Hi there. My name is Laura Wong. In case you're wondering, yes I am a Chinese. I may or may not have a slight obsession with green tea and daisies. A follower of Christ and a shopaholic.

Hello! I am back with a monthly favorites post. The last time I did one was in either June or July last year (on my old blog), mostly because of  you know what it is, and also because I was lazy lah hehe. In case you are not familiar with this, it is just a post where I write down a few of my favorite items of the month and kind of give a review about them. 

BEAUTY

EOS Smooth Sphere Lip Balm in Honeysuckle Honeydew

Woo actually got this for me from Hong Kong last year because apparently, it is not available in Malaysia. I am quite surprised when Woo told me she found it selling in stores in Hong Kong because I thought it was only available in the States. One of the reasons why I love using this lipbalm was the smell of course. I admit that I instantly become a victim of the market when it comes to scents (or even cute packaging!!!). It has a nice light honeydew flavor which is not too overwhelming. 

This lip balm has a great texture- not too sticky or thick, and it glides on the lips smoothly. The packaging is really unique and cute. I like that I am able to locate and retrieve my balm quickly from my bag without having to go on an excursion to find it. I do find the shape however awkward for a small purse or pocket, but it does feel good in your hand and easy to apply. In terms of moisture, it does keep my lips moisturized for an hour or two but it requires reapplication after that. Not to forget the sweet taste on the lips when it dries up! 

Herb Day Cleansing Foam from The FACE Shop in Acerola

Out of all the facial washes I've used, this one seems to be the best so far. I got it when I was in Hong Kong earlier this year for HKD18 (RM 7.59) which isn't expensive since you only need a thumb size amount for your entire face. The texture is creamy- a just nice creamy foam not like some gel. Personally, I have skin that tends to get oily fairly easily but this facial wash has done it's job well. It even leaves the face soft and supple after cleansing.

The downside of this product is its fragrance. The fragrance is very mild and the scent smells okay. I don't think this a problem to the most of you but you know- it is a problem to me knowing that I love products with sweet smells heh.

BOOKS

Looks familiar? 

Yeap, you got it right. It was one of the books that I posted in my previous blog post, saying that I would finish reading them in a week's time. And guess what? I did it huehuehue.

When I was a kid, my dad used to make me read books about mysteries and crimes written by Enid Blyton and how they solved it. They were from The Famous Five and The Secret Seven series. I found them very interesting but I stopped reading them and eventually grew out of it. This book made me reminiscence about those times because it is about crime-solving. It talks about a female cop who has to deal with a very mysterious and dangerous case. Agent Barrett (Smoky) has came from a twisted past, so she takes every murder personally. The killer she is hunting this time is on his own personal mission for in his eyes, no one is innocent. He is different compared to the other serial killers in the sense that he gives the FBI clues to hunt him down. I like the way the author connects each case to another, creating suspense and tension in the story. It is interesting to read how Smoky deals with each case and how she resolved it in the end. 

SONGS

Before I continue, allow me to clarify that I have not fell into the Kpop pit. Liking Korean songs does not mean that I am their fan. Can't deny that Korean songs do sound good too. Especially love this song from SISTAR because it's very catchy. 

Found out about this song when I was watching Need For Speed with my friends after collecting our results. Short song yet addictive to listen to. Love their harmonizing part in the second verse.

When I first heard this song, I immediately got goosebumps. The male lead has a really good voice and vocal. Most importantly, the lyrics are beautiful and really speaks about God. Do to check out the rest of the songs from the Young & Free album or playlist on YouTube which can be found here.

FASHION

Kimono from Cotton On + the noob photobomber: Bailey Woon 

I've always wanted a kimono ever since I saw numerous fashion gurus making videos about them on Youtube but it was so hard to find one in Malaysia (haiyor Malaysia why so slow in trends). It finally got popular in Malaysia and I managed to get myself one from Cotton On! Initially I was on a hunt for a floral one (because Laura never gets tired of floral prints) but they are either too expensive or just not my type so I settled for this one. I like the black and white contrast of the prints and the fabric is really soft and silky. Not sure if you can see how the kimono looks like from the pictures above but you get how it looks. The length however was a little too long for me for it reaches down my knees in a very awkward position. I got it tailored and now it is in the perfect length.

