Saturday 28 March 2015

my new baby ;D

Yeap, I got myself a new camera~! (*°▽°*)♪

my new toy #casio #zr1200

I've been wanting to get myself one forever!

And, you know what? I got this camera online from Lazada!

Online shopping is sorta a no big deal for me considering I buy lotsa clothes online but buying a RM800++ camera online is definitely the first. Risky option too considering I don't have the option of testing the camera and I had to pay upfront, no COD (>Д< ) Initially I was very paranoid thinking what if the camera didn't arrive or what if it has defect and all. I asked my sibs and they assured me they and some of their friends had bought items costing hundred over ringgit from Lazada before and they didn't seem to have any issues whatsoever.

I went ahead and tried anyway, since the price of the model I want is lower than retail price. I doubled, tripled check _ actually I checked half a dozen times _ to make sure the seller I got from have good ratings before placing my order.

Thank goodness it arrived exactly 3 days and in good condition to boot!ヽ(*⌒∇⌒*)ノ So happyy~~

These are the items that came in my parcel.

my haul from Lazada Malaysia

Tadaaa~

casio #zr1100 a.k.a. #zr1200

#zr1200 camera

My only complain is that I didn't get a Wifi card. Apparently they'll provide you with one if you buy them in retail stores but that also means you have to pay the retail price which for this model will cost you RM1400++, I checked. And oh, the camera bag's quality is so-so too. But for the price I'm getting the entire set, I guess I'm not in the position to complain too much? LOL

I've been testing my camera now and then ever since I got it and so far so good! Loving quite a number of this camera features. Would love to share more about them but I guess I'll be leaving it for another blog post ☆~(≥vO)

Alrightyy, for now, good night!

Dear KLCC Management,

I just wanna share a rather annoying account with some scammer I had sometime this week while I was shopping around KLCC.


So I was admiring the cute stationaries at Typo when one dude handed over a piece of paper. Initially I thought he was Typo's staff just giving out brochure/voucher so I just nonchalantly, non-thinkingly accepted.


Except it was no brochure and at a glance I saw names and amount scribbled in it which I knowingly figured the dude was there to collect "donations". Don't be fooled by these people I tell you, they're really just abusing the word "charity" and will pocket your money afterwards. Wanna do donation, go find a trustworthy charity organization. Having similar accounts all the years I stayed in KL, I just wanted to ignore him and so I politely try to hand it back to him. Not only did he back off to refuse but he shoved a pen right into my face in a rather annoying manner *roll eyes*


I took the advantage and shoved the card on his other open palm which was holding several other similar cards while still being polite and still bother to say "Thank you". While I turned away and try to ignore him, he blatantly gave me a "No, thank you" to which I turned around and retorted rather loudly, "No thank you to you too". Yes, I can play that way too (a.k.a. I can get very rude when I need to).


Heck I was so-o pissed off I took this pic when he had his back to me_he's the dude right there with yet another unsuspecting female shopper who was in Typo, I believe.



I wanted to check out Typo a lil' while longer but my mood was completely ruined so I decided to leave and he was still prowling around the store with no intention to leave just yet! I was exiting the entrance when our eyes met and I made sure to give him a good amount of eye contact.


Still my point is, why, of all places in KL these bunch of scammers are allowed to run their 'business' in no other than KLCC???!! Come on, shouldn't KLCC have some a bit more 'class'? At least that's what I think. Else, at least give us shoppers a break from these people and don't just let them go around spoiling people's mood OR making shoppers feel UNSAFE!


Mind you, this IS NOT my first encounter with his likes in KLCC! Few weeks ago, a Chinese dude_who was like twice my height and of way-y bigger built than me_ approached me all puppy eyes requesting me to donate to idon'tknowwhichcharity in almost similar modus operandi right in front of the Guardian Pharmacy!! When I refused and walked away, I noticed from the corner of my eyes how his expression changed to something not-so-friendly..


I know these people can be hard to detect with how pack KLCC can get sometimes but I definitely DON'T appreciate more encounters of these sort.. Hopefully some actions can be done to sniff out these people.


