Regina Chow - Singapore Fashion, Beauty & Travel Blog
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Regina Chow - Singapore Fashion, Beauty & Travel Blog
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Coogee Beach to Bondi Beach Coastal Walk

September 13, 2012 by Regina Chow 3 Comments

I’ve done a couple of bushwalks and the coastal walk from Spitbridge to Manly beach, but the one and only walk that took my breath away in a good way has got to be the coastal walk from Coogee Beach to Bondi Beach.

We started off at Coogee Beach, a quiet family-oriented beach nestled in a residential estate.


Ok here’s the start of the walk to Bondi! I wasn’t too excited to see the rocky terrain, but thankfully the path came to an end soon enough and the rest of the walk was a breeze.

What I really love about this walk is the panoramic coastal view of 4 beaches. The walk is very exposed, so you don’t feel cooped up amongst trees or greenery.

In fact, you’re in for a visual treat every step of the way!


I love the sea breeze, the crashing waves and the glistening sea against the glowing sun and azure skies. None of these photos were edited so you can only imagine how captivating the scenery is in real life!

The bowling club located right beside the sea at Waverly is the perfect spot for a game or two. What a leisurely way to get some exercise and spend the weekend! And no, your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you. Unlike in Singapore where bowling is an indoor activity, bowling here is done outdoors!

More mesmerizing sights along the way.


The coastal walk takes you through the Waverly Cemetery, probably the only cemetery with such a gorgeous view. It is quite an interesting experience because there’s absolutely nothing freaky about the place. On the contrary, it feels really serene and peaceful, though I’m pretty sure the spectacular view had something to do with it.

We passed by Bronte beach and Gordon’s Bay as well, two beaches which I intend to revisit when the weather gets warmer.

After about 2.5 hours of walking, we arrived at Bondi!


Bondi beach is probably the most crowded beach in Sydney. Everyone flocks here to grab a piece of the action.


Along the way to Bondi beach, we saw a massive rock formation. Of course, my other half had to get his hands on them.

I think I am an excellent photographer.

We did the walk last Sunday, which happened to coincide with the Festival of Winds, a festival that celebrates the start of spring with beautiful kites in all shapes and sizes.


We were a tad early for lunch with some friends, so we picked a strategic spot to bask in the sun and watch the kites, with my favourite fruit juice from Boost in tow. I usually hate the sun, but I’ve learnt to appreciate the warm sun rays, especially when it’s windy!


Our couple shoes from Keen. A random lady gushed about how beautiful my shoes are recently and even asked me where I got it from. These shoes are not my idea of pretty but they certainly are very comfy. They’re the perfect trekking shoes.

We were totally exhausted at the end of the walk but it was worth every bit of our time!

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Mini Kitchen Adventures Part 2 – White Wine Prawn Pasta

September 11, 2012 by Regina Chow 2 Comments
My friends on facebook would probably find this picture familiar because I posted this dish when I first tried out the white wine prawn pasta recipe. What I like about this recipe is its simplicity. It’s so simple to make, yet absolutely delectable! I’ve made this pasta twice so far, and on both occasions, JW woofed down the entire bowl in minutes.

I tweaked this recipe based on Sushi’s initial recipe with clams (yummmyyyy). For those of you who are interested, here’s the recipe:

1. Fry a clove of minced garlic till it sizzles

2. Add in deveined fresh prawns and cook them till they turn red

3. Pour just enough Chardonnay to cover the prawns and simmer for a couple of minutes

4. Add butter, sea salt and a little sugar to taste

5. Toss cooked pasta into the pan and let the white wine mixture coat every strand of pasta (add more chardonnay, butter, sea salt and sugar if necessary)

6. Top pasta with a sprinkle of parsley

That’s it! Sounds easy enough, doesn’t it? Most of the ingredients can be easily found in the kitchen. If you’re wondering what type of white wine to use, I think both chardonnnay and savignon blanc will do the trick. In fact, I bought the cheapest chardonnay around and it tastes perfectly fine.

I personally think this dish would taste even better with a squeeze of lemon though. Will definitely try that the next time. πŸ˜‰

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Sushi-ya

September 10, 2012 by Regina Chow 1 Comment
I love Japanese cuisine, and my current favourite joint here in Sydney has got to be Sushi-ya at Chatswood. Having tried quite a number of Japanese restaurants here, I can now safely conclude that Sushi-ya serves some of the freshest and tastiest Japanese food around.

