Grand Launch of Fingo - The First of Its Kind e-commerce Platform in Malaysia

Congratulations to the grand launch of Fingo (M) Sdn Bhd (“Fingo”), an online mobile e-commerce marketplace operator on 29 Jul 2019. The launch of Fingo marks an innovative e-commerce marketplace with a first of its kind e-commerce platform that incorporates social e-commerce business model in Malaysia.

We were honoured to be invited to witness the grand launch of Fingo at Berjaya Times Square Hotel. Fingo is an e-commerce platform that is dedicated to members’ empowerment with its S2B2C1 platform. Through this platform, every member who signs up will be treated as a VIP and gain access to a wide selection of quality goods and suppliers from Tmall and Taobao, besides opening up new entrepreneurial opportunities for Malaysian via a members-reward system.

Founded by a group of former top executives from China’s e-commerce behemoth Alibaba Group, Fingo aims to tap into the booming and vibrant e-commerce market and the huge business opportunity in Southeast Asia.

Present at the launch were YB Dr. Ong Kian Ming, Deputy Minister of Ministry of International Trade and Industry; Mr. Dong Fang, Group CEO of Fingo; Mr. Wang Nan, Chief Operating Officer and Mr. Lee Chee Sing, General Manager of Fingo.

LEGOLAND® Malaysia Resort Celebrates World Friendship Day With LEGO Friends

Happy World Friendship Day! This year's World Friendship Day marks a special ones for my family as we were among the first few to meet Olivia, Emma, Stephanie, Mia and Andrea, the LEGO Friends, a core reality-based LEGO play theme from the LEGO Friends TV series at LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort! The girls have travelled all the way from Heartlake City to make new friends and treat their guests to a high-energy live performance at the theme park.

[From L to R] LEGO Friends character Emma, Mia, Andrea, Stephanie and Olivia have arrived from Heartlake City just in time to celebrate World Friendship Day at LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort.

During the 20-minute show, fans can catch Andrea, the main character as she gets ready for the annual Heartlake City concert. The whole family is encouraged to cheer and join in the action in the LEGO Friends build up and preparation for the big show!

LEGO Friends LIVE Show is a high-energy live performance with interactive sing-a-longs.

The all-singing, all-dancing production features LEGO Friend’s hit songs such as “BFF” and “Friends are Forever” with interactive sing-along moments where the audience is encouraged to join in with some dance moves. Audiences will be immersed into the world of Heartlake City with the latest projection technology such as visual mapping. My family have truly enjoyed the LEGO Friends LIVE Show because Olivia, Stephanie, Andrea, Emma and Mia sang and dance really well on stage. The songs were fantastic, and my girls keep on singing them until now.

LEGO Friends LIVE Show immerses audiences into the world of Heartlake City through the latest visual mapping technology.

“July is the perfect month to introduce LEGO Friends to our park because it will be just in time for us to celebrate World Friendship Day with our new friends. We have collaborated closely with the LEGO Friends brand to create activities that will enable learning about friendship through play. Through friendships, children are able to learn more about themselves, develop their own identity and positive social skills from an early age,” said Kurt Stocks, General Manager at LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort.

An Exciting Day Out with My Kids at kidzooona @ AEON Mall Rawang

Hi parents, do you know that children need to play and discover the world for themselves without too much restriction? Play helps the kids to shape their evolution, especially their brain and organ. Hence, I love to bring my daughters to play whenever we have free time. However, it is very important to do our own research before hand so that we can let them play in a safe environment.

Lately, I have discovered kidzooona, an all-you-can-play discovery learning centre located in many of AEON Malls nationwide. Run by AEON Fantasy Malaysia - a Japan-based company specializing in edutainment industry. With a value of ‘Family, Fun, and Safety’, AEON Fantasy Malaysia focus on children’s healthy growth through a fun play. They have almost hundred outlets around Malaysia that bring a name of Mollyfantasy, kidzooona, PALO, FANTAZIA & FANPEKKA.

What made me decided to bring my kids there was AEON Fantasy Malaysia provides and secured a clean and safe playground to the little ones. So, parents could be assure of the hygiene and educational value when visit the centre.

Since I was free on last Sunday, I decided to bring my girls to kidzooona @ AEON Mall Rawang. It was our first time to kidzooona, my girls and I were really excited. Guess what, we were attracted by the fun activities immediately after entered kidzooona.

SkinSoul Boutique Delights Shoppers with its Swiss Formulated Skincare and Facial Treatments

Shoppers at Mid Valley Megamall have another reason to rejoice as SkinSoul Switzerland (SkinSoul) re-opens this month with a brand-new look and added facial treatment services to the boutique.

