May '18 Favourites

Salam Ramadhan btw everyone! We’re already a week in. Quick for me because I only started fasting 3 days in. It’s wonderful that it’s raining almost everyday, it’s usually scorching hot every Ramadhan so the rain is a nice relief. Albeit it making the workplace just so much more difficult to be in. All I want is a nice snuggle. 

Ramadhan is so tiring. Not so much from fasting but from the lack of sleep. It's entirely my fault for sleeping late but my body clock and I can't help it! And then I'm up by 5 for sahur (in this household, it's pretty compulsory to come donwstairs to have something to eat, even if it's just to drink water) and then subuh and then by then I would only have a comfortable hour long to indulge in sleep before getting up for work. I have to admit thought I've been quite bad these past few days, waking up so late! This is where I'm incredibly grateful to be working where I work where we don't really adhere to strict working times (... my boss would love it that we do but we... don't...).

I haven't done one in a long time but I wanna show you what I've been obsessing over the past few weeks/month.

1. Heart Signal




Ok guys. I haven't watched anything in so long that makes me ~insane~. Heart Signal is a Korean reality show with 3 guys and 3 girls, all strangers and they've all been put in a house to live together. All of them single and ready for love basically. And every night they'd have to send a text to the person of the opposite sex that they like and there's a panel of hosts that guess who sends to who. There's a game aspect to it but I'm definitely a lot more interested with the love lines and the cute interactions between the residents than what the panel have to say. I'm like... borderline... unhealthily obsessed with this show. It's on every Friday but English subtitles are only up on the next Wednesday so I have to zone out from my Korean Instagram account (I have a separate one solely for all things Korean so that it doesn't mess with my timelines on my actual one) so that I don't see any spoilers. Not to be dramatic but it's actually consuming my whole life now and I freaking love it.

2. Terrace House

... so this is just the Japanese version of Heart Signal but slightly different in that they don't text each other anonymously after a day. And residents can leave the house (and the show) whenever they want to. I'm not as taken to this show as I am with Heart Signal but I still quite like it. It's lengthy in the number of episodes (45 compared to Heart Signal's 16) but pretty short per episode (30-40 minutes compared to an hour an half of Heart Signal). But this is the first time I've watched anything Japanese so I was just in awe of the culture, the language and the behaviours. They're SO different from the Koreans and it's endlessly fascinating. Every episode I'm learning something new about them. Like for example, they're just so much more open and liberal compared to their neighbours. Atleast in terms of what they allow to be aired on TV. And even their interactions are just a lot more stronger than the Koreans, if they like someone, they'll say it and they'll aim for a kiss then and there. It's so odd but so refreshing. Culture shock hahaha. It's like anything and everything goes.

I've only watched the second season (Boys & Girls in the City) and I watched one episode of the latest season but wasn't too into it so I stopped. It's such a popular show so I guess if you're interested, you can give it a try? It's not as trashy as I make it up to be, promise! It's really low key drama, it's insane how such a show can be so addictive.

It's on Netflix.

3. The Ordinary's Niacinamide + Zinc serum

My holy grail. I didn't realise just how good this is 'til I stopped using it. I have very sensitive, acne-prone, oily skin and this just reduces excess oil production and increases strength of your skin barrier. Redness, blotchiness, pimples and zits have all subsided. It's anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and it really helps with the size of my pores too. I just love the living lights out of this product, it's made me such a niacinamide fan. The ingredient works for my skin and I know this for an absolute fact because when I stopped using it for a while (because they're so hard to get hold of), my face just went berserk. 10/10 recommend.

4. Dr Jart's Cicapair Cream

I got this on a whim during the Sephora Sale and I say 'on a whim' only because I researched about the product just the night before and usually it takes me weeks to decide whether I want to get something or not especially if it's a bit pricey. But so far, I love it!

I don't know if it's just my skin calming down from the other products I've been using or if this has contributed to that but I'd like to think it has. Centella asiatica is the main ingredient in this and it's been called as the powerhouse skincare ingredient to soothe inflammation, blemishes and redness. It's also known as 'tiger grass' because this is the same herb/plant that the Asian tigers roll around in to soothe their wounds. Cool right??? Totally the deal breaker for me.

The other products from this same line actually is green in colour but blends into your skin colours to combat the redness in your skin. I'll try that next!

5. Sabrina Claudio

Ok someone help, I cannot stop listening to her music!!

I only just discovered her a few weeks ago and there's been no turning back because I seriously just don't listen to anything else. she's so good and her music is so soothing. It's been raining quite a lot the past week or so and her music feels like it's one with the rain and the gloom. I just zone out when I listen to her which isn't conducive in the workplace but otherwise, really really good. My kind of music - something I can put on and doze off to... but in a good way.

My favourites are Too Much Too Late, Stand Still, Frozen and Confidently Lost.

__

We're less than 3 weeks til my favourite time of year; Raya! So excited to be spending my holidays in Penang with my family. Not too sure what I'll be wearing but with everyone selling everything everywhere, it shouldn't be too difficult.

xx

Current Favs (July/August '17)

Sitting on my bed with my smelly sister with me. She brought her speakers because she wanted to let me listen to some of her new finds. She has some pretty great taste. We're going to the movies very soon, like in 45 minutes to watch Bad Genius. I'm kinda excited! It's a Thai movie and it's been getting crazy good reviews so I'm banking in on that. And my mum's following too! It's so rare that my mum leaves the house on weekends because she's so lazy to go out and I understand because she spends so much time at work that the weekend is too precious to be spent being tired.

