For people who fly economy, plane rides consist of packaged peanuts, a crappy meal, and barely any legroom. On the other end of the spectrum, customers are kings, and airlines are getting more luxurious by the day. Case in point: Singapore Airlines (SIA) has just fitted its fleet of Airbus A380 Superjumbos with suites that look like they belong in a ritzy 5-star hotel.
The move comes amid increasing competition amongst airlines, with SIA hoping to separate itself from the rest of the pack with revamped cabins, reserving the biggest changes for its first and business classes.
Of course, the star of the show is the all-new first class section. Reduced from 12 units to six, everything is more Shangri-La over here, and less like an airplane. Now, there’s a huge emphasis on space. Each private suite has its own bed. Not only that, there’s also a Poltrona Fau upholstered leather swivel chair in each room, with a 32-inch entertainment display.
Instead of one bathroom, first-class suite passengers will share two units (this is a huge deal considering that in economy, more than 40 people have to jostle it out for limited bathrooms). There’s also a sit-down vanity area for customers to spruce themselves up, with facial moisturiser, hand cream, and body lotion provided.
And yep, you guessed it – the meals are classy too. Served on Wedgwood ware and in Lalique crystal glassware, customers can look forward to a mix of local and Western cuisines, including lobster thermidor, veal fillet, bak kut teh, and shrimp or chicken laksa.
As for business class, the number of seats has increased from 60 to 78. Each seat is enclosed with a cocoon-like shell for added privacy, and can be converted into a 78-inch long bed, with seats along the centre aisle able to form a single bed – ideal for families traveling together. There will be 44 premium economy seats.
All this has cost SIA the cool figure of $1.16 billion, so expect fare prices to increase slightly in the near future. If you’d like to have a “hotel in the sky” experience, however, the national carrier’s first Airbus A380 will be flying from Singapore to Sydney on December 8. For more information, visit singaporeair.com. Images: Singapore Airlines
Majulah Singapura! We don’t get many opportunities to feel patriotic when it comes to Hollywood blockbuster movies, and understandably so, but we have high hopes for the upcoming 2018 adaptation of the novel Crazy Rich Asians. Set in the sunny island of Singapore, local author Kevin Kwan has imagined a universe inhabited by the unfathomably wealthy, narrating the perks and struggles that come with crazy price tags. The all-Asian cast features actors from across the world (is it that difficult to find Asian actors, LOL), including some familiar faces who’ve acted in our favourite Channel 5 and Channel 8 shows! As keen followers of updates on the production of the movie, we were excited to hear Warner Brother’s announcement late last month of its official release date, 17 August 2018.
Naturally, we couldn’t peel away from the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly, featuring the lead actors of the movie on its front cover. Those gorgeous faces belong to Constance Wu, who we remember as the overprotective Taiwanese mom who speaks with that heavy Chinese accent, and together with newcomer Henry Golding, are set to play the romantic couple Rachel Chu and Nick Young. In the novel, Rachel is an ordinary Asian-American who is thrown into the trenches of dealing with Nick’s incredibly rich family and their particularly snobbish “friends.” Bar their lifestyles, the book actually captures the essence of the modern “Asian” experience — the struggles of love, which include extended family tradition and unwilling compromise.
Even beyond our favourite leads, the cast of Crazy Rich Asians is star-studded. From Michelle Yeoh to Ken Jeong, we especially want to mention Singaporean actors Pierre Png from The Little Nonya, Fiona Xie from The Champion, Tan Kheng Hua from Phua Chu Kang, Selena Tan from Dim Sum Dollies and Janice Koh from The Pupil. Director Jon M. Chu who helmed The Hunger Games series has been contracted to take on this movie, and we can only hope that the other two of Kwan’s trilogy of novels will get their moments on the big screen as part of a movie franchise.
2017 has definitely been the year for collaborations – look at the success of Rihanna x Puma, though it looks like 2018 is also going to be huge. Over the weekend, M.A.C announced that its planned collaboration with sportswear brand Puma will be coming to us next year.
Now, this isn’t something we were expecting.
MAC’s done plenty of collaborations, with the usual suspects like fashion designers Steve J and Yoni P, but also with crazier products like Good Luck Trolls. Even Caitlyn Jenner had her M.A.C celebrity collaboration, with the launch of the first-ever Caitlyn Jenner-branded lipstick.
Having gotten word straight from M.A.C’s Instagram page, they released a short teaser video with the caption: “Your favourite hues take a big step in a whole new direction! Stay tuned for a kickin’ collaboration, coming soon. #PUMAxMAC #ForAllTime”.
A post shared by M·A·C Cosmetics (@maccosmetics) on
Such a vague message, and we’re left completely in the dark about this unusual (but exciting) collaboration. The black and white teaser simply shows a black sneaker silhouette zooming into M.A.C and Puma’s logos. With hints like “kickin collaboration” and the graphic of a sneaker silhouette, we’re more inclined to think that this dream collab could be giving us some new sneakers to covet.
That doesn’t rule out a new line of gym clothes, or even sweat-free exercise makeup that’ll let us look good when working out. No further information has been released since, and we’re all left to dream about what this new collaboration will be bringing to us next year.
Meanwhile, why not check out M.A.C’s products online through Lazada?
M.A.C x Puma launch in 2018. Stay tuned for more details. Header Image: M.A.C
It’s been a while since we stepped into a supersized coach bus that shuttled our lazy selves around — and we’re all the better for it. Plus, who wants to squeeze with throngs of people at overpopulated sightseeing spots? These days, free & easy’s the way to go, especially if you’re a millennial; seriously, how else would you be able to track off the well-trodden path, admire the sights along the way instead of nodding off on the aforementioned bus, or honestly, spend as much time as you’d like by a pretty flower bush just for the ‘gram?
As one ourselves, and therefore deserving of the (very entitled) right to be self-deprecating, we’d also add that travelling as a millennial has a lot to do with experiences — you know, the rather lofty ideal of gaining fresh perspectives as you get immersed in a culture, rather than spend five minutes at a lookout point.
Fushimi Inari ShrineKiyomizu-dera Temple, Kyoto
While we were travelling in Japan, this meant taking actual bento cooking classes, a scenic railway where the journey’s worth more than the destination, or the more adventurous thrills of a day at the amusement park instead of a forgettable visit to a departmental store (though their basements are amazin’ stuff). We’ll even make the case for our social media narcissism here; see, we’re looking for an experience we can relive, something that’s worthy of sharing, even if it is a short-lived cycle on Instagram Stories.
Sagano Romantic Train RideBento-Making Class
Yeah sure, that sometimes means eschewing some comfort in the search of authenticity, but we don’t mind. How’s that for adulting huh, participation awards all around! Then again, we’ll admit to a little cheating resourcefulness here, because we found a way to make our trip way easier to manage: Klook.
If you haven’t already heard, Klook is touted as Asia’s largest travel services platform, from which you can access popular attractions, experiences and services, right at your fingertips — that’s 30,000 attractions, tours, and activities, in over 120 destinations, by the way. It’s where we booked our all-important JR Pass, which we used while getting around on trains, as well as attractions such as the Universal Studios Japan 1-Day Pass (no queues!) or the countryside train journey we were talking about, the whole time we were based in Osaka.
Higashiyama District, Kyoto
With Kyoto being just a 30-min train ride (on the express train) to Osaka, we also found ourselves shuttling back and forth the cities pretty frequently during our 4D3N trip; a convenient prospect since it means we don’t have to shift hotels at all. And since you’ll want to purchase an unlimited-use JR Pass for its convenience — we did, ours was a 4-Day JR-West Kansai Rail Pass ($73) — we’ll go on to recommend an itinerary that’ll maximise your JR pass, by visiting places that you can access via this extensive national train network (they’re really the best ones anyway).
So here goes, #wanderlust, Instagram-worthy sights and all that.
