Knee High Boots ♥

I have always wanted a pair of fantabulous boots. After much thinking, yours truly decided that her ideal boots would have to be: 

• Brown in color
• Made out of soft fabric (so that they would not mar my feet)
• Knee high (ankle boots would make me look shorter, unless worn with leggings or dark tights)

Now I'm thrilled to say that gone are the days where I wished I had gorgeous boots. The boots that I got from Elements actually fit all the criteria that I have listed above. Put plainly, they are my DREAM boots! My favourite aunt bought them for me when we went shopping in Sunway Carnival mall. Love her max! ♥ ♥ ♥ I wouldn't have gotten them on my own for they were rather pricey.

Just looking at them makes me absurdly happy. Crazy right? ^_^

These boots are so wonderfully comfortable. One factor is that they are low-heeled boots. Unlike some other shoes, this baby of mine does not cut into my feet. That means that I can walk in them for hours and hours. This is crucial especially when I'm on a shopping spree. I don't want to wear shoes that would cripple me by the end of the day! Did I mentioned that these boots are also chio? I'm so in love with them!

What I like about knee high boots is that they can make chunky calves appear slimmer. They are also incredibly stylish and flattering. Knee high boots are typically worn with jeans, leggings or short or long hemlines. If you tuck your jeans into your boots for a sleek look, make sure that you are wearing skinny jeans to avoid looking "balloony". Here are some examples of how to wear knee high boots:


Selena Gomez

Blake Lively

 

Taylor Swift

Knee high boots are absolutely lovely, no?

Chocoholic

Okay, I readily admit that I am a HUGE fan of chocolates. Gimme a box of chocolates and I will demolish the whole lot of them! But that does not mean that I eat ALL types of chocolates. Dark, bitter chocolate? King's X on that people! I love milky and sweet ones, preferably those with praline. But I have to say that my all time favourite is white chocolate.

Now, if you're in search of the best chocolates, stick to Belgium chocolates. Yours truly was lucky enough to travel to Belgium recently. Naturally, I took the opportunity to buy myself some. And here's what I got:

Just looking at this picture makes me drool. It is the best white chocolate that I have ever tasted! The hazelnuts fused in it all the more enhanced its sinful taste. Simply heavenly! Needless to say, I finished it in quite a short period of time. I bought this lovely bar in a cosy chocolate shop in Brussels. The shop was located near the very famous mannekan pis (peeing little boy). Say hello to manneken pis people :)

Apart from that, I bought a box of chocolate truffles. My apologies for not having its picture. Totally forgot to snap one :( Anyways, these poor chocolates all but melted in my hotel room. The reason? The freaking heater was on and I did not turn it off. The room got kinda hot but not unbearably hot. Still, imagine my horror when I opened the box and found melted chocolate dripping out! In the end, my mum poured the chocolate into a container. So it cooled into a big chunky thing. Oh well... at least it was still edible. Can't say no to good chocolate, no?

Celebrity Disney Dream Photos

Ah, Disney films. They never fail to bring back wonderful memories of my childhood. I remember watching The Little Mermaid repeatedly and marvelling at how the chef could defy gravity in his wild attempts of catching Sebastian. I loved Beauty and the Beast as well.

Anyways, back to the topic. I was absolutely enthralled by the celebrity Disney photographs taken by Annie Leibovitz. These photos captured the wondrous feel of the Disney characters.

Scarlett Johansson as Cinderella

This is my utmost favourite photo. Scarlett fits the role of Cinderella perfectly. This picture gives off fantasy-like and dreamy vibes. The background itself is spectacular. All the small details made a difference. I particularly like that there is a spotlight straight from the palace on the glass shoe she leaves behind. Her dress is simply magnificent! I love how it flows gracefully in her haste to retreat.

Rachel Weisz as Snow White

I have always admired Rachel for her porcelain and creamy complexion. Thus, I was delighted when I found out that she was portrayed as Snow White. Ideal indeed. The animals surrounding her all the more enhances the sweet character of Snow White. And look at those cute bunnies! Don't they make you go "aww"?

