New Makeover New Love & Japan Haul

how do you like the new look?

After blogging for 5 years, I think I have gotten into a state of confusion to what's blogging all about now. Times seems to have change what blogging used to be and I probably lost my fire seeing how it has become now. I decided to end a few activities that might affect me as a blogger like attending all sorts of events just to be out there. This doesn't make me a blogger, it only makes me tired, lost and hell, when will I have the time to post everything up with my time taken away. I will however attend events I find interesting for myself, my readers or to fuel my passion - shopping. Being on a relapse on shopping, I have already cancel two credit cards and using one as my only source of emergency which seems to an emergency every time I step into a shopping center.

Back to basics, is what I have always told myself. I didn't start blogging to get freebies or to sell freebies. I started blogging to share what's great out there to buy. I'm not being paid a monthly salary to blog (not that popular) and money don't grow on the bamboo tree outside my house. So it's really awesome for some brands out there who wants you to blog for free but blacklists you because you either blog slow, don't blog (there must be a reason) or because you can't attend their events.

real simple, if it ain't good, I ain't blogging about it
unless you pay me to advertise (fair?)

Sometimes I feel I'm being staked by brands because I sell some of the things I buy or get from gwp in my garage sales. I just want to say this is natural in us shoppers. We have an eye for good bargains, good products and if we have gwps or decides to let go our stuffs for less, we shouldn't be staked at the heart. There is a difference for someone who don't even buy your things but are getting it for free from events/workshop vs a shopper who shops and is clearing her things away.

Then there are brands like N***dos whom you help to promote but dropped you off and ignore you just because you voice out that you didn't like their price hike in their food menu (they've raise prices few times!). I guess I'm being stoned for voicing out the truth as a consumer. They're not looking for real people to hype about them, they're looking for fake people who say everything is great about them. This seems to be a trend now for brands and bloggers.

Also you might notice why I stopped sharing about warehouse sales reviews with price and product list? because at one point I got really "famous" and I was stopped from entering the place to promise I won't take pictures or blog about it. Real simple, it's not that I don't want to share anymore, it's I can't do it anymore because they know who I am. I always ask, why hide it if you're doing it? there is a reason to why you don't want me to blog about it. I will respect it if you respect me. I have stories which I can tell u guys :) when I'm feeling like it.

what do you think of my new blog makeover? please leave a comment!

Guess there's a love & hate relationship going on with me and blogging. Which is why I decided to have a blog makeover done this year by a designer all the way from Rome, Italy to start afresh. I love her simple and cute designs at Cappuccino Factory. You can buy pre-made templates from her or have one custom made to your liking. I absolutely adore the Tiffany Blue color and the social media buttons on it. I took several blogging advertorials so I could pay for it, it's an investment for my blog but I wish one day I could save enough or win a custom blog makeover *dreams*. Then I'll have a carton character of myself shopping and have my blog look like a shopping mall with cute pastel colors.

Somehow I don't have feelings for branded hand bags but I have feelings for branded beauty products. Is something wrong with me?

shopping haul from Japan is here!

I can say my love for shopping will never end. For some reasons, I always shop for reasons I give to myself. It's a devil's voice that says "oh this is so cute! I want it!" or "omg it's limited edition, let's buy and never use it at all!". I gain self satisfaction from shopping (under denial shopaholic self-assuring quotes). Like I was extremely pleased to get hold of the limited edition Laduree blusher pot RM60 (yes only the godamit pot) all the way from Japan thanks to Candy. It was a personal shopping project with her as she travels to Japan few times a year for work. This time, she wanted to help my readers get the moisture meter (received lots of inquiries about it) and some popular Japanese products. We started small because personal shopping is a lot more to do than just saying "I want to buy this".

all the way from Japan thanks to Candy!

 the limited edition face color rose Laduree mini case

(put blusher petals in it for travelling)

in love with Laduree make up concept & packaging

my current obsession, Laduree make up
(yes put some petals into the mini case)

Mostly I do personal shopping to fulfill my shopping urges and because somewhere inside me, I hope to help everyone buy things they want. BUT it's hell a lot of work that people often don't see. It's time consuming, the trips you take to post the thing is not even counted, your parking & travelling expenses, your effort, packaging with a high risk of consequences that nobody wants to bear. I'm lucky because my readers are nice people who understands and with that I always remember why I started blogging.