I love the month of december. I love the parties and dressing up to the nines. Some might consider it taking dressing up too seriously. But, when it comes to fashion, all that matters is how YOU feel. And… YOU should feel awesome and special too! (Plus, it gives you more reasons to get some shopping done)

When it comes to parties, there are all kinds of parties. From the casual sit- on- the- floor party to the allocated seating fine dining party.  Some of you might worry about what kind of outfits would be appropriate for a given function. So, I’ve compiled some of the possible looks you could try out this season!

• the brunch party (with the girlfriends) = something casual yet girly

• the lunch party (with the boyfriend’s friends) = laidback but not sloppy

• “meeting the parents” party (with the unfamiliar uncles+aunties+cousins) = something not too revealing but lets you have some fun

• the fine dining/dinner party (with the atas friends) = the little black dress with statement jewellery is effortless

• the post- party party (with the party people) = crazy, bright prints to reflect the mood you’re in!

best thing about the outfits i’ve chosen? they’re at great prices and ship to singapore!

p.s. – don’t forget about the heels! a pair of simple black peep-toes will work with all the looks :)

also, don’t forget to get a manicure and pedicure in a luscious shade of red!

It’s finally December, the month of Christmas and all the festivities that go along with it.

The parties to attend. The food to consume. The drinks to finish.

But one thing that often bugs people is giving the perfect gift to a friend or loved one.

What I like to do – since most people like the sweeter things in life – is to spend an afternoon in the kitchen, whipping up something yummy and bringing out my inner Nigella Lawson.

That said, I’m not an excellent cake or pastry chef. I stick to basic recipes, with cookies or cakes. And if anything goes wrong, there’s always my annual baking girlfriend to blame :P

This year, I’ve invested in a handheld mixer, which saves me the hassle of using and washing up the bulky traditional mixer. So preparing the dough should be a whizz!

These are some of the recipes from taste.com.au that i’m considering:

*marshmallow truffles

ingredients

• 200g good-quality milk chocolate, chopped
• 1/3 cup thickened cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup vanilla Mallow Bakes, chopped
• 1/4 cup coloured sprinkles

*candy cane biscuits

If you read my posts often enough, you’ll come to realise I like to distract myself from studying/doing important things.

This post is no different.

Recently, I’ve developed the habit of cutting, shaping and painting my fingernails and toenails. This takes a good 45 minutes, with the base coat, nail varnish and top coat. I love O.P.I and Sally Hansen :D

Instead of the typical one colour look, I prefer adding tips to the nails. Not your average white french tips, but more bold colours like pink, red and black against a coloured base – some call it a reverse french.

Some girls find it hard to paint their right hand (if they’re right handed), or their left hand (if they’re left-handed), but I strongly believe it all comes with practice.

I’ve never had much difficulty painting neatly, so adding tips is just a simple act of drawing a line across the white parts of the nail. I like to keep my nails fairly short, which makes it easier to type, write and shampoo my hair. So please don’t use the reason of: oh, my nails are too short to do tips!

this was inspired by the month of october: HALLOWEEN!

this was created when i felt like being more clean and sophisticated

As you can see, it’s more fun to play around with two colours than one. Painting your nails reflects the mood you’re in. Painting my nails makes me happy to catch a brief look at them when I’m writing my notes during boring lectures or study sessions.

Doing a self-manicure or pedicure helps me to save money, destress and feel good about myself.

A hint of advice: If you want to keep the colour on for long, I suggest using a less rich/vivid colour. A neutral base works best, but have fun with the colour of the tips. Apply a good topcoat every 5 days to maintain the colour :)

Under a wooden rip-curl at Henderson Waves

It shares the stage with other recipients of the award, including Designers of the Year like Koichiro Ikebuchi of Atelier Ikebuchi, and Chris Lee of Asylum. They were in attendance among other designers being honoured at the opening ceremony of the Singapore Design Festival 2009, held at Ion Orchard this afternoon. We meet President SR Nathan and Adran Pang after the jump!

Designers, guests and press mingle at Ion Orchard

It was a very ‘international’ event, with people from all over the world, hobnobbing and mingling, talking design and art. I heard Japanese, snatches of Korean, Australian and American accents, and there was even a man with an awesome bushy mustache that curled at the ends like you see in cartoons. Waiters moved around, handing out  glasses of pink drink and canapes that were basically local bites like chicken rice balls and chwee kway made to look pretty.

