Saturday, March 28, 2015

Nails of the Week: Spring Nails (Inspiration)

We are 8 days into Spring and it is lovely (though a little too hot)!!

I thought I was going to miss chances to wear boots, scarves, beanies and coats, but with all the sunshine, I've caught Spring fever! 

I am enjoying wearing shorts, tanks, dresses, flip flops, floral and sunnies! :)

I am ready for you, Spring!

To kick off the new season, I wanted my nails to be fun and Spring-y. 

I found nailsbykylie's post on Instagram and I had to recreate it. They were cute, dainty and did not seem too too complicated. Here's her post below.

The inspiration/model

The recreation

What do you think?

I hope your Spring is off to a great start :)

<3<3<3

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Review: Rimmel Provocalips

I know there are tons of blog posts and video reviews about the new Rimmel Provocalips 16Hr Kissproof Lip Color. 

Everyone's experience is different. And everyone's lips are different. Some lipsticks do better on some and not so good on others. That's why I enjoy doing these reviews despite the countless reviews out there.

THE COLORS:

Make Your Move, I'll Call You, Little Mynx, Heartbreaker, Play With Fire, Kiss Fatal


Make Your Move, I'll Call You, Little Mynx, Heartbreaker, Play With Fire, Kiss Fatal

My faves are Make Your Move and Play With Fire. I wore Kiss Fatal once and I did like it too, but I don't remember how much I liked it. I do remember it not being as purple as I had hoped, definitely not like the packaging color. I also see myself wearing I'll Call You throughout spring.

Little Mynx was way too bright for my taste. Heartbreaker reminded me of a more mature red. I gave both away.

THE PROCESS:
It is a two step application process:
1. Apply color
2. Apply clear coat

MY LIPS LOWDOWN
Before I talk about the wear power, I just want to give you the lowdown on my lips. My lips are weird and annoying. They cannot take lip products for a long time. Take the NYX Matte Lip Creams for example. Within 30 minutes, the lipstick is peeling in my inner lips. Then there are others who can wear this for hours and eat and nothing come off. "Long wear" has never worked for my lips. You know how people say their lashes can't hold a curl? Well, my lips can't hold lipstick.

WEAR TEST: Make Your Move

9am - Pretty glossy, pretty fresh

1:20pm - The glossiness has disappeared (which I prefer), but you can see peeling on the top of my bottom lip

1:20pm touch-up - I only touched up where lipstick had worn off

5pm - It looked worse in person. I ended up dragging the color off the bottom lip and applying a similar lipstick color

FINAL THOUGHTS

Wear time: It does last longer than normal lipsticks (and definitely longer than the coveted NYX Matte Lip Cream). 

The pros: It is long wearing, so long wearing that you need makeup remover to remove the lipstick. I definitely need it to remove the pigment on my upper lip.

The cons: Because you do need makeup remover, it makes touchups challenging. It gets pretty cakey and chunky after reapplying. However, the longer the lipstick is on, the more apt I am able to wipe it off but with great pressure. I try to wipe off (usually my bottom lip) the lipstick and start over. Because Make Your Move is a "your lips but better" color, I can get by with the fading color as it is less noticeable. If I were to wear a more vibrant color like I'll Call You, the signs of wear would be more prominent because there would be chunks of color missing. You would be able to see it even on my top lip with a more vibrant color. I do not wear this lipstick if I am not able to take my time touching up just because it does get cakey. For an event that's a few hours, it would be perfect.

Drying?: Yes and no. If I apply a lip balm beneath the lip color, I will be fine. I do not know if this is just me, but the more vibrant the color, the more drying it felt. Applying lip balm on top helps for a few hours. I do recommend lip balm before application.

Mess-free: I love that I can kiss my nephew and my boyfriend and not see remnants of lipstick on them. I do see pieces of color on my straw or food (like bread, for example), but definitely not as much as it would have been with normal lipstick. 

Would I repurchase? I would say yes. I do want to try other similar lipsticks, but I am a fan of the Rimmel Provocalips. It's not perfect, but it will do for now. This is definitely the longest wearing lipstick I have ever worn. 

Have you tried these bad boys?

If so, what do you think?

<3<3<3

Winter 2014/2015 Favorites

I don't know if it has anything to do with global warming, but Los Angeles has not had a proper winter in the last few years. I am so very sad that I didn't get to maximize the use of boots, scarves and light peacoats this past winter.

We've had some chilly nights and maybe two weeks tops of real cold, wintery days. However, we did experience a good week of rain - so good that it knocked my power out the day before my 8:30am job interview. Other than that and the occasional sporadic rain, winter in LA was winter in LA.

