happy halloween

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I was Marceline from Adventure Time!





And some Instax pictures from work. The last one is my favorite, double vampire trouble ;) I'm proud to have done the makeup and vampire bites on Big Wei, even though I only had a few blushes to work with since I didn't know he wanted something for his eyes as well. I may recreate the makeup look I did for Marceline - I was late and rushing this morning (as usual) so I didn't get a chance to get any makeup pictures.

I never plan to go out at night since the stories I hear about crazy stuff happening on Halloween scares me. I'm warm at home, burning my new Wasabi Apple candle from Bath and Body Works instead :) Whatever you guys are doing, have a happy and safe Halloween! ♥

shut up and take my money, nordstrom rack

A Nordstrom Rack opened up pretty recently in my area. I checked it out on Sunday, and I screamed on the inside with joy when I saw the makeup on sale. Swooooon. Urban Decay nail polish for $5? I need them. Too Faced A La Mode Eyes palette for $15? Especially since I was gonna buy it full price anyway? YES PLEASE.

Normally I don't like posting a haul when I've done one pretty recently but GUYS. I CANNOT CONTAIN MY EXCITEMENT.

i got a mirror!

That's right! If you've been with my blog at the beginning stages, you'll remember my shameless "ootd taken in a target/marshalls/whatever dressing room" posts. Well that's all in the past, cause last weekend Pramod graciously drove me to Ikea to get a mirror. I got the Stave mirror, the same one in the picture. I can now take somewhat proper outfit posts. It's not as legit as the ones in fashion/style blogs, but it's tolerable at the moment. Plus people on Instagram do it all the time, so it's okay right???

Speaking of outfits, here's a lame outfit rundown cause I feel like it n______n

shirt » aerie
cardigan » mossimo (borrowed from sister)
scarf » american eagle
jeans » hurley (MY FAVORITE JEANS EVER)
belt » thrifted
boots » j shoes

haul | nail polish, oh my~

sally hansen snow globe △ l'oreal hidden gems △ sally hansen make waves △ sally hansen sparkling water
sinful colors all about you △ wet n' wild wild card/invitation △ wet n' wild gold album △ wet n' wild rising star

I admit I went a little overboard. It's been a long time since I bought this much nail polish. It's actually my first time trying out drugstore polishes - in the past, I bought strictly higher end brands cause I believed that they were better. Well, I'm happy to announce that their drugstore counterparts work just as well! :)

Edited: forgot to add the names ;)

stroke of midnight

MAC's Stroke of Midnight brushes are one of the prettiest I've ever seen, but I never thought I'd buy them off eBay for $65. I know, I know - eBay isn't exactly the safest place to buy cosmetics since there are a lot of fakes out there, especially since this is my first set of MAC brushes. I did a little bit of research on this set before purchasing, and I haven't bumped into anything out of the ordinary yet so I will assume these are genuine.

I've been wanting this particular set of brushes since MAC's Stroke of Midnight collection came out around last year, but I decided against it because I was being a responsible adult and not purchasing something that I liked, but didn't need. Well it all changed a few weeks ago when I decided that I would try to pack extra light for that California trip. I'd be landing around 12 and James doesn't get off work until 5ish, so that leaves a lot of extra room in between. I do want to explore a bit, but who wants to do it while lugging around a heavy duffel bag? 

So of course the rational choice was to lighten up my brush load, which makes sense in my mind because the Bobbi Brown blush brush (my go-to for bronzer) has a freakin' long handle and it doesn't safely fit in any makeup bags.

......Yeah. Don't judge, you've probably done the same thing in terms of reasoning.

instax mini diary 1&2

Sharing my Instax photos cause I think it's cool when other people do it, so if I do it I must be cool too :) I got this camera in June, so the order of when I took these pictures is kind of a blur. I mushed the the first two packs of film for this post, cause I only have a handful of photos I like anyway. In fact I don't even like how the last photo turned out, I like it anyway for sentimental reasons.

There's a bit of a learning curve with  this camera and I ended up wasting a lot of film just cause of inexperience. Some pictures were too bright, some too dark, some too blurry, or just plain bad. What you get in the viewfinder isn't what you'll get in the photo either, so it's more like a guide if anything. I did put a piece of masking tape over the flash cause I was afraid it would be too bright - but in this case, flash is actually a good thing! I feel like it gives the photos a unique "vintagey" feel to it. Plus the masking tape acts like a filter, so it explains the warm look on the last photo.

