Nailed it

T-shirt: Banana Republic (Similar here) | Skirt: Chicwish (Similar here) | Shoes: ASOS (Similar-ish here) | Sunglasses: Pieces (Similar here)

Bag: Gracious Aires (Similar here) | Necklace: Twentyeight Lane | Ring: Glebe Market (Similar here)

So I have a freak hand. It's no big deal really. I was born with a left hand that is lacking a muscle. I guess it might have been a big deal if I was like, really musically gifted and had the potential to be a world class guitar player (my hand is too small so I can't grip the guitar well and my thumb can't hold down the necessary chord... Or something). Although, there are people without limbs who do tons of crazy awesome stuff so maybe I'd have just learned to play it with my toes... But that is not the point and I digress waaaay too much. Seriously, where was I?

Oh yes. Freak hand. No big deal. So aside from not being able to do a few things here and there, I also have the related freak nails. Teeny tiny nail beds on short stumpy fingers. It's clearly very attractive. Because my hands aren't exactly an attraction, among various reasons, I don't usually do my nails.

Freak hand

Buuuuut. I did my nails recently! I met a lady called Zoe and she owns a nail parlour called Thumbelina so I thought I'd check it out and I'm so glad I did because seriously my hands and feet needed some TLC.

Thumbelina is a cute little place that's on the second level of a row of shophouses along Bukit Timah Road. It's a blink and you might miss it place which might really add to its charm since its namesake is a blink and you'll miss her kind of fairy.

A signboard so you won't miss it

 The parlour is quaintly decorated with cute and girly accents - a perfect home for the little fairy.

The rows and rows of nail polishes are from O.P.I. and Chanel so you know this means it's fancy pants. Seriously made it hard to pick a colour.

I sat in the chair by the window so I could look out when I was bored but I ended up chatting my Nora, my manicurist who was really a delight. She told me that she wanted to be a flight attendant when she was younger but couldn't meet the height criteria. She said, "I stopped growing tall but kept growing sideways".

I was given 3 huge books filled with nails, which made me think of a great idea for an episode of Criminal Minds. Like a killer with a penchant for keeping fingernails in a book. How creepy right??? I should be a screenwriter.

Nora helped me pick out complimentary colours for my fingers and toes. I ended up choosing a glittery pink because I thought I should girl it up all the way.

Tch tch tch tch - the sound of filing 'em talons down

It was a very pleasant experience to be pampered by people, although it feels a little weird to have people touching my feet (and scraping the dead skin off it... EW!! Sorry!) 

Freak hand after pampering

Well, the hand is still freaky, can't do anything about that. But now they are SHINY freaky. So YAY!

So if you feel like your freaky hands and feet need some help, check out Thumbelina and ask for Nora. She is the bomb-diggity.

Thanks for reading!

Prepped

Shirt: ASOS (Similar here) | Shorts: Padini (Similar here) | Bag: Mango (Similar here) | Shoes: Charles & Keith

Sunglasses: Ray Ban | Ring: Old (Similar here) Bangles: Old (Similar here) | Pin: the boo's (Similar here) 

Whenever I've got to attend a wedding, I use the fact that I'm going to be taking lots of pictures as an excuse to pamper myself and get my hair done. Even a simple wash and blow feels like a little luxury and in the wise words of Donna and Tom, 'TREAT YO SELF'.

Prep is a great place to get your hair styled because that's pretty much what they specialise in. It's super convenient to get to because it's at Mandarin Gallery, in the heart of Orchard Road, but the mall itself isn't super crowded so that's awesome for people like me who are allergic to crowds.

The cozy store has space for about 8 people (I think), and they give you good coffee and chocolates!!! 

I had two bowls of chocolates mmmmm

My favourite bit (aside from seeing the va-va-voom hair at the end) is the hair washing. As a kid I used to find it really ticklish but DAMN IT'S GOOD once you get into it. 

Sleepy after a good head rub

The owners are really gorgeous and friendly (probably also because I'm acquainted with them from school days but they are friendly la just trust me) and the staff are all quite experienced. From my recent visit, my stylist Thomas told me that he was previously from a salon in Bugis and that the way stylists get jobs involves them 'auditioning' by being in the salon and working for 3 days and in those 3 days they're basically being tested. How stressful! But I guess they've gotta be confident and show that they know their stuff.

Check out those guns. BANGBANG.

Me after the magic has happened, with the magician!

The products they use are quality stuff... Redken doesn't come cheap man. And Thomas was really liberal with the hair spray because I told him I basically ruin my hair within an hour of getting it done, possibly because I get drunk and end up doing some mad dancing.

Anti-spray face protection. V glam.

My least favourite part of the process would be the part where I fork out cash. Although ok, the past few times I've been, my super generous friend Angie has been paying... I'm not sure why she's so generous, I'm pretty sure she's not from this planet. 

Overall it's a pretty quick process, 40 minutes from start to finish, which is pretty much about as long as I can sit semi-still. My hair looks gorgeous and I wish I could come here every day. 

Shades because I'm a rockstar. (i've got epic eye bags lah)

So the team recently opened a new outlet called Prep Luxe at the newly renovated Capitol building and they offer a larger suite of services beyond styling so you should check it out if you feel like getting a haircut. I think they also give you champagne as you get your hair done so that's always fun and is a great place to throw a drunken hens party/pampering session.

Thanks for reading!

