Having a structured blog is a good thing. I know exactly what goes up when, and if you pay enough attention, so do you. But occasionally, I like to throw that structure out the window. This is a kind of personal-ish blog after all, and sometimes, I just like to collate the things I’m enjoying, or liking right now.
It helps that I’m not really in much of a swatching mood, so all the new makeup stuff have to wait a little. Swatching makeup is quite challenging, if anyone has tried it. Wearing it and then trying to get a decent photo is worse. So, I’ve forsaken all that for a while, and instead, I’m going to share some stuff that I’m liking right now with you, and if you deign to, how about sharing yours with me too! 😀
Cheap and Cheerful Makeup
Goodness knows, I love my luxury makeup. People actually have told me “Why don’t you feature affordable makeup? Not everyone can afford the high end stuff!” and that’s true… except I don’t really go for budget makeup much. I’m kind of past that.
But recently, my interest in cheap and cheerful makeup was rekindled by the Catrice Velvet Matt eyeshadows that I raved over. So I popped by again to take another look at makeup in the pharmacy (drugstores to those who speak American) and strolled off with a couple more items.
Did you know that nothing in this picture is over RM20 (US$5) ? HAAH! Bet you don’t believe me, but it’s true! The Jean-Paul Gaultier for Target pouch was a gift from a friend so it doesn’t count LOL! But it’s a cheap and cheerful item since it wasn’t directly from the JPG boutique 😉
The Catrice Velvet Matt eyeshadows, you have already seen and they are RM21.90 each but are STILL on Buy 1 Free 1 so better grab yourself some before they disappear! A reader from Germany has confirmed that they’re discontinued, so hurry. I picked up the Catrice Illuminating Blush in Coral Me Maybe because it looked so pretty, and it was on 10% off LOL! I think it was just a little over RM18, and I needed to break a RM50 LOL! 😀
Part of the reason I picked it up, was because I was just leaving the Sulwhasoo makeup event, where I was lusting after the new Sulwhasoo Radiance Blusher in Coral Harmony, but as it retailed at RM210 and I’m on a strict budget (I have a couple of lust-list items I’m saving up for), I paused by the Catrice display, where I saw this pretty little thing at just a fraction of the price of Sulwhasoo. I’ll let you know how it fares, but if you know, let ME know instead yeah? 😀
Oh and for good measure, I picked up 2 Silkygirl items – Perfect Sharp Eyeliner which is a felt tip pen eyeliner that swatched nice and black on the back of my hand, and the Matte Junkie liquid lipstick in 02 Glamour. You’ll see a swatch below. Silkygirl is a local brand that’s very affordable and trendy. Quality-wise, they’re a little hit or miss and I hadn’t looked at them for a long time.
I wanted to see what this matte lip liquid lipstick trend was about but I didn’t want to shell out money for hard to get stuff like Kylie Cosmetics (for the record, I’m not going to enrich THEIR coffers) or Colourpop and I wasn’t going to pay for Too Faced either. So, when I spotted Silkygirl’s Matte Junkie at below RM20 I hopped to it! If anyone’s interested, I’ll let you know what I think but if people are going “Silkygirl? Really, PB?!” then well, I won’t bother LOL 😀
La Mer The Mist
So, if you’re giving me a LOOK after the above post, and would rather I just focus on luxury stuff, then know that I’m really enjoying the La Mer The Mist, which is a facial mist and very expensive for that matter (although I cannot remember the price – let’s say RM200 and up?)
The spray leaves my skin a little more moist than normal, as the spray isn’t very fine. However, after about a week using this (I was trying to use it up) I noticed that my skin felt a little more hydrated than normal after I mist. So, when I layer my other hydrating serums and stuff on top, it feels better. When I switched to another spray, I noticed the difference. While this is a very very expensive face mist, it does seem to do a wee bit more than a regular bottle of water, so if budget permits, take a look. If it doesn’t, then just ogle for a bit yeah? 😉
Monthly lunches with good girl-friends
The thing about having and keeping friends is that it takes work. Like any relationships that matter, you have to work at it, not just assume that everything will be fine. And while we’re all connected online in many ways, we need that human touch to reconnect. So that’s what my girl-friends and I have been doing this year.
We’ve made arrangements to catch up with each other at least once a month. We may meet up in between, but we try at least, to keep to that monthly schedule. Naturally, it takes place over a meal, and for most of us, it gives us a couple of hours away from family and other distractions, to sit around, catch up, reconnect and learn something new. I don’t know about the other girls, but I have a great time every time and while numbers are fluid, depending on the various responsibilities and availability of everyone, it’s nice to know that we all make the effort nonetheless.
