visioninhd

Target Calypso Collection

2011-05-22T20:59:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, I finally had a chance to check out the Calypso collection at Target. I was so surprised that everything was super cute! Everything is very summery and just makes you want to lay on the beach wearing all of the clothes and accessories. Although I didn't plan on buying anything, I couldn't resist buying a scarf. It's light and airy and a perfect summer scarf. I love the peach color too!

$19.99 at Target

I also wanted a few other things, like a necklace and earrings, but I resisted! The collection is available only until June 11 so I suggest getting to a Target store before then!

New purchase: YesStyle wedges

2011-05-04T13:55:00.001-05:00

I bought these shoes on YesStyle last week and just received them today! These are my first pair of wedges, can you believe that? For the longest time, I didn't like wedges but now I'm learning to love them. I wanted a pair of casual sneaker wedges, but didn't like the Converse ones. Recently I saw Brown Eyed Girls' Gain and T-ara's Soyeon wearing wedges similar to these and loved how they looked so I bought a pair online.

$54.00 at YesStyle.com

This was my first time purchasing from YesStyle. The only inconveniences were that most of the colors and sizes were backordered so it says it will take 7-14 days to ship and they also emailed me saying they had to verify my credit card information, which I had never experienced buying anything online. However, they arrived almost a week earlier than expected even though my color/size was backordered.

The shoes come in 10cm, 7cm, and 6cm. The 10cm comes in black or beige (I bought beige) and the 7 and 6cm comes in the same colors plus in blue. From trying them on, I can tell they are cute and comfortable, however I can feel that the material is not the best quality. It's similar material as bargain shoes in Korea so it's not worth $54. There are many wholesale sites out there that sell the similar items as YesStyle for much less, but I ordered from YesStyle because it's easier and because of more assurance. Also, I'm not sure how the quality compares with other wholesale sites and YesStyle.

I would say if you want cute Asian fashion and accessories and are not able to obtain them, YesStyle is convenient, easy, and trustworthy. If you're looking for a good deal though, I would not buy from YesStyle.

Beauty Review: Chanel Mimosa

2011-04-28T16:12:00.000-05:00

I just recently bought a new Chanel nail polish called "Mimosa". It's the it color for summer 2011! I've never bought a yellow polish before and I only own one other Chanel polish (Black Pearl).

I never bought a yellow because I thought they would be streaky, but Mimosa is not streaky. The swatch above is 3 coats. I usually do 2, but it looked a bit sheer so I layered on another coat. The Chanel formula is great as always, but I'm still deciding on the color. I think I would have more preferred a more pastel yellow, but this is still a good color to wear in the summer.

Rating: 4.5/5

Beauty Review: Etude House Code B Strong Eyes Cream Liner

2011-04-15T14:20:00.001-05:00

It's time for another Etude House review! This time I will be reviewing the popular Code B Strong Eyes Cream Liner.

9000 KRW = $8.26 USD at EtudeHouse.com

+ Comes with a mini brush! I prefer my MAC #209, but this brush works pretty well.

+ Easy to use. The super creamy formula makes it easy to draw perfect lines.

+ Great packaging. The container is plastic, so it's lighter than the MAC Fluidline.

+ The brush can be attachable to the container with a chain (as you can see in the picture). While it is annoying to have it attached while you're trying to unscrew the top, it's useful to attach when you carry it around so the brush and eyeliner always stay together.

+ Smudge proof! I thought it might smudge easily because it's so creamy, but it stays put.
+ Affordable. Cheaper than most gel liners out there.

- Only 3 colors: Strong Black, Secret Black (which I have), and Strong Brown. I think Secret Black is a not-as-harsh black with some glitter.

- When I apply on my lash line, sometimes throughout the day, the liner will kind of fade and get flaky.

- The glitter in my Secret Black sometimes falls and gets on my face.

I would definitely recommend this liner! I totally understand why it's super popular. If you want to switch over to gel liners, this is perfect because it's so easy to apply. I absolutely love the super creamy formula. I have MAC Fluidline, but stopped using Fluidline once I started using this.

Rating: 4.5/5

Unrelated to this post, but I just wanted to say that I've been slowly cleaning out things (since I will be graduating soon) and found that I have a bunch of Skinfood/Etude House/etc. products. So I will be doing some giveaways soon! Meanwhile, follow me on Twitter and follow me on my new fashion blog EYE LOVES IT!

Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation

2011-03-27T21:53:00.000-05:00

Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation moisturizer. This is the product that finally made me a fan of the brand....

$45 at Sephora.com

+ Great for combo skin, not too oily yet still moisturizing
+ No overpowering smell
+ Good for both day and night
+ Don't need to use a lot at once
+ Anti-aging effects and fades/prevents skin pigmentation. It barely faded my sun spots, but helps prevent new ones.

- Jar packaging
- Probably not moisturizing enough for dry skin. I feel that it doesn't completely nourish my dry spots in the winter.
- No SPF

Rating: 4.5/5

MAC Surf Baby Collection for Summer 2011

2011-03-21T14:36:00.000-05:00

Originally blogged by Temptalia, here's a preview of the upcoming MAC Surf Baby Collection for summer 2011.

Blush ($18.50 USD)
My Paradise: Coral orange with champagne gold flower

Lipstick ($14.50 USD)
Bust Out!: Soft violet
Hibiscus: Bright coral
Mocha
Naturally Eccentric: Nude

Lipglass ($14.50 USD)
Girl on Board: Sheer gold
Good Lovin': Peach pink
Krazy Kahuna: Medium brown
Strange Potion: Pink coral

Crushed Metallic Pigment Stacks
Summer Stash: Pale pink, gray pink, purple, taupe
Surf the Ocean: Silver, aqua, gold, navy blue

Eyeshadow ($14.50 USD)
Saffron: Coral
Short Shorts: White champagne
Sun Blonde: Yellow with gold pearl
Surf U.S.A.: Aqua with teal pearl
Swell Baby: Medium gray

Nail Lacquer ($13.50 USD)
Hangin' Loose: Beige
Ocean Dip: Aqua teal

Eye Liner ($14.50 USD)
Blue Noon: Teal
Gilded White: Shimmering off-white

Bronzing Powder
Solar Riche

Tan Tint
Billionaire Bronze: Soft gold
Guilty Bronze: Copper bronze

The summer collection is coming out in US on May 26th and internationally in June 2011. I want the Strange Potion lip glass and Short Shorts and Sun Blonde eye shadows!

Styleta

2011-03-20T00:02:00.000-05:00

Currently I'm a fashion intern for Styleta. If you haven't heard of it yet, it's a non-profit organization that collects high-end designer clothing, sells them on the website, and donates the proceeds to charity. We also hold events to promote Styleta and our partner charities. Besides being non-profit organization, we're also a completely student-run organization. We have set up on the campuses of Indiana University, NYU, Harvard, and Washington University in St. Louis.

We're holding our 2nd annual student designer contest. Last year's winner, Stacy Longo, now currently sells her eco-friendly organic cotton mini collection on our website. The following is our contest timeline:

June 1 – June 30: Open registration with design sketch submissions
July 1 – 14: Voting to determine Top 10 Designers, select 2 Wildcards
July 16 – Aug 6: Top 12 create clothing pieces and shoot “in action” videos
Aug 7 – 12: Expert Judges pick Top 5, announced on Aug 12
Aug 12 – 31: Open voting for winner for 2 weeks
Sept 1: Final winner announced!

If you're interested, please enter the contest! It is open to ages 16-28. This is a great chance to get your designs out there, especially because the winner will get to sell their clothing on our website.

http://www.styleta.org
http://www.twitter.com/styleta
http://www.facebook.com/styleta

Tory Burch Vintage Metallic Flats

2011-03-12T23:37:00.000-06:00

New purchase today. First thing I bought since December...

$235 at Tory Burch.com

I need to break them in for them to be completely comfortable, but I loveeeee them! I originally wanted the gold glitter Revas, but they were completely out of my size. But I think I love the vintage metallic even more than the glitter (:

Hi there

2011-03-02T13:15:00.000-06:00

Hi readers (if there are still any out there),

I know it's been way too long since I've last posted, but being my senior year with job searching, internship, and school, I've been too busy for this blog. But I'm seeing some glimpses of free time these days so I'm going to start posting again and revamp this blog. The twitter will reopen again as well, so please follow me on twitter for daily updates!

I'm so sorry that I've neglected the blog. I have soooo many products that I want to review so I will be posting something soon!

Spiked Shoes

2010-11-08T23:26:00.000-06:00

These shoes from Sam Edelman are totally hot! Studded/spiked heels are everywhere and I definitely want a pair.

Lorissa peeptoe spiked heels - $189.90 at Akira Chicago.com

Also saw a similar pair of Christian Louboutin - black leather pumps with studs everywhere. Can't seem to find it online, but here's the flats version...

Pigalle spiked ballerina flats - $995 at Net-a-porter.com

And the ultimate studded Louboutin... if only I could afford these!

Pigalili pumps - $3,545 at Christian Louboutin.com

Beauty Review: Skinfood Peach Sake Sun Lotion SPF32

2010-10-20T17:53:00.001-05:00

Hi readers (:

I know it's been forever since I've blogged and I'm so sorry about that! I had some serious personal issues come up recently and I've also been swamped with schoolwork, job search, and internship. I'm going to try to blog a little bit more regularly now although it won't be as frequent as before.

For this post, I decided to review Skinfood's Peach Sake Sun Lotion SPF32.

9,900KRW at TheSkinfood.com

I bought this a few months ago while I was in Korea. I have to say that this is one of my favorite sun lotions. Most sunscreen moisturizers for me are too greasy or don't have enough SPF.

The texture is lighter than I expected. It's not heavy or greasy, but not watery. I love the texture the most... it makes it easy to apply and doesn't make my combination skin oily yet still is able to moisturize.

I also love that this lotion is SPF32, not 15 like most moisturizers I've used. I haven't seen any new sun spots since using this product, so the SPF is effective!

The only thing about this lotion is that I've noticed with the colder weather lately, that it hasn't been moisturizing my skin as well as it used to in the summer. I'll have to switch to something heavier in the winter, but other than that I love it!

Rating: 4.5/5

Goodbye shu uemura...

2010-08-31T10:12:00.000-05:00

I know this is old news, but for those of you that don't know, Shu uemura will be discontinued in the U.S.! I went to buy a cleansing oil at Nordstrom and the MA told me that their products will only be available for the next week or so and they will start pulling them out. So get your shu products asap!! If you don't see a certain product in stores, they can probably order it for you. That's what I did for the cleansing oil at Nordstrom. I'm so sad to see this great brand disappear from the U.S. market! =(

Skinfood + Etude House Summer Haul

2010-08-22T23:12:00.000-05:00

Here's the last of my summer haul from Skinfood and Etude House. I also bought some last few items from Holika Holika, but I won't post a picture of that because I already reviewed one of the items (the Magic Mascara) and the rest are just some reader goodies and small items.

