Isabel Lee | Malaysian Beauty & Lifestyle Blogger: September 2014

Epicuro @ Damansara Uptown Review

Epicuro - not just another coffee place.

Special weekday lunch sets are available at Epicuro from 11.30am - 3pm except on public holidays.

Choose between an array of coffee, tea and smoothies to quench your thirst.

Conchiglie with Spinach Cream RM 19.90
Shell shaped pasta with a perfect combination of spinach cream sauce, LOTS of bacon bits, toasted sunflower seeds and cheese. Do not let the colour put you off because this dish is absolutely heavenly. I love how they were generous with the bacon but there simply was not enough of this to satisfy my tummy.

Mixed Mushrooms & Bacon Aglio Olio RM 20.90
Spaghetti with sauteed brown mushrooms, king trumpet mushrooms, bacon bits and rocket leaves. I added on a poached egg for RM 1. It was good without excessive oil but during my second visit, it was so salty I almost did not want to finish the plate.

Spaghetti Carbonara RM 18.90
Spaghetti in cream sauce topped with a delightfully creamy poached egg. Bacon makes everything good. Trust me.

Pulled Pork Sandwich RM 16.90
Mm! Signature pulled pork and coleslaw with a sunny side up. The fluffy buns were stuffed full of pork and made a filling meal. I enjoyed my mouthful of this (It was Elie's so I didn't have more lol).

Flat White RM 10
All the coffees were bitter but tasted better with some sugar. Maybe I just like mine sweet?

Brownies with Ice Cream RM 13.90
OMG I LOVE THIS! Each cube of crunchy brownie was chocked full of nutty flavour. They're served with a scoop of homemade ice cream drizzled with caramel. You need this.

Address:
20, Jalan SS 21/35, Damansara Utama, 47400 Petaling Jaya
It's facing LDP, behind Village Park.
Warning : It's rather hard to find parking here so it's better to go on weekends.

Contact number: 03-77333110

Operating Hours:
Tuesday - Friday: 11am - 11pm
Saturday - Sunday: 10am - 11pm
Closed on Mondays

You can make reservations online too as the place can get pretty packed sometimes.
Website: http://epicuro.my/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/epicuro.my

Ways to Get Free/Cheap Books

The thing about books is that once they start to accumulate, they take up space. Here are three alternatives to consider the next time that happens instead of throwing them away.

BookUp

Mike Chu founded BookUp - an online platform that connects buyers to sellers - to help book owners gain back a portion of what they paid while allowing avid readers to gain access to affordable books.

“We are more towards helping both ends of the spectrum rather than getting every single cent out from our buyers,” Chu said.

The books can be purchased at

50-70% off,

making reading an inexpensive hobby.

A fee of 30% is taken from the buyer only when the books are sold. This fee covers the entire process from warehousing, marketing, sales, packaging and delivery to the buyer.

“Our business makes it easy for people to buy books at the comfort of their own house, at a price that won’t hurt their wallets. At the same time, our business helps sellers get rid of their books, without them getting out of their house as well,” he added.

By being online, buyers are able to purchase books from different corners of the country with a click of their mouse. They can also browse the array of books easily using the title, author or ISBN.

The collection at BookUp consists of cookbooks, music books and many others as well. The books are available in English, Mandarin and Bahasa Melayu.

Subang Jaya Book Exchange Programme (SJBEP)

Many people from all over Klang Valley attend the biweekly Book Exchange Programme (BEP). There are visitors from Kota Damansara, Klang and even as far as Cheras. The programme is run by volunteers such as Sulyn, who spends her free weekends there.

“About 100 books get exchanged at each session on average,” Sulyn said when asked about the BEP, where people can drop off a book in exchange for another. She said about 90% of the books at SJBEP are in English with a bulk of them being fiction books while there are smaller sections dedicated specially for Bahasa Melayu and Mandarin books.

The cabin does not contain academic books as there is little demand for them. “We have limited space in the cabin so we can only devote shelf space to popular genres such as fiction, non-fiction and children's literature," Sulyn said.

The SJBEP experience is unique because there are no fees, no deadlines to return books and no commitment. “It’s a great place to try different kinds of books because if you end up not liking a book, at least you didn’t spend RM40 on it,” Sulyn said.

Sulyn describes the SJBEP as a treasure hunt because

you never know what awesome books

you may stumble upon at each book exchange.

The SJBEP is held on the first and third Sundays of the month, from 3pm to 5pm, at USJ 12/2F, Subang Jaya. However, their sessions may vary according to availability of volunteers so it is best to check their Facebook page (www.facebook.com/sjusjbep).

Spartext

Taylor's University students crowding around the Spartext booth to buy textbooks.

