Favorite YouTube covers at the moment ☮

When I have too much time on my hands, you would catch me either on twitter, reading, looking through blogs, or watching YouTube videos. I love seeing raw, natural talent on YouTube. It's always a treat seeing my favorite songs being sung in a different way, with people putting different twists to it. I'm always looking for good covers that can spice up my mood, and I want to share them with all of you! Here are some of my favorites, credits to my sister for helping me look for the best: 

Kids by MGMT // HeyHiHello x Poppy

Poppy is an AMAZING singer. Her voice is different and raw, and her cover of Kids is out of this world. She made the sound more natural, kind of putting an indie vibe to it. 

Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men // HeyHiHello x Poppy

Another collaboration by the same artists, this song is one of my favorites. Giving a stripped back, acoustic rendition, this one never fails to make me happy. 

Lego House by Ed Sheeran // Stooshe

One of my favorite artists ever, and one of my favorite songs by him, sung by an amazing girl group. I love the fact that they kept their British accents!

As Long As You Love Me by Justin Bieber // Eli Lieb

I love this song on Bieber's new album, Believe, but with this soulful rendition, it gives it a whole new meaning.

A Drop In The Ocean by Ron Pope // Clinton Cave x Jesse Mann

I have a thing for saxophones, and this cover is, without a doubt, incredibly sexy. Must watch!

More Than This by One Direction // Band At Sunset 

For all you One Direction fans, these boys do them justice.

I Will Follow You Into The Dark by Death Cab For Cutie // Gavin Mikhail
 

This piano driven melody sends chills down my spine. Simple, but effective.

Somebody That I Used To Know by Gotye ft. Kimbra // Jayme Dee 

Jayme Dee is one of my absolute favorite YouTube artists, and all her covers are flawless. Here's one that I really like. Her voice is so smooth!

Thinking About You by Frank Ocean // Tori Kelly x Angie Girl

What a great duo! This song is amazing, and with Tori's voice combined with Angie's beatboxing, this cover is definitely worth watching.

Empire State of Mind by Jay-Z ft. Alicia Keys // Ed Sheeran

The amazing Ed Sheeran taking his own risk with a rap song! As usual, he slays it.

The Cave by Mumford and Sons // Dia Frampton

The runner up to The Voice season 1 does her own cover of the coveted Mumford and Sons song.

Ho Hey by The Lumineers // James Alan 

 

I love this boy's voice. He's a natural, and his gritty tone + guitar skills really makes the song come alive. It's perfect for him.

Call Me Maybe x Payphone // Jessica Jarell x James Alan

A mashup! SO SO SO good, I love it so much, I made it the last one!

I hope you enjoyed all the videos, I'll be posting more in the near future :-) Support these YouTube artists by watching their videos, liking them, leaving comments, or subscribing!

FEATURED: Laureen Uy ☮

Laureen Uy is an emerging icon in the Philippine fashion scene. Along with her eclectic style, her daring risks, and her outgoing personality, she is not afraid to express herself through the thing most girls love: fashion.

With Vince Uy (creative director of Preview magazine) and Liz Uy (celebrity stylist, fashion editor of Preview Magazine, style icon) as siblings, there is no doubt that Laureen was influenced by her family. Aside from being a designer for her shop, Break My Style, she's also an upcoming actress. Catch her on your television screens when you tune into channel 2!

We were very fortunate to have Laureen answer a few questions, despite her hectic schedule. I'm sure many of you would want to know about her style secrets, so here are a few!

1. Tell us about yourself and your blog. 

I'm a 22 year old fashion blogger and I love to travel.

2. Who is/are your fashion icon/s? 

Rumi Neely, Kate Moss, Nicole Warne, Anna Dello Russo

3. Name one fashion item you own that you can’t live without. 

A white top.

4. Where do you get inspiration for your outfits? 

From magazines and blogs.

5. What is your favorite fashion trend? 

Print on Print. I just can't get enough of prints!

Laureen dares to be different, and she showcases her moods and personality through her style. She's one of our ultimate style icons, so it's a pleasure to have her answer our questions!

Please support Laureen by visiting her blog, and follow her on Instagram, Lookbook, and Twitter as well!

Credits to Laureen for all the photos!

FEATURED: Your Evil Twin ☮

Meet the twins behind Your Evil Twin: Tracianne and Trasienne, an alluring and whimsical duo. Their love for ethnic culture, raw materials, and natural beauty comes out in their photographs.

Their official website quotes:

The persistence of sensual pleasure intertwined with intimate memories and a decidedly pop culture aesthetic shines through in the film photographs of twins Tracianne and Trasienne. Gifted with an eye for all things unconventionally beautiful, these two sisters capture the moments we take for granted through their trusty analog cameras, providing a visual feast for their viewers, who sit tightly waiting for the next set of photographic dreams to materialize.

