By The Way - The Cycle of Life - rated MUST GO!

Some call it sick and others call it beautiful. You decide when you get your tickets to Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS: The Original & The Cycle of Life. The exhibition goes on show for the first time in Asia in Singapore at the Singapore Science Centre from 23 October 2009 to 6 March 2010.

This is the latest instalment of the groundbreaking anatomical exhibitions of real human bodies and visitors to The Cycle of Life learn about health and the science of the human body, from the human skeleton to the key organ and muscular systems.

The displays and installations take visitors on a journey of self discovery, showing the body living through time. It includes a stunning look at conception and aging during pre-natal development, and pays homage to the creativity of young people which shows the developing teen brain from infancy and childhood to adolescence. This unconventional anatomical exhibition also offers a profound insight into the fragility of life and helps visitors to become more aware of their own mortality.

Dr Von Hagens’ patented invention of Plastination  is used to preserve specimens for medical education. BODY WORLDS is the only exhibition with a unique body donation programme which has been ethically reviewed and scrutinized by official authorities.

Ok I admit that it kind of freaks me and the guy does look a little creepy here - reminds me of The House of Wax, that 2005 horror flick where all the wax figurines ended up being real live people who were actually murdered and encased in wax. But I have been assured that all specimens on display are of willing donors. So take heart, if you have missed your sign up round for the organ donation programme, you can still be immortalised and enroll in this one!!

Whatever your call, I still vote this the MUST GO exhibition of the year in Singapore. Seeing is believing!

When: 23 October 2009 to 6 March 2010

Time: 10am – 6pm

Venue: The Annexe, Science Centre Singapore, 15 Science Centre Road

Ticket prices: Advanced ticket purchases  available at www.bodyworlds.com.sg from 5 October to 22 October 2009 at $15 adults, $9 child (3-16 years). Price includes admission to the Science Centre. Please call 6425-2500 for enquiries.

See: www.bodyworlds.com

- Elaine

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Buys - Topshop rolls in the glam with eyelets and embellishments

To match the glitzy bags, party clothes are also abound this season, this time trimmed with eyelets and embellishments to give this year's party look a little bling and zing. Look out especially for Christopher Kane and Kate Moss at Top Shop.

Glaswegian-born designer Christopher Kane's AW09 collection sees embellishments like delicate mirrors and eyelets lending detail and shine to his body conscious pieces.

There are 50s inspired briefs which are high waisted and worn as outerwear, slim fitting leggings, a slick long sleeved dress and a high necked body with cap sleeves.

Simple garments are given an element of luxury for eg: a black cotton shirt buttons-up to the collar to expose oversized black gems covering the neckline, a white jersey t-shirt dress features several rows of oversized white opaque gems around the neck, sleeves and hem of the dress. Evening dresses and camisoles have a deep V to accentuate the décolletage and feature oversized jewels around the neckline.

Kate Moss also takes on a vintage glamour this season with a collection of smart, chic pieces for a more grown-up look. Look out for a series of blouses and dresses in chiffon, voluminous with billowing sleeves and pointed collars or smock style.

Synonymous now with Kate’s designs, strong prints appear throughout sans vivid butterflies in bright green and orange flutter across a chiffon tunic dress, red and navy pansies  against the striped background of a crepe boat neck dress and intarsia knit hearts boldly emblazoned on a knitted cardigan.

Consistent of all Kate’s collections, both daywear and eveningwear are heavily embellished. Simple jersey tops are given a biker chick finish whether adorned with studs, beads or chain details, whilst eveningwear has a antique dressing-up box feel.Tarnished gold sequins are scattered over a maxi dress, waistcoat, bolero and playsuit, whilst ruched chiffon dresses in muted grey and blue are delicately embellished with silver beads.

Find them at: Topshop at ION Orchard #B2-01, Raffles City #02-39, and Vivo City #01-72.

- Elaine

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Buys - This season's IT Bag - Latest Looks

With all the Autumn Winter collections out in full force in October, I have asked myself what would this season's IT bag look like?

