Temt & Shop Til You Shop Summer Cruise

Last night was a breezy night. It was chilly and for the first time this Spring I wish that I wore stockings!

My lovely mummy and I docked a Russian boat (not entirely sure what a Russian boat should looks like but this one was old looking and made lots of creaky noises) at approxmately 6.15pm.

(Funny Moment) I got asked by one of the organisers if I was over 18...please leave your comments here.

The boat was already full of people seated both downstairs and upstairs but to credit my smart mother, she found us some seats in between tables.

We sipped Schweppes mineral water and chatted (more like heated discussion of many topics including politics...huh?)

After half an hour, we arrived at Harbourside Shopping Centre. All the guests walked upstairs, trailing one after each other like a pack of excited wolves. We were greeted by a massive red curtain and a black (instead of red) carpet.

We were welcomed and after the introduction, all the women madly RUSHED into the store. (That was the scariest bit!)

On service, there was canapes of sushi, ham and cheese sandwiches and spinach and cheese pastries. We passed on the champagne because it was a Wednesday night and simply enjoyed browsing through the store.

Onto the fashion!

Trends this summer:



Angelic - the pastel and soft pinks are back! Full of fine details such as lace, frills. It's all about looking innocent and very feminine.

Navy - inspired by the sea no doubt. The looks are more fitted and structure. They are shorts paired with stripes

Casual - pieces are loose, but still paired with soft looks such as floral tops. And short shorts are back!

Oh I forgot to mention there was 20% last night but I didn't manage to get anything because it was like sardines in the store.

But there's always next time.

xo

Biggest Live TV Mistake - ANTM

Unless you have been living in a rock ever since last night, you should have heard about the Australia's Next Top Model blunder.

Sarah Murdoch, a Co-Executive Producer had announced the wrong winner for Cycle 6. She was fed the wrong information from the broadcast truck or a technical error, whichever one it's not entirely clear.

Poor Kelsey, who I believe is the only real model there and I would even go as far as saying she is the next top model for Australia, had done a beautiful acceptance speech and positively glowing after the announcement. She was so humble from the mistake. She was amazingly mature for a 19-year-old.

She did not walk away empty-handed though, she did get $25k prize money and a trip to see Elite Models in New York but I bet she wanted that new Ford Zetec and the Levi's ad campaign, to be on the cover of the fashion bible - Harpers and have her own magazine spreadh (which she did the best job in the fashion shoot as per the fashion editor, photographer and editor - McCann)

All I know is, thank goodness Sophie didn't win, a model should not resemble a rock and a stick paired together. At least Amanda has potential.

In future, Fox, make it official and hand Sarah an envelope or a piece of card or something instead of feeding the name of the winner through the earpiece...even an accountant would have known the risk of doing that!

Xo

Btw Amanda's new cover, the dress saved this picture.



Just another update. Harper's just emailed me to confirm Kelsey will have her own cover! Hooray! I bet they were afraid no one would buy the November issue because of the drama.

Butter me (Not!) Up

It's no surprise that I have a sweet tooth and I love my desserts including chocolate cakes.

I also love baking and have been baking for many years, but unlike heaps of other bakers, I switched the main ingredient for a much healthier alternative a long, long time ago.

Today, in the news, the Heart Foundation has spoken up about how Aussies are following the trend of eating large amounts of butter - an increase in the sales of butter of 9.3%, following the success of Masterchef.

Aussies eat twice the amount of recommended intake of saturated fat.

Personally, being Chinese (we do not use butter at all) I am really surprised by the amount of butter other people use, e.g. I didn't realise some of you guys put butter to cook your meat, butter to roast your vegetables and butter to stir-fry...

So I encourage you guys to make the change because I want you guys to be around longer because you guys are my friends :)

(Btw, I am still going to cake in moderation...lol)

xo

Delhi are you sure you are ready?

In case you have been living in a hole, I am about to inform you that the Commonwealth Games are back again. This time in Delhi. You may have heard that there have been reports of terrorist attacks, terrible living conditions for the athletes and collapsing newly built structures.

With only days until the official opening ceremony and the opening of the rest of the athletes' living quarters, is Delhi ready to host this big event?