Before The Trip
To get things started, we had to deal with the daunting task of booking all our major attractions via the Klook platform — only to realise, hey, it wasn’t that difficult really. Search by city, and a whole menu of options come up, based on categories or ranked in order of popularity. All the major ones you want are right on top, so you’ll be able to add things to your cart in no time.
If it’s your first time using Klook, we’ve got an exclusive discount code for you! Simply quote ‘NYLON10’ for $10 off*!
*min. spend of $80
You can even book a Wi-Fi router, while the Osaka Amazing Pass, which covers major sightseeing attractions in the city, is also a popular choice. Or, spring for one of the USJ Express Pass options if you’d like a more pleasant theme park experience minus the excessively-long queues (more on that later).
Here’s where it gets even better: with the mobile app, we were able to book all the things we needed in a few swift minutes — we were literally rushing for a meeting, but still managed to secure our orders. You know that satisfaction of having everything planned so you never have to scramble for tickets at the last-minute? It was real. Plus, everything was easily accessible via the ‘Bookings’ page on our mobile phone, which meant we never needed to print anything for tickets confirmation; we just had to present the QR code on our screen during collection.
As for collection, after touching down at Kansai International Airport (KIX), we made a quick detour to the travel desks to pick up some of our travel documents, including that powerful JR Pass. Do note that with the pass, you don’t go through the automatic gates — instead, all you have to do is show the pass to the staff in the glass booth next to the gates when entering and exiting each station. With that, we whisked ourselves to the Osaka city centre, right to our hotel situated near the JR Osaka station.
DAY 1: OSAKA
Dōtonbori JR Namba
Dōtonbori Street
We’ll be honest — Dōtonbori Street is one of those places you’re bound to visit when in Osaka, which means it was filled with tourists and overpopulated eating spots. So why did we bother? For one, the sheer array of food was irresistible — there were restaurants specialising in crab or matsusaka beef (arguably, better-tasting than kobe beef), as well as street stalls cooking up fatty servings of wagyu beef, takoyaki or okonomiyaki, an Osaka specialty that’s served sizzling hot, always.
Most eateries open till late too, which adds to the nighttime vibrancy of the entire district when it comes alive with neon signs and 3D billboards after dark; we’ll forgive the swarms of people when there’s so much to feast our eyes (and obviously, stomachs) on.
But here’s the moment we really fell in love — with none other than our first bowl of ramen.
Ichiran Ramen (1 Chome-4-19 Dōtonbori)
Ichiran Ramen is known far and wide, and certainly lives up to its fame with its freshly-cooked springy noodles, tender pork slices, a side of completely necessary ramen egg, and of course, that rich tonkatsu broth that’s topped off with their signature red spicy powder (from ¥790). The whole dining experience is also a curious one; you order via a vending machine and get a ticket, which you then exchange for a soul-warming bowl of goodness at one of the solo diner booths where you can slurp every last bit to your heart’s content without being judged. As with all good things though, you might have to queue if you’re headed to the outlet by Tonbori River.
You bet we didn’t stop at just one ramen bowl for the night, because, street stalls!
Creo-Ru (1-6-4 Dōtonbori)
One thing that kept turning up every few metres were takoyaki stalls, selling these ball-shaped Japanese snacks that are typically filled with octopus slices, then topped with generous servings of mayonnaise and bonito flakes. Healthy! But you know, also very picture-worthy. Our basic set of six (¥450) at Creo-Ruwas yummy, satisfying, and definitely made fresh, something we can personally verify after staring for ages at the mastery of the chefs. You can also opt for the other menu options, including takoyaki served with poached egg (¥550).
Melonpan Ice Food Truck (1 Chome-4-19 Dōtonbori)
If you’ve got a sweet tooth, you can head to PABLO for their famed cheese tarts, or try this, uh, just the best melon pan ever. Look out for a green truck by the main street, and then Melonpan Ice, where you’ll be served what the Japanese call “melon bread” stuffed with ice cream (¥400) — the humble bread, which doesn’t actually contain melon by the way, has a crisp outer crust that’s exactly like a polo bun, and a fluffy interior that’s absolutely amazing to bite into when freshly-baked and warm, nicely complemented by the cold and creamy ice cream. Save your stomachs for this (we didn’t), because you won’t want to share this at all (note: our insatiable greed).
Glico Man Sign
And when you’re done and trying to walk off the guilt from all the excess food you’ve just gorged on, be sure not to miss this part of Dōtonbori — right by the Tonbori River, you’ll find a series of giant billboards and flashing LED displays, akin to NYC’s Time Square, including the iconic Glico Manwho has been running since 1935. Snap a picture at the Ebisubashi bridge, and stay long enough if you want to catch a glimpse of our Merlion as the running man makes his way around the world. Dōtonbori is also home to the Shinsaibashi Shopping Arcade, if you’re up for a spot of shopping.
DAY 2: KYOTO + NARA
Kyoto (Higashiyama District ; Kiyomizu-dera Temple ; Gion + Kamo River) JR Kyoto
Higashiyama District
Early morning call aside, our day trip to Kyoto was completely worth it, and even more worthwhile thanks to how we could reach the JR Kyoto station in just 30mins, which happens to be shorter than our daily work commute back home. While Osaka had the more familiar city-like vibe, Kyoto was quaint, picturesque, and more peaceful as we wandered through the historic district of Higashiyama, admiring the Edo-style wooden houses along the way.
The area gets particularly charming in the morning or during magic hour, when the hilly stone-paved streets get lit with a diffused glow, while it’s also near major temples and shrines, including the Kodaiji Temple and Yasaka Pagoda. You’ll want to free up some time to just enjoy getting lost here if you can.
Starbucks Coffee Kyoto Ninenzaka Yasaka Chaya
But because we happen to be unfailingly basic, our first stop was a Starbucksoutlet. It’s not just any outlet though; this one’s housed in an old two-storey Japanese townhouse, or a machiya, that was built over a 100 years ago, and sees plenty of traditional elements that you won’t find at other modern stores, including noren curtains at the entrance, wooden walls and window frames, and tatami mats you can lounge around on while sipping on that predictable frappucino of yours. Since it just opened in June this year, you can be assured that you’ll be the one telling your friends all about it — just be sure to actually enjoy the setting after you’re done with your crucial real-time reporting.
You can read about our full modern-meets-traditional experience here, but we’ll say, this definitely ranks high in the novelty factor and picture ops — though you might have to arrive early to secure a nice, cosy spot.
Kiyomizu-dera Temple
While in the area, you can then take a leisurely 15-min stroll over to the Kiyomizu-dera Temple, one of Kyoto’s most celebrated sights and officially a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its beauty can be seen from the moment you enter its grand gate, even when we were just wandering around the main entrance area and temple grounds, which is where we spotted a sight typical to Japanese shrines, the ema, or small wooden plagues where Shinto or Buddhist worshippers write their prayers or wishes to be received by their kami (gods). Before entering the temple, visitors can also purify their hands and mouth at the temizuya, or water basin, situated right before the temple entrance.
Kiyomizu-dera Temple
Most people visit Kiyomizu-dera for its stunning wooden stage though; this is connected to its main hall and extends above the natural foliage of the hill, of which the cherry and maple trees look particularly breathtaking during the Spring and Fall seasons. Do note that the main hall will be covered up from February 2017 to March 2020 as it’s undergoing renovation — you’ll still be able to enter, though the sight won’t be as nice as the ones you see on your regular Google Image search.
As you’re turning out from the temple, be sure to pop by the % ARABICA flagship store that’s also in the vicinity. Kyoto might be known for its green tea offerings, but the coffee scene deserves praise as well, and this brand sits right up there among the best of them. The store itself looks clean and minimalist, fronted by a sleek Slayer machine that would excite serious coffee aficionados, while the coffee beans here are top-grade and sourced from Brazil, El Salvador, or even % Arabica’s own farm in Hawaii, and then roasted to order on the spot for a smooth, aromatic blend. The iced latte we tried (¥500) was nice and smooth, with a hint of nuttiness and familiar bite that was perfectly balanced by the milk.
