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Monday, December 3, 2012

The Good Wife


Best way to kick off the winter festivities? How about getting drunk at your husband's work party and hurting yourself doing the Sprinkler to "Call me Maybe" By: Carly Rae Jepsen. Merry Christmas!

Friday, November 30, 2012

31 Days of Fabulous December

That's it! I'm back! It's been so long and I admit I was battling with myself on how I wanted to handle this blogging business. I realize that I was approaching this whole thing wrong. I was constantly struggling with coming up with new ideas to blog about that I would end up just not doing it at all. The result.....long drawn out periods of nothing. So I've decided to approach this whole thing differently.

You know how people come up with New Year's resolutions? Well I've started a month early. What better time to re-boot my blog than Christmas time? This is the truly the best time of the year. Not only is it Christmas but it is also my birthday (December 23). The month is packed full of holiday parties and family gatherings, not to mention an excuse to go out and hit the malls and be surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the city. Gotta love the holiday chaos!

So here comes 31 days of Fabulous December. Tune in!

Friday, September 21, 2012

A Beautiful Spring Day for a Wedding

Wow it's been awhile since my last post I know, but here I am attempting to get back into the swing of things. Lots of new changes in my life, just started a  new day job, still working my part time job, and still at it for school. Yes I am a busy bee. On the flip side we received our wedding photos and I thought I would share our beautiful wedding with all you here on my blog.

We got married on May 19,2012

Vietnamese Au Yai for the Morning Tea Ceremony (my husband is half-Viet, half-Chinese


My hair was done by a friend who's a hair stylist and I did my own makeup

 
Our Wedding Party


Our bouquets also done by a friend that is a florist, our theme was white, purple and champagne

  
My shoes from Steve Madden


The Laotian Blessing Ceremony


Our Guestbook for signing, a collage of our engagement photos

 
The main centrepieces for each families' tables, both our families are huge!


Our wedding cake which my sis-in-law made

 
Our first dance, "A Thousand Years" By: Christina Perri


Photographer: Chou Xiong
Check out some of her amazing work on her blog: http://mon-petit-photography.blogspot.ca/








Saturday, July 28, 2012

How to: Transform your T-Shirt

1) A basic cotton, henley tee will do. These are nice for the summer because they are simple and lightweight. I got this one from Aerie on sale for $12.

2) I always hated these little strings that came in my shirts. I guess they are there to make hanging shirts easier, but to me they were just unnecessary and I would usually just cut them out. UNTIL NOW!

3) Wrap the string around your sleeve until you only have a little bit of string left

4) Knot the end of the string. (I realized afterwards how much easier it was to tie a knot first and then wrap the string around. So feel free to switch step 4 and step 3)

5) Tuck the knotted end into a loop to secure.

6) Et Voila! Transformed tee for those extra hot days.

 Enjoy the rest of the summer everyone!

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Bye Bye Hairiness, Hello Silk'n Sensepil

Silk'n Sensepil $500

I did it! I purchased a big one! The Silk'n Sensepil! Retailed for $500 I cut myself a sweet deal otherwise I would have never gotten the device:
Retail Price: $500 @ Shoppers Drug Mart
- Vendor Coupon = $100
- Shoppers Employee Discount 30% = $150
- Redeemed Optimum Points = $170
+ HST 13% (damn taxes) = $45.50
= $125.50

The Silk'n Sensepil is an at home laser hair removal system. It's been approved by the FDA, Health Canada and is dermatologist and basically every-girl-at-my-workplace recommended! I did a lot of research prior to purchasing this system as well as my knowledge from aesthetics school about laser hair removal. It's got all your basic contraindications regarding laser hair removal:

Actual Silk'n Sensepil Machine

- avoid usage on tanned skin (recommended 4 weeks after sun exposure and 2 weeks before)


- will not work on naturally dark skin (sorry my African American friends)

- keep away from eyes (sorry eyebrows)

- will not work on gray or blonde hairs, best suited for pale skin with dark hair



Silk'n Sensepil Light Cartridge


These are the same contraindications that any laser hair removal would give you, even at the salon or dermatologist's clinics. Also important to know this is not permanent hair removal it is hair reduction.

So since I just got it it will be awhile before I see any results. I did try it for the first time today on my underarms and at first I jumped when I did the first pulse because it feel an immediate warmth and slight sting. It doesn't hurt but it is definitely a surprising sensation for the first time.

I'll wait a few months to post an update on how the system is working for me. Wish me luck!

