Sponsored Review | Sunplay Super Block SPF130 PA+++

Sunplay, a renown sunscreen brand in Japan has launched its new Sunplay range with a patented, improved sun care technology, SOLAREX-3. It fights 3 signs on Sun Damage, so you can play long hours under the sun carefree!

High protection against 3 signs of sun damage:

1. Protection from Sunburn

Protection from Sunburn

Highest UVB and UVA protection. Has UV Reflectant Technology that acts like a mirror to reflect UV rays away from your skin. Superior photo stability for long hours under the sun.

2. Protection from Skin Aging

Protection from Skin Aging

SUNPLAY has Ronacare Ectoin and Antileukine 6, two advanced anti-aging ingredients to protect your skin from aging, wrinkles and brown spots.

3. Protection from Dryness

Protection from Dryness

SUNPLAY has Hyaluronic Acid, which can lock up 1000X its weight in water. This helps to reduce water loss from your skin, and ensure continual skin moisture.

Japanese Watery, Liquid texture formulation:

It is light like water and non-greasy, unlike other suncare products in the market. It is also easily absorbed and does not clog pores.

Review Time~

After shaking the bottle, the lotion is white and watery.

After spreading evenly across the skin area, it has a clear finish, as boasted on the bottle cover.

After applying on my hands and legs, I decided to go out for a walk in the park under the evening sun…

I’m didn’t realize that Sunplay SPF130 PA+++ bottle fronts a cat mascot till I saw the pretty cat at the fitness area. What a timely model!

Maybe Sunplay means to say with it’s SPF130 PA+++ you can laze around the afternoon sun just like a pretty cat!

My Review:

Sunplay SPF130 PA+++ Sun Block lotion has a clear finish upon application. It is light and provides a waterproof texture to the skin. It also has a usual Sun Block lotion scent. At such a high SPF (sun protection factor) rating, you can rest assure to play under the hot sun for long hours! Just remember to apply before you go under the sun, for better coverage.

Free Sample

Check out Sunplay’s Facebook here to redeem free Sunplay travel size sample!

Stand a chance to win prizes

The lucky 20 readers to post “I Love Sunplay because…” on Sunplay’s Facebook wall [ https://www.facebook.com/sunplaysg ] stands a chance to win prizes sponsored by Sunplay. The constest ends on 29th June and winners will be announced on the following Monday, 2nd July at 1100 hours.

Best of luck!

xx

Trending | All Things Tribal Summer 2012

In continuation with my Summer Trends series, Tribal fashion is in right now.

Tribal Background from LayoutSparks.com

Whether it’s Tribal prints on dresses, bikinis, shoes, Tribal motifs on bags or Tribal-inspired accessories, All Things Tribal are trending this summer.

Tribal prints and Tribal inspired fashion is similar to Leopard prints, when worn appropriately; it adds character, individuality and a touch of exoticism to your wardrobe without ever going out of fashion.

We see it on celebrities Nina Dobrev and Heidi Klum…

Nina Dobrev in Tribal Skirt

I’ve only recently seen this young starlet in action in The Vampire Diaries after a friend’s (huge TVD fan) relentless persuasion and man, she is gorgeous on screen. She is seen rocking a Tribal Skirt here.

Heidi Klum in Tribal Dress image from Seventeen Mag

Heidi Klum, supermodel and of Project Runway fame looking chic in a Tribal print with modern silhouette dress.

Harper’s Bazaar UK tracks the trend on the runway, with Burberry’s tribal trench and accessories leading the trend.

Catwalk Report SS12 Tribal image from Harpers Bazaar UK

Balmain is also seen venturing into Tribal prints for its Resort 2012 collection.

Balmain Tribal Print Dress

My selection of Tribal-chic fashion pieces online…

1.  Reiss Athena Geometric Print Dress Off White

Available here.

Reiss Athena Geometric Print Dress Off White

2.  Reiss Albertine Triangle Print Bikini Off White

Available here.

Reiss Albertine Triangle Print Bikini Off White

3.  BB Dakota Hayley Shorts 

Available here.

BB Dakota Hayley Shorts

4.  Shine Necklace

Available here.

Shine Necklace

5. Ikat Cuff Bracelet

Available here.

Ikat Cuff Bracelet

6. Shazzam Platform – Ikat

Available here.

Shazzam Platform – Ikat

7. Inca Crossbody Bag

Available here.

Inca Crossbody Bag

8. Allende Weekender Bag

Available here.

Allende Weekender Bag

I hope your summer’s going great at the moment! Mine’s really warm here in Singapore. (;

xx

Style | Modern Classic

In the second installment of my Style series, I picked out a few Modern Classic pieces.

Classic styles are fashion pieces that you can look good in whether 5 years ago or 5 years later. Modern Classic styles are pieces that are updated with a touch of today’s urbanity, so you look classic but also relevant by infusing certain trends into the classic style.

Modern Classic style is ideal for women who work in corporate environments who cannot dress too outstandingly but still appreciated to dress in a trendy and relevant manner.

It is also a smart and easy way of dress, once you acquire the Modern Classic sense of aesthetics, you’ll be able to make wise purchases that you can wear repeatedly and ideally the individual pieces can mix and match well with the other items in your wardrobe.

Two key brands that represents the Modern Classic aesthetics are Paul Smith and DKNY. Season after season, they present runway pieces that are simple, classic and yet relevant.

Paul Smith Fall 2012 RTW
DKNY Resort 2013
Kate Middleton with Michelle Obama image from ibtimes.com

Quite understandably, women around the world look towards the wives of the men in Politics / Royalty like Kate Middleton and Michelle Obama for Modern Classic style tips. Indeed they are in the precise position of requiring to look powerful, regal yet modern and relevant.

Kate Moss is another example of the Modern Classic lady with, a few years back, she made famous the boyfriend blazer look and she has gone on to collaborate with high-street brands like Topshop.

Kate Moss 2012 image from Ego-living.com

A few Modern Classic pieces I’ve selected:

1. PAUL SMITH BLACK TAUPE RIVERE ONE BUTTON JACKET

Available here.

PAUL SMITH BLACK
TAUPE RIVERE ONE BUTTON JACKET

2. MCQ ALEXANDER MCQUEEN SHEER PRINTED DRAPE DRESS

Available here.

MCQ ALEXANDER MCQUEEN
SHEER PRINTED DRAPE DRESS

3. TIBI NAVY MOONSTONE BEADING DRESS

Available here.

TIBI
NAVY MOONSTONE BEADING DRESS

4. ALICE BY TEMPERLEY RANA DRESS

Available here.

ALICE BY TEMPERLEY
RANA DRESS

5. MW MATTHEW WILLIAMSON TEXTILE WEAVE TUNIC DRESS
Available here.

MW MATTHEW WILLIAMSON
TEXTILE WEAVE TUNIC DRESS

6. DKNY NAVY MINI CROSS BODY

Available here.

DKNY
NAVY MINI CROSS BODY

7. DKNY JENNIFER MULTI STRAP WEDGE SANDAL

Available here.

DKNY
JENNIFER MULTI STRAP WEDGE SANDAL

8. SET OF FOUR MACULI BANGLES

Available here.

SET OF FOUR MACULI BANGLES

If you’ve enjoyed reading this post, please like and subscribe to my blog! 🙂

#FollowFriday | Rosaleen Gallagher

Starting from this Friday, I will be sharing interesting followers of my blog, on my blog.

I love the WordPress community because it allows a lot of interaction between bloggers. I love discovering other bloggers with similar interests, and am very encouraged when I receive “like” and comments on my posts which further motivates me to produce more good quality posts.

Hence I came up with the idea of sharing these bloggers that share the same interests as I do and also inspire me with their posts. If you enjoy reading my blog, you’ll also highly likely enjoy reading theirs! 😉

The first blogger I’d like to share with you is Rosaleen Gallagher. She blogs at http://rosaleengallagher.wordpress.com/ which she affectionately calls “Mixed Gems” with topics about Beauty, Fashion, Culture & Lifestyle. Unbelievable as it may seem (to me), she started following my blog 7 months ago and those were the times when each follower I gained was a milestone in my blogging journey. It still is now, except it’s more like every 10th follower is a new milestone. 😛

I’ll let Rose share about herself from her About page here.

My name is Rosaleen Gallagher and I am known to most as Rose. I am a 22-year-old English Literature student in Liverpool, originally from Birmingham.

Rosaleen Gallagher

In September 2010, I launched Mixed Gems. Initially I was exploring my love for writing, but now my blog has become an integral part of my everyday routine and my favourite hobby. It has been read by the likes of Pixie Lott and attracts thousands of viewers every week.

