As much as possible, I’ve always tried to be environmentally friendly. I used to bring a nylon bag everywhere I went just to avoid the need for plastic bags and for about a month the plan went marvelously well. But once I sent that fluorescent orange bag for washing, I just never remembered to put it back. Well, I guess many of us have the intention of saving the environment, but sometimes that goodwill just gets lost along the way.

So here’s what I’m going to do. Starting this week, you can look forward to a weekly post with the environment in mind. Let’s get that ’save the earth’ spirit back!

Now let’s look cute on a bicycle and reduce carbon emissions.
Remember to let your hair down!

Images: The Sartorialist and Garance Doré

Hello!

Our bi-monthly issue is finally here! And we’re super excited!

(Click on it to view in fullscreen)

Inside the issue:

+Ownmuse and L’ile Aux Ashby (local designers)

+spring looks
+DHC product review
+the colour of the year
+statement jewellery
+exclusive lenka behind the scenes pictures
+Boys Like Girls concert review

and much more!

As always, we’ll love to hear what you think about it, and what you want to see in our next issue.

More updates soon!

P.S. Apologies if we’ve kept you waiting. Good things take time (:

We know it’s been real quiet around here, but under the cover of peace and quiet is a maelstrom of activity at Tattler HQ!

We’ve been hard at work producing Tattler’s first flip-page issue. That is, instead of blog-style entries weekly, we will be producing bi-monthly issues of Tattler, chock full of your favourite fashion spreads, beauty tips, lifestyle coverage and much, much more!

To give you a sneak peek of what’s coming up:

• Ownmuse + L’ile Aux Ashby fashion and beauty features
• Combat those dark eye circles: how to choose the right shade of concealor
• Product Reviews: DHC and Clinique
• Shoes you will love
• Jewellery to last a lifetime
• Behind the scenes with Lenka

and a lot more!

We’re really excited about it, and we’re in the midst of putting the final touches on it - so be sure to check back later this week!

xx,

your writers

Here’s an update on some that I’ve caught in the month of December:

• Ninja Assasin

- Yay for rain’s abs, nay for rain’s hair. a better than expected storyline for an action movie. Though some girls may not be prepared for the amount of blood shed, or people getting sliced to pieces.

• New Moon

- I wasn’t much of a fan of twilight. the bad patchy white vampire look does not go well with me. however, with a new director, the action scenes have gotten better. Though i can’t say much has improved with regards to the main leads’ acting skills. Question: if they are so in love, why can’t Edward look Bella in the eyes when he speaks to her?

• Planet 51

- There’s only so much you can do with an alien movie. the references to ’star wars’ and other well known sci-fi movies are stark. Most of the funny parts were seen in the trailer though. Also, I’ve come to realise animations+cartoons aren’t made to cater to an audience of kids. Thumbs up for Justin Long, the mannerisms of the ‘alien’ he plays are just so Justin Long.

And what I’m looking forward to:

1. Sherlock Holmes – Hot actors. Pretty actress. Decent director.
2. The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus – Heath Ledger.
3. New York I Love You – Wasn’t a fan of 2006’s “Paris Je T’aime,” but hey, we all love a tad of americanization right?

Tattler is going to see Lenka in concert at Zirca this Thursday, and we’re so excited! The bridge from Trouble Is A Friend is totally stuck in my head. The only solution is to watch her live, so we can all sing along and get the song unstuck.

Will you be there too?

(Buy your tickets here now!)

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

Spanish label Bimba Y Lola has recently taken up residence at #B1-22 at Ion. Tucked unobstrusively into a corner, it looks like another high-end boutique, especially since the front rack has about a grand total of 4 items of cothing hanging from it. When hanger real estate is so generously assigned, it’s usually a clear sign of HELLO OUT OF YOUR PRICE RANGE!

However, the fact that it dwells in the basements meant for the poorer peasants* like myself signalled that it couldn’t be that outrageously expensive.

And I’m right. Sorta. The prices range from $75 for accessories to about $2000+ for a fur coat. Not quite Zara, and a certain grey cardi I’m eyeing is about $250…but we can always look forward to sales, can’t we?

I’m actually really enamoured by their aesthetic, defined as an ‘eclectic mix of styles, that incorporate a unique twist on trends’. Especially the slouchy pieces, even though I know structured is in and all that, but still. Slouchyness is a classic look. Attested to by myself.

My favourite looks from the A/W ‘09/10 collection:

denim shirt

I LOVE the cardigan. LOVE. To the power of ten. However...it's made of a thick woollen material. Sadly.

(all pictures from bimbaylola.es)

perfect fitted shirt.

Baggy jeans that don't look obscenely baggy

They have a really adorable range of shoes and accessories as well. For a look at the complete range, please click on to their official website, where you will be accosted by bobbing heads of little dogs. It’s completely charming. Bimba and Lola, by the way, are the names of the 2 sisters who started the label.

*said ironically, of course.

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!