If you want more information on hair removal methods read this post I wrote last year as a refresher!

Hair be Gone it's Summer Time!

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Makeup Haul Review #1


So these are just a few items I've picked up over the past month or so that I wanted to share with you guys. I picked these five because I really really love them and I find myself using on almost a daily basis.

1) Smashbox Photo Finish Lid Primer $22
I used to use the Urban Decay Primer Potion religiously for probably the past two years until one I found it just wasn't potent enough. Maybe I've grown immune to it now, I don't know. Damn my oily eyelids! So it was time to switch it up and I grabbed the Smashbox one and glad I did. It's so hard for me to find a good primer in any form so I was happy to see that this one worked so well. What I like most about this primer is that not only does it help your eyeshadow stay on longer and eliminates creasing, it also creates a neutral beige base so that your eyeshadows show up more vivid. I have read reviews that alot of people don't like the colour of the primer, so if you do have a darker skintone....then I probably would not recommend.

Lancome Hypnose Mascara

2) Lancome Hypnose Mascara in Black $31 
 This was my first luxury brand mascara purchase. Verdict? It's alright. Nothing special considering the price, but I still use it every day so I can't say it's bad. It does the trick, makes your lashes look super long and fuller and doesn't clump. My quest for the perfect mascara shall continue.




3) Benefit Erase Paste in No. 2 Medium $30
The one I have in the picture is actually a smaller sample size that I got in the Finding Mr.Bright kit. The full size pot is about double the size. I really love this product. Not only does it cover my dark circles very well but it also brightens up the area. The concealer  has a pink base which is a must for covering dark circles. When I finish this mini sized one I'll definitely be picking up the full size one.


4) Anastasia Brow Powder Duo in Medium Ash/Medium Brown $29
So I totally bit the bullet when I purchased this brow duo. Seriously I just spent $29 on a brow powder? I seriously did go on a hunt for a good brow powder that matched perfectly and it's just impossible. So I decided to go to the brow expert, Anastasia and I picked this up. I'm so happy I did because I love this duo. I went with a lighter colour because I have pretty dark and full brows already I just wanted to fill in some sparse areas and define them a bit more, so this duo is perfect for me. I use the lighter shade (medium ash) to fill in spaces first, and then I go over with the darker shade (medium brown) to define my brows more. Definite purchase if you're also searching for a good brow powder.

5) MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack $18
I use liquid liner religiously. Always have, always will. But sometimes you just need a softer look, but you don't want to sacrifice the long wear and staying power of your lids. I heard so many great things about the MAC Fluidline, so I purchased it and I really like it! It stays on pretty well, no transfer of liner onto my lids. I must warn if you do open your eyes immediately after applying the gel then yes it will transfer, so let it dry a bit. It's really nice for everyday when you don't want to have such dramatic eye liner.

Hope you enjoyed this little review. There will definitely be more to come.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

My June 2012 in Pictures

So this past month I've been working a lot of weekends which really sucks. Work is getting in the way of my personal life is all I'm saying. So i've been trying to take advantage of the rare weekend days I have off by doing fun and different things....and looking good while I do so. If you remember from my Valentines Day post, I barely go out as much as I used to anymore so when I do I feel the need to look super cute. My only regret is that I don't take full body photos. You see i'm not really as much of a camera whore as I should be. I'm just lucky my husband insists on taking photos all the time otherwise i'd probably never. Something about pulling out a camera and taking photos of myself makes me all self-conscious. But I've been loving Instagram lately. Something about it just makes one want to snap candid photos and share your daily delights with your friends and apparently, random strangers as well. Anyways here are some photos of the highlights of the month of June for me.

@ Revolotion Night Club. My outfit: Black "Chanel inspired" jacket (H&M), Silver and black dress (Vero Moda), White & Rose Gold Watch (Michael Kors)
 There's always that one bar in your hometown that you can always go back to. You'll always run into people you haven't seen in years, it never fails. One Saturday night after getting off work at midnight, a small group of us decided to venture in that bar and ended up having an awesome night.

@ Langdon Hall. My outfit: Brown Skirt (Forever 21), Blue Cardigan (H&M), Glasses (Chanel)
The next day, after a long night out we begrudgingly set off on our high tea date at Langdon Hall. This was a belated bridal gift from my maid of honour and also my first time at high tea. The tea was must needed for our weary hangovers and the little sandwhiches and desserts were super cute. It was a lot of fun and note to self no late partying the night before for next time.

@ Minh Tuyet & Huy Vu Concert. My outfit: Grey bustier (FCUK), Blue floral mullet skirt (Forever 21), Khaki Ostrich shoulder bag (Aldo Accesories)

I grew up with a lot of Vietnamese friends so in other words, I grew up going to karaokes and raves all the time lol. But now that we're all grown, busy with our own lives and families, it's been awhile since our last outing. For one of my friend's birthdays we went to a Vietnamese concert in town featuring Minh Tuyet and Huy Vu. They are like your classic Vietnamese singers from back in the day. It was alot of fun hanging with all my friends and jamming Viet style like the old days. I got a quick pic of Minh Tuyet signing autographs. I gotta say she looks completely different in real life, but she's got an amazing voice live.
Minh Tuyet
Considering I only had 1 Saturday off this month, I think I made the most out of June. Here's to July. Happy Canada Day!

Friday, June 15, 2012

Makeup for Glasses....not as easy as it looks

I recently went on a Youtube search for good makeup tutorials for glasses and came up with....a lot of complaints. Here are a few things that really bothered me about the majority of the tutorials that I found. Now mind you I was biased in my search and only watched the Asians, because let`s face it, I`m Asian. Surprise!

1) First off do any of these people actually need glasses? Because when I put makeup on without contacts or glasses I can't see S***! I got a mirror up so close my breath is causing a fog and my brushes are tapping the mirror. These people look like they are not having a difficult time at all. Also bringing me to my next point....

2) They are all wearing circle or coloured lenses with their glasses! So either they are wearing non prescription contacts under their glasses or they are not so blind. I mean I am pretty blind, one eye is -6.25 and the other is -5.75 (I've only met one person in my life that is more blind than me). So for me it's either i'm wearing my contacts or i'm wearing my glasses,because glasses are reserved for those lazy days or days when allergies are really bugging me.

3) This is not really a point on the youtube tutorials but thought i'd add it in. I know glasses are the "in" thing nowadays but back when I started wearing them in the fifth grade they were a stigma blasted upon me, "Why God why?" I protested. My first pair of glasses were of the Harry Potter variety and I hated them! So I think it's funny that now people are walking around in even more ginormous frames, especially us Asians.

Mom and I @ Grade 6 Graduation

One time I went to a sushi restaurant and I was complaining to the waitress about my order and I could not take this woman seriously at all for one reason. She was wearing glasses but with no lenses! I felt like sticking my finger through her frames and poking her eyeball. What the! If you are going to wear fake glasses then at least wear fake lenses! If you don't like the glare then don't wear them at all, you fake posers!

Anyways there goes my rant about fake glasses tutorials. I just had to let it all out. I was happy to find a tutorial by someone that actually does wear glasses. So you can check that out below here. She's got some other glasses tutorials that are borderline "fake glasses", but this one tutorial made it all up to me.

Bubzbeauty

Monday, April 30, 2012

Beauty Exposed is a Smash....Smashbox that is!

I recently purchased the Smashbox Beauty Exposed set and I'll be completely honest.....the model totally sold me. She is DAYUM HOT! She's the type of model that could shave her head and she'd still be a Numba 1 Stunna!

Smashbox Beauty Exposed 5 Must-Have products $50
See what I mean? She's so hot!
So there's 5 "Must Have Beauty Products" in this little set.
1) Blush Rush in "Peony"
2) Photo Finish Foundation Primer 12ml
3) Eye Liner in "Stone"
4) Lip Ennhancing Gloss in "Starfruit"
5) Beauty Exposed Palette including 4 eyeshadows and 1 Soft Lights powder

1) Beauty Exposed Palette 2) Blush Rush in Peony 3) Eye Liner in Stone
I purchased this set because I am doing my own makeup for my wedding and was looking for something easy and all-in-one to use for the big day. This set is nice because it has a nice pink blush and soft pink gloss that is classic and timeless. Also the colours in the palette are so basic and neutral I can easily achieve a soft day look and intensify it for the evening.

Verdict
  • Colours are pigmented and complement each other well
  • Products are of high quality 
  • Can be used for simple everyday looks as well as dramatic evening looks
  • Other than the Photo Finish Foundation Primer, none of the products are carried in the regular Smashbox collections
  • Colours are geared more towards lighter skin tones, not so much for darker skin tones
Result: 9/10 
Basically if you feel you will use at least three of these items on a regular basis then definitely purchase the set. If not you should probably pass on it.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

My week Apr.1-Apr.8 in pictures

Excuse my absence from last week I really have no good excuse for not posting at all. Blame it on laziness and procrastination. I thought i'd make up for it with some pictures from my phone to let you know what the highlights of my week have been.
1. My cat Loki is my daily entertainment.

