There is no scientific explanation to proof this observation but I believe all of us have experienced this before.
Before this, I have never seen a similar product in the market and I was pleasantly surprised
when I read up more about this new product.

The L’Oréal Youth Code Boosting Essence is a new product that helps your skin
absorb active ingredients in skincare better and hence boosting your skincare effectiveness by two times!

This little bottle is not here to replace your regular skincare products but it will definitely be their best friend,
to help make all the results your current products promised come true.
I have always thought trying out various products and brands over and over again
to find the perfect one a long and tedious process.
And it is never easy to find the one product that is suitable for me,
the one that doesn’t give me breakouts and rashes.
So when I found out about this Boosting Essence, I was thrilled!

It comes with a small pipette so it makes application very easy.

Oh! And I LOVE the smell too!
I hate that sticky and “thick” feeling when I pile on layers and layers of products on my skin.
So I was a little apprehensive about adding another product to my daily regime initially.
But the texture of this essence is awesome because after the product gets absorbed, I swear it feels like nothing at all!
Even better than all of the other essence I have!
Really felt like nothing at all!
It was almost like water but feels and smells so much nicer.
Instant results you can see are how the skin looks fresher and is softer to touch.
I’m glad that after one week of usage
(and especially during the Chinese New Year period where I had to put on heavier makeup almost everyday),
my skin still remains supple and “perky”.
The face felt like it just finished a 2 weeks makeup-free holiday! :p

L’Oreal Paris is running a special promotion in February.
Get your L’Oreal Paris moisturizer (be it Anti-Ageing, Whitening or Hydrating) at only $9.90 (usual: $25.90 – $29.90)
when you purchase Youth Code Boosting Essence.
Promotion ends 28th February, at selected retailers only.

You can also go to the L’Oreal Paris Facebook Page to find out more and stand a chance to win a S$50 Robinsons voucher!

I have “recruited” this new member into my daily skincare regime and it’s totally awesome!
I’m excited about this advertisement because it doesn’t feel like an advertisement at all.
Heh! You guys have to try this, especially if you feel your current skincare products are
reaching a bottleneck at giving you good results!

Thank me later! :p

This would probably the last entry of Sunday Advertorials being shown this way.
Fret not, Sunday Advertorials is not going to stop for good,
but I am currently in the midst of discussing with the web designer to come up with a more exciting way of featuring the shops!
The new website layout would HOPEFULLY be able to be launched next Sunday!
And till then, happy shopping girls!

TresLoveChic is another website that I have adored since years ago.
This virtual space has grew trmendously and is now a really pretty web store that will definitely take your breath away!
To prepare for the month of February, there will be plenty of Valentine’s Day worth outfits for your choice.
Here is a sneak peek for you at Sunday Advertorials.

Always be a smart shopper at TresLoveChic!
LIKE their Facebook Page or follow them on Twitter for more updates.
And for all readers, quote SIXPEGSREADER during checkout for a 10% discount!

♥

Next up is another website that has really pretty apparels!
Molly Lodge not only has pretty dresses for the girly girls,
but also stylish and edgy pieces for fashion forward friends!
There are also more pictures on their blog and Facebook Page where you can get more tips on how to mix and match and work your outfits!
Here are some of what’s hot at Molly Lodge!

There is currently a big giveaway promotion at Molly Lodge!
Simply join their mailing list, LIKE and share their Facebook Page,
and leave your Facebook name to prove that you’ve liked and shared their page and
you will have the chance to walk away with $50 Molly Lodge voucher!
Oh yes! And do quote SIXPEGS in the mailing list to qualify too! :D
Winner will be announced on their Facebook Page on 10th February 2012.
Good luck girls!

♥

The third shop featured this week is Damsel in Disdress, or DIDD in short.
This website is where you should be if you want fuss-free shopping!
With this web store, pretty damsels like you will never have to be in distress anymore. :p
I love the apparels featured on this website and I have already picked one for myself!
Hint. It’s one of these featured here today. Can you make a guess?

