See you in a week!

Hi lovelies!

I thought I'd better let you know there won't be much activity around here for the next seven days or so because Hubby and I are taking a little trip to Singapore to celebrate his birthday!

Normal posting will resume after the 22nd of August.

Chat soon!

Gone fishin'...

Maybe???? 

(My boys goofing around on the beach at sunset last year)
 

 Actually the husband, son and I are off on another little break seeking some sun and sand up north in sunny Queensland!

 

If I can - wifi and time permitting - I'll try and get some posts out over the next few weeks.  If not, normal posting will resume after the 11th of April.

 

 

See you soon!

 



My 2015 beauty resolutions

This post is one I've been thinking about considerably over the last month or so.  Most of 2014 was devoted to going on a beauty diet to curb my impulse spending on cosmetics so what do I want to get out of 2015?

 

The beauty diet (basically it was 2 products out for every 1 new product in) did have a lingering effect on me and I've noticed how much more deliberate I've become with my makeup purchases - I must also thank  Sophie, Anissa, and Norlin for joining me and lending their support.  Just yesterday I stalked the higher end beauty counters for sale bargains and I walked away with nothing! I'd hoped to find a certain high end mascara on sale and because that particular mascara wasn't discounted I decided I wasn't going to buy something else just for the sake of it, see? Something has obviously switched over in my brain. 

  

Okay enough patting myself on the back.  Moving onto 2015 goals I've decided I can loosen the reigns just a little so here's what I plan to do:

 

1) Rather than doing 2 for 1 this year I'll use up (or cull) at least 1 makeup product before I buy a new product.  Based on my new 'restrained' behaviour I'm hopeful that won't automatically mean I run to the makeup counter every time I have another empty! Basically I'm going to genuinely want/desire/need something first. If it passes that test then it's a green light for me! 

 

On the other hand here's where I've UPPED the ante...

The lingering lip glosses

 

2) I've got waaaaay too many lip glosses in my collection so I'm going on a lip gloss buying ban FOR THE YEAR!  It shouldn't be as hard as it sounds seeing as I'm favouring mattes and longwearing lipsticks at the moment.  Having said that, hopefully I will actually finish some of my glosses and I'll also have a good hard look/sniff at which ones need to go due to old age and expiration.

 The bronzer bonanza

 

3) My bronzers all look so new and unloved! I've already pledged on Instagram that I'm going to start wearing my bronzers and contouring products more regularly this year and now I'm going up the ante by challenging myself to hit pan on a bronzer!!! HITTING PAN ON A BRONZER?!? CAN I DO IT??? If I can I plan on finally treating myself to a Guerlain bronzer (something I've had on my wishlist since the start of 2014)!

 

4) Finally, not so much a beauty plan but a blogging pledge:  I'll make sure to post at least twice a week in 2015.  Of course if I get that burst of creative energy I'll get onto it more frequently but I've been a bit all over the place this year and a couple of posts a week is very doable without me feeling pressured :)


*****************************

 

Well I think I've got enough beauty rules for 2015.  Will you be setting yourself any challenges or resolutions for the coming year?

 



Vacation time again!

This is a bit of a 'Hi! Bye!' post because I'm heading off overseas for a family holiday - TONIGHT!

 

We'll be starting off in Japan (Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Osaka and back to Tokyo) then flying to Hawaii for some more laid back holidaying.  I'm keeping it brief because I'm packing as I write!

 

Normal posting will resume after the 4th of October but you can always keep up with my adventures on Instagram and Twitter in the meantime.

 

Until next time!!!

Time for a vacation...

Hi again!  Posting twice in one day must be an all-time record for me!

 

After the flurry of posts I thought I'd let you know as of the 10th of April (tomorrow down here) I'll be taking a little break because we're heading up to the Gold Coast in Queensland for a family getaway. Things might be quiet around here for the next couple of weeks depending on little things like wifi availability and how busy (or lazy) we are.  Normal posting will resume from 19th of April.

 

Hopefully the weather will be a little something like this:

 

 

Speak to you all soon!

 



TAG: 30 Random Facts About Me

This tag was a long time coming because I found it really, really challenging to dig out 30 random facts that wouldn't bore you to tears - thanks to the lovely and très articulate Liz for tagging me! Now let's see if I succeed in keeping you all interested!  I hope I don't scare you all away now...
 

 Happy times on vacation with my boy!
 

1. I am an only child and I am also the mother of an only child - at varying stages of my life I swung between wanting a houseful of kids (some crazy number like 10?!) to wanting absolutely no kids so it panned out the right way in the end.

