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Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Moon cake Festival

It's nearly time for moon cake! I love mid autumn festival- it is a time where us Chinese come together to celebrate autumn and good food! It is always held on 15th of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. I recently got given some moon cake from family friends and wanted to share this with everyone. I love moon cake - it is basically pastry filled with delicious Chinese fillings. The one that I ate was filled with red bean which is my favourite filling. Others fillings included egg and chia seeds, and nuts but I prefer the red bean. It is nice, sweet and really creamy! 







Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Japanese donburi for dinner

Yesterday for dinner we had a couple of friends over and we decided to indulge in some Japanese food. We actually ended up getting takeaway from this place in the city called Ramen Do- Real Japanese. I love Japanese Food and I have never really found a good donburi. Sure I've had lots of great sushi but never a good donburi place but I think I've finally found it. Ramen Do- You rock! The price is also quite reasonable. I had a GrabOne Coupon but original price is only $12 bucks I think which is a bargain for good food and you get a really big bowl. I'm really impressed.  In case you don't know what donburi is, it is basically rice with some salad and lots of meat. You can get chicken, fish, pork and lots of other delicious toppings.

Check out their website if you like Japanese Food-http://www.ramendo.co.nz/menu

I got the Karrage Chicken Donburi which was so freaking good.It was basically deep fried chicken in soy sauce and it was so amazing. The chicken was really nice and not overcooked.


 
My friend actually go the Katsu donburi which is deep fried pork cutlets and it looks so good. She let me try some and it was really good. I preferred the chicken but the pork was nice and cripsy and had a great balance of salt and sweet.



Monday, August 11, 2014

Glittery Prom Nails

These are the nails I wore to my school ball/prom. I actually did this myself an it went really well with my dress. I wore a white dress with a sparkly sweetheart neckline. Comment below if you want to see the dress and shoes that I wore. I love anything that is sparkly so I love these nails so much. 

I used the Sally Hansen pulled sugar is the shade 260. I applied about 2 coats of this since it is quite sheer but super shimmery! I love it so much.


 Then I applied one coat of revlon sequins which is just a chunky glitter polish. I still haven't found many ways to wear this yet but I love it paired with Sally Hansen pulled sugar!






Please ignore the chip on the ring finger. I took the photo on the day after the ball and with all the crazy dancing my nails got a little chipped.

Microwave poached egg- Quick and Easy

I love eggs. I love eggs for breakfast, lunch and dinner and I don't care how its cooked- omelette, scrambled, poached, whatever, I will eat it. My favourite way to eat eggs is definitely poached. I love it when I cut into the egg and the runny yolk oozes out- so delicious.The annoying thing about poaching an egg is that it takes so long and in the mornings before school I just don't have the time to poach an egg since I'm too lazy to get up early. Recently I figured out how to poach an egg in the microwave and it literally takes 3 minutes. Less if you are speedy unlike me who is like a slug in the mornings. This is such a great idea that will save your mornings if you love poached eggs like me
Quick tips to the perfect poached egg:
1. Add vinegar to the water before you crack the egg. The vinegar will help keep the egg from separating.
2. Always use fresh eggs since they will less likely separate.
3. Add the salt after the egg has been poached because adding salt to the egg while it is uncooked will cause it to separate.

If you liked this please comment and share with your friends.

Step 1: Fill a bowl with water to about 1/4 of the way and crack and egg into the bowl.
If you like your yolk to be runny just leave it the way it is but if you want your egg yolk to be cooked then use a tooth pick to poke a few holes into the yolk.


Step 2: Place the bowl into the microwave and microwave for about 45 seconds to 1minute and 15 seconds.  The time that you microwave it for will depend on how strong your microwave is and how runny you like your egg to be. I personally suggest microwaving the egg for 30 seconds and checking on it and then microwaving it in 15 second increments until it is done. The first time you do it you have to experiment with the timing but after that it is so easy. For my microwave I microwave my egg for exactly 55 seconds which gives me a nice gooey yolk. 



And Voila. One easy peasy poached egg in the microwave. It does not get any easier than this!


