Extraterrestrial

I have come to the most fun and anticipated part of college which is designing my own collection without making them come to life (sometimes you just want to create whatever the heck you want without considering how to actually produce the garment. And it's fun). 

This assignment is called Thematic Collection, and we were supposed to be as creative as we can and create our very own mini fashion collection with our own ideas, without being given a theme, which, you know, everyone was waiting for basically all these entire 3 terms of being in this school. For this assignment we were asked to make some sort of report and a sketchbook which has very minor difference. The only difference I know is in the sketchbook, the actual fabric and zippers are attached to the paper, also the rough sketches of the clothes, whereas in the report, everything is scanned and basically a flat and not bulky version of the sketchbook (and by the way not a little amount of money was spent to print 69 pages of art papers, let me tell you). 

I obviously know very little but I have always been fascinated with the galaxy and every matter that has anything to do with it, so I decided to make a collection based on that theme. We had to choose a fabric that matches the theme, at least one fabric treatment (techniques that are used for fabrics such as printing, beading, dyeing, weaving, or anything we want), color chart, etc. I took inspirations from a space suit hence the voluminous silhouette and the placement of the zippers. I also used different shades of orange which was inspired by the eclipse, and obviously I had to include a dark blue with beadings on top to resemble the night sky. 

I uploaded the whole report on my Behance if you'd like to take a look :-)

One more thing to add, I thought it would just be appropriate to include Logic's track as his album kinda match my collection's theme you know? I have been listening to Logic (I don't know what's up with me and rap music lately) and he is officially my spirit animal. Not only because of his music but also because of his way of speaking and basically just the way he sees things in life i guess? I dunno.. 

Anyway. Enjoy!

Blue Neighbourhood

My brain decided not to be creative enough to come up with an interesting and relevant post title just because my shirt and jeans are blue (still not over Troye Sivan's Album obviously)

I don't think I've ever posted an ootd post? But today was an exception because this unusually good lighting at my school staircase that is often (almost all the time) used as a background to take pictures of ourselves when we're feeling our outfits (ha!)

Lately I've been digging the combination of white tunic and boyfriend/mom jeans. I was gonna wear my white tunic today but I replaced it with this baby blue shirt and my DIY'd mom jeans. What I did was cut the hem and rub my scissors around it. Kinda hard to explain but it's pretty easy to do.

Pictures are taken by Putri Nugreni

Decided to add a bonus content in this post and it is the album I was listening to the whole May. No blog post without music post am I right.

Skincare + Makeup Favorites

This is a little odd coming from someone who never wore makeup but anyway. I have suffered from cystic acne about 3 years. I started getting a lot of cysts in the beginning of high school. I always get really large and red acne which was painful and takes a heck of a long time to disappear, then it takes even longer for the scars. 

I tried (almost) everything I could to get rid of them, or at least reduce the formation of pimples but nothing really seemed to be working out. I tried many different kinds of products on the market that were targeted towards blemished and oily skin. I was using SebaMed acne range and it worked out pretty well for a couple of months but at one point it stopped working. Then I switched my face wash to The Body Shop's Tea Tree facial wash and I loved it. I loved the feeling I got everytime I was finished washing my face but it worked out alright. Didn't prevent gigantic zits from popping out, which I wasn't expecting anyway. 

One time it got to the point where my skin was really bad and I had giant pimples all over my face so I decided to consult a dermatologist and she gave me all these acne medications and they worked really well. My skin cleared up dramatically but I stopped using them after a year. No reason in particular, I just wanted to see if my skin would be doing okay and if it would break out just as less as when I was using those prescription creams. But my skin has been doing good so far without them, which leads me to the main content of this post: My favorite skincare and make up products, or should I say favorite skin stuff??? Which one sounds better? Wow that was a long ass intro. 

Skincare Products

1. Kiehl's Clearly Corrective Skin Brightening Exfoliator

I've had this just sitting on the shelf for a long time. I bought it before I even started my Erha medication and didn't use it ever since. When I ran out of my Erha face wash I decided to try using this product again and see how it would work out on my skin and my skin had never been better. I was breaking out less than before. I had absolutely no idea considering this product is not targeted towards people with acne problems. It is only supposed to make your skin brighter but somehow it helped with my acne and I'm glad I'm back to using it.

