My Louis Vuitton Bag - The Montorgueil GM

Louis Vuitton's Montorgueil GM is my first (and currently only) designer handbag. It was given to me as a gift and I treasure it very much, so much so that I always put it in its original case and in the shopping bag it was purchased in. I take care where I take it to and where I place it.

I always wanted a Louis Vuitton bag. I knew that my first designer handbag had to be an LV, even if it was my one and only.
I'll forever admire its traditional style and the fact that it would suit any occasion, just as it had done for decades in the past.

Some might think it has lost its appeal as so many people now seem to own an LV; a lot of which are replicas. However, I can see through this and see the old fashioned traditional style that captivated a lot of women before and will continue to appeal to generations of women.

To me, it's like Chanel No.5.

Not to mention, this has been to its homeland, Paris, with me =D
Without a doubt, I'll be using this for many many years to come =)

I leave you with some precious pictures of it ^.^

Dinner at Chiquito

I headed to Chiquito for an occasion. I rarely go to Chiquito - don't get me wrong, it is one of my favourite restaurants!

Actually, after Middle-Eastern cuisine, Mexican is my second favourite.

But when you pay a trip to Chiquito, you must be prepared to finish whatever you order for the sake of not wasting food.

And no matter how hungry you might be, don't order too much, because believe me, their dishes are so filling and satisfying! I always find myself underestimating this!

Here's how my dinner at Chiquito turned out....

I was given this device whilst waiting for a table. It took more than the promised 30 minutes to turn red (red = free table =P). I think this is a cool idea to avoid frustrating customers whilst being put on hold.

Whilst waiting for a table...

I browsed through some non-alcoholic drinks and went for the Virgin Colada. This drink and Virgin Momo are simply the best!

Now to the Main Menu.

Some complimentary nachos arrived.

Followed by some yummier nachos that was ordered. These are the most delicious nachos I've ever tasted.
If you do visit Chiquito, don't miss ordering this!

Prawn Cocktail salad. Yum. But it was no match for the Prawn Cocktail at Park Plaza hotel.

I can't remember this dish's name, but I know it was one of the specials.
Spicy and very filling; it has a bit of everything.

Some coleslaw to accompany dishes.

This was my main meal. I think this is the Santa Fe wrap and at first glance appears like a small portion. I thought a wrap might be a lighter option but I struggled to finish this. It was so delicious though and I would order it again!

Le Chanson du Printemps (Spring Song)

I hope I got the title of this post right =P
Chante avec moi ^.^

Miss Dior Cherie is one of my favourite perfumes. I'm wearing it as I post this =)

The song to Miss Dior Cherie's advert is so sweet and girly. I don't know the whole translation from French to English but it sounds so elegant in Francais, n'est ce pas? =P

It's playful, light and some parts of the video look so magical.
I want to try one of those Macaroons sometime!
I certainly want to visit Paris again.
And I really want to brush up my French!

I also admire the colours, from her dress to the room interior she goes in to...it's so magical.

L'Eau D'Issey Florale by Issey Miyake

So much fuss over a perfume sample...

I only have one of Issey Miyake's perfumes that I have yet to blog about. For some reason, when it came to the original L'Eau D'Issey, I preferred the men's version much more. The women's version just didn't quite convince me.

But this sample tells a whole different story...and Issey Miyake has done it for me!

To start of with, I like how balanced this fragrance is. It's not too concentrated on one thing entirely, so you could always make out several underlying scents under the dominant note.

Top Notes I could make out are citrus (a mix of lemon/lime) which grabbed my attention for the first few seconds. Then quickly follows a slight powdery scent which blended well with the citrus. Tangy yet sweet. The powder scent resembles a light version of Kenzo's perfume. The floral notes then come in and further blend in so well.
Combine this with some slight musk.
And you have a refreshing, not overpowering blend of different scents working in harmony.

Perfect for spring.

Costa's vs. Cafe Nero's Hot Chocolate

Which is your favourite hot chocolate?

Having tried several hot chocolates, including Starbucks, I limited it down to Costa's & Cafe Nero's hot chocolate.
They're both yummy!

These are Cafe Nero's hot chocolate Milano. It's very rich, slightly thicker than your usual hot chocolate and the cream on top further adds to the richness of this.

If you're having this, I'd strongly advise not to get any chocolate based foods (like the muffin featured), to avoid feeling sick (haha ...!).

This is a real treat. It's not something I'd get everyday but perfect for when you're having those cravings ^.^

And here's Costa's hot chocolate. This is more like the typical hot chocolate you're familiar with. It's light, frothy and will go along with anything at a cafe. What I also like are the marshmallows that came along with it! Plus the tall glass is much more suited (me thinks) compared to Starbucks' mug.

