2015 Resolutions

Hello peeps!

We are hours away from the end of 2014 and I am quite excited! As the new year is coming, I have been reflecting on everything I've done in 2014. It hasn't been the most significant or exciting year, but I definitely have several good memories in mind. I'm looking forward to 2015 and what it has in store for me!

I have come up with resolutions for the year which I aim to follow and keep up. Hopefully I'll be able to stick to and fulfil them by the end of of 2015!

Thank you to everyone for a great year! I am so grateful for all the support shown towards Love From Icy this year and I wish you all a Happy New Year :-)

Have a nice day and I'll be back on Sunday with a brand new post xx

First Birthday! + December Favourites

Hello all!

I am super exited for this post because quite a lot has been changed! As mentioned in my Update + Thoughts post, I wanted to change the layout of this blog (I decided to keep the name as I've grown attached to it!). I've flicked through many templates, all different and unique in their own way, but finally settled on the one on the blog right now. I hope that the change will allow for easier accessibility and organisation.

Today is the blog's first birthday! I am super happy that I was able to keep this blog up for an entire year and I thank every one of you readers for all the support you have given. I hope I will be continuing for many more years to come because blogging is seriously something I love doing!

On to my December Favourites... I decided to try out something new!

What a suave thumbnail :-)

*please watch in HD*

I have to admit, I was nervous to film a video. You have no idea how many pauses and 'ums' I had to cut out because I'm not the best at speaking in front of a camera. The quality of it is not the best because I'm still testing the waters of the deep ocean that is Youtube, so please look aside that!

Whew, what a day! I hope you have enjoyed everything that I've posted during this year - feel free to check out my archive on the sidebar! - and I will be back in 2015 for much more blogging. Thank you for everything!


See you xx



Sidenote: I apologise for my overuse of exclamation marks in this post but I am just very excited with everything that has happened today. Punctuation Police, come at me!

Merry Christmas!

Hello guys,

Just wanted to drop by and wish you all a Merry Christmas! I hope you have a lovely day and spend it well with family and friends. If not, make sure you have a nice relaxing day; Christmas is a day to pamper and enjoy yourself. Eat lots of good food and share lots of smiles :)

That's all from me right now and I'll see you on Sunday for a new post!

The Christmas Tag

Happy Sunday!

Wheeeee, Christmas is just right around the corner!

You know how YouTubers have vlogmas? For the first time this year I stumbled upon blogmas, the vlogmas equivalent to vlogmas. It was too late for me to join in but I may attempt it next year. But anyways, I found this nice Christmas tag post by daisydaisyxxo and I thought it would be fun to try it out. Check out her one HERE.

1. What is/are your favourite Christmas movie(s)?
I am sad to say that I have not watched enough Christmas movies. Never seen Elf or Love Actually but I am dying to watch them. I guess my favourite would be Shrek the Halls, though technically it's not a full-length movie.

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2. Do you open your presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?
Definitely Christmas morning. Christmas Eve seems too early and apparently you're supposed to open them on Boxing Day, but who can wait that long?

3. Do you have a favourite Christmas memory?
In 2008 my family and I spent Christmas in Vancouver with some relatives. Getting to see actual snow for the first time? Amazing. And I will never forget how my uncle dumped snow down my back!

4. Favourite festive food?
I really like candy canes. Basic, but mint is one of my favourite flavours and they are just so Christmas-y and fun!

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5. Favourite Christmas gift?
A few years back my dad bought me a very nice necklace with a ruby pendent. He had it all wrapped up in a noodle packet and I was so confused.

6. Favourite Christmas scent?
Apple and cinnamon. It's such a warm and cozy scent, perfect for the holiday season.

7. Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions?
Now that I think about it, we [as a family] don't actually have any particular traditions, but I feel like we should...

8. What tops your tree?
At the moment, a very lone star.

9. As a kid what was the one gift you asked for but never received?
Gosh, this is a hard question! I may have asked for an acoustic guitar one year, but never received it. It's definitely on my list this year!

10. What's the best part of Christmas for you?
I just love all the decor. It brightens up the mood and puts everyone in the holiday spirit. Of course, the family and food are a given.


I am looking forward to spending time with my family, eating lots of food and snuggling up with a good book and tumblr. How are you going to spend your Christmas? Comment down below because I would really like to know :)

Sorry for the slightly late posting, last night we had a wedding dinner to attend and I was beat!

That's all from me, have a nice day x

CoverGirl Jumbo Gloss Balm: Haute Pink Twist

Hey there!

