Back with a bang

Well, not really. Stop expecting so much from me!

Just popping in to say that I will update this blog properly at some point. But now I want to vent a little on the sorry state of my skin. Full on detailed vent/rant to follow later on with pics!

In short, due to an AHA facial treatment, my skin became ultra sensitive. It's PMS-ing big time and my usual skincare serums and creams BURN!! It got really bad last weekend and I woke up with hives all over my face and eyelids.

It was a sorry sight and now I'm on the hunt for some soothing, cooling and moisturising thingamabob. The Big Man kept saying I shouldn't put anything on my face for awhile. He is clearly a savage and does not know womankind NEED to moisturise like they need air.

Details to follow later on, but now I must return to pretending to work so I look busy.

Toodles!

Rant: Jar packaging

Ohh.. I haven't blogged for a while and look what I decided to write about for a new post. A rant. On jar packaging.

Sorry if you were expecting an eloquently written review or a fantastically shot outfit of the day. Not that I have ever done any of those! haha.. Except when Rita forced me to, I hasten to add!

Anyhoo, this morning I received Paula Begoun's newsletter and it is on her beef with jar packaging. Now, I know people have polarised views on her and I can understand where they're coming from, given she's trying to educate the masses on skincare, but also flog her own products.

I happen to agree with most of her views, especially when it comes to skincare. I think I also highly value the fact that she cites her advice and info based on peer-reviewed industry journals. Fact!

For example, I agree with her on:

• Omitting irritating ingredients in lotions & potions, particularly essential oils like lavender, peppermint etc. I mean just because they smell good and serve well as aromatherapy, ít doesn't mean they're good if applied topically to the skin, no?!
• No SPF for daycream. What the what? I hate companies who do that. Maybe you're meant to use a separate sunscreen, sure, but don't flog them as "day" cream. Useless.
• JAR PACKAGING. I don't use anything on my face that is contained in a jar because it's unhygienic - imagine germs from your hands, dusts from the air etc getting into the jar. Plus also it affects the potency of the product itself. Silly really if you're paying all this money for state-of-the-art ingredients, only to have it break down due to oxidation. To me it's pretty common sense.  I still don't know why companies still opt to use jars and tubs. Do not understand.

I include the excerpt to the newsletter below if you're interested in reading!

"The ingredients most beneficial for your skin are not stable, which means they won't be effective if exposed to light and air, which is exactly what happens when you take the lid off a jar. No matter how great the formula, it all begins to break down when you first open it! There is also the issue of hygiene—dipping your fingers into a jar transfers bacteria from your hands into the product, and that causes the important ingredients to further deteriorate.

Great Ingredients Protect, But the Great Ingredients Need Protection, Too!
One of the critical factors in any anti-aging or skin-healing formula is the amount and variety of antioxidants, cell-communicating ingredients, and skin-repairing ingredients and the more the better.

 These function in a variety of ways to reduce the effects of the constant environmental stresses your skin experiences. Sun exposure, pollution, and cigarette smoke bombard our skin with destructive free radicals, depleting the skin's ability to heal, causing collagen breakdown, and producing abnormal skin cells. This is one of the major reasons why skin ages and wrinkles, and why dark spots begin to appear!

Antioxidants, cell-communicating ingredients, and skin-repairing ingredients not only can help prevent free-radical damage, but also can help repair that damage. Surprisingly, all of these ingredients are just as vulnerable to sun exposure, pollution, and cigarette smoke as your skin. Once you open that jar you bought, you immediately compromise the stability of the anti-aging superstars it contains. (You can just visualize their benefits disappearing like puffs of air each time you open up that lid!)

Minimizing Air Maximizes Your Skin-Care Benefits!
With most skin-care formulas, all that is necessary to protect the beneficial ingredients is a container that minimizes air exposure and keeps light, and your fingers, out of the product. A pump or airless jar (meaning you can't take the lid off) design or an opaque tube with a very small opening is enough to keep these important ingredients protected during the product's lifespan, and allow your skin to reap the rewards.

Remember, no matter how great a product's formula, jar packaging, and to a lesser extent clear packaging (i.e., lets light in), is always a deal-breaker. Given the number and variety of products available today that come in air-reducing or airless packaging, why waste your money on products whose most beneficial ingredients will be gone shortly after first use?"

Recent Acquisitions: MOAR Marni x H&M

Yes baby agrees!

Hello! I'm sorry to continue blathering on about this Marni x H&M collection, but I managed to score some more items!!! BWAHAHAHA....

First up - I returned the dress after work on Friday after coming to terms with my body not looking like Mila's and not being able to rock it like she does. *sigh*

But as I circled around the rack to inspect the remaining items available, I spotted this green cardi being returned to the rack. Hurrah! I grabbed, I tried, returned the dress and I purchased. Saved myself HKD300. K'ching.



i call this frilly brazil flag cardigan

I initially didn't like the look of this cardi on the lookbook, but having tried it on, the material really won me over. It is 100% merino wool and felt really soft and luxe on. I see myself pairing this with my dark blue pencil skirt for work and jeans for the weekend.

