Putting on makeup has always been a childish dream of mine when I was around nine to ten years old. Those glamorous eyeliner flicks and rosy flushed cheeks were what that led to my foray into the world of makeup. On the same note, wearing that war paint has since boosted the confidence of women for decades. Admittedly, I'd embarrassingly agree that I too, once went too far with my makeup. Since the high school-university break made time aplenty for me, the clown in me decided to venture into different styles of makeup. It all started with a decent eyebrow pencil but I somehow found myself with racoon eyes and extremely orangey bronzer. Racoon eyes, oh mine. Now that I remember, Avril Lavigne was my ultimate style icon in my teens. Those pencil straight long hair and heavily rimmed eyes were what I coveted, then. Don't get me wrong, Avril Lavigne is hitherto, gorgeous as ever. It was me. Those old photos of me are just too funny to be kept in my social media. I would never leave home without a full face of 'opera' makeup. The wakeup call was definitely the time when people were commenting how much older I looked than my actual age. Horror story, huh.
I guess every girl would somehow or rather face some faux pas with makeup but hey, that's life. I still love makeup but will always be skeptical when Ann tells me to try on a different makeup style. Simplicity is has since became my inspiration (a little irony going on there, I know). It was not until Ann decided to do a My Sister Does My Makeup video in lieu with the holiday season. The thought of red lips and smokey eyeshadows did seemed daunting at first but I caved into Ann's persuasion. The result was not as scary as I imagined, though. At the end of the day, it's all about experimenting and finding a range of options that suit you isn't it! Happy Holidays, everyone! :)
As much as my longing for cooler days and clearer skies (yes, literally), the much hated haze is here to stay. Technically speaking, we are already heading towards the end of October, which signals winter. Never mind that there are no four seasons in this tiny red dot, but fresh air is what we city dwellers hope for whenever we draw the blinds upon waking in the AM. Shooting outdoors has became burdensome for Ann and I because we are two weak folks *coughs*. This was an impromptu shoot done at home and shot by yours truly. As someone who has been loving the natural light, dabbling with studio strobes can be somewhat daunting at first. The on-site help-out at photoshoots during my internship stint was a great advantage, though. Alas, I should have forayed into studio lightings earlier. Who knew it was so fun and satisfying: you control the light and not the other way round. Single lighting is really engaging and educational for photographers who are tight on budget. Admittedly, I wouldn't brag that I'm a pro at it; we are all constantly learning throughout our lives.
Before I could catch up with time, Autumn has already made its presence known. Not quite in the seasonal sense, but from the abundance of commercial ads on our social media platforms and shopping malls. Truth be told, I am still trying to convince myself that more than half a year of 2015 has passed. Where has the first half of the year gone to? Oh boy, Christmas would be right knocking on the doors before I could even realise.
Alas, the muddleheaded me still managed to put together a Fall Makeup look that would perhaps convince myself that a good portion of the time has passed and serve as a calling for me. Maybe... you could pick up some inspiration too.
If you haven't watched it already, do check it out!
If this (above) rings the bell, you are probably guessing it right. It is a Yoona editorial inspired photograph. Never mind that I took helluva time making tweaks to the colors of this home-shot photo, my trusty laptop has been acting weird these days.
Yoona of Girls Generation (or SNSD) is hitherto, the sweetheart of the media. Ann has been known amongst our friends since young to have a slight resemblance (slight is the keyword here, darling) to Yoona and she finally came around to film a Yoona-inspired makeup tutorial.
The plethora of makeup techniques has evolved dramatically ever since God knows. Slabbing on layers after layers of pasty foundation is no easy feat. but women - in the name of beauty - has came a long way in mastering their war paint. After all, vanity has its cost isn't it!
For the lazy and curious, here is the direct link to Ann's version of her Yoona inspired makeup tutorial.
Hola, blogosphere! As I am wondering in disbelief, here we are into the second week of September. Time really does fly. The scandalous haze is Singapore right now is horrible, and I miss the clear blue skies so much. Why scandalous, you'd ask. Ah hahaha, google Singapore-Indonesia haze and boom, there you go. In such situations, stray animals and wildlife suffer the most. I can't bring myself to imagine how stray dogs and cats have to make do in such harsh conditions when the immunity of man could not even withstand the horrid air quality. Alas, just when you've decided to give your two cents worth on politics, spare a thought on these helpless poor little lives.
