Once upon 2008

As we bid 2008 farewell, here are a list of things that have stood out - and stood out very clearly.

- Victoria's Secret

(though L disagrees because whenever she orders, she does NOT receive ANYTHING and has countlessly complained to VS employees about customer dissatisfaction. Ok L had to rant.)

- Prada's Infusion D'Iris

(we're both self-confessed addicts. We'd shower with them instead of water if it wasn't too expensive and/or insane.)

- Obama's win

(Probably the highlight. And the acceptance speech? Legendary.)

- Salmon pink

(finally makes a comeback!)

- Roland Mouret

(the genius of draping and pleats. We're totally coveting.)

- Harvey Nichols

(Our second home. L adds Saks - she's on a first-name basis with the crew upstairs.)

- Julia Quinn

(Thank you Julia for saving us on those long airplane trips and sleepless nights! We love the Bridgertons.)

- Fall for you by Secondhand Serenade

(stole our hearts whenever we'd turn on the radio. <3 )

- Chuck Bass

(A: Enough said. L: Um, I'd pass.)

- Economic Crisis

(Hello? Chanel bags in London when from 11,000 AED to 8,00 AED, excluding sale? Hell yeah we're coveting!)

- How I Met Your Mother

(legden..wait for it, wait for ittt, - and we hope you're not lactose intolerent - daaary!!)

- Zac Posen

(Zac tops our lists. Always.)

- Sarah Palin

(that prank call was even more memorable than her hairstyle.)

- 60's Party

(Ok. The most awesome party we've been to. Thanks Sharen!! <3 )

- Katy Perry

(We always were cherry chap-stick. Just sayin'.)

- Cam Gigandet

(*sigh*)
- Hermes Kelly

(forget Birkins, Kellys are all the rage.)

- Fashion blogs

(Where have we been all this time?)

- Law

(Very in interesting. And law jargon is even more interesting. Do you concur or do we grant a preliminary injunction? Or certiatori perhaps? We certainly concur to our own concurrance via stare decisis)

- Statement necklaces

(all the rage.)

- Loubotins

(always were in, will always stay in.)

- Ballet flats

(pefect for stashing them in your oversized bag for when you're strutting your stuff in major blister-inducing heels.)

- Alexander McQueen

(military is back, thanks to Mr.McQueen.)

- Agyness Deyn

(quirky name spelling and quirky style! A friend met her at the Atlantis opening and said she was extremely sweet. She wins brownie points!)

- Gladiator flats/heels

(whether we were dressed up or dressed down, gladiator heels always came to the rescue.)

- Navy blue nail polish

(forget black, navy blue is all the rage.)

- Statement rings

(strip away your rolexes and bracelets and only wear the ring.)

- Plain white tees

(and it's not the band we're talking about!)

- Gossip Girl

We <3 Blair

Once upon Paris fashion week

We love playing Hot and Not, great for procrastination!
Join in the fun and let us know your thoughts.

1. HOT. Yellow heels and turquoise nailpolish is <3


2. Hot. Pale pink is whimsical, and whimsical = good. Loving the ruffles and fur sleeves. Is that clutch by Marc?


3. NOT. She fails. Miserably. Those glasses are shudder-worthy.


4. HOTT with two T's. Who said grey was bleak? It's gorgeous. And though those trousers are not exactly flattering, they work here. And the Loubs are drool-worthy.


5. Not. Structured is in, but this is taking the trend too far. A perfect example of following trends with blind eyes.. well I guess if you work for Mr.Designer, you'd have to wear his frock.


6. Ok we are OFFICIALLY jealous of this Parisian bebe!


7. Jumpsuits? Horrible. In silk? even worse. The bow on the pumps save her - but just a little bit. Girl on the right? Hmm. Nothing to really grill/compliment her about.


8. Bravo to the woman in the left for daring to wear this goreous pop of blue when everyone else was in blacks and greys. We don't dig the belt and embellished shirt when worn together. Woman on the right FAILS miserably. Oddly shaped trench with the ugliest fur sleeves? Ew. The rest of the ensemble looks ok, but probably should have been worn seperately. There's way too much going on here, and it's distracting. Also, take off the dangly earings. They're very Ms.5th grade teacher.


8. Woman on the left: Undecided. It's all good except for wacky fur fringe skirt.. but woman on the right knocks us out. GORGEOUS.

9. Gorgeous Pierre Hardy shoes! Had our eyes on them at Boutique 1. A true piece of art.

Scent and sensibility

I just had to break our "once upon a " rule for the cutest title ever, hehe. Jane Austen = <3.

