narrow it down

I've been given a shopping decree. My boss is headed for the States to spend time with his family residing there next month and has granted me one purchase that he will willingly lug back for me.

Since he offered, I, of course, accepted and have been trawling the net, compiling a list of items I can only get from the good ol' US of A. I've come up with a few but can't seem to commit my list.


I've been searching Overstock.com for sunglasses and have found a few Diors, Guccis and Marc Jacobs for choice prices. But considering I am in love with my sister's Oliver Peoples Sofiane, I dunno if I should forgo going the sunnies route. I mean I really want to buy a Sofiane but US prices are, well, pricey. My sis got hers for about USD250. Most sites retail for USD390. I can't justify spending USD140 more even if those specs make anyone who were 'em look sooooo damn good. Plus with some of the choices on Overstock.com going as low as 99 bucks for a pair of designer sunnies, can I really overlook all those fine options and hold out for some Olivers?


I've also been on Shopbop.com's newly redesigned site and I have to say, the revamp gets thumbs up from me. Here I'm lusting over 3 items; the Foley+Corinna Smooth Mid City tote in gold retailing for USD222, the black Foley+Corinna Disco City Bag that goes for USD198 and the Rebecca Minkoff Morning-After-Bag Mini in Pale Bronze at the sale price of USD297.50. If I really had to choose I'd get the RM MAB Mini and the F+C Disco City. I think it would be well worth the money to invest in those 2 pieces. I just love the thought of the gold Mid City tote but I dunno if it would gel with me. I mean the colour appears quite striking in the site photos. Anyways, getting the Disco City and the MAB would only set me back $495.50. Which is a pretty great deal considering these are two IT bags. My one Mulberry set me back over 550 dollars. I can get 2 gorgeous yet functional bags for less than 500 bucks inclusive of free shipping.


But I hesitate still. Although I've coveted both the RM MAB and the F+C Mid City, I just can't bring myself to get either as yet. Why? Cos of the upcoming Europe trip. I don't want to buy these bags and then later on head to Europe and find myself salivating over an YSL/LV/Burberry/Mulberry/Anya Hindmarch piece and finding myself short on the cash. So, I'm still debating. Perhaps I might just go for the F+C DIsco bag only as it's within a price range I can manage while still allowing me to save for the trip. Although, in my hearts of hearts, I really do want the RM MAB Mini.


I've also been looking at watches. Specifically this Michael Kors Goldtone Chronograph Oversized watch that I've been coveting since before my US trip last year. Yes, I've actually been looking at this watch since a year ago. But I still can't commit to it. Why? Cos it's USD250 and I don't care if its gold-plated but I cannot afford to throw down that much for a watch. I suppress my longing for it by telling myself my trusty 10 year old Tag Heur is still ticking along merrily so I should not want for another. I mean I got other, comparatively, cheaper watches from Fossil but I always go back to "The Tag". I do so love that Michael Kors watch though. It's just not going on sale and that bums me out.

So I'm stuck. I want to buy something on the pricier side. Something non-Target. Something I won't be able to get anywhere else but the States. But I can't seem to commit. I keep thinking about the Europe trip. Afraid to spend my money now only to find something better in England or Paris. And therefore, in the end, I just don't know what to get. I don't want this to go by as a wasted oppurtunity but I just can't seem to think of anything. I'm leaning heavily towards one of the bags but we'll just have to see. I sense that I'll end up with somethng Target bought ;P

when hit by the (pms) blues.....shop your way to a better mood

Hmmmm, maybe I should consider a career change. Focus on creating advertising catchphrases instead of maintaining databases and running interference between the different government ministries' technically challenged staff and the system they run.

Yea, I've been majorly pms-ing. I've been behaving in a completely bitchy manner the past few days, especially to one colleague in particular. His ways are just completely rubbing me the wrong way this week and even he has reached the end of his patience quota and actually outright asked what was wrong with me :P I told him to mind his own damn business. But in a much more polite yet sarcastic way. He's avoided me since.

Anyways, I did some shopping today. Dropped USD335.45 at StrawberryNet.com. Not all the stuff was mine, 3 of the items in the list belong to each of my sisters. The other 3 are mine. Ironically enough, I bought the Calvin Klein perfume gift set for the colleague I've been abusing all week. He's such a perfume freak and CK One is a scent he likes but has never owned so I thought I'd give him the miniatures. For my own personal use, I decided to get the Benefit creaseless cream eyeshadow/liner in Towne cos I want to practice my smoky eyes technique. Which is non-existent so I really do need the practice. And for 10 bucks, it's well worth the price. Also got the Benefit Get Bent liner brush for 13 dollars from it's original price of 20 bucks. Figured if I was going to do some eye experimentation, might as well get the right tools for the job. Wanted to purchase the big kabuki brush as well but by the time I got to the site today, they were all sold out I guess.


And I can blame my eldest sis for that. The reason we were all shopping there was because I received a 7.5% "come-shop" discount from the company. Inclusive of the loyalty discount and the buy-3-items-and-above discount, I got a 15.5% discount off our grand total. Hence why I extended the shopping offer to both my sisters.

My eldest, who held the rest of us up and caused us to lose out on some deals, ended up getting the Natura Bisse regenerative cream from their diamond range. She's a longtime La Mer user but had heard good things about the sister line so decided to take a dip in the Natura Bisse pool. Her cream alone was USD252.50 without discount. That's a whopping price I can't see myself spending on a jar of glob but I've learned to avoid saying never say never.

My other sis went for the Bobbi Brown compact foundation and the L'Occitane Immortelle eye cream. She was just bitching to me that earlier this morning the cream was on special offer for USD33 but at the time I checked out, the price was USD41 sans discount. I told her to blame my other sis for the delay that caused her to lose out on the 8 bucks gain.

All in all, a pretty fruitful day of online shopping. I simply love bargains and when you get a discount on top, it makes the whole shopping expereince that little bit more special. And I'm less irritated as a result. PMS getting you down? Ease 'em away with some retail therapy. Buy yourself a treat and at the same time, your money spent helps bolster the economy. Win-win for everyone.

four world champions on one racing track?

By all accounts, Felipe Massa seems to be recovering well. However, it is widely believed his season is over this year. So, who do Ferrari put in to replace him and partner Kimi in the sister Ferrari. Well, their third driver Marc Gene would be a logical choice. Also their other test driver Luca Badoer would be up there on the list as well. Fernando Alonso's name has been bandied about for a one off race at Valencia since Renault were banned a race for the careless tyre change incident but I've always thought this implausible. Robert Kubica, and even Sebastian Vettel's name also seemed to be in the mix. See, how fanciful F1 fans can be?

