Spreadin' the Love. Late.

Craaaaaaapppp I had this vision of posting this on Valentine's Day to "spread the love" so to speak, but true to my procrastinating ways - IT'S LATE xD  In any case, what better way to spread the love in the blogosphere than AWARD TAGS wheeee~  I haven't been commenting on other blogs lately (busy :( ) but once February is over...more blogstalking!

I Love Your Blog Tag

Tagged by Bella Chic :D She seems to have a very similar skin type to me so I stalk her constantly when I'm debating over what upper end brands/Japanese brands to buy.  I was pretty excited to do this tag, especially since it's a bit different from the others :}

1. Why did you create this blog?

I'm not really sure.  It was an intersection of a growing interest in makeup/skincare, wanting to share tidbits of info on lesser reviewed products, and an overgrown desire to just jump into the blogging world :}

2. What kind of blogs do you follow?

Mostly makeup review blogs.  A small selection of fashion and Korean culture/ex-pat blogs. 

3. Favorite makeup brand?

Hard one!  I can't pick just one so I'll just list all of them ^_^ Urban Decay, Boscia, Skinfood, My Beauty Diary, and Benefit.  Maybelline is inching its way on this list too.

4. Favorite clothing brand?

Walmart ahah but seriously, all my "staple" items like tank tops, long sleeves tops, and sweaters come from there xD  On the other hand, I'd have to say Ann Taylor with Banana Republic being a close second.

5. Your indispensable makeup product?

Skinfood Mushroom BBcream. After it oxidizes, Shade 1 is my perfect match.

6. Your favorite color?

Green. In case you haven't noticed ^^

7. Your perfume?

Versace Bright Crystal: clean, sophisticated, and mixes well with my natural body scent.

8. Your favorite film?

ahhhhh another hard one!  Ocean's 11 is what comes to mind first.

9. What country would you like to visit and why?
Oh lord, this one's so hard.  I want to travel the world eventually, but Italy would be fantastic place to start.

10. Make up the last question and answer. What book are you reading right now?  Malcolm Gladwell's What the Dog Saw.  I love his crisp writing style - I think my favorite articles so far has been John Rock's Error and The Talent Myth (and god knows it makes me feel better ^_~).  I can't wait till his next book!

Tagging: Mara (He Calls Me Mara), Siwing (Life's A Beach~), Mookxi, Ssushoo, Jessica (Bubbles & Beauty), Nic Nic (Bang Bang She Shoots), Rinny (Rinny's Beauty Diary), Joyce (Happy Cloud Moments), Yumiko (ILOVEYESTERDAY), Stephanie (Beauty & Gardens), Julie (PDXBeautiful), Jennifer (Rainy Days & Lattes), Sisi (Sisi Sparkles), Elisa (Memorable Days), Sue Lynn (Where I Can Be Deeply Superficial), Lisa (HQCD), Msodapop, Winnie (Winniewingyi), Georgina (Coffretgorge), Ashura (Clover Beauty Inn)

I have to admit, I was rather surprised to get this since I'm about as stylish as...my 80 year old History professor (aka NOT).  But I won't look the gift horse in the mouth xD  So thank you Sisi Sparkles, who is the drugstore sale masta' :}

With the acceptance of the award, you must follow these rules:
1. Thank and link back to the person that awarded you this award.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers.
4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award.  <---....I'll try >_>

7 things about myself:

• I collect socks. Like cute, funny socks...not Fruit of the Loom xD
• I'm going through a stuffed animal/pillow phase (again). Most recent acquisition: a life size emperor penguin.
• I hate talking on cellphones :\ I don't know what it is but I get a massive headache after a minute or so.  I prefer email/texting.
• I hated mushrooms till I went to college.
• I've had a Scutigera Coleoptrata on my arm once - one of the jumbo 2-3 inch ones not including the legs.  The story in a nutshell: Fell asleep on the floor of my dorm, felt a tickle on my arm, woke up to one of these monsters only 3-4 inches from my face, sitting on my forearm.  I screamed and almost fainted.  Tried to squish it but these demons are fast I tell you...all those legs *shudder*
• Best smoothie I've ever tasted: Blueberry smoothie in some Philadelphia airport.  Still searching for a smoothie to top that.

