NYC foodie Adventures Part II

Le petite abeille (The little bee)

6th and 17th NYC

Rating: 5/5

I am a sucker for Liege waffles. I just love how dense, thick and rich they are. it is so hard to find a true belgian waffle. This waffle needs no toppings or anything. Just great by itself. I yelped for belgian waffles and this and another food truck came up, but I just love the name so I decided to give it a try.

The decor was tres chic and it was covered with TinTin comics all over the walls!!

AH-MAZING waffles. You can see the pearl sugar as soon as you break the waffles. That's when you know it's good.

Kati Roll

6th and 39th, NYC

Rating 3.5/5

We wanted a mid morning snack (like we need any more food right??) Well for the Indian part in me and my bff, we found this place called The Kati Roll. What it is, is that they roll wither parathas or roti's with potato curry filling. Kinda like an Indian taquito. It was DELISH. I couldn't even take pics because I totally devoured it before I could even.

Eataly

Union Square NYC

Rating: 3/5

This was again Pink's recommendation. This is Mario Batali's creations. It is basically a JUMBO gourmet italian food store with a bunch of kiosks on the inside to try desserts, cheese, meats etc.

This would be their bread section. I was in HEAVEN.

We tried the onion foccacia. I am not a huge fan of onions, but damn this was worth it :) There were other kiosks and I wanted to try them all but the crowd was just too full and we just wanted to get out of there without dying

The City Bakery

6th and 18th NYC

Rating 5/5

Now let me tell you. The Hot and cold chocolate is something UNBELIEVABLE. It was as if someone melted a chocolate bar and placed a straw in it. Perfect for us females during that time of the month ya know? Also the taste of the chocolate even lingered in the back of my throat for about an hour later. That was how rich it was

They also had a GREAT selection of baked goods. The chocolates drinks were already rich enough so we only decided to try the vegan choc chip cookie without it being too much of an overkill. That was delicious too

Did I make you hungry?

NYC foodie Adventures Part I

One of my sole purposed to go NYC was for the food. I mean come on, how can you not? With the help of Pink from www.xppinkxx.com, she gave me some guidance on the joints and places to visit. Since she is the ultimate foodie I know, that girl can EAT! So I made my way through the list.

First stop,

Totto Ramen

366 West 52nd StreeT

Rating: 5/5

A literal Hole in the Wall.

Our waiter even wrote our order in Japanese... it was hard to tell if he wrote the right stuff down or not.

Spicy Vegetable ramen

Chicken Ramen. This broth was just so CREAMY and delicious!!

Laut

15 E 17th Street

Rating: 3.5/5

Comparable to my other post HERE. CLICK ME

This place was good, just unbelievably expensive for what it offers. Being a Malaysian, I love me my share of Malay/Singaporean/thai food. I was ecstatic to find this. I've tried Penang in Vegas before and that was just unbelievable.

Storefront

The roti canai was SHAMEFUL. No roti canai's are ever think and crispy. Unless we're talking about tosai or paratha. This was just AWFUL. However, I do give kudos to the curry. If the they used the same roti from Hawkers (link at the top ^) this would blow my mind

The curry puff was also sub-par. but good enough to curb a craving

The coconut rice was just to DIE FOR

The Chicken Rendang was very Nyona like, delicious, but HELLA EXPENSIVE for what it is.

East Japanese

366 3rd Ave, New York

Rating: 4/5

We had met up with a friend from NYC here. The wait was long, but it was worth it. We had went on a tuesday which happens to be salmon tuesday = my fav.

The conveyor belt sushi concept is my fave. I've already been to a couple in South East Asia, but none yet in the US. So this was exciting. Even more exciting to share it with friends who've never even heard of this concept ever before.

I always start with a wakame salad

Food is priced by the color of the plate. For example, white: $1.50, pink: $2.00 and so on. For example, a white plate u can usually find california roll, tuna rolls. And on the pink ones some Nigiri... and quality also goes up as u go up in price

A great ending with some red bean mochi ice cream =D

Will post part 2 soon.

Inglot

I was in Vegas this past Feb and my silly self never thought anything when I walked past Inglot until the "rave" started going on around youtube. The color names and numbers were harder to remember and memorize from MAC but the quality is definitely comparable. I wasn't in the mood for experimenting so I stuck to something I knew best, foundations. I snagged a powder foundation and will do a review on it. However, so far, the signs are pointing upwards :)

Inglot AMC Pressed Powder - $16

NYC

Be prepared for some future posts that are picture heavy. I just got back from a fun mini vacation and explored almost every bit of the city that I could. I ate about 5 meals a day and walked about >45 blocks/day. So it was more than justified

Girl Talk

Herro.

