Exploring Phuket, Thailand - Part 2

Part 2 of our Phuket Adventure :) 

Day 2, we started of course by eating breakfast which was provided by the restaurant adjacent to the hotel. It was a continental breakfast but it wasn't buffet. We were served with a choice of juice and you can pick from either coffee or tea - meaning you have two drinks; actually 3 because they also give you water if you request. 

The breakfast included eggs, sausage, bacon strips and vegetables. 

My husband, on the other hand, choose to eat different kinds of bread lol :)) he just wasn't ready for a big breakfast that time because his stomach was upset. 

After eating breakfast, we continued exploring the nearby places of the hotel. 

We saw DQ just within the vicinity of our hotel. 

There was also the launch of Make Your Own Havianas. I bought my Snoopy Havianas from there :) 

This was the side streets that we explored during our walking trip at Phuket. I don't know what exactly the street was but we saw a mountain at the back. 

There was also a Hard Rock Cafe Hotel. Most of the tourists booked here because the hotel has a beach front. 

During our exploration, I got thirsty and we stumbled upon this push cart vendor that was selling all kinds of refreshments. I asked my husband to buy me the Thai Iced Tea as it was delicious. I think it was only 25B (more or less only PHP26). 

After our exploration, we decided to go back to the hotel and rest because the heat of the sun was already burning my skin. We stayed at the hotel until afternoon and waited for the bus that will take us to Phuket FantaSea. 

In the afternoon, we were fetched by the tour van and it took us to Phuket FantaSea. I can't remember exactly how long the travel time was from our hotel to Phuket FantaSea but it wasn't exactly near. This was the tour that we booked when our taxi driver went to the travel agency. 

As what I've mentioned earlier, Phuket FantaSea is one of the main attractions that tourists go to when in Phuket. It usually is in the afternoon until night time. I suggest that you do not bring any electronics or cellphones with you because you have to leave the cameras and any electronic device in the event proper. They forbid any cameras inside the big theatre where the musical is. 

Before the main event, there would be a big banquet inside the place. Well actually, you have to purchase a ticket, you can either go inside and not eat (which is cheaper by hundreds) but you can also opt to purchase the one where you will feast. The whole place is a big buffet of international cuisines. I wasn't able to take a picture in the large banquet  but it was really big. 

At 8:00pm, they open the gates to the big theatre. Sadly, you have to leave your cameras. So I don't have any pictures with me. Anyways, it was a good show. The show was in Thai. We didn't understand the words but we got the gist of the story. 

Exploring Phuket, Thailand

It's almost been a year since our week long wedding anniversary. I know, this post is a year late but what better way to celebrate it by reminiscing about the beautiful place. 

Since it was our first year anniversary last year, we wanted it to be memorable and grand. I mean, who would've thought that we already turned one? The trip was somewhat spur of the moment. Everything was booked days before the actual flight and we just dived-in. 

We first went to Bali, Indonesia and then went to Phuket, Thailand. It was summer back then and we were feeling the heat wave in Kuala Lumpur. My husband's officemates were suggesting that we go to Phuket because it was a fun place with lots of tourists. 

Of course, we booked Air Asia for our flight. Went to KLIA 2 and checked-in. Funny story, a day before our actual trip, we went to the airport thinking that our flight was on that day. We then realized that, what the heck?! It's not yet our flight! We got too excited and wasted money for our fare to the airport. 

The airport at Phuket was not as big as I expected it to be. I've been to Bangkok and I love their humongous airport there but in Phuket, it's fairly small. The moment you arrive, you go to immigration and there's a separate lane for ASEAN Passport holders. I'm not sure if they issue visa on arrival like the ones in Bali for European passport holders but they do have a separate lane. 

The airport is filled with lots of free brochures in different languages. There's also a free SIM card given to tourists on arrival. You just have to log-in their book.

We took the airport taxi. Just a little heads up with our experience with the taxi. A little bit disappointed on how the system works there because our taxi driver stopped at a travel office before dropping us at our hotel. We were quite exhausted from traveling and the last thing we wanted to do was to be sales talked by the travel agency for tours. It was like the driver will not go to the hotel not until we booked our tour so we had no choice but to book the PhantaSea Tour. 

