Have A Blessed Eid-ul-Fitr!

Happy Eid celebrations uolz!

Pretty Dresses for Eid - Confessions of an Online Shopaholic!

Salam Aidilfitri uolz!

It is now 1.15am, the Eid has arrived, and I am due to be awake in the wee hours of dusk to help my MIL and SIL prepare MIL’s ever-famous nasi dagang for breakfast. I have been yawning every 5 seconds for the past half an hour, but since the house is still busy with hustles and bustles of Raya preparations, I felt it was my duty to stay awake as long as possible in evident of my commitment to ensure that every cookies are placed in the canisters, every piece of baju raya is properly ironed, and every single requests from MIL is fully catered to.

It is our turn to celebrate the Eid at my PIL’s place (first) this year, and despite the fact that my parents’ place is just a block behind PIL’s, and I could just skip away to say hi to my mum for 5 minutes if I really wanted too, I still miss my crazy siblings and the usual late nights we enjoyed so much lazing infront of the tube, watching Malay dramas & films showed on air and bitching endless about the so-not-talented actors and actresses & weak storylines.

Last night was a late one too back home in Subang Bestari; I remembered glancing at the clock and noticing that it was already 2.45am and I was still up pretending to be absorbed in packing for me and the 2 dudes in the spirit of balik kampung for Hari Raya. As usual, I faced the yearly dilemma and confusion of the fact that my kampung is merely 15 minutes away from home – which is like just a sneeze away – and that fact in particular drives my mind crazy on a yearly basis as to why I even need to pack things up when I can just make a quick dash home if I happen to forget the toothbrush or something.

And so I did what I always do in this awkward situation – I distract myself by procrastinating and diverting my thoughts to other less complicated matters – like rummaging through my spill-over wardrobe. This year in particular I have not had the opportunity to join the excited crowd braving my way to Shah Alam or KL to spend money on unnecessary Raya items. I have been too busy trying to survive the fasting month - this year has been a very unsettling and difficult fasting experience for me – health-wise. And so I didn’t get the chance to bat my long eyelashes at Pedro when I see any object of desire (ie a super expensive baju kurung in delicate soft chiffon and satin crepe without a price tag on it, indicating that it is absurdly ridiculous to even put a price on such an astoundingly beautiful creation and if you have the nerve to even think you deserve to wear it, look for the haughty-looking sales-girl whose eyes are rolling as she sizes you up whether you make enough paycheck in a month to be able to afford to pay for the delicate piece); and persuade him that I really need that super expensive piece to add to my wardrobe collection, or else.

And so I ended up settling for online shopping.  Now I have a confession to make. I am a super sucker for online shopping! Easy-measy way of spending money! Especially on pretty clothes! This year in particular my Raya wardrobe consists of pretty dresses and caftans which I bought from trusted online boutiques – where I happen to be a frequent buyer. And so, minus the long queues at the cash counters, the ridiculous traffic, the stupid crowd filled with obnoxious people trying to do last minute desperate Raya shopping, and silly, haughty-looking sales girls with overdone make-up (eyeliner!) and annoying high-pitched voices – I managed to get myself some nice-looking pieces, just to name a few:

1. Colourful striped Kaftan in chiffon, empire waist encrusted with rows of diamonds at the waist – courtesy of Lace Lab (xoxo Meera)

2. Vintage Grey Kaftan in chiffon, with pretty grey stones embellishments at the empire waistline – courtesy of Lace Lab (xoxo Meera)

3. Long black Grecian dress with pretty embellishments at neckline – courtesy of House of Allure (xoxo Isma)

4. Long hot pink dress with empire waist, and a pretty row of diamonds embellishment  - courtesy of House of Allure (xoxo Isma)

5. Black chiffon top with heavy embellishments at neckline – super coolness if you wear it with skinny jeans, killer heels and your IT handbag – courtesy of House of Allure (xoxo Isma)

6.       .. and a few others which I shouldn’t list here just incase Pedro reads this and discovers that I’ve made some unnecessary purchases that he wasn’t aware of..ngeee!!

