Welcome to Sweet Surrender, Based in Kuching, Sarawak

New Raya & Gawai 2023 Fashion From Sarawak & Indonesia

March 23, 2023March 23, 2023 sweet surrender No Comments

Are you looking for new fashion ideas or what to wear for the coming Raya and Gawai celebrations? I’m sharing some with you. These are from Malaysia and Indonesia fashion designers. They had a showcase last week at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching in conjunction with BIGEXS2023 .

I’ll Just let the photos do the talking because I do not have much information about them. The brands/designers’ names can be found under the photos. Also, I have their business links in the caption as well. Feel free to check them out if you are interested in their work.

Raya & Gawai 2023 Fashion Ideas - Melor — Melor by Melinda Omar

Raya & Gawai 2023 Fashion Ideas - Batik Linut — Batik Linut by Diana Rose

Raya & Gawai 2023 Fashion Ideas - NES by HDK — NES by HDK

Raya & Gawai 2023 Fashion Ideas - Sandra Trinatta — Sandra Trinatta

Raya & Gawai 2023 Fashion Ideas - Edric Ong — Edric Ong

Here’s a little compilation of the catwalk that I’ve posted on my Instagram reel last week.

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A post shared by Irene Law – Sweet Surrender (@lovebellbelle)

Which one is your favourite?

It’s been a long time not attending a fashion show and take photos of the catwalk. This was impromptu. I had my camera in my handbag, so I took it out and put it to use. You can check out other fashion show posts from years back in Fab Fashion.

Fab Fashion, Public Events

How to Eat Canned Sardines?

March 15, 2023March 15, 2023 sweet surrender No Comments

How do you eat your canned sardines in tomato sauce? This is usually how we eat ours. There is no need to cook at all. Check out the video below.

The quantity of lime, chili, and red onion is up to you. Don’t forget to add some salt to the chopped or sliced red onion to elevate the flavour. By the way, you can also caramelize the red onion if you want. If you do so, then cooking will be needed. I’m just too lazy to do that.

Very easy. isn’t eat? No cooking is needed.

Feel free to check out my other cooking post on my Youtube Channel and My Kitchen.

Food Porn, My Kitchen, Vlog

Easy to Make Kuih Cara Recipe Sarawak Style

March 7, 2023March 13, 2023 sweet surrender No Comments

This kuih is known by many names namely kuih manggis, kuih cara, kuih bahulu, and kuih apam balik. However, I’m not sure of the actual name. I tried to ask many people and they gave me all the different names too. So… What is the actual name? This version can only be found in Sarawak. It is quite different from those in West Malaysia. This is definitely no stranger to Sarawakians.

I’m going to share with you how to make this. I got the recipe online and modified it a bit based on what I have at home. Here’s the video. I make this for the very first time. Apparently, it’s not too difficult to do and the ingredients are quite easy to get.

Ingredients:

(A) 170ml pandan juice + 2 to 3 tbsp coconut cream powder
(B) 45g icing sugar + pinch of salt + 1 egg
(C) 135g plain flour + 2 tsp baking powder (sift)
Oil to grease the mould

Do note that, if you feel that the batter is still too thick and not easy to pour, feel free to add some more water. Add bit by bit to ensure it’s not too watery.

The steps are in the video. All you need to do is mix all the ingredients well, then cook them in the mould. As simple as that.

My conclusion in getting the perfect kue is to ensure the mould is well-heated with evenly distributed heat. Make sure you use medium-low heat throughout, and a well-greased mould. Mine was unevenly coloured due to uneven heat distribution but it’s cooked through and the texture is exactly how it should be.

The actual kuih should look like the photo below. The recipe is for a bigger batch and in Malay.

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A post shared by Irene Law – Sweet Surrender (@lovebellbelle)

Have fun trying! Meanwhile, feel free to check out 3 Easy French Toast Recipes from yours truly.

Food Porn, My Kitchen, Vlog

A Reliable Web Hosting – Hostinger

February 28, 2023February 28, 2023 sweet surrender No Comments

I subscribed to a new web hosting back in May 2022. It took me months to scout around for the one. In the end, I decided to sign up with Hostinger. All the transfers and setup were smooth sailing. I officially move my blog here in June 2022.

