. . . Sunrise, Sunset

    Another off-day, another look. I guess now my more eccentric looks are confined to off-days that I probably spend a large part of at home doing and shooting impractical makeup. Anyway, this time I'm using my newly-acquired Essence All About Sunrise palette and KATE Deep Shiny Eyes PU-1 for a season-inappropriate dark look.

    新的一天休假日，來篇新妝容文吧！我想現在我比較誇張的妝容都只能留到休假日來嘗試了，所以休假日常常有一大半時間都賴在家裡化些不日常的妝然後自拍自嗨這樣 XDD  這次使用了新入手的Essence All About Sunrise眼影盤跟KATE的深瞳調色眼影盒PU-1畫了個不合季節的暗色系眼妝。

    I must admit this Essence eyeshadow palette is a steal, considering the performance at its price point. It is in powder form, but the application is so smooth it almost feels creamy. The colour payoff is great overall, although the orange shade is really not half as vibrant as what the official website portrays. Other than the darkest shade (which is more of a satin finish), each colour has a lovely shimmer finish that plays out beautifully to light. The con, however, is that the eyeshadows are fallout-prone, especially that orange shade, and there's no applicator included (though if you are used to using brushes then this shouldn't be a problem).

     我要大推Essence這盤眼影，c/p值超高的啊啊啊！雖然是粉狀，但是上手超綿密滑順的。整體顯色度也不錯，不過下排橘色那個完全沒有官網照那麼鮮艷亮麗就是了。除了最深色那格比較偏半霧面質感，其他都有超美的珠光光澤，在光線下的變幻效果很棒。不過這盤缺點是會飛粉，尤其橘色那格，然後眼影盤也沒附任何眼影棒（雖然如果平時習慣用眼影刷的話這應該不是大問題）。

    These are the shades that are used in this look. I was originally intending to use only the Essence palette, but the darkest shade in there wasn't dark enough for what I had in mind. So I turned to the KATE palette -- that brown shade there is crazy pigmented, and much darker than what it looks like in the pan. I was a bit taken aback by how dark it is the first time I swatched it, to be honest.

    這些是這次使用到的顏色。其實原本只打算用Essence那盤，不過裡面那格最深色對我來說還不夠深，於是向KATE這盤求助。KATE這盤那格棕色真的超深的，遠比外表看起來深色。老實說第一次試色的時候有點驚訝原來這麼深色 XD

    1.  Apply A over eyelids.
   
    1.  先用A上在整個上眼皮。

    2.  Apply B starting from the inner corner of the eyes and work it towards the center.
    3.  Apply C from the outer corner of the eyes and dab towards the center.
    4.  Blend between the colours, layering more eyeshadow till you get the desired vibrancy.

    2.  從眼頭上B，並且往中間暈開。
    3.  接著從眼尾上C，一樣往眼部中間暈開。
    4.  在兩色交接處用眼影刷把色塊暈開，並且疊擦補強兩邊的眼影直到足夠飽和。

    5.  Apply D over the outer 1/3 of eyelid, layer on E to add further depth to the outer corner.
    6.  Dab on F from the inner corner, working gradually towards the inner 1/4 of eyelid.
    7.  Similarly, blend between the colours and layering on as needed.

    5.  在眼尾1/3處疊擦D，再疊上E來更加強調眼尾的深度。
    6.  在眼頭疊擦F，先用少量眼影慢慢疊擦，範圍大概是眼頭1/4的部分。
    7.  一樣用眼影刷把色塊界線均勻暈開，必要的話再疊上眼影補強色彩。

    8.  For the lower lid, apply the colours as shown, starting from the inner corner.
    9.  Blend between the colours as you work towards the outer corner.

    8.  下眼皮的部分，如圖所示從眼頭依次上色。
    9.  每增加一色記得用眼影刷暈開兩色交界處。
   

    Add in black eyeliner and mascara and you are set to go (eyes-wise, that is)! As I want a bit of a sharp dramatic effect, I decided not to blend out the upper edge of the eye makeup.

