skincare products that contain fragrance but damn... the smell of shea butter really irks me.

L-R: The lotion, shampoo & wash, diaper ointment and nourishing oil.

The Baby Bee lotion didn't surprise me at all as it smells all too familiar. The nourishing oil is even worse! I do not understand how they think a newborn can feel all too comfortable or relaxed with such a strong unpleasant scent. But since the lotion is good, we have used it on little JR.

As for the nourishing oil, we're keeping it away unless really necessary.

What really caught me by surprise was the smell of the shampoo & wash and diaper ointment. If you like aromatherapeutic scents, these definitely score a good 100%! They smell very soothing and relaxing but if you layer on the lotion, its nice smell will be overpowered.

Ok, I may be a little over the top in this comment because the smell doesn't bother Mr Oosband at all. So, I guess it depends on your preference.

And because I am pretty much happy with the baby products, I went out and stock up these...

Now, I must say that this could be the best diaper ointment in the market for your baby's nappy area. I have always trusted the Bepanthen for a healthy, problem-free baby bottom. But, if you want your baby to stay asleep longer especially at night, the Burt's Bees Diaper Ointment will keep your baby's butt exceptionally dry.

It is thick and creamy that only a small amount is needed. At times, when little JR wets his diaper, I don't even need to reapply if I use a wet tissue to clean him up the second round because the cream would still stick to his bottom and it's as if you're just wiping a layer off.

This little tube costs about RM47.80. I must say, this is my favourite product from the Baby Bee range.

This one is a surprise discovery and so glad that they have another variation of the baby lotion. The scent is definitely better although not that great compared to Buds or Sebamed (Note: I am not comparing this to retail common baby products in the market due to the difference in product content and target group).

The lotion retails at RM56.80 and they have 3 variations - Original, Calming & Fragrance-Free. For its size, I do think it is a good buy.

This one was recommended to us by the sales person. Little JR has those rashes on his cheeks which is similar to what my firstborn had when he was Little JR's age. I have tried everything but nothing works except for the hydrocortisone cream that I shouldn't be too dependent on... hence, I am willing to try anything to help clear out the rash.

Therefore, this skin cream was something I couldn't resist, especially since I believe that Burt's Bees is a good alternative for skins plagued with eczema.

Well, the cream didn't totally get rid of the rash on his cheeks but it did make it better and his cheeks felt so smooth. Best of all, if he swipes his fingers across his cheeks and insert those tiny fingers into his mouth the way he always does, the cream is safe if ingested.

owh those cute little cheeks... ;D

The Skin Cream is very thick and only a little is needed. And since it comes in a tiny tub, you may think it is a little costly, at RM62.80. I must tell you though, that this is a hot-selling item and is usually out of stock.

Since having a child with eczema, I have been very sensitive in the types of products I choose for my babies. I have discovered that many baby products out there contain ingredients that are unsuitable for baby's use, can be harmful to newborns and may even trigger negative reactions. Although many babies are not easily affected and I for one grew up with one of the more popular brands, I am not too keen to take that risk with my babies especially when I saw how difficult and painful it was with my eldest child. Seriously, I will give you that 'wtf' stare if you come and tell me to put on a popular brand's baby oil on my baby's bottom because mineral oil should be a strong no-no for my baby or yours.

Would you say you need this product for your baby or would you just want to get it for the sake of experiencing something better? Does it really matter to you?

P/S: If you think the products are too costly for you but you would want to buy them regardless, you can invest in the first purchase as RM200 in single receipt allows you to be their Privileged member. After that, all your regular-priced purchases are given 10% off, a 30% discount on your birthday month and the usual point redemption scheme with most memberships nowadays. But what I love most about Burt's Bees, is that they encourage you to bring back empty bottles or tubes to their outlets and you'll be rewarded with additional discounts on your next purchase, if I am not mistaken.

Happy Birthday To Me...

2011-12-07T08:00:00.003+08:00

Today, I turn another year wiser (I think!)... a day to reflect on what I have went through, the life lessons that would either toughen me up or make me feel totally hopeless.

I believe that we set out our own paths in life based on our beliefs, what we like, what we don't.

I am easily affected by people who come to me for help because I am empathetic and would do everything I can to assist them but I guess I've learnt that most of the time, not everyone comes to you for help although they think they do. Help is something that a lot of people need to accomplish on their own because a lot of people don't really need to be rescued by people other than their own selves. Therefore, I've adopted a stand that I'd need to first help myself in order for me to stand strong for my family, who needs me to be there for them at all times.

I've also learnt that friends can be a bigger supporter, sometimes stronger than family members. Hence, I am forever grateful to those people who have taught me a thing or two about life experiences and continue to support me in most of the steps I take.

Best of all, I think I've come to an age where I feel that my family is everything to me and that everything I do involves considering how the decisions I make will affect all of us... and so, I am forever thankful to the man who is always behind me in all the decisions I make, who continues to push me to be a better person, for us to build a stronger future together and always showing me that there is nothing too difficult that cannot be overcome.

Here's to the wonderful achievements - another year passed with so many wishes fulfilled.

And for a great start to another year wiser, what better way than to rejuvenate and refresh one's senses with the first gift I got from a friend yesterday, from the Christmas set by Loccitane.

To those who matter, I love you all :)

CLINIQUE turnaround instant facial masque - a delightful experience!

2011-12-01T08:00:00.001+08:00

To ensure my skin is problem-free, I have masks for different types of condition - brightening, hydrating and refining. And one of the masks that I can't live without must be the CLINIQUE Turnaround Instant Facial Masque.

I love the fresh scent of this mask. In fact, there's a lot of things about this product that I like, apart from its scent - I love the satiny blue colour of the tube, the tube is so soft and easy to squeeze out the creamy formula when the tube is almost empty, I like the sturdy base but I especially love it for the result it gives me.

Unlike most masks that you'd need to leave on your face for awhile and then rinse off, this one's a little bit different. It's almost like a mild micro-dermabrasion treatment that you can safely do at home. The texture is a little grainy but fine and you'd only need to apply a thin layer on your face, leave it for about 5 minutes and once it has dried up, you would need to wet your fingers a little and massage your face lightly. You'd feel the grainy texture scrubbing those dead cells off your skin and rinsing the product out is such a cinch. As long as you rinse thoroughly, it leaves no residue behind except for soft smooth skin that glows.

I can also see some flecks of silverish sheen, possibly from the formula, making my skin radiant.

when used together with the concentrate serum, it leaves the skin even smoother.

Be careful though, to not over use this mask because as it is likened to a mild micro-dermabrasion treatment, it can lead to over-scrubbing. Though Clinique may have claimed that it is mild enough to be used 2-3 times a week, I think we beauty enthusiasts would know better than to believe such statement.

I had totally ignored this basic beauty rule of over-scrubbing after the mask totally helped to eliminate my blackhead woes on the first 2 weeks of use and used it as regular as thrice weekly ;) hence, the remarkable result left me with a more sensitive skin and as I had exfoliated my skin too regularly, the turnaround time for my dead skin cells may have been over-stimulated... leaving my skin even duller.

I had since cut down on its use to as much as just once a week. It is hard I tell ya... cos the product is really wonderful and I would always want to maintain a certain clarity in the way my skin looks *sigh*

Have you tried this mask? At 75ml, it retails for RM190 only.

Calvin Klein lip colours

2011-11-29T08:04:00.001+08:00

I think today is the last day of the promotion in StrawberryNet where purchases of a certain amount will get you a complimentary lip colour from Calvin Klein.

I have never heard of Calvin Klein makeup and even if I did, I don't think I'd trust that brand for my makeup needs. I mean, if you've been following my posts from back then, you'd know that I have very sensitive lips and can only use lipsticks of only two brands - Bobbi Brown and Dior. I've tried many others - cheap or expensive, but they all seem to make my lips itch at the end of the day, which can leave my lips swollen at times.

But, I must say that a free lippie from the online site not too long ago totally surprised me when not only did I discover that the brand produces such a creamy lippie, the colour is absolutely gorgeous as well. And, my lips did not get any bad reaction from continuous use. Good, right?

Hence, recently when a promotion was up again on StrawberryNet and the price was so low (they're like less than RM50 a piece!), I took the opportunity to get some of Calvin Klein's lip colours.

Lipsticks (L-R): Trust & Perfect Stranger. Lipgloss: Moonbeam

On my lips is Perfect Stranger + Moonbeam

Would you try cosmetics from brands unfamiliar to you?

Ralph Lauren Blue for Women

2011-11-28T02:01:00.001+08:00

I have a plentiful number of perfume bottles on my vanity desk, the majority of them were purchased when I was frequenting Singapore every month at one point in my working life. There are just so many of them that they all take up 1/3 of my dressing table :)

I have to admit, most of them were purchased at a whim and I hardly repurchase once a bottle finishes up. There are however, favourite scents of mine which I would replenish once the fragrance ran out but there is this one particular scent that I haven't been able to get my hands on for the past couple of years or more.

I had even went through the Amazon[dot]com site in UK so that I could get Mr Oosband's friends who're working there to bring it home with them. However, there is a strange lack of stock even in the UK. In fact, a good friend who has been buying her stock everytime she flies to Hong Kong told me that even they do not sell this particular perfume there anymore.

So, imagine my disappointment when I saw that it is currently only sold in the US-of-A. And after years of searching, fate had finally led it to me...

A big box to satiate my craving for its really wonderful unique scent...

It's the Ralph Lauren Blue for Women, thanks to a friend who made it possible for those who wish to purchase items from the States..

Have you ever smelt it? Do you even remember it being launched here in Malaysia?

Years ago when it was launched, I only got a small 50ml bottle because this EDP wasn't cheap. I hardly used much of it then because it didn't smell as good as it did until I used it again after a couple of years. From then on, I found out that perfumes I bought and hardly used from years back smelt even better on me... I am not sure if it's the composition of the fragrance after being used a little and hence, contain a small amount of O2 or that I have experienced a lot of hormonal changes to my body which possibly resulted in a change of chemistry between my skin and those fragrances.

When I asked the promoters of Ralph Lauren here in KL, I was told that this particular perfume has been discontinued locally shortly after it was launched as they weren't getting much fans of it.

Like, seriously? I mean, I got quite a few people at work actually asking me how nice the fragrance smell on me and asked what I had put on. I have friends who commented the same. In fact, I received a comment from one male celebrity at a fundraising event when he said that it has been awhile since he smelt this particular scent... and he was spot on when he guessed the name of this perfume. So, like there are not much fans, you say? I am truly perplexed...

So, since it ain't easy obtaining the Ralph Lauren Blue for Women (also me being kiasu in case it also gets discontinued in the States), I made sure I ordered the largest package there is - a 100ml and a 30ml bottle, nice enough to fit in my luggage when I need to travel.

Do you have any particular fragrance that you truly adore and do you go all out to obtain them?

The Philips Avent Steamer cum Blender - it's like Steve Jobs for mommies.

2011-11-14T08:20:00.001+08:00

I think Avent is a Steve Jobs for all mommies anywhere in the world. They have such brilliant creations that looks oh so simple yet work like a charm in most situations. I think they keep coming up with inventions to meet the needs of the majority of mommies and if you think that you don't quite need it, wait until you tried and tested the gadgets before realising yourself exhaling those loud "oohsss" and "aahhhs". Once you have it, you will ask yourself why you didn't get it earlier.

So today, I'd like to talk about something God sent, which will make everything seem so convenient, easy-peasy and no sweat.

This is the Philips Avent Blender cum Steamer which I bought during a promotion in myBBstore just a week ago. And if I had thought twice before getting this item, I was glad that I eventually bought it because cooking homemade healthy puree for my weaning baby has never felt this easy as 1,2,3 and A,B,C :D

Why do I say this is God's gift to mommykind? Well, it is such an amazing little product - a steamer and a blender in one, that making your precious' first tastes when he reaches 4-6 month old a wonderful experience to both baby and mommy. Why? Because it is gratifying for the mommy to know that her precious' first tastes comes from the creation of mommy herself and for the baby, he's getting all the right nutrients without compromising on quality nor taste.

I am not saying that there's anything wrong with mommies buying instant baby food from the supermarket. I am only saying that, with this little gadget, you seriously wouldn't imagine getting instant baby food because it makes making simple baby food absolutely simple, hassle-free and very very easy. In fact, if you have followed me from my previous experience preparing baby puree for Jada, this experience now with Jebat is even simpler, that I couldn't understand why Philips did not invent this 3 years ago! Just read on and you will see what I mean...

As per my other babies, I always start their first taste with a vegetable... and none other than carrots because it tastes wonderful when mixed with a little bit of milk. Why milk? Because in order for a baby to learn to start eating solids, it would help if the food that he's eating has a little bit of his usual milk, to help him familiarise with the food he's tasting.

Cut them carrots in small slices and it is ready to be steamed.

Before steaming, make sure you fill up the cup that comes with the blender to a suitable level that's marked.

See what I mean... if you click on the picture above, you will see an enlarged version. The cup is magic. It has the right level marked with the duration of the steamer. For carrots, I filled it up to 150ml which will allow the steamer to steam them carrots for 15 minutes.

Just turn the knob to the left and let the magic continue :)

Once there's the BEEP sound and the light turns off, we are ready to turn it upside down and this is something that amazes me more....

See, you can very clearly see some level of water from the steam at the bottom of the blender. If you read the instructions of any cook book, they might tell you to scoop some water from the steamed or boiled carrots that are cooked the conservative way. Here, you do not need to worry about water from the bottom of the steamer that you're supposed to add before you blend because *walah*.... there it is! *screams in glee*

And I should then just turn the knob to the right for it to blend and *walah*... in less than 1 minute, the blended carrots for my tiny knight in diaper is ready *clap clap clap*

So mommies, you had just eliminated having to transfer steamed/boiled food into a blender, you do not need to wash additional items like the large steamer nor do you need to gasp when you realised that the carrots on your pan has dried up to a brown colour ;P yes, moi had that experience while waiting for the carrots to boil in 15 minutes and ended up smelling burnt carrots when moi was occupied with some work in the living room!

I had also eliminated the hassle of washing a large blender or the little parts of the hand blender. Instead, am so happy to let you know that I only need to wash this little piece of magic and the parts are really really easy to clean *beaming with joy*

The best part... was probably also that the gadget came with good recipes in three stages of the baby's age. This, is in addition to the Annabel Karmel recipe book I always refer to and since many have told me how difficult it is to obtain her book, the recipes that came with the blender cum steamer is already quite good.

this is carrot + sweet potato.

this is just apples. And there are more recipes...

My only complaint is that it's power cord is way too short that I needed to use that little base as a temporary measure since I was so excited to get going with it immediately... as soon as I unboxed and cleaned it :) But, it is not a big deal and nothing major.

