Sunday, January 9, 2011

Fashion Unnecessary!!

Yes, I couldn't agree more what fellow reader/blogger, Connie's. comment. What differentiate my blog from rest of the fashion blog is that "my fashion constantly evolves with my life style". A stay home mom tries to keep up everything w/ what's going on in the world.  
Ah...sounds cliche? lol But seriously, it is not easy.

We are taking kids to Lake Tahoe next whole week w/ Irene's family. We avoid the crowd on Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday on 17th on purpose. I did way too much grocery shopping last week and I am trying to clean all the inventory in our fridge. You probably think I could store the food in the freezer and there is nothing to be bothered by. Well, I guess I could but I am really an eccentric that I hate the idea of "stock-up". ( I don't stock up my cosmetic product neither.) Overly stock up things and let it rot is as sinful as throw it away.  I despise a crowded freezer, fridge or even pantry so if we ever being locked up in our house, we would starve to death in less a week. lol.

My solutions to overflow grocery? ..... cook them! ^^ I did 4 dishes dinner and even made one dessert tonight.

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 Carrot, broccoli, tofu, asparagus...w/ oyster sauce vege stir fry!!

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My kids' favorite: Bean curd w/ sliced pork stir fry!

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Sweet Kung Pao chicken.

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Coconut shrimp. ( It is covered w/ shredded coconut not Panko-the bread crumb.) 

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Inspired by Banana Flambe the other day~~~ I decided to make myself one w/o the rum.

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Fried Banana w/ ice cream. (I know, the shape looks weird. But I am quite satisfied w/ the taste considering this is my first attempt.)

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DH can't believe I didn't share a bite w/ him... :P

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Ooh la la~~ 
(There are carrot, asparagus, tofu, broccoli, bean curd, pork, chicken, onion, shrimp.... and banana, you know how much cutting and cleaning being involved.)

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A little connoisseur of mom's cooking~ ^^

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"Cook's frying powder" is the magic ingredient behind a crispy banana batter.
Sos Plum (plum sauce) and the sweet garlic dipping sauce is what makes no-hassle sweet Kung Pao chicken. I am lazy to do the measurement of soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, wine, ketchup......today. 

What's my ODJ today?
(Yes, I cook w/ this whole ensemble ... oh, I did take off the gloves eventually while I need to get messy w/ fingers to rub those batter onto the chicken and shrimps.)
No worries, those clothes are past more than two or three seasons except the accessories. 

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The whole outfit is inspired by Bottega Veneta mesh fingerless gloves!

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1. Top:
Mesh tee 
Marc Jacobs blouse w/ revealed sleeves
2. Bottom:
cut slip wide leg pants (from England)
3. Accessory:
Anthro. big rose clip
Bottega Veneta mesh fingerless gloves
Brass bird cuff
4. Shoes:
Miu Miu black studded platform sandal

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I think the mesh made the rose looks..... prickly. Maybe?

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We lust for fashion unnecessarily but we inevitably need great food everyday! After done cooking, now I am indulging myself back in fashion again. ^O^
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Peter Som Mongolian Fur Muffler
I thought I'd never have the guts to wear this vibrant fur.....

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Halston Heritage
It seems "pleats" are a fun element this season.

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Valentino
This is the best look among all the fashion images. (IMO ^O^) Plus, I can rock my TOPSHOP shorts the whole summer again~~

We are leaving on Tue. and there are still a lot to COOK in our fridge.....I think I can pack lunch boxes on the way to Lake Tahoe. ^^

Have a good Monday!
xoxo Rachel 

Denim Heaven: Nick Verreos filming TV Guide Network's "The Fashion Team" at Levi's L.A. Showroom!!!


One Can Never Have Too Many Jeans...

Align CenterI Want That Pillow: Nick Verreos filming TV Guide Network's "The Fashion Team" Show, Levi's Showroom Los Angeles

This past week we filmed our latest--the first of 2011!-TV Guide Network "The Fashion Team" show, on location from the Levi's Showroom in Los Angeles. The Showroom is located in West Hollywood North of Sunset Blvd., in a fabulous Craftsman-style home. When you walk in it's like you're in DENIM HEAVEN!!!!

