Finding the dream wedding gown

I just want to pen down my experience in finding my dream wedding gown. As you know, the big day is coming soon. Initially, we went to a few bridal expo to just be exposed to different vendors. And then, I found out a few options; that you can either choose a package consisting of wedding gowns, package of wedding gowns with photoshoot, custom make your own wedding gown or just choose your preferred gown ala carte.

But the problem was that when we went to a few bridal expos, they were unable to show me their catalogue of wedding gowns and of course, unable to bring their range of gowns to the expos. Some of the vendors in the expos brought a few gowns for display and that's it. Further, they are super pushy for you to sign their package on the spot. I am not an impulsive shopper and definitely not one who likes pushy saleswoman. I will not be trapped into a super 'good deal' package which is really cheap but not able to see anything but just verbal confirmations. I am someone who likes to touch the things I buy, see it with my own eyes the quality of it and then only decide whether to proceed. I am someone who will take hours to choose something I like. Especially if it's for my big day, I am definitely way more fussy haha

That's why, if you know me, I do not shop much online because it will take me ages to see the description, the reviews etc LOL I like buying things off the rack because I can feel what I buy. So, after going to a few expos, I realised I have a problem. I definitely know that I will not be signing any packages there and then. But so many of those vendors threaten that if I don't sign on that day itself, I will not get a good price and it will be normal price which is way more expensive. Further, I wanted 3 gowns for my wedding and I am not sure if I would be able to find all 3 right gowns in one same shop.

Dilemma right? #firstworldproblems hahaha And if I don't sign any package, I had to make appointments in every bridal shop around Klang Valley, try on different gowns, see if it fits and decide to rent off the rack ala carte. But that is also another problem. What if the gown I like exceeds my budget? I had this dilemma for months. I still kept going for expos though just to shop and look see if any packages suit me but found out none. I was getting a bit frustrated going into a bridal expo and coming out empty handed.

But destiny has its own plans HAHA. I was approached by HTHU.com.my who happens to have a wedding styling package and it cannot come at a better time! I was kinda relieved when they explained to me their wedding styling package. I just need to list out my budget, how many gowns do I need for my wedding and what styles I wanted. And just like that, I leave it all in the trusted hands of my stylist, Jasmine.

I really heaved a huge sigh of relief because I was having a hard time finding a suitable bridal shop for my gowns. I even knew a bride who set appointment with 10 different shops for 10 different fittings before eventually settling on one or two gowns which suited her!!! I mean, I DO NOT have the time for that and moreover, I would feel so tired after all that and won't even enjoy my fitting sessions anymore. AND I absolutely cannot settle for less for my wedding day haha. I know some brides who just gave up and ended up settling for something less than perfect.

So, I wanted 3 different sets of gowns for my wedding. Off we went to Simply Gorgeous, Kota Damansara for the fitting. By the way, their gowns are really simply gorgeous!

Gown #1

Mermaid style for the church wedding. Of course, it has to be covered because of church restrictions.

This gown (and all gowns below) were picked by the stylist the day before so I didn't need any more consultation to avoid delay of time. This gown was flowy and was actually inspired by Angelababy's photoshoot wedding gown.

It is actually a tube gown but with a sash to cover up for church purposes. The stylist with the shop owner styled this look and even gave an idea of sewing the sash on the gown to prevent it from moving so all I had to do was try it on. Everything else all was arranged by the stylist.

I actually really liked this in real life. The silhouette was good and the sash train was the little 'drama' I liked at the back. However, after going home and looking at pictures, I decided that it doesn't look good in pictures and it made me look a bit FAT lol...I don't want to be looking fat in my pictures >.< so unfortunately I had to pass this with a heavy heart.

This was a bit too simple for me. The gown fitted well though but it lacked the 'drama' I wanted HAHA..yes, if you don't already know, I AM a fussy bride =p

Now, another tube dress with a mermaid silhouette but looked better because the material isn't soft so it stays put and have a slimmer figure. Unfortunately, again it is too simple for me plus due to the sweetheart neckline, the sash in the first gown doesn't match this one. But, still this one was close!