 2. Good Friday to us Asian Buddhists mean everything is closed and life sucks. Everything except for Markham, gotta love my Chinese motherland lol.  We made the journey up to Pacific Mall where I quickly regretted it because it was so packed. A few of the things I hate most in life are line ups and people pushing me or touching me in general. But at least I got new glasses, contact lenses and some baked goods out of the trip. I'll be back next week to pick up my glasses and contacts. Afterwards we went to Go For Tea on Highway 7. It's basically a huge ass fancy pants bubble tea restaurant. I took a picture of the fancy decor, me and my massively huge bbt and a Canadian goose that's made it's home out in front of the restaurant. Last time I went to Go For Tea was probably more than a year ago. As we were pulling into the parking lot I was telling Ken, my fiance, how last time there was a mother goose that had made it's nest infront of the store and the father goose would basically hiss and attack anyone that came near her. Low and behold they were there again! Poor geese have no home :( Ken tried to pose behind the father goose who was sitting nearby in the middle of a handicapped parking space but he started to flap his wings and hiss at Ken.

3. HAPPY LAO/THAI/CAMBODIAN NEW YEAR!
Secrets out! I am Laotian (both parents are from Laos) and yes I am Buddhist. I was basically raised in a temple my mother was apart of the Lao committee and was very involved in the temple affairs and Laotian community in our area. My grandmother as well is a huge advocate, so I guess you can say it's in my blood. This year was the first year I went to temple by myself without any family and I think I did pretty well for myself. I also dragged Ken along with me even though he's not Laotian or Buddhist but he was a good sport. The temple and Laotian community have always treated me well and now that I am getting older I am trying my best to be more involved and give back as well.

4. When people come over they are amazed to find that my cat actually uses his cat tree! It's cute because he actually sleeps in there from time to time. This is his napping place and his bed is for only night time sleeping. My trick was I would give him treats every time he would go on the tree and only there. So now he just goes there automatically! :)

I promise my next post will be beauty related but I thought it'd be fun to share apart of me with you all. I find joy in simple every day delights and my phone is filled with lots of fun life moments. I would like to continue sharing them with all of you out there!

Friday, March 30, 2012

Organize the way you Make up!

For the longest time I was getting ready every day on the floor, basically in the dark or at best crappy lighting. I knew I had to do something about it but just never got around to it. That was until I stumbled upon msTapioca. She had built a vanity of her own and I loved the idea. Very simple and basic yet quite functional. Here is the link to her post:

msTapioca diy ikea makeup vanity

So here is the very embarrassing before photo of my ``vanity``

This was pretty much how it went down for the past few years. Prior to that it was me with all my junk on the tiny bathroom counter hovering over my sink.

TADA! So much better! I purchased the same shelf (Ekby Gruvan shelf) and legs (Vika Curry legs) as msTapioca but in black. I just got a different mirror than hers. My mirror is the Ekne Mirror.  Everything is from Ikea.

I also purchased this Vasen Vase from Ikea for $1.99 and filled it up with glass beads from Michaels. I use this as a makeup brush holder. I got this idea when I went over to a friend's house and thought it was neat and pretty. One of my first ever posts was Cats Love Makeup Brushes, where i discovered my cat liked to lick and play with my makeup brushes. This was mostly in part because I kept my brushes in a very low and accessible area and displayed them in a way that said "come eat me!". That was when I was living at home. Now I live on my own and have a new kitty of my own and found he did the same thing! So this new brush holder helps to keep it away from kitty's mouth. He still finds a way there but it's not as appealing to him anymore.

I got this mini shelf container from Dollarama. I put all my little odds and ends like bobby pins and elastics in here to keep it neat and organized. I used to always have to hunt for hair elastics and bobby pins. No more!

This is the Godmorgon box with compartments, perfect for holding all your makeup. This is seriously the bombest most illest organizer i've ever had for makeup lol. I put all the makeup I use most often in here and it seriously makes me life a lot easier. No more digging for stuff and it looks nice and neat too. Best investment EVER!

I just wanted to give props to msTapioca again for posting this brilliant idea, it's seriously made my life a little bit happier. I still have to work on better lighting but that's another task for another day. Check out her blog everyone because she's got a lot more neat ideas as well!

