Happy Chinese New Year!

Never too late to add my greetings to all those celebrating the Lunar New Year, right? Yes, it may be the 10th day of CNY, but since we have 15 days in total I still made it!

Warning: Pic-heavy post!

It has been a full couple of weeks, considering my CNY celebrations usually start up to a week before, starting with the “family reunion holiday” – it’s still easier to book accommodation before CNY (and cheaper too!), so we usually end up somewhere in Genting for a couple of days just to catch up with everyone and have a bit of fun.

Guess who’s back? :D Twas a blast catching up with Tine again after almost 9 months – sure there’s Whatsapp and Skype, but it ain’t the same! We also celebrated my gran’s 93rd birthday…she can still strike a pose yo!

The day before I left for KL, I managed to book a slot with Clarahnails who was back from Melbourne on holidays. Make no mistake, this woman is a nail genius – from my cherry blossom nails this time, to the paisley print she did for me when I was in Melbourne last year (all done freehand with a tiny brush!), it’s always majorly impressive. LOVE!

Gorgeous skies in Genting! Sadly, the temperature seems to have risen over the last 10 years…

Oh my pretties – I was trying to travel light since I was carrying back quite a few items for family as well as knew I was going to be bringing stuff back to Singapore with me, so I decided to break out a couple of the new items I picked up over the past month. There’s the Chanel Poudre Signee de Chanel Illuminating Powder, as well as the Guerlain LiU palette – both pretty awesome in their own right!

I also ended up making my first purchase from Net-a-Porter…the YSL Arty ring! :D No they’re not all mine, we decided to make a bulk order to save on shipping. I just had to add in this pic of the L’Occitane Fleur Cherie eyeshadow duo because it reminded me so much of Stila – right down to the paper casing!

CNY is never complete without these arrowroot crisps (or ngaku), and mum was a bit adventurous this year and decided to try making homemade crabstick crisps – they look a bit weird, but taste-wise it’s awesome!

One of the best waffles I’ve had in a while – came from Out of the Pan (and a steal with 1 for 1 deals!), while the one dish I always look forward to at CNY is…yee sang! Sadly I only had it a few times this year, but there’s still a few more days to go right?

Every year, my aunt’s place in Seremban has this awesome view of a temple nearby that sets off loads of fireworks at the stroke of midnight on CNY – next year, I think I’m going to camp out there with a proper tripod. These were taken on my PnS camera balanced off a fence!

Tine was caught hamming it up for the camera (she’ll probably explain why later on her own!), and I loved the décor that was put up – not a fan of the snake year, but there were still plenty of pretty lanterns and designs put up everywhere. One place I saw decided to recycle their Christmas tree and hang little red lanterns on it instead – quite creative!

I also got a cute thumbdrive in the shape of an Oreo cookie – so adorable! Just hoping I won’t mistake it for actual food and try dipping it into milk…and Bailey says “Happy CNY” too! He was busy keeping me company while I packed the angpows to go to my parents and grandmothers. :)

This year was also the first time I celebrated CNY with Kevin’s extended family, which was held in Malacca. I hadn’t been back there in over a decade (driving through to avoid highway jams doesn’t count), so we took the opportunity to try some of the famous favourites there like the Jonker 88 cendol and ‘one bite’ durian puffs…omg so good!

It happened that we were in Malacca the same night they had their Jonker Street night market, and despite being the first day of CNY it was still packed!

I had a real trip down memory lane thanks to that night market – there were cute stubby Coke and Sprite bottles, 60s themed drinks and even these Pop Pops I used to play with as a child. Who says you have to behave like an adult all the time? *wink*

There was a cute discovery during CNY as well – Tine and I found out we were iPhone cover twinsies thanks to similar Marc by Marc Jacobs…and when I posted the pic on my Instagram, it turns out Renee (Beautyfool) also had a similar case – yay for triplets!

