Saturday 27 December 2014

Own Your Body

My bikini stocks were one big mess after #Ohhsome Fest and the Christmas Promotion, where shoppers get one FREE bikini with every purchase of 2 leggings from my website. After #Ohhsome Fest, I pretty much dumped all my stocks into a corner & was procrastinating sorting them out.. until yesterday. 

So as I was sorting out the bikinis by model and size, one thing was very apparent to me. I am almost out of all Small & Medium sizes for all models, but the Large sizes are barely moving. And that got me irritated. REALLY IRRITATED.

Did I miss a memo where voluptuous women have been BANNED from wearing bikinis? Is the Asian sense of beauty and what is acceptable so WARPED that only skinny women are allowed to show off their bodies? OR, are women so self conscious and lack the self confidence to believe that they have an awesome body and to wear a bikini proudly, regardless of their shape and size?

Whatever, it is, it's pretty darn irritating. And sad.

Let's put things into perspective, shall we.

I'm a size Large when it comes to Liquido Bikinis. Yes, really.


Above is one of my favourite photos of myself in a bikini, taken by photographer extraordinaire, Andy Kho. On some level, I do believe that I am beautiful and I am not self conscious in a bikini. Because of how I feel about myself and the confidence that I exude, other people believe it too :)

Let's look at some of the biggest stars in showbiz. 


Beyonce is big and beautiful and has been voted as the celebrity with the best body by the women in UK. 


I'm not a big fan of Kim Kardashian, but you're lying if you can take one look at that photo and tell me that she is not gorgeous. Kim is not a size zero. And she oozes sex appeal in that photo.

Let's look at some of the Instagram superstars. Recently, I started following Jen Selter on Instagram.


Jen Selter is not a size zero. She is fit, she has curves at all the right places and she has 5 million instagram followers. 5 MILLION.

Get with the times, people!!! Do you still think you need to be skinny to wear a bikini? It's not about being skinny, it's how you feel about your own body and how you OWN THAT BIKINI!

Sorting out the bikinis and getting annoyed reminded me why I got into this in the first place - to push a message that all women should be proud of their bodies, regardless of your shape and size. Because at the end of the day, what matters most is how you feel about yourself. And if you believe that you are beautiful, that confidence will radiate and you will shine.

I guess since I'm preaching this stuff, I should be the first person out there, confidently wearing the tiniest Brazilian bikini that I carry. And I'll do just that. Haha! 

Can one person change a culture? The warped perception that being beautiful is all about being slim and fair and if you are anything but that, you shouldn't be in a bikini because you don't fit the stereotypical cookie cutter perception of Asian beauty?

Beauty is in everything and everyone. You just need to believe and own it.

Time to round up the PR crew for a brainstorm. It's time to change things up :)

Friday 5 December 2014

Share Love And Light This Christmas With Liquido Leggings


From the fashion district of Sao Paulo, Brazil comes Liquido, inspired by the bold and colourful beach and fitness culture in Brazil. 

This Christmas, Liquido is releasing 2 new leggings, which prints are influenced by the love & sharing of the season. The prints are inspired by the beautiful patterns and colours formed when light enters a kaleidoscope.  
  


As Christmas is the season for giving and sharing, why not pick up a pair of these beautiful leggings for your sisters, mother or friends to share the beauty and joy of the season. This will also incentivise them to maintain a healthy lifestyle for the upcoming year!

Ranked Top 5 By ESPN, Liquido has been reviewed as being “A Brazillian Company known for its funky patterns. Each print is limited. Their leggings and capris are durable, comfortable, supportive and stylish.”

Available in hues of pink, blue, green and grey, these leggings will be a sure hit with your fashionably fit mates. 

At RM250.00 (USD75.00) per pair, leggings are available for sale through www.liquido.com.my.
The website ships internationally at discounted shipping rates of just USD3.00 per piece worldwide. Free shipping for orders within Malaysia for all payment made with Maybank2u. 

Saturday 29 November 2014

Spontaneous Travel On A Discount

Woot!
I just booked a flight to Krabi, Thailand for January 2015.
Looking forward to enjoy 4 days of rock climbing and lazing on the beach.


For this trip, I will be booking my hotel via a new mobile app called HotelQuickly. This mobile app gives it's users an average of 28% discount on hotel bookings. The catch is that you are only allowed to book your hotel a day in advance!

