a lunar new year gift for myself :)

i simply love hearts and polka dots and ribbons and butterflies... can't explain why - guess it's part inert, part cultured.

it was love at first sight for this little pouch from coach - shiny patent leather in a sweet subdued lavender shade, debossed monogram prints, and *gasp* the most adorable little bow with a worn-gold heart charm! <3 <3 <3

yea, i know i didn't need a new pouch, but in the spirit of the lunar new year celebrations, i've decided to indulge myself and splurge a little, a new year's gift for myself ;) a pretty, new money purse for the new year, that should be a good token, right? *smile* ok, i'll be good now... no more indulgences.

cheers to a happy lunar new year 2012!

obsessed with bows!

if you are as obsessed with ribbons and bows as i am, then you would certainly fall in love with this as quickly as i did too!

check out this adorably feminine bow ski hat from Kate Spade; keep yourself warm and still look chic and fashionable at the same time!

priced at US$85, will you be splurging your year-end bonus on this? ;)

jingle bells...

i love the harajuku lovers fragrances, have always loved them since i first set eyes on the original collection at a Macy's store in Seattle :) and of course, that's also the beginnings of my (evil) little collection of those cute little fragrance dolls... hehehe.

confession: after all these years, i must have a total of 6 or 8 bottles to date (a few of which were gifts) - selected ones from every single collection, as well as the special edition "Gwen-only" ones :)

yay! there's a new release from HJL, its latest but also the very last fragrance from the line. *sob sob* such a pity because it's been fun looking forward to each new release, but also a BIG sigh of relief, after all no one can go on collecting them forever, can they? ;)

i am definitely getting the 10ml (S$38) for this festive "jingle gwen" fragrance doll. i've heard from colleagues that Robinsons Singapore already has this in store, so get yours early whilst stocks last!

related posts:

• harajuku lovers - G of the sea
• Harajuku Lovers are wicked ;)
• harajuku lovers - solid perfume coffret
• i want the Harajuku Lovers Snow Bunnies gift set! :)

tokidoki Barbie - finally got my hands on her! :)

i finally picked this up from the post office today! thanks to a gf a. who helped facilitate the pre-order and have it re-directed all the way from the USA to me. yay! :) the official release is scheduled for a week or two later, so i'm actually one of the lucky folks who managed to get this much earlier than most other fans <3 <3 <3

tada!! my very own, limited edition, collector's tokidoki Barbie doll!!!

i just knew i wanted this the very first time i set eyes on her... what a unique piece of tokidoki art! and now it's finally in my hands, feels almost unreal, love it!

see how it all started in this earlier post.

pictures say so much more than words, so i shan't say anymore... enjoy the photos:

 

isn't she a beauty? :) i feel like a 5-year-old all over again! hehehe...

check out all those intricate little details and accessories, the super tokidoki-fied touches and Barbie's oh-so-sexy sultry look ;) aren't they amazing?

news release on tokidoki website.

what do you think these are?

make a guess...

(scroll down for the answer...)

(((tada!)))

(view more on these pages: modelling pics. 1 and pics. 2)

pretty remarkable, aren't they? so delicate and beautiful, almost like art... remind me of those paper cuttings, like these traditional ones, or the contemporary ones, don't you agree?

a colleague had directed me to this post on Scrangie's blog, and that's where i had come to know of these fancy stick-on eyelashes from the brand paperself. i had in fact checked out the actual products at the Sephora store here the other day (retails SGD30 per pair) but the packaging is so plain, you'd hardly notice if you weren't looking for them in the first place... such a pity.

i personally have not tried any form of stick-on lashes before, but have certainly witnessed how some of those 'falsies' do wonders to one's eyes.. amazing! :) pretty as these are, i don't suppose we would start seeing these fluttering about in public on the average days... would probably make more sense as some eye-catching pieces for the runway, or fancy costume / themed parties.

this is my favourite pair - deers and butterflies :)

available from paperself.com; sephora; urbanities australia etc.

die-die-must-have: tokidoki Barbie! *heart*

here's my "die-die-must-have"....
the tokidoki Barbie doll!! OMG! 110% tokidoki-ness! *silent shriek* :)

 

isn't she pretty? so edgy, so chic, so top-to-toe tokidoki... i love!!

fellow fans will notice that this Barbie girl is truly authentically tokidoki - tattooed punk rock, chic and sexy, signature pink hair and pouty lips, sporting the tokidoki skull-heart-and-bones t-shirt and leopard-print tights, carrying a real tokidoki miniature purse in hand, walking her cute Bastardino cactus pup... all that attention to these tiny little details, oh wow, i'm impressed!

well, you may be shaking your head and clucking your tongue, thinking i'm no longer 16... but if tokidoki could get me acting like one, then why shouldn't i indulge and just give in to my occasional insane little fancies *grin*.

available from Sep/Oct at selected collectible stores, i am so going to pre-order this right away! if this arrives in October, then just a perfect little birthday gift for myself ;) 

references: Lovetokidoki; Hong Kong magazine

if you don't have a basketball court near you...