As well as blogging, I love all areas of social media. In January 2012, my twitter feed was longlisted for the Marie Claire Best Beauty Twitter Feed Award.

During my spare time, I like to do lots of creative things. I was trained from scratch as a makeup artist at my favourite Liverpool salon, Peaches and Cream. Most recently I have joined Bethanie Lunn’s team as a writer for The Modern Girl’s Guide, one of my favourite blogs.

I love that we’re both of similar age and she really inspires me that it’s possible to accomplish so much more by sharing about the passions in our life.

If you think this “Follow Friday” blog topic is a great idea, please like it, follow me and who knows, you might be the next featured #FollowFriday blogger here! 😉

xx

Apps Review | My Fav Beauty Camera Apps

Hello my dear readers, if you’ve been following my blog you’d have read that I’ll be sharing about my favourite IPhone beauty apps that I’ve been using and finally it’s here!

Here’s a peek at a screenshot of my Camera Apps folder on my Iphone.

In order of preference, I now reveal my top 3 favourite beauty apps and 1 cute image label app.

1.   POCO美人相机 by POCO.CN

Is my favourite beauty app because of it’s many wonderful functions, read on!

POCO美人相机 by POCO.CN

For my non-chinese readers, the chinese characters read Beauty (as in beautiful person) Camera and that’s exactly what it is! (;

POCO美人相机 Loading Page on the Left and Landing Page on the Right

To begin, press the smiling frame with a crescent shape on the Landing Page to access your Cameral Roll or press the Camera button to take a picture:

Select the Smiling Frame or take a picture to begin

I usually choose to access the pictures I’ve taken on my camera roll.

Whitening Effect

After which the app automatically beautify/whitens the picture. See the before and affect effect here:

POCO美人相机 POCO Beauty Camera Whitening Effect

After which you can choose to save the picture by pressing the green characters at the top right hand corner or continue your beautifying journey by pressing the heart which offers several function, the most bottom function being frames.

Great Selection of Frames

POCO美人相机 POCO Beauty Camera App Review Frames 1
POCO美人相机 POCO Beauty Camera App Review Frames 2

Another function that stems from the heart button is Greeting Cards, which is the second button, above the Frames button.

Greeting Cards 

POCO美人相机 POCO Beauty Camera App Review Greeting Card

You can also click on the fourth button to add Decorations, like the purple mask.

The fifth button allows you to add make up, like Falsies! How cool is that huh! Check out my Falsies here:

POCO美人相机 POCO Beauty Camera App Review Post Card Fake Lashes

Multi Photos Function

Instead of going for the smiling frames, select the puzzle to create a Multi-Photo / Frame image.

Now you select the Puzzle.

It will lead you to your Camera Roll where you can select your chosen images.

POCO美人相机 Beauty Camera App Review Multi Photo Function

To Download, Visit:

ITunes App Store > Photo & Video > POCO.CN, POCO美人相机

I can’t seem to find it online, but it works fine on my Mac ITunes as well as on my IPhone.

2. 美图秀秀 Mei Tu Xiu Xiu App

Is my second favourite beauty app because of its unique frames and multi-photo function, which POCO beauty app didn’t have originally, until it caught on.

美图秀秀 Mei Tu Xiu Xiu App Icon
美图秀秀 Mei Tu Xiu Xiu App Review Landing Page

Select the Red Button to beautify your image with Lomo Effects and Frames.

Lomo & Frames

美图秀秀 Mei Tu Xiu Xiu App Review Frames Effects

Generally I will first use POCO Beauty App to edit the image before enhancing them on 美图秀秀 Mei Tu Xiu Xiu. I don’t use the Lomo functions often because I personally don’t like the Lomo feel but I use their Frames options very often, especially the glow-ey Frames on the second tab. As you can see from the above right image, I use the “Silver River” effect.

Blur Effect

美图秀秀 Mei Tu Xiu Xiu App Blur Effect

I have never used the blur effect before and tried it for the first time for this review. Creates a fake depth of field, pretty good except that the circle for the clear zone is limited.

Camera Effects

美图秀秀 Mei Tu Xiu Xiu App Cam Review Rock & Roll Effect & Vintage Effect

Is a new function they added recently. For phototaking with different effects, select the Orange Button on the Landing Page. This is Rock & Roll Effect & Vintage Effect.

To Download, Visit:

App Store > Photo & Video > Xiamen Meitu Technology Co., Ltd. 美图秀秀

3. DECOPIC

Is a kawaii Japanese inspired app that has super cute stickers and frames for users to create “Neo-print” like images.

DECOPIC App Icon
DECOPIC App Cover & Landing Page

Lomo & Frames

DECOPIC App Review Lomo & Frames

DECOPIC’s Lomo effects causes image quality to deteriorate, so for that, I use 美图秀秀 Mei Tu Xiu Xiu’s which is better.

Super Cute “Kawaii” Stickers & Frames

DECOPIC App Review Stickers

To Download, Visit:

App Store > Photo & Video > Community Factory Inc. DECOPIC

4. LabelBox

LabelBox App Icon

Lastly, LabelBox for cute labels. Some are free, while others are chargeable. Pretty smart of LabelBox I’d say.

LabelBox App Review
LabelBox App Review

It’s easy to use and there’s a good selection of free labels with pretty fonts that the other apps don’t have, it’s a great app!

To Download, Visit:

App Store > Photo & Video > Stepcase Labelbox

Now that’s my beauty photo “secrets” all revealed! It took me a lot longer than expected to write this review, so I’d appreciate it loads if you like and share if you’ve enjoyed it!

xx

Trending | Florals Summer 2012

Florals Summer 2012

Florals are all the rage this summer. Floral prints are everywhere, on tops, pants, shoes, bags, dresses and here’s how others have worn them and how you can too!

Florals on celebrities…

Celebrities Jessica Alba, Miranda Kerr and Olsen in Floral Prints 2012 image from Fabsugar.com

Florals on Celine Resort 2012…

Celine Resort 2012 Floral Print

Florals as reported by Harpers Bazaar UK online. For the full report click here.

Catwalk Report Summer 2012 image from Harpers Bazaar UK

Floral pieces that I adore online…

1. REISS JUNA PRINTED T-SHIRT PALE AQUA 

Available here.

REISS JUNA PRINTED T-SHIRT PALE AQUA

2. D&G FLORAL PRINT COTTON CAPRI TROUSERS

Available here.

D&G FLORAL PRINT COTTON CAPRI TROUSERS

Super lovely floral print, also available in blouse and dress.

3. Nasty Gal Garden Party Dress

Available here.

Nasty Gal Garden Party Dress

This dress shouts “I’m ready for a garden picnic party!” Just in time for summer. (:

4. YourEyesLie Digital Flowerskull Tshirt

Available here.

YOUREYESLIE DIGITAL FLOWERSKULL T-SHIRT

It’s a girl’s shirt so I’m not too sure why it’s worn by a guy model but I guess it means it’s unisex so for my daring fashionable guy readers, this one’s for you too. And for my dear female readers, you can consider getting it as a couple T-shirt if you have a cool bf. HEHE. 😛

5. Nasty Gal Neoprene Floral Skirt

Available here.

Neoprene Floral Skirt

I love this get up, it’s summery, loud and bold. Chic.

6.  NeedsSupply Bali Bag

Available here.

NeedsSupply Bali Bag

7. Nasty Gal Wildflower Platform Wedge

Available here.

Wildflower Platform Wedge

 8. AAMAYA BY PRIYANKA LILAC QUARTZ LEMON TOPAZ AND RUBY RING

Available here.

It’s not a floral ring but the colours are reminiscent of flowers which is sweet.

Background image credits with thanks from MyTheresa Images here.

I have not decked out in florals yet this summer, but I will find a reason and time to do so before the sun runs away! Let me know if you’ve got Floral outfit posts, I wanna see! As usual, send your loves and comment! (;

While writing these Trending & Style posts, I’ve been scouring online sites for cool items and pieces that catches my eye… And whilst it’s tiring I love writing these posts knowing that readers enjoy reading them as well. And I am thinking, I could live as a personal shopper, if my client trusts my aesthetics for her, I could buy items and be paid on a commission basis… What a cool idea this is! But of course, I’d rather be shopping for myself. (;

xx

Style | Rocker Chic June 2012

In addition to the series of Summer Trends posts, I will also be updating my blog with a series of Style posts, beginning with Rocker Chic.

While Trends come and go, Styles are here to stay. A fashionable woman ideally has a unique mix of trendy and stylish pieces in her wardrobe. 