Afterwards, we finally made it to our hotel and we booked Pimnara. The locals in the airport said that Pimnara was a new hotel. It was a boutique hotel and it was in downtown Phuket. It was quite a long journey from the airport to the hotel, around 1 hour and 30 mins. (Considering some parts of Phuket was also experiencing a little traffic jam). 

Hotel staff were English speakers. They would assist you if you need wake up calls or if you need housekeeping, etc. Right in front of the hotel was a desk where everyone thought they were the information help desk but it's actually a tour agency where you can book. There are at least 5 or 6 tours you can book ranging from Day tour exploring the whole of Phuket, Phuket FantaSea, Muai Thai Fights, Cabaret Shows and Island Hoping. We actually booked 3 tours but the last tour we weren't able to go to because I had an accident during the trip. 

Picture above was the mall right beside our hotel. 

The one above is a massage and spa place. Their rates were super low and you get the highest quality of Thai massage. I had a 1-hour foot reflexology here but my masseus was kind enough to actually give me more than the foot massage. It was sort of a whole body massage including the head, the arms and the back :) and it was only 500B. 

On our first night, of course, we had to try THAI food but the ones we had were already commercialized since we ate in a restaurant. I recommend you try eating the street foods so you really get the authentic taste. 

Thai Iced Tea was so delicious! 

During our first night, we already started walking around the nearby streets, so as to not waste time. At the back of our hotel was already the Patong Beach Strip. It was sort of the red light district of Phuket. 

There were a lot of lady boys in this place. There were also a lot of locals holding A4 card like menus where there were "shows". You know what I mean right? I wanted to watch but my husband didn't want to watch (what a loser LOL) but anyways, I respected him and we opted not to watch the show. 

The street was really so much fun. Loud music, a lot of foreigners and tons of liquor. At the back of my head, I was sort of guilty because I know that time was Holy Week and everyone back home were repenting and fasting and abstaining while we were having so much fun. 

I have to cut this entry for now since its a little bit too long but head to the next post. I will blog about day 2 and day 3 of our Phuket adventure :) 

 

Beauty Favorites: July

Hello guys! Just wanted to share with you my monthly favorites. I know it's a little too late for me but like I always say...better late than never :) let's get started! 

For this month, I only have 5 beauty products to share with you. I think one item I already have mentioned in my previous favorites and it is making a comeback hahaha :) 

1. Hourglass Ambient Blush in Incandecent Electra - it's only now that I joined the Hourglass bandwagon...I know...maybe a year too late but I fell in love instantly with this. I have been hearing mix reviews about HG products. Some work, some does not but for me personally, I like the blush. I also own the limited edition blush set but I find that it is not as pigmented as individual blushes. This is not a "holy moly you look like a clown" type of blush. I admit, I am one of those who like super pigmented products but this one is different. I know understand why so many people love Hourglass. It's subtle but it's good. 

2. Too Faced Bonjour de Soleil Palette - this is the product that I fell in love again. I am so in love with the product that I already ditched using the ABH contour palette and the Balm Bahama Mama. I also love the fact that the powders smell like chocolate. This has been my go-to for bronzing and contouring :) 

3. Too Faced Semi-Sweet Palette - can you see that I am an avid fan of Too Faced? Their products are so good that it already took the place of my well loved Urban Decay products. I love the palette. It smells like chocolate. It is super pigmented and it doesn't crease on me even without using any primer. I can also do a lot of combinations with this palette. I must say that this is a must-have for any makeup junkies. 

4. MAC lip liner in Soar - I had to buy this one since you all know that I have been obsessing on the nude lip. This is such a good liner that you can use it as a lipstick. I use it in combination with MAC Myth and it gives the Kylie Jenner lip look. 

5. MAC Fix+ in Cucumber - Being a MAC collector, I had to buy this one. I love my original Fix+ that's why I opted to buy this one for myself :) it smells really good and this is Limited Edition. 

Want to get the Kylie Jenner lip Shade?

Ever since Kylie Jenner released this photo of her on Instagram, I was mesmerized on how good her lips were. 

Her lips were full and the shade of her lipstick was on point. I tried figuring out what the lip combination was. At first I thought it was only one lip shade. I tried using Velvet Teddy from MAC but that wasn't it. Until her makeup artist spilled the bean and they were saying that it was SOAR. 

