Thelilacbox Debut!

Happy Chinese New Year! It's the 8th day, and according to the Chinese, number 8 is always "ong" (prosperous) right? :)

Have been procrastinating on this post for quite some time...but here goes! :)

Many of you might (or might not) have read my last post of thelilacbox. In a blink of an eye, Valentine's has reached and my blind date, aka the very macho/ladylike, whichever you want to think, has finally reached my hands! I'll have lots and lots of pictures, so if you're like me and love pictures...I hope you'll like this post :)

My first beauty box! My first thought was "oh, expected the box to be bigger". But it's ok, it's whats inside that counts! This was the outer box, which was wrapped to ensure the items would not be damaged on arrival. I'm impressed.

Tadaa! Thelilacbox Debut, Valentine's version. The purple polkadot ribbon utterly steals the show right ? :) I gotta admit, the box is a little plain,but the ribbon and the little sticker "i got you thelilacbox" brightened up the box. Its a seriously nice box, I could reuse it for gifts for others too!

First peek inside the box. The little note there basically said to wrap something nice in this box, tie a lovely ribbon around the box and viola! You can give it as a lovely gift to others. :)

The love letter from the 3 guys at the Lilac Box. Yup, its actually 3 enterprising guys behind thelilacbox. Even the lovely ribbon is hand-tied by them! I gotta say I'm impressed. :) Loved the note by the way, it made the box feel a little more personal.

I bet you can see the contents now... :P Let me tell you a little secret : Even the purple wrap paper itself is scented, although I can't really make out what it is. All I know is that it smells awesome :P

And here it is! The debut Valentine's box! First impression: wow, so many goodies! And deluxe sized too! Me likey! :D Will give you an item-by-item picture and my thoughts on it.

First up: Maxfactor Nailfinity nail polish! The colour is slight grey purplish but not too bright, and looks very pretty. Gotta get a nail polish base before I can use this though.

Next : Keratase Resistance rinse out conditioner for damaged lengths and ends. Personally, I don't dye my hair and neither have I permed or straightened it, so it might not really work for me. Would have loved a volumiser ,or an easy manageable hair conditioner version. But what I liked was that it is deluxe sized. :)

3rd in line: Keratase resistance reconstructing shampoo for brittle, very damaged hair and split ends. The same comments for the product above applies as well for this one. Looking through many of other's blogs on beauty boxes, I have come to a consensus that many do not really crave for (or are interested in) hair care like shampoo. This is because most of us would already have our own hair care regiment, be it Dove, Sunsilk etc. This product had better be good if it's thinking of impressing us.

4th product: Decleor Aroma Cleanse - fresh puryfying gel and fresh matifying lotion, 10ml each.

I saw that many of the other suscribers got the white and pink bottles while I got the green ones. At first, I felt loss (just like for the other products as well) - how to use?? Many of the bloggers have mentioned that the lilacbox should have some product guide, encompassing the products, usage and market price, and I heartily agree with them. Stumbling around thelilacbox website, I found further information here...It had all the information on how to get a second date, what the product is, etc. I gotta say something though boys (if you don't mind) - The website information is too long winded... Kinda feel it should be more straight to the point(especially for the Roberto Cavalli one).

5th sample: Burburry Beauty Fresh Glow - 4 sachets of 1ml samples. Most bloggers I know and other suscribers have one rant : they HATE sachets. Haha. For me its fine - as long as the sachets are easy to use. Having tried it already, my verdict is that it really makes one's face "glow", to the point that it makes the face look a tad bit oily (eventhough it doesn't feel that way). It bodes well with the skin, no irritations, and the skin still feels soft and moisturized, but it looks shiny :P So if you wanna use it, my advice is mix it with your make up to make it look a little more subtle. Overall, I still like it :)

