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

December 1, 2016

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.

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.

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.

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.

Now, off for some coffee.

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.

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!

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

OUR SHORT TRIP TO SINGAPORE

November 12, 2016

Making the most out of 3days/2nights trip, I decided to take my son to Art Science Museum. There was a permanent exhibition called “Future World: Where Art Meets Science”, and it was a great experience for me and my son. For kids nowadays, it really felt like an interactive digital playground. And everything looked very instagramable. Highly recommended place to visit while you’re in Singapore.

Since my son loves Pokémon, we’re lucky to visit their first Research Exhibition outside Japan. This is also a fun and interactive exhibition, especially for Pokémon fans. We got to guess the mysterious Pokémon inside the ball via various interactive machine. Too bad, we can’t take the Poké balls home though.

Yup, there’s Pikachu’s appearance too, make sure you take a pic with him.

Since this exhibition is inside the SEA Aquarium in Resorts World Sentosa, of course we went to see the fish and all. I personally enjoyed watching sea jellies. I felt peaceful when I saw them floating around.

Now, off to another fun activities: SHOPPING!

It’s still November, but it feels like Christmas already. Some of the stores already display their Christmas gifting ideas.

Those MAC NUTCRACKERS!!!!

And I stopped by H&M flagship store in Orchard Road to see their latest collection of H&M Beauty. Seriously fun to try everything without the sales person bugging you.

And they still have the Kenzo x H&M bag while I was there.

While in town, I tried the new Marks & Spencer Cafe, also located on the famous Orchard Road.

Their famous Victoria Cake which I tried way back in London a few years back was there!!! Nostalgic feeling. Must try their Fish & Chips, me and my son loved it so much.

So what did I end up buying? Check out my not so much haul. Since this ain’t no shopping trip, I tried not to spend too much as we’re going to another holiday destination in December soon. Stay tune for my other travel post!

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA

YEAR-END HOLIDAY IS TIME TO …

November 1, 2016

See the video, here

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA

REVIEW: YVES ROCHER RINSING VINEGAR

October 23, 2016

I used to have a very simple haircare routine, shampoo & conditioner. But with this expansive world of beauty, when they keep on creating new regime, of course I want to keep up.

Enter: YVES ROCHER RINSING VINEGAR.

FYI, Yves Rocher is a very affordable French brand with a lot of range for personal beauty products. And this Rinsing Vinegar is actually not the latest haircare regime invention. People have been using apple cider vinegar as a final rinse to help clean scalp and hair from product build up. But as you know it, apple cider vinegar smells like stinky feet. LOL.

Yves Rocher Rinsing Vinegar used organically-grown Raspberry, which off course smell like sweet not acid berries. So what did it claim to do? It promised to add shine to the hair fiber, and bring back beautifully radiant hair.

As my hair had been curled & colored too many times, and I shampoo everyday, my hair does look dull and unhealthy. Since it’s very hard to find clarifying shampoo to wash product build up in my hometown, I’m so happy that I stumbled upon this product. Because it’s vinegar, the texture is watery and not foamy. So be careful when pouring it as the final rinse after you shampooed and conditioned your hair. Yup, use this as the final haircare regime in the shower, because it’s not a leave on. Yes, you have to rinse this away after you applied all over your hair & scalp. As I have very oily scalp, I concentrate more on scalp. It did make my hair & scalp feel cleaner and look shiny. I used it once a week, and that raspberry scent did last long. Overall, I’m satisfied with the performance of this product and thank goodness now it came in big size (400ml). But if you want to try first, they have smaller size (150ml).

THERE’LL BE COLOR FOR EVERY YOU

October 21, 2016

Last week, yours truly were one of the host for the grand launch of FLORMAR.

New makeup brand which arrived in Jakarta, Indonesia where I currently live, is always welcome. We love makeup. That bad. Especially when they are good and affordable. Located at Kota Kasablanka Mall, this is their first flagship store in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Born in Milan, Italy and now produced and very huge in Turkey, there are currently 1000 plus type of products in the store. Guess what? They still have 1000 more, including skincare which currently not available yet for Indonesia’s market.

