jeneen's neverland

P I N K F L A R E - Cyber Monday Sale 20% off storewide!

2011-11-28T11:43:00.001+08:00

Holidayyyyy!!

2011-11-25T02:54:00.001+08:00

The boy and I took a much needed holiday to Phuket. It was lovely shutting off the phone, electronic devices, and shutting off work from our minds. We can be such workaholics sometimes. This is one of the rare beach holidays that I've taken, and I truly enjoyed the resort and awesome view that surrounded us.

Twin Palms, Phuket.

Our room.

Isn't it great, how huge the bathroom is?

These 'words of wisdoms' are peppered all over the resort.

More words of wisdom.

A map, and we're off!

We rode a bike around Phuket and this is just one of the awesome sights we passed.

We stopped at the lights and saw this cute pooch balancing on the bike!

He looked like he was really enjoying himself!

We chilled by the beach when we got tired of riding. This is when I found out that I have a fear of swimming in the sea. I go into panic mode when the waves engulf me. I'll much rather sit on the beach, and look at the sea. No swimming please, thank you very much.

The view was literally breath-taking.

Sunset. Too beautiful.

Chilling by the pool.

We met this friendly pitbull at a beach bar.

Too friendly perhaps? Haha.

These gas pit-stops can be found all over Phuket!

This dog reminded me of the dog, Jack, that I once had.

Dinner time! We were mostly disappointed by the food in Phuket. The holiday would have been even more perfect if we have amazing food to go along.

And a final parting shot.

Look of the day

2011-11-17T02:16:00.000+08:00

Elizabeth Olsen, looking super cute. I love the dress and colour combination of this outfit!

Together, Forever.

2011-11-16T02:12:00.000+08:00

Kudos to Power Plate!

2011-11-15T21:36:00.001+08:00

The boy asked me today, "Have you lost weight?"

Me: "Hmm...oh yeah, I think so! I have no idea how though, I haven't been cutting back on food or anything like that."

The boy: "Well, you look great and you look more toned too... It must be your power plate classes!"

Me: "Ah yes! The power plate classes! It must be! :D"

For those who read my blog, I wrote an earlier entry about a month back on 'vowing' to exercise more and attend power plate classes regularly. I must say that I've been good and been going about twice weekly, religiously for the past month. The thing about these classes are that they make me feel so good - I feel a lot more energised and less lethargic, that attending the classes and exercising is hardly a chore anymore. I actually find myself looking forward to attend classes.

Of course, now that the boy has complimented me, it makes it an even bigger plus to go for them. I must say, that the results from these power plate classes are showing really fast. Scrutinising myself, I'm noticing some abdominal muscles (gasp!!) and toner, leaner arms. All that achieved in a short span of twice weekly 40 minute classes in a month. Yipee!! I've finally found an exercise to do that is rather painless and yet shows results.

For those of you rolling your eyes already, stop. Haha. I have to defend myself that I have never been the exercising sort, as much as I like to try. It takes every ounce of effort to get me out of the house for a run, yoga has been a little too boring, pilates a little too difficult, and team sports is out of the question. You get the idea. So you see why I'm all excited now?

I'm honestly so amazed by power plate that I feel compelled to blog and tell everyone about it. I did a quick research online and this is what I found:

Miss Kylie "Hot Body" Minogue does it too! Apparently, so does Madonna, Cindy Crawford and Courtney Cox - all the major hot bod women.

"The power plate achieves significant results with minimum effort." I can't say 'yes' to that enough. A normal 40 minute power plate session is equivalent to you slogging out at the gym for 2.5hours!

Style magazine penned it as an 'effort-free tip to achieve a sexier body'.

I'm really looking forward to the 'reduced cellulite'. I'll update you guys on whether that happens. ;)

The most awesome bit of information that I found:

Yay! We all love a good sale and 30% off the 2nd package is definitely something to cheer about! I found out that you can purchase the both packages with another friend, and split the cost in two. How perfect. If you're wondering how much classes are, here you go:

These prices are from the studio that I go to, Croyez Studio (pronounced as 'Krwah-Yay'). It is the largest power plate studio in Asia and they've got two branches, at Purvis St and Dempsey Road.

Here are pictures of the studios:

Croyez@Dempsey

Croyez@Purvis

Each class involves you doing different forms of exercises on the machine, led by an instructor. We usually start with a 5 minute warm-up stretch, followed by an intensive 25 minute workout and we end off with a 10 minute high-frequency 'power massage' on the machine. That's my favourite part of the workout. I always imagine my fats and cellulite vibrating and melting away whilst I'm at it. Haha. My instructor told me that Croyez is the only studio in Singapore that provides these high-frequency massages after each workout session. I can't imagine doing power plate classes without it!

So, I think I've been raving enough about these power plate classes. You guys have got to try it. For those of you interested to find out more, you can go to www.croyezstudio.com or dial 6474 4136.

Don't forget about the Christmas sale! It ends December this year. :)

Look of the day

2011-11-15T02:08:00.001+08:00

Haven't done 'look of the days' in a while. I'm loving this girly/rock chic style!

You, Me, Oui.

2011-11-15T01:59:00.001+08:00

Ignore the funny title. Here, the boy talks about me, and us! :)

♥♥♥

Happy 4th Birthday Domo!

2011-11-06T16:30:00.000+08:00

Domo, the Halloween baby turned 4 on 31st October. The sister and I decided to pack the family and the dogs to Botanic Gardens for a picnic and little 'celebration'. We were really worried that a thunderstorm, as reported by the weather forecast, would rain on our parade, but we did a little 'raindance' or should I say, 'anti-raindance' and all was fine.

I don't think Domo understood what all that fuss around him was about, but here's a lovely cake, just for you! It's lamb, cream cheese and carob cookies. Absolutely divine in the doggie world. I placed an order for a slightly larger cake so that Domo could share it with his doggie friends, Moon and Toto. It was a pity that Toto was busy that day and could not make the party.

Domo even got a birthday present from the sister! What a lovely personalised bandana. :)

We found that this was the only way to take a decent, non blurry shots of the two dogs - wave a treat in front of them and have them 'stay'.

And then it was time for the birthday boy to pose for pictures with his cake. I must say that he was pretty good at that too! He didn't try and attack the cake at all. Maybe all that training school did pay off after all.

He even let me put a little party hat on him. Haha.

