Travel | El's Top 5 Favourite Areas to Shop in Hong Kong (Part One)

Hello everyone!

Welcome to the first part of my top 5 areas to shop in Hong Kong. I thought I'd split this list into 2 posts since it might be too much text to digest at once.

Hong Kong is known for its food, rapid pace of life and of course, SHOPPING! I love shopping in Hong Kong since there are so many kinds of shops available for people with different budgets. From cheap deals to great steals, there is something to be found in HK for everyone.

Having stayed in Hong Kong for almost 3 months, I have discovered some new favourite places to shop beside my usual hangouts. Being an avid shopaholic who loves a good deal, I thought that listing my top 5 shopping areas would be useful for fellow shopaholics visiting Hong Kong. The places I am listing here are all easily accessible by MTR. If you're curious to know more, read on!

Wedding Lunch OOTD

Hi everyone!

 How have you been? Recently, I attended a wedding lunch celebrating the union of my uncle and his wife at the Regent and had a great time! It was my first time attending a wedding lunch since usually couples host dinners at hotels/restaurants instead of lunches. Hence I was slightly unsure of what to wear. With dinners, I'd usually try to glam myself up and go all fancy. Lunch feels like a more casual affair since it's in the day time and after the lunch I probably will have other activities to do. Thus I feel that the dressing should be leaning towards casual formal but still have that "special" aura about it.

  After trying on various combinations and outfits, I decided on the combo below:

Outfit Details: White caped top: Taobao; Camisole(inside): H&M; Striped high waist skirt: Zara; Bag: Korea; Shoes: Tracce; Bracelet and rings: Lovisa.

  Personally, I adore this outfit. The white cape top is cropped and I like how the cape conceals a part of my arms, making them look slimmer while making my shoulders more structured simultaneously. Basically it's really flattering and chic top. I also felt like a superwoman with my "superhero cape" in this <3

  As it's cropped, I decided to pair it with a high-waisted skirt that I recently got from Zara during their sales. The light pink colour and the cut of it makes it ultra feminine yet chic as it hugs my curves. The two strips of cloth that are tied at the top of the skirt helps to hide a bit of my bulging stomach and also makes the skirt look more casual. The skirt looks amazing but it was a pain to walk in them because the hem restricts my movement.

  For some casual elegance, I wore my sandal heels that have quickly become a favourite since they're so chic and comfortable! They go with alot of outfits too thanks to the neutral colours. For accessories, I decided to go with gold coloured items because it flatters my skintone plus look expensive. For bags, I chose to bring my red purse with the gold chain sling which complements the chic look.

Here are some more pictures that I took at the wedding:

Me at Regent Singapore! It was a beautiful hotel with a simple elegance and lush decor that evokes memories of the old world's grandeur. 

  Makeup wise, I did a neutral eye and bright lip. I was also trying on this new pair of false lashes for the first time because 1- I wanted it to be special and 2- I like the idea of having long lashes without having to put mascara.

  It's a new brand of lashes I'm trying and I was blown away by how it felt like I was not wearing any falsies. Indeed spending the money to buy better quality lashes is worth it. I occassionally wear those cheapo 10 pairs of lashes for $10 and the lash bands of those lashes are stiff. I end up getting irritated when the bands poke at my inner eye corners.

Diamond Lash-Nudy Couture/ Elegant. That's the name of the lashes I got. I guess you're supposed to look very natural with it. Retails in Watsons for around $23.

The lashes have the slight flare at the edge which gives my eyes a more defined feline look. They're not overly dramatic looking despite the length of the lashes. The lashes are super soft and fine, making it possible to wear it for long periods and also to layer with other lashes.

Here's a quick look at all the makeup products used. Personally, I'd recommend a waterproof eyeliner like CLIO's Kill Black liner since there might be some waterworks happening. Like when I tear up looking at couples' montages (I get emotional easily).

