September Favourites

Hey guys!

September has been a pretty good month for me. I found out about a bunch of cool things and I can't wait to share them with you all!

The first favourite is Parks and Recreation. Ahhhhhhh. When I fall for a TV show, I fall for it hard and Parks and Rec was just one of those shows. I love everything about it, from the characters and mockumentary style, to the fact that each episode is twenty minutes long so I can watch more episodes in less time. Initially I started watching it because Chris Pratt is in it, and you all know how much I loved GOTG. After the first few episodes I was hooked; I finished all six seasons in three weeks. That's five years worth of a TV show in twenty one days. My record of obsession reached new heights.

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I absolutely cannot go without saying that Andy and April are the best ship ever. And it's canon!

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One major favourite down; on to music.

1. 'Be My Forever' - Christina Perri and Ed Sheeran

Christina Perri and Ed Sheeran sound so good together on this track! The harmonies are on point and even though the song is super simple, it's so catchy It's a really happy song and it always cheers me up when I'm down. As a bonus, it reminded me of the love between April and Andy :) Gotta keep the ship support strong!

1/5. April and Andy mini playlist

Through watching Andy and April's relationship, a few songs stuck in my head, such as 'Be My Forever', 'Boom Clap' by Charli XCX and 'A Certain Romance' by Arctic Monkeys. 'A Certain Romance' is so quirky, just like the two.

2. 'Greetings From California' - The Madden Brothers

As most of my friends know, last year I had the BIGGEST obsession with Good Charlotte. I found their pop punk vibe really cool and I was desperate to learn all their songs on guitar (I once asked my teacher to teach me the solo from 'The River' and it didn't go so well :/). When they disappeared a while back I was totally distraught. But anyways, flash-forward to earlier this month: I discovered that the Madden Brothers, Joel and Benji, had come out with a new album. It reminds me a lot of the Good Charlotte vibe, but in a way it's changed. My two favourite songs are 'We Are Done' and 'Out of My Mind'.

3. 'La La Latch' - Pentatonix

This song became a fast favourite of mine as I only first listened to it last week. I kept hearing people (aka my sisters) about 'Latch' but I had never listened to it. Last week I decided to give the Pentatonix mashup a go, and I am so glad I did. 'Latch' is actually a really good song on its own but paired with 'La La La' makes it the best mashup. Pentatonix never fails to impress and 'La La Latch' is a huge hit in my book. Honestly not enough people know about Pentatonix and they need to hear their songs!

Other favourites

1. This bag

I love this bag because it's an everything bag. It fits whatever I need: a jacket, an umbrella, even a nice hefty paperback. I would never be able to survive with a small crossbody because it can only fit the bare minimals. This bag was purchased from H&M earlier this month. 

2. 'The Night Circus' - Erin Morgenstern

This is my second time reading this book but it is definitely my all time favourite book. The storyline is thrilling and mystical, the characters unique, and overall reading it is an experience. As you can see from the worn edges, it is a well-loved copy and I'm contemplating buying a hardcover version so I can preserve it in the best condition. 

3. Warm Vanilla Sugar body mist

Yum is all I can say about this scent! True to its name, it does indeed smell like vanilla sugar. It's a very sweet, comforting scent that's appropriate for Autumn. I really like how the new packaging of the bottle captures the essence and (with lack of a better word) style of the scent. And look at Bethany Mota owning the cover of Seventeen!

4. This necklace

I have to admit, H&M has really stepped up their game in terms of accessories. This season they launched a whole range of really nice accessories for relatively affordable prices. I found this adorable little necklace at the back of the store and it has become one of my most worn pieces. It's so simple yet beautiful, especially when it catches the light. 

I apologise for my previous posts this month as I feel like they aren't really up to the standard that I would like my posts to be. The coming posts will definitely be a bit more exciting!

Until next time xx

I Love Fall/Autumn tag ✺

Hey guys!

