Haul | Korean Beauty Products [Jan - Jun 2016]

*I seriously just realized that all of the products that I have purchased are from Korean brands* .__. Heyy guys. These are some of the beauty products that I have accumulated over the past few months. I didn't used to have my own make up products so I find this kind of rudimentary instead of splurging.

Disclaimer: I got ALL of these products from a website called Hermo, except for the Laneige BB Cushion and its refill. Pleaseeee check them out if you are a huge beauty junkie because they have such a wide array of products up on their website at a relatively cheaper/affordable price, which is very thoughtful of them. If you are living in Malaysia or Singapore, then lucky you because these are the two countries that they ship to! 

In conjuction of the 12/6 anniversary that Hermo is celebrating, I am just going to chat you guys through some of the products I have got as a shout out to Hermo!

This is Dinoplatz UFO Multibox from Too Cool For School. When I purchased this, I didn't know it was a highly popularized beauty product in Korea. I got it because it is compact and perfect for any touch-ups on the go. It has got a pore balm, BB foundation, concealer and a lip/cheek product with a coral hue. I think I can understand why this product is named one of the hottest product in 2015 by Get It Beauty and why this little UFO here has caused a stir among all the beauty junkies. The packaging is very quirky and unconventional. As you can see from the picture above, I think if my friends come across it, they would probably think my brother doodled all over it HAHAHA Personally, I don't think I'm a fan of their BB foundation and concealer because I feel that they don't really have a good coverage - all they do is just brighten up my face. The colour of the lip/cheek product is however super warm-toned and lovely. Despite its shortcomings, its size is very portable and convenient.

I am sure you guys are probably familiar with this product as it has been the talk of the town lately. Yes, this is the Laneige BB Cushion, whose ambassador is the main cast of the highly-grossing Korean drama "Descendants of the Sun", Song Hye Kyo. For you guys who don't know what a BB cushion is, it's basically a midler version of a foundation, giving off a sheer glow and minimal coverage on your face. Okay, you got me xD One of the reasons I got this product was because she's the face of Laneige. Besides, there are overwhelming positive reviews from my friends and YouTubers about this product. It has also been the favourites of readers and bloggers for Her World Beauty Awards 2016.

Mum and I have never ever owned a BB cushion. Since Korea is the pioneer of BB cushions and Laneige is a trustworthy brand, we decided to invest in this one here. This is in the colour No.21 Natural Beige, has an SPF 50+ PA+++ After applying it, we fell in love with it as it feels very light - it does not feel like it's going to clog your pores and cause more outbreaks. Very easy to blend by just using the sponge provided. Would definitely recommend using this product on days when your skin is in a better condition. If you have larger pores, I think that you would absolutely love this product as it minimizes the visibility of pores drastically. And this isn't even the pore control one! Amazing work it does! If you guys are planning to get one online, it's available on Hermo and you can get it HERE :) You're welcomed.

 

Okay.. I am officially team bandwagon now HAHAHA This is also another Korean beauty product that everyone has been talking about - VDLxPantone Expert Expert Colour Eye Book 6.4 (NO.5) I have contemplated for a very longggg time before settling with my final decision - to get it. Just take a look at how dreamy the colour is - a perfect blending of rose quartz and serenity. This product freaking dominated Instagram, YouTube and Internet - the craze over it was REAL. 

When Hermo announced that they are selling this product, I knew that I need to get it. This is actually a gift for my mum for her upcoming birthday so I am supposed to keep this as a secret *promise, it'll stay between us ;)* Anyway, it's just too beautiful so I think I am obliged to share this with you guys. This has a variety of colours - fun, feminine, earthy. You can build an everyday look or a glamourous night-out look just with this palette! Personally, I feel like Expert Colour Eye Book 6.4 (NO.1)and Expert Colour Eye Book 6.4 (NO.2) are more practical for the kind of subtle everyday look but this palatte is great for you to switch between ocassions and moods. 

