Luscious Langkawi

Good Day Everyone,

Since our move to Singapore, almost three years ago we’ve been trying to make the most of being so close to some amazing places (when I can get my hubby to take time off from work!).

Langkawi is the main island of a cluster of 104 islands in the Andaman Sea, off the northwest coast of Malaysia. It is officially known as Langkawi the Jewel of the Kedah (Kedah being a state in Malaysia) and is a lovely place that we’ve been to a couple of times just for laid back long weekends when we want a change of scenery. It’s just a two hour flight from Singapore (or an hour from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) and is a great contrast to the uber modern city state that is our current home. The island still has that rural, back in time, feel about it and isn’t too over developed other than a few hotel resorts situated around the coast.

Langkawi Island was given a World Geopark status by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) in 2007 which seeks the promotion and conservation of the Earth’s geological heritage as well as encouraging sustainable research and development by the island itself. This was reflected in the hotel resort we stayed at, Berjaya, which is sandwiched between the sea and the edge of a rainforest sanctuary with lush green mountains making for a stunning back drop. 

The Berjaya hotel resort is situated on the west side of the island (making for beautiful sunset views) and the resort offers accommodation in the form of wooden chalets, some of which are situated on stilts in the water of the Andaman Sea itself and some in the tropical rainforest, providing beautiful views of the jungle. The décor of the chalets strike a lovely balance of fresh modernity blended seamlessly with rustic Malay architecture. The resort spans a huge 70 acres and has over 400 rooms which means it has facilities to match its vast size. There are six restaurants and three bars (including a sunken pool bar) as well as a spa and a whole host of other recreational activities including water and beach sports to keep everyone entertained. 

Rainforest chalet at Berjaya resort

Rainforest chalet at Berjaya resort

Rainforest chalet at Berjaya resort

Due to the vast area that the resort is spread over the hotel has several little green shuttles, like large golf carts, to transport you around the resort. Therefore, if you’re staying in one of the chalets further away from the main part of the resort, you can simply call for the shuttle to come pick you up and take you to the main building. We actually enjoyed the morning stroll to breakfast from our chalet and I’d also recommend taking a stroll around the resort itself on foot just to take in the stunning views. 

Shuttle transport around Berjaya resort

As the resort is at the edge of the jungle it is quite common to see monkeys around the resort especially if you’re staying in one of the rainforest chalets. The hotel does advise you to keep your chalet windows and doors closed especially when you’re not there as monkeys are known to come into the chalets and create a bit of havoc in the rooms. When we checked into our rainforest chalet we saw monkeys hanging off the chalet roof and some would even come and play on the patio decking. They’re clearly accustomed to having people around.

Water front chalet on stilts

Berjaya private beach

I would definitely recommend having breakfast at the beach restaurant for beautiful sea views rather than the main indoor breakfast room. We also dined at the beach restaurant one evening which provides extensive Western and Indian cuisine and had a lovely meal. We spent mornings chilling on the private beach where my hubby and brother went kayaking and played beach volley ball with some of the other guests. In the afternoons we entertained ourselves with exploring the island and all the different tourist activities on offer.

Berjaya resort private beach with water front chalets on stilts

The Oriental Village which is just a few minutes walk from the Berjaya resort, situated at the foothill of a large mountain, is home to many activity providers, places to eat, souvenir shops, spa and galleries. The main attraction is the cable car ride up the mountain. The base station of this is located within The Oriental Village and the cable ride is over two kilometres to the top station. There is also a middle station where you can get off to admire the views before continuing to the top. At the top station there are stairs to two viewing platforms as well as the amazing sky bridge, a 410 foot curved pedestrian bridge above Mount Mat Chinchang.

