My Trip to Hong Kong and Macau

Period : 2nd - 6th May 2017

★ Flight : Hong Kong Express
Price JPY78,020 for 2 people with 20kg add-on for 1 person
KIX - HKG 16:45 - 19:40
HKG - KIX 12:30 - 17:15

Review : We checked in online so when we went to the counter everything was smooth. Staff were polite and efficient. Our flight to HKG was originally for a different time but was moved forward a couple of hours which would have inconvenienced us but we were allowed to change to a different time free of charge, all done online. I would suggest grabbing something to eat before boarding because the food/snack choices are meager.

★ Accommodation : We stayed at 2 different hotels because 1) our flight would be arriving quite late, 2) I planned to explore Lantau Island which was closer to the airport.
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1st night → Silka Far East Hotel
Review : The room was smaller than I expected but this being Hong Kong I guess that's fine. If you've been to Japan, then you know what to expect. Please be aware that there is a Deposit at HK300 per room per night, which is required upon arrival. Good thing I'd already exchanged some cash at Kansai airport. You get the deposit back no problem when you check out as long as you haven't damaged anything.

2nd night onwards → Butterfly on Waterfront Boutique Hotel
Review : I booked the 「Deluxe Harbour View Room with Free 4G Pocket Wi-Fi Device」so we had a beautiful view to brighten up the small room (but I will say that it was bigger than Silka Far East Hotel's room). There's a tram station 1 minute away and within walking distance there are 2 subway stations. I have no complaints. The 4G Pocket Device is a great addition and helped us navigate our way throughout our stay in Hong Kong.

I booked both hotels through Agoda but you should also compare with Booking.com for the best deals. As always, there are better deals the earlier you book.

★ Schedule
Below is the schedule I set up. We managed to see and do almost everything you see there. This is the format I use to plan all of my trips : separated by days with targets/spots, with money stuff at the bottom.

Click it to expand

Sorry that it's got some Japanese mixed in there but I think you can guess what they're referring to.

Check out Klook (click on it, sign up and get JPY349 to use on your reservations!)for any coupons/special offers on public transport/ activities/ entrance tickets etc.

Also, check out Trazy for offers!

★ Extras
I ended up using Uber Macau to get from one area to the next because it was raining on-off while we were there and we couldn't be bothered to wait for public transport but I just read that Uber is no longer operating in Macau.

While in Macau, we used HKD. It's widely accepted on a 1:1 basis to the MOP(Macanese Pataca) which means you lose a bit but not by much.

While in Hong Kong we enjoyed delicious foods from various places but I want to highlight two here :
1. Wai Kee Halal Food
The chicken and lamb curry we had was delicious. There is an English menu on the tables right in front of the booth. There was a male waiter/owner who took our order and we spoke in English with him. You can just find the menu sheet on the table and point to it if the English-speaking man isn't there.

Find the building, go up to the 2nd floor and look for this sign.

The menu. Prices are reasonable. Big portions.

Delicious!

2. Ma's Restaurant (Halal)
Everything we ordered was so good! With such huge portions too. They have a wide range of food so if you go in a group you can try out a lot of Hong Kong dishes. The menu has English and the owner who sits at the counter speaks English as well.

We ordered spicy fried rice, beef noodle, gyouza, and beef goulash.

Also, the Popeye's at Hong Kong Airport is Halal.

YASSSSSS

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment.

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My Musee Platinum Experience

Taken from their website

I have seen the Musee Platinum branches all over Japan in the past couple of years but I've never given trying them out any thought. I've always had this image that they would be super expensive and kind of painful.

However, last summer in August, I noticed that they were doing a promotion. Only ￥100 for unlimited sessions for the armpit and V-area. At first I couldn't believe that it would truly be unlimited but after checking out their website for more information, turns out it really is unlimited with absolutely no hidden charges whatsoever.

So I booked an appointment at the nearest Musee Platinum branch near me. You have to book an appointment if you want to come their branches, doesn't matter if it's only for a consultation but there are a lot of time slots and they open on weekends so it's not a big deal.

When I came for my consultation, they explained the lasering process and I was assured that there would be little to no pain. They also explained that the ￥100 promotion had not other fees and I could book as many sessions as I wanted until I was satisfied. They reminded me that I would have to wait 2 months in between appointments to give the skin time to recover from the previous session. You are also advised to stop shaving(with a normal shaver), waxing, and epilating altogether and to start using a battery operated shaver which is softer on the skin.

I wouldn't recommend laser hair removal if you want instant results. It will take at least 4 sessions(which means 8 months) till you truly see visible hair reduction but it is permanent so for me that makes the time worth it.

