Playing for keeps

LONG POST ALERT!
I went out with friends for brunch today, a last outing before I retreat into study mode. I haven't seen these people for a while, so it was nice to catch up and update each other on plans and life in general. To be quite honest I don't talk with them very much because living in college takes up pretty much my entire life right now. But they're the ones that I first made friends with and lived with when I came to Melbourne, and to me that's created a connection that's always going to tie me to these people. The Singlish and Chinese slip out and it feels pretty nice. I think this one is for keeps. :)

I had the big breakfast and that's P.shan's lamb burger. This stuff tastes like heaven. Everything is done to perfection. The scrambled eggs are supple but not overcooked, the bacon is tender and the mushrooms are amazing. everything was not too salty or sweet. The place we went to was LE MIEL et la lune on Elgin St, only 10 minutes walk away from where I stay.

Being the most vain, image concious person you'll come across in your average group of people, of course I took this opportunity to dress up nicely for the last time in about 2 weeks. I ditched my more summery look for a fiercer one, putting together more blacks and golds and less white. I always like only one or two items to the the centre of attention in any outfit, so in this one it's my oversized leopard tee and burgundy owl bag. 

I keep featuring my neon Bimba&Lola clutch and this Owl bag because I have no other bags right now, they're nicely packed away in my closet in Singapore and I'm regretting not bringing them over! You'll see the rest of my bag family in about a month :D 

Realizing that I'm almost completely decked out in ASOS has made me come to terms with the fact that I'm burning a VERY large hole in my pocket. 

Let me warn you potential buyers of this oversized leopard tee - ITS HUGE. I'm not the skinniest person on Earth and I'm literally swimming in a size 10. I'm normally a size 8-10 for tops on ASOS, so I would recommend dropping a size when ordering this. However, it flows pretty nicely on top of this skater skirt because of the tight waistline and stiffer material. It was slightly chilly so I put on these sheer cross tights; I think the pattern is simple enough so as not to overcomplicate the outfit. Finished off with a pair of black heeled boots! I put on some more delicate and feminine arm candy to counter the fierceness of the other pieces.

Links below to the stuff in this outift! 

Thanks to my wonderful friend Sharon who owns a DSLR and has has kindly agreed to take my outfit photos, this post will be filled with  AWESOME BIG GOOD QUALITY WONDERFUL HD photos instead of the sad ones I pilfer off my instagram. (follow her on instagram @theredninja ) 

ASOS sheer cross all over tights | River Island coated lace skater skirt | ASOS twin leopards t-shirt

ASOS burgundy owl bowler bag | NOVO black heeled boots and similar here | Forever 21 pyramid hinge bracelet

Watch by Roberge, Geneve. Auriga Quartz | Bracelet by Mouawad, Heidi Klum Collection

Alright that's it for about the next 2 weeks. See everyone after the exams end! 

UNICORN LOVE, 

- R

Polkadotted

As of recently, the temperature has dropped quite a bit so I decided to invest in a jacket. I've been looking around for one for ages but I never could find one. Some of the really pretty ones also came with an  even prettier price tag. ): Just the other day, Priceline was having a 20% off all cosmetics and skincare.
Well, don't look at me like that. I HAD to go. Jean and I practically live at Priceline during sale time. 
Jean, Heather and I went off to the city and stopped by JayJays because Heather wanted to buy shorts. As she was paying I spotted (haha see what I did there?) this on the $10 sale rack and on an impulse decided I really liked it and I bought it.

I ended up really really liking it! Most varsity jackets are white and another colour, but this one is cream coloured and that is what I love most about it! The cream isn't such a harsh contrast against the black and makes it more feminine. The material is lightweight with a slightly satin finish which adds class to the piece. I reckon it's a pretty versatile as well because cream and black go with almost any colour and the polkadots are good for spicing up a simple outfit.

Paired it with a plain white shirt, a pair of tan-coloured shorts and a casual leather belt. I tried to keep the rest out the clothes fairly simple since polkadots are fairly distracting patterns. I do know neons are such last season, but I think this neon orange clutch/sling bag from Bimba&Lola is a classic statement item that can add a pop of colour to any dull/monochrome outfit.

JayJays polkadot varsity Jacket | Plain white shirt | Tan skorts, cant find online but this is good 
 Bimba & Lola pigskin clutch in neon orange| Gold Bunting Collar from Diva | Watch from Emporio Armani Gentlemen's Line

Swotvac period for university has begun and I'm going out one last time to meet my previous hostel friends before retreating into my study cave where I will stay until the 9th of next month. While I'm slightly miffed that all my exams are crammed into the first week, I'm also glad that I get to spend more time with Jean and Heather because they finish really early too (roadtrips, girly nights and shopping sprees in planning!). And that also means going back home and being needlessly pampered by my parents whom I haven't seen in about 4 months. Another blogpost in a day or two before I go into study mode! :) 

Hopefully all your exam periods and studies are going well too! 