And the answer is clear - in Hong Kong at least, its got to be the Shopping Bag! The look is stylish shopper meets glitter goddess and the shape, an all-purpose throw-it-all-in bag.

Try this for size: this is the Hogan Double H Monogram Hippie logo (HK$6900) with a rich polychromatic shine - the perfect size for you to hold documents, your mini PC and all the stuff you need for the weekend shopping spree!

Time to give those patent black bags you love, a much needed rest as gold, gild and glitz make their way back onto shelf. Yes, remember those Pradas and Guccis with the ornate gold and leather rope handles that you have put to rest. If you dare and pair correctly, you just might get away with the vintage look cos this is the season's colour for fashionistas in hip haven Hong Kong! Pics courtesy of the South China Morning Post.

- Elaine

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By The Way - Twins and Triplets!

Look, Ma....twins!.... Wonder who's stylist came first?

Look, Ma!....Triplets! Wonder who's stylist came first?

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Bling - The 'Christofann' wedding weighs in at 151.59 carats!

We seldom do celebrity goss – but we could not resist this little preview of the 'Christofann' wedding – at least that’s what we are calling it!

Media darlings, Fann Wong and Christopher Lee, both approaching their fabulicious forties will formally celebrate their nuptials on the 29th of September at The Shangrila. 

The couple were married earlier this year on 16 May in a civil ceremony.  (pictures courtesy of 

Channel News Asia online and http://english.dbw.cn/system/2009/05/18/000133370.shtml). 

Check out Christopher Lee's outfit and his 'I purposely did not shave for 3 days nor did I comb my hair' look. Ok so its perhaps not quite what I expected of the usually dapper groom. 

Not too sure what gauzy thing Fann has on either but hey this was clearly their own event so I will zippp..ppp it on any comments about personal style. 

The 29th Sep event promises 700 guests and a hosts of sponsors and has been billed as  Singapore’s most anticipated celebrity wedding. 

We hear that the blushing bride will have 3 dress changes (1 Vera Wang wedding gown and 2 evening gowns) with jewelry sponsors Celestial® by Goldheart supplying 3 different sets of custom designed bling for each outfit. 


Total bling power on display for the bride? Precisely 151.59 carats at a total value of S$3,008,378.

Wedding gown jewellery set number 1: STARBLISS featuring 1,167 celestial diamonds set in white gold totalling 63.33 carats. Exact value - S$1,960,520

Jewellery to accompany her first gown: ROMANTIQUE featuring 1,191 celestial diamonds set in champagne gold, white gold, yellow gold and rose gold totalling 44.34 carats. Exact value: S$692,982.

Jewellery to accompany her second gown: LOVELACE featuring 1300 celestial diamonds set in champagne gold totalling 43.92 carats. Exact value: S$354,876.

The groom will also get his share of bling. Ermenegildo Zegna is sponsoring his togs whilst Celestial® by Goldheart has sponsored his ring and his ear stud!

Now if I was Fann, my question would be whether I get to keep the loot? 

Fans of the nuptials can tune in to a 3 part series leading up to the wedding. The first two episodes which will be aired on September 17 and 24 and will feature interviews and wedding preparations by the couple, including betrothal gift shopping and the distribution of wedding invitations, also highlights of the couple's hen and stag parties. The actual banquet will be filmed and aired live on Channel 8 on the 29th of September from 8pm.

Congrats Christofann!!! We wish you both many Fabulicious Forevers together!

- Elaine

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By The Way - Slick Chick Goodie Bags For The 'Big 1-0'

Moi was recently on the hunt for goodie bag stuffers for the daughter’s birthday party. Reaching her big 1-0, you see, and Elaine had put it into my head that kids that age would rather be dealing with funky junk than cute and sweet. I knew at once there was great wisdom in that.

So the initial plan was to put together a ‘Diva Kit’ for 8 screaming, pool-loving, lollipop-eating, Primary school-going funky slick chicks.