Growing herbs and vegetables from kitchen scraps
This one’s been a bit of a work in progress for me. I love cooking and experimenting in the kitchen as some of you may know. One of the things that bug me sometimes when I cook, is not having certain fresh herbs on hand. While I use basil and spring onions in my cooking, they rarely feature as the main part of my dish, and it’s expensive to buy a bunch, only to use a few leaves each time. They don’t last well either!
One day, I came across a site online that talked about growing herbs and even vegetables from kitchen scraps. So, I decided to try. I stuck a couple of basil stems in water but only one has rooted so far, and growing well *touchwood*. Spring onion grows impressively fast. In just a little under a week, I can usually harvest some to sprinkle on my dishes!
The little vegetables at the back are nai pak or baby bok choy, a vegetable I enjoy eating and one that lasts well in the fridge. I read you can grow bok choy from the base, so I thought I’d try with these. It might interest you to know that the bright green leaves are new sprouts! So, I’m waiting for the roots to appear and then I’ll probably transplant them into soil, and hopefully will be able to harvest some homegrown veges not very long from now 😀
I’m not sure what else I’ll attempt to regrow. I’m most interested in keeping the basil and spring onion (scallions) alive and thriving for now. Perhaps I’ll get some other herbs like parsley or coriander as well. These are stuff you occasionally need, but rarely need large quantities of, and it just makes sense to grow them yourself as it still costs money to buy them each time you need them.
Aren’t veges generally cheap? You may wonder. Well, yes, relatively speaking. But if I can get them for next to nothing, from kitchen scraps, I don’t see why I shouldn’t! 😀 I’m trying very hard to grow an edible garden which isn’t easy because I am very bad at keeping plants alive, and living in a condominium makes it harder too. But I’ll give it a shot. Thoroughly enjoying checking on these new plants so far! 😀
So, these are some of the stuff I’ve been liking so far. I won’t say that it’s for April or May or even 2016 in general, but it’s just stuff I’ve enjoyed, and wanted to share with you. If you have tips for growing veges indoors, or in high-rise buildings, please do share! 😀
#IWillBeOkay Fight Against Depression campaign
I rarely post spontaneously enough to talk about campaigns, but I wanted to share one that a fellow blogger friend is running – the #IWillBeOkay Fight against Depression campaign.
The #IWillBeOkay initiative is by Fiona of Street Love, to raise awareness and educate the public on depression and metal illness. Clinical depression was something she suffered, which symptoms include anxiety attacks, suicidal thoughts, loss of sleep and appetite, and loss of interest in things a person enjoys doing.
The reason I agreed to support Fiona in this campaign she’s running, is because I noticed these symptoms in a close friend some time last year, and I tried very hard to find them some help. But it’s not something I could find a lot of information on locally. Mental illness is a taboo subject, and depression is something people mention in jest, without recognising that it is an illness. But with perseverance and a lot of hard work online, I found an avenue to help my friend, forcing them to seek treatment – I quite literally dragged them to talk to someone. It’s been a while, and I’d like to think that I got there in time to pull them back from the edge of the abyss, and that we’re walking away from the danger zone.
To show your support to Fiona in this #IWillBeOkay campaign, you can purchase T-shirts from this website which are available in limited quantities and only available from 15-29 May 2016. They retail at RM39.90, come in 2 designs, one white that you see above, and one black. Sizes run a little small (I wear L in the Ladies T design and I’m usually a UK8-10) and shipping is offered within Malaysia as well as internationally.
Fiona has pledged 100% of the proceeds to AWAM (All Women’s Action Society Malaysia), an NGO committed to improving the lives of women in Malaysia, ending gender-based violence and upholding equality and rights for all. If you’d like to show a little support, or feel strongly about awareness for depression and mental illness, pick up a tee – it costs less than a lipstick!
What are some stuff you’ve been liking or enjoying lately?
Do share them with me because you know me, I’m nosy! 😀 If you’ve ever had any success at a high rise edible garden, do share your tips with me too. I’m trying VERY hard! 😀
Paris B
First of all, “Matte lipstick? Really, PB?!!” Hehe. I haven’t tried Silky Girl for years, I don’t even know it’s a local brand. And is it a rebrand from Wet ‘n Wild, I wonder. But the products at a quick glance look youthful and cheerful 😀 You’re right about the brand being a hit-or-miss. Sometimes you can get good ones and I think if you want to try new shades that you’ve never tried, these pharmacy available brands are first step before get the expensive brand, just to get general idea lol
I still can’t find Catrice at my hometown Guardian or Watson, maybe the brand is only available in W.Malaysia? The blusher looks pretty, how I wish it’s available here though why do I need another blusher when I already have dozens barely used lol
The mist sounds good, helping to hydrate the skin better over time. I always thought mist products are for emergency hyration when you already have makeup and you don’t want to splash water on your face lol
Awesome effort for your condo-garden 😀 I like the idea of growing our fruits, herbs and vegetable, all those things you can enjoy fresh and cheaper hehe. My mom grew her own lemongrass (serai) and other things she uses in cooking as she only needs little instead of whole bunch if you buy at market. We also have some fruit trees like mangoes, papaya and watermelon. If you have land to grow something, better use it, right? One of benefits living in a kampung area (a modern one, though, 10 minutes away from town and airport lol).
