Simple FOTD Using Gym Friendly Essentials

Packing light is key when going to the gym during the day and getting ready afterwards, especially in terms of bringing makeup. Leave your large palettes at home and instead take small eye shadow quads that have a mirror. Take cosmetics that have lightweight packaging, and are also multifunctional. 

Most Used Summertime Faves... Oldies!

Some of my favorite summer staples aren't new things I purchased or received; in fact, I actually took a break from buying new makeup. So my only option is shopping my stash and finding a lot of gems I would have otherwise forgetten :) 

For the past few months, I've been adorning pinks. It's such a bright color for the summer and so appropriate for any day of the week, and especially with traveling. 

Deals & Steals: Blush Edition

Welcome to part II of the affordable makeup series!

Blushes are, in fact, all that is pretty in the makeup world. They are the most versatile, most collected and most lusted after. Fr the  good thing is that there is never a shortage of pretty colors. Bad thing, however, is that it can be costly if you're a collector (like me) and it would be nice to get that dupe while you save up for the real prize.

Case in point, I lusted after Chanel blushes for the longest time. I still do. But for $45.00 each, they can add up and become quite pricey. Because my stash is quite massive already, I really have to consider if they are worth picking up.

I definitely do weigh out if I really want something, whether it is worth the splurge or if I can play around with a similar color. In many cases, I try for dupes. I think it's the most effective way for me because I couldn't justify buying a blush over really nice skincare.

Review: Loreal Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara

Loreal's Million Lashes Mascara is not new in the market. In fact, it's been around for years and this is my 2nd tube of it in the last few years.

Packaging wise, this mascara is striking. From its shiny gloss to its gold tube, you walk into a drug store and you're automatically noticing it! 

Picked up the Naked 3 Palette! And some other items.

Hi dears! I am back with some more things I picked up over the course of the week. 

I'm so excited for this palette! I'm not sure if the rose-gold theme will really be my thing but I'm keeping an open mind. I love the Naked palettes in general and I trust their judgement ;) I'm a neutral kinda gal after all.

I'm so excited to use this tonight. I'll try and post some looks here! 

I also picked up some mascaras. The Loreal Telescopic mascara is my favorite drugstore one. I usually use the gold one (original) but I saw the other one in Carbon Black and decided to try it.

If you follow me on Instagram, you'll also know I recently picked up the OCC Lip Tars from Sephora. At first, I just bought the set of 4 but then I loved it sooo much that I picked up the set of 12. I'm loving them so far! They are so opaque and fun. Like the mother of all lip colors.

OCC Lip Tar in Memento

Last week my local Target had one Phillip Lim x Target medium brown satchel left! It was only $11.00! 

Not a purchase but I took out my boots. California has been unseasonably cold since last week. Temps reached 30F here which was freeeeeeeezing for us!

Feeling cozy!

Enjoying the  new bag I purchased on Black Friday! 

And last night...

Went out for dinner and drinks after work with my colleagues.

Gorgeous bar/lounge in SF called Rickhouse. I loved the wooden displays and the cool vibe!

It looked like an old tavern with modern fixtures. So beautiful!

Cheers! 

Gorgeous chandelier at Novela Bar.

It was a fun ans memorable night. I had so much fun!

Tonight I'm going to go ice skating! Very excited.

I hope you all enjoyed my purchases! Let me know what you think of the Naked 3 Palette.

See you in the comments!

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

Memorial Day, Purple Eyeshadow, and Loreal

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Very happy for a 3 day weekend. I flew home yesterday to spend my holiday with family and it's been fun so far. My agenda is basically doing whatever they want and not having to make plans for anything. Just lazing around is more than adequate for me, except, I do need me a girly latte right now though.

I brought home a Loreal eyeshadow quad with me for the weekend and I intend to use it with my Naked II palette. I really think plum/purple eyeshadows are gorgeous with neutral colors. 

Loreal Color Riche Quad in Sultry Suduction

Office Chic: Vibrant Nails

Loreal polish in Crazy for Chic

this is a gorgeously beautiful bright cream fuchsia. True to color.

I always loved the contrast of whimsy bright nails over business casual. That is just utterly chic in my mind. Nothing like a mix of business and pleasure in just 2 coats! :p 

Nail polish and nail art speaks volumes about our individuality. I really don't have a philosophy when it comes to doing my nails, except to switch it up and change it around from time to time, keeping nails looking effortless and giving the impression that groomed tips are a natural thing! In fact, for me, it is far from it as I am low maintenance all around and have a weak left hand that makes applying polish on my right hand a total fail every time! o_o (hence this post). I'm more of a one polish type of gal and I don't particularly have any skills in creating nail art or making awesome ombre type washes on my nails though maybe someday.... someday... hah.

