Beauty Post - Chosungah 22

After spending more than 8 years in Singapore, I feel like I'm being pampered to the max in terms of convenience, technology, transport and of course shopping options. It keep up with new launches pretty fast and for me as beauty addict - it means getting access to new brand in pretty quick waiting time. Unfortunately for me now - and "thank God" for my husband, I don't have access to all shopping heaven here in New Zealand. Zara and H&M just launched a year or so ago, No Sephora in town, I repeat - NO sephora in town! Arrrggghhhh...beauty lover, can you imagine not going to Sephora for 2 years? It's drying you out, aye? 

But thank goodness, God bless you - Mecca Maxima - it's now open in Queen street :D

I finally have access to my world, the world of beauty and all shades of everything you can slap on the face. LOL!

I picked this C&T Blend fresh mix by Chosungah 22. The makeup artist from Korea finally making this line and giving us a chance to have the dewy korean look that I've been ooohhh and aaahhhh-ing whenever I watch K-drama.

First impression:

Oh shit, they only have 4 colours - after a test and trial, my skin tone is on their Ivory shade. phiuff, good to know that I have matching shade, because you don't want to look ermm, weird, with different skin tone between the face and your neck, right?

The packaging is flawless. Compact and quite edgy with chrome looking all over.

The pump is quite ergonomic I would say. It's right where your thumb is when you tilt the bottle upside down to get the product out. Although it claim to be use directly from the bottle to the face, I find it turn out quite patchy on my face. So I prefer to use my BB cushion sponge or brush as applicator.

I will create makeup tutorial using this product but I personally think this product is awesome for my dry skin with Auckland spring dry climate as of now.  It could be too moist for oily skin and definitely not humid climate friendly. I'm going to test this in summer when the humidity tends to be more humid than now. 

I love the coverage on this C&T Blend fresh mix. You can build them up of wear it light in just one layer. Will prepare my makeup tutorial soon, stay tuned!

Auckland Life - Halloween Trick or Treat

It's our first Halloween Trick or Treat things ever!

We are not a big fan of celebrating Halloween and it's not really a big thing in New Zealand anyway, but this year, my work place created one big trick or treat event for kids in the office! 130 kids showed up with amazing costumes and the CEO dressed up as Avengers! I kinda get why this is a big thing in US or any other countries that celebrated this event..bukan soal celebrating the dead buat gw, tapi ngeliat anak anak seru ngumpulin permennya itu loh, kayak..whoaaaa...candies!!!

I didn't dressed up as anything, just simply plain black dress and was planning to wear no makeup so it's Halloween enough, lol! I changed my mind. Anyhoo..after the fun stuff at the office, we decided to tag along our friend to do Trick or treat in the neighborhood - boy, it was fun!

These 3 little kiddos knocked almost all neighbourhood door to get some treats :)

Plenty generous people around and seeing all these little bundles so excited to knock every doors does bring one new experience for us.

The house decorations are simple, more to like spider web and some pumpkin stuff in front of the house, unlike some fancy stuff in the Christmas. Nevertheless, the fun is still there.



The weather that day was amazing!
Tapi makin malem anginnya makin kenceng dong, dan gw ga bawa jaket euy. Alhasil, besoknya minum aer jahe en panadol. Sekian our first Halloween di Auckland.



..and Ethan said " Next year let's collect more lollies, Mommy "

Yok dah tong.

Auckland Life - Cockles Picking

Another fun thing to do in Auckland is cockles picking!

Growing up in Indonesia where pretty much nothing is free, cockles picking is something that is very exciting for me to do. We can take up to 50 cockles per person and it's that fresh that you have to pick it from the sea, yourself. It's awesome, isn't?

..and we often got few like this..

 

If you are interested, check the low tide schedule HERE.

Get your gumboot, gloves and jacket ready. The wind can be pretty strong sometimes, so make sure you dress comfortably for the weather. We always go to Okoromai Beach during low tide to hunt for the best cockles, by best we mean a big solid cockles, and we often throw the baby cockles out of our bucket.