Spartext is held by the Taylor’s University Entrepreneurship and Investment Club to fulfill the demand for secondhand books. Spartext project manager Tee Yeu Sin said the project is based on their belief that entrepreneurship is meant to solve problems and contribute to the society.

“We have a consignment agreement with those who want to sell the books and sell them to juniors,” Tee said as he described the process. About 70% of the books find new owners at each session. Although they do charge RM5 for their services, Tee said they do not hike up the price just to earn money.

“We always ensure that textbooks are at a relatively lower price

so that we can provide our customers with cheaper textbooks

and maintain our core value of business.”

Even though Spartext is extremely convenient for students in Taylor’s University, they only provide their services to students in the School of Business. “Taylor’s has a lot of business students and they need to buy a lot of textbooks,” Tee said when asked why
they do not cater to the other schools.

Spartext is held twice a year at the start of semesters for Taylor’s University business students.

Eumora Facial Bar with HmA Review (Free Sample)

Here's my review on the miracle Eumora Soap which many people claim to be their holy grail skin solution.

Free Sample

Get a free sample of Eumora Facial Bar before purchasing the full size from www.tryeumora.com~

For a limited time only, visitors who request the free trial will also have the ability to get a 30% discount off their first box ordered of Eumora Classic plus get free shipping

Ingredients

HmA - derived from microalgae cultivated in the Hawaiian fresh water lakes. It includes a component that is similar to the structure of hyaluronate 3D mesh structure, which aids in moisture absorption.

Moor - rare form of nutrient-rich peat from Austria created over thousands of years from herbs, plants & flowers which have been permanently submerged under water or underground. The result has various therapeutic properties.

Usage Instruction

Wet hands and lather soap between palms until you get a thick white lather.

Apply lather onto face for 3-5 minutes. If you do not see this white lather when applying onto face, you need to either use more water or lather for a bit longer.

I usually remove the soap immediately after lathering and place it into a DRY container that is away from water source. If you let it soak in water, it will become mushy or melt away so be careful!

Results

After 1 month of using Eumora, I do notice the following differences:

Smoother skin
Peeling for a while when I started using it
Less pimples
Pimples go away faster
Blackheads and whiteheads are easier to be removed
Drier skin and wrinkles

Initially I was peeling for about 3 weeks but this is expected due to my skin's detox process. After that, the peeling ceased but it didn't exactly moisturize my skin =/ With dry skin, comes fine lines and wrinkles. That is the part that I disagree about the soap's claims. However, Eumora says that the moisturizing action happens in the inner skin layers which is not visible. People claim it lightens dark eye circles as well but I guess I haven't been using it long enough to erase mine.

This is not my first time using Eumora and I honestly think that it is effective for pimples. They just go away faster and there are less blemishes.

As for blackheads and whiteheads, you will spot the difference on the first use itself! You will noticed after rinsing off the soap that white bumps pop up around your face where your skin is congested. By squeezing gently, you will be able to remove them.

Not 100% effective but at least Eumora helps me to remove them by coercing the blackheads and whiteheads to come out.

I haven't been using Eumora for over 2 months so I can't say what are the long-term results but they also claim to give the following results:

Fairer, glowing skin
Younger face
Firmer and lifted skin
Close big facial pores
Lighten freckles (I don't have them anyway)
No more eye bags

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

Rakuten Super Sale - RIP Wallet

I never understood why my friends kept going gaga over Rakuten. Then I saw that there was a Rakuten Super Sale - I love sales - so I went to check it out and OMG I've already opened this site for the 5th time today =/

Time to stock up for Autumn/Winter 2014! Basically my uni is in autumn/winter mode all the time so I guess this will be perfect #excusestoshop

I absolutely love these kind of comfortable long tops that I can wear on lazy days~~ I can't decide on the umbrella top though.. Yellow or grey? Please tell me by Wednesday because the Super Sale lasts for a week only:

25 September - 1 October

I can totally imagine myself wearing these with jeggings or shorts. Good for freezing cinemas too~

Free Shipping

Then I also have my eyes on this top! The red one is just so pretty.. They're all from LuvClo merchant who is offering free shipping so yay!

Time Sale

The LuvClo Time Sale lasts for 1 day where different stuff go on sale each day. But Rakuten also has 1000 of their own time sales so I'm gonna be coming back to see what's for sale xD

Bundle Promo

LuvClo also has these Bundle Promo. I have already gathered my friends to combine purchases to get these awesome deals wheeee~~~

Psst.. Don't forget you get Rakuten Points with purchases which can be used as rebate ;)

Earth Care Soaps Intensive Lip Therapy for Charity

Do your part to support the needy this month!

Second Chance Home

Formerly known as Paws Mission, they are a volunteering organization that rescues and rehomes abandoned and abused street animals. Currently they're helping over 300 shelter dogs!
https://www.facebook.com/PawsMission

Funds will go towards the animals' welfare, such as food, medication and vaccination fees, and other necessities for the shelter. All proceeds from this sale will go to Second Chance Home.

