Sunday Style Showdown | Lunar New Year Edition!

HEY!

Our unofficial (and unannounced *sorry peeps*) hiatus is finally over! We will be back to our regular schedule soon and what better way to kick-start it than a #SSS! :D

This week, we talk Lunar New Year - a.k.a EAT ALL THE PINEAPPLE TARTS. Okay... maybe not all since we still have to fit in our clothes after this festive period.

It's tradition to wear new clothes in auspicious colours (red mostly) for the new year on the first day. Usually, We go around visiting our relatives, eating all the goodies and most importantly, receive angbaos (money gifts). But first, let's see what we wore!

.

The Lunar New Year Showdown
El	Christine
This year I initially didn't plan on wearing red because I wasn't supposed to due to some events in my family...I was gunning for a really cool monochrome look but my grandma disapproved so I wore red :p Red is actually one of my favourite colours and that's why I love it when chinese new year comes around. This year is the year of the sheep/goat--aka MY YEAR YAY! To show my love, I'm channeling my free spirit and love for all things sheep in my outfit. I've always wanted to try a midi skirt look and finally I found one in the perfect cream colour and perfect length. Upside of wearing the skirt high-waisted is that it hides my bulging belly after finishing all those yummy goodies.	"I look like an angbao" - I told my mum as I got dressed that morning. It was pretty much OD-ed in red for me but it's CNY so what the heck. So with red the couleur du jour, I kept the other colours simple and neutral; black for the bag and brown for the shoes. Shoutout to the shoes: SUCH SOFT LEATHER, SO COMFORTABLE TO WEAR. LOVE LOVE LOVE!
I actually painted my nails to match my top because I am in love with the cute sheep print! This year I'm pretty basic and simple with what I'm wearing, to the extent that my bags and shoes are the same for the first and second day of new year. Barely any accessories beside my pandora bracelet and a pretty white beaded hairband for decoration. For shoes, I'm wearing an old pair which I also wore here.	Honestly, my Saint Laurent bag was the main attraction that day *laughs* I was saving it since I got back from Italy (posts coming up soon!) to use for CNY so it would be a 'new' bag. That aside, I did not wear any accessories, save for a ring, as the high-neck red blouse was elaborate enough. Love the V-cutouts in the front and back, and the pleather trimmings. I think I have a secret love for all things leather - faux or not.
Eleanor's Outfit Details Top: Cotton On Skirt: Lowrys Farm Shoes: Tracce Bag: Coach	Christine's Outfit Details Top: Warehouse Skirt: Mango Ring: Korea Shoes: Nine West Bag: Saint Laurent

That's it for our first showdown of the year!To everyone celebrating: Gong Xi Fa Cai! Huat ah!
What did you all think of the outfit? Did you have a great chinese new year too?

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

Till next time
Love,
El and Christine xoxo

Back to School! 5 Outfits from Forever 21

Hi everyone!

Here's a continuation of the Back to School outfits ideas, this time featuring Forever 21! I do apologise for the late posting due to some problems with the F21 pictures. Honestly, I was about to give up on using pictures on F21 since all the clothing items has people or parts of people in them. The pictures also show the way F21 styles the clothes which can be distracting. I tried editing those pictures but it didn't work, so I'm stuck with pictures of people in my outfit board. Anyway, let's get on with the post!

#1// For the Girl who wants the Laid back Edgy Vibe

Clockwise from Left to Right: Marled Knit Slit Top; Acid Wash Denim Jeggings; Art Deco Statement Necklace; Metal-Trim Sandals; Chain Link Bangle Set; Sophisticate Faux Leather Tote (Individual images of items are taken from Forever21.com)

 First outfit up is this grey ensemble that would have been too gloomy if not for the metallic elements brightening up the colour scheme. I like this outfit for the edgy vibe it channels, but still comfortable and has this laid back look. Love the grey top but it's probably more suitable for those apple-shaped girls and not those with a big butt like me. That's because the bottom part of the outfit will flare and make your bottom half look bigger if you've got a perky/ big butt. Channel some flair with a interesting design necklace, like the art deco necklace. I picked a pair of metal embellished sandals to go with the whole metallic element in the look, but feel free to sub that with a pair of combat boots.

