May Empties

1 spray fresh 24hr action baby powder deodorant - purchased in a hurry on the way to the gym one time when I forgot to pack one. This scent really is a baby powder scent and it is pleasant enough, but I don't even remember where I bought it from, so I am not sure if I will zoom to purchase it again.

2 Olay Total effects 7-in-1 anti aging cream for Blemish prone/oily skin - I do find Olay products bang for buck. A good price, does the job. I don't really need blemish prone and must have bought this cause it was either the only one on the shelf, or it was purchased pre-menstrual during one of my usual breakout fests.

3 Precision Chanel Ultra Correction Line Repair Anti-wrinkle eye cream - I squeezed every last drop out of this 3 ml sample and the texture is divine and so soothing for the tired eye. I tend to use this on the nights that I needed a little more pampering after a tough day in front of the computer and I found it worked quite well, absorbs quickly and is virtually scentless.

4 Diorskin Nude Natural Glow Hydrating Makeup with 10 SPF in shade 032 - I must never ever buy foundation when I am travelling in summer. This is the second failed product I have ever bought on impulse (Century 21 in New York 2010) where I got caught up by the bright lights and the garishly charming makeup counter lady who told me this was the closest shade to my skin colour. It wasn't and I didn't like the matte texture all that much. It caked on my skin and was best worn with BB cream to even out the whiteness and to make it more 'spreadable'. And the pump always gets stuck, very messy situations for rushed morning applications. I don't know why Dior keeps discontinuing the lines I do like. This one I don't.

5 Neutrogena Oil-free Daily scrub for acne prone skin - Again, I must have picked it more because I was going through an irregular break out sesh. I have generally good skin with a few enlarged pores in my T-Zone that normally does get infected when I am stressed and the hormones are raging. This scrub irritated at first because of the mild salicylic acid content, but I don't mind the scrub as it is a good, hardworking one. Perhaps do avoid if you have sensitive skin as I tend to be more punishing with my scrub preferences.

6 Crabtree & Evelyn Rosewater & Glycerine Body Lotion - I had forgotten how good Rose lotions smell. I am talking the luxurious scents of Jurlique. Old fashioned but associated with so many pleasant memories for me. I could keep using this, but I have several other lotions to get through first, so will park this one for the moment.

7 Sensodyne proven relief for sensitive teeth Freshmint with fluoride toothpaste - Mr.HEA's dentist loads him up with these toothpaste tubes everytime he visits and that's why when we travel, he's usually the one that packs toothpaste (He just keeps these tubes in his travel pouch permanently). I borrowed some for my massive work travel spree this entire month and this finished up whilst on the road.

8 Nak Aroma Hair Oil - Giving off a soft baby powder scent, this Hair Oil tames wild frizz, good for hair succumbed to 24 hr air-cond in hotel stays. It is waxy and gel like from the bottle but absorbs surprisingly quick into hair leaving nice soft ends.

9 Revlon Colorburst Lip butter in Pink Truffle 001 - I think this is my colour and I love the moisture in the lipstick, although it annoyingly melts like butter when temperatures rise and I no longer can carry it in my bag beyond that point as I'd have to apply with a lip brush (not so convenient for quick reapplications on the go).

10 SK-II Facial treatment clear lotion - much like Mr.HEA's dentist gives him toothpaste samples, SKII sales assistants in Malaysia give me toner samples. I had three bottles of this to tide me through the days before I buy a proper bottle, but they're also perfect travel companions.

11 SK-II facial treatment cleansing gel - One of my favourite makeup removers of all time, it is effective, gentle, luxurious and can sometimes be the highlight of my day when I am dying for a fresh face-feel. Anyways, I have drawn out the remnants of this sample as I have had other makeup removers to rely on and I haven't been brave enough to part with this. I think I'll buy a fresh tub when I transit in KL on my Europe trip next week.

That's the equivalent of 7 products finished this month (3 samples equate to one product)! So I have finished 30.33 products so far! At GBP60 I think I should be able to purchase quite a delightful spend. Should it be one luxury beauty item or massive drugstore haul ladies?

Europe Summer travel wadrobe

Dresses I'm packing includes a Cream cotton Tuscan style dress perfect for the Italian leg of the trip, Thurley dress for Polo in the Park and Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Asymetrical Chiffon Maxi for Barcelona nights and a couple of beach dresses to wear around Positano and Lake Como.

 Tops include: Cotton On multicolour empire line spaghetti strap, Orange sequinned Halter top, Forever New Dusty Pink Cutout top, and a selection of fun print Tees.

 Denim bolero studded jacket, Northface hoodie, Dotti Macrame back vest.