2. Kiehl's Blue Herbal Moisturizer

This moisturizer was also just sitting on the shelf along with my Kiehl's scrub, and ever since I ran out of my prescription creams I started using this again to replace those creams. My skin was breaking out less and I think the combination of the scrub and this moisturizer is why my skin is clearer now (note: I did say clearer, it is not completely cleared up. I still have giant pimples here and there but definitely not as worse as when I was in high school). I bought this moisturizer because I received a sample of this and I loved it. This is a gel type moisturizer that sinks into the skin fast and makes my skin feel smooth like nothing else. The only con is the scent, I personally feel like it kinda smells like glue???? Which I don't mind anyway.

Make Up Products

1. Bourjois Air Mat Foundation

My whole I was avoiding using foundation as I have extremely oily skin already, but a few days ago I was interested to purchase a foundation of my own that actually gives me coverage. I was initially going for the healthy skin foundation but the store didn't have it and the lady showed me this foundation, which is a matte foundation and I thought it would be perfect for my oily skin (not that I was hoping it would mattify my skin the whole day, I know no matter what product I use I will always be oily a few minutes after. No joke). Till then I realized the healthy mix had a dewy result which I should probably avoid, that's why I bought the Air Mat Foundation instead. I got the shade 04 - Beige. The texture is very smooth and it really does feel like I'm not wearing any foundation. It doesn't make my skin more oily which is a major plus for me. 

2. Acnes Mentholatum Pressed Powder

I used this before I bought my foundation and it's just an average pressed powder, really. Mine is in the shade lovely pink which I believe is the darkest or second darkest color. It matches my skin tone pretty well and the reason why I like this powder is because it doesn't break me out which is the most important. 

3. LA Girl Pro Concealer & Revlon Colorstay Concealer

I decided not to seperate them because I mix both concealers in order to match my skin tone. I had the Revlon concealer way before I bought my LA Girl concealer and I find that it is too light for my skin, so I bought another concealer online which was LA Girl. It turned out that it was too dark and yellow for my skin so instead buying another concealer that matches my skin, I came up with a solution to mix them both and it works just fine.


4. Silkygirl Precision Sharp Eyeliner Pen

An eyeliner is the one makeup product that I have always been avoiding because I found that it makes me look so much older. But I finally gave it another try and it looks good and I especially like the pen version better than liquid and pencil is because it's easier to apply. It is waterproof but that doesn't mean you can rub your eyes hard especially using water as it will smudge eventually. 

Lip Products

1. Carmex Lip Balm

I love this lip balm because the consistency is very thick which I like because I tend to have really dry lips. As for the scent, I can't really describe anything specific except that it smells sweet. Unfortunately I got this lip balm in Vancouver so I don't know where am I supposed to repurchase it when I use it out (which is pretty soon).

2. NYX Butter Lipstick - Pops Explosif

I recently bought this lipstick cause I was looking for a nude color with a hint of pink so it's not too nude nor too pink and I found the perfect color which is NYX Butter Lipstick. The reason I was looking for this particular color is because I wanted to have something I can put on with any outfit and looks natural but I still look like I'm wearing something on my lips. This lipstick glides smoothly on my lips and the color is quite pigmented and it has a finish that I can't really describe. It's not matte nor it is glossy. I find myself having to reapply after I drink or eat but I don't mind cause I didn't expect much from this lipstick anyway. 

3. Colourpop Ultra Matte Lip - Beeper

This might be my best purchase for lip product in my life as it has a very good quality. It has a matte finish which I always love and color is super pigmented. The texture is very smooth and it dries pretty quickly. It will last you hours even after having meals and drinks and definitely won't come off unless I use a makeup remover. There's nothing really much to say about it except that is makes my lips dry (but not severely dry). Other than that, it is my favorite lip product ever. 

4. NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream - Copenhagen

Surprise, surprise. Another matte lip product. This is a darker shade of red but I the way I like to use it is to apply a thin layer to create more of a pink/purple-ish color with a hint of red instead of the really bold dark red color. But sometimes I would use a think layer so it shows its true shade. This lip cream is quite drying (as most matte lip products are), and it doesn't last as long as the Colourpop Ultra Matte Lip. But still a great color.

Da-Bomber Jacket

Finally finished sewing this bomber jacket after leaving it for weeks, or months? I can't even remember. So happy I got to use this pink fabric. Not really my color but I think I can pull it off?

