Geeks are swamped. SHOP, everyone.

I love plants. Having something green at my desk cheers me up immensely. Unfortunately, I do not have a green thumb. No matter how determined I am to care for plants, they seem to die on me. (The only exception was a plant I received from Seed as a press gift. It somehow managed to last over a year except that it started out being two strong stems with 12 to 15 leaves and now there's only one stem with 5 drooping leaves so I don't have high hopes for the poor thing.)

I am determined to find a way to solve this problem and no, plastic plants aren't the answer. After some digging, I was told that moss terrariums are amazingly easy to take care off and you would have to actually work at killing them. Supposedly, you only need to water them every month as the lid seals off the moisture and it becomes a small ecosystem.

There are countless cute moss terrariums to be found on Etsy ranging from US$20 to US$300 but they only ship within the US so I decided to make my own and now I can't decide how to decorate it. Should I go with the picnic setting or the mossroom? For something Christmasy try using glass ornaments and putting the moss inside.



What you'll need:
gravel or glass beads (HK$10 at Jusco)
potting soil (HK$6)
moss (HK$45 at a flower store near The Pawn in Wanchai)
glass jar (I used an old Yankee Candle jar but any glass jar with a lid would do)
decorations (these miniature sushi, chopsticks and green tea are available at City Super for HK$30, the mushroom those capsule toy machines for HK$5)

Instructions
1. Place the gravel/ glass beads at the bottom of the jar for drainage
2. Add about 1 inch of moist potted soil
3. Layer the moss on top, feel free to squish as much as you can into the jar for a nice thick carpet.
4. Spray the moss with some water
5. Add the decoration
6. Close lid

And there you go! A simple, green garden sitting on your desktop. Now fingers crossed that I won't kill this terrarium!

Since I live in a semi-ghetto district where the chance of bumping into fellow compatriots is slim, I wear whatever I want to go walk the dog. (I've even been tagged on facebook wearing a khaki leather biker jacket, blue Mr Men t-shirt, flared jammie pants in white with cherubs on them, and neon green sneakers.

But this might change for two reasons -- one, I'm moving to Wanchai, where real people (or rather people I know) actually roam the streets, increasing the chance of a badly dressed run-in. Two, this Jak & Jil photo is the cutest thing ever.

Image: Jak & Jil

It's a hobo bag with fringes. You'd think it might be a tacky concept but this is a case where the execution saves the concept. I LOVE the bright sunny colour and it's perfect for driving away the winter blues.
At Jimmy Choo

Men's fashion isn't our strong suit but I did learn a thing or two about pocket squares yesterday while accompanying my beloved to shop for a dapper suit accompaniment to sport at a wedding we're attending this weekend. Suit shops were at the top of the list for custom fabrics, but we also hit H&M, M&S and Tie Rack since they were all situated around the bustling Central district. We were told that the best selection is at Lane Crawford or Seibu, but alas, I was getting cranky from all the walking so we were restricted to the aforementioned stops alone. For monsieurs seeking that pitch-perfect match to their tie or bow-tie, the best bet is to have a tailor scrounge up fabric to match, but I convinced my man to go with a skinny black tie and a black-and-white polka-dotted silk number with a thick black border for that pseudo Comme Des Garcons look. If we'd had time or any sense of pre-planning (a refrain that seems constant), we would've looked online.

The next step, then, is figuring out the best way to showcase this silk specimen. This Sam Hober site features numerous ways to fold your pocket square, starting with one- to four-point variations, flat folds, puffy folds, crown shapes and more. There are, in total, 14 ways to fold your pocket square. Holy crap, and I thought women's convertible fashion was genius. It's a SQUARE, for crying out loud, and it's this versatile. Why doesn't every man own a pocket square? Anyway, below the cut you'll find some random options I came across, from loud and proud to staid and solid.






Belisi x 2, Gucci, Luigi Borelli Napoli, Givenchy, Gucci

Images: Belisi and Tiedeals.com

Dear Santa,

I've been a very hardworking Geek this year and I do truly believe I deserve a cornucopia of great gifts from you. To make things easy, why don't you just stop by net-a-porter and throw one of each of the the RM by Roland Mouret exclusive Rainbow Collection in your bag? They might seem a bit pricey at HK$10-20K but someone once told me I was worth a million bucks, and this is a mere fraction of that price. A steal, Santa, a steal!



At the very least consider this aqua Isa dress. It's so pretty, I promise I'll be good for a whole other year. I'll even brush my teeth every night, go to sleep on time (ish) and give you a free banner ad if you want. In case you need the link, here it is!

Love,
hkShoeGeek

Organic skincare has been touted as a healthier alternative to regular skincare as there is a lower risk of allergies along with claims of being more effective. We talk to the Keston and Jeremy Muijs, founders of Grown, an organic skincare line that just launched in Hong Kong last month at Joyce Beauty about their inspiration and philosophy behind the brand


Hong Kong Fashion Geek: What was the inspiration behind Grown?
Keston Muijs: We were first awakened to the harm of traditional skincare formulations when a close friend developed adverse reactions to almost every cosmetic during her battle with cancer. As a result our focus has always been more on healthy products that deliver a sophisticated beauty result than simply organic. Not just certified, healthy.

We understand that having an organically certified product is important, which is why our products use 100% certified organic ingredients. However, we don’t stop there. Healthy skin care must also avoid harmful ingredients that certified products often contain like alcohol for example. We also believe whether a product’s ingredients are organic, wild harvest or naturally grown healthy skin care is all about formulating products that don’t compromise on beauty or your health. All our products must delivery a visible beauty result.

HKFG: How did your backgrounds as product and brand developers help in the development of Grown?
Jeremy Muijs: I think as product developers you learn to question everything. Someone says “that can’t be done” and instinctively you say “why not”. It’s almost like a discipline to continually push the boundaries of what is possible and it helps to have a very clear and powerful reason for being on the journey in the first place. When you start with the question “how do we make healthy skincare with a powerful beauty benefit?” you don’t stop to find the answer. I guess that’s why it took us so long. (Grown underwent almost a decade of development before its launch.)

HKFG: What does the Grown product range comprise of?
KM: We have a top to toe range with everything from Facial Moisturizers to treatment products and bioactive eye creams.

HKFG: The shelf life for organic products tend to be shorter. How do you overcome that obstacle?
JM: Yes, the shelf life of our products are shorter but not by much because our packaging protects our product from light, liquid and air to seal in goodness and keep out bacteria. We use amber bottles to protect delicate botanical ingredients from being broken down by UV light. Our pumps use a patented valve technology to ensure nothing contaminates our ingredients. Aluminium tubes prevent air coming in contact with the product ensuring an optimum environment for our active ingredients. We also use safe non-leeching tubes and bottles instead of conventional chemically toxic polypropylene plastics, which emit harmful chemicals into the product they are protecting, to ensure our products remain as healthy as the day they were created.

HKFG: What new products are in development?
KM: We have a host of new products that complement our current range. The wonderful thing about nature is their is a powerful remedy for everything so we are never at a loss for inspiration.

HKFG: If you could only choose one Grown product to use, what would it be?
JM: Wow, I can’t believe I have to just choose one! It’s like having to choose a favorite child. I think we are selling a lot of Facial Moisturiser at the moment. But I must say for me I have a thing for the Hand Wash.