Here are my favorites:

FACE
Rimmel Stay Matte Primer
This with the NYX setting spray (featured in my Fall Favorites 2014) is a match made in heaven!! It definitely keeps me as matte as possible during the warmer, sweat-worthy LA weather. After using this primer with the NYX setting spray, I found makeup to last longer! My bronzer and blush are still prominent on my cheeks by the end of the day.


Flat Top Kabuki by Beauty Junkees
I heard about this from Youtube's saaammage. She mentioned it in one of her videos and offered a discount code via Amazon. The brush ended up being $6 pre-tax, pre-shipping fees. I am so happy with this brush. It works just as well as Sigma's $18 flat top kabuki and 1/3 of the price. I've experienced no shedding in the last 3 months that I have had it. It blends smoothly, is dense and very soft at the same time. 

LIPS


Wet N Wild's Sugar Plum Fairy and NYX's Aria were both in my Fall 2014 favorites as well, but I could not help rocking it all Winter long too. I am going to miss these colors during Spring as I tend to gravitate towards my pinks.



Rimmel London Provocalips in Make Your Move
For those that like/love this lipstick, consider this to be the "Your Lips But Better" lip color and I must agree. It is long lasting which makes me gravitate towards this product. This product is not completely perfect and I'll talk more about that in an upcoming review.

Rimmel London Provocalips in Play With Fire
This is not my most favorite shade of red, but I love that it's red lipstick that will not get all over the place. I've heard great things about Sephora's Cream Lip Stain in 01/Always Red and can't wait to eventually try it.

NAILS
Zoya - Juno
I got this on clearance at ULTA for $4.50. What a steal! I love it and wore this soooo many times February and March. It's a beautiful purple with flecks of shimmer. Gorgeous :)

SHOES
Rampage Jaycer Booties
I got these online on Macys.com during the Black Friday sale last November. I have always wanted to own combat boots but thought they weren't for me. My new life goals are to just do what I want, dress how I want, without thinking too much about what people are to used to seeing me wear or what they would think. I got these bad boys on sale for $19.99. I can't remember the original price (I think it was $50. It is currently on Overstock for $54.99. I initially got brown in a size 7.5. They were way too big. I went to the store to exchange them and ended up getting a 7 in taupe. I love it! I wish it was chillier so I can still wear them. It is now flip flop weather in Los Angeles. 

PLACE 
Planet Fitness
I have been getting my workout on! I used to think this gym was a joke because it was $10/month. Boy was I wrong! It is legit! AND IT'S SO PURPLE INSIDE! It's amazing. I still have my 24 Hours Fitness membership which is set to expire in May. I am just totally digging this gym. The equipment is female friendly and amateur friendly. The staff are so nice and they are always (ALWAYS!) cleaning. It never smells. It's never dirty. I am so happy PF moved into town.

PERSON
Ben
We celebrated our three years in February. He's my best friend, my prince, and my boo boo bear. LOL. Just being in his company makes me happy. He also got his black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in March. Way to go! He gave me a little shout out in his speech that made me melt into a pile of mush <3


I am really excited to see what Spring has in store for me :)

What were your go to products this past winter?

What do you look forward to in Spring?

<3<3<3

Friday, March 13, 2015

Obsessed: Floral and Red Lips



I know what you guys are thinking...my face doesn't match my chest...and you're right! No, it's not my make-up, I am just different colors all over my body...seriously! LOL.

If you've read my old blog post about Lupus or already know about Lupus or even if you have never heard of it, Lupus is an autoimmune disease. One of the things I must stray away from is the sun! I can get really really sick in the sun, so I avoid it when I can.

My face (and arms/hands) are tanned from all the driving I do for work (I'm a field-based social worker). My feet are tanned from all the walking I do from my car and to my patients' homes. Since my work is conservative in dress code, my chest is always concealed. 

Now that's all out of the way, let' get to the stars of this post!

These are my current favorites and obsessions:
  • Floral kimono - F21, $14.90
  • Floral sunnies - Ross, $4.99
  • Rimmel Provocalips, Play With Fire - Target, $7.49 

I have an upcoming post on the Rimmel Provocalips so stay tuned.

So far, the floral on floral with the red lips is my absolute favorite! I can't wait to wear them together again. LOL

Do you ever find outfit combos that you always wear together and don't seem to work paired with anything else? This is who I feel about this trio ;)

<3<3<3

Real Talk: Stressin'

Just an FYI, it's about to get personal. 

This post may or may not be interesting to you. I've always been more expressive in writing than in voice conversations. I was suuuuper shy as a kid (and still am at times) and so jounaling/writing in my diary was my avenue for release.

I've disappeared from the internet world for quite some time. I've made the decision to seriously search for work. I've been searching for about 9 months now, but it was nothing serious. I was just looking for what was out there and what to expect, applying here and there.

In the last few months, I was aggressively searching for a new job.

