Chanel Le Vernis Peridot

It seems like a recurring occurrence that I'm always drawn to Chanel Autumn Winter's makeup collection. Their A/W seems to always have more dramatic colours that's eye popping compared to the standard candy-coloured Spring Summer fair. Last A/W10, the greige colour, Particuliere, got me hooked with its sophisticated tone that goes with most outfit. It was awesome. This A/W, the Peridot is simply the winner!

Chanel's chief make up artist Peter Philips said this A/W, the nails play a role as an important accessories. Thus the dramatic color. All three A/W nail colours come in metallic hues and the other two are in gray (Graphite) and brown (Quartz). Peridot stands out with its unique colour and was sold out awhile back with everyone trying to get their hands on it. Good news is, if you're keen, it's back in stock now (at least at the Takashimaya counter. Grab it while it's still available).

The metallic green/yellow hue (with a hint of blue) got its inspiration from the lush iridescent peacock's plume. The colour looks a bit different in different angles and it sits well even for those with slightly sallow skin tone. The yellow tint appears more as a golden colour. It's definitely an interesting colour to wear.

One thing to note though: Keep your nails short with metallic colours! Or risk looking 80s and tacky! In fact, I've always been an advocate of having short and trim nails because way too long nails are simply garish and unrefined. It's never about how long you can grow your nails but how polished and well kept they are. Human beings should have nails, not talons like birds!

It paints well too. Better, compared to the other solid colours cos metallic polishes always spread better and less streaky. So that's definitely a plus point! LOVE it!

Gunther's

I'm about to tell you I've just tasted the best thing I've ever tasted in my entire life and I'm not exaggerating one bit.

Over the weekend, the boy whisked me away to Gunther's, a contemporary French restaurant (strangely with a German name), at Purvis Street. For our "Fancy Date Night", we'd go explore new fine dining places and the dressing up for it is the fun part where I get to glam up and wear stuff I don't get to wear daily. It was green Herve Leger bandage dress,  YSL Arty ring and bangle, Louboutin Bianca and my 2.55 accordion for Gunther's. The boy got to debut his spanking new Louboutin Alfie. And no, I've got nothing to do with his Louboutin purchase cos he just went into the shop one day with me and happily walked out with the suede Alfie all by himself.

Sorry I'm horribly camera shy. But this is a rare chance I could

wear both the arty ring and bangle together cos in the day

the combi would look too OTT

Now back to Gunther's. The deco was basic with dark walls and an art museum feel, nothing to shout about but nothing to complain either. Despite being a contemporary French fair, they take the traditional approach by presenting you with a tray full of their daily fresh food offerings filled with fish, lobster, rare veggies and exotic offerings like sea urchins, giant bamboo clams from Scotland and pigeon from not-sure-where in France.

Honestly, I would rather do without it because the Maitre d' would come by and introduce the fresh produce one by one while flinging a live moving lobster in front of you to demonstrate its freshness. I felt horrible when the lobster was shoved in my view because it had a look that said "Help! Don't eat me! Let me go!". I experienced a moment of carnivore guilt because while I'm mostly vegetarian and try to be as vegan as I can, I would indulge in a good meal and forget about being vegetarian once in awhile when I go for my Fancy Date dinner. Having a live lobster and fish in front of me really wasn't too pleasant and I had to kindly ask them to keep it away from me!

Anyway, for the starter, I ordered the fresh giant Artichoke (my favorite veggie) in carpaccio style laced with fresh mushroom and its sauce and a bit of jamon iberico just enough to give it an extra flavour. It's ridiculously good and definitely tasted a hell lot better than I expected.

 

Then came Gunther's signature dish, the Cold Angle Hair Pasta with Caviar and this is the best thing I've ever tasted in my life. No joke, it's so impossibly good that I had a major "gastro-rgasm". Yes, the eyes-rolled-back-and-moaned-in-pleasure kind of food orgasm. I've died and gone to food heaven.