#2// For those days when you need a dash of cuteness

Clockwise from Left to Right: Metal-Trim Sandals; Two Tone Faux Leather Tote; Layered Feather Pendant Necklace; Elephant Midi Ring Set; Pocket Skater Skirt; Knotted Elephant Print Tee (Individual images of items are taken from Forever21.com)

This one's dedicated for those days when you just need something to brighten up your day. You'd never go wrong with the red/white/blue combination when creating a fun look. A skater skirt is a girl's closet essential, and it's the best when it has pockets like this skirt! Up the playfulness of a red skater skirt with a quirky front tie elephant motif shirt! Elephants remind me of the time when my family called my ears elephant ears cos they jut out, thus elephants hold a special place in my heart. Match the elephant prints with a elephant ring to add on the fun. Plus, it'll make a great conversation starter :) Optional: Accessorise outfit with a layered feather necklace. Grab your book bag and wear a pair of simple cute shoes and you're ready to go! The brown sandals with the gold metal plate help to tie together the outfit making it casual, cute and chic!

#3// For the Minimalist Girl trying out Patterns

Clockwise from Left to Right: Tribal Print Pullover; Two-Toned Penny Loafers; Two Tone Faux Leather Tote; Slim Distressed Boyfriend Jeans (Individual images of items are taken from Forever21.com)

Here's an outfit that is both minimalist and cool. The toned down colour scheme of outfit creates a cool vibe which is further enhanced by the tribal print of the pullover. The outfit is quick to put together for those late days. Look as chill as this outfit for those days when you still want to turn up for class looking like you woke up extra early to prepare when you actually overslept and only managed to comb your hair and brush your teeth. Style your hair into a simple pony tail or braid it loosely to complement the look. 

#4// For the girl who wants to show some attitude

Clockwise from Left to Right: Killin It Crop Top; Woven Plaid Skirt; Faux Stone Ring Set Meow Canvas Tote; Buckled Lace Up Booties; Off-Duty Denim Jacket (Individual images of items are taken from Forever21.com)

This outfit is for girls who just want to be tough sometimes. Everyone needs a boost of encouragement and what better way to encourage yourself than wearing a shirt with a motivational message? "Killin' it all the time" just makes me feel like I'm ready to take on whatever the day may throw at me, so maybe it'll get you hyped up for the day too. Match with a plaid skirt and denim sweatshirt to give yourself a harder edge. The pair of boots with the metal buckle plus the black and gold rings add on to the girlish toughness that I want to emulate in this outfit board. To make your day better, carry a cute bag or tote like this "I Meow You" tote which will definitely brighten up your day should things still turn out less than ideal. We all have got those days where even if we try out best, things don't turn out as hoped for. That's when looking at cute things will help with cheering you and me up.

 #5// For the Glammed up Active Look

Clockwise from Left to Right: Sophisticate Faux Leather Tote;Box Chain Bib Necklace; Perforated Knit Tee; Embroidered Bead Hair Tie; Fresh High Tops; Posh Origami Skirt (Individual images of items are taken from Forever21.com)

Last look is a fun look inspired by the athletic style that has been trending for a while. Go bold by colourblocking bright colours such as lime and blue as seen here! The perforated texture of the shirt and clean sleek cut of the skirt makes the outfit seem a little tennis inspired but still really fashion forward. For accessories, tone down the colours with black coloured jewelry like the black box bib necklace. There's also this pretty beaded hair tie which you can double up as a bracelet in Forever 21 which I find useful. Lastly, finish off the look with a pair of clean white high tops to give the sports vibe!

That's all for the 5 outfits featuring items from Forever 21! I hope this has been useful and stimulating for your brain :) Is F21 your shop of choice for getting your clothes? Which outfit is your favourite? Tell me in the comments section below or tweet me @Chapalanggirls! I would love to hear from you!

Till next time!

Love,

El

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

Chinese New Year OOTDs!

Hey everyone!

First of all, Happy Chinese New Year to all the readers celebrating. May you have a prosperous and fantastic Horse year! 

