ONCE OVER LIGHTLY

Kyoto Part 1: Gion

2013-05-16T23:34:00.000+08:00

As much as Tokyo brings the excitement of the big (very, very big) city life, Kyoto shows its more cultural and traditional side of Japan.
The difference in architecture is enough to speak volumes.

Our first destination was Gion, more popularly known as the district of geisha (or geiko, in Kyoto dialect).
We were also fortunate to be able to catch the Miyako Odori festival, where it has been held at the Kaburenjo Theatre since 1872. Never once I thought I'd be able to watch geishas perform.
The geishas were hauntingly beautiful, verging on getting under your skin with their soft but perfectly synchronised movements.
My mother learned about the festival from the posters while we were walking in the streets of Gion. Being able to read Chinese certainly comes in handy.

We also tried Issen Yoshoku's okonomiyaki (something like a Japanese version of the taco) after seeing a line outside the little restaurant.

You can read more about my trip to Japan here, and there is still more to come!

The Kaburenjo Theatre

See by Chloé: Revealing Myself

2013-05-10T23:29:00.001+08:00

See by Chloé, the diffusion line of the popular French luxury brand, has released its very first (and eponymous) fragrance.
I was recently contacted by Luxasia and See by Chloé to produce a creative post to reveal myself and participate in See by Chloé's Most Creative Blogger in Malaysia Contest.
Seeing how the bottle resembles a dainty bird cage, incorporating Flyoga was the perfect choice.
It's as if I've liberated myself from a cage.

Huge thanks to Cheryl who helped me photograph my Flyoga poses!
*Photos taken at Dreams Dance Studio

Salvatore Ferragamo: The Art of Shoemaking

2013-05-06T15:33:00.000+08:00

What a privilege it was to be invited to witness an Italian craftsman, Giuliano, construct Salvatore Ferragamo shoes from start to finish, and there is a reason why shoes from luxury brands cost a month's salary.
The quality and workmanship are unbeatable, coupled with the sturdiness of the shoes (no matter how high and thin the heels are)
Most, if not all, shows from luxury brands are handmade by shoemakers.

The amount of meticulous work that goes into each pair of shoes is astounding, from cutting and stitching the leather, wrapping them around the lasts (wooden moulds of feet), applying the soles and nailing them in, and applying the signature Vara bow, all using only a few tools.
Truly a work of art.

Lanvin Parfums x CLEO Magazine

2013-04-30T23:26:00.000+08:00

I received this lovely box on Monday and I just cannot get over how beautiful it is. Produced in conjunction with the launch of Lanvin's latest fragrance ME, a little vial of the fragrance is included in each collector's box along with other goodies.

A little Lanvin booklet is also included with a blank canvas in the centre-spread, which echoes Alber Elbaz's process into creating the fragrance.
I've filled it up with some info about myself ;)

"The ME woman is an individual, which doesn't mean an individualist or narcissist. No, she is an individual because she thinks about herself. Since ME is a gift perfume, the ME woman likes to give it to herself." - Alber Elbaz

Lanvin is also giving away RM10,000 worth of prizes in their ABOUT ME Collage Contest!
All you have to do is get the latest issue of CLEO (May 2013) and create a collage in the booklet using the words "Glamorous", "Divine", "Sublime" and "Fashion" and mail it to:

Blu Inc Media Sdn Bhd
Unit 701, 702 & 704, Level 7, Uptown 1
No. 1, Jalan SS21/58
Damansara Uptown
47400 Petaling Jaya
Selangor

The collector's box retails for RM7 and is available at these locations:

Borders, The Gardens
Borders, The Curve
Borders, Bangsar Village II
Borders, Tropicana Mall
Borders, 1 Mont Kiara
Kinokuniya, Suria KLCC
MPH, Mid Valley
MPH, 1 Utama (new wing)
MPH, Bangsar Village
Popular, IOI Mall
Popular, Ikano Power Centre
Popular, Sunway Pyramid
Popular, Bkt. Tinggi
Times bookstore, Sri Hartamas
Times bookstore, Pavillion
Times bookstore, Bangsar Shopping Center

This post is sponsored by Luxasia/Lanvin Parfums

H&M's Conscious Collection Giveaway Winners!

