beauty soup (inspired by fuzkittie)

I LOVE SOUP. soup has got to be my favorite food in the world. I love it pipping hot, so it slides down your mouth and warms up your stomach. the perfect thing for a really cold day.
So, latley i've been watching alot of fuzkittie on youtube, and was really intrigued by her beauty soup video. I tried it out, and it was deeeleciousss.
Heres what I did:

1. Boiled water in a pot, put in a few bay leaves for flavor.
2. chopped up one carrot, 3 small potatoes, half an onion, 3 mushrooms, and one tomato.
3. put everything into the pot when the water boiled.
4. Let everything boil on high heat for about 10 minutes
5. added about 3 spoonfulls of miso paste (can be bought in asian super markets), as well as salt and pepper.
6. stirred the soup, and tasted. added a little more seasoning.
7. let everything boil for about 5 minutes.
8. added brown rice
9. ate it!  (:

it was really quick and easy, as well as delicious! if your interested in fuzkitties video, look here --------> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh8i8mcajgM

- momo

Great Lash (lots of lashes) mascara

Its been a while since I've done a review, and todays product is the Great lash (lots of lashes) mascara by maybelline.

I saw this in target for about $5, and was instantly drawn in by the cute packaging. I have tried the original great lash mascara (and hated it), and was hoping that this mascara would be alot better due to the new rubber brush. I have to say that it is an improvement from the terrible great lash mascara, but this mascara still isnt the amazing product I was hoping to discover.

CONS:

- The brush, although very cute, is too small and is also awkward to manuever.

- I find that it makes my  lashes quite clumpy

- it takes a very long time for me to put on mascara, compared to my lashblast which takes me seconds.

- gives no volume

PROS

- doesnt smudge on me

- makes lashes very lengthened

- CHEAP!!

I am not very fond of this mascara, and I will not be purchasing it again. I would rate this a C+ just because it is a decent mascara that does it's job, but its not AMAZING. the clumpiness is not appreciated as well.

-momo

How to dress like Elena Gilbert

I am obsessed with Vamipre Diaries. Its one of those shows that gives me the creeps, but it is so good that I just cant tear my eyes away from the screen. Elena Gilbert played by Nina Dobrev has a very simple and effortless style, and it's definetly very easy to copy.

I noticed she wears alot of solid colored shirts, paired with demin jeans, shorts, or skirt. The colors are usually not extremely bright, they are usually more mellow and darker. ex:  maroon, plum-purple, grey, black, and blood red.  

 She also wears black or brown leather jackets, which adds more of a biker look to her plain outfits, but is still quite casual.

Alot of her plain shirts have lace detailing, which adds a sort of sexy effortless vibe. These shirts are very easy to find in most stores. Abercrombie and fitch, american eagle, abercrombie, hollister, etc.

Makeup and Hair:

Elena normally wears her hair down, but occasionally (like in this picture) she has it up in a ponytail.

As for makeup, it looks like she's not wearing any makeup at all, she looks very natural but still very pretty.  She does have very long and defined eyelashes, and maybe a bit of brown eyeliner on the upperlashline, to play up her eyes. But from what I can tell, no blush or eyeshadow.

DAMON AND ELENA <3

- Momo

Fashion Icon: Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez is probably one of my biggest role models and fashion inspirations. She dresses very casual cool, very effortless, but still very put together.

1. Jeans

Selena gomez is almost always seen in jeans in her street looks. She pairs them with T-shirts for a casual vibe, or even dresses it up with a more flowy and pretty shirt.

2. Silver Hoop earrings

In most of her looks, Selena usually keeps the accessories to a minimum, but she likes to sport her silver hoop earrings. They give more boho vibe, and are a simple accessory to add some glam to the outfit.

3. Flats and flipflops

For her street looks, usually selena is wearing either flipflops or flats. They are alot more comfortable than walking around in heels, and are also easy to pair with any outfit.

- Momo

Fall fashion essentials

While trends come and go, there are some essentials that I believe everyone should have in their closet.  These are some essentials that I think are pretty necessary for the fall season.

