Mia's Althea Christmas Wishlist

Hey there, lovely readers! 2018 is soon coming to an end, but it's not the time to look back on the year and reflect... yet, for Christmas is around the corner! 

Still fretting over what to get for your girlies this Christmas? Well, not to worry because this time, Althea got you covered with tons of on-going special promotions with various discount codes up for you to grab over the week!

So let's move on with my specially curated top 10 Althea Christmas wishlist/recommendation, not in any particular order.

First up, let's take a look at the awesome line of Althea Exclusive, that's currently having 25% or 50% off minimum spending of $40 or $60 (until 19th Dec) and free shipping until 31st Dec 2018.

#1 

Skin Fresh Skin Detoxer Set - $25
(both Rose and Green Tea selling separately at $14 each)

A successful collaboration between Althea and Korea's top beauty programme, Get It Beauty, these two skin detoxers are both your super convenient 10-seconds wash off mask and facial cleanser combined!
I've previously talked about these two amazing products HERE, so do check it out!

#2

Milk Peel Cream Mask - $12.50

Another wonderful product from Althea Exclusive line, the Milk Peel Cream Mask contains AHA & BHA to help exfoliate dead skin for smoother skin, and at the same time contains Casein Protein (milk) to provide moisture to the skin and help our skin stays moisturised all day! I absolutely love the soft and creamy, clay-like texture that BUBBLES UP on our skin after application, it was so fun!

#3

Petal Velvet Set - $17.10
(Sunaway and Velvet Powders are selling separately at $13 and $6 respectively)

Armed with the highest sun protection of SPF 50+ and PA++++, the Petal Velvet Sunaway is made to be ultra lightweight on our skin. This translucent sunscreen is formulated with Damask rose extracts to make sure that our skin stays fresh and hydrated throughout the day without any streakiness or the dreadful ghastly white cast. 
(Read more about Sunaway HERE)

The velvet powders comes in 3 variations, translucent, warm beige and lavender pink, all of which 
helps to set makeup and leave behind a silky finish to the touch. Infused with oil from Althea seeds, this powder works to keep sebum production at bay without drying out the skin for a radiant, fresh look, all while giving out a gentle scent. 

#4

Pore Purifying Serum Cleanser - $11 

This is definitely one of Althea Exclusive latest launch that I'm so excited to try out! 
Combining the powers of a cleanser and serum, this product whisks away makeup, dirt, and oil with mint extracts while ensuring the skin stays cool and hydrated throughout thanks to a dual moisture cell system that envelopes the skin in a serum-like formula. It prevents the skin from drying out and effectively minimizes enlarged pores, keeping it smooth to the touch. This product also helps to balance the pH levels of the skin to keep it working in tip-top shape! Best of all, it's gentle on the face and suitable even for those of us with sensitive skins!

And now, onto winners of 2018 Althea Award, with 15% off with minimum purchase of any 3 items under the Award list.

#5

Laneige BB Cushion Pore Control - $38

Laneige BB Cushion Pore Control has to be my favourite cushion, ever! And now, they've gotten an upgrade! With an even prettier packaging and new, improved formula, this cushion provides smooth coverage with effortless application. The Pore Control comes with a formula that controls excessive production of sebum, leaving the skin looking and feeling fresh throughout the day. It also has long-lasting properties to keep it on all day so you won’t have to worry about it budging. These compact cushions make morning routines a breeze, and are great to keep in your bag for touch-ups on-the-go!

#6

W.Lab Jewelry Base Sapphire - $21

A gem-infused skin base, have you heard of it before?! With a mix of hydrating ingredients like Centella Asiatica, glycerin, and sunflower seed oil, this base moisturizes the skin, prepping and smoothing it for a flawless makeup application. This pretty base also contains illuminating sapphire and pearl pigments that give the complexion a gorgeously radiant glow. 

Sounds amazing, right?

#7

Laneige Water Sleeping Mask - $27

I'm pretty sure this world's best-selling sleeping mask needs no further introduction. This is probably THE product that gained Laneige most of its ardent fans. 
With 1 sold every 12 secs, this light gel mask provides intensive hydration, vitality and brightening effect while restoring skin with deep relaxation. This product contains a number of patents including the SLEEP-TOX™ technology that purifies skin during sleep, keeping it in optimum condition while MOISTURE WRAP™ helps skin retain moisture throughout the night. It also has an aromatic SLEEPSCENT™ helps you relax during sleep. Best of all, it’s also formulated with skin soothing agents that are gentle on the sleeping skin, helping it to recover overnight.

#8

Nature Republic Aloe Vera 92% Soothing Gel - $5

This is definitely one of my holy grail product! Made from 92% Aloe Vera gel, Nature Republic Aloe Vera Soothing Gel is enriched with vitamins and can be used for just about anything, from soothing sunburns to hydrating the skin and hair in the form of a mask, to an everyday moisturizer for supple skin. The aloe vera used to make this product comes from certified organic farmers in California (CCOF) and is kind to even the most sensitive of skins, making this suitable for all skin types. 