Denim Comes In Three: Lawrence Zarian, Jen rade and Nick Verreos, Levi's Showroom Los Angeles

And I was--along with my "Fashion Team" cohorts--stylist Jen Rade and host Lawrence Zarian. It wasn't very difficult to style myself the morning of the shoot while at home, since I basically have a entire section in my Walk-In Closet devoted to Levi's: I own SO MANY Levi's it's kind of RIDICULOUS:

Italian Levi's: Nick Verreos and fellow Project Runway Alumna, Season 6's Althea Harper while in Florence Italy Summer 2010 at the Polimoda Institute, wearing Levi's Super Skinny 510 jeans

Levi's Angels: Nick Verreos Hosts a Fashion Institute of Design & merchandising/FIDM event at their San Diego Campus, wearing Levi's Capital E Matchstick Slim Straight jeans

I have about TEN pairs--black, regular denim, Tiffany Blue (I know: Shut Up!) and... even a Kelly Green pair (Hello! What part of "Nick Loves Color" did you not understand?), plus, of course, several Levi's shirts and jackets. So, for the shoot, I got my zip-up band-collar Levi's Jacket out and my black Super Skinny 510's (My Fave!) and called it a day! (I threw in a Marc Jacobs dress shirt and an old Urban Outfitters knit tie for balance).

Looks Like My Closet: Neatly folded jeans at the Levi's Showroom Los Angeles

It was great fun being at the Levi's Showroom and PS: Those Showroom reps are SOOO CUTE!!! (sorry guys!). I also loved that they had their own Embroidery Machine (at first I thought it was some sort of a super-duper overlock/serger machine) and a steam/iron set-up right in the middle of the Showroom. Custom, well-pressed jeans possibly?

Embroidery Central: A View inside the Levi's Showroom Los Angeles

The Episode--in which we give our "Fashion Two Cents" on what celebs wore on New Year's Eve, as well as the first week of the new year--- premiered on Friday but you can still catch it:
Monday Jan 10 1:30PM, Wednesday Jan 12 1PM, and Friday Jan 14 6PM

For Now, You Can Watch Our "Most Unforgettable Red Carpet Fashion Moments of 2010" segment from TV Guide "The Fashion Team" TV Show:

Tag: 15 Random Facts About Me

I was given awards/tags by sugarbeauty♥ , Clever Rabbit and Jo over at Plymouth Barbie so to I decided to roll them all into one post.  Thanks so much guys for taking the time to give me a shout out on your blogs.  Your support means alot to me. 



With the acceptance of the award, you must follow these rules:

1 - Thank and link back to the person that awarded you this award
2 - Share 7 things about yourself
3 - Award/Tag other great bloggers
4 - Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award

The tag was 15 random facts about yourself and the awards involved sharing 7 things about yourself and answering some set questions.  I did a post similar to this one ages ago so some of the facts may be similar to what I said before but this will give my newer readers a bit more insight to what I'm like as a person.  So here goes nothing...
15 RANDOM FACTS ABOUT ME...

1) I'm always early for everything. I have a thing about time-keeping so I always think about what time I have to be somewhere, then count back to how long it takes me to get ready and whether I need to take extra time for ironing anything or making a phone call. I get really panicky if I’m late for anything. I think it just comes down to being very aware that everyone else’s time is as important as mine so I don’t like to keep people waiting.

2) I don't like most ‘rom-coms’. Despite me being very much a girly girl, I actually can’t stand most romantic films. They can be so cheesy and clichéd, I just can’t stomach them. There’s only been one I really liked in the past couple of years and that was He’s Just Not That Into You. I felt like that was a more intelligent film that questioned the way people think about relationships and commitment. I love the bit where Ben Affleck is at Jennifer Aniston's family home, after they broke up, helping her when her dad is ill when no one else is there to support her...that's a really nice representation of everyday romance.  Otherwise I’m addicted to mafia movies, war epics, true stories and thrillers. My favourite films include The Godfather trilogy, Casino, Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, Inception and American History X.

3) Me and my husband,Chris, met in a cheesy nightclub. You know when people say to you “you’ll never meet the guy of your dreams in a bar or nightclub!”. Total rubbish! There are NO rules about how and when you will meet that person. It wasn’t even a trendy, cool nightclub…it’s the local cheese-fest that everyone goes to when they’ve had a few too many and just want to have a dance. We were both drunk (him more than me.ha ha) and a lot of people ask why I gave my number to him when he asked. All I can say is that he was such a gentleman, even in his drunken state. He politely asked me if he could have my number so he could take me on a date the next night. I was so used to guys being sleazy and overly-forward in clubs that I was blown away by this handsome, genuine, sweet guy. So we went on a date the next night, had our first kiss at the end of the night and the rest is history!