My camera-sensitive dog. Notice that no one else is looking into the camera?

He got really bored waiting.

My mum insisted that he 'cut' his own cake. I found that pretty much ridiculous and was really tickled by the thought. We did it to humour her anyway.

Being the gentleman that he is, Domo let his guest, Moon have her slice of cake first.

Finally! He lapped it up in an instant.

Here's the both of them looking happy and satisfied:

Happy duo. Happy birthday Domo!! Live long and prosper!!

Here's an old picture to reminisce. He was a tiny pup!

Love.

2011-10-23T17:40:00.004+08:00

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

2011-10-23T17:35:00.001+08:00

I don't know what this is for, but I saw this article on Yahoo: "Famous People With Ninja Turtle Noses", and I think it's hilarious! Check it out!

Kate Middleton

Johnny Depp

Leonardo Di Caprio

Bill Clinton

Britney Spears

Whoever who came up with this idea is brilliant. So creative and funny!

It's Power Plate Time!

2011-10-23T17:16:00.000+08:00

I'm happy to say, that filming for 'A Song To Remember' has wrapped! Wheeee!! It's been good fun on set, but I'm glad to have my freedom and life back. No more early wake up calls! :D Here's a shot of me on set. (Thanks Eelyn for the shot! I'm loving the 'artsy-fartsy' feel of it.)

The first thing that I'm going to do now that I have more time, is to get back to Power Plate classes. For those who are wondering what Power Plate is, it's basically a machine (as shown in the photo below) that vibrates and helps the body work 5 times harder and reduces a 2.5hours workout to a mere 25 minutes.

I've attended about 6 classes of about 40 minutes per class, and I've been blown away by the results. I've never seen my body tone up so quick. Prior to trying out Power Plate classes, I've done yoga, pilates mat class and all sorts of other things, but I've never seen any results that quick. It's supposed to reduce cellulite too.

I was actually so convinced at the first trial lesson that I signed up for a package right away. (I'm usually skeptical and seldom sign up for packages anywhere. It's very hard to earn my money. Haha)

So yes, I can't wait to get back to classes. I'll probably try and squeeze twice weekly classes from now. Say hello to the soon-to-be lean mean machine!! *rawhhhhhh*

Here's the studio that I workout at for those who are interested:

Croyez@Dempsey

Block 8D, Dempsey Road

#03-06 Singapore 249672

Tel: 6474 4133

Have a great week ahead everyone!

XOXO

Hello, My Little Ponies!

2011-10-07T10:30:00.000+08:00

For those who come from the generation of 'My Little Pony' like me, I'm sure you would appreciate these too.

My Little Storm Trooper

My Little Lady Gaga

My Little Edward Scissorshands

My Little Batman

My Little Mr Spock

My Little Ironman

My Little Joker

My Little Jack Skellington

My Little Belle

My Little Michael Jackson

My Little Andy Warhol

How cute are these little ponies! They are sculpted by Mari Kasurinen, and you can see the entire collection here.

The Graceful Departure

2011-10-06T22:28:00.003+08:00

The lights have dimmed,
and the curtain's drawn.
My time is up,
and I shall go.

I take a final bow,

and exit the tunnel of darkness.

Into the light I stumble,

"Goodbye darkness, you will not be missed."

Like a trapped bird released,

I am finally set free.

Thank you Steve Jobs,

2011-10-06T17:38:00.000+08:00

You have been a true inspiration.

I remember watching this talk about a year back and feeling truly inspired. I was shocked when I heard news off his passing today. What a young age! It feels like his life candle has been snuffed out to soon.

Thank you Mr Jobs for changing the face of the digital world, and for giving us so many gadgets and ideas that make our lives easier and better. I for one, can't live without my iPhone, iPad and Macbook.

We will miss your genius.

RIP

//Stay hungry, Stay foolish.

Cetaphil Giveaway!

2011-09-09T17:51:00.002+08:00

I've always heard about Cetaphil products and how gentle they are on the skin, but I've never tried them until a week ago when I was given a sample pack. I read up on the products before I gave them a go and found out that Cetaphil products are free of fragrance and avoids the harshness of soap.

This got me pretty excited as I've got sensitive and easily irritable skin. My skin hasn't been in the best condition with my recent hectic schedule and has been even more sensitive than usual. It turns slightly red and stings when I apply my usual skincare routine. Hoping that my skin will calm down, I ditched my usual skincare routine and tried the Cetaphil Skincare Plan:

1. Skin Cleanser: Cleanse with the gentlest of cleansers.

2. Moisturizing Cream: Moisturize and stay hydrated all day long.

3. Sun Screen: Protect yourself from sun damage.

After a week of use, I'm actually surprised to find that my skin is less sensitive! It doesn't turn red or sting anymore, and feels a lot more comfortable than usual. I slowly introduced a couple of my other skincare products like the Clarin's firming cream and Shiseido's lotion back to my routine and my skin remained calm and did not flare up.

To be honest, I was slightly skeptical with the cleanser when I first used it because it doesn't foam, and feels so gentle. I'm used to using cleansers that really foam up and 'look' like it's giving my skin a good clean. However, my skin actually felt cleaner than usual after I used it, without the usual tight feeling I get from my other cleansers.

I was also worried at the start that the moisturizing cream would cause my skin to be too oily as it is for dry, sensitive skin whilst I've got oily/combination skin, but the cream felt quite light on my skin and didn't produce any excess sebum.

Usually, I'm also not a fan of putting sunscreen on my face (although I know how important it is) because I don't like the oily, sticky feeling. The Cetaphil sunscreen however, feels light on my skin and most importantly, doesn't feel oily. A big plus: the high SPF! It's SPF 50+ and UVA 28. Hmm, it looks like I've found my answer to a sunscreen.

Final verdict of the 3 products: It's great for sensitive skin (like mine). Really calms and cleans and seems to balance out the PH level. My skin is less oily after a week of use. Although, I do wish that the products smell better so it's more fun to use (the products are non-fragranted and don't really smell like anything), but I guess the lack of fragrance is key to it's gentle formula, so I really shouldn't complain.

Here are some key features of Cetaphil products:

- Suitable for all skin types.

- Ideal for facial and full body use.

- Works effectively without causing skin irritation.

- pH-balanced non-soap formulation.

- Can be used with or without water

- Recommended by dermatologists and pediatricians worldwide.

The Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser has won numerous awards this year - The Guardian Health & Beauty Awards, Watsons Health, Wellness & Beauty Award and Unity Popular Choice Award.

Here's a tip from me that I swear by to have cleaner and brighter skin: Wash your face for a longer duration. I usually put a song on and wash my face for the entire duration of the song (about 3 minutes). This habit has put the zits at bay for me!

Giveaway!

I've got 4 sets of Cetaphil travel packs up for grabs! All you've got to do is tweet:

4 Cetaphil Travel Packs up for grabs! Tweet this & stand a chance to win! More abt Cetaphil on @jeneengoh http://www.xoxojeneen.blogspot.com/ #cetaphilsg

Giveaway is limited to one entry per twitter account, and for those residing in Singapore only. Giveaway ends 16th September.

Cetaphil is also having roadshows island-wide where their bundle packs can be purchased for a discounted price and where customers can also try their luck at the cash-grab machine! Every Cetaphil woman's a winner because all you need to do is buy a Cetaphil twin-pack for a sure-win chance to grab an iPad 2, $688 or Cetaphil travel pack every hour. There will be 4x ipads and 3x$688 to be won per day in total.

Below are the dates for the roadshow:

See you!!...and don't forget to tweet for the giveaway!

xoxo

Look of the Day

2011-09-09T15:33:00.001+08:00

A pretty lace dress that you can dress up or down. Lace is such a lovely fabric that never goes out of style!

Pink Flare has a cute lace piece under the 'Pink Flare Collection' in two colours, cream and black. Take a peek here! - #Lolita Lace

Awesome Staycation at The Quincy Hotel, Part II

2011-09-03T00:46:00.002+08:00

Continuing from the previous post, here are some pictures to share from my 'Quincy' experience.

Tranquility amidst the rustle and bustle of the city centre. I like that there was a lot of green around the hotel.

Dinner!! :

Fruit salad and soup for starters. (That's a Gin Tonic for the boy from cocktail hour.)

Steak for the mains. Yummy!

Here's me looking very happy with my food.

And despite already having so much at dinner, we were hungry at midnight and couldn't resist supper. Cup noodles and Lay's chips (not shown in pictures) from the minibar!

What's really fun for me during the stay (besides being able to pretty much eat yummy food non-stop all day) was the activities planned by the hotel for their guests. There was a morning yoga session at 8am and a cupcake baking session in the afternoon.

The boy and I got up bright and early on the 2nd day, headed to the gym, and then trooped down for yoga. I guess we were feeling slightly guilty for having eaten so much the day before!

I've never done yoga in the open before. This was a really nice first time experience. We had wonderful weather.

That's me whom the teacher is helping. She was giving me a deeper stretch. It was a great way to start the day.

And of course, we had to have a hearty breakfast after all that morning workout.

Coffee/Tea corner (Notice that there are even takeaway cups provided!)

This is the face of a caffeine addict.

I'm a huge fan of hotel's buffet breakfasts.

The boy and I actually zipped off to the Toy and Comic Convention that was being held over that weekend and then zipped back after for lunch before the cupcake baking class.

Seafood horfun for lunch.

The boy's nasi goreng da' bomb!! It was super delicious!

And it's time for baking class!! I was really excited to learn how to bake cupcakes. I like watching 'DC Cupcakes' on TV and couldn't wait to try baking the colourful yummy little things.

Ingredients for the bake.

The boy took the job of decorating the cupcakes really seriously and cut stencils for it. It had to be skulls, no less.

Looking good!

Freshly baked cupcakes!!

But alas, there weren't any sprinkle powder or decorating ingredients fine enough for the stencils. :(

I tried my best. Can you tell that it's a skull?

And that pretty much sums up my lovely staycation at The Quincy. I had a truly wonderful experience and would recommend it to anyone who needs a short break!

The price of this 2 day 1 night stay weekend package costs $318++ (regular room rate), which includes:

- Yoga or baking class and movie night by the pool (Registration required. Subject to availability)

- Daily buffet breakfast, set lunch and dinner

- Unlimited broadband Internet access

- Local telephone calls

- Complimentary cocktails from 6pm to 8pm nightly

- Complimentary minibar replenished daily

- Complimentary bottle of red wine

- All day coffee and tea

- Late check-out till 3pm (subject to availability)

-T&Cs apply

You can book for a stay through my blog by filling out the form below and enjoy a free upgrade to a Deluxe Studio Room worth $348++.

Just in case, you can click here: http://bit.ly/oHVFuk for the booking form if you're experiencing trouble with the one below.

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Awesome Staycation at The Quincy Hotel, Part I (& an awesome deal for you readers!)

2011-09-01T02:00:00.015+08:00

It's been such a long while since I've updated my blog! I've been so so busy with my online store Pink Flare (have you guys noticed the makeover yet? :D) and filming 'A Song To Remember'. In short, I haven't had much of a breather, nor a social life. So, I was really excited when I received an invitation for a night's stay at The Quincy Hotel and decided to 'force' myself to peel away from work and take a short break.

I bundled the boy together with 2 days and 1 night's worth of clothes and necessities and checked into the hotel. I (we) had an awesome stay. I can't say it enough. I was so glad that I made the decision to give myself a break!

Before I go on, for those unfamiliar with The Quincy Hotel, its a boutique hotel located at Mount Elizabeth (which is really close to Paragon). The location is awesome and I even managed to squeeze in a quick dash to Sephora for a makeup fix. Wheeee!

What struck me most when I first reached The Quincy was how beautiful the architecture of the hotel was. It's really funky and modern looking, in and out. No wonder it is ranked first as the 'Trendiest Hotel In Asia'! Here's how it looks by day:

and by night:

Can you see the infinity pool in the picture? I was really excited about the pool when I saw it because it's sheltered! I'm going to sound a little bimbotic here, but I've never been much of a fan of swimming because I really don't enjoy getting a tan and pools usually get too cold for me in the evenings. So this sheltered pool got me really excited. I can swim without worrying about the sun! :D

Here are some clearer pictures of the pool. It's really nice eh? Infinity pools are all the rage these days. The hotel also screens movies on weeknights by the pool COMPLETE WITH POPCORN. Yes, they've got a popcorn machine. You can soak in the pool, or sit by it and watch the movie and have your popcorn at the same time. It was such a pity that we checked out on Saturday and couldn't make it for that night's screening. I heard they were showing 'The Devil Wears Prada'. :( I would totally go back for another staycation just for the movie experience.

