Haul: Bargain Hunter on the move!

To me, shopping is always fun and it's even more fun if I picked up any bargains. I truely believe in "never pay full price" when I shop. At the end of the day, we just want to get more bangs for our bucks, right?

On my recent trip to Gold Coast, I saw some further reductions at a lot of the shop. How can I resist to BARGAINS??

Bargains!!

I can tell you the retail price of them come to a total of AU$375. Can you guess how much I spent for all these? I've only spent AU$151 in total! Amazing haul? You can look for these bargains at Harbourtown in Gold Coast too!

Here's a list of what I've got:

• Red dress from French Connection
• Multi-colour dress from French Connection
• Beige dress from Temt
• T-shirt from David Jones Clearance store
• Varies beauty and perfume samples from David Jones

Do you like bargain like I do?
What bargains have you picked up recently?

Alicee x

The Little Cube @ Sunnybank

Hubby & I went to watch movie Real Steal in Sunnybank a few days ago. Given that there are so many restaurants and eateries available in Sunnybank and that we have an hour to spare, we decided to have a quick dinner before the movie starts at 6:30pm.

We headed to The Little Cube located outside of the Sunnybank Plaza. The Little Cube is right next to Cube Hot Pot being its sister restaurant. It's pretty quiet and we're the only dine in customer because 5:30pm is still early for dinner.

Decor looks simple and clean

Soon after we've been seated, a waiter brought us a pot of Chinese tea and menu. The menu is in both Chinese and English. We ordered a Twice Cooked Pork Belly Slices, a Sweet & Sour Pork Loin Strips and two steamed rice. It only took a few minutes for the food to arrive. To be honest, I am shocked at how quickly our meals were being served although the restaurant was quiet. No matter how much I appreciate the efficient service we're getting, when I found out the steamed rice wasn't fresh and steamingly warm, I felt really disappointed. Instantly I know this dinner won't be as enjoyable as it could have been with this somewhat lukewarm rice (most likely being leftover from their lunch service). I didn't ask the waiter to give us fresh rice as I would imagine they haven't got any just yet, otherwise they would have served us the fresh one!

The disappointing steamed rice is a big "no no"!

Twice cooked pork belly slices $14.80

The Twice Cooked Pork Belly Slices can be ordered as mild, medium or hot. The one we got is mild. The flavour was pretty good although the pork belly was a bit too greasy and fatty. As you can see from the picture above, there's a fair bit of oil in this dish.

Sweet & sour pork loin strips $15.80

The Sweet & Sour Pork Loin Strips was pretty flavoursome although I prefer the batter of the pork loin to be a bit crispier.

Overall, our dining experience was average mainly due to the steamed rice being not fresh. Price wise the meal wasn't expensive (our bill is less than $35) but they are plenty of other options at the similar or cheaper price range in Sunnybank. Service is quick but maybe too quick?

P.S. Be sure to have cash with you because this restaurant accepts cash payments only.

Smashbox Limited Edition - Girls On Film Collection

Smashbox Cosmetics was originally created for Smashbox Studios, a premier photo and film studio in LA founded by 2 grandsons of Hollywood cosmetics legend Max Factor in the 1990s. Smashbox Cosmetics was sold to Estee Lauder in 2010. In Australia, Smashbox Cosmetics can be found at Kit Cosmetics and Mecca Maxima stores.

Girls on Film - Limited Edition Collection

Girls on Fim Colletcion is a NEW and limited edition from Smashbox bringing you on set with this film-worthy collection inspired by the magic that happens when you capture the perfect shot. Get in on the studion party. Your closeup is calling!

The Girls on Film Collection includes:

• Photo Op Eye Palettes in two shades ($64.95 each)
• Cream Eye Liner Travel Brush Set in two shales ($39.95 each)
• Blush Rush in two shades ($34.95 each)
• Lip Enhancing Gloss in two shades ($26.95)

I seriously fall in love with the collection as soon as I receive the PR media release because all the colours look so beautiful and easy to play with. When I found out I get to try the Photo Op Eye Palette in Softbox, I was totally over the moon (can you feel my excitement when you read this very blog post?).