(I wrote that first paragraph before the movie at about... 3:45pm. Now it's 11:35pm. I watched the movie. It was good. Very good, in fact. I was more blown away by the cinematography and art direction but the plot had my eyes glued to the screen the whole time.)

A week and a bit late but here are some of my current favourites. 

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1 MRT

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Ok. Sorry first and foremost for ever doubting the MRT/LRT. But I take it all back. I love it!!! I love it I love it I love it. I have been wanting to get on the MRT for sometime now but have always been a bit skeptical and no one wanted to follow me on it so I guess I was a bit scared. Which is so weird because I'm so independent in other countries. Give me public transport in South Korea, Budapest, Singapore and I'm so game. But here in my own country and I'm thinking twice???? I hate myself for it but so glad I'm now comfortable getting around with the railway. I hope everyone gets on it more because it's so stress-free I swear!! #jomnaikmrt

Last weekend my friends and I agreed to have lunch at Chillis, KLCC and I was like, "Yes! I'll get on the MRT!" and I did. For the first time ever! I still had to take an Uber to the nearest MRT station though but oh my God, I loveddddd the whole experience! It's huge, it's clean and it's COLD. Like on some days, I'll be freezing in the train. But I was just so impressed. I was really late to the lunch (... like an hour and a half late) so I guess there's that. It's still not as efficient as I'd like but I loved it nevertheless.

My nearest stop is Sg Buloh so the very end which is great because that means empty carriages.

This... however, was quite full. Towards KLCC.

My friends and I spending time at Kinokuniya, just about the best book store ever.

I looooove these girls. They're so girl power all the time, I'm always in *awe*. We're going out this weekend again and I can't wait! 

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2 ASIAN YOUTUBE VLOGGERS

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I used to watch mainstream Youtubers but completely stopped because I was just not into their vibe anymore. Everything felt like an advertisement and everyone was vlogging. I'm not that into their personal life so I wasn't interested.

But then I came across a couple of Asian beauty Youtubers and I was back on it. I don't know what about it that I love so much. I think it's because they fit the perfect no-frills Youtube video genre. Minimal editing and soothing voices. I find some Youtubers to be too perky and too cheery that I find them so impossible to connect with. Because I'm not like that at all! So I much, much prefer these Asian Youtubers who are more chilled and laid-back and I love their faces!!! And their make-up!!! Everything about it feels so natural. I'm more of a no-fuss, messy hair kinda girl and these girls are it!!! Long gone are the times of using scotch tape to guide your liner because i) that hurts and ii) who cares.

Here are some of my favourites

i. chrissstttiiine



I love Christine - from the way she edits her videos to her calming voice. And she's so freaking intricate in her reviews. And honest! I love her. Her voice is so calming and zen and she doesn't have background music and she's got such a lengthy opinion for everything which I really appreciate. That shows passion and honesty for her work and that she doesn't just do it for Youtube.

ii. HYULARI



She's so beautiful!!!! I stumbled onto her Youtube page and from then I followed her on Instagram. She's very new to Youtube and only has 2 videos out but I'm sucha fan of her feed already. I love the Instagram accounts yang tak kisah anything at all and has no rhyme or reason for any photo. The more random the better. And she likes Zion T so that's a plus already for me.

iii. Dasha Kim



She's Korean and most of her videos are in Korean but she's thoughtful enough to put in subtitles. She currently resides in Australia. I came across her video because she had a Q+A video about being a stewardess which I thought was particularly quite interesting. I've always been curious about being a flight attendant (not that I could ever hold the job because I'm incredibly prone to air sickness and WILL vomit if I don't take a motion sickness pill before I fly) so this kinda answered my queries. But she's also very cool and chill and a bit all over the place but it's quite refreshing to see this from a Korean lass.

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3 MAKE-UP

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i. Glossier's Cloud Paint

So I've been wanting to get myself a Glossier product for so long but have been putting it off because it's quite expensive and pre-orders take such a long time. Something like 3-4 weeks from payment date. Ridiculously long and I'm such a impatient person so I don't think I'd bear to wait that long for a product I've already paid.

But anyway, I got it and I was so excited! It's a tiny, tiny tube. Don't know if I can justify it but you really do need a very small amount for both cheeks. I sincerely, genuinely quite like it because I love the colour. I got the shade Haze which is their darkest shade. It's pretty in-your-face pink and I dig it. I don't put tons of it because trying to subdue it is just another hassle of its own.

It's so easy to blend and I really like how you really don't need much to have some colour on your cheeks. And this is my first time playing around with a liquid blush and it's quite interesting though I think it's a bit more work as opposed to your average powder blushes. But it gives you just the right amount of flush to your cheeks.

ii. NARS' Do Me Baby

Asked my mum to get this shade while she was in London because they don't have it here! It's one of my favourite colours from NARS because it's both very everyday wearable and yet it's not boring. This is my second favourite shade, first being Dolce Vita. The formulation of these lipsticks are the best. They glide so easy and your lips don't feel chapped at all. Out of all the NARS products I have, their lipsticks are my favourite.

iii. Maybeline's Fit Me Foundation

So you're saying there's a great foundation that's affordable? *sings praises to the heavens above*

I found out about this winner from my friend, Shera who wore it one day and I was so awed by how smooth her foundation looked. It was like she was professionally made up! So I had to go get it myself. And it's so affordable, less than RM50! Can't say the same for all the other foundations I've used in the past! Only downside to it is that it doesn't have a pump which sucks because you won't know how much to pour out exactly and you're practically wasting product. But it's all good in the hood because it's AFFORDABLE. And it's amazeballs because it matches my shade exactly and it blends so well and it covers up and evens out your skin tone so gr8.

