Dear Bunty : Happy 2nd Birthday!

TWO years!!!

We've had you in our lives for 2 whole years and everyday has truly been a blessing.

Yeah, I know...so cheesy huh?!

People always say you are your Dad's double - you both have that soft smooth skin, rosy cheeks and that chin!

But little do they know that you are in fact, my mini-me...

You are my baby beauty blogger because you love makeup!  You love powdering your face, applying lipstick and getting your toenails painted.  You love your Essie!!!

I also found you yesterday using my eyeliner!!  You gave yourself a monobrow!  LOL!!!

You love turning up the music to bop and dance like no-one's watching ya.  I LOVE dancing too.  FYI, we are both daggy dancers!

I love how you're becoming Miss Little Independent by doing things by yourself.  You learn things really quickly because I only have to show you once and you've already etched it into your memory.
That said, you become easily frustrated when you can't do things your way.  We have to watch that fiery stubborn temper of yours.

We are really enjoying having those gobbledygook conversations with you.  You babble on and on - something that I like to do too!!

Your favourite food is ice cream.  And you hate vegetables except broccoli and sweetcorn.  You have a knack for finding our secret stash of junk food in our bedroom.  We can tell that you will love junk food just like your parents.

We're not throwing a birthday party this year for you because we're too lazy!  Besides, we're already going to your mate's birthday party so we'll just take a picture of you and his cake so you'll think that you did have a party LOL!!!

Anyway, the stars aligned and I had an unexpected day off work today { I twisted my damn neck! } and I ended up baking you a birthday cake.  { Ahem, I wasn't actually planning to because LAZY! }  It's a reduced sugar wholemeal chocolate and olive oil cake - you LOVED it.

Keep being awesome and I pray to God that it'll be Terrific Twos and not Terrible Twos!

Love you lots like jelly tots,

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Mama xxx

Skincare Review : Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Cleanser, Toner & Moisturiser

Can you believe that I did some gardening last weekend?  Who even am I???!!

The flowers in the photo are from my garden - aren't they pretty?

And the trio of Paula's Choice products were kindly sent to me for review........like a bajillion years ago!!!

Ooops!

I actually used this trio a few months ago when we were still in Winter...but it wasn't rich enough for my severely Winter-fied skin back then so I stowed them away and brought them back out now that we are in the warmer months of the year.

Verdict :  My skin likes these products a lot better now that we are in the warmer seasons!

Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Softening Cream Cleanser :  My favourite product from the range.  It cleanses my skin beautifully without making it that horrible squeaky clean feeling, where I have to dowse my face with moisturiser immediately.  My skin feels soft and supple after using this.

Note :  If you don't close the lid by popping it shut, there will be dried crusty bits of cleanser at the opening tip - which are not easy to clean off!

Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner :  I'm not a big fan of toner because I have lazy-itis.  That said, this is pretty soothing after a blackhead-squeezing session.

Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Replenishing Moisturiser :  I shall ignore the fact that the label is spelt with a "z" in moisturiser.  And well, this is a lovely moisturiser but as I mentioned before, I needed something MORE enriching during the cold winter months.  You can always supplement with a serum beforehand though.

Overall, this was a great introduction for my skin to Paula's Choice products.  I'd love to try more of their bestselling products to see if they work wonders on my skin too.

Have you tried any Paula's Choice products before?  Which one do you recommend?

How To Get Your Old Instagram Name Back

This is a bit of a geeky slash techie post for all those who have permanently deleted their Instagram but had a change of heart and now want to get their old username back.

Previously this was NOT possible but I DID IT TONIGHT AND SO CAN YOU!

{ And if you're a regular reader who isn't interested in reading this post, before you click away, I'm now @LingOutLoud on social media so DO NOT BE ALARMED.  It is still me! }

So allow me to share my experience...

When I started this blog last year, I snapped up all my usernames @LingOutLoud on the social media outlets I use - Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc.

But I was already active on these social media outlets as @Xyling.

And I thought I could EASILY juggle 3 blogs/Youtube channels and 3 social media personas AS WELL AS be a full-time working mum and wife.  And have a social life.  HAHAHAHA!!!
Yes, please laugh with me.  I thought I was the Blogging Beyonce...!!!  Hahahaha!!! #thereisonlyonequeenBanditaintme

Anyway, everything escalated out of hand and I decided to delete all of my social media personas and just use one.

I started with Instagram and permanently deleted my @LingOutLoud account.  And I thought I would just convert @Xyling to @LingOutLoud for consistent branding { even though I was mainly posting beauty stuff on that account as I use it for my beauty blog }.