But, Ferrari have granted the wish of many. Kimi's new partner for the rest of the season will be none other than Michael Schumacher! Well, I'm happy to see him drive again. I hope it will make Kimi bring his A-Game. I mean, do you really wanna suck next to Schumi. At his retirement press conference in '06, Schumi had inferred that he did not want to partner the incoming Finn. After the '07 season, I guess Schumi has seen that Kimi seems like no threat to his legacy so has happily signed up to race alongside him :)

So, Kimi Raikkonen, my darling, let's not embarass ourselves. Let's get back to the magic of McLaren days Kimi Raikkonen. You're gonna be up against a seven times world champion, you've been runner-up to him once before. Do you really wanna play second fiddle again? Perhaps this is the motivation you need to get your ass further into gear. I mean, the Hungarian GP was a fantastic start but the bar has truly been raised now. Enough with letting all those other sub-par drivers show you up.

In actuality, I'm really excited to see this new pairing. Curious to know how things would work. I don't believe there has been a world champion-world champion pairing in recent years, if ever. So, it'll be interesting to see how things fit in between the two of them. Even my eldest sis called me early this morning to say that she will be back on the F1 bandwagon because of Schumi's return. Plus, FOUR world champions on the grid! I dunno if that's EVER happened before! Can't wait for Valencia, the 2 and a half weeks can't pass quickly enough :D

nokia n97: the journey into my hands - part 1

Today, I had to call the bank to confirm my order on the Nokia N97. At the time my order was faxed, I was unsure about which colour I would be getting. In no uncertain terms was I going to agree with a white phone. I'm aversed to having white paraphernalia, aside from clothes. Can't stand to see white items get dirty or yellow with age.

Anyways, when inquired, the bank rep said they would only be shipping the black N97. That has allayed any fears of my having to cancel said order and wait the 2 months (or more) before I can scrounge up enough moolah to pay for the phone one-shot. So, back on the happy bandwagon.

I've also put in an ebay bid for a leather book-style case that comes with a free screen protector and free shipping. At the moment, the bid is still at the starting price of $6.77. I'm actually hoping to be outbid as right after I started the auction, I found a different seller with the same case plus free screen protector for the "Buy Now" price of $4.99 and includes free shipping. Hate when that happens and it's never happened to me before. But if I'm destined to pay for the $6.77 one then so it shall be. I will not complain. It's to protect my phone anyways.

Barnes and Noble, you have TRULY redeemed yourself

Yes, I readily admit my renewed love for b&n.com. For a while there, I thought you had fallen into your old ways but alas, I judged too soon. My 2 packages have arrived. The first package to reach was the single hard cover Jane Green's "Second Chances". I was pleasantly surprised to see the lone book get there first. But then, the bigger package with the 9 remaining books were foremost on my mind. Would it reach here trouble free? Will there be a discrepancy in my order? Will I have to start emailing customer service again?

All these concerns swirled in my mind. I felt resigned to the fact that I would likely have an issue on hand. But you did not disappoint. You took up the challenge to change my opinion of you. You brought your A-Game! The second package arrived with all orders intact. You made sure the job was done right this time. So, I will now declare my unreserved love for you, b&n.com. You came through for me and for that, I will reward you with repeat business :)

europe trip: the planning continues

Since it's already nearing August and in a mere 2 months I'll be getting on a plane Europe bound, I thought I'd post some of the pre-trip prep that's been going on.

We've made pre-payments on a lot of things. This is exactly how our US trip went last year, by booking and buying things via the wonderful WWW we managed to save time and money on a number of things. Firstly, we're covered on accomodations both in Paris (4 days) and back in the UK (3 days). We're renting apartments both times as it's a much cheaper alternative than staying in a hotel. For example, the Paris apartment, which is located in Arrondissement 4 (in the Jewish Quarter, I think) will cost us EUR740 for the 4 days. Split that 5 ways and I only pay EUR148 for 3 nights in Paris. That's cheap right?

Other things we are pre-booking, the Paris Pass. We've had experience with these kind of passes before. We used City Pass in San Francisco and the Explorer Pass in NYC last year and it really did give us value for money. That's why when I googled to see if Paris had anything similar, I was ecstatic to find the Paris Pass. We're only taking the 2 day pass, it should suffice. My sis and I are also planning to take in an authentic cabaret show. I looked into the Moulin Rouge but a lot of reviews said that it was touristy (am not sure what that's supposed to mean) and so, instead, I found another famous one that's supposed to be the best. It's at the Lido theatre along the Champs Elysse. We've also pre-bought our Eurostar tix. It's quite a bargain online and judging from their booking schedule, a wise choice to pre-book because most of the tix around the time we will be going are sold out.

Once we're back in London, I have plans to go on the London Eye solo. The four other people I'm with went on it last year so I can't seem to persuade anybody for a second round. Maybe if I offer to pay for my sister's fare she'll go on with me. It's actually cheaper to book it online since you get a 10% discount. I'll have to check the date we'll be in London first before I commit to this. I was also thinking of the 1 day London Pass. When I was there last, I was really young so I didn't get to visit all the tourist spots like the Tower of London and London Bridge. The only place I recall is Madame Tussauds and Buckingham Palace. Since the London Pass includes these places, I might get it. It'd be nice to go back to Madame Tussauds and recreate the pics I took waaay back when. I have one next to Martina Navratilova, Joan Collins, Mr T and Boris Becker. In NYC, we visited Madame Tussauds there and I did get a pic with the NYC Martina Navratilova. Maybe I should make it my thing. Since I'm unsure what our 2 days in London will actually entail as yet, I'm holding off first but at least the research is done.

What is decided is my sis and I will catch "Les` Miserables" on West End. We're also leaning towards catching another show, maybe "The Lion King" cos we have heard great reviews on the show. It's a toss-up between that and "Chicago". I want to go with "The Lion King" as "Les` Miserables" is already on the heavy side so watching something light would be great. I would have loved to go see Rachel Weisz in "A Streetcar Named Desire" but the play ends next month. Shame.

Closer to the date, we'll be booking the car and such. We'll be driving up (or is it down?) to Lancaster from London and visiting the old farm we used to live on. And the house we subsequently moved to on Portland Street. As well as take a trip to Morecombe. I remember getting those twisty ice cream cones in the cold. I don't know why my mother would let us have ice cream in that cold weather. I also rode a pony on the Morecombe beach. Doubt the pony will still be there though. Well, perhaps, a different pony will be :) I hope to gorge on fish and chips here. There used to be this corner shop that sold the most delicious fish and chips wrapped in newspaper. Oh, that was just so good.

We'll also be stopping in at Bicester Village for some shopping. I'm kinda iffy here. I have made a decision to get the LV Speedy in epi leather while in gay Paree but there's a Mulberry outlet in Bicester. As well as an Anya Hindmarch store, Dior, Burberry - temptations abound! I have only budgeted for the one handbag though. We will see, won't we. Aside from that, I just want to get stuff from Topshop, Dorothy Perkins, H&M - basically all the high street stores. And Clarks shoes - there's a Clarks outlet in Bicester so it's likely I'll get some shoes. Anyway, there are still a few things not finalized but the bulk of the planning is done. The excitement is building too!

natural order restored at Hungaroring

In spite of the difficulties faced by both Ferrari and McLaren this racing season, the Hungarian GP saw Lewis Hamilton AND Kimi Raikkonen on the podium in first and second respectively. Mark Webber, the Aussie arse, was third.