... just bring one right into your office! :)
simply no better way to practise your three-pointer shoots without even having to move your bum.. LOL.

btw, if you remember this older post...
now that we have upgraded to a new office, surely the old 'basketball court' needs an upgrade too, right? ;)

harajuku lovers - G of the sea

me likey this!! sooo adorable! :)

should i, should i not?

too pricey though.
i would get this if they have it in the smaller 15ml version.

to add to my tiny collection of the small HL fragrances *wink*.

sooo cuuuute...

Harajuku Girls G of the sea perfume (USD64)

edited to add: good news, fellow H.J.L. fans! this limited edition mermaid "G" is now available in Singapore! :) in fact, to my surprise, they have actually brought in the 15ml version of it too *woohoo*. as i had promised, i went ahead to get myself a 15ml bottle of this at a 10% discount ;) original retail price S$38, available at Takashimaya shopping centre fragrance department. go get yours now!

my new uni STYLE FIT multi-colour pen :)

there is just something about pens, writing materials and stationery... that makes people like me go a tad bit crazy and out of control. lol.

blame it on the colleague who wanted to stock up on some stationery, we popped by Evergreen stationery store after lunch today, and alas! i had to spend S$12.65 on a single writing instrument! *tsk tsk* :P

people who know me should know NOT to tempt me by taking me to a stationery shop or any place where you can find lots of unnecessary but too unresistably adorable little items.. hehehe. my weakness. sigh.

anyway, i have no idea how long this range of Uni STYLE FIT pens has been available in the market, but the concept of it is all so cool, and appeals much to someone like me who just can't resist switching my pens every now and then, changing the colours, and be surrounded with all things pretty, even around my desk.


so this is how it works:
1) select one of the 3-pen or 5-pen empty plastic barrels that come in several colours, prints and designs (plain, metallic, polka dot, ribbons etc.)
- honestly, this was what really got me :P

2) then customise your own barrel with the ink refills of your choice - pick from thickness of 0.28mm, 0.38mm or 0.5mm

3) of course, there are many many different ink colours to choose from - pinks, reds, oranges, greens, blues, browns, violets, black etc.

take your pick, mix-and-match, and voila!
that's how easy you can splurge over S$12 in an instant, just the way i did ;)

ok, now would you please just say WOW to my new pink girly ribbon-polka-dotted multi-coloured pen *wink*.

 

1 day only - Apple store lunar new year specials (Singapore and selected countries only)

deck yourself out in all things Apple this lunar new year.
don't miss this one-day special promotion, only at the Apple Store (Singapore and selected countries).

hurry down to your nearest store now, or check out www.apple.com.sg - remember, reduced prices only on 14 jan 2011! :)

the polar bears have swum their way to Long John Silvers

gotta check this out if you:

• love the white fluffy polar bears
• are a huge fan of coca cola and all things coke
• enjoy Long John Silvers

i haven't stepped into a Long John Silvers restaurant for the longest time. in fact i think i can count with one hand, the total number of times i've ever had food there. by fast food standards, it's actually not a bad place but somehow it just never comes up to the top of my list even when I do crave some fast food *shrugs*. i have to admit though, i do kinda like their salty crispy fries, the coleslaw and the extra crunchy flour bits they throw in whenever you order fried stuff :)

this evening, i passed by a Long John Silvers restaurant after running some errands, wasn't thinking of getting anything there but the promotional pullup banner at the entrance stopped me in my tracks. it said - purchase any combo meal, upsize your drink, and get one of the featured coca-cola-branded stuffed polar bears for only S$1.80! :) yea, i know... i really don't need another stuffed toy, but the picture of those cute little palm-size wintery white fluffy bears with their festive red scarf, fleece hat and coca cola bottle in hand, just made it so hard to resist, you know? hehe. so i succumbed and walked right into the restaurant... figured i could have a mango fish wrap combo for dinner anyway.


just look at him, isn't he super uber adorable? wouldn't you be tempted if you saw it too? ;) promotion started today (27 nov), one new bear each week.... so hurry down to your nearest branch, and collect all 4!

