Fashion

I think the title is as about straight to the point as it can get. And if you have been following me on twitter (@renzze) or instagram or Facebook then this is probably not very new news to you but I thought I ought to blog about it in case you couldn’t recognize me and say hi if you bumped into me on the streets. ( Seriously, that has happened to me a lot lately and people have to look twice to make sure it’s me!)

Well, I cut my hair short. I woke up one morning on Labour Day and decided on a whim that I needed a new look, marched myself to the salon and asked my stylist to chop it all off. No one knew I wanted to cut my hair short, I didn’t even know it myself! In fact, just 2 days before my sudden impulsion, I just bought a new hair clip to bun up my long hair while shopping with Regina!

A girl’s hair is her crowning glory and it’s always been said that a drastic change like this must have been brought about by an immense push, be it a change of lifestyle, a bad breakup, a new move, death in the family and so on. Honestly, I don’t know exactly what compelled me to chop my hair off. Just last year the thought of cutting off my hair totally scared me and  yet this time I didn’t think twice! Either way I wasn’t upset when I went to cut my hair, I just knew I’ll go through with it.

It was only when I was sitting in the salon chair that I notified some of my gfs about what I was about to do. Every single one of them said Nooooooooooo! LOL!

My hairstylist measured my hair which is at my hips when straightened, made sure I knew what I wanted. She then tied a rubberband and with one swift motion, she clipped off the entire pony tail. I cringed for a second and then it was over. No mourning of any kind as my stylist went about snipping my hair to shape.

And here is the end result…

I like my cut! Normally they say you need time to grow into a new haircut but I think my stylist did a great job! However, I do have to admit that I didn’t recognize myself in reflections and mirrors for the first 2 days and even though it’s been 5 days I’m pretty much still dealing with shocked looks from friends and family. Regina met me shortly after my hair cut and as even when I was right in front of her, she couldn’t recognize me till I was about 2 arms length! Others who have seen my instagram pictures of my short hair were a little more prepared but some still take awhile to realize it’s me.

Here’s the comparisons of before and after.

Friends and family who have been with me for years and the men, generally preferred me with my previous long hair. My colleagues, friends that don’t meet me that often and fellow bloggers say they prefer my new look much better. However, a lot of those who prefer me with long hair are changing their sentiments to you look good either way after getting used to my new hair style.

I think the short hair makes me my face looks rounder and my hair has more volume. My hair was dyed ash as well so I probably look a little more trendy then before. Head feels light without the long hair and shampoo consumption is definitely gonna drop. Maintenance of the hair is really easy and no styling is need at all! The only thing to remember is that I can no longer sleep with wet hair because the shape would look all funky when I wake up ( which could be a cool wake-up hair look if I can pull it off).

Feel free to share your thoughts about my new look! And for those who miss me with long hair, the good news is that you’ll still see me posting tons of  photos of me in long hair on my blog because I’m crazily backdated on so many photos and trips that I’ve yet to share with my readers. My blog is not exactly posted in chronological sequence anyways.

PS- Happy Vesak Day!

I wore this outfit out on one of the weekends. The sweet pink jacket with ribbon is sponsored by Global Citizen and I decided to pair it up with floral shorts to give it a nice casual look. I love wearing shorts (especially in the crazy hot and humid Singapore weather) but can only do so on weekends when I don’t have to go to the office.

Floral shorts were bought in Bangkok and sling bag is from Liz Lisa. My favorite part of this outfit actually the hidden unicorn motifs in the inside of the pink Global Citizen jacket. I know it’s kinda silly to like a detail of an outfit that no one notices or even knows but I’m silly like that. It makes me happy! It’s probably the same with pretty underwear where no one knows what you are wearing but somehow if it’s pretty, you’re just happier wearing them then regular plain ones.

Anyways, other than spending some time in the outdoors away from buildings and malls, it’s almost a routine for me to meet up my friends over the weekend. This time I met up with Kelvin, Bernice and their 2 lovely daughters, Arielle and Christelle for dinner.

Christelle’s eyes are huge and she was wearing the pink little dress with hearts that I bought from her even before she was born! She’s such a little cutie-pie. Arielle on the other hand has really blossomed into a pretty little girl. It’s crazy how quickly Bernice’s kids are growing! Soon they will be donning the same uniforms that Bernice and I used to wear for the first 10 years of our schooling life.

I don’t catch up with Kelvin and Bernice as I like because of my busy schedule and their family commitments. So every time we meet up it’s an exchange of little updates on our lives. On this particular day, they have finally found a place they love to call home and will be moving soon! Such a new exciting chapter in their lives and I’m really really happy for them. Especially since they are gonna move a little closer to me then where they are at now. Hopefully that means we’ll have more frequent meetups instead of one every month or so.