Unfortunately, because we grow things at open air and using ground instead of potted, we will get disgusting, scary bugs and worms – ewwwwww!
I like that campaign #iwillbeokay. In fact, I understand the clinical depression because I’m diagnosed with it since last year – who knows how long I actually had it?!! However, it’s still a taboo issue to discuss openly and even within family, you will be straight away accused as losing your mind, losing your religious faith, embrassment to the family or your problem will be brush aside as seeking more attention and stiring a non-existant, not important issue. Again, I know this because I failed to get support from my own parents, which is heartbreaking sad.
HAHAHA yes, matte LIQUID lipstick no less! I was kind of curious, with all the hype over liquid lipstick going around, so I thought I’d see what the fuss is about. Can’t go wrong with a RM20 experiment 😉 It’s not a rebrand from Wet n Wild, although it used to be known as Wet n Wild many years back. I think it’s a little complicated, but Silkygirl is Malaysian, and definitely targeted at the young. Some stuff are decent, that I’ve tried over the years. Some aren’t. As for Catrice, you can actually buy it from the Guardian website! They now have an online store, and Catrice is available, including the Buy 1 Free 1 discounts so can try there – not too expensive for a quick treat 😉
I want to grow serai and pandan next. I killed a pandan plant (if you can believe that!) but I am trying to do better this time. While we can easily buy these things, it still needs money right? and often we don’t need very much, so it only makes sense to grow the herbs we need. If I had a garden, I’m not sure I’d be as hardworking (creepy crawlies!) but when you only have 1 pot to jaga, it’s easier LOL! 😀
And I’m glad you pulled through your depression. There’s a stigma locally isn’t there? We don’t talk about our weaknesses, when sometimes, that’s what will help us pull through. When I tried to help my friend, I found it so hard to find a psychiatrist locally. In the city, it’s easier, but I can imagine that out of KL, it might be even harder. So sorry to hear your family wasn’t as supportive as they should be, but I think it’s the Asian family thing. Hope you’re doing better now, Fathin!
Awww Paris. Thank you so much for the shout out on #IWillBeOkay campaign. Initially I just want to hand you a shirt. I really do appreciate this. Love the shirt on you 🙂 . I’m like ketupat in size S lol! My videographer are planning a few series of videos so more to come :). AWAM is planning for a radio interview *gulp*
I found out about the Silkygirl Matte Junkie liquid lipstick a few weeks ago from Instagram. However I can’t find it anywhere. So I gave up. I’m gonna hunt for it again. There’s a shade I want hehe. Catrice has been doing well on me, except for the powdery texture and fallout but I’m not too bothered with it. Sometimes their products will be discounted at 30%. I saw the same blush last year in Singapore. Did not buy due to the exchange rate. Quite happy that Catrice Malaysia brought this in. It is still sitting in a box lol. I only have two cheeks 😛 . I agree with you on Sulwhasoo blush. RM210 🙁 . Was hoping that it is in the goodie bag the other bag lol.
Not a problem at all, Fiona and I hope your campaign is a successful one! It’s not often that we hear of this taboo subject being brought up, so thank you for doing it! I actually stumbled on the Matte Junkie lipstick in Guardian at Pavilion. Went in to break my RM50 to pay the parking and saw it, so decided to give it a try. It’s so…. matte! LOL! Ya I remember you raving about Catrice, so I’m going to check their counters more often. So far, not too keen on trying a lot of the other things yet, but waiting to see what else is new or on offer before I “splurge” LOL! 😀 p/s I did hope for the blush too – ala… why not eh? 😛
Silkygirl has matte liquid lipsticks now? I’ve got to check them out! Haha
That brand has such fond memories for me as it was the first makeup brand I ventured into when I started out with makeup in my late teens.
I really like the texture and shades of their Go Matte lipsticks and Matte Fever lip colour (those chubby sticks)..should give them a swatch when you get the chance!:)
LOL You know it’s a trend when Silkygirl has it right? LOL! I think they’re rolling out, so check the counters. I remember when it first transitioned and I made fun of it because it’s such a silly name! But since they’ve managed to stay around for so long, I think they’re doing something right – hitting our wallets where we feel it most! 😀 I haven’t tried their other stuff in a while. Last I did was a pretty little blush, I think. But they sure have upped their game!
I like this post a lot 🙂 Thanks for highlighting Fiona’s effort on depression. I saw it on her IG feed and will go visit the page soon.
