How I Store My Nail Polish

 

I used to store my nail polish in an apothecary jar similar to the one with my cutips and cotton pads. They were hard to reach for the colors, and I found that by storing them sideways or upside down, the nail polish caps became hard to open. So, I recently changed my storage method to this beautiful box. The box is actually a box full of cookies and dessert from a bakery in Taiwan. I thought the box was so beautiful I had to bring it back to the states. It was empty for the longest time until just last week I decided to put my nail polish collection in there. Now, I'm not an avid nail junkie, nor do I have all the polish I want, so my collection is small but it has taken only a few months to reach this level. There are definitely a few colors I regret buying, but overall, I'm trying to constrain myself the next few months. Here are my favorites:

Left to Right: Favorite Top Coat (Seche Vite), Favorite Base Coat (OPI), OPI San Tan-tonio, butter London Yummy Mummy, Sephora by OPI Metro Chic

the box itself

the polishes! As you can see, I have a wide range of different brands, but if you'd like to see the colors, I can do a future update of my collection with the colors shown.

Asian Beauty Product Review: Rant

This item was such a splurge, and I was just very disappointed at the product. I know good whitening products are hard to find because you want something gentle enough for your skin but one that will also work well. I heard from Fuzkittie that this Paul & Joe whitening serum is the one she uses, and she speaks quite highly of it. I decided I had to try it just to see how good it was. Unfortunately, it didn't really change my skin at all. It didn't really brighten my skin or balance my skin tone. I believe this product was ~$60, and it's not even easy to find in the states. The texture is a milky white serum, and it blends very smoothly. It's more liquid-y that I'd like, so you have to really rub it on your skin for it to soak in. I know that Paul & Joe has another whitening product that's even more expensive, and that one is probably stronger than this, so I guess this was just not strong enough for me. I didn't have any negative side effects from this product, but I didn't gain what I was expecting, either. Overall, if you want to get whiter skin, stay out of the sun and wear sunblock!

Maxi Skirt Adjustment

 

I saw this maxi skirt at Forever 21 the other day and couldn't decide whether or not to purchase it. It was a final sale item, $11.99, but there was only Medium and Large left. It leaves hanging on your hips and is way too long because of how low it hangs. I decided I could sew the top to make it fit my waist the way I want it to, and voila! This is what I came up with. Of course, it's not perfect, but I thought it gives an interesting touch to an otherwise large maxi skirt. Here's a closeup of the sewing:

  

I pretty much just sewed the maxi skirt so it would fit snug on my waist. Now, it fits pretty high up and is rather flattering on my waist. I have to do another Outfit of the Day to show you how the fit looks. Overall, I really like this skirt because the fabric is very silky and is not sheer, so it doesn't stick to your butt like the others do, and I don't have to worry about the color of my underwear. The colors are not my favorite, but the chevron pattern is pretty classic. For $11.99, it shall do!
 

Peter Thomas Roth

I've always had hormonal acne, but about 9 months ago I started breaking out badly around my forehead all month long. It may have been because I moved to another city, but I still haven't figured it out for sure. Anyhow, I did some research on acne products and decided to try products from Peter Thomas Roth. DermatologistRx always has 30% off codes so I thought it was a good deal. I've stopped using the PTR products for a couple of months now, but I still wanted to do a review of the products. Some worked well while others did nothing for my skin. Here are the products I tried:

 

Botanical Buffing Beads $36: I bought this mainly for exfoliating my body. I used to have some back acne near my upper back, and it left some scarring so I figured exfoliating would clear it up. Overall, this product didn't help very much with the scarring, and it really doesn't do more than my usual Dove body wash with exfoliating beads. The texture of PTR body wash is grainy, but it's not rough on your skin. It smells a bit citrus-y, and it's not a smell everyone would find pleasant. Definitely skip this product!

AHA/BHA Acne Clearing Gel $45: This product is for when you have popped your pimple and need to disinfect and heal your wound. It doesn't do anything if you haven't popped your pimple yet. It also will not do anything if you didn't successfully pop your pimple. It has salicylic acid, so it stings after you put it on, but that also lets you know that it is working. It basically dries your wound so that the healing process is faster. Overall, this product works, but I will no longer pay for something I can get at CVS for a lot cheaper.

