Of new beginnings and fragrances

Here it begins the 6th semester of my degree programme. Of course I'm feeling very blessed considering the results that I've shelved the previous semester, but this is a whole new beginning. More challenges ahead of me, ups and downs, trials and tribulations, all got me excited to face it.

I really don't want an easy ride home, rather settle for the combo of both sides.  This person believes that struggles mould oneself into a better being, into a tougher self. There's no way I'm cutting corners or praying for the lady luck to book a seat next to me, I want it the way everyone else gets it. My years as a college student I want to use to equip myself with emotional endurance and positivity. The mentioned duo is what that will keep things going in the coming years of my life.

All is well!

And now let me introduce you all to my new perfume , Tresor in love by Lancome. Yes I have decided to not play safe with Gucci all the time. Lancome is a great cosmetic brand and I fell in love with Miracle once, so I'm investing on their other bestselling perfume for the next few months use. The fragrance came with a body lotion and it smells awesome as well. Bingo! Tresor In Love has a fruity flavor to it with distinct middle notes of rose and jasmine. A must try! Apart from the mentioned I also did some splurging with The Burberry collection of fragrances. The box came with 5 4.5 ml of different Burberry perfumes including their signature  Brit Sheer, Burberry Body and The Beat. Worth every penny!

Renuka G

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She turns 23

Happy 23rd birthday to my one and only sister, Uma!

It wouldn’t be complete if I were to not say a word or two about her, so here you go, 2 complete paragraphs ! ( my love for her can’t be described in just few words ok ?=D)

very old pic I suppose =p

She’s twice as stubborn as me. She’s someone who can be brutally honest with her opinions, which allows me to count on her to critique my make up, hair style, what I wear and also my actions. It’s really fun to see her make my dad agree to things which he often says ‘No’ to. Unlike me, she has tonnes of stories and tips to share. I’m not a big fan of her shopping choices, but sometimes she turns out to be right. One of the few people who taught me to love what i’m doing and develop passion for it. (Well, thank you is not enough for the words of encouragement you gave.)  When we were small, I used to bully her A LOT, lately though I’m the poor victim ( attention seeking =p). Her facebook page is very interesting to be stalked. Recently, she turned down my partnership offer to be a co-author of this blog .And did I mention she is a foodie who wears bollywood-like-shawls to movies? 

What else?

Well she is kind to the core. She chose my celebrity first perfume 3 years ago ‘Midnight fantasy by Britney Spears’, She bought me my 1st Bobbi Brown product which is the lip gloss, she also shared with me her Chanel lip gloss, and how can I forget the Charles & Keith and Mango bags! Most important point, all these she purchased using her scholarship money and not the F.A.M.A sponsorship (unlike me again). Considering what mentioned, she definitely mirrors my dad in money matters. They spend a lot for others but just a little for themselves, excluding the sugar cravings from Marks and Spencer ! Hehe

So what I bought for her birthday? Let’s see. Last year if i’m not mistaken I just bought her a bag, to be exact chose her a bag for my dad paid for it. What a scrooge you are Renuka! But  still it was me who decided to surprise her with a Secret Recipe brownie and a candle to blow in the car when we went to UPM to fetch her. That’s priceless ok? (Self-praise) This year I rebelled against my dad’s opinion of getting her another bag, yet he had it his way. And I had it my way too! HAHA Mr. Gs. The initial plan of mine was to get her a pair of shoes maybe a wedge, however, since my dad (as usual) freaked me out with the whole size-gone-wrong-fitting-gone-out-trauma, I opted for cosmetics. 

She introduced me Bobbi Brown and I’m treating her with Benefit. Benefit is a renown cosmetic company which is applauded for their cool product names and packaging. Celebrities like Kim Kardashian and the Olsen sisters are great fans who adore their products. In Malaysia, you can find Benefit counters in Sephora KLCC and Starhill. 

Since my sister is not into eye shadows, eye liners and blushers, I got her their industrial strength concealer, better known as boi-ing. And as the purchase was made online (which is of course cheaper compared to the retail price in Malaysia), I was eligible for a sample of two of their other products. The ones I picked from the 4 choices offered were the total moisture packette and their primer, stay don’t stray. The order is scheduled to arrive by the end of this week, so i’m keeping my fingers crossed. Hope she will love it! 