Secondly, I apologize for the long silence on this blog. I've been terribly busy with all the spring cleaning and preparations for the biggest Chinese festival of the year: Chinese New Year!

If you don't know what Chinese New Year(CNY) is, then here's a very brief introduction. CNY is the time of the year when the new lunar year in the Chinese calendar starts. It is like the Western world's equivalent of Christmas. To celebrate, we deck ourselves in new clothes, cook lots of food and clean the house to prepare to welcome in the good fortune of the new year. People will visit each other and give out red packets with money inside.

This is one of the most stressful period of the year for me as my life gets turned upside down. I get kicked out of the usual room I sleep in for my grandparents, which really messes with usual routine. There's a TON of cleaning to do (from kitchen tiles to crystal lights... and the list goes on). Furthermore, my food intake increases by 200% during new year, thanks to the incredible food my grandmother cooks. Coming from a Hakka+Hainanese family background, my CNY usually involves having a huge table loaded with super yummy  fattening food, such as yam & pork, braised pork with leeks etc. One thing for this year was that my birthday fell on the eve of CNY. On that day, my house is THE place to go for the annual reunion dinner, so my birthday got overlooked in a way. I did get  3 birthday cakes because I celebrated my birthday with different groups of people. Overall, CNY was pretty crazy for me. I've got my pimple breakout to show for the stress I went through.

I did my new year clothes shopping waaaay ahead of CNY (last June) to avoid the hassle of shopping during the peak period. That's probably why you didn't see a CNY outfit shopping post from me. Without any further waiting, here're my outfits! (there're only 2 outfits because I only visited on 2 days)

DAY 1

Outfit- Dress, ~35RM from some shop in JB Citysquare(cheap dress); platform sandals, ~SGD30,Guangzhou; Purse,Hong Kong; Watch, Wired(Hong Kong)

For the first time in a long while, I decided to wear red for CNY. Red is considered to be an auspicious colour, thus I chose red. Personally, I think my figure looks really amazing in this dress because it showed off  my curves that I'm proud of.  This is because of the support wear/corset pants from Black RaRa** that I wore inside. It helped to pack all my excess bulge nicely :)  It was tiring to pull the pants up, but I was comfortable once I was in it (I even fell asleep in it!) So, with my tummy all tucked in nicely, the dress accentuated my waist and curvy body shape, which I liked. I think I looked slimmer and the red really brightened my skin nicely.

**If you're interested in the Black RaRa shapewear, check out their facebook page. I'm wearing the Agent 001 Slender Sally, which cost me $49 at Metro before 20% discount.

I paired the dress with the pair of white platform sandals that I bought in Guangzhou in June last year (yes, I managed to stop myself from wearing these lovely babies all these months). I carried a small purse which I love because of the cute cat prints, colour and sequins on it. It probably didn't match very well with my red dress but whatever. It's CNY and I adore cat prints.

Accessories that I wore: Hearts bangle, Qoo10; Heart Necklace, SK (my 22nd Birthday present); Set of 6 Silver Rings, H&M, $4.72.

I put on some silver accessories which I felt added a glam factor to my outfit. If not, the dress would be really plain. I think this outfit will also make a good Valentine's Day outfit too, considering that it is red and has heart-themed jewelry.

Makeup wise, I didn't do anything too difficult except for the red lips. I put on a light layer of foundation and blush and also used some bronzer. On my eyes, I used some of the neutral eyeshadow colours from my Sleek palette and my Fasio mascara. To complete the look, I drew my eyebrows with my brow pencil. I think it's important to define your brows to really bring the look together. This is especially so if you're going to do bold makeup. I focused mostly on my red lips, which are tricky things to handle. I lined my lips first with NYX's lip pencil (Brick red) and then layered Rimmel's lip lacquer over the pencil. I blotted the lips with a tissue and then used the same lip pencil to shade the outer corners of my lips. I then dabbed some more of Rimmel's lip laquer in the centre of my lips to give some depth to the look.

Left: Sleek Au Naturel Palette; Fasio's Mascaliner; Revlon Colorstay Concealer; Bourjois Blush; Rimmel Natural Bronzer.
Right: Rimmel Show Off Lip Lacquer in Big Bang; Origins Lip Remedy; NYX Lip Pencil in Deep Red. 

