theSkintopic Anniversary Event

Sunday, September 29, 2013 Liyana Hanim 0 Comments

On Thursday afternoon I was invited to attend theSkintopic's anniversary event at Pavilion thanks to The Butterfly Project.I was really happy to join the group at The Butterfly Project because I love beauty products and I practically buy new beauty products every month!

I have seen theSkintopic at Subang Parade before and even tested their body oils because I was intrigued that they've dried flowers/fruits in their body oil bottles... but I've never purchased them before.I'm a big fan of body oils as I use them to moisturize my body especially for my allergy scars on my legs so I was ecstatic to attend theSkintopic's event. 
Tea time!
The event was held at theSkintopic's outlet on the fifth floor of Pavilion(right across Nichii).When I arrived there and registered myself,I received a goodie bag filled with theSkintopic's products(more on that later).There was a table full of delicious refreshments and I had a bite of the mini quiche.

Freeze dried flowers and fruits for the body oils
I also saw a table filled with bottles of body oils and freeze dried flowers and fruits.Though at first I thought that the dried fruit in the jar was fake but it was actually real fruit and we got to smell the dried strawberries.They are supposed to be put in the bottles and mixed with the body oils.

They're real!
We got to see how two of the Linden Leaves body oil(Memories and Absolute Dreams) was made by the founder,Ms Brigit Blair.

Body oils in the making
I was fortunate enough to be able to get my hands on and try to make one of the body oils which was the Linden Leaves Aromatherapy Synergy Memories body oil.It seemed easy when Ms Brigit made the body oils but it actually wasn't as the freeze dried roses was very delicate and brittle.Basically I had to cut the roses accordingly,tied it up and then gently pushed it into the bottle and then pour the body oil in.

I was happy that I managed to make a bottle of the body oil and Ms Brigit was kind enough to let me keep it!I didn't have a picture of myself making it because I went there on my own and totally forget to ask one of the girls there to take a picture for me.But I'll keep that in mind for future events :)

To know more about the body oil that I made that day,click HERE.

Oh,in the goodie bag that I received from theSkintopic,I got a Linden Leaves Absolute Dreams body oil and a set of mini skincare as well and rm50 vouchers for theSkintopic products.(pictured below)
After the event ended I went to Sephora with two other bloggers,Cindy and Shasha.I received an email from Sephora so I redeemed the Fresh Black Tea age delay face cream(which I gave to my mum) and I bought Clinique moisturizer for myself.Also got some awesome Biotherm eye cream samples thanks to Cindy.It was a great experience and it was nice meeting girls who love beauty products just like I do.:)

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AFC's Sean Connolly The Grilled Tour at Samplings on the Fourteenth

Saturday, September 28, 2013 Liyana Hanim 0 Comments

Last Tuesday night I was invited by my friend Aimi to join her for dinner at Samplings on the Fourteenth for AFC's Sean Connolly The Grilled Tour.I went straight after work,hence my simple outfit.
Poor lighting which resulted in this picture!
It was a five course dinner and I managed to try a few dishes that I've never tried before.

Yes that's my name!


Love the bread and the pretty rose butter

First appetizer:
Raspberry and White Pepper Gravlax of King Salmon with Creme Fraiche


Second appetizer:
New Zealand Scampi Sashimi with Chili,Baby Coriander and Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Third appetizer:
Mushroom and Miso broth with coriander and daikon
Main course(choose between lamb or beef or vegan):
Grilled Australian rib eye with miso hollandaise,fondant potato and asparagus

Sean Connolly demonstrating how to cook the rib eye

Dessert:
Wild strawberry sorbet with strawberry soup and goat's milk jelly

Of all the dishes,what I love was the miso hollandaise that was paired with the rib eye,the fondant potato and also the sorbet.The salmon appetizer and miso brother was both quite salty..this was a consensus with everybody on the table.It was my first time tasting raw scampi and it was actually quite good.I love that he use cili padi(birds eye chili) for a bit of heat.

Everybody at the table kept asking for more bread hahaha But I don't think it was baked by the chef himself.The dishes was paired with whiskey but I declined as I don't drink alcohol.The goat's milk jelly for dessert was interesting as it had edible gold leaf on top.It was pretty bland on it's own but when mixed with the sorbet and soup,it tasted really unique and good.

