BEAT THE HEAT

Summer is my favourite season, why so? because I love the beach so much.  I am not one of those girls who are scared to death of getting a darker skin tone during summer.  I love the sun and I do think it is so weird to go to the beach and carry an umbrella to cover yourself from the sun (it is a normal practice here).  I will always soak up the sun but of course, I should have lots of sunscreen to protect myself from the harshness of UV rays.  So summer is the season to bare more of one's skin and in my case, it is usually my shoulder or legs.  I love off-shoulder tops because they are so comfortable and airy.  It is like a no-brainer outfit that you pull from your closet and magically transform your ensemble into a more fashionable one.  Match it with a pair of comfy culottes and voila! instant boho chicness for the day!

WHAT I WORE:

off shoulder top from HAODUOYI

culottes from H&M

wedge sandals from online shop

bag from WWW

bangles from FOREVER 21

THE X-NECKLINE TREND

A dramatic take on the off-shoulder top, the x- neckline was one of the strong trends of spring that have been carried over to summer.  It looks like a cross between a halter top with an off-shoulder sleeves, giving out an interesting silhouette that screams out sexy but in a sophisticated way.  This neckline can be worn as part of a bohemian get-up or even an elegant outfit when paired with a tailored trouser like what I did here.

WHAT I WORE:

top from HAODUOYI

pants from H&M

eyewear from MINISO

serpenti forever bag from BVLGARI

SWEET DISPOSITION

A spill-over spring trend, the off-shoulder top game is still strong this summer.  I like the idea of being sexy without baring too much,  as well as being sweet at the same time.  In this get-up, I paired a neutral off-shoulder top with my basic a-line cut polka-dots skirt.  What can be more girly than this?  Honestly, this is not really my style niche but I guess this is a year of exploration; of trying out some stuffs I don't normally wear and discovering new things. :)

WHAT I WORE:

off shoulder top from MANGOHOUSE

polka dots skirt from LIZ CLAIBORNE

lace-up heels from JING MEI

serpenti forever bag from BVLGARI

MAKE SOME CLOSET SPACE WITH MAKESPACE

 "Your other clothes are in the other bedroom because your closet is already full! so please stop buying clothes anymore."  

Those were the words of my husband last week after seeing my tiny weeny closet dilemma.  I have no more space inside our bedroom's closet hole and right now, my clothes have already colonised the wardrobe in the guest bedroom while my shoes are in the other spare room.  I have been telling myself that I will convert the spare room closest to the master's as a proper walk-in wardrobe but I haven't really had the time to do so.  Okay, okay... I must admit that I am not the organised type as well when it comes to these kind of stuffs; heck! I could not even pack a proper luggage myself whenever I need to go on a business trip.

Moreover, living in a country where there are four seasons is usually a typical recipe for wardrobe disaster.  All those thick, furry coats and boots should have  proper places for storage; somewhere where they can be well taken care of while they are not in season yet.  A closet extension space where everything is well organised.

This is exactly the concept of MakeSpace; an on-demand storage service that can pick-up, stores and deliver any of  my needed stuffs.  Surely, this is like heaven on earth for any "clothes-a-holic" like me who needs help with a very messy closet space.  If only they will expand soon in Asia. But for you in the US, there is no need to despair as they have several locations near you for sure.  Check out the link to find one that is around your area.

But first, let me give you an idea of my dream closet space with these images below.

picture from pinterest

picture from pinterest

picture from pinterest

My dream closet is actually very modern and sleek.  I am not particularly fond of those frilly and girly ones; mine borders into a very masculine design with basic shapes and solid basic hues.  Marble will be a nice sophisticated accent and maybe one plush couch in it is enough.  You can clearly see that it is not one of  those types of closet with overflowing things in it; it should house only the stuffs I need for the season.  And of course some classic must haves that will surely be permanent staples inside my wardrobe.

basic black Burberry London Headington Peplum Jacket, which I will probably pair with a maxi dress and a rocking pair of boots.  I am a big Rachel Zoe fan because I can relate more to her style (rock boho chic).

the Loewe puzzle bag which can be worn 5 ways

YSL rock ankle boots

So how do I get to a streamlined closet space knowing fully well that I have lots of stuffs right now?  I guess the first step to achieve this very sleek closet space is to declutter.  I need to decide what stays for the time-being and what goes into the MakeSpace storage.  In this way, I can determine the extended closet space I need and decide on the flexible storage sizes that MakeSpace actually offers.

And with just a phonecall, they can come to pick up my stuffs as well as deliver it back to me anytime I need it.  That is just rad and a no sweat organising method! So come on MakeSpace, I am really looking forward to your Asia expansion! ...but until then, be sure to check out their self storage locations as they're constantly updating. :)

MAKE-UP HAUL

I haven't really updated my make-up stash for quite a while so I figured it is about time.  There have been this latest craze about contouring  and stippling so I thought, why not try a more serious contouring set?  I have a small H&M contour kit before that I bought in HK (H&M in China don't sell make-up) and it is about to hit the pan.  I have been hearing about the Anastasia Beverly Hills brand so I decided to try it along with Urband Decay's Naked 3 (I have Naked 1 and 2 and I am really satisfied with the shades of this products from UD).  As for the Kylie lip kits, I don't think they deserve any introduction anymore because everyone knows about it; in fact, it was bloody difficult to get hold of these stuffs because they are always sold out. I was finally able to get Dolce K and Koko K and I am happy with these for now.  They smell so much like vanilla ice-cream, I almost wanna eat them.

Below are the looks I have tried with these stuffs here.

 I am not the heavy contouring kind of gal, I have a high cheekbone and contouring it heavily will make me look like I've been punched on the face. So I used Anastasia BH cream contour kit and the nyx wondertick. For the eyeshadow, I used naked 3 (factory,mugshot,darkside and blackheart, yup 4 shades).i used technic blusher for my cheeks and mixed maybelline colorsensation and wet and wild lipstick for the lips. i did not use any foundation. I only used a bb cream from Japan (a brand I don't know because the font characters are in Japanese) and a covergirl concealer. Lastly, I dusted some wet and wild bronzer and a dab of h&m cream highlighter

KOKO K on my lips

a mix of DOLCE K and KOKO K on my lips

swatches: DOLCE K AND KOKO K

THE WORK SHORTS

Did I ever mention that summer here in Guangzhou is very unforgiving?  If I did, well I am telling it again and if I haven't yet, then now, I am informing you.  Summer here is different because one has to adjust to the humidity in addition to the sweltering heat.  It can make one sweat so bad even with just a very small distance of walking under the sun.  That is why I never go out without my mini fan and facial mist spray even for lunch breaks.

So because of this, I have to plan my wardrobe lately based on any comfort I can get this summer.  Shorts used to be a no-no for me when it comes to work clothes.  I just feel that it is too casual already.  But I figured that if I mix it with the right top and accessories, then it can be as classy as other workwear.  Here, I paired my shorts with a basic top, a work blazer and a pair of nude pumps.  I just took the blazer off when work was over.

WHAT I WORE:

blazer from H&M

gray top from H&M

black shorts from ZARA

pumps from VALESKA

trapeze bag from CELINE

eyewear from MARC JACOBS