Something Borrowed Something Blue

The "Blue" refers to the colour of the sky where I am now: Indonesia. So far I've been to Jakarta, Bandung, and Yogyakarta to visit my parents and the many relatives that come with them - my mum and dad have 6 (six) siblings each. It has been good to be here, as hubby gets to meet lots of my relatives he hasn't met before.

The "Borrowed" refers to the fact that I'm typing this from my cousin's computer, which also explains my absence. Not to fear, I have loads of photos to upload from this trip. I still don't know when or where I would be able to update this blog next. If I don't see you 'till the new year, rest assured that I'm (hopefully) still alive and well, but computer-less. :)

With this I'd like to wish you all a blessed new year ahead. Thank you for being my cyber-friends. :D

Mystery Giveaway

Originally I was planning to do a "Relocation Giveaway" since I found out that we're moving overseas again. Then last week I was sick with nanovirus. Plus I had to sort out lots of things. God willing, in less than 12 hours we're flying off to meet my parents for Christmas in Indonesia. In short, I didn't have time to take pictures of things I wanted to share with you. Therefore the "Mystery Giveaway"! :)

All good things comes in three. So you could be amongst the THREE winners who would receive any of these goodies (and more):

- something pink and something green,

- something silver and something black,

- something white and something rainbows.

Rules:

1. The giveaway is open internationally, excluding Martians and aliens from other planets.

2. You get 1 chance for being my follower/subscriber (buttons on the left) - only do it if you like reading my musings, skincare/makeup rave & rants, and love seeing my travel pictures. Make sure you leave a comment under this post to say you're entering, otherwise I'm asumming you're not interested to enter.

3. You get 2 more chances for spreading the word about this mystery giveaway. Do a blog post (using the above picture)/Tweet/Facebook/Friendster/whatever about it. Please attach the link so I know you've done that.

4. Open from now until end of 31Dec 09 31 Jan 10. Three (3) winners will be chosen using random.org after the closing date.

I'll give you glimpses of the prezzies through pictures once I get the time and the internet connection to do it. (edit: I've added the photos of some of the prezzies here and also here.)

All for now, have to sleep, ready for my flight later! :)

 

Random Acts Of Kindness from The Fairy

I'm a very grateful recipient of a RAOK today. Few days ago I asked Karen from The Graphic Fairies whether she has any graphic of "Christmasy musical cats". When I opened my computer this morning, there was this message from her sitting in my mailbox, saying that my request has been granted!

Here is the fabulous picture she hunted for me. It really brightens my otherwise disastrous week - and I'm supposed to be flying off on Thursday!!!

No7 Quick Thinking 4 in 1 wipes

I bought No7 Quick Thinking 4 in 1 Wipes when Boots had £5 discount voucher sometime ago. I wouldn't have paid the £6.50 otherwise, as to me cleansing wipes are just wipes that can't replace the job of a proper cleanser.

The blurbs on the webpage: "These gentle, fragrance-free wipes are especially created for your busiest days. No7's make-up wipes are enriched with Pro Vitamin B5 to moisturise and soften, plus natural extracts of Witch Hazel and Fennel to clear pores and leave your skin feeling smooth and fresh. ■Hypo-allergenic ■Dermatologically tested ■Fragrance free"

Well, the "hypo-allergenic" tag didn't go well with me, the wipes produced stinging sensation on my skin. Especially when used near the eyes. How am I supposed to remove my eye makeup and mascaras without being able to wipe comfortably near my eyes?! Those wipes are a bit on the small side, too.

Yes, I used the whole packet up to wipe my neck, purely because I don't like to waste anything. No, I won't be buying another one. It's not making it to my Christmas list either.

Verdict: an expensive face wipes that stings my skin.

Ingredients: Aqua, Cetearyl isononanoate, Ceteareth-20, Cetearyl alcohol, Sodium citrate, Propylene glycol, Foeniculum vulgare, Panthenol, Hamamelis virginiana, Phenoxyethanol, Glyceryl stearate, Glycerin, Citric acid, Methylparaben, Ceteareth-12, Disodium EDTA, Propylparaben, 2-Bromo-2-nitropropane-1, 3-Diol.

I Lied

Yes, I lied, my dear readers. Not intentionally, you'll read my excuses further down this post. Since it's a season of goodwill, I trust you'll find it in your heart to forgive me my transgressions.

1. My photo of my many eyeliners: they're not pictures of every single eyeliners I have. There are more inside the storage space in other town that I've forgotten about. Oops...

2. My post about turning orange: Warm Peach only turned me slightly orange, not totally orange. It was "In the Buff" (original shade) that turned shockingly orangey on my skin. It wasn't that bad when mixed with the Finishing Powder.  Eh, why am I apologizing for, turning me orange in whatever degree is still turning me orange, right? Right?! (Note to self: should've deleted this confession, I didn't really lie about it.)

3. I said I prefer to use the Emergency Gel in the evening. It was true at the time I wrote it, but not anymore. Bear with me, it's going to be a long list of "because" here... At that time I was in the early stage of using A'kin White Tea & Aloe Vital Hydration Gel Creme that was sent to me by A'kin. I thought I could use this in the mornings instead of the Emergency Gel.

As it turned out, my skin didn't love the Gel Creme. In the few weeks of using it, I discovered that everytime I used it in the morning, in the evening I would find some congested spots on my skin. This little spots stopped happening when I stopped using it.

I was really sad, as I LOVE everything else about it: the gorgeous scent, the texture, the way it worked well as a base, and being a "natural" product with an ingredients list that looks yummy & wholesome... I thought I had found an HG moisturiser! Sad.... :(

As you know I have acne-prone oily/combination skin, which could be why the phrase "for combination & oily skin" on this product didn't apply to me. Having said that, I still think it has the potential to be a really good moisturiser for the right skin type for the reasons I mentioned above.