I've had the privilege of trying many great awesome food in top grade restaurants including some with Michelin stars but this dish totally takes the cake hands down.  It trumps even white truffles which I'm obsessed with. The cappellini pasta was perfectly al dente and it's served with a chive and truffle-infused sauce and a very generous serving of caviar. It's served chilled on a cold plate too. I'm definitely coming back for more despite the hefty $60 price tag. I simply couldn't have enough of it and I've been thinking about it all the time since. It's so good that the guy next table said "Oh my god, I'm so coming back tomorrow for this" the moment he had his first bite. Let's just say this really is divine and if you need proof that there's magic, this dish is it.

For the main, since I allow myself carnivorous treat, I would go all out and ordered a steak. The boy and I ordered the Cote de Boeuf Flame. It serves two so you would need someone to have it with you. It's done medium rare and they'll flame it with cognac in front of you before taking it back to cut it up and serve it to you. 

This, however, was not on par to what I expected of Gunther's. Yes, it's a lean cut but I expected softer meat with more flavour. The boy liked it though because it's very well cut and all but we both agree that it's nothing compared to the angle hair pasta. The next time, we would order the pasta and many hor d'oeuvre instead. 

Dessert was Chocolate Fondant for me and Apple Tart for the boy. The Apple Tart is another signature of Gunther's and yes, it's the better one. The fact that you didn't see the photo of the apple tart means that it was quickly attacked, leaving no time for a quick snapshot of it. The Chocolate Fondant was made with dark chocolate with a molten core. Just the way I like it but I still prefer the Apple Tart for sure. Next time definitely!

So here you got it. The best dish I've ever eaten in my entire life and you should definitely give Gunther's a try and if you do, you MUST order the cold angel hair pasta!

Breakfast at Tiffany's?

So Coco Chanel pioneered the Little Black Dress but if I must pick someone who iconized the LBD, Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's surely took the cake. Hands down.

Despite the somewhat floozy character of Holly Golightly in the classic film, she had got some serious chops in the style department. Well, it's Audrey Hepburn after all. Everyone loved and still loves her and she's undoubtedly one of my biggest idols. Elegance and grace personified. Boy, have I not mentioned enough that I LOVE the 60s?

Now to create the Holly Golightly style, the trademark tiara, Givenchy LBD , gloves, pearls and cigarette holder wouldn't suffice. You'll need that glamorous kittenish makeup to look the part and here is a really kick-ass makeup tutorial I found that would greatly benefit your transformation into Holly Golightly.

The before and after speak volume. So much that for a normally fuss-free daily makeup person that I am (my daily routine is a mere 5 to 7 minutes of concealer, a dust of powder and a hint of blusher), I'm so tempted to wake up half an hour earlier just to rock this look.

Excuse me, are you a Consultant?

For awhile, there seems to have an influx of the consultant professionals with every damn person saying that they're in the consultancy business. You're cool if your job title screams "Consultant". I've seen many proudly introduce themselves as "consultants" with a smug face that hints superiority of some sort.

Yes, there are some really awesome consultants who have got some real chops but these days, I'm seeing more and more young early 20s babies citing their job title as "Consultant" when they, in fact, don't hold a proper job and are well, unemployed or starting their own little business adventure.

If you have a couple of years of work experience and a proper job as a real consultant in an established consultancy firm, then yes, you're a consultant! I also have no problem is you're say 22 and dishing out advice and strategies on things you've been doing since say 5 years old. Case in point, athletes or professional dancers who're coaching the younger ones. But if you're a mere 22-year-old, fresh off the school brat who's not working in company (or self-employed), I doubt your consulting prowess. Especially those who're a business consultant by the merit of just having a spanking new business degree. Those are really a dime a dozen. You're 22, how much life experience have you got to make you a credible consultant? If it's high school cat fight advice I'm after, then yes, you can be my consultant......

I'm just ranting away....having seen a 21-year-old cites herself as a "Consultant" in some gloss mag because she's about to start her own business....

Move like Jagger, Age like Jagger

First you've heard "Move Like Jagger" and now you can also Age Like Jagger.....Why the hell not when this 68-year-old rocker is fit like a fiddler and with a 28-inch waist to boot?

Recently flaunting his trim bod and waist in his trademark pink suit iconic of his early Rolling Stones days, the coolest grandpa in the world celebrated his 68th birthday and proved that he's definitely still got it. Apart from the ability to pull of an otherwise tacky pink suit with much gusto, below is evidenct that his fit physique can easily put men half his age to shame.

