What's In My Beauty Closet: Lotions And Potions Collection

Hello there..

For someone who does not really put on lotion consistently everyday, I sure have a lot of them. What can I say, I am easily bored and a sucker for great discounts and sweet promises made by beauty companies. Sometimes I wish that I could be the kind of girl that always has a bottle of lotion in their handbags. Kulit sentiasa halus, mulus lagi wangi.. Baru girly girl kan? Hehe... Oh well.. You might never know.

Anyways, come and have a peek into my collection of lotions and potions.

Tadaaa....

Got this from one of L'Occitane's Christmas sets back in 2009.

 This is from one of L'Occitane's sets for Summer 2010 I think. I didn't even like this scent, I just wanted the cute nautical bag that came with it. Shame on you Phy, shame on you!

 Got this lotion in 2010 as well because it was new. It has a watery texture and is dispensed by a spray pump which I find is unique.

Another lotion purchased in 2010. It was on sale together with a body scrub. How could I resist? This lotion smells gorgeous by the way. 

Bought this to kasi cukup membership points. 

 Utterly in love with this.. I am holding out on this a bit because it is fairly new and I don't know when I will be able to repurchase it if it runs out.

I purchased this while I was pregnant because this is supposed to help prevent stretch marks. Sama juga dapat stretchmarks sebab malas2 pakai. Padan muka ko Phy.

I received a 50% birthday voucher from The Body Shop last year so I decided to buy their dry oil. Sweet kan The Body Shop bagi birthday voucher? Masalahnya this year sy nda dapat. What gives?

Each lotion bottle represents me trying to get into the habit of moisturizing my body. Niat suci lagi murni tapi sentiasa tuntas. I guess all this while I just thought that my skin will always be this young. Now that I have turned 27, I kinda feel that I really must step up when it comes to caring and moisturizing my skin. I am happy to say that for the past month I have been quite consistent in putting on lotion twice a day. Bangga tau. If this keeps up, one of the lotion bottles above will turn up in an 'Empties: Products I have Used Up' post soon. InsyaAllah. 

So am I the only on crazy enough to have this much lotion at a time? What lotion do you use? Please share in the comments below. 

Thanks for reading this post. See you soon. Cheers!

Love, 

Phy

Wordless Wednesdays: Product Empties For June 2013

The Miracle Of Ayat 1000 Dinar

Hello hello..

Before I go on with this post, I just want to make a disclaimer. I am not saying that the Ayat 1000 Dinar works by itself. Reciting the Ayat 1000 Dinar is merely an effort to find misplaced things. What makes it possible for us to find it is still Allah SWT's will.

I have been losing a few things the past 2 weeks. First, it was an RM50 note, then my medicated eye drops and lastly, my Mac Fast Response Eye Cream. It was so infurating and upsetting to lose things one after another and it was up to a point where I concluded that I was either being more careless than usual or there is a 'toyol' in the house stealing things.

Fortunately, I managed to recover my RM50 note. It turned out my mum found it on the kitchen floor and was unsure if the note was hers or someone else's. She forgot to ask us because she was so busy.

As for the 2nd and last item, I remembered that I always, always put them both in the side pocket of my handbag. During my seach I don't know how many times I emptied out my handbag, looking for torn seams in the lining and what not. I also went to the extend of going through all the storage compartments in my room. Still, nothing.

It occured to me to check the Longchamp handbag that I was using the month before but I dismissed that thought because surely I had emptied all of its contents before I folded and stored the bag right? Right!

My sister advised me to use the Ayat 1000 Dinar to find the missing items. How it's done is by first, stating your niat (intention) to find your missing possession. Next, recite the Ayat 1000 Dinar 3 times and then search for the item.

I did read the verse 3 times but I was so tired of seaching already that I just though that if the items are around, I will find them during the course of my daily activities. The thing is, something told me to do things properly, to through the proper steps and not be complacent. It kept bugging me throughout the day but I just ignored it.