Clockwise left to right: Benefit Brow-zings Palette (Medium); Shiseido Perfect Refining Foundation (O40); Majolica Majorca Skin Remaker Compact (OC10); Diamond Lash False Lashes (Nudy Couture-Elegant); CLIO Kill Black Brush Liner; Revlon Colorstay concealer (03 Light Medium); Etude House Kissful Tint Choux (#1); Benefit Box Blush (Coralista)

If you're curious about what I ate for lunch, I've got a shot of the menu here:

The roast chicken dish and the broccoli dish were superb! I also loved the braised lobster soup, which is a great alternative to the highly popular but cruel shark's fin soup dish.

Some shots of the food:

Left: Steamed Black Garoupa. Right: Pan-Fried King Prawn.
Funnily, I only took photos of the two dishes that I was not impressed with. The seafood dishes were overcooked :(

I love the little gifts given at the wedding this time because I got chocolates and a brownie. Specifically because they're edible and yummy to boot!

This had heart shaped chocolates in them. I love the simple elegance of the packaging.

All in all, I had a great time at the wedding even though I was seated with a few people that I was unfamiliar with. I was super bloated from all the food I ate XD. I love weddings since they bring families together and I get to eat good food. Plus, I love it when I see people who are in love with each other get married. I hope you've enjoyed this post!

Till next time,
El   xoxo

Sunday Style Showdown | 9 August, National Day

Hello everyone!
Surprise! It's not Sunday yet but we thought we should have a special showdown to celebrate our country's National day! National day is actually on the 9th,but we're releasing this earlier so you can have an idea of what to wear to share in celebrating Singapore's 49th birthday! (Also, we're celebrating Christine's 22nd birthday :p)

The NATIONAL DAY Showdown
El	Christine
It'll forever and ever be a red and white theme for National Day for me. They're two of my favourite colours that are both striking when worn alone and together. I like to keep the lines and pattern simple since the colours are so bold. Plus, the outfit is still cute but remains comfortable for me. Thus I combined a white crop tee and a textured red skater skirt to get a dressy but still casual look. For shoes, I picked my metallic silver kitten heels that reminds me of stars (cos it's a little shiny). They're a cute pair of heels that go with many outfits in my wardrobe (pretty comfy too).	Talking about National Day, it's red and white of course! But, instead of wearing an outfit that matches the Singapore flag exactly, I've decided to go for a red dress while keeping my accessories in the white. This way, the outfit retains the essential Singapore colours minus the cliche-ness. A win-win situation, no? :)
In line with keeping things simple, I'm only accessorizing with this beautiful blue layered necklace. This is because the scoop neckline of the crop shirt leaves a neck looking very bare. I like that the necklace has intricate details but does not overpower the outfit. Accessorize with a mini Singapore flag ;)	Keeping a touch of myself amidst all the girly-ness of the outfit with my skulls! Haha. I'd like to think that the spikey skull necklace adds an edge to the outfit while keeping to the white theme. Always remember to dress in what you're comfortable in and add a touch of your flair :D For me here, it's the skulls.
El's Outfit Details Shirt and Skirt: H&M Shoes: Zekko Necklace: Overseas	Christine's outfit details Dress: Forever 21 Shoes: Vanilla Suite Necklace: Haji Lane Rings: H&M / Topshop

What did y'all think of all the red and white? Hope you guys are inspired by this for the upcoming National Day!

Tell us your thoughts via these channels and don't forget to use #SSS!

1. Comment in the box below!

2. Tweet us your response @ChapalangGirls

3. Find us on Facebook @The Chapalang Way

Are you going to wear red & white for National Day too? Show us what you will wear on National Day on Instagram! Don't forget to tag us (Christine's and El's) and use #SSS!

HAPPY (EARLY) BIRTHDAY SINGAPORE!!

Till next time
Love,
El and Christine xoxo

El's Recent Hauls

Hey everyone!

El here! It's GSS season in Singapore which means sales galore! It's not even end of June yet and I've been doing quite a bit of shopping. Originally, I was planning on just doing a quick post on my shopping haul from my recent trip to the Metro sale. However, thanks to all the 'SALE' signs that I see during my lunch hour, I've been shopping more than I ought to.

