Pavilion Kuala Lumpur – parking rates
I snapped this picture of the parking rates for the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur shopping centre. I thought the rates were steep. But no more steep than say, Suria KLCC or Lot 10. The autopay machines could be more conspicuous though. I parked in B2 and could not find a single autopay machine on the floor.
I was hoping that since it was Pavilion’s opening day, they would waive the parking fee for starters. It was too good to hope for because parking charges start today itself. There is no flat rate parking fee on weekends though, which is a pity. I’m a bit of a skinflint so I balk at having to pay lots of money for parking – money I could spend better on shopping!
New shopping mall – Pavilion Kuala Lumpur
Anyone who is anyone in Kuala Lumpur would be aware of the large monstrosity coming up just opposite The Westin Hotel and Starhill Gallery. I’d been watching it with interest for a while, just to see what stores will be moving into this new mall.
Today was the soft opening of The Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, a new shopping mall right in the shopping belt of Kuala Lumpur – Bukit Bintang.
I decided to pop by to take a look at what they had to offer, not really expecting anything very much. However, I was pleasantly surprised at the mix of stores they have in the mall. Right next to the usual high street stores like Giordano and Padini, you find higher end stores like Banana Republic and the Gap. Then, look harder and you’ll see the truly high end stores – Burberry, Hermes, Coach and Marc by Marc Jacobs just to name a few.
The anchor tenants are Parkson Pavilion, Tangs and Mercato. The Parkson here is unlike any other grubby Parkson store. This is a more distinguished looking one, and has a good vibe about it. I am happy to note that Tangs is making its come back to Kuala Lumpur. I liked shopping there when they were in Starhill because they had some brands not found else where. Their sales too were quite awesome. Mercato is a supermarket that manages to look classy and sophisticated – it looks like something a New Yorker would shop at. I love it!
For now, not all the stores are open and there is still a lot of renovation going on. I did find that the walkways weren’t as large or as wide as that in say, Midvalley Megamall or 1 Utama High Street. In fact, there was a bit of a Suria KLCC feel about the place. Fitting because I can see Pavilion giving Suria KLCC a run for their money.
Pavilion is smack in the middle of Bukit Bintang and with its mix of mid-high end stores, it is exactly like KLCC. In fact, just looking around, a shopper won’t have to leave the Bukit Bintang area anymore because the existing malls + Pavilion are more than sufficient to cover most if not all the brands available to the consumers, and then some.
Some brands like Khiel’s and RMK can only be found here at the Pavilion, so I can see it being the focal hub of many in time. The malls that should watch out will be Times Square and Suria KLCC. Midvalley Megamall, with the introduction of the Gardens and Isetan and Robinsons seem to be holding their own in the mid-range market.
Tomorrow, I’ll talk about how to get there and the parking so stay tuned!
Lumiere Cosmetics – mineral makeup etailer
As I said in a previous post below, I placed an order with Lumiere Cosmetics. That was on 30 August 2007. The order was processed and despatched by airmail on 31 August 2007 according to the postmark.
I received the package on 10 September 2007 which is just over 10 days since the package was despatched and just about 2 weeks since I placed my order. That is quick timing for anything coming from the USA so I was suitably impressed.
The website for Lumiere is easy to navigate and most of the links are quite self-explanatory. I like that they make their shipping information easy to find and that it has a separate page of its own. This makes it easy to see if they ship internationally and if they do, how much it will cost. Also, the site loads up very fast despite the graphics which is great. My home internet connection is really slow so I know what’s fast and what isn’t.
Presently, Lumiere offers free shipping for all purchases delivered within the USA and Canada by ordinary post. Priority post would cost US$6 and US$12 respectively. For all other international destinations, shipping is a flat rate of US$6 for ordinary airmail and US$12 for Global Priority Post that is faster. I did not think this shipping price for international customers very expensive. If you purchase more items, the weight adds up but they only charge you a flat rate.
I purchased the Foundation and Brush set under the Specials. Its a great place to find deals. My package came with a kabuki brush and 2 4g tubs of powder foundation and 1 20g silk powder. The postage cost as stated on the envelope was $4.50. Add to that the cost of the envelope etc and $6 isn’t very much to pay. I managed to get an online code that gave me 20% off so I actually saved on the shipping cost.
The Color Help link was very useful in helping me determine which colour I should purchase for my skintone. This is the part about buying foundation online that I don’t really like but with Lumiere it was less painful.
You do have to be a little careful when choosing your mineral foundation though. It is arranged in the order of foundation finish and colour so it is easy to make mistakes if you are in a hurry.
When checking out, you are prompted to register with them for ease of future purchases. If you have a discount code you want to use, it will only be applicable once you log in. Lumiere accepts major credit cards and Paypal which is great for buyers who may not want to disclose their credit card information.
Lumiere is presently having a Pre Buy on its makeup brushes. The prices of the brushes have been slashed dramatically and I am so tempted to get them after testing the Kabuki brush I received. We’ll see if I do. Its only for a limited time until 31 October 2007. Do read the rules before ordering.
Look out for my review of the mineral foundation and makeup Kabuki brush on My Women Stuff after I’ve test run these. As for my shopping experience with Lumiere Mineral Cosmetics, I give them two thumbs up!
Ships Internationally: Yes
Accepts Paypal : Yes
Etailer overall [rating:4.5/5]
J Card Member’s Day madness
Today 11 September 2007 is J Card Member’s Day at Midvalley Megamall. That means that the multitudes who have subscribed to the Jusco membership card will descend upon MidValley Megamall in droves to pick up what are perceived to be bargains.
Usually the J Card member’s day is only for 1 day and there are usually special bargains restricted to members only. If you have your eye on something expensive that you know you will save a hefty sum on, then yes this is a good time to join the masses.
However, if you don’t think you are up to battling crowds with bawling children in tow, long queues at cashiers and most importantly of all, looking for non existent parking space, then leave your purchase for another day.
I’ve been to one of these things and I found that their bargains, whilst good, aren’t much better than what you could get at a storewide sale. True, you might get that extra 5% or 10% off but in the big picture, unless you are very free for the day, its not that worth the hassle. I do see lots of people buying bedding every time there is a J Card sale. Maybe its cheap then? I’ve never bought any myself. As I said, I never saw anything very much cheaper than what I could get at a sale.
For those who aren’t J Card members and have no business going to Midvalley Megamall, you’d best avoid the mall and its surrounding roads like the plague today. The roads are going to be super jammed both going in and out of the mall and come to think of it, probably around the mall too, since the roads there are circular. If you really need to go to the mall, try taking the KTM Komuter. At least you don’t have to suffocate and tear your hair out trying to find parking.
Me? I’m sitting put and there’s nothing that can drag me to Midvalley Megamall today.