So today I was just thinking (ruh roh...), I know have never been the girly girl. I am thankful to my mother who has taught me to be an independent person. To never rely on anyone for anything and to be able to always stand on my own. An example is that whenever I used to go on dates, I would always offer to pay, if not, to split the check. I never expect gifts or to be bought anything, and if I ever wanted something, I would get it.

However, from time to time I would enjoy being spoiled. I guess I have never had that luxury of being showered with pampering luxuries. It would be nice to have a surprise trip to somewhere, a little hideaway to a hotel and fun away from it all. Mainly because I'm always the one planning everything and the one who is making sure everyones desires are met. I would love to be the person on the other end one day. Just to hear the words "pack your bags, we're going on a surprise trip" Like if I ever wanted a nice massage/mani-pedi, I would go get it. A nice dinner date at a nice restaurant? I would plan it. I just don't want to think or make decisions for once. Just to sit back and enjoy the ride.

But one can only dream.

A little mini-cation

I thought I'd give a little update since I've been so MIA recently. I've been swamped at work and with my whole moving thing I haven't even had time for my blog. You see, I work about 45 minutes away and with the driving and work, it takes a lot of energy out of me. Enough with the excuses already... what's going on????

Well, I'm excited to say that I am making a trip to NYC with one of my BFF's. We're taking a mini-vacation to try out all of the food, shopping and god knows what else! I am CRAZY excited! I have even made a pact with my bff that we wouldn't even shop for ourselves or anything until NY which is 25 days away! I will be taking lots of pics, videos and much more! So definitely expect a blog post about it!!

GIVEAWAY WINNERS!

There were a total of 84 entries!!! Awesome!!

I placed it on Random.org, You can see from 1 to 84 entries

For giveaway set #1, Winner was no. 29

WINNER IS: SARAH!!!

For the third giveaway set, winner was number 6!!

WINNER IS: NADIA!!!

Congratulations winners!!! Please contact me via twitter and I will direct message you on twitter for you shipping info!!

Disclaimer: There were multiple entries in a day as some of you DID NOT FOLLOW THE RULES. I deleted the extra entries and only kept one entry. Remember: the rules were ONE ENTRY PER PERSON PER DAY. NOT MORE THAN ONE.

Also, there were no entries for giveaway set #2 therefore I am just omitting it. No one wanted it, therefore it will not be counted.

again, THANKS FOR ENTERING!!

GIVEAWAY!!! 2 more days!!

My giveaway is open for 2 more days!!! it will end on the 14th of June at midnight EST. I have been looking on the comments section and some of you have been posting more one comment/day for the same giveaway item.

Reminder: only ONE comment per giveaway per day is ALLOWED. Any extras will be deleted and not be counted.

Thanks for entering!

Review: Clinique Face Cream SPF50 with SolarSmart

I bought this item about a month and a half back... almost. I was super excited to try it out... reasons were because it was finally a face suncream that was higher than SPF15/20, it had UVA and UVB protection and it was oil-free and all that jazz.

I tried it out for a week, a new product of course and by the end of the week, I started BREAKING OUT. I had TONS of mini bumps all OVER my forehead. It reminded me of when I first hit puberty and my forehead looked like a very coarse sandpaper. I was furious. I had not broke out like that since I was 14 and had worked SO HARD on keeping my skin pristine.

Verdict: WILL NEVER BUY AGAIN. EVER. EVER.

Product details:

It promises Oil-free, Sweat-resistant, Non-acnegenic and Appropriate for sensitive skin

Excuse my french but what a bunch of BULL. However, it may just be my type of skin, but it was horrible. I felt so down on how the product made my skin look!!!

Cons:

• Product did not deliver anything that it promised
• it still felt very greasy
• $20 for 1.7 fl oz/50 mL which is very little. I mean it is sunscreen, users will want to re-apply which can be hard with such little amount.
• Just did not deliver

Pros:

• Easy to find in stores
• Great smelling product, especially for a sunscreen.

Overall I give this product a 0.5/5 and that 1/2 a point is given mainly for the product idea itself. It was a nice effort, but I am still on the look for a facial sunscreen that will deliver.

Review: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer

Again, with this item, I had to mull over and over about having to spend the money for it. I kept thinking I could never justify paying the amount for something that is a tinted moisturizer. I mean, I used to make it on my own by mixing my favorite facial sunscreen with a foundation. But after reading many reviews and looking at youtube raves, I decided to jump the gun.