Am extremely happy to see Kimi performing for Ferrari. Considering the difficult weekend, what with losing a second car on the grid due to Felipe's unfortunate accident, this was the just result that the team needed to lift their spirits. Kimi drove a competitive race, making up 3 spots at the start into fourth and eventually gaining a position during a pitlane scuffle with the arse known as Mark Webber (It'll take me a couple more races to forgive him for his scathing attack on Kimi during Silverstone's press conference. Perhaps). He maintained steady pace to remain in second till the end of the race. He performed admirably in a car that's just not quite there yet. But we're close.

Lewis Hamilton drove a fantastic race. Starting fourth on the grid, he moved up to third at the start before outmaneuvering "The Arse" out of second (I guess it was just a day where Mark Webber was outclassed. At the very least he was schooled by two world champions. Perhaps he managed to pick up some tips on how to drive like a champion from them). He was untouchable after he pitted the first time around till the end of the race. Good job Lewis! Good job McLaren! I'll always have a soft spot for the Woking team since this is where Mika and subsequently Kimi came into prominence.

Mark started third, finished third, nuff said. I sympathize with Alonso tough as a shoddy pitstop compromised his entire race and ended it early for him. And after all that hard work put in to get the pole.

So like the title suggests, the natural order of the F1 universe was restored at the Hungaroring circuit. The two big boys of the premier series came out tops. The question remains though, will this be a one-off or is it game-on for the rest of the season? My hope is for the latter. But we'll only know for sure in 3 weeks time at the European GP in Valencia. Till then, it's summer holiday for the F1 fraternity. Here's hoping Kimi and Ferrari come back recharged and ready to fight harder! And hopefully Felipe is okay.

was bored.....

so I decided to change up my blog's design again. Was getting a bit sick of looking at the sea foam green background of yore so I opted for this pink and brown design with a white middle column courtesy of, yup, you guessed it, The CutestBlogOnTheBlock.com

I'm finding the minimalist colours more pleasing on the eyes. I guess when the majority of site developers say white is THE best background for browsing experience, it's true. No harm in experimenting but in the end, I think most people will go back to white.

Also, they had a much wider selection of blinkies this time around so I thought I'd pick a few that held meaning to me. I chose the breast cancer blinky because I have relatives who suffer from the disease and if, at any point, someone happens across this blog, the very most I can hope for is the blinky catches their attention and spreads more awareness on the matter. Yes, a lil blinky. I believe that sometimes the smallest things (i.e: a blinky) can set off the biggest change. I also thought that the "Everyone's entitled to my opinion" blinky was cute and quite descriptive of how I can be somewhat obnoxious with my opinions. And the last blinky I chose was the "I'm a city girl at heart". I have, and always will remain, a big city girl. I can do rural for 2 days max but the pull of the city will never yield.

Anyways, hope this change will last longer than the previous one. Although it didin't take me long to make the change, however, it's a tedious task all the same and I hope to avoid it till next year. Or even longer if I can help it ;)

where most of my salary disappeared to

It started in April, trickled into May, gained momentum and stratosphered in June and kept going in July. That's the story I tell people when they comment about the amount of new stuff I have :)

Finally got round to making a collage of some of the items I bought. Most of the stuff was bought last weekend. However, except the blue belt worn with the yellow dress, the black jeans, the pleated front high-waisted blue jeans and the black leather vest which used to belong to my dad, ALL of the clothes worn are new.

I especially love my "members only" style denim jacket. I'm also extremely excited about all my maxi dresses. I think I've bought 6 in the past 3 months, 4 of which were puchased last Saturday. That same day I also wrangled 3 pairs of cardies in monochrome colours (black, white and gray) as well as two long tank tops, a long-sleeved H&M violet dress, a long-sleeved Abercrombie striped shirt, a black elastic belt with metal clasp, brown Xhilaration vest and a really soft H&M striped tee.


As can be seen, I played dress up and took a few photos of the outfit combos I came up with. I do this all the time when I've gotten something new. Of course, what would dress up time be like if we didn't go the whole nine yards, right? So, out came my Mossimo gladiator heels, my black patent platforms and my Gisele Bundchen Ipanema gold slippers.

Out of all the outfits above, I particularly like the black jeans, blue/white striped tee, leather vest and gladiator heels combo which I term my my rocker chick interpretation. I also like how the the yellow H&M dress complements my skintone. My tie-dye maxi dress by Xhilaration as well as the soft gray cardigan it's paired with are also two of my more favoured pieces from my haul last weekend.

And thus it can be concluded, this is why I only have less than 10 dollars to spend for the rest of the month! But I'm not complaining, I have all these pretty things and that's what it's all about!

hungarian GP qualifying: Massa's freak accident

I know I said no more pre-race posts after the British/Spanish GP but this is something I feel needs to be mentioned.

At yesterday's Hungarian GP quali, Felipe Massa from Ferrari was hit in the forehead by a broken damper from Ruben Barrichello's Brawn car, weighing about 100g , rendering him unconcious and ultimately driving himself into the saftey barrier at a speed of 170mph. Although 100g may seem light but have that coming at you at a speed of more than 100mph.

He was seen conscious when being extricated from the car and when being wheeled into the circuit's medical center. After some time, he was then air-lifted to a military hospital whereby he underwent brain surgery. The last news report I read mentioned he is now in a coma, stable but life-threatening. I don't exactly know what that means since I'm not a doctor. I do get the impression the coma was induced because some other report I read said he would be woken on Sunday but I can't verify the accuracy of that news source. All reports seem to agree he is in "stable but serious condition".

The video replay showed a black object coming up off the tarmac and hitting Felipe's helmet and then the driver proceeded to drive across a curb straight into the barrier. The front of the car was destroyed but the cockpit shell itself maintained which we can thank for saving Felipe from more damage. But piccies I saw of him shows his visor broken on the left hinge, a cut above his left eye. Apparently, the side of his helmet is completely dented in.

The whole thing was reminiscent of Ayrton Senna's crash at Imola although the circumstances in these 2 incidents are different. Felipe's accident also comes on the heels of another freak accident which happened last week and that caused the death of Henry Surtees, a promising young GP2 driver and son of former F1 pilot John Surtees. The late driver was hit by a tyre that broke off a car in front of him which rendered him unconscious causing him to crash into the barriers.

