Mega Sale at Megamall

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The Mid Valley Megamall Mega Sale Carnival 2009 kicked off on Saturday, July 4 and ends on National Day, August 31.

This would be a great time to shop for some of the things you've been saving money on.

There are more than 430 stores and 23 anchors at the mall so you will never run out of shopping spots to grab the best bargains.

If what the Megamall offers isn't enough for you, try crossing over to The Gardens Mall where another 200 stores await.

To make your shopping experience less disorganised grab The Starter Pack, which can be found on Level 1. Inside you will find loads of discounts and the various promotions available from the different stores.

If you have an HSBC credit card you can charge your shopping on the card and get extra reward points. The final reward for spending your money at the sale is to get yourself some great returns in the form of cash rewards and F&B vouchers worth over RM150,000, if you're lucky that is.

Before you can try your luck here you will of course have to be able to produce a shopping bill with a minimal RM250 in a single receipt spent in any specialty store. Well, to get some you have to give some they say.

If you're not so lucky you might end up with just memo pads and monster key charms instead. HSBC cardholders enjoy a slightly better offer as there are a bit more shopping options for you. Check it out with HSBC.

Although this sale is on until National Day, The Home and Furnishing Fair, which coincides with the sale (Aug 5 to 16) offers a series of home makeover tips and several other related promotions.

If you need more details, please contact the Info Counter at 03 2938 2222 from 10am to 10pm daily.

Be my Diva

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I simply love costume jewelry but growing up in a very orthodox family means I get puzzled stares all the time from female family members who skimp and save to buy that tiny diamond earring.

Over the years I have developed a couldn’t-care-less attitude towards their persistent question of: why do you spend so much money on something that can’t be turned into an investment?

In the past, costume jewelries were seen as cheap fakes that women wore once or twice before the jewelries were disposed off. Most times these pieces served as adornments to match a particular outfit.

Traditional Malay brides especially love piling on costume jewelries to match their traditional wedding dress. However, if you have a mother like mine, chances are you’d be dragging your way to the wedding dais with tons of gold necklaces and bangles and earrings and brooches, which I really detests.   

So much have changed over the years and costume jewelry is now regarded highly among the fashion affluent. Materials used in making these jewelries have also improved tremendously that sometimes you are amazed at the price tag that goes with each item.

Check out the endless selections of necklaces.

One of my favourite stores for costume jewelries is Diva because it has so many different styles and designs for every category like necklaces, bangles, earrings and even rings.

There are several Diva outlets in Malaysia and Singapore and the ones in Malaysia are mainly in the shopping malls.

Diva also has a website, which is updated regularly so customers get the latest news on its latest arrivals.

Colourful and classy style bangles.

Diva started as DCK Concessions, and after 20 years it is now one of the world’s leading fashion jewelry retailers operating at 3,452 concession outlets across 22 countries worldwide. DCK Concessions also have the largest design, sourcing and buying team for fashion jewelry worldwide.

The business then expanded to Australia through the collaboration between DCK Concessions UK and Brett Blundy from Brazin Ltd who also run the successful HMV and Virgin Entertainment among others.

Earrings, earrings and more earrings!

In April 2003 DCK Australia Pty Ltd opened the first Diva store in the Imperial Arcade, Sydney, Australia. By Christmas 2004 59 Diva stores were up and running. By Christmas 2005 there were already more than 100 Diva stores throughout Australia and New Zealand. This rapid growth makes Diva the fastest growing fashion brand in Australia.

So if you’re looking for some real classy costume jewelries to jazz up your look, take a peek at what Diva has in store. Prices are reasonable but if you’re looking for bargains, shop during the sales. If you have a keen eye on matching your accessories, even last season’s collection could look like the latest arrivals.

Happy shopping!

Designer fragrance

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It looks like I’m a little bit late in highlighting a special Father’s Day gift from Avon as I have been bedridden lately. Anyway, there must be some of us who buy presents for dad even if it’s not Father’s Day, right? I do.

