Nail Polish I have that is not OPI

I do my own manicure and pedicure more than I get them professionally done since the move to Melbourne. With this situation, I always tend to buy nail lacquers when I was out (mostly when I see a good deal on them). I have been collecting OPI nail lacquers (always prefer them for some reason) for a long time and my collections of them are piling up. However, I have been trying other brands of nail lacquers too.

1.  755 Meet Me At Sunset by Essie: This is a deep orange colour and my very first orange nail lacquer colour in my collection.
2. 332 by Nine West: I don't know how to describe this colour but it's a mix of olive and grey (I think?). I like this colour especially during autumn and autumn is coming in melbourne ( I will definitely paint them on my nails!). I don't think they still sell this colour (I got them in store about 2 years ago for 5 AUD) but I'm sure other brand like Essie, OPI or Sally Hansen will have products that are similar to this colour.
3. 820 Seaquins by Maybelline Color Show: This is a limited edition of their line. I think you can still get them in some pharmacy (if you're lucky) or on eBay. It is basically a turquoise glitter and it feels and looks like sequins on your nail (very pretty!). I usually paint a coat of other colour (I usually go for green) after base coat before painting this 'sequins' on.
4. 815 Gold's Night Out by Maybelline Color Show: Another limited edition sequins product. The glitters go on my nails easily and I normally match this gold sequins with black, nude or red nail colour. And yes! Another like! I think Maybelline is doing pretty well with their color show line (their nail lacquer). Affordable price and good quality for the price you pay. They don't chip until day 5 or 6 for me and I do some housework here and there. Pretty good for 5 dollar!
5. 430 Onyx Rush by Maybelline Color Show: Just a simple plain black nail colour. I bought this because I thought I lost my black nail polish but I ended up with two now!
6. Nails-Gel Effect Top Coat by Topshop: This is a clear top coat. I have been using it since I bought it and I have other top coat in my stash too. I like the packaging and the finish look is nice! It gives a nice professional gel finish to any basic coloured nail varnish!
7. Roses Are Red by Sportsgirl Nail It: A nice rose red colour that goes with anything. I bought it for 7.95AUD about 3 years ago (and this nail colour is still surviving!). Sad that Sportsgirl don't sell this anymore. I really like the simple bottle packaging. 
8. 340 X-wine by Beautiful U: My favourite wine colour! This is a Korean brand and the formula is great, it last for a long time (I had this for about 6 years now and the product is not thicken yet!). I'm so happy the nail polish is still good to use because I can't find the right wine colour to substitute this!
9. White Special Nail Polish by Konad: This is the special nail polish for the Konad stamping nail art use. They dry quick and stick on your nail easily and that's why they are good for stamping nail art.
10. Black Special Nail Polish by Konad: The black version of the special nail polish. They have other colours but I got these 2 for myself. I like the nail art stamping! Easy to have pretty nail arts is such a plus for someone like me, I suck in drawing nail arts (my hand shakes so much that it's impossible for me to draw nail art on my nails!). Quick, fun and cheap (in the long run) way to have your nail art done by yourself at home. 
11. 43 Magenta Show by Bourjois So Laque! Ultra Shine : A bright pink that is great for spring and summer! The bottle says it last up to 7 days and it lasted about 5-6 days for me? I was pretty rough with them though. 
12. Yellow Chalkboard by Revlon Nail Art: I bought this in Priceline for 9 dollars (they were on sale and yellow and pink were the last choices). I bought both of them and gave the pink one to my sister in law. I tried it on one nail, it does look like chalkboard! I shall practice drawing lines on my nails steadily now. 
13. 007 Scarab by Sally Hansen Lustre Shine: Love the finish look! It looks like bright green beetles (if it makes sense to you) on my nails (I always think of the mummy bug from the movie but they were blue-ish colour right, I don't know why). The finish look really does shine! Great!
14. 420 Pacific Blue by Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear: I love this blue colour!! I got so much compliment from wearing this colour. Doesn't chip until day 7! Impressive!
15. 480 The Real Teal by Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear: They discontinued this and I don't know why. It is such a nice teal colour! At least I got one in my collection now! By the way, I still see some chemist or beauty store selling them at cheap price! Keep an eye for them if they are your type of colour.
16. 902 Polar Purple by Sally Hansen Magnetic Nail Color: 3D nail art in seconds!! The magnet on top of the cap will make the wavy pattern (engraved on the side of the cap to show what pattern it is) on your nails after you paint the nail polish. Just hold the magnet (cap) on top of your nails for 10 seconds and voila! 

