Hang them up

Just a few pieces I'm obsessed with recently... my favourite way of wearing chokers is over a V neckline, or a statement tee under a thick chain.

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Vertical alignment

October was by far the craziest month for me this year. I didn't realise that I've left this space untouched for a month. But busy as it was, I find time less wasted, and there were more rewarding moments. Or maybe it was simply too hectic that I cherish the stolen times even more than ever.

I was with Allan spending his first weekend out when we discovered some of the prettiest houses at the most beautiful hour of the day, so obviously I couldn't miss this photo opportunity. But now that I think about it, even with the bougainvilleas in assorted colours adorning the whole stretch of road, if it had been a gloomy rainy day, the whole place wouldn't have look so attractive. How wonderful it is for light to beautify everything around it. ✨

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Where to get fresh cut flowers in Singapore

You wish roses are this cheap in Singapore.

In this infernal weather, fresh cut flowers don't last long at all. Spending a bomb on these flowers at boutique florists only to have them wilt 3 days later can be really frustrating, so I'm always on the lookout for cheap and fresh flowers from local wet markets and wholesale florists. So far, there are three places where I usually get my fresh cut beauties:

Far East Flora at 565 Thomson Road

Far East Flora specializes in online deliveries, floral decoration, and the usual bouquets for every occasions, but what I really love about FEF is their cold room! UBER cold room, mind you. I feel numb to the bones in about 10 seconds after stepping in there. Although the location of this place is the furthest from where I stay, they have the best selection of cut flowers, with species that are hard to find anywhere else without busting your wallet (they even have a room stocking fake flowers). FEF is also the priciest on this list of three: a bunch of 10 tulips costs around $20, and the freshest roses from the cold room cost about $24. If you don't mind getting the older bouquets to save a few bucks, look in the other room just right outside the cold room. There are usually more chrysanthemums, pom poms, daisies and such, but there are also some buckets holding slightly bruised roses (some bouquets look perfectly okay actually, prolly just a few days old) going for around $10 - $14. 

Tiong Bahru Market at 30 Seng Poh Road

Again, not located near where I stay (man, can't have the best of both worlds) but the ground level of this market is occupied by a few florists situated right beside each other, which means competitive prices. Of course you don't get as many different species as FEF here but the selection is still pretty wide. The floral scent is awesome and they have an array of colourful baby's breaths. I got a whole bunch of roses for $14, and sometimes I purchase them by the stalk too; chrysanthemums are around 80 cents per stalk, roses are $1.50. Sometimes, the nice folks will even round down the price. Also, they have some of the best hawker fares upstairs, and the cutest directory website ever. Not to mention the numerous cafes and bakeries nearby. Win!

Cold Storage Supermarkets

Obviously the most convenient on the list. Minus the ones in places such as the airport, I think most outlets stock fresh flowers. The most common flowers I see being sold at the nearest Cold Storage to where I stay are baby's breaths, lilies, chrysanthemums, and roses. I also notice that the Cold Storage at Bugis Junction stocks a whole lot more different species than the neighbourhood outlets. The chrysanthemums and baby's breaths usually go for $3.40 a bunch, while the roses are a lot pricier (also not as pretty) than the ones at FEF and Tiong Bahru Market. But if you're not as lucky as the folks staying right beside FEF or Tiong Bahru then Cold Storage is your best bet for express flower shopping. 

Whether you're hoping to put together your own bouquet or centrepiece, these places can help you save big bucks without compromising on quality and aesthetic. I heard that the market in Holland Village also offers fresh cut flowers but I haven't been there to check it out. If you know of any places in Singapore that sells cut flowers at a great price, and also how to make the fragile babies last longer, do share them with me!

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New Romantics

dress: Patvarin via Modparade; hat: Lack of Color

A simple low bun, paired with a flat-brimmed fedora, has become one of my favourite way to tame my mane. Often, I find it difficult to style my hair as the thickness hinders the hair tie from making more rounds to keep the bun or ponytail secure. To lighten the load, I usually opt for light layering at the hair ends, but that also means that the shorter layers will fall out of the bundle to become pesky little flyaways. With this bun, the flyaway fine hairs actually add on to the whole 'effortless' look, and the hat keeps them away from the face. 

This dress was a piece I picked last out of my selects from Modparade, but is fast becoming one of my favourite dresses. The lace-up detailing towards the hem makes a classic shift silhouette so much more interesting to look at and wear... I am glad that my collection of dresses is growing. They are so easy for lazy days, and the possibilities of layering with them are aplenty. 

This dress is part of the curated collection by Modparade, which will feature various labels from different Asian territories, so do drop by their physical store at 68 Haji Lane to get your Thai Designer pieces from now till January 2017!

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Obsessed with: Graphic Tees

Tee: Modparade

Ever since I got the Campbell's Soup Cans tee, I knew I'm onto something. I love how perfect these tees are for hot summer days, or rather, perpetually sunny Singapore. They are so good with just jeans and a choker, like this one. They look so good layered too. Maybe a basic black tee will do just fine. But will it ever look as cool as one that says Chanel in the Metal Lord font?

