Out to lunch x OOTD

I always tend to stuff myself with food whenever I come back to SG for my breaks. Tried controlling my diet this time around but clearly, that didn't go according to plan. Definitely a struggle living in a food haven like SG.. LOL

MEE POK.

Try being away from SG for over 3 months if you think I'm being too overexcited over a bowl of mee pok.

Da bao'ed (takeaway) for lunch the other day since I prefer to eat in the comfort of my own home.

Can't decide whether living in an area highly populated with good food is a blessing or not. hahah

Nam Nam Noodle Bar for lunch after a visit to the dermatologist the other day.

Beef Pho & their salad = PHO-tastic (sorry I just had to).

Nam Nam Noodle Bar

Wheelock Place

501 Orchard Road

#B2-02, Wheelock Place,

Singapore 238880

Tel: 67351488

**

Had a quick lunch in town this afternoon with my mom & her friend today. I've been craving for Paradise Dynasty's noodles for too long so that's where we went! 

FINALLY.

Ordered 2 trays of their famous XLB's as well. They're well known for their different flavored XLB's.

No pics though because the usual excuse - was too hungry to bother to whip out my phone.

If you like foie gras, you should definitely try their foie gras flavored XLB's.

担担面 / Dan Dan Mian!

If you're thinking of going down, just note that they don't accept bookings/reservations, only walk-ins.

Paradise Dynasty

2 Orchard Turn

#04-12A ION Orchard

Business Hours:

11a.m-10p.m (Mon-Fri)

10a.m-10p.m (Sat, Sun & PH)

Of course, no matter how full one is, there is always still room for dessert. I actually have a separate compartment in my stomach for dessert alone ;)

I've been wanting to pay a visit to Paris Baguette Cafe, which is a famous cafe/bakery oringinally from Korea. Although my mom was in heels & hardly walks anywhere (case in point: she drives from ion to get to takashimaya), she relented & we walked to their Wisma Atria branch from ION to grab coffee & dessert!

Was rather impressed with the plush furnishing although the cafe is in the middle of the mall & is not enclosed.

Random pic while waiting for the food....

Ordered the strawberry cake (reminded me of the one at Antoinette) + Haha Family chocolate cake.

If I'm not mistaken, I think the HaHa Family cake is inspired by HaHa from Running Man? I don't know the correlation between HaHa and chocolate cake though so I could be totally wrong.. LOL.

& of course, a visit to Paris Baguette Cafe would not have been complete without buying what they're famous for - their Royal Pudding. Bought some to bring home & try!

Paris Baguette Cafe

#02-48/53, Wisma Atria Shopping Centre

435 Orchard Road

Tel: 68362010

~ 

TODAY'S OOTD

Today was definitely a dress-down kinda day.

First time wearing these Topshop shoes which I scored for just slightly over 15GBP (around $30) if I remember correctly? Even my mom told me not to lie after I told her they were from Topshop - she thought I had secretly bought this from Alexander Wang........ HAHA.

Just goes to show that high street items can sometimes rival their designer counterparts :)

P

Top: HommeFemme

Shorts: Abercrombie & Fitch

Bag: Chanel

Shoes: Topshop

Thanks to my brother for being my trusty photographer btw!

Actually surprised that he agreed.. hahah THANKS DIDI.

I've trained you well ;)

**

Can't believe I've been back in SG for nearly 2 weeks already.

Time needs to slow down.

Not ready to go back to the UK / back to reality yet :(

xx

instagram.com/nicsamx (@nicsamx)

ask.fm/fashfoodx

BACK IN THE +65.

*BACK IN SG / +65*

As soon as I got off the plane, I instantly felt the blistering heat. 

Whereas I would have complained before, SG's 365-days-summer was a welcome relief after being in single digit (dC) weather for the past 3 months!

Got this outfit back in the UK a few weeks ago but was unable to wear it as the weather didn't permit. Brought it back to SG to make full use of it!

No more being bundled up in chunky knits & puffy jackets.

Finally able to reclaim my summer wardrobe!

Matching top & bottom set: Miss Selfridge // Shoes: Isabel Marant // Chanel perfume iPhone case

Taiwanese food for lunch at Shin Yeh (Liang Court branch) ~

Had the steamed crab with glutinous rice!

They were quite generous with the crab & the egg roe (the best part!)

Complimentary dessert - Muah Chee (glutinous rice balls).

Ordered an extra dessert since we still had space. 

Mango shaved ice!

**

Chanel perfume bottle.

A new home for my iPhone ~

New set // all hand drawn!

*Chrome Hearts inspired*

Taiwanese porridge @ Coffee Lounge, Goodwood Park Hotel
Yesterday's lunch ~

**

Planning on getting a new camera soon so please bare with the iPhone5 photo quality for the time being!