Arielle has gotten pretty comfortable with me though she still quite shy around strangers. I’m glad to see her so well adjusted to her new sibling. Looking forward to see them again soon! *hugs*

About a month ago, I attended a workshop that was hosted by Blackmores and Watsons to learn more about Blackmores Radiance. In a nutshell, Blackmores Radiance is a skin supplement that provides 24 hours of internal intensive nourishment to keep your skin healthy, hydrated and firm. In short, beautiful skin. I’m not exactly new to the idea of supplements for good skin and Blackmore’s formula is pretty comprehensive! Other than antioxidants such as such as vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, lutein and lycopene; it also includes Collagen-protein extract, Coenzyme Q10, and some herbs. All of which will help to protect your skin against aging, enhance skin elasticity and reduce fine lines.

I’ve personally been taking the supplements for awhile now. Although it states on the packaging that you have to consume for a minimum of 12 weeks to notice improvement, I believe that if you are very observant, you actually notice the difference sooner. I am normally not very consistant with any sort of supplements intake but not this time. I had  just came back from my Europe trip with dehydrated skin that had started producing small bumps that threatened to give me a full on breakout. It propelled me to be really consistant with my 2 pills a day Blackmores Radiance supplement. They consist of a day pill (dark green) and a night pill (light green). After 2 weeks, my skin just cleared without any hint of breakouts!

My skin is very sensitive and I do not wear any foundation on my daily routine. However, recently I attended the Queen Elizabeth II Cup by the Singapore Turf Club recently and wore foundation to the event since I wanted to be a little more glamourous. The next day, small pimples started appearing on my forehead! I pretty much expected that to happen and was prepared to slather on lots of soothing cream for the onslaught of skin sensitivity caused by the foundation. Surprisingly, the skin didn’t turn red and the pimples never grew any bigger. In fact, the whole situation is somewhat under control and the pimples are receding. I haven’t changed facial products so I believe that the change must have originated from taking the supplements. While it doesn’t promises miracles, it does keep your skin in check and increases hydration.

Back to the workshop. There were quite a few bloggers, most of them beauty experts and some of them you’ll probably recognize.  We all had a fantastic time at the event where we were given the opportunity to learn how to cook some simple dishes that were packed with antioxidants, just like the Blackmore Radiance!

The first dish was vietnamese spring rolls! Yummy and pretty fun to make. You get to decide what goes in and how much of each. I especially loved the special peanut sauce that we learnt to make as an accompaniment to the spring roll.

Main dish was baked salmon with lots of colorful vegetables. Gorgeous dish with lots of omega 3 and antioxidants! Baking fish is not exactly a new dish for me but I learnt a new technique of how to wrap each fish in a “curry puff” style before putting it in the oven to bake so that it retains its moisture.

Dessert was a simple to make but oh-so-tasty berry yogurt trifle. It’s so simple to prepare and looks amazing. I definitely gained a lot from that workshop that day. Knowing and learning how to prepare good healthy food for my skin and getting myself set for great skin with Blackmores Radiance supplements.

If you want to give the Blackmores Radiance supplements a try, it’s available at Watsons stores. As a pre-warning, it’s not cheap but if you’ve been battling with problem skin, this may just be your answer.

I love trying out new experiences especially when it involves de-stressing, traveling or gourmet food! One weekend we headed to The Sentosa Resort and Spa Hotel for just that! We decided to give their “Dine around dinner adventure” a go as well. As put in their words “ The Dine Around Dinner Adventure is an ingenious dining concept at The Sentosa where fine gastronomy is combined with distinct surroundings to leave you with an unforgettable experience.”

Our first stop was champagne and some teaser dishes at The Pavillion. Relaxing little bar area in between 2 swimming pools with fountains running across nearby and a pianist filling the air with soft compositions. It was a great start!

When we got bored of The Pavillion, they sent for the buggy to come fetch us to our next restaurant, “The Garden”. This one is probably my favorite of them all. I’m attracted to the wide open kitchen, the bright clean decor, high ceilings and the most amazing thing, a real live tree grown in the middle of the restaurant! It’s probably not the most romantic ambiance but I never had an immense love for dark “romantic” restaurants anyways. I actually much prefer seeing my food with all it’s gorgeous mix of colors in a cosy well-lit ambiance.

