Bright and breezy cafes are the norm in Bangsar where people often go on lazy weekend mornings to hang out over a cup of coffee or to chat over yummy cakes and tea. Marmalade is one such cafe. Tucked away in a corner of Bangsar Village 2, the cafe is done up in rustic white wooden decorations and bright yellow cushions which gives it a lovely laid-back feeling. The highlight of the cafe are its brightly painted murals on the walls which feature a funky ferris wheel and cheery designs. I recently got a change to try Marmalade for two events and came away suitable impressed. Read on for my review below.

Marmalade Cafe Is Great For Gatherings

We had planned a surprise birthday party at Marmalade Cafe, Bangsar and I was pleased to find that they were quite nice about making reservations for a specific little corner on a busy Saturday morning. They also allowed us to bring in our own birthday cake which I found really nice too. We ordered off their breakfast menu which came with a good variety of breakfast sets which came with freshly squeezed orange juice and coffee. Their French toast set was really good and came with yummy caramelised bananas! Service was satisfactory and it was quite funny to see how amused the servers were when we were hiding to give our friend a surprise welcome!

Marmalade Cafe Is Perfect For Childrens’ Parties

The second time I went to Marmalade was for a friend’s son’s 1st birthday party. Marmalade is a great place for parties as it has a little area which can be turned into a private party area for you with a minimum reservation of 35 people. A good spread of breakfast and brunch food was served with scrambled eggs, sausages, breads, fruit salad, quiches and even little boxes of cereal and milk for the children. They were also thoughtful enough to provide plastic cutlery, plates and cups for children in bright and cheery yellow. The food was pretty good although some of the muffins and pancakes were a little dry.

I love the casual setting Marmalade Cafe has and their bright cheery murals which makes it a wonderful place to spend a lazy Saturday or Sunday morning. The wooden panels in white give it a nice rustic country look with little corners to curl up and chat. A delicious array of cakes are displayed at their entrance and anyone with a sweet tooth will be terribly tempted!

Marmalade Cafe is located in Bangsar Village and Mont Kiara at the two addresses below:

Marmalade Mont Kiara
E-01-02, Block E,
Plaza Mont Kiara,
Jalan Kiara 2, Mont Kiara

Tel: 03-6201 1743

Marmalade Bangsar
1F-18, 1st Floor,
Bangsar Village 2,
Jalan Telawi 2,
Bangsar Baru

Tel: 03-2282 8301

I gave Clarins a bad review some time back when I was very snobbishly ignored by their salesgirl when I went to collect my free sample. It was a shame she was so rude for I’ve heard that Clarins is a good brand but was rather put off by her attitude. Sometimes I don’t know why counter staff act as if the products they are promoting are theirs for how can you expect a potential customer to know if your product works without offering them some small samples to try?

Anyway, I decided to give them a second chance when they had a good promotion for their Clarins facial and I was glad I did. I found it a little short but enjoyed it immensely and it appears my skin did too for it actually glowed after the facial! During my facial I was told that my skin was really dehydrated, so much that fine lines were starting to appear! I’ve always known my skin to be dry but did not realise how dry it was and the mention of fine lines was enough to scare me! She recommended the Clarins Hydraquench Cream after my facial to try and as my usual moisturiser had ran out, I decided to purchase a bottle to see if it will really work wonders on my skin. Read on for my review of the Clarins Hydraquench Cream moisturiser below.

Active Ingredients In Clarins Hydraquench Cream

The active ingredient in Clarins Hydraquench cream which gives it its nourishing quality is Katafray Bark Extract, a unique herb all the way from Madagascar which restores cohesion of your skin’s corneal layer to prevent moisture loss. Clarins adopts community fairtrade techniques of cultivating Katafray through sustainable development to ensure a steady supply for their products. The other main ingredients are Inca peanut oil and the fabulous Hyaluronic acid which has been proven to retain up to 1,000 times its weight in water to increase moisture.

Does The Clarins Hydraquench Work?

Infused with exotic herbs and ingredients from a land which I always associated with Marsupilamis, the main question you might ask is does the Clarins Hydraquench work on dehydrated skin? Well, it actually does and works extremely well too! I have been using it daily for a month now and prior to starting on it, I used to have spurts of bad breakouts especially during certain times of the month. One bad time even had me thinking of making an appointment with the dermatologist simply to get it sorted out!

The effects were not immediate but over time, I found my skin starting to clear up and even out. While I am not 100% sure if it was purely due to the Clarins Hydraquench as I was using other night creams, I’m sure it had a part to play as well. My skin has less of a “tight” feeling and one major improvement I noticed was that it stopped peeling and my make up sat on it a whole lot better.

