Sunday Style Showdown | Tropical Bonanza

Continuing the trend of summer themed Sunday Style Showdown, we're going TROPICAL this week! Scroll down to check out what we've come up with! If you're interested to see the previous summer themed #SSS looks, click on the links below!:
#SSS: Look Up
#SSS: Summer Loving

The TROPICAL BONANZA Showdown
El	Christine
When I think of tropical, I think of bright colours and flowers! There's also swaying palm trees, gentle breezes... Hence this dress fits the idea of tropical fever for me! I love the hi-lo cut which will capture any slight breeze that blows by. Plus, the cutting will make my legs still look long even though I'm wearing a long dress! I absolutely love this dress which looks like flowers were painted on. Despite the brightness of the dress, there's still a softness to the look thanks to the flowy skirt and the way the flowers are printed on the dress.	If you Google tropical images, you will get palm trees, beaches and more palm trees. Hence, cue my background! Hehe. The neoprene-like skirt is the foundation of my outfit - with the various flowers prints, it looks pretty tropical to me. The cutting of the skirt is also very flattering for people with a curvy figure - An A-line cut that is fitted on the top but has box pleats half way down. If you follow our #SSS, you know that I love my structured skirts. I wanted to let the skirt shine but at the same time, I didn't want to use a plain white tee for that purpose. So, I paired it with a plain bright pink shirt! It's summer so, let's all inject some colour into our lives :)
Shades are a definite must when the weather is so sunny! I picked a pair with blue tinted lens so it'll match the dress compared to the conventional black. For accessories, I kept it simple with a bracelet made up of seashells and a wooden beads bangle. Mostly things derived from nature to go along with the tropical feel.	Love love love the muted colour scheme of the skirt - looks as if it is a water colour painting! I really like the material used for the skirt as well - A thin neoprene-like material. I chose a white statement necklace to balance the prints on the skirt and to complement the colour of the skirt.
El's Outfit Details Dress: Forever 21 Shoes: Guangzhou Wooden beads bangle: South Africa Seashell Bracelet: A Gift Blue Tinted Lens: Isetan	Christine's Outfit Details Top: H&M Skirt: Pull & Bear Necklace: F21 Rings: Random shops Shoes: Rad Russel

How did you find our outfits? Which do you prefer?

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

Show us how you do tropical on Instagram and tag us or use #SSS! (Christine's and El's)

Till next time
Love,
El and Christine xoxo

~Beauty Myths Experiment Diary~ Will drinking 8 cups of water a day really give me good skin? | Week 0

Hello everyone!

Welcome to our new series called "Beauty Myths Experiment Diary"!

We will be trying out beauty myths to see if they really are just myths, or if there is an element of truth. To kick-start this series, we will be testing the myth that drinking 8 cups of water a day will give us good skin.

Why is water important?
About 2/3 of the human body is made up of water and we also lose alot of water in a day. For example, do you know that a normal human sweat on average 6 litres of water a day, depending on the lifestyle and climate? Thus we can't stress enough how essential water is in our lives. To ensure that we replenish the needed amount of water each day, we have to stay hydrated.

Benefits of drinking water

• It will help with concentration
• Water will flush out toxins from body, which means that it will help improve your body system. Eg Blood circulation. If your internal system is great, your external appearance will be great too!
• Water will also help with controlling diet/losing weight.

Water is great for the body but drinking too much can be fatal. Read more about it here

How much water should I drink then?
Many of us have heard that one should consume 8 cups of water a day,which is approximately 2 liters. This is thought to be the amount of water a human body needs. However, there has been debate that it isn't 8 cups of water that a person should consume, but 8 cups of fluids. This means that the 2 litres of water intake consist of water from food as well as beverages besides plain water.

So why are we testing this out?
Many celebrities and people swear by drinking 8 cups of water daily as the secret to their glowing complexion. Despite this supposed effect, neither of us drink the recommended amount of water- perhaps that's why our skin are not glowing as we want them to be (or maybe it's just hormones :\). So is this a myth, or will drinking 8 cups of water do wonders to our skin? Hence, we've decided to test this myth out for a month and see if drinking 8 cups of water each day will really help with our skin woes~!

For a month, we'll be uploading our observations and updates weekly. This means you'll get to see us bare-faced, pimples and all(and no filters or editing to it). We'll be publishing a new post on this beauty myth every Wednesday for a month. Follow us and track our progress!

Without further ado, here begins Week 0 as we show you our skin before we start the experiment!