Anyway, apologies for my wordsy ramblings. I always tend to over-think things and write too much even on something as small as nail color. My personal motto is that everything and all things are in the details and I am working on steering away from that especially when I'm simply blogging for fun :p 

Bright colors for the office... yay or nay?

Review: Loreal Caresse Wet Lip Stain in Endless Red

Hi ladies! Happy Monday! 

Thanks for all your comments on the manicure fail post! I definitely think the culprit is the seche vite top coat. I used another nail polish over the weekend without applying the seche vite and my nails are looking fine. I also buffed my nails before application to get rid of any oils that might not adhere to the polish. And so far...No chippage! 

Today I'd like to show you guys a lip product from Loreal that's been quite the hype. The Loreal Caresse Wet Shine Stain in Endless Red. 

  This red is densely pigmented and the color is so true to its name. The texture is a bit interesting... like a lip stain, I suppose. When you first wear it, it has that really wet feeling but it dries to a lip balm texture very quickly. I'm not sure I really enjoy the feeling of applying the gloss on but it does look very pretty - packaging and color. 

The stain doesn't last very long but it's long enough that my lips don't feel dry at any point. I'd say a good 2-3 hours. The bright shine only lasts momentarily though because wind and environment def affects how long it stays shiny. 

This color is exceptional though. I love the intensity of the red! It's bright, richly pigmented and bold. This red is gorgeous! Honestly, one of the prettiest reds I've ever met and I don't wear reds too much.

Overall, I am really impressed with this lip gloss/stain. It feels comfortable once the gloss has been set and the color is vibrant. Loreal did an outstanding job with these glosses in terms of wear and comfort factor. Not high maintenance in any way! The gloss itself is very lightweight and non-drying. The formula, while not perfect for my taste, is near perfect in its execution of a lipstick/gloss/stain combo. Much kudos for that! 

A lot of people say it's a nice dupe for the YSL Stains. I'm not sure how that compares because I've never tried it before but they do look very similar and the lip wand is nearly identical.

What do you think? Comparable, Dupeable? Do you like this lipgloss?  :) 

Review: Loreal Revitalift Miracle Blur

Hey gals! I hope your weekend is nice and warm. It's insanely warm in California! I do love going out without a sweater but now I remember how much I miss the cooler weather and sweaters. I'm spoiled. I know o_o

As promised, I've been using the Loreal Miracle Blur primer for a bit now and have formed some feelings about it.

Miracle Blur is an interesting concept to primer because it contains SPF 30 and is one of its kind in the US market. I believe this is not a new concept to the Asian market because virtually every daytime skin care of any kind has some traces of SPF in it. 

Loreal, Loreal and MORE Loreal!

Hello lovelies! 

I hope your week has been fantastic so far! 

I just wanted to give you gals a heads up on what's to come, and what's to come is a LOT of Loreal! 

I've been playing around with these products and my nails have yet to see a boring day! The glosses are gorgeous as well.

What would you guys like to see first? :) 

See you in the comments! 

Loreal Colour Riche Balm in Pink Satin

Lipsticks that disguise themselves as lip balms seem to be all the rage these days. With the Revlon's lip butters hitting the market hard in the past few months, many brands have now followed suit. And I don't blame them! Lip color addicts feed into the frenzy and there's always something to be had with the fun, and flirty varieties of drugstore goodies, primarily with lipsticks that focus on moisturizing formulas with varying degrees of color.

A few months ago, I was obsessed with the Revlon lip butters. Not long after, I won a giveaway that included two Loreal Colour Riche balms. And let me just say... these are LOVE! 

Shiseido Color Corrector Stick and Foundation Stick

Hey everyone! How was your guys' weekend?! Mine was hectic from start to finish. I flew to visit my family and did nothing but enjoy the abundance of food left, right and center. It was a feast of many sorts and I think I'm finally recovering from food coma. It's Tuesday.

Anyway, I wanted to write a post about the wonderfulness of color correctors. Color correctors are one of the many very versatile makeup products that serve a purpose by making the skin look amazing without having to overuse the foundation or concealer. Since I've ate nothing but fried goodies and cholesterol inducing foods, I've been waking up looking like I was attacked in my sleep. With some effort, I try to put on a decent face by using the right things to even out the blotchy skintone and used these below.