First stop, Daiso. Who loves Daiso, hands up!! From my sweetie of an art director to my constantly be-blinged girlfriend, Daiso is a crowd pleaser, a social leveler, and mecca for all things needful and needless….Let’s get this down on record – Daiso is King! Here’s what I found in the hallowed halls.

Super wide, 60’s retro mock croc hair bands including a particularly divine white one that just screams for a matching set of knee-high go-go boots, and a more sedate black one that is just totally Audrey Hepburn….

Coloured ones that are sooo ‘drive-in-movies and milk shake retro’!

And got these over-the-top notepads bursting with bling especially in the sun. Man, I need shades….!

Then on to ‘Chamelon’ in Parkway Parade, my favourite suburban hunting ground. I have learnt over the years that there are many inspired finds in such ‘Lian’ hangouts if you care to search and rifle through. (I always figured they meant to call it 'Chameleon', but with the missing 'e', one then doesn’t pronounce the ‘ch’ as ‘k, and being the language purist, I call it how it is spelt – ‘Cha-mee-lon’…..encapsulating the full force of its ‘lian-ness’.)

I spent an hour here digging for gold, and emerged triumphant. A whole pile of cool bracelets small enough for little wrists and perfect for chickadees chilling in the jacuzzi…..

And best of all, these gorgeous floral rings in metal – pretty but edgy…

and I couldn’t resist this cheap repro of the starburst ring design you see everywhere these days. No more than $3 a pop.

Wrapping it all up, I found these cool, reusable bags at Bedok’s SKP Store – only $1 each. (Considering some paper gift bags cost more than that, this is a steal.)

To tie it all up, I made these whimisical  gift tags using pretty incredible free clip art from Microsoft, and gave myself a pat on the back for a job that wasn't, I think, half bad for a ham-fisted amateur.

-- Ee Waun

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Beauty - Converted, Purified & Saved….from Shine

Sweeties! Let me share the joy! We have discovered the antidote to sebumated shine, and on a healthy budget too.

Next time you’re at your friendly neighbourhood Watsons, keep your eyes peeled for Skinvitals Purify range. (It’s the one with the green and white packaging.)

Let’s just say that I tested the range’s Detoxifying Foaming Cleanser ($19.90) only once, and was so impressed, I set out to buy the entire range the moment they hit the store!

The cleanser, with tea tree oil, cucumber extract, peppermint and orange, is absolutely refreshing with its zingy, minty, uplifting smells and tissue-light texture. After using it, you feel every pore is flushed out and slightly tingly, but without that tight, pulled, squeaky feeling.

The other product that I absolutely love is the Everyday Mattifying Lotion ($36.90), I don’t really like the smell, but the lotion really kills the shine the moment you slap it on. Immediately! Instant gratification! Right now! Not only does it look matte, it feels matte too. The super ingredient here is phlorogine which claims to reduce sebum flow by 74% in seven days. There’s also tea tree oil to combat breakouts, aloe vera for conditioning and grapefruit for sloughing away dead cells.

Speaking of sloughing, I also like the Pore Perfection Micro Scrub ($20.90) because it gives a pretty rough scrub. Sometimes, those ‘gentle scrubs’ are so mild, I am sure it does very little, and leaves me most unsatiated.

Formulated mainly for oily skin, this cosmeceutical range from Australia – by Lynne Meaney (who also started the Red Earth) – ‘balances blemishes while minimizing wrinkles’….Sounds perfect for gently mature ladies like Madam. Ingredients are all-natural, too.

Since getting all immersed in this new brand, I have also ventured to try their cloth treatment masks. I highly recommend the C-Brighten mask (orange packaging). No need to apply a messy cream mask, you just whip out the cloth, unfold it and lay it on. The mask is literally sopping with the good ingredients. I just lie there in the air-conditioned room, inhale its fabulous scent and wait for blessings of beauty to descend on my pores. Ginger, rosehip, collagen, vitamin C and wine. Ooohh……So divine you glow!