In a study done by HotelQuickly, the average occupancy rate of a hotel is 63%. Meaning that 37% of rooms are unused every night. In an attempt to create opportunity, HotelQuickly connects hoteliers to last minute travellers, offering discounts of 28% off room rates (average - can be more, can be less).

All hotels are hand-picked by the HotelQuickly team and the best-rated 3, 4, and 5 star hotels are listed on this app. Only the top 10 best deals will be shown to users on their chosen night, based on hotel ratings and highest discount rates, saving you the time of scrolling through hundreds of hotels.


I'm typically NOT your average tech savvy geek chic, but the possibility of travelling and staying at decent hotels on super discounted rates excite me, hence I'm sharing this mobile app with you guys here.

Download this app and get RM70 hotel credits on your first booking using my promo code below! :)


The only slight drawback to this mobile app is that it is only available in Asia Pacific (Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, Macau, Cambodia, Laos, Macau, Australia and New Zealand). And you have to be comfortable in booking your hotel one day before your actual trip.

Having said that, they do have pretty decent 3 - 5 star hotels listed on their app, so I wouldn't be too worried about not getting a decent hotel.

Happy travelling everyone!

And as usual, if you are looking for an awesome bikini for your next beach vacation, look no further than here: www.liquido.com.my

XOXO

Thursday 27 November 2014

On Love and Loss

It's been ages since I did a blog post!

Shame on me!

It's almost the end of year and it's that time of the year where I'm starting to look back and reflect on this past year's achievements.

The business is growing. Sales have been very healthy & I can foresee that we will continue to grow through 2015.

On an emotional level, 2014 has been challenging. I was suppose to get married to my Brazilian ex-fiance in October, but fate intervened and the wedding never happened.

In June 2014 I made a trip to Sao Paulo, Brazil to see him, and things were good. Things continued to be good all through July but issues cropped up in August.

To make a long story short, we didn't get married in the end. Of course I was upset, hence I kept a low profile (which included not updating this blog!!!). I took a vacation in September to clear my head and threw myself into work in October.

I'm at a point where I can reflect and realize that fate has been kind and that things worked out for the best. They say that perspective is everything and I also realize that I shouldn't remain sad because there are so many things (and people) in my life that make me happy.

I will find love again and I will be engaged and probably married at some point. But for now, I will be happy and contented with what I have and continue to focus and grow the business.

By the way, we have new stocks that just got in. That's a photo of me goofing around in one of our new prints. Wholesale orders have been coming in and they are selling out fast.

To view our latest collection, do visit this page here! http://www.liquido.com.my/funky-fitness-pants-1.html

Thanks for reading. Love you all! xoxo



Saturday 19 July 2014

Instagram Contest!


#POETRYOFMOVEMENT Photo Contest on Instagram!

WANT TO WIN USD500, 2 PAIRS OF LEGGINGS FROM LIQUIDO AND A FREE PHOTOSHOOT FROM BRIAN CRAWFORD? Keep on reading!

CONTEST RULES
  1. Follow @My_Liquido and @BrianCrawfordPhotography on Instagram
  2. Post an original photo of yourself/your friend/ you and your friends in your best active pose
  3. Check @BrianCrawfordPhotography for inspiration
  4. Brownie points may be awarded to contestants who wear Liquido Leggings in their photos, but you can wear anything you want
  5. The description of your photo must include this: #PoetryOfMovement @BrianCrawfordPhotography @My_Liquido
  6. Contest will start on 20 July -  20 September 2014
  7. Brian Crawford will choose his TOP 10 favourite photos and they will be reposted on @My_Liquido and @BrianCrawfordPhotography for voting
  8. Voting starts 21 until 27 September 2014 at 12:00pm (U.S.A - California, GMT - 7)
  9. Number of votes on both @My_Liquido and @BrianCrawfordPhotography will be summed up to find the winner!
  10. Winner will be announced on 28 September 2014   


PRIZES
  • USD500 - This amount will be transferred to you via paypal. 
  • 2 Liquido leggings - view the range here: http://www.liquido.com.my/funky-fitness-pants-1.html (We will ship worldwide to you at no extra cost!)
  • Free photoshoot by Brian Crawford (based in Laguna Beach, California) - If a photoshoot cannot be arranged due to geographical distance, Brian Crawford will give you a photography workshop over Skype instead.

