Category Archives: Reviews

Malaysian beauty and skincare products

Posted in Beauty Products, Reviews by

Social media has convinced consumers like myself to try our local products. Although some can be on the much pricier side – as long as I believe it is good for our economic cycle, I can afford to do so. These are the skincare and beauty products I have tried this year and I have to say, they leave quite a positive impression.

Simplysiti

I used to be a big fan of this cosmetic and skincare range, especially during the times of Dermagic in dark purple packaging. However, I stopped because I noted that the formula of their moisturizer (back then) felt a bit off and that was when I realized that their main manufacturer had changed from South Korea to Indonesia. They must have tweaked the ingredients a bit, out of innovation, only that it was too noticeable and did not appeal to my liking.

This time I got their serum, moisturizer and sunscreen. The sunscreen was my least favourite because the scent of bubblegum was too overpowering. I did love their moisturizer and serum.

CUURA

I was intrigued by this brand because beauty influencers were all over them with the ‘ooohhh’ and ‘aaaahhh’ for their sunscreen and supplements. I did buy their sunscreen which was great as it had the texture of BOJ and up till now I am still consuming their GLO NECTAR. Recently, I purchased their Travel Kit which has 5 items inside: DetoxCleanser (10mls), Dew Drops Essence (10ml), Hydra Boost Serum (10ml), Aqua Boost Moisturizer (10ml) and Brightening Sunscreen (10ml). It was priced at RM124 but I wished they could make it for less than RM100 or at least lower than RM110. The application is straightforward. I rationed them as I didn’t want them to finish too quickly. Ha ha. It’s great as a trial kit of their products as well.

HYGR

I was sceptical about trying their deodorant at first but once I did – I was in love. Yes, it is pricey but honestly, with it’s combined compact look and lingering scent, I would repeat my purchase. I bought the Citrus and Tea Tree deodorant. I also bought 2 sticks of lip balm in the code, Hibiscus. I gave one stick to my cousin. I chose Hibiscus because I think it complements my skin tone nicely. The fascinating thing about the lip balm is that it is pigmented enough to be used as a mono eyeshadow and a blusher. Hence, it became a great companion for my travels. In fact, I did bring it with me on my trips to Kuching and Miri.

LADY.NURTURAL

The owner of this business was a blogger that I really loved reading about since her younger years. Based on her blogging style, I have always regarded her as one of those with a flair for creativity and empathetic reasoning. Thus, I am overjoyed to see her translate these traits into her home business. You could see the love she put into the making of her product, the packaging and the marketing. I wouldn’t expect any less.

I bought some soaps from her website. I was terribly influenced to try the HUTAN soap bar because I wanted to experience the earthy-wet smell after a shower. Indeed, I did feel like I just got out of a forest, hiking maybe with all the sweat. It had that sort of fresh smell. I also bought the TAWAS soap as a means to reduce body odour. I have another 3 soap bars that have yet to be tried, so it will definitely last me throughout next year. They are too precious to be given away as gifts.

NIHON

NIHON is a skincare line formulated by dermatologists. I didn’t immediately jump on the bandwagon because the founder and those who promoted it in the first place did not appear convincing. However, as times passed with me being desperate to get my pigmentations under control, I decided to take the plunge. I knew that there was no way I would get skin treatment unless I went to Renora Clinic one day and took leave many days afterwards to heal. So, this is perhaps a reliable solution for me to take care of my skin at home.

So I bought the Essence and the Night Repair Creme. I loved the essence immediately and am seriously contemplating replacing my SKII Pitera with it. The creme has retinol which is something I always aim for in my night cream products. However, what I loved most about the creme is it’s tangy, citrus scent. It was uplifting yet calming at the same time for the nighttime application. I am looking forward to exploring other products like their day cream and sunscreen but it will have to wait until I have finished the many others I have at home.

Would you know of any other Malaysian products I can try?

A Christmas weekend in Cheras

Posted in Leisure & Travel, Reviews by

As parents, we were very grateful for this long weekend. It’s a little breakaway in the two-week school holiday break. I consider this an opportunity to scoop the kids somewhere since we couldn’t really apply for leave during this time. Mr Husband initially wanted to go to Kuantan but with the rainy season – it can be quite a risk to go there as the place could be flooded. Cheras is only 2 hours away and we managed to squeeze in a quick visit to my father’s house at BSP.

PRESCOTT-ACE HOTEL

Mr Husband booked two Standard Twin rooms. So, there’s one for us girls and another one for the boys. This is a 3-star hotel with amenities like FREE WIFI, a mini fridge and a water dispenser in the hallway. Breakfast was included in our room rates and I think my husband paid for less than RM100/night. Of course, The Suite would cost more but even the standard room was comfortable enough.

The hotel is nestled within a very vibrant community with Aeon Mall just 11 minutes walk away. Better still, there is a metro station 2Km away. This makes travelling around KL better.

