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Mediterranean Lust

October 14, 2012 by Regina Chow 1 Comment

Santorini

Europe is by far, our favourite holiday destination. Hopelessly drawn to the rich cultural heritage and picturesque scenery that each European city has to offer, we have been travelling to several parts of Europe year after year. However, one country that we have yet to cross out on our list is Greece. We have heard nothing but praises from friends who have visited Greece, and this would probably be our next holiday destination in 2013.

The top 3 islands that we intend to visit are Santorini, Mykonos and Kalymnos.

Santorini is probably no stranger to everyone, thanks to its signature white-washed buildings capped with bright blue roofs. In fact, Santorini is probably the first island that comes to mind when you think of Greece. Besides the fascinating architecture, Santorini’s breathtaking scenery and fantastic beaches (such as the Perissa as well as the black pebble beach Kamari) are sure to blow you away.

Mykonos

Mykonos is another popular tourist destination in Greece where the old and new coexist in perfect harmony. The streets are lined with quaint boutiques, clubs and cafes, and its gay friendly culture has seen the mushrooming of gay clubs and bars. Thankfully, strict building regulations have ensured that Mykonos retains its cultural heritage and character through its Cycladic architecture.

Kalymnos

Kalymnos is a lesser known Greek island among tourists, but it certainly needs no introduction to rock climbers. For those of you who have been reading my blog, you may be aware that JW is an avid (or shall I say hardcore) rock climber. Other than rockclimbing, Kalymnos is known for being one of the wealthiest Greek islands and its wealth in the olden times was largely attributed to sponge diving! Yes, before synthetic sponges were developed, people here dived to collect sponge for human use. To commemorate the importance of sponge to the Kalymnos community, a Sponge Week is held one week after Easter every year!

I wish I could curb my wanderlust or suppress my curiosity to venture into the unknown, but there are so many other islands in the Mediterranean that I would love to visit one day, such as Naples (Italy) and Ibiza (Spain). Instead of taking a plane to these islands, I might hop on a cruise for a completely different experience. Here are more ideas for Mediterranean cruises. This can be done in Greece too!

Credits: Information for this post was mainly obtained from Wikipedia.

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Chilly Days

October 13, 2012 by Regina Chow 2 Comments

Just when we thought Spring was here, we were all caught by surprise when the weather took a turn for the worst yesterday, with heavy rainfall and temperatures dipping way below 10 degrees. It was so chilly, it snowed in Blue Mountains!

Unpredictable weather changes call for an entire change of wardrobe. Hence, gone are the t-shirts and shorts. Instead, here I am, back in my fall/winter wear.

This dark green jumper from Japanese label Dip Drops is one of my favourite pieces for fall. It came as a set together with a coffee bean print blouse and is so easy to match. I’ve worn the set previously, but to refresh your memory, click on the link below to see what it looks like:

Schoolgirl vs Granny

JW bought this pair of black rimmed spectacles for me from a stationery shop at Leura. It is sooo cool because the spectacle frame is held by 2 black pens which rest perfectly on your ears just like a normal pair of specs. I’m going to bring this with me everywhere! It’s bound to be an excellent conversation starter. 😉

Jumper from Dip Drops

Mustard Cardigan from Singapore

Hat from Forever New

Garter stockings from Topshop

Shoes from Aldo

Glomesh bag from Vintage shop in Katoomba

While I continue praying for sunny days ahead, I hope everyone out there is enjoying their weekend so far! 🙂

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What’s in My Handbag?

October 11, 2012 by Regina Chow 3 Comments

Recently, I decided to reorganize the contents of handbag because it was getting way too heavy for my petite frame and I was starting to get backaches. You know how some girls like to bring their entire bedroom (excluding clothes) out with them? Erm, yes I was guilty of that.

So, after a massive cleanup, I thought I’d share what’s in my handbag now. I can do without a mobile phone (yes I’m serious!), but not without these. These are my absolute must-haves.

