Let’s be honest: the standard “dinner and a movie” date is dead in Kuala Lumpur. If you really want to impress someone in 2025, you need to take them somewhere that requires a bit of a hunt. Chinatown (Petaling Street) has traded its “knock-off handbag” reputation for a sophisticated, neon-lit nightlife scene. But the best spots aren’t on the main road—they are hidden behind vintage toy shops, unmarked metal doors, and up winding wooden stairs.

Here is my personal “cheat sheet” to the best hidden bars in Chinatown KL for a date night they won’t forget.

2. Penrose: For the “Cocktail Snob” Date

If your partner knows the difference between an artisanal vermouth and a house pour, take them to Penrose on Jalan Panggong. It’s tiny (only seats about 15 people), so it feels incredibly exclusive.

• The Insider Vibe: It’s minimalist and clinical in the best way possible. There’s no loud music here; it’s all about the hiss of the shaker and the clink of high-quality ice.

• Pro-Tip: You must book at least a week in advance. Don’t show up unannounced; the door is usually locked. Penrose is also ranked No.10 in Asia 50 Bars in 2025

• What to Sip: Anything from their “Five Pillars” menu. Their Highballs are arguably the best in Malaysia.

3. Kapitan Haus: Modern Nostalgia

Located right above the famous Da Bao (grab a pork belly bun before you go up!), Kapitan Haus feels like a tribute to old-school KL culture but with a “Gen Z” neon makeover.

• The Insider Vibe: It’s spacious compared to other speakeasies. It’s the kind of place where you can actually breathe and enjoy the decor, which features cool nods to Malaysian heritage.

• What to Sip: Try the Kopi Kaw cocktail if you need a caffeine kick. It’s like a sophisticated, boozy version of your morning Kopitiam order.

 

Note: Many Chinatown bars are closed on Mondays/Tuesdays. Do check before going. On weekend nights, parking could be limited but there are open air parking, else rake a GRAB ride or LRT/MRT to Pasar Seni Station, it’s a 3-minute walk from there.

The post Hidden Speakeasies in Chinatown KL, A Secret Map for Your Next Date Night first appeared on Shannon Chow.

I’m writing this post as a warning, in case it helps someone else avoid what just happened to me. I recently got caught in an auto-subscription scam on Domestika and ended up losing USD 180 (RM750) without realizing I had ever “subscribed.”

How It Happened

Like many others, I was drawn in by a cheap course promotion — a $0.99 (RM4) special from one of Domestika’s ads. What I didn’t notice during checkout was that the purchase automatically included a subscription to their “Plus” plan.

Here’s the sequence:

• I bought a cheap course, thinking it was a one-off.
• Hidden in checkout was an automatic subscription switch.
• The “free” trial ended, and suddenly I was billed for an annual subscription I never explicitly agreed to.
• When I reached out to customer support, I only got generic, automated replies with no real resolution — likely just bots.
• By the time I realized what had happened, the charge had already gone through.

Unfortunately, I’m not alone. A quick search revealed dozens of similar stories worldwide. People buy a cheap course, miss the fine print, and end up charged for an annual renewal. Domestika’s TrustPilot rating is just 1.7, which says a lot.

Why This Hurts

This wasn’t my first time using Domestika. Back in 2020, I thought the platform was decent and useful. But now, the experience feels closer to fraud than education.

To make things worse, when I contacted my bank, they couldn’t help because the charge was “CVV verified.” In other words, the payment went through as if I had approved it — even though I hadn’t knowingly subscribed.

Losing USD$180 (RM750) stings. But beyond the money, it’s the trust issue that bothers me most. A platform I once valued has turned into a bait-and-switch scheme, where hidden terms and confusing consent are used to lock people into charges they never meant to sign up for.

The link in the email, shared by Domestika they stated: Can I get a refund for Domestika Plus? which is a no.