JUDGING
  • The TOP 10 photos will be selected by Brian Crawford based on quality of image, composition and if it has some attributes of Brian Crawford Photography.
  • The TOP 10 photos will then be re-posted on the Instagram accounts of both @My_Liquido and @BrianCrawfordPhotograhy and the winner will be the photo with the most number of votes (total sum of votes from both accounts).

CONTEST CONDITIONS
  • Open to EVERYONE from EVERYWHERE!
  • This contest will run on Instagram only
  • Public accounts only. No private/ghost/giveaway accounts
  • Unlimited entries, however, each post must be different. 
  • Posts must stay up the entire competition
  • Liquido and Brian Crawford Photography will have the rights to use any photos that have been submitted for any future promotional activities. 

Friday 11 July 2014

Weekly 'Friends Of Liquido' post!

Time for our weekly dose of 'Friends of Liquido' from all around the world!

In this weekly posts, I share photos of friends and customers who have posted beautiful photos of themselves, in active poses in their Liquido gear.

This week, I discovered photographer Brian Crawford who produces art out of active photoshoots.  Check out some of his beautiful work below:

Breath taking, isn't it?

How does she do it?!?


Timing is everything in this photo. Brian must have taken a TON of photos before he managed to get this perfect shot, of the toes of both yogis, touching the sun. Simply beautiful.
Legging on the right can be found *here*

Our friends from Singapore say hello in this photo below :)

Leggings on the left can be found *here*
Leggings on the right can be found *here*

Our new print, the 'Alchemist' makes it's debut in our blog in this photo below :)
Leggings below can be found *here*

And below, our sisters in Australia greet us with their love, light and happiness :)


Butterfly leggings available *here*


Marble Aqua leggings available *here*


And finally, I end this post with an awesome quote by the beloved Cookie Monster


Tuesday 1 July 2014

Back in the Liquido Headquarters

Among others, one of the purposes of my trip to Brazil was to pay a visit to the boss of Liquido and to check out their new collection.

So here I am finding myself back in the office that I have visited so many times in the past 2 years. (Wow. Has it really been 2 years already?!!)


Liquido wall which contains some of their magazine covers from 2001


Liquido Hall of fame. Fotos of the celebrities that they have worked with


Their warehouse which I have spent HOURS AND HOURS shopping and wondering which stocks to bring back to be introduced in Malaysia & Singapore. Most people have no clue of the amount of work that goes behind the scenes of running an online clothing store.


More shelves of their worldwide popular funky leggings

Of course all work and no play makes Nadia a really dull girl. Below are some photos which shows me at play :)


Did you know that Brazil is full of Italian immigrants? As a result, they have some really fantastic Italian restaurants and some of the best pizza outside Italy. Some Brazilians even swear that pizza in Sao Paulo is better than pizza in Italy. It's hard to refute - pizza in Sao Paulo is PRETTY FRIGGIN GOOD. The photo above was taken at a really chic Italian Restaurant, close to the centre of Sao Paulo. 


Biking at Ibirapuare Park on a sunny Sunday morning. Ibirapuara Park is beautiful. And biking through Sao Paulo on Sundays is delightful. 


Sunday afternoon BBQ!


Nom nom nom


Finally. Just wanted to share this photo because I thought it was ironic. This photo was taken the weekend before the World Cup 2014 started. The host cities were all busy preparing, which includes placing relevant signs to the football stadiums at the Metro (subway) stations. 

The poster above is a map of how to get to the football stadium by metro (subway). In the middle of this poster, you can see a small red sticker (obviously placed by a protestor) which reads 'Nao via ter Copa'. Translated from Portuguese to English, it means "There won't be a world cup".

Unless you have been living in a cave that has no internet access and you do not have access to cable tv or radio, you must be (at the very, very least) vaguely aware that a majority of the Brazilian population was against Brazil hosting the World Cup. 

This has been the most expensive World Cup ever, due to the fact that 12 cities are hosting this event. 12 different stadiums had to be either refurbished or totally built from scratch. 2 out of the 12 cities do not even have a local football team and the stadium will become a giant white elephant once the World Cup is over. All this when Brazil is lacking the basic necessities such as public schools, adequate public transportation and hospitals. 

Riots were going on until the DAY OF the World Cup.

Even though I never ran into any of the riots personally while I was there, you can sense the lack of excitement with most Brazilians. 

Well, this was during the first week of the World Cup. I flew back to Malaysia within the first week. Now that Brazilian football team has made it into the quarter finals, seems like Brazilians have forgotten that they were against the World Cup in the first place. 

