My Favourites ✔ : Most Repurchase Items

HOLA

♡

My Favourites (1)

I hope everybody is doing well. It's been incredibly hot lately 🔥, don't forget to stay hydrated ! If you didn't know this already, I moved to Auckland in December last year into my new home. It was overwhelming at first, trying to fit in with the hustle & bustle of the city life, but your girl got through it.

Even though my life-style has been different, there are a few things I keep finding myself going back to. Since I got a pretty good feedback on the last favourite post I did back in October 2015, I thought I'll start doing a 'My Favourite Series'. This way, I can share with you all my favourite products, restaurants, make up, and more.

Today I'm going to start with some items which I have repurchased a lot, from the OG to my new found favourites. I will also let you know why I like each item and rate them from 1-10 (10 being the best, of course).

❀ If you are ready, check them out ! ❀

Palmolive Naturals Body Wash 

(Sea Minerals with Moisture Beads)

- I hate the slippery feeling some body wash leaves on my skin after shower.

I like to feel fresh and squeykly clean, and this body wash gives me just that. It freshen me up, smells so amazing and also 100% soap free.

✾ Cons: It's not the best at keeping my skin moisturised, especially in winter.
✾ # of times repurchase: 7+ times
✾ Price (NZD): $5
✾ Rate: 7/10

Dior Addict Lip Glow

- If you have read  My Foundation Routine

post, I have included this product before. It's definitely one of my all time favourite. 

I remember using it the first time when I was 14, and it totally changed my life ! I have to admit, there are times I went off and tried different brands of lip balm, which leave me with nothing but guilty feeling and chapped lips 😠. I have tried a few products from Dior Addict range and they are great too. 

This product in particular literally keeps my lips moisturised for over 6 hours. According to Dior , 'Lip Glow is the first colour reviver balm by Dior combining the comfort of a balm with a natural flush of custom colour'. For me, it's great to add some subtle shine and colour when you are wearing minimal to no make up. As well as, when you are wearing a full face make up, since it adds a hint of colour that goes well with every look.

P.S. Back when I first used it, they only had one colour. Now they have 9 shades and 3 different finishes. My favs are 001 and 004 Coral. 

✾ Cons: If you are on a budget, it can be rather pricey.
✾ # of times repurchase: 40+ times
✾ Price (NZD): $65-$77
✾ Rate: 10/10

King Island Coconut Water

- Literally the only brand of coconut water on the market in New Zealand that tastes like the actual fresh coconut water. 

Apart from my daily 8 glasses of H2O, coconut water is life ! Fortunately, had been living in Thailand for 14 years, I had easy access to fresh coconut pretty much whenever I want. 

Over the years, I have tried so many brand of so called 'coconut water' but they just never taste like the real deal. Most of them just taste like normal water with additive flavours and fragrances. Then I found King Island 100% coconut water and 
I just love it ! 

✾ Cons: It is only available in selective stores. I can only find it at New World supermarket.
✾ # of times repurchase: 10+ times
✾ Price (NZD): $3.99
✾ Rate: 9/10

Spotify Premium

- Does this even need an explanation ? I mean if you don't use Spotify or haven't upgraded already, then what are you doing !? 

I was pretty happy using free Spotify back in '14, until one of my friend was going on about how good the premium was. So I gave it a try and before I know it, there's no going back. I don't want to waste my time listening to ads while I try to enjoy the beats during workouts. My favourite playlists at the moment are RapCavier, MellowStyle and Old school hip hop and R&B. Go premium or go home ! 

✾ Cons: As many songs as the app has to offers, not every single songs are available there.
✾ # of times repurchase: 30+ times (over 3 years)
✾ Price (NZD): $14.99
✾ Rate: 9/10

Alison's Pantry - Vege Chips

- This is a new found favourite product of mine. It's one of those products you didn't think you need, but now you can't live without. 

I found it randomly at my local New World and thought I'd give it a try. I mean I don't like vegetables very much, but I know I need to add some to my diet. I also love chippies, but they are so bad for you 😖 and I always feel terrible for eating it. 