I want this look!!

Very lovely packaging

Photo taken with flash
Clockwise from top left: Fizz, Pebble, Minx, Sienna, Ignite, Vanilla

 

Photo taken without flash

This picture-picture eye shadow palette includes 6 Photo Op Eye Shadows in everyday shades Fizz, Pebble, Minx, Vanilla, Ignite and Sienna. This palette creates a multitude of looks that work both on and off set. Smashbox is extremely thoughtful to have a label with QR code stuck underneath the palette for us to download applications tips! I will install a QR reader on my phone soon to download the tips.

Now let's do some swatches of this little beauty!!

Swatchse without flash
Left to right: Fizz, Pebble, Minx, Vanilla, Ignite, Sienna

Swatches with flash

Aren't these colours gorgeous? If you'd like to get your hands on one of these limited edition Girls On Film products, head to your nearest Kit Cosmetics or Mecca Maxima from 24th October 2011.

What do you think of this limited edition?

Which product would you like to get the most?

Share your thoughts with me by leaving a comment below!

Alicee xx

Product sent to me for considerations and review but this does not affect my opinions in any ways. My thoughts and views are purely based on my personal experiences.

Nail it with b collection by Bloom's new Crackle Top Coat

Crackle Top nail polish has been so popular these days that almost every girl will at least own one Crackle Top nail polish with play with. b collection by Bloom recently just launched 2 Crackle Top Coat exclusively in Target Australia stores.

There are 2 colours - Black and White available for $12.95 each.

Black Crackle Top Coat

White Crackle Top Coat

What b collection says:
Achieving an on-trend nail art look is easy, Simply apply Crackle Top Coat over your favourte b collection nail polish shade and watch as the top coat contracts and shatters appear - allowing your base shade to peek through.


As I got sent a White Crackle Top, I thought it'll be nice to try it with a base coat of red. Here's what it looks like.

What I think:
Price for this Crackle Top Coat is quite affordable compare to some other bigger brand selling for $20 each. Application is very easy, just apply any of your favourite colour nail polish (could be any brand) as a base coat, wait until it's fully dried, then using different brush strokes to create differnt crackle effects. I love watching it crackles, I find it amazing and it feels like the nail polish comes into life and transform into different shapes of crackles. Funny!

Have you ever tried a crackle/shatter nail polish yet?
What colours of Crackle Top Coat you'd like to try?

Product sent to me for considerations and review but this does not affect my opinions in any ways. My thoughts and opinions are purely based on my personal experiences.

Roll On Freshness For Eyes - Clinique

Clinique Australia was running Clinique IT Guy Seach 2012 a couple of weeks ago. Dear Hubby got influenced by me and bravely nominated himself. We are still yet to find out the nominees who make it into the final for the general public to vote. I'm unsure if Dear Hubby will be selected as one of the finalists but he's received a gift from Clinique in the mail last week.

Eye Gel/Serum for Him & Her!

I got so excited when I found out the gift includes two eye products: Anti-Fatigue Cooling Eye Gel for men (AU$52) and All About Eyes Serum De-Puffing Massage Roll-On (AU$52). How generous is Clinique? This little gift pack worth more than $100 oh my gosh.

Enough heard about all the good comments and reviews of eye roll-on products, now I can try one myself finally (yay how exciting!!). Despite the many skincare products I'm still using now, I can't stop myself from opening this new All About Eyes Serum and start using it. Give me another week or two. I will be reviewing this product how I feel about it!

Roll-on freshness on my under eye please!

The cool colour scheme and packaging for men.

Dear Hubby is not using his roller yet but when he does, I'll get his comments so I can put up a review for him too!