So yes it works and I’m really glad it did for I was starting to get really tired of my dry and dull peeling skin! It smells a little and is said to an aromatherapy scent but I find it a little woody and strong, probably due to the Katafray bark. The best way to apply the cream which I learnt from MyWomenStuff is done through warming it up with your palms then gently patting it onto your face from the centre and moving outwards. This method ensures your cheeks, which require most moisturization, gets the main benefits of the cream and avoids over-moisturising areas such as your T-zone and forehead which require less as they produce more oil.

A 50ml tub of cream can last up to 3-4 months depending on how frequent you use it and can be purchased from any Clarins counters. Be warned when approaching the counter in The Gardens after my bad experience with them!

I battle spots every now and then but used to be glad that I did not have to battle with pigmentation patches as well. That was until I went to the Maldives for our honeymoon and came back with more than photographs and souvenirs. I came back brown as a berry (despite sunblock!) and gasp, two small patches of pigmentation along my cheekbones. I used to be a little wary of whitening products that claim to work but now with pigmentataion, I was quite ready to try anything so The new Vichy Bi-White Reveal Night Double Corrective Whitening Cream came at the right time!

The Vichy Bi-White Night Cream comes in a little glass bottle which gives it a touch of class compared to plastic bottles. What hit me first was the scent when I first opened it! It isn’t an unpleasant scent but it is a rather strong smell which does tend to linger on a little after application.

The cream is light and applies easily. Infused with the trademarked Ceramide White formula, it works by going deep into your skin to neutralize existing melanin which causes pigmentation, freckles and blemishes. However, I found that I had to use quite a bit of it to ensure my face was covered. I also usually use it together with another moisturiser at night for extra protection as I found it to be a little less moisturising especially in a dry, air-conditioned room.

So does it really lighten and whiten as claimed? To my delight, it really does seem to work on my pigmentation! I have been using it for the past month and noticed that the two pigmentation spots I had seemed to have lightened and were almost gone. Hopefully it is a permanent solution but I will definitely continue using the Vichy Bi-White Night Cream for clearer and fairer skin!

The Vichy Bi-White Night Cream is easily available at any large pharmacies for an affordable RM99 for a 50ml tub.

I have also enjoyed flying or having transits in Changi Airport with their wide range of activities and shopping. However, I recently got a chance to fly out of the Changi Budget Terminal in Singapore when I flew Tiger Airways to Singapore and came away again rather impressed with the facilities they had. Read on for my review of the Changi Budget Terminal and differences between Changi Budget Terminal and our KL Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) airports.

Changi Budget Terminal Is Connected To Changi via A Free Shuttle

It is incredibly easy to get to the Changi Budget Terminal. Simply hop on a MRT from town to Changi Airport and catch the free shuttle bus that runs every 10 minutes between the Changi Main Terminal and the Budget Terminal. In KL, KLIA and LCCT are also connected through a shuttle service but passengers are required to pay a fee of RM1.50 per person to use that service. The LCCT is also located an hour away from the city and is connected by buses, trains or taxis.

Changi Budget Terminal Has Free Internet!

I love the free internet services provided in all Changi Terminals and was pleased to discover that the Budget Terminal has free internet too! The free internet terminals are arranged in the centre of the airport where most of the food outlets and waiting chairs are. Its a great way to stay connected and to pass your waiting time especially since the shopping outlets there aren’t as fun as the Changi Main Terminals. Unfortunately for travellers in KLIA or LCCT, free internet is only a dream although privileged passengers may access it in the premium lounges.

Changi Budget Terminal Has Affordable Snacks And Drinks

Most airport cafes tend to be overpriced and expensive so I was really pleased to see a 7-11 in the Changi Budget Terminal where I was able to pick up a drink for a lot less compared to the cafes. It was a small outlet but had quite a wide variety of snacks, magazines and drinks to keep the average traveller happy and fed for a lot less. However, hungry travellers may opt to eat in the many cafe outlets offering Western and Asian food around the centre area.

Overall, I had quite a pleasant experience in the Changi Budget Terminal. The free internet was a definite bonus and I was very appreciative of the 7-11 store! If our LCCT could have a similar free internet service, I’m sure passengers will be very pleased!

Last weekend was a bit of firsts for me. It was my first time going on a food-themed treasure hunt in KL, my first time doing it with the Blogger Babes – PB, Beetrice and Rinnah and our first time in using Maxis Finder301! Read on for our experience in the Food Hunt and our review of Maxis Finder301.

