the style look book: neon nights at night

Helloooo :) I matched this out for some shopping and dinner with my friend C. When she first saw my outfit, she was like “it’s so cool!” hahah, I'm not sure exactly what it implies but it’s was a fun outfit for the city. Same coat as the previous style look book post. And like I said I would, I wore my striped top which is actually a long sleeve blue and white striped cut off that I matched with a black tank top with sequins on the bottom. The jeans are jean leggings from Uni Qlo and the shoes are patent black oxford flats (love them soooo much, so comfy) During our shopping trip, I kept explaining to my friend how oxford flats match jeans, skirts, and dresses and how they’re some of my favorite shoes ever.

We first went to the LySee mall (its around the corner on Granville Road). Then we went to a new mall called DNA Galleria, where it’s filled with random and DIY stores with everything from clothes to gifts. And the fun part is all the interior decorations and designs (like the one I’m standing in front of). There were cashier counters that looked like a scene right out of Snow White, a skull, a Transformer-like space craft. There was even this Thriller themed corner, which was creepy and gave me the chills, but it's actually to commemorate Michael Jackson. There were also one of my favorite DIY stores, Woodland, and a shop with filled with really uniquely designed products.

C started getting hungry, so we headed over to California Pizza Kitchen at Harbour City. We had a Greek pizza and chips. Greek Pizza because C. said she wanted a pizza with EVERYTHING on it. On the menu it said that there would be "tomatoes, celery, peppers, chicken, etc..." but when we ate the pizza, it resembled salad plus pizza crust. Nonetheless, we sat at the bar table and had the view of Victoria Harbour as we ate. :)

Then I took C. to my favorite furniture store in the city (although I really don't know that many). It's right at the very end of LCX and they bring in new furniture every few months. This time around, I discovered that they now have my favorite foldable movie cinema chair. I always though I'd have to ransack a cinema for one. It turns out all I'll need is 2950 HKD (bite me.). I guess it'll stay on my wishlist for now.

it's time to get back to my readings and essays >.< exams in less than a month...

the alexa chung addiction: nautical stripes

I'm not sure if anyone in fashion can quite get enough of Alexa Chung right now. I first found out about Alexa Chung in senior year of high school when my mom took home a tack of British magazines from work. I think Alexa was on the cover of an Elle extra pull-out magazine. And something about her smile, eyes, and (seemingly) very effortless pretty look made me wonder who she was. Back then, Alexa wasn't a host in MTV in the US, so fashion people in the US hadn't really put her under the spotlight.

Nowadays, it's like "OMG alexa chung is wearing clogs," and we're all told to run out and go get a pair of clogs. Well... we don't really have to buy clogs. Alexa's style is amazingly cute and simple, but I must admit, I don't find it as "effortless" as it may seem because not everyone knew to start off with the basics like cardigans, stripes, etc (haha, number one example: me!). There's so much to Alexa's closet, I don't really know where to start off! So, as I was flipping through an old copy of Teen Vogue from last year, I came across the photo of Alexa in overalls and a striped top (right) and I was like "ah! that looks like a signature alexa chung piece!"

So for my first post on Alexa Chung, I'll start with the nautical stripes.
photo: Alexa in very nautical blazer (left), Alexa designs for Madewell (launched the February in New York fashion week), and Alexa in short overalls and a striped top.

Firstly, the stripes are everywhere this season! I think H&M and Uniqlo have a whole section dedicated to stripes this season. You can get tshirts with simple horizontal stripes over it in almost every color. Next, I find it very similar to the one Audrey Tautou wore in Coco Before Chanel. Lastly, while looking through the selection of cut-off tees and long sleeve shirts at Cotton On Body, I found a shirt just like the one Alexa is wearing (which I gladly bought home after the 60% off Chinese New Year discount). Oh, and Alexander Wang has stripes in his Spring/Summer 2010 lookbook, some very awesome inner-turned-out wear (maybe I'll write about that next time).

So I guess what I'm trying to get at is how to dress simply for beginners and how dress like Alexa Chung? I'm not really sure. But I do love my stripey top like no other. I can wear it with jeans, both loose fit light colored jeans from the back of my closet, or navy blue skinny jeans. Since my top is a cut-off, I wear a black tanktop underneath (layers!). And as seen from Alexa (above), this would also go well with shorts and overalls. I think a black pencil skirt would do too. As for shoes, I guess blue, black or white wedges would work (and look very good with short skirts or shorts by making your legs oh sooo long.) Otherwise, flats or oxford flats (definately a thumbs up for oxford flats, I can see them taking over ordinary ballet flats this year, maybe) in the same shade of colors would do. Maybe I'll show you after I've tried out some of these ways of wearing my top.