I had a great time catching up with my ever busy friend Aimi who was actually involved in planning the event that night.Next blogpost will be about my experience at theSkintopic anniversary event.:) Have a great weekend!

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Taste MIGF part 2

Sunday, September 22, 2013 Liyana Hanim 2 Comments

The second day of Taste MIGF was another great day for Qeema and I because we loveee to eat good food!I was fortunate enough to win a booklet of tokens via MIGF's twitter contest.So we went to eat some more delicious gourmet food.
Thank you Taste MIGF!
Beautiful table settings for us to sit on
What we ate on day 2.....

Station 24:Nerovivo
Overall,the food at Nerovivo was very good.I'd definitely go there for a special occasion.

1)Pasta e Fagioli--This pasta was very tasty.I forgot how it tasted like because it was 2 weeks ago but I remembered liking it very much.

 2)Canape pere parmigiano--The hostess said that it was grana padano so it could be a mistake in the booklet(which I'm referring to for names of the dishes).This combo is just delicious!A piece of crispy bread with slices of sweet pear served with grana padano on top.

I will definitely replicate this at home one of these days.Jaya Grocer sells wedge of the Grana Padano(which was named Italy's no.1 cheese by Joe Bastianich in the recent season of Masterchef US--season 4)so you can purchase it and try this combination at home.
3)Torta Al Limoncello--This is a really good lemon cake with I can taste semolina flour in it?I'm not sure.It came with a wafer of almond biscotti.

4)Riso Venere Al Nero di Seppia --This is obviously a squid ink risotto and I've never tasted anything with squid ink in it before.There prawns in it as well and it was very tasty.
5)Canape Salmon--This canape was just normal but it wasn't bad.

Station 10:Grill 582(Best Western Premier Dua Sentral)
I was very impressed over the fact that the chef,Siti Arini Darsom is a female (most of the chefs there were male..only 3 were females!) and her food was very delicious!I'd definitely go to the restaurant and have more of her food soon and bring Razin with me.

6)Lamb Sous Vide with roasted cherry tomato--I've always seen sous vide method being used by chefs on cooking shows like Top Chef,Iron Chef ansd so forth but I've never tasted anything being cooked in such manner before.So I was excited to taste the dish.It was really delicious and I don't even like lamb!haha So that's saying something.
7)Grilled tiger prawn with mango salsa--I've never eaten prawns with mango combined.This combo was delicious!

8)Chilled chocolate chilly chiboust--Qeema and I was excited to taste the dessert because it's a combo of chocolate and chilies,things that I love!This dessert look unassuming but it packs a punch!Your mouth will feel like it's on fire for awhile and then it'll settle down.The chocolate is delicious.

Station 27:Marini's on 57

 9)Gnudi Burro Salvia--This dish had shaves of black truffle on top of it.I love the dish!It was pillowy soft and delicious.My first taste of black truffle and it was heavenly.

 Station 7:Seasonal Tastes

 10)Fig Foie Gras Terrine--This dish wasn't a hit with Qeema and I.

Station 16:Samplings on the Fourteenth Restaurant 

 11)Beef tenderloin with gorgonzola--I didn't like this dish but it wasn't because it wasn't good.The beef was so tender BUT gorgonzola is a type of blue cheese and there was a lot of it in the dish.I just don't like blue cheese!haha
`
At the Epicure International Gourmet Village,we bought Vedablu icecream again!hahah We had their ice cream the previous day but we just tasted the different flavors.They had new flavors on Sunday.I choose the mango yogurt while Qeema choose the coffee flavor.
Delicious ice cream!
I bought Murray River Gourmet Salt Flake there as well.I used it for making salted butter caramel candies.It was perfect for the recipe.I used french butter,Madagascar vanilla bean and cream for the candy and it was a success!
Making candy!
Tadaaa!With pink salt flakes on top.

