A Day Out Biking ft. Jilla Active

Senior year has been a complete whirlwind - college applications, my 5 APs, working on my Instagram page - I got a little too caught up with everything that I completely skipped blogging last month. I've been trying to better myself amidst this chaos, trying to find some sense of clarity. After a short hiatus, I'm finally back at it, doing what I love most :). Also, a mini update before I get into the bulk of the post - last month was my birthday month! I'll be combining my birthday post/haul with my black Friday haul, so keep your eyes peeled for that!

To be completely honest, after school started, I've started working out a lot less and eating less healthy than I used to. That's not a good sign! Luckily, now that my UK college applications and EA schools are done, I can start getting back into my regular routine. This past weekend, I went out biking around my area in an effort to re-motivate myself. Jilla Active was generous enough to hook me up with some super cute activewear, which only served to pushed me to start exercising even more. I'll be reviewing a few items from them today!

All Prepped Up

It's been a while--again.

I never really anticipated senior year to be this busy, but it is really, really busy. I felt like the first week kinda skewed my expectation of how much homework we were going to have. After the first week, homework hit me like a bus out of nowhere. I'm piled up chest-deep in work and college apps and club stuff and meetings and I honestly can't catch a break. One week just feels so long and tiring. 

But I'm back, and I'm happy to share with you my latest outfit! I wore this last week, because I was feeling preppy and cool :P. 

Back To School Update + Giveaway!

*Giveaway is at the end of this post <3

I'm so sorry I missed a post this month but I'm only human right? D: I update tumblr almost everyday though, so check me out there (its linked here and at the sidebar).

I've been really busy lately with this past summer being the summer before senior year, so I was really caught up with essays and summer homework. I also had an internship at a local university for the entire two months, so I actually didn't have much of a summer (7am-7pm work time).

Wild ft. The Feather Junkie

There is something ethereal about feathers.

The color, the speckles, the softness. Since I was a child, I enjoyed playing with plumage: from quill pens to dreamcatchers, they were right up my alley. But, as all childhood things go, my love for feathers began to diminish as I entered middle school as it began to seem childish.

That's why when I stumbled on feather extensions online, I was super excited. I've had an urge to dye my hair since I was in 6th grade, but my mom would hear none of it. Feather extensions granted me a semi-permanent option to add some colour to my hair and incorporate feathers back into my wardrobe in a more wearable fashion.

Muted

It's been a while since my last outfit post, so here goes! Ever since the beginning of the year, I started to develop an affinity to minimalistic trends, clean surfaces, and geometric shapes. I was introduced to minimalistic fashion through Instagram, and I soon grew to love the aesthetics of plain, simple outfits.

I typically only have one day of the week when I can "dress-up" (aka wear non-workout clothing), as I have basketball or physical education on all other days. That is why I spend a ridiculously long amount of time picking out what to wear on that one day I am free to wear whatever I want. This week, I chose to stick with my favourite colours, black and white, and played around with the textures and lengths rather than the colours.

Free Spirit ft. Pure Tatts

Remember those temporary tattoos that you begged your parents to give you back in grade school? Well they've made a comeback--big time. Flash tattoos have been a trend for well over a year now, ranging from black to gold to silver, but I have yet to see white ones. Then enter Pure Tatts--a company dedicated to creating intricate, detailed, and totally wearable white temporary tattoos.

Stackables: ICONN Jewelry Review

If you ever catch me walking down the streets, chances are I have a full stack of bracelets adorned on my arm.

I've never been a huge fan of accessories because I have a tendency to lose them, as I am a very active person. However, with that being said, I always have something wrapped around my wrist. Whether it be a wristband or a simple string, bracelets are a must for me. I wear it more for comfort rather than style, and I do get strangely attached to my string bracelets (I find metal/cuff bracelets much too irritating for me). With that being said, the wrap bracelets I always have on are not always the most appealing to the eye (I do sleep and shower with them on). That's when I stumbled across this amazing brand called ICONN Jewels, a little online boutique based in the Netherlands that specialise in simple yet elegant accessories. When browsing their website, I realised that comfort and style aren't mutually exclusive. 

I contacted the owner, Conny, and she was sweet enough to send me a few bracelets for you all to review! A simple yet stylish twist to your everyday arm candy--what more can you ask for?

Casual

I've been absent this past week due to some health issues (I got an eye infection). Apparently I got this serious amoeba eye infection that is very painful and hard to cure, which messed up my usual 2-posts-per-week schedule.  Lesson learned: eyes can't wait! 

However, I'm taking medication now, so I'm back on track! Today I'm coming at you all with a casual yet still put together look for school (or just going out in general). 

It features my new favourite type of shoes: booties! I know I'm rather late on the whole boots trend, but better late than never!

Underthings: Berry Beer Review

Underthings. Bralettes. Intimates.

These intricately made undergarments are all the rage right now. I've seen them being sold at Forever 21 and I know Urban Outfitters has an entire section of their store dedicated to this particular type of clothing. Whether it is made out of lace, mesh, velvet, or any other type of delicate material, bralettes add a lot to an outfit. A decorated strap peeking out of an off-shoulder top. A criss-cross design under a low cut sweater.

