LBD, Neon and Denim

My addiction to denim is slowly coming back, blame it to my all-time favorite Hollywood star, Leighton Meester, who's recently caught sporting denim dresses, button-downs and tops. You know how much I adore her and that she's the ultimate inspiration of my entire wardrobe. :)

So this is what I wore last week during the Cosplay Mania 2012:

And I'm so happy that Monica knows how to take photos valid for OOTD posts. I miss fashion styling. I need to find time for this.

Whenever I feel a bit lazy to dress up, I always put on a dress. And an LBD is the safest way to conceal that laziness. You can always wear something on top of it, pair it with any kind of shoes and accessories.

Of course I didn't want to look boring in a world where Sailormoon and Cardcaptor Sakura exists. And since I'm loving neon, I decided to put two basics together (denim and LBD) and finished them with a pop of color. 

My Japanese blood runs through my... legs! SAKANG. 

I Superlove my super spiky neon necklace! <3

LBD: Betty from SM GTW | Denim vest: Dorothy Perkins | 

Snakeskin shoulder bag: Parisian | Black flats: H&M 

Until my next fashion-feeler blog post!

♥,

Marianne

PH Fashion Week 2012

It's magic how I wanted to attend only a day of the entire stretch of this year's Philippine Fashion Week. Even without the idea of Leighton Meester joining Penshoppe, I had my tickets requested as early as May 05 for the May 26 shows of Sassa Jimenez and Veejay Floresco.

Of course, I went with my forever PFW buddy, Aika. We tend to do this annually! I missed her a lot, and she's the second most important reason why I was so excited for this day to happen. We also planned to meet Noelle and Jeanne, my SoFA capsule classmates. It was unfortunate to miss Jeanne this time, but Noelle, Aika and I did see each other.

Please don't expect a very detailed post about PFW here. What I'm about to write is actually my personal story. I would love to leave the fashion "says" to fashion bloggers, etc. :)

Now after rejecting five dresses, I ended up wearing the dress I wore during college graduation. Kasya pa din! I also wanted to wear something white, something comfortable. (Feeling ko kasi magwawala talaga ako pag nakita ko si Leighton!) And even if they say you should wear something fashionable or beyond fashionable at Philippine Fashion Week, I wore something that would represent my style--simple! Cliche, but with whatever you're wearing, you should feel beautiful. It's all about carrying yourself!

+++

I liked the "Impact" show of Penshoppe. Its show went on from preppy clothes, bright and pastel colors, models in wigs a la Marie Antoinette, to black and white which I must say, is my favorite.

Bright and blonde.

 Black and white.

Aika and I also watched the 9.30 PM show of Sassa Jimenez, Yvonne Quisumbing, Lizanne Cua and EsAc by Raoul Ramirez, Lyle Ibanez and AudieAe. No good photos to show but I have cute ones to post. Hehe.

Zooooom!

Something Blair Waldorf would love to wear!

Macho men in EsAc by AudieAe!

What is PFW without photos against the back drop --

I'm so happy to put up an entry with Aika and Noelle on it. Jeanne, maybe next time, yes? :) We miss you!

 Wish you we're here, Jeanneybeans!

 Noelle's doing very well in school now. So proud of you, baby girl!

Some of my many photos with Aika ♥

As much as I'd like to say more, I'm running out of time. Greatness is Philippine fashion! That's all for now. I hope we can do this more often. Btw! Before we finally left SMX, we saw Rajo Laurel! Here I am with me with one of the country's greatest designers:

MaRajo! Haha :)

Have a great weekend, have a great start of the month--my birth month! 

♥,

Marianne

Ready For Summer?

Summer collections start to rise in EDSA billboards and mannequins are now wearing swimsuits in your favorite mall. Bandanas, straw hats and bags, sunscreen and tanning lotions have a bit increase in their retail prices. Can you feel the heat? It's summer! Are you ready?

The perfect season to hit the beach is fast approaching. If you plan to go out of town to beat the scorching heat of the sun, start planning it now. Planning ahead on where to go and what to prepare for a little getaway will help you save money and time! Beach resorts go up thrice in their rates during the peak season as well as bikinis, SPF and other essentials. Rewrite your summer checklist and update yourself on what you and your travel buddies need.

