Nail Varnish, new release women accesories

Just when I found the perfect winter nail shade (just in case you were wondering, it is the Essie Sole Mate. It is the perfect rich deep dark purple, with just a hint of red!) , spring comes around. Not that I'm complaining, I can't wait for the weather to get warmer and the sun to shine. Although now it means my nail colors will have to change along with it- to get into the spring mode you know. But I am kind of tired of the pale white pinks that I usually favor for warmer weathers. As classic as they are, it does get a bit monotonous after a while. AND it is super hard to apply properly (this might also be due to my lack of nail varnish applications skills- though I'd like to point out that I have no trouble with the darker colors! Odd, I know).
So I started to consider other colors suitable for spring. Flicking through the Essie advertisements (Yes, I have a preference for Essie!) bright pink crossed my mind (left: Secret Stash). As much as I wanted to try something new though, bright pink does seem a bit too much. I AM 21 now. Not quite Barbie. Then I considered pale purple (right: Looking for Love). It is subtle but still quite different from pale pink. But then I quickly rejected the idea- that is just TOO weird. Its just not a color one would relate to nail color! Kind of like how it is odd for people to put pale blue/purple lipstick on their lips!
After much consideration, I finally found the perfect color, Ball-timore (left). It is the perfect coral pink, with the sharpness of a super bright pink but toned down by orange/coral tones. I simply LOVE LOVE LOVE it. It is youthful and fun with a hint of sophistication. The other color I bought is Hard to Get (right). A more intense version of my usual pale pink hues, I thought this would just be fun and girly to play around with.I also wanted to get a nude color, like this (above: bags to riches). This one is the definition of sophistication and simplicity. But alas, it was getting rather expensive (they hiked the price up in the place I usually go to!!!).

Image Source: Essie

Beauteen DIY hair dye | Women Accesories

Sometime last year I spent RM600 on my hair which includes some curls and highlights.
Spent them at Peekaboo TheCurve. However, I wasn't very happy with that money spent because the waves doesn't last long.....my hair almost went straight in couple of months. Plus, the highlights wasn't visible either....You can only see them when I'm under the hot sun. I really wanted to color my hair then but was advised to only highlight them by the stylist.

So being unsatisfied with my hair color, I later bought 2 boxes of Beauteen DIY hair dye to do them at home. It took me quite sometime to finally do it as I was unsure of the outcome and the last time i dye my own hair was at least 10 years ago. It was a bold step but Chinese New Year was around the corner and I decided one day when my baby was over at moms that Its now or never!!!!

Surprisingly, The experience was very pleasant. Unlike how I remembered hair dye was in the past, Beauteen smelled pleasant! It doesn't emit smelly acidic ammonia smell......In fact, it smelled nice. The steps was easy, everything was provided inside the box such as gloves, bleach mix, bottle, nozzle comb, conditioner. Instructions was clear in english as well as Japanese(Beauteen is a Japanese brand by Hoyu).

In the end of the day, the color turned out great! Plus, it doesn't make my hair overly dry. Amazingly it made my hair feel soft. Although my hair does become dryer than usual after a couple of days. It is important to maintain by putting lots of conditioner especially at the tips.
I'm very pleased with the outcome and I would definately recommend it. I can't remember the exact price but i think it was around RM22 at Guardian pharmacy.

Sampling Mascaras by Shiseido Maquillage

If you have read my recent post in the Jane blog, then you'll know that I'm desperate for a new tube of mascara. I've got this habit: after I finish a product, I usually don't buy the same product. I either buy a (magazine or Makeup Alley) -recommended product, or try out new products on the market because you never know if there are better ones out there. So when BG and I were shopping yesterday, I tried out two mascaras which are quite new.

The first mascara was one by Shiseido Maquillage. I can't remember the exact name of the mascara and the official site is in Japanese so this is just from what the saleslady told us. The mascara had one one of those flat combs and it had a waterproof formula. It was supposedly a light, volume-enhancing mascara, although when pushed further, the saleslady also claimed that it was supposed to legnthen your lashes. She quickly curled my lashes and tried some on my lashes. The result? My lashes sort of clumped together and I looked like I had half the lashes I actaully had. Plus, they looked barely legnthened and only a bit volume-ised. I removed the mascara immediately and moved on.

