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!

The awesome

Top: Padini (Similar-ish here) | Skirt: ASOS (Similar here) | Shoes: Charles & Keith (Similar here) | Clutch: DKNY (Similar here)

Sunglasses: ASOS (Similar here) | Earrings: Vintage (Similar here) | Bracelets: Old (Similar here and here) | Rings: Old and vintage (Similar here and here)   

I would like to announce something.

I am AWESOME. 

I know I'm biased and it might seem rather egotistical but I think that you should think you're awesome too. It's important to have self-confidence and to re-affirm your beliefs of awesomeness because that breeds positivity and hopefully that positivity will be spread to those around you. With all the bad juju out there in the world, wouldn't it be better if we could share the awesome and spread it around?

Maybe you're having a crappy day - you spilled coffee down the front of your white dress, you tripped on a non-existent crack in the pavement, you got attacked by a clown, whatever it is, you're having a poo-day, I urge you to think about the awesome things that you do, no matter how small, because those small things all add up and make you awesome.

My affirmations today from small to big:

1. I am awesome because instead of taking the elevator, I walked 5 flights of stairs. Exercise complete.
2. I am awesome because the jerkwad driving ahead of me cut into my lane abruptly then proceeded to drive really slowly but I didn't go absolutely bananas (I only swore once!)
3. I am awesome because I completed a project in a swift and effective manner. (Fingers crossed I didn't make any mistakes!) 
4. I am awesome because for the first time ever I feel like I've got my life in order.
5. I am awesome because I am loved and I have love to give.

Also, my coke light recognises my awesomeness. 

True story

Thanks for reading!

Summer greens

Dress: Diane Von Furstenberg (Similar here) | Shoes: Red Valentino (Similar here) | Bag: Y-3 (Similar here) 

Earrings: Lovisa (Similar here) | Bangle: Kate Spade (Similar here) 

It's summer all year long in Singapore so I guess The Summer Kit from Net-a-Porter is perfect for me! I've just gotten my grubby paws on it but I'm really pleased so far.

Fancy package is fancy

SURPRISES INSIDE!

All the goodies inside smell so good, I am sure I will smell like a mixture of baked chocolate cookies, fields of lilacs and a warm summer breeze.

Good thing there's a manual.

They're all sampler size so I can test out the products and figure out what I want to phase into my daily regular routine.

I want you and you and you and you and you

They are great for bringing on vacation. I know a lot of people take the toiletries from the hotels they visit but since I don't stay at fancypants hotels, I often find the toiletries at my disposal a bit abrasive and not very luxurious. I will totally bring these and go full spa service on myself. If vacation time is not the time to be pampered, then I don't know when is.

Moooooooooooooore!!!

I hope you're having a fantastically pampering summer, thanks for reading!

Stars, stripes, and suddenly NACHO!

Top: Nichii (Similar here)

Skirt: ASOS (Similar here)

Bag: Betsey Johnson

Bangles: Old (Similar here and here)

Sunglasses: Aldo (Similar here)

Shoes: Far East Plaza (Similar here)

 

Don't you think this looks a bit Halloween costume adjacent? Halloween is after all my favourite festivity of the year because a) I love dressing up in costumes b) I love candy especially when it is free c) I get to scream 'trick or treat' like a deranged child.

I also love Halloween now for a totally new reason though -  Nacho (or the Artist Formally Known As Macho) joined the Wee-Hui-Maltese-Pan (WHMP) clan on 31 October 2013!

Taun taun Nacho reporting for duty

I adopted Nacho through a friend's neighbour's contact, a man who owned a small office in a conservation house. That's where we went to meet Nacho. We had very little information about this dog - he was a poodle and had to be rehomed because of some child's allergies (or so I initially thought). I had no idea what I needed to know so I took to Google to find out what I should ask before adopting a dog. Google was helpful.

Good questions to mull over first before even getting a dog include:

1. Can you handle the responsibility? (YES!)
2. Do you have the time and resources? (Maybe)
3. Have you considered your mother's feelings about having a dog (Who is 'mother'?) 

These are a basic starting point but I found this really useful.