Speaking of which, I once overheard how a random someone in a restaurant -who also purported to be a wise and pious- confidently asserted that animals have no souls and thus feel no pain. My mom and I almost had our jaws dropped off, lol.
In other news, these photos were taken almost three to four months ago with Ann's bestie, Molly. It was definitely a good lunch buffet with Molly and my family (why am I talking about food at this unearthly hour). A strong friendship/relationship/kinship isn't forged over material and money. Sincerity triumphs it all.
DRESS ZARA / SHOES HUSH PUPPIES / BRACELET TIFFANY & CO (if you could ever see it, lol)
It's already September! In all honesty, I can't bring myself to pace up with the merciless passing of time this year. Nevertheless, last Saturday was definitely an enjoyable one for Ann and I because we got to see JJ Lin in live! He's a Singaporean Mandopop singer-songwriter, if you don't already know. As fellow Singaporeans, it definitely felt like home to be in JJ's concert. Those familiar tunes and accent surely did made everyone feel good. I love how he's so humble and genuine despite the amount of success he has attained.
Before I get carried away, yes, this is another outfit post that is long overdue. The entrance of September also signals the transition of season from summer to fall. The last couple of weeks have seen cooler days in Singapore. Alas, the unfortunate PSI has skyrocketed in the recent days. No thanks to the haze, though. This shirt dress from Zara got me at hello but the material definitely needs to be soften through a few washes. I guess it's the linen in it that was uncomfortable and warm, at least during Singapore's most humid month.
Ann and I hope to film and shoot more content in the coming months and do stay tune! Do check out our Youtube channel here, or even follow us on Instagram for more daily updates.
Ever had the urge to fish out your cellphone to take a few snaps of the beautifully curated interior of Dior boutiques? Well, that's me. In a perfect world, you could do whatever you want. I guess ethics plays a significant role here, too. Photography is just prohibited on several levels in specific places. Alas, i'm fortunate enough to have the opportunity to photograph (the legit way) the boutique of Dior @ Orchard Ion. It was a rather impromptu one, hence the poor setup for photographing Ann in that oh-so-gorgeous princess dress. On hindsight, I really should have brought a faster lens and a speed light. Anyway on the brighter side, I managed to photograph this mesmerising boutique for the very first and last time before it gets renovated. Thank you Dior @ Ion!
This is part of our Back To School Outfits video that we uploaded a few weeks ago here. When I was in university, a good pair of skinny jeans was a staple for me. I always admire the Fashion faculty students' endurance and unfaltering efforts in dressing up for class every single day. Ann and I always aim to dress like a million bucks on the first day (or maybe week) of school but it never lasts. Admittedly, there were days where I wore really sloppy outfits for classes but always find myself in regret after I step on the glorious school ground (think getting yourself stuck in a lift with those preppy fashion students from the other faculty). Alas, these were my staple go-to-school-fashion list in retrospect:
#1 Skinny Jeans with good cut.
Duh, it's just like rice for Asians. Just kidding but trust me, a good fit equates style.
#2 White crisp Oxford Shirt, preferably oversized.
Truth be told, i've been nagged at by Ann for hogging on too many white shirts. Oh come on, white shirts are so versatile! Or maybe it's me who is gravitating towards the clean and minimalistic style.
#3 Neutral color ballerina pumps/flats.
For those who swear by heels, i'm sorry. Heels aren't made for school, in my opinion.
#4 Sneakers/trainers
Ann and I own quite a few pairs of the above mentioned. Our favourite ones have to be those classic New Balance sneakers, where we have it in maroon and pastel purple. But my ultimate favourite has got to be the black nike trainers I got a year ago. Nothing fancy, but it's so comfortable and pretty! P.s we wore them in a few of our Youtube videos before.
Keeping up with time has always been somewhat daunting for me. It still remains as a miracle to me how I was able to deal with school assignments and their ridiculous deadlines. A good friend once lamented indignantly in the midst of a hectic school week: "one has to worry about getting good grades in school for a span of at least 10-15 years; worry about landing a good job, which then entails other worries such as getting a promotion, pay cut or retrenchment. And the worries never end..." That is not to say working from dawn to dusk is irksome, but life has more in store to offer. Ask any random stranger during the peak hours at the Central Business District what is life and you'll probably be passed off as a loony. Perhaps it's my late grandpa whose abrupt passing has impacted me so significantly. A filial son, loving husband, and a super great father and grandpa, he worked all his life. He didn't have the luxury of time to know what retirement is, or how is it like being free of worries. Lest I'd write a biography-like post of my grandpa, which I did in a really old blog (now defunct), I hope want to focus on the moment of now. The past is powerless, the future remains a mystery, and now is what I want to live in.