Now, this was full with drama! HAHA Fitted me perfectly, had the mermaid silhouette like I wanted and the drama I was talking about LOL But...it was too sexy for church so again, with a heavy heart, I had to pass this. This story of hunting the right church gown will be continued below hehe

Tired of not being able to find the right church gown, we moved to the next gown I wanted.

#2 Cheongsam gown

Red cheongsam long gown for tea ceremony which is elegant looking and not so traditional.

This was good. Red, cheongsam collar with a train. Simple and perfect for tea ceremony.

This one looked a bit old so had to pass this.

We even tried out a qipao because most brides nowadays wear qipao instead of cheongsam I was told. But, oh my, luckily, I didn't even think of wearing this because urm...it just doesn't suit me at all >.<

Look #3

A high low gown fitted for walking around during luncheon/dinner.

I know we will definitely need to walk a lot to greet guests so I envisioned an easy to walk in gown instead of people stepping on my train/avoiding my train and my bridesmaid to keep carrying my train everywhere or even worst, me stepping on my own train and fall -.-

This look was casual and super easy to walk with.

This one looked good too but I'm still contemplating that train LOL

Either that or I could use either one of gown #1 from above for the luncheon/dinner.

All in all, it took us around 5 hours for all that fitting HAHA. My fiance almost passed out and I haven't even found 'The One' yet for the church wedding. I had to go back to ask my mom's and MIL's opinions before setting appointment for the next fitting session(which took another 4 hours LOL) That's why I said, if this even took up a lot of time, imagine me doing all of it for myself without a stylist >.<

So, in the first session, after not being able to find the right mermaid gown, I was looking around the shop and saw this huge princess-y style gown and my stylist asked me why not just give it a try? The shop owner also told us that it is a new design and inspired by Gillian Chung's wedding gown.

So I briefly tried this. Alright, know this, I have always pictured myself in a mermaid gown- I don't know why. Maybe because I love the silhouette and I thought princess style was a bit too traditional for modern days wedding and besides, the huge skirt below will be too hard to walk in. Boy, was I WRONG! It was airy, easier to walk in, and guess what? Just this one brief picture and both my mom and MIL loved it *cries*

Then, I tak puas, I did a poll on instagram and 75% preferred the princess gown as well!!

Actually, on the inside I was just bitter that I had pictured mermaid all these while but found out that princess suited me well also HAHA

Somehow the princess style make me look younger whereas the mermaid one made me look mature. But of course, it's not that gown that I chose. I chose something princess-y but a different one. You'll see on my wedding day *winks* Can't give everything away right now, isn't it!

And there you have it, my 'finding the right gown' journey. Morale of the story is that not always how you picture it will turn well. Maybe, it will take a different turn but for the better. But the better outtake is, remember to always have fun in the journey. I had a lot of fun trying out many gowns and to feel like a princess haha..Although people said that you shouldn't bring your fiance to find the wedding gown because it should be a surprise but I needed his nod of approval and also because he provides injections of humour the whole day so that it won't be a stressful fitting session! Fitting sessions can be a stressful and a frustrated one especially if you're unable to find the 'dream' gown but with the right people by my side; my fiance, my stylist, the ever helpful shop owner there, it made the journey a fun one!

Thank you so much HTHU.com.my for taking a huge burden off my shoulder. Not only that, they have also arranged a hair stylist and a makeup artist and created a suitable style to match the gowns on my wedding day. That's another headache ticked off the list because again, after going through so many bridal expos, I am unable to find the right ones.

Can't wait for the wedding day with my choice of gowns =)

Althea Turns 3

Hello guys! If you've been following me on my instagram, you'll know about the hype on Althea Korea turning 3 this year!