1. Skinfood Black Sugar Mask: 7,700KRW
2. Skinfood Black Egg Pore Primer: 10,000KRW
3. Etude House Code B Cream Liner: 9,000KRW
4. Etude House Proof10 Liquid Liner: 7,000KRW
5. Skinfood Tomato Spot Serum: 13,900KRW
6. Skinfood Peach Sake SPF32 Sun Lotion: 9,900KRW

I've only used the Black Egg Pore Primer and Tomato Spot Serum so far, but reviews for all of these will be out in the near future! So far, I'm liking both products I've tried, although it's too soon to see results. I'm really going to miss being able to shop at Korean makeup stores =(

Beauty Review: Holika Holika Enamel Magic Melomovie Mascara

2010-08-17T14:39:00.000-05:00

Hello! I'm back with another beauty review. This time for Holika Holika Enamel Magic Melomovie Mascara. I've only tried a couple of their products recently and this the first makeup product from them that I've tried. Holika Holika is a relatively new brand endorsed by CNBLUE. They have a cute purple witch theme for the brand. The purple actually reminds me of Urban Decay.

Cute packaging

I bought this mascara because the sales girl was just so convincing. Apparently this mascara is so popular that it's been sold out for weeks and only recently restocked. And all employees who tried it bought it right away. The hype about this mascara is that it's totally waterproof and doesn't smudge while still giving you long and lush lashes. Sales girl even demonstrated by swiping the mascara on her hand and rubbing with water. It didn't come off at all!

Inside of the box - mascara + remover

The packaging is cute and comes with a mini bottle of mascara remover. Mascara comes in two colors: black and brown. I bought the black.

I've worn it a few times already, in humid and rainy weather. It really is very waterproof but surprisingly easy to remove! I used Holika Holika's Orangeade remover wipes instead of the mascara remover and it still was easy to take off.

Close-up of mascara wand

It's not 100% smudge-proof... I don't think any mascara is totally 100% smudge-proof though. It definitely is one of my less smudging mascaras though. Very minimal smudging in 80F degree weather and rain. My other daytime mascara is MAC Zoom Lash and compared to that, this Holika Holika mascara smudges much much less.

As for application, there's zero clumping even after 2 coats. It lengthens my lashes, but I wish it gives more volume. I wouldn't really say it's "Magic Melomovie Mascara", but it's still a good product.

Rating: 4.5/5
I only wish it gives my lashes more volume!

2PM Concert in Korea

2010-08-10T10:11:00.000-05:00

A couple weeks ago, 2PM had their first concert here at the Olympic Park Stadium. I saw posters for it awhile ago, but couldn't get tickets because they were all sold out! But I was actually able to get tickets on the day of the concert for only 50,000 won for 120,000 won seats! I was lucky to be in the standing section closest to the stage. Here are a few pictures from the concert:

miss A! They are my new favorite these days. They performed "Bad Girl Good Girl".

2AM performed "Can't Let You Go Even If I Die" and "I Did Wrong".

2PM performing "Without U". They had water raining down at the end of the song... not only raining on stage but on the audience too!

Right after performing "Without U".

Towards the end of the concert, performing "Heartbeat".

I thought the concert overall was great! It was really impressive for their first concert. It was my first time going to any concert in Korea and it was crazy. So many girls going wild for 2PM and it was amazing to see 12,000 people under one roof all for 2PM.

They performed all their hits, did individual performances, parody performances, and some miscellaneous songs from their album. Definitely impressed with the concert!

Busy busy busy

2010-08-05T19:21:00.000-05:00

Sorry I haven't updated!! I just started work at a private equity firm (previous KPMG internship didn't work out) so I've been busy and super tired!

I have bought a lot of beauty goodies since my last post, including some future giveaway prizes for readers - from Etude House, Skinfood, The Face Shop, and Holika Holika!

Gotta keep shopping during my last few days here (:
I will review all new products asap, so hold tight!
Until then, you can keep updated through my twitter~

<3

Etude House Proof10 Jewelry Eye Pencil review update & swatch

2010-07-24T11:04:00.000-05:00

Someone requested a swatch from my latest review of the Etude House Proof10 Jewelry Eye Pencil in gold.

The left is one swipe and the right is about 4 swipes.

Here's what it looks like on the eye. I gave the product another try a couple days ago. It's still a bit flaky, but I discovered that it has good staying power. It lasted around 6 hours in hot and humid weather. But with its staying power and the fact that it's glittery, it's difficult to remove at the end of the day.

I'll upgrade my review to 2.5/5 just for the staying power, but I wouldn't recommend you to buy this. Honestly, the product seems like something I can easily find at the drugstore.

Beauty Review: Etude House Proof10 Jewelry Eye Pencil

2010-07-22T00:44:00.001-05:00

From my earlier post about my Etude House haul, I mentioned I bought the Proof10 Jewelry Eye Pencil. It comes in silver, gold, aqua, and black. I bought the gold and tried it a few times already.

The pencil is very slim, which is nice since it can fit anywhere and you can even tuck it away in a small purse. It's also a twist-up, which I prefer. Also I've been looking for thin sparkly pencils since most of the sparkle pencils I own are thick.

I applied this on my lower lash line for a bit of sparkle. First of all, the pencil is quite glittery. Definitely better for night time looks or else only use a very thin line for day time sparkle. Also, I was expecting the pencil to be much softer. When applying, I noticed it was hard to apply and it became flaky. I had to use a q-tip to smooth out the line and remove the flakes.

The color is nice, although nothing too special. Just your basic sparkly gold. Although I think the aqua sparkle would be interesting. I wish they had a purple sparkle as well.

Rating: 2/5
The color and amount of glitter is great adding a pop to a night time look. I also like that this pencil is slim so you can draw thin lines, but the flaky application totally turned me off. I really wanted to love this product, but it's surprisingly difficult to apply. Maybe the glitter is too clumpy?

50+ followers! Thank you everyone for your support. It's only been about 6 months since I've opened this blog and it's great to already have people following and reading my posts. Thank you!

Beauty Review: Skinfood Milk Creamy Nail Polish in Lavender Milk + The Face Shop Shimmer Top Coat

2010-07-14T01:10:00.003-05:00

After I purchased Skinfood Milk Creamy Nail Polish in Mint Milk, I bought a few more colors: a light blue, purple, and cream colors.

The purple is called Lavender Milk.
It's a creamy purple color, but it's too dark for summer in my opinion. I would have preferred a pastel lilac color instead. But it's a nice color anyway. It's very similar to OPI Parlez-vous OPI?, except this one is lighter.

Without TFS Shimmer Top Coat

With TFS Shimmer Top Coat

For some reason, it was hard to capture the true color of the polish. The actual color is a bit darker than the picture.

Here's a picture of OPI Parlez-vous OPI? from an old post to compare.

I did 2 coats which seems fine, but under light it appears streaky. I'll have to use at least 3 coats next time. I also used The Face Shop Shimmer Top Coat. It adds a very subtle shimmer that gives some oomph to any color.

Skinfood Lavender Milk
Rating: 3/5
The consistency and application are the same as Skinfood Mint Milk, which I reviewed previously. However, the color doesn't excite me. In my opinion, it is too dark for summer and reminds me of OPI Parlez-vous OPI?.

The Face Shop Shimmer Top Coat
Rating: 4/5
I like the soft shimmer, but I can't say that this is an excellent top coat in general.

Trick to Get Rid of Nail Polish Without Remover

2010-07-09T10:04:00.000-05:00

Here's a beauty tip that might come in handy!

If you don't have any nail polish remover, but need to get rid of polish on your nails, you can use clear nail polish remover! I've heard of using rubbing alcohol, but I didn't have that either so I googled and found the clear nail polish trick. It definitely works!

Just spread a coat of clear nail polish over the area (nail or skin) and wipe off immediately with a tissue. It'll get rid of the polish instantly!

I have a bottle of old top coat that has somehow been tinted pink. I don't use it anymore because it gives a pink top coat instead of clear, so I use that to get rid of stray polish. (:

EOTDs: 07/04/2010 & 07/05/2010

2010-07-06T00:24:00.002-05:00

I've been slightly bored these days so I'm trying to experiment and improve my eyeshadow skills! I have a small crease and uneven eyes so eye makeup can be pretty hard for me. Here are a couple of recent EOTDs.

EOTD for 07/04/2010
A daytime pink look

Products I used:

- Too Faced Shadow Insurance

- MAC Eyeshadow in Naked Lunch

- MAC Eyeshadow in White Frost

- Etude House Eyeshadow in PK003

- MAC Eyeshadow in Swift
- MAC Eyeshadow in Paradisco

- Etude House Proof10 Liquid Liner in Black

- MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack

- MAC Zoom Lash Mascara (forgot to curl & apply mascara to lashes in the pic!)

EOTD for 07/05/2010
A daytime light smoky look

Products I used:

- Too Faced Shadow Insurance

- MAC Eyeshadow in Naked Lunch

- MAC Eyeshadow in Mancatcher

- Etude House Eyeshadow in EP301

- MAC Eyeshadow in Nighttrain

- MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack

- MAC Eyeshadow in Black Tied

- Etude House Tear Drop Liner
- MAC Eyeshadow in White Frost

- Etude House Bling Bling Eye Stick in Shooting Star

- YSL Faux Effet Cils Mascara

BB Cream Comparison - TFS vs. EH vs. Missha

2010-07-04T11:26:00.000-05:00

Here's a short comparison on the three BB creams I've used. FYI, I'm about NC15-20 and have combo skin.

The Face Shop Face It HD Perfect BB
Etude House BB Magic Cream
Missha M Signature Real Complete BB Cream

You can see that Etude House is the darkest and closest to my natural skin color, while The Face Shop is lighter. Missha is also light but has gray undertones compared to The Face Shop.

This is what it looks like after one smear. Etude House has the creamiest texture, while The Face Shop has the most thick texture.

This is what it looks like blended. The Face Shop makes my skin a bit whiter, Etude House is most similar to my natural skin color, and Missha is too light for my skin.

The Face Shop Face It HD Perfect BB

- SPF30

- Thick texture

- Difficult to blend

- Matte finish

- Good oil control

- Medium coverage

- Middle price out of the three (about $15USD)

This is harder to blend and has the thickest texture, however I still love this BB cream. It has good oil control and it makes my skin look great. It makes your skin look very smooth! The coverage is good enough to even out your skin tone, but not enough to cover up my darker sun spots. It makes my skin lighter, which I wish it didn't but I like it enough to keep using it.

Etude House BB Magic Cream

- SPF30

- Liquid texture

- Easy to blend

- Dewy finish

- No oil control

- Low coverage

- Least expensive out of the three ($9USD)

Due to no oil control and its dewy finish, I always use a pact as a finishing touch and for oil control after using this BB cream. This cream has low coverage though. It doesn't even cover up the lightest of my sun spots. However, this is my preference because of its easy blending and I like the natural color.

Missha M Signature Real Complete BB Cream

- SPF25

- Creamy texture

- Medium ease of blending

- Matte finish

- Medium oil control

- Medium coverage

- Most expensive out of the three ($19USD)

I really do not like this BB cream! First of all, it makes my skin look too light and washed out. The shade I purchased is No. 21 Light Pink Beige. I have fair skin so I was told the other shade (there are only 2) would be too dark for me. Well, this one is too light for me! Otherwise, it is just mediocre. The oil control and coverage is not as good as The Face Shop, but better than Etude House.

I reviewed Etude House and Missha more extensively, but have yet to review The Face Shop so I'll post a review sometime soon. Hope this has been helpful to someone out there!

Taeyang - I Need a Girl

2010-07-02T10:42:00.000-05:00

Really loving this song, but I think maybe the video is too... happy-go-giddy for Taeyang's style? Still the song is good and Sandara Park looks great! I love her style and personality. She's one of my favorite Korean celebrities!