Don't let what I just wrote discourage you though!! The film for this camera is expensive for what you get, but I think it's worth the mess-ups for the awesome pictures in the end.

almond nails, part 2 ft. leopard print!

essie brooch the subject △ essie licorice △ china glaze v △ opi over the taupe

Continuing with the almond shaped nails... I love them! Now that I look back to my rounded nails, I think these look nicer and compliment nail designs a lot better - just my opinion of course. The only downside for me is that it's more difficult to file them down since it's a more precise shape, but I can deal with that... I did mess up on one of my middle fingers, it's shorter and more triangular than almond shaped. Practice always makes better ;)



Onto the nails themselves... I have a thing for leopard print nails. Never mind that I almost always use the same colors since the first time I tried leopard nails. I added V for a little pop of color cause an all-neutral mani is a tad too boring for my tastes. It's a rediscovery for me - I love that it's a well-rounded coral shade for me. Not too bright and not too dull, just perfect!

life, lately #2

Life lately. I guess this can be series where I dump a few of the random/forgotten photos and update you guys on the little things that don't quite fit into a regular post...

• Last week, I booked tickets to California to visit James during the Thanksgiving holiday cause he's working there on co-op. I'm really excited! I managed to find a good price last minute (it's last minute considering I'm booking around a holiday), which I feel really lucky for. I've never been to California before, so I guess one of the good things about a long distance relationship is getting to travel :)
• I bought a tub of CeraVe recently. I've been lurking on /r/SkincareAddiciton for a while and learned that a high price tag on skincare doesn't necessarily mean it's better than a lower-priced item, and that sometimes basic is the best. CeraVe in the tub is HUGE considering it's only about $16. It's my first time trying a drugstore moisturizer and I hope I really like it - most people seem to - cause that means my skin will be happy without killing my wallet!

So uh, what's up with you guys?

astoria park

When I saw Stephanie's post on Astoria Park, I knew I had to go there! I suggested it to Pramod, and so we went.

Lots of seagulls hanging around.

That's probably Manhattan, unless I'm wrong.

There's one part where you can walk near the river, but there isn't much space between the wall and the shore so it was a little scary. Especially since the rocks are slimy, so we didn't want to try stepping on them to go further down. And the smaller rocks... it's actually mostly glass.

Pramod thought I was taking my camera out to get a picture of the other bridge in the area, but instead I took a picture of "dead leaves."

Unfortunately it was a pretty cloudy day and it ended up raining on us. Nevertheless, it's a beautiful park and I'd love to go back on a sunnier day. I must admit it's a little weird to go to the same place someone else has blogged about. I suppose it's just the thought taking pictures of the same things or seeing the same things in the background, and being at the same place at a different time....

wishlist #1

I did a Sephora wishlist post before but whatever. This still counts as wishlist #1, cause it's on my blog so I said so ;)

1 // zara | dark blue parka with toggles △ I don't actually have a "real" winter jacket - most times I'll layer light jackets or wear my sister's old winter jacket which I don't like, but you gotta do what you gotta do when you're extra susceptible to getting cold. I'm quite picky when it comes to winter coats, but I like this one a lot!

2 // kate spade | cedar street stacy in clock tower/black △ I got my mom a very similar wallet in gold (but seriously, I can't even tell the difference and they might as well put them on the same page). For Mother's Day. Two years ago. I don't think she's even used it, lol. But I like it a lot, mostly for the ID slot so I can put a cute picture of James and me in there and every time I open my wallet, I can swoon just a little bit n______n

3 // washi tape | colorful triangles & ombre stripes △ Generally I like using washi tape to spice up my planner and taping my Instax pictures up - these would make a nice addition to my small collection!

4 // benefit cosmetics | bronze n' dandy △ I already have a Hoola mini bronzer but I thought this one would be nice for traveling, since I depotted my current one from cardboard packaging and it's currently housed in a small Altoids tin. It would be nice to try Dandelion too, though I have no interest in the lip glosses. Still, it's a pretty good deal!

5 // sugarpill | tapered blending & crease brush △ JUST LOOK AT HOW CUTE IT IS. And I guess blending brushes are one of my favorites.

