hello sunshine

singapore f1 (top & g-dragon)

2011-09-24T08:31:00.000-07:00

whoosh, was at the practice session of the singapore f1 yesterday! well, actually i was more interested in big bang's g-dragon & top's performance at the padang than the f1 race itself. haha. the f1 circuit was something of a bonus :p

yet was awfully pleased to see the cars. it was so darn loud though 0_o

red bull!

i must say that the nightlights of singapore are rather pretty!

the supreme court all lit up (:

waiting for TOP!

high high! i'm so highhhhh

top looking all spiffy

matching coats and all (gosh, they must have been baking in their suits)

that's t.o.p. on the right and g-dragon on the left. i was so sad that they only did 3 songs. the whole concert was made up of their 3 songs, another 3 songs with seungri (another member of big bang), and one song with all 3 of them. it was too short ):

isn't he adorable (:

g-dragon! haha. he couldn't take the heat afterall.

meeting old friends (: sam & felicia!

winter in seoul

2011-09-22T15:39:00.000-07:00

i'm super excited about my trip to seoul! partially because i had an absolute blast the last time i was in seoul, that was with ming last year. it was just madness. hahaha. so much food, so much coffee, so much walking, so much shopping, and so much fun. haha. this time i'm off to seoul with my mummy. so that'll be slightly different. and it'll be autumn this time, which i'm really looking forward to. autumn in korea's beautiful, especially in the mountains. so we're gonna head to wonju to climb chiak-san. woots. my version of 2D1N! haha. fantastic stuff.

mms, but before i go, here's abit of why i love seoul, ming and especially the two combined :D

insa-dong

oh the food markets (((:

up in bukchon in jongno

bright clear skies on a winter morning. absolutely perfect.

ming and i fooling around in gyeongbok palace hee

i love trees in winter. so harsh and barren. and yet so beautiful. just like the trees in london

nom nom nom

FISHCAKES!!! odaeng odaeng odaeng

seoul fortress

we slid and slipped our way up and down the snow coveredpath

pretty isn't it?

WE LOVE FRIED CHICKEN!

AND KOREAN BBQ!

AND ANDONG CHICKEN!

i love the individualistic and quirky cafes in seoul. the cafe-culture is amazing.

seoul here i come sooooon (:

my heart and soul is waiting

2011-09-22T15:10:00.000-07:00

the three who i haven't gotten a chance to hear live, and who i need to hear live before i die.

(dinesh needs to hear this. actually he's heard this more than a million times. it's all he hears from me)

music is a wonderful thing. great music goes beyond languages, beyond race, beyond borders, beyond religions, beyond appearances, and straight into your soul.

off to korea!

2011-09-11T14:05:00.000-07:00

mms. i think i'll be heading to korea soon :D happiness! haha. but other than my usual korean cravings, food, shopping, my favourite stars and kpop, i really want to buy the most recent copies of "High Cut".

haha why do i need to travel a quarter way around the world for a magazine? because they take the most beautiful and interesting pictorials. beautiful korean stars in gorgeous outfits, with stunning sets. what's not to like? and the icing on the cake, it seems like it only costs 500won (50 cents usd). that is unless the cover is messing with me :p

you are beautiful boys (erh 3 boys and 1 girl)

cha seung won

my hyun bin!

lee jin wook

top from big bang (whoosh i'll be seeing him e following fri!)

and because i wouldn't want anyone to say that i only like the magazine because they only showcase good-looking korean men, here are a couple of pretty girls too! haha.

lee min jung

yoon seung ah

shake shack

2011-09-11T13:43:00.000-07:00

i left my heart in new york, my longings in madison square park and my tummy in shake shack.

mms, there really isn't any place better than shake shack. and even though they've opened quite a few more branches in new york city (and elsewhere - WHYYYY -.- it should only be in nyc. well unless it's in my home), my favourite one is still the original in madison square park. delicious burgers and fantastic cheese fries are perfect in the park setting. haha. you get little sparrows, squirrels and erh mice to accompany you during the meal too :p haha. i have images of cinderella in my head. mms.

it's much better having burgers in madison square park in spring and summer. the first time i went, it was sorta spring, but still bloody freezing cold. my fingers were so frozen i could hardly grab my shack burger (tt's e best. e shack sauce is awesome). but the first time will always be special (i feel like i'm talking about something else now. mms), because it was kayli who introduced me to it (:

ah nyc <3

singapore's fashion magazines: bleah

2010-09-01T12:47:00.001-07:00

since i've been back, i haven't stepped into any major brands' boutiques. the price of everything here is just appalling. i can't bring myself to buy anything when it's been jacked up to like 30% more than what it is in london. i've been satisfying my fashion hunger with small indie designers, korean/jap/hk fashion and topshop (my love).

i think this is the last time i'm buying a singapore fashion magazine. the articles in there were appallingly horrendous. every other article was about a girl/woman boasting about how many pairs of shoes she has, how many chanel or balenciaga bags she has collected or how many pairs of bloody jeans she has. this is ridiculous -.- all everyone seems to be doing here is collecting branded good like blind people with too much money to spend. c'mon, who the hell with any fashion sense buys a shoe with a pouch on it (i love karl lagerfeld, but some of the things he puts out sometimes are just spastic. it feels like he's putting it out just to see who will buy it because it has the chanel logo on it -.-)

i'm so disappointed with the singapore magazines. if they aren't featuring another adequately well-dressed 'pretty' girl with her branded goods, they are displaying the same few seasonal items that the brands send out on rotation. these bags gets bounced from magazine to magazine and every single magazine dutifully puts them out on their 'this season's most wanted bags/shoes list'. have a mind of your own damnit.

and now with the new boutiques opening at marina bay sands, everyone is just trying to come out with super limited edition bags with super mind-blowing price tags. they don't care if its 10,0000 or 50,000 bucks, ugly or pretty (to be fair, some are gorgeous), they'll just stamp 'limited edt singapore' on it, and the brand-conscious crowd with the money will lap it up like crazy. whee.

but the worst thing is the abysmally sparse and limited photo-spreads they have. a fashion magazine is supposed to inspire. to give you ideas on how to put the season's trends together. to translate the high fashions from the runway into something wearable, or to bring to life a magical artistic fusion of styling, makeup, backdrop, clothing and concept. i mean the ultimate epitome of that would be vogue photo spreads, but that's being abit unrealistic for singapore yeah :p but even 'teen magazines' like teen vogue or nylon can pull off awesome photo spreads with nothing more than a girl with attitude, several showpiece items (they don't even have to be branded), a refreshing concept and good fashion sense and style and there you have it. i feel like banging my head against a wall really. ARGHS.

if i wanted a list of the new season's items or to have snapshots of the runway looks (all of which appear in every single singapore fashion magazine), i'd be much better of buying any one of japan's catalogue books -.- they have a way broader collection and i wouldn't be as annoyed by the parading women and their brands. ughs.

okay, very long rant. very angry wj. goodnight!

proenza schouler x j brand

2010-08-23T01:31:00.000-07:00

hellooo (: sorry i've been mia again. heh. traveling + moving home has been a major pain. will put up my shots from my summer holidays soon!

anyway i'm totally enamored with proenza schouler's fall/winter 2010 collection. it is edgy and beyond cool, yet without sacrificing the gorgeous feminine silhouette that the duo are famous for. but what really caught my attention was their collaboration with j brand (extreme right & left pictures). the hand-painted streaked jeans are awesome :D i'm totally loving the electric blue one. though i must say that the high-waisted factor isn't something i'm so keen on. plus i don't think it'll be very kind to non-zero-sized girls. hmms. will have to try this out.

oh. did i mention i'm incredibly annoyed by the jacked-up prices for branded clothing in singapore. thanks club 21 and the links -.-

2010-07-17T18:06:00.000-07:00

mms. i've been going crazy with tax-free shopping :D hahaha. updates soon!

hats: winter crazy ones

2010-05-22T12:38:00.000-07:00

ahh :p since rachel reminded me of winter hats. i remembered ming's crazily adorable hat from tallinn (estonia)

teehee, can you see how multi-coloured and bright it is :D but the craziest part is that it was a hat AND scarf all in one. it basically looked like leggings with fur-puffs at the end. and so you put the hat on, and there's these two long erh ear-like extensions from the top that you wrap around your neck as a scarf. hahaha.

this is the best picture i have of that hat :p oh and that's my polar bear one :D

i miss you ming!

ps. this photo was taken aboard the cruise-liner from tallinn back to estonia. we were so lazy and tired we just collapsed on the floor near the exit :D haha

summer must-have 1: hats

2010-05-22T08:21:00.000-07:00

mms, i think its a really well-known fact by now that i hate the sun. HATE HATE HATE THE SUN. which is why i get slightly obsessive about hats in the summer :D hahaha.

this is the white straw fedora i got from japan back in summer last year :D

just put my UO order through (i got the peach dress - thanks guys!) and in my order, there is the most adorable little straw hat. haha, i knew i had to get it when i saw it. doesn't do much for the sun, but don't you think it'd look so pretty with a floral sundress? i had visions of outfits i could create just to go with that hat the moment i saw it.

anyway, the fedora hat's a classic for that care-free beach bum kinda feel (:

but i can't deal with the summer sun without my large slouchy floppy hat either (: hahaha. i wore it to italy 2 summers ago, and i'll be bringing it with me to greece and italy again this time around!

and one more by eugenia kim that i find rather interesting and unique (eugenia kim makes the most awesome hair accessories and hats btw). its a raffia version of a 40s bolero. casual and yet so classy at the same time. i'm really liking it!

sorry i haven't been updating much. exams have been eating too much of my life away ): but more pictures, more uploads and more posts after june the first k! after that, my summer officially begins (:

maje: french playlist

2010-05-15T14:33:00.000-07:00

i love my parisian brands, the small little indie boutiques littered all around paris st germain. they're so well-made, whimsical and yet classic at the same time (:

anyway, i was looking for a dress from maje, one of these parisian brands, and visited their website.

and while their clothes are lovely as usual, what really kept me on the website for ages was their fantastic playlist of small indie french singers. i love it when brands make the effort to think about the theme and image they're trying to project and make a conscientious effort through sight, smell, touch and sound. i always get addicted to karl lagerfeld's choices for chanel's runway music. haha, anyway i've either bought the songs off itunes or bookmarked their myspace pages.

go listen!

ridiculous fashion

2010-05-15T14:03:00.000-07:00

okay, i'm going to be slightly bitchy here, but i think the ridiculousness of this deserves it -.-

most of the time, i love fashion. all the whimsical fantasies, impractical but beautiful, often overpriced stuff.

but this, this is bloody ridiculous.

presenting the 'pop silver-glided heart necklace' from aurelie biderman.

doesn't it look like the kind of stuff you wore as a little girl trying to play dress-up? it looks like it just came out of one of those barbie or polly-pocket (no offense joyce :p ) dress-up sets! i mean, to be fair, if you were to wear it with a cutesy little dress, it might be okay. but scroll down for the price and you will understand why i think it's ridiculous.

you just look like an overgrown kid wearing it.

and guess how much it costs?