Acne Spot and Area Treatment $32: This product has sulfur in it, and it smells like fart. It's a yellow cream and applies very smoothly on the skin. I can't imagine that everyone would be OK with the smell of this product. I find it to work better when you apply it all over your skin than just a spot treatment. What I did was I applied it all over only on my forehead, my most problematic area, right before bed. I only used it at night because of the bad smell. It really mattifies your skin and when you wake up in the morning, your forehead is not shiny or oily at all. I only found this to help keep my skin less oily throughout the day. It didn't do very much for acne that was already present, and it only helped a bit in preventing acne. I would say this product works, but I would not recommend it because it doesn't do miracles on my skin. And for the price, you better be darn sure I'm hoping for miracles on my skin!

Gentle Complexion Correction Pads $36: These are pads that smell like Peach Bellini. I used these after the gym if I knew I was going to be running around before washing my face. It just mentally makes me feel like my skin is cleaner after sweating. All you have to do is take a pad and rub it all over your face and you're set. No need to wash your face or anything afterwards. They smell nice, but they really didn't do anything for my acne, and it didn't really help brighten my skin either. Overall, it's not worth it!!

Un-Wrinkle Peel Pads $45: This is the only product that I am still using today. I feel that these pads are the only things worth the money for PTR products. They make your skin so soft and smooth. I used to have small bumps around my forehead, and these pads completely smooth them out. I use these in the shower because you need to wash your face after rubbing the pad all over. It's basically a strong exfoliator and it almost takes a layer of dead skin off your face. You're left with smooth baby skin, but you have to be careful about it as well. I only rub it on my T-Zone because its my most oily area. If I use it on my cheeks, my cheeks dry out very badly afterwards. You definitely need to moisturize after using this, and I would only suggest using these once or twice a week. These are quite expensive, so I also cut them in halves so I can use them longer. Overall, this is the only product I would repurchase, and it's really helped my skin.

Mega-Rich Intensive Anti-Aging Cellular Eye Cream $65: I also used a PTR eye treatment cream for wrinkles when I was back in college. I used it for almost a year, and then I stopped. I tried to find it in my shelves, but I must have buried it somewhere because it was a bad purchase. I didn't have many wrinkles around my eyes, but I definitely wanted to start using something to prevent future wrinkles. I can safely say that it really didn't so anything for my skin. It didn't help with some of the faint lines around my eyes, and it also didn't help prevent wrinkles as I began to notice them show up. 

Overall, PTR products are clinical treatment products, so I understand the higher price point, but I also expect more from these products, which left me underwhelmed and quite disappointed. However, I am glad that I got to try these products because no one product works the same for everyone, and I would never know if I hadn't tried it. As a recap, the only product I would repurchase is the Un-Wrinkle Peeling Pads. If you're looking to try clinical treatment products, I would definitely first do research on them, and then look for the best deal. You can almost always find some sort of deal on expensive products if you look hard enough. I must say though, PTR definitely left a bad taste in my mouth, so it will be a while before I spend so much on skincare.

Zara Shoes!

As you know, I've been lusting over some Zara shoes lately, and I finally gave in and ordered the asymmetrical sandals with white snake print and pink leather. I've been wearing maxi dresses a lot so these ankle sandals and the ShoeMint ones have been getting tons of usage.

 

They actually feel funny when you first put them on. It's just a strange feeling because you don't have the same level of support on the outter sides of your feet. But once you get used to walking in these, it's perfectly comfortable and cute. I would say the only negative thing about these sandals is that the soles are a bit thin, so when you walk for a long period of time, you do feel the stress and pressure on the bottoms of your feet. Overall, I'm loving these because they are very different from anything I've ever owned, and the colors are perfect for my spring and summer wardrobe!

Lusting Over: Ombre Nails

Ombre hair has been popular for quite some time now, and I'm in no shape to jump on the bandwagon on that particular trend. In my opinion, ombre hair looks terrible on Asian hair because the tips become a nasty yellow color. Moreover, my hair is already in bad shape the way it is, and I'm in no hurry to make it any worse. However, ombre NAILS have definitely caught my eye this season. I've been playing with nail colors a lot more recently, and I'm definitely loving this ombre trend right now. Here's what I've been lusting over on my pinterest. By the way, none of these nails are mine; oh, how I WISH I had beautiful nails like these lovely people have...

 

The ombre effect is done so well on all four of these examples. I'm absolutely lusting over ALL of these! I don't even like pink and blue combinations, but the ombre is so beautiful! The colors simply blend together, and I can't believe how great it looks on the nails. One reason I've been so late in playing with my nails is that all that effort really only lasts a couple of days, a week at most. However, I'm slowly realizing how aesthetically pleasing nice nails are to the eye. It really brightens up my mood when I see my nails clean and pretty. It's amazing how the simple things can bring such pleasure in our lives.

Outfit Of The Day

San Diego is known for its sunny weather, but to be honest, we get quite a lot of gloomy days, especially in La Jolla. It sprinkled last night and was freezing this morning when I walked my dog. Even yesterday night when I went grocery shopping, I saw girls rocking their winter boots. So, I dressed accordingly this morning and paired a nice chunky sweater with my brown cold weather boots. I must say it kept me warm through the afternoon.

 

Tan chunky sweater was from Taiwan, black leggings from J. Crew, and brown leather boots from Franco Sarto Rider knee-high boots. Make up was kept simple with my everyday eyes and neutral lips. Lipstick: Wet N Wild 902D with Physician's Formula Nude lip gloss.

Hats for the Summer!

 

Living in Southern California, it's inevitable that I coexist with the sun. Even driving in my car, I get tanned because of the UV rays reflected from the windows. Recently, I've learned to enjoy the sun without burning up. My freckles are proof that I was not careful as a child, but now, hats are my number one protection alongside sun block! 

Of course, stylish hats are not the easiest things to find, but recently, I've been buying hats left and right. My good friend mentioned that Urban Outfitters has a sale for additional 50% off sale section just for CA stores, so we definitely enjoyed some shopping time while scoring some awesome deals.

Floppy Straw Hat from Forever 21, Summer 2011 $6.95

Straw Floral Fedora Hat from Urban Outfitters, Spring 2012 $5.49

White Lace Floppy Hat, Urban Outfitters Spring 2011 $5.49

Everyone has a place for floppy hats, whether you're vacationing or just everyday errand runs. I originally bought the tan floppy hat from Forever 21 so I can walk my dog without burning up, but I've actually worn the hat so much that it's become a frequent accessory. The last two hats are one I just bought from Urban Outfitters, and I'm absolutely loving them! Though the fedora looks like it doesn't block much sun, it does its job quite well! Depending on the time of day, my face was completely protected with the fedora! 

Lastly, I know the last hat is a little "little house on the prairie", but it doesn't look all that bad on. I'm pleasantly surprised by the good quality of Urban Outfitter hats, so of course I had to buy it for $5.49! Girls, stay cool this summer and cheers to hats! :)

A Bit of Bling

So BeautyQQ on YouTube has been rocking some major bling bling nails. Check her video out here She got her's done with gels at a salon in Hong Kong, and I've been lusting over them ever since! However, I've never done glitter nails before let alone chunky glitter like her's, but I just feel her nails are done so tastefully and they've truly inspired me to dive into some bling!! At my last visit to the Nail Supply House, I picked up some large chunky glitter polishes for $3. Here's what I came up with for my first encounter with chunky glitter!!

 

Items I used (in exact order from left to right): OPI Base Coat, Sephora by OPI Metro Chic (1 layer), butter London No More Waity Katy (1 layer), Pure chunky purple and silver glitter polish, Seche Vite Top Coat

 

I decided to put a layer of Metro Chic under No More Waity Katy because Waity Katy is a little more blue than I had expected. I wanted something less blue and more purple, so with those two polishes, I achieved something in between. One thing I've realized with any sort of glitter polish is that a good quality top coat really makes a difference. After using the Seche Vite top coat, I don't even feel the layer of chunky glitter. It's nice and smooth, and I never have to worry about fall out. Overall, I'm not too crazy about this color still, but I'm pleasantly surprised at how nice the chunky glitter looks. Next time, I'm going for glitter ALL over the nails!

Spring Date Night

It's surprisingly chilly this afternoon without the sun. I originally wanted to wear a sweater with my tights but felt the outfit was too "wintery". So I opted for this white blouse instead. It's long enough for tights and light enough for spring. I absolutely love this casual date look. For shoes, I definitely wanted to dress it up since the whole outfit is quite simple. I chose these black booties with heels from H&M. They're not extremely comfy but can last a couple hours for dinner. Oh, the things we girls do for fashion...