Well...

Instagram would not allow me to use my old username even though the account had been permanently deleted.

What I should have done was this - Change @LingOutLoud to another random username and then delete it.  This would free up that username for me to use.

I WAS GUTTED.

And I stewed on it for days!!!!  I am OCD with bloggie stuff.

Anyway, fast forward a few months...to tonight...

A voice in my head { it sounded like me so it was actually me...! } said I should try and change my @Xyling username to @LingOutLoud.  #iampsychic

It had never worked before.  I tried it MANY times beforehand.

But tonight it worked!!!

So I am guessing Instagram has changed its policy on using old usernames.

YESSSSSS!!!

If none of that made ANY sense to you, just follow these 4 easy step-by-step instructions on how to get your old Instagram username back :-

1.  Go to your Instagram

2.  Tap on Edit Profile to edit your profile

3.  Delete your current username and type in your old username that you want back

4.  Tap Finished to save

Now this will NOT work if your username has been snapped up by someone else!!!  Obvs, duh!

If this helped you, please LIKE it, SHARE it and PIN it.

Review & Swatches : Bobbi Brown Telluride Collection

I was recently sent a few items from the newly released Bobbi Brown Limited Edition Telluride Collection and I had instant *heart eyes* because...well...take a look yourself...

Such a beautiful collection, right??!!!

I was IMMEDIATELY drawn to the Telluride Eye Palette $95 { can you blame me? } which has 7 complementary neutral eyeshadows.  My current favourite combo is Velvet Plum Metallic and the Antique Rose together to create a bronzey-rosy look.

Such a shame it doesn't have a matte medium brown shade I can use for my brows though otherwise it would be perfect.

The dual ended brush is pretty good too with the fluffy end for blending and the flat end for lining.

Bobbi Brown Telluride Eye Palette is fantastic for those who love their neutrals - everyday, work, weddings - and because it's smaller than the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette, I'm definitely going to be taking this travelling instead { sorry UD! }.  It is a bit of a splurge at $95 but hey, you deserve it *winks*

Next up, I was intrigued by the New Telluride Pot Rouge For Lips & Cheeks $44 because of the unusual shade - it's milk chocolate brown.  When swatched, it's a warm mauve brown but once blended { it blends beautifully btw! }, it becomes more natural looking and really helps contour my cheekbones.

This multi-tasking blush { because you can use it on lips too! } works well with the Shimmer Brick Compact in Sunset Pink $72 because a light dusting of the  superfine powder helps set the cream but also adds a touch of 'je ne se quois'; a subtle radiance.

Side note : My shimmer brick looks a little worse for wear because Mr Postie didn't handle it with care *sad face* but I pressed it back in and it still does it's thang ;)

Last but not least, there's the Twilight Glow Lip Trio $82 which consists of :-

• Bobbi Lip Pencil - a long lasting nude brown pencil which helps accentuate lips
• Bobbi Sheer Lip Color - mauve brown lipstick which is so on trend
• Twilight Shimmer Lip Gloss - mocha coloured gloss with microshimmer

Anyway, that was a long blog post so if you've read this far, I hope I've convinced you to go to your nearest Bobbi Brown counter to check out the Telluride Collection.  It is Limited Edition so don't leave it too late!

Did any of these products tickle your fancy?  What is getting added onto your wishlist?

Disclosure : Thanks to Bobbi Brown PR for providing these items for consideration. 

Makeup Review : Paula's Choice Brow-Defining Cream Duo

I have a friend who has Sharpie brows.

You know them crazy eyebrows that are drawn on really thickly with what seems like a permanent marker?

Yeah, them Sharpie brows.

We are not close at all so it's not as if I can say something like, "You need to tone them down, babe, no offence, like!" #iamsuchameangirl

In fact, we live in different countries so thank goodness I never have to bump into her otherwise I would totally stare at those Sharpie brows.

Like, how can she not see that her brows are totally OTT???!!!

Anyway, what she needs to do is ditch that Sharpie and get onto Paula's Choice Brow-Defining Cream Duo because it is brow-lliant!  See what I did there?

Paula's Choice Brow-Defining Cream Duo is a nifty little brow kit which comes with a surprisingly good mini dual-ended brow brush.

The brow creams are a light blonde/brown and a darker brown - which you can mix together if you require an in-between shade.

For my Chinese brows, I only use the darker brown.

And you don't need to use a lot of product because the pigmentation is bold and strong.  Once the cream dries, it stays put.

