Recent Acquisitions: Kate Gel Liner & Brush



Rotate me!

I’m a n00b with a Blackberry, which means my pictures are never the right side up!

Anyhoo, I just bought Kate Gel Eyeliner in BK-1 and its accompanying brush. Apparently the brush used to be included but the clever people there soon cottoned on that they could sell the brush separately and make more moolah. And so they did.

Since my MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack dried out (after a couple of years though – so mileage has been good. And now I’ve been using it sparingly to fill in my brows. The Blacktrack lives on…), I’ve been alternating between MAC’s Dipdown and Graphic Brown, both in the brown family. The latter is a favourite, has been discontinued (damn you MAC!).

Lately, I have been spending too much time at Watsons and Sasa (Oh shoosh, I was buying presents!) and decided to get these after a little bit of research online to replace the Blacktrack.

Review coming up!

Review: Essential Damage Care Rich Premier Intensive Hair Mask

I like prodz with long names.

I first learned of this product from Xiaxue‘s blog, aka my guilty pleasure in blog-form. Don’t judge me.

As you know, I am lazy. To the extent that I don’t even use hair conditioner anymore when I wash my hair these days. Criminal. But in my defense, my hair is pretty low maintenance – it is not overly dry/brittle and I don’t really suffer from oily scalp. Maybe flaky scalp now and again, but controllable with Neutrogena T-Gel (love!) shampoo. There is no shame in using anti-dandruff shampoo. Just sayin’.

The only quip is probably as my hair grew longer, I get the usual dry/split ends. That, and my love for the ever-trusty GHD (love you too, G!). Now, I hold no delusion that anything can mend split ends, because people, once your hair’s split, the only solution is a trim. Full stop. Period.

So I use this mask pretty much to make myself feel better about not conditioning my hair regularly.

Here’s the claim:

“Intensive care for severely damaged hair, without the heaviness.
Enriched with 3x more High Purity Honey and Milk Protein to protect and strengthen.
Shea Butter repairs and moisturizes
Gives untamable hair a smooth and manageable feel.”

Here’s what I think:

I don’t really follow the product direction, because I’m a rebel and likes to live on the edge. I use it as a pre-shampoo treatment, preventing my hair from being weighed down and becoming a greasepool.

I usually do this after I do my Body Attack class on the weekend. Before washing my hair, I dampen the ends and spread this mid-length to the ends. Hop in to the steam room to recover from the cardio-madness, and then skip into the shower & wash hair. Stick my tongue out at the conditioner. Rinse. Et voila!

Pros:

• Cheap and accessible. I think I paid about less than HK$70 from Park ‘n Shop. Also available at the usual suspects, SaSa, Bonjour, Mannings etc.
• Texture is thick, reminds me of honey butter (Mmm.. honey butter…Somebody pass me a warm brioche!). This is good because it clings to my hair better and won’t be a drippy slippery mess.
• Smells lovely, sort of honey, fruity, sweet smell. But not cloying. I’m pretty sensitive when it comes to fragrances and I hate sickly cloying smelling stuff. *gag*
• I actually like the fact that this doesn’t give my hair too much slip. You know, the kind that you associate with conditioner chock-full of silicones *cough*Pantene*cough*.
• Gives my hair a lovely ‘swish’ afterwards.

Cons:

• Comes in a tub. So annoying. Why can’t we do away with tub packaging? Srsly, people!
• The star ingredients are supposed to be honey and shea butter, but they came pretty low at the list of ingredients below. Dimethicone? 3rd from the list!

Ultimately, it is not a bad product and does the job. But don’t expect to pick up your jaw from the floor at the after effects.

Ingredients:
Water, Stearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Stearoxypropyl Dimethylamine, Dipropylene Glycol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate/Hexastearate/Hexarosinate, Benzyl Alcohol, PEG-34-Steareth-3, Fragrance, Hydrogenated Castor Oil Hydroxystearate, Amodimethicone, Lanolin Acid, PEG-45M, Toluene Sulfonic Acid, Bis-Methoxypropylamido Isodocosane, Bis-Isobutyl PEG-15/Amodimethicone Copolymer, Honey, Ceteareth-7, Alcohol, Ceteareth-25, Malic Acid, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Lactobacillus/Milk Ferment Filtrate, Butylene Glycol, Royal Jelly Extract, CI 77492, Caramel.