In conjunction with that, they have also chosen some influencers to be part of their Althea Angels team and guess what? Yeap, I was chosen to be one of them =)) Thank you Althea for making me a part of this awesome team!!

Not only that, they have gifted each and every Althea Angel a welcoming box. It was rather a surprise when I received one on my doorstep. Wanna see what I received? I even made an unboxing video of it. And please bear with me because this is the first full video I have ever made. So proud of myself from stepping out of my comfort zone and making and editing the video all by myself with no help from an expert HAHA. Self taught okay and never thought I could produce one. Many more to come perhaps!

Check the video out!

Anyway, here's what I received:

So many goodies consisting of:

-A custom made 'Althea Turns 3' tote bag

-A 'spread your wings' makeup bag

-A 'spread your wings' hand mirror

-2 star products which will be reviewed below

Althea has been so generous to their angels gifting custom made goodies for us. The makeup bag is so spacious that I could even fold the tote bag and pack it in the makeup bag haha. And the mirror is very handy and will be bringing it with me on my next trip.

But let's talk about these 2 star products- the skin detoxers!

This is a collaboration of Get It Beauty x Althea.

Get It Beauty is Korea’s no. 1 beauty TV show who introduces new trends and provides resourceful information relating to beauty.

The skin detoxers were created to suit the hectic schedules of modern urbanites. This product harnesses the goodness of nature and translates them into freshness and vitality for the skin.

Treat your skin daily to this easy-to-use, 10 second wash off mask detoxer. Yes, you ONLY need 10 seconds.

GREEN TEA: PURIFYING (RM43)

Detoxing Recipe that calms down and purifies sensitive skin.

10-second Night Routine

At 10 p.m, the time skin cell regeneration is most active, this product boosts the skin’s natural regeneration process by ensuring the skin is purified and ready to rest. The natural pack containing real leaves maximizes the nutrition so that the skin can easily get a full mask pack effect only in 10 seconds.

The leaves were chosen to only be the first born baby green tea leaves from pristine Jeju Green tea Plantation. Jeju’s green tea leaves grow under the spring sunshine, allowing them to harness the natural energy of the island.The baby green tea leaf collected in spring contains an abundance of Catechin which has 5 times more vitamin C than lemon does, making them excellent at protecting the skin from UV damage.

Cleansing ingredients derived from Coconut extracts, softly melts down in your skin without irritation forming mild bubbles for easy cleansing.

Squeeze out a generous amount and apply a relatively thick layer onto dry skin. Leave the product for 10 seconds, then add a little bit of water and massage in circular motions. Rinse it off after. It has a fragrant scent but is not overpowering and this is actually my favourite out of the two. It deeply cleanses my skin eventhough it's only a 10 second mask and I can feel my skin cleansed well without leaving it dry but nourished.

ROSE: REFINING (RM43)

Detoxing Recipe , which gently smoothes away roughness and gives skin a radiant glow.

10-second Morning Routine

In the morning after you wake up, this product helps to protect and balance the pH levels of the skin, evening out the skin’s texture for perfect makeup application.

Containing 100% May Rose Petals, which is hand-picked once in a year during May from Grasse, Southern France, and smoothes your skin like a rose petal. It blooms once in a year in Grasse, France just for 5 weeks and is gathered only by handpicking. Premium May Rose helps balance out the skin’s pH which is 5 times more effectively than normal rose. It helps moisturize and gives the skin a rosy radiant glow with rich mineral component.

I don't normally like to spend much time in the washroom in the morning because I almost always wake up late HAHA. So although it's a mask, I'm still pleased that it doesn't take up much time. I like to slap it on while brushing my teeth and thereafter wash everything off at once. This mask is actually quite mild.

Such a good addition in the market because I have not seen anything like this before. It's quick, effective and perfect for those working people- like myself- who don't have the luxury of time to pamper ourselves. The Green Tea one is in my MUST-HAVE list!

