Aloha

This aloha means goodbye to Hawaii and yet hello to heading home. I can't wait to share with you the many new adventures I had in Hawaii along with photo's and everything else. I'm so glad I made the trip as it'll probably be my last big trip for awhile since going home means sending in college apps and starting school again this year for the first time since HS 7yrs ago. That's it for my scheduled vay-k posts, Mahola to those of you that followed me around throughout my trip ^.^ Now I need to get some R & R at home from my vay-k and will be back to work again come March :P

Leaving Maui

It's a sad when you're leaving such places like Maui but it's AWESOME when you're headed to the Big Island like I am today! I'm super stoked and can't wait to go to the observatory, see the big volcano and make the entire drive around the whole island while seeing black beaches along the way, woohoo...wish ya'll could be here ;D

Leaving Honolulu

Today I will be leaving Honolulu :( and venturing to the island of Maui!!!! I can't wait, I've heard this is like the new HotSpot in Hawaii, I hope to go snorkling or atleast go watch some whales! So much to do and so little time it seems.

Another quickie post (I know) but just showin sum <3

Makeup & Hair Look

My Makeup was inspired by this video although I used different products and instead of blue I opted for browns while sticking to the same MAC palette shown in this video.

Face
-Applied Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer w/SPF 15 to entire face
-Applied Revlon New Complexion One-Step Compact Makeup in 01 Ivory Beige under eyes, on blemishes and redness areas
-Applied Maybelline Mineral Power Natural Perfecting Powder Foundation in 2 Light(Classic Ivory) all over face(excluding eyes and lips)

Blush
-Contoured under chin and inner cheeks with CoverGirl TruBlend Minerals Bronzer 435 Golden Sunrise using a Sonia K. angled contour blush brush
-Applied Physicians Formula Glow-Boosting Pressed Bronze Booster in Fair to Light on cheeks as a cheek blush and light contour for nose and forehead using the same Sonia K. angled contour blush brush

Eyes
-Primed entire eye area from lash line to brow and lower lash line with NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in 604 Milk, blend evenly with finger
-Used the MAC eyeshadow palette in Tempting using the Sonia K. eyeshadow brushes to contour and blend...
**Used Next to Nothing (cream) as the brow highlight
**Used Sharp (lime green) over eye lid and inner lower lash line
**Used Tempting(shimmer gold/brown) as a brow bone contour
**Used Dark Edge(dark brown/black) on the outer V and outer lower lash line
-Lined top outer half of upper lid with Rimmel Professional Liquid Eye Liner in 001 Ebony Black

Lashes
-Curled top lashes using the Sonia K. Pink Breast Cancer Awareness Lash Curler
-Applied 2 generous coats of Loreal Telescopic Explosion Mascara in Blackest Black
-Applied 1 coat of CoverGirl Lashblast in Very Black on top lashes and then lightly applied to bottom lashes.

Lips
-Applied Revlon Matte Lipstick in 001 Nude Attitude
-Applied Maybelline Shiny-Licious gloss in Shimmer Shell over lipstick

Hair
I did my hair according to this video(LOVE her hair tutorials!) although I feel if you have shorter hair you may not want to put your pigtails up as high(if you desire a lengthier look) or you could add hair extensions. I added a faux yellow clip-in hibiscus(I got these on EBay for cheap).

Off to Hawaii!

Aloha Bloggers! By the time you read this I will have left DC for lovely warm Honolulu ;D I'm not sure if I'll be updating anything specific about my trip for the next week, perhaps a few scheduled posts here and their so you can follow(or stalk, lol) me throughout the week of my current whereabouts. I will however share my Hawaiian adventures with you once I return back home to the mainland :3 XoXo...

Polish Haul

I went into Trade Secret this past weekend in hopes of perhaps finding some new Essie polish that I'd end up wearing to Hawaii...instead I picked up several new colors by OPI >.< which I didn't buy for my trip, heh.