What I’ve Learned (and What You Can Do)

Here are a few lessons I’m taking away from this experience:

1. Always read the fine print. Even a $1 course can come with hidden auto-renewals.
2. Check reviews before buying. A quick TrustPilot or Reddit search might save you a lot of money.
3. Disable auto-renewals for every subscription you don’t actively want.
4. Use a virtual card or a separate credit card for online purchases. I like experimenting with low/no-code tools and plugins, but from now on, I’ll isolate those one-off spends.
5. Monitor your statements closely. Set up alerts for charges on your bank account, PayPal, or digital banks.
6. If you spot an unauthorized charge, act immediately. Contact your bank or provider, escalate with screenshots, and document everything.

Why I’m Sharing This

For me, USD$180 (RM750) is not a small amount. But more importantly, this type of practice feels unfair and predatory. It’s not about learning, it’s about catching people off-guard.

If you’ve had a similar experience, I’d love to hear from you. Maybe if enough of us speak up, we can push for change — or at least prevent more people from falling into the same trap.

[Update]: Found a petition someone created, you can join here at change.org

For now, based on reviews and what I’ve seen, I doubt I’ll get my money back. But I hope this post saves someone else from going through the same.

Be careful out there.

The post I Lost $180 to Domestika’s Auto-Subscription Trap first appeared on Shannon Chow.

Scentses + Co is a Malaysian startup that provides Malaysia’s first Perfume Subscription service, allowing you to try a range of scents at a reasonable price. The concept is well-liked in other countries. 

Do you have a signature scent or are you still discovering scents based on your mood? I normally have more than three perfumes on hand, each for a different occasion.

I was confined to my house throughout the lockdown, and the perfume I purchased was not used, resulting in the colour of the perfume changing and the scent fading. It’s unfortunate, and I realised that having a smaller bottle might be a better idea.

Furthermore, with Scentses + Co, we can now experience a wide variety of scents in a small, compact bottle spray that fits into my handbag and can be used when commuting around town or in between meetings. Scentses + Co is founded by trio-sisters Sadira, Sabreena & Sandra. The idea started at the beginning of a pandemic.  

How Does Scentses + Co Work? 

The Scentses + Co subscription service was designed for those who like to try different scents on a regular basis. For a monthly fee of RM49.90, you may choose a different perfume each month based on your preferences, and you will get an 8ml decanted atomiser of your preferred fragrance. When 3-4 sprays are used daily, each bottle can be used for up to a month (a total of 120 sprays).

For the first month, you’ll also receive a matte black travel case for holding your perfume atomiser, as well as a simple refilling case to finish off your set of accessories. The fragrances are 100% authentic designer perfumes, and they deal directly with authorised distributors.

You’ll get free shipping nationwide with no obligation: you may pause, skip a month, or cancel at any time. Every two weeks, Scentses + Co will add new perfumes to the collection.

I enjoy the compact matte black travel case since it’s useful for me now that I’m out more than I was the previous two years. I’m wearing Burberry Brit Rhythm For Her EDT. It’s seductive, rock-n-roll, and edgy; the overall impact that distinguishes Brit Rhythm. It has three unique stages: fresh herbs and flowers, gentle petals, and dry woods. It has a beautiful, uplifting atmosphere as well as a delicate yet distinct personality. I’d been wanting to try this, and I really like it.

So, whether you’re looking to try out a new scent or are still in the process of discovering your scent, Scentses + Co is a great place to start for RM49.90. Use my promo code “SHANNON10” to save 10% on your first month and choose from over 770 selections of designer perfume. Visit scentsesandco.com to subscribe.

The post Scentses + Co, Malaysia’s First Perfume Subscription [Review] first appeared on Shannon Chow.