*I'll have photos of these products soon, I just don't have the time to go outside and take decent photos with decent lighting.

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So thus ends my post this time! Going to watch Running Man and then sleep. Only Tuesday but already looking forward to the weekend.

xx

Sis and lip tints

Hi!

So I spent my Saturday sleeping. Favourite kind of Saturday. Slept throughout. My dad makes fun of me because the first thing I say to him nowadays, both day and at night, is "I'm so tired!!!". Because I am!!!

Raya is around the corner and so everyone's shopping for the month long festivities. So if you work in fashion, that means extra work. On top of all that, you're fasting. Our new work hours for Ramadhan is 8 to 4. And though I love that we go back early, I HATE that we're in at 8. That means I have to wake up by 7 and that's hardly any time left to catch some sleep after sahur. And I can't do the day without having sahur. I'm torn between feeling really sleepy or feeling really thirsty (the opportunity cost for sleeping in). I decided I can just sleep but I can't drink. Not at least 'til 7:25pm.

But it's a bit hectic on my end. I deal with fulfilment and customers so you can imagine the overwhelming amount of emails and enquiries and orders and deliveries. And on top of that, there's a lot of things I need to draft to lady boss regarding the website and invoices and all that. It's a lot. I'm glad I have lots to do because I don't like feeling unproductive because I'd rather save that for home. But man, it's a lot. I can't wait to balik kampung and disconnect with work and just rest. 

It's 3:08 am as of writing and I'm waiting for everyone to get up. We plan to go to Kayu's for early sahur. Can't wait to eat though I just got back from drinks with my friends and had half a chocolate cake. It's k, I haven't had desserts in a long time and that chocolate cake was good.

On another wonderful note, my sisters are home!!!! Both of them. Tania got back Wednesday morning and Iman's home from college for the weekend. She's already going back tomorrow after Zuhur. But we're all going to Penang on Thursday so it'll be a rather short week for her. With my sisters back, the home feels fuller and noisier and funner. I think my parents definitely missed the shrieking and screaming and laughing of their 3 girls. When it's just me at home, there'll be days I don't even see them so it's nice that the house feels a bit fuller. Can't wait for my brother to come home too. Maybe then my parents wish we weren't back hahahaha

Iman texted me the other day saying all the other girls in her college are wearing make-up and she feels so naked because she doesn't wear a speck of it. I obviously said she doesn't have to wear make-up just because everyone else is. Wear it when you want to not because you have to. She has soft, baby skin still and she's lucky enough to not have acne all her life and she's 18! At 18, I had full face of zits and pimples which was what drove me to start on foundation and concealer. I gave her some pep talk and that she's just feeling the peer pressure to put on make-up. She said she needed some colour to her face so I said ok fine let's do baby steps. So today, when we were out for dinner, we made a quick stop at Body Shop and we found some lip and cheek tints that we thought would be convenient for someone as... lazy as Iman. And easy - both cheeks and lips settled with a single product!! 

Felt like I needed to immortalise the moment Iman decided to embrace the world of make-up. She's already starting to warm up to a more extensive skincare routine other than just cleaning her face with water so like I said, baby steps! Hahaha

And then there's Tania and I who can't decide on what to get next to add onto our already pretty excessive make-up collection.

During Ramadhan, we're pretty limited in the places we choose to eat. It's either Bangsar or... Bangsar. Reason being my dad wants to pray in a nice, decent surau and he finds the one in BSC to be the nicest and cleanest (I went for the first time today and I agree whole-heartedly. I need more surau's to be as lovely as the one there. Barulah orang tergerak sikit to go pray in a mall) or at BV where the masjid is just a stone's throw away. We also really love eating at Chinoz - I've loved everything I've had thus far. Shame that they don't serve pizza's anymore (atleast for the time being) because their oven's out. Their lamb pizza is the bomb dot com dot my.

How's everyone's Ramadhan going? Can't believe we're a week away til Raya!! I can't wait to be in Penang - haven't been back since I got back from the UK. I miss my grandparents and I miss the Penang house and I miss late-night card/board games with my cousins. And my grandmother's cooking!!!! 

Ok, family's up and ready for Kayu's now. Talk soon, friends.

xx

Final Vlog!

Weekends are something I cherish more and more as I work. It's something I feverishly look forward to. 

To what, you might ask?

To do nothing. To just laze in bed and not care for an alarm. And to catch up with my variety shows. I try to be good with my TV shows but sometimes I'm just too sleepy and I'd rather much not regret staying up so late when I wake up. So I sleep. Guys, I'm tellin' ya, I'm a different person now!!

The past week, my dad was in Italy and the UK (he had an expo in Milan and went to visit my sister in the UK) so while he was gone, I slept over in my parents room with my mum. To keep her company and to also sleep on their bed. Is it just me or does everyone find their parents' bed very, almost weirdly ridiculously comfortable??? My dad has a bolster and so I've been using his while I slept over and it's my new obsession so I had to get my own. So now, I'm back in my room with new bedsheets (dainty yellow striped ones... cute) and 2 new bolsters! I only have a single bed but it's currently bombarded with pillows. Just the way I love it.

Iman and I watched Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children yesterday as per her request. It was... okay. I preferred Lemony Snickets waaaaaay more. This movie was not as child friendly as I had initially thought. It was very creepy, actually! Meh. I didn't enjoy it as much but it's been ages since I last went to watch a movie at the cinemas so it was fine! Next movie I wanna catch is The Girl on The Train. I love Emily Blunt so I'm going to watch it 'cause of her. I've heard how famous the book was so I'm looking forward. 

Hmm... what else?