Check in is at 2pm. So, we had lunch at IOI City Mall first before going there. Parking is easy and there’s just plenty of place to eat around there. One of those places is Soru Station. We also went to Ikea Cheras for our meatballs and photo-taking in the mock rooms. On our final day of checking out, we visited Pusat Sains Negara.

SORU STATION

This is where we had our dinner the same day we checked in. They serve a mix of Malaysian and Western dishes. The meals are decent with appropriate portions and reasonable prices.

IKEA CHERAS

The layout has changed. There used to be long, communal tables lined up next to each other. Perhaps the management team has come to realize that Malaysians don’t share and prefer to hoard the whole table even if it’s just 4 people because the bags need a seat. So there are more 4 seated tables in sight with a few bigger ones for the larger party. We had the usual meatballs and mash. Mr Husband had the nasi lemak. Our drinks were refillable. It’s one of those RM2.50 per glass drink.

After our meal, we walked around Ikea enjoying the aesthetic looks of its showroom. Then, we were done for the day as our daughter needed her nap.

We went to Pusat Sains Negara the next day and that will be in another post.

The wedding stay at Meritz Hotel

Posted in Leisure & Travel, Reviews by

My cousin’s wedding reception was held at The Meritz Hotel. Do not be fooled by its somewhat biashe biashe exterior appearance because this 4-star business hotel is so worth the money. I was lucky this accommodation was part of Air Asia’s Flight+Hotel promo. Hence, I paid only RM578.49 for a 2D1N stay at the hotel plus return flight tickets from KLIA2 to MIRI.

The hotel is in Miri’s city centre and is attached to a shopping mall. So, although the hotel has 3 on-site restaurants, you could have other meal options at Bintang Megamall. We had bbq.chicken there. I am sure they have similar branches in semenanjung but it was something that we’ve never had before. Father ordered the Jamaican chicken with rice and we sisters had the burger. After lunch, we stayed in our rooms to rest until it was time for dinner.

Bintang Megamall has considerable options of stores to shop in. Initially, I wanted to get my hair done at a salon that said it was Muslim-friendly (on the internet) but when I arrived there, I saw that it was no longer offering said services. This is not the first salon in a shopping mall that does so – in fact, it was something that I observed has been going on in Kuching as well. Although it is the owner’s personal choice to run their business how they wish with a target market in mind – I believe it is also a subtle way for certain businesses to say that they do not intend to serve certain members of the population. Hopefully out of cost-effective issues and not out of prejudice. On second thought, I think the salon at my place in semenanjung is also doing the same. Ha ha ha. Hence, if I want to cut my hair, I could like, these owners would say, find an establishment that could entertain such requests ( yup, I totally understand) or give up my values to receive the services. I thought the haircut could wait.

The room was spacious and it had a bathtub in it. I believe mine was a superior room and I booked one with two single beds inside because my sister and my niece are also staying with me. There was a mini fridge and access to free WIFI. I bought additional bottled water, bread and some cup noodles for breakfast in our room the next day. It took a while to figure out how to switch on the TV as the remote was not functioning. I saw that they have a room service menu which was cool but we did not order any. We also have an iron inside the room which is so convenient.

There was an outdoor swimming pool just a few floors down and I saw that the visitors did not have to adhere to strict swimwear in the pool. I believe that is a plus point for families who come to the hotel. For some women, for example, mothers with a postpartum body, wearing a normal T-shirt with leggings is definitely more comfortable than putting on a swimming suit or a burkini.

The wedding reception was held at a ballroom on Level 7. Nuh Salleh from the indie band, Hujan performed a short song during the event. Singing LIVE is definitely his forte because it just sounded really nice even though it was just him and a guitar. The couple’s dais was very pastel and flowery – I loved it a lot. It was a seated and served wedding – a very Sarawakian way of doing a wedding reception and so you see guests arriving and leaving promptly. The event was done in less than 3 hours. If my other brother, Danial is getting married, we’d do this for him instead of the usual majlis where people come and go as they please within a certain time frame. It’s just tiring to see who is coming and leaving amidst the crowd.

We checked out of the hotel just after 12pm. Then I ordered a MaximCar for our ride to the airport which was roughly 15 to 20 mins away. It cost us RM10. My flight was slightly delayed in leaving to KLIA2 and once I landed, the walk from the god knows which K terminal took ages to arrive to the main arrival hall. I then took the FREE SHUTTLE at the transportation hub of KLIA2 to get to LTCP.

I managed to get a BOOST drink and some onigiri for my refreshments in the car for my drive back home to Melaka. The highway was exceptionally dark probably due to the rain and I think I reached my house just after 2030H that day. Had a quick hot shower and went to bed since I had work the next day.

Mini Miri getaway

Posted in Everyday Life, Leisure & Travel, Reviews by

I have never been to Miri. Therefore I was very excited to receive an invitation from a distant aunt to attend her daughter’s wedding. So much so I had surveyed the price of the tickets at least 2 months before the given date. My flight options were quickly narrowed down to Air Asia.