Atleast the cute punk-esq lady at the register loved my OPI pix as much as me ;P Colors from left to right..."Panda-Monium Pink" although this looks like a lavender rather then pink(obviously I couldn't resist any polish with panda in it, lol), "Hot & Spicy" which is an interestingly yummy orange color that reminds me of the sauce put on Spicy Tuna Rolls(again, I can't resist the AZN-ness in this new Hong Kong collection from OPI, hah) and "Absolutely Alice" from the new Alice in Wonderland collection(this is cute on toes and would probably be awesome for 4th of July) this is a thick blue glitter polish with some silver and black glitter mixed in (I can honestly say I haven't seen one like this yet).

I had no idea that CVS is selling Seche Vite and Barielle nail products, where have I been?! I'm hoping this Barielle nail hardener will help my nails from peeling and such, I'll have to review both of these once I've used 'em for awhile. BTW Seche Vite seems awesome as a fast dry topcoat polish but extremely smelly, fwwww...time to get some fresh air.

Packing for Hawaii

I got 3 new pairs of shoes for my Hawaii trip, of course I tried to keep them Hawaiian inspired without being too tourist-esq ;P

The first pair on the left are really cute brown platform heels with hibiscus shaped flowers on the front straps, I got 'em at Target and figured these would be great for a night out on the town in Hawaii (I found them comfy for being so tall). The middle skater sneakers are my Dustin Dollin Vans which I blogged about before, the colors and style remind me of waves, very cute on girls for a guys shoe ;) These will be great for all that walking and sight seeing. 

The flip flips on the right are also from Target and I had such a hard time debating this watery turquoise color or yellow(available in other colors), I also liked these because they aren't your generic plastic $2 flops (I think that trend is over with for now, heh), these will be nice when beach combing comes into play. The tiny dragon detailing on the flip flops I also found appealing because Hawaii is Asian inspired ;P

I pretty much picked out all my clothes and jewelry for my trip today, ended up packing older clothing items rather then my new stuff, figures. I even managed to make a beach styled ankle bracelet tonight (hopefully it doesn't fall apart, lolz) and I painted my nails, which instead of using a coral red on my toes I opted for China Glaze in "For Audrey", its actually pretty cute and I'll share some more pics of it all at a later time.

My V-Day

As some of you know I had been asked on a V-Day date...which was also my first time meeting this person from my personals ad so I decided I'd go shopping to score something cute for the occasion.

I ended up buying this new outfit (both tops and jeans) at Debs yesterday and yea...ladies and gents were checking me out (LOL), probably because it's sooo shiny ;D The spaghetti strap sequin top is also semi see-through so I wore one of those one-peice bathing suit style bra's in flesh tone color (problem solved!). Also the sequin top doesn't have sequins in the back half of the shirt (which I hate patterns like that but this generally makes tops less costly FYI) so I figured the grey cardi would not only cover my arms a bit and add warmth but help add style to the plain back of the sequin tank, ta daa. Also...why is it ripped jeans are a conversation starter? I like the carefree and effortless feel of destressed jeans...so long as the destressing doesn't look like you sat in something gross XD

No one loves me like my parents ;) Got flowers and a bunch of cards from them <3 Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

Bain de Soleil - Review

I recently purchased these two items because I read rave reviews on them so...here's my opinion on the two products.Bain de Soleil - Mega Tan Sunscreen With Self Tanner, SPF 4

Upon opening the plastic bottle I noticed the lid itself wouldn't stay open, not sure if it was defective for everyone or just myself. I loved the scent of the white lotion product upon application, it smelled like a light sugary coconut scent with mild a SPF scent to it. This product is apparently a self tanner, although I didn't get any tanner after wearing this to bed for several hours. Overall I absolutely loved the scent but I didn't find this to be anything more then your average body lotion.Bain de Soleil - Orange Gelee Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 4