15 Recently Discovered Blogs (I use the term "recently" very loosely, I have a bad sense of time...)
1. Ssushoo (she be so chill~)
2. Mishi a la Mode
3. Eyeliner & Heels
4. Fruity Lashes
5. Mad, Bad, & Dangerous to Know
6. Where I Can Be Deeply Superficial  (Has the best picture tutorials on YouTube)
7. Fannie D
8. Magdalina (cute name eh ^_^?)
9. xoladiihoneyxo
10. Pretty Little Thing
11. Ahleessa4realz
12. Pop Champagne (ok, she's not a "recent" discovery but she's one of the few fashion/celeb gossip blogs I follow regularly ^^)
13. Bubbles & Beauty (hosting a fundraiser/giveaway for the Sloan Memorial Kettering Center!  The prize is a Stila Make Me Love blush.  Another one of the chillest YTers around).
14. Makeup Fancy (does some of the best EOTDs around)
15. Drey Jewelry (a recent jewelry maker discovery. Does a lot of kpop inspired pieces that totally stroke me the right way~)

From Eyeliner & Heels - thank you ^^! She tis a new find for me and it seems like we share a similar taste in makeup so I am anxious to see how her blog unfolds :}

The rules say:
1. Post about the award and copy the rules.
2. Link to the person who gave you the award.
3. Choose 3-5 blogs you would like to give the award to and link them.
4. Leave a comment on their blog to let them know. I am sorry but I think I've tagged enough blogs for one post >< so pooped
5. Write 7 things about yourself.

1. I read webcomics.
2. Initials of first crush or was it love ;)? D.W.
3. I am terrible at pronunciation.
4. Favorite TV shows growing up: Magic School Bus, Arthur, Wishbone, This Old House
5. I talk to my computer.
6. Food staples: cheese, chocolate, rice, potatoes, and avocados
7. I love cats but I'm drawn towards dog psychology books :\  I'm reading A.H's Inside of A Dog right now and while it's convincing me that cats are still "superior," the idea of owning a dog is intriguing me more and more.

7 Beauty Characteristics

I was actually tagged for this by two peeps: Yumiko and Rinny.   Yumiko is a Nana-doppelganger I swear and has naturally gray eyes I covet (and feebly seek to emulate via circle lens >_>).  She also fangirls over kdramas and it's kinda cute xD  Rinny has a well-rounded blog covering the kind of makeup I'm interested in and petite fashion (tho the latter is something I am rather the opposite of xD).  She has a way of reviewing the exact type of makeup I'm interested in.  It's crazy because she's actually one of the first bloggers that popped out to me many months ago before I even had a blog ^^ So...7 things I like about myself:

1. Hair: I will never go bald. As uncooperative as it is, I have a lot of it and it has a lot of natural volume.

2. Brows: They're naturally full (and bushy without plucking). Never needed to bother about filling in brows or such very much.

3. Eyelashes: Pretty long though it wouldn't kill them to be thicker ;)  Overall, I am content.

4. Legs: I like 'em. Not too short or long and pretty slim.

5. Feet: I think having small feet make me clumsy since they're disproportionate to my height :\ But I usually get the shoes I want since 5.5 is rarely out ^^ and they feed my illusions of being some kind of Cinderella.

6. "Witty" conversationalist: I'm reasonably sure I cross the line between chatty and chatterbox too often but I think (and hope) that it makes me fun to be around ^^  And I think being fun to be around is a beautiful characteristic mirite ^^;;?

7. Child at heart: Or immature. I reckon I'm more the latter, but "child-at-heart" sounds so much more palatable to my deluded ego ;)

Everybody do this ^_^! Cause there's something beautiful about everyone yup :D

Lunar New Year + Free Shipping @ The Body Shop!