Altho the Brazilian football team's performance has been fairly unimpressive, I am rooting for them. Most of us don't think that Brazil will win the World Cup this year, but there has been a lot of surprises, so you never know. 

I think the funniest comment to come out from the World Cup to date is "You are more likely to be bitten by Suarez than to be bitten by a shark". LOL ! According to this article published in The Metro, this is proven to be statistically true: http://metro.co.uk/2014/06/26/its-official-youre-more-likely-to-be-bitten-by-luis-suarez-than-a-shark-4776523/

DOUBLE LOL! 


And that's all for today folks! <3

Sunday 29 June 2014

First week of the World Cup 2014 (In São Paulo)

I was in Brazil for the first week of the World Cup, and I said that I would write a blog post every single day that I was there. However, I got so caught up with all the on-goings there that I never got round to doing so.

In the end, I didn't end up watching a game at the stadium because my trip was kinda last minute and football wasn't the main purpose of my trip. By the time I even considered watching a game at the stadium all the tickets were sold out and impossible to get. Boo :(

So I went to Vila Magdalena (which is a really cool neighbourhood with lots of bars, restaurants and beautiful, young people) to watch the opening match with my fiancé, Thiago.

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, so I´ll let the pictures (and the video) speak for themselves.

The Havaianas store on Oscar Freire, selling flip flops according to the teams that qualitifed :)

A couple walking their dogs. Very festive indeed :)

Thiago and I at Vila Madgalena, moments before the World Cup 2014 opening ceremony began

The opening match started at 4pm and people were already hitting the bars decked out in their green and yellow from noon.

 A random Brazil fan

In a bar at Vila Magdalena



Here is a video which shows the reaction of the Brazilians when their team scored a goal


Street party at Vila Magdalena after Brazil won the opening match against Croatia (3-1)

Cool graffiti at Vila Magdalena

Sunday 22 June 2014

The Edge Malaysia Article features Nadia Hasbi and Liquido!

Article on Liquido in Malaysia that came out in THE EDGE MALAYSIA, Malaysia's premiere Business & Investment Weekly Newspaper.
The week of March 17 - March 23, 2014 



In The Business Of Bikinis - by Stephanie Sta Maria

It appeared to be a deadlock. The owner of Liquido Brazil wanted Nadia Hasbi to commit a monthly sales target of 1,000 pieces before he would agree to let her distribute his popular Brazilian bikinis and fitness wear in Malaysia.

The budding entrepreneur, however, wanted  more conservative sales projection of 50 pieces a month. She told the owner that she was inexperienced in business and was doing it alone.

"I also told him that I wasn't a retailer, but someone who really loved his brand and wanted to take it to a part of the world it wouldn't reach otherwise".

But the owner stood his ground and the meeting ended with a polite handshake.

A few days later, Nadia received an email from Liquido's marketing director who also happened to be the owner's sister. She has liked Nadia's heartfelt pitch and persuaded her brother to give their young fan a chance.

Nadia, she said, would be given exclusive distributorship of the brand in Southeast Asia.

"They decided to let me grow Liquido to a point where I was selling 1,000 pieces a month and then we could revisit the terms, says Nadia, grinning from ear to ear.

"I'm hoping to reach that target by the end of the year".

Liquido's owners come from a family of garment manufacturers in the Middle East. One of them moved to Bras in Sao Paulo for business expansion and saw the value of adding bikinis to the apparel line.

The extra-light lycra was chosen as the X-factor for the bikinis. The material is stretchy enough to prevent a "muffin top", the abhorred overlap of flesh over the waistband. The material is also smooth enough to fit like a second skin. The gorgeous designs are a bonus.

In the beach-crazed nation of Brazil, Liquido shot to almost instant fame. In another part of the world, Nadia was preparing for her long-awaited move to Brazil, a country that had long ruled her dreams. A job posting would place her there for two years from June 2011. It wasn't long after settling down that she too was seduced by the beach culture and fashion.

It just so happened that one of Liquido's 80 stores sat right down the block from her Sao Paulo residence.

"The first time I walked into the outlet, I couldn't leave!" Nadia laughs. "I love the colours, designs and especially the price tags." She bought a pile as gifts for her friends.

Brazil's bikini market has a wide price range, from the really cheap that start at RM50 all the way to the high-end stuff that costs RM800. Liquido's price tags are somewhere in the middle.

We finally came to the million-dollar question: What on earth is a Brazilian bikini?

