Surprise Birthday Party, part deux + new hair color!

Hi, chickas!

It's been almost two weeks since my dad's surprise birthday party that I mentioned in my last post; I've just been a combination of too lazy and too busy to write about it. I was also debating about whether or not I really wanted to, but I've decided I might as well, considering I said I would.

I found this super gorgeous dress from Deb the day before; it's wine red with a black flower, and it cost 70$. It's more than I wanted to spend, but it's worth it! It feels like something a fairy would wear.

I SWEAR I'M REALLY NOT THAT CHUBBY LOL.

I forgot my friend's crucial advice to never post with your arms flat by your sides like that, because it really does make you look fat. Oh well, lesson learned I guess. :P

My hair actually looked different than its usual flat self. My aunt gave it some flippy little curls that were absolutely gorgeous. They're hard to see in the photo, but up close you could tell how nice they looked. (My aunt is so amazing; The day before she also did my makeup really nice, it looked awesome. I've never had on that much makeup before, but it came out looking incredible. Pros of having makeup artist relatives!)

Before we left, it seemed like my dad had caught on a little bit that we were planning something, at the fault of my mom's so-not-inconspicuous stopping of the car a few times to check her messages to see if everyone was coming. Then, when we were at the restaurant, she said "Ah, just the four of us having dinner~"

LIKE MOM SERIOUSLY.

Way to blow it. 

Of course he was still surprised but by then he had really caught on, but all in all it was a very nice dinner with the family and friends! (The only awful thing that happened was my dress slip. I was leaning over the table to get a crispy noodle and I felt my dress slip and my boob exposed. Like, I felt that breeze. I just quickly and quietly pulled it back up and hoped nobody noticed, ugh.)

Onward; I've finally dyed my hair! :') I've been dying to dye it (lol) for over a year now, but couldn't decide on a color. I went from dark purple to light brown to red to brown with pink or brown with pink. It was ridiculous. But finally I decided on red, inspired by the always-gorgeous T-ae of Rania.

absolute girl crush on this woman /cry

My hair didn't come out exactly as I was hoping, unfortunately.

First, the color isn't as red as I wanted it. It's not too big of a deal because it's still a noticeable difference (though I first I didn't think so) and in the sun my hair looks fabulous.

Second, the bangs. I specifically asked my hair stylist for a sidesweep fringe, and she cuts my hair straight across. I was kind of horrified, especially because my bangs were so long (almost down to my chin). I've been making it work, but I'm still bitter that she didn't cut them how I wanted. It's the second time someone's fucked up cutting my bangs. I think I'll just cut them myself once they grow out again. *huff*

So this is the end result...

For some reason, the color comes out quite brown in photos. In person you can tell it's red. I'm quite happy with it, just not super stunned or anything. (Though I've gotten tons of nice compliments and who doesn't love those?)

Surprise Birthday Party, part un

"un" is French for 'one', don't cha know?

Hi! *waves excitedly*
I am quite looking forward to this coming week, especially since these last two weeks have been kind of miserable for me. 
On my way out of the doctor's office 2 weeks ago, I hit my head trying to get into the car.
STUPID IKR
You know the part of the car where the hard rubber is that the door...connects to? Yeah, hit my head on that part. It was truly ridiculous too, because I was rushing to get in the car since it was so damn cold that I ended up smashing the top of my head on something that was easily avoidable. So after three days of not being able to sleep, occasionally blurry vision and headaches, I went back to the doctor and they said I had a concussion. 
Staying home from class for 3 days (3 days that ran into the weekend, so basically I was home for 5 days) sounded like an awesome thing, until I came back last Monday and was hit with two research papers, one project, and a packet of questions for my bio class.
AND WE JUST GOT ANOTHER RESEARCH PAPER ON FRIDAY
I am so exhausted.

But enough whining, because I started this post with the intention of talking about why I'm so excited for this coming week.
It's my dad's birthday on Saturday, and my mom and I have been planning this little surprise party at this very nice, upscale Chinese restaurant. My aunt is also coming on Tuesday, but of course my dad himself won't know about the party until we get there. All he knows is that we're going out for dinner, just thinks it's going to be the 4 of us. 
I just wish I didn't have to wait until Saturday morning to go pick out a nice evening dress. /sigh
I can't wait to blog about this when it happens :)

Review: Geo Starmish Brown Circle Lenses

I've wanted to review these lenses for a while, but I kept being lazy. Well, the review is finally here. Now, let me just start off by saying that unfortunately I no longer have these lenses...I had to throw them out two weeks ago while I was outside because I didn't bring my lens care stuff with me, and my eyes were severely itching me.

