Wear & Share: TOTstagram!

Still just a little bit obsessed with my miniature TOT SS12 collection... people keep asking me about it and I keep sending them to Cocktail in Hong Kong, but apparently there isn't much left there. You will find a couple of items on Pixie Market, and a few more online at L'Exception (30% off!) but the best way to get your hands on it is to make friends with me or one of the founders, Bertha. Like our matching collars?

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Bag Lady: Bally Moritz

So I had lunch with the gorgeous Fiona last week to catch up and what ended up catching my eye was her beautiful Moritz bag from Bally. So of course, I had to inquire and found that there is a casual slouchy version which is oh so pretty. Available in Bally stores for HK$9,900. Here’s the dilemma, I had my heart set on the Alexa when I head over to London. Now this comes up. Which to get? (And don’t say both. I’m a poor Geek.)

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SHOErotica: Charlotte Olympia Mabel Pumps

The Geeks love a chunky perspex heel. We also love sales. Get these at Net a porter, part of their spring/summer sale inventory!

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Peter Som & No. 21 VIP Sale

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True Religon Sample Sale

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Just COS

Who's excited about the opening of COS on Queen's Road Central (the first outpost in Asia, isn't Hong Kong wonderful)? The sophisticated older sister to H&M will fling open its doors tomorrow at noon, and I got a chance to check it out on Tuesday evening. (There was also a 30% same day press discount on everything, but since I had to rush to another meeting, I didn't get a chance to take advantage. Boo...)



The store is everything you've come to expect from the minimalist Swedish label: generous shapes, fluid lines, lots of solids and sensible colour blocking or prints, architectural jewellery, practical and borderline dorkish footwear... all of it very true to Scandinavian design characteristics, in my opinion. It, of course, looks best on the very pale of skin and small of chest (neither, sadly, of which describe me), but that doesn't mean the upscale basics won't resonate with a Hong Kong audience. Think... Jil Sander's attitude towards colour meets Celine's approach to minimalist practicality meets Marni's sense of shape and proportion... or something like that. Or just go check it out for yourself.

Now, COS may fall under the same group as H&M, but the prices, it must be said, skew upwards -- say, $250 for a tee to $2,000 for a wool coat. Certainly not Frugal Fanny's favourite price point, but still surely a steal considering even Giordano Ladies has tags featuring higher numbers. And the quality, by the way, is more than a cut above H&M (where, to be honest, I haven't bought anything for two years save for a pair of glittery flats from the children's floor).



According to staff, size restocking will happen on a daily basis, and 20 new items will hit stores per week. The women's section is almost two floors, and men's is upstairs. Since I didn't get a chance to check out the store too much, I've been checking out the press kit (which is all fall-winter, boo!) and the spring-summer lookbook online. Already have my eye on an icy blue pencil dress with cutouts and a boatneck number in forest green.



So, see you there tomorrow lunchtime?

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Hear the Voices

It’s pretty incredible to think that only 40 years ago, women weren’t allowed to compete professionally in sports. In honour of Title IX, the landmark U.S. legislation that opened the door for female athletes to pursue their dreams through sport, Nike has released this video titled "Voices" featuring boxer Marlen Esparza, marathoner Joan Benoit Samuelson and basketball star Lisa Leslie reflecting the challenges that these athletes have faced growing up. Love this ad. To paraphrase the brand, just watch it.

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Calvin Klein Underwear: PRINTS Charming

You know us Geeks are suckers for wordplay and so this is purely a gratuitous post for me to share the email subject of PRINTS Charming which came from Calvin Klein a few days ago. Captured my interest, opened up the very brief email with a couple sentences of description and the above image. Simple effective PR at work.

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Yellow Fever

MTWTFSS Weekday neon shirt, $30
Denim jacket, $116
Manolo Blahnik mary jane shoes, $409
Leather heels, £210
Jil Sander stacked heel, $522
Marc by Marc Jacobs genuine leather handbag, £435
CC SKYE leather jewelry, £135
Camilla James silver jewelry, £86
Cord jewelry, $150

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California Dreamin'

My favouritest place to lunch on weekdays: California Vintage. Went there for a lunch with Golden Gate Wines, which provides some of the wines you'll find in the enomatic machines.