6th and final product: The Roberto Cavalli perfumed body lotion, which is my FAVOURITE of this box. As I wrote in thelilacbox facebook page:
" Roberto Cavalli Perfumed body lotion would be my pick without a doubt. Firstly, it has the heavenly SCENT. Which woman doesn't like a date that smells good? It was a lovely, amazing aroma and was not sickening or artificial..a whiff of this date was enough to send me on cloud 9... Secondly,a girl likes a date who is looks good and is "big" enough to protect her. Similarly, Roberto Cavalli looks good and it came it a super deluxe size, which was absolutely delightful, in my opinion. Allows me to enjoy more time with it!  Thirdly, the 'touch' of the date. I for one enjoy the soft and flawless feeling each time I "feel" my date, and how it "melted" so easily into with my skin just had me feeling all warm and gooey inside  I have so many things to share, all the way from the packaging to the contents! But for now, lets just say that thelilacbox made a very good blind date for my Valentines, and it brought me joy and laughter, and made me feel loved "

I have used it a few times so far, and still am amazed by how soft it feels and how supple it makes my skin feels. :) Love love love the perfume smell, its one of the most amazing I've ever felt!

My favourite blind date :)

And what I said was what I felt, that this blind date had met (and surpassed!) my expectations, and that it was a very enjoyable Valentines because of all the joy and laughter it brought along into my life.

What I'd like to see more : fragrances, eye cream especially for the panda eyes (no beauty boxes have that so far!), pampering items such as masks, blushers... something that others don't have :)

What I think thelilacbox needs to work on:
1. Delivery - many beauty boxes use Gdex. As do many other companies. So far, it has brought my product safely to me...But it seems like many got their boxes late, which defeats the purpose. I feel that another delivery company such as citylink and kangaroo could be good options too? But in this area, thelilacbox guys would know the best :D
2. product specification : Like I said earlier - a "manual" of sorts for the lovely products would be lovely. Not everyone is tech savvy enough to go hunting for information online...:P

Would I subscribe again? I'm waiting for the next subscription to open, but as of now, my thoughts on the box are "yes, it's worth it".

Note: A big thank you to thelilacbox for this debut box. The thoughts and reviews are entirely my own.
Also, unlike other bloggers etc, I did not receive any vouchers from Keratase / Decleor. (Yup, I found out on thelilacbox website and from other reviews that I should have had 2 vouchers...but I searched high and low and did not find it). But it's ok, the products matter most. :)

Gotcha @ Plaza Low Yat

I went to Gotcha at Plaza Low Yat today. It was actually quite easy to find! The place was quite big to my surprise, and the staff were really, really friendly, and the place was big, spacious and clean! Such a wonderful surprise, I rate it on par with the "big names" like Chatime and Gong Cha!

Gotcha!

Upon the friendly staff's recommendation, I took the "Mango Milk" while the other drink chosen by my brother was the Almond Honeydew Milk. Unlike other places where the staff tell you "I don't know which one nice, I haven't drunk it before", the staff here were quite knowledgeable and gave me good recommendations.

The menu

The Mango Milk was lovely! I am not a fan of too much milk personally, but Mango Milk(RM6.90) was not too milky and not overly sweet. It was a lovely mango plus a little milk taste, and the taste was just nice. Every mouthful came with real mango chunks, which I think is really great! There wasn't a time when I went "yuck" or "I'm tired of it", instead I just felt refreshed. Bottom line: I loved it!

Mango Milk

Almond Honeydew Milk(RM7.40) to me was ok, but my brother loved it. He associated the taste with the "high class drink" he took in Genting, which meant that this was up to par with even hotel / established management's Honeydew drink. We did not order the drinks with less sugar, and the drink was sweet enough without being sickening, and like their tagline goes, the drink is healthy.

Almond Honeydew Milk

It's a good place to check out, and I would go there again when I'm near :)

The clean and comfortable sitting area

Hansel and Gretel review

By Joanne Lee

Candy. Evil stepmother. Evil witches. Happily ever after. This is what was in my mind when I first thought of Hansel and Gretel, and hence I went with low expectations. However, I was pleasantly surprised. With believable acting from a seasoned cast and nice cinematography effects (cue: blood, worms, gore and broken nose), it was actually an enjoyable night for me.

