Friday 31 August 2007

Prada Vernice Sfumata Pump

Prada's accessories are always one of the first brands I look at in style.com's accessories preview. Afterall, Prada's accessories are always the sales force behind the brand and they're usually copied by all the other high street brands (thus Prada's accessories almost always form part of the new trends.)

The first time I saw this season's Prada's shoes, I thought err... I hated the gradient colour theme (more so for certain colours like green and black than others,) and I wasn't really into the whole leg-warmers-with-heels trend because realistically, I'm not going to even try that. But when I was wondering around Barneys in LA, I couldn't resist trying on a pair of one of Prada's FW07 runway shoes, the Vernice Sfumata Pump, which to us normal people, are commonly known as the gradient-coloured pumps. So I tried them on and wow, I loved them! I instantly felt like I was sucked into the world of artistic, intellectually glam world of Prada. I especially liked the thick, black, elastic strap in the front. I was wearing a flowery skirt that day so it didn't really match my outfit but I imagine it would look absolutely amazing with black pants -modern, sleek and creative. Sigh, now I'll probably spend the next few months admiring these shoes online everyweek.

Thursday 30 August 2007

HG's LA Trip II

After yesterday's not-too-positive post about LA's food, I'll move onto LA's shopping today! I stayed at Beverly Wilshire so the place I went everyday was Rodeo Drive. Before going I wasn't really enthusastic about Rodeo Drive because I thought it was just going to be another designer name-packed street which will be like all the other places I usually go to (-Hong Kong, London etc.) I was right about the designer-packed part, but what I didn't expect was that I really loved the street. I loved how there was so much space to walk around and not feel crowded, and the salespeople there were so friendly and helpful! (The sad thing was of course, I could hardly afford anything there!)


The thing I loved most on Rodeo Drive was the Prada shop. The first time I saw it from across the street, I thought, that coat looks like it's from Prada's FW07 collection and those stairs are very NYC Soho Prada-like, is that the Prada shop? You will notice that the shop doesn't even have a Prada sign, and I really haven't seen a store before that didn't display its own designer name! I loved it! (Seriously, if you didn't know Prada well and just walked past it, you would think it was a weird warehouse!)

But walk by at night and you'll be surprised. See those three holes on the ground?



They're like lighted caves filled with Prada goodies. The concept is so cool.

And of course, there is the newly renovated Chanel store, my second favourite looking store on Rodeo Drive. It looks so clean and clear cut, with only white, black and gold.

While I love the atmosphere and all of Rodeo Drive, the shopping place that I really liked was Robertson Blvd. Robertson Blvd is the street where a lot of mix-brand boutiques like Kitson and Madison are, and also boutiques of American brands like Nanette Lepore and Alice + Olivia. For me, Kitson was sort of... blah. I only noticed lots of T-shirts and the new Paris Hilton clothing collection. If anyone visits Robertson Blvd, then you must go to the Alice + Olivia store -the clothes are SO gorgeous. It's not too often that I think clothes look even prettier in real life than on shopbop.com. And there are so many more stores on Robertson -that was def a fun trip.

Unfortunately for me, the only things I could afford on both streets was the BCBG sales rack! Surprisingly, the sales rack still had loads of goodies. I got a boring/ classic, black and nude-coloured dress for only 150usd (half price!) and a very useful black cardigan thingy. And while I love my BCBG purchases, my favourite (and most useful) purchases were probably the two pairs of sporty shorts (great for lounging around the house doing nothing) I bought at Target, where my sister bought her moving-into-college-stuff. So all in all, shopping in LA was pretty cool and it ended up being a really relaxing holiday.

Ooh, and now I finally understand why Mary Kate and Ashley look so wrapped up (with scarves and cardigans) in paparazzi photos even in LA. Even though it was sunny everyday in LA, the temperature was kind of cool ,especially in early mornings and nights. Anyways, I'm leaving San Francisco tonight so I better go pack now!

Wednesday 29 August 2007

HG's LA Trip I

Today I just wanted to give everyone a quick look at my LA trip. Last week, I stayed in LA for a week suppsedly helping my sister move into USC. (OK I wasn't much help carrying her stuff nor did I attend the orientation but whatever.)

