Month: December 2016

PERFECT CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR TRAVELER

Check out this pretty box from DIPTYQUE, filled with petite bath & body products from
their new line L’ART DU SOIN.

Inspired by passion for travel and discovery, Diptyque incorporate this line with iconic
Mediterranean destinations, such as Alexandria, Florence, Cordoba etc. They
carefully chosen natural ingredients to remain free of parabens, silicons,
sulfates and other synthetic additives.

When I unboxed (check out my instagram @shintarosvita), the luxurious scent
immediately won me over. Inside the pretty cotton pouch (which also smells like
the products), there are SMOOTHING BODY POLISH, REVITALIZING SHOWER GEL FOR THE BODY & HAIR, FRESH LOTION FOR THE BODY & LUXURIOUS HAND BALM. All in 50
ml packaging except the 30 ml hand balm, perfect for traveling. I mean, we
still have to indulge ourselves while traveling, right?

They don’t just smell heavenly, their formulas contain many ingredients which are
good for our skin.

Smoothing Body Polish contains Pomegranate Seed Oil to moisturize and protect the skin,
Jasmine Floral Water to gently purifies and activate cell renewal & Peach
Butter to comfort and nourishes.

Revitalizing Shower Gel for Body and Hair contains Peppermint Essence to tones the skin,
Almond Extract to revitalize hair and give them volume and shine & Wheat
Oligopeptide to soothes the scalp.

Fresh Lotion for the Body contains Orange Blossom Water to soften, moisturize and
tones the skin, Organic Sweet Almond Oil to regenerates and restructures the
skin & Macadamia Nut Oil to soften and soothed the skin.

Luxurious Hand Balm contains Apricot Kernet Oil for dehydrated skin, Argan Oil for
brittle nails & Shea Butter to moisturize and revitalize the skin.

I believe they work harmoniously, so layering is recommended. Bon Voyage!

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA

REVIEW: VOV ALL DAY STRONG EYE COLOR & LIP COLOR

Thanks VOV Indonesia (@vovmakeupid) for sending me their latest products to review
which comes in a pretty black makeup pouch.

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Unlike most of Korean brands which concentrate on skincare products, VOV strengthened
its position in Indonesia to be the only K-Makeup who concentrates on colors
makeup. And these are their latest innovations eye & lip colors makeup: ALL
DAY STRONG EYE COLOR & LIP COLOR. Both come in chubby retractable matte
pencil packaging, with a big round tip.

Here’s my review.

ALL DAY STRONG EYE COLOR

They sent me three shades of eye color to try, SL 211 (Silver Salt), PK 101 (Diabouquet) and BR 802 (Nude Foundation). As the name stated, SL 211 is shimmery silver, PK 101 is light
pink with shimmer and BR 802 is a pretty caramel shade with matte texture. I
believe it’s the only matte in the range. Please … please make more matte
shades in the future.

Personally, I don’t like to use shimmer and creamy eye color because I have oily lids and the colors will look ugly by noon. But with this VOV ones are different. Even though the two out of three shades, SL 211 and PK 101 are shimmery, they didn’t end up with oily lids
look. Judging from the swatch I did on a piece of paper, not even a slight of oil shown after 24 hours.

The best part: the shades stay true even if I don’t use eye primer and they didn’t crease by the end of the day.

I recommend to use these as eye shadow, not liner, because the tips are kind of big and round which make it difficult to reach small corner. And, make sure you blend fast after applying, because they tend to set faster than any eye color pencils I’ve tried. I love to bring these as a part of my traveling makeup kit, as I don’t have to worry they’ll be
broken to dust.

ALL DAY STRONG LIP COLOR

Being K-Makeup, their shades are limited to pink, red and orange. I wish they’ll
extend to nude shades because I really like their texture. They sent me three shades:
PK 101 (Pingvely), RD 302 (Smoke Red), and OR 202 (Coralster). As you can see
on the swatch I made, PK 101 is more to fuchsia than a true pink, RD 302 is a
brownish red and OR 202 is coral with touch of pink. These shades are lovely
bright, perfect to wear with nude eyes look.