A few days later I decided to listen to my inner voice and did the steps properly. I also prayed that if the items are lost, let me accept that it is no longer my rezeki to own them.

10 minutes into my search, I gave in to my instincts and looked through my Longchamp bag. Sure enough both my eye drops and eye cream were in it's side pocket. How crazy is that? I couldn't believe it! I was so happy I literally jumped up and down half a dozen times. Needless to say, my dad and Sophie looked at me like I had lost my marbles.

Coincidence? Perhaps. Then again, in Islam there is no such thing as coincidences. I do believe that God aids us as long as we ask for it and believe that He will, insyaAllah. That instinct we have? That is one of His ways of communicating with us. Pretty awesome huh? If you would like to give this a try, below is the Ayat 1000 Dinar.

"Dan sesiapa yg bertakwa kpd Allah, nescaya Allah akn mengadakan baginya jalan keluar serta memberinya rezeki dari jalan yg tidak terlintas dihatinya. Dan sesiapa yg berserah kepada Allah, maka Allah cukupkan baginya. Sesungguhnya Allah tetap melakukan segala perkara yang dikehendakiNya. Sesungguhnya Allah telahpun menentukan kadar dan masa bagi segala sesuatu."

Have you ever lost something that meant a lot to you? Do share in the comments below.

Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to read this post. Until the next one.

Love,
Phy

Pengalaman Lucu Di Ambang Ramadhan

Hello..

Munggu lepas Aunt Flow paid me a visit jadi sy pun ambil kesempatan mo put a pretty golden nail polish on. Biasa la, bukan selalu dapat peluang mo cat kuku ni. Satu kali jak dlm sebulan, itu pun bukan setiap bulan sy pakai so, why not?

Sekali on Tuesday night on the eve of Ramadan, Aunt Flow confirm sudah balik kampung guna AirAsia jadi sy pun mandi hadas besar supaya boleh puasa. Tengah2 mandi tu baru ternampak kuku yang masih glam bersinar emas. Astaga, lupa buka rupanya! Dilema ni. Kalau mau buka ni cat kuku, tpaksa la keluar dgn rambut bersyampu segala mo pigi cari nail polish remover. Kalau tidak buka masa tu juga, nda sah la mandi hadas sy sedangkan bisuk dia mo puasa sudah. Adedehh..

In the end I called out to my mum, minta tolong dia bawa cotton and nail polish remover to me. I don't know how long it took for me to thoroughly remove every trace of polish on my nails but it was long enough for my shampoo to dry up in my hair and my bucket of warm water to turn cold.

This has never happened to me before tapi tiapa la kan, ada juga dibuat cerita. Kenangan Ramadhan 2013. Hehe...

Ever had something funny happen to you? Kindly share in the comments below.

Thanks for stopping by. Cheers!


Love,
Phy

Imotiv vs Bloglovin' App

Hello hello...

I have been using Imotiv since the day when it was still NuffnangX almost a year ago (or is it over a year ago?) While I loved the fact that I could read updates on the blogs I follow in one place, I still find it difficult to read all the updates because I follow a lot of blogs. I wished that I could separate the list into two. One for international beauty bloggers and the other for my local blogger friends.

Then about a week ago, I discovered Bloglovin' and I decided to follow my list of beauty blogs using it. Now I am officially hooked!! Here's why:

Your newsfeed only shows you posts that you have not read. You can also mark a post as 'read' if you want to skip reading a post that uninterests you and it will disappear from your feed. No more clutter on your feed!

At one touch of an icon (on the top left corner) you will see the total posts that you have not read. You will also see a list of the blogs you follow and the number of new updates each blog has. You can also search for other blogs to follow, change your settings and log out from that same menu. Talk about convenience.

In your feed there is also an icon on the top right corner that allows you to 'refresh' and 'mark all as read'.

