Lemon Tart Tree

I'll be back shortly

2011-11-05T20:19:00.000+11:00

It's the weekend and a start of a new life for me in a new suburb *wink*. Apologies for being "missing in action" for 2 weeks now as I have been swallowed by my huge "to-do list". I mentioned in twitter weeks ago that my parents are flying over here for 2 reasons, 1) it's their 29th wedding anniversary *sweet sweet* and 2) they want to help us (me and my bro) move to a new and bigger unit.

I never realised moving is that hard until my mum told me last night that my bro only has a box of clothes and I have 5 black bags plus a suitcase. Thank you Ma and Pa for helping us pack our things while we go to work. Poor parents. I better give them a good massage tonight and cook a good meal don't you think?

Once I have settled down in my new place and my new room *hurray*, I will definitely be back in action.

*photo credit: google

2011 K-POP Music Festival in Sydney

2011-10-20T07:52:00.001+11:00

Get yourself ready for the Korean wave is about to hit Australia! On November 12, we will witness a showcase of pure talent in the 2011 K-pop Music Festival. With their killer line up, who would want to miss it? Surely not me. Performing artists include: TVXQ, SNSD, SHINEE, SISTAR, SECRET, MISS A, MBLAQ, KARA, CNBLUE, B2ST, 4MINUTE & 2AM. I can see your jaw drop! *lol* Here's the official trailer:

K-POP Music Festival Trailer

During the Korea-Australia Friendship Concert 2011, JK Entertainment brought with them SHINEE along with Shin Seung Hun and Son Ho Young. I thought I'll be able to see them perform before my eyes hence I made a decision to buy a Sony HD Camcorder. To my horror, only 2000 lucky ones will be given the chance to see them. Fear not this time as this concert is open for public. The concert will be held on the 12th of November 2011 at ANZ Stadium - Olympic Park Sydney. Show starts at 7:00pm. Ticket Prices are as follows: VIP standing $289, VIP seating $289, Gold $189, Silver $139, Bronze $89. You can purchase tickets through Ticketek online, Ticketek agency, or call Ticketek Call Centre at 132 849 and quote K-POP.

Now who's with me in this epic Korean concert Australia has to see?

See you all there!=))

*photo and video credits: official website

Sale Alert: Laser Clinic Australia is having a laser sale!

2011-10-16T11:27:00.000+11:00

Happy Sunday everyone! =D

I just thought of sharing this to all of you who might be interested in getting your unwanted hair permanently reduced. Laser Clinic Australia is having a massive laser sale in all their laser clinics. They use medical grade laser - Candela GentleLASE and Candela GentleYAG. Good news is - their prices start as low as $9!

Laser Clinics Australia's massive laser sale

Laser hair removal is nothing new to me since I've been doing this treatment for the last 3 years from 3 different clinics. Why did I decide to choose laser versus other forms of hair removal? It's safe, easy, fuss free, long lasting, and (almost) painless. I know you have a question in mind, "I thought it's supposed to remove the hair permanently?" Not quite. Though it stopped the hair growth for most parts (underarm and upper lip), some fine stray hair grows back. At the moment, I'm on the maintenance phase and only have it done it every 10 to 12 weeks. Regular price of upper lip and underarm on most clinics would cost $70, but with this sale, it's only $28! That's a discount of $42 or 60%!

While this works well for me, it might not work for others specifically with blonde hair. If you are still interested to have your hair zapped, please consult first with the professionals.

How do you remove unwanted hair - tweeze, shave, wax, or laser? Have you tried laser?

Have a great week ahead!

Weekend Blog Hop

2011-10-07T23:21:00.000+11:00

Hurray for the Weekend Blog Hop! =D

Thanks to the gorgeous Sarah The Science of Beauty for initiating this blog hop. Pure awesomeness!

What is a blog hop?
A blog hop is a linky list that is SHARED ON MULTIPLE BLOGS.
When several blogs put the same linky list code on their blog, the exact same list appears on each blog.

Blog visitors can submit their entries on any blog that contains the list. The entries will appear on each blog where the list resides.

Blog readers see the same list on each blog, and can "HOP" from blog to blog seeing the same list of links to follow: BLOG HOP!

So basically, its an awesome way to discover new beauty blogs or have new readers discover yours. The only rule is that your blog must have some beauty content. That's it! Once you have joined, why don't you check out the other blogs in the list - you may discover a new 'beauty' to follow - haha awesome pun! Please Tweet or share a link to your Facebook account as the more blogs we can get to on the list, the better the Weekend Beauty Blog Hop will be! If you would like to do a post about this on your blog, by all means grab the code below. Feel free to lift any content from this post, all I ask is that you link where you got it from. Hop away my friends, hop away! This link will be open from 5.00pm on Friday 7th October until 5.00am on Monday 10th October (Australian Eastern Standard time).

In addition to the Weekend Beauty Blog Hop, Sarah has also set up a Beauty Blog Directory. If you would like your blog added to the Beauty Blog Directory leave a comment on her post here.

Enjoy the Blog Hop this weekend, beauty lovers! This is a Blog Hop!

Santa visited me twice: ABBW Part 1 - IMATS haul

2011-10-04T23:30:00.000+11:00

I know it's only early October, but hey it certainly feels like Christmas has arrived a tad too early for me! We all feel giddy inside whenever we unwrap "Santa's" gifts on Christmas day, but I wonder how ecstatic you'd feel if there were two gifts waiting for you to open?! Pure bliss I tell you! Puuuure blisss! :) I got to experience this sensation just recently when I went to not one... but two make-up and beauty event over the past few weeks.

