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.

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.

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! 

I like, nay, LOVE boxes. It's a good thing that my line of work ensures that I recieve boxes regularly. Wait, that can be a bad thing. I don't know. It doesn't matter!

Ok, before I start babbling endlessly I just want to share some of my new boxes and how I've recycled them.

I recieved this vintagey box from the Belo team (thanks Denise!). It's actually the same box that Ferretti in Glorietta uses to house accessories! It's cute and it's roomy. I decided to use it for storing products I have yet to review since it's easier to keep track of them this way.

I recently got this delightfully huge ring from Parfois. It makes me think of a monster toad. Mostly I think of it as an effective combat weapon, similar to brass knuckles. If i ever get in trouble, I can use my monster ring finger to deliver a punch with more satisfying results.

Kidding aside, I find the ring chich in a tough girl kind of way. It's also the sort of piece that no one will miss because of its size! I think it would look best with indie/boho/rocker type of clothes.

Have you guys heard of Pinkbox? It's the mother of all cute accessories in the Philippines and has been around for almost ten years now. The owner, Nelly See, started the business because she couldn't find nice hair accessories for her daughter and, she said, "I hate Disney!" So she brought in her own merchandise to Pinkbox's first kiosk in Robinson's Galleria. The rest, as they say, is lost to the misty fringes of history in a puff of pink and purple. The brand is now available in practically everywhere!

I think I've walked in a Pinkbox kiosk or store a couple of times before, but I didn't find anything compelling enough to go home with. The brand was more for moms and their kids so I couldn't really relate for obvious reasons. Just last week though, Pinkbox has come out with trendy accessories targeted towards teens and yuppies. My verdict? Worth checking out if you like dainty, cute, and feminine trinkets in your wardrobe!

Photobombed by two teens, one who dragged her friend, squealing, to check out the accessories 

When I first saw this kiosk at Shangri-La Plaza, I thought it looked small and that there was nothing to see. Was I. So wrong. I have 47 photos to prove it, so click to get a tour of this mini-wasteland of cuteness! I can only imagine how many good finds there are in the actual stores.

It's a mildy wet, cool Saturday and all I can think about is doing nothing. The last week was crazier than normal so I am looking forward to the upcoming week where things seem to be lighter. Before I sign off for the rest of the day reading a book and maybe painting a little, I just want to share my newest necklace.

It's this gold-and-turquoise beauty from Ferretti. Yes, the shoe brand also sells wicked accessories, but the really awesome ones can be found in our Mindanao stores. I managed to score this one while I was in the showroom, before it gets shipped off. There are only two pieces!

I believe that this is only P550. Such a steal. 

I was in SM Bacoor with my mom yesterday. I wasn't particularly intent on buying jewelry, until I saw these NACCARA Pearls in the department store!

These earrings were the first thing that caught my eye. I'm not particularly fond of earrings, but I really love how delicate this pair looked, with its tiny majorica pearls and inset stones.

Statement accessories that really make a personal, unique statement - that is the idea behind the upcoming collection at Ukay Manila called Trinket Box Luxe. Don't you just hate it when you're wearing a great necklace, but see someone else wearing the same thing? Well, even if you don't, you know deep inside your heart that at least two dozen other girls have the exact same thing. That's what happens when you buy from a department store.

The new accessories that we'll be putting up are all sourced from Bangkok, Korea, and Hongkong personally by our very meticulous supplier. She's awesome! Here is a sneak preview of some of the accessories:

Cute and elegant at the same time. A daintier version of Patricia Field's clover charm necklace for Sex and the City 2

Turquoise always adds a fresh, stylish pop of color to even the most boring ensembles

I'm back! Busier than ever, of course. I'll write about what we did in Boracay soon. In the meantime, here are some nice pieces I got from beachfront sellers:

Necklaces like this were everywhere, but what caught my eye was the delicate, irridiscent lavender color of this particular piece. It's made of shells and freshwater pearls. Very classy! I can imagine myself wearing this out to formal dinners and events.

This piece is made of capiz shells and tiny rocks. It's great for both casual and semi-formal outings with plain tops and dresses.

My grandmother was an Avon Lady for many years. Because of the brand, she helped my Lolo put my mother and her siblings through college during the 70's.

She got interested in makeup because of Avon, and she actually made a career out of it. My earliest memories were of her bringing me and my cousins to the Cultural Center of the Philippines, where she did the makeup of theater and concert artists in her heyday. We got to watch plays, of course! She has pictures with Lea Salonga and Pops Fernandez. 

She was a kind and cool Lola to have. She bought us clothes, made us up. I think it was from her that my mother and I got our love for all things related to fashion and beauty. My mother is actually an Avon Lady too, although she doesn't sell. She just likes the 20% discount, lol.

That being said, I grew up with Avon. The first makeup I ever got to play with was from Avon. My pre-teen bras were from Avon. It's a brand that my family's life is closely intertwined with, so I was glad when I got to attend one of their yearly launches.

Avon launched three categories: lingerie, jewelry, and accessories. The newest collections are inspired by themes: Kaleidoscope Summer (bright and bold), Tutti Frutti (flirty colors), One Love (hippie movement), Spring Fantasy (dainty and subdued), Ode To Leaves (the shades of a lush garden), Pool Party (blue and cool), Bouquet of Memories (nostalgic and timeless), Black Rose (the sophistication of the color black), and Men's Club (for the boys).

Guests were asked to shop in three rooms: the jewelry room featuring Avon's latest trinkets, accessories room holding the bags, belts, wallets, and shoes, and the lingerie room containing the brand's summer-worthy wear

Ruffa Gutierrez was the shining host of the night! Bianca Gonzales joined her as Avon's newest endorser