Oh! I placed an order with Colourpop about 3 weeks ago because they had this free international delivery promotion going on and I took advantage of it. I have always wanted to buy from Colourpop but never got around to doing it (mainly cause it was so expensive to buy CHEAP eyeshadows. Delivery charges are such a nuisance). So when they announced that they were delivering for free, I immediately went online and bought a bunch of eyeshadows. 

9, to be specific. And 1 highlighter. I didn't get any of their lipsticks because I don't like matte finishes and I'm perfectly fine with all the lip tints I bought from Korea. 

I haven't had the opportunity to go anywhere fancy to use these shadows but hopefully soon. Someone bring me out for a nice dinner, please! I channelled my inner beauty vlogger hidden deep, deep somewhere inside and Snapchatted a mini haul video. 

First impressions on these shadows were that they apply like a ~ d r e a m ~ they are incredibly soft to the touch and didn't feel powdery in the tiniest bit! They're almost cushiony in the pan. They swatch true to colour and so sickeningly pigmented. I'm struggling to find why anyone would wanna buy anything else? It's beautiful and they have so many colours and tones to choose from (I took 45 minutes to decide between 2 almost identical colours). Cheap and beautiful pay off, why would you buy anywhere else?????

From L-R (or bottom to up) : Brady, Crenshaw (from the Kaepop collection), Tang, Seeker, Nillionaire, Partridge, Cricket, Wattles, Hammered

Highlighter in 'Butterfly Beach'

Also, I have the final vlog up and ready on Youtube! It's our last one and so it's bittersweet. It's been fun editing these and I actually really advocate travel vlogging. It reminds me a lot of my childhood when my dad would lug around his huge video camera around and film us on holidays. You get to relive the whole holiday also and I've loved it all. Tania loves editing these videos out too but she wasn't able to do the later ones because she's all the way in the UK. Even Iman enjoys making videos, she's done some and she's learning whenever she can about video making. She even aspires to be a film director one day. Hmmmm don't know how my parents would feel about that...

Our last day in Seoul was mostly running around to places we hadn't gone yet. Nowhere new. We discovered this beautiful shop in Hongdae called Daily Monday. The exterior and interior of the store was so ON POINT, it had pink deck chairs and tables at the front of the store with a lot of greenery. The interior was just really well thought out and was a lot different from the smaller shops in the main Hongdae area. This was more fancy shmancy and the clothes were definitely to my liking. We were rushing so we didn't get anything which I heavily regretted. Wished we had spent more time in there and wished we had discovered it earlier! 

We went to have dinner at SMT and Tania asked our very sweet host to make a reservation for us. We're unsure if it's completely necessary to make a reservation beforehand but it's best that you do. It's also, by the way, nowhere near the SUM market. It's on the same street as JYP Entertainment. At the junction (where you're facing JYP and Dunkin Donuts is on your left), turn right and walk straight on til you see SMT on your right. You won't miss it.

We met up with Jiha, a friend/college junior of mine, who is currently doing a year abroad in Seoul and she brought us out for lunch in Hongdae at this rather obscure shop. She even treated us which was incredibly sweet and kind of her!!!! Food was really good and I highly recommend webfoot octopus to anyone. It's not as icky as it sounds, promise.

Sigh, I can go on and on about Seoul. Such a cool place and I really really really won't mind going again and again. I won't get bored, there's so many things to do, to see, to shop. And it's also relatively very cheap. Once you have your Airbnb and flights settled, you're pretty much set. Food isn't expensive and shopping isn't too pricey either. You just have to be smart on where to shop. I've been thinking about going to Japan but people have been scaring me saying how expensive it is! I really don't like going to a new place and being limited by money. Sounds very snobbish, I know and I apologise but holidays are meant to be carefree and enjoyable so to be constantly wary about money is so tiring and difficult. I definitely know that it's very possible to be on a tight budget when traveling, as how I'd assume backpackers travel around, but just as there are many types of eaters, there are also many types of travellers. So maybe Japan later on when I've made some money on my own. But Korea... Korea, you definitely can go even on a small budget. Definitely.

Ok so I want to resume my evening nap and prepare my heart and soul for the next working week. Hahaha I make my work sound so challenging when it really isn't. 

I still have yet to post photos of my trip but I promise I will!

Here's the final episode of our Seoul trip vlog! To many more in the future. 

Lash Extensions

Today, I had my first experience with...

... LASH EXTENSIONS!!

So I've heard about this going around KL and to be honest, I wasn't too crazy about it because I've worn false lashes 4 times ever and all 4 times I wasn't too ecstatic about 'em. They felt heavy and it was just not the most comfortable thing in the world for me. 

But then after meeting Marissa the other day, she had suchhhhh nice and lush lashes that I asked her

"What mascara are you using cause my poor lashes and I need it"

 and she said there was no mascara involved, only some help of these lash extensions. Hmmm.... 

~ i n t e r e s t i n g ~ 

So when Sarah said she wanted to do and asked if I was up for it, I said ok yes let's do this!!! I was a bit skeptical at first but I mean, if you've not tried it, you won't know right? Right.

We went to Lash Lab in Bangsar. It's on the same row in Telawi as KGB. I just have to rave to you about the place and the service. I LOOOVE IT. The place looks so comfortable and serene. It looks so well made and well maintained. I love places like these, makes me want to go again and again (which is probably the whole point). I assume the owner was the lady manning the counter and she was the only one who wasn't in uniform. Her name is Nina. She was so accommodating!! Right after I was done with my session, she, knowing that this was my first ever time, came up to me and asked how the experience felt like and just kinda gave me tips here and there on the maintenance of these lashes. 

