C&N ♥ black and white

We’re always trying think of new locations to snap pictures for our upcoming blog posts, and after a few cups of coffee, we finally hit a lightbulb moment – Haji Lane and Arab Street!

We love this little neighborhood – although parking can be a bit of a nightmare after lunchtime. It’s definitely becoming more hipster with all the cute little boutiques, cafes and restaurants. This area has so much character and we love exploring the little alleys to find hidden treasures (read: cute background for our blog or Instagram pics).

There are so many cool graffiti on the walls of Haji Lane, the one in the picture above was done by Oak and Bindi, a local illustrator which reads ‘this is not your practice life. this is all there is’. In fact, that exact illustration can be found on Lululemon Singapore’s limited edition tank.

We’re seeing a lot of black and white this season, and we love this all-time classic color combo. We decided To play it up a little by combining different patterns and textures. Natasha wore her Forever New embellished top, Kate Spade houndstooth full-skirt, combined with her ever-so-comfy Pedder Red black and white striped wedges. Carmen wore her Maje strappy heels, with a gorgeous flowy and ultra feminine polka dot dress, and topped off the look with beautiful pair of earrings and a laser-cut grey bag by a Taiwanese designer, Jamei Chen.

After two hours of walking around in the sun, and laughing over silly things (hey, laughing burns a lot of energy!) we decided to call it a day and head to Mrs. Pho, our favorite Vietnamese restaurant in the area. How cute is the restaurant’s décor! It reminds us of sitting on the roadside somewhere in Ho Chi Minh City (minus the pollution and motorbikes, that is!).

C&N ♥ Toms

We know what you’re thinking. It’s been FOREVER since we last did a blog post. Between traveling and moving house, well let’s just say we’ve been busy bees!

Anyway, it matters not… because we’re back! YAY! And on this blog post, we’d like to openly declare our love for……. TOMS! Not only are they cute, they’re also super comfy and trust us they’ve been tried and tested.

We both like floral pattern as you can see from the picture below.

We went exploring behind Hong Kong Street  and found awesome backdrop for our blog shoot. Here’s Carmen taking a break in her Alice and Olivia leather mini skirt, which is super adorable and comfy. We’re also loving her laser-cut grey leather bag by a Taiwanese designer Jamei Chen. Oh and also Carmen’s versatile necklace by Ivanka Trump jewelry.

The picture below is one of our favorite shots of all, because not only did we spot the blue building that perfectly matched Natasha’s top, but a blue car just happened to be driving by at that exact moment. Sigh. Serendipitous indeed. We vaguely remember the driver giving us  thumbs up as he drove away. We’re glad he gave us his seal of approval. 🙂

Natasha is wearing a skirt from H&M, Chanel tote bag which can pretty much fit her whole life in because of its size and a silk top by Bysi (which has been in her wardrobe forever!).

There you have it. We hope this post shows how versatile TOMS shoes are and the fact that the shoes can survive Singapore’s heat and humidity? That totally scored brownie points from us.

Shopping *clearance* event with a good cause in Singapore

A fashion + homewares clearance sale that ALSO supports the Singapore committee for UN Women? Prices starting as low as $5sgd?? Yes please!

The annual “Glamourous Giving” event is back and is considered one of the bestlocal shopping events in Singapore – for those who complain they can’t find any “unique” pieces by local stores or brands, you can’t miss this event with 35 independent local brands attending!

Brands include: Baliza Shop, dragonfly resort wear, From Babou to You, Ginny at Lemonykit, Hola Linda, Inverted Edge, Little Friends by Lamasso, Maissone, Paperbag Princess, Retail Therapy, RIA Menorca, Ribbon and Roses, Shiva Designs Bespoke, Stones that Rock, The Cinnamon Room, The Society of Black Sheep,  Tramma Bags, Triologie, Verandah Living, Veya Designs and White Ginger.

Want to know more about the Singapore Committee for UN Women and all the good work they do? Representatives will be on hand during the event to discuss their work and the benefits of membership.

When: Wednesday 21 January 6-9pm and Thursday 22 January 10am-4pm

Where: Hollandse Club, 22 Campden Park (off Adam Rd), Sg 299814. Plenty of Parking

C&N ♥ The colour RED

Carmen & Natasha are seeing red everywhere… and no, that’s not because people are being exceptionally annoying during *the most frustrating time to shop for anything thanks to the frenetic crowds consumed by retail madness and taking pictures with Santa* period.

It’s just that the colour red really IS everywhere – in store displays, shopping centers, the street, including our respective homes , so we decided that red is our fashion pick of the week. Yay! This is our take on wearing red during the holidays season.

Carmen’s outfit: Asos top, skirt from Chatuchak market in Bangkok, Isabel Marant shoes, Zara jacket and Chanel handbag. As for accessories, well Carmen painted her nails in a funky Christmas pattern (see picture further drown below).

Oh and red lips is also considered fashion accessory by the way.

Here’s Natasha’s outfit details: Mango brocade top, Zara faux leather black pants (which every girl should have in their closet by the way! It’s surprisingly versatile and add a lot of pizzaz to your outfit), Ferragamo laser-cut ballerina flats, Chanel black clutch, Viktor & Rolf glasses, and Carolina Herrera bracelet.

The fact that red and black is a winning combo is no surprise. It’s as classic as black and white, only with a bit more oomph and sass put into it. Don’t be scared to mix leather with feminine texture or shape such as the A-line skirt that Carmen wore or the brocade top that Natasha threw on.