From Sempio - check out the recipe too ^^

Tis Lunar New Year today :D! My mom made a little pot of rice cake soup (떡국/tteokguk) ^_^ so we'll probably eat that tonight~  We don't do any of the bowing/dressing up in hanboks (I've had enough of that through jesa anyway), but I love tteokguk (especially with dumplings/mandoo :D).

For a little Lunar New Year trivia, here are some fun (and short) posts:
- Why Koreans call Lunar New Year gujeong/구정/"old new year" via Ask a Korean
- And of course, good ol' wiki :)

Happy Lunar New Year!

I wish everyone a wonderful year with lots of good luck!

(even though it's not looking so good for us rabbits darnnit -_-)

Also here are some pics of the snow we got in VA last week ^_^ The snow was excellent, all dense and heavy, great for snowball making :D Lots of people lost electricity for awhile though because many power lines went down under the weight of the snow and falling trees :(

Also, speaking of Lunar New Year....it seems like The Body Shop celebrates it too xD!  Usually you need to spend $50+ to get free shipping but now you can get Free Shipping with any purchase amount! And it get's better, on top of free shipping and the free mini duo with $25+ purchase - Ebates gives 10% cash back (which is a pretty hefty amount)!  Ends tomorrow (2/4).

So, to maximize your savings:
1.) If you haven't already, make an E-bates account.
2.) Go to The Body Shop E-bates page & click through "Shop Now" for 10% cash back.
3.) Add whatever amount to cart, though I recommend $25 to get the little gift set ^_^
4.) Free Shipping is automatically applied (no coupon code necessary).
5.) Same with the gift set, TBS will ask you which one you want automatically.
6.) Confirm purchase & you're done :D!

If I may humbly suggest the Vitamin E Face Mist (check out Rainy Day's review) and the Cocoa Butter Lip Care Stick, these are great :D and I shall review them soon :)

Puccho Kajitsu King Candy + Otano no topo (Creme Brulee) + Award

Nothing like spending a leisurely Sunday eating sweets, watching My Fair Wedding reruns, and surfing the internet.  Love it ^_^

Let me introduce you to one of the most interesting candy I've eaten in awhile - Puccho Kajitsu King candy.  The bag makes me chuckle ^^ It's pretty off the wall even considering the Asian love of kooky packaging~ 

It has real chunks of dried strawberry and pineapple in it and is made by the same company who makes Hi-Chew, so the white part has a similar (if not identical) flavor and consistency.

I really dig how they used real bits of fruit in the candy, which you can really taste since the white part doesn't really taste like much - it tastes (and looks) exactly the same as the white coating on the Hi-chew candies.  There is a definite pineapple flavor, more than strawberry, which is understandable since it's naturally a stronger flavor. Since there's fruit the texture of the candy is pretty odd...dried fruit + chewy candy but it's not unpleasant. 

This is definitely one of the more unique candies I've ever eaten and it's my brother's favorite Asian candy - and that's saying something since he always tries every piece of candy I buy (usually behind my back -____-).  ahhah and it is certainly a must try :}

Otona no topo is a kind of bastardized Pocky ^_^ all the coating is on the inside~

Each box came with two packets :} The hollow tubes are coated on the inside with a (really) sweet creme brulee flavored cream, but it lacked the subtly of real creme brulee so I actually didn't like this too much :\  The cracker part was oddly...salty?  and that made the cream even sweeter.  I prefer the "real" Pocky ^_^  You won't be missing out on much if you don't try this I think.