Celebrities Taylor Momsen and Kristen Stewart’s rocker chic ratings are over the tops this year.

Taylor Momsen Rock Chic 2012 image from knottycelebs.com

Taylor Momsen’s rise in fame came from her participation in Gossip Girl as Jenny but she has since left the show to pursue her music career with the rock band (I initially mis-spelt as rock bank, lol) which she fronts, “The Pretty Reckless”.

I was quite surprised when I heard her sing because it’s pretty good. 😛 If you haven’t heard before, check out “Make Me Wanna Die” by The Pretty Reckless.

Kristen Stewart Rock Chic 2012 image taken from bohomoth.com

Kristen Stewart carries the rocker chic look well with her stoic expressions.

 One of my all time favourite Rocker Chic runway collection is from Balmain’s Spring 2009.

Balmain Spring 2009 images from Style.com

Meanwhile, Isabel Marant and Gareth Pugh features Rocker Chic in their Fall 2012 collections.

Isabel Marant Fall 2012 image from Style.com
Gareth Pugh Fall 2012 image from Style.com

Here are a few Rocker Chic pieces that can potentially knock people off their feet when worn or carried!

1. HELMUT LANG BLACK BABY MATTE LEATHER BLAZER

Available here.

HELMUT LANG BLACK BABY MATTE LEATHER BLAZER

2. HELMUT LANG GREYSCALE FALCON PRINT SILK TANK TOP

Available here.

HELMUT LANG GREYSCALE FALCON PRINT SILK TANK TOP

3. J BRAND DENIM LEOPARD PRINT MID RISE SKINNY JEAN

Available here.

J BRAND DENIM LEOPARD PRINT MID RISE SKINNY JEAN

4. MW MATTHEW WILLIAMSON LEOPARD PRINT COTTON & LINEN MIX SKINNY TROUSER

Available here.

MW MATTHEW WILLIAMSON LEOPARD PRINT COTTON & LINEN MIX SKINNY TROUSER

5. MICHAEL MICHAEL KORS STUDDED BENBROOKE SHOULDER BAG

Available here.

MICHAEL MICHAEL KORS STUDDED BENBROOKE SHOULDER BAG

6. MICHAEL MICHAEL KORS ROCK N ROLL BOOTIE

Available here.

MICHAEL MICHAEL KORS ROCK N ROLL BOOTIE

7. BIONDA CASTANA LUCIA MULTI BUCKLE BOOT WITH SHEARLING INNER

Available here.

BIONDA CASTANA LUCIA MULTI BUCKLE BOOT WITH SHEARLING INNER

8. ESTELLE DÉVÉ GOLD AUSONIA MOLTEN NUGGET RING

Available here.

ESTELLE DÉVÉ GOLD AUSONIA MOLTEN NUGGET RING

9. VIVIENNE WESTWOOD ACCESSORIES RED EMBELLISHED HEART RING

Available here.

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD ACCESSORIES RED EMBELLISHED HEART RING

10. Too Faced Smokey Eye Shadow Collection

Available here.

Too Faced Smokey Eye Collection

No Rocker Chic look is complete without smokey eyes make up! Get your look with Too Faced Smokey Eye collection. Plus, receive 2 free samples of a Too Faced best-seller with every order. 🙂

Now go on and rock your world! 😉

xx

Book Recommendation | The Luxury Strategy : Break the Rules of Marketing to Build Luxury Brands by J.N. Kapferer and V. Bastien

The Luxury Strategy : Break the Rules of Marketing to Build Luxury Brands is written by Jean-Noel Kapferer and  Vincent Bastien.

Book introduction from Amazon:

Luxury is in fashion and is now to be found in almost every retail, manufacturing and service sector. New terms like “mass-luxury,” “new luxury” and “hyper luxury” attempt to qualify luxury, causing confusion today about what really makes a luxury product, a luxury brand or a luxury company.

Luxury experts Jean-Noel Kapferer and Vincent Bastien provide the first rigorous blueprint for effectively managing luxury brands and companies at the highest level. The new edition of The Luxury Strategy includes more information about digital strategy, globalization, sustainable development and why luxury brands are resilient to recessions.

It analyzes in depth the essence of luxury, highlights its managerial implications and rationalizes the highly original methods – often very far from the usual marketing strategies – used to transform small family businesses such as Ferrari, BMW, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Chanel, Armani or Ralph Lauren into worldwide successes.

The Luxury Strategy rationalizes those business models which have achieved profitability, while sustaining the luxury status of their brands, and sets out the counter-intuitive rules for successfully marketing luxury goods and services.

My review:

Published in the early 2009, this book attempts to piece together the strategies for luxury to survive in today’s cut throat economy.

I wanted to read the book because I’ve been studying about Fashion, high-end luxury fashion to be exact and I was very intrigued to know more about luxury.

I have to admit, I have not completed the book but I’ve read more than half of the book and I’ve gained a lot of insights. Each chapter is like a professionally written academic article about luxury. Interestingly, I’ve read another review on the book which I’ll link below and it says it’s supposed to be a manual for new luxury brand entrepreneurs but I think it’s more appropriate for it to be like a text-book for luxury brand marketers and managers, which is logical considering both authors are current professors in HEC.

The book begins with the history and philosophy of luxury, which is to live beyond death, think Pharaoh in Egypt and to create a legacy. And I must say, the book has clearly defined luxury and premium. Luxury is repeatedly stated as a dream, a desirable object that is created artistically while premium is the highest tier of a normal range product, with added function for value. Ferrari is luxury, but Lexus is premium. I won’t bother explaining in detail here because the authors did a splendid job in the book and I won’t be doing it justice at all by attempting.

There were several useful graphs in the book that helped to illustrate the various concepts of luxury or what makes a lucury brand which I thought were very insightful.

So in conclusion, I would strongly recommend this book for ALL marketing and brand owners because you will be able to learn how Luxury works and take a few tips for your own brand! Creating a desire and a dream is not a special privilege for the Luxury consumers. Mid-range brands that have identified this early in the game are already winning (Think Mr Bean Soya Bean Milk Franchaise in Singapore, or global brand H&M). Also it’s also a great read for all luxury lovers who wants to know more about luxury and be further educated on the topic. It would be terrible if you bought a luxury product and realize it’s actually a premium brand isn’t it? I’m kidding. 😛 You’d generally be safe if the press says/splashes on the news “LUXURY BRAND XXX”.

Jokes aside, The Luxury Book is a very information guide and it’s not for skimming. You’ve been warned, if you are going to borrow it from the local libracy like I did, then I’d say it’ll take a good 2 weeks to really complete each chapter a night. Think of it as a Luxury Strategy Bible! (;

I read the first few chapters and tried to skim the rest but I couldn’t because there were just too many new concepts and graphs to grasp so I hope to get my hands on the book again.

If you enjoyed my review, do check out a more daring and differing review on Forbes here.

Also I just found out that there’ll be  NEW EDITION coming out in October and pre-orders are available! You can preorder on Amazon here:

The Luxury Strategy 2012 Edition

Book introduction on Amazon:

Luxury is in fashion and is now to be found in almost every retail, manufacturing and service sector. New terms like “mass-luxury,” “new luxury” and “hyper luxury” attempt to qualify luxury, causing confusion today about what really makes a luxury product, a luxury brand or a luxury company.

Luxury experts Jean-Noel Kapferer and Vincent Bastien provide the first rigorous blueprint for effectively managing luxury brands and companies at the highest level. The new edition of The Luxury Strategy includes more information about digital strategy, globalization, sustainable development and why luxury brands are resilient to recessions.

It analyzes in depth the essence of luxury, highlights its managerial implications and rationalizes the highly original methods – often very far from the usual marketing strategies – used to transform small family businesses such as Ferrari, BMW, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Chanel, Armani or Ralph Lauren into worldwide successes.

The Luxury Strategy rationalizes those business models which have achieved profitability, while sustaining the luxury status of their brands, and sets out the counter-intuitive rules for successfully marketing luxury goods and services.

Check out the authors’ profiles on HEC here.

A little more trivia, thoughts on my mind:

I used to want to further my studies in Luxury Branding, it was my dream to take up Masters in Luxury Branding / Strategy in Europe, Paris. So it would have been my dream to have these authors as my professors. But I now have a different perspective in life. I don’t want to study to learn to be an excellent marketer or manager anymore. I want to be my own boss. I’d still want to continue studying, but I also want to be working and learn how to manage my own business at the same time. I’m not sure if I’ll continue my studies after my degree yet, I’ll start work first and see how it goes! (;

Trending | Printed Blazers Summer 2012

In the thick of summer, I’m glad to present the first of a series of Summer 2012 Trends, Printed Blazers! Printed Blazer is a trend that started late 2011 and it hasn’t caught on fire yet. But it’s certainly a trend that is still growing and I expect high street fashion labels to be producing and selling affordable printed blazers very soon!

