Jos Tan | adventures at home

Meal Prep for the Week: Vegetables

2016-01-29T22:41:00.000+11:00

Staring at a fridge full of produce and having nothing to eat is akin to staring at a wardrobe full of clothes and having nothing to wear. Tweaking the previous year's capsule wardrobe to my current uniform wardrobe has really streamlined my getting dressed for the day.

I am eager to tweak my current meal prepping system, and move closer to my goal of eating (and being) healthy.

Last year's weekly meal prep involved cooking a bunch of meat-based dishes and storing meal portions in the freezer. Dinners for the week would consist of these newly cooked dishes as well as defrosted ones from previous weeks, adding some veggies as needed. But there are times when we get home late, so we forget or have no time to prepare veggies to go with our meals. Or I'll get hungry at non-meal times and be too lazy to make a healthy snack so I end up eating chips for lunch.

This week's meal prep tweak was to prepare some veggies to have throughout the week with or without any meat dishes. I was very slow and it took me over 3 hours to prepare these:

Kale & Cabbage Salad
This salad was the bomb. I followed this recipe from Clean & Delicious. Having the salad divvied up between individual serves was very handy.

Celery & Carrots Crudité with Fat-Free

Hummus and Vegan Cheese Dip
Ready-made crudités and dips make great snacks. It would be even more convenient to have the crudités & dips divvied up into individual serves. I also used the vegan cheese dip on plain pasta for a yummy vegan version of mac & cheese.

Baked Sweet Potato Rounds
I loved these as a snack, or to bulk up a leafy salad, or even as a not-too-sweet dessert. It's delicious cold or hot (after a quick minute in the microwave). I will have to make more of these next time.

Blanched Broccoli & Cauliflower and Chopped Kale
Blanching veggies was not worth the effort. It took too much time and effort to make with an extra pot to wash up later, and it didn't payoff. Since the broccoli and cauliflower were still too raw and tough, we had to microwave them anyway.

Overall, I enjoyed the meal prep and I had healthier meals this week. I plan to do it better and quicker next week.

Uniform Capsule Wardrobe for Warm Weather

2016-01-17T00:22:00.000+11:00

I loved the idea of capsule wardrobe. I wanted to open my closet, pull out clothes that would simply look great on me and I would feel great in them. I longed for each top to match each bottom I had in the capsule wardrobe. I longed to wear any outfit to any occasion, activity and location. I wanted outfits that I could wear to work, to the park with my daughter, to dinner with my husband, to a picnic with friends and to watch TV at home.

Despite dedicating hours to researching, planning and shopping for my capsule wardrobe before each season began, I still found myself a tweaking the capsule throughout the season: checking online shops for the perfect item, creating outfit ideas on my stylebook app, making sure my style was "on point" (my hubby's current pet peeve phrase) by following favourites on Instagram/Pinterest.

To top it all off, I still experienced times when I had nothing to wear. Outfits planned from items that fit me on their own, matched in theory, colour, style or on the stylebook app. But when worn, these outfits looked and felt odd, even uncomfortable. I had nothing to wear when the weather suddenly felt winter-like in the middle of summer. I attempted to have a 2-season wardrobe and an all-season wardrobe, but that gave me even more item choices than I could handle, so I still spent way too much time in the morning creating and discarding outfits.

After a year of trying to build a mix-and-match-able capsule wardrobe with an exact number of pieces, it dawned on me that I didn't mind repeating my outfits as long as I was happy and comfortable with them. In fact, I usually couldn't wait to repeat an outfit that I knew made me happy and comfortable in the past.

I envisioned a capsule wardrobe and uniform dressing hybrid. I decided not to concern myself with the number of items in my closet, but focused on having enough uniforms to last between laundry days and with some variety to keep me excited. I came up with 15 uniforms divided between my 3 key activities each week: being a mum to a toddler, working at an office, and social events with family and friends. For the current warm season in Australia, this worked out to be:

5 office uniforms: 2 dresses, 2 trouser sets, 1 skirt set

4 social uniforms: 1 dress, 3 pants sets

6 mummy uniforms: 2 dresses, 1 trouser set, 3 shorts sets

Planning a uniform wardrobe took less time than planning a standard capsule wardrobe. For one thing, I only had to create 15 outfits for the current season. I didn't have to pick 30 times that could be mixed and matched into an endless array of outfits that I don't hate. I didn't have to drive myself crazy deciding whether to include my favourite top or not because it didn't go with every bottom I had. I built my "uniforms" from items I already owned and enjoyed wearing. It's not perfect, but it's more than good enough.

My uniform excludes shoes and outerwear, because those choices are usually event and weather-driven for me. As for accessories, I wear one pair of sunglasses and one hat on sunny days and wear the same minimal jewellery almost much every day. I included 5 extra tops as laundry buffer (tops usually need to be washed more often than bottoms), and a special occasion dress to wear to fancier events.

I initially planned to keep this wardrobe for the summer season, and change it up in the autumn. But I think rather than have a fixed lifespan for this wardrobe, I will let nature suggest when items need to be switched out or replaced, either when the weather cools down or when items wear out.

Now, I choose my outfit based on my key activity of the day and the weather. This is a breeze compared to creating an outfit from 30+ items of a capsule wardrobe. Two weeks in and I have not thought about changing an item in my capsule wardrobe. I feel happier, more comfortable and more presentable with what I wear than I have in the past.

After a year of experimenting with capsule wardrobes, I think I have finally nailed the capsule wardrobe that works for me.

Happy New Year!

2016-01-01T23:30:00.000+11:00

My little family is about to embark on a major move/lifestyle change this year, and I'm hoping to capture it all in my old little corner on the interwebs.

Here's to an amazing adventure in 2016!

Parenting at 4 Months: Sleep Saga

2014-01-20T07:00:00.000+11:00

I feel like our baby is growing up so fast. I definitely remember how hard it was when she was a newborn, but I can hardly remember how holding her as a newborn felt like.

My Parenting Notes:

Feeding has been fine the past couple of weeks, but I am still wary of nursing in public as she can be quite a fussy eater in public.

We try to keep her on a 4-hour eat-play-nap routine during the day, but it's always flexible depending on what time she gets up, how hungry/tired she gets and how well she naps.

Napping is still a challenge. It's a rare treat that she'll nap for more than half an hour in the mini crib, the rocker or the swing. Getting her to nap takes time and effort so we'd like that nap to last a good amount, and her longest naps are when we have her in the carrier.

Sleeping at night goes pretty smoothly most days. We have to start our rather inconsistent bedtime routine after 8pm when it starts to get dark. She's usually asleep in her bed by 9-9:30pm after nursing and listening to Adele's Chasing Pavements on repeat. She'll stay asleep for about 4-7 hours and wake up for a feed once or twice in the middle of night.

Usually around 7am, Ric will take her out of the bedroom when she starts making a ruckus while still asleep so I can get at least an extra hour of sleep. I'm not sure how I can sleep train my kid when I can't even train myself to wake up early.

A few nights ago, instead of feeding her as soon as she started fussing, I waited a bit and the fussing never did escalate to crying. She tossed and turned but stayed asleep from 5am to 7am. Her grunting while asleep drove Ric, and eventually myself, to our sofa bed in the living room where we slept in peace for that couple of hours.

BUT right on her 4-month birthday, our little angel had a sleep relapse and would not settle for hours -- just as she did when she was a newborn. We tried everything numerous times -- nursing, rocking, swinging, shushing, patting, singing and taking her to bed with us. By midnight, Ric decided to try something we've never done before. My poor husband took her for a car ride for over two hours while I stayed at home to sleep.

