Childhood Home in Kerteh, Terengganu

During the 3 day weekend in conjunction with Hari Merdeka, my family, hubby and I went on a 1 night’s trip to Kemaman/Kerteh Terengganu. My parents had a wedding and invited us along for the trip. I was excited and happy that hubby wanted to go.  We planned to visit the house we lived in when I was about 3 to 7 years old and eat all the delicious delicacies from the state.

We left really early on that Saturday. We made a few stops along the way and reached Kemaman at around 11.30 am. Since it was still early for my parents to go to the wedding, we made a stop at warung Che Wan (if not mistaken) . We bought satah’s and had it to go. We (hubby, brother and i) then went looking for Warung Aziz Satar since the internet suggested it has all the food I was looking to try.

We got so excited to see Pais ikan, sotong, ketam, & kerang, there was satah,’s, otak2 (terengganu style), pulut panggang, fried seafood and a wide variety of lauk kampong.

We had a feast..but I must say that the satah’s from warung che wan was better…

After lunch the 3 of us headed to Kerteh which is a 15-20 minute away. Kerteh has a lot of meaning to our family.. We lived there in the late 1980’s to 1990…

I’m tearing just by typing this…. I had so many good memories..My dad being a employee of an oil & gas company was transferred to the Rantau Laut neighborhood..

The house we lived in was big, a 7 room bungalow, it was a gated community so we didn’t have our own gates. So the neighborhood kids and I roam freely. My house was right next to the playground. And at the other end of the street is literally the beach and a clubhouse with a restaurant, a pool etc…

I was worried the police guard manning the security gate would not let us in, but after a bit of explaining we were headed into the neighborhood. Even though a lot of the houses there are now uninhabited.. it was still well kept.. it was really quiet. Hardly saw a soul at that hour.. maybe it was too hot in the afternoon for anyone to be roaming around.

In the beginning we weren’t sure of the street we lived in, so we called mom and asked for the street number. We arrived in front of our house.. Was soo happy. Memories came flashing. All the festivities, the Halloweens, the neighbours…Our neighborhood was a mix of races and also expatriates..I had so much fun…

Took pictures with my brother and husband in front of the house and left to go check into Resorts World/Awana Kijal..

Mom and Dad met us at the hotel and all of us rested for abit. Since I love seafood goreng, I suggested we go have some. My brother, while he was studying had his internship in Paka a couple of years back. So he knows his way around Kemaman, kerteh and Paka. He brought us to a stall by the beach in Paka to have keropok lekor and all the other fried seafood. Imagine having fried seafood like having pisang goreng in the evenings…We also went back to the house because my parents wanted to see it too..This time around we saw a few people jogging and walking around. After that, we went around the area (all the while dad was reminiscing the past) before we headed back to wash up and pray before we go have dinner at a restaurant I fondly remember in Kemaman famous for its stuff crabs. Tong Juan Restaurant. Anyone who’s familiar with the area will know about Tong Juan.  Used to go there while we were living in Kerteh. And have not been back ever since I left. My dad and brother being in the oil & gas industry would occasionally go back to kerteh for work, so they have been back at Tong Juan..Glad hubby enjoyed the food there.

So the next day, after checking out we made another stop to warung che wan to buy satah’s to bring back..We arrived home before 6 pm..

It was a meaningful trip for me.. I hope to go back there soon ..

Bandung

Hello to whoever reading.
Again i've  abandoned my blog. Dont know why i completely forgot that i have a blog.
Ok i'm vowing to start blogging. at least every month. We'll see about that.

Can u believe its already August?!
The recent ramadhan & syawal month went by so quickly. As usual, the first few days of syawal was spent in Melaka with my husbands family. This year was a little different.
We (including my inlaws) all 19 of us planned a raya family trip overseas on the 6th day of raya.
It was our first overseas trip together. In the beginning, the plan was for my husband and i to take my mil to Jogjakarta, but when Airasia had their sale, I saw that Bandung was less than rm250. So i mooted the idea to invite my sister inlaws and their families.
It was going to be my 4th visit to Bandung but I didnt care because I had such good memories of Bandung and i loved the weather.

