Pink on a Whim

A Sojourn in Brisbane and Goldcoast - Part 3

noreply@blogger.com (j e a n) — Wed, 03 Sep 2014 14:43:00 +0000

The view from Mount Coot-tha is breath taking! This was our last stop in Brisbane before we left for Goldcoast.

Beautiful isn't it?

And I snapped a photo of a random couple at the peak.

And then...Goldcoast!

We stayed at the Vibe Hotel in Surfer's Paradise, which was quite near the beach. Compared to our previous hotel, the beds here were quite firm hard and not really as comfortable, though the price point and location can't be beat. We also loved the fact that there was a washing area outside the bathroom, so both of us could wash up at the same time. We also had a balcony with a great view! The nights were actually so windy and cold that we turned off the air conditioner and opened the doors to the balcony. Pretty awesome!

I'm pretty sure it's a sin not to visit Surfer's Paradise Beach when in Goldcoast...

Just don't be a dodo like me and think you should be wearing shorts to the beach even though it's winter 'cos I almost became a body on 2 icicle sticks.

Warm Churros at San Churro on a balmy, windy night are DA BOMB!

Ribs at Hurricane's Grill! These came highly recommended and did not disappoint.

And we saved most of our shopping for Harbour Town! Whoever said there isn't much shopping to do in Goldcoast hasn't been here.

These weren't bought at Harbourtown but at Myer's, which was having their stocktaking sale when we were there. The discounts were pretty impressive - some of the items were marked up to 30% off! There wasn't any discount for Aesop though, I'm guessing there's some price control mechanism in place since it's an international brand now. Yes, in case you didn't know, Aesop's from Australia! As are the other brands above, so with the exception of Aesop, they probably aren't very easily available outside of Australia.

I haven't tried any of them prior to buying them though, but how could I leave without indulging in some local skincare brands!

I should be doing a review of these items in the future so stick around if you'd like to know more about them :)

A Sojourn in Brisbane and Goldcoast - Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (j e a n) — Tue, 12 Aug 2014 11:09:00 +0000

One of the days we took a day trip to O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat. The drive up from Brisbane to the retreat was about 2 hours long, but took much longer because the GPS took us via Duck Creed Road. I don't think I'll ever forget that name. It's a long, winding, unmarked lane off the main roads, through private farmlands (read: gates where you have to exit the vehicle to manually un-hinge and hinge), steep, sandy and gravelly terrains, but also, the most breath-taking scenery ever. It was an experience, but not something I would advise travellers to do as even our 4-wheel-drive had quite a lot of difficulty navigating the route and an especially steep slope. So take the main roads, and ignore it when your GPS tells you that Duck Creed Road is the fastest way up. When you're crawling at maybe 10km/hr, it really isn't.

Gorgeous blue skies

The cow wonders what the hell we're doing driving in their pastures

Heyyy Luke, do you know how much we had to go through just so we could see your farm?

The kind of place that makes me want to just lie down on the grass, look at the sky and not give a flying rat's ass about time or work.

While the ride up to O'Reilly's was eventful, I couldn't say the same about our destination. It's probably more suitable if you have kids, as there were some activities for the younger 'uns available, like a bird show? Or something like that. The food was good though, but I'm not sure if it was worth the harrowing ride up the mountain. I believe they also had lodging available so it may be more worth your while if you stayed there a couple of nights. You know, to calm your nerves after risking your lives on Duck Creed Road. It was really cold and windy up the mountain too, so wrap up!
.

Whenever I have fries (or chips) in Australia, I think of my Sinsin Garlic Chilli (also known as McDonald's Chilli) or my Maggi tomato ketchup. Nothing else comes close, man.

We took the trail through the rainforest, which reminded my of secondary school cross-country runs at MacRitchie Reservoir, where we saw so many rubber seeds, it wasn't even funny any more.

My attempts at artistic nature shots

Finally at the end of the trail! Now we can go down the mountain.

Evening time we went in search of food at the Eat Street Markets! Oh wow you really have to visit this place; it's like our pasar-malam set up (though prices definitely aren't) and you can just walk around trying out different kinds of foods. There's also sitting areas littered around so you can just plonk yourself down anywhere available. Of course, being more atas, there was also an alcohol bar counter and blinking carnival lights, so it could be a pseudo clubbing experience for you. I'm not sure if this place is easily accessible by public transport but I'm guessing you can easily find that out by googling.

Awww...these are so me

These! The freshest oysters I've ever had, bought off a man (probably a fisherman) who sold it from a truck. It was AUD$16 for a dozen and has left me with such a strong hankering for oysters that I was looking all over for fresh oysters after I came back.

Being winter, the night crept upon us really early and by 7pm, it was PITCH BLACK at the car park area, and the street lamps were few and not exactly powerful, so we really had to get back to our hotel. Besides, most of the places closed at 6pm, so once again, we were thankful for our comfy beds (quick plug for Hotel Urban Brisbane)!

A Sojourn in Brisbane and Goldcoast - Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (j e a n) — Tue, 12 Aug 2014 10:17:00 +0000

Have I mentioned that I love travelling?

I love breathing in a different air, seeing different people and scenes before me, marvelling at the beautiful architecture, especially those of the quaint European or Gothic variety. These leave me in awe and someday I shall land my feet in Quebec again for a good long break.

But I digress.

Last month I took a trip to Australia with a friend. As neither us dared to drive, we were thankful that her sister and her brother-in-law super kindly drove us around during the weekends and when they could!

Brisbane is well-connected by trains and buses but that being said, public transport costs are EXORBITANT in Australia! We only took a couple of bus rides but each one averaged about AUD$7 per trip. The distance wasn't that long either, maybe a 30-40 minute ride? I could have travelled from one end of Singapore to the other back and fro for much less. So, in Australia, drive if you can. They drive on the right too so I guess it isn't too bad if you're an experienced driver.

Twin layout configuration

Aww the web addy is adorable! I love little touches of quirk like that

We stayed in Hotel Urban Brisbane and if you will take no other advice from me, take this: Stay here if you can! It's not super near the Queen Street shopping area, about a 10-15 minute walk away, but the service is great and the beds so comfortable it was difficult to get up in the morning! It's styled like a boutique hotel, so it's not huge but it serves its purpose.

Signs at the Lobby which get rotated every couple of days

The furniture in the lobby is Baroque style and they have the latest fashion magazines which you can peruse and I think take away with you if you wish. A more detailed review can be found on my TripAdviser Page. Anyhow, it was Winter when we were in Australia and with it getting dark very quickly, and shops closing by early evening, we spent quite a lot of time in the hotel and we were so glad to be staying in Hotel Urban!

As a disclaimer, I have to now confess that we did not have any concrete itinerary. Both of us were really busy in the weeks leading up to our vacation, so while we did have certain places in mind, there wasn't really a plan as to where we should be going on which day; we left such planning to the night before or to my friend's sister haha.

Chancing upon a Scottish Pride parade/fair at the Queen Street square

Pancakes at the Pancake Manor! It's housed in a Medieval building which looks like a castle and serves up some of the most awesome pancakes in town.

Interior of a pretty little emporium in Queen Street. I saw Korean National swimmer Park Tae Hwan somewhere outside this building! Apparently he was in Brisbane training for some meet. Pretty exciting but unfortunately my companions had no idea who he was, which sorta killed it for me.

Casino! Good for toilet break.

View of the South Bank.

Apparently some of the best fish & chips in town!

Summing up the night

As we stayed near the city centre, we roamed around the Queen Street shopping area a lot. More than I care to admit. Myer was having their stock taking sale or something like that and I'm only slightly embarrassed to admit that over the next few days, we ventured into Myer quite a few times. We were more interested in skincare and many of the skincare brands, especially the Australian and New Zealand brands, had prices cut by 20-30% or more. I've realised that Antipodean brands are usually big on using natural or botanical ingredients in their make-up which I think is an upcoming trend, so I did pick up a couple of items, though I really was trying hard not to! I'm currently using almost the whole skincare line from my dermatologist and I'm a bit apprehensive to using any other products on my skin but I. could. not. resist. Story of my life. Some people buy koala magnets, I buy skincare. Yay.

Another story for another time

Airplane Beauty Essentials

noreply@blogger.com (j e a n) — Fri, 01 Aug 2014 14:49:00 +0000

It was to escape the heat in Singapore, to finally take a well-deserved break after I left my job, to spend time with a friend. Whatever the reason, we were off on a trip to Australia! The plane ride to Brisbane took slightly less than 8 hours, which I guess isn't too difficult to pass if you watch a couple of movies, browse through a couple of magazines, drift into uneasy sleep and wake up to the smells of hot meals. Twice.

But first up, my skincare essentials on a flight. I was on the red-eye this time around so I didn't bother with make-up. Actually I don't really bother with make-up on flights, maybe just a dab of concealer or rouge when we land if absolutely necessary, so I try to maintain good skin at all times. Of course that's no mean feat but that's a whole other story. Bottom line is, if my skin condition is fine, I wouldn't bother with make-up but if I do have an angry zit or something that's attracting all the wrong attention, then I'll dab on some concealer or something. This time around my skin was behaving pretty well so I didn't bother with any make-up in my carry-on.

Before we go on, we'll just establish a few characteristics of air travel (skin-related of course):

Air plane air is dry. Fact. So be sure to hydrate your skin while you're in the plane. For people with oily skin, like me, the dryness can actually make your face produce even more oil. I'm not sure of the science behind this but it did happen to me previously and left me feeling like a grimy puddle. Totally glamourous.

All the containers you carry onto the plane need to have a capacity of less than 100 ml. So even if you fill up a 150 ml container with just 10 ml of liquid, it's a no-go. Everything has to fit into a 1 L clear, resealable bag as well, though I'm not sure how airport security can tell that by sight. Still, better to be safe and have all your items with you than risk having them dumped before you get on the flight.

The one exception I can think of where you can carry on a bottle larger than 100 ml is if it's a water bottle. You know, for drinking water from. You do have to empty it before you go through security but once you're in and waiting to board your flight, you can fill it up at the many water coolers you'll find outside the boarding gates. If you're intent on keeping hydrated throughout your flight, or if you think that the water served on planes tastes funny, or if you're just too polite to keep bothering the flight attendants, a water bottle is absolutely essential. (By the way air pressure up in the cabins is DA BOMB. My water bottle literally spit at me when I twisted it open. You've been warned.)

Pull out your bag of liquids when checking in and place them outside your bag when going through the security monitors. There are signs asking you to do that placed in the waiting area before you check in but I know sometimes these aren't that strictly enforced. In any case, have your bag ready so that you don't fumble and hold up the queue when it's your turn, or better, empty your whole carry-on looking for the accursed bag, in the process showing the world where you throw your used tissues, ticket stubs, old receipts. mouldy sweets etc. Not sexy, I repeat, NOT SEXY. And it kinda throws off people's appetites too so...just don't.

So these were what I brought with my this time around:

(TR, L-R) The Saem Healing Mist in Clear Control, Missha Gemeaux Love Secret Hand Cream, Neutrogena Pure & Free Baby Sunblock Stick, a vial of perfume and It's Skin Ice Creamy Lip Bar in 02 Soft Vanilla

(BR, L-R) Mini Wet Wipes from Paseo, sample packet of Laneige Water Sleeping Pack_EX and Colgate Wisp in Icy Bubble

The Saem Healing Mist in Clear Control: I know the bottle looks larger than 100 ml but it's actually only 80 ml! As someone with oily skin, my skin sometimes gets even oilier on flights. This spray helps to control the oil on my face while still keeping it hydrated. I use this whenever I feel any dryness, or if I just need something to wake myself up. This smells a bit herbal and...green? It's not my favourite scent but it's ok.

Missha Gemeaux Love Secret Hand Cream: This smells of Cherry Blossoms and sinks into my hands quite rapidly, though you can still feel it. No harm there though, since there aren't many things you can actually do on the plane anyways. Unless you're a busy busy business traveller of course, in which case, you probably don't have time for any of these things.

Neutrogena Pure & Free Baby Sunblock Stick with Broad Spectrum UVA-UVB protection and SPF 60+ : Hey a girl's gotta have her sun protection no matter what. I apply this before we land, to give it time to sink in. Of course you can use any other forms of sun protection but when I'm up in the air, it's just much easier to use something that's non-liquid, to minimise any spillages which air pressure may cause. This one works pretty well and leaves a powdery, non-oily feeling and hey if it's good enough for babies, it's good enough for me! Also, you can actually use a tinted sunscreen for some coverage while you're at it, if it rocks your boat.

Perfume Vial: 'Cos nobody wants to sit next to a musty smelling person. I filled this up with my Gucci Flower Garden Glorious Gardenia so I can smell all fresh and flowery! You know how these work right? You just stick the end of the vial onto the tip of the perfume nozzle and pump in the liquid. Easy-peasy.

It's Skin Ice Creamy Lip Bar in 02 Soft Vanilla: Confession - I don't remember which lip balm I brought on the plane. In any case, this one from It's Skin does an ok job, plus it's fun! It's actually a tinted lip balm and even though the bullet itself is yellow, it transforms into a pretty pink colour once applied. Perfect for a pop of colour if that's what you're looking for and hey since it moisturises your lips as well, why not? By the way this smells more like banana than vanilla, not sure if anyone else feels the same way?

Mini Wet Wipes from Paseo: Absolutely necessary. When you need to freshen up during your flight, or if you get airline food all over yourself. No that did not happen to me. In any case, each of these little packets holds 5 sheets, which is pretty convenient for a flight. Plus they are so pretty! Ok to be honest I got these primarily because of the packaging. Please don't judge me.

Laneige Water Sleeping Pack_EX: I got these from one of my previous Gmarket hauls and boy do they come in handy on flights. With this sleeping pack, you can leave the product on your skin for hours and I don't get the uncomfortable oily T-Zone feeling, even after I wake up. I don't usually use this sleeping pack at home but because of the more intensive hydration you require on flights, this works pretty well!

Colgate Wisp in Icy Bubble: Oooh these I absolutely recommend! Some flights do provide toothbrushes and overnight kits but these are just so handy to have! Maybe you cannot be bothered to head off to the toilet, maybe you're totally immersed in your movie and don't want to leave the seat but there's a piece of meat stuck in your teeth, maybe you're sandwiched in between 2 sleeping people in the middle row of the plane; whatever your reason, get this. The Colgate Wisp is a waterless, disposable toothbrush with a toothpick at the end. How it works is that when you brush your teeth with the plastic bristles, the little bubble nestled in the brush bursts and a tiny amount of liquid/gel is released, which makes your mouth feel fresh and clean, as if you've just brushed your teeth the conventional way! The little toothpick at the end is tapered and slimmer and can fit into smaller crevices, so it works much better than regular wooden toothpicks which airlines give you with your meals. No kidding. I don't think it's currently available in stores in Singapore but you can get them easily online. I've also seen people selling them on Carousell so that could be a good place to start.

Image from BeautyBay.com

Ouidad Moisture Lock Leave In Conditioner: This isn't in the pictures above 'cos I only had a sample packet and I used it all up on the trip. It isn't obvious when dry but the ends of my hair are actually permed. I almost forgot about it myself, until I received this sample with one of my US skincare hauls. Ouidad is a brand which focuses on curly, wavy hair and I was actually going to give this sample away until I remembered my hair was curled too. In any case, I actually brought it along with the intention of just clearing out some of my sample-sized products, so I massaged it into wet hair the night before I left Australia and totally forgot about it. It didn't feel any different from the usual leave-in conditioners either. During flights, I usually put up my hoodie because I find that it helps in reducing the static in my hair and prevents it from going all frizzy, so that's what I did this time too. The flight back was pretty empty so I actually found a whole row to lie down to sleep in and when I woke up, my hair was uber soft and silky, as if it had been freshly washed and dried, even with all the tossing and turning around #truestory! It's probably a combination of the hoodie helping to reduce static and the product doing its magic. In whatever case, this definitely warrants a second try and I'm probably going to when I get the chance.

So that's it! I used to bring a bulging bag full of skincare stuff and in the end don't use half of them, that's why this time I've pared them down to just the basics. Let me know if you have any other skincare essentials you bring with you on flights!

First Post!

noreply@blogger.com (j e a n) — Tue, 29 Jul 2014 10:18:00 +0000

Hello New World! I'm not good with introductions, so let me just say welcome to my virtual space! It's not much yet, but make yourselves comfortable while you're here :)