The girls at DIDD take special effort to make sure every item is delivered safely using pretty high quality plastic envelopes.
Even with harsh conditions and heavy handling, be assured that your items will always get to you in its best conditions!
Every parcel is embossed with their return address to minimize human error too!
Talk about paying attention to details! These girls really go the extra mile to make shopping so enjoyable.
The outfit I’ve picked is the brown trenchcoat! I love it!

Do also LIKE their Facebook Page here for more details too!

♥

♥

This Chinese New Year has been a rather quiet one for everyone in my family.
We didn’t do any visiting this year because of Grandma’s recent demise,
but we still had fun at our family chalet! :)
I visited A’s place though, and it was a lot of fun meeting her family.
I hope A had fun at my family chalet and family dinner too. Heh!

I also received some pretty clothes to wear for the new year!
Special thanks to SugarThreads for the super adorable striped dress and
LustMonday for the comfy and stylish looking chiffon shirt dress!
Many many love!

I shall continue with my travel to Chiang Mai!
This is probably my favourite part of the entire Chiang Mai trip – visiting the Karen Tribe in Mae Hong Son and Elephant rides.
But before I start on those, I MUST share this amazing place in Chiang Mai that A and I chanced upon
while we were researching about Chiang Mai couple weeks ago.

Nimmanhaemin Road is supposedly the hippest and most artsy place in Chiang Mai.
Littered with lots of cute cafes and chillout places, this is the perfect place to escape to
if one wants to escape from the typical “Chiang Mai sights”!

If you google or youtube the place, you can actually see a lot more pictures of the streets.
There are about 19 or more little streets branching off the main Nimmanhaemin Road, almost all are awesome!
Lots and lots of hidden treasures!

We saw this pretty little shop and we were blown away!
A lot of the things in there were made from recycled materials and they are all super cute!
It’s at Nimmanhaemin Soi 19, for those who are interested.
There is a shop, a cafe and a Ukulele shop in one!

There is this funky statue there. Look closely and you’ll see that it’s actually decorated with coins!
Creative!

Here are some of the things they sell in there.
A bought that blue/green document bag you see in the collage.
When we first saw it, we were guessing the material it’s made with.
After checking with the store assistant, we were pleasantly surprised that it was actually made from an old fridge door!
The sides of the bag has the rubber tubings from the old fridge too. Mad special!
It’s not cheap, about S$200, but definitely worth the price!

Our main aim at Nimmanhaemin Road was initially to find this shop we saw in one of the Youtube clips.
After asking around and some googling at the WIFI cafes there, we finally found it!
It’s called iBerry at Nimmanhaemin Soi 19. Super cute!
I wish there is such a place in Singapore too!

SUPER BIG STATUE!
Look at the size of the chairs and tables next to the statue.
We were super tired from all the walking but thrilled when we finally found the cafe!

Trying to look like that little thing on the table. Hahahaha!

Then we found this thing where you can stick your head in and take photos!

We had this super yummy thick toast thing there.
IT WAS FUCKING GOOD!
The bread is toasted and cut into little cuboids.
Honey is drizzled on the bread and it tasted heavenly with ice cream.
I’m drooling now already. Bring me back there!!

The next day, we visited one of the prettiest temple I have ever seen.
The White Temple.
It’s unlike most conventional temples because it looks very modern and is entirely white!

This place is almost like an art exhibition.
Check out these photos and you’ll understand why I said that.

The artist’s depiction of hell.

Something quite funny. You can actually see the artist’s standee all over the temple.
Apparently, he is tired of taking pictures with the tourists so he planted a lot of standees. Hahaha!

Inside the main temple hall, photography is prohibited.
But I managed to sneak a few photos. Hehehe!
Look at this! In which temple can you see such funky wall paintings?!
These are the things that we mortals are all caught up with, that we forget the true meaning of living.
I see Milla Jovovich in Resident Evil, Kungfu Panda and Transformers! Can you? :p

More pictures around the temple as we leave.
I LOVE this skull thing. Almost like McQueen!