Printed Blazers as seen on celebrities Blake Lively & Rihanna.

Blake Lively Printed Blazer image from http://girlstalkinsmack.com/18-celebrities-rocking-blazers/

I love Lively’s sophisticated and carefree sense of style. Not sure where she got this blazer that seems like a digital print of paint daubs but I found a high fashion label blazer that resembles this piece, see below!

Rihanna in Printed Tuxedo Blazer image from http://www.celebstyle.com/Rihanna-Print-Tuxedo-Blazer-22440034

Rihanna’s Printed Tuxedo Blazer is also amazing, on one hand it looks like a digital print inspired by peacocks and it also resembles Van Gogh’s starry starry night painting albeit in vibrant saturated colours. Love.

Luxury labels Celine and Balmain have led the trend with their beautiful prints in their Resort 2012 collection. Check these out.

Celine Resort 2012 image from Style.com

Although it’s a far cry, but this blazer does slightly resemble the colourful blazer that Lively wore. While Lively’s blazer is artistic, Celine’s prints are more tribal inspired.

Balmain Resort 2012 Printed Blazer image from Style.com

Designed by Olivier Rousteing, successor to  Christophe Decarnin, Rousteing carries on Balmain’s super-luxe rocker chic aesthetics which garners hearts from girls all around the world, including my own. <3

Want a piece of summer’s best trend? Check out these links.

1. REISS LADY PRINTED SILK JACKET MID BLUE 

Available here.
As featured on NY Mag’s The Cut here.

Reiss Printed Blazer Summer 2012

2. TIBI CHEETAH PRINT STRETCH SATEEN BLAZER

Available here.
As featured on NY Mag’s The Cut here.

Tibi Cheetah Printed Blazer

3. NEEDSSUPPLYCO RISCH BLAZER 

Available here.
As featured on NY Mag’s The Cut here.

NeedsSupplyCo Risch Printed Blazer

Background image credits with thanks from JenniferKOliver here.

Book Review | 365 Ways to Live The Law of Attraction By Meera Lester

Love, success, happiness, a long and healthy life—these are the things the Law of Attraction promises to deliver—but how? It sounds easy enough, but what does it really mean? In this book, you find the practical steps you need to harness the power of the universe and transform your life. Each of the 365 entries provides a simple, concrete action item guaranteed to attract good things into the your life. – Amazon.com 

My Review: I picked up this book under the Personal Development / Self Help section in the library because I wanted to know what “The Law of Attraction” is and when divided into 365 bite sized paragraphs, it made for an easy read.

So easy that I think I took less than 20 minutes to skim through the whole book, got out the gist and skipped all the parts which was not relevant to me.

The “Law of Attraction” is basically like a powerful affirmation, visualization tool practiced by man since a long time ago which was made famous again by “The Secret” book and movie written by Rhonda Byrne.

The idea is simple, basically:

1. Write a list of what you desire or want to achieve or own very badly, as specific as possible, e.g. “I want to earn $30,000 a month starting from July 2012.”

2. Be as positive as possible and believe you will receive it, and thus re-word it as such “I will earn $30,000 a month starting from July 2012.”

3. Practice gratefulness and be thankful for everything in your life. Because the more positive thoughts you have, the more you will attract positive things to you.

4. Wait for your desired outcome to happen to you, meanwhile practice steps 1-3 conscientiously!

The idea of The Law of Attraction wasn’t new to me, I’ve read about it before in a book titled the The Fourth Dimension, Vol. 1 by Pastor David Yonggi Cho, from Seoul, Korea.

I felt uncomfortable reading the 365 Ways to Live The Law of Attraction By Meera Lester because she uses verses and scriptures from different religions to substantiate the Law of Attraction.

As a Christian, I believe in the “Law of Attraction” but I don’t call it as such. I call it positive thinking and faith in Christ. Christians all around the world can testify to an sense of joy and purpose each day because of Christ in us and the love and blessing he pours forth in our life as we trust in Him.

In conclusion, I don’t think the book is worth reading. I have yet to read “The Secret” or watched the movie, I might want to check it out and see what else it has to offer that I don’t already know of. If you’re a christian, or would like to know more about the Law of Attraction as practiced by Pastor Cho, go read his book, The Fourth Dimension, Vol. 1 !

I did some research online to see what other Christians have to say on this topic and I found two sites which where pretty good.

http://www.successhound.com/does-the-law-of-attraction-contradict-the-bible-part-1/

The author argues that the Law of Attraction does not contradict the bible and he also wrote a part 2 about how the Law isn’t just about materialism.

http://www.johnplaceonline.com/stress-management/jesus-versus-the-secret-a-christians-guide-to-the-law-of-attraction/

This other author,  John also agrees that it does not contradict with the bible but also adds that our God is not a genie and that there are codes of conduct in the bible, it’s not all or only about the Law. And I fully agree with John. As Christians we are not to live only for ourselves but to live surrendered lives to God and obey what he commands us to do, so I believe the Law works not merely for our own blessings but also to be a channel of blessing to others as God intends for us to be.

 

Reiss Sale Summer 2012 Lust Items

In December of 2010, official engagement photographs of future King and Queen, Prince William and Kate Middleton were released. Kate was pictured wearing the Nanette dress by Reiss, the British fashion label founded in 1971 by David Reiss. – http://www.fashionreview.co.uk/reiss-fashion/

Reiss has been dubbed as the high street clothing with Royal Approval. As such, I am excited to have them as one of the brands featured on my blog’s sidebar.

Reiss is having a sale starting June 19, save on all styles only at www.reissonline.com/us! In addition, you can still get FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $300!

I have picked out 12 items from Reiss website for my Reiss Sale Lust List.

1. FLUFFY FEATHER GILLET OIL BLUE – £195 NOW £130

Available here at £130.

This is a super lovely vest and since it’s on sale, it’s an added incentive to stock up for the coming Fall.

2. LAUREN QUILTED LEATHER JACKET DOVE GREY – £375 NOW £188

Available here at £188.

Chic quilted leather jacket in grey, pair it with florals for a soft and sophisticated look.

3. HELIOS STRAIGHT CUT SANDALS BLACK  – £149 NOW £105

Available here at £105.

I love the gold and black combination and interesting how it’s cover up infront, which I like because I don’t like open toes sandals / heels.

4. KARA BELL SLEEVE FITTED BLOUSE LILAC – £125 NOW £88

Available here at  £88.

Floral is in this Summer, this lovely top can also ease into Fall with its cooler and earthy light blue tones with dark green accent.

5. ELLE BASIC CARDIGAN CORAL – £89 NOW £63

Available here at  £63.

I love princess sleeves and recently found a fondness for red cardigan, this piece has both and as seen on the model, looks great when paired with a striking blue skirt.

6. FLEURE LEAF WRAP RING LIGHT GOLD – £39 NOW £28

Available here at  £28.

Leaf ring is a trend that is catching popularity for it’s Grecian and natural style; this one by Reiss is well made and affordable.

7. SID RUCHED WAISTBAND PRINTED SHORTS MID BLUE – £95 NOW £67

Available here at  £67.

A unique tribal animal printed shorts that is great for summer. Similar prints are also seen on a sleeveless top and blazer in store. So you can grab them together to complete the look!

8. SCOUT JACQUARD SHORTS PALE GREY – £110 NOW £77

Available here at  £77.

Floral shorts are a trend, let the shorts stand out by pairing it with a plain top.

9. SUNIE LEAF TRIM SWIMSUIT LIGHT BLUE – £49 NOW £35

Available here at  £35.

This light blue one piece swimsuit can be worn as a top with shorts for a day out at the beach, resort or country club.

10. JESSIE METAL CHOKER LIGHT GOLD – £89 NOW £59

Available here at  £59.

Chunky statement necklaces are all the rage at the moment, catch on the wave with this piece and pair it with a power suit for a chic updated business look.

11. AVA WIDE BRIM TRILBY HAT TAN – £55 NOW £36

Available here at  £36.

A formal chic hat is an investment for sunny days. You can dress up as a Sherlock Holmes character with it or jazz up a simple look.

12. KAREN LEAF DETAIL RESIN STONE RING CREAM – £49 NOW £32

Available here at  £32.

A statement ring with leaf detail, comes also with black resin stone on the website. Rings are a great way to glam up your look.