Those who have followed my recent post got know how I madly squealed when I finally got the tickets to attend the PRIMPED look book event. And three days later, I got an email from Kimmi Nissen of Plastic Diaries that I will take part in the inaugural Australian Beauty Bloggers Weekend. Two amazing events to attend, in a span of a week... Santa really knows I have been a good girl this year! *wink*

We were given 5 hours to attend IMATS as the first part of the ABBW itenerary. So what is IMATS really? Think of it this way... it's like a make-up mecca where all girls go ga-ga over cosmetics! OK, this might give light to those of you who have no clue.

"The International Make-Up Artist Trade Show is the make-up world’s biggest event. Thousands of make-up artists, manufacturers and enthusiasts discuss, display and collect the best products the industry has to offer. Make-up professionals from fashion and film (including Oscar, BAFTA and Saturn award winners) provide education and demonstrations at IMATS, and new products often debut there. IMATS also features a make-up museum and an Afterglow party, where trade-show guests can socialize." - description from their website

I have seen some crazy videos of IMATS Los Angeles showing a jam-packed venue full of rabid women trying to haul as much products as they can before their favourite brands sell out. So in that spirit, I came to terms that I must do the same or something even crazier in IMATS Sydney. Like a soldier going into the frontline battle, I devised a "battleplan" in mind and listed them all down on paper in order to not forget. As the venue doors opened, all chaos broke loose! Everybody rushed in frantically and started looking for their brand's stalls and be the first in line. So what did I end up getting?

MAC haul

This is probably one of the hauls I'm very pleased of since I've been coveting most of these for several months now.

Fix +

Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle

Eye Kohl in Fascinating

Powerpoint Eye Pencil in Engraved

Chromagraphic Pencil in NC42/NW35

Opulash Mascara Volume in Bad Bad Black

Eye Shadow pan in Arena

Travel Bottle 1oz/2

Stackable Travel Jars

Illamasqua haul

Most of the items in the Illamasqua store were the ones from their past collections. I've seen most of them during their massive online sale not long ago.

Powdered Metal in Ether

Powder Blusher in Disobey and Tweak

Cream Blusher in Libido

Medium Pencil in Bait

Nail Varnishes in Victory and Propaganda

Makeup Forever haul

Makeup Forever in Australia is like digging for gold in a gold mine, it is very hard to source!

HD powder

HD Primer in 0

UV Prime SPF 50++

Aqua Eyes 23L

Napoleon Perdis Auto Pilot

I have been wanting to buy this Auto Pilot Primer for months now and when it was offered with 20% discount, I just bought it. I didn't mind having 2 primers in my haul at all.

Inglot blush

I got 2 Inglot Face Blush in #21 for myself and a lucky reader.

Royal Langnickel brushes

Yeah I can hear you say, "Whadda?! 4 identical brushes! What was she thinking?" Well I got one for myself, my gorgeous sister, a good friend and a lucky reader. To celebrate my 1st year blogging-versary next month, I will be holding an awesome giveaway for a lovely reader very soon. Yay!

4 Silk Pro Foundation flat top brush C141

Silk Pro Taklon Blush C165

Silk Pro Synthetic Powder Brush C101-S

Silk Pro LG Smudger C445

Silk Pro Complexion C185

Master Pro Metal Lash Comb BPRO-147

Crown Brushes haul

Contour Blush C405

2 Flat Sponge Blender C161

Deluxe Crease SS012

Precision Detail C431

Deluxe Synthetic Retractable Kabuki Brush KB9

Beauty So Clean Cosmetic Sanitizer Mist

"Effectively cleans, rejuvenates and removes bacteria from pressed powders, eye shadows, cream foundations, etc."

Unii Palette

This is perfect to simplify your life in storing your eye shadows and blush refills. I love the large mirror inside and how compact the size is.

Empty round containers

Sometimes when I travel, I try to avoid lugging a whole bottle of foundation or my favorite 1 litre lotion with me. Solution? Little air tight jars. Clever.

After this haul, I guess I'll be on a haul ban for quite some time. ^^

Have you ever been to IMATS? We're you like me who hauled until your heart got satisfied?

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Primped look book 2011 and the goodie bag

2011-09-23T22:56:00.001+10:00

GAAAAAASPPPP! *holds breath* GAAAAAAAAASSSSPP! My words exactly --- speechless. I finally got my early Christmas present, and what's inside really left me dumbfounded, shocked and in awe rolled into one. "Congratulations Primpette! You've nabbed a seat at the Primped look book!" Wait... what... me of all the people?? I looked at the email again ten times just to confirm that it's not a hallucination. Reality finally sunk in, and my initial reaction, other than to scream ecstatically, was to call my bestie to bring forth the good news and force her to tag along.

On the day itself, we were both nervous but equally excited for the look book event. It's our first time! Before heading out, we had to stop by a toilet to do a quick touch up. My gosh!! The newly renovated toilets in David Jones are sooooooOOO awesome*you have to check it out*! They have an area where you can sit down comfortably and do your makeup. It actually reminded me of toilets in a 5 Star hotel lobby, only heaps better.

Me and my bestie Mei at David Jones toilet for a quick touch up

Right, we can't just stop taking photos. ^^

We couldn't stop taking photos while waiting for the first batch to finish.

Location : David Jones Elizabeth St. Lower Ground floor beauty section

I finally got to meet in person Eliza Ashe the acting editor of Primped.com.au . She is soooo gorgeous! Her skin looks so healthy from my seat 4 rows away, and almost divine up close.

