Transition

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Sometimes, things happen in our lives that temporarily suspend our ability to think straight. Intoxicated upon impact, we find ourselves making unhealthy choices, moving away from who we are, compromising the values we grew up with. We end up acting on our heightened emotions with little inhibition.

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And then in time, the dust settles. The shock, pain and anger dissipate. We sober up, and as our head clears, so does our perspective. We become acutely aware of the things we shouldn’t have said and done. By then, it’s too late to take back or undo them.
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So the lessons come in. We look back at every move we made and lament on what we should’ve-would’ve-could’ve done instead. We think of the people we unwittingly involved. People we hurt simply because they were in the way of our tornado of feelings. People we took for granted while we were so focused on ourselves. 
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With those lessons come realizations. We begin to see the situation for what it is—so much less complicated and worrisome than we imagined. As our flaws and vulnerabilities get exposed, we also begin to see people for who they are—the ones merely waiting in the wings for us to fall, the ones only in it for entertainment, and the ones who love, forgive and stand by us through everything.
imageThe sad reality is, lessons come with pain and difficulty. The beautiful truth is, they also come with hope and choice. Apart from seeking forgiveness, there are two things we can do when we make mistakes. We can wallow in self-pity, blame and regret, think ourselves small and allow ourselves to be hindered and ridiculed by fellow human beings who forget that all of us are fallible, that all of us have done things we’re not proud of.
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Or we can make the choice to forgive ourselves, rise above it all and move forward. To acknowledge our mistakes, then do things differently so we don’t repeat them. To embrace the hope each day brings, wipe our slate clean and get ourselves a brand new start.
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And then, when we can honestly tell ourselves that we are at peace with our past, gratitude sets in. Not just for the happy times or the people who have been good to us. Ultimately, we begin as well to appreciate the pain we once rejected, along with the persons who caused it. We realize that they have actually given us a gift: that of getting us out of our comfort zone, of leaving us forced to fight our monsters, of helping us realize great things within ourselves that we wouldn’t have discovered otherwise. We come out of it with newfound courage and wisdom, ready to once again begin.
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Nothing is ever stationary or static. Even for a tree planted firmly on the ground, seasons give way to seasons. Everything has a definite time: from being abloom, its leaves shed and its flowers wilt and just when it seems resigned to staying barren for good, the time comes when its bloom is renewed—each full circle a transition from stagnation to growth. The same holds true for all of us. Each “death” we experience is a mere “passing on” to a new and more fulfilling life, if only we embrace it. :)

Outfit details: Dress from Bangkok, maxi skirt from The Catwalk
Freshlook Illuminate one-day contact lenses from Sarabia Optical Rockwell
Hype this: Lookbook // Chictopia

Dive, don’t drown

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If a psychic ever foretold I’d be doing this, I would’ve laughed the incredulous thought off, until about two weeks ago. Me, dive? The only time I’m ever near the ocean is when I cover beachfront events for magazines or produce summer segments for a TV show. I can swim only in waters shallow enough that I can stand up with my head above the surface—which suffices to say I can’t swim to save my life.

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Yet despite my trepidations about the sea, last weekend found me at Mabini, Batangas with my friends Magel, Joanne, Chez and Chris. Not just to swim, but to learn how to sink. And as I would later find out, to learn many things more.

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We got to meet Magel’s friends as well. Dan and Jonathan beside us are intro divers too, while the ones in front (Magel, Anton, Javy and Kevin) have all been diving here for years.

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I met these two in 2009. We were all part of the production team of Project Runway Philippines 2 and instantly hit it off. From back then until now, Magel and Joanne have always been a source of strength and wisdom. I know I wouldn’t even think about trying this if they weren’t the people I’d be with.

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Pool session with James, our instructor.

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We were taught the basics of mask clearing, regulator clearing, equalizing, finning and proper breathing. To my pleasant surprise, I took to water like, well, a duck takes to water. The week before our diving trip, up to the minute I was already parking the car at the resort, I had spent so much time and energy being scared and worried how everything would go. All that wasted effort on something that turned out to be so ridiculously simple!

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I volunteered to go first. Pink fins always help give a girl courage.