Visit the store for more sale items, sale only for a limited period, grab them while stocks last!

Book Recommendation | How to Sell and Market Your Way Out of This Recession and Get Your Business Buzzing Like Never Before (even Though Your Customers Don’t Want to Know!)

There are a few reasons why I picked up the book by Bate.

The first of which is that the bright fluorescent orange colour caught my attention as I browsed at the Marketing books department in the local library.

The second, of course is that I am about to enter the real estate industry and I wanted to arm myself with useful sales knowledge in a downturn economy. Despite a super lengthy title, which by the way is one of those big no-no rules for a book title because too long people cannot remember and recommend, I was keen to browse through it as it made me interested to see what the author has to say.

Check out the screen shots of the contents page I took from Amazon’s website. You can check out some of the pages of the book here.

What is superb about the book is that Bate is very detailed about what you should say to your clients / business prospects. He even writes the actual questions you can ask your clients to improve your business. It’s a business manual and that’s what makes it awesome. See what I mean for yourself here, another screenshot from Amazon:

Talking about awesome, it reminds me of one of my favourite lines from the book and it goes,

“Simply decide to be awesome. They will be after you. You can name your price.” – Nicholas Bate

And I believe that’s how Bate lives his life and writes his book that’s why it’s awesome and that’s why if you are business owner or you are a sales person, you should pick up the book!

Another tip I love, okay, last one because if not you’ve got no impetus to go read the book for yourself. Under the Negotiation chapter, he says, which I paraphrase, “Give small and always make sure you get some back in return.” So that it’s a win-win! Smart eh?

You can buy the book on Amazon here.

Let me tell you something amazing that happened recently after I read Bate’s book. Please be forewarned that there is some serious gushing ahead. So it goes, because I was so impressed by Bate’s writing, I decided to quote him on my Twitter to share with my followers, which is the line that goes “Simply decide to be awesome. They will be after you. You can name your price.” and it turns out that Bate himself came across my tweet and emailed me to offer to send me a couple of his books. I was so pleasantly surprised to receive his email that I felt like I struck lottery. Then I realized, I’m more enamored by book authors than celebrities. When I saw many celebrities at Audi Fashion Festival in Singapore, they seemed like pretty faces that stepped out of a screen and I was very calm but when I saw Robert Kiyosaki in real life, and when Nicholas Bate wrote a personal email to me, I felt very excited. HAHA. I’m definitely a geek. 😀

I am looking forward to read more of Nicholas Bate’s books and reviewing them here on my blog!

Let me know if you’ve read Bate’s books or any good sales and marketing books by sharing under comments!

xx

Ten Principles To Live By In Fiercely Complex Times

I have the great privilege of being mentored by one of the best Real Estate agents in Singapore, ERA company. My mentor and recently acknowledged god-brother, Shon Foong sent this very insightful email which is written by Tony Schwartz posted originally here and I’d like to share it with you as well!

When you face difficulty in your course of work, with people you dont feel good with, when someone dont understands you..

What enduring principles can you rely on to make choices that reflect openness, integrity and happiness?

These 10 works for me:

1. Always challenge certainty, especially your own.

When you think you’re undeniably right, ask yourself “What might I be missing here?” If I could truly figure it all out, what else would there be left to do?

2. Excellence is an unrelenting struggle, but it’s also the surest route to enduring satisfaction. 

There’s no shortcut to excellence. Getting there requires practicing deliberately, delaying gratification, and forever challenging your current comfort zone.

3. Emotions are contagious, so it pays to know what you’re feeling.

Think of the loving kindness your mom, dad or loved ones did for you. How did he or she make you feel? That’s the way you want to make others feel.

4. When in doubt, ask yourself, “How would I behave here at my best?”

We know instinctively what it means to do the right thing, even when we’re inclined to do the opposite.

If you find it impossible, in a challenging moment, to envision how you’d behave at your best, try imagining how someone you admire would respond.

5. If you do what you love, the money may or may not follow, but you’ll love what you do.

It’s magical thinking to assume you’ll be rewarded with wealth for following your heart. What it will give you is a richer life. If material riches don’t follow, and you decide they’re important, there’s always time for Plan B.

6. You need less than you think you do.

All your life, you’ve been led to believe that more is better, and that whatever you have isn’t enough. It’s a prescription for disappointment.

Instead ask yourself this: How much of what you already have truly adds value in your life? What could you do without?

7. Accept and Love yourself but never stop trying to learn and grow.

You were always happy before and dont forget who you really were. Learning new things everyday brings happiness and freshness in your life.

8. Meaning isn’t something you discover, it’s something you create, one step at a time. 

Meaning is derived from finding a way to express your unique skills and passion in the service of something larger than yourself. Figuring out how best to contribute is a lifelong challenge, reborn every day.

9. You can’t change what you don’t notice and not noticing won’t make it go away.

Each of us has an infinite capacity for self-deception. To avoid pain, we rationalize, minimize, deny, and go numb. The antidote is the willingness to look at yourself with unsparing honesty, and to hold yourself accountable to the person you want to be.

10. When in doubt, take responsibility.

It’s called being a true adult.

xx

Sponsored Review: Mentholatum’s New Acnes Daily Face Scrub

Have you seen Mentholatum’s New Acnes Daily Face Scrub on the shelves and wondered if it was any good? Wonder no longer because today I’ll be reviewing it on my blog!

I was sponsored two retail sized facial wash. The right one being Mentholatum’s New Acnes Daily Face Scrub (one with cute “anti-acne beads” sticker) and the left is Acnes Medicated Creamy Wash. 

Mentholatum’s New Acnes Daily Face Scrub is truly an all round anti-acne facial product with these features:

  • Anti-bacterial
  • Deep Cleansing
  • Beads for exfoliation and massage
  • Vitamin C & E to reduce blemishes and redness while lightening pimple scars.
  • Menthol refreshing feel and scent
My review: 
I like the Mentholatum’s New Acnes Daily Face Scrub very much because of its anti-bacterial and deep cleansing effects. As a youth who has been battling acne for many years, I’ve grown to know by experience how important anti-bacteria in skin care product is in battling acne. Preventing bacteria means preventing acne. The beads serve effectively in scrubbing away dead skin. Together with the menthol, the facial scrub leaves a refreshing feel and scent on my face, which I love.

Mentholatum’s Acnes Medicated Creamy Wash

  • Remove excess sebum and keeps your skin soft & moist! Mild an non irritating creamy wash for daily use to effectively prevent pimples!
  • Anti Bacterial: Contains isopropyl Methyphenol(o-Cymen-5-ol) which penetrates deep into pores to fight against bacteria and prevent pimples.
  • Soothing: Helps sooth redness and skin irritation caused by acne. Prevent aggravation of pimples.
  • Deep Cleansing: Helps unclogs pores and reduce blemishes by deep cleansing to remove dirt, oil, impurities and excess sebum.
  • Moisture Retention: Contains Vitamin C with moisture retention benefits, leaving your skin soft and moisturized after wash.
  • Anti-oxidation: Contains Vitamin E, an effective anti-oxidant, to keep the elasticity of your skin

My review:

Mentholatum’s Acnes Medicated Creamy Wash is indeed a mild, soothing and non irritating creamy wash. I would recommend this wash for people who have more major acne outbreaks, or during periods of acne outbreaks.

Conclusion:

I would recommend boys and girls who are battling with acnes to buy and use both wash. The daily scrub will serve well in the day and cream wash in the night. During times when the break out is more severe, I would suggest to use the creamy wash until the breakout is under control before using the scrub because the scrub can irritate moderate to severe acne condition.

Also remember to always drinks lots of water, eat healthy and exercise in order to have a well balanced, wholesome face and body! (;

The Acnes Daily Facial Scrub is retailing for $7.50 at Watsons, Guardian, pharmacies and supermarkets.
You can get the samples first to see if you suit the product before buying it.

Free Samples!

Like Acnes (SG) FB page to redeem a 3-step kit sample or alternatively, hit this link http://on.fb.me/L1xX7Z

Sorry to my international readers, free sample is only applicable to Singaporeans/Singapore mailing address.

I’ve been reading quite a bit recently and if you’ve noticed, also acquired quite a list of brands / banners on the sidebar –> (you’ll have to hit the home page if you don’t see them)  so a series of book reviews and fashion articles will be coming right up, stay tuned!

Credits: Thanks to the nice folks from EK Media and Mentholatum Acnes for making this skincare review possible!

If you enjoyed reading this post, you might like to check these out as well!