(Popcorn machine)

There's a gym located beside the pool (complete with a sauna room) with state of the art gym equipment that was really new and nice smelling. Haha, I'm actually making an effort to mention that it's nice smelling because you know how some gyms can be really grubby looking with stale perspiration smell. Eh, I actually took a deep breath and tested for smells. Don't ask me why. I just have something with smells.

Here's the gym. You wouldn't believe this, but the boy and I got up at 7am just to hit the gym on Saturday. We totally gave ourselves pats on the backs when we were done. I still don't know how we, especially I did it.

Now, more on the funky design of the hotel.

This is the lobby. The hotel staff were really friendly, hospitable and attentive. What struck me most was their strong personal touch to their service. I noticed that the hotel manager delivered a cake to a guest having his dinner at the restaurant on his birthday, and I saw him once again delivering another cake up to a guest's room for his birthday before I checked out of the hotel. How sweet! It's these nice little gestures that make all the difference.

This is the restaurant that I was dining in when I saw the manager deliver the cake to the guest's table. Wait, did I mention that all 3 meals are included in The Quincy's room package? I was really surprised when I was first told that room packages include all 3 meals, complimentary free flow of cocktail drinks (alcohols, spirits, cocktails and soft drinks) from 6-8pm daily, complimentary free flow of tea and coffee all day at the restaurant, complimentary minibar replenished daily and complimentary bottle of wine. Wow. What a package!

Right, I digress. Back to the interior design, here's the passage leading to the hotel's washrooms at the lobby. How funky are the statues?!!

Here's a closer look. Very cool art.

I'm sure you're all dying to see how the room looks like by now.

The rooms did not disappoint and matched the modern design of the hotel with fashionable designer furniture. Here's the king-sized bed with feather beddings and 400 thread count bed linens. The bed was really comfortable. I remember myself falling right to sleep when my head touched the pillow.

I loved the see-through glass at the bathroom! You can actually watch TV whilst having a soak in the bath. Perfect. (Not to worry, there's a screen that you can bring down should you require more privacy in the bathroom.)

This got the boy really excited - the TV and row of sockets under the TV. There are socket points for you to plug in your HDMI and USB cables that leads to the television so you can bring your DVD or media players along for your stay. There is also unlimited broadband access in the rooms. Tech geeks would totally have an awesome time at The Quincy. Haha.

I really liked this 'cosy corner'. The view is really pretty at night and it's lovely to sit by the window and enjoy the view.

Here's the view by the window in the day.

The room even has an iPod dock!

It's little things like these that get me excited. What a pretty remote case!

The bathroom came with a separate bath tub and standing rain shower shower facility with a selection of Molton Brown bath amenities. I'm always impressed when I'm provided with nice bath amenities at hotels. The Quincy scored full marks for me with theirs.

I got a chance to peek into the deluxe studio room and this blew me away. A Nespresso coffee machine! How awesome! The room size was of course bigger than the one I was staying in, but I was utterly jealous that I did not have a Nespresso machine. Before I go on, I've got an awesome deal for you my lovely readers. Book a weekend staycation at The Quincy through my blog, and you will be upgraded (Free!) to this Deluxe Studio room (worth $348++), with the Nespresso machine! All you have to do is book through the form at the bottom of this post.

The price of this 2 day 1 night stay weekend package costs $318++ (regular room rate), which includes:

- Yoga or baking class and movie night by the pool (Registration required. Subject to availability)

- Daily buffet breakfast, set lunch and dinner

- Unlimited broadband Internet access

- Local telephone calls

- Complimentary cocktails from 6pm to 8pm nightly

- Complimentary minibar replenished daily

- Complimentary bottle of red wine

- All day coffee and tea

- Late check-out till 3pm (subject to availability)

-T&Cs apply

Honestly, I have never seen such a comprehensive hotel room package at such a steal. Hotel stays in Singapore are usually so expensive! If you're overworked (like me!) and need a break but have no time to travel out of Singapore, you should totally check yourself (and bring a friend or a partner!) into The Quincy Hotel.

I'm going to end this post here with the form that you can book your stay and go to bed now. I have officially 2 hours left of sleep before I need to get up for shoot. :( I've still got so much to say about my little staycation so I'll be back with Part 2 tomorrow, with pictures and more stories from the yoga session and baking class. Do come back for more!

Just in case, you can click here: http://bit.ly/oHVFuk for the booking form if you're experiencing trouble with the one below.

Goodnight!

xoxo

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Mr Firedog Goes On A Date

2011-08-09T03:18:00.002+08:00

My sister and I dressed our dogs up one day. Yes, this is what we do when we're bored. Domo (poodle on the left) kept trying to paw his fireman's hat off his head, and Moon kept trying to peel off her dress. They obviously weren't quite as amused as us.

I am quite proud to say that Domo has quite an extensive wardrobe, because he's vain like his owner. Haha.

It's A Love X Hate Relationship

2011-08-09T03:13:00.000+08:00

Look of the Day

2011-08-09T02:42:00.004+08:00

Absolute chicness. I love the animal print top and the socks+shoes combination.

[♥] Seoul Lovin' Part #2

2011-07-29T00:08:00.012+08:00

Streets of Namdemun

Lots of stalls selling dog's clothes. Very cute! Got a cute little dress and singlet for my sister's dog, Moon. I wanted to get some for Domo, but he's already got a closetful of clothes...so I decided against it.

Spotted this super funky and retro looking gold suit for sale. Who's going to buy it?

Tons of designer knock-offs. You can find Coach, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Fendi, Anya Hindmarch all under one roof.

Love those rice cakes floating in the soup.

Korean ginseng in every form. Mum was totally convinced of it's health beneficial properties and went slightly crazy buying.

Goodness in a bottle.

Slightly amazed by this roadside stall overflowing with garlic. I bet this is every chinese vampire's nightmare! Hurhur.

So apparently, Crystal Jade is world famous.

The food from Crystal Jade Singapore is way better.

Spotted this huge 3-D Smurf poster! They're looking all fluffy and cute!

Gourmet burgers. A must have in Korea! Reminds me of LA's In-and-Out.

Lots of pretty cafes all around.

XOXO

♥

Oops, sorry Spiderman!

2011-07-21T21:23:00.002+08:00

Look of the Day

2011-07-21T21:09:00.002+08:00

Nicole Richie always gets it so right.