And once again I want to wish a happy happy birthday to my dearest sister! See you when I see you =)

Lotsa love,

Renuka G

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All you need to fix

There will be no great thing in the world if nobody's there to say it is. Even winning a lottery would be of no significance for a pauper if he chooses to call it an ordinary event (which I totally believe he won't) . The same applies when it comes to nerve-wrecking scenarios. Getting an answer wrong transforms many into a complete loser in their own head when it's human nature to make mistakes. The case here is, we put labels on events and things, then we go around blaming God and circumstances.

Some of us are miserable as the result of our own perception. We get agitated over simple things that would vanish as soon as the sun rises the next morning, or after a few more mornings. We ignore our simple achievements presuming they are not enough and we make huge fuss over our minor shortfalls calling it a major trip. Some say these are dreams-driven dissatisfactions that motivates one to not settle for less and take every single step with caution. My question though is, what's the point of traveling such a long tiresome journey full of resentments to achieve one superficial goal?

I was convinced by circumstances to believe life is all about the journey and not the destination. However, why are there so many of us striving to live  life like a bitter pill to be watered down each day forsake of a huge vision which may or might not come true?

this is kinda against the theory! true though =p  

Can't the journey be like the glass on its way to be full and not resembling the one half-way filled yet pressured by so many factors, only waiting for the time to shatter into pieces ?

From what I've learnt, everyone should dream big and never stop working towards making it real. Keeping that in mind, I have no rights to comment on anybody's dream and hey, I have no will to do that either. I just intend to make the road less bumpy, presenting to you an approach to get your glass full at the end without compromising your self-esteem and happiness in general.

We can't change circumstances and that is the ultimate trick played on each of us living in this world. Things will happen forcing us to call some good and the rest as tragic or bad. Way worse during some unfortunate case scenarios, our battered system forces onto us the blurry most vision that even our little successes seems like zero-incline in the progress.

But no matter how you twist or turn,everything comes down to this- it's either we usually perceive wrongly or perceive too honestly. So why not play a trick?

Why not mend our perceptions according to our comfort? We are holding the keys now aren't, we?

Just like a loophole in the constitution, this is certainly a secret way-out we take into our personal favor. When it is so clear that trying to change circumstances is a futile attempt, let's fix our perceptions. Even a massive blow can be masked as a mild-trial if you just believe it is. 

Begin a great journey towards your dream (s)! 

Renuka G

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The spritz hunt

After a year of indulgence in the notes of wild strawberries and drenching myself with the pride of a Marc Jacob's product in grip, it's finally the time to wave goodbye. My Daisy Hot Pink perfume is soon to be disposed and replaced.  Hence, this post is going to be about the journey spoilt with choices and the chosen one.

Just like shopping for clothes and shoes, I love fragrance-shopping. In actuality, I enjoy it the most for a few glaring reasons like, I need not join the fitting-room queue looking like a madwoman in a mad-rush attempting to squeeze through the mad crowd and also not wait in horror for a sales assistant to check on size availability that is sometimes already pasted on the shoe soles which some greens like me fail to notice. It's complicated you see. Perfumes are often an easy-peasy chapter. All you have to do is conduct a research in collaboration with Mr Google here, shortlist a few, try them later, narrow down again and voila, you have 'the one'. If the sales assistant is friendly enough, ask for some perfume samples ok? Many succeeded I tell you! So be a wise-spender, yet drench in a collection of various scents (even though it's just 5 1.5ml)

you know me =)

When I'm hunting for perfumes, my favorite place would be KLIA. I can give you a long list of whys but guess what? I'm too tired to type it all down. The most simple and obvious one would be, everything is there, from J.Lo to Versace, I guarantee they didn't miss a label. Not to anybody's surprise , that is where I purchased my new Eau de Toilette.

And my choice was....jeng! jeng! jeng! jeng!

Not yet.