Vege chips are great, they are pretty much a variety of baked vegetables which are lightly seasoned. The seasoning kinda make them taste like regular potato chips, but doesn't overkill the unique tastes. Each vegetable has its own flavour, sweetness, and texture. Who would have thought snacking on veges would be fun, right ? 


I highly encourage you to try them out. They are available at New World, Pak n' Save and other food and health stores. If you follow me on social media, you'd already know hope obsessed I am !

✾ Cons: Be careful, these babies are hella addictive ! 
✾ # of times repurchase: 15+ times 
✾ Price (NZD): $4.99/100g
✾ Rate: 10/10

If you are still reading this, thank you ! I hope you enjoy all my favourite products. I have a lot more to share with you. 

I would like to give a special shout out to Meredith from Prolife Foods and Alison's Pantry for hooking me up with the biggest bag of vege chips ever ! You are incredible. I'm so grateful and appreciative, so thank you so much ♡

Please remember to spread love and positivity. Be kind to one another. Holiday seasons can be very hectic, so if you are getting a bit frustrated with yourself and those around you, just take a minute to breathe and think about all the positive things/people/experiences in your life and be thankful. 

I'm sending love and good energy to you all & hope you have an amazing day 💖

ADIÓS

xoxo

How to: Regrow Supermarket Herbs at Home 🍃

Welcome Friends ! 

Today I am going to show you a step-by-step of how I grow my store-bought herbs in my kitchen, and how to make them last for ages. If you enjoy cooking like me, you'd know how wonderfully herbs can help flavour up dishes by adding extra fragrance and texture. However, fresh herbs can be very expensive to buy and difficult to find out-of season. They also don't tend to last very long neither, even when refrigerated.

Just about two months ago, I went to a local fruit and vegetable store, and found Thai basil there. I love Thai food, but some ingredients can be very rare to come across. I always find myself having to settle for frozen ingredients or the alternatives. For example, when I used to make Pad Krapao (Thai basil stir fried), I would just use Italian basil instead of Thai basil. It does the job, but definitely doesn't give the same authentic flavour. When I saw those Thai basil plants sitting on the shelf, begging me to take them home. I decided, no more wasting money on supermarket herbs that will only last me a few day, and said to myself "I'm just going to grow my own herb garden !" This way, I will always have freshly picked herbs for all my home cooked meals.

Here are what you will need:

1. Thai Basil Living Plants (Or any other living herb plants you like) - $3.99 
2. Potting Mix - $9
3. Small Pots - $5.98
4. Saucers - Free (From recycled material) 

Once you have everything ready, let's get to work ! 

According to LaidBackGardener, "Supermarket herbs are sold very densely packed into their pots. Most are just young seedlings only a few weeks old and would look wimpy on their own, so producers jam them at a rate of 10 to 20 per pot. That gives a fuller, more mature looking pot, but one that is way too crowded! Even under ideal conditions, the seedlings would soon be struggling for survival".  The first thing you will need to do is to pick out the living herb plants you want to regrow. The fresher they are, the more they are likely to survive, so make sure you pick out the healthiest looking one from the supermarket. I would suggest having everything else ready before you go get the herb, as you don't want to wait too long to plant them. 

Photo Credit: Food To Love

If you have never bought living herb plants from supermarket before, they are usually located in the produce section on their own self-standing shelves. Most plants each comes in a small pot with plastic packaging around it. 

• Once you have your plant of choice on hand, first thing is to divide them into smaller portion, leaving around 2-4 healthy plants per pot. Once divided, you can get up to 7-10 plant pots from an average pot of supermarket herb plants. If you don't want to fill your kitchen up with 10 of them same herbs, you can keep 3-4 divided portion and use up the rest instead. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo of this step for you guys, but not to worry. I include an example picture I found online for you below.

Photo Credit: Garden Betty

• Now you will have to get the pots ready. I used 0.6L Maxi Pot, they come in a pack of 20, and are slightly bigger than the supermarket pot which the plants originally came in. if you are looking for a more sustainable way, I'd recommend using Paper Pots. These are even cheaper than the plastic pots I got. They are biodegradable which means they can easily be planted straight into the ground, giving you both options of indoor and outdoor gardening. 