Lessons from Rice Biscuit Selling Stint

Back in early May, V and I were selling Taiwanese Rice Biscuits in Singapore Expo. From it, I gleaned some lessons about life and work. Before I commence on them, some pictures from our working days!

I am not promoting the brand or the rice biscuits on my blog, but the above picture shows how the biscuit machine looks like, the various flavours and how a regular biscuit looks like. It’s an interesting soft yet crunchy texture. For more information, visit the brand’s Facebook page here.

I never knew $1 coins came in $40 rolls…  (:

Some pictures we took on the job… Most of my friends have a trigger happy habit, lol.

Lessons from  Rice Biscuit Selling Stint:

Life is like a biscuit making machine, just as no two biscuits comes out alike, each individual is created differently, each one is unique.

This photo shows how the biscuit come in irregular sizes! The smaller ones are rejected, thrown away.

The process we take in life is also different. Even though I try my best to pack equal sizes of 7-8 (7 is the standard number) biscuits into each pack, to make a regular pack but sometimes the pack will inevitable contain smaller sized biscuits and some thicker or bigger biscuits. This is due to my point above, no two biscuits are created equal. Therefore, sometimes life gives you a better pack than others and sometimes life gives you the lesser pack.

Use good ingredients and customers will come back for more.

There were a handful of customers that came to buy 3 packs and one lady even bought 15 packs at one shot to keep and give away. If you provide products of quality, customers will no doubt come back for more.

Friendly neighbors make work more enjoyable and rewarding.

Almost everyday, V and I will get free food from our friendly neighboring aunty promoters. This is because we make friends with them, sometimes we give away those odd sizes biscuits (rejected sizes but still edible) and they will give us their food in return. Friendly neighbors make our working environment more enjoyable and rewarding. Most of them will also buy a pack or two to bring home.

A friendly and encouraging boss spurs and motivates productivity.

We were very blessed to meet with a good boss. He made work enjoyable despite the long hours. After the job, I recommended my friends to work for him and after our job stints, we even met up with him for a meal. (:

This was on of the slower – moving days so we were happy to hit $300 from selling the biscuits. (:

It’s interesting how a 10 day biscuit selling stint can teach / remind me of life lessons isn’t it?

5 Chick Flick Movies on Youtube

I won’t deny, for the last two weeks of my holidays (1.5 more months to go) I have been been watching a fair bit of Chick Flick Movies on Youtube, as the title suggests!

I sincerely believe that people are going to google ad verbatim as per my title. If you did, well, hello there friend! 😛

I’m not going to deny okay, although I am a 21 going on 22 year old level headed fashion management student who has been busy accomplishing her diploma studies, taking on an extra art exhibition, internships, jobs and now entering into the real estate market as a licensed agent (I am waiting for my license to be approved come first week of July) I am still a 21 year old and one who enjoys indulging in Chick Flicks at times, while munching on her Sky Flakes biscuits when she gets hungry in the middle of the night while watching the movie and has nothing else to survive on.

Pardon the need for my above justification, it indeed makes me feel better. Moving on… Aren’t we all excited? Here are the movies I have watched.

You can bookmark this page for future reference although I will advise you to watch while you can cause there’s no telling when Youtube might take those videos down. 😛

Starstruck

Cover of "Starstruck"
Cover of Starstruck

is a 2010 Disney Channel Original Movie starring Sterling Knight and Danielle Campbell. Christopher Wilde (Sterling Knight) is a famous pop star and teen idol, whose music is very successful all around the world. Sara Olson (Maggie Castle) of Kalamazoo, Michigan is an obsessive fan of Christopher Wilde who seeks to use her family’s trip to Hollywood, California to visit her widowed grandmother as an opportunity to meet him (Starstruck) for spring break. Christopher, meanwhile, is on the brink of landing a movie deal and has agreed to remain out of the tabloids in order to prove that he is serious about landing the role. – Wikipedia

My review: 5/5. Absolutely chick flick. Sterling Knight is my new boy crush and I feel less guilty knowing he is one year older than I am. I even went to watch a few episodes of Disney’s programme Sonny with a Chance (again, on Youtube) because he was acting in it.

Lying to be Perfect 

is a made-for-television movie from Lifetime based on the novel The Cinderella Pact by Sarah Strohmeyer. – Wikipedia

 My review: 4/5 I liked the show. It was written with an interesting premise, how a column writer faked a persona that she now has to bring to life and the kind of physical and emotional transformation she has to go through, much like a Cinderella story. No surprises, quite predictable. I guess my only gripe is that the cast was a tad too old although i do love the main couple, Poppy Montgomery and Adamn Kaufman who were, *trivia* dating during the time of film.

Sleepover

is a 2004 American teen film directed by Joe Nussbaum and starring Alexa Vega and Sara Paxton.

My review: 3.5/5 I admit, I’m embarrassed to say I watched this show. I think this is the epitome of Chick Flick. A bunch of high school girls on their last night of school presumably at a Sleepover but actually wrecking havoc about town. I guess I didn’t like the show as much because I felt there was seriously too much make up on those teens and the main lead looked more horrid than sexy or attractive in that red dress and curly hair. See, I told you this is epitome of Chick Flick. On a side note, main actress Alexa Vega is now all grown up at 23 years old, looks great and is married.

The Wedding Planner

Cover of "The Wedding Planner"
Cover of The Wedding Planner

is a 2001 romantic comedy film starring Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey. – Wikipedia

My review: 2.5/5. Actually I don’t know why I watched it. It wasn’t terrible enough for me to stop watching it but it was not fantastic either. I can only think of one funny moment and that’s about it. I guess back in 2001 the audience’s standards were set pretty low? Matthew McConaughey who is hot looked not in the show and I think Jennifer Lopez looks better in 2012’s What to Expect When You’re Expecting (I saw this in the cinema recently, funny movie but it’s about pregnant women so it felt a bit queer to be watching it) then she did in 2001, however impossible that may be. So, watch it if your repertoire of chick flick movies is exhausted or if you are huge fan of either stars?

The Vow

is a 2012 romantic drama film directed by Michael Sucsy, starring Rachel McAdamsChanning TatumSam NeillScott Speedman and Jessica Lange. The film is based on the true story of Kim and Krickitt Carpenter. – Wikipedia

My review: 4.5/5. Ok so I cheated because this isn’t exactly a Chick Flick because it’s more like a romance tear jerker. I teared a few times in this show. Rachel Mc Adams is gorgeous, what more can I say?

I love writing this entry! Never knew reviewing movies was this satisfying. Did you enjoy reading this post and watching the movies? Let me know by commenting! (:

My Takeaways from National Achievers Congress 2012 featuring Robert Kiyosaki

National Achievers Congress 2012 was eye opening to say the least.

The reason I signed up for the course was to hear Robert Kiyosaki speak, as did most of the crowd. I will side track a little here. The author of “Rich Dad Poor Dad”, the financial self help book that has liberated thousands of children from the “Poor Dad” mentality to achieve the “Rich Dad” mentality.  I am one of them. I was recommended by my real estate mentor to read the book so that I will be motivated to own my own business instead of working for others and the book definitely served that purpose. I would definitely recommend everyone to read this book as one of your first steps to financial freedom. It might be common sense to most people but he does have some unique insights that will blow your mind.

There were a total of 17 speakers and I attended about 11 of their talks. See http://www.nacsingapore.com/speakers/ for the full list of speakers. For the price of $37 (discounted price) for my stall ticket, I would say it was definitely worth it, to hear some of the world’s best speakers talk about their life and business, and gaining the wisdom and experience they imparted.

Some of the best takeaways from the 3 day congress:

Bill Walsh
World Renowned Speaker
 – Successful Entrepreneur
 – Marketing Expert –  Venture Capitalist and Business Coach
 – Radio, Internet and Television Celebrity

  • Schedule your success or you plan your failure.
  • Figure where the worlds going and get there first.
  • Focus = Follow one course until successful.
  • Busy = Broke. Billionaires delegate everything.
  • People that chase money stay broke.

Tips for a 30 seconds introduction:
Don’t talk about yourself. Let the experts talk – learning not just listening. And then follow these steps:

  • 1. Pay a genuine compliment.
  • 2. 90/10 rule. Them vs You.
  • 3. Create value first and expect nothing in return.
  • 4. Deliver.
  • Goal is to get them to ask you what you do, so they develop an interest in you.

Nik Halik 

Nik Halik
Nik Halik (Photo credit: Wikipedia)


Nik is the founder and CEO of Financial Freedom Institute, Money Masters Global, The Thrillionaires® and iCoach Global. He is a global wealth strategist, successful entrepreneur, international speaker, astronaut, high adrenalin adventurer and best-selling author.

