SONEPHANIE

[Update] I'm Back...For Now!

2013-01-22T15:39:00.002-08:00

It's been months since I last blogged. I love blogging, but I've been so busy lately trying to keep up with my grades. This next semester is going to be even more busy, but after this I only have ONE more year until I graduate with TWO Bachelors degrees! YAY!

So since I haven't posted in so long, I'll just post a few photos I had on my camera. Not much, but it's just something to ease back into posting again.

Enjoy! Or not. I don't really care.

Small Sephora haul that was valued at $57, but I paid only $7! Thanks to the holiday VIB, Beauty Insider, and Wrapp gift certificates. :)

Close up of the nail polishes from the Sephora haul. A copper round glitter topcoat, and a white duo chrome bar-like glitter.

My attempt at reviving a VERY dry gel eyeliner. It actually worked! I used a couple drops of contact lens solution and mixed it. Now I store it on a Ziploc bag so it doesn't dry out so fast.

Been OBSESSED with Grey's Anatomy & pancakes lately. Note: I really only eat pancakes after 9pm. These are my mint & chocolate chip pancakes. YUM!

Berry Pancakes with Whipped Cream! I was probably watching Grey's Anatomy as I ate this.

HAUL. Ulta, Off Broadway, and Kohl's (more on this haul in the next blog post).

That pretty much catches everyone up. I think the only thing I'm really missing is that I went to Truckee, CA recently and saw snow for the very first time! It was freezing (obviously...it's snowing). It was really nice though. And fun. If I ever visit a snowy climate again, I'll know what to pack now. I was able to keep myself warm though. I had several layers of tank tops, long sleeve tees, hoodies, and my rain jacket and boots.

September/October Nail Recap

2012-10-08T23:25:00.003-07:00

Over the past few weeks, I just haven't been too into my nails. I still love wearing nail polish and doing my nails every week or so, but I think being busy with actually studying for my classes and working made me realize that there's more important things to do than my nails - which is a good thing. But since I never posted my last few nail designs (more like nail looks since there really isn't any design to it), I'll just post them here collectively.

The neutral floral nails are from about two weeks ago. To create them, I used:

Del Sol's Color Changing Nail Polish in "First Kiss" (color changes to a pinker color in the sun)
Kiss Nail stickers
Hello Kitty nail stickers from Sephora (only the middle finger) [wouldn't recommend these, they fell off after just one day]

I just removed these green nails, which I actually really liked. Here's what I used:

Revlon's nail color in "Posh" (#571) [very opaque and smooth application]
Milani's Jewel FX in "Gems" (#530)

Both of these products are super affordable! Each polish is less than $5 each.

These pastel blue nails are my current nails right now. I know the design is a bit summery for October, but I want to get one last summer nail design in for this year before I start to wear a ton of darker shades for fall. I used:

Love & Beauty nail polish in "Aqua"
L.A. Colors Art Deco nail stripers for the white stripes
Sally Hansen Hard as Nails in "Cardinal" for the messy, little heart

Well, that's all for nails in the past month or so. I wish I had more time to make cuter designs, but it looks like I'll have to wait until I'm on a break from school.

September 2012 Favorites

2012-10-02T22:59:00.001-07:00

I honestly didn't think I had any favorites for September, but I guess my list proved myself wrong! This is probably one of my longer lists of monthly favorites. Instead of buying a lot of new products in the past month, I decided to use what I already had.

For my favorites, I usually have a mix of mid-high end or drugstore products. But this month seemed to be very budget friendly, since everything shown can be bough at a drugstore (except for maybe the CHI Silk Infusion).

CHI Silk Infusion
Clean & Clear Popped Pimple Relief Drying Paste
NYX Blush in “Terra Cotta”
Physician’s Formula Happy Booster Bronzer
Physician’s Formula Happy Booster Blush in “Rose”
Revlon Lip Butter in “Strawberry Shortcake”
Revlon Lip Butter in “Berry Smoothie”
Revlon “Raven Red” nail polish
Aveeno Eczema Therapy Moisturizing Cream

I've really been loving the bronzey, shimmery cheek look, so the combination of the Physician's Formula Blush or Bronzer with a bit of the NYX Blush gives a nice glow. I've been breaking out a lot at night, so the Popped Pimple Relief Drying Paste from Clean & Clear really helps with that. Most people use the CHI Silk Infusion before styling their hair with heated tools, but personally like using a small amount to make my hair smooth. It helps with the flyaways, and it helps make my hair less dry and super silky. The Aveeno Eczema Therapy Moisturizing Cream is my favorite moisturizer for my dry skin. It lasts for hours, isn't irritating, has no strong perfume fragrance, and absorbs quickly without being too sticky.

Fashionable Greek Attire

2012-10-01T21:58:00.000-07:00

I'm not shy about talking about being in a co-ed Fraternity, so I thought I'd share how I manage to combine my love of fashion and my hard earned Greek letters.

Just to clarify things, I want to say I'm NOT IN A SORORITY. I'm in a co-ed, professional Fraternity called Delta Sigma Pi. Google it, and read through the national website for my information.

So onto the fun stuff... Everyone who's in a Greek organization already has their standard hoodies and standard t-shirts. I appreciate everything I have in my closet, but I also wish letters were more fashionable for us girls (and guys) who don't want to have to wear something that everyone else is wearing.

For my Big and I, I got matching black cardigans customized with blue and black lace Greek letters. She got me a purple crewneck sweatshirt with letters that are customized with yellow, heart-patterned fabric. I love both of these!