The collar, cuff and bottom rib of a bomber jacket is supposed to be made of this stretchy ribbing material but because I had no idea where they're sold, I just used this leftover black fabric which I don't even know what it's called, and used it as the collar and the bottom ribbing and it worked out pretty well. The hem is not stretchy, I only gathered it so it would look as if it can strech but really, it can't. The cuffs, however, is stretchy and that is because I used socks. Yes, socks (brand new ones tho). I figured it was necessary for the cuff to be tight and stretchy because that what makes it a bomber jacket, so I had to find a way to make cuffs that look exactly like an actual bomber jacket. I searched on YouTube on how to make stretchy cuffs and I'm so gald I found it.

April 2016 Wish List

Starting May with a wish list post.  I haven't done this type of post in awhile so I decided to post a new one. These are the things that I was obsessing with over the past month and I'm gonna get into the details in clockwise order.

1. Bomber Jacket

I've been seeing bomber jackets in every store lately and because of my obsession with outerwear I figured a nice plain bomber jacket would be a staple piece of mine (but unfortunately haven't got the chance to purchase one. Sigh). This bomber jacket is from River Island with a nice army green color. I prefer black because I can put together any outfit and it'll basically match everything and every color. (ps I'm in the process of making my own bomber jacket but still too lazy to continue doing it. Soon ok. Pretty soon. I hope)

2. Grey hair

This grey hair trend has been everywhere and I think it's such an interesting color. Since I got rid of my ombre hair I want to dye my whole head grey. I know, a little bit too extreme. But if I have the change I'd like to go for a more darker grey with a hint of dark blue. But for now I'd like to keep it black and natural.

3. Liebeskind 'Alissa' Backpack

My obsession with peach is not ending anytime soon (no not the fruit, the color). Peach and backpack specifically. I know some girls prefer wearing handbags over backpacks, but I'm more of a backpack kind of girl. Although most of the time you'll find me wearing my old black handbag (if I'm too lazy too pick an outfit that goes together with a backpack. Which is almost everytime). But often times if I have the opportunity to pull off an outfit wearing a backpack I will wear the backpack. Anyway I was in search of a new bag to replace my old bag that's already peeling off here and there and I came across this new store and fell head over heels right off the bat. Long story short saw this leather bag and thought "I need this in my life" and that's that.


4. Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in 'Amore'

I'm always on the hunt for the perfect lip color and I've always been obsessed with mauve/plum color. I've searched here and there and I couldn't seem to find the perfect lip product with the color that I want and also affordable (no, Stila is not affordable but this is just a wish list, right?!). I tried this on at Sephora and I thought this was the perfect color. But because Stila is more on the pricy side obviously I didn't purchase it. But if there's a dupe or a similar products that does the same thing, I'd definitely like to get my hands on it.

Neoprene Sweater Weather

This neoprene trend has been on the market for a long time now and 

I totally get the hype. Its super soft and fluffy texture, it creates the stiff, bulky, and voluminous construction that makes it very eye catching, plus it's super thick yet super stretchy (bonus point; it doesn't fray and has a very smooth edge when you cut it so you don't need to overlock it when you sew). 

Alexander Wang's neoprene sweater was everything and I took some inspirations from his collection with the nets and the neoprene combined. This sweater was neglected for awhile after I started cutting my neoprene cause I was busy with school. But now that holiday is here I figured I needed to make full use of my free time so I had to finish what had to be finished; which in this case my neoprene sweater. It was really quick to sew cause I came up with a really simple pattern and I didn't sew the hem and the end of the sleeves, nor did I had a ribbing on the neckline, because I really wanted that raw yet clean edges that neoprene has. I used a thick mint neoprene and a fabric that sort of resembles nets. 

Final Projects

I was gonna mention this in my previous post but there's too much already so decided to seperate it. So I just finished my second term of college and final project was taking way too much of my sleep (textile final project specifically). We had final projects for each subject but textile and sewing final project were the most exciting (but exhausting). We also had to compile our drawing assignments into a fashion journal and I will post it as soon as I receive it back from my lecturer.

For the textile final project we were supposed to design a minimum of 1x1 meters of fabric using a minimum of 2 techniques. We can choose beading, embroidery, knitting, dyeing, painting, or any other techniques. We were asked to design 3 fabrics and the lecturer chose one of them and we had to go back and forth to her and she was supposed to make a few changes and we had to sort of consult the materials and all that. 