As I am writing this post, I am curled up in a blanket... with the AC on. It might be 'Autumn' now but in Hong Kong it feels nothing like it, which is a bit disappointing since I prefer cooler weather. Nonetheless, I've decided to do the I Love Fall tag created by missglamorazzi on YouTube, just to get myself prepared to buy sweaters and drink salted caramel lattes :)

1. Favourite Fall lip product?
A good lip balm is essential for Autumn and I am still loving The Body Shop Foundation's Dragon Fruit Lip Butter, which I did a review on HERE.

2. Favourite Fall nail polish?
This one is a Autumn/Winter favourite: OPI's Black Cherry Chutney. It's this really pretty purple-toned burgundy with some shimmer that's more visible in the bottle than on the nail. Whatever the season, I prefer darker colours because my nails are difficult to paint and light colours can sometime look flat.

3. Favourite Fall drink?
Easily the salted caramel latte from Starbucks, as mentioned above. I tried it last year and let's just say I am dying for it to return this year.

4. Favourite Fall candle?
I'm not a huge candle gal, mainly because festive candles are hard to grab hold of in Hong Kong :/

5. Favourite Fall accessory?
I find infinity scarves the comfiest type of scarf because when it's cold out you can just stuff your face into it, and it's just like ahhhhh. I bought one black and white striped one from Forever 21 last year and it is my favourite scarf ever.

6. Haunted house, haunted hay ride, or haunted corn maze?
I'm going to cheat a little here by saying neither, because I've never really had the chance to experience any of these activities in Hong Kong. I guess I would rather curl up with a blanket and a good book.

7. Favourite Halloween movie?
Again, going to cheat here. I've never watched a proper Halloween movie because I can't stand scary movies.

8. Favourite Halloween candy?
Anything chocolate, or those hilarious gummy eyeballs. TBH I've never been trick-or-treating, which is something I am upset about and vow to do one year.

9. What are you dressing up as for Halloween?
I honestly have no clue, but this year I want to actually put in effort and find a cool, unique costume. I was thinking of doing a group dress-up with a group of friends, but eh, we'll see.

last year's getup

10. What is your favourite thing about Fall?
Feeling the cold cooler air. It's a huge step-up from the gross humidity of Summer, and I love wearing boots, sweaters and scarves.

That is it for the tag! Hope you've had a nice Sunday and I'll see you next week xx

Nicole by OPI - I Shop Mintage

Hey guys :)

I've always been on the hunt for a nice mint polish. I thought Essie's Mint Candy Apple was the answer, but it turns out that it wasn't quite mint enough (still a nice shade!). I've scoured the net for different brands of mint polish, trying to find one that was nice and minty, and available in Hong Kong. After several websites I came across Nicole by OPI's I Shop Mintage. It was the perfect shade of mint and luckily it became available again in store. I saw it in the shop one day and immediately purchased it.

This polish is definitely my favourite mint so far. It's not too cool or grey-toned like other polishes on the market; I think it flatters my skin tone well. It reminds me of a dress from the 1960s, which the name suits. 

Aside from the colour, the texture of this polish is pretty good too. It's thin but not watery, a little bit streaky after two coats, but the third coat will smooth it out just fine. It looks nice by itself but if I were to jazz it up, I would use something like Zoya's Cosmo for an accent nail.

My nails are the worst ever for painting. They're short and wide; cleanup afterwards is not a choice but mandatory *sad face*

I Shop Mintage is part of the general Nicole by OPI collection, which can be found in certain Sasa stores around Hong Kong. It costs $76 and in the bottle is 15ml of polish.

A short little post for today! See you next time xx

August Favourite[s]

Hey guys!

This month has been a blur, from saying goodbye to summer to getting used to the new class schedules. I haven't had much time to take note of favourites these few weeks, but one thing (or is it two?) stood out to me in particular: Guardians of the Galaxy. If you've seen my last post, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Today's post will be dedicated to just that!

