Shay Mitchell on the Cover of Teen Vogue

Pretty Little Liars' Shay Mitchell is on the April cover of Teen Vogue! In the feature, the star opens up on being true to herself - Shay's first suggestion, when asked to think of something "fun" to do during her Teen Vogue interview, is a trapeze class. "I just love a thrill," the 25-year-old explains, shortly after sitting down to her notably less death-defying second-choice activity: making candles. We meet at Make Meaning, a craft lover's dream on Manhattan's Upper West Side (Katie Holmes and Suri Cruise are regulars!), and despite the decidedly low-key environment, the Canadian-born actress is serving up some serious Hollywood-style glamour in black leather leggings, a low-cut T-shirt, and a short-sleeved neon pink jacket. "People are always shocked that I don't dress like Emily," she says, referring to her far sportier on-screen alter ego. "But I'm not her. I'm more comfortable in heels than I am in sneakers." 

Clearly, Shay isn't afraid to stand out. But as she talks about her breakthrough role as one of the few lesbian teens on television ("It means so much to me when someone says, 'Thank you for playing this role' ") and the charity that's closest to her heart (the Somaly Mam Foundation, whose mission is to protect women and children from sexual slavery and trafficking), it's evident that her boldness is more than just skin-deep.

Day 4 - Hong Kong

After a good nights sleep I am excited to start the day again in Hong Kong. I compare it to being the Oriental New York and everything from the stairs outside have some sort of interesting feature about it.. like this piece along the stairs… pretty cool. 

We ended up staying at this wonderful boutique hotel right in Central Hong Kong called  ’Ovolo’. From the first step inside the lobby, I knew I would like it…

My favorite thing about this hotel was their ‘Loot Bag’ that was inside the room. Not only did they have little tasty treats with a mix of salty and sweet goodies but it was FREE! This is something that you don’t see a lot of in Hotels especially now a days. Usually water, drinks and snacks in the mini bar are always double or triple the price and you seem to pay for everything from the use of amenities and facilities and wifi! So to say the least I was pleasantly surprised. 

Oh yeah and did I mention all the drinks in the fridge and mini liquor bottles were free as well? BONUS! 

 Lastly they had an information book with “Take a Moment” on the front. Need I say more… 

The shops in Hong Kong are some of the best. You never know what you will find wandering around and even the outside of the stores are interesting. Check out Homeless online, a great store with amazing gift ideas!

David and I decided it was time to see Hong Kong from a different perspective and driving to ‘The Peak’ was something I had always wanted to do but never ended up doing when I lived here. 

The view from The Peak. Not too shabby… 

The group again… we were having a blast!

After a long day of exploring the city further, it was time to leave. But not before we took a photo on the steps at Central!

Day 3…Macau > Hong Kong

We arrive in Hong Kong mid-afternoon and as soon as we get there I start to remember the familiar sights, smells and all the hustle and bustle like back when I was living there eight years ago. It was nostalgic to say the least…

I moved to Hong Kong after living in Bangkok when I was 17 and what I loved about it then still remained the same this visit. There is such an international collection of people who live there and with that comes a variety of different restaurants and shops that can sometimes be unexpected but is always a treat. 

We walked around for most of the day as I was showing David all the places that were a part of my life back then along with stories that popped up from memory along the way. 

Hong Kong wouldn’t be the same without Pocky sticks. If you haven’t tried them, do yourself a favor and head over to the closest Asian market to pick some up! They are so good and also come in a chocolate flavor! 

David and I on our walking adventure :)

Busy streets day and night.

One of my favorite restaurants in Hong Kong is this amazing Vietnamese restaurant called, “Nha Trang”. One of my favorite dishes is the one below and it was just as good as I remembered it!

GRILLED AUBERGINE SALAD (CA TIM NUONG 潘良蝦仁涼伴燒茄子) - Popular all over Vietnam, particularly along its central coast, aubergine — also known as eggplant — with a smoky grilled edge is topped with halved poached shrimps and crispy garlic flakes. 

Hong Kong even has its own ‘Hollywood’! 

(David, Jon, myself, Viraj and Sebastian a.k.a the best hosts) 

Later that evening we headed over to another one of my favorite spots that I always use to go to for dinner and a little dancing… ‘Dragon-i’. When I use to model this was the hangout because of its good food, chill vibe and great music. So I was excited to finally make it out past dinner (thanks to jet lag) and have some fun with some new and old friends!

 Such a fun day and night spent with great people. A lot of memories from the past were remembered and a lot of new memories today were made that will never be forgotten!

Day 2 in Macau

Let me start off by saying, I am not a fan of being jet lagged but it does allow you to get quite a bit done at such an early time! 

I woke up this morning at 4am and caught up with friends back home until the gym opened at 6am. I love starting my day off by working out, not only do I find that I have more energy for the rest of the day, but I also get time to think with no distractions! :)

The beautiful view outside of the gym; makes the workout way more enjoyable.

*That is a towel, not a loaf of bread. Weird lighting.

Every time I have been to Asia I am always blown away by the stunning flowers and how they display them! These bouquets are no exception and they are also all my favorite color, PINK! *Note to self: attempt to do these arrangements when I get home! Haha!

The wonderful host of ‘Asia Uncut’, Jon Niermann on set of our little skit we were filming.

Memorizing my lines, it’e been a while! Haha

Filming in the Venetian Hotel right near the canal, I almost felt like we were in Venice, Italy!

The best travel buddy ever, my friend and manager, David!!!

For dinner we went to an amazing restaurant located in the Venetian Hotel called, ‘North’. It is a mix of traditional cuisines from the Dongbei and Sichuan regions of China. While eating, you could watch the chefs prepare and cook the noodles in the noodle kitchen which is right in the middle of the restaurant. It was fascinating seeing the process and skill they have to have to get the noodles just right.

The mixed vegetable dumplings

Dan Dan Noodles

Prawn Dumplings

Such great food and a wonderful ambience. Every day just keeps getting better and better!