~♦~


On an unrelated topic, my day wasn't completely ruined that day thanks to an awesome traffic policeman (@⌒∇⌒@)


#peoplewhomademyday #simplegratitude

Wednesday 25 March 2015

I had Mexican food!

Hola~!


Been MIA again since I had to do some very last minute revision for my class test last week. Then the weekend I sorta decided to unwind with lotsa window shopping. I say window shopping only because I can't find anything I like despite all the amazing pre-GST sales going around now.


So I guess you wouldn't call this unwinding since it's stressful not being able to find something nice when you're in the mood to shop... (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻


Anyway, met up with an old uni buddy and he suggested we go for Mexican food at Fresca, The Gardens Mall. It is my first time having Mexican food so I pretty much have no idea how my food would turn out despite the description on the menu. Either that or I just suck at reading menus LOL


2015-03-24 00.09.51


My food, Enchiladas Rojas which are rolled tortillas stuffed with meat.


2015-03-24 00.07.15


Fajitas a.k.a. strips of beef and chicken cooked with chop vegetables and cheese, ordered by Aki. It's actually served with some sauces and tortillas but I don't know why I don't have photo of them, I thought I had taken them :/


2015-03-24 00.08.09


And then, the 'rice milk' which Aki was highly recommending.


Turns out to be pretty good and I love the cinnamon combination. I can see why the dude likes it though he didn't agree with the cinnamon part..


2015-03-24 00.09.04


So yea, how did my first Mexican food experience went?


I think overall it tasted alright but I guess I'm more into Asian food like Japanese, Thai, Korean and all_ and oh, Pakistani food is one of my favorite too(・∀・) Though trying something for a change is nice and I would definitely want to explore others like Mediterranean food next time.


Last random photo of the Fresca's simple interior~


2015-03-22 18.06.09


No photo of le self because well, how do I put it? I always find myself being the better photographer compare to my friends.


Now, who else shares my plight LOL

Saturday 7 March 2015

Avene Skin Care Range Review: Cleanance Gel, Skin Recovery Cream,TriAcneal and Thermal Spring Water

Konbanwa~!

I'm back with another review! It's been a super long while since I actually write one (>Д<) Today, I'll be reviewing a range of skin care products from Avene which I have been including in my recent beauty regime.

I was first introduced to this brand by a friend and was told this brand is suitable for those with sensitive skin like mine. She actually recommended only the Avene TriAcneal pimple cream but I bought several other products from the brand from SaSa because I was feeling adventurous to experiment new products.

 These are the products I am using now _ Avene's Cleanance Gel cleanser, Skin Recovery Cream, TriAcneal pimple cream and Thermal Spring Water spray.



I am now almost in my 2nd month of using these products so I will be sharing with you what I think about them. Alright, let's get started~!

~♥~


Avene Cleanance Gel


The first product I'll be reviewing is this Avene Cleanance Gel, a this bluish clear cleansing gel that mildly leathers up when use. Also, it has a scent that sort of remind me of bar body soap which is not really my kind of scent.




If I remember correctly, this comes in 2 different sizes but I bought the smaller one in a 200ml bottle priced at RM65.

I'm almost halfway using it so I'm guessing a bottle can last you a good 4 months, maybe longer if you actually care to measure them every time you use if. I clearly don't LOL. You don't need much though, a small less than 5 cent amount is enough to leather up to clean your entire face and neck.



I find it is very gentle to the skin and after using it my face feels clean. However, I started noticing blackheads after weeks of using this! I NEVER find myself having many blackheads issues so I am concluding the cleanser may not deep cleanse enough. I might just revert back to using Neogence brand, which IMO is better when it comes to deep cleansing once I finish this bottle. You can read about my ACE Neogence Range Review here.


Avene Skin Recovery Cream Calming Formula


My next review is this Avene Skin Recovery Cream which comes in a 40ml bottle priced at RM78.90 (I actually don't remember how much it costs so this I Googled but I remember paying less for this. Might have bought it during sale). 

Texture wise, it is milky, smooth cream that spreads evenly on the skin.