One of the biggest banes during CNY would have to be the traffic jams of everyone trying to make it back to their hometowns for celebrations, and this year was no different. Thanks to the jams on the highway, we decided to take a number of back roads and trunk roads to avoid getting stuck, and one of the roads we drove along reminded me so much of the scenery heading to Yarra Valley in Melbourne…ahh that brought back memories :)

Yes, those are actual purple roses – gorgeous, aren’t they? :) Since Valentine’s Day fell during the CNY period, Kevin decided to surprise me with these just before I headed back to Singapore (and yes, I carried them all the way back with me!) I also ended up getting a cute snake plushie and angpows from the bosses (I know I said I didn’t like snakes, but this one you have to admit is pretty cute!) Last but not least, I ended up with a cute little purple bin to help with decluttering – I’ve been on a cleaning and sorting spree ever since I came back from my CNY holidays…I’m hoping this holds up, it’s coming in very useful as I’m discovering items I’d forgotten I had!

And there you have it – a choice selection of moments over the past two weeks of my CNY celebration. Needless to say I had a total blast…hope yours was just as awesome, and sending all of you felicitous wishes for a prosperous year filled with health, wealth and luck!

Random Weekend Browsings…

While meandering around town in Singapore over the weekend, I thought I’d just share some random items and promotions I came across. It was a fruitful weekend, although I didn’t actually spend that much… :P

As most of you would have heard, Vichy is pulling out of Malaysia but in Singapore, the brand is still going strong (so far). Their Thermal Spa Water sprays are pretty decent, and now at a sale price of just SG$14.90 for 2 x 150g bottles, going for a bargain at Guardian outlets.

Dove is now joining the ranks of the self-foaming pump cleansers with at least three variants – I’m really liking the citrusy scent of the ‘Go Fresh’ one (in orange), but since I just started on a bottle of a different variant in the Dove range, I think I’ll have to wait a while…

L’Occitane’s Limited Edition Cherry Princess is out – smelling of cherry blossoms! As Daphn3t said on Twitter, this is SO up Tine’s alley… :P Haven’t had the chance to check out the whole range yet, but the couple of products I sniffed were quite nice!

As if it wasn’t enough to have Hello Kitty masks, now we have a whole range of My Melody masks available. They’re now packed in a promotional box of 15 pieces if I’m not mistaken, but if you want to try them before buying there are individual masks available at SG$2 each. Personally, I thought the Chamomile Mint one was rather interesting. :D

Did you know The Balm did nail polishes? I think I’ve been living under a rock, because I didn’t! I only saw them in Sasa over the weekend, and it turns out they’re having a Valentine’s special for the Hot Ticket 5-pc set which is going for half price at just SG$29.90.

And last but not least is this odd Whitening and Oil Control Black Foam cleanser from Garnier, which is now being sold at an introductory price of SG$7.90. BLACK foam?? Okay, I’ll admit I’m somewhat intrigued by this…

I also found a nice storage solution for my nail polishes (can you tell I’m obsessed with organising my nail polishes?) from none other than Daiso – best place for picking up cheap and cheery storage solutions, but I’ll save that for a separate post.

And that’s it for now – did you spot anything interesting while you were out over the weekend? :D

It’s beginning to feel/look a lot like Christmas…

Christmas decorations at Changi Budget Terminal

Only 20 days more to Christmas! :D Are you already humming carols, or trying to find your Christmas groove? As for me, the Christmas season really hit home after seeing all the decorations going up – never fails to cheer me up (although trying to get presents for the people on my rapidly-expanding list is an ongoing challenge!)

Since we’re already nicely into December, I thought I’d share with you some of my favourite Christmas buys this year:

1. L’Occitane

L’Occitane comes up with some limited edition festive variants every year – this year it’s the Delice des Fleurs and Delice des Fruits, as well as some very pretty sets which range from RM85 – RM735.

One of my favourite ranges is the Verbena range, so this Verbena Collection (RM110) is just up my alley – housed in a cute green pouch with 75ml sizes of shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and body lotion, this would be perfect for travelling.

