Sunday Fashion Surfing: Hot Trends, Who's Wearing What at London Fashion Week

Nothing makes me happier than fashion-surfing on a lazy Sunday morning, and if these Proenza Schouler pieces are anything to go by, it's going to be a *great* year for fashion!

(click to enlarge)

I spotted these images whilst viewing Fashion Squad, a blog by the lovely Carolina Engman. She's a fashion-forward style icon in her own right, and the way she puts outfits and jewelry together is simply divine. Definitely going to keep an eye on this one-- she's a true inspiration.

Another fashion site of note is Style Caster-- it's got a *really* nifty flash plugin that lets you search through outfits by specific body types, weather, color, product type, etc. It's an awesome interactive catalog that pretty much points you to an array of style suggestions for whatever occasion you can think of! Here are my two favourite outfit/style suggestions:

Aren't they absolutely inspired? (I'm loving the pink knee-highs on the left outfit, while the right outfit is perfect for a regular work day.) Style Caster is a veritable gift to women’s fashion, haha.

And of course, what's fashion surfing without your weekly dose of celebrity gossip? London Fashion Week provides absolute eye candy, and here are my picks for the best (and worst) of the lot:

 

Kate Hudson looking absolutely ravishing in this glittery emerald dress with to-die-for stilettos. She's an incredible woman, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a picture where she doesn't look absolutely fantastic. 

Elizabeth Hurley also turned heads a-plenty, dressed as she was in this elegant Sari-inspired outfit. She's beautiful no matter what, but I think she looked like a Goddess here!

 

Color me unimpressed, but I wasn't too happy with the Mary-Kate Olsen's outfit. This would be lovely and elegant if she were in her 40's, but for a 20-something yuppie, she's dressed far too old for her age! I'm normally quite interested in the way the Olsen twins dress, but this ensemble bored me to tears.

And then we come to Kate Moss, who looks like she butchered a Gorilla on the way to fashion week. Sigh. I'm not a huge PETA person or anything, but quite frankly, it just doesn't look that good on her. :P

What about you, ladies? Any likes/dislikes from London Fashion week celebs?

Trendy, Sexy, Socks: Love 'em? Hate 'em?

Fashion trends come and go, and my current obsession is knee-high socks. These have been around for a while now, but I wasn't sure how to wear them and honestly didn't know if they'd look good on a 20-something gal like me. But of course, that was before I saw how sexy and versatile they could be! There are literally hundreds of styles out there, each with their own unique twist.

I can totally see myself wearing these with sporty mini skirts or shorter pencil skirts:

I found these babies whilst browsing Shop Wiki, which features a handy shoe-buying guide that also encompasses accessories for legs and feet. It's actually a great little shopping directory, and what I love is that it includes not just the sites that pay them to be publicized, but also the ones that don't. (It's like Google, except for shopping. I love it!)

Finding a host of gorgeous leg wear was a snap since the interface had pictures, descriptions, and links to their respective shops. Check out these awesome leg warmers that I found in the Hosiery and Socks section:

I *completely* fell in love with the woolly blue warmers. It looks like Cookie Monster decided to eat your shins. It's entirely too hot right now to wear leg warmers, but I figure it'll be colder in about 5 months and there's nothing wrong with shopping ahead.

Either way, I've actually got to start building up my sock drawer because the boy and I are playing sports regularly again, and I prefer to be stylish both on and off the field. :D

What about you, ladies? Would you give knee-high socks a try?

Korean Cosmetics: The Bottom Three!

J&R Lovely Sponge Blusher, Korean Peach Blush Php 200.00
Missha The Style Face Powder 20g, low bid, #2 Php 245.00
Skinfood Choco Melt Lip Tube 14g #3 Peach Gloss Php265

As frequent visitors of my blog know, I'm a huge fan of Korean cosmetics. There's something about the care they put into their packaging and the effectiveness of their products that I simply adore. However, like all makeup brands, there are also hits and misses in Korean products.