You may also find it a little smallish but I love that it is that perfect in size because it eliminates from me overdoing it. I remembered how it was before when I was happily cooking them stuff but once they've all cooled down, I realised that I didn't have enough ice-cube trays to store all those different purees.

With this wonderful gadget, all the purees I made was enough to fit one ice-cube tray and I was able to make 4 different purees in less than 2 hours. Of course, I only made carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes and apples, all suitable for Jebat's first tastes before moving on later to mixing them up together and adding other textures and tastes. Oh, and like before, when it comes to rice, I went to my trusted Nestle Nestum for the instant rice with milk because cooking rice would be too cumbersome at this stage and I shall only cook them rice later when he is ready for a mix of tastes. Now, with just his first tastes, I am only introducing him to one type of taste at one time.

Oh, and the green spatula on the photo above completes the magic on a perfect note as it scoops the right amount of food into the ice-cube trays and left no traces of food inside the blender.

And did I mention that everything was easy-peasy? It's easy peasy kacang putih... as if I am working on my MacBook Air with all the right short cuts and efficiency :D

Once it has cooled off (which is almost immediately with this small scoop!), I was ready to feed Jebat his carrots and what a magical experience it was, not having to sweat under the heat from the fire on the stove nor the steam coming out from a large steamer...

A happy baby eating his potatoes during dinner because mommy got so excited with them carrots that we didn't take any shots ;)

If you think you're a bad mom for buying instant food from the jar, don't feel bad. I wanted to do just the same as I am always tired from work and have no energy left to think about preparing purees. But if you still feel bad and want to do something about it, do get this item... I promise you, you will not regret it.

I got it at a discounted price of RM350 from it's RM459 original price tag. I am not sure if the promotion is still on so go check it out.

I am a heavy user of Avent where I have the duo pump, hoards of bottles, food/breastmilk storage, microwave steriliser, electric steriliser and the bottle/food warmer, apart from this item. Are you a big fan of Avent like moi?

Shiseido Perfect Refining Foundation SPF15

2011-11-10T17:45:00.001+08:00

Eversince Clinique discontinued their Almost Makeup here, I found myself on the hunt for the perfect liquid foundation for my skin. And if you've used Almost Makeup, you probably would know how long ago that might have been.

I like liquid foundations because they can make my skin look clean and fresh, yet natural... however, most of the liquid foundations I used does not work as well on my skin - usually oxidised at the end of the day, looks patchy later in the afternoon, would streak and sometimes look 'masky' (is there such a word??).

So, when some beauty bloggers went buzzing about the Shiseido Perfect Refining Foundation, I was instantly sold... not only do I like the word, 'Refining', I quite like the simple packaging. I have also never tried any liquid foundations from Shiseido and I was game to give it a go.

My shade is 140 and it has a yellow base.

As what it says at the back of the box, the liquidy texture felt amazing on the skin. I don't know why but if you dot the foundation on your skin, it gives a cooling sensation, somewhat telling you that it has hydrating properties. Yet, when thoroughly applied, it instantly dries up to a powdery finish that you don't really need to apply loose powder after that if you're going for that natural sheen finish.

As I have dark undereye circles and dislike using concealer, I would usually mattify the foundation with powder on my eye area. It doesn't give me that full matt result as my skin would oil up after probably 20-30 minutes post-application. But I do like that it's texture is so light yet able to cover up my large pores quite well.

Just a little of it goes a long way because coverage is pretty excellent, I must say. But as the coverage is expansive, it can look a little patchy later in the afternoon when my skin starts to really oil up. It will look even worse if I pile the foundation up with powder. It is supposed to be good on its own. Well, one should just use the oil blotter or tissue to remove surface oil but I would always forget to do that and I'd arrive home from work with a super shiny face.

I don't think that the foundation is at fault, it's just my skin that's too hard to please...

I do use it every once in awhile when I think I need the added coverage and I still think it is a good find. However, I won't say yet that I've found that perfect foundation for my skin.

Which foundation do you like most? And have you tried this one?

The Clarins Skin Spa @BSC

2011-11-06T19:25:00.004+08:00

I have to admit that I love Clarins' body products. I've been using them since after my first baby was born and I would occasionally use them whenever I feel that I need the extra help. You don't need to just think of cellulite for you to use their body products as there are quite a variant even for daily use. Best example would be their Relax and Tonic bath gel. They're excellent! I love their smell and the way their aroma make me feel at the end of a shower.

Recently, I've been buying Clarins' face products again after awhile and I was lucky that they had a redemption scheme where each RM100 of products purchased will allow you a 10 minutes free treatment in Clarins Skin Spa. I only found out about the promotion around 10 days before its due date and thus, only managed to get myself 30 minutes worth of treatment. Hence, I opted for a complimentary body scrub... and since I booked myself for that treat, I thought why not also book myself for a facial.

I have to admit though, that Clarins hasn't been a favourite facial destination before this. I don't know... I just never thought their facial treatment suits my skin in the long run, simply because they do not do extractions. My skin is different than many and although a lot of my friends swear by the treatment from Clarins, I on the other hand would only pay them a visit once in a blue moon when I feel that I just want a pampering session without having to endure torturous extractions. And, that will only happen when I think my skin is problem free, which is very very rare.

But, what I do love about Clarins Skin Spa is the fact that they have large treatment rooms, with a huge closet for you to keep your stuff.

And since I was doing a body treatment as well, the room is attached to a spacious shower booth. Very comfy, I must say, and I was naughty enough to actually use both shower gels, one after another ;)

I must also say that since this is my first visit to the Clarins Skin Spa after probably a year, I am pleasantly surprised at the facial treatment. I never remembered that their treatment can be a little comprehensive. I mean, they not only massaged my hands, they also apply many stuff on my hands. They even scrubbed my lips and they did it with very gentle strokes. Should I say that they had probably improved their techniques and added a few steps to their usual facial routine?

They started with a relaxing movement all over my body, which is a standard in any facial treatments. I don't remember each and every step because I totally enjoyed the session since my body was dead tired from working the day before, as an *ehem* emcee *ehem* for a very special event ;)

I chose the whitening treatment and I thought the scrub and mask that they used on my face was working its magic since I can feel my face tingle. I know for a fact that since they do not perform extractions, they do have this special exfoliation product that they layer on your face, which may be as effective as extractions, for some.

I like that they paid special attention to my decolletage... they are not stingy in the amount of products they slather neither are they ignorant when massaging the shoulders. It felt like heaven and I surprised myself awake when I thought I heard my own snore! Haha...

All the aches on my back was somewhat cured since they switched on the heating blanket under me which warmed up my body and relaxed my tired, aching nerves. I left the place feeling so energised and my face was glowing... what a perfect end to a weekend.

What I also love about the Clarins Skin Spa in BSC, they do not do any hard sell and before this when I came to try out some products, they were very willing to give out samples. And I thought that was a very good move because I came back 2 days later to purchase some items.

Anyways, after the treatment, the therapist informed me that their Christmas coffret will be out by November 2011 and there will be a special 10-day promotion for members. I saw their Christmas coffret on their latest newsletter and I think there are interesting gift sets that you can find, if you are a fan of Clarins. Do check out with them if you need more information regarding the members promotion or coffret sets.

By the way, my facial treatment was priced at RM228 per session and I was told that during the members' promotion, you might enjoy a buy 4 get 1 free, with complimentary 5 eye treatments as well to go with the package.

I think after this experience, Clarins Skin Spa might just be in my list of favourite facial treatment destination....

Have you tried any treatments from Clarins Skin Spa? If yes, which of the treatments you enjoy most?

The MWS Readers' Choice Awards 2011

2011-10-29T23:11:00.001+08:00

It's been too long since I updated and today's event at the My Women Stuff Readers' Choice Awards 2011 is such a good excuse to start updating again :)

I think everyone had a great time today and the organiser had planned a really small crowd to make it more cosy and personal. After all, it is the first ever beauty award done online in this country and everyone who nominated and voted for their favourite brands and products were extremely excited to know who won (and who made the cut).

our very own Paris B of My Women Stuff giving her speech. no prizes for guessing who's the star at the event, judging from all those cameras snapping away...

and I don't remember what was so funny here... i hope everyone was laughing at my statement, not at me huhu.... ;)

I think it is no surprise that the event got a good support from the readers of MWS. I'm surprised that many of those who attended actually knew the rest of those present from the names of commenters on the blog.

Sponsors were also generous. There were 10 lucky draw prizes consisting of a Clinique EDP, Clinique Moisture Surge Cream Gel, a voucher from LacePetals.com, 3 vouchers from Apronbay, a spa voucher for 2 from Poise Organic Wellness Studio, Kiehl's Hair Products and 2 very luxurious skincare/fragrance and makeup hamper from Dior. Unfortunately, I didn't win any of them and someone else won what I wanted *sigh*

But, no worries... all of us went home with goodie bags worth at least RM350 each *happiest grin*

these were products that came in different options in each goodie bag... there was another one - the Revlon nail polish that also came in 2 different shades but I gave mine away because I don't use nail polish :)

these are basically what everyone got in a goodie bag. see anything you like?

The products in the goodie bags consist of those from Kiehl's, L'oreal, Maybelline, Garnier, Vichy, Revlon, Pantene, Olay, Himalaya Herbals, Ah Yuan Soap, Esmeria Organics, Hada Labo, Estee lauder, vouchers from ApronBay, Poise Organics Wellness Studio, LacePetals.com and handmade jewellery from Sweet Contemplation Accessories based in Australia.

If you'd like to know the winning products, MWS has already published the results.

Were you there at the event?

Part 2: The ASUS Eee Pad Transformer

2011-08-01T00:40:00.003+08:00

So my transformer does not come with 3G. I can use wifi but most of the time I use the built in tethering function on the desire HD for some internet love. Can't do that with the HTC Mozart. Thanks to my sister who swapped the phone she had with mine.

Wordprocessing.

The transformer is made for typing. Well, the keyboard dock at least. No longer do you need to fiddle around with the on screen keyboard, you have a full fledged chiclet style keyboard to type till you get callouses on your fingers... not that you would get callouses typing on the transformer keyboard dock though. The keyboard also have some specific keys to access functions on your tablet. You can adjust brightness settings, turn wifi or bluetooth on, take screenshots and play media. I'm digressing. on the software side, the transformer comes with polaris office. this full featured office suite enables you to view and edit office documents, spreadsheets and presentation. This app is preventing me from splashing out yet again on quickoffice or documents to go. It is fairly decent. I have the option to sync with google docs or box.net. Hence, you can save your documents in the clouds. Apart from that you can download various other wordprocessing or note taking apps so that you can type to your heart's content. Evernote is a must. It has a tablet enhanced beta that you should try.

Internet Browsing.

The built in browser is flash 10.3 compliant. That in itself is a win. No longer will you have the excuse of your browser not showing flash based pages. Videos played inline in the browser itself and the browser also scores well in some of the browser tests that I tried. There are also other browsers that you can try such as Opera Mobile, Dolphin HD, etc.

Social media.

There are a number of twitter clients which are compatible with honeycomb. My personal favourite at the moment is plume. Tweetcomb is also good where as the default twitter client for android is nothing like the twitter client for the iPad. It's not fully optimised to take advantage of the big screen. I keep going back to the iPad to compare. Facebook optimisation is also lacking. But I'm sure that as more and more developers start tweaking their apps for honeycomb you will see more support for the tablet.

I'm stumped for now.

Philips Avent Bottle Warmer - where you can quickly find it.

2011-07-20T19:39:00.004+08:00

More baby stuff! :)

What else would you expect, right?

With pwincesh Jada, I was working from home. And it was the first time that I ever attempted exclusive breastfeeding. Therefore, there were plenty of things I didn't know. I thought direct feeding was more convenient and before I knew it, it was too late to introduce her expressed breast milk (EBM) in the bottle as she totally refused it. Therefore, she was breastfed directly for the entire first 18 months of her life.

The positive part about it was - I don't have to worry about bottle steriliser and warmer. But that was then.

Now that I am smarter in the bf department, I realised that there are just waaay too many stuff to be invested if a working mom wants to continue breastfeeding her baby. There are those containers to store EBM, expensive steriliser and that bottle warmer that will definitely ease all working moms. Of course, there will also be that very expensive breast pump which I had bought 4 years back when I was pregnant with Jada. And since I've bought the Philips Avent breast pump, I had to buy all things Avent as all brands have their own unique fit, shapes and sizes.

Recently, though, there seem to be a major exhaustion to Avent's products. It was so tough getting the containers for EBM but I managed to get it through an online baby store after frequenting so many malls. But, when it comes to searching for the bottle warmer, it seemed to be out of stock at all of the renowned online baby shops and I could never find it in any shopping malls.

Do you really need a bottle warmer? Well, you don't actually, if you are diligent enough in ensuring that you constantly monitor the frozen/chilled EBM closely while you place the container in a bowl/mug of hot water. For one, your chilled EBM might make the water turn cold and you'll not get all the milk evenly warmed or on the other hand, the milk might get a little too hot and that would destroy many of the benefits of breastmilk. If your baby has been crying for awhile, this can be really stressful. Now, I know I can monitor it well enough but I also realised that I would waste plenty of hot water as I'd need to change the water in the mug for me to ensure the frozen/chilled EBM gets warm quick enough. And if I expect another person to help feed the baby, that person as I noticed, may not bother to monitor the temperature of the water or the container because they might not be as 'kiasu' as a mother who just had a baby.

So, to ease everyone's tired nerves in the house, I decided to get the bottle warmer. After all, it can double up as a food warmer and I do think I will use it for awhile even after the baby has weaned off breastfeeding. Heck, I am even using the bottle steriliser to sterilise all of Jada's bottles until now, although she turned 3 today. Thus, my kiasu-ness tells me that the warmer will last for awhile in my kitchen.

After searching high and low everywhere for the bottle warmer, we decided to check out an Avent service center which Mr Husband had once went to look for parts to my Avent Isis IQ duo pump which I haven't used since the last 2 years.

walah... we found it at Kinderdijk, located at Hartamas.

Before getting this from Kinderdijk, Mr Husband did buy another bottle warmer when we thought we could just take a short cut and buy whatever warmer that's available on the shelves of any retail stores. But we returned it to the store because it didn't warm up the bottle even after 10 minutes. With the Philips Avent warmer, the temperature warmed up almost in an instant and maintained at a good warm level even after you've switched it off after awhile. It is that convenient!

I would recommend anyone who loves Philips Avent's products to head on to Kinderdijk direct if the distance from your home or work place is convenient enough. This is because not only is the customer service excellent, you would most likely get anything you're looking for (from the standard products to spare parts) but the best part would be - the fact that you're getting the items at a much lower price than retail. In fact, not only did the price tag lower than market price, I got this at another good discount if I can pay for it with cash. Perfect.

Baby Liquid Talc by Mothercare - your answer to baby's musky smell.