Left: Grow-it Maxi Pots / Right: Jiffy Easi Grow Pots

• I filled each pot with a quarter of potting mix (All purpose potting mix works wonder, but I accidentally bought outdoor tub mix and it works just fine as well), just enough to cover the bottom. Then I placed the plants in the centre of the pot, while filling it up 3/4 way full with potting mix. To add a little more support, I add some more potting mix on the top layer and lightly compacted around the bottom of the plants. 

* P.S. 15 Litres of potting mix will last you for ages !

Daltons All purpose Potting Mix from The Warehouse

Lightly compacted bottom of the plant(s) with potting mix to increase stability

• Repeat the same process with the rest of the plants and Ta Da, you are done !

Now the only thing you have to worry about is to keep them alive. It's very simple, you just need to water them once a day, and make sure they are placed in a spot with enough sunlight. I put them on my kitchen bench next to a big ranch slider, so they get to soak up the sun all day. It pays to put a saucer underneath each pot to avoid creating mess when you water them, especially if you were to keep them inside. I have an old Wardrobe Storage Shoe Rack that has been sitting in my garage for awhile, so I took one of the shelf board out and put the pot plants over it. It has nice laminate finish and looks great on top of my kitchen bench, it also really easy to wipe down when I spill some water on it. Grate way to recycle right ? If you don't want to buy a saucer for each of your plants, getting a planter through is not a bad idea neither.

There you go my friends, that's how I regrow store-bought herbs at home. It's so easy and doesn't cost a lot at all. Trust me, from now you will save so much money from having to buy more herbs every time you need it. I hope you give it a try and don't forget to let me know how it goes. All feedbacks, recommendations, and questions are welcomed ! Have a lovely week, and I will see you all next time

XOXO

4 Best Gender-Neutral Xmas Gift Ideas for Under $20 🎁

HO HO HO !

Hello friends, it's been awhile since my last post on here. A lot has been happening during the years, and now I finally found some free time to update my blog again. So, Yes, I am back peeps ! and this time, I've got some fresh ideas, recipes, favourites and much much more to share with you all. 

Christmas is approaching right around the corner. I don't know about you but this means that I have to go through the headache of figuring out what to get who and how much money I have to spend. I mean, It may not be so hard if you only have to get something for your immediate family since you already know what they like. The real challenge is, trying to buy a gift for someone you aren't so close with. For example, when your work is doing the 'Secret Santa', buying a gift for for your third cousins you've only met twice, or trying to impress your in-laws on a budget. Let's admit it, nobody wants a gift that they can't use. So, I put myself in their shoes and put together a list of Christmas gift ideas that you can give to pretty much anyone and everyone for under $20 ! Here they are; 

• Chocolate 🍫

 It's pretty obvious that everyone loves chocolate. It's yummy, you can share it with friends, and the best part is that you can pick it up from your local supermarket for pretty cheap during the holiday season. A 24 pack box of Ferrero Rocher goes for around $15, and there are a lot more options which are even cheaper. If you want to be safe and are concern about the other person's health or allergy, you can grab Kinnerton Just Chocolate from The Wearhouse for only $3 !! It's totally dairy, nut, egg and gluten free, isn't that great ? 

•  Gift Card / Voucher  💳

Another generic but great idea. This leaves it up to the receiver to get whatever they want within the card's limit. Even though, there are many places which offer gift cards, you don't want to buy them a $20 gift card for a fancy shoes shop or electronic store, since there won't be much useful product they can buy for that cheap. Personally, I think most people can put $20 gift card for places like The Wearhouse, supermarket, or even gas station to the best use. Another option if you are a little more boujee is Prezzy Card, it is a prepaid visa gift card which is a widely accepted in most stores, as well as for online shopping. The minimum amount you have to put on it is $25 and up to $1,000. 

To spice things up, another great idea is Grabone Voucher. This way, you can find something that suits everyone, from $15 car grooming service to yummy indian cuisine for only $10, you name it !

