WW: Mini Me, Batik, and Room XX Palais des Nations

Coming back to Geneva. for series of UN Human Rights Council meetings, I had so much fun exploring this place again.

Palais des Nations is truly one incredible place. 
I have been coming back here and forth and still be amazed by its ageless beauty. 
Sitting as the UN Office or the European headquarters, this palace-turn-into-office has been one of the jewels of the city of Geneva.

I spent most of my time at Room XX, or the Alliance of Civilization Room.
Commissioned by the Government of Spain, this room has uber unique and incredible ceiling! Take a look a it.

The ceiling of Room XX, Palais des Nations

UN Human Rights Council has conducted so many meetings in this very room.
In a year, UN HRC has 3 sessions, that is es every February - March, June-July, and September. Let alone other related meetings at the UN HRC, which take around 42 weeks in a year. Full calendar indeed. 

Here are some photos of Mini Me, Batik, and Room XX Palais des Nations

Before we start the meeting

During the meeting

My favorite lanyard

This year, Indonesia is not the member of UN HRC.

We are campaigning to be the member for 2020 - 2022.

It is indeed a tough campaign as we have 5 candidates,- Indonesia, Marshall Islands, Iraq, South Korea, and Japan -  for 4 seats representing Asia Pacific.

Wish us luck, dear friends.

Mini me is also enjoying the meeting, I dare say.
She's been traveling along with me and shares many sleepless night during the preparation as well as the meeting itself.

I have the priviledge to wear my purple-and-green Batik cape from Galeri Batik Avara (check their Facebook and Instagram accounts, please :)) this time.
I have been a great fan of their work, particularly the Batik Cape.
My hand-written Madura Batik, in deep purple and green, looks great with the combination in 2 tone purple.
Matching jelly-fish earrings from @uniqlykamea (check it on Instagram) are match-form-heaven for this cape.

Well, I will be back with more stories from Geneve and meanwhile, wishing you all a great week ahead!



Join us on (almost) Wordless Wednesday (just click it) and have fun with the link party!

WW: Spring in Washington D.C

Spring is still around!
Although we missed the cherry blossoms in Washington D.C., but we enjoyed the blooming flowers around the Mall while we went here last weekend with my aunty and my uncle.
Love to see those popping colors, mostly purple, along the way :)

Join us on (almost) Wordless Wednesday and have fun with the linky party :)

UN Rose Garden in Fall

The sky has been a mix of blue and grey.
Mostly grey lately, as the temperature drops here in NYC.
I just went out of the meeting rooms to relax for a while at the UN Rose Garden.
And here are a few snaps I took there.

Some roses are still blooming, while the rest are almost gone.

The sky is just grey.

But I found some lovely purple flocks

 And this is what I took along the way back to the office.

Join us on Skywatch Friday and enjoy the magnificent sky all over the world 

Manhattan Stroll

I always enjoy strolling around Manhattan.
Sometimes, I got a bonus of having my hubby my kids coming with me.
And this concrete jungle never fails to amaze me.

 One fine Sunday, we were strolling around Midtown Manhattan.
With Bo et Udi, my hubby, we were enjoying the sun walking around 42nd street and 3rd Avenue, heading to Grand Central and the surroundings.
Watching people on the street gives a certain amount of pleasure.
New York City is truly a melting pot.

 We took the subway to go to SoHo, stopping here and there buy some stuff.

I took the liberty to take my Outfit of the Day photo as well, abusing my phone as always.

And for the outfit, I was happily wearing purple cat dress from Yogiswari Prajanti from Java Batik, one of my favorite Indonesia designers, with Ballerina flatters from Tory Burch and unique tassel earrings from dearest childhood friend, Deniheru UniqlyKamea. 

You guys like it? go check out their Facebook and Instagram accounts :)

And join us on Skywatch Friday and enjoy beautiful skies from many corner of the world

WW: New York Comic Con 2017 - Pink (and purple) Heroes

Super excited to come to New York Comic Con 2017!

And we have the pink heroes, who will be joining Making Strides against breast cancer.
I stopped by at Chevrolet booth, one of the proud sponsors of Making Strides against Breast Cancer in Central Park, next week.
 

 We took picture as well for sure!

Together with Bo et Obi, we had a blast wearing our favorite hero costumes.

