xmas wishlist.

One of my favorite things about Christmas is putting together a list of delectables I've acquired an affection for over the year and sending it off to Santa with crossed fingers and high hopes. This year my wish list is as varied (and as long!) as usual, spanning from tech gadgets to sunnies and everything in between. I thoroughly enjoyed putting together this collage on Polyvore, and if you have either a spare moment or an excess of creative juice, I recommend checking out Polyvore.com and having a go at creating your own set of items. It's surprisingly fun and addictive, and it doesn't feel like a mindless waste of time because it's creative! Read on to find out what I'm lusting after this festive season.

1. iPhone-related stuff.

I love my iPhone, and while I might want an iPhone 5S, I know the lifespan of my current iPhone 5S will last me long enough till at least next Christmas (that's if I don't drop it enough times by then...). I've been dying for a Mophie battery power pack, a sleek iPhone case with a built in charger for up to 100% extra battery juice for long days out and about and away from power sockets. Readily available battery life is essential for a blogger who's always on Instagram and social media patrol! I'm also in love with iPhone cases - they are such a fun way to accessorize without much fuss! To me, a vivid phone case and a statement manicure speaks successful street style like nothing else. My favorites are Tory Burch's cute and colorful designs. Living in a boarding house means music on the iPhone's built in speaker is never loud enough, so wireless portable speakers for mid-week dance parties and impromptu raves would be an absolute dream!

2. Clothes, shoes, and accessories!

(Contrary to popular belief, gift vouchers work just as well). My UK wardrobe, tailored to the chilly weather, would certainly welcome chunky-knit slim-fit Abercrombie V necks for winter layering. This simple, structured coat by Alexander Wang is the perfect understatement and is exactly the type of look I want to be rocking until it's warm enough to stop rocking a coat altogether. Simple black ankle boots with a low heel are all over the London streets, and for good reason: they go with pretty much anything and have enough chic-factor to spice up a simple coat and jeans ensemble. A cute beanie with a statement slogan reminiscent of Cara Delevigne's off-duty style is a daring accessory I'd love to try, combined with a simple gold chain necklace. Zoe of Fashiononymous has inspired me to widen my range of accessory cravings to include a functional, boyish Casio, and in the shoe department, I'd love a pair of nude Tory Burch flats, chocolate brown Ugg boots for the cold and a pair of minimalist white chucks.

3. Beauty products.

I finally live in a place where hand cream is an essential as opposed to a luxury, and what better hand cream is there than L'Occitane? Staying fresh throughout the day requires frequent doses of light body splash scents as opposed to heavy perfumes, and any luscious scent by Victoria's Secret fits the bill. Lastly, I've finally jumped on the bandwagon of mascara addicts (I never used to wear mascara but now it's an essential!) and am keen to try Benefit's popular "Bad Gal Lash" mascara to see if what the critics say really is true!

What are you eyeing this Christmas season? Let me know in the comments below!

#instadiary - halloween!

This sounds so bad, and I guess that's because it IS so bad, but I have to say it: I hate Halloween. Always have and always will. I know tons of people, young and old alike, have some of their fondest memories dressing up and trick or treating and carving pumpkins and decorating their houses, but I just don't see the appeal. I love Christmas for the festive, familial feeling in the air, the presents (of course) and the intimate connection the season has with my religion (Catholic), and I feel like it's okay for me to enjoy all the 'superficialities' such as Christmas clothing sales and yummy food because I know that I am also fervent towards the season in a more meaningful way. I'm not saying that every festival or "reason to celebrate" has to be deeply rooted in religion or history to be legitimate or enjoyable, and maybe I don't really know what I'm saying and my hatred is just an immature, irrational one. I just hate Halloween (except candy corn, I like candy corn). Okay party pooping rant over.

Anyway, all my social media platforms have been spammed with all things Halloweeny, creepy and black-and-orange over the past few days, which has made me a bit more tolerant towards this annual spook-fest. I'm not going to launch into a Halloween Style Guide (god no), but instead, I thought I'd collect some of my favorite Halloween moments shared with the Instagram world from our favorite bloggers, companies and editors around the globe. See this as my attempt to conform to society's unstoppable enjoyment of a rather frivolous occasion. Enjoy!

Blogger Royalty Bryan Yambao (@bryanboy) rocked the cutest Anna Wintour outfit this year; she mightn't be spooky, but she certainly sends some seriously scary chills down the spines of fashion's elite from her front-row perch. Brownie points for that wig and those glasses! Chiara Ferragni (@chiaraferragni) of another major blog, "The Blonde Salad," looked amazing as usual and accessorized with a funky magenta wig and a nose ring (let's hope she never actually gets that pierced for real...), while Australian teen singer, brother of Cody Simpson and outrageously insta-famous Alli Simpson (@allisimpson) snapped a cute pic of lit pumpkin decorations with her signature hazy, faded filters (Secret's out: I stalk her quite a bit).

Blogger/model Hanneli Mustaparta (@hannelim) captured a posed picture with some friends, rocking minimal makeup and a cute bow in her hair. I love the simplicity, but I prefer the wild eye-makeup of her fellow party-goers! Company Magazine (@companymagazine) shared an adorable #instanailart picture, complete with pretty rings too! Nail art is definitely the way to go if you're not big on dressing up real insane. Teen Vogue's Andrew Bevan (@bevansburg) boasted elaborate makeup and a ghoulish complexion, posing with Rebecca Minkoff and Gavin Bellour.

 More nail goodness courtesy of major teen fashion mag Teen Vogue (@teenvogue) and a stunning flapper/Daisy Buchanan-esque selfie from actress Jennette McCurdy (@jennettemccurdy), but the real highlight here is Aimee Song's (@songofstyle) hilariously adorable Loofah costume. I have a feeling we'll see the same ingenious idea pop up on numerous occasions next Halloween, because this is what happens when you're one of the world's most successful individuals in the fashion industry: when you wear a loofah, you'll find that soon enough, everyone will wear a loofah. #TeamAimee

Parkncube (@parkncube) took the cutest photo next to an ASOS photowall, Teen Vogue Ed-In-Chief Amy Astley (@amytastley) captured an adorable moment on the subway of a little girl dressed up to go trick-or-treating, and fashion's all-time favorite designer Jason Wu (@jasonwu) clearly had a roaring good time (he attended the same Halloween party as Bryanboy!), decked out in winged eyeliner and even spookier friends on his arm. Maybe Halloween isn't so bad after all...

merry christmas!

 

I hope everyone had an excellent Christmas!

Massive apologies for not posting regularly, I'm in the midst of some intense exam preparation and haven't found much time for anything other than textbooks and revision notes! However there is one thing I'll always be able to make time for, and that's Christmas. The festive season sort of crept up on me this year; I've been incredibly busy this December and I didn't even notice how close we'd come to Christmas until I came home from school last week to find a beautifully decorated tree up in my living room! 

Enclosed are some pictures of my various festive experiences - I got some amazing presents this year (some of which are pictured above) and spent lots of time with the people I hold closest to my heart. A lot of food was consumed by yours truly (see jar of gingerbread above) on top of my annual Christmastime overdose on Starbucks, so over the next few days I seriously need to hit the gym! Some of the gifts I received include treats from Maison Martin Margiela, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Jo Malone, Bvlgari, Miss Selfridge, Warehouse, Hollister, and many more! The parents also promised an iPhone 5 in January (after my exams eek!), so I'm lucky enough to have yet another gift to look forward to. Although I feel like Christmas has been increasingly overwhelmed with commercial exploitation over the past few years (e.g "Christmas Sales" in every store just for the sake of it), I've always been able to connect with Christmas on a spiritual, religious level (going to Christmas Mass is something I actually really love!). I enjoy the season not for the presents or material things it denotes, but for the warmth it brings to my loved ones and the fond memories made each year in honor of this beautiful festive season.