1. Jean Jackets

Jean jackets in all shapes and colors are perfect for the fall season. You can throw on one of these over almost every outfit; they'll keep you warm and stylish for chilly weather. They also give a more casual vibe, great for looking effortless and cool.

2. Booties

Every fall season, I love taking out my booties and pairing them with different outfits. They come in so many different shapes and colors, and you can get them with heels or no heels. You can make a simple outfit of just jeans and a t-shirt so much cuter with a pair of awesome booties.

3. Scarves

Scarves are great for a fashion fix. They can really spice up your outfit by giving texture and color. They come in all different patterns and colors, and they are relatively cheap in places like forever21 and H&M. When I have a formal event to go to, I like to use a large and pretty scarf as a shawl, in case I get chilly in my dress. If you have a smaller scarf, it can also be used as a head-wrap, headband, or a belt. Scarves are great for the colder seasons becasue they provide warmth and are super comfortable.

- Momo

Hair Tip of the day

After your regular hair cleansing regimine, and after you've washed all the suds away, give your hair a final rinse in cold water. This will close the cuticle on each strand so that it lies flat, giving you instantly shiny hair.
- momo

Quick tips: PROCRASTINATION

now that the school year is coming up, we know that loads of homework and classwork await us. Here are a couple of tips on how to prevent procrastination. I hope this is helpful! (:

tip 1: keep your computer and cellphone hidden
i think that most of us can admit that our computers and cellphones are extremley distracting. So the best way to focus on our work is to put away all distractions so that we wont be tempted to play with them.

tip 2: find a secluded and quiet place to work
the library, barnes n noble are good places to study, or you can find a quiet spot in your house where you know you wont be distracted. Avoid working on your bed, becasue you dont want to be too comfortable that you'll fall asleep! also, getting the inkstains out of your bedspread is not fun at all (:

tip 3: Time yourself
organizing your time and setting up a schedule is the most efficent way to get your work done on time. During school, sometimes I like to make a schedule of everything I need to do when I get home, so that I can get things done and get to bed early.

tip 4: snacks
leave some snacks near your study area so that you wont get up and go to the kitchen to get some snacks. Most likely on your way back from the kitchen, you'll get distracted by something and forget about your work.

tip 5: dont leave things for the last minute
You dont want to be that person who does a big project the night before its due. Most likely, it'll not look as great becasue you had a limited time to work on it. Try to plan out your time and give yourself some time evryday to work on the project before the day that its due.

This are some kind of no-brainer tips that you probably already know, but I hoped this helped you somewhat! Good luck for the school year! (:
- momo

Heyy momo, thanks for the procrastination tips, but I also want to add in one more tip as well. So for those of you who simply cannot finish hw on time, then maybe you should try to complete your hw as soon as you come home from school.  Personally, if I dont do my homework immediately, I tend to procrastinate and finish my homework at midnight.. But when I DO finish my homework, well....... its the greatest feeling ever.
- Eunnie  <3

Blush RAVE

I am in total and absolute love. With a blush. The ELF studio blush in pink passion, that is. Unfortunately, I dont have my own swatches and pictures since my camera is not working at the moment ): but here are some links to some great swatches:
http://www.vampyvarnish.com/2011/08/elf-studio-blush-fuchsia-fusion-pink-passion-swatches-photos-review/

Ive been eyeing this blush for quite a while at my nearest target, but I wasnt sold when I made a couple of swatches on the back of my hand. It looked insanely pink, and sort of chalky. But after reading some great reviews on makeupalley.com, I decided to give it a try. Its only $3 anyways, so why not?

and I LOVE IT! It looks extremley scary and neon in the pan, but when dabbed lightly with a fluffy brush on the cheeks, it looks like a natural flush. It doesnt look chalky, just blends right in and looks natural.(I love to use the elf studio complexion brush-shown below-with it, which is very floppy and not dense)

Its a wonderful blush, and worth a try for only $3. Packaging is pretty nice and sleek, and is the same size as a nars blush. (By the way I like it more than my nars deep throat, which I paid $30 for, and barely use.) I would rate this product a 9/10 which is extremley high for my standards. (:
ELF is having a huge sale right now, so check it out on their website. http://www.eyeslipsface.com/ So maybe you can pick up this blush for even cheaper than $3!!
oh, and by no means am I being paid to say that I LOVE this elf blush, its all my own and truthful opinion (:
- momo

Back to school fashion

This post may be a little late for those who already started school, but here are a few tips and trends that may give you some inspiration when dressing for school.