2013-04-30T00:37:00.000+08:00

I've listed down all the entries in chronological order, tagged a number to each entry sequentially, and then let a random number generator work its magic.
Huge thanks each and every one of you enough for participating in this giveaway!

THE WINNERS:

Victoria Bong (vicrystal@yahoo.com)
Connie (eeeinnoc@gmail.com)
Azreen (azreen_faizul89@yahoo.com)
Jane (stars-of-heaven@hotmail.com)
Jacqelyn Ak Mihoi (jacq8878@gmail.com)

Congratulations to all the winners!
Please reply to my email by Thursday, or I'd have to pick more winners.

UPDATE:
Another winner has been picked because one of them did not provide a valid email address while another did not respond to my email.

PS: Follow me on Twitter, Instagram and/or Facebook to stay updated. Who knows, I may have another giveaway soon!

Style Updates #1

2013-04-27T23:03:00.000+08:00

1. Origami Hair Calf Clutch by Vionnet
2. Plexiglass Sculptural Ribbon Cuff by Vionnet
3. Lund Sandal by Jerome Rosseau
4. Oceana Crystal Collar Necklace by House of Lavande
5. Platino Va-Va-Voom Small Flap Bag by Valentino

Tokyo #3: Hapineko Cat Café

2013-04-26T00:35:00.000+08:00

UPDATE!
Ahh it's the same cat café that Katy Perry visited!

Besides sakura blossoms, cat cafés are probably one of the top must-sees in Japan. Visitors pay an hourly fee (usually includes a free drink) and just spend their time with the cats.

My friend Sheila and I were in Shibuya and decided to search for the nearest cat café, and the first one that popped up on Google, Hapineko, also happened to be the nearest one. Off we went on foot using my phone's GPS to guide us. In the rain. When we arrived at the right block, we just followed the sign with cat paw stickers on them.

The cat café was peaceful and tranquil. ¥1000 for 30 minutes is quite steep, but it's a wonderful retreat from the chaotic streets of Shibuya. We liked the fact that the cats are so well taken care of, judging by their super soft coat. We arrived at about 6pm, and it was their nap time. Having dogs as pets at home, I wasn't used to the lack of attention cats give to us mere humans :(

This is also how I look like every morning.

H&M's Conscious Collection Giveaway!

2013-04-18T12:38:00.002+08:00

H&M will be giving away 5 pouches from their Conscious Collection (not available in stores) to YOU, my dear readers ;)
All you have to do is answer 2 super easy questions in the comment form below with your name and email address. 5 winners will be chosen at random.
~~The giveaway closes on Friday, 26 April 2013 at midnight.~~
My giveaway is now closed!

Clues can be found in my previous article on H&M's Concious Collection

Questions:

Name 2 of the fabrics used in this collection.
Name 2 of the H&M stores where the Conscious Collection is available in Malaysia.

Terms & Conditions:

Giveaway is for residents of Malaysia only.
The prizes will be couriered to the winners during working hours.

Prizes courtesy of H&M

Tokyo Part 2

2013-04-17T00:38:00.000+08:00

We visited Hakone for a full day to catch glimpses of the stunning views of Mt. Fuji, but Mother Nature was not on our side then as all we could see were clouds.
The 2-day pass (¥5000) includes a return JR ticket to/from Shinjuku Station, bus rides around Hakone, a cruise on Lake Ashi and cable car rides.

The Shinjuku Gyoen Park is not to be missed. It definitely the one of the most beautiful parks around to unwind. The massive crowds in Tokyo can be a little overwhelming at times. Big, open gardens are extremely therapeutic and we spent a long time just walking and admiring sakura.
Unfortunately, it was also a cloudy day and it started raining when we were in the park. All in all, it was worth the ¥200 entrance fee.

Apparently Japan was hit by a major storm and the weather had been gloomy for days.

Read more about Part 1 here.