 

Si entong paling hobby "nemuin" kerang yang uda kita korek di mud nya trus kita tarok di surface sambil bilang " do you see any cockles to pick? " ntar dia yang excited bilang " I found it!!! " x beratus ratus kali selama 2 jam..hahahaha.

Fun thing to do buat family deh yang ginian, tentunya..mak nya juga seneng dapet kerang trus langsung masuk panci :)

 Follow our instagram for any spontaneous shit we do :)
@eldiona

"Till next time!

Cheap Oval Brush - Does it works?

Another long overdue post!

It's a beauty post time and I think you might wants to know if the cheap oval brush that you can buy in Amazon for like $10+ for the whole set, works?

This is my before basic makeup.

I wore contact lenses, faux lashes and eyeliner to save some time in testing the brush.

This is my after..

..and this is the kind of cheap oval brush I use..watch the video and let know what do you think of this cheap oval brush. Do you think it works?

Ski time!!

Olla! Now that winter is officially over - we officially say goodbye to the nasty flu, crappy weather, and sadly, beautiful snow, too. This is way overdue blog post but I thought, I'm gonna share up our trip to Mt. Ruapehu and Huka Falls. 

We live in Auckland, which is located in the North Island part of New Zealand. Where about it is? Refer to the map below :)

Credit

So, we drove down to the southern part of Auckland to this place called " Mt. Ruapehu " it's a small town and basically popular with their ski field during winter time. Le Ethan is overly excited about the whole going to play snow and all, and seeing his happy face being outdoor and enjoying every bits of nature - is definitely one of the reason we decided to live in this wonderful place. 

By not having a chance to play snow myself as a kid, I feel he is very fortunate to be able to experience this magical thing like " building a snowman "  - although in the middle of July. LOL!
Kan ceritanya pingin kayak di pelem pelem America yah, bikin snowman di December ujan salju trus kita di dalem rumah, ada pohon natal sambil minum hot chocolate :P

Another fun thing that we can do is to play Tobogan. Never know sitting on a plank of plastic and slide down this way could be so satisfying and thrilling in the same time. Woooo!!

Kadang susah setop yooo, kayak kita kemaren mesti teriak " Excuse meeeeeee" ke encim encim yang abis tobogan-an ga langsung minggir, tapi selfie-an dong. Astaga. 

Kalo buat anak anak pasti deh demennya manjat gundukan salju macam gini yah, gw kan mak mak macam gini yang deg deg an saban ngeliat dia manjat takut kejungkel, ke antuk batu lah, dll. Yang ada gw ga bisa enjoy dong..padahal anak anak laen naek trus slide turun ato guling gulingan...mak nya sante sante aja, dan yang emang gpp - gw nya aja yang parno level nenek nenek. Bah.

Bapaknya sibuk maen snow boarding - tapi karena barangnya modal lama, tu sepatu mangap dong pas diatas bukit..en akhirnya minta solasiban ke mas mas di bagian yang jaga. Dibebet pol itu sepatu..dan cuman dapet 2 sluncuran doang..photo ini mah hanya untuk pencitraan..lol.

Kita cuman spend sekitar 5 jam-an di sini, karena ya owoh...ternyata jalan di salju sambil angkut anak itu hard work yo? Yang akhirnya kita dudukin ni 2 anak di tobogan dan bapak bapak derek naek bukit..mak mak nya ngapain? angkut ransum.

Lesson learned buat ke tempat ginian, ga usah rusuh bawa snack etc etc..botol aer kecil ama kids snack aja uda yang bisa masuk kantong..biar leluasa maennya. Gaaah! Rempong wa'e.

Kelar dari Mt. Ruapehu..kita mampir bentar ke Huka Falls - tapi secara kita cuman penasaran apa sih itu huka falls..jadi cuman ngeliat itu aer terjun yang jebur jebur..trus udah.

Benernya banyak yang bisa kita lakuin kalo mau, ada spa nya, ada prawing section juga..yang bakalan gw post juga separately. Dan ada jet falls nya juga..bisa diliat disini mo ngapain aja di tempat ini.