I was nervous as i was in charge of booking the flights, looking for a tour company and accommodation. Syukur that everything turned out well.

We went to see the volcano, the new floating market and of course did lots of shopping.
My sister in laws really enjoyed shopping for materials in Pasar Baru , that they went there twice, 2 days in a row. We stayed at Anggrek Shopping hotel which is in Jalan Riau. Famous for its factory outlets that are a 5 minutes walk away from the hotel. Our hotel was also connected to a shopping mall and made things easy when we had to get things from the supermarket, pharmacy and also food from the foodcourt. This hotel for sure suits our requirements and caters to our needs. I also recommend our tour company Jack Tours to whoever planning to visit Bandung

I got myself blouses that are leass than rm40 which looks like they're from H&M, Dorothy Perkins etc. Happy!! Not all outlets have clothings that are to my liking. You've got to go outlet hopping/shopping to find whatever that tickles your fancy.
On the last full day there, I got my pisang bollen and brownies fix from Kartika Sari. Yumm. I've missed those so much..

We have already planned on going for another trip next year. Its nice to get to spend qualtiy time with my sister inlaws/ bro in laws and my nieces and nephews.
Hopefully we make this a yearly affair.

Bangkok Make Up Haul

So about a month ago my family, hubby & i went for a mini vacation to bangkok during the labor day weekend. 

I was in charge of arranging the accomodation and itinerary etc. since it would be my 5th time in Bangkok and the latest trip was on my birthday last year. I chose to go back to the trusted Arnoma Hotel which has a fantastic location, surrounded by malls right in the city centre and a 5 minutes walk to the BTS station. 

We had such a good time there, and ate good Thai food and arab food (went to the arab street at night), managed to squeeze in Chatuchak market and of course shopping. The highlight of our trip was having dinner on a cruise along the Chao Phraya River.

That was really nice. 

One of Thailand's pharmacy chain is Boots! I lovee Boots! Only during my birthday trip that i discovered there is a  Boots in the mall just beside my hotel which is literally 2 minutes walk away. The main reason i love Boots is for their makeup section. They carry the brand 17, No. 7, and so many more. Brands that i can find from Boots in London!

I also just diacovered the brand Catrice during my birthday trip. It was hella cheap and i've always loved the brand 17. So of course getting more beauty items from Boots was on my to do list .

Here are the items i got. All of this for around 1450 baht. Cheap right

I was sooo happy i got them from the Boots beside my hotel as the same item from a different Boots outlet has a surprisingly much higher price. 

Loved the mini trip. 

Here are the makeup items i bought

Contouring & Bronzing

Hi!

Been too long!
I'm back to talk about my current favourite makeup product.
Since the beginning of my enthusiasm for make up, i have always liked adding bronzer or contour to give my round face dimension after applying foundation or a bb cream with contouring and bronzing. 
From what i've learned, contouring can avoid the face from looking flat after the application of foundation.

My first contour/bronzer product that i bought is the Sleek Face Form in medium if not mistaken. It comes with the contour powder, highlighter and the bronzer. I only contour when i'm going out for a special event or at night as it does tend to look too strong if worn during the day. Instead I bronze everytime i use make up. i would rather use a bronzer than a blush.
I love contouring and bronzing as i can sculpt my face to highlight and contour the areas i want to bring attention to or hide.
Just recently my interest towards cream contour and bronzer grew. Almost all the youtube gurus have a video on how to contour n highlight to achieve the Kim K look. so of course i had to buy a cream sculpting kit and my mom managed to get me the Chanel Tan De Soleil Bronzer Universal while she was on a cruise on a recent Scandinavian trip. Been looking for this product for awhile and concluded that it's not available in Asia because its not available in KLCC and I also asked at the airport in Bangkok & Narita, both do not have this item in their collection.

I am a MAC NC 40-42 and this product does appear on my skin tone. Was worried it wouldnt appear. But i do need to build it up a bit. 

So now i'm trying to find the best brush or sponge to use with a cream contour or bronzer product to give me the best result . Working with creams are on a whole different level. you've got to make sure you blend it into the face properly and all. But using creams definitely gives you a more natural and dewy look compared to using a powder.

