Fixing The Bumps

Hello my Lovelies,

I have been M.I.A. for a while now and I sincerely apologize for leaving you all without notice. I started my Masters not long ago and over the summer it started getting harder and harder for me to balance work and school. I also had a lot of personal issues that needed to be sorted out like moving to a new place, helping my mother move as well, and recovering from a car accident. The accident experience was a lot worse than the damage, thank god, but I just needed some time away to recollect myself. I am back now and happy to share some products I have tried in the past few months. This will be a collective haul and review!

Product #1: Queen Helene Cocoa Butter Facial Scrub 

I have always heard great things about Queen Helene Mint Julep but for some reason the tingling feeling of mint never settles well with my skin so I opted for the Cocoa Butter instead. I must say for the $4.16 I paid for this scrub, I love it!! It compares to the overly priced microdermabrasion products out there. I thought it would be similar to St. Ives scrubs but it isn't like that at all. The grains are very fine and well sorted through the smooth soapy cocoa butter. I use it 1-2 times a week so I don't very dry my skin. It makes my face smooth and soft afterwords. For the price, you can't go wrong.

Product #2: Lush Mask of Magnaminty

I am a loyal customer of Lush and I love a lot of their bath bombs and moisturizers. This is the first face mask I've tried from Lush and at first I didn't really like the consistency of it. It's rather thick and when applied, there's small pieces of red bean that don't always stick to your face so they fall in my sink. I learned that wetting your face or adding a bit of water to the mask then applying helps thin out the texture a bit and makes applying it so much easier. I love the feeling during and after. Like I mentioned, I am not too big of a mint fan, but this product is more like chocolate chip mint and it smells amazing. It really tightens your face and pores while it dries. After it is completely dry or after 15-20 minutes, gently wash the mask off by scrubbing the red bean around and rinsing with warm water. Your face will feel supple and soft after. After using it for a month, I still have 75% of the container left. It definitely made my skin less oily after consistent use. For $11.95, it goes a long way.

Product #3: Lush Jumping Juniper Solid Shampoo

I used the Seanik solid shampoo prior to this and loved how it made my hair less oily after a few weeks of use so I decided to try a different scent with similar qualities. This seems like lemon and juniper, which is lovely for my senses. However, I ran into the same problem I had with solid shampoos in general, the edges start to crumble over time and I end up with small bits of shampoo bar that gets wasted down the drain. (It's $5.95 and its suppose to last longer than a regular bottle of shampoo) It is also difficult to keep try in the shower in my tin so I started taking it out with me every time I leave the shower. Once it gets soaked in the tin, it becomes this soft jelly material that gets stuck on the inside and you can't get the shampoo bar out. Besides the tedious process of keeping it a bar and dry, the results from the Jumping Juniper are very good. It volumizes my hair a lot and leaves a light scent for a day. I use a deep conditioner with it once a week to keep my hair from drying out too much.

Product #4: TheFaceShop Herb Day Cleansing Tissue

These wipes are super moisturizing and refreshing. I love keeping them in my gym bag and using them to wipe away the excess oil and sweat before going home. These are also good for those lazy, stay-at-home days where you end up going out mid-day and need a quick pick me up to palette your face for makeup. It has a fresh floral scent but not too overwhelming. The tissue is soft and non-abrasive and my skin doesn't sting after using it. It has a slightly cooling affect as well. I bought this in NY for $3 and it was the travel size of 20 sheets. I like having smaller packages of wipes so it is easier to travel with. The full size is 70 sheets and around $9.

Product #5: Victoria's Secret So Sexy Clean & Go Dry Shampoo

I really like the concept behind dry shampoos but I have yet to find one that satisfies me. I have very oily hair that starts deteriorating the 2nd day after my wash so dry shampoo, when applied well, helps me elongate my between wash time. I've tried Suave, Oscar Blandi, and Batiste. They all have either left white residue in my hair so bad I looked like I am 100 years old or it didn't make a difference. I had a $10 off coupon for VS so I decided to try their version. It was $14 originally so $4 made it a good deal for me. After the first use, I did notice my hair was a lot less oily. However, it did make my hair more stiff as if I applied hairspray to my roots. It doesn't leave a white coating and it does volumize. It has a heavy perfume/alcohol scent so I am not sure how healthy it is for hair, but overall I am happy with the results it gave.