Throughout the setting up, I only encountered one issue and it was fixed promptly. It’s actually not really a big problem and not their problem too. It is simply having one link not updated as the database was copied from the previous server. All I need to do was to change the link manually in PhpMyAdmin which I totally forgot. Fortunately, the support was helpful. They helped me with it. It was done promptly even though it was already midnight.

The communication was easy. While I was waiting, they had a shift changed and I was informed of it. When the new support took over, I didn’t even need to repeat the problem. It was handover properly. They knew what was going on. Then, they gave me two options. One way was that they guide me through it while another was to let them do it. I told them I need to go off and couldn’t go through the fix with them as it is late already. They assured me that they will fix it and update me via my email.

When I woke up in the morning, it was fixed. They even sent a copy of the chat and what they had done to fix the issue. The support was phenomenal! I’m impressed.

I highly recommend Hostinger if you are looking for new hosting to move to.

From My Angle, Review It!, Tech Stuffs

Max Factor Masterpiece Max Mascara Simple Review

February 21, 2023February 20, 2023 sweet surrender No Comments

I’ve always heard of Max Factor but have never used its products before. I got the Max Factor Masterpiece Max Mascara as one of the products in its Christmas cracker. It was given as free gift when you fulfilled a certain purchase requirement from Boots UK. Here’s the unboxing of the Christmas crackers for 2022.

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A post shared by Irene Law – Sweet Surrender (@lovebellbelle)

OK, let’s start with the review. The Max Factor Masterpiece Max Mascara is being marketed as high-volume and definition mascara. The mascara is formulated with a volumizing formula that is able to provide your lashes 4 times their volume. It is also smudge-proof and provides a clump-free finish.

Max Factor Masterpiece Max Mascara Review

I’ve not used mascara for God knows how many years because I’m just being lazy haha… My makeup routine is very basic now. Quite excited to have mascara now and will try to use it as much as possible so that won’t waste it. It’ wa’s not cheap. In the UK, it’s selling at £11.99. I’ve seen it in Watsons Malaysia before but I’m not sure about it now. I tried looking for it on Watson’s website, but there’s none.

Anyway, I’ve used it twice since opening it. It has the typical mascara smell.

Big Wand

I’ve never seen such a chunky mascara wand haha! Look at the brittles. It’s rather sharp, hard, and the design isn’t that ergonomic. It’s painful when it touches the rim of the eyes. This is my first time experiencing such an unpleasant mascara application. I don’t have big eyes, so the brush isn’t that user-friendly for me. It’s too big for my eyes making the application quite difficult. Furthermore, the fear of having it touch my eye isn’t making it any easier to use.

I read people’s reviews on their official website and found that the majority are not happy with the new wand design. Apparently, it was different back then. I do agree with the badly-designed wand it’s having now.

Comparison

Left: With one-layer application. It’s fast-drying.
Right: Original lashes.
It does look promising. Can see my lashes clearly now.

I applied it to both eyes in the photo above. Two coats of mascara. Nothing dramatic. Great for those who want a natural look. It does curl the lashes. It’s not too obvious in the photo below because I have hooded eyes.

It does add volume but definitely not 4 times for me. Maybe if I apply more layers but I dislike applying so many layers. 2 is the maximum for me.

Smudge-proof, Waterproof, and Easy Removal?

I used it for over 8 hours. I didn’t get any irritation. There were no smudges. However, it’s not waterproof. I tried to apply some water to my lashes and it stained the tissue paper. In other words, it can be removed with water but you’ll need more effort I guess. Just use a makeup remover to save all the troubles. It is very easy to remove. There is no need to pull and tug your lashes or eyelid to clean it.

Conclusion

Pros	Cons
Smudge-proof Smooth formula Adds volume Easy removal Curls the lashes Dries fast No irritation	Not waterproof Big wand Not ergonomic Sharp and hard brittles Expensive

If the wand is not this big, not painful to use, and waterproof, I would say that it is a good mascara to use. I won’t buy this for sure because I need a waterproof one. However, for now, I don’t mind using it until it’s time to toss it out. Don’t waste. Not cheap ok? Besides, I can always get a cheaper mascara that performs better than this that I used last time (Maybelline Volum’ Express Hypercurl is no longer in the market but the Hypercurl is still available, should still work the same).

Girl Stuffs, Review It!