NOTD: Fall At Its Finest

Burgundy is always a hot color for autumn, so this season appropriate color was naturally my first color pick when I decided my chipped, pink nails were long overdue for a makeover. And gold is a nice accent color, so why not?

For more pictures, look no farther than the jump!

Current Obsession: Oversized Sweaters

Hello my sweet sun rays,

Since summer's slowly dwindling away into cool autumn breezes, it's near time to bust out the sweaters and jackets! Personally, autumn and winter are some of my favorite months. Just the thoughts of  cozy sweaters, fireplaces and hot cocoa... Yum. Though I will dearly miss the long summer nights, one thing I'm truly anticipating is wearing oversized sweaters!

To me, oversized sweaters just make the world go round. It's like wearing a giant, cozy blanket everywhere! I just... Can't. There are no words to describe the joy that I get from oversized sweaters. 

Anyways, oversized sweaters can be hard to style sometimes because of their bulkiness and lack of shape. But using their textures and proportions against other pieces of clothing can create a comfy chic look.

Skincare Sunday: Ponds Dry Skin Cream Review

Happy Sunday, ladies and gents! How goes it?

And no, I'm actually not a body laying at the bottom of the Dead Sea... because that's actually not physically possible, I would just float because of the high salt content.. right?

I'm incredibly sorry for being MIA, I've just been.. dilly-dallying as a normal teenager does. I've got a lot of posts written up, though, so let's get to it! Getting to the first Skincare Sunday in history, today I will be reviewing the Ponds Dry Skin Cream, as mentioned in the title. 

I was first drawn to this moisturizer last winter, when the air was dry and so was my skin. I have combination skin (oily in the T-zone, dry in the cheeks), and I had bad, dry patches on my cheeks. I needed a deep moisturizer to fix those, and since I had heard a lot about the Ponds Cold Cream, I thought I could give this a try.

Tip of the Day: 5/15/13

(image)

Hi, friends!

If you're new to the blog, welcome! If you're returning, welcome back! I hope y'all are having a great day today, I have a beauty tip of the day today for you! It really helps for all those lazy, non-morning people (me.) out there.

Ramble alert: Recently, I've been sleeping in 10-15 minutes later than usual. I usually wake up at around 6AM, though I used to wake up at 5:45. I have less time to get my purdy together. I think it might be the lack of sleep I've been getting lately, especially since I've had testing and such. There are only 5 weeks left of school to this day! asdfjlqwertyuiop

Psst... read on after the jump for the tip!

Looks for Less: Jessica Alba's Travel Outfit

Hi all of you beautiful people. As some of you know, I lost my camera, and it had a lot of pictures of reviews and other assortment of things, including an OOTD (Outfit of the Day) that was taken at a beautiful sunset. I'm pretty bummed, it was a nice point-and-shoot. But, I'm going to save up for a new camera as soon as I can. So, from now on, I'm either going to give you crap photos taken with my phone, or I'll find somebody who can take pictures of me.

... Wouldn't that be so creepy? Just getting a close-up of my eye for mascara reviews or whatever.. Weird.

Anyway, back to today's topic, above you see the beautiful Jessica Alba, coming back from her spring break (as am I!). Her travel getup from the airport is a perfectly put together ensemble that reminds me a lot of summer, what with the red, white, and blue. She's wearing red Chanel Striped Platform Sandals, a beautiful navy rimmed Tory Burch Classic Grosgrain Fedora, a red Michael Stars sweater over a white tank top, khakis, and carrying a Kate Spade floral bag that's simply gorgeous.

You like the outfit but don't like the price? That's where I come in and attempt to help! Read: attempt.

A Warm Weekend

image source

Hello bubbling daisies!

It's predicted to be in the 70s and maybe low 80s this weekend, I'm super excited! I'm going to be going to a bake sale tomorrow that's going toward the American Cancer Society, supporting another team that's participating in our local Relay for Life! It's going to be a blast. (: I might put up pictures afterwards, in another "My Life" post.

Here are some links to check out while you're deciding what to do on your nice weekend ahead!

Which Youtuber should be your beauty guru? Find out with this quiz from Teen.com (and comment down below your response!)

Offensive or over-reaction over Jim Gaffigan's tweet? Refinery29 has the deets.

Need some prom hairstyle inspiration? Beautylish has 4 hair tutorials to help you get inspired!