First off, I just want to say how boring LA's sightseeing spots were. The Walk of Fame, Kodak Theatre, Lady something catherdral thingy, the Hollywood sign etc. -honestly, all a yawn. I don't know why people get so excited and take so many pictures there. The only thing worth seeing was The Getty Center -the garden and photography exhibition were gorgeous.

Since the sights were so disappointing, I decided that a trip to LA must involve the young people hotspots. So I made my poor family go with me to Koi, Pink Berry, Sprinkles, Spago and The Ivy. For those who don't know, Koi is one of the 'it' restuarants, where a lot of celebs get their photos taken by the paparazzis when they leave. It's a Japanese fusion restaurant. Admittingly, it was fab for the ambiance and all, but the food seriously sucked (way too salty,) and the tables were just too crowded. Definitely not a place for serious dining. Spago (which claims to be a Californian restaurant with Austrian influences) on the other hand, served fantastic food. The only warning I should give out is that it's pretty touristy.


Sprinkles, the hotspot for cupcakes, always had a line outside the store.


The cupcakes were... cupcakes -Sweet, but nothing special and overpriced. But it was an 'LA experience' for me, to join in the craze with other Angelinos.


Pink Berry is basically the snack place of the moment in LA. They sell simple yogurt, soft ice-cream style, and you add toppings on it. Surprisingly, I actually liked the yogurt there and had it three times in my one week there! No wonder they're earning so much money and opening so many stores. Do try it if you go to LA -it's another 'LA expeience' one should enjoy!


Ah, the oh-so-famous Ivy. I stumbled across it on a shopping trip and surprisingly managed to get a table without reservation in 15 minutes. The food there was pretty good, although my mum and I were more impressed by how the waiting crowd outside the restaurant didn't seem to get smaller even at 3pm! While it wasn't the best Italian food I've ever had, the meal was certainly one of the better ones I had in LA.

So ya, this has been the food-related highlights of my LA trip. Yes I know I'm no food critic but these are just my little thoughts on the restaurants. Tomorrow I'll move onto the shopping!

Teen Choice Awards 2007 Fashion

Hey people, so sorry for the uber late posts. I'm at my aunt's house in San Francisco at the moment and the internet connection is sort of wacky here. (Thankfully BG posted for me yesterday!) I'll talk about last week's LA in the next two days, but first, the Teen Choice Awards! OK, so the fashion there was so boring and uninspiring that I wasn't even going to blog about it but staying in the States for a week has turned me into paprazzi-obsessed (temporarily hopefully,) so I'm going to blog about it anyway.

Hilary Duff -She was the co-host so you will notice that she had more than one outfit. I quite like her wearing this Corey Lynn Calter black, sequined dress, although it feels more nightime than daytime.
Hilary's other two outfits were very 'her'. I like her in the blue and black sequined dress, and so-and-so about green jeans. What I don't like about her is her hair! What happened to those classy locks? What is up with the gradient-coloured hair?
I may like Avril's music but I'm really not a fan of her clothes. I used to like it when she kept it simple with jeans/ pants with tank tops, but now her clothes (and pink hair) are just, for a lack of better words, not cool. Actually I suppose this outfit isn't too bad, but it would have looked much nicer if her hair was just left straight down.