Tokyo Part 1

2013-04-14T10:47:00.000+08:00

Oh, I have just returned from my trip to Japan and I have to say that it is THE BEST vacation I've ever had.
Travelling around Japan is rather cheap and I've spent less than RM100 a day on food and public transportation (Singapore is a lot more expensive!)
Japanese hospitality is also so wonderful that I have never felt like a stranger in their country.

We spent our first day in Ueno, just strolling in the unbelievably streets and Ueno Park, mostly in the park because the sakura are so beautiful! There is no surprise as to why hanami is a national custom.

You can find some sneak peeks of the rest of my trip in my Instagram feed.

This sushi set costs ¥750, if I recall correctly.

The sakura-filled street near our hotel in Chiyoda.

H&M's Conscious Collection + Giveaway Sneak Peek!

2013-04-08T23:04:00.000+08:00

Konichiwa, ladies and gents!
I'm still in Japan on a not-so-short holiday (which you can follow on my Instagram) but I have an exciting giveaway from H&M's latest Conscious Collection: a lovely pouch which is not even available in stores, but first here's a little introduction to the collection.

In line with the brand's commitment in providing more sustainable fashion, H&M presents its annual Conscious Collection which proves that choosing green fashion does not mean compromising on design or price.

The collection this year is full of optimism for spring, with romantic styles like a floor-length dress alongside sporty shapes such as a cropped jumpsuit and a tropical print T-shirt dress. There are accessories too, such as ankle-strap heels, and the entire collection is made from more sustainable materials, such as organic cotton, recycled polyester, and Tencel.

I personally always purchase preloved items. It reduces wastage of resources (especially leather since that means less animals are slaughtered) and why not reuse fabric too?

The full women’s collection are available in H&M stores now, alongside Conscious collections for Men - blazers, chinos, Ikat print shirts and shorts – as well as fun prints for kids and babies.

H&M Conscious Collection are available at all H&M stores - Lot 10 Shopping Centre, Setia City Mall and Paradigm Mall.

How gorgeous is the campaign featuring the lovely Vanessa Paradis?

PS: Giveaway is for residents of Malaysia only.

Salvatore Ferragamo: Signorina EDT + Contest

2013-03-27T12:37:00.000+08:00

I received an engraved bottle of Salvatore Ferragamo's latest EDT Signorina yesterday from the brand and Luxasia, and I cannot get over how elegant and fresh this fragrance is.

With juicy litchi (lychee) notes and tender tasty grapefruit pulp create a natural fruity top. The heart is a delicate veil of rice steam aerial notes and fresh rose offering their silky texture. In the dry-down, a smooth and addictive milk mousse is shaken by the ambery woody vibrations of Cashmeran.

This is a wonderful floral-fruity fragrance, and with Ferragmo's signature Vara bow in pink and lilac on the bottle, makes Signorina EDT another home run just like its EDP sister.

Salvatore Ferragamo's Signorina EDT will be available from April 2013.

Pom pom ring, also from Salvatore Ferragamo

And more Instagram photos from the launch!

Now who's ready to win some Signorina goodies?

The first 10 groups of 5 BFFs to head to the Signorina booths at the Councourse Area, KLCC in pale pink dresses at 11am on 29 March 2013 will win hampers* worth up to RM25,000.
*Each group is eligible to win 1 hamper

Bonus: Bring the April 2013 issue of Female or EH! magazine and redeem a complimentary mini spray**
**While stocks last

Hermès Spring 2013 RTW in Person

2013-03-18T01:01:00.000+08:00

I had the privilege to attend the Hermès' Spring 2013 RTW show in its boutique last week, and you never turn down an invitation from Hermès.
Their Spring 2013 collection is fresh and youthful with bold colour blocking and prints as compared to their Spring 2012 RTW collection, we could barely hold on to our Ghost chair seats.

These are my favourite looks from the collection (which is just about all of them, to be honest)
I loved everything from wispy low braided buns to the shoes. They're so wonderfully styled.

How beautiful is the draping on the back? I may need to borrow this one someday.

This is another favourite of mine. A beautiful play of silhouettes and colours.

Amazingly intricate woven details on this jacket. Wonder how long it took to create.

