Beauty Binge:Hairy helpers!

PJ
1.40pm
Heavy rain!

I normally do not like gunk in my hair. Not even hairspray, let alone gels and mousse. I have one bottle of hairspray from L'oreal that I've only used like, twice. It's just the thought of having some kind of styling product in my hair is enough to keep me awake all night!

But I do *love* treatment products! So much so that sometimes I get overzealous with treatment stuff until my hair feels like a helmet on my head!! Here are my treatment stuff that I own:

L-R Joico thermal protectant; Schwarzkopf Gliss Kur leave-in conditioner; TiGi BedHead Ego Boost; Profess hair repair serum

I don't use them all at once though. The leave-in conditioning treatment I use in between washes, and I faithfully put serum or a thermal protection spray before I blow dry or iron my hair.

This leave-in pink spray conditioner from Schwarzkopf was initially bought as a substitute for a thermal protector. I had receive my straightening iron and I wanted some kind of heat protectant before I use heat on my hair. I couldn't find any at the drugstore and settled for this. It has 2 different liquid textures in the bottle, and you'd have to shake well before spraying it onto your hair. The first time I used this, I had spray on every section of the hair I wanted to iron. The result was sticky, helmet hair. Yech!My hair is thick and even with this spray it weighed down my hair. I even tried it sparingly, spraying it once over, and still my hair feels heavy after. This product, even for thick hair, is too rich. It smells nice and makes my hair shiny, but overall, I'm not a fan.

Profess Hair Repair Serum. My ol' faithful. I've used this leave-in water based serum for a long long time. This is a local product and has a pleasant scent to it. I've switched products recently and used Sebastian Potion No. 9 Wearable Treatment, but it didn't give my hair that added 'bounce' like this does. For RM30, this one here works like a dream! I love affordable products that work well! I use this before swimming and/or diving to protect the hair from pool and sea water that can be harsh. You need to work a dime size to your damp hair before blowing and if you want, work a little after styling for added shine and conditioning.

I was pleasantly surprised (and pleased!) when I saw this little bottle at one of the hair supply shops in Hartamas, KL. Joico Silk Result is a thermal protection spray specially designed for flat ironing, so I snatched one. It was on clearance at less than RM8.
But I don't know whether it does protect my hair when I iron, because it does make my hair a tad bit stiffer than usual. I still use this and work in a bit of serum after.

This product from TiGi Bedhead I love!! In fact, I've always enjoyed Bedhead products. Their packaging is fun and quirky! Ego Boost is a leave-in conditioner, and I've had this for years. This is the one I reach for in between shampoos, and it doesn't weigh the hair down. But at RM60 (or more) a pop, I'm not sure I'd re-purchase. With all the other treatment gunk I have, do I really need another bottle? But if you are seriously in the market for a leave-in conditioner, I would strongly recommend this baby. And how can you not love the bright colours!!

Now that my hair is shorter, I don't use as much product anymore. I don't have split-ends, and I'm not battling with dryness much anymore. Just the frizz and the cow-licks every now and then, but that can easily be fixed with a big round brush and a blast from the hair dryer.

Now that I am at home full-time, I should really get back into using pure coconut milk on the hair. It makes your hair healthier, shinier and unbelievably darker!

Nothing quite like natural products, eh?

xoxo,
puss.inheels@yahoo.com

Beauty Binge:Hairy tools

PJ
4.43pm

If it was one thing that I'm quite good at updating, it's my hair. Even from way back when, I faithfully would go to Nancy's to get my hair straightened and trimmed every 3 months or so. These days, I'm loving Milca's styling skills. Ever since she chopped off my locks, my hair has been cut in so many different short styles. I love them all! Milca makes me look young(er), stylish and updated, which is why I have ditched(!!!) Nancy for the younger Milca.

Today I made another appointment with Milca. It has been 3 months since my last cut, but honestly, my hair was still in shape. Only I would notice the kinks, but my hair has not gone out of shape. That's a sign of a good cut. But I was itching to take some of my growing hair off my neck. I loved the last style Milca put me in - angled bob at the back, straight long hair in the front. Yes, it's the "Posh bob" when Posh was first spotted out with the hairstyle. Of late, Posh has been spotten with short hair. Since I can't carry super short styles very well (round face, chubby cheeks), this cut fits me really well, so I am claiming this! I'm calling it the "Puss Bob"!!

So Milca trimmed the back of my hair, and a little in the front, and before I knew it, I was done! This is such an easy style to maintain as well, and with hair, I like no fuss-easy-to-style hair.

