Carrie K.

Two weekends ago, I decided to visit Carrie K. Atelier, in my search for the ever elusive wishbone necklace I was so crazy about in my previous blog entry about jewelry (if you miss it, you can read about it here: http://foreveerr29.blogspot.sg/2013/04/jewelry.html)

Her workshop is located on Upper Bukit Timah Road, and is tucked away in a small row of shophouses which houses many quirky shops. 

As we stepped in, a nice and cool backyard garden with a pretty frangipani tree welcomed us, and instantly we were transported to an artsy shop where you might spot in Australia, along the beach maybe. 

 As we walked into the shop itself, we were welcomed by not one, two but three lovely dogs who were super friendly and adorable! We found ourselves surrounded by mannequins sporting fabulous and exquisite pieces of jewelry, and even a sign-in book with cute lollipops on a stack of books.

And we had the honor of meeting Carrie K herself, and she was super friendly and shared with us her journey in the jewelry making business to date. 

Her story of how she became a silversmith was straight out of a hollywood movie. She was originally in advertising, and decided to take a one year sabbatical in Florence, to figure out what she wanted to do in life. She started going for jewelry making classes at a silversmith shop outside of Florence, and when she finally made her first ring (this was apparently under a windowpane that shone sunlight upon her ring as she raised it to admire it in the light), she decided that she wanted to be a silversmith.

And the rest was history. Currently, she is expanding her business internationally, making plans to export them to Korea, Australia and several other countries.

This is the collection she showed at the recent Paris Fashion Week, and to those who knows fashion, Paris Fashion Week is uh, kinda a big deal. :P

I especially love this collection, where the shiny element of silver is showcased in these delicate and exquisite folds of jewelry. Love it.

And this is her workstation, where she crafts every piece lovingly.

This is one of her signature bangles, where she treats leather in a variety of colors and offers different colors per season (about 5). She had a customer who has more than 10 of these in different colors! If you hold it in real life, you know that it is very beautifully crafted, and feels solid and definitely feels expensive.

 I like her earrings which she fashioned from safety pins as well. The folds of the pins just showcases the precious metal nicely.

I love this cuff because it has an interesting shape which is really elegant to me. And the fact that you can wear it anywhere, paired with the right clothes.

Carrie K's new collection showcases these "mettle" pieces which looks like heavy metal but are in fact leather which is treated to look like metal. She stresses that she wants her jewelry to be light and wearable, and I think this idea of treated leather is super interesting!

Finally, a shot with the artist. We had a whooping great time, and I would love to have a piece of every of her jewelry!

You can find her at http://www.carriekrocks.com/CarrieK/Default.aspx

xoxo,
Keira

Snail Essence Mask :Dr. Morita Repair Essence Ultra Slim Facial Mask

I had previously reviewed the Mizon Multi Function Formula Snail Repair Blemish Blam SPF 32/PA++ (Click to read the post if you haven't),  and have fallen so in love with the bb cream that I went to Watsons and picked up a snail essence mask too.

Just a short update on the bb cream, after using the Mizon snail bbcream for 2 months, my skin condition has improved a whole ton (Keira is a witness!). I used to be very very acne prone but after using the bb cream, I swear I rarely breakout anymore, and if I do, the pimple heals on its own within a day or two. Also, the old acne scars are starting to fade too! I used to think that the rave about snail essence is all but a hype, now I am not so sure. 

A quick search around the internet and pubmed tells me that the scientific name for snail essence is  “Helix Aspersa Müller Glycoconjugates”, it is actually a thick fluid collected by stimulating live snail (ok, I know gross, but hey, it works!). It is mainly made up of proteoglycans, glycosaminoglycans, glycoprotein enzymes, hyaluronic acid, copper peptides, antimicrobial peptides and trace elements including copper, zinc, and iron, which are all essential for keeping the snail free of bacterial or fungal infections as well as helping them heal when they get scratches from sliding around the hard pavement. I guess that's how the essence will be working on our skin as well by increasing topical wound healing properties. 