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Where to start, where to start? I didn't know much about the Guardians as I had never heard of them or seen a comic with them in it. If you asked me last month about 'The Guardians of the Galaxy' from Marvel, I would be like "Wait, what?". Nonetheless, I knew I would definitely be watching this movie because it's a Marvel movie and I'm a Marvel fan. On an ish-unrelated note, I saw this post on tumblr and found it hilarious.

"Marvel movies are just for guys."

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Khloe's face doe

So blah blah blah, watched the movie, consumed a Starbucks muffin while doing so. Now on to the gushing part. I can honestly say that GOTG is my favourite Marvel movie so far. For me to say this is huge because I vaguely remember watching The Avengers and thinking "That's my favourite." Even out of the movies that came out/I watched over the summer (Life After Beth, TFIOS, Blended, X-Men: First Class, X-Men: Days of Future Past [the X-Men movies don't really count as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe]), I would rank GOTG as number one. 

First thing to mention: Chris Pratt. He is such a cool guy! I admire him so much for his decision to lose 60kg for the role as Peter Quill. In an interview, he said that he wanted to play the role of a superhero right, and he had to work hard for it. Super inspiring and he did not disappoint! 

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BWAHAHAHAHA.

Next is Karen Gillan; she is a total BOSS. I love Nebula so much, even though she's a bad guy. Her makeup fascinates me, with all the hardware embedded into her face. The blue of her skin contrasts the complete black of her eyes, and that's what gives her her evil look. Again, for the actor to play the role they had to make major changes. Karen Gillan could've opted for a bald cap, but instead went all the way and shaved all her hair off. The dedication!

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The movie is a perfect combination of wit, humour, action, and awww-ness (I am Groot!). Rocket Racoon's is-it-geniune-is-it-not laugh had me burst out laughing during that scene, and the ending bit, where Ronan was killed, had me on the edge of my seat. 

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"Twelve percent?" [starts laughing]

"That's a fake laugh.

"It's real!"

"Totally fake!"

"That is the most real, authentic, hysterical laugh of my entire life because THAT IS NOT A PLAN!"

I thought the costumes were on point for this movie. Although the alien-space theme was the focus point, the costumes weren't super cheesy and worn-out; they were bright, fun, and skilfully designed. Same goes to the green screen effects and the spaceships. 

The second half to this post would be on the tracks of Guardians of the Galaxy (haha yep, two things) The music is what made GOTG such a good movie. The 'Awesome Mix, Vol. 1' soundtrack is filled with oldies that gives the movie its vintage charm. I love the contrast of BAM BAM BAM to "He's gonna recommend you to the spirit in the skyyyy"; the result is unique and, to put it bluntly, epic. My two favourites out of the soundtrack are 'Cherry Bomb' by The Runaways, and 'Hooked On a Feeling' by Blue Suede. TBH I had never heard of these songs before the movie, and I have really been missing out! Both tracks were played when the Guardians were all in Kyln, and the way 'Cherry Bomb' is played when they have their group walk (every superhero movie has the obligatory group walk/pose which is always my favourite part) is the best. The lyrics totally match the bad-ass don't-mess-with-us vibe.

There was this absolutely brilliant video of the 'Hooked On a Feeling' scene but YouTube has taken it down *sad face*

To say I enjoyed this movie would be a total understatement. It is hands-down the best movie I've watched this summer, possibly this year. As always, I encourage you to go watch it. Actually, no, I am telling you to watch it, not even asking, because asking in this case is irrelevant. WATCH IT :)

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That's it for today. I now have to go do two things: 1. sleep because I am sick but cannot afford to miss school (so many assignments going on!) and 2. get a jacket like Peter Quill's so I can relive the amazing movie that Guardians of the Galaxy is every time I wear it!