I've been trying to master this kind of light smoky makeup look for my small crease. I'll post up a tutorial later!

Etude House, Skinfood, The Face Shop Haul

2010-06-30T01:42:00.000-05:00

Bought more stuff from Etude House, Skinfood, and The Face Shop.

1. Bling Bling Eye Stick in #01 Shooting Star: 4,000KRW
2. Milk Screw in Coconut Milk: 3,500KRW
3. Fresh Cherry Tint in Peach: 6,000KRW
4. Dear Darling Nail Care (to make nails stronger): 3,000KRW
5. Tear Drop Liner in #01: 6,000KRW
6. Eyeliner Brush: 3,000KRW
7. Eyeshadow in OR201: 4,500KRW
8. Eyeshadow in PK003: 3,000KRW
9. Code B Eyeshadow in 03: 4,500KRW

1. The Face Shop Face it HD Perfect BB Cream SPF30 in Shade #01: 14,900KRW

2. The Face Shop Shimmer Top Coat: 3,000KRW

3. Skinfood Milk Creamy Nail Polish in Lavender Milk: 2,500KRW

4. The Face Shop False Eyelashes XOS: 1,500KRW

5. The Face Shop False Eyelashes XLH: 1,500KRW

6. Skinfood Premium Touch Point Shadow Brush: 4,500KRW

I know I just bought a bunch of makeup stuff, but I had a 30% off coupon for Etude House so I bought another haul. Then I stopped by Skinfood and The Face Shop for a few more products that I had wanted to buy.

Time to stop shopping! >.<

Beauty Review: Etude House Dr. Oil Solution Pact

2010-06-29T00:41:00.001-05:00

This review is for Etude House Dr. Oil Solution Pact.

The pact opened up with the applicator

The color of the powder

I use Etude House's BB Magic Cream and apply this pact over it as a finish and for oil control. As the product says, it definitely does control oil. The powder helps control your oil for hours. From personal experience, I usually do not have to reapply or only reapply once after about 4-6 hours, unless it's an extra humid day.

I apply all over my face, but especially in the T-zone area and around my nose. This is actually the first pact I've ever used because I was always afraid of looking too powdery and white. But this merely helps add a finishing touch to my BB cream. It doesn't make me look too powdery at all. I also wear this without BB cream and still does not make me look too powdery. Loves it!

The price is cheap since all Etude House products are reasonably priced. This pact is smaller than other Etude House pacts, but I actually prefer the smaller size. It's compact and fits neatly into the little pocket inside my purse. The packaging is cute as always, however not as girly as their other products.

The only downside is that there is only one shade. I have regular fair Asian skin, about NC20, and this shade is right for me. However, I can see that it would be too light for many people.

Rating: 4/5
This pact is great, but I feel like I can find something better out there. Perhaps something that will not only control oil but provide some extra coverage as well?

Jinny Kim

2010-06-26T22:53:00.000-05:00

I recently bought a pair of shoes from Jinny Kim. At first glance at the brand, I couldn't believe how unbelievably cute all the shoes are. They carry all types of shoes, like flats, heels, sandals, and pumps. But they all have the same cute vintage Hollywood style.

I have never heard of Jinny Kim before so I did a little research. Jinny Kim was born in Seoul, South Korea but studied fashion at FIT in Manhattan, New York. After working as an assistant editor for Vogue Korea, she launched her first collection in 2006. Described as "Vintage Hollywood with Modern Flair", Jinny Kim has definitely introduced a brand that is to be remembered!

A few of my favorites:

I bought a pair of high-heeled white sandals:

278,000KRW = $229USD at Jinnykimshoes.com

They're so adorable! Apparently they are one of the most popular styles right now. They come in white, black, brown, pink, or light sea green. Also comes in two different heights: 8cm and 10cm. Mine pictured above is 8cm. The 10cm has a small platform in the front to make them a bit more comfortable.

Jinny Kim has a gold label and pink label line. Gold label shoes are at least $200USD while pink label shoes are under $200USD.

These shoes are not only available in Korea, but also available in boutiques in Singapore and California. According to her website, the shoes are also available on revolveclothing.com and Nordstrom stores!

Definitely check out these cute modern vintage shoes at jinnykimshoes.com!

LV Mahina L in white

2010-06-24T10:27:00.000-05:00

Meet my new baby! Louis Vuitton Mahina L in white.

3,930,000KRW = $3,305USD at Louis Vuitton.com

I cannot describe how much I am in love with this bag! The perforated LV pattern is fresh and chic. The gold embellishments are classy. The size is perfect. The color is clean and refreshing.

Inside, there is a leather strip that can be hooked across the top to keep the bag in shape and your belongings secure. The fabric on the inside is a soft gray suede. The only disappointing thing is that there is only one additional zip pocket. I would prefer at least another pocket for a cell phone.

On the USA Louis Vuitton website, it is only available in a few colors in XXL, but the Korean Louis Vuitton website has many more colors and sizes in L and XL. I already thought XL was too big so I can only imagine how big XXL must be.

I absolutely love this bag! The size is great because it's big enough for all your small goods, plus bigger things like a book or a magazine. But it's not too big that it's overwhelming your body. What I love most is the perforated LV pattern. It's a fresh take on the LV pattern and it's subtle enough to slightly blend in with the bag, but not too subtle that people can't see it.

<3 <3

Beauty Review: Skinfood Milk Creamy Nail Polish in Mint Milk

2010-06-22T01:25:00.001-05:00

This review is for Skinfood Milk Creamy Nail Polish. The shade I purchased is BL005 Mint Milk.

BL005 Mint Milk (in natural light near the window)

Excuse my short stubby nails in the pics!

The color is great. I absolutely love it. It's very similar to Essie Mint Candy Apple. Just like the color says, it's a creamy milky mint color.

The formula is just okay. I didn't expect much since it's pretty cheap. It can be quite streaky if you apply too thin and too gooey if you apply too thick. So I did several thin coats topped with Etude House top coat.

Although the formula is not great, the lasting power is nice. It's been a little over a week and no major chipping! Only very little chipping on my index finger, but that's it.

Rating: 3.5/5

The formula can make it a little difficult to apply, but the colors and the lasting power is great! I will definitely repurchase. I've already purchased BL001 Ice and BE002 Coconut Milk. They're a milky light blue and milky vanilla color respectively.

Beauty Review: Missha M Signature Real Complete BB Cream

2010-06-18T22:05:00.000-05:00

This review is for Missha M Signature Real Complete BB Cream.

On the box, it states:
- SPF25
- Wrinkle repairing
- Whitening
- UV Blocking cosmetic
- Lasts for up to 12 hours
- Made with organic ingredients

12,000KRW = $9.97USD at Missha.net

There are two shades. I purchased the lighter one (No. 21 Light Pink Beige). The application is smooth and the texture is creamy. I find it just a bit harder to blend compared to the Etude House BB Magic Cream.

The big problem is that this BB cream is too light for me. When applied, it makes me look washed out and too white compared to the rest of my body. The other shade seems too dark for me. If only they had more than 2 shades... The shade may work for some people, but I already have relatively white skin, so this shade just made me look way too washed out!

The good thing is that it has a better oil control than Etude House BB Magic Cream. Also, I like the packaging because the tube is encased in plastic. but other than that I prefer Etude House BB Magic Cream.

Rating: 2/5
I will not be repurchasing this! I've heard Missha BB Creams are great, but this one was very disappointing.

Beauty Review: Etude House Proof10 Liquid Liner

2010-06-16T10:29:00.002-05:00

If you've seen my latest Etude House & Skinfood haul post, you'll know that I've recently purchased Etude House's Proof10 Liquid Liner in black.

I had the chance to use it and I have to say that it is amazing! Even on a hot and humid summer day, the eyeliner did not budge one bit.

7,000KRW = $5.73USD at EtudeHouse.com

Application is really easy, especially for a liquid liner. The brush can easily create both thin and thick lines with clean and smooth application. Usually with a new liquid liner, it takes some time for me to get used to the brush, but this one was pretty easy from the beginning. I was amazed at how easy it was to use and how clean the lines were from the first try. I usually apply my top liner with wings and with this, it's easy to apply a clean and precise winged eyeliner look.

This morning I applied Proof10 liner on top and my usual MAC Fluidline on the bottom so I could compare the two. By the end of the day, the bottom liner had smudged but the top looked like I had just applied it. It has better staying power than my MAC Fluidline!

The only downside is that it is a bit difficult to take off. I use Clinique Take the Day Off, which easily takes off most makeup since it is oil-based, but even with that, the Proof10 liner was a bit difficult to remove. I guess that just further proves its staying power.

Rating: 5/5
I will definitely repurchase and stock up before I leave Korea!

UPDATE: I wore this eyeliner for 10 hours while I went to see the Korea vs. Argentina world cup game. Not only was it hot and humid, but there were thousands of people to the point where it took me at least 30 minutes just to exit the subway station. By the time I got home at 12am, the eyeliner was still perfect! No smears, no smudges. Even the double wingtips I applied in the morning were still perfectly shaped. The eyeliner didn't even smudge onto my top lid as it usually does with other eyeliners. Amazing!!

Skinfood & Etude House haul

2010-06-14T09:56:00.001-05:00

Since I arrived in Korea last Sunday, I've been literally shopping nonstop!
Here's my Skinfood & Etude House haul...

Skinfood Avocado Leave-in Fluid

5,500KRW = $4.50USD at TheSkinfood.com

A leave in fluid, applied to wet hair directly after shower. Moisturizes dry hair. I like this so far! The smell is nice and I've noticed my hair to be less dry in this summer heat.

Skinfood Black Sesame Hot Mask

8,600KRW = $7.04USD at TheSkinfood.com

This mask is much thicker than the previous one I've purchased (banana yogurt mask), but I like that it is a hot mask. I thought the smell of sesame might be a bit weird, but it smells nice. Haven't seen much results yet since I've only used it once.

Skinfood Milk Creamy Nail Polish

2,500KRW = $2.05USD at TheSkinfood.com

I love all the colors in their milk creamy nail polish line! Tested the application in the store and it seems to be okay. Haven't used this one yet, but if the application is nice, I will buy all the colors!

Skinfood Green Tea Foot Buffer

4,800KRW = $3.93USD at TheSkinfood.com

Just bought this yesterday so haven't used it yet. But I was debating between this and the orange & mint foot scrub, but I chose this because of the better scent.

Etude House Base Coat

3,000KRW = $2.46USD at EtudeHouse.com

Bought this because I'm in need of a base coat! The bottle is super cute (:

Etude House Proof10 Liquid Liner in Black

7,000KRW = $5.73USD at EtudeHouse.com

Heard the liquid liners are Etude House are pretty good. I bought this one to try it out. I might get the Code B gel liner later as well.

Etude House Hello Kitty Mini Hand Lotion

4,000KRW = $3.28USD at EtudeHouse.com

Mini Hello Kitty hand lotion! It's citrus scented. Bought it because it's so adorable!

Etude House Dr. Oil Solution Pact

7,000KRW = $5.73USD at EtudeHouse.com

This hot weather and daily use of BB cream has not been helping oil control for my face! So I bought this pact in hopes of a solution!

Etude House Proof10 Jewelry Eye Pencil

6,000KRW = $4.91USD at EtudeHouse.com

This pencil is great for adding sparkle to any eye makeup look! I bought this pencil in gold to add sparkle to my nighttime looks.