2011-07-16T12:40:00.000+08:00

I don't know about you but I love the smell of babies... they have this strange musky smell that is almost heavenly and I miss smelling my pwincesh Jada after she grew out of that smell.

However, with the new little guy, the musky smell could get pretty intense... so intense that I sometimes feel a little uncomfortable with it and I believe that he is too. I guess with the super hot and humid weather we have and the fact that he can't really stand the air-condition, he would sweat so much, giving out an intense odour especially in the afternoon and the morning when he wakes up from sleep.

Now I for one, do not believe in putting on talcum powder on babies. I don't. Studies have shown that it can do more harm than good. Once when Jada was sweating mad on a hot day, she developed some heat rashes and we decided to forgo this belief so that she can be more comfortable and dry. True enough, 3 days later, she started coughing and sneezing, with a runny nose. Once we stopped putting talcum powder, the problem went away.

But seriously, I can't possibly stand seeing the little guy this way. He already has some heat rashes in the folds of his chubby neck and I can see that the area of the rashes have spread a little in a week. Thus, I remember of this product I once tried on Jada when she was very little...

the Mothercare Baby Liquid Talc - yes, I got it during the current Mothercare sale :)

I am not sure if you can find any other brands with this miracle magic - it is a baby lotion that transforms into talc when the lotion dries up on baby's skin. Therefore, you eliminate the risk of loose talc flying in the air and inhaled into baby's respiratory system when you apply it to your baby as how normal baby powder works.

the product packaging states it all clearly...

The best part is, it smells awesome - fresh and clean. I love how the little guy now smells... if you think the musky baby scent is heavenly, wait til your baby smells of this liquid talc :)

the full description on the back label.

On a very warm day, Jebat will smell fresh until around 1pm when he starts to sweat but since I would freshen him up before he sleeps, that will be the only time when he smells musky.

Helllooo heaven, bubye musky.

Part 1: The ASUS Eee Pad Transformer - A Clever Invention.

2011-07-01T00:11:00.005+08:00

looks like a laptop..

Autobots. Transform and roll out. You will definitely have a tendency to say that when ur using the transformer.

design wise it just works. in its netbook form it is indistinguishable from a normal laptop, well apart from the touchscreen that is. the transformer screams premium, something ASUS is slowly getting to grips with. having used an eee pc for the last two years, the eee pad can be described as a much more sexy looking long lost cousin. detaching it from the keyboard dock never fails to draw amazed looks from onlookers.

its a clever idea that just works.

old ipad vs new transformer..

stacking the two on top of each other..

comparing the dimensions with my old ipad, the transformer is thinner vertically but much wider horizontally. the two tablets weigh roughly the same in hand but i think i prefer the ipad. well maybe its because i have been using the ipad for a while. the slim widescreened form factor may need some getting used to.

(image credit: ASUS)

out of the box - the transformer comes in 2 options. with and without the keyboard dock. i say get the keyboard dock just because of the extra battery life it brings and also the added connectivity option. with the keyboard dock u get the tablet, dock, and usb cable cum charger.

hardware - the transformer comes with 16GB of built in storage. u have a micro sd slot on the tablet itself, an sd card and two USB slots on the dock. there's a 5MP camera on the back and a 1.2MP camera in front for video conferencing. it is powered by Nvidia Tegra2 SOC and comes with 1GB of RAM. u also have a mini HDMI port to connect the tablet to any supporting external displays. u can read more on the technical specs at ASUS website.

10 inches not enough..

mini hdmi cable came in handy..

operating system - the transformer is running android honeycomb version 3.1. the difference between honeycomb and gingerbread is fairly obvious but u would expect the two to merge once ice cream sandwhich pops up by end of the year. in any case, what this means is some of the core google apps are optimized for tablets and u can see from the email, calendar, youtube and other apps how this is to your advantage. for those interested, it is fairly easy to root the transformer, the instructions to which can easily be googled up. ASUS also customized the launcher on the transformer. i can't really tell having not use a stock honeycomb device before but overall the experience is okay. 5 home screen for u to put ur widgets and app shortcuts. u can probably customize it to ur own liking however way you want.

software - ASUS has bundled together some apps on the transformer. there's mylibrary for ebooks and stuff, myNet for DNLA playing thingamabobs, myCloud for your cloud based storage options, a file manager and a pc sync software. on top of that u have access to all the compatible apps available in the market. one weakness of the current market is its not segregated into fully tablet compatible apps and phone apps. unlike apple's appstore. you just have to try them all out la kan.

next i will be looking up real life user experience and what not.

in the meantime here are some pictures for your enjoyment.

Finally, maternity wear spells G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S!

2011-06-10T01:14:00.006+08:00

A lot of women would tell me they don't believe in spending for maternity wear... in fact, they'd tell me that it'd be more economical if you'd buy clothes in bigger size during your pregnancy because not only will you be able to wear them clothes after the pregnancy, but you'd look really gorgeous as well.

I will have to agree only until my 2nd trimester of my 2nd pregnancy. Once I hit my third trimester, nothing fits anymore and it was even worse during my latest pregnancy as I wasn't able to wear anything non-maternity coming to my 2nd month. READ: 2nd month!

Therefore, I struggled to look for comfy maternity clothing that do not make me look like a frock. Sadly, the majority of our local maternity stores carry designs that are so blahhh, they make me want to puke. I mean, come on... you already feel fat when you're pregnant... you don't need to have clothes that make you actually look plump and frumpy.

And if people tell me non-pregnancy clothes flatter them since they can be worn during pregnancy and after, I feel that good maternity wear should also look flattering when worn post-pregnancy - from my previous pregnancy with Jada, I did find some stuff that make me look really good post-pregnancy. Therefore, I have this firm belief that maternity clothing can still be worn long after one has given birth yet doesn't look pregnant at all...

.....and so, I'd like to share with all of you on my recent find of gorgeous affordable maternity pieces that will flatter a pregnant woman yet is designed to be worn even after she has delivered her baby. I know there are many out there but these are my ultimate favourite!

(photo credit: Bangsar Village II)

Spring Maternity was an accidental find. I love going to Mothercare to get stuff for Jada and the little guy and I made sure not to miss checking out their maternity collection - their tops and swimwear are really comfy. But the collection in Mothercare BSC is very limited and that made me google them up online. I seriously thought they are the product of the UK and was very surprised when I find out from the net that they originate from Singapore! The best part is, they now have a store in Bangsar Village II.

I love their collection because they are so comfortable, their collection ranges from tank tops to dinner dresses and they have a huge array of designs that are nursing-friendly. I tell you, Spring Maternity is sorta like god's gift to pregnant women in Malaysia! I was at the store and spent close to an hour trying out so many clothes. I can't possibly afford to buy each one of them but I had super fun trying out almost all of them, I kid you not!

I like that their sales promoters are very friendly and helpful, and they even have baby stuff and intimates, not just maternity wear. I love the stuff in there so much that I was even snapping up items even in my final month of pregnancy. In fact, I wore one pregnancy-cum-nursing top a few days ago for my follow-up check up with my gynae and one elderly woman who saw me was surprised I looked really 'slim' 2 weeks post-delivery (she actually thought I was already out of my confinement period!). The fact was, there was still a bulge but unnoticeable, unless you look long and hard enough ;P

(photo credit: Gingersnaps Facebook)

Now this was another accidental find... I received a shopping voucher from Mothercare during a sale and decided to check it out. At that time, Gingersnaps only had one outlet in Bangsar Shopping Centre.

They have children clothes but their maternity wear is so lovely. I find that their designs are so classy - they have the demure and polished look that make one stand out as the most comfortably best dressed pregnant woman. Most of the tops are linen-like cotton in very subtle and sweet colours, making your every day maternity look appear relaxed and calm.

Since I discovered them only in my last 2 months of maternity (and my bump was super-huge), I didn't think any of the tops made me look 'thinner' but then again, I might have had some super hormone attacks that threw me off from buying them. Then again, a lot of the size that I wanted in some of the designs were not available then, but I did fall in love with their sleek pants. Their pants are made of the material that is almost khaki-like but with a sheen, making you look oh so corporate wearing it to work. Pregnant, yet able to pull off a corporate look is a winner to me. Best of all, they are so comfy.

Gingersnaps has another outlet in KLCC next to Mothercare. And until end of this year, VIP members of Mothercare also enjoy 10% discounts on the items sold in Gingersnaps. I'd say, that's worth adding them in my maternity list.

(photo credit: Funky Mama Facebook)

Funky Mama was discovered back during my pregnancy with Jada. At that time, they were sold in Isetan KLCC (not anymore). I got many of its tops which I still wore til today and I always get compliments when I wear their tops to work. Apparently, they look 'classy'. My best friend, Nicole, also swore by their gorgeous maternity range.

Throughout my last pregnancy, I got so many stuff from here because at that time, I haven't yet discovered Gingersnaps nor Spring Maternity, therefore this was my haven. However, coming to my third trimester, they have closed down their outlet in Gardens, Mid Valley and although they have an e-online website, it is still under maintenance til now. Hence, I am not sure what's their latest development although they do have a facebook page that you can check out.

Another worthy place to check out maternity and nursing wear is Fabulous Mom but I have never been to their retail outlets and have only been buying online through their online website... I have not bought anything from their maternity line but have gotten serious good stuff on nursing wear - intimates and tank tops, and I think they are as fabulous as their name. Best of all, they are so affordable.

I admit that there are many other worthy stores that may sell maternity clothing but from my observation, they are not very comfortable (the material are not those breathable or stretchable kind), their designs are unattractive and inconsistent, and for those local brands, they are just so expensive.

Do you have other brands you prefer and would like to share?

Welcoming the little guy, JR

2011-06-01T21:34:00.003+08:00

I have been busy lately with this little guy....

He arrived past his due date but as everything else, it all happened for a good reason... his late arrival allowed me to push myself to walk even more and switched gynae at the 11th hour after contemplating doing it since my last baby! Long story but glad it all happened the way it did.

At 3.8 kilos, I managed to deliver him via normal delivery, all thanks to a brilliant doctor who thoroughly explained to me things I needed to know and hear. Many thanks to a brilliant team of nurses as well - I simply will write something about them... soon :)

CLINIQUE Superbalanced powder makeup SPF15/PA+++

2011-05-23T19:15:00.001+08:00

I know there are many other posts pending but this is one entry that deserves to cut queue ;)

Last weekend, I decided to check out Isetan's sale (finally!). I know I am a little late but as much as I didn't want any compulsive buy albeit their very attractive members' promotion on the first day of the sale a week ago, my shopping conscience finally got the better of me. My one-day of browsing through beauty counters at Isetan KLCC (sans any purchase, so proud of myself!) finally made me decide to go back to Isetan to grab their fantastic beauty deals.

Hence, I decided to check out stuff at CLINIQUE and this was one of the stuff I got... the CLINIQUE new Superbalanced powder makeup with SPF15/PA+++.

The SA explained that it is sort of a mineral makeup where it can be used on its own after you've put on your sunscreen. Note that these days, all beauticians will stress the importance of putting on sunscreen after your moisturiser, even if your foundation contains SPF. You can layer it on their Superbalanced liquid foundation if you like but apparently, the powder still suffice on its own.

I have to say that I am a little skeptical when it comes to using mineral-based makeup. I've used Bare Escentuals and Dior but both gave me rashes and they both clogged my open pores. But the 'gatalness' in me and the attractive packaging of CLINIQUE's powder made me try it out.

The SA swept 'Deep', the darker of the 2 tones they have and it came out perfect! The colour blended well with my skin tone and it looked like it gave a medium coverage just on its own. With an 18gm weight and a RM140 price tag, I say that it is worth to purchase.

The powder comes in a nice rounded thick compact-like-loose powder case. And like most mineral-based foundation, you'd have a brush instead of a sponge applicator. What I like about the brush, though, is that it isn't like those usual thick-rounded kabuki brush you'd normally get from buying mineral makeup. This one's broad enough for the powder to cover your cheek area in a few sweep yet slim enough to apply them powder neatly on your narrower eyelids and upper lip areas. Smart invention, no?

You're supposed to twirl the top circular part for the top compartment to express enough mineral bits for you to apply to the entire face... much like having a diving watch and you twirling the top dial to see how long you've been underwater ;P haha... really not the same reasons but you get my drift, right?

I used it on my skin today and I must say that I am very impressed with this product. I've never really had any good experience with CLINIQUE's powder makeups - be it their loose powder, pressed powder or any of their compact foundations. I like their liquid foundation but that's that. However, this one seems to suit me perfectly - the colour is just perfect, one sweep of the powder on my skin gave me a medium coverage enough to conceal my open pores, it doesn't make my skin itch, it gives me a healthy-radiant glow first thing in the morning and best of all, I think it's sorta sweat proof when I was doing my normal morning chores before leaving the house for work. I love it!

And as all the other mineral makeup, you just simply have to layer the powder if you want better coverage. So far so good. 2 hours later and the makeup blends with the natural oil secretion on my face, I look even more fresh and radiant.

Since I've only used it twice, I can't say much about the pore-clogging part yet. So far, if you use the right products from CLINIQUE that's suitable for your skin type, you may not encounter this problem. Therefore, I am keeping my fingers crossed but will update you if I do get breakouts from the powder.

here's the full list of ingredients, if you'd like to check it out.

Have you tried this product yet or would you like to try it out?

Buying Adventures of Gracie Lou DVDs at YouBeli.com - the experience.

2011-05-22T22:12:00.005+08:00

This finally arrived on Thursday, about 8 days after I placed the order online.

I bought the two DVDs after I overheard some tunes from Gracie Lou although I didn't truly comprehend the pronunciation from my little pwincesh, Jada. Mr Husband thought it sounded like the song, Hokey Cokey and we instantly browsed some youtube videos of Gracie Lou's songs. However, we couldn't find much on the net. Two days later, I decided to google it up and see where I could purchase the DVDs without much hassle.

Results from googling, brought me to a local online store, youbeli.com. I was so excited about the purchase - one, because I could buy them locally and two, because they stated in their web page that the DVDs were available and that I could receive them within 2-4 days after payment is cleared. Since I bought using their direct e-Giro iPay88 system, payment was cleared in an instant and I was looking forward to receiving the package within 2-3 days, as scheduled.

Later that same day, I received an email to say that one of the DVDs was considered 'back-order' (which I have no idea what the heck that was as they didn't provide any explanation) but they promised that they will deliver the DVDs ASAP.

Well, to receive them 8 days after payment was cleared (mind you, purchase was made before 11am) when it is only a local online store, I find that barely acceptable since they did state in their web page that the stock was available when the order was made. If they had stated that there wasn't any stock, I would have checked elsewhere. Furthermore, 8 days would be how long it takes for my orders on StrawberryNet (a service based in HK) to reach me. Hong Kong to Malaysia vs local/domestic service does not fare well to me.