So Sebum Sisters, there's reason to rejoice and look towards Salvation from Shine!

http://www.skinvitals.com.au/

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Binge - A Good Traditional Mooncake – At Last!

Some time ago, I mentioned that people really just want a very well prepared, traditional mooncake. All the exotic flavours and creations are great and pique the interest, but when it comes to actual enjoyment, the old fashioned baked skin, lotus paste is still my favourite….preferably without yolk.

Recently, I tried Hong Kong’s Maxim’s Mooncakes (or Mei-Xin) which apparently are the best selling mooncakes there for the last 11 years. Yes, it’s from out of town, and I was skeptical at first. How could it compare to the locally made ones which didn’t require long distance transportation? But you know, I was dead wrong. Though they came individually wrapped in plastic, they turned out among the best I have tried this season. Thin, moist baked skin, a smooth, fresh tasting paste that was not too sweet (as some can be), and best of all? The yolk was actually still very moist inside – not crumbly and dry like you often fine in many mooncakes. Absolutely gorgeous! And they weren’t expensive either - $43-$49 per pack of four, on average. I couldn’t stop eating them once I started.

A few new flavours – which didn’t go overboard with ‘innovation’ – were lotus paste with pecan nuts, red bean past with pecan and black jujube paste with macadamia.

I also like their almond flake ($4.50 for 6) and walnut cookies ($3.90 for 6) with walnut, almond or cashew which are supremely crisp and light as air and very French all in all. Definitely worth buying – it’s a good product that doesn’t break the bank, too.

Available at Parkway Parade, Takashimaya, Change Alley and Plaza Singapura until 3 October. You can also get them directly from Frosts Foods (24 Tuas Ave 12, Tel: 6862 2166).

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Bling - Brr-rr-ing on the Bling!

You are having tea and all the latest iphones are out on the table. Which one is yours? Why the one with the Simply Fabulicious bling, of course!

Introducing our latest Fabulicious find! Bling for your brr-rr-ing!

In Hong Kong, I found these gor-ge-licious bling stickers that allow me to change the look of my handphone every week, if I so fancy and according to my mood. Frivolous? Who cares? Fun!!

Whether you have a 3G or 2G, first or second generation, Hong Kong's temple of trend - Mongkok Chong Sum or Argyle Centre sells these babies at a mere HK$20 for each bling sticker! Cutsey or with attitude - you decide!

The shop sells bling stickers for you to dress almost any phone in the market and stickers for your daughter's DS lite, calculator, camera etc if you so plan to indulge her!

Love these!! Could not resist getting them for myself!

The joy does not end there as I also found a Japanese website where you can order or customised your gadgets with a new art and craft technique and hobby that the Japanese are calling "deco-den"

This is the "Princess kit"- mirror, comb, crown, jewelled heart and rosette that glues onto your phone or onto virtually on any surface. Think your new Macbook Pro - ok so thats a bit much! But then again they also have rhinestone initials that you can deco-den? Sold?

Check out: 

http://www.strapya-world.com/categories/12_1147.html

- Elaine

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Breakaway - Tea at The Met, Pussycat?

Is Pussycat going to London to visit the Queen? I heard from the Beeb years ago that Her Majesty likes to entertain with Ritz biscuits! Well, forget the Ritz! (Pardon the pun) This pussy cat would rather prowl over to The Met for another edition of their super fashionable, chi-chi to a glamorous death afternoon tea.

Celebrating London Fashion Week, the chefs at The Metropolitan has teamed up with Lulu Guinness to create a truly ‘liplicious’ Afternoon De-Light menu of low-fat cupcakes and cookies inspired by her signature designs, including the Lip Icons, Pollyanna Clutches, Cameo Heads and Kitsch Over-sized Roses featuring in the much anticipated Spring Summer 2010 collection. After that, you even get a 20% discount card at the Ellis Street store!

Lulu’s special 20th anniversary display featuring 16 of the Iconic Lips Clutches will also be available to view in the Lobby at the Metropolitan from September 14 onward.

