from my kitchen : ABC sambal terasi

Today's post is dedicated to all indonesian around the world.
Living far away from home, the next thing i miss after my family friends is.. the food. You have no idea how i'm always craving for indonesian food, and although i learned to cook, i can't cook many indonesian food because no ingridients available. If you live in big city or city with many indonesian, you might found indonesian restaurant or shop that sells indonesian or at least south east asian spices. I joined yahoogroups for indonesian who live abroad. In some middle east country like egypt, ksa, uae where so many indonesian live and work there, they can easily found indonesian food. In some city in USA and Europe also some say they found indonesian restaurant. But not all of them are lucky. like me. hehe..i read a story of an indonesian who live somewhere in Africa, she couldn't find a shop who sell asian spices or ingridients.

well, now i'm gonna share this sambal (chilli paste) that won my heart.
it is sambal terasi ABC. on my last holiday to Jakarta, as usual before i left my family always asked what did i want to take with me back to Yemen. My list almost same like the other year. krupuk (indonesian crackers), kecap manis (sweet soya sauce) and some indonesian ready made sauce from munik, bamboo, indofood, etc. My auntie told me there is this ABC sambal terasi (chilli paste with shrimp paste) that is so delicious to eat with rice and chicken, seafood, or anything. I was interested so i started looking. turned out that it was not easy to find this jar. i couldn't find it in giants and carrefour. Thank God i found it in Hero pondok indah mall.
here it is;

so, how is it?
for me, it's amaaaaziiinnggg.... i looove it.. i could just cook rice and chicken and eat it with this plus kecap manis. not just it is good to eat with chicken or seafood as a dipping sauce, it is also great to make nasi goreng kampung (fried rice) and mi goreng (fried noodle). Just saute the garlic, onion, sambal terasi, add the topping (meat ball, vegetable, sausage or anything you like), then add rice or noodle, kecap manis, there you have delicious nasi goreng/mi goreng that will remind you of home.

well, if you live in Indonesia maybe you don't think you need this, because whenever you are craving for this you can just go to sundanese restaurant or event any seafood and nasi uduk stall on the street, you can have it fresh from the "ulekan", not something from a jar.
Unless you are a type who cook and eat at home, and you can't be bother to make your self sambal terasi, you can use this. or as a spicy paste to make fried rice, you can keep this.
and it's very recommended for those who live outside Indonesia, either a housewife, worker, or college students who study abroad, whenever you go back to Indonesia, take this with you when you come back. or you can buy it online! when i search this on google, i found a website based in london who sell this. this is the link
so whenever you miss indonesian food, you can have this yummy sambal terasi. i really really regret that i just bought and took one jar with me. at that time i didn't taste it yet so i just bought one for tester. it is almost finish now and i promised myself next time i will buy 6 jars fo rmy stock.

i finished the whole jar!

lip gloss review : NYX mega shine lip gloss natural

I found many good reviews about this product, so i bought one to try myself. i chose natural one, because i already bought some other lip gloss in orange/peach and light pink colour, and this colour i didn't have. Actually, natural or lip look alike colour was my favourite lip colour back when i was in college. Then when i started to work light pink became my favourite colour, and recently i like peach or orange for my lip colour. Anyway, now let's back to thic lip gloss.

The packaging is just like any other lip gloss, nothing really special about it.

the applicator.
and now is the swatch..

pretty colour huh..
well, what i thought about this lip gloss is...
first, the scent is just like common cosmetic scent, not a lovely scent. the texture is nice creamy and not sticky. i like the texture. The colour, it looks pretty when i swatched on my hand, but on my lip, the colour didn't really show or came out like in the picture. in fact it looks pale on my lip. i am using it right now as i am writing this so i can see in the mirror how the colour make me look pale. or maybe i'm used to more fresh colour like orange or peach i've been using? hemmm.. maybe? but anyway, maybe i got the wrong colour. Maybe i should try another colour from nyx mega shine :)

hair care review : Taman sari royal heritage green coconut shampoo & coconut milk conditioner

Taman sari royal heritage is a brand under the Big cosmetic company in Indonesia, Mustika Ratu. Taman sari royal heritage is also known as the spa. Anyway, this is some information i got from the official website;

Product of Taman Sari Royal Heritage are created based on traditional recipe from Keraton (Javanese Palace) that has been used hereditary in hundred years.The founder, Hj. BRA Mooryati Soedibyo is the grand daughter one of the king in Java. Based on research, these products give tremendous solutions for any problem you have. This products can be applied individually at your home or used by professionals at beauty salon and spa in many countries, such as Europe, Middle East, or North America.