L’OCCITANE

L’OCCITANE came up with Holiday Gifts Made by Nature, Wrapped by Us. It’s pretty gift sets wrapped & hand picked. The natural beauty products smells amazing and this is the perfect gift to pamper your loved ones & friends.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by L’OCCITANE Malaysia (@loccitanemy)

The Body Shop

The Body Shop has a variety of men & women’s products as well personalized gift-wrapping services in-store. Gift prices start from RM35.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Body Shop Malaysia (@thebodyshopmalaysia)

Signature Market

Healthy nuts, popcorn or Plant Origins Aromatherapy Cherish Set! There’s something for everyone.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Signature Market (@signaturemarket)

Amazin’ Graze

Discover the wonders of the ultimate Christmas Collection, which includes Nut Butter Variety Box, Festive Snack Box & Festive Granola Variety Box available online, Lazada/Shopee & in selected supermarkets.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Amazin’ Graze Malaysia (@amazingrazemy)

HOHM @ Pavilion Bukit Jalil

Know someone who loves pretty British tea sets and home decor items, then visit HOHM – the nation’s largest home furnishing store, bringing over 10,000 products to choose from.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by HOHM Malaysia (@hohmmalaysia)

Logitech

Logitech has launched pink & white keyboards with matching mouse & MX Anywhere 3 wireless mouse that comes in Pink, White & Black it also has a range for Mac users. Great Christmas gifts for gadget enthusiasts. Available on Lazada, Shoppee or in-store in TMT.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by #DEFYLOGIC (@logitech)

Hope these Christmas Gift Ideas are useful to you. If you have better gift ideas, do drop your comments below & share them with me.

The post Christmas Gift Ideas for 2021 first appeared on Shannon Chow.

As a marketer, I’m always curious about checking out new businesses & existing startups how they market their brand & products. Coming from a creative & digital agency background to joining Venture Capital/Startups, I’m aware I had to make adjustments to my strategy in marketing. We don’t have a huge marketing budget & a big team to make things work, but I’ve seen some startups & micro SMEs who have established their brand from the ground up with little resources.

While mentoring startups, I realised many have not included these 5 tactics in their marketing strategy. I hope these tips will help you grow your business for startups & SMEs.

1. Identify the right target audience

Many people thought they knew who their target audience was, we hear vague target audience such as college students. However, getting the right target audience is the first step in your marketing strategy before identifying what’s the key message (story) & channels to use. To identify who’s your target audience, you should have a customer persona & a buyer user journey. It should be as detailed as possible, giving it a name & an avatar.

• Some questions to consider:
  • What’s their demographic?
    • gender, age group, location (currently located)…etc
  • What’s their Psychographics?
    • What’s their major? Are they from a private/public university?
    • Are they local, do they stay with their family or in a hostel/rented accommodation?
    • What do they do during their leisure time? Do they enjoy playing sports like basketball or badminton? Or do they prefer esports like Dota2, Valorant, pubg…etc?

By identifying your target audience you can then identify what are some of the problems they face by determining their buyer user journey and how you can bridge the gap by offering products/services that are solving the customer’s problems.

2. Tell a story

When you’ve identified your target audience, you’ll want to tell them a story about their problem & how you can solve it. During my agency days, we do tons of research on a particular target audience, to find out what ticks & putting ourselves in their shoes. Then we will have a key message. To develop the story & then come up with a headline that essentially represents the key message we want to deliver. To pitch to users, by convincing them they need this product/services through the various channels & types of creative assets.

Many startups focus on telling their story in a pitch deck to investors to raise funds, but do you tell your story to your customers to buy/use your products/services? Is your story clear & visible on your company’s social media account, website & conversation with your network of friends?

Establish your company’s mission & vision, you’ll know your product/services best, figure out your key message then translate it into all your communication which each piece of communication will convey the same story in various types of content; social post, a short video, a blog post, a press release etc.

The story has to be the same & synchronize across all your comms. If your brand is passionate about sustainability, it needs to be in your comms, starting from your brand colours, packaging (recyclable packaging), CSR projects (should be something about sustainability), if you’re selling an item you can opt to collect the old one and give users a rebate etc. Everything you do conveys that you are a sustainable company & you care for the environment.

3. Founder’s personal branding

Many founders are so busy building their business, they neglected their personal branding. You should be one of the industry thought leaders. If you’re a B2B SaaS platform, your audience is in LinkedIn then build your personal brand by providing content that adds value. If you’re B2C focused then perhaps building your brand on FB & Insta to your friends. Start with one platform & gradually build it across multiple channels. Some may think TikTok suits them better, it all depends where is your target audience hangs out.