Today's post is a review on a CoverGirl lip product: the Jumbo Gloss Balm in Haute Pink Twist. I own another colour from the collection, Ballet Twist, and it has served me well. The formula worked well with my lips and I was eager to try more from the line.

As usual, packaging must be mentioned. I quite like the packaging if this balm, the twist-up crayon function is handy and it's easy to slip into a small crossbody. The coloured lid is also useful for identifying the product colour.

The balm has a pointed tip, perfect for filling in your lips accurately. It has a subtle olive oil scent; it may not sound like the best scent but it reminds me of a very moisturising product, which luckily this is. The colour glides on well but beware if you have chapped or flaky lips. I like to apply a layer of lip balm before applying this balm to ensure that my lips are hydrated and the colour won't sink into the lines on my lips.

I'll admit, I was a bit intimidated by the colour at first sight because it just seemed so bright. After the first try, I fell in love with it! It's a nice Barbie-esque pink with a slight blue undertone and an actually wearable colour. Pigmentation would be light to medium.

 natural lip colour

Haute Pink Twist

CoverGirl, unfortunately, is not available in Hong Kong, which is a pity because I would really like to try their nail polishes, specially the Hunger Games line. Anyways, if you have a chance to try out these balms I would definitely recommend it. 

How are you guys? The holidays are coming and up, and I'm excited to have a break and do more DIYs. I'm thinking a small dish for keys etc. but clay doesn't always agree with me...

That's all for today and I'll see you next week x

DIY: Jewelled Beanie

Happy Sunday!

I've held this post back for so long since the weather hasn't been up for it, but it's now the first week into December and I think it's time. Today I have for you a jewelled beanie DIY, perfect to jazz up a basic winter bundled-up outfit whilst still keeping you nice and warm. I found these earrings on a sale rack during my trip to Japan, and I immediately fell for these eye-catching jewels. The earrings overall weren't exactly my style so I came up with this DIY.

You will need:
1. a beanie - found mine at Monki
2. jewels - this can be from broken pieces of jewellery or individual jewels
3. fabric adhesive
*optional* needle and thread, and wire cutters

Let's begin!

1. Detach your jewels from any chains or clasps. Take your jewels and lay them out on the edge of the beanie. Your aim here is to make sure they line the fold.

2. Glue down the jewels once you have positioned them in the correct places. I used F-6000 as I seem to have misplaced my bottle of E-6000, which works just as well.

3. You can stop here and just wait for a few hours for the glue to dry or for extra security sew the jewels onto the beanie.

4. You are done!

Another simple DIY for a chilled and chilly Sunday! These beanies are so easy to decorate and they make the perfect Christmas gift. You can use a beanie and jewels of the same colour, or use contrasting colours to make a statement. I'm thinking for my next beanie I could use a dark grey beanie with some mint jewels.

This week has been a rest week for me as I caught a cold. My nose is super chapped from all the blowing into tissues, and my skin is ridiculously dry. Boo :( I definitely need me some ultra hydrating cream or lotion to fix all that!



That's all from me today, have a good day xx

November Favourites

Hello there!

It is finally the end of November, which means I get to do my November favourites! This month has truly been full of ups and downs, and things got real busy. Today I'm going to be sharing what I have been loving throughout November.

For the past few months I started with my TV show of the month, so I'm just going to go with that.

TV Show favourite

'Selfie' on ABC

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I found out about this show through Karen Gillian's wiki, when I went through that "Argh GOTG is amazing" period. It stars Gillian, who plays Eliza Dooley, a self-centred, media-obsessed girl, and John Cho as Henry Higgs, a marketing image guru who has no idea about social media. Eliza begs Henry to teach her how to be less narcissistic, and things happen along the way. After watching the pilot I immediately wanted more. It's that kind of chick flick-y, girly show that is fun to watch after a long day. Everything is upbeat and colourful, and I adore it. I have to add that Karen Gillian is so pretty! I was BEYOND disappointed when they cancelled the show only after seven episodes aired. Apparently there weren't enough views but I really don't understand how! Anyways watch those seven episodes if you can, and I'm sure you'll love the show!

