2012 has now begun. Oh, and by the way, Happy New Year to all of you!

Chinese New Year is just around the corner. And to all celebrating, this means... NEW CLOTHES!

Last year, I blogged about the history of the cheongsam and a couple of dresses I wore for the celebrations. This year, a few girlfriends and I went boutique hopping around our local stores to shop for Chinese New Year.

Gotta say it was a pretty good 'hunt' and we all bought something from some of the stores.

Our first stop was at I-Style in Serusop, and some of you might remember that I blogged about this store some time ago. We spend about an hour and a half at this store trying on a lot of stuff - clothes, hairbands and jewelry.

Check out the pics I took below.

It was a pretty fruitful haul for me. So, for those who are looking to get some new duds for the upcoming Chinese New Year, I recommend for you to check out I-Style. 

For its location, check out my previous post and scroll right to the bottom.

We checked out a couple more stores that night, but I wasn't able to take pictures of the clothes there. I did manage to snap a few shots and upload them to my Instagr.am, so you can check those out below.

If you're looking for perfectly tailored and excellent material clothes, you definitely should drop by UrbanChic. 

However, I warn you. Most of the clothes I loved here has over $100 price tags. I actually don't mind spending that much money on a really good quality dress, but since I was on a budget, decided to give this a miss.

But I definitely will be back if I'm looking for a snazzy dress for a big function.

A much more affordable boutique than UrbanChic and quite large in space too. D'Brandon also stocks footwear, accessories and men's clothing. Although I didn't find something I really liked here, my friends did.

We ended our night of shopping at Lau Di Fang (The Old Place) at Gadong Central. This halal restaurant serves Chinese food, but the most interesting thing about this restaurant is its decor.

It's designed like a kopitiam of the past, with vintage items here and there. You'll also find old pictures of Brunei and the Royal Family hanging on the walls. Very nice place with good food.

So, that's it for this night of shopping. We'll probably go on one last shopping outing for Chinese New Year, probably to Gadong as I plan to drop in to Deseo's new Gadong branch.

Til next time, Xing Nien Quai Le to all who are celebrating! 

Hola peeps!

Earlier this month, I got an email from PerfumeStore.sg wishing me a Merry Christmas and that in spirit of the season, they're giving away a free perfume to selected bloggers. 

They named 5 well-known perfumes and told me I could pick any one of them. My first reaction was ,'Are you for real?'

This signals a little research on PerfumeStore.sg.

PerfumeStore.sg claims to be Singapore's largest online perfume retailer and has over 90 brands of perfume on its website. It was launched in 2008 and has grown pretty well-known in Singapore and other countries.

On their website, they also made it clear that all perfumes are brand originals and do not sell fakes or expired products.

One of the first things I check is whether they have a Business Registration number. 

I also checked out their Facebook page, and saw that they have 11,588 fans. I even saw a couple of Bruneians asking whether they ship to Brunei.

Ok, it seemed legit. So, after a couple of days, I emailed them back with my choice of perfume. They responded quickly and told me that my perfume will be despatched immediately.

And true enough, later that day, I received a confirmation email from PerfumeStore.sg informing that the perfume has been despatched via SingPost and that it should arrive between 3 to 10 working days. They also gave me the tracking number of the package.

I went off to Malaysia the day after, for a vacation so I didn't get a chance to track the package. I came back to Brunei just last week, and saw that the package collection card from the Mail Processing Centre waiting for me.

It took merely 4 working days for the perfume to arrive. I was pleasantly surprised. :)

Tada! My Salvatore Ferragamo Incanto Dream (Golden Edition) is in my hands. :)  

But before celebrating, checked its authencity. Ok, box seem to be made of good material, despite the little damage it sustained. Bubbles disappeared when bottle is shaken. The straw inside has big air bubbles, which means it hasn't been sprayed before or decanted.

Ok, all tests passed! Woohooo! 

Scent-wise, it's a very nice blend of fruits and florals, which is my preferred scent for daytime. The perfume contains notes of pineapple, blackcurrant, mango and red apple, blended with peony, freesia and warm sandalwood.

The scent is pretty strong on the first spray, but quiets away to this fresh and fruity fragrance. Not quite a light scent, since it lasted quite a long time on me.

PerfumeStore.sg also sent me a little spray bottle of another perfume.

The Nina Ricci L'Elixir definitely has a stronger scent. First whiff of it was like, 'Woah!' but mellows down to sort of a huskier scent. The fragrance has an edge though, more seductive than the Incanto Dream.

Lol, I'm not a good perfume describer, but trying the best I can to articulate what I think I smell.

Anyway, HUGE thanks to PerfumeStore.sg for these two delicious scents! And MERRY CHRISTMAS to you too!

Check out their Facebook and online store if you are looking to get perfumes at lower than counter prices. They have a bunch of perfumes that are on Christmas sale right now, with a free gift for every purchase.

Oh, and did I mention that shipping to anywhere in the world is only SGD11.00? 

So, you better take this opportunity now before stock runs out! 

Toodles! xoxo

MAC Cosmetics, Macy's, Forever 21, Topshop, Bobbi Brown.

Have you ever wished that you could shop from these places without going out of Brunei? 

Sure, we can shop online... But the shopping places I just listed above doesn't ship to Brunei. And even if it does ship to Brunei, they don't accept credit cards issued in Brunei. Don't you just get frustrated at that? 

Well, I have great news for you, my shopaholic friends. My post today is bout a LOCAL web portal that shops overseas especially for YOU and ME here in Brunei! :D

Say 'Hello' to Suite Lola, our new best shopping buddy!

So, how exactly is Suite Lola going to help us with our shopping woes? 

Like I mentioned, some (most?) online shopping sites do not ship to Brunei, which is a bit of a pain. Suite Lola takes care of that problem by providing addresses in countries of those websites to ship our purchases to. Then, after receiving our purchases at those addresses, Suite Lola will ship it all to Brunei, where all we have to do is collect them (and pay the delivery charges, of course). 

For now, Suite Lola cater for shopping at online retailers in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Singapore.

I've come across other sites that does this kind of shipping service, and nearly tried them. But because I was afraid if something go wrong  and I can only deal with the problem online, I decided not to.

So, you can imagine how glad I was that Suite Lola is local, and I can go their offices in Kiulap anytime to talk to them. 

First up, I need to register myself as a Suite Lola member, which I can do for free. You can access the online registration form at 'Log in' near the top of the page.

Another thing you need to know about registration is that, you need to validate your details by sending a copy of your IC and a recent utility bill (like a water, electricity or telephone bill) to Suite Lola. 

This is because they want to make sure you are who you say you are, and not just someone else using your personal details. For me, I'll be sending a copy of eSpeed bill. :)

Once received, Suite Lola will activate your account and send you your personalized US, UK, Canada and Singapore address. 

By the way, after you have done three shipping transactions (ie. shop online using Suite Lola), you will automatically be upgraded to a Premium Member.

As a Premium Member, you will get cheaper shipping rates, complimentary Concierge Service (which I'll explain later) and shopping rebates. 

One of the first things you should before starting is that there are two ways to shop using Suite Lola :- Self Service and Concierge Service.

Also, you need to familiarise yourself with the Customer Service Panel, which appears when start to shop by either clicking on any of the shopping websites listed on Suite Lola or 'Start Shipping Now' button on the 'Shipping' page.

For Self Service, you do the shopping yourself.

This means that you shop as per normal at the shopping website.During checkout, make payment for your purchases using your own Paypal account or credit card. But for the shipping address, use the personalized address that Suite Lola has provided you with. 

Once done, just inform Suite Lola of your purchase using the Customer Service Panel and by email. Suite Lola will respond and watch out for your purchases' arrival at the address.

There are no additional charges for Self Service other than delivery charges to transport your purchases from that country to Brunei.

For Concierge Service, Suite Lola will do all the shopping for you. 

All you would need to do is browse through the website you're shopping at, fill in the details of each item you want to buy into the fields in the Customer Service Panel, and click 'Submit'.

Then, Suite Lola will do all the ordering and delivering for you. 

Since Suite Lola is doing all the work for you, there is, of course, a service charge of just 2.5% of your purchase or B$5.00, whichever is more.

Yeah, maybe it does sound a teensy bit complicated. But really, you just need to try it once, and it'll be easy next time you shop. Plus, Suite Lola places instructions to help you through the steps and you can also check out their FAQ page for more information. 

Let's start shopping, shall we? I've opened up Forever 21, who doesn't ship to Brunei. Make sure to click on the pictures to get larger images.

Here I've picked this Herve Leger lookalike dress from Forever 21. With Suite Lola's Customer Service Panel, I choose 'Concierge Service' and start filling in details of the dress in the fields, like name, price, product url, size, color, etc.

Then, I click 'Add Item' to add this dress to my Suite Lola cart. The fields clear again for my next purchase.

Here's what my Suite Lola shopping cart looks like. I can see the total of my purchases in BND. 

Once done, I click 'Submit Order' and just wait for Suite Lola to confirm my order before ordering my purchases on my behalf. :)

• Competitive shipping fees

With Suite Lola, you can shop from different websites and have your purchases delivered to your personalized US/UK/Canada/Singapore address. 

Suite Lola will wait for a maximum of 2 weeks from the arrival of your first purchase. After all your items from the different websites arrived, they will then ship all your purchases in a single shipment. 

Combining your purchases in a single shipment will definitely save on shipping charges.

