The Heat Is On

2,784 km down from Manila, rest assured that the heat is also definitely on in this city I am in right now. Though sporadic rains are expected at this time of the year here in Jakarta, the weekend is still an excuse to go visit the islands or probably chillax by the pool (if you're unable to do so, like us. Boo!)

I don't have any summer plans as of the moment but if you my dear reader, has already got it figured out then congratulations! May I recommend some swimwear from Rosegal? Be it Manila or Jakarta, they ship anywhere around the world with about 3000 styles to choose from here. 

Since I'm "positive" about yellow overshadowing lilac for this season/year, I opted for this cutout minimalist one piece. But some of my other picks are these slimming pieces (here and here) and more yellow, more fun here and here. As for this cutout piece, you can check it out in the link below and use the discount provided at the end of this post. :)

One Shoulder with Cutout Swimsuit

P.S. All styling are by yours truly. This post was made in collaboration with Rosegal. You may use RosegalChen code to have an additional 10%-20% discount. :)

Bodysuit and The Manila Project

Are you one of those traveler who ever googles "instagrammable places of" wherever your destination is? Haha. I'm guilty of that. This app has really changed the way we travel. It's helpful in a way though I think.

With quite a lengthy business trip this week that spills over to next week, I was left with nothing but search for pretty interesting places to visit here in Jakarta. It's quite tough though as I've always likened this city to Manila whose redeeming qualities of the country it belongs to lies in the outskirts or in their islands. I mean, Bali would be nice but it's not really an option as of the moment. Also, not that I haven't been here before on a holiday. But like I said, IG is changing things now which means some tourist spots may have changed from how they were like before? Hmm, we shall see about it.

Meanwhile, here's a feature of some of Manila's finest locations where I chose to shoot this bodysuit I got from Rosegal. It has a faux leather front panel and a deep neckline that's way too sexay. Yay! Lol! You can check it out in the link below. 

In the future, please expect more of Manila's finest features here in the blog where I choose to call it my Manila project. You can already check out the first one here. :)

Leather Panel Strappy Bodysuit

P.S. All styling are by yours truly. This post was made in collaboration with Rosegal. You may use RosegalChen code to have an additional 10%-20% discount. :)

Hello, Yellow

So, Pantone declared that Ultra Violet is 2018’s color of the year. Riiiggghhtt. And as of last year, many celebs were already quick to adapt to the trend. It was seen in S/S 2018 runway (along with many other spring colors though) mainly in the form of lavender but one key color also stood out in most of the collections – yellow.

It’s been three years ago since I realized that a mellow yellow dress is also flattering to my skin tone when I first featured it here. Last year though, I got more comfortable with the hue as there were quite a few more added to my wardrobe as seen here. And now, here’s a loud egg yolk color from Rosegal that instantly caught my eye upon checking their collection. It’s a minimalist fit-and-flare dress featuring spaghetti straps that simply screams sunshine and optimism and just seasonally appropriate. What’s not to love?

Lavender, being a close relative of Millennial Pink, may look more appealing to this generation but while it’s still early to call it, I’m quite positive that this will be more popular than Pantone’s declaration? Just look at last year’s Greenery vs Red. :P And besides, what with all the things happening in this world, we all need more yellows in our lives. Right, Chris Martin? ;)

Oh, I've linked also below the bag from Sammydress that kinda reminds you of the future Duchess' look, right? ;)

Fit and Flare Midi Dress

Metal Ring Circle Bag

P.S. All styling are by yours truly. This post was made in collaboration with Rosegal and Sammydress. You may use RosegalChen and SammydressChen to have additional 10%-20% off. :)

NYE Dressing

New Year's Eve. Your last chance to impress and go all out in dressing for this year. Still not sure what to wear? Typical. In my last post, I did give tip on what to wear using items that you may already have in your closet. But this time, we turn to another stylist who gave us more cool tricks in order to standout on the occasion.

While she did give a lot of rules (you may read everything here), we focus on two tips that are demonstrated in the looks below. (1) Embrace items with movement. Because what's one detail of your clothing that will get you noticed on the dance floor (aside from a sea of glitters and sequins of course?) - FRINGE! Apart from its standout color, this red fringed dress below guarantees you shimmy like there's no tomorrow. Haha!

Another tip we're taking? It's being unique by avoiding the same sequined/ body-hugging dresses that girls might wear on the floor. From one pantsuit fan to another, it's your one and done piece. And this item from Rosegal below with its again, standout color, will just give you the right impression for a festive and comfortable NYE. :)

Mesh Panel High Waist Jumpsuit

P.S. All styling are by yours truly. This post was made in partnership with Rosegal. Use the code RosegalChen to get additional discounts.

