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

Nails of the Week: Jack Skellington

Ever since I started practicing nail art designs, monochromatic nails became a thing of the past for me. Just like my peerkaboo-colored hair, my nails need more than one color.

When I first saw my nails when they were done, they reminded me of Jack Skellington. I love them :)

This is a simple, but elegant style using black and silver. I took shots in two different lighting. 

I hope you like it :)

<3<3<3

Crazy for Lippies Part 2: Wet N Wild

As mentioned, here is part 2 of my Crazy for Lippies installment. If you're interested, check out Part 1 in which I talk about my most recent NYX purchases. 

This post is about my [kind of recent] Wet N Wild haul. At $1.99/lipstick, how am I not supposed to get as many as I can??

I picked up 5 colors: Don't Blink Pink, Smokin Hot Pink, Stoplight Red, Cherry Picking, Sugar Plum Fairy.

Here are the arm swatches:

I included arm swatches in two different lighting.  

Here are the lip swatches. Just a little disclaimer, I tried to take pictures in different lighting to see how the color would fare. That is why I am lighter in some shots and darker in others. Enjoy :)

Don't Blink Pink

Verdict: Looks great in pictures, but in person, it's just way too bright for me. I'm not sure how I feel about this color quite yet. Maybe I'll feel more confident rocking it when I have a bit color in my complexion Spring/Summer. It was just too Nicki Minaj for me. But unlike Nicki, it was just not working 

Smokin' Hot Pink

Verdict: I do like this color too. Less vibrant than Don't Blink Pink, but still pretty vibrant. It's darker than Don't Blink Pink which makes it less overwhelming. A beautiful, fun color for Spring/Summer

Stoplight Red

Verdict: Before this purchase, I only owned one red lipstick by NYX. It was a red lip pencil (name, can't remember sorry!). I saw swatches of this color on other makeup lovers and dang, it looked so pretty on them! I don't know why there's so much shine on my lips? Maybe it was the light? Maybe I should have blotted it first? I'm not a glossy, shiny lip person. Love it on others, not so much on me. Lastly, I'm not a fan of bright red lipstick on myself. This color is way too bright. I love dark, deep wine reds or brick reds

Cherry Picking

Verdict: I thought it was going to be more purple-y because the sticker on the lipstick looks a little purple/plum to me or am I colorblind? The color is still nice. It's like a pinky red. I do look forward to rocking this later on as the weather warms up

Sugar Plum Fairy

Verdict: Definitely my favorite of all my Wet n Wild purchases. I've been totally digging the vampier purple lip. I love this one! Makes me feel pretty badass ;) I have been rocking this and NYX's Aria all Fall and Winter. And heck, if I still have some by the time Spring and Summer roll around, I'm sure I'll be wearing it then too.

I love lipstick! :)

One of my best friends enabled me by gifting me the Tarte Kiss & Belle Lipsurgence Lip Set. I've tried on all except the lip glosses. I love all the darker colors. Not so much the nude. I'll try to do a lip swatch post for these as well.

(Tarte photos taken from Sephora website)

I am excited to play around with these! :D

If I didn't say it already, HAPPY NEW YEAR. I know totally random placement, but I think I hadn't greeted you yet.

May 2015 come out with more beautiful colors and may I find more control in purchasing them!! haha, maybe?

<3<3<3

Valentine's Day Goodies

Aloha! 

This past Valentine's Day, I was surprised with Valentine's goodies from my little Valentine, my little 17 month old nephew. AHHHH. He's so freakin cute! Of course, him being 17 months old meant his mama making the Valentine's goodies. Nonetheless, it is such a sweet gesture. Growing older and having kids around makes holidays a lot more fun.

Here's what I got:

 A cute little tin pail filled with chocolate delights, bath salts, a strawberry kit, and a Rimmel Kate Moss lipstick - my first Rimmel lipstick!