Have a great weekend guys! 

Love, Carol 

New investments for my hair!

I don't usually do much to my hair to maintain them, my normal routine are just as simple as the shampoo and the conditioner. Once in a while, I would get some hair serum to treat my hair since I blow dry and curl my hair quite often (I started using Tresemme heat tamer protective spray a while ago). I always switch around brands and products because my hair will start reject the products I use (for some reason) after a while. But, Herbal Essences are my go-to brand for my hair when I was staying in Malaysia and Singapore. When I moved to Melbourne, I still stick to my Herbal Essences products but my hair started to reject (again!) the brand in total (even if I switch products within the brand). My hair started to be so dry at the end (to the extent it started to annoy myself especially when I sleep) and my hair started to get frizzy (this is bad because I don't normally have frizzy hair!!). So, I went on a hunt, spent some time in the beauty aisle of the chemist and supermarket, go on YouTube and some beauty blogs to 'research' about the products that stood out. 

These are my decision to spent my money on for my hair. The L'Oreal EverSleek Reparative Smoothing Shampoo, EverSleek Reparative Conditioner and EverSleek Anti-Frizz Creme Serum. What stood out for me from this range is they are Sulfate Free, which I think will help with my damaged drying hair.

There are 4 types of these sulfate free ranges that I have seen on the shelves which are the EverPure, the EverSleek, the EverStrong and the EverCreme (but they are only available in some places but not everywhere. I've only seen them in Priceline in the CBD at the moment). I like the nice tube packaging. Simple and practical, the easy hold standing tube will let you get the most of the products inside (not like the pumping ones, you never get to the products at the very end of the bottle unless you dilute them with water). The price are about 17AUD each for the shampoo and the conditioner (250ml of products each) and 13AUD for the anti-frizz serum (55ml of products) (click here to look at the prices at Coles). Definitely not on the cheap side for drugstore haircare products, they are like the premium ones I think. They are sulfate free, silicone free and paraben free with natural botanicals and oils. The new formulas allows them to be so gentle and weightless yet so smoothing. The formula for this product contain Argan, Sunflower and Olive oil that has 48 hour frizz control. Sounds good and they smells good too!

I started using the serum already but not the shampoo and the conditioner because I still need to use up my shampoo and conditioner (I feel bad abandoning them but I want to try these new products in the mean time, so hard to decide!!). Back to the serum, it is freaking awesomeeee! I like the scent and the texture, not sticky at all. Most importantly, it tame my frizzy hair just like that (seems very easy)!

I don't have much say on them yet since I haven't try them out but very excited to get my hands on them! But here's a review by Essiebutton on EverCreme from the sulfate free range.

Moving on, I got something else to repair my hair (I was thinking it's time to take good care of my hair), they need some tender loving care products!

I heard good things about Macadamia Natural Oil here and there. I like macadamia so why don't give this brand a try. I had my eyes on the Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque and got it yesterday. The product smells very nice and I like the packaging (the green and the floral designs), it's very spa like packaging to me. This is the star of the brand, everyone is raving about it! Here are some videos about the product itself! Review by Luxy Hair and Nikki Phillippi at 2.35.
The product is enriched with a combination of macadamia oil and argon oil along with tea tree oil, chamomile oil, aloe and algae extracts. It claimed to be a hair reconstructor that will penetrate and rebuild damaged hair for improved health, shine and elasticity. Easy application, just comb through clean, wet hair and allow up to 7 minutes of penetration before rinsing.
I got the smaller tub at the price of 40AUD, it's on the expensive side of a hair product but it seems to work on everyone. You can get your hands on this in Price Attack and Hairhouse Warehouse, they are the same price.

Then, I saw their version of Tangle Teezer that is good for brushing wet hair: No Tangle Hair Brush. 
It was 20AUD on the website for just the brush itself but on the shelf in store, they have the combo version of it that cost 30AUD (packed together with a 30ml deep repair masque and a 10ml luxurious oil treatment, they cost 7.95AUD each). This package sold to me right away, those 2 sample size products are good for my travel kit.
I have been wanting to get a tangle teezer because I don't have a brush to brush my wet hair (since it's not good to brush your hair when it's wet with normal hair brush, I normally just wait till it's a bit dryer to brush them, so it always end up with some ouch moment when I try to detangle my hair). Again, it's expensive for just a brush but it apparently has the benefits of:

• smooths the cuticle layer, making hair shinier and more manageable
• minimizes breakage, splitting and damage caused by unnecessary hair stress
• painless and stress-free detangler
• recommended for fragile or chemically treated hair
• excellent for scalp massage and improved circulation
• safe for use with hair extensions (not that I have any)

I tried the brush but not on wet hair yet, it's very gentle in detangling my hair. However, spending over 100AUD on hair care products is a bit naughty. My husband were raising his eyebrows and asked do I need all these products? Only time will tell, I hope I get my silky smooth hair soon.