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And then I was off to sea. There was nothing but the steady rhythm of my breathing, harmonizing with the muffled gurgle of a thousand tiny bubbles around us. Even the noise of my own thoughts was drowned out.

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Underwater shots care of Javy’s GoPro and underwater camera case.

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At first, I held on tight, like a baby about to take her first few steps. But as we went deeper and deeper, the water seemed to be more welcoming, beckoning us to come and see all the beauty she has to offer.

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It’s gonna be okay, it seemed to say. Slowly, the current washed away the fears and anxieties and I was able to let go.

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The undersea wandering left me wondering why I’ve been squandering all those opportunities in the past to try new things and see what else is out there. Why I’ve let myself be hindered by so many fears I myself conjured up, by apprehensions I allowed people to shove in my head, by regrets I willingly wallowed in.

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Joanne and Chez, who were just as afraid at first. When we all came up, the feeling was indescribable.

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It helped enormously that I was with three types of divers that day: the inexperienced ones who shared my fears (thank you, Joanne and Chez), the seasoned ones who showed us how awesome they feel (thank you, boys), and the teacher who helped us transition from one to the other (thank you, James).

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Above all, thank you, Magel. I’ve been a hermit crab this whole year, and you patiently coaxed me out of my shell to try and do things I previously thought unthinkable.

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“Dive, but don’t drown.” I texted my parents and siblings just before I went out to sea, and that’s what my dad said to me. Knowing his penchant for humorous wordplay, he was probably just trying to be funny in telling his daughter to be careful. But his words spoke volumes more than that.

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As the sun sank into sea, the realization sank into me that indeed, there are many things that will besiege us. Challenges, triumphs, excruciating sadness, immense joy, failures, victories. Whichever of these pressures arise, what’s important is that we learn to equalize, to go with the flow, to take deep breaths and calmly work our way through the current and not let ourselves be swept away. To clear the fog in our masks that might be keeping us from seeing things clearly. To dive into things and take it all in, embrace what’s enveloping us, but not let it drown us.
   
I can’t wait for what the next experience will be teaching.

Music festival idea #3: Girly boho

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Candies sundress, Quirkypedia headband, SM Accessories necklace, Janilyn wedges. My third and last outfit idea for CloseUp Summer Solstice.

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Hype this on Lookbook here, Chictopia here

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As you may or may have not noticed in the first and second, there’s an undercurrent of green in this trilogy. I took it upon myself to work with three musts. First, the outfits must be from pieces I already own (you’ll see this dress in a future post; I wore it on the HK/Macau holiday).  Second, the outfits must call to mind words like summer, fresh, carefree, happy and young. And third, I must not take more than three hours from styling, to makeup and hair, to shooting everything. I like playing little games like that. Haha.

I was able to put together and shoot all three in one afternoon, and my awesome photographer (Hi Mama!) did an amazing job as usual. It was quick and so much fun!

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Don’t let the height of these lace-wrapped wedges fool you. They’re quite easy to walk in! I tried dancing in them as well and I think with a little more practice, they’re a good enough compromise for the vertically challenged who don’t want to wear flats to the festival.

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Let me know what you have in mind for your Summer Solstice outfit, or ask me style-related questions, here! Oh, and which one’s your favorite among the three? :)

Music festival idea #2: Hippie

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Binkydoodles cutout top and maxi skirt, Crocs wedge sandals, SM Accessories necklace and bangles. I’m doing a trio of outfit ideas for the CloseUp Summer Solstice, the first music festival of its kind to happen in Manila this Saturday. While my first one has a more casual urban feel, this one’s for the hippie in you. Hype it on Lookbook here, Chictopia here.

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In putting together these outfits, I wanted to only use pieces that are already in my closet. I wore this cute top in this post and the maxi skirt in this one. I like going floral on floral for summertime events.

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I tucked the bottom of the cutout top in the skirt to shorten it and balance out the look, since the skirt is already long and flowy. It’s a really breezy outfit that’s great for staying cool despite the heat we’ve been beleaguered with these days.

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Since everything’s already colorful and feminine, I went with pointy white accessories.