Here are multiple shots of the lipstick. Sorry, I was a bit too excited and had to take snapshots of this beauty in all kinds of angles! I LOVE IT. I'm not so much of a bold lip-wearer because I love bold striking eyes. I'm very much into the "Your Lips But Better" color. This color is definitely it!

Swatch

Definitely my new FAVORITE lip color right now. I am so happy my best friend knows me so well. She actually bought this for herself and when she tried it on, she knew she had to buy one for me. She drove to two different CVS'es to find it. THANK YOU! It's the perfect nude pink that I love. Before this, I was in love with the Wet n Wild lip color "Bare It All" (902C). That love came and went real quick. At first, I thought it was a nude pink then I saw (in better light) that it's actually a nude peach. Peach does not compliment my skin tone at all. It makes me look like I have orange lips. I still love my Wet n Wild lipstick. I wear it beneath my L'Oreal Infallible lipstick in "Intensely Mauve." To read more about my obsession with lipsticks and my current collection, click here. Wet n Wild lipsticks have great long wear which aids in keeping my lip color last for hours :] The only downside of the Rimmel lipstick is that it wears off too quickly. Boo. 

I hope you enjoyed this post about my Valentine's Day goodies. I hope your Valentine's Day was a lovely one.

<3 <3 <3

Nails of the Week: Pinspired Spots

I am sure I mentioned this in previous blog posts, but I will say it again and again. 

I LOVE doing my nails. Like LOVE LOVE LOOOOOVE.

It's so relaxing, definitely a form of self-care. 

My nails of the week is "Pinspired." It comes from an image I saw on Pinterest (which is in the top left corner). I love it.

Products used:
Base coat: Revlon Multi care Base + Top Coat
Wet n Wild: 201C Wet Cement
Sinful Colors: 300 Easy going

I mixed the Wet Cement and Easy Going to obtain a grayish brown color.  I wanted a Fall color, but did not want to go as dark as the Wet Cement on its own. Wet Cement is a beautiful color independently, but I wanted something softer and daintier. 

I can't emphasize that I LOVE doing my nails. I'm always interested in designs to mimic and be inspired by.

Please share links of your own artwork! I would love to see them!

<3<3<3

Obsessed: Lipsticks

Aloha there!

I have been obsessed with anything lipstick related in recent months. At first, it became a hunt to find the perfect "your lips but better" color and then my hunt transformed into finding a bolder lip that I would force myself to rock. 

Like any other person, there are things about my appearance that I am uncomfortable with or wish I could change. My lips are one (or two?) of them. My lips are naturally so pale and washed out that going sans lipstick makes me look sick. It is definitely not a cute look on me. And I also think I have a crooked smile which makes me feel super self-conscious when I smile. Oh imperfections. Oh flaws. Why does it take a lifetime to embrace them?

I've always played it safe and opted for colors that seemed more natural. Now, as a woman in my late 20s, pushing 30, my confidence has solidified a bit more and my desire to be bolder and try new things have increased.

Now let's get to what my obsession got me in recent months (starting from most recent purchase):

Wet N Wild Mega Last Lipsticks
One of my more well-to-do friends buys both high end and drug store lipsticks, mostly high end because she has the money to front. HOWEVER, she was telling me how she would buy Wet N Wild lipsticks over high end on many occasions because of the pigmentation and longlasting power of them. I finally got myself to spend the $1.99 and try it.

 These are the two colors I bought: Wine Room 906D and Mauve Outta Here 907C

Wine Room 906D (pinkish red)

Mauve Outta Here 907C (brighter pink)

The verdict: I LOVE Wet N Wild!! Why did I wait so long to try them?!?! I always passed it up when I was at the drug store since I haven't seen too many reviews (or commercials) on Wet N Wild lipstick. There was a 40% off Wet N Wild products at CVS 2 - 3 weeks ago. This was my push to finally get my hands on these lipsticks. And with 40% off, why would I pass that up?!