Just to let you know, I did shortlist a few prior the, what I choose to call the ultimate 'investment'. The list included Jimmy Choo, Lola by Marc Jacobs, Lady Million by Paco Rabanne and also Bright Crystal by Versace. Why I rejected them though? That is indeed a sad thing for all the mentioned labels to digest , yet a choice had to be made and things had to be crossed. It was not a mere hearsay based decision I assure you. A lot of efforts and sniffs and spritz involved. I can't lay forth reasons for saying No to each so let me present you the ones for a few.
As you all readily known, I'm a huge fan of Marc Jacobs, however, Oh my Lola! smells too sweet and I can never stand the strong hint of vanilla in any perfumes even if it's of the designer I'm so devoted to. Sorry MJ!

Lady Million, it was so clear, the same problem but this one is TOOOOOOoooo sharp and heavy that I could faint even before reaching the next room. I love my perfumes mild, regardless of it being an Eau de Toilette or Parfum or what-so-ever! Setting that aside, one thing good about Paco Rabanne's scents is. they last long, like really-really long. Anyway, they all were sent into depression-mode this afternoon and I kinda am feeling sorry right now. Tranquilizer anyone?

Without further ado, let me reveal my perfume for the next 1 year period.

Tada!

It's Flora by Gucci- Gorgeous Gardenia. Please do not believe any slanders thrown upon my beloved perfume for having affairs with the famous bread brand, for it's not true! Hehe. To tickle your memory, Gucci launched the Garden collection just a few months ago, in May to be exact, with a huge advertising campaign. Many were pleased with the fragrances but cringed at the price placed. In Malaysia, it costs 364 MYR per 100 ml bottle. Quite pricy I should say. However, bearing red berries and pear on its top notes, the mildly sweet scent definitely impressed me in all ways the moment it faded on my wrist, and of course is worth every penny.

I got Carolina Herrera L'eau's sample!!

The sweet me signing off

Renuka G

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Perfume guide for dummies

I'm a stickler for good perfumes. Prior picking one, I study some products first and that perhaps gives me enough knowledge and pride to write about an incident that took place during my previous semester break.

A shopaholic's routine, as you all can predict is shopping of course.  I went shopping that fine day as well. Usual look-see and stuffs. Suddenly I had this thought of sampling perfumes since my TH Dreaming which I use when I'm home is going to dry up any time soon.

Well I went to the perfume counter and requested to test the top selling perfume which hit the market some time ago, Burberry body. The sales representative looked at me as if I said some alien word. Then after repeating it twice with British and Malaysian accent, she comprehended. She took the perfume and sprayed in on the usual test blotter. Guess what? She soaked the paper. That's not how you do it. The right way should be to spray twice a few centimeters away from the sheet and let the customer test it by smelling from the opposite side. She didn't bother or perhaps didn't know.

Just for the record, the scent was not even as fabulous as anything mentioned . Burberry body= dish washer.

Since I apparently expressed my dislike in an universal language to my sister publicly, the rep decided to convince me into trying some other labels. Wait, before she even begin, with all her concern she asked me a question, 'what smell you looking for?' Exactly this! I told her it's something citrusy and there she was, frozen!

Let me tell you ladies, there are only 4 type of scents when it comes to our perfumes. It's not 'feminine', 'fun' or 'sexy'. Wrong words! The 4 are: floral, citrusy (or fresh) , fruity, and vanilla.

Only 4 basic ones to remember. Is it that hard?

(I'm also aware that some prefer to use 'strong' and 'mild' but that's pretty hard to narrow down. )

Without a doubt, the person who is at the counter to assist customers should of course have this basic knowledge but it's more like a sorry sight lately in some places. Happily though, when we say fresh nearly all sales reps gets it. Easy uh? Oh ya it is, since you can spray anything and call it fresh. People won't know. Cheaters! Most sales representatives or promoters especially in small cities do not have much clue about the perfumes they have at their counters. Trust me!

All they know is the art of soaking and coffee bean for rescue.

I seriously feel that the girl at the counter shouldn't have asked me that golden question as my clear answer gave zero help in finding the fragrance of my preference. What to do? It's all luck.

Honestly I have no intention or personal grudge to bad mouth the naive sales rep but merely emphasizing the fact that one should know the best or at least the important details about what he or she is representing . In order to sell, you must assist right? So why not learn?

I specially love hypnotic poison n dior addict 2 

Perhaps I should have taken a few moments to show my mother of India attitude and educate her, but time constrain you see. Next time ok?

