Valentine's Day Weekend

♥ Hope everybody had a great weekend!!! ♥

Whether single or attached, Valentine's day has always been my 2nd favorite holiday, not so much for sentimental reasons, but more for the fact that pink heart-shaped objects begin popping up all over the place! Target in particular usually carries a tempting array of heart-shaped dishware and kitchen gadgetry - I picked up a heart-shaped pink glitter bowl this year and am contemplating whether to use if for popcorn or blush. x_x

Makeup took longer than expected due to some complications with attaching my new lashes...I was pleased with the results and have my new Sigma Synthetic face kit brushes to thank for covering up my temperamental skin!!! (Will review brushes soon!)

Diamond Lash - Glamour Eyes
MAC Holiday Smokey Eye Palette
Shiseido powder foundation
NARS blush in Amour
NYX Black Label lipstick in "Princess"

*Sneak peak of NYX Black Label Lipstick Review Part 2*

My BF took me to The Oceanaire Seafood Restaurant - it has become our go-to place for Valentine's Day it seems!

Appetizer
Red pepper Calamari with Asian Vegetables

Beverage
Fruit punch

I guess my palette isn't sophisticated enough for wine. Or champagne. Or any alcohol for that matter! I don't drink very much at all if any...I sincerely wish I did since it apparently brings cuisine to a whole new level. *sigh* Our very enthusiastic waiter did jazz things up by bringing my rated G drink in a martini glass! (upped my beverage rating to PG)

Soup/Salad
New England Clam Chowder & Blood Orange Salad with Chevre, shaved fennel, hazelnuts and Orange Vanilla Vinagrette

The soup was creamy & brimming with tasty whole clams - the salad had yummy shaved bits of radish to balance the sweetness of the dressing

Entree

"Forbidden" - Seared Hawaiian Swordfish topped with Jumbo Lump Crab and Forbidden rice in ginger butter

Mmmm....jumbo lump crab. I loved the sweetness of the meat and the flakiness - *still drooling*

Dessert
Seasonal Mango Sorbet

The night was great overall and punctuated with hilarious quips from our waiter...I guess I could consider tonight's dinner "dinner and a show!" :) Afterw, we walked off the dinner by wandering around the deserted mall...although I had an itch to shop, it was actually good that everything was closed - my wallet needs a good rest after this past month!

*BCBG Maxazria Dress & Clutch, I.N.C . shag cardigan, Betsey Johnson Necklace*

*Subtle hints for my bf* :)





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♥ Happy Valentine's Day! ♥

Birthday ♥ + Awesome giveaway!

Another year passes, another reason to look/feel/act younger than I actually am...

I hate having to feel this way as a woman...instead of the distinguished, mature, desirable aging of a man, time is every woman's mortal enemy...

In reality, I'm not too bummed out by turning 27. ;) Thanks for all the words of encouragement from you lovely ladies! ♥ I know age is just a number...it's just that sometimes I feel a lot younger than I actually am... I might have once thought that I would be married with kids at 28 but sometimes, life doesn't go exactly as planned - the unpredictability is what makes things so beautiful though. You never know what's around the corner!

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Just thought I'd share a few photos from my b-day weekend with you :)

EOTD





Used Maybelline Eyestudio Color Plush silk eyeshadow Quad in Taupe Temptress (new favorite quad! Review soon)

FOTD



Foooooood of the day!!!

Yummy fatty tuna & surf clam at my favorite sushi joint!

*Spoilage*













New Kicks.
Time to get my butt in shape!!! (literally)



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Hello to all my lovely new readers! ♥ You all make me feel spoiled! :D And I know I have been bad about getting back in comments and in general, but I really love reading your comments and suggestions. I will be responding to some requests in my inbox so look out for new posts soon!

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Finally, I just found out about Bang Bang She Shoots via Serena! Nic Nic is a lovely blogger that lives in Tokyo and has started up an internet business to give us ladies access to Japanese Cosmetics!!! It's called A Pop of Kawaii ~ Check it out!!!


She is having a giveaway...with SIX winners! Ends June 6th!

Costco ♥ , Giveaway, and you are what you eat!

Hi Beauties!

Busy week for me, lots and lots and LOTS of work and overtime...gotta hustle in the real world sometimes so you can enjoy what you love! It seems like being away from blogger for a few days seems more like a few months, so much catching up to do! ;)

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*~Things I've discovered in the past week~*

I absolutely LOVE COSTCO

So yes, buying in bulk isn't *always* the best if you're living in tight quarters, but it IS very economical. As the Bad Idea Bears from the musical production Avenue-Q say: "Buy in bulk - it's cheaper!"

According to the website, Costco operates in 9 different countries: USA, Canada, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Mexico, Australia, UK, and Puerto Rico (Technically US Territory) so it's International!