Another example of more fashionable Greek attire would be my newest 'letters.' These are probably my favorite right now. Since I picked up a Little in the Spring semester who's also into fashion, I wanted to get us something a bit more trendy. I went to the mall and picked up some affordable denim shirts, and got them customized for a very reasonable price.

On the back of the collar.

Since denim tops are in for the fall season, I thought this would be a good choice. Since the smallest size available was a Medium, we usually just wear this open over a tank or cami, but it still looks put together, and it's a nice way for us to represent the Fraternity.

Each customization is $5, and I did two customization per shirt. So the total was $20 for both shirts to be customized. Not bad considering these are more unique compared to a lot of Greek attire, and it's something you can wear forever.

So for those who are in a Greek organization and feel like there aren't many options with Greek attire, just know there's endless options out there! You can pretty much customize anything, as long as you find a business that will do it for you, or if you're able to operate your own embroidery machine.

Let's Fight Together!

2012-09-16T22:24:00.001-07:00

Although I'm actually swamped with homework right now, I think it's important to take the time and post this.

Every year, the American Cancer Society helps support the fight against cancer by having events such as Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. According to breastcancer.org, 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.

Since there is no cure for breast cancer yet, the least we can all do is walk, and/or donate to the cause in the hopes of finding a cure for many women all over the world.

Credit: DSP - Epsilon Phi

If you would like to participate and support the cause, visit www.makingstrideswalk.org to find an event near you, and sign up.

Or, you can donate to my team through this link: http://main.acsevents.org/goto/dsp_ephi.

All of the proceeds will go towards the American Cancer Society. My team and I (as well as the American Cancer Society and anyone who has been affected by this) will greatly appreciate any donation, even if it's just $1.

Thank you so much! Have a great week. :)

Nails: Revlon's "Raven Red"

2012-09-15T20:28:00.001-07:00

I'm finally posting another blog! I feel like I've been slacking on posts ever since I started school, but school is my #1 priority.

This past week, I've been super busy with recruitment. I'm in a professional Fraternity, so I try to keep my image professional throughout the recruitment process. I normally opt for nude or neutral nails for job interviews and such, but since this is just for other students and such, I decided to go with a classic-but-no-so-classic red.

Revlon's "Raven Red" with flash, indoors

I love how mature this red looks. It's like a good, aged red. Like red wine or something. It's not too bright and distracting like Crayola marker, but it's not too dark to look gothic or something.

Of course I had to add a bit of glitter!

Without flash, cheap lamp lighting, indoors

The colors look completely different with and without flash, but I still love it. In person, it's actually pretty dark. I think this color is great for fall. I really love the burgundy shades lately, so this is perfect. This particular nail polish was actually really easy to use as well. I noticed that other Revlon polishes (like "Minted") come out super streaky, but "Raven Red" was actually really opaque and smooth after one coat. I'd recommend this, especially since it's under $5 at most places.

HAUL: Affordable Splurging

2012-09-08T17:22:00.001-07:00

In my last haul from Sephora, I originally wanted to use my $10 "Gift Card" from Wrapp.com. If you don't know what Wrapp is, it's an online site where you can send gift cards to your friends and family. Honestly, it's nothing special. But Sephora was having a little promo where if you send 3 $5 "gift cards" online to your friends through Wrapp, you'll get a $10 one for yourself the next day. So I sent it to my "other" fake account, then my sister, then my boyfriend (he didn't care). But stupid me forgot to use it so here's my second haul. I was actually able to stack three of the gift card codes and ended up getting $20 off my total order! YAY!!! :D

I was also completely out of my favorite toner for about 2 weeks, so I decided to pick some up after my class on Friday. I really love Origins skincare products, although it's a bit on the pricier side. It's so worth it though!

At Target, I bought some necessities like hangers and contact solution (not pictured), and I noticed that Revlon's nail polishes were on sale. I had a $1 off coupon that expired in 2 days, so it was the perfect time to use it! I also got lucky with getting these black Merona "desert boot" style booties. I had my eye on them for a while, and a lot of other brands were just way out of my budget. These were actually still a bit on the pricey side for Target shoes, but it was probably the best deal I would find. I checked online, and my size was out of stock everywhere! I actually snagged the last pair in my size within like a 20 mile radius. They were even out of stock online.

This gray crossbody bag was probably my favorite purchase all week. Retailing at about $25, it was a bit more than I wanted to spend on a bag from Forever 21. But it was perfect in so many ways, I just had to get it! I had been looking for a darker colored crossbody bag that I could use when I went out to go clubbing with my friends, but also was casual enough for days where I wasn't so dressed up. This one was a dark gray, so it easily goes with everything. And being a petite person, I liked how the strap wasn't too long on me. Also, I liked the size of the bag, because some of the other ones I see are either way too big, or too small.

I'm sorry for posting just hauls lately! I promise that the next ones won't be hauls. I'm officially on a shopping ban right now. :(

WHAT I BOUGHT:

Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer: $42
Tokidoki Palette: $3
Sephora by OPI nail polish in "XOX Betsey": $5 - might return this
Benefit Foundation sample: FREE

Sephora Total: $35 after gift cards and sales tax.

Revlon nail polish in "Raven Red: $3
Merona "Kalama" booties: $37
Forever 21 gray crossbody bag: $27

August 2012 Favorites

2012-09-03T19:00:00.000-07:00

The first day of fall isn't really until September 22, but it sure feels like summer is over with everyone going back to school. Also, there's a lot great sales going on on all the summer clothing items to make room for the fall season *wink*wink* (GO SHOPPING!). :D

My favorites seem really similar with my last haul, because three of the items are the same! But I assure you, I love these three items.

