wearin' hansel

I was never a huge fan of pastel-y nail colours...
but when I saw this gorge creamy periwinkle, I just knew I needed it in my 'collection'.
Boho Blues is one of the 12 new shades from from China Glaze's 2015 Road Trip collection.

It's a mixture of light pastels and brights with a hint of shimmers.
there's some pretty awesome colours perfect for spring/summer...
It's out now, so go check'em out!

how to legit-ly 'break the internet'.

someone in Valentino's marketing department is getting a big raise.

It's a good day to be a women.

Happy International Women's Day to all my ladies!!

NAILS INC. x VVB

It's rare for VVB to do much collaboration with any company so when I heard about this nail polish duo,
i can hardly wait to get my hands on them!
The duo (sold separately) consist of
Bamboo White (a white nude cream shade) and Judo Red (red orange cream shade.)
Currently available at here.

Max Mara F/W15

You can't go wrong referencing Marilyn circa 1960s.

blush-orgasm.

I'm not even sure if it's possible to have blush-orgasm.
but these NARS Dual Intensity Blush are lookin' shexy!
Then again, from a company who's famous for their blushes...
would you expect anything less?
These babies can supposedly be applied both wet and dry,
but considering most of these colours are a tad on the vivid side,
applying wet will probably be "too much" and turn out "blotchy".
It comes in 6 duos; Frenzy, Jubilation, Craving, Fervor, Panic and Adoration.
Although at a glance, Panic (Bright Pink/Rusty Coral) would seem to be the least forgiving of the duos, it came out as my fave!
Which is your favourite?

"Fashion is what you’re offered four times a year by designers. And style is what you choose." - Lauren Hutton

sweater: lanvin // lipstick: l'oréal collection star by blake (which I mentioned here.)

 An oldie but a goodie of mine from lanvin.
Oversized sequin embroidery...
such extremely loud decors on such a simple and comfy sweater.
It's not a new piece from their F/W14 or S/S15 collection, 

in fact, If I can remember correctly, it was from their F/W13 collection.
But then again, it's one of those piece that just kinda get stuck in my head,

and then every winter season,
I get hit with the urge to slap it on with a nice pair of jeans as a "lazy-day outfit".

a trip down memory lane.

I've never really talked about my childhood much, but part of it was spent in the bakery of a small family-owned grocery store.
I still remember the first thing that I was asked to do on my first day was to chop strawberries.
I ended up working there for a few years and trust me,
to this day, I'm still able to use things I've learned back from when I was still a "baker".
Feeling a bit nostalgic today, so I made some pastry turnovers with nutella (who DOESN'T love nutella?) and fresh strawberries served with rocky road ice-cream!
I really don't mean to compliment myself,
but I think I was briefly in desserts heaven.

honey, i washed my face.

Whether it's gel or foam, I've always used facial cleanser formulated especially for acne prone skin,
but for the past weeks, due to work I've had to wear a lot of make-up for a long period of time.
It was obvious it has taken it's toll on my skin, so I thought I'd try switching my facial cleanser to something a little more mild.
I picked up the Rêve de Miel Facial Cleansing and Make-Up Removing Gel a couple weeks ago while shopping with a friend because it was on a whopping 66% off!
I gotta say, at first I was concern that because it was 'mild', its cleansing ability will be too 'subtle'.
But, i was pleasantly surprised by how clean it left my skin after washing!
Not only did it not leave my face red, but my skin was soft and not tight AT ALL.
A lot of other users were complaining about the scent, but I kinda like it.
Overall, I would recommend this product to people with dry or sensitive skin who constantly have the problem of having a bright red face after washing every time.

THAT dress.

I know it's so last week...
but I STILL can't get over the Versace piece of art that Gigi Hadid had on
at the Vanity Fair's 2015 Oscar's Party.
I mean c'mon... that body, that dress. 'Nuff said.
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-
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While, we're on the note of evening gowns,
it was pretty obvious what the trend is here.

yes...for blake.

Picked up L'Oréal's Collection Star by Blake the other day while I was at the drugstore.
And yes, I only did it 'cause it's got Blake's name on it haha.
Personally,
I thought it was a very good dupe of M.A.C's Ruby Woo (a personal fave, also my go-to red lipstick!).
It's one of those classic red which in my opinion, looks good on any complexion.

SO SORRY!

I've been SO incredibly busy in the last 5-6 days with modelling work!
I honestly, could not squeeze out any time for an update!
Work is done, and all I can think of is my bed...
I'll be back tomorrow with updates!!

xoxo~

the academy awards 2015.

Some Oscar faves.

P.S- i was totally rooting for Amy Elliott-Dunne (Rosamund Pike)!

re-re-repurchase.

It's really rare that I would ever use a single skincare product for more than a year,
not to say repurchase it multiple times... but this baby was an exception.

I've been using this for a awhile now but only as a body oil... until recently.

I'm not sure if it's because of all the sudden temperature change or what,
but the skin on my face have been so sensitive and dry
to the point where after washing my face every day and night, it felt "stingy".