In my opinion...... WORTH THE MONEY.

Why??? Here's a couple of reasons:

• For a tinted moisturizer... it gave me flawless coverage. I don't need much to begin with but it made my skin look like butter!
• It is easy for shade matching for many skin tones. I would love to have the Sonia Kashuk TM at Target, but none matched my shade. Then again, neither do any Revlon foundies.
• When it says Oil-free, IT MEANS IT. My skin doesn't feel heavy or oily even after 8 hours of wearing it! With the humidity in Florida, this is a gem!
• Because it is a TM, the texture of my skin has improved! I still use my Nars and MUFE foundies at night but this is slowly becoming my day staple.

Cons:

• I wish more product came in it. I mean if you need more coverage you can always add on more, but I just wish there were more in it.
• No more cons!! it's that GREAT!

Application:

• I usually place it on the back of my hand to warm it up and either apply it on with a BeautyBlender or my Sigma F80 brush. Depends on my mood and what is clean I guess...
• I always use my body shop mattifying day cream as a base
• I finish it off with Amazing Cosmetics Velvet powder on top.
• Voila!

Excuse my scaly and overly tanned skin... I have been out kayaking so many times this week and the sun and saltwater is making me look extra scale-y.

Glides smoothly

Blends perfectly!!

Definitely a 5/5 and worth every penny!

Update

I frosted my tips a little more tonight :) I'll post pics up tomorrow :) stay tuned!

Will be back

Dear Readers,
I am deeply sorry for the lack of posts this past week. I am currently uber busy getting stuff together but I promise to be back soon with fun posts! I'm thankful for the support and visits from all the readers :) Please stay tuned! I have a haul post coming up on Hypes & Gripes!

yours truly,
ClosetSecrets

Beauty Tag: Get to know me better... 40 questions

SKINCARE

-How many times do you wash your face daily?
Twice daily. And I use my Clarisonic at nighttime only.

-What skin type do you have? (dry,oily,combo)
I have oily-combination skin.

-What is your current facial wash?
Neutrogena Oil-free grapefruit cleanser for day and Philosophy's Purity Cleanser for night

-Do you exfoliate?
Yes, 2x a week with Lush's Dark Angel

-What brand do you use?
Lush's dark angel and if I run out it'll be the St. Ives apricot scrub

-What moisturizer do you use?
Body Shop's Mattifying day cream or Clinique's Moisturizing gel

-Do you have freckles?
nope.

-Do you use eye cream?
No, But I really should start using

-Do you or did you have acne prone skin?
Yes I did all throughout high school and the first two years of college and it slowly went away with more care and effort put on skincare.

-Did you ever have to use Pro-activ?
Yes, for 2 months. During my freshman year of college acne on my forehead got out of control and decided to try it. And it worked!

MAKE-UP
-What foundation do you use?
MUFE, NARS or Laura Mercier. I use them all and all for different occasions

-How about concealer?
Amazing Cosmetics or MAC

-Do you know your undertone color?
Very golden undertones, yellowish..

-What do you think of fake eyelashes?
I love them only for special occasions... they can be a bother if you don't wear them often

-Did you know that you are supposed to change your mascara every 3 months?
Yes- But I don't necessarily follow that rule. I see by how the product feels (texture, moisture.. etc)

-What brand of mascara do you use?
MUFE and Rimmel are my favorites

-Sephora or MAC?
I can't decide!!! If I had a gun to my face... I still wouldn't decide.

-Do you have a MAC Pro-card?
Nope I'm not really a Pro... just a girl sharing her thoughts and ideas on things.

-What makeup tools do you use in make up application?
Fingers, Sponges and Brushes!

-Do you use make-up base/primer for the eyes?
Yes, Urban Decay Primer Potion

-For the face?
Victoria's Secret Pro Primer

-What is your favorite eyeshadow (color or shade)?
Satin Taupe or Espresso by MAC. I know that it is always a favorite but if you've tried it before.. u know why...

-Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner?
Definitely liquid eyeliner! Favorite is L'oreal lineur Intense

-How often do you poke your eyes with an eyeliner pencil?
Hardly ever, I used to when I first started with make-up in my early teens

-What do you think of pigment eyeshadows?
i like them only if u have a lot of time to get ready

-Do you use mineral makeup?
Yes in the summer months. In HOT summer months in FL, mineral make-up is definitely the way to go

-What is your favorite lipstick?
L'oreal's Fairest Nude

-How about lipgloss?
NYX Beige

-What is your favorite blush to use?
MAC lilicent topped with NARS orgasm

-Do you buy your makeup on ebay?
Nope. never

-Do you like drugstore makeup?
Yes! Not all but there are a lot of good things from drugstore make-up such as lipsticks, mascaras, eyeshadows. I've never been a fan of drugstore foundation though.