2. Benefit Cosmetics

Ah, the Holidaze sets… :D I refuse to buy Benefit at the counters in Malaysia and Singapore simply because they’re way overpriced compared to the US. And with free international shipping for orders over US$115, I usually pool orders with the ladies to get my Benefit fix.

This is Ticket to Glossytown (US$24) – a collection of 6 mini ultra shine glosses in so frisk me (gilded berry), nudie-tude (goldspun twist), spiked punch (juicy coral), life on the A list (bubblegum pink), foxy lady (diamond rose) and kiss you (clear fuchsia). I love breaking these up to use as additional stocking stuffers. :D

3. Crabtree & Evelyn

Who went for the recent Christmas Preview a couple of weeks back? I did a fair bit of damage there, but as luck would have it…after making my initial purchase, I found a stack of vouchers I had gotten previously that were expiring on 31 December, and ended up making a second round of purchases to use them up! (Note to self: Keep better track of vouchers!)

Suffice to say, my room now looks like a Crabtree & Evelyn storeroom and everyone is getting something Crabtree from me this year…LOL…but here’s one of my favourites!

The La Source Christmas Gift Set (RM178) – contains full-sized shower gel, body lotion, hand therapy and scrubby gloves, all housed in a super cute toiletry pouch. The centre portion is also detachable, which would be pretty handy for small cosmetics.

‘Sea’? Just grab and go! :D (LOL just punning the colour!)

And with that, I leave you with a little tingle in your mouth…mint chocolate M&Ms! :D

The pieces inside are also white, red and green…how cute is that? *winks* So what have you lovely ladies bought for Christmas so far eh? Share!!

PS: If you’re wondering why I haven’t written about makeup collection purchases, it’s simply because I’ve bought some individual items for friends that read this - which will need to remain under wraps! :D

L’Occitane Christmas 2010 Sets…

Warning: Picture-heavy post! Also, some of these pictures may make you want to blow your entire Christmas shopping budget at L’Occitane – you’ve been warned! :)

The L’Occitane Christmas sets are here! And true to their track record, they never fail to disappoint with their gorgeous packaging and displays. I mean, how can you resist when the whole shop looks so inviting?

These are just some of the promotion sets they have available – there are a total of 16 lovely sets that have been put together this year, so go on, have a gander below! :D

Almond Body Collection (RM280)

• Shower Oil 250ml
• Milk Veil 250ml
• Delicious Paste 50ml
• Milk Concentrate 50ml
• Gift Box

Aromachologie Travel (RM139)

• Shea Butter Hand Cream 30ml
• Pure Shea Butter 8ml
• Revitalising Shower Gel 75ml
• Relaxing Body Lotion 75ml
• Repairing Shampoo 75ml
• Shea Milk Soap 50g
• Clutch

Relaxing Aromachologie (RM159)

• Bath & Shower Gel 500ml
• Pillow Mist 100ml

Body Travel Collection (RM110)

• Peony Shower Cream 75ml
• Peony Body Lotion 75ml
• Cherry Blossom Bath & Shower Gel 75ml
• Cherry Blossom Shimmering Body Lotion 75ml
• Clutch

Calanques & Soothing (RM110) *Not available at Isetan counters

• Calanques Shower Gel 75ml
• Calanques Body Lotion 75ml
• Soothing Shampoo 75ml
• Soothing Conditioner 75ml
• Drawstring Pouch

Fleur Cherie (RM248)

• Eau de Toilette 100ml
• Bath & Shower Gel 250ml
• Body Lotion 75ml
• Holiday Box

Immortelle Kit (RM170) *Not available at Isetan counters

• Essential Face Water 100ml
• Brightening Cleansing Foam 50ml
• Precious Cream 15ml
• Eye Balm 5ml
• Pouch

L’Occitane Stars (RM129)

• Pure Shea Butter 8ml
• Shea Verbena Soap 100g
• Shea Butter Hand Cream 30ml
• Shea Butter Foot Cream 30ml
• Shea Ultra-Rich Lip Balm 5ml
• Drawstring Pouch