Lets start with the storyline, shall we? I personally felt that the storyline was pretty ok, as it had a plot and wasn’t just trashy. The storyline was actually pretty easy to follow. Basically, Hansel and Gretel had to battle a whole team of strong witches to save not just the life of 12 children, but ultimately, their own. Since Gretel was the heart of the story all along, everything revolved around her – the witch sisters, Benjamin, Edward the troll, and even the most unfriendly sheriff. Of course there had to be a little bit of romance – Here’s where Minah, another white witch came in for Hansel. Pretty unnecessary though, if you ask me. The twist about the mother, how it turned out that Gretel was a white witch ,was a surprise to me. At least it’s a twist, and the story actually makes sense, since Muriel, the evil witch has been chasing her high and low.

The acting was largely believable, and the special effects added the special edge. The part where the sheriff’s man exploded with lots of worms and blood, and the scene where the Sheriff was stepped on by Edward the troll drew “ewwww’s” and “yucks” from the crowd. The supporting cast, such as Muriel and Benjamin did their jobs to make the movie an enjoyable one.

My favourite characters apart from the main cast? It’s got to be Edward. Yes, the troll. “Edward” reminded me of the Twilight version…and I can bet my money that many think that this Edward is way better. For me, I just had a soft spot for him. I felt so sad that he was mistreated by his mistresses. And I like how they linked the storylines of how he saved Gretel, which was totally unpredicted. And when he ended up with the witch hunting team, I guess I saw it coming but I still went “awwww” :P

The moment I went “LOL”  was when Gretel used her “toy” to defibrillate Edward. Move away CPR( well you can’t imagine CPR-ing a troll can you?), her high-fi toy can be used to revive even the biggest troll!  Overall, it was a good movie outing with Talkfilm. If you are here for horror, you’ve come to the wrong place. But for a some action and medium gore minus the fairy tale, this movie could actually be entertaining for you.

My ratings:

Storyline: 6/10

Acting: 7/10

Effects: 7/10

Watched this with Rachel and her bro, blog post to follow.

ps: Big thanks to Talkfilm for the 2 tickets to Hansel and Gretel in GSC Signature Mid Valley on 29th January. They are awesome and you should check them out. :)

Origins Mini- Makeover

In December, one of the little things I won was the Origins mini makeover, for the 50th person of that every day of December. Told them to hold on to mine till I was back in KL since I was based in Batu Pahat at that time.

I finally redeemed it at Origins Pavilion, in Metrojaya. Its actually a comfy place, although in the open (no privacy?) 

I seriously can't remember the name of the consultant who attended to me that day (its this lady in the right corner of the picture). All I can remember of that experience was that she was very professional, knowledgeable about Origins products, and made my experience a great one. :)

The set that she used for me. Including cleanser, toner, mask etc. What I was really impressed with was the eye serum (not sure of the name), which really made my dark-eye-ringed and tired and eyes look much better instantly. Blame the late nights and fried foods :P

Part of the set, supposedly for oily skin. I found out that mine was combo skin, which is a mix of oily (in the T -zone) and normal skin elsewhere. Oh, and sensitive too, may I add. Which was why I was really happy that none, and I repeat, NONE of the products caused my face to have an unwanted allergic reaction.

The tall chairs next to the counter, where one can be treated like a queen :D

This was the promo they were having- JOY (31 days of Christmas) or something like that. Seriously, the whole thing looks so happy! :D

The Gift set that cost over RM200. Kinda outta my budget, but it was pretty good. :)

How I looked after the makeover- I felt that my face was literally "glowing"! :) I really loved the experience, and felt really pampered. Really wish it was multiple sessions! (no editing done to any of the pictures!)

A good place to visit. By the way, did you know that Origins is actually a sister company( same company) as  Estee Lauder? That was news to me :)

Thelilacbox

Been a while since I've posted, and the simple reason is because I've been busy. Nontheless! An update :)


Those of you who know me know that I read blogs avidly. So it was with interest I read many "special" boxes posts on facebook that people wrote about. And the recent (And the one that looks the most exotic so far!) is Thelilacbox! With Brands like Burberry, Calvin Klein, Keratase...I can only call this high class!

The idea behind this box is that you pay a nominal sum(RM35) and you'll get a range of "Samples" to try...expensive, branded samples which will cost you a bomb! Basically you will get your money's worth :)
Have I mentioned that it comes in a LOVELY box with beautiful ribbons? (I heart ribbons!)