There is one special gift that you might consider getting. It’s the latest fragrance for men from Avon, Christian Lacroix Noir created exclusively for Avon by world famous fashion designer Christian Lacroix. The first of this collaboration is the Christian Lacroix Rouge.

The fragrance is packaged in a small black bottle with a rectangular top. Black is one of the signature colours of the house of Lacroix and the design of the bottle was inspired by an ornate bull fighting cape the designer received as a gift.

Christian Lacroix Noir is a Fougere Woody fragrance with top notes of fresh ginger and saffron extract, heart: cardamom and textured orris and base notes of vetiver, driftwood and white cedarwood.

The fragrance is priced at RM109 (RM125.35 for Sabah and Sarawak). There is also the Christian Lacroix Father’s Day gift set consisting of 200ml shower gel, 100ml After Shave Conditioner and a 75ml Eau de Toilette Spray. Products are available at all Avon Beauty Boutiques and Avon dealers nationwide.

Bravo to local talents!

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Just a short post today on homegrown fashion label osixnine, which specializes in stylish street-wear. Designs and colours are bold and bright, just great for those who love to stand out in the crowd.

Make your own fashion statement with osixnine's bold-print t-shirts.

Osixnine entered the local fashion scene in 2006 as an online store but is now operating from its boutique in Subang Jaya.

Some great ideas on dressing up with osixnine's collection.

The company was started by two sisters who are into music, graphic designs and anything DIY.

Clothes from osixnine and shoes (foreground) from Bulu-Bulu.

Osixnine’s collection was showcased at London’s 2008 Tradeshow Streetwear.

These images were taken during their event held at Urbannattic, Capsquare KL.

The shoe collection is from anothe homegrown fashion label Bulu-Bulu.

Animal instinct

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Here’s a quick post on Bebe’s Spring Summer 2009 Collection before I scoot off to bed after a straight 24-hour vigil last night.

So is it the call-of-the-wild for Bebe as well this season? It’s all about animal prints of late and I have seen some catchy looking prints in the clothes stores around town. In fact I do have two or three pieces myself.

Babe’s recent launch of its Spring Summer 2009 Collection was all about Safari Chic and flower power. While the cheetah is a favorite choice done in simple black and white or cream, the floral prints are making a bolder statement with bright colours such as Sunkist Coral and Lollilop Pink.

Material used are high quality silk, knit stretch satin and rich jersey.

What I have featured here is just part of the collection. To have a better idea on what’s in store, well, you know what to do – Go Shopping!

No junk in this warehouse

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What is there not to like about Warehouse’s Spring/summer 2009 Collection. Some of the designs are ridiculous but most are fun. It all actually depends on how you put them together according to the occasion.

For something cool and casual and yet hip enough to take to the dance floor is this gray and black number. Don’t you just love the fringe on the bodice of the blouse? I would say this is a must-have for any girl. For a day out shopping match the look with simple flats. If you need to attend a semi-formal event, put on a pair of sleek boots and if it’s cocktail you’re talking about, stiletto will complete that glam look. And what else would look good on it? Like they say, accessorize, accessorize, accessorize.

My favourite - real class in big doses.

For the next selection let’s move on to something bright, a little crazy but will surely make you a real stand-out, in a positive way of course.

[Photo A] Purple, blue and shades of pink – now, dare you wear this? A little OTT but if you know how to carry it off you bet all heads will turn as you walk pass. Balance the ensemble with clever choice of bangles and beaded necklace. A stunner!

So bright and beautifully fun.

[Photo B] I’m not too keen on the shiny blue fabric belt or the long sleeve but for a one-off wear I will drop any other selection and go for it!

[Photo C] Let me tell you something about this outfit. The whole ensemble looks stunning because it’s a model wearing them. So please don’t be fooled. The dress is on the “bright” side but we have seen many similar colours in the stores this year so why not, even if you don't look like a model. After all, life’s too short to be so serious. A piece of advice here; maybe you can drop the shawl around the waist or wear something that’s not too wide. As for all those accessories around the neck, throw away some. You don’t want to have an aching neck at the end of the day.