Feels like you're eating healthy when really you're scoffing baked Laura Chenel goat cheese over roasted piquillo peppers. Love the strength of that goat cheese against sweet peppers.

Or Baja fish tacos. Which are totally deep-fried, but the fresh avocado and tomato salsa and other green stuff make it seem much healthier. It's my go-to pick for the set lunch, where it comes with Gilroy garlic fries. We'll get to those later.

Dungeness crab and artichoke dip. The bougie alternative to California Pizza Kitchen's spinach artichoke dip, but more pungent and seafoody.

I believe this is the California flatbread with Cobb salad. What can you say about a salad. It was... fresh. Healthy. Probably does good things for your body. Never say no to avocados.

Something with cheese. Mushrooms? Bread.

Sliders! The fancy term for mini burgers. With Angus beef Bravo Farms cheddar cheese and served with caramelized onion topping. To be honest, burgers are burgers. They're okay. I'd stick to the tacos...

...especially since they come with these fries! Garlic fries, the best invention for fries (ranking above mayo fries but just under truffle fries).

Chocolate pot de creme. Like a very solid chocolate mousse. Wanted to die the first time I had it, so frickin' good, but since it's been on the lunch menu forever, I'm becoming desensitized to its chocolatey awesomeness. Still can't say no to it, but I have gained the willpower to eat only half in the interest of diet.

Overall: Go for the salads. The fish tacos. The grilled brie with sliced apples (not pictured, but good, although technically you can also do it at home -- also mentioned it on my top 10 foods list here). The goat cheese and pepper dip. The roast chicken, also not pictured. And if you're healthy, then the salads, too. Oh, and since it's a wine bar, grab yourself a glass, too. There's cute wine-pairing suggestions on the menu, but I know nothing about wines, so I won't venture to comment on that. Sorry.

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Top Model Destination: Macau?

 

So ShoeGeek was the one who got me into America’s Next Top Model way back in Cycle 4. Alas Naima, we had such hopes for you. And since then, no matter how badly the show has gone and how utterly ridiculous the show is, I’ve somehow managed to find time to watch it even if it’s just streaming the show in the background while I do something else. Sooooo this cycle, US vs UK. I didn’t have high hopes for it but I found it more entertaining that expected. Why? Because of the international exotic location. What is it? Brace yourself girls (and maybe the occasional guy who reads this blog). It’s the hip, happening destination of MACAU! (You were totally thinking I’d say Hong Kong didn’t you?) Well they did make a detour here but dude, Macau? Seriously? Have they run out of places to go?

So onto my observations after watching this. Why on earth is Nicholas Tse considered the Brad Pitt of Asia? Is he still relevant in today’s market besides the fact that he divorces Cecilia Cheung and yet a year later seems to be hinting back at reconciliation? Oh hey, look at that. I guess he is since I somehow recall current information on him.

Also, why would adding silkworms to a shoot make it Asian? Oh wait.. it’s not the silkworms but the clichéd wigs that the models were made to wear. And go sees. Why on earth is House of Siren considered one of Hong Kong’s four most talented designers? Isn’t it a production company? The more I think about it, the more questions I have. I give up. After all, ANTM is pretty much cotton candy when it comes to TV. A big fluff of air.

Photo from Wikipedia

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Colour Code

Now that YSL is becoming Saint Laurent Paris, do the cosmetics change name too? I guess so! Curious about the logo. I like the existing one a lot.

Are peeps are going to buy up all the Chyc collection soon too, or anything that still uses the letter "Y"? Anyway, on to more pressing matters. Like the actual cosmetics.



Because we all need to use lippie, no matter what the name or brand. My latest obsession: YSL's Rouge Pur Couture glossy lip colour. It looks like a gloss, feels like a gloss, but stains almost just like a lipstick. None of that sticky texture. And pure pigment that's just beautiful.




Number 9 is definitely my favourite. A bold, bold red, it's best when applied in three layers -- don't blot in between, just let it dry and then coat again. For daytime, one coat is enough to give your lips a little pretty tint. I'm not into the pinky pinks, so my next best choice is #8, which is a coral orangey pink. It's not nearly as pigmented as the red, but offers a nice salmony hue.



