Rock the Black Blazer

I love love love blazers. My very first staple outerwear was a black blazer. Although I now realise it was a bit too big on me, my love for blazers never died. I now own other blazers, like a washed-out yellow one and a purple velvet one. But the one I really want is THE perfect black blazer, so I'm on a hunt.

Meanwhile, I thought I would share my recent favourite way to wear it. Actually, it was the only outfit I wore during my last Christmas holidays: Skinny/straight leg jeans, a flowy long top with a blazer. It's simple yet looks so cool (love Sienna's outfit here). The blazer adds structure to the not-so-structured flowy top. And if you only wear black, grey and white, then you achieve a rock chick look like Lindsay here.

Blazers are also great for casual outfits, (for some reasons, people seem to be stuck with the idea that blazers are formal,) which is why I love it when Ashley wears it. Here are a few styling ideas from Ashley's outfits: you can try rolling up the sleeves and adding a colourful scarf to make the outfit look more casual (and warm). Blue jeans will of course, get you the more casual look, but black jeans feel cooler and edgier.

OK, I should stop blabbering about how much I love blazers and spend more time looking for my perfect black one, (or ideally many many ones).

Chloe Shades SS07

Ever since I saw the latest Chloe shades at Nordstrom back in March, I've been in LOVE with them. They are flattering, girly, fun and most of all different from all the other shades on the streets. And it seems that the stars think so too, as many of them have been spotted wearing them.Ex-OC stars, Mischa Barton and Rachel Bilson wearing the Myrte. Ooo and I LOVE Mischa's jacket.
Lindsay Lohan and Cameron Diaz also sporting the Myrte.
And I must say, I agree with most of the stars here and prefer the second rounder one better, the design combined with the shape which is just so much more flattering, makes it perfect.The one Rachel has on is different, but definitely not as flattering. The aviator style sloping down thing makes it look more masculine and a bit sad- should shades have personalities that is.
For the longest time I was lusting after these hexagonal ones. Because I thought, well, I already have squarish ones, why not have a hexagon one? And these look great. And I also liked the off-white color too. But alas, after trying them on several times, I had to finally admit that they are not for me. Maybe I've become so accustomed to large frames now that I just can't accept smaller frames anymore...
Then at the store I tried on these ones (the lower rounder ones) in purple and it looked awesome. This shape is flattering and yet still different with its large round metal frame, half silver, half purple. Now THIS is fashion. But alas after MUCH debating, I finally decided that I'd like to wear them for more than one season and with that half silver and half purple rim thing, it was too trendy for me

In the end, I bought a similarly styled paired sans the dual colored rims, from Marc Jacobs in brown (I know, it doesn't quite look brown here, but it is. I considered the purple ones and they're much pinker than this). While the metal frames and round shape style is still the same, this design is much simpler, more feminine and much more classic. The only downside is that this design is not very condusive to sticking it on my head like a hairband cause the nose thing gets in the way. But I'll live ;)

Photo Credits: Chloe, Mischa Style, CoutureCandy and Life & Style.

Eye Lash Perming

Yesterday evening, BG and I went to do something really girly together -we got our eye lashes permed. For those of you who have never heard people getting their lashes, it's basically getting your eye lashes curled permenantly. Well, permenant for maybe a bit more than one month, but really, that's permenant enough since it's likely your lashes will fall off naturally around that time.

The procedure takes around forty-five minutes to an hour. Now I can't describe the whole, exact procedure because my eyes were closed the whole time but from what I understand, the facialist curled and glued the lashes around a small, round piece of plastic thing. The facialist also applied some perming chemicals onto the lashes. After 20 minutes, the facialist applied more chemicals. After another 20 minutes, the facialist used oil to remove the checials and glue and that plastic strip thing. Voila -you've got curled lashes.

OK, so the newly permed lashes look a bit clumped together (because not all the glue could be removed without the facialist scrubbing too hard,) but give it a few days and you'll look like you've got naturally curled lashes. This wasn't my first lash perm, but it was BG's. BG forgot to keep her eyes completely shut during the procedure so the chemicals stung her lashes a bit. So if you're planning to get your lashes permed, remember to keep your eyes shut tight!

