Through The Year & Entering 2K16 In London

Thought it would be inappropriate if I posted a New Year's post a week after the initial date - therefore, I might as well post one before the week ends! And yikes, it's already Sunday?! Haha. I have +/- two more weeks here in England, and there's still so much for me to explore and buy (coughs) but I'm going with my initial intention of coming here - to just chill, relax, and have my deserved low time with great company.

Let's go through the months of 2015 together, shall we?

In January, I landed an internship with one of the companies I had been aiming since the start of my studies. I met awesome colleagues whom guided me, taught me so much about the working life and was inspired by them to strive, work hard and somehow be where they were in the future. Some of them were so career driven, it changed my perspective in life - to chase my dreams before I had no more time to chase them anymore, lol. I also left a lot behind in January. A group of friends whom I was accustomed to hanging out with for the past year, my social media networks - my Instagram account which I built to nearly 8K followers was deleted (I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't sad, but it was for the better). For a month or so, I used other people's social medias until they pestered me to get my own, lol.

I got back together with Amir in February after our brief yet much needed break-up. Hung out a lot with my Bangi friends - surprised the boys at a wedding. In March, I left Petronas, bid goodbye to the UK and went back to Taylor's for my final semester of studies. Surprised Amir with a box from home which costed me almost half of my allowance for his birthday. Had to handle unnecessary drama from people who simply just couldn't grow up and admit their faults despite me doing nothing. Had to face some of them in college which disgusted the shit out of me. Then all the other months were basically filled with studying, being trapped in a pile of assignments and contemplating life decisions after uni: to work/continue studies. Life was a bliss.

This year, I learned about independence of travelling alone without my family. In May, I went to Yogyakarta, Indonesia with my ex-collegues. Don't think the place is my cup of tea, but I loved seeing the temples with my very own eyes. Then, in December, after months of planning, Syaz and I boarded a flight to London. Despite this being my third time here, blessed to see the city with friends - or, juniors since Amir and I were the most senior ones while the rest were batch 95 and 97 (but Anis, who's a 93 joined us on New Year's but I'll talk about that later hehe).

I remembered end of 2014, I asked God if he could help me with a big favour. To help get rid of those who will hurt me, those who had nothing good to offer and to help preserve those who would one day mean the world to me. He definitely granted what I asked for. At the end of the day, I'm still with the same group of friends from high school, blessed for helpful friends since my foundation batch (Elisha, Lysha, Jen and Kim were my saviours for my last semester of degree).

And let's not forget, family. Family. What will I ever be without my family.

I learned that my sister really does love me and can be clingy, hehe. She demanded me for attention while I was exploring Betws-Y-Coed and despite the cold which made my hands almost numb, I still tried my best to reply her text messages and even Facetimed with her till my data went zero (blimming Lebara). People may belittle your family members demanding respect when they don't show the slightest one yet. They can give you 1001 excuses saying they don't fit in when they've been prancing around with someone else. They can even play victim: posting motivational quotes about finding themselves, moving on, just to beg for attention and sympathy but the solid truth still remains, when you're at fault, just admit it. When you're wrong, just say sorry. Just like when you steal something from someone else, you've still committed a crime. There was once a time when I vowed that I would never forgive those who hurt my sister to an extent which I hope to forget. But looking at her now, strong, smiling and most importantly back to her geeky self, made me realize that whatever happened to her made her stronger, and it inspired me. It also made me more overprotective towards her.

But most of all, looking back - I'm proud of myself. So, so proud. I came back on the right track - with my internship and my studies. Yes, it's normal to have flops along the way but I finished my degree after pushing myself, being somewhere I didn't want to be for years. I grew to love Taylor's during my last semester which I thoroughly tried to appreciate every piece of the uni-life. And I actually made my decision to do my Masters, and got accepted.

S O  H O W  D I D  I  S P E N D  M Y  N E W  Y E A R ?

Well, New Year's Eve was supposed to be exploring Camden Town in the morning and then following whatever plans the boys had in store for us at night. However, Syaz and I both woke up late, decided to chill at my apartment and ended up shopping in Oxford Street instead. We both bought matching - yet in different colours, bomber jackets at Topshop and went back to Queensway after that to drop off our stuff. Chilled at Anis' room to catch up and eventually managed to drag her out to join us for New Year celebrations. Met the boys; Amir, Danial, Hazim and Najwan at Malaysian Hall for dinner and Anis came after that. We went to Whiteley's since Amir wanted to go to Zara, but the shops closed early so we took the tube to Westminster and walked around to find a spot for fireworks.