There you have it. Happy Christmas shopping, darling readers!

xoxo

Carmen and Natasha

C&N ♥ Hermes Bags

First of all, can we start by drawing your attention to our new blog logo and header? Isn’t it gorgeous? Yay! We’re super happy with it because it really encapsulates us – Carmen and Natasha – and our demographic location! We’ve been meaning to do it for a while, so we’re super happy to have finally done it.

Secondly, we’re starting a new ‘series’ of blog posts called ‘C&N loves’ – which involves our top fashion pick of the week (okay it may not happen every week, lets be realistic!). The whole idea is Carmen wears that particular fashion pick in Hong Kong and Natasha does the same in Singapore. So this blog post is the first of such series!

Our pick for this post is our ever reliable Hermes bag. And no, not the Birkin or the Kelly. There’s time for everything, and it’s certainly not time for us to carry those lust-worthy bags.  Natasha’s go-to bag is her Hermes Evelyn bag in Jaipur and for Carmen, it’s her Hermes Garden Party bag in Etope. This bag goes with a lot of outfits and can fit a lot of things (and trust us when we say we always have heaps of junk that we dump in our handbags!).

So this is how Natasha’s outfit pairing:

Natasha can’t believe her luck when she saw the wedges at Nine West because the color was exactly identical with her bag!!!

And this is Carmen’s outfit combo:

Carmen is in love with her awesome Alexander McQueen for Puma pumps! Not only are they comfy, but they’re surprisingly versatile.

So there you have it, our darling readers. Stay tuned for the next ‘C&N loves’ post 🙂

xoxo

 

Last night at Matches fashion popup event in HK: D&G, Peter Pilotto & more!

The Matches fashion event held at Duddells Hong Kong last night was a fashionista’s dream come true. Plenty of designer niche labels were on display across womenswear, menswear, high end jewellery, handbags and arguably the most important category…shoes.

For those who don’t know about Matches, they are a UK luxury fashion retailer who curate a range of talented designers (famous and emerging) from across the globe. They are truly loved by fashionistas whom appreciate the brand’s ability to spot talented emerging designers, and are incredibly approachable when it comes to talking about fashion (unlike SO many other brands out there!). In other words, they really aren’t up their own a**.

The other good news is they ship worldwide from their online store, and held their first pop up event in Hong Kong last night! Here are some of Carmen’s top picks from the event:

Talitha floral embroidered kimono: 

Malone Souliers shoes – which according to Matches, will be the next Louboutins! They are such works of art! 

Peter Pilotto dress: We just love the combination of colour blocking, geometric design and prints all in one!  Chrissie Morris shoes: you just KNOW these would be super comfortable! We would team the heels on the right with a simple white pencil skirt. 

Toga Pulla & Anya Hindmarch:  Toga Pulla was founded by former costume designer and stylist, Yasuko Furuta. 

Mansur Gavriel bag: Simplicity in fashion = love. 

Gripoix jewellery: The French atelier has been creating luxury costume jewellery since 1868, they are one of (if not THE) oldest in the trade. Stunningly beautiful pieces. 

Rochas gold tassle fringe shoes with pink contrasting trim:

High end jewellery from Monique Pean and Dina Kamal: Carmen really loves the bracelet on the far left below. 

Crystal embellished ring by Maison Martin Margiela:

Alison Lou jewellery: Heart rings! 

THE coolest clutches ever below by Sarah’s bag (back and right with the cars) and Les Petits Joueurs (front and left with the smile and peace sign):Charlotte Olympia “I am a fan!” bag: love the name and love the bag

Dolce & Gabbana shoes: oh gosh where do we start with this? These shoes are art and if we see anyone wearing these we may tackle them for wearing such beauties (but follow that by a hug for their impressive taste in shoes):

Valentino clutch and shoes: we’ve seen these everywhere in Asia but doesn’t mean we are sick of seeing it….

Karl Lagerfield clutch by Yazbukey: 

Givenchy high top shoes: O M G Carmen wanted to stop everyone in their tracks to look at these but managed to calm herself down (eventually):Palm tree clutch by Edie Parker: loving the mother of pearl! 

Dolce & Gabbana floral skirt: This brand is simply killing it right now (if you love florals!)

Strapless dress by Osman: TRUST US – this dress would look a million bucks when worn.Love the simplicity of this J.W.Anderson white shirt dress below.  One of THE standouts of the night, this skirt by Stella Jean. 

THIS swimwear by Paolita: 

There you have it! You can shop online at matchesfashion.com. If you saw any pieces above that aren’t on the website, we would recommend emailing the Matches fashion crew – they were super friendly to Carmen last night so fingers crossed they get back to you!

 

 

 

 

 

More new shops in Seminyak!

Yes, we did a comprehensive ‘guide’ to shopping in Seminyak a while back (read the article here) , but Seminyak has so many nooks and crannies so we always find new cute little shops that we’re dying to share with you!

The clothes below are from Uma and Leopold, definitely NOT a new store, as a matter of fact Uma and Leopold has a few outlets scattered throughout Seminyak just like Magali Pascal. This particular store is located right near to Bambu Restaurant (an awesome newish Indonesian Restaurant, and if you haven’t tried it you absolutely MUST! Book early, they get full super quickly).