Perming our lashes only cost us around HK$80 each, that's around US$10 each. It's totally worth it because curled lashes make one's eyes look so much more awake. Plus, now I don't have to curl my lashes or apply mascara on for my normal days. If anyone is trying to decide whether to get their lashes permed -do it! Anyone else had their lashes permed before?

SS07 Trend: Printed Shorts

I've never been much of a shorts fan growing up, but I'm currently LOVING my white shiny short shorts from Express. While it is easy to wear and looks awesome though, sometimes I do feel the urge to spice it up a bit. And therein comes the printed shorts!

My two favourite printed shorts look from Luella and Biba. These printed shorts adds just the perfect touch to the otherwise very standard tops.

Some more prints from Alice + Olivia (left), DVF (top right) and Forever 21 (bottom right). And the trick to making them not look like those printed beach surf shorts? Make sure they are of a structured cut and that you wear it with something of a simple style in a solid color that compliments the print of the short. Yes I know, its a very challenging thing to wear.

Something slightly more easier would be plaid prints, as on the Max Sports(left) and Luella (right)(well, its kind of plaid) runway. It makes an outfit instantly preppy and cute. Pair with slim sneakers for a more down to earth look.

Here are some selections from Abercrombie (top left), American Eagle (bottom left) and Juicy Couture (right). I daresay, you've probably seens a LOT of these about in the stores lately. One of my friends was also considering getting the ones from A&F, but alas it was $50 back then and didn't seem really worth it. Now its a very thin line between wearing these shorts and wearing your boyfriend's shrunken plaid boxers. Remember to wear something very clean cut and solid on top. You can even style it up with a pair of heels.For something a little more subtle (which I prefer more), try more subtly printed plaids, like this one from Abercrombie (left). But I am especially loving this one from Forever 21 (right) with its plaid cuffs.

Then there are the more or less classic striped shorts. The stripes from the D Squared (left) and Derek Lam (right) runway are more boldly and sharply contrasted than we are used to. Again match it with something simple and solid (like a white top). And for some extra oomph, throw on something of the same color as the colored stripes of your shorts. i.e. red striped shorts with the red bag (left).

To achieve the same casual look there are these striped shorts from Mulberry (left). And a bit less sharp, striped shorts from Abercrombie (right). Have fun with printed shorts!

Photo Credits: Elle.com, Net-a-Porter, Abercrombie, Forever 21 and American Eagle.

The Natural Look

I've always been into the natural look, you know, that made-up-natural-look that has been the trend in recent years (-or at least as long as I've paid attention to fashion and beauty anyways.) And I've always been excellent at applying this look, mainly because I always under-apply the makeup and think that I've applied too much, and also because it's actually quite hard to over-apply natural-coloured products. Just yesterday, my colleagues asked whether I actually had makeup on. So either I looked really worn out, or I am indeed an expert at the natural makeup look. I'll assume I'm the latter, naturally.

First I apply the oil free tinted moisturiser by Laura Mercier. It's excellent at making one's skin tone look even and it's seriously easy to apply -just use a tiny bit and use your fingers to spread a very thin layer on your face.

Then I apply blush. I usually use MAC's Pinch'O'Peach, which is a pale, orangey, mocha colour. But last Sunday, I just bought a blush named Well Dressed, which is pale pink. It really gives me the natural, prettily-blushed look.

Then I curl my lashes with my underused Shu Uemura eyelash curler. (But I'm way too lazy to apply mascara, or rather, to remove the mascara at the end of the night. Plus mascara makes my whole look feel made-up.)

Lastly, if I'm in a very good mood and have time left before leaving, I apply a teeny tiny bit of this brownish brown eye pencil (MAC's Bountiful Brown) on the outer eyelines (upper and lower eyelines).

All this takes me around 5 mintues. What is your daily makeup?

Photo credit: www.maccosmetics.com, www.shuuermura.com, www.lauramercier.com

Gwen Stefani Sweet Escape Concert 2007

After 6 months of waiting (yes, I bought the tickets as soon as it came out- and yet I still had less than ideal seats....) I FINALLY went to see the Gwen Stefani Sweet Escape concert a few weeks ago in Chicago. I was SOOOO looking forward to it, because after seeing the Cold Play and Maroon 5 concert- which were good but not really as exhilarating as I'd imagined, I decided that I most wanted to see Gwen Stefani because I love her and her music. Plus then at least I'd know and like most of her songs and from all her music videos, she seemed like a good performer. That turned out to be an understatement because Gwen is a BRILLIANT performer and the whole concert was just AWESOME.

