Free cake from Patisserie Valerie

On Friday, I received a complimentary voucher for an 8" gateau at Patisserie Valerie! Are you wondering why I got a voucher for a free cake? It wasn't for a good reason, here is what happened.

A couple of weeks ago, I ordered a birthday cake from Patiserie Valerie's website for my cousin's birthday- I ordered the Macedonia Cake with Dark chocolate.

Macedonia Cake with Dark chocolate

As you can see it is very mouth watering! Fruits looks fresh. Unfortunately, the pineapples on top of the cake had an unpleasant odour and had an off flavour. I however didn't take the cake back (I should of really), I just removed the pineapples and had the rest of the cake.

I called the shop where I picked it up from and spoke to the manager the following day. She was very apologetic about it and explained that they always use fresh fruits. She asked if I wanted to come to the shop and get a part refund. But then I think she realised she's not allowed to that or something so changed her mind and told me to fill in the complaint online form on their website. So I did. Guess what? I waited for a week and still didn't get any reply. So I e-mailed the head office directly and waited for another 3 days for a reply from the Brand Excellence Manager, Ms. J.D. (below is a copy of the e-mail)

Dear Ms. Li

Thank you for your email. I am sorry in the delay in replying to you.

All our cakes are freshly made with fresh ingredients. Clearly there could be no issues with off flavours.

Can you please confirm whether you have any photographs of the cake or that you returned any of the cake to the café?

Regards

1. Did you realise she has not apologised or sounded apologetic about the issue? But apologised replying late. Whenever a customer complains for whatever reason, the staff should apologise whether the customer is right or wrong.
2. I appreciate that they use fresh fruits but saying that 'clearly there could be no issues with off- flavours' is basically you're not accepting the responsibility at all. I mean did you bake the cake? I'm sure you recruit bakers. I mean accidents do happen, maybe one of your bakers left the pineapple out somewhere for a long time and forgot to put them back in fridge or something.
3. Why do you need a picture of the cake for?

I sent her the picture regardless and explained that I didn't return because we ate the whole cake as everything was fine except pinapples. Two days later she replied;

Dear Ms. Li

Thank you for the photograph.

We use fresh fruit on our cakes and of course there should be no question of any off-flavour. I can assure you your comments have been fed back to the Bakery.

In the circumstances, I will be happy to send you a complimentary voucher for another gateau, and if you can sned me your address I will forward that to you.

Regards

Still didn't get an apology but the content of this e-mail is a little better than the first though.

I replied to give my address and got the voucher within 2-3 days. The voucher was attached with a letter and at the end of the letter it said, 'Once again please accept my apologies about this....'

What apologies? I never got any apology. I assume that is just a standard complaint letter that they send out.

Anyways, at least I got some compensation in the end. The branch manager dealt with issue much better than her. At least she apologised than explained that they used fresh fruits and sounded apologetic. The bottom line is, the brand excellence manager didn't make me feel valued as a customer and it was as if she's saying I'm lying about the off flavours. You may be a very successful Patisserie and have branches all over central London and other parts of UK, but that doesn't mean customer service is not important any more within your company.

My first Glossy Box- Harrods Edition

This morning I was woken up by a loud knock on the door. It was the postman, he had my Glossy Box!

It's my very first Glossy Box and my first box is a Harrods Edition one, how cool is that. =p

Goodies inside the box

The samples that were sent to me were; SK-II Skin Signature Moisturising Cream, Clarins Extra- Firming Body Cream, Molton Brown Bath and Shower gel, a Valentino perfume sample, Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara and Shu uemura cleansing oil. I always think SK-II is designed for women that are in their 30s or above, maybe I'll give it to my mum. Same with the Clarins firming body cream, I don't think my skin needs firming yet, lol! But I'm definitely looking forward in using the rest especially the Lancome mascara!

No.7, Garnier & 17's BB cream Review

Today's blog post is going to be a review on UK BB Creams from brands of Garnier, Boots No.7 and 17;  I actually started this blog like 3 months ago but never got to finish it.

Before trying:

By looking at the specification itself, the best one to me is 17 because its the cheapest, has the highest sun protection, has oil control effect. 



Before applying BB Cream

The picture above is me before applying BB Cream. You can see that the side of my nose is really red and you can see my pores on the side of my nose- basically my skin doesn't look very smooth there.

BB Cream Reviewed

Boots No.7 Beautiful Skin

Price: £12.95

Sun Protection: SPF 15, 5* UVA

Functions: Evens skin tone, conceals imperfections, eliminates your blemish.

Categorised by skin tone and skin type; skin tone, Fair or Medium;

Normal/oily skin

Normal/Dry skin

Dry/ Very Dry

Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector

Price: £9.99

Sun Protection: SPF 15

Functions: Conceals, illuminates skin, even skin tone, 24 hour hydration
Categorised by skin tone; light and medium

Blemish Balm

Price: £4.99 (was £6.99)

Sun Protection: SPF 25

Functions: Oil control, evens skin tone, conceals, hydrates.