Picture stolen from PB

Klang Valley Food Hunt Wasn’t In KL!

We had taken part in the Food Hunt organised by Time Out Solutions and Rasa Rasa in Penang two years ago but this was the first time they were having it in Klang Valley and surprise, surprise, we were hunting for clues mainly outside KL City! The only nod to KL was Bangsar Telawi area for our second leg which was not a good idea at all as Bangsar Telawi is notorious for its double parking and terrible traffic jams! Add some hundred over zealous treasure hunter cars who drive with their eyes upward looking for clues and you have absolute mayhem not to mention some rather dangerous driving!

Time Out Solutions Treasure Hunting Clues

I have to take my hat off to Time Out Solutions and the mega brains behind them who come up with the treasure hunt questions! Some were easy but some were real brain gymnastics and gosh, to solve some of them in the wee hours of the morning was really painful on my little brain! Some questions we thought seemed a little unfair but I guess that’s what separates the pros from the newbies!

Maxis Finder301 Is Not Clever

Note to Maxis – Do not beta test a new product when you require large numbers of people to log in simultaneously to look for places! The Maxis Finder301 is a new service Maxis is launching which acts like a GPS on your phone to lead you to places or food outlets. You’re supposed to send a keyword, e.g. “nasi lemak” to 301 and depending on your location, the service will spill out options (3 options each time) where you can go. You are not charged to receive the SMS but you are definitely charged each and everytime you send to 301 and if there are more than 3 options, you will need to keep sending back SMSes to get the additional options on the other pages!

As Maxis was one of the sponsors, the food hunt required us to actually use this service to locate eateries, police stations and banks to take photos of as part of our challenge. Perhaps due to their unreadiness or the sheer number of people logging in the service was terrible! At one point, we were within the Damansara Uptown and standing right outside Old Town Kopitiam and we kept receiving locations for Old Town Kopitiam in 1 Utama and Jalan Bukit Bintang! FAIL!!

We Finished The Food Hunt Half Hour Early!

When we started the hunt, our aim was to at least win something and we not only finished half an hour early but won ourselves a little hamper for our efforts! We placed 31st place out of 139 teams which was pretty good for newbies! You rock, girls!

*cough* Although there were some indications that the first prize winner and maybe even the second *cough cough* were employees of one of the main *cough* sponsors. If it was true, it was totally unfair and I think sponsors and their employees should have a separate category of prizes from those who actually PAID to join the hunt.

It left a bit of a bitter aftertaste but hopefully that wouldn’t put us off future treasure hunts with the Blogger Babes!

I was recently looking for a cheap travel option to Singapore from Kuala Lumpur for the recent Hari Raya holidays. As expected, due to the long weekend and celebrations, most buses were full and Air Asia was terribly expensive. However, some online research turned up a little gem in the form of Tiger Airways. I used to think that Air Asia dominated the skies between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore but the recent introduction of various budget airlines from Australia and Singapore have meant and cheaper more choices for travellers! Read on for my review of Tiger Airways below.

Tiger Airways Zero Fare Promotion

I was pleasantly surprised to find that Tiger Airways was offering a zero fare promotion on the exact dates I was looking for! And considering that I was only checking out tickets two weeks before departure, I thought that this was an absolute steal! With taxes, my return ticket worked out to only less than RM150 which is cheaper than most of the luxury coaches plying the KL-Singapore route!

Tiger Airways Departs From LCCT

From KL, Tiger departs from the LCCT terminal. However, check in is in a separate area from the Air Asia check in. You can only check in two hours before your flight time and the booth will only open then so going earlier to LCCT will not mean earlier check-ins! You arrive in Singapore at the Changi Budget Terminal which is easily accessible to the main Changi airport via a free shuttle bus or the city via the MRT.

Comparison Between Tiger Airways and Air Asia

• I noticed that Tiger Airways taxes tend to be slightly higher than Air Asia, perhaps due to the fact that they’re a Singaporean airline. If both were offering zero fare promotions, Air Asia might win slightly due to lower taxes.
• The interior of both planes are similar with 3 by 3 seat configurations in the same faux leather finish. Both planes depart from LCCT, land in Changi and both involve walking on the tarmac and up a flight of stairs to get into the plane.
• Both also charge for seat selection and as it was a short 1 hour flight, I did not opt for that. I was given a seat quite far in front on my trip down but got regulated to the back on my return trip.
• Unlike Air Asia stewardesses’ tight red uniform, Tiger Airways staff wear pants with a striking yellow shirt.
• Meals on board on Tiger are priced in SGD instead of MYR and can be quite pricey so I would recommend eating before you board or carrying some snacks for your flight.
• I found the Tiger Airways magazine rather entertaining with more useful information compared to what Air Asia provides. It actually made a good read on the short flight!