OMG you guys, baby shoes ♥

Les Deux Garçons, Bangsar

2013-03-14T10:41:00.000+08:00

I love discovering little gems in Malaysia, more so if they can rival its foreign counterparts. We just don't give our little country more credit sometimes (or most of the time)

Then Les Deux Garçons (which means 'The Two Boys' in French and please pronounce it properly) came along. Cheryl was the one who told Hui Yen and I about the place and we just had to drop by.

The duo behind Les Deux Garçons are Ben and Toto, who spent years abroad in Paris honing their craft before returning to Kuala Lumpur to open the wildly successful Café Café, and now Les Deux Garçons.

We spent the entire Saturday evening just chatting and learning all we could about French pâtisserie: its history, techniques, ingredients, textures and flavours.
I've always believed that baking is science itself. The intricacy of ensuring that the ingredients react well with each other, heat and moisture is no different from chemistry experiments and tests. Pâtissier Ben spent a whole year researching and developing recipes for his pastries, while Toto worked on the concept and design of the store. Job well done, lads.

My mother always told me "you eat with your eyes first", and I did!
Would you believe me if I told you that these charming pastries taste BETTER than they look? Ben's insistence on incorporating crunchiness and crispiness into his pastries is commendable.
'Joconde' and 'dacquoise' were new words we learned that day.

Of course, we talked about macarons and comparisons were made.
Ladurée? For American tourists.
Pierre Hermé? An innovator.
TWG? Great textures, but flavours are too subtle.

Remember when I said TWG was my benchmark for the best macarons here in KL?
Les Deux Garçons has taken over with the perfect 'bite' and generous ganache ;)

Fans of macarons will be thrilled to find that Les Deux Garçons carries savoury flavours such as wasabe and truffle!
I'm torn between their truffle and salted caramel (with traditional butter instead of ganache) macarons.

We tried the La Duchesse, La Diva, Printemps and Tarte au Citron.
All of them exhibited a wonderful balance of flavours and textures, and are not overly sweet.

Now please enjoy these photos and brief descriptions while I provision a budget to drop by Les Deux Garçons as often as I can.
I suggest dropping by on weekdays to avoid the weekend crowd as their limited number of pastries sell out very quickly. No artificial flavourings or colourings are used as Les Deux Garçons only uses premium ingredients, most of which are brought in from France and Italy.

L-R:
La Duchesse (RM15)
Early grey biscuits tender, milk chocolate ganache and Earl Grey creameux.

La Marquis (RM14)
Hazelnut dacquoise, crispy feulletine, chocolate cream and 60% dark chocolate mousse.

L-R:
La Pagode Noire (RM14)
Tender sponge, crispy sesame, milk chocolate ganache and black sesame praline.

Printemps (RM16)
Sable Breton with almond and sesame dacquoise, cho-macha ganache, macaha mousseline and macha crumbles.

L-R:
Passion (RM14)
Joconde base, silky passion fruit mousse and mango coulis.

La Diva (RM15)
Layered with raspberry joconde, raspberry ganache, raspberry and raspberry coulis.

A prototype of sorts.

Tarte au Citron (RM10)
Crispy tart layered with joconde and sour lemon curd.

Eclaire (RM10)
Pate au choux with traditional French premium vanilla/rum and crème patissier.
Shown here with the Macaron Premium Pack.

L-R: Truffle, salted caramel, blackcurrant, cherry, lemon and vanilla, pistachio.

Les Deux Garçons
36, Jalan Telawi
59100 Bangsar
Kuala Lumpur
(between the two Hong Leong Banks)

Antipodean, Bangsar

2013-03-11T12:30:00.000+08:00

My mom and I headed to Antipodean in Bangsar for brunch yesterday after hearing great reviews about the place.
Little did we know that there would be a waitlist just to be seated. As there was just the 2 of us, we were seated after 10-15 minutes (not including the amount of time spent looking for a parking spot!)
Customers with bigger parties had to wait almost 30 minutes. Please note that Antipodean does not seat incomplete parties.
The tiny café was packed to the brim! (That also means that we couldn't stay back to chat after we're done with our meals)

Famed for their large breakfasts, my mom opted for their All-day Breakfast which includes bacon or sausages, baked beans, toast and scrambled eggs (RM19). Besides the portion, there was nothing really special about this one because my mom would make this at home every once in a while in exactly the same way.