Categorised by skin tone; light and medium (the shades are one shade light than No.7. The medium for 17 is equivalent to No.7's fair tone.)

Swatches from Left: No7, Garnier, 17

For No.7 I opted for the medium shade so that is why it appears to be the darkest shade, the other two are light/fair shade. However, 17 appears to be a little bit lighter than Garnier and it has more of a pink undertone than the rest. 

After Trying:

The picture above is after applying the BB Cream. Starting from far left; No.7, Garnier and 17's BB Cream. I know my skin colour looks different in all three, its not to do with BB Cream its the light. I know these are not the best pictures to show you the results of each BB Cream. Please forgive me!

No.7

It's quite thick and from that you would probably expect great coverage; I have to say it's not great but average. You can still see some redness on my nose after applying 2 layers. My dark circles are not covered very well either- so embarrassing and I know I have bags under my eyes in that picture. It doesn't absorb into my skin quick enough. However, it does make my skin look smoother and does even my skin tone.

Garnier

It has a strong fragrance, a nice floral scent which I do like. It is also quite thick, but feels very light when applied and spreads easily onto your skin. Coverage is also average maybe a bit better than No.7. I applied a few layers on to the side of my nose, it reduced the redness but not fully covered. My dark circle however were lighter. It absorbs into your skin really quick, so your skin feels really smooth in no time.

17

This is a little less thicker than the other two and surprisingly it has best coverage too. I think its to do with the pink undertone it has which matches my skin colour the best. The downside however it doesn't absorb into skin quickly enough and like No.7 still has a little sticky finishing feel to it.

After trying all 3, I would say they are all average. Not really let down by any of them though because I didn't have any high expectations from them. Unfortunately, these 3 brands do not have enough shades to cater for people with pale or dark skin. Maybe that is something they need to think about. I wouldn't recommend Boots. No.7 judging from my experience but Garnier and 17 are worth trying- they are cheaper too. I would probably use Garnier and 17 as my alternatives to tinted moisturiser but not for going out on special occasions.

This is just my opinion and so each of these products may work differently with your skin; maybe better or worse; No.7 may work for you better, or maybe all them work really well on your skin. Anyways ladies, start BB Creaming your lovely faces! 

KONY 2012

Many of you may have already heard about the name "Kony" or even watched the video "Kony 2012". If you haven't, I've included the video "Kony 2012" below in this post.

I have never heard of Joseph Kony until I watched this video and I believe it's the same with most of you which is the reason why this video is produced. This video is produced by the Invisible Children campaign that aims to make Joseph Kony famous, not in a good way but in a way to make people aware and support the arrest of him. It's so shocking to see how hard it is for these children to have a happy childhood while we can effortlessly have a good one. I cried a little while watching, I felt so sad and so fortunate. I'm sure many of us take so many things for granted, for example; our parents, friends & family, food, clothes, the house/flat we live in, electricity, water, etc; we forget the value of them and forget that there's many people that are not as fortunate as us. I admit I forget all the time which is bad I know. For example, it's normal to us to be having clean water running through our taps but it's not for some people. Anyways, I think I'm going off the topic now. Help spread the word and make sure everyone you know sees this video.

BB Cream trend is rising in the UK

Hey Everyone! I've been kind of lazy with blogging lately, but since it is one of my favourite hobbies I will not give it up. This is another blog on BB Cream, I am currently working on a review on 3 BB Creams that I bought about 3 months ago. Stayed tuned!

There are so many BB Creams in the UK now, I can't even catch up. (My previous blog on BB Cream http://www.missyungquainth.com/2011/09/bb-cream-wave-is-going-to-be-big-in-uk.html - and I was right about the trend!).

I am a fan of BB Cream, so I was quite excited to see BB Cream in the UK. A quick explanation of what BB Cream is. It is also known as Blemish Balm Cream, it is a sheer foundation with multi functions like whitening, concealing, sun protection, evens skin tone, anti- wrinkle, and have nutrients that improves the condition of your skin. It is very popular in East Asia, Oriental womens' best friend). Currently I am using Missha's Perfect Cover and Real Signature and they are also my very first BB Creams I've ever used.

If you watch TV you would have seen the commercial for Garnier's new product- BB Cream Miracle skin Perfector. Not only Garnier, other high street brands like Boots No.7, 17, L'Oreal, UNE and Santuary have also got their own BB Cream.

High street brands; BB Creams in the UK

Department store brands like Estée Lauder and YSL have them too but they call it slightly different, Estée Lauder calls their one 'Beauty Benefit Creme' and YSL one is called 'BB Shade.' (According to my knowledge these are the only brands that have BB Cream in the UK but there may be more that I don't know about.)