Better look of the kimono in this unflattering candid picture.

Black maxi skirt from H&M 

Maxi skirts is a must piece in every girl's wardrobe. I got this black one from H&M when it was on sale for about RM39 (such a steal right!!!). It has a opaque fabric under the sheer one, so you don't have to worry about showing anything you're not supposed to winkwink. This skirt has two slits on both sides which is a plus point to a maxi skirt because it looks extra pretty when you walk in it or when there is wind hehe.

Statement necklace from Forever 21

Let us just take a moment of silence to admire the beauty of this necklace.

SO PRETTY I CANNOT.

I fell in love with this necklace at first sight but it was so damn expensive like all other statements necklaces are. Luckily this was a birthday present because I definitely wouldn't spend so much on a necklace. This necklace helps to turn a simple outfit into a better one and it does add a pop of color to them. And it's in my favorite color teal!! The necklace has a perfect length- not too long or not too short, and it falls at the right place on my chest. Ahh I still cannot get over the beauty of this necklace hahaha I should stop before I sound like an obsessed woman.

Thank you once again Woo and Chui See!

MOVIES

Divergent

Only one movie because I hardly watched any movie this month lol sad life.

Divergent is an action movie based in a world where the people are divided into factions according to human virtues. There were five factions altogether- The Erudite being the smart ones, The Dauntless being the crazy and brave ones, The Candor being the ones who always tell the truth, The Amity consisting of happy-go-lucky farmers and The Abnegation who are all about puritan self-sacrifice. 

When they reach a certain age, they have to go through a test to determine who they are and how they fit in as they emerge from adolescence to adulthood. Tris (a.k.a Beatrice) who has been raised as a member of Abnegation, learned that she was a Divergent- a rare category which means she has the qualities of three factions at once: Abnegation, Erudite and Dauntless. Being a Divergent also meant death because The Erudite believed that Divergents were a threat to harmony and peace due to the fact that they are able to think differently from the rest. 

I shall be kind and not to spoil the story this time like I did the previous round hehe because I do recommend everyone to go watch this! This movie reminds me so much of The Hunger Games due to its similar plot and honestly speaking, I still prefer The Hunger Games over Divergent. But overall, Divergent is still a good movie for there was a lot of suspense and exciting scenes. I must find a way to get my hands on the book!

FOOD & BEVERAGES

Green tea latte from Buger Factory

Now, who doesn't love green tea? Everything which is green tea flavored always taste good even in latte form! The green tea taste in this drink is really strong while the latte is on the mild side and the texture is creamy. It was a little too sweet for my liking though which I guess that is why they recommended to add ice on the bottle lol. 

YOUTUBERS

LaurDIY

LaurDIY (a.k.a Lauren) makes videos about fashion, beauty and DIYs (as the usernames suggests). Her haul videos are my favorite because most of the clothes she buys are my type. Also, I like watching her videos because she is so pretty. You know, I have a habit of admiring pretty girls and even to the point of stalking them hahaha am I creeping you out.  

Domics

Domics which rhymes with comics makes videos about random life events in an animation form. I like watching his videos because they are relatable at times and they are so funny. Knowing me, I don't normally watch videos which don't fall in the fashion and beauty category but his videos are just nice to watch especially when I get tired of the usual fashion beauty videos. This guy happens to be an anime fan, so anime fans out there, do go check his videos out.

OTHERS

This is my favorite of all the favorites I've listed above.

TA DAAAAAA!

Iphone 5s in Gold

I finally, FINALLY got to change my phone into this baby! Was really sick of my old Android phone because it was not only old, but really laggy, often restarts by itself, slow and all the other negative things you could think of lol. This was my belated birthday present + SPM gift and I am super in love with it. I don't think I need to explain further on this phone because almost everyone knows how it functions but can I just give some credits to the camera hehe. Have never stopped using the front camera ever since I got this phone. The pictures turn out really sharp and clear which also means- HELLO SELFIES! 

Shall end this post with a picture taken by my 5s 

Oh, did you notice that my hair is shorter? Decided to give myself a new look since I always had long hair since forever. I am satisfied with this hair length now and I even got a few compliments on it hehe. One even said that there is finally a noticeable difference in my hair length after a hair cut PFFT.