Closing in on year 2019

2019 has been THE year for me.

It's the year I got married and threw my wedding luncheon.
It's the year I shifted into our new home and for the first time ever stayed away from my family.
It's the year I properly became a wife and had to do wife things like cooking, cleaning etc
It's the year I had to improve my culinary skills.
It's the year I went for my honeymoon.
It's also the year that I'm going for a second honeymoon *laughs*

So let's recap this year.

I finally moved into my new home. Read my renovation story. Settling in was a mixed feeling. Initially, I thought I would hire cleaners to clean my house on a weekly basis but suddenly realised that I had to follow their schedule and supervise them. I might as well do it by myself with the help of my husband and my 2 Dysons hehe So we upkeep the house ourselves and I'm kinda OCD that I need my house to be in proper all the time. Quite tiring but also satisfied to be able to keep something clean by yourself.

And then I had a few bachelorette parties and finally got married! Super thankful that I had friends to keep me calm before the wedding and since I'm such an early planner, I wasn't last minute and getting panicky about anything. I must say everything went smoothly, thank God! The vast difference of being in a relationship and being married is definitely the living in part. We have our differences but luckily my husband is the more patient and more adaptable one. So far, we think that having our own independence and being able to just hang out together in our home has been quite fun =)

Then came my birthday. My first as a wife. Had many surprises and definitely over ate cakes so my cake quota was over the limit in the month of May haha I have just one more year next year before I turn the big 3-0 so gotta live life to the fullest while I'm still in my 20s hehe

In terms of travelling, in the first half of the year, didn't do any travelling overseas because I was busy preparing for the wedding. But I slept in a different hotel every other week for my bachelorette so I still felt a bit adventurous *laughs* Second half of the year, travelled within Malaysia a bit from Johor, to Ipoh to Penang. Then, we went for our honeymoon to Maldives. I think this year I stayed in hotel rooms the most. And now, we are going for the second one to Europe woo-hoo! So excited for this trip.

I think we achieved quite a bit this year. I really don't want my 2019 to end so fast as I'm enjoying it quite a bit haha...I hope year 2020 would be equally as fun and I hope next year will be as adventurous =)

CDLC x The Tokyo Restaurant

Creme De La Creme (CDLC) is pleased to announce yet another innovative collaboration, marrying its famed ice cream with The Tokyo Restaurant's equally famed burnt cheesecake to create the ultimate dessert infused with the best of two worlds.

The Tokyo Restaurant's famed burnt cheesecake needs no introduction and CDLC has of course shaken up the ice cream world by reinventing the look and taste of ice cream. Combining the best of these two worlds is definitely something to shout about and they couldn't have found a better partner to recapture the imaginations of ice cream and cheese cake lovers alike.

Got myself a refreshing yuzu drink before the start of a free flow dessert night which got me into a cheese coma hahaha

Artisanal ice creams

Burnt Caramel Cheesecake- Enjoy delicious burnt caramel ice cream with such smoothness and richness that is sure to tantalise your tastebuds. The rich caramel taste captured my interest and I have to say this was the favourite. Because this has cubes of cheesecakes in it, it was not overly cheesy with the caramel taste.

Tokyo la Creme- Creamy cream cheese ice cream featuring fresh Australian cream cheese that will throw your senses off-balance. This is creamy and also has cubes of cheesecakes in it. 

Any of the ice creams topped with the perfect proportion burnt cheesecake is sure to have your tastebuds dancing in cheese heaven. If you're a cheese lover, this collaboration is not to be missed. Have the best of both worlds with the smoothness creamy cheesecake with a scoop of CDLC ice cream.

But I must warn, non cheese lovers, this can be a bit overwhelming for you.

Level 4 LOT 10 SHOPPING CENTER, 

50, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Bukit Bintang, 

50250 Kuala Lumpur

HKTDC DG Studio- a touch of creativity in lifestyle products

Hong Kong, as the unique city embracing both Eastern and Western cultures, is known as the birthplace to many unique homegrown brands which have taken creativity and imagination a notch higher to capture the imagination and satisfaction of end users.    