Pricewise, not cheap (then again, what is cheap in Bali nowadays?!) but also not crazy expensive. It ranges from SGD60-350, but the material is delicious and the bead work is amaze balls on some of the dresses!

One day, after a two-hour massage down the road, Natasha strolled down one of the alleys right next to Seminyak Square and found a whole lot of new shops that kinda just magically appeared as they often do in Bali. Her new favorite shop is called ‘my cup of love’, which sells many many pretty and very reasonably priced things. Think homeward – pretty plates, cups, aprons, to lots and lots of cute jewelry, knick knacks, etc. etc. We’ll let the pictures speak for the themselves!

How gorgeous are these rings!! And they’re only about SGD25 each! They come in silver and gold.

Natasha decided to buy a ‘super mama’ rings, which she wears on one of those challenging days chasing her active toddler.

We love these bracelets below – oh and did we mention that they’re SGD7 each? Take them off before you jump in the shower, because otherwise the glue on the clasp kinda doesn’t hold it together.

There’s another cute store right next to ‘My cup of love’ called ‘Kiosk’. The clothes on the rack are super cute and they have both men and women clothes. Natasha spotted a few cute playsuits and camisoles with print she hasn’t really seen in other stores in Seminyak. Pricewise, very affordable starting from SGD50 to about SGD100.

So there you have it! Next time you go on a little getaway to Bali, make sure you check these stores out. You won’t be sorry.

xoxo

Carmen and Natasha

Hipsters Rejoice! Urban Outfitters is now in Hong Kong

Carmen went to the Urban Outfitters launch party in Hong Kong a few weeks ago (check out DJ Miss Yellow spotted above who spun the MOST WICKED tunes ever and is one of Asia’s most in demand female DJ’s!!). We really love the Urban Outfitter’s brand, as they not only draw inspiration from the 50’s “preppy” style,  60’s hippy era (think loud prints, floaty dresses) and 70’s era (fringes on EVERYTHING which was spotted at London fashion week too) BUT they also include pieces that have such a modern twist on all of the above.

And in true fashion style, they are known as a brand that creates some serious “WTF” pieces, but we love that they take risks and steer away from the norm.

Carmen decided to wear a MINK PINK dress (one of the labels that is available at Urban Outfitters). The dress is paired with shoes from Kate Spade/ Keds collaboration.

Tthe fashion bloggers, models and other socialites attending the launch party did NOT disappoint, with some amazingly unique and personalised outfits.

 

Mesh anywhere + black = urban outfitter’s dream!

Moschino alert! Spongebob squarepants clutch spotted below. 

 

Loved the red floral coat spotted below. 

The clothes

Reasonably priced (most of the price tags seemed to be in the range of $50- 200USD. As mentioned previously you can really see many different styles below so pick whatever you feel comfortable with and roll with it!

{ COLOUR + PRINTS }

{ GRUNGY URBAN }

{ GRUNGY GLAM }

{ HIPSTER }

{ PREPPY PRINTS }

 

The fun accessories:

Say whaaaat – Alexa Chung’s “it” book! Awesome.

 

These hip flasks are super hipster but we are loving them – our favourite is the one in the middle. 

Chunky, urban jewellery was available – this necklace below was a fave.

Great gift guide alert below! For those who love sneaks (Carmen is becoming OBSESSED) this book below is the perfect Christmas gift (hint hint). 

Some fun homewares can also be found – fun pillow alert! Around $40usd from memory. 

Oh yes more hip flasks – I DON’T GET DRUNK, I GET AWESOME should be printed on everything….

Looking for a gift for a man who has everything? Get him these awesome socks – especially the dollar bill ones!! 

For those who would prefer to drink *ahem* non alcoholic beverages such as water (or let’s face it, an awesome cocktail) these drink carriers below are for you!  

Some more jewellery spotted…

Nail polishes galore can also be found! $80hkd each (around $14sgd each) in some super fab colours. Sick of shiny happy colours? Grab the matte top coat to look uber urban. Beige shoes below are an awesome twist on boring pumps and the black bag below is an absolute classic (you simply couldn’t go wrong with anything in the below pic). 
Address: 
Urban Outfitters:
93 Queensway Plaza Hong Kong
https://www.facebook.com/UrbanOutfittersHK

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Channeling our inner Carrie Bradshaw in Asos skirt

You know how some days you wake up and you say to yourself “I’m going to channel my inner Carrie Bradshaw today!” – and no, we don’t mean the tutu-wearing Carrie, or the bird-feather-on-your-hair Carrie (although that’s cool if you want to dress that way, we’re not judging!). We mean the floral-skirt-and-pretty-yet-killer-stiletto kinda Carrie. Well, that’s how Natasha felt like today.

Immediately her eyes fell on her gorge Asos skirt that she bought a few months ago – for a mere SGD40! We love scouring for awesome beauty and fashion deals online, who doesn’t?! Oh, speaking of online deals, we must share this little secret with you – and trust us, we were contemplating on whether or not to let you in on our secret. We recently discovered amazeballs fashion and beauty items on CupoNation. We won’t say much because it will just spoil the fun, so just have a look yourself!