She's back to sleeping great *crossing my fingers*, except for one night when she woke up at midnight and had to be rocked, for a few minutes, back to sleep.

We've stopped cloth diapering (which I really enjoy) for the moment, because we have to use up all these disposables we can't stop my in laws from buying for us. Cloth diapering may be cheap, but it's hard to argue with free disposables. We'll go back to cloth when we use the disposables up, unless she's on solids which could make cloth more time consuming and ultimately impossible for us.

We are thinking of starting her on solids soon as she keeps staring at us while we eat and seems ready. I was originally planning on doing baby led weaning, but decided to start with purees instead so she can try a variety of flavours from fruits and veggies.

We did let her taste a tiny morsel of polenta chips a week ago:

Tegan at 4 Months: Rolling and Laughing!

2014-01-16T18:44:00.001+11:00

Our sweet little cutee patutee has grown so much!

At this month's doctor's appointment, she’s still at the 50th percentile for height and head circumference and 70th percentile for weight on the Australian growth charts, which makes her chunkier than average. She's even outgrown her 3-6 month coveralls from Target!

What Tegan has been up to this month:

She's been rolling over from her back to her tummy and finding the tummy position more bearable. I did have quite a scare when I found she rolled near the edge of the bed after a few seconds of rifling through my wardrobe for something to wear.

She now seems to know that pulling the wind up frog on her bouncer will make it play music which is a plus for me since I don't have to constantly pull it to entertain her while I prepare my lunch in the kitchen.

She wants to fly!

She loves standing up and can support her own weight without her legs buckling for quite a long period.

She also uses her legs to move around, kind of like crawling on her back, and finds herself off the playmat or stuck at the corner of the mini crib.

She laughed so much during our first peekaboo session, but that quickly got old after a few minutes and she hasn't found peekaboo amusing since then. I'm mighty glad I caught some of it on camera:

May Haul Part 1 - Skincare Madness

2013-06-13T23:30:00.000+10:00

I thought I had heaps of skincare products to last me through the end of the year, but I recently discovered the skincare guru Caroline Hirons's blog beautymouth.com, and I've been trawling the site archives and finding gem upon gem of skincare wisdom. It would be remiss of me not to heed her advice, which of course meant I hit the checkout button quite a few times in May -- a trend which will continue all through June with my wallet looking a bit worse for wear.

Hydraluron - My first Hirons-influenced purchase. Annoyingly, the Indeed Labs products available in Australia are not the ones that she swears by, so I had to resort to eBay to purchase this. Not widely available, even on eBay, the one managed to snag was at least reasonably priced. I've been applying since the day I received it in May, and I think it beefs up the basic Hada Labo moisturiser that I use.
Pepta-Bright - Another Caroline Hirons recommendation, albeit one I have not used yet. It's in the queue as my next skincare product to test (I'm trying to introduce new products into my routine slowly).
Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner - Contrary to my previous belief that toners are unnecessary if I double cleanse, Caroline recommends double toning - one to exfoliate and another one to hydrate. This Hirons-recommended product was more readily available than P50 or Pixi Glow, and I've started using this once a week and slowly building up to daily use. So far, it hasn't aggravated my skin, which has a propensity for sensitivity.
Clarins Cleansing Duo: Cleansing Milk and Toning Lotion - The toning fits the bill for the hydrating toner step, and the cleansing milk for second cleanse. I'm on the few squeezes of my Soap & Glory Hot Cloth Cleanser and on the last drops of my decanted Hada Labo lotion, so I'll be busting out this duo soon.
Ren The Fab Four Kit: Micro Polish Cleanser, Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask, Bio Retinoid Anti-Ageing Concentrate, Hydra-Calm Global Protection Day Cream, No. 1 Purity Cleansing Balm and Muslin Cleansing Cloth - I wanted to try the brand so I had a mate bring this over from her trip to New York. I haven't tried any of these yet, but I'm looking forward to trying the mask soon.
Sukin Purifying Face Masque - Apparently clay masks are important to draw out skin impurities. I decided to go the natural yet inexpensive route, and I think Sukin is a great brand (loved their cleansing gel). I've used this a couple of times and haven't noticed much difference (must be me not being particularly observant), but I will persist.
This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Talk Set: Deep Sleep Pillow Spray and Stress Less Oil - I thought this was a necessary purchase for someone whose sleep just doesn't feel as restful as it should be, but it turned out to be a rather frivolous purchase as it just didn't work on me. Smells great, but I sleep the same.
Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Cherry Tart - Chemist Warehouse was having 50% off sale on most of their cosmetics and I couldn't resist picking up at least one product. I love my lip butters and this sheer wearable red has become a fast favourite.

Stay tuned for Part 2, my oily haul...

May Empties and Chuckers

2013-06-11T22:42:00.000+10:00

Empties

Estée Lauder Futurist Age Resisting Make Up SPF15 in 3W1 Bare Beige - Huzzah! A makeup product in an empties list. I liked this a lot which is probably why I only brought it out on special occasions when it was new. But it was also a summer shade for me so it has taken me a while to finish this up. I would repurchase if I were not fickle and didn't have an army of foundations waiting for me to deploy.
Invisible Zinc Tinted Daywear SPF30+ in Medium - It feels heavy and greasy so I normally just use it when I'll be in the sun for a while, but eyeing the approaching expiry date, I persisted in using it up last month. Not sure I'll repurchase, but I do have a sample in a light shade that I can use in the summer which won't expire until next year.
Shiseido Benefiance Intensive Nourishing and Recovery Cream (sample) - Quite thick and greasy, and takes a while to absorb. Good enough, but not great. I think I'll be going off of Shiseido for a while.
Shiseido The Skincare Eye Moisture Recharge (sample) - Rather basic eye cream. Didn't do any harm, but I didn't think it did much good either.
Avene Soothing Moisture Mask - I thought this would be a really good intensive hydrating mask, since I loved the Avene Skin Recovery Skin so much. But it neither soothed nor moisturised. My skin didn't absorb much of it and after I wipe it off, I just felt a greasy layer on my skin. At AU$30+, it was not cheap, but I had to use the last few squeezes of it on my legs as it was expiring and I just wanted to be rid of it.
Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid Moisturising Mist - This was a fine mist - a fine product that produced a really fine mist. I loved using this and it absorbed really quickly, though I'm not sure it did much for my skin. I really wanted to reuse the bottle it sprayed evenly and beautifully, but somehow I broke it while refilling it with the Hada Labo Lotion.
Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Massage Cream for Stretch Marks (sample) - Not moisturising enough for winter time, and I am addicted to my body oils.
Dermalogica Super Rich Repair (2 samples) - I like this as it really does make a difference to my dry and dehydrated skin. I get 3-4 nightly applications per sachet. I may purchase a full size depending on how I get on with some new moisturisers I'll be trialling.
Clinique 3-Step (sachet sample) - Just wanted to finish these. Did not rock my boat.
Murad Anti-Aging Moisturizer SPF20|PA++ (sachet sample) - Not really suitable for my skin type.
Missha Super Aqua Marine Stem Cell Intensive Serum (sachet sample) - So tiny, I don't know why I bother.