There's so many contour and highlight videos on youtube that takes you step by step and can help u get an idea on what goes where. 

DHC Cleansing Oil

Have you tried cleansing oils?

I myself have never until i bought the DHC cleansing oil while i was in Japan.
Before the trip, i googled : beauty items to get from Japan and this cleansing oil was one of the list of item to get.

I must say that i was skeptical initially, since i have oily skin. But i am SUPER happy i tried it. It removes make up easily.  I just need 2 small pumps to completely remove all the make up including mascara. The oil melts the make up away. During my first try, i thought i would still need to cleanse my face with my everyday cleanser after using the oil. but i didnt need to. after rinsing my face, there wasnt the slightest bit of oil residue . and i felt squeaky clean.

I personally would use this oil for days when i have a full on face of make up. I now have a new perspective on cleansing oils. I also heard the shu eumura's one is good too..

I would definitely repurchase.

In Love with Japan

Nabana No Sato ( Flower Garden)

Hello!

Or Konnichiwa darlings!

About a month or so ago i went to Japan for a short vacation. I never thought i would fall in love with Japan. I visited Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto and Nagoya.  It was fall in Japan and the weather was cool (around the mid teens during the day) and the trees were turning into beautiful golden and red colors. I must admit if we went abit later we would be able to experience the kyoto autumn foliage in full effect. Nevertheless it was still breathtakingly beautiful. 

I love Japan. I'm already planning to go back with my husband. 

Here are some of the pictures:

Osaka Castle

Toyota Museum

Kyoto

SHOULDER BAGS FOR WOMEN- THE 3 MUST HAVE ITEMS

What is your favourite handbag style? There are a many types of shoulder bags for women..I personally gravitate towards totes. A tote can give you a laidback look and also a polished look depending on the size, design and colour. Large totes are practical for moms to double as a diaper bag and also for women who loves to throw in practically everything in it (like me), heck some days I even carry cat food for the strays. (I love cats). The smaller ones are just chic for every woman really. It’s just up to your taste and style to define what mood you are in or what type of look you are going for. I have a few favourites when it comes to handbags. The first would be a staple in every woman’s collection. A black coloured handbag. It is perfect for women to wear to the office looking professional, sophisticated at a formal dinner and basically everywhere. You can never go wrong with black.

The second shoulder bag is for the ladies who love playing with colours and perking up their fashion style. My mom and I love pops of colour. A bright coloured handbag is a great accessory to brighten up your whole look. Gone are the days that you have to colour coordinate your shoes with your handbags. Go to town with the wide arrays of colourful handbags available these days.

The third handbag that a woman should definitely own is a beige or a tan/nude coloured one as this colour is a neutral and portrays an elegant yet soft look. Women can wear it to parties, to work or even with a plain casual outfit and still look amazingly ravishing and polished. The beige shoulder bag is also a very versatile colour for women who do not want to spend a lot of time figuring out the perfect choice of bags to match with their clothes.

Having colleagues that share the same passion in beauty and fashion, we love browsing through Malaysian online shopping websites for handbags and beauty items during our lunch breaks. I find that ZALORA have a wide variety of handbags and gorgeous accessories at an affordable price. I love handbags, and I’m pretty sure almost every woman does.

NYX Lip Pencils

Believe it or not i've never owned a lip pencil/liner up until the 3 NYX lip pencils that i just recently picked up.

 I was looking for an affordable product with decent results. When i asked the lady at the NYX counter at Central World Plaza in Bangkok, how much it was, i was blown away at how affordable it was. 150 Baht per pencil which is about RM15 malaysia ringgit.
Based on the Soft Matte Lip Creams from NYX, I was confident that their lip pencils would be of good quality too.

The 3 colors that i chose is the color Natural, Hot Pink & Hot Red. I thought I was covering all my basis with the 3 colors but i forgot to get something for my berry lipsticks and maybe a purple one.