• Discount codes

Suite Lola even updates you with any available discount or promo codes on various shopping websites. They are listed at the 'Message Board', where you can also leave messages or comments.

This means that you can take advantage of any discounts available on your favourite shopping site. As at today, you can see eBooks and Strawberrynet has promotions for the month of November.

So, make sure to check out the Message Board before you start shopping.

• Not JUST a shipping facilitator

Because this blog is about shopping, I mostly talked about Suite Lola's shipping services. But if you browse through Suite Lola, you will find that Suite Lola has listed many interesting websites under Travel, Learning and Dining.

Under Travel, you'll find weblinks to popular travel blogs, travel packages sites, vacation tours, etc. Under Dining, you may visit food blogs, latest nutrition and health news and recipes.

For the parents, you will most likely be interested in the Learning category. You can find websites that help your toddler develop their speech and understanding, your teenagers to learn about finances and more.

The point of providing links to these websites is to allow you to explore resources and information from all over the world through the internet. Sure, you can Google, but Suite Lola has already searched the web and found the best ones for you.

I foresee many of us will be making use of Suite Lola's services, myself included. You have to admit this makes shopping overseas a lot more simpler (possible, in some cases).

I got to be careful, though. because, I also foresee my wallet getting a lot thinner. :S

Anyway, go ahead and check Suite Lola out. Let me know what you guys are planning to get or bought.

Thanks, Suite Lola!

Suite Lola has officially launched in November 2011, although has been opened since the beginning of 2011. The web portal is the first of its kind in Brunei and is run by husband and wife, David and Helena.

Website : www.suitelola.com

Office

Unit 14/15/16, 1st Floor,

Regent Square (Above Sorriso Restaurant & Pizzeria)

Kiulap.

Call Suite Lola at 2232 381 (Fax: 2232 398)

Email Suite Lola at customerservice@suitelola.com.

Check out Ranoadidas' post and Brunei Time's article on Suite Lola.

Last weekend, I spent FIVE fricking hours sitting in a chair for my transformation from a stick straight-haired girl to a curly pouffy-haired one. Although the session consisted of mostly sitting, it IS tiring. But worth the results. :)

I've permed my hair for a total of 5 times in my lifetime, one of them being disastrous; and rebonded it for about 4 times, I think. Anyway, my hair has long outgrown my last perm about 2 years ago, so it was all straight and boring. The problem was that my hair was pretty long, so it'll be pretty expensive to perm the whole length.

Then, I saw a advert from Inspiration Alan Salon, who are offering promotion rates for Hari Raya. B$168 for a digital perm, haircut included with treatment available for just B$30! ANY LENGTH.

I made an appointment right away, and on Saturday, showed up with my mangy long hair, ready to glam it up!

Because my appointment was in the morning, I had the whole place to myself and got the prime spot in the salon - in front of the flatscreen TV. I was served drinks and munchies; and was handed a thick booklet of DVDs to choose from. There's also Wi-Fi, if I got bored of the movie.

I was made very comfortable, and for 5 hours in that salon, I was very grateful for it.

First, let me show you how long my hair was. When combed straight back, it reaches my waist, and in the picture below, when I pull it front over my shoulder, it reaches my abdomen. 

The hairstylist tending to me, Francis, is one of the senior professionals at IA Salon. She cuts off the dry ends of of my hair first and then, layered it a bit to suit my upcoming curls. 

Now, a little lesson on perming. There are generally two types of perms:- the cold perm and the hot perm (also known as the digital perm). 

The cold perm is the one which our mums normally go for, that makes use of just the perming solution and can create little tight curls. This type of perms was popular in the 80's and 90's, but the solution used was a little harsher which resulted in dryness of hair.

The digital perm is also called the hot perm, because the process uses heat as well as the perming solution to create softer looking curls or waves. This technology originated from Japan, and has now spread to the rest of the world, especially in Asia. 

The main difference between these two types of perms is the shape and texture of the curls. If you're looking for tight curls, digital perm isn't for you. However, if you want waves or looser curls, then go for it. 

For a cold perm, the curls are most prominent when wet and is looser when hair is dry. For a digital perm, the curls are looser when wet and gets tighter when dry.

I'll show you the process of the digital perm I had at IA Salon.

After the hair cut, my hair was shampooed and blotted till just damp. The hairstylist then proceeded to apply a relaxant solution to break the structure of my hair. This solution is pretty pungent, but it didn't bother me too much.

To help facilitate the hair structure change, this saucer-like machine was set behind me. My sister, who accompanied me, asked, "Hey, which planet are you flying to?" Har de har har, dear sister.

Anyway, the circular halo rotates around my head, radiating heat evenly for the next 40 minutes or so.

Then, I was taken away to get my hair washed again. Once washed, I back in my seat and this intimidating looking machine was rolled up. Holy cow! Am I getting a lobotomy??

With the micro-cellular bonds that gave my hair its straight look now broken, it's time to set new bonds to give its new shape. My hair is separated into locks, rolled into curls and attached to the space machine.

The machine applies heat through the attached curlers (I chose medium-sized curlers) for another 40 minutes or so. 

Looks scary doesn't it? And a little ridiculous. Lol!

Anyway, the rollers are pretty hot, but they're not too close to my scalp since I chose to have the curls start somewhere at my ears. But just in case, the hairstylist put little cloth pads under the rollers to protect my scalp from the heat. 

After 40 minutes of steaming, the machine is taken off and a neutralizing solution was applied for 10 minutes to set the curls in place. After that, it's off to wash my hair again.

Tada! 

See, my hair doesn't look very curly when wet. But after the hairstylist finished blow-drying my hair with a diffuser, it became quite curly.

I chose the medium sized curls because my hair tends to grow pretty fast, and I know the curls will loosen up over time. However, if you want waves rather than curls, ask for the large sized curlers, provided that your hair is long enough.

Here's how my new hair-do looks! Do you like it? I heart it!

I can't wash my hair for about 2 days, and I also bought the Bed Head Stylizer Cream, instead of a mousse, to set my curls for after-wash use. My hair-dryler already has a diffuser, and honestly, permed hair is not that hard to maintain. 

Or maybe I've just gotten used to it over the years. :)

Digital Perm (Shiseido) = B$208 (Haircut included)

Bed Head Stylizer Cream = B$36

TOTAL = B$244

For those of you who are interested in rebonding or perming your hair, IA Salon's promotion lasts until the end of this month.

I say that it's a bargain, especially for the rebonding/perming hair treatment, as usually the cost depends on the length of your hair. And if your hair is as long as mine, trust me when I tell you it's a steal, especially at a professional salon like IA Salon.

Too bad that a hair dye job isn't part of their Hari Raya promotion, or else I'd have gone for that too. 

Anyway, the next project for my hair is to highlight it as I think curls usually look better with a little color to them. Hopefully, there'll be a Christmas promotion?

That's all for now, folks! See ya next post! :D

Inspiration Alan Salon established itself at The Mall Gadong about 7 years ago. One of the many hair salons of popular hairstylist, Alan Ch'ng, IA Salon has attracted many customers in Brunei due to its team of professionally trained hairstylists.

Location

No. G. 32, Ground Floor,
The Mall Gadong,

BSB, Brunei Darussalam.

Opening hours  : 10.ooam to 8.30pm every day.

Phone  : 2423 232/8738 232

Like IA Salon on Facebook.

This month's 'In The Spotlight' feature is none other than Na-Forrer Online Boutique!

I've stumbled upon Na-Forrer many months ago during one of my web-browsing sprees, and have met the lady behind the boutique during the 'Women In Online Businesses' talk forum on UBDfm.

I believe Na-Forrer is one of the very first online boutique that is locally made and registered; and I applaud Ms Na-Forrer for taking the step to pursue her dreams in her ambitions in opening up her online boutique.

Don't you hate it when you found the perfect dress in the right size, but doesn't fit perfectly to your figure?

Well, Na Forrer Online Boutique doesn't just simply sell the clothes to you, but TAILOR the clothes to fit you. The website offers a range of designs that you can tweak a little to suit your tastes.

Na-Forrer also releases some of their own design labels once in awhile, that varies from bright and flowery prints to modern and avant garde.

I like corset accented designs, so this colour block corset dress from Na-Forrer attracted my eyes right away. But I prefer wearing bright colors, so I like that Na-Forrer allows me to pick the colors that I like or what fabric I prefer.

For me, I'd pick a darker coloured fabric for the bottom bit of the dress, like maybe a dark navy blue?

Retails at B$110.

Full skirted. A U-neckline. Feminine nude shade. Another dress that caught my eye. 

Now, this shade may be a little too light for my skintone, so I would prefer to switch the colour to something darker to contrast appealingly to my skintone. And with its fitted waist, a slightly stretchy fabric would work best, don't you think?

Retails at B$110.

The strong pointy shoulders seem to be the trend nowadays. It's like a comeback of those giant shoulder pads back in the '80s that I used to despise.

This top has a folded cowl neckline, with its folds carried over with the sleeves. The slits on the upper part of the sleeves allow you to show some sexy shoulders.

Retails at B$55.

For those who are into that vintage style, this top would be right up your alley.

Long sleeves with fastened cuffs. Side pockets for added functionality and satin panels on the shoulders and straight down the centre.

Retails at B$55.

Pencil skirts are a great way to show off some curves while at work. And this skirt from Na-Forrer is exactly what I'm talking about.