HKTDC DG Studio is pleased to bring 14 Hong Kong lifestyle brands, ranging from houseware, gadgets to gifts and toys, to Malaysian consumers. All these brands have a quirky unique twist and it'll make great Christmas gifts! Now, here's solving your headache hehe Best part? You don't need to fly all the way to Hong Kong to get these gifts.

Now check out what I got  from HKTDC Studio, each item unique in its own way =)

Artiart is an innovative design household products brand that produces home wares, drink wares and business-related items with a creative, quirky fun and colourful take. Its AR Iceberg Suction Cup, with its grip bottom, and 100% leak proof Elegance Suction Bottle is heaven-sent for accident-prone individuals and are the company’s best sellers.

Artist Suction Bottle (RM75)

Got myself the Suction Bottle. Perfect for travel as the grip pad design reduces spillage occurances.

The best part?

It is also fall proof!! And I'm so loving the pink colour. To pick it up, just lift it vertically. It is chic looking yet a functional product. Love products like this.

For those who enjoy the finer things in life, Tea Lab, as its name suggests, indulges in all things tea. Tea lovers will find the process of brewing a cup of tea more fun with the brand’s creative tea infusers and tea making accessories. Its unique tea scoop and infuser are firm favourites. 

 Got myself the Tea Clip and Tea Helper.

Tea Clip (RM30)

It comes with a clip and 50 filter bags. Super convenient to pack tea leaves. Just grab as much tea leaves, pour into the bag, fold it over the clip and stir in hot water.


You can even tilt it horizontally in case you don't want your tea to be too concentrated.

Super convenient and I was finding everywhere for something like this for my tea leaves. Tea leaves are so hard to brew by itself because you will ended up drinking some of the leaves as well so this was the perfect solution!

Tea Helper (RM17)

You know how sometimes the tea bag falls into your cup or the paper holding it comes off and there's no weight for the tea bag? Well, this is your solution! A tea button helper. Just press it onto your cup/mug, and tie the tea bag string around it. Wa-la! It holds on until you finish your cup. Another way is that if you don't want your tea concentrated, just tie the bag higher than the water level and if you need more, add more water after that. Genius!

For the ultra-discerning hostess, Hoobbe’s household products are creatively and cleverly designed to make excellent conversation starters when hosting guests at home. Designed with a dash of quirk and fun, its Wooly Pins Pushpin, Floaty Duck Salt & Pepper Shaker, Right Cake Measuring Cups and Thanks Giving Salad Server are bound to arouse interest.

Captain Ketchup (RM35)

Now this was something I wanted in my household but never got around to purchasing it haha

You know how the normal glass bottle chilli sauce can be uncontrollable?

And you ended up with a blop of sauce too much?


Captain Ketchup to the rescue!
With this cute ketchup bottle, you can control the pressure of how much sauce is needed to be squeezed with just the right amount of sauce needed for your egg ham sandwich!

Konstar specialises in small household appliances. Its design innovation simplifies how time-consuming household chores are done. 4 of its products have since been awarded the Red Dot Design Award. The Super Apple Peeler received the Red Dot Award 2014 honorable mention while the Salad Master which clinched the Red Dot Award 2014 is equally genius.

This was something I've been eyeing for ever since I laid eyes on it!

Konstar Master Chopper (RM130)

It's like an all in one tool. You'll be surprised at how many things it can do in just one little equipment!


There's a blade, a beater, spinner basket, suction base and a lock bowl.

Here's some large onions. In order for me to chop these into tiny pieces, it requires tears and time and a bit of work.

With the Master Chopper, I chopped these into tiny pieces below 10 seconds with no tears to dry. I was so happy that I almost teared! I not only saved time, but the consistency was fantastic! Human cut cannot be that tiny even and this is literally a life saver because whenever you cook, you surely need onions and garlic. Imagine how much time I save every single day =')

Another function is a spinner to rinse vegetables, fruits etc.

