November Favorites

Christmas is just around the corner! This is seriously my favorite time of the year, all the holiday festivities and feasts, the cold weather, and boots.  It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. This month I've been trying out some new products and some old ones.

Fresh Soy Face Cleanser

This is a holy grail cleanser for many of my friends, and I've been wanting to try this for a while now. The cleanser doesn't foam up much, which is good for dry skin. I've been using this every morning and so far, my skin hasn't seen that much of a difference. The biggest difference I've noticed is the softness of my skin, this makes your face feel clean without all the scrubbing and foam. The cucumber smell isn't my favorite, because it's almost too fresh, it literally smells like a cucumber. I only got the small size, so we'll see how my skin feels once I finish this tube. So far, I like it.

MAC Lipstick - Plumful

My poor lipstick has been stashed away in the back of my drawer, forgotten for a while now. But lately, I've been using this lots and it always travels with me in my bag. This is a MLBB lipstick, and you can wear it all year round. Plumful is a "lustre", so it has a nice sheen to it and quite sheer, but you can build it up nicely. I highly recommend this shade.

Bite Beauty- Best Bite Remix - Winterberry

I don't want to go into too much detail about this lip pencil, but this shade has been a staple every time I go out at night. Winterberry is a limited shade, unfortunately, but hopefully they will make this permanent. These lip pencils are super opaque, a bit of a matte finish, and so creamy and moisturizing.

Kiko Cosmetics Color Up Long Lasting Eyeshadow - 11 Charming Champagne

I regret not buying more Kiko products everyday. The only store I found in the US is in New Jersey, that's too far. My eye makeup has been really simple lately, just a slight cat-eye, lots of mascara, and this champagne sparkly color in my inner corners. It's not too sparkly, so it's okay to use during the day time too.

Please go watch Big Hero 6 if you haven't already. This movie was hilarious, and so heartwarming. Does anyone else want a real life Baymax? This might be my favorite movie this year. Can't wait until the DVD comes out!

Hope you guys have enjoyed reading this post! Tell me what you've been loving this month! :D

What Are You Thankful For?

Happy Thanksgiving! Decided to do a different kind of post today, something more serious. Life isn't always about beauty products right? Just kidding, it's not, but it's still a big part of it...HAHA

So what am I thankful for this year? 

I always complain about my boring job, but I am extremely grateful that I at least have a job, especially when I know other people that have been having a hard time finding one. At least I'm working and I have a steady income, even though this job sucks.

I'm thankful I was able to travel to Europe for over two weeks and see four different cities that I never thought I would go to. I was able to travel without asking my parents for any financial help, which is a really big deal. Does anyone else feel bad when asking parents for money? Even if it's just a twenty, I feel like since I'm older and I have my own money now, I shouldn't ask anymore. Sometimes I see people waiting to buy something with their parents, because they know the parents will buy it for them, and it kind of bothers me. Because it's not an expensive item, just like a sweater or something like that. Anyways, be thankful for your family, even when they drive you crazy every day.

I'm thankful I have a handful of friends that I can always count on. After college and moving back home, my group of friends shrank down a lot. No more having the convenience of walking next door and sleeping over and staying out super late downtown. It's really sad that we don't get to see each other as often, but I really do treasure the times we do get to hang out. 

So have a happy, relaxing, delicious Thanksgiving weekend everyone. Stuff your faces and go do some shopping. Sephora Black Friday sale??

Cute little potted plant tiramisu my friends and I had last night. Remember, there's always room for dessert!

Music Mondays

Happy Monday! Is anyone else excited that it's a short week at work?! I'm so ready for my four day weekend! To all the non-Americans, you all still enjoy the week! :D

This video is funny and funky, hence the title, "Uptown Funk". Haven't liked a Bruno Mars in a long time, but this one is so good!

Even if you're not a fan of their music, just watch this video. Especially pay attention to Zayn. *swoon*

For any Kpop fans out there, I've been obsessed with this song the whole week.

Berlin Photo Diary

The third stop was Berlin (pronounced "ber-lean" by a few German friends). This was my favorite city of the trip, there's just something about the environment and people. Once you arrive, you can just feel the energy. After spending four days in Berlin, I'm strongly debating whether or not to move here. I loved how in this city, all these different cultures meshed together and no one feels out of place anywhere. There's always something to do, whether it be going to an art gallery or maybe seeing the Festival of Lights, which we were fortunate enough to witness during our stay. They have open markets every Sunday and it's packed with anything and everything. We went to Mauer Market and I wanted to buy all the cute furniture, but I didn't have enough room in my suitcase!