 Avene claims that this cream helps to restore the hydrolipidic layer of the skin that acts as a protective layer and maintains the skin moisture over a long lasting period. From other reviews I read, this cream works as a moisturizer as well though apart from leaving my skin feeling super soft, I didn't really notice any other difference it does on my skin so I don't really have much to comment on this one :/


Avene TriAcneal


Probably the highlight for this review and an absolute favorite among all the Avene products I am currently using would be this Avene Triacneal pimple cream. This one comes in a 30ml tube, price at RM65.



Before Avene TriAcneal, I have been experimenting on many different drugstore pimple products in the past months ranging from Thursday Plantation's both tea tree pimple gel and oil to NèuLa, The Body Shop tea tree oil and even Nexcare. That many, yeah but most of them doesn't help me solve my acne problems. I think Nexcare was alright but if you have lotsa acnes like I do, it is not an economical option.




Getting back to this Avene Triacneal pimple cream, it is yellowish in color and it is slightly thicker texture compare to the cream thus it doesn't spread as smoothly.

Sorry the photo makes the content looking like a snot/mucus but the tip of the tube is designed in such a way only allows small amount to be discharged so I couldn't get it to come out nicely for this photo.






I SUPER LOVE IT because not only it gets rid of those tiny pimples in 2-3 days (which I don't get why other products don't seem to work) but it works as well on the larger, much stubborn ones too! Though the latter takes a while longer, still I am very impressed with the results!


Avene Thermal Spring Water


My last product review from this Avene range is this Thermal Spring Water. Few months ago this Thermal Spring Water starts popping up in just every drugstore which got me really curious. Even some of my colleagues and friends are using it, mostly because it gives them feeling refresh besides moisturize the skin after a long day. I found out recently this Thermal Spring Water does more than that.

Avene Thermal Spring Water

I'm like my friends actually, only using this mist to keep myself feeling refresh but recently I found some prick marks on my leg _ I don't know where they come from!_ that gives me uncomfy itch. So I sprayed the spring water over them and that sorta sooth the itchy feeling(´∀`) As for its other uses, might experiment on them next time.

Oh, this spray comes in 3 different sizes and I bought the 3 small bottles of 50ml set for RM38. Another friend advice me to get the smaller version one as they're easier to spray. She got the larger one but then find that pressing the nozzle requires too much effort LOL.

~♥~

In conclusion, I can say that Avene products are generally quite gentle to the skin and is suitable for acne prone combination skin like mine.

My FAVORITE product among these Avene range would definitely be the Avene TriAcneal which, is here to stay in my skincare routine. I know I'm giving a lot of credit to the Avene Triacneal cream but I am really not sure if the cleanser and cream's soothing properties plays a role in getting my acne under control. I still get breakouts now and then though they are very minor.

So that the end of my super long review (phew!) and I hope you all find this helpful (⌒▽⌒)

If you have any recommendations for products for sensitive/acne prone skin, do share them in the comment below, I would love to know! I think sometimes you get to find amazing products from others' recommendation and that's exactly how I stumbled across the few that still remains in my daily beauty regime. I definitely got my friend to thank for recommending Avene Triacneal pimple cream to me (>vO)

Lots of love, chao~!

Sunday 1 March 2015

2015 Resolutions

Konichiwa~!


So in today's blog post, I will be sharing with you my new year resolutions! Looking through all my post up till now, I realized I haven't wrote about my 2015 resolutions yet and it's already March! It's ridiculous how fast time just whoosh past. Anyhow, according to the Chinese calendar, it is still considered the Chinese New Year now so yeah (*´∀`*)v


Actually I got a bit lazy and almost decided to scrape the idea of writing one(╯_╰”) But while I was blog-hopping like usual (there are just so many blogs to read!!) a few weeks ago, I came across one Sabrina Tajudin's blog post in which she wrote her new year's resolutions and recapped on her past year resolutions, crossing out whatever she has achieved then bringing forward what she hasn't. Which IMO is an amazing idea. Its a great way of keeping track and I read somewhere if you share with people what your resolutions, you're just more motivated in getting them done. BTW, Sabrina's a Malaysian lifestyle & beauty blogger and you can check out her blog here.