525 POUNDS on netaporter.

seriously, i cannot imagine anyone who either can be willing to spend that amount of money on plasticky looking hearts, or if they are willing and able to buy it, have the fashion sense to wear it -.- its horrendous. i wonder what the buyers at netaporter were thinking. gosh.

uo dress

2010-05-14T14:31:00.000-07:00

help! i can't decide which colour is prettier / suits me better :p its a tulle dress from kimchi by urban outfitters, and i had my heart set on the peach one, but recently they came out with a lilac one and now i'm not so sure. comments anyone?

i'm not sure which one would fit my skin-tone. and the lilac is still abit hmmms.

outrageous leggings part 1

2010-05-13T17:40:00.000-07:00

i've been pretty obsessed with crazy leggings lately. haha. and the japanese & korean brands have been feeding this odd obsession of mine.

introducing my first pair: possibly the one that started my obsession. teehee, diagonal zig-zag grey & black striped leggings from graniph. i like it best with a large oversized tee or jumper (like in the photo)!

excuse the mess :p this is what happens when you're mugging for finals :p

don't you love the japanese

online shopping: topshop make up

2010-05-08T23:24:00.001-07:00

eeks :D i just ordered a whole cartful of topshop makeup :D they're so cheap 0_o hahaha, its like 4 quid for eyeliner. i'm loving the crazy eye-popping nail polishes. but at the prices, i really wonder what kinda quality i will get :p ah wells, i shall wait for a few days for my delivery to come before giving my verdict! wheeeee.

online shopping does wonders during exam periods! haha, i've got saved carts in yesstyle and urbanoufitters waiting for me to click 'purchase'. whoops.

more when i wake up/get the delivery! xxx

vivienne westwood for melissa flats

2010-05-05T17:41:00.000-07:00

if you still remember, one of my first entries for this blog was about vivienne westwood's heart heels for melissa. i got the yellow one with the black heart in the end.

but recently, she's come out with a new line that has a 'wax-seal' kinda stamp on the front. and i was eying the nude flats pair for AGES. i practically live in flats in london, and its so hard to get good quality, unique and lasting flats -.- i was living in my tape-measurement one for an entire year. hahaha. if you've visited me in london, i'm sure you've seen that pair.

anyway, i finally succumbed and got this pair :p

for one, i love that they are jelly shoes, so for the ocd-shoe-bitch here, i can rub off any scuffs or dirt anytime. plus i never have to worry about the rain :D haha. but what made me really surprised, was how well it formed around my feet. seriously. i have a really high arch, and so more often than not, there's this open gaping space between my arch and the shoe. but the form of this shoe, and perhaps the material, allows it to really hug my foot's arch. and makes my feet look even smaller than it already is :D

i'm totally loving the nude colour (:

looking good / fashion

2010-05-05T16:56:00.001-07:00

i've said this a million and one times, but i'll say it again.

it really isn't hard to look good nowadays. seriously, in london, you've got topshop, miss selfridge, fcuk, urban outfitters, uniqlo, gap, zara, mango and so many more high street brands tt more often than not copy trends from the biggest runways around the world and replicate it, produce it in large quantities and ship it all around the world to girls and women alike. even in singapore, you have access to fashions from hongkong, china, korea & japan that do almost the same thing too.

and with the growing wealth of girls and women, they can afford to spend more, buy more, quantity-wise & quality/brands-wise. in this capitalist/materialistic society, its increasingly difficult to live life without being aware of trends and brands. they're constantly shoved in your face, subtly telling you what to buy or wear, how to dress, how to accessorise.

and perhaps that is why, i find nowadays, that everyone just looks the same. everyone in general definitely looks better, that's for sure. but at the cost of raising the average, everyone has become average.

its the same hairstyles, or same thick eye-liner, or same block-coloured dresses, or rompers, or t-shirts, or flower-print dresses, or gladiator sandals. i'm not saying that i don't wear these things. and neither am i trying to say that i am much more fashion-forward than everyone else.

all i dare to say really is that i dare to be different. perhaps it is this rejection of being average, or blending in, or my love for center-stage, or whatever. i like to own things i know others won't have (i'm not talking about buying crazily expensive things, but perhaps limited edition, smaller brands, indie brands or vintage etc), and i try (at least i believe i do) to be different

and while i'm not advocating doing the same thing to everyone, what i'm just suggesting is that, since you spend that amount (be it large or small) on a fashion piece that i'm assuming you like, why not try to change it up sometimes. instead of always wearing that same shirt with jeans, how about with shorts and throw in a denim jacket. or instead of the same black and blue colours, how about a splash of yellow or green to change it up?

there's no harm in trying new things, trying new styles and not following how the ad campaigns tell you how to dress, or follow trends obsessively. give it your own character and show some thought in your dressing!

just a suggestion (;

roka

2010-05-03T19:09:00.000-07:00

sonya darling & i headed over to roka e other day, for our long-awaited virgin meal at roka :D hahaha. we've been eying this restaurant for ages ever since we tried zuma. roka's e little sister of zuma, slightly smaller, more informal and more focused on robatayaki. you don't have to worry about e fumes though :p haha, their exhaust is fantastic. snorts. i hate going into robatayaki / okonomiyaki restaurants and coming out smelling like one myself -.-

i got quite a few stares for my top-knot tt day :p but i love it. so cooling & refreshing. though i get a headache a few hours down e road -.-

a much smaller & informal version of zuma. there's a japanese bar/lounge below too, called shochu lounge. they do e small snacks just like a japanese bar. i'm excited to try :D

anyway, here comes e food (:

miso-marinated salmon sashimi wrapped around pickled daikon with watercress & erh black-bits(?). this was really really good. one of e best modern jap dishes i ever had. sonya and i were going crazy for e black-bits. we had no idea what they were, they looked like bits of charcoal, but gosh were they like little bursts of flavour in your mouth. we were trying to pick up every grain we could find on e plate. provided a wonderful crunch texture to e otherwise smooth dish. [this came under salad though. abit odd]

ebi to avocado maki. seaweed was crisp, fried ebi was juicy yet crispy, avocado was super fresh :D so good! hahaa, e sprinkling of chrysanthemum flower petals was a nice touch. wasabi avocabo smear on e side

ooh this was pretty good. though not quite japanese. cod, crayfish & crab gyoza. swoons. though e use of herbs in e filling was really western. sonya wasn't quite so sure she liked it :p haha.

a half-bitten gyoza. urghs i'm hungry again -.-

this was one of their new dishes. beef tataki wrapped around cucumber & pickled daikon, with a sprinkling of 'soy bean pearls' on top. teehee, sonya tried one and went 'OMG SAGO!' e best part was tt little cube of fried beef fat on top tt was crunchy, oily, salty & oh so bloody good. gave a wonderful dimension to e otherwise milder taste of e other ingredients. i was really impressed with how soft e beef tataki was, and how fresh it was too. kinda just melted away. wasn't mind-blowing, but good nonetheless.

grilled eggplant with chili miso. e japanese sure know how to grill eggplants. seriously. melted in our mouth (((:

mms, grilled spare-ribs. normally i'm not easily surprised by grilled spare-ribs. there's usually e few standard ways of doing them. but this, this was juicy & tender, grilling-wise. but e crust of sesame seed & peanuts made e hell of a difference. i never knew peanuts could go so well with pork. e oils & fragrances of e sesame seeds & peanuts made e ribs so wonderful & unique. i'm so going to try this back in spore :p

grilled seabass. fresh, tender & well-grilled... can't you tell i'm not tt big a fan of grilled fish :p or anything grilled in general.

ooh now desserts :D roka has a real reputation for their desserts

new dish: yuzu moriwase - yuzu custard with peach sorbet & soy bean infused foam. slightly too creamy for my liking. but i really liked e crumble they had at e bottom, as well as e strong yuzu flavour

mms, maccha dark chocolate fondant with pear ice cream. e slightly tangy pear ice cream cut across e heaviness of e fondant really well. e bitterness of e dark chocolate went fabulously with e maccha. haha, we were rather surprised when we cut it and this dark green goo came oozing out. teehee, one of their famous desserts.

and last but definitely not least, while i was totally expecting e fondant to be great, and didn't have much hopes for this mango almond cake with salted caramel ice-cream (seeing as how i don't really like nuts & mango). my gosh, this totally blew our socks off. e cake was incredibly spongy and light, e mango slightly sour but not overpowering. but together with e crunchy sugared almonds & e salty caramel ice-cream, my god it was so so so damn good. shit i will go back again just for this cake i tell you. its that good :p

all in all, it was a fantastic meal. a reprieve from e studying :p hahaha. i definitely enjoyed roka a lot more than zuma. so much better actually. plus e fact tt i can walk over to it is a major plus :p definitely going back in e new future. anyone wanna go with me :D

scallop-hem shorts

2010-04-29T15:20:00.001-07:00

when i first saw the scallop hem shorts by see by chloe, i had no idea it was going to be this popular :p haha.

i really did quite like them. the satin material & e delicate scallop hem really caught my eye. but it felt abit too much like lingerie for my liking.

and then, i found this pair of shorts by the kooples in paris when angie & i headed over for a day. and this is a much classier version (i feel) of e scallop hem. didn't quite fit me, but its really well made (: [ps, i'll blog about the kooples another day] but tres chic, no?

and then i realised how big it was when i saw e korean brands copying them too :p on yesstyle.com. hahaha.

a reasonable alternative (:

hahaha. i'm really picky about my shorts. so till now, though i quite like e scallop hem, i haven't found a pair tt i'm satisfied with. what say you about scallop hems? x

2010-04-28T03:22:00.001-07:00

ahahaaha :D did i mention i love london and e london unis. e crazy things we do here. and esp how e craziness increases during exam periods :p

check this out: lse fitfinder

they have it for e outside uk unis like cambridge, oxford & notts too. angie go see! teehee. its so funny.

topshop make-up

2010-04-27T15:08:00.001-07:00

one non-food entry first before i continue with my food-raving.

i'm really gonna miss topshop when i go back ): i love how crazy e topshop selection is here, and hate how plain, boring & predictable it is in spore ): sighs.

anyway, topshop's coming up with their line of makeup. and it promises to be just like e clothing - londonstyle. hahaha. think crazy metallic glitter, bright eye-popping nail polishes and awesome packaging. i love e minimalist crayon look. haha. e 'kohl' liner is e best. i'm excited :D its dropping early may? probably gonna order some online and get it shipped to my apt, since i'm supposed to be studying (y)

mms, e blue nail polish i saw e other day & e kohl liner is looking good. plus i can't resist e polka-dotted blush compacts :D so mod, so cute!

2010-04-24T23:35:00.001-07:00

i can't help but feel a bit turned off that dawn yang is advertising for yesstyle, and she studied in nyu. mms.

she's just not my cup of tea.

byron

2010-04-23T18:51:00.000-07:00

okayyy (: its food posts for e next few posts. hahaha. first up: byron burgers :D

yum yummm. i finally went to byron on wardour's street for burgers. i've been lusting after them for like half a year but never quite found anyone who was into burgers and was willing to go with me. pouts. but anwar was a lovely darling and came with me, together with darren too. woots.

anyway, i got the cheeseburger (mature cheddar, you have e option of monterey jack, blue cheese or gruyere) with no veggies except onions, extra portobello mushrooms (i miss you ming) and e byron sauce.

okay, i'm quite sure rachel will really like this burger. while it isn't as mindblowingly fabulous as shake shack (i'm a devoted soul), it was pretty darn good. especially by london burger standards :p haha. e bun was incredibly soft and fluffy, just lightly toasted. not hard and overly chewy or flattened like so many burgers. e patty was made of really good quality ground beef, cooked medium and was all red and juicy. it was soft & tender but yet still held together when you bit into it. loved the fact tt they sliced their red onions really thinly. means tt you get a slightly spiciness in each bite without too much onion overpowering everything. and e grilled portobello mushroom was really juicy (:

only criticism i probably have is tt e mushroom was slightly cold and e byron sauce which i added on was nothing exceptional. i could barely taste it. for a sauce you name after your shop, i'd have thought it would have been bloody good. mms. shall go without e sauce next time :p just good ol ketchup & mayo.

sides we got french FRIES & mac & cheese. mac&cheese was forgettable, but ooh e french fries were good :D do you know how bloody hard it is to get good fries in a city obsessed with CHIPS. urghs, i hate chips. too much potato and often too soggy and hard. good fries tt are crispy on e outside and thin but fluffy in e inside is so incredibly hard to get here, but oh so good (((:

mms. my tummy's all full and happy (: teehee. i'm off to study! tata!
[coming up: gordon ramsays at claridges & happy springtime thingums]

2010-04-22T21:31:00.001-07:00

omg i'm going to watch she & him live at ulu :DDD

she & him: volume two

2010-04-19T12:28:00.000-07:00

okay, i'm usually extremely protective of my favourite music. i don't like to share (rachel probably gets this), because too often music tt is eclectic or unique or indie, loses tt feel tt i love about it once it gets popular. hahaha. i can't quite explain it. and i hate it tt ppl gush about 'indie bands' just because they think its cool -rolls eyes- long story.

i usually only share my favourite bands/singers with ppl who i think can appreciate it.

anyway, i think this might be my first music post 0_o and of course it has to be about she & him, check them out at myspace. oh how i love she & him :D

she & him's made up of zooey deschanel (from 500 days of summer. love her to death. she is my indie queen) & m. ward. she sings & plays, he plays. [ps. did you know zooey deschanel's married to ben gibbard of deathcab. omg, could you seriously get a better couple]

their music is this really interesting nostalgic feel, slightly 60s, with a bit of a campy feel. zooey deschanel has a really unique voice with this really old-school feel to it. but e lyrics, e lyrics are so random and yet so illuminating at e same time. volume one was mindblowingly good. it was my spring summer playlist last year. and now with volume two, they've taken up that chirpiness up a notch and thrown in quite a few covers but done their way. its perfect for a long drive by e beach (: i'm looking forward to enjoying greece with them on my ipod.

this is one of my favourites from volume 1: sentimental heart :D

their music is quirky, happy, nostalgic, random and everything odd thrown into one album. its a breath of fresh air with so many bands starting to sound similar or depressed. i love them.

acne heels

2010-04-12T14:58:00.001-07:00

whoosh :D i got new shoes!!!

happiness :DDD

i haven't bought shoes in quite awhile. last two were from nike. so they don't count as proper shoes. hahaha.

the past two seasons of shoes have been extremely uninspiring, boring, identical & too utilitarian for my liking. i know there was an economic crisis, but that doesn't mean tt all shoe designs should get 'depressing' -.- and so i haven't really bought any pretty shoes since my birthday pair.