That doesn't really matter, though. I had the lenses for roughly three months, and I did take photos, so this review will still be good. I'll be rating it out of 5 in 3 different categories; color visibility, comfort, and enlargement.
Alright, on to the review!

These are very cute lenses by GEO, and they come in two colors; light brown and black. I ordered the light brown, because I wanted my first pair of lenses to be this color, and I don't find black circle lenses to be very appealing.

bathroom lighting

The above photo is how they looked under my bathroom lighting. As you can see, they're quite noticeable. Below is a photo I took of me in the car, so the lenses are under natural lighting.

I'll rate the color 5/5, because they are very bright and vivid no matter what type of lighting you're in. (I actually wore these lenses to a late-night school event, and my friend commented on them even though it was nighttime. Further proof they're very visible!)

As for eye enlargement, I definitely noticed a difference. It's nothing massive, since these lenses are a size 14.5, but it's definitely noticeable. So a 4/5 for enlargement. Unfortunately, where these lenses disappoint is with comfort. Maybe all circle lenses are like this (this is my first pair, so I wouldn't know for sure), but I found that they made my eyes quite uncomfortable for anywhere from 5-15 minutes after putting them on. My eyes would itch and water and it was overall not a fun experience. After the discomfort subsided, they were tolerable. Sadly, the itching returned while I was outside and didn't have my lens case with me, so I had no choice but to throw them away because they were hurting so much. (And I try to take very good care of my lenses.) For that, I give comfort a 3/5.

Overall, these are very cute lenses that are bright and pretty. However, if you're looking for a big eye enlargement, then these lenses probably aren't for you. Although the lenses are pretty, they were quite uncomfortable for me.

Happy New Years x2

Hi!

I haven't blogged since...December. Damn. :( I really didn't mean to go that long without blogging, but I got caught up in schoolwork and such...on top of just being lazy. Hmm...

I got all the stuff I talked about in my last post. ^_^ The circle lenses are so beautiful! I've yet to do a review on them, but I will soon. But if you follow me on instagram, you've hopefully seen a few photos I've posted of me wearing them. I haven't tried on the falsies yet, because they didn't come with any glue...*grumble*

So I'll just have to buy that at some point.

And that My Beauty Diary mask is a lifesaver. I can't wait to get my review out on that; Hopefully I'll get to it all this month! But I can't fit into the adorable angel leggings I bought... :( A very good sign I need to lose weight.

Also, my Ageha collection is at a beautiful seven magazines now. None of ya'll have any idea how much I love that magazine. I just can't wait for my hair to grow out so I can actually start styling it.

Anyway, happy new year! And 新年快乐! gong hei fat choi! I didn't really do anything special...I didn't even get any lai see this year, LOL... :( But I gave some today to my friend Jia, she was very happy c: 

I'm hopeful for what this year will bring...I suppose we'll see.

I already picked out my classes for when school picks up again in September, even though this year ends in June. 

I feel like I was going to say more, but I forgot...

Goodnight!

When you have the money...

...you spend it! right?
In total, I got 260$ for Christmas, which I was super thrilled about, because there were some things I've been wanting for a long time, but didn't have the money to buy them. Well, now I did, and I am quite pleased with everything I bought!
All in all, I purchased;

• Jolin Tsai's Muse CD
• Jolin Tsai's Castle CD
• 3 Ageha magazines
• Starmish circle lenses
• Eyelove Alpaca false lashes
• The Sims 3 World Adventures expansion pack
• Block B's Blockbuster CD
• My Beauty Diary Black Pearl mask box, 10 pieces
• NS Yoon-G's Skinship CD
• these adorable angel-printed Japanese leggings
• and the Faith OST.

whew!
I definitely plan on blogging reviews on the circle lenses and the masks.
I wish Taiwan CDs weren't so expensive! :( It kind of hurt, shelling out 30$ just for the Muse CD, when the Skinship CD, for example, cost me only 15$. But since I absolutely love Jolin Tsai, I was willing to pay it. If only I could find her Myself album...

I just hope my Ageha magazines get here in a timely manner. I'm still waiting on the two I ordered from the same seller over a month ago...it's probably just because it's the holiday season.

Oh, and late Merry Christmas! I know I haven't blogged in a while, but that's because I've been swamped with schoolwork and such, and I just haven't had much to blog about I suppose. But the new year is coming soon, and that means a new start for everything, right?

Food, food, and food.

Very short post today...

