One of the few things I would take if I were stranded on an island...

I love products, I've made an evolution from discovering pharmacy products to Sephora stores and now I'm into department store cosmetic counters. I still like to try all kinds of brands at different price points, but there is something I picked up along the way I will never say goodbye to, and its Jergens Ultra Healing Lotion.

I've used the Body Shop's body butter, Nivea, Vaseline, Aloe Vera, and nothing works better. It really moisturizes the skin and has absolutely no residue (that gooey feeling other products leave behind). One of my friends (who has good skin) even uses this on her face! I think we bonded over our devotion for it. I used to have beyond-normal dry skin as a teen but I've been using this product after I shower every day all over my body (for maybe 4 years?), and now my skin is really soft! So yes...I firmly believe every household should own a bottle of this good stuff.

The Extended Tank Dress

I always wanted a long t-shirt or tank dress made of regular cotton jersey knit. I found one on sale from James Perse, it was originally $155 but got in on sale + additional discount for less than $40 - sweet! I'm short so I love how the dress is longer than I am, and has to be worn with high heels that only barely show my toes.

Its slightly difficult to wear by itself because its so low-cut, but its very versatile when it comes to pairing with a jacket or blazer. I can wear it with a denim jacket (I got in Melbourne) on holiday.

or a leather jacket (from Gap) for going out

or dress it up with a black blazer (Stella McCartney) for a formal occassion

or wear a big mens sweater (J.Crew) over it for a picnic

or make it sporty with a cut-off pullover (TopShop)

I can wear different heels with this dress but currently those boots by Alice + Olivia for payless (can you believe it? payless!) are my favorites. My boyfriend calls them reindeer hooves, but its ok, you never know when Santa will need extra help with his sleigh!

Flashback of the Summer: lots of sweets and shopping...and shoes!

Gosh I need to imagine in how bright and sunny NYC used to be a few months back...the sun was still out till 9pm then! Now it gets pitch black at 5pm...very sad. I need more summer flashbacks to keep me sane...

To think of all the cupcakes I had this summer, its pretty shameful, cheeks were getting chubbier day by day! My friend and I went shopping one day, I don't think we got anything in the end but it was fun checking out stores. Our first stop was Bloomies and had brunch at David Burke cafe. But I have to say, FLiP and forty carrots is much much better inside Bloomies than David Burke.

Then we went to the Noho/Soho area, then of course we need a break at a cafe. We went into a tiny cafe. To be honest it wasn't amazing, but then again, I'm pretty picky on what I consider to be a good or bad cafe/restaurant.

But really the highlight of the day was United Nude, a shoe shop I discovered. The shoes are designed by the architect Rem Koolhaas, as mentioned in another entry. I fell in love with a certain shoe but it was just too pricey for me.

It's so comfortable and light, simple and just black, that it really be worn every day. I had to say goodbye but hopefully I'll be able to own it some day in the future.

Rest in Peace, model Daul Kim

What a loss, she was so young and had really great potential. I've seen her blog a few times, she wrote in a really raw kind of way. Its in English, but I guess its written in almost an international language...her references and favorites words were very unusual, but almost poetic. My favorite editorial that she was shoot in was the very recent one from RUSSH. And her video for Christopher Kane's TOPSHOP collection? just mesmerizing.

There aren't many internationally known Korean models out there, and she was probably the best one. She had that "Korean" face- sharp nose, almond shaped eyes, that skin...her bleached blonde hair suited her so well. Anyway what a depressing day, the news of her death just really affected me today.

Wedding Dreams

If I ever end up getting married, there are only two things I will just have to have. I hear brides go crazy over every single detail, but I think I'll cut through those or even eliminate some because I'm pretty decisive (I can make decisions quickly) and there are so many stupid things in a wedding nowadays that don't even need to exist. I think simple weddings are the best. Just a few close friends and family having a good time on your day.

