Coco avant et apres Chanel

2009 was a big year for movies about Coco Chanel. There was Coco avant Chanel (also known as Coco Before Chanel in many places) and Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky. Coco Avant Chanel is the famously publicized one, with Audrey Tautou as Coco, and the beginning trailers in the cinemas included a Chanel No. 5 commercial with Tautou in it (I saw it in the theatres last year). The focus of that movie was Coco's rise from a unknown seamstress to beginning to establish her store, mostly through the help of certain men and her relationships with them. That movie spent a lot of the storyline on relationships and romance, emphasis on "before" Chanel focuses only on her business. There was hardly anything about clothes other than Tautou occasionally wearing a signature Chanel piece all of a sudden. Nothing much on where the ideas for the clothes came from, she just wore them. So for a fashion person like me, it wasn't too impressive. Meanwhile, Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky focuses on Coco and her relationship with Igor Stravinsky, the composer. I didn't have a chance to see the movie myself but my friend, who's opinion I'd trust, told me that he simply didn't "feel" anything.

However, not long before Coco avant Chanel, there was Coco Chanel, a LifeTime TV movie mini series, with Shirley MacLaine starring as Coco Chanel. Even though the storyline is basically the same as that of Coco Avant Chanel, it was much more enjoyable. Almost four hours in total, split into two two-hour movies, I actually enjoyed this Chanel movie. For most of the movie, Barbora Bobulova played Coco Chanel in her earlier years, full of zest and a sense of independence.

The movie went step by step, showing Chanel's beginning as an orphan, then a seamstress, Chanel making hats on her own and eventually she opens her first hat store in Paris. Then there was war and how she had to put her hat business behind. Chanel then opens her first clothing boutique in Deauville, using light weight material, not traditional rich fabrics, to make clothes that women can move more comfortably in. After war, Chanel builds up her boutique and creates the famous double "C" logo. The story ends off with Coco presenting her second collection after World War II, being just as driven, full of inspiration, and daring in her fashion creations. Overall, regardless of whether everything in the movie was factual or not, the movie is definitely a recommendation to both fashion lovers and Chanel fans. It's a dose of what we'd all like to see in a Chanel movie: the romance, the fashion, and the inspiration of a free-spirited and powerful Chanel woman. Plus the French in it, as I said before, is very sexy. I give this movie a double thumbs up. So if you're ready for some major fashion inspiration and Chanel, Coco Chanel is available on itunes. Photos from Lifetime TV.

By the way, 2009 was also the year for Karl Lagerfeld's short film of "Paris-Shanghai: A Fantasy." Just two weeks ago, Karl Lagerfeld also released "Remember Now" at the recent Chanel Cruise 2010/2011 show. The films are pretty awesome. Take a look at the Chanel blog, under "Videos."
 
All for now, enjoy the weekend!

lashes to lips: Jeisa's choice on make-up

Bonjour lovelies!

So technically, I am supposed to be studying for my finals or starting one of my assignments. But knowing very well that when exam week approaches, I won't be able to post again for awhile. So I decided to write this up following a shopping day out with my roommate, who inspired me to make this post:

Essentially, what is in my make-up bag?

What are my favourite, must-live-by make-up that I carry with me at all times?

I should start out by saying that I'm a die-hard DIOR fan, so please be aware that most of what I use is going to be from Dior. I know that judging the quality of make-up is incredibly subjective so even if it works heavenly on me, it might not work on you so just be aware of that and always always try it out at the department store before you make a purchase.

Okay, let's get to it:

• FOUNDATION: DiorSnow White Reveal UV Shield MakeUp

• This is a great foundation! I've always preferred powder foundations for some reason and this just works brilliantly. Finished and flawless application and my favourite part of it? It looks completely natural! There's never a need to worry that after a hard day's work, a thick cakey effect will form. As an added benefit, with the right moisturiser, you will attain the long sought-after dewy effect seen on runway models. It's that amazing. Not to mention, there's UV protection which is always a plus! 

• HIGHLIGHTER: M.A.C. Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft & Gentle

• I have only begun to use highlighters very recently so usually, I'll just stick to using it when I have an event at night because frankly, I feel like my face is too "made-up" for a casual-day look when I apply this to accentuate my facial features. In case you're wondering, I usually brush gently over the following on my face: brow bones, nose bridge, apple of your cheeks and forehead. Instant glow!

• EYESHADOW: Dior Travel Studio

• I actually use this Dior Travel Studio because I travel quite a bit and its just much easier to have one massive compact than a million pots of eyeshadow littered around my make-up bag. Besides, there is a great variety of shadows that's sufficient for casual day looks or sultry night looks. Like I said, I absolutely adore Dior. Their eyeshadows are great, the pigment is rich and it stays on all day without appearing dull or washed-out.

• EYELINER: Dior Crayon Eyeliner (Waterproof)

I have actually used this eyeliner for years and its been working so well that I would never consider switching to another one. Yes, yes, I'm incredibly biased but Dior cosmetics really are as wonderful as they seem.

• MASCARA: Lancome L'Extreme

• My absolute must-have mascara! I recommend this to everyone. In fact, it is so brilliant that my roommate actually rushed out to buy it. I kid you not, I have been searching high and low for mascara that doesn't appear clumpy and unnatural on my lashes and for the longest time (years and years, in fact), I have not found this miracle mascara. It was up to the point that I figured that there may have been something wrong with the way I was applying it or my lashes or something that I actually gave up on my search. Then, my mom gave me this one day after she bought a pack of three when she was travelling. Oh my God, I nearly swooned when I first applied it on my lashes. Flawless finish! I had instant dark, thick lashes WITH NO CLUMPS. -insert gasp-. This is amazing, seriously, I have no words.

