Summer time = Vacation time. The months of June/July/August are prime time for going away on vacation, be it to a different city/state/province or a different country. Travelling is one of my favorite things to do, besides shopping, of course. Singapore is one of my favorite vacation spots. The last time I visited was around four or five years ago with my family. I couldn't get over how tiny everyone was. I don't think I saw a single girl over, say, size 4. Tres petite. I loved how clean the city was. They had a no chewing gum rule at that time, don't know if that rule is still in effect.

I clearly remember Sentosa Island. We took a cable car to get there, and as usual, my acrophobia prevented me from enjoying the scenery much during the ride. I loved the musical fountain show so much, I wanted to go back another day, but when you're travelling with family, you can't always do what you want to. Singaporeans loved to shop and we joined in. Since we went during the summer, literally every store had some sort of a sale or promotion going on. I still have a long black skirt which doubles as a dress that I got for really cheap. I'll dig it out sometime and put together an outfit around it.

I am planning to go away for a few days in August and California tops my destination list. Why? Because I have never been there and I have always wanted to visit L.A. and S.F. When I was in college not too long ago, my friends and I planned a trip to sunny Cali during the dreary east coast Fall break, but we ended up going elsewhere. Even though my plans are not solid at the moment, I have already begun thinking about what I'm going to take with me.

Apart from the carefully coordinated outfits, a pair of dressy sandals and black havaianas, my T3 straightening/curling iron and my trusty travel pack from Bliss are sure to make their way into my suitcase. I have scoured high and low for travel packs and the one from Bliss is definitely my favorite. It's compact, has the requisite shampoo, conditioner, face cleanser & body lotion, smells heavenly and will set you back by a mere $25.If you have fond memories of a vacation getaway or have some indispensable travel products, do share.

photo of sentosa island courtesy of luxuryholidays.com.

My lovely Hayden-Harnett havana hobo.
H&M skirt.
Coach scarf, worn as headband.
Top from Bloomies.

Mani-pedis. That's my favorite way to pamper myself. What can be better than sitting back while someone turns your rough worn-out feet into smooth, soft polished tootsies fit for those bejeweled Jimmy Choos? While I frequent Rescue Beauty Lounge, Jin Soon Spa & Dashing Diva when I am in Manhattan, it's been tough to find worthy equivalents here in Toronto. Until recently, that is.

Buff Nail Lounge & Polish Beauty Bar are two fairly new additions to Toronto's nail scene. Both are swanky, ultra hygienic lounges who champion our natural nails (read: no artificial nail services here). Buff has its own selection of 'house-manufactered' polishes while Polish offers choices from Creative Nail Design & Essie. Polish is slightly pricier than Buff, but both offer equally good service. Trust me, I have tried them both. I may be slightly partial to Polish, however. Probably because I loved the super-friendly nail technicians there but the prices at Buff can't be beat.

Buff offers a multitude of other services besides mani-pedis, such as eyelash extensions, facials and waxing and is slightly more spacious than Polish. For comprehensive service information, price lists, locations and store hours, check out their websites- Buff and Polish.

Every Thursday, between 5:30pm-9pm, Polish hosts their "Music, Manicures & Martinis" event. The website has more information on that. Be sure to make an appointment in advance since they don't take walk-ins.

Meanwhile, Buff is celebrating its first birthday tomorrow, Friday, June 30, at its Front Street location with Mimosas and chocolate cake. If you are in for a mani or pedi, do drop by for the celebration tomorrow. Buff doesn't take appointments so walk-ins are always welcome.

So glad I no longer have to miss a manicure when I'm in Toronto.

photos courtesy of buff and blogto.com.

Love & Possession. Subjects of various books, movies and music. And apparently, a bangle bracelet as well. In 1969, Cartier released its Love bracelet on the market but never has it been more popular than right now. Seen on the fashionable wrists of celebrities such as Charlize Theron, Lucy Liu, Salma Hayek and Lindsay Lohan, it is one of most covetable pieces of jewelry out there. Even more so than the leaf pendant & earrings by Jennifer Meyer, which fashionistas went crazy for after spotting them on Jennifer Aniston in 'The Break-Up.'

The Cartier Love Bracelet brings the Cartier name, the 'Hot/It' factor and a lovely story to its wearer. The solid gold bracelet is supposed to be put on your wrist by your beloved, who then locks it using a small gold screwdriver and keeps it with him or her for safekeeping. In other words, the circlet is locked with love around your wrist and the key that can unlock it is possessed by your significant other. The bracelet is available in both 18K yellow and white gold.