Does the snail essence really help in keeping us wrinkle free? I am not sure, because I do not have wrinkles yet. I am getting my mum to try out the mask though, will let everyone when I see results. Although, searching on pubmed, I do find some promising data, scientists have tested the snail fluid on a variety of cell cultures, where they see an increase in proliferation of fibroflast cells through the stimulation of new collagen, elastin fibers as well as fibronectin proteins. There was also a study that claims that snail extract improves skin condition by increasing the derma cells' ability to take up and hold water. Basically, I think there's enough legitimate evidence here to make the scientist in me believe that snail extract might really be a scientifically sound skincare product! 

It's up to you to believe, but let's move on to this new mask I have been trying. I have been using this mask for about a month, twice a week, and so far, I believe my skin has become fairer, and plumper, although I can't guarantee that the effects is from the mask and not the Mizon bb cream. 

Anyhow, 

Dr. Morita masks are supposed to be from Japan, but they are made in Taiwan, it made me a little disappointed. However, these masks are very well made, they are thick, and contains a whole lot of essence,  even more than those in the beauty diary masks.

The essence is also thick, slimy and sticky, it might be psychological but I like my essence thick because they feel like they contain more ingredients and are better absorbed.

This is how the mask look like on my face, I do have a pretty huge face, so there is enough material to go around. :P

I leave the mask on for 20-30 minutes, and this is a before and after shot of my pores.

Before

After

I think it's pretty obvious from the picture that my pores are a lot smaller after applying the mask.

TIP: After using the mask, DO NOT wash your face, just massage all the essence into your skin. The essence from this mask can be easily absorbed into the skin, and is not sticky after. Try it, it makes your skin smoother and softer the next day.

The mask is available only from Watson's, and cost SGD13.90 for 10 masks. Quite a good price for the quality. Are you willing to give it a try? Let me know!

xoxo,
Nicole

How to have the perfect Malacca shopping getaway!

I recently went with my family to Melaka for a short getaway. I have to say, it was better than I thought it would be. Shopping and walking around was pretty fun!

Accommodation

If you are going to Melaka for a shopping, relaxing experience, it will do you good to stay at hatten hotel. Not only are the rooms huge and nice, the 1-year old hotel is linked to not one but TWO megamalls! *super shriek* 

Here's the link to the hotel if you are interested. I really liked my stay there, although the bed was too hard for me. Hehe. http://www.hattenhotel.com/

Shopping

Shoe shops there are sooooo cheap and the designs are so much better than Singapore shops! I can't believe it but I must have spent 80% of my time shopping looking at shoes!

If you like shoes like me, you need to visit these following shops. 

1) Vincci

Vincci has a lot of comfortable styles. To be honest, all of the shoe shops have a similar style, but I'm showcasing a pair or two from each shop so you can just pick the ones you like and go to that store. 

These demin wedges were surprisingly comfy!

2) Pedalworks

I love the feminine styles of their shoes. Not super comfy, but very pretty.

3) Summit

Summit has more snazzy styles, a greater variety of shoes to choose from, in my opinion.

Oh, did I mention that the shoes average about S$20 per pair? Woohoo!

4) Carlo Rino 

My favorite purchase. The store is like a Betsey Johnson store, with bright colors and super friendly staff. The shoes were more expensive, around 80 bucks or so, but I lucked out on a sale. They are soooo comfy and I love their bold styles. Worth a visit for sure!

All these shops are situated in the two megamalls, so you can probably walk around for hours like us. 

Oh and I also bought Marc Jacobs shades there, for 30% cheaper.

 Cam-whoring with my new shades!

Touristy stuff

1) There is a church perched on a small hill that is the background of my cam-whoring shots. It's worth a visit, even if you are not a big fan of tombstones. The view is always nice from a high spot.

2) Jonker Street night market

There is a night market during the weekends (maybe weekdays too, I'm not sure) where there are bustling crowds and you can buy a lot of stuff for real cheap. Deron got a belt for 5 bucks, and I managed to buy a couple of cute things for less than 2 bucks. Worth a visit!

My earrings for S$0.80. Super cool and made of metal! 