Felipe will, of course, not be in tomorrow's race. After such head trauma, I believe he will have to skip a few upcoming races in order to recuperate. I can't imagine what Felipe's family is going through right now since his dad and brother were in the Ferrari garage when it happened at the end of Q2. It must be extra distressing for his wife as she is currently pregnant with their first child. I can only offer my prayers and hope Felipe will make a full recovery.

i'm sorry to tell you but you're the last team to arrive

Ok, guess. C'mon, guess. GUESS! Which awesome reality tv show has the above title said by the host in almost all episodes? Ok, I'm just gonna tell (cos realistically who's actually going to answer me, right?), it's.....

THE AMAZING RACE!!!

I love the show! Despite the reality tv tag, it beats a hell of a lot of tv programming on the air right now. I've always wanted to be a part of the show. And today, I possibly could be! No, I did not get on as a contestant. That would be great if I did but alas, not the case. What happened was, I potentially can be seen in the background. LOL. I know, nothing much to shout about but it is my fave reality competition.

They were filming in the market I was shopping at and one pair's camera guy actually stopped and took a 5 second shot of me, winked and ran off after the couple he was attached to. I was filmed by a crew of "The Amazing Race"!! Also, I passed by multiple pairs and their camera and sound guy so hopefully I will appear in one or another shot. Yea. My claim to fame will be a background, blink-and-you'll-miss-it part in "The Amazing Race"!

All in all, I bumped into 5 pairs. The first was a male-male partnership, second was a couple who looked really miserable, third was another couple wearing matching dark blue tees and the guy was wearing a bandanna - rambo-style (this is when I got filmed), fourth was another male-male pair I think - one of em had a combo of neon green with some pink hair and lastly was a girl-girl pair - an asian chick with a white girl. The only definite film capture that I know of is when I bumped into the third pair. And that's even if he wasn't just pointing the cam in my face and pretending to take a shot :P

If it was my 5 seconds of fame shot then of course, it's all dependant on the editing guys so crossing my fingers that I don't end up on the cutting room floor. I hope to see myself on "The Amazing Race". I wish I could meet Phil though. Have a run towards the mat and do the whole jump and get checked in routine. That would be super great if that happened! I'm so dorky but what else can I say?

wishes do come true!

I have made it known in various posts how much in love I am with the Nokia N97 so it's with a great deal of happiness that I announce forthcoming ownership of said phone!

My bank had an 18 months interest-free installment payment offer on the phone and I bloody well took them up on it! I'll be paying USD32 a month for the next 18 months. The best part is the "no additional charges" and I get to have my phone now. If it weren't for this blessed promotion by the bank, I probably would only get to have my hands on it at the beginning of 2010.

I faxed in my application yesterday so pending checks, I'll be in receipt of the phone by mid-August. The checks won't take that long, the phone will be delivered within a week after approval. I just need to wait for someone to come up to this country with the phone in tow! And the only one who is due for a visit will be my boss in mid month.

In the meantime, I'm making all sorts of prep (buying a leather cover, screen protector, checking out software, etc., etc.). I've been googling around and finding the "tips & tricks" to getting the best out of an N97. I realize that a lot of the reviews regarding this model has been quite negative but I'm sure that I can overcome the issues some of the bloggers/reviewers have gone on about. I mean, I am traditionally a Symbian OS user. I hate touchscreen and am most definitely a QWERTY person. I hate the Apple iPhone UI. Considering most reviewers keep bashing the Symbian 5th edition UI for being less than iPhone quality, I think I should be right at home using it then. Like most of the reviews mntioned that if you are a longtime Symbian user than this phone is most definitely for you but if you were introduced to the world of touchscreens via iPhone or HTC or whatever non-Symbian, then it's most likely this is the phone you will love to hate.

I have coveted it for close to eight months and to finally have it in my sights, well, it makes me tear up. LOL. Ok, that's a bit on the nutty side. But I have wanted this phone for sooooo long and have been waiting ages for it to be released. My sis got hers last month and has been rubbing it in my face ever since. She doesn't even let me touch her phone. I had to beg her to let me take a few piccies of her N97. She'd parade the phone in front of me just so she could see me salivate with longing for the phone that was not mine. Sadistic arse! Ok, she didn't do the last one but she was weird about touching the phone. It pissed me off so she's still an arse for that. But now, no worries. I don't have to contend with her funny hang-ups any further. I will soon have my own N97 to acquire my own set of weird behavior :) Can't wait, can't wait, can't wait!

if cheap chic is your thing then this is where you should go

For the past week, aside from all my emotional turmoil, I have been online at odd hours of the day looking for new style inspirations. I can't really remember how I happened upon this site but it's truly a gem of a find.

Fashion Under $100 is a website created by Dana from Philadelphia Pennsylvania. The concept of the site is stylish looks for under $100. Not just a tee or a pair of pants for under a hundred but actual complete looks, most inclusive of footwear and accessories (i.e: handbag, belts, jewelry). Dana's site does celeb styles for less as well as reader submissions.

After spending hours and days on her site, looking through each profile she's done, I love pretty much all the alternatives she's managed to scrounge together when it comes to the celebrity styles. Most are comparable to the actual outfits. Her own stylist intuition when recommending looks to her blog followers are also in the same vein of stylish chic.

I admire the effort it takes her to scour through the vast world of retail Internet as well as brick-and-mortar stores to come up with the stylings. I'm not sure how she does it, to have to sift through tons and tons of info to get the right items to put together the closest look.

i covet.....practically all of YSL's handbags

The "Roady" is just gorgeous. Functional and stylish and in the most perfect hobo shape. The original "Muse" is simply divine and a classic. The "Muse II" is completely awesome but reminds me of my Bayswater or a Birkin. The "Tribute" is a pretty treat. And the beautiful satchel that is "Rive Gauche" is simply stunning and is my most favourite.

I want to own all these bags from Yves Saint Laurent. Not since I discovered Bottega Veneta have I wanted to own a couture piece this badly. I still lust over Bottega but they are simply waaaay out of my price point. There's no way I can drop 2K, which is the average pricing, on a leather handbag no matter how excellent the Italian craftsmanship is.

Perhaps that's why I have set my sights slightly lower to acquire an YSL piece instead. Although still in the high-end of the pricing structure, I think I am able to spread out payments over 3-4 months and be able to pay it all off. Most pieces start at around $1500, which I feel is still within reason.

I would love to get the "Roady" because it would be fantastic as an everyday bag and completely large enough to fit all my bits and bobs. However, the pricing is still an unknown factor. I've been scouring the web for this bag and it seems as if it's not available as yet. I saw it on the shoulder of an Olsen twin. She probably got it as a gift from the design house's upcoming, and as yet, unreleased collection. Boo on celebs for their fantastic perks!

If price was not an object, I would definitely get a "Muse II" in an exotic skin. But it is so I would have to look for something less ambitious. Which excludes the "Rive Gauche" as a candidate as well. I guess, if I was really going to go for it without breaking the bank, it'll most likely be the "Tribute". I've seen some pieces on Overstock.com that sell for a lil less than USD1200 so that would still be ok. But I'm in that frame of mind where I'm totally bag-crazy from seeing the gorgeous pics of the "Roady". Once I come off of that high, I'll most likely be back to being sensible and not think bags that start at 1.5K are still reasonable or that anything over 1K is considered cheap :P

it's official

My sister will be wed by December so.....