Just add water into the base bowl, put the vege into the basket and lock it.

Then spin it. In less than 10 seconds, take it out and it's ready to be eaten. As easy as 1,2,3.

There's also an egg white separator. Just break an egg into it and the white will drip below. Then, use the beater to beat the egg white. Either that or when you are mixing a batter and you need to pour some water into it, just use this function so that you don't need to keep opening the cover.

Super love this product which is super useful for my daily kitchen use since now I'm a wife and a chef LOL

For the environmentally conscious, Team Green’s eco-friendly and bio-degradable designer puzzles are made from ethically-sourced wood for gift-giving with a conscience. Its wooden 3D Ferris Wheeler, Music Box and Eiffel Tower puzzles are quite a sight to behold and provide hours of entertainment.

For the eco-warrior, Eco Concepts bio-degradable cups and creative mugs made from 100% corn husks are attractive, innovative and fun. Its products are testimony that going green does not have to be boring.

Supporting urban farming, Paris Garden’s home gardening kits allow novice gardeners to grow their own herbs, fruits, vegetables and flowers from home. Anyone can have green thumbs with the easy to follow step-by-step guide included in the gardening kits. The brand’s herb growing kits are especially popular with aspiring chefs hoping to keep a herb garden. 

Tech-enthusiasts will love Hyone’s range of products. It markets smart and stylish design solutions for all occasions, with its focus on mobile phone gadgets and electronic accessories. Its Chic Crystal Ring that attaches to mobile phones to serve as a phone stand and fall proof Stand Firm Cup are best sellers. Hyone’s Mini Selfie Stick with bluetooth remote and mini tripod is highly useful for Instagrammers.

Cardhoda’s range of card protector wallet and name card holders have aluminum case preventing malicious parties from unscrupulously reading cards containing Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Near Field Communication (NFD) chips for fraudulent activities.

For the young at heart, MH Blocks’s micro-sized construction brick toys will indulge the inner-child in us. Its miniature version of the classic HK Kowloon Bus and HK Cross Harbour Ferry are popular items purchased as uniquely Hong Kong gifts.

SOAP Studio’s collaboration with famous artist b.wing’s adorable representation of familiar superhero characters such as Wonder Woman and Batman in its gift products and collectors’ items are sure to grab the attention of superhero fans.

For those who seek a unique twist in daily items, Kilovest makes various products such as watches, bags and passport holders, all in the ever durable and versatile silicone material.

FLUFFY House aims to spread joy, warm people’s hearts and bring a smile to their faces with their fluffy plushes of lovable characters and cheerful little animals.

TINY specialises in Hong Kong feature models, model cars, accessories and scenes to memorialise Hong Kong’s typical constructions and facilities, amidst the fast changing skylines and scenes in today’s world.

Still wondering what to buy for Christmas gifts? Find them here:-

X’mas Pop Ups 

• 1 Utama Shopping Centre – LG4 (28 Nov – 1 Jan 2020)

Push Cart 

• The Starling Mall - PC-11 (9 Dec 19 – 8 Mar 20)

• IOI City Mall - LG-C39 (1 Jan – 31 Mar 20)

Creme De La Creme x Hello Kitty

Creme De La Creme (CDLC) is proud to announce that Sanrio has specially handpicked CDLC to celebrate the 45th birthday of the iconic Hello Kitty for her Malaysian fans and friends.

If you know me, you know I'm a huge fan of Hello Kitty. This is a momentous collaboration of Sanrio with CDLC seeing the transformation of CDLC into a never-before-seen Hello Kitty Land.

The huge wall was transformed into a Hello Kitty pink backdrop perfect for the gram!

The inside of the shop <3

Apart from this sensory treat for the eyes and Instagram feeds, CDLC has upped the ante at what they do best and crafted a tantalising set of Hello Kitty themed ice cream, petits gateaux and Bloop! Bloop! Bloop! (CDLC-famed beverages) befitting of the greatest anniversary bash thrown for the ultra-lovable icon.

