31 March, 2012

OOTD: SF for the evening



cloudy weather makes me nauseous

26 March, 2012

OOTD: tummy tuck



step 1 - wear



step 2 - belt



step 3 - tuck



step 4 - sweater

dress: sister's, vintage
sweater: sister's fiance, vintage
socks: (not pictured) gifted, forever21
shoes: (not pictured) gifted, aldo

25 March, 2012

swatches: maybelline color tattoo in "tough as taupe"




as i said in my last post, my eyes have been extremely sensitive to fall out from powder shadows... so i've been skipping liner and shadow all together. my only hope? cream shadows.



"tough as taupe" really isn't all that taupe to me. it's a very muted brown-mushroom type of color. i wouldn't say it's very warm, as taupes tend to be. it's the only shade in this line with the least shimmer and glitter (as well as the orange shade). i wish they made more matte / cream neutrals!



you could read my review of the formula and see swatches of "bad to the bronze" here!

mini haul 3/25/12



forever 21 over-the-knee socks, gifted from boyfriend. clean&clear blackhead scrub, target. maybelline color tattoo in "tough as taupe", target. worn wallet, target.

my boyfriend surprised me with those socks yesterday! i totally didn't expect it. my sister recommended i get a wallet from target, so i did. i like it. it's my first non-sanrio wallet... well, i had this leather bulky one before, but i lost it last fall. i finished one of my many cleansers, so i decided to pick up one with acne treatment. as of late, my eyes have been extremely sensitive to any fallout, so i've been running to cream shadows. i think i want two more from this line - "bold as gold" and the white one... or the pomegranate one. we'll see.

21 March, 2012

drool worthy




all from zara




all from H&M

oh my god, that starfish ring looks just like the bracelet i posted the other day
i must get it!!

tips & tricks: basic skin care 101

so i've been back on my skin care routine... and it's been improving my skin a boat freaking load. i decided to share a little bit of general / basic skin care info with my readers. a lot of these are a no-brainer if you already have your skin care routine down, but it's always nice to remind yourself of these little things... or to teach any newbies! i am no means claiming i'm a skin care guru; i'm just tossing out my little advice.



determine your skin type.

this should basically be your step one before even getting into skin care. there are tons of skin types and then there could be a combination of them. you could have dry skin or oily skin, or maybe you're sensitive! you can have acne-prone skin, or very dull skin. maybe you have combination skin? maybe you have large pores or even dehydrated skin? determining your skin type will allow you to know what products to look for and to use.



moisturize!

even if you're thinking "i have oily skin... i don't want it to be even oilier." you can always opt for a matte moisturizer or a lightweight gel moisturizer. if you leave your skin dry after cleansing, thinking that it'll stay "dry" and "oil-free," you're wrong! your skin will think "i'm sooo dry," and then proceed to excrete even more oils. which equates to an even oilier face. i personally love moisturizers, especially since i have dry skin. if you have sensitive skin, skip out on any fragranced moisturizers (usually listed in ingredients). it's also key to keeping your skin youthful.



treat yourself to a mask from time-to-time.

look for masks that meet your skin type. it's nice to actually treat your skin instead of just cleaning and moisturizing. most masks contain multiple perks in one. i personally really like the mint julep masque to reduce pore and pimple sizes. lush provide a nice arrangement of fresh masks too. and of course, you could DIY a bunch of masks with things you already have at home. make google your best friend! i also LOVE asian sheet masks, but i didn't have any at the time of these photos.



the skin on your face isn't the only skin you should take care of.

remember to clean (i'm sure you do daily, or at least every other day... right?) it and exfoliate every now-and-then to keep it looking radiant. slaughtering off dead skin cells off your lips will reveal youthful, plump-looking lips! and it'll make any lipstick application much nicer. using oils during baths or after your shower makes my skin baby soft. moisturizing after showers locks in all the moisture. i wish i took care of my hands younger because now i have wrinkly old lady hands! and don't forget to wear sunscreen!!! prevention is key.

hope this helped! if you have any questions about the products pictured or for any more of my own advice, feel free to leave a comment.