The demand for these items have skyrocketed that one typically retails around $40 a piece, and can reach up to a whooping $150 (in the case of  For Love and Lemons). That's quite a hefty price tag for a scrap of lace if you ask me! Now I know it's better to buy ones that are made out of better material, but really, $150?! That's insane!

Berry Beer, a local online boutique here in Taiwan, was kind enough to allow me to choose an item from their store to review, so here it is! An affordable, good quality alternative to For Love and Lemons--here we go!

Sunday Skate Sessions

Never in a million years would I have imagined myself skateboarding.

Hi, my name is Rennie, and I have absolutely no balance.

I remember when I was younger, I would try to "skate" on my brother's skateboard and end up face first on the pavement. But recently, I decided to take on something new and try skating again. With (a lot of) help, I managed to learn how to skate a decent distance before skidding to a halt (thankfully not on my face). I went ahead and ordered a not-penny-the-brand Penny Board in white and black (obviously, since I wear no colour).

Dreaming of Summer: OLU Swimwear Review

I'm so excited my fingers can't keep up with what my mind wants it to type. Recently, I won a giveaway hosted by OLU Australia on Instagram, and I was allowed to choose a bikini of my choice from their website. Guess you can call this my first time getting #bloggermail!

They have 3 collections: Prime, Fluro, and Bonbon. They also have an option to mix and match the top and the bottom, which I thought was pretty neat, as most swimwear brands don't allow you to do that (if they do they typically sell the top and bottom separately at sky high prices). I ended up choosing "Prime Inky Noir" because I am a sucker for all things black and white. 

The Last Crystals of Winter OOTD

Hey friends!

I'm back with an outfit post! As the weather here in Taiwan gradually transitions to spring, I've been pulling out my favourite winter outfits to wear before the humidity settles in.

Lately I've been really into jeans. Jeans are an absolute closet staple for me, as I find them comfortable and easy to style--what's not to love? This particular pair has rips and is a moderate mid-rise skinny fit, which I find to be the perfect everyday wear jean. I love the style of it, but I do tend to gravitate towards darker washes, as I feel like light-wash jeans have the danger of making your legs look more bulky. 

Taipei Shopping Trip+OOTD/Wishlist!

Hey all!

So last week I went north to Taipei (the capital city of my country) with my bestie Serena (@ree.wxang on instagram) on a mini shopping trip <3. To be honest, I didn't buy a lot, but the trip was filled with great friends, great food, and so much laughter (and sore feet from shopping :P)--what more could I ask for?

We went pretty early in the morning, heading out at around 8:00 in the morning. It took us around 2 hours to get there, find parking, and walk to ATT4FUN, the main place we shopped at. It is actually located right across from Taipei 101, the main tourist attraction in my country.

When we got there, we pretty much beelined towards Forever 21 (I don't have a forever21 in my city), and spent most of our morning there.

Cheesin' in F21

Something White

There is something mysterious about white, isn't there?

If you've been following me on Instagram lately, you would have noticed that I've been posting so much white, grey, and black. 

Exhibit A :P 

From an outsider's point of view, it does seem like my life is lacking in colour. However, I really do beg to differ. Lately I've been finding joy in the simplest of actions, like a healthy meal or a hot shower on a cold day. Somehow, I feel like the way I've been dressing reflects that--sort of like pathetic fallacy but with clothes instead of the weather. Am I making sense? 

fall outfit inspiration

hey all!

just wanted to give all of my lovely readers a big hug and thank you for reading my blog <3 i haven't done much lately (besides going to taipei last weekend--whoop whoop ill be uploading a post on that in a few days <3), but what i have been doing is chilling with friends and taking pictures (haha typical me).

so today i have for y'all two outfits suited for fall ft. mah homie Ree <3

outfit #1: casual

The first outfit (id admit) is more girly than id usually dress, but still cute nonetheless. I'm wearing come casual converse chucks, paired with knee high socks and a plain black skirt form Pull & Bear. On the top, I'm wearing a simple grey long sleeved tee paired with a darker scarf, both of which are from local boutiques in my country. 

Here is a close-up of the scarf--I really love infinity scarves because they are so easy to wear and this particular one is super soft. Also, lately I've been super into grey. 

 Outfit #2: Put together

Ree's outfit is more dressy, with some bold high waisted pants from forever 21, and some chunky heels from a local shoe store called ABC mart here. She topped it off with a plain grey tee that I believe is also from forever 21. I love how the knot on the tee shows off the high waisted silhouette of the pants.

Let me know in the comments below which outfit you would wear! I had so much fun "shooting" with Ree <3 hehe you'll definitely see more of her on this blog in the future! Also, our new campus is super pretty <3 this is super exciting because that means more pretty backgrounds for you all!