The Puss Bop!

Here's my hair stuff collectively, minus the shampoo and hair treatment cream which I use as conditioner:


I'm not big on styling products (hair spray, mousse etc) but am into treatment products. This is my hairdryer. Babybliss Professional Turbo 1.8kw, and it does a fabulous job. It has speed settings, temperature settings, and a cooling button which is important but I never use. With hair dryers, it's important to look for one which is at least 1.6kw, as anything lower may fry your hair instead of drying it. The one I have is a professional dryer and it had cost me a pretty penny.

The BabyBliss Pro hairdryer. Reliable!

The brushes I use are made of ceramic which are safer for the hair. The ceramic barrels help to dry the hair faster so you won't be spending so much time blow drying and damaging your hair. They don't come cheap as well, but they are awfully good brushes. My hair is less frizzy and damaged. My tail comb is a staple as well, and the wide tooth comb is used when my hair is wet.

Brushes and combs

I was a bit reluctant to use a hair straightener, since my hair has been re bonded a couple of times. Hair irons and curling thongs are the worst tools you can use on your hair. But I just couldn't resist when I saw this one up for redemption with the points I've collected with my credit card. What could be better than free stuff!! The brand is Swiss-made called Valera and I've seen it at electrical shops costing a bit of moolah. It has a digital temperature control, and most importantly has ceramic coated plates. I've used it every now and then when I am going out, but I try not to use it too often. *Never* use styling tools on wet hair. I always make sure my hair is 90-95% dry before I reach for the straightening iron.

Valera straightening iron

Have a fabulous hair day!

xoxo,
puss.inheels@yahoo.com

A year later...

PJ
2.09pm

HAPPY 1st YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!!

Yes, time flies! It was exactly one year ago when I decided to blog about nothing, everything and anything. And here we are, one year later, this blog is still about nothing, everything and anything!! When I decided to blog, I didn't plan what the theme would be, so I thought I'd write about all that is happening in my life. Much like a diary, which I used to write faithfully when I was in my teens. So this blog started out just for personal reasons. It still is. In a year, I've done journals on my travels, my experience having gone through surgery, my new found love in cooking and of course, my beloved cats.

I am also still unemployed, and it looks set to stay this way for a while. I do envy those who do work though, but I count my blessings everyday in a time like this, Husband J can still manage to carry my financial burden and keep us afloat. My spending money has shrunk, I've had to drastically change my lifestyle, and I have found comfort in staying home. I am budgeting better than ever which resulted in a surge of interest in drugstore makeup products, especially those you can't find in Malaysia. And when it's unavailable to you, you tend to pull all your resources to get hold of them. My makeup skills have improved, my blending techniques though
basic, is a lot better than when I was working, and my product knowledge is A+! I have time now to throng the Internet and read up some of the more popular beauty blogs and watch makeup videos on YouTube. I'm still mulling over whether I should take up a makeup course - I believe I can do really well!!

A year ago, my passion was shoes. I don't think I even bought any until a few weeks ago. And this pair was so marked down, I just had to buy it before it's taken off the shelves for good! I had been eye-balling this pair of fierce shoes for months and was extremely delighted and surprised it was still selling. And they had my size!! Hallelujah!!

The only pair in a year and they are f-i-e-r-c-e!!

The interest shifted to makeup. Here's a sneak peak at the pile I've amassed in this one year..

Some makeup items collected in the past year!

I did say sneak peak, right? Uh-huh, those are not everything I have. Yes, there are more that I didn't dump on the floor for a photo-op. Yes, I have turned into a serious makeup addict/junkie/whore!

I'll do reviews on the products too, since I have tried so many. But no, this will not be a full-fledged beauty blog - I refuse for it to be! So until I take off on another holiday adventure, or cook an amazing meal that's beyond roast, pasta, rissoles, there will be plenty to read under the 'Beauty Binge' label!

xoxo,
puss.inheels@yahoo.com

Puss@Work

december 18, 08 thursday
2.25pm
Ever since I cleared out the cobwebs from this corner of my room, I've been spending most of my free time at this table. In a previous blog, I talked about how I turned this corner into my 'beauty corner', where I added a few plastic drawers to store my collection of makeup.

But lately, I've noticed how the small orange plastic drawers I had were getting too small for my growing beauty stash, so today, I went out and bought bigger drawers. My makeup items are now sitting comfortably it their respective drawers without having to squeeze for space!!

So here's an updated look on my work station:

(Aiyah! I forgot to include the mirror in this picture! Oh! Well!)