So I signed up and to my surprise got a really nice gift, which I collected today. A Chloé EDP travel size vial! I collected it from Parkson Pavillion, and the guy who attended to me was really polite, no airs and all. Superb service I would say!

So, register your interest and receive a free surprise gift, where you get to choose a freebie from Burberry Beauty, Chloé or Calvin Klein!  What a lovely surprise!

Thats not all! Check out this image:

I want mine too!

I'm waiting for mine, that should come during Valentine's day. Here's the link to Thelilacbox facebook page , where you'll get the most updated info. Can't wait for mine to come, I love surprises!!

Till next time!

Ps: It's past 21/12/12 in Australia and New Zealand. I'm guessing that we're safe :P

Avene Skincare!

Recently, I was one of the 10 people who won a prize from Only Beauty. It was an Avene product "Hamper" worth RM360.

I had it sent to my house, but in usual Malaysian fashion, the Poslaju had to be collected by myself -.- Such service...

The poslaju package. Exciting! Looked really huge and heavy...

Opened the package, bubble wrap appeared. Excitement bubbling...

And the brown paper package that hid the treasure was opened, to reveal...

Tadaa! A whole range of Avene Eau Thermale Products, Oily and blemished skin range.

(From Left: Mask x4, Cleanance K, Cleanance lotion, SPF30, facial gel wash, and toner.

Clanance Facial Wash

From the first day I got it until now I've been using it at least once a day. Initially, I was apprehensive because I'm allergic to so many brands, including the all famous Clinique brand (red like a tomato after using their product!). This Cleanance Gel was a different story. It was cooling on the face, did not have a sticky feeling after, and did not smell bad( like many of your facial wash). I poured around 5 cent/ 10 cent size gel (quite liquidy) into my hands and rubbed my palms together before applying it on the face. It effectively cleaned the oil on my face but did not overdry it, which I think is just as important.Thumbs up!

2nd step - Toner

To use the toner, one must first shake it vigorously as it contains some lotion that needs to be mixed with the solution. Used it twice at least, my verdict is that its ok. Its function is to clean the excess oil off if any is left, but after using the facial cleanser I really see no point. Its part of the 3 step routine for the beauty conscious pious people though...

3rd step aka moisturizer - Cleanance K

For most ladies who do the 3 step daily beauty regime, I'm sure this is an important step. However, there is a little "twist" in Avene's regime. The 3rd step is Cleanance K, a cream gel that is supposed to be both exfoliating and hydrating at the same time. When using the 3 step regime (this was done before bed), my face stayed dry / oil free throughout the next day till late noon, around 6pm (or even later). I felt that my skin was dry for the next 2 days though, not sure if its altogether a good thing...

So far this 1 week(only got it last Thursday) I've only managed to use these items, with the mask and all being kept for the near future (when I have a lil more time for pampering!) hahaha.  Courtesy of Only Beauty who picked me as one of their prize winners! :) Thanks Only Beauty and Avene! :)

Gem Restaurant @Petaling Jaya . . .Truly a Gem!

Having won RM5 credit from Groupon, I bought a deal for Indian food, since I've not had North indian food for a loooong time now. You know as Malaysians, we all love all sorts of food, and for me, Indian food is definitely one of them :)

Gem restaurant is a place that was there 10 years ago when I was still a school kid . . .  :) I passed it on my way to school every single day. Its actually pretty high class . . . And last friday, I finally had a chance to go in!

The interior is well decorated with Indian flavours. There are also 3D-feel sculpture like art on the wall.

The table was set, with 4 heavy cups on the table. It was 7pm when we arrived. We were the first, but was joined by another family in a while. 

Crab soup, definitely a must try. Tasty soup with 1/4 a crab each. Slightly spicy, but flavourful. :)

Appetizer, chicken drummet. Was awesome. Non spicy as well. I think I barely touched the sauce man.  

The fried mushroom is lovely(I don't know the name) and I highly recommend it! Even my dining partner, a non mushroom lover found it delightful!