Obi and I decided to be Raven from Teen Titans and guess what..it's all purple (surprise, surprise :)). Bo was a bit reluctant so he was wearing his Captain America t-shirt only.

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers..

Will be back with more stories on #NYCC2017 for sure!

 

Join us on (almost) Wordless Wednesday and have fun linking up

Beauty - Kylie Matte Lipstick and Lipliner in Kourt K Lipkit

Disclaimer: this post is purely my own review and not in any ways is compensated by any companies or agencies. I acquire the product myself and happily write my personal experience.

Lipstick, lipstick, lipstick.

Bring me one and I'll get more :).

I don't remember exactly when I start developing a new hobby of trying ,- and eventually buying and collecting,- lipsticks. 

Any new shades and formulas are warmly welcomed and I have to admit that I am thrilled to try new variants of lipstick,- or lipstain, lipkit, lipgloss, liptint and whatever names they come with,- that you can easily find in YouTube, Snapchat and Instagram.

This time, I have Kylie Matte Lipstick and Lipliner in Kourt - drum rolls, please ;p,- 

Ada yang suka Kylie Matte lipkit?
Aku #tunjuktanganyangtinggi.
Dengan segala kelucuannya dan kekiniannya, Kylie Matte Lipstick and Lipliner, atau lipkit, memang sempat heboh di Indonesia. Eh, masih ngga sih? 
Denger-denger dari temen dan saudara di tanah air, harganya juga sempat fantastis ya..hampir menembus 1 juta Rupiah untuk warna atau koleksi tertentu.

Have you tried this?
Kylie lipstick has been one of the most wanted collections. Well, at least at certain point of time when most of the collections were sold out.
Being released less than a year a go, there are times when some favorite colors are out of stock or limited edition collections are so difficult to get. I literally set an alarm when the new shades are released and focus on getting those lipsticks online. I know it sounds crazy but sometimes,  

Inget banget waktu lipstik ini awal-awal baru keluar, heboh bangeeet sekantor kalau mau pesan online. Soalnya, walaupun harga lipkit ataupun lipstick dan lipglossnya tidak terlalu mahal, tapi ongkos kirimnya lumayan ngegetok, sekitar $9 atau Rp 130.000,- sendiri. Dan lipstick Kylie hanya dijual lewat online, at least for NYC. Kalau hanya beli satu atau dua aja rugi kan, hehehe. Jadi tidak jarang saya shout out di group WA ladies di kantor untuk  mengumpulkan siapa saja yang akan pesan dan biasanya memang rame :). Kalau sekarang, setiap belanja di atas $40, biaya pengirimannya gratis. Jadi again, enakan belanja rame-rame :).

My Kourt K Lip kit.

Jadi, seperti apa sih rasanya pakai lipstik yang satu ini?
I know many of you have used it as well and here's a little review from me.

THE ARTIST BEHIND THE LIPSTICK

Oke...kita mulai dari Neng Kylie Jenner.
Rasanya kalau mau tau cerita lengkap mengenai kehidupannya plus her famous Kardashian Family (plus sang 'ayah' yang tidak kalah kontroversial, Bruce Jenner..or, udah jadi 'ibu kedua', Catlyn Jenner :)), you can just easily Google it.
For sure, she loves make-up, successfully released her first line of lipkit  and there she is now, developing all those colorful collection to her preferences ranging from lipstick, eye shadow, eye liner and more. 

THE KIT AND THE PRICE

The lipkit contains of 1 (one)  Matte Liquid Lipstick (approximately 0.11 fl oz./oz. liq / 3.25 ml) and 1 Pencil Lip Liner (net wt./ poids net  .03 oz/ 1.0g), as mentioned in the website, kyliecosmetics.com and the box.

The price for the lipkit varies from $29 - $30 (for new colors in holiday boxes), before shipping. As I said, the shipping is free if you purchase $40 or more for domestic shipping, and $60 for international shipping. Before that, shipping was $8.90, the same price you have to pay if you shop less than $40.

Kourt K and mini me :)

Beside the matte liquid lipstick, the lipkit comes with lipliner with the same shade as well.
It's the standard one, around 4.5 inch and weight 1 gr.

The lipliner

THE SHADE

Basically, Kylie's collection comes in matte lipkits, matte singles/lipsticks, lipglosses and metals

There are so many shades available, particularly since Kylie released more new colors during the holiday seasons.