Nautical bracelets perfect for the upcoming summer!

Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh Perfume Review

Hi ladies! I hope your hump day has been fantastic, mine was spent laying around in bed... Whoopie.

Anywho.

I've actually been wearing this quite a lot recently, I like the light, clean scent it gives off. It's a very generic, pretty fragrance, not super unique in any way. It's very... mainstream, I have to say. Eau So Fresh is exactly as the name says, it's very fresh and girly, a good floral fruity scent you get after you pop out of the shower... A shower of apple blossoms and sugar.

After the drydown, the apple blossom scent is very dominant, along with the slight musk that accentuates the fruity notes.

FOTD: Sick Days

Hello, ladies and gents. I've got to say, waking up at 9:30am is really rewarding on a weekday, but not when you feel like you can barely breath between coughs and feel woozy everytime you stand up. If you couldn't tell by the title, I'm ill. And dreadfully so. Everything kind of aches and just doesn't feel right. Oh, and I'm expecting my other lung to be hacked up soon enough.

Enough of my moaning and groaning, it's not becoming. Update on my blog: I could give you a list of reasons excuses for my absense, but honestly, it's the same things. School, life, lost camera, etc. I've got a whole lot of post ideas up and ready, but it's testing season coming up very soon. As soon as Friday night hits, my life will be dedicated to just dishing out photos (maybe ^_^;) and posts. Though I can't assure you as much quality as you would get while I'm not as busy, I assure you there will be more of me around. c;

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Wild Watermelon: Review and Swatches

Hello readers!

Here's the deal. I bought this lip butter (and a few other colors) a week or two ago, but I've been testing them day to day. I was hesitant to jump on the we-all-love-lip-butters train, but after I tested them for a day or two, I was in the front, tooting the horn.

I naturally had to reach for this color because of well, the name, and because I love anything watermelon. Anything! Actually, I really only prefer really firm and juicy watermelon, not the really watery, flavorless kind. And I always prefer artificial watermelon flavor over any other flavor. Is that bad? Nahh, it's artificial watermelon, what could go wrong?

Spring Beauty Trend 2013: Bright Eyeliner!

Hello beautiful rays of sunshine,

I hope you're having a wonderful week so far! I know I'm not... Exams galore and last minute grades going into the gradebook. >.<

My birthday's TODAY (happy birthday to me..), but I'm not very excited this year. I have two exams and additional homework from other classes. I might have to get up early to go to a math review session at school... 5:30am on my birthday, woooot~

Anywhoo, on a much brighter note (ehehe), I've been honestly seeing this trend EVERYWHERE lately, on celebs, on the runway, on the street, legitimately everywhere I go. Bright eyes, a brilliant pop of color along the upper lashline. It makes your face look youthful and adds some color. You can play around with the look, whether you want it subtle or dramatic, it's entirely up to the person.

Runway

Kenzo Spring 2013

Moschino Cheap and Chic Spring 2013

Donna Karan Spring/Summer 2013

On the runway, the colors were being worn on the upper and lower lashline, accentuating different parts of the eye, but still bring attention to the eyes in general. Another way of wearing the bright eyeliner is just a ring around the eye.

Hoping a Fantabulous Weekend to You All!

(photo credit: Good Morning Gloucester

What are you all up to this weekend? This week, I've been cruising in school, but I'm prepping for a heavy week of finals this upcoming week, as the third quarter is coming to an end. Sad note: I lost my digital camera on a district bus to a volleyball game, I'm really hoping I can find it again. I highly doubt it though, as there were two different buses I have to track down. So, there might be a shortage of posts with original photos in it, bummer because my birthday's on Wednesday. You might get a few crap cell phone pictures, but that's the best I can do for now. I hope your first spring weekend is beautiful and sunny!

If you're in a link cruising mood, check out what I'm currently reading:

I love mint chocolate ice cream, but mint chocolate brownies? Whoa girl, let's calm down before we engorge ourselves.

What would happen if all Disney Princesses were from horror stories? Warning: This might scar some that are highly attached to their beloved princesses of their childhood.

Skinny jeans not tight enough? Try AE's new Skinny Skinny jeans.

Since spring is coming around again, floral prints are back! Grab this pretty floral dress from Modcloth while it lasts! I would pair it with a pair of black gladiator sandals and a pair of pink-rimmed retro sunnies, the perfect transitioning outfit to spring!