Shirakawa CanalKamo River
Next, wander towards the Gion District for more gorgeous wooden houses, also a walking distance away, where you can then take a stroll along the winding Shirakawa Canal, which sees wispy willow trees sighing over what’s probably the world’s most scenic drain, and plenty of cosy ochaya, or tea houses, that overlook the canal. The Kamo River is also a lovely sight in the day, especially if you catch it on a sunny one like we did. In the evening, you might be able to spot geishas going about their duties of entertaining guests and performing traditional dance and music — after all, this is Kyoto’s most famous geisha district.
For food recommendations, we’ve got a couple. First, the highly-rated Tenshu, famous for its tempura donburi, of which we tried a mixed set of prawn and eel tempura (¥1,700). They obviously take pride in their food since the water from the tempura batter hails from Mount Atago, while they only deep-fry using sesame oil, fried right on the spot if you happen to be offered a counter seat. It’s a pretty sizeable dish though, and we particularly enjoyed the delicate texture of the eel with the light tempura breading, which was neither overly oily or cloying.
Nishiki Market, affectionately known as “Kyoto’s kitchen”, is also a good spot to visit if you, like us, love to be spoilt for choice. Here, you can find plenty of shops peddling live seafood or locally-produced seasonal foods, and also street vendors that offer grilled prawns on sticks, for instance, or sashimi skewers. What we particularly sought out was Sawawa’s matcha soft serve ice cream (¥480), a deliciously thick blend that had a nice matcha hit, so you know you’re tasting the real stuff and not just milk and sugar.
Nara JR Nara
Nara Park
Since this is all about making full use of your JR Pass, you might want to consider spending half a day at Nara, which is about 45 minutes away from Kyoto. The quiet district has one main area, Nara Park, a large central park that houses the famed Todaiji Temple, known to be one of the largest wooden structures in the world and a must-visit since it’s home to one of Japan’s largest bronze Buddha statues.
That’s not to say we weren’t distracted by something else — the deer! These freely-roaming creatures are considered in Shinto to be messengers of the gods, though the only thing that got broadcast to our heads was how adorable they are. We obviously spent more time than we should taking videos for the ‘gram.
The Nara deer are tame and used to human interaction, and have even learned how to bow to visitors before they’re fed (you can buy deer crackers for about ¥150), although a horde of them chasing after your stray plastic bag can be rather intimidating. Still, they’re mostly exceedingly polite for wild animals, and generally allow you to sit close beside them and gently stroke their fur. In a surreal moment, we also witnessed them magically trooping off home just before sunset.
Nakatanidō
Before you head back, do stop by this peculiar mochi store, where you’ll definitely see a crowd gathering every half an hour or so — for good reason. Nakatanidō specialises in yomogi mochi, and it’s here that you’ll witness the dramatic act of mochi pounding, a tradition that involves a show of skilled workers slapping and swinging a heavy pestle to work a chunk of mochi, in between passionate yells of course. Yep, those hilarious videos you see on your Facebook feed happen in real life, and you can’t help but grin at this one. The shop here at Nara has won awards for its rapid pounding motion, which we appreciated after sinking our teeth into the soft, chewy rice cake that’s filled with sweet red bean (¥130).
DAY 3: OSAKA — Universal Studios Japan
JR Universal
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Hogwarts CastleThe Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Hogsmeade
For any thrill-seeker, pop culture fan, and even if you’re not that into roller coasters, the family-friendly Universal Studios Japan has got to be one of the main highlights of Osaka, one where you have to devote an entire day to. There’s plenty to love here, though what sets it apart from our own USS, and other amusement parks around the world, is the fact that they’ve got theThe Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the only one outside of the original in the United States. You probably grew up reading the books and know the exact house you’re sorted to — so ’nuff said and just accio yourself here already.
Our VIP Pass allowed us quick entry into the park, and we only needed to flash our entry ticket from our mobile phones to get in, which you’ll want to do as quickly as possible because the Japanese aren’t kidding around. Familiarise yourself with the map battle plan beforehand so you’ll know exactly where to run to when the doors are open. If you’re there in the morning, feel free to charge straight for the Harry Potter area without the need to collect a timed entry ticket (which limits the number of people at the zone) — chances are, you’re still early enough and should reach the magical cobblestone streets of Hogsmeade before any real crowd comes along. If not, head to the Studio Information sign at the centre of the park to check and collect yours.
HoneydukesButterbeer
Once you’ve taken a stroll through the mysterious Forbidden Forest, you’re in! Prepare to be spellbound by the experience of walking through the true-to-life streets, occasionally popping by Honeydukes for a treat of Chocolate Frogs or Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans (you get to try how Booger, Earwax and Dirt taste like, though pray that you won’t get Vomit, trust us), or Dervish and Banges for your wizarding equipment needs. You can definitely start to feel the magic in the air now. Then, cool down with a cup of Butterbeer (¥750), of which the frozen version is the specialty here, if you don’t mind starting off the day with a commemorative sugar high that’s still worth it.
And because you can’t wait to curse the crowds with your new wand, head to Ollivanders to pick out your favourite one let the wand choose you, which is the whole reason why you get to see the designs of most of the characters you can think of, from the trio of Harry Potter, Hermoine and Ron, to Voldemort, Sirius Black, Ginny Weasley, and even the formidable Elder Wand (unleash all its power… at a reasonable price of ¥3,500). The fun part about Ollivanders though is that there’s a little show they put up to show off the prowess of the wands — you don’t want to miss that!
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Interactive WandsExpecto Patronum Night Show
Recently, the park has also unveiled interactive wands, which you can purchase in order to cast special magic spells at certain areas, including locked doors, stone walls, shop windows, and this hidden back alley where water will cascade out from the cauldrons if you’re skilled enough. It’s a hit with the kids for sure, and will definitely endear to the forever kid in you too.
As for Hogwarts Castle, there are two main events you don’t want to miss. First, the official ride, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™ in 4K3D. We aren’t going to spoil you (much), but we assure you that it’s better than any moving-cart-along-a-rail kind of ride; the state-of-the-art technology gets incredibly real as it recounts Harry’s tumultuous journey, which you’ll get to be a part of, whether it’s the actual feeling of whizzing on a broomstick to catch a snitch, ducking under the Whomping Willow’s dangerous branches, or having unsavoury dark visitors appearing right in front of your face.
Then, at night, there’s the Expecto Patronum Night Show. You might want to hang around the park to secure a spot when the show occurs half an hour after sunset, at the spot in front of the castle. The most spectacular part of the segment has to be how the castle gets illuminated by beautiful projections that tell the story of a bunch of brave students facing the wrath of deadly dementors; it’s a pretty predictable storyline, but any fan would be caught up by the stunning theatrics that’ll have you feel like you have a part in the heroism as well.
Oh and this view? Head over to the outdoor area of the Three Broomsticks restaurant for what we think is the most photogenic view of the Hogwarts Castle.
Minion Park
Minion Park
Here’s another reason why the Japanese, and everyone else, are flocking to USJ in droves — the minions! Ever since these strange yellow creatures popped up in the world of Despicable Me, the world has been quite taken to their kind in sometimes inexplicable fashion, though the good thing is that you can go all out and shameless here, no one will judge you. Minions fever is in full swing at the world’s largest Minion Park, and everything from the building facades to fountains to game stalls have their cute grins plastered on.
‘Minion Mayhem’ RideGuests at Minion Park
We happened to be at the park on a public holiday, and hence personally witnessed the craze ourselves; mobs of people were gathered for every, rather frequent, Minion appearance, while the queue for the ride, Minion Mayhem was snaking throughout the day — after all, you get to transform into an actual Minion and enter Gru’s laboratory, while a giant dome screen and projection system immerse you right into the world. If you’re a true fan, it’s easy to dress up and walk around in a yellow tee and overalls too.
Minion Popcorn BucketMinion Park — Themed Food
Throughout the park, there are even exclusive Minion merchandise you can collect — this popcorn bucket, available in limited edition designs, was exceedingly popular with the crowd, though it’s arguably useful since you can constantly refill it with fresh popcorn. Its eyes and arms move! Other Minion-themed food tend to change with the season; we were privy to a Halloween-themed cookie sandwich (¥600) complete with sugar fangs.