 Sussan roll-up shorts in grey, Rip Curl beach short shorts, Linen Khaki shorts, and Supre khaki maxi skirt

Marks & Spencer bikini in black, Mis-matched Rip Curl bikini.

What else may I need for my trip? I'd have to pack a few pieces for work interviews that I may have, but those can double up as chic wear in the cities I will be visiting outside of London i.e. Milan, Madrid and Barcelona.

Trying to pack accessories that will take me from the Italian coast to High street Milan/London this summer can prove challenging, but I assembled the following (fairly similar) set on Polyvore to remind me of what to take.

Summer travel accessories by happy-e-after featuring flip flop sandals, Embellished sandals, $99 / Ballerina shoes, $44 / IPANEMA flip flop sandals, $32 / Tiffany & Co. / Kate Spade jewelry / Stone jewelry / Orange jewelry, $12 / Alexander McQueen scarve / Coach mirrored sunglasses, $175 / Paul Smith belt / Banana Republic / Longchamp Carry-On Duffel Bag



On top of that I have to bring Mr HEA his Nespresso Machine, pack cosmetics, toiletries, underwear, beach towels, Interview documents. Aaahhh!! Will I forget something?

Trip to Marrickville Markets

Should I get out of bed tomorrow? I'd been meaning to visit the Marrickville markets for a while. I love farmer's markets and village living, but Sunday mornings are sacred and just too hard to get out of bed early for. I must say though, being the only Sunday Farmer's markets has its advantages and shouldn't be overlooked.

Starting from 8.30.a.m. to 3.00p.m. the Addison Road market was in full swing when I got there. To answer my question, was it worth getting out of bed for? Absolutely! How else would I have been able to share these sights otherwise?

Madonna of Marrickville

If I had a house in Marrickville it'll have a garden like this!

Finishing off with a bowl of Pho Dac Biet

I did all that last week. But this could be how you could spend tomorrow. Let me know if you do go!

Shopping for Work

Last Thursday I decided I wanted  needed some new clothes for the upcoming work season that loomed this and next week. Smart outfits as I will be greeting many people and trying to make an impact and have lasting impressions.

Where did I stumble upon? Topshop Personal shopping! Isn't this dressing room absolutely gorgeous? I wouldn't leave here, if I needed a break from the city, I would just sit and rest my feet. Perhaps catch up on Twitter or something other fun read.

I love this top that was part of the decor

 The brown Satchel is totally up my alley, perhaps for when I move to London one day.

Enough of what I didn't buy though, here's what I did buy:

 I love this oversized blazer. I have wide hips and a blazer like this gives the illusion of a slimmer silhouette. Like when I pair it like this:

                                       

 I haven't worn this one yet, but the soft lapels that don't stay folded actually are quite funky and I don't mind wearing it just this way, adds to a different focus around the chest area, which in my case is in constant need of other attention/ distraction anyways.

This top has slits on the sleeve. A little subtle sexy but I thought it would still work for workwear. The store I bought this from is in QVB - Zeitgeist. Her pieces are one of a kind and sell out fast, but she's been open a while and always on sale. I wonder if anyone would pay full price for her designs eventually? They're certainly worth it!

I also went to the Fashion Weekend Sydney and bought two pairs of ultra trendy yet comfy Flipsters for $50! Steal ain't it?

Luke Nguyen's Fat Noodle at Treasury Casino

When I was in Brisbane earlier this month, I caught up with my lovely foodie Brisbane friends who introduced me to Luke Nguyen's cooking. I have seen the man on Masterchef, but have never ventured into one of his restaurants. This was nice.

 Using Woks as Chandeliers, the man has fitted out the place to look modern with eccentric Asian inspirations. And as you can see, it was a bustling place to be at on a Friday evening.

 This was a deliciously al dente Roast duck egg noodle dish, served with a Superior broth that was stewed to bring out the essence of chicken and it was sweet.

The signature 20 hour broth, Fat Pho Noodles. Everything was elegantly sliced and delicately fresh. But we were more accustomed to the strong spices we would expect to find in Pho broth and for a signature dish, we felt it tasted nothing like the authentic pho we know. However, we recognise that there are different styles of Pho depending on which coast you are at in Vietnam, much like the Laksa has different varieties in each Malaysian state, so I shouldn't pass this off as non-authentic just yet, in case my shallow travel adventures is the only reason to fault an otherwise perfectly delicious bowl of noodles.

Lap Cheong Fried Rice served up again with that Superior stock and the fried rice was chock full with premium fried rice ingredients so it was well worth money spent.

Overall, this wouldn't become my regular haunt if I lived in Brisbane as I would normally pay far less for these styles of food and get a higher satisfaction value, but it was nice to have something familiar whilst I was working away from home and I did enjoy the excellent service.