So why do I Costco so incredibly much???

Because COSTCO sells stuff like this.

Each bottle alone is usually around $9-10USD. Each package was around ~$9.50 USD! I ♥ the spray on sunblock and it's all waterproof and has helioplex for broad spectrum UVA/UVB coverage, very good for the Summer!

You can also stock up on essentials like this:



Again, only like $10 USD for 2 whole bottles! This is my staple daily sunblock!

And healthy stuff like this

COSTCO sells really nice stuff - organic, fresh, quality products. It is also probably one of the more "high-end" wholesale retailers on the market. In NYC people were going nuts since Costco was selling discounted luxury brand name bags including CHANEL and Louis Vuitton!!!

Sometimes you can also find beauty steals from big name expensive retailers too!

So if you have a friend/family member who has a membership, hit them up sometime lol. Or just buy a membership...if you live on your own it really is worth it! :)

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Speaking of healthy, read an article on Yahoo.com about foods that are known for being treated with tons of pesticides. It really got me thinking about why it might be worth it to invest in a few organic items!

The biggest offenders were Celery, Peaches, Strawberries, Apples, Blueberries, Nectarines, Bell Peppers, Potatoes, Spincah, Kale, Cherries, and Grapes!!!

Noooo...All fruits/veggies that I love! I usually make sure I SOAK all my produce for at least 15 minutes in a large bowl of water and give them a good scrubbing before consumption. However, I think I might consider buying organic celery, spinach, nectarines & cherries in the future.

Just some food for thought ~ really consider what you eat! Pesticides and toxins can build up over time in your body and lead to long-term effects such as nerve damage, cancer, and birth defects. In the end, it might be worth the extra investment to think about alternative options or organic produce!

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I will be reviewing my Dolly Wink order once it comes in -- maybe it really isn't worth the hype, but I thought I'd give it a shot since it was on sale and I have been dying to try out some 'lower lash' falsies for the eyes! :)

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ReallyPetite is having her first 100+ follower giveaway! Congrats!!! Please check out her giveaway here!


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I know I have a bazillion+ things already and I just finished Spring Cleaning so it feels like I need to make room for MORE -- lol. J/K! I still have to work on tons of reviews for the upcoming month (my b-day month!!!) -- you will see them once my busy week is over! :)

I still really want to try this out, just found out you can purchase on AMAZON.COM too! Sasa.com is also offering 20% off on all Sexy girl products for the entire month of May!

Other things on my wishlist!

• Vitacreme B12, thanks to Caroline's awesome review!
• Sigma Makeup 12 pc professional Brush set in PINK! (of course)

On my dream *wishlist*

• ♥ Trip to Japan, Hong Kong, & Hawaii! ♥

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Sorry this post is so mega-random. :)

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Welcome to new beauties Lara, Bella, Maria, Nino, Dang, Shobe, Pinta, Rhain, Nikki-san, Bec, Di, Grace, Suzanna, Belinda, Mary, Saimese, Shaim, Shumin, Chath, Heather, and Ik!

Have a great weekend!

Bridal shower LOTD, Dolly Wink SALE, Kit Kats +

What a busy weekend...went to my first bridal shower of the year! I felt a little shy since the only person I actually knew was the bride-to-be...but the girls there were very nice as was the family so it was a pleasant all around experience! No toilet-paper dresses were constructed, but we still had a good time and a few laughs. :)

Makeup was natural - just some MAC Shroom & Moth brown (all time favorite MAC color - so sad that it was LE!!!) on eyes. Also, Darkness Kma9 lashes and a light sweeping of bronzer.

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E.L.F. Products are now being sold at KROGER (a grocery store chain in the US) - that means more access to $1 products - not too many people know about this, so I'm sure the selection will be great. :) I saw makeup palettes there and TONS of brushes - so if you have had a hard time locating a Target that sells in-stock ELF brushes, check out your local Kroger! (I'm not sure if they are at ALL Kroger stores, but it was shocking enough for me to find them there at all!) They also stock the eyelashes.

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Sasa.com is having a special promotion on Koji products - INCLUDING DOLLY WINK!!! All Dolly Wink products are 10% off - they currently have a decent stock of the products (lots of the lower lashes), the case, glue, and liquid eyeliner pen! ♥

If you really want to try Dolly Wink, this is most likely the cheapest place you will find it on the web!!!


Promotion ends April 30th so hop to it to take advantage of some savings!

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I finally was able to try the Sakura Matcha Kit Kat ♥ sent to me by the infinitely kind Sophia!

OH MY GOODNESS...this had to have been seriously the best Kit Kat I have ever tasted in my life! (Not saying much - I've had the milk & white chocolate Kit Kats of the states to date...lol!)