Anyways, that was a good experience and I may not try them out anymore in the future. I am glad, though, that the package arrived and my darling pwincesh was totally excited when I showed her the boxes to the DVDs.

Jada was totally glued to the sofa watching Gracie Lou on TV. Mr Husband and I also suspect that the nursery school we send her to has Gracie Lou sessions since she is quite familiar with many of the songs and she knows the movements to most of the songs. She loved them so much that she held both DVD boxes tightly even when we went to Giant to buy groceries that night. It felt so good to know that she truly enjoys the songs.

Mr Husband even went overboard by ripping both discs into his iPad so that she can enjoy the songs anywhere, anytime. In fact, as she is able to play the videos on the iPad, she no longer asks for Playhouse Disney on TV. Hence, we have now been able to take over our TV sessions haha... clever, no?

As per any online shopping experience, I think it will always be a trial and error for those shops we are not familiar about. Frankly, I love shopping online because I think they are so convenient - you don't need to go out of the house, there are no parking hassle and less time wasted to look for stuff. Best of all, the things you buy are delivered directly to your doorstep.

I know I will never stop checking out online shopping sites but I know I will definitely take note of those worthy or otherwise.

MacBook Air 11" shell case.

2011-05-20T00:20:00.000+08:00

This post may be a little late but what the heck...

To all MacBook Air owners, especially the 11" version, it has been pretty much frustrating trying to obtain any protective casing suitable for it. I bought mine in December 2010 and all the while with numerous visits to the apple.com Malaysia or Singapore online stores or the Machines and Mac City retail outlets would always end up with me cursing why the need for so many types and versions of casing for the iPad or iPhone but none for MacBook Air. Even asked Mr Husband's friend in the UK to get one for me before they flew back home but they were out of stock. Like wth??

So, all this time I had to be satisfied with the spongy-rubbery cover of a 10" netbook. Not very nice but it would have to do for the time being.

However, much to my glee, Mr Husband finally saw the shell casing for my Mr Vin, the name I call my beloved and trusted MacBook Air, some time a month ago :)

so this is how it usually look like (picture above taken from apple.com)

the more metrosexual Mr Vin now ;P

i love how pink it looks that i am considering a name change - Candy, perhaps?

I must admit, I was too excited about it and didn't bother to even have a look at it, totally trusting Mr Husband to grab one before it runs out of stock. He told me over the phone that there were other colours like clear, black, blue, orange and this pink. I didn't want an unattractive pink but compared to the other colours, I guess pink sounded better. So, there you have it.

I saw many of them Speck shell casings for users of MacBook Air now in many of the Mac retail stores, so go get one. I am just surprised that they took so long to bring it into our shores and very limited variations as well.

And oh, the shell casing retails at RM148.

DECLEOR Harmonie Range - A pleasant find.

2011-05-16T22:25:00.001+08:00

I've wanted to update on this a while ago but haven't had the opportunity. Well, as they say, better late than never, right?

See, in my quest to explore good facialists, I came across the Decleor outlet in Mid Valley Megamall and decided to give them a try. After all, they had quite a favourable first-time discount (as much as RM100 off) and if they're not very good, I know I don't lose much.

Anyways, to cut the story short, the facial was good, the young therapist I had was pretty thorough and she actually recommended me to use their Harmonie range, a range suitable for sensitive skin and gave me a tester pack for me to try back home.

At first, I felt weird because I've gotten diagnosis like dehydrated congested skin, or acne-prone sensitive dehydrated skin but never just sensitive skin. Period. And at all those facial salons I've went before, they would always give me a combo range of oily-hydrating-whitening products to combat my congested-dehydrated-dull surface skin type.

Well, as I felt a little 'gatal' as well, since I love the aromatic smell of the tester pack I got, I decided to give them a try. For a week. And I must say that the products work so well on my skin and made my skin look so smooth! I was so impressed by them that I decided to check them out on StrawberryNet.

so, here they are, when they arrived at my office...

i got the entire morning set (with full size essential oil but smaller-sized cream) and a full size night balm (which i must say, is divine!!). oh, and i also added an eye-makeup remover with my order.

when it came in, i received a free CK lippie, which surprisingly is sooo moisturising and the colour was awesome!

i chose the colour, 'cognac'. it was perfect.

The best part about ordering them online, was the fact that the night balm was actually a bit more than RM100 cheaper! It's probably RM320 at the salon but with the 3 items ordered plus my loyalty to StrawberryNet, I got them at a good discount where the night balm came only to RM211. Serious, no joke. But then again, the products and promo in the website change constantly, so you gotta observe and monitor.

I totally love the texture and smell of the products because they are so concentrated that you only need very little each time you use them. Heck, even the tester they gave me, where the night balm was only 2.5ml, it lasted a good 15 days of daily use! Imagine ordering a 30ml tub. The only thing about the balm is that it is best to be used only when you're about to go to bed. Because it is a balm, the texture is like a thick oily paste that will make your face shine.

What I like about the products, even though they contain essential oils, they do not clog my pores. I know another retail luxury French brand that uses essential oil that clogs my pores. So, this one's a winner with me :)

Have you tried any Decleor products? I've used their body products a long long time ago but I still prefer Clarins body products.

Kiehl's BABY

2011-05-11T23:08:00.005+08:00

About a month ago, my 2-year old Jada developed some skin reaction. We weren't sure what caused it because for one, we have not changed her diet and secondly, we didn't change the washing detergent that we've always used for her clothes. But her body remained reddish, spotty and she would stand against the door or the edge of our sofa so that she could scratch her back, just like how a bear would scratch their back against a tree - cute, right? However, as a mom, I just couldn't stand to see her that way.

From my numerous visits to Kiehl's before, I would always make sure to bring home samples of their baby products. When we tried on the body shampoo and lotion sample, we were surprised to find how silky smooth her skin looked and felt. Therefore, I have always told myself that if I get a little 'gatal' one day to splurge on body products for her, I would definitely go for those Kiehl's baby products. And the timing couldn't have been so apt.

But, you know how it is... just when you have this urge to splurge, the products weren't available. The body lotion is out at the BSC and Isetan KLCC outlets. Apparently, it has been sold out everywhere for about a month.

Lucky me, at a rare visit to 1 Utama after a birthday celebration with my eldest and treasured friends, I passed by the Kiehl's outlet and thought I should just ask if they do have the products. Walah... they still have some stocks left :D

I kid you not... these liquid work like a gem, especially if you have babies with extremely delicate skin.

And the best part was, I got a 15% discount for the items as they had a one-day-only Mothers' Day promotion only at the 1 Utama outlet that weekend. How cool is that?

FYI, they also have other gift sets for babies but I didn't think I should spend 70bucks on the diaper cream because the RM20++ Bepanthen works wonders already. So, these would do for now.

Have you tried any of the Kiehl's Baby products before or bought for friends? Do you like it?

HTC Mozart - hardware bits

2011-04-02T22:14:00.000+08:00

Okay hardware specs is everything for a phone. Especially in windows phone 7. Microsoft has pretty much underlined the base specs for the OS and phone companies try to differentiate their product through the hardware. Bigger screen. Better camera. Better sound. HTC approached it a bit differently, instead of putting the ultimate hardware into just one phone, they spread it up across their wp7 offering. HD7 got the big screen, the Mozart got the camera, Surround got the slide out speakers etc. Samsung went with the AMOLED screen route. You get the idea.

So what does the hardware specs look like for the Mozart.

1 GHz Scorpion processor, Adreno 200 GPU, Qualcomm QSD8250 Snapdragon chipset - this is somewhat standard across all HTC initial wp7 offering. Performs well in terms of sprightliness and smoothness in handling the requirements of wp7. The Mozart comes with 8GB of storage with 512 MB of ROM and 576 MB of RAM. I think the RAM is one of the highest amongst all the wp7 phones launched. Dimensions of the phone is 119 x 60.2 x 11.9 mm and weighs just 130 grams. The phone build quality is excellent. It has that premium device feel to it, well that's probably down to the whole brushed aluminum thingy it got going on.

HTC 7 Mozart

The display is 3.7 inch S-LCD, 480x800 resolution. SLCD is no amoled, but i found the display quite good but still, under direct sunlight u do have to squint la a bit ;).

The camera is 8 megapixels with auto focus and xenon flash. Impressed? Well specs alone won't do it la for a camera. I have some issues with the camera. The two step flash, the auto focus in capturing videos, can't save camera settings - if u set the videocam on HD and exit, it will revert to normal resolution. Been reading other reviews on the camera and they said that the flash was weak and the images are not at par to what an 8 megapixel mobile phone camera with xenon flash should behave like. But, but, but so far the images that i got all look rather okay to me. So i guess its a personal preference thingy?

the camera, flash and speaker grille

The sound quality however is indisputable. HTC has bung in Dolby Mobile and SRS Enhancements into the phone and the music playback on the phone is excellent. I mean u can use it as your own personal beat box its that good. Well i'm exaggerating of course but it's really good.

Here's some more shots of the phone.

the battery cover slides open..

sim card slot under the battery..

3.5 mm jack and power button..

micro usb slot for charging and data transfer,

volume rocker on the left side

camera shutter button, activates the camera even from sleep.

touch sensitive buttons..

Next i'll give my overall thoughts on the phone.

HTC Mozart Review - Windows Phone 7

2011-03-28T20:00:00.003+08:00

I think I'm gonna break this review into two parts. First touching on the operating system side of things and the other on the general hardware of the phone. I've been using android more recently and before that I've used symbian. Windows phone 7 presents an opportunity to get to know a new OS, like what I experienced with android. So how does the OS fare?

live tiles..

Now if someone is used to iOS or android and to a certain extent symbian, the windows phone 7 UI marks a totally new reinterpretation of how a mobile OS should look like. The main component of the start screen are the live tiles. This is where snippets of information are shown, kinda like strip down widgets of sorts. WP7 organizes itself into hubs, with the user having easy access to the information they require by browsing the People, Picture, Music and Videos and the Office Hubs. It's pretty self explanatory.

people..

By default, WP7 requires that u have a windows live ID. Lucky my first email address was a hotmail account. You also have the option to set up Facebook, Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo and other email accounts. Now the people hub is where all your contacts are shown. Recently used contacts are shown neatly on a page. The recent status of your Facebook contacts are also displayed. U can update your Facebook or windows live status right from the people hub. Now to me what's missing here is twitter integration. It would be handy if one could see twitter updates here too. Apparently this feature is coming in future wp7 updates.

Speaking of updates wp7 was updated recently. The NoDo update brought some enhancements such as copy past and better marketplace search functions. Woop ti doo. Copy paste is handy. I mean beats typing everything all over again right?

music..

Wp7 is heavily integrated with microsoft's Zune offering. You have to sync your phone with Zune on your PC to transfer music and videos into your phone. You also have to connect via Zune to check for phone updates. Basically Zune is your "PC Sync" client. I don't have a problem with that. Well apart from Zune not playing nice with the computer at the office. Must be the lack of RAM or something like that. But it runs well on my netbook at home though. The music client is quite the eye candy. The background changes according to the music which is playing. You also have access to band biography and any links to the tracks on marketplace. Sad thing is Malaysia is not actually supported and u need to find a way to create a US based windows live account and link a credit card for u to actually purchase stuff.

zune marketplace

I wonder. The Apple appstore is supported in Malaysia. Android Market and Windos Marketplace is not. Why is that? Makes fully utilizing your mobile OS a bit of a drag la. I'm digressing here.

marketplace..

The Picture hub shows you all the media that is available on your device. Recently captured photos, and recently updated photos from facebook are all displayed in the hub. Pinch zooming is there. Double tap also available. It does the job. I think its on par with the android Gallery. You have options to upload your pics to facebook or SkyDrive. That's pretty handy with the limited storage on your phone. But that's a hardware thing.

The staple functions you would expect from your phone, calling, messaging are all fairly done. An incoming call whilst the phone is on standby would result in a screen popping up with the call details, a simple swipe up gives u the option to answer or ignore. Threaded messaging is quite minimalist. Nothing to brag about. Email on the other hand is excellent. One quirk is you can't set it so that it automatically download the images in an email. U have to click on it first. That should have been an option. Microsoft says its for your own good. but hey i wanna be able to decide to take the risks in downloading my emails and stuff like that. Outlook synchronization is excellent, well that is once you get ur IT people to supply you with the correct certificates and what not. I am surprised by the lack of Task synchronization for Outlook. Er infact, there's no default Task or Todo app for windows phone 7?? Thats a bit weird. Is it not a core function of a smartphone cum organizer? Maybe its coming in another update.

email..

The software keyboard is one of the best default keyboards i've used. I say default because the swiftkey for the android is also one of the best keyboard i've used. Don't let the simple minimalist design fool you. Its pretty accurate. So far i've not yet seen any ways to change the keyboard so i guess its good that the one it came with does the job well.

image from wpcentral.com

WP7 also extends your mobile experience to the web via windowsphone.live.com portal. there you can manage your phone in so many ways. You can ring the phone even if its on silent mode - very handy if you misplaced it in your house, find it if u lost it, lock and erase the phone content right from your computer. This is also where you access all the photos synced to your SkyDrive and what ever information u need. I think this is very nifty.

Basically WP7 is still in its infancy. Before you take the leap to give it a go, u need to consider a bunch of things, if u need apps such as whatsapp, evernote, dropbox, skype etc. U need to check if it is supported first. So far for the apps i mentioned, there is no official support from the developers. Most of them say unless Microsoft relaxes some of the dev requirements, they won't come up with a version of those popular apps for WP7. That actually sucks la. WP7 has a lot of potential but as Apple has successfully shown, the apps that maketh the phone. If Microsoft can't get the developers on board, it would be very difficult for them to sway people to choose WP7 over the competion.

Next: HTC Mozart Hardware bits.

Nokia MD-11 mini speakers..

2011-03-23T23:18:00.000+08:00

The fine folks at WOMWorldNokia also gave me the MD-11 mini speaker to try out as well. Now this little monster actually packs quite a punch. Powered by just 3 AAA batteries, you can actually go quite loud before you start to experience any distortion.

sound machine..

The 3.5mm jack means you can plug it in almost anywhere. I tried it on my desktop, ipad and the N8 and the sound quality is excellent. I know its mono but i think if you have two of them you can turn it to stereo. Couldn't really try as i only had just the one to try.

The small form factor also makes it a bit easy to carry around on your travels. Who needs a big boombox when you can carry your phone and the MD-11 for all your musical entertainment needs.

HTC Mozart - First Impressions..

2011-03-22T19:03:00.003+08:00

HTC Mozart

So I made the switch to windows after giving up on the random reboots I experienced on my xperia x10 eclair device. I considered going to blackberry. Really I did. Contemplated getting the bold 3. But the underwhelming tech specs just killed it for me. The senorita wanted me to get a torch. She swears by it and I think its a wonderfully crafted device. But again its essentially the same baseline spec as the bold 3 apart from the screen. So, I gave bb a pass for now.