Black tweed-like material with a fitted waist, and ends with a little chiffon detail.

Retails at B$55.

Ordering is not that difficult. First of all, although there is a shopping cart available on the website, ALL ordering is done through e-mail. This is because the shopping cart on Na-Forrer has yet to be sorted out.

Na-Forrer Online Boutique also wants to announce a promotion that they are running in conjunction with their FIRST Anniversary.

All you have to do is e-mail them at na.forrer@gmail.com, stating the reason why YOU think you deserve a specially designed Baju Raya. This contest ends on Sunday, 2nd July 2011; so you better start sending that e-mail!

You can also give a try at their monthly Anniversary Promo! For every first TEN Facebook 'Likes' and Twitter 'Followers', they'll be given a 10% discount voucher code and a free Na-Forrer woven bag. This promo will run monthly from July 2011 until October 2011.

Just scroll to the end of this post to find the links to Na-Forrer's Facebook and Twitter.

So, that's another feature that I hope you enjoyed. I had personally seen some of their products, and am impressed by their drive to be a local talent in fashion. 

I do hope to see more in future, and be there to cover them.

Til next time, ladies!

xoxoxo

Na-Forrer Online Boutique is one of the first online shopping website in Brunei, that was launched back in May 2010. From their initial collection of less than 30 designs, they had grown to host more high-fashion, made-to-fit clothes to satisfy the elegant, bold and classy woman.

Email : na.forrer@gmail.com

Visit Na-Forrer's website.

Like them on Facebook.

Follow them on Twitter.

Any questions for Na-Forrer?

Today's post is going to be about a boutique that I had first visited about six months ago when it was newly opened.

Fair warning though, this is going to be photo-heavy post, because, well, pictures speak a thousand words. ;)

So, anyway, I'm going to talk about I-Style Fashion Boutique. It's located in Serusop, near Fitness Zone, an area that I seldom go, let alone shop. 

But a few weeks ago, I was invited by I-Style to view their collection as they remembered me from my first visit. And man, I was NOT disappointed.

Their collection had grown much more since my last visit there in December last year. Rifling through the racks, I could see that there was quite a bit of variety in their clothes.

And by variety, I'm talking about sizes (they stock plus-sizes!), styles and age appropriateness (found some stuff Mum would like too!).

Like I said, I-Style Boutique has quite a variety of clothes. Just beside the door, there were these mannequins who had pretty spiffy dresses on. Adore the accessories on them too.

You can also find cute, funky and chic tops on many of the racks there. I found a 'Hello Kitty' poncho-like top that was so cute I had to have it. I also gotten this long wrinkled top with purple and yellow splashes detail, that could also double up as a dress. 

Take a look a few of the tops I found.

On a few tables near the counter, there are rings, necklaces, earrings and other accessories laid out invitingly.

The statement rings with its colorful gems and high-quality metal looked so cool. Unfortunately, I can't pull off these kind of rings on my way too little fingers; except maybe my thumb.

Oh, and the earrings are ADORABLE. Check out the pics below!

And I don't know if you heard of Liese Bubble Hair Color. It's a new kind of permanent hair color, where you just shampoo the color in. I have a couple of them myself, but I haven't tried them yet.

Anyway, I-Style stocks some of the shades, if you're interested to try them out. 

Other than that, there are also other accessories like handbags, wallets and clutches.

Woah, I posted quite a a lot of pictures huh? Ok, I think I still got space for a few more.

I spent quite a while at I-Style trying on loads of clothes. If you're like me, part of the fun of shopping is trying out many, many clothes. And I appreciate a really comfortable changing space.

So, I was very pleasantly surprised at the decor of I-Style's changing rooms. I know it may sound weird that I'm talking about changing rooms, but I like them so much, that I think they should get a mention. :)

As I was trying on clothes here, one of the staff has offered to alter one outfit that didn't fit quite right. Apparently, they also offer in-house alteration to your purchases, which is pretty convenient. 

Yes, that's right. I immediately became an I-Style member during my visit there. To become an I-Style member is actually not that hard.

All you got to do is spend at least B$66 at I-Style and you'll be eligible to be a member. And here's the best part, you DON'T have to spend B$66 in a single receipt! That's right, you can spend bit by bit, just make sure you keep all your receipts.

As a member, you'll be able to get:-

• 15% off regular-riced items;
• A further 5% off Sale items.

All in all, I would highly recommend you have a visit to I-Style Boutique. Not only did I find loads of items that I like, the prices are VERY reasonable too.

I myself bought a dress, two tops, a pair of shorts and a pair of earrings, and I only spend B$100 for my shopping! Which I believe is pretty reasonable for the stuff that I bought, because they don't look cheap at all. 

That's all for this really picture-laden blog post. Hope you all find something you like at I-Style!

I-Style Fashion Boutique had its grand opening on the 17th November of 2010. Their idea for the boutique is to provide high-quality fashion pieces for the most reasonable prices.

Location

1st Floor, Block B,

Complex Pg Hj Tajuddin,

Kg Delima Satu, Serusop.

(Same area as Fitness Zone)

Opening hours  : 11.ooam to 9.30pm every day.

Phone  : 2336 946

Email : istyle@hotmail.sg

Like I-Style on Facebook.

What do you think of I-Style Boutique?

Aww! Have you guys seen this video???

Meet Little Kellen, the Mini Warbler and the latest viral video star. He's a cute 4-year old Filipino boy in Chicago, who's a huge fan of Glee's Blaine Anderson. 

His grandmother made him the Warbler suit that looks sooooo adorable on little Kellen. This video of him, singing and dancing to Katy Perry's Teenage Dream, has already reached 1.2 MILLION views!

Even Darren Criss, the actor who plays Glee's Blaine Anderson of the Warblers, was impressed.

Now, I'll end this short post with another video that was posted when someone caught The Mini Warbler in his impeccable suit dancing at Chicago's Glee's Live Concert recently.

Enjoy!!

What do you think of The Mini Warbler?

If you have heard of Each A Cup but don't know what it is, let me first clear up the confusion by saying, "No, it's NOT a store that sells cups of noodles!". Trust me when I say that I actually know someone who thought so.

For you first-timers, Each A Cup is a popular bubble tea franchise that originated from Taiwan, based in Singapore and the newest beverage craze to step foot in Brunei.

Each A Cup drinks are made with the finest quality tea leaves and the various fruit flavours are blended with concentrated fruit juice, rather than powder. And from what I have read online, Each A Cup drinks are concocted with the focus 'healthiness' in mind.

Each A Cup bubble tea has been around for around 25 years and currently has 34 outlets in Singapore, 56 outlets in Malaysia, more in Taiwan and Indonesia, and now, in Brunei.

I've been meaning to drop by to Each A Cup at Times Square, but only managed to get around to it yesterday. Many might miss it, as the bubble tea shop is not quite visible from inside Times Square.

Just head to Sugarbun, walk into this little alley beside it and you'll find yourself at the entrance of Each A Cup. :)

The layout of Each A Cup is simple with its trademark orange colour palette. You'll find a few high-top tables and springy stools, but ultimately, it's a place for you to just tapau (order) your drinks. 

Now, it's time to order. It was a difficult choice because the selections are MANY! Should I go for a Ice Blended? Or a Fruity Milk Tea? Or Premium Tea? Or a Smoothie? Or a Sunrise, which by the way, for the health-conscious, is Ice Blended Fruit Yogurt.

Decisions, decisions!

ALL the drinks are under B$3.00, which didn't make choosing any easier since I can order anything without feeling guilty. Also, I can add my Extras to my drink without additional charge. 

For the Extras, I have my pickings of Big Pearls, Mini Pearls, 4 kinds of Jellies, Mango Pudding and the intriguing Ai Yu Jelly. More decisions!

And what's this? I can also pick how sweet I want my bubble tea to be? Even more decisions!

So, apparently, you can ask for a bubble tea 'kao' or bubble tea 'kosong' or bubble tea 'kurang manis'! Now, that's new. 

After picking your drink of choice and your Extra, you also get to pick the percentage of fruit sugar level of your drink. 100% being bubble tea 'biasa' and 0% being bubble tea 'kosong'. 

I'm sure for those who are health-conscious can appreciate this flexibility. And for your information, the sugar used in Each A Cup drinks are not artificial sugar, but FRUIT sugar.

Ps. Don't use my 'kurang manis' or 'kao' lingo. But if you want to be laughed at (like me earlier on), feel free to follow my style! Lol!

When I sent out a tweet asking what drink should I try at Each A Cup, @AliyaZin recommended the Blueberry Green Tea. It's not bad all, and I can see why this drink was her favourite.

As my friend (the same friend who thought Each A Cup sells noodle cups) had said, the mini pearls were so 'cute' and has a good texture. If you're a fan of pearls in your bubble tea, the mini pearls are a must-try Extra to your drink. 

Price : B$ 2.10

For my second drink, I tried one of the Snowshakes. Each A Cup's Snowshakes are like blended cereal drinks and apparently, best taken when you're hungry.

I chose the Strawberry flavour, this time with Big Pearls at normal sweetness level. And if you look carefully, there are bits of cereal floating on top. 

I find this drink to be really tasty as well, and at 100% sugar level, it wasn't too sweet at all.

