Isabel Lee | Malaysian Beauty & Lifestyle Blogger: August 2011

Suncoat Water-based Nail Polish (19 Gold)

I've already posted a brief intro to these HERE.

I wish all nail polishes were like this.. Without the pungent smell (please make sure there's good aeration when you paint your nails). Unfortunately, water based nail polishes aren't all that great so I'll have to bear with the smell.

As you can see, it's pretty sheer after 2 coats =( It's slightly more opaque IRL but you can still clearly see where the nail bed ends. Application is streaky but it dries quite fast. The colour itself is okay... Perhaps too dull for my taste.

One odd thing I encountered was that my top coat (Essie) started peeling off after the first day. I did not have this problem with the Apricot shade but I was using a different top coat then. Thin flakes were dropping off like nail dandruff =_=

Caution
* Do not soak your nails in hot water for 8 hours after application
* Do not freeze the nail polish
* Do not leave polish on for more than a week or else it may be hard to remove

Ingredients : Aqua (water, ~65% in formula), acrylate copolymer / styrene-acrylate copolymer (~28% in formula) Other ingredients (all under 4%): propylene glycol n-butyl ether, dipropylene glycol dibenzoate. May contain [+/-] mica (CI 77019), titanium dioxide (CI 77891), ferric ferrocyanide, iron oxide (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), chromium oxide (CI 77288), carmine (CI 75470)

Size : 15 ml / 0.5 oz

Obtained from : Angel (but she's no longer selling them)

Made in Canada

Pros : Water based, no stinky/pungent smell, dries fast

Cons : Streaky application, unavailable here, requires top coat to last, sheer, cannot be in touch with water for few hours

My conclusion :

** Product was provided by Angel. However, this has not affected my thoughts on the product in any way.

Pizza Milano @ 1 Utama

Before I start this post, I would like to wish all Muslim readers Selamat Hari Raya!~~ ^_^

I have mentioned before that this is where I eat one of my favourite spaghettis. Managed to coax Nicole into going with me cos we're on this stupid 'food adventure'. I actually have a list of places I want to eat at =_=" I haven't been to 1 Utama since the renovation so when we arrived we felt a little lost. In fact.. We followed the crowd all the way to One Avenue before realizing it.

No, she did not end up drinking the Tabasco lol

I couldn't decide to suck on the straw or smile so.. I ended up with this weird half-half look =_="

We were seated next to a father and daughter and while waiting for our food to arrive, I heard the little girl exclaim loudly "jo meh jie jie ge sau kap tung cheong mou jin geh?" which kinda means 'why jie jie's (elder sister/girl) nails so long, didn't cut'. Guess my Rimmel nails caught her attention.

After telling Nicole, we decided to pretend to take photos when we were actually stalking the little girl =_=" Because we have... Nothing better to do.. =/

Yum! The aglio olio spaghetti is RM 9 but I ordered extra seafood which costs an additional RM 3 & Nicole got double extra seafood. There's a generous amount of fish (salty but I like it), prawns and calamari. Iced lemon tea is RM 2.50, if I'm not mistaken. I always add Tabasco to mine even though it's already spicy cos I just love how the taste comes out. The non spicy version is nice too ^_^

Quality has dropped a little since my previous visit but I will still return as the portion and taste is quite good considering the reasonable RM 12 they charged me for it.

My Beauty Diary Southern France Apricot

The reason for the big tear at the top is I forgot to snap the photo before opening it =_=" And also I threw away the packaging without taking down the ingredients list so I had to Google it zzz..

*sniff* This mask smells like apricots (duh..). Quite yummy..

Picture of the idiot =_=" Wearing my spectacles while having a mask on helps it to adhere xD Not like it needs help adhering though.. The sheet is very moist and there's enough essence to last the recommended 15 minutes.

"Smooth & High Moisture"

Yes, just like the other MBD masks, this does leave my skin feeling soft and smooth but if you look closely, it isn't any smoother. Also, I didn't find this to be any more moisturizing then the rest. Perhaps it could have been caused by me using a different moisturizer.