Here're the new things that I welcome into my family:

Striped Dress: H&M; Jacket: H&M; Bunch of rings: Lovisa; Shoes: Tracce

First up, let's talk about that striped dress I've got. This is like the dress of my dreams. I'm sure everyone knows that horizontal stripes have a widening effect and vertical stripes are slimming right? All these years, I've been hoping to get a dress that has horizontal stripes for the top part and vertical stripes for the bottom. Why? So that my big butt will look slimmer and my top look wider! Finally I get such a dress. I got it at H&M at 19.90. Who cares if it wasn't on sale? I've been waiting for this to appear since forever.

Next up is this beautiful brown double row buttons jacket from H&M that I'm in love with because it's one of those pieces that can be styled in many different ways. It can be chic, cool or casual-- it's a chameleon piece. Best of all, I got it at $30 which is almost 50% off the normal price.

For some reason, I've been in the mood to buy rings, especially gold coloured ones. It didn't help my wallet that Lovisa had a bunch of stuff going at 3 for $13 so I helped myself to some. I got the 'WISH' ring, the geometric ring and the bunch of gold midi rings for $13. I got the pack of 4 gold rings for $5, as you can tell from the stickers.

The wish ring is a really cute ring that can be flipped over to a star pattern. I thought it would be fun to own a ring like that so I got it.

Here're the items I got at the Metro sale

I got myself a pair of new shoes!!! They were $49 and there was a 20% discount so they're in my budget range. These pair of shoes are like the crystallization of the ideal pair of sandals I've been looking for. I've been wanting a pair of heels that has ankle cuffs, gold metallic elements, black straps and also won't make my legs look short. Imagine my joy when I saw this pair of shoes at Metro. I love how they're not too high for me and how comfortable they are! The nude coloured ankle cuffs also does not cut off my legs visually so my legs are still proportionate. Plus the gold heel detail ups the style factor of the shoes. When I wore them out for the first time, it felt like I was wearing flats. However, my legs were sore from wearing them when I took them off at the end of the day. I was surprised because it felt like I was wearing flats all day but the ache was the kind that I'd usually get from wearing heels. Lesson learnt: Heels will always be heels even if they feel like flats.

Besides the pair of shoes, I got myself the lipbalm from Shu Uemura.

I absolutely love this balm, but this is like the most expensive lip balm I've ever used so far. It's $48 usually but thanks to the Metro sale, I got it at 20% off. Honestly, I would never have bought this lip balm if I did not use this at my workplace everyday (so it has been 1 month of trial). This keeps my lips moisturised for a long period and does not dry out to form a thin flaky layer on my lips which I find many lip balms tend to do (like Origins' Lip Remedy, Nivea's and Burt's Bees' lip balms). It's also not sticky too! This is more like a gel than a balm I feel. The texture is like a non-sticky gloss that the lips will absorb and stay moist for hours. Anyway, it's a pretty big tube so I guess it'll last for quite a while. Besides, it was a great time to get it because there was a direct 20% discount! :)

Here's a makeup tip for the lip balm: First layer on the lip balm. Then apply a bright matte lip colour on the lips using a lip brush. The colour will be sheered out by the balm as well as appearing glossy. Nonetheless, the colour will still be bright and long lasting. You'll get the bright colour payoff from matte lipsticks and still get moist looking lips! I know the point of matte lipsticks is so that you'll have matte lips but there are times a girl's lips are not in the best condition to be wearing matte lips. Also, most brands don't sell certain colours in normal/glossy finishes that are available in matte finishes. So this method will enable people to wear their favourite matte lip colours in different ways.

That's the end of my haul post. Expect another one soon as GSS season ends in July. More shops will be having sales and that's when I'll really go crazy. Thank you for staying till the end of the post with me. Comment in the comments section if you do like the post. For more updates on this blog, follow us on Twitter @ChapalangGirls or like our Facebook page here!

Till next time,
Love
El   xoxo

Christine's Watsons Sale Haul

As El mentioned in hers, the both of us went to Watsons' one-day member sale albeit at different stores last Wednesday. This is really a good time to stock up on make-up, haircare, and skincare as discounts hit as much as 20%+ 5% (member) off and not to mention, there are the buy-one-get-one-free offers!

