How to Find That Piece You Saw And Loved

Have you ever found something that someone is wearing amazing and wanted to find the same thing or something similar that fits your budget and be able to buy it? If you're anything like me, you'll start to obsess over the item, looking for it everywhere online and offline. Clearly the downside of being a die hard fashion lover. Thankfully, the clever peeps at Seezona have built a nifty online platform that allows you to find what you're looking for with visual search, find similar items that fit your budget and buy.

So how does it work? Simply upload a photo of what you're looking for, select the category, price range and start your research. Quite cool right?

The downside? Well, you can't search for shoes or accessories. A big problem for me personally considering I'm bag and shoe obsessed. Let's hope the folks at Seezona can change that soon. 

Next time you're looking for something give it a try and let me know what you think. The visual search isn't perfect but it's definitely the future of online shopping.

Traditional V Day Gift Makeover

Valentine's Day is just a few days away, and trying to find that perfect gift can seem an impossible task.  But it's not only Valentine's Day that can be tough, given a good friend of mine frequently asks for advice on what to buy when it comes to his loved one. So, I figured why not re-look at 5 of the traditional gifts and jazz them up.

1. Flowers

As clichéd as they are, flowers are always a must in my opinion. They always manage to put a big smile on my face and brighten my day. And guys a helpful hint, don’t just wait till Valentine's Day or special occasions to give flowers, give them any time.

If you wanna change things up and steer away from the classic red roses, why not try a bouquet of tulips. Currently loving the “The Marissa” tulip bouquet from ABetterFlorist.

PRICE: SGD 81 (Source: ABetterFlorist.com)

2. Macaroons

I personally couldn’t think of receiving anything better to be honest. I am obsessed with macaroons. My all time favourite are the pistachio ones from Laduree. If you haven’t tried them, you really should! Maybe try them after you have gifted them, cause if you are anything like me you will run the risk of eating them and needing to go out and buy more. They really make a great change from receiving chocolates. Plus they are packaged in the most beautiful of boxes at Laduree. You definitely can’t go wrong!

PRICE: SGD 23.70 (Image Source: Unknown)

3. Wallet

I know what you are thinking... a wallet? How boring. I couldn’t agree more but then I came across this adorable Marc Jacobs card wallet adorned with hearts and I absolutely loved it. I had to put it on the list!  Its fun, its valentiney and it’s practical for us ladies to hold our essential cards in a clutch.

PRICE: SGD 142.36 (Source: Noordstorm)

4. Teddy bear

A teddy? Yes, but what I’m suggesting isn’t exactly a teddy. It’s a Fendi bag bug. It's fun and makes for a great bag accessory. My favourite is the minty bag bug. It’s worth noting that they are quite pricey but that’s because they're made from real fur. If you or your other half is against fur in any way, then this gift would be a no go. If you’re not against fur and find the bag bugs a bit too fun, then you can always opt for a personalized ABC charm, which is just as gorgeous.

PRICE: MINTY BAG BUG (L) GBP 545 ; ABC L CHARM (R) GBP 400 (Source: Fendi)

5. Jewelry

Jewelry is always a winner but can be super costly especially if you have a budget. So as the fashion obsessed person that I am, I managed to find a piece of costume jewelry from Montblanc that’s young, stylish and simple.

PRICE: GBP 95 (Source: Montblanc)

So, what are you getting the love of your life on Valentine's day? Post a comment below. Would love to know. And in case you’re curious what I’m getting for Valentine's day, I’m getting a bear! ;)

For all the ladies reading, feel free to share the link with you know who. After all sharing is caring right? ;)

How to Shop the Online Sales

Its that time of year again and all our favourite shops and online retailers are on sale! The problem however is we're spoilt for choice especially when we're shopping online. I have over 12 fashion retail apps on my iPhone such as Net-a-Porter, Outnet, Farfetch, Lyst etc. to name a few!

So how do you make the most of the sales online or keep an eye out for that piece you love to go on sale? Simple, use a curated online fashion retailer. My preferred app and online platform is ShopStyle. Here's why:

1. Easy to use. You don't need to be a "techy person" to navigate your way through the app or the website.

2. Search for items among the thousands of retailers that they curate from instead of individually checking each online retailer.

3. Filter according to designer, size etc. and customize your "own shop" based on the brands you love. You can also filter according to sales and deals.

3. If you sign up as a user, you can favourite things that you love so you can find them again with ease.

4. Found something you love but the price tag is steep and its not yet on sale? Put a sale alert on the item so that when it does go on sale, you'll automatically get an email and in-app notification. This has to be by far my most favourite function!

5. On the website, the curated list shows voucher codes for free delivery or further discounts (if available)  that can be added to your cart.  I heart this function as I'm a big fan of free delivery since I live in Singapore and benefit from not having to pay VAT for goods purchased under SGD400. Worst case scenario if your goods are over SGD400, you only pay 7% VAT. Score! Either way it actually works out cheaper to shop online then in the stores. Although this function is not on the app, one can easily filter results under discounts to "free delivery" on the app.

6. Easily identify items that are on sale in your curated list.

The downside?

1. Curated list of items can occasionally be out of stock or the size filter (for shoes in particular) can be inaccurate. My pet hate since I am an Italian size 41-42 big foot! The struggle is real!

2. Not being able to have a single checkout point. If you want to purchase more than one item from different retailers, you need to check out at each retailer separately. I can't think of anything more frustrating then trying to process an online payment for something! And to do it more than once... no thanks.

For those of you that want to try out the ShopStyle app you can download it by clicking on the relevant button below:

If you have a different curated fashion retailer app that you prefer, pop a comment below and let me know.