Customers now have an alternative location to choose from in addition to Ampang. Over 50 media friends and KOLs came together and celebrated SkinSoul’s Grand Reopening at Mid Valley Megamall for a closed-door media event on 20 July, Saturday. The guests were introduced to SkinSoul’s swiss-formulated skincare range enriched with the regenerative properties of Ashitaba, the all-natural cosmetic and new treatment services, exclusive to the Mid Valley Megamall boutique designed to provide shoppers and busy executives a deluxe experience.

Guests had the first-hand experience with the hand spa witnessing how their undernourished hands transformed into hydrated and youthful skin in minutes.

There was also a sharing session with SkinSoul’s beauty advisors on essential make-up and for guests to try out the makeover session. On the side, the guests enjoyed the one-on-one session with Ms Jessie Lee to find out how knowing one’s ideal colours help to move ahead in life.

Guardian Malaysia Celebrates 4 Women as ‘The Face of Healthy Beauty’

Guardian Malaysia has announced FOUR Malaysian women from a field of 16 grand finalists to become ‘The Face of Healthy Beauty’ and to become its brand ambassadors on 27 Jul 2019.

(From left) Karyl Chee, Yasmin Khalid, DY Cho, Nurul Ezzaty Hasbullah and Nur Aimi Abdul Ghani posing for the media at the Grand Finale of The Face of Healthy Beauty

Congratulations to the four winners below;

Karyll Chee Kar-Yee, 23
Nur Aimi Binti Abdul Ghani, 31
Nurul Ezzaty Binti Hasbullah, 23 and
Yasmin Binti Khalid, 23

These four were declared winners after a two-month nationwide quest that saw over 1,100 entries for this contest including making it pass 400 shortlisted candidates and 100 semi-finalists from 4 different regions in Malaysia.

Their lives will not be the same again! From left - Nur Aimi Abdul Ghani, Nurul Ezzaty Hasbullah, Karyll Chee and Yasmin Khalid were crowned as Guardian's Face of Healthy Beauty

For these four women, life will never be the same again.

Each winner will sign a one-year contract as Guardian Brand Ambassador that comes with RM10,000 cash, RM10,000 Guardian vouchers, and RM5,000 each for them to give to a charity organization of their choice. They will also be featured on the Cover of Guardian’s Brand Catalogues and other collaterals and will receive products from participating sponsors.

Tasty and Nutritious Avocado by Taste Australia

People say "Avocado is cheaper than therapy", have you eat your Avocado today? When it comes to avocados, I always choose Australian avocados simply because they are in great tasting, deliciously rich and creamy especially when they are fresh and ripe.

Taste Australia Hass Avocados are in season now, from May till January and can be enjoyed in so many ways 

The good news is, the season of Tasty and Nutritious Avocado is back! Taste Australia, the national brand representing the Australian horticulture industry to support and drive the demand of fresh produce through engagements in key export markets, has recently launched a Tasty and Nutritious Avocado campaign at Jaya Grocer Starling Mall.

From Left to Right : Mr Marc Francois - Fresh Distribution Centre Head, Jaya Grocer, Alexandra Prabaharan – certified nutritionist and Ms Caitlin Noble – Trade Commissioner, Austrade displaying delectable avocado recipes at the launch of Taste Australia’s Australian Avocados at Jaya Grocer, Starling Mall recently

The campaign aims to inspire health-conscious Malaysians to make healthier food choices while taking advantage of great tasting, deliciously rich and creamy Australian Avocados all year round.

Austrade Trade Commissioner Caitlin Noble said Australian Avocados consistently delivered the best quality as they were air freighted at optimum maturity into Malaysia, ensuring freshness and ripeness.

“When customers buy Australian Avocados, not only do they get ‘farm to table’ freshness, they are also buying into the country’s very high environmental, food safety and employment requirements. And because we’re so close, we can deliver the freshest products to Asia in 48 hours,” she said.

Kids' Craft Course at My Craft Studio, Desa Park City

Children love arts and crafts, in fact there are many benefits to engage them into arts and crafts. From foster their creativity to develop fine motor skills, arts and crafts help in both physical and social development for kids. Many parents know about this but we are too busy to work on crafts with our children in this fast pace era. Hence, I thought why not let it handle by the expert.

My Craft Studio is an experienced institute that offers educational course. All their courses are developed based on Montessori Education Concept. I was honoured to witness the newest outlet of My Craft Studio at Desa Park City just a week ago. Located at first floor of Waterfront, Desa Park City, I like that My Craft Studio is clean, spacious and a place full of imagination.

