fashionista's Lovelyish

Fashion & Style

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 03:28:48 GMT

I’ve had a lot of fashion debates with my friends and we’ve come to this one conclusion: ‘fashion’ and ‘style’ are two very different terms!

I've said this before, I am not so much a ‘looks’ person but more of a style person. Even if you’re not drop-dead gorgeous but you dress well, then you are good looking in my books. I have seen very beautiful individuals who cannot dress to save their own lives. I’ve also seen people who claim to be fashionable but who are in reality, just a walking fashion suicide.

These people are my fashion pet-peeves. Don’t believe everything you read in the magazines or fashion sites. What’s considered fashionable in the runways may not necessarily translate well in real life. Unlike those models, you may not be able to pull off the same look walking down the regular-joe streets. Follow fashion blindly and it will result into you becoming this common little thing known as a Fashion Victim.

And then there’s style. Now if you take those fashion from the runways and make it into your own style, then THAT’s what I call fashionable. To pull off a look with style and grace, you need that certain eye for details, know what’s in and what’s out and at the same time maintain practicality and comfort. No, you do not necessarily need to suffer for fashion. Those models wear a size ZERO on the runways but if you’re a size 10 then for the goodness of mankind, find something similar in your size and wear them with pride (AND comfort). Looking like an over-stuffed turkey in the latest Gucci frock is big No-No. Not only will you look ridiculously tarty, you've also succeeded in making an expensive wear look cheap. In which case I’d rather you wear an average-price dress from Topshop in your size and look decent.

Which brings me to my next point, expensive do not always means good looking. I HATE it when people boast about their latest buy from the most expensive brand but when they put it on, they put the brand AND themselves to shame. I know a lot of other people who would pull off the same look way better than they do. They make expensive clothes look cheap and trashy. I can spend the same amount of money (they spent on that 1 item) and buy 10 other cheap dresses and make them look expensive.

Really, it’s not about how much you spend on the latest fashion, it’s about how you wear and carry yourselves in them.

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bold or classic?

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 03:52:06 GMT

HELP! I ordered 2 dresses from ASOS and they arrived at my doorstep yesterday!

I have 2 parties to attend in the next couple of weeks, a Christmas Eve Party, and a New Year's Eve Party. However, i am undecided on which dress to wear for which occasion.

Here are the 2 dresses and i have decided to name them Bold and Classic:

BOLD

CLASSIC

I love the metallic top in Bold. It's fun, playful and makes me look vibrant. Classic spells for itself, one can never go wrong in this outfit!

In your opinion, which one should be worn to the Christmas party and which to the New Year's?

Fashion Pet-Peeve

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 07:02:27 GMT

Open Heels with Suit Combo

Suits, whether with pants or skirts, establishes empowerment, women in position, and women in control of their career. But all it takes is one mistake, and that will diminish all idealogy and perception of women in suits.

And that is to pair up a sharp suit, with an open heels.

Regardless of how expensive your open-heels are, wearing them with a suit just breaks the sharpness of the look. These strappy open-heels are best worn for a dinner party and hidden under long flowy dresses. But with a suit, that to me is a big NO-NO.

It is a MUST to pair suits with covered heels. To appear sharper, a covered heels with pointy fronts compliments the whole look best.

You appear smart, sleek, and very sharp.

Peep-toes, on the other hand, are best paired with skirt-suits. They are cute, and implies that you are serious about work, but have a fun side to you too!

For me personally, i am most comfortable in a pant-suit. As my colour preference for suits are usually black, i do try to show a glimpse of my wild side by making sure that my shoes have a splash of colour on them like this:

What are your fashion pet-peeves?

Line That Eye!

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 04:19:38 GMT

My beauty motto is “simple but outstanding”. With that motto in mind, I am not big on playing with colours on my face. The whole idea is to enhance my features, not put on another mask altogether. Whilst eye shadows are something I rarely put on, eyeliners on the other hand, play a big part in my beauty regime. Seeing that I have small ‘asian eyes’, eyeliners helps to open them up a little bigger, and create a deep-set eyelid which I so crave for!