So, back to Carrie Bradshaw. Natasha decided to combine the skirt with the ever-so-reliable white shirt. A girl can never have too many white shirts (and jeans, shoes, bags, accessories, etc. etc. etc.). She chose her Malene Birger shirt, and her gorge brocade Schutz stilettos with jade embellishments on it (while silently chanting, please don’t rain, please don’t rain!). And a YSL clutch bag seemed like a good idea to complete the look. Can you please take a second to admire the beautiful shape of the Schutz heels? *collective sigh*

By the way, ballerina flats would’ve been just as cute – and way more comfortable, too. And to make the look more casual, put on a white t-shirt and add a wide belt to cinch the waist. Oh and a statement necklace would look amazing with the t-shirt. 

 

In love with Henri Charpentier’s shade of pink

First of all, can we start this blog post by declaring our love for this shade of pink, which is why we decided to do a ‘shoefie’ (read: shoe selfie) on the pink carpet. Red carpet is too ordinary for Carmen and Natasha pink is more unique 🙂 Natasha is loving her new shoes that she found at Marks and Spencer for… wait for it…. SGD50 (the original price was SGD110). Carmen is equally in love with her smoking hot red patent studded Prada sandals from the recent La Prendo sale. When we heard that the French-inspired Japanese Patisserie is opening its doors at Dempsey, we just had to check it out. After all, who wouldn’t be excited by the words ‘Japanese’ ‘French’ and ‘Patisserie’ all in the same sentence?!!? Henri Charpentier is very fancy shmancy with all the frills, but unfortunately not even the Japanese staff and our own Crepe Suzette station can impress us (did we mention the crepe suzette costs SGD22?). The service was very average (to put things mildly) and there was also no music when we went there, so the room was filled with this canteen-like noise of people chit chatting. The decor was beautiful though, and the fact that the cafe overlooks the lush greenery helps create the tranquil feel to the place. Here’s a picture of our $22 Crepe Suzette! We must admit that Henri Charpentier’s financiers and madeleines are too die for! They literally melt in your mouth. God bless those happy Hokkaido cows! They sure produce the yummiest butter and milk.Enough about the restaurant review – which this post was not intended to be. Let’s focus on Carmen and Natasha’s outfit. Let’s face it, black and white and red is definitely a winning combo. It’s classic, but far from boring. And of course the red Prada sandals polish off the look beautifully.How cool does the messy bun look on Carmen? A bit of attitude and personality is always a good addition to your swag. We swear we did not intentionally color coordinate our outfits! Great minds think alike, we’d say. 🙂 Natasha wore her red dress and completed the look with her beloved fuchsia Saint Laurent mini duffel bag and her Marks and Spencer shoes. Oh and Kate Spade bracelet plus Zara sunnies. The green wall provides a good backdrop for our selfies. Yes, once in a while we can’t help but do fun selflies. And we’re always super grateful when we find a total stranger to take a decent pic of us. 

Carmen’s outfit & STREET STYLE looks at London Fashion Week SS15

London fashion week is in full swing! Carmen was there to see a show (which we will blog about in a separate post) – but first, here is what she wore:

Dress by Marimekko, tan ankle boots by Russell & Bromley and clutch from LV. Accessories below from Accessorize!

And now onto some street style looks that she snapped outside Somerset house before the fashion show began!

Carmen managed to grab a photo of British model Jourdan Dunn (the first black model to run the Prada catwalk in over a decade!) and is the face of Maybelline. She is wearing a Moschino quilted denim bomber jacket along with the matching skirt.  Here is Jourdan leaving the Toni & Guy blow dry bar at Somerset house! We are loving the hair. 

This red dress below caught Carmen’s eye instantly – long trains such as this one were spotted everywhere from the catwalks to the street, so clearly this is a trend that will be hanging around for a while! 

 

We’re definitely enchanted by Alice + Olivia’s “Enchanted: A Midwinter Night’s Dream”