This process in itself is just way too stressful for me. And here is why:

1. I don't know what I want
     <> I have no idea what my dream job is. I had an interview a few weeks ago and the interviewer asked me what my dream job was. I had no freakin' clue. (I did get a second interview though. YAY!)

2. I suck at interviewing.
     <> I am awful awful AWFUL at interviewing. No matter how much I "practice" my nerves get the best of me. I've tried deep breathing, praying, mantras...and I still suck at them. HOWEVER, I went on two interviews in the past three weeks where I was not nervous (that was a first!). And you know why I wasn't? I did not know if I wanted the job. Funny thing is, my uncertainty calmed me down. Me "not trying" too hard relaxed me. One was with a hospital and the other was with a dialysis center. I, for sure, thought the dialysis center was a no-go. The interviewer had "concerns" about my resume since my first job out of graduate school lasted only four months (I know, but it was a toxic environment! Unethical stuff I was not going to get in trouble for). To my surprise, I did my second interview this week with the dialysis center. And I fell in love with what they have to offer. I find out within the next two weeks if I get a third and final interview.

3. I am in love with my job 
     <> "Do people actually love their job or do they just love the people at their job?" is a question I have been grappling with all week. I love my job. I love the flexibility, the agency, the people, our mission, etc. People ask me, "Why are you leaving a job you love?" There are many reasons:
                    * Money. Working at a nonprofit means the pay is far from great. It's not enough to live comfortably, or well at least in my position. Part of me thinks, "I went to grad school to get paid this much?!" 
                    * Stability. The nonprofit world is a scary world because programs come from funding. When funding stops, you job terminates. I have been with my current placement for two years this 3/18 and every July, we get so anxious waiting for to see if we will be renewed for another year. It is nerve wrecking, absolutely nerve wrecking! As I get older and my boyfriend and I make plans to marry and have children, I do not want to be worried about money, about losing my job.

4. I am comfortable and fear change
     <> I am happy where I am at. I am comfortable. I enjoy the flexibility of being able to go to a doctor's appointment without calling off. My current workplace is 3 blocks from home (however, I am field-based which means I drive a ridiculous amount, sometimes 30 miles in a day just of traveling).  I am used to what I have and I am scared I won't have what I have now in the next adventure. Will I be happy at my new place, wherever and whenever that may be? Is this when work really just become a paycheck?

5. Burning bridges
    <> I love my current employer and my fellow employees. We've gotten to be so close, it's insane. My biggest fear is burning bridges with not only my boss, but also my peers. My boss has been increasing my role in the program and has me even doing two programs at once because she believes I can handle it. She had asked me to go to Colorado for a certified training that costs thousands of dollars so that I can train future staff. This got cancelled due to budgeting. She recently asked me to attend a one-day conference so that I can bring the information back to the team. As I have been making active steps to leave the agency, she is increasing my role and solidifying my presence. And I feel ever so guilty. But the truth is, I need to take those opportunities to excel. What if my job prospects don't even pan out. I've missed opportunities. Sometimes I am too honest. My honesty wants me to turn down these opportunities because she's investing in an employee who is making plans to leave. My closest coworkers have shared some of their most deepest, intimate parts of themselves with me. Am I supposed to give them a heads up I'm leaving? Do I just leave out of the blue? How does this work?? Help :( 

6. Over thinking, over analyzing, over stressing
    <> Perhaps I'm just over thinking the whole process and adding more stress to myself. Or maybe it's just jitters? As work gets more busy and I'm being put further along in the interviewing process, maybe I am just getting scared and nervous about the possibility of actually leaving? Having to actually tell my boss? Having to actually break it to my coworkers? 

I don't know. I really don't know. Yesterday, I was assigned a new case and I had a meltdown. My two closest coworkers took me to get ice cream as it solves everything. Little do they know (except for one of them) that my breakdown was from a mix of everything: work, looking for work, leaving, telling them I'm leaving.

Here I go, thinking way too much.

I know that if I take a step back, I should be grateful that this is my debacle. I could have bigger problems like not having enough food, shelter, basic needs...but still... It just sucks. I know life isn't easy, but sometimes I wish things were a little more clear. 

I suppose I shouldn't worry until I know I actually get a final interview and the job. Until then, I need to relax.

If you've read this far. Kudos. I wrote this more for me, for my peace, for my sanity. 

<3<3<3

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Nails of the Week: Dice


I came across "Dice nails" on Instagram's popular page one day months and months ago. It was simple yet fun and I've been meaning to try it. I just never had black and white nail polish at the same time. 

And finally, I got hold of the two polishes and ta-da!

The edges are a bit rough, but overall, I am pleased with the outcome.

I did receive compliments on them though people thought they were dominoes. I suppose it can be both? Hehe.


<3<3<3