Jessica Biel as Pocahontas

I like how Jessica is posed as if she were running with the wind. This captures the essence of Pocahontas as she is a free-spirited woman. The leaves swirling around her also creates a sense of freedom. Too bad John Smith is not around...

Penelope Cruz as Belle and Jeff Bridges as the Prince in Beauty and the Beast

Penelope looks totally gorgeous in this picture. She undoubtedly makes a beautiful Belle. However, Jeff Bridges seems a tad too old to hold the role of the dashing prince to me. I expected the prince to be younger. I found the background of the picture a little weird too. Both Penelope and Jeff are clad in ballroom attire and yet, the background is so gloomy and dark. Shouldn't they be in a glamorous and beautifully lit ballroom (Think the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles)? Or perhaps it is a contrast technique used to boost the magical feel of the characters...

Olivia Wilde as the evil queen from Snow white and Alec Baldwin as the magic mirror

In my opinion, Olivia totally nailed the look of the wicked queen, right down to the sardonically lifted brow. Jadore her darkly majestic attire. She literally brings the evil queen to life! Alec Baldwin is convincing enough as the magic mirror. His expression conveys mystery, as if he knows something that you don't. There is an element of eerieness too in this picture.

It is fun too see Disney characters come to live by being portrayed by real people. Fantabulous, don't you think? :)

Makeup Guru - Michelle Phan

Aside from being influenced by my sister, makeup tutorials played a huge role in building my interest in cosmetics. I watched several different tutorials by various makeup gurus but Michelle Phan's videos never fail to stand out. She is a Vietnamese-American who became famous by creating makeup and beauty tutorials on YouTube. She is also a spokesperson for Lancôme.

This gal is simply talented and brilliant. After watching her videos, you can tell that she puts in a lot of effort to ensure that her videos are of top quality and professional. Hence, it is no wonder that she has garnered over a million subscribers. She also has more than 150 videos at the moment.

Michelle has a creative and artistic streak in her. The looks she creates for her makeup tutorials are often gorgeous and unique. I like the fact that she caters to the needs of her wide audience. For instance, she does tutorials for masquerades, school, prom, Christmas and Halloween. I particularly love her vampire makeup for Halloween. The finished look is absolutely stunning and ethereal.

Of all her videos, my favourite is her Romantic Valentine's Day Date tutorial. The look she created is natural and subtle but undeniably beautiful. I simply adore the sweet pink, taupe and brown tones that she used to produce this look. It is perfect for a date or a day out. After watching this tutorial, I was immensely interested in Lancôme's Oscillation Powerfoundation and Color Design Haute Sunset Eyeshadow Quad. But they are way out of my budget, so...*resigned sigh*

With her talent and determination, this remarkable makeup guru is definitely going places. Check out her YouTube account at MichellePhan.

M.A.C Mineralize Skinfinish Natural

Alright people, remember how I lamented in my previous posts about not having a bronzer? How I screamed injustice of not being able to find a good bronzer to contour my round face? Well, that's history now because I bought the Mineralize Skinfinish Natural from M.A.C!

At first, I wasn't too sure about which bronzer I wanted to get. I had a few choices in mind, some of which include Benefit's Hoola. I was, however, a bit hesitant about buying Hoola because a few beauty bloggers mentioned that it caused them to breakout. Now that is a big no-no for me. My skin is kind of sensitive. I tend to breakout if the products are not compatible with my skin.

Luckily, fate interevened. I went to a M.A.C store with no plans of buying anything. Then it hit me. Why not get a bronzer from M.A.C? It is my current favourite and trusted makeup brand after all. So I asked the salesgirl to recommend a bronzer and she suggested this. And voila! I got this baby in medium dark.