The idiosyncrasies of their minds come together through the photos. Incorporating old-school realism to bring out the object's natural beauty, they make photography seem effortless. Who knows, maybe for them, it is. They've photographed a few famous models in the Philippines, and have traveled the world, savoring each moment through the lens. With the use of classic polaroids, they managed to capture the sincerity of photos in an instant - no pun intended. We've had the privilege to interview them about their photography style, their favorite subjects, and the like. Take a look!

1. Tell us about yourselves and your blog.

Hi we're an and en, a photography duo from manila. Our photo blog reeks of melancholic and nostalgic photos of ourselves, places and girls we love. Check it out :)
 

2. When did you get into photography?

I think it all started when we got ourselves a disposable camera when we were kids.
 

3. How long have you been taking photos?

Since forever, we always have a camera with us when we travel. But professionally, 2010.

4. Who is/are your fashion icon/s?

Alexa Chung and Bambi Norwood Blyth
 

5. Describe your own style.

Music Fest Best, effortless, unassuming

6. What kind of camera/s do you use?

Film Cameras- Yashieca, Contax, Nikon 

7. Where do you get inspiration for your photos?

Homemade videos, polaroids from the early 70's 

8. What makes a good photo?

How it makes you feel. We generally like photos that are raw yet powerful.
 

9. What opportunities has being a photographer given you?

 Meeting our idols from the art and fashion industry 

10. What has been your favorite place to take photographs in so far?

 In bed

11. What is your dream place to take photographs?

Croatia 

12. Who is your dream person/company you would want to have a shoot with?

Daisy Lowe 

13.  Can you give us a couple of songs that would describe the concept behind your photographs?

Nostalgic songs ranging from Mayer Hawthorne to Best Coast.

14. Any tips/advice for aspiring bloggers/photographers?

 Just enjoy the ride :)  

15. Anything else?

Thanks Bea and Nina for featuring us :) 

Check out some of their photos and fall in love the way I did!

 

 

 

(Credits to Your Evil Twin's tumblr and website)

Send Your Evil Twin some love on their tumblr and official website

Fall in love, feel nostalgic, experience raw and natural beauty through their photographs ♡♡♡

Enjoy! 

LATEST TRENDS: Spikes and Studs ☮

Spikes and studs are all the rage right now. On shoes, on shorts, as accents, as major accessories, it's a must-have nowadays! It adds spunk to an outfit, making it edge and giving off a rocker vibe. It could be toned down as well, peeking out from different parts of the garments. Whether it be metallic or neon, this trend will be around for a while.

Here are a few of my favorite bloggers sporting the trend!

Patricia Prieto

Sporting the neon spikes as arm candy

 

Laureen Uy

With her accessories and her deadly (but beautiful) shoes

Here are some pictures found on Instagram and Tumblr!

My favorite Topshop studded flats in black

Studs on shorts can instantly make an outfit shine

You can never go wrong with a spiked denim vest if you want to pull off a tough, rock vibe

Even in black and white, these accessories prove to be timeless 

 Pile on the gold while wearing a simple outfit to make a statement

Metallic embellishments make these models look regal

 Our very own Nina's amazing headband!

What a sight! 

Here are a few ways on how you can wear spikes and studs without overdoing it:

Focusing the studs on a particular garment calls for simplifying the outfit altogether. With one staple piece, you can work from there and make the outfit stand out through color accents.

For accessories with spikes or studs, you can never go wrong with the basic skinny jeans and white shirt ensemble. Express yourself with accessories, but keep the outfit mute with basic colors that doesn't draw much attention.

Lastly, if the studs and the spikes are focused on the shoes and the bags, you can accessorize from the waist up. Since the studs are minimal, accessorizing is okay, as long as it doesn't go out from the whole look of the outfit.

There you go! Studs and spikes may look deadly and tough, but they sure know how to make an outfit stand out.

(P.S. Invitation House will be selling spiked accessories soon, so watch out for that!)

MONTHLY PLAYLIST: September

 

Download

The theme for this month's monthly playlist is indie/folk songs. I love this genre, simply because it could convey a thousand messages within a few minutes. With that being said, I went a little crazy with the selection and put the best I have on my iTunes. The lyrics are deep, well thought of, and emotionally captivating. The musical instruments make you feel like you're in another world, and it gives you a chance to just chill out and reflect. String instruments definitely add to the feel, and trust me, this playlist is a must-download for all of you! 

