TRAVEL DIARY: MALAYSIA

Hey guys, hope you're all well! Today I wanted to give you all a little insight into my travel series to Malaysia, enjoy reading!

So this time last year Hubby and I were planning our unforgettable trip to Malaysia. It was the first time either of us had traveled overseas together, so we were quite surprised at how everything turned out. It was honestly the best decision we made, we still dream about going back there one day! The reason we chose Malaysia over any other country was that we wanted to visit a place that was really multicultural but still felt like home. We also wanted a holiday that was filled with lots of fun and adventure of course!!! 

 

We planned the whole trip ourselves, we both think that travel agents are the biggest scam, honestly all you need is the internet and some time to research. I was pretty much in charge of booking the flights, our room, loan car and our itinerary for the trip. For our flights we went through Air Asia, there was a lot of mixed signals and misconceptions regarding Air Asia but honestly for the price we paid it was really great. We got to choose our seats (next to the window for me of course), plan our meals and we even had extra baggage. It was a breezy eight and a half hour flight and when we landed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport our loan car was waiting for us.

We stayed at the Grand Lexis hotel in Port Dickson and it took us just under an hour to get there.
 

 Thank goodness for hubby's driving skills and being able to adapt to their road rules otherwise we would've died day one hahahaha. No but in all seriousness some of the craziest drivers have to be in Malaysia. You guys they have no lines in the middle of the roads or in general really, half the time the drivers are either up your a** or driving towards you haha but we made it. 

We arrived at our hotel Sunday evening and even though the Malaysian night life is very exciting we went straight to bed. 

We woke up Monday morning and went straight to the buffet breakfast (I still drool over it to this day). 

We had our own private pool but there was also a public pool which was great to get your tan on. 

We spent our Monday exploring the hotel and the area in our buggy. Fast forward to dinner time we dined at the in house Japanese restaurant which was so yummy! The photos don't even do it any justice. 

On Tuesday we went to check out all the local shops and cafes. Each cafe had its own charm and each mall had its own quirkiness. We first checked out the Legato Floral Cafe which had such a cozy and friendly vibe. It's not only a cafe but also a florist so you can just imagine how divine the smell was.

 Next stop was the Alyse Cafe, this one was a bit more laid back. The whole cafe was decked out in this floral vintage inspired wallpaper, how cool is that!!

On Wednesday we took an uber to Kuala Lumpur. Even though we had our own car, hubby wanted to avoid any excess payments (i.e. tolls) so uber it was.

  Kuala Lumpur was ... busy to say the least it was buzzing from excitement, the people, the food, the vibe it was a lot. Also the weather in Malaysia is pretty humid all year round and because you're pretty much walking half the time it can get a little tiring. We stopped right at the Petronas Towers and my goodness they are huge and the level of security around them is next level. We checked out the markets which was basically bargains galore (fake designer left, right and centre).

 After what felt like hours we somehow made it back to KL mall and let me tell you I was very grateful for the air con!!! 

 

On Thursday it was pretty much chill day. We spent the morning in the outdoor pool, had a massage in the afternoon and spent the evening in our private pool! Relaxation was at an all time high!! We weren't going to be here for much longer might as well enjoy it while it lasts.

On Friday, our last full day we decided to drive down to Malacca, the perfect little gem. Hubby was a little hesitant because of all the driving. Malacca is just under two hours south from Port Dickson but as there were no tolls I convinced him that we just had to go seeing as it was our last day. 

The vibe in Malacca just felt like home, it was really traditional and everyone was so friendly and helpful. Every street had colourful buildings and it was like something straight from the 70s.

Our morning started at The Daily Fix cafe, there was a little wait but that was only because it was every bloggers brunch dreams. We ordered the most popular thing on the menu their to die for pancakes. It was such a cozy little cafe with such an eccentric atmosphere. Their coffee was great but oh my god those pancakes were delicious *drooling*.  

We then spent the rest of our day walking around the city and trying to find last minute souvenirs for the family back home.

Saturday morning we had to have one last brekky because how could we miss a buffet breakfast right!? In the afternoon we had to say goodbye and drove to the airport for our flight home :( Until next time Malaysia!

Well that's it from me for now I hope you guys enjoyed reading a little about my unforgettable and amazing trip to Malaysia! If you want to see more definitely check out my instagram @abklog I also have a highlight saved in my stories :) If you have any q's definitely leave them in the comments and I'll talk to you all later! Thank you for reading x

Spring Fashion Essentials | 2018

Hi guys! So it's been a while and there's a lot that has changed but we will talk about that at a later time because today I want to show you all the items I am lusting over!!!

Currently we are moving into the warmer months here in Australia so that means spring/summer and pretty much beach weather (hopefully) all round. 

But I wanted to give you guys an insight into my current shopping list and wishlist items yayyy!! Let me know what your current saved items are?

1. Tony Bianco Josie Rope Pearl slides

These are pretty much a dupe for the Chanel rope slides that were all over instagram a couple months ago without the hefty price tag!! I NEED!!!!

2. Pretty Little Thing Leni Shirt Dress - White

I feel like this is definitely a summer wardrobe staple. You can pair it with sneakers for a day look or throw on a pair of edgy heels and some bangin' accessories for date night!

3. The Iconic Calli Emelia Button Dress

This is the kinda dress you'll want to live in all spring/summer. It is the perfect colour (key spring trend if I say so myself), mini length (perfect for those summer nights) and how gorgeous are those buttons? I feel like in general these kinda dresses are perfect for spring and summer, they're so easy to wear and you can wear them with sneakers, sandals ... the options are endless!