Then one day, I was hit with the idea to use the Bio Oil on my face.
I thought massaging it alone into my face might take too long for it to absorb,

so instead of using it alone, i just added a drop or two into my moisturizer.
The outcome was phenomenal.

After just using it for 2-3 days, my super sensitive skin have not only calmed down,
but my skin became so soft, 'plumped' and smooth!!
According to their own introduction,
"Bio‑Oil is a specialist moisturizing oil that helps improve the appearance of scars, stretch marks, uneven skin tone, aging and dehydrated skin. The Bio‑Oil formulation is a combination of plant extracts and vitamins suspended in an oil base. It contains the breakthrough ingredient PurCellin Oil, which changes the formulation’s overall consistency, making it light and non-greasy."
It comes in two sizes, a 60mL and a 125mL.

I have both cos I like to keep a smaller one for my travels
and the bigger one at home for everyday use.
If you guys want to check it out, Bio-Oil is available at most drugstore in most countries.

MJ Beauts.

Lovin' the make-up at the Marc Jacobs F/W 2015 show.
Make me wanna go out and buy a muted taupe-y gray shadow NOW.

white, ivory, cream... love.

It have became obvious in the last month or so that I'm compulsively obsessive with white/off-white.
I love how a slightly different shade can give off such different impressions and feelings.

happy chinese new year!

 Those of you who doesn't live in asia probably don't know how big of a deal chinese new year is.
Businesses in china basically shuts down for 3 consecutive weeks!

Although i grew up in Toronto, my family kept it clear that it's still important to keep some traditions.
every year since I've been living alone in Hong Kong, my family would send me this huge pot of gorgeous orchids along with some new year food.
This year, i was able to pick out my own orchids,
as I was with my aunt when she went to a orchid farm to order.
I just love the multi-colour ones!!!

One of my all time favourite would be the XO Sauce Radish Cake with Chinese Ham from the brand DaShiJie.
There's tons of brands that comes out with similar products,
but the taste of this one really stood out of the rest.
So yum!!

I'll wish everyone here a healthy and prosperous year of the sheep!

the little details in life.

had a little 'me time' this morning to do a little reading.

i'm so ready for you, chinese new year.

Went past francfranc a couple of weeks ago and realized they were having a "little" 50% off sale!
and of course being the francfranc-fanatic that I am, i couldn't resist myself...
Picked up a bunch stuff but haven't had time to unpack them till today...
it's like revisiting a shopping day!!

For those of you who's not familiar with the store francfranc
(that surprisingly includes a handful of my friends!),
it's actually a japanese home furnishing store filled with products that are designed with a "simple&stylish" concept.
unfortunately, they do not offer online shopping,

but as of 2014, they do have stores in Japan, Hong Kong, Korea and Singapore...
so if any of you are ever in town for a visit, be sure to check them out for some pretty neat home furnishing items!

new face for the new year. (no, i don't mean plastic surgeries!)

Last week I received two gifts!
I haven't had a chance to tried them out yet, but will be back for an update once i do!

1. VERSO SKINCARE, Dark Spot Fix
There are some old acne scars on my face which I've pretty much given up on getting rid of,
but reading online reviews for this product, it seems as though there can be hope again!
Can't wait to try it!

2. CLARK'S BOTANICALS, Skin-Clearing Face & Body Wash
Winters in Hong Kong are short, so with spring/summer around the corner,
it's important to get your body-skincare-game back on!

in memory of my lighter locks.

wearing: jumper//valentino, hat//h&m

I'll miss this ombré... but I've made up my mind to switch up my hairstyle!
To be continued...

Valentines.

 

happy lurve day.

new fan right here.

I was never a Lush kinda girl...
meaning even though I would smell the store 50 feet away, I would just walk pass it without going in.
But last week, I had the sudden urge to take a bubble bath, so I went in to check out what they had.
Their Valentine's Day collection was TO DIE FOR.
I am OFFICIALLY a Lush fan!
I went a little crazy and actually bought a handful of stuff,
but I gave some of them away as Valentines gift and what you see above are the ones I saved for myself.
I also didn't take them out of their individual packaging for the little photo-opt,
because I literally JUST wiped down my table and I was too lazy to clean off their 'crumbs' again.

But in case you guys are interested, here's a list of what I got:

Unicorn Horn (Valentine's Day Collection)

Smells like: Lavender, ylang ylang and neroli

Smells DIVINE!! Considering there was only 2 left when I went into the store, that's pretty much a sign of how popular it is.

Floating Flower (Valentine's Day Collection)
Smells like: Jasmine
Jasmine is one of my all time favourite scent for ANYTHING, 

and I think this was actually the ONLY item that had jasmine as it's main scent.

I find the scent to be a bit stronger than the other bath bombs,
so i would recommend that you use it in smaller 'dosage' than than the other bombs!