My Favorite Beauty Items:

Trader Joe's Vitamin E Oil
Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel
Tommy Hilfiger's "Dreaming" Perfume (if you normally prefer men's fragrance over women's, you might like this one)
Make Up For Ever Sens Eyes Makeup Remover
Aveeno Clear Complexion Moisturizer
Lush Sweet Lips Lip Scrub
Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in "Cherish"

The Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel and Make Up For Ever Sens Eyes Makeup Remover are actually sample sizes, but they're pretty big. I really like smell of the Cleansing Gel, and it's so easy to use. It doesn't drip everywhere like a lot of face washes do. This one just gently (but effectively) cleanses your face. I'll probably buy a full size when I run of of this one. The Sens Eyes is like a lotion. It's really gentle and non-greasy like a lot of eye makeup removers. I use this with a Q-tip to clean up any extra mascara or eyeliner around my eyes.

Everything else is pretty self explanatory. Lately, I just like sticking to the same products each month, but I'm definitely going to try new things if my budget allows it.

HAUL: Beauty + Health [Back to School]

2012-08-31T20:22:00.000-07:00

I started school earlier this week, and it sure has been stressful already! I always thought that the first week was the most relaxed, but I think it's the opposite lately. I know I'm not the only one going crazy trying to add classes and find a parking spot. Oh, and one morning my normally 20 minute commute to school took an hour and a half! Crazy, right?!

Anyways, time for the haul:

From Target, I got my all time favorite moisturizer and some eye drops. Aveeno's Clear Complexion has been my go-to, Holy Grail, moisturizer for a few years now. It gives me just enough moisture without making me oily one bit, it smells good, and it doesn't break me out. For a while I tried to use other moisturizers, but I couldn't handle it anymore. I'm ONLY using this from now on. The Blink-N-Clean Lens Drops are for my dry eyes. I wear contacts, but near the end of my school day my eyes get irritated, so I carry these just in case. I didn't do much research on which ones were good, but these get the job done so I won't complain too much.

From Sephora, I ended up getting a NARS Blush in "Amour," which is a matte peachy pink. I currently have "Deep Throat," and I love it. I hit pan a while ago, and wanted another NARS blush, so I opted to try a new color that wasn't too crazy. I also wanted to get Clinique's 7 Day Scrub, because I just didn't like the St. Ives Apricot Scrub anymore. I actually stopped exfoliating my face for the longest time, because I was so disappointed with St. Ives (gross, huh?). The Nail Glitter was just to get $50 worth of items so I could get free shipping. I'm sure I'll use it someday, so it's not a complete waste.

From Lush I got the Sweet Lips Lip Scrub. I looooove how this smells! It's a combination of vanilla and chocolate, and it tastes just as good! ;) Unfortunately, I probably won't be buying anything from Lush ever again though. Everyone as the store in Roseville were extremely rude to me except for one person. :(

I also needed a new bottle of Vitamin E oil. I use this for scars, or mixing it with my facial moisturizer or body lotion for extra moisture when I'm feeling dry. It works great and it doesn't smell too bad or noticeable. The bottle from Target was half the size and twice as much, so I though the Trader Joe's brand was a good deal.

I write so much for such a small haul >.< I'm just making up for my lack of posts in the next couple of months due to school! :) Thanks for reading!

Haul: Forever 21 + H&M

2012-08-20T19:53:00.006-07:00

I start my university classes again in exactly one week! I decided to do a little shopping before starting classes, since I haven’t shopped much during the summer. I tried to save up money, and I think I did a good job. Everything I bought was from Forever 21, and my boyfriend bought the black waist belt for me at H&M.

I live in Sacramento, so it’s still hot as hell right now. It’s not exactly time to shop for the fall season, so I decided to get a couple of skirts. I’ve been LOVING the high-low skirt trend, and a casual style taupe skirt seemed like a good basic to have. The black high-low skirt was in my size, and the taupe colored skirt was only $10.80. I couldn’t pass them up!

The black high-low skirt fits PERFECTLY! I’m 5’2” and 100 pounds. I’m usually too short to wear these types of skirts, but it fit perfectly on me as you can see.

The taupe skirt was a bit problematic. I guess for being less than $11 from Forever 21, I can’t complain too much, but I think I could have done a better job sewing the lace on the bottom. It looked extremely amateur, and the lace was cut a bit crooked. Oh well. It’s cheap, and I doubt anyone would really notice this, so I’ll keep it.

I also picked up a cream colored blouse with a black Peter Pan collar. I love collared shirts and blouses, and this one was so cute and simple, and can easily transition from summer to fall.

I am a fan of of most of Forever 21’s nail polishes, so I grabbed a glow in the dark one shown in the first picture. I looked at the bottle in the dark, and it does glow in the dark in some places. I guess I need to shake the bottle a little more and try it out on my nails.

Yesterday, I got buzzed off of bottomless mimosas during brunch (it was really lunch, since we started eating at 1:00pm), and I was in the mood to do some shopping! I guess the buzz wore off quick, cus I didn’t feel like shopping too much once we got to the mall. I didn’t have a black waist belt, and it seemed like such a basic piece, so I got one from H&M. I really liked the gold stud detail too. Kinda pricey, but the quality is great, and it actually fits my normally too small waist.