CONGRATULATIONS SIS!

.....of course, since no one knows this blog, she won't exactly know I've been offering her my heartiest (albeit slightly insincere) felicitations.

Yea, so I'm slightly (ok, really) skeptical about the whole thing but whatever makes you happy, Sis. If you feel that by marrying the guy you will be able to save his soul from wandering further down the path of destruction so go on and be his superhero. I did not come up with that on my own, her words may not have been as poetic as mine but she did say "Maybe I'm meant to save him". Forget the fact that she previously did not believe in that kind of thing. I mean, I strongly believe that change that doesn't begin with one's own desire will never be lasting but apparently, you Sis, have some magical powers that will make ANY change lasting evermore. I will not voice any objections, nor will I bring up any of the numerous subtly man-hating lectures you have serenaded me with at numerous points in my life. I guess a leopard can change its spots. And in this instance, I'm not talking about him.

I sound bitter? Well, yes, a part of me is. I can't believe that after all is said and done that she would jump into this so recklessly. Maybe I need to purge myself of all that she's said to me and just keep a more open mind to the whole idea. I have been praying to God Almighty every day since to allow me to accept this turn of events in a gracious and sincere manner. It's barely working. I uhhm-ed and ooh-ed along with all the plans she's put together thus far while talking on the phone to her yesterday but at the same time I could not stop the tears from rolling down my face. I covered it up well enough, she didn't notice but I felt bad for myself that I can't embrace this news with all the sincerity and joy it deserves. C'mon, I'm in a real dilemma. She called yesterday to ask me to be her bridesmaid. I said "Sure, just as long as everything is paid for". What kind of a sentiment is that? Luckily for me, it was something I had already said earlier when we were discussing her hypothetically accepting the proposal so it didn't faze her or anything.

I suppose I could have shown a little bit more enthusiasm instead of the pragmatic way I pooh-poohed some of her ideas and suggested improvements on the ones I felt could work better. For example, we were discussing engagement rings and she said she would have liked to get a Tiffany cut classic engagement ring but her "fiance`" wanted to buy her a ring with an emerald setting because it's syombolic of his name. Yea, his name in my native language means emerald. What I should have said was something along the lines of how sweet it was. Instead, I was quiet for 2 seconds, asked her why emerald and after she explained the name connection (which I should have figured out on my own) I said, "Oh ok. Well, yea, I get it. Geez, all that symbolic romantic crap just flew over my head". She reacted quite ambivalent towards my comment. I'm not sure if she took offense or not. I did say I thought he should spring for a Harry Winston micropave` diamond engagement ring. I also agreed that one of her gifts should be a Chanel 2.55 small purse. She also wanted a pair of Christian Louboutin but I steered her towards Jimmy Choo, more classier. Btw, if anyone was wondering, yes, it's a free ride all the way. From flight tix to clothes and whatever else in between.

Why am I so against this? Why am I so resistant? I have looked within myself but can't seem to come up with a satisfactory answer to tip me in any direction. Perhaps, if I can wrangle that Tiffany 18K bead bracelet as a bridesmaids prezzie, I will have a change of attitude. Bless my lil materialistic heart. Would the price of a Tiffany bracelet buy me off? We'll have to wait and see.....here's hoping I get said bracelet :P Slightly evil, I know, but a pretty trinket (and especially if it comes in a nice light blue box) will definitely help towards the softening of betrayal and resentment.

And one way or another, I have managed to make a post announcing my sister's impending doom, ooh sorry, nuptials (din mean that, reflexively slipped out while typing) to be all about my unfathomable feelings on the whole idea. I'm so selfish. Then again, it's my blog and I'll post what I want to.

vinyl has arrived!

Not talking about music records. If I was, what year am I living in man! No, I'm talking about my gorge Melissa Plastic Dreams Vinyl ii wedges!


My coveted shoes have been delivered to my company address! Ooh! So excited! I bet that's obvious what with the number of exclamation marks I've already typed in. Anyways, it's arrived. Now I just have to figure out how and when I can get them from the company branch office onto my impatient feet :P

watching.....Hot Men Palooza!

Or the movie more commonly known as "X-Men Origins: Wolverine". First off, I would love to thank the casting director, the person who approved this many hot men to appear on my screen for a little more than an hour and a half. Should there have been more of these gorgeous men, I think I would have melted right along to join the puddle of drool around my seat. HAWT DAMN!


It was visual sensory overload. My main man, Hugh Jackman, *swoon*. Ryan Reynolds whom I've loved since "2 Guys, A Girl & A Pizza Place" brandishing double swords in the most sexiest of ways, *swoon*, Daniel Henney as trigger-happy Agent Zero, *swoon*. My favourite Dillon Panther Taylor Kitsch as the card-throwing, stick-wielding Gambit, *swoon*. Even extra hairy Liev Schreiber as Victor/Sabertooth gets a *swoon*. All the while during that first viewing, I kept seeing in my mind a blinking sign saying "Hot Men Palooza! Hot Men Palooza! Hot Men Palooza!" in bright Broadway style lights. It was distracting. In a completely great way.

Ah, totally makes me forget about the squicky Disney star, whatshisname. I should have started with this movie instead of favouring lil Zac Efron's outing. Anyways, I LOVED IT! Besides all the hot totty, the drool-worthy eye candy, the storyline was compelling, keeping me captivated. I loved getting to see Wolverine's background. I'm not an avid comic book reader (ok, I'm not a reader at all, just newspaper comic strips), I only ever know about them if they've previously been made into a tv series, cartoon or it's on the big screen. I was a fan of the X-Men animated series. When they first came out with the X-Men movie, I was ecstatic. Especially since I get to see one of my favourite contemporary actors as one of the best loved X-Men characters. I was also overjoyed when James Marsden was cast as Cyclops. But this movie, this one is the best. Not just in terms of the casting coup but the whole movie in its entirety. Just that damn good.

At this point I can't seem to see beyond the hot guys so I'm likely not to make any intelligent comments in regards of the movie itself but if there are those out there who still haven't watched this movie, please go. Why deny yourself the pleasure of completely gorgeous and ripped men duking it out in the most hottest of ways?

what age am I again?

I abhor teen-centric movies! Ok, that's not true, they're my guilty pleasure. And I really do mean G-U-I-L-T-Y pleasure. Cause I always end up feeling like such a cradle snatcher when I catch myself admiring the boys that appear in said movies. Yes, boys. Anyone not past the age of 25 is considered a boy to me.