The next day, we had lunch plans at the Langham Place Hotel in Mongkok and for once I was early! So of course I zoomed into H&M to see what they have. Nada.

Fastforward a couple of hours later, some us girls *cough* hkFashionGeek and Rita *cough* took it upon ourselves to check out H&M AGAIN. Because we don't give up that easily on Marni, y'all!

This time, we had better luck as there were even more returns to the racks! Here's us waiting in line for the fitting room.



Posin' for Mama Rita

The place was packed and we did end up waiting ages for the fitting room, but all was not lost! hkFashionGeek scored the dress pictured above (v. jealous - that dress was cuh-yute!). Sadly, the skirt version I was holding up in that pic was too tight for my bulging tummy. What?!! We just had a buffet lunch, mkay!!!



How cute is the face V's making? Made me lol!

As you can see from the pic above - I ended up with 2 items... Individual shots below!



I LOVE this dress! I love the colours (blue, tan and purple at the back), the cut is flattering (and hides multiple bulges sins), and love the flirty slit at the back. It's made from silk, and I do have a weakness for silk dresses.

I like this skirt too, the material is not silk, therefore it is thicker and more structured flattering. Plus, the waistband is a elastacised (haha, more food!). I can see this as a fun skirt for work or brunch/dinner dates.

YAY! I can't wait to wear them, but the problem is, how soon is too soon to wear them? #firstworldproblem

Recent acquisition: Marni x H&M

Ah yes, after the interwebs taunted us for months with images of the Marni x H&M collezione, the launch day finally arrived in Hongkers yesterday.

As you would have it, there's already a queue from the night before spotted in the main Central store. I didn't join in, because I have no game and I prefer to be at home sleeping. By the time I get to check it out after work, I was pretty surprised to find there were still heaps of items left including shoes and scarves. Popular styles like the cardis, shirts, skirts and coats have all but disappeared.

I ended up taking this dress home instead without trying it on. Queues were too long and I was running late for a dinner appointment as is. Garrghhh.. #lifegetsinthewayoffashyun

How the dress is supposed to look like

I had high hopes, but alas, the fit and the print (fabulous prints, mind you) on a dumpy mortal like me is not flattering at all. AT ALL. I tried belting it, back to front, sleeves scrunched up like Mila, nope - still fug. So I am very sad to have to return it tonight.

Who knows, tonight I might chance upon other items I didn't get a proper look at yesterday. Might check out the print blouses, metallic skirt and pyjama shorts - assuming they are still there, that is!

Did you score anything?

pic source: Mirror UK

Recent acquisitions: NYX & Jordana

Victim of consumerism, moi??

Sometime ago, Rita was looking for eye-pencils and ended up ordering the NYX ones above from Cherry Culture. As if I need more enabling to buy cheap make-up, right?

What I was really after was NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Addisababa, but it was out of stock. I just checked again today and it is STILL out of stock! Wowee, girls all over the world must be rockin' this shade!

So next up was Jordana's easyshine, thanks to Scrangie's swatches, so I ordered one in Sugar Cookie. I don't know what made me look at nail polishes because before I knew it, I had ordered 4 of them!

Will review them soon!

Crushing: Emmanuelle Alt

Jitterbug!

I stumbled upon this YT vid during my morning trawl of the interwebs, and I can't believe I haven't seen it before!

Most times we forget that fashion can be silly and cheesy, and coming from Vogue (France!!), this is most unexpected. Fashion can be fun - who knew, right?!

Love E. Alt, as usual! No one wears skinny jeans like she does.

source: vogueparisfr & junepaski

Review: Revlon Lip Butter - Red Velvet

So I have been reading all the hoopla about Revlon Lip Butter line all over the blogosphere, and the verdict is a resounding MUST BUY! It's a hybrid of lipstick/lipbalm accoutrement in a delicious array of colours and at an affordable prices. Genius, no? I don't know why it took us so long to get here with lippies.

I was of course a bit excited about their launch in HK (finally!) but then disappointed because it was going to be held in Cantonese. Still, the lovely folks at Glamabox sent one in to me - just in time for Valentine's Day. Too sweet, no?

I was even more pleasantly surprised when I discovered they've sent me the Red Velvet shade. You know how much I love red lippies. Sidenote: Everytime someone, anyone, mentions Red Velvet, I automatically go hungry and crave a cupcake or any cake. mmm.... CAKE....

So immediately grabbed my camera, spent a good amount of time adjusting the darned white balance and took some pics. Apparently good blogging behaviour dictates that I should take pics before using the actual product. I obeyed. Just this time.



Red Velvet - I wish it comes with an actual red velvet cupcake

Red Velvet is actually a very accurate discription of the colour and the lippy. It's a deep lush red but not vampy or in your face. I love wearing a swipe or two of this and then smudging it with my ring finger - it makes red a much more wearable colour for everyday. For a more dramatic look, the colour is buildable and a couple more swipes, and voila!, all glammed up.

Texture-wise, I was actually expecting it to be glossier, with a lot more slip. But it feels like a lipbalm, but not heavy or waxy. It's just... comfortable and low maintenance, unlike most of my reds which tends to dry out my lips.

Short to say, I LOVE it!

The only gripe I have would be the packaging itself. No, I love that the cap coordinates with the colour of the lippies but the bottom part is pretty small - making it hard to pull out. But that's being nitpicky.

Now, I'm horrible with swatches, so head over to Karla Sugar for swatches of the entire line. I am eyeing Peach Parfait, Tutti Fruitt and Sugar Plum - someone stop me!!!

In HK, find them at Sasa and Watsons.

RSVP'd: Swarovski S/S 2012 Launch Party

Two weeks ago, Rita and I were invited to the Swarovski Sweet Sixties S/S 2012 Launch Party. Rita had attended the previous launch and had a good time so I decided to go along as well. I had a work conference call that night, but a party waits for no one, yano? I even dug out my DSLR from its grave and took it with me. So apologies - these pics were clearly taken by someone who's out of practice. .. Or.. had very little practice, to be more precise.

The theme was very girly pink with a 60's vibe - lots of pastel coloured things that would make girls gush. By girls, I mean me. Lotsa marshmallow, jelly beans, lollies, ... even a cupcake decorating stations(!). I had trouble focusing on the gems as I kept wanting to scoop out some of those lollies. But this post is not about food, and no I am not bitter because I didn't get a cupcake. *sniff*



See what I mean??

I have to say, Swarovski is a brand that I don't pay a lot of attention to. Except when it is Boxing Day Sale in Australia, where the queues are just inSANE. I would then ponder the phenomenon together with my companion and we would discuss possible reasons why people would spend time lining up just to get into the store.

In my own experience, I have been given a couple of trinkets from Swarovski as gifts. Only one of them has sentimental value though, because it was from my dad. I have yet to take a picture of it, but it is a charm bracelet with a "hunting" theme (very random, I know!).

Then there was the visit to Swarovski Kristallwelten, or as they say in English, Swarovski Crystal World in Austria during our Europe Contiki Trip in 2008. *pause for a misty-eyed nostalgia moment... Good times...* The museum was insane - lots of object covered with Swarovski (duh?!), which made me feel like I've entered an alternate universe by tripping on some sort of substance. It was surreal. Surreal and SPARKLY. I did buy a pair of earrings from the store at end of my Kristallwelten visit, but the pair still sit in my jewellery box waiting for an occassion to be worn.

I think it is because, I don't feel Swarovski is "me". I find that as I grow older *ehem*, I tend to stick to my basic everyday jewellery and that's it. Anything more seems so forced.

But anyhoo, back to the launch party. I was curious to see whether my disposition could be changed. The verdict is out... and it is still 'no'.

HOWEVER, and it is a big however, I can see their appeal. As you could see from the shots, their design is bold. BIG and BOLD. Lots of chunky, statement pieces - really sparkly and if someone's wearing them on the street, they'll definitely catch my eyes for sure. And like a magpie, I would probably stare for a bit.



Actually, I really like this piece



This is pretty and a little edgy, no?



Would look awesome with a white button down



Sparkly & a bit grandma-y - Nice one

There were HEAPS of them on display but the above are the ones which I like most.

There were models with insanely long legs. HOT DAMN, girl crushes are real, y'all!




Werk!



and POSE!



My hair could do with some beehivin'



Girl in pink. She is the pretteh.

SEE, on the models, the pieces looked real nice - it's fun and it's flirty, NO?

It was good fun and absolutely bling-tastic! We got to see a couple of bloggers we recognised (more like, bloggers who I have stalked online), and more who I don't.

Most fun bit? The polaroid photos!



by the by, those drinks were delish!

I got my boring work outfit on. Both MamaRita and I donned our bright lippies for the evening.

Thank you for the invite, Swarovski and also for the gift!

On an unrelated PS: That night was the first time I tasted rockmelon and can safely say, I do NOT like rockmelons! I was tricked, as the honeydew was covered by parma ham. Can I just say... eyuurrrrghhhhhhh,.... from hereon, I will never ever eat honeydew ever again. Same goes with rockmelon I think...

Wearing: Denim dress @ High Tea

Just prior to Deeceebeaucoup's departure to Sydney, a couple of us got together for a bit of a farewell catch-up session. Wait, that sounds a bit contradictory... oh well, it is Friday and my brain is dead.