The colours that I used in my Sleek palette: Honeycomb-- an amazing base colour because it covers up the pigmentation/darkness on my eyelids; Moss-- contour; Mineral Earth-- used at the outer edge of my eye; Taupe--inner corner highlights. Taupe is a super pretty colour that lights up the inner corners of my eyes subtly.

DAY 2

The second day of CNY involved everyone coming to my place again for lunch. I was planning on going back to bed after everyone had left, so I decided to wear my recently purchased dress from H&M. It's comfy to sleep in yet looks presentable if I go out in it.

Outfit- Jersey Dress, H&M, $9.90; Hat, Hong Kong; Orangle bucket bag, Bangkok, ~$8; Necklace, Qoo10; Rest are the same as outfit 1.

As it turns out, I went to my grandparents' place to play with my little cousin who came from Guangzhou after lunch. I ended up staying overnight because I played some mahjong till quite late... and I slept in the dress too. Haha.

I adore the hat I'm wearing in this photo because it amps up the chic factor of any outfit. It helped to block out some of the sunlight too. For makeup, I just put on the bare minimum of foundation, liquid eyeliner and blush. Not to forget, I also drew my eyebrows because not having defined eyebrows makes me look washed out, thanks to my lighter hair colour. I kept accessories simple to match the simplicity of the outfit, so I only wore my watch and my cheap gold triangle necklace. The total outfit probably costs less than $60(excluding my watch), which is pretty awesome for those of you who are on a budget.

A photo of my hat. I bought this when I went to Hong Kong with Christine a few years back. I can't remember how much it cost me but it's less than $10. Hats are a great way to chic up your outfits.

Well that's all for my CNY post folks! I hope you've had an enjoyable CNY too! Feel free to use my OOTD as reference for your V-day outfits since they're red (red symbolises passion and love). Happy Chinese New Year to all the readers :) :)

Till next time
Love,
El   xoxo

Hong Kong Haul!

Hello everyone!

Here's me back with my post on all the goodies I've got for myself from Hong Kong. If you've not read about my trip to Hong Kong, click here to read it!

Anyway let's quickly move on to the stuff that I've bought in Hong Kong. First up, my T-shirts and tops!

1: Monki, 80 hkd. 2: Some shop in Kwai Fung, 20 hkd. 3: 6ixty-8ight, 168 hkd. 4: Esprit, ~45 hkd after discount. 5: Monki, 80 hkd. 6: Esprit, ~45 hkd aft. discount.

I'm super satisfied with the shirts I've bought this time, especially the shirts from Monki. I love buying shirts from there because the cloth is thin (but not like cheap cloth), feel super smooth against my skin and has really great uni designs on it. Best of all, if you always feel fat just because you're size xl etc, you'll feel happy here because you won't be wearing that size. I wear a size S there for the shirts and can even fit nicely into XS! Haha. So if there's no Monki outlet near you and you happen to be in Hong Kong, go check one of the shops out. You can go to the Monki store at Langham Place which is directly connected to Mongkok MTR as it is the easiest to access. If you're ever in the area of Tsim Sha Tsui, there's a new Monki store there which is bigger (2 floors!) and the interior is really cool. I discovered it on the last day of my trip while wandering the streets in TST area(that's where my guest house was located). It's a new shop so the address hasn't been listed on Monki's site, but it is definitely worth a look.

Anyway, here's a special spotlight on shirt 1. Look at the graphic. Such a cool idea. I now have a cat crawling through the hole of my body. It's like I'm one of those hollows in Bleach with a hollow hole in the body!

On this trip, I finally got a new watch! My mum bought this for me at the usual watch shop she frequents in North Point (it's just opposite the MTR exit). It's from this brand called Wired, which according to the lady, it's by Seiko. The design of the watch face is really unique and pretty. I like how it is girly yet still has that air of sophistication that I think is suitable for ladies in their 20s who are maturing into women. It's quite amazing how fast my heart was charmed by this watch despite having considered getting a watch from Fossil or Marc by Marc Jacobs for months. I walked into the shop and bam! it was the only thing I saw. I've not seen this brand in any watch shop in Singapore yet so I'm very glad I got this when I saw it. The prices of watches in that shop is always cheaper than what is charged for in Singapore, so my mum loves getting a watch from there.