Chuckers

Max Factor Lipfinity Colour Gloss in 550 Reflective Ruby - An old product, that I keep just in case. But after discovering Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains, I don't think I'll ever want to coat my lips with a thick, lacquer-like substance again.
Maybelline Superstay Lip Color in 774 Cinnamon - Another lacquer-like substance that I'm finally ready to toss to make room for better lip products.
Maybelline Superstay Lip Color in 755 Plum - Ditto.
Vaseline Lip Therapy x 2 - Chucked after reading about petroleum jelly being nasty for the face. But I honestly haven't found a non-petroleum-based lip balm that heals my lips when they are dry and chapped.
Nivea Sun Spray SPF15 - Expired, almost empty. The spray sort of gets everywhere.
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist Sunscreen Spray SPF15 - Expired, hardly used. We have bottles of zinc sunscreens, but they're so greasy I end up not using any at all so I think I will repurchase this with a higher SPF next summer since this feels quite light.
Hawaiian Tropic Oil Free Sensitive Skin Sunscreen SPF50 - Expired, almost empty. Got this from a resort shop overseas.
Shower Gel In a Sponge - One of the many things that turned me off beauty boxes. Did not like the smell at all.

Baby Chronicles #2

2013-05-21T21:16:00.001+10:00

I am 25 weeks + 4 days pregnant today.

This photo was taken at 25 weeks last Friday, the day I officially became an Australian citizen. Again this is from hubby's facebook page.

I rarely weigh myself at home and rely more on how my clothes fit rather than the weighing scale, but for the purpose of chronicling stuff. Here are all my OB weigh ins:

Pre-pregnancy weight : 47 kg (estimate)
19 February 2013 (12 weeks + 4 days) : 48.7 kg
18 March 2013 (16 weeks + 3 days) : 49.1 kg
16 April 2013 (20 weeks + 4 days) : 52.8 kg
14 May 2013 (24 weeks + 4 days) : 54.9 kg

We were on an 11-night cruise between 23 March and 3 April which would explain the 3.7kg weight gain between 16 and 20 weeks. I overindulged on the food and had multiple snacks every day. I don't think my tummy was ever empty on that cruise ship, and I barely did any exercise while on that ship.

To make things worse, I seem to have developed a sweet tooth. My breakfast of choice is peanut butter with sugar sandwich, and I am currently craving chocolate mud cake. Of course, I still love pork - fatty pork belly cooked the Filo way.

I'm afraid my poor baby's taste buds will not be inclined to like broccoli and other veggies if I keep this up. So in an effort to eat more veg, here's what I had for lunch yesterday:

It's not the healthiest of salads with the dressing and the croutons, but it's a start. Eating veg is a hard ask for someone who dreams of Filipino feasts, lechon and halo-halo, but wakes up right before she gets to eat them. With the back pain, the soreness and the frustrating dreams, it's no wonder I crave comfort food.

Tag: The Basics

2013-05-14T08:00:00.000+10:00

I am compelled to blog, yet I am usually at a loss at what topic to discuss. I found this tag from Reese Atomic and I found the questions interesting yet easy enough to answer...

1. Tell us about your favourite jeans
My current favourite pair is not technically jeans, but a pair of houndstooth print jeggings from Uniqlo as worn in the photo on my Baby Chronicles #1 post. It's not maternity wear but it's got an elastic waist to accommodate my ever expanding belly.

2. What is your most-worn lip colour?
Guerlain Chamade Rouge Automatic Lipstick -- It's a bright warm pink, but not too bright so it's perfectly wearable for work.

3. Who are the YouTubers whose videos you learn the most from?
Lisa Eldridge -- I could watch her all day!

4. How do you store your makeup?
Mostly in 3 Keji drawer sets from Officeworks. Above pic was taken back when I only had 2 drawers.

5. How often, and how, do you wash your makeup brushes?
I have a huge brush collection, so I do a big batch every 3-4 weeks.

6. What's your favourite red, nude and baby pink nail colour?
I go about the year with unpainted talons, but for two weeks in the summer, I sport painted nails and my favourite is a metallic bronzey taupe from SportsGirl.

7. Do you make any beauty treatments at home?
I'm hoping that when I finish my last bottle of cleansing oil, I'll get around to making my own DIY cleansing oil at least.

8. What is your most-made meal at home?
I don't cook much, but probably my favourite Filipino dish sinigang -- pork and vegetables in tamarind soup.

9. Best multi-purpose products?
I don't have a lot of multi-purpose products to compare it to, but Josie Maran's Argan Oil is a decent moisturiser, hair and nail product.

10. Tell us about the bag you carry most often.
Celine boogie bag. With its short handles and heavy leather make, it's not the most practical bag I own, but I love how understated it is and that I can cram quite a few things in it -- laptop, phone, wallet, makeup, snacks, scarf, etc. Plus, I being 6 months pregnant, I won't be using this bag for much longer so I want to make the most of it while I still can.

Tesutti Our Fave Top in Retro Print

2013-05-12T08:00:00.000+10:00

Just a quick post to say I haven't abandoned sewing. I just haven't gotten around to photographing and blogging about it. A couple of months ago I spent a weekend quickly and haphazardly sewing maternity clothes. One of those makes was this Tesutti's free pattern for a very loose, flowy top.

Apologies for the low-res quality. I stole this photo from my husband's Facebook (he took this photo from our favourite lookout down south called Sublime Point).

The pattern is super easy and quick to sew. I probably spent more time taping and cutting the paper pattern. I drastically narrowed and shortened the pattern despite my plan of wearing it during maternity. The width is fine, but I think it's a bit short. I was too lazy to sew a binding or stabilise the neck so the neckline's been growing a bit, but I can live with that. All seams were sewn on a serger while the hem and neckline were folded over once and sewn with a zigzag stitch on my regular machine.

The next time I make this (soon I think) there will be a few more inches to the hem and the neckline will be stabilised.

I'm so happy it's the make from this print, as I was so over the print soon after I bought it. I have another retro print I want to get rid off and I have a long way to go before there's room for new fabric in my fabric stash, but at least that's a bit of progress.

Fabric: Lightweight viscose knit from Lincraft c. 2008
Pattern: Our Fave Top from Tesutti
Date made: March 2013
Notions: none
Time to complete: 2 hours (mostly spent getting the paper pattern ready)
First worn: Sunday, 28 May 2013, on the drive back from an overnight trip to Geroa
Wear again? Definitely, especially with my growing belly.

Baby Chronicles #1

2013-05-10T20:00:00.000+10:00

I am 24 weeks pregnant today.

I have finally decided to blog about this incredible experience. I've wanted to write about this for a while, but I felt self-conscious and also didn't know where to begin, but I'm hoping it'll get easier with time. I think the memories I will be preserving far outweigh my worries.

I'm not the most patient person and I always say I have low EQ -- based on the ad with the toddlers and the marshmallows (I can't be bothered to explain this, but there'll be a few who will get this reference). The first few months being pregnant meant living from doctor visit to doctor visit for the ultrasound to confirm that there was a baby in my growing belly. Whenever I managed to stay awake, I devoured pregnancy books and shopped online for maternity dresses that I wouldn't wear until the last trimester -- most of which I returned as they were horribly made.

Having friends P and E over for a two-week visit has proved to be a good distraction from the pregnancy. Our trips to Kiama and Blue Mountains meant lots of walking (yay, exercise!), fresh air and happy conversations. All of which can only be good for the baby, right? When they leave, I'll sadly be back to counting down the days until my due date.

Of course, I still work full-time, and the getting ready for work and the travel time is extremely tiring for me. Sitting at my desk for long periods and forgetting to stretch or have a sip of water aren't helping either. But there's a little thing inside me that's literally kicking me to get myself together and so far the kicking has been both exciting and amusing.