19 March, 2012

star lust



so basically... i need this cuff in my life.

18 March, 2012

vein-y nails!!


the example from rookiemag. hannah's hands are so much prettier than mine...

after seeing a post on rookiemag on giving yourself a veiny manicure... and being a total geek for human anatomy/physiology... I JUST HAD TO! i actually saw this quite some time ago, and i've been really lusting to do this for the past week! i don't know why i didn't do this sooner.


L to R: "red" by forever 21 | "go overboard" by essie | "private viewing" by wet'n'wild megalast

the tutorial is extremely simple. you can go read the step-by-step how-to on rookie mag, but in short you just:
  1. paint a nude base color
  2. get a tool (i used a bobby pin, you can use a nail art brush or whatever!) and create a red vein
  3. repeat step 2 except with a blue vein
  4. carefully (i did shit on this step HAHA) create a heart... or whatever you want!

my left hand. i left the pinky without a blue vein because of laziness... but i like how it looks!

to be honest, my nails didn't come out as nicely as hannah's... but i like it! when it comes to DIY type of junk, i'm not all too hard on myself because i just breathe in and out, accept that i'm no pro, and then enjoy my creation! of course, i will strive for perfection, but i'll take my creations as they come. also, practice makes perfect. but you knew that.


my right hand! i'm a lefty, so this side came our better.

honestly, i'm really digging these. like, a lot. i can't wait to show these babies off to my physiology teacher... haha. ANYWAYS, i don't think these nails too me too long. i didn't keep track of time though, since today was just (another) lazy sunday for me.

unsatisfactory

this blog can't seem to exemplify who i really am... but it's not the blog's fault! it's mine...

idk dudez.

14 March, 2012

spring nail polish favorites



so i know it isn't exactly spring yet, but we're nearing it! warm weather, come to san jose already!

so there's basically three 'trends' (not sure if they are trends, but 'styles' i've been digging!) i'm enjoying right now are: duo chrome / beetle-y, muted bolds, and neon.

duo chrome / beetle - so basically i've been really into duo chromes. to summarize, duo chromes are like holographic (micro) glitters that change color depending on how the light hits it! some cars have this effect too, but i don't know them well enough to go on about that. the two i featured are 'beetle' by hard candy and 'grey's anatomy' by wet'n'wild. you can see the duo chrome effect in the photos!

muted bolds - the one i'm featuring is essie's 'go overboard', which is new to spring 2012. this is the only color i've worn twice in a row (as in, as soon as it chipped after a week, i painted it again until it chipped!). i LOVE this color. i never liked a blue nail polish before until now. what i mean by muted bold is like... i've been into colors that are sort of deep, but standout-ish. colors that you'd find in a crayola marker pack in "BOLD." haha.

neons - i never ever thought i'd be into neons. ever. however, i love milani's 'totally 80s' from their neon collection. it isn't really neon, though. it's more chartreuse to me, but i still love it. people have frowned on it and said it looked ugly, but i think it looks really good with a tan! the last bottle in the photo is urban outfitter's 'jerk,' and it is a true HIGHLIGHTER yellow/green. they both have this velvet finish. it's pretty cool, actually. these would look good if you put a matte top coat over it! i love the way these two look when i wear black clothes.

overview: my moisturizers!



i know, i know... no one really needs this many moisturizers. i can't help it! i love hydrating my skin. i guess we should begin with establishing that i have normal to dry skin. sorta. kinda. my skin has been really weird lately. despite the cold winter weather, it's been... oily!? it's been a little hard for me to work with.

anyways, these are my current moisturizers. i tend to rotate between them depending on my needs. i'll quickly talk about them with you guys and gals!