Price : $2.50

My first sip of the Lime & Lemon Sunrise made me cringe with sourness. Lol, but then again I took this drink right after the sweet Strawberry Snowshake. And of course, with a name like Lime & Lemon, it's supposed to be sour right?

After a couple of sips, my tastebuds got used to it, and I can then savor the Ai Yu Jelly that I picked for its Extra.

Ai Yu Jelly is also known as Ice Jelly, and has a typically softer texture than grass jelly. It's also healther as Ai Yu Jelly is made from the gel of fruit seeds.

Price : B$2.70

Next drink on the try-out list is one of the Coffee Sensations. The Mocha Ice Blended with Mini Pearls tastes really good, with its just-nice blend of coffee flavour and sweetness. 

By now, I'm such a fan of the Mini Pearls. I think it complements the Mocha Ice Blended pretty well and it didn't feel too weird having something to chew in my 'coffee'.

Price : B$3.00

The last drink I tasted is also my favourite of these 5 drinks - The Mango Smoothie with Mango Pudding as the Extra. As I told the Each A Cup peeps, I love mangoes and I also love puddings.

So, mango + pudding = winner.

It wasn't too sweet and the pudding was soft and delicious. I drank this all up to the last drop!

Price : B$2.70

Did You Know? 

For OhMyCard! Holders, you'll be eligible to get ONE free drink if you buy FOUR drinks from Each A Cup.

That's right!

Rejoice, for Each A Cup will be opening a new outlet at The Mall Gadong on THIS Saturday, 7th May 2011.

Awesome news for me as The Mall is just 5 minutes away from where I live.

You can find the new Each A Cup outlet on the 1st Floor of The Mall, right next to Pazzion and near Secret Recipe. Just watch out for their bright orange decor, you can't miss it!

Each A Cup is also celebrating the opening of their newest outlet with a LIMITED time promotion. For only the 2 days of this weekend (Saturday and Sunday), you will have the opportunity to get ONE free bubble tea when you spend at Each A Cup.

BUT you need to show a particular coupon to take advantage of the 'Free One Drink' Each A Cup promo. How to get this coupon? Easy.

1. Get a copy of the Friday (6th May 2011) issue of Borneo Bulletin, 
2. Find the advertisement on Each A Cup's Mall Outlet Opening ,
3. Cut out the advertisement clipping at the jotted lines,
4. Head to The Mall to get your drink!

*COUPON ONLY REDEEMABLE AT THE MALL OUTLET* 

You can cut out as many clippings as you want; but just don't try to be a smartass and make photocopies the newspaper clipping. That WON'T work.

Also, the coupon get you only ONE free drink, so again, DON'T try to be a smartass and think that you'll get 5 free drinks if you buy 5 bubble tea.

So, are you ready? 

See you at Each A Cup this weekend!

Each A Cup opened its first outlet in Brunei at Times Square, Berakas on 18th December 2010. The Each A Cup bubble tea shops are run by a bubble tea -loving duo who brought the popular franchise into Brunei due to its great quality and affordable prices.

Outlets:

Berakas        - Ground Floor, next to Sugarbun, Times Square

Opening hours : 10.30am - 10.30pm

Gadong         - 1st Floor, next to Pazzion and near Secret Recipe, The Mall.

Phone them at 2342 825.

Email them at eacbrunei@gmail.com.

Like them on Facebook.

What is YOUR Each A Cup drink of choice?

The Pazzion shoe store opened on the 1st floor at The Mall Gadong on the 15th January 2011. Although I didn't attend the opening, I heard that there were flocks of ladies that swarmed the store as they were already fans of the brand.

One of the first things that you will notice when walking into the store (asides from the shoes) is the decor and ambience of the store. According to Emily, the design of the store reflects other Pazzion stores in Singapore, more notably the newest and largest outlet that opened in Marina Bay Sands. 

From the wall fans, ladders and couches, the vintage layout is designed to welcome customers to browse through the shoe collection and linger in comfort.

My first impression of Pazzion shoes are that they're very 'bling bling' because of their trademark diamantés and rhinestones accessories. And a simple Google search showed that I wasn't the first one to call them that.

I asked Emily why she chose to bring Pazzion to Brunei. "Because of its style and comfort!" she answered.

Like most of us, she LOVES shoes. No matter how many shoe stores she has visited, she has always came back to Pazzion because they don't sacrifice comfort for style. 

On closer inspection, I noticed that the texture of the shoes showed that they're not made of the usual polyurethane (PU), which is sort of a rubberlike plastic. I was told that Pazzion shoes are made of calf leather and lambskin. The insides of the shoes are also lined with leather.

'Ah,' I thought. 'That explains the high prices.' The prices of Pazzion shoes ranges from $50 to $110, which are quite reasonable for leather shoes. And as we all know, animal skin is more durable than plastic. 

And for the Muslim ladies, don't worry. Pazzion Brunei does NOT import pig-skin shoes.

Now, let's get on to what you want to read about - The shoes themselves. :)

The new collection sported some really pretty heels, that caught my eye. One additional feature of the new arrivals that you may be interested to know is that Pazzion had expanded the size range of their collection to sizes 34 and 41.

I know some of my friends would be happy to hear this because they have a bit of a hard time looking for shoes that fit them in Brunei. So, it's good that Pazzion had thought of that.

As you can see from the above pictures, you know why I call them bling bling. And the pale or off-white coloured ones are actually perfect as wedding shoes.

So, brides, before buying your shoes from overseas, check Pazzion out first because you'll probably find a pair of gorgeous wedding heels here.

Another feature that sets Pazzion apart from the other shoe stores in Brunei, is that they offer Mummy & Daughter shoes. Yup, mini versions of the adult-sized shoes.

I do see a lot of mother and daughters who wear matching baju kurungs, so why not shoes too right?

And these little girl bling blings are just so adorable!

I don't know if you've heard about the 3 ladies who won a total of 20 pair of shoes from Pazzion earlier this month, but the Grand Prize winner won 10 PAIRS OF SHOES! *drool*

Good news is that there's another promotion going on where you can be one of FIVE PEOPLE to win a $2,000 shopping spree at Pazzion! $2,000 worth of shoes!!! *drool*

All you got to do is pay for your purchases at Pazzion with your HSBC credit card to be entitled for the draw. Yes, it's that simple.

Oh, also, for every $100 that you spend at Pazzion with your HSBC credit card, you automatically get a $10 voucher. So, hurry up, because this promotion will end on 30th April 2011!

By the way, those $10 vouchers from Pazzion are also available for purchase if you want to get a gift for a friend. These $10 vouchers are valid for a period of 3 months from date of purchase.

Of course, when I finally finished checking out Pazzion, I walked out with a pair of bling blings of my own.  :)

I had narrowed down choices to one gorgeous pair, but I wasn't sure what colour to pick. So, I sent out an emergency question to Facebook to get others' opinion. 

I'm so glad to get responses just minutes after I posted the picture up, because I really needed advice! 

Thanks to all who responded, I finally made my choice. :)

I know, I know. Most of you voted for the silver ones, but I chose the black ones because the diamantés stood out more against the black satin, and also, I can easily match it with a lot more outfits. They also look sexier in black. ;)

These pair cost me B$109 (don't gasp!). These heels are super-high at 5 inches tall, but they're platform shoes so the slant of my feet wasn't too steep. Plus the insides were not only lined with leather, but also padded with cushion! Super comfy!

Good thing about Pazzion, is that if any of the many, many stones fall off, I can always send them back and if Pazzion has the same stones in stock, I can get them fixed for a minimal price per stone. 

I was very satisfied with my purchase, and can't wait to show these off at a dinner or something. :)

So, that my round-up on Pazzion's new arrivals. Elegant, feminine and chic. And according to Emily, this is just the first batch of new arrivals. Another batch will be coming in very soon, maybe by the end of April. 

Hope you enjoyed the pics and to those who's going to give the $2,000 shopping spree a shot, GOOD LUCK!

Pazzion was born in 2001, with shoes designed with the modern, sophisticated woman in mind. Brunei is the latest country that the brand has entered, in addition to other countries in South East Asia. 

Visit them at : Unit 1.27A, First Floor, The Mall, Gadong.

Opening hours : 11am - 9pm

Like Pazzion Brunei on Facebook.

Email Pazzion at mail.us@pazzionbrunei.com.

Call Pazzion at 2457 251.

Do you have a Pazzion for shoes too?

During the last week of February, I had taken an overnight trip to Miri, a popular getaway vacation spot for us Bruneians. I went down there not for any particular reason. Only just because it was the weekend, I had nothing to do, so why not?

We spent the night in a 3-bedroom apartment at Imperial Hotel, which cost us only B$150. If you had stayed at Imperial Hotel, you'd know that their apartments are quite spacey, so the rates were considered pretty cheap! But then again, one of us works at a Brunei hotel, so we managed to get special 'hotelier' rates.

I had spend about half and hour at the Vincci store, located on the 1st floor of the new section of Bintang Megamall. They had the new Spring 2011 collection of shoes and handbags. And I state for the record that, the collection is AMAZING!

Pretty colours and playful designs, with a few gladiator-style thrown in. I have to say this is the only Vincci collection that caught my eye.

Like I said, AWESOME collection. One of their better ones, I think. Anyway, these are some of what we left the store with...

There were more purchases, but I didn't take pictures of all of them. But anyway, you girls better head to Vincci to check out their Spring 2011 collection!

Good news is, I did drop by to Vincci in Gadong last weekend and the collection is already in store there. If you want to see the rest of the collection, click here.