Participate in industry associations or NGOs. There are also many business networking clubs, however, some may require more time & commitment than others. Building your brand name doesn’t mean hard selling. It’s about sharing your passion, your startup & something you do during leisure time it could be family time or a hobby. It’s about being relatable, some founders even share their key milestones, mistakes & their learning curve.

Building a personal brand means, letting others know what you do through building a connection. They may not be your customer but they can refer someone who could be your customer. After all, business is about relationships

4. Social Media Marketing

Consistent posting & always strive to create a viral post. You’ll never know what would go viral, but post consistently & checking your analytics which topic/type of posts performs the best, you’ll create something your users wants to see. With posting it’s not enough, optimize your profile bio & your channels should have a decent amount of followers.

Think of your business as a newly open cafe if it’s always empty chances are people think the food isn’t good. Whereas, a cafe with a queue, people think it’s so good that others are willing to wait to get a table. Similar concept, if all your posts are pretty & you’ve done consistent posting, invest in running ads specifically page likes to get some following & cross-promote across your channels like website & email to let others know you have a social media presence, eventually, you’ll get a decent following which ads credibility to your business.

You can also personally invite your friends to follow you on FB & Instagram, when you’re just getting started you can re-share some posts on your profile. Just don’t overdo it, nobody likes hard selling.

5. Allow users to share your story (Testimonials)

I say allow because not many businesses have enabled “reviews” tab on their Facebook or set up Google My Business to allow control of their company location to receive reviews. Have you set up an Insta Story Highlight to re-share your customer’s testimony? So others can view those testimonials whenever on your Instagram profile because IG Story is only limited to 24 hours but you can highlight it so the story is available on your profile forever.

How about your website? Have you included testimonials on your homepage website by featuring top testimony you’ve received? This adds credibility to your business.
Apart from setting up these basics, you got to ask for reviews, people don’t just drop testimony cause it’s out of their way so you need to make it as easy as possible for them. After they’ve purchased, ask them to drop you a review depending if it’s on your website or social. You will need to craft the user journey & determine which link to provide so your customer can easily drop their review.

I hope these 5 tips have been beneficial to include as part of your marketing strategy. Comment below to let me know which tip was essential for you and which tip you’ve completely missed out on your marketing strategy?

The post 5 Marketing Strategy Startups Overlooked first appeared on Shannon Chow.

Many thoughts were running through my mind and things to consider before getting a gaming chair. I’ve been researching a few brands and TT Racing gaming chair fits in the affordable category (well, at least cheaper) than the majority of the gaming chairs, namely SecretLab, Tomaz, Cooling Master (yes, they have 1 gaming chair and it’s purple/black) and then with all the ads targeting me, I decided to go for TT Racing gaming chair. The reviews were super good, at least all the reviews were about 1-2 weeks of using the chairs, I’ve yet to see any review after 1 year of usage.

Fun fact: TT Racing is a Malaysian brand from Ipoh, read more about their story here.

Our Desk Setup in Office/Gaming Room

I’m now in the 3rd week of using my TT Racing Swift X 2020 Stealth Gaming Chair, I wanted to spend more time on it before I do a review. Firstly, my desk setup I’m using a laptop & monitor stand with a keyboard & mouse. So when it comes to adjusting to a gaming chair it isn’t a huge issue as I can easily adjust the angle of my monitor & seating posture.

It took me a few days to settle into my gaming chair as compared to Edwin who instantly fell in love with his TT Racing Swift X 2020 Fabric Gaming Chair. His setup is similar to mine, both monitors use a monitor stand and he uses an IKEA DAGOTTO foot-rest.

The first few days, I felt like the bucket seat made me feel uneasy, I had to adjust the lumbar pillow to find the right angle for me. No doubt, the chair is comfortable, soft & I got the back support I’m looking for, I just need to find the right angle so I can relax in it while sitting for long hours. I tried leaning forward & backwards, eventually, I adjusted to it.