The second mascara was the Projectionist by Estee Lauder, which I've been meaning to try out for awhile. I had my reservations because it was not available waterproof, but the 'High Definition Volume Mascara' ad looked so tempting so I had to give it a try. The saleslady curled my lashes, put on many coats of mascara base, and then many many coats of the Projectionist. She put on so many coats of mascara that my eyes literally teared up.

The result was kind of weird. It was obviously a good mascara as it did a decent job at lengthening and adding volume (I have high standards). And like the ad said, it certainly added 'drama' to my lashes -they looked very unnatural and coated up (thanks to the saleslady.) BG thought my lashes looked weird. I was unsure about the effects and it being non-waterproof so the saleslady said I should wait for a few hours. When I got home about two hours later, a tiny bit of mascara seemed to have already smudged around the outer bottom eyeline very slightly. So I guess that's a no.

The conclusion? Since I'm such a risk averse girl and practically every mascara smudges on me, it seems like I'm destined to stick with good-old-totally-waterproof Lancome. Oh well, I might as well try out the ever popular Defincils. What is your take on waterproof/ non-waterproof mascaras? Pls recommend me a dramatic, waterproof, smudge-free mascara if you know any!

Gift For Happy Mother Day

Its Mother's Day again! Each year I both love and dread buying the gift, because I know its my time to show her I love her and yet nothing is ever good enough (nothing that I can afford anyway). So here is my brainstorm of ideas this year for a gift:

Flowers. I know. How generic. But honestly I've never done this before and really, what females don't like recieving flowers? This is a especially nice gesture if you are living abroad from home, as it makes recieving flowers from you even more special since its THERE. My friend does this every year and her mom still loves it. I am especially loving tulips as its colorful, pretty and refreshing.
Something a bit more personal and sentimental, I love the idea of an album especially made for your mom, its so meaningful! Even a small keychain with a picture of you and your mom would be cute. I can totally imagine my mom using a keychain like this- kind of like when parents keep pictures of their kids in their wallets- now they can have it on their keychain. Shutterfly is just awesome.

A little more practical, I thought of getting beauty stuff. Since I'll never know what the right eye shadow color (I'm not sure my mom uses eye shadows...) or lipstick is, body lotion and sunscreen is a safe bet that is also very useful. Everyone needs to keep their skin moisturized and protected. My mom is partial to the Lancome Treson collection. And this new Lancome facial sunscreen looks like a good one, I tried the older versions and thought they were quite ok.

And onto the subject of beauty, nail varnishes isn't a bad idea either. You can't go THAT wrong, especially if you go with fairly nuetral pinkish colors that are both subtle and very this spring/summery, like this pink one from OPI called Malaysian Mist. Oh and don't forget to get the base/top coat for a complete set. OPI has this great Start to Finish bottle (left) that is both a base AND a top coat! Even better, get you and your mom a manicure(and/or pedicure) treatment at a salon for a mother and daughter bonding session!
Speaking of bonding, what better way to spend more time together than to watch movies with comedy, romance and a focus on mother-daughter relationships? I especially loved Because I Said So, Diane Keaton and Mandy Moore were sooo great. And if you have more time, then you must go for a marathon with our favourite tv mother and daughter- the Gilmore Girls! There'd be SO much to discuss afterwards too!

But that is not quite my mom, because she doesn't watch these kind of shows. So in the end, I got her earrings. One looking similar to the drop ones above from Sheila Fajl (left), except mine were pearl drops. And another pair of hoops from Ralph by Ralph Lauren similar to the one above (right) also by Ralph by RL. I actually have the exact same pair, and since she's always been saying how it suits her face more, I decided to get her one too!

So that sit for my ideas this year. But really, gift ideas for Mother's day never goes old. So if this is still not quite what you're looking for, check out our last two Mother's Day posts for more inspiration, here and here!

Photo Credits: Amazon.com, Nordstrom, OPI and Shutterfly.