For those who have watched this really good Japanese movie called Departures before,
you’d know what a stone letter is.
Here is a stone letter A and I exchanged in the temple.

After the temple, we ventured out to look at the infamous Golden Triangle.
I never exactly knew what the Golden Triangle is before I got there.
It’s actually a little triangle formed by borders of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand,
and it was one of the most illicit opium-producing areas a few decades ago.
I wonder if there are still such businesses going on in there now.

Allow me to introduce our funny tour guide.
Her name is Thip and she got the funkiest accent ever.
She pronounces January as “Jan-jer-ree”, Belongings as “Bee-long-jings” and Louis Vuitton as “Loo-wee-tong”.
Hahahaha. But she is still totally amazing.
A says she will make an awesome sales person. :p

After a short 10 mins boat ride, we crossed the river and ended up in Laos!

You can buy postcards here and mail them to your friends.
They will receive them 2 months later. Haha.

We also saw the funkiest baby “basket”!
And of course, adorable children. :)

Saw neatly arranged rocks. I think these must be some children’s toys.

Then we went back to Thailand (sounded so far haha) and checked out the actual Golden Triangle itself.
Okay lor, it was just a piece of triangular-shaped land.

After a short bus ride, we reached the northern most end of Thailand, just a bridge away from Myanmar.

*My eyes are getting a bit dizzy from all the uploading of photos and typing*

We later went to visit the Karen Tribe at Mae Hong Son.
This is one of my favourite parts of the entire trip.
I have heard so much about these long-neck people and I’m honoured to have the chance to meet them.
They live in the same village as another tribe where the women would enlarge their ear piercings.
It’s fascinating!

Her teeth is like that because of all the betel nuts chewing.

And this lady is one of the singles in this village, supposedly one of the prettier ones there.
Their skin is so fair and nice!
Put her in a singlet and jeans and she can pass off as one of our cousins lor!

And the long-neck tribe, also known as Karen Tribe.
They originate from Burma, present day Myanmar.

Looking at these women saddens me a bit actually.
The tour guide told us that these women need to put the rings into their necks by
slipping brass rings in molten state through their heads and let them harden at their necks.
So they will have a lot of burn marks under the rings.
THAT’S SO CRUEL AND SCARY!

But after doing some research when I got back, I realized that that wasn’t the case.
Tour guide kayu.
Here is a Youtube clip that shows you how the rings are put on and removed.
And yes, it is also a myth that these ladies will die and their necks will break the moment the rings are removed.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL8ARB5FmsA]

But in some articles, I read about how the muscles in the neck will weaken after prolonged wearing of the brass rings.
And that after they remove the rings, the woman must lie in bed for the rest of their lives.
It was said to be one of the punishments for adultery.

Here is an article explaining why the Karen women wear the brass rings around their necks.
“There are many different accounts of why the Padaung practice this bizzare custom.
Their own mythology explains that it is done to prevent tigers from biting them!
Others have reported that it is done to make the women unattractive so they are less likely to be captured by slave traders.
The most common explanation, though, is the opposite of this -
that an extra-long neck is considered a sign of great beauty and wealth and that it will attract a better husband.”

Anyways, it was the Thai Childrens Day that day so A and I decided to buy some candies and chocolates for the kids.
Some of them never eat chocolates before eh. :(
And they are so not in touch with society that they don’t even know it’s Childrens Day.

This lady has the most number of rings in the village.
Her picture is on the Wiki page about their tribe too eh!

She has like 26 or 28 rings around her neck!
A and I tried on the rings (there is only 17 rings here) and we are so glad we were not born into this tribe.
We would be considered freaking ugly if we were. Haha.

And one final photo with their pretty headgear before we leave the village.
I bought that yellow necklace I’m wearing in this picture too! Pretty? :D

Think I’m going to pass out if I continue blogging!
Have been at it for the last 4 hours. OMG!
I’ll be back with more pictures from Chiang Mai.
And till then, hope you all have a wonderful day ahead.
Cheers!