I know this sounds basic customer service but she was just extra sweet and friendly and made the whole experience that much better. A lot of workers and owners of establishments in Malaysia don't understand (therefore don't show) that the extra mile they go for customer service often pays them back 10x. It's such a shame to see so often how shop assistants have ridiculously poor customer service! Puts me off all the time. So I was very very happy that the ladies at Lash Lab were so nice to Sarah, Marissa and I. Amir was also there and whilst we were doing our lashes, Nina even went up to him to berborak. Hahaha

So upon arriving, we had to fill in our basic information and tick some terms and conditions before moving on to the 'consulting' bit. We were assigned to an assistant each and they asked us on how we wanted our lashes to look like. Sarah and I were a bit nervous so we opted for natural looking ones. How natural is natural when it comes to lash extensions right? Right, I got you. So as much as I wanted natural ones, I also didn't want to have spent 2 hours and RM168 to look like I had a coat of mascara when I could just do that at home. So Miko (my assistant) lead me to the private room (I was lucky that I got in the room, Marissa and Sarah were in the more common area where there were about 6 beds?) and upon looking at my lashes, she asked if I wanted anything more voluminous and I just basically told her to do whatever felt right and nice. For your information, I got the Korean ones (also the cheapest among the three available) and I think my curl was a 0.2? Sarah's was 0.15. And mine's the C. Marissa got the D so it looks fuller than mine and Sarah's. You'll understand this when you try it out yourself haha

It felt kinda like going into surgery? Not that I would know what surgery feels like but we had a bright fluorescent light right above us and they would tape your under eyes and your lids. For cleaning up purposes I would assume? I don't really know. And it took about an hour and a half or an hour 45 mins? Somewhere around there. You close your eyes the entire time! Well geez thanks Captain Obvious hahah but it's harder than you think ok?? Since you're not sleeping, closing your eyes for that long felt forced and unnatural. Until about 30 minutes in I felt a bit sleepy and I kinda got used to it. Probably the most still I've been hahaha so much so that I actually got fidgety in the last 20 minutes of my session because it was as if my body had an itch to move. I had my earphones plugged in so it didn't really feel all too long. It was very therapeutic actually. 

And after we were done, we went to pay and that was when Nina gathered us around the counter and told us of more Dos and Don'ts. Here are some of what she said :

1. Don't have your lashes be in contact with water for the next 48 hours. Find a way to wash your face and shower without getting around your eye region. (She suggested goggles jokingly although I think she meant it seriously)

2. Don't use an oil cleanser around the eye area. The glue that holds your lashes in place will come undone. 

3. Don't curl your lashes, don't use a mascara, basically don't use anything on your lashes. They're made to look like you spent ages on it so you don't actually have to.

4. Try to avoid places with lots of steam (spas, saunas etc.). 

5. Don't be vigorous with them. Marissa rubbed her eyes unknowingly when she woke up the next morning hahaha 

As to how they feel on, they feel pretty comfy! Definitely does not have the weight as having false lashes on and they feel a lot more natural. Marissa said hers (she chose for a thicker, fuller option) felt slightly heavy but mine just feels like nothing. Although I will say my line of vision FEELS like I have more than a coat of mascara on. It's not obstructing my view at all but you can see the wispiness of the lashes lah. 

Also, if you were to do these extensions, you can bid adieu to eyeliner. You don't have to wear it anyway because these lashes look pretty thick at its stem (?) so it already looks like you're wearing liner. Perhaps not the best idea also to wear eyeliner because removing them, I'd imagine, would be quite difficult as they are so close to the lashes. I asked them to apply longer ones at my outer corner so it looks like I have a liner on already. 

All in all, I enjoyed the whole experience and it wasn't as scary as I had thought it to be! If you feel like saving some time doing make-up, then try it! If you don't like the maintenance of lashes then maybe I'd opt out. Depends on your rajin-ness and if you like the look of falsies (or really generous coats of mascara). 

I look extra sepet with these lashes!! Marissa says it's because with extensions, they tend to look really thick in photos so it makes your eyes seem a lot sepet than they actually are. Because I wear 2 coats of lashes on normal days and my eyes definitely don't look as sepet in photos as they do now! 

Hahahaha not the best photo but just to show you my new lashes! Better than my mascara any day anytime. 

Here's the Facebook page if you're interested and you have to book before you go in because it's a 2 hour session so they only have so many slots in a day so it's best you tell them you're coming. They're really nice so even if you want to enquire and ask for opinions, I'm sure you can do that too! 

Hope this helps! 

xx

February Favourites

We have 29 days this year!! Not that it's anything specifically significant to me personally but cool that we only see 29th of February once every 4 years. 

How has February been, everyone! I feel I've spent a majority of my February pretty alone - because my housemates are hardly home so I usually have the house to myself. I sometimes go days without making any human contact. 

So that would just mean that I didn't really accumulate any interesting February favourites - most of the new things I got/discovered/heard/seen were all at the end of this month so I don't know if that could be justified as a 'February favourite' when it's supposed to be something I enjoyed all month... right?

Why am I going on about the logistics of this anyway

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#1 Skin Food's black sugar wash-off mask

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Right off the bat, it smells ~ a m a z i n g ~. 

I was propelled to get this from the reviews I've read and almost everyone in the Korean skincare sphere seems to love this so I naturally had to try it out.

I haven't exfoliated my face in ages so this was so refreshing to use! You're not supposed to use it everyday and over exfoliate so I limit myself to just twice a week. And I look forward to that 2 days of the week because the feeling after you've washed this off is second to none! 