Upon opening the box I pulled out an aluminum tube containing this product, can't say I'm at all crazy about aluminum tubes as they generally will begin to bend and bust open after prolong wear and tear. The scent of the product smells like an old bottle of Avon perfume that your grandmother might have worn (I was not too keen on this scent). Apparently what "orange gelee" looks like is nothing I've ever really seen in a product before...it looks like orange sherbet colored gel that dried out, but once rubbed onto the skin it leaves this greasy shine(I wouldn't say it's overly greasy). Please note this is NOT a sunless tanner, just a light SPF that will still allow you to achieve a tan without being totally unprotected from the suns rays...probably not a good product for those of us that don't tan and burn up under the sun(like myself). According to other reviews this product allowed people that do get tan to achieve a nice healthy tan to their skin(So, I wouldn't really know myself). Overall I loved the way the lotion felt on my skin but honestly that's about it.

If these work for you then great, but I don't think I'll be wasting my money on either of these again. It's no wonder why you don't really see any real images of people having used these products...just sayin'.

Snow Storm

Now let me see...where did I park my car at again? Ohhh there it is, looking like a vanilla frosted ice cream cake >.< After getting over 35 inches of snow this past week and digging out over 300ft of driveway, uncovering 2 cars and my back deck... we're now getting MORE snow today (10-20 inches more!). Apparently I'll be missing alteast 3 days worth of pay, this is like getting a vacation before my vacation.

On the flip-side of life I started talking to someone new through my personals ad, we have sooo much in common <3 He's like the cute guy next door with a dirty secret, haha... okay, so I have no clue what the secret is ;P We're suppose to meetup this weekend... practically on the dreaded V-Day, eep! I'm also looking forward to year of the 老虎(tiger), hopefully I'll be able to eat dim sum with Ching-Chong this weekend ;D I want sum lycee monies!

As for random junk I started walking 30min a day this past week...so far I need to make up an hour and a half tomorrow, ughhh..I just did that 2 days ago and my legs are bit sore still. Not to mention under my armpits are sore from shoveling snow all weekend. I just loathe exercise so I'm starting to b*tch and complain about it is all ;P

I also discovered FormSpring.com earlier last week after hanging around BlogTV for a spell, I don't know how long I'll use it...I'll probably get bored of it asking me random idiotic questionare. I even discovered ooVoo.com which is like a mass video chatroom or something. I'm starting to feel as though their are too many networking websites out their, which is great for those digging for subscribers/commenters/followers/etc and a compu geek social life. I blog because I enjoy it and it helps me to remember all the experiences I have in life, not because I'm trying to become some lame internet celebrity thats only good at ONE main thing, which seems to be the case in most popularity contests via web. Perhaps I should start a new blog..."Life after the Internet" although that may defeat the purpose, heh.

Summer Strands

Rummaging through a junk drawer in my room this past weekend I came across some old how-to cut-outs from a magazine. Figured I'd update it a little and share 'em with you since I'll be embracing warm weather early, so...enjoy ;DWhen temps sizzle, it's time to ditch the hair dryer, sit back and ride summer's heat wave. For low maintenance locks, tie hair back in a braid, or turn it up a notch for truly wild style. When you let the sun do most of the work, you can sport a beachy 'do by day, then let it loose for hot summer-night style.

BEACH BUN: For a pulled-together but not uptight look, lightly mist on some gel (like Aussie Opposites Attracts Strong Hold + Touchable Feel Spray Gel, Strong Hold) from roots to tips of towel-dried tresses. Pull all your hair back and twist, then coil the twist into a tight bun on the crown of your head. Later, let your hair down for a soft wave. Jazz it up with a thin copper headband and a penny-colored pout.

MEDUSA MANE: Coat towel-dried hair with a light gel spray and divide into either sections (two on each side and four in the back of your head). Braid each section and secure them with different colored bands. When the sun sets, let locks loose for major waves. Dress 'em up with some tropical hair accessories.

