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Wednesday, September 30, 2015

F A S H I O N // Still Summer













Here in Socal
Summer is relentless
Never letting off heat
And lasting forever
Summer in Socal
The sun always shines
With our sun kissed skin
And bright colored eyes
Only in Socal
Summer is relentless
Never letting Fall pass
Who knows if Winter will ever come

Hair // Manic Panic
Lips // Bobbi Brown
Face // Laniege
Eyes // Smashbox/MAC/Urban Decay
Sunglasses // Target
Top // Styles for Less
Shorts // Forever 21
Sneakers // Chuck Taylor

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

F A S H I O N // So Pink







pc: @a.w.candid

Back to pink dye in my hair and pink shoes on my feet.
And don't forget all the pinks in between.
Normally I wouldn't be caught dead with those rolls
But I'm trying to take a different outlook
I'll wear whatever I want
without your disapproving looks
Yes, I'm wearing pink on pink on pink
And I don't give one stink

Hair // Manic Panic - Hot Hot Pink
Sunnies // Target
Face // Laniege
Lips // Bobbi Brown
Eyes // MAC/Smashbox/Urban Decay
Tank // Foreign Exchange
Pants // Vintage Michael Kors
Shoes // Unif - Hellbound

Sunday, September 13, 2015

L I V I N G // Things from Trader Joe's I can't live without

Someone recently asked me about some healthy, easy recipes and I couldn't think of any particular recipe that didn't require much time and effort, but I did happen to think of things from Trader Joe's that I can't live without. These also helped me get through my college years.

Full Meals:

1. Soy Chorizo.

Yes other stores have this but this one is so inexpensive and it's actually vegan. I still prefer it before it went vegan friendly, but it still tastes pretty good. I enjoy this mixed with my scrambled eggs.  Trust me, it's pretty freakin good. Approx cook time, 6 - 10 min, depending on how you like your eggs.

2. Polenta.

Where has this product been my whole life?! Approx cook time, 8-10 min. I like cooking it until it's crispy and the first time I was introduced to this, my friend told me to fry it on a pan with butter then add bruschetta and parmesan cheese. Mm hmm. So good. The packaging suggests to cook the polenta first then add your toppings, then throw that all in the microwave, but since I avoid microwaves, I add all the toppings after the first flip. You might lose some crispness to it but trust me, you want to avoid the microwave.

3. Pre-made salads.

Yes, it would be way cheaper to make your own salad, but this requires no prep or cooking, so all you have to do is mix in your parmesan cheese, croutons, and dressing, and you're set to go (at least for the caesar salad one).

4. Quiches.

These frozen quiches come in a variety of flavors and are individually packed. Great thing about these is no prepping! Downside is it takes 35-45 min if you're cooking it in an oven. I used to throw it in the microwave and then broil it in a toaster oven, but like I said, NO MICROWAVING! It literally kills your food.

5. Roast Beef.

Unfortunately there are two kinds of roast beef here, but the one I particularly like is the one in the squarer package (I know so descriptive). I like this one because it's hearty and doesn't have a lot of extra ingredients to make it look like roast beef. Tastes great with any bread, mayo, mustard, tomatoes, and spinach. Prep time, approx 5 - 10 min.

Snack Options/Sides:

6. Jackfruit chips.

I personally don't care for eating fresh jackfruit, but I do like the jackfruit chips. Yes they're a bit pricey but this fruit is really expensive. Each package is about 2 servings so you can probably finish the bag in one sitting.

7. Vanilla Yogurt.

Yes their brand of Vanilla yogurt tastes really good to me. I normally don't care for flavored yogurts, but this one is an exception.

8. Brown Rice.

There are two kinds of brown rice here, one that states organic and the other not so much. The organic one is in a darker green box and the non-organic one is in the lighter green box. I didn't care for the organic one, but I must say the non-organic one is super tasty for brown rice. It's moist, flavorful, and easy to cook. Stick it on a sauce pan and stir it every so often. Approx cook time, 8 - 10 min. It's a great side to eat with a protein and veggies.

9. Mochi Ice Cream.

Tell me why mochi ice cream is the cheapest price here by far. All the other grocery stores are always 5.99 and up, and I think Ralph's sold it at $7.99. Even compared to the asian super markets, mochi is still cheaper at trader joe's. Not a fan of mochi myself, but for my family, this is a must. Cheapest price thus far.

That wraps this up. I'll update this if there is any other things that come to mind.

Friday, September 11, 2015

B E A U T Y // MICA Beauty Cosmetics | Eye Primer Review

Image Courtesy of Ipsy

This eye primer claims to do the following "MicaBeauty Eye Primer is perfect for everything from sealing in eye shadows and foundation, to enhancing your all-day look. Go from shimmer to matte in just seconds. This waterproof formula provides the perfect foundation for a long-lasting, smudge proof look that is designed for your active lifestyle. This eye primer helps even out skin tone as well as extending and intensifying your mineral eye shadows, without creasing, smearing, or fading." (Source: Ipsy).

I have tried to see if it was me but it seems this doesn't work on my eyes. I've gone 10+ hours with this and it does eventually crease/smear/fade. No I have not applied eyeshadow first then applied the primer (as it says above) but I don't know why you would want to do that. If I had to pick an eye primer, I would pick the Urban Decay Primer Potion every time. That usually lasts me all night and I can sleep on it and my make up will still be in tact. I'm guessing it might because it's summer so it melts faster? We'll see what happens in the winter. Check out the video below to see what I'm talking about.