BUT TODAY! OH TODAY WAS A GLORIOUS DAY ((((((: i found an awesome awesome pair of shoes by acne at liberty. so happy so happy. previously i had only noticed acne's line of jeans. their line of jeans are another one of those cult jeans (though they never really fitted me). but this swedish brand has been gaining reputation and attention through their edgy well-made clothing and shoes. and now i got a pair :D

aren't they awesome. the heel is made of rusted metal. the combination of luxurious suede and grungy rusty metal is fantastic :D

mms, i wonder if can wear this to court :p HAHA.

another variation of e awesome three-pronged heel by acne (:

a very happy anwar & i at yuforia at covent garden (:

miu miu

2010-04-07T15:53:00.001-07:00

i kinda have my eye on this miu miu dress for my graduation :p hahaha. miu miu does dresses fabulously. the small detailing, the tiny pleats and stitching. how it structured and yet flowy at the same time. mms. this is one of the classic lbds that you can just keep wearing and re-wearing. just wondering if it looks abit too old. mms, graduation has to be formal after all.

shrugs. shall head down to e miu miu store with angie to take a look (:

plus i want to take a look at these satin sparrow-print pumps. they're completely sold-out on netaporter 0_o haha. i love the print, but i'm not too sure about the square-toed front or the chunky heel.

if you've shoe-shopped with me, you should know i only buy shoes that have good construction and have the streamlined curve to the arch. i hate disproportionate shoes. and this pair is kinda looking like that at e moment. but the sparrow print is ADORABLE :D

i must say, miu miu's coming back (: been so disappointed with their past few seasons :p

yoon eun hye

2010-04-06T10:25:00.000-07:00

ello ello (: sorry for being mia. mugging season has begun and hence i'm buried under completely boring, soul-sucking law notes that aren't fun/cute/fashionable AT ALL -.-

anyway, if you haven't realised, i'm incredibly attracted to the korean fashion scene right now :p haha, not the pretty frilly dresses, but their edgy yet feminine take on the recent punk wave.

but most of all, i adore yoon eun hye for her fashion sense :p she started out in goong/princess hours. but it is her recent show 'my fair lady' and her fashion editorial works that have really caught my attention. she can wear ANYTHING and pull it off. and its awesome cos most of e outfits in her show were chosen by her (((:

she's not your typical korean girl kinda look, nor is she your typical korean actress. having uneven teeth is almost unheard of in e industry :p haha. but tts what i adore about her. she's unapologetic about her flaws and that's what makes her stand out. hell, i can't tell most korean actresses apart. but she, she definitely stands out for me (:

e best thing is tt she didn't go down the traditional korean actress path with boring characters and 'pretty' but predictable dressing. her acting rocks but her fashion sense off and on e show is amazing too (: plus she does a hell lot of charity work.

mms, this is her most recent magazine editorial. and damn are those shoes gorgeous :DDD i'm hoping they're an international brand and not a korean brand and so i can hunt them down. sumptuous grey suede with faded gold studs. they're fabulous!

sandals

2010-03-10T15:00:00.000-08:00

the first thing that comes to mind during spring & summer is sandals :D

while i love my havaianas, i refuse to wear them anywhere other than the beach. i find it too sloppy to wear to many places, and i absolutely hate it when girls or guys drag their feet in their slippers. so annoying.

last summer, it was all about the gladiator sandals. and this season, it seems that the gladiator/edgy chic feel hasn't quite died off yet. but there are hints of pretty colours, feminine detail and flirty girliness peeking through these strappy creations. which i really like actually. its feminine without being annoyingly pink and frilly. a good mix of utilitarian and luxury (y)

so anyway, i just confirmed my order on shopbop :p hahaha, will upload e stuff as they come. but i've got two pairs of shoes, a pair of jeans, a bracelet & fleece leggings coming :D awesome!

sandals trend 1: colour!

just like the bags, accessories in spring-summer generally are covered in eye-popping colours. and i mean love it. bright colours just pop and make such a statement. haha. metallics are also great for summer. they shimmer in the sunlight, and they go with everything. gold on tanned skin looks awesome (:

this is the pair by twelfth street by cynthia vincent. i love the bright cyan colour. so looking forward to it coming. oh and the best thing is the zipper on the top :D haha, which means no annoying buckling and unbuckling everytime i want to wear them or take them off :p

also by twelfth street by cynthia vincent. i really like the woven detail. only thing is that you gotta do e buckling and unbuckling thing :p haha. i'm too lazy.

trend 2: ankle cuffs

balenciaga's shoe collection this season is almost entirely made up of ankle-cuff shoes. i find them rather interesting. not my kind of style, but different nonetheless. though it isn't a good choice if you have short legs :p cuts them off.

this is by steve madden at asos!

trend no. 3: luxe and feminine

like i said, fashion is slowly getting its luxurious feel back. which i'm glad about. i can only deal with denim and ripped shorts for a year or two. luxe comes in all forms, embellished, stone-encrusted, latticed leather, lace, ruffles and all.

i think they're great when worn with shift dresses or summery prints, for say a day out. not quite for night though.

i currently have my eye on this antik batik pair. this french brand does wonderful sandals. haha. really like this one. considering it right now, together with a mcq shift on net-a-porter!

and this is so sweet and pretty, but an absolute splurge. lanvin's embellished sandals at net-a-porter.

wheeee :D can't wait for my sandals to come! but before summer comes, i get to go snowboarding first! hahaha. xxx

cat and the cream cupcakes

2010-03-06T15:44:00.001-08:00

now everyone who knows me, knows i love cupcakes. i love baking them, i love eating them. i've eaten cupcakes from so many places. from singapore, to london, to new york city, to paris, to hong kong etc.

and often while they are all good, with hummingbird bakery, magnolia bakery and marmalade pantry among the top few, there's always something i'm not satisfied with. hummingbird's icing has too much icing sugar, and hence hardens up really quickly. magnolia bakery often has too much icing and the cake's abit dry, though their whoopee cookies are AWESOME. marmalade pantry uses more of a sticky glaze on top in place of icing, and i often find their cake too dense and rich.

but today, gosh, i found the best cupcake i've ever had. didn't expect it at all when i picked up two cupcakes from this new stall at brunswick market. but omg, i just had one, which was the oreo cupcake and it just blew me away.

the brand is called cat and the cream. and its made by a 25 year old ex-arts-major, who lives in south london. she doesn't have her own shop yet, and i'm assuming she's just doing special orders and stalls in markets. but gosh this girl is good. and the array of flavours she has, a mixture of the good classics but with a slight modern luxurious twist (she only uses the best ingredients and it shows), and some amazing flavours i've never heard of.

the oreo cupcake i had today: the cake was soft, moist and light. the icing was just right, not too much, not too little. and not too sweet either. it didn't empower the cupcake, but went perfectly with it. but what i loved was the little milk chocolate ganache hidden in the center of the cupcake. a little surprise. it was perfect.

i got the one with a slice of apple on top, its chocolate and pear. i've yet to try it, but i'm looking forward to it (:

this is the dark chocolate with cherry and mocha ones

i believe one's carrot, and the other's lemon and poppy. awesome flavours right?

mms, i really want to try the hazelnut chocolate one :D yum yum!

so exciting (((: i get to happy when i find new good bakeries. bounces bounces. i'm going to order a boxful come easter when studying gets me down :p

spring must-have: no. 1

2010-03-04T12:35:00.001-08:00

okay, i've got a list of 8 must haves for the spring of 2010 (: a mixture of things i'm lusting after, or trends that are going to smack you in the face this spring.

so for my first must-have: bags (: i love my bags. not as much as i love my shoes, but close. hahaha.

okay, first big trend for bags. bright-coloured, simple statement bags.

colours are always in the spring collections, but this year, there seems to have been an explosion of colours on the bag scene. i think its to make up for the extremely gloomy, dark, utilitarian concept of last year (which i wasn't THAT big a fan of). i'm looking for either a yellow or a red one this year.

as usual, balenciaga is the queen of making simple, bright, classy bags (: i love the soft supple leather of balenciaga bags. my mum's obsessed with them. and i like them all the more now that the 'trend' has died down, so i don't see as many imitations anymore :p haha.

i have my eye on this mustard one (: i'll be heading down to harvey nichols this weekend with kal to check this out. check out the crazy range of colours online! they're out in stores already, so better get them quick if you want.

i've got a massive soft-spot for red bags. same city bag in sang.

adorably happy eyelet yellow clutch from topshop

and a sumptuous looking butter mitzy hobo from mulberry. so soft (:

trend no 2: backpacks

the backpacks have made a massive comeback in all forms. cute bright ones, slouchy chic ones and luxurious all leather ones. mms. marc jacobs is a genius i tell you. he spotted/started the backpack trend one year ago in spring 2009 when he launched a whole line of light nylon backpacks at his new york marc by marc jacobs boutiques in all colours of the rainbow. i was lucky enough to be in nyc at that time, and picked up a yellow one for myself, a pink one for pj and a green one for stef (: so glad i did that! haha.

they aren't for sale anymore, but here are some pictures anyway. pink

yellow one that i got that i carried all over uk last summer. haha.

a pebbled grey one from topshop.

and now trend no. 3: across the body sling bags

i rediscovered the effortless chic of across the body leather bags when i went to italy in summer of 2008 and saw this woven black leather one with a golden clasp and fell in love with it. haha. i got another soft slouchy tan leather one last summer and toted it all over japan. love how convenient and well young it feels. hahaha.

i have memories of always having a sling bag wound around my body as a kid, skipping along in my frilly dresses and having it bouncing against my hip. my parents kinda used it as a leash -.- but that isn't the point.

anyway, mulberry has got an awesome across the body bag that just came out this season called the alexa. the smaller one you can sling across as a small bag, the bigger one is more like a tote. just be warned, all mulberry bags are heavy like hell -.-

its named after alexa chung, and while i don't really like her. i must say this ink blue buffalo leather is gorgeous. mulberry always makes wonderful leather, albeit not so practical bags (god their bags are heavy).

a pink patent one. so cute, so british (: ted baker of course. hahaha. at asos. this combines both the bright colour statement bag trend and the across e body bag trend!

a more classic tanned leather one. from Ri2k.

and lastly, one for the day and night. also from asos (: love the pleat detail.

that's all for now. i'm back to company law. sighs. do check in again for the next installment (: xxx

outfit on chinese new year eve

2010-02-23T15:07:00.000-08:00

small dose of narcissism :p hahaha. my outfit for cny eve dinner (: i got it for a steal from b2 of topshop, one of the small independent brands they carry. wasn't red :p rather grey with white polka dots, mid-length sleeves, shoulder pads, puffed sleeves, short & tight. haha (: accessorized with red satin flats, a light pink belt with interlocking swallows and my favourite scarf of e moment (from yesstyle), its a dark blue, thick, fluffy, knitted scarf. you can hang it around your shoulders like a shawl, or doubled up for a thick scarf :D incredibly warm. i love love love it.

walking home along the dark london streets (: i love this photo. [nostalgic function on my new canon powershot s90 (stef will appreciate this. teehee)]

excuse the narcissism. in colour with my scarf (:

in nostalgic function [ignore e clutter please] hahaha.

