DECEMBER

Keeping track with time isn't my forte nor my cup of tea. I never liked the idea of birthdays or countdowns to a new year. In case you get me wrong, I do like new beginnings. The lunar new year is one of those big festivities that I look forward too. Perhaps growing up pain can take the brunt of blame for the lack of enthusiasm for keeping up with time. Just when your very average and typical girl anticipates an upcoming festive season, she'd be bombarded with a litany of interrogations. How are your grades like? Oh-em-gee, you mean you didn't top your cohort... I'm sorry to hear that; my son did better than you. Et cetera...

Albeit the daunting grilling from the relatives, the celebratory mood fortunately, does not get dampened by them. It took me a while to come to a revelation that it is not the big day itself that I enjoy most but the process of preparing for a festive occasion. The hustle and bustle of moms and grandmas scurrying through markets (and supermarkets) to hunt for perishables; the laughters and chatters; and the moment when loved ones come together are the quintessentials of festivities.

Here we are into the second day of January 2016. P.s: I punched in the numerical of the year 2014 by accident. Where did 2015 gone to? This question has hitherto been stuck at the back of my head since last September. It was Christmas a couple of days ago, isn't it? Where are the Christmas songs? Oh, the world just ushered in 2016 less than 24 hours ago. Anyways, Boxing Day was definitely a rather productive one because Ann and I got to create another mini lookbook. Roaming through the streets of the Central Business District area on a public holiday is somewhat refreshing. We only managed to get a few shots right before the merciless thunderstorm made its presence. Nevertheless, Happy New Year folks!

xx Rose

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HOLIDAY MAKEUP

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! :) 

xx Rose

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ONE LIGHT.

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.

xx Rose

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EVERYDAY MAKEUP (FALL EDITION) + LOOKBOOK

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!

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YOONA MAKEUP TUTORIAL

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.

X ROSE 

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HAPPY DAYS

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. 

Have a happy mid week!

xx Rose 

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HELLO, SEPTEMBER

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. 

xx Rose 

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