Coolness don’t you think so? And the materials are superbly fine! I really must thank Nurul Shazmeera Darus (Lace Lab - http://www.facebook.com/people/Lace-Lab/100001722649463) and Ismawati Ismail (House Of Allure - http://houseofallure.blogspot.com/) for such exquisite tastes in each respective collection of pretty pieces. I am a return customer – that’s for sure J

So, despite the fact that I should be feeling hot and gorgeous during the Eid celebrations with my treasured collection of ‘bling’ed frocks – I also realize that I will have to painfully watch the pretty fabrics facing the utmost risk of getting ruined as I spend the whole day washing dishes, refilling the sambals & rendangs, with Kimy tugging and pulling at my dress asking for something or complaining about something – or worst having some kid with splattered chocolate on their hands & mouth slapping their fists at me in the midst of Raya visits by relatives or friends. Ok, I don’t mean to sound mean, it is late already and I’m facing difficulty trying to express myself accurately in this post – but you know what I mean. But nevertheless, I am a woman who emphasizes the importance of looking good whenever and wherever – and I hereby accept that this is part of the risk that I have to endure in my quest to stay and look the way I desire. Oh the pain of being a woman!

Enough of my ramblings. It’s bloody late already and I really must be up early in the morning, amiiinn.

And so people – with the celebrations of Eid and the holy month of Syawal – I wish all of you a beautiful and prosperous Eid-ul-Fitr; please accept my humble apology for any wrong-doings and unintentional mistakes; and may you have a blast with your loved ones. Enjoy the long, well-deserved holidays!

XOXO Mascara

Mascara's Song of the Day - Breakeven (The Script)

What am I supposed to do when the best part of me was always you?
What am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up and you're ok? 

Sigh. Such beautiful lyrics.

P/S: I'm a sucker for heart-wrenching lyrics,guys!

Spreading the Love on Branding - Superb Commercials!

In the spirit of sharing my passion on branding and anything that relates to it – I’m posting up 2 cute commercials on Samsung Galaxy S2 and McDonalds – both highlighting the essence of the products that each respective company is trying to sell, quite successfully I must say. Take a look at both and see how each company tries to create amazing perceptions of each individual product, even including elements of emotion, in the attempt to create that lasting impression to the audience.

Samsung Galaxy S2

McDonalds: Sleeping Baby

What's your brand? - The case of Megan-Fox-like vs Wannabe

I just got back from this very important meeting about some very important project for my very important company. The proposed location for this project is overseas, and is an excellent business prospect expected to help in contributing to the company’s revenue. Now, before your eyes start to glaze over this boring preamble, I wanted to share my bewilderment on one of the main issues being discussed during the meeting – BRANDING.

It still surprises me how people, even at the highest level of position in an organization, still could not grasp the cencept of branding. As a person whose responsibility is to brand, rebrand, and promote every single aspect of elements required to achieve the highest status of a brand for my company – I find this a very mind-boggling situation, and yet non-surprising nonetheless. I have faced countless situations where requests to create a new brand arrive on my desk – and after much  scrutinization, the first (and only) thing which they wanted me to think of is a new logo, and a new product name. No strategic reasons or objectives, no forecast business reviews, no business case studies.  

Very important person: Hilda, I want you to think of a new logo, and a new name, something hip & fun please, nothing boring. We need to get this product running soon.

Me: Erm, ok, so how are you positioning this product to the market? How do you want the market to see your product?

Very important person: Oh, we haven’t gotten to that stage yet, that’s still WIP (yup, that’s work-in-progress). But please, Hilda, think of a logo asap, we need to know how the logo looks like before we can think of anything else.

Geddit???

Ok – lemme rephrase this whole mind-boggling problem in simpler terms. People, branding is not about logo and logo and logo and a new name. Yup true that is part of the required process for us to have something to refer to or to click at on a website, but branding is all about creating perceptions. It’s about how you position your product, your company, or even yourself – to the intended viewer, audience, or recipient.  A company needs to create a positive perception to the target market (eg strong, stable, etc) ; a product needs to create that lasting impression to the buyers (eg durable, fun, reliable, etc); a girl needs to create that sexy-siren image to convince the boy that she’s worth all the effort he needs to do to put a ring on her finger. It’s all about how you want people to see you, how you want to be seen. If you want people to perceive you as fun, outgoing, hip, and that IT girl that everyone should be lusting after – then you should dress & act like one. THAT’S YOUR BRAND. You created that perception to convince people what they see is true. It’s your essence. You can have a cute, pretty face (logo), and a nice, exotic-sound name that rolls around the tongue when someone tries to pronounce it (product name) – but if you don’t have the right essence to show people who you really are & how you want to be seen – no one would care about you and you’ll just be one of those who wish they are actually someone. A wannabe.  And to not be a wannabe, and be seen as that sexy-siren that you so wish you are – requires a lot of strategic thinking on the right kind of wardrobe, the right kind of make-up, the right kind of attitude. You don’t want to be wearing a dull, gray shapeless blouse with carrot-cut mom’s jeans if you’re trying to create a Megan Fox-like impression. Duh?