Harajuku Lovers are wicked ;)

if something this cute ain't wicked, then what is it? lol.

i first came across Gwen Stefani's Harajuku Lovers fragrance (original set) during my vacation in Seattle back in 2008. it was love at first sight. i KNEW i had to bring home some of those even before i had a sniff of the scents. as it turned out, they were all very pleasant and i even got oddly hooked to the unusual fruity coconuty scent of 'G'. so i ended up with a big splurge at Macy's, left the store with the 10ml petite bottle of 'G' and 'LOVE', and the entire set of solid perfume cuties :P

in mid-2009, the brand launched a limited edition seasonal collection featuring the same 5 dolls dressed in warm fluffy winter coats and each spotting rosier cheeks - the 'Snow Bunnies' collection! even though i wasn't in the USA then, Harajuku Lovers eventually made it to the departmental stores here, and so i added the new 'G' and 'BABY' to my collection. from then on, i knew there was just no turning back *gulp*...

and right i was. earlier this year, when Summer came, the Harajuku Lovers left their thick winter clothes behind and showed more skin :) these 'Sunshine Cuties' looked sooooo adorable in their tiny bikinis and bathing suit, they even had tanner skin, and oh.. look at 'LOVE' with her over-sized sunshades! hehehe... how could i resist? *tsk tsk tsk*. i chose the 10ml 'G' and 'LOVE' again. this time, other than 'G', each doll's scent was slightly different from the original, so that made it more interesting.

when i saw the new 'Wicked Style' Harajuku Lovers on sephora.com, i must say Harajuku Lovers are just wicked! lol. i'm gonna be broke collecting them, even though i limit myself to only 2 dolls per season, it all still adds up :P

initially, i thought i would be safe with the 'Wicked Style' cuz it's darker, more 'emo' and not quite my usual fancy, but they actually grew on me. yikes! the scents are new, and they now have fuzzy felt heads, new hairdo too! cute. i've already taken a liking to 'G', 'BABY' and 'LIL' ANGEL'.

hmm.. i don't think they'll be available on our shore for at least another month or so, let's just see if i'll still be tempted then ;) oh wicked wicked wicked...

remember miffy?

any of you remember miffy?
if it rings a bell, then you're probably born in the same era as me.. lol.

women's secret has just launched a new miffy collection for the casual and underwear, so nostalgic! i like these - miffy accessories and paper pins :D

i remember how i used to love going to the national library because i would always max. out my loan limit on miffy look books.. hehe. they're just so cute, simplest shapes, cutest bunnies with "x" shaped mouths... image filled books, minimum text, interesting texture (sometimes they had cut out shapes with woolly fabric bunny prints) - guess i've always been drawn to visuals more than words :)

anyway, i haven't seen miffy around for a long time now. just heard from a friend that it's actually still very popular in Japan. check out the official website.. super cute! even the cursor is a miffy bunny paw.. awww. lol.

oh well, sometimes a woman just needs her 2 min. of childish time :P helps keep one sane on stressful days.

coca-cola on the go...

i'm not a coke fan, but i know many friends who are. i'm like an old auntie.. hehe, my favourite drink is hot milk tea, and i seldom or almost never take cold drinks, especially the carbonated ones. nonetheless, that didn't stop me from bagging a set of these coca-cola cuties the moment i saw them at the store! ok, i don't use 4 lip balms/gloss at the same time - the regular coke set is a surprise gift for a gf, mine's the vanilla lip balm *slurp.. yummy* (it smells and even tastes a little like the real thing!)

i've always read of lip smacker and their wide range of very interesting co-branded and food/drink-flavoured lip products online, but sadly they're just hardly available here in Singapore. in recent years, thanks to globalisation, expanding retail giants and even the more enterprising smaller blogshops, we're now beginning to find more exciting, cutesy merchandises on our tiny little island too :) besides the regular coca-cola and vanilla coke flavours, i also spotted sprite, fanta - strawberry, orange & grape too! such lovely collectibles.. hurry, go grab yours today before they're all gone!

available at Guardian Pharmacy at the following prices:

• regular lip balm (S$4.90)
• clear lip gloss (S$6.90)
• roller-ball lip gloss (S$7.90)
• packaged set of all 3 lip items (S$15.90)

i hope they'll bring in the lip smacker paul frank lip balms set too.. way toooooooo adorable! (don't ask me how i'll ever get to finish my lip balms) :P

serious flooding on Orchard Road

this was what happened to Orchard Road (Singapore), after 2 mornings of seriously heavy downpour...

pictures were taken this morning (16 june).

source: unknown (forwarded by colleagues via email)

wow. i have never seen Orchard Road like this before. Lucky Plaza, Liat Towers.. many of the lower-level shops were semi drowned in rain water. there are video clips showing ankle-high flooding in the basement of Lucky Plaza too... poor guys. i bet the losses and damages are quite bad, and if Orchard Road was this flooded, i'm sure some other areas might be worse.

see more photos of the flood here and here (scroll to bottom).

news articles:

• The Straits Times: Floods hit shops, business
• The Straits Times: Flash floods wreak havoc
• TODAY Online: Wet, wet Wednesday

my new Old Navy swimwear

say hello to my new swimsuit from Old Navy online :)

this was on sale and i just couldn't resist the marked down price (US$19 + further 20% off), plus all my favourite things on it - ruffles, polka dots, ribbons, brown... you get the idea :)

needless to say, i got this in 'brown dots' colour. too cute!
confession: all my one-piece swimsuits are polka-dotted *oops*. well, what can i say? i stay true to my style. lol. i just keep getting drawn to them.

i'd never purchased swimwear online before, too risky without actually trying it on (especially for international orders) but i decided to give it a shot anyway, and so glad i did. this fits just right when i tried it on last night - a classic piece, fully lined, not too flashy, covers enough and shows off just enough too ;) i'm loving it.

yay! can't wait to go swimming this weekend..

Paul & Joe lets you play peekaboo with your lipstick ;)

i'm not sure whether to call this cute or freaky..

hmm, maybe cute in a freaky way, or freaky in a cute way. lol.

looks pretty normal on the outside...

roll up the tube and... *gasp* - boo! lol.

(source: FAnet via Rouge Deluxe)

i have no idea how to apply this on your lips without 'killing' the cat or ruining your lip makeup. hehe.. so weird. i seriously wouldn't know where to start applying. i guess a lip-brush might be the only logical way. nonetheless, i have to admit the kitty carving is quite delicately done on the lipstick.. very pretty, it's almost like chocolate.. hehe.

not the most practical of lipsticks but definitely a unique collectible and conversation piece. Paul & Joe always has the prettiest packaging and girliest makeup and beauty sets. i don't think i'd be getting one of these (likely very expensive) kitty lipsticks, but the face colour collection for Fall 2010 sure looks very enticing ;) not the usual Paul & Joe single eyeshadows. check them out.
i love the swans packaging, but the colours on the other set look simply gorgeous!
this is sales strategy, the product designers always pair the less interesting colours with the nicer packaging :p

11 - 13 june 2010: L'occitane Singapore - Marina Bay Sands promotions

ooh.. a new L'occitane Singapore store will be open at Marina Bay Sands this weekend (11 - 13 june). check out the store opening specials below:

perhaps this shall be incentive for me to drop by Marina Sands to check out the stores there. guess which sets i'm eyeing... hehe ;)

get chic nails even with shaky hands ;)

i could never do my own manicure well, so i've given up and usually just go bare on my fingernails, except for special occasions when i'll get them done, professionally.

now there's hope for people like me with shaky hands :)
check out these ultra chic nail patches (thin film stickers) from Sephora by OPI.
USD15 for a set of 16 nail patches - good for fingers or toes.

ooh.. don't they look so very good on the model's hands?
so which is your favourite? :)

if you can't eat them, lick them ;)

saw these lovely fairy cakes lip balms on vie couture, sooooo cute! :)
i love how pretty these look, and the packaging too.
would make wonderful stocking stuffers or little party favours.

available from asos at £6 per set of 4.

ooh.. and check these out too.. flower power!
ooh la la!!
also available from asos at £5 per set of 2.
anyone spreeing from asos soon? ;)

kinda reminds me of the one donut lip gloss i have.
mine's the pink donut - plain gloss version. *happy smile*
if you're also into girly funky lip balms and glosses, check out more on these sites:
- asos
- totally funky
- cupcakes & cartwheels via amazon.com
- sweet shop via amazon.com