-Do you go to CCO's? (cosmetic company outlets)
Yes, there are 3 by where i live and sometimes you can find really good finds... but it's really rare

-Did you ever consider taking make-up classes?
I would but it would go against my college degree. LOL. Vanity is a hobby, not a lifestyle to me. And my Science degree would be sad if I took beauty classes. Mainly because I've put so much effort into my science degree that I don't want it to feel neglected if I looked into doing something else (That's what I think at least... no?)

-Are you clumsy in putting on makeup?
usually no

-Name a makeup crime that you hate?
NOT BLENDING, NOT PLACING FOUNDATION ON YOUR NECK AND ULTRA RACCOON EYES

-Do you like colorful shades of makeup (lipstick,eyeshadow) or neutral ones?
Neutral is my first pick but currently I am loving Fuchsia lips!

-Which celebrity always has great make up?
I think everyone agrees with me on this but definitely the Kardashians.

-If you could leave the house using just ONE make up item,what would you use?
Blush. makes anyone look awake!

-Could you ever leave the house without any makeup on?
Yes I do it a lot. I usually on wear full on make-up twice a week.

-Do you think you look good even without any makeup on?
Yeah I think so. Or at least I'd like to think so

-In your opinion, what is the BEST makeup line?
NARS... but everything is so damn expensive

-What do you think of Makeup?
It's FUN. I mean shopping for it is fun! Playing with colors and your face reminds you of being that little girl plays with your mom's make-up! I know I don't need it, but it's so much fun to me to be able to express art on my face. Make-up simply accentuates what you have and accents your beauty

Hope that wasn't too long to read!

Frosting my tips

I wanted a change. Nothing too drastic to my hair so I thought going Ombré would be the perfect idea. Just frosting my tips to add a little definition to my mullet. I have had countless number of accidents with bleaching and at-home-coloring so I was a little hesitant. but after reading many reviews, tips & tricks.. especially from Jen(frmheadtotoe) I got me some cojones to do it on my own again.

Here's an image of me BEFORE I dyed it. Excuse the glasses and "SURPRISED" Bambi look

Materials

20 Creme and Kaleidocolors violet from Sally's beauty supply. A total of <$4 :D

Steps:

1. Make sure you're working with dry hair, the bleach will work much better.

2. Use gloves every time your handling bleach/hydrogen peroxide

3. Place dye on the tips of your hair up to 4 inches from the bottom.

4. Cover the bleached hair with foil in order to keep heat in.

5. Leave the dye in for at least 10 minutes (Maximun 15! remember your dying this area TWICE)

6. Rinse hair thoroughly and dry using the cool setting.

MAKE SURE HAIR IS COMPLETELY DRY BEFORE STARTING THE SECOND PROCESS.

7. Repeat step 3 and 4 except place the dye up to 6 inches from the ends. (This is the Ombre effect/process)

8. Leave dye on for another 10 minutes.

9. Rinse and condition (DO NOT SHAMPOO)

"After shots" of the Ombré effects

I had only left the dye on there for ONLY 10 minutes because I naturally have dark auburn hair... I didn't want the dye to be too drastic. I'm not going for the skunk look. But I think I am going to intensify my ends a little more (2 inches from the ends). Note that it is better to do it gradually than hitting it hard at first... as it is hard to erase what you did.

Hope that I had inspired someone else to do it too :)

Make-up Collection and storage

This post is definitely in no way bragging or showing off. Personally, I love watching and seeing these types of posts/videos on YT and thought I'd do the same as others have done for me. So here is my storage unit/collection for my vanity items. Enjoy watching/reading!

My beauty vanity from Ethan Allen that is passed down to me :)

Top of the vanity:

Jewelry cases, fedoras, perfumes, palettes, brushes etc.

First Drawer: Hair

Hair clips, ties, headbands, comb, bobby pins

Second Drawer: Miscellaneous

Sunglasses, tripod, randoms

Third Drawer: Face Drawer

Foundations, powders, blushes, concealers and primers

Fourth Drawer: Eye drawer

Palettes, liners, pencils, curlers and mascaras

Fifth drawer: Lip drawer

Pencils, lipsticks, glosses, balms and nail file

Sixth Drawer: Nails

Nail polish, fake nails, nail polish removers

Last drawer: Miscellaneous

Extras of everything!

peace, love and cupcakes!