#MiriamReviews

Battle of The Charms: Trollbeads vs Pandora vs Thomas Sabo

Wednesday, January 31, 2018



As they say accessories make a girl a woman. I'm not much of an accessories kinda girl but if there is one item I've always eyed on is owning a charm bracelet. Over the past couple of years, charm bracelets have become huge and trending all over the world with several brands. But the brands that pop into your head when you mention charm bracelets would most probably Pandora, Trollbeads or Thomas Sabo.


If you are as confused as how I was, then here's the rundown on what's makes these three brands different from one another and well... ultimately, who will win the Battle of The Charms.


The Origin


The story of Trollbeads began in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1976, when Soren “Silversmith” Nielsen created the first Trollbead, Faces. The sterling silver bead, faces, is named for the no less than 6 faces that decorate it. Soren “Silversmith” Nielsen sold the Faces Bead from his father Svend Nielsen’s jewelry shop in Central Copenhagen. The trending fashion at the time of Trollbeads creation was to wear a single silver bead on a leather cord necklace. Instead of hanging the bead from an eyelet, Nielsen placed an opening through the center of the bead. Later his sister, Lise Aagaard, began to place the beads on silver bracelets. 

Lise Aagaard, the founder of Trollbeads, went on to open her own jewelry store. One day a customer asked to place more than one bead on her bracelet. The storekeeper was surprised but added another bead to the customer’s bracelet. This is how the bead-on-bracelet jewelry concept was born. 

From the suggestion of one customer, the Trollbeads brand and adventure were created. In cooperation with customers and with their wishes in mind, the collection grew. Today Trollbeads can be found in over 400 cities worldwide. They even expanded to a Mens Collection as well.


Trollbeads is an exquisite set of interchangeable jewellery pieces which let you create your own look. At the heart of the collection are the beads themselves. Each piece in the Trollbeads collection has its own little history, taking its inspiration from mythology, astrology, fairy tales, fauna, flora, cultural diversity, and last but certainly not least, in the familiar things of everyday living. 

Trollbeads jewellery includes beads, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and rings. The jewellery has a wide range of collections that let you tell your own story through the beads and accessories. 


Battle of The Charms


Pandora does not need much introduction as it is probably the most well-known charm bracelet brand and many would see them as the leading charm bracelet maker. But did you know that the brand that came up with the concept first was Trollbeads. Starting out as a family run business in 1976, they elude the traditional beauty of charm bracelets. 

Pandora has a unique method for attaching the charms to their bracelet where you have to screw on the charm with the little treads cleverly placed. This means that you are kinda stuck with only having Pandora charms as other charms without the thread can get stuck on the bracelet.  Meanwhile Trollbeads have openly said that you can mix charms from any brands as it will slide on due to the flexible nature of it. This allows you to collect your preferred charm and customize your charm bracelet with charms from any brand.  Meanwhile Thomas Sabo is an example of a modern day charm bracelet where they dangle from a chain instead of the actual charm.


Ultimately, it’s all down to your own individual personal preference. If you're looking for  a more pristine polished look, Pandora might be your cup of tea. Just decide on your color scheme and get matching beads along with it. Popular for their range of charms, they elude a slightly more whimsical tone throughout their whole collection. 

 Thomas Sabo is known for their sterling silver pieces whose designs range from modern & pop culture-inspired to elegant & classic. They have a slightly more modern feel as well with emphasis on silver pieces.


 Trollbeads on the other hand, I would call it more rustic and classic. You get this rough cut but exquisite design  that is like no other. Their materials range from sterling silver, gold, copper and leather. Each bead is handcrafted especially the glass beads which means there is no two beads alike. The more beads you put together, the more it grows on you. 

Design

Design wise, all three brands have their own characteristic to it. Pandora charms are more polished with cute silver charms and glass charms with little birds, polka dots and love hearts while Trollbeads has a more rustic feel to it. Their designs are mostly inspired by the supernatural and nature such as fairies, mermaids, trees, galaxies and shells you might find on the beach. 