Felicia and Pei first brought me to this restaurant for lunch. Felicia ordered sashimi and udon while Pei and I had the teriyaki chicken lunch set. The lunch sets here are priced rather reasonably at about $18-$20.


I usually steer clear of chicken because more often than not, I always get the irksome fatty bits. But this time, I’m glad I ordered the teriyaki chicken because it’s cooked to perfection!

Crunchy on the outside with juicy, lean meat on the inside. It was absolutely yummy!

I’ll be back for more teriyaki chicken soon!

Sushi-Ya

Sushi-Ya on Urbanspoon
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50 shades (or more) of Grey

September 6, 2012 by Regina Chow 2 Comments

It has always been my wish to simplify my life, especially in a complex world like ours. We’ve always been told to just focus on our priorities and what truly matters to us, like our family, our hobbies and our careers. Sounds simple enough, but as long as people and feelings are involved, complexities are bound to set in.

Life is never just made up of two clearly defined shades of white and black. There are 50 shades of grey (nope, no sexual stuff here), or perhaps more.

Different people have different perceptions and expectations of the same situation, and this is usually shaped by the life experiences that each individual has gone through as well as the level of maturity and situational awareness that each individual possesses.

A case of misunderstanding recently has led me to deeply realize how our actions are closely intertwined with our perceptions. Misunderstandings occur when the same action is perceived differently by two people. For instance, you may perceive your own actions as just acts of friendliness, but others could have a different take and mistake your actions for something more than that. And if you lack situational awareness, your actions will continue to perpetuate the misunderstanding and it all becomes a vicious cycle.

I guess it’s the same with blogging.

I blog because I love writing and photography (I usually take photos without me in them. Those with me in them are taken by JW). The focus of my blog is on fashion (sometimes beauty too), food and travel because these are areas that family and friends usually ask me about and I’m passionate about these things. I think these are also topics that people can generally relate to on a daily basis.

When I share my clothes, bags, shopping hauls and travels on such a public platform, there are bound to be detractors who feel that it is distasteful or attention-seeking to do so. I can’t stop people from thinking the way that they want to because again, their perceptions are molded by their life experiences and upbringing. Perceptions can only be changed, be it for the better or worse, when you truly get to know a person on a deeper, more intimate level, but that is not possible with blogs as blogs only portray one dimension of the person. If my actions perpetuate any misunderstanding that you have of me, I’m sorry but there’s little I can do. I don’t aim to please anyone, except myself and the people I care about. πŸ™‚


On a lighter and entirely separate note, my outfit in this post is largely sponsored by my two lovely girlfriends, Karen and Sushi. Karen lent me her coat (which goes with just about anything!) and Sushi gave me a pair of Liz Lisa shorts as a gift. I absolutely adore the pearls and lace on the shorts. Love these 2 girls!!

Before I end off, I thought I’ll just share this meaningful quote with everyone:

“Live life to express, not impress. Don’t strive to make your presence noticed, just make your absence felt.”

That’s the easiest way to feel happy, isn’t it? πŸ˜‰

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The Rocks Markets

September 5, 2012 by Regina Chow 1 Comment

If you ever stop by Sydney, you have to go to The Rocks, a historical Australian quarter located right beside the CBD area. I don’t know why I’ve never shared this on my blog since I came over to Sydney, but it’s better late than never right?
The Rocks was where Australia’s first European settlers lived, which is why you’ll find some of the oldest architecture in Sydney, juxtaposed against new cafes and the very popular The Rocks Markets, which takes place every Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 5pm.


I’m not exactly a morning person, so you’ll hardly ever see me bright and early during the weekend, except when friends come over to visit.

Thankfully, Alvin and Elisa arrived last Sunday morning. That gave JW and I the perfect excuse to visit The Rocks Market, not without first having his favourite ricotta hotcakes from Bills.
Click here if you wish to read my earlier review on Bills.

The Rocks Markets is a great place for souvenior shopping as it offers a wide variety of products ranging from apparel, handmade jewellery, aromatic soaps and candles. This is a pretty touristy haunt though, as you’ll see throngs of tourists armed with DSLR cameras, which are almost always accompanied by humungous camera lenses. I guess the stall owners must have had enough of tourists taking photos of their products (oops, I’m guilty of that too!), because “No Photography” signs are prominently displayed everywhere!

