Just a daydream part2

Our accomodation- Strawberry Park Resort ^_^ Decent room for its price!

Huge ass toilet, but there's no bath tub though.







After trekking for hours down the hill, we finally arrived at the Strawberry Farm in the early evening. Picking strawberries was the highlight of my trip but we passed it up cause D didn't think that the strawberries were ripe enough.







To make my trip worthwhile, D made me pluck this strawberry when no one was looking ^_^ And its ultra sweet.

And we had strawberry fried ice cream and awesome scones! :D Thereafter left the farm reluctantly and headed for dinner down the hill.


We signed up for a Sunrise tour at 65rm/ pax when we first arrived at Cameron. Initially, we wanted to trek and find our own sweet spot to camp the sunrise but we realized it's almost impossible and this sunrise spot was a designated area in the midst of the mountain with unobstructed view and is said that the sunrise is best viewed from here. This are the best shots I could afford cause it was really hard to position the tripod.

Intense colors at the crack of dawn <3







D and my favorite shot ^^


"Just as plants go into bud and thrive, so do people's hearts are bathed in sunshine and swell."


I love how things are falling into place somehow in some aspects of my life and how these things bring hope. Certain flashbacks and images bring back so much pain, but there's no turning back now. Baby steps, baby steps.

I believe we have our own fate in our hands. This time round, I'd right all the wrongs in my life.
Sometimes it feels like I'm alive but I'm barely breathing.




My mind is constantly running, constantly analyzing, and it doesn't stop.

xx

Just a daydream away

BOH tea plantation. Extremely lovely landscaping (: Pity this only photo of me with the landscape is blur.



On the peak of the highest mountain in Cameron

Love the fluffy billowing clouds



Scarily steep staircase that never fails to graze my knees with every step and get me gripping the handle like a coward



Moving on to the unexpected- The Lord Of The Rings forest (as claimed by our guide). It's a mossy forest filled with moss (obviously), dead leaves and branches that wouldn't decompose due to the conditions of the forest, and a thick woody scent. Once in a lifetime experience, I'd say. Call it bad or good luck that the visitors path was down for renovation and we had to literally trek the forest. Due to the nature of the forest, the grounds were damp and moist but no thanks to the rain the day before that made the entire place muddy. Yes, muddy.

It wasn't easy trekking up at all especially when you:

1) aren't equipped with the right pair of shoes
2) suck at balancing/ climbing steep slopes
3) are upset your new reindeer tights are splattered with mud
4) carrying a heavy camera and 99% of the time you are worried for your camera

The whole time I was whining that I didn't sign up for this because I slipped and fell and had my feet stuck in the mud I wanted to cry cause for a moment it felt like it was impossible to pull out and it was pretty deep. With every step we had to hold on to any branch sticking our way or we would fall (and maybe even off the cliff) and the branches are filled with moss/algae.... Icky feeling.

BUT, the place is a complete beauty.

Truly truly breathtaking and unforgettable experience. Before I am judged, no I am not so bimbotic as to wear a pair of strawberry slippers there. My flats came apart the moment we reached Cameron. How lucky. The only pair of "shoes" available for sale are these slippers. Sucks to be me.





My first ever coming in close contact, lest to say HOLDING, a pitcher plant! So intrigued by it.



All hail the feet of the conquerors! (Y) Well, it doesn't look as bad here as it really feels. But hmm, my entire brown spongy slippers are actually filled with mud at this point of time. With every step I can literally hear the 'squish squish' sound made. Imagine the feeling of treading on shit? That felt like it /:

Best part? No water to clean ourselves up. Win.

With our dirty feet, we were brought to the BOH tea factory for a mini tour and then for some free and easy. Everyone scuttled to the toilet to wash their feet and then settled down at the iconic cafe with a to-die-for view! The cafe is just a platform off the building and it faces the lovely plantation while you munch and enjoy a cuppa warm tea in the cold air.



(first half of the trip; second half will be up in a few days' time!)

We were well-prepared globe trekkers armed with the holy-trinity of camera, brolly and guides. All set and ready to assume the titles of Mr and Mrs Explorer only to be told that it's impossible that we trek the place on our own because Cameron is huge and we are unfamiliar with the place. Therefore, we ended up taking up the tour offers but it was good and the locals are sooooo warm and lovely (for the lack of  better vocabulary).

Perfect weather coupled by lush green grass, tall trees and lovely flowers of varied hues that bordered the sides of roads. I would crown this the wonderland of beauty and happiness and I wouldn't return if I were given a choice.

I needed some time in a beautiful place to clear my head, and this was perfect.
[ For the ever hungry wanderlusting soul of mine.]

Till the second half of the trip, xx.