clinique dramatically different moisturizing gel - this was actually my boyfriend's! he purchased this in december or january, and it was his first moisturizer ever (also his first purchase at sephora.. heh)! he has oily/combo skin and it worked for the drier parts of his skin REALLY nicely. he handed it over to me though because he said, "it made my skin so soft... i couldn't stop touching it... and then i broke out from touching it." so yeah. despite having dry skin, i actually really like the gel consistency! it definitely feels slick and watery. it works really well on my cheeks (the drier parts of my face), but makes my forehead oily. i'm hoping i'll love this when the weather gets hot!

eucerin everyday protection lotion spf 30 - i ran out of a daily moisturizer some time this year, and i randomly grabbed this at target... it's okay. i have sensitive skin, so i was like... eucerin? why not? it does moisturize my face decently, as well as provide protection from the sun. what i don't like about this is that it makes my face look really white and tends to ball up on my cheeks.

olay active hydrating beauty fluid - okay... who hasn't heard of this!? a lot of people tend to say that their mothers use this. sarah from clothesencounters even said that! i actually literally picked this up yesterday, inspired by lil lady's life! she said the sensitive one is her HG, and that the regular formulation proved to work well on her oily skin in the winter. so why not, right? right? i used it this morning and like it so far. people say it smells like baby powder or some other baby product... i personally dislike the smell. it does resemble some sort of baby smell, but it reminds me of the smells when moms change their baby's diaper in a public restroom. ugh. ANYWAYS, this soaks into my skin SO nicely. enjoying this so far!



physicians formula enriched dry skin concentrate - this stuff is my BFF when i'm suffering through cracked, dry, and irritated skin. i saw this in CVS one summer and was like, "whoa, physicians formula does skin care!?" this has never broken me out, despite how thick and creamy it is. it'll definitely leave you feeling a little... vaseline-y if you pile on a bunch all over your face. this always heals any cracked skin i have (which tends to happen around my nose, cheeks, and chin) by the next day! it also lasts forever, dude... it smells like most vitamin e products, or just products for dry skin in general. a baby powder-y scent that i don't mind and actually prefer. i associate the smell with being for sensitive dry skin.

philosophy hope in a jar - this isn't a full size product. i got it as my 100 point perk at sephora. i actually wrote a first impression on this that you can read here! it's alright. supposedly, this stuff is suited for any skin type. like with most moisturizers, it makes my forehead kinda oily. not anything really bad though. it isn't hydrating enough for my cheeks. i guess i'd recommend you give it a try if you were oily / combo. it smells... interesting. i don't really know what it is, though. i think of all my moisturizers, i'm going to try and finish this one first and on its own. it claims to gently exfoliate your skin to make it look more radiant. i'll have to get back to you guys on that one.

estee lauder time zone spf 15 - estee lauder claims you can use this AM or PM, but i try to use it for AM only. i don't feel comfortable with using SPF at night! as with most estee lauder products, it's heavily scented. my skin just can't handle fragranced skin products... so i just use it on my neck! it's the only place where i have mega noticeable wrinkles anyways. it really does hydrate. i haven't seen it improve any wrinkles or fine lines yet. we'll see in due time. disclaimer: my mom purchased this for me in a gift set for my birthday.

the body shop vitamin e nourishing night cream - i loooove the body shop's vitamin e line! they say it's for any skin type, but i suggest using the line if you have a more normal / sensitive / dry skin type. there's a *regular* night time moisturizer too, but i picked this one up. it reminds me of the physician formula moisturizer since it's so thick and creamy, but it doesn't leave a vaseline-y feel. or at least, not as much. i like using it when i feel my skin is dull or just dry. would i purchase it again? hm... maybe after i've gone through other brands, i'll come back to this one day.



in short!
my favorites - physician's formula
likes - clinique, the body shop, olay
eh - philosophy, estee lauder, eucerin

08 March, 2012

february 2012 favorites



a wee bit late, but never too late!