Once upon a time, if I had time to apply only ONE makeup product, I would grab my lippie.  But nowadays, I've been defining my brows instead!!!

Paula's Choice Brow-Defining Cream Duo - love it because it gives strong brows without that Sharpie look.

Disclosure : Thanks to Paula's Choice for sending this for review.  I genuinely like it and would be happy to purchase this again.
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Review : Urban Decay Good Karma Optical Blurring Brush

Thanks to Nalini for requesting a review of the Urban Decay Good Karma Optical Blurring Brush I bought recently from Mecca Maxima.

So I'm not going to beat around the bush and I'm going to tell it to you straight - I almost love it.

I'm probably being overly critical as I had high hopes for it especially seeing as it was $35 for this brush.

Don't get me wrong because it looks great,  The handle is solid and it stands out from my other brushes.

Yes, the bristles are lovely and soft so it feels lovely on my skin...but it's a tad too soft.

Yes, it can buff.

BB cream and foundation look flawless (compared to applying it with fingers!) and I can see why it's called Optical Blurring.

But the bristles aren't dense enough to give the feeling of awesome buffing.  I don't know about you but I like that awesome buffing feeling on my face.

It's like massages - I like those super deep massages where it's hard to distinguish between pain and pleasure.

Does that make sense???

And that, my friends, is why I almost love this brush.  It only just missed the mark.

If you want the perfect foundation brush with that amazing buffing feeling, I would suggest paying a little bit extra for the Shiseido Perfect Foundation Brush $49 as it gets into those awkward spots and gives the best buffing.  

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Skincare Review : Obagi Professional-C Serum 10% & Hydrate Luxe Moisture-Rich Cream

Obagi.

Is it Oh-bag-ee or O-ba-zhee?

Anyhoo, let me profess my undying love for both of these products that entered my life thanks to the Obagi PR.

Obagi Professional-C Serum is indeed a potent miracle serum!

Let me tell you why...

As you know, I was pregnant over a year ago and since then, my facial skin has changed.  For the worse!

It had gone really dry, dull and lacklustre { from severe sleep deprivation } and don't even get me started on the post-pregnancy pigmentation!  Just EW!

At the end of last year, I went CRAZY using retinols, brightening serums, scar fading potions and it broke me out into this horrible, itchy, red, sandpaper rash.  It took a while for me to nurse my sandpaper skin back to its usual normal/dry skin condition but I finally got there.

However, the pigmentation and dullness still remained so I was in desperate need of some miracle skincare product to address that.

Luckily, the skincare gods answered my prayers in the form of Obagi Professional-C Serum.

Obagi Professional-C Serums come in 3 concentrations of L-Ascorbic Acid : -

• 20% for normal-to-oily skin
• 15% for most skin types
• 10% for dry, sensitive or reactive skin

And luckily, I was sent the 10% to use which suited my skin to a tee.

I use 7 drops every morning before sunscreen.

For the first few days, it stung a little bit when I applied the serum and it went flaky for a day or two until I exfoliated away the dead skin.

After 10 days of usage, I started noticing the AMAZING results.

I kid you not.

My skin looked brighter and I noticed that my pigmentation was starting to fade.

And then a few more days later, I felt that my skin was that much softer and it looked more plump too.

Obagi Professional-C Serum has seriously been a lifechanger!  It's one of those skincare products that has delivered fantastic results in a short period of time.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!  As much as I love Netflix!

As for Obagi Hydrate Luxe Moisture-Rich Cream, I save this for my evening skincare routine where I need full-on, no-holds-barred hydration for my uber dry skin and this thick luscious cream totally delivers!  It is SOOO good that I don't actually have to use a hydrating serum under it.  MAJOR LOVE!

Disclosure :  I was sent these Obagi products and I am SO GRATEFUL.  Highly recommended indeed!

Bargain Beauty Buys : MUD Matte Lip Creams

If you're needing a little pick-me-up to brighten your day, allow me to point you in the direction of these MUD Matte Lip Creams at only $5 a pop.  Bargain, right?

There are a range of colours so buy one first and if you like the matte texture, go back and buy more.

If you want to know how the MUD Matte Lip Creams look like on lips, I wore the Light Pink shade in the video above.

$5 at Woolworths.  You're welcome!

#prsamples
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Tried & Tested Trio : Crop Natural Skincare Oils

I've been PMS-ing this week, suffered extreme backache plus a mother of all migraines and you will get a moody bi-atchy me.