So back to the two things I need:
- I need to be married outdoors. I want to be married at a beach or in a garden, or both! I went to Coronado Island in San Diego (Cali) last summer and it was just beautiful. They have a place for weddings right behind the famous hotel del coronado, and looking out is the beach.

- My dress needs to be from Sonia Rykiel's Spring 2008 collection, or something exactly like it. I want it to be slightly sheer and flowy, so romantic and free-spirited.

Halloween Flashback

For Halloween, I had wanted to be the Grinch. I would wear a neon fur coat, something similar to one of Michael Kors' FW09 collection, wrap a piece of bark in my pup's head, and accessorize with a Santa hat.

This idea was ruled out because I would not want to take my dog out with me at night, and I wasn't too excited about going all-out for Halloween. Its a cool holiday I guess, but I'll leave it to the grade school kids to take over for me, they would do it cuter anyway.

I decided to dress up as my friend for his rooftop party, I felt it was a subtle and appropriate choice. He let me "DJ", which basically meant plugging in my i-pod playlist and switching the songs. But that made me perfectly content and it pretty much made my night.

Spent Halloween day in Brooklyn, got to see some cute kids dressed up and homes decorated!

My Spring 2010 Pick of the Milan and London Shows

So to sum it up Paris>New York>Milan and London about the same. Alot of designers that I look forwarded to disappointed from these two cities, and so I had less of my "absolute favorites". So I chose three shows from each of the two cities that should be celebrated for saving their cities' season.

Milan

1. Prada: Those crystal dresses are heavenly. What more is there to say? Miuccia Prada brings imaginationto life.

2. Francesco Scognamiglio: This was the first time I heard of him, but his collection really caught my eye because everything was so relevant to whats in now, and I could see some good references to Givenchy. I love the metal shoulders and big stars as accents and fishnet tights as a way to tie it all together.

3. Dolce & Gabbana: I love the long lace dresses and it never ceases to amaze me how they can manage to pull off to be so different every season yet posses this specific aesthetic that is easily identified.

London

1. Phi: Almost every look from this season's Phi collection has my love. Those pants that look like a big bandaid wrapped around the leg, the below-the-knee body-hugging dresses, the tough jackets...Phi is like London's Balmain.

2. Louise Goldin: I have to say I've consistently been in love with every single collection Louise Goldin has offered so far. The excitement of London is always the fresh young designers and their new ideas. In my mind, Louise Goldin opened up a whole new world of knits and sweaters. In this collection, she focused more on woven material though, but I love how she played around with pleating and skirt hems, and not to mention a pretty sweet color palette.

3. Josh Goot: Another young designer, I was amazed at the hyper-pigments and obvious use of digitally printed fabrics. His designs are forward-thinking while the silhouettes are still comfortably current.

Whatever Happened to Benjamin Cho?

Benjamin Cho was one of my favorite designers when I was still in school. His stuff is crafty but with restraint, focusing on one concept so that it his core idea can be appreciated. (Plus I like the fact that he is Korean) He hasn't been consistent in staying in the scene, but he kind of quietly disappeared. For someone with alot of talent like him, its really saddening! He looks totally drugged out in all photos of him but this makes his name even more mysterious.

My favorite seasons were his 2008 spring and fall collections. Those exposed knee black pants with ropey loops from spring 08' and that beautiful orange velvet dress from fall 08' are so perfect I wish I could pay someone to make some replica of that for me. But who could imitate his technique? So in other words, BJ CHO COME BACK!

ZEBRA

My story on the Ridiculously High TopShop Shoes. They had two kinds: leopard and zebra print, and I decided to go for something different and get the zebra print- they are beautiful and almost like pieces of furniture- but so impractical I sadly had to return them. I wish they made a version of these that could be more wearable because the few days I had them in my apartment I couldn't stop looking at them/wearing them! I almost wore it to bed. The test for winning shoes that are sky high: if you can dance in them, you can keep them. I barely wobbled around my wooden floors, my feet are just not trained for these babies, *sigh*.