These come off as soon as you eat, and don't go into changing rooms to try on white tops unless you want to stain them like mad... but for colour, they're unbeatable. I will repurchase.

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Corgie Rae Jepsen's Call Me Maybe

You may have noticed we're a bit short on posts this week and this is because ShoeGeek has gotten herself a concussion from wakeboarding! Boo hiss. So I'm posting this video in hopes of cheering her up and who knows, maybe Foxy will be able to star in the next one?

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Magic Marek

Beauty guest blogger hkBeautyGeek gives you the lowdown on where hairheads can get their locks safely treated.

I remember holding back my tears when the hairdresser asked me whether I liked my new haircut. I cried on the way home and spent the next days pulling my hair hoping it would grow faster. It didn’t, and then my hair literally gave me a headache.

At the age of twelve, I decided that hairdressers were either bad mathematicians or just evil. Not to be trusted. Ever.

“People with long hair emphasize on keeping length, when we focus on making them
beautiful,” explains Marek Art of Hair founder Marek Wan. “With the right cut we can
keep our focus and the length.”

Wan is one of the few stylists who has both styling theory and teaching experience, but even with over 20 years of experience, you can’t change the laws of physics. Can you?

Since opening his salon in 2010, Wan counts a cast of Hong Kong’s finest as his regulars, including celebrity models Alice B. and Rosemary Vandenbroucke. I knew that I wouldn't be walking out a top model, but was curious if Wan could turn my straw into gold.





To vitalize my hair we started with a PH, dandruff and dryness test from partner and French hair-care brand La Biosthetique. After the doll-eyed Hazel diagnosed my scalp and hair as being extremely dry, we headed to shampoo and conditioner.

The La Biosthetique Methode Vitalisant range is specifically designed to tend to the needs of dry scalps and dry hair. Without going into the technical details and PR talk, it basically promises to normalize the scalp environment and making the hair less lackluster.



“You don’t need this,” says Wan while fingering my locks. “I won’t take much off. Just the parts you don’t need. Your hair should be part of the whole composition instead of it lying there like separate strings.” I wanted to say that I needed all the "strings" -- but it would grow back, so I just bit my lip and kept looking mad.




How could I frown when they give me Chinese tea, fashion magazines and a smiling Keith? Hairdressers. Evil.



Since I nodded to all that Wan suggested, it was not until they started to blow dry my hair that I realised that we were about done.

And the result? Within three hours Wan gave me back my natural colour, shine and waves!



“Most customers come in not looking for a dramatic change, but the right changes, however minor they are, can make a big impact.” I’ve been to so many salons with the result always somewhat unsatisfying. It’s not that the salons were all bad; they just didn’t do any good. My hair would be shorter, but still straw-like.

At Marek Art of Hair you can go back within ten days to have it fixed, if you are not satisfied. I will definitely come back, but not to use the "satisfaction guaranteed" policy. It’s been a month since my visit and I love my hair still!



A hair cut starts at HK$480 which includes a consultation, cleansing, cutting and finishing. Also, you can get the same great results at home with La Biosthetique products at home, albeit without the experience of being pampered.

MAREK ART OF HAIR
2/F Winway Building, 50 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong
+852 2191 2222

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Bag Lady: Vlieger & Vandam Guardian Clutches

Love love love these clutches from Vlieger & Vandam. I'm torn between the gun and the handcuffs. Thinking I might go for the latter but the handcuffs don't come in the tote form and I think I'll probably get more mileage out of the bag if it's not a clutch. That plus the fact that London and Budapest trip is coming in a few weeks so I'm not sure if I should be using shopping quota. Hmm dilemma dilemma.

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Taking a Culinary Trip - Tosca Review

Food and travel guest blogger hkLifestyleGeek gives us her next scoop on restaurants.

Travel is always a good source of inspiration and even better when it's in southern Italy! Sun, seafood... and more sun! Tosca's chef de cuisine Vittorio Lucariello recently went there to do some culinary research. He worked in some Michelin-starred restaurants and ate in others on a short 10-day trip and came back with hardly a paunch and some new ideas. The results are nothing short of new culinary heights for a restaurant located on the 102nd floor of the Hong Kong's highest building.