My makeup stash

 

Hiiii there, I'm not a makeup guru or anything but since I've received request to do up a post on the stuffs I used and having seen so many bloggers sharing their reviews, I thought it'd be fun to do up one as well. The next post I'll probably share the skincare products, so I'm starting with makeup products first. (:

EYES

1. Coastal Scents Ultra Shimmer Eyeshadow Palette I acquired this close to 2 years back and as much as I loved the array of colors and the pretty outlook, I was never bold enough to try out most of the colors. Some day I would I suppose, and it doesn't hurt to knowing that I have the colors readily should I want to experiment.

2. Urban Decay Naked Palette 2 A little hefty for the price but I suppose anyone who is a sucker for the colors would find it value for money. I regretted getting it initially, but when I started using it, I loved it. Loved how blendable the shades are and how they are suitable for all skin tones. Great for day and night use!

3. DUO Eyelash Glue Strongly recommend this! (: Been using it for the past few years and never once has my eyelashes fell off. Someone recommended this to me back then and I'm thankful for that.

4. Maybelline Colossal Mascara Pretty good for it's price, but the best mascaras I've ever used has got to be Lancôme's! You can consider getting this if you are looking for volume. I'm planning on trying the Lash Stiletto soon.

5. Lancôme Virtuôse Precious Cells This is not the best I've used, and sadly, I can't remember the Lancôme one which I love. Not quite worth its price, I wouldn't recommend getting this. You could try others of Lancôme's though.

6. Maybelline Smudge Pot Eyeliner This was a freebie my mom got, and I took it to try and it's pretty alright. Easy application and it stays much better than pencil liners. I stopped using pencil liner for now but I would say the best I've ever used was Revlon's and it's really good for its price. It hardly smudges for me, and I always apply a thin layer of foundation on my eyelids before I glide on the liner since I do not have an eye primer and it aids the liner to stay on longer for me. Not quite sure if that would work for you guys, but I swear by Revlon's and I used it since I was 14 and I was working for L'ORÉAL back then and the Revlon sales girl strongly urged me to give it a try! The smudge pot is fine, but I just find it difficult to apply in precision and it gets kinda thick. I dislike the hassle of having to use a brush as well.

7. NYX Super Skinny Eye Marker in Carbon Black Bought this when I chanced upon Smoochiezz flea some time back and it's pretty good. It's cheap and it lasts, and it's really thin so it's very precise. I'm just not quite sure how long it can last since I don't actually use eyeliner very much these days.

8. NYX Retractable Eye Liner in Silver Likewise, I got this from Smoochiezz and I use it to line the inner corners/ tear ducts of my eyes.


EYEBROWS

1. NYX Auto Eyebrow Pencil in Medium Brown I've been using NYX for my eyebrows for awhile and I like it too! Love the variations of brown available to suit my hair color. I've not tried much eyebrow pencils before since I only started working on my brows lately. Previously, I used it in Brown or something (can't remember the shade), and it was perfect. But when I had to get a new one I went to get a different color for fun (which is this Medium Brown) and it turned out to be a little too light.

2. Revlon Colorstay Eyebrow Liner in Dark Brown I bought this when my first NYX eyebrow liner ran out, and I desperately needed one so I went into the drugstore and got this in a hurry. I hate it, the shade is so dark it looks really harsh when I shade it on my brows. But it turns out to be a blessing I guess after I went to get the NYX in medium brown and it's too light so I mix both colors together.


FACE

1. Chanel Whitening Compact Foundation in B20 Beige I've been using Chanel foundation for years, and I like it. It suits me and recently I switched over to the whitening foundation. Previously I was using the matte one, and it has served me well. I wanted to try something new but wasn't daring enough to try something completely new and thus decided to try the whitening. It gives more radiance rather than a whole matte look, which is what I like. I usually get them from the airport when I travel cause it's cheaper!

2.L'ORÉAL True Match Super Blendable Liquid Foundation in R2 Apricot Ivory I swear by this too, but I'm not sure if it's the best value for price liquid foundation around but because I used this since my secondary school days (no, not saying I applied it to school of course) till today, all thanks to my mom who shared it with me back then. Give this a try if you're looking for something less expensive! The coverage is good and it blends well when applied with my fingers. I used to rely heavily on this when I haven't started using concealer cause I had a lot of scars left from blemishes/acnes and it conceals them pretty well I would say. I did switch to BB Cream for awhile, it did the same for me but my mom bought me this again so I switched back to this. I'm cutting down on the use of it since my complexion did improve over the years.

3. NYX Concealer Stick in Light This works like a miracle! I was adamant on sticking to my old Bobbi Brown Stick Concealer that was really good but it costs $42 and I often get scolded by my friends for using a concealer that costs so much so I thought I could give the NYX a try since it only costs around $10? I can't remember. And they both work equally well!! Think of how much I get to save :D


CHEEKS

1. NARS Orgasm Blusher I don't think this needs much introduction but get it! The shade is so lovely and I love the gold shimmer! Go get it if you haven't already (:

2. NYX Blush in Natural When my previous Clinique blusher ran out I got the NARS and was happy with it. Till I decided to purchase a few different shades to try out different looks. And I like the paler pink look with this blusher! I was actually looking for something even paler, since I wanted to achieve the whole pale-fair-radiant look but I couldn't find a shade paler so I tried this and I use this the most often.