BTW who said reading fashion magazines and blogs make one a dumb doll?

Well, as for my new perfume, I bought it from the duty free outlet in KLIA for 180MYR. 5 different Christian Dior perfumes in a box, each of 5 ml and guess what? Blimey, it's worth every penny!

Renuka G

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Finally of his

Strawberry is the fruit I love the most and Marc Jacobs is the designer that amazed me in all ways. What if I get to combine them both ? 

What if it comes in a bottle?

Not a dream but just a small introduction to my new perfume Daisy Hot Pink by Marc Jacobs .

The perfume has a strong hint of wild strawberry and jasmine that awes and lures me into buying this creation of the fashion coveted designer.

I think you guys already know that there is another perfume in the name of Daisy by Marc Jacobs since it is famously known for its impeccable effect on women’s spirit and of course their ‘sniffers’. But now, let me explain the difference between the mentioned and mine. 

Both smells pretty much the same but their concentrations differ. Daisy by Marc Jacobs is Eau de toilette while Daisy Hot Pink By Marc Jacobs is labelled as Eau de Parfum. For your information, perfumes that are classified under Eau de toilette are lighter in concentration compared to those of Eau de Parfum. Therefore, Daisy Hot Pink By Marc Jacobs lingers longer than Marc Jacobs’  previous release Daisy.

Well about the price, Daisy Hot Pink is 345 MYR per 100ml bottle while Daisy is slightly cheaper by 23 MYR only.

Lucky for me, the purchase came with a free shower gel  which winks a hefty 165MYR without the promotion. BINGO!

I think this is the most expensive and expansive buy I made during my shopping spree in Pavilion. 

p/s The Christmas decorations are simply superb, particularly  the cake!

 Renuka G

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Perfumes to Perfection

New and yet to be tried...

As you all readily know, I’m a bit of a beauty junkie who takes a fair share in trying and certainly purchasing cosmetics and of course fragrances.  In just 2  years, I have tried oodles of fun perfumes of different brands and celebrities . Just like Lisa Snowdon,  I enjoy popping in to the Duty Frees at the airport and try out perfumes. It’s just irresistible to see and not try the new perfume in town! ( BTW, Have you tried  Burberry Body?)

Some say stick to one and never change but the rest supports having a collection of perfumes or in simple what we call as the ‘fragrance wardrobe’. Which one is your preference?

In my view, although you have already found love with that one scent that you can’t live without, building a ‘fragrance wardrobe’ is essential to cure you of the boredom that might attack you or a friend that sniffs it somewhere in disguise ( You will never know who is..).

Looking at the bright side, having a variety to choose from allows you to orient your perfume according to occasions. You could have one that is musky for a day out with friends and other tiresome events as it lasts longer. Throw the fast fading citrus-based fragrances for quick meetings or dinner with your family and don’t forget to save the vanilla and peach scents for that someone special!

My Favorite!!!!

The point everyone should note is that something that smells great on your bestie won’t leave the same delicious effect on your body and skin. Call it the cold hard truth but the fact being, the manner which fragrance oils act together with our natural scent and body oils varies. 

Dior perfumes are of absolute worth!

Next, how much do one need? When the talk is perfume, this is the universal question! I used to know people who drench themselves in perfumes and colognes that even a yearly or twice a year product end up like some weekly groceries. Less is more and  I can’t advocate further this absolute fact. Spray it at your pulse points and that is enough and remember, NOT ON YOUR DRESS as it’s still fragrance OIL! Don’t end up spoiling the hundreds worth garment to smell a ‘lil stronga’.

Now let’s hear it from the expert! 

“According to celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe  it’s important to “try before you buy,” and give the scent time ( 5-10 minutes at least) to settle before purchasing. Rachel also suggests only choosing scents you love, instead of buying because of a celebrity endorsement. “ 

The last line was like "in my face!"

To end, perfume is nothing but a staple saviour of the fairer sex which adds oomph and contributes in finishing up the posh look with a gloss in the personality. The mother of fashion, Coco Chanel once said, “A woman who doesn’t wear perfume has no future,” so let’s perfume hunt ladies!

XO Renuka G

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