Till next time :)

Little Black Bag June

I was excited this month because I really wanted to find a crossbody bag and I found one I really liked on LBB. For those of you who do not know what LBB is, it is a monthly subscription service or one-time shop for high-end purses, accessories, makeup, household items and cell/laptop accessories. The monthly cost is $49.90 and the one-time purchase is $59.90. You chose one item to open your 'bag' with and then the site matches you up with 2 other items. Then the fun begins! You have 7 days to trade with other customers and see what you can get with the items in your bag. You can ultimately end up with 4-5 items at a time!

The item I chose to open with was actually the Danielle Nicole Leather Clutch but then I realized it was a shoulder bag instead of crossbody so I traded for this adorable beige colored BCBGeneration - Snake Embossed Mini Crossbody.

I love the contrasting chain and the leather strap on the top so it won't hurt my shoulder. I have another envelope crossbody that has just all chain and it leaves marks all over my shoulder when I wear tank and tube tops. It looks really funny. The bag is around 6.5'' x 6.5'' so its not large but its perfect for a day out or to dinner. Because of the color and snakeskin print on the bag, its good for all occasions. The turn lock also keeps everything in just in case if over turns.

The other items in my bag:

 Kenneth Cole New York - Small Drop Earring
 Gorjana - Snowflake Charm Necklace 
ZAD - Owl Necklace 

My total retail price was $170 and I paid $54. I am overall satisfied, however, I thought the images made the charms on the necklaces seem a lot larger than it actually is. That was quite deceiving. I hope that in the future it will be more to scale.

Till next time :)

Target Haul

I wanted to share some essentials that I picked up at Target this weekend.

-Nivea Touch of Sparkle Body Wash- Has diamond particles to exfoliate and make your skin glow. I haven't tried it yet but i love the blossom scent and I've used other Nivea body washes before. They definitely moisturize and soften your skin.

-Scunci Hair Ties- I like these ties because the last a very long time. The only bad thing is their start off very tight and over time the stretch to very large. The coral and black colors drew me in though cause I've been buying a lot of coral clothing lately.

-Sonia Kashuk Pencil Sharpener- My single sharpener from Sephora finally broke on me and I needed another one but I have a few larger eyeshadow pencils now so I like the duo sharpener of this. It was super cheap too.

-Tweezerman Mini Travel Tweezers- I hate when I have a few stray hairs under my eyebrows and I'm going to a nice formal event. These tweezers are so adorable and compact, its perfect to throw in your purse and it even comes with a case. Tweezerman is as good as it comes with tweezers, very sharp and precise. I definitely recommend this!

-Revlon Nail Polish in Forest- I wanted a darker color for my nails but not black. This has a nice dark green tint and very fine glitter particles, perfect for a night out.

-Kotex Thins- I think these are the perfect thin liners. The single packaging and bright colors also sold me. They have wings that fold in and they actually stay. It curves well to your body and works well for those light days that you girls need some light protection ;)

This is the free summer sample bag Target sent out a while back for liking their Facebook page. Their sample bags are always amazing! The pouch is totally cute and reusable. The Aveeno scrub, Tresemme shampoo and conditioner and Neutrogena sunblock are deluxe samples and great for traveling. So make sure to keep your eye out on the next sample bag offer!

Till next time :)

May Hits and Misses

I know its a bit late, but I've been so caught up with school and doing some freelance design projects on the side. I still wanted to share some of my favorite products from the last month with ya'll cause there's some things I really liked!

