01.31.2011 Beauty

Today I went to the dept store where my mom works at and found they sell drugstore cosmetics for ridiculously cheap! Not only that but they sell those cheap NYC and Wet N Wild right next to each other! On top of it all, I found that they sell freshMineral makeup! I cannot stress it enough, for ridiculously cheap! I was ecstatic when I saw this, but didn't get too crazy right away because I've never tried it before. It looked like they were running low on a lot of products I would be interested in getting anyway. Like their foundations, and neutral eye makeup.

However, I picked up this for less than 9 bucks. It's twenty on their website. And it's so goofy because the main reason I got it was because of the flat top kabuki brush. When I got home to open it, I found it soooo ooo soooooo soft. You know, I just found out and I don't think this brand is affiliated with the other fresh beauty company. Whatever, the packaging looks so chic. Although just looking at the mineral foundation it comes with, looks shimmery.... I'm a little hesitant, but I know I can find use for it, like as a highlighter. Hmm. So, while I was also there, I picked up some other beauty products I didn't take a picture of because A. They're rather generic.. nothing too exciting, and B. I think there's something wrong with my camera lens I just got.. sadness. I picked up the last Tresemme dry shampoo on the shelf, an NYC blushable creme stick in Plaza Pink, and a NYC Color Wheel Mosaic Face Powder in Peach Glow. Excited to be getting into beauty again. I've got another update on my friend's wedding that I was a part of just last week. Beauty related, as well.

01.19.11 Beauty

So I came back from Santa Barbara yesterday and finally had time to try out my new Sally Hansen nail polish strips. I feel like you have to work with it quickly and try not to yank on it so that it fits on your nails cause I messed up a little bit. Not to mention, I'm a real cheap-o and cut most of the strips in half so that I could still have some for another use. My nails are already short anyway.. These are terrible Photobooth pictures, obviously but I wanted to throw these in. Esp my last one. I didn't do much shopping in Santa Barbara because most of my money went to this Wine Tour, food, and going out to this ridiculous but insanely fun nightclub called Wildcats.

Hah, I bought this lovely tunic dress that is currently being washed right now because I had worn it already to Wildcats and the next day driving back home. And I wish I could mention how beautiful the drive back was, but that's going to go into my other blog. My diary. hehe. While we were shopping, my friend had lost a blouse she had bought and caught the Victoria's Secret semi-annual sale. Found a bra for 17 bucks, but after her lost shirt, she was sulking at the thought she had really paid 40 for it. hah. I also came back with a Victoria's Secret product. I bought a ridiculously creamy lipstick called Scrumptious. The last picture is a pretty accurate photo of the color, and I love that it's not entirely nude. I feel it makes me look like I have at least some color to my face. Excuse my face though because before we left, I went to reapply my lipstick and found that I had knicked the tip of it on the cap. I wanted to cry.

01.09.11 Fashion, Beauty.. and Oprah's Gate!

Wanted to post these the other day but realized the majority of what I had bought were coats who deserved their own diary entry. hehe. I've been on the lookout for a blouse similar to what I had once seen Lauren Conrad wear. I think I saw it on her in one of her twitter pictures.. Tbh, I can't remember. And then I saw this makeup guru named Vanityhouse on Youtube where she wore a shirt that reminded me of it and she had mentioned she had gotten it at H&M. I never found it. Until just last Friday, I was shopping with my friend, and at a cheap-o store at the mall, I found something very similar to it on clearance for just under 6 bucks. I love the looseness of it and that it hardly shows any chest (because I hate that). Something I'm also really excited to show, and to eventually try is this new product by Sally Hansen. It's a copy of Minx Nails which I thought was awesome! I was just thinking of Lisa Eldridge who had a video on her trying out Minx Nails and it was cool. Her's was leopard print which Sally Hansen also carries. It's ridiculous! There were so many designs. I could hardly decide which one I wanted to try out first. So I got this one. It's in the number/name 220 Cut it Out.