Out of the dozens and dozens of products that I have tried, I'd like to present my Bottom Three: the only three Korean products that I recommend that you avoid. :P

J&R Lovely Sponge Blusher

Pros- Excellent packaging, easy to use, no mess application. It's a lovely pearly pink can with a lid that pops off, and a built-in sponge. What's not to love? (I also got this on sale at P200. The regular price is about double that.)

Cons- A lot, apparently. I find this blush (if it can even be classified as such), an insult to all blush. :P The color payoff is practically non-existent, and even after rubbing and rubbing it on your cheeks, you barely get the tiniest hint of peach shimmer. I find it quite ridiculous, since if I wanted a pearlescent highlighter, I would have bought one. I don't recommend this as a blush at all, though it will work if you're looking for a pearl highlighter for your T-Zone.

Missha The Style Face Powder 20g

Pros- Huge can, filled to the brim with product. Pretty, sleek packaging. Smells very perfume-y, (which I personally love), but this can be a con if you're not into that sort of thing. Goes on very light and provides a tiny bit of sheen.

Cons- This is supposed to be a face powder, but it's so sheer that I wonder if it was possibly mis-labeled. I swear it should just be a highlighter... It has zero coverage, a nice sheen, and so-so oil control. I'd use this to set my BB Cream (or even lightly dust it atop my mineral makeup), but I wasn't able to use it by itself. I tried it once and didn't like the results at all. :P I suppose it's cheap enough to be a superfluous purchase, but I can't really recommend it for people looking for an actual face powder that, you know, works.

Skinfood Choco Melt Lip Tube

 Pros- Skin Food is many things, but I can honestly say that they never skimp on packaging. This is an absolutely beautifully-packaged gloss, from the choco brown body to its cardboard cap. Lovely!

Cons- Unfortunately, I don't understand why anyone would even bother with this. It says it's a transparent peach gloss with a lovely choco scent, but I could barely smell any chocolate and there was zero color! It also doesn't taste like chocolate, and with so many gorgeous lippies out there, I can't think of a single reason why I'd choose this.

Here I am wearing all three products -- yes, I'm aware that it doesn't look like I'm wearing any blush, haha! It's a good thing all three items were cheap, because I don't think I'd be too happy if I actually paid full price for them.

If anyone's curious, I bought these at my regular Korean cosmetic supplier Sun Kim at ebay.ph. I don't recommend any of these particular products, but she's got a lot of pretty good stuff (other than this).

Stay beautiful, ladies!

Alice in Wonderland at Ukay Manila, Nestea Fit Camp Hot Review on YNM!

It's that time of the month again, and Ukay Manila's got my latest batch of necklaces! To celebrate the coming Alice in Wonderland movie, I've made a handful of special Alice necklaces that are completely one of a kind.

The Rabbit P450

Eat Me, Drink Me, P450

To view the rest, simply click here to visit the Trinket Box and scroll all the way down to view the latest pieces.

It's been a busy past couple of weekends for me, what with working on the necklaces and attending Nestea Fit's Camp Hot! Josh and I covered all the sports available at the event over at YesNoMeh, and you check out our review here.

Yoga at Nestea Fit's Camp Hot

Yoga was a lot of fun, but we were looking for something more active and fun. When we went back last Saturday, we attended a 2-hour ultimate frisbee session. It was a LOT of fun, but super tiring!

Still, we enjoyed it enough that we're planning a picnic + frisbee toss on Sunday by ourselves, haha. The coaches at Camp Hot were super athletic, and we're just happy to know the rules and toss the old disk around.

What about you, ladies? Any summer sports you're planning on engaging in?

REVLON Haul: Golden Affair Sculpting Blush and Creme de la Chrome Liquid Lipstick

My Revlon Haul! I got the Lipstick and Sugar Sugar Lip Topping for free!

There's nothing I love more than going through an awesome brand's big sale, and after my last visit to Revlon's Makati Cinema Square booth, I just knew I had to go back. This time, I had a better idea of what I wanted-- since I only own a few pale blushes, I wanted a color that was much more daring. I also wanted to pick up another liquid lipstick, as the Midnight Swirl I bought before was quite good.