So this is where I went wrong. I chose dyeing, knitting, and full embroidery on a huge ass fabric. Obviously I didn't know how long it would take for me to finish it, I was just designing it for the sake of finishing it (due to the very tight deadline). The theme for this project was "earthed", which means we had to create a design using the colors in the color chart that was given to us. 

One of the few pages of the color ranges

My moodboard; inspired by the ocean

The final result and I also included a 10x10cm technique swatch. I was losing so much sleep doing this project cause the techniques that I used were very tideous and look how much fabric I have to cover. But it was all worth it cause the lecturer chose a few designs from the students to display at the open house and I was one of them so I'm kinda happy about that. 

Next is just my final dress project that got me stressed out the first few days after I designed it. We had a whole day just to design a dress, and the requirement was that it had to have sleeves and a collar on our design, and the rest was really up to us. So we basically spent the whole day sketching and going back and forth to our lecturer to get approval from her, then we could start drafting the patterns. It was difficult for me to get her approval so I ended up designing something I wasn't even sure I was able to make. But long story short I figured it out.

I used linen, faux suede and a name of a fabric I can't remember that is supposed to be made for pants but I was too lazy to buy another fabric so I used it instead and it worked out just fine.

Way Too Many Feels. Way Too Much Emotion

Syke.. That was just a line from my new spirit animal Kiiara (sorry Blackbear). Anyway. The title has nothing to do with this content. Blogging now in the midst of probably the most hectic week of my life (I'm talking 2 hours of sleep on the weekend). As usual being consistent of posting is not one of my best skills therefore I always end up piling all these different moments/topics to compile into one post and guess what.. I'm about to do it right now. Hah.

1. Long story short I bought all these different kinds of fabrics and planning to make stuff out of them as usual but during school I was only able to make 2 and I still have about 4 kinds of fabric waiting. The initial fabric I was looking for to make the denim jacket was quilted fabric as a combination but I wasn't able to find it. But weeks after that I went to a different place and found it and SO excited and was planning to make another jacket out of it. 

Also bought mint neoprene to make a jumper (far left). Look at the hot pink quilted tho.  


2. Oh yeah. Went to Singapore for Laneway and didn't even post anything about it. Also didn't take a lot of pictures at all. You know you just somehow forgot you have my phone with you when you're having too much fun.

 First day in Singapore spent in Universal Studios

My baby Lauren

You prolly can't see too clearly but I swear it's The Internet and I swear we were on the second row there's just too much gap between the stage hahaha!

3. Oh yeah. Also became the top 10 finalists of Pop Up Market 2016 Fashion Design Competition. Saw the poster at my campus and immediately wanted to give it a try. In the midst of designing the outfit I was really hesitant to join with all these competitors, but I thought, you never know if you never try, so I decided to keep going. And by the time I finished sketching I had a slight hope that I wouldn't be chosen as the top 10 cause we were only given a week to produce the actual garment.

But just a few days later I got an email from Pop Up Market saying I was one of the top 10 finalists and I immediately panicked. It was a mixed feeling between happy and "oh snap gotta finish this in a week in the midst of doing college assignments". So that night I started drafting the pattern and making the pattern digitally for it to be printed on a fabric later on.

Inspired by a famous painter from Santa Fe, Pablita Velarde

Pattern for the printed fabric

Finished result. I took this picture a day before Pop Up Market was held. The next day I came again and saw my design being exhibited and I have never felt so proud of myself. I honestly didn't care if I didn't win, the most important thing was people could see my design. I wish I would've taken pictures of other designs but I didn't. Not sure why. But they were all very interesting.

4. Oh! I don't think I've posted any of my drawing but I'm about to right now. So in the first term of college we learned how to draw a person's face from a reference photo and I wasn't really pleased by my first try so during the holiday I decided to draw two slightly better versions. 

  Zooey Deschanel 

 Chloe Moretz

Oh and these three were assignments in my second term. I actually drew the female faces but they're all whack so I'm not gonna show them sorry not sorry :P

These two are my drawing assignment. I drew them manually using a pencil and a drawing pen and colored them digitally using Adobe Photoshop and I just put a random background

A new drawing I just finished. I wasn't satisfied with my digital illustration assignment so I made another one and I tried to make it look as realistic as possible and it's not too shabby I think..

5. SO happy that Spotify is finally available and I just want you to listen to this track. Thx