This area has turned into more than a vanity table - it's where I do most of the banking stuff, jotting down notes, budgeting, surfing the 'net, etc. And yes, most times, it is this tidy!!

So it's more than a beauty corner, it's also now my work station!

I bet you Husband J won't even notice!! He's in Singapore, by the way, and will be back tomorrow night.

And then, we're off on our little adventure in Laos!!

*yaay!*

xoxo,

Travels:Laos Weather? Oops!

december 10, 08 wednesday
11.17pm
OK. Here I am, excited as hell over my impending trip to Laos. I really like that husband J and I have started travelling during the X'mas and New Year holidays. Sure beats spending the hols in KL. Go to a place that is far removed from the craziness of the holidays.

So I have put aside all the clothes I want to bring to Laos, mostly tank tops and my 'backpacking' pants, when J rung me up this evening and told me to check on the weather. The weather!! I keep thinking South East Asia = hot and humid all year round. WRONG!! An ex-colleague warned it could be chilly. Dang! I don't want to lug sweaters around!!


Apparently, from November to February the temperature is cool and humid, it gets as high as 30 degrees Celsius and drops to about 14 at night/late mornings. This is the best time to be visiting Laos. So J suggested, one (or two!) jeans, and a light jacket/jumper. I can still run around with my tank tops during the day!! Slight adjustments with the clothing arrangement, nothing too severe!! I think I can live with that, for now!!

xoxo,

Travels: Planning for Laos!!

december 9, 08 tuesday
6.10pm
When Husband J and I were tossing names of countries we'd like to visit, Laos was not even in the list. There were Cuba (too far!), Maldives (for some unknown reason, J's never keen on this island), Mumbai (thought it would be cheap now after the terrorist attack!), and Sri Lanka. Out of all that, Sri Lanka looked like a possibility. Then, we checked the weather. Monsoon. Typhoon. Politically still unstable. Sigh. Back to the drawing board..

Laos was casually thrown in during a conversation. Yes! Laos!! Why not?? J and I had so much fun last year in Cambodia, we thought it would be great to do it all over again this time in neighbouring Laos!! Plus it's nearby, it's cheap, and I don't need a visa!! WOOT! I love hassle-free travelling. (J has to get his on-arrival for USD40). J has been to Vientiane a few years ago. It would be great to go back and see how much development Laos has gone through. Like Cambodia last year, J was in awe at how much the country has progressed since his last visit (about the same time he visited Laos).


We are going to spend 2 weeks in Laos. 2 weeks on the road with J. Hmmmm...Buuuuut, we'll be alright! We always survived! More like J always survived me!! tee hee This will also be my first time backpacking. Well, maybe not 100% backpacking, but we reckon some places are catered mostly for backpackers and budget travellers.

My challenge I'm throwing to myself this holiday, is to stop the drama and be an enjoyable travel partner to my poor husband. So, we'll see how this goes..

I am so excited that I've already planned out the clothes. I took out all the tops I want to wear for this trip, and from there, started trimming. And it ended up looking like this:

Does that look like travelling light?? I think so. I don't know. I always over pack. I always end up with clothes I don't wear. I doubt I'll do much shopping, so hopefully all that (above) is enough. Just a couple more undies and my toiletries, than I'm done. Err...I hope!!

We'll find out how this all progresses. Though I suspect J will shake his head at the sight of my planned wardrobe!! And he'll say: there's laundry, babe!

eheh.

xoxo,

Mirror Mirror on the Wall

november 20, 08 thursday
9.44am

That was the exact question when I looked in the mirror these past few days! Ever since my facial session with my long-time facialist, Faza, a week ago, my skin has been acting up. I hate to think that Faza's amazing facial kills are not so amazing for my skin anymore. I've been trusting my face to her for 7 years now, and have never had a problem.

But I did slap on my new BB Cream from Etude House I bought recently. My skin went amok after that. I'm trying to console myself: maybe it's the BB Cream, because as much as I want to jump in onto the rave on BB Creams, maybe it's not for my skin. So after the third attempt at slathering on BB Cream in hopes of better skin, I am passing on the tube to Haidi, Adek's girlfriend. Maybe it'll work better for her since she's young.

This morning, my skin looks a little behaved. The big red zit on my left cheek has subsided, the small pimple-scar below the right side of my mouth has calmed down, and the other smaller pimples which were about to flare up, scattered above my lips and on my nose seem to have shrunk. Thank God!! My skin looks a little smoother today. All thanks to mum's aloevera gel and that marvelous calamine lotion!!