	Will drinking 8 cups of water a day really give me good skin?!
Picture	Christine	El
Usual Skin Condition	To be honest, I'm very confused as to what skin type I have. If I were to hazard a guess, I'll say normal to combination skin. I do get oily in my t-zone area as the day passes but not overwhelmingly. I get the occasional pimples because of the food I eat or when I don't use my skincare products (tried and proven). As you can see, I've got a few blemishes (those whiteheads came out of nowhere!) on my forehead and one on my nose (result of a pimple). Plus, you've got to agree, those are pretty bad under eye dark circles. As for big pores, I do have them, but my skincare routine do help to minimize them. That's about it for my skin. Oh yes, I had to use flash for the photo because it's pretty dark in my house although I took the photo in the morning. So, pardon if you find the picture misleading. I assure you, this is how I look like even before I wash my face.	My skin's pretty oily all over and I've got pretty big pores thanks to genetics and the weather. I tend to get pimples often, especially when it's near the time of the month. Surprisingly, my skin looks pretty good in this photo, except for that blemish scar on my forehead. I think it's due to the bright bathroom light. If I did a zoom in of my skin, you'd see more blemish scars. Recently, I've been experiencing pretty bad flaking of skin on my nose and forehead while wearing makeup. Let's see if drinking more water will help solve that.
Signs of Pimples	As of now, I have two pimples on my right cheek which I think are due to bacteria from using my mobile. But they are pretty much already healing.	Right now, I've got one or two tiny ones I guess? I'm having my "good skin" week currently. Let's see if this will last a month with the water routine.
Hydration	Honestly, how do you tell if your skin is hydrated?! That aside, I know my skin is not dehydrated (skin feels tight and doesn't "bounce" back easily) so I guess my skin is hydrated. This logic works...right?	My skin's pretty plump and glowing still... not sure if the glowing is from the oil though.
Oil Control	I don't blot at all.	Right now, I've to blot twice a day at least. My face will usually get oily 6 hours after I apply makeup with primer on.
Current Skincare Routine (if anyone wants to know. We'll be maintaining the routine for control purposes)	**NOTE: the facial cleanser I use depends on when I shower. For convenience's sake, let's all assume that I shower in the morning. :) Morning: Mario Badescu's Enzyme Cleansing Gel, Mario Badescu's Glycolic Acid Toner, Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ DARK SPOT SOLUTION, Kiehl's Rare Earth Pore Minimizing Lotion, Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream and Lancôme's Genifique Yeux Youth Activating Eye Concentrate. Night: Hada Labo's Tamagohada AHA/BHA Exfoliating Face Wash Foam, Mario Badescu's Glycolic Acid Toner, Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ DARK SPOT SOLUTION, Kiehl's Rare Earth Pore Minimizing Lotion, Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream, Lancôme's Genifique Yeux Youth Activating Eye Concentrate, Nip + Fab Spot Fix if needed.	Morning: Himalaya Herbals Purifying Neem Facewash, SK II Facial Treatment Essence, Naruko Majoram and Lavender Brightening Eye Cream, The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil, La Roche Posay Effaclar A.I, VICHY Tri-Active Anti-Imperfection Hydrating Care Moisturiser. Night: Same face wash as morning, although I do change it up a little by using my Olay Pro X brush to wash my face. Paula's Choice CLEAR Anti-Redness Exfoliating Solution (Regular Strength), SK II Facial Treatment Essence, Naruko Majoram and Lavender Brightening Eye Cream, The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil, La Roche Posay Effaclar A.I, VICHY Normaderm Anti-Imperfection+Rejuvenating Care and Bio-essence Hydra Tri action Aqua Droplet Sleeping Beauty Mask( You can read my review on it here.)

Do you think drinking 8 cups of water a day will really give us glowing skin or have you tried this out before? Is it just a myth or is there some truth in it? We would love to hear your thoughts on this! Follow us on twitter @ChapalangGirls or like us on our Facebook page to keep track of our progress! We will be updating our observations every Wednesday for a month :)
Also, join us in our myth adventure with the hashtag #TCWBMED! Till next time. Love, Christine & El xoxo

Haul | Phuket, Thailand

I'm back from Phuket and I have a little haul post for you guys~! :)

Considering my past records, I have to say, I was a good girl this time -- no big holes in any wallets.

Plus, you guys know that Thailand is pretty cheap so all's good~

I was in Phuket, Kata area, with my mum for 5 days and boy, was the sun shining bright and hot!

Never thought I would be this tanned but here I am, at least 3 shades darker than before.

Gotta say, this is really troublesome because my foundations are all too light for me now :(

Not sure if I should go get one that matches my skin colour now or pray that I will return to my original colouring soon (probably a month or so). Meanwhile, I've resorted to using bronzer all over my face to ensure I don't make the bald face eagle foundation faux pas - light face but dark body.