According to the Daily Mail, if you want to Age Like Jagger, you need an anti-aging ammunition of expensive face creams, organic food, avocado and ballet lessons. Yes, you read it, ballet lessons cos that is how Sir Jagger gets fit and keeps his swagger. Here's a summary of his best kept secrets:

• Work out. No short cut to this one, but Sir Jagger is a fitness fanatic since he early days and runs 8 miles a day...long-distance runner of his age is extra sexy. It keeps the mojo high
• Personal training and ballet lessons. Yes he takes ballet, yoga and pilates for balance
• Organic food and tiny portion. A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips darling
• Lots of avocado. The treasure trove of good fat and nutrition
• No smoking, drinking and doping. Yes, his wild days of psychedelic drugs are over
• Hitting dreamland by 11pm
• Creme de la Mar, Le Prairie Caviar cream, Prescriptive Super Flight Cream, stash from Clarins and Lancome and some secret mask called The Lift (now it's my mission to uncover what that is)
• Multi-Vitamins, Cod Liver Oil, Ginseng and Gingko Biloba 
• Hot girl friend
• Young friends to hang out with. He supposedly bans old peeps in his circle of friends...

Looks like I'll have to adopt some of his strategies...maybe with the help of a botox jab or two to keep my Jagger Swagger! After all, he is the one man I would want to be if I were given the choice to be any man. 

Notable Quotable

"The most beautiful people are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity and an understanding of life that fill them compassion, gentleness and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen."

---Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Psychiatrist 

Moleskine Madness

My relationship with the Moleskine notebook dates back to when I just started my first job or so....yes, close to a decade of inking memories in these classic notebooks. Who can resist the sleek leather cover and its legion of famous Moleskine devotees like Oscar Wilde, Hemingway, van Gogh, Picasso and Matisse? So when Moleskine started doing pens and other stationery, I just have to get the roller pen. You can't deny my good old faithful notebook of a sidekick can you?

At $27 a pop, it's steep for just a simple plastic roller pen with gel ink. But package it with a sleek design and slap on the Moleskine name, resistance is futile. Especially when there is a little click-on cap built in for slotting it stylishly on the good old Moleskine.

A portion of my old Moleskin notebooks int he background, all filled with colorful memories

Only that buyer's regret came when I admitted to myself it's really just a plain black plastic roller pen with a sleek design and brand name. One that I wouldn't pay more than $8 for if not for the fancy Moleskine name. And mind you, the Moleskine brand name is nowhere to be found on the pen. The only merit is that it clips on nicely on the side of my Moleskine...I guess that's worth the other $19 bucks.

The Sixties Music Legacy

It took the new Maroon 5's song "Move Like Jagger" to have me proclaimed that, in my book, the 60s is music's golden era where many musical legends of different genres left their imprints in history. Move Like Jagger admittedly is an ear worm I shamelessly put it on repeat but it will take more than a tattooed modern day topless rocker in nut-crushing tight pants to trump the real 60s legends.

Mick Jagger & The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Doors, Led Zepplin, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, and so many more that carpal tunnel would be induced if I type out every music legends of that era. You get the drift. It's Rock and Roll baby! It's Rock and Roll! Musos of the 60s, dead or alive, are irreplaceable. No doubt about it. Exhibit A: Just look at these clips of Jagger that has probably inspired Levine's song.



Bad boy rockers, screaming, crying fainting fans, genuine musical talents and great showmanship (stoned to the skull no less, just look at Jagger's glazed out eyes from dope). The allure of the 60s simply can't be replicated by our noughties music world peppered by the likes of Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber whose biggest talents are probably getting caught smoking dope. It's easy to see why we have't got that many real legends these days.

That said, the musos of the swinging 60s had an advantageous head start with the 60s being nothing less of a cacophony of inter-cultural and political mishmash across the globe. Cue in Vietnam War, herald African American civil rights, introduce feminism, swallow in the psychedelic drugs, propagate free love and you get a perfect creative backdrop for hatching up music that influences this era of social and cultural evolution.

