Current Reads

I finished reading the novel "The Sugar Queen" by Sarah Addison Allen a while back (posted here). It took me no time at all to breeze through this mysterious, magical, and short&sweet book. The writer's style was something that I really liked. I can't really describe what the style is, except that it makes me feel very involved with the characters and the situations they were in. It also leaves me to my imagination. I was even sad when the book came to an end. So I immediately placed an order on Amazon (has great deals on books!) and got two more books of hers which came in the mail today. I can't wait to get started on these- I know they'll be just as good.

As always, I'd love recommendations on your favorite books.

Affordable Eye Basics

When it comes to eye basics a good mascara, brow pencil, and eyeliner are necessities in my bag. Though high end products of these sorts are good investments, it may not be the most practical financially when you have to replace them more often than you would other makeup. Since several Wet n' Wild products like their eyeshadow palettes and lipsticks have surprised me, I thought I would also check out their creme eyeliner and brow pencil. Not expecting much, I was certainly surprised when I found how much I reached for them. The creme liner delivers despite its low cost- its super creamy, doesn't smear or smudge, have long lasting power, super easy to apply and gives a true, rich, dramatic black color. Though I haven't had this for that long, I've heard that it might dry out before the whole pot's been used. The other only con is that it takes a bit of an effort to remove this. Otherwise, this is a good and affordable liner to pick up or just to have around as backup.

Their brow pencil was another win for me. The color 'Mink Brown' was the perfect color match (with no red or yellow tones) to my dark brow hairs. Since I'm pretty new at brow products, I find that a brow pencil is the simplest to use and the most convenient to carry around. This pencil is long lasting yet is not that pigmented, which works in favor for a natural look. With no wax in the pencil, I could fill in my brows as well as as keep them in place.




As for mascara, my favorite right now is Prestige's My Blackest Lashes, which had replaced my beloved Loreal's Voluminous in Carbon Black. It has all the qualities that I need: no clumpiness!, no smudging!, black and dramatic, and so volumizing.

And finally for the waterline, I've been loving Milani's Liquifeye liner (not pictured) which I'm sure most of you heard about throughout the beauty blogs - its pigmentation is out of this world not to mention its amazing staying power and creaminess.


Lids: MAC's Nubile paintpot (as base), MAC's Woodwinked | Liner: Wet N' Wild Creme Liner (top), Milani's Liquifeye liner (used lightly on waterline) | Brows: Wet N' Wild Color Icon eye& brow liner in Mink Brown | Mascara: Prestige My Blackest Lashes | Brow bone/inner corner: Dior Shimmer Powder in Amber Diamond (lighter shades)

What do you consider your eye basics? What's your favorite mascara/liner/brow product? I'd love some suggestions for either brow powders or pencils for darker hair since I'm pretty new at it. For me, picking the right color is the most trickiest.

Thank you all for reading and commenting!

Thankful

{Favorite dessert: cinnamon crumb cake}

Thank you all for reading, subscribing, and commenting! Hope you guys have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend and happy eating!

Work and Play

{H&M sweater and belt; F21 top; Aldo necklace; Zara trousers; Marc Jacobs bag}

{Right: jeans, Dolce Vita wedges; Left: F21 top and shorts, H&M tights}


I've been loving this H&M chunky sweater cardigan and have been wearing it to death. Today we had a Thai lunch date and it was super easy to change from work to a more casual/date look: throw on a pair of skinny jeans, cuff it up, and wear a pair of black booties. Yet on another day, I wore some shorts and tights. I love versatile pieces and this cardigan has proved to be a very smart buy, especially with the colder weather we're getting.


{My all time favorite long necklace}

Which clothing have you guys been wearing over and over?

Scrapbooking

We always had a bunch of random pictures with no photo albums to stick them in laying around. It was totally his idea to make a scrapbook to house our extra photos. It turned out to be such a great way to store all of our memories- places we've gone to, the things we've done, plus the little notes we've written and kept- as well as future things we do. With probably 200+ pages in the book, it never seems "done" with all the blank pages ahead. We take turns doing a couple pages here and there when we've got time. Surprisingly, his pages are the better looking ones. The title of the book was taken from Pixar's movie "Up"- if you haven't seen it I highly recommend it, it was so cute funny and sad all at the same time.





Do you have any scrapbooks? How do they turn out?

Photo Log

{Night lights upon Niagra Falls}


{Two rainbows}

{Taking in the view}

{Within 50 ft}

{On a morning stroll}

{View of the lake from our room}

{On the tracks}

{Our stay on the lake}

{Boat docks}

{Seneca Lake}

{Waterfalls and trails}

{Over the bridge}

{Cascade}

Here they are, the road trip I took this past week in pictures. I think what I regret most is not stopping in the middle of the road to photograph how beautiful the backdrop was to our driving. We passed by the Finger Lakes region upstate, most noted for their wineries. It paralleled the scenery to Germany's wine growing landscape. It was even more beautiful as the setting sun was hitting upon it. Nonetheless, I am happy to have stayed one night in the most peaceful and scenic area I've ever been in. Our hotel overlooked Seneca Lake, one of the Finger lakes. The autumn air, sound of sea birds, and the reflection of the sun on the lake reminded me of a scene from The Notebook- how sappy, I know but I can't help it. Wished everyday was more like it.

Packing for a mini getaway

We took a road trip upstate for 3 days. The weather was perfect and the scenery was beautiful. I packed fairly light, bringing with me minimal makeup, clothes, and accessories. I am so proud of myself for packing only two pairs of shoes! Just a pair of riding boots and a pair of sneakz for the walking activities. Though I haven't plan out my outfits to the exactness, none of the clothing I've packed have gone to waste-I wore every single piece.

Generally when I pack makeup, I OD on the cheeks products- bronzer, blush, highlighter. But this time I brought my beloved Danmari cheeks palette saving my makeup bag from unneeded bulkiness and clutter. You'll only find simple eye products, one lipstick, and only two brushes.

A scent worth mentioning is the Victoria's Secret's Bombshell perfume. I'm not good at describing scents.. but this smells sexy and so me. I've been wearing this non-stop and I can't resist the cute pink bottle.





How good are you with packing?

Luster

One of the things that I've recently acquired was this pretty little Nars blush. Quite similar my favorite Nars bronzing powder Irresistiblement, Luster bears the same terracotta shade. Being the lighter version of Irresistiblement and a more peachy apricot shade with subtle shimmer, Luster works well during the winter when I am paler (NC30). More peach than bronze, it imparts a very warm, natural, and subtle healthy glow that seems to make my cheeks lit up from within. Too good to be true? Try for yourself!
What's your favorite blush?

Currently...

{Reading the Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen}
Would love your recommendations for some good books!


{Testing out Clarasonic's Mia}
Review to follow.


{Wearing gold jewelry with knits; F21 cuff}


{Having a Nars love affair}