Love Chic

They say we experience similar things when we’re crying and laughing: eyes filling with tears, shoulders shaking, face muscles scrunched up, irregular breathing.
  
Our body reacts the same way to either hurt or happiness.
  
When your heart is filled with anger and hatred, every waking moment is a pain. You go to sleep harboring all these ill feelings, you wake up in the morning and as soon as your brain starts to load, the heaviness in your chest returns with the instant recollection of that person or incident that has caused you this much suffering. You go about your daily routine carrying this burden, unable to see the blessings you’re surrounded with. Ignoring and undermining the things you have that many people can only dream of. You get trapped under this dark cloud and the longer it lingers, the harder it becomes for you to see the bright side.
  
When your heart is filled with hope and gratefulness, every waking moment is a joy. You go to sleep feeling thankful for every good thing that comes your way despite the troubles and challenges. You wake up in the morning and as soon as your brain starts to load, a lightness fills you up and propels you out of bed raring to start a new day. You go about your daily routine marveling at the blessings you’re surrounded with, grateful that you have been given many reasons to marvel. You get wrapped up in this warm sunny disposition and the longer you bask in its glow, the harder it becomes for you to get affected by unpleasant things.
 
Hurt blinds you, prevents you from seeing all that is beautiful about life. Makes you take for granted every opportunity you could be making out of each problem, every person who has loved you unconditionally, every good thing they see in you. You’re so angry you can hardly remember how it feels to not feel this way.
 
Happiness binds you ever more to all the persons, amazing fortuities and experiences that make you feel loved. When faced with stress, you’re aware that things could be so much worse. It is an endless cycle of being grateful and welcoming more blessings in your life that you never run out of reasons to be happy.
  
The dark cloud or the sunshine. The choice is all but yours.
  
Note: We’re discontinuing Dear Love Chic and merging our more personal blog with our fashion blog. We write why here.

Tonight’s date outfits. The chic yellow cardigan on Seph and the beige button-down on Shai are from Memo. The clothing brand is more popularly known for their crisp corporate attires and smart casual finds, but with a little bit of tweaking, the items in Memo are actually stylish enough to be worn with other pieces to create whatever look you fancy. Check out their summer collection on their Facebook and Twitter.

Memo cardigan, Forever 21 shirt, Herbench (yes, it’s my mom’s) jeans, Call It Spring boots, and SM Accessories bag, necklace and glasses. Hype this on Lookbook here.

Shai got me these contact lenses from an online shop called Japanese Candy and I thought they’d look great with these uber-cool transparent glasses from SM.

Three things my wardrobe always has: cardigans, V-neck shirts and metal necklaces.

The beads are a gift, while I got the Timex from SM’s Privado luxury accessories sale for cheap.

MSense is a brand under SM Accessories that has unique bags for guys that you can’t find just anywhere. If you’re into man-purses like me, you should check this brand out.

I always check out Call It Spring in Greenbelt. I saw these new arrivals on one of my visits and I just knew I had to have them.

Memo collared button-down, Love Chic x Chemistry shorts, Puma socks, Schu brogues, Anne Klein bag, and SM Accessories headband, necklace and rings. Hype this on Lookbook here.

Beauty notes. Face: Etude House Baby Skin base, Revlon Photoready Airbrush and Powder, Mary Kay sheer mineral pressed powder, Etude House Lovely Cookie blush in #3 Orange. Lips: Majolica Majorca Honey Pump Gloss Neo. Eyes: The Face Shop eyebrow filler, Nichido liquid eyeliner and eyelash curler, Maybelline Volum’ Express Cat Eyes mascara, Benefit Decked Out Dandelion eyeshadow palette, and Bambi Sesame Gray 15mm contact lenses from Japanese Candy. The ones I got for Seph are Bambi Chocolate 15mm. Unlike him with a perfect vision, I’m severely nearsighted, so prescription contact lenses are a necessity. Glad there’s a stylish way to deal with it!

We received a question on Dear Love Chic about how to wear necklaces with collared tops. I’d like to believe there are no rules to how you should wear accessories with certain pieces of clothing, but personally, I prefer statement necklaces like these multi-tiered chains from SM, worn under the collar instead of over it.

Continuing the chain reaction with this burst-of-sunshine yellow Anne Klein purse. I love the color, plus the chain strap could be pulled longer to make it into a shoulder bag.

When I saw these rings at SM, I thought of bubble gum and butter balls. Yum!

How gorgeous are these blue and white brogues from Schu? In lieu of the usually flat, usually neutral-colored and usually laced-up styles, this pretty pair is a breath of fresh air. Slipping it on (and keeping it on) is no problem—it’s as comfy as your comfiest pair of flats. Get Schu updates via their Facebook, Twitter, blog and online shop.

Goofing around after today’s quick shoot. Follow us on Instagram @sephcham and @shailagarde for more Love Chic silliness. Have a great Friday (the 13th) night, everyone!