I hate taking so many painkillers because I feel that they make my head cloudy and I can't articulate my thoughts properly.

Luckily, I prepared this post earlier thanks to the "schedule" button.

Some time last year, I received a lovely care package from Crop Natural Skincare.  In amongst the goodies were these trio of oils :-

• Pure Rosehip Oil
• Pure Macadamia Oil
• Pure Argan Oil

I've finally decided whether I like them or not so here are my thoughts...

Crop Pure Rosehip Oil :  I have dry/sensitive skin so you would totally assume that my skin would drink this up right?  WRONG.  My skin didn't take to it at all.  But then again, it was going through a crazy irritated rashy phase when I trialled it.  However, it was great for cuticles and helped strengthen my nails too.

Crop Pure Macadamia Oil :  I used this as a cleansing oil to remove stubborn lipstick and it worked like a dream.

Crop Pure Argan Oil :  This is a multi-purpose oil with "all around care" but seeing as I was already treating my hands and face with the other 2 oils, I used this on my hair tips to see if it would help bring life back to my frazzled ends.  Sadly, no, it didn't repair those darned split ends but it gave my hair a shiny but not oily boost.

Now the best thing about these oils is that they only cost $18 each and they are available at Coles supermarkets { sorry non-Aussie ladies } so pop them into your trolley the next time you're there and report back on whether you liked them or not.

Thanks for reading and I shall hopefully have another blog post up soon once I chase away this damn headache/backache which won't stop plaguing me! xxx
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How To Make The Best Chinese Roast Duck Ever

I love me some duck, I do!

{ FUN FACT : "Duck" in Cantonese - pronounced as "ngap" - also means gigolo }

Anyway, my dear Mum taught me how to make the best Chinese roast duck ever!

Crispy skin on the outside and juicy meat on the inside!

It's so DUCKING delicious!!!

And luckily for you, I made a video of the recipe and method of how to make it so you can make this delicious roast duck too!  { SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE HERE }

Maybe you can make this for your special someone for Valentines Day next week...?  Or Chinese New Year is coming up so why not pretend you're Chinese { if you're not already, that is! } and make this.

Just remember, it is NOT one of those recipes which you can make on the same day.  You actually need to prep the duck and wait { patiently } for 3-4 days for it to be ready to be roasted!

If you aren't a fan of videos, I've got the written version right here too :)  Don't say I'm not good to you!

Enjoy!

The Best Chinese Roast Duck Ever!

An original recipe by Ling's Mama

(Serves 2-4 people depending on how you serve it)

Ingredients

1 x duck (around 2kg+, thawed if frozen)

[A]
Half onion (sliced)
Knob of ginger (sliced)
4 cloves garlic (roughly chopped)
White bulb of spring onion (chopped)
1 x star anise
1 x cinnamon stick
2 x bay leaf

[B]
2 tbsp hoi sin sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp five spice powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp sesame oil

[C]
3 bowls of water
3 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp maltose { sticky syrup }

Method


1.  Remove duck innards and rinse duck with cold water

2.  Dry roast [A] in a pan until fragrant.  Allow to cool.

3.  Mix [B] together

4.  Combine [A] and [B] together and stuff everything into the duck cavity

5.  Use a skewer to sew the cavity together by threading in and out

6.  Boil [C] in a large pan or wok.

7.  With the mixture boiling, carefully lift up the duck by it's neck and use a ladle to bathe the duck all over.  Repeat 10 times.  At this stage, the duck's skin will be looking plump and shiny.  If not, repeat till it is.

8.  Allow to cool before placing it in the fridge uncovered to dry out for 3-4 days.  The longer you leave it to dry out, the crispier the skin!

9.  On the day you are going to roast the duck, remove from the fridge and place on top of roasting rack with the back side up, breast side down.  Wait 30 minutes if you have time to allow the duck to come to room temperature.

10.  Preheat oven to 190 degrees fan forced.  Place the tray in the oven on the middle shelf.

11.  Let it roast for 15 minutes back side down and then flip the duck over to breast side up and continue to roast for 45 minutes.  Open the door to have a look.  If the colour is not that roast duck red colour, put it back in for another 5 minutes and check again. 

12.  Remove from oven and let the duck rest for 15 minutes to allow the juices to settle. 

13.  Drain sauce from duck before chopping.  Save the sauce for noodles or make a gravy if you want.

14.  Chop it up and serve.

Personally, I love my roast duck with hoi sin sauce on dry noodles.  YUM!!!