(Clockwise from top)

1) Watsons Baby Wipes – Singaporeans would exclaim at how “auntie” I am, but honestly, I can’t live without wet wipes! It cleans everything and this particular type that I have has the most amazing floral scent.

2) Chanel wallet – I am generally more accustomed to long wallets and have gone through a couple of Prada ones (I still use a long Prada wallet when I’m in Singapore) but this Chanel wallet is so compact and durable, I love using it when I’m overseas.

3) Blink Intensive Tears eyedrops – The climate in Australia is pretty dry, and since I use contact lenses, eye drops are a must for me.

4) Duo adhesive eyelash glue – I carry this around for emergency touch-ups as I usually have falsies on.

5) Loccitane Cherry Blossom Hand Cream – This was a gift from Felicia because she knew I can’t live without hand creams. I like the light texture, which absorbs into your skin instantly. Comes with a sweet cherry blossom scent too!

6) Jurlique Lavender Hand Cream – I carry 2 hand creams with me in case 1 runs out. I know, I think of everything! Haha. The Jurlique hand cream is richer than the Loccitane one. It’s my holy grail, especially during the cold and dry winter months. It’s probably the best hand cream I’ve ever used and I’m planning to buy another tube soon.

7) Lucas Pawpaw Ointment – This is one of the best multipurpose balms that you can ever find. I use this as a lipbalm because my lips are perpetually chapped but this works as an ointment for boils, burns, chafing, cuts, cracked skin, gravel, rash, splinters, open wounds, insect bites and nappy rash. Yes I just copied that off the back of the tube. I’ve actually tried it on cracked skin and it works!

8) MAC Angel Lipstick – I hardly use lipsticks but I carry two around just in case I need that extra perk-me-up on days when I’m tired. This is my favourite nude lipstick as the pinkish undertones ensure that I don’t look pale and sickly.

9) YSL Rouge Volupte #8 – This is a creamy blue-based pink hue with an opaque finish that glides onto your lips effortlessly. I like that it is highly pigmented and one stroke is all you need. The Rouge Volupte range has a very creamy formula which keeps your lips moisturized the entire day. The colour also stays so incredibly well that there are times when I don’t need to touch up even after a meal. I use this on days when I want a stronger lip to lend a touch of colour to my face.

This is what it looks like on me (I dabbed on the lipstick instead for a more sheer finish):

Hope you enjoyed this post! 🙂

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Coffee and Snacks at Common Ground Cafe

October 10, 2012 by Regina Chow No Comments

Tucked in the corner along the streets of Katoomba is a gem of a cafe waiting to be unraveled.

I’ve heard so much about the beautiful decor of Common Ground Cafe from JW and friends. Coupled with the fact that it is ranked #2 on Tripadvisor’s list of restaurants in Katoomba, it was only natural that I had high expectations of this cafe.

And now for the moment of truth. I was enthralled by my surroundings the moment I stepped foot in this cozy cafe. The rustic decor and folk music wafting through the air reminded me of the set of Lord of the Rings. At that instant, we felt almost like hobbits returning to our humble abode!

We were led to a corner seat by one of the friendly owners (this cafe was set up by a group of friends). The story behind the setting up of this cafe is a meaningful one. The owners envisioned the cafe to be a place where human beings can all see beyond our own differences (wealth, rank etc.) into the hearts of others and eventually find a common ground where our hearts can find peace.

A common misconception that most people have about this place is that it is a Christian cafe. Instead, this cafe is operated by members of a Messianic community called The Twelve Tribes (they believe in Jesus too). Some articles claim that it is a cult that advocates female submission and disciplining children with canes, but from the looks of it, the people here seem more peace-loving and kind than anything else.

For those of us who grew up in Asian societies, didn’t your parents use the cane on you when you were young? I for one, remember my mum using it on my brother and I when we were naughty, and while I don’t endorse this method of disciplining a child, I knew my mum did it entirely out of good intentions. Caning and lectures usually went hand in hand. But at the end of the day, I guess what matters is that both my brother and I turned out well! 😉

The food here is lovingly made with wholesome ingredients. I had the cheese and tomato melt (A$5.00) while JW had the BBQ Chicken Burger (A$11.50). All in all, I would say the food is very reasonably priced, tasty and not to mention healthy!

