Whoa! Is it time for the November WonderBox already? o_o

First of all, I must apologize for the lack of posts last week. This was due to an unforeseen case of severe food poisoning, and I have been taking the time to recover before coming back to blogging. >_<

For November, they had 2 types (pink ribbon and black ribbon). And this time, I received the pink-ribboned WonderBox!

The baby pink satin ribbon is a nice change from the usual black one, although I still think the black one goes better with the box. ^^;;

Upon opening the box, you will see a greeting card, which opens up to show the products included in the box.

There is a RM35 off voucher for Sampar products.

Take a look at the contents of the November WonderBox! This time around, they included 2 makeup items and 3 skincare products.

A day and night cream with anti-ageing properties. It provides long-lasting moisturization that diminishes the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines and expression lines.

Tint-free skin care that minimizes enlarged pores and wrinkles in one minute. May also be applied at any time of day, on top of make-up. 

An exceptional concentration of peptides, hibiscus and acerola. A powerful antidote to the unwanted marks of time.

I was really glad to see the SAMPAR samples in this month's WonderBox, because I had tested out some of their products before and they work really well at targeting skin concerns. Even though the sample size is pretty small, the amount is sufficient to use before deciding whether to purchase the full-sized ones, as it is on the pricey side.

You can check out my review of the SAMPAR Ultra Hydrating Fluid here. :)

This is definitely my favourite item out of the 5! The mini lip glosses come in 4 easy-to-wear colours, and are packaged in a tin box with green embossed snakeskin design. They are really cute and so handy to pop into a clutch or handbag for touch-ups! :D

The last item is an eyeshadow compact, also from Office Makeup USA, but when I opened it up, it was completely shattered to pieces in the pan! >_< Such a pity, because the green is a really beautiful and pigmented shade. Looks like I'll just have to scrape it into a small jar and use it as loose pigment eyeshadow. ^^;;

However, when I reported the damage to the WonderBox team that very same day, they were kind enough to offer me a replacement box, which arrived 2 days later. Talk about fast!

My replacement WonderBox was the other type, the one with the black ribbon. I was curious to see how it differed from the pink ribbon one, so....

There is an extra Jurlique voucher in addition to the SAMPAR voucher, and....

...the contents are the same, except that the Office Makeup USA eyeshadow is substituted with a Jurlique day cream. The other 4 items are the same.

A rich moisturizing cream with a powerful combination of emollients that helps to deeply hydrate, restore suppleness and protect against environmental aggressions.

I have not tried Jurlique products before, but I have heard that they are really good, so I can't wait to use this and see for myself if it's true. :D

And now for the good part:

GIVEAWAY TIME!!

Thanks to WonderBox sending me a replacement box, I now have an extra box to give away to one of my lovely readers. Since Christmas is near, it's only fair to share the cheer, right?! :D

Just follow the simple rules below:
- be a GFC follower of my blog
- leave a comment with your follower ID, name, and email address
- tell me why you want to win this November WonderBox
*giveaway only open to those with Malaysian mailing address

Giveaway is open until 8th December 2012 (Saturday). Winner will be randomly picked by me.

Good luck! :)

The winner has been announced! Click here for the winner announcement. 

Picture from zooq

Everybody's going gaga over the colour mint since spring, and I'm no exception. The colour is a refreshing change from the usual pastel pinks and purples we usually see.

Picture from Tumblr

However, there are many variations of what constitutes as "mint", from pastel green to turquoise to teal to Tiffany blue, that it can be pretty confusing at times. Heck, even I get confused just looking at the different words and colours of nail polish.

Anyway, I'm not here to talk about fashion. Today's short but sweet post is a comparison of some of the minty shades in my nail polish collection. XD I've chosen 4 shades that are most similar to one another and swatched them side by side to compare.

• MAC "Salad Dressed"
• China Glaze "For Audrey" (review here)
• Topshop "Pool Party"
• Elianto "S06"

Even from the bottle, you can see that MAC "Salad Dressed" is darker and contains more green, while the Elianto one looks more vibrant than the China Glaze and Topshop, which look very similar.


