Mini-haul: Nastygal

This deserves a post on its own, just because.

This Nastygal package arrived two weeks ago on an unassuming weekday. Sadly, I wasn't at home to welcome it.
But boy, was I one happy camper when I saw it on my room floor the next day.

~~

Look what's inside!

I find the print inside the box really cute! Kisses.

Here comes the un-boxing of my purchases~
Just let me tell you that I was VERY EXCITED.
Since words can't capture how stoked I was.

~~

Featured: Senso's Qimat Booties in Mint
(Sold out on Nastygal but you can find them here or here)


I've been eyeing these for the longest time. The price was what kept me at bay.
Then Nastygal had a shoe flash sale up to 70% off! (wickedly naughty of them!) 

Tell me, please, how do I resist that!
(El did tell me not to get them but I just couldn't leave them be.... sorry!)

Tried them on right away and they fit perfectly.
These may be my go-to shoes for school from now on.

First impression
OH GOSH, THE SMELL OF LEATHER.
Pretty green!
~~

Featured: Nastygal Shoecult's Diverge Combat Boot

I got these combat boots because, 1) two months ago, mine decided to depart for shoe heaven; 2) it is made of genuine leather; 3) it was at a really reasonable price (during the sale) compared to my recently-departed pair.

They cut my legs off a little higher than what I'd like but nonetheless, they are a good pair.
Hope they last longer than my departed ones from f21.
After all, these are made of genuine leather.

The only thing that irked me was the MIC tag, but otherwise I quite like it.
Boots for the rainy days.

First impression
Oohh, there's a shoebag and wow, so soft.
OH YES I LOVE THE SMELL OF LEATHER.

~~

Featured: Nastygal's Colour Prism Skirt 

 I needed something to make up the difference needed for free shipping. So, I chose this partly because it looks really rad, and partly due to the price. My closet needs the colour anyway!

Seems like it's from a brand called English Rose. Hmm.
Also, another MIC product.

Was actually worried about the size but it fit me perfectly.
I found it amusing that the whole thing is elasticised though.
Since it's so colourful, I will most probably pair it with a white t-shirt, tucked in.

First impression
Whoa, so colourful, multi prism alright, oh my god, it's heavy. Ooh elastic.
~~

Can't wait to wear them out!
That's all folks.

Till next time.

Love,

Christine xoxo

A New Look for Fall!

Hey all!

If you've noticed, we've changed the look of our blog to reflect the mood for fall! We thought it just might be the thing to get everyone into the fall mood. A new look to welcome the arrival of autumn! We hope you like the look! :)

Till next time.
Love,

El   xoxo

What's on your Fall 2013 wishlist? (Part Two)

 Hey welcome back to part two of "What's on your Fall 2013 wishlist?" post!

Here's El's Fall Wishlist! 

1. A Metallic Knit Sweater

Be it dark green,navy or red, having gold thread woven into the fabric can either give a shimmering look that channels understated elegance or luxurious comfort. It depends on how much metallic thread is woven in

Image taken from Esprit: Blended Cotton Metallic Jumper

or

 A Statement Sweater or Cardigan
I love having unique sweaters/cardigans in my wardrobe. This means bright coloured sweaters, bold patterned pieces or fuzzy knits are my absolute loves. They're great ways to add texture/colour to your whole outfit if you don't have a lot of accessories. Pair with a basic dress, skirt, shorts or pants for that put-together chic look.

From left to right(All from Forever 21): Standout Geo Sweater, Traveler Open-Knit Cardigan, Fuzzy Knit Cardigan

2. Boots

What can I say? Fall just makes me think of boots. 
I'm having boot lust: still hunting for a pair of studded boots to replace my previous one that broke.

Esprit, Leather Ankle Boots

Esprit currently has a few pairs that are tempting me(like the one above). Alas, I shall hold back from buying till I get to go to Hong Kong. Either that, or wait till Esprit outlet carries the boots (and the price can be like ~$50 for a good pair!)