The verdict:
LOVE LOVE LOVE.
Out of the 3, my favorite has got to be Natural. Mainly because of the color, (close to my lip color). All 3 colors has the right amount of creaminess to it without feeling like a lipstick. It is also easy to fill the lips in with it. I did go on to have a seafood lunch while trying out the Natural pencil and i thought it had a good lasting power and it also didnt dry out my lips.

Totally recommend it to anyone looking for an affordable lip liner.
Would definitely repurchase. In fact i cant wait to add more colors to my collection.

From the top: Hot Red, Natural, Hot Pink

                       Swatches 

Natural

Hot Pink

Hot Red

I am a MAC NC42.

Fall Make Up- Berry Lips

Hello!

Wanted to show you a look i created while playing around with my make up collection. 

I went with berry lips with a smokey eye look.

Added falsies for the glamed up effect.

Urban Decay: Vice 2

Coastal Scents: 88 eyeshadow palette

Too Faced: Chocolate Bar Palette

Mac blush: Mocha

Sleek: Eyebrow palette

Sleek: Contour palette

Borjois: Chocolate bronzer

Seventeen: Deep Secret lipstick

Sephora powder

Garnier: bb cream miracle perfector 

Lashes and Brows

Morningggg...

Its saturday. And guess what time i woke up. 4.30am. Yepppppp. Thanks to my kitty cat. She was fussing and undecisive on whether she wanted to be in the room or not. 

Anyway, thought i would blog about my latest obsession 'make up item'. Falsies..

I remembered years ago , hating the look of falsies on me. I thought it looked incredibly horrible not to mention extremely fake looking. So i guess thats why i've always stopped at mascara. 

But lately, since i've been really into youtube and the makeup world, i find myself wondering what if i could actually pull this off. Maybe i wasnt doing it right the last time. Maybe the lashes i got was not the right look i was looking for. I find that whenever every youtuber put on their lashes they look like a million dollars and look complete. 

So i went and got myself a few lashes that are more on the natural side and also the demi wispie styles. To me they seem more natural but with the right amount of ummph. 

Been practicing (applying falsies requires alot of it) for my cousins wedding. 

And tried to play around with my eyebrow kit.

Remembered a youtuber saying, you always have to do your brows. To get the put together look. Without it , your art is not complete. 

In the pics i used my Ardell demi wispies in black and my sleek brow kit in dark.

I do like these lashes but i feel that its suitable for a night time look. I'd go with  more natural lashes during the day. 

Rimmel By Kate Moss Lipstick

Been soo long since i last blogged.
Today I'm going to talk about how much i adore the Rimmel by Kate Lipsticks.
I have 2 colors, one from each finish; matte (red tube) in the code 111 or the creamy lasting finish (black tube) in the code 016.


I've been looking for a true red lipstick. nothing orangey or a deep berry color.
And i thought that the 111 color was perfection since it was also matte.
One of the youtubers i  subscribe to, introduced me to the Rimmel by Kate lipsticks and when i had the opportunity to go to Boots pharmacy last year (we dont have it in Malaysia), i wasted no time in getting a hold on one.
It applies smoothly, surprising for a matte lipstick and it lasts through out the day.
I love it so much that only use it on special occasions and also because its not readily available for me to purchase here.

The second color i got is a peachy pink color. Its creamy , opaque and not too sticky. It also last a long time but not as long as the matte. Forgot to mention that my colleague bought it for me while on a work trip. 

Will i repurchase: yEssss if i can get a hold of it. 

Price: 5-6 pounds

The other item from rimmel that i'm interested in is the 'Stay Matte' powder. 

 

MAC Heroine Lipstick

I finally got my hands on the most coveted purple lipstick on youtube land... The MAC Heroine. 

I love the color and whats makes it better for me is that it has a matte finish. 

I wore it for dinner one night and was pleasently surprised that the color stayed put. I wouldnt say its really really purple. In some light u could see the pinky undertones. But i love it. 

Urban Decay- Naked 3

Oh gosh i jumped into the makeup enthusiast bandwagon when I purchased the highly coveted Urban Decay, Naked 3 pallete yesterday from Sephora, after only getting the Urban Decay, Vice 2 pallete, 2  weeks earlier.