For (some) years of age gap, we all look about the same age! Lol.

Why must you boys spoil a what's supposed to be nice photo?!

Once we found one, looked at our watches - we had four more hours to kill. So we walked to Trafalgar Square which, by then was flooded with a sea of people. Stopped by Petit-A-Manger to grab some snacks, and hurried back to our spot which was starting to fill up as well. What do you do to kill three hours in the cold? Well, Amir and I's hot chocolate cup was empty by then, so we ended up playing Truth or Dare - which, ended up to being just truth.

After, the skeletons in everyone's closet were almost all out - it was time for fireworks. It was spectacular. It was beautiful. It was worth our hours in the cold. Mere silence, just "ooh's" and "aah's". We hugged everyone Happy New Year in the end and 2016 started off perfect, the way I wanted it to be. I wanted to cry at Syaz because we had been planning this trip for months, and one of the things in our bucket list was to watch the fireworks. The amount of hassles we went through for this, was worth it since in the end - the both of us got what we wanted.

Ate before we each went back to our respective houses. Blessed for kebab stores which open late night (mind you, by the time we reached Queensway again, it was already almost 2AM). As soon as I got home, I showered, packed a bit and slept. That, was my New Year's Eve. That, was my idea of a perfect ending for 2015. 

The next day, everyone went back to their universities since it was the start of exams. I moved on to my friend's house and bid farewell to my aunt and cousins. No more walking in groups and janji Melayu talks of going out early and ending up leaving in the afternoon. No more Malaysian Hall which I would do anything, anything, to have their daging rendang right now. That was the end of London, as of now - off to explore somewhere else!

Beauty Finds: BB Creams, Foundations and Concealer

I've gone through various stages of make up during my years of experimenting. I'm very particular with what I put on my face. Though I am blessed to not have sensitive skin nor acne problems, it's really, really, important to know what works best for you before suffering the consequences - trust me, it has happened to me before and I regret it.

Well, every experience is part of the learning curve. I purchased my first BB Cream at the age of eighteen, freshmen at college and surrounded by girls who placed cake full of make up on their faces despite not having any imperfections to cover what so ever. Though, at the age of twenty, I started being one of them putting, lol. I bought my first ever foundation and then it progressed to concealers at the age of twenty one (this year) when I learned the art of achieving Kim Kardashian's contour and highlight. Enough babbling, here are my favourite picks ranging from drug store to high-end products when it comes to the three make-up products mentioned above.

B  B    C R E A M 

If you're new to make up and you're clueless as to what a BB Cream is, well it stands for; blemish balm/base or beauty balm. What does this cream do? Virst of all, it's somewhat like a foundation, however it's offers light coverage. It also works as a sun-block, primer, serum and moisturizer. My favourite BB Cream of all time has got to be the Tarte's BB Tinted Treatment 12-Hour Primer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Suncream (nama taknak lagi panjang ke). Applying this wonder of a product is like applying powder. It oxides so well with the skin, allowing a smooth base, and let me just add - the coverage isn't that light as well! Usually, I'd be confident enough to pat this and some baby powder and be off to wherever I plan to go. Yes, and like its long name, it really does last 12 hours. I wore it for more than 12 hours once and my face wasn't oily at all. If you're looking for a drugstore BB Cream, Maybelline offers a good one (although it's not available in Malaysia) and another high-end BB Cream which I would recommend would be Laura Mercier's. 

F O U N D A T I O N 

They say splurging on a good foundation is worth the investment. I would agree, although for my foundation pick, the best would be a drug store product from L'Oreal. Recommended by Beauty Guru's, I picked the L'Oreal True Match foundation for less than RM 60. Why didn't I choose high end foundations? Well, I rarely use foundation. In fact, I'd only use them whenever I have events, or occasional mengada dress up days. If you don't use a foundation for too long, it'll eventually be clumped up, caky and well - damage your skin. The True Match foundation gives you a lot of coverage, it blends well and is smooth on the skin. Plus, one bottle can last you a long time - trust me on this. Two high end foundations which I would recommend would be Tarte's Amazonian Clay foundation (their foundation brush is also very good!) and Marc Jacob's Re(marc)able Full Coverage Foundation. 