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Taste MIGF 2013:Day 1

Saturday, September 14, 2013 Liyana Hanim 0 Comments

I saw an article about Taste MIGF(Malaysian International Gourmet Festival) from Timeout KL I believe..it was a month or so ago.Put a reminder to attend it and I managed to do so last Saturday and Sunday with Qeema.Aside from my boyfriend[who's outstation for work for 11 whole days..sad...:(( ],she's perfect for the event because she loves to eat and is up to try anything.

The event was held at the Sunway Pyramid Convention Center.It's basically where you get to taste bite size dishes from various upscale restaurants all over Malaysia and the area was called Super Gourmet Safari.To be able to taste the dishes you had to buy Taste Tokens--it was rm50 per booklet of 10 tokens.Each dishes range from 1-3 tokens.

There's also The Epicure International Gourmet Village whereby you can buy and taste various products.Lastly there's the Epicure Lifestyle Workshops where you can watch cool cooking demos.

DAY 1
Qeema and I purchase 1 booklet of tokens each.So we pooled our 20 tokens together and went on a food hunt!
Above is an example of a station.They'll have the board above to show the dishes that they have and the amount of tokens that each dishes are worth.
Snippets of day one:Me&Chef Wan!!
As we entered the Super Gourmet Safari,the place was so beautiful.I remembered my previous employee held our annual dinner there last year and when I went in,it was a total transformation!We heard Chef Wan's voice because he was doing a cooking demo in the middle of the entire event(he was there for both days).

Thanks to TasteMIGF informative pamphlet which they provide all over the venue,I was able to explain clearly on what Qeema and I ate during both days.Before I start,I just want to tell you that I don't have that adventurous of an appetite compared to my boyfriend.Thus,TasteMIGF was a big deal to me because I got to try so many things that I wouldn't had the time to try or just wouldn't try on a daily basis like--foie gras,angus beef,gorgonzola,grana padano,black truffle,veloute,beef tartare,yorkshire pudding and so many more!

So let's recap the dishes that I had on the first day:
Pictured below are the six items being offered by The Restaurant which are situated at The Club Saujana Resort.I have to say that all of their food was very good.I'll list it down below:
Station 13:The Restaurant at The Club Saujana Resort

1)Duck and foie gras--This was just delicious!I've had duck before but never paired with foie gras.
2)Salmon viudo--This was actually quite so-so to me and Qeema.
3)Lamb eggplant--This was good!And guess what,I don't even like lamb but I love this.That's saying something!
4)Sea bass bouillabaisse--This was Qeema's fave and it was good.The bouillabaisse was so flavorful.
5)Sweet corn veloute--This was my favorite.I slurp the veloute to the last tiny drop.haha
6)Ultimate chocolate brownie--This brownie was tiny but it was packed with chocolate making it very rich.
More food!Sorry but the lighting was very dark inside!
Station 28:Ten Japanese Fine Dining
Qeema wanted to try the food from this station because she heard their Japanese food are excellent.So choose two dishes from their six offerings(we didn't try the foie gras mousse eclair,yuzu sorbet,eel sushi and green tea&white choc mousse)

7)Ebi Katsu--This one is delicious!Ebi katsu means prawn cutlet.I would eat two of these.ahaha
8)Niku Maki--This one was good but we weren't fans of it because there was so much rice inside  of it.Niku means meat and maki means roll.

Station 12:Kelantan Delights
9)Air serai wangi--this drink wasn't good.But I like the strip of cucumber inside.


Station 5:Qba Latin Bar and Grill
10)Slow braised oaxacan mole black angus beef short rib--
This was just toooo rich!Being someone who loves to read and especially reading about food,I know of mole(pronounce as ole with an m in front) which is a sauce used in Mexican cuisine(read a novel that I love--Like Water for Chocolate) .Qeema didn't like it and I tried to like it but..I just couldn't.Pity because the beef was great but the sauce wasn't.

Station 23:Arthur's Bar and Grill
11)Yorkshire pudding with pulled beef--This was gooooddd!

Station 9:Midori Restaurant
12)Tuna Carpachio--If the chef read this,I'm really sorry.I actually had to spit this out.I love tuna!But this was just so fishy!I don't know what happened but it wasn't fresh at all.Raw fish shouldn't smell/taste fishy/off.It was not good!

