M.A.C Bomshell Lipstick

Here's yours truly's latest obsession.

That's right, I'm talking about the M.A.C Bomshell lipstick that I won in a contest. I wasn't disappointed. It is freaking gorgeous!

Bombshell is beautiful frosty pink shade. I totally fell in love with its golden shimmery hue. The texture is smooth and applies on well.  But like most M.A.C lipsticks, it does not last very long. It lasts about 3 hours at most, lesser if you eat and drink.

Still, its flaw doesn't diminish my love for this lipstick. I don't mind reapplying it as it is now my perfect shade of pink  

I have always stuck to nude pink colors. But Bombshell has really increased my interest in brighter pinks. I will be more adventurous in choosing my pinks next time ♥

Cheetos Craziness

What do you do when your final exams are over? In my case, it is movie time!!! My sister, cousin and I decided to have a the Lord of the Rings movie marathon. No other movie can ever beat this movie. I mean, I don't get bored of it even after watching it several times. LOTR is the greatest movie ever! 

Now we all know that watching movies are made better with the presence of snacks :) So we got ourselves Cheetos!

 

Cheetos is really more expensive as compared to our local snacks due to the fact that it is imported. But hey, it is great to have something different once in a while. We only bought one packet as it is HUGE! It is enough to be shared among three people. 

The Cheetos that we bought came in the form of mouth-watering large twisted puffs. I can't adequately describe how delicious they are! For a cheese lover like me, it tastes like heaven. It is slightly salty and soooo cheesy that I savoured every bite! Every crunch of the twisted puffs brought satisfaction. If you're a cheese person like me, then Cheetos is definitely for you.

We intended to watch ALL three of the Lord of the Rings movies but only managed to watched finish The Fellowship of the Ring and half of The Two Towers. You see, we started watching at 11pm and by the time we reached the second half of The Two Towers, we could barely keep our eyes open. It was already close to 5am at that time.

So we called it a day and went to bed. Perfect movie and perfect snack together with awesome people. What more can I ask for? :)

Prometheus

Freedom never tasted sooooo good! My final exams are finally OVER :) After slaving for weeks with my nose buried in notes and books, it's utterly refreshing to be able to do whatever I want again. I celebrated my long-missed freedom by going shopping (I know, typical right??). The shopping trip was further made perfect with the movie Prometheus.

My interest of this movie was piqued when I knew that it actually shows the origins of the aliens in the famous Alien movies. PLUS, Michael Fassbender is acting in this movie. I first knew him through X-Men First Class where he played Magneto. 

I personally think that he looks better as Magneto. He is blonde in Prometheus. 

Doesn't really suit him, no? He looks better with dark hair. Not that I'm crazy about this dude, I'm loyal to my Chris Hemsworth! My sister, however, calls Michael her hubs!

Okay, so Prometheus is about a team of explorers who journey to another planet to discover the origins of mankind. But their initial euphoria of finding life there turns to horror when they find out that there's a plan to wipe out the human race. You get to see the typical gruesomeness of humans being attacked and killed by the aliens. I jumped and flinched several times during the movie. So do prepare yourselves for some shocks and gory scenes if you watch it.

The movie was nice. Interesting even.You should all the more watch it if you're a fan of the Alien movies. You get to see how the disgusting and creepy aliens came into being.

But there were quite a few holes that remained unexplained in the movie which left me confused. For example, it is not clarified why the humanoid aliens, who supposedly created mankind, wanted to destroy the human race. I was a tad disappointed as I really wanted to know why.

On the whole, Prometheus is fine. It is worth watching :)

On a more random note, I discovered a Korean makeup store called Holika Holika in the shopping mall. 

 

I must say that I was absolutely mesmerized by the creativity of the makeup packaging. The quality of the makeup seems fab as well. Too bad I was too broke to get anything :( :( :( Oh well...there's always next time...

Etude House Pudding Dia Eyeshadow

I can never say no when it comes to glitter. This is especially so when it comes to shimmery makeup. Thus, the glitter magpie in me was instantly smitten when I saw the Pudding Dia Eyeshadow in Etude House. This product comes in five sweet shades:

I got the pink one since I love the color so much!

Its texture is unlike those of other cream eyeshadows that I have seen. This pudding-ish cream eyeshadow has a texture which I will describe as spongy. What I like about it is that the glitter is very fine. Chunky glitter can look rather tacky sometimes :/ 

For this product, you only need a small amount to achieve that gorgeous shimmery effect on your eyelids. So this product would actually last you a long time.

Still, this cream eyeshadow has a flaw. That is, you need to build up the color. One swipe of it will only give you a shimmery silver color. You need to layer it on before you can see the pink.

You can, however, solve this problem by applying a pink eyeshadow as a base first before putting this product on. That would give you a pretty sparkly pink color.