Look forward to more detailed reviews for all of these products!

Shanghai tea cafes

2010-06-11T09:00:00.001-05:00

The thing I love about Shanghai is that tea is everywhere. It's available as an option in basically every restaurant, there is a tea market to buy all types of tea, and there are many tea cafes.

My favorite tea cafe is called rbt. It's from Hong Kong, but has a Korean cafe style feel. The interior is adorable, complete with a few bench swings as chairs.

Their food is cheap and good. My favorite drink is the green barley with aloe. For food, I've had paninis, toast, waffle with ice cream, and pastas. The paninis are the best I think.

Vietnamese Iced Coffee at rbt

I went to rbt all the time during my stay in Shanghai. It's a great place to meet a friend or to just study. Another great tea cafe is Chamate, located just about everywhere in Shanghai. Definitely should go to either if you're ever in China or Hong Kong!

Beauty Review: Etude House BB Magic Cream

2010-06-08T08:21:00.000-05:00

BB cream... if you haven't heard of this yet, you need to get on it asap! It's been the hottest thing in Asia for a little while now. Here's my review on one of the most popular: Etude House BB Magic Cream.

Etude House is marketed towards teens and early 20s, so all their products have very attractive packaging and good prices. This BB cream was only $9USD at the duty free store.

It's quite easy to apply since the texture is not thick, but coverage is medium. It won't cover up any big blemishes or dark spots, but it'll give you a nice glow. It's good for people who already don't have many blemishes and just want smoother looking skin.

I feel that this BB cream makes my skin look a bit oily throughout the day, especially in the hot summer time. People with oily skin should stay away, but this will work well with combo and dry skin.

Overall, I do like this BB cream. I love that it gives a nice glow, but I just wish it didn't make my skin look a little oily sometimes and that it gave a bit more coverage. I love trying new products all the time, so I won't repurchase right when I run out, but I will probably repurchase before I leave Korea.

Rating: 4/5

Change of plans...

2010-06-06T22:03:00.000-05:00

I am now in Korea! Big plan changes... instead of interning in Hong Kong, I'll be interning for KPMG consulting in Korea. I'm so disappointed that I won't be going to Hong Kong! >.< But a summer in Korea should be interesting.

I'll be doing a lot of shopping and hopefully travel back to Shanghai and Hong Kong sometime. And since internet here is way faster than it ever was in China, I'll be updating more often than before!

Uniqlo jeans

2010-06-04T22:56:00.003-05:00

This is my last post while in Shanghai! I'll be leaving for Korea tomorrow afternoon. I'm not sure when I will update again since I'm not sure how long I will be in Korea and whether or not I will have internet again. But at least I don't have to use a VPN to access Blogger! (:

I know I've only posted travel updates and beauty reviews lately, but this is just a fashion rave. My latest "thing to own"? Uniqlo jeans!

I know Uniqlo has been around for awhile, but I've never even thought about buying their jeans. Since I don't live in Soho, NY (where the only US Uniqlo store exists), I took full advantage of the ubiquitous amount of stores in Shanghai.

When I saw they had skinny tapered, I bought two pairs of jeans - one dark washed skinny tapered jeans, one black skinny straight jeans. The black ones I bought for casual wear at work. They are both fabulous! Fit comfortably, look great, and are a good deal.

The best part about their jeans is that they have so many different styles and colors. They even have jeans in purple, red, green, pink, etc. And styles range from skinny tapered, skinny, skinny straight, boot cut, flare, etc. My favorite style is skinny tapered. I've been looking for another great pair of skinny tapered jeans ever since I discovered Levi's skinny tapered.

The dark wash skinny tapered were 299RMB (approx. $44USD) while the black skinny straight were 199RMB (approx. $29USD).

Go to a Uniqlo asap and check out their jeans !!

Beauty Review: Missha Sun Protect Cream SPF30

2010-06-02T08:52:00.000-05:00

Because I didn't want anymore sun spots, I bought a sun cream a couple months ago from Missha called Sun Protect Cream SPF30+. It is a Korean brand, but I bought it in Shanghai. For anyone who is in the area, there is a Missha store in Zhongshan Park at Cloud Nine shopping mall.

I couldn't find this on the US or Korean Missha website, only the China one - so it may only be available in China. Or it could be discontinued elsewhere or only available in stores in Korea.

120RMB at Missha China website (approx. $18USD)

The cream is more like a cream rather than a sunscreen. It is thicker than my Chanel UV Essentiel SPF50 cream, so it feels like a lotion. I do prefer this rather than a milky sunscreen feel. Although thicker, it feels light on the face, but perhaps that is because it is a lower SPF than my Chanel cream.

After weeks of applying this every morning, I noticed my sun spots getting slightly darker, but no new sun spots were discovered. Therefore, I've moved on to Chanel SPF50 cream. However, I do still use this for days when there is low/no sun.

If you're looking for basic sun coverage, this may be right for you. I find that it is hard to find SPF moisturizers above SPF15 in the states, but in Asia, it is quite easy to find high SPF since many Asian girls prefer white faces. This cream, although SPF30, feels almost as light as many creams in the states that are only SPF15. The tube is 50ml; should last you barely a few months if you use it almost everyday.

Rating: 3/5
I like the formula's consistency, but it is not enough sun protection for me.

Beauty Review: Chanel Mousse Exfoliante Pureté

2010-05-30T22:49:00.002-05:00

So all my Thailand pictures have escaped my computer... when I get them back, I'll update with the rest of the pics from my spring break. Until then, here's a beauty review.

During my travels in Thailand, I definitely did a little shopping in the duty free store. Bangkok's duty free is pretty nice with a wide selection of cosmetics and skincare. I think they have a lot of great fashion brands as well.

I bought this Chanel Mousse Exfoliante Pureté, which is a foaming cleanser designed to clean pore, give a healthy glow and control oils for combination-to-oily skin.

$45 at Chanel.com

Original price is $45, but I bought for around $40 at the Bangkok airport. The price is reasonable because it's a good-sized bottle and you only need a pea-size amount each time so it will last you awhile. It's perfect for my skin because it doesn't dry out the normal areas of the skin, yet it still rids of the oil on my oily areas, specifically my T-zone. It's gentle enough to use both morning and night. I use it religiously, twice a day, and it doesn't dry out your skin at all.

Like I said earlier, you only need a pea-sized amount because it foams up. After you use this, your face feels so refreshed and literally it is squeaky clean.

It's a great cleanser, but if you're looking for something with drastic benefits, this isn't it. My skin does have a healthier glow and feels overall much cleaner, but it didn't do drastically improve my hormonal blemishes. I did have some kind of a blemish-like thing on my nose that was in the process of becoming a scar, and this cleanser helped get rid of it completely. The cleanser also helped with the blackheads on my nose

Rating: 4.5/5

It's a great product, but I will only give a 5 to a product that can pretty much be considered magical.

I may repurchase this again when I run out, or I might try the other Chanel cleansers.

Side note: I'm thinking about starting a website of reviews of all restaurants, shopping, sightseeing, and nightlife of Shanghai -- directed towards young people like me, especially fashionistas who read this blog. I was thinking about doing it on blogger, but realized that blogger cannot be access in China without a VPN, so I'll open a website instead. Look forward to this sometime this summer!

Thailand travel diary: day 3

2010-05-18T03:25:00.000-05:00

Day 3 of Thailand was packed. We went on a organized safari tour and explored all the sights of Ko Samui.

Our first stop was Grandmother & Grandfather Rocks. These rocks are shaped like female and male genitalia and apparently are the only rocks in the world shaped like this. I really don't know how these rocks became shaped this way, but it was interesting to see.

Then we saw some monkeys in coconut trees, a temple, and went to an elephant show. These elephants did tricks, played soccer, and ate bananas from our hands!

We then saw the famous Big Buddha. It's literally HUGE! It was raining that day and you must take off your shoes to go up the steps so my feet got wet and gross =(

After lunch at the top of a mountain, we headed home and saw a nice view on the way down.

As Shanghai is winding down, I'm realizing I still need to visit a lot of places! Finally visited Taikang Lu yesterday. It's a very nice area with tons of local stores, great cafes, and art. It's quite a hipster-ish place, but anyone can enjoy it. I also visited the expo last week so I will give an update about that later!

Thailand travel diary: days 1 & 2

2010-05-11T05:04:00.001-05:00

Hello! It's been awhile huh? I'm finally back from my spring break Thailand trip. To update you all about my vacation, the next several posts will be a travel diary about what I've done in Thailand with pictures to share (:

Day 1
Not having slept a bit the night before, I was knocked out for the entire plane ride from Shanghai to Bangkok. Originally we had about an hour layover time before our next flight from Bangkok to Ko Samui, but our plane arrived late so we only had about 30 minutes. A short Thailand travel agent man greeted us at the gate and we rushed through immigration and check-in and barely made our next flight. The flight to Ko Samui was less than an hour. When we arrived, the first thing that surprised me was the airport. Ko Samui does not have an ordinary airport. It looks more like a large tropical shack, which I thought was so cute!

Ko Samui Airport

The night started badly as I lost my debit card at the airport and our luggage was delayed. =(

Thankfully our hostel was only a short ride away. My expectations for the hostel were low, but it was quite nice. Although there are no fancy decorations, room service, or comfortable amenities, it was very clean. The guesthouse managers were super super nice. The husband was an American while the wife was Thai. They helped us book tours, told us the best places to eat, told us how not to get ripped off, etc etc. They were so helpful!

We were too tired to explore the nightlife so we just walked around on the Chaweng Beach street and ate at a nice Italian restaurant called rice. The food was good, except the weather was so hot! The restaurant was open-styled so the heat made the dinner a bit less enjoyable. Speaking of weather, it took a bit while to get used to the humid air with temperatures reaching almost 100 degrees fahrenheit.

The rest of the night consisted of just initial exploring as we were too tired to do anything that required energy.

Day 2

Excited for our first full day in Thailand, we started the day by eating lunch at Chaba resort's restaurant. The great thing about most of the restaurants on Chaweng Beach street is that they are all beach-front. So we ate Thai food while enjoying the beautiful view of the beach.

Chaweng Beach - it's much nicer on a brighter day

Afterwards, we got a Thai massage, also right on the beach. The thing about Thai massages are that they really do stretch you out! Depending on the person, you will be twisted and stretched out like you've never been before. They're also only less than $10USD. After the massage, we discovered this great place called Ark Bar, where they have tons of wooden beach chairs on the sand so you can enjoy the beach while eating, drinking, and smoking hookah.

Ark Bar on Chaweng Beach

We spent several hours at Ark Bar, reading books, drinking and eating. When it got dark, we decided to walk on the Chaweng Beach street and stopped at Mambo bar for a snack and happy hour. That night, we went out to Green Mango club, one of the supposedly best clubs in the area. It's full of tourists of course, but I liked that it was quite big and the top is open so there is no ceiling. Clubs/bars in Samui offer drinks in buckets for about $12USD. A bucket sounds huge, but it's actually smaller than I originally thought. Imagine a child's sand bucket filled with alcohol. It's still a good amount though, although ours was quite weak.

That's it for the first two days of Thailand! Keep reading to see how the rest of my spring break was! :)

Xintiandi

2010-04-25T10:44:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the lack of updates these days. I've been so busy with midterms :(

Here are some pictures of Xintiandi, one of my favorite places in Shanghai. It's very touristy though and everything is pretty expensive.