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It’s going to be difficult to wear heels and complicated shoes to a music festival—they’re usually held outdoors in unpredictable weather, and entails doing a lot of standing up and walking. I went with these Crocs (yes, they’re Crocs) to complement the accessories, and of course, to add height. Maxi skirts make you look longer, especially when paired with wedges.

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Pulled my hair up into a bun in keeping with the carefree vibe of the outfit. I don’t really comb my hair because it tends to go against the natural waves. Buns are a good way to keep hair in place, as frizz and sweating are inevitable at a summer music festival.

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How do you like this outfit? Is it something you’d wear to Summer Solstice? Let me know what you think, or ask me your style-related questions here.

Road Trip

Miss Sixty dress over striped tank top, Cole Haan wingtip brogues, SM Accessories hat and necklace, Veloci wristwatch, backpack from my sister. Hype this on Lookbook here and Chictopia here.

Just something for the summer. Been going on drives with my loved ones to nearby places that I haven’t been to in a while. Looking forward to more of these this year :)

Hope you’re all having a wonderful week so far!

Summer Solstice

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Lhasa pink crochet dress, Call It Spring boots, SM Accessories. Hype this on Lookbook here and Chictopia here.

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Wore this to the media launch of Close-Up Summer Solstice. It’s this new tradition that Close-Up is kickstarting this year: a 12-hour non-stop music party featuring the hottest local and foreign artists. My fellow ambassadors and I were asked to go for a summer outfit that you would typically wear to a music festival.

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I’ve never been to one, so I just based it on festival fashion photos I see online: boots with something breezy and low-key, injected with a few boho or hippie elements.

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The media launch was held at White Space last March 5, where ambassadors gathered together: actors, fashion bloggers, Magic 89.9 radio DJs and other influential youngsters. Left to right: Rocco Nacino, Steven Silva, Enzo Pineda, Kryz Uy, Camille Co, Laureen Uy, Carla Humphries, Mike Concepcion, Nicole Andersson, Coleen Garcia, Verniece Enciso, Seph Cham, me, Vern Enciso, Jessica Mendoza, Andi Manzano, Suzy Gamboa, Riki Flores, Enrique Gil. Each of us belonged to a social group, and we were all part of the selection process of the artists.

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My group! David Guison is also with us but he couldn’t make it that day.

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Check out the colorful bean bags and backdrop!

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So who are the artists we’ll be rocking out to at the Summer Solstice?

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Light and Bright: AEO Launch

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Style meets casual comfort. Green tiered top from tiangge, Miss Sixty skinny jeans, Anne Klein shoulder bag, Call It Spring booties, SM Accessories ombré necklace and cuff bracelet.

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Hype this on Lookbook here and Chictopia here.

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A breezy top with jeans and boots is pretty much a manifestation of how I feel about the current transitional season. It won’t be long before temperatures start rising again in time for the summer, but I’ve always been a cold-weather girl so I wanted to hold on to whatever few and fleeting chilly spells we can still enjoy.

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Hot or not, I love how the bright colors of spring/summer can perk up any outfit and give it that carefree, casual feel. Check out this ombré orange necklace! It’s not really my favorite shade, but I’ve been wearing this piece a lot because it just seems to make my outfits happier somehow.

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Yellow and green are a different story—two colors I love wearing. Especially yellow. I got this bag from my aunt exactly a year ago during my birthday trip to the US and I’ve been wearing it to death every chance I get… I tend to do that with gifts from loved ones.

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If you’ve been a longtime reader of this blog (and I sure hope you are!) then you’ve also seen these boots a lot. Because really, what can’t you wear with a nice pair of brown boots?

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I seldom wear jeans anymore and usually go for shorts or dresses, but I’m glad I went with my gut that afternoon. As with most of my outfits, I put this together at the last minute to go and attend the Philippine launch of American Eagle Outfitters. Maybe because I’ve been a fan of the brand since college, my chosen neon-and-jeans ensemble was spot on with AEO’s Light and Bright Spring Collection.

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Starting over

In March 2010 started a love story eight years in the making. Seph and I met in 2002 through my cousin Jeru, his best friend of 11 years. Through those years we were always just along the borders of each other’s lives, crossing paths every now and then in between relationships, keeping in touch and losing touch and finally finding each other many years and lessons later.
   
