Fashionista Award~~~

 

Oh my goodness! I was just nominated for this award by the Rikzah Zia at Lost In My Dreamland. Be sure to check her out! I’m absolutely blown away at this response to my ikkle baby blog <3.

These are the questions that go along with it. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

1. What motivated you to start blogging?

I have wanted to blog for years, but I resisted the temptation until recently! I recently moved back to help my family and found myself in a small Southern town. After living in a fairly large and definitely fashion forward city, it was definitely a culture shock.

Blogging is my connection to the larger beauty world, my escape from the land where you either subscribe to one style of fashion or you have no concept of it at all.

2. Favorite movies?

I watch a lot of foreign films, so enjoy the very random list ;).

미녀는 괴로워 (500 Pounds Beauty)

Vivah

Koizora

Pocahontas

여고괴담 3: 여우계단 (Wishing Stairs)

3. What is your dream career?

I’m not exactly sure what kind of job it would be, but I’ve always wanted to do something that mentored teenagers and young adults who have been abused. I work with youth now and I don’t think I’ll be changing careers anytime soon :). Maybe one day I’ll find my perfect job. Or make one for myself!

4. Top wishlist items at the moment?

Ok, I don’t even have to think very hard about this one!

All of the Bubbi (Bubzbeauty) makeup brushes!!!

A vanity (It’s not a makeup product, but it’s beauty related, right?)

Skin Watchers Cooling Pore Mask

Too Cool for School Pudding Shaking Aqua BB Cream (That name is waaay too long!)

K-Palette 1 Day Tattoo Liquid Liner

5. Favorite TV shows?

Supernatural

별에서 온 그대 (My Love from the Star)

미남이시네요  (You’re Beautiful)

命中注定我愛你 (Fated to Love You)

Vampire Diaries

6. What stores do you find yourself shopping in the most?

Plato’s Closet is probably my favorite store right now! I can’t help it. I love the deals too much to resist! 😀

7. Favorite fashion designers?

Ziad Nakad

Antonio Marras

Anna Sui

8. Describe your dream vacation?

Dream vacation? Well, if I’m allowed to dream big, I would LOVE to take a year and travel the world. There is so much that I want to see, so many cultures I want to explore, people I want to meet!

9. What are the goals of your blog?

I’m just happy blogging! I just want to continue to be able to share my obsessions with everything beauty related and show people that beauty transcends race, and conventional beauty standards.

10. If you had the opportunity to interview a celebrity, who would it be?

There are so many! This question is hard.

Janelle Monae! From everything I’ve seen from her, she seems like a really down to earth woman. She is a really positive influence for young women and I think she has a lot to offer.

Ok, that’s it for the questions! Now on to my nominees!

A Work of Artifice: A Beauty Blog

Little Things

Naptually Coily

Because Every Part of You Can be Beautiful, Even Your Buns

Azyshey

Call Me Jagi

Perfectly Nailed UK

Beauty by Burdess

KBeautyUp

Look Beyond Beauty

Be sure and check all of them out! Their blogs are wonderful :).

Plus Size Fashion: Every Day is a Superhero Day

Hello again Beauties!

Pardon my title, but really though. This batman is one of my favorite clothing items that I own! I have no idea why exactly other than the fact that it’s fun and it makes me happy. Isn’t that what fashion is about? ^_^

 

This outfit is pretty simple, but it’s the accessories that make me feel most excited and confident. God is in the details, right? 😉

 

 

 

Now that I think about it, the whole look is a tad skater, no?

I’m not sure what it is exactly, but it’s quirky and that’s a pretty good visible expression of my personality.

 

 

Ok let’s talk details.

The shirt I got from this really cool clothes shop called Funky Monkey. I’m glad I stopped by Magazine Street last time I visited my friends in New Orleans. Their prices are great and you never know what you’ll find on the racks. So if you’re ever in the area, you should definitely stop by!

The pants are an old purchase from a local thrift shop.

I feel like I should re-name this post, “Thrift Store for the Win!”

 

If I had to pick a favorite pair of shoes from my little collection, these would be it at the moment. Hands down!

They were actually a steal. I got them from Plato’s Closet, but they were originally from Shoedazzle. $40 Shoes for $8? Yes, please!

 

The ring and the love bracelet were purchased at Romancing the Stone. I like to walk the downtown strip on my lunch breaks and I usually catch all the jewelry sales. What can I say? I like my sales ;).

