The only neck accessory I've been wearing for the last four months is a gold necklace with a heart pendant. My dad gave it to me, so it has sentimental value, but I also love the simple aesthetic of the piece. Lately though, I'm feeling bling-y. I miss having a donya necklace to complement my plain tops!

So I went to the donya paradise: L'Indochine. It's one of my favorite stores in SM Aura, for it sells beautiful home accents, clothing, and accessories with an Asian theme. In fact, the items are sourced from all over the continent. They are also arranged in such a way that makes you feel like you're hunting for The Find, that one special item that you'll cherish for a long time. It's a great visual merchandising tactic, one that drives home the experience of shopping in an exotic flea market.

Photo credit: Toto Labrador, grabbed from The Happy Lab

I love the store's modern ethnic taste. I bought a bag charm and a necklace in L'Indochine before - beautiful items in their own right, but they are also such successful conversation starters! Anyhoo, here are a couple of things I purchased from L'Indochine a week or so ago:

This necklace is ostentatious and crazy and I love it. It's kinda pricey at P1,599 but I'm pretty sure I won't find the exact same thing in a tiangge. :P That's the problem with accessories these days - almost everyone sells almost the same thing! I don't mind springing for a statement piece that's fairly hard to find.

Do you believe in charms and crystals? I do, in a sense. I don't believe in their purported magical properties that can solve all your problems in a hurry. However, I do think that simply knowing what they are supposed to do can influence our actions. At the very least they remind us how we want our lives to be like. 

I mean, it's hard to forget something when you're wearing it on your wrist or neck, right? For example, if you want to remember to stop freaking out about everything, an amethyst crystal would be a nice accessory!

That's why I think that these charmed accessories from Holic are a nifty gift this Christmas. These are handmade pieces with lucky beads and raw crystals, each with a special meaning. Gift them to the people in your life who need a loving reminder from the stones and by extension, you. ;) Don't forget to include a handwritten letter explaining the meaning of your gift!

Here are a couple of pieces that I have plus their interpretations.

I know I said this already, but I'll have a go again: sunglasses are some of the best beauty aids ever. They can cover up a face blotchy and puffy from crying, or just hide bags and blemishes if you're not in the mood to wear makeup. They also reshape a face, make it more angular or less squarish just by the shape of the frames - no need to contour! Sunnies are the bomb, you guys.

Anyway, I purchased these Sunnies by Charlie shades last Sunday in Mall of Asia. I love them because they're super cool...and super affordable. I kept seeing Sunnies by Charlie over at Georgina Wilson's Instagram account (she's one of the owners I believe), and I adored the designs so I just had to get one for myself!

Hey folks! What's up? Sometimes I feel weird just talking about what I did, what I wore, and what I thought about all the time here. I know it's the nature of a blog, but I feel so self-absorbed I'm sick of myself. :P You have to help me out by talking about yourselves too, and suggesting topics I can work on! This blog isn't all about just me, you know, not anymore. It's a community of beauty enthusiasts and I always, always take your input into consideration. So let me know what you want to read about, okay?

Anyway I was scouring through my photo albums when I found a set of pics I took about two months ago. It's a Pinkbox ring that I absolutely adore! It reminds me of a film called the Curse of the Golden Flower, which I loved. I wrote a whole blog post about it and all. Haha. This ring makes me feel like a Chinese empress whenever I wear it (er, humor me).

I know you'll ask - is the ring uncomfortable?

Hey folks! Can I just say that I'm super touched by all the entries I got on the Project Vanity event. I spotted some old readers there, and even new ones who managed to read the 1,700+ posts in only a few weeks! I'm overwhelmed (in a good way) and very happy to know how this blog has helped you even in small ways like trying out a new look. <3 Makes me even more psyched for the event! 

Anyways, today I want to review the Veloci Watch (P2,750) that I got a couple of months ago. It's an Italian-inspired (but made in Japan) watch that comes with three different Asprey straps in one kit. Really cool if you like changing your watch per outfit.

Veloci is a great everyday watch for me since the straps are tough, washable, and super light. The watch face itself is a little bigger than I'm used to but that's the look, I suppose! The silver and pink face can be easily matched with most of my girly outfits. Oh and of course, I can buy a new strap whenever I feel like it.

The straps that come with the watch are actually from Asprey and can be purchased separately for P350. It comes in lots of other colors and prints, I think, so you can play around with any look you can think of.

I was at Forever 21 in SM Makati yesterday when I spotted their selection of belts. I don't remember paying attention to the brand's belts before - big mistake! They have really good ones. Some are run-of-the-mill, but there are a couple of gems that I bought for myself.

Both belts are P385. The dusty rose one is for my girly outfits, while the khaki/neon is for something edgier. I don't know. We'll see what I come up with!

Hi girls! I just want to share a neat idea I got off a craft blog. It's so mindblowingly simple that I should have thought of this sooner.

Ta dah! Basically, it's a way to store your headbands so you can see them all in one place, sitting pretty. You should use a jar if you have more headbands, but since this Starbucks bottle is what I have on hand...yeah.

Well they're not exactly new seeing as I've been using these for almost a month now. Thought I'd let you know what I like about them though!