3. Salted caramel mocha

 It's only available at my local Starbucks around this time of the year. Get the frappuccino version for hot days! If only they'll bring back Dark Cherry Mocha frappe for Christmas. It's my fave, but I heard from a barista that it got taken off as many complained that it tasted like cough syrup (which isn't true. I personally think that it tastes like it got a lil liquor inside) :(

4. Leather jacket

Impractical to wear in Singapore mostly, but it'll really be nice and warm in cold shopping malls. This is on my wishlist every year but nothing happens. Which is the same as number 5 below....

 Forever 21, Rockstar Faux Leather Jacket

A standard (p)leather jacket can be pretty affordable and will last you for a couple of years with some tlc. If you've got extra bucks to spare, it's worth investing in a real leather one.

5. ...which is a trenchcoat

Classic and stylish. A staple, if you live in cool regions that is. 

6. Pumpkin pudding

 I just love to eat something with pumpkin. Plus it's pudding! Who hates pudding?
If you've got time, try out this Pumpkin Pudding recipe from Cooking with Dog on YouTube! 

7. Cranberry and plum coloured stuff

 Makeup, clothes, food and even nail polish. Add a little gold for that festive look.

8. Marshmallows

 Squishy and fluffy, they're morsels of delight! They're great by themselves, toasted,with hot chocolate--it's as versatile as a white t-shirt! I hardly get to eat marshmallows, so fall's a great time to indulge!

9. Chocolates 

Speaking of chocolates, I just recently found out that NTUC sells Jack Daniels' chocolates! how awesome is that?

10. Cinnamon rolls

The smell of fresh cinnamon rolls is heavenly. I can eat this everyday for breakfast/lunch/dessert,

There're quite a few sweet snacks, since I think Fall is a great time to indulge in sweet treats! It's also because I have a terrible sweet tooth. 

And that's a wrap on our Fall 2013 wishlist. We do have more things that we want, but these are our top 10 things. What's your wishlist for Fall this year? I'm sure everyone has a couple... Do comment below and share with us! 

Till next time

Love,

Christine and El   xoxo

What's on your Fall 2013 wishlist? (Part One)

It’s finally our favourite time of the year again: FALL! Granted, it’s not that obvious in Singapore: no changing colours of the leaves and no drop in temperature. Instead of fall, we get the monsoon season. Raindrops fall from above instead of beautiful orange-hued leaves. That being said, it’s the spirit of Fall that is important! Why not bring autumn to yourself by celebrating some of the wonderful things that you can do in fall?  To get in the spirit, we've decided to create a wishlist: 10 things I want to get/do this Fall. This post will be in 2 parts since it’s pretty long. First up, Christine’s wishlist!

1. A black knit sweater

Sweaters are the number one essential item for Fall. One simply can't survive Fall without the classic sweater. To accommodate the fickle-minded weather in Singapore, I have been looking for a open knit sweater. Black because it is the easiest colour to match.

Taken from: http://www.polyvore.com/zadig_voltaire_master_open-knit_sweater/thing?id=44081350

This is most similar to what I have in mind.

2. A pair of green boots

Green, any shade, is en pointe this season. The very first pair of olive boots I saw was at Charles & Keith. It was love at first sight. The perfect green. The perfect heel height. The perfect cut-off point. Then I looked into the shoes. It was not perfect anymore. Not with those fleece-lined insoles in Singapore. I'm still searching for the perfect pair.

Taken from: http://www.charleskeith.com

The ill-fated pair from Charles & Keith.

3. Leather Jacket

Who doesn't like leather jackets? Okay, don't answer that.

Anyway, leather jackets are also one of the essentials for Fall. It simply spices up the whole outfit: pair it with girly dresses to give an edge to your look or simply go for the rocker biker chic look with dark skinny jeans, white fitted shirt and combat boots!

All taken from: asos.com
All are also out of my price range.

4. Pumpkin Spice Latte

Which sadly is not available in Singapore :( One day, I'll visit USA, just for a taste of this elusive and highly-loved Starbucks drink. And do some outlet shopping at the same time.

[no photos because Singapore doesn't offer this :( ]

5. Salvatore Ferragamo's Signorina eau de parfum

Fall means new perfume! This has a rather sweet smell and the strongest scent I can discern is rose.