Love, Carol

His Birthday and White Night kind of weekend

It was Keith's birthday last Friday. He told me that he's not 'a birthday kind of person' until he met me (he finally celebrates birthday instead of spending the birthday like every other day). For this year's birthday, I know he doesn't want to have a party or a grand birthday dinner (he wants to visit his family and spend the birthday with them quietly). His birthday was on last Friday but knowing that we will be away to visit his family in the valley, I have decided to bake him a surprise birthday cake 2 days earlier (since he was away on Thursday for his business trip to Brisbane, such a busy bee!).

So on Wednesday (the pre-birthday celebration), I made his favourite chorizo sausages with garden salad and potato mash (I know this is such a simple dish but he gets so excited and happy every time he eats it, just like a kid! So why not?!). For the birthday cake, I made a flour-less chocolate cake with vanilla bean cream (click here for recipe), it's a recipe from one of the Coles Magazine and yes it was my first attempt (a successful one)! I had to hide the cake and the baking smell in the house (making chorizo sausages for dinner was not a bad idea after all). He didn't catch a sign until I was in the kitchen after dinner asking for Sean (Keith's brother who stays with us) to get to the living room. He looked at me (with a suspicious face), asked "what are you up to now?!" and stood on the couch to see what I was hiding. He got a glimpse of the cake with the unlighted candles, sat back down on the couch with a massive smile on his face and said "but it's not my birthday yet!" (bless him!). Anyway, it was a small surprise for him and he's happy, I'm happy and Sean's happy (mainly there's dessert to eat, haha!). So here are some pictures:

As I was saying earlier, we went up to the Yarra Valley last Friday (after Keith's work) to visit Keith's family (his grandparents, mother and 2 sisters) who are staying in Healesville (Keith's hometown basically). I always love to have a quick trip there, it's just a very beautiful and peaceful town surrounded by the nature (you see cockatoos, king parrots and lories as wild birds there!). Anyway, we get to catch up with the family over there and Keith got another birthday cake (chocolate ripple cake) made by nan. After the birthday rituals (birthday song, candle blowing and cake cutting), we ate the cake and went out to see Keith's mates. We all went down to the local bar (Grind n Groove) to have a drink and not long after, called it a night (we are getting old). We spent a night at nan and pop's house that night.

The next day, nan made small quiches and sausage rolls with salad for lunch, it was awesome!!!! I managed to take a picture of these yummy things! (I got the recipes from nan!)

We went home after lunch. Keith and I went in to the city after dinner for White Night. I was so excited, knowing that there will be light shows. Camera charged and Keith was Mr camera man that night. The down side was, it was packed everywhere. The train was packed and the city was packed, we walked around for about 2-3 hours, took some pictures and went home before the time when everyone decided to go home together. So here are some pictures my Mr camera man took that night:

So that's how my weekend was! I hope you had a great weekend and we are half way to another weekend!!

Love, Carol

The Vaseline Spray Lotion

Weather in Melbourne is cooling down rapidly though it is suppose to be summer here until mid March or end of March (don't know when is the exact day for autumn) but it was 7 degree last Friday night!

I have a tub of body butter sitting in the bathroom so I can put them on after my shower. However, during the colder time of the year (which is like 3/4 of the year), I don't know about you but I find putting lotion on after shower is getting difficult because it's so darn cold! My body butters are the Victoria Secret body butter, they are so rich I need to rub them in which doesn't take long but I just want to put my comfy and warming clothes on ASAP (my bathroom in this house we are staying now is the coldest part of the house for some reason). So, I always ended up having a rough rub or skipped a day or two without having a proper lotion application (it is very bad because I think I literally have the freaky dry legs over night that I can draw on!).

I stumble over these products and they got me curious! It's the Vaseline Intensive Care Spray Moisturiser, a spray and rub lotion that comes in 3 choices, the aloe soothe, the cocoa glow and the dry skin repair. I bought the Aloe Soothe to try it on.