4) I studied Computer Art at university. It’s hard when you are finishing up in high school, you have your grades and you are being pressurised to decide what you are going to do with your life. I thought about doing an English/Journalism degree but I changed my mind and decided to go with a bigger passion…art. I have always been into painting and drawing (to read more about this read this post). I saw an advert for a course which taught you how to design the visual and audio aspects of computer games. This included life drawing, animation, 3D graphics, digital sound and story boarding. I was in heaven! I loved the course. When I left university, I quickly realised that the job market for computer games design was extremely competitive and to be in with a shot of getting a job, I would have to move to London. At that point in my life, I wasn’t in a position to do that. However, I don’t regret doing the course because I loved every minute of it and it gave me the chance to be creative.

5) I have broken my arm three times. Let’s get one thing straight…I can be VERY clumsy! I used to do a lot of ice/speed skating and also rollerblading, I used to grind and everything…I wasn’t always so girly.lol. So I broke my arm twice rollerblading and once when I was ice skating.  That was probably the most pain I've ever experienced, together with apendicitis! It’s a major annoyance having to wear a cast, especially when you have to tie plastic bags around it to take a shower. Have you ever tried to wash your hair and body with one hand? Not easy! Ha ha.

6) I just can’t get into Twitter. I tried, I really did but I just don’t get it. To me it’s kinda disjointed and it’s just like loads of random Facebook status updates. I know a lot of people use it to notify people of their newest posts etc, but I also assumed that if people have subscribed to my blog, then they will see my new posts when they log into Blogger. I prefer to converse with people on their blogs because you get more out of it and be more free with your words. I’m sorry to anyone who’s addicted to Twitter but it’s just not for me.

7) I can’t master false lashes or curling hair with straighteners. I have tried and tried and tried again, but these two things elude me. I’ve attempted to apply false lashes many times and it either results in them peeling off at the corners OR I end up ripping them off in a tantrum and having to start my eye makeup again. Thank god for Revitalash and Loreal Renewal Serum! I have watched countless tutorials on curling your hair with GHD’s but I just can’t get my arm to bend that way when I’m doing the back! Argh!

8) I have slight OCD. Ok, so this hasn’t been officially diagnosed and I think most people have funny quirks or routines they have to do. I am just very particular about certain things. I can’t relax when things are messy and it even extends to when the coasters on the living room table aren’t lined up with the edges of the table. Yes I have a problem! Chris always moves them around to annoy me and when I pass them I can’t help but move them back! If I’m painting my nails and I smudge them, I have been known to remove it all and start again. I guess I’m just a perfectionist!

9) I am a very intense person. By this I mean that when I do something, I never do it by halves. If I love someone, I love them completely and passionately. If I start a hobby, I spend all my time perfecting it, researching it, etc. I spend a lot of time thinking about life in general and I’m very philosophical. I don’t have a HUGE group of friends because I feel like you need to give a lot to a friendship and I don’t want to spread myself thinly…if that makes sense? I would do anything for my friends and I’m very lucky to have a wonderful group of people who just make life better. I’m not the type of person to have loads of acquaintances and call them friends. I’m weird about music too because when I like a song, I play it on repeat for ages, then all of a sudden I get bored of it and don’t listen to it again for months.

10) I hate swimming in the sea. I don’t know if this stems from the Jaws films or just the fact that I have a fear of drowning but it scares the Bejesus outta me! If any seaweed or small fish or worse slip past my leg, I just freak out! I hate not being able to see what’s down there. It’s giving me the heeby jeebies just thinking of it.

11) I love change. I am the type of person who gets bored easily so I like the change things up a lot. I used to change the colour of my hair a lot when I was younger but I settled on blonde because it suits me best. I know I will never ever get a tattoo because within a week I would be bored of it and want to get it changed! I used to move my bedroom furniture around every month when I was a teenager too. Every time I did it, it felt refreshing in a way…not sure why?! I've chnged my blog template numerous times too.  Basically what I’m saying is that change doesn’t scare me, I welcome it and find it really exciting!

12) I hate it when people have a go about girl’s who wear makeup. I’ve heard so many people say “oh why do you feel the need to wear makeup all the time?” or “I don’t have to wear makeup but I guess if you’re that insecure and vain then you have to”. ARGHHHHHH! This really bugs me. I wear makeup because I like to make an effort to look nice, it’s fun to apply and I feel like I’m making the best of myself when I do wear it. I don’t think it’s vain to wear makeup at all. I like to feel pretty and maybe if these people spent more time focusing on themselves, then they wouldn’t feel the need to criticise everyone else.

