Monday 3 November 2008

Kuala Lumpur Haul

I spent the weekend in Kuala Lumpur with my boyfriend shopping and catching up with friends.

We stayed with a friend who had an apartment literally a stone's throw from KLCC so that was where I did most of my shopping. At Parkson department store, I made my first Anna Sui haul as they were having a GWP with purchase of RM350. I got the brush stand (RM55/S$23.30), limited edition Beauty Tray P (RM67/S$28.40), Oil Control Gel Cleanser (RM88/S$37.30) and Loose Compact Powder UV #200 (RM98 for the powder refill, RM58 for the case).




The GWP includes a Mascara Primer 3.4g, Super Mascara DX Long Lash 001 3.4g, Whitening Fluid 50ml, Whitening Intensive Serum 10ml, Whitening Emulsion 10g, Protective Fluid Foundation B02 4ml, Protective Powder Foundation B02, Eye & Makeup Remover WP 20ml and a silver sequin-studded pouch with a butterfly charm.



The SA also threw in generous samples of their skincare and the new Night of Fancy EDT. The Isetan store in KLCC currently has a similar GWP with the same products but with a green Anna Sui pouch and a purchase minimum is RM400.



I almost ended up getting the Paul & Joe vanity case set, which is currently also available in Singapore. In Singapore, you can buy the case for S$118 and choose from a limited range of shades for a LE e/s duo, LE lipstick, lipgloss, eyeshadow, nail polish, Face Color Powder and mascara. As the shades are not very attractive and clearly to help P&J clear its old stock, I haven't felt tempted by it so far.

The Parksons counter was offering the same case for RM470 (about S$199) and you get to choose any powder foundation, face color powder, lipliner, eyeliner, lipstick and lipgloss from the permanent range. The set includes a couple of small skincare samples as well. You would also be able to get the P&J suitcase which is the GWP for purchases of RM400. However, I eventually decided to pass and try to focus on using up my current stash of P&J makeup (plus save up for the Christmas collection!).

As the Watsons was giving away a cute bracelet with purchases of RM100 of Majolica Majorca, I ended up getting the two new Majolook Trick On palettes and a green nailpolish. The palettes were selling at RM49.90 each (which is discounted from the usual price around RM53.90) which works out to be about S$21.15, a few dollars cheaper than the price of S$24.50 in Singapore and even Japan where they sell for 1575yen (about S$23.30).



The nailpolish was RM15.90.



The bracelet is actually by another brand, Huiyun, so the crown is not exactly identical to MM's logo but it's still quite cute.



There was a large Rimmel counter/display near the front of the store so I played with the tester for the new Cool Matte 16hr Mousse Foundation. The texture felt light and dried down nicely to a smooth finish. I ended up getting it in #100 Ivory, which was the lightest shade. And the best part? It cost only RM35.90 (S$15.20)! I did a quick search online and it costs US$8.29 (S$12.40) in the US and £5.99 (S$14.36) in the UK so the price in Malaysia is quite reasonable.



At KLCC, I also discovered an Italian fragrance and bodycare brand, Acca Kappa. After reading the positive reviews on Makeupalley for their fragrances, I purchased the fragrance trio of Calycanthus, White Moss and Hibiscus (3x30ml, RM270) and a Red Apple soap (RM40). The soap smells absolutely yummy and divine! With purchases of RM300, you also get a card that gives you 15% off for the next year :-)




All in all, it was a great trip! I found the service at the Malaysian beauty counters to be excellent with the SAs coming across as more genuine and friendlier compared to the SAs in Singapore. While I had some trepidation about driving up to KL, it actually turned out to be quite a fun road trip with scenic views of the countryside, lovely sunsets and even a rainbow! Some other unlucky Singaporean driver who was right behind us and driving at the same speed as everyone else got pulled over by the Malaysian traffic police, which just goes to show that sometimes it's really a matter of luck though whether you have a good or bad experience on Malaysian roads.

10 comments:

Unknown said...

This is a super mega might haul! I am jealous.

Amelia Yap said...

Your Anna Sui haul is really value for money IMO!

Anonymous said...

girl, you have bought things from MM and Rimmel here and I have yet to see them in person!!!

I thought you'd stop by GA in Isetan as it's cheap here. :) But your Anna Sui haul looks fabulous! I prefer Anna's brushes over MUFE's anytime as they are a lot softer. I also dig its decorative containers too.

I gotta get my butt moving to try out those new d/s stuff.

ps: I used to live right behind KLCC so I miss the days when I just walked over to check out makeup. KLCC is too... far for me now. sigh.

Anonymous said...

Good to see that you had a great time shopping in KL! ;)
I was always of the opinion that shopping in Spore is much better compared to KL, as Spore's cosmetic counters are more generous with GWPs & there is a wider variety of brands available there which are currently not available in Malaysia.
You have certainly reminded me of the fact that some things are still cheaper across the Causeway & our SA's are friendlier & more approachable! :D
Thanks haru!! *grins*

Anonymous said...

Wah! Such a great haul! Make me wanna go KL now too!

Haru said...

Dear Jojoba,

I did stop by the GA but wasn't attracted by any of the items, plus I haven't had a good experience with GA makeup in the past. I'll definitely check out Anna Sui's brushes in the future! I'm loving the two containers that I got so far!


Hey Yz,

I was really impressed by the SAs in KL. I didn't get bad service at any counter (and I visited many)! All of them were very prompt in attending to me, whereas the SAs in Singapore sometimes wait for quite awhile until you ask for help before coming forward or sometimes they're just downright snobbish and aloof.

Anonymous said...

Great haul! :D The Anna sui stuff look amazing - They make such pretty storage containers don't they? Glad to know you had a good experience shopping here :)

Anonymous said...

Hey, your Anna Sui purchase is a very good deal. I just bought something at the Anna Sui counter in Singapore, and the GWP was not as great!

Haru said...

Hey Jing,

If I had made my purchase one day earlier, I would have received another 2 mini mascaras (as part of the pre-sale GWP)!

Hey Parisb,

I enjoyed shopping in KL very much and will definitely return sometime in the future :-)

makeupmag said...

Super haul! What beauties you got. You passed on GA?! I have a couple of items from there and love them. Wish I could see this brand in person. :)