What's great about the sale is that not only is their stuff 30-50% off, you also get a bunch of freebies when you purchase from them! Here are the pieces I picked up (and their corresponding swatches):

 

Creme dela Chrome in "Gilt Complex"

Sale Price P525 (Usual Price P875)

Capsule Review: I'm a big fan of golds and bronzes, and there's nothing I love more than crazy heavy eye makeup and gold lipstick. I don't get to use the look often (unless I'm clubbing or going to some special event), but since I was really happy with the pigmentation of Midnight Swirl, I decided to pick up the only liquid lipstick they had left-- Gilt Complex.

Boy, am I glad I got this! Putting it on feels like swiping liquid gold onto your lips. It's simply gorgeous! I've never used a lipstick so perfectly golden, and believe me, I've tried a lot (yeah, I was a fan of the Egyptian concubine's makeup in the Mummy movies).  The coverage is also completely even and, ironically, this didn't feel sticky at all (unlike MS). The color is a bit difficult to use, but it was so totally worth the buy!

 

Golden Affair Sculpting Blush in "Berry Daring"

(Sale price approximately P675, usual price over 1k! I forgot to keep the receipt, ugh.)

Capsule Review: The gold dust dots actually go straight down to the pan, and it provides the perfect amount of shine once you apply it. This blush is *highly* pigmented, and it's best to use it sparingly-- the first time I used it, I applied way too much and had to wash it off and start again. :P It's a great blush to have, though, and I highly recommend picking this up if you're tired of the typical pinks and browns.

  

Lipstick in "Garnet Chrome"

I got this for FREE! 

Capsule Review: The lipstick I'm using in the photo above is actually garnet chrome. It feels a bit drying, but swiping some gloss over it easily bypasses this minor problem. And really, how can I complain? I love the color and hey, I got it for free!

You get one lipstick free for every purchase of blush, though you can buy it on it's own for P250. I also got a Revlon Sugar Sugar Lip Topping for free (you get one in a color of your choice for orders over a thousand), and I chose mine in "Sprinkled Pink". It's basically a bit of glitter (hopefully non-toxic, lol) that you sprinkle on top of your lips to provide a lovely bit of sparkle and shine. It's very pretty, but I'd save this for a special occasion... it's too much trouble to go through everyday, haha.

Interested ladies can check out the REVLON sale at Makati Cinema Square, Ground Floor Walkway (they have a large booth in front of Dunkin Donuts). They have new sale items (i.e. products from the last collection) come in every few weeks or so, and they always have huge discounts and offer plenty of freebies! Don't miss it-- this is Revlon at its most affordable. :D

February Giveaway: Spreading the Love! (Open to International Readers!)

Hello, ladies! It's time for another giveaway at "I Draw For A Living", and this February is ALL about the hearts and romance of Valentine's Day. I had such a wonderful V-Day that I'd like to share the love by giving you all a chance to win a lovely red rose and emerald green leaves necklace hand crafted by yours truly! :D

As most of you know, Lauren and Lizette sell some of my one-of-a-kind sculpted jewelry over at Ukay Manila, and here's your chance to win one entirely for free. Since the red rose necklace sold on the first day it came out, I've made a similar color (though it's sculpted differently and is sporting an entirely new necklace design), and adorned it with lovely emerald leaves. This is pretty much the only chance you have to win another rose of this color, since my pieces are all limited edition and I only make one of each design.

Click photos to enlarge! ;)

This contest is open to both local and international readers, so everyone is welcome to join! To enter the giveaway, you must:

1) Comment with the answer to this question: "What do you/don't you love about Valentine's Day?" (Don't forget to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win.)
2) Follow this blog using Google Friend Connect! (Click on the "follow" button on my sidebar to the right).

If you want to double your chances at winning:
*Tweet (or plurk) about this contest and drop another comment with the URL of your tweet (or plurk!) so I can double check.