Very smooth and creamy texture, therefore really easy to apply (you can skip lip
liner because these can act like one, too). Unlike some K-Makeup lipsticks I’ve
tried, these are super pigmented and gave matte finish without exaggerating any
lip lines. And hardly any kiss-up…yes, they’re transfer-proof but no worries,
they’re easily remove by cleansing oil.

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA

REVIEW: L’ORÉAL INFALLIBLE

December is a month of joy for me, indeed.
Thank you Sociolla and L’Oréal for this exclusive box, L’ORÉAL INFALLIBLE BOX,
which I received before the range was even launched in www.sociolla.com. I’m honored to be one of the chosen bloggers to review them first.

So I’ve heard a lot of good things from International Bloggers and Vloggers about the liquid foundation in this range. That’s why I’m beyond excited to unbox this red box (see my instagram @shintarosvita).

These are my thoughts about each of them:

STAY FRESH FOUNDATION

They claimed that the foundation will last until 24 hours, but seriously who wore it that long? My ordinary day with foundation on usually last from 9 AM to 9 PM at the latest, so it’s like half of what they claimed. On my super busy days, I rarely have time to touch up, so yes … I need a champion liquid foundation for my super oily skin. And this one
fits my criteria. Besides the long lasting factor (it’s not easily rub off),
the fact that it comes with pump bottle, has medium coverage, and matte but not
flat texture instantly won my heart. It gave me this fresh and natural skin
look, without getting cakey in the middle of my activity. I’ve received two in
the box, shade number 115 (Nude Beige) which is too light for me and 220 (Sand)
which is too dark. So I mixed both, and voila! I found my perfect shade.

MAKEUP EXTENDER SETTING SPRAY

Funny thing, I just watched Nikkia Joy’s YouTube about how to stop your makeup getting oily & shiny. And in the video, she sort of ‘rearrange’ makeup routine. Instead of primer first, she used setting spray first before everything else, and again at the very end. Yes,
two times of setting spray. So, I tried Nikkia’s trick with this Setting Spray.
I like the chunky matte spray bottle and the scent (which reminds me of
cinnamon), but when sprayed, the mist were a bit heavy, so be careful when you
have your clothes on. Once sprayed (shake well first), let it soak and dry,
especially if you use this at the end of your makeup routine. It did make my
blush hold for a lot longer (usually my blush will disappeared by mid-day). As
for the rest of my makeup, I still need to blot here and there, but at least my
foundation and powder stayed intact, not on the blotting paper.

PRO-CONTOUR

I guess this will work for those who want practicality on their makeup routine. Highlight & contour in one palette. For me, it’s a bit tacky to pick one up without touching the other. Since I have very light skin tone, number 813 (light) works best. The highlight shade
gave subtle sheen, and the contour is matte. Make sure you apply after
foundation before powder to make the shades more visible.

PRO-LAST LIP COLOR

These are serious lips business. I’ve tried so many lipsticks in my blogging life, but none compared to the lasting power of these babies. When I did the swatch on my hand, it took me two times of cleansing oil to erase them (don’t try to wipe them off with micellar water, it won’t work-trust me). They’re dual sided, liquid lip color on one end and clear lip
balm on the other. Liquid goes first before the balm, as the balm supposed to
lock and sets the color for their claim of 24 hours coverage. As you can see,
the liquid lip color is not matte, in fact they’re more glossy and shiny. It did
apply easily but can get a little dry on mid-day. I suggest to totally reapply
after eating, as it can get flaky if you do touch-up only. Of all six shades
I’ve received, my favorite is number 201 Everlasting Caramel (end right).

From L-R: 223,123, 211,113, 221, 201

NEVER FAIL LIPLINER

First of all, it already won me over their retractable packaging (I dislike sharpening). But be very careful as you twist, as it’s prone to breakage due to their super creamy formula. Just like the name of the product, their shade names are descriptive & super straight forward. It glides easily to frame lips and give that matte full lips look if worn alone
(always moisturize first). FYI, I have a soft spot for muted neutrals, so my
choice will be Nude and Rose.

Thanks @sociolla and @getthelookid for this exclusive box. To shop now, click here.

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA

REVIEW: MAYBELLINE LIP FLUSH BITTEN LIP

Thanks Sociolla for sending me these new
fabulous lipsticks to review.

