Taylor Swift in Zuhair Murad gown

Love. this. gown. Once again, Taylor Swift looks utterly stunning. 

She wore this nude and sparkly Zuhair Murad gown for the 2012 Grammy Awards. Just look at the intricate details on it! The beautiful gold and rose-gold beading...absolutely gorgeous! This dress kind of gives me a Chinese feel. Probably because of the high neckline. It resembles a chi pao to me.

It is amazing how Taylor manages to look so fabulous all the time. Her songs are always hits. She is also one of those few singers who successfully stay clear of trouble and scandals (think Lindsay Lohan and Miley Cyrus). That's gotta earn her loads of good points I would say :)

Christina Perri - A Thousand Years

I absolutely LOVE this song by Christina Perri. It is the soundtrack for Twilight Breaking Dawn. I'm not a fan of the Twilight movies (a bit too mushy) but the novels are fine. 

Okay, back to the song. Lovely, soothing song. I have listened to it countless of times, playing it on my hand phone and laptop. Happy to say that I'm still not tired of it :) It just brings forth a calming effect. Christina Perri has such an angelic and beautiful voice. I also like her other song Jar of Hearts.

All in all, she is definitely a singer who is worth listening to ^^

Sasa Crease Brush

To be honest, a crease brush was not on my to-buy list. But when my sister told me about this affordable crease brush (RM 9.90) which she bought from Sasa, I was a wee bit tempted to get one for myself. She told me that it performed well enough for her. So I thought "Hey, why not?" and promptly got one for myself.

Sadly, I ended up being disappointed with this brush. Main reason? Well, the second I dragged it across my lid, I gave a howl of pain. Some of the brush bristles were simply too coarse! I tried mending the problem by cutting off some of the annoyingly hard bristles. Epic fail :( There were simply too many of them! 

When I screeched my dissatisfaction at my sister, she nonchalantly told me bad apples sometimes appear among relatively good products. Which is true actually. It was merely a stroke of bad luck that I got this skin-marring brush. Sasa products are generally alright. I got an angle brush from Sasa and it worked just fine.

This brush now lies unused in one of the compartments where I store my makeup. So the search for a new crease brush has begun...

The Hobbit ♥

The Hobbit movie is coming out *cue hysterical scream* I'm a Lord of the Rings fanatic, a huge fan of J.R.R. Tolkien. So I guess you can see why I'm hyperventilating now :) This movie is directed by the great Peter Jackson who directed the other LOTR movies. He knows the LOTR concept better than anyone else!

Martin Freeman plays the role of Bilbo Baggins while Richard Armitage plays Thorin Oakenshield. Other familiar LOTR actors who reprise their roles include Ian McKellan, Andy Serkis, Cate Blanchett and Hugo Weaving. 

The soundtrack alone gave me goosebumps! So nostalgic... I have already read the book and I must say that it is awesome. Can't wait for the movie!

L'OREAL Hydrafresh Anti-Shine Icy Gel

Okay, let's face it. Oily and cracked skin on the face is utterly horrible! At times, my skin would crack around my nose and mouth. This usually happens when I don't drink enough water or when the weather gets too hot. And believe me, it ain't pretty. Did I mentioned that I dislike my shiny skin as well? Oil blotting papers have been a life-saver...

Over the past years, I have been searching for the perfect yet affordable moisturizer. Most didn't work for me. Some even broke me out :( So I was really thankful when I found the L'OREAL Hydrafresh Anti-Shine Icy Gel.

The description of the product says:

"For the first time, L'OREAL Skincare Laboratories formulated Deep Marine Source Water naturally enriched in purifying minerals to clear your skin from shininess and durably supply it with hydration"

This product really did mattify my skin by absorbing the excessive sebum. It kept my skin matte for a good few hours. It also kept my skin hydrated and thus, prevented me from becoming crackzilla. The gel is rather light in texture. It absorbs quickly into the skin and leaves it refreshed and matte. It is also non-sticky which I love. Greasy and sticky creams are a big no-no for me!

What I also like about this product is that it gives a wonderful splash of freshness when applied on. It really has a cooling effect. The icy gel is also fragrant, which is a plus point. Its fragrance is light, not the heavy overwhelming kind which leaves your head spinning. 

I feel that this product is reasonably priced at RM24.90. Thanks to all its positive effects, this Hydrafresh Anti-Shine Icy Gel is now my primary moisturizer ^^

Nikita

I had just about ran out of TV series to watch when I stumbled upon Nikita. Honestly, I didn't know much about it. All I knew was that Maggie Q was the lead actress. But boy am I glad that I started watching. Nikita is an absolute delight to watch.

Basically, the series centers on a secret government-funded organization which is known as Division. Division recruits troubled youngsters and molds them into efficient spies and assassins. This organization, however, isn't all goody goody. Division has broken away from the government and now performs operations for their own gains. They ruthlessly eliminate and destroy people who stand in their way. 

Nikita (Maggie Q) is a Division agent who has gone rogue after her fiance was murdered by Division. Her ultimate mission is to bring Division down. She then trains a girl, Alex (Lyndsy Fonseca), who becomes a recruit inside Division. Alex subsequently works as a mole for her mentor. And then there's Michael (Shane West), a Division operative who trained Nikita. He wants to capture Nikita but his feelings for her often leaves him torn in two.

Nikita is filled with action and nail-biting scenes. There are times where you think that Alex would be found out by Division. There are loads of gun fighting scenes as well. The weapons used in this series are pretty impressive. Maggie Q totally rocks when she is firing one of her countless cool guns. What's more, she looks hot in practically every scene. 

Tough as she is, Nikita occasionally shows her vulnerable side. This is especially so when it comes to her deceased fiance. Her protectiveness and concern for Alex is also touching. I think that her softer emotions actually humanizes her tough chick character.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that there's something going on with Nikita and Michael. They really do share a great chemistry. Shane West has this growly but utterly sexy voice. He frowns most of the time as Michael. However, that certainly doesn't stop him from looking handsome!

Lyndsy Fonseca effectively portrays Alex. I was gobsmacked when I realized that she played Ted's daughter in How I Met Your Mother. She seemed so different back then! 

In my opinion, Nikita is definitely a series worth watching. I can't wait to watch Season 2! :)

Maybeline Diamond Glow Eyeshadow Quad

I'm obsessed with warm and golden earth-toned eyeshadows. Brown, taupe, bronze, copper...I love them all! So when I saw the Maybeline Diamond Glow eyeshadow quad in Copper Brown, it beckoned to me immediately.  I swear, the quad was squealing "Buy me! Buy me!" at me! So I got it :)

Just look at those shimmering brown tones! They are really pretty, aren't they? I'm a sucker for glittery eyeshadows so that of course added to my reasons as to why I had to buy it. This quad is priced at RM23.90. Here are some swatches:

The pigmentation and texture of the eyeshadows are good. My favourite is the third color from the left. It is such a beautiful and rich coppery color. I think that this quad will make a fabulous daytime look.

The best thing about Maybeline is that its prices are affordable and its products are of good quality. For those who can't really afford high-end makeup all time (like me), it is a great alternative. In fact, Maybeline is my utmost favourite drugstore brand ♥