So I'm hoping for better skin tomorrow. Or else I won't be able to face the mirror tomorrow!!

Fingers crossed!!

Introducing: My beauty corner!!

october 30, 08 thursday
I was a busy busy bee today. I scrubbed and organised my way to creating my own "beauty space"!! Here's what I'm talking about..

Taa-daa!!

I have been thinking about having a space for me to do my makeup because, honestly, fighting with husband J for the wall mirror when we both need to get ready, is not funny.

Then there's this abandoned computer table at the corner of the room, rotting/collecting dust/eating space, and acts as a dumping ground for papers, keys, unused sun glasses and handbag, the gym bag, computer bags, software CDs, husband J's printer/scanner, etc. etc. etc.

So this morning, the light bulb "switched on".

And so I spent my morning wiping off the 10-inches-or-so of dust on the floor, on and behind the table, vacuumed (the entire room - why not) and moped the entire floor with Dettol. Threw away a bunch of stuff that should've been trashed years ago, and rearranged my plastic drawers filled with my makeup stuff.

I'm so happy I get to put that computer table to good use!! And the room smells so fresh and clean!!

As you can see, tonnes of space left on the table...can buy more plastic drawers ( = more makeup)!!!

I'm a freakin' genius!!

xoxo

While you were sleeping...

october 26, 08 sunday
WHOA..

Yes, I know, it's been a month. Well, almost. I was determined to blog more than last month, seeing how the number of entries dwindled every month, but...


But look at this! What I've collected while I was "away"... tee hee

I've been lemming for some of these since forever, but now I own them!! Woo hoo!

NYX eyeshadows, eye jumbo pencils, blusher and lipglosses, Coastal Scents brushes, Neutrogena lipglosses, L'oreal HIP shadow duos and cream liners, the famed CG Lash Blast, Maybelline Define-A-Lash, L'oreal Decrease, the must-have UDPP, Milani blusher in Luminous, Revlon Illuminance cream shadows and ELF stuff: lipglosses, blushes, bronzer, facial whip shimmers, brushes (the shadow brush rocks!!) and the ELF concealer, which is a nice surprise. Decent coverage and smells lovely!!

Not shown, Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover, which my poor father had to look for while he was in Honolulu. It wasn't hard, it's available at any drugtores in the US. But getting a man buying anything feminine is a frightening thought. So, thank you abah!!

And while I was busy salivating over the above stuff, looked what finally came to KL...

Shiseido's drugstore brand Majolica Majorca, Styli-Style and Rimmel (although we get the Japanese line).

Nothing beats touching and feeling the products, so having these brands here is a sheer delight!!

I'd like to see NYX, Milani and ELF here, seeing that they are already available in Singapore. I'd love CoverGirl to make a comeback, and of course, Loreal's HIP line, which is wishful thinking I guess.

But still. One can still hope...

The Mac is back in business!!

august 7, 08 thursday
I was brooding for awhile when my hand-me-down Mac iBook could not charge. Battery was low, and I could not do anything. It was frustrating, to say the very least. Husband J had shell out RM300 for a brand new hard drive so when we couldn't get the charger working, I concluded I just have no luck when it comes to Apple products (read my struggles with my iPod Shuffle in previous entries).

We brought the iBook to the Mac store (name escapes me at this moment) at Bangsar Village II. Their diagnosis was the motherboard and it would cost us RM3000 to have it replaced! J said 'no' and brought back the ailing iBook. I shoved it in my cupboard, hoping that maybe one day, we can come up with some brilliant idea that will not cost us RM3000. Obviously, nothing happened, and in the cupboard the iBook stayed.

Until last night.

Look, I love this iBook. It's sleeker and smaller than my big fat HP (although my HP is more reliable). I so want to fix the iBook, but not at RM3000! I might as well use that money for an eeePC or a mini HP. So, I told myself, I can shell out no more than RM500 to fix the iBook, so I decided to go for a second opinion with the real Mac experts at Machines, where J bought this iBook from. Hopefully, their diagnosis will not cost us (me) RM3000. *fingers crossed*

Today, I went off to the Machines store at The Gardens, opposite MidValley. Told the technician what was wrong, and after trying out other adapters on my iBook, he concluded the fuse in the plug head has died. He changed the tiny gadget and voila! It's charging again!! I was so happy!! And it only cost me RM5!! Yessssss!!!!! I can't believe those b@$tarD$ at the Mac shop at Bangsar Village II wanted to charge me RM3000!!!