Let me help with this: where to go, what to wear, what to do, etc, etc! I'm not an expert but I hope you'll appreciate. : )

Diniwid Beach, Boracay Island

Where to go?  Boracay. Again? Admit it, Boracay Island is undoubtedly hailed as a top beach destination because of its highly-urbanized feel with the perfect view of nature's beauty. As much as I'd love to explore new places and discover remote islands, I'd still choose to go here for a short weekend vacation.

If you're caught between relaxing and partying, I suggest you to stay at Orinda Beach Resort. Its location is perfect if you want a piece of privacy while sunbathing. Located at Diniwid Beach (near Nami), you can take a distance from the crowd in Stations 1, 2 and 3. When the sun sets, ask the friendly resort staff to bring you to where the nightlife is. Take your time, no curfew. Party all night long! The 24-hour service will ensure you that they can safely bring you back to the resort after drinking and dancing.

Orinda Beach Resort, Diniwid Beach, Boracay, Malay, Aklan, Philippines.

If you want to skip Boracay this time, Bataan is a good choice. Guimaras Island and Bantayan Island are highly recommended too! Puerto Galera, like Boracay, is also a good place to "island party" and other places like Palawan, Bohol, Zambales, Pagudpud and La Union should also be considered.

What to wear? One of the few FAQs of my life is how many bikinis do I own and how do I manage to keep, wear, and mix and match them. Well, honestly, I don't keep track of the quantity of my shoes and swimsuits but I keep the designs, styles and types of those in my mind. Now going back to swimsuits, it's my mood who decides on what I should wear on the beach. My mood depends on the item I bought (if I purchased a bikini set, I tend not to mix and match it anymore, because some brands sell items individually). Topshop, for an instance, sells both a set and an individual swim wear but you can score a SET during their clearance sale.

Hot pink with "polka hearts" bikini set from Topshop.

Reversible, strapless bandeau bikini set also from Topshop.

For some mix-and-match techniques, which works simply the best especially when you're on a budget, looking for brands which allow buyers to purchase only an item is the easiest thing to do. Picture in your mind the colors, designs and prints of the swimsuits you already own. The best place to go is, of course, SM Department Store! Sunkissed and Coco Cabana specifically won't hurt your pocket. Keep your budget for other essentials or save it up for a bigger pocket money.

Lime green bikini bottom paired with a yellow bandeau and yellow/purple tribal bikini haltered top.

This photo above shows the original bikini bottom pair of my yellow/purple tribal bikini haltered top. I paired it with a graphic/zebra-print bikini top which I bought from SM Department Store's Sunkissed. I also paired this bottom with this:

...while the original bottom pair of the paisley top is worn with:

...a plain white haltered bikini top. :)

Now, when it comes to coverups, I have a few words for you: never cover up too much. If you want to cover your belly or cleavage, wear something like this:

Well, his is not actually a coverup. Knitted/crocheted clothes can also be worn as coverups. I tried to keep my belly here but didn't want to sweat that much so I kept the neckline open. The length is also enough to cover my upper thigh. :)

If you opt to show a sexier you without showing off your skin, chiffon bottoms are of help. Take these as an example:

Plain and printed chiffon bottoms from Betty.

Oh, by the way! Did I mention I only got these chiffon bottoms for only P150 each? I riri, riri, riri love SM Department Store! :)

What else to bring? You know what your travel essentials are, it's all up to you. My frequent hop to the beach gave me the idea to have a separate kit for the things I need when traveling, including: SPF body lotion, SPF face lotion, lip balm with sun protection, shampoo and conditioner (I recommend Sunsilk Weather Defense here), extra-moisturizing after bath lotion, and facial mist spray. These are my super top essentials aside from the toiletries and stuff.

And lastly, don't forget to bring your cameras and to keep good memories. No matter how near or far your destination is, regardless of what your face and smile looks like, the best trips remain the best when you know how to have fun! 

♥,

Marianne

Hey Soul Purple!

Fashion, music, lifestyle, culture, art. Put them all together you will define Soul Purple.

Soul Purple is, according to its website, a lifestyle clothing brand that steers its focus towards individuality and freedom. It also houses and showcases the work of new breed artists, designers and retailers.

