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 ♥

Anna Sui Advertisements

We all know that advertisements play an essential role of promoting a product. They attract potential customers and wickedly tempt them to purchase the products. I wouldn't buy a product if its ad is crappy. After all, ads give consumers a very crucial first impression.

Okay back to the topic. I have always been fascinated by Anna Sui ads. Every time I flip through a fashion magazine, my eyes are inevitably drawn towards them. These ads are so vibrant, colorful and fantasy-like! Here are some examples of Anna Sui makeup ads:

Famous English model, Agyness Deyn, is a typical face on Anna Sui ads. With her blonde locks and piercing blue eyes, she stands out naturally. She looks absolutely fabulous in each ad of course!

What I really love are Anna Sui perfume ads. I prefer them over the makeup ads. Anna Sui totally nails it when it comes to advertising her perfumes. She constantly manages to produce such beautiful and eye-catching ads. I'm always riveted whenever I see them. Here are some examples:

I simply can't get enough of this gorgeous Secret Wish perfume ad. It gives off great fantasy vibes. Whenever I look at it, I feel like I'm whisked away to Fairyland! The pastel colors used also makes the ad a pleasure to look at. I'm just so in love with it!

Here's Agyness Deyn again. Once more, she looks totally chic. I love that the rocker chick look is fused with a hint of femininity, thanks to the purplish-pink hues and pretty butterflies. On the contrary, the other version of the ad emits waves of pure sweetness. It's so girly and innocent.

This Forbidden Affair ad is one of my favourites. The name itself is so catchy! I adore the packaging of this perfume as well. It is classy and creative. This ad exudes a wonderful magical feel. It is just so dreamy and princessy. The ad really creates the mood of a scandalous forbidden affair. 

I was really captivated when I saw this ad. Instantly, a magic carpet and picturesque Arabian night scenery flashed through my mind. The model in this ad looks stunning. Her whole look really captures the essence of the Night of Fancy perfume. I especially love the peacock embroidered on her headdress.

In short, Anna Sui rocks when it comes to advertisements. One word fittingly describes her ads: Fantabulous!

Rocky Road Ice-Cream

Ice-cream is one of my favourite indulgences, aside from chocolate of course :) I can never say no to vanilla, chocolate and caramel flavoured ones. As for Cookies n Cream ice-cream, I won't even hesitate to gobble it down! It is my absolute favourite of all!

So I hung out with my friends one day and we went to an ice-cream shop called The Cream & Fudge Factory. The wide array of yummy-licious flavours displayed before me left my jaw hanging. After much debating, we finally chose the Rocky Road ice-cream.

And boy am I glad that we chose that one! I mean, look at the chocolate syrup, nuts and marshmallows ♥ It is so mouth-watering, no? It was heavenly of course. Unlike some ice-creams which taste bland, this ice-cream is freaking rich and creamy. 

A one scoop creation costs about Rm12.90.  My friends and I ordered the double scoop which is priced at RM18.90.

As I dug into the amazingly delicious dessert, I was reminded once again why I loved ice-cream. It brings joy and comfort. Enough said :)

Book Haul

I LOVE books. So you can probably imagine my reaction when I heard about The Big Bad Wolf book sale. The most expensive books there were a mere RM25. The lowest was RM3 (for manga). I could practically feel myself hyperventilating. Is it normal to be this excited about books? Crazy I know. So anyway, this event was held in MAEPS (Malaysia Agro Exposition Park) in Serdang. 

The moment I got there, I was greeted by the sight of many people lugging big bags of books away. Some of them even had huge trolleys! Honestly, I immediately felt anxious because that meant that more good books were gone. So I rushed like a zealous, mad girl into the hall. Once there, I was stunned. There were soooo many books in the big hall. Books, books, books everywhere.

After spending a few good hours there, yours truly returned with four books. Now I don't usually buy books for myself because of their usual high prices. I typically resort to going to the library. Needless to say, I was totally ecstatic about my book haul. Here are the books which I got:

This book was recommended to me by my cousin sister. I have always been fascinated by the Egyptian culture. The royal tombs, mummies, pyramids...they all leave me in awe. So yeah, I bought this book because it is set in Egypt. It was priced at a mere RM10! What's more, there are two stories in this book! So how could possibly I say no to this?

The second book (also RM10) which I got was by Sabine Dardenne. She is one courageous girl. For those of you who didn't know, Sabine was kidnapped by a notorious paedophile at the age of twelve. Her ordeal in the serial killer's basement lasted 80 long days. This books recounts her harrowing experience. It is truly an inspiring tale about courage and survival. 