A mini waterfall/water fountain at the edge of Xintiandi

A view of the shopping mall

Water fountain in front of "Fountain", a dessert/wine bar

My spring break is coming up! I'll be going to Phuket and Ko Samui in Thailand... so excited! (:

Hong Kong pictures

2010-04-06T10:24:00.000-05:00

Some pictures from Hong Kong...

1881 Heritage - a beautiful shopping/dining center

Modern Toilet restaurant - where everything is toilet themed! This is Korean-style pork served in a toilet bowl. Also had ice green tea served in a urinal... haha

A view of Hong Kong island from a terrace at Harbor City

Venetian Hotel & Casino in Macau. It's huge! This is just one small part of it.

Back to Shanghai

2010-04-04T13:48:00.000-05:00

Finally back from Hong Kong!

I must say, Hong Kong is definitely more of my taste than Shanghai.

Why HK is better than Shanghai:
1. CLEANER!
2. People speak English
3. Shopping is much better
4. More diverse
5. People don't drive as crazily... aka I don't feel like I will die every time I cross the street

Why Shanghai is better than HK:
1. Nightlife is much better
2. Everything is cheaper!

We also visited Guangzhou and Shenzhen in China. In HK, we visited some companies and had lectures, but during our free time, I did some sightseeing, eating, shopping, and met some friends who live there. I definitely miss Hong Kong, but it's good to be back.

Will post pictures soon!

Hong Kong

2010-03-30T05:38:00.002-05:00

In case you guys have been wondering why I haven't posted recently, I'm in Hong Kong until Saturday. I have no computer here so I'll update with a real post when I get back to Shanghai!

Sparkly pink nails

2010-03-22T04:21:00.001-05:00

Got my nails done here (:

It's sparkly pink gradient... the gradient is very light though. I love the sparkly pink! It was 88RMB which is about $13USD. It's not a bad price considering they do a better job than any manicure I've gotten in the states.

New discovery: massages

2010-03-13T09:46:00.000-06:00

Good news! My dorm room internet is fixed. Bad news: Blogger is still extremely slow. That's why I haven't been able to blog recently! I'm still working on the getting the camera/computer setup fixed... hopefully soon!

I recently discovered just how wonderful massages are. It's cheap (cheaper than US), relaxing, and addicting! I'm definitely going at least once a week. I've only been to Apsara and Dragonfly so far.

Apsara is definitely a great looking place. The atmosphere is amazing. Each bed is in a separate room complete with a shower, tub, and all amenities like hairdryer, shampoo, lotion, bathrobe, etc. Service is also excellent. During the massage they turn off almost all the lights, play very soft and smoothing music, and let you choose your oil scent (if you get a oil massage). The massage itself is just okay though. It felt like she wasn't putting enough pressure on me! The price is around $35USD for 1 hour.

I think there are two Apsaras in Shanghai. I went to the one in Century Park. The area there looks very new, but it was a quiet neighborhood.

Dragonfly was pretty much the opposite of Apsara. It's a great massage but the atmosphere is just okay. There are several Dragonfly spas all over China but I went to one inside an upscale mall/building. The place was kind of small. Each bed is not in an individual room, but rather there's just one hallway that has a bunch of beds separated by curtains. Each individual area is kind of small. The massage is great though. It feels better and is cheaper than Apsara! I heard Dragonfly is known to have very good foot massages, so I need to try that the next time I go there!

Beauty Review: Skinfood Banana Yogurt Mask

2010-03-06T10:11:00.003-06:00

I just recently started using Skinfood banana yogurt mask. It smells delicious! Just like the Korean banana milk hehe (:

It's very gentle and made for sensitive skin, so it will not cause any breakouts or redness. I use it about twice a week. It's a creamy texture with little exfoliating beads. I apply, massage the beads into my face, and wash off after 15 minutes.

It really gives you very smooth skin! Just after one use, I can already feel my skin texture becoming much smoother. It doesn't do much for blemishes, so if you're looking for a blemish-clearing mask, this is not it. This is more just a gentle mask to help smooth your skin texture. I think it's even gentle enough for everyday use. Skinfood products are all good prices, so that's also another advantage to this product.

Rating: 4/5.
The sweet smell, easy application, smooth skin are all pros, but I feel that I can find a better weekly mask.

I also have samples of rice wash off mask and black sesame mask. After I use those, I'll do more reviews and a comparison.

No internet for me in China!!

2010-02-28T06:00:00.000-06:00

Blogging in China just got 100 times harder.

1. My room internet does not work anymore for some reason... AND the lobbyman (dorm security guard?) doesn't know how to fix it.
2. There are two computers rooms in this dorm with 4 computers each. Some how 7/8 computers now do not work at all or the internet is broken... therefore there is only ONE working computer for almost 200 students.
3. My camera does not respond when plugged into my computer... aka I don't know how to transfer pictures onto my macbook.

Sigh... until I get these problems fixed, blog posts will be sparse and mostly text posts. I'm in the midst of getting my camera/laptop connection fixed so hopefully pictures will be up soon!!

In other news, I went to Shanghai metro city mall yesterday. There's a Skinfood and The Face Shop there. For anyone who wants to go there, it's at Xiuliuji (??) subway station exit 10 -- on the red line. Anyway, SF and FS are obviously more expensive in China than Korea but I was surprised to find that they have basically the entire product line. I bought a banana yogurt mask and oil blotting sheets from Skinfood. The banana mask smells like banana milk! I used it today and it made my skin feel very smooth. Total for both came out to be around $14 USD. FS, SF, and Missha seem to be very popular here. Even cute little street boutiques all sell various products from these three brands... it's odd to see that Etude House is kind of rare here.

I realized that shopping in Shanghai can be cheap if you go to the right places. Many department stores have cute clothes on sale for less than $50, but prices can go pretty high too for certain brands. I just bought a pair of cute mid-heel black patent heels with a bow on the back for about $35. I'm trying to limit the shopping though... I still have Korea and Hong Kong for shopping! And I need to be able to bring everything back in two suitcases =X

Overall, life in China hasn't gotten much better... the dorms are unbelievably cold in the hallways and I just discovered there are only 3 washers for 200 students, which will make laundry a hassle for the next 3 months. Nightlife here is nice though, although expensive. I went to Sin and M2 last night... not a big fan of M2. Also have been to G-Plus and Windows and I have to say G-Plus is my favorite. The whole Xintiandi area is a favorite of mine!

Since my internet hasn't been working, I haven't been able to download any new kpop songs. Getting kind of sick of the same songs over and over again! And I haven't been able to catch up on any music shows or dramas!! >.<

This is getting to be too long of a post now! I'll stop the ramblings now and give you guys another update as soon as I can!

First update abroad

2010-02-25T08:00:00.001-06:00

I can't seem to figure out how to get my camera to work with my computer, so for this blog post, it'll be a short story.

The first several days of Shanghai were quite interesting for me... my school is in a more quieter and run-down section of Shanghai. It feels like I'm living the in the 1960's with dingy buildings and old taxis in every color. I thought to myself "where is this amazing Shanghai city that I've heard so much about?!". I finally went to the city part of Shanghai today where I had amazing dumplings. The nighttime view is also amazing and the weather here is nice enough that you can walk around at night without feeling cold.

Purchases-wise, I bought cute mix-style earphones today. Can't seem to find a picture online, but they're white in-ear headphones with little black stars. It was only the equivalent of $4 USD! Hope the sound quality isn't terrible... The store also had the big mix-style headphones with the star on each side. Only about $8 USD... maybe they're fake but they are cute! They only had blue so I didn't buy them... will check again in a few days for other colors.

Speaking of fakes... I went to a cute little shop and saw a bunch of benefit makeup. I wanted to buy the discontinued Gilded eye pencil, but it was fake! The funniest thing was a box and a tube labeled "bad gal lash" but was actually just a black eyeliner >.< Discovered recently that every cute little shop has a bunch of makeup, especially MAC, The Face Shop, Skinfood, Missha, and some Japanese brands. Some are obvious fakes, but others look very legit! I bought a couple of Skinfood mask samples and a Missha fruit mask.

Before Shanghai, I spent 2 days in Korea. Most of the time was spent visiting relatives, but I did get a chance to go to the Lotte duty free shop. There were SO MANY PEOPLE THERE! It took me 40 minutes just to get inside the LV store. But I did finally get the bag I've wanted for so long!

Damier Azur Speedy 25 = my new baby! <3 <3

Also bought Missha and Etude House BB creams. I'll do swatches and reviews when I can.

I discovered it's going to be hard to blog here. The internet is incredibly slow... and Blogger (along with Facebook) is blocked in China. I got around using my school's VPN, but it's still so slow. I will try my hardest to keep everyone updated though!

Beatuy Review: bliss vs. The Body Shop Body Butters

2010-02-23T10:00:00.001-06:00

I recently received a sample of Sweet Lemon body butter from The Body Shop. According to the sales associate, it's a new upcoming scent that will be released soon.

$20 (regular), $8 (mini)

I've never tried any of The Body Shop's famous body butters before, but I've heard plenty of good things so I was expecting a lot. It's definitely very moisturizing and smooth. The only thing is the scent. It's a sweet and citrus-y lemon scent, but after smelling it on my skin for awhile, it was starting to make me feel sick. After awhile it starts to smell like plastic dolls or playdoh. The scent lasts for awhile too and it's a bit strong.

I also got a few small bumps on my skin after using, which was weird. I've never had any reaction to a skin product. It wasn't major though, but I probably won't purchase because of this.
Rating: 4/5

$35 at Sephora

I also tried bliss body butter in vanilla and bergamot. Some people say they dislike the smell, but I actually love it. It's like an herbal vanilla smell. I like it because it has that vanilla scent without being too sweet. Also, bliss' formula is thicker and has less of that oily "just put on my lotion" feel.
Rating: 3.5/5

Lately, I've been having terrible dry winter skin on my arms and back of my hands... so to compare the two, I did a little experiment.

Night 1: I applied The Body Shop body butter on the back of my left hand and left arm. When I woke up in the morning, I still had smooth moisturized skin. Even days later, I still had smooth skin and the dry scratchy winter skin didn't come back for almost a week!

Night 2: I applied bliss body butter on the back of my right hand and right arm. I woke up and it was still slightly moisturized and skin was smooth. The next day, the dry winter skin came back. Even as I am typing this, my left (Body Shop) hand is smooth while the right (bliss) is dry and scratchy.

Even though I love the vanilla and bergamot smell, I prefer The Body Shop body butter. It's cheaper and more effective. I'll just have to try a different scent next time :)

Beauty Review: Ole Henriksen + The Body Shop

2010-02-20T09:00:00.001-06:00

Before I left, I made a few skincare purchases and now it's time to review them!

Ole Henriksen
Herbal Day Creme with SPF15

$35 at Sephora

I bought this because Juice Beauty SPF15 moisturizer was out of stock and I needed an SPF moisturizer asap. It can be a little heavy, so I do not recommend for oily skin. Even for combination, you need to be careful to use a thin layer or else it'll be too heavy. It takes a little time for it to completely sink into your skin so I would apply this about 15 minutes before you do any face makeup. However, it does moisturize well, it has SPF, and it's a reasonable price.