Thankfully they have a flight+hotel promo and coincidentally the hotel that I picked was also the reception venue for the wedding. Initially I did not purchase any pre-booked meals for my flight. However, when it got rescheduled, I decided to get Pak Nasser’s nasi lemak for my flight to Miri as my breakfast meal. I did not get any extra luggage because I aim to travel very light for this 2D1N trip.

The total cost for my trip with Air Asia was RM578.49 including tax.

The itinerary was a 0620H take off from KLIA2 on Saturday and arrive Miri by 0850H. Then the flight back is on Sunday at 1540H due to arrive by 1750H. Then comes the question, how early should I get to KLIA2 from Melaka which is a 1 hour 30 mins drive away on the highway. I decided to stay at the Capsule Transit Hotel in KLIA2 (landslide). I parked my car at the Long Term Car Park (LTCP) and took the FREE shuttle to KLIA2. When I came back from Miri, the total parking rate was RM52. You could check the daily and hourly rates at the website. Just remember to pay it with cash.

CAPSULE TRANSIT KLIA2 – LANDSLIDE

I could easily book the room at the airport but several reviews that I read said that it can be fully booked really fast. I did not want to risk sleeping at the airport in the open considering that I am a petite lady, an easy target to get mugged or harrassed. Even by another female. So I made my booking through Agoda which costs me an extra RM20 from it’s usual rate. Even then I was still excited to get the experience and so I just paid RM196 for it. I could stay there for 12 hours which gives me access to it’s services like a bed, hot shower, bathroom, a goodie bag etc. I was elated that they have towels and bathroom slippers. I was also counting on the toileteries in the welcome bag which also has a pair of ear plugs, a bottled water, toothbrush with paste and an eye mask to sleep.

I checked into the capsule hotel just after 9pm – I had dinner earlier at one of the restaurants at the airport. I also did my Jamak prayers at the musolla available near the arrival area before I go down to the Transportation Hub floor (where the hotel was) because I just want to shower and then rest once I get into my room.

The bathroom reminded me of my dorm in boarding school. You bath with a fairly confident looking latch on the cowboy-ish door and hang your towel on top of it. There was hot water, shower gel and shampoo in the bathroom. I chose to stay in an all-female area but I still have to get out of the area to go to the bathroom. I did not know that first time around, so I had taken off my hijab freely only to discover that I need to put the towel over my head because the men could still pass the female bathroom to go to the main door.

Since I am petite, I could actually stand in the capsule room. It has a comfortable mattress, a comforter with two pillows. The only privacy I had was a blind that I could roll down as my door. It can get quite chilly at night despite the closed ‘door’. The area is hauntingly quiet out of everyone there being respectful towards each other of wanting to rest and all. In fact, it was so quiet that I could hear the background buzzing noise of the airport. Hence, the ear plugs to help with our sleep. However, I still felt anxious because although I tried my best to not concentrate on the sound, it still gets to me. Plus, I was so worried that my alarm would disrupt other people from their sleep because we only have blinds as doors. Which leads to a cycle of thoughts where I’d questioned ‘what if I don’t hear my alarm if I put the volume down?”What if I miss my flight?’

In the end I had very little sleep due to my anxiety. I knew I slept because I dreamt there was a sink in the room – which they didn’t but it wasn’t a very sound sleep. It was fairly disrupted. I was up by 0430am. Went to the bathroom to relieve myself and took another quick shower before I checked out of the hotel. I don’t think I would stay here again if I had a very early flight like this one. I would stay if say my flight was at 8 or something because I know I will automatically be up by 6am. Even without the alarm. Giving me more time to prepare myself.

Anyway, since I’ve already checked in online, I just made my way straight to the departure lounge. I kept telling myself ‘no coffee, no coffee, or you’ll pee’ and had plain water instead. I performed my Subuh prayer in the plane just like everybody else. We took our wudhu earlier and just prayed when the time came in our seats. The flight to Miri was uneventful and we actually arrived 30 mins earlier than scheduled.

Later I will share about the wedding and my stay at Meritz Hotel.

A book haul from Experal Bookstore Malaysia

Posted in Books, Good Things by

I have been shopping across Instagram with my imaginary cart picking out nice book titles. The decision to actually click the purchase button is based on the comments on the recommended book post, the price alongside my budget and the cover of the book. Despite the famous ‘Do not judge a book by its cover’ – I still do that most of the time.

I buy my physical books from Experal because they have the book’s synopsis in the product description. It saves me time from having to search for it on another website. Plus, they tend to send my books in perfect condition and make it clear on some books that it is a ‘pre-order’. Thus, as a buyer, I would understand that my books will not be shipped immediately. Even then I can wait. It is not a problem on my part. I can have delayed gratification.

This was my recent haul of RM 886.69 including the shipping fee. It makes me want to have a book-reading party with Kim Namjoon already.