First of all, the packaging, it looks the same but in spray can form of the original body lotions they have (same colour, the logo and the wordings). I like the clicking cap on the top which you can lock and unlock the cap by twisting it. I think the name and the packaging in Australia is different with the packaging in the States or the UK where they called it The Vaseline Spray & Go Moisturiser but I think it's pretty much the same thing. Pricing, it cost 10AUD for 190g of product, it's definitely not on the cheap side.

It claims to moisturises and absorbs in seconds, instantly leaves skin soft, not greasy or sticky and dispenses evenly with one all-over spray. I used it and they were not lying. It is the easiest thing to use. You literally just twist to unlock it, spray on yourself, rub it (about 2 seconds) and go.

A great alternative product for me to use when I don't want to spend more time in the bathroom to rub on my body butter or when I'm in a rush. However, I won't just stick to this product as my body moisturiser since it is a light moisturiser. I need rich body moisturiser in my routine as I tend to get dry skin fast especially during the winter time.

If you are lazy with moisturising your body, GET IT! It will be your best friend! Overall, this is a brilliant product! Have a look at the ad for this product.

There are some beauty bloggers who loved it and I have the links here for you to hear what they have to say about this product. 
Lily Pebbles at 9.05 talking about vaseline spray and go body moisturiser
Beauty Chat at 8.20 Amelia Liana speaking on her winter essentials
Amelia Liana at 8.08

 Love, Carol 

The Rice Vermicelli Stir Fried 炒米粉

I grew up with this dish! My mum literally created this dish herself, so it's not a traditional dish. I always get so cheerful and happy when I found out we were going to have rice vermicelli stir fried for dinner or lunch every time (it was suppose to be my mum's 'lazy day dish' but I just love it so much)!

So I started to recreate this rice vermicelli stir fried when I moved to Singapore and Australia now (mainly because I miss my mum's home cook meal and the dish itself). I made one last night and thought of sharing this! Also, I got the recipe book (Recipe from My Home Kitchen) by Christine Ha (my favourite Masterchef US winner-third season) and I found out that her recipe for Soy Sauce Stir Fried Noodle is similar to my recipe for recreating my mum's Rice Vermicelli Stir Fried (not that I'm flattering myself but the main ingredients are almost the same!).

Before the recipe starts, I wanted to have a quick talk about the main ingredient - The Rice Vermicelli. My mum told me that I had to use the only type of Rice Vermicelli for the texture of the dish (her style) or it's just not that same. I need to use the Dongguan Rice Stick/Vermicelli. In the package, it has 6 slices of the dry rice vermicelli which I think it's a good idea (you don't have to cook the whole packet or try to separate the dry vermicelli yourself, messy!). You can get these rice vermicelli in any supermarket or Asian market for more brand options.

The Recipe for Rice Vermicelli Stir Fried (for 4-5 person):
Ingredient: 
Canola Oil 

4 slices Dongguan Rice Stick/Vermicelli (soak in warm water till they break apart and ready for cooking just like the picture above)

4 stems Chinese Choy Sum (chopped roughly)

1 can/ 1 fresh pack Baby Corn  (chopped)

5 cloves Garlic (finely chopped)

250g Pork fillet (finely sliced and marinate with 1tsp white pepper, 1tsp sugar, 1tsp corn starch, 1tbsp soy sauce)

3 Eggs (whisked)

2 tbs dark soy sauce

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tbs oyster sauce


Cooking Method:

• Cook whisked eggs with a little canola oil in a separate frying pan and scramble them like this. Set aside. 

• In a wok or a big frying pan or big saucepan, (high heat) heat canola oil and cook garlic till golden.
• Pour in marinated pork fillet slices and cook for about 2 minutes (or until it's cooked)
• Pour all the vegetables (choy sum and baby corn) and mix them together
  

• Dark soy sauce and soy sauce in (remember to taste and adjust to your liking)
• Then add in rice vermicelli and mix them together.
• Add scrambled eggs made earlier.
• Add oyster sauce and mix around.
• Dish them up and pair it with the chili sauce you like or tomato sauce for kids.

Quick, easy and yummy. My mum just had Chinese Choy Sum in hers, very simple. I have added baby corn in this because I like baby corn. You can change the vegetables or protein around to your liking, very easy. Hope you enjoy this!

Love, Carol

Let's talk Perfume!

Perfume..... it can make you girly or sophisticated or glamorous or sexy or confident or expensive or romantic (you name it) but most of all... it makes us smells good and feels good in all sorts of way! It's like a magic portion.