The lipsticks didn't glide on as smoothly as most lipsticks. It seemed dry, but it wasn't drying at all.The colors are matte. The swatches are pretty true to the color on your lips though the actual lipsticks appear darker. As you can see, the colors are quite vibrant. Wine Room came out shiny in the photo due to lighting, but it is a beautiful color. Mauve Outta Here came out looking brighter than I thought it would. It's a color that I wear when I'm trying to be more adventurous and bold. It's definitely not a color I can pull off at work, but it is fun when I'm trying to spruce up a look with some brighter lipstick.

Would I repurchase? YES. I definitely would like to try other colors to find a muted pink / work appropriate color

Jordana Cosmetics Twist and Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain
I first found out about these products through Jerlyn Phan, also known as MakeUpFreeek on Youtube.  She is an amazing makeup artist and definitely one of my top favorite YouTube beauty gurus to watch.

She had talked about these $2.99 lip balm sticks in a YouTube video. At $2.99, I had to get my hands on them (though they did vary from store to store. I paid ($2.99, $3.29 and $3.69 at different Walgreens)! My friend and I went to three different Walgreens in one day to find the colors we wanted. I then went to a Walgreens closer to my home the next day because the third Walgreens we tried didn't have what we wanted. And ding ding ding! I found the last color that I wanted - Cranberry Crush!

Now for my swatches (excuse my washed out face. I am not wearing my usual tinted moisturizer):

08 Terra Crave (orangey brown tint)

05 Honey Love (mauve pink, my fave)

06 Cranberry Crush (magenta)

This color came out darker on other swatches I've seen. I wish it was darker on my lips too.

I still really like it though :]

My three balm sticks

This is a screen shot of the other Jordana colors

The verdict: Overall, I did like the Jordana balm sticks. They did stain, especially the Cranberry Crush which makes sense since it's really pigmented. Though they all tint into a bright pink or Kool-Aid red (at least for me). The tint, however, was very strong on the inner portions of my lips. My friend who has naturally dark pigmented lips claimed a light tint for all the colors she has (Cranberry Crush, Terra Crave, and Rock N Rouge).

Each of the lip stains do have a glossy finish. The "Shine" in "Twist and Shine" stands very true! It has a glossy finish, especially on the center of lower lip, but does not feel like a gloss, which I very much appreciate since I am not a big lip gloss fan. 

Would I repurchase? YES and no! I definitely will be repurchasing 05 Honey Love. Honey Love is closest to "my lips but better" which is what I've been trying to find for ages! I am on the fence about repurchasing 08 Terra Crave though I really do like it. I wouldn't repurchase 06 Cranberry. It comes out really magenta bright on me, which is weird because on others' it came out as a beautiful Fall dark cranberry color. BOO. I also didn't like the stain of the 06 Cranberry. It was too Kool-Aid for me. I don't think I'll be trying any of the other colors. I've tried Sweet Pink and Rock N Rouge - not a big fan.

L'Oreal Infallible Le Rouge Lipstick 
I am the type of person who HAS to finish a product. Unless it's totally grotesque, I will somehow make it work and finish it. The next two products are two lipsticks that I had bought a long while ago. After I bought them, I told myself I wouldn't buy anything more until I used them all up...and as you can see from the pictures above, I broke my own promise. OH WELL. I rationalize it with the fact that Jordana and Wet n Wild were so affordable, it's okay :D

L'oreal Infallible Le Rouge Lipcolor in Intensely Mauve (512)

I apply this brick red color every morning for work. Very little goes a long way. It's quite pigmented.