I had a hard time wearing it first because you're supposed to wear it with a damp face but how damp is damp?? I blotted my face after cleansing but then it was too dry and the roughness of this mask felt a bit too harsh for my skin. So I reapplied with a very damp face but then it was too wet pulak that I felt like the mask was just going to slip and slide. But I read somewhere that it's better if your face is wet because then the sugar becomes more likely to dissolve and therefore, you're less prone to having an irritated face.

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#2 Demi Lovato

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I LOVE her. That voice is killin' it everywhere. Her songs however some are not really up my alley but when I heard her sing 'Stone Cold', it just blew me out of the park. 

I was glad she was one of the chosen singers to sing during the Lionel Richie tribute at the Grammy's because yes! Finally! She shows that talent off! And right in front of some of music's best!

I think she should seriously be a lot more recognised for her singing, she's absolutely stunning! She's such an underrated powerhouse. It's just that her songs are not always reflective of that which is a pity. 'Stone Cold' was on replay for me this month and her acoustic live versions are even better. Honestly, I hope she releases better music to showcase that huge voice of hers. And then win a Grammy. And then prove that sometimes, maybe just **sometimes** talent > marketability. 

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#3 2 Days 1 Night

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Olan, Asil, Ariff if you are reading this, please watch 2 Days 1 Night if you haven't already!

(It's quite confusing, sometimes they refer to it as 2 Days 1 Night but in Korean, it's translated directly as 1 Night 2 Days)

When I was watching Running Man the other day, I looked at the comments and someone had listed the weekly ratings and Running Man was at about 5% and this show '2 Days 1 Night' was at 16%! I was like, 

"Wait there's a better show than Running Man ???? Say it isn't so!!"

So I started watching an episode. 

And I was gone for!

It's so so funny and it's no wonder it tops ratings each week (by 3-4x more than Running Man!) which should speak for itself! I don't know if I personally would prefer it over Running Man just yet but it's seriously damn funny on its own. 

The other day, I suggested Zaim to watch an episode of Running Man 'cause I thought it was one of the best ones they've made and surprisingly (to me), he didn't quite like it. He didn't enjoy their humour as much as I did. Which just shows not everyone is on the same page with what makes them laugh. 

BUT KOREAN SHOWS MAKE ME LAUGH. Really really hard! I think my housemate upstairs might think I've gone a bit mental from not making any human contact and then suddenly break into fits of laughter hahaha and since I always have my earphones plugged in, it just seriously sounds like I'm laughing at nothing. Kinda creepy now that I think about it but I do bring my laptop with me when I have my meals in the kitchen so atleast he knows there's a reason as to why I burst out laughing so randomly...

But anyway if you haven't watched and completely loved it already, watch it! 

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#4 Michelle Phan

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I stopped watching Michelle Phan's videos and unsubscribed her channel about a few years ago because I felt she was so unnatural on video and that fame got to her.

I apologise and I take it back.

She's actually pretty damn kick-ass.

She's handling her own company worth millions and still has time to produce content on Youtube. And she's super original also which I love. I think I watch most of her videos for how she edits them and all the different fancy things she'd do. Not so much on the actual make-up because sometimes her make-up looks are so not wearable and still speaks too formal and awkward (I cringe sometimes). But she's so creative, it's so sickening! I love it!! And I like how she just dresses and puts on her make-up however she likes. Blue lipstick? No problem. That kind of confidence and creativity is enviable. 

And she was also on the cover of Nylon and Forbes recently and one of her social media she was talking about it and she was thanking her supporters and said,

"Now go do better than me"

Cool tak cool dia ni??? So humble and just such an inspiration. How did she twist and turn from making a video on how to create a smokey eye to being a Youtube phenomenon and then a multi-millionaire entrepreneur ????/

Goals.

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#5 K-Pop 

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Early this month, I was treated to yet another K-Pop comeback!

[K-Pop Dictionary : 'Comeback' = when a group releases new music it is referred to as a 'comeback'. I was confused at first when I heard about it because you don't see 'Rihanna making a comeback!' headlining music websites. It's different with K-Pop... everything is different with K-Pop *heart eye emoji*]

4Minute released their 7th mini-album beginning of this month called 'Act : 7'.
And it's pretty damn ~ siiiiiiiiick ~

I knew of them but never got into their music because of IDK what reason but they're actually pretty bomb. Skrillex personally contributed to the composition of their title track 'Hate' and I really did not expect to like it as much as I actually do. I also really really love 'No Love'. Maybe a bit more than 'Hate'. 

It's hard-hitting and addictive. Definitely not my preferred taste of music but I don't know, man, it's kinda like Big Bang's 'Bang Bang Bang'. Loud and obnoxious but so good at the same time??? I don't know how the system works, guys; I too am very perplexed.

'Hate' and 'Crazy' is quite telling about what group 4Minute is. They're definitely not the kinda group to be in frilled skirts and tiaras (what is up with Korean girl groups and wearing uniforms btw ?!?!). They always put out really strong sounding songs and there have been a lot a lot a a lot of mixed reviews for 'Hate' but I liked it as soon as I heard it. I think it's cool and risky, definitely something I had on repeat this month. 

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And for my February shopping-fast update : Aced it. 

I only bought a book, 'The Big Short' and the black sugar mask this month. 

I didn't find anything nice in stores anyway. I was looking to get a bra at Victoria's Secret and they were freaking £38 !!! RM220 !! So expensive for a piece of garment that no one ever sees !!!!

But other than that, I didn't see anything that was worth buying now. It's still pretty cold but spring/summer collections are already starting to fill out stores and they're all pretty mediocre still. I suspect the better items will be out in May/June when it gets warmer. No stores want to sell their best designs now when everyone's still wrapped up in wooly scarves.