I've talked about how I think Taylor Lautner is cute as Jacob in Twilight before but I have to admit, he only grew on me even more after I had read the whole series. Gave me a face to associate with the personality. If I had read the books before watching the movie, Jacob would still come out ahead of Edward, I would just have a not so strong face to put to the character. But given the fact that Jacob (and Taylor Lautner), in the movie and books, is a young boy of 17, imagining him, Taylor Lautner, and his really buffed bod comes off as really, really wrong! He's a total jailbait.

Anyways, this isn't about Twilight or Taylor Lautner. This is about another teen heartthrob. One who sings, dance and looks too pretty for his own good. When I first saw him in that first Disney movie, I thought what an all-around good-looking boy, but man (my attempt at irony), too chiseled for his age. I mean, his guns (which is a male body part I consider one of my weaknesses) were absolutely spectacular. It felt quite wrong admiring the boy's body in any way. Then came the second movie along with that musical. It was a bit of an overload and although he only grew into more of a pretty boy with such a great body, by then I was feeling a bit turned off. You know how some people can look too good? Well he's one of them. Then the third movie came out, the tween and teen girls the world over went even more nuts than before but for me, I started appraising him more as an object rather than a person. Like, yea, he's perfection personified but I can't help not liking it. I mean, as an object of admiration, he fell short of that for me. It's probably because of the age thing, what with him barely in his twenties and me with my nose pressed up against the thirties.

Then came his first movie after the Disney franchise machine. It had one of my favourite TV actors in it and I thought, ok, when it comes out, I'll go watch. Not for the pretty boy but because the aforementioned TV star was starring. It's been about two and a half months since the movie was released. I only got around to watching it today and I have to say, I completely fell back in like with the pretty boy. Damn! It makes me feel squicky to look at this boy and think he is one attractive guy. I feel kinda dirty for looking at him in his shirtless scenes. When I look at his face and find myself thinking about how gorgeous it is, I start feeling queasy. I feel old and gross when I catch myself thinking, "Damn, those are one great set of guns! I wonder if they're as solid as they look?". Zac Efron in "17 Again" just makes me feel icky about myself! I definitely did not feel 17 when I watched the movie.


Other than that, I liked the movie. It was sweet, funny and completely enjoyable. The prettiness of Zac Efron did distract quite a bit (especially his one particular scene with Leslie Mann when he's offering himself as help for her landscaping project and he raises an eyebrow in the most adorably sexy way) but all in all, I would definitely watch it again. Maybe with more viewings, the whole ickiness factor will have been squelched and I can totally enjoy the movie without feeling like such an old pervert :P

As a side note, I think he and Vanessa Hudgens make a great looking couple.

frickin hell!

Ok, note to self, when taking plugs out of outlets, it is wise to make sure the switch is not ON. Or else you're going to get a nasty and painful lingering shock. And feel woozy for the next 10 minutes. You may be getting older but at this point the heart doesn't really need that electrical jumpstart just yet. So lay off the electricity shocks. It's not fun.

Nurburgring: German GP 2009

This is just a short one. Mark Webber won his first race EVER. I don't like him much after the disparaging and asshole-ish remarks he made about Kimi during the last race but kudos to him for overcoming a drive-through penalty to still be coming out tops. Sebastian Vettel is second on the podium as well as in the drivers championship board, overtaking Rubens Barrichello who must be pissed with all the extenuating circumstances which caused him to end the race in fifth when he was running a solid race as leader for half of it. Third goes to Felipe and Ferrari. Good job! Points for you are points for the team.

Where is my darling Kimi? Retired due to mechanical failure after Adrian Sutil crashed into his side whilst exiting from the pits. He was running a solid race and would have been fifth at the end if it weren't for that incident. Which is being investigated by the race stewards at the end of the race and might result in a penalty for Sutil. Who knows, it's too late for the German GP anyway. That's racing. Still love you as my number 1 Kimster. Do better in the next race!

times when being late is good

When birthday presents are involved. Although, traditionally, getting birthday prezzies on and around your birthday is the way things are done, it's not such a bad thing to get belated birthday gifts either.

I'll be getting a very lovely package from the online beauty haven, Strawberrynet, come the end of the month. Filled with fantastic Benefit goodies. Yup, Strawberrynet now stocks Benefit products and I couldn't be more ecstatic. Of course, not everything in their line is available but the ones I wanted were and that's what I asked my 4 best girlfriends to get me for my birthday.

So I will receive, one Benefit Play Sticks Cream To Powder Foundation in shade Paper Dolls, one Benefit foundation brush and one Benefit High Brow pencil. Since the site is touted as a discount perfume, makeup and skincare store, the prices are lower than the retail prices in stores. Normally, the recommended retail price of the Play Sticks foundation is USD34 but the site's selling at USD29. The foundation brush also has a 20% discount and is going for USD16 instead of its usual price of USD20. The High Brow pencil, which purports to give the illusion of a higher brow (non-surgical brow lift so to speak), is also being sold at USD16 from USD20. That's a savings of USD13!


The only essential item from the 3 above is the foundation brush. I figured I needed to add a proper foundation brush to my collection instead of relying on foundation sponges that seem to crumble within 2 uses. This will be my first foray into Benefit brushes as my current collection all comes from the Too Faced Teddy Bear brush set.

I wanted to get the stick foundation because it would be great for travel. And the fact that it's touted as a 3-in-1 (foundation, concealer and powder) doesn't hurt as well. Coming back from my company retreat, my liquid foundation (Non Fiction by Benefit) spilled in my makeup bag. Although the spillage was quite negligible, and was caused by my own negligence (neglected to screw the cap on properly), I didn't want to take the risk of more wastage of my precious foundation and figured a solid stick would solve my problems (thought I'd make a play at how many times I can use the variations of neglect). I read the reviews for Benefit's Play Sticks and the general consensus is very positive. Based on the colour swatches, I decided to go for Paper Dolls as it appears to be the closest shade to my volume 4 of Non Fiction. The image of Play Sticks in the piccie above is a misleadingly skinny concealer width tube which is due to me resizing the original image to fit the collage but in actuality, the tube is slightly plumper than depicted.

Last but not least, I wanted the High Brow pencil just for the heck of it. I don't need any lifting in that area but I figured I could play around with the pencil and see how it affects a look. That's the whole point of prezzies, you can ask for things that you don't need but just want for fun. I've heard great things about the brow lifting pencil and the brows are my least played up feature as I have no idea what to do with them. I'm the girl whose eyebrows have remained untouched since birth. I don't do plucking, threading or any sort of filling in with a brow pencil. I figure the best way to initiate myself into the wide world of brow accoutrements was with the relatively mild brow lifting pencil. It's just drawing a line underneath your natural brow line, I can't possibly mess that up could I?

So, a very big THANKS! to my girls who have generously come together to buy me these lovely, LOVELY beauty products. MUAHS!

UPDATE:
Paid for and on its way! I love online shopping and I love belated birthday prezzies!

hi. my name is zlena and i'm a shopaholic.