When you are reading a post, this same icon gives you the option to 'like', 'visit blog', 'unfollow' and 'share'. It's so easy to use and fuss-free, I feel like crying tears of joy. Dramatic, I know but it is so refreshing not having to scroll down endlessly past post that disinterests me/I have already read like on Imotiv.

I wish that Imotiv would improve its app to be more clean and user-friendly. Also, recently Imotiv has kept jamming up and each time I back out of a post to go into it's main menu, it would exit completely. Bikin tinggi darah sy jak. Huff!

I hope you give the Bloglovin' app a try especially if you're an avid blog reader. Honestly, it will change your life! Oh, and don't forget to follow this humble blog while you're at it okay? Hehe.. Sempat lagi self-promote.

Thanks for reading this post. See you in the next one. Cheers!


Love,
Phy

Recipe: Potato Salad

Hello there,

I love, love, love delicious yet easy to make recipes. Not only does it saves time and effort, you also have a fallback plan whenever you have to bring food to a potluck or if you are asked to cook something for your significant other/future in-laws for the first time. Nda la gabra running around like a hysterical, headless chicken gara2 nda tau apa mau masak kan? Hehe..

I discovered this recipe for a potato salad from a blog that I have been following and had tried it a few times. I love it because it can be served on it's own or as a side dish for roast chicken and such. I dare say that the success of making this dish actually sparked an interest in me to tinker about in the kitchen trying out new recipes. Would you like to know how to make it? Read on!

Ingredients
3 cups of water
1/2 tsp salt
3 potatoes
1-2 tbsp mayonnaise
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tbsp water
2 tbsp chopped spring onion
1 teaspoon chicken stock granules
A pinch of black pepper


Method
1. Add the salt to the water and set to boil.

2. Peel and dice the potatoes into equal size of your preference (keep in mind that the larger the potato dices, the longer it takes to cook) and put into the boiling water.

3. Mix all the other ingredients together in a container to make the dressing.

4. When the potatoes are done, strain them and toss with the prepared dressing.

5. Let it cool for a few minutes before chilling it for at least an hour before serving.

Serves 4.

Note:
1. To check if the boiled potato dices are done, run a fork through a piece. It should go through without much effort. Test out a few random pieces to be sure that they are all cooked.

2. It is important to dice the potatoes equally sized so that it will all cook around the same time.
3. If you don't have lemon juice, you can use 1 teaspoon of rice vinegar.

See, told ya that it was easy peasy. If you give this recipe a try, please let me know in the comments section below. You can also take a picture of it and tag me (@phylliciarobert) on Instagram. Good luck!

Thank you for reading this entry. See you again soon!

Love,
Phy

Mama Talk: A Simple Remedy For When Your Child Can't Do The Number Two.

Hello..

The above is not the most glamorous of topics but every child experiences constipation at one point or another so I hope this will help parents out there.. Kesian oh tengo dorang teran tapi nothing comes out. Before I share this remedy however, I would like to make a disclaimer that I am not a paediatrician nor a dietitian. I am just a mum who has tried this out afew times and am satisfied with the outcome. Try this at your own counsel.

So what is this simple yet effective remedy? It is... *drum roll please..* Orange juice! You can use store-bought juice (I personally love Minute Maid or Tropicana Twister because of the pulp) or squeeze it yourself. If you are concerned about the sugar content of store-bought juice, you can mix it with a little bit of water. I personally don't water it down and so far Sophie never showed any signs of becoming hyper from the sweetness of it.

You also don't need to give your child much for this remedy to be effective. 10ml is sufficient enough and don't forget to give him or her lots of warm water 20 minutes later. If your child still doesn't do the Number Two after that, you can repeat the process once more, leaving 2 to 3 hours of waiting time in between. In my experience, I only need to give it to Sophie once and she would pass motion within 1 to 2 hours.

As I had said before, use this method at your own counsel. While you need to be patient, if your child has not passed motion within about 6 hours of starting this home remedy, you might want to give him or her over-the-counter medication or bring them to see a doctor.