Opening remarks by Eliza Ashe the acting editor of primped.com.au

The key speakers of the night:

Paula from Comvita

Amy from Invisible Zinc

Invisible Zinc Environmental Skin Protector

Invisible Zinc Foundation stick

Laura from Rimmel

Michael the Animation expert for Lancome

Lancome doll eyes

Louise from Burt's Bees

Burt's Bees sugar scrub and body butter

Justin from Prive

Prive products

Gina from OPI

Sample swatches from the latest collection of OPI

I really dig how they flawlessly organised and introduced their products to us. They meticulously demonstrated everything on their model's face and hair. Though it may seem to be a bit of info-overload for newbies, I found it very easy to follow. Along with giving industry-grade secrets, they also gave away valuable insights and tricks that I found really helpful for us consumers.

Here's a picture of me and Eliza. I know, I know... I look like a midget beside her hehehe. Oh well! I should've worn heels. Hehehe.=))

Me and the gorgeous Eliza

And of course, would I forget to show you what's inside our goodie bag? Tada!! *eye candy for me but might be an eye sore for you* lol!

Thank you Primped for such an awe-inspiring evening! My bestie and I surely had a blast! Hope I'd get picked again for next year's look book event. *fingers crossed* :)

Have you been to a Primped look book event? How was your experience? Or perhaps, you've hauled-in some awesome freebies you'd like to talk about. Please feel free to share with everyone.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post as much as I did writing it, click here to subscribe for free updates on new posts

PS. I hope I've got all the names accurately. If I made an error, please forgive me as I was just jotting them down as to how I heard them. Feel free to correct me.

Disclaimer: I was randomly chosen to attend this event, hence they didn't know that I blog.

Think premium samples: Lust have it! is finally here

2011-09-17T00:36:00.002+10:00

Hola!

Have you heard of your favourite beauty gurus rave about Birchbox from the US or Glossybox from the UK? Well don't wait any longer 'cause Australia has Lust Have It! They handpick 5 to 6 hair, beauty, and skin premium samples and deliver it right at your doorstep for $14.95.

My first Lust Have It

A welcome card

All of the products for the month of August

The first box contains :
1. Dermatologica Daily Microfoliant
2. Bioeffect EGF Serum
3. Burt's Bees Lemon butter cuticle cream
4. Naked Tan Goddess Bronze
5. Mirenesse Velvet lip plumper
6. Giorgio Armani fragrance Sport Code for your man

I was a bit skeptical at first since they are just about to launch their company. "What if this is a scam?", were some of the thoughts at the back of my head. And to clear that, I emailed them while on a bus to Townhall on a Sunday afternoon. Less than an hour later, to my surprise, I got a reply from Nicci Herra. Wait? A reply on a Sunday? That's cool man! She happily answered all my silly questions. And that sold me - a simple act of customer service.

I personally don't go to makeup or skincare counters in big department stores and ask if they can give me a sample. In my numerous previous attempt, often times I get a stare of disbelief - then asks if I have a voucher. Well I don't. The reason I ask for one is because I'm very much interested in the product but afraid to burn my pocket with a product that doesn't suit my skin.

My two cents:
Pros:
- delivered right at your doorstep anywhere in Australia
- price is right $14.95
- sample sizes are huge
- EXCELLENT customer service!

Cons:
- products may not be for you eg. like tanning lotions (an Asian like me would never use it)

Recommend for those:
- who live far from a city to get their hand on samples from the stores
- shy people who hates asking samples from dept store ladies for the fear of being pushed too hard in buying something they wanted to try first (I find that shops in Australia is not generous on samples compared to the US and Korea where they happily give it out to you)
- if you're the adventurous type who would love to discover the holiest of the holy grail

I'm impressed with the first box and have used all of them except of the tanning lotion. Try before buying the full size before finding out it's not what you want or not suitable for you.

Have you heard of Lust Have It? Would you be interested in paying for premium samples?

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The nail bug finally caught me: How to do newspaper print nails!

2011-09-11T21:41:00.000+10:00

Don't you love painting your nails, making them glittery, crackly and colourful? I love doing my nails on a weekly basis and my toes every two weeks. But here's the deal, my right hand does a wonderful job in painting my left hand nails but the left hand - pretty much stuffs up the other hand most of the time. Here's one nail design that's fool proof for those with feebly hands like me. Newspaper Print Nails! I thought it was so cool to recreate when I first learnt about this easy trick from Yaz Turker of Primped. So here's what you'll need:

1. Any type of alcohol (isoprophyl or the regular one). Here I used regular rubbing alcohol. You can even use vodka if you like. ^^

Regular rubbing alcohol

2. Nail polish remover

Bobbie Nail polish remover

3. Newspaper cut or torn into small pieces

Torn newspaper - small pieces

4. Some Qtips or cotton buds

Qtips or cotton buds

5. Your favorite nail polish

Your favorite nail polish

So let's start. Make sure you apply your favorite base coat to your clean dry nails to protect your nails from turning yellow and to make your lacquers last longer. Then apply your polish as you'd normally do. Let it dry well. I can't decide that day which polish to use so I tried 5 different ones to see which one will stand out.

Apply 2 coats of nail polish after your base coat

After 5 to 10 mins, dip your finger in the alcohol for 2 seconds (I tried spritzing them with an atomiser and it worked out just as well).

Dip into the alcohol

After dipping your finger into the alcohol, wrap the newspaper clippings onto the nail. Press it firmly for 10 to 15 seconds.