Sekian mini trip kami ke tempat ini..'till next time :)

Happy Birthday My World

My little Ethan is 4 today!
Although I am not as emotional as when he turned 1, I still feel surreal!
4 years ago, he came into our life and turned our days upside down, and in a blink of eyes, he has grown so much into this fine little boy that becomes the center of our joy.

Mommy pray for you to grow healthy, bigger, better and full of joy. Continue be that boy with kind heart and strong emphatic to others, always give to people even when we are in need, always be blessing where ever you go and I pray for you to always shine in what ever you do.

We love you so much.

Gaston Luga: Stylish Swedish Designed Lifestyle Backpacks

This backpack is truly the outcome of good marriage between style and quality.

When this brand come around in my radar, I picked Praper model in Olive & Black.

This model particularly dominant, come with simplistic and elegant design that will look good in any situation. Be it your Monday-friday daily activities or weekend vibes with friends.

The stylish and durable combination caught my interest in the first place! and because of this perfect combination, Gaston Luga backpack made it through to my daily essentials! Having fashion retail background in my pocket, I become selective on certain stuff. My partner said I'm picky, maybe it's true - but hey, I guess everyone have different style and preference, right? As for me, I like something that come with good design vibe, stylish and non-mainstream. Gaston Luga backpack fit all the boxes and that's why I'm loving it.

I'm so amazed on how Gaston Luga understand what nowadays customer wants from backpacks design, which is something elegant with simple and functional details and definitely not heavy padded shoulder strip that reminds us for first day of the school. You know what I mean. :)

Gaston Luga Backpack comes with few key features that worth mentioning!
The strong hooks will keep valuables secure when just in case (u know) we are running for next train or flight (this will be me)and the adjustable metal hook with four levels to suit my travel requirements because yep, I am that kind of traveler that have jackets, books, phone, laptop, etc etc inside my traveling bag.

Gaston Luga backpack also equipped with passport & ticket pocket and metallic feet.

Like seriously, what not to love from highly durable canvas material that comes with 13" laptop sleeve, passport & ticket locket, adjustable shoulder straps and affordable price tag!!

But but but..the best of all is the DISCOUNT CODE! Woohoooo!!

Quote" eldiona15 " in their website when you are making purchase. With this awesome discount code you will instantly get 15% off, free shipping and 20% off as tax rebate (from non-EU country). How awesome is this!

If you'd like to purchase the same like mine, go to GASTON LUGA website and enjoy the discount code.

Disclaimer: Product received for review purpose and I receive no monetary compensation from the brand. Opinion and images stated in this blog is purely mine.

Sudio Sweden Vasa Blå: Premium & Stylish Wireless Earphone

I love being in my 30’s more than my 20’s. One of the main reason is because I have the freedom that I always wanted. I am financially more comfortable with good job and soon, I’m going to land my dream job to work behind the scene in fashion industry. It took me a good 9 years to be where I am right now and I’m glad it’s heading to a right direction.

Freedom, fashion and fun are my life motto – I enjoy having options and pick the one that makes me feel most alive, keep pursuing and finding my own definition of fashion while having a full fun in every part of it! I’m so glad to be able to live in this way again after series of depression cloud I was in – separate post on this one. But hey, great to be back.

To celebrate this special occasion, my partner and close friends took 7 days’ road trip to the southern part of New Zealand’s North Island to unwind, unplugged from our busy world and having peaceful retreat. I packed my comfortable t-shirt, few pairs of jeans, leather jacket, heels free shoes, my favourite coffee mug, Sudio Sweden Vasa Blå wireless earphone and off I went, literally hit the road with just that. Oh, and with my makeup bag, of course.

Do you know what is one of the best moment in road trip for me? It’s the moment where you have your favourite songs in studio quality wireless earphone, a cup of double shot mocha in your hand and sunrise right over the horizon as the car cruising over beautiful New Zealand scenery. It's magical.