Now, going back to this baffling situation in the office – sometimes I think it’s best for me to tender a notice of resignation and start a company just to consult the same people on what actually branding is all about. I don’t think I need to tell them what they should be doing, or what the brand should be for a specific product or company or whatever; but enough to just enlighten them this whole foreign concept of branding in simpler analogical examples in life. Like the sexy-siren-Megan-Fox-like-impression analogy above. Easier to comprehend, I think. And I believe once they actually understand the basic fundamentals of HOW THEY DON’T WANT TO BE SEEN and WHAT THEY DON’T WANT TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH – everything else will fall into place, strategic objectives and all.  

And considering the number of companies & and people in the country who are still confused about their image & branding – I think I’ll probably become a millionaire at the end of my first business year.

 P/S: Branding is soooo much more than what I’ve written above – and the possibilities & opportunities are endless. This is an excellent article (might be boring for some, but still worth the read) on global brands - http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_31/b3945098.htm

Another Song Obsession Of The Week - Love Song (Samantha Ronson)!

I've been obsessing over this song for weeks! - but can only manage to find this cute video of Samantha Ronson doing an acoustic version of it. Never knew she can actually sing, and has her own band; have always thought she was only a DJ by profession. I wish someone could tell me where to download the full version..

P/S: Since I've declared myself a fan of SamRon - I should let you know that she's a amazing writer too. She blogs - checkout some of the stuff she wrote in her blog at http://sronson.tumblr.com/. Absolutely love her weird sense-of-humour; full of honesty and wit!

Mascara's Song of the Day - I Only Want To be With You (Vonda Shepard)

Somehow this song touched my heart deeply. I'm in love with it. And somehow disturbed by it.

Photojournal Blog: Snapshots of Mascara's Chicago Journey 2011

Some memorable views I managed to snap while taking a stroll down the Magnificent Mile :)

Some of my favourite paitings at the Art Institute of Chicago..such beautiful sight.

Anecdote: Mascara's Journey to The Windy City, Chicago

The moment I stepped onto the city of Chicago, I immediately fell in love with it. It was like love at first sight. The magnificent skyscrapers, the strong wind the blew in my face the moment as I strolled down the city, and the beautiful rows of shopping boutiques standing in lines along the Magnificent Mile. I took the Southwest Airlines from NYC and landed at the Midway Airport , Chicago; and finally checked-in at the DoubleTree Hilton (http://doubletree1.hilton.com/en_US/dt/hotel/CHIMMDT-DoubleTree-by-Hilton-Hotel-Chicago-Magnificent-Mile-Illinois/index.do) at the Ohio Street, receiving a pack of hot melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chip cookies from the reception counter.

It was super short trip for me as I was given the task to visit some hotels & restaurants in the city for an event next year – but I was determined to explore the city, hence the moment I checked in at the hotel, sampled the bed & the soft mattress, gulped down some tap water, and nursed my exhaustion – I quickly made my way to the Magnificent Mile – this shopping heaven I have heard and googled  so much.

The spectacular architectures of Chicago's skycrapers




The Chicago River

 

It was marvelous! The amazing architecture of Chicago’s skyscrapers lined the streets, and I had a helluva time craning my neck trying to snap pictures of every single building that came into view. Magnificent Mile at the Michigan Avenue boasted endless rows of fashion boutiques – Michael Kors, Karen Millen, Brooks Brothers, Cole Haan, Guess, Forever 21, Hugo Boss, Levi’s, Marc Jacobs, Niketown, Ralph Lauren, just to name a few.  The view at the Chicago River was spectacular, and I particularly stood at the bridge across the river for a full 5 minutes thanking God for allowing me this chance to be here and enjoying this beautiful city.  It was quite a stroll which in particular gave me a permanent backache (hmmph!) but it was worth all the sweat nonetheless.

Some friends told me to visit the Willis Tower and the Navy Pier – unfortunately I didn’t have the luxury to extend my stay and so I had to forego the visits and instead brave my way through the city to sit through my meetings & appointments. Nevertheless I shouldn’t be complaining about my job as it does involve meetings with interesting people & visits to breathtaking places – of which this time around I had the privilege to meet up with representatives of the Sheraton Chicago (http://www.sheratonchicago.com/ - thanks to my Sheraton KL friend’s help – Tengku Ramizan!), Hyatt Regency Chicago (http://www.chicagoregency.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp?null) , Swissotel Chicago (http://www.swissotelchicago.com/) , Fairmont Chicago(http://www.fairmont.com/chicago/) , and The Palmer House Hilton Chicago (http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/CHIPHHH-The-Palmer-House-Hilton-Illinois/index.do) – all equally remarkable hotels with its own separate uniqueness & exceptional services. I also managed to sneak a quick visit to the Art Institute of Chicago (http://www.artic.edu/aic/) in-between my appointments – a must-do activity which promises a worthy collectibles of memory for me.

