Spendthrift.

The biggest internal debate I have every time I try to grapple with my own sense of style is whether the price tag is worth it. Sure, a Balenciaga leather tote trumps all over some imitation Sportsgirl offering, and I would readily label myself as "brand conscious" (or even "brand snob"), but there are times when you come across an item so ridiculously cheap that you'd be silly to not get it. 

Case in point: I paid $4.50 for a pair of heels*. You read that right, four dollars and fifty Australian cents. To put this in perspective, a fruit smoothie in this land costs anywhere from $4 to $7. I could have bought 2 pairs of these shoes and still have change compared to getting a ready-made focaccia. 

Heels from Love Couture

They aren't bad, eh! If they had been priced in the three-digit region, I probably wouldn't have purchased them, but at this low low price, they are cute and comfortable. I have so many outfit options swirling in my head: pairing it with a black silk jumpsuit, sequined top and skinny jeans, black shorts and blouse, stockings and tight dress. The list goes on.

*Disclaimer: the heels were price $9 but the store had a buy-one-get-one-free deal, so essentially the shoes cost $4.50.

Burr, it's Cold in Here.

You'd have to be living under a rock, or climbing the Himalayas, if you didn't hear about Tanya Burr over the past week or so. Who is she? Well, according to the Daily Mail (yes, I'm incredibly well read), Miss Burr is a 22-year old Youtube sensation specialising in celebrity make-up tutorials, and is such a specialist that she amasses over 2 million Youtube hits per month. 

Want to look like Olivia Palermo? Here you go:

Miranda Kerr in all her Victoria's Secret Angel glory? Look no further:

Some people have complained that she's a one trick pony, that her looks essentially look the same - eyeliner, neutral shades, pink or coral cheeks, pink lips. For me, I say each to their own. Tanya's clearly found her niche and success with taking celebrity/editorial looks and interpreting them her own way, and hey, I certainly don't think I am more skilled than her. I must also give kudos to her willingness to show her bare face, and making quite simple to follow videos. To top it off, she's a fellow pale skinned lady, so I couldn't criticise her (too much) even if I wanted to.

What do you think? Is Tanya your cup of tea? 

Lust-Haves: Asian Influence.

恭賀新禧! Happy Chinese New Year! It's the year of the dragon (the best zodiac sign, in my humble opinion), so here's to an exciting and prosperous year!

Speaking of Chinese culture, I am off to Hong Kong in exactly 38 days (not that I'm counting or anything). I have a penchant for writing lists, so of course I am compiling a wish list for all the fashion and beauty brands that I want to pillage when I get there! I have not set a budget for myself, so this could get dangerous. Anyways, here are a few Hong Kong lust-haves that I'm hankering for:

Marni for H&M

Image via Fashionologie

When the Marni for H&M collaboration was announced hot off the heels of the success with the Versace for H&M collection, I nearly fell off my seat. As fabulous as the Versace outing was, Marni's design aesthetics hits closer to my heart. And when I heard it was to be released on March 8 globally, I wept in excitement knowing that I was going to be in Honkers on that date. So I will be ticking off "camping overnight for fashion" off my bucket list come early March. 

Skinfood Aloe Sun BB Cream

Image via Skinfood Singapore

I have heard such good things about this BB cream, especially for those with sensitive, dry, easily irritated skin like me. You can get them in Sydney at Asian cosmetic stores such as Blush Cosmetics in World Square (Town Hall), but it is seriously overpriced here. So I am going to stock up in HK -  they're sold on Sasa, I believe!

Forever 21

Image via Hong Kong Hustle

Forever 21, the Korean-owned US mega clothing chain, has finally arrived in Hong Kong! The flagship Causeway Bay store had its soft opening a few days ago, giving us a sneak peek of its grand opening sometime in the HK spring. I cannot tell you how excited I am about this, especially when their online store's shipping fees are astronomical! 

Hada Labo

Image via Hada Labo

I am really interested in trying out the Hada Labo range, and see for myself what all the fuss is about! I don't think I've read any negative reviews on their products, especially their Super Hyaluronic Acid, which helps improve the moisture retention of skin (music to my ears!). Hada Labo is also available in Sasa, so my wallet will be losing a lot of weight there. 

Needless to say, I will be packing a mostly empty suitcase for this trip. Dear lovely people, what other brands should I look out for in Honkers?

Lust.

Smokey without the Smoke.

What do you do when, by some miracle, you wake up much earlier than you need to on a workday? Have a long breakfast? Do a 20 min Zumba workout? Go to work early? Or you could be like me, and play with make-up. Play until you end up being a little late to work. Story of my life. 

I am still quite a baby when it comes to make-up expertise (both in products and techniques), and I have ridiculously pale skin, so I've never dared to use dark eyeshadow. When I stumbled across my small BYS 'Smokey Purples' eyeshadow palette, I decided to try my amateur hands with it. I wanted to achieve a "not-so-traditional" smokey eye, in that it needed to be subtle enough to be work appropriate. 

 

Please excuse my messy, just got out of bed, hair. 

 

As you can see above, the one pesky thing I find about BYS eyeshadows is that they're extremely loose. One light dip with an eyeshadow brush creates a powder bomb. Not fun! BYS eyeshadows are extremely cheap though, so if you're a newbie like me, it's good to use them for experimenting and practice without your wallet hating you! And you may not be able to see in the pictures, but the eyeshadows in this palette actually have a subtle shimmer. 

Anyways, I digress. To achieve my look, I applied the light purple shade (1) all over my lids, the purple brown shade (2) on the mid third of my lids, and the shimmery black shade (3) on the outer corner of my eyelids. I then used a small blending brush, and starting from the outer corners, blended the colours together, making sure to blend the darker shades along the creases of my eyes. 

Product Roll Call

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Liquid Foundation (in 5.5)

Stila Hydrating Finishing Powder (loose)

Muji Stick Concealer in light

BYS #6 'Smokey Purples' Eyeshadow Palette
Rimmel 'Colour Rush' Mono Eyeshadow (for lower lash line)
MAC Zoom Lash Mascara

MAC Wonder Woman MSF in 'Golden Lariat'

Chanel Aqualumiere Lipshine in 'Antigua' (#32)

Overall I think it was a no-fuss, dramatic yet subtle look! As I practice more and get more knowledge about what products work for me (and my poor sensitive skin), I really hope to up the ante on my techniques as well. Now to reallocate my clothes "budget" for more make up...

Pink Power.

When I did a pink manicure on Sunday afternoon, I didn't know that it would subconsciously inspire me to have a pink-filled week! 

Pink pink pink! featuring:

Hot pink flats from Love Couture

Pink ombre nails...

(Kit 'Full Throttle'

Rimmel 'Strawberry Fizz'

OPI 'Sparrow Me the Drama'

OPI 'Isn't that Precious?'

OPI 'Mod About You')

Pink watch from a 300 Yen store in Osaka, Japan

Splash of pink from a Kookai top

Pink delivery! from Glossybox

When I was younger, I was obsessed with mood rings, and really believed that what you felt was reflected in your colour choices. Judging from how perky I've been this week, it might not be such a stretch from the truth after all!