The naan there, when taken while hot/ warm, is fluffy and heavenly. Reasonably priced as well., about RM3.90.

Abundance of food. Chicken and lamb and mushroom. :D Nice... But seriously spicy, which was kinda a torture, in a way :/ 

This, I remember. Its called Kulfi, its a type of Indian ice cream made of coconut, according to a friend (not milk). Seriously yummy, a MUST TRY eventhough that portion cost RM9.90.  :)

What was embarrassing that night was I mistook my uni lecturer as one of my mum's colleagues. So embarrassing, especially that it happened in front of the lecturer's family! I wished that there was a hole for me to hide my head into during that time man . . .

Indian food is never cheap. So if you want to eat, eat at a good place like this :D But be warned . . . Things that they say are "not spicy" might just cause you to tear like crazy!! It was a good experience, and if a deal like this pops up again, I'm sure I'll give it more than just a thought :)

February blues

Despite one of my new year resolutions to blog more frequently, again, I've failed. And its only February.. :/

On the bright side, I have been doing a little bit of food reviews on Openrice. I have around 13 so far, do click if you have the time! :)

Until next time...

Birthday Celebration part 3 aka Hi Tea @ Flavors, Swiss Garden & Residences

Happy birthday to all January babies!

(my mum always says if she knew I wanted to "come out so early" (3rd Jan), she would have tried to ask me come out earlier/at the end of the year...lol!)

Anyway, my other half and I went to Swiss Garden Flavor's Restaurant to celebrate :D We bought the hi tea coupon from everyday at 50% off, which of course was a steal :)

Pictures I managed to capture for the day :)

Flavor's Interior. 

The interior upon arrival. Lighting was nice, deco was classy, awesome ambiance. Bustling with people.  

The Appetizer corner

The choices were abundant, with fresh leaves, salads etc. there was even a cheese counter with a few variants of cheese for our hi-tea! :)

The dedicated waffle corner :)

Rushed at it since I'm a sucker for waffles + honey :D :D :D

Appetizers and Waffles! :D

Started by taking appetizers and waffles with honey, my all time favourite. Appetizer section is well stocked. the beef salad was gooooood X) 

 Fresh oysters :D

Having gone for a few hi-tea buffets now, I can say this is one of the better ones. (see the osyters!? :) )there were fresh oysters and prawns. I was there for close to 2 hrs and they had refilled at least twice (although people took it just as fast!)

 Dessert corner

The dessert corner was honestly the most well stocked of the place, with generous varieties of puddings, cakes, fruits etc. Most were good, one should save space for some delightful desert and the end. 

 Colourful palate of desserts! :D

My plate of desserts, shared with my awesome partner :) tried mixed berries, christmas cake, puddings, custard creams etc :)

 Main course

Notice that I din't talk much bout main course? There were 3 counters like the above 1, serving Malay dishes, Western dishes and Chinese dishes each. Food was fair (well it is a high tea not "lunch" per say), the roast beef was AWESOME. I think the specialty here is beef la :D

 Dimsum and Noodles 

Dimsum and noodles station was also another station featured outside the restaurant, with tomyum and soup noodles, and various paos and dimsums serving outside, constantly manned by 2 chefs.

 Soup

Can't run away from soup apparently :p I tried main courses including their soup and dishes, which I find pretty mediocre. Decent but nothing special. Again, apart from the roast beef :D

 Thumbs up 

His verdict: good. 

Just don't overeat at buffets - suffer only later when too full. 

Happy birthday Mr Handsome Boy :) 

May you have an awesome year ahead :) :)

Posing outside Flavor's restaurant. We enjoyed ourselves, staff were courteous, service was good (eg water was constantly refilled).

All in all enjoyed ourselves, stuffing ourselves, taking seconds (coz variety limited), chatting, taking photos :) A great day with great company :) Now, no more in denial . . . Older ady lah :/

My verdict: 4/5

Comment: Ambiance was good, food quality was fresh and above average, service was prompt and friendly, beef was da bomb. Kinda could do with a wider variety of main dishes though. :) Worth coming, would definitely consider if an offer comes up again :)