Seph here! While Shai is in the US this month and I’m getting back on track with work, we’ll be trying to keep blogging separately. She from California, me from Manila. First off, I wanted to post these scans I made of magazine issues featuring her and her write-ups.
    

Candy Magazine “Style Crush” for March. Main photo: From Bangkok dress, Topshop hat and tights, Janilyn wedges. Thanks to Sam Potenciano!
    

ZENHealth February-April issue, featuring her article and photos on “Fun Date Outfits.” Outfit credits here. Thanks to Aencille Santos!
   

Lastly, this well-written Metro story on the most memorable Oscars attires. I know Shai worked so hard and had so much fun researching on this assignment. It turned out awesome. Get a copy so you can read and enjoy it too. Thanks to Geolette Esguerra!
   

Taken with Instagram @sephcham
  
“Forever alone” describes the past week for me. Haha! Since we started dating, this one month is the longest time we’ve ever been apart.

Taken with Instagram @shailagarde
    
It also happens to be Shai’s birthday on the 20th, so we’ll have to celebrate in different time zones. It may only be one month but it’s still a taste of what it’s like to be in a serious relationship over a long distance. All I can say is, can’t wait for her homecoming :D

…On a graffiti-filled rooftop of an abandoned building. Pity we couldn’t show you just how high up we were—the lower floor is filled with trash and weeds and other unsightly things not suitable for anyone’s sensibilities. When we say abandoned building, we mean abandoned, even by any hope of salvation. We mainly just braved that rooftop and sat on the edge for our own sense of fulfillment.
     
Anyway, we’re usually a little more subtle now about our matchy outfits than this, but this was for a Valentines PR collaboration with Skechers Philippines (posting only now because we’re Slowpoke like that) so it’s cool.

Besides, it could be a lot cheesier. We could’ve been posing sweetly with the lines of some song sprawled on the picture and the letters L-O-V-E behind us. Oh wait…

Well, still could be cheesier. We could’ve been wearing all red and, you know, have a red heart-shaped balloon or something. Oh wait…

Darn it. All right, we’re cheesy. Still a better love story than Twilight.

*** 
We’re both wearing Skechers Go-Runs. Special thanks to Jay Dalisay and Katrina Ong for tapping us for this project. Check out Skechers Philippines on Facebook!
Click pics for other outfit/photo credits.

   
@Sparklingmag @Megmagazine @Previewmag and @Chalkmagazine this month! From wardrobe wisdom to fab features, they’ve definitely got you covered (‘scuse the pun).
   

  
Sparkling’s Winter 2012 issue is chock-full of K-pop goodies for both guys and girls, along with this neat Street Beat (try saying that five times!) feature on us and some of our favorite bloggers.
   

  
Meg’s February 2012 issue is all about love (just call us Captain Obvious)—but not just the cheesy romantic type. While there’s that, as seen in this omnibus feature on stylish couples, the mag also dishes out tips on loving yourself: from moving on to enjoying single life to fashion and beauty must-haves you deserve to treat yourself with. Oh, and this nifty bit about online faves: Love Chic, the new Yahoo Philippines and Miss-match.com.ph :) Thank you, guys!
   

   
We’ve probably read Preview’s January-February issue from cover to cover about seven times now—even brought it with us on our Hong Kong trip! Their first issue for the year boasts of a feature no other local magazine has done so far: QR codes. Yes, the kind you scan with your smartphone’s QR reader. With an even stronger tie-up with their web platform, Stylebible.ph, Preview’s first Multi-Media issue is bound to amuse techy fashionistas—scan any QR code you spot in the mag and it leads you to lots of cool additional content. Also, thanks to the wonderful ladies of Stylebible for including Shai in their nominees for Top Fashion Blogger for 2011. To be lined up with such names is flattering in itself :)
  

  
Chalk’s February 2012 issue is big—figuratively and literally. The cover actually has big bold yellow letters that scream “Dream Guy” right below Mario Maurer’s name, but it couldn’t fit our scanner and we had to crop! What’s inside? A feature on seven sporty couples (us being the least sporty, although we do try to be more so!) and lots of useful style and beauty tips to tide you through the Valentines season and beyond.
  
So head to your nearest bookstores now! Our moms have bought copies. And they bought lots. LOL but no seriously, check ‘em out :)
   
Special thanks: Gigi Yia of Sparkling, Grace Libero, Ekai Magtoto and Elisa Aquino of Meg, the editors of Preview and Stylebible, Nana Caragay and Sara Aunario of Chalk. Y’all are awesome.

Shai got this crop top two years ago from a thrift shop in Bacolod (her hometown other than Pampanga, both of which have awesome thrift stores) and has been wearing it to death since. 

Same goes for pretty much the whole outfit. Hype it on Lookbook here.

Neon love print crop top, thrifted. Denim shorts, YRYS. Owl necklace, H&M. Bracelets, bazaar. Shoulder bag, G.H. Bass & Co. Booties, Renegade Folk.

ph Tricia Gosingtian