The gold bangle was a gift from one of my close friends from Baublebar. I checked their website and they no longer carry this particular bracelet, but you should definitely check them out. All of their jewelry is beautiful and pretty unique!

 

Kyaaa! Isn’t this earring adorable! I about died of excitement when I saw it in the store.

It’s the simple things, right?

I got this earring from an absolutely ADORABLE shop on Magazine Street called Kawaii NOLA. If you are into Japanese fashion or just out of the norm accessories, this is the place for you. The owner is super~ sweet and will even ship items to you if you message her from the Facebook page or website.

 

So needless to say, this is one of my favorite outfits for Summer!

Let me know in the comments your favorite quirky accessory ^_^.

Senior Year Photo Shoot Makeup

My younger sister is going to be a senior in high school! I cannot say how weird that makes me feel. She’s still a tiny, adorable 10 year old who liked to watch “Fated to Love You” and “You’re Beautiful” with me!

Alas, she is getting older without my permission! *sniff sniff*

And she’s grown up to be quite beautiful! A local photographer spotted her and asked her to model for their company. I’m so proud that everyone can see the woman she is becoming.

The company doesn’t have a makeup artist on staff at the moment, so I did it for her. I mostly used my sister’s makeup so this will be a high end look with drugstore makeup ;). I will list the products at the end of this post.

 

 

 

Isn’t she gorgeous?

When she was thinking about her styling, she decided that she really wanted dramatic eye makeup. Karis thought it would make her look more like a model. I don’t think she needed my makeup to look like a model, but I think it turned out great!

Products:

• Revlon Colorstay Foundation in 180 Sand Beige
• Milani Face Powder in 04 Light Tan
• Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Matte Blackest Black
• NYC Color Wheel Mosaic Face Powder in Pink Cheek Glow
• NYC Color Wheel Mosaic Face Powder in All Over Bronze Glow
• Coastal Scents Original 88 Eyeshadow Palette
• L’Oreal Telescopic Shocking Extensions Mascara
• Rimmel London Professional Eyebrow Pencil in 002 Hazel
• Flower Kiss Stick Velvet Lip Color in LS 7 So Gladiola
• Flower Shine On Lipgloss Wand in LG3 Lovely Lotus

Here are some extra shots that I love.

 

What do you think of this makeup look and the photo shoot?

 

Music that Makes You Feel Beautiful

Good evening beautiful people~~~

This post isn’t going to be about any cosmetic or makeup product, but it will definitely brighten your face.

Yes it sounds cheesy, but being happy and smiling effects not only how you feel on the inside, but how people see you. There is nothing more beautiful than a simple smile. It makes you look more confident and makes people more drawn to you.

But I know I’m not always in the happiest of moods and sometimes it’s hard to be positive. When I feel sad or a little down, music never fails to improve my mood! A couple of weeks ago I heard a song that I’ve absolutely been OBSESSED with and I play whenever I feel like I need a pick-me-up ;).

Photo credit belongs to 1theK (LOEN Music)

 

“8dayz” by Megan Lee is one of the happiest songs I’ve heard in a while. The lyrics aren’t hella deep and soul touching, but there’s something about the song that just makes you want to get up from your office desk and dance around the room and smile until your face hurts. …Because I definitely didn’t do that today. Nope, not me. 😛

The chorus in English is:

Now it’s a new day, now it’s a new life
What a great day, hope it doesn’t end
Now it’s a new way, now it’s a new light
The blue skies, show me your heart

You make me feel alive
You make me feel alive

This song really does make you feel alive. I guess happiness really is contagious ^_^. And this is her debut song! How awesome is that?

So the next time you aren’t feeling the happiest, listen to your favorite song, take a short dance break from studying, or get up and do anything that makes you smile. It will make you feel more beautiful than any lipstick or blusher will!

You can listen to the original Korean version here or the English version here.

I listened to this song on repeat when I was taking pictures for the Rainbow Manicure post and I got one of my favorite pictures because I got excited and started dancing during the chorus.

 

Do you have a song that you love to play and makes you feel like an excited little kid? Let me know in the comments below :D.

Secret Key Snail+EGF Repairing Essence Review

Hello beauties!

Have you heard of using snail excretions in skincare?