  • If you do not start to make plans or goals for your future, you will automatically fall into someone else’s plan.
  • Investor is someone who knows ROI (return of investment) upfront on day one and is thus not a speculator.
  • Stock market is a platform to transfer wealth of uneducated to the educated. (This is such a sad but true fact.)

Deborah Patel
Deborah Torres Patel is Asia’s Leading Voice & Presentation Coach and expert trainer on Singapore Channel 5’s “Villa Wellness” reality programme and guest star on “Spirit of Service”. She began singing, dancing and acting professionally at age 4 and shared the stage with celebrities like Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Herbie Hancock, Kool & the Gang, the legendary Platters, and the late Sammy Davis Jr. & Milton Berle.

  • Change focus from making money to serving people. Serving people makes the money come in. (My mentor has this to add, the money may or may not come in if you do what you love, at least you love what you do.)
  • Ability to make simple engaging conversation makes the difference from good to great communication.

Eve Michaels
Professional image consultant. She has got to be one of the best looking grandmothers around and doesn’t look her age (60) !

  • Change I got to – to – I get to – from an attitude of Drudgery to an act of love

Robert Kiyosaki

  • What you focus on grows. Focus on assets or your bills will grow.
  •  The middle class use debt to get poor. The rich use debt to get rich.
  • Debts have no tax.
  • E.g. of a good debt – borrowing 46 million to buy a company and selling it for higher price.
  • Infinite return deal means not having to spend money to invest in it.
  • Debt is a hand grenade – Misuse and it kills you. Use it well and it helps you.
  • Education is a process that teaches you how to fly, so study the area you want to work or market in.

Blaine & Honey Parker
Branding creatives / extraordinaire (My description, which in my opinion, fits them aptly!) 

I loved their talk the most because they shared with so much passion about a topic which I also have a lot of passion for – Branding.

  • Brand is the one way you want people to feel about your business.
  • Brand is consistency, everything in your marketing feeds the feeling.
  • Brand is focus, it feeds the feeling orleave it out.

Rick Belluzzo

“A strong leader is both hard headed and soft hearted.” – Dave Packard.

Commit to be a Top Performer

  • Remember the 80/20 rule. 80% of success goes to 20 % of people.
  • It’s not what job you have but how you perform that matters!

Integrity is your foundation

  • Always strive to do the right thing.
  • Commit to do what you say

Successful business is built around trust and reputation. It’s a huge part of success.

If you like, you can download the full set of notes I took here: NAC 2012 Notes.

No doubt a lot of them came across as infomercials rather than informative talks. Obviously I didn’t cite them in this post, I only took notes for those that were constructive. The norm would be about 15 minutes of introduction followed by 45 minutes of speech with a handful of interesting information and then 30 minutes of course or program promotion with a list of recommendations to boost their credibility and popularity.

It was pretty heady to see the response from the crowd when some the more successful or popular speakers are able to garner hundreds of responses from the 3000 strong crowd to sign up for their extended courses priced from a range of $1400 to $3000. It was obviously their spectacular marketing skills put to use and yet it seemed that some of crowd was oblivious they were taken in by all the glitz and show. No doubt some of the courses would be useful to their companies and careers but spending a few thousand dollars on course is no guarantee that that will boast your sales or revenue. Well unless, said business is raking in by the thousands and possibly millions than I reckon the fee would be a reasonable/affordable sum.

For a more detailed explanation do refer to this blog author’s post titled “National Achievers Congress, A Scam?” here.

Nonetheless, for 5 students (I went along with 4 other peers) with little or no income at all it was a pretty surprising and oddly impressive sight.

My take on attending Finance/Self help courses would be this. Only pay for it if you are clear on what you will receive and if you feel it is of value to you. If you have doubts, then don’t go for it. Although the onus is on the trainer’s side to provide what they deliver, sometimes certain things are left intentionally unclear, like loopholes and it is also the consumer’s responsibility to be discerning.

In summary, don’t let anything stop your life long education journey. Keep on learning, reading and exposing yourself to new ideas. Absorb like a sponge and then take time to process the information and decide what to take action on! (:

Blueprint Singapore 2012 | Asia’s Fashion Gateway

With thanks to my tutor Yvonne, V and I went down to visit Blueprint Tradeshow.

BLUEPRINT is a one-stop fashion trade gateway for East-West exchange, created to present up-and-coming International and Asian designers. It uniquely specializes in launching Pre-Spring collections and curates fresh and forward menswear, womenswear and accessories including jewelry, shoes and bags from emerging designers destined for international markets. – Blueprint.sg

Here are a few interesting brands that caught my eye when we were there for a little while.

In no particular order (maybe except for how I collected the namecards for reference, haha!) :

ATGAB

Stands for All Things Green and Beautiful and lives true to its name.

ATGAB’s Booth at Blueprint Tradeshow
Loving ATGAB’s colourful necklaces and headbands.

I love the idea of ATGAB and I am very glad to know that the owner and local (Singaporean) designer of this green label, Elaine has been able to sustain the label since 2009.

And she has a huge mission: To preserve the environment we live in by starting a serious green business. Elaine collects pre-loved handbags, cuts them up, re-thinks the materials, and hand-makes them into the most unexpected accessories. Every product is made up of at least 50% – 80% upcycled materials. Elaine is very proud of the workmanship of all designs, and take even more pride in the big hearts of their Bag Goddesses. A percentage of all profits would also go towards non-profit organisations as their way of giving back to society. – allthingsgreenandbeautiful.com/

The website has a count of number of bags collected and reused for their products. Which is really cute.

ATGAB is stocked at Soon Lee 
73 Haji Lane
Singapore 189266

Urface

Is a very interesting brand that collaborates with artists / graphic designers to create one of a kind canvas tote / messenger bags, each limited to only 7 in the world.

Urface Canvas Bag
Urface Canvas Bag

I feel that there is a lot of potential to their brand. They remind me of the T-shirt brand Threadless, inviting designers to design T-shirts which are then voted online and produced for buyers. Most of the information on their FB page is in Thai, hopefully they will translate to english for a wider audience in time to come.

kiki culte

Nicknamed KitKat by her friends, Penn, a Cancerian is into myths, legends and fairy tales of sorts. The nocturnally inspired artist devotes all her time to her passion for all kinds of handcrafted art, which include the recent handmade weave accessories. – http://www.kikiculte.com/

I was drawn to kiki culte’s designs because of the rocker chic series. An example here:

The Le Roche series 1 is priced from $128-$188.

Prices for her various series are available here.

Holstad & Co.

I was first drawn to the booth because of the studded bags.

Holstad & Co. Pink Python Laptop Case

Available at $416 on their website here.

Holstad & Co. Black Python Laptop Case

Available at $416 on their website here.

I love the colours, the studs and the texture of the bags.

They also feature a range of jewellery on their website.

Suecomma Bonnie

Is a shoe brand that has been likened to Louboutin’s in Korea.


Korean shoe designer Bo-hyun Lee has taken the craft of shoe designing to the highest level, with each piece looking like a coveted work of art. Suecomma Bonnie’s handmade shoes are made of the most luxurious materials imported from Europe. Known for feminine and sexy styles, the brand has been worn by many Korean celebrities and featured in almost every top fashion glossies in Korea including Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar and W Magazine.
- http://www.futurefashionnow.com/index.php/main/designer/9

A few designs to tease your eyes on…

Suecomma Bonnie Shoe
Suecomma Bonnie Shoe

Suecomma Bonnie Shoe

You can purchase the Suecomma bonnie Pre-spring 2013 collection on FutureFashionNow here. Limited sales period, till 19 June.

GlamRockChic

Helmed by a lovely lady Sarah Sheue whom V and I talked to at length, listening to her share about her brand’s history and design inspiration.

Here are two shoes that we were in love with from her booth!

GlamRockChic Pink and Black Wedges Summer 2013

This is a sample for her Summer 2013 collection, so it’s not produced or for sale yet! We love the colour combination and the spike details.

GlamRockChic

This shoe is striking because of the blend of tribal and rocker details which makes it unique.

Priced at US$120 – 200, free shipping to Malaysia, varying additional postage to international customers. Do check out the online store here.

Tip: If you refer 5 friends to the website, you get a 20% coupon for your next purchase! So it might cover your postage fees. (;

Timo Weiland

One last brand that is one of New York’s up and coming designer label by designer duo Timo Weiland and Alan Eckstein. I met them last year when I was helping backstage for their show in Blueprint 2011 and it was a wonderful coincidence to meet them again at the airport when I flew to Hong Kong.