    最後加上黑色眼線跟睫毛膏，眼妝的部分就完成囉！然後因為我想要有點界線分明的俐落妝感，所以就沒有去把上眼皮ㄑ字部位的眼妝界線給暈開了。

    Sorry, the 2nd photo is a bit inaccurate in regards to the colour placements as I suspect the shimmery and reflective nature of the Essence colours had rendered the orange almost whitish gold when it caught the light streaming in from the side (I will post an Instagram video on this tomorrow if my 4G allows it ... failed several attempts to load today  : (  ). Anyway, I especially love how the colours look when you lower your eyes, a bit mysterious like the skies in between sunset and nightfall  <3

    對不起第二張全妝照的眼影顏色分配其實有點不準確。我懷疑是因為Essence那盤眼影的珠光效果讓橘色的眼影遇上從旁邊照射進來的光時瞬間反光成略淡金的顏色（如果明天手機網速沒問題的話會在IG po個示範這眼影珠光的影片，今天試了幾次都失敗了 orz）。不過我很喜歡這個眼妝垂眼時的效果，大概是介於日落跟初更之間的神祕色彩  <3

    Here's the *very short* video. The purple shade is from the KATE palette and the rest are Essence's. You can see that the glitter bits in the purple shade are chunkier, also it took about 4 finger swatches to reach the opacity on my hand compared to 2 swatches with the other shades. You can also see that the orange shade sorta looks more like pale gold when the light hits it straight on.

    這是極短的影片噢！主要是讓大家看最下那個橘色，光從正面打下來他就完全變淡金色了 XDD  另外那個紫色就是KATE那盤的，可以看出它的顆粒感比較大一些，而且相較其他三色只需要用手指刷兩次就達到手上的飽和度，那個紫色我刷了四次哈哈

    As usual, I'm ending the post with a medley of Instagram pics ( @bonjourjasmineblog ), I'm positively giddy over my recent THREE Sakuraism haul (top row center) ... all those lovely pinks just evoke that warm happy spring mood.

    照例來個Instagram近期照片（帳號 @bonjourjasmineblog）的拼圖當結尾，真的超愛最近THREE櫻花限定的戰利品啊啊啊（上排中間）... 粉嫩的色彩好有春天的愉悅氛圍 <33

Bises! ♥♥

Morning Glow

Morning glow, morning glow,
Starts to glimmer when you know.

-- Pippin "Morning Glow"

NOTES

    At last, a return to an outfit post in the comforts of one's own home. I think the time of the season warrants for some pastels and, of course, flowers as props. The earrings, by the way, are my staple for outings lately. I love how they can be discerned from far yet look delicate instead of loud and ostentatious. 

    終於，感覺很久沒放在家拍的穿搭文了。我想這個季節這個時間點應該要來點粉彩色系，然後要拿花當道具 XDD  珍珠雨耳環算是我最近出門常戴的。我喜歡它從遠處就看得見的存在感，但是卻還是給人內斂溫和而不喧囂的印象。

Dress :  Taobao.com

Coat :  Pazzo

Earrings & necklace :  Cor-date

Bises! ♥♥

Meet Me at The Savoy

I'm never, never, never tired of romping,
And stomping with you at the Savoy.

-- Ella Fitzgerald "Stompin' at the Savoy"

NOTES

    I know I've been quiet on the blogging front lately, but I intend to blame it squarely on the weather, the comfort of a soft bed and the invention of the TV-watching apps on iPhone. Well, the good news is I finally finished editing the last of my London photos, and was attempting to post 'em all in one blogpost ... but 90 photos in one post is just a bit too much (LOL). Anyway, here's one half, my first day in London, beginning with hectic registering and unpacking at the hotel. I totally adore the abundance of teas in English hotels, there were at least five different kinds available in my room, replenished every day and came complete with tea-making facilities, tea sets and Scottish shortbread to go along. After enduring the 12-hour flight and a 45-minute queue at Heathrow, needless to say I had a few cuppas first thing upon checking in to perk me up  and fortify against the unseasonably cold London weather.

    我知道我最近在部落格上簡直神隱了，不過這種事都是天氣、軟綿綿的被窩還有手機看劇app的錯啦（指）。Anyway，這幾天終於把剩下的倫敦行照片整理完了簡直可喜可賀  T︿T ～原本打算一次過一篇po完，但是覺得一篇文章90幾張照片也太over XDD  總之，先來一半吧！這是抵達倫敦第一天的照片，一開始就是入住酒店跟匆忙翻開行李。我太愛英國酒店提供很多茶這件事，我住的房裡至少有五種不同的茶葉，每天都會有人補充，還備有完整的泡茶工具、茶具跟配茶的蘇格蘭餅。經過12小時的連續飛行跟在倫敦機場熬過了45分鐘的排隊，進房第一件事當然是泡幾杯熱茶醒神一下，順便在倫敦五月尾不合時宜的十度氣溫中給自己暖和一下。

    Ah, first stop, tea at the Savoy! It was on my bucket list ever since the trip was confirmed. I have come across the storied hotel in so many works of literature and cinema that I had to savour the experience myself (the title of this post is, in fact, the name of a book written in 1952 by Jean Nicol). I brought along my Pazzo white dress with a black floral appliqué neckline for the occasion, something elegant without being overly mature or girlish. To my dismay the material was too easily wrinkled and even more so after being crammed into an overpacked luggage on a 12-hour flight. There wasn't even time to press it as our tea appointment at the Savoy was in about an hour after I finished unpacking, and God knows how long it would take us to get through the noon traffic in central London to reach the Strand. We made it to the Savoy in the nick of time (barely), but suffice it to say, the lack of outfit photos at the hotel was partly due to the unbecoming wrinkles plaguing my little white dress (sob).