A product I swear by (since 2005) is the AVON Glimmersticks Eyeliner.

Avon, unlike many other popular commercial brands such as Lancome and Estee Lauder, is practically unheard of in many countries. Their products are relatively inexpensive, but very reliable and is a trusted brand amongst many ‘old timers’.

Most people prefer to use liquid eyeliners. But to me, that requires a steady set of hands which I do not possess! I feel the need to have a hard solid surface against my skin, in order to ensure steadiness during application. Many years before, I have been using pencil eyeliners, which I find are very harsh on my skin. Even those I tried from popular brand names only produced the desired colour vibrancy after many times running the pencil along the same lines over and over. This action also caused my lids to turn red and painful! Not only that, they tend to smudge a few hours after application too!

Avon Glimmersticks Eyeliners are very smooth and easy to apply. One line through the eyelids is all you need to achieve a smooth, precise thick line. I usually wear it from morning at work, and it last through the night of drinking session after work without smudging! The retractable, self-sharpening stick also means that you don’t have to worry about not having a sharpener if you break the tip of the eyeliner.

Inexpensive, reliable and practical, Avon Glimmerstick Eyeliner is definitely a beauty product must-try and must-have!

For more Avon products, you can visit their site and purchase the products online here.

The Latest Fad!

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:28:48 GMT

Faux Eye Lashes!

I've always wondered how i can achieve those dark brooding eyes without clogging my lashes with thick coats of mascara. And i've found the perfect solution, fake eye lashes! I tried it once, and never looked back since.

Not only did i achieve the desired "hollywood celebrities" look, it also opened up my eyes, making it look wider, bigger and fuller.

These lashes are fun, and also easy to use. Here's a step by step guide (by wiki 'how to'):

1. Trim the lashes. If the lash is wider than your eye, trim one side of it lash by lash.

2. Optionally, trim the individual lashes to make them look more natural. They should be longer towards the outer corner of the eye, and the lash length should vary slightly.

3. Squeeze eyelash glue onto the back of your hand and run the eyelash along it. Blow softly from edge to edge to make the glue a little less runny to apply your lashes.

4. Pick the lashes up with tweezers and bring it as close to your natural lash line as possible.

5. Press from end to end and hold until the glue dries (30 seconds to a minute, or sometimes less depending upon the adhesive). This allows the glue to set so that when you lift your fingertips from it, the lashes won't come along for the ride

6. Apply mascara while pressing your finger behind the fake lashes. This will bond the false lashes with yours.(It may be beneficial to use an eyelash curler before applying mascara)

7. Fill any gaps between the false lashes and your natural lash line with eyeliner.

They also come in various shapes, colours and sizes. For a more dramatic effect or just for a fun girls’ night out, be bold and try these!

So what are you waiting for? Go on and have fun trying them!

Personal Grooming

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:57:34 GMT

I must say, that every month, a good portion of my pay goes into personal grooming. As much as I try to skimp and save, I simply cannot deny myself a few essentials.

These are the things I essentially need for personal grooming, although not all of them are needed on a monthly basis:

Facial

- *Facial Wash

- Facial Wipes

- Face Moisturiser

Make-Up

- Concealer

- Liquid Foundation

- *Compact Powder

- Eyebrow Pencil / Eyeliner / Mascara

- Blusher

- Lip Balm / Lip Gloss

Hair

- *Shampoo / Conditioner

- *Leave-In Conditioner

- Regular Trims

Body

- *Body Wash

- Body Scrub

- Body Moisturiser

General

- Perfume

- *Manicure / Pedicure

- Eyebrow Plucking Sessions

- Waxing?

As I mentioned, not all the items above are needed every month. Nonetheless, I spend about $100 to $150 altogether on the few items I asterisk alone! The rest are spent once every 2 to 3 months or so.