Music favourites

1. '1989' - Taylor Swift

 Swifties unite! I can honestly say that this album has to be my favourite T-Swift album out of all; I actually prefer pop Taylor than country Taylor. It suits her changing style and the new tracks are well-written. My top 5 are (in no particular order):

1. New Romantics (this song reminded me of 'One Night in Winter' by Simon Sebag Montefiore; a lovely and really interesting book)

2. Style (I love the James Dean reference!)

3. Wonderland

4. Wildest Dreams

5. Blank Space 

SLAY TAYLOR SLAY

2. 'RUN' - San Cisco

A very dance-able track with a catchy bass line, San Cisco won my heart over with the first listen. Alongside 'Fred Aistaire', 'RUN' is now one of my favourite songs of theirs. 

3. Drowners

I stumbled across this band through my many hours of Tumblr-surfing. Pictures of Matt Hitt were clogging up my dashboard and I decided to see what all the fuss was about. I'm very glad I did because Drowners is a seriously cool band. They have a vintage, The Strokes vibe to their music and 'Luv, Hold Me Down' quickly became a favourite.

4. 'Silly Boy' - The Blue Van

Not much to say; the song speaks for itself!

Other favourites

1. Peppermint Mocha

This season Starbucks did not bring back the Salted Caramel Mocha, but it did bring out the Peppermint Mocha. Peppermint is one of my favourites flavours, and mixing it with chocolate is just *heart eyes*. The perfect winter drink, complete with the Red Cup!

2. danisnotonfire
I've never done a person favourite before, but this month I have constantly been watching Dan Howell['s videos]. His videos are full of relatable comedy and are hilarious; I always find myself laughing out a snort whilst watching his videos, and then catching my family members giving me awkward looks. Thumbs up for that! He doesn't upload often so when he does it instantly puts a smile on my face. Also, his and AmazingPhil's The Sims 4 series is so funny!

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3. Bath and Body Work's Winter Bean Noel

I might've mentioned this in a previous post, but Winter Bean Noel is my all time B&BW scent. It smells like cookies with hints of musk and winter-y goodness. After a few days of using the lotion I really did notice a change in my skin; it was a lot more moisturised and smooth. I apply the lotion after I shower, and when I get ready in the mornings I spritz on the mist. By doing this, this mist refreshes the scent of the lotion from the night before without being too heavy. As a sucker for packaging, I really like the updated packaging of this scent.

4. 'The Maze Runner' series

After watching the first movie I decided to start reading the books. Once I started I could not stop! James Dashner has a very straightforward approach to his writing; everything is detailed but he doesn't dawdle. I enjoyed all three books and the movie very much, and cannot wait for 'The Scorch Trials' to be out.

That is all for my November favourites. It feels good to be writing more as I feel that this month's posts have been quite short. Tomorrow will be December 1st, which means Christmas and this blog's 1st birthday will be coming soon! I simply can't wait to see what December brings :)

Have a nice day xx

Update + Thoughts

Hello there!

I apologise for the late post; the wifi was down last night and the night before, and I couldn't write as when I did the page froze and crashed :( Anyhow, Sunday was one of those days where I struggled to write. I had a DIY post planned but the weather's not up for it yet (there's a clue!) and a tag just seemed meh.

The past week has been quite busy with revision and other things. Christmas break is coming soon, but not quite yet so I still have to function properly for at least four more weeks. Something that has crossed my mind several times is the design of this blog. It is nearing it's first birthday and I intend to change the layout, possibly change the template and name. Truth be told, Love From Icy is not my first pick as a blog name but I went with it at the time. I've upgraded the template from one Blogspot provided to a 'custom' one several months ago, but I do want to fully customise the design to make it more unique and appealing.

Another thing I've been thinking about a lot is dance and where I'm headed with that. This month an opportunity popped up for me to compete with different dancers from other schools. Early on I wanted to join but I didn't plan my time due to school work, and am now left with a week to choreograph a routine. Choreography is not my strongest suit so I'm debating whether or not to audition. All in all, here's a lesson: plan your time correctly and if it's important to you make time for it.

'Stressful' is a strong word to describe what's been going on; I think 'hectic' is a better word. I had been feeling a little overwhelmed with everything when I saw a Sprinkle of Glitter blog post. Every Monday, she posts a 'Motivational Monday' post which I think is a lovely idea to soothe the Monday blues; I know I was feeling down! This week's post related to what I was thinking and reading it cheered me up.

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Go read her post HERE.

This post has been all over the place but there will always be bumps along the road. 

Have a nice day xx

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Universal Studios Japan

Happy Sunday!

Following up the previous week's post, today I wanted to share my experience of going to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Studios. As a Harry Potter fan, I was beyond excited to go and see how they recreated Hogsmeade and Hogwarts. The series is truly one of the best I've ever read and if you haven't read it yet a. why? and b. make it your top book on your to-read book list!