As some of you may still remember, we did an extensive spotlight on Alice + Olivia a few months ago, where we basically had the time of our lives playing dress-up in their ION Orchard boutique. Needless to say, we adore A+O, so you can imagine how excited we were when we got an invitation to take a peak at A+O’s Fall 2014 collection from Juliana, A+O’s MarComm lady. Thank you Juliana!! The theme for this year’s Fall collection is “Enchanted: A Midwinter Night’s Dream”, and boy oh boy how super enchanted we were indeed. The kind of ‘enchanted’ that may very well send us broke, because there are so many enchanting items. Sigh, it’s so hard being a girl. Again, Carmen had to miss out on all the fun because she’s currently somewhere in Denmark, enjoying some ‘hygge’ time (if you don’t know what ‘hygge’ means, look it up!). Natasha had to do the hard work, snapping pictures, getting lost in the world of A+O. So let’s take you through A+O’s delicious collection, shall we? Natasha is IN LOVE with this clutch. How absolutely cute is this clutch! It’s fun and flirty without looking too childish and gimmicky. A girl can never have a diamond too darn big, that’s what we like to think. 🙂 It’s a sizable size, too, so you can put more than just your lipgloss and iPhone! That’s the thing about Stacy, she’s a woman and a mother, and she knows a woman needs more space to put her things in a clutch! This butterfly print is a signature in the Enchanted collection, which uses a lot of brocade, embellishment and lace. Three of Natasha’s favorite things! The clothes just look so luxurious and glamorous, with a touch of sophistication and mystery thrown in the mix.  As you can see, the butterfly design is carried throughout the collection, including this absolutely gorgeous asymmetrical skirt below and the shoes further down in the picture. LOVE!!!!!!!! Now on to shoes, Natasha really likes these cute number with pom poms on it. She typically doesn’t like things that are too cutesy, but this time these cuties below really caught her attention! Perfect with jeans a nice silky top. Stick to more simple silhouettes and color, preferably nothing too busy, so you don’t distract the attention away from the shoes. These flats come in high heels as well and they’re just too cute for words. LBD would look amaze balls with the shoes, and throw on a big chunky pearl necklace and one of those Jackie O sunnies and off you go!The cardigans, oh the cardigans!! Who says cardigans have to be boring? Stacey certainly thinks they need not be AND she makes unicorns look trendy and not childish. That’s the thing with A+O, the designs are fun and whimsical, it brings out the fun in all us, yet in a tasteful way. Natasha was never that big on unicorns growing up, but she is now, thanks to Stacey! Look, it’s Stacey’s signature glasses on a otherwise boring grey cardi! This would go perfectly with a pair of skinny dark denim or wear it to work by switching the jeans to black capri pants. instead of wearing the cardi, throw it on your shoulder for that effortless look. This is probably Natasha’s favorite cardi – it’s a toss-up between this and that godforsaken gorge unicorn cardi. What’s so good about it? Well, you can detach the Peter Pan collar and it becomes a more simple and classic jumper. How versatile is that? This jumper is perfect for traveling. It’s simple and versatile without being boring. Here’s a snap shot of the uber pretty and friendly model, Marija Shatilo. Of course if you have legs as long as Marija, these boots would look amazing with a super short A-line skirt such as the one she’s wearing.  As we mentioned before, A+O’s Enchanted collection plays with a lot of texture in the fabric add the richness and depth of color can be seen throughout the collection. Here are a few pictures to give you an idea.   Look at the intricate embellishment on this dress! It’s breath taking (and heavy) and just simply one-of-a-kind.   This is definitely one of Natasha’s favorite dresses. The contrast stitching and design creates such an impact!  If full beading ain’t your thing then you might want to stick to something more simple and demure such as this beauty in the picture below. With subtle beads around the neckline, this dress is so pretty and feminine.     Before Natasha made her way out of the store, her sweet tooth instinct told her to turn her gaze to one particular spot in the store and voila! It’s Stacey’s face on cake pops! How cute are they 🙂   Here’s Natasha with the gorgeous bouquet of flowers from The beauty candy Apothecary, a cute little shop at Cluny Court owned by a super stylish Indonesian mama called Astri (they also supplied some yummy Fresh Pressed juice at the event). Flowers always bring a smile to any girl’s face.  

Sassy Singapore and Kate Spade unveiled Fall Season’s Tokyo and Shanghai Collection!

When we found out that Sassy Singapore is teaming up with Kate Spade to unveil the brand new Fall collection, we were beyond excited. When we found out the new Fall collection is Asia-inspired, we were excited beyond belief, especially when Kate Spade picked out two of Asia’s coolest cities to be her inspiration, Tokyo and Shanghai! Such a nice shift from last season’s Italy-inspired summer collection.

As many of our darling readers may already know, Carmen and Natasha have been teaming up with our friends at Sassy Singapore to review a bunch of things around Singapore and being humongous fans of Kate Spade, there’s nothing better than going to an event that combines both!

Here’s Natasha with the sassy girls from the Sassy team. Unfortunately Carmen isn’t in the picture, because she’s currently having the time of her life traveling through Scandinavia for a month, so Natasha has to hold the fort.

Poppy Skinner, Sassy Singapore’s Editor, gave useful fashion tips on how to mix and match this season’s pieces. How cute is her statement neck candy?! Natasha’s loving her loafers, too. Whoever says that black outfits are boring need to go on a little accessories treasure hunt!

We’re swooning over the cobalt blue leopard print from the Tokyo collection. Natasha has her eyes on the Keds and cute cat bag and the bamboo green sling bag. Okay she has her eyes on many many things and can you blame her?

How gorge is this clutch below?! Such a standout piece and perfect to jazz up a black LBD.

Unlike the Tokyo collection, which is more on the fun and flirty side, the Shanghai collection has more of a luxurious, sexy, yet festive feel to it with its deep cherry red and black and white color pallette.

Natasha was busy trying to gain her momentarily lost composure the moment she laid her eyes on the gorgeous Chinese takeaway box bag. How. Amazing. Is. It. sigh…..

Okay so it’s not just the Chinese takeaway box that’s super cute, the bird cage bag is equally gorgeous! Why do you have to have such cute stuff Kate Spade? Why!!!

As if the drool-worthy bags weren’t torturous enough, check out these amaze balls shoes below! There’s something sentimental and timeless about Mary Janes, especially these burgundy ones below. The black ribbon really completes the look!

Natasha is a massive fan of the color coral, so she’s super duper happy to see so many coral-colored items in store.

 

Natasha found a whole bunch of goodies from Benefits makeup, as well as a nifty voucher from Prep blow dry bar in the goody bag and she loved this cute (not to mention yummy!) little fortune cookie – how cute is the Kate Spade takeaway container by the way?!

 

Laprendo Sale is back and we loved it!

Carmen and Natasha are fans of Laprendo, Singapore’s premium brand shop with a store that is nicely tucked in a corner of Dempsey’s maze of shops and restaurants and another shop, specifically selling jewelry, at the Fullerton Hotel.