XXX PINK FLARE: New arrivals have hit the store! XXX

2011-07-18T00:38:00.002+08:00

[♥] Seoul Lovin' Part #1

2011-07-17T23:57:00.009+08:00

Mumsy and I took a holiday to Korea, Seoul last week. Our trip went on for 9 days, and I was completely 'shopped' out. There's just so much to see, buy and eat. It's a pity Mumsy didn't fancy Korean food. I could have had it everyday.

This Chicken Bulgolgi rice is so yummy.

Mix it up and fry it...

Voila, it's done!

There were tons of stalls at Myeong Dong and Namdemun selling socks. You can practically find every brand name; Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Coach, Burberry, Calvin Klein etc. etc. etc. They were a huge hit with the Japanese tourists.

The streets of Myeong Dong. Did tons of shopping here. You can find multiples of all the major skincare flagship stores congregated at this place.

And I got a summer fedora.

More food. There are so many Italian pasta restaurants in Seoul.

Along the streets of Myeong Dong again. Lots of make-shift stalls line the streets and that's Skin Food and Holika Holika practically side by side. If you're wondering, yes, I bought lots. I probably have enough skincare to last me for the next two years.

Korean fashion.

New additions to the accessories family. :) ♥♥♥

So that's all for now! I've got tons of pictures. I'll continue with more in another post.

XOXO

PINK FLARE: New arrivals have hit the store!

2011-06-28T02:23:00.001+08:00

Shop! www.pink-flare.com

A Beautiful Sunday Afternoon

2011-06-28T01:57:00.006+08:00

Popped over to James's one sunny afternoon for a lovely BBQ. The hosts just got back from Seoul a couple of weeks back, so the food was very much Korean inspired - BBQ beef, kimchi, rice cakes and all the little Korean dishes they usually serve at Korean food places. The spread was yummeh. It was so lovely to spend a long lazy afternoon with friends!

Our hot chefs for the day.

With Vivian, who owns The Editor's Market and Hula&Co. A new Editor's Market recently opened at Orchard Central. It's choked full of gorgeous things; you guys gotta definitely go see!

I can't remember who insisted that this backdrop was nice and we had to take a shot with it.

-_-//

Noah and Becks.

James has got the cutest pair of golden retrievers. Meet Mango and Shadow.

Shadow. Happy face!

XOXO

Aww...

2011-06-28T01:47:00.000+08:00

Life's Mantra

2011-06-28T01:38:00.000+08:00

Look of the Day

2011-06-25T15:42:00.001+08:00

Bold stripes and loud shoes. Two thumbs up!

A glimpse of Celine Resort 2012

2011-06-25T15:32:00.002+08:00

I think my heart just skipped a beat.

i♥IT

2011-06-25T15:26:00.002+08:00

What a pretty iPad case! Isn't the colour combination just so precious?

Behind the Scenes

2011-06-25T00:10:00.007+08:00

I've been going into the studio countless of times to shoot for Pink Flare and have never really documented what goes behind. Had a bit more time this last shoot and decided to snap around. So, here's a peek!

Accessories are a definite must. Lots of them. (In the make-up/changing room)

And shoes. I streamlined for this shoot and only brought 4 essentials so I don't have to lug so many things around.

Here are some of the clothes that we were shooting that day. I always get so excited going through the clothes and can't wait to wear all of them.

Pleats, owl prints, leopard prints, drapes and folds...I really do love them all.

Mr Photographer hard at work.

We decided to do some jumping shots for the mailer cos' this top I have on is just so bright and cheery. It's really difficult to get a good shot with these jumps! Either my top flies up too high, the expression on my face looks too strange, or I'm just captured in a strange position.

Too low...

Weird position...

Yay!!! Finally got it!!

And this was the result from all those jumps. A super bright, happy and cheery mailer!

Here's one of my favourite shots from the shoot. (I love this dress.)

Do come by www.pink-flare.com if you haven't already. Lots of pretty pieces await you! ;)

XOXO

I♥IT

2011-06-24T23:54:00.001+08:00

A pair of Bichon Frise with the roundest and cutest heads ever. Haha.

Hotness!

2011-06-24T23:51:00.002+08:00

Loving everything about this picture, especially the bangles!

"Billie Jean" (Michael Jackson Acoustic Cover)

2011-06-17T20:08:00.005+08:00

The boy and his friend, Justin LaPrall did a music/short film project of covering Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean". I had fun being a part of it too! Enjoy! :)

Look of the Day

2011-06-12T14:41:00.000+08:00

Rawhhhhhh!!!

2011-06-12T14:33:00.000+08:00

Great Look

2011-06-12T14:29:00.000+08:00

Makeup by Topshop.

This is definitely not for everyday wear, but I'm so drawn by the wild eye makeup.

Fun Times Together

2011-06-11T20:26:00.010+08:00

It's been a while since I saw these two friends of mine, so it was lovely to see them again...and stuff our faces together.

Dragon Roll from Sushi Tei is 'da bomb'. Sushi Tei is literally my favourite Japanese quick-eat place. I practically know their menu by heart.

And then, Canele's. It's my favourite dessert shop. Always can't decide what to have there, cos' I want everything!

Strawberry shortcake, nougatine ice-cream & chocolate ice-cream (I forgot the name): absolutely befitting for food sinners.

My toe-nails and shoes matched that day! Took them out for the first time (the wedges) that day. Glad they didn't 'bite' into me!

Wore this cream coloured dress from the newly opened The Editor's Market (Avenue) at Orchard Central. Love the simplicity of the dress, cutting and material. I think the new store is about 5000sqft. HUGE. You guys have got to go see it. Congratulations on the store opening Vivian and Nigel! :)

The Editor's Market (Avenue)

Warning!!

2011-06-11T18:21:00.001+08:00

If only our phones really did have such warning messages! Haha!

Claudia Schiffer for Harper's Bazaar UK

2011-06-11T18:07:00.002+08:00

What a lovely editorial spread. Doesn't she look like she hasn't aged a tiny bit? I wonder what's her secret. I think she's 40!?!

Wishlist***

2011-06-11T17:50:00.001+08:00

These Jeffrey Campbell platform wedges are gorgeous! I want! ♥♥♥

Life's Mantra

2011-06-10T13:55:00.000+08:00

Wild!

