Favorite Drugstore Plums of the Moment

The summer heat is winding down, the sun's setting earlier... the transition of temperature is in full effect!

Aaaaand plums. My favorite fall color. The deep, gorgeous burgundies, oxblood reds, saturated film-noir shades - all reminiscent of autumn at its best. 

And the absolute best thing about it is that they're available everywhere. You can pick up all kinds of textures and finishes, mattes, and creams alike, anywhere. 

Here are my picks:

Revlon Lip Butter in Lollipop, Revlon Gloss in Bordeaux, Loreal Caresse in Endless Red, NYX Lip Creme in Addis Ababa

The Revlon lip butters are a revolution in lipstick/lip balm hybrids. I know a lot of people have a love or hate relationship with these and I feel the same way about the range but I give them serious kudos for the darker colors. The lighter/sheer colors are a bit too sparkly but the pigmented ones such as this great.

Lollipop is a bright blue-based pink fuchsia  lipstick with flecks of purple shimmer. I feel it's the perfect medium tone shade for girls who look great in cooler colors. It's absolutely gorgeous!

Bordeaux is one of my favorite dark red lipsticks. Not only is it a pretty shade that's equally as bold as it is wearable, this gloss is actually really great. The gloss is very creamy and the finish is perfection. I love the texture and feel of it on my lips. Long lasting as well because it stains beautifully.

I have the entire collection of the matte lip creams. LOL It's a little insane but I don't feel bad at all. I actually use the lip creams daily! This one in particular is seasonal and flattering. There is a bit of purple in it... I'd say it's bright but with a blue undertone. Really wearable and pretty.

This range from Loreal is amazing. I honestly, HONESTLY, just love them. The red is not too bright. It's more of a cherry than a plum but I find it darker than a lot of what I have in my collection. The formula is extremely long lasting once it stains and is incredibly gorgeous anytime of the day. I find it particularly more interesting with a pink lipstick underneath and this on top, or vice versa as some gals do it that way :)

Oh, I especially love the applicator. It's really nice and precise. The sponge part is wide and it really fills in the lips well. The packaging is really pretty. I love how luxe it looks :)

My custom made sterling silver bangle my mom gave me. It's adjustable and reminds me of what babies wear LOL

Blog Sale! Free Items - Just pay for shipping!

Hi loves!

I'm trying to clear out a bunch of stuff for more room in my home. If you're interested in any of these items, just pay for shipping and they're all yours! I really didn't want them to go to waste since I'm only one person and can't use them all (as much as I'd love to! haha)

Here's the link: blog sale!

Will be adding more stuff as we go on. Please spread the word, thank you! 

Happy Moon Day!

Happy Moon Day! 

I grew up in a traditional household and my parents celebrated this day as if it were Thanksgiving. My mom used to make a ton of food, buy a ton of mooncakes and we'd all eat them at night when the moon outside was bright and clear. I've always had warm memories of that time and every September I look forward to it - seeing the foods in the Asian markets, boxes of beautifully packaged mooncakes, and the abundant stories telling us about the history of this pastry. It's nostalgic.

It feels like a lifetime ago but my brother and I now work so we can't really go home spontaneously. So imagine my surprise when I went to work this morning and there was a package sitting on my desk. One of my colleagues at work bought it for me and I felt so warm inside because it was the same brand my parents always bought. Reminded me of my Chinese roots and family and tradition and all good things about people. 

source

 source

source

Have fun, and enjoy the festivities! 

Read more about the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival here :)

Summer Summer Time, Summer time...SKINCARE? A skincare routine post.

Lately I've had Lana Del Rey's Summertime Sadness song stuck in my head. Like today....-_-

Anyway, so i hope you're all having a good midweek so far. Summer's ending in just a few short weeks and I am sad about it. Fashionally speaking, HAPPY because I like sweater weather but sad because I don't like going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark. I much prefer sunlight and long days. 

My skincare hasn't changed much from the cold weather as opposed to warmer weather except for a slight difference. I tend to stick with the same basic things but I certainly use a lot more facial oils in the winter.

I have been using this face wash for what feels like forever...literally since February or something. It's a Korean brand my mom gave me. It's deep cleansing at its best. I love it. It's simple, smells great although there is a hint of a soap smell that I think is a bit much, but otherwise is very thorough.

This picture doesn't do it justice but it's very very foamy. It emulsifies to a very rich lather using a pea sized amount. No wonder it's lasted me THIS long. I'm only about 3 quarters of the way done.

My toning lotions or, lotions rather, as the cross cultural barrier between Asian and Western skincare.  I switch it up between the Naruko and the Kose because the Kose one is a luxury, truly. I normally don't spend $50+ for a lotion but....I really wanted to try it. The Naruko one is a fabulous alternative. You can't compare them because they both have very different benefits. 

Kose Medicated Sekkisei is a lotion that has a bit of alcohol in it but it dries extremely quickly. I like it a lot but I don't think I'll repurchase because:

1. PRICE - too expensive

2. Alcohol - Although very little, it's still too little too much. 

The Naruko one is much more affordable with all skin nourishing ingredients. All plants and fruit extracts and everything is derived by the earth. It smells wonderful and has a tacky texture much like soggy glue but is very hydrating despite its texture.

I sometimes use these in the morning - both are lotions to varying degrees. The smaller one is the actual hydrating lotion and the taller one is like a toner (clear, alcohol free). Both deliver the same results and both are very good! Definite repurchase FOR SURE. I love that it's also a Japanese drugstore brand and it's found readily available online or at Japanese stores. 

Mandom Beauty Barrier Repair Serum - This serum is really light, watery and scentless. It does one thing good and one thing only: HYDRATES SKIN. This is a very good serum with no gimmicks. I believe it's straight hyaluronic acid. 

The eye cream I'm currently using. I love this eye cream. It's thick, smoothing and smells amazing!

This is currently my go-to, and it's been working well as a routine. It doesn't get very hot in the Bay Area so I can still lather on rich creams and lotions but I like to keep it different from season to season if I can. Of course, I always have SPF in the morning and lots of lip balm at night! Can't get away without those.

What's your current must-have skincare item for the summer? 

Jewelry WANTS

I hope you're all having a relaxing week and indulging in the last few weeks of summer. Mine has been few and far between but I'm trying to make the most of it when I can.

Some eye candy I've been enjoying lately... I've been on a jewelry obsession. I don't know...is this a sign of getting older?! I'm more into THIS than anything else lately.

My mother gave me some pieces of jewelry over the weekend when I was home for Labor Day. I'll have to share it with you all. Some rings, some pendants, and earrings and a hair piece.

source: Etsy 

Aren't these gorgeous? These little earrings make the greatest accessory.

source: Pinterest 

How endearing would it be to have a beautiful collection of vintage rings?! :)

Source: Pinterest

There is something so elegant about a rose gold watch. Timeless and classy.

Source: Etsy

A teapot necklace with a pearl. AH WANT!!!!

Source: Pinterest

 Delicate Rose Quartz ring in 14K Gold 

SO pretty!