I had just about given up on eyeliner when I decided as part of my Japan beauty haul to pick up this Creer Beaute "Love Darling" liquid eyeliner. Gel is unbeatable (I've always used MAC Fluidline) but since I only have an angled brush, and my brush-cleaning frequency is, er, less than the recommended dosage, achieving a pretty wing is pretty much impossible, unless jagged edges are the new thing in beauty.
The Japanese beauty site Cosme ranked this eyeliner as the number-one eyeliner product launched in the past year, so I chose it over other brands like Dollywink and K-Palette 24h, which were the other ones highly ranked on beauty blogs. I'm about a month into using it, and I haven't looked at my Fluidline once. The brush is super thin, so you can draw really nice and precise lines, and it's the best formula I've come across for oily eyelids, but you don't need any special makeup remover to take it off. My only (minor) complaint is that because the point is SO thin, it takes a while to colour in the cat eye/wing area. But that's probably not even a problem for more people.
Images: Bunny & Spice
Friday, May 31, 2013
Beauty Notes: Creer Beaute Love Darling Eyeliner
Thursday, May 30, 2013
SHOErotica: Sophia Webster Lola Pumps
Don't think I need to sing any more praises about Sophia Webster, but everything is just good. Fun colours, ultimate comfort, REASONABLE HEEL HEIGHTS. And well, the girl herself is so cute and stylish, just the perfect brand ambassador in an industry primarily dominated by men (Christian, Manolo, Sergio, Giuseppe, Nicholas...) Her new pumps are exclusive to Net a Porter and come in so many awesome colours, from neon yellow to glittery bronze to sensible navy... get them here!
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Little White Tops
Little white tops, the best way to motivate yourself to continue on the Paleo diet... carbs? sugars? dairy? legumes? I forget what those even are. All I remember is pressing "confirm" on getting these off Nasty Gal, and now I better get fit for summer. If you, too, would like retail therapy to be your motivation, check Nasty Gal.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
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Monday, May 27, 2013
Pierre Herme and the Temple of Sweets
Pierre Herme has officially opened in ifc! Which means that the Picasso of Pastry's delicious works are available to all of us, a mere day after I've started this crazy Paleo diet... (no sugar, carbs, dairy -- all of which are flouted in a single macaroon). But that's what cheat days are for. I'm looking forward to seeing if any version of the Fetish Saint Honore, limited edition in Paris, will be sold here... AHHHHHH.
Anyway, for you fans of the pastry maestro, there will be a book-signing event for the public on Thursday from 230-430pm (sadly, for anyone with a job), so you can bring along your cookbooks or t-shirts or boobs or macaroon boxes along. A limited number of cookbooks will be available at the event itself, if you can't find a suitable canvas. The shop is at IFC podium level 1, shop 1019C.
Friday, May 24, 2013
SHOErotica: Noritaka Tatehana
In honour of art week in Hong Kong, some art. I don't think you can walk in these unless you're Lady Gaga or have crutches, so they're definitely not shoes. Learn more about Noritaka Tatehana here.
Bag Lady: Tod's Signature Briefcase
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Sapporo Fashion Geek: Ishiya Chocolate Factory
Ishiya Chocolate Factory in Sapporo is a weird place. It's like a weird Euro-ish cottage-cum-castle with a garden filled with amusement-park kitsch. The inside is a museum of chocolate paraphernalia, as well as a window into the actual production line. And then there's a gift shop, a display of vintage toys (from Astroboy to Superman and everything in between) and a bizarre room of gramophones through the ages. But it's sort of worth going to (if you rent a car, that is) because it's an easy drive, admission is cheap and comes with a free cookie, and there are these funny aspects -- see photos above -- that are just made for Instagram. And because afterwards you can eat all the chocolate you want without getting pimples. You MIGHT get fat, though.
Guinea Pig Fashion
How bizarrely wonderful is online shopping? I've stumbled upon a website that sells outfits just for guinea pigs and what slays me is that there is a category for tank tops! Oh also wigs where the site advises your guinea pig to have hair at least 1cm long in order to wear them. Check out some of the outfits for sale. Photo credit: (Maki Yamada/RexUSA)
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Double Denim Day
Double denim has been around for a while. But I like how it's gone from a trend to something classic.
HRH the Cute Canine
We adore this box cover for M&S' tin of butter Scottish shortbread biscuits. It's to mark Queen Elizabeth II's 60th anniversary on the throne that officially happened on June 2, 1953. How appropriate to have a corgi with a crown on its head, sitting on a royal cushion, its paw on the sceptre and orb. Now we really know who's in charge of the royal household! If I buy a box of these shortbread biscuits (HK$148), will someone eat them so I can keep the tin box?
Monday, May 20, 2013
Dumb Ways to Die App
Remember that annoyingly catchy video that Christina can't stop listening to? There's now an app! I just spent a good hour playing the game protecting private parts from piranhas, wiping up vomit and feeding rattlesnakes. Super addictive. Now go find out what other dumb ways there are to die by downloading the app here.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
SHOErotica: Casadei Blade Pumps, Redux
Every girl's got her what-if guy. Well this is my what-if shoe. Like, what if they sold Casadei somewhere in Hong Kong (Lane Crawford doesn't seem to anymore) so I could freaking try these on and then order them cheaper online? This is the shoe I need to wear with the aforementioned white-on-white outfits dude! Get them here...
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
White on White
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Between the Rumi Neely white-everything-with-black-shoes to this Lachlan Bailey for Vogue China series, it is so absolutely imperative that I pull some white on white this summer...
