Hello everyone! So it's been a while since I've done one of these updates, so I'm finally getting around to posting one today. I mentioned on Twitter and Facebook that my cousins were here for a little visit. I have some pictures of their trip plus a couple of others to share with you. Enjoy! :)

They were only here for about 5 days, and I was gutted to see them go. I wish they had booked a longer trip! The one thing I can't get over about being here in Australia is how I am constantly missing my family and wondering how they are and wanting to share my day with them. Their visiting was a great little escape from reality. I miss them already :(

On a happier note, J's Mom and sister are over for a visit as well, and he's been over the moon, since they usually only do the occasional online phone call.

I also recently celebrated my birthday. I never liked big celebrations so this year's small dinner was absolutely perfect! I even got a fabulous Chanel makeup case cake with fondant icing - my favourite :)


Hope you enjoyed my mini update! I'll be back tomorrow to continue my foundation review series, so look out for that :)

Okay, so you must have seen me on Twitter going on and on about #ABBW2011. What was it? The first ever Australian Beauty Bloggers Weekend, and it was a total joyride!

I started off my journey on the SkyBus, where I promptly bumped into Molly, who was booked on the same flight as Val, Tine (my roomie!), Mel and I. The flight was an absolute nightmare - I had such bad motion sickness I was sure I would throw up in the aisle (I didn't, thank goodness!) and my hands cramped up so badly they honestly looked like something straight out of a sci-fi movie.

The time we spent in Sydney was, I am glad to report, nothing at all like the in-flight nightmare. We attended event after event put together by the amazing organizers Jacie and Kimmi, and the amazingly generous sponsors who took part in the ABBW.


Among the highlights of my weekend were the Maxted Thomas Beauty Blogger Gala, and the Face of Australia Masterclass.

The Maxted Thomas event was amazing! They had a bunch of booths set up for the various brands that they represented, and we worked our way through all of them. They even had a photobooth set up, much to the delight of all the bloggers in attendance!



At the Face of Australia Masterclass, they set up rows and rows of tables chock-full of goodies and the model and makeup artist projected onto a huge screen so we could watch the magic happen, and try it on ourselves!


There were a few other events I really enjoyed as well, and a whole lot of products I am extremely excited to try and share with you all.

Many thanks and kisses go to Jacie and Kimmi for putting this event together for us bloggers. Without them, we really would never have had this wonderful opportunity to network and learn so much and just have fun.

I'll end this little post with a picture of my favourite girls - the #MBBE. That weekend was also a chance for me to get to know them all better, and I am missing being able to hang out and chat with them! p.s. Mel and Molly, I totally wish my Photoshop skills were rockin' enough to be able to edit you guys in, but I suck :(


All images except the photobooth picture taken by Liz Giacco for The Australian Beauty Bloggers Weekend, and are not to be reproduced, republished or reused without inclusion of this credit. Images remain the property of The Australian Beauty Bloggers Weekend.

My boyfriend graduated last Thursday.

All of us were so proud of him! His parents were beaming, and I just couldn't help but think how handsome and smart he looked. I felt so proud, watching him walk around in his graduation gown.

We took the train down together (picture on left is him at Flinders street station waiting for our train), all 7 of us (Jace, his parents, sister, aunt, me and Michelle). Everyone was pretty excited about his graduation, actually. After all, he is the only son, and their first child, and the first to graduate in the family.

Anyway, we took the train down, then had some lunch at Meeting Point while he picked up his graduation gown. Walking out of the academic dress pick-up, I asked him for his tickets, just to check. He stopped dead in his tracks - he left them at home! Luckily, we found out from student services that you could get replacement tickets when the gates opened. Otherwise, he would've gone in to graduate by himself, and there would be very well dressed people following me around the library for a couple of hours.


The graduation ceremony itself was quick enough - he was in and out in less than 1 1/2 hours. We took so many pictures near the 'lake'. They even took jumping shots. You can see them all in my Facebook album here.


We had a little dinner after, at this place in Chinatown called Ling Nam. The food there was OK, but one big gripe I have about the place was that they didn't tell us the price of the fish that we ordered! I think with something as pricey as $78 per kilo, you should warn your customer of the price before putting in the order! We are definitely not going there again - such poor service.