Other USJ Highlights
The Flying Dinosaur Ride
Elsewhere in the park, we thought we should highlight the most adventurous ride of all, The Flying Dinosaur. Here’s an instance where an Express Pass would come in really handy — ours lasted close to 180 minutes, or 3 hours, and that’s for the Single Rider line! After the whirlwind of a ride though, we understood why: the roller coaster suspends you face down with your body parallel to the ground and feet lifted behind you, so you literally get the feeling of riding on a Pteranodon during the first terrifying, sweeping drop. The intensity doesn’t stop from there as you’re treated to several corkscrews, more drops and a 360-deg turn, all in the name of fun.
USJ ParadeSesame Street Characters
You might also want to check out the Universal Reborn Parade that makes its way around the park (check your map for detailed timings and the parade route), or if you’re in luck, catch a few of the characters that will make special appearances around the park.
DAY 4: KYOTO
Fushimi Inari Shrine JR Inari
Fushimi Inari Shrine
We’re back in Kyoto, and the first thing we did on our final early morning was to make our way to the world-famous Fushimi Inari Shrine, an important shrine dedicated to the Shinto god of rice. You’ll probably find the place familiar, especially the sight of the iconic vermillion torii gates, in endless rows that go on a couple of trails into the forest of the sacred Mount Inari, which can take a couple of hours if you’re keen on the full hike.
Fushimi Inari Shrine
If not, most visitors are content with visiting the main buildings, of which you can find fox statues around the grounds, as they’re thought to be Inari’s main messengers. You’ll want to head there before 8am to avoid the crowd and get your all-important unobstructed shot at the torii gates. If not, just enjoy your surroundings; we’d count the atmosphere at this shrine to be one of the most zen-like we’ve experienced in Kyoto.
Bento-Making Class
Bento Making Class @ Cooking Sun
We booked a bento-making class ahead of our trip, and found ourselves at Cooking Sun, where even the non-skilled (us) can conjure up a meal that’s worthy of a close-up macro shot — and of eating, of course! The instructors here conveyed in perfect English, and made the course interactive and easy to follow even where there was a pretty extensive range of food we had to prepare.
Bento Making Class @ Cooking Sun
All equipment and ingredients were provided, sometimes with the more complicated processes (Japanese rice) already prepared beforehand. In no way are you getting a lesser experience though, because just consider the items you’ll end up making: miso soup, a sushi roll, gomaae (spinach salad), tempura, teriyaki chicken, and… a glorious rolled egg, which is an accomplishment once you’ve mastered it. The whole activity took about 4 hours, including eating the meal you’ve prepared, and is definitely something you should try with your significant other or group of friends should you have the time!
Sagano Romantic Train JR Saga-Arashiyama
Sagano Romantic TrainView from the train
While still in Kyoto, we’d also recommend the scenic 25-min train ride through the Kyoto countryside, via the Sagano Romantic Train. At just below $20, we feel that it’s an inexpensive way to venture to the wilder and just as serene side of the country and get stunning views of the Hozugawa Ravine while you’re at it. Different seasons yield different views as well — you’ll see everything from a wintry snow-covered landscape, dreamy cherry blossom trees in full bloom, a riot of red and orange maple trees, or, like us, wide expanses of green against the vivid blue of the water. Either way, it’s a memorable way to end the trip before you find yourself shuttling back to the airport and back home.
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Glitter is everywhere these days, and we’re not talking about glitter from your eyeshadows, nail polishes, or lip glosses. It’s about time someone used glitter to give us a nourishing – but visually stunning – peel-off face mask that we can parade around Instagram. Now, face masks aren’t anything new on social media but when they come with glitter that glisten when they catch your bathroom light? Yup, that’s something we definitely need.
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We recently blogged about Frank Body’s Shimmer Scrub, which makes us wonder if glitter is becoming the trendy ingredient of our daily skincare ritual.
Makeup brands like Too Faced and GlamGlow have dropped hints that they’ll be releasing the glitter face masks this December. Each brand has their own draw-in, with Too Faced founder Jerrod Blandino showing off the fine silver sparkles of the Glow Job and cult-favourite makeup artist Jeffree Star slathering on GlitterMask all over his face. Prices of the products are not yet released.
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Kim Kardashian’s makeup artist, Joyce Bonelli, will also soon be launching a diamond-inspired Glitter Scrub Enzyme Mask that makes it the most glamorous face mask we’ve ever seen.
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The glitter masks we’ve seen usually come in tubs or jars, making it easy for us to liberally apply some glitter mask all over our faces. Both Too Faced and GlamGlow claim that their peel-off masks won’t leave anything behind – no need to scrub off any remaining residue or glitter. Not entirely sure we believe that because these glitter particles look like they could be pretty abrasive to the skin.
For those who can’t wait to start the glitter face mask trends, a few Instagrammers have been taking it into their own hands.
We can’t help but applaud 7-Eleven’s dedication to giving us ready-to-eat meals. After all, they’re always there for us when we need that quick instant noodle fix or a chilled Coke on a hot day – why should serving up convenient and hot meals be any different? According to 7-Eleven, their ready-to-eat meals are freshly made-to-order to guarantee maximum freshness. All meals can be prepared in less than five minutes, ready for you to chow down when you’re short on time.
We tried a few of their new items and this is what we honestly think:
Black Pepper Chicken Wings ($2.90)
These were very flavourful but came drenched in oil. The packaging was difficult to tear through, and when we finally wrestled each chicken wing out of the box – we were exhausted and had slightly numb fingers from the steaming hot chicken. Although greasy, the meat was slightly dry but we can’t deny that the black pepper seasoning was spot on. It’s quick and easy to prepare, and will do well as a party snack.
Honey Chicken Leg ($2.90)
Like the Black Pepper Chicken Wings, we had the same problem here with packaging. It was challenging to rip through the tough plastic to actually access our meal. The flavour for this was good although one again, the meat was slightly dry, but the strong honey glaze makes up for it. This was probably the best meal we tried and if we paired it with some other form of carbs, it would actually make for a meal that will pass off as home-cooked. Perhaps the next time you’re trying to impress a date?
Nyonya Dry Mee Siam ($3.50)
While the most photogenic of all the ready-to-eat meals, the mee siam was only sub par. When the word “dry” is in the meal’s name, it’s a little hard not to be… dry. Otherwise, the noodles were quite tasty but the fried omelette bits and tau pok were lacking in flavour. But kudos to this dish since it was the easiest to prepare and eat. It’s ultra convenient in terms of preparation, so if you’re in a rush and have a craving for something that’s spicy and flavourful, it’s not a bad choice.
Unagi Onigiri; Chicken Floss Onigiri ($2.50 each)
We were comparing these to the Cold Storage onigiris and supposedly, certain Cold Storage outlets do them well. These 7-Eleven ones had a decent amount of filling but the rice was oddly clumpy. The rice grains clung to each other and made swallowing difficult. Also, the seaweed was crisp to start with, but quickly became soggy. In Japan’s convenience stores, their onigiri had rice that was nicely sticky, moist, and much fluffier than these.
Red Velvet Lava Cake ($2.80)
This cake was oozy. We can’t deny its ooziness. We sliced it through the middle and immediately, red velvet ooze came pouring out – yet, this didn’t taste at all similar to what we envisioned red velvet to be. Instead, the taste of maraschino cherries was overpowering. While the texture was correct, the taste was not.
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7-Eleven will also be bringing Black Pepper Chicken Leg ($3.60) and Honey Chicken Wings ($2.90) to the table. While we’re definitely pleased that 7-Eleven is giving us a bigger range of meals, we think that the cumbersome packaging’s a major flaw in the grand scheme of pushing out convenient and on-the-go meals. At the end of the day, we do have to remember that 7-Eleven’s ready-to-go are making our lives more convenient while still serving us tasty food.