Versatility with Loreal's Forest Smokes Quad

Hi all! And happy September! I am back with some swatches of what looks to be smokey fall colors! The Color Smokes line comes in four different quads - Cobalt Smokes, Lavender Smokes, Blackened Smokes and Forest Smokes. I chose this one simply for the olive tones. Although it's meant for green eyes, it's rather unique and I don't have anything like this.

Each pan is faintly numbered in coordinating shades: 

1. Line

2. Base

3. Highlight

4. Brighten

...but I find it hard to follow with certain eye shapes (Asian eyes! LOL) so I just improvise. There's no wrong way, I suppose. I really like #1... and #4 for highlight. It does have a bit of shimmer in it, but I personally love shimmers so I have nothing bad to say.

Without primer - sheer 

with Too Faced Shadow Primer

The con is that these don't last all day but using a primer helps. Overall, I'd recommend these quads for everyday use. The texture is beautiful and the sheen of the colors is really flattering.

What are your favorite fall eyeshadow colors?

I hope you're all having a superb week so far and that my US readers had a nice, warm Labor Day weekend! I spent all 3 days doing absolutely nothing. I was in heaven :)

Seven things, and other things

I've been having so much fun reading people's tags and learning about my favorite bloggers in their everyday, normalish lives :) Since I was tagged by the lovely Angie, I decided to compile seven (hopefully interesting) things about myself as well.

1. Severe Thirst - I am a tea addict. I've been known to make 7+ cups a day, in all different flavors and varieties. I've had this habit since I was a Freshman in college 6 years ago. I collect artisan teas and admire all the complicated flavors out there.  My current favorite at the moment is Mighty Leaf's Green Tea Tropical. I enjoy the fruity elements of the tea and the classy silk pouches. Yummy! :)

2. Awkwardness -  I was a total geek in high school. Not necessarily smart, but I had the physique of an awkward teenage girl. I had thick glasses, braces and a huge head of curly, unflattering hair and bad pimply skin. Yikes! Some of my classmates don't even recognize me! LOL

3. Books and such - I'm kind of a book worm. My love for fiction has gone from imagining character plots to reading and writing fan fiction. I have a not so secret love for Twilight fan fiction. I know! It's a teen series but I enjoy it with reckless abandon. I also enjoy lots of other reads and have a deep appreciation for classical literature and enjoy the works of William Blake, Wordsworth, Jane Austen, Shakespeare, John Keats, and so many more.

4. Telling a Story - I collect many vintage dresses by scouring through thrift stores, flea markets, yard sales. I don't really do it online because I just like the feeling of finding it myself somewhere. So far, I have a good bunch that I've restored to like-new condition. It's a nice staple to have in my closet because I love how clothing can not only make a statement, but tell a story.

5. Denim - I just started getting into jeans. I've never cared much for jeans before because I can never find the perfect fit, but it's now intrigued me how you can dress up or down with these causal bottoms. I have a few pairs of skinny jeans that I wear occasionally, but I've gotten into boot cuts and straight leg looks as well. What do you gals recommend?! :) Do tell!

6. Music anyone? My all time favorite band is Iron and Wine. Their music is oddly soothing to me and has helped me write creatively for years and years. Their music really sinks into me and guides my mind to register feelings of love and loss through a song or melody at any given moment. I love the tempo, textures and song writing abilities of Sam Beams (lead singer). His music is strikingly different and draws from ambiguity and mixed feelings. I love! Of course I enjoy the occasional "hit" song :) I'm digging Taylor Swift's music!

7. Hobbies and such - I've been sort of dabbling into making my own lip balms and oils. I'm still in the learning stages but I hope to make something special using nourishing ingredients and oils from all over the world and ultimately creating something that I can be proud of. My readers will be the first to know of my experiences! =D haha

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I recently acquired a new bag! :)

I've always wanted a buttery leather bag! I'm super duper excited I finally have one!! I bought it at Marshalls not too long ago and have been using it non stop since. It's divided into two sections inside and has nice compartments. I didn't take a picture of it inside because I was so excited about the outside. And the color! I love :) It's really soft, but very sturdy!

And some Loreal blushes that I picked up over the weekend. They are CRAZY pigmented! Since I've had a wonderful experience with the Loreal True Match blush, I was really excited these were on sale for $3.00 each at CVS.

L-R and top to bottom, Rustica, Mocha Rose and Mauvelous Mauve.

Aren't they pretty?! This is one swipe. ONE! It's extremely pigmented and really soft. The blush is milled really finely and silky to the touch. I am amazed by it! :) I'm so happy they were on sale! There weren't many left. 

I was afraid these blushes will look too dark on me but they are surprisingly really pretty. I'll have more pics of me wearing it soon. I already took off my makeup =p

Alright everyone... goodnight!