According to JW, who’s now a hardcore coffee addict, the coffee here is the best he has tried thus far in the Sydney and Blue Mountains region. So coffee lovers, now you know where to go.

We liked the cafe so much that we took Felicia there on our next trip during the Leura Festival. More on that in a separate post. 😉

Remember to visit this quaint cafe if you’re planning to visit Katoomba at the Blue Mountains. It’s certainly an experience that you’ll never forget. 😉

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Center/Middle Parting Hairstyles

October 9, 2012 by Regina Chow No Comments

The last time I had center parting was probably in secondary school, which was a gazillion years ago (don’t remind me please). Since then, I’ve either gone for bangs or a side fringe. I like bangs but they are a pain to maintain. On the other hand, the side fringe suits practically any face shape but it is so common that every other girl on the street sports the same hairstyle.

If you haven’t already realized, I’ve been blogging about hairstyles more often than ever. Reason being I’ve been meaning to revamp mine after growing it out. I haven’t cut, straightened or permed my hair in the past year and the last time I dyed my hair was about 8 months ago!

Excuse my sleepy face..this was taken at 7am.

Recently, I started experimenting with the center parting style again and I must say I like it more than I thought I would. I might just try out center parting for a while now, but I’m not quite sure if I should pair that with straight or wavy/curly hair so I’ve been hoping to draw some inspiration from celebrities.

Wavy/Curly Hair

Heather Graham

Mischa Barton

Sienna Miller

Blake Lively

Kim Kardashian

Jennifer Love Hewitt

Hyuna

Angelababy

Straight Hair

Leighton Meester

Olivia Palermo

Heidi Klum

Gwyneth Paltrow

I personally like the wavy hair on Angelababy(although with a face like that, she can be bald and still look gorgeous) and Hyuna but Leighton Meester and Olivia Palermo look great with straight hair too!

What about you? Which styles do you prefer? 🙂

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What do your dreams tell you?

October 8, 2012 by Regina Chow No Comments

Today’s post is totally out of character for me because I usually write about my outfits, fashion, food and travels. But I’ve been getting strange dreams recently and I thought I should document one of my strangest ones. Do you get strange dreams too?

By strange, I don’t mean frightening and ominous dreams. On the contrary, my dreams are so silly and hilarious (bordering on retarded actually), JW takes every opportunity to poke fun at me.

I guess getting abused is part and parcel of marriage. -_-“”

Anyway, you are about to read about my strangest and dumbest dream ever.

I dreamt that JW came into the bedroom one day and changed me into a cocoon. What sorcery is this?!

How he did that escaped me entirely. And why? I have no idea. I hate caterpillars by the way.

The only good
thing about the dream was unlike this cute cartoon cocoon, I wasn’t
dangling on the branch. I was nestled comfortably under the sheets in
the comfort of my bed.

I believe in Sigmund Freud’s theory that dreams are a reflection of your greatest desires and fears. I definitely don’t have a desire to be a caterpillar, but I am very afraid of caterpillars in real life, so I guess it is true that it is a manifestation of one my greatest fears.

So anyway, after like 5 minutes or so (I’m talking nonsense cos I obviously can’t remember haha), I became a caterpillar! JW wasn’t there and I can’t remember what I looked like but if I ever become a caterpillar, I want to be cute like this.

Don’t judge me.

After another 5 minutes, I started becoming bigger. At that point, JW walked into the bedroom and I exclaimed, “I am about to be a butterfly!!”

IKR, this butterfly is so me.

Just as I was looking forward to becoming a butterfly (I like butterflies cos they’re pretty creatures – don’t judge meee..I know many of you feel the same!), I felt someone poking me on my shoulder, asking me to wake up. That was JW.

So there, he completely shattered my dreams of becoming a butterfly. When I told him, he felt no remorse at all and instead, proceeded to laugh his head off. :S

Felicia shared this dreams interpretation website with me and it has proven to be accurate for her thus far. If you’re interested, the website is Dream Moods.