Many well-known athletes have already pulled out saying that their life is more important than a gold medal.



So truthfully, is a gold medal more valuable that people's lives?

Are the rest of our Aussie team going to withdraw and come home?

Is Australia going to end up with no medals?

I think the next few days will be interesting to watch...

BUT, please netball teams, do NOT withdraw...otherwise my next month will be netball-less (so get lost terrorism, bring on wonderful engineers and construction)

xo

When Mothers Kill

I am not a mother so I guess you can say I don't understand what goes on in a parent's mind.

But I believe when I am a mother, I would never be so selfish that I would kill the ones I love and take my own life.

Recently in the news, there have been many different cases of where mothers have taken their own life or killed their children.

You are right in assuming that there were issues.

In Britain, a mother killed her whole family because they were being bullied. They were pelted with stones, flour and eggs.

In another, her child had depression and required full-time care.

My moral to this story is that we should;



* Treat everyone with respect and care, even if your day is really bad & you woke up on the wrong side of the bed

* Love your children because you have given them life and life itself is incredibly precious and should be treasured.

Anything else? Comment & let me know. (Oh btw, I have the best, loving and wonderful relationship with my mother. She's my heroine and I love her always...no issues there!)

xo

Obsession with perfection

I understand that in Hollywood, Miami, Brazil and anywhere else, people (especially women) are becoming more obsessed with looking their best. But where is the line that people should draw?



We have all seen certain women (and men) from the past who have taken it just a tiny bit too far. Take for example Joan Rivers, she was a successful for being funny and her acting. That's until she morphed herself into a cat.

Eeekkkk.

Elvis' wife - Pricilla was known for her natural beauty...and now she has less wrinkles than her daughter and closer to a female Michael Jackson.




More recently, the fresh faced Heidi Montag from one of my favourite shows - the Hills, decided that she was unhappy because she didn't look like all the other freaks in the city. To her dismay, her nose has already started falling off, let's hope she doesn't have an incident where she accidentally steps on it when it's on the ground.



The latest celebrity to try plastic surgery was Kim Kardashian. I can't believe her own mother tormented her on the show about how she has wrinkles around her eyes. (That's setting a pretty terrible example). She ended up getting bruises around her eyes/face and she was horrified, vowing never to resort to plastic surgery again. Thank goodness! She's only 30! And she's beautiful.



Embrace the inner beauty!

xo

Top Rated Beauty Products - Spring

I love hearing recommendations but when it's from a sales staff, you know they have other motives. So here's my guide, of course, it's all tried and tested (& owned). So trust me and follow my lead (& I promise I won't leave you astray)



Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat
This concealer has many uses. Under the eyes, it brightens and lightens the skin so you appear more awake and alive. Trust me, nothing sucks more when someone comes up and asks you if you are alright because you look really tired. On pimples or blemishes or scars, it lightens it so it looks like you have flawless skin. There are different shades for different people obviously.


Lancome Juicy Tubes
Pick out a girl who honestly doesn't like juicy tubes! Over the years, there have been hundreds of flavours. Every season, there are limited edition ones and boy do I love collecting them?? They make my lips ultra shiny and they are great for eating too (I wish I was joking!) My favourite in the permanent range is peach...yummy!









Bobbi Brown Cream Blush
I love cream blushes because powder tends to dry out my skin. So if you have dry/combination skin, blush won't make your skin appear dry and flaky. Bobbi's blushes are available in many colours to suit many different skin tones. They are easy to apply.




More later!

Xo

The "Oprah" House

Oprah is coming

OMG, every single woman in the States have been going 'bananas'!!


Oprah has been known in the past, to be extremely generous. She has given away a new car to every audience member, free camcorders, makeup, etc.

But how much is this awesome trip costing us awesome taxpayers. Only Three million dollars. Aha! I feel like a slave worker right now.

But to credit Tourism Australia, I believe this campaign will fair much better than the one Lara Bingle fronted...let's hope so because I am sure we do not want another national embarassment.



So when does she head here? She will be at the Opera House or on December 14, it will be temporarily renamed to something more appropiate - the 'Oprah' House. (Wow, how long did it take for them to come up with that?)