Ingredients : Water, Glyerin, Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Prunus Armenaga (Apricot) Fruit Extract, Avena SAtiva (Oat) Kernel Extract, Cox Lacrymajobi (Job's Tears) Seed Extract, Triethanolamine, Polysorbate-20, Methylparaben, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium PCA, Citric Acid, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Sorbitol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Gentiana Lutea Root Extract, Malva Sylvestris (Mallow) Flower Extract, Saccharum Officinarium (Sugar Cane) Extract, Sugar Maple Extract, Orange Fruit Extract, Lemon Peel Extract, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate, Polyglutamic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Fragrance

Size : 30 g / 23 ml

Price : RM 63.88 for a box of 17

Bought from : Pharmacy

Made in Taiwan

Pros : Smells nice, moisturizing, good fit, comfortable, moist sheet

Cons : Not as moisturizing as I expected (stated high moisture)

My conclusion : Not sure if I'll repurchase. Definitely not the whole box but maybe 1-2 sheets just to try it again with a better moisturizer.

Collagen Beauty Roll @ Sushi Tei

What's the first thing that comes into your mind when you hear that? I would think of some kinda facial treatment which involves rolling and collagen =/ Dermarolling? Lol

Not what you expected? Lol Now, I didn't order this (due to the price) but I do wonder if such 'collagen food' could actually affect our skin. My mum likes eating chicken feet & she claims that the collagen in them is good. I'm.. still not convinced enough to eat them =_="

Anyway, this was at Sushi Tei.. Nicole's Chawanmushi RM 6.50. Er.. Yeah.. she took a chunk out before I snapped the pic lol

Salmon sashimi, my fav ^_^ RM 12 for 5 big juicy slices. Butterfish was my 2nd fav but now they're said to contain high levels of mercury? Darn.. =/

Niku Udon (I also love udon!) RM 17.80. Udon noodles & beef were nice but the soup tastes like diluted soy sauce (maybe it really is?)

Black roe thingy I took off the train which tastes just like any other black roe thingy elsewhere =/ ~~Should have gone to Jusco instead~~

Salmon sushi thingy with sesame and seaweed =_=" This is what happens when I procrastinate posts. I forget names and details. Argh!

Right.. So here ends my 'nothing to write so I'll post food pics instead' post.

MagicColour Sparkling Aqua (Love!)

Gone are the days where only 'guai lou' can have blue eyes.

I realize blue contacts brighten my face and aren't as freaky looking as I expected!

Lenses in the Sparkling series have a slight ring and the colour blends well so it's more natural than the Blushy collection but more obvious than Dazzle. There's the main blue colour and yellow in the inner rim. I have no problem wearing this without makeup.

The blue is just.. GORGEOUS! It's originally lighter in colour but appears darker on my eyes. Love the fact that the colour actually shows, unlike some other brands where you can barely see the colour.

I very much prefer the blister packaging over glass vials (like the GEO ones) as they're easier to open and safer. Btw, just in case some of you are confused, this MagicColour is NOT the GEO Magiccolour. It's a totally different company.

Can't even begin to tell you how comfortable these are. 55% water content and the ultra smooth surface makes it easy to forget I'm even wearing anything.

I love this so much, I already bought a back up pair lol They were having a half price promo so I grabbed a few pairs. One afternoon, a guy dropped off the package for me, saying he was passing by anyway. Kinda gave me a shock cos I didn't expect them to personally deliver the lenses to me so I wouldn't have to wait one more day for it to arrive via Poslaju. Then when I opened it, there were 2 extra pairs inside! I discovered later on that the guy was the boss, Alvin. PAI SEH! I only said 'harr...' with a shocked face and 'thank you' x_X Very nice people behind this brand.. =)

I'm so excited cos now I can try the Diamond and Ballerina series as well! ^_^ Wheee...~~

Base Curve : Median

Diameter : 16 mm (which is awesome!)

Price : RM 40/year

Sold at : MagicColour

Made in Korea

Pros : Lovely colour & design, comfortable, high water content, blister packaging, not drying, enlarging effect, opaque

Cons : -

My conclusion : Love. Already repurchased. Highly recommend this!

** Product was provided by MagicColour for review purposes. However, this has not affected my thoughts on the product in any way.

Rimmel Stay Glossy Lipgloss (Dare To Stay)

Housed in a plain plastic tube and silver cap, this lip gloss would have looked boring if not for the signature Rimmel crown and the slight curves.