Play it right with safe colours.

And, our last selection features different designs in colours we will always love, the safe colours that will never let us down, no matter how bad we are at putting the pieces together. There’s a lot of everything here and if you still don’t know what to shop for when your pay check arrive, you can take me shopping with you!

Bag to the 80s

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A friend of mine often told me that I’m a “handbag” person. I do hope she was really talking about that beautiful item that swings on many a woman’s arm, otherwise…  

Well, anyway, if she was referring to handbags, yes I love them. But, as is the tragic story of my life, I have stopped “handbag shopping” due to the lack of proper storage areas in my house. These days I keep to the basics and of course leather is preferred because any other material besides that will just end up damaged due to the humidity in that little apartment of mine.

Hip and happening?

Again, as some of my closest of close friends know, I am not big on designer brands but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t buy one that I like. What I often look out for in a handbag would be design (the simpler the better), quality versus value/price and functionality.

Although it’s the basic stuff that gets me interested I do wonder at times if something a little more extravagant would make me look ultra cool?

This year we get to travel back to the 80s and indulge in fashion from the era. There’s a whole lot of great looks from all the different departments and more is never enough!

Kipling for one has recently come out with three range of handbags – Basic, If and Hip - that epitomize the fashion of the 80s.

The Basic Collection.

The Hip selection is all about vibrancy. Think Tutti Frutti and you will straightaway have a clear image of these fun bags. Arlene and Ethel  make a good choice if you need something small to match your party outfit. If you need practical wallets then there is Birte whereas something of a larger size to keep all the important things you need at hand would definitely be Fara. The designs from the Hip collection feature lots of zips and pockets and the funky metallic monkey clip.

If you love simple colours for your handbags then Basic has a good selection of whites, pinks and blues. The jazzy blue Kyna is Kipling’s take on the classic
swimming bags of the 80s. It’s practical and multi-functional. Sling it over your shoulder and you can take it to an event, shopping and even to the gym.

Also from the Basic range are Uki, an envelope bag, and Alvar, a zipper bag that serves as a shoulder or a crossover bag. These bags come in classic blue, black, red, pink as well as white.

Now that you’ve seen Hip and Basic the last range would be If, which sadly I have not received any images of. But if you check Kipling’s official website you might agree with me that the animal prints undeniably do magic to us women.

Maximum look

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Today I'm going to look at some of the collection from a homegrown fashion label Le Ann Maxima, which launched its first flagship store recently.

Having missed the event my PR friend sent me a whole bunch of images of the clothes showcased on the day. I saw several nice pieces in there that would look good in my wardrobe so I do plan to drop by its store in Jaya One, Petaling Jaya the next time I'm home in KL.

My favourite - something I wouldn't hesitate to have in my collection.

Abstract and animal-like prints seem a hot choice in the label's collection but I personally feel some were a little too much in-the-face. I love animal and abstract prints but because they are so bold and easily attract attention you have to know how to put the pieces together so you don't end up looking OTT (Over The Top).

One of the best ways to market a new brand is of course by having lots of celebrities at the event. Le Ann Maxima's event was no exception. Some of you who were there might say it's the same face again and again but if these faces sell then I say why not?

Belinda (centre) and the four other white pieces from the label chosen by celebs and model.

My favourite, Belinda Chee was one of the celebrity guests who attended and why she is my favourite is because she never go for overkill in her clothes selection. At the event Belinda was seen in a simple white shift dress from the label,which complements her hairstyle and make-up for the day.

Easy Breezy and Tribal Ethnic were the themes for the label's latest collections. Easy Breeze, as the name suggests, is all about pastel colours on lightweight cotton and chiffon. Tribal Ethnic meanwhile indulges in bold colours and asymmetrical prints reflectng cultural diversity. While I salute the ideas, I can't for the life of me imagine myself wearing the beaded necklace with the moose pendant.

There are plans says Le Ann Maxima's general manager, Ivan Poon, to rope in local designers to collaborate with the label on future designs.