After dinner, we dropped by the house to feed Chloe, then went down to Crown. Not to gamble, but to go to Galactic Circus, the arcade! Everyone had a lot of fun. I am not the video game kind of person, but I had a lot of fun collecting tickets from the games, and thinking up what to redeem with the tickets after. I ended up getting a bow and arrow (Jace's idea), a pair of oversized glasses (Michelle's idea), and a Simpsons sour candy for each of us.

Of course, the glasses were a big hit.

Congratulations again on your graduation, Jace. I'm so proud!  :)

Jason's parents were actually supposed to head out with their friends today, but since they weren't doing anything interesting, everyone decided to go to the Royal Melbourne Show to check it out.

I'd actually been wanting to go since my first year here, but never found the time, people, or energy to go until now. I was quite excited about the food, the games, and the general atmosphere. I love carnivals.

So we all trooped over to Southern Cross station to get tickets.

The thing that annoyed me about the ticket booth at Southern Cross was the fact that normal tertiary student cards were not accepted for concession tickets. They only accepted Victorian student concession cards. We had to go all the way to the showgrounds and wait in line to buy the tickets. In the end, they didn't even check the student cards.


Anyway, the carnival was everything I expected it to be - big, loud, happy, and with plenty of things to do....

...if only I weren't so cheap.

Everything had an extra charge! The rides were at least $7 each, the games were ridiculously overpriced, and you couldn't do anything without paying extra money. I didn't feel like spending that much money trying to get a huge bear I'd lug home to collect dust in the corner, so none of us tried any of the games or sat on any of the rides.


The highlight of my day was the cotton candy, followed by the animal section of the carnival. The dogs, rabbits, cats, and snakes on display were so fun to pet and look at. They even had ponies, herding dogs, and pigs! I know, I sound like such a kid, but that was the best part of my day! The dogs were so cute, and there were some breeds I'd never even heard of before this!

We left pretty early, because everything was pretty pricey, and we'd walked past almost everything by then. My only regret was that I didn't eat enough :(

In all my years here, the number of times I've been out shopping combined only narrowly surpasses the number of times I have been out shopping since Jason's parents got here!

I've been to Chadstone, Bourke Street, Collins Street, Chapel Street, and Smith Street, all within this week alone.


I thought I'd share a few of my favourite Melbourne shopping spots, just so everyone can enjoy:

On Chapel Street, there is this store called Studio Girl. It sells beautiful, extremely affordable clothes. I love that it's so cheap! There are so many options to choose from, too!

I don't have much to say about Collins street, because the stores there are very pricey. If you're looking for the high-end, expensive stuff, Collins street is your best bet.

Smith street is great for factory outlet stores. The most famous are the Nike and Adidas outlet stores. There are also a lot of vintage and opp shops along Smith street, so you should definitely go there if you are bargain hunting. Another store I really liked was the Tony Bianco outlet store. It was amazing! There were shoes (normally priced at AUD 140) priced down all the way to AUD20!

Bourke street is always good for shopping. The Bourke street mall is where Myer and David Jones are, as well as stores like Supre, Forever New, and so many, many more. Also, look out for entrances into Melbourne's famous arcade malls - little mini-malls with cute (and some very old) stores selling jewellery, vintage clothes, chocolates, games. They start at Bourke street, and lead down all the way to Flinders.

Chadstone is one of the largest shopping centres in the Southern Hemisphere. It's also the farthest away from the city - you have to take a train and then a bus to get there. It is huuuuge, though! They have everything there, even Tiffany & Co.  :)

Bridge Road is a shopping stop I absolutely adore! It is home to the clearance outlets of brands like Cotton On, Sass & Bide, JeansWest, The Body Shop, and so, so many more! There are shoes, clothes, and many cute cafes lining the road. We went a little shopping-happy when we were there, and I even went back for more a few days later!


We've also had such an awesome time hanging out with Jason's family - I almost don't want them to leave. Chloe's been having a ball as well, and I am sure she'll be very sad to see them go.

Jason's graduation is in 2 days. I will update with pictures!

Michelle's club, the International Engineering Students' Society, organised a cocktail night yesterday. They held it at an awesome place (Chi Lounge, on Little Bourke), and Jason's parents and friends wanted a place to hang out and drink.

So I called Michelle up, she moved a couple of things around, and we got a karaoke room for them to hang out in. They weren't too happy about at first (I mean, free karaoke room, really?! Who does that to people?! Note the sarcasm), but they started warming up to it after the first couple of drinks. Soon, everyone was dancing and singing along to the music, and hogging the mic - just the way it should be.