My mother has always been an inspiration to me since young.
She always struck me as a free-spirited, optimistic and daredevil woman.
Although she is my mother, she has always been more of a friend instead.
We could talk about almost anything and we are comfortable to show our innermost feelings before each other.
Well, to me at least.

Mommy was a really adventurous girl.
She used to tell me how she just picked up her luggage and went off to Japan to live and
work for half a year when she was about 21 or 22.
And when she was in her late twenties, she did it again, that time to London.

In many ways, she has taught me how to be daring enough to go after what you want and follow your heart.
I see a lot of myself in her.

Mommy is my best friend and the one person I will never ever forsake.
With this entry for Dove chocolates, I’d like to dedicate this post for the woman I love the most.

Thanks for bringing me into this beautiful world and teaching me all the right things in life.

♥

I’m feeling all fluffy and warm inside now. Heh!
And of course, just in case you’ve missed all the wonderful silky smooth
Dove chocolates I’ve introduced on my blog earlier,
here is one reminder for you to try out the smooth chocolates from Dove.
Melt the silky smooth chocolate in your mouth for that warm, fluffy feeling of love too. :)

That aside, I just came back from my 5-days Chiang Mai trip too!
I was there with A and her colleagues, and I really enjoyed the company and Chiang Mai a lot.
It was rather chilly over there now but it can still be rather warm in the afternoon.
I wish Singapore had that kind of climate too!

We stayed at Royal Princess Hotel, which was right smack in the middle of the main Night Bazaar area.
Lots of food, shopping and massage places all around so it was fabulous.
The hotel itself was pretty alright too. :)

Okay, to be honest, the writings on the wall freaked the scaredy-cat me slightly when I first entered the room.
But after I surveyed the other rooms and realised it was just a design, I heaved a sigh of relief.
You can’t be too sure, when it comes to hotel rooms. Hahaha.

It was already rather late when we we done with the hotel and all,
so we decided to just head for dinner and then start cruising around the nearby night market.
The night bazaar start at around 5pm daily and the stalls will start closing at around 10 or 11pm.
The stalls here are almost the same as those found in Bangkok actually.
But shopping around here is so much more pleasant because of the fine weather.
It was be quite cold at night, so even if it’s quite crowded, it never gets hot and stuffy. :)

I love the work by this artist!
He paints with a brush and uses powdered lead.
Super awesome right!
Look at all the details on the face and all!

We stopped for occasional drinks too and we found some exotic juices!!!

Painapple and Mongo juice. Never drink before right!
Hahahaha.

I also found a new love, banana crepes.
I always say dirty looking things tastes the best. Hahaha! Kidding.
But these banana pancakes sold at those roadside stalls are to-die-for!
The chocolate, the hot pancake, the banana and the cornflakes! YUMMY!

It’s very easy to make me happy. :p

Day 2 was the first full day we had in Chiang Mai.
We started it with a visit to the famous Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep.
According to the tour guide, if you didn’t visited this temple during your Chiang Mai trips,
it’s as if you’ve never been to Chiang Mai.
SO! Here we are at the beautiful Doi Suthep Temple!

We bought candles, joss sticks and lotus flowers.
We were supposed to walk 3 rounds around the main pagoda and your wishes will come true!
Of course, I took the chance to make a wish too. :p
Something random, the lotus flower is really pretty.

A says we were supposed to ring the bells to “announce our presence” (or something like that).

After the short stay at the temple, we took one of the mini buses up the hills to visit on of the tribes living in Chiang Mai.
The roads were really narrow and I really had to give it up to the bus drivers!
Our regular tour buses were too big and these are the “buses” we took.

The weather was great and we were lucky to catch quite a few cherry blossom trees on our way up too!
If I’m not wrong, the tribe is called Miao Tribe or something.
I’m never good with names.
They made a lot of handmade stuff for sale and seem to have green fingers because all the flowers up there were gorgeous!
Pretty simple and happy looking people if you ask me. :)

Spot the cherry blossom! Almost felt like Japan kay! Hahaha.

