White + Rose

This blog had always been around writing about things that inspire me or get me passionate over fashion or style. Since then, I've realised that I've talked more about beauty recently than fashion. I am now more fascinated with new makeup and skincare, and the innovations and trends, and I find this is taking precedence over my interest in fashion lately. It was during the hiatus on this blog that my makeup habits came to a cessation. I didn't know who I was wearing the makeup for, but it was not for myself. I started wearing makeup, partly to conform to those around me and partly to hide my insecurities. Needless to say, that separate blog never really kicked off. When I revived this blog, I was a born-again makeup newbie. I thought I'd share some of the items I've actually been enjoying that are relatively new to me, and some of the older finds from when I started regularly wearing makeup at the beginning of last year. Maybelline had always been one of my ...

I'm a little late for this since New York Fashion Week (S/S 2016) is old news. I'm loving the Spring 2016 blue eye trend. I know blue pops up here and there, but it was showing up a lot on the runway for the Spring/ Summer 2016 Ready to Wear. From your subtle blue liner and blue mascara to the bold coloured thick liner/ cream shadow -- it's everywhere. The 70s are making it big on the runways, and that means makeup that channel the flower child, or the barely-there look. Every hue from the lightest blues to navy for a smudged grungy look (a la Marc Jacobs) were featured on the runways. NYFW S/S16 RTW - (From top left clockwise) BOSS, Marc Jacobs, Jenny Packham, Jill Stuart, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Diane Von Furstenberg My favourite was Diane Von Furstenberg's RTW runway show. Pat McGrath did a wonderful job on the makeup. It's probably all the glitter and the mix of blue and teal/aquamarine eyeshadow that made it a multidimensional look. It keeps it more modern tha...

Ever since the  Mise en Dior earrings were a hit, ear jackets and double-sided earrings have been on trend. The ones I find are right up my alley now are the ear jackets -- peekaboo earrings, under-ear earrings, front-and-back earrings are the other names I've found. Another variety of earrings I've been admiring are the ear climbers or ear crawlers -- designed to follow the curvature of the ear but only part of the curve, unlike an ear cuff that encapsulates the entire ear. It's not a new concept to have an ear jacket to adorn an earring but it has been new to wear the jacket behind the earlobe. At first, I wasn't keen on these trends and thought it was tacky but I changed my mind. With the right pair, it could be sophisticated yet millennial -trendy. Mise en Dior/ Dior Tribal Double Pearl Earrings These were the earrings that changed my mind while I was browsing through trendy jewellery. I thought the marquise cut stones (acrylic of course) were very classy a...

I've finally got the chance to sit down to watch this movie. The Age of Adaline  offers so much costumes to admire -- bringing out the best of the vintage aesthetics. Definitely a film for the vintage fashion lovers. The film follows the life of Adaline Bowman, who is perpetually in her 29-year-old physical form after a scientific anomaly involving lightning -- to be honest, I hated that aspect where they tried to ground the whole fantastical aspect of being forever young with science. I bawled my eyes out when I watched the meeting between mother and daughter in the modern timeline. There was definitely a strange dynamic between Blake Lively and Ellen Burstyn (older Flemming) -- my favourite parts of the film were when mother and daughter were reunited. Now to the costumes. Blake Lively wore many costumes from different eras of the 20th century. Of course, I had my favourites. 1940s Gown and Coat 1950s Cardigan 1960s Headscarf Modern Day Vintage ...

Last Sunday, I attended the Sydney Tea Festival. The Tea Festival is an annual event that allow tea enthusiasts to indulge in a day of tea-tasting with established brands and shops down to the indie online stores, browse through ceramics and homeware or participate in some tea ceremonies and other workshops. I first heard of it last year but I had just missed it and was sorely disappointed. Luckily, I hadn't missed this year's and I made it a date with my friends. I saw a gathering of Lolitas there too, to which my friend asked me why I didn't show up in my gear. I've kind of moved on -- I still have my attachments to certain Lolita aesthetics but I'm not wearing my clothes anymore. I got there about lunchtime, so it was very busy. When I left, it was probably busier because it was a struggle to even get to the counters. I had to restrain myself, so I kept myself to a budget. The prices of the teas were definitely pricier than what most people would pay for. Nev...

Recently, I've ran out of my skincare basics. I've felt the need to venture out and try new items. I wanted to make sure that I had established an informed opinion on these products, so this took a little longer than expected. This is what I bought from the most recent 40% off skincare deal in Priceline: Moreish Liberation Foaming Cleanser:  It's not too harsh and drying for my skin and it has a pleasant citrus/fruit scent, most likely from the lemon extract. I try to be careful around any skincare with citrus -- phototoxicity is a risk and it's an irritant. It's up to people's discretion and in my case, I won't purchase it again because I want a cleanser to be free from any potential irritants. It comes in a bottle with a pump, and also a clamp for the pump mechanism -- very handy. One thing to note is that the only ingredient that they advertise as organic is the argan oil. It can be a little misleading. I might consider their pure argan oil ...