Yesterday is the universal day of love, The Valentine's Day and perfume (I'm pretty sure) was playing a very important role. Let's just focus on the female, girlfriend put on her favourite perfume to go on a date with her boyfriend. Single ladies put on perfume to be attractive and confident. Wife put on perfume to have an intimate time with the husband. Perfume always on the list of the gift to buy for your love ones and the list goes on. I spent my Valentine's day staying in with my husband (this is our first Valentine's day together as husband and wife), I did put on my perfume to feel attractive and romantic (though I'm just staying home with him), we watched some movies and some wines with the home candles on. So what I'm saying is.. perfume is everywhere even if you're at home! It's one of the must have for everyone in my opinion.

I used to steal my mum's perfume when I was younger. I just love to smell pretty (don't know if that's a right word for it but you know the moment you smell something and you think pretty right away? That's the feeling I'm talking about).

My father bought me my first perfume when I was in my high school time. I started my perfume collection way before my makeup stash. The very first perfume I owned was Only by Givenchy. It was my precious back then!

I don't stick to just one perfume (some calls the signature smell) but I like to have options! These are my perfume collection at the moment:

1. Chanel Allure Sensuelle (Birthday present from mum, my most expensive bottle of perfume! You can see from the picture above, it is the fullest perfume I have at the moment because it is my luxury perfume. It smells very floral and woody at the same time. To me it just smells very expensive and sophisticated. I only wear it when there's special occasion. I have the Eau De Parfum which is the more concentrate perfume in comparision to the Eau De Toilette. It last very long!)
2. Chanel Chance Eau Tendre (I got this in a Chanel gift bag when I attended the launch of their boutique store in Marina Bay Sands Singapore. It is subtle, light and feminine smell, a mixture of fruity and floral smell. Great for spring in my opinion.)
3. Chanel Coco Mademoiselle EDP Twist and Spray (I bought this with the thought of I could use with a travel size perfume instead of using the travalo all the time at Changi Airport Singapore when my Lancome Miracle ran out. I'm so glad I bought this, I'm obsessed with this perfume! It smells so sophisticated with strong Jasmine hint. The packaging itself is brilliant! It was described as "Beautiful yet rebellious, it slips into your pocket or nestles in your bag, between your latest mobile phone and electronic organiser." Great for travel and great for slipping it in my bag. It comes with 2 refills, I just refilled mine and one more to go now.)
4. CD Dior Addict 2 (I don't know if it's the same with Dior Addict Eau Fraiche, this is one of the older perfume I have in stash of course. This is the third bottle I have repurchased, that's how much I love this scent.)
5. Calvin Klein Beauty (A gift from my uncle. This is my almost everyday perfume when I head out. Again, it's feminine and floral kind of smell. I like this but not sure if I would buy it again when it's finished though.)
6. Davidoff Cool Water Woman (I bought this in a pharmacy at a discounted price. It's very fresh scent but it does not last long at all. It's more like a body mist to me and I don't think I will repurchase it.)
7. Miniature: YSL Babydoll, Burberry Brit Sheer, Gucci Envy Me, Estee Lauder Pleasures, Lancome Miracle So Magic, Lancome Attraction, Calvin Klein Euphoria Blossom, and JLo Live 

I bought 2 perfumes from the recent Malaysia Trip too but they are still new in the box!

1. Lanvin Eclat D'arpege 
2. Victoria Secret Bombshell
3. Victoria Secret Love Spell Body Mist  (My favourite body mist of all time! I have been repurchasing this scent and Secret Charm for like forever. It's a spray and go or a pillow spray and it's affordable!)

Perfume I'm thinking of buying next when some of my perfume finishes.

1. Chanel Allure 
2. Gucci Premiere 
3. Christian Dior J'adore 
4. Soap & Glory Mist You Madly 

Should I get any these? Any comments or recommendations?

Foodisfaction

Malaysia is well known for their diverse and yummy food. Oh yes! As a Malaysian who live abroad, going back to Malaysia means stuffing myself with Malaysian food as much as possible. Not just me, even Keith (The Australian Husband) had a list of where and what to eat too. We missed Malaysian food so much we were counting the days and talked about the food even before we were in Malaysia. So I will include some of the places we managed to visit for food during our stay there (didn't get to visit much restaurants or food stall since it's Chinese New Year season - we had lots of home cook food too!)