WHAT I GOT

Forever 21:

Black High-Low Skirt: $22.80
Taupe Skirt with Lace Detail: $10.80
Cream colored Peter Pan Blouse: $17.80
Glow in the Dark Nail Polish in “Apricot”: $2.80

H&M:

Belt: $12.95

First Impressions/Review: L’oreal Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream

2012-08-17T14:15:00.000-07:00

In the most recent issue of Cosmopolitan that I received in the mail, there was a sample of L’oreal Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream. I’ve seen SO many brands in the US launching BB Creams this past year, and I’ve heard mixed reviews on them. The only other brand of BB creams I have tried are from Missha (which I didn’t really like).

This product normally retails for about $8. Pretty inexpensive, even for a drugstore product. And don't forget there's coupons and sales occasionally!

A close up of the product on my hand. (And you can kind of see my scar here, to the right of the product).

As I opened the plastic sachet, my first thought was that this must be more of a moisturizer, and not provide any coverage. I was thinking “oh, another company that didn’t know what a BB cream was before creating one.” But as I tested it on my hand I noticed there were little beads that would melt/pop as you blended it in to your skin.

Before applying the BB Cream

After applying the BB Cream over my scar. You can barely see it now!

I blended the product over the scar on my left hand, it surprisingly it covered pretty well! The texture wasn’t greasy at all. The Missha one I had tried in the past was a bit oily, but the L’oreal one was rather matte. It had a cream to powder finish, which is great for summer and people with oily skin.

The sample I got came in the shade “Light” but it was actually too dark for me as you can probably see in my photos. I wouldn’t consider myself “Fair” but I think that would have suited my skin better. So for you girls who are actually fair skinned, this product most likely won’t match your skin at all. For comparison, according to Temptalia’s foundation matrix, I’m around a NC 20. I use shade Nude or Bisque in Laura Mercier’s Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer.

I applied the product to my face using my fingers. It was really easy to blend out, and I was happy to see that there was some coverage, especially since I have a ton of acne scars and other skin issues. I didn’t use any concealer or primer. But I did set it with a translucent powder (I have oily skin, so I felt the need to even if there was a matte finish). It felt really light, and didn’t have to touch up anything.

After about 6 hours, the BB cream is still in place! I didn’t get much oilier than normal, and I really only got oily on my nose area. I think this product is definitely worth the $8, and I wouldn’t mind using it again. It’s a great alternative to my everyday Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer, because that’s a bit pricey.

Indoors, natural sunlight. No editing besides my name.

I do wish there was a bit more coverage. It covered smaller/lighter blemishes pretty well, but acne scarring and active breakouts are still visible. BB creams are supposed to provide more coverage than a tinted moisturizer, but less than a foundation. To me, the coverage seems about the same as my Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer. Also, I wouldn’t really consider this a legit BB cream cus there’s no SPF in it at all! BB creams are supposed to be a moisturizer, primer, foundation, and sunblock all in one, but it failed to do that.

Oh, and sorry for the photo of my face looking like a deer in headlights or having a super fake smile. Just look at the BB cream on my skin! Haha.

Nails: Wet N Wild Megalast in “Candy-licious”

2012-08-10T17:18:00.001-07:00

I had my last nail polish on for over week, and although it still didn’t chip it was time to change it up! I recently bought this inexpensive Wet N Wild nail polish in a haul earlier this week for only $2.

I had been looking for a perfect Barbie-pink nail polish, and I was so happy to finally find it for such an incredibly low price. I’ve bought high-end polishes before, so I’m glad that this perfect Barbie-pink color was so affordable.

With flash, indoors

Without flash, natural sunlight, indoors

The quality of this polish is quite good. It was pretty opaque with just one layer, and the formula is super smooth. I’ve tried other cheap polishes where the formula was streaky and uneven. This could easily be passed off as a higher end nail polish.

My only complaint about this polish is the brush shape. I make it no secret that I’m a fan of the wider OPI-style brushes, but this one was SUPER wide! I even took a picture of the two so you could see the comparison. My nail beds aren’t that small, but it seems like I only needed to swipe the brush over my nail once to get the color over the entire nail. Also, the unevenness of the brush made it hard to keep a clean line around my cuticle area. So I just had to be a little more careful.

Close up so you can see the jagged edge of the Wet N Wild Brush compared to OPI's.

Overall, I’m really liking this polish. I’m sure if I need a nail polish fix in the future, I’d be happy to try another Wet N Wild Megalast one. Such a great drugstore buy!

REVIEW: Revlon’s Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain + Swatches

2012-08-09T19:21:00.000-07:00

I recently bought a couple of the Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains since I had a coupon. I ended up getting the shades Sweetheart and Cherish at CVS. I really wanted to try Rendevous (the orange color), but I guess it’s really popular since they were all gone! :[ These are supposedly the dupe for Clinique's Chubby Stick, which I haven't tried so I can't really compare them. But they sure do look similar.

Top: Sweetheart, Bottom: Cherish

At CVS, these retailed for almost $10 each! I bought them on sale and used a coupon, which made the price more bearable. I’ve seen other retailers, such as Target, sell these for only about $7 each. So make sure to look around a bit before buying some yourself.

The first time I used these, I noticed a slight minty feel to them. I didn’t really smell it until I started applying it on my lips. It's not that strong, so if you're sensitive to mint/menthol, don't be too freaked out. The application was pretty smooth, but not as smooth as the Revlon Lip Butters in my opinion. I feel like these are little stickier, and the lip butters are a bit creamier.