Do I want to do something about it? No, not particularly, I believe I'm still capable of keeping myself within the boundaries, just a few hundred metres shy from actually falling into the abyss of spiralling uncontrollable shopping. *Laughs*

Ok, maybe I am over-dramatizing my current situation. Or not. I'm a bit unsure, perhaps writing about it will shed some light. I was looking back at the past month and a half and reflecting on the amount of new things I bought. I am completely amazed. I have managed to part ways with over 700 dollars CASH without keeping myself under any kind of restraint. Ah well, at least I'm not in debt. Broke. Completely broke, I only have 25 bucks to last me through till the end of the month. But not owing nowt to no one.

Actually, this post was just to say that I am now in possession of the coveted Accessorize set-of-3 vintage brooches I posted about a week or so ago. My sis finally managed to hunt them down and just called to announce it to me. But then, as I thought about that, it segway-ed to a mental inventory check of all things purchased of late. Just today alone I managed to end up with 2 safari style short sleeve jackets in khaki and black as well as a long-sleeved stripey, totally summery and pretty henley shirt. Yesterday, after much gushing about the Anna Sui For Target black coat from the Jenny collection, I ended up getting a metal gray Cotton Ginny (famous Canadian brand) weatherproof trench with a detachable furry hood. I'm all set for my Europe trip now. I also got myself 4 metres of silk for a dress I want to have tailored. And that's just the type of damage I can do in about 2 days.

At the rate I'm going, you'd think that I'd have exhausted all avenues of ways to get rid of my money but I'm guessing there'll be a few more things that I'll end up purchasing tomorrow since I have to make a trip to the shops for something my aunt wants. I almost always end up getting something for myself. And since today's visit revealed a lot of interesting things that I had decided against buying, a second look around will most likely tip me in the direction of the cashier.

Sigh. Again, I'm just broke, not in credit card debt (I do have a student loan I am paying off looming over my head but that's a different thing altogether), but having so little cash in my purse is depressing :P Then again, all I have to do is look around my place at all the new things I got and then I'll know where all the pretty green paper went to.

what type of music makes you linger?

Been listening to a whole lotta rock. For the past 6 months I have been completely obsessed with 2 songs: Stiff Dylan's "Ultraviolet" and Muse's "Supermassive Black Hole". And as of June, Linkin Park's song for the new Transformers movie "Revenge Of The Fallen", "New Divide".

I've got these three songs on rotation and am listening to them on a loop for an entire 8-hour working day, 5 days a week. Have no idea why I'm not completely bored of 'em yet. It's most likely because of each song's beats and rhythm still intrigues me with every listen and each time I seem to catch a diffrent side of the song come through. I guess I would categorize myself as more of a rhythms and beats person rather than a melody or lyrical music listener. If the percussions, piano/keyboard, guitars and singing come together in a completely awesome way, I can get totally hooked to the song even if the lyrics are complete crap.

Take for instance, I am absolutely in love with Muse's "Supermassive Black Hole", the whole song makes me feel sexy :P, but if I were to be honest and really thought through the lyrics, I've always come to the conclusion that the words are more there to rhyme than they are to convey something. The bridge goes....."Glaciers melting in the dead of night, And the superstars sucked into the supermassive". Really, what the hell is that supposed to mean? So, yea, if I like the beats enough, I'll try to ignore the lyrics. Sometimes you can't have 'em both ways. In fact, another group I like, Bon Jovi, have, in my opinion, produced songs with quite insipid lyrics as well. I mean there are the great ones, "Someday I'll Be Saturday Night" and "Livin' On A Prayer" but c'mon "Bad Medicine"? Although rhythmically good, the words leave a lot to be desired.

A mainstream group that I believe conveys on both lyrics and rhythm is Nickelback. I have two faves from them: "Photograph" which I think is quite a sweet yet realistic song about reminiscing times of past and "How You Remind Me" which, in my interpretation, is about a mutually destructive love (?). I love when songs have meaning as well as sound great. Case in point: Linkin Park. I won't go on an homage to Linkin Park but I have to mention they are strong lyrically as well as musically. Their lyrics are poetic and evocative. Pair that with intricate rhythm and beats from a multitude of sources and they all combine to make a great listen. That's what you get when you have six creative types who gel perfectly. They come up with musical gems :P

There are also songs where they sound great and the lyrics are fanciful nonsense but I love to sing them. Fuel's "Shimmer" falls in this category. The lines.....

"She dreams a champagne dream
Strawberry surprise, pink linen and white paper
Lavender and cream
Fields of butterflies, reality escapes her"

.....are so cute and I like how they conjure up the very images of said words when I hear them or sing along. The song "Accidentally In Love" by Counting Crows also has cutesy lyrics with catchy music. Sample lyrics:

"So I said I'm a snowball running
Running down into the spring that's coming all this love
Melting under blue skies belting out
Sunlight shimmering love

Well baby I surrender
To the strawberry ice cream
Never ever end of all this love
Well I didn't mean to do it
But there's no escaping your love,oh"

See? How cute does all that sound? Especially being sung by deep voiced men? *Laughs*

Another thing I realized about myself is that I will get hooked to a song that has a unique guitar riff. Although at heart, I'm a percussions kinda gal but what'll first catch my attention will be a standout guitar part. Once a song has me reeled in, it's then I start peeling back the layers, listening out for the different parts of the song that make it interesting. It's almost always the drums that kinda keep me listening because I'll discover new beats that I hadn't heard the first 50 times I listened to it. My top 5 LP songs are those that have a distinct and easily identifiable guitar sound. That Brad Delson sure knows how to catch my attention.

I have to say that this much interest in dissecting songs is mainly reserved for rock music, I don't particularly invest much time in figuring out the building blocks to a Fergie or Britney song. Pop songs are generally straightforward lyrically and the rhythm is rarely igenious. They're catchy, I do listen to my fair share of pop but it's not the genre that has staying power with me. Aside from Natasha Bedingfield's "Unwritten" which I still love, I grow bored of them not too long after I've heard it for the first time. A month tops and I'll be looking back at my rock music :)

i covet.....a whole bunch of looks from the forthcoming anna sui for target collection

For as long as this blog has been in existance, I believe I've made my love for Target's Go International designer line collaborations very clear. I first fell in love with the Rogan designs. I was just becoming more environmentally concsious and loved how the Rogan line made organic apparel look so fashionable. I didn't manage to get anything from the Rogan line as all the Targets I went to during my Stateside trip (believe me, my trip was filled with numerous trips to numerous Targets on both the west and east coast) seemed to not stock, or had run out, of the Rogan line. However, it put the diffusion collaborations on my radar and when I found out that a line with Botkier would be made, I knew I would want to own a piece of that if there was one that caught my eye. And there was and get I did.

Since my first purchase of the Botkier large black satchel in November of last year, I have steadily been collecting the odd piece from the different Go! collaborations. I now own, aside from the Botkier, a piece from Anya Hindmarch as well as one from the Hayden Harnett line. There have been others since then but I do have some semblance of personal restraint to not go out and buy something from each diffusion line (although I did completely love the Alexander McQueen tiger stripe tee).

