Little treasures from New York…

For those that know me well, will be very familiar  with how i get excited when i get surprises when least expected, and that is what just happened before i got off work last week. My BFF in New York was a real sweet heart and had gotten me some lovely goodies for my belated 30th birthday and Christmas gift. Her mom had recently gone to New York to visit her and her recent born grandson, Jonathan, who is my ever as cute godson, and had been requested by my BFF to deliver the goods to me in person. That’s when i got a call and auntie was at the door of my office with the bag of goodies. If you are reading this, my BFF, i love you girl!!!

I remember my very first trip to the states in New York back in 2008, where i fell in love with Bath & Body Works, an American skin care brand. Fast forward 5 years later, BFF is ever as sweet and remembers my love for this brand. Although my love for Bath & Body Works isn’t as crazy as before, surely one should not decline gorgeous looking beauty products, right? There were 2 shower gels that came in the flavors of sun ripened raspberry and cucmber melon, which reminds me of the summer times. I absolutely adore the cute mini anti-bacterial hand gels, and they are the perfect size to put into my bag. Japanese Cherry Blossom is my favorite.

On my lazy days, when i don’t have time or patience to glam up, i always find spraying on a fave perfume or applying a tint of lip gloss is all it takes to feel dolled up without much effort. This is when less is more fits my agenda, where i go for the casual look. So i was very much amused when i found out that BFF had gotten me a multi functional cosmetic piece to add to my collection.  This special make up kit is a wand that has a pink lip gloss on one end and a lovely summery roll on perfume on the other end. Two things in one, it’s the perfect gift for a busy lady like me that always rushes to work every morning. The AVOCA soap bar is an additional piece i added because i felt that it completed the entire look with the whole pink color scheme going on in the photo. I actually bought this soap during my trip to Wicklow in Ireland three years ago. I still haven’t had the heart to use this soap because it just looks too pretty and still smells ever as lovely as the day i bought it. 

One of my fave gifts to receive are jewelries as it can hold sentimental values, where memories are embedded of that certain moment or special person, and a valuable to be kept forever. You can say i’m more of the sappy type, if you like. For my belated birthday gift, BFF got me this gorgeous Swarovski crystal necklace. The simple and elegant design of this gem is very close to my usual style in jewelry, and the size is perfect for me.

What are some of your most memorable birthday gifts received in the past?

What’s your scent?

A fragrance is more than just a scent and smell.  To me, a fragrance (perfume/cologne) goes much more in depth than that, where it is a statement of ones identity and projects back on your personality and life style. It creates memories.

It could be that mid 30s French woman who just got off work from a stressful day and sits in a bar sipping on a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon, whilst her seductive Chanel Coco Mademoiselle scent is distinctively present amongst the crowd. Or it can be that sweet 16 teenage girl who is on her first date, longing to be loved, and sprays on a hint of Gwen Stefani’s sweet and playful scented perfume, Harajuku lovers Music. I like to believe that the majority of women out there are constantly looking for that unique scent that signifies them.

Recently i have discovered a new scent that i have fallen completely head over heels in, and that does not happen often (i still do love my Chloe very dearly). This new found love of mine is Hermes Au Jardin Sur Le Toit. It is not too strong of a scent where it has this really fresh and summery smell to it, without being too overbearing. Is is definitely a great choice for a summer perfume.

I was lucky enough to have a friend who bought this perfume yesterday at the Hong Kong airport while on her way coming into town, and she got a free smaller bottle along with her purchase! Of course, being the sweet darling that she is, she gave it to me.

The small bottle size is also perfect to just pop into my bag, where i can spray a quick hint of summer paradise whenever i need to freshen up. It is really the small things that counts after all, right?

Do you have a favorite perfume scent?

The magic color: Red

There’s always been this thing about the color red for me.  It’s definitely one of those colors that defines all the characteristics of being  attractive, feminine, exotic, and vibrant. Whenever I’m in a rut and need to freshen up my look , i will go and try on something red.  It could be my red lip gloss when I’m out in town with my girls or just wearing a really glamorous red dress to feel good about myself.

I don’t have any lipsticks as unbelievable as it sounds but i love my recently purchased Maybelline (Very Cherry 635) red lip stick for those days that i don’t want the glossy lips look.  One of my fave lip kits are the Dior lip gloss (Ultra Gloss Pearl 654) and Kiehl’s lip balm (Hue No. 58B) with SPF 15 to protect my lips.

As for accessories, red is definitely a color to make any outfit look interesting if you ask me! I love my red accessories such as the red heart necklace and red gift box lookalike earring, which i got on my trip to New  York few years back. They make great choices when i am wearing something a bit more simple and want to funk up my look.

