LOTD + Michelle's 1st Giveaway

Good-bye February!

Just a quick LOTD. I don't know why I ended up dressing like it was still freezing outside - it was nearly 60 degrees today! (had no idea until I stepped outside)

Hat - Forever21, Sweater (heavily pilling!!! Does anyone know how to fix this?!) - Abercrombie, Jeans - Banana Republic, Necklace - Hot Topic (The ultimate Mall outfit!!! Also, laundry day was today...)

Just did a simple eye today with Darkness Kma9s (lashes), Revlon Colorstay eyeliner in black, TheBalm Luscious Lani on inner lids and browbone & Just this once Jamie on lids. My lids are a bit wrinkly & my blending isn't superb...but it worked for a light natural look today! I think I need a better application brush - the shadows did not want to stick to my brush today. :P

The lunch date with friends was excellent - was able to get my monthly intake of delicious PHO heaping with tripe, round eye, green onions, and steamed bean sprouts. (I hear the Catfish at this place is the specialty, but you have to order an hour ahead!!! Boo) Next time I'm going to sample more of the menu...

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Michelle at Beyond Me is having her First Giveaway!

Congrats on the 50+++ followers hun!

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+ I still can't believe the earthquake that hit Chile - 8.8. I am praying for all the families out there that have lost homes, family members, friends, hope. Ways to help here. +

Makes you feel thankful for all that you have -- for your world to literally crumble beneath your feet -- utter devastation. :(

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~Blush swatches post coming up, still have so much to do!~

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More ♥ to and from M. (hot mama), Ipeh, Sav & 23 Crystals!!!

TheBalm Shady Lady swatches

I am SO EXCITED FOR THE WEEKEND. I always am looking forward to 2 free days after 6 straight days of work. *happy relieved sigh*

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Now down to business!

I bought the following Shady Lady eyeshadows listed below (at least I thought I did! I forgot that I didn't purchase Jealous Jordana - #$%^@!)***see below for update***

Here are the following shadow swatches on my fingertips - it just took some light pressure to get these pigment-rich shades to show up! (No primer)

*Update* - Bought it. *guilty eyes* :( + Risque Renee (navy blue sheen)

If you are a MAC lover, you will notice that Curvy Cami is a lot like MAC Trax, and Kinky Katie might be a bit like "Brule." You might not want to purchase them if you have dupes already!

I haven't played around with them too much yet (that is for tomorrow's lunch date!) BUT from all the reviews and from just feeling the shadows themselves -- they are super smooth and velvety/silky to the touch. The powder easily deposits onto fingertips/brushes and apparently, blends like a dream!

The shadows alone aren't cheap - $16 a pop at Sephora, slightly cheaper in Department stores. If you aren't near a Dillard's, the palettes (in volume 1 or 2) are a good investment - although you get less than a full size pan, the convenience of having everything in one place is nice!

Will post pictures EOTD tomorrow + Blush swatches review ^_^

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Much ♥ for beautyrush101 (her site is very inspired!!!), Joanna, Debbie (love the FOTDs!) & Prince Charming! (Who btw, has very cute & candy-colored nails!) ♥

Retail Therapy - Mall Haul at Sephora & Dillard's

Firstly, I want to thank all of you for showing such positivity & support over my work rant! Your kind words really helped lift me up...I feel so loved! *^_^* Further proof that you are not only beautiful on the outside, but on the inside as well! ♥

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Today was one of my off days, so after bumming around the house for awhile, I decided to head to the local mall! I ended up spending most of my time inside of Dillard's - an 'anchor store' at the mall 5 mins from my house! It's very much like a Macy's...lots of fashion, cosmetics, homestuffs and the like. I found the most beautiful Waterford Bone China Teacups on sale for 70% with an extra 40% off!!!