The name of this product shouldn’t freak you out if you’ve been following skincare trends in Korea. Snail secretions have become extremely popular lately and the hype doesn’t look like it will be slowing down any time soon.

However, if you’re like me, putting snail sludge on your face hardly sounds appealing.

That’s part of the reason I took so long to try any of the snail products out there. But the more positive reviews I read, the more I became intrigued. So, I decided to check out the essence from Secret Key, mainly because of the ingredients.

Ingredients:

Snail Slime Extract , Tremella Fuciformis Extract , Rice Extract, Caviar , Human Oligo peptide, Macadamia Seed Oil

That’s it! How awesome is that? I love more natural products! It makes me feel a lot better about what I’m putting onto my skin. And snail slime extract is the first ingredient, so you know there is a high concentration of secretion instead of a bunch of filler.

Packaging:

Alright, this is definitely not my favorite packaging out there. That just proves I’m not always hypnotized by cute packaging ;). Aren’t you proud?

But really, brown isn’t exactly one of my favorite colors and I find the design is a bit blah. Beyond the superficial, the bottle is plastic. It isn’t a huge deal, but I prefer glass packaging because it ensures that the product is more stable. The logo is cute though!

 

The pump is really nice too :). There are a lot of snail creams and such out there that have a jar container. I definitely appreciate the hygiene of pump a lot more.

Consistency:

Ok, I’m not going to lie, this product is a tad bit weird. But just a little bit, I promise!

Seeing that the main ingredient is snail excretion, it is thicker than a lot of essences on the market.

See? It doesn’t even slide when I held my hand up and sideways.

And as you would expect, it is a tad sticky.

 

The good thing is that all of the stickiness fades when you rub it in for a few seconds. This makes it easy to use in the morning before your moisturizer and doesn’t affect your makeup application.

 

Tada~

Completely absorbed and only after a few seconds.

Claims and Effectiveness:

• Eases skin trouble with snail secretion extract and rhEGF (encourages formation of new skin cells)
• Healthy and tightened skin and snail secretion helps with skin renewal
• Moisture and skin protection
• Skin soothing effect and brightening with numerous natural ingredients

I have mainly been using this in hopes that it would help fade my acne scars and treat the fine lines under my eyes. I actually have seen an improvement in my scars! They are much less visible, but there hasn’t been much improvement with my fine lines. Technically, they don’t claim to do anything for fine lines, but I hoped the tightening feature would help.

When I use this essence and the Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner both in my routine, my pores around my nose are definitely getting better. It’s really good for the Summer too because it’s moisturizing without being heavy on my skin. It does really well with calming the redness in my face as well. I can’t say anything about the brightening though. I haven’t seen any significant progress with that.

Overall:

 

I really do like this product, but I just don’t love it. The texture and packaging don’t bother me so much, but I just don’t feel like I get enough results to justify a 5/5.

Will I repurchase? Hmmm I think I might try some other brands after this to see if I can find something better.

If you’re interested, you can buy this at Jolse. The price is really good.

Have you jumped on the snail train? Or does it just creep you out too much?

Flower Foundations Review

As promised, I am going to review the Flower About Face Liquid Foundation and Stick Foundation. I use these together, so I am going to review them together as well. Sound weird? You’ll see why.

So, let’s just jump right to it, yeah? (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

Packaging:

 

The packaging of these foundations is really simple, but elegant.

I love that the liquid has a glass bottle and there is a pump dispenser. Pumps are my favorite because they are the best for hygiene and control.

The stick foundation is a little less hygienic, but has a fair amount of product in it. I do wish there was a bit more.

Consistency and Coverage:

The liquid seems like it is going to be a little more thick when you first pump it out, but is actually more on the runny side when I applied it to my face. It made it easy to blend, but also means that there is going to be less coverage than I anticipated. This is a light/medium coverage foundation, but building it up to medium doesn’t make it look caked on. That saves it for me ;).

Another great thing is that it doesn’t settle into any fine lines or creases! However, it will slide, so you will need to set this with powder.

The stick foundation is really buttery and soft and has a bit more coverage than the liquid foundation. It’s super~ easy to blend with your fingers or a sponge. Here’s the problem. It settles. Big time.

Because I have the first shade, it is too light to use all over my face so I used it under my eyes and as a highlighter.

It looked really nice, but the settling into the beginnings of fine lines under my eyes isn’t so wonderful.