3) Jonker Street shophouses

Around the night market, there are all kinds of shops (you name it) from dive bars, tea shops to pretty bars. It's really nice walking around and exploring the area, have a beer, and walk on.

4) Crazy trishaws that my niece was in love with.

 You see these crazy lit trishaws that seems to delight kids. You can take a ride for S$10 around the area. We had to do it because my niece would not stop nagging us about it for 1.5 days. When she was on the trishaw though, she suddenly stiffened up. It was the funniest thing.

This is her with a strained smile on her face. My sis and I actually had a better time than she does, haha!

Ultimately, I think Melaka is a nice relaxing place, to have a nice cheap meal, and to shop around, and walk around. The van driver only took 3 hours to drive from our place to the hotel, and 4 hours back because of the traffic. I had a good time, and I love that we were so close to the ocean, and on some days, the ocean was quite blue and nice. 

xoxo,

Keira

Channel your inner red lip: M.A.C Red satin lipstick

I love red lips, when I think about red lips I think of sexuality, rebellion, strength and intelligence. I see Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor or an impeccably dressed alpha woman whose tailored dress and hourglass figure provides the perfect backdrop for the red lips. I am nothing like that, but I still believe that all women must have a red lipstick. It could be worn with a little black dress, or as renown makeup artiste Lisa Eldridge  says "red lips are best worn with a simple cardigan, or a white t-shirt and jeans, that is when it will truly pop."

Elizabeth Taylor (top) and Marilyn Monroe, iconic celebrities who adored a red lip.

Have I sparked your interest in red lipsticks yet? Before we embark on an in depth discussion of the different shades of red lipsticks on the market, I will like to point you towards this interesting article that will give you much insight into the history of red lips.  


Red Lipstick shades:

1. Orange toned red lipstick
Coral red color or hot tomato color looks best on yellow skin tones, or olive skin tones. It will not sit too well on you if you have a cooler skin tone. (Note: You tend to have yellow skin tones if you have green veins on your underarm, and your skin tone is probably cool if you have quite a bit of redness / pink in your skin and your underarm vein color is blue.)

Ex M.A.C. Lady Danger (swatch here)
     Rouge d'Armani 401   (swatch here)

Rouge d'Armani 401 was made famous by songstress Rihanna.

2. Blue toned red lipstick 
Sits best on cool toned skin. It tends to make your teeth look bright and white, so this is one of my favorite red lipsticks (I happen to have neutral toned skin :P). Despite it being best for cooler skin tones, it will also look pretty nice on people with warmer skin tones because the blue in the lipstick will make it pop, and reduce the sallowness of your yellowish skin. Cooler tone lipsticks are usually easier to wear than its warm tone counterpart, so if you are a little on the yellow side and daring, give blue toned red lipsticks a try! 

Ex. Tom Ford Cherry Flush (swatch)
      M.A.C RED ( swatch, + see below).

Ann Hathaway with gorgeous red lips.

3. Neutral Red lipstick

Basically goes with ALMOST any kind of skin tones. If you are new to red lips, maybe you would want to pick out something from this category first. 

Ex. M.A.C. Ruby woo: M.A.C says it is supposed to have a slight blue undertone, but I see it as more of a true red, and good for all skins.  (swatch)
Chanel Rouge Allure Passion 104 (swatch)

Scarlett Johansson and Dita Von Tesse  in classic neutral reds.

4. Deep Red lipstick

In my opinion, dark red lipsticks are the easiest to wear out of all lipstick colors. It pops on pale skin, and it goes well on tanned skin too. If you are quite tan, and bright colored red lipsticks just look it is wearing you, try a deeper red, you will be surprised by great it looks. 

Ex. Chanel Rouge Allure Lover (swatch)

Jessica Alba: tan and rocking a deep red lip.

3 ways I wear my red lipstick:
 Red lipsticks are very versatile, if I only have enough cash for 1 one lipstick, I would probably invest it in a classic red color, than one of those sheer nude ones, because a classic red will give you more to play around with than a lighter color. 

