amanda: beautyfull addictions

I have a confession to make. I have a very addictive personality. This means if you introduce me to an online community, a fun computer game, or an enjoyable hobby, I am more than likely to be addicted.

For those classmates who see me everyday at school, they know that no matter how stressed I am with schoolwork, I still manage to keep my nails looking good. Yes, it sounds unbelievable, but it's the truth. I can be up at 3am sewing my final project but still manage to squeeze in a tiny break to do my nails so they look good for presentation day. HAHA. I'm addicted.

Do you like this new look? I found this idea on pinterest which is my other addiction :P

I bought this essie teal green polish last week called "school of hard rocks". It was love at first sight. I knew instantly it would look great with gold. I honestly am not a fan of the crackle/shatter effect usually. But I realized doing it this way makes it way more sophisticated.

So like I said, pinterest has become my newest beautyfull addiction. 

Those of you who don't know what pinterest is... here's a brief article about why it is the fastest growing site so far!

http://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonykosner/2012/02/18/10-reasons-pinterest-booked-10-million-visitors-a-month-so-fast/

I am totally hooked because I'm a very visual person and when looking for photographs and inspiration pictures can be easier than filtering through google, then why not?! For those of you who are planning a wedding, a party, planning to cook up some new recipes, it's awesome!

Two amazing pics that make me smile (all found on pinterest):

If you want to join this magical online community, leave a comment with your email address and I'll invite you. Yup, pinterest is still by invite only! :)

Ohhh.. almost forgot. I did develop a new addiction recently. Well, I am asian and in New York so...
I've gone LINsane :P

Their second Knicks-Nets Game is in less than half an hour! I'm cheering my team on! :D

Now tell me what YOUR ADDICTIONS are! I hope they're just as beautyfull as mine!

amanda: valentine's day fun

I didn't get any comments about how your Valentine's Day went.. so here's mine:

First, I had to have some fun with my nails ;)

I just used a peach and nude base color alternatively on my nails. French tipped them with a very sparkly pink polish. Then drew in two tiny hearts on two fingers.

 Even though I didn't get to celebrate Valentine's this year, but at least looking down at my fingers made me smile!

I'm pretty sure you guys had a better valentine's compared to mine cause I worked at school until 9:30pm and only had a starbucks green tea and a banana for dinner that night. :(

I was working on draping this cowl top at school... 

It got pretty frustrating because the fabric was so slippery and I was so tired from a whole day of classes. But here's the finished project.. not the best work I've done, but I know what went wrong and will try to improve next time!

Here's my dolled up fingers journaling on Feb. 15th~ 

I was reflecting upon the fact that I'm not a big fan of this occasion but found it awfully hard not to be affected when everywhere I went, there were flowers, chocolates, teddy bears, and a lot of happy couples. 

 But like I said on twitter: 

"Valentine's day is great for those who usually have no time to love. But for those who love everyday, it's just like any other day."

I know I'm loved. What about you?

Now it's YOUR turn to tell me about your Valentine's!!

GO!

amanda: beautyfull valentine's day

February sure seems like a very eventful month here in New York. Fashion Week just began and Valentine's Day is just around the corner.

Interestingly enough, laura and I are both going to be away from our special someones and on our own for Feb. 14~ But that shouldn't stop us (or you) from dressing up for the occasion!
So I thought I'd share a few beautyfull things that help set the mood for Valentine's Day. Enjoy :)

I love this makeup look by Michelle Phan - even though it was from 3 years ago! If you don't usually wear pink eyeshadows, give it a try this valentine's~

Those of you who know me, I love nail art - but unfortunately pretty lazy to do really complicated designs. There are tons of Valentine's-themed nail art tutorials. I think I like this one cause it's cute but kinda creepy at the same time.. haha.



Well, have a BEAUTYFULL Valentine's Day!
Leave a comment if you tried anything posted and tell us about how you are spending Valentine's :)

amanda: intro to jewellery design

I apologize for the late post! But here's my take on designing rings.:)

After years of shopping for rings and imagining what rings I'd love to have, I decided to finally take an actual jewellery design course at my school.

 To start the design process, it is necessary to sketch out your ideas from various views so that when you are to make it, you will be clear about all angles of the design.

Then you make a wax mold of the design by sawing and filing a clump of casting wax. When you like what you have, you bring it to get it casted into your choice of silver, yellow brass, white brass, etc.

After you pick up the casted ring, you can see that there's a piece of brass sticking out. This needs to be sawed off carefully.

Then you must polish the ring with these sanding wheels to get all the debris off and see the brass shine through. :)

These tools are found only in a jewellery design studio so I can only work on my jewellery at the school's studio.