I went to my aunt's house for Thanksgiving, and I had a blast. :D 
I helped out a bit with the cooking, and of course the food was super delicious. and for dessert we had guava cheesecake (my dad makes this, it's SO good), pumpkin pie, apple pie, and ice cream. I only have the cheesecake though, and some ice cream.

And today I cooked some more. So much food, huuuuu.

I wish I had money to do some Black Friday online shopping, but I don't. :u Keeping in mind for next year that online stores also do BF deals.

Review: Shiseido Perfect Whip Facial Wash

First of all, happy November! I've decided to do another product review, because this wash has been doing wonders for my skin, but not many people seem to know about this product. 

It is...

Shiseido Sengansenka Perfect Whip Facial Wash!

A mouthful, I know.

I ordered this on Amazon after reading some good reviews, even though I was a little hesitant about actually using it. (Although I know Shiseido has really good products.) My skin is really sensitive, and I've tried at least 4 different cleansers these past 5 months alone, and the last thing I wanted to end up with is contact dermatitis. But I needed a new cleanser that I thought would actually work, so I bought it anyway. 
As it turns out, this cleanser is actually working very well for me! Unlike other cleansers I've used in the past, this one doesn't make my skin itch after I wash it off. 

The fact that the entire bottle is in Japanese shouldn't deter you, because it's not like it's difficult to use a cleanser. I'll start out by saying that the name is just a little bit misleading. The cleanser itself isn't very foamy...

and no, my nails aren't dirty. it's the glitter polish i'm wearing.

It looks like this, straight out of the tube. It can almost be considered sticky and just a bit stringy. However, if you put it directly on your face like this, it's going to be pretty uncomfortable. You should dab your entire face with some water, just to dampen it a bit before applying the cleanser. This makes rubbing it around much easier, and it feels better, too.

This is what the cleanser should look like on your face.

It's still not quite foamy like the name implies, but it does the job. I like to rub it around in little circles for a few minutes, wait about 30 seconds, then wash it off. It's not gritty at all, so your face will be nice and smooth. I like to apply my green tea cleanser afterwards, just in case my skin does get a little dry. 

All in all, it's a very good cleanser and I highly recommend it! I have to say, it's probably the best cleanser I've ever used, and that's coming from someone who's tried out over 10 different cleansers over the years. It's gentle on the skin, has a pleasing little scent to it, and doesn't leave your skin feeling itchy or gritty.

Life updates...

I never can think of decent post title names, it's such a hassle. I'm really bad when it comes to naming anything, hence why this blog has already gone through one name change. Knowing me, I'll probably end up changing it again...I don't know to what, though!

Anyway...

I haven't really talked about school since it started up again. It's been going well, I suppose, though I think it could go better. It's kinda frustrating, because I consider myself an ambitious person because I have a lot of goals, but the motivation just isn't really there? I know I have to change that! 

I think my favorite class that I have would actually be history, because I love learning about history. My favorite class should be painting, but I can't really say that because I can't love a class that has a bunch of annoying loud ang moh's, as much as I love painting itself. Seriously though, these girls are SO annoying...it sounds petty and stupid, but excuse me for not finding their high-pitch voices, laughs, and obnoxious behavior pleasant. They're always talking about their silly boy problems...maybe they wouldn't have such problems if they weren't so toot. 

On Tuesday I went to the open-house event for a school I'd like to go to, for their cosmetology program. It does sound rigorous (which I already knew), but it's something I'd like to do. Besides learning the obvious (hair, makeup, massage, nails, etc.) you also have to learn about anatomy, which is what I'm most worried about, since I don't handle medical things well at all. (Seriously; I've fainted a total of four times in life because of needles. Even going to the doctor scares me.)
Their dance program also sounds very fun, but the cosmetology is what I'm most interested in right now. I can always just do dancing on the side.

Review: Nymph Aura Boosting Primer

Hey, everyone!
I know I haven't blogged in a while, due to having a crazy workload with school, but I'm back. Now, I just got this product in the mail about two weeks ago, but I've been dying to do a review on it because I absolutely love it. Today I'm reviewing....

Etude House's Nymph Aura Boosting Primer!

This was actually a little difficult to get my hands on. It seems production of the Nymph Aura line (primer, 'volumer', and powder) has been discontinued. Anyway, I'm in love with this baby right here. It's perfect for those days when you want to look good, but either don't have the time--or don't feel like doing--or makeup. Or if you're having a sick day and look a little pale, this primer will add some color right back into your skin.