Intensive Lip Therapy

These come in five different varieties of Unscented, Rose Geranium, Lavender, Peppermint, and Mango to help soothe and heal extremely dry, cracked, and chapped lips, and packed in Limited Edition collectible vintage mint tins.

They are ridiculously pretty, aren't they?

Only 32 units are available, and these balms retail at RM25 each for 20g+/-

Plus enjoy FREE SHIPPING when you purchase this item!
Find out more at Earth Care Soaps~

Sigma Beauty Copper Brushes & Smudge-proof Eyeliner

Sigma has released these amazingly beautiful copper range of brushes for their 5th year anniversary. I got these from Luxola along with the gel liner.

Sigma Beauty 5 years anniversary copper brushes

Sigma Beauty F80 Flat Kabuki
RM 84 on Luxola
This brush is a copper version of their number 1 seller. The flat, dense top is perfect to buff liquid products evenly and efficiently. I don't use liquid foundation though.. So I use it for my cream blusher.

This amount is actually way too much for both cheeks =x

Using a flat kabuki to apply liquid and cream products

Gently buff the colour on~ The bristles ensure you get an even application and the job gets done in no time. If you have dry skin, it's better to buff instead of drag (with fingers or sponge) to avoid dry patches or cakey foundation.

Apply makeup using Sigma Beauty F80 Flat Kabuki

Sigma Beauty E11 Eye Liner
RM 55 on Luxola
Not the kind of eyeliner brush I would normally use but I gotta admit it's surprisingly good! It's gives perfect control with enough flexibility to get the wing right. I've tried cheaper alternatives but they do not work the same. The Sigma brush doesn't shed or stab my eyelid.

Sigma Beauty E11 Eye Liner and gel liner

Apply eyeliner using Sigma Beauty E11 Eye Liner

Sigma Beauty Gel Eye Liner (Unexpected)
RM 50.50 on Luxola
Bored of the conventional black and brown? Ta-da! Sigma presents to you a colour that is rather rare for eyeliners - matte grey. The unique colour makes you stand out and the formula is absolutely smudge-proof. Didn't budge even when I rubbed my eyes.
Also available in purple, teal, brown and black.

Eye makeup using Sigma Beauty Gel Eye Liner (Unexpected)

Sigma Beauty E21 Smudge
RM 55 on Luxola
Grey eyemake doesn't have to be boring! Pop some colour on your lower lash line to give it a pop. If you have panda eyes and eye bags like me, you have to be really careful about makeup beneath your eyes. If you apply too far down, it will actually enhance your eye bags D= The E21 is perfect to smudge a tiny bit of colour on my lower lash line.

Apply makeup on lower lash line using Sigma Beauty E21 Smudge

Grey eyeliner is not too bad.. I might get the other colours too! I like the formula and how it stays on my lids.

Get 20% off your first purchase by using this discount code!

LX-ISABELLEE

It is valid until 31st October and I spy some awesome sales going on right now~

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

Marine Elements Intensive Cream for Extreme Cracked Heels

The Marine Elements Body Lotion did wonders for my dry skin and eczema. However, my dad needed something more for his super duper cracked heels. In the meantime, my sister, aunt and uncle have also started using this brand because dry skin runs in our family urgh~

You might think.. What's the difference between the Body Lotion and Intensive Cream? They look pretty much the same.

Well for starters, The Intensive Cream costs slightly more than the Body Lotion but has only a quarter of the amount x_x Use sparingly lolz On the upside, it's more effective than the Body Lotion.

Difference between Marine Elements Intensive Cream and Body Lotion

Recommended to use 3 to 4 times daily but my dad applies just once a day after showering at night.

Marine Elements Intensive Cream description

And this is the horror which I nicknamed the Grand Canyon. You see.. My father has been walking around with a pain on his heel for over a week before he asked my mom to help him see what is causing the problem. Being curious, I also went for a peek and we were both shocked to find a really deep crack that was so gross because you could see the red, raw flesh inside D= This was already after about 2 weeks and the canyon was still there. So please.. care for your dry heels =/

I eventually managed to get him to try out the Marine Elements Intensive Cream. After just 10 days of using it continuously, the result was amazing. I'll just let the photo speak for itself..

Relieving cracked heel with Marine Elements Intensive Cream

If you have heels like my dad, I definitely recommend this product. I've used many cracked heel creams and nothing works like this one! You can purchase this online at RM 78.50.

Sign up HERE

to get an RM 20 discount code to be used on top of the promotion plus free postage for orders above RM 99.

You can also purchase Marine Elements at Alpro outlets in Klang Valley, as well as www.plincco.com, www.lazada.com and www.hishop.my

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