The collaboration I'm looking forward to most this year is the Anna Sui For Target collection which will be available in 250 select stores and Target.com from September 13 through to October 17. Seeing the preview piccies of the clothes made me salivate and squee with joy. I saw many different outfit combinations that I would, based on the online pics of course, put down my hard-earned dosh to purchase.


The Anna Sui line is inspired by the hit TV show Gossip Girl. Apparently, there will be 4 different collections to suit the four different female personalities on the show. Each is suppose to loosely mirror the personal styles of Serena, Blair, Jenny and Vanessa. On first glance, I find myself attracted to quite a few of Blair's pieces but my ultimate fave actually comes from the lone Jenny look I have above. The whole ensemble is fantastic but I am particularly loving the look of the black overcoat worn by the model and would love to be seen beating the pavements of London in this coat when I go on my trip in October. I face the usual problem of finding someone to ship my purchases to. I seem to have taken advantage of too many sources this year and I don't want to tire them out with my relentless online shopping in case there's a super mega item that I want really, really badly. At this point, I covet but I still can live without it. We'll wait and see how I feel when the time is nearing for the Europe trip.

i'm the proud owner of a vinyl ii!

So, yesterday was a completely crappy day at work. Double crisis. Much yelling and low-level verbal abuse received for things that weren't even my fault. A slightly more deaf left ear as a result.

But all that was remedied as I am now the proud owner of a pair of MELISSA VINYL ii WEDGES IN BLACK!!!!! Yup, paid for and will be shipped Monday from idontlikemondays.com. I love how everything worked out. My boss allowed me to have my package sent to our other international branch and that has allowed me to buy my coveted melissa shoes.


These are so going to Europe with me. I'm going to break them in sufficiently before I leave for the trip so by the time it's, umm, time, to traipse around gay Paree, I will be looking tres, tres chic in my fabulous plastic wedges. The added fact that they are water-proof has clearly had me sold from the get-go. No wilting shoes at the first hint of rain. And since it's black, it'll go with EVERYTHING!

Yay, yay and another yay for moi!

UPDATE (07/07/09):


It's shipped! If you could see me now I'm dancing around in circles with excitement. I've wanted these shoes sooooooo bad it's not even funny. *Laughs* I have no idea what that last sentence meant but it's just one of those cliche lines that I've wanted to try out. Perhaps the context is all wrong but whatevs! I'm getting my melissa's, nothing's gonna get me down tonight!

the view on.....Pelican Deitanseki Soap

I have been using this soap for a week as my daily cleanser and I am going to go out on a limb here and proclaim this to be my HOLY GRAIL faical cleansing bar.

I absolutely love this soap. A wash with this soap leaves my skin feeling soft, smooth and, most importantly, matte for hours on end. It also miraculously has gotten rid of my persistant blackheads. I have had blackheads on my nose since forever and have used every nose pore strip and cleanser that purports to rid me of this bane of my face's existance and none have permanently worked. With 2 days use of the soap and suddenly I have a clear nose. I can't see the blackheads. It's as if I lathered my face with the magic suds, washed and blackheads be gone!

It has also managed to improve the texture of my skin. I can see a marked difference in the shrinking of the larger pores around the side of my nose. The reviews I read beforehand all mainly reported that this soap will draw out all sorts of gunk from your face and leave you with unclogged pores. I thought back then that the claim just seemed too good to be true but after experiencing it first hand, I too have to continue the tradition of giving this wonder soap a glowing review.

Although some others who have used this soap reported a slight drying effect, I find that I do not have that problem. My skin doesn't feel extra tight after washing. I only come away feeling my face has been thoroughly cleansed.

The soap is a product of Japan and is made out of kaolin clay and charcoal. The smell is really pleasant. The soap suds up beautifully and it doesn't take much to get a good lather. It works well with cold and warm water. The price is a little bit more expensive than my Basis soaps. It cost USD9.95 for a huge 150g bar but completely value for money. I'm definitely L-O-V-I-N-G it!!!!!

quizzical thoughts

I was googling Iddo Goldberg, the guy who plays Ben on "Secret Diary Of A Call Girl" to find out why he's not in the main credits of the show in the second season when I happened upon BuddyTV.com. And a page full of mindless tv show related quizzes. Which of course I just HAD to partake.

I ended up taking 5 of 'em. I answered as truthfully as I could, really weighing the options as seriously as I would with more important life decisions I have to make. And I think the results accurately portrayed my personality.

The first was "Who Is Your TV Boyfriend?" I got Jim from "The Office". I absolutely flipped when I saw the result. I LOVE JOHN KRASINSKI AS JIM! This was soooo accurate, the perfect type of guy I would love to have as a boyfriend.


Next quiz taken was "Who's Your Summer Fling?" Again, I have to say, the results were dead-on. As I answered, I thought of all the opposite traits of a man I would like to have a fling with but one that I don't end up regretting. And they gave me Sawyer from "LOST". I love Jack. If I were to pick someone to go out with on "LOST", it'd definitely be Jack so giving me Sawyer is PERFECT. Not a guy I would go for as my first choice but with a personality that I can deal with.


I took the "Which Supernatural Villain Are You?" quiz next. This was just something silly and I went against most of my basic human instincts when answering this one. Y'know, tried to get into the evil demon-y mindset. But with a few true to character answers as well. And I guess, yet again, the result returned did get my personality trait spot on. I'm the original yellow-eyed demon, Azazel. The one in which there would not be a series as Sam Winchester as we know him would just be another normal boy in Kansas.


Right after, I did the "Who's Your Vampire Soulmate?". I'm not an Edward Cullen fan and was relieved with a capital R when I got Angel. I loved David Boreanaz's show. Although I was leaning more towards Spike in the end, I did love Angel. And he fits in with my man type. Quiet and broody. I wonder why I like my men that way.


Last but not least, a Transformers-related quiz. "Which Transformers Are You?" Square on the nose again. Although when I'm playing around with my nephew I'm always THE BOSS, Optimus Prime, and he's my trusty sidekick, Bumblebee, but in this quiz, I got Ratchet. Who I guess describes my personality as accurate as it gets. AM slightly disappointed I'm not Optimus since now I'll always feel a bit fraudulent when I'm doing our "Transformers" bit with my nephew. Talking bout my nephew, he's so adorable. He was out at the mall with my eldest sis the other day and they bumped into these people promoting "Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen" dressed up as Optimus Prime and Bumblebee and he was super-excited and took pics with them. After, he held his hands up to his forehead and said "This is sooo cool! I can't believe they live right here with us!" Then he forced my sis to email his pic with them to me. I miss you Miksy!


Anyways, yes, I spent my evening doing silly quizzes and that wasted an hour of my life. But it was a fun nonsensical hour and I don't regret it!