I went home happily eager to power up my iBook. Only it didn't power up!! WTF?!? I was livid!! This is so typical!! What did I tell you about my sh!tty a$s luck with Apple products??!? The four lights at the bottom near the battery wasn't even blinking, and when I pushed the button near the battery, only the top light was flickering, all of 10 seconds.

Now, what would J do?? Ah, yes. Get on the 'net. So I switched on my trusty ol' HP, Googled the problem, and taa daa!! I may have the answer. Let's try this...

Take the battery out...

Plug in the adapter, power iBook up...

And it worked!!

Placed the battery back into its socket, and while I happily surfed the 'net, the battery was charging nicely. Well, whaddya know..

Beauty Binge: Concealers pt. 2

july 28, 08 monday
Continue.. (warning again: pictures in bad quality. Sorry!)

Mineral makeup concealers: Simply Naturale Multi-Tasking Concealer & Everyday Minerals Concealer in Sunlight
Mineral Makeup usually come in powder form and it takes getting used to. These 2 concealers do quite a decent job at covering my dark circles. I would normally buff in the smaller pot - Everyday Minerals Concealer in before layering it with the Multi-tasking concealer by Simply Naturale. They give a natural finish. I also use the Multi-tasking concealer for blemishes and other imperfections on the face. Sometimes, I don't even use foundation, the concealers' all I need.


Bobbi Brown Moisturizing Cream Compact Foundation in 3 Beige (sample size)
I got this when I bought BB brushes and thought with the size and the colour, it would make a great concealer. It does!! The colour is yellow-based, which is great for dark circles and it is quite easy to blend. Only thing is that is settles into the rack of my lines/wrinkles!! For some reason, this is hidden away in my many makeup bags and so is always forgotten. So I hardly use this one, but maybe today, I will!!

YSL Touche Elclat in #2 and Loreal Touche Magique Illuminating pens in shades 3 & 4

These are not concealers per se, but they do a good job at hiding shadows and the like. But if you use illuminating pens to conceal, you need to blend, blend, blend! Or else, it can look quite mask-y. I like to take these when I travel because they don't take up too much space. I use them as concealers sometimes as they are very easy to blend. The Loreal Touche Magique pens have been discontinued. I remember the pharmacies selling shades 3 & 4, but I saw shades 1 & 2 at the Low Cost departure terminal a couple of years ago. Should I have bought the lighter shades because 3 & 4 don't look too much different from each other. Oh! Well! And of course the YSL Touche Eclat...I think shade 2 is too light for me, but it does a good job at highlighting. However at RM100+ a pop, I don't think I will be revisiting the YSL booth after this dries out...

More Beauty Binge reports coming up. But first, must update my recent trip to Sydney and upload pictures!

Hang on!!

Beauty Binge: Concealers pt. 1

july 27, 08 sunday
I am aware of the many beauty blogs in cyberspace, many of which I have visited. Although one of my passion is makeup and beauty, I will not turn this into another beauty blog. But I will share some of the makeup in my stash every once in awhile.

Lately, my 'flavour of the month' is splurging on makeup. My recent trip to Sydney has sparked my obsession with drugstore brands, particularly those not available in Malaysia. I don't confess being a high-end brand snob, because, really, I'm not. But the drugstore brands available here are not too impressive. We are flooded with Korean and Japanese brands, and honestly, to me, they seemed of poor quality, when we all know there are many drugstore brands that can rival even the most expensive in the beauty market.

One of my must-have makeup product is concealer, and as I age, this item is indispensable. For a long time, I have woken up at 4.30am for my radio show. With that crazy schedule came horrendous dark eye circles. Even with 8 hours sleep. From young, I've always had dark circles and eye bags. They are built-in almost. No matter how many different eye creams/gels I have used. So the best remedy is a concealer. Finding a good one that works is another challenge altogether. Like everything else, concealers are trial and error.

(Please excuse the bad pictures - I suck at taking pictures!)


Loreal True Match Concealer
So far, my favourite. I've almost used up one tube (which is very rare for me to finish up a makeup item!), and bought another tube of the same shade N3-4, which is more of a neutral colour. On me, it looks a tad bit light, but not enough to make me look like a raccoon. The texture is very blendable, doesn't quite last throughout the day, but the coverage is natural enough. A few days ago, I saw another shade which got me excited. I quickly bought W6-7-8, a slightly darker colour with warmer yellow undertones. This shade seemed to fit me better, but really, I can't tell much difference between the two.