Cute little Seahorse logo

This one is called "Ballet ribbons"


...and this one is called "Ballet Jewels"

Kind of a random purchase - but they are so pretty, elegant & ladylike...I might just start a collection! :D

It seems like all of Dillard's is having an EXTRA 40% OFF sale this week! This includes Cosmetics!!! I kind of went crazy because I have been on the lookout for new smokey eye colors since I can't seem to find my favorite MAC smokey eye paletteanywhere ;_;.

One of the lovely lady bloggers I follow mentioned how much she adored TheBalm's Shady Lady Palette! I was thinking about buying the palette but I freaked out when I saw the individual shadows on sale at Dillard's for a fraction of the original price!!! (If you are near a Dillard's, swing by and check it out!) I swatched all the colors on my fingertips - SUPER pigmented, shimmery, soooo pretty! Plus, the darker shades can double as liners - which is a nice option. Alongside the shadows, another sweet girl (who possibly dropped by at the sight of me furiously digging through the shadow bins) suggested I try the "Hot Mama" blusher/shadow by TheBalm as well...supposedly, it's somewhere in between NARS "Orgasm" and NARS "Deep throat" ... can't wait to try it out!!!

Hard Candy Rock n Roll palette is going back to Wal*Mart. I'm holding onto the High Maintenance though.

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SEPHORA

They were sold out of the Korres Lip Saver Roller -- 3 pretty lip butters for the price of 2!!! Good deal...but all gone ;_; All the colors I want too! Eki has a nice review of the lip butters here.

However, I was able to swatch some of the blush colors from the New Tarina Tarantino line I mentioned awhile back. I reaaaallly liked the Parasol blush - so it came home with me.

The packaging is too cute!!! I love how the compact is nestled in a little pink organza pouch!

♥ I will review ALL of these + swatches soon! ♥

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Before sleep, I want to welcome beautiful new bloggers - Summer (a beautiful girl with a beautiful attitude!), xbbkay (LOVE her nails!), Kathy (Irish beauty!), LittoMokaa (love your reviews!), Mimi, tiare, Rae, Candice, and Samantha of Saaammage (I love her reviews so much!!! Check out her Youtube vid below)

Work RANT & Vivi Spring Fashion and makeup ♥!

♥ Pic heavy post! ♥

RANT Uggggh...just got back from another tough day at work...Plus no time for dinner tonight! *stomach gurgle* :(

The people you work with and surround yourself with make a HUGE difference as far as whether you have a good or bad day. Sometimes when life/work is hard, you need people who can provide positivity and help you get through the rough patches. Other people like to whine, complain and make even the smallest task seem like a huge burden because of their sour attitude. It casts a big storm cloud over the whole workplace. I worked with this particular person all day today - everything she did was met with a big sigh or annoyance or anger or attitude or all of the above. Near the end of my shift today, I noticed that it was starting to rub off on me. I was able to pull myself out of it before the days end and tried my best to ignore my super negative coworker...but it was an important reminder to keep everything in perspective. Some people just want to drag you down with them...it's okay to have a bad day now and then, but it's really too bad that some people don't know how make the best of a situation!

*end rant*

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Spring Fashion Forecast

I already mentioned how much I love RUFFLES!!! This year, there seem to be a lot of different trends - denim (not too crazy about), ruffles (LOVE), florals (LOVE), Crochet (LOVE) and some cute cartoon-y print 80s style tees (LOVE), 70s inspired (some LOVE)

Vivi March 2010 cover model Koda Kumi!!! She is so super cute & always rocks a spunky 'do! (this month, blonde and layered)

I WANT her candy-pink classic Chanel quilted handbag!!!!! *sigh*

I'm not sure why this is a Fashion Scandal (hehe) but the Pink D&G bags are bright and peppy



Apparently, Cowboy/Texas is IN for the Spring lol

I liked this spread - it reminds me of old pictures

This model has the legs to be a true "French girl" :D

Floral + Ruffles

Crochet + lace



Very 70's inspired



80s tees - looks like the one I got from F21!



(Forever21 Version)


LOVE this look - lashes, fresh skin, pretty flush & shiny pouty lips ♥ ♥ ♥



There are quite a few other MAC inspired looks too! If only I could pull off the strong lip...