The lip tea menu is available 14-26 Sept at the Met Bar (3-6pm) daily. It’s priced at £24.00 per person including a pot of tea or fruit infusions. Reservations must be made in advance.

Tel: +44 (0)20 7447 4757

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Binge - Secret Spots In Hong Kong

Raise the Red Lantern

Don’t you want to be Joan Chen, sprawled in poignant glamour across these red swathed day beds? So boudoir, so “Raise the red lantern, darling and take me! The jade tablets have spoken tonight!” Oh bliss! ‘Tis the new Yun Bar, within aqua’s Yun Fu in Wyndham Street in Hong Kong, which is described as “a chic and sexy ‘Old China’ inspired lounge and bar space for casual drinking and cocktail sipping”.

Slip through the heavy oak door street entrance, and descend ‘back in time’ down a Dunhuang-esque, Silk Route-inspired staircase into the sprawling red, 5000-square-foot Yun Fu. Sip on three signature cocktails – Pui Mu (HKD78), rice wine infused plum cocktail mixed with cranberry juice; Bo Ba (HKD68), a green bamboo wine mixed with triple sec sugar syrup and grapefruit juice and Mi Ya Luo (HKD68), a brown rice based wine blended with a sweet and sour passion fruit syrup and sprite. Bar menu bites are mostly northern and western Chinese flavours and happy hour extends from 6pm – 9pm. The restaurant itself serves these regional Chinese cuisines as well, in equally provocative setting. Semi--private dining areas separated by sheer voiles and screens with hanging lanterns. Nice for a smoking hot date! How apt that it’s open for dinner only.

Just note that at 10pm, visiting DJs take to the decks in Yun Bar and martial arts movies will be projected on its circular screen in the main bar area. Time to adjourn elsewhere with your hottie then. You could adjourn on a cruise on the aqualuna – continuing the sexy ‘ancient China’ theme or just get to the point and ask your hottie: “Your pavilion or mine?”

Basement, 43-55 Wyndham Street, Tel: (852) 2116 8855

View From the Top

But how about if you are with your brood rather than your beau? Here’s another ‘secret spot’ simply because the view is so breathtaking – The Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Restaurant located at The Peak. Okay, granted - so not glam, and I must say a chain restaurant complete with Bubba Gump merchandising and movie memorabilia is not usually up Madam’s faultlessly sophisticated alley. But I’ll make the exception because of its stunning view and the fact that you can heave kids up there, and food there is generally kid-friendly.

If you happen to be in the vicinity, good to KIV that the restaurant’s will be doing a promo, offering 8 dishes at HK$60 each from 1-4 Oct, to mark China's 60th National Day. Be prepared for signature dishes like Onion Rings, Greenbow Tenders, 'Best Ever' Popcorn Shrimp, Dynamite Shrimp, Calamari Rings, Cajun Shrimp, Hush Pups and Classic Caesar salad. (Hmmm – how much more Americano can you get on China’s 60th anniversary??)

Mummy can sip on their caipirinha or lychee martini, and kids get to load up on their superfruits via mocktails. If you’ve brought along fat mother-in-law, don’t worry – there’s Zero Calorie Acai Green Tea (HK$28), which blends Acai green tea with lemon and lime. And of course, we mustn’t leave without buying our ‘Run Forrest Run’ souvenir t-shirt!

Good to know also - On 1 Oct, you can catch a view of the fireworks from the restaurant, too.

Tel: (852) 2849 2867

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Buys - 3 SimplyFab Reasons to ION Orchard

Have an hour to kill in the Orchard Road area before your next meeting or are you in between gym time and picking up the kids from tuition?

We give you 3 SimplyFab reasons to go to ION Orchard and once there, fully capitalise on your hard-fought (and won) parking space at this spanking new mecca of 'chi chi-dom' :

MUST GO #1 - FOOD OPERA

"Feed me"! your stomach shouts! Your pocket does not want to part with restaurant dollars, your body screams for the aircon fix and your ego says "I want to be seen somewhere beautiful"! Then GO to Food Opera on B4. It took me quite a long time to find the escalator to B4 though so if ION's Management reads this - folks, your signage sucks and needs a big facelift.

