hong kong ootd day 1 + tsim sha tsui travel guide

 We took a plane out from the Philippines to Hong Kong for the first time via Clark early in the morning of January 26. It was still dark outside and it was a bit difficult finding our way. There was a huge lack of signs to point us in the right direction. Luckily, we didn't get lost and arrived on time.

It was exceptionally cold in Clark which I thought was perfect because I could already wear my coat and not have to rummage through my luggage to change into it after arriving in Hong Kong.

Personally, I prefer the Clark airport to NAIA. The people are friendlier, it's clean and very relaxed. Not crowded at all. It took us about and hour and a half to get there from Manila without traffic.

After a very smooth hour-long plane ride (which I was extremely thankful for since it was Nikola's first time to fly), we finally arrived at the Hong Kong airport. Upon arrival, I had some money changed because I didn't have time in Manila (wrong move, they took a huge chunk out of it...should've waited til the city) and picked up our Octopus cards for easy travel via MTR around Hong Kong.

Our hotel was located along Ashley Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, a block away from Silver Cord Mall, the MTR station and perpendicular to Harbour City. (yay!) Best location ever.

We arrived pretty early, around 10 am but they were gracious enough to allow us to check-in early.

Still recovering from our journey, we decided to take it easy on our first day and just explore Tsim Sha Tsui:

harbour city

My travel outfit:

I wore this from Manila and throughout my first day in Hong Kong:

Uniqlo jeggings are the perfect thing to wear for travelling. They're garterized so no need for a belt which is always a hassle to take on and off at the airport security check + they're the comfiest things ever.

hong kong street style

Here's a shot of me and Nikola by the bay in between Harbour City and the Ferry rides:

hong kong fashion blogger

On Ashley Road - LOTS of affordable food choices here. There's a posh Shakey's Pizza down the road, Delicious Kitchen, Kebab House, Ebineezer's (for shawarma), Hungry Korean, Ned Kelly's Bar, In Time plus lots of other restaurants that serve Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, Indian, etc. Virtually every cuisine you can imagine on one road. There's also a Circle K, 7/11 and McDonald's nearby.

hong kong street style

A trip to Hong Kong isn't complete without visiting Delicious Kitchen and that's where we had our first meal. We ordered the Mapo Tofu, String Beans with Minced Pork, Sweet and Sour Pork, Plain Rice and 1 drink each. Our total bill was around $250HKD (roughly P1,500) which is pretty reasonable for Hong Kong standards where it is quite common to pay around $100-$150HKD/meal at a mall restaurant.

delicious kitchen hong kong

My favorite was the Mapo Tofu, I always have that each time I visit Delicious Kitchen but it's a bit spicy. Dennis and Nikola loved the String Beans...it was really good and perfectly seasoned. The Sweet and Sour Pork was so-so and I probably wouldn't order it anymore.

If it's your first time to eat at Delicious Kitchen, just order using the numbers found on the menu so you and your server don't get confused. They don't speak very good English here.

delicious kitchen hong kong

In other news, what's all the buzz lately about Vhong Navarro? :O

zara coat | uniqlo chambray shirt and jeggings | h&m snood | jeffrey campbell melina via sm fashion forum | raoul shoulder bag

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STREET STYLE: HOLLI ROGERS | TEXTURED KNIT + LEATHER TROUSERS

Photo via: A Love Is Blind

Apparently Holli Rogers has a knack for making textured knits look amazing. Remember this post? As for those gorgeous wide-leg leather trousers... insert heart eye emoji here! Her luxe pair drapes perfectly and looks so buttery soft.

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VOGUE PHOTO DIARY: NICOLE RICHIE | CFDA AWARDS

Photos via: Taylor Jewell for Vogue

Recently stumbled upon this photo diary of Nicole Richie getting ready for the CFDA Awards. Her look was one of my favorites of the night, so it's fun getting a behind-the-scenes glimpse. Nicole wore an Marc Jacobs dress, Giuseppe Zanotti pumps and Jennifer Meyer jewelry.

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UNDERSTATED BLACK + GREY | CHANEL CHAIN BOOTS

Photo via: Styleby

I had already been a fan of these statement Chanel chain boots, but after seeing them in this shot I fell head over heels. They look perfect styled with an understated ribbed grey knit and pair of faded black skinny jeans. Ultimate shoe envy for all those that scored a pair. For now, I will try and satisfy my craving with the Belle by Sigerson Morrison Demetra boot.

★ If you like the posts on here and want to see more, check out my posts on Who What Wear ★

palty raspberry jam on black hair review

Remember a couple years back when I went a bit mental on hair dye and would diy color my hair a different shade almost every month? There was orange first before going into blonde, then blue, bright purple and finally plum.

As expected, my hair became severely damaged and I temporarily retired my salon colorist aspirations for fear of going bald. (did you know: at home hair dye kits contain harsher chemicals than those in the salon) Since then, I have relied on salons to cover up my grays...hate to admit but yes, I am in that stage :(

Anyway...I usually go to JURO for my hair needs and have been planning a visit since around September last year to go in for a cut and color (I plan that far back because it's quite expensive but you only need to go in at least 2x/year) in time for my holiday vacation. Before I could book an appointment, I got an email from Azta Salon asking if I would like to try their new Chromabond treatment (see review HERE), my curiosity got the better of me so I said yes only to find out that I wouldn't be able to dye my hair again until January. I've no regrets about my Chromabond treatment, in fact I love it so much and don't know if I can live without it anymore but the color, being similar to a cellophane treatment, washes out after awhile and I'm left with super aging white hair at my temples.