The third book that I got was a RM8 romance novel. I have read Jane Feather's novels before and they impressed me. She is talented in creating tender love stories and charming her readers with her captivating characters. Unlike many other romance novels which are normally set in England, this books is set in Granada, Spain. The different setting caught my attention and it added another reason to why I should get the book. 

Of all the four books that I bought, this is the one which I'm most excited about. It cost RM10. Although I didn't go to art classes, I have always loved art - drawing, making cards - they all give me a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction. This book is a guide on how to make fabulous greeting cards for your girl friends. I was really amazed by the creativity of the designs in the book. Here are some snapshots of it:

I wanted to get a book on beauty and cosmetics but there seemed to be very limited choice. It probably had to do with the fact that I went there a week after The Big Bad Wolf sale started (I had classes and Serdang is quite far from where I live). The good books were already taken by others :( Oh well...I guess there's always next time.

I'm so glad that The Big Bad Wolf is an annual event. I will definitely go back for more next year :)

Etude House Proof 10 Jewelry Pencil

I have been on a never-ending quest in search of THE perfect blue eyeliner. I wanted a bright shimmery blue but the ones that I found were dark and dull. So I went to my trusty favorite Etude House to browse around. And voila! I found IT! It is called the Proof 10 Jewelry Pencil. Aptly named, I must say!

The packaging itself is so cool! It's all colorful and chic, which was what attracted me in the first place. Packaging is very important, no? 

It is such a gorgeous shade of shimmery blue! I knew I had to have it when I saw it. It was one of those rare moments where you know the product was made for you! It was reasonably priced as well -- RM 21.90. So here's how the eyeliner looks like:

What's more, this eyeliner actually came with a mini sharpener. It is located at the end of the eyeliner. I think it is a fab concept, especially for those who need to sharpen their eyeliners.

This wonderful eyeliner does not crease even after a long time. It's texture is a little chunky but all you have to do is blend it after applying. This will smooth out the rough texture. 

All in all, this awesome eyeliner is a worthy buy!

♥ Cheer Up ♥

It is impossible to be happy all the time. There are bound to be moments where the weight of the world seems to be on your shoulders. You'll start to feel pretty miserable.

Whenever this happens, you definitely have to find ways to cheer yourself up. If not, you'll turn into a sad blob that emits waves of depression. Here are several ways I use to eliminate sadness.

1. Pour my sorrows to my twin sister

Never bottle up the negative emotions you're feeling. It will accumulate and one day you'll reaching a breaking point. No good comes out of that, right? Tell a close friend or family member about your problems. You'll usually feel relieved after pouring everything out. In my case, I tell my twin Ann, everything. I can always rely on her to make me feel tonnes better. She is my ultimate remedy of sadness ^^ Another special person who can drag me out of my moodiness is my cousin sister. We practically grew up together. Hysterical laughter and fun times are never lacking whenever I'm with Ann and my cousin sister.
 
2. Think of my wonderful extended family and friends

Whenever I feel down, I think of the sweet and funny memories I have with my family and friends. I have a large extended family and I'm proud to say that they are absolutely hilarious! Their antics alone have left me in fits of laughter. Looking back at these wonderful memories (family trips) certainly helps cheer up me. My friends play a part too. Just talking or chatting to them makes me happier. 

3. Watch a movie/series

Movies are a remedy for me as well. There are a few movies which crack me up no matter how many times I watch them. These include Bedazzled and the Ice Age movies. Bedazzled came out in 2000, starring Brendan Fraser and Elizabeth Hurley. This movie is uber funny and never fails to make me laugh. As for TV series, I'm really into How I Met Your Mother and The Big Bang Theory. These shows make me laugh loads and that's good because laughing naturally makes you less unhappy.

4. Shopping

Okay, so retail therapy is not really the best way but it works for me :) It is absurd how I can cheer up after getting some stuff, especially clothes and makeup (I'm borderline obsessed with cosmetics)! Of course, I refrain from overspending. Otherwise, I would end up eating plain porridge everyday to cope with my overwhelming expenses.

5. Food

Ah, the wonders of food. Cheese, chocolates, pizza, cakes...they all do the trick for me. There was one particular day where I was feeling utterly stressed out by the amount of assignments I had. My sister, cousin sister and I ended up buying a tub of Baskin Robbins Hokey Pokey ice-cream to share. It immediately made us feel better. I don't know...there's something about eating ice-cream that cheers you up :) But remember, you should not go on a binging spree and overeat.

