Daily Wear: Blush

Lately, I noticed I've been wearing a lot of rosy/blush/nude tones from my closet.

Here's what I wore to my mini talk for the Watson's Joys of Summer Event in MOA a few weeks ago. The top is from Topshop, bought during one of their winning "Buy One Take One" sales, where the BOTO items are already marked down to 50%, sometimes 70% off. Even though the selections are already limited at this point,  I always take the time to peruse the sale rack because you never know what you'll find (like this sequined top!). I went monochromatic that day, pairing the top with a similarly hued denim pant from Zara, and my lovely little pearl collar necklace, DIYd by my sister, Nina. 

Sneaky outfit shot I had to take inside a dressing room because I forgot to have a proper photo taken, haha! Collar by my sister Nina. Topshop top. Zara pants. Mink Pink (bought in Australia) tan belt. Celine pumps (nope, not the designer label.  Yung local brand! Very old pair that survived the test of time). Martina-Martina tiger cuff and disco ball bead bracelet. H&M leather bracelet.

Me with Kat, who got in touch with me for the event

I have also been crushing on pointy pumps, so much more than the stumpy toed platform heels that have been so popular lately. I don't know, maybe it's me getting older, but I find that I can't quite pull them off anymore. But with pointy toes come the pinching pain of cramped feet. Thus, after an entire afternoon of standing, my feet were dying. Good thing SM Department Store was near. I spotted these cute nude sandals on sale for P500 and bought them immediately. I've been wearing my Renegade Folk sandals so much that they need a break, and this SM pair is the perfect substitute.

The sandals zip up at the back so they're easy to wear.

And they still went well with my outfit!

On another day of meetings and errands, I wore a simple silk button down with lace shorts in a dusky pink hue. The shirt I bought for only 99c, a beloved item from my stash of tops purchased at an accidentally discovered 99c Brooklyn store (side story: the store was near the Transit Adjudication Bureau office, where I had to go to contest a subway fare evasion ticket. Finding that store was the only good thing about that day!). I actually have two of these shirts bought at the same place, from different brands but they look almost the same. I say you can never have enough of silk button-downs!

99c silk shirt. Forever 21 lace shorts. SM Department Store sandals. Sunnies bought in Australia. 

Assorted H&M bead bracelets, and leather band. Muses and Lovers friendship bracelet. Flower enamel bracelet from an East Village thrift store. 

When I went to Australia, I made a promise to buy something made by a local designer. This stannard inc quartz and brass neckpiece bought at the Paddington Markets in Sydney is the result of that promise.  I even got to meet the designer and owner, Claire, who was manning her stall that day. I like to wear it when I want something understated. And I like to fiddle with the stone. Quartz is said to be "a power stone...enhance(s) energy and thoughts, and purifies the spiritual, mental, and physical."

Another Aussie buy: Saba drawstring bag. I've been using this nearly everyday!

SM sandals again (don't mind my ugat!)

Reading this post, I realized I haven't blogged about my Australia trip! Will do so sometime so stay tuned! In the meantime, I'll be blogging about an exciting beauty workshop tomorrow so don't forget to check back!

Cheapo Buy: The Landmark Tops

I'm a big fan of department stores. It mimics the "thrill of the hunt" you get when rummaging through an ukay-ukay , but in a slightly more organized setting. The Landmark remains a favorite for several reasons. One, its prices are slightly cheaper compared to some of the highly advertised department stores right now (more marketing = more expenses leading to more peso digits on the tag). Two, they often sell the same styles that you see being sold at bazaar and online shops (read: Bangkok/China sourced items) at a significantly lower price. And three, if you are patient enough and really take the time to go around the entire place, you can find best buys in different departments. I've bought Ikea kitchen towels, expensive-looking clear glass vases, even exercise equipment from The Landmark. Winner talaga. 

A recent sojourn to The Landmark for a quick look around became a two-hour long layover when I started spotting a lot of really cute clothes. First, I was only going to try three pieces. But when I went around again, I saw another dress, then another top, and then another, and another, until, goodness me, I ended up lugging almost 20 pieces of clothing to the dressing room! I wanted a lot of things, but some were either too small (i.e. a dress with a waistline that was up to my under bust) or poorly made. In the end, I managed to restrain myself and only bought two tops, for about P400 each.