I don’t usually check out what my dreams mean because I don’t remember them and even if I do, I just can’t be bothered to because they are so insignificant.

This time, just for the fun of it, I decided to check out the meaning of my dream.

Dreaming of Butterflies:

To
see a butterfly in your dream signifies longevity, creativity, romance,
joy and spirituality. You may be experiencing a new way of thinking. Or
you are undergoing some sort of transformation. Alternatively, a
butterfly refers to your need to settle down. You are lacking focus in
your life. You tend to be flighty and jump from one thing to another.
Also consider the term “social butterfly” to describe someone who is
popular and outgoing. Perhaps you need to be more outgoing.

Dreaming of Caterpillars:

To see a caterpillar in your dream signifies a stage in your own personal growth and development where you are on your way, but have not yet reached your goal.

So yes, aside from how stupid my dream sounds, the interpretation is pretty spot on. After losing two good friends last year, I have adopted a much more relaxed and positive attitude towards life. Things that used to bug me don’t bug me anymore. I feel that I see things in a different light from before and am more caring to the people that I care about. There remain many areas that I can continue to improve on, hence it is true that I have not attained my spiritual goals.

I want to be less selfish and more giving. I want to be less judgmental and more understanding. More importantly, I want to be able to put a smile on everyone’s face everyday, and to be able to see the qualities in every individual as well as acknowledge how we all contribute to make this universe a better place in our own little ways.

I’m sorry that what was meant to be a funny post ended up on such a serious note instead, but thanks for reading nevertheless! 🙂

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How to create a Hair Bow Half Updo

October 7, 2012 by Regina Chow 3 Comments

You can probably think of this post as a continuation of my “How to create a Hair Bump (without hairclips)” post. I love half updos, and this time, I drew inspiration from Pinterest yet again on how to create a hair bow.

I thought I would share this tutorial with everyone because it really works and is incredibly easy to pick up! All you need is a clear elastic band and some bobby pins. 😉

Credits: http://blog.hairandmakeupbysteph.com/2012/07/how-to-hair-bow.html

The amazing thing about Pinterest is the wealth of information and pictures that you have access. There’s something for everyone, regardless of where your area of interest lies, be it fashion, interior design, photography, food, inspirational quotes or hair and make-up.

The list goes on!

You can also click on the links below to follow me on:

Facebook

Twitter

Have a wonderful Sunday!

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Going Casual at Katoomba Falls

October 6, 2012 by Regina Chow 5 Comments

Yesterday was a terribly sunny day and the temperature actually soared past 30 degrees at some points. I felt like I was back in Singapore! I checked the weather forecast in advance (forecasts here are very accurate by the way) and dressed accordingly for our day at the Blue Mountains.

T-shirt from Valleygirl

Jacket from Dotti

Vintage tie-dye denim shorts from Glebe Flea Market

Nike shoes

Louis Vuitton Idylle Speedy

I’ve had enough of bushwalks, hence the main purpose of this trip was to try out the cafes and take in the beautiful sights – Katoomba Falls in this case.

Gorgeous isn’t it? It can be viewed either from a distance or up close depending on the trail that you take.

Either way, not much walking is required, which is ideal for lazy people like me!

Hope you’re enjoying your weekend so far!

For those of you who live in Australia, remember to adjust your clocks and watches before bedtime tonight! Daylight savings will kick in on Sunday at 2a.m. sharp. 😉

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My Top 3 Picks for Food and Desserts in Sydney

October 5, 2012 by Regina Chow 4 Comments

The food in Sydney is wonderful in general, but if I had to pick my top three favourites, Bills would most certainly take the number one spot.

I have been to Bills on countless occasions and they’ve never failed to impress with their all-day breakfast. Karen is a huge fan of pancakes, hence the moment she arrived in Sydney, we whisked her off to Bills’ Darlinghurst branch for their delectable ricotta hotcakes. We were not only the earliest, but also the only customers there at 7.30 a.m. on a weekend!

