Dry Skin Solutions

We are officially in the middle of Winter now as evidenced by the extremely cold (by Sydney standards) weather we've been having this week. And along with the cold comes super dry skin due to those dang heaters and air-conditioners we just can't seem to live without at this time of the year.

So let me introduce you to a handful of products that I've especially been loving this week to bring a little moisture back into my life:

Beginning from the left, Kiehl's Creme de Corps in its original formula (as opposed to the Light-Weight one). I only recently tried this cult product after reading somewhere that it was one of Sarah Murdoch's beauty essentials, and I'm a total sucker for celebrity must-have products. But that aside, it has really proven to be a saviour for my skin this winter. It smells great, feels a little greasy upon application (which I actually love) but sinks in nicely. I've already got a 1L bottle of this ready to go once this 250mL one runs out lol.

Next is Pai's Lotus & Orange Blossom BioAffinity toner for dry, sensitive skin. I actually bought this back in February after the rave review it was given on A Model Recommends but honestly actually forgot about it until I started searching through my products for a more moisturising alternative to my Avene thermal water. I've heard and read from numerous sources that moisturisers penetrate better on damp skin which is why I always spritz my face before applying my moisturiser, and I think this toner gives that little extra moisture which my skin needs right now. It smells yummy too, which is a nice change to fragrance-free Avene.

Probably my favourite of the bunch now, Pai's Rosehip BioRegenerate Fruit and Seed Oil. I've previously used this stuff to sucessfully cure itchy, dry patches both on my face and my body however I stopped using it for a bit when my facial skin went all hormonal and could hardly tolerate anything except Avene products. But last week I was starting to notice my face getting more red than usual (think I was wearing a little bit too much makeup on the weekend) and so I switched to using just this oil on my face at night. And as I suspected it would, my redness has really diminished. And because it aborbs so well, it is moisturising without feeling greasy. Love it.

Now that the temperature has dropped a little more today though, I feel like my face needs a bit more protection which brings me to Weleda Baby's Calendula Weather Protection Cream. This has a really thick balm-like texture which puzzled me at first considering it is specifically formulated for babies' delicate skin (including facial skin) but a little goes a long way and only a tiny amount is needed. I've been warming a small amount up in my fingertips and applying on top of the Rosehip oil to areas I think need a little more TLC. Smells a little medicinal but it's so super moisturising that it's worth it.

Finally Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream - absolute heaven for dry lips. I pretty much use this every single day of the year, and never travel without it. Absolutely nothing compares. And it really does last for eight hours!

 

Back! And Guillaume At Bennelong

Arrived back in Sydney two days ago and I've gotta say I'm relieved to be back in this cold weather. I used to crave scorching hot days up until just last year but after this trip I think my tastes have truly changed. Strange. 

Anyways apart from the heat, KL was fun as usual - discovered a new spa, ate quite a bit although not as much as I could've have I think and picked up some good bargains along the way. But more on that later. First, I wanna backtrack to the Queen's birthday long weekend where the whole fam gathered at Guillaume at Bennelong to celebrate my mum's birthday:

We opted for the 4 course $140 menu instead of the 8 course $195 degustation menu and having heard mixed reviews of the place I honestly wasn't expecting too much. But I was well and truly plesantly surprised with just how tasty all of the dishes were:

some kind of 'cheese-y' amuse bouche

royale of globe artichoke

oysters

yellowfin tuna

duck rillettes

scallops

pan fried whole veal sweetbreads

the lobster (if i remember correctly?) 'special' which sounded so enticing when the waiter described it that the majority of us went ahead and ordered it, thankfully it tasted much better than it looked

crispy skinned barramundi

grimaud duck

palate cleanser

my awesome 'globe' dessert

chocolate souffle

apple tart

fresh raspberries

nougat glace

petit fours which we were too full to eat

Service was a little mixed (one of my cousins actually thinks the waiters put on fake French accents lol) but the food more than made up for it. Super glad we finally managed to try this place.

 

 

Greetings From Kuala Lumpur

At my mum's request, I decided at the very last minute to come along with my parents to KL for a very short 5 night trip as my dad is attending a conference here. So I am putting my trusty Toms to good use while we indulge in a little retail therapy. And no trip to Malaysia is complete without a bit of eating too hehe..excuse me now while I go and get some chicken rice in my tummy!