Stunning views

Langkawi Sky Bridge and the cable car viewing platform at top of photo

You do have to walk along a stepped path from the top cable car station to get onto the sky bridge and so I’d recommend you wear your trainers but once you get there the views are simply breath taking. I, personally, did find the path a bit tricky to walk as I’m not very good with heights, have a fear of falling (not like off the mountain as obviously there are barriers but just generally in everyday life) and I'm not the most steady on my feet due to the arthritis in my knee and feet but the views did make it worthwhile. Just a cautionary note, as we found out the hard way, if you ever plan on visiting Langkawi and want to do the cable car ride and the sky bridge then be sure to check the website as they are both routinely closed for maintenance and during bad weather. 

Langkawi Sky Bridge

Cable car ride down to The Oriental Village (the orange blob)

In addition to the cable car ride and sky bridge, we rented Segways and went on a Segway guided tour along a jungle path. The first time we visited Lankawi I refused to go on the Segway tour as I don’t feel stable with my feet off the ground (and as you know have a huge fear of falling). So I sat it out as my hubby whizzed off into the jungle with our friend and came back covered in mud as he did fall off, but according to our friend, it was because he got a bit too confident on the Segway ;o). On my second visit I did go on the Segway, primarily because my hubby somehow managed to persuade my mum (who doesn’t even wear high heels and is a very nervous shy individual) to go on it and so there was no way I would be able to live it down if my mum went on it and I didn’t – I’d be called chicken for the rest of my life by my brother ;o). I was surprised as to just how rocky some parts of the trail were but the instructor does let you have some practice on the flat ground within The Oriental Village before you head of into the jungle, and of course you wear a helmet, and elbow and knee pads.

My hubby tried the fish foot spa at The Oriental Village but couldn’t bare it for more than a few seconds and so opted for some foot reflexology. Our friends thoroughly enjoyed the fish foot spa whereas I couldn’t bring myself to do it. The thought of little fishes nibbling at my feet was just too freaky for me!!!

We went to the main town, Kuah where the jetty point is located with ferries to mainland Malaysia. The main tourist attraction in Kuah town is Eagle Square where there is a huge brown eagle statue. Langkawi means island of the reddish brown eagle in colloquial Malay, hence the statue. As Langkawi is a duty free island, you can stock up on chocolates and perfumes etc from the stores at the jetty point mall. There is a Starbucks in the mall…for those of you that are feeling a bit to disconnected with the Western world ;o). There are several shopping malls in Kuah town and night markets which make for a pleasant evening out where you can try some local cuisine and peruse around the different stalls and their offerings.

Eagle Square in Kuah Town

There is the Underwater World which is located at Pantai Cenang, a beach area to the south of the island which is worth a visit and a good way to spend a few hours if you need a break from the heat. There are a large variety of animals from penguins to stingrays to jellyfish and reptiles. There are also daily feeding sessions so it’s worth checking the times of these if you want to see cute penguins having their lunch ;o). Pantai Cenang seems to be quite popular with backpackers as there are numerous bars along the beach, cheap accommodation and many independent shops offering sarongs, swimwear, massages, clothes etc as well as market stalls. The beach at Pantai Cenang is west facing and makes for the perfect location for sitting back with a cool drink, and watching the colours of the sky change as the sun sets.

Pantai Cenang beach

Pantai Cenang is about 20 kilometres from the Berjaya resort but the taxi prices are very reasonable by Western standards and are a fixed price which is great for those of us that don’t like to barter. Other ways of getting around the island are to rent a car or moped which a lot of people do. We didn’t like the idea of being responsible for a hire car / moped and just relied on taxis. One of the main benefits of staying at the Berjaya was its proximity to The Oriental Village which houses the main tourist attractions. 

Just 3 kilometres from the Berjaya resort is Telaga Harbour Park which has some lovely restaurants along the marina making for a romantic setting with all the lights and the yachts. There’s a wide range of cuisines on offer from Japanese to Spanish to Italian to Russian restaurants. We dined at The Loaf restaurant a couple of times which does European and Asian fusion food as well as a variety of pastries and baked foods. It’s great for breakfast, lunch or supper. We also had lunch and supper at the Spanish restaurant, Tapaz a few times which is just a few doors up from The Loaf on the marina front. On all occasions the food was pretty good but it was the waterfront setting that made both of these restaurants a wonderful experience.

