Jakarta May'13 (+Review of the Browhaus)

Hi everybody!

We're finally back home! Left Taiwan very late last night and after being stranded in KL's airport from before even the crack of dawn for a few hours, we're home at last! I am extremely tired, sleepy (been napping for three hours this afternoon but it wasn't enough) plus another horrible bout of flu's got its hold on me again. *Sigh* I know i know, i barely had a day of complete health since June. WTF. Cold, please go away already!

Anyway, we have plenty of fun stories to share about out Taiwan trip, but of course it has to wait (they're all going to be joint travel entries, of course) and in the meantime,  i'm gonna post this drafted post i've prepared since before i left for Taiwan.

The real entry starts HERE : 

I know i know, from the title you'd already know that this is an extremely backdated entry :p, but i've been incredibly busy since May *excuses excuses*, and i am so OCD *and keeping true to the concept that this is my online diary-nothing is too late when you write on a personal diary, right?* i have to blog about anything and everything.

This is actually still a continuation of my European trip diary lah *LOL*, because i went back to Indonesia from the trip to Jakarta and stayed there for another two days. But mainly i just wanna show you my OOTDs and haul while i was in Jakarta (i obvi went to Jakarta twice after this, and shopped a lot more FML) and a little review of the Browhaus.

So, the story actually started on the day we arrived in Jakarta. We were sooo lucky, that one of the aunties from this trip (i told you there were quite a few who were outstandingly nice!) actually went through all the hassle of sending two cars to the airport, one to pick her up and another (complete with the driver) just to drive the four of us to my family's apartment in Ancol. She told us a few days before the trip ended that she'd drive us home, but then we found out that her luggage were left behind by GA FHL and had to wait an hour or so before she can have it. 

Naturally we told her, it's ok aunty, we'll just grab a taxi home! But she just won't let us. Such a sweet aunty! I don't think she'd ever read this but who knows, someone who knows her might and they can tell her that i just wanna thank her again (of course, we thanked her already in person!) for being so kind. Thanks so much, Auntie Tenny!

On a stupid note, L and i showed our bimbotic sides and were squealing and screaming when our brand new (branded) bags had to go through the x-ray for final security check *LOL*. You know how girls are with their brand new purchases, especially the pricey ones. ZZZ. Btw, we were warned by so many people of annoying immigration officers who might be looking forward to tax us *happened to many people* if we carry brand new branded bags into Indonesia from overseas? Well, fortunately that didn't happen to us. 

And we needn't worry because there was this one aunty who bought like... 3 Chanel bags, 2 LVs and a bunch of Long Champs (oh yeah, in Asia Long Champ is considered moderately branded)-and probably a lot other stuffs we weren't aware of, and she cruised by leisurely-and without disturbance. I did hear (and experience) that Surabaya immigration officers were a lot more fussy (and money hungry). FML for that!

Another bimbotic moment for L, while she was waiting for her checked-in luggage, she actually lost her hand carry one! LOLOLOL WTF indeed. Not so surprised though, she can be super blur sometimes (and she dares call me Blondie. Who's blondier, most of the time anyway? And no, i'm not talking about hair color because hers is obviously natural black). She totally freaked out once she realized her hand carry was nowhere in sight, and we almost walked out of the arrival gate already! Turned out she totally abandoned it in the middle of nowhere that one of the officer brought it to the lost and found section. FHL.

We rented a car for the next day, and we told them 10 AM at first, but then L changed her mind because she needed to meet someone (for her work) in the morning, so we changed to pick up time to 9 AM. Problem was? I was up at 7.20, when my alarm woke me up. Got ready and stuff, but NOBODY else woke up!!! I had to scream at them to WAKE UPPP and they still had the decency to ask me "Why?", well-because it was 9.30 already!!! Dafug. They all scrambled out afterward *LOL*. This is when L finally realize that i always follow schedules, with military precision. Don't ever doubt my punctuality. In the end we left the apartment at 10 AM WTF, should've never changed the pick up time, now we lost a solid hour! ZZZ.