April Empties & Chuckers

2013-05-09T07:00:00.000+10:00

Empties

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula SPF 15 Body Lotion - Thick, slightly greasy but effective at keeping my usually parched skin moisturised throughout the day -- lasts pretty much until my next shower. I have less less greasy options in my stash, but I may re-purchase for its SPF content.
Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid Moisturising Milk - A basic moisturiser that worked well on its own until the weather became colder, or perhaps my skin became more dry/dehydrated. Layered over Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid Serum, it worked brilliantly again. I will probably repurchase once I clear the other moisturisers in my queue -- I still have Hada Labo moisturisers from the Retinol and Whitening ranges.
Soap & Glory Make Yourself Youthful Rejuvenating Face Serum - I quite liked the fragrance of this, but felt it was rather tingly to slightly burning on my cheeks so it was relegated as neck serum. I don't think it did much for my main neck concern (dark folds, not wrinkles), so I definitely won't be repurchasing this.
My Beauty Diary Arbutin Whitening Mask - A couple of years ago on a trip to Kuala Lumpur, I acquired a few whitening products after getting a quite sunburn. But it didn't take long for my facial skin to go back to normal even without any whitening products. I don't think this one is effective at all, but I've just been trying to use all these sheet masks before winter as they are too cold for winter use.
Bio-Oil - Greasy, but effective enough on my growing belly that it doesn't get itchy throughout the day, so I recently bought the biggest size available.
Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser - Boring moisturiser that I used on my arms and legs just to quickly be done with it.
Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes - I'm not a fan of wipes, because I feel they're too scratchy for my skin, and wiping my skin gently but thoroughly takes longer than using and washing off an oil-based cleanser. I have another packet to go, but I won't be repurchasing any facial wipes after that.
Tatcha Supple Moisture Rich Silk Cream - Ugh, I guess I was another victim of PR-fuelled blog raves. Sure it moisturised fine, but also made my skin burn a bit. Another one relegated as a neck cream after a few uses on my face.
Skin Doctors Powerbrasion Intensive Micro-Dermabrasion Crystals - Too abrasive. Used some on my knees and elbows just to finish it. I will not be purchasing any physical exfoliants in the future.
SK-II Facial Treatment Essence - I used to swear by this in my late twenties, back when I lived in Singapore. I'm not sure if it's my age or the different climate, but it so doesn't do anything for me anymore.
Tatcha Polished Deep Rice Enzyme Powder Samples sample x 4 - The rice enzyme powders were the best of the Tatcha sampler set that I purchased. Leaves my skin clean and smooth, but not screaming for mouisturiser. But I think it's overpriced and I'm not willing to shell out the exorbitant shipping fee.
Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv Ultimate Lift Age-Correcting Serum sample x 4 - Fancy pants serum that makes my skin sparkle, literally. I do not understand why it's got so much shimmer! I don't particularly think it did a lot on my face, though 4 sachets lasted a couple of weeks of daily night time use. Made me look like a disco ball after layering other unguents on top.
Estée Lauder Time Zone Line And Wrinkle Reducing Creme SPF 15 sample x 3 - Used 1 sachet per day on my face, neck and decolletage, I'm not in a position to judge its efficacy. But I know at least I won't be purchasing this, as I was unimpressed.
Estée Lauder Resilience Lift Night Creme - Used a couple of nights on my neck, and I don;t it's for me.
Konjac French Red Clay Sponge Puff - I did enjoy using this with a foaming cleanser, but now that the weatehr's getting colder, I'm easing off the foam and using creamier cleansers. I might try a creamy cleanser with the other Konjac sponge in my stash.
Garnier Fructis Fortifying Shampoo - A freebie shampoo that I shared with hubby. I'm not too fussed with shampoos, as long as my conditioner works fine. We have so many bottles of freebie shampoos, it will take a while before I buy some.
Shampoo Samples - Um, yeah. We have a bunch of hotel shampoos that I want to get rid of as well.

Chuckers

Too Faced 3-Way Lash Lining Tool - The three-pronged liner works really well, but the formula smudges on me. Still, this wouldn't have been a chucker if I hadn't accidentally pulled the prongs off and wasn't unable to put them back in.
Revlon Age Defying Precise Wrinkle Eraser - Got this ages ago from the bargain bin, but never used it. Might be the scent. Might be the fact that it doesn't do anything on my hand so I never bother to put it on my face. Anyway, the liquid has separated, rendering it useless.
Biore Pore Unclogging Scrub - Not enough beads for a physical exfoliant. Not even foamy or pleasant enough to use as a body product.
Simple Eye Make-Up Remover - Does not work at all for any sort of makeup. Tap water might be better than this.
Mario Badescu Oil Free Moisturiser SPF 30 - So many minutes of my morning rush wasted trying to open this thing. I give up.

April Haul aka "Oh dear! Priceline's having 40% off cosmetics sale!"

2013-05-08T07:00:00.000+10:00

My last haul post was rather premature for April. Just when I've contained the shopaholic beast in me, Priceline lures it back out with 40% off cosmetics, and I've had to make room for 12 new items...

Rimmel ScandalEyes in Taupe and Nude - Viviana Does Makeup, my current favourite blogger/vlogger, highly recommends these. She is entertaining and so believable (even when she reviews PR samples) that I'm re-watching her videos with pen and paper in hand. The Nude shade will replace the Makeup Forever Concealer Pencil that isn't creamy enough for my waterline. The Taupe shade will hopefully be a quick, fool-proof makeup-on-the-train staple.

L'Oreal Shine Caresse Gloss Stain in Juliet - This line is reputedly similar to the pricier YSL Glossy Stains, which I've been eyeing for a while as they are a constant favourite at Drivel Over Frivol whose reviews are so amazingly detailed and well-written. I'll save my money for now and try one from the L'Oreal line before I dive into the YSLs.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains in Sweetheart, Honey, Romantic, Smitten, Charm, Rendezvous, Crush (in order of purchase) - I passed up on these when they were first released with a buy-one-get-one-free promo at Priceline last year, because I thought they were your run of the mill lip balms in stick form, and I was already very happy with my Lip Butters. I only found out recently that they actually stain the lips, and as such are longer lasting than the Revlon Lip Butters. I am seriously in love with these, and ~~contemplating getting more~~ I originally only bought one but ended up with seven after a coupe of trips back with my mates.

Australis HD Blush in Screen Siren - There seems to be a gap in my blush wardrobe for a peachier blush and this was the only peachy blush I found in Priceline. Well, there was an Essence blush that seemed peachy but they did not have a tester so I couldn't be sure.

Maybelline Master Precise Liquid Eyeliner - Argh! I'm stashing again! This is an awesome product that I have been using more frequently, and my Priceline mate had a few in her basket and so I wound up with one in my basket as well. Oh well it should be replaced every few months anyway, right?

I did my best to stay away from foundations, powders and eyeshadows. I still have foundations bottles and powder jars/compacts to work, and I dislike having so much beige stuff. It's not as fun as going through drawers of colour. With eyeshadows, I went on palette hoarding mode last Christmas, and I'm still reeling from having to buy a new set of drawers to house them all. So I think I'm all set foundation and eyeshadow-wise.

On a happy note, my friend happily took a few items off of my hands, er, stash. I'm not a huge fan of gloss, so I passed on to her a box of brand new glosses from Tarte (from the Carried Away set), Clarins, Bourjois, Sephora, etc. I also had some Revlon half-lipsticks -- the other halves previously transferred into palettes for my supposed pro-kit. I can't remember how many items in total I passed on but possibly close to thirty, if not more. So that kinda eases off the guilt of this haul -- at least someone will get some use out of the items that may otherwise go to waste -- I would've just swatched them once and forgotten about them.