My Craft Studio uses teaching modules that have been carefully designed with children in mind. They prepare different arts and crafts material for children of different ages. It will eventually help the children to develop their motor skills, senses, imagination and teamwork skills.

For now, My Craft Studio at Desa Park City conducts two courses, namely Nursery Art Course (NAC) for children from ages 3 to 6 years old; and Multicultural Craft Course (MCC) for kids ages 7 to 12 years old. A uniform will be needed for all the students at My Craft Studio. We really love their pretty uniform, where it is yellow t shirt for NAC and a pilot uniform for MCC.

A Malaysian transformative education approach for Youth in the 21st Century

As a parent of 2 lovely girls, I strongly believe that we need to keep up and adapt to the environment. A fundamental change that is needed urgently is our education system. It should be ever-evolving to ensure that our children are prepared for the local and international work place. I think it's time to leave behind the traditional classroom mindset that we are all familiar with, and adapt new ways to engage students and raise creative and innovative children!

Thanks to a lovely invitation, I recently attended a press conference that unveiled the insights of the ‘Education in the 21st Century – Our Impact’ (‘Impact Study’) at LeapEd Services Sdn Bhd (‘LeapEd’). A brief background on LeapEd, it was established as a social enterprise in 2010 and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Khazanah Nasional Berhad. They are also Malaysia’s first homegrown education service provider!

Their objective is to enrich lives through capacity-building and education transformation and have impacted over 71,000 students and in over 160 schools through its various intervention models such as the District Transformation Programme-AMAN (‘DTP-AMAN’), Islamic School Enhancement Programme (‘ISEP’), Ground-up School Transformation (‘GUSTO’) Programme, Program Sekolah Transformasi (‘PreSTasi’) as well as the nation’s first Trust Schools Programme (TSP 1.0) to date. In fact, it was my first time hearing about Trust Schools Programme and I found it to be an interesting approach to education! TSP 1.0 is LeapEd’s flagship programme designed to develop holistic students with 21st century capabilities.

In collaboration with Yayasan AMIR and the Ministry of Education, the programme is a customisable model to ensure its sustainability in Malaysian schools. Since its roll-out in 2011, TSP 1.0 has impacted over 5,300 parents and 65,000 students in 83 schools across 12 states in Malaysia.

How to Look More Youthful with Faster Cell Renewal

Many of us know that skin is the largest organ of the human body. Do you know that the skin is an organ that is continuously self-renewing? Skin is made up of cells that naturally regenerate in 28-day cycles. This natural skin-shedding process removes dead cells and replaces them with 'new' cells.

With age, the cycle gets longer and cells have depleted moisture and essential trace element levels. Over time, cell renewal could be 7 times slower! Ageing signs imprint on skin day by day and result in dullness, deeper lines and wrinkles, as well as uneven texture and skin-tone.

Knowing that faster cell renewal leads to more youthful-looking skin, Murad has reinvents Replenishing Multi-Acid Peel to accelerates cell renewal by 33% in 7 days.

Launched in July 2019, Murad Replenishing Multi-Acid Peel is packed with Dr. Murad's newest formula. The ingredients consists of Phase 1: AHA, BHA, and TXA helps create smoother, brighter, and more youthful-looking skin. Phase 2: Adaptogenic holy basil (antioxidants) and omega-rich oils defend and strengthen skins surface for a vibrant complexion.Clinical Results: In a 4-week study: - 96% saw smoother texture- 88% saw more radiant skin- 84% noticed brighter skin and more even tone . Murad Replenishing Multi-Acid Peel is free of sulfates SLS and SLES, parabens, formaldehydes, formaldehyde-releasing agents, phthalates, mineral oil, retinyl palmitate, oxybenzone, coal tar, hydroquinone, triclosan, and triclocarban, and contains less than one percent of synthetic fragrances. This product is also cruelty-free and gluten-free. This gentle, yet potent, daily bi-phase peel rejuvenates the look of skin for a vibrant glow.

Win One Year of Free Bubble Tea with Hong Leong Bank's Bubble Tea Frenzy

It's a double happiness on Sunday, 21st Jul 2019. Not only we got to enjoy delicious bubble tea but we also got to enjoy cashless shopping at Hong Leong Bank's Bubble Tea Frenzy event.

Held at the popular Subang bubble tea street, SS15/4 Subang Jaya, customers who either apply for a HLB Credit Card, register for Hong Leong Connect (banking mobile app) or link their HLB Debit Card/-i to WeChat Pay Wallet and follow HLB WeChat Official Account on the spot at HLB’s Bubble Tea Frenzy will immediately enjoy a RM10 bubble tea voucher bubble tea from Daboba, The Alley or PIN Tea courtesy of HLB, redeemable only at the participating branches at SS15/4.