Up close, you can clearly see the differences between the 4 nail polishes. MAC "Salad Dressed" is darker and leans towards the teal side of the spectrum (greenish blue), while Elianto "S06" is more of a turquoise shade. China Glaze "For Audrey" is said to be the closest to Tiffany blue, and Topshop "Pool Party" is certainly close enough, with just a touch more turquoise in it.

Personally, I find CG "For Audrey" and Topshop "Pool Party" to be the most flattering on my hands, and Elianto S06 is great if you prefer a brighter version. MAC "Salad Dressed" is definitely NOT my favourite because it makes my fingers look red and dull. (>_<)

Mad about mint :P

I hope you found the comparisons useful. :) Do you own any mint coloured nail polishes? Tell me which are your favourites or recommendations, I'd love to know!

Boy, do I have a whole bunch of pics for you this time around! Are you ready?

If you don't know him, you'll find out at the end of this post. :P

October started with a trip to Kota Bharu, Kelantan for one of my aunts' wedding. There's nothing much in the way of entertainment there (there isn't even a cinema!), but what I do enjoy is the authentic Kelantanese food. I can honestly say that I had nasi dagang for breakfast every single day. Most of the roadside stalls selling rice can easily beat any of the fancy restaurants here that claim to sell 'authentic nasi dagang'.

Nasi dagang served on banana leaf

I've always loved the old portraits of ancestors in my granduncle's house. It's fun and heartwarming to see the collection of family pictures grow each year.

New and old in harmony

Kelantan is known as the "Islamic State of Malaysia", with its strong religious influence and amount of mosques, but did you know that it is also the state with the most number of temples? Most of the temples here are Thai-style ones, also known as 'wat', and many of them are really big and full of amazing architecture.

Sitting Buddha temple

Dragon Boat temple

What about this?
Most people wold think this is a Chinese temple at first glance, but look a little closer and you'll realize that it is actually a mosque. It is built after the style of the mosques in China, where Chinese architectural influences are apparent. Pretty, aye? :) You can find similar ones in Malacca, although those are slightly different.

Chinese-style mosque

Well, enough sight-seeing for now. When I got home from KB, I went to redeem my prize from Ti Amo, which was a pair of pretty clip-on shoe accessories. There were so many choices, but in the end I decided on this pair because it looked nice and elegant, and the colour could match most shoes or outfits. The friendly SAs there told me they can be used to clip on blazers or tops too, so they're really versatile!

Ti Amo clip-on accessory

My first time applying for the Sushi King card. I was on a Sushi King craze for a couple days last month, after ignoring it for so long since Sushi Zanmai opened. Dunno why, but I really missed their Golden Ball (fried egg with crabstick salad). The food at Sushi King has improved a lot, but sad to say that their service is still pretty horrible. -__-

Remember the previous "Out and About" where I posted pics of some wedges I bought from TaoBao? I failed to resist temptation and bought another 2 pairs of shoes. I couldn't help it, they were just too pretty and cheap. JUST LOOK AT THEM!!

Then I proceeded to wear the black & white pair out for a day trip to Malacca (with parents and bro) over the weekend. They were kinda stiff, but a pair of socks does the trick.

I somehow like this pic better than all the non-blur ones taken that day. ~_~

OOTD for that day

Malacca was fun, but it was sweltering hot one moment and then cloudy and rainy the next, so it wasn't really the best weather to be outdoors. Still, we had a great time looking at all the lovely buildings in Jonker Street, and I finally had a taste of coconut milkshake! :3

It was pretty late when we left, and we stopped in Seremban for baked crabs! I've lived in Seremban for 5 whole years during primary school and NEVER ate it before. I fail at being a Seremban-ian. (・_・;)

The wait was long but they taste good!

Nail polish has always been my weak spot, and really, how can you resist the pretty colours of the Anna Sui Nail Color Kit 2012? I saw this at the Anna Sui counter when it was first released, but it was RM110 retail (jeez!) so I didn't get it. Saw this on sale for RM60 at Isetan, so I grabbed it because I really love the duochrome red/amber polish.

Anna Sui Nail Color Kit 2012

The gold glitter is meant to be used as a top coat, so I just used 2 coats on the tips to get a gradient effect. Super love the results! ♥

What's October without some Halloween pumpkins, right? 1Utama was really in the festive mood with the Old Wing decorated with Halloween booths and displays.