UNICORN LOVE,

- R

Oxblood

As you can see from the color scheme of my blog, the fashion industry isn't the only one having an obsession over oxblood.

Well, obviously it's not real oxblood we're obsessing over (that's something I save for biology lab dissections). If you're slightly queasy with the idea of wearing animal blood, burgundy, dark or wine red are good alternatives for the name. Hopefully I'm not the only one who doesn't understand this name. I'm sure when we hear blood, we generally think: red, so I'm thinking it's the animal that makes the whole concept special.

So my point is: why specifically oxen? Why not some other cooler creature that has mythological properties eg: phoenix / eagles / kittens /  puppies / pandas / otters / piglets / tarsiers. Why would they, of all animals, choose an animal that does hard labour, chews cud and we rear and eat for food?

so we'd choose this:                              over this?
       

I'm quite sure unicornblood dragonblood eagleblood phoenixblood are nicer, more alluring names for this color.

But nevermind the name, I've always had a love for deep red colors because I think they lend sophistication to almost any piece of clothing or accessory, making a statement without being too loud. I have sweaters, necklaces, shorts and nail polish in this color. My most recent addition to my burgundy - colored family is a lovely bowler bag from ASOS. When I first saw it I was just conjuring up all sorts of outfits and colors that I could match with it.

It just arrived yesterday, so I took it out today! :D I decided to play with the colors and get my outfit to match the bag instead of the bag matching my outfit. It was a pretty warm day out, so I just pulled out a simple chiffon top and matched it with a pair of black skirt - looking shorts and a skinny belt to accentuate my nonexistent waistline. The gold triangle necklace and bracelets match the metal bits of the bag. The burgundy of the bag is the only color in this monochrome outfit so it's the centre of attention, the statment piece that gives everything a pop of color. pop! (Haha. I like that word.)

HOW CUTE IS THE OWLLLLLLL *dies*

white chiffon top from Forever21, similar here & here | Black skorts from Zara, similar here | Black skinny belt 

ASOS owl tassel bowler bag | Coral spot bangle from Diva | Gold Bunting collar from Diva | Watch from Emporio Armarni Gentlemen's line

ps: I always add links to where you can buy these items / dupes of the items in the outfit description so click away! :)

UNICORN LOVE, 
-R

Lilac

Well, Internet is down here, so I'm blogging from my phone at the moment.

(I don't like this. It confuses me.)

But anyway, I headed down to Priceline the other day and on impulse (because it was on sale), I picked up a beautiful lavender/lilac nail polish. I didn't think it would sit well with me because I absolutely CANNOT wear pastel purple-toned clothes. I've got a slightly pink undertone for an Asian and pastel colors in general just make my skin look ashy. (BOO, PASTEL - COLRED SPRING TREND, BOOOooOoooOOO. Can't buy anything >:| )

But this pastel shade sits surprisingly well with my hands! Also a bigbigbig plus point because it's from Rimmel because
1. Rimmel makes wonderful nail polishes that dry really quickly
2. They stay on for about a week before they start chipping (great for lazy people like me who can never be bothered with topcoat)
3. the coverage is beautiful. I got this colout with only 2 coats and it doesn't get all streaky :D
4. It's a drugstore product, which means it comes with a drugstore price! Pocket friendly! :3

Mine is the colour 170 in Lively Lilac. I think it's a great color for spring; it reminds me of flowers :D Hope everyone finds a new nail color to obsess over too, mine makes me very happy!

UNICORN LOVE,
-R

Denim

When you wake to see the sun streaming through the window, you know spring is well and fully here. Sometimes I feel like the wonderful weather Melbourne has been giving me makes up for the amount of work I'm having this week. The exam timetable has just been released; that's the uni reminding me that I've got to start revision soon. ):

Putting together a new outfit and wearing it has always made me slightly happier when I'm off to do some work. For those who don't know me, I'm not going to lie - I will probably be the most vain, image obsessed person you will ever meet. Which is why I am highly suspicious that this phenomenon has something to do with the mindset that I'll still be looking nice while I'm furiously doing work, even if on the inside I'm a deranged version of Medusa.

So, I decked myself out in some denim - a vest from H&M I bought while holidaying in Spain a year ago. Back then, they didn't have H&M in Singapore or in Melbourne, you see. I think denim feels very casual, laid back and carefree (unless they are jeans) and hence, perfect for this sunny, lazy weather. To counter the roughness of the denim I paired it with a chiffon blouse and a flowy A-line skirt.

I saw the skirt online and I fell in love immediately.
ME: I.... MUSH...... HAVES...... IT.....
I love horses. But not as much as I love unicorns.

Denim Vest from H&M | White Chiffon top with breastpockets | ASOS Skater Skirt in Horse Print

Watch Emporio Armarni  Gentlemen's Collection | Spike Geometric Bracelets from Diva and ASOS

Unicorn love, 

-R