 

2. I used to be such a fussy eater as a child but I'm sure I've 99% overcome that.  A lot of things I went to huge efforts to avoid I now love, such as mushrooms, pumpkin and olives.  I'm open to trying new cuisines too which I love to do whenever I travel.

 

3. My eyelashes are unnaturally long as a side effect of medicated eye drops I use every day to keep my glaucoma under control.

 

4. I absolutely suck at reverse parking and avoid it at every opportunity.  Of course our car has rear-parking sensors just in case I have to go there!

 

5. I can never read a single book at a time and always have at least three on the go at once, plus numerous magazines. 

 

6. I have an open mind when it comes to ghosts and the afterlife although I have never had an encounter myself.

 

7. I love travel!  Doesn't matter if it's here or overseas - I just love being out there and quite honestly I get depressed when I get back home unless we have another trip already planned.  I had the post-vacation blues for a month when we came back from Japan in 2008 because there was nothing planned to look forward to.

 

8. I can knit and crochet although I haven't completed any crafty projects in years.  I may just take up a project this autumn so I can have something cosy and homemade ready in winter!

 

9. I will forever - until I shrink with age and the inevitable compresses of gravity - say that I'm 5 feet 4 1/2 inches tall (that's 163cm), because I was so pi**ed off at never making it to 5 foot 5! That half inch for some reason really means a lot to me!

 

10.  I have a fiery temper and swear like a sailor.  I'm encouraging my son to fine me a dollar each time I do it to help me mend my ways.  I like to blame genetics, specifically my mother, but that's probably a case of nurture rather than nature so I need to rise above my own less than perfect upbringing.

 

11. Chocolate is my number one "drug" of choice.  All kinds:  dark, milk or white.  It's all good (or evil) as far as I'm concerned and I could very easily let it creep back into my daily diet.  I have to make a conscious effort to keep everything in moderation.

 

12. I was painfully shy as a child and it's taken all my life to overcome my social anxiety.  Making Youtube videos is yet one more way of conquering it.

13. Despite pinning every killer heel there is out there in my spare time, when it comes back to reality I'm a flats girl because I can't stand the pain that is inevitably - in my sad gnarly feet's case - associated with teetering beauty.

14. I'm a lone wolf when it comes to exercise.  I don't do classes or team sports so I'll go running or off for a gym workout by myself.

15.  I used to bite my nails until I was the ripe old age of 17. Painting my nails has pretty much been my obsession since then.

16. I can make a pretty damn delicious (better than sex in my humble opinion) Reese's Cheesecake Brownie.  Addictive much?

17. I prefer weepy movies over comedies. I enjoy the cleansing release of a good cry.

18. I don't mind sci-fi movies but I don't love horror films and I hate any kind of gratuitous gore fest - I prefer suspense and implied events (where my imagination can do all the heavy lifting) rather than blood and guts in my face.

19. Much to my regret I can't play a musical instrument and I don't speak another language.

20. However, I do plan on learning another language, namely at least a bit of Japanese before I head there again later this year!

21. I stumbled into blogging after searching online for the perfect greige nail polish over three years ago.  Suddenly I was inspired by the online swatches and thought why not?

22. I enjoy the company of pets and I'm a dog AND cat lover, although I'm leaning a little more towards my feline company these days with my two cats...

23. ...and that's also why every year I buy a Classic Cats calendar to hang on my kitchen wall!

24.  My age will be twice this number in a few months *groan*.

25. Aside from nail polish and makeup I also love collecting food magazines and cookbooks.  I enjoy cooking although it's rare I get the time to do anything on a grand scale - my usual style is speed-cooking during the week and I usually get Friday nights off!

26.  Now that we've gravitated back to food my favourite ice cream combination is peanut butter with chocolate-chip cookie dough mixed in.  Mmmmm....that usually happens on Friday nights when we go out for dinner and end up at our local Cold Rock Ice Cream parlour for dessert!

27. I used to recite the alphabet backwards for fun when I was a kid.  I just tried it now and I damn well can't do it anymore!

28. We're getting pretty random now aren't we??  Another 'useful' talent I had as a kid was the ability to walk en pointe in bare feet just as though I was a barefoot ballerina - I think that was downright crazy and blame it for the gnarly feet I have now :p

29. I wear a UP Jawbone bracelet 24/7 to measure my daily activity levels and sleep.  I now know that I sleep better than my husband does - yes he wears one too!

30. I would love to visit Paris one day for a second honeymoon with said husband!

 

And that's all folks! Phew! No kidding this took me THREE days to write!!!



 

2014 beauty resolutions AKA The 2014 Beauty Diet!

It's the business end of the year when some of us take stock of all sorts of things in our lives - and pledge to do things differently in the coming year!