 Inspired by the real ‘Taman Sari’, PT.Mustika Ratu created Taman Sari Royal Heritage Spa which opened in Sheraton Mustika Hotel Yogyakarta, Indonesia, in 1997. Then Taman Sari Royal Heritage Spa Jakarta, Indonesia, in September 2000. Followed by the others, managed by franchise system. Since we are also expanding the business in local Indonesia, such as Riau, Palembang, Kampung Sampireun Garut-West Java, Anyer, Bintan also in around the world, such as Malaysia, Zao-Japan, Czech Republik, Whistler-Canada, Bulgaria, also Langkawi – Malaysia in May 2008 and others in the near future

So actually Taman sari royal heritage started from spa for many kind of treatment, and the later on they decided to also sell the products so the customers can enjoy it at home.
Anyway, i like their spa!! it all started before my wedding day, when i was hunting for spa treatment. And besides mom n jo spa, Taman sari spa was also my alternative. there where i fell in love with the products. i love the natural scent of the products, and i bought many sets straightaway.

Recently i found this set of shampoo and conditioner in the market, so i bought it to try out. Well, let's start then.

first, the shampoo.

it comes with this tube plastic packaging, it's transparant, so you can see the shampoo inside

benefits:
green coconut shampoo containing cocos nucifera,D-panthenol and vitamin E for preventing hair damage. Completed with anti dandruff agent for preventing dandruff.

The texture is interesting. it is gel-creamy, with some green particle. when i scooped out the product, the green particle didn't come out. but you can see it her;

can you see that small-small green dots? they are not from the packaging, but from the product inside. i don't know what they are, and there is no explanation i could found.

anyway, the shampoo smells great. smells fresh like lime mix with some natural herbs, it doesn't smell like coconut at all. smell soo natural, just like a spa product.
the product itself, actually i could feel my hair getting dry during my shower time. it's a little bit weird, how when i started massage this shampoo on my scalp, and down to the hair, my hair felt dry although i was under the shower and my hair totally wet. i don't like that feeling, but thank God after the conditioner it's all good.

next is the conditioner.

benefits :
coconut milk conditioner containing coconut milk, complemented with citrus fragrance and vitamin E.use as conditioner.

this one is also smells citrus, no smell coconut milk at all. the scent is really nice, natural and fresh. the texture is creamy, more creamy and thicker than any conditioner i have tried.

the white-creamy one is the conditioner and the clear gel one is the shampoo.
the conditioner itself is not what i expected. well, it gave moisturised after the shampoo, but i don't feel the conditioner absorbs to my hair really well. But, the good thing is, the smell stay on my hair!! it's not easy to find shampoo/conditioner that the smell will last long in my hair. but this one it stays all day! it's a good thing for me!!



conclusion;

overall, what i like most from this set is the scent. how nice it is and how it stays long. But other than that, it is not hair care i'm looking for. maybe for others it will work better.

cleansing oil review : Innisfree apple juicy cleansing oil

This is my first try of innisfree cleansing product. I chose apple juicy cleansing oil because first, i need cleansing oil for winter, 2nd, apple juicy sounds yummy. i like yummy scent! 3rd, the packaging is a pump bottle, my favourite packaging. Not just it comes with a pump bottle but it also has this safety clip (or whatever the name is)

so whenever you finish, just put the clip back. You know, for those who have children, this safety clip is really usefull! My daughter is so tempted to squeeze, scoop anything in my drawer (cream, lotion, perfume, liquid soap, etc) with this safety clip, i don't have to worry.

anyway, i'm quite surprise to see there is an english version of information in the back of the bottle. This is what's written there:

Apple juicy cleansing oil
penetrates deep into pores, cleanses skin thoroughly
this deep cleansing oil offers softness and healthy radiance to your skin like a freshly washed apple.

directions : apply an appropriate amount onto dry hands and gently smooth over dry face to dissolve make up. Add water with fingertips and massage to remove make up.rinse off with lukewarm water afterwards

and this is some information i found on the net, from ebay seller.

Now let's try this cleansing oil..
first impression, the scent, oh my... it smells soooo lovely... fresh apple scent, remind me of that air freshener you hang on your car. the one with tree shape.. i forgot what's the name of the brand. oh, this cleansing oil made my cleansing time so enjoyable. i always stop massage on my nose and inhale, enjoying the scent. hehe. and as for the cleansing power, it is good!! i made some test;

some swatch of gel eye liner, lipstick, lip gloss, eye brow pencil, eye shadow pencil
apply the cleansing oil, start to make circular massage around, somehow all the colour started to melt,then just rinse off. This time just wipe it off with tissue.