3. Elf Natural Radiance Blusher in Glow I've always been really skeptical about cheap makeup products cause I never want to jeopardize my own face but this only costs $4! Four-freaking-dollars so I thought i'd just try it out for fun and it's good. I hate the packaging and I hate how the powder comes loose and dirties the entire casing but for something that only costs $4 and does not give me breakouts and allergies, I'm happy enough. I use this on days when I want a tanner/ healthy glowing look. Bear in mind that I'm not quite sure how it'd result for you guys if you were to try, since I'm only basing it on my own experience.

4. NYX Bronzer in Bronze Ensemble Honestly, I don't much much comments to give about this except that it's cheap and it does work. But whether it works or not, I guess it depends on how you apply it. I use it for contouring (not for the tanned look) but I find that it works but it's not a drastic difference. That probably boils down to my way of application of course. I'm on the search or better contouring colors. If you are looking for the healthy tanned look, I would recommend this cause the shades are nice and easy to apply.


LIPS

1. MAC Cremesheen in Creme Cup Purchased this for about 2 years or so already too, and I like the pale pink look! Nothing much to comment on since I don't use lipstick often cause I have really chapped lips (even though this doesn't dry my lips). I like the shade but I think you can find prettier pale pink shades out there (:

2. Revlon Colorburst Lipstick in Soft Nude Super lovely nude color! <: And it's dirt cheap too. I can't remember the pricing but I got them from the airport and i think it costs me $9 or so! I wouldn't say its the best lipstick around of course and it does get pretty dry after awhile but the color is lovely.

3. Revlon Super Lustrous Matte Lipstick in Really Red My favorite lipstick ever!!!! Love the really matte look and the red! I have thick lips so I have always avoided red as much as possible. I dislike lipgloss cause it never fails to stick my hair to my lips and the shimmering look makes me feel that my lips are even thicker. When I learnt about matte red lipstick, I decided to give it a try and I love it to death. So glad I found this <3 And not to mention, dirt cheap too!

4. NYX Matte Lipstick in Indie Flick I have to say that NYX Matte lipsticks are pretty drying but then again, there's not much to bargain for since it's cheap. NYX is the first I tried for matte lipsticks. This is an orange/coral-ish shade (more towards orange), would not recommend this unless you are bold enough to try! I quit using this ever since I got my matte red.

5. NYX Matte Lipstick in Summer Breeze Pretty in pink kinda color! I presume it would go well with really fair skin tone for this. (:


I just came to realize I do have quite a lot of NYX products! I guess I broke my inhibitions of using cheap products. Glad to say there are no side effects or allergies for me but please do bear in mind that this comes from my personal experience only and it might/might not work for you.

This took me a long while to put up from- digging out my products, to photographing, to posting them up and typing this huge chunk. I hope it is of some help to anyone of you reading this! HAPPY FRIDAY! xoxo

Dorami the Explorer's Day Out

And we finally got down to The Live Turtle and Tortoise Museum of Singapore (click to be directed to site) which was a real eye opener for us and perhaps I have been too ignorant but I've never once thought that not all turtles are kind, slow and harmless.



Shoving and pushing each other to get to the vegetables we're holding

And the turtles below are what I meant, kind, slow and harmless. NOT.



If I'm not wrong, this is the Pignose Turtle or something. Don't be deceived by its looks!

Look at this evil looking thing o.O This is the Medusa turtle and it's ferocious. I was extremely intrigued and spent a lot of time staring at this creature.

Seeeeeee, this evil looking thing is extremely quick when it comes to feeding and it was really scary. /: I don't think I've ever felt fear in the presence of a turtle ever.



This species is the one and only "smiling" turtle in the world (but no it isn't friendly) and it has to snorkel to breathe as it's a bad swimmer and it needs to come up to the surface in order to breathe.

















Onward to Jcube (which was extremely boring except for nice eateries) for Pique Nique! <:

I should have taken the White Wine Prawn Aglio instead of the Beef Goulash /: Wanted to try something new instead of my usuals... Well, curiosity killed the cat.



D's Shrooms Burg was daaaa bomb! <:





My Beef Goulash
Red Velvet Cupcake for the sweet tooth (:

I can't believe school is commencing in a few days' time and I was deluded into thinking that my holidays are longer than that. Well, at least my holidays were really fruitful and I did pretty much everything that I wanted to accomplish -pats self on back-. (: I cannot be more relieved that I'll be in the same class as Abby for the new sem. Life is getting better ^_^ This site will be undergoing a revamp, so stay tuned for its new look! Happy holidays, y'all!