Indeed, Hong Leong Bank has made the Cashless shopping an extra miles with their recent roll-out of the Bank’s Digital Day 2019 campaign, Bye-Bye Cash, No Cash, No Problem. Most excitingly, going cashless with HLB comes with a sweet reward this time!

The icing on the cake for this crazy promotion is three lucky customers are in the running to win *365 Days of Bubble Tea when they apply for a HLB Credit Card, register for Hong Leong Connect (banking mobile app) or link their HLB Debit Card/-i to WeChat Pay Wallet – it is that simple!

Attention Women! Do You Know How Iron Strong Are You?

This post is dedicated to all women, so, women (and guys who are care for their loved ones) please read on. Ever wonder why women had brittle nails, cold hands and feet, are constantly tired, weak or pale; experienced chest pains, fast heartbeat and shortness of breath or have constant bouts of headaches and dizzy spells? If you’ve said yes to one of more of these symptoms, you may just be iron deficient.

Official launch of FERROVIT and FENZA!

L-R: Pn. Ernie Syafika, Consultant of Mega Lifesciences Sdn. Bhd.; Chef Sara Khong, Author, Recipe Developer, Food Writer & Stylist; Mr. Balaji Rajagopal, General Manager Malaysia & Singapore of Mega Lifesciences Sdn. Bhd.; Ms. Victoria Foo, Sales and Marketing Director Malaysia of Mega Lifesciences Sdn. Bhd. and Ms. Teh Ya Shin, Product Manager of Mega Lifesciences Sdn. Bhd.

Well, you’re certainly not alone! As we know, women’s nutritional needs change during menstruation, pregnancy, breastfeeding and menopause. A woman’s reproductive life means that her nutritional needs differ greatly from those of a man. While Iron is an essential mineral required to deliver oxygen to all cells of the body. Men need about 10 micrograms a day, menstruating women need about 14 micrograms a day. The iron needs of older women revert to those of men.

Take charge of your ‘iron’ health today!

L-R: Pn. Ernie Syafika, Consultant of Mega Lifesciences Sdn. Bhd. and Chef Sara Khong, Author, Recipe Developer, Food Writer & Stylist.

On the MEGA We Care IRON FEAST DAY not long ago, we got to learn more about Iron deficiency through this education based food event aimed to raise awareness on iron deficiency anemia symptoms with a call to action before it descends into anemia. Thanks to Mega Lifesciences, one of the leading pharmaceutical and nutraceutical companies headquartered in Bangkok and a proponent of “Prevention is The Best Medicine” for organizing such a meaningful event.

Delicious servings of iron rich food at the MEGA We Care Iron Feast!

It was indeed a fun interactive event which featured a cooking demonstration by popular Chef Sara Khong and a delectable iron rich feast, also witnessed the unveiling of MEGA We Care’s new iron supplement Ferrovit and nutrients for pregnancy care, Fenza; officiated by Mr. Balaji Rajagopal, General Manager Malaysia & Singapore of Mega Lifesciences Sdn. Bhd.

Starbucks® x Pared Eyewear Merchandise Collection

Starbucks turns up the summer heat in celebration of all things sun-kissed by rolling out a brand new collaboration, Starbucks® x Pared Eyewear merchandise collection. The world-renown Australian sunglass brand, Pared Eyewear drew inspiration for this collaboration from the refined and sculpted sunglasses by Pared designers. The collection is available starting 1 July 2019 onwards at selected stores nationwide, while stocks last.

Find your inner diva, with the Starbucks® x Pared Eyewear merchandise collection which features iconic beach scenes. The new drinkware collection includes a Stainless Steel Tumbler, a Double Walled Traveler Tumbler and a Cold Cup.

The 2019 Starbucks® x Pared Eyewear collection includes the following pieces:

Starbucks® x Pared Eyewear Stainless Steel Tumbler – A stainless steel tumbler with decorative geometric design of pantone – colored sunglasses.

Starbucks® x Pared Eyewear Double Walled Traveler Mug – Two tones of pink color block with a soft silhouette of the iconic Pared sunglasses.

Northwest Cherries is Here at Malaysia

It's the Northwest Cherries season again, yay! It's time to indulge in the fresh, sweet and delicious Northwest Cherries fresh off the orchards in the North-western states of USA. Northwest Cherries have become one of the most sought-after cherries thanks to its sweetness, firmness and consistency in colour.

