Regina Chow - Singapore Fashion, Beauty, Lifestyle & Travel Blog: singapore blog awards

Fashion Fridays: Derby Themed Outfit for Singapore Blog Awards 2014

Friday, August 22, 2014

As promised, today's edition of Fashion Fridays is all about my outfit for the recently concluded Singapore Blog Awards 2014. The theme for the event was derby, or anything with horses. I had initially planned to pair my fascinator with a cocktail dress but I eventually decided to go with a Valentino inspired full lace romper as I had a lunch appointment thereafter and I didn't want to look out of place.

I love how this romantic number from Ching exudes a touch of femininity and elegance. The intricate lace details and the trail of bows sprinkled down the back of the romper completely stole my heart. I also adore the long lace sleeves with scallop trimmings as they balance out the shorter hemlines, elevating the overall look to one that effortlessly transitions from casual to semi-formal in the blink of an eye.

I needed a break from my sky high heels, and in times like this, I always turn to wedges for comfort without compromising on style.

I have featured this glamorous bling wedges from Pazzion on a number of occasions previously. Metallic hues like gold and silver are always a breeze to work with because they go with practically anything and everything. They are a must-have addition to any wardrobe thanks to their unrivaled versatility. Moreover, the lovely rhinestones on this pair also add a little sparkle to the ensemble, which is perfect for special events and functions.

Lace Romper from Ching (Far East Plaza)

Fascinator from Sydney flea market

Accessories from Chanel

Shoes from Pazzion

Clutch from Karen (it was a Christmas gift!)

I completed the look with a whimsical pony clutch, which was a Christmas gift from Karen. We share similar tastes in fashion and she never fails to pick out the loveliest gifts.

This cute little clutch bears a striking resemblance to a wooden rocking horse that was once my favourite toy and I love how it evokes a sense of childlike wonder and nostalgia by bringing back fond memories of my childhood.

Have a great weekend ahead! I am making a trip to Malacca this weekend for a tour of Julie's Biscuit factory. For real time updates and to find out what else I am up to, do follow my instagram account @reginachow_sg !

Singapore Blog Awards 2014: Best Fashion Blog Winner

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

I attended the Singapore Blog Awards 2014 Ceremony at Scape last Saturday as a nominee for the Best Fashion Blog category and to my utter amazement, I won! I really wasn't expecting to win this year as time wasn't on my side and I was too preoccupied with several ongoing commitments to rally for votes, so this truly came as a surprise. A very pleasant surprise too, if I may add. To say that it was surreal would be a huge understatement.

Words alone can't express how grateful I am to everyone for your continued support towards this humble space of mine, especially those of you who voted for me everyday. You know who you are.

I would also like to thank my hubby, JW, for taking all my OOTD photographs. He may be behind the scenes most of the time, but he has always played a critical role in the development of my blog, be it in terms of photography or even just providing a sounding board for new ideas, so in many ways, this award belongs to him too! Given that fitness is increasingly becoming an integral part of my life (in addition to fashion), JW, who is a fitness enthusiast and rockclimbing addict, will also be assuming a more active role on my blog by providing fitness tips on a regular basis. Do keep your eyes peeled for more updates from him!

It was an honour to receive the award from Ms Sim Ann, Minister of State, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Communications and Information, who also happens to be my ex-classmate. We both took a translation and interpretation course many years back and it has been some time since we last met. Fate works in mysterious ways, and it was wonderful to be able to catch up with her. Coincidentally, we were both in feminine lace outfits too.

The night before the awards ceremony, my blogger friend, Grace, who is fond of interviewing people from all walks of life, threw me a question.

If you know you did better than the winner, but yet you were not chosen as the winner, how do you deal with the outcome? How do you deal with failure?

Perhaps I could start off with my definition of success. Happiness is my definition of success in life. I enjoy writing and my blog is purely borne out of a desire to share my passion for fashion, beauty and travel. Writing, styling and photography form the root of my happiness as they allow my creative juices to flow and make me feel alive.

It is absolutely gratifying to be able to do what I like and to know that there are people out there who read my blog and appreciate what I do. At the end of the day, the outcome of the competition does not affect my happiness level, although I cannot deny that being recognized for my efforts is definitely a bonus, and for that, I would like to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart.

Many thanks to my dear friend Rafidah who gamely joined me for the awards ceremony too. I was very touched by her spontaneity as most of my friends (and even JW) prefer not to attend events.

It was a great opportunity for us to catch up as well given that she had just returned from a stint in Dubai. It is always a pleasure to have Rafidah around. Her positive energy is so infectious and she is always very encouraging.

Rafidah & I

There weren't many familiar faces (to me at least) at this year's awards, hence it was pretty comforting to see Smith, who was aptly dressed as a fluffy unicorn, in accordance to the derby/horse theme. Needless to say, he completely stole the limelight at the event. Congrats to him too for winning Best Lifestyle Blog!

That's my bag, by the way. ;) Wasn't it a perfect match for his outfit?

Smith & I

I also made some new friends that day, one of whom was Shirley(first runner-up, Best Cooking Blog) who makes bento sets that look so jaw droppingly beautiful, they are literally works of art. You really have to check out her work on her blog. She is amazing! We have been chatting on instagram for a while and I was so glad I finally got to meet her in person!