TADA!!!! soo clean!!! i was sooo surprise and happy to see the result. the only thing left there is a little bit of glitter from the lip gloss. but after rinsing off with water, it all gone.

my conclusion, this is a very good product and recommended for everyone!! i am using this during winter and still until now, and this didn't make my face dry. and one bottle could last long too!! like it very much and i will buy more innisfree cleansing product for sure, will try other variant.

indonesian body scrub review part 2 : sekar jagat

Part 2 of indonesian body scrubs i have in my drawer.. it's sekar jagat and bali ratih, both are balinese product. Sekar jagat is one of the most popular and for me sekar jagat is the first bali body scrub i knew. While Bali ratih came later, and regained popularity quite good, specially on the net. Well, they are from the same company anyway, a fact that i just found out because i just checked the website :). You can easily purchase both from many resellers on the net.

first is.. sekar jagat.
 from the website:

Kegunaan Lulur Sekar Jagat / Benefit :

Membuat kulit terasa lembut, halus serta tampak bersih dan harum. Sebelum digunakan bisa diletakan dalam lemari es untuk mempertahankan keawetan lulur.

Make the skin feeling soft, smooth and looks clean and fragrant. Before being used can be placed in the refrigerator to maintain the durability body scrubs.>

Estimasi Berat / Estimated Weight : 100 gr

Cara Pakai /How To Use :

Ambilal lulur secukupnya, oleskan pada bagian tubuh anda sambil digosok lembut hingga kotoran dan lapisan kulit yang mati terangkat.

Take scrubs sufficiently, then apply on your body parts as she rubbed gently to remove dirt and dead skin layers are lifted.

 

so many variants for this body scrub, or we call it "lulur". chocolate, strawberry, milk, green tea, avocado, coffee, bengkoang.. and many more. i have tried many of them and for me actually they have this particular basic scent, and only a little hint of scent in any other variant.

This is the kind of body scrub i like, the one that i apply on the dry skin, then start massage and rub the scrub off and all the dirt from the skin. This scrub is really easy to scrubb-of, doesn't give me any rash. and the result is great! extra soft and moisturised skin!

the texture is creamy with a soft scrub.the colour is depend on the variant. this one is strawberry, so it has a milky-light pink colour. while the milk variant has a white colour.

Bali ratih
Lulur Bali Ratih™ Traditional Body Scrubs adalah lulur tradisional yang diolah menggunakan teknologi modern yang bersih dan higienis dimana didalamnya terdapat bahan - bahan tradisional pilihan dan berkulitas dengan kandungan extract dan sari buah / tumbuh-tumbuhan yang berkualitas.

there are so many variants also for bali ratih. avocado, milk ,coffee, banana, grape, green tea, orange strawberry.. and more. i have only coffee and milk. This is my first time to try bali ratih. and... i was surprised that the milk, the one i already finished, has almost same scent with sekar jagat. Like they use same basic ingridients. well, maybe. in fact it's hard for me to find the difference between bali ratih and sekar jagat. both are just the same for me. in scent, texture, and result. Maybe from the scent bali ratih is softer than sekar jagat. The only thinf different is the price.Bali ratih is more expensive than sekar jagat. 

sorry. i finished the product so you can't see the texture. only a little left :)

overall, i like both sekar jagat and bali ratih. in fact i think i like all bali body scrub. because i remember other bali products i've tried, bali home spa, that i also like.

Lip plumper review : the face shop lovely me; ex limp plumper 01

Lip plumper? well, this is my first one to try. well, actually i'm not interested with the plumper it offered. This year i just like lip tint/gloss more than lipstick, and i found some review and swatch about this product, and i like the colour. so i bought it.

The look is just like any other lip gloss/tint from the size and plastic packaging. Red colour, but clear red not bold red. Well, this is the swatch;

blend it well, it looks more orange than red. i really like the colour. so pretty.

this is the first time i have this kind applicator for my lip. well, it's easy to use though, but i prefer the 'normal' one, hehe.. sorry i don't know what's the name of both type applicator.

well, now i will share what i thought.
First time i applied this on my lip, i was surprised... with the hot feeling on my lip. yup! it gave me this burning hot sensation like you just applied a mint tooth paste on your lip. I don't like that feeling! and it last for quite long.. more than 3 minutes? i wanted to wash it with water straightaway. i dont' know, is it the effect of plumper? you feel your lip burning? hehehe.
After that first trial i knew i couldn't use it anymore. i don't like the feeling on my lip! it's hot! menthol but not cooling effect, mentholas in hot way! seriously.. is it just me? because from reviews i read they didn't mention about this uncomfortable hot sensation. Anyway, so i just put this one away....
...until one day, months later, i saw this and i thought, let's try again. i tried not to think too much about the hot sensation. i applied this everyday for the whole week,,, until somehow i think i get used to it. to the hot-burning sensation i mean, and i didn't feel it uncomfortable anymore. Besides after some minutes the hot burning sensation just gone.