...all for now!

the style look book: an alternative jacket

 

Hello! Delilah here! :) So here's my first style/outfit look book post. I actually posted it on my chictopia account first. I got really hyped about this outfit, because it's very cool black, city-look but at the same time, it's not the ordinary black, punk, rocker style.  I liked the black motorcycle jacket style but it was a little too much when I saw it all over the place. So when I came across this fitted plaid one, I had to get it. It’s from b +ab, a store in Hong Kong, along with all the other I.T. stores. It’s really well fitted and I love plaid things with a special twist. Definitely one of my best purchases this winter.

This outfit consists of...

b + ab jeans plaid blue/purple/black fitted jacket (it also has a puffy princess shoulders)

Energie black long sleeve top

Black studded pencil skirt from a random boutique

Black leggings

Doc Marten boots

The colors are different on the first pic because I tweaked it a little. The weather in Hong Kong has been terrible the past few days (supposedly the most polluted in the year) and I couldn't get any sunlight! And I took the pictures on automatic timer on my Canon IXUS, so whenever the camera wasn't stable, there would be too much light exposure and I'd getting a photo like the one below.

 

all for now. :)

the truth about warehouse sales.

Living in Hong Kong, I don't exactly get the sample sales that fashion lovers in New York and London get. However, what we do have are major end of the season sales and warehouse sales all the time. So this weekend, when my friend C. called me up and asked me if I was interested in stopping by the I.T (the shop that French Connection, Izzue, and a billion other brands are part of in Hong Kong) warehouse sale, I thought "umm...why not? I guess I wouldn't mind another pair of shoes and I remembered that I had an email last week about the Pedder Warehouse sale at Times Square. But I also had in mind my past experience at an I.T. warehouse sale, which wasn't all that fun. Most of the clothes there were leftovers and of sizes which no one could wear. However, Pedder Warehouse at Harbour City was slightly better, I got to freely try on YSL heels and Marni glasses without annoying salespeople wandering around me.

But to my disappointment, the  I.T.  sale was no different than my past experience. Way too many people in a room filled with clothes that no one really wanted. Warehouse sales basically look the same as sample sales in other places. You get a big empty room filled with racks of clothes, sometimes tables with clothes folded up, and racks of shoes by sizes. They say that it's market down 90% but really, it depends on the style and the prices. For example, there were a bunch of funky high heeled boots. But the problem was, it's almost spring and the prices were so high (1500-2000HKD, that's around 200-250HKD, for non-designer), that even on 70 or 80% off, you weren't going to buy them. So C. and I just headed towards Times Square for the Pedder Warehouse sales, hoping to find some really amazing shoes. Well, the shoes were there. Lots of Stella McCartney, YSL, Jimmy Choo, Sergio Rossi, Stuart Weitzman heels all lined up on shoes shelves. separated by sizes. All you had to do was go to your shoe size and try them on. But to our disappointment, nothing was anywhere less that 1000HKD. The only thing I found slightly reasonable was simple beige Marc Jacobs leather tote at 4000HKD, marked down from the original 13,000HKD but still, I wasn't going to spend that much money at one go on a bag that I didn't have my mind set on.


So, there it is, my weekend at warehouse sales. To tell the truth, I really don't suggest anyone to go to these sales, unless you're really into something and you know that you'll find it there. Otherwise, my suggestion would be to RUN the moment you hear that the store you like is on sale and get whatever you like and think is at an appropriate price. Everything outside your budget can wait till the prices are market down (Zara does this a lot, so it's definitely worth the wait). Other than that, you can also try boutiques (which are readily available in Hong Kong, and a lot of places in Asia) or online shops (eg. Ebay, Taobao in China, Urban Outfitters online). There's a great selection out there, so warehouse sales don't have to be the solution to your shopping frenzy. Have fun!

f/w goodness

Apologies. I've been behind on my postings due to university work. So that's why this F/W Colections post has been so delayed. Now, I'm not sure if all of you saw Louis Vuitton's collection last season, a complete disaster in my eyes. I was shocked beyond disbelief that I recall expressing my disdain quite crudely to Delilah. Here's a couple of pictures to jog your memory:

Credits: style.com

eh. enough said.

louis vuitton

Yes, exactly. Moving on to the present: F/W 2010 Louis Vuitton Collection. I crossed my fingers hoping for something better and well, Marc Jacobs delivered. It still isn't quite my cup of tea but he delivered a softer and rather feminine 50s toned collection:

There are probably only a handful of pieces in this collection that caught my eye but nevertheless, a definite step-up from his last collection. Well done!

elie saab

Yes, I have to bold his name because I worship the ground that he walks on. One of my ultimate favourite designers because everything he touches turns to gold. I fall head over heels in love with all of his collections. It's hard, very hard, to find a piece that I am not particularly fond of. Naturally, he's done it again:

A timeless, sexy, cohesive collection that is sure to make you foam at the mouth at his absolute brilliance.
Other favourites?

chanel

um...minus the whole Chewbacca/Bigfoot reference, Karl Lagerfeld's definitely done it again:

valentino

I have always been fond of Valentino. Feminine, sexy and elegant, what more could you really ask for?