Nope.

This obsession ain't gonna stop for me. Uh-oh!

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Light layers

food & place: Noshery

pinafore: ASOS; top: Zara

I LOVE two-piece layering. I have a looooong way to go in mastering the art of layering, but my layered outfits are the more prominent outfits I've showcased on my Instagram. It can be as casual and normal as just an outerwear or my denim vest over a top, or a sleeveless dress over a sheer white tee. Layering can elevate the look of two pieces that would otherwise be plain worn alone. I live on this tropical island that is sunny 365 and the heat really makes wearing an outerwear unbearable most of the time. Some people say "do it for the gram!" but I have near zero tolerance to feeling burnt under a leather jacket and sweating at the back. You know your favourite Instagrammers based near the equator are going through a lot for those pictures. Haha!

Anyway, my next best bet is to opt for thin layers. Spaghetti straps, tees, and overalls can make layering a breeze. Not to forget about the details - flared sleeves, embroidery, cuffs, and the fabric of the pieces. Being in my layered outfits gives me a sense of confidence similar to wearing a good pair of shoes, because it is true to my style. Years of experimentation made me realise that it makes me really self-conscious and awkward to wear something that I feel uncomfortable in. Uncomfortable in this case can refer to the outfit not suiting my character, doesn't fit my body shape and height well etc. You can take cues from the fashion bloggers you follow, but inspirations can only take you so far. When the day comes to an end, you have to be the one to know what fits you the best. 

Here, I've paired this uber cute Pepsi logo crop with my new favourite overall. After a few days of "normal" weather, the temperature is slowly climbing back up to hell. I was glad to live through that day in this outfit. Aside from my obsession with layering, I'm also a huge believer in accessorising, and hence brought my newly acquired retro-look gold eyeglasses out to play the same day. Believe it or not, it costed only $4! And is surprisingly sturdy. Love when I find cheap but good finds like that, but doesn't everyone?

This post is a little too wordy than I've imagined, but I think after 1.5 weeks of not updating the space there's so many things crammed up in my mind that I need to declutter. Psst, that 1.5 weeks was spent watching the drama Misaeng, which is really good and motivational. You know that feeling when you finish a real good show and don't know what to do with your life afterwards? Haha! Time to start hunting for another drama.

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What's new in my makeup stash

It's evident that I'm no makeup guru. I am not big on cosmetics; what I own fill up just a small black pouch (about A5 size). I've only started using cosmetics when I was 18, and even then I used only lipsticks! The first lipstick (and makeup) I bought was from TOPSHOP, in deep burgundy, though now I have no idea why I chose that colour for my first because it isn't the most versatile shade. My second makeup purchase was also a lipstick in a pinkish-nude shade, from 3CE, There was a pop-up sale in school and I was looking for a nude lipstick so I got one with my friend. That was more suitable for daily wear. 

So I've only used lip makeup all the while till last year end. My eyebrows are pretty full naturally but they looked a little sparse at the corners in pictures, and my best friend had also started using a brow pencil so I followed suit. It's the Fashion Brow Duo Shaper by Maybelline, with powder on one end, and pencil on the other. I just needed to fill in the arch of my brows, and I think this did a pretty alright job. Anyway it's almost finished and I'm looking for one with the spool so that I can brush my unruly brows. I got my eyes on you, Glossier's Boy Brow! 

I also bought a concealer from MAC last Christmas because my hormones went crazy and vent their anger on my poor chin. Then more lipsticks, from Laneige. Love them ombré lipsticks. These smell good and are surprisingly moisturising. I got one in Cashmere Nude which was discontinued, and then I asked my friend to get another one for me from Korea, in Red Blossom. 

In total I had 3 lip balms, 4 lipsticks, 1 lip pencil, 1 brow pencil and 1 concealer. Even if my face is makeup-free for the day I will still make sure to use a lip balm to moisturise my chapped lips. 

And now I add on two more products to the collection!

NARS' Blush in Orgasm, and Urban Decay's Vice lipstick in Bad Blood, which is a little drying for me but expected of for a matte lippie. With the blush, I think my makeup stash is pretty complete. I'm still in the process of finding out what suits my skin tone and features, as well as learning the tips and tricks in makeup application to achieve the best results. Ultimately, I still believe that taking good care of your skin is the most important, and something I've been trying to do is to go to bed earlier at night. With good skin, the base is pretty much set.

For now I'm really satisfied with what I can put on my face. Just missing the Boy Brow, really.

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THE COFFEE ACADEMICS

horseshoe ring: Curated Editions

Spent the Saturday from two weeks ago at this cafe situated in town with the sister, after my shoot with Her World Singapore (you can vote for me here!). I've visited the place previously, and it was really empty in the earlier hours. This time round, there was a queue outside the place (and the dining area is actually pretty huge man, so you can imagine the weekend crowd in town) but we got a table fairly quickly because all the other people in the queue were in large groups. Visit crowded places in a pair, guys!