Press firmly for 10 - 15 seconds

The ink from the newspaper will be transferred to your nails and fingers. At this point, you can now use the cotton buds and nail polish remover to clean the sides of your fingers or put a topcoat first to each nail then clean it afterwards. I chose to do the latter so I could hit 2 birds in 1 stone by removing the newspaper ink from the sides of my finger and the excess nail polish marks on the side of my nails.

Tada! Finish with top coat then clean the sides

Hihihi.. I decided to play with my toe nails too! ^^

Hahaha! My foot with newspaper print!^^

This easy trick was on Mx (free newspaper) the day that I had fun with my nails. How cool is that?

Mx Newspaper

Isn't this very fun and easy to do? C'mon, try it and tell me what you think.

Have a great week ahead! =))

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Get your freak on TAG!

2011-09-04T15:27:00.005+10:00

I know I probably shouldn't be doing this now but I still am - currently at work *butt hit*. This will be quick and fun. The lovely Jyz did a tag post and I decided to give it a go so we can get a chance to know more about each other. Shall we?

Questions:

#1. What's a nickname only your family calls you?

Yaking. There's a cute story to it. My lola (granny) wanted to call me Inday - my Dad's family
is originally from Cebu - but my mum refused for me to be called that name since she already
gave my lola the liberty to name my brother Dodong. And since I cry a lot when I was a baby,
they called me Yaking = Iyakin = Cry Baby. Trivia: My older brother and I are only 363 days
apart so there are 2 days in a year that we have the same age.

#2. What's a weird habit of yours?

I make sure all the lights and power plugs are off before I leave the house. I'm trying to
save a bit on electricity you know.

#3. Do you have any weird phobias?

Flying cockroaches! Yikes!

#4. What's a song you secretly love to blast and belt out when you're alone?

Ring Ding Dong by Shinee. I'm not Korean so I just sing the lyrics the way I hear it and the
dance move is 'daebak'.

#5. What's one of your biggest pet peeves?

When I hear someone saying, 'tsk tsk tsk'.

#6. What's one of your nervous habits?

I shake my legs or crack my fingers.

#7. What side of the bed do you sleep on?

It depends if I have my period but most of the time on the left.

#8. What was your first stuffed animal and it's name?

Oh this is a toughie. I seriously can't remember.

#9. What's the drink you always order at starbucks?

Mocha Frapuccino please.^^

#10. What's a beauty rule you preach, but never actually practice?

I always wash my face at night to remove makeup but there are times that you are so tired,
you literally just have to crash and sleep.

#11. Which way do you face in the shower?

I face the shower where the water is coming from??

#12. Do you have any 'weird' body 'skills'?

I can make my ears move! =D

#13. What's your favorite comfort food that's 'bad' but you love to eat it anyways?

Cadbury Caramello and Chips with gravy from Zac's chicken at Edgecliff.

#14. What phrase or exclamation do you say alot?

I say 'Ay kokoy kang bata ka!' when I drop things or get shocked. If you ask me what it
means, I honestly can't answer that - it's plain rubbish. Ask a Filo friend, I'm sure they'll
give you weird looks.

#15. Time to sleep, what are you actually wearing?

Pj's are the best!

I am tagging all of you, yes you! Please feel free to do this and don't forget to let me
know about it.

*excited to read yours soonies!*

My Top 5 Hand Creams

2011-08-31T12:47:00.000+10:00

I wash my hands frequently, so frequent that it has become dry. Hand creams are one of the prods I can't leave the house without. And out of a bunch of hand creams that I've tried, I'm sharing my top 5 of all time. Ready to see what topped my list?

In number 5: Rosken Skin Repair Dry Skin cream

Rosken Dry Skin Cream

Information from the tube:
Clinically proven to:
- Significantly increase moisture levels
- Double skin moisture levels in just 4 days
- Help skin retain its moisture from first application

It truly does what it claims. It is enriched with olive extract and dimethicone. However for those allergic or not a fan of silicones, this may not be suitable for you. As for me from the first use, I definitely noticed my hands are softer. It is not sticky, absorbed easily, and its suitable for use on body, hands and face.
Price: around $5

In number 4: Missha Moist 24 Hand Cream

Missha's Moist24 Manuka Honey Hand Cream

Product description from Missha's website:
"Containing Moist 24, an extract of Imperata Cylindrical Root, this hand cream provides long lasting moisturizing effects for 24 hours."

I'm not sure what 'Imperata Cylindrical Root' is but this is definitely a winner. I stumbled upon this product when I was trying out their nail polishes. But I didn't buy it at that time, it was too expensive for me. So when I had a date with mum in Seoul last April, I grabbed 4 of these. ^^ It was only around ₩4,900, roughly $4.50 aud. Like Rosken, it's easily absorbed, not sticky, doesn't leave an oil film, and the scent is really lovely.
Price: $10.90 from Missha Shops

In number 3: Neutrogena Norweigan Formula Hand Cream

photo credit: www.neutrogena.com

Product Description:

"Neutrogena® Hand Cream delivers effective relief for dry, chapped hands. This clinically proven, highly concentrated formula rapidly heals dry hands. It noticeably improves the look and feel of your skin."

There was a time when my hands were really dry and patchy then a good friend of mine recommended that I get this. Upon my first use, I instantly fell in love with it. Just like my top 4 and 5, easily absorbed and it's not greasy. It healed chapped hands and left a feeling of a thin film on top of it. Absolutely a winner!

Price: around $7 from Priceline

In number 2: Crabtree and Evelyn

Crabtree & Evelyn Gardeners Hand Therapy

Oh gosh! This is what I'm currently using and I'm totally in love with it! It has shea butter rich formula that restores the softness of my hands. And the smell, i like it. I don't know how to explain the smell but I really like it though some of my friends don't. Maybe by now you know the criteria of what I like in hand creams: absorbed easily, not greasy, and gives a long lasting softness.