I personally had a great experience with the fares on Tiger Airways. As with all budget airlines, everything is chargeable including any check-in luggage you might have so if you’re just planning to travel light on a short flight from KL to Singapore, Tiger might be a good choice!

I’m a huge fan of sunblock, thanks to a mom who didn’t like sun. I grew up with the smell of Coppertone preceding every swimming session and DH said he had never met anyone who used so much sunblock before until he met me! I recently tried a new sunblock by Vichy for the face. Read on for my review of the Vichy UV Activ SPF 50 PA+++ sunblock.

Experts claim that nothing above SPF30+ can be proven and having a higher SPF sunblock does not mean you can stay out in the sun longer. However, I still usually choose the highest SPF, just to be on the safe side. Vichy UV Activ met my standards with its SPF50 sunscreen, an oil-free sunscreen which promises to deliver maximum UVA protection against the skin-damaging sun to prevent pigmentation and dark spots. UVA rays are more intensive than UVB rays as they attack your skin’s pigmentation throughout the day. Vichy UV Activ concentrates on fighting these rays with its active ingredients of Mexoryl® XL and Mexoryl® SX which act as UV filters.

Like all Vichy products, it contains the magical Vichy Thermal Spa Water that hydrates and moisturises. I was impressed to read that Vichy even guarantees up to 8 hours of anti-UVA coverage to prevent your skin from darkening! However, I was not sure if this was waterproof so you might want to confirm that before using it in the swimming pool.

I found the texture a little thick when I first applied it and was initially worried about it clogging my pores. However, it spreads on quite well and does not seem to have the pore-clogging effect that some thick sunblocks such as Banana Boat has. It can even be used in the place of your daily moisturiser or make up base, however, I usually apply it over my moisturiser as I’m not sure if it is hydrating enough for my dry skin.

Each tube retails for RM90 and can be purchased from any large pharmacy. If you’ve not started using sunblock in our tropical weather, now’s the time to start to prevent dark spots and pigmentation as your skin ages!

I had a nasty encounter at a Clarins beauty counter when I headed there to try their new Hydraquench range. The unpleasant sales girl put me off totally. I might have continued to have this unpleasant impression of Clarins until I was recently convinced to try their facials at the Clarins Institute in KLCC. Was it good and did I come away convinced of the goodness of Clarins beauty products? Read on below for my review of the Clarins facial treatment.

Clarins Institute KLCC

I have sensitive skin so am usually a little wary about trying a wide range of facials. I tend to stick to one which works and have been faithfully going to Kanebo for facials until I found a recent facial broke me out! So when I heard how many have raved on about Clarins facials, I decided to give it a try.

The Clarins Institute is located on the 4th floor of KLCC. It’s done up in the Clarins white and red colours and their product range is arranged in a nice multi-coloured hue against the walls. When I arrived, I was led to the back where there were comfy seats to fill out their customer profile form and offered a cup of tea or water. They did not ask many questions during this time and I was quickly led to the treatment room where a skin analysis was performed.

Clarins Skin Analysis

The treatment room comprised a bed in the middle of the room and a light on a swivel. That’s all! No funky skin machines or contraptions! The top of the ceiling was painted with a soothing cloud design which I didn’t really see as I fell asleep halfway through the treatment!

The beautician started her analysis by looking at my skin under the light then feeling my face with her hands for elasticity, firmness and dryness, explaining each step she did. She accurately diagnosed my skin as terribly dehydrated and proceeded to show and explain in detail which products she was going to use to restore it again.

Experience Of The Clarins Facial

The Clarins experience is really unique. The facial starts with your beautician guiding you through a series of relaxation exercises then shaking you slightly all over to relax you. I’d never experienced that with other facials before and have to admit that it did do a good job!

She then started her facial using nothing but her hands. The concept behind Clarins facials is in massaging to stimulate circulation and draining toxins so each step of their facial focuses on that. Their application of their cleanser and moisturiser was also different as they use a suction action with their hands when cleansing to remove dirt and a tapping motion to apply the moisturiser.

The facial lasted 1 hour which I felt was a little short as I’m used to 2 hour facials and throughout the entire facial, the only “equipment” used was the beautician’s hands!