Ordered the crab & avo salad + curly fries with three different dips and I was really surprised by how good they were because, well, I heard otherwise. Avocado is one of my favourite superfood recently; I never really had them in the past until I discovered avocados in rice bowls, and on toasts. The salad was really moreish... I want crab & avo salad everyday! Also, curly fries can hardly fail. I think the dips were barbecue sauce, honey mustard and curry. My sister and I promptly ignored the barbecue one because the other two dips were so good!

The place also has really nice marble or wooden tables for food flatlays (Instagrammer's heaven, yeah?). Good place to chill if it's not too busy.

The Coffee Academics

Scotts Square

#02-01/02

6 Scotts Road

Singapore 228209

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Crossing Lines

               top: Eight Slate Blair; skorts: The Fifth Label Fact & Fiction 

                                                                    from Threefold Collection

A few Fridays ago I got another piercing on my left ear (man, it took me 10 seconds to figure out which is my left...), just right beside my first piercing. I've thought about getting one since last year and delayed acting it out until mid-2016. So much procrastination going on yeah? Haha! Anyway, I'm really loving the piercing and although I want to remove the starter stud, I haven't because I don't have a spare stud to fill in the piercing afterwards... One more item added on to the shopping list. 

Here, I'm in my go-to colour palette: white, denim, & black. It's so easy to mix-and-match, once you've got all the basics in your wardrobe, and avoid looking boring. I love this pleated top but I wish the armholes aren't so big, although they do facilitate wearing/removing. The fold and buttons of the denim skorts also make it an elevated not-your-usual-denim-shorts piece. Definitely a staple for me.

Chasing light is not as easy as waking up early/hunting for the right spots, it requires a little luck. From where I stay, the tall buildings and gloomy skies are often a hindrance, but thank goodness there's also an abundance of trees to create this beautifully splattered light and shadows (and white walls!). Also, thank you to Allan for his help and patience with my light-chasing every time. I am a really blessed girl. 

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SOUTH UNION PARK

Finally visited this new bistro with my sister last weekend, and it has fulfilled my pasta dreams. 🍝 The decor of the place is minimal as compared to all other cafes I've visited, but hey, I'm not complaining! There was ample sunlight, so all's good. The place was full when we arrived but lunch time was almost over so we got a two-seater immediately. The attentive service crew even asked if we needed an extra chair for our bags. First impression? ✓

We ordered the Duck Confit & Short Rib Beef Ragu Pastas, + Fried Chicken to share. I loved the Beef Ragu Pappardelle I had at Populus, but I think their rendition has got nothing on this one here. Freshly made pastas + melt-in-your-mouth tender beef? I'm sold. The pastas have got really such good texture, it reminds me of the ones that my brother made last time. I wish more restaurants make their own pastas. 

The hazelnut cream sauce for the Duck Confit pasta was really interesting for me since I've never had hazelnut for anything else other than desserts hahaha. The sauce itself was really fragrant and refreshingly light, but the duck didn't really remind me of the duck confits I had haha! But I only had one big bite so... or maybe I just haven't had enough duck confits to know. I also liked how the fried chicken tasted slightly sweet to balance out the saltiness. And it was a damn good combo with the dense cornbread.

I see why South Union Park has become Nat's favourite cafe, because it's really hard to find a cafe with food that's worth the money, and time spent to locate it. I wouldn't say that the location is very convenient to me, but I love the quiet, laid-back hood; it reminded me of my intern days, when I was attached to vet clinics located in private residential areas like this. Wish I had more room for desserts, but I'm definitely going to visit this place again, so I'll leave them till the next time! 

South Union Park
101 Jalan Kembangan, Singapore 419139

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ANEW

dress: The Fifth Label Age of Aquarius from Workshop Collection

It's a little embarrassing how long I've delayed this little project of mine for. My best friends know that I've been planning to revamp my blog for the longest time... and finally it's up again! Honestly, nothing much has changed. I was pretty happy with how this space looked before, except for the banner. 

I've owned a blog (on various hosts, although only one's active at a time) for ages and dreamt of having an illustration of something as a banner, but since I suck at drawing, it just didn't happen. Then my best friend got in a design course and developed an interest for illustration works, so I was like, hey, could you illustrate a picture of me? Hahaha, vain.

So thank you Carmen, for making my dream come true. ✨ I think it is going to motivate me to post a lot more here. I've just had so many ideas running through my mind and can't wait to share them. Of course, this space is nothing much, but I promise it's all from my heart and I'll be sincere (and truthful to myself) about everything I write in here. 

p/s: thank you to those who left me messages on various platforms, whether you're a friend, stranger, or an anonymous, telling me that you miss my blog; it means a crazy lot!

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