Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Nespresso U Media Launch Event

U is the latest innovation of Nespresso, a coffee machine that is specially designed to suit U and your lifestyle. Its cutting edge technology delivers the perfect cuppa coffee, at the convenience of your home. U is truly the epitome of elegance and taste.

A pleasure to use and display, U is for those who seek ultimate simplicity, the highest quality coffee, and pure design. 

With U, simplicity is the ultimate sophistication in both functionality and design. Its minimalist, contemporary look fits neatly into any living space.

Available in 4 understated colours – Pure Cream, Pure Black, Pure Grey and Pure Orange, U is smooth and rounded with a sensorial soft-to-the touch finish and elegant curved edges with the Nespresso signature embossed on its sides. The pure lines of U and varied shades let users express their style while complementing their interior design.

Priced at S$288, U is available in Nespresso boutiques, online Nespresso boutique, Nespresso Customer Care Centres and from selected trade partners.

Last month, I had the pleasure of attending Nespresso U's exclusive media launch event, thanks to Elaine. It was a night to remember, very memorable indeed.

The lovely understated event venue, Kam Leng Hotel, is a unique boutique hotel that was first established back in 1972. It was reopened this year, bringing back the nostalgic memories of the Nanyang past.

The revival of old fittings, fixtures, furniture and the juxtaposition of newly designed objects... I was literally being brought back to the early 1900s.

Here's a lovely pic of Tiphanie, yours truly, Irene Latoa (Nespresso Country Manager) and Elaine.

We were led to the 2nd floor, a makeshift area specially for Nespresso U's media launch.

Only U ♥

I couldn't resist taking photos of the beautiful displays and settings.

Sexy red U

There was a brief speech by Irene Latoa, unveiling the Nespresso U. A delectable three-course dinner was served thereafter, by contemporary French-Japanese fine dining restaurant, LP+ Tetsu

My gastronomic journey began with this interesting-looking molecular appetizers. My favorite was the celery one, that's right at the end. Simply orgasmic!

Okay, this one looked really ordinary. Looks can be deceiving. I tell you, it was oh-so-soooo good! You gotta add some green tea sea salt into the the vinegar thingy (red plate). Then, dip the bread thingy into the mixture. Yummilicious max :d~

No-no, it wasn't dessert. It was cream of cauliflower, I think. Another interesting AND delish concoction!

Finally, the main course - I opted for fish. Not bad, but definitely pale in comparison with the earlier dishes. The orange mashed thingy was sweet potato. The asparagus was tasty!

Box of desserts NOT. We have to earn our desserts by joining in the treasure hunt. It so happened that I was holding on to the room key. And, we were split into groups to discover how the U gets integrated into our different lifestyles.

We had the opportunity to explore the different themed rooms by 5 designers of different personalities. 

The 1st room was kinda halloween-themed (lol). Definitely not a girl's room eh.

Here's Dixie, serving us chocolate-coffee desserts. YUM-YUM :d~

And, here's my 1st cuppa freshly brewed coffee. I had 5 cups that very night - different flavors. I'm a true coffee lover :P

A very neat guy's room.

My favoritest, designed by Velda (Love Bonito's co-owner/blogger). Black + Red + White = Perfection.

Halloween prop? :X

Woah!~ Totally red and floral and... cheena.

Then, we entered this dark mysterious room...

There I was, lying on the bed, in the dark, capturing this perfect shot. These were balloons by the way, with the special light effects. Another favorite room of mine.

Final destination - the room with the whimsical fairytale feel.

This is the limited edition Grand Cru Crealto, developed using 100% washed Arabica coffees from South and Central America and Indonesia that can withstand long roasting without becoming over-roasted. The beans were simmered 3x longer than the average Nespresso roasting times to extract aromas and flavours harmoniously and to the fullest.

Crealto comes sealed in a white capsule with brown streaks reminiscent of the way chefs decorate their creations. With an intensity of 8 on a scale from 1 to 10, Crealto has round, roasted notes that linger on the palate, revealing nutty aromas when enjoyed with milk.

Cute trio of owls on the walls :D

A compilation of some of the desserts and coffee treats I tried, during the treasure hunt. All were seriously so yummy!

Thank you for reading! I shall end this super lengthy and picture-full post (took me whole day) with this lil' cute kitty. Meow~ :3

***All info and unmarked images are extracted from press release, www.nespresso.com and www.nestle-nespresso.com.***

 

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Swatch-Fest: Maybelline Hyper Cosmos Duo Eyeshadow

Finally, I'm done with the photo-taking, resizing and editing... of the Maybelline Hyper Cosmos Duo Eyeshadows (awfully late I know). They surely make my blog seem more colorful yea? :P 

A unique combination of crushed pearls and pure pigments, Hyper Cosmos covers a constellation of 7 gorgeous (duo complementary-toned) marbleized shades. Its new baked eyeshadow technology is an innovative baking process that removes excess water pigments for pure, intense, saturated colour. 

These baked beauties look very familiar. At first glance, I would say they are pretty much like MAC Mineralize Eyeshadow Duos, just that the packaging is rather fragile. That doesn't really affect me much, as long as the eyeshadow is good. 

Btw, baked eyeshadows can be used either wet or dry. If you prefer a more intense pigmented color, go with the former. The effect is absolutely divine.

The swatches are without the use of primer. The 3rd shade [on the right] is a mix of the duo tones. 

Maybelline Hyper Cosmos Duo Eyeshadow PC-1

PC-1 looks more like a peachy blush/highlight. I love the veinings, the prettiest among all.

Maybelline Hyper Cosmos Duo Eyeshadow LV-1

LV-1 when mixed, looks good on me! This is great for dates, for that perfect sweet look. Lovely!

Maybelline Hyper Cosmos Duo Eyeshadow WN-1

WN-1 has the best color payoff! So rich and intense, especially the gorgeous wine shade.

Maybelline Hyper Cosmos Duo Eyeshadow CP-1

Neutral babes will love this milk chocolatey duo! Btw, I also use Lashionista Mascara and Maybelline Hyper Glossy Liquid Liner for this eye look. Review for the mascara will be up shortly. is up >> CLICK HERE

Maybelline Hyper Cosmos Duo Eyeshadow CH-1

This has more glitter fallouts than the rest. Regardless, it's a really beautiful shade. Smoky greens 

Maybelline Hyper Cosmos Duo Eyeshadow LG-1

When mixed, LG-1 looks much more interesting. I'm lovin' the beautiful turquoise 

Maybelline Hyper Cosmos Duo Eyeshadow BU-1

Just a very simple look I did, using BU-1. A light-toned duo, which is very wearable. Nothing over the top, not-too-dull-not-too-shiny. 

You can get these Maybelline Hyper Cosmos Duo Eyeshadows at Watsons, Guardian, Sasa, etc. Reasonably priced at $17.90 each. 

Okay, that's all for now. Thank you for reading!

***All product info are extracted from press release.***