Demo:

 

This is my naked face. Good morning, dark circles!

One day I will learn to sleep properly. *Le sigh*

 

I applied the About Face Liquid Foundation to one side of my face and already you can see that my skin tone is corrected and brightened. Bye bye, redness and dark circles!

 

Here’s where I used the Stick Foundation. After I applied the liquid foundation to the rest of my face, I applied the stick along the top of my nose, under my eyes, and on anything I felt needed some extra coverage and highlighting.

 

To set the foundation, I used a mineral finishing powder. There is a makeup artist who buys the same mineral powder that BareMinerals uses and custom mixes a foundation and finishing powder for you according to your needs. She just gave me a bit of oil control considering it is 90-115°F here during the Summer.

And this is what it looks like after my makeup!

Staying Power:

Ok, granted the weather is abominable here, but this foundation only lasts about 4-6 hours before I have to powder my face again. Honestly, that’s not so bad and I’m sure it holds up better in more temperate weather.

Overall:

About Face Liquid Foundation

 

I really like this product, but I wish there was some kind of oil control. I think that would make it last a little longer.

I love that there is a lighter color with yellow undertones! I am a NC25-30 and it’s hard to find a lighter foundation that matches my undertones.

Skincognito Stick Foundation

 

I really like how soft and blendable it is, but I really can’t handle the settling.

The finish on both foundations is really pretty I think and it looks really good on the skin. I think I will keep using the About Face foundation when I need to take pictures with flash considering all of my bb creams have a fairly high amount of spf in them.

 

So, what do you guys think of the foundation? Have you tried it?

 

Huge Flower Cosmetics Haul!

One of my best friend’s mother found out about my love for everything beauty related and gifted me with a bunch of products from the new Flower line by Drew Barrymore. So sweet, right?

I’d seen the displays at Wal-Mart before, but I was hesitant to try them because I haven’t heard anything about the brand. Since Auntie was so nice to give me a chance to try some, I decided to do some investigating ;).

It turns out that the lack of advertising was intentional. Drew wanted to focus less on marketing and more on providing high quality cosmetics at drugstore prices. She actually was very involved in the development of the products and made sure there were no harmful chemicals and more natural ingredients used.

The result? Some very simple, but prettily packaged products. There’s everything from nail polish to eyeshadow pencils. Here is everything I got.

 

• About Face Foundation in LF4
• Skincognito Stick Foundation in SF1

 

Kiss Stick High Shine Lipcolors in:

• LS10 Nude Narcissus
• LS15 Tulips 2 Kiss You!
• LS11 Morning Glory

 

Kiss Stick Velvet Lip Colors in:

• LS1 Set Me Freesia
• LS7 So Gladiola
• LS8 Get to the Poinsettia
• LS9 Flamingo Flower

Lip Service Lip Butters in:

• LB3 Rose-y Future
• LB4 Princess & the Peony

Shine On Lipgloss Wands in:

• LG2 Baby’s Breath
• LG3 Lovely Lotus
• LG4 Irish I Could Fly
• LG9 Zen Zinnia
• LG10 In the Gardenia

So, mostly I have just lip products haha. And how cute are the flowery names? But if I like all of this, I might venture into the other products ^_^.

Since there are so many I will probably review each in pieces.

I’m looking forward to trying all of these! 😀

Have any of you tried these?

Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner Full Review

Ok. Wow. Just, wow! I love this toner so much! And I definitely waited long enough to see results ｡◕ ‿ ◕｡

 

Claims:

• Deep cleanse pores
• Maintain pH
• Control a large amount of sebum
• Minimizes appearance of pores
• Refine skin tone
• Keeps elasticity of pores
• Moisturizes the inside and the outside of the skin

Let me tell you, they are not lying!

I had never had trouble with my pores until the last six or so months. For some bizarre reason, my skin decided I needed the taste of puberty that I never experienced in my teenagers. I maybe had 5 pimples while I was growing up. No joke. But now I have trouble with hormonal acne and the pores around my nose and on my cheeks are starting to enlarge.

This toner has definitely started to turn my skin around. I use it after I cleanse my skin in the morning and it makes a huge difference in my makeup application. My bb cream and concealer goes on more smoothly and last longer. The best part for me is that I only have to use my blotting sheets once a day. If that. Humidity is terrible~~~ where I live, so this product has definitely made it to my favorite list.