My goodies from Althea doesn't just end there hehe
I was also entitled to more goodies and these are handpicked by me.

Mine came in the Limited Edition Birthday Book Box. How cool is the box together with those miniature boxes =)

I'm definitely keeping this box haha

So what did I get for myself?

WLAB BLACKHEAD KILL 3-STEP NOSE PACK 1 SHEET (RM7)

When I was Korea, I saw so many of these almost everywhere but somehow I didn't buy it perhaps because I wasn't sure whether it could actually help my blackhead problem. And further, they always sell in bulk so since there is 1 pack here, I wanted to just buy 1 to try it out hehe Will be trying it out soon so and if it's good, will definitely recommend it back to you guys.

ARITAUM SCALP CUSHION HAIR BRUSH (RM19)

When I first saw it in picture, I didn't think it would be this huge haha

But it's okay, because I have very thick long hair so it's good for my hair. It detangles my hair quite quickly. This big paddle-style brush covers big sections and is made with a cushion that allows for gentle brushing, while the wooden bristles massages the scalp, encouraging blood flow and improving the health of scalp and hair without hurting it. I'm actually quite happy with this purchase because my current brush is very old and I needed a good new one and this one is big and very suitable for my thick hair =)

CP-1 RASPBERRY HAIR VINEGAR (500ML) (RM31)

Website description: Not your conventional conditioner, this treatment has a liquid-y consistency that allows it to apply evenly and penetrate each strand of hair. With raspberry vinegar as its star ingredient, this product has a slight acidic pH that softens, detangles and smoothes troubled hair. Don’t worry about it being too harsh effect or scent wise on the hair as this keeps your tresses both healthy and smelling like berries.

I have read about the wonders of vinegar for hair home remedy. So I decided to give this one a try. At first try, unfortunately the scent was a bit like those syrup antibiotic. Luckily, after washing it off, the antibiotic scent doesn't linger haha and the berries scent is not so overpowering. The liquid is very watery unlike the conventional conditioner. So, since my hair is thick, I needed to pour quite a lot and even then, my hair didn't really feel conditioned and still felt a bit coarse. But, I did realise that the vinegar does a good job detangling my hair making it easier to comb. Perhaps I need to use this more often before the real results will shine.

POBLING PORE SONIC CLEANSER (RM88)

I was quite surprised at myself for choosing this product haha I was always fascinated by cleansing tools but never tried one before. So since I saw this at the website, I thought why not try it out for the first time. I mean this is not Clarisonic and looking at the price, this is probably for beginners like me so no harm trying this out.

It's properties:

-10,000 sonic oscillations per minute

-Soft fine hair

-Water resistant 

-Exchangeable refill head

It uses AAA battery and vibrates around skin for deep cleansing. I, however, upon first try did find the vibration was rather slow and wasn't sure it was enough for deep cleansing. But I just kept using it for a few times and massaging it in circular motions around my face during every wash. I was quite surprised to find out that my blackheads and whiteheads were coming off easily and my acnes reduced. I also really love the soft bristles which is very soft and gentle on my skin. I could also feel my skin becoming brighter and radiant. Definitely using this long time! Super happy with this haul =)

Althea is also running a 'Fly Me To Korea' contest, which is super awesome because you can win:

 -AirAsia Round Trip Flight to Korea for Winner + a friend; and

-Oh My Oppa Tour for 2 pax; and

-STARPASS’s The Show x 2 invites; and

-Althea Korean Dinner for 2 pax

If you bought products from Althea Korea and received the Birthday Book Box, you will see some cardboards for making the DIY Birthday Book miniatures like below:

To enter the contest you need to:

Shop - Make a purchase on Althea and be one of our lucky fans who receive the limited edition Birthday Book box + Birthday Book miniatures!

Get Crafty- Fix up the miniature boxes according to the instructions.

Snap - Take a creative photo featuring your finished Birthday Book miniatures.

