I purchased this jacket/vest on a whim last year, and it unfortunately became one of those items that was worn once (seen here) and never again. In another attempt to expand the variety of silhouettes that I am wearing and to not let anything in my closet go to waste, I took off the "cape" portion of the piece off and wore it as a simple vest. I love how drastically different of a feel it now gives off and it was ideal for a casual day of food truck lunching and a little bit of shopping.




Wearing: YesStyle blouse, labeless trench vest (wore it with attached cape here), J Brand jeans, Zara pumps, Tom Ford sunnies, Wilfred belt, BCBG cuff

{photos by Paul Milaire & Roderick Fung}
I recently realized that I am a very safe dresser. Most of my friends wouldn't agree with this as my closet contains substantial amounts of bold colours and patterns, but in actuality I tend to only stick to a handful of silhouettes that have worked for me. While this may be a good thing, it has taken much of the fun out of dressing up. Finding a pair of 100% silk trousers for $10 at a consignment store a while back was the perfect opportunity to do a bit of experimenting: though it's not a big leap, the higher waist & looser fit of the pants were enough to give putting an outfit together some pizazz that hasn't been there in far too long.

p.s. In case you haven't noticed, this vest has become, hands down, my most worn piece this entire winter. I'm now thoroughly convinced that a black faux fur vest is a wardrobe staple.
Wearing: Zara sweater and shoes, YesStyle vest, thrifted blouse and Wilfred silk pants, Jacob belt (similar), label-less clutch, Revlon Colorburst in Fuchsia

{scoring gorgeous black and gilded gold bowls to store my current favourite baubles & lipstick}
This past weekend was pretty close to ideal: aside from getting to spend good chunks of time with family, D and my girlfriends, we were treated to gorgeous late afternoon sunshine on Saturday that was reminiscent of a late autumn day. It was also filled with neat little discoveries and indulgences - small things like the ones in these photos that do a lot to make life just a bit sweeter. I hope your weekend was just as wonderful.

{finding a new recipe and baking something delicious on a whim}

{the perfect fusion of sweet & salty - polished these off within the day and will probably make them myself!}

{sitting down with an unread book while drinking a Spanish latte}

{the best hot chocolate I've had in my life - from here. need I say more?}

I'm sure those of us in colder climates have all experienced the struggle of creating interesting outfits in the winter time because it essentially consists of a coat and shoes. I rely heavily on accessories to make things interesting in these instances, and a few pieces that D recently brought back from a trip came together nicely around my favourite winter coat (last seen here). Sometimes I can't believe how well he knows my taste (or how lucky & loved I am)!



Wearing: Elie Tahari coat, 7 For All Mankind pants, YesStyle blouse, J.Crew sweater, Zara faux fur scarf, necklace, gloves and bag from D

I usually despise winter and the first onset of chilly weather is typically my cue to crawl into my cave and retreat until spring arrives. That's why I've been shocked that this year hasn't been too bad. In fact, getting snow in the last few days has been kind of nice and piling on the layers has made being outside feel peaceful. Finding this dress on sale the other day, though, was enough of a catalyst for that to change: since it's been in my closet, I've been longing for spring to come quickly so that I can slip it on and feel the warmth of sunshine on my bare skin.

{photos by Tiffany Liao}
The first snowfall of the year always calls for going outside and enjoying it while it's soft and fluffy. Since I told myself (and you) that I wasn't going to sacrifice warmth for style this winter, I had to bundle up substantially for this little outing. This outfit may not look the warmest at first glance (or maybe it does - I can't even count how many times I've been teased by friends for wearing a ridiculous number of layers this winter), but it's got a few secrets hidden inside, namely a cashmere sweater under the cable knit, a pair of tights under my pants, and of course- warm, fuzzy socks wrapped around my feet.



p.s. A little birthday shout out to my oldest and dearest friend, Hilda! Here's to many more years of friendship. xox
Wearing: J.Crew sweater, Zara fur vest, YesStyle coat, 7 For All Mankind pants, random scarf from Venice

I'd been itching to debut this lovely blouse (with pearl buttons on the back!) since receiving it from MontAffair a while ago, but since it's been way too cold here to stand outside without it being hidden under layers of wool, I haven't had a chance. A gorgeous (but chilly!) day last week provided just enough light inside and was the perfect excuse to facilitate an indoor shoot. Since I wanted to allow the blouse to stand out, I paired it with feminine basics, punching it up with just a few textures and patterns to keep the look from being too dull.



This top has since been sold out, but check out this pretty alternative! The site offers free shipping within Singapore and Malaysia and worldwide delivery for $10 SGD (about $8 USD).
Wearing: MontAffair top (c/o), Topshop trousers, BB Dakota jacket, Zara shoes

I guess this secret isn't actually really a secret: ever since I adopted this practice about half a year ago, I've been raving about it to nearly everyone I know. In short, using oatmeal to wash my face has eliminated my need for any chemical injected cleansers and it is now all I use. I do this once a day (in the shower at night) and follow with toner and moisturizer. It has normalized the oils in my skin and in the mornings I now just tone and moisturize. My skin has also evened out considerably and breakouts are more in control than they have ever been!