The first windows phone that I thought was cool was the LG optimus 7. But being a sucker for a good camera I opted for the HTC Mozart.

eye-catching design..

Its a beautifully crafted device. Carved out of a solid aluminum block. Which is somewhat of a thing with HTC these days. Starting from the legend.

My first impression is I like how smooth everything seems to be. I guess that's just the thing with the UI. Setting up your accounts is a breeze. Well apart from the exchange account. Had to get my IT guy to pass me the certificates for exchange to work properly. Never had that problem with Android though. Even IOS was pretty straight forward.

But once you managed to sort everything out it really is decent how email is handled. Anyways will probably strategize on a proper review in a bit.

The keyboard is excellent. That's for sure. Yes there's no multitasking per se but even Apple got IOS to multitask in its 4th iteration right? Hopefully it would be a shorter wait for windows phone users.

No copy paste but that's supposedly coming.

I guess overall the initial experience has been very pleasant.

Nokia N8 - your every day wonderphone..

2011-03-19T00:04:00.000+08:00

Okay so I’ve used the N8 pretty much on and off again for the last 2 weeks. And I must say the phone has quietly impressed me in more ways than one. I don’t know if its just phone envy but during the testing period my xperia x10 phone just keeps acting up. Which leads me to believe that it might just be scared of the competition. Hehe yeah right.

Another bit of clever function being introduced by the N8 is the whole USB on the go thingy. USB on the go basically enables the phone to become a USB host for your thumbdrives and other USB based peripherals. Now I was curious as to what other things that you can plug into the USB host cable. I tried a mighty mouse, it powers up but the phone can’t detect it. A 4GB thumbdrive was detected quite easily and u can open files as if its on the phone. The N8 can also power a USB fan. That would come in handy on a hot day.

usb on the go

nope that won't work..

time to cool off..

The USB on the go function basically cut short the need to use a dedicated computer to transfer files into the phone. And it would definitely be much faster than Bluetooth or email.

hdmi adapter..

Another handy function that the N8 packs is the HDMI display out. Just plug in any normal sized HDMI cable to the adapter included and u can project your phone display onto a big screen tv.

just plug in baby..

37inch display anyone?

video on the big screen..

angry birds??

now here's an idea. hook up your N8 to a decently sized hdmi enabled tv. hook up a bluetooth keyboard and hey presto you have a computer for you to do your work. How handy is that eh?

email anyone?

so there you have it. My review of the Nokia N8. I wanna thanks the fine folks at WOMWorld for giving me the opportunity to test the wonderful phone. If u need an allrounder that can perform when u need it, the N8 might just be the phone for you.

Nokia N8 - Media and Maps

2011-03-12T12:46:00.001+08:00

One handy function that almost all high end Nokias have is the FM transmitter. Its pretty handy when u have all your music collection in the 16GB storage and you're to lazy to bring all your cds in the car. You just set the transmitter to an unused frequency and tune your radio to it.

pretty handy

Its pretty convenient and the sound quality is okay too. Well its just like listening to the radio.

gallery..

I've taken a bunch of pics already and i must say i'm quite satisfied with how the pictures turned out. Can't seem to find any panorama options though. Even the E72 had that function but it was hampered by the lack of memory on the phone that most of the time when I wanted to take a panorama pic the phone just runs out of memory and pretty much ruins the shot. So far I haven't encountered any such problems on the N8 though.

Another hallmark service that nokia provides is the navigation functions offered through ovi maps. One of the reasons i still kept the E72 was because of the maps. Ovi maps are convenient because u can download maps offline and save a lot on data downloads if u were to use other online maps offering.

Maps..

Point to point voice navigations works quite well. Downloading the maps through ovi suite is also not complicated. There's a mark difference between the maps version on the E72 and the one on the N8. There's the 3d buildings and also online services like the lonely planet guide and other bits and bobs.

3d buildings..

You can also download voice packs to customize the navigation guidance. Try the surfer dude and get irritated in zero to 10 seconds.

maps..

online services..

I didn't try however run the navigation whilst transmitting the music to the car radio though. Can it be done? Well we just have to try and find out eh.

Nokia N8 - battery life and camera..

2011-03-10T22:49:00.000+08:00

So I've been using the N8 as my main phone for the last couple of days. In terms of battery life, its better than my xperia x10 but not as good as my e72. Haven't really done an actual usage comparison but i typically have push mail running over the course of the day and the N8 goes down to half batteries by the time i arrived home around 8 or 9 pm. But i guess this depends on ur actual usage patterns. If you listen to mp3s, use wifi extensively, gps and all that jazz u should expect the battery to run out faster than u can say i'm flat.

Don't let the non user replaceable batteries scare you. Google and u can easily find guides on how to replace the battery if the need arise. But i believe the battery life would be enough for most users.

lil jj..

tada..

I have been taking snaps with the 12 mp camera and the xenon flash is fairly handy in low light conditions. Can it replace ur normal digital camera? Perhaps. I've seen some beautiful pics being taken with the N8, in fact they ran a competition or something on it. So it is definitely a contender for one of the best camera u can find on a phone.

The N8 also takes excellent videos. All in glorious HD. And the HDMI output makes it easier for you to share your videos on a big screen. Which reminds me i should probably try that out too. Transferred a rip dvd of Inception onto the phone at it plays smoothly enough. But i guess that's down to how u encode ur video right? The phone is truly a multimedia powerhouse.

For more sample pictures u can click here.

Kiehl's - A Favourite Beauty Destination.

2011-03-08T08:25:00.005+08:00

Apart from my usual favourite online shopping 'destinations' for beauty products, my other favourite destination for beauty stash would definitely be Kiehl's.

I love my visits to Kiehl's, especially the ones at Isetan KLCC and the independent store in BSC. Do not go to 1Utama if you're a first time with Kiehl's because the SA's can be very blur, don't really know their products well or they do not converse that well in English. I've gone there twice and it was quite frustrating.

I think my first discovery with Kiehl's was when I visited the one in Isetan KLCC. I only bought one item but came home with about 4 different types of products in 5ml sachets. And they lasted long enough for me to discover how well the products work on my skin/hair. From then on, I've always dropped by to purchase good stuff from them and come home with even more samples :)

As I've hardly gone to KLCC, my recent stash would come from BSC. Their SA's there are really helpful and very friendly. They're quite experienced and knowledgeable as well because they seem to be able to point out the problems I have and the right solutions for me.

Sometimes I would go there without buying but only because I would bring another friend for them to discover Kiehl's products and services. I think I haven't gone there that constant enough but the SA's have probably recognised me due to some of the difficult questions I'd pose to them for my problematic skin.

Not all their products work well with me but they have always been very helpful in letting me try samples to see if they work. My last visit to the outlet was a pleasant surprise to me as they let me have 50ml samples of body lotion and face moisturiser because I couldn't make it to their last Christmas party.

I seriously like Kiehl's approach to getting customers - their generosity in giving out samples. I mean, when you go there to buy something, they would ask you if you would like to try any of their products. Although this approach may be open for abuse by those people who take advantage of getting freebies without buying, I on the other hand, wouldn't mind purchasing the items after trying them out because they work. I am always on the lookout for stuff that works and I find that their price range is also quite reasonable compared to many others in the market. Best of all, the samples that supplement the items you buy will help you a great deal when you travel.

I think their best move was when they handed out to me samples of their Tea Tree Oil shampoo which I swear by it til now. Oh, and also their clay mask. I've replenished them both more than once already - they last long and they work really well for me.

But what I love most must be the small stick in the picture above... it's a Baby Lip Balm - totally delicate enough and safe for babies - my lips have always been dry since young - it's in my genes. So with that, my precious princess has also been plagued by very dry lips... so much so that my husband and I have caught her peeling her lips before she sleeps. It can be frustrating seeing her lip bleed from her natural habit (I say it 'natural' because I do that too hehe...) and for a 2-year old, it is hard to stop that habit.

With the Kiehl's Baby Lip Balm, she not only enjoys wearing it because she always asks for her 'lipstick' - she will pucker up when I put it on her and put her lips together the way I always do whenever I put on my lippie ;P - but with consistent wear, her lips have healed tremendously too.

Have you discovered any products from Kiehl's that you like?

Nokia N8 - initial views..

2011-03-07T23:33:00.001+08:00

So the first thing i noticed when holding the N8 is its excellent build quality. Design quirks aside, the phone itself is a fine piece of crafted machinery. It feels solid in the hand and you'll either like or hate the pronounced camera bump.

alternate home screen..

The N8 is running Symbian 3, for someone familiar with Symbian the look and feel is pretty similar to the one you're used to from the N97 or even the 5800. You could easily find the list of improvements from the Symbian s60v5 if u Google for it.

Anyway, the first thing that you notice when u start up the phone is how closely integrated it is with Nokia's Ovi service offerings. If you sync your contacts on Ovi i guess it'll be easy for you to transfer your contacts into your new phone. I chose to sync the phone using Mail for Exchange. My primary contact list is on my PC and i have it synced to my iPad, my xperia x10 and my e72. Keeps everything sync in the clouds. Hehe as long as the office server is up and running, I’m sorted.

Setting up MFE is easy. It’s integrated in the whole email set up process. You just need to know the settings. In a few minutes I had my contacts, calendar and email synchronized. Symbian 3 has three customizable home screens which u can populate however which way u want. It’s not as customizable as an android home screen but it works how it is supposed to...

home screen

For business users, the phone comes with quickoffice and adobe pdf. The quickoffice version is just for viewing only and u need to upgrade enable the editing functions. If you’re coming from the E series phone, quickoffice comes free with your phones. That pretty much sorts your business needs.

business apps

Next up, we’ll take a look at the N8’s multimedia capabilities.

Nokia N8 - preview

2011-03-07T22:16:00.000+08:00

i know this review comes a tad bit late, but i only received an offer to test the phone just recently. so will be taking the phone through its paces and be testing it's business capabilities and its fun multimedia side.

thanks to the fine folks at http://www.womworld.com/nokia/

Estee Lauder's NEW CyberWhite Brilliant Cells

2011-02-21T08:05:00.001+08:00

Just recently, I was privileged to get included into Estee Lauder's soft launch of their newly improved whitening range, now named, CyberWhite Brilliant Cells. I really have to thank this friend who has given me this sorta window of opportunity to get into the insights of the latest beauty products in the market :)

In this event, I only expected to be informed of the new range of products but I think most of us who attended the event was pleasantly surprised that we were given the first hand experience to try out the entire range in what was arranged as a fulfilling beauty workshop! They covered everything - from cleansing to the proper way of applying products especially when removing make up to how we should apply serum, moisturiser, eye care and SPF. Then, we were all given a thorough demonstration on how we can apply make up with all the proper tools.

But since many things were covered that day, I think I shall just in this post share with you on the new Cyberwhite Brilliant Cells range, which has not been officially launched.

Ok... what I always hate about brightening/whitening range is the so many stuff you need to slather on your face. But as many experienced women would say, you need sacrifices to be beautiful... not everyone is blessed with natural beauty and some would need to work harder than others :D

The new whitening range is a newly improved range from when EL made whitening popular with the CyberWhite EX. This time, the Cyberwhite Brilliant Cells (CBC) leads with new innovation and findings from EL's 25 years of brightening expertise.

From their new discovery, this range of products promises to deliver exceptional results targeting 4 key types of brown spots and make your skin look luminous, radiant and even. Their comprehensive, full spectrum brigtening technologies will hydrate the skin, even up skin texture, promote protection of collagen but what I like most is that they combat poor microcirculation common in most Asian skin.

When we were all brought through the entire process of using the skincare, I guess I kinda liked the lighter scent compared to their older EX version and their texture felt lighter on the skin. Of course, I couldn't vouch much because years ago I only used their samples which didn't work well on my oily skin but I did see very good results on a former boss. Thus, I gather that the products work better on more mature skin types.

We all also had the opportunity to try out their new gelcreme makeup with SPF21/PA+. With the proper tools and method of applying it, supplemented with a little brigtening essence, you will be surprised at how dewy and radiant your face looks. Seriously, I was impressed at myself and can't help admiring myself in the mirror *vain pot*

This must be one of their star makeup products. I can't get enough of the fine texture of the brightening loose powder but more so because when you finish up your look with this powder, your skin will be transformed into a more translucent and luminous appearance. Among many wonderful properties, it contains polarised pearls which reflect light, making your complexion looking a healthy pink. I'm still waiting for my photo from EL and will share it with you in another post.

this is just a sneak preview of the technique used in applying the gelcreme foundation, which i shall share in another entry ;)

these are the deluxe samples i received to try. the essence, though, is the actual-sized bottle :D

I do like to share with you that the Estee Lauder Cyberwhite Brilliant Cells will be available at all EL counters starting 26 February 2011. And in conjunction with the launch of the skincare range, you are all invited to join Estee Lauder for "A Time To Brighten" at KLCC Centrecourt from 11am-2pm that day. Come early because the 1st 1,000 early birds to bring any whitening product from any brands can exchange for a CyberWhite Brilliant Cells deluxe-sized sample.

The list of the products in this range, is as follows:

Cleanser (125ml) - RM140
Lotion (200ml) - RM160 (this is a toner)
Essence (30ml) - RM350
Milky Lotion (100ml) - RM210 (moisturiser)
Moisture Cream (50ml) - RM245
UV Protector SPF50/PA+++ (30ml) - RM175
Brightening Powder Makeup SPF 25/PA+++ - RM140 (refill) & RM48 (compact)
GelCreme Makeup SPF 21/PA+ - RM155
Concealer SPF 35/PA++ - RM85
Loose Powder SPF 15/PA++ - RM150

I'll be working in a fundraising charity drive at Berjaya Times Square on that day and may not be able to check out the launch in KLCC. So, do let me know if you managed to try the products.

Very Dior - loyalty at its best.

2011-02-20T18:43:00.003+08:00

How many of you own a loyalty membership from the beauty brands you love?

Throughout the years, I think I've owned many... just name it and I'd own it. This was due to the fact that I'd had to constantly explore different brands just to find what works on me. However, most of them I'd just sign up and my points went dormant from the first purchase because the products either weren't that great or I'd lose interest in them. I think the only one that I really managed to grab enough points to redeem something, I only got my hands on a cheap fragrance because most of them only had mediocre gifts to hand out or that you'd need to spend a bomb in order to redeem the better items.

My re-discovery of Dior products recently, as shared in many of my posts before, have been pretty swell. When they asked me if I'd want to sign up as their Very Dior member, I thought, why not.

I guess I've accumulated enough points to get through at least the first level but let me tell you that even the first tier was sincere enough. They had attractive stuff to give away and I felt it was good enough to reward their loyal supporters.