Price : $18.95 for 50g

And the best of the best, 1st place: Ahava Mineral Hand Cream

photo credit: www.fragrancesandcosmetics.com.au

This extremely rich hand cream ticks all my criteria and much more. It soothes dry skin, gives that satiny softness and doesn't leave any greasy feeling. It is approved for sensitive skin, hypoallergenic, and it's paraben free. It is worth every single penny.

Price: $21 (at the time of purchase)

You might notice that none of them has SPF in it. That's because I prefer to put a separate non-greasy sunblock underneath the hand cream. I've tried a couple with SPF but I just find them too greasy. It's like I slathered olive oil on my hands. No likey.

I hope you enjoyed what you've read, and if you did, please subscribe to my feeds.

Have a lovely day!

Stay tuned for more posts about my trip and recent hauls! Stay happy!
*Every products mentioned above were all purchased by my own money.

Will you use an eyeshadow as a blush?

2011-08-22T23:05:00.003+10:00

Illamasqua currently has a massive online sale for as low as 5 pennies that nearly made me go wack. They're known for highly pigmented make up that's gorgeous and insanely high quality. Instantly, my shopping cart was quickly filled with goodies until my "budget conscience" hit me on the head. Upon realising I couldn't afford those gazillion items in my cart, I slowly and painstakingly removed some items that I wouldn't likely use on my normal self. Here's what made the cut:

1. Powder Eye Shadow in Lick £5 , Hot coral pink - matt finish
2. Powder Eye Shadow in Trollop £5 , Warm peach - matt finish
3. Cream Eye Shadow in Exalt £5 , Warm apricot - satin finish

As you noticed, all these are warm colored shadows as I intend to use them as blush. Aha! A blush. Genius. Will you please raise your hand if any of you have finished a blush? Nope. Not me. Lipstick, yes. But blush, I haven't. Now you see, they are perfectly sized for dipping your blush brush. Will it work? Why not. If we can use lipsticks as blush, why can't shadows be used on cheeks given they're matte or dewy? Oh well. I'll let you know if I succeeded in blending it nicely on my cheeks.

Have you tried it yourself? Let me know if you have.

Have a gorgeous day!

*I'll show you the other 2 items I got along with these 3. ^^

Good Food Quest: Chat Thai!

2011-02-08T00:08:00.002+11:00

Ever since I started taking up Hotel Management, it gave birth to this desire of discovering great restos where we can have fabulous food and great time as well. So on most Thursdays, you will see me in the city lining up outside a restaurant waiting to be seated. Last week, I went back to Chat Thai -- it's definitely one of those restos that lived up to its hype.

History of Chat Thai found in their website:

The first Chat Thai restaurant, founded by Amy Chanta, opened its doors in 1989 on Liverpool St, Darlinghurst and was immediately a roaring success. Since then four more Chat Thai restaurants and takeaways have opened throughout Sydney. The name “Chat Thai” simply means “Thai Nation”. But the English meaning “to converse in a familliar and informal manner” is also what Chat Thai is all about casual and relaxed dining with authentic Thai food made to be shared with friends and family.
Over the years our principle aims haven’t changed much - to serve great, fresh and authentic food in an elegant, yet simple environment, and to also provide a helpful friendly service and, most importantly, value for money.

Drinks and Desserts Menu

Wait, there's more.. click to continue...

Unspoilt Paradise - Boracay!

2011-02-03T23:51:00.003+11:00

"Unspoilt white beach: clean, baby-powder-soft sand, a long shallow ledge on which you can wade way, way out without working a muscle." Words untouched and straight from GRAZIA Magazine's very own Tracey Withers! You may or may not have heard of this place, but I can never really blame you. For the longest time, Bali and Phuket are the top tropical destinations listed on every vacationer's itinerary. It seemed for an eternity, everybody wanted to be there and get a piece of that talked-about tropical action. Well, the winds of tourism change may finally be starting to blow towards the direction of this tiny haven in my beloved Philippines. Let me introduce, as what Ms. Withers called it, our unspoilt Boracay.

Grazia's front cover 31 January 2011

Wait, there's more.. click to continue...

Review: Laneige White Plus Renew care for white and crystal clear skin

2011-01-31T11:20:00.002+11:00

In a bid to have a clearer and fairer skin before heading back home for a vacay, I got this sometime in November last year. However, I didn't use it until the first week of January since I was on a strict "finish what you've started" policy so products won't go into waste.

Beautiful Special Gift Set 2

Laneige White Plus Renew set plus essence nd

The Skin refiner and Emulsion bottles are made of sturdy thick glass. It feels sophisticated in design when you hold it.

Usage Step of Laneige White Plus Renew Line

Wait, there's more.. click to continue...

Beautiful Exchange

2011-01-25T20:21:00.001+11:00

The Amnesty comes to Australia.

Illamasqua Australia is calling a new year amnesty on make-up.

An amnesty that says...

No more average.

No more dull.

No more ordinary.

Illamasqua is giving 25% off on their entire range and all you have to do is bring your old, unwanted, or empty makeup container to any Illamasqua Myer counter. Such a beautiful exchange don't you think?

Revlon PhotoReady

I have been trying to finish my Revlon PhotoReady powder for ages and decided to give this up. Curious on what I had exchanged?