2011-06-10T13:54:00.000+08:00

Lady Gaga at the cfda fashion awards. She never fails to shock me.

Look of the Day

2011-06-10T13:52:00.000+08:00

Kate Bosworth has immense style.

You + Me = 1. ♥

2011-06-09T02:14:00.008+08:00

A day out.

Someone's excited about his new toy

Very delicious lunch at Don Pie Club.

The pie is really moist and there are loads of chicken chunks.

The crab 'bee hoon' is pretty good too. (Blogging about food always makes me really hungry!)

I got a toy too! :D This punk rock chic 'My Little Pony' is just awesome!!

Coffee before movie date.

Skulls always rule, don't they?

www.pink-flare.com

2011-06-09T01:59:00.002+08:00

Look of the Day

2011-06-09T01:14:00.003+08:00

I really like this dress that Liya Kebede wore to the cfda fashion awards. Love the colour contrast. I'm just thinking that a slim waisted belt could have completed the look a little more, and lent more shape to the dress.

More About Shoes

2011-06-09T01:08:00.001+08:00

'One shoe can change your life.'

♥♥♥

2011-06-09T01:03:00.002+08:00

One for you, & one for me.

Yes, I really do!

2011-05-31T12:12:00.000+08:00

Today's Mantra

2011-05-31T12:07:00.000+08:00

*happy sigh*

Doggie's Day Out!

2011-05-31T00:48:00.004+08:00

A bunch of us took our dogs out one fine afternoon and spent a glorious day having a picnic at the Botanic Gardens.

Meet 'Summer'.

'Toto'

My sister's new dog, 'Moon'.

And 'Domo'.

That's Hercules at the far end. I didn't manage to get a shot of him. And obviously, the dogs were really warm. Their tongues are practically reaching down to their chests!

Domo had this strange fixation for Moon's ears. Couldn't stop sniffing them.

Treat time! (a.k.a 'I will do anything you want me to, and I'm the most well-behaved dog in the world!!')

I really cannot remember what was so funny now. How did the boy keep such a straight face?

Look of the Day

2011-05-31T00:24:00.002+08:00

Loving these loose dresses (especially the cream). There's no worries about having to suck in that tummy when you're in one of these! :D

I♥IT

2011-05-31T00:03:00.001+08:00

Repeat Mode

2011-05-30T23:54:00.004+08:00

Everything Will Be Alright

The Killers

Rebel Rebel

2011-05-30T23:47:00.003+08:00

Rebel rebel, you've torn your dress.

Rebel rebel, your face is a mess.

Rebel rebel, how could they know?

Hot tramp, I love you so!

♥♥♥

David Bowie

www.pink-flare.com

2011-05-30T23:40:00.005+08:00

If you haven't already noticed, new arrivals have hit the store!

www.pink-flare.com

-XOXO-

I Can See Clearly Now!

2011-05-26T02:22:00.009+08:00

I had tea with my lovely girl-friend Joyce at Arteastiq Cafe, Mandarin Gallery 2 weeks ago. (Yes, I know my blog is really backdated...but I've been trying to stay off the computer and rest my eyes!!) The interior of the cafe is really pretty.

I'm loving the pop-coloured chairs!

Meet my friend, Joyce. :)

And her super cute and funky shoes!! It's an Adidas X (something), I forgot.

Hello! This is me in glasses. I met her 1 day before my scheduled eye Lasik surgery and had to lay off contact lenses (4 days prior to surgery). I believe it was the first time I went around town with my glasses. It felt weird!

Nice. I've always liked random texts and scripts running across spaces.

I've been thinking about getting script tattooed somewhere on my body - but I still don't know what to have, and where to have it.

I had rose bud tea - very fragrant.

And a wrap/soup set. Food standard is pretty good, I must say.

And here's me, post surgery! I hope I don't scare you guys, but I was feeling really uncomfortable...hence the grimace on my face!

Goodbye, and good riddance!

It's been 2 weeks since I've corrected my eye-sight and it feels great to be able to see the world clearly without aid.

#Melt Into You Playsuits

2011-05-26T02:07:00.002+08:00

I had tons of requests to re-stock this playsuit. Good news, they're back in-store!

www.pink-flare.com

Indeed!

2011-05-26T01:59:00.002+08:00

// A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world. - Oscar Wilde

We Don't See Each Other Enough!

2011-05-07T14:04:00.003+08:00

It's getting harder and harder to meet up with these girlies these days with our busy schedules. We're still missing two here, but I'm glad we made time for dinner! Had a lovely time catching up at 'The Wine Company (Evans Road)". Ambience in the restaurant was great. It was a pity that the food was only so-so though, and the service staff were also obviously overworked.

#Maxi Crush www.pink-flare.com

2011-05-07T13:59:00.004+08:00

For girls who have been asking me about this maxi dress that I wore for MFW, it's now available at www.pink-flare.com! :D

Happy shopping!

XOXO

Look of the Day

2011-05-07T13:56:00.001+08:00

I've posted 4 looks for this post, but they're all pretty similar. I'm loving how these girls are rocking the androgynous look! It's funny that I always find myself drawn to pictures of girls in such looks when I'm usually in dresses myself. I really have to try dressing up like that one day. I probably have to steal that checkered shirt from the boy first!

Spot the Labels

2011-04-26T18:36:00.001+08:00

Can you find them?

Lanvin

2011-04-25T18:32:00.002+08:00

Oooh these folds and draperies...♥♥♥!!

Alexander Mcqueen

2011-04-25T18:29:00.000+08:00

These throw pillows...I want!

Babies

2011-04-25T18:26:00.001+08:00

Hello cutie!

Food Romp at Joo Chiat

2011-04-23T00:52:00.008+08:00

The boy and I had tickets to go watch a play put up by the graduating theatre students from Lasalle. Before the show, we stopped by Joo Chiat to say hi to his best friend, and to have dinner - the famous 'Fei Fei' wanton noodles, rojak and dumplings from 'Kim Choo'. Needless to say, it was uber delicious.

The boy's friend is an amazing tattoo artist. His works and drawings never fails to amaze me. Look at the 'hatred' painting on the wall. Wow.

Colourful tattoo ink. I've always wanted to get one (tattoo), but never did cos' I don't know what to have! I remember that my sis wanted to 'give' me one for my 18th birthday. Haha. I wonder what I would have had if I had gone for it.

