Sohum

I discovered the brand Sohum on my last trip to Melbourne on 2009. We were walking through Melbourne Central and I couldn’t help my self when I saw an island counter filled with bottles and candles, as I love anything that smells delicious.

The sales assistant showed various products and everything smell divine. I decided to get one lotion, despite HY’s complains of the zillion bottles of perfume and moisturizers I’ve got on my vanity table (and bedside table… and bathroom cabinet.. and some travel size bottles on my car. Well, you get the idea). But since its an Australian product and only sold in Australia, I made a point of not knowing when I’ll be able to return to Australia. Plus Melbourne air is sooo drying on my skin, he wouldn’t like it if my skin looks dry and wrinkled since it cracked easily. So one extra bottle wouldn’t hurt. (Ha! I actually ended up buying 5 bottles at the end of our trip!)

Anyway, I bought Sohum Crème De Luxe in Cotton Flower (AUD 29.95 for 250ml/8.4oz) and Crème Royale in Fleur de Methe (AUD 24.95 for 400ml.


Crème De Luxe contains love (yes, it was the first ingredients listed), jojoba and chamomile. It claims to condition and tone the skin. I wasn’t gonna buy until the sales assistant apply it on my arms and when she was rubbing it in lightly, I can see the dead skins are actually coming out! I’m not really sure how it works, but it was great (also kinda gross and embarrassing. She must’ve thought I don’t wash my self well everyday!) She said most people will always have dead skins on your body, unless you scrub your self every single day, which then will be too drying on your skin. I later find out the best way of applying Crème De Luxe is by putting it on like a normal moisturizer, wait for about 5 minutes, and start rubbing it in gently. You’ll be amazed of the result.


The Creme Royale is a rich moisturizer, which smells stronger than Cotton Flower, but I absolutely loved. I usually just wear a little bit of it on my body, so it won’t be too overpowering.

The textures of both lotions are creamy and non greasy, as it's made using shea butter. However, it does not get absorbed by skin quickly. I prefer my Palmers Olive Butter Lotion for everyday use. But on special occasions and when I do have the time to get dressed, I use Sohum instead. The perfume last for hours even when you only use a tiny bit of it. I leave a jar next to my bedside table so I can put them on before bed, as the wonderful smell helps me sleep better.

I really wish I can try some of the floral scents like frangipani and peony roses.. Too bad Sohum doesn’t do international shopping, cause I can see my bottles, jars, and candles collection piling up if they do… For now, I'll have to rely on the generosity of my friends and families who are travelling back and forth between Jakarta and Melbourne.

XOXO,

Budget Brushes Part 1 - Make Up Show

I’ve always lean towards high end brushes as it’s my principle that cosmetics will only be as good as the tools used to apply them. MAC, Bobbi Brown, and Napoleon (an Australian brand) are the only MU brushes I own, and I own quite a lot of them. All of these brushes have great quality and some have been used everyday for more than 6 years. When I started working full time (back in Melbourne), and I continued to splurge in high end cosmetics and make up brushes (and a zillion other fashion items).

Then reality sets in, I moved back to Indonesia to be with my then bf (and now husband), and started getting paid in Rupiah instead of AUD! The agony!! I was so used to wearing Scanlan & Theodore and DVF dresses, MIDAS and Zomp shoes, CUE suits, Sass n Bide jeans, Simone Perele and Pleasure State lingeries…. and suddenly I can only afford one pair of MIDAS shoes with my entire month basic salary. I nearly went mad! (just browsing for the links even make my eyes all watery....)

Luckily, I quickly learn to adjust my spending pattern (and my bf help funded some of my cravings for high end fashion items every couple of months or so).

So, I’ve searched high and low for good quality brushes with a fraction of high end brushes’ price, and here are my favourites.

• Make Up Show (MUS)
• Masami Shouko
• ELF Studio Brushes
• Sigma brushes

I’m not gonna bore you to death by reviewing all of my ‘budget’ brushes at once. But I’ll try to finish reviewing them all by year end… teehee…

Make Up Show (MUS)

I discovered this brand through an Indonesian community website and forum. The seller said that it’s made from natural hair, but I’m not entirely sure about her definition of natural hair. I’ve bought the duo fiber blush or skunk brush (dupe of MAC 187), buffer brush (not sure of its equivalence in high end brush), blending brush, and angled blush brush.

~My Review~

I just love the stippling brush. It’s not as dense as MAC 187, but it’s a good substitute for its price (Rp 180k or approx US$19). I use it to blend in my foundations (in the rare occasions that I do apply foundations), apply really pigmented blush like NARS mounia, lightly apply my cream blushes so I can layer it with powder blush without looking like I've been badly beaten up, and finishing powder. I know coastal scents is probably cheaper, but decided not to try it (for now) because its mixed review.

Buffer brush (Rp 130k or approx US$14) is another of my favorite to when applying foundation and pigmented blushes. Its small head allows better blending on small areas or to highlight just the apple of my cheek. I can’t really compare it to other brushes as this is my one and only buffer brush.