I finally got the chance to get SOAR which is always out of stock in the U.S. Combined with Myth, it becomes the perfect shade for the infamous Kylie Jenner lips. 

Here's a picture of my lips wearing those two together :

Updated MAC Lipstick Swatches

Just wanted to share with you guys an update on the swatches of my MAC lipstick collection:

1st Row (L) Please Me (R) LE Playland Happy Go Lucky

2nd Row (L) Mehr (R) Heroine

3rd Row (L) LE Alluring Aquatics Enchanted One (R) LE Maleficent True Love's Kiss

1st Row (L) Myth (R) Angel

2nd Row (L) Sin (R) Sushi Kiss

3rd Row (L) Viva Glam Miley 1 (R) LE Toledo Oxblood 

1st Row (L) Impassioned (R) Velvet Teddy

2nd Row (L) Viva Glam Rihanna (R) LE Cinderella Royal Ball 

3rd Row (L) LE Rocky Horror Oblivion (R) LE Proenza Schuler Pinkfringe 

Series of my favorite makeup items: Battle of the Blushes

#blushes

#charlottetilbury

#nars

#hourglass

#makeup

#beauty

#cosmetics

Sorry for being in hiatus for a long time. I think my last post was May. I've been so busy with life that I just didn't find time to write and update my blog. 

Anyways, I have been testing out so many cosmetic products the past couple of months and I've decided to do a series of my favorite makeup items per category. Today, I'll be doing my favorite blushes. 

I find myself gravitate towards these blushes. Of course they have their own pros and cons but of all the blushes above, I find myself always using the NARS, Hourglass and the Charlotte Tilbury. 

NARS has always been a fan favorite by everyone specially when it comes to blushes. Their formula for the blushes are very creamy and easy to glide on the face. When I use MAC, it takes quite sometime for the pigments to show. Unlike NARS, you only need one small swipe and it would glide like a dream on your face. 

Hourglass, on the other hand, is a different story. NARS is super pigmented and you need a little bit of control when applying the blushes on your face or else you would look like a hot mess when you apply too much. Hourglass is also pigmented but when you use it, it gives a subtle flush of color on your face. I use it serveral times on my cheeks but it still give a subtle peachy blush on me. It's like the product works without you needing to adjust. It's magical. 

Charlotte Tilbury does both. It's highly pigmented but you wouldn't look like a hot mess if you put a lot on your face. It is also very creamy and it feels like the product does the work for you. It's quite expensive though but if you have the budget, you can skip both NARS and Hourglass for this baby. 

Overall, I like all 3 brands mention above. All 3 brands have their own pros and cons. What may work for me might not necessarily work for everyone else. This is based on my experience when using the products mentioned above. Do you own any of the products listed? I would love to hear your comments about it. 

Too Faced Soulmates Blushing Bronzer

#TooFaced

#Soulmates

#BlushingBronzer

#RossandRachel

Hello loves! Been a long time since my last entry. So many things happened this month. It was my brother's wedding and had so many things going on with my life. I'm really sorry for not updating as often as I should.

Anyways, I was able to get my hands on this product. This is not a new product. This was released last year if my memory serves me right but it was only recently that it got released here in Sephora KL. 

This is the Too Faced Blushing Bronzer. It's a heart-shaped compact with a mirror  inside. It has a pretty pink blush and a nice bronzer inside. I bought the Ross and Rachel and there's another kind which is Big and Carrie. 

I am obsessed with this product. It's a powder product but it's sooooo creamy. You know what I mean? I can't describe how nice the texture is. It glides like a dream as a powder product. It's nothing comparable to MAC bronzers or blushers. It's really creamy and I like it. 

It has the Too Faced (TF) lettering on the powder. Although, in my opinion, it's not a must-have on your makeup list. It's not life changing and the price is quite hefty. RM135 ($45) for this compact. You can buy a palette with the price but for fans of Too Faced, I can say this is a product worth buying if you really are into their products. 

Product Rundown

Item: Too Faced Soulmates Blushing Bronzer 

Price: RM 135 ($45)

Where to Buy: Sephora 

Things I like about the product:

- highly pigmented

- bronzer is not ashy for my skin tone

- blush also compliments my skin tone

- comes with a mirror

- has a lot of product in the compact

Neutral

- has a scent

Things I don't like about it:

- Pricey 

- Doesn't include a brush

- too big