Today I am using M.A.C RED lipstick that Zhaoru kindly loan me to try because I don't own any blue tone lipsticks (rectifying that soon with some makeup shopping :P). M.A.C. RED is a blue tone lipstick with a purple undertone. It has a classic satin finish and is not drying like Rubywoo. It is also quite long lasting, I was able to wear it for a good 6 hours, which is nice. 

1. As a lip stain 
TIP: Before you wear a red lipstick, I recommend exfoliating your lip first otherwise the color will emphasize on your peeling dry lips. I usually brush my lips with my toothbrush or use a wet cotton bud and roll it around my lips to remove dead skin.

 The first way I use my red lipsticks is as a lip stain. This is good for just adding color to your face, and brightening up your skin without being over bearing. It is a look good for work. It is also easy and fuss free because you don't have to worry about following your lip shape or lipstick bleeding throughout the day, just get enough product from the lipstick onto your finger and  dab it all over your lips. The result is a rosy, kissable lips that looks very natural.

2. As a satin full red lip

 To wear a full on lip, you will probably need a lip pencil. The lip pencil will help you create the perfect lip shape as well as prevent bleeding of the lipstick outside of your lips through the day (all red lipsticks bleed btw). Here I am using M.A.C lip pencil in Cherry, also courtesy of Zhaoru. I find it hard to draft a lip shape on my nude lip just like that so what I usually do is use my lipstick and apply it on my lips to get some sort of a shape. Then I will use my lip pencil and feather in the outline (do not DRAW the outline, it will make your lips look fake and harsh) according to the shape I already have. Finally I apply the lipstick again, now following the shape I've already created with my lip pencil. Blot your lips once with tissue paper and reapply the lipstick a second time, to make sure the color stays on for a longer time. This look is good for brunch, shopping trip, dinners.

3. Glossy Red Lips

Glossy red lips are the boldest way you can wear a red lipstick. I usually wear it to a wedding dinner, or maybe clubbing, places where you need to look very put together. If you have already mastered the full red lip, glossy red lip is simple, just apply gloss over it. :P You could use a colorless gloss, like urban decay lip junkie lip gloss in naked, or choose a gloss color that is similar to the red lipstick you are wearing. 

 I forgot to take a picture of myself with glossy red lips, I leave you with Kim K in gorgeous glossy lips.

That's all folks! Hope you find this entry useful. Last words, make sure you wear your red lips with confidence, don't let the red wear you instead! 

xoxo, 

Nicole. 

Jewelry!

I wanted to start the day by writing about jewelry. I LOVE accessories, but I am very picky about some and not so much for some. I feel that every girl should have two types of accessories.

Type 1: Interesting and bold pieces that compliment your outfit.
Type 2: Simple but beautiful pieces you wear on a day-to-day basis

I'm going to give some recommendations for both, and talk about some upcoming trends!

TYPE 1

So for Type 1, you want something that is interesting but it doesn't have to be expensive nor well made. Of course it's better well made, but sometimes art exist in cheap pieces of jewelry too!

I just realized that Nordstrom now offers a variety of really cute and quirky pieces for under $50 USD. And they ship internationally too, if I'm not mistaken.

They even have categories like "shop under $50" so you don't have to waste your time if you have a limited budget.

I just recently got $60 in nordstrom cash (I have a credit card with them, and you get gift vouchers from them from time to time), so I was looking for something to buy.

I saw soooo many cute things I wanted! But first, I wanted to highlight some trends that caught my eye:

1) Leather and chain accessories

Remember the rage a couple of years ago about feather earrings. It is SO last year. Move over feather earrings, because here comes the better version...

 Leather and chain earrings! Not only does the material give it a punk rock vibe, it is extremely versatile. Unlike feather earrings which can almost always be paired with just hippy like outfits or sundresses, these earrings can be worn with everything! Pair it with a sundress to get that indie vibe. Pair it with a clubbing dress to show your sassy side. Love it!

2) Moustache accessories

 I'm not sure how this trend started, but I first started noticing it on Top Chef where a lot of the chefs are sporting indie moustaches in the show! It translates nicely into accessories though, just looks super quirky and fun!