Department Store Brands BB Cream in the UK

America have had BB Cream in their market for a while now but they are more like tinted moisturizer I heard- Smashbox (an American Studio makeup brand) have also recently introduced their own BB Cream but not sure if its out in UK though.

My BB Cream Review is on its way! Talk to you later! xxx

Versace For H&M Cruise Collection

A snippet from the commercial

Last year November, Versace For H&M collection was out in 300 selected UK H&M stores. I blogged about it as I went and queued for it early in the morning (http://www.missyungquainth.com/2011/11/versace-for-h-hit-street-today.html). It wasn't really worth the queuing up because most products were sold out by the time it was my turn. Plus the designs wasn't really that nice compared to previous collaborations; Robert Cavalli for H&M collection was sexy!

Anyway, that was only part 1 because part 2 of Versace for H&M- The Cruise Collection- is on its way on tomorrow, 19th January at 9 am. But this time only available online, but I think it's also available at Selfridges because I remember reading it somewhere.

Cick on the link below if you haven't seen it yet:
http://www.hm.com/gb/versace-cruise#collection/ladies/1152_webb_12

I'm not a big fan of the collection; the fruity prints remind of me the aprons you would wear while cooking. Having saying that, I do like the white jeans though; one single gold patterned stripe down the sides and a zip at the bottom by the sides. Only £39.99, decent price.

White Jeans from Versace for H&M cruise collection

I think the men's collection is a lot better than the women's, but last time the women's collection was better. The men's collection is more manly this time, I like the wool jacket.

I don't think I will buy anything, since my New Year Resolution is to not spend on anything unnecessary. But I do need a new pair of jeans, does that count? 

Happy New Year!! A good motivation for 2012!

Happy New Year! May 2012 bring you health, more happiness and more success. 2011 hasn't been a great year for me, but still a few good things have happened; skiing in Switzerland, UCL unconditional offer, new job, my boyfriend and I celebrating our 1st year anniversary, holiday in Hong Kong, took a makeup course and so on. 2012 is the year of dragon which is my year!! So hopefully this year will  be a lot better for me.

I recently read Tyra Banks' new blog and found it really inspiring and encouraging; good motivation for 2012. For those who know me (well some knows about this) knows how much I love and obsessed with Tyra Banks. My boyfriend don't even understand why. I find her really inspiring and love her philosphy of beauty. Yes, I loved her talk show and of course America's Next Top Model. I got the book Modelland too that she recently launched. Anyways, below is a copy of her blog post that I want to share with you guys, it is such a good one. Enjoy!




Can't Stop, Don't Stop

"Ever since my book launched in September, I’ve been gabbin’ about Modelland, Modelland, and more Modelland! As my fam from Cali to Miami knows, I’ve been tellin’ the world all about my girl Tookie and her seriously cuh-razy adventures. I’m so inspired and humbled meetin’ all of you, hearin’ about your fave parts, and readin’ all your comments on Twitter and Facebook from those who couldn’t make it.


But the best part of the tour for me was answering questions from YOU!


Some of you may be just starting out in your journey into womanhood, or maybe you are right in the middle of it, while others of you are reinventing yourselves for the next stage. But no matter what stage you’re in, my “advice” is always the same: Never EVER give up on yourself or your dream! This is what Modelland represents for me: the fact that dreams can come true.


Out of all the questions from tour, there was one issue that all my girls deal with on a daily basis - how you deal with haters, those people who just want to bring you down. Don’t think you’re alone! I had my fair share of people steppin’ in my way and trying to push me off that runway, just like my character Tookie.


I remember when I was a really young model and just startin’ out, I told the receptionist at my modeling agency that I was excited because I just booked Seventeen magazine. I was beaming! That receptionist looked right at me and told me, “You need to wipe that smile off your face. You’re a black model, you’re only going to go so far, and the most you will probably be is a receptionist like me.”


Now, I could have let that moment crush me, and I could have let her negativity change all those plans my mama and I worked for. But instead, I heard her words, and I fought even harder to make my dream of being a model come true. Then, when I did become a model, I started hearin’ casting agents say that my butt was too big, that I was gaining weight, that I wasn’t good enough for runway and that these high fashion designers didn’t want to hire me anymore—yet another obstacle I had to face. This time (and many times after that) my mama was there to help me through it. She told me to go where people will hire you. So instead of giving up, I switched up my career and found another way towards my dream. When one door closes, find another one! I was lucky enough to have a mama who was always supportin’ me, but even if you don’t have that support, always remember one thing: believe in yourself and with hard work, you can go far!


When the front door isn’t open, you need to go through the side door or through the back door, or you need to go down into that basement and climb up the steps in that house and get into that attic. Just make sure you get into the house, which represents your dream. That’s what I’m always tryin’ to do: ALWAYS push past the negativity and get up in the house.


No matter what your dream, it’s about constantly pushing past people’s expectations of you and not allowing them to put you in a box. No! You are not in a box. Let ‘em know, you’re in the house! "