I bought this blending brush (Rp 90k or approx US$10) so I have an alternative to my MAC 217 blending brush. When it arrived, I realized that it’s not even close to my MAC 217! It’s huge!! When I blend my eye shadow with it, it literally merged all the colors together. So you have to be really really light handed when blending using this brush. I think I’d love it more if it’s slightly smaller..

I've never owned an angled blush brush (MUS for Rp 140k or approx US$15) before, as I wasn’t sure whether using it will make any difference to the end result compared to using a normal blush brush. But I found out a good angled blush brush helps you to disperse the right amount of blush dengan rata across your cheek. It also helps me to do contouring with brownish and peachy toned blushes. But I won’t trade my MAC 116 or MAC 129 with it :)

I’m still adding more brush to my MUS collection. Overall, the brushes are fluffy and soft, but still firm enough for contouring and placing the colors where I want it to be. I’m thinking of stocking up on extra buffing brush and duo I like its fat black handle as it gives an illusion of high end brushes, though it takes up quite a bit of space on my brush holder.

XOXO,

NARS Multiple Tint

I was browsing the NARS website as I'm planning to order a few lippies and glosses, and noted new release of NARS Multiple Tint on May 1st (which is today!)

I know there are mixed reaction when it comes to NARS multiple. Some people loves it and some doesn't. I'm somewhere right in the middle. I don't completely love it, but I do like how multiple give me the flush of color and glow to my cheek. I also like the idea of popping the multiple in my hand bag for touch up, and not having to carry a huge blush brush with me (mind you I've got no travel size blush brush... if anyone care to donate one for me ^__^).

Good things aside, I don't like the gritty texture of some of the multiple I've tried on. And the price tag is also unjustifiable! Personally, I'd rather have a less multiple for cheaper price as you only need a teeny winy bit. That's why I don't collect multiple since I know there's no way I can finish the whole thing in a life time...

But I do love the colour of new NARS Multiple Tint
It comes in 3 colours:
- Beverly Hills: bright red tint
- Cadaqués: bright fuchsia tint
- Turks & Caicos: bright orange tint

I'm deciding between Beverly Hills and Cadaqués. They'll be perfect for my summer holiday as I'll be spending 2 weeks cruising Eastern Europe... Yeaaay.... (I kinda wish that we'll be cruising Greek Isle... but I guess Eastern Europe is better than no cruise at all). I'll be putting my order in tomorrow and hopefully I'll get my hands on it soon... Geez, sometimes it's a pain living here... good cosmetics are hard to get and when it's so expensive to order...

Beauty Routine - Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Most people would have a bottle of olive oil in their kitchen cabinet. I do too, and now I have an extra bottle on my vanity table.

I've long known that olive oil has anti aging qualities that makes it healthy for eating. So I thought, why not use them on my skin? I've used Palmers Olive Butter Lotion which is formulated with Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) for years and always stock up on them whenever I visit Melbourne.

I've been mixing EVOO in my beauty routine for over a month and you can really see the difference. Even my indifferent husband noticed my smoother skin and softer knees and elbows. Here's how you can use EVOO as part of your beauty routine and please make sure you use extra virgin olive oil rather than other type of olive oil.

1. Body moisturizer - I mix my body lotion (I've switched to a cheaper alternative.. nivea or vaseline will do) with a few drops of EVOO and generously apply the mixture from head to toe. The EVOO gives your arms and legs subtle glow all day long. Just make sure you mix 2 part body lotion and 1 part olive oil, and apply them as soon as you got out of shower, as the oil is easily absorbed when your skin is warmed and slightly damp.

2. Conditioner - I rub EVOO on my hair, from mid length to its end, about an hour before I wash my hair. Try not to apply too close to your roots or crown as you can end up with limp and lifeless hair. After rinsing the EVOO with my regular shampoo, I can style my hair as normal. It helps stop any flyaway and frizz after blow drying or using flattening iron.

3. Scrub - I mix EVOO with other household item I can find at home to make my own scrub. My favorite is mixing EVOO with ground coffee and a tiny bit of water to a pasty consistency, before using it as a scrub. Oh yeah, leave it them on for a minute or two as coffee can help reduce those nasty cellulites.

4. Make up remover - I put few drops of EVOO on cotton facial pads and use it to clean my face and remove eye make up. Afterwards, I wash my face using my regular foaming cleanser. I get easily irritated by eye make up remover, but using EVOO has solved this problem. After about a month using EVOO as eye make-up remover, I swear that my lashes looks even longer!

5. Massage oil - My mother in law known a masseur who lives nearby and she comes to our house every other week or so. I always ask her to use EVOO for massaging (and the coffee scrub after the massage). I gotta say, it's one of the few times I feel happy and grateful to be living in Indonesia.... you can have excellent cheap massage at the privacy of your home anytime of the week.

6. Softer cuticles and feet - I apply drops of EVOO on my cuticle and lather them on my feet before I go to bed at least once a week. Make sure you put on cotton socks afterwards so the EVOO does not rub on to your sheets. I also find that EVOO seems to soften my feet better when I do put on a pair of cotton socks.

I still don't have the courage to put EVOO on my face just yet (other than using them as make-up remover, but I've heard that it can do wonders to your skin. I'll be sure to update this post when I do find the courage to try EVOO on my face and see results (whether it is good or bad)....

