IT'S ANNABEL.com {Life}Style Purveyor

Dwells in two realms at once. Got a good hunch about life. For collaborations, hit her at [email protected] Instagram @annabel_t Twitter @annabel_tan FB /Annabel.T

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My experience with anxiety and a panic attack - now up on Her World magazine. If you're going through any kind of stress, anxiousness or depression. Talk about it!

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Fridays should be like thessseee. Happy long weekend & CNY guys.. #huatah #goodvibes for all! #👙 by @godspeedthelabel #longweekend #maldives #parkhyatthadahaa #parkhyattmaldives #swanfloat #floatie (at Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa)

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Flip the page. It's Monday again #whitebackground #flipthepage #timesfour #manicmondays #ootd

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A Quickie on Mind-blowns & Travel Writing

So last year was beyond a doubt mind-blowing for me.  Really, I think my mind literally combusted with all the changes and then it regrouped like the old school toy by Nickelodeon : SLIME. 

And from a state of rest and new habits - yoga, long nature walks, Zumba, aqua-Zumba (?! Yes), playground playworkouts (if you can’t already tell, I need my fitness extremely novel)

I also decided I’ll accept travelling assignments to experience old and new and write lil articles.

Together with Joy, my trusty photog, who experienced the beauty & extreme hilarity of our trip in Taiwan, here’s four of our articles (post-edited) on a site with an acclaim 1 million views a month. 

(At this juncture I’m reminded of  this one mountain journey that took 6-8 hours on windy terrain. The LOCAL guide threw up, I kid you not.)

We opted to participate in as silent contributors, so the style of article & author’s name remain that of the owners’ of the site. 

Thanks for sending us there!

Taiwan (Beyond Taipei)

Six Activities to Do While Experiencing Culture of Atayal Tribe at Atayal Resort (Taichung)

A Relaxing Day in  Dongshih Forest Garden (Taichung)

Review of Farglory Ocean Theme Park (Hualien)

Five (More) Things to Experience in Taiwan

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🎨At the #AndyWarholSocialCircus exhibition this evening by #TheRyanFoundation. Also, THIS BLUE BIRD is amazing. 💙🤗😏💙 The Andy Warhol polaroid exhibition is on from 16-29 Jan at Gillman Barracks FOC! #BlueBird #exoticbirds #artexhibitionfriends #andywarhol (at Gillman Barracks)

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Anomalies

I have too many.

Today, I’m highlighting the fact that as a Macbook to PC user (twice over), I’m going to try eating apples again this new year.

I resolve to put aside my phobia of the spinning rainbow wheels of death and resist the temptation to split the operating systems into windows & mac os within the Mac.

I will fully embrace the virus free, cleaner (hopefully greener) interface and leave the hurts & pains of erroneous syncing of my iPhone to my PC.

I will memorise new shortcuts. And I will not use my old PCs for at least a month (after today, or maybe tomorrow).

And I am truly grateful an awesome friend gave it to me for new projects (after my PC began exhibiting wonky signs), primarily because I don’t think I’ll ever be inclined to pay full for a Mac-anything.

Inhale. I can do this move.

(Currently ignoring all the incredulous Mac users’ eyerolls)

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Treasure trove of Gucci gorgeousness at their SS16 collection by Alessandro Michele🌸🌼. I love how Vogue UK called it "a magpie's dream, expensive vintage" with a seventies sensibility. A dreamy continuation of the brand's whimsical, embellished AW15 aesthetics. Yes yes & yes. (That fern leaves & bird top) #guccisg #gucciss16 #springsummer2016 #treasuretrove (at Kilo)

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Morning comes & evening fades. Inhale Life, exhale. 🙌 #Selah

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Chez Vous 20th Anniversary 20 Lookbook

This year marked a year of (one too many) changes for me.

Got married, moved homes, changed jobs. So it was all too apt for me to change my hairstyle *flick hair for effect*. I was asking peers for recommendations of stylists and salons who are passionate about the health of hair yet cutting edge (applause for pun please) enough to tackle colours and textures I’m itchily curious about.

I came across Honey Lee’s makeover, and the girlfriend was all thumbs up about her experience at Chez Vous, so there my journey with them began!

My first three visits there was to get my hair styled for Singapore Fashion Week this year. The creativity and warmth of the team, drew me in and got me hooked.

Here’s Day 1: (Support & love to one of my fav local designers, Elohim by Sabrina Goh)

Day 2: (With my Elsa, if I’m Anna, Frozen Sista)

Day 3: (With the fabulous blokes)

By then I was pretty much sold, next was gathering some of my girlfriends to visit their #ChezVousBeautyisReal party. 

Drinks, clothes, makeup, hair & a mini photo shoot - it was a blast. So when it came to a full hair makeover for their 20th Anniversary Lookbook Challenge, 

I was game. I said, Go ahead, chop it all off. 

Thing is, the team of “Directors only” stylists studied and analyse my needs and face, body, style, head shape, stalked my instagram... sooo thoroughly that the initial “chop it off” plan was scrapped. There was a whole meeting about it (I NEVER FELT SO MUCH LOVE FOR MY HAIR IN MY LIFE) and the decision was a lob that would suit my frame, face, lifestyle with that added pizzazz I was so keen on.