I didn’t buy anything from the markets but I enjoyed walking around and taking in the beautiful sights. It’s interesting how The Rocks looks so different from the rest of Sydney. Five minutes from the CBD area is all it takes to feel like you’ve teleported to Europe.



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Spring in my step

September 4, 2012 by Regina Chow 3 Comments

Maybe it’s the cascading layers of frills, the flouncy sleeves, or even the colour, but the first thought that came to mind when I saw this dress was Marie Antoinette, the iconic Queen of France and also the last Queen before the French Revolution took place.

If this dress was longer, it could probably pass off as one of the blue cupcakes gowns that she often wore in Versailles, but that would also make me look like a clown. Haha.


I love Japanese fashion labels and it’s interesting how Japanese fashion seems to draw more attention here as well as in other western countries because the female population tends to favour styles that are chic and edgy or casual and laid-back, rather than sweet and feminine.
Anyway, I’m in better spirits now because September spells the start of Spring! It’s getting much warmer in the day, which means these pretty Japanese dresses can finally see the light of day without having to hide under my thick jackets and coats. September is also a great month because I’ll be off to Melbourne and Hunter Valley! We haven’t got that much time left in Australia, so I hope we’ll be able to cover as many attractions as we possibly can before we return to our crazy lives in Singapore. πŸ˜‰


Dress from Snidel
Hair accessory from Alannah Hill
Lace leggings from Rubi

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Homesick

September 3, 2012 by Regina Chow No Comments
I might be overseas now and truth be told, yes I am having the time of my life.
I do like Sydney. After all, I have family here and they’re absolutely amazing.
Through them, I’ve gleaned valuable lessons about life, marriage and parenthood. Lessons which will stick with me forever and I’m eternally grateful for that.

Taking a year off work to live in another city has always been my dream, and I’m glad I can finally tick this item off my wish list. However, never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that I would miss Singapore this much. I miss my family, friends, the efficiency, the hawker food, attending events etc. I even miss working and the crazy traffic! I must be out of my mind.

We always complain that there’s nothing to do in Singapore, but when you’re blessed with good company, even a supposedly mundane activity can morph into something exciting.

Singapore will always hold a special place in my heart because everyone else who is dear to me is there and sometimes, all I want is hang around loved ones whom I’ve known since forever.

After all, home is where my heart is. πŸ™‚

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Shopping in Sydney

August 30, 2012 by Regina Chow 1 Comment
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The amazing thing about shopping in Sydney is the incredible mark-downs by departmental stores after every season. The recent sale, aptly named the Stocktake sale, took place between June-July as this marks the end of the financial year for most stores. This is perhaps the best time to comb through departmental stores such as David Jones and Myers.

At David Jones, you can get designer shoes and bags – think Celine, Christian Louboutins, Charlotte Olympia etc. at up to 50%-70% off. Myers stocks Aussie brands such as Basque, Cue, Review, Wayne Cooper and Alannah Hill.

Now, on top of the original mark-down, it is common for retailers to slash a further say 30% or 40% off reduced items, so if you’re lucky, you could get that dress you’ve been eyeing for a long time at just 10% or 20% of the original retail price.


Take me for example. I have been eyeing these delectable platform heels from Basque at Myers for some time. Originally priced at A$169, it dropped to just A$17 during the sale. See what I mean when I say you can actually find items at 10-20% of the original retail price?

The kind sales assistant brought out the same design in another colour for me to try on. Needless to say, I bought both pairs! These are quality shoes (leather-upper too) with great workmanship after all!


Besides the departmental stores,I can’t do without Forever New (you can find this in Singapore at Wisma Atria and Raffles City) and Alannah Hill, two of my favourite Aussie brands. If you love frills, flowers, lace, and basically just all things girly, you’ll love these brands.

What I also love about these brands here is that you can find off-season items at discounted prices at Birkenhead Point, an outlet mall in Sydney.

Karen and I had a field day at Birkenhead Point when she came over recently. πŸ™‚ Here are some of my buys:

Forever New Dress – Marked down from A$130 to A$47.

Alannah Hill camisoles – Marked down from A$129 to A$29!
Alannah Hill hairclips – Marked down from A$49 to A$10!