Smells like Christmas Spirit

I don’t know what it is about Christmas this time, but it felt special. Either that, or I am simply hormonal (and get super emo at the littlest thing). The bf will say it is the latter, to which I will say shut it.

This Sunday at church, they showed this ad from John Lewis during the service, which I thought was so touching and cute. I may or may not had the sniffles watching this.

I dare you to watch this and not feel like hugging someone afterwards.

It’s a crisis!

Christmas shopping. It will be the death of me – I am quite bad at buying gifts (GREAT at receiving though! lol..), so when it is time to buy for my family this year, headaches ensued. This Saturday, I managed to be quite productive, having purchased a gift for my brother and sister, J, all under two hours!

However, that wasn’t the point of this post. The point is… J had asked for some SK-II prodz, being a faithful user of that brand and all. Specifically, she had asked for the Facial Treatment Cleanser. So I went on a mission to find one – this is HK after all, skincare mecca. Correction – skincare mecca at cheaper prices!

After hitting the likes of Bonjour and Sasa to no avail, I went to Harvey Nichols – the grandaddy of luxury retailer in HK. The SK-II lady said, it is out of stock. The next day, I returned as surely they would’ve restocked by now. But NO, she clarified this time, saying it is out of stock, in HK! Apparently, there’s also a shortage in Japan, where SK-II is made. At this point, I sputtered – wow, some countries have a shortage of essential items like food, batteries, soy sauce – whatever. This time, it is a face wash!

J cried in despair on WhatsApp, because apparently, it is sold out in Australia as well. Seriously, is it THAT good? It is just a cleanser, people! It only stays on your face for a mere 10 seconds (or more if you’re very rigorous) and then get washed down the drain! I don’t know how much this costs, but knowing SK-II, it would be at the premium end.

Anyhoo, so I was curious and googled it. It gets a rating of 3.9 from MakeUpAlley with 106 reviewers. Apparently, it lathers a lot so you’d only need a tiny amount AND it does not leave your skin feeling tight. Mmm…*lots* of other cleansers do that. Not. Convinced! Pah!

So there ends my rant on expensive face wash.

On another note: I ended up purchasing some other SK-II pressies for J. With a couple of girlfriends in tow, after having some wine. Not a good idea apparently. I turned around after my purchase and found one of them plonked at Bobbi Brown counter having eye concealer slapped on. She came away with an eye balm, a corrector and concealer. Another one bought a Bobbi’s concealer brush. Another one had skin analysis done at Cle de Peau Beaute. God, the price of CdPB eyecream is enough to make my eyes water.

Meanwhile, I’ll just stick to the SK-II samples I scored, and you can bet I asked for lots of samples!

Hair-ccident!

WARNING: this is a super-long winded rant about hair, so adjust expectation accordingly.

You might have noticed from my last post that I have chopped off my long hair. Thanks to a heinous hairdresser *sniff*. This is the story (cue Law & Order’s “doink doink”)

First of all, serves me right for being a cheap-ass and being lured in by this deal on Jigocity. For a measly HK$88 (about AU 10+), you’d get a treatment and a haircut from Unique Aveda in Causeway Bay. The cheapskate in me did a fistpump at this point.

I first bought this deal earlier in the year and had a pretty ok experience. The whole process took a ass-numbing 3 hours in total (when it should’ve been 2 hours MAX), but the result was not too shabby. Mind you, my hair was still long at that point and so any flaws were easier to hide. I was assigned a stylist by the name of Taky (the guy in the 3rd pic on the Jigocity page). All was cool.

So when this deal resurfaced again a couple of months back, I took it up. But on my visit, they had mistakenly booked me in for the week after. And so it got worse from here.