Station 8:Tuscany Restaurant
13)Hand dive scallops,pea puree--The scallops was good BUT the puree had a weird sweet taste to it that puts me and Qeema off.But we love the touch of caviar on top!

Station 3:Five Senses
14)Foie gras and duck roll--This was really good!(you can see that I'm running out of words!)
15)Teckow yam dumpling--This dessert had such a soft skin to it..it's like a mochi but wayyyy better.

Station 11:Tarbush Restaurant
16)Kunafa--I thought that this dessert looked like a baklava which is a fave of mine.So I had to try it.Actually there's cream cheese inside of it.It was good and wasn't too sweet.

Station 21:Lai Po Heen
17)Peking duck roll--I love a good peking duck roll.And this was a great mouthful..mmmm.

Station 17:Cuisine Gourmet by Nathalie
18)Beef tartare,quail egg on a crispy french bread--I've never had beef tartare before and this was really good!The combination with the quail egg and crispy bread was excellent.

So that was all the food that we ate during our day 1!

After all of the food,we went to the Epicure International Gourmet Village!There was so many great products being sold there.We managed to buy quite a few things.
Huge salmon!
Oysters!
Excellent ice cream--Malaysian made!
We saw Veda Blu's ice cream next to Bright Cow's booth(explain below) and they give free samples.Their ice cream was good.The flavor didn't taste artificial and we can tell that it was made from high quality ingredients.They're Malaysian made and based in Sabah.But they'll be opening a franchise in Damansara soon.I had a scoop of their excellent coconut ice cream and Qeema had the Belgian chocolate.
Cheeses from Bright Cow/Romani

A few days before,Qeema was talking to me and Razin about Bright Cow.(click to know more) Bright Cow sells Jersey Milk(milk from Jersey cows).They make their own cheeses too!Here's the thing,I don't drink milk nor do I like milk.But when I tasted Bright Cow's milk at MIGF,I was like...wow it doesn't taste like the normal milk that we have at the supermarket.They sell fresh milk and I like and can take the taste of it.So I bought a bottle for myself along with some fresh ricotta cheese.
Qeema's and my purchases from Bright Cow
Loveee the excellent baklava!
I tasted some excellent baklava at the Turkish food booth.They're available at Jason's food hall in BSC.I bought a few home and they were finish by the next day.haha.
Wagyu beef tasting!So juicy.
Funny thing was that we actually had a lot of coffee that day.Qeema had three cups while I had two(it was free!).One was from MCIS Zurich booth and one from Nescafe Dolce Gusto.Qeema bought another from Antipodean's booth.
Qeema's specially designed latte at Nescafe Dolce Gusto's booth.

We could see the MTV World Stage set up

Cooking demos!
Before we eat,we actually watched a part of Chef Wan's cooking demo.After we eat,both of us managed to snap a photo with him!!

To end the day,we went and watch a cooking demo by Chef David Morris of Sunway's Le Cordon Bleu.He was very funny and learned a lot of cooking tips from him.He made red mullet and potato salad.We got to taste the dish after the end of the class.
Beautiful dish by Chef David Morris 
That was my recollection of day 1 at Taste MIGF.Qeema and I was fortunate to go on the second day as well because...I won a booklet of tokens from them via twitter!:) So the day 2 blog post will be up in a few days.Have a great weekend and Happy Malaysia Day!









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Surprising cheap haircare discovery

Wednesday, September 11, 2013 Liyana Hanim 0 Comments

I bought this hair mask yesterday(correction:Sunday,8th September..this was a a post in draft mode :P) that looked a bit weird from the outside because of its pearlescent texture(which you can see from the clear packaging) and the fact that it's a treatment wax which made me confused.Isn't wax used to style your hair and not for a treatment?

But because I went to Watson's with the boyfriend's little sister Qeema,who's friend bought the Beer mask and it worked great on both of their hairs,I decided to buy one of the mask for myself.

I got the milk protein mask because I like buying hair masks that are for damaged hair although mine is far from being damaged,because I believe that it gives it a bit more moisture.That's just my theory though!