Hope you enjoyed this shopping post! Now, who said cheap stuff have to look cheap? πŸ˜‰

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Bohemian White

August 27, 2012 by Regina Chow 3 Comments

I know this space of mine has been rather quiet recently and I am so sorry for the lack of updates. Karen came over to Sydney during the recent Hari Raya weekend and we were too busy having a ball of a time. She came all the way to lend me support in some family matters.

Sushi was supposed to come over too but she eventually couldn’t as there was no one around to look after precious Leo. Nonetheless, she was always around to provide a listening ear. Both of them have made a significant difference to almost every aspect of my life (including my wardrobe) and I am truly blessed to have them in my life!

My sweetest friends know that vanity is perhaps my greatest downfall, hence they brought over some clothes and shoes to tide me through the seasons.

In this post, I wore a Liz Lisa dress given to me by Karen. It’s thick and warm, perfect for the current weather. The best part is, I can wear this out on its own without having to put on a coat or add on layers.


I had some time before leaving my apartment that day, so I decided on a fancier hairdo in an attempt to achieve the boho chic look. I did a hair twist with my fringe, pinned it to the side and added a thin french braid on each side to complete the look.

The floral headband from ClubCouture was the icing on the cake. It is so delicate and feminine, I absolutely couldn’t resist putting it on.Link

I like the recent batch of accessories brought in by ClubCouture. One of them is the flutter ring in pink, which goes really well with this ensemble.


The dress also comes with a detachable bow that can be either pinned to the front or the back. I chose the back this time as I wanted to keep the look simple.


I met my aunt for dinner at Marigold that day and she commented that I looked like Pocahontas. LOL.

Hm..I guess there is some resemblance after all, especially the hair.

I’ll be back with more updates soon, but meanwhile, have a great week ahead!!

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Ryo’s Noodles

August 24, 2012 by Regina Chow No Comments

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Ramen Love
Ramen and sashimi are some of my favourite Japanese food of all time. It’s hard to go wrong with sashimi, unless the ingredients aren’t fresh, but when it comes to ramen, perfecting the art of cooking it does take some skill.

The only ramen joint that I enjoy going to in Singapore is Santouka, but even that pales in comparison to Ryo’s Noodles in Sydney.

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Operated by Japanese, Ryo’s Noodles is perpetually crowded throughout the day and patrons do make a beeline for it. We usually have to wait between 15-30mins for a seat, but trust me, good things are worth waiting for.

Seating capacity is rather limited but service is quick and efficient, not unlike most Japanese restaurants. πŸ˜‰ On the wall, you’ll find special items that can’t be found on the menu, and there is also a blackboard that ranks the top 5 most popular items. You’re guaranteed to be spoilt for choice.

Thus far, I’ve tried the Ramen in Tokyo style soy sauce soup with roast pork and egg.


But my favourite has to be the Ramen in pork and fish soup with roast pork and egg (it’s not on the menu, but it’s displayed prominently on the wall). What I especially like about the ramen here is the springy noodles and rich, flavourful soup base. The burst of flavours erupting in your mouth leaves you wanting more every time.

And if that’s not enough for you, you can try the cod roe rice ball. It is huge and full of cod roe goodness.

If you’re craving for ramen in Sydney, I would definitely recommend you try Ryo’s Noodles. In my opinion, this is where you’ll find the best ramen in Sydney!

Ryo's noodles
Ryo's on Urbanspoon
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About Me

Hi! My name is Regina and I am a style, beauty and travel enthusiast who enjoys writing, photography and letting my creative juices flow.

My blogging journey has been nothing short of exciting. I was recently named the winner of Her World Magazine’s Estee Lauder Style Superstar Awards 2016. My blog was also awarded Best Fashion Blog (Grand Winner) at the Singapore Blog Awards 2014. The year before that, it won Best Online Shopping Blog at the Singapore Blog Awards 2013.

Additionally, it is listed as one of the 10 interesting blogs on Singapore by AsiaWeb Direct (http://www-singapore.com/blogs.htm). I was also featured on both local and international mainstream media for my views on style, fashion and online shopping:

The Straits Times (14 Oct 2014)

The Business Times (14 Oct 2014)

My Paper (13 Oct 2014)

CNBC ("Pricey Singapore: Savvy shoppers go online" - 28 Dec 2014)

For advertorials/partnerships, feel free to contact me at regina.chow@gmail.com.

Thank you!

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