And... that's it! I'll be picking the winner using random.org on March 5, 2009, so hurry and comment now!

NOTE: Ladies, please remember to *follow* this blog as well as comment. No follow = your comment entry doesn't count.

The New Lunar Year and My Day of Hearts

It wasn't too long ago that my parents would take my brother and I to China Town during the lunar new year. We'd eat in a typical Chinese resto, walk the streets filled with curiosities, buy trinkets and little glass animals that we'd scatter across the house for good luck. I'd hold my dad's hand, or my mother's, and stuff preserved dates in my mouth with my free hand. My brother would take pictures.

The cycle broke when I ran off to live in Tokyo for a year. When I came home, I missed the trip which my mum and dad made because I was much too busy putting my life back together. Perhaps I was working, perhaps I was just too busy. Another year gone by.

This year, my mum is in Korea, fighting the good fight. My brother went off to wherever it is that he goes; he drops off the radar whenever he wants and he cares little for family traditions.

I asked Josh to take me, filled with nostalgia for lost traditions, and he agreed. We walked, hand in hand, under red paper lanterns. We ate at a traditional restaurant. We bought gifts for my dad. We laughed, watching the two-man lion dance walk from shop to shop. And, at the very end, he bought me a tiger balloon.

We left in the afternoon, stopping by my father's house to leave my gifts of preserves, tikoy, hopia, and of course, a little glass tiger. No, mom-- I didn't forget.

It's a new year. I'm a little older, a little wiser. I'm thankful for my family, scattered as they are. Thankful for my profession, which allows me to illustrate and pour my creativity out every single day. But mostly I'm thankful for Josh, my true partner, the love of my life. If I believed in souls, I would say he was my soul mate.

Thank you, baby, for helping me honor old traditions (however small), and making me want to come up with brand new ones with you.

Pure Romance: Shabby Chic Furniture at The Bella Cottage

Valentine's Day at last! Nothing makes me happier than gorgeous pinks and elegant designs, and what better time to share my current obsession than today?

As a self-proclaimed pink junkie and shabby chic furniture lover, I was so happy to find The Bella Cottage website-- it's got everything I want in furniture: timeless elegance, dainty twists, and yes, pink flowers! I'm planning to move out of my current apartment at the end of the year, and I think that my next place will have to have a craft room done up in shabby chic furniture. I was on a modern art slash minimalist type of phase when I moved in a couple of years ago, and all the furniture I bought was made of glass and steel. My entire desk is transparent glass, and so are most key pieces of furniture!

Isn't this absolutely divine?

Nothing says princess like this lovely little display cabinet... I love everything from the little clock up top to the curled edges to the little swing door at the bottom. I'd buy this in a heartbeat if it wasn't already sold out! (And I'm incredibly justified in going crazy over furniture like this at this point in my life-- as soon as my guy and I start living together, I'll have to pick more gender-neutral themes.)

 

And speaking of gender-neutral, I'm totally in love with shabby chic desks! I think pieces like this would be able to fit into a beige-and-neutrals themed home. Its color makes it appropriate for a home with a man in the house (sans the giant candle and rose, of course), but it's dainty enough to make me happy. I'm loving the curlicues on the desk drawers and the unexpected wavy cut to its edges.

 

As a finishing touch to some truly beautiful furniture, they've also got these shabby chic frames to add the perfect pink pop! Check out the ornate styling on the sides and corners... this is the type of frame that you buy six or seven of in alternating colors. I can totally imagine them displayed in pink and white atop an ornate display cabinet, featuring the most romantic moments of my life. :)

In any case, I do wish my gorgeous readers a lovely Valentine's Day! I'm off to a wonderful whole day date with my guy... Stay beautiful, everyone! :D

Valentine's Day Must-Have's For the Romantic Girl

Romance is once again in the air! This year, Valentine's Day is extra special because Chinese New Year falls on the exact same day!

