After doing the "Confessions of a Shoeaholic" tag video, I went back through my old photos trying to think of if I had ever posted an outfit with my beloved hot pink heels. It seems I haven't done a proper outfit post in so long that the neon beauties got left behind! It's a good thing I happened to take them to my trip to LA last year for IMATS along with my dear Kassia who makes photos magical.

The biggest key to wearing such a loud statement shoe is to go neutral for the rest of the look. Grey tube dresses and flowing blouses make for breezy, comfy summer outfits that are refreshed by the bright heel. If you look closely, you can also see some subtle complimentary color blocking going on.

Out of all the clothes I have, some of my most adored fashion items are shoes. I'm the type to always notice details and I really believe that what a person chooses to wear on their feet says a lot about them in general. Does anyone remember that scene in Legally Blonde where Elle spots the missing clue to the trial by commenting on the pool boy's shoes? Genius!



When I saw this shoe tag going around Youtube a couple of months ago, I had a lot of fun being nosy about seeing what others wore on their feet so I thought I'd share some of my favorite shoes with you today too.

Hey everyone! I wanted to share another basics tutorial of one of my favorite simple eye looks: the classic winged eyeliner. When done correctly, this look needs no eyeshadow to enhance it and looks really great on those minimal makeup days.

To see how it's done, check out the video below!



PRODUCTS MENTIONED:

Wet N Wild Mega Eyes Creme Eyeliner in Black
L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Continuous Cocoa
Shiseido Eyelash Curler
Urban Decay Cannonball mascara
Urban Decay Instaflare Lashes

ON ME:

Chambray Shirtdress is from H&M
Nailpolish is OPI gel polish in Princess Rule!

Here is my final look. For monolidders, skipping the eyeshadow really allows the lashes to stand out which I think is a nice elegant touch. You can especially see on the eye to the right that the half lashes on the ends also blends in nicely and makes the eyes more framed without looking tacky.


With my eyes pointed downward you can see the straight winged line and how far it extends. I've mentioned this in tutorials before, but both my brows and the wing end in the same invisible point at my temples. This gives the look balance and is pleasing to the eyes.


Here's a close up. I kept the rest of my face very minimal with a light touch of BB Cream (application tutorial here), natural blush, and lip balm.


One last thing I wanted to note is that if you have any mistakes, keep a q-tip soaked in eye makeup remover handy to fix any little bobbles you make along the way. With practice, you can create the perfect line that is even on both eyes in just a couple strokes each morning! As you can see, a simple winged line can really carry an entire look so it's handy to keep in any woman's arsenal.

I hope you guys enjoyed the tutorial and let me know in the comments what basics video you'd like to see next. :)

Valentine's Day (or Single Awareness Day, as some might say) is right around the corner and as I was thinking of what makeup to do this year, I came back to an old color favorite of mine, purple.

In my humble opinion, if you are going to wear a color but still want to look classy the easiest colors to reach for are purple and green. One just happens to be a little more romantic than the other and therefore became the inspiration of today's look!


PRODUCTS MENTIONED:

Skin79 VIP Gold BB Cream
Neutrogena Healthy Skin Foundation in 60
Tarte Smooth Operator Powder
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Trucco Holographic Color Collection Palette
NYX Eyeshadow in Purple
L'Oreal HIP Duo in Electrified (plum)
MAC Shroom Eyeshadow
Wet n Wild Gel Eyeliner
Stila Kajal Pencil in Topaz
NYX Jumbo Pencil in Cottage Cheese
Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler
Urban Decay Cannonball mascara
NARS Danmari Palette (Desire)
Dior Shimmer Powder in Amber Diamonds
Lioele Blooming Pop Cherry Tint
NYX Round Lipstick in Circe

Here are the pics of the final look!

See what I mean about purple not being too flashy? I think it's actually really flattering for daytime wear, especially if you have brown eyes. :)


You can also see the lips better in this image. Layering the nude lipstick on top of the red lip stick gives a soft milky pink look. These gradient lips are done frequently in Korean videos and dramas and I think it's a fun way to gracefully wear red on your lips without looking over-the-top.


Here you can see the glow of the holographic eyeshadow. It has a really lovely energy to it when you see it in person.


Thank you so much for reading and even if you are alone this February 14th, I want to send lots of warmth and love in your direction. Love isn't always just romance and candy hearts, it's reaching out to others, appreciating your friends and family, and sharing hope and happiness.

I know it's impossible for me to physically touch all of you through my little computer screen, but just know that if I could, I would hug you. I appreciate you and you give me hope on days where I do feel lost and alone.

Now lets all spread that love like a virus! Fighting!