So maybe, just maybe, it'll take another round of social evolution or a couple of Bed-In for peace protests ala John and Yoko to catalyze some good music that actually lives on.

John Lennon & Yoko Uno at the Bed-In Protest

I love this so much I have a t-shirt with this picture

But meanwhile, Levine can only move like Jagger because clearly, he is definitely no Mick Jagger.

It's Potent!

There is a big shoe to fill when you name an eye cream "It's Potent!". Not just "It's Potent" but it's "It's Potent!" with an exclamation mark that is.

Finishing a jar of eye cream can take forever especially if you have rich ones that only need a tiny dab each application. Value for money aside, it gets annoying at times when you're caught between wanting to try new products and finishing what you have. I was overjoyed when I finally emptied out the last bit of my previous eye cream (Estee Lauder Advance Night Repair Eye Cream). And hello It's Potent! by Benefit!

The awesome packaging has drawn me to the Benefit skincare range some months back when it was first launched. But the fact that the brand is better known for their makeup stopped me from getting their skincare range. Then a friend gave me a jar of It's Potent! Eye Cream (and the cleanser too, which I would write about another time) and I was so glad, especially when my friend and celebrity make up artist Clarence Lee said the cream has a lovely texture and doesn't leave any sticky after feel.

And Clarence was spot on. The texture is lovely. Light and spreads well to be quickly absorbed into the skin without any stickiness. In my book, that's half the battle won. Now what about the formula? Promising. It's a brightening cream that's supposed to brighten up the eye area and fades dark circles, helps smooth fine lines and hydrates the eye area.

The cream contains burnet an ancient Chinese remedy to help soothe the skin, and a blend of hydrating botanical extracts to help boost collagen and protect the skin from free radical damage. It's also got peptide complex known to help restore elasticity and firmness to the skin. Then there's sodium hyaluronate, a powerful hydrating agent capable of holding up to 1000 times its weight in water. The whole hyaluronic acid thing is such a fan wank for skincare these days.

Two weeks of slathering the cream has resulted in some brightening effect. I think it does live up to the claim to a certain extend though I'm not sure about the fading fine lines bit. Let's just leave the fine lines to botox shall I say? My eyes feel hydrated although I would say the texture is on the light side. It's better for day use if you have dry skin like mine and  at night, I compensate by using more.

So yes, it's somewhat potent if it's good texture and brightening effect you're after. I'll give it 3.5 out of 5. Not too bad really. Oh by the way, it's cheaper to get it online, just so you know.

There is such a thing as Magic

I know he's been the talk of the town. You've probably watched the youtube clip, heard him sing and most likely had a tear or two welled up but I still would want to post this on my blog because it would be a shame if you miss Sung Bong Choi's performance.

Sung Bong Choi is truly inspirational. In these day and age where tragic news of human atrocities populate the media, he's definitely a bright ray of sunshine that serves as a reminder that there is such thing as magic. There are beautiful things in life after all.

His next competition is on 20 August 2011. I wonder if he'll be singing tunes by my favorite modern day muso composer Ennio Morricone like he did for his last two performances. I'm rooting for him to win and make it big!

The "Scent"imental Trail

I believe the very first spritz of perfume that landed on my skin was Diorissimo. A perennial favorite of my beloved late grandmother. One weekend afternoon, while we were getting ready to head out for our Sunday family day, she dispensed a spritz of Diorissmo on me. That very same innocent spray of ostensible lily of the valley ignited my insatiable hunger and passion for perfume.

It's the very same passion for fragrance that made me realize I have a highly sensitive nose that can detect different subtle scents in most perfumes. When I was young, I aspired to be a nose to create perfume but the dream was stubbed out by more practical academy pursuit and my mom's conclusion of me not being a nose material.

Fast forward 20 years or so, my mother was proven wrong during my stint in LVMH parfums. At a work trip in Paris, LVMH's nose Alberto Morillas (creator of FlowerbyKenzo) and I had a day sniffing scents in the lab while I impressed him with the ability to identify many raw scents. He pronounced that I have the olfactory prowess of a "Nose". Friends who have been on scent shopping trips with me would be amused and impressed by the fact that I could accurately sniff out and identify the different notes in a perfume. My friend Tessa could be my alibi as she looked at me with a ridiculous look with her eyes rolled back while I spelled out all the ingredients of the Balenciaga perfume when it was first launched.