Price-wise, you can choose to get a ready-made or a customized bracelet from the website or stores however there is one thing unique to  Trollbeads which is the lock. Trollbeads has unique locks that the other two do not offer. You get to really customize every part of your bracelet to your liking.

Material and Production

Trollbeads are made of the highest quality raw materials, and have evolved from the beginning to be only in sterling silver to now include 18 karat gold, freshwater pearls and gemstones - and last but certainly not least the beautiful and fantastic glass beads made from Italian glass. The gold and silver Trollbeads are modelled using the so called 'cire perdu' or 'lost wax' method. This 3,000 year old technique allows for fine details to be reproduced from wax to precious metals. While glass Trollbeads all are hand made from red-hot glass in the open flame.


Trollbeads are produced all over the world; from Denmark and Germany to eastern Europe, USA, and China. We find business partners who have the best product knowledge and often find this in cultures where there is a tradition and understanding for the materials being used.

"Every Story Has A Bead"


 The idea behind Trollbeads is that it is a bead-on-bracelet/-necklace/-earring product, where you can build your own story by adding the beads the way you want to. You can collect a bracelet entirely from beauty, diversity and colours that fit your clothes, personality or memories.

Create your very own Trollbeads piece that fits your style, memories and personalities with 3 simple steps:

1. Select a bracelet (Sterling silver/Gold/Leather)



2. Select your desired beads



3. Select a lock (unique to Trollbeads)



After doing all my research, I'm sorry Pandora but Trollbeads have won my heart especially with their handcrafted glass beads, each unique and different. How can I not with all the gorgeous designs?







 Share with me your thoughts and which brand won the battle for you.

Locations

Trollbeads Malaysia is available at MidValley, Sunway Pyramid and Vivacity Megamall, Kuching. They have been on the market for more than 40 over years, with over 50 countries around the world. 
You can find Trollbeads online on their website at  & on their official Facebook & Instagram
Til next time,
xoxo
Miriam




#MiriamAds

JONLIVIA BlazePants Brightening Series Launch

Sunday, January 28, 2018


Time to get back in shape before Chinese New Year with JONLIVIA BlazePants Brightening Series. Well... technically getting  back in shape to fit into that cheongsam but then there's still all that good food. Let's try not to get too unhealthy this Chinese New Year *wink*


JONLIVIA is one of the popular fitness outfit brand in town especially with their cutting edge style and passion for fitness. Nowadays, you've got to look good even when working out because you never know if that cute guy at gym is checking you out. I'm sure you don't want to look like some frumpy girl at the gym. 


Last weekend, JONLIVIA announced the arrival of the BlazePants Brightening Series which is part of their Neoheat series. This cutting-edge athleisure apparel helps you sweat faster as you burn calories faster. 


JONLIVIA is already well-known for their Neoheat Technology that helps burns calories 4 times faster thanks to the high performance inner layer. Plus, the design helps to give you a slimming form fit, distributing heat to your tummy and getting rid of those love handles.


Now, with their White Rose Brightening Technology the BlazePants Brightening Series is the first fitness pants which also helps brighten and moisturize skin. Using hundreds of organic rose petal components it releases vitamins and minerals that brighten the skin. 


Plus the BlazePants Brightening also is up to 50% UPF protection which protects you from those harmful UV rays that causes skin darkening. The anti-oxidizing hydration and anti-ageing properties hydrate your skin and prevents your skin from aging faster; making it ideal for dry or sensitive skin. The components of the rose petals minimizes redness and soothes skin. 


With the Fitgrip Technology and fitting cut, the BlazePants will make you the most fashionable girl in the gym. Love how the Fitgrip Technology ensures that the pants stays snug and doesn't rise especially when you do exercises like yoga that requires stretching.