As for the food choices, the team recommended a few other quick and convenient ideas that may work well for 7-Eleven’s future line-up of ready-to-go meals- chicken rice, and briyani were hot favourites in our discussion. While we wait and see what 7-Eleven has planned for us next, we’ll be enjoying the convenience factor of these eight new offerings. Images: NYLON Singapore
Don’t blame us for having already completed all nine episodes of Stranger Things 2. We heartily enjoyed season one, bought graphic tees to boast our fandom-ship, and naturally spent every waking minute of our off-time this week to indulge in the cult sci-fi thriller that kept us on our toes, from transporting us back in time (ahhh, the 80’s) to zapping us into the fantastical realm of the Upside Down. And if you haven’t watched it yet, this is one spoiler that you’ll actually appreciate: it’s tttotally tttubular!
Inside joke alert! The catchphrase is used by Dustin to mean “rad,” which unfortunately with his kiddy smile and nerdy personality doesn’t help him very much with the ladies. But he’s still our personal favourite, nonetheless. And if you’ve probably guessed by now, we’re going to be spoiling some other more revealing moments to explain our predictions for season three. Just to catch you up on speed, season two picks up after Will puked out a slimy slug into his bathroom sink. We’ll have to wait for Stranger Things 3
Unfortunately, Stranger Things undergoes a pretty long production schedule to give us the tantalising episodes we’re still drooling over. The lapse between season one and two spanned over a year, and the lapse leading up to season three isn’t going to be any shorter. In view of this, we’re guessing that our favourite clique of middle-schoolers will also undergo a significant progression in their fictional lives, mostly likely moving on to high school. Also, Eleven has grown out her hair and Dustin has styled his with a lot of hairspray, what’s next — will Mike be spotting a man bun then? #JusticeForBob, anyone?
Our favourite underdog, Barb, unceremoniously got ripped apart by Demogorgons in season one, sparking an outcry of injustice from fans all throughout the digital globe. Even though she didn’t make any appearance (duhhh) except in B-roll footage from season one, there was concerted effort to ease out her role on the show, with a funeral and several scenes of Nancy sobbing sorrowfully. But it seems like the role of the sympathetic character has been passed on to Bob, Joyce’s new boyfriend. We’re not going to explicitly say what happens to Bob in season two, but we’re just putting the hashtag #JusticeForBob out there. The Mind Flayer is coming for Eleven
Now that we know the Demogorgons are masterminded by a gigantic beast commonly referred to as either the “Shadow Monster” or “Mind Flayer,” we know who the kids will set out to destroy in season three (shhh, don’t tell them, they don’t know it yet!). In the finale, Eleven has a brief but impactful encounter with the Mind Flayer as she closes its gate between the Upside Down and their world. Ross Duffer, one of show’s creators, mentioned to The Hollywood Reporter, “Now it knows she’s [Eleven] out there.” We love how much Eleven’s character has evolved from complete silence to confident rage, and we’re predicting even more for her coming up. We really want to like Max and Billy
Stranger Things 2 introduced us to Max and Billy, step-siblings from out of town who can’t seem to get off each other’s throats even though they’re always travelling in Billy’s car. Much like a lot that happened in season two, we feel like Max and Billy didn’t add much depth to the progression of the story line, and seem to be delegated rather generic personalities. We don’t expect them to disappear from our lives completely, but we’d really appreciate a more in-depth look at their backstories and quirks. Header image: Youtube Other images: Hello Giggles, Popsugar, Wikia, Instagram
There’s no better feeling than when music hits that sweet spot. And it’s what most of us live for. But really, how you listen to your music matters. Getting lost in your own private world with earphones is great and all. But playing it out loud? Believe it or not, that’s even better. And there’s no shortage of Bluetooth speakers for you to do just that.
From waterproof gadgets that you can submerge in water without a care in the world, to speakers that can easily fit in the palm of your hand, here are the best Bluetooth speakers for any music listening situation: For Pool Parties: JBL Pulse 3
If a morphing milky way of bright, lava lamp colours is your definition of cool, then make a beeline for the JBL Pulse 3. Completely waterproof, and with up to 12-hours of music playback, this powerful speaker is the ultimate gadget for pool parties. JBL Pulse 3, $339, available via authorised retailers and Lazada.sg. For Traveling: Sony SRS-XB10
Ultra compact, and no bigger than an oversized apple, the SRS-XB10 is Sony’s smallest speaker, and very useful for bringing along on your travels. Audio quality is pretty decent for its size, while its strap can become a stand to prop itself up. Sony SRS XB10, $78, available via authorised retailers and Lazada.sg. For the Beach: JBL Flip 4
The JBL Flip 3 was one of 2016’s best speakers. It had a slick design, long-lasting batteries, and a rich sound. But the JBL Flip 4 is an improved version of that and more. It’s waterproof now, plus the bass is beefier, with clearer mids. What’s not to love? JBL Flip 4, $149, available via authorised retailers and Shopee.sg. For Earth-Shattering Bass: Marshall Kilburn
To borrow a line from Meghan Trainor, the Marshall Kilburn is all about that bass. Chunky, funky, with 20-hours of battery life, this Bluetooth speaker is one beast of a gadget, even if it’s not waterproof or the most portable, only because it sounds so damn good. Marshall Kilburn, $448, available via authorised retailers and Lazada.sg. For Beautiful Design: B&O Beoplay P2
Ah, Scandinavian design – it’s minimalist and very expensive looking, exactly like the B&O Beoplay P2. This pocket-sized speaker is a little pricey for its category, although like any Bang & Olufsen product, it is extremely gorgeous, with great audio quality to boot. B&O Beoplay P2, $259, available via authorised retailers and Shopee.sg. For Smartphone Addicts: JBL Charge 3
Can’t live without your smartphone? Not to fret. We’ve got the speaker just for you. Say hello to the JBL Charge 3 – one of the few Bluetooth speakers powerful enough to produce great sound and charge your phone at the same time. Neat or what? JBL Charge 3, $208, available via authorised retailers and Shopee.sg. For Adventure Lovers: UE Wonderboom
When taking part in outdoor activities, a speaker that can match up with the intensity is a must. Whether it’s hiking, biking, or kayaking, the UE Wonderboom is that speaker. It floats in water, is shock resistant, and is tiny, making it incredibly easy to bring around. UE Wonderboom, $119, available via authorised retailers and Lazada.sg. For Something Value-For-Money: UE Roll 2
Going on a budget doesn’t necessarily mean getting something crappy. Case in point: there’s the UE Roll 2 to check out. This compact speaker is incredibly stylish, plus it produces an impeccable sound for its size. And it can float on water too. Now that’s hard to beat. UE Roll 2, $71, available via authorised retailers and Lazada.sg. For That High-End Sound: Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Wireless
You get what you pay for, and what you’ll get with the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Wireless is audio quality of the highest order – it is extremely expensive, and its proficiency (which is marvellous by the way) correlates with its price tag. Just think of this as a really good investment for the home. Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Wireless, $1,680, available via authorised retailers and Lazada.sg. Cover image: JBL
On Wednesdays, we wear pink.
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you’re either too young to have watched Mean Girls (bless you, young one) or you have been living under the pop culture rock for the past 13 years. The cult movie, which has resulted in so many sassy catchphrases like ‘You go Glen Coco’ and ‘Boo, you whore’ that we quote on a daily basis, — at long last — finally getting the makeup palette that it deserves.
Anyway, back to the Mean Girls Eyeshadow Palette. Featuring 12 bright shimmery colours named after some of the movie’s catchphrases, the palette features yellows, pinks, blues, and even a green – aptly named ‘Grool’. The grimy green kind of makes us think that Grool is a combined phrase of ‘gross’ and ‘cool’, but it actually stands for ‘great’ and ‘cool’. We are probably gonna use the ‘Regina George’ and ‘Wednesday’ the most, because pink is always in. Oh and as for ‘So Fetch’, a cool orange – we aren’t sure if it’s ever gonna be in fashion (it’s all about toasty warms now).