(After all, with all the Chinese New Year celebrants milling about in Ongpin, I'm sure there will be plenty of people wearing red already.)While I generally try to wear a splash of red during V-day (corny, I know), this year I'm going to skip the red and go straight to pink! :D In the spirit of Valentine's, (or just my compulsive need to buy pretty pink things and random hearts), here are some V-day must-have's for the season!

 

XOXO Pink Bag

P1399 (Brand New) from ebay seller hotstuffs911

I HAD TO HAVE... a pink bag. I've been longing for a pretty pink bag for the looongest time, and when I saw this adorable little thing I HAD to have it. It's a tad small for all the stuff I usually cart around, but luckily everything still fit. It's going to be perfect for my Chinese NY/V-day date with my guy!

 

Gold Heart with Rhinestones Necklace

P895 from Style Lab (Eastwood Mall)

I HAD TO HAVE... a new heart necklace. Okay, so I'll admit I've got a ton of heart necklaces in various sizes and materials, but when I saw this completely gaudy (I know, I know) and horribly loud necklace, I HAD to have it. The chain is quite long and it hangs down to my navel, the heart is ridiculously big and heavy, but I'm so happy I bought it. Just like Sex and the City's Samantha, it's gorgeous, loud, and over-the-top. Haha!

The Little Pink Dress

Php650 at one of Eastwood's Many Weekend Bazaars

I HAD TO HAVE... a Little Pink Dress. This is actually an oldie! I bought it a few months ago at one of Eastwood's many weekend bazaars, but I've only worn it once. I think V-day is the perfect time to bring out all the too-frilly, too-girly pink dresses stuck in the back of our closets, and this is frilliest, girliest, laciest dress I own. XD

It was brand new and had Japanese tags when I bought it, and I've never seen anything like it since. It's definitely going to be my V-Day outfit, though I'll probably switch to flats since I've got to walk around China Town.

What about you, ladies? Any plans for Valentine's Day?

Valentine's Day Makeup Looks: Will You Go For Naughty or Nice?

Whether it's for a night out clubbing with your single pals or a special date with your significant other, the coming V-Day weekend is definitely a time for primping! To celebrate this wonderful occasion, I've put together two lovely looks that celebrate the soft pinks and bright reds of the day of hearts.

One is a sugary sweet look, designed to enhance your features and let pure romance shine through! The other is for the vampy vixens out there-- not for the faint of heart, but definitely a head-turner in any smokey club.

Sugary Sweet!

This look uses a lot of soft pinks and fuchsias, and it's just a teeny bit brighter than what I usually go for. I used Dollface cosmetics' 88 shimmer palette (this is the same as Coastal Scents' 88 shimmer palette) to create the soft pink fade to bright fuchsia, all the while dusting the browbone and inner corners of my eyes with my lovely 3D Jewel Cheek & Highlighter powder pact.  Artistry's mascara in black and some liquid black eye liner provide the finishing touches.

Of course, no pink look is complete without my trusty Etude House pink cheek blush, and I topped it off with a light dusting of Show Case's VOV Love Cheek blush. Etude House's Lipstick in BR301 and Plumping Lip Tint in red finish off a high-shine, bright pink lip.

Most of the cosmetics I used for this look are Korean brands, because I generally feel that no one does shades of pink like they do. Still, you can use any of your favourite pink products from any brand to mimic this look (Maybelline and Glitz is a good place to start!).

The Vamp

(Please ignore my pasty, corpse-white skin. The flash made me look ashy 

and I didn't have time to reshoot everything. D:)

Smokey eyes are not something I use a lot, so please excuse my lack of skill. I enjoyed practicing this technique quite a bit, and I loved the crazy loud finished product... After all, you don't often see smokey eyes paired with loud lips (pale pink lips and black eye shadow usually go hand-in-hand nowadays).

I used the same palette as before, this time sweeping the brush over black, silver (topmost), and a tiny amount of purple. This look reminds me of Satine's makeup in Moulin Rouge, and I suppose you'd have to be a gorgeous diva to pull it off, haha.