Leather VS Fabric

Fabric is a new collection, it promises “breathable” which is slightly better than leather and especially in a tropical country if you’re not in air-conditioned rooms it’s not advisable to go for leather as you’ll soak in your own sweat & it’ll start peeling after 1-2 years which many friends have warned me of. Mine’s a synthetic leather (PU) while Edwin’s Fabric as he does sweat a lot more than me so he can’t take the leather one. Although it’s fabric, it is quite warm, so it’s recommended to be in an air-conditioned room as the entire back is solid unlike, mesh office chairs which offer better ventilation than gaming chairs.

My experience on TT Racing Swift X

As this is a gaming chair, apart from computer games, I tried playing my PS5 on TT Racing gaming chair, the experience was amazing, I feel for console games a gaming chair is perfect. The sides, which are curve-shaped, held my arms nicely when I was holding my console. While taking a break, I can easily recline by adjusting the seat & just stretch out to read some tips on unlocking secret trophies. On days where I just want to unwind, I would also recline my seat & just chill with a lumbar pillow to support my back, it’s a nice feeling.

Overall, the experience is a good one from parcel delivery (it’s a super heavy package so do get someone to help carry it), the installation of both TT Racing Swift X 2020 Gaming Chairs were easy, with clear instructions. I bought it during a promotion on Shopee at RM589 (NP:799) for fabric & RM559(NP: RM799) for Stealth leather and with an RM100 voucher off during TT Racing promotions on Shopee.

Things to consider when buying a gaming chair

Although a gaming chair looks cool & provides ergonomic benefits to everyday users, such as support for your back, spine, neck and even head. They also help with posture which is important not just for gamers but people who sit at desks all day. This is because they allow you to sit in an upright position with your shoulders back and spine aligned comfortably.

However, a gaming chair may not be suitable for everyone. It depends on your desk setup & your body size. For TT Racing, for my legs to reach comfortably on the ground, I’ll need to adjust to almost the lowest. However, my table isn’t adjustable so I can only adjust my monitor stand accordingly so I don’t strain my neck. I’ve found the right height and have now settled in comfortably. For Edwin, he had the same issue too & both of us are of similar height at 170cm, so he uses a foot rest to support his posture which works well for him.
In addition, the bucket seat, if you have a bigger build you may need to look for gaming chairs with a wider dimension, else it certainly won’t be comfortable. I feel the more premium collection of TT Racing offers a wider bucket seat so you won’t be stuffed in the seat.

If ergonomic is what you’re looking for there are plenty of options, although in this “ergonomic” category it may seem that gaming chairs are the most affordable as some good chairs can go up to a thousand ringgit. The most common reason people buy gaming chairs is because of the added comfort and support they offer when playing games for long periods, which is why I bought Edwin a gaming chair as he’s got a group of friends where they would Dota almost every night & as the spouse, we all knew each other. So another friend also got her boyfriend the same model for his birthday after seeing my insta story.

I hope my sharing will shed some light on your decision on buying a gaming chair, personally, I don’t regret getting a TT Racing it’s been a nice experience especially with work from home. However, I’ll advise friends that a gaming chair is not for everyone. My entire room looks like a gaming room at night with RGB lights, so it makes sense to get a pair of TT Racing gaming chair. Alternatively, the entry-level TT Racing Duo V3 Gaming Chair may be more acceptable by the majority of people, which is more similar to an office chair. It didn’t have the bucket seat like Swift X and there’s a lot of great reviews for this with the affordable price tag. I’ve seen a few friends saying it’s super comfortable which made me consider TT Racing.

I’m still wondering how long our gaming chair would last, mine constantly makes noises, not sure if it’s how we installed it while Edwin’s one has less noise when sitting on the chair. Well, that will be another story for another time when we get new chairs, I hope this will last us at least 2 years.

The post TT Racing Gaming Chair Review – An Honest Opinion first appeared on Shannon Chow.