I've never liked Fergie's clothes so I'll just say here that her grey heels don't match her polka dot dress.
Lauren and Audrina -Kind of typical choices for them, but they could have chosen cuter dresses. Audrina's dress is too nighttime clubbing-ish, and Lauren's is just not as fun as her usual choices. (Lauren's dress is from her upcoming collection.)
Jessica Alba's dress is really nothing special, but seriously, that girl can make anything look amazing. Jessica not surprisingly, won the female hottie award. I really want to watch her new movie, Good Luck Chuck!
Emmy Rossum is finally not in a boring long dress, but I don't really like her dress here either. The pink looks great on her, but maybe the way the fabric is draped on her just isn't that cute? Or maybe adding a thin belt around her waist would have added more shape to the dress.
Wow, Sophia Bush looked amazing in a hard-to-wear Herve Leger dress. I love her playful dress with that cute but proper hairstyle. I guess she had to look good, afterall, she won three awards!
Vanessa Hudgens -The dress really suits her, except the clutch doesn't match the dress. OK, I accidently watched two minutes of High School Musical 2 this afternoon, and I don't get why they are so popular! True, they do seem talented (which is not a given in Hollywood these days,) but what is so fun watching a bunch of kids sing on tv? I suppose musical is only cool to me if it's live.
Since I really have no interest in men's fashion, Zac Efron (who won male hottie) is obviously here for eyecandy. He always looks a bit too photoshopped (or madeup?) for my taste, but hey, eyecandy is eyecandy. Enjoy!
What did you think of everybody's dresses?

Was a kiss the reason Aishwarya Rai turned down Karan Johar ?


Aishwarya Rai ‘Bachchan’ has turned down a role in Karan Johar’s production. But, why did she do this? Let Tony tell you why…

It was the perfect casting and ideal for the new Bachchan bahu. For the first time she was about to headline a Dharma Production, and she would get to play lover to Abhishek Bachchan, her loving husband. It was a fantastic part, and the story was awesome. A sure fit hit was one the cards. So what made the Pink Panther’s Princess turn the role down after accepting it?

Well my sources tell me it was all about a boy. And in this case the boy was John Abraham, a dashing daring and handsome individual over which many female (and some male) eyes hang. For it was Bipasha’s boy that was to get to kiss Aishwarya in this film. And Aishwarya Rai ‘Bachchan’ wanted that particular scene removed. Karan Johar didn’t. So they parted ways.

We really cant blame Aishwarya can we? Because we all know what happened last year when she kissed another hunky chap… what Dhoom did that cause we do know. What are your thoughts on why Aishwarya turned down this role… was it the kiss… or was she just not happy with the sexual scenes in the movie?.

Was a kiss the reason Aishwarya Rai turned down Karan Johar ?


Aishwarya Rai ‘Bachchan’ has turned down a role in Karan Johar’s production. But, why did she do this? Let Tony tell you why…

It was the perfect casting and ideal for the new Bachchan bahu. For the first time she was about to headline a Dharma Production, and she would get to play lover to Abhishek Bachchan, her loving husband. It was a fantastic part, and the story was awesome. A sure fit hit was one the cards. So what made the Pink Panther’s Princess turn the role down after accepting it?

Well my sources tell me it was all about a boy. And in this case the boy was John Abraham, a dashing daring and handsome individual over which many female (and some male) eyes hang. For it was Bipasha’s boy that was to get to kiss Aishwarya in this film. And Aishwarya Rai ‘Bachchan’ wanted that particular scene removed. Karan Johar didn’t. So they parted ways.

We really cant blame Aishwarya can we? Because we all know what happened last year when she kissed another hunky chap… what Dhoom did that cause we do know. What are your thoughts on why Aishwarya turned down this role… was it the kiss… or was she just not happy with the sexual scenes in the movie?.

Kareena and Shahid break up?

According to the latest buzz in Bollywood, Kareena Kapoor – Shahid Kapur relationship has hit a dead end.

And the reason behind it is none other than 'single' Saif Ali Khan , who reportedly did some serious damage to Bipasha Basu – John Abraham love story as well.

Sources claim that it all happened on the sets of Yashraj Films ' Tashan in Ladakh and later, Jaisalmer where Saif and Kareena instantly got attracted to each other.

This news comes close on the heels of rumours that Kareena’s relationship with Shahid is on the rocks.

However, Shahid's close friend reveals that the actor is clueless about Saif’s closeness to Kareena as he is in Canada shooting for Nagesh Kukunoor ’s Tasveer .

Kareena and Shahid break up?

According to the latest buzz in Bollywood, Kareena Kapoor – Shahid Kapur relationship has hit a dead end.

And the reason behind it is none other than 'single' Saif Ali Khan , who reportedly did some serious damage to Bipasha Basu – John Abraham love story as well.