Illamasqua's Cream Foundation

Tadaaah! Illamasqua's Cream Foundation CF240 was my choice. The lovely makeup artist did a colour match on me since my forehead is slightly darker than the rest of my face and gave me 2 options -CF233 or CF240. I believe the latter is close to NC40 (my summer colour). It's very pigmented. A little swipe on the pan and it gives you enough colour. Here's the product description:

Create a base that brings out the bold in you. Illamasqua Cream Foundation provides medium-full coverage and works with your skin to cover and enhance. It blends easily, allowing you to vary coverage as much or as little as you need, effortlessly balancing uneven skin tone and giving you the control to create a flawless finish. Comes in a mirror compact for touch-ups on the go.

Their Cream Foundation retails for $55 which I find expensive. But with the 25% discount applied, I guess it's worth it since you'd only need a little everyday and should last me around 4 months.

Now you have to hurry as it ends on January 30! Thanks to the lovely Beautyholics Anonymous for the tip!

Thank you for reading. Stay happy! :)

My 2nd Gmarket Haul = LOVE!

2011-01-21T21:17:00.001+11:00

Hooray for GMarket!

Addicted might be an understatement, but shopping at Gmarket has been pretty much fun. If you have read my first haul, you'd be aware that while I was writing that, my second order had just arrived! As always, I was pretty ecstatic jumping up and down! The postman asked me what it was and I answered him with a full smirk. He said "Oh no! Not for your face again my dear." Errr.. well not everything. It's just that girls can't have enough of these little babies.

Huge box from EMS Korea

Looks can be very deceiving. I can carry this humongous box with one finger. Ok maybe two..

Multiple small boxes inside the huge box

Boxes from different sellers sent to Gmarket warehouse for international shipping. I wonder if they have used a smaller box, would the shipping cost be lower?

Morning glory refill

Aren't these adorable? It's only 500W each and fits perfectly in my stunning red multi planner. Now I can change the pages of my planner according to my mood!
Seller: mnf24
Delivery: 2,300W is charged if the total amount is less than 50,000W.
Bonus: 5 miles each

Etude House square cotton pads

I have no idea why I got these but boy did I give in because of the cute packaging and its price. Indeed I was surprised when I opened one and realised it was of good quality. I'm a happy buyer! :)
Seller: Koseuji
Price: 4,900W for 6 boxes of 100s
Delivery: Free for any amount

Cute bag organiser

Now this is a winner! It may be smaller than what I expected it to be but I got this for only 1,600w ($1.41US) plus 2,500w delivery! I don't know how they managed to do it and still earn from it. With the quality this good, I'd definitely grab all the other colours.
Seller: Instead
Delivery: 2,500w
Current Price: 1,300w

Hera Mineral Powder refill #1 Beige skin

Basing on pictures and my ever-reliable assistant, google translate, I got to choose which items I want. It also helps if you know how to read a bit of Hangul, which I do. However, on my first Gmarket order, I made a mistake. I chose the precious powder instead of the mineral powder. Still, I am happy with both. This one is a refill that has shimmer to it. :) Very different from the matt precious powder. I am bit disappointed that the seller didn't throw in any samples at all. Perhaps I was expecting a bit too much?
Seller: Beauty Love
Delivery: Free
Price: 20,700w
Bonus: 1 Gstamp

Cosline Flower Cheek Blush Shimmer Coral #5 7,100 free del

Since I cannot fully understand Korean, I trusted my bestfriend google translate again. It didn't say that I'll be getting a free lipgloss but the picture imposes lippie + blush. Haven't tried the blush but what caught my attention was the soft brush included.
Seller: Deocheonsa
Delivery: Free
Price: 7,100w
Bonus: 71 miles

Danahan Essence samples

Eager to try out samples before buying the full size expensive bottle? You must visit this store! The seller offers a wide range of items from skincare to makeup. What made my day was the free mask they included. :)
Seller: Small to ATS atsmall
Delivery: free
Price: 4,900w
Current Price: 5,900w
Offers: 30 miles, Free gift, 1 Gstamp, 1% discount if buying at least 5 items

Laneige Multicleanser

I've had this on my wish list for months. I was honestly happy with The Face Shop cleansing foam in peach but I just knew deep down inside that I have to try this one. You can say that I am a fan of cleansing foam that removes makeup. It just saves me time from all the oil and makeup remover. What kept me from buying was the hefty shipping cost until I found this on Gmarket. It took me hours to find the seller who sells it the cheapest. I also had a 3,000w discount coupon to use on makeup or skincare items worth more than 30,000w. Fox Weapons threw in a face mask, which I really appreciated.
Seller: Fox Weapons
Delivery: Free
Price: 17,900w each
Offers: Stamp, Free gift

Speedy speedy delivery as always! Arrived within 6 days from the date of purchase.

Stay Happy and till my next haul! :)

Come to Clinique's Mascara Swap and discover the difference

2011-01-16T23:05:00.000+11:00

Clinique's Mascara Swap

I was browsing my Sunday Telegraph magazine when I stumbled to this and I said "What??? Trade in your mascara for free?". That's how I felt having just bought a couple of mascaras that didn't meet my expectations. Too bad it's only one per client but hey I'm allowed to go to Myer and David Jones in a day right? So then I can swap 2. =)) (just being cheeky.. kekeke)

The picture seems too small so here's what it contains:

"Trade in your current mascara [any brand] for your choice of deluxe mascara - FREE!

Visit Myer Sydney, Myer Melbourne, David Jones Elizabeth Street and David Jones Bourke Street from Monday 17th January - Saturday 22nd January, 2011, and receive your choice of mascara sample free with consultation.

*One to a Client while stocks last.