Unique Fashion - Recycling Bags

If you are looking to get into recycling bags, here are a two to consider:

The Anya Hindmarch environmental bag. I love the simple yet cute design of the bag. It almost does not look like an environmental bag! For $10, I really want one, it definitely looks better than a bunch of plastic bags for one thing. But alas, it is currently sold out. Hopefully they will restock soon!

Silver - wear It

I like simple things, you may have noticed, and when it comes to jewelry I believe simplicity rules all. And while I do like a bit of gaudiness (that post will come later), I am mostly a strong believer in things that are simple - and silver.



The other day I went into George Jensen just to look (with my jaw on the ground). Their items have always caught my eye, they're just very elegant - there is no other way to put it. You can opt to wear their pieces for everyday, or as a focal point for an outfit. The brooch above is beautiful, it has a sense of both old and new.



The setting of the ring above was one of the first I had seen, it came out around two years ago. After George Jensen came out with this design, Tiffany's was quick to follow (but in my opinion not nearly as unique as Jensen's).

Women Accesories - Vuitton Clutches

The other day, my mom surprised me with a Vuitton clutch. She exclaimed over the phone, about how pretty it was, with gold trimming and a little wristlet thing. I was excited because I love clutches and she made it sound gorgeous. I was a bit skeptical though when I found out that it was white with multicolored prints all over it. But then she said that the color was just what I needed to go with all my very dark colored clothes. Mom's know best, right?
My first reaction upon seeing this picture was.......oh no. It seems that no matter how they package the white canvas with the multicolored logos they will always appear somewhat tacky and fake to me. It must be because the one and only fake Vuitton I ever bought was also of this print and thus I shall always associate it with being fake. The mutlicolor logo also looks... toy like. Adding the gold trimming to this combination just didn't help.

I do LOVE the shape and design of the clutch though. It's just so cute and perfectly sized. I don't understand why they would not produce this in any other pattern! Maybe it is some marketing plot by the masterminds at LVMH to make consumers buy this clutch anyway because of the style and then hope that the pattern will grow on them!
I would much prefer a Vuitton clutch like these Vernis clutches. They are colorful yet sophisticated and tasteful. They even have straps to transform it into a shoulder bag! Classic and versatile. I wouldn't mind the red or the purple!

But alas, the prices of these clutch aren't exactly the same (the Vernis is more expensive!). Maybe the white canvas multicolor logo print would grow on me..........what do you reckon?

Women Accesories - Design a Coach Tote

Over at Coach, they are having a design a Coach tote competition where the winner gets their tote made and win a shopping spree of $2500 along with many other Coach goodies. Talk about a great opportunity!
These two designs are currently ranked the top two. Personally, I think it's been rigged. Because I don't see the appeal. The Penguin design, Born with Style, is cute and I like how they put the Coach C's. But the penguin print just seems kind of random. It's not exactly what I'd say very cutesy, but at the same time it is definitely not serious. It's just somewhere in the middle. And the purple bag, Hot Pink Summer... I think it's fairly obvious why I wouldn't be caught wearing that.
I admit, I didn't personally go through all 3279 entries, but here are a few of my personal favourites. You can never go wrong with black and white, and I think these two, Classic B&W and Skyline Inverted, are no exception. They are both classic and chic. Obviously I have very consistent taste since both are really similar, but the black and the white and the bow just goes so well together! The one with the silhouette of the Coach is more distinct, but then the city skyline, while a bit too bunched together, appeals to my city girl side.
Of course, it is not lost on me that they're looking for a 'truly inspired and unique' design and even I know that those are not. Other bags that caught my eye were these two, Chic in Pink and Falling Leaves. I love the pink stripes and the color combination, it is all very sharp and bold. Falling Leaves on the other hand is simple and subtle. But then doesn't both of these remind you a bit of Anya Hindmarch designs? No?
I also rather like these two here, Munchkin and Swirl Pattern. They are both just so.... pretty! With their quiet and feminine color palette and elegant design, I'd definitely consider wearing these two.
And that is high compliment indeed, because designing a tote is not just about splattering on a pretty designs. Witness these two here Dark and Coach with a Twist.The designs by itself are really quite pretty.But in reality, it doesn't really translate well. The fading silver is a good concept in 2D, but in 3D I think it'll be a bit too much. And while the swirly idea is good and simple, I just don't it'll look really classy in real life.This is why this Classic Black and White is my absolute favourite. Fine it is not exactly that far off from the first two I posted, but I think the huge sunflower print over the subtle Coach prints and the 'Coach' squiggle makes all the difference. It is different, unique and yet still very Coach. And I'd definitely wear it! Pink Lilies is also not bad. On first glance, it looks like just another bag with a pretty print. But then the designer has cleverly put in the Coach element on the butterfly and I think that's really cool.
Then there are the super cutesy totes. Clearly these are meant to be cutesy. But there is a fine line between looking cheap and cutesy. But I think these two designers have achieved the right balance. The Juicy and the Bunny tote are just adorable. The first one is completely unique, with the bold graphic print of the cartoon, but the over cutesiness is countered by the subtle Coach prints in the background, which is very neat. The bunny cartoon on the other hand is just the perfect compliment to the Coach print. The silhouettes is simple and not very colorful, so it is not over the top. And yet it is still very cute. Juicy is a little too bold for me, but I'd definitely carry the Bunny. It's cute without being too immature and kidlike (at least not matched with the classic print!).