Here's my OOTD!

I was packed for cool Europe, totally forgot to bring decent tops for  my days in Jakarta WTF, the top was knitted and thick. Thankfully i brought a short to pair it with so i wasn't completely fried in them. My feet were amazingly tight and muscly after the never ending walks in Europe (in heels!), i miss my tight thighs :p

Knitted Striped Top : Online, Baby Pink Shorts : Matahari Dept Store (i think it was Aero)

It was taken in my 'rents room (where we stayed because it was the biggest and en suite), please excuse the chord on the background hehe *don't know how to photoshop*.

Lisa's meeting up with the person for her work in STC or something, just next door to Plaza Senayan so hunny and i decided to walk to Plaza Senayan to wait for them there. I was hot and bothered, and immediately missing European spring weather *LOL*, it was pretty shocking-the difference. Anyway, went to Metro in PS and... well... You know.

Here's the collective haul while i was in Jakarta first :

In Metro i found these :

 

You know i'm not a big shoes kind of girl, out of all of my outfit collection i have the least number of shoes (okay, so the least number means i own like, 40-50 pairs? That's NOTHING compared to my other collections okay! *defensive*) mainly because i like to hoard things, and maybe wear it once and wait like... years to wear it again, and shoes falls apart if you neglect it for a long time, so i try to buy less shoes (there's always the possibility that they fall apart because i usually buy cheaper kind of shoes (coz as usual i am more attracted to cutesy designs than anything else)? None that costs me like millions. Does super expensive shoes lasts even if you neglect them for years and years?), but these two beauties beckoned to me and their charm was too strong to resist >.<. Plus they were on sale, IDR 299.000 (around USD 30) for two.

Yes, i am crazy about jelly-textures. On shoes too. I am obsessed with them lately. Been thinking of purchasing genuine Vivienne Westwood shoes one of these days... And i think Jelly shoes won't crumble, at least not as fast as mock/real leathers and other materials..

This also came in a super cute bright blue that i also really wanted, but i couldn't justify buying two exactly the same shoes in different colors (though i wouldn't say the same for clothes and accessories..). I asked hunny and he said the baby pink one's cuter so i picked it... Still longing for the blue one though... But i really wanted the other design too, i shouldn't buy four, right!!! (coz if i bought three it'd be more expensive!)

I've worn it a couple of times (okay, two...), once in #Undecided's birthday (when we plowed through wet soils, thank God i was wearing these jelly babies so it was really easy to clean!) and one more just last week when we caught Turbo with Baby Boy.

Yes, i attracted lots of stares dressing like this and holding my little boy. My hunny complained because he was worried people would think he's a paedophillia, dating an underaged girl zzzz

This one's also a jelly shoes but with Velvety touch. It's super pretty on!

Yeah, i haven't had the chance to wear this. I originally wanted the electric blue one but sadly they didn't have one on my size  :(... But this one's pretty too!

L was done pretty fast and we went to Senayan City, watched Iron Man 3 (L's treat! She used her Citibank point and the bill came up to IDR 0! We need more offers like that in Surabaya, how come all of the good deals are only good in Jakarta???). We also shopped at the speed of lighting (because we didn't have much time), i only bought this high low sleeveless top from Top Shop, it was only IDR 99.000 (from IDR 199.000) and there was an added discount for using one of the credit cards L had (so i borrowed hers), 10% off!

It'd be superb over a legging!

Saw a lot more pretty things (especially in Miss Selfridge-which is like my ultimate fave shop if only their things aren't so crazily priced in Asia!!!), also cursed when i saw lots of cute flat booties in various shops (when i had such hard time finding any in Surabaya that i had to settle the one with a wegdie-style heels), a super cute *and fluffy* one on a high street shop that i can no longer remember the name. Dammit, hurry come to Surabaya, will ya!

