And with this I am finally done with my Cancer-Inspired series!!! I know this post has been pushed back beyond schedule and Cancer season (which was between 22nd June - 31st July) is already over but... better late than never right? What's a Cancer-Inspired series? For those of you who don't know, in line with my obsession with Astrology, I am making it a point to do an "Inspired Series" for each zodiac sign during their seasons and these posts can vary from style to makeup. So if you haven't seen my Cancer-Inspired makeup post, please holla over here. Without further ado... let's jump into our first Cancerian outfit of the day: This post will consist of two different styles, for your usual males and females. So Lawrann will be doing a Summer / Coachella / Permanent Singaporean Weather Style / Lounge Wear / Lepak Yet Cool look for males, while I... ... am doing a simple, minimalist style for my girls. I did try to take into account / recreate what my Cancerian friends Samantha and Peiyi have shared with me but it was such a challenge to decide on just one outfit for this post. Instead, I extracted certain details that they like and combined it with any style inspiration from Cancerian celebrities such as Selena Gomez. I then added in my own personal preferences to finish off the look. But let's reverse the gender stereotype, we shall let the guys go first: If I had to describe Lawrann's style / preferences, it would be a "clean look" (actually thats what he told me before, I'm just quoting him) Meaning a clean shave, neatly combed and styled hair, a nice watch and a pair of shoes. (Astrology Crazy alert) I am not sure if this has something to do with a Cancer man's "reserved" nature, but I do see a trend of simplicity / basics style even in Cancerian celebrities like Tom Cruise... ... and Vin Diesel. If you do observe, you would notice that even for Cancerian female celebrities, they are not into extravagant clothing (except maybe for Ariana Grande who has a certain planet in Libra). Its all simple, comfortable, feminine often with a slight touch of masculinity. Cancerian Meryl Streep's style for example: (Astrology Crazy alert) I wonder if this could this be in tune with their nature to nurture others? For something that comes from such a genuine, giving place... I assume frilly details in fashion are just one of those extra-materialistic-things that they don't fancy. Not as much as we do, at least. Going back to Lawrann's outfit - I know he wears his basics all the time too. Usually a simple shirt with a pair of jeans or sweatpants. The idea of simplicity is reflected in this Summer-ish or Coachella-ish (as Agnes would call it) outfit as well where we have a dirty olive-coloured tanktop from H&M, paired with a beach shorts from H&M too. Together they make the most effortless lepak wear ever. I know I said "lounge wear" earlier (and it sounds super cheesy), but what I meant was Singaporean Lepak Style-wear. But for the sake of being professional, lounge wear will do. I haven't said this before, but I am digging his Fossil Watch. It's such a classic piece not just because of its dark brown coloured strap but also because of the details: So besides shamelessly asking him to model for my post, I also thought it would be a good idea for him to share his daily essentials as seen in this mediocre flat lay attempt of mine: Six items: From Top to Bottom 1. Shaver (From Japan's Family Mart) 2. Hanz De Fuko Hair Styling Cream (Available at Sephora) 3. Fossil watch 4. Gatsby Hairspray 5. 1 Million perfume (Thats the name of it, NOT THE PRICE) 6. Nivea Men deodorant Now we know how low-maintenance guys can be. I'm not about to start on the whole gender-debate now but I do know that there are females who are low-maintenance too. Just thought it would be fun to share what a guy's essentials would be and see how it contrasts to the girls' (except I didn't take any photos of my essentials except in my "Beauty in a Box" post) Now moving on to my outfit... If you follow me on Instagram, you would have already seen this photo. I have worn this off-shoulder top a million times before and I still think it is the classic piece, something Audrey Hepburn would wear kind-of-style and I am super glad I got this in my wardrobe. I chose this because that little peek at the shoulders and collarbones just screams femininity and elegance. This whiff (whew) of femininity instantly reminded me of the gentle, caring Cancerian woman. But... that is not to imply that they are weak. In fact- This "loose" / "baggy" pants was the first thing I picked out and it represents that "slight touch of masculinity" that I was talking about earlier. What I meant to say is that it balances out the feminine top; it represents the strength of a Cancer. (Astrology Crazy alert) I know people always call them the "sensitive" one, but personally I feel that those who tend to be "emotionally vulnerable" are actually the strongest people. This pair of baggy pants was that one specific detail that I wanted to nail and have it set the tone for the rest of the outfit. I remember when Samantha sent me these photos