My Experience : 
After the 1st session, I didn't notice any difference but after the 2nd session I noticed that the hairs on the lasered area were softer and less coarse. After the 3rd session, I noticed that there were definitely less hairs on the lasered area and the hairs were even more fine and softer than before.

I seriously felt no pain at all during the 1st to 4th session but during my 5th session it did feel a bit hot on the skin but it went away after a few seconds so I don't mind. After they've lasered the skin, a cold compress will be applied on the skin for a minute or two then they will apply the skin finishing lotion to help with any dryness you may have. (I love their lotion! It is super light on the skin, smells great and doesn't leave a sticky feeling. I like using them in the warmer months as a daily skin moisturiser.) Every body part takes less than 2 minutes to finish lasering so a complete session where I usually have 5~6 parts lasered takes less than 15 minutes.

I have since added multiple parts to my laser regimen. They have a few menus for you to choose from depending on how many body parts you want lasered. I just took the Free Select Course which allows me to pick any part I want for each session.

Musee Platinum always has some kind of promotion going on throughout the year so the prices will never be as high as they show on the website. When I bought my Free Select Course, there was a 50% Off Summer Sale and I also got additional discounts because I paid in cash instead of credit card.

You will also get Birthday Coupons which gives you a free session and if you introduce you friends then you'll get more discounts for yourself too!

Anyways, I'm not going to explain everything in this post because I just wanted to focus on my personal experience as customer for close to 1 year. You can check them out at Musee Website. They also have branches in Musee Platinum Malaysia Website and Musee Platinum Singapore Website.

If you have any questions, just comment below!

Review : NYX Slim Lip Pencil Lip Swatches ( 6 colours )

I have found a new love and craze - NYX Lip Liner Pencils. 

I love the finish and their lasting power. All the colours leave a matte finish except Tangeringe, which has a sheen to it. I can eat and drink and the worst that will happen is that they will rub off a bit. The darker colours don't stain my lips so taking them off at the end of the day is a breeze. Love love love it!

As you can see, my lips are quite pigmented so the colours have a different effect on me than they would on someone with lighter toned lips. I hope these lip swatches help you girls, who also have pigmented lips, make a decision when you buy these amazing lip liners.

NYX Lip Pencil 831 Mauve

I think Mauve would be great when you want some colour on your lips but you don't want anything too loud and colourful. This would also work great as a base for colourful lipsticks to really stand out on the lips. Some clear gloss on this and you have beautiful nude lips.

NYX Lip Liner Pencil 840 Rose

I'm a bit on the fence about Rose. It's a beautiful bright pink but I'm not sure if it's a good shade on my skin. I'm going to experiment a little more with this, maybe apply a darker pink lipstick on top?

NYX Lip Pencil 810 Natural

I love Natural! I think this gives a nude lip that doesn't wash me out. Because this colour is really simple, I can go a bit crazy on the eyes to balance the whole look on my face. I know Mauve and Natural look the same on my lips but that may be due to lighting. Mauve has a purple tone to it while Natural is more brown.

NYX Lip Pemcil 846 Tangerine

I have to admit, I am not a fan of the finish Tangerine leaves. I'm definitely in a 'Matte Lip Craze' right now so it doesn't really fit into my current tastes. I do like the peachy tone it has though, so I will keep it for future use.

NYX Lip Pencil 817 Hot Red

Merah mak ang ang ang! HAHAHA I love this shade! I think it looks really good on my tan skin. It doesn't bleed and I think my teeth even look whiter when I have this on. This + black winged lined eyes = Perfection

NYX Lip Pencil 812 Plum

The official lip colour for this Autumn. I adore how deep this colour is. I just fill in my brows and basically do nothing else when I wear this because all the attention will be on the lips so I'm not even going to bother spending time doing anything else LOL This is definitely my favourite out of all them.

I got these at either :

Amazon Japan - Rude Cosmetics . ￥477 each. It's a seller from the US so it'll take a week or two to get your stuff but it's worth it if you plan on buying more than 2 shades.

NYX Japan - Official Store . ￥800 each. Free shipping with no minimum purchase. Get yours here if you plan on getting 2 items or less. Takes 2-3 days to arrive on your doorstep.

Malaysia :

Colour Cosmetics Malaysia - website . Only RM15 each

Sephora - website . There are currently 9 Sephora stores in Malaysia. If you're going to go to Sephora, join their Card Program. You collect points, get discounts and get freebies when they have promotions. Definitely worth it!