Also accompanied L shopping for nail supplies for her work at Metro *again*, she went back to her normal, confused self *she was super chilled and relaxed in Europe, not something you see in everyday life*, even standing in the middle of the department store *like, blocking the way* for a full 10 minutes, typing away on her Blackberry, she was miles away really. It really was embarrassing for her companions, okay!

After watching Iron Man 3 (it was super cold in the cinema, hunny and i compete on who can pee the most during the movie) we left immediately to drop them off at the airport, and then rushed back home *detouring as fast as we could to Mangga Dua Square to buy food* before we run out of time *didn't fancy having to pay overtime for the car rental, you see...* and then just chilled at home. 

We're going back to Surabaya in the evening the next day, so we had time to do some last minute shopping *i specifically told hunny i NEEDED to go back to Plaza Indonesia because i want to shop at Forever 21-after only being able to ogle at the already closed store two weeks earlier!* and i also wanted to try out the eye brow shaping at The Browhaus, i desperately needed it!

Here's my OOTD first :

I totally forgot to check and my tights were apparently footless/step on type! And i didn't have any more socks (i did, but they were in the securely wrapped suitcase and i had no intention to unwrap it before we arrived in Surabaya!) so i had to wear the booties without any socks WTF

Floral Bodycon Dress : from my own boutique, Maroon Step OnTights : random Korean style boutiques

Here's the condition of my eyebrows before the eye brow shaping *keep in mind i've been letting it grow wildly for about two or three months because i wanted to try out this service, so don't be shocked* :

Crazy uneven and holey from my unprofessional plucking method *LOL*

Been keeping it thin and arched for far too long, all the hair under the arch were new hairs

Here's a picture of The Browhaus in PI, taken from their official website :

I went there and asked for eyebrow shaping, it was completely empty but the receptionist told me i should go back at 2 (it was 12) or something because they were completely booked. I was naturally like... WHY??? But i wasn't in a bitchy mode so i just said okay (coz then i can shop at Forever 21 first... That was more important okay!), but then they were busy whispering amongst themselves and suddenly asked me to go to the booth to be attended immediately. WTH *___*. Wasn't happy with the receptionist's service.

I've been there a year before, my niece Au and her mum CL had their brows done there, i thought they did a pretty decent job and since i'm dying to reshape my scary eyebrow *they make me look angry all the time* that's not been touched by a professional for far too long, i decided to try them out. Also, due to my crappy plucking, my eyebrows were a bit holey at some parts, CL's eyebrow were sliced in the middle by a scar (she was bitten by a big dog when she was really small, the dog's mouth covered her head and eyebrow!), she claimed The Browhaus brow specialist were able to make the scar less visible and the eyebrow appeared connected, so i was sold!

The place was comfy, the seat even more so *even though they reminded me of dentist's chair for a bit...*, and the booths were quite private so you won't feel self conscious there. The result :

I LOVE the result! My eyebrows were neat, even, shapely (not so angry looking anymore...) and i believe they no longer looked holey or bald in the middle! Plus maintaining it somehow is very easy, i just pluck the stray hairs underneath, i now don't have to pluck as often as i used to, once in a few week's enough! And i don't look crazy if i forget to pluck them for a while! So will i return? Definitely! It's worth every penny (I think it costs me IDR 120.000, i don't remember exactly though)-and you don't have to do it all that often anyway.

The brow specialist that worked on me was quite nice too *not super nice, but acceptable. She was a bit sassy, which is not something that really pleases me from someone who's doing a job for me*. She also told me not to put on any powder for at least a few hours (three i think) so not to irritate the newly opened pores. She kept on offering me different products though  *which made me uncomfortable, i hate when people shoving stuffs they sell to my face*, as well as plucking my mustache. WTF. I didn't even know my mustache's visible enough to have to be plucked out. Now i am very self conscious of them and thinking of having them plucked next time FML.