Every year, we’re always anticipating for Laprendo’s annual sale and we were beyond excited when we found out its annual sale is held this weekend. What we like about the Laprendo sale is the variety, quality and value of the goods. We’re not misled by their sale, because a lot of the items are actually at 80% off, especially their ‘last pieces’ rack. Granted some of their stuff are a few seasons old, but for fans of classic and timeless pieces like us, we don’t really care.

In terms of brands, they have practically everything you can think of. Let’s start with the usual suspects, Gucci, Prada, YSL, Miu Miu, D&G, Victoria Beckham, Marni, last year Natasha even managed to snatch a gorgeous pair of Chanel ballerinas, Valentino, Christian Dior, you get the point. They also have clothes for sale, as well as accessories such as glasses, belts, ipad and iPhone cases (we spotted a few gorgeous ones from Balenciaga). The clothes were absolutely gorge. Natasha spotted a super pretty Celine and Red Valentino dress, but decided to take home a classic Marlene Birger shirt for a mere SGD80!!!!!!!! Please excuse our excessive enthusiasm. We can’t help ourselves.

Anyway, enough typing and time to post a snapshot of the awesome sale and some of the items we managed to snatch before all the good stuff are gone!

Out and about on Keong Saik

One fine (and also very hot!) day, we decided to stroll along one of Singapore’s current hottest spots, Keong Saik Road, which is lined up with the city’s coolest bars and restaurants nestled in Chinatown’s beautifully conserved and colorful shophouses.

Carmen was wearing  a gorgeous baby blue dress by ZARA, with cute knot detailing on the sleeve. The dress is so light and breezy, perfect for Singapore’s increasingly hot temperature. Seriously, the humidity has been so high and our trusted indicator for humidity is …. our hair! And no, that’s NOT a good thing. Carmen wore her super duper comfy Tod’s (trust us, these Tod’s have been tried and tested, and surprisingly durable) and black Kate Spade tote bag.

Carmen decided to go for a simple, yet stylish and classic accessories. Check out her beautiful cream-colored earrings and necklace, which go together with just about every outfit. Oh, the necklace can easily be converted into a bracelet, too. We love versatile jewelry!

Natasha, on the other hand, opted for a much brighter ensemble as you can see from the picture below! 🙂

The Chanel bag below is one of her favorite bags, she loves its colors and fabric. The silk dress is from Kookai – unfortunately they don’t have a shop here in Singapore, she bought it on a trip to Melbourne last year. The Valentino rock stud bracelets match her dress perfectly. Yay! Oh, the strappy sandals are Oroton, an Aussie brand.

After walking around for about 10 seconds – okay make it 5 minutes – we decided that the heat was just too unbearable so we decided to cool down by going to Potatohead Folk, one of the newcomers on Keong Saik. We actually did a review on it for the newly launched Sassy Singapore, an awesome website for everything a girl needs to know about  Singapore and more.We love the interior of this place! It’s very different to all the Potatoheads we’ve been to in Jakarta and Bali.We found super cute spot by the window, which looked out onto the street. Perfect spot to enjoy our midday (alcoholic) drinks.. *clear throat*.. !

What Women Want really knows what women want

One hot and humid afternoon, Carmen and Natasha decided to cool down in Mandarin Gallery (note: ‘cool down’ is one of many Carmen and Natasha’s excuses to window shop, which often translates into a oh-oops-I-did-it-again-how-did-that-dress-end-up-in-the-paperbag-that-I’m-holding moment). Casually sauntering the corridors of Mandarin Gallery, we stumbled upon a shop, which is aptly called What Women Want. After a quick ‘awww, that’s such a cute name for a shop babe!’ remark, we went in to check it out. And boy, were we shocked by how many cute pieces there are in this gorgeous shop! Special thanks to the shop owner, Anna, a beautiful Brazilian woman (but then again, we haven’t really met a Brazilian woman who is NOT beautiful) and Penny, a lovely Melburnian who was very patient while we were mucking around trying clothes on!

What Women Want stocks many many many delightful things that we, and most women, want. Think gorgeous statement necklaces, funky looking shoes, amazeballs dresses and clothes in general, cute sunglasses and lots and lots of beautiful jewelry. Pricewise, very affordable! Some pieces are a bit on the steep side, but we reckon they’re totally worth the price because of its unique design and high quality. The shop stocks items from around the world, from Beirut, Australia to Thailand!

Now do you believe us when we say the shop stocks a lot gorgeous jewelry?One of our favorite corners in the shop – the clearance table! 🙂

Unlike some shops, the clearance table in What Women Want actually has many cute things on it. Natasha loves the white chain necklace with lots of zipper charms on it and the necklace made up of matchsticks. And the shoes! THE SHOES! They’re SGD70 and some of them are very Sarah Jessica Parker in Sex and the City.

Natasha’s first outfit pick is a sequined short skirt, which also comes in yellow, with a see-through white sweater which is just to die for, plus a statement necklace that screams rock and roll without being too overpowering.

Here’s a close-up of the necklace! We LOVE it!

The shoes were surprisingly comfy, and Natasha managed not to trip over nothing and fall – it has happened several times. In public. In front of many people. *sheepish look* 

We spotted this gorgeous little beauty tucked quietly in the corner of one of the shelves and decided that it would complete this look perfectly! What’s not to love about it? Its unusual and pretty at the same time.

 

The next outfit selection is Natasha’s favorite! The high waist full skirt is absolutely gorgeous and goes perfectly well with the cropped sequin top. We think a nicely tailored black shirt would go really well for this outfit too!