Have a good week and I'll talk to you in the next post xx

Guardians of the Galaxy-Inspired Outfits

Hey guys :)

We are a week into school and I guess you can say I've survived it! This year I've started carrying binders, and let me tell you, binders are hideously annoying. Yes, I understand they are useful but they just take up TOO MUCH ROOM. Everyday is a struggle to see how I can tetris everything into my locker. If you feel the same pain, just know you aren't alone on this one.

Anyways, going back to today's post. Firstly, if you have not watched 'Guardians of the Galaxy' you need to go out right now and grab tickets for the next one playing, because it is honestly one of the best - if not the best - Marvel movies I have ever seen. I would elaborate more on this but you'll see what I have to say in full in my monthly favourites, which so happens to be next week.

The first outfit is inspired by Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord. His outfits have this retro, laid-back vibe, and he is never seen without his trademark red leather jacket or headphones and walkman.

Bag, Boots, Headphones, Skirt, Shirt, Earrings, Jacket

Inspired by

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Next up on the list is Gamora: adopted daughter of Thanos, killer assassin, and gorgeous in green. Her suit consists of all black leather, but we are sadly not living in the Galaxy and full leather is impractical *sad face*

Shirt, Shoes, Pants, Necklace

Maybelline Baby Lips Electro in Berry Bomb and Pink Shock, available at Dudes HK

Kevin Murphy Colour Bug hair chalk, available at iPrivatei Salon

Inspired by

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Lastly, Nebula. Although she's a bad guy, she is a seriously kick-ass bad guy. One of the things I was most inspired by was her makeup, and all the layers to it. Looking from her face makeup, there are a lot of hardware components of which the origins are unknown. Oooh, a mystery!

Skirt, Boots, Bag, Chain Bracelet, Ear Cuff, Cuff Bracelet, Tank

Inspired by

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And I am done! All clothing items and accessories are available in Hong Kong (I made sure of it!), or online on websites that ship to Hong Kong. To check for more info on each piece, click the words below each collage. For some reason my blogger template gives me no option to make the click- through links more visible; now you now that they actually are there. Have fun creating these outfits and you can totally change any component if you don't find the exact one :)

That's all for today and I'll talk to you next week xx

The Body Shop Foundation - Dragon Fruit Lip Butter

Hey guys!

School starts in a few days. Eeeeeep.

Today's post is a review on The Body Shop Foundation's Dragon Fruit Lip Butter, as you can see from the title. I picked this little guy up a few weeks ago and I'm here to tell you my thoughts on it!

First things first [I'm the realest]: details. This product is a project The Body Shop is working on to raise money for select charities around the world in the categories of human rights, animal protection, and environmental protection. The list of ingredients is long, but the main thing is that the lip butter includes plenty of natural oils and Shea butter, which works wonders on the lips. For the full description of the product, click HERE (linking the Canadian site because the Hong Kong site is currently down and the description is the same). For more details on the project, click HERE.

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So it is imperative that I highlight/praise/gush about the packaging. As said before, I am the biggest sucker for packaging, and this lip butter instantly caught my eye. I don't even remember what I was doing in The Body Shop, as I rarely go in! Anyways, the colours are supposed to resemble the colours of a dragon fruit. It reminds me a lot of a pop art piece of work, the colour palette something Andy Warhol would have worked with. It's fun, it's bright, and the pair of lips on the front gives it some sass. I am definitely loving the packaging! The size of it is convenient; I can easily throw it into my bag and find it amidst the junk everything else.

The smell is absolutely divine. It has a strong dragon fruit fragrance with hints of mango and peach mixed in; the combination results in fruity, summer-y goodness. Some people may not like the smell as it can be quite heavy, but it's a winner for me.

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reminds me of this scene!

The consistency of the lip butter resembles what it is named after: butter. Personally it feels like melting butter, the kind that you would leave out of the fridge to use for baking. Then again, lip butters and balms tend to 'melt' slightly in hotter climates, and Hong Kong summers definitely count as one. To prevent this the lip butter could be chilled in the fridge, but it's not that much of a bother to me. The creamy, rich formula feels great on the lips. 