After hours and hours of hard work.. here's the finished product!

I personally like simple but edgy ring designs. This simple geometric ring is my very first attempt at jewellery design. I also casted it in white brass! How much would you be willing to pay for a brass ring like this one? 

Btw, this is my professor's website: http://www.geoffreygood.com/

Check out his stuff - it's pretty awesome!

The LBD: Will we ever get tired of black?

From as far back as I can remember, I knew that the Little Black Dress was the "it" item in every girl's closet. Maybe it was the influence of Spice Girls, where Posh Spice (Victoria Beckham) would have all these different variations of the same LBD. I have noticed that I go through these certain color phases throughout my life. For example, I have been in this navy phase for quite a few years now, and I am getting sick of it. However, black never grows old on me. Black is the type of color that shouldn't even be called a color. But it exudes such power and sophistication that no woman can refuse.

Dresses by Zac Posen 

What are your views on the LBD? Do you think you'll ever get sick of the color black? Or are you one of those rare people that just refuse to wear black? We love reading your comments, so please leave us some! 

amanda: rainy days don't have to be boring

The reason why I haven't been posting in awhile is because I've been so swamped with projects (and still am).. and this new york weather is not helping. One day it's pouring, the next day it's warm sunny, then it's cold and cloudy.. it's completely unpredictable!

I just wanted to share with you about how I like to dress on rainy days.

I don't have hunter boots like every other new yorker, but I do love using boots to pull my whole outfit together.

I don't know about you, but I just love to make rainy days more interesting by wearing a fun pair of tights. Did I ever mention I had a little obsession with tights? 

For me, rainy days usually mean a comfortable pair of boots, interesting tights, and some lace. Here is only a quick snapshot of what I wore today. My knee-high suede boots, my houndstooth tights (current favorite), my lace slip, and a grey shirt dress.

Check out this awesome slideshow of this year's best tights for the fall! It makes me want to shop for more tights! :)

What do YOU wear on a rainy day? Leave us a comment below!

amanda: NYFashion Week - Cynthia Rowley, Jason Wu, Suno

It has been an insane few days since Fashion Week started but I really enjoy the atmosphere of New York City when everyone is so pumped about seeing the new SS12 collections!

Let me share with you a few of my favorites in the past 2 days.

Cynthia Rowley SS12

I just loved how the combination of black and gold made the whole collection look so chic and expensive!
Nobody can say no to one of Cynthia Rowley's LBDs (Little Black Dress) or LWDs (Little White Dress). The styling was just right and I just enjoyed the way the finale was done at the end. Here are a few of my favorite looks:

I notice this trend of lines and symmetry throughout various SS12 collections. What do you think of it?

Jason Wu SS12

I have always admired Jason Wu because of his ability to create a type of delicate softness in his clothes with a hard and edgy inspiration.

In this case, he was inspired by a graffiti artist KAWS and even collaborated with him to produce that beautiful floral print seen throughout this collection. Though some of the looks I felt were a bit too retro, I did like many of the cocktail dresses and gowns.

Such as these:

Yes, ladies and gentlemen. NEON is back. :)

Would you wear neon? If so, in what pieces and to what extent would you wear bright neons?

SUNO SS12

I was not very familiar with this brand before this year. But they are the new up and coming designers who are talked about everywhere!

Here's a glimpse of their talent in the new collection! For some of you who know me personally, I do have a tendency to choose white lace dresses ;)

Amazing use of prints! Behind this brand since 2008 is filmmaker Max Osterweis and designer Erin Beatty. 

 From these collections, which is YOUR FAVORITE? 

Leave us a comment!

Don't forget to follow us on twitter as we give instant updates as certain collections come down the runway: http://twitter.com/allbeautyfull

amanda: Fashion Week - Day 1

Today is the first day of New York Fashion Week. 

It's been an exciting morning with shows from Nicholas K, BCBGMAXAZRIA, and Richard Chai. I will be giving a brief review of a few shows each day that I loved.

Enjoy some clips from the shows and tell me what you think (aka LEAVE COMMENTS!! :P)

I have to say that Nicholoas K was my favorite in terms of wearability. I can totally see most men and women wanting to wear their clothes. Love their use of chiffon in their maxi dresses and the cool leather jackets! Don't know who the designers are behind this brand?

Designers Christopher and Nicholas Kunz are a brother-sister duo that have 
started this brand since 2003.
These are a few of my favorite looks:

Aren't those coats just fabulous? Did I mention that I'm really loving the accessories too? ;) 

I am just amazed at the craftsmanship of all these complicated, beautiful dresses that feature interesting cut-outs and fresh pops of color! To see these runway shows in better quality, check out the youtube channel: liverunway as they show each runway more than once a day!