And I must say, I LOVE it! It is dark enough but not too dark. Perfect for contouring my face to make it appear slimmer. What I like about this product is that it is matte with no shimmery bits. I wouldn't want my face to shine excessively like an overly bright lightbulb! You don't need a lot to get a nice and natural-looking contoured face. You can also build up its intensity according to your preference.

My verdict? A worthy purchase!

Book Review: Battle Hymm of the Tiger Mother

Parents. They have different ways and views of raising their own kids. Reading the thought-provoking Battle Hymm of the Tiger Mother, however, has made me incredibly thankful for how my parents brought me up. This book was not in my "To Buy" list. My cousin sister bought it for my mum and of course, yours truly laid her paws on it.

This book by Amy Chua really opened my eyes. It is astounding on how severe and harsh some parents can be in order to make their kids successful. In fact, I was horrified and amazed by Chua's strictness with her two daughters, Sophia and Lulu. Here's a sneak peek at things that she forbids her children from doing:

- Attend a sleepover
- Have a playdate
- Watch TV or play computer games
- Get any grade less than an A
- Not play the piano or violin

When I read this list, my jaw literally dropped. What kind of life is that? All study and work without fun and play? That would be hellish, wouldn't it? Chua claimed that she raised her children according to the Chinese way. Indeed Chinese parents are known for their stern upbringing and their emphasis on education. But Chua has really defined "strict Chinese upbringing" in a whole new way.

I'm Chinese but my parents do not implement such harsh rules. In fact, they gave me freedom in choosing what I wanted to do with my life. There was no nagging to study constantly nor did they force me to take up anything that I didn't want to. Perhaps that was what drove me to study hard to achieve good grades. I wanted to make them proud.

Still, I must say that Amy Chua did a good job in writing this book. It is certainly a most interesting read. I admire her for her courage to reveal private things such as detailed arguements with her daughters as well as her own personal thoughts and beliefs. What's more, Chua's daughters did turn out to be whizzes and music prodigies. Sophia excels in playing the piano while Lulu is an ace with the violin. However, her daughters did ultimately burst at her constant demands to be better. It is refreshing to read about how Chua eventually lets loose a little for the sake of her daughters.

In conclusion, this book is engaging and at times hilarious. More importantly, it offers an insight into the fascinating world of the "Tiger Mother". A good read indeed :)

Cupcake of Memories

A perfect little cupcake...

Eaten in a cozy and quaint French cafe,

The wonderful memories it brings back,

I miss London.

Current Bag of Mine

Okay, so I admit that I'm kind of a bag freak. I love love love bags. But I ain't splurging to get the bags I lust after. That's because most of the bags I want are of high-ended brands. My favourite bag brand at the moment is Coach. Jadore their unique designs (Think Poppy collection)! If I were to buy them now, I will have to eat plain porridge for the rest of my life. Yes people, bankruptcy is a cruel thing. 

My current bag is from Vincci and I got it at a discounted price during the year end sales. It cost about RM48.90. What I love about this bag is that it is black and chic! Its major plus point is that it is BIG. It has three different compartments. I can literally fit everything into this baby of mine. My previous bag was rather small so I had to really squash everything into it. As a result, I had many things bent out of shape :( My poor jacket was especially crumpled.

Another thing that I like about this bag is that it has a tassle! Now, I'm a person who has a weakness for intricate details on bags. And tassles? I can't get enough of them. For me, this little tassle actually makes all the difference. It was the first thing that I noticed when I saw the bag. My reaction was to immediately get my paws on it in case somebody else took it. And now it is mine haha.

Apart from the details, I like how the gold color contrasts with the black color. Without the gold bits, the bag would not have looked so attractive. You have to have some light to brighten the darkness after all!

So in a nutshell, I'm totally glad that I bought this bag. Discount really played a big role in this purchase of mine. I suppose I will have to wait until I start working before I can splurge on the bags on my lust list. But I think it is worth the wait. In fact, the wait would make the satisfaction of getting them all the more sweeter.