The President of Singapore was at the event to declare the opening of the Design Festival, and went around the exhibitions, mingling with designers and press.

President SR Nathan and guests at the Singapore Design Festival opening

Of course, fangirls that we Tattlers are (watch Kerrie and Laea gush over Zoe Tay and Tay Ping Hui at the Raoul opening.), we could not resist a photo opportunity with Adrian Pang, who was hosting the event. “I saw you in Blue Mansion,” said Kerrie, right after the photo was taken. “And Polo Boys,” I blurt. He laughed and turned crimson, “Yea well, thanks for all your support; I’m grateful for whatever support I can get.”

At Tattler, we hunt celebs and shoot them. With cameras lah.

The Singapore Design Festival 2009 is themed “Design2050: Possiblities for Tomorrow”, and will be held from 20 to 30 November with a wide range of design events and activities. We at Tattler scoped out the list and here are some highlights we found interesting:

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

By MOJOKO (www.mojoko.net)
Exhibition 25 Nov – 1 Dec, 11am – 8pm, Free Admission
The Substation, 45 Armenian Street
A showcase of 2D and 3D artwork inspired by the cult movie Bladerunner by Singapore’s new wave of underground and emerging artists and designers.
Click here for more info!

Strangelet’s Own

By Strangelets (www.strangelets.org)
Exhibition 20 – 30 Nov, 12pm – 7.30pm, Mondays to Saturdays, Free admission
Strangelets, 87 Amoy Street
An eclectic collection of furnishings and accessories from studios all over the world, offering new approaches to old problems. The new Strangelets collection will also be launched then.
Click here for more info!

THE_ISSUE  Magazine launch

By HJGHER (www.theissuemagazine.com)
Magazine Launch Party 26 Nov 2009, 9pm onwards, Free admission
Velvet Underground, 17 Jiak Kim Street
A bi-annual thematic magazine based in quality of life issues. We’re intrigued.
Click here for more info!

A Void Experience

By Pixel Pastry (www.pixel-pastry .com)
Exhibition 20 Nov – 5 Dec, 11am – 11pm, Free admission
Various HDB void decks (go to www.avoidexperience.com for more information)
As one who lives in a HDB, I’m all too familiar with the asocial behaviour of neighbours who pass each other by without acknowledgement. This exhibition uses void decks as showcasing platforms to open up this social issue.
Click here for more info!

Unnatural Beauty

By Trine Design Associates (www.trine.com.sg)
Exhibition 20 Nov – 4 Dec, 11am – 8pm, Free admission
The Arts House Ground Level, 1 Old Parliament Lane
A visual installation of intricate chandeliers and art pieces constructed from biodegradable cornstarch cutlery. Beautiful AND eco-friendly. We like.
Click here for more info!

A black eye in a good way. I’m currently in love with Brown Eyed Girls’ Son Gain’s eyes! (That’s alot of ‘eye’ in one line!)

I’ve always envied girls with double eyelids…double eyelids which allow them to use all sorts of eyeliner to further enhance the beauty of their big eyes.

As for me, I don’t have double eyelids. Neither do I have single eyelids. I consider it to be a wrinkle/crease where a double eyelid should be.

Some asian celebrities swear that they never went under the knife to get their double eyelids. “Due to the use of double eyelid tape, gradually it just formed!” Yeah, right.

I’ve never liked the idea of sticking a plastic cutout onto my eyelid. It just looks too fake and obvious. On the other hand, eyeliner can do wonders to make one’s eyes and pupil’s look bigger.

One night, I caught an episode of one of the many interesting taiwanese variety shows. the theme of that night was: CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?

Basically, 4 girls appeared on the show, sans makeup looking totally normal, or even less than average (harsh, i know). But boy, did those girls know how to take full advantage of eyeliner and false eyelashes. True, they did look a tad overdone (doll-like), but they were so much prettier!

Over the past year, I’ve experimented with all sorts of methods to line the eye. From eyeshadow to liquid eyeliner, and I’ve come to love Shiseido’s Accentuating Cream Eyeliner. It comes in a pot filled with a crayon-like solid and a mini-brush. Simply wet the brush, slick on a few strokes and ta-dah! the eyes are lined and smudge free for a full day.

Some may ask, why not use eyeshadow? They can make the eyes pop as well. Truthfully? I’m just too lazy to blend 3 different shades on my eyelid. Plus, I probably lack the artistic skill to blend well and evenly. Ha!