I hastily snapped some pictures because I wanted to capture the moment, but also see and feel it with my own eyes.

The ever-so-famous Weasley car parked on the path to Hogsmeade

"Please Respect The Spell Limits"

The line outside Honeydukes was insane. We didn't manage to get in but luckily snagged a few chocolate frogs from a shop near the Universal Studios entrance!

Inside The Hog's Head

Butterbeer *heart eyes* 

And finally, the grand Hogwarts castle

The only ride I'm aware of there is the visual-effects-journey ride. There was so much people that day and I either could not see any other ride or did not want to wait in line for three hours. The main attractions were the castle, the butterbeer, and the shops.

The HP section of Universal Studios is not the biggest but is definitely worth visiting, especially if you're a Potterhead. The setups look as if they had come straight out of the movie itself, and I was not disappointed; the only thing the place needed was the characters! 

I'm interested to see the UK version of the WWoHP... one day...

Not much to write about today; the focus is all on the pictures. That's all from me and I'll see you next week xx

Japan Haul

Hey guys :)

Last week I went to Osaka with my family for term break and I went shopping there. We visited a few cool places like Tokyu Hands (up till the trip I had been calling it Tokyo Hands) and Shinsaibashi. The shopping bug struck me and I couldn't help myself because I, like most others, am a hard-core shopper and consumer of... things.

Before I start I would like to say I am in no way showing off about what I have purchased. Just wanted to clear that up!

Starting off with the most exciting purchase: a polaroid printer. I decided to purchase this because the day we went the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the exposure went crazy on all my polaroid pictures due to the sun. With the printer, you can use your phone to take and pick the photos to print. The outcome is a high-def polaroid that maintains the vintage quality of polaroid cameras.

Another exciting purchase: an iPod nano. I really needed an iPod to store my growing music collection and my phone was running out of storage (curse you mysterious Other storage that I can't get rid of!). Space grey seemed like a nice colour for the iPod so I went with that. It's such a funny little electronic, so different to the iPod nanos of the past. Truthfully I prefer the 4th or 5th generation nanos but unfortunately they don't sell that anymore. 

'Midnight Kiss' on repeat!

Japan is basically Stationery Wonderland. In Y5 I was seriously obsessed with stationery. I hauled 3-4 pencil cases to school everyday, filled with gel pens, glitter pens, felt tips and other unnecessary bits and bobs. I do like stationery now but I'm not as crazy about it as I was back then. Still, in Japan I had to fight off the urges to buy pens, lead pencils and notebooks. Japan takes stationery to a whole other level. In Hong Kong you get the basics with a few gems. In Japan you are exposed to the whole treasure chest. I luckily managed to restrain myself and did not buy fifteen pens.

L-R: Pilot Acroball, Zebra Colour Flight, Bic ballpoint pen

The same happens with pencil cases. I found this one in Tokyu Hands, and it was slightly less expensive in HK so I justified buying it.

You all know I am a lip balm hoarder. The selection in Japan was incredible but I narrowed it down to two; of course one of them had to be a Baby Lips lip balm (the berry flavoured one with a limited edition Fashion Week tube), the other a mint-scented Shiseido lip balm. The packaging of these two are one point!

A crystal nail file

In Monki I picked up this set of coloured bobby pins. Coloured bobby pins are in right now, and I really like the rose gold ones. 

missglamorazzi recently came out with a video on how to style coloured bobby pins so check it out!

Near our hotel was a ginormous Forever 21. My brain nearly shut down with excitement when I got there because it really was a shopper's paradise; it was huge. The decor was also really nice and everything was set up well. I picked up several accessories there because they have a wide range for not that expensive. 

These ear cuffs are slightly different to the normal ear cuff. These ones have a part for your standard piercing but than goes up the cartilage. I'm always up for trying new accessory trends because you never know when you'll find one that suits your style. Speaking of accessory trends, I keep seeing the hand band on the internet. Seems pretty cool!

Aside from simple chain necklaces, I have recently started wearing crystal point necklaces. They are so fun and tumblr-y.

I also purchased two sweaters; one a nice, warm rust colour and another one in a grey-tinted mint.

That is all for today's haul! I stayed up late last night to watch 'The First Time' for the first time (heh) so I'm preettyy tired. I'm going to end it here but I'll see you guys next week xx

October Favourites

Hey guys!