restaurant reviews next! yauatcha & clos maggoire xxx

comments would be much appreciated (:

snowboard gear + nikes

2010-02-20T16:50:00.000-08:00

whoosh (: i went out shopping today for the first time in a REALLY LONG TIME :p hahaha. and so i went abit crazy with my shoe shopping. i got two pairs of nikes, one limited edition vday high tops (i can't resist bright coloured sneakers with polka dots :D) hahaha. saw it and knew i had to get it.

aren't they awesome :DDD i'm so wearing them up to serre chevalier when we go snowboarding in easter :D

my other pair was a customised nike 6.0s high tops. OMG, i love the nike id studio! you can customise any line of nike shoes you want, with a massive array of colours and details you can change :D you know i love having my unique shoes. and i love my customising. so fun :D

this is the pair i designed. slightly more subdued compared to my other pair above and my blue & white polka-dots ones :D teehee.

got my initials at the back :D

they're arriving in 4 weeks time, and i'll wait and see how they turn out. and if they turn out good, i'm going to get e other customised version of e nike 6.0 with the moon surface design. sample below!

and in preparation for snowboarding in easter, i found myself an adorable little snow jacket that was on sale (((: if you look closely, it actually has birds sitting on wires :D teehee! so cute right?

coming up: outfits from e last few weeks + a few restaurant reviews xxx

nails

2010-02-12T18:55:00.000-08:00

its time to change my nail polish for cny (: hahaha. i'm obsessed with nails, and i have this longstanding tradition where i always change my nail polish before a major event, celebration or a holiday :p haha. i'm thinking of a glittery french this time, pale pink below with a silver glitter tip. i'll see if i can do that on my right hand first :p

i'll miss you hearts!

earmuffs + headphones

2010-02-10T17:50:00.000-08:00

earmuffs have been the hottest thing (hurhur) this winter in london. just because its been freezing in london. i got mine from japan (shibuya tokyo to be exact) and i love them to bits, because they're so warm. and adorable :D teehee.

other than earmuffs though, i recently realised through charmaine that there's another way to keep my ears warm :p hahaha, and they're HEADPHONES! teehee. i bought a new pair today. finally got the panasonic retro ones from urban outfitters that i've been eying for FOREVER. teehee. i love them. they remind me of a volkswagen beetle in headphones form. teehee. i got the cream ones, but they come in red, baby blue, baby pink and yellow too (:

panasonic retro headphones! i haven't tried the sound quality out yet, but the reviews online have been pretty good.

before that, i also got a pair of mix-style headphones. they're from japan, and totally street. i got the black ones with pink stars. you know i can't resist stars :p charms has the red one i think? though they're listed on yesstyle for 50 USD, i got them off ebay from a spore seller at like 10 pounds. with shipping. so they're really cheap on ebay. e sound quality's decent, though it has a plasticky feel to it. not for serious sound-lovers. more of a fashion accessory and a cute gimmick (:

purple ones!

and one of the best headphones money can buy are the beats by dr. dre. they're a good 350 USD. and they officially come in black, white and red (for the ipod red charity campaign). they look way cool though, and the reviews on the sound quality are beyond awesome.

BUT! what i really really want are custom-made dr dre beats. there's this website called colorware, that allows you to customise the colour of almost every component of the headphones. and i would kill for the yellow, grey and white combi i came up with above (((: but they're like erh 600USD (y) win eh. hahaha. anyone wanna buy it for me?

oh and e colorware website customises iphones, blackberrys and a whole load of electronic stuff too. great original present idea if you have e money to spare (:

next up: customised leather cases (:

men's fashion

2010-02-03T15:54:00.000-08:00

my first entry about men's fashion (i think). hahaha.

anyway, in case you didn't know, i like my boys skinny :p well not anorexic scrawny. but tall and erh slender? HAHA.

which is why i've been super excited and gleeful with how men's fashion has been evolving. suits have been getting thinner, more sharply tailored, with body-skimming cuts and fits. while jeans have started to get tighter and skinnier, with whacked-out colours. no more oversized jeans that's like hanging off your arse with buttcracks and red calvin klein boxers glaring at me. i hate the hiphop rapper style with the oversized tees and bling. hanging a bloody gold padlock around your neck just makes you look like a dog okay -.-

anyway, excluding the slight veering off-track of the grunge-ripped look, men's fashion is better than ever. well unless you go all the way back to the 20s to 60s where men walked around everyday in dapper suits and fedora hats :D

and the two countries that are leading the pack in recent times with regards to this well-fitted, put-together look that i so love, would be uk (london) and korea. i mean all you have to do is walk into topman or take a look at the korean actors / yesstyle to see what i mean. while london goes with a more eclectic, electric and eccentric ensemble (alliteration HAHA), and korea does it a bit more preppy, formal and perhaps abit avant-garde, they are both great representations of the modern well-put-together look.

i got to say the skinny suit look started off with the phenomenal dior homme collections back in 2004/2005. but its taken awhile to filter down into mainstream commercial wear. because of the high quality of tailoring required to get such a silhouette, and the lack of affordable lines producing such clothes. but now, with topman and korean fashion producing such clothing for the masses, and celebrities and shows endorsing these looks, it looks to be the start of a great revolution :D

plus the fact that each country has their own interpretation of the look is awesome really (: i know the nyc style (in true american fashion) is more preppy. the korean style more pretty (in the best way possible) and put-together. london is bright and exciting.

and with the new spring-summer 2010 men's collections coming up. it seems that the new updates on the trend is to pair oversized and slouchy thin sweaters and cardigans, with slim-cut pants. (see hermes below)

spring-summer's coming :D i'm so excited to see what's coming up! haha. scroll down for examples (:

hermes spring-summer 2010

contrasting pieces at hermes

topman

bowties. oh how i love bowties (((:

bowties on boys are adorable and so unique compared to boring old ties. speaking of which, boys, please buy your own ties that are meant for your age. stop borrowing your father's ties and look as though you're a kid playing dress up with your father's clothes -.- this is jang geun suk from you're beautiful. he's gorgeous (:

another scene from you're beautiful. jung yong hwa. love the hat. i think this ensemble rocks. for a younger look, you don't have to wear matching jacket and pants. switch them around. they can be in varying shades of the same colour. or dark or grey denim with a dress jacket is casual chic.

jung yong hwa again for a korean brand ad campaign. love the slip ons :DDD

last one of jung yong hwa (: he's such a sharp dresser! and so good looking. what's not to love <3

yesstyle buys

2010-01-29T20:11:00.001-08:00

my yesstyle fashion buys arrived today :DDDDD i was such a happy girl in the morning. FOR ONCE. though to be accurate it was 1pm :p haha.

anyway, these are a few of e things that came in the mail today :D i love them. the quality's great. the knits are all thick and warm :D and the fur-lined hood coat that' just below was made out of a wool blend and feels so luxurious and warm. it was e priciest thing in my order but it was worth it i think. it feels as though it can last a really long time (: which i'm so so so pleased about!

fur-lined hood coat

nordic print fleeced-line hooded sweater. i got mine in red. the best thing i discovered about asian winter clothing last year was that they do fleece really really well. its soft and fluffy, doesn't like get ball-y (you know e clumps?) and flat after awhile. and its so so so warm :D i can just pull this over a camisole and tights and head out in london winter temperatures. its awesome :D

snowflake knit sweater. i got mine in white. i really like this one cos its so soft and not scratchy. plus its really warm. and the fact that the bottom isn't tight and ribbed, but rather cut slightly wider and so gives it a slight oversized cropped sweater feeling makes me love it even more :D

and my panda sweater dress!!! TEEHEE :D i love e panda! mine's green too. i love bright colours in winter :D

menswear post for springsummer coming up next (:

yesstyle

2010-01-24T17:40:00.000-08:00

oops i haven't updated here in awhile :p sorry sorry!

anyway, cos the weather's been absolutely wretched in london the past two weeks and i'm so damn lazy to go out and i've had so much work to do, i've turned to my favourite stressed out hobby :D online shopping! teehee.

obviously there are my usual favourites, shopbop (US shopping), asos (UK shopping). but recently i revisited another site i used to frequent: yesstyle.

most of the stuff on yesstyle.com are from korea, japan, hongkong & taiwan. its like shibuya 109, dongdaemun and beverly island all rolled up into one lovely massive MASSIVE site :D haha, they've got clothing for men and women, bags, shoes, accessories and makeup (i love my bb cream and korean makeup). it has everything for the asian-shopping-deprived person overseas and all the cool products and outfits you can't get in singapore. plus if you buy over a hundred fifty usd, you get free shipping! its awesome. i have 3 shipments on their way :D teehee!

reason why i've turned to yesstyle is:
1) asos has shite quality & everything looks identical
2) shopbop might have much better quality - the items are too pricey to be shopping them constantly
3) the varied and massive selection yesstyle has can satisfy every single fashion whim i have. hahaha. from cat ears on hoodies, to women's white point loafers, to sweater dresses (which i love and are so warm), to fleece-lined leggings with nordic prints. sighs. i love i love.
4) korean and japanese clothing are really well-made and of great quality
5) their winter wear is warm and perfect for e freezing temperatures here :p
6) they're really decently priced
7) i love japan and korea :D

hahaha.

here are some of the cute items on yesstyle :D

here's a tip: unless you're really skinny, don't buy items from taiwan. they're sizing is ridiculously is small -.- and korean & japanese products have better quality too (y)

promise i'll update frequently! next post: boys (:

scarves

2009-11-29T16:57:00.000-08:00

i'm a big sucker for hand-me-downs (from older generations please), and keeping things so i can hand them down. things like handbags, shoes, dresses, jewelry and scarves are great hand-me-downs. especially silk scarves.

if taken care of, silk scarves can last forever. and don't you think a scarf is just so classic and chic. you can wear it when you're young, flung carelessly around your neck, or wear it knotted loosely low down when you go to work as you get older, or even tied snugly around your neck as you stroll down the chic tree-lined avenues in paris.

i just made my first scarf investment (: which i'm really excited about. my new uniform's going to be my black skinnies, a dark camisole or tank, leather jacket and my cream and bronze scarf just hanging around my neck.

the idea of a scarf sounds rather practical and boring sometimes. yes it keeps the cold away, but what i'm talking about here are the printed silk scarves, not the knitted woolly ones. it may feel really thin, but its as good as any other scarves in keeping the cold away. plus, you can wear it in summer too!

plus, if you get the really big scarves, you can wear them as a halter, wrapped around your head, tied around your neck, or just as a belt. its awesome (:

gordon ramsay

2009-10-19T13:44:00.000-07:00

ming and i hopped down to royal hospital road (such an inauspicious name) for some gordon ramsay loving :D this is the crown jewel in all his restaurants and i had been DYING to try it out. haha, and i must say, while the food lived up to expectations, the desserts completely blew our minds out. ming said she'd go back again, if only for the desserts :p haha. it was that good.

potato ravioli with potato consomme. very interesting.

ming's starter - stuffed mushroom (ming was very :DDDD)

my starter - seafood risotto, paella-style. really really good.

my main - stewed ox cheek. heavenly :D just melted in my mouth. my dad will LOVE this.

ming's main - trio of pork. the pork belly was yummy :D

ming's dessert - lemon meringue. gosh, it was incredibly lemon-y. not really my kinda thing, but ming loved it.

my dessert - god this was good. it was a banana parfait wrapped with a dark chocolate casing, and salted caramel ice-cream. -drools-

these are TRUFFLE CHOCOLATES! hahaha, aren't they adorable. dark chocolate :D

and this is strawberry ice cream coated in white chocolate. mms.

ming with the waiter with adorable glasses.

us outside the restaurant.

i must really give them credit for being innovative.. its so easy to fall into the tried and tested 'typical french menu', and be caught by the tradition and requirements of french cooking, that you seldom get different or new ingredients integrated into fine french cuisine. i must say i enjoyed myself very much (:

till we come again (:

2009-10-19T12:20:00.001-07:00

i'm going to watch alan pownall on thursday with ming & cass :D eeks i can't wait. i love his slightly punchy, country, happy-feel music. he's really quite good (: he opened for rachael yamagata back in feb. and he was so awesome i searched all over fb looking for him. haha.

check out his music here, and he's playing at the royal albert hall this thurs (:

ripped leggings

2009-09-16T10:01:00.000-07:00

as my header so says. this post is about ripped leggings :p haha. which i actually don't really like, esp if they're as ripped as the pency ones above (which cost 255 bloody USD if you can believe it). gosh. i'm not a fan of ripped jeans & ripped leggings. they just look erh rather trashy. esp if its on lindsay lohan -.-

but i suppose rips and tears in small quantities are bearable. angie and i were talking last night about making our own ripped tights. teehee. like buying a few pairs from primark or h&m and rip them. grins. anyway, here are some suggestions for ripping your tights:

1) slice, rather than cut - instead of snipping holes or cutting pieces of cloth off, which results in holes that will keep growing bigger and bigger REALLY quickly, put something hard in between the two layers of fabric (top & bottom), and then use a really sharp fabric cutter and just slice through. so at least your ripped leggings will last longer :p

2) get those with seams on the inner and outer parts of e leg if possible. otherwise the slits will keep growing bigger until the bottom part will just fall off -.-

3) small slices please. otherwise they'll be gone in no time.