1. Monami

Monami is a Korean stationery brand that has just arrived in Malaysia. Know of a colleague who loves stationery and colours? Get the Monami LIVE Colour DIY pens & highlighters, you can mix and match, so get creative and personalise it!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Monami Malaysia (@monami.my) on Oct 5, 2018 at 9:06pm PDT

2. Typo x Mickey Lovers

Typo Malaysia offers a variety of witty and adorable gift ideas and there’s something for everyone!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Typo (@typoshop) on Sep 12, 2018 at 3:10pm PDT

3. Starbucks

Every Christmas, starting December Starbucks offers the infamous limited edition Toffee Nut Latte if you know a coworker who is a coffee lover or one that appreciates a practical gift. A Starbucks Giftcard or tumbler would make a thoughtful gift.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Starbucks Malaysia (@mystarbucks) on Nov 4, 2018 at 1:02am PST

4. Innisfree

Christmas gift sets are here! Check out Innisfree Green Christmas gift sets. An alternative to this, get a hand or foot mask as a pampering treat.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by innisfree Malaysia (@innisfree_malaysia) on Oct 31, 2018 at 8:36pm PDT

5. Lilian+Co

What’s the ideal perfect long weekend? It would be one that involves lighting a candle, playing soothing music, enjoying a hot cuppa tea and curling up with a good book. If your coworker enjoys staying in on holiday season, a scented candle is a perfect gift.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Lilin + Co (@lilinandco) on Mar 10, 2018 at 9:56pm PST

6. Claire Organics

There’s a lot of usage from Essential oil, pick a blend that is suitable for your coworker. Choose a blend from relaxing to staying focus or mixing more than 2 blends to get a unique scent.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Louise (@claireorganics) on Oct 12, 2018 at 10:29pm PDT

I hope you get inspired by a simple Top 6 Christmas Gift ideas for your coworkers. I’ve tried my best to keep the list suitable for both male & females, do check out the respective store/website as they do have a variety of items under RM50.

Happy Shopping! If you have any gifting ideas that are perfect for co-workers, feel free to drop a comment below.

The post 6 Christmas gift ideas for coworkers below RM50 first appeared on Shannon Chow.

The packaging is minimalist and the earphones come in 3 colours; White, Black and Marble. This isn’t my first time using Sudio earphones, overall their product design is very minimalist and chic.

The truly wireless Sudio NIVA comes in a portable charging case to keep the earphones and charge on-the-go. This is great as the battery life for a full charge is only 3.5 hours. With the case, you can charge up to 4X times. It also comes with a built-in microphone however, I find it rather soft hence, I didn’t use it for calls after my few trials.

View this post on Instagram

Love the SUDIO NIVÅ truly wireless earpiece with 3.5 hours battery life & comes with a portable charger that charge up to 4 times. ? —— Use ‘ShannonChow15’ to enjoy 15% OFF! Check out @sudio Sweden products at www.sudio.com/my. Currently, they are giving away FREE Pack of 4 Swedish Design Coasters and FREE Delivery to Malaysia #sudio #sudiomoments #sudiosweden

A post shared by Shannon Chow (@shannonchowz) on Oct 15, 2018 at 8:28am PDT

Sudio NIVIA is easy to use even without reading the instructions booklet provided inside the box. Just hold down the silver buttons and till it turns Blue you can start to pair with your device. It also automatically turns off when it’s idle or when you place it inside the case. When the earphones are charging there will be a red light indication on the box. Sudio NIVA uses magnets to secure charging case, even when you are on-the-move, simply place the earphones in its respective holder in a hassle-free maner.

Overall, love that it’s easy to connect and the fun sound signature once placing earphones into your ear. Decent battery life and good noise isolation. The Sudio NIVA is perfect for listening to your favourite tunes when you are on-the-go, minus the hassle of wires.

To find out more, visit www.sudio.com/my. You can also enjoy 15% OFF with the coupon code ‘ShannonChow15’ and get complimentary exclusive Sudio Sweden Pack of 4 Swedish Design Coasters and FREE Delivery to Malaysia.

The post [Review + Discount code] Sudio NIVA, truly wireless earphones from Sudio Sweden first appeared on Shannon Chow.

Have dinner with your best friend

Meeting a friend always lifts us up, especially it is with someone you are close with. Schedule a dinner after work or do an impromptu dinner date with your BFF. With my BFF, we usually talked about life, work, anything and everything such as clothes, shoes, pets etc. By the time you are done with dinner, you’ll be recharged by the food and fellowship.