I personally like to eat my poached egg on a piece of nice buttery bread.
 


DIY lyric art- Katy Perry's Part of me

Whenever I need a little bit of sassy inspiration this is the song that I always turn to. These lyrics come from Katy Perry's Part of Me- yes I know that its a little old but I was listening to my ipod the other day and this song came up just when I was feeling down. This song reminds me of my holiday to Rotorua a couple of years ago because it had just come out and I was constantly listening to it. It's funny how a certain song can bring back memories of a certain time or place and this song does that to me. I remember lugeing (the Rotorua Luge is the best Luge ever), and relaxing in the spa pools. More than that though, this song is just so sassy and empowering you can't help but love it. It is just a fun song that I love to dance to in my room with the doors shut and music blasting. 

I am a little bit disappointed with how the colours turned out- obviously I need to get some better pens.
If you like this please share it with your friends. Comment below if what lyrics you want me to do next.

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Song for Everyone - For Everyone FirstXV

I recently heard this song floating around my facebook feed and I instantly fell in love with it.
It's a charity song  raising money for the For Everyone Charitable Foundation. The foundation was created rugby players Ali Williams, Dan Carter and Richie McCaw and since I am such a big rugby lover, I have always supported the foundation. The foundation helps small community projects.

Check out their website: http://foreveryone.org.nz/

The song is sung by a number of New Zealand musicians and a small For Everyone kids choir. Some of my favourite New Zealand artists are part of this cool project including Stan Walker, Moorhouse, Jackie Thomas and more. I also saw glimpses of Kimberly Crossman, Dan Carter and lots of famous New Zealanders which is really cool. I love this song so much. I think that the song is really catchy and fun and totally New Zealand. It has a reggae/hip hop vibe with a hint of pop so it is perfect for everyone.

Please check this song out and if you like it, please buy it on itunes because the money goes towards a really good cause. 



Korean Face mask haul

I love using face masks so much. They make me feel luxurious and relaxed but I haven't found any good brands for a reasonable price in New Zealand. My friend came back from Korea last week and I asked her to get me some of my favourite face masks. 
She picked up quite a few new types for me that I have never tried before. My favourite brand for face masks are Dr Pharm but I have no idea where to get them from in New Zealand. If you know where to get them from in New Zealand please let me know. I also got a Leaders Insolution brand face mask and a Etude House one which I have never used before but it looks really good. I typically use the snail essence one which I find is really smooth and silky on my skin. The face masks types I got are pearl, pomegranate, hyaluronic acid, aloe, honey, green tea, tea tree and snail essence. They look so colourful and inviting and I'm really excited try these. I know that honey, aloe, green tea and tea tree are really good for the skin but I am really curious to try the pearl, pomegranate and that random acid one.

Comment below if you would like a review on these face masks. 















Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Nails of the day- #NOTD

Finally got my lazy butt out of bed and painted my nails. I chose this bright blue colour with a hint of shimmer. I love this colour because even though it is quite sheer after two coats it looks so beautiful and since it is quite sheer with one coat you can't really see any mistakes which I always have on my right hand. This shade is ice cocktail by Gade. I really live their polishes- they are just so smooth and easy to apply!

Comment below what your favourite nail polish shades are and I will be sure to check them out. 




Monday, August 4, 2014

Top 5 skincare products for winter

 When it comes to winter we all know that skincare takes priority. I don't know about you but my skin gets so dry in winter and with dry skin comes itchy patches and pimples. So here are my top five skincare products.


1.My favourite cleanser for the winter time is Cetaphil gentle cleanser. I find it very gentle on my face which is great because in winter my face tends to break out and I need something that will clean my face without irritating it. This cleanser is a little pricey for a cleanser- I got my from the supermarket for $22 but I think it is great for problematic skin! This is a product I trust 100% because this was actually recommended to me by my dermatologist when I was having really bad skin. 