This is a piece of jewelry that really cannot be replicated. It's better to not have the real thing than to have a poor imitation. I don't particularly care to be 'owned' but for one of these, I probably won't even mind a bit of possession.

photo courtesy of superiorpics.com

I'm sure many of you have noticed the slew of celebrities who can't get enough of Alexander McQueen's skull scarf. From Lindsay Lohan to Sienna Miller, every It girl seems to be enamored of it. I believe it retails for upwards of US$300.
For those of us who can think of better things to do with $300, there's a pretty great version at only $55.
Available in several colors, these skull scarves by Tiffany Alana are available at Testimo Boutique.
Read more on this trend here.




photo on left courtesy of style.com
photo on right courtesy of celebstyleguide.com

Pick up any of the big name glossies, from Vogue to In Style, and I bet there are almost as many pages dedicated to ads as there are to actual articles.
Louis Vuitton ads are some of the most anticipated because of the big name celebrities. So when I saw the new FW06/07 ads, I had mixed feelings. Some were likeable, others not so much. Check out this one with Kate Moss in it, reminds me of the ads that Jennifer Lopez did for LV earlier on. The pulled back here, the stance, this could easily have been Lopez instead of Kate.

Kate does not look special, in fact, this ad is nothing special. In contrast, check out another LV FW06/07 ad with models Raquel and DuJuan. A much more striking ad, if you ask me.

Notice how tame the Gucci ads nowadays are compared to those from the Tom Ford era? The artistic director of a fashion House is a primary player behind their ads.

Seems like Marc Jacobs was of two minds this season.

Which fashionista worth her salt is not excited about 'The Devil Wears Prada'? Sure it's no literary masterpiece but it was infinitely more entertaining than 'Bergdorf Blondes.'


DWP may be an overhyped movie but I don't think it will be disappointing. This might be a case of the movie being better than the book. Forget might, it will be a case of the movie being better. It's one thing to read about fabulous clothes, and quite another to actually see them come to life on the big screen. Apart from Valentino, I wonder who else is making a cameo. Hmm.
From what I hear, this movie will be worth the $10 for the outfits alone. Meryl Streep, as the devilish Miranda Priestly, is just an added bonus.

Petro Zilia striped sheer top, worn over yellow tank. Black cropped gauchos from anthropologie. Garnet necklaces. Worn with these blue Marc Jacobs slides.

Ok, I like playing the Luxury Loot game at bluefly, and so far I have gotten a bunch of free shipping codes, all of which I obviously will not be using, so I am sharing the wealth here.
These codes are only good for one-time use, so multiple people won't be able to use them. Can't be combined with other discount offers and is valid within the continental U.S till August 12, 2006.
Hope some of you are able to get use out of them. Here they are-
Code #1: 4HTW7DE
Code #2: 4HPJUV3
Code #3: 4HMYEJE
Code #4: 7W2TWTQ

Enjoy!

I have many wish lists. Right now, these are some of the items I am coveting. Together, they make a smashing outfit.
The bermudas are by Gold Hawk and have eye-catching rose hued embroidery near the pockets. I would wear it with the celery colored wrap by A Common Thread on top, layered with C&C's pale pink tank. The mint Bruno Magli pumps complete the look. I wish I could put them all together in a virtual mannequin for your viewing pleasure, but guess we will have to make-do with our mind's eye for the visual.
Gold Hawk bermudas and A Common Thread wrap is available at revolveclothing.com. Shopbop sells C&C and the pumps are currently available at zappos.com.

photo credits go to the afore-mentioned retailers.

Fridays are the best.

LaRok top. I had it before Rihanna wore it in her 'Unfaithful' video. Gap straight-leg jeans. The tank is ivory with light gold lace detail. It goes nicely with the top. Gold wedges completed the look.

One reader very kindly pointed out that the blog moniker was too similar to the publication: Women's Wear Daily, even though it's "women" there and "woman" here, so I decided to change it to a more suitable (in every way) name and add that little disclaimer at the bottom. Hopefully that should suffice. :D

Which cities are among the most courteous in the world? New York comes in at #1, with Toronto at #3. Two of the biggest, highly populated, very multicultural cities in the world are also among the most courteous.
A Reader's Digest survey of 35 cities around the world yielded these results. Surprising for some, justified for others. For those of us who live in these big, dense cities, practicing good manners is the only way to live harmoniously with our very diverse neighbors. We find it easier to carry out our day-to-day lives when we are bit nicer. After all, courtesy costs nothing.
Moscow, Mumbai, Seoul and Singapore came in at the bottom as some of the least courteous cities.
To check out the complete survey results, click here.

