Where to buy Essential Oil from Malaysia (Online) & How to spot Fake Essential Oil

I am starting my journey on essential oil and pinterest has various good tips on the area of essential oils.

Sourcing for essential oil can be overwhelming. There are so many essential oil brands with different price ranged. I wanted to avoid synthetic and adulterated essential oil. After all I wanted to gain the benefits from using essential oil. Using fake ones will just backfire on me or waste my money. At the same time, I wanted to try many scents and I would rather avoid direct sales essential oil as I do not have a big budget.

So the mission should you accept it, is to find an affordable essential oil that is genuine, smells good and stick with it!

I find that this video in YouTube gave good tips on how to spot a pure essential oil to a fake one. However some of the points can still be abuse by companies who just wanted to make a quick buck.
One of the points that I was interested in experimenting is the Oily test (Point 5 @ 2.38minue).
"How to spot Fake Essential Oils by The English Aromatherapist"

It says that most true essential oil will not leave a oily residue if drop on the sheet of white paper with exception of some heavy base notes. If there is an oily residue, then it has been likely stretch with carrier oil which is common for cheaper essential oil in the market.

I have experimented on this points.
Albeit I am just starting and certain brands, I only had 1 bottles while other brands I had more.

I won't be taking a picture and posting the results yet. Cause it just a white sheet of paper for those that pass.

If you wanted to do your own test, just draw on a paper a box, write the brand and 1 drop of essential oil. Set it aside and check the next day.

Brands that pass the test:
1. NOW essential oil - I have tested the Lavender, Clove, Cinnamon, Rosemary, Peppermint, Citronella, Lemongrass. All of them does not have any leftover oily residue on the paper. I find that the smell are lasting (in the bottle even after 1 year) and the Lavender, Clove & Rosemary do not have a heady smell which some people tend to be sensitive to. It suit budget conscious people who wants quality essential oil. This brand is available in IHerb and it can be ship to Malaysia. Use code ASK7366 to obtain a 5% discount
2. KOSMO. My hubby bought from a shop. It is a Made in Malaysia brand. I tested the lemongrass aroma oil.
3. Derma Health (Australia) Pty Ltd - I tested the Lavender Organic Essential Oil. I bought from Lazada.

Brands that do not pass the test: (I did not want to highlight this, but this posting will also serve as my own record for my future reference. So I will write with some *** as this post is not meant to bash the one that did not pass)
1. BioFi***t - I tested orange, lavender and ylang ylang. All of them have oily residue. Frankly the smell of the essential oil fades after a few months with the exception of ylang ylang. It is written on the bottle that it is a therapeutic grade and that it is pure essential oil which I am highly skeptical. I bought from Qoo10. I tried to utilize this brand heavily just so that I could finish and move on from my disappointment. I would never buy this brand again.

Brands that I have the stock and yet to be tested. I am just going thru with my existing stocks before plunging thru my new toys.
Aura Cacia - Lavender, Lemon, Vetiver, Wild Marjoram and Texas Cedarwood (IHerb)
Nature's answer - Lavender organic Essential Oil (IHerb)

Brands that I would like to buy
Plant therapy - I have read really good reviews on this brand and I saw on their official website (USA) that if you buy USD50 above, the International shipping is free. If you are a complete beginner, you could get their set as it is cheaper compared to buying them separately. This would be my next targeted website to purchase. I notice if you sign up then you will get a discount voucher - The offer appear randomly when I surf the website via  my PC.

So what brand do you use and have you tried the Oily test? Let share your results!

Have you tried IHerb in Malaysia!

(This is not a paid review, I am just writing my experience using IHerb for first time. USA online sites seems to realize there is a wider international market out here as shipping cost are getting more affordable!)

I have just bought and have received my products delivered to Malaysia.

IHerb is a US base online website that has 1,200 brands and 35,000 brand name products of health food stores like vitamins, essential oil, vanilla essence, various spices, make up, fitness items, baby items and etc~.