Expert Colour Lip Cube Tranquility [Serenity] Sooo freaking beautiful. Source: http://tagsecond.com/tag/mermaidpalette

Along with this palatte, there are a few other products as well. The most sough-after one is the Expert Colour Lip Cube Tranquility in the colour Serenity, whose colour is super hypnotizing. Although I would love to buy their signature cubic lipstick, the reviews told me otherwise (watch ssin's video solely on this brand here). The lipstick only had little effect if none on our lips (but it does have moisturizing properties, just not so much colour). On the other hand, this sleek eyeshadow palette is widely adored by all YouTubers and bloggers, so I got this instead.

This is also another very mainstream Korean beauty product - Banila Co. Clean It Zero. Apparently, this product tops off the chart of the best sellers on a few Internet stores such as Korea Depart and Hermo. I discovered this product through Jenn Im's YouTube channel, clothesencounters. She has mentioned this product a few times in her videos, and even to the extend of including this product in her "Top 10 Products of 2015" video.  I have seen how Jenn removed all her make up by just using this little wander here and it just saves a lot of hastle.

I love this product because it is so easy to remove your makeup with - you don't even need to swipe off your make up with any cotton buds and you don't even have to worry that your eye make up does not come off. This cleansing balm basically dissolves your make up into an oily texture and you're good to continue your skincare regime. Banila Co. Clean It Zero comes with a plastic lid and a spatula (very thoughtful!) I haven't tried this product yet but if I liked it, I can reassure you guys that this is not going to be the last time I am going to mention this product on my blog :P

Last but not least, it's the Mise En Scene Perfect Repair. Before purchasing this serum, I didn't do much research simply because I wasn't looking for one but Hermo had this OMO deal where they sell the products at super cheap prices for a limited time and a limited quantity. After serious consideration (which probably took me 2 minutes), I have decided to get this because its price was reduced to RM20-+ from RM60-+ This is some serious bargain so I just went for it. Plus my protein haircare is going to be used up soon and my hair is kinda cray cray right now so I figured this would just be handy. 

All the scientific stuff and precise information about Mise En Scene Perfect Repair. Feel free to read at your own leisure. Source: https://okkasia.wordpress.com/2015/01/07/review-mise-en-scene-perfect-repair-serum/

For the sake of writing this post, I have done some research on this fella, only to find out that its components are mainly argan oil, royal jelly and rose water! I love the benefits of argan oil and I lovveee the smell of rose (not those that smelled too sweet though) which makes me love this product even more. The first time using it, I only applied on the tip of my hair after I dried my hair, and I didn't feel like it was doing its job. So for the second time, I applied before and during drying my hair, and its effect was immediate. My hair felt softer and less entangled together and OMG, the smell is heavenly! This is perfect for ya if you have damaged ends, dry hair or you just want to make yourself smell better xD (the smell does not linger too long though) Overall, this is absolutely worth the money.

Foodie Hunt | Top 5 Favourite Tidbits

Hey guysss! I guess a foodie just can't stop talking about food huh .__. Yeap, as you can probably tell from the title of this post, I'm going to briefly talk about my top 5 favourite tidbits/nibbles/beverages. I don't know if they are under the correct hypernym but tidbits is the closest word that I could get to allocate them into the same group. The list is everything that I find very tasty over the past few months that I like to snack on a laid back afternoon or when completing assignments in the middle of the night. So here's my list of the top 5 favourite tidbits from January - June 2016.

1. 

The first snack that I find really addictive is the macadamia nut bar. A huge thanks to my aunt who brought it back all the way from Australia on her trip there. I have had macadamia nuts before and I have already liked it. This macadamia nut bar have a similar taste with nougat because they are both coated with sugar/honey, but I really love the texture of the macadamia nuts. It's super crunchy and it tastes heavenly together with its coating. Nougat was good, but macadamia nut bar was SUPER GOOD! Would definitely get my hands on this whenever I have the chance. 

2.

I think you guys must be thinking that I am a nuts freak right now. But seriously, I love all of the nuts I am writing in this post. I bought it because I thought of the cashew nuts I have eaten awhile ago, which was from Vietnam. I have forgotten the brand of the honey roasted cashew nuts but it was so good that it made me bought this packet of cashew nuts without any second thoughts. Unfortunately, the honey roasted cashew nuts from this brand is not going to be my holy grail anytime soon.