Taken from:http://www.ferragamosignorina.co.uk/signorina-collection.htm

Top note: Red currant & pink pepper

Middle note: Jasmine, peony and rose

Base note: Patchouli, panna cotta, musk

Disclaimer: I have sinus; my nose is not fully functional. Also, I love sweet things. So this perfume definitely hits the right notes with me! :)

6. Krispy Kreme doughnuts!

It's so unhealthy but I can't resist! I've yet to visit the newly opened store at Tangs though. Soon, my glazed babies!

[Visit http://krispykreme.sg/ or their twitter @KrispyKremeSIN for more information!]

7. Anything plaid: Plaid pants (H&M), flannel shirt, plaid bag, plaid scarf

Fall, meet Plaid. 
Plaid, meet Fall. 
That's all.

8. (p)Leather jeggings

Pleather jeggings are probably a better option than genuine leather jeggings in Singapore. The humidity will just "sauna-fied" those legs of yours. Which is not a bad thing, really, for my thighs and calves, but I can't stand the heat.

All taken from: zara.com

9. Fall manicure!

I haven't the time to do any self-manicure since the start of school. I just need one day, or one night even, to do it.
Colours to try: Oxblood, Navy Blue, Deep Purple, Metallics and Holographics.
(side note: I've yet to find a polish that gives off the silver nail foil look without actually using the silver foil).

10. For Singapore to really have Fall weather

I guess I can continue dreaming then.

  

Check back tomorrow for El's wishlist! :)

Till next time.
Love,

Christine and El   xoxo

A Monochrome Affair

Hey so it's been a while.

I finally started on this post about my wedding dinner OOTD a week after it has happened, due to all the essay madness I've had recently. I was so sick of writing after that, so let's make this short.

On Oct 6th, it was the wedding dinner event of the year for my family (there's only one anyway). It was at Orchard Hotel. This is one of those rare chances where I can dress up fancily and eat yummy food and have fun. Sadly, I didn't really get to go all out on my dressing because I had so little time. On the day itself I had to rush to my piano lesson and then back home. I styled myself, did my own hair and makeup and even plucked my eyebrows thanks to the limited time I had. Anyway, I bought the dress from a Dorothy Perkins sale last year intending to wear it for my 21st birthday but didn't. The rest are pieces bought and collected over the years. I didn't do go out of my way to shop for things to wear...no time for special shopping to brighten up my look.

Outfit: Dress: Dorothy Perkins, $39(sale); Belt: New Look; Black Lace Tube and Bag were bought at a wholesale market in China, Black Heels: DMK; Pearl Clip: Qoo10

Just so you know, the wedding theme wasn't monochrome, it's just that my outfit ended up being monochromatic. I love the dress anyway. It has a V-neckline and an A-line cutting that is flattering for all body types. It accentuates the smallest part of my body: my waist. It's also a very dangerous dress because it is UK 16, which is a size bigger than what I usually wear now. The sleeves kept sliding down my shoulders whenever I relaxed, so I had to be in an upright posture all the time. I had to wear a lace tube inside because it was too low cut (both front and back) that I risk getting a wardrobe malfunction. (Total no no since no one should steal attention from the bride!:P)

I wore my usual elastic lace black belt that I bought a few years back. Ironically, I bought it for a different wedding dinner a few years back. The good thing about this belt is that it has a lace surface in front and doesn't reflect light. A non-reflective front for a belt will make your stomach look flatter. If you get one of those belts with big, shiny decal, the reflection of the light will make that part conspicuous and draw attention to your stomach. 

To finish off the look, my heels and bag were black to match the black leopard spots on my dress. The shoes really bring back memories. I wore them to my secondary school prom a few years back and my feet survived. Not bad, considering I danced and walked in them when I was still starting out in heels. They're still in a good condition and are comfortable. A girl always need to have a good pair of black heels, I feel. They're easy to match when you're stressed. The grey and black colour scheme was a little too dark, so I added a pearl hairclip to brighten up the look. It was the brightest thing on me besides my brain (which is hidden in my head). Haha. I didn't wear any other accessories as I don't own many. Oh well, simple is good. 

Here's a picture of the wedding favors given! The left one is a deck of playing cards. The right one is a recycling bag that can be folded and packed into a rose pouch! I think the packaging and ideas are pretty cute, even though I'd love getting food like chocolates instead. 