The beginning of November was a bittersweet one, because Ruth went back to Sarawak. :( Nevermind, we'll see you again next year during graduation!! “再见”是为了再次见面。:')
Our last meal together for 2012 at LCCT. 

Starbucks, McD & Boost

Oh, and I had a short-lived crush on Kim Hyun Joong after watching Playful Kiss on YouTube. No, he's not the guy in the gif up there. (I'm saving the best for last.) Yes, I admit I still have a tiny crush on him now.

Moving on, I changed my iPhone casing from the gradient mirror one to the super thin mint-coloured one (bought during Mac City sales). It's so super slim and light like there's no casing at all, and fits perfectly even in the smallest of bags. I think it'll be a while before I get used to big bulky casings again. (-_-;)

Saving the best for last, announcing my latest celebrity crush - Park Yuchun! (He's the one in the first picture in this post. :P) I watched "Rooftop Prince" and well... the rest is history. I'm a total fangirl now.

Rooftop Prince

The ending for the drama was so sad yet happy, and completely unexpected. I wasn't expecting much when I first started watching it, but by the middle of the story I was seriously in love with the story and actors. I really admire Yuchun for his split-personality role playing, and honestly, it's difficult not to like him after watching all those videos on YouTube from their DBSK days until now with JYJ.


It's hard not to fall in love with this smile. ◕ ‿ ◕

It's gotten to the point where every single one of his Chunface(s) is cute. My Tumblr is now a partial Chunnie blog with other random stuff thrown in.
I'll leave you with this dorkChun face while I go stalk Tumblr for more gifs and YouTube for more videos. Till next time, byeeeee~!! :D

Ahhh... Sigma brushes. Long have I desired to try them for myself, and now I finally have the chance to do so!

Which brush, you ask? It is none other than one of their best-selling brushes, the Sigma F80 Flat Kabuki. :) This brush was kindly sent to me by Blanc2Noir for review.

Sigma F80 Flat Kabuki brush

Kabuki brushes are generally those with big brush heads and short handles. One of the unique features of this particular brush is its dense and flat head, which makes it perfect for buffing foundation onto the skin to achieve a flawless finish. The thick, dense yet luxuriously soft bristles work well in picking up and depositing foundation evenly all over the face, and is gentle on the skin. It's like rubbing your face against a soft toy, LOL. Due to its larger size, it is recommended for application of liquid or cream products to flat areas of the face such as the forehead and cheeks.

Hence, "flat top" Kabuki

Thick, dense yet luxuriously soft bristles

The handle of the brush itself is relatively short and stubby compared to regular makeup brushes, but this makes it easier during foundation application to buff it evenly all over the face. The handle itself is made from sturdy plastic, with the Sigma logo, name and code of the brush engraved in holographic text.

The Sigma logo is also engraved on the metal part of the handle.

Now, time to put it to the test! I used Stage Photo Pro Foundation for this review. This liquid foundation has a very runny texture, which is why I used it to test out the F80.

Squeeze a little onto the back of my hand...
...and start buffing away! XD

Here are the results (before & after). I like how the brush helps me to achieve (near) flawless foundation application. Having used mostly my fingers and the occasional sponge to apply makeup foundation before this, I find that the F80 Flat Kabuki works really well in giving a smooth, even application for liquid and cream type foundations. BB creams also work well with it.

Cheek close-up

As you can see, using the Sigma F80 Flat Kabuki, foundation application has never looked this good and felt so soft and luxurious. It is best used for liquid and cream foundations (or BB cream) as the dense bristles allow better pick-up and application,  and gives a smooth, even finish. With this brush, achieving flawless skin is no longer a dream, haha! (＾▽＾)

✓ Pros: Thick yet soft bristles - gentle on skin, dense bristles pick up foundation very well, flat top makes it easier to buff and achieve even application, brush is sturdy and well-made, bristles do not drop even after washing, good investment brush for frequent makeup users.
✗ Cons: Not available in Malaysia - have to be bought online, price is slightly pricey, not suitable to use with powder foundation.


*This item was sent to me by Blanc to Noir for review without financial compensation. All opinions expressed are completely honest and strictly my own.