Also, this is much belated post but Elisa of Memorable Days was kind enough to tag me for this awhile back :)

I tried valiantly to not tag people who have been tagged before by me so here goes to my more recent discoveries (or those I hadn't gotten to tagging till now) who have impressed me with their well-rounded posts and lovely personalities:

1. Dina (XYYan)
2. Bubbles & Beauty
3. Slowbro's Dreams
4. patikym
5. Bibi
6. Silky Bow
7. Beauty & Gardens
8. Rinny's Beauty Diary
9. The Little Dust Princess
10. The Pioneer Woman - this isn't a "beauty" blog but who doesn't know this lady?!   She takes lovely landscape and food photos for one thing and just about the only person I can think of who talks so much about cows xD   She's really catapulted to fame via her blog - she's been on Food Network, published a cook book, is writing another book (a love story) and apparently it's being made into a movie with Reese Witherspoon in it O_O  And her photographs...*_*!
11. Musings of an Offbeat Biped
12. eyeseeyouuu - circle lens and her pencil sketches O_O
13. Cosmeddicted
14. BethLovesApple
15. Buhay sa Korea - Filipino living in Seoul.  One of the few strictly personal blogs I read ^_^

FYI: I tagged a lot of people in previous award tags but I'm really bad with going around and 'alerting' people ^_^ So, please - if you have time, please mosey on over through my old award tags cuz I prolly tagged you and didn't tell you :P

I hope everyone's having a wonderful weekend!

On Korea + Allergy Update + Awards + Macaron Lovin'

UPDATE @ 5:40PM:

I know this post is already a mishmash of many things but for those who aren't aware:

On the 23rd, North Korea fired onto Yeonpyeong Island, located just south of the maritime border with a civilian population of about 1,600 and a military presence of 1,000. Two South Korean marines were killed, while 16 soldiers and 3 civilians were injured. This act of aggression comes eight months after the sinking of the South Korean Cheonan ship that killed 46 sailors. Read more in the following articles (in English) from Joongang Daily, Reuters, and New York Times. - Dramabeans

Especially nowadays, people are becoming more aware of South Korea through Kpop, k-dramas and movies but the fact remains is that those things reflect only one facet of Korea.  The glamorous, happy image K-entertainers portray tend to overshadow much of the troubles that continue to plague the Koreas.  The Korean War continues to this day (no peace treaty was ever signed), families are still separated by the DMZ, and no matter how far South Korea goes economically, North Korea remains its unpredictable brother that holds it back.

Anyway, I won't get into my political opinions right now but I hope that this encourages and challenges the people who say they "love" Korean culture to start looking beyond the glossy images of Korea's singers, dancers, and actors and see Korea as it truly is, warts and all - and to love Korea even so.

***And just to clarify, I'm not trying to single anyone out for not being all "into" global politics or something ^_^ I was just in a philosophical mood after seeing my brother's friends gawking over Suju & SNSD while having no idea what else is going on in Korea :\  I'm sorry if there was any misunderstandings ^^~ *sigh* I need to watch myself when I get up on my soapbox ><

* * * * *

Hi, everyone~
I'm sorry I have been really slow on reviews lately but my skin really needs a break (for reasons I'll explain below) so unfortunately, here's another filler post :(  For people waiting for the concealer video, I still have to film the last bit and with my face being so friggin' annoying I haven't been able to do it yet >_>

Anyway, remember my post about what I thought was a pineapple allergy?  Well, the good news is that I'm not allergic to pineapples (or the Skinfood Pineapple Peel in general) :) The bad news is that I'm allergic - for sure - to this:

I could choke on the amount of irony written on this jar....

I got a sample of this with my UD BoSIII palette but forgot about it till now.  I remembered that I had used this for the first time on pineapple day but honestly, this moisturizer is known for it's gentleness that it didn't even occur to me it could be this.   Basically,  by two days ago my skin had pretty much returned to its old self.  I figured I could finally start moisturizing again (I always cut off lotions/makeup when my face is having a flare-up) and after washing my face with Theragenics Tomato Carrot Soap (not allergic to this b/c I've used even when my face was recovering) and used a Skinfood Pumpkin Gel Mask (I also used this every night while my face was recovering and it helped it heal, so not allergic to this either), I put on the Philosophy Hope In a Jar.  My skin felt tingly (I thought in a good way) and I went to sleep.