Butterball
Smells like: Vanilla

Just by looking at the name alone, it's obvious this baby is some sort of a cure for dry skin.

It's got a very mild scent to it, so if you're looking for something that will take your sense of smell out of this world, this might not be the item for you!

Dragon's Egg

Smells like: Sherbet-y citrus scent of lemon and bergamot

Words can't possibly describe what this smells like, but it's absolutely AMAZING.

Don't know if it's just me or what, but I think I'm kinda addicted to its scent!

Dreamtime
Smells like: Jasmine, lavender, chamomile and sandalwood

Its description online claims to be a "luxuriously creamy, sleep-inducing herbal bath melt"...

and trust me, for someone who's regularly having sleeping problem, this works like magic.

Big Blue

Smells like: Lavender&lemon with seasalt and Arame seaweed added
This one seriously makes me wanna go on a vacay asap..... like now.

Sunny Side
Smells like: Orange, tangerine and lemon
MAD SPARKLES + tangerine oil... need I say more?

first good drugstore find of the year.

As i was cleaning up my make-up collection at home the other day,

i realized i don't actually have enough blushes (by enough, i mean too many.)

So what do i do? I go shopping!

Before heading to the make-up counters in department stores,

i thought i'd stop by sasa supreme (a cosmetics/make-up specialty store that includes both 'drugstore brands' AND with 'high-end brands'!) to see if they had anything cheaper to offer.

To my surprise, i actually found something good...Bourjois's Little Round Pot Blushes!

I picked up the colour #34 Rose D'or and i gotta say, i'm pleasantly surprised at the quality of it.
Not only was it pigmented, it was also very blendable.
I loved how there was gold "shimmers" in it which gives off a glow.
I know a lot of you might get totally turned off when you hear shimmers in blushes,

but trust me, the gold in this baby is very subtle. So, no shiny and oily cheeks!

If you're looking to pick up a reasonably priced blush, you can give these a try.
In fact, I might just head back to pick up a few more colours.

being healthy can be very fashionably chic... get fit, gear fit

Picked up a little Valentine's day present for myself today!
Yes, I know the Samsung GearFit not a new product (it was actually released back in April 2014!),
but considering it's the first present I got myself this year that isn't:
1) a ridiculously overpriced piece of garment that i add to my closet or,

2) a ridiculously overpriced stash of cosmetic/make-up that i slap on my face everyday,
I'd say it's a 'self-disciplinary improvement'!
I've been doing research about exercises,
and found the need to actually own a pedometer and a heart rate meter.
For example,
did you know the first 15-30 minutes of exercises doesn't really help you burn calories?!
Or the fact that unless you get your heart rate up to a certain level, you don't actually 'burn any fat'?!

Buy a sports watch-- checked...
Now I just got to make sure I drag my ass to the gym everyday!

new year's read.

so i popped by PageOne at the end of last month only to realize they were having a mega sale.
so i couldn't help but picked up a few new reads for the new year.
2015 Resolution #9: read more. lol.


top to bottom:

1. Pretty Honest: The Straight-Talking Beauty Companion, Sali Hughes
I've been a fan of both Sali's beauty blog AND her beauty vlog for quite some time now,
so when i found out she was coming out with a book, i was ecstatic.
Whether it's prepping to be in front of the camera, out for a GNO (girl's night out),
or even just a casual brunch on a lazy sunday, Sali's got you covered on the do's and don'ts.
Everything you need to know from skincare to make-up, all in one place.Overall, "a witty, wise and truthful beauty handbook for real women on what works in real life from Sali Hughes, beloved journalist and broadcaster."

2. Berlin Street Style, Angelika Taschen
I've always been fascinated by Berlin street style,
and to be honest, i find it incredibly underrated.
While "Parisians may covet a Hermes bag, a Chanel little black dress or chic ballet flats,

Berliners don military parkas, sneakers and jeans,"
which to my own amazement, sounds like my typical work day ootd.
If you're looking for "advice on how to achieve the appealingly disheveled Berlin look with vintage pieces, stylish basics and carefully selected accessories," give this book a try.
"Taschen also recommends the top destinations for fashion, beauty, design and culture in the city," along with "a list that includes the most popular places, as well as hidden and up-and-coming spots around the city."

3. I Want to be Her!: How Friends and Strangers Helped Shape My Style, Andrea Linett
"Linett's personal story of growing up and finding her way to fashion and the women who were, sometimes unknowingly, guides along the way. The book will look back at the women who have influenced Andrea's personal style for the past 40 years. Through description and memory Andrea introduces us to fifty women across 5 eras, some were passing strangers, some casual friends, some close confidants, who made a lasting impression and helped her form her own personal style."
It was interesting to read about someone else's fashionable 'inspirations' growing up while thinking about my own.


These aren't 'new releases',
but if you're looking for some new reading materials to kick off your 2015,
you can give these a try!

back from hiatus!

hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season...
and of course, happy new year! <3
2015 Resolution #10: blog regularly, lol... and hopefully start vlogging  ;)