Want twitter updates about each runway show throughout Fashion Week? Follow us on twitter!! http://twitter.com/allbeautyfull

amanda: Fashion's Night Out 2011

Last year was my first Fashion's Night Out experience in NYC. 

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this concept. It is a mass shopping event in aid of promoting fashion and raising money for charity. Initially it was Vogue's effort to support the fashion retail industry and since 2009, it has been a great success as a global celebration for fashion.

Stores will open late into the night, parties, personal appearances by designers and models make this night spectacular and memorable.

If you are not in one of the cities hosting this event, don't worry. You can still show your support by purchasing limited edition items from the FNO 2011 collection here. There is a list of in-store and online places to buy these fantastic t-shirts and tote bags for charity. 

I am planning my Fashion's Night Out and I will update you as the day draws near! In 7 days, major cities across the globe will be celebrating fashion!! 

Don't miss out!

amanda: from hurricane to fashion week

I am back in New York. Yes, it was perfect timing because my flight arrived at 7am and the airport shut down at noon in preparation for Hurricane Irene!

After a night of heavy rainfall and strong winds of 80miles/hr (sorry about the US units), I survived my first hurricane.

Now all the buzz about the hurricane is dying down because Fashion Week is starting in a week! I know, I know, New Yorkers sometimes care more about what they're wearing to face the hurricane than the damage it may cause.

 Click here to see what's in store for this season's New York Fashion Week.

I will be posting more about the runway shows as they become available. As Laura and I become busier with our own schedules, I would love to share more about what fashion is like from the point of view of a fashion design student in NYC.

Let us know what you think!!

Were you affected by this hurricane at all?

What do you want to see at fashion week?

amanda: Who doesn't love shoes? Introducing: Sole Society

I haven't had a chance to share this with you but one of my favorite kinds of shopping is SHOE shopping! I have to admit that trying on shoes is way more exciting to me than trying on clothes. I can get quite carried away with shoe shopping. Luckily, I'm on a tight budget so I've really cut down on this obsession. 

Recently I found out about a site called Sole Society. 

It's an awesome concept and I think I'm ready to try it out!
Click here to sign up and see what shoes they'll choose for you!
I think the quiz is quite accurate. I will give an update after I purchase my first pair.. all shoes are only $49.95 each!
Leave us a comment on how you found your results and whether you will join Sole Society. :)

amanda: floral romper to finish summer

So whileI am patiently waiting for Laura to come back to Vancouver, I decided to do some sun-bathing. The weather has been gorgeous so I was so excited to finally get to wear my floral romper. It's been sitting in my closet for months! 

I'm not typically a floral print type of girl. But I think this romper is cute. It ties up in the front like a corset and it has a skirt overlay to make it look like a short dress instead of a romper.

Have you gone sun-bathing this summer? What do you wear to lie in the sun? :)

amanda: chiffon shirt dress

 This chiffon shirt dress is from my cousin's shop, Stone Plus. I love the colour and the cut. It's hard to see the details in these pictures but it has intricate pleating detail at the shoulders and at the waist in the back. It also features subtle sequins in the front that I thought would be tacky but turned out to be a nice touch to the outfit.

 

Of course I can't leave wearing this sheer shirt dress without another crochet slip underneath. :P

My flats happen to match this shirt dress. But I would love to try wearing this with a pair of pumps with a pop of colour~ What do you think?

amanda: navy never goes wrong

So for some reason, I tend to default to something navy or dark when I can't think of what to wear. I find that it is less of a hassle to put together a dark outfit and easier to find accessories to match. 

 I like this casual button-down dress because Hong Kong is so hot I never want to wear pants/jeans. Yet this is not too formal for a typical day out.

This is the second necklace I bought for $15HKD. I've always had a love for Paris. Maybe because it's the fashion capital of the world. :)

As you can see, I've paired this outfit with two different pairs of shoes.

I like how something as simple as a pair of shoes can change the whole vibe of an outfit. 

Which pair of shoes do you like more? I think both pairs would look great with almost every outfit. I was so excited when I found them. They were only about $10CDN each!! :D

For those of you who have never been to Hong Kong, here's the magnificent night view! Yes, I wore this casual and comfortable outfit but paired it with my favourite lace bolero to make it more feminine and romantic. 

Breath-taking, right? I actually think it's even more beautiful than the New York night view. Have you been to Hong Kong or New York? What do you think?