It comes in this pretty little tube. Just be sure not to squeeze the tube too hard when you're first trying to get the primer out, because you'll end up with a giant glob of peach primer on your fingers. A few gentle squeezes will be enough.

Here, I've put the primer on my hand. As you can see, it's a peachy color that looks pretty bright against my skin tone, but watch...

A few seconds of rubbing the primer onto my hand, and you've got a nice, airbrushed look! You can probably see the subtle line of demarcation on my wrist between where my real skin color starts and the primer fades, but hopefully you know that when you put this on your face, you should always blend down under your chin and probably a bit of your neck, as well.

I read some other reviews on this product, and people were complaining that the smell was too strong, or they didn't like the glittery effect it gave. I, for one, actually enjoy the light floral scent, and don't find it to be overwhelming or strong at all. And I also didn't notice any shimmer in the primer, so I'm not sure what people are talking about there. I've really been swearing by this primer lately, because it's basically half-primer, half-BB cream. You get that whitening effect you would get from BB cream, but you also get the polished and slightly-colored look of primer. It's perfect! 

If you're looking to purchase this or other Nymph Aura products, I recommend eBay or Amazon. From what I've seen, none of the online Asian beauty product stores carry this line. Maybe the Etude House website still has it, though I'm not sure, since the website won't load on my computer for some reason.

I also got a free sample of the Nymph Aura Volumer (which I'm fairly certain is supposed to be Volumizer...), but it's not really enough to do a product review on. I definitely plan on buying a full bottle of the volumer at some point, so expect a review on that, too.

Birthday!//Trip to Little Korea & Chinatown

Today is my birthday! Happy birthday to me. I love seeing all the 'happy birthday' messages on Facebook, even from people I don't talk to that much...ah, anyway. It was somewhat of a boring birthday, actually. I just stayed at home, played video games, watched some TV, nothing special. But I'll stop talking about my birthday now, and get into the highlight of my weekend; Saturday's trip to Little Korea and Chinatown in NYC.

I love taking long drives. I love listening to music with my headphones and imagining myself as a rockstar. We passed by this really nice area in the city, I believe it was around 42nd street? Though I could be wrong. I've never learned how to navigate around the city, I just let my parents do the driving. But it was so nice! Lots of shops and bright lights. I bet it looks even better at nighttime. 

There were even some people dressed in bad-looking costumes walking around! I saw Batman, Mickey Mouse, Minnie, Dora, Woody...but seriously, the costumes were pretty shitty looking. Moving on...the first place we went to was Little Korea. It literally is quite little; only a couple of blocks long. But there's a lot to do! These buildings are loaded with shops, restaurants, noraebangs, you name it. And when I saw a little store that said "The Face Shop", I was practically knocked off my feet. 

For those of you who don't know, The Face Shop is one of the most popular Korean cosmetic brands. They're right up there with Etude House and Skin79. I seriously only the thought the only place I'd see one of The Face Shop stores is in Korea. I was hoping that there would be one, but I wasn't really expecting it! It was pretty small, because it was shared with this large...gift shop? I don't know what to call it. They had DVDs, books, CDs, all sorts of little things like pens, stickers, Korean flags, etc. It was so nice! From that gift shop I only ended up buying the Action CD by Nu'est. From The Face Shop, I bought a rice foam facial cleanser. 

After that, my parents and I headed to this little restaurant I forgot the name of. It was small, but it was packed to the brim. We had to wait a few minutes to get a table. This was one of my first times trying Korean food, so I was a little nervous, but it actually turned out to be very good! I ordered fried dumplings (which I thought would be meat-stuffed, but was actually filled with vegetables along with very little meat cubes). Until the waiter started bringing out all these side dishes, I forgot that having a ton of side dishes is common when it comes to Korean cuisine. There were little plates of kimchi, seaweed, a few other things I forgot, and the crown jem; Steamed egg in an iron pot. It was absolutely delicious! 

After that, we headed off to Chinatown. Honestly, I was really disappointed. It was mostly a bunch of knock-off jewelry stores, doctors, and food markets. Very little shopping stores. Right next to Chinatown is Little Italy, so we went there for a while, too. From there I bought an adorable Hello Kitty phone case, and a bracelet. (I was browsing keychains at one of the stands outside, but then this lady comes up and starts yelling at me in Arabic! Did she think I was gonna steal one or something? Seriously, if they're so worried about that, they shouldn't have things sitting on stands outside.)

The loot. Plus the two free samples of some...cream or something TFS gave me.

While Chinatown and Little Italy were kind of disappointing, I would love to visit Little Korea again. I had such a blast and felt right at home.