I went to two Watsons - Tiong Bahru Plaza and Lot 1.
Some of the items I bought are to replenish my almost depleted stock. 

Then there are those I wanted to try.

Here goes.

Note: Prices stated are after discount.

1. Complete multi-purpose solution for contact lenses, $22.60

This 3-pack solution usually costs $26 at stores selling them. For $22.60, I'd gladly stock it up. Plus I'm running low.

2. Majolica Majorca Honey Pump Gloss Neo in OR240 and Aurora Tear Liner in Blue, $9.90

This came as a package deal. I think if they were to be bought separately, it'd cost over SGD$20. So, it's a really good deal. Thanks to El for pointing it out to me. 

(Coincidentally, or not, we both got the same lipgloss shade)

I got this at the Tiong Bahru Plaza outlet. The salesgirl was really nice. She offered to change the lipgloss and liner in the already packaged ones to the combination I wanted. She also swatched the colours of the lipglosses for me although they were tons of people around and the store was packed. Thumbs up to her.

3. L'Oreal Paris Elvive Extraordinary Oil, $16.90

I have come across some good reviews about this hair oil and have been wanting to get it.
It's supposed to help maintain the frizz and keep your hair moisturised.
Smells musky though, like sandalwood - not really my kinda scent.
But we'll see how well it works on my unruly, frizzy hair.

4. Bio-Oil, $12.50

I just started using this oil about 2 months ago to lighten the scars on my body as a result of eczema.
It claims to be a skincare product for scars, stretch marks, uneven skin tone, ageing skin and dehydrated skin.

So far, the oil does what it claims - my scars have started to lighten.

And it doesn't hurt that it smells really nice, like baby powder.

I am almost down to the last few ml of my existing bottle though so this sale gave me a great excuse to get another bottle. 

5. L'Oreal Paris Studio Line Fix & Shine Finishing Spray

Just needed a hair spray to replace my empty one and this caught my eye.
It's my first time using this L'Oreal product.

It claims to be an ultra-fine formula that is anti-frizz and boosts shine.
So far, I've used it once and it doesn't seem like it does what it claims.
Maybe a few more tries.

6. Nivea Lipcare in Soft Rose and Essential Care, 2 for $6

I have almost used up my Vichy lipbalm that I got at the last Watsons sale.
It's pretty pricey for a lipbalm at ~$18 although it did help my eczema-inflicted lips.
But it's just too expensive for a lipbalm.

To me, Nivea's lipbalms are just as good and they are 6 times cheaper (on discount).
So I decided to get the Nivea ones to replace the Vichy one.
Yay to moisturizing protection for lips!

7. Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear Nail Polish in Confetti Punch(left) and Silver Streamers(right), $5.40 each

Initially, I didn't want to get any Sally Hansen nail polishes when I saw that they were going on sale as well in the Watsons sale booklet. However, when I walked past the counter, Confetti Punch caught my eye.
Since I don't have many glitter polishes, I thought that I might as well get it when it's on sale.
Also, silver streamers looked like it would be a pretty unique glitter since it's in a black and silver combination.

8. Nip+Fab Spot Fix, $15.10

Not sure about how well this works but Nip+Fab has gotten some pretty good feedback about their other products. Hence, I got this for those days when random pimples pop out at the most inconvenient timings.
I'm sure we've all had those irritating pimples.
Hope it works well!

9. Essence Floral Grunge Mini Lipgloss Set, $5.10

The mint coloured lipgloss got my attention.
Plus, it's in mini-size!
How cute is that!
For the price, I would gladly experiment with the 3 lipglosses.

10. Essence Floral Grunge Hairband in 01 Freakout, $4.70

I saw this as I was getting the lipgloss set.
It's a common enough spiked hair band but I really like that the spikes alternates between gold and silver.
Ubiquitous yet quirky at the same time.

And also, FREAKOUT. Hah. What a name for a hairband!

11. Veet Hair Removal Cream for Sensitive Skin, $9.50

The name says it all.

~~

What would you have gotten at the Watsons sale?
Share with us your thoughts on twitter or comment below! :)

Till next time.

Love,
Christine