3. 

Although Starbucks has been a major trend and hipsters has been posting pictures of the beverages even though some of them might not really like them, I swear this one is really good. It's in S'mores flavour and it just tastes so creamy and sweet. To sum it up, it is a blend of chocolate and marshmallow. I LOVE IT! The only cons I would say is that the whole thing is too sweet. If you have a low tolerance for sweetness, then this is not for you as the sweetness might be too intense and overwhelming for ya. 

4.

Magnum itself is already an epitome of what a good ice cream should taste like, but Magnum in honeycomb flavour is epic! (ouch.. sorry Crunch and Classic) Besides its chocolate coating that is made from Belgium chocolate, the crunchy honeycomb is just perfect! Again, this is an intensely sweet tidbits. I would say that its degree of sweetness I almost as high as the Starbucks S'mores beverage and would even easily surpass the beverage. So guys, don't even think of having it if you really detest sweet food.

5.

The last one, which does not mean its my least favourite one because I love all the tidbits mentioned here equally, is this - banana pie. I have tried apple pie at Mc'Donalds before and I didn't like it, so I was a bit nervous when I decided to order this as I really don't wanna waste food nor force myself to eat something that I don't like. Anyway, I decided to give it a try, and I didn't regret. Also, can we just give some props to the packaging? It's just so.. *yelps* *squirms in excitement* Although I love it, I think it's a bit pricey because it costs about RM3 if I'm not mistaken. And it tastes just like an average 'goreng pisang' .__. Come on, I'd get a whole lot more of goreng pisangs if I paid RM3. But I still love it. HAH :P

Okayyy.. So this is the end of this post. Hope you guys liked it and hope you guys find it interesting (probably nothing interesting since it's basically just about me, consuming so much carbs in the past few months that you guys are starting to calculate the probability of me having diabetes .__.) Anyway, I look forward for a change of a more healthy lifestyle soon. Don't know when is that going to happen, but I pray for that miracle to happen fast haha. 

Till next time, ta :)

Foodie Hunt | January - June 2016

Hey guys hehe.. I know it's been way too long since I last updated but just please try to understand that I have a lot to cope with in my real life. Another thing is that because this blog started out as a private, personal blog, I feel rather idle to come up with a schedule for my blog posts. I find that I have a higher tendency to update during holidays, so here I am, updating you guys on what I have eaten for the past few months in 2016. 

I had this bak kut teh meal during lunchtime with my family. We went there because we purchased Groupons, where they have super awesome deals for food and everything. To be honest, I am not a huge fan of bak kut teh but I still love how the yam rice tastes together with the herbal soup. The thing I like the most in bak kut teh would most probably be the meatballs. And oh my God, garlics compliment the smell of bak kut teh seamlessly. Overall, it was a satisfying meal!

I love going to The Cruises Steak House, especially on Saturday nights! Apart from the lovely ambience and the woody theme going on, I really love their live band performance. My favourite food to have there is escargot, which is basically snail. Don't get me wrong, I don't like to eat snails in particular, but I guess I just couldn't resist anything that is cheesy and creamy .__. Despite them being snails, they are still surprisingly tasty. 

Despite being a Penangite myself, I wasn't aware that there is such a place where you can have a RM5 steamboat. But yes, it's true, this meal just costs RM5! It is a restaurant in Komtar, Penang. I have forgotten the name of the dining place, but I think you would easily locate it just by asking the people around "Where is the restaurant that serves RM5 steamboat?" Haha.. I wouldn't say that it is very spetacularly delicious, but it's a good place to just sit, chill, pop in the food into the wok and have a good chat with your friends. 

This is something that my friends and I decided to try because of the crowds. After trying these, I have to say that I am rather disappointed. I think it costs around RM6 if not mistaken (it's been awhile so I have forgotten, but it was sure not something cheap/reasonable). We were wondering what the little bits were, when we found out that they were just some junk food that we used to always have when we were kids with some chocolate and strawberry syrup poured all over them. The selling point was that the guys selling these sprayed some kind of nitrogen gas onto these biscuit/junk food. I must admit that the gas made it looked very impressive. When we ate it, we can feel a cooling sensation in our mouth, resulted from the nitrogen gas or whatever it is. Anyway, I don't think it's worth the money. One of my friends were actually scared that she might be intoxicated by the gas hahaha.. 