4) handwash them if you're going to rip them. throw them in your washing machine. and so long farewell :D

hope this helps (:

2009-09-15T10:35:00.000-07:00

ello my loves (: if you're interested in the shirts below, do drop me a text/email/comment, and i can get them for you and pass them to you. even if it means bringing for you to london. xxx

21st birthday presents :D

i'm thinking of...

nicholas kirkwood booties
chanel white jumbo 2.55
massages
french dinners

mms.

tees

2009-09-13T10:42:00.000-07:00

since the 90s started coming back in fashion, championed by my beloved alexander wang, the classic uniform nowadays seems to be a large oversized tee (preferably black & white), leggings (preferably ripped, though i don't quite like that look) and gladiator sandals. its all about marc jacobs 90s grunge again.

so while i'm not that a big fan of the whole grunge look, i do like the tunic-tee with leggings thing, so my version is a slightly more polished version of that kinda look, and not so erh just-rolled-out-of-the-dumpster look :p

anyway, so speaking of tees, my (real) god-brother/cousin has just come up with a new line of tees. he's an art graduate & is teaching now. the brand is called flesh machine (click on the name!), and the new line is called silence in mad house. and i really do like the designs he has come up for his debut collection. for one, the designs are completely monochrome :D black and white's the way to go yeh? and the base colours are white, grey, pink and black. simple and classy.

mms, the designs all look really intricate too, and if you're into the whole meaning behind art kinda thing, i feel that his designs & works have a much more intense story to tell, then the stupid random slogans and pictures that have been appearing on shirts in recent years.

here are a few from his collection (:

chaos

senses

cathedral

skull

science

senses, cathedral & chaos are my favourites (: and the shirts are all hand screened & enzyme washed for that soft stretchy feel i like :D heh. and although they are all modeled by guys, they are pretty unisex, and what i really like nowadays is actually to get men's shirts in medium or large and wear them oversized and over leggings, or with a really short high-waisted girly skirt in contrast. just cause men's shirts always have better bloody designs. i think i will shoot the next designer who tries to do little miss something in another manner on a bloody t-shirt -.-

they're pretty decently priced, about the price of an average junkfood tee, but the best thing is, cos its a debut collection and pretty small-scale for now, you won't have the problem of seeing someone in the same bloody thing as you, which is super easy to happen in spore -.- as everyone knows everyone, and everyone shops from the same few places. heh.

hello boys, you know what you will be getting for your coming bday/xmas presents :p HAHA

japanese food: kyoto food blog

2009-08-09T13:04:00.000-07:00

hello hello (: if you guys haven't heard yet, i'm heading to japan again :DDD and i'll be in kyoto, tokyo & kobe with angie baby, plus tsuki :D (she's showing me around kobe, her hometown). and then off to tohoku for some rural living with my two aunts and mum.

ANYWAY. so i was surfing the net looking for good places to eat, and buy sake in kyoto (hehhh, tsuki's bringing me to the sake factory in kobe. WOOTS. how well tsuki knows me. teehee), and i found this site: kyoto foodie. rachel would love this. it has reviews on all kinds of kyoto food, SWEETS (wagashi), restaurants & food shopping places. bloody awesome (: eeks i can't wait!

more pampering please!

2009-08-02T10:40:00.000-07:00

mmms. blogger is all weird. there's no option available to edit the post or upload photos. roars. so you'll have to deal without photos for now :p SORRY!

anyway, sorry i haven't been uploading here for ages. too many things going on. and partly cause i'm such a lazy bum. hehh.

anyway, today's post is about some good ol' pampering (: which everyone needs once in awhile. guy or girl :p haha. so here are my choice picks of places to get pampered in singapore.

hair

kim robinson at takashimaya
on the second floor of taka, near the escalator that leads to LV & chanel. kim robinson's the spanking new version of le salon (which i loved to death). its pretty pricey, but i must say the head massages they give when washing your hair is TO DIE FOR. bloody orgasmic i tell you. hahaha. so be it a special treat to yourself when you're stressed, or a present for someone, their wash & blow packages are fantastic pampering sessions. i hear they now have a hair spa too. haha. so you can check it out (: mms, they do pretty good hair-styling too, so if you have a night out.. why not? i usually ask for sophia. she's edgier than the other stylists.. who can get abit erh, flouncy for my liking sometimes. she gets what i like, and so i never end up with a hairstyle that looks as though it belongs to a 60 year old taitai :p so yes. ask for her!

hair secret at eastpoint
mms, i've been going to hair secret since i was a child. its opened by my mum's friend, aunty irene. she's still there everyday, or otherwise she's at their other branch, which is near bugis. she's the best cutter there, and though she's been around, she constantly keeps herself updated on the latest styles and cutting techniques (: i must say i always get the cuts i envision, though i have to explain abit in mandarin. grins. if you want good quality hair treatments, like colouring & digital perms (japanese style), they're good for that too. oh and if you have 'virgin' hair (ie. never done any kind of perms, straightening or colouring), or if you have very dry, limp or dull hair, do try their hair treatments. they're awesome (: leaves your hair all shiny, healthy & bouncy. haha. i love it. smells awesome too. heh. ask for irene if you do want a cut (: oh and they do manis & pedis while you get your hair done as well, plus makeup & brows!

face

drx clinic at forum
my mum is a massive massive fan of drx. she's been using their stuff for twenty over years now. they do fantastic facials. genuine facials that are meant to tackle your skin problems and soothe your skin, using really high-tech equipment like funny equipment to get your blackheads out. too many places claim to have facials, only to slap on a bloody mask that i can get from any makeup brand and do myself at home. facials are meant to treat your skin problems and get the bloody blackheads out -.- of course it'll hurt, but its worth it when your face is smooth and glossy right :p haha. they also have loads of products for any potential skin problem, be it prevention of blackheads, sunblock, prevention of oily skin and acne treatment. they also have chemical peels and such, and are fantastic for treating pigmentation. my mum had such bad pigmentation from exposure to the sun back in her uni days, but they managed to cure it :p

sk-II
well obviously everyone's heard of sk-II and how wonderful their miracle water is. but what i really like the most are their face masks for a perk-me-up the night before an important event, or after a tiring week or trip. one mask is all you need :p haha. use it once a week, or even once every 3 weeks. its amazing how soft, moisturised and glowing your skin looks. love love love it :D even my guy friends love it. HAHA.

skin food
for something a little more affordable, the korean brand skin food makes really good facemasks, for a little home pampering. i bring like 30 facemasks over to london everytime i go back, with over 7 or 8 different kinds there. the brand has more than 20 types of facemasks for all kinds of skin, for all types of problems and all situations. you can buy the tub ones, i have the rice bran scrub for whitening (fab exfoliation) and just got the kiwi mask today (there are real kiwi seeds in there 0_o haha). the various packets of facemasks are great for trips too, they have the watermelon one for soothing red skin after a day out in the sun, which i bring on beach holidays, and a korean herbs one for brightening and moisturising dull skin that i love to use in the dry london winter days (: there's one in the basement of far east, near the escalators.

nails

nail alley
oh how i love love love nail alley. they're on the 2nd floor of far east, on the side that faces the main road (near the glass windows). they have a glass case at the front showcasing all their nailpolishes & nail art. the girls at nail alley are fantastic manicurists. they do a great classic mani pedi, and they have loads of colours (OPI of course). but the reason why i love them so much, is that they can make my wildest nail fantasies come through :p hahaha. if you see me in spore, i always have some 3D nail art or something. and i always get it done here. they do acrylic nails, and acrylic nail art, in the shape of bows, flowers, hearts, stars, lace and basically anything you can think of. they can do all kinds of things with nail polish as well. just ask for one of their japanese nail art books, point to one and they probably can get it done for you. they have quite decent prices, though an entire hand of nail art is going to cost you. i usually just get them done on a few nails. ask for katy(kat), she does the best nail art (: angie and i were just there today. teehee, i got a new design which i'm really happy with. grins. will put e pics up soon.

body

laguna phuket spa
yes yes, i know i said singapore. but honestly, i can't find any really good spas in spore that can get me raving. st. gregory (at pan pacific & conrad hotel) and fairmont spa (at raffles city, assuming its the same as it used to be before fairmont took over) are not bad. and probably the better few in spore, but honestly, the quality of massages in singapore is so bad. thailand just wins hands down when it comes to spas. i've tried many in spore with my mum.

damai spa at hyatt was really expensive, and the service was so bad. i booked a body scrub, body massage & waxing package. then the therapist didn't even read the slip she was given properly and tried to chase me out of the room after the body scrub. i was mother pissed. then she actually just waxed only the upper side of my legs and didn't even bother to ask me to turn over to wax the underside. god. i was in such a foul mood after that. growls.

the spa at sentosa was okay i suppose. abit run down. but not worth the effort of going to sentosa. i'd rather go phuket for a better one -.-

anyway. laguna phuket spa is beyond good. its a massive place, and yet the therapists are all very well trained, very polite, and the massages & treatments are fantastic. i usually end up falling asleep :p haha. been going there for years, though its been awhile since i've been back. pj can testify to how good they are. even banyan tree bintan can't compare :p

okayy. i'm off now (: hope blogger starts working normally soon. growls. bye!

chanel cruise 2009-10 (pre fall-winter)

2009-05-28T08:20:00.000-07:00

whooosh :D the new paris-moscou chanel 09-10 cruise collection is coming out in stores in a month! and i so have my eye on a few :D and the best best thing about this cruise collection is a) its russian themed. so expect the extravagant, opulent and gorgeous! and b) since its russian, the colour theme is black, white, grey and red. OMG ALL MY FAVOURITE :DDDDD so yes. wj is very happy and looking to splurge to reward herself for the crazy two months, and in prep for 21! hahaha.

these are my favourite two! and i just rang up the chanel boutique, and apparently they come in black, grey, ivory and burgundy. super interested to see what the other colours look like :D i love the simplicity of the massive tote. and the intricate detailing on the classic calfskin bag (below). heeee, i can't wait for them to hit the stores late june!!!

the shoes however... aren't that wonderful. too many boots and stuff :p russia and all. and alot of suede and velvet, which really isn't very practical. this is the only decent one in the lot. which is a pity because karl lagerfeld usually does such beautiful shoes.

go check out the ready-to-wear collection at chanel. the colour pallette of grey and burgundy, soft and sharp. is awesome (: plus karl lagerfeld really splashed out on the intricate details this time, and so all the lace and bead work is phwoar :D

one more paper to go!!! freedom here i come :D

random bits & pieces

2009-05-07T11:16:00.000-07:00

hmms. just some little fashion musings.

there's going to be a movie on coco chanel! haha. jer, i know we prob won't be together when it comes out, but lets get e dvd and watch it together next time ogay (: anyway, audrey tatou plays coco. and i can't think of a better match. she's e new face for chanel no. 5 too!

i've discovered the best motivation for gymming. is a fashion magazine. put it in front of you with all the size 0 leggy tall girls, and man do you want to walk -.-

my nail polishes arrived today! its navy blue, purple grey, lemonade & coral :D lovely!

i hate how they use the word 'curvy' as a blatant cover for what they think is 'fat' or 'plus-sized'. i think curvy is curvy, and plus-sized is plus-sized. its not fair that there's nothing in between. and their idea of curvy is always about the big boobs -.- god.

its model month! the metropolitan museum's costume institute's fashion ball was just over, and the theme was 'the model the muse'. and america vogue's lastest issue is all about the biggest models of all time. then and now. fabulous motivation for gymming. and natalia vodianova is definitely the reigning fashion model. fuck the 'supermodels', with their attitudes and commercialism. natalia is seriously one of the best runway, campaign and print models you can ever get. she's everchanging, she's unique, she's interesting and she's so humble and genuine. doesn't hurt that she's russian :p hahaha.