Have you tried any of the EVOO beauty 'recipes' above? Do you have any other use for EVOO? Let me know what you think...

XOXO,

Kartini's Day

Indonesians celebrate Kartini’s Day every April 21st. Kartini is an Indonesian national hero who fights for women’s equality. She was born in a noble family and thus enjoy the privileges of basic education (back then it was reading and writing) and maintain good relationship with the Dutch. The first school for women were opened and run by her. Unfortunately she died young while giving birth to her first child.

I remembered my kindergarten years where we celebrate Kartini’s Day by dressing up in Indonesian traditional outfits. We have about 30 different provinces and each has its own traditional outfits, so you can imagine the variety of outfits worn on the day! My mom actually skipped work so she can took me to school and see hundreds of kids dressed in colorful and sometimes oversized traditional outfits. Nowadays, when we refer to traditional outfits, mainly only kebaya and batik come to mind. And kebaya has been reinvented so many times that what used to be a plain and traditional outfit has become quite glamorous.

sources: google image

Hmmmm... kebaya really help to shape your silhouette. I just love how womanly someone looks, as soon as she puts on a kebaya!

Nowadays, we don’t really celebrate Kartini's Day anymore. But this year, my office sent out a notice granting us 1 day to wear Indonesian traditional outfits (mainly kebaya and batik). I didn’t feel like wearing kebaya or batik today, as it takes significant effort to wear kebaya for a full day at work! I guess you can see that it’s simply an uncomfortable outfit to wear, but you can look few kilos lighter if you wear them right ;)

I guess my celebration will be limited to posting some pictures of me in kebaya

I just realised that the only pictures of me in kebaya are wedding pictures! Or something related to my wedding. The picture above was my engagement (yes, it was held at the church! Don't ask me why. Traditional rituals and stuff...).

This picture is awfully dark! I guess it's been edited.
But don't you think I look scared?!?
Walking down the aisle is damn scary.

Finally I found a full body picture of me in Kebaya. But where the hell is my sash???
Oh well, I give up!!

Adding a point to my new year's resolution (in April...)... I promise to be a proud Indonesian woman by wearing kebaya more often...

XOXO,

Review - Kitchenette Restaurant

HY and I went out for dinner last night with his family at Kitchenette. It’s a newly opened concept restaurant, part of the Ismaya Group located in Plaza Indonesia. I’ve walked passed Kitchenette a couple of times, but HY and I are not a big fan of fancy restaurant so we’ve never tried it. But since my sister in law was craving for it, so we all went there.

We had to wait for about 20 minutes before we got a table. It wasn’t an unpleasant wait for me, but then I never really mind waiting. When we were shown to our table, our waiter greeted us warmly and explain the menus and recommendations. HY ordered the house specialties called Galettes, which is basically a French style savory crepe, with meat/cheese/eggs/veggies fillings. I ordered pasta, just to be safe. HY’s family ordered pastas, steak, chicken teriyaki and we all ordered our drinks. I had frozen affogatos, which were DELICIOUS coffee, but made me sleepless until about 2am.

Overall, it was a good meal. HY loves the Galettes (he actually ate 2 portions of Galettes!). Everyone is generally happy with their meals and plan to come back next weekend to try other food on their menus.

I didn't bring my camera and cannot find any picture of the restaurant online, as it was only opened recently. But next time, I'll bring along a camera so you can see the restaurant and meals ordered....

Ambience/Atmosphere: 4/5
Food & Drinks: 4/5
Portion: 3.5/5 (HY had to have 2 Galettes, but the steak ordered by my sis-in-law was huge)
Price: 3.5/5 (Dinner for 5 cost over Rp 600k, approximately US$70)
Would I return: Hell yeah! Just be prepare to wait for your table and meal as they're always full.

XOXO,

April's MAC Haul

April is MAC Haul month for me. I haven’t went on MAC spending spree for a while, so it was an excuse for me to ‘update’ my MAC collection

Here are some of the things that I bought over the MAC counters in Jakarta (which I gotta say have very limited collection of colors lately) and online:

• Mineralize Skin Finish in medium
• Studio Sculpt Concealer in NC15
• Eye shadow in Mineralize and Steamy
• Fluidline in Iris Eyes
  
• Pigments in Push the Edge and Lovely Lily
• Slimshine lipstick in Pleasing and Grenadine (still looking for Rock Out, it’s been sold out everywhere!)
• Mineralise blush in Gentle and Dainty
• Blushes in Style, Dollymix, and Azalea Blossom Blush Ombre (part of MAC Spring Colour Forecast)
• Beauty Powder in Shell Pearl (part of Liberty of London collection)

1st Row L-R: MSF in Medium, Azalea Blossom, Shell Pearl
2nd Row L-R: Gentle, Dainty, Dollymix (I left my Style blush at work...)

1st Row L-R: Push the Edge, Lovely Lily, Iris Eyes, Studio Sculpt Concealer
2nd Row L-R: Steamy, Mineralize, Grenadine, Pleasing

I’ll start posting swatches and review some of my fave in another post….

XOXO,