Tapaz restaurant

Telaga marina

The above are just some of the places we visited and ate at during our trips to Langkawi. In addition to the above there are many more tourist attractions such as the wildlife park, waterfalls, craft and culture complex, rice museum, diving excursion which go to the nearby islands and the list goes on and on but I hope the above has given you a bit of an insight into what this Jewel of the Keddah has to offer.

Have you ever been to Langkawi? What did you enjoy the most? Where did you stay / eat and what activities / touristy things did you do?

Love Sheen xxx  

Dior Addict Lip Glow

Good Day Everyone,

A lovely friend of mine gave me a belated birthday present last week, the Dior Addict Lip Glow (as a side note don’t you just love belated birthday presents? It’s like birthday excitement all over again ;o), and I have to say… I am in love! I absolutely love it! Like, I love it so much that every time I take it out of its cardboard packaging (that’s right I’ve kept the cardboard!) I can’t help but smile and swoon over the beautiful packaging. Not only is the packaging stunning but the whole product experience is so luxurious that it makes me go weak at the knees... and I'm not joking!

Dior Addict Lip Glow on my Instagram

Now before I talk about the amazing packaging let’s talk about the product. Dior describe this as a color reviver balm or a color awakening lip balm. This means that the product provides the hydration of a lip balm whilst reacting with each individuals own lip chemistry to enhance and bring out the natural pink undertones of the lips, resulting in a beautiful rosy pink flush of colour… a kind of your lips but better effect. This customisation means that the lip balm looks different on different skin tones and people as everybody’s lip chemistry is unique to them. This product is to be used on bare lips so that it can react with the lip’s natural chemistry.

 

The Lip Glow has a subtle minty sweet scent that is very pleasant and wears off pretty quickly after application. The lip balm has a soft pale pink colour that is quite sheer, as you can see from the swatch on my arm, but the colour that it creates on my lips is much more intense. I guess that’s where the lip chemistry comes into play. 

Very sheer wash of colour but don't let that fool you

This product turns my lips the most beautiful rosy pink colour ever (I couldn’t get my lip photo to do it justice as the colour is rosier and more even than it is in my photo, and I've said it before, my lips are not my best feature). The colour is not a red-y pink or an orange-y pink but simply a true rosy pink. The lip balm doesn’t have any shimmer or glitter in it but it does leave a beautiful sheen on my lips. Perfect for those natural no makeup makeup days. I can imagine a lot of male models using this product to bring out the natural pink undertones of their lips without looking like they’re wearing a lip product. That’s how subtle and natural the effect is. 

Above: bare lips, below: Dior Addict Lip Glow applied

 The texture of the lip balm is incredibly luxurious. It’s as creamy and smooth as butter (better than the Revlon Lip Butters) and glides on effortlessly. It leaves my lips feeling moisturised, plumped, incredibly soft and beautifully flushed. The lasting power of this effect is about 4-5hrs, depending on what I eat or drink. This means that I do have to reapply this two or three times throughout the day to maintain that moisturised feeling but that’s the same for most lip balms, in my experience.

 

The lip balm comes in a bullet form with the signature Dior packaging i.e. the silver CD knob at the bottom. The lid is a beautiful soft translucent pink with DIOR indented on one side in the same pink colour and the words Lip Glow Color Reviver, in silver on the opposite side. The lid as well as the overall packaging feels pretty sturdy and of a high quality. You get 3.5g (0.12oz) of net weight product and you can see just how much that is from the below photo.

 

Whilst I have numerous lip balms in my collection, I don’t actually have anything similar to this product that provides both the moisturisation and the colour enhancement to my lips. Texture wise, this is most similar to my The Body Shop Born Lippy Strawberry Lip Balm which is as buttery and smooth as this Dior Addict Lip Glow, but it doesn’t provide much of a colour at all. My Nivea Fruity Shine Strawberry lip balm does leave a beautiful red-y pink colour on my lips and is pretty moisturising but it isn’t as smooth and as buttery as the Dior Addict Lip Glow.