The WHITE chocolate is imbued with delicious & sweet matcha green tea flavor! The "sakura" part is actually a tiny hint of cherry flavoring. The wafer inside is thin, delicate, crispy and sweet. My mouth was craving more! Seriously, why can't Nestle be more creative here in the states???

*wistful sigh*

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♥ for Adeline, Eve, kmm0607, ko0ty, Crissy, & Kaylena

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Last but definitely not least, Ann from The Real Deal Reviews is having a lovely giveaway - the winner will receive 2 MAC lippies! (ANY 2!)




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Have a great week! Look out for more reviews soon! ^_^

♥ Irene

Review: Maybelline Colossal Mascara Review (diamonds) and Sinful Colors Purple Diamond Polish +

Happy Saturday everybody! :)

Thought I would share my thoughts on a few products that I have been meaning to review for awhile. :)

♥ *~REVIEWS~* ♥

First, Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express Mascara - This one in particular is Limited Edition and includes "diamond sparkle"!
With the included $1 coupon, it was about $6-7 after tax

I usually prefer falsies over mascara most days, but this looked like a fun one to try out (diamonds? sparkle? I'm there!) plus Maybelline is pretty well known for their mascaras.

First, I had to use the usual tools



Revlon Colorstay eyeliner (for lining and "tightlining"), Sonia Kashuk lash brush and separator, Shiseido The Makeup eyelash primer, Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express mascara, Shiseido lash curler

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Here is the brush with and without flash

You can see hints of *sparkle* without flash


And you can *definitely* see the sparkle with flash!


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My naked eyes w/o mascara


And after 1, 2, & 3 coats!

Side profile
...You can really see the sparkle up close...

Finally, a comparison

Being a volumizing mascara, the formula is quite thick. My lashes, however, are kind of thin & sparse so it's hard to build volume without getting too clumpy or spidery! I had to give my eyelash brush a workout between coats otherwise I would have ended up with a big clumpy mess! :( You can still tell it makes a difference though AND it held a curl for well over 6 hours!

Overall, I felt like the mascara was OK - definitely not HG material. The formula might have been a bit dry since my lashes felt kind of stiff. The sparkle? Well. Unless people are standing THISCLOSE to your face, it really wasn't all that noticeable. People even might think you have lash-druff if they didn't know any better LOL!

Pros: Cheap, big fat brush, holds a curl well, builds volume/length easily
Cons: Requires lots of combing/separating, a bit drying, sparkle is barely noticeable, time consuming process.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ (3/5)

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2nd Review is Sinful Colors Professional Nail Polish in PURPLE DIAMOND. Purchased at Walgreens for $1.50!

Here it is in natural lighting


And with/without flash


I really don't think pictures do it justice. You have to see it glimmering & shimmering in person to really appreciate how pretty the polish is! It really feels like I am wearing diamonds on my nails! The glitter is superfine and catches the light in the prettiest way - I couldn't stop admiring my nails lol!

It's pretty, princess-y and subtle enough to wear at work - or anywhere for that matter! The perfect pastel-y spring-time color!

The pigmentation in this whole line is so-so, it really depends on the color you purchase. (The Neons apparently don't have any color payoff though they look nice in the bottle) I'm a bigger fan of more subtle colors, so this line works well for me. No problems with chipping yet, usually with a good top coat, this polish will last for weeks!

Pros: Smooth application, gorgeous shimmer/sparkle, CHEAP, lasts at least a week
Cons: Pigmentation isn't like the bottle color, requires around 3 thin coats for the best results, careful with the brush (picks up a lot of polish at a time and can be goopy if you don't wipe the excess off!)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ (4/5)

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Katie Ngo's Giveaway(s)!!!

Finally, the lovely Katie Ngo is having an AWESOME giveaway with not only one, but TWO winners! This includes either the items below OR a $40 MAC giftcard!

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Also thought I would try out this headband from my aunt. Initially, I secretly thought it was kinda fug - but after trying it on, I really like it!



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YUM ALERT!

Had the best BEST catfish I have ever had in my life!!! This Vietnamese place in Dallas is DELICIOUS ~ their signature dish is catfish - surprisingly, not even a hint of fishiness - super fresh and sooooo tasty!

You take fresh veggies...

...Add them to DIY Spring rolls + special fish sauce...



And then pile on tender, flaky, delicious pieces of fish, green onions, and fried shallots



The Vietnamese style "Fish Taco" lol

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Lots of blogger love for Marissa, luckyfinds, Surge, Edwina, Sassy J'adore, Amasiah, & Cornelio!

Have a great weekend, enjoy the fresh spring air (smells like grass and flowers outside!) & stay safe!

♥ Irene