It's only about the 100th time Nadia has been asked this question. In response, she holds up a beautiful turquoise bikini bottom.

"Australia, Thai or American bikini designs haven't moved away from the granny underwear, but Brazilian bikini bottoms incorporate the V-cut to give the illusion of longer limbs," she explains.

"And the various designs complement different body types. A lot of thought goes into these bikinis. Unfortunately, 60% of the bikini bottoms are thongs, so I only bring in a limited range because I know most Malaysians will never wear a thong bikini!"

Diving into entrepreneurship 

Limited or not, the remaining 40% has seen decent sales since the Liquido online store was launched last August. Revenue for last month was RM15,000 and Nadia expects this to grow at a monthly rate of 10% until year-end.

Not too shabby for someone who had shunned the idea of entrepreneurship even after friends drooled over the Liquido bikinis she brought home as gifts.

At the time, it didn't occur to her that there was a business opportunity right there. It took a whole year before she allowed herself to cautiously consider the possibility. An entrepreneur friend suggested that she import a Brazilian product for the Malaysian market and she offhandedly replied that the only product she could think of was Liquido.

Lucikly for her, he pounced on the idea and pushed her to take the first step.

"I was still hesitant so I tested the market by dumping 50 pieces of bikinis and fitness apparel on Zalora'" recalls Nadia. "And they sold! That's when it struck me that it could work."

And then it was fate's turn to intervene. Nadia casually mentioned her business idea to a Brazilian friend who said he knew the owner of Liquido and offered to make the introductions.

While all this was taking place, Nadia's father, who was silently watching from the sidelines, decided that his daughter could use a little more encouragement.

"My father fully supported my business venture. In July 2012, he registered a company for me and told me, 'I've done this for you, now take it and fly'. he passed away a few weeks later," she says.

Six months later, Nadia flew home to take care of her mother who suffers from mild Parkinson's disease. And she brought back with her a new philosophy and plans for Liquido.

"I started thinking that I'd try my best and see what happens. When my father passed away, it felt like Liquido was his dying wish. So now, my philosophy is to do this or die trying."

But there was to be one more curveball. Her company's policy dictated that moonlighting was permitted so long as it didn't interfere with the employee's day job and no one bothered Nadia while she was in Brazil.

All that changed when she returned to Malaysia. Her new team strongly objected to Nadia's marketing of Liquido and she eventually found herself in the CEO's office. He gave her an ultimatum and she handed in her notice.

An alternative solution would have been to hire someone to be Liquido's face here. Nadia agrees but asks: "How would I find someone as passionate as I am about the brand?"

Besides, corporate suitors had already begun banging on her door. She eventually accepted a job offer from a conglomerate that promised her the freedom to run Liquido.

"But I left after one month," Nadia says sheepishly. "I realized that I had full faith that my business would grow and I was willing to take the risk by quitting a so-called safe job to make that happen."

Clearly, that faith wasn't misplaced. What was, however, was Nadia's reading of the Malaysian and non-Muslim market.

After sealing the deal, Liquido's owner bluntly told her that the bikinis wouldn't sell in a Muslim-majority country like Malaysia. Perhaps, he said, she should just carry Liquido's  fitness line there and the bikinis in Singapore.

"But I'm very stubborn!" she smiles. "When I set my mind on doing something, I'll try my best to get it done. So I asked him to just let me try selling both lines in Malaysia."

As it turns out, he was right. Liquido's fitness apparel contributed to 90% of the sales in Zalora between June and October 2012.

"But the bikinis are still selling, which indicates a definite market," she points out. "It's just that women aren't comfortable purchasing a bikini online becuase they want to try them on first."

The resolve the hiccup, she rented a small space as a mini-showroom, which she opens on selected days for new clients to try on the bikinis. After trying on the bikinis for size, most clients are happy to carry on buying online.

The other false assumption was that the business could run solely on bikinis, fuelled by demand from the urban, middle-income, non-Muslim population in the Klang Valley and Penang.

One look at the statistics changed her mind, and in came the fitness apparel for her new target market of one million.

Like many other start-ups that operate on a shoestring budget, Nadia's marketing initiatives are across online platforms like Google Adwords, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and blogging.

"Because I'm running a few things simultaneously, something seems to be working," Nadia says. "The problem is, I'm not sure what!"

One marketing strategy that was a clear winner was the Liquido bikini competition held last November.