I got the red rose ring and red pearl necklace in some cheap market but they still work like a charm when i want to be a bit more playful with my outfit.  And lastly, with a spray of the Harajuku Lovers G Christmad edition perfume,  I’m all set  to go out and have a good time.

What about you? Do you have any favorite colors that inspires your way of styling?

7 things to do this summer…

It has been non stop rainy weather for the past few weeks that i started to question if i was in London.  Just the other night there was thunder and lightening, which managed to scare the heck outta me every single time, where I do this little jump (or a small whisper “omg”). Meanwhile,  it has also been extremely humid and hot where the temperatures rise as high as 30 degrees Celsius!!! Apart from the humidity,  i have to admit, i am really looking forward in doing more summery things as  we approach summer.

With a little prep work and putting some thoughts into it,  I have come up with 7 ways to make your summer a little bit more fun. So ready or not, here it is.

1. Cycling

I’ve recently picked up cycling again for the past year or so, and i already can’t wait to hop on a bike and start my adventure. So far i’ve only cycled in the New Territories area of Hong Kong and it is definitely worth a go. The journey from Tai Po to Tai Wai (or vice versa) has a friendly cycling route, where you can witness Hong Kong’s nature surpassing  high mountains, rivers, and greenery.

Wherever you are now, i say you hop on that bike this weekend and start your journey. I’m sure you will find it inspiring and a good break from your daily routines.

2. Froyo/Ice cream

Froyo and ice cream are another fave food that i crave once i feel the boiling temperatures. That cooling and sweet sensation in my taste buds is enough to put a smile on my face. I tend to go for froyos with fruits now as i try to be more healthy.

One of my fave froyo place to hang out at is Yo MaMa,  where my friends and i sit there “MMmmmmmmmmmm’ing” over our dessert whilst catching up. Okay fine, the “MMmmmmm” has died down a bit since i go there quite frequently,lol.

3. Beaches

I don’t actually do this enough but i always imagine trips down the beach where i can spend the whole afternoon there doing nothing. I find it very relaxing to lay down on the warm sand as i hear the waves crashing against the shore. That mind easing sound makes me feel more connected to nature and allows me to leave all of my worries behind for a while. Not to mention, i can get a lovely tan!!!

4. Perfumes

Perfume is a must have in my daily life style.  There is not one day i do not leave my home without spraying perfume on, apart from the times when i was too sick to even care about smelling good. It’s one of the easiest way to freshen yourself up if you have one of those last min emergency dates to go to.

I like perfumes that are fresh and mild in sweetness during the summer. Right now i am thinking to get Daisy by Marc Jacobs.

5. Summer dresses and skirts

The best part about summer is that you can bring out all your girlie dresses, mini skirts, and wear things as colorful as you want, without feeling out of place.

The feeling of loose silk or polyester fabrics against your skin is for sure to make you feel fabulous! Sometimes i do get a little kiddy as well, and the temptation of doing a small twirl with my skirt kicks in!!!

6. Sandals

Summer is also the time you can wear sandals and finally let your feet out to breath and flash it to the world!  The ease of walking in sandals is a no brainer and not to mention the variety of summer sandals that are out there waiting for us!

I don’t know about you but I always feel like a kid in a candy shop when i go shoe shopping. Of course, pedicures are essential in such situations and being a nail polish freak that i am, i couldn’t have asked for more.

7. Vibrant nail polishes

Nail polish is a must for me all year round and with the hot summer time, i take the advantage and try to go with more vibrant colors. Lately i have been liking the pastel tones, and i really want to get the minty color. For those that are color shy, I suggest you to try out with the pastel tones first. If you feel more comfortable after a while, you can try to experiment with more bright colors and just have fun!

I’m not sure about you ladies, but a bright and clean manicure always gets me in a better mood!

What about you? Are there some things that you love to do or suggest to do during the summer time??? Please feel free to add to the list!!!

Parisian Parfum – Filles des iles Perfume

If i had one thing to say about beauty products, it’s that every woman deserves to own a scent, their very own personal perfume scent. Perfumes create an individual smell, style and persona for you, and of course, i’m sure all men would fall for any women that smells nice.

As it so happened, I accidently stumbled upon this lovely French branded collection of perfumes called Filles des iles earlier in December, during my Christmas shopping in Franc Franc. They come in the form of perfumes and perfume oil roll ons, and the smell is in between sweet and refreshing. I’ve never heard of this brand but i do recall seeing it last year, where i thought the smell was too girlie for me at the time.