When I woke up in Monday, I had broken out in hives again.  Today my face is swollen and much worse so than last time; the itchiness has also intensified.  Unfortunately, this is not surprising since it's said allergic reactions get worse each time your exposed to the allergen again.   It'll take a good 3-4 days (perhaps longer this time) before it goes away.  

Water/Aqua/Eau, Glycerin, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glyceryl Stearate, Peg-100 Stearate, Octyldodecanol, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Lecithin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Arachidyl Propionate, Ethyl Linoleate, Ethyl Linolenate, Citric Acid, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Salvia Officinialis (Sage) Oil, Triethanolamine, Limonene, Linalool, Diazolidinyl Urea, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

I googled "Hope In A Jar allergy" and the only page I came across fingered lavender as the culprit.  I admit I've never put lavender on my face but I'm wary of jumping to conclusions because I have put on the Bath & Body Works Lavender Chamomile Sleep Lotion many times on my body with no problems (well, a year or so ago).  Either the lavender concentration in the lotion isn't high enough or I've developed a lavender allergy or my reaction isn't to lavender.   Bottom line: I doubt I'll ever figure out what I'm allergic to specifically but no more Hope In A Jar for me.  This is really disappointing to me as I wanted to try Philosophy's Microdermabrasion set and now I'm wary of it.

So that's where I am right now and why I haven't been in the mood to test out and review any makeup :(  Ugh....not a good way to start Thanksgiving break...

Now on to the happy stuff :D~~~

My weekend got a really nice start when I found out suki pooki tagged me for this award ^_^   I was especially moved because even though this is a beauty blog, I like to write about a lot of other things as well and I worry if that's really a good thing ^^  So thank you suki pooki!

Rules
1.) Thank and link back to who gave you this award.
2.) Share seven things about yourself.
3.) Pass it along to seven other blogs of which you've recently discovered and leave them a note to tell them of the award.

7 Bits of Trivia
1.) My feet are small - I wear 5.5 - 6.5 to my 5'6 height.  Maybe that's why I'm clumsy xD?
2.) I used to collect stickers and I still have them! I have a couple really cool ones...fuzzy, glow-in-the dark, holographic....
3.) I cut my nails when I'm stressed out. You can literally judge my stress levels by my nail length.
4.) I brush my teeth in the shower.
5.) I've never broken a bone.
6.) When I yawn, I cry.  I dunno why, tears just come out ^^
7.) My cousin in an actor in Korea (really :D!)  And yes, he still acts in dramas and movies, maybe you've seen him on-screen once ;)

7 Versatile Bloggers
1.) 6ixx
2.) Ice Pandora
3.) Happy Cloud Moments
4.) Peacefully Folding
5.) Worship at the House of Blues
6.) Exotic Japan
7.) All Things Marie

Needless to say this was just a cherry on top of my weekend ^_^ Elisa Lee of Memorabledays tagged me this award - thank you ^_^ Even better, there are no rules ;) just tag-a-fy 15 lovely people~ Fyi, if you already got this, that's why I didn't tag you ^^

1.) Mara
2.) Cambo Soup
3.) Siwing
4.) Asami - her nailsssssssss!!!
5.) Pop Champagne
6.) PDXBeautiful
7.) 52 New Days
8.) Occasionally Cute
9.) Clover Beauty Inn
10.) Sarah Hassan
11.) Msodapop
12.) Sisi Sparkles
13.) tuttifruttibeauti
14.) Beauty & the Scientist
15.) wuguimei

And on to the last sweet thing~

Mini macarons!  I was talking to suki pooki about these ^_^  I got this from Wegmans and it's the first time I've tried these.  I don't remember how much they were and though I remember thinking they were a little pricey, I totally don't regret buying them because they're just so doggone cute!

A macaron.... is meringue-based: made from a mixture of egg whites, almond flour, and both granulated and confectionery sugar. The confectionery is characterized by its smooth, domed top, ruffled circumference (referred to as the "foot"), flat base, mildly moist and easily melted into mouths. Connoisseurs prize a delicate, egg shell-like crust that yields to a moist and airy interior. The macaron is commonly filled with a buttercream or jam filling sandwiched between two macaron cookies.