These photos were taken a couple of weeks back (I think it was on the 8th of August). Located in a more secluded area of Singapore, Colbar cafe seats humbly in the corner of Wissex road. Dad had to rely heavily on the GPS because we are all East-siders, haha. They serve really authentic and homely food - both western and asian food.
It's the back to school season and damn, that kind of feeling where you have to say goodbye to your holidays isn't great at all. Especially for those who had internships or part-time jobs, you'd somehow feel you haven't rested enough. Well, that was me during my sophomore year last summer holiday. Alas dressing up for the first day of school is one of the main motivation for me. However, the zest to dress well every single day for school just fizzled out after the first week of school. Blame the early mornings and assignments. Ann and I thought it'd be perfect to show you all a few outfits that befits the back-to-school theme. I know it's not as dressy or sophisticated, but hey, we really wanted to keep it as real and practical for every busy school-girl as possible. Again, we compiled four outfits for our Back To School Outfits video on our YouTube channel so do swing by and check it out below!
In the pursuit of chasing your dreams, it's most of the time inevitable that we get swayed by distractions. Expressing my artistic creativity has always been on my bucket list but I never got around to starting a blog a few years earlier. I was never a fan of the academic rat-race and this was probably the driving reason for me to pursue an Honors degree in an arts institution. Contrasting to the stereotypical beliefs, the grass isn't greener in an arts school. One does not party all day nor do drugs and get wasted. In fact, you'd be burning midnight oil if not for a disciplined and organised schedule. There was so little time left for me channel my energy into an online creative platform due to school and external music studies. Group meetings sufficed to take up a huge chunk of your free time. Alas there is nothing to lose from gaining knowledge, isn't it? Staying true to yourself is the best you can ever do to yourself.
And speaking of the former, the above photos are a part of the How To Style White Tops lookbook on our Youtube channel (check that out if you haven't!). The notion of look-good-feel-good has always been the primary source of confidence for humans (especially ladies). Growing up, I've saved a ton of outfits photographed at those fashion weeks. In a perfect world, every one will be dressed like a million bucks on a daily basis. Especially for people like Ann and I living near the equator, motor jackets or even linen are like nearly impossible for us (maybe only on those rare days during December when the rain just won't stop). A pair of comfy jeans with a good cut should always be in the wardrobe, though. It's so easy to dress it up or down. Now that the humidity and temperature have dipped for the past few days, i'm keeping my fingers crossed that this will last for another good couple of weeks!
As much as we girls like to dress up, there are times where we just lack the zest to do it. Especially when the weather is torturous, you'd never feel like layering clothing pieces in this sunny Singapore. A vibrant and breezy dress is the perfect pick for the weekends, just like what Ann is wearing here. To complement the plaid dress, a mustard yellow sling bag was chosen. To be honest, this vintage Mulberry bag don't really suit me because i'm shorter than Ann (jealous, I know). Alas, I can't really complain much about the heat because the lighting was pretty good for a mini natural light fashion shoot. In fact, we've put together a few outfits that we wore for the past week and have already uploaded our OOTWs lookbook video on our YouTube channel.
And don't forget to follow us on our Instagram for more daily updates!
White has always been a favourite color of mine (yes, it is a color to me). I may or may not have stuffed my closet with a ton of white shirts in the recent months. My favorite would be a slightly oversized fit and of course, a light material. The rayon ones from Uniqlo has became my ultimate fave for it's breathable, has a good cut, and easy on the pocket. I personally like rolling up the sleeves slightly below my elbow, as well as leaving the top two or three buttons unbuttoned. Throw on a pair of denim shorts and i'm good to go when i'm in a rush for school.
With my love for the color white, Ann and I did a short video on styling white top on Youtube, so be sure to swing by! The photos below were part of the video and I thought the lush greenery was a nice backdrop to her outfit.
TOP TOPSHOP / SHORTS H&M / BAG COACH / SHOES TOPSHOP / BRACELETS H&M