I must say, I'm very impressed with the selection. What computer program did everyone use to create these really real looking bags? (seriously, they look like photographs!). Which ones did everyone else liked best?

The competition is now closed, but you can still support your favourite design by voting for them on the site (I think you have to sign up for Brickfish though...)

Women Accessories - Fancy Tights

Ever since I saw these stockings on the Chanel FW08 runway, I knew I wanted them.
They are refreshing, fun and elegant. I especially love the black stripe at the back- it is super slimming!
Luckily for me, this trend finally made it to high street. Urban Outfitters have almost the same contrasting colored ones (left: and it's not true what they say on the website about it being online only. I just got mine from the store today!). They are also just simple enough that you can wear it with almost anything.

Urban Outfitters also offer a bit of variation with the bold black/gray stripes (right), which are still cool and slimming. But since this one is so much more striking than the other one, I'd be much more careful matching this one because these ARE the statement. If you want something even subtler, I'd go with these stockings with a seam at the back. It is almost like regular stockings but with an interesting twist at the back that is both sexy and slimming (a very important attribute), what more can you want?
I'd always thought that lace was slutty, but HG turned me around and now I"m a convert (or maybe I'd just confused them with fishnets?). It adds just the right subtle touch of girliness to an outfit (and it is very popular amongst the models this season). This mini diamond printed tights (right) gives a similar textured effect in a less girly way. Just remember not to choose any print too densely populated or wide (like wide diamond prints or plaids!), because they'd just make your legs look uneccesarily wide.
And also, not fishnet footless stockings or v print red ones (above), please. They are just tacky tacky tacky. But otherwise, have fun with this trend. I know I will.

The Knees - my lovely colection

I'm in love.

Loeffler Randall captured my heart early last year when I saw a sunshine yellow ruffled bikini. This Fall she has me tied around her finger with her seemingly simple looks, but plays with my emotions with her excruciatingly incredible detail. Yes, her designs are so absolutely amazing that it hurts.

I don't know what to do with myself. Look at how immaculate everything is. And this dress below, Loeffler, you had me at the pleats (and then she added ruffles).

Who knew something as ordinary as black and white could result in the above.
...and then there are her shoes.

All I can do is lust after these treasures, as my paycheck will probably let me buy around... perhaps a sleeve of that pink dress (not even). So I turned to Etsy, my online heaven of everything crafty and creative, and found this lovely little designer, LEMONSTORY by Kimenna. Pleats and ruffles, ruffles and pleats all over again - at a more affordable price. My heart is hurting, but my love endures.

Women Accessories

How utterly exciting is all of that? Put together with a blazer or even a t-shirt would make you look (and probably feel) fabulous. A tad late but - Luella had, by far and in my opinion, the best accessories that I spotted on the runway!