And being a pasta fan myself, I tried their carbonara (RM17) which was served with a heavy dollop of feta cheese and a generous amount of grilled mushrooms. Unfortunately, it was a little underseasoned but nothing a little sprinkle of salt and pepper couldn't fix. I prefer creamy carbonaras, and Antipodean's just didn't hit the spot for me. However, they get my approval for using shell pasta to trap more of the sauce so it will ooze out after each bite.

My mom asked me to try out their coffee (which is very unusual as we aren't coffee people) and the safest choice for me was their affogato (RM10). Who wouldn't like a little bit of ice-cream?

Antipodean serves great home-away-from-home food, but if you're already having great food at home...

Malaysia Independent Animal Rescue (MIAR)

2013-03-07T23:03:00.000+08:00

This is an overdue post on the Malaysia Independent Animal Rescue (MIAR) shelter, which my Flyoga instructors and fellow students visited last month before Chinese New Year.

MIAR does not believe in euthanising rescued dogs, and will rehome them to loving homes. Although 2 dogs were suspected to have been poisoned to death, the shelter continues to rescue dogs from pounds every week.

The studio ran a Flyogathon to raise funds for MIAR to get its first animal ambulance (which unfortunately, I couldn't attend as my poodle needed medical attention then) and a food drive.

It's disgusting how humans can inflict so much harm towards the innocent, let alone dogs who are able to be man's most loyal companion.

This girl was the most cheerful at the shelter, jumping onto everyone to give a warm welcome.
(Same dog as the first photo)
Her paw was already "missing" was MIAR rescued her.

See this white dog with black spots? He was disabled from the neck down when he was rescued.
After undergoing physiotherapy (there are 2 veterinary physiotherapists in Malaysia), he regained his mobility.

MIAR is immaculately clean by animal shelter standards as the caretakers disinfect the place every single day.

There are, of course, a few dogs which are still recovering.

This one was attacked by a man using a nailed piece of wood for allegedly attacking his cat. He laughed it off when he admitted his fault. Ugh.

And this one has tumours all over his arms and has a severe form of tick fever even a blood transfusion wouldn't save him (which did save Heidi) :(
MIAR is importing medicine from Germany, if I'm not mistaken, to try to save him.

If you're wondering what happened to his mouth, he was found with the corner of his mouth sliced open and the cut went around the back of his neck until the other corner of his mouth.
He does not trust anyone at all except for the owner and caretakers of MIAR.
At least he's showing signs of trusting humans again.

"The more I know people, the more I love my dog." - Mark Twain

Concert Photography?

2013-02-28T23:24:00.000+08:00

I have to thank Syafiq, our photography guru at Elements Magazine for teaching me all I need to know about concert photography.
The first ever concert I shot was Paramore's back in 2010 with the entry-level D3000.
The photos were only alright as you can't expect much from slower and more noisy entry-level cameras.

I also shot Switchfoot's second concert here with the D3000, and I think I used the 50mm f/1.8 lens (manual focus only since the D3000 didn't have an auto-focus motor). Crazy, I know.

Concert photography has another perk: watching your favourite artists perform on stage!
There is nothing better than singing along to their songs at the top of your lungs and being able to photograph every bit of it.

Paramore live in KL 2010

Switchfoot live in KL 2011

The entry-level camera just wasn't good enough for concert photography, especially when lighting is always tricky and performers are always moving about. Not to mention how noisy the photos end up at higher ISOs.
My dad then suggested that I upgrade to the semi-pro D90 (with the 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens) and offered to pay half of it!
I'm in love with the quality of photos from the D90, and I barely have to edit anything.

I may not know anything about the photography industry, but I believe my concert photography is quite decent.
The question now is if I could make some extra cash from my photos?

Train live in KL 2012

Paramore live in KL 2013

Red & Gold: For Chinese New Year and Valentine's

2013-02-12T15:57:00.000+08:00

Happy Chinese New Year, ladies!
Hope everyone has had a great time of overeating and watching too much TV.

Chinese New Year always starts about a week away from Valentine's Day, and luckily both days have the same colour theme.