Of course, prevention is always better then cure. Incorporating fruits and veges into your child's diet, giving them lots of warm water and avoiding foods that can cause constipation such as bananas will help in reducing the likeliness of it occuring in the first place.

Finally, to be on the safe side do not use this home treatment on babies below 6 months old. If it is your child's first time drinking juice, give a smaller amount, diluted with water and observe in case he or she has an averse reaction to it.

I hope you find this useful. Cheers my dears and happy July 2013!


Love,
Phy

How To Make Your Own BB Cream

Hello hello!

In this post I will be sharing with you on how to make your own BB Cream! I am so excited to be doing this post because it is affordable, customizable and it will match your skin tone. How great is that? Before I start however, let's have a brief look at what a BB Cream is.

BB Cream is basically an all-in-one product that provides face primer, coverage, sun protection, moisture and skin treatment in one nifty tube. It originated from Korea and have now gained a cult-status in the beauty world with major Western beauty companies developing their own versions. Asian BB Creams are normally of one shade only whereas Western BB Creams would have 3 basic shades of Fair/Light, Medium and Deep/Dark.

So now without further ado, let's get to the fun part of making it!

Items needed
1/2 teaspoon of long-wearing, full-coverage foundation in your shade.
1/4 teaspoon of sunscreen
1/4 teaspoon moisturizer
1/4 teaspoon of face primer
1/4 teaspoon of face serum (I used a whitening serum)(optional)
3 small drops of liquid highlighter (optional)
A mini spatula
A small jar/container

The products that I used.

Method
Step 1: Mix all the products mentioned above in the jar using the mini spatula.

Mix it...

Step 2: Test the shade on your skin to check the coverage. If you need more coverage then add a drop of foundation, mix and check again. Repeat until you are satisfied with the results.

..test it...

..and love it..

Note:
1. You can use any foundation you might have for making BB Cream. However I find that it is most effective to use long-wearing, full-coverage foundation because the intensity will be 'diluted' by the other products, making it light to medium coverage.

2. Mixing high SPF sunscreen will lighten the tone of your foundation.

3. If you are prone to skin sensitivity, please do a test patch on the inside of your arm (near the crook) and leave it for 6 hours before using it on your face.

4. Make in small batches at a time to reduce wastage in case it spoils before you get to use all of it.


See how easy it is? Boleh buat sambil baring2 lagi. The best part is, you can customize it to your liking. Want more sun protection? Add a little bit of sunscreen. Want sheerer coverage? Reduce the amount of foundation used. You get my drift.

So what are you waiting for? Give it a try today. If you do, don't forget to tell me about it in the comments section below.

Thanks for reading. Until the next post, cheers!

Love,
Phy

How To Make Your Own BB Cream

Hello hello!

In this post I will be sharing with you on how to make your own BB Cream! I am so excited to be doing this post because it is affordable, customizable and it will match your skin tone. How great is that? Before I start however, let's have a brief look at what a BB Cream is.

BB Cream is basically an all-in-one product that provides face primer, coverage, sun protection, moisture and skin treatment in one nifty tube. It originated from Korea and have now gained a cult-status in the beauty world with major Western beauty companies developing their own versions. Asian BB Creams are normally of one shade only whereas Western BB Creams would have 3 basic shades of Fair/Light, Medium and Deep/Dark.

So now without further ado, let's get to the fun part of making it!

Items needed
1/2 teaspoon of long-wearing, full-coverage foundation in your shade.
1/4 teaspoon of sunscreen
1/4 teaspoon moisturizer
1/4 teaspoon of face primer
1/4 teaspoon of face serum (I used a whitening serum)(optional)
3 small drops of liquid highlighter (optional)
A mini spatula
A small jar/container

The products that I used.

Method
Step 1: Mix all the products mentioned above in the jar using the mini spatula.

Mix it...

Step 2: Test the shade on your skin to check the coverage. If you need more coverage then add a drop of foundation, mix and check again. Repeat until you are satisfied with the results.