They had a really beautiful array of orchid flowers outside their house. These white ones are so pretty.

These dumplings from Kim Choo are absolutely delish! Especially love the nyonya ones.

Wanton noodles from Fei Fei before they're tossed.

...and tossed. Mmmmm.....

Rojak from the same place. Blogging about these dishes is making me hungry!!

These shophouses were opposite where we ate. So beautiful and elegant. I've always wanted to live in a shophouse.

Maybe someday I will.

(Pink Flare dress//Vintage Chanel bag//YSL and vintage rings//Marc by MJ and Tiffany bracelets//Rolex watch)

And finally, the play. "Big Love" - directed by the boy's friend, Adam Marple and written by Charles L.Mee. It was about 50 brides who fled to a manor in Italy to avoid marrying their fifty cousins. Funny and touching at the same time. Great story. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Look of the Day

2011-04-22T15:32:00.001+08:00

Parisian chic.

Tom Ford & Richard Buckley Forever

2011-04-21T15:24:00.004+08:00

This is such a romantic story:

Tom Ford was a shy 25-year-old when he met magazine editor Richard Buckley. It took him the length of an elevator ride to decide he wanted to marry him.

Tom Ford, Designer:

You can look at someone and feel like you’ve known him forever. The first night I ever had drinks with Richard I felt I knew everything about him. He has the wildest eyes -- like an Alaskan husky. They’re not blue, they’re not gray, they’re a color you’ve never seen before -- they approach silver. They give away absolutely nothing, yet they are completely mesmerizing. We first encountered each other at a fashion show in New York in 1986. He was 38 at the time and the fashion editor of Women’s Wear Daily. He was confident and handsome in a way that made him almost unapproachable. His stare was so intense that it completely unnerved me, and when the show was over I literally bolted out the door and down the street to avoid him. Ten days later, my employer, Cathy Hardwick, sent me to the office of Women’s Wear Daily to retrieve some clothes. I was directed to the roof where they were being photographed, and as the elevator opened, there was the man with the eyes the color of water. He rushed over and introduced himself as Richard Buckley and told me that the clothes were actually downstairs and offered to take me down to what was then called “the fashion closet.” He was adorable, and he was a complete fool. He was sort of dancing around, flashing his eyes at me, and trying so hard to be charming. I decided in that elevator ride that I was going to marry him. I’m very pragmatic, and I was, like, OK, there’s some kind of connection here. He ticked every box, and -- boom -- by the time we got to the floor, I was like, OK, sold. He seemed so together. He was so handsome, he was so connected, he was so grown-up, so he was very intimidating. And he really chased me -- not that he had to chase that hard. It excited me but it also scared me, because I knew he was different and that whatever it was I felt with him was very different from what I’d felt before.

We did our Christmas shopping together one Saturday, and we spent almost every night together after our first few dates. It was probably a few days before we were saying things like, “I think I’m in love with you.” Now, we say it to each other every night before we go to sleep, and we say it at the end of every telephone conversation, and we write it at the end of every e-mail. Every time you think, I love you, I really believe you have to say it. If you think about holding their hand or kissing them, you do it. I do it all the time.

We both went home for Christmas, and when we came back, he gave me the key to his apartment and asked if I’d move in, and I did. We’d known each other barely a month. He’d lived with someone for three or four years, but it wasn’t really a serious relationship, and he was very consciously looking for that. He had come to that stage of his life at age 38, and I was at that stage at age 25, but we were both ready to settle down and fall in love and have a life with someone. I had slept with a lot of people and done my fair share of drinking and dancing and drugs. I’d had sex for the first time when I was 14. I had a girlfriend in high school who was pregnant twice while we were together. In those days, in the ’70s, abortion was considered a form of birth control, and I think in most high schools at the time, it was quite casual. I certainly wouldn’t do that if I were with someone today, even as a teenager, so I think it was a part of that era, and the casualness with which sex was treated on television. When you watch an old ’70s television show, everyone is just hopping into bed with everyone in a completely casual way. I think AIDS definitely changed it.

One of the very first people to be diagnosed with what was then called gay cancer, in 1981, was a friend of mine. It completely flipped me out, and from then on, I was extremely safe. It probably saved my life, but it damaged the way I think about sex forever. You just associated sex with death—or at least I did. Richard and I had three dates before we had sex, because my best friend was in the hospital, dying from AIDS, and Richard’s best friend was in the hospital, dying of AIDS. So we would have a date, and then he would go to the hospital, and I would go to the hospital; consequently, that was very much on our minds. There was still enormous fear, and that affected our early sexual relationship tremendously, as well as just watching very close friends die at the same time we were falling in love. If we made a list, I would say that half of our friends from the early ’80s are no longer with us. It continued into the early ’90s -- it just didn’t stop.

Three years after we started living together, Richard was diagnosed with cancer and at the time was told that it was most likely going to be fatal. We’ve had a fair amount of personal family tragedy, and things happen that do, ultimately, bring you closer, because they’re things you go through together and they make your history richer.

Getting older together has been interesting because we’ve both changed. I was very quiet at the beginning of our relationship -- I’m actually a very, extremely, almost pathologically shy person, which no one believes today, because I have also mastered a work/public facade that takes an enormous amount of energy to project. And Richard, when we first got together, was very, very social and very talkative. Richard is an extrovert, and I’m an introvert, but meeting us today you would think the opposite. Richard, now, often, can be quite quiet, especially if he knows you well. But if you get Richard at a party, he’s extremely animated. I actually hate parties, and I try not to go. I prefer dinner one-on-one or with four or six people.

One of the things that always amuses me -- amuses isn’t even the right word, because it doesn’t amuse me -- but often, I’m at dinner parties with very close friends, straight, and they realize that Richard and I have been together 24 years, and the response is often, “Wow, you guys have been together 24 years! That’s so amazing. I don’t think of gay men being together that long.” And I’m, like, “Why? What are you talking about?” Some of the longest relationships I know of are same-sex couples. A lot of my straight friends have married and divorced and married and divorced in the time Richard and I have been together. I think that preconception, from even very educated liberal friends, that being gay is possibly more sex-based than emotionally based, is surprising and shocking in today’s world. I’m someone who likes being part of a couple and always wanted that and always sought that, and it would probably be true for me whether I was gay or straight. Richard and I are bound together, and I think that’s what that recognition is when you look someone in the eyes and you feel like you’ve known them forever. It is a kind of coming home.