On a separate occasion, aside from the video above. I put on a minimal amount and it seemed to last. -_-
It's really a finicky product. Then again, I stayed inside all day and had the AC on. But on most occasions, it usually comes off within a few hours. Wouldn't buy it if I had the choice of choosing products, but if you're really interested, here's a link to the product: Micabeauty Eye Primer, 8.3 Gram

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Grey's Anatomy Season 11

I just finished binging the last season of Grey's Anatomy. This was the most heartbreaking season I have ever watched. I'm warning you now, there will be a ton of spoilers if you haven't watched it already, but I just need to vent to the world how I feel about this season.

I absolutely love Amelia's character on the show. I love how Private Practice weaved back into Grey's Anatomy. Shonda is absolutely brilliant. Amelia's character deserves to be on the show and it's nice to see a familiar face rather than the new residents they bring in every year. I like how Shonda brings real information into the show, especially during Dr. Herman's surgery where Amelia and Edwards were doing the super hero pose right before the surgery. It is scientifically proven, so ladies and gentlemen, you should do it. I'm so glad she didn't relapse back into her habits regardless of all the stuff she went through this episode. I would almost equate it to losing her boyfriend and baby (maybe not to that extreme), but Amelia's had a pretty tough life. Props to her for sticking through it.

I also love how Meredith had another half sister (Maggie), that was even more brilliant. Bringing in all these elements and stories that we never saw the full picture was freakin amazingly brilliant. Of course Richard Weber and Ellis Grey had a child. It would only be stupid if they didn't. I didn't feel they concluded her issue with leaving very well. One episode she was leaving and the next she's not. I mean I get that Meredith presented her with all the notebooks, but it wasn't like officially announced she changed her mind and decided not to leave. Nonetheless, I'm happy about Maggie's addition to the show.

Edwards was great. I loved her believing in Amelia and I love her addition to the show. Her presence isn't whiney nor complaining, but simply trying to be amazing. I didn't like how Amelia kept disrespecting her though, regardless of whatever Amelia was going through. See, that's why she was such a jerk to the new residents. My favorite line, "Heel ducklings, heel." Priceless.

First Jackson and April's baby died (cried from that episode), then Derek died (bawled my freakin eyes out). I still don't think Derek should have died. I absolutely think Shonda could have made their relationship work, unless she's saying in the near future Meredith would have found out that Derek technically cheated and then that would destroy her. I think either way it would have destroyed her, but I seriously cried so much the last 6-7 episodes because of Derek's death. It was heart wrenching and awful and I still can't believe he was killed off.

I was freaking out when Meredith was pregnant and was afraid she was going to give up the baby for adoption like her mom. I was like NOOO that's a part of Derek! Don't let her go! But fortunately baby Ellis is still with mom.

It almost came full circle with Meredith leaving with the kids and now coming back to the house her mom left and Meredith is once again returning. I have no idea what Arizona's new situation will be like once Meredith moves back in, but I'm sure Meredith wouldn't mind having her there.

One of the issues I don't like about this show is how easily people move on. I mean in the sense that they move on from lover to lover. I mean obviously time has passed and I really don't have a sense of how many months/years have occurred since separation but geez. It also makes me question whether a person really is your true love and whether there are multiple people there out for you. Like Meredith said, "I can live without you, but I don't want to." So that wanting to make it work with that one person will sustain you, but yes there are multiple possibilities that your love life could take you. It's just all so confusing.

I don't think Catherine Avery and Dr. Webber's love life is compelling. I didn't think it was necessary but definitely tied in to the theme of this season. April and Jackson are a lost cause. On another note, the same time I hate the ease of people moving on quickly, I LIKE how they can make long distance relationships work (well sort of). It almost worked, and could work. Either way, point is, we want to make our loved ones feel happy and excel at what they do, but I think April was selfish and she should have considered Jackson's feelings and maybe at least asked him to come along so he wouldn't feel left behind. That would make more sense.

I'm excited for the new season. I'm glad Meredith took Maggie in, and that the three sisters are all living in the house. I think it's wonderful that Shonda is centering around this whole idea of family and love, when Meredith didn't start out with either of those. New season is coming soon. :D

Friday, September 4, 2015

B E A U T Y // Ocean Salt Face/Body Scrub | Lush

Current favorite scrub. I love the way my face feels after using the scrub. It's super soft and supposedly it will help blackheads. I haven't used it enough to actually get this result but I really hope this improves my blackheads. Honestly, I just like it a lot because it's blue and it looks pretty.

Image via Lush USA

Image via storagegeek.tumblr.com

Thursday, September 3, 2015

H A I R // What Wearing a Wig Really Feels Like

I wore my wig out for the for time last week. It was mystical and magical in the sense I felt like a completely different person. Here's a breakdown of what you need to do to prepare for wearing a wig.

So the most important thing is finding a wig cap that fits your head and keeps in all the hair tightly. I got a closed cap (http://tinyurl.com/q3reu58) but other people I've looked into have used the open mesh caps (http://tinyurl.com/ngf6b55). I must be uber sensitive to anything that's on my head cause I tend to get headaches from putting my hair in a bun or pony tail for too long, so wearing the wig cap for 8+ hours lead to a definite migraine. I didn't have a plan B for taking off my wig so I stuck through it. It literally felt as if someone was sucking my brains out. Long story short, find a wig cap that fits comfortably.

Secondly, depending on the type of wig, you have to make it look natural. I have a lace front wig that doesn't part, so I was trying to do everything I could without cutting off too much lace and hiding whatever lace was left. I tried creating fake bangs with the hairs to give myself a part and hide the lace and that worked (mostly). Downside, I had to constantly adjust the hair because it was so long. I read later that you can take a blow dryer to heat the hair to the part you like and pull the hairs out to create a part. I'm too scared to do that so I guess I'll stick with my current methods, but I'll definitely have to pull some hairs out for my pink wig since the hair line doesn't match my hair at all.

This has been my experience so far and I will update you as I get more practice. Please feel free to give advice and tips!

xx