Maxim Swimwear Model of the Year Grand Finals & Pastry Brunching at Pandoro Patisserie

First of all, I'd like to take a second, exhale, and say I'm really glad that this month is going to be over. March was a pretty tough month. Not just for myself, but especially for the family members of the people in flight MH370. While conspiracy theories seem to be growing like mushrooms on the net, I just pray that the family members will find peace and strength, as it could have happened to anyone.

I hope things will be better in April, and hopefully I'm less accident prone. Seriously, my first month back and pop goes my kneecap. What are the chances? Anyway, it's healing up slowly together with my rotator cuff injury on my right shoulder with the help of an amazing acupuncturist. I love acupuncture. It does wonders!

Having a hectic schedule these few weeks have been driving me bonkers. Also, I've just survived my first uni orchestra performance with a healing arm. Thank God I didn't have any recurring pain after the 2 hour long program, plus a 2.5 hour rehearsal before that! :) 

My current favourite coat! It's so comfy and warm. Though not quite helpful when it's raining. Lol

Went out last weekend to town for brunch with Doug & Shu Run to check out Pandoro Patisserie on Allen St. I absolutely loved the place! It was like... heaven. It was a perfect day to be there because I had cravings for sweet stuff and baked goods. Besides, I've been good the whole week and cycling my carbs. ;)

Chocolate Danish. 

Very yummy, but too sweet for my liking. (wth is wrong with me)

Now this, I liked. 

Blue Cheese and Bacon Scroll.

Not an avid fan of cheese, but this level of cheesiness in this one is just right. The mushrooms inside are an added bonus!

Shu Run's mega impressive Chicken Sandwich.

It was Crumbed Chicken Schnitzel on Turkish bread. The bread from Pandoro itself. The helping was so huge she needed help to finish this. Haha

Another winner - Doug's Mediterranean Lamb Burger.

The meat is heavily spiced and it's beautifully accompanied by coulis, cheese and beetroot. Also a very big portion. 

Needless to say that we were full for the entire day.

One highlight of the week for me this week is the Maxim Swimwear Model of the Year Grand Finals. 

(Kinda funny how I'm blogging about food and about to write about bikini models.. lol)

It was still kinda blurry to me that I made it to the finals in a bikini contest in another country. 

Was it scary? Yes, but it was exciting. It was quite an experience to be the only tiny Asian girl competing with the tall Angmoh beauties in their bikinis. Haha! It definitely drove me to be more disciplined with my diet and workouts though.

The pictures are quite crappy because they were taken by my phone in a really dark venue with irregular lighting. Bah.

It was quite nice to meet the other girls! They were really friendly.

Thanks Doug for this picture! <3

 It was really hard to take a good usable picture.

 So, I was introduced as a model featured in FHM Malaysia. (2012 Jan issue, hehe) 

While I was going backstage to change, some dude hollered at me "Eh Malaysia, kick ass ah!" in a very Malaysian sounding accent I was pretty stunned. Lol. That's a first.

All the finalists for the New Zealand round in bikinis. 

The winner gets to go to Gold Coast and represent NZ in the Australasia round. Can you guess who won? Hehe.

Tadaah!

Congratulations ladies. You all deserved it :)

Make us proud in Aussie, Sarah babe!

Group photos.

 Looks shitty but thats about as much as my phone and editing skills can do. T_T At times like these, a good camera is handy. Unlike my stupid Samsung PL120 -____-

Although I didn't get a sash, I'm really glad to be a part of this competition despite it being just my 1st month back in Wellington. Also, it's another tiny title to put under my belt. :) It was a nice experience! My 2nd swimsuit competition, aside from the Roxy one in 2012. 

One of the best parts of this competition was to be escorted to the entrance of the stage by bouncers and bodyguards!! This is so that we don't get harrassed by drunks or just hamsup people in general. :P 

I felt so special and safe. 

We should have this in KL!

Oh yeah, I've managed to do this to my hair that night.

 Updo with short hair. Nailed it. Also gave a crap to pin flowers into my hair.

April, I'm ready for you!

xxx,

Ashley Mah.

[Sponsored] Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue

Perfumes and fragrances would be one of the top 5 on my "Favourite Things" list. I'm no collector but I have a few that I really love. Fragrances make good gifts for people and is always appreciated, given that the fragrance is chosen to match the person's taste or personality. A pretty bottle is a bonus! *hint hint*

This diagram above will help you choose the perfect fragrance for that special person, if you are unsure of which type of fragrance suits him/her.

Elegant, classy and yet personal, I think fragrances are the way to go this Christmas, since Christmas is the season of giving. :) Hence, you can't go wrong with something classic, like Dolce&Gabbana’s Light Blue.

The Mediterranean love story of Dolce&Gabbana’s Light Blue fragrances continues with a fascinating new chapter which you saw in the YouTube video above. This time, the two lovers chart a new course, with Italian model Bianca Balti cast as a classic Mediterranean beauty who takes the lead in a game of seduction. She is irresistible to David Gandy, who celebrates his third Light Blue advertising campaign with this episode shot in the glittering sapphire blue waters of Capri.

Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana: “We wanted to capture the electricity and the excitement of a love affair with a strong Mediterranean woman. Bianca has featured in many Dolce&Gabbana campaigns, but to see her with David brings a renewed, relaxed energy to Light Blue. Together, their eyes match the colour of the water, that beautiful endless blue that is the Mediterranean surrounding Capri. Watching it is to dream of plunging into that refreshing sea and feel the sun on the skin, to feel totally free.”

Bianca Balti’s character portrays the Italian femme fatale, and represents the Dolce&Gabbana woman: a self-assured beauty who her lover cannot resist.

Bianca Balti: “Light Blue was one of the first fragrances I wore, and I keep going back to it because when I wear it I am instantly transported back to Capri; the sun on my skin, the smell of the air and the sound of the sea. I love my character in this new Light Blue campaign, she is so feminine and so in control.”

The Designers worked closely with reknowned fashion photographer Mario Testino to create the sequel of the Light Blue story. Transmitting the same effortless allure he captures in photographs, it is a postcard of the Mediterranean, its landscape, romance and beauty. The white rubber raft in front of Capri’s famous Faraglioni rocks; and the lovers, their gaze, their kiss, and their pure white swimsuits.

David Gandy: “The Light Blue Ads are now so famous but when I filmed that first one back in 2007, I had no idea how big it was going to be.”

This time the imagery has a retro Mediterranean look, with Bianca dressed in a 50s style bikini of high-waisted briefs and a balcony bra, like the seaside fashion of Capri when Elizabeth Taylor and Jacqueline Kennedy holidayed there. The island has always been one of Italy’s most beautiful summer playgrounds and the backdrop to many great love affairs.

When the Designers built on the Light Blue story last year with limited edition scents Living Stromboli and Dreaming in Portofino, they sought inspiration in other enchanting seaside Mediterranean ports close to their hearts. Portofino and Stromboli, where the Designers have homes, are picturesque places that also represent the wild beauty of the Mediterranean with their views, the scent of the air, and the blue shade of the sea.

The Designers are extremely proud of Light Blue’s legacy, which includes 14 fragrance awards. Light Blue recently featured in an exhibition at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York as one of the century’s most groundbreaking scents.

“Light Blue fragrances are special because of the many people who cherish them. They wear them and create their own beautiful memories,” say Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana.

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Light Blue Pour Femme

Green Apples

Musk

Lemons

Cedar Wood

The fragrance attempts to capture the joy of living the light blue Mediterranean life by rediscovering the original celebration of sensual Mediterranean style – capturing sun-drenched summer days and dazzling nights, this colorful, fresh, floral-fruity scent reflects the sexiness of the Mediterranean life.

Its timeless design was inspired by the classic Dolce&Gabbana parfum, and the Light Blue shape is confident but always very feminine. Its light blue cap evokes the clear skies of the Mediterranean. The bottle itself is strong, reflecting today’s modern woman.

Fragrance Notes

TOP – Invigorating Sicilian cedar melds with the crisp vibrancy of apple and the guileless charm of the bluebell, to evoke the essence of a South Italian summer.

HEART – The freshness of bamboo nestles amid a glorious feminine bouquet of decadent jasmine and delicate white rose.

BASE – Redolent citron wood is entwined with voluptuous amber and a suggestive caress of musk.

Light Blue Pour Femme 50ml has the RRP of RM256.00

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Light Blue Pour Homme

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Dolce&Gabbana Light Blue pour Homme aims to capture Mediterranean sensuality. “Light Blue pour Homme is made for the Dolce&Gabbana man: sensual and modern, he likes to take care of himself, enhancing his healthy body with sports. The perfume captures the fresh, spicy and sensual scents of the Mediterranean: which we feel is the perfect playground for seduction.” say Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana.

The flacon for Dolce&Gabbana Light Blue Pour Homme blends the classicism of the shape that evokes the renowned bottle of Dolce&Gabbana Pour Homme with the modernity and the freshness of a frosted glass and a “sky-blue” cap.

Fragrance Notes:

Top – Refreshing bergamot, juicy, sun-drenched Sicilian mandarin, and the clean scent of frozen grapefruit peel and aromatic juniper. Mediterranean Lightness.

Heart – Aromatic rosemary, the subtle spice of Sichuan pepper and sensual rosewood. Strong Masculinity.

Base – An understated blend of American musk wood, incense and oak moss that together gently establish this signature, sensual scent. Innate Sexiness.

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Light Blue Pour Homme 75ml has the RRP of RM229.00

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Dolce&Gabbana Light Blue collection is available at major department stores and perfumeries.

Go get a bottle of Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue and put a smile on that special someone's face!

Merry Christmas! <3

Ashley Mah