Nadia quickly realized that she needed an Asian brand ambassador because the Brazilian models featured on Liquido's marketing material weren't doingher business any favours.

"My customers couldn't identify with them. They kept telling me to put Asian models in the bikinis if I wanted to convince them that they could look just as good. So I did and that has really boosted sales."

As Liquido completed its sixth month in business here, it has put the teething poblems to bed. Nadia is not stanfing on more solid ground and gunning to fortofy her presence in Malaysia and Singapore.

As present, 60% of her revenue comes from Malaysian customers while Singapore sales provide the rest. Plans for expansion to Bali are on the horizon, but Nadia wants to strenghten her position in Singapore and Malaysia first.

Liquido still has a long road ahead of it in Asia, but there is no doubt that Nadia's tenacity and chutzpah will take her the full distance.

Saturday 21 June 2014

Pick of the week!

Today's blog will be in honor of our friends in Singapore and their beautiful posts. Thank you for the awesomeness!
The 'Charlie's Angels Pose'
Green & Black leggings (Pattern Jungle) worn by the lovely lady on the right can be found *here*



 Pattern Crop Pulse Sea leggings can be found for sale *here*



Dream Catcher Earth leggings (right) can be found for sale *here*


 Instagram holder @senorita yogini's beautiful mermaid pose.
Her Dream Catcher Fire leggings can be found for sale *here*

Ruffle Marble Lime leggings can be found for sale *here*

Friday 6 June 2014

Travelling to the FIFA World Cup 2014, Brazil

As mentioned in my previous blog post, I will be travelling to São Paulo for a quick vacation and to catch the opening match of the World Cup 2014.

I was honestly feeling so lazy about the whole thing just yesterday (it's a frigging 24-hour journey from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to São Paulo, Brazik) and plus - I HATE PACKING. One day I'm gonna be rich enough to not have to pack and just travel from one city to the next and buy everything I need when I arrived at my destination... Or hopefully in the near future, a bunch of smart people will invent a suitcase that can pack itself :D Haha.

Managed to get my lazy ass to prop open a suitcase and threw a bunch of random stuff in, which I think should be sufficient for my 7 days in São Paulo. 

I TOTALLY got lucky with the weather for this trip. It's winter in SP and got down to as low as 9 C last week. When I checked the weather for the entire week that I'll be in SP, I was pleasantly, pleasantly surprised:


Sunny with a highs of 33 C and lows of 20 C. The weather is perfecttttttttttt. Simply perfect! I already have plans to do the cyclofaixa and chill out at Ibirapuera Park tomorrow (Sunday).

A friend was surprised that is can get so warm in winter - São Paulo is like that. We get the occasional warm weeks during winter and sometimes we get the occasional chilly weeks during summer.

From the bits that I heard in the media and read on the local dailies, 'Folha de São Paulo', the city is one big mess. Well, São Paulo ALWAYS has been a mess, so I suppose nothing has changed much. The airports are not ready for the influx of tourist that is about to bombard the city, the stadiums are not ready, there are rumours that they have printed tickets for seats that do not exists and the São Paulo Metro (Subway) is on strike, yet again. Happy days.

I probably would't be surprised if I run into a couple of riots - and as a tourist myself this time round, I'll probably do what any tourist will do - TAKE LOTS OF PHOTOS! Hah! And try to stay out of trouble, because I want to go back to Kuala Lumpur alive.

My friend Emmanuel posted this photo with a really cute caption yesterday "Even the bread is World Cup ready".


I can't wait to be there and to soak up the atmosphere. This trip is so random and spontaneous but such a great idea :) 

It occurred to me that there are actually people that read my random ramblings. I'll be in São Paulo from 7 - 13 June. If there are other travellers out there who will be making trips here and need advice about anything, feel free to drop me an email about your questions/ concerns/ queries here: nadia@liquido.com.my. I will only have access to my emails in WiFi zones, and will respond once a day. 

Saturday 31 May 2014

Up The Rabbit Hole

I'm back to blogging, after my super, duper, oober long hiatus.

Just realized that I haven't written a proper post for 2014.  I have been posting photos and random articles, but not quite writing.