They did mention to me that I could top up my points during my birthday month because any purchase during that month would allow me to accumulate double points. But, it was already December when my birthday came and I didn't have anything I'd like to replenish.

Just before CNY, I found out though, that they probably didn't update my points earlier on and so, they called to tell me that I was actually eligible for Tier 2 of their redemption programme. That was really a pleasant surprise...

So, this was what I chose and I love it!

a Miss Dior Cherie EDP 100ml.

I've used it before from their sample/vials but it never smelt as good as how it smells on me now. I've spritz it this morning and now come evening time, the scent is still strong and doesn't change a wee bit even after a long day of running errands and going up and about here and there.

Now how can one not love Dior so much, eh?

Online shopping at 128 Faubourg Malaysia

2011-02-19T19:48:00.001+08:00

In my last post I did mention that my skin has improved... well, I have this very complicated skin type that's usually very oily and congested but also since I have aged a bit (a bit only...), there would be those uneven texture and tone which I previously tried to minimise by using brightening range of products.

The oiliness will never really go away I guess because of my genetics. So, constantly, I'd have to supplement my skincare regime with purifying serums but especially with regular gentle scrubbing and alternative clay + moisture masks which I have learnt to be very disciplined in my habits or I will see dullness in skin texture and many oil seeds on my jaw area. Of course, with age and experience, all that are easily concealed under good foundation and make up but as soon as I come home to cleanse my skin, my hands can clearly feel the unevenness.

I think earlier last year though, I chanced upon a wonderful salon with a good and reliable skincare range of products. The only downside though, is that some of their products can be extremely pricey and the beauty therapist who treated me can be very pushy as well - getting me to keep replenishing my products into anti-ageing to whitening even before my oiliness and sensitised skin problems were fully dealt with. I mean, my skin was showing a marked improvement until she started to ask me to get a more hydrating range, which totally made my improved skin texture go back to almost how it was before, until I stopped using them totally.

But, the best part about this experience is the fact that I know their purifying range works wonderfully on my skin and I know them well to buy them on my own.

So... here is the real deal of what I am going to share with all of you - online shopping at 128 Faubourg.

I love shopping online. Part of the perks of online shopping is:

It is just so easy... you browse what you like, click on their icons and put them into your shopping cart;
You have no sales people pushing you to buy something you did not intend to buy;
More often than not, online shopping always have some kind of promotion... if you are a regular shopper of strawberryNet, you know you'd get discounts at every order. In this case, 128 Faubourg provide a 10% discount for orders of RM600 and above in a single order which you will not enjoy if you buy them at the salon;
I love that the products arrive on my doorstep, without me having to find parking, pay for parking, taking time to browse through the shops and have 'accidental' shopping sprees in those other shops ;) but also the fact that online shopping usually provides FREE delivery when you spend a certain amount with them.

So, with all these, I decided to give it a go with 128 Faubourg, a name synonymous with the luxury beauty brand, Sothys.

once you arrive at the site, you can choose one of the icons... i chose the left one.

the site will take you to this page where you'll find many links. i like their site because their information is pretty comprehensive and you'll be able to gauge how much you need to spend if you're interested in any of their facial services. of course, you'd get a better deal in facial packages when you go to their salon as there are many promotions in store. but for online shopping, click on the E-shop tab.

...and you'll come to this page. click on the area i've marked and you'll be able to browse their entire product ranges...

Of course, I won't recommend you to try this if you're not sure what products are right for your skin. The best thing to do would be to give them a personal visit at their salon and get the right type according to your skin condition. What I can assure though, is that many people have raved about how well their products work. Of course, the downside as I have said earlier, would be the price. But, if the products are so good and your skin improves, maintenance would be a cinch. I went on using other brands until recently when I started working and the stress, long hours of make-up sitting on my skin plus hormone issues made me reconsider including Sothys back into my skincare regime. And, as I've tried them before, I know which ones are really good and I don't really need to buy all the products in the range...

The online shopping experience with them was really good. I initially paid RM8 for their delivery service but received an email a day later that they would bank in the amount back to me because I was eligible for free delivery. Ok, so that was like a glitch in their system but I didn't mind because they rectified it within the day.

In 3 days, I received this package in my office...

huge box and well protected...

all items were in their individual boxes and securely wrapped, just like what you'd get if you purchase them at the salon.

these are my favourite from their oily-blemish prone range.

Have you tried their products or their E-Shop? Do share.

ARTISTRY Intensive Skincare Renewing Peel by Amway

2011-02-10T22:38:00.001+08:00

Ok... I know it's been ages since I last wrote in here. It's bad, yes... but I just couldn't help it. As much as I wanted to update on so many stuff, I have also been so bogged down by work that I just couldn't look at the computer screen anymore. Owh, but I know I have to just start updating again.

So here I would like to update about this new product in the market... I was fortunate to be able to get an invite to its event for bloggers a week before they officially launched it in the market. The ARTISTRY Intensive Skincare Renewing Peel by Amway, claims to make your skin look softer and smoother in just one simple step.

At the event, John Scimeca, the Artistry Research and Development Group's Research Associate Scientist gave a thorough presentation of how the product works and the unique enzyme that contains in it - the Mushroom Enzyme is found as a gentler, safer, naturally-derived alternative to a chemical peel that you can easily apply on your skin in the comforts of your own home. Its much 'smarter' compound mimics the skin's own natural exfoliation process where according to John, with just 8 pumps of the product at every application, for 8 minutes twice a week, the skin will look fresh as it assists cell turnover.

We were all given a demonstration on the back of our hand. 2 pumps of the product and we smoothen the gel-like textured formula. What all of us realised was the lovely scent and how smooth it felt on the skin. I think all of us ladies kept sniffing our hand while the product worked its charm ;) After 8 minutes, we were told to rinse the area and I think all of us were totally surprised at the instant result - super smooth skin that also looked somewhat brighter compared to our other hand that wasn't treated. It felt amazing!

Of course, with any skincare, you would need to use it for at least 6-8 weeks before one can really see results. You may not only obtain smoother skin texture but your overall appearance of the skin will improve and some will even see improvement in skin hydration.

Since the event, I have only used the product 4 times. I can't vouch for its efficacy since firstly, my skin has changed so much since I re-joined the job market... I now wear makeup everyday, my skin is exposed to the sun everyday, I sweat from the long walk to and from the LRT station to work and we all know how a woman's skin condition changes every single day! Therefore, my skin has gone from bad to worse and recently, I started to take better care of my daily cleansing routine that I have seen improvements even before using this product.

And after the 4th time using this product, I am a little alarmed today that I saw some spots on my cheek area which made me wonder if this product may not truly be suitable for my skin type. Most of the peel/exfoliating products I see in the market seem to work better on more mature skin that is drier or less hydrated. As this product also contains Omega-3 fatty acids, ceramide, phospholipids, natural oils and a blend of humectants and emollients to add moisture and hydration after the peeling process, it did dawn on me that the repair process after the product is rinsed off may be a little too moisturising for my troubled-oily skin. Then again, I have only been using it for 2 weeks and it may be too soon to conclude anything much.

If you've exhausted every other skincare options and would like to give the ARTISTRY Intensive Skincare Renewing Peel a try, you may get it via Amway distributors nationwide at a 20ml sized bottle that retails at RM312 each *gawk* yup... pretty steep too but apparently, it has been a best-selling product in Korea... and you know how Koreans are known to take very good care of their skin and appearance.

As for me, I am still pretty much conservative in the peeling department... I still prefer a scrub with granules that I can feel rubbing my skin... although those exfoliation masks that rub off dead skin cells work fine for me too. I may give this product a rest for awhile and use it when my skin feels drier.

The Chanel Travel MakeUp Kit @KLIA duty free

2010-12-14T23:22:00.001+08:00

What I always love about travelling by air via our KLIA, is the beautiful fact that I am able to purchase nice travel make up kits which I am always a sucker for...

First of all, I am a pack rat. I love packing stuff into small packages so that I always travel light, no matter how heavy my luggage will feel in the end... the most important thing for me, is that my skincare items (which usually gives that substantial amount of weight in addition to clothes and stuff) are packed in small travel size bottles and containers, and I would carry multi-use make up products, ie. blusher cream that doubles up as lip colour, etc.

Hence, make up kits are always a hit with me because I love to have everything in one case :) the only negative bit about this particular weakness of mine, is that I have plenty of kits that are either not used at all or being used only half way before moving on to a new one ;P

this... was my latest weakness...

I've always loved Chanel products but have never made it a point to stock up because they don't all work well with my skin. I cannot wear their lipsticks as they make my lips dry and itchy, and I have never really tested their powdered colours on my face, except for their famous oil-free compact foundation. Once, when I used their liquid eye-liner, I loved it to bits until the product dried up within 2-3 months. *ouch* to my pockets then.

Recently, with the Laura Mercier make up kit that came sans brushes and one Dior make up kit I bought on a trip to Singapore that's hardly used because its colours were too shimmery, I scoured for other gorgeous make up kits... and Chanel has always given me that luxurious feel, as their packaging are always super gorgeous! Hence, this particular one didn't make me think twice about grabbing it.

once the beautiful velvety envelope is opened, these are what you can find inside, all at only RM229, even cheaper than the Laura Mercier kit I got the other day huhu...

yes, the colours are subtle unlike the strong colours of the LM kit I got, but that's what you get out of a make up kit... you can't have everything you like in one pack... there would be something not right but what matters most is that you're happy with what you're getting.

As for me, I love the sweet colours contained in the compact... there are 4 eyeshadows, 4 lip colours and 1 blusher. I am especially satisfied with this purchase because I do not have to carry an additional brush case and unlike my normal clumsiness in losing the velvet pouch enveloping a make up kit compact, this time, I take very good care of the case because it is as important as the kit. Why? Because it holds those important brushes I need, with additional storage of 2-3 more travel brushes.

If you're travelling via KLIA and love make up kits like I do, do check out the Chanel counter. I haven't used the colours yet and I cannot tell you how well the colour transfers to your skin nor can I say much about its staying power but I shall update it once I've dipped my fingers in its colours. For now, I would like to just admire the unused pack until the novelty wears off ;D

NouriFusion MultiVitamin Skincare - A Review.

2010-12-05T23:02:00.003+08:00

I realised that I have a review that's slightly overdue which at this moment, I would like to share how much I enjoy the experience of applying the range of products on my face. Yes, I do.

I wouldn't claim that they are extremely good because skincare usually works differently on different people due to our different skin texture, lifestyle habits and our internal mechanism of reacting towards each chemical compound/ingredient.

However, I think it is safe to say that they definitely work well on my skin. This is my review on the NouriFusion MultiVitamin Skincare, a range sold under the Herbalife MLM giant.

First up, the cleanser.

I love that it comes in a 200ml bottle, unlike the average-sized cleanser from most luxury brands where you'd usually find them at only 125-150ml. It retails at about RM78 or you could get it for as low as RM60 if you join as member/distributor. It comes in a liquidy-gel form in a white plastic pump bottle, smells a faint citrusy-tea tree oil, won't strip off natural oils from skin yet make your skin cleansed enough. You could just use 1 pump and lather with water but sometimes, when I come home from work with super-streaky face, I'd use 2 pumps, after using my usual makeup remover.

The ingredients probably boasts wonderful astringent and anti-bacterial properties, with healing and soothing contents as well.

Next, would be the toner. The bottle looks pretty small but it is a standard-sized toner as those others in the market.

Just like the cleanser, this one smells similar. I like that it is alcohol-free, doesn't dry up an oily face nor make it tight and I believe that as much as it tries to freshen up my face, it also leaves a light trace of hydration. Thus, after using this for a month, my skin feels less irritated after my normal cleansing routine. The toner retails at the same price as the cleanser.

the ingredients for the toner

After the toner, I'd use my usual brightening serum and moisturiser from the DiorSnow range (daytime) and Estee Lauder's ANR + DiorSnow moisuriser at night.

Now, what I shall rave about is their 2 masks - the Clarifying Mask and Moisture Mask.

The mask is green in colour and just like the cleanser, I love its smell. The smell is not too strong for a user to bear throughout the 10 minutes of application but rather faint and relaxing. I would always look forward to my weekly personal 'spa session' at home, after work, and when I think that my skin gets too congested from a long day of makeup, debris and sweat, I would use this on alternate days yet this mask doesn't make my skin dehydrated.

For its price of RM110 (non-members) or RM85 (members/distributors), I can say that it is comparable to the clay mask from Kiehl's, although the latter is stronger in terms of its astringent properties.

If you don't have very oily/congested skin, the witch hazel extract and eucalyptus oil in the clarifying mask may be a little too strong for you as they draw up impurities immediately upon application and you can feel the strong astringent-minty sensation.

As for their moisture mask, I must say that this is one of the best moisture/hydrating masks I have tried in my whole lifetime. The only hydrating masks I love and work well for me come from Dermalogica and Aveda. They give me the right amount of hydration without leaving any traces of slicky film on my skin after they are washed off and this one works in a similar way.

As per the rest of the products in this range, I love that they come in huge sizes.

I especially love that the mask has a souffle-like texture! It melts like butter on my skin when I leave it on for about 10 minutes and I enjoy slathering it on my skin everytime because it feels like I have put my fingers on a super-creamy cheese cake topping :)

The smell is so relaxing and it feels so luxurious. This one is priced the same as the Clarifying Mask.

I don't think I should explain how each of the ingredient works. You can google them up to know that the mixture is possibly what makes the product so good.

I must say that in only 1 week, the milia on my face seemed to dry up. If you have milia, you know that they do not dry up... instead, they take time to ripen and rise to the top layer of your skin before you could pop them out. They come out like a hardened fatty ball and until they ripen, it is painful to extract them... and they need to be extracted or they become part of the skin and you'll see them as hard lumps.

However, when they dried up on my skin, they kinda drop off from the skin very easily and my skin had much less milia than usual. Now that I have been using them for a month, I see a marked improvement... well, until recently when work stress got to me and my beauty therapist told me that I should do this and that to minimise the effects from the busy-ness and stress.

Hence, that is why, as much as I think this range of products work well for me, I think the other best way to manage skin problems is to study our usual lifestyle habits, food intake, stress level and the environment we are exposed to every day.

But frankly for me, I'd like to continue using these products and possibly try their moisturiser in the same range as well, once my stock has depleted. I think that their claim of having vitamin properties in the range is no empty claim and that for an MLM company who had always been focused on diet formula, I am surprised that they produced a skincare range of quality and good value.

I got these from Kamal, who's an acquaintance from the blogworld. If you are interested to get them, do give him a call at 017-3331710 so that he could tell you more about them.

Good buys from reviews I read.