Watch from Wired. The lady at the shop charged me 1000hkd, which is the discounted price for friend. haha.

Next up are the cosmetics and beauty stuff I bought from Hong Kong.
As I've mentioned in my other post, you definitely have to beauty products in Hong Kong. Go to any Watsons, Sa Sa, Colormix and Bonjour there and get mindblown by the array of stuff and the prices.

Box 1

• A spring eyelash curler by SANA that I got from Sa Sa. It was 69 hkd but I used the 10hkd with 50hkd spent voucher from Sa Sa on it, so I got it at 59 hkd. I've not tried it yet though. 
• A 50ml size sample of Clarins' Toning Lotion with Camomile. Price: 38 hkd. I'm waiting for my Vichy Toner to finish so I can put this to the test. 
• A 5ml tube of Clinique's All About Eyes serum which was selling at 48 hkd. It even has a roller ball inside too! Tried this serum for the first time today because my eyes were puffy from lack of sleep and it un-puffed pretty quickly!
• Sinful Colors' Nail Polish in the color Dream On (113) at 19.90 hkd. It's supposed to be matte finish, which I didn't realise until now. I've been wanting to try Sinful Colors' nail polishes for a while now, but I can't find any in Singapore yet. Imagine my excitement when I saw this in Sa Sa. Plus it's super affordable (around 3+ sgd). I grabbed one for myself and another for a friend. I would have grabbed more if I had not bought more nail polishes from Watsons before the trip...It's a little sad that I've to restrict my (quickly growing)nail polish collection.

Box 2

• From Watsons, I bought Fasio's Limited Edition Full Dynamic Eyes Set at 98 hkd. This is a super value set because I saw that the prices for each individual item on the shelf going at around 80 hkd each (I think. It has been a while since I last saw the tag...) The set contains the Full Dynamic Volume Mascara and the Mascaliner. They're both full sized products if I'm not wrong. The Full Dynamic Volume Mascara has your standard big round mascara wand. The Mascaliner is a mascara plus eyeliner in one, if you've not guessed from the name by now. The brush is a comb brush, and at the end of the brush is a tiny nylon tip which is the liner part, enabling you to draw sharp lines (says the box). Anyway, I love the mascaras from Fasio so I look forward to trying them out soon.
• In the skinny box beside is Canmake's Quick Easy Liner. It cost me 46 hkd after the 10hkd discount, making it a really cheap eyeliner. It's a liquid liner with a 1.65mm felt tip. It's pretty small and light, making it easy to carry around. It looks like the ink will finish very quickly though... Anyway, I saw an advert for this at the back of a japanese magazine so I went to get it. The eyeliner felt tip is slightly stiff but easy to draw with. It stays on well but it still smudged on me at the end of the day. I like how it's easy to remove. I guess I like my liquid liner from Dolly Wink better but this is definitely a lot cheaper. 
• The pink pen at the bottom is the Color Brilliant Pencil from Lavshuca. It's in the shade PK-2 and it pencil liner. It's a bright pink colour but not the hot pink that I was hoping for. It was pretty cheap and I got it because I've been wanting to try a liner from Lavshuca for a long time now. It's not that bright on my tan skin though. I think it'll look great when mixed with my purple eyeliner or as a base eye color as well. This kind of pink will always be in for Spring.