13) I love cooking and baking. Ok, I love food in general. I love the way food can be so social and there’s nothing nicer than going out for a lovely meal with your partner, family or group of friends. It’s a universal thing. I love watching Nigella Lawson and I would love to be able to rustle up amazing dishes effortlessly. I also watched that film, Julie and Julia recently about the woman who decides to cook her way through "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" by Julia Child in a year and blogs about it.  I would love to do that although it would be tough work!  I am constantly trying out new recipes and Chris is happy to be my guinea pig. Luckily he has a very fast metabolism or he would be the size of a house by now!

14) I have the most eclectic music taste ever. If you were to take a peep at my iTunes library, you would find everything from Rihanna to Deadmau5 to Red Hot Chilli Peppers to Busta Rhymes to The Kinks to Nat King Cole to Jimi Hendrix.  I have linked each artist name to my favourite song by them if you want to have a listen! I listen to every type of music because I can appreciate every genre in it’s own right. I think people are really missing out when they only listen to one style of music. Music is an expressive art so it will appeal to you when you are in different moods or states of mind. Sometimes you’re happy, sometimes you’re sad and sometimes you want to dance. Whatever you’re mood, there’s a song that will speak to you. I couldn’t live without music, I listen to it every day and it can really inspire you.

15) I always keep lists. I have lists for everything because it helps me make sense of all the thoughts racing through my head. I’m constantly thinking of numerous things at any one time so writing it down helps me to organise my thoughts. I have training lists for the gym, shopping lists, lists of products I want to try, lists of blog post ideas. I actually keep a notepad in my bedside drawer as sometimes I think of stuff I have to do when I’m trying to get to sleep. I’ve been terrible lately and my mind is always racing as I lie there desperately trying to clear my mind. I feel that when I write all that stuff down, it clears my mind and then I can get to sleep effortlessly.

And on to the questions...

1. Favorite Colour?
There's alot of colours I like but I think turquoise has to be my favourite.  I love the turquoise stone jewellery you get in the summer time.
2. Favorite place to shop?
Hmmm, this is a tough one because I go to different shops for different things.  I do love Reiss and New Look at the moment though.  

3. Favorite ever holiday?
That has to be my honeymoon to Kuala Lumpur, Borneo and Hong Kong.  It was my first time in Malaysia and the culture there was so different to anything I had experienced before.  We were in 5 star hotels so it was a very luxurious holiday!

4. Favorite Food?
I have alot of favourite foods but if I had to choose one type, it would probably be italian.

5. Why blog?
I blog because I love cosmetics and hearing about how other people use them and also learning about other people's lives too.  As much as my blog is about the superficial nature of makeup, I've also tried to put across who I am as a person and what's important to me in my life.  I've tried to make sure that I always reply to my readers because without them, I couldn't blog.  Well, I could but no one would be reading it!lol.

6. Favorite Animal?
This has to be dogs.  I my love parent's dogs and the way they are so loyal and affectionate.  Me and Chris can't wait to get a couple of our own.

7. Favorite Film?
I listed my favourite films in the random facts above.

8. What colour is your room?
3 walls are a biscuit colour and the wall that the bed head is against is wallpapers in a really lovely deep gold patterned wallpaper.

9. Whats a great memory?
The day that Chris was supposed to pick me up for our second date, a meal at an Italian restaurant.  He turned up at my house 2 and a half hours before he had to pick me up because he had broken his phone and couldn't remember what time he said he would come get me.  I was makeup-less and horrified for him to see me like that and he was incredibly nervous having to meet my parents so soon!  He found out the agreed time, drove 17 miles back home, then turned up at the right time.  It was all very awkward but I was VERY impressed that he went to so much effort just to make sure he picked me up when he said he would.  No guy had ever made that much effort for me before.  I remember my mum saying "he's a keeper!".ha ha.

10. Whats your favorite MAC item?
Hmm, another tough question and if I'm going with my most used product from Mac then it would be Naked Lunch, Satin Taupe or Woodwinked e/s.  Oops that's three.lol.

I now tag:

FOTD and a Nars e/s Review

I went to the cinema last night with some friends to see Love And Other Drugs and I must say that it has definitely fuelled my well established crush on Jake Gyllenhaal! The fact that he spends most of the film semi-naked is worth the entry fee alone! ha ha.  I'm generally not a romcom kinda girl because more often than not, they are VERY corny but I made an exception for the delicious Jake.  This is more a drama mixed with romcom anyway as there are more serious points to the film relating to Parkinson's disease.