Submit - Upload it to Instagram and caption it telling why you’d like them to fly you to Korea! Be sure to use the tags @AltheaKorea #AltheaTurns3 #AltheaKorea to enter.

Show off your “Birthday Book” creation featuring the miniatures on Instagram from 2nd July until 31st August 2018, 11.59pm MYT to participate!

What are you waiting for? Make a purchase and join in the contest!

Good Luck!!

Growing up in July

This post has been a little delayed. I was very busy 'growing up' as seen in the title hahaha and partly I was down with flu and cough =(

Anyway, July's adventure was so much about growing up LOL Had some much adult stuffs to do that I had not much time for food adventures which is a good thing in a way because I am supposed to diet for my wedding! HAHA Luckily, I also lost 2 kgs in the meantime for my upcoming pre wedding photoshoot. Cutting down on carbs really helped.

But then again, a girl's got to eat some good food from time to time =)

Went to Ikea to do some adulting stuffs haha and guess what? How can you go Ikea without eating their famous meatballs?

The Swedish meatballs are unique with the jam. I was a bit reluctant to eat with the jam but after tasting, it was not bad at all hehe

The chicken wings is another dish to shout about. Actually I preferred the wings more than the meatballs. Super juicy, huge and yummy!

I think I also overloaded myself with pizza this month thanks to Domino's Pizza! 

Wayy too much Samyeang pizza and my addiction to Samyang has just increased haha

Have you tried the Durian McFlurry?

I think it is overpriced though.

Omulab, Seksyen 17 PJ

Had their poached egg with runny yolk and..

The famous Japanese omelette but only this time is on top of salad [healthy version]

Tasted really good!!

Indian food for a change at Mallikas restaurant, Arked Esplanade.

Yup, quite authentic just like the one in India.

Boat noodle.

Quite some time since I have been here but wow, they have innovated so much! Still yummy as ever though.

It's the King of Fruits season!

Ate way too much good durian recently. Loveeed it.

Probably also the reason why am I sick now.

Back at Fishiee Cafe, Bukit Jalil.

Can't get enough of their bread bowl curry pasta.

And they even have salted egg sandwich. Delish! One of the very few cafes with good coffee but even better food.

My addiction towards poke bowl <3

Which is also how I am losing weight hehe

Tapau-ed from Wonder Poke, Wonder Tea from Bandar Sunway. Their meal of the day with free drink is quite worth it.

Cooling off the heat with ice kacang.

Had 'tai chao' at one of the coffee shops at SS14 Subang and the food was really good. 

Salted egg squid. Can't go wrong with this.

Tauhu.

Prawns.

Will definitely be back for more.

Oh here again, Jyuraku!

Salmon sashimi

More fresh shashimis

Ika

Chef made special, foie gras <3

Was at Setiawalk, Puchong and came across this cafe, Snow Story which had an ice machine to drop ice onto the Christmas tree like snow haha

Lunch with a view hehe

Can't believe we have never walked into Dotty's, TTDI.

Their pastries are to die for.

Salted Egg croissant. The salted egg custard is very yummy yet does not feel 'jelak'.

Red Velvet Eclair. The eclair was cold and inside there's a creamy filling and it's the best eclair I have ever tried.

Couldn't get enough of salted egg and we had another salted egg doughnut haha

Mmmm...

After that, chilled at Flower Girl Coffee, Sunway Geo for some rose latte.

Managed to squeeze in some time for MI 6 as well. I have never missed any Mission Impossible series and this one never disappoint as well. Tom Cruise is da man! How old is he anyway? So young looking and still can run so much. Mission Impossible is something I can see on reruns unlike other movie sequels. So much actions and always on the edge of my seat. MUST WATCH!

Can't wait for the upcoming months because there's just soo much to do- from wedding preparation, moving house, planning planning and more plannings to do. Maybe, you'll see more wedding posts instead of food posts now hahaha