September Playlist:
Big Jet Plane - Angus and Julia Stone 
Holocene - Bon Iver
Title and Registration - Death Cab For Cutie
Mykonos - Fleet Foxes
It's Time - Imagine Dragons
Each Coming Night - Iron and Wine
Paperweight - Joshua Radin
Ho Hey - The Lumineers
Little Lion Man - Mumford and Sons
Six Weeks - Of Monsters and Men
Yellow Light - Of Monsters and Men
Bloom - The Paper Kites
White Daisy Passing - Rocky Votolato
She - Ed Sheeran
Undone - Haley Reinhart 
 

APPS: FAVORITES ♡

I'm a bit obsessed with my iPhone and all the wonderful apps in it, but App Store shopping has been a hit and miss for me for the most part. There have been some serendipitous finds here and there (case in point: StyleBook), but I usually end up erasing most of the apps I've downloaded (even ones that cost money, if my conscience lets me) after I try them out... Only a couple have been saved from my wrath, but I still have close to a hundred downloaded apps. That probably says a lot about me...

I'm very picky when it comes to these kinds of things, so if any of you guys are like me, hopefully this could serve as a guide to download-worthy apps. I've done my research, so without further ado, here they are. :)

photography

Magic Hour - Camera & Unlimited Filter
$1.99

There's a free version of this app, but I suggest you buy the full version instead. Once purchased, the app offers free and unlimited downloading (you have to pay for the filters after you've reached your download limit in the free version) of photo effects made by its users that are definitely a breath of fresh air from the overused Instagram filters. You can also make your own filter with it. :) I love the quick share feature wherein you can just automatically send it to Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. It definitely saves you time.

LabelBox
Free

I think this app's name speaks for itself. It's a quirky way to add labels to your photographs. It comes with 10 free 'tapes,' but you also have the option of buying more.



Instafonts
$0.99

I absolutely love this app! It's kind of like LabelBox, except 10x better. I love the fonts, the colors, and the textures that are available in this app. I highly suggest you guys buy this app if you like adding captions to your Instagram photos. It's very easy to use and there's a wide variety of fonts to choose from.



LINE camera
Free

This is a really cute app with very simple filters, but lots of stickers and frames to choose from. It's perfect for the very girly iPhone users, plus there is a drawing feature wherein you can use your own handwriting or draw over the photo. I know one of my blogger friends - ate Abbey Sy - uses it a lot, so if you're a fan of her cutesy Instagram photos, I highly suggest you download this app!



Fotor
$2.99 (although I think I got mine when it was free)

This is pretty much an all-in-one app that was suggested to me by Aria Clemente. It has really nice vintage-looking filters and textures - my favorite probably being the Black & White ones. It automatically saves any edited photo to its specialized album, which helps you organize your photos. It also has a quick-share feature, which is always a good thing.



SpyPic
$1.99

Have you ever seen a really cute guy/girl at a public place and wanted to take a photo to show to your friends without being really obvious? Well, SpyPic to the rescue! Disregarding the fact that this makes me seem really creepy and the fact that other people probably would not appreciate having their photos taken without permission, this is actually pretty helpful. You still have to be careful though! Wouldn't you be suspicious if someone was tapping away at an article they were supposed to be reading? ;)

productivity/lifestyle

Stylebook
$3.99

We've written about this app before! You can read the post here.

PlainDiary
Free

Here's a simple diary app that could also substitute as a note taking app. You can add photos to your notes/entries and you can choose many fonts; Helvetica, Courier New, Georgia, Times New Roman, Marker Felt, Japanese-Huifont, and Korean Fonts. You can also add a passcode to this app for more privacy. It's definitely helpful if you're afraid someone at home is going to read your diary (both physical and digital).



And that's about it. I have a lot of games on my iPhone as well, but I don't really play them all that much. I use my iPhone as a camera and social networking tool more than anything. It's kind of my laptop + dSLR put together when I'm too lazy to use either. Hopefully this helps anyone who's having problems with finding good apps :) Most of the apps listed above cost real money, but I've tried them and they're worth their price. I also hope this saves you guys from wasting your money on apps that don't do what they say.

DIY: Charm Bracelets ♡

Here's a quick tutorial on how I (Nina) make charm bracelets. If you have any questions, feel free to comment below and we'll get back to you ASAP!

You can buy the materials listed in this video at any craft store such as National Bookstore (Philippines). You can also try going to flea markets/bazaars for cheaper prices. :) The bracelet takes around less than 30 minutes to make, but it all depends on how you create it.

Don't forget to send us photos of your finished product if you tried this tutorial out! You can comment the links below or e-mail it to us as an attachment. :) We sincerely hope you enjoy this little tutorial and share it with your friends!