#9

Laneige Wild at Heart My Neon Sign Stained Glasstick - $28

Coming in Neon Pink or Neon Orange, this is Laneige's 2018 Limited Edition Holiday Collection, so grab yours before they're gone! It's a glowy tint lipstick that gives us the watery, stained glass lip makeup look. The festive, cute packaging is definitely the cherry on top! 

#10

RiRe Bubble Bubble Lip Mask - $9.50

Last but not least, I've decided to add a lip mask into my top 10 list, for lip care still seems to be always neglected! This hypoallergenic, innovative lip scrub foams up after moments and gently exfoliates away dead skin cells using fruit enzymes so you won't have to worry about accidentally scrubbing too hard. It also helps moisturize any dry patches, so you'll be left with smooth, kissable lips that are prepped to take on any lipstick you desire.

So, what are your thoughts of my Althea top 10 wishlist/recommendation? Have you tried any of these ten products before? Let me know your experience with these products down at the comment board below!

Till then,
Mia Foo

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Bakestarters Christmas Edition Baking Kit: Earl Grey Dark Chocolate Babka

Yes, I've successfully made my 1st ever chocolate babka, all thanks to Bakestarters! 

Bakestarters is a local company specialising in baking and baking kits, which come with freshly packed and individually pre-portioned ingredients, along with a recipe card and detailed instructions, tips and even a QR code linking to a tutorial video. Other than eggs, Bakestarters measures and packs all the ingredients that we'll need, including fresh milk, butter and fresh fruits!

Some of the kits even come pre-packed with baking tools such as loaf pans, cookie cutters and parchment paper, offering baking enthusiasts of all skill levels a fun and hassle-free baking experience.

For this coming Christmas, Bakestarters has launched their all new festive Christmas collection comprising of 8 baking kits:

1. Gingerbread Men

2. Passionfruit Yule Log

3. Chocolate Peppermint Yule Log

4. Blackforest Brownies

5. Orange Pistachio Biscotti

6. Pumpkin Spice Biscoff Loaf

7. Earl Grey Dark Chocolate Babka

8. Tiramisu (no bake)

Initially I was thinking of giving the passionfruit yule log a go, but after realising that I actually do not have the required baking pan size, and it will probably NOT fit into my small oven as well, I decided to give babka a try! 

As you can see, the baking kit comes with individually packed and labelled,  pre-portioned ingredients in a cute box, which you will also find your recipe and instruction cards. Other ingredients that required chilling, like butter and fresh milk, were well packed into a small cooler bag, stuffed with a generous amount of ice packs to keep everything nice and cold. 

And frankly speaking, this pre-portioned, individually packed idea brought so much convenience and it took all the hassle of measuring out the ingredients one by one out of the way. It took me less than 5 minutes to get all the ingredients for the bread dough mixed up in my bowl and all I did was snip-pour-chuck. 

Well, there's just one thing I couldn't quite understand was why they need to pack the unsalted butter in resealable bags, when technically there shouldn't be anything left behind for us to reseal?

But anyway, that's hardly of any importance at all. 

Bakestarters has obviously put in a lot of effort curating and perfecting their recipes and ingredients, for I totally did not need to add in any more liquid or flour to "perfect" out my bread dough. I mean, if you do bake bread, you will probably face the very common issue of differing hydration level across different brands of flour, or even between different batches of the same brand of flour, right? There's never a time I found myself not needing to add in that extra few teaspoons/tablespoons of flour or water to my overly moist or dry dough ball. But with Bakestarters babka baking kit, I got my clean bowl and clean hands easily with less than 15 minutes of hand-kneading, and reach the windowpane stage within 20 minutes! 

However, instead of following their instruction of letting it proof till double in size for 1 to 1.5 hrs, I let my dough slow-proof in the fridge overnight (for almost 12 hours) instead, which will allow the bread to develop more (yeasty) flavour. As babka is made from enriched bread dough (brioche) which tends to be a lot softer (and harder to manage if you're not a very seasoned bread-baker), leaving the dough rest for a couple of hours in the fridge also helps with all the rolling and shaping later on. 

Since the baking kit is supposed to yield two loaves/wreath of babka, I decided to make one following their instruction to get a babka wreath, and another into a simple twisted loaf, topped with cinnamon streusels, YUMS!

And I also dropped a few pieces of the remaining streusels on the babka wreath, which I kind of regret. It'll probably look better without the random "spots"?

Look at those pretty chocolate swirls! But well, I kind of cut the wreath in the wrong direction and got a full cut across the tucked ends with no chocolate swirls instead. BOO!

But I have to say, this recipe is DA BOMBZ! The sweet brioche bread is so soft and tender, that it's almost cake-like. Even my mum and brother, who aren't fans of chocolate, loved it!

Bakestarters Christmas Collection 2018 Baking Kits is now up for preorder until 7 Dec, 2359 hr, and delivery of the kits will be from 11 to 21 Dec.
If you miss the preorder, do not worry! Bakestarters Christmas collection is still open for orders after 7 Dec, subject to availability of delivery dates. Do note that the blackout dates indicate full delivery slots so it's advisable for you guys to cart out quickly should you want to purchase any of the kits! You will also be able to get your kits in time for the New Year (if that's what you are planning for) as Bakestarters will be delivering after 25th December too!

For more information, visit their website HERE

Till then,

Mia Foo

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