So yeah, that's my confessions for today. I don't think I've lied to you about anything else. As far as I'm aware of.

Oh, yeah. The ingredients list, as always: lovingly typed by yours truly from the box. Please don't copy it (or any part of my blog posts in that matter) without linking back to me, it's called "stealing the work of others who've spent time and efforts typing it". I can easily trace you through my Fair Share feeds.

Ingredients: Aqua (purified Australian water), aloe barbadensis leaf juice (50%), cetearyl olivate (and) sorbitan olivate (from cold pressed olive oil), panthenol (pro Vit B5), tocopheryl acetate (Vit E) (botanical source), glycerin (botanical source), sorbitol (from GMO free maize), glycerin (and) aqua (and) anthyliss vulneraria (woundwort) flower extract, maltodextrin (GMO free) (and) camellia sinensis (white tea) leaf extract, maltodextrin (GMO free), centaurea cyanus (cornflower) flower extract, phenoxyethanol, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, bisabolol (botanical source), xanthan gum, alpha lipoic acid (botanical source), ethylhexylglycerin, sodium gluconate (from GMO free corn), citrus aurantium bergamia (bergamot) fruit oil (bergapten-free), caprylic/capric triglyceride (from coconut & palm) (and) carotenoids (from marine algae), rosmarinus officinalis leaf extract [CO2] (and) caprylic/capric triglyceride (and) lecithin (and) tocopherol, citrus aurantium amara (bitter orange) flower oil (neroli), citrus aurantium amara (bitter orange) leaf oil (petitgrain), fusanus spicatus wood (West Australian sandalwood) oil, d-limonene, farnesol, geraniol, linalool.

Norovirus

Don't let the pretty pastel colours deceive you (originally from here). They're not an advert of the latest makeup range that I'm interested to get. They're actually pictures of horrible creatures called Noroviruses.

Why the sudden interest? They're the cause of my recent suffering. The doctor at A&E told me so this morning. It's also somehow beauty-related, as being infected has left me feeling (and looking) very dehydrated, my combination/oily skin becoming very dry. Flaky skin isn't a trendy look, I'll say! Not to mention the effect dehydration has on my brains - personally I think my IQ level has gone down a couple of notches...

Here are some descriptions taken from NHS webpage.

"The symptoms of a norovirus usually start between 24-48 hours after the initial infection, although they can start after as little as 12 hours. The first symptom is usually a sudden onset of nausea, which is followed by projectile vomiting and watery diarrhoea. Some people may also have: a mild fever, headaches, stomach cramps, or aching limbs.

In rare cases of the norovirus, seizures can occur. Symptoms normally last between 12-60 hours, although most people make a full recovery within one to two days. However, the diarrhoea may last slightly longer."

If you're interested to know more, clicking on "NHS webpage" will bring you straight there.

A Happy Bunny...

... I am not.  Warning: this post can be gory for some people

It all started on Wednesday evening. I felt a bit unwell, like having a little cold. Then in the middle of the night I suddenly woke up feeling terrible, I felt like vomitting. Which I did. Big time.

Yesterday I had fever & couldn't eat anything whatsoever. I tried eating a piece of oatcake, the poor oatcake didn't stay down for long. That was all I ate. I tried to drink loads of water to compensate & failed miserably. Only managed to sip about 500ml of water throughout the day.

This morning I felt much better (after throwing up in the middle of the night). So I asked hubby to make me some scrambled egg. It's been an hour & it's still down. Fingers crossed I can start eating again today. I LOVE my food!! I hate not being able to eat anything. Most of all: I hate being sick. Just before we fly away to visit my parents next week...

End of WOTD (= whinge of the day).

Edit: food managed to stay down all day. Then I had dodgy tummy... :(

Travel photos from Delhi, India

Welcome to India! The "India" sign decorating the top of the arch was the official start of our adventure in Delhi back in 2002. :)

One of the amazing minarets we saw there.

Suprisingly lush garden surrounding the minaret - we went at the height of summer! As you can tell I'm over-compensating the freezing English weather with dreams of hotter weather. Mind you, not too hot or I'll die...

You know how much I love quirky old buildings & architecture. Here I present some for your enjoyment. Hope you like them. :)

Which one is your favourite?

If you missed it, check out my previous post: pictures from my visit to Taj Mahal in Agra.

English Winter Wonderland

No, it isn't snowing yet here, the above picture was taken last winter.

It's freezing today. I tell you, walking in a winter wonderland it is not. I like cool weather, not cold and wet windy weather! All my winter coats are in the storage in other town. Not in the mood to buy another one as we might be heading to the southern hemisphere soon...

Just curious, what's the weather like in your part of the world at the moment?

Lily Lolo Finishing Powder: Flawless Matte

I bought Lily Lolo Finishing Powder in Flawless Matte together with some sample size mineral foundations. It's been a long day for me, travelling to other town and sorting out some stuffs in anticipation of another move to another place. So I'll keep my review short and direct.

The blurb on the webpage, "A white mineral powder with oil absorbing properties for a flawless matte finish."

Is it a white mineral powder? Yes - see the ingredients list below.

Does it absorb oil? Yes - must be the kaolin absorbing all the oil. It kept my face matte for an hour or two before my face started shining again. Have to keep on re-applying: not so practical.

Does it give flawless finish? Kind of. IMO it works just like other mattifying powders.

What do I use it for? To lighten the shade of mineral foundations that are too dark for me.

Verdict: my normal powder works as well as this finishing powder. The only reason I would purchase it again is because it contains minimum amount of ingredients. Which means lesser chance of my skin being irritated by it. Perfect for sensitive skin.

Ingredients: Kaolin, Mica, Cl77019