It's time for my October favourites! October was a pretty chill month; the weather got colder (as I keep mentioning), I made a ukelele during CAS week and my family and I went to Japan during half-term break.

Again, like last month, I'm starting with the biggest favourite of October: a TV show. It's called 'In The Flesh' and it's a BBC Three show. A friend introduced it to me a few weeks back and I've lost my head over it. The show is about zombies (Partially Deceased Syndrome sufferers) but it doesn't contain the typical gory element. It has a very original plot with a realistic insight on problems that people face today (depression, suicide etc).

There are a whole range of characters; you have your tormented individuals, a few bad guys, the supportive ones, the not-so supportive ones. I really do think Luke Newberry is a good actor, and he portrays Kieren Walker well. I don't want to spoil anymore because I want you guys to watch it for yourselves :)

But I just have to say Simon and Kieren have been aded to my ongoing list of OTPs, alongside April and Andy, and Captain Swan.

ITF only has two seasons and it's on the verge of cancellation, which would suck since they left season 2 off with a cliffhanger. If you watch the show already, continue to spread round #saveintheflesh, and if you're new to it go watch it and go give it some love and support.

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I would also like to add 'American Horror Story' to this months favourites. I'm usually not that into the horror genre but I guess the Halloween spirit has gotten to me! 'Asylum' was a particularly good season, and I'm excited for what 'Freak Show' has to bring. So far Twisty has a very deranged sense of fun, with all the kid-kidnapping and whatnot.

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Music favourites

1. Union J

I remember last Winter when I obsessed over Union J. I supported them through their X-Factor journey and when their album came out I immediately purchased the deluxe edition. As the year went on my passion for the boyband died down. For some reason watching ITF got me back into them. Possibly because Luke Newberry looks a bit like George Shelley, and ITF and Union J are both English... They came out with a new single 'You Got It All' last week but my favourite track has to be 'Where Are You Now' from their first album. I feel like it reflects the whole Siren OTP right now because it's on that 50/50 line. Anything that connects to my OTPs is good! 

2. 'Midnight Kiss' - Propellers

I found this gem hidden in one of the 8tracks playlists I was listening to a while back. It's one of those songs that you can't help bobbing your head along to. Finding this song to download was a problem because I couldn't find the band on iTunes - it's possible they don't have one. But back to the point: really good song with both thumbs up from me.

3. 'Thinking Out Loud' - Ed Sheeran

Wow. If you've seen the music video for this track, you'll know what I mean. The dancing is flawless and Ed Sheeran surprised me; all this time I thought he was just a guy with a guitar. Apparently not! Great song with a beautiful music video to accompany it.

4. Gabrielle Aplin

'English Rain' has been on constant shuffle while I've been studying or sleeping. It has a nice, relaxing vibe to it with soothing tunes and poetic lyrics. My favourites out of the album are 'Please Don't Say You Love Me', 'November' and 'Panic Cord'. 

Other favourites

1. This necklace

I found this rose gold A necklace online and bought it because a. A for Andy and April and b. I'm still into simple chain necklaces! The rose gold makes it very dainty and it stands out from the typical gold and silver.

2. Barley tea

Months ago I discovered barley tea in City Super and it immediately became my favourite drink. They stopped selling it a while after and I was like aw. In Japan, however, it was available everywhere. It has a rice-like flavour to it with a sweet aftertaste, slightly similar brown rice tea. 

3. This purse

I purchased this Rip Curl Pharaoh purse from Zalora after my old one broke and I'm quite impressed with it. It's roomy enough to fit all my things but isn't bulky at all. I really like the design that's pressed onto the front; it's decorative and simple. Zalora shipping only took a couple of days and the quality of the purse is good. I would recommend Zalora because they sell brands that are not easily accessible in HK, they have a wide range of products and shipping is free over $150!

4. Maybelline Baby Lips Electro in 'Oh! Orange!'

Two of the Electro Baby Lips are now available in Hong Kong. The Maybelline stalls have started selling 'Pink Shock' and 'Oh! Orange!'. Being an avid consumer of Baby Lips, I was eager to get my hands on 'Oh! Orange!'. The colour of it may seem overwhelming but on the lips it is a nice coral-y tint. It's a perfect product for someone who can't commit to bold colours and needs a moisturising product (aka yours truly), and for $29 this tinted lip balm can't be beat.

I love writing these posts so much, I've already started thinking about next months favourites! Anyways, have a good day and I'll see you next week xx