I actually have more pictures to show you guys, but this post is already getting a bit long. So, I will post them another day.

Happy Shopping, ladies!!

Are you a Vincci fan?

Now, Moe, the lady behind Brunei's first online motherhood and breastfeeding specialty store, has taken it further to obtain certification to teach and counsel soon-to-be or new mothers.

So, Moe, you're now a CLEC. What does that mean exactly?

Well, as you know, I have been pro-breastfeeding and have always been counselling other mothers out there the benefits of breastfeeding.

This certification basically equips me with more knowledge and authority to conduct breastfeeding classes (both ante natal and post natal), one-to-one counselling sessions for parents-to-be, support in basic breastfeeding techniques, tandem nursing and concerns relating to breastfeeding.

Becoming certified is one of the first steps towards enabling me to practice as a professional moving forward. With this certification, I am able to help mothers understand, educate and share updated and evidence-based information, in hope that more mothers will be empowered with the proper knowledge of breastfeeding.

Erm, MS RN IBCLC?

Hahaha. Those letters just mean that she has the qualifications to be an expert on lactation. IBCLC stands for International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, which Virginia has been a member on since 1993.

Virginia has worked in several hospitals in the States during her 25 year career. Currently, she works as a Lactation Consultant in Sharp Mary Birch Woman's Hospital, as a Lactation Consultant, attending to High Risk Perinatal Breastfeeding. She's a grandmother of 2 beautiful grandsons

So, I had learnt a lot from her, through her vast experience.

Once again, you awe me with your passion and dedication. Now that you are a CLEC, any plans for the future?

Well, when you feel strongly about something, the dedication just comes naturally.

And for the future, Dot Dot's Little Shop will be looking into the possibility of conducting some breastfeeding classes during the second half of the year. I also hope to support young mothers via home visits and collaboration with the local hospitals, MCH (Mother & Child Health Centers) and JPMC. Possibly, one day, we hope to participate as a speaker in health promotion talks to reach  to other mothers.

Of course, we continue to accept inquiries via email on breastfeeding and one-to-one meeting, if needed, to further assess the situation. We also continue to obtain breastfeeding support materials, such as breastmilk storage essentials and books on breastfeeding amongst others.

Sounds like a very productive year ahead for you now that you have your lactation counselling credentials! Lastly, mind giving some advice to pregnant women and new mothers on the subject of breastfeeding?

Oh, I'm more than happy to share some of what I had learnt during the programme.

Did you know that until the 19th century, it is normal for breastfeeding to go beyond the age of 3, sustaining until about the age of 7? But as the world became more industrialized, the duration of breastfeeding lasted for no longer than 2 years. Subsequently in the mid sixties, where formula milk was just beginning to make its debut, breastfeeding rates started to decline as formula feeding was now the "in" thing.

I recall stories from women of that generation that, formulas were introduced to mothers as a form of alternative nutrition, and also it was "easier" for both mother and child. Cultural discrepencies were also contributing to early infant death, whereby honey is being introduced to infants (often under the age of 1 year old) as supplement. The infant's stomach is not mature enough to have its digestive acids kill the botulism spores found naturally in the honey, and thus resulting in early "unexplained" infant deaths.

With the rise of infant mortality (especially in third world countries), WHO had came up with a Breastfeeding Code , whereby it states that infants should only receive no other nutrition than breastmilk exclusively for the first 6 months of life and continued on until the age of 2 (and beyond), if possible.

And the fact is, the benefits of the human milk is vast, and compared to artificial baby milk (formula), nothing can beat the live antibodies that comes in human milk.

From my quick interview above, you can see that Dot Dot's Little Shop goes the mile towards enforcing the culture of long-term breastfeeding. I am truly impressed by the level of dedication, and it's a source of inspiration for me.

Young mothers or mothers-to-be are able to learn more on how to care for their babies from another mother, which many of Dot Dot's Little Shop customers and clients appreciate.

Here's are some of their own words:-

"...thanks so much for your tips and advices :)) it helped me alot and reduced my anxiety hehe you're just amazing moe! breastfeeding is indeed not easy at all but it makes everything worthwhile when i look into Belle's eyes ♥ what an amazing feeling! ..."

"...Hi, I just discovered your website and found out that this is the website that all Bruneian new mothers should have. The knowledge of breastfeeding is still quite limited in Brunei as they opt for formula for several reasons. I really find ur website useful and would like to say congratulation for doing such a great job!!! Keep up the good work!!..."

"...Well done with helping the lady in Lumut with breastfeeding!! That's really great - must be so satisfying to see a great result and thanks to you that little baby will be getting the best nutrition it can get. I bet the mother is so happy too...all the problems she had can put you off breastfeeding so easily. You will be an awesome lactation consultant I know ;)..."

"...Another fellow breastfeeding mom got empowered and inspired! Thanks to you, there are more happy moms and happy babies because of you! Brunei needs a kind and sweet mother-to-mother peer counsellor like you!...."

The world of breastfeeding is relatively unknown to me, so reading these words from Dot Dot's Little Shop's feedback page made me realise that there are many mothers who struggle with breastfeeding.

All I know is that, if ever I do have a baby one day, I know who I'm going to. :)

Thanks Moe for being so inspirational, and bringing comfort and happiness to the Bruneian mothers!

Moe is the admirable lady behind Dot Dot's Little Shop. Dot Dot's Little Shop was established in September 2009. Although new, Dot Dot's Little Shop has attracted many customers and fans as evident from her Facebook Fanpage. On her website, she shares informative articles and her personal experiences with her own dot dot, little Guinevere.

Visit Dot Dot's Little Shop.

Read Dot Dot's Little Shop's featured post.

Find Dot Dot's Little Shop on Facebook.

What do you have to say about breastfeeding?

I've noticed that most of my featured stores are based in Bandar Seri Begawan. I shouldn't be biased right?

So, during a trip to KB town, my friend and I walked around to look for any potential stores to visit. Struck gold when I looked across the street from BIBD and saw JX Collections.

Most likely, if you are a KB-ian, you know of this store already and are probably one of their regular customers.

I believe I've been to most of the boutiques in KB and Seria town, and I dare say that, JX Collections is bringing a whole different level of fashion to the peeps of Belait.

First thing I checked out was the table with neatly folded jeans and pants. I'm always on a lookout for a good pair of pants because for me, pants are one of the most difficult piece of clothing to find.

There's quite a selection of jeans here. You've got the dark jeans, light jeans, blue jeans, ripped jeans, etc. If you're not into jeans with a lot of embellishments on them (like me), then you'd like the collection that JX Collections have.

Now, time to dive into the racks. I can tell, just by looking, that this 'dive' is going to be a pleasurable one.

For some reason, I took quite a fair bit of photos of the skirts. But I can't help it because I saw more than a few that I liked!

The trend for casual skirts now is to get vintage inspired design, which usually has floral patterns on them. I'm also seeing a lot of girly full skirts these days, similar to the skirts worn by Sandy in the movie 'Grease'.

I've always had a liking to denim skirts or shorts, and boy, did JX Collections have a lot to choose from!

I do feel uncomfortable, sometimes, wearing shorts or a short skirt out. But like someone said to me once, "Girl, flaunt them while you've still got them!"

You are going to fall in love with JX Collections' dresses! I've already found a few dresses that I really dig in the first 2 minutes of my foray.

Click on the pics below to check out my picks!

If you're loving JX Collections so far but don't live anywhere around them, don't fret. Because they also do deliveries within Brunei!

This is a plus point because do you know many other boutiques that delivers?

Well, I don't. Anyway, if you want to order something from the store, these are the steps to do so:-

• Log into your email account and type out your order in this format:- 
  

   Items Code:
   Items Descriptions:
   Buyer's Name:
   Email:
   HP Number:
   Delivery Address:

• Now send your order email to sales@jx-collection.com.

• Wait for a Quotation e-mail that states a summary of your purchase and prices.

• Reply with a confirmation of your Purchase Order.

• Make your payment, either by bank deposit or credit card (in store), within TWO days of your confirmation.

• Sit and wait for your parcel to arrive!

And I'm not the only one who thinks so too. Check this out to see what others had to say about JX Collections. I'm inclined to agree with most of these comments too.

There's this one particular dress that I like, but can't decide which colour would look better :- blue or pink? What do you think?

Let me know of your opinion in the Comments section below!

And if you want to see the rest of the Chinese New Year batch, click here.

Well, this is all from me for now. I hope you enjoyed this post and that you girls have a good time browsing the collection!

Till the next feature!

xoxo.

JX Collections is the dream-made-reality of the beautiful Felicia, who opened the doors of the store in October 2006. She has a passion for fashion and it shines through her collection that she personally picks out.

Located at:

No.4, Ground Floor,

Lot 123, Jalan Sungai,

Kuala Belait.

Opens daily between 8.30 am to 6.00 pm.

Call them at 3347 220.

Email them at sales@jx-collection.com

Like them on Facebook here.

What do YOU think of JX Collections?

Have you been paying attention and notice a new advertiser in the right column? Did you click it? No?

Well, don't click it now. Read this post first, click the Facebook 'Like' at the bottom, then you can go click on the new advertiser. :p

Anyway, today's feature is on a newly formed blogshop named Little Wishes. Just seconds on the homepage of Little Wishes, I was already sure I'm already going to buy something.