Add a pop of purple into your life with these flats.

Celebrate National Chip and Dip Day with these 25 quick recipes.

A cute, mint, and crossbody phone wallet.

Getting ready for spring break travelling? Here's why carrying fancy luggage is a bad idea.

Try out this scarf styling trick.

9 spring hair trends to try out.

Have a good one.


Lots of hugs,

Essie Avenue Maintain Nail Polish Review and Swatches

Happy spring, ladies and (possibly?) germs! If you hadn't noticed, it's the first day of spring, March 20th! Yay!

Psst... exactly one week until my birthday. (:
It was really windy outside today, and combined with the rain, it felt like it was pelting outside. Not a good start to spring. But, you know as they say, April showers bring May flowers!
... It's almost April, just go with it.

Meet my new love, Essie Avenue Maintain. Such a gorgeous girl. c;
Essie's Avenue Maintain is a perfect transitioning color from spring to fall, especially in this weather. It really reminds me of blue skies, yet, Washington state blue skies; they always seem darker than everywhere else. -_-

Read on for more pictures and the review!

31 Day Nail Challenge Day 11: Polka Dots!

Hello lovelies,

I hope you're having a wonderful spring so far! I loved using the mint in this nail challenge, I thought it was perfect for the new season!


Read on for more pictures and the products used!

31 Day Nail Challenge Day 10: Gradient Nails!

I was so pumped for this challenge. Like, you guys don't even know. I LOVE doing gradient nails, I think they look so professional when they're done. Almost like they're airbrushed (if they're done right), you know? Well anyway, this look is centered around the Chinese/Vietnamese New Year! (: Red and gold are traditionally lucky colors, symbolizing luck and wealth for the new year. Hopefully, I pulled this look off.

Oh! Check out the challenge here. (;

Read on for more pictures and products used!

Mascara Monday: Maybelline The Rocket Mascara (Waterproof) Review

Three, two, one, blastoff! :D

That's what I think of every time I see this tube of mascara on my counter. Which is a really cute tube of goodness, by the way~

Pink and blue cuteness... I lurv it.

Compared to my Covergirl Lashblast Fusion Brush

Read on for more~

Nicole by OPI Love Your Life: Review and Swatches

Hello lovely readers,

First of all, happy Chinese/Vietnamese New Year! Gung Hay Fat Choy! Chúc mừng năm mới! Happy year of the Snake to you all! (:

Anyway, another upcoming holiday is Valentine's Day, as you all know. Or as I like to call it, Single Ladies Day. Because I like to celebrate by myself. With some Ben & Jerry's Fish Food ice cream.

It's great. (:

Anyway, since I was removing my nail polish, I felt a little festive for this holiday of love. For myself. But I'm too lazy of a creature to slap a creative design on my nails, so I popped Love Your Life on instead.

Oh how I was rewarded.

Valentine's Day Face Tutorial

Hello my fuzzy luvs,

It's that time of the year again! It's the month of lurrrvvv. Around February 14th, men scramble to find flowers and chocolate, women try to get ready for the big day of celebrating the best emotion out there, couples are happy and engorged (I feel like this is bad word choice.) in each other, and I?

I'm at home watching the ABC Valentine's day specials with a bucket of mint chocolate ice cream and my stuffed animals. Forever alone! <3

But, I know a lot of you guys want to look special for this special holiday (is it a holiday?), so I'm putting together a very small series of posts centered around Valentine's day, maybe an inspirational picture or a makeup tutorial here and there, you can never tell with me. c;

So, on to the face tutorial!

31 Day Nail Challenge Day 9: Rainbow!

Hello lovely readers, today's nail look is going to be a rainbow gradient glitter! :o

It seriously sparkles like no other mother.

Want to see the challenge? Merely click here!

 I've been testing out a new polish from the OPI Skyfall collection, and I'm really liking it so far. By the way, have you guys seen that? It's a really good movie! Not one of the best Bond movies, but a better one by far. 

Anyway, read on for the products and more shots!

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette: Swatches and Review

I was so excited when I purchased this palette from Ulta the other week, I have been dying to own at least one palette from the Naked series, even if there are only 6 shades. I'm dealing. I really didn't want to blow 50 bucks on one palette, even though it's well worth the money I'm sure, but I just though it wouldn't be super portable for me to throw in my purse or backpack.

Read on for the rest of the review!