Originally, it was coming in Kourt K, Posie K, Koko, Candy K, 22, Dolce K, and Mary Jo. But now, we have more and more shades, ranging from Leo (another favorite shade of mine!), Dirty Peach to Maliboo, from Merry to Vixen. The complete series can be check on her website.

But, as purple is my forever favorite color (as Obi said bluntly :)), then Kourt K is one of my first Kylie collection I own. I also love (and have) Posie K, Leo, Merry, Vixen, Dead of the Knight and Reign. I know ...I know, it's a lot >_<.

THE INGREDIENTS

As I can read in the box, the lipstick is made of mixture of Isododecane, Nylon-12, Diisopropyl dimer dilinoleate, trimetylsiloxysilicate, polypropylsilsesquioxane, silica, disteardimonium hectorite, flavor, propylene carbonate, syntetic flourphlogopite, tin oxide, and more :). It was a long list indeed and frankly I don't really understand what they are exactly. For sure it's made in USA.

The ingredients

THE SWATCH

Here's how it looks on my complexion. 

the lipstick and the lipliner

And this is when I put it on my lips, but this one without the lipliner.
I don't really feel the need to use one, it's already bold.

Dilarang protes ya kenapa semua ungu :). Dan abaikan foto kami yang seadanya pakai hape tercintah.

THE PERKS

I love it for its true bold color and 'matteness.' Kourt K is in deep purple, my favorite color.
I know it does not always look good on others but it looks fine to me.

The brush is also good, perfect size and help us steadily apply the lipstick on our lips.

The lipstick dries quickly so it won't be messy.

The lipsticks and other cosmetics collections are not tested on animals and the shades are vegan as well.

the brush

THE NO-NO

Perhaps, because the lipstick is meant to be super matte and long lasting, it feels very powdery and tend to dry your lips. Therefore, whenever I have used this lipstick, I will directly put some gloss on and free my lips from other lipsticks as well. During winter it's more problematic for me as the weather is colder and dryer, but other than that it's manageable. Karena teksturnya yang powdery, maka lipstik ini memang bikin bibir kering. Jangan lupa pakai primer or lipgloss sesudahnya supaya bibir tidak menderita.

As it's the ultra and extremely long wearing lipstick, the color stays and sometimes it stays too long >_<. I really have to clean it thoroughly using my face and lip cleaner, with moisturizing oil on it.  Karena tahan lama, membersihkan bibirnya harus dengan seksama ya dan dalam tempo sesingkat-singkatnya.

And do not swipe it twice because it will be blotching. So better make sure that you fill the lip and swipe the brush steadily. Lipliner will be very helpful if you're not accustomed to it. 
Ini suka jadi masalah banget deh...karena warnanya yang memang tahan lama, kalau kita pakai lipstiknya agak salah or ngg pas, menghapusnya lumayan perlu perjuangan. Dan biasanya berbekas :(. Apalagi saya yang sering dan hobi banget dandan di mobil hehehe. Kalau begini, lipliner akan sangat membantu dan siap-siap bedak lagi deh untuk menyamarkan 'kelebihan' lipstik di pinggir bibir.

Well, all in all, I give the score 7.5 out of 10 :).  I still like this one and now I'm venturing more, newer shades. 
Mind if I'm coming back with more shades? 
What do you think about this matte liquid lipstick and li liner?
Ditunggu postingan berikutnya ya. 

Beauty - Kat Von D Studded Kisses in Wolvesmouth

Disclaimer: this review is purely made from the heart, without any sponsors whatsoever, as I love the product. All opinion expressed are genuine and kindly note that the result on color and durability of the product may vary. 

Yuuhuuuu..

Siapaaa yang suka dandan di sini?

Sayaaaa.. #tunjuktangantinggitinggi :).

Don't get me wrong.. 

Saya senang dandan, tapi ya ngga canggih-canggih amat. Jauh dari jago malah. I love make-up, like most girls do, but I am still learning some ropes on how to do it perfectly, if not properly.

Masalah klasik seperti eyeliner yang berantakan, lipstik belepotan, sampai blush on yang terlalu kinclong masih menjadi problem setiap saya berhadapan dengan make-up kit yang asli ada di mana-mana. Maksudnya di tas, di kamar, di meja makan, di kantor, sampai di mobil.