..test it...

..and love it..

Note:
1. You can use any foundation you might have for making BB Cream. However I find that it is most effective to use long-wearing, full-coverage foundation because the intensity will be 'diluted' by the other products, making it light to medium coverage.

2. Mixing high SPF sunscreen will lighten the tone of your foundation.

3. If you are prone to skin sensitivity, please do a test patch on the inside of your arm (near the crook) and leave it for 6 hours before using it on your face.

4. Make in small batches at a time to reduce wastage in case it spoils before you get to use all of it.


See how easy it is? Boleh buat sambil baring2 lagi. The best part is, you can customize it to your liking. Want more sun protection? Add a little bit of sunscreen. Want sheerer coverage? Reduce the amount of foundation used. You get my drift.

So what are you waiting for? Give it a try today. If you do, don't forget to tell me about it in the comments section below.

Thanks for reading. Until the next post, cheers!

Love,
Phy

Lifestyle Change: How To Cook Convenience Foods In A Healthier Way

Hello there,

I am a firm believer that foods prepared from scratch are almost always more healthier than frozen, ready-made foods. However, I understand that with today's hectic life schedule we always tend to prioritize convenience over anything else. For example, it is easier to just throw store bought chicken nuggets into the fryer rather than washing and dicing fresh ingredients to cook a meal.

So are we doomed to be unhealthy by eating these foods? Not necessarily. Today, I will be sharing with you my way of cooking not-so-healthy convenience foods such as chicken drummets, nuggets, etc. in a healthier way which is by baking it. Among the benefits are:

1. You use much less oil compared to frying.

2. Drummets/nuggets cook evenly right through the center. *When frying, if the oil temperature is not right, your nuggets/drummets would either become soggy from absorbing too much oil or they burn on the outside but under cook on the inside*

3. No need to wait and keep an eagle eye on the frying food item while trying (unsuccessfully) to avoid lethal oil spatters. During the baking process, you can use the waiting time to do other things such as take a shower, load the laundry, etc.

4. No scars from unavoidable oil splatters.


Okay, okay. I could go on and on about the advantages of baking because I love this method so much. So, are you ready? Let's jump right into it!


Items needed
Oven *Duh*
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
Baking tray
Kitchen brush
Chicken drummets/nuggets

 The best chicken drummets I've tried so far.

Items needed.

Method
Step 1: Pre-heat the oven at 250 degrees Celsius for 5 minutes.

Step 2: While oven is pre-heating, brush some oil all over the base of the baking tray. Arrange the drummets/nuggets on the oiled tray and brush some oil on them.

A health freak's nightmare. Lol.

Step 3:  Set the timer at 5 minutes at the same pre-heating temperature and put the tray into the oven. After the 5 minutes is over, reduce the temperature to 170 degrees Celsius and set the timer at 20 minutes.

Viola! Ready to serve.

So there you have it. Easy peasy right? Keep in mind though that freshly prepared food is always best for your health (as long as you don't douse your food in butter and salt that is) so try to minimize your consumption of convenience foods okay? 

Thanks for reading this post. Until the next one, cheers!

Love,

Phy

What's In My Travel Toiletry Bag

Hello there..

I have been traveling a lot for the past 2 years and as every woman can relate, my toiletry bag used to be big enough to rival my traveling clothes bag. No joke. The thing with us ladies is that we always think that it is better to bring more than less. We say, "Mana lah tau..." ("Just in case..") to justify what we bring when it is really just... Pure excess..

I am proud to say that I have managed to to downsize my toiletry bag considerably although I must admit that this change stemmed more from necessity than anything else. My tight travelling schedule required me to bring only the bare essentials so that I would save room in my carryall and not kill myself from lugging around 10kgs of things I do not need.

Come and take a peek into my travel toiletry bag...

My itsy bisty teeny weeny pinky toiletry bag...

All spread out..