The palette comes in a case designed just to look like the infamous Burn Book, and we think that this is probably the only eyeshadow palette Burn Book that is acceptable for you to own. Even if you got the palette just for the bragging rights, we ain’t gonna blame you! The palette is like, really really pretty.
The Storybook Cosmetics x Mean Girls Burn Book Storybook Palette is available now on storybook cosmetics.com at US$55.
Tsuta made a huge buzz when it first landed in Singapore a year back, and for its one-year anniversary, it’s giving us Singaporeans what we like – duck. This isn’t your normal run-of-the-mill duck, whether roasted or braised, but instead, poached duck that is slow cooked in shoyu sauce for a tender and juicy texture.
Tsuta’s Chef Yuki Onishi’s been pondering about bringing duck ramen to Singapore since late 2016. As the result of one year’s worth of extensive experimenting, the duck ramen dishes will be available from 4 Nov onwards in both soup and dry. While both dishes feature poached duck breast, my tastebuds were receiving different signaling cues from the soup and dry variations. Which do I prefer? Each dish has their standout element, which funnily enough, wasn’t the poached duck breast in either dish (although this was also very good).
The Kamo Paitan Soba ($11) as the soupy version came with a slow cooked duck broth, which according to Tsuta, is cooked for five hours using precise temperature control. In addition to the standard ingredients in every ramen – noodles, soup, and meat – it also came dusted with crushed roasted cashew nuts and scattered yellow onions for a contrast in textures. What stood out about this dish was the broth. The flavours were strong and richly defined by the taste of duck, all in a creamy broth that you just wanted to slurp after every mouthful of noodles.
Kamo Paitan Soba, $11.
The Kamo Abura Soba ($10) is the dry variation that upon first glance, is almost identical to the Kamo Paitan Soba except for its lack of soup. But the noodles! The noodles are marinated with premium shoyu and duck oil that’s made from scratch by Chef Yuki Onishi. Each strand of noodles has a texture that rivals the springiest of egg noodles, and also comes with the cashew nuts and yellow onions. A bowl of refreshing chicken stock, with a bit of shio, was on the side.
Kamo Abura Soba, $11.
If you want to add on à la carte items, the gooey ramen egg is available at $1.80 and the silky duck wanton at $1 each.
Get the Kamo Paitan Soba for its hearty broth and the Kamo Abura Soba for its noodles.
Available at Tsuta (#01-01, Pacific Plaza; #01-01, 18 Tai Seng Street) from 4 Nov onwards. Images: NYLON
Header Image: Tsuta
A glimpse at 3INA’s social media platforms and campaign images, and you’ll promptly learn that this London-based beauty brand is all for self-expression. Known for its disruptive, rule-breaking approach to beauty, 3INA is home to bold, punchy colours and inclusive shade ranges tagged with pocket-friendly prices – attributes that are inherently embedded in its DNA.
What you probably didn’t know is that the brand was founded by Pablo Rivera and Mark Eve, who’ve both built their reputation in the world of fast fashion before boarding the beauty boat. And for men who knew zilch about makeup upon making that huge shift, we’d say these fast learners have done a solid job at serving up a slew of on-trend pieces for all beauty enthusiasts. Needless to say, we’ll be clamouring for monthly product launches and exclusive seasonal treats from this cruelty-free and paraben-free label.
We sat down with the boys (young at heart, they insist) and got down to the nitty-gritty on all things beauty.
NYLON: 3INA’s flagship store in Covent Garden is incredible. What are some of the bestsellers in London right now? PABLO: The Highlighter is doing extremely well, all over the world actually, which is kind of rare for a beauty brand. The whole Longwear Lipstick line – 503 is the bestseller – but the whole range is actually doing extremely well. It has a very long-lasting formula and it doesn’t dry the lips out. Our Pen Eyeliner too, of course, and The Cream Eyeshadow. Our Cream Eyeshadow is very unique, the texture is amazing. MARK: You can’t get it off your face once you’ve got it on. PABLO: We want products with good formulas, high pigmentation, and long-lasting effect. This is what we stand for.
N: What makes 3INA stand out in a sea of coloured cosmetics? M: It’s our disruptive price point, I think. Just to explain a little bit on what makes a product special: It is all down to its ingredients, and we source the best possible ingredients that you can find on our planet, basically. We bring those ingredients to Europe where we come up with these terrific formulas that will compete against the best brands on the market, but at drugstore prices. With our prices, you won’t have any service proposition, you’ll be there amongst typical brands like L’Oreal, Maybelline, Revlon… So the experience is very different if you look at our price category for the product that you’re getting. Also, the variety – we’ve got over 600 products in the store – and what you’re able to do with 3INA is explore colour without compromising on formula. So maybe you’d want to explore a purple mascara, you should try it… N: I’ve tried the pink one and I love it. M: For you to pick a pink mascara over your common black mascara is quite an investment. So typically you would try to find one that’s cheaper – typically won’t last very long, you won’t get the payoff and pigmentation as Pablo mentioned. But with 3INA you can get very high quality and explore more with colour. P: What makes 3INA 3INA is the formulas, the playfulness, and our approach to beauty. We believe that we are very disruptive versus all other brands that have a very traditional approach to beauty. We are much more real in that sense. We’re very flexible – we can pick up a trend and put it in stores within 3 or 4 months depending on which product it is. So we work very fast compared to the rest of the industry. So I would say that these things are what make us different from the other brands. M: Also, we bring out product every month. So there’s 2 types of launches: one is a product launch, a range of different colours; and then you have our collections, so the collections are limited edition, so the thing we’re stressing is that when it’s limited, it’s limited. So if you don’t get it at the launch, you probably won’t get it. If you wanna be the one amongst your friends that has it, come down and get it at the store. If not, we’re not bringing them back in, so come and pick up that product before it’s gone.
N: If you had to pick a favourite from the collection, which product would it be and why? P: I use The Micellar Water every day, but if I have to choose one… It’s in the Top 10 and it’s totally unexpected, it’s The Matte & Smooth Primer. We have an amazing face primer which, again, is something we’re very proud of because it’s not an obvious one for coloured makeup brand. It’s one of those products that shows the quality we have because it’s not easy to have a primer make the Top 10 list, like The Highlighter. So yeah, it’s my favourite because of what it means, what it implies. M: Mine is The Fixing Spray. It’s taken us completely by surprise. First of all, the smell – it’s quite a unique smell to us and those who have bought it have become pretty addicted to the smell. You can use it as a base, or if you’re halfway through the day, with the climate that you’re in, just a couple of sprays will reset your makeup, so there’s no need for touchups during the day. So yeah, if you just want a bit of a refresh from the air-conditioning you’re exposed to every day, take it out, do a couple of spritzes and you’ll feel much lighter.
N: Which items do you think would perform really well in the Singaporean market? M: Yeah, I think The Fixing Spray is gonna be popular here. The Longwear Lipstick, definitely. You can kiss as many guys as you want, all day long, it will still be there – no matter what you eat. P: 70 shades of lipsticks. 3INA is about colour and playing with makeup, about exploring and having fun, so that’s why we have such a variety. M: We have a very wide range of foundations, 5 different types of finishes. We’ve got mascaras with 5 different formulas. And in case you’re a swimmer, we have a little tip for you. Often what people do is they’ll use a waterproof mascara, but it doesn’t give you the effect you’re looking for. So if you take any one of your favourite mascaras, and then you take our Waterproof Definition Mascara – it’s clear – you can then apply this over the top. So you can have definition or achieve the cakey look or whichever look appeals most to you. If it’s raining outside, don’t worry about it running down your face, just use our clear Waterproof Mascara and you’re set. And The Cream Eyeshadow. It won’t run, you can go and swim in it… We have people in Greece that used it throughout summer, and they were coming out of the ocean and still it was perfect.