3) Ring-bracelets

 I'm not really sure how I feel about this upcoming trend, but I don't hate it. All I can say is that it has the potential to be cool...

 Like this is pretty cool.

4) Multiple bangles

 I guess this has always been popular, but I love the new assortment at Nordstrom. You have to be the kind of cute, playful girl to carry it off though.

5) Sideways cross

One of my favorite new trends. It just looks so effortlessly classy. Now, if only Tiffany's will come up with a nice version...

Anyways, you can peruse the collection Nordstrom has to offer at shop.nordstrom.com

I love some of these items coming up next, wish I can buy them all! I love them because they are the best kind of Type 1 jewelry. They SCREAM for your attention, and for a girl with a lot of simple dresses, they totally re-invent an outfit!

 Gorgeous for nights out, nice dinners. Great with jeans and a loose top for a classy chic look, or play it up with a nice black or white dress to really showcase your neck.

 A variant of the popular collar necklace. This is made entirely out of beads, and just one of those which is just enough to grab your attention but not scream for it.

I love this piece by Cara. Cara has a lot of collections which are inexpensive but super beautiful.

I bought these pair of earrings from Cara! I just love her stuff, although I have to say they are not the most durable items ever, but hey, they aren't expensive!

I also love Swarovski for those big chunky crystal accessories! Like this.

You can visit their online shop at the link below:

http://www.swarovski.com/Web_US/en/online_shop

OR look forward to my next post showcasing the swarovski earrings carried by Good goods in Millenia Walk. I LOVE their accessories.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Goodgoodscomsg/194738657261327

Also, if you are on a tight budget, Foreveerr29 and H&M has some nice accessories from time to time for cheap. Recommended as well, if you are in Orchard.

TYPE 2

I have another list of jewellers for Type 2. And no, Swarovski is not one of them. Simply because I love crystal in their pure chunky form, not in the pretend-to-be-diamonds form. It looks cheap by comparison.

Like this.

 And they are not cheap! So I'd rather spend the money on a piece of Tiffany's necklace which looks much classier.

1) Carrie K

I just found out about this local designer from my friends who sported this beautiful and whimsical wishbone necklace (thanks to Gerry and Tsin Zhen for their good taste). 

It comes in three colors: gold, rose gold, and silver. The silver is top grade, similar to that in Tiffany's silver (more about that later), which means it doesn't tarnish easily, and it's brighter. I love the simplicity of this chain, and the fact that you can wear it everyday and it adds a little sparkle to your outfits!

She has a lot of cool stuff on her blog. Nowadays, everyone is coming up with necklaces with words on it again. And some of her stuff is edgy and I love it!

http://www.carriekrocks.com/CarrieK/Default.aspx

2) Tiffany & Co

There is a reason why T&Co remains so popular over the years. Ever since I got my first bean necklace from them at age 16, I fell in love with their collections. 

 Like this ring, which is part of their new collection. I am constantly impressed at how they could create simple, yet elegant and eye-catching pieces of jewelry!

Even their namesake necklaces look classier, in my biased opinion.

 If my mum is into jewelry, I would buy this for her in a heartbeat...

I love their silver because they really do not tarnish easily, and they are whiter and brighter than most silver pieces I see. Not to mention that you could always get it repaired at their store, or have them clean it.

Over the years, I have accrued many pieces of their silver, and as I am moving into my soon-to-be old age, I am fixated on their diamonds and titanium collections.

Their diamonds are conflict-free and way more sparkly than one of the same grade. It has something to do with the cut, but I am sold!

 And I never regretted getting this chain. Well, I did regret not buying a bigger size one but oh well.

And I am still saving money and waiting to be rich so I can buy the matching ring. Every time I try it on at the store, my heart weeps a bit. No joke.

Anyway, my point is that every girl should invest in a good piece of jewelry that they cherish and wear everyday, just to add a little bit of sparkle into their lives.

Browse their collections at http://www.tiffany.com/

Every girl deserves that, so guys, buck up and buy something nice for your spouses!

xoxo,
Keira