Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Photo log: february days

{Superbowl XLVI weekend- supporting Big Blue}

{hearts and cupcakes}

{perfect makeup bag with a separate compartment for brushes}

{Orly's Rage- this is AMAZING}

{love this romantic, light rosey, floral scent!}

{wearing my hair wavy almost everyday using my favorite curler}

{new in: Topshop shoes in light gray, with microshimmers!}

Time goes by so quickly, the months are coming and going. February is almost over and I'm starting to find myself savoring every little bit of my time off from school before I have to start all over again.
I hope you guys find my photo logs enjoyable!

Monday, February 20, 2012

on my beauty list

{bare minerals prime time, prestige my blackest lashes, sigma F82, mac lilicent, dior amber diamond}

I have a bunch of favorites on my beauty list, but I picked these out specifically because they all enhance everything else that I put on.

Sigma's round top kabuki brush
I recently got my hands on this and I wondered why it took me so long to get it. I use this to apply my NARS and Rimmel foundation (seen here) and this brush buffs in the product so well that it looks completely flawless on the skin. Unlike the ELF powder brush that I've been using prior, this brush has shorter bristles thus making it more compact and hold its shape better after application and after washing. It is also rounded which makes it easy to get into smaller places more precisely such as around the nose and under the eyes.

Bare Minerals prime time
My skin gets oily only on my forehead, where I am acne prone and sensitive to most products. Using this primer really keeps the oils away. It also acts like a barrier between my skin and the makeup. What I also like about this is its ingredients- vitamin c and e, plant extracts, and antioxidants with no preservatives. Like all primers it has a nice silicone feel that evens out texture. I'm sticking to this instead of venturing off to other primers because I know for sure it doesn't break me out nor clog my pores.

Prestige's my blackest lashes
This is not it's first debut here. The more I use this mascara the more I love it. I tried a handful of mascaras such as loreal's voluminous, sephora's atomic lashes, dior's diorshow, covergirls's lashblast, and estee lauder's magnascopic. At one point I thought loreal voluminous and sephora's atomic lashes were "the one" in terms of volumizing and its pitch black color. I didn't realize how flaky they were and how they irritate my eyes and contacts, until I tried Prestige my blackest lashes. It's formula is dry enough for a curl to hold (yet it doesn't flake) and gives my lashes a nice lift even if I don't curl them.


Mac Lilicent blushcreme
Coral pink in color. At first I hated this. I believe it is discontinued now. I admit the the formula is not the best (its so sticky and thick). Somehow I came back to this and used it as a base for blush instead of by itself which really works to prolong powder blushes. I use flat top brush (instead of my fingers) to buff in the smallest amount before layering on blush.

Dior amber diamond
I wasn't too sure of this at first. I didn't really see a big difference but as I kept using it, I noticed that it made my skin look "glowy" at certain angles and lighting. It is SO subtle- not one of those in your face kind of highlighters. I like it because its so natural (and pretty!). It also photographs very nicely, and I use this mostly at night when I am going out. It adds a nice enhancement and dimension amidst the blushes and bronzing products I have on.


My two favorite polishes of this month:

{essie escapdes, orly rage}

beautiful color? check. amazing formula? check. opacity? check.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

happy valentines!




though I hate the fact that flowers die so soon, every time I look at how pretty they are, my spirits get lifted and I'm reminded of how lucky I am

after reading Taza's blog, I came across such a cute and inspiring project called Love Ever After by Lauren Fleishman which is a documentation of love stories of couples who have been together for over 50 years. Each and every single story brings hope of a long lasting love- something thats not impossible.. but definitely not easy nowadays. Hopefully I can tell one of these stories myself one day.

happy valentines day!


images via 1, 2

Saturday, February 11, 2012

{up}on top

{ F21 jacket/ AE sweater (old) / AE fringe bag/ H&M leggings / Dolce Vita boots / MK watch}

Overlooking from atop on Washington Rock before the sky turned dark. Driving by all the mansions on this cliff never ceases to amaze me as I daydream away. It was a nice day, rather warm for winter. I found a really old sweater from my high school days and decided to wear it, and it paired really well with my leather jacket. Who knew you could re-wear such old clothing? I'm surprised I even kept it.

We spontaneously got tickets to see The Fray in concert after hearing on the radio that they will be coming to NY! Too excited and already jammin' to all their songs so I can sing in tune with the proper lyrics for once.

Been having a great week and I hope everyone is too!




{wore same lip combo as seen in the previous post. obviously can't get enough of it!}

Thursday, February 2, 2012

lip combo

A recent discovery of a lip combo: MAC Viva Glam Gaga lipstick and NYX Megashine lipgloss in Smokey Look. These two have been sitting untouched in my drawer for the longest time. Gaga is too cool-toned to be worn alone, while Smokey Look is too dark of a natural lip color to be worn on my already pigmented lips. Together they work really well and make up for their cons.


The reason I haven't given up on them is because they both have such moisturizing formulas and give off a nice finish. Gaga is a lustre- its fairly pigmented and very creamy. Smokey Look has the best formula for a lipgloss- its extremely pigmented, non-sticky, and very glossy in a nice subtle way (too bad the color didn't work for me!)


I'm glad I can now put them to their use and will be playing with other lip products that have been sitting around. Any lip combos you guys like to do?



I've also been trying to get my hands on Revlon's lip butters or Maybelline's Babylips, but not sure if they are worth getting. There are so many colors to choose from. Any thoughts on them?