1. Trend: High waisted pants

high waisted shorts were a huge trend this summer. But now since we are now transitioning into fall, its time to take the highwasted shorts to a whole new level. You can keep out the chills by wearing leggings or tights under your highwaisted shorts, or you can get highwaisted jeans. Highwaisted jeans are great because they are very flaterring and can make your waist look slimmer. I really like BDG jeans from urbanoutfitters becasue they are very formfitting, comfortable, and stretchy. They are quite expensive (running for $58), but you can always catch them on a sale, and I think they are a good investment peice.

2. Tip: Dress how you wanna dress
Its fun to follow the trends and latest fashions, but theres nothing more refreshing than someone who stands out of the crowd by dressing in their own unique way. You may get criticized for it, but its most important to dress in what makes you happy and confident. Be true to yourself ! (:

3.  Trend: Lace

Lace was a huge trend this summer as well, and its time to incorporate it into our fall wardrobe. Lace can be very feminine, romantic, and light, but it can also be dark, mysterious, and vampy. It depends on  the colors you choose and the way that you style the lace.

When I wear lace, I try to keep all other textures plain and simple, becasue you dont want the textures to clash and look too gauzy (unless you like the look of that, of course). Also, I would reccomend wearing something underneath your lacy garments since lace can be pretty seethrough and you want to look appropiate for school.

To incorporate those pretty lacy dresses and shirts that you wore nonstop this summer into your fall outfits, simply add layers! Cardigans are great for keeping you warm, but still letting the cute lace shirt/dress peek through. I love wearing chunky cardis over a cute lace shurt for a boho chic, easy and comfy style.

4. Tip: Keep an oversized sweater in your locker

Ever have one of those days when you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, have to rush to school, and once you get there find out that your outfit looks totally ugly and mismatched? I definetley have. Thats when keeping an oversized sweater in your locker is a total lifesaver. Its also great if you spilled something on your shirt, or your just plain cold. It instantly covers up your terrible outfit, and is super comfortable as well. And it doesnt have to be an oversized sweater; keeping a oversized shirt or a jacket in your locker is helpful as well.

- momo 

Lip Stain REVIEW

Do you have boring, dull, non pigmented lips? Well, I suffer from having lifeless lips that look average at best. However, recently I discovered a line of lip stains from Revlon, called Just Bitten and I became so excited!!! Well ofcourse, before I made my purchase, I decided to research these lip stains but unfortunately, I  had no idea which color to pick.. But after watching countless youtube video reviews and other blog posts, I decided to go with the color Passion which supposedly is the brightest pink color. And so, I went to the nearest drugstore and bought myself the color Passion. I was pretty content with the results that I went again to Duane Reade to get a different color, Flame.

SWATCHES on my hand:

Flame on top, Passion on bottom

Personally, I'm not so sure if it's just my lip stain but my Passion lip stain is very light and has a slight watery consistency. At first, it wasn't like that as the color was very pigmented but after some use, my passion lip stain became watery and pretty light in color. But my flame lip stain on the other hand, is EXTREMELY pigmented and has GREAT staying power.
Some reviews out there say that the lip stains do not come off when you drink, eat, or rub, but from my experience, the color does come off if you rub it hard enough. After a meal, the flame lip stain fades a bit but for me the Passion lip stain fades completely.

PROS:
- High pigmentation
- some Staying power
- no fragrance
- lip balm at end of the stick
- color doesn't get on foods, drinking straws, etc.