2010-11-23T22:48:00.004+08:00

I know that some people have bought the wonderful mop that makes every woman's mopping no longer a chore from the review I wrote before... 2 people have told me that they bought some Zoobies also from what they read in my blog and I know of some who went over to get the Bobbi Brown latest Holiday 2010 palette after I posted the picture of it ;)

As for me, these are the things that I have gotten because I was sucked into their positive reviews by those beauty blogs I so love to read...

Got these stuff (not at one go!) from this beauty blog. I gotta say that the NUDE foundation from Dior is my current favourite especially after I came across its perfect partner - the Laura Mercier oil-free primer which helps the foundation glide on more smoothly on my skin and keeping me looking dewy-moist after a long day at work :)

These, I got after I read the reviews on this former beauty editor's blog. It started with the Rouge Serum lipsticks I once wrote about, as she let me see her very red stick. And from then on, I became hooked on finding out the latest easy-fix makeup tricks or products that really work, from her blog. I must say that I am thoroughly impressed with Benefit's Smokin' Eyes kit because the colours are wearable, they even have a 'tutorial' on how to create a smoky look and you'd find all the necessary tools inside the little kit :D

This, I must say is a really good buy. Although this beauty blogger showed some eecky-gooey pictures from the nose-chin-forehead pack, I was instantly sold on how well it worked and went hunting for the nearest Skin Food store ;P

And this is my current all-time favourite makeup remover! Man... I wouldn't want to replenish any of my milk cleanser once they run out because Biore's makeup remover wipes really make my skin clean. Of course, I have a very oily skin condition and with the pile up of products on my skin, I usually need 2 cotton wipes to ensure my face feels squeaky clean. I love its smell and I love that it is cheap, and its refill pack readily available at Guardian stores. Thanks to Connie, for featuring this on her blog.

What have you bought from the information you got through the blogs you read?

Review update - Laura Mercier Holiday 2010 palette & oil-free primer

2010-11-21T23:14:00.001+08:00

I've been extremely slow in updating my reviews because work has been keeping me busy on my toes even after office hours and some are telling me that I shall find my rhythm soon.

But really, I've been dying to share with you my thoughts on my recent Laura Mercier purchase that I think I have started to fall in love with its products... and I believe I will be going back to their counter next month as I've used up all of my vanity budget this month, and more ;)

First up, the limited edition Holiday 2010 makeup palette. I must tell you that colour transfer is amazing. I've heard it from at least one other luxury beauty brand of the technology they used to ensure colour transfer from their makeup palette goes on exactly as how it looks onto users' skin but I've never before heard of this claim by Laura Mercier. Being a first time user of this brand and all these while having a perception that this brand is more suitable for those with mature skin, I am seriously taken in by surprise at how fresh the colours actually are and that they are not just for people with dry, mature skin.

with just an ordinary compact camera, it is always difficult to capture a nice picture of my eye makeup because the colours do not show up that well under natural lighting and worse with flash. but this time, it came out pretty well...

My only qualm is the absence of brushes in the palette but I guess that shouldn't be a major issue because that would allow us to buy the palette at a more decent price. Good brushes would make it cost so much more. Hence, my well-kept mini brushes from Bobbi Brown finally came out from their nice 'hideout' after years of neglect ;)

Seriously, I love the intense eye colours, absolutely love the 2 blushers (I only wish they are bigger in size!) and I particularly love the 2 lip colours. I am not sure if many brands out there have started using ingredients safe for sensitive lips or that my lip condition has improved because I have widen my list of brands of lippies that I can now use instead of just one particular brand all these years. Definitely, Laura Mercier is one of the brands at the top of my list now.

Next, I shall talk about the small sample tub that I got for their oil-free primer. Walah... I've finally found the perfect primer for my skin. I've tried so many already... you name it! But this would be it for me... there's no fragrant, it glides on smoothly making my skin matte and soft, and at the end of the day, when my skin start to get a little oily-shiny, my skin looks super radiant instead of looking cakey or have cracks on my fine lines under my eye-area. Since the promotion for it going at RM99 is still ongoing until end Dec'10, I must must get a tube of it.

As for the tinted moisturiser, I think I shall update that in another post. Must not get everyone too excited in one night ;P

Laura Mercier Limited Edition Holiday 2010 is love as 1st sight.

2010-11-12T23:13:00.001+08:00

Ok... I know I was supposed to check out Bobbi Brown's latest Holiday 2010 collection... but I was at 1 Utama earlier today for a meeting and when the person I was meeting told me that she was running a little late, I thought I ought to check out Laura Mercier counter just 2 floors above me, at the new wing. Walking all the way to Jusco at the old wing of 1 Utama just felt too cumbersome in case the person I am meeting suddenly arrives... so, Bobbi Brown would just have to wait.

Now I have never used Laura Mercier products before. Never. But have heard so many good things about it when an ex-boss raved about their flawless foundation and airy-light powders. Frankly, being someone who loves everything-in-a-box kit, I was very curious to check out Laura Mercier's many Limited Edition Holiday 2010 kits as I saw a few of them being advertised somewhere.

And I instantly fell in love with this... theehee :D

This collection is called, Luxe Colour Face Palette Collection Exclusive, just one of 5 various limited edition face palettes from the collection. Well, actually, I liked another one as well but the blushers looked too dull for my skin tone unlike those in this kit. And since I was already smitten by its wearable 4 eyeshadows-2 blushers-2 lippies colours, my mind went blank and instantly forgot about the face palette from Bobbi Brown that I wanted to see... huhu...

some information on the palette...

The kit also includes a mascara and they all fit nicely in a velvet drawstring pouch. Very luxurious.

I have yet to swab the colours from my new palette (although I did try out the sample on display) because I just got back from an entire day's outing and I don't want to dig my dirty fingers into it just yet. So, if you'd like to see the colours, just head out to the nearest Laura Mercier counter and start drooling! ;P

Oh, and since I was there, and have always wanted to get myself a tinted moisturiser so that I can choose to have some minimalistic look whenever possible, I decided to get one from them as well. I have checked many tinted moisturisers in the market and they all usually come in a small 30ml tube and pretty pricey. This one's a huge 50ml and cost RM159. This too, deserves a review later :)

And while you're there, check out their foundation primer that's going on a promotion (until December 2010) for only RM99 instead of its actual retail price of RM129. Pretty good deal, right? However, I have experienced many misses with primers no matter how oil-free and lasting make-up hold they'd claim and so, I refused to spend unnecessarily. Thankfully, the salesperson gave me a sample in a small tub for me to try for a week. Now that is excellent customer service :)

I like the many beautiful kits and packages that are available for Christmas. So, do check them out and tell me if you like anything you see :)

Bobbi Brown Holiday 2010 collection

2010-11-09T13:58:00.003+08:00

I was in Sogo, KL this morning and while I was there, decided to check out the Bobbi Brown counter for this gorgeous-looking item....

However, I was disappointed to find out that this Limited Edition item from Bobbi Brown's Holiday Collection 2010 will only arrive later this evening. I am not sure if it only applies to the Sogo counter or everywhere else as well.

If you'd like to see the rest of the items in their Holiday 2010 collection, you can click here to view their Nov 2010 newsletter (their other eyeshadow palette is already on sale at the counter).

And if you managed to touch-see the item I so wanted to touch-see, do let me know if you think the colours are wearable. I don't think I'll be checking it out til maybe end of this week.

Three Cups of Tea - an inspiring true story of Greg Mortenson and his selfless efforts

2010-11-01T00:59:00.005+08:00

I have to admit that I bought Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert more than a month ago but have never read beyond page 14 as I find that Gilbert sounds too much like a whiney brat and seriously, I personally felt like smacking her hard on the head when she kept saying she wanted a divorce because she doesn’t like being married anymore and doesn’t want to have kids. I hate judging people but I can’t be proud of a woman who isn’t in an abusive relationship but doesn’t want to stay married after such a successful life together. Ok, I shouldn't make any conclusions as I only reached page 14 but I am sorry that I couldn't help feeling uninterested to read further.

Ok, ok… enough of that. I’m not here to write about Gilbert at all… in fact, I would like to share with you on this beautiful book my best friend, Nicole, lent me, and I must say that this must be the most amazing thing any best friends could have presented for their treasured friend :)

Three Cups of Tea is a true story of Greg Mortensen on his mission to promote peace by building one school at a time. But, the book doesn't gloat anything extraordinary about his efforts. It was written so humbly and unlike the overly dramatic whiney ways of EPL, this noble effort was written in a way for us to understand how remote and desolately poor of some of the regions in Pakistan and how difficult it was for those in Afghanistan.

I find that Greg, or fondly known as 'Dr Greg' among the locals, is such a true inspiration. He started his work back in 1994-95 way before the issue on terrorism was constantly highlighted and to think that it all started with his failure to reach the peak of K2, the second highest climb in the world.

Greg is not one who is privileged. As a climber, his passion has always been climbing and he worked as a nurse to finance his pastime. So, when he got lost while climbing K2 in 1993 and was ‘rescued’ to health by a very poor village in Korphe, he realised how little these people had yet made the most of what they have for him to get better. And with the knowledge of no opportunities for education among the children of Korphe, he made a promise to the village head, Haji Ali, that he will return to build a school for the village, especially for the benefit of young girls who are known to may never get any education prospect due to their ‘cultural’ imposition. And that promise, was something that he wasn't even sure he'd be able to fulfil.

He went back home to California and got started with his mission.

As I’ve said, Greg Mortenson is not one who is financially privileged. He didn't own a house and slept in his beat up Buick. He was fired from the hospital he worked as he was deemed ‘unreliable’ due to his delay in returning home but managed to secure a job elsewhere. He got started almost immediately by typing letters to wealthy people of the US like Oprah and Susan Sarandon to present his cause and share with them his story. He didn’t even ask for a big amount… he told them that after discussing with the locals, he figured that he could build a school with only US$12,000. Only. And he didn’t even ask for the full figure but any figure that would contribute to him fulfilling that figure. And that was only the amount for the school, nothing else for him. And I cried when I reached that part… around page 46-50.

I mean, here we are always complaining about what we do not have when we already have so much, yet this man, who practically had nothing much, but all he saw was the opportunity he could provide for the girls of Korphe for them to improve their lives.

I got mighty emotional with the way the story was written. You would be so immersed with the situation in Pakistan and how he was warmly welcomed because of the sincerity he exude. Most of all, the ‘American’ stigma in the Muslim communities was totally eroded because he was deemed their angel, a savior who provided them a priceless gift that even their countrymen and government didn’t provide at that time. I know their situation may be something hard for us to relate to, but you wouldn't help yourself from feeling something for them when you read this book.

This was an extraordinary man. From the 580 letters that he’d written to wealthy Americans and organisation, he received no support. But what I love (and have always believed in) is the fact that with every noble intention one have in helping others, He will show you the path… he got the US$12,000 from one donour, received a few hundred from a school programme called, ‘Pennies for Peace’ (where school kids donate their pennies) and sold his Buick for another few hundred bucks to help him with his personal expenditure flying from the US to Islamabad and that long journey to Korphe.

From then on, you will read about his adventures but especially his challenges, of being tricked/cheated by people who would want to take advantage of an American. I can so relate to this as it happened to a team I was working with when the company I worked with sponsored a school for Tsunami victims in Aceh… I mean, to think that a foreigner would want to help their children yet their own people would take advantage to make the most cash for their own pockets instead of thinking about the huge advantage 'their' children were getting, may sound pretty atrocious, but these things do happen. It is important to speak to the right people and be wary of one's surroundings at all times.

So, his journey, was something no less challenging. Of course, there were a few people he met along the way who could be trusted and it helped a lot that he could speak their language. And after all that, he finally reached Korphe, about a year after he last saw them. It was a beautiful surprise to the people and they kind of sensed that he would return to fulfil his promise.

Things didn’t go naturally well from there as they met with even more obstacles. And the next over 300 pages will let you in on all their obstacles, which include kidnapping, fatwa against him, heartaches yet love he found, the more calls for more schools in the nearby areas and the successes he achieved, all but very humbly, taking only a US$23,000 a year salary as Director of Cental Asia Institute (CAI) which was established after receiving a US$1 million investment by a wealthy supporter.

Greg went through rough times especially after September 11 from his fellow countrymen due to his work helping the Muslims and even received death threats. The only way for someone to be totally mesmerised by his cause was when they hear him talk and when he presents the pictures on slides for them to really know why he’s doing what he’s doing. This, I also could relate to when I was questioning why the company I was working with preferred to help the Tsunami victims when our own kids need help too. But when you see the devastation there, and their way of life – how much they don’t have and how much more privileged we are here, you can’t help but want to support this cause – a cause towards education.

I am filled with so much admiration for this man but admiration may be such a small word to describe the feeling. We are scarce of people we can look up to because most of the time, people preach their messages across but they don’t really walk their talk. I have worked with several so-called ‘philanthropist’ who are wealthy and give their money away easily but yet they expect so much in return and when they visit the critical areas, they expect to be treated like kings.

Greg Mortensen is nothing like that. In fact, when he hears the azan (the call for prayers), he would take the wudu’ like everyone else, cleans himself and pray along with the rest of the people. He respects their culture and never asked for anything more for himself. He’s so warm and soft hearted yet very firm in knowing what needs to be done, when to tolerate nonsense and when he should accept advise from these people who are considered ‘backwards’ in the eyes of modern society. He acknowledged that you would learn many valuable lessons from them even if they are illiterate with no modern resources. He’s just wonderful and I find my tears well up whenever I tell his stories to my husband. He makes me cry!

Okay. Let’s not get overly dramatic like Elizabeth Gilbert, ya. But I am telling you, I am filled with intense emotions when I read the book. I didn’t even want to put it down because I wanted to know what would happen next.

You won’t just find out about his challenges and successes but you will also learn about some history, political milestones and a lot of truth in what was happening during America’s fight on terrorism, especially during the war in Afghanistan against the Taliban, and the search for Osama. You would be surprised on many of the facts presented upon you and it would take a lot for one Muslim-hater to actually pick up the book with an open mind and read what this so called ‘infidel’, a non-Muslim’s recollection and view of things.

But this is not the sole reason why I would highly recommend this book for ALL to pick up… in fact, I find many lessons one can learn from it...