but my favourite really is coco rochas. go check her out. who's your favourite :p

mr chow

2009-05-07T06:55:00.000-07:00

and the next instalment of nyc eating :D

kal & i booked mr chow WAY in advance and headed down to midtown to do abit of celebrity spotting (nothing -.-) and alot of good gourmet chinese food. mr chow has got to be one of e swankiest chinese restuarant i've been to, albeit very western style. very classy i like (:

mr chow from e bar

e bar is gorgeous (: i got a saketini. heh. kal and i went all out on alcohol and stuff while in nyc. HAHA.

i do so love it when restuarants & stores put thought into the smallest touches. i stole a few :D

at our table (: that's my dexter wong for topshop jacket btw! and my favourite purplish-blue UO dress.

darling kal (:

hmms i dunno why the pictures are orientated this way. but shrugs. check out the 'shanghai little dragon' teehee

'pot stickers' = guotie. snorts

'water dumplings' = shui jiao

me with my bellini

fantastic small touches

fried prawns and walnuts. omg. the prawns were so crunchy and fresh :D

this was super interesting and good too. squid ink kway tiao. wonder if my mum will let me try. hmms.

fatty pork. SWOONS :D

lobster! haha. kal and i were super tat-glam trying to eat lobster. snorts.

all bundled up outside mr chow in the cold.

love love love!

essentials

2009-05-01T12:48:00.000-07:00

things i swear by:

- kiehls lip balm, hand lotion & creme de corps
- topshop leggings (they're the best! so soft and warm. and decently priced too. i love my stirrup jodhpurs ones)
- topshop massive rings
- bond no 9 perfume (i love nyc. i use chinatown, music avenue, scent of peace, chelsea flowers and union square. they're a fashion industry secret. very hushhush, and they never advertise. but that's what makes them so special. who wants to be wearing e same perfume as everyone else?!)
- miu miu shoes
- opi polish
- japanese snacks
- UO mens scarves
- tea
- peaches
- sweetheart neckline dresses
- grey
- ballet flats
- roughtrade indie music

lardeedum. i want to go shopping NOW! (i have very specific want list. and i need to seek them out. no splurging. i shall TRY. HAHA)

hmms. i need to go get a haircut. probably at liverpool street (: anyone want to join me?

sunnies: persol & retrosuperfuture

2009-04-26T19:52:00.000-07:00

ello (((: the sun is getting way too bright and shiny. so its time to whip out your shades :D hahaha. well ok if you're in spore, its permanently sunny. it isn't here. so everyone's taking e chance to put on their shades!

rayban has had some sort of resurgence in the past few years. but then again the brand never did fit my face ))): so i've had to searh for alternatives for adorable plastic crazy-coloured sunnies. plus i do so hate wearing what everyone's wearing :p boring! hahaha.

so anyway, i was in paris last summer. and was just randomly walking when i saw a pair of persol shades in the window. i was sold :p they are GORGEOUS! i like the horned rim at the bridge. and they've actually been around longer than rayban. they're an italian brand, formed in 1917. and they come in this gorgeous leather case. which i LOVE. haha.

this is e pair that i have. in tortoise-shell and brown tint. love it.

a more classic black one.

and then i was in liberty dept a few months ago with mel, and i spotted this brand called retrosuperfuture. oh they are the most adorable adorable sunnies around. in the most eclectic shades you can think of. plus really cool seasonal pieces. i like them alot more than rayban cos of e bright lovely colours :D teehee.

thinking of a reddish pink one, or a yellow one :D what say you?

nail polish

2009-04-23T22:04:00.000-07:00

i'm bored.

which is why i'm blogging. about nail polish :p

e new nail polish colours that have recently come out are all bright colours / solid pastel shades. even chanel has a milky yellow, green and peach. think more than pink. think yellow, orange, green, coral, blue and purple. hahaha. i wonder if i'll dare :p

purple and plum have been my favourites the past few months. hot pink and red i do it frequently too. but the rest. hmmms. i'm sorely tempted to try yellow :D hahaha.

spring-summer trends

2009-04-20T09:17:00.000-07:00

lalala. here's some of the trends i'm spotting for spring-summer 2009 (:

as you know, all these trends usually start at the top brands, and then give it a month or two, with celebrities wearing all of it, it'll slowly trickle down through e fashion industry. and then it erh kinda gets abit insane, because suddenly all you see are girls wearing the same identical things. which is tacky, boring and gross.

so i say, check out the trends, pick a few items (don't blindly follow). and mix and match with past season items. no one's able to change their wardrobe every bloody season (unless you're filthy rich). so what i always do, is invest in a few quality items from this season, that have a classic touch to it. nothing over the top or flashy, but well-cut, well-made items that you can wear forever. just that as e seasons change or trends shift, you change how you wear it, what you match it with and so on and so forth.

- floral dresses are in again this summer
but not in the boho hippie chic that it was last year. this year its slightly more girly, more flirty, and more flattering to the body. go for short little mini dresses or a structured dress. what i really like is the floral prints with sporadic flowers in clumps/groups spread out across a solid background. not the crazy small little flower patterns that cover the whole dress. gives ppl less of a headache :p and its classier too (:

here's a really classy mini dress from theory (i tried on e skirt in nyc (below))

alice+olivia

- motorcycle leather jacket
teeheehee (: did i mention i love the smell of leather. i think an edgy leather jacket paired with a short flirty mini-dress makes for the perfect outfit for summer. abit difficult to do this in spore, but with e cool london air, but bright sunshine. its perfect in london (: got a dkny one when i was in london. loving it to death. go for a simple classic cut. with minimal hardware (i find hardware SUPER tacky). if you take care of it, and look after it well. it will be with you for a long time to come (: best investment i think!

here's one by S.W.O.R.D.

- chunky eye-catching heels
i'm scouting for a statement pair of shoes now. something iconic and eye-popping. this season is all about straps. around, across, round and round. similar to feet-binding -.- hahaha. but choose them well, otherwise its gonna look as though you're wrapping dumplings :p (bao bazhang. snorts) NEVER BUY THEM IF THEY'RE TOO TIGHT. they're gonna hurt like bitches.

the pair i'm eyeing. dries van noten :DDDDD love the checked print in front. dries van noten has the most unique gorgeous shoes :D i'm so heading to antwerp soon!

- and last but not least, studded bags
i actually really hate hardware. and studs. and shiny things on my bags. so i doubt this is a trend i'm going to follow. just because i keep all my bags with e intention of always carrying them. and studs are so obviously from a certain season that its so hard for it to become a classic bag. but then. i do admit that while most of them are super tacky and eyesores, there are a few that stand out for being not bad. just a tip. avoid the super shiny hardwares/studs. even if its a 10 bucks bag, get one with duller looking hardware. cos shiny ones just scream TACKY.

rebecca minkoff does pretty decent studded bags. they are her speciality after all. abit on e pricier side. running between 300 to 700 usd. but this would be a gd example of what i mean by duller hardware and nothing TOO over e top.

rebecca minkoff c ya later bag

rebecca minkoff's supernova roadie bag

rebecca minkoff supernova mini stud bag

and this! is the product of one of my favourite designers :D alexander wang. he is a genius i tell you. i've been gushing about him to everyone. haha. this is the IT bag of e season. just because it isn't out yet, and everyone's been clambering to get on the waiting list for this bag :p i love it that the studs are at the bottom and the black pebbled leather is gorgeous. if i do go crazy and decide to buy a studded bag, this will be e only one i get. oh yes, and that's mary-kate :p hahaha

toodles! i'm off to study. sighs.

nyc food - striphouse

2009-04-19T18:31:00.000-07:00

and because trust law is boring my brains out. its time to reminisce about nyc again :D hahaha. its food time again (my blog is becoming something of a lifestyle blog. hmms). anyway, nyc would have been so incomplete without kaleni (: he made my first few days in nyc e craziest, most awesome, and extravagant few days ever :D possibly only losing out to our shopping sprees in london. hahaha. and i love you my darling (: for always being my fabulous jet-setting partner. teeheehee.

love love!

a reflection of us along a street in nyc.

and now on to the food :p first night in nyc. we had to have dinner at a new york steak house. this one is called striphouse and is in the top10 best steakhouses in nyc. very opulently decorated in red and black & dim lights. my kinda place (: heh.

starters - thick juicy bacon strips -drools-

brown onion soup i think it was :p

MASSIVE CHUNK OF STEAK :D

goose fat fried potatoes. YUM YUM YUM!

sauteed mushroom (: i thought of you again mingkiepoo!

steak medium rare of course (:

ended with a really caramelised apple tartin (:

i'm missing nyc ): and kal ):

zuma

2009-04-18T01:16:00.000-07:00

and so i trooped down to zuma yesterday. at knightsbridge. to meet sonya for lunch. which was FABULOUS (: hahaha. really good jap. though slightly more fusion than my normal preferences. but really gd quality nonetheless :D

now this looked dubious. but was SO GOOD. its nori marinated beef sashimi with seeweed and some nori flakes. yumyum

see e beef?

hamachi & chutoro sashimi

fried squid (not bad, but can't compare to busaba)

really fatty unagi. so good. just that e seaweed was abit soggy. wasted. sighs

very interesting take on saba maki. mackerel (: i LOVE mackerel.

closeup

really good chicken yakitori

shitake mushrooms with ginger & ponzu sauce from e robatayaki :DDDD i was thinking of you ming!

black cod. OMG SO GOOD!

erh this really really weird savoury dessert that my mind couldn't wrap itself around. its a savoury creme brulee with yuzu icecream.

but this was goood. green tea banana cafe with peanut toffee sauce and coconut icecream. YUM!

botkier

2009-04-15T16:52:00.000-07:00

ok i know i should be studying. but i keep flipping through shopbop wondering if i should take advantage of e sale that's going on.

and then i saw this

and whoosh. wan jun is in love (((: hahahaha.

i totally ADORE big bags. and while this isn't big by my standards. its practical enough. but the COLOUR! such a pretty yellow (((: and perfect for spring.

i really like botkier for their eyep-popping colours. i alr have one of their classics in an electric blue. but this yellow is such a perfect shade of yellow. should i?

nyc outfits

2009-04-14T15:46:00.000-07:00

and because i'm bored (: here are some of e things i tried on in nyc! haha.

elizabeth & james outfit. black blazer (so well cut) and the most adorable ballerina dress.

bergdorf jersey sweater (which i got), blue james perse jersey top, ruched elizabeth & james skirt

hello kal! hahaha. gryphon leather jacket, theory dress.

james perse jersey charcoal grey top (which i got - so soft swooons), and theory floral skirt.

i totally love this skirt. the muted faded florals are reminiscent of movie-like spring days on a large vast field

marc by marc eyelet dress. i lovee! hahaa. gonna get mummy to get it for me :p lala. love the bow on e shoulder. so blair. and the toga's back in for spring-summer!

my favourite romper so far. huge polka dots. also marc by marc :D love e sweetheart neckline. shopbop is having a MASSIVE cut on total bills over a certain price. should i get it? opinions please!

love love!

shoes & hearts

2009-04-13T07:48:00.000-07:00

oh guess who just got a new pair of yellow vivienne westwood + melissa peep-toed heels with a black heart on it :DDDDDDDDDDD

oh i love ebay. the thrill of winning a bid is bloody addictive (;

3 things for france

2009-04-12T03:55:00.000-07:00

hello my friends (:

this is extremely random. but to all my friends who are heading to france/paris/aix en provence/marseille/nice..

here's a little warning in advance:

1) do not insult their food
2) men in marseille are lecherous
3) do not order fish soup -.- because you will regret it from e moment they bring out this urn of brown mud-like mucky soup that actually doesn't taste too bad. but is rather fishy. and erh yes they keep going until that urn is empty 0_o which makes for what, 5/6 bowls of soup? i gave up after 3. shudders.

see urn?

and the lovely fish soup (:

but if you love fish. and you want to try provencial french food. go for it (: gotta try everything once in your life right? hahaha.

methinks this would be ming's worse nightmare :p

sass & bide romper

2009-04-09T14:18:00.000-07:00

while i think e whole romper thing is pretty cute and all. it hasn't really grabbed me. partially because i think the cuts tend to be super unforgiving for anyone with a butt. and me? i have a massive arse, so all the high waisted seams on e rompers calls for SUPER ENLARGEMENT of e ass. which is out for me :p sighs.

but that was until i saw this! SO CUTE SO CUTE!

sass & bide - the magic one romper

its super elegant. you can wear it in e day with sandals/slouchy boots and sunnies and sit outside in the sun watching e world go by. or you can pair it with chunky heels & wear it at night.

i love the scrunchy effect of the pockets. and the fact that they're where normal pockets are meant to be, despite e super short hem. very unique effect. and not annoying like those pseudo-min-pockets that are super high up, and you look like a chicken if you try to hook your thumbs in them -.-

would kill for this romper. but with a price tag of 539 usd. ouch. wouldn't pay that for a romper :p sighs. so shall keep looking!