<3
-R

minimalistic style

ive been super into black, white, and green lately and i think my outfits on my instagram page reflect that :P

theres something very clean about white and black--the crispness of the contrast and the clean cut edges really have an effect on me.

these are all recent posts from my instagram account, so you should definitely check me out there!

i whiten most of my pictures so they appear cleaner and of higher quality :)

also recently its been super "tumblr" to have cactuses in pictures, so i included a few for you all to enjoy :) i actually quite like the contrast of the soft green against the black and white.

currently, i really want to get more black items in my closet, since i realised i don't even own a plain black shirt == sigh.

i also tend to gravitate towards grey and more neutral toned colours lately, as winter is approaching.

all in all, i feel like colour has been stripped from my wardrobe, and the thing is, I'm kinda liking it that way :P

i just re-read this post and i realised it makes absolutely zero sense...must be from all the studying D: (this is a scheduled post, so I'm typing it on 11/1, a day before my midterms T_T). oh well, hope you guys at least like the pictures <3!

<3,
R

fooling around in mango

hey all

my mom got back from chicago this past sunday and she got me loads of active wear <3 ill be showing you what i get in that upcoming haul that I've been promising is coming but still hasn't <3

she got back at around 7 am in the morning, rested, and then proposed for us to go downtown and shop. naturally, i went to mango (since they usually have nice clothing there) and tried a few things on

lol that arm in the corner tho

yessss turtleneck jumpers <3

actually loving this playsuit!

nothing really caught my eye so i ended up walking out with empty hands. mango is pretty expensive where i live, so i don't often shop there. 

well thats what i did this past sunday. fun stuff. no really it was fun--i also went boots/bootie hunting but didn't find one that i particularly like. 

lastly, PLEASE do check out my Instagram here (or click the bubble on the left hand sidebar) i post everyday and i feel like i can better express my style through these pictures. if you want to know more about my fashion style, my instagram is where to find me <3

<3

thanks for stopping by--ill be making a super exciting announcement in the next post! stay tuned <3 <3 my links are on the side bar!

birthday ootd

hey all!

it's my birfday! hard to imagine I've already been alive for 16 years...

it honestly is the oddest feeling.

to be honest, i really don't feel like there is that much of a difference--im still busy as the teachers still dish out hw just as ruthlessly, all the while the ache in my back is still there. i think that sentence has weird phrasing. urghhh. too lazy to care right now.

i am sooooo behind on my filming schedule right not its not even funny D:. however, i am really really active on my instagram (it's also linked on the side) these days because it is so much easier to post in comparison to youtube or blogger :P

 I'm straying off topic. my midterms are coming up so till then, i won't be uploading any new videos, though i will still be updating y'all here and on my instagram since its i can't bear not sharing my ideas :). plus its a lot easier posting a post than posting a video, since it take absolutely FOREVER for me to edit and upload and process and everything.

I'm turning 16 today, which is pretty exciting (i guess). I already had a mini bbq roast at my house a week back so I'm not having a party today. rather, i ate with a few of my good friends and just hung out. also, just as a treat, i went off and bought myself a box of macarons. I really really love eating macarons. i know one of my resolutions was to eat healthier, but its my birthday, cut me some slack :P

yes macarons are life <3

my mom is actually going to chicago tonight, so i had my birthday dinner with her yesterday. the food was sooooo delicious! i got some sushi takeout from this (pretty expensive) super good sushi place near my house.

hehe its already half eaten cuz i couldn't wait :P

it was (of course) really well made and delicious. my mom and i just hung out for the rest of the night :).

i also got a few presents that i am going to show in an upcoming haul so stay tuned for that!

also i know i need to post my new york haul, I'm getting to it! I'm probably going to combine it with my birthday haul and some other things i got recently <3

catch y'all later!
R

DIY choker necklace

hello everyone!

a little break from all the travel posts :P here's a tutorial since i havent posted one in a loooooooooong time.

materials:
-sissors
-elastic stretch chord (i used the brand stretch magic)
-lighter to seal edges
-tape (or a table leg to secure the top of the choker when you're braiding)

the chord come is different colors

this tutorial is seriously so easy--the important thing is you have to get the right chord. make sure the chord is stretchy, and durable enough. i found a pack from stretch magic that has 4 different colors.

im demonstrating with orange because it is easier to see, but you can use another color if you wish.

step 1: measure the chord with ur hands outstretched (whole arm span) and cut the chord. fold the chord in half then tape it down.

step 2: this is where things get a little tricky. i did a few braids first before demonstrating so it make more sense. take one end of the string form a '4' by crossing it over the other string.

pull the end of the original string and thread it through the opening of the '4,' making sure not to pull too tight.

if done right, the braid should look like this! you then keep alternating between the two strands until it becomes long enough.

step 4: you can tie the ends of your choker, but i prefer to melt it together, as it is more secure. i didn't take pictures of the sealing of the choker, mainly because i didn't want to burn myself.

the result is a lovely choker necklace (and in my case bracelet)!

it looks pretty cool and really unique

you can even experiment with more colors and styles!

i actually posted the last picture on my new fashion instagram acc...don't forget to check it out! it is linked on the left hand side bar!

haircare routine

WHATTTT I POSTED A NEW VIDEO?!

i know it's been forever, but i finally posted a new video (after like 3 friggin weeks!) its actually a haircare routine since a bunch of you have been asking for one <3 hope you guys enjoy!