Speaking of Chinese New Year, we (my family and the extended family from my dad's side, about 40 of us) had our reunion dinner (dinner before the Chinese New Year) at Hee Lai Ton Restaurant (Seri Kembangan branch). We had the 'must do' dish during Chinese New Year to kick off the 9 course dinner - Yee Sang aka the prosperity toss with salmon in it (My favourite). This is how it looks before they scatter the salmon slices on it for everyone to toss with their clean untouched chopsticks of course.

Carry on, when we were visiting one of my auntie who're staying in a Chinese New Village near Ipoh (not that near really, probably about 40 minutes drive? It's just a reference and most people know where Ipoh is). Anyway, we were thrilled when we saw a Ramly Burger stall by the side of the street turning to my auntie's house. Ramly burger is a Malaysian burger with a very affordable price and it is scrumptious! With just a simple set up, they are very popular especially during Chinese New Year when everyone is back to visit family in that area. 

Keith and I placed our order just before the swamp of people walked and drove up to them (there's quite few of them!). There were orders before us, so our waiting time is about 30 minutes and people showed up after us have the waiting time of up to an hour wait. Strange thing was, they were willing to wait and the orders went on! While we were waiting for our Ramly Burgers (we ordered a few since the burger size in Malaysia is much smaller, Keith need at least 2 of them), we managed to head to a local coffee shop nearby (walking distance) to have some local ice coffee take away in a plastic bag (Malaysian style). The ice coffee were awesome and rich! Keith were so happy with them and here is a picture of him holding both of our drinks while we were still waiting for our Ramly Burgers. We got our burgers not long later, we walked back to my auntie's house quickly and dig in to our Ramly Burgers right away! We both ordered the Double Special-2 patties wrapped in a thin layer of egg, seasoned with Maggi seasoning sauce, curry powder and Ajinomoto flavoured pepper with tomato, lettuce and sweet chili sauce. The burger cost 3.60MYR each, I had one and Keith had two. We were so satisfied with the burgers that if the waiting time was not that long we will be going back and order our second or third burger! We will be ordering the Ramly burgers and the local ice coffee again when we visit next. 

We had Asian food break, we went to Victoria Station Steak House (Jalan Ampang branch) with my family for some steak and wine of course. It is one of the places to go for some decent steak in Kuala Lumpur. 

The next day, we went for some mamak food at Devi's Corner at Bangsar. We both ordered Maggi goreng (fried Maggi 2 minutes noodle in curry powder and vegetable) with fried chicken, 2 drinks (Ice Milo and Ice lime tea) and all these cost us 15MYR. It was quick, delicious and cheap!

After mamak lunch, we walked over to the Les Deux Garcons to get some dessert. Look at these macaroons! We ordered 6 flavours that appeal to us to try them out since it was our first visit. They cost us 30MYR for the 6 macaroons (not cheap huh?!). My favourite ones are the pistachio and earl grey (it's just like drinking a cup of ear grey tea).

They sell cakes too but we didn't try any. They look so delicate and pretty.

For dinner, we went to my favourite Sushi restaurant of all time - Sushi Zanmai (Fahrenheit 88 branch). My friend Amanda joined us for dinner, she arrived early to get us a table because that restaurant is always full with a massive line outside of the restaurant waiting for their turn to get in (I'm not exaggerating at all). We ordered quite a bit with some dessert and bottomless green tea. Here are some pictures that I managed to take before digging in quickly (when Keith is around, you have to eat quick or he will literally eat everything and leave you not much to eat).

Keith has a favourite sushi place in Singapore and said nothing beats that restaurant yet. He was not sure about how good Sushi Zanmai is when I was rambling about it and said they will be the best sushi place for him soon before we head to the restaurant (I was so excited about it that I can't shut up about it. Poor Keith!). So, Keith ordered his usual Katsu Don (he loves his Katsu Don that he has a song for it!), I think Amanda ordered Katsu Don too,  I ordered my favourite Unatama Don and we ordered 3 side dishes to share too. Together with 2 desserts (matcha ice cream waffle and vanilla ice cream waffle) and some bottomless ice green tea, all of these cost us about 100MYR (bargain!!). Keith paid (with his shocking happy face) and said to me that Sushi Zanmai is officially his favourite sushi place now. (as I predicted! who doesn't love Sushi Zanmai, right?)

We went to Madam Kwan's, the Truly Malaysian Cuisine for lunch the next day and met up with some of my lovely uni-mates! I ordered my favourite again and I have been missing these for more than a year!! It's the sambal petai with prawns, Keith calls them smelly beans because your pee pee tends to get stinky after the consumption of petai. Here's a picture of it to give you an idea of what it looks like! Serve them with steamed jasmine rice (perfect combination!) and you're good to go.