~
Follow me on instagram! x @nicsamx
ask.fm/fashfoodx


xx

Skin Wardrobe

Another quick post to tide this space over till I'm done with exams.

Recently got these 3 products from Chanel's resynchronizing skincare line. I like to refer to them as my skin wardrobe - a change of cream for different occasions/days. Le Jour is the flirty white dress for the day. Change into your black dress at night (la nuit), & on the weekends, let loose in your comfy sweats (le weekend). Not really in the position to do a detailed review now as I've only just started using them. 

Being Chanel, a hefty price tag comes as little surprise. Admittedly, if my mom hadn't bought them, I probably wouldn't have dropped that sum of money myself.

Just a sidenote - you still have to continue with your main skincare routine alongside these products. They merely act as boosters.

If anyone has tried this line of products from Chanel, I would love to hear your feedback!

xx

New Year, New Do!

Happy New Year!!

Can't believe its 2014 already! HOW??

Back with my first post of the new year, along with the debut of my new do!

Permed my hair yesterday after wanting to do so for awhile. The new year often brings changes so this was my first major change in 2014! This being my first experience with perming, I didn't quite know what to expect. At the back of my mind, a lingering fear was that my hair would turn out resembling a full head of fried instant noodles. Thank goodness it turned out like the more positive outcome I had envisioned!

Pretty sure the only reason why I look half decent in this pic is down to the hair, as I went au naturale, sans makeup.

The only problem was that this head of hair took quite some time to achieve. Definitely love the hair way more than the process of actually achieving it. I can sit in bed for hours on end. Though, when it comes to a chair, its a whole different story. After sitting in the chair for close to 3.5 hours, I felt like running around the whole salon when I could eventually get up!

Back view

(note: my mom's photography skills. She's still learning. Had to do some editing to make it slightly more viewable..)

Anyone umm-ing & ahh-ing as to whether they should perm their hair, should just get round to it! Its a new year after all!

If you've any questions about perming, I'm open to answering them via email / my ask.fm! (links are below) 

I don't really want to bore you with too detailed a post in case you aren't interested, but if any of you are, I might do one about my experience.

xx

ask.fm/fashfoodx

fashfood@hotmail.com

High Street Buys: Shoes { ZARA }

Purchased 2 pairs of shoes from Zara a few weeks ago but never got round to showing them until now.

Leaving Zara empty-handed is a rarity for me. But for some reason, I've never really gravitated towards their shoes. However, I chanced upon these shoes during a sneaky browse through their online shop the other day. Of course, my fingers have a mind of their own and before I knew it, I had all too eagerly keyed in my payment details and checked out. Oops.. Though the price tags on these shoes did make me feel slightly less guilty..

I still haven't quite managed the mammoth task of wearing heels without tripping in the span of approximately 5 minutes. So since both pairs of shoes have a chunky heel instead of a stick thin one, I figured I wouldn't be a walking hazard in them. At least its a baby step in the right direction! (and I probably won't end up on my butt while taking that step.. hah!)

Open high heel Nappa Leather Ankle Boot

"These boots were made for walking.."

Unfortunately, I can't seem to find the link for this pair on Zara's website anymore. If you're interested, you may want to try heading down to one of their stores to try your luck!

Happy shopping!

xx

Shop my closet!

Heyy! 

A couple of entries ago, I told you guys about my Carousell page. In case you've not read it & don't have a clue about what Carousell is, I shall enlighten you!

Carousell is a local (SG) website that allows users to post their items for sale. In turn, users can also shop other's items. It's pretty much just one big online flea market (except slightly more organized and definitely less hectic..). Items sold on there range from the contents of people's closets to the latest gadgets! Condition of the items also varies from new to almost new to slightly more preloved! If you've an iPhone 5/android phone (?) you can also download their app for free!

So after my free mini advertisement for Carousell (LOL), the purpose of this post is to tell you that I've updated my Carousell site! (www.carousell.co/fashfoodx) I'll also be updating it with even more items within the next day or so!

If you're interested, keep watch for that because I'll be leaving SG next week so collection of items must be done by the end of this week (latest)! 

Remember to follow me on Carousell (@fashfoodx) for more details!

One man's trash treasure is another man's treasure ;)

xx

♡ September Lusts ♡

Thought I would make it a regular thing of sharing what I've been lusting after the start of each month. So here's my September Lusts!

Enjoy!

1) Graphic tees

I know a cute graphic tee when I see one! Everyone is bound to have one of those I'm-too-lazy-to-dress-up days at some point.. (..or is it just me?). Solution: Without having to try hard at all, just throw on a cute graphic tee with your comfiest pair of shorts/jeans/leggings/skirt/whateverfloatsyourboat.