• Iphone Charger 📱

Did you know that over 31% of smartphone users in New Zealand use iPhone ? Yes ! According to IDC New Zealand, iPhone shipment from Apple made up the highest percentage of the market in the last quarter of 2016. If you are an iPhone user like me, no matter how much you love the phone itself, there's one thing that always frustrated the heck out of me. The phone charging cord, it never lasts ! I could be buying the most expensive iPhone charger ever, but 8 months down the line I always find myself wiggling the chord trying to get it going. Some only last for weeks before it gives up ! You can grab a pretty basic 1m Necessity Brand one from The Wearhouse for only $8 or 2m Tech.Inc charging cable for $19. And if they are an iPhone fanatic like me, they will totally love you for it. 

• Lotto Ticket 💰

Last but not least, I got this idea from a wedding in Thailand that was on the news last year. Instead of handing out your typical mini candles or a tiny macaroon with love heart on it as the wedding favours, they gave out a lottery ticket for each guest. And I thought, how clever ! It's fun, it's unique and you can really win big money from it. Even if you don't win anything, you still get that merriment of taking a chance on something. You can go as little as $2 scratchy or go big and buy 12 lines of triple dip for $20. I mean, if the person does win, who knows you might end up with half of the fortune. 

Of course, there are many other gender-neutral gifts out there like a bottle of wine or ten. These are just a small list I wanted to share with you. I hope you like it and that now you will be inspire and come up with even more creative gift ideas. If you do find this useful or if you did buy any of this item as a gift, let me know ! I wish you a very festive Christmas, and I will see you next time.

xoxo

☠ October's Favourites ☠

Bonjour

Long time no see ! I am back again with this month's favourites. I have been sooooo busy with my school work, plus my exam is just a week away from now. It's time for me to burry my face in school books and study hard, but before that I thought I would share with you guys some of my favourites things in October.

As you may know, October is the month of Halloween ~~~ ooooooh spooky and it's also only about a month away before summer officially begins ! Even though I have been loaded with work, I cannot help but get exhilarated & hyped up about the upcoming Halloween. To satisfy the horror side of mine, I have managed to find some time to binge watch a couple of horror films every night since the month began. Yet get scared every time when the films are over. I have listed some of my all time favourite horror films down below. If you are in to this kind of movie as well, let me know how you feel about my list, and if you have any suggestion of what movie I should watch then definitely let me know !!

From Left to Right: The Blair Witch Project (1999), The Babadook (2014), Would You Rather (2012)
Dark Water (2005), Orphan (2009), The Exorcism of Molly Harty (2015)

Another thing I have been obsessing over is 'The Girls Next Door' - A reality TV show aired on E! from 2005-2010, starring Holly Madison, Bridget Marquardt, Kendra Wilkinson, and the master himself Hugh Hefner. 
This show is surpassingly about "Hef's World, Hef, his girlfriends and friends contrasted with the staff". I find the Playboy world very fascinating after watching the show. Hef and his three girlfriends travelling around the world, walking the red carpet, partying it up with A-list celebrities and lounging around the infamous Playboy Mansion. 

What could be better, right ? Engrossed by the glamorous lifestyles on the show, I came across a (tell all) book written by Holly Madison AKA Hef's main girlfriend back in 2005. The book is called 'Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a Former Playboy Bunny'. She told her side of the story about how she got involved in Playboy business, what life was ACTUALLY like at the Playboy mansion and her experience while dating the notorious Hugh Hefner. I got to admit that I have not read a good book in years but after purchasing this book I literally could not put it down ! I finished reading the whole thing in less than two days, that's how great it is. 

If this is something you are fascinated by as much as I do and you have not read it yet, I highly recommend grabbing yourself one. If you don't like reading ? No problem, you can now purchase an audible version narrated by Holly herself for free with your audile trial. And if you want to know more about the book before purchasing one, feel free to check out all the reviews at Amazon.com. 

The Girls Next Door (2005-2010)

Holly Madison: Down the Rabbit Hole (Released in 2015)

Last but not least for October's favourites, I had recently stumbled upon an amazing community called 'Hand to Hand' where unwanted clothes are being collected and given to families in need within Bay of Plenty NZ as well as being donated to 'Under the Starts - Homeless in Tauranga'. Since I have so many clothes that have not been worn in awhile, I decided to donated some to the organisation along with some blankets too. 