Featuring three gradient shades in one lipstick
bullet, this lipstick will surely help those who wants to achieve that
Korean-inspired ombre lips look. Without the hassles of having to cover the
whole lips with foundation and powder, then applied two, or even three lipstick
shades from different bullets, these lipsticks are killing it in terms of
practicality.

Let’s swatch them, shall we?

From Top to Bottom order: OR 01, RD 01, RD 03, PK
01

Verdict:

  • Texture: ultra creamy and glides smoothly on
    bare lips (sans lip balm).
  • Scent: fruity like melon. They claimed to use
    colors that are infused with natural food grade pigments (but still…avoid
    licking them).
  • Final result: it looks glossy on the lips, but
    surprisingly not sticky. Subtle sheen and not shimmery, it gives this naturally
    stained look.
  • Durability: need to reapply after drinking and/or
    eating.

How they looked on my lips. RD1 and PK1 are almost similar in term of shades. If I have to pick my favorite shades will be RD3, the darkest of all four shades that they sent me. 

If you want to try them now, go to SOCIOLLA.COM
now because they’re having a promotion. For every purchase of 1 piece of
Maybelline Bitten Lips, get 30% off. And if you buy more, 3 pieces of
Maybelline Bitten Lips, you’ll get 50% off. Awesome, right? So click now before
they sold out.

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA & PINKY MIRROR

STORE OPENING: DORÉ BY LeTAO PIK AVENUE

Congratulations for Doré by LeTao 4th store in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Located on PIK Avenue, the biggest mal in Pantai Indah Kapuk, North Jakarta, I believe it’s smaller than their Plaza Indonesia’s store. At the opening event when I attended, there were no seats like the one in Plaza Indonesia. So I guess, this store is just for take-away only.

FYI, Doré is a subsidiary brand of LeTAO, one of the best-selling cheesecake brands in the world. Founded in 1996 and based in Hokkaido, Japan, LeTAO is celebrated around the globe for their delicate and velvety cheesecakes. To produce such, they work meticulously with Japanese pastry chefs which use specific oven imported from Japan. 

In the PIK Avenue store, they showcase their finest ingredients.

Yes, lots of cheese! But for those who are more adventurous, there are more exciting flavors such as, strawberry, coffee and chocolate. 

Since it’s almost Christmas, there are pretty gift boxes and hampers to choose here.

And…if you’re not a cake person, no worries, there are lots of cookies to choose too. Like this Golden Honey Palmier.

These days, you don’t even have to come to the store to purchase them. Go to their website here, order via Whatsapp and they’ll deliver to your doorstep. 

PHOTOS: PINKY MIRROR 

FOOD REVIEW: BISTECCA

Went to this fancy Italian-American steakhouse
and martini bar by the Union Group. I was surprised when I entered BISTECCA for the
first time. Actually, it wasn’t as spacious as I thought it’d be. But, it
turned out to feel homey with very dim light. 

For appetizer, I tried BISTECCA CAESAR SALAD.
It was fun to see the server scraped the 24-months old Parmigiano Reggiano
Cheese. Served with Crispy Anchovies and Garlic Croutons, I love how the cheese
sort of melted in my mouth. Very tasty salad.

Another appetizer: JUMBO SHRIMP COCKTAIL.
Literally, three jumbo shrimps served with their homemade cocktail sauce, lemon
and super crispy iceberg lettuce. Recommended.

Off to their pasta. GOOSE LIVER RAVIOLI. With a
mix of Parmigiano cream sauce and white truffle oil, these are kind of salty
but definitely tasty.

Main: BURGER IL PRIMO. Properly marinated
ground beef with layers of tomatoes, truffle and eggs. Served with French
Fries, it’s definitely an alternative if you don’t feel like eating steaks.

Being a sweet tooth that I am, I wouldn’t skip
their mouth-watering desserts. Just check out their instagramable BAKED ALASKA.
It’s literally on fire as the server fired the rum and poured them around,
giving those baked aroma and color to the meringue coating. The sweet taste
from three layers of ice cream (chocolate, vanilla and strawberry) with
chocolate cake on the very bottom, are balanced with almost bitter baked meringue A must try!