Hit #1 

An Estee Lauder product that I've been really enjoying is the Advanced Night Repair. This serum can almost serve as a night time moisturizer because it rejuvenates my skin so well. It absorbs very fast but it seals in so much moisture. The morning after my skin looks so dewy and glowing, its like I slept for 10 hours when I've really only slept for 5. It doesn't have a strong scent. Its a yellow clear liquid and at first it might be a bit sticky but once its fully absorbed, its very silky soft. It comes in a big bottle that will last a long, long time. The dropper is very easy to use as well.

Hit #2

I got a deluxe sample of this Estee Lauder Resilience Lift Firmng/Sculpting Eye Cream in my gift set last month and I started using it immediately cause I was out of eye cream. I loved it since day 1. It goes on very smooth and soft, its creamy but not oily and doesn't make my eye puffy the next day. It applies with a cool feeling but for an added effect, you can put it in the fridge and it'll become even cooler on your skin. It smells very light but a pleasant floral scent. I do see some results with lightening my under-eye circles, but not so much with firming my skin. This could also be because I haven't gotten to the point where that is needed yet. 

Hit #3

Now that the weather in Florida is almost 100 degrees all the time, I wanted to get a toner spray that I can use throughout the day to remove some shine and oil. I found this Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater on Nordstrom.com for $7 and I thought it was a pretty good deal for 4oz.  After my first time using it, I noticed my skin was immediately refreshed. The mid-day shine was faded and my skin was supple and moisturized. I love the light, fresh rose scent too. I started using it as a toner before moisturizer as well because it saves the time I spend pouring my other toner onto a cotton pad. This I can just spray on, pat in and move on. I plan on putting some in a smaller bottle to carry around in my purse and leave the big bottle at home. Overall, definitely worth it to buy!

Hit #4

LUSH Seanik Shampoo Bar has become my new holy grail for shampoos. I adore it! It smells great, like the ocean but better. When I first heard about LUSH's shampoo bars, I was very skeptical. I thought how would a bar of shampoo become sudsy and wouldn't it over dry my hair? No to both. It has so much foam and suds, even more than my old John Freida shampoo. It doesn't over dry my hair cause I still use a volumizing conditioner with it but it leaves it feeling super clean. I use it every other day and I've noticed that the oil in my hair is slowly getting less on the 2nd day. I have very oily hair to begin with so I can't go through more than 2 days without washing my hair but I've been able to back off on the dry shampoo more with this bar. The seaweed particles in it don't really affect me and it doesn't clog my drain at all but I'm sure its not everyone's cup of tea. I'm planning on trying the Jumping Juniper next, but this should last me a long time. I've had it a month and its still only 1/4 used.

Misses

I ordered from the e.l.f. website and got 3 items I needed, a lip brush, a stippling brush and a HD Finishing Powder. I have been using the Make Up For Ever HD Powder and I've been loving it but it's quite expensive so I was looking for a replacement product. The powder works alright but it goes on a lot more white than the Make Up For Ever one, which is light and sheer. It blends in better on top of makeup so the e.l.f. one was a miss for me. The stippling brush is soft but it is a bit too soft and doesn't apply my bb cream very well. The lip brush is horrible and the bristles fall out and stick to my lips every 5 seconds. I see it balding after a few uses. So even though there have been some e.l.f. products that I love, like my slanted eye liner brush, these 3 were all misses for me. Better luck with other products hopefully!

Till next time :)

OOTD #3: Summer Flare

Since the weather has been getting hotter in Florida, I've been wearing a lot more shorts and sheer tops. This is what I wore to a sister brunch at Eleplant Bar

Top: H&M printed sheer tunic

Shorts: Hollister white shorts

Shoes: Guess nude pumps

Bag: Danielle Nicole Mini Jelly Satchel from LBB

Necklace: eBay

Congrats on the baby, jiejie!!

On a side note:

My best friend went to Japan and brought me back all these goodies! I've been loving the matcha and cherry blossom flavors!! Why can't they sell these in the States?!

Till next time :)

Little Black Bag

My new current obsession is Little Black Bag. I've been addicted every since I opened my first bag. LBB is online shopping site where you take a style profile and then get matched up with 2 items on top of the one item you choose to open your 'bag' with. It is a monthly subscription service if you want to pay $49.95 and it comes out to $54.95 with tax/shipping. You can also choose to buy single bags without any obligations and will not be charged monthly. The price for single purchase is $59.95. 

Once you open a bag, you have 7 days to trade with other customers. You can trade 2 or 3 things for one item and trust me, its so addicting!! If you don't find anything you like, you can simply skip that month. Their customer service is very good and they're willing to work with you on any questions or concerns.

Their packaging was lovely and everything was tissue paper wrapper and sealed with their logo sticker. I started out with 3 items, however, I didn't particularly like the earrings that I started out with so I traded my original handbag selection along with a pair of earrings for this $98 Steve Madden Hobo Bag. The 3rd item I had was a set of Robert Rose orange woven earrings.

I absolutely love the bag. Its a very soft high-quality leather bag and it's huge. I use it every time I travel on the plane cause it carries everything I need included a jacket or coat. It comes with a single shoulder handle and a long detachable crossbody strap. The earrings were bigger than I thought but I really like how they add a pop of color to any outfit.

Here's how the hobo bag looked with my OOTD, along with an adorable froyo mascot :)

This is how the earrings looked.

Till next time :)

NYC Fashion Haul: H and M

On a humid rainy day, what better way to avoid the rain than to go shopping inside a big store. That's exactly what I did at H and M. I've noticed that styles in these stores are slightly different when you shop in a different region. I like the fashion in the SoHo district in NY so I had to stop by this store. I bought some summer outfits for the oncoming heat.

The first set is patterns. I bought a sheer leopard button-up top. It has fold up long sleeves and its slightly longer in the back than the front. Its just long enough for me to tuck in my high wast shorts. I love the color of this leopard print, its not too dark and overbearing for a casual day outing. The other pattern top I bought is a sheer blue-green tunic. Its something I can wear over a bathing suit at the beach or over a white tank top slip as a dress with some stockings. I ventured out of my typical comfort zone with patterns on this one but I wanted to try something new and this is a start. It has a drawstring in the middle and little gold ends on the string.

The 2nd set is white tops. I got a white, stretchy sheer button-up long sleeves. What I love about this top is the cut on the bottom. Its split and cut so you can actually tie the ends in the front and tuck in the back because its longer in the back. I'll have to do an OOTD to show ya'll. I can wear it with a tank top and skinny jeans or over a bright colored dress. The tank top is just an essential sheer white tank, very basic and easy to throw some accessories on. It'll be good with a pair of blue jean shorts or colored skinny jeans.

The 3rd set is fun colors. The bright yellow dress is definitely something I wanted for the summer. I wanna pair it with a coral woven belt instead of the sash it came with. The material is sheer but the underlining is actually pretty think. Its not see-through at all. The color is just so inviting and sunny. The teal shorts are a flowy and light material. It sits right on my hips and the loose feel makes my thighs look a lot smaller than they are. I'm thinking of color blocking with these shorts or pairing it with a neutral top and heels for a casual date.

As I wear these pieces in my OOTD, I will update again with pictures!

Till next time :)

NYC Skincare Haul: THEFACESHOP

I went to NY this past weekend and completely overspent on hauls from different stores. I bought very useful things and mostly products that I know I will use because they are essentials. So without further ado, let's jump into my haul from THEFACESHOP.

I fell in love with this company on my last trip to NY. I bought some of their skincare products last time and I've seen my skin slowly getting rejuvenated with each use. This time I bought some more skincare products.

#1 Smart Peeling White Jewel Exfoliating Scrub - I picked this up to replace my St. Ives scrub.When I tried this at the store, I liked how it felt like a microdermabrasion scrub on my skin. The fine particles in the creamy cleanser was soft enough not to make my skin irritated but just enough to take the dead skin off and smooth out my skin tone. I plan on using this once a week before using a sheet mask.

#2 Herb Lip & Eye Remover - Sadly, the makeup remover bottle broke in my luggage on the way home so it spilled a bit. I really like the aftermath of this remover. It leaves the skin around my eyes very soft and refreshed. Its not oily at all and it doesn't require shaking to mix. It works very well on my eye makeup except for my waterproof eyeliner, that takes a bit longer to take off. Overall, I like the light scent and liquid of this remover.

#3 Herb Day Cleansing Tissues - It smelled very refreshing with a hint of cucumber. I had ran out of my Yes to Cucumbers wipes on this trip so I picked this up. The smallest package it came it was the 20 sheets which is still a bit bulky to carry around but I liked the feeling of freshness it left on my face so I decided to buy it anyways.

#4 Lovely ME:EXMini Pet Perfume Hand Cream - It was completely adorable and just sat on the shelf staring at me. I just fell in love with it. I bought the 02 Summer Floral scent and its a lovely light scent. The cream itself is non-sticky and highly moisturizing. The packaging is small enough to carry in a purse.

#5 Lovely ME:EX Nail Polish Remover in Pink - Haven't gotten a chance to use them yet but it smell fruity and lovely.

#6 Cereal Mask Sheet Walnut and Pine Nut, #7 Cotton Squares, #8 EcoTherapy Emulsion - These were all samples the store gave me to try. I've used masks from THEFACESHOP before and the results are pretty good but I didn't like the thick texture of the sheet. It was also a lot larger than my face is. The cotton squares are soft and doesn't leave cotton hairs all over my face but its thin. It doesn't soak too much liquid and gives off a lot onto your skin which is good because you're not wasting product on the cotton pad. The emulsion bottles are so cute! They're small and easy to carry for travel. I plan on using it on travel and on the plane.

GlossyBox USA Launch!

Glossybox has launched in the US! I have been seeing bloggers form around the world getting this monthly subscription and I've always been curious what it was exactly. I was one of the lucky bloggers to receive this special edition of GlossyBox USA. The items in this box were all deluxe samples and full size products. I was very pleasantly surprised. I have read around that this is a limited edition for the launch so not every box will have this many awesome products. The monthly cost for a GlossyBox is $21.

It came very beautifully packaged in a hard-cardboard box that I am actually going to use for storage too.

Inside the box was a list with product information.

In case you can't see the photo clearly, here's what was inside the April GlossyBox:

- Erno Laszlo Hollywood Collection

- Cargo EyeBronzer

- BASQ Cucumber Tea Eye gel
- OPI Kiss me on my tulips
- C.O. Bigelow Lavender & Peppermint Shampoo
- Kryolan High Gloss Brilliant Lip Shine (Toffee)

I will individually review these products as I get to using them. My initial experimentation with them were very promising. The Cargo eyeshadow is very pigmented but can flake under your eye. Its a powdery texture. It reminds me of the shadows Victoria Secret Beauty had, same sort of packaging and quality. The color is a bronzy gold color. The BASQ eye gel is very light and smells a bit minty. It is suppose to help depuff the eye area and I definitely need some of that. The OPI color is not really good for my skin tone but nonetheless, it is a pretty fuchsia shade. The C.O. Bigelow shampoo smells heavenly. Its a floral mint scent and just strong enough to smell with the bottle open. The Kryolan gloss is a bit thick, which might make it sticky, but the color is nude and creamy. The Erno Laszlo samples include a morning beauty rescue, refresh moisture infusion, instant eye repair, intensive porcelain veil and velvet night cream. These sample packets are great for traveling!

Till next time :)

Influenster May 2012

I signed up for Influenster a while back and I finally got my first box this month. I was super excited!! It came in a very well packaged box and had a lot of amazing products in it. I have reviewed some of these products on Influenster.com but I will also go through them here. If you are not familiar with Influenster, its basically a free sampling box sent out to chosen people who are to use the samples and then review them on their blogs, youtube channels, FB/Twitter pages, etc. Its free to sign up for but not guaranteed that you will be selected and it's not every single month. 

Here's a list of what was inside my May box :)

SHEER COVER - DUO CONCEALER

Ideal for hiding blemishes, age spots, redness, scars and other imperfections without heavy, cakey coverage. Duo shades can be blended to perfectly match any skin tone.

SALLY HANSEN - SALON EFFECTS 

Real Nail Polish Strips! This product wears like nail polish because it IS nail polish (with no drying time). Apply and you’re ready to go.

DR. SCHOLL’S FOR HER  - BALL OF FOOT PADS

Whether you have on-going foot discomfort, or just a soft spot for the most stylish shoes in the store, you’re going to love the Dr. Scholl’s® For Her line. Take a few steps towards happier feet today!

AVEENO - DAILY MOISTURIZING BODY WASH

This body wash cleanses & moisturizes for visibly healthier skin every time you shower. It’s lightly fragranced, soap free, dye-free & hypoallergenic so it’s gentle enough for sensitive skin.

CHAPSTICK - LIP SHIELD 365

This new product offers all season protection & moisturization for year-round exposure to the sun, wind & cold. With SPF 50+, it helps to protect from the sun’s damaging UVA/UVB rays.

BATH & BODY WORKS - FINE FRAGRANCE MIST

Discover a better, more delicate fragrance experience with the NEW Fragrance Mist Collection. With over 20 Signature fragrances to choose from, it’s love at first mist!

SOYJOY - BAR

Enjoy SOYJOY with all-natural real ingredients like real fruit and whole soy! Simply baked in their Southern California bakery into SOYJOY bars for REAL energy-sustaining deliciousness.

I'll do reviews on each product as I try them out! So far, I've only tried the SoyJoy Bar in Strawberry, which I absolutely loved! It was so delicious and not overbearingly sweet, and the BBW Mist in Moonlight Path, which isn't my favorite scent but I do like the soft scent it leaves versus a very strong alcoholic scent. 

Till next time :)

JustFab.com Shoes Review

Hello lovelies! Its been a while cause I've started my 2nd semester in grad school and i've been picking up a lot of side jobs in design so I've been swamped. I actually had all these post ideas but just never got the chance to upload them. So for the next few days I will be mass-posting! Last few weeks I've been receiving a lot of stuff in the mail. One thing is my JustFab.com shoes!

JustFab is an online shopping website. They do a monthly subscription and a single purchase version. The monthly subscription is $39.95 and you can skip months if you don't find anything you like that month. You take a personality quiz when you sign up and you'll be matched with shoes, accessories and handbags. You can also earn points and the shipping is free. If you choose to do single purchase, it can range from $49 to $79 but no monthly skips. 

The packaging was great and I really like that it was easy and customer service was friendly. The shoes are made by JustFab themselves and come in a nice sturdy box with a dust bag too. The shipping was very fast, around 4 days after the order was processed. 

I did monthly subscription just to try it out. I bought these coral sandal heels.  The quality is pretty good. The shoe is light on my feet and the straps are soft. The sole has a bit of leopard print so it adds some flare. The size was slightly larger than 6.5, which is what I wear and what I ordered. So it's pretty true to size but if you're in between sizes, I'd size down. I read many reviews and they mostly say the sizes run larger. 

Here's my OOTD with my new coral heels. The top and bottom are both from Forever 21. I've been trying out different bold colors for the spring. I think its expanding my wardrobe.

Till next time :)

April Hits and Misses!

In the month of April, I didn't get a chance to try a lot of new things, but out of the things I did try, I liked most of them. Here's some of my April favorites!

Hit #1:

I finally finished my body wash so I started my THEFACESHOP Lychee & Plum Essential Body Wash I bought during my last trip to NY. First off, this little bottle of heaven smells wonderful! I love lychee and this body wash actually has a delicate lychee scent. I don't smell the plum as much but that doesn't bother me at all. The liquid turns into foam easily on my loofah. It doesn't feel oily or leave my skin pulled tight. Its moisturizing even after I get out of the shower. This wash contains fruit extracts that are rich in vitamin C.

Miss #1:

I tried finding a new leave-in conditioner since my Ojon Revitalizing Mist was running out so I picked up THEFACESHOP Jewel Hair Care System Color Care Styling Mist. I believe this spray is not part of their product line anymore because when I checked the website, it wasn't listed, but there is a newer version called Jewel Therapy Water Jelly Essence. The styling mist supposedly moisturizes lackluster hair and brings out a more vibrant color. It contains jewel ingredients rich in minerals. I haven't seen a big difference in my hair since I started using this. I use it on my hair after it toweled dry and it sprays on clear and non-sticky, but the scent is overwhelming. Its like a mix between floral and alcohol. It overpowers my perfume sometimes. The moisturizing part is kinda effective, but my color is about the same and it doesn't do much for detangling. I bought a bottle of It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In which I've heard raves about. Hopefully that will work better on my hair.

Target Sample Bag Hits and Misses

This is the annual Spring sample bag that Target sends out to their loyal followers. This bag was a super cute bright coral and pink pouch. Its quite big and fits my Clairsonic Mia with its charger. Great for travel! Out of this bag, I liked the Neutrogena Foaming Cleanser and the Nivea 24 Hour Hydration Lotion. The cleanser was very sensitive, but still left me feeling clean. The lotion was enough moisture for my ashy legs, but doesn't leave them oily. The Magic Lumi Primer was a miss for me. I didn't see a big difference on my face after applying it. It did its job as a primer and sets a smooth base for my BB cream, but it didn't highlight or brighten anything. The Simple Gentle Cleansing Wipes did a good job refreshing my face after a hot day but didn't remove much makeup. It barely took off any of my Maybelline gel eyeliner. It also makes my face sting a bit afterwards. It was a miss for me. And the Pantene Volumizing Conditioner was just like any other conditioner I've used, nothing special.

On side note, I love the Lancome Visionnaire!

It is the most awesome serum I've used along with the Genefique. It seems Lancome has been developing some miracle elixirs because my skin is supple and finally healing with these 2 serums. I do one in the morning and one at night before my moisturizers. They have evened out my skin tone and lightened my acne scars. It also made my skin brighter and glow. They're extremely expensive in my book, but one splurge vs 20 small purchases that don't work is worth it to me.

Till next time :)

How I Store My Jewelry and OOTD #2

Back in college, I didn't have a lot of table space or space in general. One of my friends had push pins on her wall for her jewelry and I thought it was super creative but my walls couldn't be pierced through so I came up with a way to decorate my calendar board.. 

I added push pins to the cork part of the calendar and just hung my earrings on one row and my long necklaces on the 2nd row. This lets me easily find the jewelry that I wear often and its a grab-n-go.

This is my nightstand with all my lotions and my bamboo plant. The little yellow mushroom is actually a push nightlight that my bf got me. I love it! Its actually very bright and runs on just one AA battery. For my more expensive and nicer jewelry, I have a Sanrio jewelry storage cabinet and a Monokuro piggy earring holder. I recently bought a storage box from Staples to organize my other jewelry in my drawers. I will do a post on it as soon as I have it all sorted. 

I went to visit my bf in Rhode Island a month ago and it was still pretty chilly up there so this would be considered a colder spring outfit. I had a pair of Aldo booties, black leggings, a long sleeve shirt-dress from Express, a leather vest from Zara, and a triangle scarf I bought a long time ago. I was trying to keep it in the black, white and grey color scheme.

Till next time :)

Hautelook: Guess Swimsuit

Hi lovelies! Sorry I've been gone for a while. I had finals for my 1st semester as a grad student and it has been crazy hectic. Then after that I had a mini vacation planned. Since I haven't gotten a new bathing suit in a long time, I wanted to get one for the summer. I've been loving the new coral color this season so I found a great deal for a GUESS bathing suit on Hautelook. Hautelook is quick with their shipping and they have awesome deals if you can catch them. They go really fast though. Its not a monthly site, just a daily deals site with no obligations to subscribe or buy.