The girlfriend looks quite hot even when she’s shooting hanging papayas. :p

And pretty flowers that were littered all over the mountains!

And do you recognise this particular flower?

If you guessed Poppy, then you’re right!
I have seen the poppy plant when it’s all colourful and pretty but I never knew after all the petals fall off,
the core of the flower is actually where the opium came from.

The tour guide also showed us how they get what they want from the plant to make opium and heroine.
Apparently, you need to score the surface with a needle or something and collect the sap from the bud (or something).

I rubbed some of the sap on my fingers and took a whiff.
Smells really funky. It was not pleasant but not exactly awful as well.
Just erm.. smells like plants lor. But the smell kinda grows on you and become less unpleasant after a few more whiffs.
Interesting.

And the marijuana plant.
This is the one that gives you your weed, your magic mushroom or whatever crazy hallucinating brownies.
Hahahaha.
These plants ah… tsk tsk tsk.

We toured around the village a little more and met some of the people living there.
No matter where you go, the kids are always so cute.

I shall end today’s post with this pretty cherry blossom tree we spotted there!
I miss my blog so much after 5 days of being internet-less!
Will be back with more pictures and updates.
I love and hate my wanderlust!

This is the first Sunday Advertorials of Year 2012!
I am currently discussing with my web designer to create a new plugin to make shopping much easier for you
to check out the new stuff at blogshops every week!
Stay tuned for this new change and new look for the website coming up soon!
As for today, I hope you enjoy this two blogshops stacked with lots of Chinese New Year dresses for you to pick from.
Have fun!

♥

Gingerbelle is no stranger to Sunday Advertorials.
This time round, there are a lot of pretty dresses for you to choose from.
And if you’re looking out for something perfect for Chinese New Year, why not look in here?

They will be giving out free normal postage when you purchase 2 items and above.
There is also free registered postage when you buy $100 worth of products and above.
Happy shopping now!

♥

Next up, at Sugar Threads, all apparels are handpicked with love for you!
The girls here are friendly and are here to help you until you find that perfect dress you’re looking for.
It’s a brand new year and if you wanna revamp that wardrobe and look for some new casual dresses for school or Sunday picnics,
this is where you should be too!

You might have noticed the wide variety of apparels that you can find in here.
Casual, glamourous, or just simply laidback and comfortable, you can find them all at Sugar Threads.
I’ve gotten the green/white striped dress for myself and I think it will look absolutely cute with my favourite bowler hat.
Have you found the one you fancy yet? :)

♥

I don’t use much makeup usually.
Used to not be able to live without liquid foundation but I think I’m much better off without it.
I don’t use 2-way cakes too because I don’t like the cakey and powdery look,
and I think a good concealer will be able to do the job as well as foundations!

♥

Here are some of the products I will be using today:

Bobbi Brown Eyeshadow in Navy, Steel and Woodrose.
Estee Lauder Blush in Nude Rose, Rosewood, Pink Kiss and Bronze Goddess.
Maybelline ‘The Falsies’ waterproof Mascara
Marjolica Eyeliner in black
Benefit Eyebrow Kit
ZA concealer
Chanel Lipstick in Vendome [25]

Start off with a clean face with only moisturizer on.
It helps make your skin more supple and acts as a good barrier between the makeup and your skin.
Of course, it’s important to keep your face hydrated as well!

Concealer will help cover up dark eye rings!
I’ve got concealer on one side and none on the other, look at the difference!

What can I say, concealer is really my BFF!!

Other than covering eye rings and blemishes, concealer can also act as a highlighter.
So do dab on some on your nose bridge, eyebrow bone area, some on the cheeks and the darker areas around nose and mouth.

Similar to using liquid foundations, you need some loose powder to “set” the concealer and let it be less sticky.
Use less if you wanna achieve the dewy feel and more if you prefer a powdery look.
I love the loose powder from Paul and Joe!
The packaging is really pretty and it comes with a huge powder puff.
The quantity is huge too and it’s really value for money.