Hello lovelies! It's time for another shopping haul! During my wonderful mid-winter trip to SoCal to visit my sister, I actually got to enjoy myself and spend time connecting with good friends and, of course, do a bit of retail therapy. Last time I visited California was my very first time to the west coast and there was seriously too much to see and too many people to meet so I feel very fortunate to have experienced Cali both ways: LA-busy and SoCal laid back.

Did I mention that I got to avoid the snow and freezing temperatures back at home? ;)

Here's my haul video:

PRODUCTS MENTIONED:

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil 
JuJu Aquamoist Moisture Milk 
AB Mezical Fiber 
Face Cleansing Scrubber (similar from Sephora here)
Kai Eyebrow Razor (I recommend this one instead)
Baby Foot Easy Pack
Inglot Travel Palette (Customizeable palettes: Z-palette/Bobbi Brown/Unii Palette)
Inglot eyeshadow Pearl 395 (This refill fits in the palette)
Inglot blush 28 LK14CS (similar to my fav Tarte blush)
H&M Rose Gold Bow elastics (similar/similar/so cute in leather)
H&M Snakeskin bracelet (similar/similar)
J. Crew bronze watch strap (similar/similar)
Longchamp Le Pliage Large in Cyclamen 
Crocs McCall Flats
Tory Burch Shearling Moccasin Boot

ON ME:

Lipstick is Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Punch
Forever 21 hat (similar/similar/similar)
Nailpolish is Incoco Nail Strips in Plum Quartz (Sally Hansen version)


So one of my very favorite items that I purchased in my haul was the Longchamp Le Pliage large tote in Cyclamen which is a cute pink color which also happens to exactly match the shade of my laptop cover!

I have been searching high and low for a quality travel bag that is sturdy yet lightweight that can also stow my laptop in for travel. It fits my 15" Macbook Pro quite exactly so if you have a larger laptop, you may want to test it out to see if it fits. Since I absolutely hate asking for help with overhead bins on airplanes, this fits my requirements exactly!

I know a lot of my classy friends have Longchamps as well (see Jean's in black and navy) and I spotted them on every other woman in Paris but nobody wears them where I live. I'll have to stalk sales times to see if I can get the sturdier Planetes Jean has too!

This bag was a huge lifesaver on my flight back since I *cough* brought back more than I left with. XD

I hope you enjoyed the haul and I have one last question! Do ladies in your area wear Longchamps? What is the most common purse or bag brands you see locally? I'm just curious since every city I visit seems to be different! Let me know in the comments. :)

Since we've now entered the shortest month of the year and the groundhog has already seen his shadow (Darn! More winter!) it seems to be time again to share with you my monthly favorites. Since I was traveling quite a bit last month, I went back to using some of my current default favorites as well as introducing a couple of new ones.


PRODUCTS MENTIONED:

Skin 79 VIP Gold Triple Functions BB Cream (US BB Creams Clinique/Boscia/Estee Lauder/Too Faced)
L'Oreal Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base
Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadow in Tough as Taupe
L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Iced Latte and Continuous Cocoa
Benefit Hervana Blush
Stila Kajal Eyeliner in Topaz

ON ME:

Lipstick is Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Punch
Forever 21 hat (similar/similar/similar)
Nailpolish is Incoco Nail Strips in Plum Quartz (Sally Hansen version)


It comes as no surprise that I'm featuring my Skin79 Gold bb cream this month because I have been absolutely loving using this Asian, boosted foundation-alternative. The gold version is more hydrating than the pink and the shade suits my winter skin coloring much better than in the summer when I'm tanner. For reference, I am probably MAC NC25-NC30 right now (Or in layman's terms that means medium-to-light beige with yellow-undertones).

In a nutshell, this BB Cream makes my skin look healthy, brightened, and glowy with a more natural appearance than most foundations. The trick is in layered coverage which I show in this post.

Additionally, I mentioned my Stila Kajal pencil in Topaz which I am quite happy to say adds a natural brightness to the lower waterline on days when you feel tired and could use a visual pick-me-up. Most of us have heard of the trick of using white pencils on the waterline to make the eyes look larger, but I prefer using a softer matte pink or peach since it gives the same overall effect without screaming that you are trying too hard.

The swatch above shows the color and texture. It goes on quite smoothly and doesn't irritate my sensitive eyes like most black pencil liners do. To see application in action, check out my Everyday Monolid Tutorial and you'll see what I mean about the subtle brightening effect.

Can I also just mention that I've worn my glitter nail polish strips for 10 days now? There is minimal amount of tip wear and nail growth but I am so impressed with how these have lasted compared to traditional polish. Plus, you can even apply them on an airplane! All the glitter look and none of the abrasive removal process. Love it! Just for the record, the Incoco strips and Sally Hansen strips are exactly the same.

Hope you guys enjoyed the video and I'll try to put together my Cali haul (oh yes, I did shop) and maybe some vlog footage as well that I'll have up soon. Happy weekend!