MAC Studio Finish SPF35 Concealer in NC42
I've tried different MAC concealers before this one, and this is the only one which is taking forever to finish! The consistency is thick yet creamy and the coverage is opaque, does quite a good job at covering up dark circles, even bad ones like mine. But after sometime, it cakes and settles into the cracks of your fine lines and/or wrinkles!! Great for nighttime, but keep a light hand during the day. Good thing about MAC products, they come in an array of shades.


Napoleon concealer
This is an Australian product, created by Aussie celebrity makeup artist, Napoleon Perdis. This concealer is thinner and creamer then the MAC (above), and comes in 4 shades only: light,amber,medium and dark. I didn't get to test the product in the store, so I grabbed the medium shade. In the pan, it looked just about right. But when I used it on my dark circles, it was quite light that I had to do some serious blending! It doesn't really cover very dark circles, and doesn't really last that long. One pan cost AU$28, which isn't bad, considering it is a cult favourite, especially among Aussie makeup artists. And we all know how ridiculously expensive makeup is in Oz!

To be continued...

Exorcism of the iPod Shuffle

june 29, 08 sunday
I SWEAR...!!!

I've had to struggle trying to understand why my little 1 GB iPod refused to cooperate. It worked fine the last 100 times I updated it, then suddenly it stopped cooperating. It made my laptop do funny 'ting tong' noises and kept coming up with the massage saying it couldn't locate the newly downloaded songs.

Aaarrrgghhhhhhhh!

I stayed up past midnight last night trying to figure out what went wrong. Finally I turned to the self-proclaimed tech-maestro, husband J. He googled the problem and taa daa! Miraculously, it worked again! We had to reset my iPod (basically deleted all 100+ songs in it) and re-copied everything from the existing stuff to the recently added songs. We plugged the dock into another USB socket and voila! It worked! No hiccups! No frustrating messages! It bloody worked!!

It proved a sore point with me. sigh. Husband J was right - the answers are a Google away. And that I am a tech-idiot. A tech-phobe. I hate technology. It's supposed to make your life easier, not frustrate you! So explain last night iPod drama to me!!

I might as well move to Pennsylvania and be an Amish. They don't believe in modern technology. They think it's evil. Yeah...technology is evil. Eeeeeviiiill! And I swear, my iPod was possessed last night.

So now I have well over 160 songs in there as I just added a couple more songs from Cd's this afternoon. It worked fine. Honestly, I am done with loading more songs into my iPod. Because one more tantrum from it, I'll probably toss it in the bin!

SALE!

june 20, 08 friday
Aiyah!

No point telling me. I'm not working. I have no income. So what do I buy stuff with? My good looks??

Right-o. I wish!

It's sales time. And late last night, I received an sms from the sister: "MNG sale!"

Ahh. Well. It didn't hurt so much, because at this ripe-old age of ummmm...in my late 30's, MNG seems a little too tacky for me these days.

However, in 2 weeks, Zara will be on sale. Now that's a different story!!

I heart Zara. I binge on Zara. They have amazing clothes and shoes. And I love their jeans from their TRF line. They hug my non-existence hips and fat legs so well, and they are miiiighty comfortable!

I so heart Zara!

When they have their sales, and I won't be able to enjoy it, that will hurt, no doubt. It's the price I was willing to pay (or give up in this case!) when I so stubbornly wanted to leave my job. Yeah. What to do. It's a done deal. Plus, I have heaaaaaps of Zara in my cupboard. Tonnes! So maybe it's a good thing because I am seriously running out of space.

*pause*

*thinking*

*pause*

Who am I kidding?? You can never have too much of Zara TRF jeans. And t-shirts. And blouses. And shoes. But really, I have too many of the same things. It's time to change, I guess. It's time to just watch from the sidelines.

Oh! My bleeding heart!

Now where's my blinking tissue??

SOB!

Tech-Idiot

june 1, 08 sunday

If it's one thing that I can never get my head around is downloading songs/movies etc, anything from the 'net. It's just a frustrating process, having to go through one too many clicks on the computer. And this has turned me into a tech-idiot.

No, some things are just not that obvious to me. No, I don't experiment when I don't even know which button to go to, to bloody experiment! What if I lost all the files I had?? I cannot bear to do it all over again!

Even more frustrating when your husband refuses to help and just say, "experiment!"

Aarrrghhh!! Where do I f***!Ng experiment??? WHERE??

I copied a whole bunch of my personal CDs onto the laptop, with the intention to copy those songs to my new ipod. And then I wanted a few more tunes from the 'net, which at the end I couldn't sync with my current playlist. I just wanted to pull my hair out, and poke husband J's eye out, just because! Aaaaarrrggghhhhhhhhh!!!