Nice touches are the repos (I am assuming they are reproductions) of Philiippe Starck's Louis Ghost chairs. Also love the chandeliers and art deco touches to the ceiling. 

You feel distracted enough by the decor and food so that you don't realise that you are paying  30% more for your Curry Rice or Kopi-O than what you can get from Food Republic at Wisma Atria near by! By the way, same owners folks!

Nice displays and culinary merchandising like this effort at 'Marvellous Cream', a delicious looking dessert store also help.

Also loved the 'Tea Loft' such a pleasant reprieve from anything vaguely "zi-cha". Can imagine self spending plenty money on coffee, tea, cake and many frivolous conversations here!


Just walk around and watch the drama and theatrics unfold around you. Talk about the ultimate roast and carving station. This is Modern Beijing selling Peking Duck and Suckling Pig - loud, brash, red and in your face! Besides these, there are many other local hawker centre bests that have found there way into this food court, reinvented with a new 21st century facelift to their uniforms, signage, crockery and cutlery. 

Look out for the famous Tian Tian Hainanese Curry Rice, Li Xin Chao Zhou Fishball Noodles, Fatty weng Fish Soup and Oyster Omelette, Balestier Teochew Bak Kut Teh, Mei Zhen Hakka Delights and SG Kueh (local desserts from Amoy Street. Your best gauge at what's good is to check out the queues - the longer the queue, the more famous the store.

Of course for the more chi chi folk, Marmalade Pantry, the Nautilus Project and the soon to open TWG Tea Salon await on the upper floors.

Reason #2 -  RUBI SHOES, PROMOD, BERSHKA and VARIOUS BIG GIRL BRANDS

The tenant list here is chock full of brand names and there is a distinct try-hard effort to replicate the line up of offerings at Hong Kong's highly successful IFC and Elements Malls. No wonder, as ION marks the pairing of Capital Land and HK biggies SHK (Sun Hung Kai) Properties, HK's leading luxury property developer and landlord. 

Bold, efferverscent and colourful - satisfy your shoe fetish by poking head into Rubi Shoes. Love the SimplyFab statement that it boldly makes!

I found Zara's little sister Bershka here at ION, a little dissapointing. A+ for the Bershka merchandiser at HK's store. The SG store was a little blah-ly stocked, in comparison. 

Pretty promising is Promod, another Spanish label new to Singashoppers. 

Another store that the make-up junkie in me enjoys poking around in, as it carries mineral makeup brand 'Bare Essentials' is the ever-intriguing Sephora! 

The big girl brands are definitely all out in force - and new in Singapore (to me) at least are Burberry, Anteprima (now stocks handbags, a different feel from their Raffles Hotel store), Diane von Furstenburg, DSquared2, Steve Madden, Thomas Sabo, Vivienne Tam, XZQT, Rabeanco (recognise the HK list of brand names from IFC Mall?). Where is H&M and Sarah Jessica Parker's new label? Am a little peeved that we are always last on the foodchain to get the goodies.  

Blast from the past names have also made their re-entry as the new 'come back kids' - remember Chomel from your Lady Diana wanna-be glory days? the Casio watch gallery? Everbest Shoes from your happy neighbourhood malls and the English NEXT? Died and finally re-resurrected! Hallelujah!

Reason #3 - GOURMET PICKINGS

Dean and Deluca and Hediard both find a well stocked home and prominent shelves at new gourmet supermarket 360 (spelt Three-Sixty). The selection is not nearly even half as wide as the 360 supermarkets at IFC and Elements Malls in Hong Kong but go be happy and push trolley around in the hope that some Martha Stewart-ness might rub off and inspire you to finally operate that shiny, sparkly Miele oven that you have just bought, installed and not yet used.

Enuf said, now go forth and explore!

- Elaine

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