Get excited Sydney! (Because secretly I am as well)

And yes, you will find me sitting in the audience, watching this influential woman film her show (first time out of the States).

Let me know if you want me to save you a seat.

xo

Finally going to smell like GaGa

She's been around for awhile now. She's won numerous awards for her music and videos but I have always tuned out only because I thought she was OTT.

I must admit, she is a creative being. Her music is addictive and her lyrics have meaning (even if they are inappropriate for my innocent ears) and her style has made her a fashion icon.



Her individuality and her unique look has sky-rocketed her to every women's and fashion magazine, blog and website. No doubt, check out what she wore to the MTV awards. (And those alien and sky-scraping (late) Alex McQueen shoes)

In the latest Gaga news, there's a new book out about how she is insecure (likes to sleep with her tour manager's wife) and how her media persona is 'crazy' because the record company said she was not pretty enough to be a pop star.

She is also joining forces with a beauty giant to create her new fragrance. It's the same company that produced Jennifer Lopez and Beyonce's perfumes.



I am guessing, it's going to be a sell-out.

But what will she name it? 'Dance Fever', 'Disco Fever', 'Little Monsters', 'Black, Bad Romance'.

I hear you, thank goodness I am not in the marketing department because I suck!

Whether you hate her and find her really annoying, you must admit, she's changing fashion styles and creating new trends, she's getting people talking. Or love her, because she's so wacky and her music is different, she will be around for at least another three decades.

Heck, even Paris Hilton wants to be GaGa! (And that's saying a lot!)



xo

Pop-out! Spring Beauty

Spring has hit Sydney!

Despite today's dreary weather (my window view of Barangaroo is completely foggy and the sky is dark), spring is here and no doubt the States have been very busy creating the latest beauty must-haves.

So to have things kick off!

The latest fragrance: Estee Lauder - Pleasures Bloom



Estee Lauder has always been a family favourite of mine and I have the entire 'Pleasures' collection. Each spring, they bring out a new variation of the classic 'Pleasures'. But don't be fooled, their variations are refreshing and very different to the other fragrances. So it's definitely worth testing out at your nearest DJs or Myer.

Latest makeup trend: Bright eyes and natural foundation



This is what is hitting the catwalks in New York. Bright colours, whether it be pink yellow or purple, as long as it stands out. And if Victoria Beckham, the Queen of the WAG Style Committee says purple eyeshadow is in, the whole world will follow suit. (Below is a picture of a model from her collection)



That's it for today but don't fret, new products are always launched so get excited for the next update!

xo

Is it human nature to gossip?

I believe both women and men like to talk about other people and other things. Often comparing themselves to others and putting themselves on a higher level. I think animals often do that, that’s why there are leaders in a pack or group. It’s only natural.

If my touch turned things into gold

To turn Australia into the ultimate tourist destination I would touch the Sydney Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, the sand and the long beach strip at Surfers Paradise and the Uluru. It will draw in international media and Australia will become the ultimate place to be seen.

The Legend of Beauty Sleep

I never thought beauty sleep existed. I truthfully never did.

But lately, I have been breaking out on my forehead and other problem areas for the past month. Such breakouts that I have not experienced since I was in year 8 (and believe me, that was a long, long time ago!)

My parents and bf kept telling me that it was because I wasn't getting enough rest and I get almost 7 hours each night so I honestly thought that was sufficient. However, my skin got worse and my dark circles got even darker.

I've always had great skin so it was really confusing for me. But I do work long hours and I am under a lot of stress.

Recently, I have been working and training really hard, physically.

So after a 9.5 hours of sleep, my skin have cleared up. But the dark circles are there so hopefully if I keep resting more, I will look radiant! (Let's hope!)

In a little way, you can call this an experiment with a proper hypothesis. Only the hypothesis was created after the experiment was conducted. But nonetheless, it was successful and I was able to draw a conclusion.

Awesome, my first experiment and I was never enthusiastic about science!

xo

ActiFryday lunch at Fish Face, Darlinghurst

I was invited to a 2-3pm sitting for a special Friday lunch (rather very late lunch).