Overall though, I do like this cream. Many people say they dislike the smell, but I don't mind. It's kind of an herbal smell that might take some time to get used to. The jar will last me awhile since I only had to use a little bit for my entire face. I'm not sure if I will purchase just because I'm worried it's too heavy on my combination skin, but I'll happily use this jar until it runs out!
Rating: 4/5

The Body Shop
Vitamin C Skin Boost

$26 at The Body Shop

I've heard so many great things about this, so I just had to try it out. It's a good alternative to pricey serums. The first thing I noticed about this is the smell! It's very very strong!

The effects are great though. Until recently, I've never used serums, but now I don't think I can live without them! They immediately brighten your face and smooth out the texture. I've already been using a serum before this one, so the immediate effect wasn't as big as I'd hoped. But it's still a great product and I recommend it for all skin types.

I don't think I will repurchase though... only because the smell is so strong! I don't want people to smell my face from a mile away... -_-
Also, I feel that with Juice Beauty antioxidant serum, you use less for your entire face compared to one. So even though it's almost twice the price, Juice Beauty may last you longer.
Rating: 3.5/5

Goodbye!

2010-02-18T00:26:00.000-06:00

This is my last post while I'm in America!
I'm leaving in the morning for Korea and will be going to Shanghai on the 21st.

There will be no clay art/tutorial posts for the next 6 months. The blog will mostly be about beauty reviews, fashion, and my travels.

I'll be bringing back some goodies for you guys though! Beauty goodies from Etude House, Skinfood, etc. And any other cute things I find there. If you guys have any suggestions for giveaway goodies, leave a comment. I'll be doing a mini-giveaway at 60 followers and a bigger giveaway at 100, so please continue to support and spread the word about my blog!

Essie Van D'go + OPI Parlez-vous OPI

2010-02-15T17:33:00.000-06:00

New nail polish colors! I haven't bought a new nail polish in forever, but I've been craving some new nail polish recently. Bought these two at Ulta for $13.

Essie Van D'go

Essie Van D'go is a color from their new "Art of Spring" collection. It's a peachy pink that is a great color for spring. You can apply several layers for a bright peach or apply one light layer for a slightly sheer pink. I love this color because it's a great peachy color that's not nude or beige. The above picture is three coats with Etude House top coat.

The consistency is thick and kinda gloppy. A little bit difficult to apply but not terrible.

OPI Parlez-vous OPI?

I also purchased OPI Parlez-vous OPI. I've been looking for a gray-ish purple for awhile. I was considering between this, Sephora by OPI Call Your Mother, and Sephora by OPI Metro Chic. I'm really glad that I decided on this one. It's like a dark purple with gray tones... it's dark enough and not too gray. The above picture is two coats with Etude House top coat.

The consistency is lighter than Essie Van D'go, much easier to apply yet it's not streaky.

Currently wearing the Parlez-vous OPI... I don't normally wear dark polish so it took some time to get used to, but I love it (:

New layout + new clay charms + my first deco box

2010-02-13T02:16:00.005-06:00

Made another new layout! This one will be used for awhile.

Also, here are a few new clay charms I made recently.

Valentine's Day chocolates

Latte with whipped cream and a wafer

Fruit tarts

Also made my first deco box! I made a few mistakes, but I like it (:

Clay Lollipop Tutorial

2010-02-11T23:43:00.004-06:00

Here's a tutorial on how to make polymer clay lollipops. I think these are one of the easier things to make and they're so cute! You can make lollipops in any colors you want. You can also use as many colors as you want in one lollipop, but I think 2-4 is best. I'll be making a light blue and white one.

Materials I used:
- White Premo polymer clay
- Turquoise Premo polymer clay
- Ecru Premo polymer clay
- Eyepin
- Wire cutters

1. To get a light blue color, mix white and turquoise clay together. The picture shows the approximate proportion I used.

2. With your light blue and white clays, roll out two snakes of equal length. Keep them semi-thick since you will have to roll them again later.

3. Hold your two snakes together and twist in opposite directions until you achieve an effect like the second picture above.

4. After you have a twisty snake, keep it on the surface and roll with two fingers. This will make the snake's surface smooth while maintaining the twisted colors effect. Make sure to roll a few times, twist in opposite directions, roll again, twist again, etc. The more you twist, the more of a swirly effect you will have.

You're done when you have a snake that looks like this.

5. Keeping the clay on the surface, carefully roll the snake into a circle. I cut the end at a diagonal so it looks cleaner.

6. Take your ecru colored clay and roll into a small thick snake for the lollipop stick.

7. With your wire cutters, cut your eyepin.

8. Take the end part of your cut eyepin and stick it in your lollipop stick about halfway. Make sure the end that is peeking out is not too short so the stick and lollipop can stay put together.

9. Insert the stick into your lollipop. Insert it straight in and slowly to make sure the eyepin doesn't stick out on the other side of the lollipop.

10. Take the top part of your cut eyepin and insert into the top of your lollipop. Bake according to the package and now you have a finished lollipop charm!

p.s. - on an unrelated note... RIP Alexander McQueen.

Urban Decay Hall of Fame Set

2010-02-10T02:29:00.003-06:00

I just received the Urban Decay Hall of Fame set that I ordered online!

$20 at Urban Decay.com

This set is such a good deal considering the XL potion is $23. With S&H, it came out to be $25. It includes a large size Primer Potion and mini sizes of Skyscraper Multi-Benefit mascara, Pocket Rocket in Timothy, lipstick in Midnight Cowboy, and 24/7 liner in Zero. I only use 24/7 liner and potion regularly, but it's nice to try out the rest of the products. The lip products are smaller than I expected though.

Here's what Midnight Cowboy lipstick looks like in the tube. It's a glittery nude beige color.

Midnight Cowboy lipstick, Pocket Rocket in Timothy

(without flash)

Midnight Cowboy is hard to see in the picture. It's a nice color for summer nights as it'll give you a shimmery nude color with some glitter. Pocket Rocket in Timothy is a shiny pinkish coral color. I probably won't use this since I rarely use lip gloss.

Definitely happy with my Hall of Fame set. If you're running out of primer potion, this is an excellent buy!

EOTDs and new eye makeup

2010-02-08T13:09:00.004-06:00

I experimented with a couple of different eye makeup styles the other day.

The first is a very light smoky eye. Light enough for daytime wear. The open eye pictures don't really show the colors well. It's darker in real life... I'll have to take pictures with natural sunlight instead of flash next time!

What I used:
- Urban Decay Primer Potion
- MAC e/s in Naked Lunch
- MAC e/s in Nighttrain
- MAC e/s in Black Tied
- MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack
- MAC 209 mini brush
- Sephora eye pencil in white
- Shu uemura eyelash curler
- YSL Faux Effet Cils Mascara

The second one is a sparkly daytime look. The flash made it look a bit pinkish, but in real life it is more light brown.

What I used:
- Urban Decay Primer Potion
- MAC e/s in Naked Lunch
- MAC pigment in Shimmertime
- Victoria's Secret e/s in Private Beach
- MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack
- MAC 209 mini brush
- Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Zero
- MAC e/s in White Frost
- Shu uemura eyelash curler
- MAC Zoom Lash mascara

I also bought Victoria's Secret eye shadow in Private Beach yesterday. I used a $10 coupon and got it for free! I love the shade. It's a shimmery taupe color. Depending on how much you apply, you can wear it for day or night.

And I used MAC pigment in Shimmertime for the first time yesterday. I received the MAC holiday eye bag as a Christmas gift and haven't used it until now. Here are the swatches for Private Beach and Shimmertime.

VS Private Beach, MAC Shimmertime (with flash)

Both are gorgeous colors but also very sparkly. Need to make sure not to overuse either of them!

Beauty Review: Juice Beauty

2010-02-07T01:16:00.006-06:00

I finally tried out some of the Juice Beauty products for the first time!

Cleansing Milk

$22 at Sephora

After taking a shower, I washed my face with this cleansing milk. My first thought was that it was creamy, yet very light! I hate cleansers that are way too thick, so this lightweight milky cleanser was great for me. It's very gentle and makes you feel refreshed. I don't use facial cleansers to remove makeup, so I don't know how well it does with that. As for the scent, it's made with raspberry and white grape juices with aloe vera and grapeseed oil. I was expecting more of a very sweet and fruity smell, but this one is more like a herbal raspberry scent. I didn't mind, but some people will dislike it. I would definitely repurchase this one!

Rating: 4.5 / 5.0

Hydrating Mist

$22 at Sephora

Instead of spraying directly on my face, I sprayed a few pumps of this onto a cotton pad and applied all over my face. Immediately my face felt refreshed. It's made with white and red grape juices, aloe vera, rosehip, and grapeseed oil. It has a floral scent, which is not really my favorite scent, but the smell isn't strong. I might repurchase this if I don't find a better toner.

Rating: 4.0 / 5.0

Nutrient Moisturizer

$36 at Sephora

For me, moisturizer is the most important part of my skincare regimen. The main thing about this product is that the consistency is very thick! It felt like I was putting sunscreen on my face. You really need to rub it into your skin to make sure you don't have white spots. The instructions say to warm in your palms before applying, but I didn't read that part until later... oops! I applied again at night by warming in my palms and it was still too thick. However, since it is quite thick, a little will go a long way. Made with grape juice, carrot juice, and essential fatty acids, the smell is not terrible. You can definitely smell the ingredients... like I said before, some people will love the scent and others will hate it. I don't think I will repurchase this one as it was way too thick for me and it doesn't have SPF.

Rating: 2.5 / 5.0

Green Apple Peel - Sensitive Skin

$39 at Sephora

In my opinion, this peel smells terrible. It's made with apple, lemon, grape juices and raw cane sugar. To me, it smells like a V8 fruit juice. After washing my face with the cleansing milk, I applied a layer of the peel onto my face and washed it off after 10 minutes. The peel turns into a smooth film on your face so it takes some time to wash it all off with water. Afterward, I followed up with the hydrating mist, antioxidant serum, and the nutrient moisturizer. This product definitely makes your face feel so smooth. I never use peels or masks, so I didn't know what to expect. But you can see the effects immediately. Sometimes I have red areas near my nose and this peel lightened those areas and improved the texture of my skin. The effects are amazing after just one use. I'm not sure if I will repurchase though, because I don't normally use peels and $39 is a bit pricey for me.

Rating: 4.0 / 5.0

Antioxidant Serum

$52 at Sephora

I love this product! This serum immediately brightened my skin. I could see the effects right away. It gives my skin a healthy radiant glow. The smell is not bad, but the price is quite expensive. I think the next time I use this, I'll try it without the peel to see the effect of the serum by itself. I'd love to repurchase, but it's a bit expensive.

Rating: 4.5 / 5.0

Overall I love that all their products are natural and organic. If you want to try out Juice Beauty, I recommend getting the Organic To Go set. It's a good value and a great way to get introduced to their products.

AF fails in Japan

2010-02-05T19:28:00.003-06:00

Just read this online and thought it was interesting...

Abercrombie & Fitch fails in Japan.

Why? (from the article)
1. Tokyo AF prices are double American AF prices
2. Japanese customers don't want to see naked men
3. Staff is mostly American
4. Salespeople act like buffoons
5. Store reeks of cologne

Read this entire article here.

How embarrassing for AF... what a BIG FAIL.

Latest purchases

2010-02-05T10:00:00.003-06:00

I bought some things at Ulta last week with the 20% promo coupon.

- Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes

- Ardell LashGrip Adhesive

- Ardell Fashion Lashes 108

- Urban Decay Primer Potion

- EcoTools Eye Shading Brush

I bought the Neutrogena wipes and UDPP just to stock up for going abroad. I've never tried false lashes before so I thought I'd try it, especially since everything Ardell was buy one half off. Most of them looked extremely long or obviously fake. #108 was the shortest and most realistic looking ones. I bought the eye shading brush because I literally have no eyeshadow brushes. I heard good things about EcoTools and I love that it's environmentally friendly.

EDIT: I just decided to purchase Urban Decay Hall of Fame set so I'll be returning the UDPP soon.

Just bought some more stuff yesterday too.

$29 at Sephora

I purchased Juice Beauty's Organics To Go set which includes:

- Cleansing Milk

- Green Apple Peel

- Antioxidant Serum

- Hydrating Mist

- Nutrient Moisturizer

- Bamboo washcloth

and also purchased MAC brush cleaner and a travel pillow from Brookstone (:

I will do a review on all these products once I get the chance to use them!

White watches

2010-02-04T11:00:00.002-06:00

I LOVE THIS WATCH.

But I don't think I could ever spend $3395 on a watch. Looking for a white watch these days, but should I even buy one? Honestly, I don't even look at a watch for the time, but I love wearing them. I feel like nobody really uses them to tell time anymore.

1. Juicy Couture 'Rich Girl' Watch - $195

2. Juicy Couture 'Her Royal Highness' Jelly Band Watch - $195

3. TOYWATCH 'Plasteramic Collection' Watch - $225

4. Michael Kors Ladies' Chronograph Resin Band Watch - $225

I'm liking the #2 the best, although I don't like that it doesn't have numbers...

p.s. Thank you to the Beading Gem for including my tutorial in her blog post! Check it out here.

Donuts, fruit pie, and lollipops

2010-02-02T10:30:00.003-06:00

Some recent polymer clay creations. I'm leaving to study abroad in Shanghai in a few weeks and there's no way I'll have room in my suitcases for my clay tools nor will I have the time to make these cute creations. That's why I'm trying to make as much tiny clay food as possible before I leave!

After I leave on February 18, I won't be back until August so the blog will mostly be about beauty/fashion for those six months. There will be no new tutorials or pictures of new crafts during that time, however I'll post some tips and techniques for jewelry-making and polymer clay crafts.

But... before I leave, I'll be sure to post some tutorials and plenty of content for everyone to enjoy (:

First time making donuts... they're easy to make and so cute!

I always eat this certain fruit pie from Whole Foods market and wanted to re-create it with clay :)

Lots of colorful lollipops. I like the pink ones the best... will probably use one of the smaller ones as a cellphone charm.

Drugstore Makeup Staple Items

2010-02-01T09:30:00.002-06:00

Similar to my eye makeup staple items, this post is going to be about my drugstore brand makeup staple items.

Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes

$6.99 at Target

I recently stumbled upon these wipes when I went out of town and forgot to bring my Clinique Take the Day Off remover. Only to remember at midnight, I went to the nearest drugstore and bought these wipes... and now I don't want to go back to my Clinique remover! These wipes are super super soft and take off all of my makeup, even waterproof eyeliner. The scent is supposed to be "night calming" aka make you feel sleepy, but it has no effect on me; however, the scent is nice and refreshing. I'm hooked on these and will keep buying this instead of the expensive department store makeup removers!

Cover Girl Lash Blast Mascara

$7.29 at Target

Seems like everyone has tried or at least heard of this mascara. It's definitely one of the best drugstore mascaras I've tried. The big brush was kind of odd at first, but I've grown to like it. It does extend and volumize my lashes, however minor clumping can happen if you apply several layers. I usually just swipe one layer on though, so it's fine most of the time.

Sonia Kashuk Radiant Tinted Moisturizer SPF15

Photo Credit: Makeup Alley / $12.99 at Target

I don't normally wear any face makeup, especially foundation. But I wanted to find a light tinted moisturizer to give me some coverage without weighing down my face. I read many good reviews about this TM so I searched endlessly at Target for this product. It was completely sold out in 3 different stores for at least a month! I finally got my hands on this over the summer and it's excellent! The SPF15 is a major plus and the formula is lightweight and gives you a light coverage that lasts all day. If you have fairly good skin, but want some coverage for minor areas, I recommend this.

Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Reniew Anti-Puff Eye Roller

$13 at Target

Okay I'll admit it, I cry often. I'll cry at movies, tv shows, and basically anything that is sad or touching. So I've had the puffy eye syndrome one too many times. This eye roller is the best product I purchased for those crying days. Simply roll the metal ball around your eye area and instantly, you'll feel a satisfying cooling sensation. I also use this in the mornings when I don't get enough sleep the night before.

Revlon Colorstay Liquid Liner

$7.49 at Drugstore.com

This eyeliner lasts all day without smudging or fading. I love the black-brown color because it's dark enough to define my eyes, but not too dark so that it looks intense against my pale skin. This was one of my first liquid liners, so I had some trouble applying it, yet it seemed easier to make straight lines with this than other liquid liners. The only thing is that over time, I realized it's a bit difficult to make thin lines with the applicator.

Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner

$6.49 at Drugstore.com

Like the Colorstay liquid liner, this one is long lasting as well. This liner is very soft and easy to apply. So soft in fact that sometimes, it actually breaks :( But it has a built-in sharpener on the other end which is a plus in my book. So convenient! Also this liner has the same, if not better, staying power as UD 24/7 liner. Although the UD liner is more pigmented, this liner is still comparable and will remain my makeup bag forever!

Eye Makeup Staple Items

2010-01-30T08:30:00.002-06:00

For this post, I thought I'd recommend some of my favorite eye makeup products!

Mascara

Yves Saint Laurent Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils

$28.50 at Sephora.com

This mascara is amazing! It extends and gives volume to every lash. It's scented though, and some people may not like the smell.

For a more everyday natural look, my favorite is:

Clinique Naturally Glossy Mascara

$14 at Sephora.com

Applies beautifully and really makes your lashes open up for a natural look.

Eyeshadow

Eyeshadow base color: MAC Naked Lunch

$14.50 at MAC

I often do not repurchase the same eyeshadow color multiple times because one eyeshadow tends to last me a long long time. But I've already repurchased Naked Lunch a couple times. It's the perfect shade as an all-over eyeshadow base.

MAC Idol Eyes

$14.50 at MAC

Idol Eyes is one of the best colors from MAC I've ever purchased. It's a glittery lavender color. You can apply just a little to add some sparkle for an everyday look or add a lot to spice up a nighttime look.

Too Faced Socialite

$16 at Sephora.com

Described as a "pink copper" shade, this pink is the perfect color to wear everyday. It's not metallic, not too sparkly, not too bright, and not too dull. One of my most frequently used eyeshadows.

Other colors that I love are:

- MAC Black Tied (sparkly black shadow)

- MAC Mancatcher (lilac color)

- MAC Paradisco (pink-coral with pearl)

- MAC Nighttrain (shimmery dark gray)

- Urban Decay Midnight Cowboy (pink champagne with lots of silver glitter)

- Victoria's Secret Mink (shimmery copper)

Eyeliner

MAC Fluidline

$15 at Sephora.com

One of the best eyeliners I've ever used. Only downside is you have to apply with a brush - less portable than regular liners.

Urban Decay Liquid Liner

$18 at Sephora.com

Amazing liquid liner, but the packaging is terrible.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil

$17 at Sephora.com

Softer than a regular eye pencil, yet not a liquid liner. Easy to apply and stays on all day long.

e.l.f. Waterproof Eyeliner Pen

$1 at elfcosmetics.com

For $1, this eyeliner pen is awesome! My first time using an eyeliner pen and this worked great. It's very easy to apply, but can fade throughout a long day or when you're sweaty.

Other eye products

Benefit Gilded Highlighter

$20

This can be used on your cheeks and lips, but I use it primarily for my eyes. It's a gorgeous tequila gold shade with some shimmer. I can't find it on the Sephora or Benefit websites anymore, so I think it's discontinued. But I know it's still in some Sephora and Ulta stores right now!

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion

$17 at Sephora.com

There's a reason why everyone in the world loves this primer. But Too Faced Shadow Insurance is great too! I love them both.

That's it! These are all my eye makeup staple items (:

Alice in Wonderland

2010-01-28T19:33:00.004-06:00

To prepare for Alice in Wonderland's premiere on March 5th, 2010, many companies have released promotional products for the movie! Here are some of my favorites:

Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows

$52 at Urban Decay - sold out online!

Alice in Wonderland Collection by OPI

$8.50 each

Disney Couture 14K Gold Bracelet with Flowers in Purple Leather

$102 at 80spurple.com

Alice Gold Suits Bracelet

$130 at 80spurple.com

Stella McCartney Alice in Wonderland Necklace and Bracelet

$425 (necklace), $395 (bracelet) - available in February

Sue Wong for Walt Disney Signature

$329 - $609

Alice in Wonderland Dream Tee

$22 at Hot Topic

Taryn Rose ankle boots

2010-01-27T15:59:00.003-06:00

My mom bought me these Taryn Rose ankle boots while I was out of town last week.

Apparently Taryn Rose used to be an orthopedic surgeon and founded this shoe company in order to make comfortable shoes (and yes, these booties are super comfortable!). They use cushioning inside the shoes and use lightweight material and Italian leather for the outside. These particular booties are also handmade.

They retail for $595, on sale at TarynRose.com for $297.50 -- but my mom bought them for $99 at Nordstrom Rack. It's a great deal, but I'm still debating on whether or not I should keep them...

Cheeseburger

2010-01-26T22:20:00.002-06:00

Finally... a fat-free cheeseburger!

Another creation made from polymer clay (:

New layout!

2010-01-25T23:14:00.005-06:00

New layout featuring the girls of 2NE1! This may be a temporary layout, but we'll see (:

Tutorial: Double-chained ribbon necklace

2010-01-23T23:00:00.002-06:00

I made this simple necklace recently. I've seen a lot of necklaces lately with this kind of weaving pattern, so I thought I'd try to make one myself.

It's super easy to make! Mine hits about right at the chest. If you want yours longer or shorter, just adjust the length of your ribbon and chains. Here are the tools you'll need:

- Ribbon - about 1 yard

- Thick silver chain - 24 inches long (I used Jewelry Essentials Chain)

- Thin silver chain - 24 inches long (I used Jewelry Essentials Chain)

- Chain nose pliers

The first thing to do is weave the ribbon in and out of your thick chain. Make sure to leave some extra ribbon at each end so you can tie the ends into a bow.

Once you weave the ribbon all the way through, tie a knot to the end of the thick chain. Repeat for the other end. Tie the remaining ribbon into a bow. Then take your thin chain and open the end loop with your pliers. Attach the chain onto the end of the thick chain and close the loop. Repeat for the other end.

Now you have a simple double chain necklace! You can add more chains onto the necklace if you'd like. I was going to add a string of pearls, but I ran out of pearls! So I wore this necklace with my pearl necklace and the combination looked sophisticated yet edgy.

Hope you guys enjoyed this tutorial!

p.s. - if you guys have any suggestions on what I should blog about in the future, please let me know!

Beauty Review: Shiseido vs. shu uemura

2010-01-21T11:45:00.002-06:00

First, I'd like to say thank you to anyone out there reading and to people who have commented or followed my blog! It's awesome to get a great response after only a week of blogging. This will definitely motivate me to keep blogging as often as I can. If there's anything specific you guys want me to blog about, leave a comment!