In the meantime, check out the video down below. I’m not one to really try out stuff i see on youtube, but this looks easy enough! (maybe the coloured contacts give it an added ‘oomph’, but i’ll never shove anything into my eye!)

credits to : rosebabe888

I will be the first to confess that most mornings it takes me an average of two outfit changes before I finally settle on what to wear. I totally hate the feeling of not knowing what to wear, even though my closet is stuffed to the brim with clothes. I think guys have it lucky. They probably just close their eyes, stick a hand into their cupboards and grab the first t-shirt they feel to wear with the jeans they wore yesterday.

So there you are standing in front of your chock-full closet, ripping your hair out over what to wear. The clock is ticking, the morning train waits for no one. Your hair is not done, and neither is your make-up. And you can’t find a damn thing to wear. Before the day has started, you’re already a stressed out train wreck.

A messy closet is a one-way street to morning meltdowns

Well, here’s a couple of tried-and-tested tricks to help you dress without the stress.

#1 Out with the Old

I find that the more clothes I have, the harder it is to dress everyday. If you find that your cupboards are bursting at the hinges, then maybe its time for a little spring cleaning.

A handy guideline: it’s okay to chuck any item you haven’t worn in the past six months. Chances are, you probably won’t in the next six months. And do you really need 5 pairs of jeans in the same cut and wash? I love cleaning out my closet. Not only does it make room for new clothes (yay shopping!), I sometimes discover gems that I’d totally forgotten that I owned, or an item that is back in trend.

#2 Get organized!

The next step after clearing out is sorting out. First, sort your clothing by type. I hang up all my dresses and jackets. I keep all sweaters and cardigans in one drawer, shorts in another, jeans in one stack, pants next to them. Now when it comes to tops, and I have a lot of those, I’ve personally like to sort them out by colour. Sorting my tops out by colour worked really well for me. I could find a particular top much more easily by zooming straight into that colour stack. And for uninspirational days, I could fall back on black or white. I can separate keep my clothes easily after they’ve been laundered, and it makes my closet look so much neater and organized.

Sorting by colour looks good and makes it easier to find a particular item

#3 Emergency Outfit

You’ve worn something that made you feel like a princess the entire day. Great! Now keep it for an emergency. It’s always useful to prepare an emergency outfit for days that you need to look good but have no time to conjure up an outfit. I keep a simple cotton black dress for emergency days. It’s not rocket science, and it sure as hell won’t get me on a magazine cover, but I know I look good in it. Throw on some accessories and nice shoes and I’m good to go. With an emergency outfit, I can avoid morning meltdowns on the rare occasion that I’ve overslept or feel just plain uninspired.

Chanel should no longer be thought of simply being a fashion house. True, it is hard to deny the beauty and quality of its tweed jackets, 2.55 bags, pearl necklaces and fine watches. And it sure isn’t easy to resist the classic scent of Chanel No.5. But fans of the brand should be glad to know that the  French company has an excellent collection of  beauty products as well, ranging from gorgeous hues of nail varnish to skincare products.

I am a strong believer in cleansing all the dirt and make-up off my skin at the end of the day, no matter how lazy (or smashed) I am from a day out. Chanel’s Gel-Huile Pureté is a gentle yet effective cleanser, as it removes even the most stubborn waterproof mascara. My sensitive skin is left feeling clean and refreshed.

Out of the four cleansers available, only one has a lightweight gel texture, which I love. Somehow I’ve never found foaming mousse cleansers to be particularly effective. Maybe it’s a psychological thing, just like those instant foaming handsoaps.

The cleaner works within seconds upon application onto the face, no splashing of water required. The gel texture becomes a satiny smooth oil that removes all traces of make-up on the face, eyes and lips. Better yet, all the impurities and oil are also removed. The lotion rinses away easily, leaving my skin feel clean and oil-free, but not tight as I’ve experienced with other cleansers from popular make-up brands.

If you believe in taking good care of your skin, Chanel is the right brand for you. Its extensive range of cleaners, nanolotions, masks and whitening products are extremely gentle and pampering. Head down to one of the Chanel beauty counters and the consultants will analyse the needs of your skin and what products to use. The cost may be a bit more than you’d be willing to spend initially, but trust me, you’ll be addicted after your first try.