It is indeed expensive to be a woman!

How much do you spend on personal grooming each month?

save your skin!

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:55:02 GMT

Like every other teenager growing up, I was ignorant about skin care and all beauty regiments. As a result (of bad genes combined with ignorance), I had a very bad case of acne between the age of 13 to 18 which shattered my self-confidence for a long period of time.

It didn’t matter so much in the early teens. But as I get into my late teens, I began to realise the importance of good, clean healthy skin. By then, it was too late as my skin condition had gotten worse. I began to feel conscious of my face, and on especially “bad days”, I even refused to go out of the house. I could only envy my friends who are blessed with naturally clear skin and wonder why my skin was the way it was.

Everyone assured me that it was only the teenage hormones, that the acne will clear up when i get out of my teenage years and into my early 20s. Before I know it, I turned 20 and my skin had not gotten any better. I had taken extra care of my skin all the while but nothing changed. Until I was introduced to contraceptive pills. By then I was already sexually active, and I visited my now gynae for a general body check up.

Like everyone else, she advised me to take better care of my skin. I told her my woes and she recommended that I try THE PILL. I decided to take her advice and give it a go.

The Pill, changed my life, and more importantly, my skin. Apart from the fact that it keeps my menstrual cycle (very) regular, it also contains the hormone estrogen which is responsible for feminine traits such as the shape of the body, breast development, softness and firmness of skin. The estrogen in the Pill reduces the occurrence of acne, excessive hair growth and male-hormone related disorders.

After 3 months of taking the Pill, I saw my skin started improving tremendously. Miraculously, I stopped having big reddish zits popping up on my skin, even on expected days just before my period. Naturally there are side effects of taking the Pill, and especially for me, the weight gain was very noticeable. However, I have since switched to a newer, better brand of Pills which have no such side effects.

5 years on, I still have visible scars left over from my acne days. Although pimples are a rare occurrence, I still maintain my regular facial cleansing habits. I cleanse my face with facial wash twice a day (before bed and in the morning when I shower), moisturise after every wash, and dutifully scrub and mask once a week. I NEVER leave my make-up on when I go to bed, no matter how tired (or drunk) I may be. I always ensure my face is clean and fresh before I go to bed as I understand that overnight as you’re asleep, the cells in your body renew itself.

Before I end this entry, I would like to share with you some of the products I use (then and STILL do now) as well as a new favourite item I recently discovered:

Kao Biore Facial Scrub

Since I don’t make it a habit to use make-up remover, I have discovered that the Kao Biore Facial Scrub effectively remove all make-up (even the waterproof ones) and is still gentle enough on my skin. I have since replaced my facial cleanser with the scrub and I use this daily without worry that my skin will dry.

Oil Of Olay Active Hydrating Lotion

Oil Of Olay is a brand that have been in the market since my Mom was only 16 years old! This old but very trusted brand have since re-invented themselves. Upon recommendation from my Mom, I decided to try it and have never regret my decision. It is great for oily to combination skin, and I have taken to using it also as my make up base.

Nivea Facial Cleansing Wipes

This, I am proud to say, is my own recent discovery. It was a random purchase from the drugstore and it proved to be the best random thing I ever did. Like the scrub, the wipes thoroughly removes all traces of make-up, purifies and tones the skin in one single step. It is enriched with Sea Minerals and Provitamin B5, and the soft fleece wipes invigorate and refresh the skin without leaving a greasy feeling. Needless to say, the wipes are absolutely perfect for my “lazy days”.

I swear by these products, and I think you should give them a try too! (especially the Nivea wipes!!)

styles i love

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 14:29:14 GMT

For years and years now, my Mom's been pointing out how i NEVER wear dresses or pretty, frilly stuffs. But that's just me. My preferred choice of outfit always consists of a pants combination. "Simple and fuss free" have always been my get-up motto while black is considered colour du jour.