Personally, I do have a tons of resolutions and while I do personally achieve some of them, I don't really keep track with everything. Sometimes I forget when I get a lil' too caught up with other stuffs. Maybe this could be a good start ☆-(≥vO)


OK, I guess when it comes to resolutions, I have tons of them for work/personal/blog but I'll just be keep my list here nothing too personal (Part of me, I'm still a rather private person), short and achievable.



1) Persevere in blogging


Yes, something really tough especially if you're juggling between work and studies, keeping up with your almost non-existent social life and squeezing a bit time for your other hobbies *roll eyes* Blogging is serious business. It takes up your time, requires effort and is energy-consuming. Now I'm wishing it burns fat at the same time WTF


While I can't promise to blog more often, at least I will keep up with blogging lest work and studies get in the way :/ Ganbarimasu!



2) Doing more for my blog


Well I do have several plans for blogging this year and one of the is getting into vlog-ing. I've posted my first video and it's not the best one yet but give me time and a bit more practice for that alright? Apart from that, I hope to do more OOTDs blog post this year too, maybe on a monthly basis ♥(≧◡≦) The rest, I shall elaborate from some other time LOL. Still keeping this under the cover for now.



3) Get a new camera


I'm deciding to invest on a lighter and good quality camera this year. I was using my bro DSLR for a while and recently more often with my Samsung S5's but they turned out not the best for all occassion... The DSLR's too bulky and while Samsung S5 16GB back camera is great, taking selfies means having to get the right angle to avoid lens distortion and there are limitations. So yeah, time for a new camera!


Okei, so I realize this post is getting a bit too wordy. Let me post some photos. Random selfie time LOL wth


Random #selfie LOL



4) Travel overseas


Whether it is another solo trip or trip with friends/family, I wanna do that again! It's true they say travel gives you a different insight in life and the memories gained carved into your head are simply priceless! I still relive every moments of being in Japan every now and then. Makes me happy all the time (*⌒∇⌒*)♪


There are still so many places I want to explore in Japan but I also want to go to Singapore and Bangkok. Still haven't got any concrete travel plans for this year but will see.



5) Improving my Japanese


As you know, I've been taking up Japanese classes for over a year now and am still planning on doing so for maybe another year or so. I real-ly want to be able to communicate in Japanese fluently. I think I've come a long way though I still get tongue tied and embarrassed when I say the wrong things or get my grammar messed up but I well, want to get better.


I guess "improving my Japanese" could be a bit too general so here are the 3 things I wish to improve in: 1) fluency in daily conversation, 2) a better grip in grammar, 3) increasing knowledge in vocabulary and kanjis.


Recently I've started watching anime again so that I could improve my listening skills beside getting a better comprehension on how to use the language in daily conversations. On another perspective, you could say they're my best excuses to watch anime LOL


In fact, I just finish watching Free! season 1~ It's really an interesting anime(^o^/) If you have any recommendations for Japanese anime or dramas, please let me know. Would love to check them out! Also, if you want to help me practice Japanese or chat in Japanese, feel free to message me sometime (⌒∇⌒)



6) Learn to speak Chinese dialects


Well I am not proud to admit that all my 20-sth years of living, I haven't been able to improving my Chinese never mind mastering it... I'm just very comfortable speaking in my first language and Bahasa Melayu. This year, besides Japanese I want to get a better grip in speaking Hokkien which is my mother tongue and then Mandarin if I can squeeze extra time to read my language books.


I'm already telling my friends I'm studying for my PHD now which really stands for Penang Hokkien Dialect LOL


At present, I'm more than halfway reading through Conversational Penang Hokkien by Tan Choon Hoe. Wanna get the rest of his books too once I'm done reading this one!


Conversational Penang Hokkien by Tan Choon Hee, my coffee time read



7) Giving more love to my mind and body


This year, I want to pay more attention to make more effort to look good besides giving myself more short breaks to unwind. Also, speaking of appearance, there is one project which I've been holding off for a while now and I think I should really get it done this year! I'm excited and worried but currently I won't be telling you yet but when the time comes, I promise I'll reveal it. Gomen ne...


Alright, that's pretty much for now. Will remind myself to do a 2015 Resolutions Recap & 2016 New Resolutions by year end next year to measure how much I've achieved.


For now, see you in my next post!

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