I first found out about oatmeal as a cleanser from bubzbeauty on YouTube and I think she does a wonderful job of describing the process. Simply watch this video to find out how you can get started!
Also, please note: I don't wear foundation so oatmeal cleanses my skin sufficiently at the end of the day. If you do wear it, I'd suggest using oatmeal in the morning before you put your make up on and using your regular cleanser to remove your make up at night.
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Have you tried it? Let me know in the comments! Still need convincing? Check out these nearly flawless reviews of oatmeal on Makeupalley.
Questions? As always, you can ask me on Formspring!

{photos by Carmen Ng}
I think it's safe to say that style blogging helps to push the boundaries of one's sartorial comfort zone. Pattern mixing, colour blocking and bold lips are trends I might not have embraced so fully had it not been for this blog. However, it still felt a bit daunting to wear this very bright look that my chevron manicure (created by Carmen) inspired me to put together. Aside from a few strange looks, though, it was the perfect mood brightener and an ideal getup for the first sunny day we've had in what seems like weeks.


Be sure to drop by Carmen's blog to find out how to re-create a chevron manicure for yourself!
Wearing: Zara neon sweater and skirt, Forever 21 cardigan, H&M coat, Aldo shoes, MICHAEL Michael Kors clutch, J.Crew necklace, bfrend (black) and Lauren Elan (gold) bracelets (both c/o)

{a sparkly Christmas present and a neon sweater found on sale}
I always try to be realistic whenever a new year rolls around: I know that keeping a long and diverse list of resolutions is near impossible for me, so I mostly just want to use the opportunity to re-focus, carefully evaluate where I'm at and reflect on the past year. On a lighter note, I also spent the first week of 2012 re-organizing my home, finding comfort in cozy things, and enjoying a few new pieces of jewelry as icing on the cake.

{re-styling my bookshelves as a quick way to freshen up my room}

{floral candle holders found at a thrift store for mere pennies that add touches of gold}

{fully faux fur lined booties for chilly winter days}

{the larger counterpart to my favourite studded ring - a new cuff from David}

It's been raining pretty much non stop for probably 10 days now. January always seems like the dog days of winter to me: the joy of Christmas has past and it's been cold for a while, but that first taste of spring still seems impossibly far from arriving. Here are some photos from several months ago that never made it on to the blog, hopefully to help serve as a reminder for those of us in colder climates that the warmer season is just a few, hopefully short, months away.

I don't profess to know a lot about makeup - it's definitely been trial and error (with lots of error) for me over the past few years. However, I'm happy to have finally found a routine that's quick and does the job for me. Due to a few reader requests, here's a step-by-step on the make up I wear on a typical day and what I would usually have on in blog outfit photos. For me, it's all about defining my eyes and adding a bit of colour to my cheeks because I'm very pale. I use products with the intention of looking more awake, and I like to look fresh but still natural. If I'm in a rush, I'll skip out on the eyeliner. I hope this helps!

{start with cleansed, moisturized, bare -gulp!- face. conceal under eye area & redness - for me, that's around my nose & chin}
After trying a variety of products, including Laura Mercier and BareMinerals, I've returned to Bobbi Brown's corrector and concealer. I have very bad eye bags and this does the job better than anything else. The correcter serves to neutralize the blues and purples under your eye and the concealer blends it in with your skin. Still trying to find something for eye puffiness though - any suggestions?

{subtly line eye, curl lashes and apply lash primer & mascara}
MAC's fluidline in Blacktrack is my favourite - it stays put all day. I start in the middle of my eye and draw a slight cat eye towards the outer corner. I curl my lashes with Shu Uemura's curler, then put on Shiseido's nourishing mascara base, which makes anything you swipe on top work 10 times better!

{apply a dash of bronzer onto cheeks - I put it right on the cheekbone}
I've been using this NARS Danmari palette for my cheeks everyday. It's complete with some of the brand's most popular shades (including Orgasm) and the colours are great for a large number of skin tones. Here, I used the bottom right shade, Sin.

{finishing touches - I fill any bare spots in my brows, apply lipbalm & control shine with a bit of powder}
Applying Laura Mercier's Brow Definer (I use Warm) is a subtle way to make eyebrows more shapely. I've recently learned how big of a role well-groomed brows make to the overall look of a face so have only been doing this for a couple of months. Shiseido's Therapino Oil Balm is one of my favourite lip balms and Make Up Forever's HD Powder is a transluscent loose powder that gets rid of any excess shine.

{The finished look: ready to face the day!}
Check back next week for a post on my skincare routine! If you have any questions, feel free to ask me over on Formspring!