Being "knighted" an amateur nose by a real nose has only fueled my love for perfume more and I couldn't walk past perfume counters without stopping by. Courtesy of my dad and grandma, I owned 3 bottles of perfume (Escape by Calvin Klein, Tresor by Lancome and Beautiful by Estee Lauder) at age 14, back when everyone in school were just starting to rub on "Smell Like Teen Spirit" deodorant (which brand was it again??). Right now, I unabashedly own more than 50 bottles of perfume.

My cream of the cults...all my cult perfumes I've amassed thus far

Perfume marks memories. Scents are known to be strong memory trigger. Chanel No.5 brings a cocoon of warm and fuzzy feeling to me as it was also worn by my late grandma. cKOne makes me miss my dad as I remember him rushing to the store to snag me a bottle after knowing I wanted one. Estee Lauder Pleasure will always remind me of my first real crush in Junior College, Brandon, as I sprayed the friendship bracelet I made him with its crisp peony notes. L'eau d'issey by Issey Miyaki was a signature of the post A-Level period while I held a holiday job in Esprit. Uni years were scented by Davidoff Cool Water. Creed's Spring Flower was bought in celebration of nabbing my first proper job. L by Gwen Stefani invokes happiness as it was worn during my holiday in Melbourne and Sydney with my buddies Dan and Jeremy. Some scents I can no longer wear as they stir up memories I'd rather forget like break ups and rough patches.

All these scents are the olfactory equivalent of marks on the totem pole of significant events in my life. My early 20s was characterized by a frenzy purchase of fragrance every now and then as the scent became "expired" by certain emotional associations. Now that I'm more grown up, stable, and comfortable in my own skin, I'm finally slowly down with the purchase. I've finally whittled down my staples to three winning scents which are my signature scents.

 The Signature Scents: Jo Malone Orange Blossom, Chloe by Chloe, Petite Cherie by Annick Goutal

So here they are, the three winning bottles: Petite Cherie made it here because of its olfactory merits with wonderful peach, jasmine and musk. All the breakups along the way (I first got it in 2004) didn't deter me from spritzing myself with it. Jo Malone is an emotional signature as my dad told me the scent reminds him of his childhood where breezes brought with them the heady scent of orange blossom and wearing it makes me feel closer to my milieu and my father. Chloe by Chloe is another olfactory treat bought during the time where I felt I'm, for once, comfortable in my own skin.

It does look like these three will be in my collection for the long haul.

YSL Arty

I can't stop gushing. With a ring and bangle as awesome as the YSL Arty, how could I not gush?

Forget about saving up for rainy days. I caved into temptation for good and bagged the YSL Arty Ring and Bangle. The best part? There's absolutely no buyer's regret here and that's when you know you bought something you truly feel 100% for.

The YSL Arty is the definitive icon for the range of YSL costume jewelry. Probably the most successful too with fans snatching up the ring the moment it was launched some years back and the clout of followings is still going strong. And with a stunning design as such, you can see why of course.

True to its name, the Arty is, well, very arty. I love it for the fact that it's a piece of art you can wear on your finger and the wow factor is immediate. So when my faithful YSL sales person whipped out the Arty bangle which just came into the store a couple of hours ago (which he so kindly reserved for me too...thanks Jackson!), it was a no brainer that I need to get them as a pair. Not to wear together as a set but as separates, though I do think with certain outfits, you can get away with wearing both without looking too gaudy.  The boy initially thought it was a bit OTT looking at the ring but he changed his mind and single-mindedly decided that it's a very stunning ring after seeing it on the finger....(I'm proud to say that my boy does have very good taste. After all, he is recently a proud owner of the Louboutin Alfie)

This is my all-time favorite piece hands down. And I'm determined to get it in turquoise and coral color too...once the stock comes in again...

Little Facts & Lessons About Work

It's been a decade. Yes, it's been 10 years and I can't believe I've been working for a decade. The tragic thing is, I think there're many more 10 years to come if I don't strike lottery soon.

Anyhow, here are some of the things I've learned, realized or figured out from my minion-hood about the working world....