Anyway, afterward i left my hunny with a glass of coffee in The Coffee Bean *where else* and i ran off to Forever 21! They were having a huge sale so, i went a little nutz...

I think i was there for half an hour only, rushing here and there, being productive and all *___*

A romantic chiffon sleeveless pale lilac (my second fave color of all time) long top with lace in the middle (it was in their lingerie section i think, but it's too pretty to wear inside the bedroom only. I will layer it and wear it out!) IDR 150.000 (from IDR 219.000). Hesitated about buying it, but once i tried it on... I just gotta have it!

High low neon green chiffon skirt-don't think it's on a sale, IDR 179.000 wasn't bad though. And as like the previous item, once i put it on, i can't part with it :(...

A bit crazy over neon colors (it's probably out of fashion already, but when did i ever follow any trend anyway...), and saw almost exactly the same shade on a top (a bit less neon though) and i loved it!

It's also wasn't on sale i think (I'm checking the tags as i type, you don't expect me to remember the prices, yes?) IDR 169.000 is awfully reasonable though. Stuffs like this sells at the same price at a non-branded, local chain stores/independent boutiques. That's why i am much more into high street brands nowadays. Forever 21 is my love obvi, but Zara's creeping up behind it!

Gradation Minidress in Blue...

And green

Purposefully bought them in different sizes (i wear M mostly for Forever 21) so i can wear the L one on a fat day *when my tummy doesn't look flat enough. It was on a huge sale, it was IDR 70.000 or 50.000 (why else would i get two of them, the cashier even asked me if i wanted the third color, which fortunately i didn't fancy), can't be sure because they tore off the price tag.

The last and most expensive item :

High low pale lilac tube dress with sequins on the chest

This is one of the most expensive dress i've ever purchased by myself (don't count the ones my mum bought me okay there were plenty), it was IDR 499.900 i think. I must have lost my mind because i would normally never spend so much money on a piece of clothing but this thing was so beautiful and mermaid-like (yes, i am obsessed with mermaid, in fact i call my current gel polish my mermaid nails and i am crazy about them. You'll see them soon enough) that i couldn't even think straight. M size fits me perfectly however the zipper on the back is dainty and the type that my hunny always struggle (and quiver, shake and grunts) to zip them up so i had to get them in L so i can zip it up myself and move it to the front easily :( i hope it won't fall off when i wear it though!

I also bought a few accessories :

Studded headband, always wanted them! Now i need to hunt for the other one on my wish list, the cat earred pearl ones!

IDR 79.000, also not the price i'd normally pay for a headband, but i can't find studded ones in cheap accessories chain stores LOL

Purple dangly earrings

It was on sale, IDR 40.000 (from IDR 69.000)

A dainty Cartier-looking luxe necklace, IDR 49.000, it just looked so much more expensive than it really is. Gotta have it!

We were stuck in a super horrible jam on the way to PI (i even fell asleep, and when i woke up we were still around the same area FML) so we were really worried about being late *will never ever miss a flight, don't jinx it though!* so afterward we just rushed to the dept store to buy a toy for Baby Boy, had lunch at Yoshinoya (hunny's newest obsession), tried to find Watsons (that apparently wasn't there) for my work, and jet to the airport. 

Guess what? Yes, no jam whatsoever! LOL. We arrived in no time, like... three hours before the flight time? FOL. But that's okay, i'd rather be super early than late! We spent the hours laughing our asses off watching a few Running Man episodes that it felt super brief anyway!

Me at Jakarta International Airport, clutching on my priced posession

Thanks to ANZ credit card we were not short on coffee and snacks (for free! Frequent fliers should defo get the card!), and before we know it we were called to board the plane. Lion Air was so stupid though, we had to use a half elephant trunk followed by a stair! WTF! LOL! Weirdest experience ever!

That's how our brief stay in Jakarta was, i had so much fun *although a little broke* shopping my heart out! Please come to Surabaya soon, Forever 21, i heart you so much!

#Pink