March Empties and Chuckers

2013-04-24T16:35:00.001+10:00

Empties

Shiseido Super Corrective Serum - I am no longer as impressed as I used to be with this serum. I still have one more backup, but I won't be repurchasing after that.
Shiseido Revital Cleansing Foam (sample) - A good foaming cleanser that does not leave skin feeling dry, but not good enough to entice me to purchase the full-size version.
Tatcha Pure One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil (sample) - Overrated and overpriced, I'm sticking to the cheaper Hada Labo Olive Oil Cleanser.
Trilogy Certified Organic Rosehip Oil - I used this so intermittently that I don't know if it was effective on dark spots and scars. It felt very greasy when I apply this at night, but my skin didn't feel moisturised enough by morning.
Trilogy Cream Cleanser - Very greasy, hard to rinse off, and does seem to clean my face even when used with my Clarisonic.
Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid Moisturising Lotion - I love this. I transferred this to a pump bottle for ease of use. It's more a toner/softener, and not so much a moisturiser. I use it with a cotton pad, and it feels refreshing, yet moisturising. I have a couple more Hada Labo lotions to finish up, but I'm sure I'll repurchase this eventually.
Skin Doctors Supermoist 24hr Hydrating Face Moisturiser - I don't get this. It wasn't moisturising enough and it's got shimmers moisturisers. And I really dislike the jar packaging.
Garnier Clean Sensitive Gentle Eye Makeup Remover - For some reason, I didn't enjoy this bottle as much as the previous one. But I am enjoying the new bottle I'm using. I would repurchase, but only when I'm running out. Note that I use a non-waterproof mascara, I don't think this will work on waterproof mascara.
Clinique Moisture Surge Face Spray - It was ok, but I prefer the Hada Labo Hydrating Mist Spray. I do like the reusable spray bottle.
Cover Girl Natureluxe Water Resistant Mascara - My HG mascara (along with a similar Max Factor and Face of Australia one) -- doesn't smudge, holds a curl, natural-looking thickness and length, super easy to remove. I need to use up all my other mascaras so I can purchase more of this.
Escada EDP sample - I really liked this one. It's not an unusual scent though and I am still looking for my HG signature scent.
Escada Into The Blue EDP sample - Nice and summery. Again not so unusual that I would purchase a full-size bottle.
Jessica Simpson Fancy Love EDP sample - Not bad, but it's a celebrity scent.
Body Crystal Botanica Crystal Roll-On Deodorant - Not as good as an actual crystal alum.
Daiso Detergent For Puff & Sponge - This is quite good for cleaning brushes, though a little bit harsh. I'm using a stash of freebie shampoos to clean my brushes at the moment, but I may need more of this as those don't seem to thoroughly clean my brushes

Chuckers

Lily Loves Pearl Hydrating Botanical Toner - Nicely packaged, but smells like gin & tonic and quite harsh on my skin.
Ginvera Marvel Gel Emollient & Exfoliating Gel - This was really good on my 20s skin, but doesn't seem to work with my 30s skin. Plus it's old, very old.
Lee Stafford Dry Shampoo - I find dry shampoos more trouble than shampooing my hair everyday. Plus I can't stand the super strong scent.

January-February Empties

2013-04-21T22:37:00.000+10:00

Empties:

Lux Shea Exfoliating Scrub - Love the sweet scent, but it's not as exfoliating as using a mitt with a regular body wash.
Alchemy Unscented Very Gentle Shampoo - Gentle, yes, but didn't do much for my scalp. I'd rather have a scented shampoo.
Aveeno Ultra Calming Foaming Cleanser - It didn't feel like it cleansed my face enough. I think it's foam thing, so I'm never buying foaming cleansers ever again.
Hada Labo Olive Oil Cleansing Oil - Love this one, I already have a backup. But I will try DIY oil cleansers once I empty the backup.
Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Moisturizer - Not quite moisturising enough for my face. Used this up as body lotion.
Sukin Hydrating Mist Toner - This stung and I did not like the scent. Managed to use it up on my neck.
Sukin Cream Cleanser - This didn't cleanse my skin well even when used with a Clarisonic and it left my skin greasy. Used it up as body wash.
Shiseido Revital Moisturizer - An ok moisturiser, and for a high-end brand a more luxurious scent would have been nice.
Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral SPF 30 - The product is nice enough for retouching throughout the day, but the brush is really scratchy, so I decanted it into a powder sifter.
Face of Australia SPF 30+ Tinted Moisturiser - I really liked this -- the coverage was nice and delivered enough moisture (except in winter), but not too greasy. But I'm not sure if it has enough UVA protection.
Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Moisturizing Milk (travel size) - I quite like this, and I-m still working through my full-size bottle, but I do feel like there are better moisturisers out there.
Tatcha Radiant Deep Brightening Serum (sample size) - I feel like I got sucked into the hype. This didn't deliver for me.
Tatcha Rice Enzyme Powder (sachet samples) - It's good, but not worth the expensive price tag for me.
Mario Badescu Oil-Free Moisturizer SPF 30 (sample size) - It was a nice, non-greasy moisturiser with sunscreen, but I think I prefer a physical sunscreen (if I can get one that isn't thick, greasy, drying).
Dermalogica sachet samples - I really like the Super Rich Repair and MultiVitamin Power Recovery Masque, so I may get those once I run out of my stack of samples. For some reason, the Gentle Cream Exfoliant didn't working so well for me, but will give that another try.
Face Shop sachet samples - Not enough sample to give a good verdict, but initial impression was meh, so I'm not even gonna bother trying them again.
Paco Rabanne Lady Million EDP sample - I can't remember how this smelled, must not be that good that I forgot, but must be not so bad that I finished it. Anyway, I'm just trying to use up all the samples I have, so long as I do not find them disgusting.

Chuckers:

Sanctum Body Soothe Lotion - I tried to finish this, but I just couldn't stand the horrible scent and the fact that it hardly moisturised my skin. I'm better off not using this at all.
Face of Australia Eye Primer - Makes eyeshadow last even less, than eyeshadow used on its own.

January-April Hauls and Hiatus Update

2013-04-19T21:13:00.000+10:00

In a massive fit of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), I bought these two sets at the tail-end of December 2012. But they only arrived in January. The Stila Snow Angel Palette Set was discounted and reasonably priced on beautybay.com, but the Tarte's Carried Away Collector's Set was a ridiculously overpriced purchase from eBay. I regretted purchasing them when I received a staggering credit card bill in January, but time heals all wounds and now that I've paid that off and managed to stuff my purchases into an additional set of acrylic Keji drawers, I've been mostly content.

I say mostly, since February brought these items to my doorstep, and as a brush hoarder, I was pretty pleased with these Real Techniques brushes. Though I haven't had the guts to wear the Revlon True Red ColorBurst Lipstick out yet, I've enjoyed playing around with it at home. Oh, and looks like I forgot to include Maybelline's Bad to the Bronze 24 Hour Color Tattoo Eyeshadow, a welcome addition to my jam-packed eyeshadow drawer.

But apart from a Clarisonic Brush head in April, I have not purchased anything else beauty/makeup-wise, and I'm hoping to resist most temptations until the next holiday season. Yup, I plan to skip this year's IMATS as well. I think I'm better off spending the $50 for IMATS ticket on an actual beauty prod. But I'm almost positive that I'll cave when the Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend rolls around.

I will allow myself skincare purchases once I use up my current stash. I've been diligently using up a lot of facial stuff that didn't work for my face as body - facial wash as body wash and facial moisturiser as body lotion. I'm also throwing out things that really don't work - lotions that are not hydrating enough, I may as well have not slapped any on or potions/lotions that smell horrible to me.

I have just about covered every hiatus excuse in the book, but here's a new one for me - I'm 4 months pregnant!

November-December Hauls

2013-01-01T22:05:00.000+11:00

... the months I got into beauty products again... the months I shopped online with reckless abandon...

Don't let the November pic fool you, a lot of the December items were ordered in a mad frenzy in November.