Box 3

• Here are my 2 boxes of face masks from this brand called "My Scheme" (this is my bad translation of the chinese name. It's wo de xin ji in chinese). This brand is similar to My Beauty Diary in alot of ways. Both are from Taiwan, paper masks, have cute pictures and most importantly, work well. However this brand is slightly cheaper than My Beauty Diary in Hong Kong. I got these masks at 2 boxes for 80hkd on offer at Colormix, which roughly sums up to 13+sgd for 2 boxes and 6+ sgd for one! That is a total steal, as in Singapore, the price of one box is around 12sgd I think. If you're thinking that the masks are cheap because they're expiring, then you're wrong. They're expiring 2 years from now, by then which they'll have been used up by me already. If you're a fan of My Beauty Diary, Hong Kong sells them cheaply is you aren't going Taiwan. Different shops were selling them at different prices though. Colormix was selling one box for 78 hkd, while Sa Sa was selling 3 for 159hkd(53hkd/box). The Bonjour shop further down the same street was selling a box at 52hkd. Hence my sister got herself 2 boxes of the masks from Bonjour(they weren't expiring soon either). They cost around $14-16 in Singapore so it's worth the while to stock up on masks while in Hong Kong. :)

Here are some random stuff that I got. Ice Breakers' Sours(Love them!) and the Ice Cubes (which are chewing gum) from a supermarket. I like the Sours mints from Ice Breakers, so I was super happy to find them in bigger packaging than in Singapore. I've not seen the Ice Cubes before so I bought 2 for gifting. The bottle in the middle is makeup remover that aims to make itself a Bioderma dupe. Like  Bioderma, it is a micellar solution that claims to remove your makeup and suit sensitive skin. I got it because it's a huge 500ml bottle and it only cost me 68 hkd from Sa Sa. It works pretty well so far. I need to put it to the hard test of removing waterproof lash fibres mascara to check the effectiveness someday...

Socks are from a shop in Kwai Fung, Hairband from Argyle Centre(Mongkok) and the nail tools are from Dragon Centre 5th Floor (Sham Shui Po).

More random stuff. These are the odds and ends that I gathered from the various shops I went to. 2 pairs of socks(the leopard one is so cute!), a fancy red hairband, nail striper brushes in 3 sizes and a nail file. The things I tend to buy while wandering around...

Here's a picture of the Pocky that I bought at the Marketplace because I've not seen them before:

From Left: Mango Mousse Pocky, Rare Cheese Cake flavor Pocky and Green Tea  Mousse Pocky.

These Pocky flavors are not found in Singapore I think, as I've not seen them in any of the NTUC/Cold Storage/Giant here.My sister and I bought one box of each kind to try. So far, I've tried the cheesecake one and it was yummy. Reminded me of biscuits with lemon cream filling.

Now let's welcome a new member to my bag family:

Ta-dah! I bought this at the Aeon Jusco at Tsuen Wan for 189 hkd after discount. It was on sale and I was swept away by the design and bold colours. I've been wanting a new backpack for school (one of my other bagpacks broke after 5 years... :( ) It has 3 compartments and a laptop section so it'll do finely for school. Benefit of having such a bagpack is that I'll always know where my seat is in the sea of uniform tables at the canteen during lunch.

Lastly, I bought a new pair of flats while walking in Wan Chai market. It's from a shop called Union and it was having a sale. I bought mine at 299 hkd I think.

This pair of shoes are leather and has fringe plus tribal design at the toes, making them ultra cool to pair with everyday casual-wear. Fringe is quite trendy too. I love the coral and the softness of the leather (so soft!). I think they're real because they feel and smell like it. I've been wearing them to school and they're really comfy to walk in and absorbs impact quite decently.

Well that's all about my haul from Hong Kong. Personally, with the exception of the watch, I notice my shopping has been quite tame this time round. I didn't spend money on exorbitantly priced items, neither did I buy alot of makeup and skincare compared to my last trip there. I'm a little proud of myself for having not spent so much :) However, not having spent a lot of time shopping doesn't mean the trip was boring though. My family spent more money on eating expensive but mostly yummy dim sum and other food. I can't wait to go to Hong Kong to do more shopping again, preferably during the sale season for their spring/summer clothes!

Till next time.
Love,
El   xoxo

I'VE NOT SHOPPED THIS MUCH SINCE LAST YEAR!

Guys.

Geddit, GEDDIT?? :D 

If you do then...

"Haha, yes, I did it. Puns away. You're welcomed."

But if not...

"Okay, forget it. Just continue reading"

Before I go on,
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!
May 2014 be full of happiness and awesomeness for all of you :D

First post of the year and it's a shopping haul post.
I hope this don't mean anything for the rest of my year.