My family and I actually planned to go to The Lawn Cafe, which was a new cafe in the town that everyone was raving about, but ended up filling our tummies at their CNY party/celebration. The best thing was - THE FOOD ARE FREE OF CHARGE! FOC! It was mind-blowing that they didn't just simply serve some random food, Sangkaya was even there and I think my jaw dropped to the floor. Come on guys, it's the Sangkaya that we are talking about - the one that sells four scoops of ice-cream for RM10 something. Of course, we lined up to get one for ourselves immediately! I think that the party is really amazing because they don't only serve our everyday food, but also some traditional Chinese food such as 龙须糖 (as shown in the picture on the lowest left). I have also discovered my new love there - curry fishballs. At first I wasn't even expecting anything from that, simply because I have had curry fishballs before previously when eating Curry Mee but these were of premium quality. High standard fishballs/curry (?) Haha.. I don't know but I was so hooked up with them. I just can't get enough. 

Although we didn't manage to go to The Lawn Cafe (because they had free food and it was so cramped in the cafe), I still had to take a picture of it because it was so stunning at night. 

Hahaha.. Don't get confused. My dad brought us to The Lawn Cafe later, which was on an entirely different day from the last time we visited there. Their beverage was okay and their cake.. Jeez.. I couldn't remember how it tasted like but I think it was okay.

What a manly pose as compared to most of the people who grabbed the bunch of flowers and sat on the back of the bicycle in front of the cafe and took a picture of themselves .__. Sidenote: Really love the choker OMG I don't think I rock chokers but I still wear them because I love how edgy and rebellious the whole look is when the pieces are put together. 

This place was all over on Instagram, so I just had to go haha.. Surprisingly it was attached to a motel called Reunion Heritage House. I entered through the frontdoor that looks like a backdoor because there was a narrow passageway that lead us all the way to the opposite end of the building, where we can finally have our Nitrogen Ice-Cream! Sze Chyi was quite skeptical that we were at the right place at first, but then when we saw the pretty cafe, all her worries faded away. The cafe was decorated sumptiously and every little details of the decorations were taken care of. I could spot quite a few Instagram-worthy cornors to take photos right away! 

It was like magic o.o

This was very fresh and rejuvenating!

I was recommended by Aina to have Bingsu at Caffebene since I wanted to have my sweet tooth treated. Although Bingsu is quite famous in Korea, I don't think that I would have another one again because to me, it basically tastes like shaved ice. Something like ice kacang but with more nuts and with a different flavour (in this case, its green tea). The cons of having a Bingsu is that it is definitely too large for a person to finish it all by himself and also the lack of taste of it (I just tasted ice mostly). Imma just give it another go the next time and order Oreo flavour. If my favourite flavour/biscuits/... couldn't win me over, then I think Bingsu is just not for me I guess :3 *no offence to all the Bingsu lovers though heh*

Finally, here is a compilation of the cheesecakes I have had over the past few months. I think the only true love is the love between cheesecake and me. Right there and then, it was real chemistry hahaha.. Passion fruit cheesecake, Hanjuku cheesecake and Triple decker cheesecake. The Hanjuku cheesecake costs about RM4++ and I only ordered it despite being a broke college student only because Aina strongly recommended me to have it. The cheesecake is a little pricey because it was so small that you could finish the whole thing in one bite. I would rather get a whole cheesecake for RM21 at Uncle Tetsu's, which has similar texture to the Hanjuku cheesecake. But to be fair, it does taste divine! Love the fluffy texture and how it melted in my mouth. 

Okayy.. so this is the story of my guilty pleasure. I have a strong feeling that my sin are not just gonna stop here haha. Anyways, happy holiday to those who are having your holiday! And to those who aren't, good luck and all the best in everything. Till next time. 

Ta.