• It is TRUE when I was told that working life is harder than school life
• Money isn't easy to make. It's fucking hard to earn. The so-called "financial independence" they told you about doesn't mean you'll have money to buy whatever you want, it simply means this: You're fucking off your parents' dole and you're on your own. You make whatever peanuts, pay your own bills, get into credit card debts, scrimp and save and get out of debt and hopefully still manage to save some for rainy days or for your old folks' home fund in the future
• When landing a job, it's never about how good you are even when you've got excellent track records in tow, it's very often about who you know and what connections you have. Sometimes it's about how good you look too. I know once that someone was hired cos "she's got nice hair"...yes, verbatim...shocking cos it's a corporate job, not some audition for hair model mind you. It's unfair. Not like you don't know anyway. Deal with it
• It's never about how hard you work. It's about making your boss and people THINK that you're fucking hardworking. Case in point: I have a colleague who stay late everyday but then I see her playing online games or surfing online shops all the time and my boss thinks she's fucking hardworking
• If you're stuck doing low mileage maximum effort project, you're fucked cos nobody would remember. If you can, always go get those that give you maximum mileage and recognition. Your colleague can get a bigger raise by doing one maximum mileage low effort shit while you do 10 low mileage maximum effort tasks. Get the idea?
• ALWAYS shout out what you've done. Yes, it might not be your (or my) style to broadcast every damn piece of work you've completed but trust me, you must make the whole damn world know what you've achieved no matter how small it is. Even shit like "Ohhh I've just finished sending an email" can do you good every now and then
• There will always be incompetent and imbecile bosses. But if you know how to manage the imbeciles, you can run the show. The trick is to "empower" useless bosses and do their stuff that they dunno how to do and they'll leave all the decisions to you while they go play their golf at lunch and go home after. Case in point: I have this useless mid 40s man boss who actually didn't know how to "Cut and Paste"...yes, no fucking kidding....and it was in 2009, not some typewriter Mad Men era
• When working with super control freak bosses who micro-manage, don't work so hard or put in too much effort or thoughts cos they'll change it anyway. They'll have to make changes even when it doesn't make a difference. So again, deal with it. They probably didn't get hugged enough when they were young and you need to forgive them for fucked up childhood
• There will ALWAYS be politics. Some worse, some not as bad but you've never really escaped high school. It's everywhere
• ALWAYS make yourself look really busy and in deep concentration. Even if it's just chatting with friends on MSN
• It's never quite okay to really be on MC because people will think you're just pretending even if you're so sick that you probably have one foot into the grave. Especially so if you're sick on Monday or Friday. I suggest fainting in front of boss if you're intending to take 2 or more days of MC cos it'll show the whole office you're sick. Bonus point if they call the ambulance
• There will always be bosses and evil drones who take your credit. Know how to fight for it. When making a brilliant suggestion you know they'll most likely steal, make sure you make it in front of the big boss or the Grand Poobah so they'll know it's your idea
• You can't be buddy and friends with everyone. Yes some friendships do blossom at workplace but best not to trust everyone unless they've proven to have your back. You never really know who your real enemies are...very dangerous
• Never get yourself involved in office politics. ALWAYS be neutral when someone asks you stuff about another person cos your words can be used against you to insinuate things. Eg. "Miss B also agrees that...." or "Miss B said...." So don't get yourself in that boobie trap
• Always be nice to everyone you work with, both within and outside of the company. You never know when you'll run into them, work with them, need their help or be interviewed by them again. Once a colleague was cocky and somewhat rude to a magazine newbie writer we worked with, and years later, the same writer became the editor. Nuff said
• Your idealism (and I say naivety) might make you think that money isn't everything and job satisfaction is more important. Well that's what I thought, but after getting the same job satisfaction of doing the same things in different companies and different settings (read: doing the same shit over and over or "same shit, different days"), I've come to realize money is MORE important...especially when a big bill land on your lap or when you see a pair of drool-worthy Louboutin or yummy Chanel bag you so longingly want to buy....Money matters. A HELL LOT. Unless you have a trust fund that is
• Promotion and recognition by merit, contribution and competence don't happen all the time. It happens sometimes if you're lucky but other times, it's about how many boots you lick and how many cocks you suck
• Very often, glamorous-looking jobs or companies have very un-glamorous pay.....trust me on that
• In many big organizations, you get retrenched not because their financials are in the reds but it's because they're not making enough money (thank god not my first hand experience...yet)...how disgusting? But yes it's true, their way of cooking the book the make their financials look good is to well, cook and kill their employees. Dog eat dog
• Loyalty is a scamp and hasn't got real value. You might pledge loyalty by staying with a company but they can axe you without blinking an eye. Case in point: a long-serving ex colleague who's super capable and hardworking said the wrong thing once and its his downfall and then he got axed one day. Stupid him cos he had a couple of good offers which he didn't take. See, what does loyalty bring you? Nothing much. Does loyalty pay your bill? Well, clearly it doesn't in this case
• George Orwell's Animal Farm is a very accurate reflection of the working world. The pigs run the world and the loyal ones are worked to death
• You're very dispensable and replaceable. Don't ever get tricked into thinking that you're so valuable cos when crunch time comes, you're nothing but a fucking number to your employer