Clearly being Dior, the Lip Glow isn’t cheap by any means. Some people will feel that spending $40+ SGD (£20+) is an awful lot of money on what in effect is a lip balm, especially when The Body Shop Born Lippy costs £3, and they'd be right or at least that's what I would have said before I tried this product because this is so much more than a lip balm, to me. 

Whilst offering the hydration of a lip balm, having a colour that customises to my own lips, beautifying and enhancing them is wonderful. In addition, whenever I look at and use this product I get that Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s experience of ultimate luxury and that magical feeling of being a princess. No lip product has ever made me feel like that before and I have owned a MAC, Lancôme and Chanel lipstick. I would quite gladly trade in all of my different lip balms for this one product alone. That’s how much I love it! Thank you to my friend for a wonderful birthday present :o)

Have you tried the Dior Addict Lip Glow? What was your experience? Which lip balm is your favourite? What is your princess-y makeup product?

Love Sheen xxx

Super Smooth Soft Skin

Good Day Everyone,

A couple of months ago I was re-organising the toiletries cupboard in our en-suite bathroom when a sudden wave of shame overtook me. I had just come across something that I had bought more than three years ago and never actually used, like not even once! All of a sudden I felt sooo guilty for wasting money on something I hadn’t used and whilst I (mentally) scolded myself I took the item out of the cupboard and placed it beside my sink so that it was there right in front of me and I would have no reason not use it.

The item I’m talking about is my round body brush from The Body Shop. I had bought this brush a few days after I'd been chatting to a guy (yes a guy) about dry skin brushing. I was feeling Bridgette Jones style motivated about how I was going to improve the condition of my skin and made the purchase on a whim. Whilst I hadn’t used the brush, it did make the trip from England over to Singapore. As one of my new year’s goals is to focus more on skin care this year, what better reason and timing could there have been for my discovery, and not to mention my shame and guilt ;o)

Since the New Year I have been using this brush three / four times a week on dry skin before showering and I am amazed at the results! The first couple of times I used this brush it felt a little harsh on my skin but now that I’ve gotten used to it, it doesn’t feel harsh or uncomfortable in any way. Plus it’s down to me as to how much pressure I apply when using the brush. I use long sweeping strokes, starting from my feet and work my way towards my heart. I’ll use circular motions over my knees and on my thighs. I tend to focus primarily on my legs, arms, hips and bum. I don’t use this brush on my chest (or on any psoriasis patches) as that skin is very delicate but I do use gentle strokes on my stomach area. 

Immediately after I’ve used this brush my skin feels sort of invigorated and alive. The way I look at it is that dry skin brushing is like exercise for my skin – it gets stimulated and leaves me feeling energised. After I’ve showered I use a nice smelling body butter or lotion to hydrate my skin. Currently I have The Body Shop cocoa body butter in use which leaves a deliciously sweet but not too sweet scent that lingers for hours. The days that I dry brush my skin I tend to use a shower gel whereas the days that I don’t dry brush my skin, I tend to use a body scrub so that my skin is being exfoliated one way or another.

In just a few weeks my skin is the smoothest and softest it’s ever been with a bit of a natural glow. Even my hubby has noticed the difference ;o) I’ve definitely noticed an improvement in the slight dimples that I had on the backs of my thighs and the skin definitely looks and feels firmer there. Dry skin brushing has great internal, as well as external, benefits;

•  It is great for exfoliating the skin and removing dead skin cells.

• It helps to firm up the skin and improve the look and feel of it.

• It massages the skin and stimulates acupressure points, improving overall well being.

• It improves lymphatic drainage eliminating toxins, and boosts blood circulation.

Given how much time I often spend looking after the skin on my hands and face, it's only right that I look after the skin on my body. It is after all the largest and most exposed organ that also detoxifies - playing a vital role in keeping me healthy.

Are you a fan of dry skin brushing? How do you look after the skin on your body?

Love Sheen xxx