It's a nice day for a white wedding

Top: Mango | Skirt: ASOS (Similar here) | Shoes: Nelly (Similar here)

Bag: Hong Kong (Similar here) | Earrings: Vincci (Similar here) | Ring: Twentyeight Lane 

As much as I've tried to fight it, I've reached the age bracket where most of the people I know are getting married and making babies. It's truly scary. Nonetheless, I'm filled with many joyous feelings for all of my beautiful friends and their partners and obviously wish them marital bliss.

I've been a bridesmaid 4 times now (one more time to come next year for my dear friend dell), so I like to think I've picked up some excellent tricks on being THE BEST BRIDESMAID IN THE WORLD. 

If you are younger than me and haven't started attending 43268923752 weddings a year yet, then here are some tips so you can smoothly navigate the treacherous waters around bridezilla island (not that the brides I maided for were bridezillas!!!!) and the gulf of the demanding parentals (also not saying anything!!!).

Tips to be the world's second best bridesmaid:

The bride is the bride. You are not. So avoid wearing anything skanky that would make all the eyes be on your flesh rather than on the bride. Also, while it's an old fashioned thing, avoid wearing white because while most brides don't really care, there will always be those who do and you should err on the side of caution.

Ohnoshedidnt. Pic from here

Check your personal dramas at the door. If you're on the verge of an epic movie star meltdown - Just don't.

Honey I'm about to throw down. Pic from here

Always have tissue ready because those gowns are stuffy and hot so the bride might perspire. Also, people typically cry.

I'm just so happy right now!!!! Pic from here

The word 'maid' in 'bridesmaid' was put there for a reason. Rose petals stained the bottom of her gown? Get down on your hands and knees and bleach it off baby. Bride needs you to make her diamond ring sparkle like that vampire in Twilight? You go buff that thing till your fingers are numb.

Bow to me, slave! Pic from here

If you're a speech-giver, do not, for the love of all things good and holy, a) get so drunk you end up slurring through the speech, b) wing it - prepare your speech c) talk about the hens night/penises/the bride's sex life (or even lack thereof).  

The speech giver is totally like 'NAILED IT'. Pic from here

Thanks for reading, I hope you'll enjoy all the lovely weddings you will attend!

Leopard love

Top: H&M | Skirt: Chicnova | Shoes: Pedro (Similar-ish here) | Bag: Gracious Aires (Similar here) | Ring: Jessica Buurman

I'm an animal lover, in case you didn't already know, and my not-so-secret retirement dream is to go live on an elephant sanctuary so I can... I dunno, shovel elephant poop... But also so I can make the lives of those gentle giants better. I would also love to run a dog shelter so I could hang out with Nacho all day and maybe he'd be less cray around other dogs and just chill out and be awesome. 

In the news lately (or not so lately depending on when I post this), Cecil the lion was killed by a hunting enthusiast from the USA.... Not cool man. I don't understand hunting for sport. It doesn't seem very sporty to shoot at animals that are just like, wandering about being chill and majestic and letting the wind blow through their gorgeous manes.  

And prior to that, there was the annual Yulin dog meat festival. I mean, I love dogs, I would never consume dog meat, and I know it's hypocritical of me to be all up in arms about dogs when I eat other types of meat for subsistence, but the inhumane ways people steal, store and kill the meat they eat... That's just horrible business. Plus the fact that dogs are such good companions to humans really makes me wonder what's up in Yulin. Surely some changes can be made.

But not to be a huge Debbie downer... Some super news I read lately about the ending of the mass slaughter of animals in Nepal (and strangely, also Joanna Lumley of Ab Fab fame). Through Ms Lumley's efforts, the mass sacrifice of all animals, big and small, was halted because they mad respect her for her work to champion the recognition of Gurkhas' place and contributions in UK. See? Change can happen. COME ON YULIN. STEP THE HELL UP. 

Thanks for reading guys, go on and hug your dog/cat/hamster/cow now! 

Bonjour

T-shirt: Gap (Similar here) | Skirt: Romwe | Bag: Mango (Similar here) | Sunglasses: Karen Walker

Necklace: Old (Similar here) | Ring: Old (Similar here) | Shoes: Koumi Koumi

I read somewhere that the 2 most important things for you to put on before you face the harsh elements of reality are a good sunblock and a good moisturiser. Obviously in this scenario, putting on clothes is a given so you are not arrested for public indecency. So before you even think to slap on a nice coat of makeup to make you look like a fresh daisy, you should be investing in those two first!

I've spoken about my sunblock preferences already but I've been on the hunt for a good daytime moisturiser and I think I've gotten a good one. I've got combination skin (I think) and I prefer light moisturisers for daily day time use. I'm already using the Laneige Water Sleeping Pack_EX so I thought I'd give the Laneige Water Bank Gel Cream_EX a shot - so far so good! It smells nice and as you would have deduced from its name, it's got a gel-like texture which gets absorbed into the skin fairly quickly leaving a bouncy toingtoing feeling without that oily creamy after effect. I have no idea what the 'EX' is for but I'm just gonna say it means 'expensive'. While not pricey like another day cream I used to use (Biotherm), at $52 (thereabouts) from Sephora (I think), it's not exactly super affordable.

Anyway, here's to hoping I don't suddenly get a breakout, or turn purple, or maybe suddenly become really attractive to llamas or something.

Thanks for reading!