Timo Weiland is the brainchild of New York’s dynamic IT duo Timo Weiland and Alan Eckstein. Known for quirky designs and colour palette, their collections are inspired by their mutual love of European history and travel. In July 2011, Timo Weiland was personally selected by Net-a-Porter’s Director as an inductee to the prestigious Council of Fashion Designers of America’s Fashion Incubator Program. – http://www.futurefashionnow.com/index.php/main/designer/5

Two of my favourite pieces from their Pre-Spring 2013 collection available for sale until June 19 here:

Timo Weiland Fossil Print Shirt Dress & Cut Out Tank
Timo Weiland Fossil Print Cutout Tank (Grey) available at USD 185.00 here.
Timo Weiland Fossil Print Shirt Dress available at USD USD 442.00 here.
Timo Weiland Shirt Dress w/ Lace Trim
Timo Weiland Shirt Dress w/ Lace Trim available at USD 450.00 here.

I love their quirky yet formal design sensibility. These pieces reminds me of what Blaire in Gossip Girl would wear.

I was excited to meet Timo again and so I took a picture with him. (:

There were of course a lot other clothing labels but alas, I didn’t have the time to venture and collect details. Nonetheless I hope you enjoyed my recap of Blueprint 2012. Support local and Asian talents! (:

Related Articles:

Post Blueprint Reflections (2011) 

Transmission Lab | Kaleidoscope 2012

I am very happy to blog about Transmission Lab Kaleidoscope 2012. It’s been a year of meetings, ideas, discussion and hard work to bring together a successful art exhibition!

The journey wasn’t easy and it gave me lots of worry to say the least, but I’m glad to have been through this experience!

The opening was held on 11 May, 2012, Friday at our mentors’, Phunk new studio at Tanjong Pagar.

Here’s a short write up about the short fashion video I worked on with my collaborators, Gilda Su and Nicole Lee, as well as our profiles:

The video was filmed at Rochester Park, where colonial style buildings blend seamlessly with the greenery.
A lighthearted video that inspires Love & Daydream.
There will be time for dancing…
& there will be time for daydreaming…
Featuring fashion designs from Rêvasseur by Gilda Su.
We can’t wait to present the film! See you at the exhibition!

Teo Jia En + Gilda Su + Nicole Lee

Title: Love & Daydream Medium: Video

This video is inspired by the daydreamers and the artwork aims to bring “fun” back into fashion, to encourage its wearers to experiment and to make a statement with a personal style that is uniquely theirs. Keeping in line with the exhibition’s theme Kaleidoscope, we would like this work to encourage the viewers to be free to express themselves creatively through their dressing.

Apprentice: Teo Jia En (Creative Direction)
Teo Jia En is currently a Fashion Management student in Lasalle. Having cultivated an interest in the arts since young, she continued with art studies for ‘O’ & ‘A’ level and decided to pursue fashion studies. With a deep appreciation of the arts and cultures found in fashion, she aspires to be a leading trend maker in the fashion and luxury industry.

Collaborating artist: Gilda Su (Fashion Designer and Make Up Direction)
Gilda Su was born in Singapore and attended Bunka Fashion College. After graduating with a specialist degree in dress-making, she continued her studies at Parsons the New School of Design in New York City. Gilda is a full-time daydreamer and joyseeker. Her designs reflect her love for color and patternmanipulation, a playfulness that comes with self-confidence and an original personal style.

Collaborating artist: Nicole Lee (Videographer, Lighting, Editing)
A jack of many trades, Nicole Lee aspires to be a master in photography and videography. Nicole’s passion started with music, shooting at concerts and club events. While she has expanded into other aspects of photography, Nicole hopes to continue with this mantra of capturing the essence of moments on image. The journey hasn’t been easy, but she is very grateful for everyone who has helped, inspired and taught her.

Credits: North Border Bar & Grill for allowing us to film at their premise and for their warm hospitality.

Do check out our FB page here.

Photos from the opening night!

It was crowded, inside out!

We did all the design from the identity to the windows to the walls! Credits especially to our talented artists and graphic designers Izyanti, Jin Ping, Wanqi and Joyce!With Nicole. Gilda couldn’t make it because she was prepping for Blueprint. (:My sister and Nicole discussing in front of our work. 😛With Ling Ling. Great tutor at Lasalle, designer of Ling Wu bags and a mother of 3 cute kids! (:

With the lovely and talented apprentices and mentors!

Special thanks to our mentors William, Alvin and Jackson at Phunk for the year of guidance!

Thanks to Fareez for the pictures. For the full album check out here

Also, it’s the last weekend to catch the show! Do go down to check out the artworks! (:

Exhibition Period
12 May – 10 June 2012

Venue
PHUNK
188-8 Tanjong Katong Road S436990

Opening Hours
Tue – Fri : 12.00 – 18.00
Sat – Sun : 11.00 – 19.00
(closed on Mon)

Related Articles:

Philippines Trip 2012 | Beautiful People, Sweet Memories

Back in May, I went to Philippines, Illocos Norte, Laoag with my church pastor and friends to visit the churches we (our church) support there. It’s my second visit to the same area, I was there back in 2010. How time flies indeed and I am very thankful to God for the opportunity to go back again.

Here are snippets of the 1 week we spent in Philippines!

We went to a lady’s home where she cooked and fed about 100 children from 3 villages. The children are colouring pages of Noah’s Ark after we acted the story! (:

I was very impressed with this group’s colouring. It was very neat and artistic! The Filipinos are very talented in the arts like colouring and carvings.

Some of the children who were not colouring were busy playing. This kiddo here was playing with an old motorcycle helmet… Singaporean children would never be playing with a broken helmet because it’s dangerous but the children in Philippines can take anything and turn it into a toy. His coy smile is lovely isn’t it? (:This is our group of youths acting like ruffians! 😛 The tricycle is a very common mode of transport in Philippines. And it’s not uncommon to see 5 passengers squeezed in one!At another stop where we conducted children’s programme. Smiling sweet girls.This family/home had a mini zoo. There were pigs, chickens and goats… This is a new kid and it is adorable!Taking pictures on top a van… With pastor Wiliam and aunty Mei Yoke! It was a very interesting experience to be acquainted with our lunch and dinner dish while she was still alive… Introducing Spider-pig Hermione, whom we have christened affectionately. This is a picture of her struggling while butchers get her ready to board her last trip to the butchers…

Following pictures are quite bloody so please don’t be shocked!

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This is Spider-pig Hermoine’s intestines…

This is everything else and her brain and blood in the blue tub. 😮

Sunday’s combined service children’s programme!

It seems that the boy on the left wasn’t very happy at my request for a picture… Sorry for interrupting your lunch boss!
This is Spider-pig Hermione on our dining table. 😛After the home and church visits we were looking forward to Jollybee, Philippine’s famous fast food restaurant. They specialized in chicken and spaghetti. After the meal we had to take a picture with Jollybee!
This is the picture of me and Jollybee two years ago! Seems like I lost some weight, haha!Of course I started a trend this time… 😛A picture of us girls, Sandy, Joey and I while we were at the hospital waiting to visit the pastor Mayolin’s new born baby and his wife.
It was quite a culture shock to realize how dated the Badoc hospital is… This is the newest and most modern looking area, the lobby reception/registration area.At the orphanage where I caught our tallest member, Ryan bullying a little boy in action! Haha! Kudos to the little boy who was a brave fighter till the end… 😛

Then we encountered our little hero who, in the midst of trying to get a shuttlecock down a tree, accidentally threw his slippers up the roof instead. 😛 

I was very impressed by this agility and courage for climbing up the roof!

Then we watched the kids tossing an old can which was to determine who will be the catcher in a game of catching. A lot of ingenuity in kids!

On our last night we went to the seaside… 😀Us on the boat! 😀 One of the best boat ride in my life…

Where we basked in the glory of God’s creation, the skies in the setting sun.On the last day we visited a beautiful resort before setting off for the airport.

With my mentor and spiritual mother, aunty Lydia/Mei Yoke.And lovely girls, my “tummies” for the trip! (:And of course we were fascinated by a pregnant, white cow. 😛 That’s Ryan and pastor Redantor.

I am thankful to be able to travel and see the world outside of Singapore. Philippines is blessed with beautiful animals and land (forests, mountains, beaches), something that Singapore don’t have. It is our prayer that Philippines government will be stronger so that the people can have better jobs, education and lives and not just be dependent on exporting their people to work in other countries.

I hope I can go back to visit them again and plan for a longer stay to visit Boracay and Cebu! (:

xx