That's all for now folks.

Till next time.

Love,

El   xoxo

A Green and Blue Day: Flowers and Plaids

It was a rare cool day yesterday, accompanied by the chance of rain of course (as always in the case of Sunny Singapore).

I had a meeting with some of the higher-ups in school in the morning and was ordered to wear either trousers or skirts.
Far Right: Sipping on some Banana Chocolate Frappe from The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf @ Bugis+
A rare day that I bothered to do my eye makeup.

 The meeting didn't go well but my outfit did! :)
I love how the flowers contrasted with the otherwise man-ish look of the plaid and trousers combination. I went for a really colour-coordinated look in blue and green - both are my favourite colours now!

Speaking about plaid, it's a key piece for the Fall. 

One can never go wrong with a plaid button down top.

Inspired from the kilts of Scottish men, plaids are often found in the colour red.
For some reason, I find the ubiquitous red ones kind of tacky. And common.

But of course, some, with the right shade of red, looks amazing.

To stand out from the rest of the plaids, invest in a not-so-common shade.
(Like the green one I am wearing!)
Or simply find one in a different material, for example, chiffon.
Lightweight materials work wonders in the tropical rainforest climate here anyway.

It does not have to be a top either.
Trousers, skirts, dresses, or even overalls (I absolutely adore this one by UNIF) will instantly transform an outfit for the Fall.

Outfit

Plaid Top: Bershka, ~$59.90

Blue Bottom: Mango, ~39.90

Shoes: Itti & Otto, $109

Bag: TopShop, $39 (on sale)

Accessories: Braided head band (really long ago), Qoo10; flower clips, H&M, ~$3.80; Ring, Haji Lane, ~$5

Till next time.
Love,

Christine xoxo

Mini-haul: Chicwish, H&M, Uniqlo, Cotton On, Miss Selfridge, Americaya

As promised, here's my (somewhat) mini-haul of the stuff I bought on my self-declared retail therapy day and some other stuff I've accrued before and since then! :)

Confession: I'm an avid online shopper.

This is really a mini-haul compared to my usual shopping standard and taking into consideration that I bought  some of them 2/3 months ago.

From left to right
First row: Yellow polka dot pants, Uniqlo, $9.90 (sale); Pink dotted shirt, Cotton On, $10 (sale), Cream L/S Crop Top, Miss Selfridge, $63 ($53.70 after my F3 member discount!)

Middle row: (All from online store Chicwish) L/S crochet top, AUD33.92; Skull lace blouse, AUD29.90; Armygreen hooded parka, AUD63.67

Bottom row: (all from H&M Somerset) Black chiffon and mesh L/S top, $20 (sale); Dark green knit top, S17.90; Boyfriend jeans, $10 (sale)

~~

YES. You read that right, jeans on sale at H&M for $10. 
Who can resist getting them? (rhetorical question)

Also, Chicwish is having a 15% off store-wide at this point of writing. 
If you are about the same size as me on the top (UK10-12), no harm checking the site out! 
What's more, they offer free international shipping!
(No point looking at their bottoms though for all sizes are SPCs: skinny people clothes)

~~


I bought some hosiery from H&M as well.

Both were at $5 each from $9.90 (left) and $17.90 (right) respectively.

I haven't thought of what to wear with these socks/tights yet though.
I just liked the pattern and prints on them.
We'll see.

~~

If you follow me on instagram (@christinehzy), you'd have seen my photo of this baby here.

If you've not...
I got this on sale for $29.90. I think it cost $79.90 originally. What's more, it's from Americaya.

As my friend so eloquently put it - " buy first then regret"
But booties are always IN in the fall season.
Moreover, it's pretty light for a pair of booties and it's quite comfortable too.
So, no regrets there :D


Alas, no accessories for me this time round.

That's all for my mini-haul for Fall. Somewhat.

Till next time.
Love,

Christine xoxo

Self-declared retail therapy day + OOTD

Recess Week

The long-awaited break from the boring lull of school.

Although to us Uni peeps, it might as well have been named "catch-up-on-schoolwork/group projects week".

It just so happened that I had to make a trip to town to take some photos for a group project of mine, alone, this one day during recess week. 