Would You Rather: Beauty Edition TAG!

Hello little, fluffy rain clouds,

It's been extremely cold and grey outside here in Washington State. I'm almost always wrapped in a fuzzy blanket with a hot chocolate in my house. Okay, whenever you go to Starbucks and get any drink, always say yes to the whipped cream. It's insane not to!

QUESTIONS:

1.) Would you rather lose all of your mascaras, eyeliners, lipsticks, and lipglosses or lose all of your palettes and eyeshadows?

Crap. Why did it have to start out with a hard question? (¬､¬) Well, if I really had to choose, I would rather lose my palettes and eyeshadows, just because I have freaking Asian lashes, aka short and straight. My lips always need some love as well. Yup, yup. 

2.) Would you rather chop off all your hair or never be able to cut it again?

I would chop off all my hair because... Well, it'll grow back eventually. And wouldn't extremely long hair be kind of gross and tedious?

3.) Would you rather have a coral cheek or a pink cheek?

I wouldn't expect this to be hard, but it actually kind of is. In the summer, I wear coral cheeks because it makes my tan stand out more. In the winter, a pink cheek is a more natural flush that makes you look like you just got kissed by the wind (more like got beaten up, but you know..). I say pink because it's always cold here, no matter what the season LOL!

4.) If you had $1000 to spend, would you rather buy clothes or makeup?

Hard decisionnnns!!! I would... Use it to buy some high end makeup. Clothes go in and out of style, while makeup is something you can wipe off one day and reapply the next to make a fresh, brand new look.

Read more after the jump!

Golden Globes Beauty Trend: Smokey Eyes and Sleek Waves

When I watched the Golden Globes last night, I was drooling over the gorgeous dresses and oh Lord, their hair. But something I saw pop up pretty often was the retro waves, that have made a comeback, and smokey eyes, an essential look that pops up everywhere.

Oh, and I totally knew Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman would totally win for Les Mis. Wasn't it obvious? X3

(image source: News Whip)

Congrats to Claire Danes and the producers of Homeland for winning a slew of awards. They always do. Her smokey eye is just a simple ring of black eyeliner, smoked out with a dark eggplant on the top lid.

(image source: BellaSugar)

I loved Julianne Hough's whole look. Her golden smokey eye is just one thing that totally completes her look. If she wore her dress/makeup any different, she wouldn't have been able to pull her pompadour-esque hair off, at all.

Read on for more snapshots of the night!

31 Day Nail Challenge Day 8: Metallic Nails



Hello lovely person, I hope you're having a great day. I'm just doing my homework and lazing around the house... Yep, that's the outlook of my Monday.

So if you're new here, check out what the 31 Day Nail Challenge actually is (here). Basically, I try to do nail art for 31 days (not really consecutively, I've been taking it slow) and then I post here what polishes and products I used in the making! If you'd like a tutorial on any of the looks so far, shoot me an email or comment below!

Without further ado, Day 8!

Read on to see more pictures and the colors I used!

31 Day Nail Challenge Day 7: Black and White







Today's design was totally a thing on whim, I was at my cousin's house and I raided her nail polish collection. Without my beloved toothpicks and bobby pins, the designs didn't come out like I wanted. But, it worked out. Kind of.

New Year's Resolutions! (Beauty, Fashion, and Lifestyle)

Image Source: psdGraphics



Happy new year, everyone! I think 2013 is an odd number. No pun intended. I read somewhere that it was the first year without a repeated digit since 1987. There's your interesting tidbit of the day. And the first one of 2013, at that! ;D

Beauty Resolutions:
- Remember to take off my makeup every night（ﾉ´д｀）I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I know, I should do it every night, but I'm just kind of... busy.

- Exfoliate at least once a week, including my body. I'm a regular with my face, but I just get lazy when it gets to my body.

-Take better care of the pearly whites! Actually, they aren't pearly or white, but I'll be working on that.

-Wear SPF everyday, year round. Even if I do live in Washington state, it doesn't mean I can skimp.

-Toss beauty products that I don't use at all, and haven't for at least a year. I have a bad habit of just having a bunch of makeup lie around the back of my organizer, and I need to clean it out about every three months.

-Be bolder! I usually wear little to no makeup on a daily basis, as all I have to do is school. But, my 2013 is pretty busy so far, which equals more occasions to be fancier!

Read more to find out the rest of my resolutions!