Whoever knows me knows that I am picky when it comes to perfume. Right now, I love light soapy scents, with hints of iris and rose water.. you know, that smell when you just had a shower? Mmm. I love discovering new scents (do NOT get fooled by packaging people!) and I love rummaging through my mom's perfume closet (and I cannot believe I've been missing out on Rose Essetielle by Bvlgari all this time! I could not help but steal it. Sorry mummy dearest). I just wish they'd actually write down a sort of "flavor" on the perfumes.. at least contents and notes as opposed to "alcohol, hydroxide, etc".

But the most annoying thing? All but 1 of my favorite perfumes have either been discontinued, or are not sold here at all. These are:


Laura Ashley's Magic Garden. I weep in memory of this beautiful scent. Laura died and so did this magical creation. May both RIP.
I remember I looked EVERYWHERE for it after my first bottle nearly ran out.. everywhere in Dubai and in London. I finally found it online and ordered it, but it smelt funny - which is the case with most perfumes if they're old.
Anyway this scent was amazing. Fresh, perfect amount of floral scents but not overpowering.. it was like taking a whiff from heaven. Yes, it was THAT good. :'(


Next up on the list is Paul Smith for Women. Lemony-soapy fresh goodness. It reminds me of summers that have passed.. I suppose that's why I like these perfumes so much, they sort of bring me back in time. Makes sense because scent is the most powerful memory trigger! Whenever I feel stressed from uni for example, I spritz on Escada's Sunset Heat, something that is so different from my usual taste right now but it does it's job and reminds me of summer, so it relaxes me.

Anyway, I cannot find this here ANYWHERE anymore. I randomly found it in Al-Dharan airport last summer and went beserk.. though it was a bit old, it still smelt perfect. <3


Alessandro Dell Aqua Eau de Toilette. This beauty smelt like a shower in a bottle (not that you shouldn't bathe every day!) It was soapy, light, and perfect; and it cannot be found anywhere. Mr.Alessandro, please send some my way along with last season's gorgeous tube-strap shoes. Old is gold, non?



My oh my. Where do I start. This is butterfly by Hanae Mori.. this literally smells like freshly baked cake. To the point where I spritzed some on and went to say hello to my aunt - and she asked me what cake I was baking! It's very very feminine and romantic with blends of patchouli and sandalwood, along with vanilla. Now that my taste's changed a bit, this is probably a bit too sweet and whimsical. But it really is sugary goodness, like inhaling gorgeous fresh cupcakes with pink icing! (Synethesia much, hehe?). I also cannot find this ANYWHERE. I slaved my friend to look for it all over Londie this summer, but she was told it's exclusively sold in the U.S. so hopefully I'll stock up when I go there.

On to less-depressing topics, I fell in love with Kenzo's special twist on their Amour, the Indian Holi.

This summer I was going rose crazy. Poured chilled rose-syrup into my daily water bottles, went back to using Juliette has a gun by Lady Vengeance (love their packaging and quirky name!). So while I was in Beirut, the perfume woman at the Kenzo stand convinced me to give it a sniff, saying it was very different.. and I fell in love. It reminds me of the Hanae Mori Butterfly perfume because they're both sweet, but this is lighter. Haha, come to think of it, it smells just like the gorgeous packaging, which included the cutest small booklet with very artistic photos of the Holi celebrations in India.

My ultimate fav right now?

Infusion D'Iris by Prada. Obviously, it's the iris that does it for me. Very fresh and soapy, and it just brings serenity. It smells like fresh laundry, and I love the scent of fresh laundry, so it's all good haha. <3

I layer-on using body lotion and then the perfume so that the scent lasts longer. I also spray in stretegic places where the vein is; the inside of the elbows, the inside of the wrists, and where the jugular vein is on the neck, as well as the decolletes.


The guy at the Prada counter tried to convince me to get this because it was "practical" and it could be refilled. It was actually way too heavy to be put into my already heavy Balenciagas, but it's cute nonetheless.

I went crazy when I saw/smelt the new Prada Infusion D'Iris pour homme.. smells unisex and is even sleeker than the female version. I'm coveting!

Once upon a ring

No, no there are no wedding bells anytime soon.
But as we all know having the right ring brings instant focus to your perfectly manicured hands.

So why not accessorize them with these gorgeous line of rings called Rings Eclectic by Melanie Lynn Macy who is a California-based former graphic designer and painter.

Each piece is a work of art and this exquisite line of statement cocktail rings combines the chunky contemporary mood with a vintage-inspired intricacy of design.

xoxo
- A

Warning: these piece shall only be worn as a center piece for an outfit, do not over clutter your outfit.

The heart and crystal embellished ring can make any outfit simply divine.

I just ordered this piece from net a porter and i cant wait to get my hands on them. (no pun intended)
Not a big fan of this piece but who knows with the right outfit it can turn heads.

Not really sure about this one either
This one i love! a perfect glamorous finishing touch to your look.