Next, fill in the gaps in your eyebrows.
Eyebrows are important because they frame your face and it will “wake you up” instantly.
I use eyebrow powder because I think they are easier to control compared to pencils.
My eyebrow powder is a little too brown for me actually, bought them when I had brown hair. Hahaha!
But Benefit’s eyebrow kit is awesome! Comes with a mini tweezer too, it will come in handy when you’re travelling.

Then, eyeshadow!
I love this three colours from Bobbi Brown.
Use the lightest colour on a larger surface but don’t go beyond the bone under your eyebrows.
Then put on a slightly darker shade.
I like to put it darker on the outer edge of the eyes and then blend it in as it comes inwards.

Do put a piece of tissue paper under your eyes if you don’t want the powder to fall on your cheeks and ruin your makeup.
Alternatively, you can just put a huge amount of loose powder under your eyes (and then remove them later).

As for eyeliner, line it as close to the lash line as possible if you want it to look natural.
I like to also use a smudger to smudge the line so it doesn’t look too “clean”.
[Pardon my messy eyebrows!!]

I love Maybelline’s The Falsies mascara!
Who needs falsies when you have this wonderful mascara!
Other than having a really cute packaging, it’s a really good product too.

And then the blush!
The best way to know where the blush should go is to smile and apply the powder on the “apples”.
If you already have heavy makeup on your eyes, go easy on the blush.
Remember, in makeup, less is more sometimes!

I also like to spray some water on my face after my makeup is completed so that it doesn’t look too powdery.
I think you can’t really tell the difference from the pictures though.
You guys can try ZA’s energy water if you’re interested.
But I think plain water will do just fine too. Heh!

I love my red lipstick!
A red lipstick will never go out of fashion, so depending on your makeup,
you can also try out a red lipstick if you wanna look Da Bomb! :p

Special thanks to Blu Sunflower for the turquoise cheongsam dress.
They sell mainly vintage dresses but is also in the midst of expanding their inventory.
This dress is specially brought in for the upcoming Chinese New Year and it comes in 4 colours.
They are also having a “LIKE & SHARE” Facebook Promotion,
so just like their Collection 13 Preview on their Facebook Page, send them a printscreen and you’ll be entitled to 10% discount!

Hope you like what I’ve prepare for you today.
More to come soon and meanwhile, wish you all fun preparing for the upcoming Chinese New Year!

Move over, diamonds. Chocolates are now a girl’s best friend.
And my best friend is definitely Dove’s DARK CHOCOLATES!
Other than taking care of how you look on the outside, you should also start taking care of your body on the inside.

For this entry, I wanna share more about Dove’s silky smooth Dark Chocolate bar.
Dark chocolates contain lots of antioxidants, higher than that in red wine and green tea.
It also has potassium, magnesium and other vitamins like B1, B2, D and E.

Why should you make dark chocolates your best friend? Here are some reasons!
[It’s my own little research and here are some information I gathered off the net]

1. Pregnancy
Babies born to women who ate chocolates daily during their pregnancy were more active, happier and showed less fear of new situations.
The chemicals in chocolate that produce a positive mood can be passed onto the foetus!

2. Coughing
My Mom used to tell me that chocolates are ‘heaty’ & would probably make my cough become worse
but little did she know that the Theobromine in chocolates is actually a miracle ingredient that can ease coughing!
According to some research done, the chemical suppresses vagus nerve activity, which is responsible for coughing

It’s yummy and definitely tastes better than medicine. :p

3. In need of a Happy Food?
Moderate amounts of chocolate and darker chocolate can let you have that euphoric feeling
as it contains chemicals like Trytophan, Phenylethylamine and Amandamide.
Ok, those are really huge names but the bottomline here is – Chocolates can make you a happier person!

4. Heart
Chocolates contain a chemical that prevent fat-like substances in our blood from oxidizing and clogging the arteries.
It also helps prevent blood clots and thus encourages a healthier blood flow.