Same day, we went to the Thirty8 in Grand Hyatt Hotel in Kuala Lumpur for High Tea. We literally was having food marathon there! So, the place is lovely with the 360 degree view of the KL city (next to the Petronas Twin Tower), restaurant setting is simple and nice and very open. Great place to hang out and have a cup of tea. We ordered 5 sets of high tea set for us (about 8 of us to share) and they were yummy pastries and sandwiches (not sure about their macaroons, they're too sweet to my taste). I wanted to try their signature cake but I was too full and about to pass out with a food coma that moment.

Lastly (finally right!), I had my dry pork noodle in a local noodle shop near my grandmother's place before we head to the airport. Noodle comes with a small bowl of clear soup and different ways of pork (pork sausage, minced pork and pork meat balls). Keith loves it. Nice portion, not too oily and CHEAP! I think this cost 5MYR each, if I'm not mistaken.

We thought we have enough time but sadly we don't, hence, we didn't get to go to Bubbagump Shrimp & Co while we were there (Keith loves them!). Top on the list for next visit then.

Sorry if the posts are getting a little longer, I shall try to write shorter post next time. Have a great weekend everyone! 

Love, Carol 

Huge Malaysia Haul

10 days in Malaysia are finally over, it went by so so quickly (I need a device that will slow down the time when I'm there next!!). Without a doubt, I went a bit cray cray in shopping when I already have a list of where to go, what to buy, what to eat. So in this post, I will talk purely about what we have bought (not going to cover everything because I can't keep track of everything we bought).

As soon as we landed, I dashed into the duty free shop in KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport) and purchased 2 Chanel Rouge Coco Lipstick in 05 Mademoiselle and 76 Sari Dore. They cost 95MYR each which I think is cheaper in comparison with the Melbourne duty free price (if I'm not mistaken, I forgot how much it was!!). I love Chanel lipsticks not just because they are Chanel, these lipsticks are so hydrating, so pigmented and cream like texture (easy glide on) and most of all the classic Chanel sleek packaging - the gold and black packaging I love so much. These lipsticks could make such a great accessories in the handbag. I want to touch up my lip more often just to have the excuse to take them out from my handbag. Thanks to my husband who bought me my first ever Chanel lipstick (Rouge Allure in 99 pirate), I fell in love with them since.

Carry on, we had a quick trip to Sephora KLCC (desperate much). Speaking of Sephora, Australia has no Sephora, I am still asking why in this matter and I get so frustrated that I can't reach Sephora when I needed something from them. So this explains why I get super excited and run to Sephora the first thing when I'm in Malaysia. So these are the things I bought:

1. Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash (I heard so much good stuff about this scent, I need to try it out! I warned my husband to stick with the dove body wash we have in the bathroom and this body wash is for myself, He laughed at me. I don't think he knows I'm that serious.)
2. Soap & Glory Heel Genius Amazing Foot Cream (Winter is coming in Melbourne, so it is time to try out this foot cream when I actually put on socks at home!)
3. Soap & Glory Flake Away Scrub (Smells amazing, why not give it a try!)
4. Sephora Triple Action Cleansing Water (Yes I never try cleansing water in my life and here is my first bottle of it.)
5. Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Portion Original (repurchase product, I used up mine)
6. Too Faced Lip Insurance (I'm giving this lip primer a try)
7. Sephora Collection Jumbo Liner 12HR Wear Waterproof in 09 Kaki (I'm liking these shadow crayon though it says liner but I'm gonna use it as eyeshadow. I never have Khaki colour eyeshadow before, this is pretty damn impressive! The colour is very pigmented, creamy and easy to blend, waterproof means perfect for humidity and hot weather- summer! Great buy!)
8. Sephora Mini Makeup Palette (I got this for free! I swatch all the 4 eyeshadows and they are very pigmented. There are 2 lip colour and a blush too. Great size for travel and to put in my handbag)

I signed up for the Sephora Loyalty Program when we were living in Singapore a year ago and I was entitled to redeem the mini palette as my birthday present from Sephora (How awesome is that!). On top of that, I will have double points collection on the stuff I bought from them. Hence, I bought the Soap&Glory and TooFaced products together. I was so upset when they told me the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette was out of stock when we were there, this is the most wanted item in my list! Ah well, online shopping time.