I love the blending and the dark brown eyeshadow!



Pretty nude lips

I didn't scan this magazine, but one lovely lady (or fellow) out there did (Thank you much!)...if you would like to see more, click here for the full download of March 2010 Vivi!

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A warm happy hello to LOLanne & babychillax! ♥

*good night all!*

I ♥ Princess style (Hime)

The New York Times ran an interesting piece a few days ago on Japanese fashion titled "Cult of the Living Doll in Tokyo."

“I get bored if I'm not made up,” said Naoko. She gets up at 5 a.m. and spends at least two hours applying false eyelashes, false hair extensions, layers of foundation and other complicated makeup procedures."

One example of EXTREME Princess/Hime Style



For some reason, the picture of her with a beer cracked me up!!! I really do love pink, but her room secretly freaks me out a little bit. Just a little. O_O Still, she looks so happy - she's just having fun & enjoying life!!!

So what happens to these girls when they grow up? This is an interesting news clip from the Wall Street Journal about 36-year old Mayumi Yamamoto



She is still so adorable!!! I like how the reporter differentiates hime style from other forms of Japanese fashion, describing it as more sophisticated and polished -- a style popular among women in their 20s and 30s! Woohoo! That means I still get to live quite a few more years of princess-y goodness!

For cheap-y finds, there is always Forever 21. They have a lot of hime-type fashion if you look hard enough -









For some reason, this season's attire is extra-hime-style with big bows, ruffles, lace, floral, and all around girly-ness! :) As always, there is always Yesstyle.com too - I especially like Yumi & Tokyo Fashion lines.

The following is the real deal though...boutique style Japanese Hime Paradise:

http://www.jesusdiamante.com/

http://e-coma.jp/lizlisa/category/

Definitely must visit during my future Japan trip! ♥

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A sweet hime hello to Lisa & Iris :)

Review: Hard Candy Kaleyedescope Baked mineral eye shadow duos

I love browsing waaaay too much. This includes Target, Wal*Mart, The grocery store, drugstores, wherever! It gets me in trouble sometimes ;_;

Exhibit A: Purchasing not just one, but TWO Hard ♥ Candy "KalEYEdescope" Baked mineral eyeshadow duos in Rock n roll (light lavender/plum) & High Maintenance (champagne/pastel mink brown)

:"Popped open":



Here are some swatches:

Without flash:



*With flash*

I couldn't get these sparkly shadows to show up on me! I had to use primer (MAC paints in "Untitled") in order to get the swatches to stick. :( Am I using the wrong brushes? Maybe I need to try them "wet" as suggested by glowing reviews on makeupalley.com ...

Alas, I tried them today without primer and they were soft and glow-y without being too glittery. I think the "High Maintenance" makes for a pretty yet subtle work appropriate shadow. I didn't take pictures on my eyes today, but might update later when I get my paws on some nicer tools. :)

Overall, I wasn't blown away by these shadows. I am not clamoring to try out the other colors nor am I impressed enough to repurchase. One good thing is there is A TON of product, so you will probably never run out haha. I'm actually debating whether to bring these back to Wal*Mart! (They have the best return policy in the world!) Maybe I can save up to buy some Dior palettes/MAC/Coastal Scents which might have better staying power/color payoff. These are definitely fun and a good diversion...maybe I'll hold onto them. At the very least, I'll have them for awhile longer so I can give them a second try.

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Today was my last day working at one of my favorite stores -- it's so hard to leave a good staff, especially after you have been there for over 2 months and you get to know all the employees well! They surprised me today with some Bright almost fake-looking Flowers (but they were real!!!), Cookie cake & a Card signed by everybody! Aaaaaah...makes me even more sad.

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Still, you guys brighten my day! Thanks for the love from Irene (another Irene!!! So rare nowadays...) & Serena (who has some AWESOME reviews on her blog!!!) ♥