6. Listen to songs

The right songs can really lift your spirits sometimes. I have several songs which I categorize as "happy songs". They include Katy Perry's Last Friday Night (check out her music video if you haven't, it's freaking hilarious) and Avril Lavigne's What the Hell. Whenever I feel blue, I will crank these songs up and relax. The upbeat music really does make me happier. 

Being stuck in the blue is not appealing at all. So it is best if you can find specific ways to cheer yourself up. Life's like ice-cream, so enjoy it before it melts!

Gorgeous Coach Bags

Whenever I pass by a Coach outlet, I will stop and stare at the bags on display. Then I will tell myself that one day, I WILL get my very own collection of Coach bags! Yes, I'm a big fan of Coach. Sadly, my current financial status does not allow me to indulge in these bags (I'm still studying >.< ). Boo hoo! But that doesn't mean that I can't drool over the stunning bags, right?

I'm especially fascinated by the Coach Poppy collection. The bags are just so pretty! Here are some which I like:

Coach Poppy Floral Graffiti Bella Tote

I absolutely LOVE this one! Its design is uber unique. When I think of graffiti, "fabulous" doesn't come into my mind. But this bag has defied all odds and proved itself to be nothing short of gorgeous. It definitely has that 'oomph' factor! It also gives me a modern chic feel.

Coach New Poppy Canvas Butterfly Glam Tote

For this bag, it was the butterfly applique which caught my eye. I was instantly mesmerized by it. The colorful butterfly made a huge difference. It made the otherwise plain bag vibrant and youthful. 

Okay, the color of this bag played a major role in making me drool over it. Pink! Enough said :) I adore the design as well. There's nothing more girly than pink color and hearts! This bag is indeed the epitome of femininity.

Here's another one which I like. The bright and cheery colors on this bag makes me happy ^^ Yes, I know I'm hopeless when it comes to bags. But hey, you can't blame me. Bags are totally my thing!

Other than the Poppy collection, Coach has some other really nice bags. One thing I love about Coach is their creative designs.

This beach collection Coach bag makes me want to go to the beach. It strikes me as a casual sort of bag. I can certainly imagine myself carrying it around. The illustration on the bag shows that simplicity goes a long way sometimes. Simple but lovely ♥

Okay, so I'm head over heels in love with Coach bags. Someday I WILL get these bags. Someday...

Chris Hemsworth Mania

I can't wait for the Avengers movie. Here's my reason:

Chris Hemsworth is smoking hawt! He makes a great Thor, no? I think he looks even hotter with longer hair. Look at his adorable smile! *nose bleeds*

M.A.C Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation

Every gal has a particular beauty aspect that she is obsessed about. In my case, it is powder and foundation. If I were to pick only one beauty product, it would be my powder no doubt. I tend to stay away from liquid foundations since I have oily skin. I tried it once and it didn't end well :( 

I was satisfied with my Maybeline Angelfit Two-Way Cake Foundation. But then one day, I discovered that the shade I chose somehow didn't match my skin tone any more! The only reasonable explanation that I managed to find was that I must have gotten fairer recently. Staying away from the sun surely played in part in that.

Naturally, I was horrified beyond measure. How was I going to head out with a foundation that made my face and neck look as if they were two separate entities? So I took the easy way out. I got myself a new powder foundation: M.A.C Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation. I got the NC25 shade.

It has a sleek black packaging which I adore. That's not all. This baby comes in two layers. The first layer is the powder and the second layer holds the sponge provided. I don't use the sponge though. I prefer using a brush to apply my powder.

Its description says:

A one-step application of foundation and powder. Gives skin a smooth, flawless, all-matte, full-coverage finish. Long-wearing: last up to eight hours.

My verdict? It is aptly described! This powder plus foundation is really long-lasting. I put it on early in the morning for class, return home at around 6pm and it's still there. It also does not crease on my oil skin. A great plus point! It applies on smoothly and gives a satisfying matte finish, as claimed by M.A.C. More importantly, it doesn't break me out. 

What more could I ask for?

Noodle Cravings

I was looking through some pictures of mine when I saw this:

Instantly, my stomach gave an almighty rumble. Just looking at it makes my mouth water! I'm a noodles person all the way. I love noodles more than rice in fact :) 

Okay, back to this bowl of yummy goodness. I ate it in a shop called Face to Face Noodle House.  If I'm not wrong, it is called House Specialty Hot and Spicy Pan Mee. It is priced at RM5.60. 