~~

Last Friday, I met up with one of our (El's and my) mutual friend from high school and we went shopping!!

ALWAYS SAY YES TO RETAIL THERAPY PEOPLE.

(I felt bad only doing shopping just because I know she's not a shopping person. 

Even El (who's in HK now, stay tuned for her post!) asked if our friend was bored just shopping with me. :( )

A rare photo of Hannah and I.
Taken that night at The Long Bar @ Raffles Hotel. The place was very retro.

It was nice talking to her as she is studying in Sydney and hence, we only see her once a year. Even then, we don't really talk. It's more of a watch TV shows and just hang out at Hannah's place kinda thing.
So yes, it's amazing how our friendship survived with just a measly annual meeting that doesn't even involve much interaction.

Anyway, yes, I went shopping and when Christine goes shopping, it's never a good ending for her bank account.

No exception this time round.

~~

Hit the jackpot at these stores.

I think they ran out of TOPSHOP bags. 

I only realised that ALL I bought were bottoms when I started on this post. LOL.

Here are the individual shots!

ALL WERE ON SALE. HURRAY FOR SALE SEASON.

Jeans: Topshop (Motor Baxter Skinny), S$49
Black slouchy shorts: Forever 21, S$10
Denim shorts with embroidered flowers inserts : Forever 21, S$15
Black skirt with green flowers: Warehouse, S$49
Zippy pleather skirt: Pull & Bear, S$29.90
Plaid skirt: Pull & Bear, S$17.90

I'm trying to build up my basic essentials staples.
The jeans and pleather skirt are definitely going on the list.
It's a ever-growing list.

Besides focusing just on plain basics, the little details matter too.
Cue denim shorts and the skater skirt.
So yes, pay attention to the little details.
Even a simple pleather skirt has so many variations to it.
(The zip down front changes so many things)


Got a Spikes & Roses bracelet from Topshop, Freedom too (S$9). It was love at first sight.
Love the contrast between the edgy spikes and the feminine roses. Such a bright colour too.

I will probably put together a lookbook for these soon so look out for it! :)

Till next time.

Love,
Christine xoxo.

Christmas Outfits by El

Hello people!
So who's excited for Christmas? I hope you are! Unless you're like me. I'm actually starting to feel tired of waiting for Christmas, since I got all too excited waaaaaay too early(like in October). I started planning my gift list and singing Christmas carols in the shower in October because I knew my essays and exams will eat into my time later. It's starting to feel like Beckett's Waiting for Godot for me, where everyone just keeps waiting for Godot to appear but he never comes...

Seriously, 2 more days to Christmas and it feels so far away! I'm actually not doing anything special on Christmas day itself(but I do get to go out with friends the next day yay!). But this post is about what I'd wear for Christmas, so let's all pretend that my life is quite happening and I've got some great gathering to go to. I'm gonna show 2 outfits (one casual + one glamorous) that I think would be great outfits to wear for Christmas.

OUTFIT #1-Street style
First up, a more casual outfit that is on a bit of the cool side:

Outfit- Asymmetrical white tank: NA; Dark green skirt: Forever 21; Black buckles boots: taobao, brown sweater: Cotton On, Black bag: NA.

So I decided to have a skirt+boots combination because I like that it gives it a sense of edginess(I think my boots look like what I'd imagine knight boots to look like haha.) For contrast, I chose a white, flowing, asymmetrical blouse which is partially translucent( there's this shimmery translucent section at the side that is reveals my body). Asymmetrical tops also has a good slimming effect because it elongates the body. I thus have a bit of feminine elements to soften the hard edges of my knight boots. I put on 'tough' accessories like my yellow studded bracelet and black triangle earrings to round off the look. 

Yellow studded bracelet: Cotton On, Black triangle earrings:H&M.

In case you were wondering about my brown cardigan, I brought it along because I thought I'd be cold that day. It's one of those long, drape-y cardigans that I think is quite cosy.  I tied the cardigan around my waist to create a relaxed vibe and also to make my legs look more flattering.

Yay Kate Spade Saturday is coming!