I didn't want to waste a trip to town just taking photos and what's more, BY MYSELF. 

And so I thought to myself: 

"What better way is there to spend some quality time with myself than some retail therapy." 

Killed two birds with one stone. :D

My wardrobe needs more friends anyway.

And so, I acted like a tourist that day, going around taking photos of random things and most importantly, shopping.

Where do I look like I am from? 

OOTD: Black and Red Semi-Grunge Look
Red plaid sleeveless shirt: Topshop, $49 (sale); Khaki Jacket with pleather sleeves: Warehouse, $156; Black flare skirt: F21, $10
Bag: Topshop, $39 (sale); Skull hand necklace: a shop at Far East Plaza, $16, Snake double ring: Lovisa, ~$12.90; Red flats: Rad Russel, $59.90 (sale)

Forever taking my OOTDs in the toilet. This time, the one at Paragon.

I went to Miss Selfridge (Paragon) first. I have been lusting after this cream chiffon long-sleeved crop shirt from the shop ever since I saw it on F3's new arrivals. 

And yes, I got it. As you can see from the Miss Selfridge bag I'm carrying (above)
Splurge of the day.

~~

Topshop was my next stop. A friend gave me a Topshop gift card  for my birthday.

Look at how bright the pink it is!! My eyes.

I was thinking of using it and hence, tried on some stuff. 

Ignore the elephant thighs, thank you.

Didn't buy anything in the end as I didn't find anything I liked (at a price that agrees with my bank account) on me. Also, the card expires 2014. There's still plenty of time for me to find something suitable.

 Love the denim flare dress though. Something easy to slip into for those lazy days.

Add a statement necklace or a bright skinny belt, and some pretty flats, and ta-da! You're ready to go!

~~

H&M was a must-go.

I've heard great things about their A/W2013 fall collection. 

Seeing is believing and I totally agree with what I've heard. 

Sadly, the weather in Singapore doesn't.

Met with their mid-season sale though. 

One thing H&M sale is good for is their jeans.
If you're lucky (like me), you can find jeans going at $10 - $20 from their original price of $39.90, $59.90 or $79.90.

Plus, they have quite a wide selection. 

The sad thing is that sizes (especially the bigger ones) runs out fast or are limited. But do check it out for you never know when you'll get lucky.

Some stuff I tried on:

I liked the "OH CREPE" T-Shirt a lot but sadly it was really huge on me (can't really tell in the photo) and I have too many white shirts anyway.
The boyfriend jeans were $10. TEN DOLLARS. Who can resist buying it!

Other things worth checking out during H&M's sale are their accessories and hosiery. 

The mark-down prices on their necklaces and rings makes buying them worthwhile. 

(We all know that costume jewellery from such places don't really last long)

However, bags are something I wouldn't look at. Although prices are really attractive after the discount, you'd often find stains and whatnots on them. Plus...the quality of the bags are questionable sometimes. 

Anyway, hosiery go for as low as $2 (not often) or $5 (quite often) which is a pretty good deal. One that I can't resist.

And so, on that fateful day, my wallet was relieved of its not-really-unwanted "burden."

Retail therapy, as expensive as it may be, is always a success. 

Happy me.
Sad bank account.

P.S Stay tuned for a haul post about the spoils of that day and others that I've accrued over the past few months! :)

Till next time.

Love,

Christine xoxo

OOTD, Dinner and a Mini Haul

Hello fashion lovers! I hope your week has been great so far. :)

Last Saturday, I went out at night with my sister to 313@Somerset to do our favourite exercise-shopping! Not only do we burn calories, we also burned a hole in our pockets as usual. It was refreshing to be in town again after so long. Technically it has been slightly more than a month, but the routine of just travelling between school and home makes it feel like it has been longer than that. Thus, I'm thankful for recess week ( even though it means I've got a bunch of essays to plan and write).

