Thursday, December 27, 2012

Christmas Withdrawal

Hello everyone,

Is there such a thing as a Christmas withdrawal? I am beginning to feel that way.... I am going to miss the smell of the Christmas tree, seeing people out shopping, and spending time with my family. It is just so beautiful this time of the year and it went by so fast. I guess it's something to look forward to next year.

Here are some pictures to help me reminisce of this year's Christmas:
Christmas tree at downtown SF!

Of course, the children- we have two Santas and an elf (The elf belongs to my brother and his wife)


After a whole night of playing and running around, Mochi knocked out when we got home.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas with their family and friends. See ya next year!!!

Until next time,
stay healthy, beautiful, and inspired.

Have a great night!
<3 <3 <3

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Countdown to Christmas: 16 Days

Hello everyone,

The best time to buy high end cosmetics is around the holidays. Not only does some brands include gifts, the holiday collections usually have beautiful color combinations. As I have mentioned in my previous blogs, my favorite high end cosmetic brands are Chanel, Dior, and a tie between Tom Ford and YSL. Today, I will review some of Chanel's Holiday Limited Edition.

Chanel makes great quality nail polish and I have not experienced any streaking yet. Just make sure to apply a good top coat to help it last longer. The colour that I got this season is in Chanel 637 Malice. It's a very classic color that looks great on almost any outfit.



One of my favorite item from this season is the eye shadow quad in Chanel 5203 Harmonie Du Soir.

All Chanel eyeshadow quads and blush comes with a nice cover....

And a nice signature package...

I love how each of the eyeshadow colors are embossed with a quilted effect and the CC monogram. These eyeshadow colours are the colours from a classic Chanel jacket button in the Eclats Du Soir De Chanel collection. These colors are very festive and gives a radiant sheen. I would recommend buying this palette if you are going to splurge on any high end makeup.

Here are the swatches:  

The last item I got from the collection is the Chanel Sculpting Veil for Eyes and Cheeks in Notorious- Limited Edition. I am not sure if it is still being sold online, but it is only available at certain Chanel makeup counters.

It does look scary in the pan because it's just a dark gray color, but it blends very well. Keep in mind a little goes a long way so DO NOT use a lot. I use this for contouring my cheeks and a little bit on my nose. Too much of this can make you look sick.

With just a soft tap, I can get a lot of the product on my brush.

Here is a swatch of how the color looks on the skin:

It does help make your face look slimmer depending on how you contour and how well you blend.

All of these are great gifts for someone who loves makeup.

Until next time, 
stay healthy, beautiful, and inspired

Have a great night!
<3 <3 <3

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Countdown to Christmas: 19 Days

Hello everyone,

OOTD!!!

Who says you can't wear bright colors during the winter? In this outfit, I want to make sure the yellow pops and be the center of attention.

Scarf: Gap
Sweater: Banana Republic
Pants: Banana Republic
Shoes: Ann Taylor
Bag: Banana Republic





I use this bag to carry my laptop for work and it fits perfectly. It's very spacious and durable.

Until next time,
stay healthy, beautiful, and inspired.

Have a great night!
<3 <3 <3

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Countdown to Christmas: 20 Days

Hello everyone,

Looking for a gift to give someone who loves makeup and enjoys watching makeup gurus on Youtube? Well, this may be a gift for them. It's an eyeshadow palette and lipgloss created by Elle and Blair who are very popular on Youtube. The brand is called Skylark. I was pleasantly surprised by how good the packagings look and the quality of the makeup.


First, let's talk about the lip gloss. I love the name: Sophia and Ava. There is also a book they have written and the lip gloss represents the personality of the two characters. The lip gloss doesn't have any particular smell at all and they are not sticky. Personally, I like lip gloss to be a bit sticky because they then to last longer, but these are great for those who doesn't like sticky lip gloss.

The lip gloss is pigmented and it does show up on your lips. I would say the color Sophia shows up more on your lips than Ava. Overall, they are great lip glosses and whoever that gets them as a gift will surely enjoy them. I got these when they were having a promotion for $9.99 for both.

Now, the  Skylark Snowkissed Cashmere Eyeshadow Palette. Once you see it, you know they put in a lot of work and details into making this palette. I gotta give it to them that they did an excellent job. The packaging and the quality of the eyeshadows are comparable to Urban Decay. I kid not!
For $20 during their promotion with Blush, it is very well worth it.