As can be seen from the picture above, the cardigan will cover the outer edges of my thighs, giving the illusion that my legs are slimmer than they are. I chose brown because it goes well with the green of my skirt. Overall the look is quite cosy and comfortable. It's suitable for a day out of watching movies with friends or gobbling down cakes at cafes. 

OUTFIT #2-Decked in Lace

For a more glamorous look, one can always trust lace to up the wow level in your outfit.

Outfit- White chiffon top: Dorothy Perkins; Lace see-thru skirt: H&M; Red bag: Korea; Heels: Bata.

This is an ultra feminine look to me. Not only does the blouse has chiffon, it also has crochet details AND sequins. That is one huge amount of feminine details packed into it. The feminine air is further enhanced by the see-thru lace skirt I have on. I seriously adore this skirt for the lace details and the fact that it is see-thru. The lace details are really pretty and the lace skirt veils my legs, giving this air of mystery and-- (may I boldly suggest)-- sensuality to the outfit. The purplish grey colour also softens the look, making this outfit great for a fancy dinner party. I wore my coral red heels and took my red quilted bag for a pop of colour so that I will not look too washed out. I find that I neutrals always need pops of colour to brighten the look or else you'll fade into the background (and nobody wants that). A more comfortable shoe alternative would be a pair of ankle or chelsea boots, which will also create a chic look.

A quick look overall at my outfit. I pinned my hair with my favourite pearl clip that I also wore in my monochrome affair post. I also wore a gold bangle but I did not have a good close-up of it >.<. 

And here's a closeup of my top becaue I think all the lace and sequins deserve a picture on its own! 

Makeup

For makeup, I did a red lip with neutral/burgundy eyes and mascara. Red lips always scream festivity on its own, but is pretty high maintenance. Feel free to go with your favourite red tinted lip balm or lip tints that are more fuss-free.

My bareface! I'm actually pretty happy with my skin now since my pimples are clearing away. 

I actually used burgundy eyeshadow but it just did not show up in the camera. Anyway, it's mostly neutral eye makeup as you do not want to have anything else fighting for attention with those red lips! 

These are the makeup I used:

1. Revlon Colorstay Concealer (03 Light Medium). I use this everyday to cover blemishes. 

2. Shiseido Perfect Refining Foundation SPF 15 (O40 Natural Fair Ochre). Awesome foundation that gives medium coverage even though it's liquid.

3. Bourjois Blush (16 Rose)

4. Essence All About Matt! Fixing Loose Powder

5. Catrice Cosmetics Re-Touch Light-Reflecting Concealer(010 Ivory). I use this to cover my undereye area

6. Benefit Browzings Brow shaping kit (medium)

7. Sleek i-Divine Eye shadow Palette(au Naturel 601). For my eyes, I used the colours Conker to line my eyes and a little Mineral Earth to blend the edges.

8. NARS Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base. This is great as a primer.

9.NYX Single Eyeshadow (Rust)

10. Fasio Hyper-stay Mascara Magne-plus curl long. This has a comb brush with lash fibres that gives me long lashes that do not flake or smudge at all. 

11. NYX Extra Creamy Round Lipstick (Electra)

12. NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil (Pure Gold). I used this as the base colour.

13. NYX Loose Pearl Eyeshadow (Oro). I used this in the middle of my eyelid because it just pops out.

Products that aren't shown:

NYX Slim Lip Pencil (Deep Red). You definitely need to line your lips if you're gonna use red. 

Holika Holika Makeup setting spray. This is pretty good and affordable to use for setting makeup. 

To add an extra oomph to your makeup, add in a pair of false lashes if you're able to. I don't enjoy wearing false lashes so I didn't put on any. You can also swap the red lips with a pink shimmery gloss to add an extra sparkle to your face. 

Well I hope you enjoyed this post! Hopefully it gave you some inkling on what to wear for your Christmas this year! This will be my last post before Christmas so I'm gonna wish you all lovely people a blessed Christmas! Have a great time during this festive season and eat all you want :)

Merry Christmas!

Love,

El   xoxo

P.S If you're wondering about my hair, I permed and coloured it. I'll blog about my experience some other time :)

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