Monday, March 26, 2012

Babylips? More like Chappylips

Thoroughly disappointed.
Most products can just sell themselves. When I first saw Maybelline Babylips, ToysRUs immediately popped into my mind. I think the lettering is similar or something which is what threw me off. But upon closer inspection I saw their claims :

"Clinically proven to make lips 82% visibly less dry, 94% less rough, 77% more supple, and 77% better looking after just four weeks of use! It's clinical care for baby soft lips."  -Maybelline

I've also read a few reviews on this product and so many people were raving about it. 
Also if you purchased two of them at Shoppers, you got 2500 optimum points. So I quickly nabbed the Cherry Me and Pink Punch.
Maybelline Baby Lips
Verdict: 

  • very moisturizing initially but over time lips become very dry and flaky
  • nice light tinted balm, great for when you want a little colour but don't want to wear full on lipstick
  • lots of product, shouldn't run out too soon
Result:  7/10

This product does not live up to it's outlandish claims, so I was very disappointed. My lips would become dry after some time (probably within an hour or two) and when I would apply more, it looked horrible because my lips were flaky from the initial application. On the other hand I like that it has a light tint, so I find myself using it a lot, only because I have nothing else on hand. This product has triggered a new quest for me to find the perfect moisturizing lip tint.  

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Nail Lacquer Session #1


L to R: 568 Metallic Purple, 550 Purple Heart, 603 Rusty, 597 Miss Minty
It's been awhile since I've been able to wear nail polish on my fingernails. For the longest time I worked in a restaurant and then in a spa.  Now that i'm at a job where I polish on my nails is not an issue....I've gone a little overboard. I love polish and being so deprived for so long I got a little eager beaver-ish. I purchased a few lacquers from Gosh for the first time, they were on sale for about $5 each. I must say for a $5 polish these babies are pretty good. 

Verdict
  • great coverage and pigment
  • easy application 
  • lasts about 3 days before it starts chipping, and even then it does not chip very much, maybe 1 or 2 nail tips

Metallic Purple: A little too frosty for my taste
Rusty: Had a surprising shimmer to it and had amazing application
Purple Heart: My favourite out of all four. The colour was amazing! In dim lighting it almost looks green, regular lighting it's purple and in very bright lighting it looks black. Interesting polish.
Miss Minty: Your typical mint green polish for Spring 2012. Nice creamy colour and looks nice with a glossy finish or with a matte top coat as well.

Last weekend I went into the Urban Outfitters on Queen St. in Toronto and found a wicked deal! I got this nail polish set for sale $4.99, regular price $24.99!
Stay tuned for the post on these bad boys!

Friday, March 16, 2012

My day at Toronto Fashion Week

On Wednesday, Mar 14 I jumped on a greyhound bus for the first time in years to embark on my mini journey to Toronto fashion week. This was a voyage I had done on a regular basis during my college years but since moving back home and finding all my basic necessities locally, my Toronto busing trips had gone from frequent to zilch.
I've never gone to fashion week and I saw the opportunity to volunteer so I went for it. This was my only shift and luckily the weather was super nice. Spring has come to Southern Ontario very very early!
I was in the Studio Room for most of the day and I got to help set up and organize for two shows for the day.

The first was for Eva Chen, a Vancouver based designer. Luckily I got to sit in for the show and I had a pretty good seat, I sat at the front right where the models would be entering.Chen used a lot of blush and grey and I loved the colour combo. Below is my favourite look of the show. I just think she looks like a super romantic bratty princess!
Eva Chen Fall '12

The second show was for Cara Cheung, a Toronto based designer. I believe this was her first runway show and wow I was really impressed. She's pretty young and new to the scene and I think she's going to do great things. For this show I didn't get to sit but got stuck squatting in the back so I didn't get a good view but I still thought it was really well done. If I had to describe Cheung's show I would say "futuristic party girl". I love how structured yet elegant her looks were. I was seriously impressed. I want I want! Below is my favourite look of the show and I believe it was also her final dress. I also loved how the models' hair was styled. They all had long soft curls and one side of their head was plaited. Everything was well put together!
Cara Cheung Fall '12

We were explicitly told not to take pictures and being the good obedient girl I am.....I didn't. At one point when we were organizing the swag bags I was very tempted to take a picture of myself with all the fabulous bags....but I was quickly whisked away to another task.
That was my day at fashion week! It totally inspired me to start volunteering more for big events, maybe I'll hit up TIFF this year. Next year I will definitely make an effort to make it for more than one day for fashion week!