CONS:
- slight tingly, warm sensation on lips
- can come off if you rub it, eat with it
- lip balm may fall off if you dont close the cap correctly
- slightly expensive? well, for me :]

OVERALL, Revlon's Just bitten lip stains are great! If I had to rate them, I would rate them a 7/10. But I do not regret buying them and plan on purchasing more of their colors!! You can find them in most drugstores and they usually cost around $10

Well, have fun shopping, and see you pretty ladies next time!!!!! ^^

-Eunnie <3

August Favorites

Here are my favorites for the month of august:

1. One by one mascara by maybelline
if you like having pretty, non-clumpy and seperated lashes like I do, One by one  mascara is perfect for you. I must warn that it doesnt give amazing length or volume. Just defines, seperates, and darkens. But I still love this mascara. Runs for about $8 in the drugstore, the coral packaging is super pretty and eyecatching. The smell is definetly a little funky, so thank goodness your eyelashes are nowhere near your nose, becasue that smell drives me nuts. But I altogether LOVE this mascara. (:

2. Shu Uemura eyelash curler

I finally picked up the shu Uemura eyelash curler while I was in China this summer. This baby sure lives up to its hype! It fits my eye perfectly, and just a little bit of pressure curls my eyelashes in a instant. I have extremley hard to curl lashes that are super straight and point straight downwards. This eyelash curler is a livesaver. Definelty an investment, but a lifesaver. Costs about $20 i believe.

3. NYC smooch proof lipstain

This lipstains are cheap and great! Mine is in "Berry long time" and its an awesome berry stain. Its quite sheer though so it looks pretty natural on your lips, giving you that "my lips but better" look. I feel that the felt tip marker dries relatively fast however, though some product still comes out. But its still a steal for only $5.

4. neutrogena dry touch sunblock spf 30

we all know how important sunblock is. My favorite is the Neutrogena dry touch sunblock. I have combination skin, with very dry cheeks and a slightly oily t-zone. This sunblock gives me a nice dewy glow, but doesnt make me look oily or shiny at all. It feels very light, and gives my skiu a smooth and soft finish. I love it! It makes my skin look and feel great! And protects it from UV rays of course.

5. Wet n' wild eyeshadow palette in Silent treatment
These are awesome eyeshadows. The light peachy-pink browbone color is semi-sheer and has tons of pretty sparkles, and I love using this all over the lid for a sheer and pretty wash of shimmer. Great for a natural look. The black/brown shade with gold sparkles is gorgeous and super pigmented. And I mean SUPER pigmented. This color is great for lining the eyes, or creating a smokey eye, whatever you like to do with it. The taupey purple color is an amazing eyeshadow. Its not too dark or not too light, so its an awesome eyelid shade, and it sure makes my brown eyes pop.
If you dont own this palette already, I suggest you give it a whirl, as its super cheap for $3 at your nearest drugsttore, and the colors are extremley pretty and pigmented. Great for school, work, everyday looks, but you can definetly create great nighttime and party looks as well with this versitale pallette. L-O-V-E (:

- Momo

Fall Beauty trends 2011

Fall is my favorite season. I love bundling up, slipping on my favorite fuzzy slippers, and curling up in bed drinking hot tea on a blistery evening. And of course the beautiful foliage, and getting out my favorite booties is a plus.

Anyways, I was flipping through my favorite magazines, and picked up on some of the beauty trends that will be hot this fall. So we can look both glamourous and trendy during this cold and beautiful season.

The "au naturale" look

Forget the smokey eyes, the fake eyelashes, and the bold red lips. This season is all about looking naturally beautiful, effortless, and looking like yourself while not covering up your face with makeup. Heres one way you can get the natural look.

step one: apply base makeup as you normally would. Personally I would just dab on some concealor and set with powder, but if you want the whole foundation/tinted moisturizer ordeal, you can do that too.

step two: apply highlighter on your cheekbones. May I reccomend benefits highbeam? It gives a really pretty natural glow to the face, making your features stand out more and giving your skin that boost. You can dab some on your eyelids for a bit of a pretty sheen on the eyes that looks extremley natural. Just make sure you dont get it in your eyes, haha

Step three: Countour the cheekbones.

Blush can give you that "dolled up" appearance. Instead, go for the natural approach by just applying a matte bronzer to the hollows of your cheeks. It'll give you those model-like cheekbones and give you a nice healthy glow. I like hoola bronzer by benefit.

Step four: curl eyelashes and apply mascara. if you want to make your eyelashes look thicker, tightline the top waterline with black/brown eyeliner for a really natural look. You can tightline the lower waterline with a peachy eyeliner for brighter eyes, and also to prevent the top black eyeliner from smudging onto the bottom lowerline. I hear stilas kajal eyeliner in topaz is a good eyeliner for that.