I have been looking at this site few years back but I only tried it now because I notice that the site are more user friendly. I like that
1) It automatically display price in MYR by detecting your country location

2) The delivery charges are so affordable.

I notice that the delivery charges was cheaper when i exceed a certain amount. It says in their site that if you purchase USD40 above then there is discounted shipping rates.

So I spend around RM250 and my shipping rate via DHL was only RM13! (I did not buy heavy items though. I just enjoy seeing the shipping fee goes down once I purchase a certain amount. I wish i could say the same about Amazon!)

3) It state when was the arrival date, which I received my order precisely as promised. Shortly after I made payment, I received an  email from DHL telling me when the orders will arrive!

In the mean time you could track your shipment via DHL site whereby tracking number will be provided. Its really great that my order arrived in 6 days all the way from US. Even Taobao in China take longer than that (albeit they operate differently).

However do note that taxes may be levied. I did not incur any taxes. I did read some other website that was discussing that if you bought large amount and if its vitamin, they would be susceptible to taxes.

This are some of the item that I bought:-

So you might wonder if I have a happy shopping experience when i received my product?

Well the answer is NO. Initially. The reason I am only thinking of writing this post is the outcome of the customer service.

Well everything went of like a dream. It was too perfect and something had to happen! The website was easy to use, the items that I have been aiming for years are within my reach (Hello vanilla essence, the one imported in the dept store is always crazy expensive), the delivery charges are affordable. I was not tax. So everything should be perfect right? Wrong!!

This is how it looks like when it arrived. The moment that i received the box, even without opening it, I know something was wrong. Cause the box reek with Lavender Essential Oil. My Aura Cacia Lavender Essential Oil has leaked! A quarter of the amount was missing.

I was hopping mad! The feeling is like I was really hungry and ordered a Mcdonald delivery and find that my burger has been bitten off. I was also disappointed at how my items are wrapped. Most of the items are glass but not all of them are bubble wrap.

 Then I was told that USA has great customer service thus I tried voicing my unhappiness at my delivery.

My essential oil arrived with quarter missing. Arrow shows the difference between the two bottle

I then proceed to describe the overall issue to IHerb with the two photo attach above and requested refund to the affected bottle and was granted a refund. The email is info@iherb.com (you might want to quote your order number). I first correspond via the website.

I was suitably impressed by the response of IHerb and in a way this is a great way for me to see how they evaluate and respond to the situation. And how they responded would determine if I would ever buy from them again.

I notice that the customer service reply me with a refund after a few hours of my email without me needing to send the item back to the USA. 

I would definitely buy from them again! Which is why I decided to write down my experience with this great website. I find that a good customer support really bolster return customer.

If you would like to purchase this website, you may key in this code ASK7366 in order to obtain a 5% discount. In returned I would also be entitled for a rebate when you use this code. 

BTW I really love the smell of the Aura Cacia essential oil, the Lavender Essence smell are strong. I have been looking high and low for quality and affordable essential oil. I have been avoiding direct sales essential oil as the price is really inflated for all the relevant down and up line to earn.

Oh ya I am really into essential oil so If you are looking to buy an affordable diffuser, I found an affordable diffuser in Taobao . There is a UK plug that suit our Malaysia and Singapore 3 pin socket. I spend around the range of RM42 including shipping that I shared with friends for this diffuser.

Why you should start your retirement plans now!

Please read this article to understand why you should start your retirement plan now. It will make a huge difference. I took the article from HSBC advertisement and felt that the writing was really good as it applies to all of us in general of our saving and retirement mindset. Well if you think that retirement plan can still wait or that you intend to solely rely on EPF – well think again.

I copied below article from The Star Saturday 20 November 2010 (Page N15). As I copied almost 100% of the content, I will include the contact number of HSBC but please know that I am not publishing this to article to advertise their product.

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You’re feeling on top of the world. Why shouldn’t you? You’re at an age where you can choose how to spend your money, buy most of what you want and live life however you please.