So, overall, i like the colour, and the scent. ooopppsss forgot to tell, it smells nice too. flowery-mint, something like that. what i don't like is the hot sensation, although after a while i get used to it, still, it's a little bit annoying for me. As for the plumping effect, yes, a little but only if you apply it more than 2 stroke. the colour on the lip looks pretty, clear red, so natural red-orange, not too much and it doesn't stay long. after a meal it would be gone.

indonesian body scrub review part 1 : vivelle & wardah

 

i am a fan of Indonesian Body scrub!!Specially bali scrub. Not just because of the cheap price but also the good quality. I have tried many Bali body scrub, from the famous sekar jagat, bali ratih, bali home spa, denara, and some other brands i forgot the name. I remember some years ago when i travelled to Bali, i stopped by in a department store in kuta, there was this section for Bali product. scrubs, soap, aromatheraphy, mask, candle, and many more. i was sooo excited and picked up many different products and brands.

Anyway, for now i will review other Indonesian scrubs, not Bali stuff. Vivelle and Wardah, which both you can found in supermarket near you.

Vivelle virgin coconut oil olive oil white tea

 why the name is so long? hehe. well, the variant is actually the white tea. the product is body scrub with olive oil anf virgin coconut oil. I also bought another variant, papaya.

from the packaging :

Lulur mandi

mencerahkan, melembabkan & melembutkan kulit.

virgin coconut oil berbeda dengan minyak kelapa biasa dari proses penyulingan. Tidak seperti minyak kelapa atau minyak mineral biasa. Virgin coconut oil terbukto dapat meresap ke dalam kulit untuk melembabkan dan melembutkan kulit. Rasakan bedanya setelah dipakai,kulit tampak menjadi lebih cerah, lembab, halus dan tidak berminyak. Butiran scrub mengangkat sel kulit mati penyebab kulit kusam. Olive oil mengandung anti-oksidan dan moisturiser alami yang melembabkan dan menghaluskan kulit. white tea extract untuk peremajaan kulit yang membuat kulit tampak lebih cerah dan halus.

cara pakai : gosokkan  pada seluruh tubuh saat mandi lalu bilas dengan air hangat bersih

the texture is like a lotion with small scrubs particle. it smells like a nice soap with a nice fragrant. cosmetic-soap fragrant, not smells something natural, or tea maybe? 

anyway, it was my bad that when i bought this i didn't read it said "lulur mandi", because i don't like lulur mandi. i like scrub type that you scrub on the dry skin then scrub it off all that dirt away then rinse with water. But this one is a type that you use it when you take a shower, just like you use your soap. I tried to apply this on my dry skin and scrub it off, just like bali blody scrub, but it didn't work! So this is just like a liquid soap with tiny scrubs. the result is also just like every after shower. overall, i am dissapointed. or maybe because this is not a product i am looking for. this is lulur mandi, for those who is reall busy and have no time to scrub part of your body one by one. Anyway, this is a cheap treat though. i forgot exactly the price, but it's under rp.10.000

Wardah Olive soft scrub

I first read about this wardah body scrub review on fashionesedaily Then not long after that, i read more reviews on some beauty bloggers. All the reviews are good, so i also picked one when i was in Jakarta.

from the packaging :

 olive soft scrub, lulur dengan butiran halus, efektif untuk mengangkat kotoran dan sel-sel kulit mati. Mengandung minyak zaitun yang melembabkan dan melembutkan kulit. Kulit menjadi bersih, kesat, halus, dan lembut. Dapat digunakan untuk kulit wajah.

cara pemakaian : Dalam keadaan kering sebelum mandi, oleskan wardah olive soft scrub ke seluruh tubuh dan wajah, lalu gosok merata. Diamkan 1-2 menit sampai scrub dan kotoran mengering dan meluruh. Bilas dengan air sampai bersih. Untuk perawatan, gunakan secara teratur setiap dua hari sekali.

there is another plastic cap inside

the texture is very thick and creamy, with tiny soft scrub, it's more like salt for me. it's lika a salt scrub.It smells soft fragrant. nice, not too much.

Anyway, this is the type of body scrub i like, the one that you apply on the dry skin, scrub it off, then jump to the shower to rinse it off. So i tried to apply on my body. well, the direction said wait 1-2 minutes until the scrubs get dry. So i waited, then started scrubbing. ouccchhh.. it hurted. Although it said soft scrub, but somehow i felt it was to harsh for my skin. i felt uncomfortable scrubbing it off. And by the time i finished scrubbing it off, my skin (specially arms) became red - like you just rub it with something hard like stone. I just continue and rinse off with water. well, the redness is of course gone, and the result is.. super soft skin, extra moisturized. I could feel my skin became very soft even before i finished shower. After towel dry, super soft, super moisturised. Nice and superb result actually, i just don't like how it was too hard for my skin.

In conclusion, wardah is better than vivelle, but i think bali scrub is stil my favourite! i will not repurchase both. I will just buy more bali scrubs, or try other brands.