Swatches: Left - Cherish, Right - Sweetheart

I tried these a couple of times so far, and each time I have not used any type of lip balm or primer. I used it on my bare lips. With a regular lipstick, this probably wouldn’t go so well. I have somewhat dry lips and I always have lip balm with me at all times. After about 4 hours of wearing the Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain, my lips didn’t feel dry! And as an added bonus, the color was still bright and vibrant. I didn’t eat during that time, but normally a lipstick would have still faded. For me, my lips still looked like the Balm Stains were freshly applied, just slightly less glossy.

Today, I actually put on the Balm Stain to see how the Sweetheart shade looked on me. Oh my, this color is super bright! But I’m liking it so far. It’ll be great for a night out, or whenever I want a more dramatic look. After about 20 minutes, I decided to remove it. I used a damp napkin to wipe off the product, but my lips were still bright pink afterwards!

I think the only downside of this product is that there really isn't that much in the tube. For comparison, there's only 2.7g of product in the Balm Stains, but a regular Burt Bees Lip Balm has 4.25g.

All the product in the tube. Wish there was more!

Here's a picture of me heading out to a Yelp Elite event. This was when the Balm Stain was on my lips for 4+ hours, and I didn't reapply it at all!

Wearing Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in "Cherish"

These Balm Stains are so amazing! I am a picky girl when it comes to cosmetics, but I have to say these are worth trying. If you want a lip stain, buy these. If you want a colorful lip balm, get these. If you want to try something new, get these.

I would totally recommend Revlon’s Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains to anyone. I can’t wait to get more of these soon! Owning only two colors is not enough! :]

What colors do you girls recommend?

Pretty in Pink Haul: Revlon + Wet N Wild

2012-08-07T22:10:00.002-07:00

I guess it’s the girly-girl in me, but I tend to gravitate towards a lot of pinker shades for makeup rather than anything. I love pink blush and pink lipstick in the summer and spring.

This week, CVS had a great beauty coupon for you Extra Care card holders. Just scan your card at the coupon center and get a coupon for $5 off $15 beauty purchase.

I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect Barbie-pink nail polish color that’s just perfect for summer, and I think I may have finally found it! Surprising it’s not from OPI or Essie or China Glaze, but from the inexpensive Wet N Wild brand. It was inexpensive, and honestly I wasn’t even trying to look for it. I just stumbled upon it when I was looking for something cheap to meet the $15 to use my coupon.

I had grabbed two of the Revlon’s Just Bitten Lip Balm Stains. Revlon was having a sale for all their items being BOGO 50% off. Sounds like a good deal, but when I know these normally run $7 at stores like Target, seeing the $9.39 price sticker was not cool. But since I had a good coupon and I was already there, I just decided to get it.

Honestly, I didn’t even get a good deal. I pretty much just got things for “average price” in the end.

Revlon’s Just Bitten Lip Balm Stain in “025 Sweetheart” (the deeper pink)

and “015 Cherish” (the lighter pink) = $7 each

Wet N Wild Mega Last Nail Polish = $2

Full reviews and swatches will be in a future post. :] I'm having high hopes for the Balm Stains.

Nails: Julep Maven August FULL Review – Alfre and Felicity

2012-08-05T16:26:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago, I received the Julep Maven August box for the Classic With a Twist Subscription. I said that I didn’t think these boxes were worth $20 each, and I do stand by that. But silly me forgot to skip the month before it was too late, so I’m just trying out the products and doing a review for you all. :]

The contents of the Julep Maven "Classic With a Twist" August box.

First, I used the acetone-free nail polish remover to remove this ugly manicure I did on my nails. Not the Tart Deco one I posted, something so ugly you readers will never see. >:] haha. Anyways, the polish remover claims to be conditioning, which I do agree with. Unlike normal acetone, this remover didn’t try out my nails and cuticles like crazy, and was still pretty effective with removing polish. Of course, removing glitter polish is a nightmare, but if you’re looking for something that’s not as harsh as pure acetone, this might be a good alternative. I really like the pump top bottle. It makes it easy to use with just one hand, and it’s less likely that it’ll spill. And if you’re wondering, this bottle CAN be refilled after you finish all the remover inside. You just twist off the top and pour in what you want. Just like refilling a soap bottle!

Onto the nails. I decided to use both polishes sent in the Maven box. They both have a metallic finish, and the purple and gold complement each other very well! It didn’t hurt that my Fraternity colors are purple and gold too. Go Deltasigs!

Metallic Purple: Afre; Metallic Gold: Felicity

Slightly different angle/flash lighting.

They colors were fairly opaque, but not as opaque as some other polishes I have. They go on smoothly, but I do wish they came with the wider brushes, cus they’d be much easier to paint with. Alfre was a bit streaky, but after some drying it seemed to go away. Alfre has a little more black in it than I thought, but it’s still a beautiful color. Felicity is like painting with liquid gold! I have to admit the colors are pretty nice after a few coats and some nice top coat to set it.

The size of Julep polishes is only 8 mL, while OPI and Zoya are 15 mL, China Glaze is 14 mL, and Essie is 13.5 mL. At about half the size of OPI an Zoya, I REALLY don’t think Julep polishes are worth it. I’ve tried higher end nail polishes such as Lancome, NARS, and Butter London, and for the quality and price, they are worth the money a LOT more than the quality and price of the Julep polishes. Keep in mind that BOTH Butter London and Julep retail for $14 per bottle. My verdict: skip the Maven subscriptions and buy the Butter London if you want to spend that much money on nail polish. Butter London is 11 mL. Not as much as the OPI and Zoya, but at least it’s more than 8 mL, and I can assure you that the quality is AMAZING. Even Forever 21’s nail polish is better than Julep’s at only $3 per bottle.