Left: Black opaque tights from Taiwan, white tank top, white blouse (Foreign Exchange Spring 2011), H&M black booties (Fall 2011) Right: Fuscia lip color in Wet n Wild 905D, Revlon lip gloss in Pink Pop, brown Pixi Endless Silky Pen to tightline, and Loreal Voluminous Mascara

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Styling the Jill from ShoeMint

To be honest, it has not been easy trying to style the Jill shoes in coral. They're only 1.5 inch wedges and the straps go up to your ankles, so it's hard to give the "long legged" look. I've mostly worn them with maxi dresses do my legs are completely covered, but since the shoes are so comfortable, I tried to do something new.

Dress from American Eagle (Summer 2011), Gilly Hicks striped sweater (Winter 2010), brown leather belt (no brand) from Taiwan, LV Speedy 30 bag, Jill shoes from ShoeMint

Black jeggings from Q, coral top from Everly, Jill shoes from ShoeMint

 

Although these sandals are theoretically perfect for the warm weather, I'm having a hard time pairing them with shorts or skirts. The straps go up to your ankles, so your legs are definitely cut shorter when you wear these shoes. You can tell in the first picture my legs look a lot shorter, but it can also be because I layered my sweater over the dress, so my torso looks longer than average. Overall, I'm still playing around the styles with these shoes, but for now, these black jeggings seem to work.

What I'm Currently Obsessing...

Recently, I've noticed ZARA has been churning out amazing shoes for the Spring and Summer collections. The only shoes I have of ZARA are these grey leather boots with three inch heels that I bought about four years ago. Their style just never attracted me very much until now. Check out these amazing feet candy. I must get my hands on one of these pairs for this summer!!

found here

found here

found here

Don't you just love the snake and blush pink leather combo??

found here

 

The first two pairs are absolutely gorgeous heels that I can see myself wearing a lot this summer. The first one for night outs or date nights while the second for more casual occasions. The last two are more practical choices that I would wear everyday. I LOVE the snakeskin print along with the blush pink color. It's just so feminine yet classy. I also love the unique asymmetrical style of the sandal. Very cool. The ballerina flats are also extremely cute don't you think? The colors are so refreshing and just gives you lots of good mood vibes. It's a happy color combination. Out of these four, I'm seriously considering purchasing the sandal with the snakeskin. $79.99 What do you think?? It would definitely have to be the last sandal I buy for the whole summer, and summer hasn't even begun...

Mother's Day Brunch

My mother always says she wants nothing for Mother's Day yet expects to be treated like royalty. Are all mothers like this? Of course, we should always treat our mums like queens but is it possible to overdo Mother's Day? One year, I did absolutely nothing special and discovered the consequence the hard way. My mother bought herself a bundt cake that night and ate every bit of it herself while continuously bringing up the fact that nobody got her a cake on Mother's Day. Every year after that, I've tried to go above and beyond the norm: flowers, presents, cards, cake and of course brunch! Slowly, I've discovered that one special thing is just enough for my mom to feel extra special on this celebratory day. Last year, I found the perfect way to celebrate Mother's Day: Mother's Day Brunch at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. The Patina Group caters at the event, which is held at the Blue Ribbon Garden right outside the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Make Do With What You Got

So it's been ages since I last posted and I promise I have good reason. I came back home to LA and have been here for almost two weeks. Reasons I don't update when I'm in LA:

1) We have the slowest DSL Internet connection at home, thus I am extremely unmotivated to blog

2) I barely wear makeup when I'm in LA because I mostly just run errands with my mom and aunt all day

3) I've just been ridiculously lazy

With that said, I clearly have no valid excuse so I apologize. Now onto the post! I came back with chipped nails and a much needed cut. I realized that most of my nail polish collection was at SD, and so I had to dig through my mom's hundred-year old polish collection. OK, they're not THAT old, but let's just say they don't sell these colors anymore. I definitely wanted a brighter pink for the sunny weather, and I decided to use two polishes to make my desired color. Here we go:

Left: Revlon clear, Dior 479 Horizon, Nicole by OPI Find Your Passion

I originally wanted to just use the Dior polish, but it's a cool tone pink, and it has some blue iridescent that made my skin a lot darker. When I put the Nicole polish over that, it gave me a gorgeous bright pink color. The Nicole polish is a lot more orange than it looks, so with the two colors on top of each other, I got this really pretty bright pink. I was amazed myself at what had happened.

 

In this picture, the lighting makes it look bright red, but it's really just a bright pink. Surprisingly, I've gotten more compliments on this color than any other polish I've worn! Sometimes, when you're forced to think creatively, your best work is the result! Happy coloring!!