They ordered a total of 5 bottles of whiskey, and our drinks were continually (and quite magically, really) topped up the entire night. Needless to say, by the end of it, everyone was very happy. Very, very happy.


It was a great chance to get to know our guests, since they were a little more chatty than usual. It was also kind of funny to have the kids take care of the adults, for a change.

They went off to Phillip Island today, but the boyfriend was a little bit tired from yesterday's shenanigans, so we decided to stay back with Mich and his sister. We're baking a cake later for his Mom's birthday, so wish us luck!


Also, Happy Birthday, Aunty Irene. Just sending the thought out there :)

It was my birthday yesterday (Happy Birthday to me), and I went out with Mich and Jason's family last night to celebrate.

We thought of going to an Italian/Modern Australian restaurant, but I decided against the whole pretentious hoity-toity thing, so we went to Oriental Spoon, on LaTrobe, instead.


The boyfriend tried to save me from the embarrassment of a birthday cake and song, but his mom got the better of him, and I got a huge slice of tiramisu cake with a big fat candle on top.


We also tried this Korean soju (read: alcohol), which Koreans drink warm in the winter. It was actually very effective against the cold - a few sips and I was feeling very warm despite the cold draft blowing in through the open doorway. It had a really sweet, pear taste, with a wine-like aftertaste.


It was a good night, all in all. I also got so many birthday wishes, calls and texts throughout the day. Thanks everyone! It feels good to be remembered, and I'm so grateful that I have so many awesome friends and family members.

I just wish I had everyone I love here with me :)

I went out on Friday night to meet up with my law mates. We thought the Law Ball was a little bit expensive, so we thought we'd do a little Law Ball-replacement outing(s) instead.

So Friday night was one of our attempts. We had dinner at a Japanese restaurant in Chinatown, then went to Partyworld for karaoke.

It wasn't at all as awkward as I thought it would be! Everyone was a real sport about singing, and I had such a lot of fun laughing and singing with everyone else.

Jace came to join us at the end of the night, too! He was out with the guys, and came to walk me home. Such a sweet boyfriend :)



I didn't wear anything fancy, but I just wanted to show you the beautiful blouse that I wore that night! You can't see it in the picture, so I found a picture of it on the model to show everyone.


Get it here for AUD 13.90.

I had so much fun. We should do this again!

I went out with the ex hall-mates for a nice girly day yesterday. Collins two3four hosted Melbourne's Round She Goes fashion market this year, and it was chock-full of awesome vintage goodies. I loved it!


We spent a good hour or so browsing around. I found this lovely little jewellery stall, and I wanted EVERYTHING on sale! Unfortunately, I didn't think the rings were very worth it, so I passed :(

I did make an amazing find, though - a lovely tweed jacket for just $10!


After the market, we were all feeling really hungry, so we went to the nearby Lindt Cafe to grab some lunch. Lindt has this lunch promotion - a meal and a drink (any drink of your choice!) for $14. I had their iced chocolate, and it came without the customary vanilla ice cream floating in the middle! I was disappointed at first, but it turns out that the iced chocolate was just as rich and creamy without the ice cream.



After lunch, we were all meant to head home, but we made a kind-of-naughty-detour into a certain little, kind of famous, store. I was blown away - I think it's safe to say we all were!

Anyway, I had lots of fun with the girls. We don't meet up very often because of schedules and the fact that everyone lives so far away, so it was definitely a long-time-coming kind of trip. Thanks guys  :)

I had dinner with the law mates last night, and boy, was it fun!

We don't get together much, so I didn't know whether it would be fun, or just awkward. (Yes, I am painfully shy)

But it was great! We talked about so many random things, laughed a whole bunch, and even managed to plan another outing.

We met at Old Town Kopitiam in Chinatown (Little Bourke). I had the char kuay teow, which was decent. Nothing compared to real Malaysian food, but acceptable given that we are not, in fact, in Malaysia  :)


I wore my new brogues again! I also tried out the boyfriend's utility jacket - see this post for more ways to boost your wardrobe with your boyfriend's help - and I got more use out of it than I thought; it started raining on the way home and the hoodie was a godsend!

Heading to Melbourne's Round She Goes fashion market later with my ex hall-mates. It should be fun! I actually stumbled upon it with my parents last year whilst walking around Melbourne Central, and I thought the stuff they had was really cool, so I'm really looking forward to going later!