Now go on and get more bang for your buck! :]

Julep Maven - Classic With a Twist: August 2012

2012-08-02T13:43:00.003-07:00

For those who don't know, Julep Maven is a monthly subscription box that's filled with nail goodies. Polishes, nail polish remover, hand/foot cream, and everything in between. For $20 a month, you can get a new box of goodies every month.

The first box I ordered from Julep Maven was, honestly, not very impressive. But there was a deal going on back in June and I was able to snag a box for only 1 cent! What a steal!

Anyways, I skipped July due to my limited shopping budget, and this month I forgot to skip the month before they sent it to me. D: Instead of paying the $4.95 restocking fee, I decided to just keep it.

Here's what I got:

Contents: Small reusable tote bag, acetone-free nail polish remover, and 2 nail polish colors

Being honest, I really don't think this is worth $20. I haven't liked one thing I received in the two Maven boxes I did receive, and paying $20 a month for things I don't love just isn't worth it to me.

I tried the Acetone-free Nail Polish Remover, and I have to say it's not that bad. I tried to remove glitter polish with it, and it was more work than I'd like. I'd probably use my usual acetone from Sally's Beauty for that. The polish remover also had an odd smell that sort of turned my stomach. Not something I really want to deal with.

The purple color is called Alfre, and the gold color is Felicity. I'll try out the two new polishes soon and post swatches soon. :)

On the note of monthly subscription boxes, what do you girls and boys prefer? I was thinking of trying Birchbox or Stylemint.

Nails: Tart Deco French Tip

2012-07-27T15:12:00.003-07:00

This nail design definitely isn't a traditional French Tip, but I think white tips on any color can make nails look a little classier. Oh, and I'm not very creative with nail designs. -_-

The final product.

For the manicure, I started with my favorite base (not pictured). Use whatever you want. Or don't use one. I don't care. It's your nails. Then I did two coats of Essie's "Tart Deco." I LOVE this color for summer. Corals are definitely at the top of my list of favorite colors in the summer. Then I used Zoya's "Luna" as a glitter accent for my ring finger. I don't use this polish often, because I'm not that fond of it's sheer, creamy, white base that you can't even really see in the picture below. Then I used the tape method (found here) to create white tips using Sephora's "A-Ha! Moment" and sealed all of that with a good, shiny top coat.

L to R: Essie's "Tart Deco," Zoya's "Luna," and Sephora by OPI's "A-ha! Moment."

To be honest, I really hate Sephora by OPI polishes. I have three of them, and I hate them all. The brushes are terrible, and they don't last that long on my nails. What really irks me is the packaging though. Does anyone else experience the ear-peircing sound that occurs when you open and close the bottle of nail polish, or is that just my bottles?

More Pics from LA

2012-07-23T17:29:00.001-07:00

I've been super lazy at taking pictures. I'm just not very happy with my camera, therefore I don't use it often. But I did manage to snap a few pics on my trip to LA from the end of June/start of July. I had a great time on my first visit to Los Angeles, and I hope to go again next summer! :)

Right when my boyfriend and I arrived in LA we met up with his cousin to eat at Jazz Cat Cafe. It was my first time eating shabu shabu, and I loved it!

After eating at Jazz Cat Cafe, we took a nap, woke up and had some drinks and fried tofu at Ten Ren's Tea. Everything was satisfying!

Outside of NBC Seafood Restaurant with my boyfriend for my cousins wedding. Congrats to the happy couple! :)

Shoes for the night. I LOVE my Steve Madden heels!

Me at the Natural History Museum. This place took SO long to walk through and see everything.

My favorite part of the vacation: Santa Monica beach!!! :D And those beach homes look amaaazing!

I did a lot more things during my trip, but I didn't want to post EVERY SINGLE PICTURE. I mean, how boring would that be? I thought a small sample would be enough for you girls and boys to see. :)

If you have any suggestions on places to eat or visit in LA, let me know! I would love to go back and try new places.Thanks for reading!

*P.S. I just love how my photos extend over the edge of the column on my blog. -___- Oh well. :/

Media + LOVE

2012-07-19T16:29:00.003-07:00

As you can probably tell from the title of this post, it won't be beauty or fashion related like most of my blogs are.

Lately, I've been watching a lot of movies and television. It's summer, so I have a ton of free time right now. A few days ago I was watching the movie "Something Borrowed" starring Ginnifer Goodwin, Kate Hudson, and Colin Egglesfield. Click here to read more about the movie on IMDB.

Anyways, the movie depicts a woman (Ginnifer Goodwin) falling in love with her best friend's (Kate Hudson) fiance (Colin Egglesfield). They've been best friends since they were children - practically sisters. Not only does the cheating happen more than once, but Hudson's character is completely clueless about it until she calls off the wedding and admits to also cheating.

Whenever things like this happen in movies, I always imagine my boyfriend and I in the character's place. What if I was Kate Hudson's character, and my best friend was cheating with my fiance (boyfriend)? I wouldn't even know what to do. I'd be so crushed, hurt, and confused. What if I cheated? Why do people cheat on each other at all?