Hmm...that's more or less....I'm sure there's more I can think of but I guess the salient points are there anyway. 

Notable Quotable

"Elegance is a physical quality. 
If a woman doesn’t have it naked, she’ll never have it clothed."

-- Karl Lagerfeld 

Kitty Chanel

Love the Chanel Autumn Winter 2011.....Hello kitty kitty! Mir Bond would approve of this....

Diptyque Philosykos

A friend once remarked "B, you have enough perfume to set up a shop, would you die if you stop buying perfume?!"....well, the answer is "Erm...well, yes"....and now I have a new muse. Yes, I'm kinda on a roll now with perfume.

The Diptyque Philosykos, is the latest addition to my repertoire of cult perfume collection and how I love this scent!!! I've always been a Diptyque fan and I've been regularly wearing Diptyque's L'Ombre dans L'eau for it's fresh mossy scent. Now, with the Philosykos, I have two lovely Diptyque fragrance that I totally adore.

I've always loved the smell of fig but I've yet to find one that I truly like. I've had other fig perfumes like the Jo Malone Fig & Cassis in the past but then Philosykos is my favorite. Developed by Diptyque's nose Olivia Giacobetti, Philosykos opens with a very fresh and green top note that's very chirpy, transparent and uplifting. An excellent alternative to citrus if you think citrus' freshness is too ubiquitous. The dry down then starts to develop into a milky green note of the fig sap that's got a warm toffee-like roundness with a slight hint of wood to it before settling down to a soothing milky base. Now this is the part that make the Philosykos a perfume you either hate or love because the milky base has a very light sweetness that smells just a wee bit like coconut. Not your strong Little India coconut, but that sweet warm milky ones that always reminds me of summer sun-tan lotion which I adore. So I absolutely love it while there are people (like Joanie!) who actually think the base note is too much for them. I, on the other hand, adore this cos I've always had a sweet tooth in my scent and I embrace a lot of perfumes that are classified under the "acquired taste" category :)

August Muse 2011

Ohhh August now and one more month before Bali....I can't wait! Meanwhile...here's August...

Reading: Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov...Yes, some couple of months ago, I said I was reading Lolita but I kinda stopped halfway cos I got kinda grossed out by all the lewd thoughts Humbert Humbert had in his head on a 12-year-old girl. It's disturbing so I stopped but then I picked it up again, bracing myself for more paedophilic perversity cos Nabokov's writing and language is just too good to miss. 

Listening to: "Conditions" by The Temper Trap....Love this Aussie band...not a new album but nice breezy tunes with a rocky edge. 

Watching: West is West by Andy de Emmony.....this is the sequel to East is East which was made more than a decade ago! I watched East is East while I was still in Uni and it took them 10 years to do a sequel! But this British Indie film kicks ass! I saw it on Saturday and I LOVE IT!!! It's so freaking funny but the poignant moments add so much depth to it. I had a tear in my eye at some scenes. If you love Indie films, this is a must-watch. 