I must also say that I'm in love.. no, I'm in lurve.... with my new Essie polish in Sew Psyched. haha. Although, I'm on a ridiculous kick lately. I feel like it's hard for me to save anything these days. I went on the Urban Outfitters website and bought a purple backpack for around 42 dollars. Hopefully it was worth it. I've been wanting a backpack, ironically enough that I don't even go to school anymore. Except, it would be perfect if I got it by the 15th because I'm going on a weekend trip, wine tasting in Santa Barbara. I'm a little excited. Not so excited on having annoying wino headaches hours later.

I went along with a couple of my friends last time we went there to go Beer Tasting for my friend (the one who got me into beauty's) birthday. That was so much fun. We were debating on doing a beer or wine tasting at the time and realized wine can really sneak up on you. Anyway, this time I'm hoping to get a souvenir wine glass if they'll allow it. Ooh, here's a funny video of the time I went Beer Tasting. I had to throw this in somewhere on the internet. We were picked up by any other normal looking young Southern Californian, and realized just how flamboyant he can be. Rode in his fancy schmancy SUV, picked up two lovely young couples, drank at four of Santa Barbara's famous brewery's, and then got a tour of bumpy Montecito where apparently Drew Barrymore just bought a mansion in, and where Oprah and her dogs live. Enjoy!

01.08.11 All Coats & No Play

Reference coat on clearance, 16 bucks, yo.

Coat from Ross on clearance, around 25 dollars.

Coat from Marshall's, around 25 dollars.

I need to stop, I know. But I cannot help but suck myself into the "end of winter" coat sales. These coats aren't anything special. They're not name brand or anything, but they were dirt cheap, it was ridiculous. The last one is the one I'm most excited for because it's going to be a staple in my closet. It's got a classic trench design, except it has this awesome military gold design in between the buttons. It's subtle, but it also says, she's creative, hire her. I should probably mention I went to school for art and design, (and that's all I'm going to say). I actually even wore this for new years. I've got a terrible but mean story that I wish I could tell, but unluckily for my new years resolution, I told myself I'm going to try and be more nice, so I'm ashamed for even bringing it up. Ahh, this is going to kill me. I've already broken a few other resolutions.

This is also going to sound really weird, but I'm also really liking the trench, and also the first one because it has this awkward pocket angle. I hope I'm not the only one who likes this too, but whenever I place my hands in the pockets, my hands are places more towards my hips, making my arms look a lot more slimmer than they are. haha. As opposed to the second one where the pockets are more lower, and my arms just fall limp. hahahaha.

01.06.11 SJP and her cool watches.. and my face

I'm excited to get to try something I got a hold of that is Sarah Jessica Parker's NYC fragrance. I'm really excited because my mom got it at the dept store she works at on clearance for 50% off. Not only that but it came with this watch with interchangeable bands. Very cute! I'm excited because it's a gold watch.. Although the bands are multicolored, it's still very cute. I must say though, that the bands look a bit cheap.. However, the NYC scent smells really nice. It's a soft, sweet, powdery smell. Packaging's plastic, but it's still cute.

My mom's hilarious. She bought two of the fragrance sets but only got one of the free watch set. So she's going to try and get the other one tomorrow. No picture of the fragrance set. It's pretty generic. It comes with palm sized spray perfume, lotion, and shower gel. I feel like I've been using enough stock photos so I'm going to get back in the habit of taking pictures again.

Ugh.. on a whole other side note. I messed up big time. This winter weather has dried my face so much that it hurts. And the other day I thought maybe I can peel off the dry skin by using a peel off masque. Bad idea. Not only that, but I decided to do it after taking a shower. If anything, I was thinking it'll freshen my face. As though I've given myself a chemical peel, I thought. Except, I've never had a chemical peel... Wtf was I thinking? So the last few days have been dedicated to getting my face back to hydration. Although it's made my bangs look greasy while walking into work, my face is slowly, but surely getting back to normal.

It's hard to tell, but my face looks like I'm having a rash in this one.

My face today. I didn't even use mascara. I was attempting to use as little makeup as possible without looking scary.