Another must try dessert: ESKIMO BAR with
Butterscotch Sauce. Vanilla ice cream coated with thin chocolate, with sprinkles of crispy butterscotch. Yummy!

Me and Aziz from the Union Group. Thanks for
having me, Bistecca. 

FOOD PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA

GET AHEAD FOR CHRISTMAS

Yes, it’s already December, my favorite month ever.

Time to spread some joy and gifts, people. While personalized gift is nice, cake and cookies are a showstopping for everyone. 

Browse here for festive cakes & cookies from Huize Van Wely, specially shaped & decorated into holiday essentials for Christmas. Warning: all of them are so instagramable!

Christmas won’t be complete without Santa Claus. This made with marzipan & chocolate, kids will love it.

Chef Alexis Gudimard from Huize Van Wely explained to me that it only took him 15 minutes to decorate the most difficult cake.

Christmas Angel Cake

Choices…choices…. If you want to try them on spot, opt for smaller pastries. 

Exclusively available at Huize Van Wely for Christmas, you can get this at The Papilion, Jakarta, Indonesia. 

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA

WHAT TO DO IF YOU ONLY HAVE ONE FULL DAY IN YOGYAKARTA?

Last week I had a very short trip to Yogyakarta with my colleagues at work. It was fun, considering the last time I went to Yogyakarta was about 10 years ago. It wasn’t even Yogyakarta, I went to Magelang for Thierry Mugler’s event, back then in my editors’ days. 

I had no expectations at all, so I might say..I was quite surprised with this super short trip. Me and my colleagues decided to do culinary stuff and just chill with no ambitious itinerary. We stayed at Greenhost Boutique Hotel, a small hotel with a seriously instagramable lobby. Even when we arrived at night, it looks cool. This is an eco-friendly hotel, so expect no hand towels, and no hair dryer. If you tried to dry your hair with your own hair dryer, the electricity in your room will go down. And never mind the air conditioner, it wasn’t a cold chilly room. Expect: ‘room temperature’ temperature. 

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But, at least the room is clean, and the pillows are not smelly. 

Since the breakfast is so-so at the hotel, we decided to try ViaVia. Within walking distance from the hotel, it was a small local bakery with decent brunch.

I’ve had better brunch, but I love the ambience in this bakery. 

For lunch, we went to Gudeg Sagan. ‘Wet type’ gudeg which I love so much, with gravy and no msg. And their Beras Kencur is ‘da bomb’. These meals reminded me of my childhood, eating gudeg with my mom in Pasar Cikini, Jakarta. 

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While in Yogyakarta, we didn’t want to miss visiting Lulu Lutfi Labibi’s workshop in Kampung Pekaten. Even though we got lost on our first attempt, it was literally a beautiful kind of lost, as we went through this beautiful village with vintage houses. 

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Lulu is famous for his drapping lurik’s creation, so it was truly a sight for sore eyes visiting his boutique/workshop. And of course, his place is so instagramable! 

To more affordable shopping place, we went to Lemari Lila. In this super tiny but cute boutique, I found a lurik outer for IDR400K only. And good to know, that they only created not more than 12 pieces for one design. So, bumping into others who wore the same thing is less likely. 

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Now, off for some coffee. 

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We went to Ruang Seduh for some decent coffee. They actually have the same coffee shop in Jakarta, which I like better, because they have more snacks and bigger/nicer space. 

For dinner, we decided to go to this nice restaurant that we found accidentally when we strolled down the street back to the hotel. Mediterranea Restaurant, owned by French chef, Camille Massard Combe or well known as Chef Kamil. When we googled it, this restaurant turned out to be number one restaurant in Yogyakarta in trip advisor.

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We were surprised because their prices are just super affordable for such a nice restaurant. They have this small shop which sells jam, bread etc, inside the restaurant, which reminds me a lot of Dean & Deluca. Must try if you’re visiting Yogyakarta. 

For something to bring home, we bought Monggo Chocolate. They do have this brand in Jakarta, but in Yogyakarta, they are cheaper. I love their strawberry chocolate, but for those who are more adventurous, try their rendang or red chili chocolate!

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One tip if you want to visit Yogyakarta: rent a car, so it’s easier to drive here and there. 

See you in another travel posts!

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA