Regina Chow - Singapore Fashion, Beauty, Lifestyle & Travel Blog: sba2013

Singapore Blog Awards 2013 - I was a Winner!

Sunday, August 04, 2013

I must be one of the last few bloggers to update about Singapore Blog Awards 2013, but I guess it's better late than never!

I was very blessed to have been selected as a finalist for a main category (Best Fashion Blog) and a special category (Qoo10 Best Online Shopping Blog) this year. While June and July were busy work months for me, I tried my best to deliver what was required of the competition and was very grateful that I could take some time off to attend the awards.

I had a quick lunch with Karen prior to the event at Liang Court and everyone stared at us like we were aliens from outer space. We felt so out of place till we arrived at Shanghai Dolly, where familiar faces in 60s garb greeted us. It has been a while since I last attended any blogging events, no thanks to my work schedule, so it was great to be able to catch up with everyone!

I didn't expect to win anything this year as the competition for both categories was very strong, so I was truly surprised when the host announced that I won 3rd place for Qoo10 Best Online Shopping Blog! Thank you everyone for your support!

Karen was a double winner at the SBA this year. She won both the Best Beauty Blog and Best Modelling Blog categories. I am so proud of her because she totally deserved the double win! You can tell how much passion, commitment and hard work she puts into her blog. No matter how busy she is, she always takes time to post interesting updates regularly.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my lovely sponsors for SBA 2013. My knitted dress, earrings and bag were kindly sponsored by Dustbunny Vintage. Karen's dress too, was sponsored by them. In fact, both dresses are from Pia's (the owner) personal collection and my dress actually belonged to her mum! What is even more amazing is that Pia's mum made the dress! It is hard to believe that it came from the 1960s because the workmanship is so fantastic, it looks as good as new.

Karen and I love vintage apparel and our shared passion brought us closer to Pia, the owner of Dustbunny Vintage. Pia has been a friend of ours for ages now and we are always blown away by the delectable collection of vintage apparel that she brings in week after week.

Pia updates her facebook page regularly with the latest apparel/bags/accessories in store, so do like Dustbunny Vintage's facebook page for more gorgeous vintage buys!

I love the sexy cut-out dress that Karen wore, which went very well with her Maison Martin Margiela shoes and her cute straw hat sponsored by Eskpade. Karen's eye-catching outfit also won her a spot in the Top 10 Best Dressed for SBA2013! She got into the final 4 Best Dressed too, but the award eventually went to Mr Mata, a lady dressed as a 1960s cop, complete with a cute moustache plastered over her mouth to protect her identity. To this day, we have no idea who she is!

Now, let me introduce you to my hair and make-up sponsor for the event, Fion, who freelances at 99percent hair studio at Haji Lane.She did a good job of enhancing my features with the 60s makeup theme in mind.

Eskpade sponsored my beautiful Valentino-inspired hat, as mentioned in my previous post. Isn't it beautiful? The 3D lace bow makes my heart flutter.

After some discussion with Fion, we decided that it would be better for me to wear the hat behind instead to complement my 1960s beehive. This versatile hat can be worn in front as well and looks best when worn with an updo.

I love the final look that Fion created, with the cascading curls framing my gorgeous hat.

After the event ended, Karen, Malcolm, JW and I went for tea followed by a photoshoot along Clarke Quay and the Singapore River. Many thanks to Malcolm and my trusty photographer (who dislikes photography) JW for the photos!

Dress, bag and earrings from Dustbunny Vintage

Hat from Eskpade

Necklace from my mum's vintage necklace (thanks mum!)

Shoes and socks from random shops in Singapore

Once again, thank you OMY.sg, Qoo10 and everyone else involved for organizing SBA 2013!

Qoo10 Shopping: Fashion Haul from G Lovely Shop

Thursday, June 13, 2013

I love fashion, and you would probably know that by now if you visit this humble space of mine regularly. That explains why my first transaction on Qoo10 had to be fashion apparel from G Lovely Shop.

As shared in my previous post on Qoo10 Online Shopping & My Fashion Buys, I had a wonderful shopping experience with G Lovely Shop. The products are reasonably priced and they reached my doorstep 3-4 days after payment was made.

1) Two Piece Chiffon Dress

The 2 piece chiffon dress came with a lace outer top and a sheer tulle camisole slip. It turned out as pictured and the material is pretty decent to boot. However, do note that you would have to wear a skirt/pair of shorts underneath the tulle camisole slip as it is too sheer to be worn alone.

What I also like about this set is that the top and camisole slip can be worn separately. You can easily pair the top with shorts or use it as a beach cover-up. The slip, on the other hand, can be layered with another top or worn underneath a dress.

Hat from Forever New

Shoes from Dip Drops

Bag from MyJotterBook

My Rating: 4/5

2) Black Blouse

I love the design of this top, especially the sleeves, but I would prefer the material used to be slightly thicker. Other than that, I think it is classy and suitable for both work and after work functions.

Skirt from Dip Drops

Shoes from Charles & Keith

My Rating: 3/5

3) Lace Top

This top is one of my favourite purchases from this haul. It looks exactly the same as pictured and I love the quality! It is definitely value-for-money as I've seen this on blog shops selling for at least double the price listed on Qoo10.

Jeans from Mango

Shoes from Vincci

Bag from MyJotterBook

My Rating: 5/5

4) Pink Lace Blouse

I was attracted to this blouse because of the lovely lace sleeves and the sweet shade of peach pink that it came in. Plus, this is a blouse that I can wear to work as well as on weekends. Imagine my joy when it arrived in the mail, as pictured!

Skirt and shoes from Dip Drops

Cat Clutch from MyJotterBook

My only grouse is that it is slightly loose for me, but the problem is easily resolved by tucking the blouse into my skirt. ;)

My Rating: 4.5/5

5) Black Maxi

Last but not least, here's my last purchase, which is also my favourite out of the lot. The material is wonderful, and the design is so versatile, it can be dressed up or down with a change of accessories and footwear.

I wanted it to be a casual summer maxi dress, hence I paired the dress with my comfy red Chanel flats to add a pop of colour to the all black palette.

Again, this is a steal as I have seen the same design retailing elsewhere at 3-4 times the listed price on Qoo10! Many of my friends who met me that day thought I was going to attend a formal dinner function, which further attests to the quality and workmanship of this alluring piece.

In fact, all of them were shocked to learn that this dress cost only about S$12 and everyone exclaimed that it is such a fantastic bargain! ;)

Bag and shoes from Chanel

Accessories from Hermes

While I usually turn to designer labels for bags and shoes as they have proven to be more durable and lasting, I tend to favour clothes with pocket-friendly price tags as I have come to realize that with good workmanship, they can look just as good as their designer label counterparts. I enjoy mixing and matching designer and non-designer labels in my outfits to lend an element of surprise and diversity.

My rating: 5/5

Hope you enjoyed this fashion haul review! Before you embark on your next shopping spree, remember to check out Qoo10!

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RouletteQ on Qoo10

Now, I'm going to share a fun way to receive free discount coupons, Qstamps and Callpoints by playing RouletteQ on Qoo10!

First, scroll down the Qoo10 homepage until you see "Lucky Lounge" at the right hand corner.

Click the red button on the attendance card to play. Now, you can start spinning the wheel!

These are some of the items that I've won! You stand to win discount coupons that can be used to offset against your purchases too.

Qticket allows you to participate in events on Qoo10. For more information on Qticket, click here.

What are Callpoints for? Callpoints can be used for high quality international phonecalls on Qtalk, a mobile communication app that can be used on Android phones and iPhones.

Here are the features of Qtalk:

1. Qtalk(FREE) – HD voice quality call service working with wifi, 3G and 4G

2. Qphone – best price high quality global phone service, much better than Skype, must to install for international travelers

3. GroupTalk (FREE) – the most advanced mobile conference and group call solution, enables calls between Qtalk and PHONE users, cool features such as Invite and messaging during mobile conference

4. Qmessage(FREE) – simple and easy messaging and group chat solution, supports message while talking

The best part is, you can play RouletteQ everyday to increase your chances of winning a prize!

Good Luck! ;)

You may also wish to check out more deals on Qoo10's Facebook Page !

Mad Men Swinging Sixties Outfit & OMY Singapore Blog Awards 2013

Sunday, June 02, 2013

Femininity, grace and decorum. These three words pretty much sum up what the Mad Men style, or 60s style, is all about. Characterized by a ladylike aesthetic and restraint, the razor sharp tailoring and polished silhouettes are unrivaled in this day and age, which is why designs conceived during the 60s often remain timeless classics that never go out of style.

A distinctive feature of the dresses that belong to that era is the A-line skirt with a fitted waist. I love it because it flatters most body types, given its unique ability to accentuate your curves while camouflaging unsightly bulges. No wonder everyone is so smitten with the dresses on Mad Men.

If you love vintage dresses as much as I do, you have to visit Dustbunny Vintage. Of late, I also spotted a couple of vintage-inspired dresses at high street fashion brand, Miss Selfridge and to say that I have been obsessed with its collection of sweet, girly apparel is probably a huge understatement.

One of the sweetest vintage inspired dresses that I bagged from Miss Selfridge recently is this gorgeous mint number sprinkled with pink flowers. Unlike its vintage counterparts which usually extend beyond knee length, this pretty little dress is shorter and thus more current.

Dress from Miss Selfridge

Carla Pumps from Salvatore Ferragamo

I especially adore the smaller cutting that Miss Selfridge offers, which caters to petite girls. I can find clothes in UK Size 4 over here and they fit me perfectly without any alteration.

Do you remember my earlier post on my Alice in Wonderland book clutch by MyJotterBook? Well, here's another book clutch that I got from them. This, in my opinion, is my best buy as its aged appearance gives it character and enhances its versatility. Wardrobe decisions are a breeze as it goes with practically everything.

Lolita Book Clutch from MyJotterBook

Vintage inspired ring from Diva

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OMY Singapore Blog Awards 2013

I've always been a fan of 60s fashion, and coincidentally, the 60s is also the theme for OMY's Singapore Blog Awards 2013. :)

I registered my blog for 4 categories this year, and was pleasantly surprised to be nominated as a finalist for 2 categories!

1) Levi's Best Fashion Blog (Main Category)

2) Qoo10 Best Online Shopping Blog

I would like to thank each and every one of you for reading my humble blog throughout the years. I feel really honoured that my efforts and contributions in this little space of mine has been recognized, but more importantly, I'm extremely appreciative of readers like you who have been showing your support through encouraging emails and facebook messages. Without you, I wouldn't have had the tenacity and resilience to keep this blog going for such a long time. :)

I hope that you will continue to support Shopping Queen's Haven (Regina Chow) by voting for me at the Singapore Blog Awards. Voting contributes to 30% of my total score, while the remaining 70% will depend on how impressed the judges are with my blog.

In line with the 60s theme and the 2 categories that I've been nominated for, you will be seeing more shopping and fashion posts in the coming weeks as well!

To vote, just register at http://sgblogawards.omy.sg/2013/register/

You can vote for me once everyday under both categories!

Thank you once again for your support!