Just when I was asking myself - who the hell reads this shit anyway? - I realized that people spend a lot of time on the internet looking up random stuff. And...
  1. This blog has 15k page views (Altho I know that this is 'Mickey Mouse' stats compared to some of the heavyweight bloggers out there, it's kinda a big deal for me)
  2.  I was chatting with this random dude & when he found out that I did Liquido, he was like.. hey, I used to follow your blog until you stopped writing. I thought that you had an interesting story.
Whoa. People read this shit. People find this interesting. And some people actually follow this. Like, whoa.
Ever since that dude said that, I made a mental note that I really should continue updating this blog on a weekly basis (at the very least). So this will be my second attempt for 2014 (ever since January - LOL!)

I suppose most of you have no clue what's going on in my life. More so for those that have not been following this blog since 2012.

To put things mildly, the wedding that was suppose to take place in Rio de Janeiro in October of this year has been called off. Needless to say, the 2 months that followed were tough. I managed to snap out of my mopey state after 2 months and what happened after that was that I just went out a lot. For a good month, I was out drinking/ partying 5-6 nights a week.

Good friends have stayed close, helping me through this. I think most of them realize that I need to go through the stages of healing and they remain a 10 minute drive or a phone call away.

I lost my focus and all the plans that I had for Liquido for the first half of 2014 came to a complete halt.

Anyhow. Fast forward to today. 1 June 2014.

I realized that I am healed when:
  • I've stopped dwelling on the past and started looking forward to the future again :)
  • I started to care and worry about my business and have the will to stop partying and start working hard again
Anyway.

Remember how I was advising everyone AGAINST going to Brazil for the World Cup 2014? A random string of events has lead me to purchase a spontaneous flight and I will be in São Paulo during the first week of the World Cup 2014.

This is funny, cuz I've been telling everyone NOT TO GO, but end up going myself. The irony :)

The idea is that my Brazil trip will be my little getaway and to return back to KL refreshed with renewed focus to bring my little business to higher levels. And to set myself straight with regards to my personal life as well.

I'm looking forward to being in São Paulo again and stuffing my face with pichana, feijoada, coxinhas, pão de quiejo, pastel.. and not to mention desserts like açai and pavé. Oh - and lots and lots of bhrama beer. Big fat bastard more ON - in 6 days :D

Looking forward to chilling with my Brazilian best friend Eduardo and other loved ones again. Unfortunately, it's frigging winter in São Paulo, otherwise I would definitely hit one of the beaches or spend lots of time in Parque Ibirapuera, cycling, jogging or reading a book in a hammock.

I intend to write a blog post every single day when I'm back in São Paulo. Just to share the experience of the so-called World Cup 2014 fever while I'm here. I have a strong feeling it's gonna be one big mess with riots & total CHAOS going on.

Having lived in that crazy, crazy city for 2 years - I'm not expecting any less. And don't worry about me. I'll stay clear of any real trouble and I'll probably have my local friends surrounding me for most part. So I'm good.

Watch this space, yo! <3

Tuesday 13 May 2014

Photo Of The Week

And the photo of the day belongs to senoritayogini in Singapore. Please follow her on Instagram for her daily posts of beautiful yoga inspired poses!


senoritayogini is pictured in Liquido leggings, which can be found here: http://www.liquido.com.my/funky-fitness-pants-1.html

Tuesday 18 February 2014

Discover The Perfect Bikini For Your Body Type

I've been asked by a LOT of people to write a post on how to choose the right bikini to suit your body type.

I've been procrastinating on this for the longest time because to a certain extent, I believe that most women are aware of their bodies and would know what looks good on themselves. Right?

That said, an article was published in the Liquido catalog (available for distribution in Brazil only) which features advice from Gustavo Sarti, Fashion Consultant of Rede Records. He appeared in ´Top Model, O Reality' which is a Brazilian reality TV series adaptation of Tyra Bank's American's Top Model.  

The full article is as shown below.

 
Being the awesome bikini tycoon that I am, I shall go over each section and translate the Portuguese text into English for you. As we go along, you can click on each photo to get a bigger view, so that you can better see the styles of bikinis which has been recommended for your body type.

And here we go!