Tapiiii ... Penyakit perempuan (baca: Indah) kan sama saja. 
Gampang tergoda.
T E R G O D A.
T.E.M.P.T.E.D
So easily tempted to get more and more collections of what we love most.

Iya, saya ngaku aja deh. 
Dengan lawan negosiasi saya di UN, saya bisa galak dan tegas. Dengan suami dan anak-anak pun demikian (kalau diperlukan). Tapi saat mampir di gerai kosmetik terkemuka, yang entah kenapa ada di jalur subway yang saya lewati hari-hari menuju kantor #salahkanrutesubway #bisapindahjalurpadahal, hati pun terpanggil.
Kalau sudah begini, dengan langkah mantap dan hati bulat, saya pun mampir dan berujung di belanja produk-produk kecantikan yang memang saya (pikir saya) butuhkan.

Dan lipstik... entah kenapa, selalu menjadi pilihan utama yang mengisi keranjang belanja saya. Sebatang pewarna bibir yang seolah punya kekuatan magis dan selalu bisa membuat saya memilihnya dengan senyum lebar dan hati senang.

Jangan heran kalau lipstik saya numpuk!
Dan semuanya, surprisingly, saya pakai lho.

My life...

Dan sekarang, saya mau sharing salah satu lipstik favorit saya .
Kat Von D Studded Kisses - Wolvesmouth.
Ada yang suka juga?

introducing, Kat Von D

Ini benar-benar lipstik favorit karena saya sudah 3 (iya betul TIGA) kali membelinya (lagi dan lagi) dengan warna dan jenis yang sama.
Kenapa saya suka?
Because it feels and looks good on me.
Coba lihat deh..menurut teman-teman, bagus dan cocok ngga untuk saya? #maafjadinarsis

Dua gaya, dengan lipstik yang sama. 
Maafkan ya :).

Now, let's get to know Kat Von D Studded Kisses.

The Artist behind the brand
Have you ever heard of Kat Von D?
Sudah pada tau dan kenal Kat Von D dong...
Kalau belum, silahkan di google aja :). Tatto artist yang ngetop banget lewat serial reality show LA Ink ini memang one of a kind.
Saya pertama 'ngeh' dan berkenalan dengan Kat Von D saat tugas ke New York untuk sidang tahun 2008. Baru kenalan aja, belum akrab dan belum beli produknya yang memang di-lauch tahun itu di Sephora. Sepintas saya inget Kat seperti Dita Von Teese, artist burlesque beken yang menjadi salah satu model t-shirt kampanye Marc Jacobs untuk NYU Skin Cancer research. Tapi Kat is more like an artist to me, with the knack of creating those gothic style shades and colors. 

Gothic, particular, purple.

So me! 

you can guess which one is Kat, I suppose :). Photo was taken from katvondbeauty.com

Karena keahlian dan keunikannya dalam seni pertatoan, Sephora tanpa ragu meminang Kat untuk mengeluarkan her own cosmetics line di tahun 2008. Dan memang bukan pilihan yang salah, karena produk KvD, singkatan beken Neng Kat, memang jadi hits dan laku keras. Untuk lipstik, sebenarnya ada 2 jenis, yaitu everlasting liquid lipstick dan studded kisses, seperti yang saya akan review.

The Shade
Studded Kisses come in so many shades, 39 to be exact, but my favorite is Wolvesmouth.

banyak pilihan :). Photo was taken from katvondbeauty.com

Kenapa saya suka Wolvesmouth? Karena shading ungu yang paling pas menurut saya. Dari begitu banyak lipstik yang saya punya dan pakai, mostly memang warnanya ungu. But wolvesmouth is a perfect blend of  deep plum with perfect amount of glitter that brightly color my pout. Kadar keunguannya pas untuk saya. Ungu tua yang solid dengan sedikit efek glitter yang mencerahkan. 

Perfectemente para mi.

The ingredients and the packaging

Totally cruelty free, that's what Kat promised us.

Here's what I copied from her website about this daring studded kisses lipstick:

"Each long-wear, pigment-rich lipstick is formulated with Color Cushion Technology™ to keep your pout feeling comfy and velvety soft. Just swipe it across lips to lock in bold, badass color with unstoppable wear."

Pretty convincing, right ;).

the signature :)

For the packaging, one solid black tube with studded diamante 3-D effect and KvD signature tattoo is lovely to look at.  They said that it was inspired by Kat's studded cuff. 