Le Ann Maxima regards itself as a trendy, ready-to-wear high street clothing boutique that boasts elegant flair.

Oh, for spider-like eyes

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I was in MidValley KL with my partner a few weeks back when suddenly a youngish salesgirl jumped in-front of me batting her eyelids. Because she was smaller sized than me all I saw was her left eye, which was almost in my face.

I actually jumped in fright because I thought a spider was on her eyelashes. “What’s that?” I screamed. “That” happened to be the girl’s eyelashes, which she must have painstakingly “worked it” with a brand of mascara she was promoting.

She said: “Want to try this mascara? See how much longer my eyelashes are using it?”

I quickly replied: “No thank you if I’m going to look like that and frighten the life out of everyone!”

There are so many types of mascaras in the market today and so much more new technologies involved in making them. And, it is such a trend too these days to use mascara day or night.

More recent news on mascaras comes from L’Oreal Paris and Maybelline. While L’Oreal won an award for its Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara, Maybelline will be launching its Vibrating Mascara in July. The vibrating mascara intrigues me. It seems that the mascara gives out 7000 vibrations per minute and this helps give your lashes added volume and length. Wow, I will need to check that one out!

Avon's Uplifting Mascara with bendable brush.

However, what I have with me currently is Avon’s Uplifting Mascara that features a bendable brush, which Avon claims to be the world’s first and only. So has anyone out there see anything similar to dispute this claim?

The brush flexes to 45 degrees. If you use the brush straight it will give you 75% more length but if you bend it then you get 100% more lift. It is smudge- and clump –proof and it comes in black and brown.

While I’m not a mascara person I do use it occasionally, that is when I have to attend functions that require me to have a more polished look. And, I think wearing mascara is all about that – looking polished and chic and classy – and not just having a black blotch of sticky mass that seems glued to the eyes.

Applying mascara also needs a certain amount of skill so getting the right mascara that is easy to apply would be a good idea.

Enjoy your mascara but wear it right or you will end up like the salesgirl who almost frightened the daylights out of me.

Pump up the party

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Puma seems to be going all out in its promotional campaigns, coming up with various interesting activities that helped keep KLites happy despite the depressing economic situation.

Phat-Fabes (L) and Joanne Kam (R) are among the fun people at Puma's events.

After its successful Puma Furio Party, which was also in conjunction with its 10th Anniversary, Puma followed the momentum with its much talked-about Fast & Furious-Urban Racer Party, which was predicted to attract dozens of race car enthusiasts to The Curve in Mutiara Damansara, Petaling Jaya.

The Fast & Furious-Urban Racer Party is a tie-up with the movie itself, in which the Puma Urban Racer shoe was featured. It was specially designed for the film’s
action-packed scenes and worn by lead actor Paul Walker who played Brian O’Conner. The Urban Racer, which retails at RM369 will be available in the market
next month.

Celebrities rule at Puma's event.

Prior to the event, Puma, in collaboration with Hitz FM, ran a competition called the Puma Skin Ur Racer contest, which involved the artistic talents of creative drift/urban racer owners. The racers had to design their cars based on a Puma shoe model and 10 finalists were selected. Each of these 10 finalists received a prize each.

A total of 400 invites were given out and those who came must have been pretty excited as Puma had an impressive line-up of celebrity ambassadors like singer Fauziah Latiff, Leona Chin, TV hosts Belinda Chee and Xandria Ooi and DJ Daryl B.

Puma's ambasadors have talent, looks and character.

The atmosphere must have felt like a New Year’s Eve celebration as Puma were giving away tons of goodies from its Motorsport merchandise. More fun was in store when the Laundry Bar came alive with a special fashion showcase on Puma’s Motorsport merchandise.

What else was going on at the event? Breakdance and hip hop performances, tattoo artists at work, big cash prizes and many of Puma’s exclusive items like the limited Edition Michael Schumacher shoe and a trip for two to the Ferrari Factory in Maranello, Italy for prizes.

Wonder who went home grinning?