So now I have some pretty good selection from my CDs in my ipod. But I still don't have the 3 fabulous rock songs still stuck in some other playlist. HOW THE HELL DO YOU THIS???

OK breeeeeaaaathe.

This sucks.

On a brighter note as I try to calm down....husband J is roasting chicken for dinner.....smells gorgeous, baby!!

*smirk*

Pour some Oud on me anytime!

may 5, 08 monday
Yeah, OK. I'm a weird one. I like the thought of living in the Middle East. Maybe not Saudi-I don't think I can dress myself like a sack of potatoes. But I think the notion of living in any of the Gulf States is romantic, though I have friends who will refute that in a second. Mom thinks I am twisted in the head. Well, I might be off my head, but there's nothing that puts a smile on face faster than the smell of the popular Arab-scent, oud.

My obscene obsession with anything Middle Eastern stemmed from...well...my visits to Saudi Arabia. Minus the bloody hijab and the ridiculously rigid culture against women, I find life in Arab-land(s) exotic. Mind you, not all Arab states is Saudi Arabia. Everywhere else is a bit more ....ummm...forward, progressive, open. Though I must admit, if I did stay in any of the Gulf States, I still need to change my lifestyle a bit...the culture is still a bit more conservative than what I'm used to. (And my lifestyle is anything but conservative!)

But I am intrigued with the Arab culture, its people, and their way of life. And I'm always curious with anyone wearing oud.It's a kind of scent that the Arabs love putting on. According to Mom, it smells pungent. She hates it. And I love it!! I've smiled at many Arab (Saudi?) men in Mecca and Madina when they passed by me and the smell of oud tickled my nostrils. It has a musky strong smell and I find the scent so sexy! Mom was right. I am a bit twisted. In the head.

I walked into the Body Shop one day and taa daa! Saw one of their perfume oils labelled 'Rose Oud'. I took a whiff, and had to hold myself back. It wasn't as strong as how the Arabs would normally wear it. It had a tinge of oud and plenty of rose scent. Still, the oud scent was present and I instantly bought it. I wore it to work, and immediately got unfavourable comments from colleagues alike.

Bah! I'm still using that scent.

Oud.

Swoooon....!

Puss has a new toy!

april 24, 08 thursday

YAY! I got my first MAC!! I've lusted over their notebooks for ages and finally got one to call my own!!

OK. Here's the deal...its a hand-me down 4 year-old iBookG4, which belonged to husband J. It's a little rusty, start-up a little slow, and I have issues with downloading pictures (not to mention learning the different commands!), but still, it's a bloody MAC!!

Husband J has an even 'better' toy. A 17" MacbookPro which costed him an unnecessary amount of money. What is it with boys-the bigger the better.


So what am I to do with my old HP big fat laptop?? It's still in great condition so I''ll use it for work (until that lasts!) and I'll get to know the iBook better at home.


So now, I have to compete with that godd@mn huge MacbookPro for J's attention. Because he's going to be so immerse with his new notebook, he won't know I exist...

Sigh, such is my life....

But heck! I have a MAAAAAAC!!!! :D

10 of (some of) my favourite stuff

april 22, 08 tuesday
Just being a gurl, I guess...Was looking around and realised I have great stuff around me. I limit them to 10, because if I didn't, there'll be more pictures to download, and honestly, it'll be too painful for me. Patience is NOT my greatest virtue.

No. 1 on my list is of course my rings. Not because I know my husband J reads this, but because I trully love these rings. I have never been a big fan of diamonds (gasp!), and I remember telling my hubs (when we just got engaged - he proposed without a ring!) that I wanted a pearl ring (!!!). Husband J insisted I get a diamond engagement ring so I saw this one at the shop and immediately fell in love with it. It's not in the traditional setting, but it was contemporary and unique. The wedding band was a plain platinum band, initially was too tight that husband J had a tough time sliding it onto my finger! Old (Malaysian) wives' tale dictates traditionally, when the ring is stuck at the bride's knuckle during the wedding ceremony, it is believed that the woman will wear the pants in the family. Hmmm...

No. 2 is a steaming cup of freshly brewed coffee. And honestly so far, La Bodega in Telawi Bangsar is the only place you can get a decent cup of real brewed coffee. I quite like the black coffee at San Francisco Coffee too. If you know what good coffee is, than you'd know you can't get good quality coffee anywhere else, not even at the other coffee places in this country. Coffee in KL (Malaysia in general) SUCKs!!