I wanted to try out a couple of new eyeshadows so I just did a quick neutral eye with a bit more depth to it.  Does anyone else notice when they take pictures of themselves for their blog that the photos seem to show up things you would never notice in the flesh?! For instance, I thought I had completely plucked under my brows, then on closer inspection of the photos I took, I noticed hairs remaining! Very annoying.  Plus the pics always seem to highlight the very slight blonde downy hair I have on my upper lip.  I blame the flash! lol.



Face: The Body Shop Tinted Glow Enhancer no.2, Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation (Fresco), Bobbi Brown Corrector (Light to Medium Bisque), Estee Lauder Maximum Cover Foundation in Light to Medium (used as a concealer), YSL Poudre Sur Mesure Semi Loose Powder Natural Radiance (Amber), Korres Monoi Oil Bronzing Powder (Sunglow Warm), Nars Deepthroat Blush, Nars Albatross Highlighter.


Eyes: Benefit Creaselss Cream Eyeshadow (Birthday Suit), Nars Nepal e/s (all over lid), Too Faced Honey Pot e/s on inner quarter of eye, Nars Albatross on browbone, Too Faced Cocoa Puff e/s on crease and outer half of eye, Estee Lauder Double Wear Eyeliner in Onyx (along top lashline), Nars Nightclubbing e/s along lashline, Benefit High Brow pencil (along waterline), Lancome Hypnose Precious Cells Mascara, Benefit Brows a-go-go Palette. 


Lips: Mac Shy Girl lipstick, Dior Addict Ultra Gloss (Satin Peach)

My eyelashes are mega long at the moment because I have started using Revitalash eyelash growth treatment again after taking a wee break for a month or so.  I have had the same tube for about a year and a half and it's still going! This stuff is amazing and it always makes my lashes grow really long, so much so that alot of people start asking if I'm wearing false lashes! I'm crap at putting false lashes so the next best thing is using this product and then I don't have to contend with lashes peeling off my eye or irritating me.  They just NEVER feel comfortable on my eyes, I'm so aware of them, I just want to rip them off.  Revitalash works great for me and it produces results really quickly when you apply it every night.  I usually notice alot of growth within about 10 days-2 weeks.  The fact that it lasts so long makes it worth the money.  The link above is for a website that is selling it at cut price, I'm assuming this is due to them having to compete with a few cheaper versions hitting the market.  I haven't noticed any weird side effects with this product so I am going to carry on using it.

I wanted to do something slightly different with my hair and I remembered I had my Babyliss braided headband in the drawer so I backcombed the crown slightly, popped the hairband on and pinned it in place with kirby pins.  You have to do that or the headband will keep sliding off...or maybe I just have a funny shaped head!


The new Nars eyeshadows I used were Nepal and Nightclubbing as detailed above.  Nepal is a rose shade with shimmer and Nightclubbing is black with gold pearls and is part of the Nightlife Collection. 


Nepal is a brilliant all over lid colour to act as a starting block for a more intense look or simply as an easy wash on colour for daytime.  It doesn't look spectacular in the pan but it has a lovely sheen to it when applied to the lid.  It's finely milled and looks smooth on the lid.  I wouldn't say it's as buttery as the Sleek eyeshadows but it's not overly powdery and doesn't have any gritty, glittery particles in it.


Nightclubbing is a super pigmented shade and you only need to dab your brush lightly in it to pick up the colour.  It almost has an olive green tone to it...I'm guessing since it has the gold particles in it and we all know that black and yellow mixed together creates olive/khaki tones.  It's an eyeshadow that plays tricks with your eyes and can look different depending on which angle you look at it.  The gold pearl really picks up the light when on your lid and it works really well when applied over eyeliner because it gives it extra dimension.  This would be amazing used as part of a heavier smokey eye because you hardly get any fall out.


I really like both of these eyeshadows and they are both very easy to use, easy to blend and very flattering.  I wore the Nars nail polish in Full Metal Jacket (a gunmetal grey) and I absolutely love this colour!


I'm a sucker for anything metallic and although I'm not normally one to wear anything but pink/natural shades on my nails, this nail polish has a shimmer/shine to it that just makes it look gorgeous.


This shade looks really sophisticated and it's a nice change from the usual shades I wear on a day to day basis.  You need two coats to get the full effect and I was impressed at how quickly the polish dried...I hate waiting around and not being able to touch anything!  Look, the colour even matches my new cushions.ha ha...


This was the first Nars nail polish I have ever tried so I wasn't sure what to expect in terms of performance, but I have to say that I really like it.  I will let you guys know how it does on the longevity stakes in a future post.

Have you tried any of these Nars products?  What were your thoughts? Have you been to see Love And Other Drugs yet?
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