The Avon Outspoken Intense Body Wash (P250) is an offshoot of Fergie's Outspoken fragrance line. Specifically, this body wash is a partner of Avon Outspoken Intense which was released last year. I liked the fresher, floral take on Outspoken, and this body wash certainly has the same gorgeous scent.

If you liked Outspoken Intense, I suggest you get the body wash as well. It's an open secret that in order to make your scent last longer, you have to layer it over the same body wash and lotion. Crossing my fingers for an Outspoken Intense moisturizer! X

Next up, you know how much I love the Avon Ultra Moisture Rich Lipsticks. The brand released a new shade for a special collection called Smoke and Mirrors. The shade is named Apricot Mystery (P375), a sheer deep pink with pretty blue shimmer.

The cool thing about working for a fashion brand like Pinkbox? I get freebies and discounts. :P I honestly like the brand because it has both functional and pretty accessories that don't go overboard. Like any girl, I love making a statement with accessories, but it should be seasoned with a little subtlety, taste, and playfulness. 

So anyway I was organizing my accessories the other day and decided to store all my Pinkbox pieces in one place. Here's a pic! Read on to see my favorites and what I ended up using as a storage solution. ;)

I know I promised to show Avon's Valenine's offering today, but I haven't done the swatches for the new lipsticks yet so that will have to wait tomorrow. Today I'll just be showing you some of the brand's new releases last January!

They have new variants of the uber-good Skin-So-Soft Lotion, plus body washes in that range. I love the body washes - they smell clean and girly without being overly drying. The jewelry, on the other hand, are in Avon's signature classic style. 

Here be photos and pricing info!

Skin-So-Soft Signature Silk Replenishing Hand & Body Lotion 250 ml. This body lotion works two ways to provide the most sensual, touchable skin. Price: Php 290.00

Remember those colorful rubber strings that were popular when we were kids? You can knot them into bracelets, necklaces, and what not. I remember they only cost P3-4 each. I wonder if they still sell that?

Anyway I was at the Pinkbox office the other day and spotted these shimmery shoe laces (P60 per pair) in a heap. My boss gave me a couple, and as soon as I got home I turned one into a braided bracelet.

If you ask me how I braided four strings into this, I wouldn't know what to say! It was pure instinct. :P

Worn with Pinkbox bangles

Last Christmas, my boss from Pinkbox gave me this lovely jewelry box as a gift. You know how I'm such a sucker for boxes so I shall say no more!

When I was younger, I couldn't leave the house without a watch. I felt naked. In the last few years though I managed to wean myself out of my watch-wearing ways. It doesn't make that much sense to wear a watch (for time-checking purposes that is) if you always have a cellphone in your purse or pocket!

So yes, it's been a while. Still, watches can be worn as accessories, especially if they're handsome like this Avon men's watch.

The trend today is to "excessorize", i.e., to pile on different accessories in two or more body parts. I do think it's a fun style and some people can carry it wonderfully, but more often that not it dives into the realm of Trying Too Hard. Accessories are best worn as the highlight of your outfit - not the star of the show. You want people to ogle your face and overall look, not the shiny distracting things dangling from your limbs.

My accessory style is simple, verging between cute and ornate. I pick out sets of accessories and just match them according to what I'm wearing for the day. My sets usually consist of a pair of earrings, bangle, and then a ring, but I take out (or add) depending on the outfit I'm wearing. I don't want to look too overdressed! I group the sets according to their color: goldtone, silver, bronze/ battered metal and level of being casual or statement.

Anyway, I just want to share where I like to get my accessories and why. :)

Pinkbox. Since I re-discovered this homegrown brand last August, I always check out its stores wherever I can find them. There are now more trendy pieces at reasonable price points. I also like that there are tons of choices. Check out the earrings and bangles! 

After lunch at Greenbelt 5 yesterday with friends, I stowed away to visit the Pinkbox kiosk at the third floor. I actually didn't know there was a branch there until Kira pointed it out! Silly me.

Anyway, I immediately gravitated towards the earrings collection. I haven't seen them before in any store, and to be quite honest they were beyond that I expected since the last time I visited! I like the price points, too - most of them are in the neighborhood of P200 only but they didn't look cheap to me.

Bow earrings with tiny details

Here are my top picks! There is literally more than a hundred other designs but I just snapped away at those that immediately caught my attention.

I love Avon accessories because they don't tarnish easily and the styles transcend trends. I actually have accessories from Avon that are almost two years old now, and yet they're still very much wearable! I even sometimes see magazine editors in events wearing those same accessories. True story. These are fashyon people ha, and still they would go back to their favorite Avon pieces.

Anyway, I just want to share closeups of Avon's designer line. I already talked about the designers and inspirations here, so this time I'll just show you the photos. They're lovely, as you can see! My favorite is the House of Ungaro collection just because I love flowers and I'm a girly girl. The Shaill Jhaveri line is also gorgeous - it makes me think of Atlantis for some reason!

Ok ok enough talk. Here be photos!

Parisienne Bloom Necklace, P699

Parisienne Bloom Ring, P699