2009-04-02T22:35:00.000-07:00

because i'm feeling abit blue this morning. and because department stores make me SO SO happy (: hahaha. so here you go, all the gorgeous department stores in nyc!

first off. barneys on 5th ave.

menswear dept

oh i love the outfit on the mannequin (y)

high end womens wear dept

lanvin is collaborating with acne jeans to produce a denim capsule collection. its GORGEOUS i tell you. alber elbaz is a genius.

the display for 'the row'. the rather exhorbitantly priced basics & classical collection done by mary-kate & ashley olsen. wonderful quality though.

the shoe storeroom in barneys 0_o my heart stopped for a few beats :p

i LOVE barney co-op. its the trendier younger dept.

teehee.
moving on to bergdorfs! which is prob my favourite :p

first floor

contemporary womens wear. SHOES!

more shoes :DDD see e tory burch flats at e back?

elizabeth & james display.

outside bond no 9 nyc at 5th & 62nd. i only buy my perfumes from here (:

henri bendels! where becky bloomwood bought her green scarf in shopaholic series :p

inside henri bendels. its not really my kind of department store. abit old, abit too small a collection and very messy organisation. got such a bloody headache. and only came out with a feather headband (albeit a gorgeous one that i've been searching for :p )

cosmetics dept

chanel cosmetics

ahhh. and on my trip i discovered a few more new 2.55s from e spring-summer chanel collection.

i think e turquoise one below is a very interesting unique colour (y)

but e yellow one caught my eye :D so bright and happy no?

and because all of us in london swear by our longchamp bags. the limited ed roses luggage bag from longchamp. SO PRETTY :D but its in fabric and its white. hmmms. not very practical yeh.

and i leave you with...

Take a chance in those wonderful words you just don’t understand.
I can show you the way but I know that you’ll never be there.
All the time, all the shine of your eyes I would never forget.
All I know there’s no time, there’s no life, there is no turning back

2009-03-31T15:38:00.000-07:00

words can't describe all that i've seen and heard in nyc. so till i've sorted through the crazy amount of pictures i have. this is the best thing i can use to describe the incredible 9 days in nyc

2009-03-19T15:05:00.000-07:00

thinking of nyc. i think of big band, of old-school jazz, of ray charles, jim reeves and nat king cole. hahaha. i wonder if this assumption is right. we'll see we'll see (:

2009-03-19T01:15:00.000-07:00

hello hello (:

sorry been abit mia. had work to clear before nyc beckons :D teehehee.

ANYWAY :D tis weekend is looking to be one hell of a massive weekend :D shopping sprees + gastronomic tour with my favourite favourite person to do it with (: kaleni.

this is our line-up of restaurants for the weekend :D

jean-georges for lunch on sat :D a short little break amid our 5th avenue shopping!

mr chow (so glam, so studio 54) for dinner on sat. celebrity spotting :D teehee

strip house (snorts) its a gorgeous old-school steak house. YUM YUM. dinner on fri (:

i do so love my steak

and last but not least. cafe boulud for brunch on sunday!

life is good life is good (: till nyc my friends!

balmain jackets

2009-03-10T17:40:00.000-07:00

there's nothing hotter this season than balmain jackets. following along with my current obessession with jackets & scarves (men's scarves are so much edgier and interesting than women's scarves. i hate all the annoying frilly/skinny/not-warm women's scarves. sheesh. waste of money).

jackets this season are appearing in all shapes/sizes/length/designs/with all types of embellishments. as i was saying before, i LOVE structure. which is why my heart was swept away by the jackets from balmain. it is THE item to invest in this season (if you can afford it. it starts from like a 1000plus quid. sighs. i swear i will either a)buy it on sale b)buy vintage c)save up. HAH to option c. but yes, i can wish). its being seen on all fashion-forward ladies (and some males) across the world. check out the sartorialist. balmain jackets were photographed on girls in milan & paris. love love love. they used to be available on net-a-porter. but are completely sold out on e website now. will SO CHECK IT OUT IN NYC :D (ps. i've been planning my nyc outfits. teehee)

Christoper Decarnin is an absolute genius. the simple classic streamlined cuts on the jackets make them durable throughout time. and yet the structured, moulded shoulders (hints of the 1990s shoulderpads, but more minimalistic) is super fashion-forward-thinking. his show was simple and impactful. the focus was obviously the jackets, and everything else the models wore just added on to the image of the classy modern practical woman that the brand has been going for.

my favourites are the first two. WHITE tuxedo jacket. so luxurious. can be warn simply over a pair of dark navy dressy jeans, or over a mini little bright jewel coloured dress for nighttime. tres chic. and the second one. leather (which is such a pliable, constantly stretching kind of material) made with such structured shoulders. a perfect match (((: i love leather. haha. would kill for that one. sighs.

a more classic black tuxedo one.

i must say the military look does go fantastically well with the moulded shoulders. but as a long-term investment, not that practical :p but if you've got money to splash. why not?

a more demure style. contrasting against the harsh lines of the shoulders. interesting but not a favourite :p find it abit old. hahaha

love you jer! xxx

sweets from paris

2009-03-08T17:44:00.000-07:00

for a person who usually prefer savoury snacks over sweet things and actually doesn't like chocolate ice cream. i have quite a sweet tooth for macaroons & french pastries/cakes (oh esp japanese french ones. swooons)

ANYWAY, when i was in paris last summer, my mummy met me at the gare du lyon station with a boxful of the best best best macaroons and cakes from pierre herme. and that started my love affair with him. hahaha.

pierre herme macaroons. they make the most unusual exciting combinations of flavours. like foiegras and chocolate and such, that normally will make one cringe and retract, but omg, the flavours are so subtle and well blended that it is just bloody orgasmic i tell you. and it isn't too sweet, the filling is so generous and the meringue top and base thin and light. HEAVEN I TELL YOU!

chocolate and caramel macaroon. gods so good.

venezuela chocolate macaroon

THE BEST! dark chocolate with raspberry compote and actual whole blueberries. swoons.

vanilla & coffee tart (:

look at that awesome layering. :D pierre herme is my heaven (((:

la'duree macaroons. they're a super famous, well-established bakery/patisserie in france. but i found their macaroons abit hard and way too sweet. but still better than a hell lot of places (:

choux puff tart from la'duree

millefeuille from la'duree. layers of light crispy umm wafer/cake, and vanilla custard in between. yumyum.

oh but the mont-blanc from la'duree was AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME! (not as awesome as the one i had in roppongi hills in tokyo, but super close) please try a mont-blanc. its chestnut cream and chantilly cream with a meringue base. SO GOOD :D

mel's rose & raspberry large macaroon. the rose smell was phwoar.

and ice cream from amorino (: one of the best gelato shops in paris :D

xxx

elizabeth & james

2009-03-07T16:06:00.000-08:00

i'm usually the most skeptical person about celebrity designers. i mean just because you're a bloody celebrity does not mean you can dress well, much less make good clothes (which you're probably going to charge an arm & a leg for just cos you're the designer).

BUT: i must say i'm suitably impressed by mary-kate and ashley (the olsen twins) line 'elizabeth and james'. while i'm not a massive fan of the olsen twins' dressing, and really can't stand the grungy look that MK usually goes with. their elizabeth & james collection (named after their younger 2 siblings), is generally a well-thought out, well tailored, classy collection (perhaps the influence of ashley. haha).

while their dresses and such are pretty (but not a big draw for me), i must say that their line of blazers & jackets are slim, sexy, well-thought-out, well-tailored and made for women by women. they do put alot of thought into the small details in their blazers. all the more fuelling my jacket/blazer obsession/infatuation. hahaha. will definitely be checking out their collection when i'm in nyc (:

jackson blazer

odette blazer

a sweet little pink one - spring blazer (so perfect for spring no?)

crisscross tank.

next post: balmain jackets (: that jer so nicely informed me about. which are structure-love to the MAX

paris

2009-03-05T13:12:00.000-08:00

someone asked me what i'd say to be my style category the other day. and i seriously had no clue. i bounce from this to that all the time. i can do the girly frilly stuff, and the preppy jumpers and buttoned down shirts, or the london skinnies/leggings and a long shirt, or the dresses & stuff. but i'd say the one common thread that runs through all of them is that i like tailored stuff. tailored and structure. not a big fan of jersey and the messy just got out of bed look. never knew how to do that. shrugs. i like looking well put-together (y)

anywayyy. paris paris paris (: i love paris. its the land where everything is so chic & pretty & classy. while fashion trends do run through, you find the look of parisians everlasting and holds so well throughout time. went to paris with 3 dresses & tights (ended up freezing my arse off). anyway. here are some snapshots of paris.. and the gorgeous shops plus the awesome parisian chich. hahaha.

first day outfit. i've got my darling stockholm vintage dress underneath my coat. but ah wells, no pic of it. haha. got that new bow on my fav white peacoat jacket from portobello rd the other day.

my mont-blanc & i in la'duree. got that dress from hk when i went in winter. my mum though the wave patterns on the sleeves & skirt hem were adorable. i just liked the polka-dots.haha.

my trusty flats. not sure if you can see, but there the ribbon is a measuring-tape (: been my extremely reliable & comfy pair of flats for e year.

my favourite mini dress. streets of montmartre.

the oh so cute old men (well one wasn't old) on the streets in montmartre. this is my ideal paris (: black and white, jazz music behind. twas love.

oh did i mention i LOVE vintage shopping in paris. i tried on this gorgeous maroon structured blazer in this little vintage shop that was ysl. so pretty (:

and this was my best best best discovery for this trip. this little boutique just down from my hotel that specialised in vintage hermes & chanel plus louis vuitton trunks. i was ready to hyperventilate and die :p hahaha. i'm not putting the name of e shop here cos i think its way too precious. but i'll tell if you ask nicely enough (:

whole shelf full of hermes

opposite shelf of vintage & last season chanels.

all the chanel costume jewelry.

oh the louis vuitton flagship on champs' elysees was decked out in stephen sprouse's neon roses & graffiti. in celebration of the limited edition stephen sprouse collection. abit too bright and tacky for my liking. but the exhibition area on the third floor was pretty cool i must say. hahaha. and i bought two lv city guidebooks :D for tokyo & nyc. just a little indulgence.

the main entrance

oh and i just happened to see this way cool couple on the champs' elysees. for a moment i thought it was a gay couple. but turned out to be a girl. haha. way androgynous. way cool. the hair and glasses were super sexy (:

and back in st germain, this rather cute looking guy came up to us asking for gum. and when we said we had none. he looked rather astonished, and then told us seriously, 'its very important to have gum on you, all the time'. HAHAHAHA.

couldn't get a front shot. but i love the slouchy bag & scrunched up pants (: the thin silhouette is (y) too. hahaha.

ok that's it for my paris trip (: with the exception of the sweets i got from the trip. but that's for next time.

au revoir!

gridskipper

2009-03-02T17:56:00.001-08:00

grumbles. i'm supposed to be studying but i can't concentrate.

anyway, just something i thought i'd share with those who love to travel, and whose idea of travel is not just the typical tourist attractions, but rather the hidden little shops on a tiny street, or just roaming aimlessly through the streets of a city, talking to random strangers and sitting on a curb with a local snack and just watching the world go by (:

gridskipper (: just discovered it. its awesome! i'm so looking forward to nyc :D

UO spring-summer ad campaigns

2009-03-02T11:11:00.001-08:00

i love love love urban outfitters. the whole lifestyle indie concept they're selling, the slightly offbeat clothes, the music they promote and everything (: UO makes me alot happier than topshop actually. and they put in alot more effort into their advertisements and the way they go about it.

and since its so in tune with my current obsession with spring-summer. i'm tired of covering up in my (albeit lovely) coats, and freezing my arse off. the summer in london is pretty decent, abit of sunshine, yet still cool temperatures. so i like (:

here you go. UO's campaigns for spring-summer 09 (the pain of being pure at heart is pretty awesome. just discovered them. go listen on youtube) & 08 (she & him - one of my favourite duos, 'sweet darlin' was actually my winter theme, but their songs are bound to feature loads in my spring-summer playlist too)

spring-summer 2009 lust list

2009-03-01T12:26:00.000-08:00

ello ello (: i'm back from paris! hahaha. which was totally awesome. but before i start waxing lyrical about all that is wonderfully parisian chic.. i finally managed to compile my eyecandy for spring-summer 2009.

spring-summer 2009 lust list
(ie. stuff i'm eyeballing)

- a cropped jacket
the trend this season is either for mini cropped leather jackets (which are so sexy and rocker-chic) or like dressy/garden-tea jackets (which if chosen well can last for many many years)

examples below are both see by chloe. i'm so in love with see by chloe's reversible jacket (latter). its completely sold out on all the online shops. but i still see it in harrods & such. heh, but i can't decide if i'd rather get a leater one or that. hmms.