I’m so beyond pleased to have my Sudio Sweden Vasa Blå wireless earphone with me on this trip and years to come in the future. First of all, having mobile studio quality sound wireless earphone wherever you go is taking the game into the next level. For a weird reason, it gives me the same element of freedom that I'm always into. I don't have to worry on the tangle cable that connects the phone to music, I don't have to deal with the sudden "Oh shit!" and put the plug back to my ear. None of that.

Plus, an elegant design and 8 hours of freedom without having to charge everytime – how’s that sounds? All you need to do is pair them up with your phone and take calls with built in microphone and you can control your phone with the remote. Sudio Sweden Vasa Blå compatible with the latest iphone 7 and all other Bluetooth devices, this is what I’m talking about when it comes to compatibility. This earphone has become my daily essentials.

Not to forget the stylish side of this earphone, like omg – rose gold on white? Yes, please! I picked this colour as it represents my style the most, I ALWAYS go with neutral colour and top it up with little bling. If colours is your cup of tea, you will still love this collection as it comes with blue, pink and the Instagram worthy colour, black.

When you get your Sudio Sweden Vasa Blå package, expect a whole experience of smart and stylish packaging that comes in minimalist box that includes Vasa Blå earphones with 4 pairs of extra sleeves, owner’s manual & quality assurance card, genuine leather carrying case, metal clip, charging cable and battery.

That’s not all, you can get 15% off promo code using “Pinkbuble15” + additional 20% instant tax rebate, free shipping to Singapore and get free limited edition marble phone case (available for iphone 6, iPhone 6+, iphone 7, iphone 7+, Samsung s6 and s7.

So go and grab yours!

Travel story in Queenstown

We've been back to Queenstown for 5 times in the past 8 years, and that is because we love this city that much. I wish I am financially able to be in this city at least once a year to enjoy my $4 coffee with million dollar view. Nonetheless, I am happy that I always have a chance to go back and this time round with friends and Mom.

This is me, bundle up in 3 layers of winter clothes to keep me warm in the middle of New Zealand winter. It's bearable...not! I really need those layers to survive my days there, but don't get me wrong because...

Winter in Queenstown is my no 1 reason I LOVE Queenstown. 

Snow. That's because of the snow.

Mountain covered with Snow + Foggy morning = Magical.

The hotel we stayed in has a gorgeous snow mountain view and surrounded by beautiful lake. It was so stunning, and having that view every morning while doing my make up was one absolute blessing.

I feel tremendously blessed with the chance to bring my mom to this stunning city, and I wish to have more chances to show her the beauty of New Zealand. 

- switch to Indonesian -

Nyokap pas dibawa kemari, langsung oohhh aaaahhh dan ga berenti berenti moto dong. Ambil hape keluar photo photo, ga puas dia kuarin ipad en poto poto pake ipad juga. Alamak, pas ditanya..ngapain ma poto pake ipad, jawabnya " biar potonya gede keliatannya" - ya eyalah ya mak, pake tivi sekalian dipoto biar bisa 42 inch. lol. Tapi rasanya seneng banget yah, kalo ngeliat mak mak happy, mood nya langsung cerah bener - dan bisa mendadak berobah jadi jutek lagi kl muka ga cakep hasilnya di poto. :)

Ini entong ku yang hobi bener selfie an, niru daddy nya ni pasti.

Kita happy bisa bawa dia jalan jalan bareng walopun dia baru 2 taon, dan banyak yang bilang buat apa dibawa toh juga dia ga inget. Tapi buat kita, we did this not for him - but for us. Kita mau build memories sama dia, urusan dia inget apa kaga, ya terserah dia..tapi yang pasti gw inget how happy he was pas maen sama temennya, maen ludge bareng gw, or even cuman maen kayu nemu di pinggir danau.

Dan oh, kalo pas mampir ke Queenstown, mampir deh ke Amishfield.

The food is AMAZING! Order the salmon with Pistachio and Manuka Honey something. This is the bomb, and this change my life! LOL - I can never eat "average" salmon serving anymore because I keep saying "nothing taste like the one in Amisfield." You've been warned.

The restaurant serve fine dining type with plenty of complementary entree.

This is that bloody GOOD salmon I ever tasted in my life.

'Till the next travel story :)