Richard Buckley, Writer:

After three and a half years in Paris, I moved back to New York to be the editor of a new Fairchild magazine called Scene. On my fourth day back in town, I attended the show of a young designer called David Cameron. As I was waiting for the show to begin (it was held in a loft), I noticed a guy standing in the crowd off to the side and thought, Cute. Definitely cute. When the show was over, I sat in my seat, fiddling with my pens and my notebook, until I saw his camel coat out of the corner of my eye. I hopped up and started to walk out with him. Like I said, we were in a loft, and the quickest way out was by the stairs. As we walked, I would look over at him from time to time and smile. He’d give me a weak smile back. This went on until we hit the street, when I swear he sprinted away from me.

Fast-forward 10 days, and I am up on the roof of the Fairchild building on 12th Street doing a hideous shoot for WWD when Owen, the art director, asked if I had a boyfriend.

“No.”

“Are you seeing anyone?”

“No. I haven’t even been out since I’ve been back.”

“Why is that?”

“I’ve been away for three and a half years, I have two jobs, and I’ve got to get back into the work rhythm of New York. I don’t want any distractions.”

“Hasn’t there been someone you’ve thought of asking out?”

At that point, I told him about this guy I’d seen at David Cameron’s fashion show and how he’d disappeared. Literally two minutes later, Harry, from the photo lab, came up on the roof and said, “There’s some guy here from Cathy Hardwick to pick up clothes.” It was then that the guy from the fashion show stepped onto the roof.

I turned to Owen and said, “That’s him.”

“Who?”

“That’s him.”

“Him who?”

“Him!”

“You mean -- ”

“Yes.”

I went over and told the young man I could give him all the clothes except for the dress we were going to photograph, most likely, for a cover. I took him down in the elevator to the WWD floor. The whole time down in the elevator I was babbling on like a schoolgirl. It is at this point, when telling this story, that I like to put my hands up to my head and wiggle my fingers like eyelashes. I was shamelessly flirting with this boy. He, meanwhile, said nothing, and the quieter he was, the sillier I became. As I was bagging the clothes up in the fashion closet, I told him, “Tomorrow night, Cathy is giving me a ‘welcome back to New York’ dinner at her apartment.” I was hoping he’d mention it to her, and Cathy, who is no dummy in the gay department, would invite him to the dinner.

The next night, the dinner was wonderful, but the young man wasn’t there. After dinner I took Cathy aside and asked, “Who is your assistant?”

“Tova.”

“No, not Tova, a really cute guy.”

“Tender.”

“Tender?”

“His real name is Tom, but I call him Tender.” At the time, Cathy was married to a man called Tom Snowden. She said she had to distinguish between her two Tom turkeys, so one was Tough (her husband) and the other (Ford) was Tender.

Like I said, there was never any moss growing on Cathy, and she immediately said, “He’s perfect for you. Come for lunch on Monday. I’ll arrange the whole thing.”
Apparently, when she came in the next morning, Cathy yelled, “Tender, get in here!” She told him, “Richard Buckley, the fashion editor of Women’s Wear Daily and editor of Scene, wants to go out with you. He’s very important. We need him. You take my credit card and go anywhere he wants to go.”

On Monday, it was pouring rain, and I arrived at the Cathy Hardwick offices thinking we would be going out to a restaurant. No. We had tomato soup and bologna sandwiches in her office. Halfway through lunch, Tom got up and said he needed to get back to work. At this point I’m thinking, I’m 38 and he’s 25. He’s not into geezers. Three strikes, you’re out.

I had been back in my office about 10 minutes when the phone rang.

“Hello.”

“This is Tom Ford from Cathy Hardwick. I was calling to see if I could ask you out for a drink or dinner some evening.”

I was totally thrown off guard, because I was starting to think he was a stuck-up little prick, so I said, “Well, tonight and tomorrow night I have business dinners. Wednesday evening I leave for the country and Thanksgiving weekend. What about a week from Wednesday?” He said that was fine. Then we stayed on the phone for a few minutes and he actually started talking to me, and I thought, He’s not stuck-up at all. Finally I said, “Look, the dinner tomorrow night is tentative. If it is canceled, can I call you at the last minute?” He said, “Sure.”

Well, that was an adrenaline-charged 24 hours for me, because I had no business dinners, no Thanksgiving in the country. Nothing. Nada. At 4:23 Tuesday afternoon I called him, said dinner had fallen through, and asked if he was still free.

For our first date, we went to this really sleazy cheapo restaurant on the Upper East Side called Albuquerque Eats -- I don’t think it exists anymore. Tom sat there chit-chatting: “And in 10 years I’m going to be showing my own collection in Paris, and I’m going to be a millionaire, and I’m going to do this, and I’m going to do that.” And I kept thinking, This guy is really naïve. But as we talked about other things, it was almost like seeing down a rabbit hole. I felt like I was looking at his eyes, and it was just spinning around and taking me down inside him. I could see he was a good man with a big heart. It wasn’t a physical thing as much as it was a psychic wave.

I’d been through a lot of relationships and was very suspicious of a lot of things, but with Tom I was careful not to repeat the mistakes I’d made with other guys. I’d been burned many times and had learned to keep people at arms’ length. And on New Year’s Eve 1986, we didn’t go out. We stayed at my little apartment on Saint Mark’s Place. I gave him a little Tiffany box, and inside was a key to my apartment. He moved in the next day.

Tom’s the perfect modern gentleman. We’re both old-fashioned that way. We both stand for ladies at the table and open doors for people. If you have good manners, people notice. And they appreciate it. You’re showing respect for them. When I got throat cancer in ’89, there were people who Tom cut out of our lives because of the way they responded. My best friend and one of my mentors had died -- one in ’87 or ’88 and one later that year -- both from AIDS, and there were a lot of people who just assumed that I had AIDS, and there were some people who wouldn’t come visit me because they were sure they would catch it. And Tom just cut them out -- wouldn’t even speak to them if he ran into them on the street.

I couldn’t imagine being without Tom now. I couldn’t imagine what I’d be like if something happened to him. There’s only one Tom for me. He is still that man who I met 24 years ago, who has a good heart.

Story credit: Out Magazine

Style Crush: Olivia Palermo

2011-04-16T23:13:00.004+08:00

Love her effortless style and that her different looks are always so spot on. Plus, she's so pretty!