First of all, the location was great. Even though we had to drive about 1.5 hours away from the city to get there and it was literally in the middle of nowhere (and I am not a fan of the middle of nowhere), going to a concert at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre was an experience in itself. I've probably just not been to my share of concerts, but the experience of being in a open stadium listening to a concert with 20,000 other excited people expanding far behind on the green lawn on such a beautiful spring night was just overwhelmingly brilliant.

Shopping wise, I must say, they had a pretty good selection. Tank tops, many really cute printed tees, posters, badges, beanies, scarves, dolls, toys and such. But what I was REALLY looking for, was a black cap that says "The Sweet Escape 2007" on in swirly handwriting with a small squigle of Gwen's signature on the corner in silver or black (this is purely from a figment of my imagination, but I think that it SHOULD exist!). I'm confident that I'd at least wear it once or twice. Whereas if I got a tshirt, it would end up rotting in my wardrobe (like my Corrs tank top) and me never wanting to ruin it by wearing it. So in the end, I got a booklet (above) on the show, and in the end I think that was a good investment.

We had seats at towards the center on the second pavilion (I don't understand why I couldn't buy tickets in the first pavilion when I started booking tickets the day it was out....) and had an ok view of the stage. The opening act of the opening act was Lady Sovereign, which I've kind of heard of. But not exactly my type of music.

Half an hour later, the actual opening act comes out- AKON! Personally I don't really know much of Akon's songs besides Lonely, but it was a brilliant opening act. He really got the crowd going and he has inspired me to listen to his music some more.

Another half an hour to an hour later (I never understand why they make you wait), Gwen FINALLY comes out in a golden cage that pops onto stage, singing the Sweet Escape and we all go wild. And the BEST thing I love about her is that she sang music from her last cd (which I liked better) too. She danced, she sang, there were matching themes according to her songs. (sidenote: don't you just love how the stage setting improves as you get along towards the "main" course?).Like when she sang Yummy, she changed into this apron outfit (right) along with her dancers and the background screen showed multicolored candies dancing around. And I think there were even a treadmill and two mini trampolines on the stage to help with some of the excellently chereographed and executed dance moves. Definitely a great performer.
Costume wise, there were some that really only Gwen can carry off. Like this kimino wrap thing...what IS it? From afar, it looked like a short pink bubble dress, but from the book......I have no idea. And the whole showing the midriff thing, I hope that remains in the 90s. But this whole thing made me realise the place for overdramatized clothes. Like this simple blue/white striped shirt for example. From afar it looked like a simple shirt with a slight twinkle, but on a closer look, it is actually made of sparkly blue/white sequins. The sequins really made her stand out from afar.
My favourite outfits in the whole show were these two. I love the preppy yet edgy look she has here. I am totally going to look into those prints next fall. Her long trench coats were just SOOOO pretty. I think towards the end at the encore, there was this other similar coat that was just as amazing. I bet these are all available from LAMB as part of her smart marketing technique. And her SHOES. Even from afar I could tell they were sexy gorgeous shoes
At one point, she even ran off stage and into the audience. Luckily we were on the right side of the pavilion, because she ran to our side and stopped just 3 meters away from us and started to sing, Cool (love that song)!!!! We were all kicking ourselves for not buying tickets a few rows backer! And WOW she has amazing abs for a mother (or anyone!). Its hard to remember that she looks pretty with all the make-up and costume thing Gwen wears all the time on her MV's.

So in case you haven't gotten the message yet, it was an AMAZING SHOW. I loved it sooooo much, that just writing about it now makes me excited all over again :D Even my friend who doesn't even like Gwen Stefani thought it was an awesome show. Sigh.... it was the one concert that left me happy and smiling for at least a weekend after. The PERFECT end to my school year :)

ps. Sorry, my scanner broke and I had to use my camera....

One Of My Random Outfits...