I'm not a good judge of these since it's the first time I tried them but they were indeed delicately crisp on the outside with a moist, fluffy interior.  They were delectably sweet and I finished these in one sitting ^^

Pistachio - I don't like pistachios normally but it tasted very good as a macaron ^^ I actually think this was my favorite :D

Lemon - tastes just like a lemon!  The lemon ones seemed more 'moist' than the others for some reason but it still tasted very good, if a bit on the sweet side rather than tangy side.

Chocolate - SO SWEET even to me.  It was like a bite of triple layer chocolate cake!  But they were good, oh so good. Very moist and rich!

Strawberry - how can you go wrong with strawberry ^_^?  It was very good but the flavor a little artificial for my taste.  Not "subtle" just in your face strawberry (flavoring).

Vanilla Bean - very sweet, though not as much as the Chocolate one. It tasted very "natural" if that makes any sense - it was good :D

Lisa also introduced to this friggin amazing macaron shop on Etsy, Sparkles Kitchen.  Omg they look so good O_O and so many unusual flavors!

Ending the Weekend: FOTD, Sales, Award, Squirrels~

The weather today was just gorgeous; here's a view of my backyard~

And what is this huddled in thou branches?

Squirrel!!!!!!! Isn't it just so friggin cute ^_^?! but it looks so cold >0<  It was warm out though, so no worries ;)  It was just sitting like that for at least five minutes.  I wonder what it was thinking~?

Bibi also was nice to give me this award, thanks Bibi!

I believe it says "Because your blog is pretty!" in Spanish  eheh it must be all the peas and hearts I stuck everywhere ^^  And to pass on the love....here is a small sampling (five) of eye candy blogs:

Princess Livia's Beauty Blog

I think the strawberries in the bg are just so cute....plus I dig her blog layout in general.  

It's just so clean, navigable and full of personality.  Even though princess-y stuff

isn't my usual cup of tea, her design just really charms me.

Milk & Cookiie

So soft and pretty~ It's very simple but so much attention to detail went 

into designing the layout from the adorable little smilie icons to the delicate font.

Sparkle*Apple

eheh more pink ^_^ Love everything from the ruffles on the page border to the 

little sparkles that follow your arrow.  By far one of the cutest webdesigns eva~

La Belle Mel

Definitely one of the more visually memorable beauty blogs I've seen.  The site has a 

darker color palette than most beauty blogs and it stands out fo' sho.

Cat@lina

I like the width of the blog and the little teddy bears at the corners of her widgets ^^ Also I just
dig the convenient features like the rolling top entry and has Korean subs in her videos.

Sales 

I came across some really good sales (non-R&R for once) this weekend.

  

1.) Bath & Body Works has quite a few coupon codes going and here are a few of the good ones:

- 20HOLIDAY: 20% OFF and $3 SHIPPING.  Ends 11/19/10.

- HOLIDAY30: Not sure what this is.  Ends 11/21/2010.

- F102776:  $10 off $30+. Runs 11/8/10-12/12/810.

- F102698:  $10 off 3 wick Candles 14.5 oz of your choice. Save $9.50. Limit 5. Valid in stores and online November 1, 2010 - January 17, 2011.

I LOVE the candles at B&BW, the Slatkin & Co. candles smell so strong (in a good way) and burn cleanly (aka it doesn't leave that ashy ring in the glass jar).  My all time favorite is Slatkin Autumn Apple - a delicious scent of Red Delicious apples without being cloying or too sweet.  I actually have never burned this candle because my room is scented with apples WITHOUT even needing to light it.  I've owned this candle for 3-4 years (crazy right?!) and it has been with me all through college fighting stinky college dorm smells....and it still smells as good and strong as if I bought it yesterday~ I also own the room spray, which I bought 2-3 years ago and it still hasn't run out. I highly recommend this scent and brand, so give it a whiff when you go to B&BW ^_^

2.) A couple Sephora coupon codes....the first one really caught my eye (for obvious reasons :D)...so many goodies!  I'm so tempted to buy something just to use the code...god, I'm such a sucker for sales ><  These two were the most tempting codes to me but here are a couple more.