Petite (short) women
Petite women should use striking bikini tops with vertical lines for emphasis. Bikini tops with colorful prints are good. For the bikini bottom, low waisted bottoms helps to elongate the body while thin straps (around the sides of the bikini bottom) help your legs to appear longer, which will give you a flattering silhouette. For ladies who are short and slim, do explore elements that add volume such as ruffles, sparkles and accessories. Stay away from hats, or big bags as they may appear to disproportionate your size.
Recommended bikinis from Liquido:
http://www.liquido.com.my/crochet-design-bikini.html
http://www.liquido.com.my/beads-design.html



Narrow Hips
Woman with narrow have a great advantage. A bikini should help create a silhouette and for this, the effect should be to extend the hips and emphasize the top, to create the illusion of a long, lean waistline. Firstly, try and find a bikini top in bright, contrasting colors. The idea is to highlight your upper body, and this can include using bandeau tops. For the bottom, you should add volume to your sides. This can be done by having a bikini that ties at the sides or has metal accessories at the sides. Bikini bottoms with thick waistbands or vertical stripes in different colors are perfect.
Recommended bikinis from Liquido:
http://www.liquido.com.my/golden-stripes-bikini.html
http://www.liquido.com.my/green-mermaid-bikini.html


Flat chested
Flat chested women need to use bikinis that adds extra volume to the top part of your bodies, such as push up bikini tops. Ruffles, embroidery, fringes and generally any detailing on the bikini tops are important to increase the appearance of volume. Colorful prints, bright, and large floral themes also help. To achieve a bigger look, bikini straps with unique designs at the front can help to enhance the neckline and cleavage. 
Recommended bikinis from Liquido:
http://www.liquido.com.my/faux-leather-and-gold-buckle.html
http://www.liquido.com.my/sail-blue-bikini.html


Big, Beautiful, Women (Heavyset)
Big beautiful women can use fashionable one piece swimsuits; a trendy, elegant piece for a chic look. A bikini is perfectly encouraged for those that are confident, at long as the top is supportive. For the bikini bottom, a conservative bottom is advised, one that flatters your bottom and strechy enough to avoid the dreaded muffin-top effect. 
The perfect fit is important. The bikini top and bottom should fit and hold well, as this will help to create a nice silhouette. It is not advisable to get a smaller size and be spilling at the sides. In terms of color, slightly darker shades are advisable, although it does not necessarily have to be black. You can try dark green, dark blue and even dark red. Avoid big, bright prints that will create the illusion of more volume.
Recommended swimwear from Liquido:


Tall Women
You lucky lot! The ideal bikinis for tall women are bandeau bikinis. Bandeau bikinis (without vertical prints) create an illusion of a horizontal line across the body, which can soften the appearance of your height. A low waisted bikini bottom can elongate the appearance of your midriff. Or you can mantain the appearance of the lenght of your midriff in a non low-waisted bikini. Tall women can use big sunhats and large beach bags without fear as they will look proportional against your height.
Recommended bikinis from Liquido:


Wide hips 
We have two tips for women with wide hips. Firstly, choose a bikin that neutralizes the volume of your hips and secondly try to attract attention to your upper body. To achieve this, invest in no-fuss bikini bottom that has no bows or ties at the sides. Also avoid brightly colored bikini bottoms, opt for darker or neutral shades. Go for bikini bottoms with thick waistbands that sit nicely on the hips, to avoid the 'muffin-top' effect. 
For the bikini top, glitzy tops with accessories and ruffles, made with colorful and loud prints are perfect. The top and bottom should match, but the spotlight of the bikini should be the bikini top. 
Recommended bikinis from Liquido:
http://www.liquido.com.my/sail-blue-bikini.html
http://www.liquido.com.my/multi-gold-detail.html


Well Endowed (Busty) Women
Busty women need a supportive bikini top that can hold her lovely assets in place. In this instance, the ideal bikini is where the bikini top has thick bikini straps for extra hold and support, almost like a halter top. Choosing the right size is important. When a woman uses a size too small and allows spillage, she may appear heavyset. 
Please do not use a bikini top with push-ups. Women who are well endowed will no doubt have a  shapely upper body without needing the extra lift. We leave you with one essential rule - if you your upper body is well supported and in place, you will appear slimmer and feel more confident. 
Recommended bikinis from Liquido:

Slim Women
Slim women have proportional and balanced bodies and can wear any style without fear. Pay attention to the color of the bikinis, which should contrast against your skin tone to create a standout look. Look out for bikinis with metal detailing or shiny fabrics and seasonal prints. Just remember to maintain the proportion of your body by using a bikini set together. Even if you mix and match, ensure that it is the same style.
Recommended bikinis from Liquido:

I hope this has been helpful. If you still need help choosing the perfect bikini to match your body type, do set up an appointment to meet me at my showroom. I love helping clients find the perfect bikini and this should be good fun :) More information about setting up an appointment with me can be found *here*