We’re totally enamored by this yummy clutch by a Thai designer. It’s quite steep at SGD500, but we must say the quality is absolutely amazing. Natasha chose a wristcandy to go with the outfit to spice it up a little.

The wedges, oh the wedges! They’re super comfy, although we wouldn’t recommend you to run in them to catch a bus, taxi, MRT, or any moving and living object for that matter (that’s right, don’t wear these babies while walking your dog). 

How beautiful is the necklace below! Natasha’s not a big fan of yellow gold, but somehow this combo works. And come on, who doesn’t like tassels on a necklace? We sure do!

This necklace and the dress below goes perfectly together like peanut butter and jelly, fish and chips, salted caramel and popcorn, Carmen and Natasha. Awww… 🙂

And check out this ring below! How amazeballs is it?! It comes in silver and black as well, but we really dig the rose gold (we have a picture of it somewhere below)

The dress below is 50% off, which brings it down to SGD200. The detailing is exquisite and amazing and it comes in black as well. We’re totally in love with the clutch. Simplicity at its absolute best, we reckon.

You don’t want to go cray cray with the accessories, for obvious reasons. We think a clutch, a simple ring and a pair of drop down earrings polish off the look really well. Here’s a close-up picture of the ring we previously mentioned – Natasha’s a fan of the drop down earrings!

Below is a selection of the accessories and clothes Carmen had picked out. How out-of-this-world is her bling bling dress? It has a 1920’s the Great Gatsby feel combined with 80’s glamor – think Studio 54! Check out the stack rings, how awesome does it look? And don’t get us started on the disco ball clutch on the right, with a hint of Alexander McQueen. Love!

Et voila! Front view of Carmen’s kickass dress and take a closer look at the earrings, they’re by a Beirut-based designer. We love to add an element of surprise to our outfit, which is exactly what Carmen did with the leopard print shoes. Being safe is so passé, so we tend to inject our personality and authenticity into our style.

How divine is the whole outfit ensemble below? The shoes – very SJP – goes so well with the pretty skirt and we love the studs earrings which are so simple yet versatile. We’re head over heels with the heels. So much so that we’re kinda regretting not buying it (while casually checking our phone agenda to see if we can quickly make a quick detour to the shop tomorrow. Ahem.. )

We totally love this picture below, although we got a few stares while trying to get the best shot. The dress didn’t really stand out on the rack, but Carmen decided to give it a chance and it looked amazing on! It’s very feminine and princess-like without looking too much like Belle in Beauty and the Beast.

We chose this necklace to jazz the dress up a little. Carmen loves it because it’s dainty with a bit of edge, the triangle really makes this necklace pop.

We must admit we’re not huge fans of jumpsuits, they can either go wrong or very wrong. The legs are often too long, too short, the torso part is too out of proportion, you get the idea. This one, however, was surprisingly the perfect fit. We like the neon yellow stripes down the legs against the cream base color. And how cute is the huge bow on the collar?! Carmen picked a pair of green Valentino rockstud-like shoes to break the colors up a bit.

Next time you’re wandering around Mandarin Gallery after a coffee session with your girlfriends or a nice brunch on a weekend, or simply to ‘cool down’ like Carmen and Natasha, be sure to pop by this cute little shop and be prepared to walk out with a little something (or a big something).

#02-22 Mandarin Gallery, 333 Orchard Rd

Feeling girly in our pastel combo

We love it when our outfits coincidentally go together and today happens to be one of those days! Carmen and Natasha caught up for a much needed blah blah blah session at the Providore this afternoon and, much to our delight, we were both wearing pastels!

Carmen looked gorge in her new Club Monaco flawy and breezy green silk top, paired with white denim (both Carmen and Natasha’s wardrobe staple) and her favorite Jimmy Choo jelly uber comfy sandals. Oh and of course her Chanel aviators always polishes her look perfectly.

Natasha is totally obsessed with lilac at the moment and found a pretty top in ZARA that was on sale. Yay! The best part about her ensemble is her multicolor vintage skirt by Emanuel Ungaro that used to be her mother’s! In fact, she’s convinced she has a picture of her mom wearing the skirt in the late 80s. See? Not all fashion items in the 80s were bad. Most, but not all (silently hoping scrunchies will never be back in style). Natasha chose her Chanel ballerinas to go with this feminine look and her Gucci super shades.

We totally LOVE the color combo of our pastel ensemble today. So pretty and feminine and very summery as well.

We couldn’t resist asking someone to take a picture of us. 🙂

 

 

Sandro, at last you’ve arrived!

We were so stoked when we found out one of our favorite French brands, Sandro, opened in ION on Orchard! We love Sandro for its simplicity and versatility, as well as its gorgeous fabrics. Its cocktail dresses are totes amaze balls because of their interesting design and silhouette that seems to really complement women’s figure (that’s right Victoria’s Secret, not all of us are US size 0, most when actually have real curves and embrace our lady lumps!).

We decided to do what we do best, having fun on the job by trying on our favorite pieces in the store – by the way Sandro participates in this year’s GSS and there are some pretty good deals at 40-50% off! Yay!!

Carmen tried on this amazing knit sweater in canary yellow, which goes perfectly with the eyelet white skirt. And come on, how funky are those shoes? This outfit is perfect for a chilled out night at the movies. If only Singapore’s weather can cool down by 10 degrees, that would be just perfect. Sigh.