L'oreal Infallible Le Rouge Lipcolor in Eternal Rose (227)

This color is showing up as a darker "natural" pink in the pictures. With this lipstick, a little goes a long way as well. The color is very interesting. Sometimes, it looks like a darker pink color with a brownish tinge to it, sometimes it looks like a brighter pink with a light purple tinge. Nonetheless, I do really love this color. I keep it in my purse for touch-ups throughout the day

The verdict: I have had these two for a long time and I'm nearing its end, specifically for Eternal Rose. I do love these lipsticks because they are longlasting. I do have to reapply (as with any lipstick), but it does stay on for a good while. Thank you to Judy from ItsJudyTime on YouTube for introducing me to this lipstick. She mentioned it on her daily vlog so I had to try it. 

Would I repurchase?  YES! I want to try Forever Frappe, ItsJudyTime's favorite. And I also want to look for a "my lips but better" color in this line.

After writing this post, I realize that I buy mauve-y pinks and reds. I buy pinks  thinking they would be more natural, but they end up being a little more bold, which is quite exciting for me. I don't think I'm quite ready to rock a full on cherry red lip, but maybe one day. For now, I'm getting used to my bolder pinks and muted reds.

So my obsession with lippies ensues and my hunt for the perfect "your lips but better" lipstick continues! I do love the Jordana lip stain in Honey Love and will definitely be repurchasing that as I had mentioned. I would like to find a lipstick version of "your lips but better." 

I am going to do my utmost best to control myself and NOT purchase new products at this time. I need to take a chill pill on my lipstick spending. And I'm trying to finish my older products first.

Please let me know some of your favorite lipsticks. If you've found the perfect "your lips but better" lipstick, please oh please share!

<3<3<3

Nails Nails Nails: Gallery of Past Designs

I think 2011 was the year I became obsessed with doing my nails. I was becoming more and more obsessed with beauty blogs, YouTube tutorials, and Pinterest. Oh social media, the things you do to me!

I decided to just showcase my nails from seasons past. The great thing about blogs is that you have an online record/diary of everything you do and choose to post. As you can see, I rarely do monotone colored nails anymore. I need some type of design. Very rarely (usually when I don't have time) do I just do one full color sans design.

Here goes it!

*Disclaimer: Please don't mind the poor lighting and amateur clean up. I am only just a beginner :) And sorry for the sudden influx of photos :) All products that I can remember are mentioned.

I did these nails for the UCLA v. CAL football game last week (UCLA won!). Products used from left to right: Revlon Multi Care Base+Top Coat, Revlon in 020 Pure Pearl,  Forever 21 Marina, Elf Golden Goddess, and Wet n Wild 236C Silvivor

 I found the Loreal Limited Edition Diamond Collection nail stickers on clearance so I bought two: one black and one gold. I used the black one on top of Sinful Collections 857 Bianca. I used the gold stickers on a Wet n Wild nail polish. I used Butter London's Nail Foundation as the base coat. LOVE

These nails are inspired by a design that I came across on Pinterest. As you can tell, I modified it and added a Peter Pan collar on the the thumb nail

These nails were also inspired by a design that I found on Pinterest. I used Sinful Colors in 857 Bianca mixed with a white nail polish also by Sinful Colors

Sorry for the poor lighting. This is another Pinterest inspired manicure

And yet, another Pinterest inspired manicure. I wore this the week of Valentine's Day in 2012

Simple blue and gold diagonal

This was my go to look when I worked in a very [unstructured] structured facility. Nails had to be less flashy. Since I just couldn't do nails without flash, I did these more subtle decor

These nails are inspired by after seeing Google images of "baby shower." As the caption reads, the nails were done in honor of my baby nephew

I was obsessed with bows at one point

 I did these nails for my former co-intern's wedding 

Nails for the Olympics. Go Philippines! :D

The beginning of my nail bow obsession

Lupus Awareness themed nails

This is the only nail that came out decent! HAHA :D And this is the first of my nail art obsession

I know I added a lot of photos in there, but I do hope you enjoy. I make no claims to be fantastic at nail art. I simply enjoy doing my nails and playing around with different designs. I find it quite therapeutic.

Show me your nail art. I'd love to see it and be inspired!

<3<3<3