(school) lanyard: i don't care what any fashion-conscious person says about lanyards. hate them all you want; i love mine! my parents are always scolding me for forgetting my keys at home, so i decided to help myself (and my friend, she was selling this as a fundraiser for the swim team) and purchase a nifty lanyard. why not keep my keys on my neck the whole day? i've been wearing it nonstop since i've gotten it, and this is the best $2 i've spent in a long while. i haven't worn any necklaces since, but i don't mind. i kinda think it looks cool... school spirit, preppy, whatever. and yes, i have no car key. take note of the bike lock key! and the heart thingy is actually an audio jack splitter that lets you plug in TWO headphones. nifty on nifty!

the body shop vitamin e face mist: i purchased this along with a handful of other stuff during december when the body shop had their sale (BOGO free and B2G2 free). i think what drew me to this product was that 1) it's for dry skinned folks like myself, 2) i already really liked the vitamin e line, and 3) it claimed to set make-up! the make-up setting property probably sold me the most. does it really do that? not really, i find my face getting oily much quicker when i use it as a setting spray. but golly gee, this stuff is hydrating! i love spraying this whenever i felt my face getting tight or dry throughout the day and it helps reduce any powdery-ness of my face.

missha bb cream no.27: i LOVE this bb cream. more than any foundation i own! i got this for $8 during their promotional sale, but it's originally around $30! what they say about bb cream is true, it's good stuff. i won't get much into it, but i truly do love this product. i haven't been into my revlon colorstay lately because i've been wanting a dewey / glowy finish.

wet'n'wild coloricon single "panter": wet'n'wild seriously makes the best matte drugstore eyeshadows. ever. i was in love with their six pan palettes and i think the one called "greed" had the same matte black shadow. it's matter and ultra pigmented... perfect for setting my gel liner. i was so torn when they announced that they were discontinuing it, but jumped out of my seat when i saw this single pop up on blogs!! it's even more pigmented than in the palette! but less soft, and the packaging hurts my fingers when i try to open it. HG line-setting shadow, though!

MAC fluidline "blacktrack": this was featured last month and is one of my HG products. what else is there to say? good stuff.

shu uemura lash curler: yup. just about everyone's favorite lash curler. i've tried shiseido, tweezerman, and some other brands but none fit me as well as this. given, not everyone will love this because not everyone has the same eyeshape! i've just been diggin' curling my lashes a little bit more this month. another HG product.

favorite bloggers / youtubers of the moment

lately i've been finding myself to be obsessed with these lovely girls... they're like, ultra babes with rad style ♡ their style of blogging / youtubing isn't exactly like something you'd find from michellephan and the like. it's definitely more... 'unprofessional?' but in a good way, trust me. i guess it seems more relaxed (less serious) and personal, which i really dig. they all seem really down-to-earth and just totally... cool.

chrissstttiiine
http://chrissstttiiine.blogspot.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/chrissstttiiine



i think i discovered christine when she interviewed clothesencounters some time back. i didn't get into her blog or youtube until recently! she really really really channels this cool vibe, and kinda reminds me of my sister in 2004 - 2005. i truly dig listening to her voice in her videos (creepy haha) and i LOVE her style. and she takes pictures of good food and cute cats.


meesheo
http://www.meesheo.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/megaintense




i discovered meesheo (michelle) through looking up 'bettie bangs' videos on youtube haha. i actually considered cutting my bangs like bettie page multiple times in my life... but anways, i recently got into her via chrissstttiiine! i ADORE this chick's style. i'm trying to draw inspiration from them actually, but ican't seem to. i guess she's just more fashion eye-candy *-* !

06 March, 2012

feet treats!




did a little bit of swapping with my friends over at shangrila-la closet (and one of them runs hansel and petal!) we traded some goods, caught up a smidgen bit, and chit chat. just like old ladies do. of which i believe we are, but just trapped in the body of seventeen year old girls.

check out their shop, they seriously have the cutest things, and at extremely reasonable prices!