In Chinese culture, red symbolises fortune and good luck while gold represents wealth. It's not a surprise as to why these two colours are just about everywhere during our biggest festivities.
Red and pink need no introduction when it comes to Valentine's Day, and gold accents just go well with every colour so I've decided to use these two colours in my latest manicure.

This one has a simple concept.
Paint your base colour as normal, then paint the second layer the same manner but only a few millimetres away from the cuticle.
Steady hands are required for this manicure.

Oops, got pollen on my index finger.

Colours used:

Chanel's Diwali
OPI's I'm Not Really A Waitress

PS: We now have fresh lilies in the living room and it smells heavenly!

My Makeover Courtesy of Urban Decay

2013-01-29T23:10:00.000+08:00

To be completely honest, I barely wear makeup.
My idea of getting dressed up for work involves a light foundation, eyeliner and eyebrow pencil; and weekends are my off days.
The thought of applying eyeshadow intimidates me as I have the typical Oriental single eyelids (hello, panda eyes)
Blending? I have no idea how people do it.

So when I received an invitation to get a makeover done from Urban Decay (which is also Peta- and Leaping Bunny-certified cruelty-free) how could I resist?
Have you read about how products are tested on animals? It's heartbreaking :'(
No innocent creature should endure torture just for humans to look pretty!

Off I went to Sephora, KLCC to meet up with fellow bloggers Hanie and Shea for our makeovers.

Oops, bad lighting.
No makeup whatsoever.

Et voilà!

Our makeup artist, Siti used the Naked Basics pallete for our eyes (and eyebrows!) and we were definitely impressed by its versatility.
I absolutely love how natural we looked.

A blog post on Urban Decay's products to follow ;)

PS: I have some exciting news about Sephora but I just can't tell anyone yet!

Jimmy Choo: Flash, The New Fragrance

2013-01-25T00:53:00.000+08:00

I have recently received Jimmy Choo's latest fragrance 'Flash' from the brand Luxasia and I am in love.
It is the best fragrance I've experienced so far,

Inspired by the flash bulbs of the paparazzi and the woman in pursuit, the fragrance opens with pink pepper, tangerine and strawberry. The heart notes consist of white flowers such as tuberose, jasmine and white lily with base notes of heliotrope and white woods.

It exhibits the perfect balance of sweet and woody notes, and as such, absolutely appeals to every woman. Provocative and magnetic, just like their shoes.

'Flash' will be available in Malaysia in March.

PS: Did you know that I've met THE Jimmy Choo himself? ;) Read here.

Lucy Liu Glows at the Golden Globes in Carolina Herrera

2013-01-17T12:33:00.000+08:00

When I was live tweeting about my favourite looks at the recent Golden Globes' red carpet on Elements Magazine's account (that's @elementsmag, btw) I just stopped for a paused when I saw Lucy Liu in Carolina Herrera at the Golden Globes.

"What's with all the floral?"
Then it hit me.
She wore prints to the red carpet. I can't remember the last time anyone wore prints.
Lacy, chiffon-y, flowy gowns have always been the staple, and we already know that Jennifer Lopez loves super sheer dresses.

Lucy Liu's look grew on me. It was so fresh, effortless and Lucy was practically glowing.
She barely needed any accessories and makeup.

After Angeline Jolie's right leg gained notoriety, I'm surprised that anyone would still want to go with thigh high slits. I'm talking to you, Eva Longoria, Heidi Klum and Halle Berry.

Wonder what Lucy Liu will wear to the Oscars.

Carolina Herrera Pre-Fall 2013

PS: Click on photos for the original source. Photos #1 and #2 credited to Getty Images. The photographer's name wasn't included in the EXIF data.

T Forty Two, Empire Shopping Gallery

2013-01-02T23:19:00.000+08:00

T Forty Two has been around for quite some time, and finally Cheryl and I decided to drop by for afternoon tea last Saturday.
Owned by The Big Group Co. of restaurants (including Ben's, Ben's General Food Store and Plan B as previously blogged here), we expected their afternoon tea to be good.

Everything about the little café is pretty, from their decor right down to the cutlery.