Relatively still too early to think about Summer but I'm already thinking of what to wear...

xx

Song of the day : A cover of James Bay's 'Let It Go' by Andrew Garcia 

January Favourites

I didn't write on my December Favourites because I didn't find anything new I wanted to talk about! It was a month of studying so I just stayed in most days and I was damn sure my December Favourites wasn't gonna be on applied economics.

We're already one month in for 2016 and instead of reminiscing on how time flies (TIME FLIESS!!!), I'll just list the things I loved in the month of January. 

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1. Keeping a diary

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My resolution this year was to write more in a diary. I realised I didn't really remember much of 2015 and although there were lots of great things that happened, I didn't really take note of it and I have horrible memory so 2015 seemed like a blur. And it shouldn't be! Not in my early 20s!! 

I'm quite pleased that I've maintained a blog from when I was 14 because atleast I have this place to read back later when I'm older. I wouldn't have remembered HALF the things if it weren't for my blog. It's kinda like a photo album, come to think of it. Except that instead of a photo that tells a thousand words, it is actually just thousands of words.

I bought my diary at Paperchase and I was just really attracted to the cover of it. There isn't much space inside to write long-winded entries (as I used to!) which is actually really great, because I won't tend to go off on a tangent as I usually would. I've written really plain things like what I did that day and where I went and what I bought and the occasional rants. So far, so good! I'm hoping to keep this consistency going til the end of this year. 

(Julian, thank you very much for buying me a diary (hot pink, no less!), but since I already have my own, I'll use yours for something else really special regardless!)

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2. NARS' Dolce Vita blusher

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Yes, guys. I did it. I actually went out to buy myself a blusher. Amazing.

The only one time I've had a blusher in my make-up collection was a hand-me-down from my Mum and it was by Dior and the colour was absolutely stunning. So rosy and instead of it being really just ashy pink, it was a very dark tone (almost **almost** like a bronzer) red and so you'd use it very sparingly but it provided the face with just the right amounts of warmth. I have no idea where it has gone to and I've tried to find a dupe but nothing really comes close...

... 'cept for this!

I loved the Dolce Vita lip pencil and it's still one of my favourite lip colours ever but it's constantly sold out everywhere that I've just plainly given up on buying it already. The blush is so pretty and it's described as a 'matte dusty pink' and I very lightly tap on it with a kabuki brush and pat pat it on my cheeks. As with all NARS' products, it is so pigmented so a heavy hand with the brush is not recommended. I'm very into the 'barely there make-up' and this blusher does it for me. It can be strong if you wish to apply it heavy but I rather just use it to create a more natural flushed cheeks look.  It gives me an instant rosy glow and I look way healthier and less pale and flat and it really contributes to the overall look of your everyday make-up.

(Also, if you're interested in reading make-up reviews, my friend started a beauty blog where she curates her favourite make-up finds, just a heads up that they are all quite high-end luxury stuff so if you're into that, she writes about them pretty damn well!)

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3. 'The Little Book of Skin Care' by Charlotte Cho

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I first found out about this book through Jenn Im's (of Clothes Encounters) monthly favourites video. And I bought it almost immediately after watching said video. 

Charlotte Cho is the co-founder of Soko Glam - a website dedicated on selling personally curated Korean skincare and make-up products for Stateside customers. She saw a lack of access on buying Korean skincare products in America so she basically acts as a medium between Korean supplies and American customers. She also runs a blog on the Soko Glam website which is where I constantly referred to when I committed on changing my skincare routine.

The book is a very easy read about her background and how she stumbled into the revolutionary sphere of Korean skincare. She was raised in the US and in this first few chapters of this book, she explains how her move to Korea for work basically changed her life. 

Charlotte is a trained aesthetician so this book very lightly dives into the science behind skincare in SoKo as well as the history and the culture of Korean women to give you a better understanding of how and why it works. It's so fascinating, really! I loved it loads that I even bought my sister a copy as well.

If you're curious as to what's in it, I'll tell you a few important and interesting points I found from this book

• Sunscreen is the most important step for Koreans; both women and men. They've been using it since young which explains how they really have no signs of aging nor do they have any discolouration and dark spots. Charlotte stresses on the importance of sunscreen so much that she wrote a whole chapter on it. To show you how important it is to protect your face from the sun, read this! It's a true story about a guy who spent 28 years of driving a truck without wearing sunscreen, exposing the left side of his face to the sun through the driver's side window. Also, for future references; SPF 15 blocks 93-95% of UVB rays, SPF 30 blocks 97% of UVB rays, SPF 50 blocks 98% of UVB rays and SPF 100 blocks UVB rays to 99%. 

• Find yourself a sunscreen that contains both UVA and UVB (The 'A' in UVA stands for aging ray and has a long wavelength which basically means it permeates into the dermis and the 'B' in UVB stands for burning and has a shorter wavelength than the UVA ray and it penetrates the skin more superficially). 

• Essences are what Koreans consider to be the most effective part of the skincare. Get a good one! 

• Koreans stay away from powders. No one wears matte coverage there. And I've been there and it's true, they even sell (healthy, good for your skin) oil tints and mists for the skin so that your skin looks as glowy all day long. 

• Korea has the highest per capita rate of cosmetic surgeries in the world. And who goes there the most? Chinese and Malaysians.

• As a rate of comparison, skin care accounts of about 20% of the beauty market in the US where else in Korea, it's around the 50% mark which just shows how much the Koreans care for their skin. Where an American might typically look to buy products that 'fix', Koreans look for products that 'prevents'. 