 

I don't think I resolved to do anything particular in 2013, although I did work at shedding 12.5 kg (27.5 lbs) this year but that's not what I'm here to elaborate on in this little post.  Being beauty and makeup obsessed as I am I think I may have allowed myself to blow out just a little (read "by a truckload") with impulse buying this past year so this is where I pledge to shed just a little next year - at least until I head overseas in late 2014 to Japan and Hawaii when I figure all bets are surely off - depending on exchange rates of course!

 

For inspiration/motivation/focus here are the makeup items I believe I'll be able to finish over the coming year...

 

In previous attempts I've tried the hard core Project Pan approach, and other methods of denying myself only to binge BIG TIME once I reached the end so next year it will be a softer, more doable approach by reducing in the slowest way possible.  Much like a sensible diet I'm going for an everything in moderation approach rather than all out deprivation.  We're all attracted by the lure of the forbidden aren't we?  So: 

(1)  For every two makeup items I finish I'll be able to treat myself to one new luxe makeup item as a reward (the 1 for 2 approach if you like).

(2)  The only other "condition" will be to create a makeup wish list and stick strictly to that wish list to prevent impulse buying - yes the wish list can grow over the year to accommodate those dreaded limited editions too.

 

I'm not going it alone as the wonderful Gloss Queen Anissa of Beautifully Glossy will be joining me so we'll be supporting each other.  We've been tweeting each other about it with great enthusiasm!

There is one pretty significant thing I have to tell you before we start.  In the last couple of months before deciding to do this I organised a few overseas beauty swaps which I have yet to post (I have quickly put them up on Instagram) - and one is yet to arrive.  Just so you understand I'm not looking for loopholes here!

The first step is making this public declaration (check!).  The next step will be putting together my wish list and sharing that with you.  I'm going to be thinking hard and choosing carefully because that is my one makeup shopping list. So far I have three must-haves burning away in my brain...

If you're interested in trying our beauty diet to get your makeup shopping under control let me know in the comments below.  Likewise if you have another tactic you'd like to share let me know too!

Until next time!

Overseas trip 2013 - Part 2: Singapore

 

ION Orchard shopping mall after dark

Hello again!

 

Before I get into my Singapore vacation post I have to say there's so much more to Singapore than I'm showing here - and if you're wondering why there aren't any pictures from places like the Singapore Flyer, Universal Studios, Chinatown, or Little India just to name a few it's because we've visited and snapped those on previous trips to Singapore. The photos I've posted just represent our newest experiences in this wonderful place.  After several trips over the years I've developed a genuine love for Singapore so I'd return again in a heartbeat - the climate, the food, the greenery, the shopping, the ever evolving nature of the place, and of course the people - I have a growing circle of Singaporean friends (in Australia too!) so that gives me another reason to love the place...

 

Singapore Zoo

 

 

 

The Singapore Zoo has the most impressive, lush setting so I was just as interested in taking pictures of the vast gardens as the animals.  Seeing the white tigers was a highlight, as was seeing the hippo mama and baby snuggling!
 

 

Marina Bay Sands

The last time I was in Singapore, Marina Bay Sands resort was still under construction and I was incredulous at the design, apparently inspired by a deck of cards (fun fact from Wikipedia).  This time around we did the obvious touristy thing and visited the rooftop Sands SkyPark to take in the view - and maybe check out the iconic infinity pool too.  Well, the rooftop pool can only be accessed by those staying at Marina Bay Sands or a limited number of visitors with special passes so that was out but we did get the view on a relatively clear day.

The cityscape view...

...the two conservatories at Gardens by the Bay...

...and the Singapore Flyer as seen from across the Marina Bay.

My men were checking out the National Day rehearsals down below on the water while I played stealthy paparazzo!  

 

Art Science Museum

Another amazing new building - this one's modelled on the lotus flower and the clever design also captures rainwater which is then recycled for use inside the building.  This was damn difficult to photograph and in retrospect I should have tried to stitch together a panorama to get the whole structure in!  We spent some time inside viewing the current 'Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb' exhibition.

 

One of the many waterlilies in the pond outside. 

 

 

S.E.A. Aquarium

We unluckily chose the very day the local kids were off from school to visit the aquarium so it seemed all of Singapore was in attendance! 

 

Gardens by the Bay - Supertree Grove

 

 

 

I've heard several people refer to the Supertree Grove as being very Avatar-like.  I truly envy the imagination of the person who envisioned this because it seems so prehistoric and other-worldly.  There's a walkway suspended in the air connecting the 16 storey high trees and we paid a measly sum of $5SGD for the privilege.  The trees are also illuminated at night and seeing them all lit up is on my return visit wishlist!