Just wanted to post an outfit I wore for a Friday night out a few weeks ago:

Simple black dress from Uniqlo, which I only discovered recently (yes I'm slow,) and visited because I wanted to check out the Phillip Lim for Uniqlo collection but didn't see any when I was there (-so disappointed!) Instead I picked this dress up. The best thing about it is that it's made of cotton, so it's machine-washable!

A belt from Kate Moss Top Shop. I love the studs and that it's wraps around the waist two times. What I'm not too big on is the suade because it's such an easy-to-get-dirty material. Yes it's over-priced but I was in desperate need for a belt and it's hard for me to find a belt I actually like.

Gold shoes to add a bit of nighttime glam to the outfit. And I wore a bright emerald green-coloured wrap on top. I figure when I get sick of wearing this outfit at night, I can just wear it with gladiator sandals instead as a daytime outfit. Genius (not)!

Photo credit: http://www.topshop.com/, http://www.uniqlo.com/

SS07: Neon Bright Colors on the Street

A few weeks ago I took note of the neon bright colors on the runway. But in reality, how many of us are going to go out dressed like one of those bright orange and yellow road cones?

Taking the trend a step down for the streets, we have subtle bits of neon to brighten up solid dark shades, like here at Gucci (left) and Lanvin (right).
To be more economical, instead of finding outfits with built in neons, accessorize the solid colors you already own with neons! Take here on the Cacharel (left) and DVF(right) runway- I LOVE how the bright belts adds extra personality to each outfit. The yellow belt makes the outfit instantly younger. And the fuschia belt gives the stark black dress a softer, more feminine and flirty touch.
So copy this look with this cheap skinny fuschia belt from UO and this not-quite-so-cheap yellow Elegantly Waisted cummerbund belt from Shop Bop.
Even easier, forget the belts and just grab neon bright bags/shoes and pair it with neutral colored outfits, like here on the Marni (left) and Paul Smith Woman (right) runway.
For neon accessories, don't pick anything too fancy. The color IS the style. Go for something simple and classic, like these yellow ballet flats and even just flip flops from UO.
Or this simple yellow tote from UO. For something slightly trickier but definitely refreshing, try sprucing up your summer wardrobe with neon colored tights instead of the usual black ones, which frankly, becomes quick boring after all this time.
Something more subtle (and definitely more economical) that I'd probably go for are neon colored jewelry, like these necklace and bangles from Forever 21. They are the simplest and the most economical way to embrace this trend.
Then there are the neon colored skinny headbands and colored shades. I'm actually considering getting a pair of colored shades cause they look so cool. Incidentally I tried on a similar pair as the ones shown above at UO the other day and the fit is amazing. My only concern is that you'd have to make sure that the outfit you're wearing works with this particular colored shade- and hence my shades are either black or white. On the other hand.... it IS only $14.

The thing to be careful about with all this neon bright trend is that its a thin line between looking trendy and looking cheap. So try to be more subtle, pick one neon accessory and pair it with a classy looking outfit!

Photo Credits: www.elle.com, www.urbanoutfitters.com, www.forever21.com

YSL Costume Jewelry SS07

Awhile ago, I've started to think typical costume jewelry from brand-named stores like Dior and Vuitton as unstylish. Think of those typical jewelry that spell out 'D-i-o-r', (I think I might own one or two myself!) Admittingly, not all are ugly, but I just can't stand how even tiny little jewelry have to be branded so obviously.

But as I was going through my old magazines from the last six months to rip out any pretty images, I noticed a tiny editorial blurb in Tatler about YSL releasing a small set of jewelry to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Opium fragrance. I really like the necklace. Imagine wearing it with a simple white tank top with jeans -that's adding a hint of luxury to a casually cool outfit. So recently, I went to a YSL shop, (which I normally never go to.)

And I fell in love with these earrings. They're the Muse earrings. Look familiar? That's beacuse they're the same style as the little metal thing on YSL's Muse bag. I love how classy and stylish these earrings look. They're made of Swarovski crystals (thankfully), making them relatively affordable.

Another very stylish piece. This braclet looks so versatile. You can totally wear it with any nice outfit, whether casual or going out (as long as gold jewelry matches your outfit.)

This brooch is very YSL SS07 -remember all the violets all over the runway? This design isn't very 'me', but I'm sure it would look elegant on the right people.