N: How would you define the 3INA girl? P: I would say she’s a person of today. We are gender agnostic and age agnostic… M: Yeah, I think it’s somebody who’s pretty confident in themselves. So, if 3INA had a voice, she would say, “I knew who I wanted to be and that’s who I am.” If you live by that motto, if you’re not afraid to be you, and if you wanna live youthful. We don’t care what age you are, what race you are, what gender you are. Yeah, even for our age – I know he’s considerably older than I am – we live life like we’re 22 or 23-year-olds. P: We feel like we’re closer to reality than most brands are. A lot of these brands have this sense of perfection that is far away from what is actually happening today in the world amongst the younger population. So this is why 3INA was born – to bring this honest approach to beauty. We feel we are very close to the customer. M: We keep referencing girls but obviously guys as well. When you’re in a group of friends in today’s modern world, it means that your friends are of different ethnic background, and if you look at a friend and say, “I love your blush. Where did you get it from?” Often, the brand doesn’t service all skin tones, so you can’t exchange tips or products because the brand doesn’t cater to various skin tones. With 3INA, we’ve always tried to make sure that the product carries across all skin tones, so you should be able to share tips with any one of your friends. If you wanna send a gift to your friend in Ghana or in Mexico, you can be sure that our product will work well with any skin tone. P: We have stores in Australia, we’re opening in Moscow in 2 weeks, we have stores in South Africa, in Belarus… The diversity is part of what we are.
N: Speaking of diversity, you touched on the topic of gender earlier. Will you be featuring more boys in your future campaigns? M: We’ve had Patrick Dooley – he’s a model who’s based in London. He was in our Valentine’s campaign and our brow campaign, so yeah. P: He’s a part of 3INA.
N: What is the brand working on at the moment? Can we get a sneak peek of what’s to come? M: Oh, we’re working on so many things. We’re very excited about the Christmas collection – it’s quite different. It’s pretty special, and it has a very special formula. P: It’s gonna be holographic, and the effects are amazing – how they change and the texture. It will be launched next month. M: It is a super interesting product because it changes from a powder into a cream, so it’s more the experience you get with the product as well the effect. We’re working on products out in July at the moment, so we’re constantly watching what’s on trend right now, and what people are talking about on social media. We’re heavily influenced by colour from the catwalks, and we’re very close to culture, what is it that the Gen Z and Gen Y are talking about, so maybe it’s the IKEA blue bag that’s the inspiration of the next blue lipstick. As Pablo mentioned earlier, a real sense of what’s going on in the world.
N: Are there any specific individuals who have inspired your products? M: I think it’s more of what happened in the ’80s and ’90s, so we do reflect a lot on past decades, and we love the early generation of Benetton, of ESPRIT, the Uniqlo movement – so all these colour moments. We really hope that 3INA is that next colour moment that’s connecting culture and colour, but in beauty. P: Also we are not just about London, New York, or San Francisco – we are global. We are already present in 11 countries today, so we take inspiration from global trends. M: And we travel. We travel a lot. We’ve travelled for many years – Pablo obviously a lot longer than me, as you can see. [Laughs] P: He wants to make his point! [Laughs] But he also said it’s about the spirit, and I’m younger in spirit than he is. M: So yeah, we get feedback from everywhere. You can be on a trip and see a particular item, or it might be a piece of art, or it might be something that you’re wearing… I mean I really like your nails, I think that’s a very clever little technique so you might be seeing that in a campaign soon. N: 😱 M: So it’s things like these that we pick up on and share it with the team. We have an amazing team around us so we’re very lucky. P: That’s what makes 3INA unique. It’s the team, it’s the people.
3INA, available at #01-27, Tampines Mall; and #B2-67, ION Orchard Linkway. 3ina.com. Header image: @3ina
Singaporeans are realistic people, correct or not? We’re very aspirational when it comes to dressing ourselves up, but the insufferable weather can often impede our choices, and even our moods. That’s one of the many reasons people have turned to online shopping as an outlet for convenient, weather-inconsequential shopping. Especially during the later months of the year, it definitely sucks to walk into our favourite high-street stores and find displays of thick sweaters and layered jackets meant to insulate against freezing temperatures. Sure, it may look chic then, but we all know we’re not impervious to the scorch and humidity of our surroundings.
Speaking of, one of our favourite online shopping sites, ZALORA, recently showcased the latest collections of four local designers they partnered up with at their Fashion Futures 1.0 show during SGFW18. Always at the forefront of the fashion market, they presented a shoppable live stream at the event, much like many global luxury brands have done as part of the see-now-buy-now movement, where attendees could purchase their favourite looks from the collections as soon as the models appeared on the catwalk. After seeing the clothes up close, we can forge that they check off every requirement we have as Singapore shoppers. Mostly basics with an unique twist, the pieces are definitely transferrable from school to work to going out and having a fun time. In fact, we loved our local designers’ collections so much that we bookmarked some standout looks so that you can find inspiration and shop them now too! As always, we have a promo code for everyone — scroll all the way to the end! Ying The Label
Being feminine doesn’t mean we have to be submissive. We love Ying The Label’s collection for its soft silhouettes that we know will keep us comfortable all day long paired with statement prints that won’t fade into the background of our closets. Take for example this slip-dress that’s colour-blocked right in the centre, navy and sky blue. It’s irreverent yet eye-catching, and it gives the illusion of the outfit consisting of colour-blocked separates when it’s actually a one-piece. Or these white palazzo trousers with bold pocket outlines near the waist and sunny tropical prints at the bottom. The subtext? I’m serious on the outside, but look further and you’ll realise I’m super fun to hang around! Weekend Sundries
Weekend Sundries is for the girl who loved her secondary school uniform so much she will only wear variations of the same colour and vibe as an adult. Think basics with a unique twist. This person’s aesthetic is normcore, the idea that being plain is as valid a choice as any other. One of our top must-haves include a white button-up blouse with a revere collar. It’s intellectual yet sensual, two traits every woman aspire to have. Another is the diagonal dress, an otherwise plain outfit if not for the hint of lavender that slashes at one side of the hip. Gin Lee
If clothing reflects our mood, then wearing anything from Gin Lee’s collection means that we’re super excited about life or we’re in a desperate need of a sartorial boost to get through the day. With more covered-up pieces like the bright-yellow drop-shoulder sweater and pastel blue trench coat, we are looking forward to spend the hours in our chilly office feeling cosy and special. We dare you to try on the rose red sweater and report the reaction you get on the street. We bet you’ll stop traffic, and rightfully so. Ling Wu
Dare we say Ling Wu’s extravagant bag designs feels like the lovechild of Gucci and Kenzo? With an overarching sense of oriental influence, we’re largely impressed by the croc-embossed bags that look luxurious yet never overbearing. The collection features across a spectrum of maximalism, which frees our imagination and increases our choices. One day we want to blend into the crowd carrying our blue and brown-mix snakeskin clutch, and the next we want to wear the actual snake hissing with its fangs out printed on a maroon box cross-body bag!
JUST FOR NYLON READERS! Quote NYLONSG15 when you hit checkout on zalora.sg to get 15% off* your purchases, from now till 31 December 2017.
*Only 1 Promo Code may be used at a time, valid for one use per customer only, and does not apply for certain excluded brands. Other T&Cs apply.
TERMS & CONDITIONS
Promotion period is from 1 September to 31 December 2017.
Only one Promo Code may be used at a time.
The Promo Code may be used on www.zalora.sg only and must be entered upon checkout to be effective.
The Promo Code is valid for one use per customer only.
Google today launched the Google Assistant in Singaporean English. Yep, you heard that right – this means that Google now understands not only our accent and grammatical structure, but also all the terms we use. “Shiok”, “makan”, and even terms like “confirm plus chop”, are now part of Google Assistant’s vocab.
Google Assistant is meant to help you get things done in your everyday life. How do we start? First, squeeze the sides of your phone and say: “OK Google”. Or you can hold down the home button too, but the tactile squeezable option just seems so much more interactive. What other phone do you know is squeezable?
Once you’ve squeezed and said the magic words “OK Google”, you can now ask your phone whatever question pops into your mind as you go about your daily life.