When we did, we were so sure we had both been prepared for this. That there must have been a reason we weren’t brought together eight years ago; that we were meant to first grow and learn from past mistakes. Things fell into place almost cosmically: the chemistry effortless, the connection unbreakable, everyone’s love and support overwhelming. This is what we’ve been waiting our whole lives for, we thought.
     
It’s been our joy sharing our story with you through this blog—our passions, hopes, milestones and memories. Love Chic has not only been a celebration of our love for fashion, but of love. Of two people whose bond is so strong that one can feel or think what the other feels or thinks without saying a word. Two people with so much in common it’s like they’ve known each other all their lives. Whose differences are so complementary that when their strengths and weaknesses combine, they’re unstoppable. Two people who have made cynics believe that true love is real after all.
    
But love as a feeling is never enough. Falling in love is the easiest thing, while staying in love requires commitment. It takes two; not one, not three, to make a relationship work. As it turns out, the worst fears and gut feelings I’ve been having for a while were real: Seph and I have stopped moving together in this direction. The things that were supposed to be just between the two of us—secrets, plans, dreams, problems, were no longer just between the two of us.
      
Due to circumstances beyond my control, our story has come to an end.
   
They say fight for what’s yours. Give it your all. But when it turns out it has no longer been yours for over a year now, you can fight and give with all you’ve got and it won’t make the slightest difference.
    
When that happens, all you can do is forgive, and move on. Be grateful for what happened, and have faith that things can only get better.
     
From here on, Seph is leaving Love Chic to me. There will be changes, but with the same name and aim of inspiring young people to be their best and confident selves. We hope you’ll continue to be supportive of us even as we go our own ways.
   
Made this on our anniversary to celebrate our story. It’s time to let it go. :)

      
To everyone who stood by us from the very beginning, when we were starting out with webcam photos on Facebook albums. To everyone who read our first blog posts and watched our first videos. To everyone who came by our talks, wrote to Dear Love Chic, dropped by our bazaar booths, watched our guestings, and read our features. To everyone who showed their faith in us, who looked up to us and made us feel like we were doing something right. To everyone who loved Love Chic, and sephshai.
     
Thank you.

Patterns

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Veva Dee Luxe geometric printed dress, SM Accessories geometric necklace, bangle, ring and quilt clutch, CMG wedges. Hype this on Lookbook here.

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Energie Jeans tee, 101 New York jacket, Human jeans and sneakers, SM Department Store socks, Velocci watch, iNako iPad screen protector.

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It’s been a while since our last blog post! Along with the coming of the new year (and the Chinese new year lol), a lot of changes have been afoot.

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Change, we often hear, is the only thing that’s ever constant. The only thing that follows a pattern. At first, resistance; and fear of tipping the balance. Of rearranging anything.

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And then, enough courage to embrace the reality that what has been comfortable, what’s easy, isn’t always what’s right.

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Enough courage is mustered to face whatever must happen head on, with a sound mind and a willful heart.

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F21 Valentine’s: Sweet Pairings

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Hi guys! Hope you all had lovely Valentine celebrations yesterday. Just because February 14th is over, though, doesn’t mean the love season is!

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Our Forever21 Valentine’s Lookbook contest is still on-going!

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The contest is open to all fashionable couples who want to show off their unique sense of paired-up style in Forever21 outfits.

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We’ve posted a few samples already to help get you inspired. The winning couple gets to win a P10,000 shopping spree.

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F21 Valentine’s: Preppy Love

Schoolboy meets schoolgirl in collared button-downs, knit cardigans and loafers. “Campus crush” looks for the Forever21 Valentine’s Lookbook contest.

We’ve been blogging these sample entries to give you guys a better idea how you can go about your own entries for the contest.

It could be as matchy as you want, or not! It could be in a studio, or outdoors.

It doesn’t really matter as long as your theme is pretty clear, and you’re able to express your individual and paired-up styling.

Show off your sweet style and get to win a P10,000 shopping spree from Forever21.

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F21 Valentine’s: Denim + Candy

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Denim button-downs layered over tangerines and blues, worn with nude shoes. One of the many ways we’d style ourselves for the Forever21 Valentine’s Lookbook contest.