Any thoughts on what I should do about this? :\

Dilemma aside, let's get on with the haul!

Sunday Style Showdown | Look Up

This week's #SSS features an essential summer accessory - hats and caps! Hats and caps are great to wear during summer not just because they provide some shade from the sun, they can also change the look of your usual everyday outfit - giving a more summery feel to it! It so happens that we chose a different head accessory each -- but this means you get more summer inspiration!

The Look Up Showdown
El	Christine
One of my favourite things to own are hats and caps, because they're great for changing the look to any outfit. For this week's outfit, I wanted to put together a relaxed and casual look that's great for chilling out while on vacation or cafe hunting. Thus it's a simple outfit consisting of a basics-- a denim jacket and black dress. I prefer being hot than cold, so I don't die of heat while in a jacket during hot weather unless it's boiling. I leave all the attention to my hat. Throw on a nice pair of heeled sandals for that extra 'oomph' to the summer style!	I only own snapbacks so that's what I went with. Snapbacks gives off this chill factor with a hint of edginess so I decided to play it up here with a graphic print tee and pleather skorts. The tee has a really nice silver holographic print on it, so I kept my outfit simple - black and white - to let it stand out. Looking pretty hip-hop eh? v(^.^) Alternatively, pair snapbacks with a little flowery sundress and sandals! The juxtaposition of the girly sundress and hiphop snapback works really well.
I picked a hat that's made of straw to give a summer vacation feel. I know that's a cliched way of thinking but I adore this hat because it always makes me feel pretty cool when I wear it ^^. So I decided to use this hat out of my many hats/caps. For other accessories, I kept it simple because in summer it's usually hot and I would not want to be burdened by all those weighty necklaces and bangles. Sweat and metal just doesn't mix well. So I'm just wearing a simple long chain necklace with a triangle pendant since it's lightweight and colorful.	I got this snapback because it says CH on the top which is my initials, haha. Who doesn't want customized snapbacks? Besides the ubiquitous aviator style sunnies, why not try some circle sunnies? They are a fun shape to wear and lends a whimsical vibe to any outfit. But, of course, if you have a round face shape, avoid circle sunnies! Instead, get some cat-eye ones. Those will help elongate your face :)
El's Outfit Details Hat:Hong Kong Jacket: Uniqlo Black Dress: Forever 21 Necklace: Qoo10 Shoes: Tracce	Christine's Outfit Details Cap: *Scape Flea Shirt: Izzue (men's) Bottoms: Zara Sunnies: Isetan Bag: Aldo Shoes: Itti & Otto Rings: H&M/Flea

How did you find our take on hats/caps? Which of our interpretation did you like most?

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

Show us how you do heads on Instagram and tag us or use #SSS! (Christine's and El's)

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

How To | Nautical Manicure

Beach season is here!

Fancy some pretty nails to go with that fabulous new (or old) bikini to show off at the beach?

Look no further, this nautical nail tutorial will definitely help you with that :)

Read on to find out how to recreate this nautical inspired nail art!

Product Review: Bio-Essence's Hydra Tri action Aqua Droplet Sleeping Beauty Mask

Hello everyone!

Sorry it has been so long since I've written a new post. I've been working and my work clothes have to be all black, pants and long sleeves combo, so there's nothing fashion-related I can post about sadly. I've been working as temporary a sales person and have 5/6 days work week depending on the schedule :(

Hence, I've decided to do a beauty product review because I really, REALLY like this product. It's Bio-Essence's Hydra Tri action Aqua Droplet Sleeping Beauty Mask. Ridiculously long name I know...Let's just call it the sleeping mask.

Just so you know, this is not a sponsored post (we're faraway from that and I don't rave about stuff I dislike). Anyway, I've been a fan of Bio-essence's ATP Exfoliating Gel for a few years now and I keep repurchasing it despite the many changes it has undergone. I decided to get this sleeping mask in Watsons after having tried the tester and really loved the texture. I actually hesitated a long while to get it because it's so expensive! In stores it retails at $33.90 but I managed to get it cheaper because there was a Watsons sale and I also got an additional 20% discount thanks to my aunt who got a special SMS from Watsons (This is called shopping smart!)

I love the concept of Sleeping Pack/Masks which claim to hydrate and nourish your skin while you're sleeping. It's like the lazy person's way out of having to do a mask and wait for 20 minutes to remove it. I've used Laneige's famed Water Sleeping Pack EX, which I enjoyed and also a sample of Neutrogena's  Hydroboost Water Gel which also has the sleeping mask concept. Surprisingly, I like Bio-Essence's version the best since it's cheap(affordable) and also works well. I also prefer the texture of this as it's not sticky, which I like, unlike Laneige's Sleeping Pack which I found it a bit sticky.