Certain days I'm not that confident about my body or skin but my hair is a different thing because it's almost never in a bad condition.Plus it doesn't need expensive hair products to look good and I'm one of those girls who rarely go to the salon for hair treatments. I do hair treatment when I've to recolor my hair because they add treatment to it and I only go to the salon for regular trimming.

So let's reveal my latest or not-so-latest addition to my haircare regime.You can read my previous old post on my haircare products.I still use the same brand from Clairol Herbal Essences(long term relationship's shampoo & mask) and the same hairdryer.


1.Matrix Biolage deep smoothing serum

 I found this serum at a store near Sunway Giza.There's a haircare products store that's the same row as Cat's Whiskers.I love how I only need a tiny bit of the serum for my hair.

 2.Toni and Guy's paddle brush and Tangle Teezer in purple glitter

I bought the paddle brush at the same store that I got my hair serum.The Tangle Teezer is great when your hair is wet and also easy to carry in your handbag.

3.Watson's Treatment Wax Milk Protein

This is the hair treatment that I was talking about.It's the cheapest hair mask that I've bought as it was only rm10.90!Can you believe it??I actually paid only rm2 for it because I redeemed my Watson's points.This not a sponsored post by the way...I've been Watson's member for a very long time.This hair mask works well on my hair.For that price,it's definitely a good buy!

4.Wella Enrich Self warming treat

I got this hair mask in a sample sachet when I subscribed to one of those beauty boxes(I can't remember which).I bought the full size bottle at a hair care products store in SACC.I use this only 1-2 times in a month.The moment you put it on your head,it'll warmed up instantly.Very cool and scary if you of the chemicals in it.

That's about what I usually use for my hair.Good products doesn't necessarily has to be expensive!:)

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My everyday makeup

Monday, September 09, 2013 Liyana Hanim 0 Comments

Hye everyone!
As you can see,my blog header has been changed to a new and better one.It was designed by my beloved Razin Yuzer.

I didn't give him any direction and he gave me two different designs so I chose the one above.If you need his help in designing anything from business cards/wedding cards/blog header and many more just email him at razinyuzer@gmail.com :)

I'm trying my best to blog a bit more..so I decided to do a blogpost that is fun to me...Something that girls wear..whether a little or a lot(which I don't recommend!)--makeup!

I loveeee beauty products and I can spend a lot of time at Sephora trying on various beauty products.But today I'm going to share with you the makeup that I wear almost everyday.Of course if I'm at home,I won't wear any makeup.

So let's start shall we...


Everyday makeup products that I use!
1.Real techniques buffing brush(on the right)

This is my favorite makeup brush ever!It's amazing and I use it to apply both my foundation and powder.I bring it with me in my bag everyday.

2.Ecotools angle brush/brow brush

I use this brush for months now and I can't live without it because I have such thin eyebrows!

3.MAC studio sculpt foundation in NC 40

 This is my favorite foundation.It's natural and gives great coverage.It also makes my skin not so oily.It evens out my skin tone and I'm thankful that Zoella showed it in many of her videos.

 4.MAC mineralize skinfinish natural in Medium Plus

I love this powder and I use it to touch up my skin from time to time.It leaves a natural dewy finish on your skin and is not cakey at all.Again,this is a recommendation from Zoella.

5.Urban Decay browbox in Brown Sugar

This is no joke but..I've been using this one browbox since February 2012!hahaha It lasts a longggg time because I use it very sparingly.You can click on the name above and see the link.I bought it from Sephora.

6.Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Romantique

I don't like wearing lipgloss or lipstick.So I prefer a lip stain or a colored lipbalm for everyday.I have this balm stain two colors.The other one is in Sweetheart.Clearly I love wearing it!


7.NYX The Curve eyeliner

I bought this eyeliner recently and I love how pigmented the color is BUT because I have oily eyelids,it tends to bleed.I love the shape of the eyeliner which makes it super easy to use.But then again I'm so used wearing liquid eyeliner so it's never hard for me :P

But on days when I'm lazy I just don't put eyeliner at all.By the way,putting on black eyeliner can make you look a bit older..but then again people always assume I'm way younger than my age so it's always a plus when I look a bit older haha

8.Revlon Lash Potion mascara in waterproof blackest black

I loveee this mascara!I bought it recently.It gives volume and length but doesn't clump.I bought Maybelline's Rocket mascara last month and it makes my eyelashes feels "crunchy" which I hate.The other fave mascara of mine is the Photoready 3D mascara.