If I had to pick between the two, it would have to be a tie!

The 'Muslim' Beauty Queen

{Source}

This happened to be the most read article on the BBC earlier today. Click here to read it.

Ms. Bukhari has become the first Muslim to represent the UK in the world final of Miss Universe and describes herself as a muslim. She defends her decision to enter the pageant, insisting

, 'she believes Muslims in the UK should be able to have a western lifestyle.'

Now, I think this is one area where a lot of people get confused about. So many of us are still not able to distinguish between culture and religion. So, my view on that is, it's fine to have a western lifestyle, but when that lifestyle contradicts with what religion tells us to do, it's no longer acceptable. It's only common sense, is it not?

Now, the muslims who are opposed to Ms. Bukhari's actions will for sure be seen to be acting out as lunatics by directing abusive comments towards her.

I'm not saying this is right, yet, I'm not saying this is wrong either, because when someone like Ms. Bukhari makes worldwide news , it tarnishes the image of Islam and misconceptions follow (it is the most read article like I said! Plus this is not the first time a news like this occured, click here to read about last year's Miss America).
Most people who do not know much about Islam, will easily find themselves thinking,

'well, there is a girl doing our country proud by participating in a worldwide event that we will be recognised for. What's the problem?'

BUT, this is totally against all the religions teachings and people who don't know Islam's teachings would know no better. It's so clear. Clear enough that, I have never seen a muslim dispute the real way a woman is supposed to dress. It's all written out for us to read.

What is even more harmful is that Ms. Bukhari's intention is to enter that competition and compete in terms of beauty. She seems to firmly believe that religion does allow that.

Compare that to someone who might be muslim and dress in a way that is unacceptable, but who knows full well how they are supposed to dress like and doesn't twist the truth to fit in to their lifestyle. Now, someone like that, believing the right thing, is highly likely to have the right intention and might one day dress modestly in accordance to religion's teachings.

Which brings me back to my earlier post regarding women being treated as sex objects. In this instance, if women are competing in terms of beauty, then think about what message this brings across.

In a world where we are constantly so obsessed over our looks and figures, constantly comparing ourselves to what we see, what we could be... it's slowly destroying our society. Having read this post called the 8 year old woman; it is one of the many proofs out there showing us all how society is affecting people. Young girls are becoming 'women' so quickly, being concerned about how they might be rejected in society and are no longer having a childhood that we once had. The innocent and sweet times are slowly disappearing and it is up to us all to make a change.

So.... what do YOU think? =)

Optrex Actimist Eyespray Review

I've been wearing contact lenses for many years now. I had a stock of supply of yearly lenses from abroad, which now ran out. So I opted for some contact lenses at Specsavers. After several trials, I chose a brand called Comfilcon - they happened to be the most comfortable lenses, although, nowhere near as comfortable as the yearly lenses I used to wear.

Ever since I started wearing my new lenses, I suffered from dry eyes, especially after spending hours on a computer or if I lacked sleep. On a few occasions, I had to wear glasses because it was so uncomfortable.

So, I got this eye spray by Optrex in a bid to combat dry eyes. I had high hopes for it. It was very expensive (more than £10 for this little bottle!) but luckily it was on promotion when I bought it.

To start this review off, in case you don't want to read the whole thing ... it didn't work!

I used the instructions as in the directions. I was impressed with the fact that it didn't need to be thrown away after 28 days.

This further convinced me, that maybe...just maybe, it might meet my expectations.

It's so easy to use. As the instructions say, simply spray it on. It's very handy too. But what makes this product useful is whether it works or not.

On application, initially it was slightly sticky. I'm not sure how this would go down with those of you who wear concealers or foundations. I had to wait around 5-10 minutes for the stickiness to wear off.

Immediately, I felt a cooling sensation followed with some relief (I did use this when my eyes were dry!).

But after 10-15 minutes, I felt that my eyes were back to how they were. I was disappointed. So I tried it on a different day - same result. I then gave it to someone else to try, who also suffers from dry eyes and wears contact lenses. Same result.

In the end... we both came up with the same review and conclusion. This is totally useless! 10-15 minutes of relief/comfort does not match up to what the product promises, and certainly doesn't explain the high price tag.
We felt that washing one's face with cool water achieved the same result.

So, if you're planning to get this to test if it's suitable for you, wait for promotions!

Let me know (if you wear contact lenses) which is the best contact lenses for you & (if you use any solutions/drop) what solutions you use to be comfortable.