Travel-sized skincare. I am currently using Hada Labo's Whitening range for the purposes of doing a review.

 A disposable razor for any emergency shaving.

Mascara remover. Great for removing the most stubborn and resilient of mascaras. I also use a little to remove my eye liner. *I use baby wipes (which I keep in my handbag) to remove the rest of my makeup*

My sample-sized eye cream.

A dental cleaning product made from rock salt and herbs. This is a sample size.

A feminine wash sample.

Sample shampoo and conditioner.

My hand cream which I use in any other dry areas as well.

I also bring a mini comb and mirror, compact toothbrush and face cloth as you could see from the 2nd photo. All of them are included in the travelling toiletry bag as a set when I bought it. Cool huh? The mirror is a decent one too, not the el-cheapo kind that distort your image worse than a circus mirror. 

Oh, I almost forgot! I have 2 other products that are not shown which are my travel-sized sun protection cream (Cyber Cells by Estee Lauder) and my Hada Labo whitening face wash. They missed the flight to the photo shoot I'm afraid. Hehe..

What is in your toiletry bag? Do you bring more toiletries than you need? Do share.

Thanks for reading this post. See you in the next one. Cheers!

Love,

Phy

Lifestyle Change Day 19: Eating Smart.

Hello there,

Just a little disclaimer before I start. I am in no way a dietition nor am I a nutritionist. What I am about to share with you is what works for me and I would like to share it with you. Who knows, it might work for you too.

So here is the story.

This afternoon my sister turned up with a KFC Family Feast set in tow. Once upon a time I would have felt upset because I wouldn't be able to resist and stuffed my face. Yeah, I don't have the willpower to say 'No' to a piece (or 3) of juicy, fried chicken drumstick. Nowadays I feel that I have found a smarter way to eat fastfood that works for me.

First of all I would make sure that I have a piece of fresh fruit or 1 serving of lightly sauteed vegetables (2 cups worth if raw, 1 cup's worth if cooked) before having fast food. It reduces my hunger considerably and ensures that I would only be able to eat a little bit of the fast food. For example, today I initially took a thigh and drumstick but after eating the long beans I had to switch the thigh with a smaller part which is the wing.

Another thing I would do is to order my favorite food ala carte whenever possible. If it is KFC, I'd pick the Hot and Spicy drumstick, not the Snack Plate. If I'm at Burger King, I'd have their fries only. If it is McDonalds, I'd take a McFlurry. You get my drift. That way I would be able to satiate my main cravings without getting distracted by other foods and be more likely to consume less calories.

Aside from that, I try my best to control my portions especially when I am having a set meal. For example, 2-3 teaspoons of whipped potatoes, 2 smaller pieces of fried chicken and a quarter or half of the fizzy drink.

Last but not least, drink loads of water. It will flush out toxins from all that processed food. If you have a good, safe detox tea then drink it.

That is all really. Hope that it helps you. Now let's have a look at my log for today:


Food

7.45am: 1 1/2 portion of instant oats, Anlene milk and 1 apple.

12.46pm: 2 pcs of KFC Korean Crunch chicken (drumstick and wing), 4 teaspoon of whipped potato, 4 teaspoon cole slaw, 1 serving of lightly sauteed long beans, 150ml Pepsi.

4.30pm: Protein powder + black soya drink.

7.30pm: 1 apple, 1 Colonel burger, 1/2 KFC Korean Crunch chicken thigh, 3 teaspoons whipped potato, 3 teaspoons of cole slaw.


Water intake: 3 litres.


Exercise

25 minutes walk. Low intensity.


Stay tuned for tomorrow. Cheers!

P/S: Just to put it out there that the 2 pieces of KFC chicken in my instagram (thigh and drumstick) was taken before I decided to switch the thigh for a wing part.

Love,
Phoebe

Phy's Essential Items To Go Shopping

Hi y'all,
In today's post I will be sharing with you the essentials that I bring with me when I go shopping. Now, I don't necessarily bring all of these items every time. It really depends on what I'm shopping for and whether I am shopping on a normal day or during crazy sale season. If you want to know what they are, keep on reading..