Although it comes off quite opaque on the lips, it turns clear when you rub it in well. I prefer to apply this at night to let it properly sink in. The outcome in the morning is a pair of soft, hydrated lips.

Admittedly, the price of this lip butter was a little bit steep ($79). I normally try to stick under $50 as the Burt's Bees lip balms have kept me satisfied and my lips moisturised for $49. Nonetheless, 100% of the $79 goes to charity. They have set it up in a system where when you pay at the counter, you get to vote for which charity you would like to donate your money to. The selection of charities differ around the world, and in the HK stores they include Half The Sky Foundation, Lifelong Animal Protection Charity, and Clean Air Limited Network. The winning charity, out of three charities, will get 50% of all that The Body Shop receive from selling the lip butters. The second will receive 30%, then 20% for the third. I thought it was a pretty good concept, and I handed over my money guilt-free :) 

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I voted for Half The Sky in case you were wondering!

Overall, I am really enjoying this product. The price is a little high, but aside from that it's something you should definitely consider buying. The smell is yummy, the packaging rocks, it is moisturising, and it's all for a good cause. Plus, these lip butters only come out during certain times of the year so make sure you snap one up before they are gone!

That's it from me today, and I'll see you next week xx

DIY: Chain Handpiece

Happy Sunday!

Today's post is a DIY on a trend that I have seen so much of and am in love with: handpieces. There are so many different styles, ranging from delicate to edgy. Handpieces are such unique pieces of jewellery; you can wear one as a focal point of your outfit, or layer with matching bracelets and rings.

As said above, I have seen them from many sources. They aren't exactly huge in Hong Kong, but they are being sold in Nasty Gal, Urban Outfitters, Free People, Accessorize, and Forever 21. That said, they are not available in HK, and are well over my budget!

From left to right: Urban Outfitters, Nasty Gal, Free People

Earlier this week, I went to Sham Shui Po in search for charms and jewellery-making supplies. I found my charm hidden in a container of lobster clasps, and the idea for this handpiece instantly popped into my head.

Let's get started!

You will need:

1. pliers

2. jump rings - I used 2.5mm ones

3. around 70cm of chain that matches the width of your jump rings

4. a charm of which you can attach chain to on the top and bottom

5. a bigger jump ring (I used a 5mm one) and a lobster clasp

6. scissors

7. a ruler *optional*

1. First, you've got to know the layout of you handpiece. A basic handpiece is basically a chain ring, a chain bracelet, and a chain connecting the two.

a basic handpiece I made a while ago, good for layering jewellery

The plan for this handpiece DIY looks a little something like this:

not the best representation but you get the gist of it

2. Create your bracelet by wrapping the chain around your wrist and cutting the appropriate length. Attach the big jump ring and lobster clasp on either end of the chain.

3. Create your ring with the same method, but instead of adding a clasp, join the two ends with a small jump ring.

4. Attach 9cm of chain to both top and bottom of the charm. Wear your bracelet and ring, then lay the charm on top of your hand in the position you would like it to be. The chains attached to the charm need to be straight and match up to the middle of the bracelet and ring.

5. Cut where the chains intersect and join them with jump rings.

If you want, you can finish your handpiece here.

I decided to carry on adding the chain extra lengths of chain to fully complete the handpiece.

6. With your handpiece on, lay a 9cm length of chain across your hand. The top should meet one of the loops on the chain besides the centre one, and the bottom should lie between the centre of the bracelet and the clasp. 

7. And you're done!

how it looks on

I have to admit, this was not the easiest DIY. It took many trials to get the right lengths of chain needed (that's why I suggest you have 70cm of chain, in case you were wondering). If you struggle with it, don't worry! Persevere and you will eventually have a unique, beautiful handpiece. 

The total cost of the materials ended up below $30 (HK dollars!). That is a huge comparison to the $500 handpieces you can find in Free People :)

Have a great day and I'll see you soon xx