Everything tasted so good and so healthy! My favorite dish is also one of their signature dishes. Comprising bright shades of red from the watermelon, strawberry and cherry tomato, the Compressed Watermelon tastes as light and refreshing as it looks. The lovely crunch of the fruits coupled with the sweetness of the goat cheese, and cold burst of flavour from the red wine sangria granita, make this an excellent starter. Close friends always joke how I love anything watermelon, which is not entirely untrue but I’ve never though of this awesome combination of tastes and texture!

When we were done, the golf cart buggy came along to pick us for our final restaurant. The Cliff is reputed to be one of Singapore’s finest restaurants. As quoted from their website, “ Designed by famed Japanese designer, Yasuhiro Koichi, The Cliff at The Sentosa is a top restaurant in Singapore that sets new standards in the culinary arts. Perched on a cliff overlooking the South China Sea, it features a show kitchen, cascading water features and a split-level platform built over lush jungle. The Cliff restaurant is an alfresco haven for connoisseurs of exquisite seafood and fine wines.”

My personal thoughts of the place? Well, I really love the idea of a restaurant on a cliff but I wish I was there earlier so I could catch the sunset from that vantage. It was already pretty dark by the time I started my dining experience at The Cliff so it felt more like it being a giant tree house perched high and in the middle of a rainforest. Which is a totally different feel but still wonderful and relaxing. This is the romantic restaurant ambiance that most people are looking for when they wanna bring their date to celebrate a special occasion. The feeling that you have your own secret little corner with a touch of personalized service from the staff there. I love the cosiness but I wish I had more light to see the contrasting colors on my food… I’m a super unromantic date right!

They are supposed to be really good for their fresh seafood but I’ve got my allergies to all seafood except fish. That aside, almost everything we ordered was cooked to perfection! Just see that healthy pink hue on my lamb! We had the 2 signature desserts, The Cliff lemon tart and Textures of Peach. The Cliff lemon tart is not really a tart in it’s traditional sense but textures of lemon, gin and tonic jelly, tonka bean ice cream, yuzu sorbet, holunderbluten syrup while Textures of Peach was recommended to cleanse the palate and refresh the soul! The peaches came in liquid, crisps, frozen and a couple more different textures that didn’t feel like I was having peaches at all. Both desserts are supposed to be paired with wines for the best combination of tastes but since I was driving back after dinner, I skipped ending the night with alcohol.

Here is what I wore for dinner. The mesh tunic which I paired with black shorts is sponsored by Global Citizen. Decided to add splashes of red to highlight the outfit

Sharing you the instagram collective from March 2012.

Taking the dogs for their Sunday adventure.

At the infinity pool of the oasia hotel #oasiahotel

An apple a day… Or maybe more! #oasiahotel

Good Day Singapore #oasiahotel

Having my nails done. What a royal escape from the city at #oasiahotel

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Lounging at the pool… Gonna get in soon #oasiahotel

Sunday Lunch!

Vegan ice-cream! Didn’t know healthy could taste so good! #marchphoto #foodporn#instagram @aphroditechic

Made Vietnamese spring rolls yesterday with @watsonssg @sugar7733 @euniqyou@cookyn @reneoct @hollyjean @moonberry @sunkisstiffy @yongwei318 @luvverlyn

My salmon fish ready to be oven baked! @watsonsg

Never knew that cold wild rice can be so yums! @watsonssg

This pork is delicious! Stewed for 2 hours in sake! @watsonssg

Love how easy this dessert is! I’m definitely going to make it again! @watsonsg@euniqyou @sugar7733

A little piece of heaven @watsonssg @cookyn

Tea at TCC #foodporn #marchphoto

Pizza dinner at sebby’s new place

Dinner here again recently

Gonna pack this along for my trip! #marchphoto #instagram @watsonssg@blackmores

Lunch with @reginachow_sg #instagram #marchphoto #foodporn #sinful

One of my desserts at dinner yesterday with @sushiwu and @jolene. If only my girlies can come along with me! #foodporn #marchphoto #pscafe #friends

@sushi came to see me off! #vacation #marchphoto #friends #airport

In Luzern! In love with the weather here! #marchphoto #switzerland #travel

#chapelbridge in #lucern … Seems that I always end up here when in #switzerland#marchphoto #travel

Best #thaifood in #zurich #switzerland #travel #marchphoto

Frozen on the top of Europe #marchphoto #switzerland #travel

Good morning #switzerland I’m gonna miss you. #marchphoto #marchphoto

In #amsterdam ! #travel #marchphoto

At the largest train station in #netherlands #marchphoto #trav

Inspired and bought a copy of #annefrank diary at the place she hid to re-read. The last time I read it I was 13! #amsterdam #travel #marchphoto