5. Aging
Polyphenols found in chocolate neutralizes harmful free radicals and prevent them from attacking our cells
and destroying the vitamins in our bodies.

With all this, I hereby declare that dark chocolates will be my new best friend!

Dove chocolate bars are now available in 80g too!
3 flavours: Dove Milk, Hazelnut and Raisin and 66% Cacao Dark Chocolate!

I especially love the dark chocolate flavor because it’s silky smooth!
It is hard to find really smooth dark chocolates because they don’t contain milk and hence is not as smooth as milk chocolates.
But THIS, is god sent!
If you’re still in search of the perfect gift of love and good health,
Visit your nearest supermarket or convenience store and grab some of these delicious treats for your loved ones now.

YUMMY!

I’m in love with this website!
Lolliepop Bestie has a massive collection of gorgeous dresses and other apparels.
Even before this ad, I have already picked two dresses for myself from this website!
They have just launched a new collection earlier this week.
Yes! That means more designs for you to choose from! Check them out!

What you see here is just the tip of the iceberg.
If you love what you see here and the style of clothes available at Lolliepop Bestie,
Click on the link above and visit their website now for some awesome shopping experience!

It was our last two days in Rome.
We received a call from my Mom that morning and was told that Grandma had passed away,
and we spent the entire morning trying to get a flight back and
to settle some of the accommodation and flights which were already paid for.
A also tried to see if the travel insurance we bought could help.
It was such a hectic morning.

And before I start, here is a cute leatherette black top I received from Bare Minimal.
It’s comfortable and so easy to match and accessorize. I love it!

I frigging love my pageboy hat too! :p

Ok back to our Rome trip, we decided to make it our last day in Rome worthwhile and tried to run some last minute errands.
As usual, we’ll start with our Looks of the Day! :)

It was a very chilly morning in Rome that day.
Even if we were sitting in the sun, it was still quite cold!
I never loved the sun so much! It feels really good on the skin. :)

Brunch was an overdose of tomato – tomato-based pasta and tomato soup.
We didn’t realised that we ordered so much tomato stuff until the food was served.
It made me laugh at ourselves a bit. Hahaha.

As we started the day rather late, we had to cut our Vatican City tour much shorter.
We decided to just check out the exterior and head on to get our meals and shopping done.
And I think we both had that “last minute” mentality, so we had short spurts of trigger-happy moments every now and then. Heh!

Because of the next 7 days of our trip being cancelled, we were each left with quite a bit of euros.
So we decided to just go and buy some serious brands. :p
We initially kept Zara for our Barcelona trip because it is afterall a Spanish brand,
but because we’ll be skipping Barcelona, we went to check out the Zara in Rome too.
We bought two purses and I bought a bag. :)

As I have previously mentioned, the apartment we were staying at in Rome belongs to A’s friend.
Jacelyn is a talented songwriter and vocalist who is working in Rome now.
Her boyfriend, Alessandro and her were really sweet and nice to us for that 3 days we were there!
Jacelyn sings really well and write her own music too!
If you’re interested, you can check her out here. She’s really pretty too. :)

Ale made us really good truffles pasta that evening!
There were also other really good starters, but I was too shy to keep taking pictures of the food. Heh.

The next day was a very short one.
We went out a nice breakfast and then proceeded to do some more last minute shopping and do some tax refund stuff.

We met Alessandro for a good morning coffee.
Our apartment was just 2-minutes walk away from the best coffee place in Rome.
I never knew that Romans like to just stand around and have a quick coffee. What a cute culture! :p
I heard the coffee beans here are all roasted there and coffee are all freshly brewed.
Being a non-coffee drinker, I really enjoyed my Caffe Latte that morning. :)
Really good!

And more pictures about town before we leave Rome.