Photo credit by Hand to Hand

In the past 20 years, I have been given so many good things in life and I appreciate every part of it. Having a chance to be in a different country on my own has definitely opened my eyes to see things differently. All the years I thought were difficult had been nothing but experience and helped me grow into a genuine person I am today. However, no matter how hard I may think things were, I know I always have love & support from my family in every single way. Sadly, not everyone is as fortunate. I learned that some people are having a hard time struggling with their day-to-day lives, emotionally, physically and even financially. This is just a little thing I believe I could do to help and I encourage everyone else do so too. It is truly a great feeling knowing that something which is no longer benefit you can be rewarding to someone else. Contact the organisation today to make your donation and don't forget to leave a comment/suggestion below. I hope you guys have a blast on this spooky holiday, and till next time.

AU REVOIR

♡♡♡

Recipe 1: Mum's Chicken Soup

Mum's Chicken Soup

Easy, Affordable, Comfort food, 

 Just like Mum used to make it 

Going back to when I was living in Thailand, my Mum used to make me this beautiful chicken soup which I absolutely loved ! I came across this dish the other day while I was watching a Thai cooking show. This broght back all the memories reminding me of how good this soup was, so I picked up my phone and rang Mum, asking for her recipe. In all honesty I did not think I will be able to find the ingredients easily, but I went to the supermarket and got everything for just under $15 ! Surprisingly I got a huge pot out of it which can feed up to 4-6 people. Another plus side is that it's very easy to make and I am sure everyone can make it !

All you need are:

Thai Chicken Soup 

• 450g  Chicken Nibbles
• 3  Average size Potatoes 
• 2  Carrots
• 1/2  Onion
• 2  Tomatoes 
• 1/2 cup  Soy Sauce
• 3 tsp Salt
• 8 cups Water

Method:

1. Make sure the potatoes and carrots are washed, peeled and chopped into small bite sized pieces.
2. Chop up tomatoes and onion. 
3. Pour water into a large stock pot, add salt and bring to boil.
4. Once the water is boiled, add chicken. Keep spooning out coagulated protein (white foamy stuff) on top of the water as it makes the soup cloudy.
5. Add in the soy sauce followed by potatoes and carrots, leave boiling for 10 minutes. 
6. Add chopped onion and tomato, put element on low heat and let simmer for 45 minutes. 
7. The soup is ready to go, you can add salt and pepper to taste if you like. My mum usually added some special ingredients to give it a kick which makes it taste very authentic. This is entirely up to you whether you want to do it or not but I hight recommend as it brings out more flavours and make it very sensational & delectable. 

** Here's the special ingredients (Mmmh...yummy!) **:

Sugar syrup, Fish sauce, Freshly squeezed Lime juice, Fried Shallots and Chilli (or dry chilli flakes). The cool thing about this is that you can add as little or as much of everything as you like. When I made this, I put in about 3tbs of fish sauce, 2tbs of sugar syrup, 1/4 of a lime, a bunch of fried shallots and a sprinkle of chilli flakes. The key to the deliciousness is to add in these ingredients separately in a bowl when served, not to mix it all in the big pot and to taste heaps !

There you go, to top this off I suggest having it with hot rice. It is not hard at all, everything is easy enough if you put your heart in to it. If you have tried this recipe and like it, make sure to share it to your friends and family. Don't forget to give me a feed back on the recipe. My stomach is rumbling right now so I might have to ask to be excused & grab a bowl of this for dinner, see you later. Bye Bye. 

ENJOY & Bon appétit

♡♡♡

❀ My Foundation Routine ❀

Hi guys, hope it's all going well for all of you. Summer is just around the corner for us in New Zealand, and I cannot wait for it !