November Haul

theBalm Balm Jovi Palette
theBalm Bahama Mama
Bourjois Little Round Pot Blush in 15 Rose Eclat
Bourjois Delice De Soleil Bronzer in 14 Olive/Tanned (GWP)
Bourjois So Laque Nail Polish in 27 Beige Glamour (GWP)

December Haul

Sephora In The Glow Blush, Bronzer & Luminizer Sampler
Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette
Lorac Pro Palette
theBalm 'Nude 'Tude Palette
Laura Mercier Artist's Eye Palette
Laura Mercier Tightline Cake Liner in Black Ebony
Too Faced 3-Way Lash Lining Tool
Ellis Faas Skin Veil in #S04 Medium
Essence Lipstick in All About Cupcake
Taft Full On Styling Powder
~~Garnier Oli Free BB Cream in Medium~~ - returned

Tatcha Sampler Set - Cleansing Oil, Rice Enzyme Powders, Serum, Moisturiser and Blotting Papers
Oxy 10 Extra Strength Vanishing Cream
Avene Cicalfate Restorative Skin Cream
Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream SPF 42 in No. 31 plus toner and serum samples
Revlon Age Defying Spa Face Illuminator in Bare Light
Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze
Sigma F88 Flat Angled Kabuki Brush

November-December Empties and Chuckers

2013-01-01T20:56:00.000+11:00

November Empties

Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter Body Lotion - Love it, love the pump so I washed and refilled it with another lotion from my stash.
SK-II Facial Treatment Essence - I have been in love with this stuff since 2006, though due to its price I've weaned myself off it from time to time. If I ever finish my skincare stash, I may repurchase this again.
Alpha H Liquid Gold Prep and Prime - Took me a year to finish this bottle, as I found it too harsh to use on a daily basis.
Shiseido The Skincare Night Moisture Recharge - Nice, but not so nice I'd purchase a whole bottle.
Gaia Foaming Cleanser - Rather than go to waste, I started using face products I don't like or can't wait to use up as body products. This cleanser worked a treat as a body wash. But it does without saying I won't be repurchasing this.
SweetSpot Gentle Wash - Also used as body wash.
Laviol Organic Bearberry Brightening Moisturiser - Used as body lotion.
Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing Face Wash - Cheap, but effective so already purchased a full-sized backup.
Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing Lotion - Also, cheap, but effective. And reminds me a lot of the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence. My full-sized backup is already on rotation.
John Frieda Root Awakening Conditioner - Standard-issue conditioner. Works, but won't be repurchasing as I don't find the scent pleasant to use.
Shiseido Zen Eau De Parfum - Trying to use up my sample scents. This was nice, but I'd prefer to be have a signature scent. Still looking and still working through three full-sized bottles as well some samples.
Hermes Un Jardin Sur Le Toit Eau de Toilette - Gorgeous fragrance, possible contender for repurchase (but probably not for another 5 years).

December Empties

Garnier Fructis Strengthening Shampoo - Standard-issue shampoo of which I have a cupboard-full -- all drugstore freebies.
Clearasil Ultra Acne Treatment Cream - Expired stuff. Meh.
Shiseido Revital Lotion Ex I - I love Japanese toner/softeners, this included, though I prefer the Benefiance range.
Nivea Rich Nourishing Body Moisturiser - Standard lotion, ok for summer, not enough for winter.
Nivea Irresistibly Smooth Body Lotion - Ditto.
L'Oreal Youth Code Youth Booster Serum - Meh. Used liberally on my neck and chest just to finish it off.
Skin Doctors Eye Tuck - Didn't make much of a difference to my puffy eye bags so I used it up as a light moisturiser all over my face and neck.
Skin Doctors Gamma Hydroxy Skin Resurfacing Cream - Too harsh for my face, but really good for smoothing out the bumps on my arms and legs.
Cetaphil DailyAdvance Ultra Hydrating Lotion - Also used up as a body lotion.
Clinique Happy Perfume Spray - Really don't like this so I'm going to accept defeat and toss this out.
Blistex SPF 20 Lip Conditioner - Ugh. Horrible-smelling.
Lancome Juicy Tubes - I have had this for years, it just doesn't do it for me. Sticky and not moisturising at all.
Benefit Bad Gal Lash Mascara - Really nice mascara, too bad it smudges on me.
Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Lash Extending Treatment Mascara - Also nice; also smudges.
L'Oreal Blush Brush - Decade-old brush that came in a blush compact. 'Nuff said.
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion - I finally used one up. A few more samples to go.
Face Shop Samples - Nothing that wowed me. Just trying to finish up some samples.
Hermes Un Jardin Sur Le Toit Eau de Toilette - Second sample used up. Not sure I miss it having it though.
Flower by Kenzo - Not terribly excited by this; apart from finishing it.
La Perla J'Aime Eau de Parfum - Ditto.

August-October Hauls

2013-01-01T19:56:00.002+11:00

Just posting my not-so-latest acquisitions for the purpose of posterity -- shocking my future self by these shopping excesses.

August Haul

Apart from the tights and necklace, everything was bought at the Sydney International Spa & Beauty Expo.

KUU Konjac Sponge with French Red Clay
LimeLily Shimmer Eyeshadow Dragonfly
LimeLily Makeup Bag
LimeLily Twist-Top Bottles
Crown Duo Fibre Brush
Crown Small Blending Brush
Diva Necklace
Valley Girl Tights

September Haul

Although I exercised self-restraint at the Hakuhodu stand and came up with just one gorgeous brush, I went wild at the relatively affordable Royal & Langnickel stand and finally bought the vegan set that I regretted forgoing at last year's IMATS.

Hakuhodo J602 Slide Face Angled Brush
Inglot Travel Brush Set
Royal & Langnickel Silk Pro GreenLine 12-Piece Brush Set
Royal & Langnickel Silk Pro C445 Large Smudger Brush
Royal & Langnickel Silk Pro C255 Small Stippling Brush
Royal & Langnickel Silk Pro C120 Contour Brush
Royal & Langnickel Silk Pro C185 Complexion Brush
Royal & Langnickel Silk Pro C141 Synthetic Bronzer Brush
Royal & Langnickel Silk Pro CR203 Dome Synthetic Powder Brush
Another Diva Peter Pan Necklace (not in picture)

October Haul

A number of items were from our trip to Maldives via Kuala Lumpur. Sadly for me (happily for my credit card), most of the Christmas sets were not yet available at the time I was at Sephora in Kuala Lumpur.

Soap & Glory Fab Pore Hot Cloth Cleanser
Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil
Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing Essence
Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing Mist
Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing Cleansing Oil
Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing Face Wash

Philosophy The Supernatural Coloring Book
Guerlain Terra Azzurra Bronzer & Blush
Makeup Forever Aqua Brow Waterproof Eyebrow Corrector in 20 Light Brown
Makeup Forever Aqua Shadow Waterproof Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in 20E Pearly Taupe
Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in Skinny Jeans
Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin
NYX Cosmetics Jumbo Eye Pencils in Milk and Dark Brown
Chanel Notorious Ombre Contrast / Sculpting Veil
ZA Cheeks Groovy in 05 June Bride
Dior Glow Designer Nude Glow Palett
Coach Leather Satchel in Brown (not in picture)
Mimco Wallet in Yellow (not in picture)
Uniqlo Houndstooth Skinny Pants (not in picture)
Uniqlo Scarf (not in picture)

August-October Empties

2012-12-26T20:00:00.000+11:00

Although I have not blogged in ages, I did snap photos of my empties and hauls, and I'll be posting them in the next few days before 2013 for posterity.