- malole flats
OH HOW I LOVE LOVE LOVE MY MALOLE FLATS! teeheee. they're so comfy, and lightweight, and adorable with the bow on top. i have a black patent one with pink ribbons. but i'm thinking metallic for summer. this season seems to be alot more about the BRIGHT GLARING colours (see stephen sprouse lv collection (abit too glaring me thinks)), but i think it will be nice to contrast the bright colours with a few subtly shaded pastels or metallics. otherwise you'd just end up looking like a clown -.-

- chanel 2.55 in pink ombre (:

i thought the whole ombre thing went out last autumn-winter. but chanel has brought it back again this season with such a sweet light pink. and while i usually shy away from such pastel sweet colours. this is just gorgeous. haha. and so everlasting (perfect to pass down). and it looks like its in lambskin. saw this on bagsnob.com. isn't out in paris yet, scoured the whole parischanel shop on ave george v. extremely tempting indeed.

hmms. i'm not the kind to buy it-bags, or seasonal bags. everything i buy is meant to last. for otherwise it'd just be a waste of my precious limited money -.- but yeh. so i tend to go for bags in everlasting colours, nothing too garish or overtly in the moment (say plaid/houndstooth). i like mine in leather too (y)

which is why my eyes went 0_0 when i saw this grey balenciaga with large silver metalware in paris. SO PRETTY! hahaha. very very tempting, for think that balenciaga has one of the most lasting bags on the market. nothing seems to hurt them :p including diet coke spilt inside (heh). can't find a picture of it. but oh do ask for it when you go into a balenciaga shop. its a dark grey, (not charcoal), but something just above a mid grey yeh.

aight aight. more on paris & new buys another day (: hahaha. plus a few lovely stuff that's come out. i'm off to do my trust law essay. sighs.

ps. law ball's this friday = DRESS UP TIME (:

vivienne westwood + melissa lady dragon shoes

2009-02-23T17:39:00.000-08:00

hello (: i can't decide which pair i prefer. the cream one with a red heart (RED!) and the yellow one with a black heart (YELLOW!). so yes (: comments would be GREATLY appreciated. hahaha

shoes & hearts

2009-02-23T10:18:00.000-08:00

whoosh. mel and i went walking along monmouth street today in covent garden. went into a london version of on pedder, and guess what i saw!!! hahaha. the most adorable pair of shoes EVER!!! its vivienne westwood collaboration with melissa (jelly shoes). i've actually long abhoredmelissa jelly shoes. urghs. like crocs. but this pair is so buttery yellow and there's that adorable massive heart on it. plus its peep-toed. and it isn't THAT pricey either. hahaha. only stupid problem was that this pair was out in like late dec early jan, and seeing as i was back in spore, and then went on my shopping starvation diet immediately after winter break.. i totally missed out on this ): and they didn't have my size left! -wails-

BUT BUT BUT! (and this is why i love being tech-saavy), IT'S AVAILABLE ONLINE!!! teehee. but the yellow one's only available in e US, while the cream one with the red heart's available in london. hmmms. very very tempting. then i can get it shipped to kal. heh.

furthermore, it seems that hearts are appearing everywhere in lines aimed at the young fashionable crowd. which makes them a hell lot more affordable. marc by marc jacobs has a pair of adorable slippers that's perfect for summer. hahaha, i rmb when i first saw it on shopbop.com i immediately fb-ed kal and asked him if i could ship them to him. hehh. poor kal :p i love you darling!

vivienne westwood + melissa lady dragon shoes in yellow & black (: such a gorgeous shade of yellow eh!

oh and while i was searching for my vivienne westwood + melissa heels, i found this pair of limited ed melissa jelly flats with rhinestones on eluxury.com. its available for pre-order now. it really looks super sparkly and pretty. but its also 300 USD. and hmms. i really wonder if i'mrepettoi'll buy it. but anyone who wants to buy me a present is free to get this for me! hahaha

my darling angela says hi to everyone from beside me (we're in trusts law lecture!) hahaha. see how much i love law (;

will upload my outfits for e past 2 days soon. haha. narcissistic, but whatever, my fashion blog no? xxx
the willing to pay that kinda price for jelly shoes, when i can use that money to get a pair of flats or french sole flats which are way better made. so yes, probably will just stay as eye-candy for me to look at. doubt

shoes

2009-02-22T14:16:00.000-08:00

anyone who knows me. knows i LOVE shoes. LOVE LOVE LOVE TO THE POINT OF DEATH. let's just say i definitely have more shoes than e average person -.- but yeh. i can go a month without anything, but i need to get a new pair of shoes. which is why i'm so sad that i went to harrods today, saw 3 gorgeous pairs and walked away with none. sighs.

anyway, before i moan more about those 3 gorgeous ones. here are 3 other gorgeous pairs that i got recently (: left is from topshop, the other 2 from zara. the topshop's one limited ed boutique :D bloody gorgeous. the heel is AWESOME. and all are suede btw. it seems that suede is the new season fave for shoes. and while i normally stay away from suede, because they just don't keep well, can't touch water and start balding after awhile. these 3 were too lovely to ignore :p

i love the bootie like cut on the topshop pair. the lace cut-out of the middle one, and the eye-popping blue of e last :D teehee. they're like 5 inches, 4half inches and 3 inches.

just look at the heel on my topshop pair :D TOTALLY AWESOME NO?

anyway, on my today 3 pairs. one was from solea (vintage-material, cute and girly), christian louboutin (greenish blue pale satin, with ruched chiffon in a m-shaped pattern, peep-toed slingbacks) and nicholas kirkwood (purple satin moulded front heels with a snake skin heel and gorgeous cut out base). i must say nicholas kirkwood is seriously getting my attention with his super interesting shoes. there's always something interesting about the shoe, be it the cut out base, missing chunk in the heel or the structure he gives to shoes that are made of seemingly 'soft' fabrics. very very interesting. i like i like. (y)

i think when choosing heels. the most important thing is to look at the arch of the shoes. they have to arch gracefully and at a certain angle. it doesn't matter how expensive or cheap a pair of shoes are, if they're badly made, badly arched, or the heels are ugly - its out. i don't believe in that the best shoes are definitely the most expensive. i have a pair of topshop flats that are gorgeous, comfy and i love to death. and there are loads of random shoes i've collected from all over the world that i care as lovingly for as my miumius or zanottis or sergios. i have a pair of black boots from japan i love to death, and a electric blue pair from far east, vintage pink pointed t-bar miumiu heels from portobello road, and a green snake skin peeptoes from pedder red. and all i love equally (: as long as they're good or pretty shoes. i will love them. teehee.

angie what say you about the last shoe :p

ps. justin made me count the other day, and i have 28 pairs of shoes here :p heh.

truly, madly, deeply & animal prints

2009-02-20T18:30:00.000-08:00

i have no idea what kind of reserves i am running on, but whatever it is, i'm almost out. but i just couldn't stop thinking about the new tee i got from urban outfitters today. its the softest softest lightest cotton (: thin, slightly translucent and oh so comfy. perfect for spring summer (if you haven't guessed, i'm so over winter, and looking forward to spring & summer! nyc & greece here i come! so i'm shopping in prep for that alr :p )

anyway, the shirt had this gorgeous rabbit design on it. i love rabbits. reminded me abit of peter rabbit. haha. the brand's called truly madly deeply by UO. and its been around for abit, but i don't think many ppl have noticed it because they just assume its just under UO. but its so quirky and eclectic. chic over a pair of skinnies, while adorable if paired with a tartan poufy skirt and tights and boots (london style). haha. the shirt on the right was so cute, but not really me though.

oh and it seems that animal prints is all the rage this season. everything has animals on it. while swallows seem to be featuring most prominently, horses, unicorns (angie will be happy), ostriches (see below), elephants, giraffes, and cats are out there too. haha. very tempted by the swallow/seagull (sorry i suck at telling birds apart, basically they fly towards me, i just duck) romper. hmms. i think they're very adorable, but should not be done excessively yeah.

definitely will be a seasonal thing. so prob invest in a few pieces with a classic cut or style, and then one/two that's in seasonal print and seasonal style (: haha, then i'll save it and pass it on to my kids as vintage :p

two animal prints from asos

bird necklace from asos

a swallow dress from UO

good night! -yawns-

london fashion week, spring summer looks, lomography!

2009-02-20T07:32:00.000-08:00

LONDON FASHION WEEK IS HERE!!! haha. totally awesome i tell you (: although london fashion week isn't as high fashion or haute couture as say paris or milan, nor is it so commercially pleasing and pretty like new york fashion week. its super interesting to see the craziest outfits the london designers send down the runway (: hahaha. not a big fan of the super brit designers, cos i think the best london fashion is a mix of high street, vintage and random riff-raff, but they're a great source of inspiration and eye-pleasure. grins.

anyway, spring summer. i'm totally smitten with the slouchy chic resort look from the US designers. lust list = a slouchy collared billowy romper (preferably something slinky). and the androgynous tailored look from the european designers. teehee.

ysl's limited edition unisex line for one is SO GORGEOUS. very sexy cool too. haha. the collection's only available from today till tues at bond street. might just pop down to go take a look. so well tailored. maybe i can mix a few of the designs and come up with a sketch and get it tailored in shanghai. HAHA. (hello yipeng! send me to your tailor please)

but since i can't afford that -.- though i think its a great investment (a good blazer can last forever), i popped into topman today, to take a look at e stuff with justin. and omg, i fell in love with this gorgeous limited ed blazer. its dexter wong for topman. yes i know its topMAN, but its so well cut, and big and slouchy and chic. I LOVE! and the stuff is lightweight (perfect for spring summer) and so well-put-together and thought out. his collection has the cutest shirts with such detail to the smallest things, like a extra flap covering the all but one button, so it looks as though only one button is holding the shirt together. with abit of a checkered print peeking out. SO NICE. if i had a bf, i'd buy it for him. HAHA.

yes, my new springsummer chambray blazer, love the inner checkered print (: plus its pretty long too! so its going to be this with the sleeves all rolled up and bunched up, my metallic tights, and a long skinny tee. sounds good?

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oh yes. other thing. my shots on my new supersampler is LOVEEEEE (: hahaha. the gorgeous shots that i've gotten out of this small adorable pink camera. totally AWESOME. hahaha. and its such a conversation-starter. i've had so many random ppl coming up to me on the tube, train, airport and streets asking me what's that. and then i launch super enthusiastically into my lomography speech. i should so be a spokesperson for lomography.com! oh my recent holga shots of dublin with my black and white rollei retro film, and the fuji saturated film have turned out mind-blowingly gorgeous. i never expected such fantastic shots. haha. will upload soon. but for now, some recent supersampler shots (:

stuck in dublin airport

flying high above the clouds

snow covered london

a very happy wanjun in delft, netherlands!

so long farewell (:

hello there

2009-02-19T12:00:00.000-08:00

i've always wanted to do this. but never felt i had enough material to put something like this together. but this past one and a half year, i've seen so much, heard so much, done so much, and most importantly tried so many new things. that i finally believe i can attempt to put this up (:

so here goes to however long this lasts!