*that jacket is to-die-for.

& just one last collection that I have to mention because his collection just blew. me. away.

andrew gn

I seriously encourage you to go view his entire collection because it is pure love. So chic, so wonderful.

So there you go, in my personal opinion, the highlights of the Fall/Winter Collection.

Until next time, loves!

the end marks a new beginning

I'm not sure if all you hong kong-ers out there know, but the one and only Sephora in Hong Kong (on Sai Yeung Choi street) is closing by the end of this month! Like many of you, I am shocked too. My first mascara was from Sephora. My bestie bought me a whole set of stuff from Sephora for my birthday last year. And it's always been a fun place to poke around, try their many scents and shades of eyeshadow, and sporadically bring home an eccentric color of nail polish from.



However, although Sephora's gonna be leaving Hong Kong (I wonder what they will do to those lists they have outside shops of all the different cities that have Sephora), there's on thing we can all look forward to... the final sale! With prices down by 70%, it's a good time to stock up and try out all things you wanted to buy oh so badly but never had the chance to dish out the money to do so.



After class today (yes, I occasionally have class on Saturday. ugh), I decided to check it out Sephora myself. After (almost) an hour of major poking around, eyes searching wildly over the store for best finds, I headed to the cashier with items I simply could not resist. I could have bought lots more (blush, extra black eyeliner, funky dark shades of lipstick) but I decided to hold back and buy things that I would more likely use and have not tried before.

As the salesperson rang up the receipt, I stared at the prices... 10 hkd... 20 hkd... 50hkd, and the salesperson finally said "100hkd, please." I never thought I could get that much for 100hkd (less than 13 USD) at Sephora. So I was all smiles on my way home. Now I've got shocking dark pink, metallic magenta, and glittery black nail polish, extra blue eyeliner (trust me, it looks good. Maybe I'll show you next time), and lots of make-up remover for future use. hehe. With new make-up, my goal now is to find ways to use it! With ten days left, it's really time to head towards Sephora. So if you haven't been, RUN!

All for now :)

manicures & pedicures at home?

Manicures and pedicures are addictive. But we all know that not everyone can afford those on a weekly basis. As such, many turn to home manicures as a viable option. The topic I'm mainly dealing with today is nail polish. Walk into a pharmacy or a department store and you will be floored by the variety of nail polish available for you to choose from. So how are you, as a consumer, supposed to know which brands are good and which aren't?

Through my teenage years, I've gone through many bottles and many brands of nail polish. I'll tell you, the best nail polish, in my humble opinion, is still OPI. Not only do you get your money's worth, OPI nail polish is the only nail polish I've ever applied to have lasted me more than 2 weeks. Everything else starts to chip before the weekend even begins.

Even more expensive brands such as Chanel can't compare to OPI. Granted, I'll give Chanel the credit that their shades are too gorgeous to pass up but Chanel definitely lacks when it comes to the long-lasting department. I'm such a huge fan of Chanel that it took me several stubborn attempts and failures before I finally had to grudgingly admit that Chanel's nail polish just wasn't performing as well as OPI. Its application wand is also a lot trickier to handle than OPI's, leaving my nails uneven and even streaky on occasion.

Another brand that is on my highly recommended list is Anna Sui. Not only will your nails smell ridiculously good, no seriously, it will, its fast-drying and long-lasting. This is due to the fact that Anna Sui infuses rose and peony extracts with its products. You'll look like an idiot smelling your nails but trust me, you won't be able to resist. Not to mention, the bottles are super adorable.

On several occasions, I've had friends and family members inquire how I keep my nail polish on for so long and the process that I use is no different than that of a manicurist:

1. Apply a base coat. I would recommend one that doubles as a strengthening coat as well. A MUST! It protects your nails whilst keeping your nail polish coats even. 
2. Apply the first coat of nail polish. Allow it to dry. Even better, allow it to dry overnight. It'll make applying and drying the later coats much easier.
3. Apply the second coat of nail polish. Allow it to dry.
4. Apply a top coat. This is ESSENTIAL to ensuring that your nail polish lasts longer. Do not miss out on this step!

EXTRA TIPS:

• To accelerate drying time, dip your freshly painted nails into a bowl filled with ice-cold water. I'm lazy so I just run mine under cold tap water for a few minutes and it usually does the trick. 
• To check whether your nails are dry enough so you can continue your daily activities, gently touch your nails together and if it still feels sticky, leave it alone to let it dry or you'll get massive annoying indents on your shiny nails.
• If you aren't so steady when it comes to giving yourself a manicure, no worries. Just make sure to cover all areas evenly and then use a Q-tip, dip it into a little nail-polish remover and slowly clean up all your mistakes.

Happy Home Manicures!

Until next time, darls!