I started using sleeping masks more when I started sleeping in my sister's room. In that room, the aircon will be blowing directly at my face because of my bed position and my skin will feel tight and dry in the morning. My throat will also be hurting from the dryness. Sadly, my sister will not let me switch off the aircon even though it's ridiculously cold, so I had to find a way to deal with the dryness. My usual moisturiser wasn't working well enough so I decided to try sleeping masks! With this product, I wake up to nice and supple skin!

The good thing about this product is that it's not sticky and it absorbs fast, so you can go to bed sooner!


Here's a picture of the product:

Half the jar is gone because I love using this so much! <3

Here's why it's called "Aqua droplet": It's originally in a gel form but when you massage it into your skin, it turns into water droplets!

Packaging

Packaging wise, it's a pretty sturdy yet lightweight jar, making it easy to put in a travel bag. However, I wish it's in a squeeze tube form so that it'll be easier for me to control the amount I take and also more hygienic! It's a little disgusting to be digging in the jar for the gel using my hands all the time, so I use my own spatula to scoop out the product.

Texture 

It's not sticky and when applied to face it feels like I'm spreading water on my face I guess. It absorbs fast and feels good!

Scent

I love how this sleeping mask smells. It has this really nice refreshing and calm fragrance that's not overpowering, which helps me to relax before bed. For those of you who believe that scented products are bad for your skin, skip this.

Overall rating:4.5/5

It's close to 5 but the packaging and the price could be improved on. The product works well for me though. Usually I use these kinds of sleeping mask at night but I love it so much that I also use a small amount of it in the morning. I find that it helps to keep my skin hydrated longer hence I get less oily throughout the day despite having lots of makeup on at work. For those of you interested, you can try the testers at Watsons/Guardian and feel the moisturising property of the product for yourself. With skincare, every individual's skin differs so it's important to test the product first :)

Till next time
Love
El   xoxo

Sunday Style Showdown | Summer Loving

How's summer going for everyone!

Today's #sss feature one of our summer styles! We live in a country that's pretty much summer all year round so we've come up with many ways of dressing to deal with the heat. We hope you're having a great summer so far and look forward to more "summer themed" outfits!

SUMMER LOVING Showdown
El	Christine
I'm dressing for a BBQ party here (my sister's 21st party to be exact)! There's the quintessential shorts and a nice loose top typical of the usual summer outfit. Nothing too complicated since it's meant to be a chill party. However, just because it's a chill family party doesn't mean I can't add some edginess. Hence the studs that just add a little ruggedness to the whole outfit, along with the slits. I like to keep things simple and comfortable without compromising on the looks :)	To be honest, I was pretty much lost in this outfit. Nonetheless, it's still a pretty versatile summer outfit - think BBQs, beaches, and water sports! Summer's pretty much all about tanks and shorts but if, like me, you're uncomfortable with the idea of showing arms, a kimono will do the trick - they are usually made of light and airy materials which are great for covering up in the hot sun - plus it's in trend now! The tank top I am wearing reminds me of the seaside with its red stripes and blue trim on white thing going on.
Because it's summer and a BBQ party, things are definitely going to be hot! So one needs some ventilation to catch any slight breeze:) I like how this top makes me feel like a off duty rock star sometimes. Hehe	Since it's summer, I thought I would show a few must-haves items! Sometimes, a full-on foundation just feels really clogging and heavy in the heat. These times, BB creams are good substitutes, along with tinted moisturizers. Then, just spot-conceal! Next up, waterproof mascaras and a no-budge eyeliner. My go-tos are the Maybelline's The Falsies mascara and K-palette's 24 HR Real- Lasting Eyeliner. One cannot forget sunscreen in this sun for the body too! I always turn to Banana Boat for it. In the heat, you feel sticky and sweaty fast (or at least I do), so have the wet wipes handy to feel refreshed at an instant. As for lip products, sometimes less is more. Find a moisturizing one such as L'oreal's Rouge Caresse (Heart of Pearl) or better yet, a tinted lip balm.
El's Outfit Details Top: Aeon Jusco Shorts: H&M Shoes: Move Black purse: Charles & Keith	Christine's Outfit Details Tank top: New Look Kimono: Topshop Shorts: F21 Shoes: Senso

How did you find our summer loving outfits? Which did you like better?

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

Show us your favourite summer outfits on Instagram! Tag us and use #SSS! (Christine's and El's)

Till next time
Love,
El and Christine xoxo