Anything you guys are wishing for?

instax mini 25

A little appreciation post for my instant camera. I got it back in June, but I remember wanting one for ages. I love having tangible pictures. In this day and age it's really easy to take pictures with a phone or digital camera - but they inevitably get lost in the crapton of other photos in there, you get what I mean?



Even though it's a tad bulky, I do try to carry it everywhere I go cause you never know when the chance for a good picture or memory will come. Sometimes my friends poke fun at me for carrying around "technically 4 cameras" - this one, my DSLR, and the front and back phone cameras. Whatever yo, they'll thank me later when I take their next profile picture~

everyday makeup

Why is it that I can get a great in a messy bun when I'm at home after work when I don't care about how my hair looks. And when I actually do care and attempt a messy bun, all that ends up happening is a tennis ball-sized lump and a flop of hair to the side. It's a legitimate first world problem.

The makeup for my face doesn't tend to change often - besides eyeshadows, eyeliners, and blushes, I only have one or two of each type of product and they work well for me. I never really understood why some people need 5+ foundations... maybe it's something I'll find out later down the road, and then wonder how I lived with anything less than that. Anyway, here's a rundown of my daily face...

♥ ♥ ♥

forever 21 △ heart stud set - similar here

It's a very simple purchase, but it makes me really happy. Never mind that I'm a complete arse and ordered just this ($4.80) when they had a free shipping with promo code deal thing going on.

Also, did you know that my ears stick out? My parents always said I have ears like a monkey.

the body shop haul + first impressions

The Body Shop had a 50% off sale recently soooo.... yeah. There isn't much explanation needed, except I've always wanted to try their body scrubs but can't justify spending $20 on something I can DIY at home. The Body Shop body butters do offer nice scents and moisture though, which is something a little harder to do at home. Most of these I haven't tried yet, so I thought it'd be fun to write up a little first impressions on the scents.

satsuma body butter » James' favorite scent on me, so I bought a huge one to transfer into the mini-size container I already have whenever I travel to see him. It just smells very citrusy and orangey, I don't think there's another way to describe it haha. It's not my favorite scent but I do like it, so might as well ;)

raspberry body butter » Haven't used this yet, but it smells deeeelicious. I was afraid it might smell like a flat berry scent, but it's actually quite sweet and tart like actual raspberries. I was asking James if he thought lychee blossom or raspberry would smell nicer and he picked this one - so thank you James even though this blog is a secret to him, for now. And to everyone else I know in person. /stealth

satsuma body puree » It smells really nice! The scent is lighter than the body butter and seems to have more depth to it. It fades into a non-fragranced lotion kind of scent when you rub it in, though. Somehow the scent seems to come back after a while? I don't understand.

grapefruit body scrub » I didn't like how the body butter version smells, but this is pretty nice. I actually really like the sour smell, like the kind you get from the rind. Going along with the citrus theme here.

coconut body scrub » Smells grosssss, would not purchase again. I love the scent of coconut so I was pretty excited to try this out. It doesn't smell like coconuts, but it does smell like a not-good detergent. Trying to use this up as quickly as possible.

olive body scrub » Some blogger wrote about this but I forgot who it was, but I said it was something I'd be interested in trying. I think it's a unisex scent since it's not too masculine or feminine. Overall I think I'm a fan of the Olive range at The Body Shop!

Totally unrelated, but eating chips with chopsticks is the greatest idea ever.

francis lewis park

It seems like Pramod and I are hanging out more often now, which is a really good thing! I haven't had a friend that I kept in touch with for so long. He's dubbed us as "park buddies," where we (he) drive around looking for new parks to explore, while catching up/ranting/talking smack about people.

He randomly texted me at work to hang out, so I wasn't prepared with my fancy DSLR. And I regret it, because this is the most beautiful park I've been to. So from now on, I'm carrying my DSLR with me everywhere.

Ducks and geese! I joked with James that a part of Canada came down here. Also, it's true that the geese in Canada are ferocious. My Canadian friends always joke about that, but it turns out it's true. While on one of my trips in Canada, James and I walked past a woman and she was telling her kid in the most serious tone ever, "The geese will bite you."

What's that?

Some other pier-like thing near the park, but it probably wasn't part of it. It was pretty scary actually, because the ground was super uneven and when we got to the end, the path literally just stopped. Being the baby I am, I promptly turned around and started walking back.

I will end this post with more geese, standing on one foot.