Mini Hand Cream Trio (RM110)

• Rose 4 Reines Hand Cream 30ml
• Shea Butter Hand Cream 30ml
• Rose Des Neiges Hand Cream 30ml
• Gift Box

Peony Fragrance (RM250)

• Eau de Toilette 75ml
• Beauty Milk 250ml
• Shower Cream 75ml
• Peony Gift Box

Petite Fleur Cherie (RM130) *Not available at Isetan counters

• Hand Cream 30ml
• Lip Balm 15ml
• Bath & Shower Gel 75ml
• Body Lotion 75ml
• Pouch

Petite Rose (RM110) *Not available at Isetan counters

• Rose Des Neiges Soap 100g
• Rose Des Neiges Hand Cream 30ml
• Rose 4 Reines Heart Solid Perfume 10ml
• Rose 4 Reines Body Milk 75ml
• Pouch

Shea Butter Hand & Foot (RM175)

• Hand Cream 150ml
• Foot Cream 150ml
• Holiday Sachet

Shower Celebration (RM110)

• 4 x Shower Gels 75ml (assortment)
• Gift Box

Sparkling Verbena (RM180)

• Verbena Shower Gel 250ml
• Verbena Shower Gel Refill 500ml

Winter Rose (RM299)

• Shower Cream 250ml
• Sugar Scrub 250ml
• Body Cream 200ml
• Gift Box

Anything catch your eye so far? For me, this might be the time to pick up Sparkling Verbena since I’ve been in love with the scent for the longest time. Guess I’ll have to work extra hard on my bonus this year to make up for the extra purchases then… :p

Oh, and it’s officially 3 weeks to Christmas – if you haven’t gotten around to shopping yet, better do so and quick! (and if you haven’t, thank GOD at least someone else hasn’t yet…I haven’t had time to pick up ANYTHING! :S )

Help someone enjoy the gift of sight with a L'Occitane 2011 Organiser…

If you wake up every day and get to see the clear sunshine (or rain, or snow, or sleet depending on where you are), you’re luckier than the 314 million people worldwide, or 64,000 Malaysians who can’t. The sad thing is, many of those afflicted don’t go blind overnight, but whose vision is slowly stripped away over time. Similarly, these are the same people who cannot afford to undergo expensive surgeries to fix these problems and are left to accept their fate.

This is why the Malaysian Association for the Blind (MAB) was set up in 1951 – to help the visually impaired and provide them with the tools and skills needed to contribute to society as well as promote awareness. However, being a NGO, the MAB relies on donations and the goodwill of the public and private companies to keep going, which is where L’Occitane came in with their fundraising campaign that was started end-2009.

Last year, L’Occitane managed to successfully raise RM25,000 for the MAB through sales of a special 2010 Organiser, which was used to purchase a Braille embosser and audio activator to ease access of the visually impaired to knowledge such as text or audio books.

This year, their goal is to surpass that amount with the sales of a Limited Edition 2011 Organiser which will be used to upgrade the computer and screen reader software facilities in the MAB library. The diary has many added touches as well as information on the MAB which you may find useful.

The diary comes with lined interiors for daily planning…

…as well as a tabbed month view for people like me who like to look at their entire month at a glance!

A brief write-up on L’Occitane’s Charity Foundation as well as the MAB can be found on the inside front cover of the book.

What’s more, the back of every tab has more details on the various areas of the MAB as well as what you can do to help – whether it’s helping them to convert a textbook to audio, donating materials such as CD-RWs, or simply volunteering your time to help out where necessary.

At only RM15 per organiser, this is a good option for a gift or as a stocking stuffer. The Limited Edition 2011 Organiser is now available at all L’Occitane boutiques nationwide from 1 – 31 December 2010. I’ve got mine and am planning to pick up a few more…what about you?


PS: Did you know that L’Occitane is the first and only brand to incorporate Braille on most of their packaging, and have been doing so since 1997? Check it out the next time you’re at a L’Occitane outlet!