I LOVE the cocktail rings. They're so deco-feel. They would be perfect for plain outfits, like outfits that are in black and white, or those long, bat-winged dresses.

The gold one on the right is my favourite. I dont' wear rings often so I'm not going to splurge on it, but it is just SO pretty. Sigh...

I just found out that this is the first season YSL has released costume jewelry in recent years, so if you haven't checked them out yet, go visit a store!

Photo credit: www.ysl.com

SS07 Trend: Jumpsuits / Playsuits

First off, I don't know the exact name of the garment I'm talking about. Some sites call them jumpsuits (which just reminds me of those orange, jumpsuits from prison,) and other sites call them playsuits (such as Top Shop.) Doesn't matter, I'll just call them jumpsuits here. Actually, they remind me of shirt-dresses, which I just blogged about on Thursday, except jumpsuits' bottoms are shorts instead of skirts. Oops ok I'm rambling...

So the point of this post is me saying eww to jumpsuits. Jumpsuits is a thing that I relate to the 80's, and 80's to me is a decade of somewhat vulgar fashion, (although this really is more of an impression rather than me actually knowing 80's fashion well.) Plus this season's 80's revival of bright colours doesn't help.

I have to admit Nicole Richie makes the jumpsuit look mega-glamorous. (And no, this does not mean I think of her as my role model of any sorts.) I like the black and gold combo.

But I don't know, something about jumpsuits just make me dislike them. For example here, even though I think red silk looks nice on Michelle Trachtenberg, the red jumpsuit makes her look like she's in a flashy exercise video or some disco.

Lindsay looks relaxed and casual here. Maybe the jumpsuits look less tacky during daytime?

Can you blame me for not liking jumpsuits? Check these out. I especially hate jumpsuits that are sporty-looking, like the ones made of terry cloth or the green one in the left picture. Are you going to wear this look this summer?

Photo credit: www.activeendeavors.com, www.topshop.com

SS07 Trend: Shirt-Dresses

Shirt-dresses have become a summer essential in the past few years. I see it as the less girly version of the other dress trends (like bubble, volume, trapeze, mini or maxi dresses). I've been looking around for one for ages, and even though I still haven't found the perfect one, I've bought one from the Gap (the UK one). It's grey and white striped and it's got rolled-up-looking sleeves. It's not exactly the prettiest or glamorous thing around, but it's super relaxing item to wear and looks decent enough after I add on a thin, white patent belt. Some online finds:

One super 'of the moment' way to wear shirt dresses is to wear them over leggings (left -by Vince). Honestly, without the leggings, some of the shirt dresses can look slightly tacky (-kind of like you just lost your pants,) esp if the shirt dress looks too much like a plain shirt (right -by Splendid).

Another very 'this season' style is gingham/ checker prints. This See by Chloe shirt dress has been quite popular this season.

The Chloe dress (left) is meant for the rich and fabulous when they're out on the beach. The Viktor & Rolf (right) is classic, A-line shirt-dress would sure flatter most body types. Isn't it very 'Charlotte' from Sex and the City?

Here is another A-line shirt-dress. This is a much more youthful design and it's actually affordable, by Lux at Urban Outfitters. (Plus it really shows how much shape belts can provide.)

This pretty, girly one is by Joie. Wearing shirt-dresses with ankle boots (or short boots) is also very this season.

This Rebecca Taylor one is even more girly. I love how it looks so basic on top and when you look down, the flowery slip underneath makes the whole dress look so pretty and feminine. The dress is't very summer-friendly though.

I love this Vanessa Bruno shirt-dress. It's totally got that effortlessly-casual-in-the-city feel to it. (But then again, all of Vanessa Bruno's clothes do.)

When wearing shirt-dresses, I like to think with the attitude of the Stella McCartney shows -you know, that casual, cool, laid-back sort of attitude. Oh, remember to make sure your shirt dress ends above your knees. To make it even more 'this season', have the shirt-dress end mid-thigh.

Photo credit: www.net-a-porter.com. www.urbanoutfitters.com, www.vogue.co.uk, www.shopbop.com, www.vanessabruno.co.fr -Note that I collected these picture from a few months ago, so some of the sites may not sell the dresses shown anymore.