Slider Phones

Having had the same Nokia 6100 for 3 years, I've been on the lookout for a new phone for a while.

Over the years, all my phones have looked remarkably alike, the Nokia 6100, the Nokia 8250 and this other Nokia one so old that I don't even remember the model of. But it looks like the third one shown- except more squarish. They're all basically just upgraded versions of each other. So this time, I was determined to look for something different.


Hence I turned my attention to sliders, because they just look so sleek and cool. Plus, sliding is just fun! Naturally I was drawn to the ever stylish LG Chocolate and the Samsung E900, with their super sleek form and cool sensor buttons.

But alas, my strong sense of brand loyalty to Nokia (in case you haven't notice) wouldn't let me buy anything else but Nokia. I mean, what if those flimsy things from Samsung and LG breaks on me after a year? My Nokias have never broken on me before- while the Samsung flip one T Mobile gave me when I opened my mobile phone is already dying after one year! (Incidently does anyone know whether they're supposed to give me a new phone when I resign my contract each year?)

Anyway, deciding to get a 3G just in case I should ever find myself in Japan/Korea or that T Mobile suddenly decides to gift me with the free use of the internet and video conversations at the price of a phone call, I was basically left with two choices: the new N80 or the 6250 (or whatever else you call it in your country). While the N80 is the newest, whatever extra function they added has made it thick and bulky- not pretty. And who needs something mega expensive and not pretty? So in the end (after all this thought process) I finally settled on 6250 because of its function and sleek appearance (although I would prefer it even slimmer).

Mischa Barton for Keds

While I was flipping through Teen Vogue a few months ago, it occured to me that it actually seems natural now to see Ked's shoes featured within the editorial content. But think back a few years ago, hardly anyone knew Ked's! I'm sure Keds was a well-known brand before, but let's face it, before Mischa started advertising for it, Ked's was no where near the fashion radar. But since the images of Mischa looking very cool in cute outfits and various pair of Ked's started appearing in Teen Vogue and other magazines, Keds just seemed more... attractive, at least on print it did.

Starting from Mischa's golden girl days at the OC.

So cute and pretty! Mischa looks like an effortless prom queen here.

Looking cool in a silk dress and Keds.

Keds for the fun-loving girl inside all of us.

This is one of this season's ads. I LOVE this image -a stylish student looking cool in the library. If only we all looked like that as a student!

Seeing Keds in real life though, is slightly disappointing. And perhaps most importantly, it is impossible for one to make Keds look cool, that is unless you wear clothes that really match Keds style, or you look as cool as Mischa does.

Make Face-Mask by yourself! homemade face-mask

Funky Face-Mask Formula:

1) Mix a 1/4 cup of powdered clay with,
2) 3 teaspoons of corn starch.
3) Then mix in a blend of:
herbs like peppermint, jasmine or calendula. (About 3 teaspoons total per 1/4 cup.)
Essential oils like sandalwood, lavender or tea tree. (About 8 drops total per 1/4 cup)
For dry skin - add 4 teaspoons of sweet almond or jojoba oil.
For oily skin - add 4 teaspoons of Brewers Yeast.
4) Add enough water to form a paste.
5) And your done!

If you only want to make a little bit at a time, just reduce the quantities of each ingredient accordingly.

Mix These Materials To Make Your Own Lip-Gloss:


1) 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons of sweet almond oil.
2) 4 tablespoons of grated beaswax.
3) 1 tablespoon honey.
4) 6 capsules pure vitamin E oil.
5) 1/4 teaspoon cocoa butter.
6) 2/3 drops essential oil (peppermint or sweet birch are nice.)

Just mix all the stuff together and scoop the goop into some 1/2 ounce tins which you can buy at a craft or dollar store. And c'est fini!

Make soap by yourself! Homemade soap.

Funky face-masks, smashing soap and lovely lip-glosses are awesome products but they can be really expensive. If you aren't afraid to get your hands dirty, I have an easy way for you to get the goods this summer without the high costs.

You can make all these products at home if you have the right ingredients. These recipes are easy and cheap to make... and make rad gifts for your friends.
Follow these directions to make some dope soap:
Materials:
- Bars of natural fragrance or color free soap
- Essential oils of your choice (Lavender, rose and jasmine work well)
- Food coloring
- Oats
- Vitamin E Oil (Optional)
- Almond Oil

Instructions:
1) Grate soap in a blender or food processor.
2) Boil a pot of water and put a glass bowl over the pot, (like a double boiler.)
3) Add some almond oil into the bowl.
4) Add the soap into the bowl.
5) Take the water from the pot and add it into the bowl until soap changes into paste.
6) Add oils, color, and vitamin E as desired.
7) Let cool in molds of your choice. You can use anything for a mold - ice cube trays, cookie cutters or your own hand.
(To make hand soap, flatten soap paste to approximately 1/4 inch. Trace your hand on to the surface of the paste and mold accordingly. Finish by writing "hand soap.")
8) Air out on wax paper for a day or two.