Geek Spy: Vintage Watch Cufflinks
I need to get me some shirts that accomodate cufflinks just so I can wear these awesome pieces. Created from vintage watches, these cufflinks are handmade in France and are available from Boticca for US$196.50
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Beauty Notes: Shiseido Perfect Whip
Seriously can't believe that I paid 328 yen for a giant tube of this amazing face wash, basically like HK$30, and I got one of those "25% extra!" ones too. This is the cheapo drugstore face wash find of the century, a legend apparently in the Japanese market and one of the top picks in those beauty-blogger travel-haul posts. This is a super-foamy wash that surprisingly doesn't dry out the skin but leaves it really squeaky clean. And I think thanks to this wonderful and wide-reaching arms of Sasa you can actually score it here too.
Spark Studios
Expect more posts on this from me soon. I will be sharing Spark recipes (mostly baking as that's what I like to do) on a regular basis but in the meantime, if you have kids or have friends with kids, come on by this Friday on the public holiday. We are doing free trial classes!
Monday, May 13, 2013
Pandas Are Handsome
We Are Handsome... so are pandas. Creepy to think that there's probably many times more panda merchandise in the world than real pandas. Aww...
A Bite of Peru
Hong Kong had its first Peruvian restaurant last year with Chicha and now there's a new one in Lan Kwai Fong. Replacing Blue Smoke, MAYTA Peruvian Kitchen & Pisco Bar creates a warm atmosphere with lots of wood and a casual laid-back atmosphere.
Start off with some piscos ($68), a colourless grape brandy. Here the restaurant infuses it with 18 different flavours and combinations, such as purple corn, coffee, coconut, green tea, thyme, ginger and chamomile.
The purple corn flavoured one is dark purple in colour, but just all sweet, whereas the ginger one has more complexity and deceptively easy to drink...
So perhaps it's time to order some food. For the uninitiated, Peruvian cuisine is an interesting combination of various immigrants in the country, including the Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Italian and German along with the indigenous Incas.
Each culture brought some of their own cooking styles and the adapted with the existing ingredients and it has since evolved (and continues to evolve) into a hearty cuisine that has layers of flavours that make it simultaneously rustic but also sophisticated.
One of the best known dishes is ceviche, and the classic one here (HK$148) is a delicious blend of sea bass mixed with lime and fish stock that creates a whitish liquid called leche de tigre, or tiger's milk, and the other ingredients include red onion, choclo, cancha and glazed sweet potato. It's a refreshing dish perfect for summer months.
An interesting take on ceviche is the Andean tiradito (HK$138) that uses salmon, chilli chimichurri, leche de tigre and topped with crispy black quinoa.
Peru is also known for its potatoes or causa, with thousands of varieties grown in the Latin American country. Here a trio (HK$158) of mashed potatoes is presented in various colours and flavours: a purple one topped with salmon ceviche tartar; yellow with octopus and rocoto chilli aoli; and then orange with shrimp escabeche. All are too scrumptious to pass up.
The skewers or anticucho are very Peruvian. MAYTA's menu offers skewers of beef (HK$118), chicken (HK$98) and octopus (HK$118). No explanations required -- just enjoy.
For mains, there are some amazing rice platters to choose from. The arroz con pato (HK$178) is divine, with 12-hour cooked duck leg confit sitting on a bed of flavourful rice, while the arroz con mariscos (HK$188) is a seafood yellow curry rice with shrimp, octopus, fried squid, red peppers and some chilli for a spicy kick.
To finish the meal try the suspiro de Limena (HK$68), a dulce de leche, a kind of custard that's not too sweet with a quinoa cookie, intriguingly a scoop of olive oil ice cream, almond oil and grilled pineapple.
MAYTA Peruvian Kitchen & Piscos Bar
3/F, Grand Progress Building
15 Lan Kwai Fong
Central
2790 0928
www.diningconcepts.com.hk
Friday, May 10, 2013
Diamond in the Rough
It's rare to find a thing more beautiful than a diamond, and I'm not really suggesting that this concrete replica, dipped in gold, would be in any way comparable to the real thing, but it's a nifty idea, and a much more subversive look. I mean, for those days you don't want to pull out the genuine seven carats on a chain.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
SHOErotica: Nike Studio Wrap Pack
I like what Nike's been doing in its efforts to make sporting footwear both more modular and more fashionable. I don't really know why I might need a pair of supportive ballet/yoga foot wraps but I like where they're going with this. Learn more here.
Images: Feeldesain.com
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Their Eyes Met...
Just a friendly reminder, better to ignore the dress code/theme rather than leave the house looking like this. Luckily celebs don't have to stand on the street waiting for taxis in their ridiculous makeup and get-ups...
Images: Lainey Gossip
Monday, May 6, 2013
Revving Up and Slowing Down
You're going to see two things happen on the site this week. One, you might see a very absent Virginia, as she's working on soft-opening her new business venture, Spark Studios which I'll let her talk about later. Two, you may see an erratic me, as tomorrow I embark on a little journey I'm going to call Food Writer Drinks Juice For Three Days 2013. So as she gears up for a big launch, I'll be slowing down with a little food ban and hopefully, a turn for the better, health-wise. It's the perfect end to a five-day extravaganza of pigging out in Sapporo. And since I found out there's a real dearth of quality English blogging on Sapporo eats, I'll pen a little guide to the place, probably not while I'm not allowed to consume real food, but soon after that.