O la la...Kemasannya saja sudah menunjukkan 'jiwa' Kat yang rada radikal dan menggemari gothic look.

The swatch

This is how the swatch looks on me.

What do you think?

my favorite hue..

Deep purple but still bright as I love it :). Makanya habis tiga tube karena baju dan aksesories saya kan banyak yang ungu, jadi lipstik ini matching untuk dipakai.

The perks

Buat saya, satu yang membedakan Kat Von D Studded Kisses dengan lipstik merk lain yang sejenis adalah kelembutannya di bibir saya. Jangan salah lho..studded kisses memberi efek matte tapi tidak kering. Akan lebih baik kalau kita memakai lip primer sebelumnya but even without it, you can still feel how comfy it is on your lips.

Selain itu, warnanya yang bold dengan hanya sekali usap membuat lipstik ini awet dipakai. Saya rata-rata menghabiskan satu tube untuk sekitar 4 bulan, karena memang warna favorit dan sering dipakai lagi dan lagi. Boros pakai bukan karena warnanya tidak 'keluar' tapi karena pakainya keseringan  :).

Satu lagi yang saya suka, membersihkan sisa lipstik ini tidak sulit. Paling tidak tidak sesulit lipstick or lipstain lain yang saya suka pakai. Sisa lipstik yang dipakai setelah makan atau minum menghilang dengan rata, tidak 'bocel-bocel' seperti lipstik lainnya.

Dibandrol dengan harga $21 sebelum pajak atau sekitar $23 di New York City, lipstick ini benar-benar bersaing dengan merk lain yang memiliki spesifikasi sama di kelasnya seperti Anastasia Beverly Hills, Urban Decay, Lime Crime, Stilla, Too Faced, Kylie cosmetics dan teman-temannya. So in the price department, KvD Studded Kisses lipstick is surely affordable.

You can get this product online on her website katvondbeauty.com and in many leading cosmetics and department stores.

Well, that's what I have for my favorite lipstick for now.

You can see clearly why I love Kat von D Studded Kisses - Wolvesmouth 

Care to try?

Mau coba? 

Rockefeller Center in Summer

I haven't really shown you NYC this summer, have I?

I guess, like in many corners of the States, the weather is not really friendly as it's soaring up to more than 100 degree F or around 40 degree C. Even for us, Indonesians, it's too warm, if not too hot.

But summer is always packed with wonderful outdoor activities, colorful decorations and beautiful skies.

Lately we have been strolling around the Rockefeller Center. As always, enjoying its intricate details in the garden, changed beautifully every season.

And how I love what I see in Rockefeller Center this summer!

A giant purple dragonfly made of beautiful flowers. 

In purple.. My favorite color :).

Let's take a closer look at them.

super cute dragonfly

slightly bigger..

the cooling pond

Last spring, this corner was packed with beautiful tulips. In December, we have angels smiling at us while we were chilling in the garden. This summer, these  colorful dragonflies really steal everyone's attention.

So, if you get a chance to stroll around this area, don't miss the chance to enjoy Rockefeller Center and take pictures.

I stopped there after enjoying free Citi summer concert with a special guest of Celine Dion.
I know, Celine Dion :).
And the concert was free.

lining up since 4.30 in the morning :)

Although I lined up since 4.30 in the morning to get the spot, it was a lovely morning 'exercise for me and Celine Dion lovers. I practically grow up with her songs, all those lovely hits and upbeat tracks, as well as her famous balads. I only managed to see her from afar (apparently people were lining up since 10 PM the night before >_<), but I was happy to sing along with her that morning :). Not bad for a free concert.

We also spend so much time in Astoria Park lately. Morning, noon and night. Not sunrise but a few sunset.

I gotta to admit I accompany my son, Bo, catching some Pokemons. Amidst so many controversies over this game, we both enjoy our bonding time walking around the park and having fun catching those digital monsters. We walk a lot.. Almost 2 km per day, so that we can hatch the eggs as well :). But for sure, I won't miss the chance to capture the beauty of our surroundings.

sunset in Astoria Park

So, how do you enjoy your summer?

You have some free concerts around your place?

Do play pokemon as well?

Join us on Skywatch Friday and enjoy the beautiful sky from many corners of the world