Despite its flaw, I still love this pudding eyeshadow as it gives my eyes the glittery look which I like!

Clinique Long-Lasting Glosswear

I wasn't planning on getting any makeup products during my trip to China. But when was I browsing around the Clinique counter in the airport, SOMETHING caught my eye. 

Five sample-sized Clinique Long-Lasting lip glosses which are perfect for travel. I simply couldn't stop staring at them. I mean, they are soooo pretty! Did I mention that I love the colors offered as well? So I told myself that it was fate and got them!

From left: Goldspun ,Guavagold, Cabana Crush, Bonfire, Knockout Nude

Goldspun is a nude color. It doesn't really give color. It's more like a clear gloss. Guavagold is a peachy-pink color. I use it when I want a sheer tint of color on my lips. Cabana Crush is a hot pink which I really adore. It adds such a vibrant burst of color to my lips, love it! Bonfire is a darker shade of red, perfect if you want to go for a more sophisticated look.Knockout Nude has an earthy-brown nudish tone. It looks rather dark in the tube but it is sheerer than it appears when applied on the lips.

These lip glosses have teeny tiny flexes of golden glitter in them. No chunky or rough glitter that makes your lips look over-glittery! Definitely a plus point ^^

I must say that I don't regret buying them. As the name indicates, they are really long-lasting. They stay put even after eating and drinking. And they have SPF 15 too, which further justifies my purchase :)

The only weakness of these lip-glosses is their stickiness. They really are a bit sticky. But other than that, they are great!

The Good and The Bad

The Good

1. The awesome people around me: The caring mother, the fabulous twin sister, the hilarious cousin sister, the loving boyfriend, the wacky BFF and the warm course mates.

2. Upcoming movie marathon (Gonna watch 3 movies straight: The Hunger Games, Mirror Mirror and We Not Naughty)

3. New books to devour (Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami and a card making book)

4. A new M.A.C lipstick (It was free! Nuff said!)

The Bad

1. Piles upon piles of assignments to complete (it is really endless!)

2. The horrible 36°C weather (it is making me sluggish and turning my brain into an unproductive mush)

Yours truly shall end this post with a quote: Better to light a candle than curse the darkness :)

Three Idiots movie

Bollywood films are part of my childhood. I remember sitting in front of the TV for for three hours, absorbing the Hindi dance, songs and of course the dramatic-ness of it. My favourite so far was Koi...Mil Gaya, a Bollywood version of ET. 

But that movie was immediately shoved to second place when I watched the 2009 Three Idiots movie recently. 

There's only one adjective that can sufficiently describe this movie: AWESOME! It is one of those movies that are filled with positive messages. It is hilarious, heart-warming and touching at the same time. One minute you're laughing your head off, the next you're grabbing tissues and ferociously wiping off your tears.  

This movie tells the story of Rancho, Farhan and Raju, three engineering students who share a room in the Imperial College of Engineering. 

Rancho, played by Aamir Kahn, is the lead actor. His character is absolutely delightful in a sense that he is always optimistic. I particularly love his favourite quote "Aal izz well" (all is well). In fact, the essence of the movie is about how Rancho greatly influenced his two other not-so-positive friends, Farhan and Raju. 

The message of the movie is really true: we should always be optimistic and look at the bright side of life.

No Bollywood movie is complete without a pretty female character. In this case, it is Kareena Kapoor who plays Pia, Rancho's love interest.

Of course, you have the crazy characters as well. There's the annoying know-it-all Chatur, also known as Silencer, who lets out the most horrific and smelly farts. The fact that the words "GAS CHAMBER" are sprayed on his room door says it all. Yeah, that's how bad his farts are!

And you also have the no-nonsense and unforgiving college dean Professor Viru, whom the students nicknamed Virus. He is a real meanie who is the cause of the sufferings of many students.

This movie also addresses some serious issues such as suicide. It also touches on how some students are forced to follow their parents' dreams for them instead of their own. The movie effectively highlights and promotes awareness on these issues.

To add to the praises of this movie, it won six Filmfare Awards, including best film and best director, ten Star Screen Awards and sixteen IIFA Awards. Did I mention that I love the soundtracks as well?

All in all, Three Idiots is splendid. It is a wonderful blend of comedy and heavier issues. Definitely worth watching :)

Winning M.A.C Bombshell Lipstick

I. Won. It. I can't believe I actually won a free M.A.C Bombshell lipstick! 

Bombshell is described as "a medium, frosty pink shade with gold and pink shimmer." The absolutely gorgeous description alone left me clawing for it desperately... 

My luck is usually pretty bad when it comes to contests. So I was greatly and pleasantly surprised when I won ^_^

This is all thanks to the Malaysia Make-Up Addicts' Organization (MMAO). The wonderful people of this organization hold fun contests and give out awesome prizes! I joined one contest and voilà, I won Bombshell *gleeful scream* 

Do go and like their Facebook page (key in MMAO). This organization is definitely for you if you're a makeup addict!