C O N C E A L E R 

Amazing Concealers have got to be the best when it comes to one-toned concealers. They're expensive, but their level of coverage is beyond this world lol. When I worked in KLCC, I'd cheat my way down to Sephora whenever there was a meeting with someone important just to pat this on. I immediately bought a small tube once I got my first paycheck - haha! For a drug store alternative, I would recommend Maybelline's Age Rewind Concealer. A lot of beauty gurus recommend this, especially when highlighting and covering dark circles. However, for concealer palettes, I would definitely recommend MAC's. Mine has lasted me for about a year and though people are sceptical about this (since it's small) - it is worth the investment. It is my holy grail beauty product, a must carry anywhere and everywhere when I travel. Nice to blend, easy and creamy to apply. A cheaper option I would recommend would be NYX's. I've used my sister's before to colour correct and it does the job good for its price. 

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Remember, when buying make up it's best to consult the salesperson and tell them your skin condition so they can recommend what suits you best especially when it comes to these three things; BB Creams, Foundation and Concealers. It's important to have a good base make up before layering other products to your face. Hope these recommendations were helpful! x

Travel Tips: "Will Everything Even Fit?!"

Three more days till I fly off -- and I look at my luggage bag, stuffed like a fat cow.

"This is a disaster" I thought to myself. For weeks, I've been texting Syaz and Amir regarding what to wear. I've traded my packing checklist with them twice, I've removed 40% of the original amount of stuff I wanted to bring, I've even YouTubed efficient ways of folding clothes so more things can fit; but at this rate, bringing to heavy coats and with the amount of stuff I plan to buy in UK, I'll probably leave with a hefty excess baggage fee. Unacceptable. Thank god for Pinterest, I've found a few tips and tricks to pack light for the winter time!

1. V E R S A T I L E  P I E C E S

Let's put it this way, I'm not much of a colourful person when it comes to clothes. I have a lot of neutral mode pieces; black, camel, nude, brown, grey (lots, and lots of grey) which all go perfectly well together. Especially since it's the cold season, it's easier to layer up when every colour goes well together. I suggest bringing a white/blue shirt, so you can layer up with regardless of whatever coloured jumper on top alternatively and still look prim and classy. I love the whole shirt & jumper look, especially on men (hehe).

2. R O L L  ' E M  U P

One time, after one of our batch photoshoots, a friend of mine showed a way to fold clothes without it being crumpled. Of course, I didn't really pay attention to the steps, but rolling your clothes, pants especially, save a lot of luggage space. Then again, whenever I travel, the most pair of pants I'd bring is two-three; two pairs of jeans, leggings/sweatpants (I'd wear either one to board on the plane). 

3. W E A R  T H E  B U L K Y  I T E M S  O N - B O A R D

This, is another tip to save luggage space. Wear the bulky items in the plane; whether a jumper, your pair of boots, or in my case my beloved green cardigan. It's knitted and its hard to fold and roll. Bulky cardigans also make good blankets if the plane doesn't provide blankets or you're just too cold that one blanket is not enough. 

4. L I G H T W E I G H T  T H E R M A L S  &  F A B R I C S

This is one of the reasons why its very handy to have Uniqlo's Heat Tech. Their thin but works wonders as thermals. Wearing a single Heat Tech allows you layer on lighter fabrics on top. Trust me, you don't necessarily need to wear a jumper or layer a lot of clothes when you have these - you can put on a blouse, jacket and you're ready to go! This way, you don't need to pack on bulky sweaters/jumpers/hoodies. 

5. O R G A N I Z E  ' E M

I have travel bag organizers which work wonders whenever I'm packing - especially for segregating stuff like make-up, toiletries, chargers, scarves and even hair-ties. I bought mine at Daiso. I'd usually label them and put a list of things I had put in them. These not only help organize and save luggage space, but come in really handy when you're packing your stuff to go home (but let's not talk about going home - I haven't even gone yet lol).

6. "W I L L  I  W E A R  T H I S  M O R E  T H A N  O N C E ?"