The actual color came out a bit more red than coral but it was still nice. The quality of the bathing suit is pretty good and thick. Its nylon and spandex. There's gold rhinestones on the left side of the top and bottom. I prefer Victoria Secret bathing suits over GUESS though. Its a lot more comfortable. The top has padding and ruffles around the edges. The cut on the bottom is ruffled and pulled in the middle so it shows a bit more of my bottom then I'm use to. I was shy wearing it around at first, but it gives more area to tan.

Missing my vacation already!!

P.S. Check out Little Black Bag! Its a totally addicting monthly subscription site and they have a lot of great deals!

Till next time :)

CitySlips Flats To Go!

Ladies, do your feet hurt after wearing heels for hours? Do you go out with your girls and limp to the car after the club? Do you work all day and soak your feet all night? Well CitySlips are here to solve your problem! I was waiting on a sponsorship from this company but then I saw a deal from LastCall.com and I couldn't resist buying these adorable leopard print ballet flats. 

They came in an adorable hard-cardboard box with a string at the top that you can use to carry. The flats are thicker than I thought but it's perfect for walking on the gravel ground. I hate the to-go flats that are paper thin and you can feel every pebble on the ground. 

Its padded in the front and the heel with a thick non-slip padding. It folds up easily and came with a small leather pouch that unfolds into a plastic tote. The tote is thin and cheap but the pouch is pretty soft and nice. 

With the flats folded up and zipped in the pouch, it comes out to be the size of a small clutch purse. I wouldn't say its convenient for the club or going on a dinner date, however, if you work or go shopping in heels, this is good to throw in your purse or car and change into afterwards. Its also useful if you travel and want to change into flats on the plane or in the car ride at any time.

Here's how they look on. I bought 6.5 and its pretty true to its size. The back is a bit loose on me but not uncomfortable. They fit well to the foot and the design is very cute. From far away, they look just like normal flats. Up close they look a bit like to-go shoes because the material is not as thick as regular shoes. Hope this helps you ladies out one day!

Till next time :)

More LUSH!!

I admit....I am addicted....I love, love, love this store!!! So I went in to get a sample of the Imperalis moisturizer and I walked out with T for Toes and Sweet Lips lip scrub.

The T for Toes is a dusting powder made with tea tree and lime essential oils. It is suppose to soak up moisture and take away any bad odors in your shoes and on your feet. I wear closed-toed flats and heels barefoot at work everyday so my feet do get a bit sweaty throughout the day. This powder does keep my feet dry and the scent is not unbearable. It does smell a bit medicinal. 

The consistency is like powdered sugar. I like the fact that it stays in the shoe long enough to work its magic for the odors, however, if you have black shoes and the powder falls on your shoe, it completely turns it white. Its as if you walked through white sand and it got stuck on the shoe. Its not attractive and looks dirty. It can be cleaned off with a wet napkin, but its just annoying to deal with.

 Overall, it does help the smell and supposedly kills bacteria. I think it'll be good for the winter when I wear a lot of boots with socks. I would recommend people try it if they wanna deal with stinky shoes :P

The Sweet Lips Lip Scrub is like eating sugar from a jar. I think that it does help a bit to take off the dead skin on your lips. Not too useful, but it tastes heavenly! It is chocolate and vanilla flavored. They also have bubblegum and mint julep. The ingredients include jojoba oil to keep your lips moist and castor sugar that gently exfoliates. It takes the hard-to-get-off colors that some lipsticks and lip tints leave on your lips. It makes your lips silky smooth if there's not too many scabs or dry patches. 

I tried on the It Started With A Kiss Lip Tint at the store after using this and I must say, I am tempted to go back and get it. The coral color is really vibrant and pretty. The texture is smooth and balmy. Definitely a good combo, but if you don't want to spend the extra money on a lip tint, and chapstick or lip balm will add a good dose of moisture after the scrub!

Till next time :)