Proven during the Grand Finale of Jonlivia Slimplezy Challenge last weekend at Paradigm Mall. Congratulations to all the gorgeous ladies who went through a series of intense workout with Jonlivia outfits and got back into shape.

The BlazePants Brightening Series will be retailing at RM208 and available for purchase online at Jonlivia.com or from their retail outlet at Jonlivia Lifestyle Club SS2. Also, for Chinese New Year they are have some promotions and discounts so do check out their Facebook page for more details.

Til next time,
xoxo
Miriam

#MiriamTech

#DellExperience Workshop - Dell XPS 13 Rose Gold Edition & Dell Vostro 5000 series

Wednesday, January 24, 2018


Who would say no to the chance of a hands-on workshop using the extensive line up of Dell laptops and 2-in-1s on display, including the latest XPS 13 and Vostro 5000 series? Definitely not me! Dell Malaysia hosted a media and blogger workshop to demonstrate how professionals/influencers use technology to enhance their work, passion and lifestyle.


The workshops on photography and music production were led by two local influencers – Jason Goh (best known as Smashpop) and Muhamad bin Ahmad Husni, the owner and Managing Director of Hotsound Studio. An extensive line up of Dell laptops and 2-in- 1 was also showcased, including the latest 8th Gen Intel Core processor devices and the new flagship XPS 13 which was just unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2018 held in Las Vegas, US in early January 2018.

I've been a fan of Dell laptops especially their XPS 13 series which I had the chance to extensively reviewed a few months back. The XPS 13 2-in-1 seamlessly integrated with how I work and move about plus the experience of using the slim and sleek device made me wonder how did I manage to cart around a heavy laptop all these while.



However, Dell once again made a feat in engineering as they continuously improved on the XPS 13 series in every conceivable way and was just named a CES 2018 Innovation Award Honoree. Along with its next-generation InfinityEdge 4K Ultra HD display, the XPS 13 adds a dazzling Rose Gold with Alpine White woven glass fiber interior as an option to traditional silver and black, with narrower borders and up to 80% more thermal headroom.


Yes guys! You heard that right. The Dell XPS 13 now comes in ROSE GOLD!! I'm so in love with the color matched with Alpine White woven glass fiber interior making it so much more stylish instead of the traditional silver and black.


Inside its thinner, lighter design, the Dell Power Manager delivers power just when you need it, while GORE Thermal Insulation, the same silica aerogels used in the Mars Rover to diffuse and dissipate heat, introduces an innovative material into the thermal design to keep the system cool while it works hard. This latest improvement made me ecstatic as the one flaw that I noticed was the previous unit I reviewed heated up pretty quickly. But now thanks to this space technology, I would say that little problem of mine is settled.

Dell Inspiron 13 5000




Inspiron 13 5000 delivers real mobile entertainment. Refreshed with the 8th generation Intel Core processors, the new Inspiron 13 5000 laptop sets a new standard for style for the everyday user, delivering an exceptional computing experience in a compact design and head-turning finish that keeps your entertainment within reach. Its thinner and lighter design improves mobility, and the durable anodised aluminium with coordinating palm rest looks good at home and on the go.

Dell Vostro 5000 Series




Premium design meets maximum mobility – Vostro 13 5000 and Vostro 14 5000. Also unveiled at the event were the newest Vostro laptops – the Vostro 13 5000 and Vostro 14 5000. Beautifully designed coupled with high-powered mobile performance, the thin and light laptops – with 13.3” and 14” displays respectively – offer premium, colourful design and impressive performance for professionals seeking style and mobility.

Pricing and Availability

Pricing for the Inspiron 13 5000 laptop starts at RM2,899 while the Vostro 13 5000 and Vostro 14 5000 starts at RM3,199 and RM2,899 respectively, and are available now through Dell and its authorised partners. The news XPS 13 starts at RM5,999 and will be available end-January 2018.

For more details visit Dell website today.

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