Now i know what people generally perceive wearing black as, to give the idea of a slimmer figure, boring etc etc. But to me, black is classic and i can never go wrong with black. However, i do try to "spice up" my black outfit with colourful accessories. I prefer to keep my items of clothing plain and simple, thus i have high regards for accessories and they became the highlight of my assemble. The black outfit in itself, to me represents a sort of quiet but strong demeanor.

Seeing that i work in an advertising agency, our dress code at work is pretty relax and laid back. So this is what i typically wear to work:

On days where i have to meet clients or go out for dinner and drinks after work, i play it up a little and my outfit more or less consists of these:

Most of the time, however, i combine these with flats instead of heels. Apart from simplicity, i put comfort as a number one priority. Knowing i will have to last the whole night with what i'm wearing during the day, i emphasize more on comfort and practicality more than anything else.

I would love to be able to wear dresses and look pretty in them. But everytime i put on dresses and try to mix and match them with items of accessories, i feel very silly indeed and more often than not, i end up going for my top and pants combo. I do, however, love these dresses:

Notice how the accessories are kept simple and minimal, seeing that the maxi dress itself is full of details. I adore maxi dresses as they very comfortable and airy, especially when you come from tropical countries! I would, however, pair it with a pair of comfortable flats to give it the complete bohemian look!

Yet another simple 2-tone combination which i absolutely love. I wore a similar outfit once when i met my Mom for dinner and needless to say, she approved!

************

So tell me, which one of the 4 styles and combinations above describes you best?
The 1st look is definitely what i wear best!

what's your jeans style?

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 05:47:57 GMT

While the skinnys are busy taking over the world, let us not forget the alma-mater of jeans style:
straight, boot cut and wide leg.

My friends scream in horror if i were to so much as mention straight, let's not even get to wide leg! However, i feel that these 3 styles, over the years have evolved themselves and are making a comeback!

One good example is the wide leg:

This simple combination of high-waisted on a wide-leg jeans are definitely more flattering and fashionable as compared to it's low waisted counterpart. In fact, styles that are cut higher at the back tend not to gape or give you a builder's bum. Team it with a pair chunky heels and you're good for "dress-down" Fridays at work!

If you're still not convinced, and would like a more 'toned down' version of the wide leg look, how about giving the boot cut a try?

Boot cut jeans are comfy and sexy but it's extremely important to make sure that they are a good length. They can be very versatile, and easily matched with heels, boots and even flats! For women blessed with curves, boot cut jeans lengthen your legs and be flattering around the hips too.

My personal favourite is the straight cut jeans.

I feel that one should always invest on a good pair of straight cuts as i think it's a style that can never go wrong. What i coined as a "safe style", it is no-fuss, no-frills dressing and looks understatedly smart. This is definitely a must in every women's denim wardrobe.

And then there's the phenomenon that's sweeping the world,
THE SKINNY JEANS

I have to admit that i do own quite a few pairs myself. Undeniably very fashionable, it also adds a touch of "rock and rolla" to your outfit, especially in black. It goes well with my flats, sexy heels, and especially a dream to tuck into boots (thanks to Kate Moss who made this fashionable again!)

As is said before, a good pair of jeans is considered an investment well spent. This said, never try to squeeze into one that is a size too small just because you can't bear the thought of going up a size. While wearing it with style is one, wearing it with comfort is of utmost importance!

~ fashionista ~

Victoria Beckham's style NO-NO: "One thing i cannot bear on jeans are those bleached-out faded patches under the bottom and on the front of the thighs. In some cases you can end up looking like you've been sitting with a puppy that hasn't been house-trained on your lap."

fashion icon

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 04:08:03 GMT

let me introduce to you, the 2 people who have influenced my sense of style since the last 2 years.
but first off, i MUST introduce my style bible:

and naturally, my number 1 style icon is non other than, Mrs Beckham herself!

chic, classy, rock glam, you name it, she can pull it off!

timeless and classic. that's my number 2 style icon, Sarah Jessica Parker.

*****

who is your fashion icon and why?