Caught your attention, right?

I thought so.

For now, items you can order includes Forever 21 clothings, and some selected Urban Decay and Smashbox makeup products.

At the moment, they have a special Chinese New Year (CNY) batch out and I am SO putting in my order to get some CNY clothes!

Get your measuring tape out and let me take you around Little Wishes.

When you enter Little Wishes, make sure you click 'For Her' near the top of the page. You can see that there are three categories there.

I'm going into the clothings section first.

First thing you'll see is a picture of the silhouette of a sexy lady with notes on how to take your measurements. This was why I told you to take out your measuring tape.

When shopping online for clothes, it's best you measure yourself correctly to avoid disappointment when you receive your order. I have my measurements memorized for this sort of occasions. :)

Don't you think this dress looks a little like a cheongsam? This dress is styled to be very fitted, so you definitely have to be sure about your measurements. Because of the black panels at the sides of the floral print front, your figure will appear slimmer.

I also like the little oval cutout at the top of the dress, to show a little cleavage (whatever little cleavage I may have). From the depth of the cutout, you can't wear a full cup bra for this dress.

The dress is made of 70% viscose, which is a soft material that's very similar to rayon.

Retails at B$41.10

I like this dress because it has the 1950's feel to it. Reminds me of the type of dresses Amanda Bynes wore in the movie Hairspray.

It's a simple black-on-white polka dots with a high neck adorned with two black bows. The cut of the dress is meant to emphasize your waist with its flared skirt. At 75cm long, it can be pretty short on tall girls.

Made of 97% cotton, it's not going to be very stretchable, so measure up!

Retails at B$55.20.

You know I love dresses in colors that POP. In bright red and big floral patterns, this dress definitely POPs! The contrast of the red, black and white really goes well too.

The neck is a 'U' shape, both front and back, and the back is deep enough to show off a sexy back. Clinched waist with the black sash with a lined zipper at the back.

Made of 97% polyester, so it's mighty stretchable. :)

Retails at B$35.00

The collection of clothes contains really lovely pieces and you'd have a difficult time trying to pick out which ones you will get. Although most of them are dresses, you'll also find cardigans, short pants and skirts.

Check them out here!

ALL clothes are on pre-order basis, which means that you have to make FULL PAYMENT to get your order confirmed.

Next, I head to 'For Her Accessories'. Most of them are necklaces, and are of a quirky fashion. As told by Little Wishes, they're all handmade which makes it more valuable.

My choices are...

This little necklace reminds me of Little Mermaid. It has an almost ethereal feel with the gold clam and sweet pearl and pink ribbon.

Oh, and the clam is a locket too so you can store a picture of a love one and look at it whereever you go.

Retails at B$26.00

Now, I'm feeling irish! A nicely detailed four-leaf clover made of brass with a little gold star. and also a Swarovski crystal horseshoe. With all these lucky charms, maybe it will bring you luck?

Retails at B$38.00

This may not be one of the typical rings, but I think it's really cute with the mini teacup and saucer, adorned with floral motif. The ring is also adjustable, so you don't have to worry about sizing.

If you buy this with the matching teacup necklace (Tea For One), you just need to pay B$4.00 for this ring. Otherwise, it'll cost you B$8.00.

ALL accessories will be in-stock in Brunei very soon. But you can book them now, and just collect them when they've arrived.

Check out the accessories here.

This is the third volume of the Urban Decay Book Of Shadows collection. As you can see, it is inspired by the urban life of New York City.

There's 16 eyeshadows to take you from day to night, 2 eye pencils in Ransom and Zero, and 1 travel-size eyeshadow primer potion. The eyeshadows are a combination of glitter, shimmer and matte finish, and also contains both best seller Urban Decay shades as well as, exclusive one-time-only shades.

Definitely a must-have for Urban Decay lovers. The cover of the box is also so cool with the pop-out of New York City and the lit mirror!

Retails at B$100.00

The Smashbox Wish For The Perfect Palette is part of Smashbox's Winter Collection 2010. And just because we don't have winter in Brunei doesn't mean we can't use the colors right?

It has a whopping 49 eyeshadows, 10 cream eye liners and other shades for the entire face! Not to mention, you also get 4 mini beauty brushes for the eyes and lips.

There's only ONE piece available from Little Wishes, and it retails for B$160.00.

There are LIMITED pieces of these collectible makeup pieces and will be in-stock in Brunei very soon so you better be quick to book them! Check out the cosmetics here.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, Little Wishes is having a Special CNY batch for the items. But this Batch will be closed by 15th January 2011! This means you only have a FEW days to place your order!

To order, you simply need to email Little Wishes a form like the below.

You just need to choose which mail service for the clothes (Pre-order).Little Wishes will then confirm your order and you need to make FULL payment by bank deposit/transfer into a Brunei bank account within TWO days after receiving the confirmation email.

For the soon to be in-stock items (accessories and cosmetics), you just need to pick whether to collect them yourself (free) or meet-up (additional fee). Payment is to be made only when you go to get your items.

For more details on the process, you can find out from Little Wishes' blog.

Join me now for a shopping spree!

xoxo

Little Wishes is started by two cousins, where one is based in UK as the purchasing arm and the other is based in Brunei as the delivery arm. In the future, they plan to bring in more labels and also products for the men. I think that they are a blogshop to watch out for!

Visit their blogshop.

Email them : little.wishes2010@gmail.com

Add Little Wishes on Facebook.

Will you be joining me at Little Wishes?

About a week ago, I was invited to the store opening of FES Butik in Kg Lambak. I told Ms FES Butik herself that it's pretty impressive that, what started out as a Facebook store has grown so much to actually open a real live store within a year! "And yes, FES Butik." I told her. "I'd definitely be there."

I may not be all that familiar with the various kains available, but I do know what's gorgeous when I see it. I'm so used to printed silk or similar materials, so the Kain Sulam is something different to me.

But rather yakking on and on about it, I think pictures can convey more than a bunch of words. :)

 Click on the pictures to view larger images.

See the rest of FES Butik's collection here.

The possibilities with its elegant embroidered designs! The Kain Sulam looks really elegant, with its minimalistic design. The various designs depends a lot on its play on color, but only in a few shades per design, which is what I mean by minimalistic.

Added with the embellishments, the Kain Sulam offers so much choices of classy baju fashion! Definitely my next baju fashion experimentation project.

As I sat down with Ms FES Butik, I also can't help feeling how cozy and inviting the store looks, which is a feat since the store is not that large.

There's a cushioned polished-wood bench with multi-coloured cushions at one side of the room with a small zen-like water fountain beside it. Paintings of flowers adorn the wall and a red lotus-head standing lamp in a corner.

It feels more like a living room actually, a classy one at that too. :) Which I guess, contributed to me spending more than an hour in the store, just chatting with Ms FES Butik and talking about which baju fashion design would show off the Kain Sulam.

FES Butik is not that difficult to find. If you've been to London Kebab Casbah, Jenny's The Cabana or Tasconi's Pizza in Kg Lambak, Berakas, that's where FES Butik is!

If you're still not sure of how to get there, I took the liberty to show you through the Google Maps below.

Click on the pics to see larger images.

What's great is that FES Butik has special offers often, which allows you to purchase your kains at a lower price. If you want to take advantage of the special prices, keep a lookout for announcements on FES Butik's Facebook. The special offer periods are only available for a limited period of time, so you may not want to miss out.

I'd also like to thank FES Butik for being so kind to show me around her store and giving me tips on baju fashion designs. And when I find my magical tailor, I will know which store I'm going to visit first!

Toodles! xoxoxo

FES Butik is the sister company of FES Retro, and has opened the doors of her Kg Lambak store on 30th October 2010. Asides from Kain Sulams, she also carries the attractive Toshkana brand pure silk head scarfs in the store.

Opening Hours:

Monday - Saturday : 8.00pm until 10.00pm

Sunday & Public Holidays : 10.00am until 12.00pm

                                                         2.00pm until 6.00pm

                                                         8.00pm until 10.00pm

You may also make appointments by texting or Facebook inbox.

Visit FES Butik's Facebook Store here.

Make an appointment with FES Butik at 8897431.

* All pictures are from FES Butik's Facebook photos and editor's own camera.

Do you own a kain sulam?

What do you think of when you see this picture? Paris, the City of Lights. Romance, croissants, art, little sidewalk coffeeshops. But most of all, Paris is known as the fashion capital of the world.

Home to luxury labels such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Longchamp, it is no wonder that fashionistas around the world head to Paris to soak up all the fashion and glamour that's in the Paris air.

Today's feature, My Little Tote Shop, promise to provide to you the unique shopping experience only found on the streets of gay Paree.

Janine, one half of My Little Tote Shop, has graciously met me online one late night (3am Brunei time, 9pm Paris time) to talk about their premier shopping concierge service.

Janine, it says from the 'My Little Tote Shop' website, that you are a premier shopping concierge service. Can you tell me more about that?

Well, one of the best things to do in Paris is to walk down the fashion streets, visiting the boutiques lined left and right. What My Little Tote Shop do is to offer a little of the experience, by purchasing our international customers' orders of luxury handbags and delivering it to them, still in their original packaging and paper bag.

Located in the heart of Boulevard Saint German, one of the most popular streets in Paris, My Little Tote Shop is poised and ready to drop by at any of the high-end department stores and boutiques to purchase the handbag of your dreams.

