Wednesday, December 29, 2010

The Art of Balance

Love the balance of neutral colours and bright shots of colour, as well as the great use of space on the walls for paintings, etc. Never overwhelming or too much. The mix of retro and modern elements are great as well ;)





This designer definitely understands the delicate art of balance...

And how Chanel-esque is the kitchen below? To die for!

(Images via desiretoinspire.net - this is my interior design bible. You need to check it out!)

P.S. My phone interview went well!! Crossing my fingers that I get through to the final round!! I really want/need this training programme! xxx

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Favourite Holiday Activity


.... studying.... NNAAHHTT! :P

Ugh, can't WAIT till these little nuisances of law exams are done and over with on Jan 6!! My sinus infection sure isn't helping either... is it possible to be infected for almost a full month? Meh. Wish me luck people! xxx (p.s. I have no life)

Friday, December 24, 2010

Merry Christmas!


No, this is not my house/ apartment. Credit goes to Google Images, lol. Thanks Google! No doubt this is someone's actual home and I apologise if the home owner is reading this (though chances are very very slim, considering I don't have THAT many followers. Though I'm completely grateful for all of you who do follow me!! Thanks!!). ANYWAY Merry Christmas!!



On another note, I attempted to bake some: 1) cinnamon sugar cookies, and 2) butter cookies with vanilla icing and sprinkles!! Check them out:


Due to my poor judgment (I gave the cookies too little space in between each other!), the cinnamon sugar cookies expanded so much that they all merged to form one giant weird cookie. Now they're weird rectangular cookies with a texture more like sponge-cake. Oh wells! TBH the batter tasted waaayy better than the actual end result, lol.


On the other hand... The butter cookies w/ vanilla frosting and sprinkles turned out alright! :)

Mind you, I didn't make these for any special occasion. Purely out of a selfish, indulgent desire to munch all of 'em myself, while watching TV. Can't really get more lazy/fat/slob-y than that, haha. 

xxx

Friday, December 17, 2010

Last Minute OOTN


Flannel shirt: Uniqlo (Men's)
Shearling jacket: Bossini (!!)
Black leggings: H&M
Black suede boots (same as previous post): Nine West




Cheese!

I'm heading out for drinks & shisha. Have a good night everyone xxx

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Look of the Night

I'm about to head out to Soho for dinner (Vietnamese!) with 2 friends. Thought I would share some quick snapshots of my make-up and outfit for the night :)


Excuse the slightly maniacal smile.



Sheer blouse: H&M.
Necklaces: Topshop, Pull & Bear.
Jeggings: Uniqlo.
Suede boots: Nine West

Have a good night everyone! xxx

Deborah Lippmann 'Ruby Red Slippers'



I was so excited to get this nail polish! Introducing Deborah Lippmann's 'luxurious nail polish' in 'Ruby Red Slippers'. Priced at HK$190 (i.e. £16). 

Deborah Lippmann nail polishes are enriched with Aucoumea, Biotin and Green Tea, and are free from Formaldehyde, Toluene and Dibutyl Phthlate. Animal testing free. 


You really can't get more festive than this!


I did apply a coat of red nail polish underneath, just to make the glitter stand out more and to give the polish more depth. The sales lady recommended using a black polish underneath, but I didn't have any at hand, so red it was. Turned out amazingly! There is SO much depth to this nail polish. Definitely not your average glitter polish. The base is actually a sheer black, and there are 2 types of red glitter inside: small dotty ones and bigger hexagonal ones. 

If you're in Hong Kong, Deborah Lippmann polishes are available at Joyce Beauty. I got mine at their section in Lane Crawford IFC. So tempted to try out more of her glitter polishes! The quality is outstanding.

If you're in the UK, Deborah Lippmann products are available exclusively at Selfridges.

What are you sporting on your nails this holiday season? xxx

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Siiiiggghhh


I. MISS. LONDON.

(picture taken back in June. Notting Hill. sigh.)

Monday, December 13, 2010

Melvita Skincare Review

Below is my most recent video: a review of three products from Melvita, the most recognised French organic skincare brand. All Melvita products have been certified organic by ECOCERT FRANCE.

The products under review are:

1. Organic witch hazel floral water
2. Nigella oil
3. Hydrastim moisturizing gel for dehydrated skin



If you would like more detailed info on these 3 products, I have also pulled the product descriptions from the Melvita website for your convenience:


1. Organic witch hazel loral water
"Extracted by distillation of organic Hamamelis virginiana leaves and naturally rich in active principles, Witch hazel floral water is well-known for its tonic, astringent and purifying qualities.
Generally used as a cleansing lotion, it is traditionally renowned to act against red blotches on the face. It is recommended for very dry and sensitive skins."

2. Nigella oil
"Considered as a universal panacea since the time of the Pharaohs and revered in the courts of Ancient Arabia, the Prophet Mohammed said that “this black cumin cures everything but death” - nigella oil is extracted from the tiny black seeds of a white-flowered plant of the Ranunculus family, which grows in shady oases.
Well-known for toning the scalp and relieving muscle tension, it is also traditionally used for its purifying properties for oily skin."

3. Hydrastim
"HYDRASTIM provides lasting moisturization for dull and dehydrated skins and helps to reduce expression lines.
The gel combines aloe vera, the extract of an Amazonian river plant, mourera fluviatilis, and hyaluronic acid derived from soya, which all provide remarkable hydro-regulating effects to keep the skin at its ideal moisturization level. This action is reinforced by a protective complex based on honey, lemon pectin, phospholipids and an extract of noni, a Polynesian plant with cleansing, anti-free radical and revitalizing properties. The skin quickly appears more plumped-up, smoother and firmer. This moisturizing treatment, with its natural, subtle, lemony perfume, makes the complexion look more radiant and provides comfort and softness. Suitable for oily or combination skins.
*of the upper layers of the epidermis.
Proven effectiveness:
An effectiveness test, carried out under dermatological control by an independent laboratory on 10 volunteers, showed that using Hydrastim® leads to a very significant increase in moisturization levels for at least 8 hours."

I really do highly recommend Hydrastim. It's repurchase material for me :)

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Friday, December 10, 2010

Happy Weekend :)


(via ...etc on Bloglovin)

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

My Earring Collection


This is my little earring collection :) I actually originally took this photo because my boyfriend wanted to see what earrings I already had, so that he could buy me a pair for Christmas accordingly =P But then I thought the picture turned out pretty nicely, and would be perfect as a showcase to you guys!
Most of these earrings are on the affordable/ high-street side (actually, on second thought, they ALL are!) Most of them are from Topshop, Accessorize, Etsy and ASOS. Oh, and a pair from Anthropologie (the Regent Street store!)

On a completely unrelated note, I've been smelling like hot chocolate all of last night and all of today, ever since I started using the Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula body lotion that I purchased yesterday! So far it's pretty good, but I'm not sure how long I can stand the strong chocolate smell! It's quite overpowering, and last night I couldn't even smell my lavender scented candle because of it, lol. 

I'm also down with a sinus infection :( and can't seem to focus, so studying has been a struggle! Hope you're all doing better than I am :) xxx

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Designer Focus: Jimmy Stanton




(images from www.stantonhomefurnishings.com and www.catnorman.com)

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Emo Sparkle


These are the nail polishes I used to create this look, from left to right: 
OPI Natural Nail Base Coat
OPI Lincoln Park After Dark
Lala Nobless glitter polish (from Sasa)
Jordana top coat (which smells EXTREMELY toxic!!)



... and my favourite song at the moment!



It's just so Christmassy and cheesy-sweet :)

Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend xxx