I'm doing another beauty review, but this time it's a battle between eyelash curlers: Shiseido vs. shu uemura.

These two eyelash curlers are two of the most popular. I've seen many people wonder which one is better, so I decided to do a beauty review comparing the two.

Shiseido was my first eyelash curler that I bought back when I just started experimenting in makeup at 15 years old. Six years later, I felt like it was time to buy a new one, so a couple weeks ago I received my new shu uemura curler in the mail from Sephora!

Back when I was 15, I did the same debate between Shiseido vs. shu uemura. I chose Shiseido because I had used their skincare products with success, and thought their products might be just as great.

$19 at Sephora.com

It's $19 and comes with one replacement pad. When I first used this, I thought it had a nice comfortable grip and was easy to use. With one squeeze, my short Asian lashes curled decently well. The eyelash curler worked even better when I squeezed once on the lashes near my lid and once again in the middle of my lashes. I used this curler for 6 years and always loved it.

The shu uemura curler is also $19 and comes with one replacement pad.

$19 at Sephora.com

The first thing I noticed when I used this was that the grip is not as comfortable as the Shiseido. It just didn't feel that comfortable in my hands. If you get a chance to hold both, you might know what I'm talking about... or maybe it's just me =X

But when I used it, I definitely fell in love. With one squeeze, my lashes curled perfectly. Just one quick squeeze and my short lashes are curled up nicely for mascara.

In my opinion, the shu uemura works better than the Shiseido, although they are both very similar. But maybe the Shiseido has upgraded their curler since I last bought it 6 years ago! Either way, you won't be disappointed with either one. My preference is the shu uemura, but yours might be different!

Zac Posen for Target

2010-01-20T11:30:00.002-06:00

The looks for the Zac Posen and Target collaboration were released last week.

It's not coming out until April 25th, but it's nice to get a sneak peek at the looks beforehand. What do you guys think?

I wasn't a big fan of the current Rodarte for Target collection, but it looks like this Zac Posen collection may be much better.

Hot booties... that I can't afford

2010-01-19T14:00:00.002-06:00

Aren't these Sam Edelman booties hot??

On sale for $204.60 (which I can't afford!) at Akira Chicago. Definitely check out Akira! It's a great brand based in Chicago. They carry tons of popular brands and designers. Their dresses are worth checking out! They have clothes at every price... mostly fancy wear, club wear, party wear, etc. It's worth taking a look (:

Polymer Clay Basics

2010-01-17T15:00:00.002-06:00

Lately, I've seen a lot of questions about polymer clay from people who are just starting out. Now, I'm definitely no expert, but I've done plenty of research recently and can share a few general tips.

Choosing Your Clay
There are three main brands of clay that most people work with. Sculpey, Fimo, and Premo. I, personally have not used Fimo so I don't know much about it. It's more similar to Premo than it is to Sculpey though. Sculpey is very good for beginners. It's the softest and comes in a wide variety of colors. Premo is made by the Sculpey company, but it is firmer. It takes some time to condition (softening the clay in your hands) before you can work with it, whereas you can work with Sculpey pretty much right out of the package. You'll find that later on, when you're working with small tiny pieces, soft clay tends to mush in your fingers and it gets hard to sculpt details. But for beginners, I definitely recommend Sculpey.

Preparation
The basic tools you will need are clay (obviously), something to use as a rolling pin (a pencil works), and an x-acto knife. I like to work on top of wax paper. The clay doesn't stick to it (it sticks to paper) and it's a smooth surface. Other tools you might need are eyepins (to make charms), cookie cutters, cute add-ins (like crystals, pearls, etc. that you can stick into your pieces). Also, make sure to wash your hands well and dry with a paper towel. You don't want to get dust into your clay, which is very easy to do!

Making
Fingerprints are hard to avoid! After you construct your clay piece, you can rub some water over the prints to slightly rub them out. Or you can wear latex gloves, but most of the time it wrinkles up and makes lines in my clay. I only wear gloves when I'm working with dark clay. Speaking of dark clay, they will stain your hands! And if you do not wash it out before working with lighter clay, it will stain your clay as well! Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly in between switching colors.

Baking
Bake according to the directions on the package. I recommend using parchment paper laid in an aluminum baking pan. Baking on aluminum foil will leave a shiny spot on the bottom of your clay pieces. You can use your home oven or a toaster oven to bake your pieces. Just make sure not to over-bake, or else the clay can release toxic fumes that will stick to the walls of your oven... which is bad if you plan on using the same oven for food =X

After Baking
To get the shiny look on your clay pieces, apply Sculpey Gloss Glaze after your pieces have cooled. They will dry after about 30 minutes and you'll get a nice shiny finish.

How do I make cute little charms that look like little characters or tiny food?
There are tons of tutorials online. YouTube and DeviantArt have a ton of great tutorials made by people who are awesome at this. You can also look on flickr and etsy for inspiration.

This book is great too:

The Polymer Clay Cookbook

By: Jessica and Susan Partain

They have an excellent intro chapter that teaches you all the basics about types of clay, color mixing, and jewelry techniques. Their tutorials cover a bunch of cute tiny food you can make, such as pretzels, cupcakes, coffee cups, ice cream, tacos, etc.

Just remember, anyone can learn how to make cute charms out of polymer clay. If you got some time on your hands, it's a fun hobby to learn! And with practice, it'll get much easier.

Hope this helps for the beginners out there!

Beauty Review: Shiseido The Skincare

2010-01-16T22:59:00.001-06:00

So lately, I've been trying to find some new skincare products. I've used Shiseido Pureness (aimed for breakout prone skin) for the past several years, but now that I'm older, I need something else.

That's why for the past couple days I've tried out Shiseido The Skincare. I've had good experiences from the Pureness line, so I thought I'll get the same benefits from The Skincare line. Definitely not!

I didn't try the facial cleanser, only the toner and moisturizer. The moisturizer had SPF in it, which was nice. But it made my combination skin oily and greasy. I thought it would go away after the product sinks in a little, but definitely not. My little brother even asked me why my skin was so oily -_-

$39 at Sephora

This would be great for normal or dry, but for my combination skin, it was too heavy and felt like it was clogging up my pores.

The softener was a little better though... it absorbed into my skin right away. Honestly, I'm not an expert in skincare to know how softener/toners benefit your skin. I guess it's something to do with preparing your face before applying moisturizer? But, yeah... even though I don't exactly know the benefits of softeners, I liked how this one felt on my skin.

$34 at Sephora

It felt heavier than the Pureness softener, but I didn't mind.

Overall, I won't be using this as my new skincare. For those of you with normal or dry skin, I definitely recommend this, but not for combination. I'm still on the hunt to find something for my combination skin that has SPF in it. Any suggestions?

New updates to the store

2010-01-15T10:30:00.002-06:00

If anyone from Soompi is reading this, you might know that I have a store in the selling & trading section. I just added some new items, so if you're interested, please take a look! I'm in desperate need to sell these items because I need money! =X

Check it out HERE.

New bags!

2010-01-14T12:00:00.005-06:00

So I went to Nordstrom a couple days ago and walked out with two very cute new bags, courtesy of my lovely mother!

Marc by Marc Jacobs Classic Q Baby Groovee in black is amazing! I was debating at the store for like 40 minutes whether I should get the regular size or the baby size. The baby size is still roomy inside and is super cute. I've wanting this bag for so long... so excited I finally got it!

I love the logo print on the inside (:

The second bag I got is this cute Dooney and Bourke Juliette canvas bag in ivory. I bought it to use as a school bag. It's definitely a great alternative to the ubiquitous Longchamp tote. Love that it has a long adjustable strap. Plus the bright yellow inside is so cute! For those of you wanting a fashionable designer school tote, I recommend this one.

Cupcakes

2010-01-12T11:00:00.003-06:00

Since I don't have school these days, this blogging everyday thing is not so hard (:
Although I doubt anyone is reading... hehe~

Made these cute clay cupcakes a few days ago. The colors turned out a little darker in the pic... they're actually lighter and kind of a pastel color. But yeah, it's hard to do piping on tiny cupcake bases =X

On a different note, I want to plug these two sites. I'm doing small internships for them this winter and they're both great sites!

Second City Style: A fashion online magazine and blog. The magazine has interesting articles every few days while the blog is updated very regularly with news, trends, best dressed, outfit ideas, etc.

Cuff Luv: A local Chicago designer that sells cute cuffs that you can add to your long-sleeved shirts. Plus, there's 10-way cardigan wraps and magnetic pins. Unique and adorable items =)

I think I'm going to do another beauty review soon... maybe tonight. Just used a product that I am not fond of -_-

Beauty Review: Etude House

2010-01-11T19:07:00.004-06:00

I've seen some people curious about Etude House makeup products (from Korea), so I decided to do a quick, but detailed, review on some of the products that I've tried.

For those of you that don't know Etude House, it's a super cute makeup store in Korea. Its directed toward younger people and they have good prices on all their products.

An example of one of their super cute stores in Korea!

Now, some of the items that I purchased before are now discontinued. I can't seem to find them on the official site, but I'll give a brief review of them anyway.

From their discontinued line, Trouble Eraser, I used both the gel moisturizer and the cleaning pads.

Honestly, it's a good thing they discontinued this line, because it did not produce any great effects for my skin. Never made me break out or anything, but it claims to "erase" all your acne trouble. I didn't see that much of a difference in my skin after using these products, but they didn't have any negative effects either. The lotion did help moisturize my face and I liked that it was a gel lotion. The clear pads were pretty much useless for me though.

Now for the makeup!

This O~ m'Eye Lash Mascara is cheap (around $4 I think) and works well for its price. It's a great basic mascara. Of course, it can't compare to YSL or Dior mascaras, but it's good for the price.

I had minor clumping issues with this mascara, though I think it's because the mascara was getting a bit old. Also, this mascara advertised maximum volume, which I didn't really get. It's more of a basic mascara for me.

More with eye makeup... these shine up sticks are awesome! I have these three colors and I want to get more when I go back!

04: Pink, 05: Berry, 09: Lavender

My favorite is #04 Pink. It's a little bit darker than #05 Berry, which is more of a light pink. These sticks are super glittery, so I only recommend them for going-out makeup. Easy to apply and just a little bit gives you a lot of shimmer. I think these were $3 or $4 each.

Lastly is this lip & eye makeup remover. It works very well! It works just as well as my Clinique "Take the Day Off" makeup remover which is around $13, whereas this EH remover is only about $5 or $6.

Similar to Clinique's makeup remover, there are two layers and you have to shake the bottle to mix the oil and water liquids together. There is another EH remover specifically for mascara, but this remover was able to get my mascara off too. I don't wear waterproof makeup though, so I don't know how effective this will be for that. But it worked well for me.

Hope this quick review was helpful for some of you guys who were curious about EH products. I know there's only a few that I've tried so far, but I'm hoping to get more products when I go to Korea next month. I'll do another review then!

Hello!

2010-01-11T01:41:00.002-06:00

Hello! This is the first post of my new blog. I'll just be posting stuff about fashion, my craft projects, and just any random thoughts.

First post... made this clay charms a few days ago. Just started polymer clay recently... definitely need to get better! I want to be good enough to sell my stuff on etsy (:

That's it for today! As part of a new year resolution, I'm going to try to blog as frequently as I can... even if no one is reading lol