First stop was CoCoICHIBANYA Curry House! Both my sister and I were starving from the long train ride! I like to eat the japanese curry at CoCo because I can adjust the spice level and rice portion. The best is that they deduct the bill if you ask for less rice ( I wish other food places would work like that)! There was a special promotion going on: Yakiniku Beef Curry with Mango Cooler going at $15.80 nett, so I ordered that because it's really worth it. I piled on a bunch of the pickles available on the curry because they are AMAZING together. The Mango Cooler was not bad-- it consists of lychee-flavoured shaved ice and mango chunks. The mango chunks were sour , but the lychee-flavoured ice makes up for it. I really like lychee-flavoured food, be it sweets, ice, jelly etc. but I'm not such a fan of the fruit itself... which is weird. The service is really fast and the food is good, but sadly the pricing is a bit high for me, so it's a place I'll go to if I feel like treating myself. I've been to the branch in Bangkok, and the pricing is so much cheaper compared to Singapore. Of course, the food in the food courts there are even cheaper. Other than that, it's a good place to go to for a curry treat, since they've got a good variety. If you're on a bigger budget, I recommend  that you try the curry with the omurice (aka omelette rice) or the katsu with cheese curry rice. The omurice is my favourite thing there.

My Dinner! Nom nom nom...

After dinner, we headed over to Forever 21. The sales items are on the 4th floor, so I was keen on checking out the sales section. Most of the stuff on the sales racks are pretty damaged or just not my cup of tea this time. Also, I noticed that the current styles seen at Forever 21 are range from tribal to graphic prints, word tees, and the usual fall staples of boots and jackets.  However, nothing really caught my eye, even though I did try on a few pieces of clothing. Empty-handed, my sister and I went on to H&M.

H&M has even more sales items. The good thing about H&M is that their sales items are in pretty good condition, unlike Forever 21. It was crowded (as usual) but the fitting room queues were not that long! The sales selection is pretty large and the prices are reasonable. I saw a lot of things that interested me. Happily, I took the shopping bag and threw a bunch of stuff in to try. In the end, I left a happy girl. I found a pullover sweater that had a nice edgy but laid back look to it. I was looking for something like that to wear to school and I'm glad I've found one. I also got a shirt with a black liquid heart because it was super soft and was on sale for $5! Coincidentally, both of them are in black and white. I guess my recent sketching of my monochrome lookbook have influenced my mood. I'm loving the black and white look,which I find is great for all seasons!

From Left: Tribal Pullover Sweater: H&M, $30; Black Dripping Heart top: H&M, $5

Last stop: New Look. My sister likes to go there. It's her favourite place to look for clothes because the size range is bigger. I like going there when there's a huge sale, because that's the only time I'll buy things from there. Otherwise, most of the things are just way too overpriced for the quality or just over my budget. I bought a white tank to combine with the blouse my sister wanted to get the 2 for $29.90 special. After all, buying the blouse she wanted alone would have cost her around $26. I might as well get something right? It is important to help others. ^.^  I guess it was a sign that I ought to buy it, since I've been eyeing this tank for a month. I love the straps behind which makes it look both simple and edgy. The pure whiteness of it makes it look expensive and classy. Plus the material is of pretty good quality-- not like those thin ones that will easily tear. It's versatile: it can be matched with jeans/shorts for a casual look; or paired with a black fancy skirt and some bling for a party look.

White Tank: New Look, $14.95 (sale).

Lastly, here's my outfit of the day:

Outfit is from Esprit. Cardigan, $14.90; Butterfly Tube top, around $24; Khaki skirt, $14.90. (Prices listed are sale prices) White flats: Jwest, $80; Orange bucket bag: Bangkok's Chatuchak Market, $8.

 My dear sister helped me take this photo with my phone. Not really the most flattering photo taken, to be honest. The outfit looks better in real life. Well, this was taken at the end of the day, so both of us had lots of shopping bags to carry. Thus this was the best we could do with the amount of energy we had left.

P.S.Notice the big H&M bag in my hands with my goodies inside! *winks*

Not to forget, my nails! I finally have the time to paint my nails. I did this based on a Marc Jacobs Daisies Inspired Nail  Tutorial by elleandish on YouTube. I changed up the colours slightly based on what I had in my collection, but this is easy to do. I love how cute the flowers are! If you love nail art designs, do check out her YouTube channel and blog for inspiration!

All in all, I had a great time just walking around and doing something without worrying about my school next week. Look forward to seeing more of my new clothes in future outfit posts!
Hope you've enjoyed this post :)

Till next time.

Love,

El   xoxo