My director in charge was Shawn Chia, and together with an elite squad, my hair was rebonded (sans the flatness), expertly cut and coloured into a boysenberry shade that I adored. Here’s the results!

To get to this shade, I did have to bleach some parts of my hair to achieve the highlights. But for some reason, despite my previous blotched perm, Shawn managed to remove the frizz and damage significantly with this style change.

Here’s the Before & After shot. PLEASE LAUGH WITH ME AT MY “BEFORE” moment. My face. is. Hilarious. #CheeksDontLie

Behind-the-scenes shots (which I love):

What I enjoy the most at Chez Vous, is the true comfort and efficiency I experience each time I visit. I'm terrible with sitting for long hours, so beauty anykindof treatments get me feeling out of sorts & restless. But the salon is designed to ease that with its level of service & expertise. I’m  rather hooked onto how at home I feel each time I’m there. When I feel like yaking up a storm the team would chat with me, and when I just need some quiet chill-out space, they seem to know it too. 

Plus busy folks will be heartened to know that there is minimal waiting time because each Director is only serving up to 2 customers at a go.

That, together with their allegiance to keeping my hair healthy no matter how I push for a perm/colour, keeps me & many customers coming back. 

I testified on my IG after a recent hair cut with them,  

“They never let me do anything that will damage my hair, not for all the money & persuasion in the world. A rare breed. Gotta love.”

And in epic celebration of their 20th anniversary Chez Vous is holding a contest for everyone! 

Details at a glance:

CONTEST

5 LUCKY VOTERS WILL STAND TO WIN $150 CHEZ VOUS HAIR & SCALP SERVICE VOUCHERS, AND $200 WORTH OF KERASTASE LATEST LUXURY HAIRCARE RANGE - RESISTANCE THERAPISTE*. AND 1 OF YOU MIGHT JUST BE CHEZ VOUS'S 20TH LOOKBOOK PARTICIPANT! 

The contest will end on 15th december 2015, 11.59pm. So start voting today!

Here’s the Chez Vous Facebook page to engage & participate! 

And for a detailed story of my Chez Vous 20th Anniversary Lookbook challenge, including the treatments and analysis. Hollaa here!

(The Epilogue truly surprised me. My heart is full. Thanks for doing business with so much warmth & passion guys! Here’s to another 20 years and beyond!)

Xx, BeL

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Missed the #herworld55fashionwalk BFF flagoff but hey it's Saturday ! Grabbed a coffee and checked out the bustle with @gramofmemory & @winston_c ! Thanks for the company you two! (at Orchard Road)

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Today in utopia. #PhuketRockstars #Phuket #stillcelebratingherbirthday #sliceofheaven #utopia (at Banyan Tree Phuket)

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Home for four days. @dialoperatorpls you have wrecked my first time in #Phuket (or anywhere for that matter) forever. (at Banyan Tree Double Pool Villa,Phuket)

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Dessert that could very well be breakfast! I did it while watching TV. Apples, mangoes with sea-salt , yoghurt/icecream, whatever's in the fridge and that extra ingredient I love. Step-by-step on snapchat @ Annabel_Tan. #dessert #snapchat #itsannabel

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Local ensemble last week. Love the fabric on this top & bottom from In Good Company Asia & the fun copper box bag I scored from Ling Wu's recent sale. Truth, it IS expensive to support local fashion. I've spoken to many working class peers who are fans of local designers but all wish they were priced cheaper. It's a chicken and egg situation. If we don't invest as consumers, how would they have enough demand to increase their quantity and achieve market competitiveness? Then again, I'm not sure if many local brands are interested in pricing their designs competitively at this point. It all depends on how they esteem their label to be & the demographic they intend to reach. I would understand if local brands are cautious of setting their price points too low as they end up competing with high street labels or online shops/blog shops. It took me years to accumulate a rack of local designs like Sabrina Goh, Reckless Ericka, Own Muse and many others since I was out of uni & a freshie in the working world. Years later, it's a bittersweet feeling to see labels move on, new ones emerge(ing) & a handful that stood the test of time. I also hear the gripe that "local designers who do stay in the game come from wealthy backgrounds themselves , i.e rich family/boyfriends/partners etc. So why should we add to their wealth?" Now, I'm sure there's partial truth there but I don't fully endorse the sentiment. Sounds a lil sour to me no matter how legit. Rich or less rich, there's a myriad of factors involved to create a successful line. And honestly, since when has it been different for other industries. You do need initial capital and the right network to start and grow ANY business. So I say, if the design, cut, quality & technology is there, I don't see why I shouldn't pick a local piece amongst the international brand name options. Most of the "Made Ins" are done overseas anyway, so pick pieces with designs & feels YOU enjoy and support the ones you believe have international quality & potential - even above the media hype😉 #supportlocal

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Highlights & Browtisan Eyebrow Embroidery Touchup (Review)

To my past two months - I can only express what I feel about you in this Carly Rae Jepsen earworm. “ I really really really really really really like you And I want you, do you want me, do you want me, too?”