I always wear mascara compared to eyeliner as I feel that it brightens up your face and opens up your eyes.

9.The Collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer in Light

This concealer is perfect for covering up blemishes and undereye circles.Another favorite concealer of mine is Revlon's Photoready!I bought it through ebay as it's not available here and I heard rave reviews about it from Zoella.

10.Eyelash curler

This is an everyday must!I usually heat it up using my hairdryer so that it's warm and can curl your lashes better.Try it!

So that's about it.I don't wear eyeshadow because I don't really think I need it but I have a few bronze/purple ones.I also don't wear blusher though I have Benefit's Hervana.My next post will be my awesome time at Taste MIGF during last Saturday and Sunday(yesterday!).

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My Favourite Youtubers!

Tuesday, September 03, 2013 Liyana Hanim 0 Comments

I'm sure a lot of you go on Youtube and subscribed to a bunch of channel.But to be honest,other than some music videos and the Ellen Degeneres channel,a few months back,I didn't subscribed to much on Youtube.But my boyfriend's little sister,Qeema showed me Zoella's videos and I was hooked.

My awesome boyfriend took the liberty of downloading her 108(back then) videos for me and also the videos on her vlog channel(MoreZoella)so that I can watch them offline.So yeah..I can say that I've watched ALL of Zoella's videos.

After that my obsession started.I followed her on twitter and instagram though I didn't really read her past blogposts because there wasn't much and I think her Youtube videos is sufficient enough.I like the fact that Zoella is not too prissy and she can make fun of herself and she likes to find a good bargain.

I also have to admit that I've bought quite a number of products from watching her videos.
The pictures below are some of the item that I've bought because of Zoella's recommendation.Clockwise from top right:Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer,Sleek Makeup Contour Kit,MAC Studio Sculpt and Mineralize Skin Finish,Tangle Teezer and Real Techniques Makeup Brushes.

I got the concealer and Real Techniques brushes from Ebay.The Tangle Teezer and Sleek contour kit was from Luxola's website.The MAC makeup was from the MAC store.I love everything and especially the brushes because they can be used on both liquid and powder makeup.

I use the buffing and contour brush everyday and I love them to bits!You can buy the brushes from my boyfriend's little sister for rm95..Shins here are selling it for rm135!That's a rm40 difference girls!
But my fave has got to be the MAC foundation and powder.They're pretty amazing.Natural finish but doesn't make me shine as much like other makeup products that I've used.

Zoella has two youtube channels.One is for her beauty/haul/collaboration videos and the other is for her vlogs.Some of my favorite videos are below(obviously I can't share all because then this entry will be too long!):
Zoella's videos

Zoella's Vlogs



Tanya Burr

 I found out about Tanyar Burr thanks to one of Zoella's videos.She's so pretty!And I love that eventhough she's not thin,she knows how to dress for her body.I love her relationship with her fiance,Jim Chapman(who also has his own Youtube channel).Just like Zoella and almost every other Youtubers,Tanya also has another channel just for her vlogs.


Anthony Smosh and Kalel

 Anthony and Kalel is one of my favorite Youtube couples.They always look like they're having so much fun together!I like how Kalel is very feisty like me hahaha Anthony of course is the other half of Smosh.His Draw My Life youtube video got more views than Jenna Marbles!

Watch the surprise proposal from Anthony to Kalel in one of the videos below and go awwwww :)



Michelle Phan

Michelle Phan came a long way..from just a girl posting makeup tutorial videos on Youtube to becoming Lancome's makeup artist and now she has her own makeup luxury line called EM.Her journey is amazing!




I have a lot more Youtubers that I subscribed to like....

 Ray William Johnson , Anna Akana, Alfie Deyes,Jacks Gap ,Sprinkle of Glitter ,Missglamorazzi,The Fine Bros ,Sorted Food, Pew Die Pie,MacBarbie,That's Heart and many moreeee!So do and take a look at some of their videos whenever you have some free time.:)

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