You may have already purchased your dream car, your dream house and you recently married the girl of your dreams and you just came back from your honeymoon in Bali.

When you feel like hanging out with your friends, you can choose to hang out at the latest cafes, catch the latest movies in town and dining would usually take place at restaurants with the best food to offer. Planning for vacation is the norm because you tell yourself what is life if you can’t even enjoy it!

You feel good because at this moment, nothing can go wrong with your life. You’re still young and you have so many glorious years ahead of you. You have definitely earned the right to enjoy the money you made. So you tell yourself ‘Enjoy first, save later’. Little that you know your ‘later’ could be too late.

Be young and smart

This is a familiar situation. In the light of more pressing commitments, saving for retirement is often relegated to the lowest rung of priorities. And you’re not alone. In a survey, more than half of Malaysian workers have not prepared for retirement while those who have, only started planning after age 40.¹

While it is better late than never, starting early can make a huge difference to your retirement fund. Here is a fictional case study that shows how two fresh graduates, who made different financial decisions, went through their lives.

Your secret weapon: Compound interest

Mark and Simon both graduated from university at the age of 22 and both started their careers earning RM40,000 a year. Mark understood the importance of saving early so he started investing RM250 per month towards a retirement plan that could potentially earns a 5% rate of return as soon as he landed his first job, Eleven years later, Mark terminated his retirement contributions because he had already build up and accumulated total of RM78,501.89. This nest egg would be good enough to grow to at least RM400,000 during retirement age. The extra RM250 would now be channeled to helped him achieve his other plans such as saving for a down payment for a house, non-retirement savings, or educational fund for the kids.

On the other hand, Simon, unaware of the value of time, procrastinated saving towards his retirement until ten years later. He then started saving RM250 per month as well but he would need to continue doing this until he retires to catch up on his goal.

What a difference in their accumulated total nest egg! Mark contributed only RM33,000 but he had RM387,532.06 in total at age 65 while Simon, who contributed an additional RM66,000 had only RM251,349.65. This scenario shows you why you should start saving for retirement as early as you can. The more time you have, the less money you need to contribute to attain the same accumulated amount (assuming that the rate of return is the same throughout). The principle remains: Pay yourself first. Just this one step of setting aside a sum of money towards your retirement the moment you get your first paycheck can make all the difference. By planning well in advance, you can ensure that you meet retirement with confidence and enjoy it to the very fullest.

A fulfilling retirement begins with one small step today. Talk to our Relationship Managers on HSBC Advance to find out about HSBC's new retirement plan. Call 1 300 88 0181, visit your nearest HSBC branch for more information or visit www.hsbcadvance.com.my to register online.

Facts that figure

-         90% of EPF contributors have less than RM100,000 in their accounts.²

-         83% used their retirement savings when the need arose before reaching retirement.³

-         39% intend to work beyond retirement age to supplement their income.³

Source

1 The Star, “Majority neglect retirement plans” March 14, 2008.

2 The Star, “Most Malaysians do not have financial security” May 27, 2007.

3 The Star, “Planning for Retirement” April 4, 2009

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How to download Youtube video tutorial

How to download youtube video (Click to enlarge the photo)

Its very easy to download youtube video. Just go the the website: http://keepvid.com/
At some point there will be a pop up that ask whether to trust this website. Tick yes.

1. Copy the url or website address from youtube
2. Paste it in the URL in the KeepVid website and click download
3. They will have around 4 options or more:
›› Download 3GP ‹‹ - Low Quality - 176x144
›› Download 3GP ‹‹ - Medium Quality - 176x144
›› Download FLV ‹‹ - Low Quality - 320x240
›› Download FLV ‹‹ - Medium Quality - 400x226
›› Download MP4 ‹‹ - High Quality - 480x360

I like this software because I can choose the video format and its very easy to use. I will usually choose the MP4 High Quality format. After that I will transfer the video to my HTC HD2 without converting the video. I use this method as I do not have any data plan in my phone and I only watch youtube directly when there is a wireless connection.