Go grocery shopping

Retail therapy always helps to destress, just don’t overspend and you should treat yourself to little reward every week. So I would do my grocery shopping on weekdays usually it’s totally stressed free without the long queue and plenty of parking in the mall.

Keep a dairy and update it daily

Just before you sleep, take some time to relax and embrace your day. Keep a diary to jot down memorable details of your day, it can be done as a reflection or achievements you made. Studies have shown that people who spent some time writing about their success and glory showed lower levels of stress at the end of the work day.

Read a book or watch a drama

Take some “me” time by reading a book or Netflix and chill. Reading a book is an effective way to get rid of stressful issues at work or the stress after a long day at work. Reading or watching a drama can help in relaxing the mind as it fills them with positive feelings. Relax in an armchair and let your mind travel through the book or drama.

Drink a cup of hot tea

One of the great tips on how to relieve stress is to drink a cup of tea. A hot drink will help to relax you too, but definitely not one that has caffeine in! Of all the teas, Green Tea, Chamomile Tea and Peppermint tea are able to calm your body. Especially, green tea it has health benefits, it contains an amino acid called theanine, which will reduce the effects of any caffeine that you have consumed during the day and help you relax. I’ll share my tea selection next time around!

Listen to Music

Classical music is soothing for the brain and can help you unwind. Personally, I enjoy baroque music to chill and raindrop music as it helps me to fall asleep on Spotify.

If all the above doesn’t work, just hug a unicorn or a cat (I do that sometimes too). What about you? Do share with me, if you have any secrets to relieve stress after a long day at work by commenting below this post.

The post Ways to release stress after a long day at work first appeared on Shannon Chow.

Little Black Dress

Every woman knows she should have a little black dress, but it’s important to invest in one that’s special. Look for a dress with detail, such as frills or symmetry cutting. And remember that finding the right fit is important!

Blazer

Even though I don’t work in a corporate world, I enjoy pairing my casual wear with a blazer. It’s a good investment, if you are just starting out I would suggest getting a black simple blazer, however, if this is your 2nd blazer invest in another colour, such as White, Grey or go bold with Red.

A high-low White Shirt

The High low hem cotton shirt with a relax fit is my kind of lazy chic outfit. It’s extremely comfortable yet effortlessly stylish. This gives the conventional white shirt an edge, pair it with a statement necklace or printed scarf.

Leopard Print Scarf

Print scarf spice up a plain outfit. A must-have!

Red Flats/Shoes

Black is the obvious choice, but red flats provide a pop of colour and work for every season. Pair them with a striped shirt and a trench coat.

Statement Necklace

Accessories can spice up any outfit. The statement necklace can make a simple outfit look strong and feminine.

Classic Trench Coat

Think of this as an investment piece – you’ll wear it forever, even if you fluctuate in size. Look for a classic A-line silhouette that will cinch you in at the waist and wear it with everything from suits to jeans.

Sunglasses

Days when you have puffy eyes due to lack of sleep or you just wanted some privacy, a pair of sunglasses is handy. I always carry them whenever I travel, it’s my blindfold in the plane.

Jumpsuit

Whatever the occasion, the one shoulder bodice jumpsuit will ensure that you look the part – effortlessly.

Note: Lavish Alice is also available on Zalora Malaysia

Red Lipstick

Pull up your hair in a ponytail, put on red lipstick and instantly you look ready for a meeting or a night out

BONUS:

Apart from the Top 10 must-have, I feel that Asian women should own traditional wear. Personally, I own a Cheong Sam (Chinese traditional wear) and Baju Kurung (Malay traditional wear). There have been numerous formal events which I’ve attended, the dress code is Traditional wear. Based on my experience, it’s not easy to find the right one but I’m thankful to have found it and am constantly seeking unique pieces.

Do comment below and share with me what’s your number 1 must-have fashion item. I’ll love to hear from you!

The post 10 Things Every Women Must Own first appeared on Shannon Chow.