It's important to question this in order to be judicious when packing. There's no need to pack stuff you'll wear only once, unless of course, you have an event. As for me, since I'm celebrating New Years and my birthday there, I've opted to just find an outfit there instead of bring something here. Focus on the basics. 

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Of course, these are just a few tips which I've learned and kept in mind when packing. Pretty sure you can find 1001 more online, though I hope it benefits some of you! Wishing everyone happy holidays and a festive end to the year! Eleven more days till 2016, I hope you make the most out of it, winks!

The Art of Moving On

I find some emotions to be beautiful, especially happy emotions. However, someone who is recovering from feeling negativity also creates a sense of beauty. How they express what they feel in their speech, with their actions or perhaps by just being blank - I think it should be considered art.

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A few years ago, I was a self-proclaimed pessimist. I never really saw the good in anything which was bad. I often let myself hang on to a burden, hoping that the good will eventually come back - when instead, it was like writing a suicide note to myself (figuratively, don't take me seriously I will never kill myself). However, growing up, seeing things, places, people made me have a different perspective towards things which I am forever blessed. There are some pieces of us, which we are better off without. Pieces, which we need to let go, in order to grow.

A few months ago, a close friend lost her father. He battled with something incurable for months. The last time I saw him, he was praising my friend, his daughter - for cooking dinner. Though he seemed restless, he made his wife and children smile as we all shared a laugh, enjoying my friend's delicious cooking. A month after that, at the crack of dawn, he passed away. Like his sickness, it left an incurable hole in my friend's heart. No man can love her like her father. Sad, but that did not stop her from living life. She's one of the strongest people I know. Despite the hardships she's been through, she still manages to be the best in what she does, she takes care of her family and cats well, and she still smiles knowing that all she wants in life, is similar to what her father wants; to admit loss, to be happy, and to be loving to others - all in which, she is coping well with now.

A few weeks ago, a blood relative broke off her engagement. Just a few months before the wedding, he decided to call it off. Her supposed wedding dress hung in her cupboard while she returned him, her ring. She was broken, torn. She cried at night, though unable to express what was going on believing the only person who would understand was herself. She decided that the only way to bring her back to herself, was a bit of soul-searching. Off she went to a foreign land, doing things she would never expect herself to do. She jumped off a plane, she rafted in cold waters, and she asked God for clarity. One night, while stargazing, she finally found herself in love again - with the world and herself. She expected that perhaps, while memories still burdened her - she was better off by herself.

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Moving on, isn't something you can force. It's easy to advise someone to forgive and forget but let's be real. Being the one enduring it, we all know it isn't an easy task. But it works in miraculous ways. Never hope for something lost to come back, nor focus in giving time for the unchangeable to be normal again. Instead, embrace the positives and learn to live life again. Give them time, don't rush. The smile of recovery is something worth waiting for and trust me, it's going to be beautiful.

Twenty One Coincidences

So here's a funny story.

I'zaz, Pau, Najwa, Nafis and I decided to organize a small surprise for Amalina since yesterday was her birthday. We decided to plan a lunch gathering - just us, at a newly opened restaurant in Bangi. That afternoon, Nafis booked us a table and Najwa bought the balloons. We told Amalina to come at 2PM.

At 1.30 PM, I'zaz and I reached the restaurant and we found Ila and Zah placing balloons at a table. Shocked, I asked them what they were doing here. I thought, Najwa had invited Ila since we did mention something about meeting her. Coincidentally, they were planning Mira's surprise birthday lunch (which, let me add, was a month ago hahaha). So what did we ended up doing? Talked to the owner, combined both birthdays and got the upper floor of the restaurant - just for us. Win, win situation!

Brought my camera out to play today, hence the pretty shots! Photo credits to Najwa's boyfriend, Arif too! He was such a good sport, helping to take pictures, videos and even timelapses! However, there are a few comments I'd like to voice out regarding the restaurant. Gave the waiters a tip since they were kind enough to open the floor for us (despite the rain, haaa). The ambience of the restaurant was nice and the music they played was good - at one point, Nafis, Najwa and I started singing Muse's Starlight all of a sudden. However, food can still be improved. Some of the dishes were tasteless and definitely not up to par with the price. Twas' a lovely day, in fact - lovely week since I was having my mid semester holidays. Back to college tomorrow - three more weeks till I finish off degree!