It was such a joy to savour these pipping hot fluffy hotcakes topped with honeycomb butter and maple syrup, especially on a chilly Saturday morning.

Just last week, JW and I headed there again, with the aim of trying another popular item on the breakfast menu, the sweetcorn fritters. Crunchy on the outside and bursting with flavours on the inside, the corn fritters are fried to golden perfection and so delicious they leave you wanting more! I wish I could have packed some back to Singapore for Karen because both of us are hopelessly in love with corn fritters. This is one dish that cafes in Singapore should put on their menu!

My second favourite is probably Jeans Chilli Chicken at Eastwood.

A delightful yet potent concoction of spicy chicken and melted cheese, this is one of the most interesting dishes that I’ve tried. Accompanied by a hint of sweetness amidst all the spiciness, I love the crunchy texture of the chicken and the thick stretchy layer of cheese.

My stomach can’t handle spiciness very well, but after mixing the chicken with rice and moulding them into little rice balls, I can eat a few of these at one go!

Please excuse JW’s serial killer expression here. Even I find it slightly disturbing.

Finally, my favourite dessert place in Sydney is Adriano Zumbo Pattisier at The Star.

The chef Adriano Zumbo, of Masterchef fame, is the genius behind Zumbarons. For the uninitiated, Zumbarons are the chef’s unique rendition of macarons. These Zumbarons come in the most unusual and unexpected flavours, such as salted butter popcorn, pancake and maple syrup, and peach ice tea, just to name a few.

Unlike its saccharine sweet counterparts, the savoury flavours like salted butter popcorn as well as pancake and maple syrup are what set these lovely confections apart. These two flavours are a breath of fresh air and definitely my favourite of the lot. To me, Zumbarons are perhaps more similar to molecular gastronomy. To be able to taste salted butter popcorn or pancake and maple syrup with each bite is just absolutely amazing! This gets 2 thumbs up from me!

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How to create a Hair Bump (without hairclips!)

October 4, 2012 by Regina Chow 2 Comments

I have been growing out my hair for a while now and it has finally grown past my shoulders! I had permed hair for years (even when my hair was short, I did body perms) and I’m really not used to styling straight hair. In fact, I’m contemplating perming it soon. Straight hair is so flat and limp, which irks me, but at the same time, it has proven to be completely hassle-free. Decisions decisions…

Anyway, besides braiding my hair and tying it up into a pony tail, I’m going to show you my go-to hairstyle on lazy days when I still want to look sufficiently groomed. It’s a half updo which involves a hair bump. I actually learnt how to create a hair bump without using any hair clips at all through this tutorial on Pinterest and it’s such a life-saver!

Are you on Pinterest too? 🙂

I posted the link to this tutorial previously, but for your easy reference, I thought I’ll just post the pictures here (including other easy-to-do styles too). 🙂 For the half updo hair bump style, refer to the last 5 pictures below!

Note: I use clear elastic bands instead of thicker rubber bands shown. They’re softer and make styling so much easier.

Source: cdn.duitang.com via Regina on Pinterest

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About Me

Hi! My name is Regina and I am a style, beauty and travel enthusiast who enjoys writing, photography and letting my creative juices flow.

My blogging journey has been nothing short of exciting. I was recently named the winner of Her World Magazine’s Estee Lauder Style Superstar Awards 2016. My blog was also awarded Best Fashion Blog (Grand Winner) at the Singapore Blog Awards 2014. The year before that, it won Best Online Shopping Blog at the Singapore Blog Awards 2013.

Additionally, it is listed as one of the 10 interesting blogs on Singapore by AsiaWeb Direct (http://www-singapore.com/blogs.htm). I was also featured on both local and international mainstream media for my views on style, fashion and online shopping:

The Straits Times (14 Oct 2014)

The Business Times (14 Oct 2014)

My Paper (13 Oct 2014)

CNBC ("Pricey Singapore: Savvy shoppers go online" - 28 Dec 2014)

For advertorials/partnerships, feel free to contact me at regina.chow@gmail.com.

Thank you!

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