This printed loose top is my favorite. It's not something I would normally go for, but it reminded me a little of the Marni x H&M collab pieces, maybe because of its somber color and the print. Here's how I wore it three different ways:

To run errands, wore it with shorts and loafers. Shorts, Mango. Satchel, Warehouse. Loafers, bought at Amarcord sale in Brooklyn (you read about it here!)

Later that day, switched the shorts for pants to watch a PBA game. I did a little print-on-print styling courtesy of my leopard-print detachable collar. 

Flared denim, Urban Behavior (bought on sale for CAD10). Stack-heeled loafers, Mango (wore this when I was shot for Refinery29). Detachable collar, Miss Sartorial (more styles here). Belt, Tint. Satchel, Warehouse. Pony-hair leopard cuff, and disco ball bracelet, Martina-Martina. Leather wrap bracelet, H&M.

I also wore this top when I helped style a friend's prenup shoot. Channeling Marni again with the print-on-print but had to wear the boots for comfort, making the outfit look edgier than preppy/intellectual. Turns out the boots were a smart choice as it rained during the shoot. 

Crystal necklace, bought in Paddington Market Sydney. Shorts, bought in random cheap Soho shop in NYC.  Boots, Go Jane. 

Funny, I wore the same jewelry stack as in previous outfit. These Martina-Martina pieces are still available, fyi. 

And here is the other top. Haven't worn it yet, but guessing it's going to be versatile too.

The tag reads ASOS. I'm guessing it's an overrun. This also came in a navy and a  peachy-pink color. Very cute when buttoned all the way up. 

Still thinking what to wear with this pleated top. Thoughts?

Zalora Blogger Challenge + Win A P10,000 Shopping Spree!

If you've been following my Twitter and Instagram, you'll know that I was at the Zalora headquarters last Saturday for the Style Buy Blogger Challenge. Together with a handful of widely-read Philippine bloggers, we got to preview and personally testify to the super easy, and dangerously addictive experience of online shopping at Zalora. 

Like this photo on Zalora's Facebook page and get a chance to win a P10,000 shopping spree! I got to try on some of the goodies you can buy at Zalora. Wearing a Virus necklace, Proudrace fishtail dress (which everyone also loved), and Wade raffia peep-toe pumps. Bongga talaga ng dress!

At the Z loft, we got to meet, greet and hang out with some of the Zalora team. I have to say they're quite a fun bunch! And though I can only imagine the kind of stress they're under, working long hours to ensure they have the best site and service possible, I get the feeling they all enjoy what they're doing. As in they still have the energy to dance to the lively pop music playing at the event, even though it was a Saturday night at work! With this kind of dedication, it's no wonder that the buzz surrounding Zalora has been growing sure and steady. And what's not to love? Imagine three hour delivery within Metro Manila. THREE HOURS. Crazy right? Like you just ordered McDonald's for lunch. And if you don't have a credit card, no problem. You can just pay with cash upon delivery of your order. What I really admire is their dedicated customer service hotline, which means you can contact them via phone, email or chat anytime from 7am to 1am. Trust me, Zalora will change the face of Philippine shopping. 

Here are some snaps from that fun Saturday shopping night:

Paulo Campos III, Zalora co-founder and managing director, tells us why Zalora is all that

Marketing Manager Arianne, and buyers Mark and Kat (who incidentally, is co-owner of Ylla shoes!)

Spotted: a Martina-Martina piece on Aissa of Drowning Equilibriums. Yay!

This was supposed to be a funny face shot (I obviously missed the cue!)

I bought these Wade raffia peep-toe pumps with my Zalora credits. And to think I actually tried them on a few days ago. Uuuy, meant to be!

Met Alyssa Lapid, who sat across from me. She bought Zoo's Wonder Woman tee, which I also loved!

Also bought this futuristic Gold Dot clutch, another popular item. Two other bloggers got the same clutch. It's bigger than I thought it would be, which makes me like it even more! 

The clutch went so well with my entire outfit that I ended up switching my leather clutch for this. Excuse the wayward strand of hair poking out!  Outfit credits: Top; black cuff, Mango. Dress, Joel Escober (you've seen this on my wedding post—in fairness, it's quite versatile!). Shoes, Charles and Keith. Studded leather bracelet and ring, bought at a bazaar. Gem elastic bracelet, The Landmark.

 So have you shopped Zalora yet? Tell me what you think!