I'm very appreciative of what the fashion industry in the country has brought us. People of all ages are now dressed accordingly to what they believe in and to what they feel comfortable with the right expression of freedom and openness. There is no rule when it comes to fashion now. Gone were the days when you will get an awful stare from strangers when you pile up on accessories, wear unusual shoes and flaunt the not-so-typical clothes. Everyone's their own artist now.

Soul Purple's branding is illustrated so well. Let your imagination wander.

They have a collection for both men and women.

 

This Harlowe Kimono  is one of their many good pieces which caught my attention. Available in two colors (red and aqua), Php 1,250.

 

This Michelle top, which can be also used as a dress, in missoni print is also a sight, Php 1,150. 

 This Julia romper is the perfect outfit when you feel lazy to doll up a bit. Worn alone or mixed with other pieces, this is surely a hit! Available in three prints, Php 800.

Whiskey Hill and THE Clothing are both in consignment with Soul Purple. Gotta get 'em, men!

For orders, details and other information, email soulpurple11@yahoo.com. You can also follow @SoulPurpleMNL or like them on Facebook. Want more? Visit them on Tumblr too! Live your passion and be free!

♥,

Power Cuffed Girl

Hi readers! This is a quick post on what made my day today (we all have our shallow sides)!

I had no idea that cuffed pants are so back in the season until I read an email message from Who What Wear this morning. I rarely wear pants these days because I'm running out of new and nice tops so most of the time, I wear dresses. Just to show you what I'm wearing as of the moment:

Sorrehhh for this lame photo!

And then I saw this in my mailbox--

 My fellow Power Cuffed Girls!

Farrah jeans from Buffalo David Bitton.

I preferred wearing flats but cuffed pants can be worn with almost any kind of shoes!

I roll with Ashley, Rihanna, Rachel, etc! Roll your eyes if you disagree, give me a drum roll if you're with me. #corny Again, sorry for posting lame and grainy photos. I really have to learn taking outfit shots (and I need someone to patiently take photos for me). We'll soon be there!

♥,

To Those Asking

It's twelve days before Christmas but I haven't crossed out anything on my Christmas gift list yet. I'm sort of intrigued why such thing is happening because if I'm not mistaken, as early as December 5 last year, there are already wrapped presents under our tree. I promise to get this thing done this weekend, though. I'm almost late for Christmas!

Looking on the bright side, I have received questions on what I want to receive this Christmas. Yes naman!!! :) So for the benefit of doubt (or those in doubt, hahaha), I'm HEREBY listing some of the things I want to get this Christmas. And for the first time in my life, I wish my parents will be able to read this post

1. A simple tote. No brand required, I take even the cheapest ones as long as it can carry all my stuff around. Any color will do, too but if you still want to know which color I prefer the most, brown.

2. Shu Uemura eyelash curler. Please don't ask me why but for me, this is the best eyelash curler in the world! I haven't moved on from my stolen SU eyelash curler in Baguio until now.

3. Anything animal-printed and Hello Kitty. A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G.

 

4. Flats shoes. I love heels but I love flat shoes even more. They're so comfortable, very chic and we can never go wrong with a pair of flats. Good thing my work doesn't require me to be in heels so I welcome these kinds of babies! And heels, if you still insist! :) (P.S.: Size 8/38)

5. Makeup brushes. Please help me complete my kit! I adore makeup brushes, synthetic or natural hair brush, I would appreciate.

6. Shining, shimmering! Any clothing that will make me shine and sparkle even more. Hoho! But seriously, I'm in love with these gleaming and glistening drama.

7. Blazers. I love topping off any outfits with blazers to complete a corporate yet super fashionable feel. Tip: Items from ukay-ukay/thrift stores are accepted.

8. Clear storage boxes. I have a penchant for transparent cubes of all sizes which allow me to store anything. And they make my life easier, no need to play hide-and-seek with things I'm looking for.

9. Makeups and more makeups. A cosmetic addict like me can never have enough lipsticks and eyeshadow palettes but as of the moment, I need concealer and eyeliners. No brand required. :)

There you go! Please be my Santa, dears! In the end, you will still be the judge. I accept anything even if what you're planning to give is not listed here. It will always be the thought that counts. Plus!!! If I wouldn't be able to receive all of these, I'll do anything to have these by myself. Remember, Gossip Girl said, "If you want something badly enough, you have to go out and get it yourself."

♥,