Spagetti Strap Tank Top
I'm not a fan of showing cleavage so I would bring /wear an SSTT in a basic color (beige, white, black) for when I try on tops that have an overly daring neckline. I find that not all tops with plunging necklines look nice with an SSTT underneath so it helps to have one handy so that I can actually see how it looks together.

The SSTT is also useful during crazy sale season. Just wear it under a cardi and you won't need to wait in line to try on tops in the changing room. You can just take off your cardi and try the top over your SSTT. Just make sure the SSTT is a form fitting one so it doesn't add bulk to your frame by bunching up in odd places under the top.

Source

Cardigan
I don't like sleeveless tops  so if I wear one I would always wear a cardi over it. When I go shopping and see a  sleeveless top that I really like, having a cardi on hand to try over it is very useful indeed. Like SSTT, not all tops look nice with a cardi over it, or at least, with the cardigan that I might have. It helps to see how it looks like together before deciding to buy the top.

Source

Leggings
Leggings are super comfortable and are form fitting. I highly recommend wearing them when you're shopping for jeans during crazy sales. Why? Just like the SSTT, wearing leggings enables you to try on jeans without going through the hassle of waiting in line to go into a changing room. Since leggings are naturally form fitting, it won't add bulk to your frame so you can try other types of 'bottoms' over it such as shorts, skirts and etc.

Source

Sling Bag
If you don't know what a sling bag is, it's just a bag with really long straps that can be slung across your body. I love using a sling bag while shopping because it free's up both my hands to browse through racks or sift (claw?) through the clothing bins that are forever unorganized.

The straps of the average handbag tends to slide down my arm at the most inconvenient moments and I find it really annoying. A sling bag also allows me to position my bag in front of my body so it's safer and reduces the risk of me being a victim of pick-pockets.

Source

Heels
A pair of black heels to be exact. I would only bring these with me when I shop for long dresses or 'bottoms' such as jeans and long skirts. The reason is that I would go shopping with flat sandals or ballerina pumps. If the length seems just right when I'm wearing flats, there is a chance that it would hang a bit awkwardly when worn with heels but not necessarily always. Having a a pair of heels on hand would help me to see how it works out.

Source

Camera
When I'm window shopping or am in the mood to experiment, I would try out a ton of clothes (and I mean a ton) with different shapes and silhouettes to see how they look on me. When I find a shape that I like, I would take a picture of me wearing it from different angles as reference. Don't do it openly though, most shops are a bit icky about people taking pictures of their merchandise. Come to think of it, I hope nobody working in retail, especially in Nichii, is reading this blog. Hehe..

Source

Snacks
This is definitely an essential when you're shopping during crazy sale season. Combing through the racks and going through the clothing bins is not a small feat and could take hours. A snack would helps to fuel me until lunch or even longer.

Source

Bring more nutritious snacks if you're planning on skipping lunch (not advisable, but it's your call). Unsalted nuts, crackers, etc are great snack options. Skip sweet snacks as from my personal experience, they tend to spike your blood sugar level for a limited time then plummet, make you feel more famished than before.

Source

Small Bottle of Water
Ditto as above, water is crucial during crazy sale season. I just sip throughout the day to avoid having to go to the loo every 5 minutes. Of course, it's best to drink lots of water and just bear with the frequent loo visits as it is better for your body but I personally hate having to go through that inconvenience so I opt for the former instead. It's just one day after all.

Source

So there you have it, my shopping essentials. The key for me is knowing what I was intending to shop for, where and when. My fave would be the SSTT, cardi and leggings ensemble. The cardi would have to be a long one though because of the legings. I don't think I need to say why.. Lol.

I hope you enjoyed this and found it useful. Don't forget to leave a comment below on what YOUR shopping essentials are. Cheers!