RAG & ROLL: The rag doll 'do is a great way to protect your tresses by day and look way wavy for twilight hours. Coat towel-dried tresses with a light gel and twist big sections of your hair around shreds of bandanna. Tie a knot at the end of each section and let them hang for more subtle texture, of tie them up in big loops for curl power. At night, remove the rags for soft, sexy, ever-so-loopy locks. Get glowing by adding some glitter (like Herbal Essences Shimmery Nights Shimmer Spray Gel) and work it through your waves.THE MERMAID MANE: Stroll through the surf and sand to find this summer's hair accessories. Stash your fave seashells and other oceanic treasures in your beach bag and transform them into beautiful barrettes, sticks and combs when you get home. All you need is some clear craft glue and bare hair accessories. Simply glue your shell of choice to a hair accessory and hold it in place for 10 seconds, till the glue sets. Who knew getting gorgeous could be such a breeze?

Tai Shan's Departure

Tai Shan (the National Zoo's panda) departed to China yesterday and my co-worker working at the airport was fortunate enough to see him board this panda painted FedEx aircraft and receive a mini plush panda toy(OK OK...I was bit envious, haha).

Below is a photo I took the first time I saw Tai Shan at the National Zoo, he wasn't even a year old at the time I believe, he looked pretty big up in this tree.

Wish I had my SLR cam back then, I could have really zoomed in better :P Unfortunately I had gone to the zoo with my new cam last year but the panda's were no where to be seen, my luck. As for the rest of the pandas at the DC Zoo... they're scheduled to depart this December.

Wonder when we'll get new pandas...

My Top 3 Favorite Perfumes

I've come to realize that finding a perfect perfume scent for yourself can be a smelly task, so here's my current faves (in no particular order) that I use on the regular ;) Would love to find out your fave scents!

Usher UR Woman

Soft and sweet. This women's UR perfume by Usher will excite your senses.

Top notes: peach nectar and white freesia.

Middle notes: osmanthus, jasmine, violet leaf, pink peony and honeysuckle.

Base notes: musk, coconut milk, soft wood and praline.

*Ideal for daytime wear.

Britney Spears Fantasy

Fantasy becomes reality with this enchanting perfume. Featuring a sensual scent that evokes the overwhelming feeling of falling in love for the first time.

Top notes: lychee, quince and fresh kiwi.

Middle notes: cupcake accord, jasmine petals and white chocolate orchid.

Base notes: smooth musk, orrisroot and mystical woods.

*Ideal for daytime wear.

M by Mariah Carey

Sophisticated and beautiful. This inviting perfume by Mariah Carey captures femininity.

Top notes: marshmallow.

Middle notes: Tahitian Tiare flower and gardenia petals.

Base notes: sheer amber and Moroccan incense.

*Sweet floral scent is ideal for anytime wear.

As you can see I have a sweet tooth when it comes to the scents I enjoy most, apparently most of them are ideal for daytime ;P I guess if my perfume was used to describe me I'd be sophisticated, beautiful, sensual and sweet 0=) Who knew?! hah.

Vay-K Reveal

If you couldn't already tell by my updated layout, I'm going to HAWAII this month for a much needed vay-k! I'm sooo excited ;D I've never been and I hope to take plenty of photos to share when I get back, although it'll be a few more weeks before I depart. In the mean time you'll be seeing my blog posts turn warm weather friendly this entire month ;)I did a quick freehand Hawaii inspired nail design this past weekend using a Sally Hansen Nail Art Pen in Black(you could use a fine tip sharpie as an alternative) placed on top of Sally Hansen - Complete Salon Manicure in Lavender Cloud. I'll be doing a similar look for my trip but different colors and I think I like the 5 flower petals (as seen on my chalk clock above) as a hibiscus rather then 4 petals (seen below) cuz these look more like butterflies, heh. I think my monkey toes have seen better days after lookin' at this pic, lol.BTW if you hadn't noticed Blogger apparently added a few new features(new to me anyhow), now I have a transparent blog bar and I switched to a more advanced post option since apparently you have 3 choices I believe...hope it makes it more user friendly when writing now although I don't see a spell checker, heh.