Artistry's black mascara and black liquid eyeliner were again used to frame the eyes, but this time I went completely Western with my other products! (I don't think I've ever seen a Korean or Japanese cosmetic pull off a decent dark red.)

Revlon's Golden Affair Sculpting Blush in "Berry Daring" was the perfect hue for some serious contouring action, and the Revlon Garnet Chrome lipstick went perfectly with Revlon Midnight Swirl lip luster. I have a huge love for how Revlon handles reds, as they are second to none what it comes to va-va-voom red lipsticks and glosses.

I'll be wearing the Sugary Sweet look for my Valentine's Day date with my guy, but I'll definitely keep the Vamp in mind for next Halloween (or a wild night of clubbing, perhaps). :D

What about you, ladies? What hues are you planning on donning for the big day? 

Edit: Okay, so my guy says he prefers the naughty look, (surprise, surprise). Maybe I'll tone it down a bit and go with that look on our big date night. Lol.

Valentine's Day Treasures: Third Collection for Ukay Manila V-DAY PROMO!

The lovely ladies over at Ukay Manila are featuring my third Valentine's Day collection (scroll down to view the collection), and it's all about couple necklaces and hearts! Even better, they're offering a 10% discount off for when you purchase the lovely baubles for that special lady in your life. Here are the mechanics!

1) The promo code is only valid if the necklace is to be given as a present. We can ship the necklace straight to your special someone! Simply type her shipping address instead of yours on the purchase form.
2) The promo code can be used for our necklaces only.
3) If you wish, we can include a personalized note for your special someone. Let us know what the note would like to say under the Comments/Remarks box on the purchase form.
4) Promo begins today, February 8, 2010 and ends on February 15, 2010.

Lauren and Marco are depicted wearing the couple necklace "Domino: The King and Queen of Spades". Here's a closer look at the pieces:

As you can see, the key is a perfect fit for the keyhole inside the heart! It's a perfect couple necklace to wear this Valentine's Day, and I guarantee that you'll be wearing it for a long time after!

 

There are also plenty of locket and heart themed-necklaces to choose from for those who wish to gift a single piece, and among my favourites are The Rose Heart and  Blue Valentine. Both have classic lockets and are adorned with hearts!

Happy Valentine's Day, ladies! Stay beautiful. ;)

The Joys of Pore Reducers: Hanskin Pore Treatment Pack and BIOTHERM Biopur Pore Toner Review

Hanskin Pore Treatment Pack, Special Pore Care Php420

BI0THERM Toner 30ml for Oily Skin Type, Pore Reducer Php200

Purchased from ebay seller Sun Kim

If there's one thing Korean women are known for, it's their smooth skin and near-invisible pores. I've always wondered how they could maintain such perfect, glowing skin, and now I finally do.

Hanskin's Pore Treatment Pack is a type of lotion that you spread all over your face and then gently wash off with warm water after ten to fifteen minutes. You must *not* leave this on, though there's no hope of that happening since it dries up pretty quickly and becomes whitish and flaky. I cannot say how amazing this product is, as my pores looked literally invisible after using this!

After washing off the Treatment, I then used a few drops of Biotherm Pore Reducing toner. It worked wonderfully (though the treatment had already rendered my pores invisible in the first place), and gave me lightly glowing skin.

When used separately, the treatment leaves behind invisible pores and a matte finish. If you're looking to reduce pores and only want to get one item, I suggest getting this. Using the toner separately yields lovely, dewy skin, but the pores are not so much minimized as blocked.

To maintain gorgeous skin, you only have to use the Pore Treatment Pack 2-3 times a week. The pores stay closed for more than 24 hours after use, and I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I still couldn't see my pores on the second day after the test. Truly a miracle item!

I highly recommend this product to girls looking for perfect skin (aren't we all?). Locals can purchase these items from Korean ebay seller Sun Kim. Unfortunately, neither Amazon nor Ebay International carries either product for now.

Stay beautiful, ladies! :D