In front of Berlin Cathedral. The tour guide told us this cathedral was built to imitate ancient cathedrals of other cities, and it was only a little over 100 years old. This picture was taken by the first friend we made on the trip, Danielle! We went on the same walking tour and hit it off right away. It was so sad to see her go :(

Currywurst! Covered in ketchup curry sauce and I didn't hate it!

The Memorial of Murdered Jews. It was really sad walking in this area. The cement blocks are actually really tall in the middle, and you just feel so small and lost in them. Please do not step or jump on them. It's disrespectful.

Random statue of a man.

Brandenburg Gate. ALL THE TOURISTS.

And here the street art begins...

East Side Gallery. Did you know the Berlin wall was really two walls?? One for each side. The things you learn.

"Many small people who in many small places do many small things that can alter the face of the world" - I wonder who wrote this.

Some apfelstrudel at Mauer market. There were so many different kinds of strudels to choose from!

Molecule Man statue

Haagen-Dazs just tastes better when you're in a foreign country...YUM

Oktoberfest festivities go on all day!

Humboldt University during the Festival of Lights

My favorite image was here.

#selfie

Our last night in Berlin. Brandenburg Gate is beautiful lit up.

I'll be back!

Sephora VIB Sale Haul 2014

Hello lovely people! I know I'm a little late to the "share what I bought during the Sephora sale" post, but better late than never! I tried to limit myself, but there were too many things I wanted to try. My friends and I stopped by the Sephora store a few weeks back and I swatched the new NARS Audacious lipsticks and knew I wanted to get at least one, so that's in this haul. 20% off is amazing for Sephora, so I wanted to get mostly NARS products.

NARS Blush - Doucer
I've been hearing rumors about Doucer being discontinued and I actually didn't even see this color displayed at the Sephora store. It's unfortunately out of stock on the website right now, but keep checking! This is a brownish pink color, that can be used as a slight contour as well as a blush. I wanted something natural, something I could wear all year round. Good luck on getting your hands on one of these!

NARS Audacious Lipstick - Rita & Charlotte
I picked two colors that I normally don't go for. Rita is described as scarlet, it's a bright red. Truthfully, I'm a bit scared to wear this. I'm trying to stray away from all the pinks and fuchsias I own. Charlotte is described as oxblood burgundy. Super dark in the tube, but once swatched, it was a gorgeous medium red with slight pink tones. This color is perfect for fall and winter. The metal packaging on these new lipsticks is so much better than the original dust-attracting ones too!

Fresh Soy Face Cleanser
Needed a new cleanser and this has been in my cart for a while now, so I purchased the smaller size to try it out first. The smell is a very strong cucumber scent, not my favorite, but I can ignore that. Still testing it out for now, but I like it so far. It's a good cleanser for sensitive skin types like me.

Sephora Cream Lip Stain - 01 Always Red
I rarely buy Sephora brand, but this lip stain has such good reviews by beauty bloggers that I had to try it out myself. Do you see a red theme going on here? I've used this once so far and the color is definitely eye-catching. I like matte reds, and this one didn't feel drying, which is a huge plus.

What did you buy during the Sephora sale? And have you tried any of the products I mentioned above? :)

Music Mondays

I had such a nice, relaxing weekend and hung out with friends that I don't get to see often. It felt so nice to socialize with people. Remember to make time for yourself, especially after a long week of working. Have a good Monday!

I have no idea who Hoodie Allen is, but Ed Sheeran raps!

Everyone should watch this video just to admire all the gorgeous dresses and outfits Taylor Swift wears! :)

Such a beautiful song, I used to love this song so much and I randomly came across it tonight.

Fall & Winter Nail Colors

The weather is getting colder and I love it! This time of the year is my favorite. Once it gets to November, the darker and sparkly nail polishes come out. I wanted to list out all of them, but that post would be too long and boring.

O.P.I. Eurso Euro

The bluest truest blue I have. This goes on super opaque, one coat can be enough, and has a shiny gel-like finish. This is a creamy polish, looks very dark in the bottle, but it comes out a vibrant dark navy on the nails. This color can be worn all year round really.

ZOYA Carmen

My favorite red polish. This color reminds me of the holidays. A classic, bright red, this has a glossy finish. It would look amazing on any skin tone.

DEBORAH LIPPMAN Cleopatra in New York

I got this in a Sephora set last year, but I would only wear this during the winter. This is not a typical polish I normally choose, but it's definitely unique. It's a black jelly base with gold glitter pieces. The glitter applies evenly, you will need at least two coats.

