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About Me

About Me
CrystalPhuong.net is a Personal Style & Travel Blog based in Singapore, written by Crystal Phuong. The blog was nominated FOUR times in Top 10 Best Fashion Blogs in the annual Singapore Blog Award from 2012- 2015, voted as one of the Best Lifestyle Blogs in Singapore in 2013 by Hotelclub.com, and Best Travel Blogs in 2016 by Foodpanda.com. Crystal hopes to connect and inspire young women to lead a healthy and happy life. Be confident, be positive, and be kind.

MY DREAM SHOE CLOSET




Hi everyone,
After blogging about fashion for almost three years, this will be the first time I show you a part of my dream shoe closet. Although, it's still in the decorating process, I'm so happy with how it looks right now and I can't wait to share with you. It's not only a shoe closet to me, but also my pride, my hard work, inspiration, and achievement. I'll tell you why.

Where I came from originally, people had no idea what designer shoes mean. Although, I was born
and raised in a city, I have never thought of buying any pair of shoes that cost more than $50. Like most people in Vietnam, I believed shoes are just the wearable items to protect your feet. I never bought any expensive shoes because they would get dirty and worn out after a while. Besides, spending $100 on a pair of shoes was such a waste.  The truth was, I couldn't afford branded shoes, and I couldn't understand why somebody could spend so much on them. I carried that thinking with me for more than 20 years. I would think twice before I spent more than $100 on shoes because I thought they were the last item to pay attention to. A thousand dollar shoes? I could buy many other things with that amount of money.  

Things changed when I started writing this blog and stepped into the fashion industry, I took an effort to learn and appreciate more designer items. The materials, the craftsmanship, the incredible designs made me understand why people would spend thousands of dollars on their feet. Then, I began to wonder (and wish) "When can I afford to buy a pair of designer shoes?". Neither I came from a wealthy family nor had a rich boyfriend to support me. I was raised to be independent and to chase for what I want. So I made a goal and a promise to myself: "When I earn enough money, I'll buy ONE expensive pair of shoes for myself." 

These Chloe Susanna studded booties were the first designer shoes I bought in 2013. I was extremely excited that I couldn't sleep the first night I had them. I wore them many times, and they are still in a perfect condition because I take care of them so well. They are like my babies! 


After Chloe, Valentino was the second brand that landed in my closet. I've been talking about these studded sandals for a year, and finally I decided not to talk about them anymore. I went to the store, tried them on. The next thing I knew, they had a prime position in my closet. 


First, I only aimed to achieve one pair of shoes in my goal list. Now, it looks like I have exceeded my goal 50 times or more. The latest "babies" have joined "Crystal's Closet" family are these beautiful fruity sandals (on sale) from Rene Caovilla. I was so obsessed with these shoes that I kept thinking about them for two days. I did my mind a favor by bringing these shoes home so that I didnt have to think about them too much. 


There are many other shoes that I've collected over the past two years. 


Gianmarco Lorenzi hexagon heels 
















Cesare Paciotti sandals (old)








It's no doubt that I have changed, from a girl who didn't care much about what she wore on her feet to somebody who can recognize each brand's signature design in a pair of shoes. I've come a long way. I have no interest in buying luxury items to show off to people or to prove anything. I guess, it's more about personal satisfaction, reward and achievement to me. A few years ago, I made a goal and worked extremely hard for it.  Every day, when I come back home, looking at this DIY shoe closet, I feel proud, motivated and inspired. I have made my little dream come true. 

Do you have any dream with you? How do you achieve it?


Crystal Phuong
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FOREST PRINT



Hi everyone, 
I hope you had an enjoyable weekend. As usual, I spent most of my weekend doing nothing but work. On Saturday, I went to the office at 10am, did training with my team, went for a lunch meeting, and had a photo shoot. At night, I went to watch a movie and had dinner. Then, I came home to work again until 3am. I woke up at 11.30am on Sunday, had my brunch, and started working again until now 11.30pm. It is surprising to me that no matter how many hours I spend in a day, I'll never finish what I'm supposed to do. 

Blogging is like a marathon but has no Finish line. There is no final stop, but we (bloggers) just keep running because we love it. 