Today I have done a mini tutorial on how I contour my face and my foundation routine. I will also show you guys all the products I currently use and which are the must haves ! Are you ready ?? Let's get started :) 

First I applied my all time favourite lip balm from 

Christian Dior. This product helps moisturising and protecting the skin while enhancing my natural lip colour which I absolutely love ♥

Dior Addict Lip Glow ($33 USD ~ $51 NZD)

I like to use Estée Lauder Clear Difference Advanced Blemish serum to reduce any flaws on the skin before I moisturised my face with Biotherm Aquasource Gel (I highly recommend!) to keep my skin hydrated all day long. I would suggest you try these two products out if you have 
sensitive, normal-combination skin like me. 
Remember that the key of having a good make up that is always on point and lasts all day is to have a great base to start with !

Estée Lauder Clear Difference Advanced Blemish Serum ($82 USD ~ $126.5 NZD)
Biotherm Aquasource 48H Continuous Release Hydration Gel  ($80 NZD)

The problem I deal with a lot is the dark circles I get under my eyes from late night sleep which I find MAC Pro Longwear concealer (NW25) works like a treat to conceal my under eyes with. I used a damp Beauty Blender to apply my concealer as it gives more natural effect on my skin rather than cakey  

( Cakey make up = No No !!) 

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer ($21 USD ~$40 NZD)
Beauty Blender ($32 NZD) 

For Foundation in this everyday look, I used Double Wear 

Stay-in-Place Makeup foundation by Esteé Lauder in the shade 'Tawny' (3W1) which is equivalent to MAC foundation in NC30. It feels very light and breathable on the skin but definitely is build-able. 
Again, I applied my foundation using the same Beauty Blender. 
I like to make sure I blend everything well, 

we don't want any harsh foundation line on our faces do we girls ??

'Double Wear' Stay-in-Place Liquid Makeup ($69 NZD)

I ♥ ♥ ♥ using my Mac Prep + Prime highlighter in 'Light Boost' to enhance/highlight where it's needed. This product helps brighten areas on your face in a very settle way which makes you look youthful and fresh. I usually start from my forehead and drag it down on my nose, as well as my chin and my cheek bones then blend it all out with my Beauty Blender.   

Mac Prep + Prime Highlighter ($26 USD ~ $40.10 NZD)


After applying all of the above ✓ I set my foundation with a mixture of the famous Laura Mercier translucent powder and Ben Nye Banana Luxury powder. With the Beauty Blender, I pressed in the products where I highlighted before to accentuate those areas even more. I will go on and do my eyes and eyebrows make up while I let the powder kind sit nicely on my skin. 
This is called "Baking" technique.

Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder ($37 USD ~ $57 NZD)

Ben Nye Banana Luxury Powder ($39.90)

These are products I used to do my eyebrows. 

If you want to know how I fill in my eyebrows and do my eye makeup, 

just drop a comment below or give me a message from the links in bio ! 

I will make sure to check them & do tutorials for you guys ☺☺☺

After doing my eyes makeup, I dusted off any excess powder on my face from baking before with a kabuki brush. I then contoured the side of my face (the hollow part of my cheeks), on the side & the top of my forehead, and also under my jaw line to enhance facial structure and even make my face appear a little thinner. To do this, I used MAC Bronzing powder in 'Golden' with Nars Yachiyo Kabuki brush which is excellent for defining cheekbones, highlighting the complexion, and blending and diffusing colour on or around the eye area.

MAC Bronzing Powder ($26 USD ~ $40.10 NZD)
Nars Yachiyo Kabuki Brush ($55 USD ~ $85 NZD)


Lastly to finish off the look and to add some colours, I lightly applied MAC Powder Blush in Pinch O' Peach just above the contouring on my cheeks.

MAC Powder Blush ($22 USD ~ $34 NZD)

And here you go, this is the finial look, easy right ? I know !
This is my to go everyday look which I normally wear and love. 
It usually takes me about 30 minutes to achieve this make up look, 
so if you wanna try it out I do suggest you leave about 30 minutes to an hour before you go out. This look can also easily be transformed into a night look, all you need are darker eye makeup and your favourite lipstick ! 


Before I go I hope you enjoy my tutorial, leave any question or comment down below. I hope spring treats you well and I will see you guys again real soon, mwah xx

AU REVOIR

♡♡♡