- ONTHEGO:  Free Sephora to Go Clutch (5"W x 6"H x 1/2"D) in black and 12 samples: 

CoverFX Conceal FX Camouflage Concealer in Light 0.05 oz

Stila One Step Makeup in Medium 0.02 oz

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer in Light 0.053 oz

Benefit High Beam 0.005 oz

Kate Somerville CytoCell Dermal Energizing Treatment 0.07 oz

Kinerase Daily Defense Lotion SPF 30 0.1 oz

Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream 0.1 oz

Lancome Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate 0.06 oz

Clean Outdoor Shower Fresh Eau de Parfum 0.03 oz

Aquolina Pink Sugar Eau de Toilette 0.06 oz

SEPHORA COLLECTION Colorful Mono Eyeshadow Card in Purple Harmony

SEPHORA COLLECTION Smoothing Primer 0.05 oz. 

Offer available with any online merchandise order of $25 USD or more.

- MYSKIN: Choose 1 of 3 (Receive a sample of Philosophy Hope in a Jar, Clinique 3 Step System for Skin Type 1/2 or Clinique 3 Step System for Skin Type 3/4 free with any online skincare consultation.

Lastly, here's a FOTD/EOTD I did today.  I was shooting some pics with the earrings I won from Julu Jewelry's giveaway (thanks Stephanie!) but my earrings didn't show in this one so I figured I'd use it for a rare FOTD/EOTD since this really is an all-time favorite look of mine.  Also check out Steph's jewelry shop, she has some lovely pieces; one of my favorites being her Mulan-inspired earrings, which are currently on my Lust List :D

As usual I forgot to wear non-SPF foundation when taking pics *sigh* my face is about 10 shades lighter than the rest of my body :P  Anyway, even though this uses a bright blue liner, this is seriously one of the looks I do the most often  It's very easy, just black eyeliner on top, white pencil at the inner corner, then blue pencil (Urban Decay Flipside) at the outer corner.  I don't have mascara on (another step I usually forgo in real life xD).  I think the trick of wearing bright colors on your waterline is particularly great for people with monolids/hidden folds; it's a good way to add a pop of color to your eye without going crazy with colors all around your eye.   Lastly, I just love pairing blue shadows with my gray lens, it just adds a lovely, misty sheen to my eyes - "puppy eyes" ^_^

Products used:
Face:
Skinfood Mushroom BBcream SPF 30 PA++ in Shade 1
Paul & Joe Finishing Powder in Natural
Lioele Silky Highlighter BB Touch
TonyMoly BB Pact Party Lover in Shade 2
R&R Contrived Pressed Blush in Foreplay (this looks quite 'tan' in the pan but turns a peachy coral on my face)

Eyes:
G&G GBT Grey circle lens
Urban Decay 24/7 Pencil in Flipside (blue)
Urban Decay 24/7 Pencil in Yeyo (white)
Urban Decay 24/7 Pencil in  Zero (black)
Koji Dolly Wink Liquid Liner in Black

Lips:
NYX Round Lipstick in Pumpkin Pie
NYX Round Lipstick in Indian Pink

Ok, I forgot who said (Steph, I think?) Pumpkin Pie would grow on me but they were so right!  My favorite lip combo right now is Pumpkin Pie + Indian Pink.  Basically, I liked Indian Pink as a color but I didn't like the frosty finish.  So what I did was put on one coat of Indian Pink then lightly pressed my lips down on a tissue.  Then I put on one swipe of Pumpkin Pie (has a cream finish)....LOVE :D!   I got plushy pink lips with a creamy finish.  Since Pumpkin Pie tones down the frostiness of Indian Pink, it makes both colors infinitely more flattering on me because I feel that I look better in creamy lip finishes.