Step four: for lips, apply lipbalm to keep lips moisturized. You can then either apply a nude or rosy lipstick/gloss/liptint. Or you can skip the lip-products and just keep your lips bare! its your choice. (:

Spider lashes

A really big trend this year is the spider-lashes. How to get them? You can simply just apply false lashes to both bottom and top lashlines, or you can use your mascara to get this cool effect. Comb through your lashes with the mascara wand like usual, then go over the tips to get that extra long and spider like effect. The candal Queen mascara by Fairydrops is a good mascara to achieve this look, or if you want a cheaper alternative I would reccomend the maybelline falsies.

Bold Brows.

Bold eyebrows. Need I say more? Bold brows have been all over the runway, and many celebrities have been sporting this look as well. It may look a little bit funny to you at first trying it out for the first time, it takes some getting used to (at least it did for me), but it really frames the eyes nicely and gives you a cool look.

Dark lips

Whats fall without the burgundy, dark red lips? (or even black if your daring)
Great for parties, special events, or for making a statement, fall is the season to whip out the dark lipstick. I personally like the more natural approach to dark lipsticks by using them as a stain to give that flushed look. One lipstick I would recomend is revlons lipstick in black cherry.

- Momo

DAISY by Marc Jacobs

I am soo excited, I finally got the perfume that Ive been waiting for all my life! (okay, actually since middle school)
Im looking at it on my vanity right now, and it looks so cute with its red bottle and black flowers at the top.
The smell of the perfume is to die for. Im no good at describing scents, so on the website they describe it as "fresh and feminine, with a playful innocence. At its heart is a floral scent with the vintage edge of violet. Sophisticated, with a touch of whimsy, this fragrance captures the eclectic, vintage flavor of Marc Jacobs' feminine, edgy designs. Always elegant, always enchanting—but not too serious—Daisy is a sparkling floral bouquet, spirited and fresh, wrapped in comfort and warmth."

Mine is the pop art edition, if you were wondering.. this is how the normal one looks like..

IN A NUTSHELL:

pros:
- smells AMAZUH-ING
- cute packaging

cons:
- scent doesnt last very long
- expensive (the pop art version is $88 for 3.4 oz, the normal is $75 for 3.4 oz)


nevertheless, I am in LOVE with this perfume. Its a lovely floral scent, clean and fresh. You should definetly just try it out and see if you like it as well! :)
- Momo

Review and comparison: Benefits Hoola Bronzer vs. NYC sunny bronzer

Summer is here, and everyone is pulling out their favorite bronzers to get than bronzey tan look.Two of the most popular bronzers out there are the Hoola bronzer and the NYC bronzer in sunny.
The most obvious difference between them is the price, as Hoola bronzer runs for about $30 while NYC sunny is about $4 in the drugstore.

NYC bronzer (left) , Hoola (right)

Hoola (left), NYC sunny (right)

The colors are different as well. As you can see in the pan, NYC sunny is a tad bit more orange than Benefits hoola bronzer, which is a little bit more olive toned. I find that Hoola suits my skin tone better, as I have yellow undertones, and yellow and olive go hand in hand together.
NYC sunny is also a really sheer bronzer, while Hoola is a bit more pigmented. You can also see the quality of the Hoola bronzer as the powder is very fine and creamy in a way. The Sunny bronzer is a bit harder to pick up in the pan, and it took me about 3 swatches to get a good color payoff in my swatch above.
They are both great bronzers if you like the natural look.

However, If I had to choose one bronzer to buy, I think it would be NYC Sunny. I personally think that Hoola bronzer was a waste of money, and it barely even shows up on my skin (since I have pretty tan skin already). And if I wanted a matte bronzer, why should I pay $30 when I can buy a darker powder from the drugstore for cheap? NYC bronzer is a great bronzer for beginners. Its inexpensive, it looks natural, and the packaging is much more compact than Hoola Bronzer.
However, if you have fair skin, are a fan of high end products and you want a bronzer that is smooth to apply and not an orangey tone, Hoola bronzer would be the a great choice for you.


- Momo