I don't know why so many movies and television shows today tend to show couples being unfaithful rather than loving and committed. In the movie "Crazy, Stupid, Love" starring Steve Carell, his character's wife cheats on him which results in a divorce.

Obviously, all these romance movies and television shows have one agenda: ratings. I wish sometimes Hollywood would just show true love in more positive ways. I, myself, know for a fact that my boyfriend and I would never cheat on each other. That's one of the most disrespectful things someone can do to someone they are supposedly "in love" with.

But I guess that doesn't cause enough excitement for some people nowadays.

Long Time, No Blog! [Haul from LA]

2012-07-12T17:33:00.001-07:00

I went to LA a few weeks ago, and I never did a post on what I bought or did while I was visiting. So why not do it now? :)

I actually didn't buy too many things, since I'm jobless during the summer and I'm on a budget. But I did buy enough to make myself happy, and that's what matters most, right?

I really only bought stuff from two places: H&M, and Brandy Melville.

I went to H&M at the Citadel Outlets because they were having an AMAZING sale on a ton of things. I want to say everything, but it was only about half the store that was on sale for under $15! I got the black skirt shown in the picture for only $5! I probably won't be wearing it anytime soon in this 100 degree summer weather, but it'll be a great piece for fall/winter.

My friend told me about Brandy Melville a while ago in one of my fashion classes. I checked it out online first to see if I liked the style, and apparently I did because I bought 3 items from their store in Santa Monica (which, by the way, is a beautiful town!). The floral bandeau was $10, white top was $17, and the floral top with the bows in the back was $19. I guess the two tops were kinda pricey, but the white one was super comfy, the bow one was freakin' cute, and it was a vacation! Good excuses, right? ;)

Nails: Burberry Inspired

2012-05-31T20:52:00.004-07:00

The final product.

Last week I painted my nails a nude color for a job interview. Butter London's "Yummy Mummy" to be exact. I had it on for about two days, and was reluctant to take it off since I like to keep nail polish on for at least 5 days (especially since this brand was on the pricier end of what I own). I wanted something more exciting, and kept thinking what I could do with my nails that had a nude colored base already. Then it hit me - Burberry nails!

I Googled "Burberry nails" and used the photos I found as a guideline of how to do mine. It was fairly simple with just straight lines overlapping each other. I think the hardest part was making sure it was actually straight. It would have taken WAYYYYYY too long to use tape to make the straight lines on every single nail.

I started off with the white lines, the red lines, then the black lines.

Different nail polishes used.

What I used:
Butter London "Yummy Mummy" as the nude base color.
Sephora by OPI "A-ha! Moment" for the white lines
Sally Hansen "Cardinal" for the red lines
L.A. Colors Art Deco in White for the while lines also (I used the Sephora one for the majority of the time, but this was helpful for touchups or smaller nails)
L.A. Colors Art Deco in Black for the many black lines

Bright Summer Nails: Easy, Colorful French Tips

2012-05-22T21:29:00.000-07:00

Oh my!! School this past year has really gotten the best of me (or worst?!). It has been FOREVER since I posted on here. I've missed blogging soooo much! I just finished another semester of college. Everything is getting so much more demanding in school the longer you're here. Too bad I still have about two years left until I graduate. >.< (If you're guessing it's my second year, you're wrong...)

Anyways, I wanted to a quick post on my nails. I was bored (since it's finally summer break for me), so I decided to take a little extra time to make my nails not just plain, straight color. I decided to go with a French tip, but I wanted to use bright, summer colors.

The first step I did was use a nail base. I didn't take a picture of this, since I don't think it's really all that necessary. It's like primer for foundation. Next, I painted my nails the base color (the "Tickled Pink" color for all nails, except ring finger). Then I used tape to create a guideline for when I painted the French tip using the opposite color from the base color. Lastly, use you favorite topcoat to seal in your hard work!

What I used:

Nail Magic Base (not pictured)
Essie "Tart Deco"
Sally Hansen "Tickled Pink"
Out The Door quick dry top coat
Tape (I used medical tape, cus it was much more flexible than painter's or scotch tape)
Scissors to cut the tape, to make a clean line

What are some of your favorite nail trends this summer? Let me know, I'd love to try them! :)

P.S. I know I mentioned a long ass time ago that I would have a contest once I got 50+ followers. I don't like to back out on my work, so I will still do the contest if I EVER get 50+ followers. :) So follow away!

Nail Polish Collection: Swatches + Review (Part 1)

2011-09-18T20:10:00.000-07:00

I don’t have that many nail polishes, but my collection is definitely growing. I also thought it would be a good time to provide swatches and some quick reviews of what I do have. I have each part separated by brands. There could be multiple brands per post, as you’ll see later. And, if the swatches seem a bit messy, it’s because I was sitting in front of fan while painting them. So the fan sort of blew them away onto the ground while they were still in the process of drying. Haha.

*NOTE: All photos taken indoors, with both natural sunlight and flash. The colors seem quite true to color on my laptop screen, but everyone’s screen is different! Also, I took all the photos against 2 sheets of plain, white computer/printer paper for easier color comparison.