Read and watched a lot of reviews on Youtube about these 2 palletes.
I really thought after getting the Vice 2, i wouldnt want the Naked 3. But boy was i wrong.
The vice 2 has all the pop of colors but the Naked 3 has the rose gold / pinky romantic tones i do not own in my make up collection.

Definitely went overboard in spending on these beauty items this month.
And its not that i go out that often to be able to wear make up often to justify having alot of palletes.

Urban Decay is known for their quality eyeshadows.
Tried on a few of the colors from the Naked 3, and already am so in love with the creaminess and smoothness of their eyeshadows. Makes blending so easy.
I watched one review said that the color Trick from the Naked 3 is a bit of a downer in terms of pigmentation and color pay off. After trying and swatching it myself i have to disagree. Love the color! It shows up really well on my skin tone.


I do not own the Naked or Naked 2 pallete.
But according to everyone, the colors in the Naked3 are all new. No repetitive colors from the previous 2 palletes. The Naked 3 comes in a metal packaging with a ripple effect, in kinda of a rose gold + rosey pink tone. 
I think its just handy for travelling and throwing into the handbag as its not as bulky and it has a double click closer so u wouldnt have to worry about it accidentally opening and messing up everything.It also comes with a dual ended synthetic brush, with a shader brush at one end, and a fluffy blending brush at the other.

U also get a sample of 4 of their priner potions that could last u about 1 week for each.

Makeup Brushes

Having a good makeup brush does make a difference in the results of my make up.
When i first started getting into make up, i didnt really care for them.
I ordered my first make up brush set, 2 years ago from Amazon.
A no brand set.
Each brush wasnt labelled, i didnt know what each brush was for except for the obvious like the powder,blush, shadow and brow brush.
Thanks to youtube i kinda got the idea of what the remaining brushes are used for.


Night after night of watching beauty gurus doing their magic with their angled brush, tapered brush, flat top brush and so many more. I was on a mission to add more brushes to my collection. i fell in love hard for the blending brush. I've always been a fan of the smokey eye look. so blending is crucial and after sometime, i found that the blending brush included in the set i had wasnt fluffy enough to get the effect i wanted.

I scoured the internet world high and low to get the cheaper versions of the brushes because i couldnt afford those MAC or Sigma brushes. I wanted the Sigma brushes so bad but its not sold in Malaysia.
I was constantly checking Ebay & Amazon for a no brand brush for good bargain but they were either to expensive or they do not ship to Malaysia. I didnt have the patience to order from their official website and having to wait weeks for it to arrive. Then i  discovered this international online cosmetic website that has a base in Singapore that sells a variety of international brands. The sigma brushes are available there too, but i just couldnt bring myself to spend that much on brushes, so I usually end up buying something else from them .

At the same time i searched for Malaysian online cosmetic websites.

 I came across 2 that sold brushes for a cheap price.  I have purchased a few brushes from them. But everytime after receiving the goods, i find myself unhappy with the quality.
My latest package arrived yesterday, and after once more getting dissapointed, i thought to myself, enough wasting money on these items that i wasnt satisfied with and just get my dream brushes.
Soo.... i purchased my first 2 sigma brushes yesterday from the international cosmetic website.
My first 2 brushes from Sigma are the F80 flat top kabuki and the E35 tapered blending brush.
The F80 is for the face. you can use it for applying liquid, cream or powder foundation. You buff in the product into your skin and its supposedly to give you that airbrush result.
The E35 tapered blending brush is slightly smaller than the E40 blending brush so i'm hoping it will give a more controlled blending. To blend out the harsh lines, to put on color on the crease. A very versatile brush.
I've even heard someone on youtube using it to put on concealer under the eyes.
Both brushes i bought are synthetic and are supposedly to distribute products more effectively compared to natural hair bristles.

After a week of using these babies, i must say they are definitely worth every single cent. The blending brush is amazingggg!!! Blends like a dream. 

And the flat top kabuki really does apply your liquid foundation fabulously. 

So if anyone has been contemplating on getting a good quality brush, i say go for it. You'll save money in the long run , rather than spend money on brushes that are not good.

E35 blending brush

F80 flat kabuki