No. 3 is my TRF Jeans from Zara. Not Zara Woman. Not Zara Basic. But TRF Zara. It took me a looong time to find a pair with a good fit, because I have quite a weird body shape, no hips, small waist but full thighs. TRF Zara jeans, straight or skinny, hugs my bum and (lack of) curves nicely and makes me look tall and lean. And they are oh-so comfortable! Nice! But only worth buying during sales...they're quite over-priced. Or maybe I'm just cheap...

No. 4 only happened right after I got married (which wasn't too long ago!). I have never been a huge fan of The BodyShop products. I find their stuff overpriced and underwhelming. But somebody gave me BodyShop's Body Butters as a present and I've been hooked ever since. I have super-dry skin. Besides Vaseline Petroleum Jelly, nothing else works! I love the smell of these body butters too! But if you have normal skin, these may be a tad bit greasy though...

No. 5, I was an avid diary writer when I was a teenager. Back then, it was all about boys. These days, it's a Moleskine diary (introduced to me by my radio co-host) and its all about....work!! And expenses!! My first Moleskine was black in colour with a weekly layout. This year I thought I'd go the extra mile and buy the Limited Edition (in red) with a day-to-day layout. It was big and fat and heavy. It takes up most of the space in my handbag. I can write a lot more in this diary, but honestly, I think I prefer the weekly layout better - it's not so thick and it easier to plan the week. God forbid I leave this at home! I'd be so lost without my Moleskine!

No. 6 my bright orange bikini, my first in a loooong time. I only found the confidence to wear one after losing weight and toning up at the gym. I have a few more pairs, but this orange pair has gone with me on practically every dive trip I've gone to.

No. 7 - gotta smell nice! Clinique Happy is a staple, and I've re-connected with Victoria's Secrets Body Mists which I so loved during my college days. And BodyShop's new range of perfume oils are long lasting and smell lovely!

No.8 is mineral make-up. It's touted to be the make-up of tomorrow. Mineral make-up has only natural, pure ingredients, minus the preservatives. Which means it's make-up good for your skin. I hardly wear conventional make-up anymore. If you have very sensitive skin which reacts to conventional make-up, you might want to consider going mineral.

No. 9 is a staple. I love make-up, but I love a clean face more! I received a free set from SKII some years ago to try out, and have never looked back since. This is a rich foamy non-drying cleanser and it costs RM143!! Steep, but it lasts more than 3 months and it's worth every sen!

No. 10, my favourite food. Give me couscous and mint tea anytime and I'm in heaven. My Moroccan friends at college many years ago introduced me to the wonderful world of couscous and I've loved it ever since! And it's been a loooong time since I've had the real deal, with lamb gravy and all. When I saw this at Tesco, I was over the moon. Just add hot boiling water, leave for 10 minutes and your ready to go. It serves 2, and it's only 200 calories per serving. Yum!

I am a shoe whore!

april 21, 08 monday

I wake up very early for work. No kidding. Like at the crack of dawn. And half the time, I shower, moisturise and out the door in jeans, t-shirt and high heels! Yes, I have been known to show up like I rolled out of bed looking like death with high heel shoes, when my co-workers would walk in with slippers. I love my shoes. I love the way they make me feel, even with sleep in my eye. And I love the way they make me look. Nothing shouts "confidence" when one is in heels. But my love for shoes has now set me back. By a mile!

I saw my ATM bank slip last night (I normally don't bother), and I almost had a heart attack. I only have that much left??? Aiyaiyaiyaiyai.. I'm in trouble. And hubby may not like this. In fact, I know for sure he'll hate this.

I kinda knew where the moolah went to - shoes. Lots of 'em. I have been buying up a storm this last couple of months. And 95% of 'em are at least with 4 inch heels. I have a weakness for very high heels. Which is weird because I can't, for the life of me, wear very high heels:

1. My feet aches

2. My back aches

3. I can't walk like a lady. I walk like a construction worker!

What am I going to do with them heels?? It's not like I am at events every other day. Or parties. Heck! Except for the gym and the odd coffee binges with best friend, I hardly leave the house. And some of these shoes are uncomfortable as hell.

But they are gorgeous shoes! The ones you must have, the ones you'll dream about when you didn't buy them. You know what I mean. And just to make space for them (I intentionally made my shoe closet small for obvious reasons..) I threw out some of the 'cheaper' variety to make room.

Anyway, I am learning to post pictures and work the blog so here are some of my babies ;)

If my house was on fire (touch wood!), I'd grab them first.

I know.

I need therapy. SIGH (with a smile on my face!)