So, what caught my eyes? Basically everything, they have lots of colors & formulas for each type of nail’s need, face, eyes and lips.

I can’t believe their prices, either. Comparing to local makeup brands, these are imported items, people! Yet, most of FLORMAR products are cheaper than local brands. Nail polishes from IDR 35K, Matte Lipstick priced at IDR 95K and Mascara for IDR 70K? Are you guys kidding me? How about their quality, you might ask. I will reveal my top 10 must have from FLORMAR very soon, so stay tune. Meanwhile, I’m gonna leave you with some pics from the launch event. Thanks for having me as one of your host, FLORMAR INDONESIA.

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA

ALL ABOUT THE BASE

October 16, 2016October 16, 2016

REVIEW: MAYBELLINE FIT ME RANGE

I believe in the power of base makeup. I wasn’t born with a perfect porcelain skin, so I depend (a lot) on my base. Foundation, concealer, and powder are totally my best friend. When Maybelline Fit Me Range was launched, I was super excited because they carry two kind of foundation, Dewy + Smooth for Normal to Dry Skin and Matte + Poreless for Oily Skin. And of course, having an oily skin, I love the Matte + Poreless one.

Cons: they didn’t come with pump, so be careful when pouring it.

So, what’s the difference between both foundation?

I tested on blotting paper as I always does with other foundation of mine, and check that out. The right one is the Dewy + Smooth, look at oil that surrounds the foundation. Meanwhile, the Matte + Poreless on the left side, doesn’t have that much oil surround it.

Let’s move on to concealer, shall we?

I love the wand, seriously! it picked up the right amount of concealer to cover one zit. The texture is just right, not too watery nor too thick and blended well when applied with finger or beauty blender. Choose the lighter shade for highlight and the correct shade for your skin tone to conceal everything, from blemishes, spots and dark circles.

Last but not least, FIT ME POWDER.

Like the foundation, they come with two choices, for SET + SMOOTH for normal to dry skin and MATTE + PORELESS for normal to oily skin. Comes with sponge and mirror, also perfect for touch ups.

My tips to look super natural: use Matte + Poreless foundation and end with SET + SMOOTH powder. It won’t give you that dead matte look (see my pic below).

For the coverage, I might say that it doesn’t fall on heavy category. Concealer is still a must. However, to cover big pores and stay true matte for hours, it did a very good job. Totally recommended.

And of course, I also try the DEWY + SMOOTH foundation, end with Matte + Poreless Powder to make it less shiny.

What do you think of the comparison? I believe the Dewy + Smooth Foundation gives more healthy look, even though I am not a big fan of the texture. More liquidy than the Matte + Poreless Foundation and it feels stickier. But I love the final result after I set with Matte + Poreless Powder. I believe the powder help to minimize my big pores as well as toning down the stickiness of the Dewy + Smooth Foundation. As for the coverage, this also needs concealer to help cover things up.

Final Verdict: these Fit Me range is definitely my new favorite. I’ll mix things up depends on my skin condition which can be super oily at one moment and dry the other. I will repurchase them because I use base makeup every day, it sounds silly to splurge on high end ones.

NEW BEAUTY BRAND IN TOWN

October 15, 2016

Welcoming FLORMAR to Jakarta, Indonesia!

And yes…yours truly will be the host next week on their launching event alongside my fellow influencers, Paola Tambunan, Suhay Salim, Cindy Karmoko, Hellua and Jovi Adhiguna Hunter. I am beyond excited and my readers in Jakarta, Indonesia, please feel free to come to this event, as they will have nail art, free makeover and also photo booth.

So what’s exactly FLORMAR? It’s a beauty brand established in Milan, Italy and produced in Turkey. According to 2014 data of Euromonitor, the world’s leading market research company, FLORMAR is the number one makeup brand of Turkey. And now, they are available in Indonesia.

Check this racks out!

Price wise, they are super affordable (eyeshadow not more than IDR 100K), considering they have their own flagship stores in big malls. Can’t wait to play around with colors on their flagship store soon, and I hope to see you girls around. Till then, happy weekend y’all.

PHOTOS: FLORMAR INDONESIA