Clinique has a perfect look for every lash.

Longer, lusher, curlier, glossier -- every lash effect in formulas that are allergy tested, 100% fragrance free and opthalmologist tested too.

Top 3 Mascaras from Clinique

Choose from our top three. Free.

High Lengths Mascara -- Stretches lashes to new lengths for eye-opening effects.

High Impact Curling Mascara -- Dramatic, 24-hour curl, warm water removal.

High Impact Mascara -- Lusher, plusher, bolder lashes for the most dramatic look."

Has anyone of you tried one of these? My HG is the second one. It keeps my curl and really stays on till night. You won't be needing an eye makeup remover if you use this, just warm water with a bit of your normal cleanser and it's gone. Gone in clumps unlike the other that smudges all over your eyes. Highly recommend if you live in a hot area and has medium length eyelashes (what's medium length anyway?).

Start checking what's in your kit that you're not much of a fan, instead of throwing them away why not head out and have it swapped -- for Free!

So I'll see you all there!

Stay Happy! :)

Favourite products for the month of January!

2011-01-11T00:54:00.000+11:00

Happy 2011, the start of the new decade! Yay! I'm planning to start fresh by watching what I eat and exercising more. Seems a bit cliche but it's true and I hope it lasts. Do you have a New Year's resolution of your own?

I've used tons of products over these past few months and these babies earned 5 stars from me! =)

Shiseido Crystallizing Aquafix

"Product description: Shiseido Crystallizing Aquafix is a smoothing and retexturizing system. Shiseido Crystallizing Aquafix 's water-based gel formulation enables hair to straighten out with silky smooth and finish with a long lasting 'moist slippery look'.

After having my hair straightened early last month using Shiseido Crystallizing Straight for the 3rd time in 2 years, my hair became too dry. I started buying hair care products, serums, balms, softening hair masks, etc. but most of them didn't satisfy what I really wanted for my hair so I ended up searching for blogs regarding hair care for straightened hair. Alas! I felt like I've found what I've been looking for. It really lived up to its promise making my hair silky smooth and easy to manage without making my hair greasy at all. I got this item from this shop."

Toni & Guy Straight & Protect Shampoo and Conditioner

I tried looking everywhere (online shops and salons) for the Shiseido Crystallizing shampoo and conditioner but can't find it. In my desperation to find an alternative, I saw these two on sale at Priceline and told myself to give it a try. The shampoo cleansed my hair without drying it too much. The conditioner makes it soft and didn't weigh my hair down like other conditioners do. The pack includes a heat protection spray that smells great too!

The Face Shop Herb Day 365 Cleansing Foam in Peach 170ml

"Product Description: The Face Shop Peach Cleansing Foam can develop into rich fine lather with a sweet peachy scent. 100% natural botanical extract, it penetrate deep into pores to remove all make up, dirt and impurities, using circular motion massage to enhance blood circulation.

Enriched with peach extract and 8 different herbal nourishing extract, keeping your skin nourished, feeling relief, soft and supple."

Another product I absolutely adore as you can see, it's finished! I have a combination skin and this doesn't make me flake. It effectively removes makeup, cheap, and doesn't break me out. Need I say more? Got it from here.

Hera HD Foundation SPF15 in #23 True beige

L: Swatch on my hand
R: When blended

I'm a MAC 30-35 and #23 is almost perfect for my skin tone. It's a bit lighter for my liking and so I finish it with powder that's a tone darker than my skin. It feels very light on my face feeling like I've got nothing on but don't be fooled by it cause for me it has a medium coverage. It has a nice flowery scent that lingers for a few minutes so to those who are allergic to fragrance, get a sample first before buying the full size. Got this from momo at Gmarket.

Paul and Joe Pressed powder duo in medium

The pan is showing itself from being used almost everyday. The left moon shape is the shimmer and the bigger part is the fine milled powder. I just got this out of curiosity since it was on sale at Asos and at that time, they are offering free shipping all the way to Australia. I must say I am impressed! Not too shimmery and not too matte at all. It gives you that healthy glow look without the greasy and heavy feel.

So what's your favourite for the month?

Stay happy and well! =D

SHINee, Son Ho Young & Shin Seung Hun to perform at “Korea-Australia Friendship Concert”

2010-12-28T23:41:00.000+11:00

Are you hearing "Noona neomu yeppeo"? I almost had a heart attack upon hearing this news from my lovely Unni who is in the US. Shinee will be here in Sydney? My prayers have been answered at last!

2011 will mark the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Australia and the Republic of Korea.

To mark this event, the Australian and Korean governments have agreed to designate 2011 as the ‘Australia-Korea Year of Friendship’, and they’ve got a series of events lined up! But the most exciting event by far is the “Korea-Australia Friendship Concert“, taking place on January 12th at Sydney Town Hall.

With doors opening at 7PM, K-pop fans will get to see Shin Seung Hun, Son Ho Young, and SHINee deliver exciting performances in commemoration of the event. Check back with allkpop for further updates on the news!

Source: The M-Wave
Tip: blueonix88

credits: allkpop.com --> http://www.allkpop.com/2010/12/shinee-son-ho-young-shin-seung-hun-to-perform-at-korea-australia-friendship-concert

Anyone interested to come? Let me know! Let's join the crowd! I'm super ecstatic about this!

Stay happy everyone! Smile!

My first Gmarket order! warning: image heavy

2010-12-20T13:35:00.001+11:00

Half asleep in the morning while making my usual coffee, I heard someone banging on my door. And Yes! Here comes my beloved Mr. Postman! I was so happy and excited I cannot stop jumping right in front of him. Why? cause I wasn't expecting my order to arrive that fast. As soon as he left, I started taking pictures so I could share it with you. Let me now show you my haul!