#thebestchineseroastduckever - yep, it's so good that it deserves its own hashtag! :P  If you do happen to make it and you're an Instagram user, tag me @lingoutloud and use the hashtag #lingoutloudrecipes please so I can see and drooooool!!!

Keep Calm & Relax with L'Occitane

It has been quiet on the blog this week because :-

a)  I am extremely tired
b)  I have been super busy
c)  I am enjoying as much freedom* as I can before my in-laws arrive tomorrow to stay with us for God knows how long (kill me now!!)
d)  All of the above

And the answer is... d) All of the above... BUT especially c)

*By "freedom", what I mean is - prancing around in the comfort of my own home with no bra on!!!  Ladies, you all know what I mean, right?

Anywaaaaay, I've been doing a lot of breathing exercises lately to help me relax and wind down.  I am usually an extremely patient, mild-mannered, non-confrontational person but I am preparing myself in case I need to "have it out" with my MIL.

Luckily for me, to help me relax, L'Occitane sent me a lovely package of their soon-to-be released Aromachologie Relaxing range - Perfumed Sachets, Pillow Mist and Massage Body Oil.

Three words - TO. DIE. FOR.

As you already know, I'm a big fan of lavender pillow sprays from This Works so I was SUPER eager to test out L'Occitane's version.

The Relaxing Pillow Mist contains essential oils from lavender, bergamot, mandarin, sweet orange and geranium.  It is BEAUTIFUL!

It comes in a generous 100ml bottle which is a good thing because I spray this liberally all over my 3 pillows, my side of the duvet { Aussies say 'doona' } and even on my wrists because I love the smell that much.  It is definitely not one of those old-lady-overpowering-lavender scents but just to be on the safe side, have a sniff in store before you purchase it.

As for the Relaxing Perfumed Sachets, they give the extra oomph!  Because I am an insomniac, I struggle to fall asleep and I'm always tempted to turn on my phone and go on Facebook or something until it bores me to sleep.  But now, instead of doing that, I take a DEEP SNIFF of the Perfumed Sachet { which I conveniently place under my main pillow } and do a few deep breathing exercises and that gets my sleepy senses going.

There are 2 sachets in a box but the other one is currently sitting in my work locker as I'm saving it for the uber stressful days at work, i.e. every Monday to combat Monday-itis!

I have relaxed so much more since using both of these L'Occitane products.  They are already on my Regular Repurchases List.

The Relaxing Body Massage Oil has sadly not been put to use yet.  My husband is always asleep by the time I jump into bed.  I shall have to test it tonight { Fifty Shades of Grey style! TMI?!! LOL! } before the in-laws get here.  I'm very hopeful since the other products have been awesome.

Anyway, if you're a fan of lavender scents and/or you're looking for some relaxation, do check these out when they hit L'Occitane stores in March.

Disclosure - thanks again to L'Occitane for providing these products to help me relax!

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Review : bhave smoothe keratin therapy

Check me out with shiny, straight and frizz-free hair!!!

How did I manage to tame my un-tameable frizzbomb Asian mane?

Allow me to point you in the direction of bhave smoothe keratin therapy.

In a nutshell, this was my experience of bhave smoothe keratin therapy :-
1.  Hair was washed then dried.
2.  Treatment was applied and left for under an hour.
3.  Hair was washed then dried again.
4.  Hair was straightened in sections.  Done!

The photos do not lie.  I arrived at the salon with frizzy poofy hair and I left the hair salon with shiny, glossy, frizz-free locks.  Just wow!

If you need more convincing to get this done, it's formaldehyde-free and Aussie beauty guru, Zoe Foster-Blake got it done just before she popped her sprog!

The downside is that it does not last forever... (apparently, it can last up to 5 months)...

To ensure that bhave smoothe keratin therapy lasts as long as possible, there are 4 things you are instructed to do :-

1.  Avoid washing your hair for 48 hours post-treatment
2.  Use sulphate-free and sodium chloride-free shampoo and conditioner (bhave have a great range - which you have a chance of winning at the end so stay tuned!)
3.  Activate it with heat (i.e. use a hairdryer after washing) to get straighter results
4.  Eat chocolate...!  *winks*

I was extremely delighted with the results of bhave smoothe because I did not have to stress out about my hair going nutso during the wildly humid summer days.  I've been using bhave Scalp and Rescue shampoos and conditioners to keep my hair happy.

It's been over 2 months since I had it done and my hair is still reaping the benefits...but my roots are starting to show through....ugh!

Disclosure : Thank you bhave for the complimentary treatment and for providing bhave products to keep my mane tamed!