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Vera Wang Store In Sydney

I'm going to take a little break from food posts to quickly mention that I only just found out on the weekend that Vera Wang has opened her first stand-alone bridal boutique in Sydney! I had booked my parents in at the Intercontinental Hotel for the night and as we were walking through the lobby I noticed a few dresses in a window in the distance that I thought looked very Vera-like. As we got closer I was super excited to see that they actually were Vera dresses and my dad confirmed that the store had only just recently opened (on the 30th May to be exact). After I got my gown my dad seems to be very observant of all things Vera Wang now haha..

As it was late at night the store had already closed but I took a peek inside and it was almost like being transported back to the Madison Avenue store. Although it is much smaller, the colour scheme of the shop is exactly the same and I recognised quite a few of the dresses I had the good fortune of trying on in New York including the one that I almost chose instead of mine (I couldn't spot mine though).

I know there are alot of people out there who are of the opinion that Vera Wang wedding gowns are so 'common' now (somebody actually commented on a picture our photographer took of my dress that "every HK bride seems to wear Vera Wang, don't they wear anything else?") and to each their own, but the experience I had of wearing such a beautiful gown is truly one I will never forget. Kind of makes me wish I could get married again!

Understandably, the Sydney store is by appointment only and their contact details can be found here.

the only parts of my gown I was able to bring home with me..

 

 

Quarter 21

Another long weekend down, only one (or two if you're a banker) to go  before Christmas. But before I get into the long weekend happenings - which mostly consisted of celebrations for the queen of our family my mum - I must backtrack to another long overdue restaurant post, this time at Quarter 21 in Westfield Sydney. Mr Ng's good friend and colleague from HK was in town so we took the opportunity to finally check this place out. Others have told me and I have to agree with them that at $90 or $140 with matching wines, this is probably one of the best value degustations in town:

Mr Ng's non-beef substitute

chocolate dessert option

creme brulee option

I remember Becasse used to be one of the best 'cheaper' degustation options around when they used to be at the old location on Kent Street but now that it's on par with other fine dining restaurants at $170 or $250 with matching wines (I wonder if that means it's better than it used to be?) I think it's safe to say that Quarter 21 has successfully filled that spot. Two thumbs up from me!

Pendolino

Finally managed to have dinner at Pendolino on the 2nd Floor of the Strand Arcade in the city all the way back in April. But I think I was more impressed with the atmosphere rather than the food to be honest. Although maybe I ordered the wrong things coz it was a completely full house by the time we finished (but maybe that had to do with the Anzac Day public holiday the next day):

my mum's entree

my yellow fin tuna entree

Mr Ng's lasagne entree

mum and Mr Ng both went for the duck for main

while I went for the pasta (it is an Italian restaurant after all!)

mum's awesome looking dessert (I think it was the nougat?)

our yummy chocolate one

Clearly, dessert is a must here. And although I'm not rushing back anytime soon I would like to go again but next time probably for lunch.

 

 

Life

To say I haven't been in the mood to write about anything lately is an understatement. It has been a truly emotional past couple of weeks, beginning with my Dad breaking the news to all of us that he had prostate cancer. Of course like so many others, I have encountered bad news like this on quite a number of ocassions but never has it hit so close to home. And what I probably find the most devastating is that this happened to someone who I've witnessed on a daily basis for the majority of my life healing others of their illnesses. But after going through a rollercoaster ride of emotions (including alot of anger), I think I've finally come to accept that everything really does happen for a reason and that perhaps this happened to my Dad so that he would actually stop working so damn hard and actually start to enjoy life a little. Being the great doctor that he is, he has started telling his patients that he has cancer and although it is truly sad to see some of their reactions (there have been a few who really started crying when they heard the news), it is good to hear patients wishing him all the best for a change. 

So far the results that have come in could have been much, much worse and we are so thankul for that. It will be a long road to recovery but we are all hoping for the best. And it really has been so touching to know that there are so many people supporting us and praying for my Dad to have a swift recovery.

I've been doing quite a bit of thinking recently what with all that's been happening..and although I realise that the things I blog about seem truly insignificant in the grand scheme of things, it hit me last night that I actually really enjoy writing about the trivialities of my life - it's a good outlet for me I suppose. I came to this realisation when I was answering an email last night from a journalist from the South China Morning Post who contacted Mr Ng and me about our wedding planner experiences and as usual I had so much I wanted to say.  But not only that, I really relish writing about things that I've experienced and things that I feel really passionate about. So I am determined to start getting back into Mr and Mrs Ng, I love documenting what's been happening so I'm going to keep on doing it.

I think it will be good for me.