How to tilt the Samsung Syncmaster B2230 forward or backward tutorial

I read in their official website and from other users that this Samsung B2230 has a tilt function. However I was a little puzzled how to tilt the Samsung B2230. This is because the connector to the LCD look seamless and it does not look like it can budge. I tried pushing here and there but nothing move. On the first few attempts of pushing the lcd, it blink and there was no image. I could not find a solution on how does the other users manage to tilt the LCD. Was a little apprehensive that I will break the LCD after a few tries but in the end manage to tilt it. Enlarge the top photo to see the summary.

How to tilt the Samsung B2230.
-Stand in front of the LCD
-Right hand: Grip the Stand Connector (pink colour)
-Left hand: Grip the top of the lcd (green colour)
Stabilize the LCD by gripping the connector tightly with your right hand.
Using your left hand push the lcd backward bravely and carefully.

It look seamless like it wont budge. Picture shows that it tilt forward.

It wont budge if you tilt it incorrectly. Picture shows that it tilt backward.

Left picture shows that it tilt backward. Right picture shows that it tilt forward. Both shows the maximum view of tilting backward and forward.

Update*
Thank you for supporting my blog and for all your comments! I really appreciate that readers leave comments! Have fun watching and using your Samsung LCD!

Related post:
Samsung SyncMaster B2230 Unboxing / Review

HTC HD2 - Where to buy the casing and screen protector in Singapore

 HTC HD2 Barely There Cases. In the photo you notice that this casing protect the camera lense

I bought this HD2 case from Funan IT Mall. I couldnt find the casing in JB. Fearing that my new phone will get any scratches, I went into Singapore to find the casing. First destination is Funan IT Mall. There wasnt much choices there. They have those plastic/rubber type of casing which has a rectangular hole at the camera area. I notice that the camera of HD2 jut out a little and I was a little apprehensive getting those normal rubber/plastic texture casing. They cost about $12-15.

I then finally found this casing some where around the 1st or 2nd floor phone accessories shop. For your info there was a limited number of shops selling phone accessories at Funan IT Mall. In fact I notice that the business is monopolize by 1 or 2 shops.

In the shop they only have 2 choices of casing from Case Mate that also protect the camera lens. The price of the casing is really expensive at $42.90 (SGD) and there is strictly no discount. Compare to the official website of Case mate, they only cost $19.90 (USD).

I bought this expensive casing because its impact resistant, free screen protector and looks more reliable than the usual cheaper casing. However please note that the casing is very snug and hug tightly to the phone. This can be a problem if you wanted to change battery, reset the phone or take out the sd memory card. Just yesterday I have to force out the casing just to take out the battery when the phone hang.

Another reason I was at Funan IT Mall is because they have the original accessories of HD2. I did not buy their accessories as the design is rather disappointing. The authorize dealer of HD2 accessories only sell a normal transparent cover. However their leather case looks reliable.

 HTC HD2 Barely There Cases. You can also treat the casing as a mirror.

After buying the casing at Funan, I took the MRT and went to Toa Payoh for dinner. My heart sank when I see a few phone shops selling the HTC HD2 casing -those non branded rubber/plastic texture- for only $10 (SGD) with camera lense protection in various color. Conclusion is that if you do not mind getting those non branded casing with camera protection at cheap price, please proceed to Toa Payoh. But if you wanted something reliable then go for those casing with brand.

Bathing Angel! Isn't she adorable?

Just went to Malacca recently. While Angel is having her bath, I decided to take some of her pictures. I took using the HTC HD2 phone. Some of the shots of her are really adorable. It took a long time to upload the photo thru the blog so i cut the picture into smaller pics.

After bathing

Look at her as she nuzzle her owner

Eye contact

Look over here Angel!

After toweling

Brushing

She look so happy!

My favorite among all the photos~!