People always ask me how I manage my time between a full-time job and a blog. Here is the answer for you. Monday to Friday from 9am- 6.30pm, I focus on my work as a Sales Manager. Saturday, Sunday, and weekday evenings, I wear a hat of an entrepreneur to work in the blogging business. Can't believe that I've been doing this for three years without fail. Have I ever felt tired of doing all this? Of course, I have. There were many times I felt lost as if I was in a dark forest. The further I went, the darker it seemed. I was exhausted, hopeless and frustrated. This weekend was an example. I was annoyed by the issues with my Google Adsense account. I spent two days working on it, but found no solution. I tried to search for some answers on the internet, but the more I searched, the more negative stories I found. It's so time wasting and demotivating. You wouldn't believe if I say things like that happen all the time. How do I get over it? You ask. I'll try to look for some inspirations or do something that I love. Today, I took my mind away from this messiness by practicing my fashion sketches and looking at this beautiful pastel outfit I wore last week. The blush pink blouse and blazer cooled me down, and this colorful printed skirt reminded me that not all forests are dark. I feel much better now and I can do it all over again. 

Do you have any tips to keep yourself productive and motivated at work? How do you deal with negativity? 








Thank you so much for reading! Wish you have a wonderful Monday at work. 
:: Outfit::
H&M Rossy pink blazer- Currently obsessed with this one (on sale)
Charles & Keith cut-out sandals- Similar here

Crystal Phuong
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BROWN, BEIGE AND POLKA DOTS



As I mentioned in the previous blog entry Silver & Gray, I'll be dressing the back-to-basic style a couple of times more before I come back to the fancy and girly me. My obsession with the laid-back style continues to grow, and I don't know how to stop it. In fact, I don't want to. I enjoy the less-is-more approach and find myself passionate by the most neutral colors. Those hues like white, beige, and brown were so unattractive to me before, are now my crush. Is it weird that somebody who loves vibrant colors so much can switch to earthy shades within a blink of an eye and never look back? These photos are perfect to elaborate my point. 

I have beige polka dot denim jeans and the Ash Queenie brown sandals for almost two years, but they never had a chance to make it on my blog. Not even once. Last Friday, I saw these "boring" Jeans hiding at the corner of my wardrobe, and the sandals left unnoticed in the shoes closet. I decided to bring them out to see some sunshine. Who knew that they could make such a perfect "couple"? Because of the slim cut of the polka dot jeans, I wanted to balance the tight fitting bottoms with a loose boyfriend buttoned shirt. My hair was pretentiously messy for a relaxed and chic appearance. 
I didn't think it was my best outfit, but the photos seem to prove me wrong. Through these photos, I learned an old-but-important lesson: Never take things for granted and always appreciate what we have. I guess I should start looking at the old clothes and shoes in my closet and remembering why I love them in the first place. 

Do you have any clothes that are left unwanted and are crying out for your attention? What will you do?










Thank you so much for reading!
::Outfit::
ZARA boyfriend shirt- Similar here and here
ZARA beige polka dot denim- Similar here
Orchid gold necklace- Thanks to Risis Official
Mirrored sunglasses- Thanks to Glossi Eyewear, Nanyang Optical.
Charles & Keith brown belt- Similar here



Crystal Phuong
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SUM UP 2014 AND WELCOME 2015


I have been sitting in front of my computer, staring at the iMac's screen for nearly an hour, without knowing what to write in this blog entry. I feel like I have so many things I want to share about 2014, but when it comes down to details, there wasn't anything exactly spectacular other than my New York trip. I'm not even sure that 2014 was a good year, an average year or a bad year. Maybe because I'm too ambitious, I wanted to accomplish a lot more things than I was supposed to do in 2014. It could also be that I forgot a lot of things; I have an impression that I didn't achieve much success. Before my short term memory can erase all the good and bad things about 2014, I must quickly write them down and keep them safely in this digital box. It is always a good reminder to me how I have progressed over a year, even just a little bit.

If you ask me to sum up my 2014 in just a word, I will say it must be GROWTH.

I no longer spontaneously act like I used to; I had a purpose in everything I did. Since last January, I had a plan to focus on producing high-quality content and images for my blog. I spent weekends-after-weekends looking for inspiration, working with various photographers to come up with some fantastic editorial-like work. Black Night was the first editorial shot I did

  
then Keep It Cool,

and the craziest Stoping Traffic idea.