I don't know how to describe the applicator so let's just let the photo do the talking, alright? I use the flat side to apply all over and the tip for precision. It goes on easily and smoothly on my lips ^_^

Swatch on my arm. It's a light soft pink with pink glitters and very glossy. Just like the other Rimmel lip products I have, this has a vanilla sugary sweet scent which doesn't last long on your lips.

With a light layer, it just adds a little colour and shine. The glossiness hides lip lines and makes my lips more pouty. Apply more and you will find that.. There isn't much difference lol Colour is not buildable to become the intimidating pink in the tube. It's averagely sticky; sticky enough to last longer but doesn't cause your lips to become gooey. Doesn't feel very heavy on my lips either which is good since some glosses can be annoying as you constantly feel something on your lips.

*Click to enlarge

Love the soft and wearable colour ^_^ And the jelly like gloss! Not so fond of the glitters though..

After a meal, the gloss was gone but colour and glitters remained so I do consider it quite long lasting for a gloss.

Product says : Stay Glossy’s cutting-edge Shine ExtendTM technology will give you runway lips and up to 6 hours of wow-worthy colour Double the moisture instantly with Silk & Natural Cotton. Shape Up your lips with SOFT-EXTEND lip hugging applicator. Perfectly defined glossy lips. GET A GLOSSY UPGRADE TODAY!

Size : 5.5 ml / 0.18 fl oz

Price : RM 27.90

Sold at : Watson’s Personal Stores and Guardian Pharmacies

Made in England

Pros : Easy & smooth application, glossy, smells nice, hides lip lines, not too sticky, long lasting, natural looking

Cons : Don't like the glitters, colour not buildable (I prefer it like this though)

My conclusion : It's not bad for a gloss. Wouldn't mind using it but I don't think I'll repurchase because of the glitters (they can be hard to remove).

** Product was provided by Yuberactive for review purposes. However, this has not affected my thoughts on the product in any way.

Ramadan Buffet @ Garden Lifestyle Restaurant Alamanda Putrajaya

I've walked past Garden Lifestyle Restaurant a few times before and have always admired the lovely design but funny how I never thought of eating there. Then Nicole & I went for their Ramadan Buffet alllll the way in Alamanda Putrajaya. Was the journey worth it? Read on to find out!

Love the interior..

Can't wait for the food! xD But actually we waited cos it's not buka puasa time for the Muslims yet.. Please be respectful and try not to eat in front of them. We know you're hungry but they haven't eaten for the whole day. Buffet starts at 7.30 pm.

With Nicole's 'bro', the chef there.

There's this cute hammock egg chair outside.. Which we proceeded to take photos with =/

And went on to take more photos...

Even the staff were sneaking smiles at us.

Buffet area was located outside. Luckily it wasn't very hot & humid that night. There was soup, local cuisine, seafood spaghetti, rice, pasta, mutton, mussel, prawn, satay, kuih muih, syrup, Ribena, watermelon juice, coffee and tea. Not sure if I missed anything.. I didn't take photos of the spread as I was already pai seh enough from the earlier photo taking lol

The seafood pasta which they cooked on the spot. So yum!

Fish was hard but the rest was okay.. Prawn's good.

Lamb slices, potato salad and pasta. Too cold and dry (take note I did not take the sauce) for my taste but still acceptable. Food was left outside so you will not get hot food unless you 'order' the seafood spaghetti, mutton or the grilled stuff.

Fried rice (?) was okay.. Vegetables a little too salty but the mussels were nice! If you don't like the 'seafood taste' of mussels though, you might wanna opt for the ones in the seafood spaghetti instead.

It's RM 49.90 per pax if I'm not mistaken.. We didn't pig out to the max, but boy.. Were we stuffed! Lol

Rimmel 60 Seconds Flash Nail Polish

Wheee... I'm all for quick drying nail polishes now ^_^ After trying my first one by Sally Hansen, I was very impressed but the price stopped me from purchasing any more. Then I got another one! This time by Rimmel..

I was quite excited to try this since 'Boo' left a message on my chat box saying this nail polish has a good brush. The Xpress brush is flat on one side and is quite big and fluffy, covering a wide area with each stroke. Together with the smooth formula, it's so easy to apply! Not everyone is ambidextrous so this is a good thing indeed.