Some good questions to ask the current owner of the dog you intend to adopt include:

1. Why do you (current owner) not want this cute guy (greatest dog in the world)?
2. What is this cutie's (NOT the owner obvs) medical history?
3. Has he been neutered? 
4. How is he around kids/other people/other dogs
5. Does he have any behavioural issues? 
6. Is he house-trained? Does he pee indoors or outdoors? 
7. Has he been given any training? (Ninja training?)
8. Does he know any commands? (Sit/stay/kill all my enemies?)
9. How often a day does he get walks and for how long each time? 
10. What is his eating schedule and what does he eat?

There are so many questions to ask so I suggest you do what I did, go to this site and print out all the questions and read them off to the current owner.

Anyway, as it turned out, Nacho's owner had done a silly thing, he gave in to his children's wishes for a dog but then they got bored of taking care of Nacho so he became an unwanted burden. The owner brought Nacho to his workplace to let his employees care for him but this meant that Nacho wasn't properly cared for so there were a couple of things that weren't great:

1. His vaccination had lapsed 
2. He wasn't neutered
3. He wasn't socialised with other dogs (so he used to charge up to other dogs)
4. He wasn't trained so he was kind of a maniac, barking randomly, pulling on his leash, trying to pee at every tree to mark
5. He was a tick-covered, worm-infested germ factory
6. His teeth had a lot of tartar build up
7. He wasn't properly groomed so his fur covered his eyes 
8. He wasn't being fed enough and was quite underweight
9. He wasn't being shown all the love and care that he should have because he really has a great personality 

Haaalp I think I'm blind - Nacho day 1 in the WHMP clan

Seriously guys. Where are my eyes?

We had to shave him because of all the ticks.

What the hell is this alien creature I brought into my home??

Ugs but happy!

It has been over a year since we got Nacho and I think we've addressed almost all of his issues but it really took a crap ton of hard work and consistency. He's still a little crazy sometimes (like when he wants to kill this Yorkie terrier) but he's an awesome little dude and I'm so happy that I got him. He's changed my life for the better, and I would wholeheartedly recommend that you adopt a dog (or a few dogs) because it gives them a better life and in turn makes yours awesome.

Nacho of today: I can seeeee!

Skin

Shirt: Uniqlo (Similar here)

Skirt: Altuzarra for Target

Sunglasses: Coach (Similar here)

Shoes: Nine West (Similar here) | Bag: Prada (Similar here)

Bangles: ASOS (Similar here) | Rings: Vintage (Similar here, here, here)

Necklace: Vintage (Similar here) | Earrings: Vintage (Similar here)

One thing I love more than snakeskin is my own skin. Well, I kind of hate it as well. At the age of 24 (even though now I am 21 but whatevs), I came down with what is known as adult female acne. Basically, I had mega zits along my jaw and on my cheeks that made me a pizza face and not in the delicious yummy way. After spending a ton on facials and products, all with limited success, I finally went to see a dermatologist - Dr Phay Ken-Lin from Specialist Skin Clinic. Dr Phay is a wonderful dermatologist and I would totally recommend going to her for all your skincare needs. She's really warm and thorough, and as a mature lady, looks super great, so you know she knows what she's talking about.

Adult female acne typically attacks women who didn't suffer from excessive acne woes during puberty and usually around the age of 25 - 30 (I think). Dr Phay said they weren't sure of its exact cause but speculated that it could be due to the fact that women were having babies later. It was a while back but I still shudder at the thought, I was so upset because that was the age where I was going out a lot and meeting a lot of people working as a door bitch, so I was really self-conscious. I remember calling an ex up and saying, "hey did you curse me?". Yup. Acne mad me mental.

I went on a course of Roaccutane for about a year, which serves to turn your face into a prune (but also not letting the acne have any ammunition for explosions) so it was then that I discovered the wonders of Cetaphil face wash and Dalacin (a topical acne solution). After one year, I was cured of my acne and stopped Roaccutane but I still use Cetaphil (which you can buy at the pharmacies) and Dalacin (which you need a prescription for). 

Anyway, just wanted to share this story with you because acne sucks and skin is precious. And because Dr Phay is the bombdiggity. Thanks for reading!