It was 4 hours past noon when Detective Whodunnit (Specialty: Myth Debunking) found a case file on her desk, with a note pinned to it: “Be careful, it’s a hairy jungle out there”.

The crime? Spreading A Rumour - “If you shave, your hair grows out thicker.”

The Detective laughed, and stroked her own eyebrows in mirth. If hair does indeed grow out thicker, then most women on the streets would resemble Chewbacca, the poster-child for over-active follicular growth by now.

The crime solving begins..

The hair strand consists of the root, the shaft and the tip. The root is the thickest part of the strand and the thickness lessens in circumference towards the tip. For some reason, if you are unable to verify that by pulling out a strand of your own hair, take a closer look at a cat’s whiskers (and resist the urge to pull it, please).

When you tweeze/ wax/ thread… you are removing the whole strand of the hair including its roots. The new hair that will grow in its place will take a relatively longer time to emerge than hair that is shaved. When it does emerge, its tip is what you will see, which is the thinnest part of a hair strand. Not all of it will regrow. I repeat, you will lose some along the way when this method is used regularly. Thus the danger of over plucking: you may end up with sparse brows if you too get trigger-happy with those tweezers.

When you shave… you are cutting the hair midway through its shaft, the thicker part of the strand compared to the tip. The hair will continue to regrow, as soon as within a day. When it does emerge, it is the middle section of the strand that you will see, which is thicker than the tip. No. It will not split into 2 individual hair strands like an amoeba. It will not regrow as permanently thicker in size or numbers.

Which is the better way?

It is sheer preference. Some women prefer the longer length of time between regrowth and prefer plucking compared to shaving. Some women who have sensitive eyes or are intolerant of pain will prefer shaving. Plucking the eyebrows causes certain redness, mild irritation and for some even a light swell that leaves the eyes looking puffy. Which is why it is not a good idea to pluck right before say, having a picture taken or before any important, look-your-best event.

“But mine don’t. I turn out all right every time..”

Well, that is because you simply don’t fall into the ’some women’ category. With regularity, you get used to the pain.

” My eyebrows are very long do I have to remove a lot of it for a manicured look? The lady told me not to cut it…”

Which lady? Moving on.. If you find that your eyebrows comes in long strands, you can trim it with brow scissors. They are curved, and some are sold with tiny brushes. Brush down the eyebrow and trim where needed to remove stray hairs.

“Are you sure they don’t grow thicker? “

Yes. This includes all hair on the body ( you know where they are ). You can have loss of hair but not thicker hair simply by removing it.

” But I started shaving my underarm when I was 13 and they did grow thicker over the years! “

For the love of god, its called puberty.

Puberty was an awful period of time for Chewbacca.

Detective Whodunnit files this case under ‘Myth - Debunked’, checks her reflection, and books an appointment for brow threading.

]]> http://tattlermag.com/2009/10/the-case-of-the-bushy-eyebrow/feed/ 0 http://tattlermag.com/2009/06/bag-me-an-eco-friendly-bag/ http://tattlermag.com/2009/06/bag-me-an-eco-friendly-bag/#comments Thu, 04 Jun 2009 08:51:19 +0000 Debby http://tattlermag.com/?p=496

For the past 3 months that I’ve been doing my own grocery shopping, I’ve come to appreciate eco-friendly shopping bags.

Just the other night, when my dad was in town, he had a huge (plastic) bag of stuff to pass to me. It looked (and was) so heavy that I whipped out my green canvas bag (which was in my handbag) and transferred all the stuff over. My dad picked up the stuff and went: “Whoa, it’s so much lighter.” Plus, nobody likes those pesky pains you get in your palm from holding string-like plastic; the bag had proper handles for a better grip.

Somehow they magically make the things you are carrying feel so much lighter. I kid you not.

Therefore, I would love for you to start this new habit of folding up a reusable bag and keeping it in your everyday bag. Not only will it make carrying a tonne of shopping a whole lot easier, you’ll be doing your share to help sustain the environment.

Brands such as Stella McCartney, Marc Jacobs, Anya Hindmarch and even Hermes have come up with their own eco-friendly bag. But you definitely don’t have to fork out hundreds of dollars to have a chic reusable bag. Simply pick up any basic canvas bag or one from the supermarket and customize it! Get inspired by checking out the designs on www.makelovenottrash.com. Doing something that’s great for the earth doesn’t have to be unglamorous!