Their afternoon tea offerings are quite generous considering it's RM49.90++ for 2 and it is served all day (to be honest, we couldn't finish everything).
We particularly loved their sandwiches (and I'm actually not a fan of salmon, but their cured salmon sandwich is delicious), homemade madeleines and scones.

Having sampled TWG Tea Salon & Boutique's and Whisk's (just a few floors down) macarons, unfortunately T Forty Two's just aren't good enough.
We ordered 2 additional rose macarons with raspberry jelly & lychee cream (RM12.90++ each)
Some macarons were too hard, some were too sweet, although the rose macarons have the perfect texture and feet. A little tweak in the flavours would go a long way ;)

Their chocolate cake was lovely albeit a little too rich and creamy, but we still took little bites even though we were already full.

T Forty Two is definitely more laidback and relaxed (not to mention pretty!) places to have afternoon tea.
Compared to the slightly snobby TWG Tea Salon & Boutique which only serves afternoon tea from 3-6pm, there is a little pressure to be more considerate and leave to make room for the long line of customers.

TWG still takes the cake and remains as the benchmark.

PS: Please note that T Forty Two at Bangsar Village II (later renamed to Bistro 42) is no longer there.

What Happened in 2012

2012-12-31T23:49:00.002+08:00

What an eventful 2012 it has been for this little blog!
So many things have happened that went beyond my wildest expectations.
I am truly honoured to be granted these opportunities.

Witnessed how Chanel's perfume bottles are sealed, an eye-opening experience.
Discovered TWG Tea Salon & Boutique. I cannot wait to go back.
Worked with Luxasia as one of their VIP bloggers.
Invited to review Mediteca before the restaurant officially opened. If you're around KL, drop by! Lovely food and friendly staff at reasonable prices.
After 2 years of coveting these Miu Miu shoes, I finally found a pair on eBay (brand new!)
My dear friend Cheryl and I participated in the British High Commission's and Boh Tea's photography contest. We didn't win nor meet Prince William and Kate Middleton, but making the shortlist was also beyond our expectations.
The Harry Potter Exhibition in Singapore.
H&M finally opened in Malaysia.
Attended my convocation!
Fly yoga.
Hermès' Swinging Silk Party.
And this little blog was selected to work with Coach on their social media project, and they sponsored the biggest giveaway ever for my blog readers!

I cannot wait to see what 2013 has in store for Once Over Lightly.
Have a great new year, everyone ;)

DIY Christmas Tree Pearls

2012-12-24T10:36:00.000+08:00

I've always had a thing for unconventional Christmas trees, so when I saw this tiny silver Christmas tree for only RM15 at Typo, I just had to have it.
(I have another tiny Christmas tree that is round in shape, but will have to find it)

It did take me quite a while to decide on the decorations. The tree is only a foot tall so regular-sized decorations are already too big.
Colourful baubles and streamers are just too much for a silver, sparkly tree and may end up looking just... tacky.

I decided on a black & white theme, and I remembered that I do have some pearls and ribbons, so why not use them on the tree?

This DIY is so easy (and cheap!)

You'll need:

Pearl beads
Nylon string
Glue
Ribbon (for the tree topper)

Using 2 nylon strings, I looped them to create a cluster of 3 pearls.
Remember to apply glue at the knots as the nylon strings will unravel over time.
Once the glue dries, just slide them onto the tree branches through the centre gap of the pearls.

Clearly I drew inspiration from my Chanel hairpins DIY and Max Mara bow heels DIY ;)
I love how my little tree turned out!

I also reused some of flowers from the 'Tea in Wonderland' photoshoot to decorate the base of the tree.

Et voilà!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Viva Circus Presents 'Neverland'

2012-12-19T23:07:00.000+08:00

Oh, finally I'm making huge recovery from the whole bronchitis thing.

I recently attended Viva Circus' performance of 'Neverland' with my fly yoga instructors and fellow classmates, and how inspirational it was for us to improve our own aerial skills.

The show introduces us to Adam and Cindy, who have fallen into Neverland and their escape.

The clown was the master of ceremonies, and he did a great job without uttering a single word.