as reference: I knew no matter how much I was going to recreate the look, the pants had to be it. Just these photos - they carry a touch of femininity in the flowy dresses and vibrant colours, but just as you are about to underestimate the outfit... you are thrown off guard with that leather jacket, or that over-the-top outerwear. Overall, I got the vibe that what a Cancer seeks in their outfit reflects who they are - Gentle yet strong. An outfit that is loose, comfortable yet chic. Not to be messed with. Anyway, this outfit might look expensive, but its suuuuuuuuper cheap. My top and my shoes are from H&M DURING A SALE and my pants was from Bugis Street :-)))) Nothing wrong with being a Bugis Street shopper, now this has-it-already-been-three-years? grey pants has made it to the Blogosphere too. As mentioned earlier, besides taking inspiration from my friends, I also took inspiration from Selena Gomez's street style. AND YES, if you didn't know already she is a Cancer. (Astrology Crazy alert: Interesting how she is in a relationship with the lead singer of The Weekend whose a Gemini...) I noticed that her style was similar in the sense that she wears a lot of classic / basics to create a minimalist look: And she always have a bit of that femininity thing going on (you know what I mean? that little thing that drives men crazy. "Not-revealing-but-revealing-just-enough" vibe) which is what makes her persona / style attractive. For example: A whole black outfit could come off a tad too strong, but she knows to tone it down with a plunging V-neck, and some open toe heels. As for the colour palette, you could tell she really ain't that big on bright colours. (Think the ruling planet of Cancer, the moon) But her makeup makes up for it. Nothing over the top, very natural makeup usually carrying peachy/orangey/warm tones for the eyes and the cheeks. At this point I really just want to exclaim: AINT THIS OUTFIT THE MOST CANCER-ISH ONE EVER? And that is all for my Cancer-inspired style!!! It's not the "absolute" style, but you get the gist of it. I recognise that every Cancer is their own unique individual, and I am not trying to group anyone based on my own terms. This post is just for fun, for the astrology lovers, for the fashion lovers. Take it with a pinch of salt :-) Lastly, I will definitely be working on my Leo inspired post very veryveryvery soon!!! So please stay tuned and if anyone has input that you'd like to share, let me know. Ver So I posted a while back on veraheng.blogspot.com (MY PREVIOUS HOST) that I was going to start a segment called Weekend Eats / Weekend Eats on the go where I over-enthusiastically share what I ate over the week / weekends just because I know we would all appreciate food recommendations / food inspiration from time to time :-)))) And here are my weekend eats for the last week of July! 1. Tokyo Sundubu at Raffles City #B1-16 Anyone who knows me personally would know that not a day goes by where I don't CRAVE for soup. Soup anything and I will eat it, same goes for stew. I am OBSESSED to the extent of eating fish soup every single goddamn day (when I was still working at Garetts) no matter how far it was from my shop. Trust that I would be willing to speed walk and waste fifteen minutes of my break just to get to Raffles City for it. But besides fish soup, I am also a die-hard fan of spicy soupy stuff like tomyam... curry... and... KIMCHI soup. A bowl of spicy, flavourful, hearty kimchi soup easily tops my list of comfort food. About Tokyo Sundubu So when Lawrann and I stumbled upon this place called Tokyo Sundubu located in Raffles City, it was like striking gold. Both of us LOVE korean and Japanese cuisine and when we found out that it's sundubu (stands for "soft tofu stew") is a fusion of Japanese and Korean cuisine... we were all THIS IS IT WE MUST GO HERE. I might be exaggerating but you get the idea. Unfortunately, the first and second time we visited, everything was sold out )-: It was only during our THIRD time that we finally manage to sin. I am guessing it is immensely popular, so if you do want to try just take note! Your Singaporean kiasu spirit should be about out now. So knowing me, I always go for the classics. I ordered the Chicken Sundubu for $14 :-) I would say it is affordable and worth it because it falls within the usual restaurant rates. Accompanying your stew are korean side dishes and a bowl of rice. Of course if you like to try something new, here's a sneak peak at the menu (I'm hoping I don't get into trouble for this): Fusion of Japanese and Korean cuisine From a sweeping glance at the menu... you could really tell where the fusion comes in. Sundubu is a korean dish, but here they have some pretty damn cool combinations where they use Japanese ingredients such as clams, oyster, kuro-buta (something pork?) to whip out a semi new dish. Interestingly, you could also opt for JAPANESE MISO as your soup base. How to order: 1. Select your choice of sundubu 2. Choose your soup base: Salt & Ginger / Japanese Miso / Non-spicy 3. Think Coco Curry, choose your spiciness level: Extra Spicy / Singapore Standard / Japan Standard / Less (admin note: interesting how we have a fusion of Singapore style here as well????) If sundubu is not enough to feed your ass, you could also order side dishes such as: fBut this is the one yours truly truly recommend. The Tokyo Sundubu Gyoza for $8 in all its glory. I don't know about you but personally as a gyoza lover one of the biggest turn-offs WHEN I EAT MY GYOZA is when it is over-fried - fillings void of moisture tastes ... absolutely horrible. But this was just nice. I'm dying for the sauce, and I'd like to think it is the sauce that perfects it. Usually fried gyozas come with ginger and vinegar for dipping, but this sauciness was nicely spread on all six gyozas and it was just snfjdsnfbjbdsjf delicious. I could go on and on and on... but you gotta try it for yourself to know it. I am not too picky when it comes to food, so what I find nice might not work the same for you and thats cool. Also I know navigating around the basement of Raffles City could be quite challenging so just a tip, Tokyo Sundubu is located close to Din Tai Fung. 2. Breko Cafe at Holland Village On Friday I finally met up with Audrey and we dined at Breko Cafe at Holland Village for the second time. Honestly... I think the food was alright, same goes for the price. Service was great, the atmosphere was great too. I know it sounds sub par BUT if you'd like to find somewhere to chill and preferably not a bar, but still with some drinks AND breakfast food... visit Breko Cafe. It is located near Fat Boys Burger. What we ordered I got myself three pancakes with a scoop of chocolate ice-cream, topped with fruits such as pomegranates, strawberries, blueberries... and some healthy seeds/nuts. Rating it a 5/10 BECAUSE there was NO MAPLE SYRUP AND how can you not have maple syrup on your pancakes? :-( Also the main lead (pancakes) tasted alright. Overwhelming egg-y taste if that even makes sense, and I very much prefer some buttermilk taste for my pancakes. That was a huge meh for me already... also meh because I was really craving for some dessert/breakie kind of dinner with my beer, and this didn't do it. My companions ordered some much better dishes though. ... Which were all "good". But to each its own really!!! For service however, I would give it a 7.5/10. Staffs were friendly and patient and I think that is a sure bonus because as a consumer, I value the experience of dining as much as I value the quality and taste of the food.
Ver (If you haven't read my "Cancer Inspired Makeup Look", click here!) SHORT UPDATE. If you follow me on Twitter and Facebook (You better)... you would know that I have made a sudden decision to move from Blogger to here - Weebly. Okay scratch sudden but I have been thinking through this for quite some time. I LOVE BLOGGER. Trust me. I have been using it since primary and secondary school days... and I know its features like the back of my hand. Unfortunately, Blogger ain't as updated as hosts such as Wix, Weebly and even Wordpress and this makes sustaining a professional blog increasingly difficult. While efforts were made to add in new features, they aren't integrated properly together with the older ones so A LOT of time is wasted trying figure which goes where, which works for what. And perhaps the biggest downside of all (I hate to sound materialistic but)... is an alarmingly limited variety of themes/templates for users to choose from. Considering that there are so many websites competing to be the one to retain loyal readers... considering that we are highly visual creatures... a website's design is the skeleton to its flesh - the content. One cannot work without the other. Thus after much consideration... Sorry Blogger. Weebly, I choose you. Anyway, besides working part-time (which I have since regrettably left),I have also been tutoring part-time. Let me just take this opportunity to confess that teaching is reeeeeeaaaaaaaally not as easy as we think. Cliche, but so god damn true. We think its easy because we see what they present to us during that two hours, not knowing that pre and post lessons consist of tying up loose ends, and a lot of preparation work. Not forgetting the daily shitload of expectations thrown to them by the school, students and even parents... Sometimes we forget how noble a job being an educator is. So let's give our thanks to all the teachers who have taught us damn right for like Malala Yousafzai said, education IS a powerful tool. Whoever teaches has a pretty damn large responsibility to raise them people right. On the bright side I am super fortunate to be able to put creativity to use here :-)))) I try to provide/create my own teaching materials in hopes of not boring my student out lol BUT HOPEFULLY I will be able to continue doing this even as the school semester starts :-( Also if yall know of anyone who needs English tuition, please help a sister and hit me up. Anyway I know I am super behind blogging... but I have had some stuff to settle this week so more posts will DEFINITELY be up next week!!! Exciting times ahead
Ver (where's the baby emoticon when you need one) |
ProfileESFJ-A | Virgo |