This particular post happens to be all my OPI nail polishes (so far!). I love OPI polishes, so I’m sure I’ll be getting more in the future, which explains all the naked nails on the wheel. I’m not sure if every polish I have is from a special collection, so I’ll only say which collection it’s from if I know it. If you happen to know any extra information, please let me know in the comments! :D

Swatches L -> R:
OPI “Teenage Dream” (Katy Perry collection) – 3 coats shown; Actually very opaque when applied to actual nails. LOVE this polish so much, I actually bought a back up!
OPI “Last Friday Night” (Katy Perry collection) – 2 coats shown; Would love it more if it was more opaque. I wouldn’t recommend wearing this polish alone, but it’s great as a glitter topcoat.
OPI “The One That Got Away” (Katy Perry collection) – 2 coats shown; I haven’t had the chance to use this yet! But when I swatched it, it was very opaque and smooth.
OPI “Not Like The Movies” (Katy Perry collection) – 2 to 3 coats shown; I think this color is great for the transition from summer to fall. It’s a duo chrome polish with a purple and green.
OPI “Tutti Frutti Tonga” – 2 coats shown; I think this is very pretty, feminine pink. The formula is very smooth, but it does have a ‘streaky’ effect to it if you’re not careful. Looks like a pearl pink color, if that makes sense.
OPI “Teal The Cows Come Home” – 2 coats; The color is bright and vibrant. The name is adorable. What more can I say??

OPI “Pamplona Purple” – 2 coats shown; One of the deeper purples I have. Great for fall. Cream finish.
OPI “You Don’t Know Jacques” – 3 coats, I think; I didn’t expect this color to be so dark. It’s definitely a dark, chocolatey brown.
OPI “It’s Totally Fort Worth It” (Texas collection) – 3 coats; I know it’s not necessarily a color, but gray is probably my favorite color. Yeah, I know I’m weird! Haha. I love this gray polish, cus it has a very slight shimmers of purple and red. It’s a bit on the sheer side, but 2 heavy coats is usually fine for me.
OPI “Last Friday Night” layered on top of a black nail polish – 2 coats of black, 1 coat of LFN; Beautiful when over a dark polish. It really brings out the blue glitters.
OPI “Not Like The Movies” layered on top of black nail polish – 2 coats of black, 2 coats of NLTM; This polish was already pretty on it’s own, but over black is really nice also. It just give the color a darker look that’s perfect for fall, or for people that just prefer darker polishes.

Haul: Aerie & Gap

2011-09-14T22:04:00.000-07:00

Am I the only one that thinks there has been some AMAZING sales going on lately??? I can’t pass up all these good deals, especially when I’ve had my eye on quite a few things for a while! Damn you Labor Day, back to school, and end of summer season. -.-

Aerie:
- Aerie Feather V-Neck in ‘Pink Solace’: $11.70
- Aerie Lace Pleated Tunic in ‘Chalk’: $20.70

Gap Jeans:
- Cropped Always Skinny: $26.38 (originally $70)
- Perfect Boot: $26.38 (originally $70)

The Cropped Always Skinny jeans are a bit long for me personally to call them cropped. It was only available in regular length, and not petite/short. They’re a little big all around, but not big enough where I can’t wear them. It’s just a little more relaxed looked. After rolling up the cuff, it’s all good!

The Perfect Boot Gap jeans are actually a very dark, navy blue. Not black! I’m not a fan of black jeans at all, especially since it gets hot enough where I live. I definitely don’t need the extra heat on my legs. I love these boot cut jeans, because they fit well throughout my petite body. They have a little bit of stretch, but they’re still ‘sturdy,’ if that make sense.

I got these jeans for less than $30 each, because it was during their 40% off denim event a few weeks back. That’s already a great deal, but then there was an extra bonus for cardholders: an additional 30% your entire purchase! Luckily I am a cardholder, so I was able to get the best discount (that I know of). Ebates also offered cashback! Be sure to sign up for an account with the link below if you don’t have one already. We’ll both be rewarded. ;)

Haul for Fall: Forever 21

2011-09-11T20:05:00.000-07:00

I know I’ve said many negative things about Forever 21 in previous posts, but I do have to admit that they’re really stepping it up lately. The prices still remain reasonably low, but the quality is improving a bit, and they’re offering easier garment care like machine wash, instead of dry clean only.

I’ve never shopped so much at Forever 21 before, so this just proves how much better they’re getting. I really only went in for a necklace, which wasn’t even available in this particular store. Then I proceeded to shop around and ended up buying $92 worth of stuff. -___- All the pieces are actually good quality, not a bad price for what it was, and it fit my body well! I usually have a lot of trouble fitting their clothes because it used to run quite large, but they’re changed their sizing, and I can now fit a size S quite well. I also liked finding a lot of XS sizes throughout the store, which I fit even better. I mainly get the size S for hoodies and things I want to have a relaxed fit for.

Shorts: $19.80
Skirt: $14.80
Sweatshirt: $19.80
Dress: $24.80
Necklace: $6.80

I felt the dress was a bit expensive, but it fit me PERFECTLY. It’s rare that dresses fit me, so decided to get it. It’s usually too loose and baggy in the chest, cus I’m pretty small in that area. The straps were just right also. They’re usually too long/ stretched.

I bought the necklace to “replace” the one I originally wanted. It still has the same style and colors I wanted. I'm not much of a jewelry person at all. It tends to irritate my skin a lot, so I usually avoid it. But since I'm in a History of Fashion class, the professor thought it would be fun to give 1 point extra credit on certain days when students wore inspired items from the time period we were learning about. Can anyone guess what time period the necklace is for? ;)

I reallyyyyyyyy wanted this orange, sheer, chiffon blouse, but the only two shirts left were M and XL. : ( Boo. I tried the M, and it was ginormous on me. I would have needed an XS. Overall, I’m happy with everything I bought! Good job to Forever 21 for stepping it up lately!