You can try…”What are the best places to makan in Bedok” and you’ll get a list of top eating places, “Tell me about your day” and you’ll hear a summary of your day including weather details and the length of your commute, or you could even ask for help with language translations.
Google Assistant is available in the Google Pixel 2 XL, but will also be made available to Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) or above over the next few weeks, and also gradually to iPhone devices. You can use Google Assistant to start planning, connecting, and generally, having lots of fun by asking “waste time” questions – that’s why we can’t wait for the release of the Google Pixel 2 XL on 15 Nov.
The Google Pixel 2 XL has a 6” fullscreen in Black & White and Just Black.
Black & White.
Just Black.
Apart from cool elements like having a fingerprint scanner on the back (makes sense), or having unlimited storage in Google photos, the Google Pixel 2 XL takes the award for the world’s highest-rated smartphone camera. They’ve managed to fix Portrait mode into one camera, while giving us crisp portraits and selfies with a nice bokeh effect.
Google will also be releasing the Google Pixel Buds, and what’s even more impressive is that this unassuming pair of ear buds help deliver real-time language translations right to your ear.
Available in 40 different languages, this lets you hear the translation in your ear while the other person is still speaking. So useful for when you’re travelling overseas, and instead of having an awkward conversation through hand gestures and body language, you can naturally converse with the locals by using your earphones and Pixel.
You’ll also have instant access to your Google Assistant with the buds, and you can play music, send a text, or even get walking directions without ever looking at your phone’s screen. They last for up to 5 hours of listening with just one charge.
The Google Pixel 2 XL is available on 15 Nov in Singtel stores islandwide. You can only purchase a Pixel 2 XL with one of Singtel’s Combo plan, ranging from $0 (monthly price of $239.90) to $1,098 (monthly price of $27.90). Each Combo plan has a 24-month contract. Images: Google
Header Image: Google
Avocado lovers have made it absolutely clear that there isn’t a shortage of ways to consume avocado, whether you are eating it on your toast or incorporating it as part of your beauty regime. And it’s not hard to see why we wouldn’t love avocado – it’s super moisturising for your skin, full of proteins (5 times the amount of potassium compared to a banana) and it’s tasty to boot.
LiHO’s latest limited edition menu now debuts the avocado smoothie, with a sweet surprise. The Avocado Smoothie is a thick blend of pure avo, fresh milk, ice and gula melaka and then topped with LiHO’s signature cheesy froth for a refreshingly delicious drink. If you are a huge lover of milk, the Golden Avocado Milk is an even milkier version of the Avocado Smoothie, just without the cheese.
Left: Cheese Avocado Smoothie, $6.90; right: Golden Avocado Milk, $4.20 and $5.20
Will this replace the basic pumpkin spice latte now that autumn is over?
If you still don’t get why everyone loves avocado so much, you can give LiHO’s other limited edition flavour a try. The other new menu item – the dragonfruit smoothie – is not something you often see on smoothie menus. Dragonfruit is a sweet fruit with an unusually spiky appearance that you would have probably spotted in the supermarket and wondered what it was. Despite its ‘weird’ appearance, the fruit can be quite delicious when it’s in season!
Left: Cheese Dragonfruit Smoothie, $6.90; right: Dragonfruit Green Tea, $4.20 and $5.20
The dragonfruit flavoured teas are offered in two variations – the signature LiHo cheese smoothie and a dragonfruit and green tea blend. Dragonfruit is pretty light on the tastebuds, which makes it a good pairing with green tea. From the images, it looks like LiHO is using the pink variant of the dragonfruit, which means you get a deep magenta drink that’ll make for a pretty picture. Of course, you can also choose to customise your drink with your favourite toppings like grass jelly, aloe vera cubes and pearls.
The avocado and dragonfruit teas are available at all LiHO outlets island wide now for a limited time only.
When we found out that Lauren’s fronting the Adidas Originals Campus’ campaign, we were more than thrilled.
Lauren was our favourite in the Aloha State version of the Japanese reality show Terrace House – we couldn’t help but admire her for her striking good looks, passion for drawing, and her ability to speak fluent Japanese. We originally described Terrace House as one of those Netflix shows that will make you cheat on your significant other (by watching the episodes without them!) and as a show to binge watch on a long weekend.
For all you wondering, Lauren’s Chinese-European but was born in Massachusetts, and moved to Japan when she was 15 years old.
She’s now 19 and despite her pretty young age, she’s making it big for herself. As part of model agency Image Tokyo, Lauren has walked for big-name designers like Dolce & Gabana and Samantha Thavasa, and has also been featured in numerous magazine editorials. In Adidas Originals latest Campus campaign, Lauren radiates effortlessly chic while wearing different variations of the classic sneaker.
She makes the Adidas Originals Campus sneakers look effortlessly chic, but she’s Lauren Tsai, so no surprises there. And how can we ignore her amazing artwork? In sketching images inspired by fantasy and colouring them with muted watercolours, Lauren’s art looks like it comes from another dimension – in a good way, of course.
Meanwhile, Terrace House’s fourth season “Opening New Doors” is scheduled to air on Netflix Japan on 19 Dec. No word yet about when it’ll air worldwide.
The first three seasons of Terrace House can be watched on Netflix Singapore. Images: Adidas
Header Image: Adidas
“Brows are the pillars of the face.” Surely we can all agree with makeup maestro Charlotte Tilbury on that. A pair of groomed brows frame and define, pulling your entire look together to create a more polished appearance. Unfortunately, most of us simply weren’t born with Cara Delevingne’s, so it’s up to our daily arsenal of products to fake some full arches. We’ve tried plenty in the past, and what we’ve learnt thus far is that nailing gorgeous brows can be incredibly tricky indeed.
What we’ve also taken away from our trials and tribulations is this: Sculpting your twin arches with the right formula and technique is crucial. Pencils and crayons consume way too much time to achieve balanced brows, while gels and stains can be difficult to manipulate, especially in the hands of a novice. This is why we’ve come to favour the powdered formula housed in KATE Tokyo’s Designing Eyebrow 3D Palettes, which fuses good colour payoff with easy control. So if you’re someone who has to dedicate early mornings to your brows, go ahead and hit the snooze button – these palettes will cut your meticulous routine in half.
While it does come in a brow kit like most, KATE Tokyo’s Designing Eyebrow 3D Palette is small enough to fit comfortably in the palm of your hand and stowed into any purse for quick touchups. And when you open up its sleek black case, you’ll notice the convenient built-in mirror too, which proves once again that the Japanese truly have an eye for practicality.
There are 2 different palettes you can choose from, both with 3 easy shades to help us achieve that natural gradient, and there’s also a straightforward dual-ended brush to help us fill in any sparse areas quickly and precisely. The fragrance-free formula goes on light and comfortable on the arches, and it’s also easily buildable depending on how bold you’re going. All you need to do is use the angled brush and swipe on the darkest shade to boost brow volume and add a little extra definition to the brow ends and edges.
Here’s an interesting bit we picked up as well: The shading brush isn’t just meant to blend out the pigments on your brows, you can actually contour your nose bridge with it and use it as an eyeshadow brush too. So, when we invited celebrity makeup artist Clarence Lee to create 3 brow looks for us, he swiped on two of the darker shades on her lids and the middle shade to add shadows to the sides of her nose bridge before starting on her brows.
Have a look at the 3 easy brow styles he created in the video below, and try them out yourself:
Products used:
KATE Secret Skin Maker Zero Face Powder
KATE Designing Eyebrow 3D
KATE Brown Shade Eyes N
KATE Sharp Lock Gel Pencil in BK-1
KATE Glamorous Lash Mascara
KATE Color Highvision Rouge in RS-2 & RD-3
VIDEOGRAPHY
Adli Sazali MAKEUP ARTIST
Clarence Lee MODEL
Kathy Fung @ The NU Management
The KATE Designing Eyebrow 3D (in 2 shades), $20.50, available at selected Sasa and Watsons stores.
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