August Empties

I loved and may repurchase (when I use up similar products in my stash):

CoverGirl NatureLuxe Water-Resistant Mousse Mascara - natural looking lashes with a non-smudgy, yet easy to remove formula. Already opened up one of two backups.
Face of Australia Impact-Curl Extreme Volume & Curl Mascara - ditto, reviewed here. Will repurchase when I get through my mascara stash (may take years).
Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Day Emulsion- smells divine compared to The Skincare version. Will repurchase when I get through my moisturiser stash (may take years).
Crabtree & Evelyn LaSource Body Wash - lovely gift from a dear friend, but probably will not repurchase as I would not normally splurge on shower gels.
Shiseido The Skincare Day Moisture Protection SPF15 - it's ok, but the Benefiance version is better.
Hope's Relief Scalp Care Formula 2 Conditioner - as effective as any inexpensive conditioner
John Frieda Conditioner - nice, if a bit heavy conditioner that came from a hair colouring kit.

September Empties

There may not have been any empties for September, but I did chuck out quite a few useless makeup brushes and very old, unloved mascaras. Unfortunately, I forgot to take photos.

October Empties

Palmer's Cocoa Butter lotion - Really moisturising, but it's hard to get the last 20% of the product out since the pump seem to be a couple of centimetres above the bottom of the bottle. Probably won't repurchase.
Avène Hydrance Optimale SPF 25 Hydrating Cream - Not quite convinced about the formula, as with most sunscreens thick and greasy but not moisturising. Probably won't repurchase.
Invisible Zinc Environment Skin Protector - Unbearably thick for daily wear especially in the summer when I need it most.
Invisible Zinc Tinted Lip and Cheek Balm - Feels like wet powder, uncomfortable on my lips and looks strange on my cheeks.
Shiseido Perfect Refining Foundation - I think this one was in Natural Fair which was too light for me and also it separated after lying in unused in my drawer for a few months.

Red Kristen Kimono Tee

2012-08-29T17:05:00.000+10:00

I finished this shirt earlier this month, but didn't get a chance to photograph it the first time I wore it.

This knit fabric is less drapey than my wearable muslin, so the sleeves stick out a bit. But it was super quick make if I don’t account for the time spent pressing out the wrinkles and trueing up the fabric before cutting out the patterns.

All seams were serged with a 4-thread overlock stitch, including the self-ribbing. I used Steam-A-Seam on the hems to stabilise them prior to stitching them down with a twin-needle. A few stitches were skipped, but I could live with it -- or without those stitches?

Fabric: Poly-cotton blend(?) from Spotlight c. 2010
Pattern: Kristen Kimono Tee from Maria Denmark
Year: 2012
Notions: none
Time to complete: 3 hours (trueing up took ages again)
First worn: A very casual Friday at work, 3 August 2012
Wear again? Yes, for days when I want comfort over style.

July Empties

2012-08-08T23:34:00.001+10:00

I've been remiss with my night time skin regimen the past couple of ~~days~~ weeks. I have been staying up late either sewing, blogging or wasting time on the 'net, and I have been too tired to to go through the whole skin care shebang. But I can't just quickly cleanse my face because makeup wipes make my skin too dry and cream cleanser make it too greasy. There's not much too take off anyway as my minimalist makeup applied at 9am have faded into nothingness by 2am. ~~Luckily my skin hasn't suffered that much yet.~~ My skin has become dry, rough, flaky and spotty. I guess that's the kick I needed to get back on track, and it starts tonight!

Anyhow, here are this month's empties and chuckers:

Shiseido Bio-Performance Super Corrective Serum 30ml - This is awesome. I started using this in January on days I was not using the Alpha-H Liquid Gold Prep and Prime, which fell out of favour within a month of use. I eventually upped my Shiseido usage to twice a day because I noticed that it made my skin look really smooth right after applying it. It is a bit primer-like in its consistency, akin to the Estee Lauder Perfectionist Serum which I also loved as a morning serum. I already repurchased two backups within two weeks of use, because it was less than $50 from Catch of the Day!

Shiseido Benefiance Extra Creamy Cleansing Foam 30ml - Love this! Cleanses without making me feel too greasy or too dry afterwards. I probably will cut it open after this post to extract the very last bits of this wonderful cleanser. Definitely a repurchase once I finish the non-extra creamy version in the July haul.

Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid Moisturising Face Wash 50g - Good for those who prefer a non-fragranced cleanser. Just as good as Shiseido, but not as pleasant for me scent-wise, so I will not repurchase this.

Cath Kidston Wild Flowers Honeysuckle Hand Cream 30ml - I received this for free from Sephora Kuala Lumpur last year, and it seemed like a curious crossover between my makeup and sewing obsessions since I was vaguely aware that Cath Kidston is a fabric/bag designer. I was not an avid hand cream user despite my dry cracked hands and previously thought it superfluous when I already had a perfectly good body lotion. But I forced myself to use up this one, because I was gifted a few hand creams. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it moisturised my hands -- even after a couple of washes, my hands still felt soft! It was a revelation that sadly my current full-sized hand cream does not live up to. So I will probably purchase this when I run out of hand creams, but in a different scent.

Aveeno Active Naturals Skin Relief Moisturising Lotion 354ml - One of my go-to winter lotions. Nothing exciting, just a really good lotion to combat dry, itchy skin in winter. I will repurchase once I use up my backups.

Palmolive Naturals Shower Gel in Pink Grapefruit Splash 500ml - Palmolive shower gel is the standard body wash that we usually have in our bathroom. It's cheap, quite pleasantly fragranced and lasts us ages. We have repurchased this and other variants multiple times, and we usually keep a couple on hand.

Hope’s Relief Scalp + Hair Shampoo Formula 1 200ml - A good basic shampoo that didn’t dry my hair, but it didn't seem to do improve my scalp condition either so I won't repurchase this.

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream 5.7g sachet - I tried this on my legs and it smelled horrible. It's very thick but not terribly moisturising. This won't ever be on my shopping list.

Face of Australia High Definition Liquid Eyeliner in Black - This is really old and I think it's earned its keep. It was great when it was new, but there are new formulas in the market that I'd like to try so I probably won't repurchase this.

Face of Australia High Definition Liquid Eyeliner in Brown - same as above.

Estée Lauder Artist's Mechanical Eye Pencil in Double Sandy - Even older than above. The black tip was hard and it smudged on me. The peach tip broke off. How it managed to elude all my pre-blog spring cleaning efforts, I'll never know.

Silky Girl Funky Eyelights Pencil in Candy Pink - I don't think I have a use for an old, gritty, glittery pink eye pencil. But I can't bear to throw out the lovely green and blue shades yet. Maybe next month.

Revlon Luxurious Colour Eyeliner in Antiqued Gold - Also old and I've got much smoother gold eyeliners from Urban Decay and Savvy by DB.

Revlon Khaki Suede Illuminance Cream Eyeshadow Quad Review

2012-08-07T17:09:00.000+10:00

Despite all the negative reviews, I still grabbed this from Cosmo cosmetics for $5 last year. The colours looked great for the office and I stubbornly hoped it would work on me.

It didn't, but I thought I'd give it one last chance, before I dismiss it.

As expected it performed poorly on its own - it was faded and creased in just a couple of hours of wear. It didn't fare much better with primer (Too Faced Shadow Insurance) underneath. With primer underneath and powder eyeshadow on top, wear was more acceptable. But that would seem to defeat the quick-to-apply purpose of cream eyeshadows.

I should toss this, but somehow I can't bear to throw out a fairly new product even if it's unlikely I'll ever use it again. So I'll keep it in a box for now and if it never gets used again in a year's time, I'll toss it then.