This is a fun work outfit. Skirt and cardigan, both by Kookai. The skirt has ivory lace on the bottom edge. The cardigan has the coolest lace detailing. The lace is a peachy color with light indigo lace insets. The picture doesn't do justice to the loveliness of this piece.

Black is the new black.
If you flip through July's Elle (US Edition), that's the message waiting in literally every single page.
Seems like designers are strongly reinforcing black in their fall collections. For those of us who know black is always 'IN' this issue is not worth picking up. Only the jewelry coverage stood out for me.
Elle's got Hilary Duff on the cover, with a not-so-interesting interview inside. Hilary is decked out in some gorgeous jewelry, however. But for someone who loves the layered necklace look, I must say it was a bit overdone.








Duff's 'rival', Lindsay Lohan graces the cover of the July Bazaar. Lindsay's clothes inside are more varied, an ivory belted Dolce number caught my eye. According to Bazaar, the news from Paris is black is back. This is followed by an editorial featuring the lovely Gemma Ward in the dark pieces from the Fall 2006 runways.
Between the two, Bazaar was a better read, in my opinion.


Bazaar cover photo courtesy of linds-lo.com. Elle cover photo courtesy of hilarynews.com

Hayden Harnett bags. One of the best kept secrets in NYC. They have the cutest bags in leather and canvas, but what's really great about them is that they are as practical as they are cute. Everything is priced under $600, and they are every bit as good as Botkier and Kooba bags. I just bought the Havana hobo in moss green, the one pictured below is Mulberry lamb. I had a hard time deciding between the Mulberry and Moss green but went with the green since it would go with more outfits in my opinion. The leather is amazingly soft and molds to my body and fits a ton of stuff. I am able to carry snacks, extra pair of shoes, small water bottle and magazines for the subway. There are two outer pockets on either side, which is perfect for my keys, cell phone, subway pass, and ipod. Three open inner pockets, and one zippered pocket inside complete this beautiful bag.


Photo courtesy of Hayden Harnett bags.

If anyone owns Hayden Harnett, do share your opinion. If you have any questions about the havana, I will be happy to answer them.

Skirt by Odille. The gold thread embroidery is gorgeous. Plum tee by old Navy. It's amazingly soft. ON did a good job. Love those earrings!

Monday bloody Monday.





Lili Bleu burnt orange skirt. Flutter sleeve top. Layered necklaces.

I'm an eyeliner girl. I can forego mascara, lipstick, what-have-you, but without eyeliner, I feel naked in public. I have pretty much tried every hyped and awarded liner out there, and have gathered a few favorites for everyday wear.


Photo courtesy of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics

For the most natural look, nothing beats gel eyeliner which usually comes in a pot. When used with a proper liner brush, it will get the most natural very close to the lash line look. Smashbox, Bobbi Brown and MAC all make amazing gel liners. MAC has one called blitz & glitz, and it's a coal black with gold & silver sparkles on it, which are amazingly subtle and will not irritate your eye. All of them are long-wearing and smudgeproof but Bobbi Brown's long-wearing capacities are slightly superior.



Photo courtesy of MAC Cosmetics

Liquid eyeliner creates the most intense and dramatic line around the eyes. This form of liner has the greatest color payoff but if you don't invest in a long-lasting or waterproof one, this will easily smudge and wear off. Liquid liner should be restricted to the upper lashline, I feel it's too risky for the lower lashline, since it can easily go into your eye if it's too close to the waterline. Liquid liner application also requires a very steady hand and quite a bit of practice, otherwise the results can be less than satisfactory. My personal favorites are Lancome's liquid liner and the new Liquidlast liners from MAC, which truly stay put once on. Boot black is the blackest black I have seen so far in a liquid liner.



Photo courtesy of Lancome Cosmetics

Pencil liners are the easiest to use and they create the prettiest smoky eye, which means they also smudge quite easily and can contribute to the raccoon eye effect. Your best bet is to use a waterproof liner pencil. I have always used MAC's Engraved and Smolder liners, till I ran out one day and had to borrow my mom's Lancome Le Stylo Waterproof in Noir, and I must say I am hooked. This liner doesn't budge as easily as the ones I have tried previously and water will definitely not wash it away.

If you are a liner virgin, I highly recommend giving it a try. Start with a pencil or gel eyeliner, and soon you will not be able to do without it. Nothing makes eyes stand out more than eyeliner.

Just heading out for some errands. It's so hot today!

Seven for all Mankind Bootcut jeans.
Mexx top. The top has a cowl-neck in the front. The image is on the back.
















Here is the detail on the top:





Paired the outfit with some tomato-red flip-flops.