• CONCEALER:  Chanel Correcteur Perfection

• WORTH the money. Literally, the best concealer ever. This is my life, especially now, during exam season. A little bit goes a long way and I love how it blends so seamlessly with my foundation. I've used concealers before where the colour stood out so distinctly after a few hours --- an absolute horror. This is definitely on my highly recommended list for a must-have in any make-up bag.

Some of you may notice that I don't have anything for lips and that's because I haven't really found a great lipstick/lip gloss to recommend yet. I am now in the market in search of a great nude lip but alas, nothing has struck my fancy. When I have found something great, I'll be sure to update this once again.

Thanks for viewing and I hope this is some use to you! 

With love,

Jeisa

meet me on the steps of the MET

Once in a year, the glitzey and the glamourous come together on the red carpets of the Metropolitan Museum's Costume Institute Benefit and raise a major fashion frenzy. Afterall, it's New York City and a bunch of fashion lovers and celebrities put together.

Picks by Delilah...

 Coco Rocha (in Zac Posen) looks like she's wearing Monet, the clouds, and the glistening blue seas altogether in one dress. I'm mesmerized by the colors.

Rachel Bilson (in Louis Vuitton) looks so chic in this classy Louis Vuitton dress. This lets every petite Asian girl out there (hehe, including myself) know that we CAN wear Louis Vuitton and look just as good as the model on the runway.

 Phillip Lim & Alexa Chung (in 3.1 Phillip Lim). While everyone else is wearing party dresses and sweeping gowns, Alexa Chung does what she does best: wear something different! The black bow on the white blouse is cute and platform heels make her look fierce, but stylish!

Lastly, there's Jessica Szorhr (in Versace). I can't see why Style.com did not include her. I actually really liked the dress the moment I saw it on a news footage. There's black lace on nude fabric. It's subtle statement of beauty. And it looks really good with Jessica Szorhr's tan.

Photo Credits: Coco Rocha, Rachel Bilson and Alexa Chung from style.com and Jessica Szorhr from jessica-szohr.com

Jeisa here! Apologies for the lack of posts, I've been incredibly busy and then...Delilah came up with this ridiculously wonderful idea about posting about MET outfits which I have been going craaaazy over. It's the Red, White & Blue: the Metropolitan Museum of Art celebrating American Woman: Fashioning A National Identity. A myriad of chic and well-dressed individuals storming the steps of the MET, what more could you really ask for?

My favourites?

Emma Watson (Burberry) style.com. One of my absolute favourites of the night. She looked effortlessly chic and pulled off a white dress without looking washed out. Amazing.

Anne Hathaway (Valentino). This dress actually grew on me the more I saw it. It's hard to pull off a ball gown but Anne Hathaway definitely managed to, she looked positively divine. Not to mention, I have a huge thing for nude coloured dresses this season and this was just one fairytale dress I couldn't resist.

Blake Lively (Marchesa). Marchesa is just brilliant to me. Georgina Chapman is a genius. Therefore, it's no wonder that this dress was another hit. From the gorgeous hue of the dress to the intricate designs of this mini, there's really nothing else you need to say---Blake Lively looked stunning and gorgeous and definitely, stood out as one of the best-dressed of the night.

Last but not least...

Yes, another ball gown. Jennifer Lopez (Zuhair Murad). The intricate details of the dress just kill me. It's positively beautiful and I kind of wish that Jennifer's hair wasn't so unruly but either way, my focus is on the dress. Now, what girl wouldn't want to get married in that?

That's all from me! Until next time, loves!

Le French May

"French is so sexy" - a friend of mine, D

That is quite a irrefutable statement. Whenever my friend, D, and I talk about anything French that the first thing he says. Not only does the language and the accent linger in your ear, the movies keep you coming for more (Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, Paris, je t'aime, the list is endless), the women there also dress incredibly stylishly. I once read that the secret to French dressing, according to an American expat journalist, was by spending more on a few nice classy, possibly designer, items; unlike Americans, who spend the same amount of money for lots of cheaper clothes. I'm not sure if that's exactly how it works but people like Carla Bruni (I believe Italian turned French), Jane Birkin (okay, not French, but she resides in France), and Betty from Le Blog de Betty make me wish that I was a tall brunette French girl with bangs.  They just  give off that irresistible vibe of chic.

So when I came across the spread Americans In Paris  in US Vogue May 2010, I couldn't forget it. The spread consists of Daria Werbowy photographed by Mario Testino and it's absolutely chic. Focus on the bags (from left to right): Celine, Hermes, Chloe, Fendi Peekaboo -absolutely love for the different color in the lining. Simply love that, Gucci, Chanel. And the color tones: beige, light brown, white, and dark navy blue.

Simply love love loveee this. It's gonna be my summer intern clothing inspiration. Seriously. Black suit with a white blouse and black heels? *Vigorously shaking my head.* That's not going to happen. It's time to do some digging around in my closet and some shopping once I get my last assignment in. It won't hurt to look French right? :)

On a side note... sorry for the few week hiatus! Exam period has finally rolled over. And seriously, all that stress, staring at my notes, and sitting in a enclose four walled space has drowned out the color in my face, not that there was much left in the first place. Nonetheless, that has definitely raised my awareness of the need for major skin care. Since then, I've stalked up on moisturizer, anti-eye bag/puffiness/darkness gel, and face masks. But I still don't want my face to appear here, yet. I still look like a mess. See you in a while!

All for now, Delilah

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. :)