Sources claim that it all happened on the sets of Yashraj Films ' Tashan in Ladakh and later, Jaisalmer where Saif and Kareena instantly got attracted to each other.

This news comes close on the heels of rumours that Kareena’s relationship with Shahid is on the rocks.

However, Shahid's close friend reveals that the actor is clueless about Saif’s closeness to Kareena as he is in Canada shooting for Nagesh Kukunoor ’s Tasveer .

Tuesday 28 August 2007

Paul and Joe Beaute: Autumn 2007

First of all, I'd like to say that I am by no means impressed by the quality of Paul & Joe make-up. But I AM very impressed by their packaging. It never fails to make me want to buy everything. I suspect that this is their selling point. Their autumn collection, Dear Diary collection, is no exception. They have a very touching story to go with this collection, something about shades that will allow you to be yourself, but I really fail connect the product/package design with the story. What I do know is that not only do they have a pretty print of flowers and leopards (they assured me that it was not a cat) packaging and a pretty floral pattern inside, but they also have pretty names: Daydream, Pressed Roses and Poetry to go with it. The colors though are not too inspiring. Lip colors all look the same to me. Though my mom uses them, and she assures me that the texture is very moisturizing and smooth and points out that the paper packaging is very lightweight for the purse. The eye shadows, brown on brown, Dark Blue on blue and Pink on maroon is not wow but they are practical. Plus, it has a hint of shimmer, which should be pretty! The only downside is that because they are not separated, the two colors will eventually mix into one ugly mess after a few months of use. But I'm sure they'll come up with some other pretty design by then for you to replace it ;) Such clever marketing.

So the point being that while I am by no means blind to its flaws, I still cannot help but gush and oogle the beauty that is the Paul & Joe cosmetics- its just SO PRETTY!

Image Source: Paul & Joe

Jump Makes Bipasha Jet Ski Champ

Jump Games has announced a two-year exclusive worldwide contract with actor Bipasha Basu to create and distribute a series of mobile game titles based on her.
The first of the series, 'Bipasha Basu Jet Ski Champ', will soon launch on all leading networks, the company said.

The game will see Bips, as she is fondly called, in the role of a master Jet Ski rider, challenging world greats on some of the most happening Ski circuits across the globe.
What's more, the actor's fans will be able to play out her character in the game.

Jump said there are two more titles in the pipeline; one a casual title based on the urban sport of bowling, and the other with Bips in a Star Wars-esque avatar of sci-fi princess battling it out against galactic enemies.

Speaking about the association, Salil Bhargava, chief executive officer of Jump Games, said, "Bipasha is one of the most successful celebrity brands today, and her personality lends itself wonderfully to games. We're quite confident that with the rising popularity of celebrity games in the market, the titles created for Bipasha will do well."

Bipasha Basu meanwhile said that through these games, her fans would get to see the athletic, adventurous, and skillful side of her, and that she hopes they will like it.

Jump Makes Bipasha Jet Ski Champ

Jump Games has announced a two-year exclusive worldwide contract with actor Bipasha Basu to create and distribute a series of mobile game titles based on her.
The first of the series, 'Bipasha Basu Jet Ski Champ', will soon launch on all leading networks, the company said.

The game will see Bips, as she is fondly called, in the role of a master Jet Ski rider, challenging world greats on some of the most happening Ski circuits across the globe.
What's more, the actor's fans will be able to play out her character in the game.

Jump said there are two more titles in the pipeline; one a casual title based on the urban sport of bowling, and the other with Bips in a Star Wars-esque avatar of sci-fi princess battling it out against galactic enemies.

Speaking about the association, Salil Bhargava, chief executive officer of Jump Games, said, "Bipasha is one of the most successful celebrity brands today, and her personality lends itself wonderfully to games. We're quite confident that with the rising popularity of celebrity games in the market, the titles created for Bipasha will do well."

Bipasha Basu meanwhile said that through these games, her fans would get to see the athletic, adventurous, and skillful side of her, and that she hopes they will like it.
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