Next we went to the local beauty store and pharmacies: Sasa, Guardian and Watsons. Believe it or not, both of us went straight to picked what we wanted for the next couple weeks (we didn't go all dramatic stock up a year supplies because my mother is coming to visit us soon. We sort of have a shopping list for her already!)
My husband, Keith has collected 6 boxes of dental floss toothpick, deodorant (the one he likes but couldn't find in AU) and some mouth spray with different flavours.
I, on the other hand, picked up 3 sheet face masks (buy 2 free 1 deal) to try on, they are Aloe Vera, Avocado and Arbutin face masks. Then, a Dove deodorant, Garnier Brightening Eye Roll-On, Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in 33 Pacific Blue, Maybelline Hyper Sharp Liner (It was on sale and this is one of my favourite liquid liner so why not!) and Maybelline Lip Polish in Glam 6 (It is the Maybelline Color Elixir Liquid Lip Balm that everyone were raving about but sadly not available in Australia at the moment. So when I saw it, I bought one right away to try it out. Worth the hype? YES! It's like a lip stain but hydrating and I love the packaging!
Here is the review of it by EssieButton and Eating Lipstick. More about lip polish, here is a video of few looks with Maybelline Lip Polish.

Due to the time constraint reason, I went in Topshop quickly to get these 2 products Lips in Beguilded and Face Wipes. I'm quite impressed with the makeup line by Topshop to be honest, they have done a great job. I love their face wipes especially, it is the best I've ever use and I have been repurchasing this product for about 5 years now.

I was looking for Keith in Bangsar Village II after our manicure and pedicure treat and I found Caudalie!! I almost did my happy dance when I saw it but I stay calm on the outside but screaming in the inside (if you know what I mean). I have been wanting to try this brand out for a long long time since Lisa Eldridge was talking about it for few times (must be good enough for her to keep talking about it). Some of the mentions are: French Pharmacies & My Beauty Regime on Long Haul Flight. Sadly, Australia is not carrying this brand (if you know where to get them in Australia, please let me know).
Forgot about Keith (this is how excited I was), I went straight up to the counter and put my hands on the products. They just look so beautiful! The lady at the counter decided to let me try on the Beauty Elixir and spray it on my face. That moment, I said "I'm so buying this" to myself because my face feel so good after that spray. It refreshed my skin like nothing has done it before and of course smells amaziiiinnnngggg! Keith found me when I was in the middle of all these and the lady sprayed the beauty elixir on his face (with his permission of course). Guess what, he likes it too, it just wakes you up like that!

Enough with the blabbing, I have bought the smaller size of the beauty elixir limited edition bottle (travel size) for 60MYR and the winter duo set which consist of hand and nail cream and a lip balm for 35MYR. The lady then gave me a bunch of these samples to try, she's the bomb! I can't wait to try them all out and I know I will repurchase this brand for sure! Also, I might be going to France with Keith in March (if not just Keith), I can always get more from there.

We spent most of our time in Pavilion shopping mall since our hotel was just right across it and there were a lot of special offers booth everywhere. They gave out scented papers to us and this scent caught my attention! We went back to check out what perfume it was and what was the deal they were offering at that time. For 295MYR, you will get the perfume, body lotion, body wash and a travel bag in black. I said yes and asked for some samples, they gave us a miniature perfume for him (Keith got something too!) I like the packaging because they are purple! Also, we took a picture with their cute little picture taking set up spot and had 2 photo printed. Sweet little things to make customer happy, well I am happy with it, it shows they care even after you pay.

Clothes wise! We bought stuff from Zara, H&M, Forever21, Esprit Outlet, Mango and a scarf selling shop.

Keith got a black T-shirt from Nike, 2 jumper (navy and black) from Zara, 1 blue stripe jumper and a beige chinos from Esprit Outlet and a grey and blue hoodie from H&M.

From Zara, I bought a white tank top, Sweater with black and white stripes and dark blue skinny jeans. From Forever 21, I bought the floral fantasy midi skirt and from Mango I bought a Black Vinyl envelope cosmetic bag, a red and white stripe top, crepe wrap dress in off white and black and a red tank top. From H&M, I bought a black fine-knit cardigan, stripe short top and a yellow clear pouch and from Esprit Outlet, I bought an orange hoodie alike top and a pink tank top. I managed to get 2 scarves in good quality and the patterns I wanted at an affordable price in a scarf stall in Genting Highland. Lastly, I bought a BabyBliss curling iron as well.
As usual, my pile is bigger than his pile :)

I think that is pretty much most of the stuff we bought during our trip back to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was so much fun that we are missing that place already!

Love, Carol