For starters we loved the refreshing taste from the Maine lobster, watermelon, red radish and honey mustard. Slices of watermelon were stacked with salad leaves and avocado in the middle then topped with lobster medallions. It was play of textures, crunchy and soft and beautiful presentation of colours we enjoyed every bite.

Next came another even more colourful dish on a bed of potato puree. A selection of Mediterranean shellfish including sweet-tasting prawns, squid, sun-dried tomato and broad beans decorated the plate.

A definite highlight was the risotto carnaroli, that included a beautifully poached Italian egg that looked slightly pink. But when pierced, an intense deep yellow yolk ran over the risotto and the flavour was punctuated by bits of buffalo mozzarella and black truffle. Pure heaven in each bite.

Another main was the slow-roasted Iberico tenderloin, presented as medallions on a piece of slate, accompanied with mushroom ragout, rosemary and an aged balsamic sauce. It was meaty, juicy and definitely made us sated.

Dessert was a tart finish of a lemon sponge "delizia" cake drizzled in almond milk and garnished with dried strawberry slices. Here the cake was a bit bland which made me pine for the restaurant's famous tiramisu which is the best in town!

Nonetheless chef Vittorio has definitely brought the taste of southern Italy to Hong Kong -- so try it if you can.

Tosca
102/F, The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong
International Commerce Centre
1 Austin Road West
Kowloon
2263 2270
www.ritzcarlton.com

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Wanted: Book Recommendations

With the crummy weather over the weekend, it was the perfect time to curl up in bed with my kindle and read mindless chick lit to unwind after an insanely busy week. So I did some searching and then decided I was too lazy to discover new authors and instead settled for one of the staples of chick lit, Sophie Kinsella. Truth be told, I'm over the Shopaholic series and The Undomestic Goddness was meh but I seem to recall Can You Keep A Secret being okay so when I saw that she had a book out earlier this year called I’ve Got Your Number, I figured I’ll give it a shot.

The premise is as such: Poppy is engaged after a whirlwind romance. She was proposed with a family heirloom ring and she manages to lose it. Then she gets mugged and loses her phone. As luck (or plot contrivances) would have it, she sees an abandoned phone in a rubbish bin and decides to claim it as her own. However, the phone belonged to the PA of hot guy Sam and so soon she has access to all his emails and starts wading into his personal life which he doesn’t appreciate.

My verdict? Perfect if you are looking for mindless books to while away time while relaxing your brain. If you are in the mood for heavier reading, then consider other alternatives such as John Grisham’s The Confession (innocent man gets convicted of murder and sits on death row, racial tension, religion, the works). Of course, now that I’m done with this, I’m back into my normal murder mysteries (just started Tess Gerritsen’s The Surgeon.) So onto the purpose of this post, I guess much like Must See TV Recruitment, I’m looking for new books to read soooooo any suggestions? Chick lit, thrillers, detective cases, I’m open to ideas. Bring it.

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Geek Spy: Thumbs Up Cufflinks

Perfect for the social media Geek and maybe just something to cheer up that person who bought the Facebook IPO? Get it at ThinkGeek for US$14.99

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Dries by the Dozen

Word on the street is that Lane Crawford lost the distribution rights for Dries van Noten in Beijing, so a whole load of old stock has been shipped to the Hong Kong warehouse depot at Horizon Plaza in Ap Lei Chau. Took a super-quick spin this weekend -- there were only two racks, actually -- but prices were ridiculous, like $200 and up. I came away with this Fall 2009 pencil skirt for $450. I do occasionally like the whole pencil skirt thing... but the temptation is there to have it altered and shortened. It seems like sacrilege sometimes to redesign designer items though. Anyway, run, don't walk.

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Blast to the Past

I love VMs that inspire me to take photos and I’ve noticed that recently Harvey Nichols has done a darn good job of it. Check out the dinosaurs display made out of clothing racks! To use an outdated reference, it’s like when Ross and Rachel gets together to create their dream VM display. Check it out in person at the Harvey Nichols stores in PP and Landmark. They will be there until September.

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