If graphic tees could say a thousand words about a person, this one definitely screams me.

This is from Widlfox Couture - basically, the designer brand of graphic tees.

If you find dropping $100 on a graphic tee a bit much, I completely understand.. Just hit up your local topshop/h&m/forever 21! They are bound to have a whole section dedicated solely to graphic tees.

2) Valentino rockstud leather bracelet

I haven't really paid much attention to this brand but recently, I've been lusting over everything Valentino!

I'm no punk rocker but I have an unusual weakness for studs. From their studded bags to shoes to accessories, its no wonder it hasn't taken much for me to fall in love Valentino.

I especially love the chunky studs on this bracelet. 

Studs + statement piece = Samantha might just have to skip meals for awhile........

http://www.net-a-porter.com/product/373234

£165

3) Mnologie perspex clutch

I delight in finding small, independent stores. This lessens the chance of an awkward "who wore it best" moment.. 

This is why I was happy to have chanced upon Mnologie, an online store based in Bali. Apparently, all items are handmade and carefully selected by the owner.

How chic is this perspex clutch? With the increasing trend of play on brand names, the 'Celine me Alone' pouch definitely ups your stakes in the fashion game. Even if you aren't keen on the pouch, mnologie stock a selection you can choose from. I've always been too scared to carry a transparent bag. My fear probably stems from the fact that I may or may not be the most organized person when it comes to my bags.... With this clutch, the pouch is a life saver in hiding the deep dark secrets of your bag.

Oh and did I mention, this bag can be personalized. You can engrave your name on the clasp of the bag so no one else will ever have the same exact copy as you.. ;)

Really tempted to place an order for this bag!

4) Stuart Weitzman 5050's (boots)

These boots are made for walkin'. But definitely not wearing.... I've had my eye on them for awhile. Well, I tried them on in the store not too long ago. Was wearing jeans. Took 5 mins for me to put them on. My leg was up in the air, sideways, flailing around. The sales assistants even tried to assist my feet in sliding into these boots - not 1, but 2 people. All this in a bid to try to get them on. Even after all this hubbub surrounding my feet, they only managed to make it halfway.... 

This was definitely my Cinderella step sister moment.. Or if you know me well enough, just a typical Samantha one..

As if one embarrassing attempt isn't enough, I refuse to be defeated. After constantly finding these boots mysteriously pop up on my google image page, I'm convincing myself to give these boots and my step sister feet one more go. If it's good enough for Angelina Jolie, it's good enough for me. In order not to repeat my "Cinderella" stunt, I'm probably going to wear leggings instead of jeans with these boots in the future. Would definitely recommend those of you who are interested to do the same - learn from my mistakes.

Do you guys think the £395.00 price tag is worth the splurge though? (trying to justify it here! Especially since I've such a difficult time putting them on..)

5) Year Zero London Customized Bag

When I saw this, I immediately knew it had to be on this list.

Year Zero London basically do graffiti, but on designer handbags. It cannot get anymore customized than that..

(image source: gift-library.com)

I'm a hello kitty fan so this definitely caught my attention. However, with a normal LV neverfull probably less than 600GBP, the price for this bag at 3000GBP is definitely slightlyyyy inflated..

Still a major lust though!

6) Hermes Kelly Dog

ahh, the H word........ 

As of late, I've decided to only spend money on accessories that I know are classics. Basically, pieces that will last me a lifetime and that I can eventually hand over to future generations of my family. With this motto in mind, I've been lusting over the Hermes Kelly Dog as it fulfills of all those things.

At 350GBP, it is a little pricey but considering its Hermes, the price is justified a little since you'll be expecting nothing but the best quality through all the wear.

Currently on the lookout for it in black with gold hardware since black is a versatile color and I usually wear gold accessories. Any donors please do not hesitate to contact me ;)

7) Chanel Ballet Flats

I've been on the look out for a new pair of flats but have yet to find a pair I really like. Comfort is a top priority on my list of qualities I look for in the perfect pair of ballet flats (yes, instead of choosing guys, I choose shoes). Practicality should probably be up there with comfort but that plummeted to the bottom of the list when I spotted these nude Chanel ballet flats. Seeing as how I live in rainy UK, these probably won't see the light of day if I buy them. Nevertheless, I may act on impulsiveness and get these.... Someone definitely needs to restrain me whenever I'm near a Chanel store..

(image source: not my own)

8) Bling laptop case

I love my bling so this laptop case definitely had to be in my lusts for this month!

I love how this laptop case is in black crystals. Provides enough bling but doesn't overdo it. Yet, still has an edgy vibe.

Possible upcoming D.I.Y project for me!

Do you lust? ;)

xx

ftc disclaimer : all pictures aren't mine unless otherwise stated.