I definitely am not an expert in arts and paintings, let alone pick up a pencil and sketch something as simple as a pencil itself – but I am easily amazed and impressed by any form of arts & paintings created by anyone born with such superb artistic talent. The Art Institute boasted thousands of collections – including the European paintings in the Impressionism and Post-Impressionism Era, which is my personal favorite collection.  The short visit to the art museum impressed me so much that I ended up spending a large sum of money buying fridge magnets depicting each of my favourite painting in the museum, and of course, 2 books with a collection of Van Gogh and Monet best works – for me to drool and stare once I get back to the hotel.

It was merely a 2 day visit – but I felt fulfilled and experienced a personal elevated happiness from this short trip to the Windy city. It was probably due to the city’s beautiful views, or it’s magnificent architectures, or perhaps because I was alone during this visit, which gave me the necessary space and time that I needed to forget about the rest of the world and just concentrate on what’s laid in front of me. Whichever the reason is, I am ever thankful to God for the opportunity, as I always am.    

Photojournal Blog: Snapshots of Mascara's NYC Trip 2011

Here are some snapshots of my trip to the fabulous metropolitan city - NYC! Enjoy!

SOHO - shopping heaven and location of many artists' lofts and art galleries

 Times Square - jaw-dropping amazing!

 The MET! - I fell in love with it!

My prized posession - a book on McQueen's Savage Beauty exhibition at the MET

Anecdote: Mascara's Journey to The Big Apple, NYC!



After a week at DC, me & a group of friends made our way to the ever crazy, super busy NYC!!! We took a bus from the Union Station for a 5-hour journey to NYC, dragged our luggage into a cab and headed straight to our rented apartment. We had a clear agenda in mind – MORE SHOPPING! – this time at the Woodbury Common Premium Outlet (http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=7).  So we rented a car, braved our way through the busy interstate highway, stopped by for pancakes breakfast at The Fireplace,and reached at the destination early in the morning for a 12-hour shopping marathon. It was a wonder how the car managed to stay intact with the mountains of shopping bags in the boot, and with 5 ladies cramped together. I have never before in my life shopped as much, or as long, as I did in Woodbury haha! But it was a pure blissful retail therapy for sure, and I absolutely refused to think of the total damage I have caused on that day itself.

We learned to use to train & the bus – which saved us a lot of money. We went to Times Square (HRC NY was a must of course!) & went crazy camwhoring our ways through the massive crowd; visited the World Trade Center, Empire State Building, strolled down the Central Park,  Chrysler Building, the HRC at the Yankee Stadium (near Bronx), Trump Tower, The Plaza Hotel,  and Macy’s.  We strolled down 5^th Avenue, marveled at all the prestigious boutiques along the fashion-focused street, and had a quick stop at the Apple Retail Store at 5^th Avenue. SOHO was also lined with rows of shopping spots, not as uber-upscale as 5^th Avenue – but a shopping heaven nonetheless.

My NY trip was made ever more meaningful from my visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (of the MET) - http://www.metmuseum.org/ . The rest of the group preferred to continue their quest to shop till they drop, and so I made my way to the MET on my own, excited beyond words. And it was breathtaking! The work of arts by from the 18^th and 19^th century world renowned painters and artists such as Monet & Van Gogh; the ancient collections from almost everywhere around the world – and most fabulously of all – an exhibition of works collection by the late Alexander McQueen – called Savage Beauty.  The collection was a superb work of art by the late designer, with selected collections being displayed in a brilliant showcase set-up with a storyline of its own, depicting the McQueen’s obsession with love, romance, and death. Savage Beauty moved and inspired me, and actually brought tears in my eyes as I wondered how such a talented soul could have his life ended so soon when clearly he had all the spirit in him to move someone with his talent.  Take a look at some of the collections I viewed during the exhibition at this link http://blog.metmuseum.org/alexandermcqueen/

Yours truly standing infront of the MET



Sadly, I did not managed to visit the Ellis Island and the Status of Liberty – didn’t have the time as I had to fly to Chicago, my next stop in my US trip. But I was already a happy woman with a super-heavy luggage full of prized damage from the Woodbury, and the visit to the MET was definitely a perfect end to my stay in NY.

I’ll tell you more of my Chicago visit in my next post. Till then, here’s a video of a Kate Moss hologram directed by the late McQueen himself, played at the end of his 2006 Fall/ Winter runway show. 

Kate Moss' amazing hologram during McQueen's show in 2006