I have attended the launch of Northwest Cherries at Tesco Malaysia not long ago. There, I got to know that there are over 2,500 growers work tirelessly to bring the world the sweetest, juiciest, plumpest cherries ripened on the trees. The US is currently the second-largest cherry exporter of the world and one of the leading exporters of cherries to Malaysia. Wow, thank you for all the hard work to bring us the healthiest food into Malaysia.

During the launch, Mr Abdul Ghani Wahab, Agriculture Specialist, United States Department of Agriculture stated that Northwest Cherries are grown on fertile soil with a climate that is ideal for great quality cherries the world loves. “There are 11 varieties of Northwest Cherries and we believe our cherries are the most delicious cherries in the world! We hope more Malaysians will try these juicy fruits while they’re in season until end August for health as well as for snacking pleasure.”

Meanwhile, Retna Malar, Northwest Cherry Growers Market Representative provided informative notes on the harvest of cherries throughout the season - “Northwest Cherries offer a wide growth spread across many regions throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, and Montana. The different microclimates allow cherries to ripen at different times through the season ensuring fresh harvest all summer long. The Northwest Cherries that you enjoy are never more than a few days from the tree.”

Park Shin Hye Officiates The Launch of Mamonde Red Energy Recovery Serum at Watsons stores

Mamonde’s brand ambassador and top Korean actress Park Shin Hye was here in Malaysia to officiate the launch of the Mamonde Red Energy Recovery Serum at Watsons stores nationwide. The Red Energy Recovery Serum is a premium product by Mamonde that addresses skin aging as well as helps to recover and revitalise exhausted skin, bringing it back to its optimal condition.

Made up of two key ingredients, pomegranate and Blossoming Energy, the serum creates smooth and supple skin that glows from within by strengthening the skin’s moisture barrier and promoting the skin’s turnover cycle.

The Blossoming Energy, derived from a 28-year study of flowers is Mamonde’s latest innovation. It is a special active ingredient that helps to boost skin’s energy. Through the observation of flowers throughout their lifecycle; inclusive of changes in colour and temperature, Mamonde has discovered a unique component that helps flowers to bloom and survive longer than its usual lifespan. This component was extracted, tested on skin and has since been developed to become the core ingredient for the Red Energy Recovery Serum, bringing forth properties that boosts skin’s energy and return it to its healthiest state.

PEPPA PIG Arrives on HBO GO from 1 JULY 2019

With approximately 3500 hours of blockbuster movies and HBO Original content from the U.S and Asia, including 700 episodes from all-time favourite programmes for kids and families, HBO Asia has now added Season 1 and 2 of global preschool phenomenon PEPPA PIG to its collection on the streaming service, HBO GO.

From 1 July, HBO GO subscribers will be able to stream and download all episodes from Season 1 and 2 of Peppa Pig and follow Peppa across 104 episodes as she plays games, dress up and jump in muddy puddles.

For older kids, Season 1 of popular and beloved family-friendly series WE BARE BEARS is available on HBO GO as well. Set in the San Francisco Bay area, the series follows an adoptive family of three bears doing their best to try and fit in with human society in America – no easy task for bears!

More Cartoon Network hits such as ADVENTURE TIME, BEN 10: OMNIVERSE, DEXTER’S LABORATORY, FOSTER’S HOME FOR IMAGINARY FRIENDS, THE POWERPUFF GIRLS and SESAME STREET, are also available anytime, anywhere, on HBO GO.

New movies for kids premiering on HBO GO include TEEN TITANS GO! TO THE MOVIES on 29 June, LEGO DC SUPER HERO GIRLS: SUPER-VILLAIN HIGH on 6 July and ALEX & ME on 9 August.

With over hundreds of hours of kid and family friendly entertainment, HBO Asia remains committed to providing fun-filled, light-hearted entertainment to viewers of all age groups.

Kids & Family highlights on HBO GO:

PEPPA PIG (Seasons 1 - 2)

Peppa is a loveable, cheeky little piggy who lives with her younger brother George, Mummy Pig and Daddy Pig. Peppa’s favourite things include playing games, dressing up, days out and jumping in muddy puddles. Her adventures always end happily with loud snorts of laughter.

WE BARE BEARS (Season 1)

The Bears are an adoptive family of three bears doing their best to try and fit in with human society in America – no easy task for bears! Set in the San Francisco Bay area, the series follows Grizz, the oldest of the three, and definitely the most fun-loving, Panda, a social media enthusiast who is easily embarrassed, and Ice Bear, who is the youngest bear but of the strong, silent type. Grizz, Panda and Ice Bear may seem like an unlikely trio, but their friendship is strong to the core.