Shirley and I

I had a lunch gathering with my university mates after the ceremony and the lovely girls told me that I was mentioned in the news. If you are interested to find out more, here are two media articles for your reference. I have included the links as well, so all you have to do is click on the images below:

http://news.omy.sg/News/Local-News/story20140817-285704

http://news.omy.sg/News/Local-News/story20140816-285675#photo

Thank you once again! More pictures of my outfit will be up this Friday!

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 Online Shopping & My Fashion Buys

Sunday, June 09, 2013

Shopping these days has never been easier. All you need to do is log on to the internet and the world of online shopping is unveiled before your eyes. I cannot begin to express how much I enjoy shopping and retail therapy, to the extent that window shopping alone gives me such immense joy. As with most ladies out there, shopping is one of my favourite pastimes, hence it comes as no surprise that I browse online shops and shopping platforms everyday just to keep abreast of the latest trends and bargains.

One of my favourite online shopping platforms is Qoo10. Previously known as Gmarket, Qoo10 offers a wide assortment of products ranging from fashion apparel, beauty products as well as digital and household items.

At first glance, the vast amount of information on the Qoo10 website may come across as overwhelming, but trust me, the site is actually not all that difficult to navigate and you can easily find the items that you want.

Today, I'm going to share with you how you can easily browse Qoo10's website and hunt down the best shopping deals regardless of what type of shopper you are!

Have you ever thought about what type of shopper you are? Are you the type who knows exactly what you want and just wants to quickly get the job done?

If that rings a bell, then you're the Grab & Go Shopper!

For Grab & Go Shoppers, here are two time-efficient and effective ways for you to go about shopping on Qoo10:

1. Browse by Category

All you have to do is to ascertain the category that the product you are looking for falls under, and click on that in the header.

Browsing by category allows you to see the Bestsellers for that particular category at a glance, which makes it easier for you to make your shopping decisions.

2. Use the Search Function

If you are looking for something even more specific, key in the product in the search function at the top of the Qoo10 website and it'll give you a complete listing of the product.

For illustration purposes, I searched for "iPad mini". Turns out there aren't any ipad minis for sale, but if you're looking for a iPad mini case or screen protector, there are tons for you to choose from!

What about sellers' ratings and reviews? I usually like to check out the seller's past reviews before making a purchase as it gives me peace of mind. ;)

Qoo10 allows buyers to review what they bought, and sellers with higher ratings generally have better reviews and are hence more reliable.

Did you also know that Qoo10 rewards buyers for every review that they submit?

The reward for each review comes in the form of Qstamp. Sometimes, sellers include Qstamp as an added benefit upon purchase as well.

Here's everything you need to know about Qstamp:

What I love about collecting Qstamp is that you can use them to exchange for discount coupons, which can be used upon checkout!

If you love to shop when items are on sale, then you are the Bargain Hunter!

If you just enjoy window-shopping and browsing shopping sites to find out the latest deals and sales promotions, here's how you can do it on Qoo10 too.

1. Today's Sale

Under Today's Sale, you will find two types of sales promotions for the day:

1) Time Sale

Time Sale items change every 6 hourly, and many of the items are heavily marked down, with discounts ranging from 50-90%!

If you are interested in a Time Sale promo, do remember to take note of the time.

2) Daily Deal

Besides Time Sale, Qoo10 also offers Daily Deal, where you can take advantage of discounts throughout the entire day without any time restrictions.

2. Group Buy

Did you know that Qoo10 offers Group Buy too?

To locate the Group Buy icon, just scroll down to the middle of the Qoo10 homepage.

I am sure all Singaporeans are familiar with Group Buy, which is essentially collective buying and a minimum number of buyers is required for the deal to be in effect.

When the "Deal is On", you can say hello to massive discounts!

I hope you have a better idea of how to navigate the Qoo10 website after reading this guide. I will be sharing more on how you can get the best deals and savings in my subsequent posts, so please stay tuned!

Now, it's time to go shopping!!

As a finalist for Qoo10 Best Online Shopping Blog at the Singapore Blog Awards, I was given S$100 credits to go shopping on Qoo10. Thank you Qoo10!

After receiving the credits, I immediately went online to check out the Daily Deals.

The first shop that caught my eye was G Lovely Shop.

G Lovely Shop is also a Bestseller in the Fashion category.

If you're wondering why the interface looks somewhat different, that's because I was using the Qoo10 Mobile App on my iPhone5, which I will share more about in my next few posts. ;)

Now, back to my purchases. Here's what I bought from G Lovely Shop:

Thanks to the Daily Deal offer, there was a S$1 discount for every item that I purchased and the total bill for 5 items was only S$57.90, which works out to be less than S$12 a piece!

I have seen a number of these items selling on blogshops, and was absolutely thrilled that I could get them at a much lower price here on Qoo10.

G Lovely Shop also offers free normal shipping for purchases over S$50. I opted for registered mail instead, and the total shipping came up to just S$2.24 with the co-shipping discount, which I thought was very reasonable.