The details of the ribbon and the pattern on the mirror are tastefully done.


It also came with instructions on how to create 3 different types of look using the palette.

On the back of each card, it also has the same theme and design.

Here are the colors in the eyeshadow palette. I am glad they the palette came with a good double ended brush. The brush feels very sturdy and a bit heavy meaning it is made very well. Again, it doesn't feel cheap and the brush hairs are very soft.

On one end, it is a flat shader brush where you can pat on the eyeshadows.

The other end is a blending brush to help blend the harsh lines and the colors

The quality of the eyeshadows are also pigmented and have very little fallouts. The eyeshadows are in satin finish.


The only negative thing I can say about this palette is I am not sure why they have the blue and red. Instead of the blue and red, I would suggest for them to have a black and maybe silver or purple color to create a more wearable look. The red and blue are fun colors and they do come out really nice, but I am just not sure if I would get a lot of wear out of them.

Overall, they did a great job on picking the name (Snowkissed Cashmere eyeshadow palette), the packaging is beautiful, the quality of the eyeshadows are very well made, the double ended brush is amazing, but the palette can use a bit more matte and wearable colors rather than the red and blue.
Either way, this palette will also be a great Christmas gift.

Until next time,
stay healthy, beautiful, and inspired.

Have a great night!
<3 <3 <3

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Countdown to Christmas: 21 Days

Hello everyone,

Victoria's Secret Fashion show is on tonight! I am sure most guys are excited about this.

I can't wait until tomorrow when they are giving out the free fashion show makeup bag with a $75 purchase. It is a good way to buy gifts for others and get something free for yourself. I have started buying gifts for some people and this past weekend they were having a buy 2 get 1 free gift sets. Of course, the 2 are gifts and the one free is for myself.

The packaging is gorgeous on its own and if you are lazy with Christmas wrapping like me, just give this as it is.

Here are 2 of my favorite scents from Victoria's Secret:
The infamous Love Spell (this scent is nostalgic for many people). There is no other scent like this and to make the scent last, it's good to apply the body wash along with the body lotion and the body splash.

My second favorite is Pure Seduction. It's not too overpowering and has a sweet scent.

With these gift purchase I was also able to get these iphone 5 cell phones cases for free. Nothing beats getting additional items for free while buying gifts for others. I am not sure if there are still available, but check your local Victoria's Secret stores.

Until next time,
stay healthy, beautiful, and inspired.

Have a great night!
<3 <3 <3

Monday, December 3, 2012

Countdown to Christmas: 22 Days

Hello everyone,

I am in love with a product that I picked up from Lush a month ago! I have never felt or smelled anything this good. It feels luxurious like my skin have been soaked in a bath of rose petals. I would love to get unlimited amount of this body conditioner. The one I have here is the Ro's Argan.


For a small container like this, it cost $32.95. It's so expensive that I use it sparingly. The body conditioner is meant to be used after you have washed your body with soap. This will be the last thing you apply before you get out of the shower. A little goes a long way. After washing, slather a small handful all over your body and rinse. Gently pat dry and you will end up with soft, rose-scented skin. There is no need to apply additional moisturizer to your body unless you choose to.

It's been almost a month and I used it everyday. I still have some left and will repurchase another one, but I am still not happy about the cost. If I had to choose a signature scent, this will be it.


Other items that I have purchased a month ago are the Estee Lauder nail polish. The packaging is great as expected for the price that you are paying for and the colors are very opaque. With a top coat, it last about 5-6 days. Since I have good experience with them so far, I will be trying the other colors from Estee Lauder.

Color: Blue Blood

Color: Ultra Violet

Until next time,
stay healthy, beautiful, and inspired.


Have a great night!
<3 <3 <3

Countdown to Christmas: 23 Days

Hello everyone,

I will try to post a blog every day until Christmas. Winter is all about layering and having fun with different textures.

Here is an OOTD
Jacket: DailyLook
T-Shirt: Gap
Scarf: Banana Republic
Faux leather shorts: H&M
Leggings: Forever21
Boots: Ann Taylor



These Ann Taylor boots are so comfortable and it goes with so many outfits. I have been wearing them almost everyday.



Until next time,
stay healthy, beautiful, and inspired.

Have a great night!
<3 <3 <3