I learnt that in order to make changes, you would need to start somewhere. Start small, even. A lot of people would just talk about wanting to do things and worry about everything else, while Greg Mortenson, one who has practically nothing just got up and go do what he set out to do. I agree that not all of us are built that way but it would be inspirational to read about someone who actually does and how he did it.
The book reinforced my belief that when you want something done, especially when you want a change to happen, you need to start small, and start on your own. Be an example before others can follow-suit or support you. Yes, we would worry about the future but with good intentions, things will start to happen in your favour. Even if one step doesn’t work out the way you had hoped, it is crucial to get up again, learn where you went wrong, make it right and start taking small steps again without taking things for granted.
I learnt that it is so easy to be misunderstood when you have the best intentions in mind. I experienced that myself earlier this year when I was made to believe I was ‘asked’ to adopt another person’s child. Yes, you have the best interest to help but in the end, what you do might go against you. Of course, I shouldn’t compare my minute effort compared to Greg's… But besides all that feeling of giving up on humankind, Greg taught me that when you have the best intentions, you shouldn’t feel bad or regret that decision you made because one day, people will realise what a difference you set out to make and as long as you’ve walked the talk rather than just talk crap, at least you know you have taken that step to improve yourself, no matter what people may think of you.
I learnt that a lot of us (including moi) would [sometimes] complain and be unhappy about things around us when we already have a lot more that would already have made us happy. We fail to realise that there are other more important issues out there and people who are worst off than us. We forget to be grateful of what we already have and we take things for granted, especially on material stuff. We keep acquiring stuff to make us feel satisfied (or happy-ier) when in reality, we don’t quite need them. Here comes Greg who has very little, asks for nothing much yet give away so much to other parts of the world who are more needy. And he, himself, cuts his personal budget and be as prudent as possible so that those parts of the world are able to benefit from what he could give. That is food for the soul.
This was something that ticked my brain… the part where the poorest most difficult people in Afghanistan, on their journey to perform the Haj, one of the religious requirement of every Muslim. I mean, I am made to understand that for many of us, it is not a must to perform the Haj if we are not financially sound. But this part made me question, how financially sound is financially sound… I mean, here they were, in a war, with lack of many resources, food, shelter and security, yet they were able to perform this duty as a Muslim. How much more privileged most of us are yet a lot of us are lost in our quest to keep acquiring wealth and materials. It left me with some relevant questions and how much this book has opened my eyes on this particular issue, even if that part is only a minute part in the book, where Greg was only including it for us to understand the situation he was in at that time, at that particular area.
As I mentioned earlier, I love this book because Greg showed me that he does all this without asking for anything in return from those people he helped. In fact, he highly believed that terrorism can be nipped in the bud through non-extremist education and proper guidance. After all, those people he helped totally doesn’t believe in the hate-American propaganda by the Talibans and those uneducated few because the fact of the matter was, that Greg was the only person who helped them achieve a better life with the opportunity of education rather than how they were left without any guidance from their own government. Greg is truly loved by the small villagers who’ve heard so much about him and approached him, and I myself felt so proud of his cause… something, I have never heard about til I read this book.

Yes, I am a sucker for stories with moral values. I don’t take a tale as is… I would like to know that I could learn from it and what I read will help me further improve myself. Some would blindly criticise that I think a lot but if thinking shapes me into a better person, so be it. After all, we have brains to think... what's the use of it if we don't use it effectively.

Of course, I never said I could be like Greg Mortenson. I am, embarrassed to admit that my length of admiration could go as far as just that… admiration. And with this admiration, I could see myself advocating this cause as much as telling the general public of his unselfish efforts that doesn’t include any personal agenda… that it is such a noble cause and I would like to share with you this depth of information just like I did many many years ago when I had the chance to work with MERCY Malaysia and was truly inspired by its then-President, Dr Jemilah Mahmood on her untiring efforts to help those unfortunate (which was posted in my old blog that got hijacked). I became sentimental to her work and was happy that I was able to contribute what little I could help then. Hence, now, I am doing the same thing and what I can do best now – to write about Greg Mortenson and his work, though I can’t possibly tell you everything or you wouldn’t pick up his book.

After I finished reading this book, I learnt that the proceeds from his books would contribute to his cause and I felt embarrassed that I didn’t even buy this book to begin with. Hence, I pledge to let people know of his work so that more and more people would get it from their nearest bookstores… it will not only help this cause but will probably also change your perspective on life, somewhat. I have even made Mr Husband promise to me that he would read this book on his way to work on the LRT instead of his usual habit of playing games on his phone/iPad/whatever gadgets. I hope to also get this book as gifts for my good friends, if they have not read it yet and for myself, I had just gotten his other book, Stones Into Schools, which is a continuation to Three Cups of Tea. Aside from that, I do not want to make any empty promises but I shall be following his stories through whatever means I can get.

i was again filled with intense emotions the moment i saw this book on the shelves at MPH...

Through its website, it says of the books that changed the way people think about changing the world: Peace Through Education. But I think his books don’t just change you on your perspective on peace around the world… it would first make you look at yourself and question what have you done to things you are unhappy about.

For your information, as quoted from the Afterword page of Three Cups of Tea:

Three Cups of Tea has been a freshman, honours or campus-wide required reading selection in over eighty universities and hundreds of schools. It is also a required reading for senior US military commanders, Pentagon officers in counter-insurgency training, and Special Forces deploying to Afghanistan. More than 200 communities have used Three Cups of Tea as a “One Book” common read, and it is being published in over 31 countries.

Seriously, pick up his book without any expectations and promise to read it word for word.

NouriFusion MultiVitamin Skincare - An Alternative Choice.

2010-10-27T09:52:00.000+08:00

I received these 4 products on Monday from an acquaintance, Kamal, who is an active Herbalife advocate. Now, before you lose interest in reading this post after I said the word, Herbalife since I know many of us would get turned off immediately after someone mentions an MLM brand, let me just tell you that the reason I took on this challenge was because I was quite impressed with the information on their skincare range, which can be found here.

As I've basically got my pigmentation and pimple scars lightened from the skincare products that I am currently using, I thought it's time to hit back on my main skin problem - surface oil and dehydration. Of course, I was casually warned by friends to not use any skincare products from an MLM company because of many valid reasons. Well, in the past, I did try many MLM products from expensive ones like Amway and those cheaper ones from Cosway but they all kinda wreak havoc on my confused skin.

But, so far, upon getting these products, named, NouriFusion, I felt that there was this pull factor in the form of botanicals and herbs ingredients contained in them. Plus, I am a sucker when I saw them all labelled - MultiVitamin. I love that word.

I have since tried 3 of them - the Cleanser, Toner and Moisture Mask, with the exception of the Clarifying Mask since I just did a clay mask on my face during the weekend. At this point, the experience has been positive but I shall update more on these products in 3 weeks time before I can really decide if these products are worth paying for.

In the mean time, if you can't wait for my review and would like to get more information on them, you can contact Kamal at 017-3331710.

Update: Diorsnow range - no more makeup needed.

2010-10-25T23:20:00.002+08:00

Remember this post I did a couple of month ago? Well, I am happy to give you an update after almost 2 months of using the full range of Diorsnow.

See, the reason I decided to start using a whitening/brightening regime was due to my skin getting dull, uneven toned with some early signs of pigmentation due to my ignorance in using an SPF during the day, but especially because I was sick of having to conceal these marks on the left side of my face (as shown above)... also the chicken pox mark I got just a year ago on the right side of my forehead, as shown below...

even with thick makeup, the marks are still visible...

Now I've used another whitening range before around 5-6 years ago, and I know that these products (if you use the right ones) really do work like a charm in giving you an even skin tone and a brighter complexion... not so much a big change in the colour of your complexion but you will see your skin looking clearer somewhat cleaner, especially when you have very oily skin like moi.

After a month, you can see that those scars has lightened a lot and the pimple mark on the lower part of my left cheek is non-existent! I could even wear really light makeup and not worry about those marks :)

And just last weekend during dinner, as seen in the photo above, my face sans makeup (well, I cheated a little as I can't live without my eyebrow pencil and lippie!! so, don't sue me...) and I feel free after just 6 weeks of using the entire range! In fact, I have occasionally not wear make up since 2 weeks ago and I feel just fine and dandy. My skin is now even toned, I haven't had a dull-skin day since I started using it and my skin feels softer and smoother. I can't say much about their effect on my large pores because they mainly target to brighten one's complexion but I did see an overall improvement due to its exfoliating properties. Therefore, I am extremely happy.

So, thank you, Dior and its brilliant Diorsnow range. The products have not yet run out except for its White Reveal Renewing Mask which I think will deplete in another 2-3 uses. Kinda bad on the wallet but it pays well too :D

Have you tried any whitening/brightening skincare? Would you like to give Dior a try?

Pet Epicure Adoption Drive, 23-24 Oct'10

2010-10-21T17:03:00.000+08:00

I'm helping a friend spread the word on this pet adoption drive...

Pet Epicure, a private pet rescue and adoption center (also a pet boutique and cat hotel) will be running an adoption drive this coming weekend. There will be many many cats up for adoption, each with their own personalities just waiting for a new home to call their own. All the cats that are ready for their new homes have been passed off as healthy by the vet, potty trained and neutered.

Date: 23rd and 24th October, 2010 (Saturday & Sunday)

Time: 10am to 4pm

Venue: 16, Jalan Bandar 2, Taman Melawati 53100 Kuala Lumpur (map)

I used to have some cats as pets when I was younger but taking care of them involves a huge responsibility. I know a lot of pets get thrown out by their owners after realising how much work and effort needed to keep the house clean and the kids healthy. So, one word of advise from me... that before you decide to adopt a pet, please be sure to promise that you would take this as a long term commitment or else you would end up abusing them.

But to those of you who are interested, do check them out cos it's difficult not to fall in love with them felines. And if you need more information, you may call Alicia, owner of Pet Epicure at 012-331 3318. More pictures available here.

A lovely moment of fame for Madame Toughcookie.

2010-10-20T20:59:00.003+08:00

moi, at most left, with my [then] Mak Datin hair ;)

I received my moment of fame along with these lovely beauty bloggers today as we were all featured in the Malay Mail. This, was from the Pantene makeover event we attended not too long ago.

this is the online version (click image to enlarge or click link to read on Malay Mail's website)

Not bad, huh?

Cooking with Samsung convection microwave oven.

2010-10-17T23:11:00.001+08:00

Recently, I was given the privilege to attend a cooking class by Samsung to promote their convection microwave oven. And after attending several cooking classes by Rohani Jelani, I had really high expectations for this class which was held at Cilantro Culinary Academy, Subang Jaya.

Upon registration though, I realised that this wasn't an exclusive bloggers' event but a good mix of bloggers and owners of the Samsung convection microwave ovens. Therefore, they have kept the class as serious as possible.

I have to be frank, though, that I only managed to do 2 out of the 3 recipes that day because I was given the impression that class was going to end at 12.30pm, as stated in their invitation, However, I was told that it didn't end til after 4pm. As I had another event to attend that day, I had to make an exit by 12.45pm.

I was a little disappointed with the class because I had so much expectations on it... I mean, I love cooking classes but there were too many weaknesses that made it look a little bit disorganised and poorly planned. It started around 10am but even when I left around 12.45pm (15 minutes after class was supposed to end) and managed to do 2 recipes, I still haven't touched the microwave oven and do not know how easy or difficult it is to operate it. We only prepared the food until cooking time and then everything was inserted into their huge conventional oven. As I wasn't able to experience it myself, I shall provide the product info based on the product details that was furnished to me.

the Samsung microwave CE117AE-S on our table

This microwave is sold at RM1,199.

Now, I love microwave convection ovens because I think they make cooking experience easier and I am able to cook delicious, nutritious food in a healthy way - because the heat is distributed evenly, I only need to use very little amount of oil and at most time, I would just grill the food I intend to serve my family... they not only come out juicy but cooking time is also shorter because of the energy efficiency involved.

I know a lot of us would just heat/re-heat left over food in our microwave ovens as how I did, but through time and wanting to make full use of it, I have done much more than just that... there's the grilling of my homemade burgers, thawing frozen food, steaming of vegetables, cooking Jada's favourite salmon, baking my new favourite fatty lasagna and even finishing off that last step for the ayam percik recipe I learnt at Rohani Jelani's class. Hence, I am always on the look out to learn much more ways to cook food in my microwave.

During this class, I managed to learn to prepare Red Bean Buns and Siew Mai Dumpling. I have to tell you that the buns are so difficult to make because you'd need to whip, knead and roll till everything becomes soft, and waiting time was the killer... but I guess Samsung wants us to know that you can bake them breads in their convection oven and unfortunately, I didn't get to experience that for myself.

the most valuable skill i learnt during this class was to fold the dough and make it look attractive. oh, we also learnt to make hot dog buns.

When we did the Siew Mai Dumpling, everything was already prepared for us and we only needed to learn to fold the dumpling skin and insert the ingredients into it. We were told that preparation time takes hours and use a huge amount of running water (*gasp*!)... therefore, everything was done for us earlier and we only had to learn the tricks of making the dumpling look nice before putting them in the tray for the guys at Cilantro to insert them into their conventional ovens. I guess, this one is also possible to cook in a convection microwave oven.

folding them thin skins is time consuming considering that few seconds for a person to put it all in his mouth...

As this is a review blog, and I didn't get the chance to use the microwave oven, there's nothing much for me to say about the microwave oven... I would like to point out the weaknesses of the class as a review but that was not the reason why I was invited to the cooking class. Thus, I shall say my peace here and thank the organisers for having me in the class. I did learn some valuable tips in there.

Do you own a convection microwave oven? If you don't, would you consider checking out the potential of this Samsung convection microwave oven?

How often do you change your hairstyle?

2010-10-14T20:31:00.000+08:00

When it comes to experimenting with my hair, I've tried it all. Well... not quite... but I basically have done every thing permissible to my hair (and according to the environment I was in) and was never very sentimental about just one style.

I've pulled off my long do for the longest time though, once around 2005 for about a year, and another straight after giving birth to Jada, for around 2 years. My hair is thick and grows really really fast and so, I never really gave it much thought if I were to make a mistake with a haircut - simply because I knew the hair would grow rapidly and I could repair something within a month. So, I would colour, I would highlight it, straighten it, curl it - just about anything I felt I wanted to do at that point of time.

In fact, I changed my hairstyles too often that back when we were dating, some of Mr Husband's friends thought he went out with different women at those few occasions ;P

I believe it is pretty much important to always give your current look a fresher appeal every once in awhile. Back in 1999 I had a very good stylist by the name, Michael, who was based in Jantzen, Mid Valley. He would change my hairstyle and hair colour every 3 months or so. He was that good. He left the establishment and I never knew where he went. Of course, after so many change of hairstyles, I decided that I was spending too much on my hair and I made slower changes not for the high I'd get but only when I felt it's time for a new look. I think it feels nice to be able to not worry much about how I'd look and just go give it one try, at least once in my lifetime (of course, not anything too radical like shaving off my head or stuff like that).

So, after 2 years carrying this thick long hair... I suddenly had the inspiration from the picture below which I got from here. I took this picture to my current stylist today and since she has done up a short do on me before, she wasn't the least bit surprised that I came back to her for something very different after so long...

ya, i know she's got an oval face and i don't... but who cares? your stylist should be able to adapt the style to your face shape to get the best results :D

and this was what i got from the transformation session this afternoon... chic, no?

Of course, with such a radical change, there is only one stylist whom I trust and I love that I have that someone for my hair needs.

How often do you change your hairstyle?