I didn't want to have white hair in my vacation photos and there wasn't really enough time to book an appointment at a salon so I did the next logical choice which was to visit Watson's.

I was initially planning to purchase my usual L'Oreal but then I caught a glimpse of all these other cutesy Asian dyes across the shelf. I have heard about these foam dyes and have always been quite curious so I decided to get one and finally try it out myself.

I was choosing between 2 brands (forgot the name of the other one but it was significantly cheaper at around P280). I had not done any research beforehand so I was relying purely on gut. I decided to go with the Palty because it's Japanese made and so far I have loved every Japanese beauty product I've ever tried from K-Palette to Cure.

A box of Palty costs P499 and I choose Raspberry Jam because it was either that or a really light blonde shade which I cannot remember the name of (another sweet confection I presume). There were only two shades in stock but after researching a bit online afterwards, I found out that there over 15 different shades to choose from. Oh, well...

palty raspberry jam

Instructions on the outer box are purely in Japanese.

palty raspberry jam review

Inside it contains a plastic cup, mixer, cream dye, water solution (developer), conditioner, gloves that actually fit and to my delight, an instruction manual with proper English translation (yay). I love how everything Japanese tend to look Sanrio-ish.

palty raspberry jam review

Just like traditional hair dyes, you first empty all contents of the "water" into the cup followed by the cream dye.

You're then supposed to "chop" it up and down (similar to when you break butter in eggs when baking)  followed by mixing it around. The instruction manual says to mix only until you reach the inner mark in the cup but I guess I got a bit carried away with the chopping that it only took a few swirls before my mixture started drpping over the brim. In the end, it didn't matter though, it's not really an exact science.

palty raspberry jam on black hair

Once you're done mixing, you'll be left with something like this:

Reminds me of a banana smoothie. Never mind the undisolved bits, they won't matter and will simply blend once you apply the dye to your hair.

palty raspberry jam on black hair

Now the tricky part, applying it evenly onto your hair.

Contrary to what other reviews may have said, I actually find Palty less messy than other dyes. I hardly dripped any product onto my floor and sink.

Back to dyeing, make sure to follow the instructions and not just dump the solution onto your head. If you want a nice even color, make sure you apply only to your roots first because the roots take longer to achieve lift. Next you'll want to roughly section your hair and apply the dye one section at a time by scooping small amounts into your hands and rubbing it in lightly. Finish off by massaging your scalp to ensure the dye is distributed evenly.

Leave on for 20 minutes, add 10 if you have thick hair like mine then rinse off with warm water and apply the conditioner provided.

japanese foam hair dye

Here's what it looks like right after under yellow light with no flash:

japanese foam hair dye review

It provided about 90% gray hair coverage which was okay with me, I just simply plucked out the few resilient ones left.

Here's another shot taken the following day after two shampoos under natural light:

palty raspberry jam on black hair

The red undertone is more visible and vibrant and it has been that way since then. I clean my hair with Cynos Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner (see HERE) which probably helps the color from fading out quickly.

Overall, using Palty was a fun and positive experience. It seems to work extremely well on thick, coarse Asian hair like mine and I would definitely purchase it again in the future.

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MUST-HAVE: WHITE HIGH-TOP CONVERSE SNEAKERS

Photos via: Marie Claire Korea | Nordstrom | As You Are Magazine | Vanessa Jackman

So you might remember my inspiration for wanting a pair of high-top black chucks... now I'm craving a white pair as well. They're a classic and versatile must-have for any closet. I've had the low cut ones as my go-tos for years, but I'm thinking it's time for a change. Kind of even liking the hidden wedge version, which are great for making your legs look leaner and longer.

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wearable street style inspiration III

Remember my two previous posts on street style inspiration and new things to try this 2014? Here's a couple more...

Sweater dresses! LOVE THIS. Nothing is more comfortable for me than a sweater. Made into a dress??? I find it super cute and imagine it would feel like going out in a comforter wrapped around my body. Heaven.

Get over my fear of red clothing. Embrace it more and pair it with unusual color combinations like pink or orange:

And while we're at it, why not try maroon with mint green as well? Pretty!

And lastly, more flat shoes and mens trousers, please?

I hope this cold spell stays forever so we can all layer and have more fun getting dressed. Fearing the summer months already....if it's this cold now I'm thinking it's gonna be extra hot. Hope not.

QUESTION: Of all the inspirational looks I've posted, which one is your favorite? :)

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Look of the Day: Sheepskin

 

These pictures were taken last week during a small trip to see a friend in another city and this is what you'll usually see me wearing these days - a new faux sheepskin coat and two pairs of thermal tights :) Minus the hat and a thick scarf, those too are not very photo friendly, but they're always there :)

I'm wearing:

Coat - VJstyle

Sweater - Chicwish

Skirt - Topshop 

Bag - VJstyle

Watch - Michael Kors
Boots - Romwe (similar ones here and here)

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