Sponsored: The Weekend Market

You know you’re a certified Tita of Manila when... you prefer a quiet Friday night so you can get up early on a Saturday to catch the weekend market. Lol.  There’s something so interesting about a weekend market - homemade specialties, unique offerings sold for a cause and products that are not your run of the mill ‘mainstream’ offerings. I seriously believe it’s not just for the foodies and health enthusiasts out there. The very concept of why it was established in the first place, think neighborhood gathering and getting to know each other, is very interesting to begin with. :)

Funny how in one article, it was pointed that this type of market is one where you actually give a thought about your clothing before going. Lol. I don’t actually believe in that (you can tell from pics below) but on purpose, I decided to wear this white pantsuit from Rosegal coz I thought it was perfect for that setting. Sheesh. It's a very breezy outfit with its criss-cross back and front leg slits that's easy to wear. Though flats are advised, my pair of sandals is kitten-heeled so it's not really a struggle going around the market. Also, they're from our very own local brand Carmelette's.

So finally, after working in Makati for almost five years now, I got the chance to catch the weekend market in my favourite village – Salcedo Village in Makati. My favorite about this market? There's a park next to the parking lot where it's setup and so can just easily have a picnic after getting your food finds. I don't know it's just that I feel Manilenos don't do picnics often and parks are not very well-utilized unlike those in Europe (specifically, in Paris mon amour <3). 

White Floral Jumpsuit

Hat: Zara; Dress: Rosegal; Shoes: Carmelette's; Earrings: Mango

This post was in collaboration with Rosegal/ Carmelette's. All styling by yours truly. Use the code RosegalChen in your purchases to get additional discounts. :) 

#FitnessFriday: Self-Acceptance/ Self-Love

"If we hate any part of ourselves, then nothing is ever good enough."

For the last #fitnessfriday posts featuring activewear from my sponsors Rosegal and Zaful, they were always about a review of the product and making sure I somehow look good with it in the photos. I’m sure that by now the brand’s quality is pretty much established and proven trendy. So let me just tackle another point here…

The truth is, I wasn’t really satisfied with how I presented the products upon myself. Lol. Prolly not my tiptop shape to wear something ab-baring or (or lack thereof) or skintight at the moment of shoot. I was pretty sure I didn’t slip into my regular fitness routine too though I could’ve overeaten or something and there could be a whole other reasons why.

But at the end of the day, aside from the pressure from the sponsors to post (lol), I just have to finally let these pics out and say, “Sod it!” This body has run half marathons in the past, can do a back to back dance (energetic if I may add) class if needed or climb the second highest summit of the country without prior training. This body has served me well so much. What do I have to complain about?

Quick description of the items here: if you haven’t heard of the naked trend, well it has taken over the athleisure world particularly in the form of leggings. I’ve had attendees doing double takes if I was really wearing at the bottom with this nude two tone thingy. Haha! And it’s so sweet to find a cool take on the hoodie with this open front top from Rosegal.

Open Front Cropped Hoodie

Two Tone Active Yoga Leggings
Hoop Earrings

Plunging sports top, yaaay! Definitely flattering for flat-chested ITBC members. Lol. But what I appreciate the most here is the half-hand coverage through a thumbhole that doubles up as fitness gloves for tough workouts. 💪 

Plunging Neck Sports Top

P.S. Use the code ZafulChen and RosegalChen in your purchases to get additional discounts. :) Happy Shopping! 

Pink Matters 🎀

It may be the last day of October but as they say, late is better than never wearing pink for breast cancer awareness month. It’s not a cause that I am avidly in support of or what but feel that something that should be relevant personally to me because of my current medical condition.

Okay, I hope the last two words didn’t give you quite a scare but yeah for the last two years I believe I have been monitoring these cysts that I found in my both breasts. There’s nothing to worry for now but of course it’s something that I have to continuously work on and treat in the best ways/ methods that I know of. As always, prevention is better than cure and now you might understand why the dedication to an active lifestyle and healthy living. Nothing is guaranteed but your kind words of support/ understanding or knowledge sharing will always be appreciated. :)

And now to the outfit, here’s a simple chiffon dress I wore matched with this sponsored hat from Rosegal. The pink suitcase is a loved souvenir I got when I was in Paris. Coz I simply can’t leave the city without something distinctively one of the world’s fashion capital. ;)

Pink Bucket Hat

Oh and just because I wasn't able to blog it last year, look what I found through Facebook's On This Day feature. :)

Dress: Mango

P.S. Use the code RosegalChen in your purchases to get additional discounts. :) Happy Shopping! 

40s

If you wanna know which fashion decade do I belong to, it's definitely the 50s - errrthing high-waisted and retro. Basically, everything Audrey Hepburn. <3 Some online quizzes identified me in the 20s too but mainly because there are other trends from the previous decades that I also love. Lol.

To be honest though, I also find it hard identifying trends from the past. It would've been fun to have lived through all those decades and be an expert about it. Lol. And after reading and watching Gone with the Wind (now one of my all time fave novel and movie!), I was suddenly in the mood for anything vintage and huge hats! Haha! This look I believe is a bit more of the 40s - a combination of Rita Hayworth and Audrey Hepburn's iconic looks. And if you ever find yourself needing some vintage dresses and accessories, you can always turn to Rosegal (Use RosegalChen for discounts) for it. See below links for the items I came up with in this editorial. :)

40s Cocktail Hat

Mermaid Evening Gown

Artificial Pearl Necklace

P.S. Use coupon RosegalChen for additional discounts upon purchase :)