They have delivered many a handbag to women around the world, like the US, Canada, Australia and Asia.

Wow, really?! So, what are other designer labels handbags should we Bruneians watch out for?

There are a few that are very popular in Paris now. Longchamp has recently released the Galeries Lafayette handbag for their Le Pliage line. Vanessa Bruno is another up-and-coming label that all the Parisian girls are wearing right now. Goyard is also set to be the new Louis Vuitton, with whom they shared a history with, being originally trunkmakers.

This limited edition Galeries Lafayette Pliage Tote bag is only available at the famous French department store, Galeries Lafayette. It features a special print in red, the famous dome from the iconic Galeries Lafayette store in Boulevard Hausmann. This design comes is black and beige, and is not available anywhere else in the world!

The Goyard handbag has a history dating back to 1853 and started out as trunk makers, just like Louis Vuitton. Their handbags are renowned for its durable and lightweight canvas that is made of a mixture of cotton, hemp and linen. The St Louis Tote Bag (featured above) is one of the more popular Goyard handbag with its rich colors and comes in two sizes, PM (small) and GM (large).

Goyard had emerged from obscurity when New York Barney's featured their handbags in their windows in early 2000's. Celebrities such as Madonna and Karl Lagerfield, are some of their celebrity clientele who place special orders to have the handbags specially monogrammed. Goyard is only sold in fewer than fifteen stores all around the world!

That's an impressive collection in your online store! How do I order one from you?

Ordering is very easy to do. You can register on My Little Tote Shop's website, however, this isn't necessary to place an order. Registering will allow customers to get updates from us every time we have new arrivals or sales.

Once you picked out the handbag of your choice, select your preferred color, click 'Add to Basket' and 'Check Out'. Payment is not done within our website, but at Paypal's secure website. You will be notified once the item is shipped and you also be able to track your items.

some of our customers even receive their orders earlier than that. Oh, and shipping is free of charge!

Sounds like an interesting enterprise you have there, Janine. Glad to have chatted with you.

It's great to chat with you too! It's good for me to be able to introduce and talk about My Little Tote Shop. And I hope to serve more Bruneian handbag lovers. 

Well, there you go, people. A real live French shopping service to bring you those exclusive handbags that can only be found in Paris or limited retail outlets. If you have your eye on a specific handbag that cannot be found in Singapore or Hong Kong, just drop My Little Tote Shop an email about that particular design, even though that handbag is not listed on their website. Because, in Paris, they have it all!

My Little Tote Shop is run by Janine who came up with the idea of a shopping concierge service a year ago at a dinner with friends. Janine loves quality handbags with independent labels such as Les Composantes and Jerome Dreyfuss.

Email : info@mylittletoteshop.com

Find their Facebook Page.

Note: All the above information are obtained from a lengthy web chat with the owner of My Little Tote Shop and internet research. Readers are to practise care for all trade they do on the internet. Caveat Emptor.

Tell me about your favorite French label

Housed in Seri Kiulap Mall, Shop@Sarah's stands out with its bold logo and simple interior design. Walking into the store, you'll be immediately enveloped in fragrant scents coming from their many Bath & Body Works lotions and eau de toilettes.

Shop@Sarah's all began with Lisa Sarah's love for Victoria's Secret beauty products. "It was so difficult to find these products back then, so when I found a source, I bought in bulk!", says Lisa Sarah.

Her family and friends were interested in the products too, and so she sold some of her extra stock to them. Then she thought, 'Hey, why don't I make a business out of it?' And thus, Shop@Sarah's was born.

Recently, Shop@Sarah's has added new products to their collection in store and  make-up lovers will be happy to know that these new products are popular cosmetics brands!

Now, you'll be able to get POP Beauty, Too Faced and bareMinerals from the store! At the moment, Shop@Sarah's is stocking cosmetics kits from these brands and depending on YOUR response, they may bring in more variety and  brands. So, if you want to be able to get your favorite makeup brand locally, you better get busy on their Facebook Page. :P

This UK cosmetic brand was created by Sara Strand, celebrity makeup artist/rock singer, and is defined by its fun and playful colors to make you POP! Am simply loving POP Beauty's all-in-one make up kit!

I want to see Shop@Sarah's POP Beauty products!

One of the leading prestige cosmetics, Bare Escentuals is an innovator in mineral-based cosmetics with their make up line, bareMinerals. Looking for natural beauty products? Try Bare Minerals!

What bareMinerals products can I get from Shop@Sarah's?

Too Faced's philosophy? 'Why be pretty when you can be gorgeous?' Known for its trendy and glamourous looks, Too Faced sports a variety of makeup kits their distinctive vintage-styled packaging.

I want one of 'em Too Faced makeup kits!

It's awesome that Shop@Sarah's is bringing in these cosmetics but it'll be even more awesome if they can bring in other cosmetics too. According to Lisa Sarah, they may expand their operations to host more cosmetics items like MAC, Smashbox, Urban Decay and Sigma brushes. But they're still doing their market research, so join in me in yelling, "YES! WE WANT MORE!". 

As a Privilege Member, you'll be able to get:

• 10% off your purchase;
• Additional Birthday discount of 5%;
• Additional 5% discount off discounted price during Sales period; and
• Have first chance to purchase items at discounted price the day before Sales period starts.

• Delivery to your home!

Live in Belait or Tutong? Get your purchases from Shop@Sarah's delivered straight to your home for an additional B$5. Just email or inbox them in their Facebook to place your order, and just transfer/deposit your payment to their bank account.

Read more about it here.

• Makeup services

Shop@Sarah's also have their own makeup artist to do your makeup in preparation for a special function. You can even get them to go to your house rather than you going to their store, but of course, there will be additional costs for this.

Fees starts from B$25. Privilege Members can get up to 40% off.

• Hantaran Packages

Victoria's Secret products would make a good hantaran package, don't you think? Shop@Sarah's would arrange and customize wrap the package for you.

Find out more here.

So, if you're ever in Kiulap, it may be worth your while to check Shop@Sarah’s out. In fact, why don't you check out the slideshow below? See if you spot anything you like.

Til next time!

Shop@Sarah's has been providing Victoria's Secret products since November 2007 and open the doors of their store n Seri Kiulap Mall in December 2008. Despite running Shop@Sarah's for more than 3 years, the couple behind the store still maintain their enthusiasm for their products and eager to expand their collection.

Visit them at :

Unit L2/5, 1st Floor, Seri Kiulap Mall

Between 10am and 9.30pm everyday (Closed for prayers on Fridays, 12.30pm to 1.30pm.

Find Shop@Sarah's Facebook Profile and Facebook Page.

Comment here please!

So, Jas, what's iMany Faces about?

Well, do you know that women can put on many kind of 'faces'? What I mean is that a girl can be sweet, elegant, sexy, naughty, professional and so on. But there are many who just put on makeup just for the sake of putting on makeup. Or only for special occasions.

At iMany Faces, we teach women to enhance their looks for all kinds of situations. We challenge them to explore their faces and create looks for themselves.

I saw some of your pictures in the iMany Faces Facebook page and love the different looks you featured. How did you learn to do that?

I worked as a freelance makeup artist for 4 years and then 2 years ago, started to do one-on-one sessions professionally. To prepare myself, I had also taken a course in a makeup academy called Xpression Master in Kuala Lumpur.

Ok, so now let's talk makeup. I've always wondered whether I should use concealor or foundation first. Which is it?

That's a very good question! Well, what do you think?

I see! So, what are mistakes that you see most women make for makeup?

Well, one mistake I usually see is women matching blue eyeshadow with red lips. That's a color-matching mistake.

Another is makeup balancing. For example, a girl puts on strong eye shadow color, then also apply strong blush and lip color! The effect of the overall strong combo makes a clownish appearance.

One other mistake is that some girls choose a much lighter shade foundation than their skin tone to appear fairer. This just gives a mask-like appearance.

Haha. I might be guilty of at least one of those you mentioned! Ok, so now, eye makeup. I came across eye primers just recently. Is it really necessary to use one?

It depends. Some people's eyelids don't get as oily, so they don't need it. But for those whose eyelids do get oily, it's an absolute must to use an eye primer.

Eye primers allow your eye shadow to stay on and last longer throughout the day or night.

Oh, so what are the sessions in the workshop?

Well, the theme for this coming workshop is 'Perfecting The Basics'. It's for those beginners who want to upgrade their skills in certain makeup area. Each session in one workshop is 2 hours long and concentrates on specific makeup areas.

Essential Skincare & Face Foundation

In this session, students will be taught the essential steps of skincare for the protection of the skin from weather and makeup. They will also learn the proper application of skincare to avoid pre-wrinkles and foundation makeup for a flawless finish.

Price : B$75.00

Eyebrow Shaping & Drawing

Here, I help students to understand the shape of their brows and find the right shape that suits their faces. I'll also teach the 3-point system for achieving the perfect eyebrows.

Price : B$80.00

Eye Makeup

Students will learn about the two categories of eyeshadow color and understand the shape of their eyes so they know what type of eyeshadow suits them and what they should avoid. Applying eyeliner is quite tricky, so I'll be teaching them how to draw the perfect eyeliner.

Price : B$100.00

Face Shading & Highlighting

In this class, I help students to discover their face shape and learn to accentuate their best features, whether it's their eyebrow shape or cheekbones. They'll also learn the techniques of shading and highlighting to a slimmer-looking face.