    第一站，Savoy酒店下午茶！因為有好多外國文學作品跟電影都提及這家傳奇酒店，所以對它憧憬滿滿，英國行確定時就放到口袋名單裡了（另外本篇標題「Meet Me at the Savoy」其實是一本寫於1952年的書的書名，作者Jean Nicol）。為此行帶了買很久少穿的Pazzo小白裙（？），短洋裝加上黑色立體花領口不至於過分成熟或稚氣。然而不幸的是這件洋裝的材質太容易皺了，尤其塞在行李箱裡度過12小時的長途飛行後更變本加厲 ||| orz   而且在酒店房間裡收拾好後已經沒有時間把它燙平了，畢竟離下午茶預約時間僅有一小時，還不知道熬過倫敦中心的中午塞車時段需要多久時間。最後我們算準時趕上了下午茶，但洋裝實穿照極少的一大原因絕對是因為衣服太皺了（淚）。

＊　Freshly baked raisin and plain scones

    The traditional afternoon tea at the Savoy takes place at its iconic Thames Foyer, with a wrought-iron gazebo centrepiece underneath an intricate stained-glass cupola. There is a choice of sweet or savoury afternoon tea, the latter which I chose had the patisserie replaced with a smoked salmon course. The scones were okay at best to my taste, but the finger sandwiches were absolutely delish -- spiced Wiltshire maple bone ham, coronation chicken on olive bread, Scottish smoked and poached salmon with dill mustard, egg salad with watercress, cucumber with fine herbs and tomato cream cheese. I enjoyed them so much that I alone devoured three (!) servings of the sandwiches, and for those of you who have doubts, that was altogether 15 sandwiches not including the scones, the savoury course of smoked salmon and poached egg on melba toast and the signature cakes. Of course I was hardly able to move when all was eaten and done, but I did wade far enough to have a picture taken at the beautiful powder room of the Savoy. To cap off the memorable afternoon, I bought a few delicate desserts and teas at the Savoy tea shop, the former for relishing in the middle of the night, the latter to be brought back and savoured in leisure as I sat at home recalling the day I had tea at the same place as Claude Monet, Winston Churchill and Audrey Hepburn.

    Savoy的下午茶是辦在有名的Thames Foyer，在精緻的花窗玻璃穹頂下有個裝飾的雕花鑄鐵涼亭。下午茶方面有甜點跟咸點可選，咸點的話是把甜點的部分換成一道煙燻鮭魚，對於大量甜點很快就膩的我簡直是一大喜訊。這家scone的部分其實一般般，但是三明治我覺得好好吃 -- 有楓糖醃漬維爾特郡火腿、咖哩白醬雞肉佐橄欖麵包、蘇格蘭燻鮭魚佐蒔蘿芥末、蛋沙拉配西洋菜以及小黃瓜搭香草料跟番茄起司等五種口味。三明治我一個人就吃下了三份（！），是的不用懷疑，就是總共吃掉了15個三明治，還不抱括前面的scone、接下來的咸點煙燻鮭魚佐水波蛋跟薄脆麵包以及最後的招牌蛋糕。不用說，等到吃完喝完的時候我根本是飽到快動不了的狀態，不過依然堅持爬到人家美麗的廁所（倒數第四張）拍一張 XDD  離開前不忘去Savoy Tea裡面買幾個小甜點跟罐裝茶葉，前者以備半夜餓了的不時之需 :P  後者則帶回去等某天在家裡悠閒品嘗，順便回憶那天在莫內、邱吉爾以及奧黛莉 ‧ 赫本都待過的華麗空間裡的一場美味英式下午茶  ; ) 

＊　Smoked salmon with poached egg and crème fraiche on melba toast 

＊　Selection of finger sandwiches

＊　Cornish clotted cream, homemade lemon curd and strawberry preserve

＊　Gianduja cake and Victorian sponge

＊　The powder room of the Savoy

Dress :  Pazzo

Coat :  Taobao.com

Shoes :  Taobao.com

Book clutch :  P.S. Besitos

Bises! ♥♥