Basically, you'll get a bowl of noodles as shown in the picture above and you can mix in other ingredients such as dried chili and sambal. The combination is absolutely smashing! Needless to say, I gobbled it down with much relish.

I went to this shop when I was in my previous university. In my current location, I have yet to find another Face to Face Noodle House outlet :( 

So the search for my perfect bowl of noodles continues...

Graduation Day

9/9/2011 will stay in my heart forever.

It was my graduation day. My parents and wacky relatives attended my convocation. Their presence made this special day all the more meaningful. The more the merrier indeed!

I experienced so many emotions on this day - happiness, pride, satisfaction. But the ultimate fulfillment was seeing my parents' and relatives' big smiles. They are really proud of me and knowing that makes all my effort worthwhile!

I received my Bachelor Degree's scroll from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. Yours truly nearly had a coronary when I realized that he was the guest of honour! I didn't know that he was attending the convocation. 

All in all, my graduation day was exciting, chaotic and nerve-wrecking.

It was, in other words, perfect ♥

Song of the Moment - Iridescent

After watching Transformers: Dark of the Moon (love Bumblebee by the way), I couldn't help but be captivated by its theme song which was sung by Linkin Park. Yes people, I'm talking about Iridescent. 

I have always been fascinated by Chester's ability to scream as he sings. He does it so well! No doubt he is one talented guy. Mike Shinoda is awesome too :)

I'm not as crazy about them as I was before. But I do still listen to some of their songs. I particularly liked their song New Divide which was the soundtrack for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. 

In Iridescent, however, there's not much screaming involved. Instead, it is soothing and really quite wonderful. The music video is eerily fabulous as well. Joe Hahn did a fantastic job of directing this music video :)

Here's a picture of Mike Shinoda on the set of their Iridescent video:

He looks so freaking cool, no? ♥

Tibi dress: Blake vs Taylor

I was browsing through a celebrity website when I saw this picture of Blake Lively and Taylor Swift.

Both Blake and Taylor wore similar Tibi dresses. Needless to say, they both look smashing in their prim, embroidered cap-sleeve frocks. Blake's dress is more of a cornflower blue while Taylor's dress is teal.

Blake went for a more sexy style. She paired the dress with fabulous Charlotte Olympia leopard pumps. Nothing adds more "oomph" than leopard prints! 

Taylor, on the other hand, was the epitome of sweet. She added a slim, metalic belt around her waist and wore muted heels accented with a bow.

Personally, I prefer Taylor's choice of style over Blake's. But one thing is for sure - The frocks complement their blue eyes and blond hair so well!

Etude House Pink Nail Polish ♥

I knew that I had to have this nail polish the moment I laid my eyes on it. Why? Well because it is such a gorgeous shimmery baby pink! And it was reasonably priced at RM5.90. My experience with Etude House nail polishes has assured me that it is of top quality. As you can see, I've already used some of it :)

This nail polish is the perfect glittery pink. It is kind of sheer and I had to apply three coats to get the opacity I wanted. But the result was bee-yoo-ti-ful! I absolutely love it.

What I like about this nail polish is that the glitter isn't chunky. The finished look is sleek and the texture is not bumpy. It also lasted for six whole days before it started to chip. Fab, ain't it? 

The only flaw - like all glittery nail polishes, it was a tad difficult to remove. Other than that, I can say that it is my current favorite nail polish! 

Celebrity Inspiration - Vanessa Hudgens

Okay, I admit that I'm not a big fan of Vanessa Hudgens. But what I do like about her is her superb fashion sense. This gal is known for her Bohemian style which I adore.

Her outfits are all casual but undeniably chic. I freaking love her grey fringe bag! It completes the Bohemian look. Needless to say, a fringe bag is on my to-buy list :)

Vanessa shines on red carpet events as well. Here are some of her fabulous dresses which caught my eye:

White tiered chiffon Jenny Packham dress with Diego Dolcini gold peep-toe pumps

Alberta Ferretti dress

Marc Bouwer mini dress

In a cute turquoise dress

Christian Dior mini dress

I totally fawned over her Jenny Packham and Alberta Ferretti outfits. Her Jenny Packham chiffon frock is delicate and sweet. Love her subtle makeup too! Her body-hugging Alberta Ferretti dress, on the other hand, is utterly glamorous. Perfect for a red carpet event.

I also like how Vanessa plays around with colors. Unlike some celebrities, she does not stick to the same boring colors when it comes to her dresses. This bold chick is willing to experiment with different shades of colors. Take her bright turquoise dress for example. 

All in all, Vanessa is the epitome of fabulousity when is comes to fashion!