Price : B$85.00

For all 4 classes, we are offering a special price of B$275, rather than the total of B$340. Promotion is valid until end of August and our deadline for registrations for Brunei workshops is on 12th August 2010 (KB) and 19th August 2010 (Bandar).

Awesome, Jas! It's great that you come all the way from KL to give these workshops. I don't think there are much of these makeup classes available here in Brunei. Anyway, before I end this interview, any last words you'd like to give to my readers?

Yes, there are. My message to all the ladies here is not to be afraid of change! Change doesn't have to be scary and you will have a lot of fun along the way. And by the end of the day, you'll be glad that you took that first step.

Those are wise words :) . Jas, thanks so much for doing this interview with me. It's been really interesting!

Thank YOU for such an awesome interview. It makes me realise how much we have changed and did along the way. I'm passionate about what I do and I want to help my fellow females to realise their own selves. So, thank you for giving me this opportunity to share some of my knowledge here!

xoxo

Jasmine is the founder of iMany Faces who, asides from conducting workshops, also provides one-on-one professional makeup services.

If you are interested in registering for the upcoming workshops, please email to support@imanyfaces.com. Please note that deadline for registrations is on 12th August 2010 (KB) and 19th August 2010 (Bandar).

You can also check out mini makeup lessons and tips from iMany Faces at their Facebook Page.

Got a question for Jasmine?

At first glance, the store may appear to be the all common show-and-sell online site. However, pay a little bit more attention and you will find that Dot Dot's Little Shop offer more than just maternity, nursing wear and related products.

The characteristic that sets Dot Dot's Little Shop apart is the active mother-to-mother support, advice and encouragement offered to their customers and readers. The site's blog is regularly updated with new information on baby care and breastfeeding related topics.

Dot Dot's Little Shop is a strong advocate of breastfeeding as it is imperative to have your child grow up healthy and strong. In a move to grow awareness, Dot Dot's Little Shop is participating in Towards a Baby-Friendly World Event Pledge, in conjunction with the World Breastfeeding Week (August 1-7) 2010, where 5% of all sale proceeds from 1st July 2010 until 31st August 2010 will be donated to The World Food Programme.

Asides from the above, Dot Dot's Little Shop also carries maternity and breastfeeding aids such as breast pumps, healing salves for C-sections, nipple creams and many more.

All in all, Dot Dot's Little Shop is a wonderful online store whose main focus is clearly to serve and support all mothers and mothers-to-be. I can't help but admire the owner of Dot Dot's Little Shop, who had explained to me on how a little support can go a long way in boosting a new mother's confidence and morale. And that this is why she does what she does.

I believe being a mother is the most important job in the world. A mother protects her child beginning from the womb and a mother's love for her child is a powerful force.

As for Dot Dot's Little Shop, this mother's love had created a vocation to help other mothers through her products and encouragement. A laudable undertaking that I have to commend.

So, mothers, if you need advice or support or just someone to talk to, Dot Dot's Little Shop will be there for you.

Moe is the admirable lady behind Dot Dot's Little Shop. Dot Dot's Little Shop was established in September 2009. Although new, Dot Dot's Little Shop has attracted many customers and fans as evident from her Facebook Fanpage. On her website, she shares informative articles and her personal experiences with her own dot dot, little Guinevere.

Find Dot Dot's Little Shop on Facebook.

Have a question for Dot Dot's Little Shop?

Moving on… I’m just a blogger who blogs about anything and everything that I love and the blog I own is a personal one and not one that I made just for beauty related stuff. Most of the posts that I wrote are beauty related now coz that’s what I’m into recently :D Read my blog again in 2 years and I’ll probably be writing bout totally different things. Like fishing… or canoeing… HAHA

For this post, I’ll be showing you girlies how I do my makeup! HAHA not exactly. Just gonna show you some of the products that I use the most and love to bits and pieces. I tried this look when Michelle Phan did the video “Tim Burton Look” but mine of course, looks horrible in comparison to hers. Lol.

What I used:

You can get pink contacts from Q4Geo.

You can get Sigma and Essence of Beauty brushes from The ANstore.

 Before:                                                          After:

Sorry, the image quality is a little off. I don’t have a good camera with me at that time. =/ So... what are you girlies waiting for? VISIT MY BLOG! ;D

Shely is one of our young local bloggers who caught our eye with her informative blog on her makeup. She has definitive tastes in beauty and makeup and does not hesitate to share whatever she knows with her readers.

Follow Shely on Twitter.

Want to ask Shely something?

Fashion : (Noun) A prevailing custom or style of dress, etiquette, socializing etc.

Cabaret : (Noun) A form of theatrical entertainment.

Fashion Cabaret : A stage of dramatic dresses and stylish accessories! 

We came across this fantastic local blog shop in Blogging Nation and we absolutely L.O.V.E. it! Fashion Cabaret showcases high-street fashion for the true fashion-lovers. Styles featured runs to a mix of rocker chick (studs and leather) and feminine softness (silk dresses and soft colours).

This dress is absolutely gorgeous with its soft drapes and sweet baby blue colour. The flowing style is great for camouflaging body flaws and bring your best assets to light. The short sleeves are made unique by the short loose braids. Absolutely beautiful.

Retails at $129.00

The looks and styles featured on Fashion Cabaret are fresh, vibrant and so hot that even MC Hammer can't touch them. Ok, that was lame. But you get my point.

We believe the clothes featured reflects the blog shop owner's own personal taste and we like her style!Perfect for those willing to push the boundaries a little by wearing something sassy. So, go on and hop over to Fashion Cabaret and see why we love them so much!

Ciao!

Ps. Miki, if you read this, please don't move to Sydney and take these beautiful clothes away!

Miki is the stylish lassie behind Fashion Cabaret! whose biggest passions are fashion design, music and dance. Fashion items are mostly pre-orders and are done in cycles. Cycle 7 is now open so browse through the items and when ordering, remember to share (see conditions stated in her site) on Facebook to get $10 off your purchase.

Find Fashion Cabaret! on Facebook and Twitter.

Comment here!

Because it is naturally very curly, it does have a tendency to be frizzy and hard to manage, so I have had to have my hair rebonded many times before. I've also coloured my hair, had bleach in it, I straighten my hair daily and blow dry.. you name it, I've done it to my hair - so my hair was far from being healthy.

I discovered Ojon through a video I watched on youTube. The person who made it, Selby, has beauuutifull hair and she made a video on the hair products she uses for her hair and one of the products she talked about was Ojon.

Unfortunately for us in Brunei, products like Ojon are not available here so when I was in Australia, I picked up a small jar and tried it out.

It comes in the jar in hard form but when you rub it between your hands it becomes an oil. I rub it all over my hair and my scalp, and then leave it on for as long as I can. After rinsing it off, I'm left with very manageable healthy hair.

Pre-Ojon, if I don't blow dry my hair straight after every wash, I end up with Chaka Khan hair but now post-Ojon, I can be lazy once in a while and just leave my hair to air dry. And when I do straighten my hair now, my hair actually shines!

Let's just say after fighting with my hair for over 20 years, I can gladly say we are now good friends.

Here's a review from one of my customers, Liza:-

"I started using Ojon over two months ago and its the best thing ever for my hair.

I've got long thin hair, with super frizzy ends due to a perm I had a couple of months ago. My hair can be classified as damaged as I do lots of colouring, straightening, curling and what not. If I don't make an effort in the mornings, I literally look like the bride of frankenstein.

I've read so many testimonials about Ojon online and most users say that you will need to leave it in for a while. I took a risk and actually slept in it over night. All you need is a small amount anyway. Just as a word of caution, I'm used to sleeping in curlers so I've got a high tolerance for discomfort.

And the next day after shampooing and conditioner (I use redken's all soft line), my hair was smoother and texture was definitely better than its been in a long time."

The AN Store sells Ojon (5oz) at BND95 per jar. It might sound expensive but going for monthly treatments at the salon (which may or may not work) ends up costing way way more.

Talk to you girls again soon!

The ANstore has been bringing quality beauty and make-up products to women since June 2009. Nisaa truly believes in the effectiveness of the products and we love her enthusiasm for the products she's promoting.

Watch out for her next post on another of her much wanted products!

Check out The ANstore to view other products.

Read The ANstore's post on Lipocils!

Comment here!

Last year, I had my first experience with eyelash perming and unfortunately for me, it was a major fail. It looked fine when leaving the salon, but once I was washed my face and my lashes got wet, it was a nightmare. My lashes were fried and they weren't curling properly so I still had to use my eyelash curler and lots of mascara to disguise how bad it looked. So, I started looking online for a product that could help.

And I found Talika's website and read about Lipocils. After a week of using it, I could feel that my eyelashes were healthier and after the second week, I found that my eyelashes were longer and thicker, and didn't fall out anymore.

Because it was such a success, I started talking about it to my friends and a few wanted me to order it for them and theANstore started from there. So far I have sold over a 100 tubes and I've had a lot of good feedbacks saying that it has worked for my customers as well.

It is selling for BND69.00 at Sephora in Singapore but I'm selling it for BND60.00 per tube.

Til the next post!

The ANstore has been bringing quality beauty and make-up products to women since June 2009. Nisaa truly believes in the effectiveness of the products and we love her enthusiasm for the products she's promoting.

Watch out for her next post on another of her much wanted products!

Check out The ANstore to view other products.

Comment here!