She even writes a little about Seoul city and wrote her favourite places to hang out and eat and shop which should serve as an ideal itinerary for anyone looking to go there for travels! I, too, highly recommend Seoul! Wonderful, wonderful place.

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4. Cropped Flare Jeans

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There is MORE to life than skinny jeans, guys!

I never thought I could pull of anything other than just a pair of skinnies but I decided the other day that I'm going to just go ahead and try new jean shapes and silhouettes.

I bought myself a pair of MOM jeans the other day and loved how it's perfectly cuffed so it doesn't just seem really baggy and disproportionate to your height. It looks great with any pair of shoes and any pair of jeans. I just really love also that because it's not tight around your thighs, you can wear a pair of thermal leggings without looking like you're going to burst out of your skinny jeans.

And just recently, I bought myself a pair of cropped flare jeans. Every time I purchase a new pair of jeans, it becomes my new favourite. This cropped flare jeans do come pretty short so whether you like it or not depends on your tolerance for the cold weather. Conversely, in hot countries, this should serve as a better alternative to tight skinny jeans. But I'm just digging the flare and the awkward length! It's like the better millennial version of the bell-bottomed jeans. You can dress it up and down and you just look really put-together. I tried it out with a pair of strappy kitten heels and it worked and then I tried it out with a pair of trainers and it still worked. I'm a new fan.

Read : How to Wear the Cropped Flare When You're Short 

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5. Roshe Run's

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Did it. Bought it.

I finished classes one day and saw that it was raining heavily and my boots were soaked. I had a runny nose that day and so I was already frustrated with the world and I had enough with my lousy pair of boots. 

So I went to the city, to JD Sports and tried out the Roshe Runs and asked for my size (I'm a 3 and a half and um I didn't know they ran half sizes?!?!?! What is this new world I'm living in...) and happily brought it home.

Been wearing it everywhere I go now. I was a bit doubtful because the material seemed very thin and it didn't really seem waterproof but many rainy days after, I can tell you it holds up pretty strong. Atleast better than my boots. I love it! It's so light and so comfortable to wear. I get why people wear trainers everywhere.

I bought an all-black one because I wanted it to be very versatile for everyday use and to match with every outfit. I absolutely ~ l o v e ~ it. I didn't realise how heavy boots were til I got these babies! Man, all my time in the UK wearing boots when I could've just been COMFORTABLE. 

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6. Music

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Besides songs by Kehlani, I've been replaying Richard Marx's 'Right Here Waiting' and Whitney Houston's 'All The Man I Need'. 

The prior was used in Reply 1988 (are you already rolling your eyes as far back to Jupiter yet? I know, I know, even I ask myself sometimes will I ever move on? Answer is 'no, not yet' so let me bask in the post-drama sadness and heartbreak) and it was always played during significant moments so whenever I listen to it, my heart can't decide whether it should break or sing in rejoice. Obviously I've heard of this song prior to Reply 1988 but the show just made me really, really love and appreciate the song. 

And every time Whitney's song comes on, I just break into full karaoke mode (good thing my housemates are hardly home) and pretend I'm somewhat good at singing. I've always been a fan of Whitney's other songs but this one has closely become one of my favourites by her.

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7. Man Repeller

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Witty, funny and really, really articulate writing wins me over all the time. Leandra Medine has always been center of attention during fashion weeks and idolised by fashionistas all over the world but she has such a charm to her that I'm so attracted to.

She is so well-dressed without going too far? I mean, I appreciate people who are a lot more expressive when it comes to their dressing and I really adore their risk-taking choices but they're not always my cup of tea. I love how Leandra's choices of fashion are simple but at the same time bold. And she has such a bad-ass attitude to to life and it's really quite awe-inspiring to see how that is effortlessly reflected into her fashion style.

Man Repeller offers such a fresh take on fashion and produces content that are funny and light-hearted yet still current and relatable. I've been reading her articles all the time now and am always looking out for new ones. They're light and easy reads and they're fun to just occupy your time with. 

There was one article which I particularly loved and it's about how life is never going to be clean cut and perfect and clothes and shoes and bags are there to live through the fun with you. I have friends who are very particular about their clothes (musn't stretch and musn't stain and musn't be brought out nor worn) and things (I knew somebody who read their books by opening the book open very very slightly as to not have the spine of the book cracked and wrinkly). I don't know about you but I love having my things well-lived. I love seeing books used and wrinkled and folded here and there. I've always stretched my books open and never cared to use bookmarks. Shows that they were well-loved.

Same goes with clothes. What's the use really of having them all stored inside when they're meant to be worn lovingly. Being so cautious with your things can be suffocating to always have to take care of and what are things if not to be enjoyed and have fun with. Yes, be careful with them and take care of them and make sure they're always pretty and 'on-point' (I don't know if I like that term still) but not to the point that they don't see light of day. 

There was that bit in the article that I loved especially;

" No matter what we do, our tangible relationship with what we wear can result in a bit of messiness. Beer spills on suede shows, lipstick smears on shirt collars, button pop off cherished cardigans, and eating a burrito for lunch makes you look slightly preggo in your high waist jeans. 

But dammit, that burrito was probably delicious. That party was probably fun, that smooch was likely worth it. 'Joie de vivre' exists whether dressed or not - so why not go all out?

Consider stains evidence of a life well-lived in clothes well-loved. "

So that's my January favourites all done and typed out!

My February resolution is to not shop (notice how I chose the shortest month for this...) and to cut out chocolates and soda.

Eep.

I'll let you know how I'm doing mid-month hahah

xx

Song of the day : Me You by San E feat. Baek Yerin