We had lunch at Linguini Fini to start with, but unfort, I was starving and therefore all blogging prerogatives went out of the window. We discussed amongst others, the Twitter Speed Dating aka #dtwitter event, which Laydeejol was going to partake in. I was really excited (ehm.. for her!), because I like to live life vicariously through others.

Then we scutttled over to Four Seasons HK for our tea and of course, to meet with the talented resident Pastry Chef extrodinaire Gregoire Michaud! He was so lovely and down-to-earth, and ensured we were well taken care of by the wait staff (which they did a superb job of!). Thank you, Gregoire!!

Hello, bubbly!

We started off with some belinnis. I believe this is peach. And it is delicious.

This is how you eat fruits

Then came this mango and coconut mille feuille arrangement. I am not a fan of mango (why am I so weird like this??), so I passed on the healthy bits to Deeseebeaucoup and I wolfed down the rest. Because it was also delicious - crispy and creamy and sweet. And delicious.

A hot pot

The moment I have been waiting for. The hot chocolate. Holy bananas, I love this hot chocolate. I may or may not have singlehandedly finished the whole pot. The wooden bit at the top of the pot is to stir the hot chocolate, you filthy-minded people!

MOAR cakes!

We also ordered this St Honore to share, because some of us are watching our diet. Just kidding...

And finally, a group shot of our... feet.

Footsies

Starting from top left: E-ting, Laydeejol, yours truly and Deeseebeaucoup. I missed cheekyangelHK's shoes (sorry luv!) and Rach has fled the crime scene (boo!).

And a crappy shot of my outfit that day, sans my bag, scarf and jacket. You see, my blogging godmother was supposed to join us but the social butterfly has other engagements to attend. We missed you!

Vanity shot

Denim dress from Chatuchak Market // Boots from YesStyle

In conclusion, if you like to have a bit of a treat, I reckon Four Seasons HK is a fab place to unwind and catch up with the girls. And for the love of all things indulgent, order the hot chocolate.

Spa Review Series: Spa Beaute Par Zai

I kicked of the Spa Review Series back in December 2011. The aim is to jot the down my experiences when sampling through the various spa outlets in Hong Kong, especially those in the "reasonably priced range" ones. Hey, you know I'm cheap like that!

'Sides, some reviews of spas I see seem to be in the range of HKD 1,000 and above. Cripes, for Valentine's Day, I was going to book a couple treatment bonanza and thought I'd splash out a bit. But then I saw the prices on these upscale joints and thought I might as well book a return flight to Bangkok and have a holiday instead.

Anyhoo, as I mentioned, group buying websites also fuel my love of pampering. They often come up with these great deals and places that I wouldn't otherwise try or know! #win.

Awhile back (and I'm talking awhile, child), I bought one such treatment voucher through ValuUp. It was for a facial treatment at Spa Beaute Par Zai, which from hereon shall be called SBPZ.

When I first arrived in Hong Kong, I trawled through the expat forums for recommendations on good beauticians etc. This place was mentioned quite a bit but then for some reason, the name turned me off. I make no pretense about being shallow. I saw their price range as well and decided they weren't the cheapest.

So when I bought this voucher - I was excited to be finally trying out SBPZ, which according to their website is "one of the oldest beauty salon in Hong Kong". Here's my thoughts on the SBPZ:

Pros:

• Convenient location - on 79 Queens Road Central. Easy. I think I popped by after work one night.
• Staff speak English.
• The process itself was pleasant but not memorable enough to make me go wow. The attention to detail was not there, nor was I left feeling relaxed or pampered.
• Not a big fan of the decor, but not putting this in the Cons list because it is a personal taste. It is more homey/ethnic set-up.

Cons:

• One of my pet peeves is when they don't cover my eyes when the light wasn't dimmed and/or having to switch on the light to examine my face. This is NOT relaxing.
• NOISY! Cripes, they left me alone with the mask on (my other pet peeve) and I can hear people talking outside, equipments being moved around, phones RINGING. Instead of being relaxed, it made me go mental (on the inside, of course. I had a mask ON!).
• Beautician didn't do a good job of removing my eye make up to begin with. At the end of the treatment, I looked at myself in the mirror and was horrified to see mascara smudges underneath my eyes. Which I have to clean up before going out to face the world. No big drama, but I expect more from one of the oldest beauty salon in Hong Kong with fully qualified therapist. Just sayin'.

All in all, with the voucher, it was worth trying out because it's cheap as chips and it does the job. I am perplexed though as to how this place could be recommended by many.

I won't go back because I've had better elsewhere and I don't think the amount they charge mirrors the quality you would be getting. But then again, I haven't been a full-paying customers (big disclaimer, just in case!).