I have been into cooking lately and slowly going to baking. I have zero knowledge in cooking and know totally nothing about baking but having my son has changed all that. I get most of my recipes from the FB mother’s group that I am involved with and so far so good. Its nothing outstanding and the cooking is mainly for my son right now (nothing for both hubby and myself :-)) but I can make 3 different types of pasta sauce which I store in the fridge for 10-14 days, pretty good at making chicken stock/broth as a based for my son’s rice, make a decent chicken/pork cheese baked rice and made vegetable-egg-cheese muffins.
Next target is to improve on my blueberry-banana muffins and to make some healthy butter-cheese cookies for my son :-). Still long way to go and I want to cook and bake so much more but I don’t have much time during the weekend and I don’t want to overtire myself as my current job is pretty stressful.
Will be checking out that Catrice blush 🙂
Thanks Victoria 🙂 I’ve noticed that many new mothers quickly pick up cooking and baking because of their kids, and I think it’s a good thing! At least, when you cook or bake your own food, you know what goes in there. Before you know it, you’ll just expand on the repertoire to include you and your husband’s share, I’m sure haha! 😀 The only thing is, as you’ve pointed out, is that cooking and baking can take up time, especially the preparation part. I enjoy cooking, but sometimes, I wish I had someone just to prep everything, so all I have to do is pop it in the pot! 😀
Man, those roses are making their rounds. And hooray to more meets. Although I usually have to travel far and wide to meet you girls, I really do enjoy the few hours we have together and I’m so glad we have made it monthly. Also, those veggies look pretty good considering they are grown indoors.
Must take photos while they are still in bloom! LOL you know how hipster bloggers are 😉 I promise once you move in, we’ll head to where you are – sometimes, the time it takes for me to get to wherever we pick can take up to an hour too (what with traffic and all!) But I’m glad we all make that effort anyway. Next stop for plants, sungai buloh! 😉
it’s always nice to catch up with you girls, and always nice to be able to talk makeup and whatnots and not needing to justify it lol. i always look forward to seeing u all!
Likewise! It’s so important to have people that you can talk nonsense and sense to – not everyone gets it! 😉
I’ve been really liking the Sephora matte lip creams (love the shade marvellous mauve, it’s my MLBB shade) and lately, 3ce (a Korean brand) matte lip crayon! The latter is more like a satin finish that’s very pigmented and long-lasting. I used to be a makeup snob, especially when it comes to foundation, but I’ve come to realise over the years that certain items e.g. brow pencil n foundation- are comparable / even better in the drugstore than high-end, if you know where to look. Especially love the Korean brands! Haven’t looked really back ever since.
Mmm I haven’t actually tried any Sephora brand makeup! I think it’s time I did? haha! I had such a poor experience with 3ce the last time, i’ve sworn off the brand LOL! I’m generally not into most Korean makeup brands for some reason. I think it might be because they seem to appeal to a look and demographic that I don’t quite fit into. The higher end Korean brands do appeal more, but the budget brands tend to be very much of a miss for me. Still, I cannot deny that they’re very affordable by comparison, and I’m glad to know that they work well for you! 😀 While I still splurge on foundation, believing that the ones from the higher end brands are better (in my view) I do tend to agree that things like brow pencils or even lipsticks can be swapped out once you find the right one you like from a budget brand 😀
Your veges / herbs are looking good! I live in apartments that comes with balconies. Started to plant edible herbs too since last year. I have oregano, thai basil, rosemary, aloe Vera, spring onion, ginger. One humble tips I can offer is, water them diligently. I used to kill cactus (and still does), go figure! •.<
Thank you! Unfortunately, since the pic was taken, 2 of the attempted nai pak died LOL! I don’t think the others will survive either, but I’ve transplanted the basil and spring onion into soil and am hoping to keep them alive and healthy before I branch out into other edible vege and herbs. I have a balcony too but it gets a lot of sun so I’m a little worried about that. Am currently growing them in my yard area, which is a little more shaded. Do yours get a lot of sun and do you use small pots/planter boxes? I have been watering them but am afraid as to what constitutes too much watering haha! Oh and I have killed loads of plants, cacti included. I definitely do not have a green thumb!
Yes. My balcony do get a lot of sun, that’s why my aloe Vera have been doing super happy there. I used small pots and planter box. I observe that some plants (ginger and tomato)do need more water than others (aloe, rosemary). For spring onion, I usually water them either twice or once a day. I also try to give some shade for young/ smaller plants using other higher / stronger plants. And orientate them now and then when I wash the balcony. It’s lots of work, like taking care baby, but it’s an aunt’s joy/ pleasure!
Thanks for the tips! 😀 I run out to look at the plants every morning haha! So afraid I’d wake up to a dead plant one day!