Kristen Kimono Tee in Retro Print (Muslin)

2012-08-03T18:00:00.000+10:00

Love the pattern, hate the fabric. Good thing this is just a wearable muslin.

Ok, I don’t really *hate* the fabric -- it's comfortable and easy to sew. I’m just over the print. I bought this back in 2008 when I was starting out with sewing, thinking I could whip up a maxi dress on my crappy Singer sewing machine. I used it to make a wearable muslin of the Selfish Seamstress' Minimalist Cowl pattern. As hideous as this fabric is to me, I receive compliments when I wear that muslin, but I get nothing when I wear the non-muslin version.

But I digress.

When I discovered the awesome Scruffy Badger Time blog and saw her Kimono Tees, I knew this project would zip right up to the number one spot in my “to make” list. It looked great on her and l thought it would be a quick one to whip up. Even for me. To top it all off, it's a free pattern from Maria Denmark!

While it took me forever trying to true up this fabric and I don’t think I was successful at it, it was really quick to sew once I’ve cut out all my pieces. I used an overlocker to sew the seams, and a sewing machine to sew the self-ribbing (is there such a thing?) and finish off the sleeves and hem.

It was 1am when I started on the neckline, I was getting a headache, I could not be bother to check the sewing machine manual, so I ended up using the wrong stretch stitch. Oh, well.

Anyway, I think it’s serendipitous that I didn’t read the instructions until after I cut the fabric, so I did not seam allowances and serged it at 3/8 inch instead. It fits perfectly. I did shorten the pattern pieces by two inches before cutting my fabric.

I am so in love with this pattern, I have my next version cut out and ready to sew.

Fabric: Lightweight viscose knit from Lincraft c. 2008
Pattern: Kristen Kimono Tee from Maria Denmark
Year: 2012
Notions: none
Time to complete: 4 hours (trueing up took ages)
First worn: Casual Friday, 3 August 2012
Wear again? Yes, when I want something very casual.

July Haul: Clothing, Cosmetics & Sewing

2012-08-02T18:26:00.000+10:00

All throughout July I felt like I have been restrained in my shopping, so it seems unreal that this is still a fairly long list. And I'm not sure it'll be shorter in the next couple of months with the Beauty & Spa Expo and IMATS coming to town.

Cosmetics and Cosmetics-Related Accessories:

Chanel Vitalumiere Eclat Comfort Radiance Compact MakeUp in B40 Beige Desert $64.93 - I came back quite tanned from my Manila trip back in June, and all of my powders seemed too pale for my tanned face and neck. Coupled with several emails from strawberrynet enticing me back with a 10% they-miss-me-discount and a GWP, I caved and finally bought a Chanel powder after years of lemming after one. As soon as I signed for the package, I ripped the packaging and swatched it with my grubby fingers. It was as divine as I imagined it to be, so naturally I rarely use it and am perfectly satisfied to stare and caress this gorgeous palette which permanently resides in my makeup drawer. I promise to use it this August.

Shiseido Benefiance Creamy Cleansing Foam $15.91 - I was under the impression that this would be similar to the lovely version. It works just as well, but unfortunately it’s a different scent so not as pleasant to use.

Korres Rice & Olive Oil Compact Powder in 51N $0 - This was the strawberrynet GWP and I picked the darkest shade, though it still seems pretty light to my eye. As can be expected, it's nowhere as good as the Chanel powder. Yet, this is the powder I use daily. I do love the white, square packaging and it's not a bad powder. The included puff was small and rather useless. It's best applied with a brush, though I've been mostly using a latex puff as I don't think train passengers would be happy to have some beige powder flicked their way.

Essence Stay All Day Long Lasting Eyeshadow in Steel the Show $5.50 - I was ecstatic to find Essence products stocked at the local Priceline and had to purchase something before other shoppers swatch the unsealed pots. Love, love this minky shade (yup, definitely Lisa Eldridge's influence right there). I was even more ecstatic to find that it does last all day on me! So I got a couple more!

Essence Stay All Day Long Lasting Eyeshadow in Coppy Right $5.50 - A coppery shade. Slight let down -- somehow not as smooth as Steel the Show and a tad too sparkly.

Essence Stay All Day Long Lasting Eyeshadow in Glammy Goes To... $5.50 - A golden champagne shade. Even more sparkly than Coppy Right -- way too sparkly for day time.

Parlux 3800 Eco Friendly Super Compact Ceramic and Ionic Hair Dryer in Purple $154.95 - What's a girl sporting short hair doing with a heavy-duty, salon-worthy professional hairdryer? Well, I've been waiting 5 years for my pathetic hairdryer to conk out and could not wait any longer. The old one took ages for it to dry my thin, limp hair -- ok, 10 minutes. Still, every precious minute counts in the morning. With the Parlux it takes me less than two minutes to dry my hair on a medium setting -- love that it doesn't scorch my hair and scalp. I'm sure I'll grow my hair out eventually and I'm going to get more use out of this gorgeous dryer. I'm still kicking myself though for not getting the red version to my red Dinair which I keep in the same drawer as the dryer.

Sportsgirl Makeup Bag $4.95 - When Tine of Beautyholics Anonymous showed off her well-organised, gorgeous Mimco makeup bag, I rushed out to get one. Of course, the $40 price tag put me off especially since it was not chic as Tine's version. So I grabbed the Sportsgirl cotton version from their sale bin. I may DIY my own version eventually.

Clothing, Shoes and Accessories:

Roc Territory Boots in Black $125.95 - Something else that I've been lemming since last year. Super happy to get such comfy shoes. I just need to muster enough chutzpah to pull off wearing it with dresses and skirts. So far I've only worn it hidden under straight cut work pants.

Sportsgirl Cable Knit Tights $9.95 - I bought these to go with the boots, but somehow I don't have anything to go with this. Must find something before winter is over.

Barkins Lace Skirt $29.98 - I've been wandering around Barkins when they have a 30-50% off sale, but haven't had much luck in the past few months until I saw this skirt. It's a tad too long, but it should be an easy fix (like the 873 other items under my sewing table that need alterations.

Marcs Black Double Purse $104 - I knew I had to have this when it was featured in Crashing Red, though I did hem and haw about it, until I received a Marcs $25 voucher for signing up for their newsletter.

Sewing Supplies:

Wooly Nylon Thread in Black $6.95 - I already had one in my stash, but needed another one to use on my overlock loopers.

Wooly Nylon in White $6.95 - Same as above, but not pictured here as I'm not about to undo the work I put into threading the overlocker.

Thread Pack in Red $2.99 - As soon as I bought black and the wooly nylons, I started working on a red knit shirt. I only have one re fabric in my stash so I didn’t feel like buying full cones of overlock thread. I'm hoping these will do

Gutermann Upholstery Thread in Black $4? - I needed thick strong thread for my jacket buttons that keep shredding through normal waxed threads.

Clover Chaco Liner Pen Style in Yellow $16.95 - I got sick of my cheap fabric markers that create fat marks on my fabric, so I decided to start investing in my marking tools. This is pretty awesome, except for the yellow/orangey fabric I'm currently working. So I ordered one online in Silver.

Clover Chacopen With Eraser - Water Soluble in Blue $10.95 - This has a much finer tip than my current Water-Soluble Pen, and hopefully water would actually remove the and not just make it invisible when wet, visible when dry.

Black Elastic $3 - To replace the stretched out elastic in Ric's boxers.

Sew Easy Soft Grip Seam Ripper $3.99 - It's a nightmare unpicking rows upon rows of stitching lines with the little seam rippers that come with sewing machines. I finally a large one would make it easier and it does!