MMAO is going to post this lipstick to me. I can't wait for it to arrive. I'm already counting down the days...

Dark Under-Eye Circles

Nobody wants to look like a panda...

Okay, don't get me wrong. Pandas are super adorable creatures, especially the baby ones. What I am focusing on here is dark circles. I have horrible dark circles which is a real pain in the butt because they make me look exhausted all the time. Worse still, they are extremely difficult to get rid of.

Thank goodness that dark circles can be concealed with makeup. Concealers are really a life-saver! Otherwise, I would be walking around looking so freaking sleep-deprived, probably zombie-like...

When choosing a concealer, you should select a color that is a shade lighter than your normal color if your dark circles are blue-black. If you suffer from puffiness as well, choose a shade darker than your typical color. 

However, you shouldn't layer on too much concealer to hide dark circles. It would backfire because the cakey-ness would draw attention to the skin under your eyes. It will scream "HEY, look at my awful dark circles!!!" Definitely a no-no... so use a light touch when you're applying the concealer.

In my case, I use my trusted SkinFood Salmon Dark Circle Concealer Cream.

This cream concealer is absolutely amazing! It spreads easily and does not leave streaky marks once blended well. I usually apply it on with my fingers. It stays on long enough once you set it with powder. What's more, it lasts a long time since you only need a little of it to conceal your dark circles. 

Needless to say, concealer is the one makeup product that I cannot live without :)

My Boss, My Hero

Have you ever watched a TV series that made you laugh so hard that you actually cried? Well, I had that experience when I watched My Boss, My Hero.

It is a Japanese comedy which consists of only ten episodes. The story is about Sakaki Makio, a 27-year-old high school dropout who is next in line to be the yakuza (gangster) boss. 

Makio is pretty good when it comes to fighting and gambling. But in terms of academic standards, he is unbelievably dumb. So his dad forces him back to high school and threatens that he would not make Makio the next boss if he doesn't graduate. His days in high school make him realize school is not all about tests and studying. It is in school that he realizes the true meaning of friendship and hard work.

This is seriously the best and funniest Japanese TV series I have ever seen! Each episode had me in fits of laughter. Nagase Tomoya, the actor who plays Sakaki Makio, is an ace at producing the most ridiculous and legendary expressions. Here are some of his most epic ones:

And here's my utmost favourite:

Crazy, right? It's also real fun to watch the yakuza talk.They always have this invade-your-personal-space tendency and contorted expressions. Makio's suboridinate, Kazu, is also awesome at making fierce yet comical yakuza expressions...

The way Makio threatens and roars into Kazu's face is just nuts! It's crazily funny and exaggerated!

If you haven't watched it, you must check this one out :) It is extremely hilarious and heart-warming at the same time. Definitely a must-watch!

Clamoring for Etude House Missing U Lip Balms

I. Want. These.

Aren't they adorable??? These are the Etude House Missing U Lip Balms. They come in Harp Seal Grapefruit, Panda Peach, Pink Dolphin Cherry and Fairy Penguin Green Apple. 

So far, the reviews I have read about these products have been positive. So...yay! How I am to say no to a good lip balm right? I mean, they play such an important role in moisturizing the lips. Otherwise, Crackzilla would make a grand appearance...

Honestly, it was love at the first sight. I wanted them the moment I saw these lip balms! I plan to get them when I go to Korea as I was told that I could get them cheaper there :) At the moment, I'm targeting Harp Seal Grapefruit and Pink Dolphin Cherry. Hopefully these babies would be mine soon! 

Do you have these adorable lip balms? If so, what do you think of them? 

Exhausted

Life is tough sometimes :( Just when you thought everything is going to be okay, a mega bomb is dropped. And then you find yourself back at miserable square one. Oh well...

Acuvue Contact Lenses

I love wearing contact lenses. There was a period of time when I absolutely adore wearing colored ones which made my eyes appear bigger. I typically wore those by FreshKon, favouring the Sparklers shimmering grey and brilliant brown. 

Unfortunately, most of the contact lenses (including FreshKon) I wore often left my eyes dry and rather bloodshot. I guess my eyes are pretty sensitive :( I was mourning the fact that perhaps contact lenses and I were not meant to be...until I found Acuvue contact lenses.

I got a box for RM45. There are three pair of contact lenses in one box. Each pair lasts for a month.

These contact lenses are extremely comfortable to wear! They do NOT dry my eyes out like other contact lenses. It feels as though I'm not wearing them at all. I have tried wearing them for seven hours straight and still they did not irritate my eyes. Now that is really impressive! When wearing other contact lenses, my eyes typically get irritated after a mere 2 hours or so.

So I guess contact lenses and I are meant to be after all, thanks to Acuvue ^^

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! :)