Brushes are vital to good makeup application. Investing in good quality brushes is the best thing you could do to improve your makeup. Two months ago, I bought a couple of budget brushes. I wanted to look for affordable brushes that didn't compromise on quality for the price. I wasn't very happy with the brushes I got from Royal & Langnickel, last September at IMATS . I had purchased an Ecotools and a Real Techniques brush off of iHerb  (my referral code is RBN281, in which you can use this for a discount if you're a new customer; $5 off if under $40, $10 off if $40+). I've only used the Ecotools fan brush thus far and it's been one of the most versatile face brushes I own. I use it for a sheer layer of pressed powder all of the face and powder highlighter over blush and other areas of the face. You may also use it for bronzer and contour. This is the brush I haven't used: Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. I hope to use it for mineral foundatio...

For a little while, I had been working on a moss stitch blanket as a gift. With all the leftover yarn from my bag of FibraNatura Lima, I decided it was enough to make a small blanket to cover the lap of an adult, or used a baby blanket. The project I used this yarn previously for was a knitted turban headband that you can read about here . All there was left to do was to get started. The moss stitch is very basic and all I had to do was cast on enough stitches for it to be wide enough and go. At first, I was worried about whether I'd have enough yarn to finish it off but as I progressed, it seemed pretty clear that I would be able to finish it with the dimensions I had in mind.  It is designed to be a very quick knit but I took my time.  I debated whether I wanted to line the blanket with fleece or not. It was heavy enough as it was with the wool. In the end, I decided against it.  Moss Stitch Blanket What you need: Bulky Yarn, 12ply (I used F...

For a while, I had been sceptical of eyeshadow palettes, fearing that there isn't much value to be had when there are the few dud shades that you'd never use. Finally, I got my hands on a neutral palette -- pushing aside all the Urban Decay Naked palette releases because they weren't right for me. I've succumbed to the Stila Eyes are the Window palette in Spirit because it fulfilled all the things I looked for: A balance of cool and warm neutral shades Subtle shimmer and some matte shades I'm too much of a fan of colour to stick to a purely neutral palette, so Spirit was the best out of all the palettes offered in this range. I've had this palette for about a month now so I could discuss about them. The Eyes Are the Window range come in attractive metallic packaging, in which Spirit comes in a copper-tone lid (or rose gold, as it is marketed). It's not only aesthetically pleasing but also quite practical. It comes in a compact size, has a la...

Miss Dior Le Parfum is the newest addition to my perfume collection and I'm officially going to be on a low-buy for the rest of the year for all my skincare, cosmetics, makeup and fragrances. I've had my eye on this fragrance for over a year and have debated in my head countless of times until I finally went out and bought it with a friend, who also wanted and loved the fragrance. I have been holding onto my sample of Le Parfum for a while now, using it sparingly and whenever I wanted to be reminded of the scent, as well as taking a spritz from the counter every once in a while. This flanker of Miss Dior is the only one I like so far, aside from the original Miss Dior Cherie. While I do enjoy the original Miss Dior, I'm speaking of Cherie and its evolutions. It was an expensive purchase but like with any perfume, it's an investment. The more quality oils and the more concentrated, the pricier it is. Miss Dior Le Parfum oozes sophistication and sensuality with ...

Red My Lips is an organisation that runs a campaign every April to raise awareness about sexual violence. This year, I decided to take up on that challenge and wear red lipstick for the month. I invited one of my friends to join me because she loves red lipstick and could contribute to a cause. It also would push me to use some of the red lipsticks I own and finish off my Chanel. I only had three lipsticks that I would consider "red": I have yet to complete this challenge as the month is not over but so far, it has been a difficult endeavour. Everyday Lipstick: Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Monte Carlo (62) Easy to put on when you just want a little bit of colour. This is not a true red, more like a strawberry-pink/red. I wore this most of the time. Day Out / Happy Medium Lipstick: Illamasqua Maneater Great colour if you like something suitable for day time. It's a classic cherry red. Formula's a little dry but that is what I expect from a complet...

I was invited to see my friend's collection in The Innovators earlier this week and to support her. I thought it would be nice to share with you the photos from my view.  Her collection was under the eponymous label 'Onticha'. Yeah, no crisp fashion shots here since it was all taken with a mobile phone camera. I wasn't even in my best outfit -- I came along with something I wear on a regular day. The only thing different was the makeup: my end-of-year ball makeup because one of my friends loved the look that she wanted to see it in person. Nevertheless, it was an exciting event because it was my very first experience of a fashion week. Also, I got to see my friends all glammed up for the event but I wasn't going to sacrifice comfort for fashion. Something I rarely ever say to myself but I knew it was a trek to the venue, especially on 4" heels. My two glamorous friends, all dressed up to support Onticha. I had to get their shoes in the shot. The ...