My bf and I arrived 10mins late, only because the cab driver took us the wrong way along Darlinghurst road. We walked in and it was quite busy, no doubt the previous 1-2pm sitting hadn't concluded as yet.

Fish face is buzzing and you can feel the atmosphere is light but very busy.

We waited for a staff to direct us to a table or some spare seats. A PR from Tefal said to me, that they were a little busy, which I wasn't surprised but I think she implied that we should just stand around and wait even though it was now 15 minutes pass the start of our 'lunch'.

One of the owners thankfully came to the rescue and apparently there was space for us!

On our seats were goodie bags (which I left mine behind because I knew I wouldn't be cooking anytime soon), there were 2 cookbooks and one about nutrition and calorie counting (which I am done doing!)

We were brought mineral water.

And we waited...for 45 minutes to be given our food.

But when it did come, I was happy, even though it was close to 3pm. I had steamed salmon fillet, with Asian-influenced, soy and ginger sauce with Asian greens.

My bf had flathead and chips, with some very yummy sauce. He devoured that pretty quickly (with my help obviously!)

Our sides were 'crispy' chips (could have been more crispy) and salad.

Dessert was sticky date pudding that was missing some of the bottom, drizzled with butterscotch sauce and double cream.

I think we must have made a record because we ate all that in less than 30 minutes (give or take, depending on how fast th food came around).

And not to mention, I think the photographer must have taken 10 photos of us and came up and said hello. Hopefully we look good and I will look out for those photos online. (And will post them here!)

It's now nearly 4pm and I am so full because of the yummy seafood we had (and feeling slightly guilty about the unhealthy tartare sauce I ate).

Oh well, there's always my new bestie (the gym) tonight!

xo

Posted pix!

Who knew gyming was addictive...

I honestly did not think that I could become so addicted to exercising!

Whether it's using the cross-trainer for 60mins, aiming to run for 9km, boxing sessions and dance classes.

So the results after one week; (some expected, some unexpected)

1. Every muscle in my body is hurting
2. I discovered new muscles in my body
3. Eating has increased dramatically, both unhealthy (including cream biscuits) and healthy, lots of fruit and veg
4. I am competing against myself, trying to beat my own record
5. Arms and upper back, hamstrings and legs are looking toned and...

I feel great! And really sore and really tired! But nevermind the last two, I feel great! Fitter, stronger and only excited about getting more fitter and stronger!

So exercise is good and it has been an awesome way to de-stress from work and everything else life chucks in my face.

And yes, I am gyming tonight! No pain, no gain!

xo

Metalicus & Madison Magazine event

Last night, I dragged my bf (who willingly came as my plus one) to Chatswood Chase to attend a special event hosted by Metalicus and Madison magazine.

I must say the new styles they had - I've seen before. E.g. the striped ensembles. Although some of their colour blocks were interesting. (Check out the picture)

I did like; however, how soft the outfits were and how summery it felt. It looked comfortable.

The store itself was small so with the amount of people that were invited, only a small portion of people could actually fit inside. Shame, it felt like Chinatown when I was in there and honestly, I came straight out!

Their goodie bags were snatched by the attendees in seconds! Some women even decided to grab two! Tsk Tsk...I thought I was greedy but apparently not! I grabbed the same bag as this other woman and I just let her take it...

But I did get my hands on one, and inside was...the new Madison mag with the gorgeous Drew Barrymore on it, a stainless steel Metalicus water bottle, Metalicus black tights (which I am wearing right now and it's keeping me warm!), some lollies (which I hope my bf's sister is enjoying!), a Madison cookbook (I love my food and am a wannabe chef) and a Schweppes drink.

Just an update about the stockings, after one day of wearing them, I have a medium size hole and a long ladder...argh! It's RRP for $25, exy!

All in all, Metalicus and Madison did a good job putting together a good show. I did like the mini fashion parade.

And yes, I will be blogging each event I will be attending.

xo

Censoring art?

Some art should be censored to certain demographics such as children only because it can be misunderstood under their eyes and they have been unable to develop life experience or gain a wider perspective on life. But I agree that artists should be able to express themselves freely.