After the receptionist called the higher powers of Unique Aveda and after about 5 – 10 minutes (I didn’t realise my situation took so long to explain!), they decided I could have the haircut there and then. I was assigned a stylist by the name of Kenji. Mark this name, ladies and gents, I am seething with fury as I type this idiot’s name.

Why, you ask? Well, I had asked to chop about 5cm of my hair. He then proceeded to tell me I’d be better off having it shorter to give a “stronger”look. Why I decided to trust him and say yes is beyond me. I must be off my rockers that day.

At the end, he cut my hair shorter than what we agreed on and I told him so. When he asked how it was, I said it was “ok”. Which is true, it wasn’t anything mindblowing, if anything I looked like I have an 80′s style bouffant-bob.

At this point, he was a little indignant/insulted/whatever. “Just ok? It’s great!” blablablabla…
WTH, this guy is delusional (with manners of a jackass). But I refused to give him the satisfaction and just smiled politely and left.

When I got home, I realised the atrocity that was my hair. It was uneven! The layers were all over the place, the ones on the left side were shorter than the right. Fury began to build up and I called them up and Taky agreed to fix it up the next day.

Did he? I guess he did what he could. And he told me as he was fixing my hair, he wasn’t sure whether it was Kenji’s fault or my previous hairdresser’s fault, but the left side was too short so nothing can be done except to grow it up.

Aha – I told him, it had to be that fugface Kenji because YOU cut my hair before that. Checkmate.

Oh yeah, I complained to Jigocity as well, to which they responded promptly. But did they do anything constructive? Not really. They went to find out what happened, but then never followed up again with me. *shrug*

Fast forward to this week. I went to another stylist on the recommendation of a girlfriend. I told him about the drama, and he was in disbelief when I said they’d fixed it. Well, apparently not, then! Because of the shorter layers on my left, I’ve been walking around for months with a left-sided bob!
Again, nothing can be done except to wait for another couple of months and trim again.

Boys and girls, sorry for the long-winded WHINGE about this. I do realise hair is just hair, it’ll grow back and it is not the end of the world. It is trivial, and yet this continued to annoy the heck out of me. Clearly, I do not have a problem letting go.

The moral of the story is:
1. Don’t trust hairdressers unless they came highly recommended or have strong cred. For the love of God, there are plenty of other hairdressers that are a gabazillion times better than Unique Aveda and cheaper too!
2. If you come across a super-arrogant stylist with poor manners called Kenji, kick him in the nuts and run!

Wearing: Tan x Navy

I can’t believe it is approaching mid-December already. I know we say this all the time these days but I don’t know where the year has gone! It definitely whizzes past by and to me, the pace seems to be faster and faster.

In saying that, I love December. In Hong Kong, it means the weather gets cooler and I finally could bring out my favourite trenchcoat, my snuggly hoodies and scarves. It means lots of excuses to get together for some food and booze (take your pick, I like both… ), and lots of general merriment all-round. What’s not to like?

Last week, the ultra-lovely Razlan organised a dinner party at a Spanish private kitchen, Comilonas in Sai Ying Pun. It was a fabulous affair! Got to meet some lovely people and of course, fantastic food that the Chef, Carrie, whipped up.

I had been to my work’s Christmas ‘do earlier in the day and was in a super-casual mood. We went bowling, so no dressing up unfortunately!

Yeah, wishing I was born in ’83 too!

I do own an iron! But these shorts wrinkle like a mofo..



These boots are NOT meant for walking!

F21 long-sleeve tee // No brand shorts from Taiwan night market // Vintage thrifted belt // YesStyle booties

I bought these booties over on YesStyle, because I was desperate for the Isabel Marant-esque Dicker boots but obviously too cheapskate to buy the real one. But anyhoo, they are a tad too high so walking long distances is not really an option. Useless.

Anyway, back to Comilonas. I have to say, it was my best private kitchen experience to date. I’ve been to a few in Hong Kong and most have lost its private feel – feeling more like a mini restaurant instead. At Comilonas, they serve a table of 16 – communal style and the owner/manager would come out and explain every dish when they are served. Also, as you can see from the background, it is located in an apartment building, so it felt like going to someone’s place for dinner.

