Lifestyle Archives - Page 21 of 27

Save your pennies – NARS Cosmetics is coming to Kuala Lumpur!

August 31, 2013 Paris B 55 Comments

Alrighty, I briefly mentioned this earlier this week but let’s make this official. This is the biggest news to hit the local beauty scene since the opening of Sephora Malaysia, I’m sure many will agree. Never have I felt this level of electric excitement sparking through the beauty industry at the mere whisper of the brand name.

NARSssssss……

A famous makeup artist whom I met again at the pre-launch party, who I’d only ever seen with a very serious face prior to this, had the biggest grin on his face. It wasn’t just the drink talking either. It was the thrill of a makeup artist who knew that he could finally get his hands on all his favourite products right here in Kuala Lumpur, without having to make that trip down cross the causeway to our neighbour, Singapore or overseas. He was very pleased.

Yes makeup mavens, if you did not already know this, NARS Cosmetics is coming to town, with the first store slated to open at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur in November 2013.

Melvita celebrates 30 years (and I learn to cook a fancy French meal while learning of an organic sunscreen)

August 24, 2013 Paris B 17 Comments

Melvita might be a brand we have only been familiar with for the past 2 years, so it was quite surprising to learn that they actually celebrate their 30th Anniversary this year! The brand started in 1983 and is now a leading Ecocert certified organic skincare brand in France and I have seen growing interest in many parts of the world, even locally. I think the idea of certified organic skincare has captured the imagination of many. You will be seeing the illustration at most Melvita stores worldwide, featuring Belle and the Bee, the bee being the core of the brand, as the founder Bernard Chevilliat is a beekeeper!

To celebrate this, Melvita Malaysia invited some members of the press to an organic cooking lesson at Nathalie’s Gourmet Studio, a French restaurant that also offers cooking lessons. Mmm… cooking lessons! I had to make time for this one 🙂

It was also there that I found out that Melvita carries an organic sunscreen with SPF50! Ahhh!! That was the most exciting part of the day for me LOL! I’ll tell you a little more about it, and some of the bestsellers from the brand 😀

Travel Tales: Learning to cook Thai food at Baipai Thai Cooking School, Bangkok

August 18, 2013 Paris B 33 Comments

2 weeks ago, I was in Bangkok. No one realised it, probably but that’s how I like it! I was there for just a short trip and this trip, I wanted to do something different. I wanted to do something I’ve always wanted to do – go to a cooking school and learn some Thai dishes!

Many places offer these short cooking school sessions, where you can join for half a day or so, and learn to cook the local food so you take home more than just memories. You take home a taste of the country you visit. I love the idea and I’ve always wanted to do it so, I did.

Before I left, I looked around on the internet for recommended cooking schools in Bangkok and you’d be surprised to know that there are so many! Most of them take you on a buying/familiarization trip to the market as well, which is interesting if you are foreign to the exotic South-East Asian region. I eventually stumbled upon Baipai Thai Cooking School.

Reviews were very good, the website was professionally laid out and although it was more expensive than others I surveyed, they offered a hotel pick up and drop off, which I fully appreciated. So, I dropped them an email and it was sorted! Payment is made at the school itself after your class so that was easy!

I was notified of my pick up time at my hotel and at the appointed time, a large van with a friendly driver in uniform identifying the name of the Baipai cooking school was waiting for me. We drove around picking up more “school mates” from various hotels in the city before heading off to the school. In our party that day were visitors from Macau, Japan, Korea and Guadeloupe, the last of whom was a chef himself!

The Baipai Thai Cooking School is located just after Chatuchak and it is deep inside a housing area, so I appreciated that they offered a pick up service. I don’t know how I’d have gone there otherwise. Along the way, the van dropped off most of the people in the van at the Or Tor Kor Market for their market familiarization trip. I opted out of that because I live in this region and I’m quite familiar with most of the herbs and spices used. I just need to know what goes into the recipe 😀

Arriving at the school is a pleasure. It is a large spacious wooden bungalow with a large garden and is so serene and tranquil that you are immediately put at rest. A lovely cold and delicious cup of lemongrass tea is served, you are handed your apron and recipe cards and off we went for a trip to the herb garden.

Travel Tales: Ceský Krumlov – The Most Picturesque Town in Bohemia

July 14, 2013 Paris B 27 Comments

Armchair travelogue again this week as I take you to the most picturesque and prettiest little town that I’d ever seen in Bohemia during my visit there … oh months ago now! The town is Ceský Krumlov, a UNESCO Heritage town located just over 3 hours bus ride from Prague city. I wasn’t too captured with it the first few hours I was there, but it grew on me and by the time I left, I was pretty much in love with it!

I was there in late Spring so the trees were sprouting lovely new green leaves and flowers were starting to bloom but we hit a cold spell while I was visitng so the skies were a little dreary.

The primary attraction in Cesky Krumlov is the castle. The medieval castle here is second only to Prague Castle in size in the Czech Republic! When I got there though, I was curious. Where was the castle? There were no towering spires or rocky castle walls, nor was there a huge walled-up compound. It was only when I took the walking tour did I realise that everything I saw across the river (that’s on your left of the photo above) is essentially, the castle. On the right is the town, and they were separated by the Vltava River. Ok, its HUGE!

I tell stories on Instagram @parisbmws