All gave me a great satisfaction of being able to do what I love and love what I do. I didn't blog for any award or title, but somehow my love and passion were rewarded with a nomination (once again) in top 10 Best Fashion Blog, Singapore Blog Award in July. Though, I didn't win (only was one of the top 3 most voted blogs), but I felt very satisfied knowing that my blog was recognized three years in a row.


2014 was also a year that I turned A DREAM INTO REALITY. I have been dreaming of visiting New York for more than ten years but didn't know how to make it happen. Because the crazy New York Fashion Week kept calling, I decided to take a leap of faith to book a flight and made my dream come true. Ten years thinking about New York was enough, it was time to stop the fear and do something about it. Before flying off, I received invitations to many shows during fashion week after I received a media credential from IMG.

Standing outside Lincoln Center, with a media pass in hands, was the most surreal moment that I will never, ever forget in my entire life.

NYFW Day 3 was pretty overwhelming with lots of paparazzis outside Lincoln Center



Day 4 was a little bit chilly in the morning,
and hotter after the Porsche Design SS15 fashion show.


Day 5 was flooded with color block

 Day 6 was Times Square wandering.

 and day 7, having a quiet moment at The Brooklyn Bridge.

 I blogged about the whole journey here in case you haven't read it.

One dream led to another. After New York Fashion Week, it was a dream collaboration with one of my favorite luxury brands: Porsche Design.




I had no idea how this happened, and I thought they made a mistake. But no, the email clearly stated my name. I had to pinch myself twice to make sure that I wasn't dreaming. That's when I knew I had reached an enormous milestone in my blogging career: being able to collaborate with a big brand. At the same time, a new milestone also required me to stretch myself much further, to grow much faster and to be stricter in producing good work for you and my beloved brands. It was hard, but it was all worth it.


Shooting for Invisalign as one of their ambassadors

Collaborating with Daniel Wellington

Partnering with Flopstore Singapore for a giveaway

Promoting for Marks & Spencers "I Like It Perky" campaign

Styling for Glitz and Love


Every coin has two sides. Besides the significant growth that you already saw on this blog, there were many GROWING PAINS that I decided to keep them to myself. These were the pains when I had to say No to certain projects that I knew I couldn't deliver due to job mix-match or timeline. Or, the moment when everyone gossiped about me online, out of the blue, for no good reason. I learned how to deal with hater's comments, ignore the negativity, and just focus on my work. I'm glad it is all over.
Regardless, I have to say 2014 was, indeed, another incredible year. I met many wonderful people, made new friends from across the globe, learned new things, and stepped out of my comfort zone. My style has changed and evolved so much over a year mainly because I've changed and I've grown.



















Last year, I was fortunate to meet many amazing people. They inspired, taught me, and motivated me to continue doing what I love.



I also met some people who told me that they read my blog. They made my day. I wish I could meet every single one of my blog readers to personally say thank you. Thanks for staying here with me on this journey, witnessing how much I have grown, and always being here to support. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. In return, I have dedicated some of my 2015 Resolutions for you:

1. I'll try to blog more often, on a regular basis, two or three times per week on every Monday- Wednesday (or Thursday)- Friday (or Saturday). 

2. Instead of accepting just any sponsorship, I'll be taking up selected sponsored products or services that will benefit you, and I can add value to the respective brands in return. There might not be a lot of sponsored posts this year, but if there are, they'll be good. 

3. I'm working on my schedule to get back to Youtube video soon. 

4. I'll try to write more Beauty-related content for you. In fact, I'm looking for someone who is in love with beauty and good at writing. If you know somebody like that, please do recommend. Thank you so much!

5. Going to New York again for Fashion Week in September 2015. 

6. This year, my big goal is to go to London, Milan, Paris and Australia for Fashion Week. 

That's pretty much what I have in mind right now. If you have any suggestions or recommendations, please do share with me. I'm dying to know. I hope you had an excellent 2014 and may 2015 treat you even better. Please continue to be awesome, be happy, be different, be adventurous, be fearless, and most importantly, be kind.
Thank you so much for reading!
Crystal Phuong
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