Carmen is loving this simple, yet edgy black bag. Come on, what’s not to love about it! It’s super versatile, with a hint of edgy to liven an otherwise plain outfit. It’s small without being too small, we detest bags that can only (barely) fit your lip gloss and phone.

Natasha picked this green snakeskin romper, paired with plain white leather sneakers which is just so divine. The jumpsuit can be worn with cute strappy sandals, or if you want to take it up a few notches, you can put your kickass stilettos on and throw on a structured blazer, and a simple clutch would finish the look perfectly!

How awesome does the green look with yellow? We love this look combo!

Okay, on to our second outfit of choice. Carmen picked out this delicious lace and satin top, combined with leather A-line skirt together with black leather edges with gold studs. Again, we love how Sandro’s classic items can be easily mixed and matched with other items to make a winning combo!

Natasha picked out this gorgeous satin and lace black dress with a touch of white silk, quite similar to the top Carmen picked out. The white skinny belt with gold chain and zip-up black and white strappy high heel sandals balanced out the look so it doesn’t look to dainty and plain.

This is Natasha’s absolute favorite dress in blush pink (there’s one hanging in her closet). The dress is really flattering on the body and very comfortable to wear, ideal for Singapore’s heat. Gold jewelry goes perfectly with blush pink!Ahh the silk floral dress, another great item at Sandro! It’s so flowy and light, dress it up with heels and belt to cinch the waist or dress it down with a pair of cute strappy sandals. To complete the look? Tie your hair up in a messy bun or ponytail and off you go!

Carmen’s next outfit of choice was this black and white zip-up dress, which looks grey from the distance. This dress is so fun and subtly flirty because of the way the skirt moves. Jazz it up with a wide red belt or even hot pink to really make it pop. Definitely wearable for the office, depending on how you accessorize it.

Natasha loves this red dress with cutout on the side! Who says cocktail dresses need to be on the safe side all the time? She decided to tone it down with a pair of white leather sneakers and a distressed leather jacket. A tad bit too warm to wear in Singapore, but hey, it’s perfect to wear on your next trip to Hong Kong or Japan right? Remember, there will always be an occasion to wear it, that’s what we always say. 🙂Carmen fell for this sweater and the moment she saw it on the hanger, she knew she had to try it on! Perfect to wear with white or blue denim, or leather shorts or cute skirt. Ok it practically looks good with anything and everything. Sigh.

Some of our favorite accessories in Sandro, there’s heaps more but this is going to end up being a super long blog post if we put everything in! We really like the see through small sling bag in snakeskin.

Here’s our top picks for shoes and sandals. Please don’t ask us to pick our favorite, because we want all of them!Sandro boutique can be found on level 3 of ION Orchard, conveniently right next to Alice and Olivia just in case you want to pop by afterwards.

 

When in doubt, stick to black and white

Today we hit up Sarnies on Telok Ayer Street for a meeting (and to recover from a fashion tv event last night!), and we’ve gotta say – black and white just seemed to be the theme of today.

Carmen was having one of those days where everything called for simplicity. So she wore a basic white tee with black trousers from Zara, Kate Spade bag and Jimmy Choo jelly sandals, and added a necklace bought in Bangkok to jazz things up a bit.Natasha also wore black and white but jazzed it up with a pop of fuchsia! She wore her fun “Ain’t Laurent without Yves” tee paired perfectly with her Saint Laurent bag, Kate Spade houndstooth skirt, Ferragamo ballet flats along with Valentino & Hipanema arm candy!

And here’s a closer look at our outfits! 

 

There are so many gorgeous lane ways just off Telok Ayer street – we loved the European lamposts found in this random alley! Simply perfect for those black and white days….

 

 

When life gives you lemons, do what Kate Spade does and make a fashion statement out of it!

Natasha went to the Amalfi coast two years ago and fell head over heels in love with everything that is Amalfi – the picture above was taken in the town of Positano, one of her favorite places in the world!

If there’s one thing the Amalfians (yes, that’s a made-up word) are obsessed about, it would undoubtedly be lemon. You can see it, you can taste it (did someone say Limoncello?), you can smell it in the air. Let the pictures below be the proof!

,l

And here’s a picture of Natasha, well-camouflaged amidst all things lemon thanks to her floral ZARA pants.

Now we’re both huge fans of Kate Spade and were beyond excited to see how Kate Spade was just as obsessed with lemons and Amalfi by the looks of her Spring collection. We love the display at Kate Spade’s ION Orchard store! We want everything on that table – where should we start – the hat, bag, Bambini bag, the shoes, cardigan, scarf, EVERYTHING!Kate Spade, why are your bags always so darn cute!

Ahhh the Fiat Bambino, quintessentially Italian.  This bag might be a bit tricky to carry, but it would make the cutest home decoration!

Some people think this lemon-shaped bag is a tad too much, but we don’t think so! How cute would it look with a summer dress or even capri pants and cute flats!We adore the straw bag below and the camera bag – soooo cute!!How cute is the bag and matching flip flops? Perfect for a weekend stroll! 

We think the lemon collection makes a perfect addition to our summer wardrobe, but you have to be quick, their bags are selling out very quickly! Psssst.. Just a quick tip, if the Kate Spade stores run out of your shoe size, you can try your luck at Robinsons on Orchard because they sell Keds for Kate Spade shoes there. 🙂