COVERGIRL Rotund Raspberry

From their XL Nail Gel line, this is a darker raspberry color. Very opaque, you don't even need a top coat. The other colors in the line are pretty too.

ZOYA Tomoko

My favorite glitter polish to layer on top of other colors. I love the sparkle and shimmer. This is a champagne beige color and part of the Pixiedust collection, so it's not a shiny polish. Although you can use a top coat on top.

O.P.I. Oy...Another Polish Joke!

A sheer gold polish with tiny flecks of gold and orange. You'll need at least 3 coats for an opaque finish, but I like layering this over colors more.

What are your favorite nail colors for the holiday season? :)

Music Mondays

Can't believe I almost forgot about Music Mondays! It's not too late! I have a slight case of the Monday blues, but hopefully you guys don't. Enjoy the music!

Such a lovely song, once again, the Vampire Diaries introduced this song to me.

Adorable little music video with a super catchy beat!

I've never heard of this artist before, but it came up as a recommended video on my Youtube feed and I really like her voice.

Amsterdam Photo Diary

Next stop: Amsterdam! This city was absolutely breathtaking. Everywhere you walk are canals, but somehow you never get bored of them. The houses are slightly tilting, because the city was built on marshes, but it gives the city character. We went on a free walking tour the first day we were there and the guide was super helpful. If we went exploring on our own, we would have missed so much, such as the tiniest house in Amsterdam!

It was raining all 3 days we were here, which sucked, but I guess we experienced real Amsterdam October weather. It would rain cats and dogs for 10 minutes and the sun would suddenly come out, it was like this the whole time. So any blue skies you see in these pictures was a very rare and precious moment for me to take out my camera! The canal ride at night was so much fun, we went on it at night, so it gave us a different view of the city. 

One of my favorite places that we saw was the Rijksmuseum, which has the I AM Amsterdam sign in front of it. It was so hard to stick myself in these pictures, people need to learn to take pictures faster, it was so crowded!

Say hello to my little furry friend. We went to a cat boat, which is pretty much a shelter, and you can adopt the kitties. This little guy was just chilling outside on a bench.

The little houseboats are adorable. You see them everywhere and the small glimpses inside people's homes were so interesting! I would love to live on a boat and ride it down all the canals.

Albert Cuyp market. It was fortunately not crowded this day because it was extremely cold and rainy. We got to take our time and stroll down the whole street and even got to talking with one of the vendors who sold us some jewelry. I wish I can go back :(

The chocolatey goodness of a fresh made waffle. Mmmm. I'm still reminiscing about this.

On our last day in Amsterdam, we decided to get some Dutch pancakes before heading to the airport. We went to the Pancake House, which was named "Best Pancakes in Amsterdam", so of course we had to go. You can't tell from the picture, but this thing was massive and we got full halfway through! Delicious though, California needs a Dutch pancake restaurant.

Anyone from Amsterdam? Or has anyone been there before? :)

Bite Beauty - Best Bite Remix

Pomegranate, Sablé, Rhubarb, Winterberry

Hey everyone! I've been trying to stick to a schedule lately, to post at least three times a week. So far so good and I'm going to try my hardest to keep myself motivated to keep up this blog.

So November is finally here and that means all the brands are bringing out their holiday sets! If you haven't checked the Sephora website lately, you should, like right now. I saw this Bite Beauty set online and I wanted it so badly. It retails for $25.00 USD and you get four shades. The lip pencils come in a cute, little tin box with a decent sized mirror. Even if you don't use this to hold the products, it's useful for holding things in your purse. Bite Beauty is exclusive to Sephora, so this is a good chance to try out their products if you've been eyeing this brand.

Bite brought out two new shades for these High Pigment lip pencils, Winterberry and Sablé, just for this holiday set. My favorite shades are Winterberry and Rhubarb. All these colors are super pigmented and creamy. Not exactly matte, but not super shiny either. These aren't drying on the lips and has pretty good staying power.

The Sephora site describes Rhubarb as "plum rose", Sablé as "nude", Pomegranate as "rose berry", and Winterberry as "festive raspberry red".

Rhubarb, Sablé, Pomegranate, Winterberry

Do you know what you all want to buy during the Sephora sale coming up? My shopping cart is full already, but I'm always open to recommendations! Have you tried Bite Beauty products before? Which is your favorite? :)

Music Mondays

Finally, it's November! The time for Starbucks holiday cups and feasting and warm coats and scarves. This time of the year is my favorite. This week's music is slower and more chill, to go with the colder weather. Have a good week everyone!