Experiment! Make different shapes of soap or don't mix the color all the way in. Oats are great for exfoliating. Lavender pieces and rose petals can sometimes mold or rot if you don't air the soap out properly, so be careful. Your utensils should not be used for food afterwards but if you need to, wash very thoroughly.

Stylish School Bags

To prepare us for the beginning of yet another school year, I thought I'd look at some stylish school bags to get us excited. Now when I think of school bags, the first thing that pops into my head is the typical Jansport backpack in its various shades that was ever so popular back in high school. But as I've proceeded to college, I've tried to veer away from them because a)one DOES need variety after so many years of backpacking b) it never matches with any of my outfits and c) its time to gradually move onto something a bit more sophisticated.

One of my favourite brands for school bags is Le Sportsac. Their bags are light, spacey, looks good and are waterproof. I especifically loved their LAMB collection back then. I used to buy one each season (and I still use them!), but alas, Gwen stopped designing bags for Le Sportsac and now their collections are not quite as impressive. But I think these two are ok, especially the black messenger one on the left, which will definitely match all your outfits!

Currently, I am using a brown Coach tote from last season that looks remarkably like the one on the left except mine is not as cool and is not reversible (although who wants the Coach tag hanging outside anyway? It was designed to be inside for a reason!). I really like it as again it matches everything, is sophisticated, fits everything and surprisingly doesn't get dirty that easily. For a smaller size, the one on the right is of a pretty good size too. It fits the average notebook and laptop snugly. Although I'm not sure how i feel about their new print here. . .
Another good choice is the classic Longchamp one (left). I used to not like it, but after seeing some really cool people on the streets with them, this design is definitely growing on me. And I can't help but lust after their new brown suede bag (right) this season. LOVE LOVE LOVE it.

For something more sophisticated, I am loving these two from Anthropologie that sooo reminds me of Miu Miu this season.

I am also absolutely LOVING these Warhol totes from Urban Outfitters. They are SO COOL. I can totally see someone in a punky tee, skinny jeans and heels wearing this.

American Eagle has some pretty cute options too. The navy one is very reminescent of Longchamp's one except at a much friendlier price and the brown messenger the girl in the ad looks adorable.

The blue bow bag is pretty, feminine and of a size that is perfect for school. The strap also looks adjustable, so it can be worn long across or short as a tote! And this black messenger here is the epitome of a messenger bag. Definitely stylish school bag material. Oh and these two are from Urban Outfitters.

For more classic messengers, look to Accessorize. This suede brown one is beautiful. And this army green one with the leather details reminds me of Balenciaga for some reasons, but I can't quite put a finger on as to why.

Emmy's 2006 Fashion

I had my wisdom teeth pulled out last week, so I've been staying at home and rewatching House and Grey's Anatomy in the past week. Thus I've been in a very TV-mood and actually excited about the Emmy's.

*Squeals* 24 won 3 major awards -Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in A Drama Series and Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series. 24 is the only TV show that makes me think 'what's going to happen next?' Kiefer Sutherland and 24 totally deserve these awards.

The ladies of 24, Mary Lynn Rayskub and Kim Raver. Rayskub's dress is such a pretty and classic dress. Raver looks gorgeous, but I'm not a big fan of her Pamela Roland dress.

Moving on to Grey's Anatomy, Ellen Pompei in a body-fitting John Galliano for Christian Dior gown. I love how luxurious the dress and material looks and it fits Ellen really well. Unfortunately, that hair and makeup is just awful.

Katherine Heigl looked stunning in a nude Escada dress. Her hair and makeup is very Hollywood-glamour. Chandra Wilson looked fabulous in a fire-engine red Bradley Bayou dress.

I don't really like Kate Walsh's shiny dress, but she (her makeup and hair,) looked beautiful. Sandra Oh wore a pretty Vera Wang dress. It looks fantastic on her, but I'm not sure the huge necklace matches the ruffle neckline.

Two doctors from two series: Patrick Dempsey aka Dr. Derick Shepard /Mc Dreamy, and Hugh Laurie aka House. ( I absolutely adore House's character and sarcasim in the show.)

Jennifer Morrison is sooo pretty! Her dress, hair and makeup all just made her look so sweet -loves it

Lisa Edelstein looked fantastic in her black & white gown. I especially like the braclet she's showing off here.

Moving onto other people, I loved Evangeline Lilly's whole look -from the eggplant Versace gown to the gorgeous wavy hair. On the other hand, I really don't like Eva Longoria's dress, even if she 's oh-so-beautiful herself.

Kyra Sedgwick wore one of the most elaborate dresses on the red carpet. The dress is by Giorgio Armani Prive.

Jennifer Love Hewitt looked elegant in this gorgeous Collette Dinnigan dress. The details on the dress is soo nice.

Tyra Banks looked amazing in this very-couture Georges Chakra gown. She actually flew to Paris to get fittings done, so the dress fits her perfectly.