Wearing: Cool Racer Back by Lululemon. Okay, I'm officially addicted to the Cool Racer Back cos it's so comfy with a very very flattering cut that actually makes me look skinnier and my arms toner. Nice cut too cos it's not too tight and it's perfect for workout and you can wear it to go out...I've got 3 and I wish I have one in every color. 

Using: Clarins Shaping Facial Lift....It promises the world by contouring your face and giving you shapelier profile...with my stupid face so damn prone to water retention (often making me look like a "Char Siew Bao"), I need this...I use it at night. Smells divine, awesome texture that gets absorbed quickly and it leaves skin soft. No complain! Dunno about the effects but at least I feel psychologically better and since it softens my skin and supposedly "detox" the skin, I'm in.

Miu Miu Butterfly Bow Bag in white....It's been all about Mulberry and Balenciaga for ages and I've neglected my first proper bag bought years ago. So out it came and I'm using my Miu Miu quite a bit. Still love it much! I think I gotta take it for some proper cleaning and servicing soon though...yes, you do need to bring your luxury bag to a bag beautician every now and then as part of the care regime. 

Eating: Lots of cherries! I LOVE cherries and it's my favorite fruit (I like white cherry more). I saw tons of it at the supermarket and I've been buying boxes after boxes nonstop (despite it being quite expensive at about $15 a box). Is it the season now or what? Dunno, don't care. I'm munching nonstop....

Loving: Jo Malone French Lime Blossom and Orange Blossom cologne. Oh so nice....Love Jo Malone cos it's exclusive and their perfumes don't smell like what every other person has on the street. I'm layering the French Lime Blossom with Jo Malone Grapefruit cologne for an extra burst of freshness while I wear my Orange Blossom neat most of the time. I think I would like to get the White Jasmine and Mint next. 

Lusting after: Still the Fujifilm X100. It's fucking awesome....Mr Bear has one and I get very annoyed when I play with it cos I want my own! The picture quality is just ridiculously good and really gives Leica a run for its money (a hell lot of it). Now you said I can just borrow it but it's not the same when it comes to shooting your own photos with someone else's camera. So MAYBE if I'm good, I MIGHT get mine end of the year....

Down the Rabbit Hole

I just had an awesome weekend with lots of laughter that ended with a lovely brunch at The White Rabbit. It was delish! White Rabbit has recently tweaked their Sunday brunch menu a bit and it's supposed to be better and slightly more affordable...that I dunno but I ordered the Truffle Mac & Cheese that is freaking yummy!!

The pasta is nicely al dente and the cheese is gonna make you not wanna have those nasty Craft Mac n Cheese from the box EVER. The white rabbit one has a truffle cheese sauce that is thick and super aromatic with bits of black truffle. It's really yummy but my only complaint is that I was expecting more truffle in the cheese sauce. I'm just being anal here cos I'm very very very hard to please when it comes to truffle since I'm a truffle connoisseur with exceptionally high standard. I swear I was a truffle pig in my previous life for sure...yeah, one who got shot for eating up all the truffles that is. Anyway, if you love your Mac & Cheese, the White Rabbit Truffle Mac & Cheese is to DIE-FOR!

Mr Bear, on the other hand, ordered a very healthy yogurt with fruits (yawn..I know!) which he swears was divine...and also a waffles to share too...

The waffles was good and it's got lots of berries, fresh cream and maple syrup...Waffles can't go wrong but I think the winning bit is that this one has very generous servings of fresh blueberry, raspberry and strawberry....But really, the Mac & Cheese is still THE bomb....super yummy....

And I'm a spoilt girl this weekend cos I had a nice "surprise"....

I got a Jo Malone French Lime Blossom perfume to add to my collection of Jo Malone stuff. I've been using the Orange Blossom perfume regularly and occasionally layering it with the Grapefruit perfume too and now I have the awesome French Lime Blossom which I think might be rivaling the Orange Blossom to be my favorite...

I seriously can't decide whether I like the Orange Blossom or French Lime Blossom more cos the former is such a romantic floral with nice citrus accent...while the latter has got a very very lovely white floral accord in its dry down....oh whatever, wear BOTH! Cos Jo Malone stuff is meant for you to layer and now these trios make pretty good layering combinations! Now that's something to take away the "Moan-day" blues....