I am bad at taking pictures of the food (because I was stuffing my face with food & pouring wine down my throat) so check out these fantastic shots taken by my blogging godmother, Mochachocolata Rita.

PS: I know some of you are very interested in this fact, our team won the bowling championship! Huzzah!

PPS: Comilonas is apparently all booked until Feb 2012 (yikes). Hurry up and book ‘em now. Ph: 9863 2270.

Photos by: Mochachocolata Rita, of course!

Shoe love: Charles & Keith x Leopard Print

Ok after almost a month of hiatus, I bring you… a post about one pair of shoes.

They don’t call me the lazy blogger for nothing.

As you know, I went back to Indo awhile back for a holiday. And in Indo, you can find Charles & Keith stores like you can find Giordanos in Hong Kong. They’re guaranteed to be in every mall you go to. And I went in to every single C&K store I saw. When it comes to shoes, I am anything but lazy, dude.

Jumping on the animal print bandwagon, I finally found a pair in my size. Hurrah! Love the unusual heels, but they do hurt like a mofo. I’ve put some gel inserts in them and I can wear them on a normal working day.

Last Friday though, I wore them when walking round SoHo and Central. I have now lost all sensation in my toes. But I still love them,… who needs toes anyway?

If you’re looking for on-trend pieces on budget prices (oohh.. I’m speaking the lingo), look out for Charles & Keith. It’s hard to just stop at buying one thing from there. I exerted my will of steel and resisted buying their line of bags and belts…

PS: Did you know the LVMH Group have actually invested in C&K? Pretty impressive feat for a Singapore-grown brand, no?

So tell me people, what is your fave budget brand?

Wearing: White lace

I found this great sushi place at Central sometime ago called Mori Sushi.

Their food is fresh and the portions are generous, none of those nigiri sushi with sad thin slices of salmon at the top. Their prices and service are great and the best thing, they’ll serve taro or lychee mochi at the end for dessert. MMMmmmm *rubs belly*…

Mori Sushi is pretty tiny though, with only about 4 tables and bar seating. So make sure you book before hand!

Mori Sushi: 34 Graham Street, Central // 2854 1800

I had lunch there the other weekend with my girlfriends and afterwards, we pottered around the vintage shops in the neighbourhood.

I’ve got no mail *sad face*

Bah, off to sushi then!

Add caption

Wearing one of my favourite summer tops. My mum gave it to me and I’m not quite sure how old it is or where it came from, as she herself had forgotten. Someone later told me that this is Balinese lace, much like the ones Uluwatu makes. Don’t think my top is from there though,..

Balinese lace top // Country Road shorts // Shanghai Tang hobo bag // Havaianas // Charles & Keith sunnies

ps: Just realised I had my bag turned in in every shot! Ah well, will show you the bag next time!
pps: I promise I will not post pics of me wearing this pair of shorts again!

pics: Mochachocolata Rita

Sunsets

I love taking pictures of sunsets. The problem is… so do lots of other people.
Don’t you love if when you go on facebook and someone just posted massive number of sunset pics and you’re like… NEXT!

I guess it’s one of those things that you can’t fully appreciate unless you’re there.

So this is why I’m posting some pics of sunsets from Bali and Lombok.

In Bali, watching traditional Kecak dance

Senggigi Beach, Lombok



I used my sunnies as a filter. Love the effect!



Wearing: Bows x Grey

A quick outfit post from my Indo holiday. I tend to pack items that I can get multiple wear out of when I travel. Packing light = more room for shopping hauls. Simple.

‘Sup

Unbranded bow singlet // Country Road shorts // Havs // Charles & Keith sunnies // Longchamp bag

I bought this top in a night market in Taiwan a couple of years ago. I like it for its simple lines and it’s actually pretty long, so in a pinch, I can wear it as a dress. Maybe with a pair of jeggings.

just kidding, jeggings.. as if!