See how big the box is!

there's another box inside and a bubble wrap

Etude House Oh m'Eye Lash 4,000 ₩

Dr. Mascara Fixer. 6,000 ₩

Proof 10 Auto Pencil in Black 6,000 ₩

Their proof 10 line means it's waterproof.

Proof 10 Eye Primer 5,500 ₩

Some people considers this as a good UDPP dupe.

The seller was so nice to throw in really cute post its and pads.

Everything from Etude House

Next are my items from Hera by Amore Pacific makers of Laneige , Etude House, Innisfree, Sulwhasoo, Mamonde, etc.

From L-R: Hera Precious Powder 33,600 ₩
Hera HD Foundation #23 35,600 ₩
Makeup tissue remover freebie

Top Part of the powder

This is how it looks when you open it.

Hera Precious powder includes a small powder pact perfect for those always on the go.

Has a neat sifter inside .

Remember her from IRIS, Love story in Harvard and Stairway to Heaven?
Kim Tae-hee is the current beauty ambassador of HERA. She's uber gorgeous!

I bought my Etude house items from this shop: http://english.gmarket.co.kr/challenge/neo_seller_collection/seller_collection_main.asp?cust_no=DE1NR38zMDMxMMx3MTUwNDI2MDZ/Rw==&l_top_gd_no=171195682

And my Amore Pacific Hera items from this shop:
http://english.gmarket.co.kr/challenge/neo_seller_collection/seller_collection_main.asp?cust_no=TExOR38TNzYxNg11NDYxOTgwNzl/Rw==&l_top_gd_no=183227176

Date of order from different sellers: 11th of November 2010 Thursday night
Arrival in Sydney: 18th of November 2010 at 9ish Thursday morning.

Imagine buying items from different sellers, wherein they have to post them to the Gmarket warehouse then combine all my items so I receive it in 1 box. That's some serious business, extremely efficient and quick. Combined shipping for all the items were 31,800₩ however they refunded 9,000₩ to my GCash balance after checking the real weight. How I wish they could put it back to my Paypal account. (I hope Gmarket reads this.) But that won't stop me from buying in Gmarket. Teehee.. ^^

Talk to you soonies!

PS.
I have received my 2nd Gmarket today and I am so happy. I will show you my haul next time. =)

Disclaimer: Every items you see here were my personal purchases and in no way represent any company.

Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas

2010-12-18T20:10:00.000+11:00

Dashing through the snow, On a one-horse open sleigh. Through the fields we go, Laughing all the way. Oh well! Who doesn't love Christmas? It's my favourite season of the year! I heard that song from one of the shops the other day and made me realise, it's not applicable in Australia. While everyone is enjoying their skis in snow, here we are being barbecued in the sun. Nevertheless, I'm embracing my 3rd Summery Christmas in Sydney with a huge smile on my face. This year had been a blast! Lotsa lotsa blessings!

What are you guys doing on Christmas eve/day? My schedule on the 24th: Work in the morning then rush to the market and buy stuff for dinner. 25th: We don't have a Christmas tree in our place so no morning opening of gifts. Rush to work at 8am then off to church at 6pm. Surely I'm gonna miss my mum's version of Jolly spaghetti, and adobo, and barbecue, and buco salad, and fried chicken, and the list goes on. How I wish my brother and I can spend Christmas with them. Awwww.. But I feel grateful and blessed to be here and do what I like. Same with my brother I'm sure.

Enjoy your Christmas guys! Let me know how it goes.

lotsaluv. xxx
LemonTart

Sailing through the vast ocean

2010-11-22T13:57:00.001+11:00

Hi Everyone!

So this is how it feels to write your own blog for the first time. Yeah! You've heard it right.. first time. I've been planning to write for the longest time but I've never had the courage to dip my toes into it. But yeah! I'm sooo excited to share things that I know.

Here in my blog you'll read bits and pieces of my life. Before, I was planning to do a beauty blog but I don't wanna be limited since I love food as well so I thought why not share what I know about everything and anything. Here you'll read my daily happenings, my joy of baking, beauty hauls, skincare, makeup tips, my family, where I'm currently at, what I've been up to, gardening, new restaurants that I've tried etc.. stuff like that. Well, that's my plan.

Hope you stay tuned for more and please do leave a comment below and let me know what you think.

Enjoy reading! ^^

Much luv,
Lemon Tart

Lemon Tart Tree

I'll be back shortly

2011 K-POP Music Festival in Sydney

Sale Alert: Laser Clinic Australia is having a laser sale!

Weekend Blog Hop

Santa visited me twice: ABBW Part 1 - IMATS haul

Primped look book 2011 and the goodie bag

Think premium samples: Lust have it! is finally here

The nail bug finally caught me: How to do newspaper print nails!

Get your freak on TAG!

My Top 5 Hand Creams

Will you use an eyeshadow as a blush?

Good Food Quest: Chat Thai!

Unspoilt Paradise - Boracay!

Review: Laneige White Plus Renew care for white and crystal clear skin

Beautiful Exchange

My 2nd Gmarket Haul = LOVE!

Come to Clinique's Mascara Swap and discover the difference

Favourite products for the month of January!

SHINee, Son Ho Young & Shin Seung Hun to perform at “Korea-Australia Friendship Concert”

My first Gmarket order! *warning: image heavy*

Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas

Sailing through the vast ocean

My first Gmarket order! warning: image heavy