2. My next favourite skin product is the Victoria Secret lotion. It smells so delicious that I always get compliments on how I smell when I use it. I actually got this as a gift from my dad when he went to America so  I don't know where to get this in New Zealand. If you know where to get Victoria Secret stuff in New Zealand please let me know! Additionally the lotion is very moistuizing and is great for hands. I keep mine beside by sink so after I wash my hands I remember to use it. I don't know about you but in winter my hands are the first to show signs of drying- in summer I can get away with less moisturising but not in winter! Definitely check his lotion out if you are looking for a good one!


3. I know that typically oil blotting sheets are used in summer but I find that i still need to use them in winter. I really love these Za oil blotting sheets! In the winter I still find my face getting oily which I cannot understand how my face can be dry and oily at the same time! Someone please explain that to me! I love using these at school because they are super convenient to carry around at school since they are super small! More importantly these do a great job keeping my face matte without breaking me out! 




4. Next up is the Estée Lauder nutritious night mask! When I first discovered this I instantly fell in love with it! I call this my miracle cream to my family and I have actually got my brother and my mum hooked onto this cream. It is so moisturising and great for the skin. I put it on a night twice a week and I wake up with flawless skin! It takes away any redness and smoothed out my faces. If there is one product you try this has to be it. I know that it is quite high end but it is definitely worth it. 


5. I don't know about you but working out and winter is my least favourite combination! I don't like working out as it is but add in the cold and rainy winter I hate working out even more. One thing that makes it better slightly is the Estée Lauder radiant energy lotion! I love to use this after I work out because combined with the natural goodness of working out this lotion gives my face a quick boost. I like to think of this as a quick fix to making my face more presentable after working out. It is not as moisturising as other lotions but it gives my face a healthy glow and lift! Sometimes I also like to use this in the morning to make myself look more awake and fully of energy when in reality I actually pulled an all nighter on my maths assignment! 




Saturday, August 2, 2014

Music Mania Monday- songs of the month

Here are my top 3 songs of the month. Comment below your top 3 songs of the month and I will be sure to check them out because I am always on the look out for new music.

1. Salute- Little Mix

This is the perfect summer anthem! This is one of those songs that the more you listen to the better it gets. I love the upbeat chorus. It just makes me want to dance around and scream to. I actually have this song on my workout playlist because it just gets me pumping and excited to work out. I also love Little Mix and their music and I love girl power music. This is  one of my favourite songs to listen to on road trips and whenever it comes on the radio, I always sing the song at the top of my lungs!
The music video is super fitting for the song because it's a lot more mature than their other music but the dancing as usual is amazing. Definitely check this song and music video out if you haven't!





Try- Colbie Caillat
I first discovered this song after I read an article on the song in Dolly magazine. The moment I saw the music video and heard the song I fell in love. This song has been on repeat constantly this month. I love the meaning of this song and I think he lyrics are just so beautiful. My favourite line is "Do you like you?". That lyric really relates to me because I have always been self conscious and insecure. I put a lot of pressure on myself to be pretty and skinny and I was really unhappy with myself. That is why I love this song so much. It reminds me to live myself the way I am because it's my life. 
I have been a big fan of Colbie Caillat since her song bubbly came out a couple of years ago. I love her summery simple melody with beautiful lyrics. She is a huge inspiration and more female artists should be promoting self confidence in girls.
I also love the video concept. At the beginning we have Colbie and a range of women wearing lots of makeup and they slowly reveal themselves without makeup through the video. I have to say that Colbie looks beautiful without makeup as well as the other girls! I just wish they had shown some Asian girls in the video but I commend them for having a wide range of ages and ethnicities. It is a breath of fresh air in the pop music world!



Somebody to you-The Vamps ft Demi Lovato
This song has been all over the radio and the pop world and there is a reason for that- IT IS SO DAMN CATCHY! It is the perfect summer dance party song because it is so upbeat and fun. I also love Demi Lovato- She is just a goddess in this music video. She looks so beautiful and I wish she had more lines because her voice fits perfectly with the song. I actually am quite new to The Vamps and I am still discovering their music and I still don't actually know who they actually are! I don't normally listen to this type of music but it is so catch and fun that I couldn't help loving. If you have any other songs by The Vamps that you think I should listen to, comment them down below and I will check them out!