PPS: Just checked out the L’Occitane Christmas 2010 Sets as well and they're gorgeous – more on that soon! :)

L’Occitane Peony Makeup Collection hits our shores…

Has anyone noticed L’Occitane has brought in its new makeup collection Peony? If you’ve seen a burst of pink at your local L’Occitane outlets, it’s there…side by side with their new Peony fragrance range.

No prizes for guessing what flower this entire range is modelled after – the Peony of course! (got it wrong? Oh dear…) I must say though, although I’m not particularly a big fan of pink (the overuse of it by some people in the past has killed my liking for the shade) I’m quite taken by the look of the Peony range, particularly the eco-friendly cardboard packaging.

But I digress – back to my two cents thoughts on the makeup collection! :D

Peony Faceolour Powder Duo (RM60 each) – available in 3 shades. These remind me somewhat of the Stila eyeshadow duos but with prettier packaging. Personally, I’m really liking the look of that aubergine hue in Jolie Therese…

Blush Like a Peony Lip & Cheek Tinted Water (RM60) and Peony Lip Balm (RM53). Why am I reminded of Benefit’s Benetint when I see the Tinted Water…does anyone else share my sentiment? The lip balm on the other hand would be great for using to layer under/ over any existing shade of lipstick, seeing as it has tiny pink & gold shimmer in it.

Peony Lipstick (RM56 each) – available in 4 shades. These lipsticks are meant to be semi-sheer, which I like in my lipsticks. Colour-wise I would probably be more inclined towards Paeonia. I’m surprised there are no corals or peach shades in this range though.

Peony Liquid Shine Lip Colour (RM56) – available in 4 shades. Good news for sticky gloss haters, this is a non-sticky gloss. I likened the texture to that of Revlon’s Superlustrous lipgloss, although with a fair bit more glitter. I love this particular selection of shades…can I has all of them, pretty please? :)

Peony Facecolour Powder (RM60 each) – available in 4 shades. Besides its obvious use as a blush, the Facecolour Powder can also be used as eyeshadow as well an all-over powder to brighten complexion. I felt the colours were a bit light in general, particularly Helene which to me looks like more of a eyeshadow base or all-over colour rather than a blush. The rest are okay, but dark-skinned girls may have a problem finding a colour that suits them.

Peony Illuminating Powder (RM111). This is the “fix-it” powder for the collection – green to correct redness, mauve to correct dullness as well as pink and white to brighten the complexion. Again, this reminded me of a product from another brand…NYX’s mosaic powder (although much prettier with its flower motif). I find this a little pricey…I might be biased, but I’d splash out a bit more to get Guerlain’s Meteorites (roughly RM185).

For some reason, many of the products in this collection reminded me of products from other brands, but to be fair it happens quite often. Overall I’d say it’s a very pretty collection with bonus points for the packaging. L’Occitane has also come up with a little quiz on its Malaysia website to help people find their perfect Peony look – you can try it out for yourself here.

L’Occitane’s Peony Makeup collection is available from 1 June 2010 at all L’Occitane boutiques. Plus if you’re in Malaysia, there will be a Peony Roadshow at Midvalley Megamall from 21st – 27th June at South Void 2 in front of Zara where you can pick up some special buys like Peony Body (RM250) and Petite Peony (RM138).

Every purchase of a Peony Face Colour Powder and Lip Colour (excluding lipbalm) will get a free Peony makeup pouch, and if you purchase above RM350 inclusive of a Peony product, you’ll receive a 4-pc gift (plus an additional Peony Tote Bad and 75ml Beauty Milk if you purchase above RM450).

*phew*…that was a long list. Have you tried out the new Peony makeup yet, and what are your thoughts on the collection? :D Come on, share your thoughts!


** Have you entered my 3rd Blogoversary Clinique Happy or Bonanza Giveaway yet? Better hurry - both giveaways close 30 June 2010! :) Click on the links to find out more.