After one fun accident, where i decided to spray the perfumes on my wrist and let it set in for awhile, the scent just grew on me by the minute! That’s when i decided to buy my first bottle of Filles des iles perfume oil roll on, “floral exotique” (sadly the perfume version is out of stock). It came in this cute 1oml bottle packed in this gorgeous Tiffany blue box, and my heart just sank when i finally had my hands on it.

Photo Source

The Filles des iles perfume comes in two collections, Paradise and Chic. The name of the collection is already good enough to make you fantasize about a heavenly place whilst smelling oh so lovely! My perfume oil roll is from the Paradise collection and the Chic collection is sadly not available in Hong Kong right now. However, i do think it will be a summer perfume choice  if i had to choose.

Have you heard of Filles des iles, and if so, what are your thoughts about this perfume?

Beauty time with Mr. Ole Henriksen

My brother from Denmark was due to arrive to Hong Kong tonight. I was thrilled with anticipation to see him as we don’t get to see each other on a regular basis, and when the clock at work striked 6 o’clock, i rushed right outta the building in no time. However, my excitement went slightly up a notch when i got home and found out that he had bought me a birthday gift!!! Actually, let me rephrase that, it was his wife who chose the gift, lol.

Anyway, it don’t matter because they got me some fabulous skin products from the Danish skin care brand, Ole Henriksen!!!! I’ve heard about him a few years back and people say that his products are quite good, and at a hefty price too. I can already feel my body itching to try the Loofah Body Scrub that has jojoba beads to give my skin that revived look.  I just can’t wait to try these products and see if they really live up to what people say!!! They also got me the latest Gucci Guilty perfume and it’s got quite a lovely lady like smell to it. Of course, my fav perfume will always be CHLOE!!! J’adore Chloe.

Perfume wish list

Of course i gotta give it to the “Harajuku Lovers” fragrance with their limited edition “Sunshine Cuties” to kick start this hot summer 🙂 This time these lovely girls are all out and ready for some sunshine with their cutesy bikini outfits!!!! Only question is…which one should i get??? If you’re too desperate and can’t wait, all of the items below can be purchased online via Sephora. Please do share and let me know which  “Sunshine Cuties” will be your pick this summer as I’d loveeeeeee to know. As for me, my fav outfit is “Sunshine Cuties Love” and fav smell is “Sunshine Cuties Music”. 

Sunshine Cuties G

Sunshine Cuties Love

 

Sunshine Cuties Lil’ Angel

 

Sunshine Cuties Music

 

Sunshine Cuties Baby

 This was the A/W 2009 collection for the Harajuku Lovers called “Snow Bunnies”

Smell my Monday blues away….

Hope this brought a smile to your face 🙂

Beauty essentials

I believe that every women has their very own beauty tips and essential beauty items that they absolutely can’t live without. The same goes for me and so i decided it would be nice to share some of my own beauty tips, if you care to read on. There is this one beauty item that sits at the very top of my list lately and of course, it would only be wrong to not share this life saver product with you right? 😉  I’m not sure about you but you ever get those bad skin days? Like nasty stubs from shaving or whatever reason? Well, I discovered this body exfoliater from Origins, which has been my best skin product purchase ever! Yep, my legs feel so much more smoother and stub free:) So ladies, why dont you give it a try and see for yourself. Anyways, it worked for me like a charm and im still using it. It’s full name is “Origins Incredible Spreadable Scrub”. It’s got white and brown sugar to take the roughness away, olive oil for rehydration, plus a ginger/citrusey aroma that will leave you smelling refreshed and feeling oh so smooth………

Another product that I have taken a liking to ever since I came back from New York City is Bath and Body Works. They got them in like gazillion flavors and I was lucky to have bought around 7 flavors back home:) They are perfect sizes for putting in hand bags or at the office whenever you need a touch of moisturizing on dull days. Cucumber Melon and Coconut Lime Verbena are my favorites and i really want the Cherry Blossom but it was nowhere to be found in any of their stores. Hm, maybe it’s one of their best sellers?

Now after talking about how to pamper our lovely bodies, the nex thing that we must take care of is our lovely undies that we very so often disregard, which i warn you can leave you in embarressing moments. Can you remember what you last wore under all those layers of clothes during the chilly winter seasons? hehehe. Right now I’m really into these underwears from Juicy Couture but their price tag comes at a hefty sum.  These panties designed to look like cupcakes are just too cute to be missed though.  Their fragrance department does wonders too and i been wanting their Juicy Couture perfume for awhile. It’s quite expensive, like HK$700 for 100ml so my super nice friend Jeff got it for me in NYC as a gift. How nice is that!! Thanks Jeff if you’re reading this,lol.

So much for pampering onlineeeeeeeeeeee tonight.  Its Monday morning tomorrow, ARghhhhhhhhhhh….I will survive:)