 

Flowerdome

 

 

The Flowerdome is one of the two massive air conditioned conservatories in Gardens by the Bay and was an interesting mix of floral whimsy and other unusual foliage displays including the cactus garden just above.   I've spared you here but for some reason I took a disproportionate (read 'ridiculous') number of pictures of cacti and succulents - probably because they were actually the first things greeting me when I entered the dome!

 

 

Cloud Forest

The Cloud Forest dome was dominated by the cooling 35-metre waterfall spraying fine mist everywhere and the manmade mountain blanketed in rainforest plants. You take an elevator to the top of the mountain then make your way down via the wire walkway encircling it. 


Equinox

To finish I'm sharing the wonderful view of Marina Bay my husband and I enjoyed during our dinner for two at Equinox restaurant, some 70 floors up.


Next post:  The great Singapore beauty haul!



Overseas trip 2013 - Part 1: Hong Kong

Hello again :)

We've just had the most wonderful 3 week break from the Southern winter, escaping to Hong Kong and Singapore.  It's my pleasure to do a bit of a visual recap and relive my holiday in the process, starting with this post devoted to Hong Kong...

 

Victoria Harbour

My first views of the Harbour were somewhat misty and bleak (and humid, fogging up my camera) but by the end of our week-long trip the weather and skies cleared up so we had this cloudless view to remember.  Yes, we crossed the Harbour on the Star Ferry several times too!

 

 

Man Mo Temple (Tai Po)

 

What I remember was the super hot, and I mean meltingly hot, humid trek part way up the peak via the connecting outdoor escalators to get to the temple (dedicated to the gods of literature and of war) but once inside I forgot all about that.  I was caught up in the stillness and the permeating scent of the eternally smouldering incense - a place to just stop and be.  Of course once back outside and into the humid heat we chilled off with iced teas and Coke floats!

 

Stanley Bay

After a few days in Hong Kong I'd duped myself that it was all about hot concrete, tall buildings and the squash of humanity. WRONG! Naive tourist that I am - I really had noooo idea.  Stanley was the first stop that changed my mind. It had a positively sleepy beachside retreat vibe when we visited midweek.

 



Stanley Market

We browsed rather than bought then caught the bus back and moved onto the...

 



Tung Choi Street Market (aka Ladies' Market)

 

My son did most of the shopping at the Ladies' Market - kitsch USB drives for his friends and a watch for himself! Erm...and...I bought four pairs of 'Paul Frank Industries' socks for him.  It's all about kids when you go shopping with them!  On the same day we went to...

 



Flower Market Rd 

 

All the street side flowers looked so wonderful in the afternoon light so I took numerous pictures.  What else can you do when you can't take them with you? Take LOTS of pictures to remember...

 

I was fascinated by the rosebuds in mesh sleeves...

 



We also trekked through the Bird Market (a bit disturbing for me seeing large solitary birds in tight fitting cages), the Goldfish Market (you know, fish in water-filled plastic bags) and finished up at the Temple Street Night Market.  We were all exhausted and FAMISHED at the end of all that on foot market trekking - and finished up feasting on claypot chicken with rice and a large bottle of beer each. Yeah well - not my son - he was all about fried rice and Coke!

 

Disneyland

Even though HK Disneyland is small compared to others I've been to there was still enough to occupy a full day - and go for a second and third turn on favourite rides at the end of the day when the queues were much shorter.  Our faves:  Grizzly Gulch and Space Mountain.  

 

Victoria Peak (aka The Peak)

The crowded (read 'crushed') wait for the cable tram ride to the top of the peak was well worth it and the views were breathtaking and panoramic like nothing I've ever seen - I can only imagine how wondrous it would be on a completely clear day or at night.  That's on the itinerary for my return to HK!

 



My son taking in the view...

Tian Tan Buddha

We took the cable car to Ngong Ping Plateau to see the big Buddha, which surprisingly was unveiled only in 1993!  It's a 500 step return trek to the statue with the reward of a 'free' ice cream and bottle of water each for the small entry fee to the museum inside the podium - these were well appreciated after the trek up 250 stone steps on that hot clear day!  The cable car journey was worth it in itself for the views of the green hills and the busy airport - I admit to being a bit of a plane-spotter myself! Lol

 

So these are just some of the highlights of a packed week in Hong Kong. Yes we enjoyed the food (see my IG account for a little evidence of that - my husband frowns on me photographing food) and I shopped like my life depended on it especially for beauty products(!) which I will post separately.

 

I hope you enjoyed the pictures - and I've tried not to ramble too much.  After all, this ain't no travel blog!

 

Until next time!