Will update you with my purchases later, maybe :)

In spirit of Independence Day (Selamat Hari Merdeka, everyone!), I'm just going to post a little bit about the things I love about Malaysia. Despite problems that I'm not going to comment on, it is, after all, my home.


Malaysia's food is awesome. Nasi lemak (pictured above), char kuay teow, yee mee, hokkien mee, the list just goes on and on! If there's one thing I'll always miss about Malaysia, it's the food. Okay, I'm making myself drool.


Mamaks! The perfect place to hang out, grab extremely cheap food, and meet up for a casual get-together. And then there are the people working at the mamaks - always a funny bunch.


This picture illustrates a 2-in-1: Giant supermarket, and the weather (oh, glorious shorts!). Giant is about a 5-10 minute drive from my home, depending on traffic, and stocks everything a grocery-slash-department store should stock. I go there to get my various snack-fixes to stock up at home.
People complain that Malaysia is way too hot, but I think it has its charms. Think of it as being at the beach, all year long  :)


The parties, the gatherings, the fireworks!! Okay, so we only bring out the fireworks like twice a year, but it's good fun! And I love that all my family members are there. Whenever I'm home, I try to meet with the cousins at least a few times a week, if all our schedules permit.


THE CAR. I miss being able to drive! I don't mind walking around the city, but it's nice to have an alternative mode of transport during those long days at uni, or after a long night out in heels, or for road trips!! Not to mention the warmth that the car provides on freezing days.


The one thing I miss the most about Malaysia is the company. I miss my cousins, miss my family members, and I miss my friends. I miss my dogs, too.

Anyway, this is Malaysia through my eyes. There are so many other things about Malaysia that I adore, but I don't have any pictures and will not bore you with dry paragraphs. Come see it for yourself  :)

When I was in college, I remember being at the stationery shop across the road from the main campus, when this beautiful, bubbly girl approached me and introduced herself. Turns out, she was friends with a classmate of mine, and wanted to know if I was going to prom with him.

That girl was Priscilla Lim. Today, she is still every bit as, if not more, beautiful, and as bubbly as ever!

She is in Melbourne for a visit, and I met up with her for lunch this afternoon at Coconut House on Elizabeth.

I don't have any pictures, so I stole a couple from her Facebook page (I hope you don't mind, Pris!)



We went next door for bubble tea after lunch, and had a really good time just chatting and sharing a little bit more about each others' lives.

After an entire week of stress with uni work, and missing classes because I was sick, and having to catch up with work because I missed those classes, it was good just to talk to someone, get to know them a little more, and just laugh.

Because this was just a chilled lunch (and it was freezing cold), I kept my outfit simple.


I tried out a very bulky, thick utility jacket and a slouchy shirt, but kept everything else simple and sleek. All about the balance, right? The jacket kept me very, very comfy and warm :)

Thanks Pris for a great afternoon out! I'll see you again soon!

I guess everyone knows by now, Raudhah left for Dubai yesterday. She won't be back till February next year. The apartment is so empty now :(

So for the past week, we did a whole bunch of stuff together. On Monday, we had dinner together. Mich was so well-behaved, by the way. She came out for almost everything, without complaint!


We met up with Jin, Nelsie, and Arnold at Oriental Spoon for a nice dinner, and then Brunetti for dessert.


I had tiramisu with Jace at Brunetti. It was amazing!! So was the hot chocolate, by the way! I am pretty much obsessed with it now.


Raudhah, enjoy your time in Dubai. Please come back soon!!

So Raudhah wanted to arrange a night out, this weekend being her last one here for a while.

I think everyone was busy? Because she didn't get a reply from most, so we decided to head out with Jace and the rest instead.


The guys were going out because it was Arnold's birthday a few days ago (Happy belated birthday, Arnold!). We went to Seven Nightclub, three of us girls, the guys, and Arnold's friend.


There were 2 bottles' worth of drinks, wasabi peas, chips (amazing touch on Seven's part), and lots of dancing and laughing.


At one point, Gomez got in a bit of trouble with the bouncer - not because he was drunk, but because he is just that blur! He was a riot though, dancing to Lady Gaga songs in a really funny way.


Raudhah also got a chance to catch up with Jin, which I think she was glad for. He was going to skip this and go for her thing, so it's good that we ended up combining the two instead!


As for me, I was really, really sick that night. So Mich and Jace say I got a bit bitchy :)
I think this picture shows my red, swollen eyes. So please don't blame me, guys!