Are you as keen as me wanting to brighten up your eye area?
Have you used an eye roll-on product before?
Share your thoughts with me by leaving a comment now :)

To find out more about Clinique, visit their website www.clinique.com.au

Mecca Bah @ Emporium, Fortitude Valley

A friend of mine from Hong Kong made a short visit in Brisbane last week so we caught up for lunch before she leaves. Hubby, & I took her to Emporium in Fortitude Valley which is nearby to the hotel she stayed. We've picked Mecca Bah out of all the restaurants at Emporium because it looks like the most popular one and I've rea good reviews of it on Urbanspoon.

The staff greeted us as soon as we walked in and we picked a table outisde given the weather is nice and breezy. The munu is a simple one-page menu with reasonably good variety of entree, salasd, mains and sides. The three of us ordered just 2 mains to share as we planned to have desserts at Freestle Tout which is just opposite to Mecca Bah. The waiter politely asked if we need any entrees to start with because 2 mains might not be enough for 3 persons. So I told him our plan for dessert. Then my friend ordered a Ginfer Beer which she compliments it's the best Ginger Beer she's tried. I didn't take picture of it but I can tell you it's Baundabery Ginge Beer. I got a Lemon Lime Bitters which tastes refreshing and not overly sweet. I quite enjoyed it.

Our first main arrived in about 15 mins which is reasonable. The Spiced lamb kebab with fragrant rice pilaf and yoghurt sauce smells gorgeous. The size of the Spiced Lamb is quite decent. The meat is tender and moist. The fragrant rice is cooked perfectly with a good balance of acidity. I guess they used lemon juice as the finishing touch to the rice.

Spiced Lamb, Fragrant pilaf, Yoghurt sauce

We ordered Spiced chicken with eggplant, rocket & tahini sauce Turkish Pizza for our second main. Turkish Pizza seems like one of the most popular dishes being ordered at Mecca Bah. Presentation is great. I like how the rocket is topped on the pizza. Taste-wise the pizza is pretty good although the eggplant seems not cooked enough to my liking.

Spiced Chicken Turkish Pizza

Overall, the dining experience is quite enjoyable and I would definitely go back and try more dishes from the menu.

Review: Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free

Kiehl's is a New York-based skin and hair care brand founded as a classic pharmacy in the America 160 years ago. In 2010, Kiehl's sold over 1,480,000 pieces of the iconic Ultra Facial Cream around the world!

I tried the Ultra Facial Moisturiser some time ago but I find it's not too suitable for my oily combination skin type. It feels lightweight when I apply it onto my skin but my face doesn't like it and the oil shine through a few minutes later. I have to give up using it before I start getting any breakouts. When I find out the new Oil-Free collection is launched, I'm very dlighted to be sent the clener and toner to try and I've bought the gel cream to use with them too!

Cleaner, Toner & Gel Cream



What Kiehl's said:

The range consists of an Ultra Facial Oil-Free Cleanser, Toner and Gel Cream which provides all-day hydration plus 24-hour shine control. The result is a healthier, fresher and more balanced complexion.

It's oil-free, paraban-free, silicone-free, dye-free and fragrance-free to help rebalance skin's hydration levels and provide all-day no-shine moisture to skin in three unique ways:

1. Rebalanced Skin - the skincare regime works to ensure the correct balance of oils and hydration for a healthy skin barrier.
2. Oil-free Skin Conditioners - highly compatible with normal to oily skin, the oil-free skin conditioners work with the natural lipids of the skin to control shine for up to 24 hours.
3. Gentle but Effective Formulations - safe for even sensitive skin, Ultra Facial Oil-Free formulas do not irritate skin or over activate it, a common cause of over-production of oil.

What I think:

So this collection sounds like the perfect skincare for my skin type as I've always got an oily T-zone and normal cheek. Something interesting I'll like to reveal is that when I start using these products, my hubby also got attracted by the blue packaging. Yes he even start using the cleanser too! I suppose the oil-free range is suitable for men as they tend to have oily or oily combination skin type.