I was really impressed by how we managed to squeeze all our belongings back into the rucksacks!
And the best thing to wear for a flight – LOOSE CLOTHES! :)

This is our last day before we leave for Rome.
How I miss Paris now already. I wish I was still there!
Before I begin, here is a pretty one-piece short jumpsuit I received from The Friday Best.
Oh my god, I love it!
It’s super comfortable and I think I’m going to head out in it tomorrow. :p
You can throw on a belt if you want, but I like it baggy like that. Looks cute! Heh.

Let me start the Europe trip with our Looks of the Day pictures!

We visited Galleries LaFayette, a big shopping area with a lot of “serious brands”.
A and I call huge labels “serious brands” because one needs to be very serious when you’re shopping from these brands.
Hahaha!
To be honest, serious brands shopping for ONE WHOLE DAY can be really tiring and boring.
But something you girls might be interested in is the LongChamp store in there.
It’s near the main entrance and there is always a loooonnnngggg line of tourists waiting to go in!
More interestingly, all the tourists are Asians.
I don’t know why we like LongChamp so much, but I think the stuff there are really much cheaper. :)

There is a huge Apple store nearby too!

I also saw these super pretty Coke metal bottles in the mall.
Pretty in pink and white!
I’m instantly swept away when I saw it!
Although it’s Diet Coke (which I dislike), I bought it anyway. :p

And yes we brought the clean bottles back!
Gave me quite a lot of problems at the customs because they keep beeping at the metal detectors. Hahaha!

We also had a nice lunch at a coffee place nearby.
I really love the food there! ♥
I’m not a huge coffee drinker, but I think through this Europe trip,
I’ve learnt how to enjoy coffee more than before.

We also went back to the Eiffel Tower to get on the river cruise and saw the Eiffel Tower lighting up!
The light-up is at 6pm, for those who are going there soon.
It’s totally gorgeous so you guys have to check it out too if you’re heading over to Paris. ♥

Eating by the Eiffel Tower in Champ de Mars while waiting for the tower to dazzle at night!

The tower is gorgeous at nightfall!
I’m in love.

It sparkles too! This picture does it no justice at all.
I think it sparkles every hour for a couple minutes.
We were in that area for around 3 area and saw it sparkles thrice! :p

River cruise!
We decided to get on the upper deck to have a better view from the cruise.
But it was SO GODDAMN COLD!
The wind and all made us shiver and grab on to our scarfs tight as we sat there in awe of the gorgeous Paris skyline.

And of course, the heat packs are our best friend in chilly nights like this one.

We had a flight to Rome to catch the next day so we decided to end the night early.
On our way back, we decided to take some pictures at a photo booth as a way to say Goodbye (for now) to Paris!

I noticed a few comments on the previous posts asking about the apartment I stayed at.
I actually found this awesome room at Roomorama and I have no regrets!
The room is at 90 euros a night and I think we got a pretty good deal for a great location like this one.
We had a kitchenette in the room (all built inside a cupboard), toilets with nice heaters and shower,
and I like how everything looks very simple but yet they have everything we need in there. :)

You guys can check out some of the pictures of the apartment in the link above.

When we got to Rome, we got to A’s friend’s apartment at Piazza Santa Chiara.
The location is totally awesome – for the 4 days in Rome, we didn’t have to take any public transport at all.
We could walk to almost everywhere from our apartment.
Here are some pictures of the apartment before we messed it up. :p

Pretty aye? :)
Even the lift in that building is super fun. Heh!

It was already pretty late by the time we arrived at the apartment.
So after settling down, we decided to just walk over to the nearby Piazza Navona (2 mins walk away) for dinner.

I’m dying to have the Vongole Pasta again now. *drools*

Before I go, here are some pretty nail polishes I received from Nail Splash in my mailbox yesterday!
I love these China Glaze and Essie polishes I have, the colours are unique and there were so many to choose from.
Oh and Orly too!
They also have other brands like Deborah Lippman and Butter London,
I heard these are pretty exclusive and hard to find in Singapore.
Nail Splash is the first to bring them in!
If you wanna try these brands, which are favourites of many Hollywood stars, do check them out.
As for glitter lovers, do check out the TiNS range available there too.