CDLC is a known purveyor of premium artisan ice cream and this is the first of such collaborations ever with Hello Kitty in Malaysia. Not only do I love Hello Kitty but I'm also a fan of CDLC's unique dessert creations! They have the best creativity yet it does not only look pretty but taste amazing. To be invited for this launch was a literal dream come true =)

Let's see what's in store in this fantasy collaboration!

Artisanal ice creams

Apple Pie Crumble: Interpreting Hello Kitty's favourite apple pie is a delectable scoop of Madagascar vanilla goodness swirled with homemade fresh apple compote, cinnamon and crumble. My first time trying an apple pie crumble ice cream. Very interesting! If you're a fan of the pie, this is a definite MUST-TRY!

Strawberry Fantasy

A gastronomical explosion of strawberry flavours-strawberry ice cream, homemade strawberry jam and fresh strawberry bits.


My favourite out of the two has to be the Stawberry Fanatasy though I'm not that huge of a fan of strawberry as a fruit. However, the mix of the jam with bits of strawberry created a refreshing flavour which is what a dessert should taste like!

Sink your teeth into one of the flavours (or both!) Hey, nobody's judging.

Petits Gateaux

Eenie Meenie Miney Mo!

Kitty White

Fondly named after Hello Kitty herself, this is an indulgent combination of Madagascar vanilla ice cream, strawberry passion fruit sorbet, passion fruit creme, crumble and chocolate. Arrghh! My favourite of all! The passion fruit sorbet and creme combo with vanilla and chocolate was heaven in my taste bud land! Will definitely come back for this! Plus, that cute face shape is enough to make me buy this hehe

Friendship Ring

Celebrating Hello Kitty's favourite word "friendship", savor a delicious marriage of cream-cheese ice cream, strawberry ice cream, strawberry jam, peach sorbet, citrus crumble and chocolate. The outer part can either be chocolate or vanilla but the insides are the same.

This is another fan favourite! The layering inside itself deserve a stand up ovation for CDLC. The different types of ice cream layering was a smash of a dessert lover's dream come true.

Yum yum yum!

Bloop! Bloop! Bloop! beverages

Sugar

Hello Kitty's pet hamster (named Sugar as well) would approve of this refreshing concoction of fresh strawberries, fresh sweet basil leaves, freshly squeezed lemonade and raspberry sorbet. This is a one of a kind drink. I never had a drink with a sorbet in it and on a hot day, this drink will quench any thirst!

Charmmy Kitty

Hello Kitty's pet cat would fall in love with this delightful serving of fresh milk blended with strawberries, topped with strawberry ice cream and peach chunks.

They did not forget you coffee lovers as well.

Matcha latte

Cappucino.

Drink your coffee in style with dusted Hello Kitty face on top. I'm not a coffee person but if you are, you ought to try these!

Thank you CDLC and Sanrio for a fun filled Hello Kitty themed day. I get to be a young girl all over again =))

Hello Kitty limited edition desserts are only available from 15th Nov 2019 - 31st Dec 2019 only. So hurry up and make a pit stop at CDLC.

Creme De La Creme (CDLC)
35G, Ground Floor,
Jalan SS 21/60,
Damansara Utama,
47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
(Near to Starling Mall)

Hada Labo+ Sensitive Hydrating range

Have you experienced skin dryness, tightness, stinging, itchiness or redness? If you have experienced these, chances are you have sensitive skin. Skin sensitivity can be caused by external factors such as the weather, air pollution and exposure to excessive UV rays. It can also be caused by internal factors such as stress, allergies and hormonal changes. Whatever the causes are, Hada Labo got you covered with thier all-new Hada Labo+ Sensitive Hydrating range.