The happy-looking, stunning couple, Seal and Heidi Klum. Heidi's gown is by Michael Kors. I don't really like the Michael Kors gown Heidi wore but she looked stunning as usual.

Urban Outfitters FW06 Catalogue

With all the September issues of style magazines rolling out, it's certainly time to start planning, (or in some cases start buying,) your FW06 wardrobe. With all the magazines listing out what is the trend and what is not, and showing you glamourous fashion shoots, you really start getting into the mood. This summer, I found that the easiest way to start thinking of FW clothes that fits you is to flick through the Urban Outfitters Fall Catalogue.

Not the most attractive cover, I know, but inside is full of pretty photos that could inspire you how to wear this season's clothes casually. Unfortunately the catalogue is not online this year, but you can just order one via mail. Here are a few things from the catalogue:

A black mini skirt is a must-have this season.

This cute pleated dress to cross you over from summer to fall.

This cardigan is so versatile -it can go from preppy to trendy. The design and colours are so complimentary to this season's dark mood. (Look at the catalogue to see the different ways to wear it.)

I'm not really into hobo bags but if you are planning to buy one this season, then this Lux one is affordable and doesn't look cheap.

Thinking about Color

In my last attempt to grasp onto summer, I have been thinking about color. More specifically, eye color. I want something that goes on smoothly with colors that actually shows up as it is on my eye- unlike how some powder eye shadows always tend be a few shades lighter or something. And so, I looked to cream eye shadow. This summer some popular ones have been Shisiedo's collection that comes in a bottle like this one (although this one is actually from Kanebo as I couldn't find a picture of the original one):

Beaute de Kose,Body Shop. . .

. . and Chanel have also came out with something similar. Not only do they apply very well and colorfully, but they also SHIMMER. And I'm sure modern technology has done something about cream eye shadow's tendency to crease. I am definitely looking into this.

Another option I am thinking about is this new long lasting cream eye shadow from Bobbi Brown. The long lasting bit sounds sooo tempting.

The subtle shades offered, such as these two, can be worn as a casual day time look that works with any outfit. Plus, it is definitely something one can carry into the fall with.
And speaking of colors, I am lusting after this new Dior five color palette that they've plastered all over the magazines. The colors offered are just soooo deliciously intense and different, which means a LOT of different looks can be achieved. If one has no eye shadows, this is definitely a great buy for $49.50 as it practically gives you such a wide range of colors suitable for any outfit.

8th Annual Teen Choice Awards: The Fuglies

Continuing from yesterday's post, where there are the lovelies, there must be a few not-so-loviles.

As usual, Fergie turned up in a horendous outfit. I hate it when people wear sporty clothes and carry a Vuitton bag around. And to top it off, she's got such a *sarcastic* cute little tiara on her head.

That awful pouty smile aside, the black and white striped tube dress just looks awful on Nelly Furtado. The dress just somehow looks cheap. The makeup seems too formal for this casual dress.

As the hostess of the event, Jessica Simpson got to change a couple of times. Unfortunately, it seems that two out of three outfits were terrible. Left: Wearing a tight corset on top with loose capri pants at the bottom is obviously disastrous. Right: This black, lacy outfit is actually not bad, but it just doesn't look chic on Jessica. Another thing, those shoes and that outfit -just too much lace.

Ahh, and finally, Britney Spears. The colour and material of the dress are actually very pretty, but I think we all agree that while showing some cleavage is stylishly sexy, too much skin is seriously not so.

However, Britney's makeup and hair are the nicest I've seen on her for the past two years. She actually seems to glow in happiness -must be the pregnancy hormones!

8th Annual Teen Choice Awards: The Lovlies

The Teen Choice Awards, which for some odd reason seems to have an ever-growing number of awards, is the perfect event for us to get ideas for pretty semi-formal and casual dresses. This year, dresses that show off legs without looking trashy is the key trend.

I LOVE Rachel Bilson's dress. It's so... perfect for this event. It's stylish without looking too mature; unique without looking quirky -very Rachel.

Mischa Barton looks gorgeous in the first dress, and chic in the second dress. I think the black dress suits Mischa particularly well -probably because she's got the legs to show.

Sophia Bush opted for a long dress. This is one of those dresses that you have to look closer to get how pretty it is.

Such a vibrant violet! Brittany Murphy finally dresses in something I like. It's such a fabulous cocktail dress.

Ashley Olsen looking effortlessly stylish in black & white as usual. This is another outfits I love. It's amazing how she always turns up to events without looking like she spent as much time to come out with outfits as the other celebs, but still looking as fantastic.

Kristen Cavallari and Kristen Bell looked pretty in two very different styles: Cavallari in a colourful resort-style silk dress, and Bell in a YSL-like outfit. The only thing I have to complain is that I wish Kristen Bell would dress in something that is more youthful sometimes.

Now Jessica Alba is one who really didn't bother much this time, so her outfit wasn't outstanding at all. But she's just so pretty...

And lastly, lovely eyecandies!