It’s been an Rwesome month of Renewal, Re-invention and well, Research. 

There’s plenty I’d like to chronicle but there will be a time and place for that. For now however I’d like to share some long due highlights my eyes had the joys of capturing, such as the memorable experience I had at the Baba House for Poh Heng’s Peranakan Ensemble event. It was a rich day of learning, appreciation and opulence. I wish I had some Peranakan in me!

In between the purveying, I’ve made time for some grooming, the kind that makes life easier. Hey, with a new home, new chores, new fitness goals, work, volunteer activities - making life seamless becomes a much needed investment,

I’ve shared my experience (read about it here) about having my brows done at Browtisan for the first time ever previously. They did such a good job, that I never went back for my touchups. LOL. 

It was only when a girl friend of mine recently asked for some advice about getting her brows done, did I finally make an appointment to head there for a touch up, while she had her virgin embroidery done. (both turned out awesome btw).

Seen here at Browtisan’s new extension in Delfi Orchard. With the numbing cream on. The process after was similar to my first experience , professional, comfortable and efficient with a touch of luxe. While waiting for the numbing cream to work, I was served an amazing floral fruit tea, after which my therapist and founder of Browtisan Coco, helped me design my brows to suit my new haircut and face shape and the process began. Having done it before, I felt pretty zen as she etched on the faded parts stroke by stroke. Trust has been earned so I was looking forward to the results.

Straight after the touch up! I actually like how dark the brows look immediately after. 

I had a private birthday celebration with D. Our first after we got married :) 

People ask me if it hurts after and if they can resume working out, perspiration being a consideration. I checked with the team at Browtisan, no issues at all! The key is in keeping it dry when you wash your face and shower, in which they provide surgical 3M tape and their in-house Browtisan balm in this gorgeous diamond jar.

The balm has been personally concocted by Coco, it aids in healing and moisturising without leaving an overly oily feel.

The week after saw a flurry of activities. We went to the trampoline park to let the kid out in all of us. 

I headed to the launch of Faux Fayc’s new makeu range at KEEPERS and checked-in with the gorgeous girls Mae and Min. (blurry wefie here)

Popped to the airport (I love our airport) for SK-II’s 1st in the world launch for their new R.N.A Power Essence! 

All in all the newly touched-up brows gave me no problems at all and the balm helped speed up the healing process, so nothing looked patchy or weird. Everything was nice and neat in less than a week.

Here’s the look about a month later!

All in all, brow game strong and works well dressed up or bare & makeup free.(That’s important!)

For more information, visit Browtisan at: 402 Orchard Road #03-17 Delfi Orchard Singapore 238876 T: 6235 2355

Instagram: @Browtisan Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/browtisan

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I had a few variations for the caption of this photo. But for now, i'll go with this #TooLongPost because i know how much you Looooveee to read stuff online. Some days it's like us against the world. Pillowtalks. You've seen the 730 sides of me a year. Multiply that by another 5. Just becuz, women. Then, the bel sort. And you still think its funnily winsome! (Ok, i made that up) I do like your 三菜一汤, kopi / sugarcane and hawker food lovin' ways. Because soon enough, this dystopian world will be ruled by burger joints, cocktail this & truffle that. And we'll be trading blackmarket bah chor mee. Our dreams are still large & ludicrous and while our lives don't seem to make the most economical or societal sense, we're finding our feet soundly anchored & dancing on waves in His flow. I still think you watch too much dramas & YT videos, play too much Fifa and yearn for too much soccer. But, i'll be the one to make sure you have enough of all of that cuz they make your eyes twinkle. (And they also inspire you to make french toast while I sleep in) You may #PauseHere to reflect what an awesome wife i Am. My prose and verbosity about me and you and our not-bought-yet dog name boo is like the #worldwideweb, too much, too obscure, wikileaks and infinite. But here it is, happiest birthday my dear @dareeooss! I'm bringing my wishes 7 days ahead. So i can layer on it like kueh lapis. And also so I don't forget. You've been amazing to watch this year! Maturity & a secure-self can't be bought or taught. You've pained + praised, and toughed it out to get here. Pride is best received (and perceived) as the high opinion of others. I & those who matter are so proud of you. This season, I'm bringing out my absolute highest level of support & fight for ya. So is He. You cant lose. #youcantlose #happybirthdayhusband #huatah #thelengthofthiscaption #summaryisnotmygame #notfornonreaders or #ADDkids #ifyoureadtilltheend #yougetaprize! (at Hana Restaurant)

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Absolutely loved the entire experience and outcome at Chez Vous Hair Salon for their 20th Anniversary Look Book! The process took about 6+hours in all😱 to ensure my hair was well treated. The team made sure I was cared for like an queen throughout. Constant drink refills and lunch from Imperial Treasure✨ They saw the #KickAss #HitGirl / #Ultraviolet in me. For that i'm grateful & reving to start the second half of 2015!! Here's a snap of the aftermath!💜💆💇💁💜 #chezvoussg #chezvoussalon #chezvoushair #ihavepurplehair #lobhaircut #lobstyle #embracechange (at Chez Vous Hair)