My raw routine: After cleaning the makeup off my face and washing with a face wash once at night, apply my Clean & Clear moisturizer, then Philosophy's Hope in a Jar, Carmex tub slathered on my lips, and ooh (new product), just got a Vitamin E stick from Bed, Bath, and Beyond, and applied that onto the driest parts which are underneath my nose (that sadly, the dry skin flakes tend to resemble boogers), and underneath my bottom lip. I also try to remember to use my Garnier eye ball roller thingy every morning and every night.. Sometimes I forget though. When I take a shower, I'll immediately moisturize now and do my routine and every morning I'm currently just splashing water on my face and then do my moisturizer routine.

01.06.11 Essie at WalMart

Check it out! I bought these Essie nailpolish colors at WalMart. And for a little cheaper than other stores. Can I just say that I never really cared for the brand Essie before because I once got a duo in some white color and the other in Ballet Slippers as a gift and I did not like the application that Ballet Slippers gave me. It felt too slippery when I applied it. No pun intended. However.. it might have just also been the color, I keep telling myself, because it's really opaque and for some reason, the tip of my nails always seem like they get more product than they should. Hopefully these will paint on fine. I also hope they'll only take one application. If not, I'm glad to have these colors nonetheless. Ooh, I was also going to get a Chinchilly. But I realized that I think I already have enough taupe colors. And so instead I got Sew Psyched. I hear it's a good copy of Chanel's Khaki Vert. Since the weather's been quite winter-y, I'm excited to use this one first.

The second one I got is Mamba. And when I first saw it, I was immediately drawn to it. Just like I was drawn to the Sinful Colors nailpolish in Vacation Time. For some reason, these colors just call out Resort to me. (Ooh! And don't get me started on the new No 7 cosmetics line! I'm so excited to get my hands on them, btw). I like to think of this as an obsession to what I imagine summertime to be. Resorts, relaxation, boats, ceiling fans, the Amazon, tanned skin, skinny arms, short shorts. After thinking this just now, I feel like I just had an epiphany. It's resort-anything that I feel utmost fashion and beauty inspired. No wonder I have this thing for all things nautical.

01.03.11 A Review: #1 Moisturizer

Growing up in Junior High, I had an issue with pimples, especially ones that grew on my nose. Next thing you know, I was being made fun of and being called Rudolph. I blamed it on Covergirl's powder compacts and the fact that I didn't know proper cleansing and moisturizing.

I'm actually currently having an issue with dry skin in this weather. I used to use Clean & Clear's Dual Action Moisturizer for years ever since I saw the commercial on how it moisturizes and helps prevent pimples. Then sometime last year, I meant to buy another bottle but they didn't have it at the store, and so I was forced to buy a newer version which was a dollar more expensive. It's Clean & Clear Advantage Acne Control Moisturizer, and I found it really promising. I immediately thought it was better and then I forgot why I didn't like the first one I used. And now I realized why. I bought the first one again about a week and a half ago and I'm realizing how watery it is. It hardly moisturizes as good as the second one. The second one is much thicker, and just as well helps prevent acne. This might even sound terrible seeing that I've had it for so long already, but I'm considering exchanging it. haha.

01.01.11 Project New Year!

Happy new year dear blog. I have several resolutions that I hope will lasts.

1. To be a little more nicer.

2. Attempt a detox.

3. To be more healthier.

4. To not get so addicted in beauty related videos.

5. To exercise more.

6. To correctly spell exercise without having spellcheck do it for me.. I keep adding a "c" before the "ercise," and well.. it's obviously wrong.

7. To be more organized.

8. Be more confident and send out my portfolio and resumes to more career-fitted jobs.

9. Tossing all my runned stockings that seem to be cool in Sweden, but is so not professional for those career-fitted jobs.

10. To limit my number of hobbies.

I really hope I don't overwhelm myself this year. I think 10 is a good number of resolutions to have, and I hope that by the end of this year, I'll have accomplished more than I did. Except for my hobby count, unless of coarse I'm that amazing to have enough hours in the day to work on all of those hobbies.. i.e. beauty, reading, design, work, bookbinding (that's right, I'm a bookbinder), but we'll get into that detail another time.. and maybe what I went to school for. Let's see. I also like to cook and bake, organize, and prioritize, music, my non-existent band, cleaning up my hoarding, picture-taking, my dog.

Yes I need to cut back on my hobbies. I heard once that multi-tasking is hard to accomplish just one of the so many tasks you aim out to do.