I still need 2 strokes for each nail though.. So the 1 second application doesn't apply for me. Maybe 2-3 seconds per nail? Lol It's softer than the SH one so it's easier to apply. I much prefer this brush ^_^

The shade 430 Coralicious appears pinkish in the bottle but it's actually a daring coral which is so so sooo beautiful!

Super LOVE it!

Sorry for the messy application AGAIN. I did try to clean it T_T

It dried in 60 seconds as claimed, has a shiny finish (top coat not necessary) and looks best with 2 coats. A single coat still looks okay but I prefer it to be more opaque.

At only RM 11.90, I wouldn't mind purchasing more colours! ^_^

Product says :
60 SECONDS QUICK DRY NAIL POLISH, 1 SECOND APPLICATION

•XpressTM brush for 1 second application
•Dries in less than 60 seconds
•Picture perfect nail colour in a flash!

Size : 8 ml

Price : RM 11.90

Sold at : Watson’s Personal Stores and Guardian Pharmacies

Made in Spain

Pros : Good brush, fast & smooth application, dries fast, lovely colour, cheap, shiny finish

Cons : -

My conclusion : I foresee that this will be frequently used xP Love everything from the brush to the colour. Even the rounded bottom on the black cover!

** Product was provided by Yuberactive for review purposes. However, this has not affected my thoughts on the product in any way.

iBilik - CariBilik Redesign!

There have been several times that I'm driving somewhere and I come to a stop at a traffic light behind a cab. I don't know who came up with the idea of placing advertisements on taxis but he/she is a genius lol You might find these familiar..

Not my photos, btw.. It's dangerous to take photos while driving! lol

2 things caught my eye : 'Lowest Price' and 'Online Booking' (lol.. for lazy bums who are kiamsiap like me)

Actually, iBilik is the new caribilik which is a website where you can find rooms for rent. They've given it a whole new look that's clean and professional.

The rental price is quite low as I even saw RM 150! For students who are not originally from that area, that's quite an affordable price to pay per month. They will list it out if internet, washing machine, air conditioning etc are available as well as if it's near public transport. How convenient! You don't have to call them one by one to ask for the details.

I like that some of them include photos of the place but most of them don't have photos / the photo is ridiculously small / is showing the whole condo, exterior of the house etc which doesn't even matter since I want to look at the room!

It would be so much better if there were more photos of the rooms to view as I'm not traveling all the way from Kedah to Johor just to find out that the room is not up to my expectations.

I'm impressed with the short term rentals though. The website even has reviews! So you can read on other people's past experiences and you don't have to worry about unfriendly/cheating hosts since you can threaten to give them bad feedback xD They're not bogus reviews either. If you explore a little, you will find some negative ones =x

Brussels Beer Cafe @ Jaya One

Quite a number of people have recommended this place to me so I HAD to check it out..

I had to try their alcohol, obviously. I got a glass of my favourite cocktail, the Long Island Tea RM 28. Actually I wanted to try something called 'Girl' (saw it on a blog) but we found out that it is only available on Tuesday, which is ladies night. My drink was milder than some others I have tried elsewhere, which is good if you just want to have a good time and not get wasted. People who prefer drinks that go down smoothly may like this over harsher variants too. The glass was pretty big too so no complains about portion.

After drooling over the food pics for a week with Nicole, we finally salivated over the real food =D

Now, don’t drink on an empty stomach! I ordered a traditional Belgian dish - Chicken Waterzooi - as my main course. Honestly, it didn’t look like much at first as the portion seemed so small but it surprised me by turning out to be just right! The chicken was cooked very well, was still juicy and tender. The dish also consisted of carrots, young potatoes and leeks in the light lemon cream sauce which was made from Hoegaarden. Super super yummy!! Served on the side were 3 slices of toasted bread which you can dip into the sauce. Simply delectable.

I thoroughly enjoy my greens and had a salad for my starter. Salads do not go far but I did enjoy the freshness of the ingredients which had a lovely crisp to them. There was a little hill of capsicums, onions, leafy vegetables and olives. There were also 4 yummy prawns and it was drizzled in the most amazing sauce. Equally as tasty as my chicken!