They have curry sauce in #macdonalds #netherlands ! #marchphoto #travel #foodporn#instagram

In #hilversum which is a suburban town. And #amsterdam ‘s media centre. #travel#marchphoto #instagram

Overdose of my favourite #pancakes #amsterdam #marchphoto #foodporn #travel#instagram

#vermeer has gorgeous #paintings! After seeing most of his works, he’s now one of my favourite #artist #delft #netherlands #marchphoto #travel #instagram

So many gorgeous #flowers and they are really huge! #netherlands #marchphoto#travel #instagram #keukenhof

The #flowers at #keukenhof are so gorgeous that they seem almost fake in photos!#netherlands #marchphoto #instagram #travel

I’m not doing this today. Someone else is… #amsterdam #coffeeshop #marchphoto#travels

#vangogh does nature much better than he does humans. I love his almond blossoms! #art #painting #musuems #amsterdam #travels #marchphoto #instagram

So serene. #vangogh #art #painting #marchphoto #travels #amsterdam #instagram

The man himself! #vangogh #amsterdam #travels #art #painting #marchphoto

What’s #holland without #windmills ? #travels #marchphoto #instagram

Freshest fish and chips ever! #holland #marchphoto #travels #instgram #foodporn

Learning how wooden #clogs are made. #holland #travels #instgram

Baked goodies at the Scottish farmers market. #scotland #travels #marchphoto#foodporn #instagram

#edinburgh #castle is just a stone’s throw from my hotel #scotland #marchphoto#travels #instagram

In case you haven’t heard, the Singapore Turf Club will be having their Queen Elizabeth II Cup this Friday, 27th April, 2012! Promising a night of exciting horse racing, glamour, great food and fabulous prizes, this event has already been all sold out! However, I may be bringing a reader as my plus one for this event so if you want to dress up and share in this night of glitz then drop me a comment or email me

As an invited guest to this event, I was asked by the Singapore Turf Club to help design a race hat that would be auctioned off by them for charity. The proceeds from the auction will be going to Club Rainbow, a registered charity committed to helping children and youths suffering from a range of chronic and potentially life-threatening illnesses.

Regina, Eunice and I blocked off time in our busy calendar to get together for a design and crafting session ( Gotta love these 2 girls!). I mostly re-used charms and parts from my old jewelry and added some imagination. The highlight of the hat I created is in the details. I love all the little charms from the letter R for Renzze to the hear shaped cameo sewn in on the ribbon, it’s very much a Renzze design. In fact, I love the hat and was tempted to keep it! But it will be going to a much better and greater cause.

The whole hat design is a little more stylized than sweet especially after I slightly altered the shape of the hat. It’ll go great with a long gown but be just as stylish when paired with a well-cut modern pant suit. The versatility and uniqueness (there’s only one of it in the world!) is what I prize in this hat. I don’t think I’m good enough to be a milliner and design is not my forte but I did put in a labour of love for this piece. Do tell me what you think of it

Celeste, Johannes, Xaiver and new born Aurora flew back to Singapore from Finland for a short visit.  Thats a crazily long trip for an entire family especially for little Aurora but they somehow made it! I had been very busy with work and was unable to meet them on several occasions but managed to finally squeeze time late one night to do a mini Swensons birthday celebration for Xavier.

While shopping for Xaiver’s birthday pressent, I came across this cute sparkly Japanese Minni Mouse baby rattle with a heart shaped handle and I immediately bought it for Baby Aurora. It’s so pretty it’s just fit for a little princess! Since it was all wrapped up, I initially gave that to Xaiver and told him it was his birthday present. He was so unhappy and crestfallen when he opened his present that it reminded me of the kids featured in Jimmy Kimmel’s ‘ I gave my kid a terrible present’ Youtube challenge! And if you haven’t seen what that’s all about, you oughta click the link cause it’s hilarious!

Of course we did give him his real present eventually and when he opened the box to see that it was the exact Nerf Gun model he was begging his parents to buy him a week ago, his face was once again priceless! I had no idea that was his dream gift at all, it just so happens that I bought it cause it looked like a really cool gift for a little boy.

It was nice catching up with the whole family and amazingly, despite them living in Finland (which is probably as far away from Singapore as you can get), I actually managed to celebrate Xaiver’s birthday with him for 3 years in a row. 2010 in Thailand, 2011 in Finland and 2012 in Singapore. Well, I hope he had a really good birthday with the multitudes of presents and celebrations he had this year and maybe fate will arrange it such that I’ll see him again next year.

I’ll sign off with my outfit of that day. It’s basically a simple outfit I wore to work before meeting the family up late at night.