Skin Texture After A Clarins Facial

I noticed that my face felt a little warm after the facial which meant good circulation was taking place. The day after, I noticed my skin felt plump and hydrated and it actually glowed! My mom who met me two days later noticed the glow right away! I was really impressed and I’ll definitely be back although its a little pricey at RM198 per facial.

Then again, what’s the price of nice and glowing skin?!

Help! I have been having dropping hair and I’m not sure why. It’s supposed to be normal to have some hair dropping everyday as your hair renews itself but mine got pretty bad to the stage where my hands would actually be full of hair whenever I washed it! Sweeping the floor used to horrify me because it only showed how much hair I was actually losing! I blamed it on the longer hair I used to sport but the hair fall continued even after I had cut my hair. Even the shampoo girl at my usual hairstylist commented about it although my hairstylist didn’t seem too perturbed when I asked him about it, citing stress as a possible reason. Stress aside, seeing the amount of hair in the shower is definitely no fun (I don’t want to be bald!) so I decided to try Dove Hair Fall Therapy in an attempt to solve this problem. Read on for my review of the Dove Hair Fall Therapy shampoo.

Dove Hair Fall Therapy Shampoo Is Affordable

I used to use salon shampoos at approximately RM70 a pop so getting a 400ml bottle of shampoo from the pharmacy at RM13.40 was very affordable to me. The Dove Hair Fall Therapy shampoo comes in a nice, tall and slim bottle in a nice orangey biege tone. 

When I first tried it, I didn’t realise it lathered so well so you don’t need much at all to wash your hair unless you have very long or thick hair. I usually use the amount less than a 50 sen coin size and I find that usually works up quite a lather which is more than enough for my hair. Great and economical!

Dove Hair Fall Therapy Shampoo Smells Great

My first impression of it was how nice it smelt. It is quite heavily perfumed but not sickeningly so and washing my hair with the shampoo gave it a nice and fresh fragrance. Its a nice refreshing smell which is a great pick-me-up after a long day at work. I use it without conditioner as my hairdresser once told me that conditioners might make my limp hair even heavier. I found that it did not dry out my hair which made it a good conditioning shampoo especially if you have fine hair.

However, despite its nice smell and great lather, does it work well?

Does Dove Hair Fall Therapy Shampoo Work?

I used it for almost two weeks already and have been monitoring the amount of hair loss I find in my shower. I do find that there is less hair in my hands when I am shampooing my hair compared to the previous shampoo I was using but sadly, the amount of hair that falls on to the floor does not seem to have really reduced.

However, it seems to volumnize my hair a little (which Kahani of Soloverly loves!) which is good for my hair is usually limp and straight as a door nail. The extra little body it gives it makes it look that tiny bit fuller and every little certainly helps!

Unfortunately, despite its good points, the Dove Hair Fall Therapy Shampoo still does not seem to address the problem it was designed for and I’m still on the look out for a good shampoo to address hair fall. So do holler if you have any good suggestions!

I’ve been seeing the KFC Shrimp Stix advertisement on TV and was rather interested by it as KFC has always been known for its chicken, not seafood! The advertisement featured plump shrimp wrapped in a crumbed batter which looked pretty good until I tried it! Read on for my review of the KFC Shrimp Stix promotion!

KFC Shrimp Stix Is Expensive

An ala-carte order of Shrimp Stix nets you four sticks for RM5.15 (almost RM6 with tax). The pieces are tiny 2-inch long little sticks for about RM1.50 per piece! The way it was served only accentuated its tiny size further for I had four little sticks rattling around in a large paper box! Certainly nothing like their advertisement and although I put that down to the power of advertising and media liberties, I thought it was a real rip-off to charge customers such a high price for something so tiny! If you’re looking for a cheap snack, this is certainly not it!

KFC Shrimp Stix Tastes Horrid

After my initial horror over the price, I tested the overpriced shrimp. It was absolutely horrid! Each stick was coated in crumbed batter not unlike the processed seafood or chicken nuggets you can find in your supermarket freezer. Its crunchy and when you bite into it, you get a creamy concoction with no shrimp! No plump shrimp waiting for your every bite!

Instead, all you get is a chewy texture not unlike the imitation crabstick filamen you can again find in your supermarket freezer. The taste was not memorable at all and I only remember a creamy texture which tasted a little like plastic!

So will I recommend you try KFC Shrimp Stix? Not particularly unless you wish to experience it for yourself! Otherwise, you probably can find cheaper and tastier snack options in the form of packed nuggets!