Packaging:

Like I said before, I wish that I had bought the larger size. The pump would have given the product control that this pretty standard dispenser did not.

That being said, the design of the bottle and label is adorable! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

 

I mean, look at these awesome illustrations on the box!

 

 

Everything is so cute and fresh. If I didn’t already want this toner, I probably would have been an absolute sucker for the packaging and bought it anyway ;).

Smell:

Luckily for me, this doesn’t have a very strong scent at all seeing as medicinal or strong scents scare me off. The chemical burns I’ve gotten from other products was no joke.

It actually smells like ginger?

I don’t know. I kind of like it ^_^.

Effectiveness:

I’ve been using this for about a month now and I have seen a wonderful decrease in my pore size. It even helps with the redness and blemishes.

It doesn’t remove makeup residue after cleansing. So if that’s a big deal for you, using it in the morning would be better. But this also means that it doesn’t strip your skin either. Score for those with sensitive or dry skin!

Overall:

Surprise, surprise I will definitely be repurchasing this! It will be a long~ time before I will though. After a month, I’ve barely used an eighth of it! It’s not even down to the top of the label. I do appreciate that since this is at the higher end of price that I usually pay for skincare items at $18.

At least I know it’s long lasting!

 

Excitement level – ridiculous 😉

You can buy this at Jolse in both the larger and the smaller sizes.

Rainbow Manicure

Can’t decide which color to paint your nails?

Me either ^_^. And what says Summer and happiness better than rainbows?!

 

Really though, I just couldn’t decide on a nail color. Teehee~~~

I do really love this manicure! It makes me happy every time I see my nails. It even brightens up my day in the office!

 

It’s ok, my coworkers think I’m a kid still anyway, so I can get away with almost any style hair or nails ;).

This is what they look like up close.

I think the little gems add a nice touch ^_^.

Here are the polishes I used.

 

• Rimmel London 60 Seconds Polish in Stand to Attention
• NYC In a New York Color Minute Quick Dry Polish in Spring Street
• Pure Ice Polish in Excuse Me
• Essie Polish in Shake Your $$ Maker
• Sally Hansen Insta-Dry Polish in Brisk Blue
• Sinful Colors Polish in Candy Coated

You can tell I’m a super patient person when it comes to my nails, right?

Honestly, most of the nail polish I own is quick dry. And that’s saying something because I have a shoe box full of nail polishes. I think I have a problem~.

How do you feel about the rainbow mani? Have you done it before?

 

 

 

 

 

Etude House AC Clinic Daily Toner Review

I’m finally getting around to reviewing this toner! I’ve been using this for about a month now and I feel I’ve got a pretty good handle on it.

Actually, it’s probably better that I waited this long considering that it takes 28 days for your skin to completely turn over and see how the product has worked.

So, let’s get on with the review, shall we?

Packaging:

The design is very medical. I wouldn’t say it’s cute, but I like it.

 

The bottle is glass and that comes with it’s own problems and benefits.

The dark green glass will keep the product from spoiling or breaking down chemically. I can appreciate that. And it’s also more sturdy. That and the size make it good to travel with.

The problem comes with how it’s dispensed.

 

I know this is pretty typical for most toners, but it’s hard to control how much product comes out. And I’m not sure how great it’s going to be trying to get the last little bits out of the bottle.

That is really my only complaint about this whole product.

Smell:

I’m not going to lie. The smell matches the theme of the packaging; medical and a bit strong. I don’t have super sensitive skin, but I have experienced chemical burns from acne fighting products from the US. The smell scared me a little bit.

Luckily, I have had no trouble with this product! It doesn’t  dry out my skin and there hasn’t even been any kind of itching.

Effectiveness:

It does do a great job at bringing down the irritation in a pimple and any time I’ve had a breakout, it’s gone in a matter of a couple of days! As far as preventing pimples….well the number of breakouts has gone down, but I still have acne here and there. I can’t blame the product too much because I have hormonal acne.

Overall:

 

Don’t get me wrong, I really like this toner. It’s just not a holy grail for me. It does reduce the acne, but I wish it worked a little faster and was a little better at preventing blemishes.

Where to buy:

I got mine from Jolse! They are quickly becoming my favorite seller for Korean cosmetics ^_^.

Have you used this toner? How did it work for you?