Now, here's my thoughts:

• Cleaner - 150ml for AU$26.00

This is a foaming foaming cleanser which foams up into a creamy lather which feels very nice and mild on my skin without making me feeling too dry at all. I feel it removes the impurities and excess oil thoroughly even in the 1st cleanse (if you remember, I always double cleanse morning and night) so when I do the 2nd cleanse, I use only half the amount of cleanser. My skin is fresh and clean after using the cleanser.
*Hubby thinks: this is a great cleaner leaving him feeling refreshed, non-stripping and clean. He likes it very much which means I will get him more after finishing this one.

• Toner - 250ml for AU$28.00

I must confess I was never really a toner girl. I tend to skip toner from my skincare routine most of the time becuase most of the toner I tried contain alcohol and I don't like the stingy feeling on my skin. This toner is surprisingly very gentle and contains no alcohol. It helps to remove any remaining residues or dirts which hydrating and freshen up my skin. Now I start to enjoy using toner before applying any serum or moisturiser.

• Gel Cream - 50ml for AU$34.00

The watery liquidy gel cream - I likey!

The Ultra Facial Oil-Free gel cream is has got a watery, almost like liquid texture which I quite like because it feels much more lightweight compared to the Ultra Facial Moisturiser. The gel texture helps absorbing quickly into my skin. It's fragrance-free and suitable for sensitive skin, however I find there's a very light acidic smell to it after putting onto my skin. I wish there isn't any smell to it, then I will enjoy using this gel cream a lot more. 

Some products in the post have been sent to me for consideration and review but all opinions made are 100% my thoughts or experiences. 

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Golden Lustre

YSL will be launching 13 new lipstick colours for Rouge Pur Couture Golden Lustre collection next week in Hong Kong. I really really hope these will be coming to Australia very soon although we will only get to see 12 colours because there is one colour being an Asian exclusive limited edition. I'll die if I can't get my buddies in Hong Kong to get me one!

Below pictures are taken from on.cc

Don't you just feel like buying all these?? I do!

#Rose Parisien - Limited Edition for Asia

Look at this purple!!!

What Yves Saint Laurent said

Discreet meeting of gold reflects and colour
A game of variations, a magic fusion.
Purity of light and lightness of pigments.

Lloyd Simmonds reinterprets the iconic gold of Yves Saint Laurent through a collection of lip colours subtly infused with yellow, white and pink gold pearls.

ROUGE PUR COURTURE GOLDEN LUSTRE, variations on a theme for lips as sublime as the most beautiful jewellery.

Here's a link to the Hong Kong Launch Event Video if any of you beauties are keen. P.S. some of the celebrities are speaking in Cantonese while some models speak English, but you'll at least get a sneak peek of the collection!

Hopefully I will have another post when I get my hands on the Rose Parisien!

Alicee x

Illamasqua Theatre of the Nameless Brisbane Launch

Last month Illamasqua launched the Theatre of the Nameless in Brisbane and I was delighted to have attended the event. I've walked past Illamasqua in Brisbane Myer a few times before getting introduced to the brand. My impression of Illamasqua is colourful, bold and daring. Now let me take you with a photo tour to discover a bit more about the launch for this new collection - Theatre of the Nameless.

A lovely display of the new collection

Daniel showing us a look inspired by Anita Berber

Strike a pose!

Daniel sure got some modelling talents!

Illamasqua Brisbane Dream Team - Tiarah, Daniel and Deanna

Mandi Levanah (right) talks us through about the new collection

Tiarah's model Abbey before the makeup demonstration

Ta Da - Makeup Demo Done!

The new Pure Pigment - Berber and Beguile

The beautiful False Eye Lashes - Grandeur in the middle

Thanks for Illamasqua, each blogger got gifted a goodie bag after the launch. My bag include an Intense Lipgloss in Facade and a Pure Pigment in Berber (love!!).

OMG, I'm in love with these Illamasqua goodies!!!

To find out more about the collection and full list of products, go to http://www.illamasqua.com/collections/theatre-of-nameless/ and you won't be disappointed. Illamasqua can be found most Myer stores in Australian.

Illamasqua on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/IllamasquaAustralia