Today I wore it for kicks and maybe it was gorgeous sunlight or something but this lip combo just brought a whole new dimension to my face.   After this "discovery," I went back and put on Pumpkin Pie alone and it wasn't half as bad as I thought.  I think why I initially thought this color was so unflattering on me was because I was looking at myself in the mirror in a fairly dim bathroom, hmm...

Yep...that's it for today.  Have a great Monday everyone and don't forget it's Daylight Savings :)!

Award + Randomness

Siwing really made my day when I woke to find this earlier this week:

:DDD!!! Thank you, Siwing!

The Rules:
1. Thank the blogger who gave me the award.
2. Sum up your blogging philosophy, motivation, and experience using five words.
3. Pass this on to 10 other bloggers that you feel have a substance in their blogs.

I'm really, really touched that Siwing thought of me....I'm such a small fish in the blogging world so it was just wonderful to know this little burp of a blog is enjoyable to read ^_^ Which leads to why I even blog in the first place (in 5 words): Blogs bring people together everyday.  Even though there are limits to how well you can really know a person online, when I see FOTDs, OOTDs, personal posts and reviews, I feel that I am seeing a part of them.  It may not be all of who they are but it is still facet of someone out there in the world you would've never known existed before you came across their blog.

This is just a small slice of the few blogs I have frequented for quite some time now  :} If you're not here it's probably because I've just started reading your blog within the last few weeks or I think you've already been tagged in this award ^_^ Anyway, I hope you find these as enjoyable as I do.

Bakerella

Queen of the cupcake pops. She was on Martha Stewart ^_^ 

Takes sinfully adorable pictures.

bang bang she shoots

I really like her makeup style ^^;; Fresh and clean looking....

Beauty Moogle Zone

Love her eyeshadow swatches!

Evacute with Style

kpop + high fashion + dramas + scathing commentary + awesome photos

Her Waise Choice

One word: shoes. I dunno, I really like her taste in shoes.

Lilmint

Her review on Koji Eye curlers just blew me away.

My Milk Toof

SO CUTE. The adventures of two baby teeth :)

Ohh...pretty!

Love her makeup picks and she just has one the prettiest layouts ever.

 Rainy Days & Lattes

Her FOTDs are practical and pretty :)

#10 - everyone on my blogroll ^_^

And some random weekend weirdness...

My new favorite socks.

Of the many passing fancies I have had...this has been THE longest lasting hobby for me....

Living room of my dollhouse.

Yes, dollhouses.  Dollhouses fascinate me - the REAL ones made to look like true to life miniatures, not the fake Barbie-house kinds.  I think my favorite part of dollhouse building is wallpapering, make staircases, and gluing on crown and base moldings.  I have one dollhouse, it's a 7 room one that my dad made for me in...4th grade?  It sounds big but it's really quite small ^^ It only has windows on one side ;)  I just played around with it through elementary school but in high school I took to it seriously and started researching on lighting and flooring techniques.  Sadly, dollhousing (is that a word?) is rather an expensive hobby :P so I work on one room at a time...now 10 years later I've finished 6 rooms ^_^. Still have 2 more rooms to go, the attic rooms.  It's been a labor of love for me and all the pillows and curtains were made by my mom so needless to say, my dollhouse is one of my most prized possessions.... eheh maybe I'll post the finished house one day :)

These little figurines have been sitting by my bed for years.  They have dust-hair ^^;;

And last but not least....

Bakerella's Hi Hat Cupcakes

More Bakerella goodness. I love how she takes cross-sections of her baked pieces of heaven. It must be my lab rat side coming out ^^  While I imagine there are a few people out there barfing over the ridiculous amount of icing on this thing....to me that thing is heaven on earth *YUMMMMM*

On that note, what interesting (and little known) hobbies do you guys have and who are your favorite food bloggers?  (And please leave a link to your fav food bloggers, I'm always on the hunt for more food porn).

Have a good weekend peeps!