The Hada Labo+ Sensitive Hydrating range consists of a Face Wash, Lotion, Milk and Cream – all formulated with multiple protective soothing formula to strengthen and restore balance in your skin. Their triple protection formula effectively helps three areas below:

• Protects

Contains Lecithin, Squalene and Shea Butter that forms invisible bionic liquid crystal as a protective film to protect the skin against environmental pollutant and stressors in keeping the skin healthy

• Strengthens and Repairs

Contains Phytosterols and Ceramide that help to smooth, soften as well as strengthen and repair skin barrier

• Soothe Redness

Contains Alpha Bisabolol and Gingerol to calm as well as soothe irritation and redness on the skin

As with all Hada Labo products, the Hada Labo+ Sensitive Hydrating range also contains the signature ingredient which is Hyaluronic Acid that penetrates deep into skin to intensely hydrate and restore the skin’s moisture. It is pH balanced and free from fragrance, colorant, alcohol and mineral oil.

I have combination skin which means that my T-Zone is oily but other areas are dry, especially the sides of my nose which is sometimes, flaky, red and dry. Not easy having combination skin -.- been battling this since forever! But thank goodness, I have been using the full range of the Hada Labo+ Sensitive Hydrating products and it helped a lot with my redness.

The PR package was a surprise! Such a cute pink box with the products nicely intact.

4 key products in this range.

Creamy Face Wash (100g) RM29.90

The texture as written is creamy and milky. It does not produce much foam which is not my type of face wash. I love foamy ones haha but I understand that creamy face wash is most suitable for sensitive skin people. It's very mild and may not be very suitable for oily skin people like mine. So I normally wash with a foam wash first and use this as double cleanse. Turns out, it worked well because skin feels moisturised after.

Hydrating Lotion (170ml) RM69.90

Two Way Barrier system: Alpha-glucan Oligosaccharide forms a protective skin barrier to protect skin against environmental stressors.

Soothes: Calms and soothes irritation and skin redness

Deeply hydrates: Hyaluronic Acid to penetrate deeply into skin to intensely hydrate and restore skin's moisture

Pour sufficient amount onto palm and gently pat onto face until thoroughly absorbed. This is by far my favourite and what made Hada Labo so famous- their hydrating lotion! It really soothes my skin and my redness near my nose can be seen slowly disappearing.

Hydrating Milk (90ml) RM59.90

-Shea Butter to form a protective skin barrier 

-Ceramide to smooth, soften and repaire sensitive skin

For a moment there I was a bit confused with the hydrating milk's functionality because it's an in between the lotion and cream and I thought it's not serum type so why is there an in between milk? But boy I was wrong! This is slowly making a place into my skincare routine. The lightweight milk texture provides delicate moisturising care which absorbed pretty quickly and key word is: LIGHTWEIGHT! So it is like serum type to pump up the moisture into skin. Because of its lightweight texture, although I have oily skin, it does not make me oily. In fact, with oily skin, skin hydration is key so that it will not produce more oil.

Hydrating Cream (50g) RM78.90

In a consumer test using the Hada Labo+ Sensitive Hydrating Cream on sensitive skin with skin redness, a significant reduction in redness and irritation is seen within 4 hours of application. The result demonstrates the efficacy of the cream in soothing redness and strengthening the skin’s barrier.

The last step of the skincare routine and the most important I must say. This moisturiser seals in all the goodness and hydrates skin for a day out! Since I have already hydrated my skin with the lotion and milk, I like to tone down the moisturiser during the day but add a rich amount during the night.

I must say after 2 weeks of the sensitive range routine day and night and my skin's redness has definitely improved:

The side of my nose is the most sensitive area on my face and I have been battling that redness since forever. I thought it was usual for combination skin people but I didn't know products could help with it until now! Every time after washing my face, the redness which seems like popping veins will appear around the side of my nose. But now, it is clear. I'm so happy with the results!

And if you have sensitive skin too, I will really recommend this affordable Hada Labo+ Sensitive Hydrating range!

This new range is now made available at Watsons outlets.