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How about you? Join the contest for a chance to win a P10,000 shopping spree at Forever21.

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F21 Valentine’s Lookbook Contest

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Calling all couples! Get ready for our sweetest giveaway yet. Pose a la Love Chic in your most stylish outfits for a chance to win a P10,000 shopping spree from Forever21.

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Just a few samples to give you ideas. It doesn’t matter if you take your photo on the streets or in a studio, as long as it showcases your sweet style.

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Contest mechanics here:
   

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His & Hers Scents: John Varvatos and Juicy Couture

heima john varvatos juicy couture viva la juicy viva la fleur viva la juicy la fleur perfume lovechic sephshai love chic seph shai sephcham shailagarde seph cham shai lagarde fashion style blogger menswear ladieswear asian korean filipino couple his-and-hers ulzzang uljjang matchy outfit wardrobe street-style model cute hot handsome pretty picture-perfect pair sweet sweetheart love romantic teen young online shop manila pampanga bacolod iloilo quezon city makati caloocan

Dropping by Heima is always a sweet treat, but more so on December 6 with the launch of Juicy Couture’s Viva La Juicy La Fleur and John Varvatos’ Artisan Black EDTs. Both are reinterpretations of Juicy Couture and John Varvato’ bestselling fragrances, Viva La Juicy and Artisan respectively.

heima john varvatos juicy couture viva la juicy viva la fleur viva la juicy la fleur perfume lovechic sephshai love chic seph shai sephcham shailagarde seph cham shai lagarde fashion style blogger menswear ladieswear asian korean filipino couple his-and-hers ulzzang uljjang matchy outfit wardrobe street-style model cute hot handsome pretty picture-perfect pair sweet sweetheart love romantic teen young online shop manila pampanga bacolod iloilo quezon city makati caloocan

Inspired by the blushing aura of being in love, Viva La Fleur is a veil of sparkling mandarin, wild berries and water lily combined with the luminous blend of dewy honeysuckle, gardenia petals and soft jasmine. A whisper of creamy gourmand caramel, vanilla and sandalwood lingers in the background. It’s fruity and sweet, but not in an overpowering way, which is exactly how we like it.

heima john varvatos juicy couture viva la juicy viva la fleur viva la juicy la fleur perfume lovechic sephshai love chic seph shai sephcham shailagarde seph cham shai lagarde fashion style blogger menswear ladieswear asian korean filipino couple his-and-hers ulzzang uljjang matchy outfit wardrobe street-style model cute hot handsome pretty picture-perfect pair sweet sweetheart love romantic teen young online shop manila pampanga bacolod iloilo quezon city makati caloocan

John Varvatos is a menswear designer who started out with Calvin Klein and Polo Ralph Lauren in the ’90s before developing his own line in 2000. Artisan Black is a limited edition scent from his new collection. Each bottle is hand-woven by a craftsman, so no two bottles look exactly the same. Inside is a surprising symphony of contrasts—with top notes of citrus, black basic and boxwood leaves, middle notes of dark woods, ginger and essential floral oils, and the woody, musky base notes of patchouli and soft leather.

heima john varvatos juicy couture viva la juicy viva la fleur viva la juicy la fleur perfume lovechic sephshai love chic seph shai sephcham shailagarde seph cham shai lagarde fashion style blogger menswear ladieswear asian korean filipino couple his-and-hers ulzzang uljjang matchy outfit wardrobe street-style model cute hot handsome pretty picture-perfect pair sweet sweetheart love romantic teen young online shop manila pampanga bacolod iloilo quezon city makati caloocan

That day was a feast for all the senses; apart from home design eye candy, easy-listening grooves, and the fragrances, guests were invited to sample these. Created by Chef Anne Chua of My Pink Wasabi, kashi maki means “sweet maki.” This particular collection was custom-made for Viva La Juicy La Fleur so that anyone who’s ever smelled a perfume and thought, “This smells so yummy I wish I could eat it!” actually could.

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From being a his-and-hers fashion blog,
Love Chic 2.0 is now the style and inspiration diary
of writer, producer, stylist and youth speaker
Shai Lagarde.

Email lovechicmail@gmail.com









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