4. Temt Katlyn Button & Split Detail skirt

The perfect skirt that I had to get my hands on. I feel like gingham was definitely a huge trend this year and I definitely couldn't resist. If you guys want to check out how I styled this beauty you can check out my Instagram post here. I think this would also work perfectly with a pair of heels for a more fancy occasion.

5. Zara Beaded Mini Tote Bag

I CAN NOT HANDLE THE CUTENESS! I first saw this bag on pinterest but in a off white shade and it was so beautiful. Then it popped up all over Insta and now you can find it at Zara. YASSSS!

6. The Iconic Faithfull Roberta Woven Bag

Another bag which is definitely a must have right now is the perfect beach bag. There are so many options to choose from but I spotted this one at the iconic. It looks like the perfect size to fit all the necessities and how cute are the bows at the front!

7. The Iconic Spurr Jenna Woven Mules

The most stylish flats I've seen. If you guys follow me on Instagram you would know I basically live in my slides and i'm dying to add these to the collection. If you're lucky enough you can grab this pretty good dupe at your local Kmart here. Happy hunting!!!

8. Levi's 501 Denim shorts

A good pair of denim shorts is essential for the warmer seasons in my opinion. You can never have too many and they’re good enough to wear for shopping days or beach days!

9. JAG Pia Wrap Skirt

Because we needed more gingham and more skirts to add to the collection. I couldn’t go past this gem though while browsing through the iconic (I need an infinite supply of monetary funds) I just had to show you guys!!

10. The Iconic Dazie Posy Sneakers

You definitely need a pair of white sneakers in your wardrobe for the spring/summer time! They go with so many different outfit options, you can style them with jeans and a blazer or you could go with a playsuit or wrap dress.

Well that's it from me for now, let me know what your favourites are? Or what your spring essentials are? Until next time, byeeee!

Buy or Bye? | Australis & Models Prefer Contour Kits

So when it comes to contour kits they are the latest craze. We all need them in our lives because they being out your cheekbones, slim your nose and sculpt your face to give you a flawless complexion. High end brands have been cult classics when it comes to contour kits but recently our drugstore favourites are taking one for the team and have come out with their very own Anastasia Beverly Hills and Kat Von D 'dupes'. Australis was one of the very first to come out with their own contour kit, the AC On Tour Contouring & Highlighting Kit and more recently, Models Prefer have released their Contour Collection to join their new contouring and highlighting range. They both have three highlighting shades along with three contouring shades but which one has better quality?

The Australis kit is one that was definitely hyped up when it was first released, everyone and their mother had to have it (myself included). The contouring shades although a fave for ones that want the kim k bronze, didn't live up to their expectation and appeared a bit chalky and muddy and very difficult when it came to blending them out.

Even though the Models Prefer shades are less pigmented than the Australis, it's definitely a good thing. They are creamier and smoother and way easier to work with. 

If you're a highlighting and contouring beginner you probably want a kit that's easy to work with, blends out seamlessly and looks good on the skin. The Models Prefer ticks all those boxes and more, so you can see which side I'm taking. Hope this helps x

Beauty 101 | Under Eye Concealing ♡

Hi there! Today we are talking about all that jazz that goes into covering them good ol' bags we have residing under our eyes aka (the bags under my eyes are) prada!

Dark circles are not caused by one particular factor but one may have dark circles due to age, heredity, fatigue, anemia or medical problems. Dark circles can reside in the form of bluish/purple veins and can create shadows that may seem difficult to hide and conceal. 

In my instance I have very dark, blue/purple almost brown under eye circles. To conceal them I want to use an orange, yellow or pink/peach (salmon) corrector. Now depending on the colour of your dark circles you want to use a corrector that will cancel the colour out. 

With flash on Canon 600D

Okay so this is the end result but we want to go back to the starting point. 

Now we want an eye cream. Any eye cream will do but one main purpose of an eye cream is too keep the under eye area hydrated. A personal favourite of mine is the Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment, I apply this morning and night and a pea sized amount goes a long way. One thing to keep in mind with this particular eye cream is that it takes very long to dry up and what I like to do is apply it as the last step to my skincare and then do my eyebrows. In that time it won't be as sticky or oily once I do apply my foundation and concealer. 

After the eye cream has settled in for about 5-10 minutes we want to conceal the discolouration. This is where your corrector comes in. Below I have a number of colour correctors that are suited to every dark circle, personally I use the Benefit Erase Paste in the shade 2, it is the perfect peachy salmon coloured corrector. 

I apply the Benefit Erase Paste directly on the perimeter of the dark circle and blend it out with my finger. The next step is to use a thicker concealer that is a shade or two lighter than your skin tone, a personal favourite is the Benefit Boi-ing concealer and I like to use the shade 1. 

I apply this concealer directly where my dark circle starts, on the inner corner.

I apply it on with the Real Techniques Detailer brush and I don't blend it out. So you want to leave it on there without blending it out but making sure there are no streaks. After that is on you want to take your regular concealer and apply it as you would i.e. an inverted triangle. Once that is on you go ahead and blend the concealer out with a beauty blender pressing the product into the skin in tapping motions. You want to make sure you tap the concealer in rather than swipe at it or buff it in. 

The last step you wouldn't want to miss is setting the concealer. I like to use a mineral powder because it tends to soak up the excess oils of the concealer and sets it down so it doesn't move or crease. I apply my setting powder with a small tapered brush. Sometimes I will use the 'baking' method and apply my setting powder excessively and leave it on for 5-10 minutes and then brush it off with the same tapered brush. 

And there we have the finished result. I hope you guys learnt something new or will be adding one of these steps to your under eye concealing method.

             If you have any questions that you feel like I didn't answer please leave me a comment.

* None of these images have been retouched. All these images were taken with the Canon 600D in natural daylight.