2013/04 Beauty, Fashion & Lifestyle: Current Obsessions

Hello Beauties,

Here is a list of my current obsessions, not listed in any specific order. But I have broken them down into seperate categories.

Beauty Obsessions:

• the No Makeup makeup look
• Baby Lips tinted lip balms
• Short & colourful nails
• Heatless curls
• Top knots
• side dutch/french/fishtail/rope Braids
• Ombre highlights
• Lavender & Vanilla perfumes
• Rosewater Toner

 

Fashion Obsessions:

• Navy Blue & Olive colours
• Boho Chic styles
• City Chic styles
• Preppy Casual
• Maxi dresses & skirts
• Black & grey skinny jeans
• Loafers 
• Floral prints
• Tunics
• Eyelet fabrics
• Dainty jewellery
• Crochet
• Simple stud earrings
• Yoga capri leggings
• My DIY Hot Pink Sneakers
• Blue sapphire 
• Men's style watches 
• Boyfriend blazers
• Waterfall cardigans
• Boyfriend shirts, dress shirts

Lifestyle Obsessions:

• Rosebud tea
• TV Shows: Mentalist, Rizzoli & Isles, The Good Wife, Revenge, Criminal Minds
• Music: Stay - Rhianna
• Travel: Seattle
• Store: Target
• Language: Italian

Let me know what your obsessions are for the month of April in the comment box below. Hope you enjoyed this months blog.

Cheers,

Vivian
May Day & Lifestyle

Beauty: Organic Rosehip Oil Treatment

Hello Organic Skincare Lovers:

This is a luxurious treat I like to give my skin. I do this once or twice a month just to hydrate and plump up the dull looking skin.

Here's what you will need:
Rosehip Oil
Washcloth
Facial Wipes

I usually use a quarter sized amount of the oil in the palm of my hand. Rub both palms together to warm the oil. Massage your face in upwards circular motions.

I even do this when I have makeup on. It's great for makeup removal. After a couple minutes of massaging. I wipe my face clean with face wipes. This removes my makeup and refreshes my skin.

I then apply a second layer of rosehip oil. Same method as above. Massage upwards in a circular motion.

Turn your faucet to warm/hot and wet your washcloth with water. Ring out the water and place the washcloth over your face. Make sure this is a bearable temperature,  use with caution.

Steam your skin for 5 minutes and wipe off with the same washcloth.

You will find your skin moisturized and plump. Apply toner and moisturizer as you normally would.

Let me know how you like this oil treatment method in the comment box below.

Stay beautiful & be happy :)

Vivian

Asian Beauty Haul

Hello Everyone,

I'm back with a foreign beauty haul. Some items I purchased and some were gifted by a MUA swapper Elena.

Detclear Bright & Peel AHA BHA Fruits Peeling Jelly is a fruit acid gentle gel peel. Made in Japan.

Billidan Cucumber Mask Pack contains extract of cucumber and glycerin that nourishes skin. Leaves skin bright and moisturized. Made in Korea.

My Scheming Mint Collagen Mask contains mint oil, refreshing and cooling. Improves and renews skin cells. Improves skin elasticity and moisture. Made in Taiwan.

The Face Shop Real Nature Mask Kelp purifies and protects skin from air pollution and facilitates the skin in discharging impurities. Made in Korea.

BB Face Mask with Hyaluronic Acid gives skin a moisture-filled treatment. Made in Korea.

♥♥♥♥♥♥ Hope you find something that appeals to you. I will be testing these masks out and then writing individual reviews on them. Happy Hauling ♡

Beauty Review: Beauty Friends Aloe Essence Mask

I'm back with Korean beauty product review. I am always fascinated by foreign skincare and beauty products.

This sheet mask comes with lots of extra essence jelly. The sheet mask fit perfectly on my face. I applied the mask on my freshly cleansed skin and the extra jelly in the foil packet on my neck. This one takes about 20-30 minutes, which is a lot longer than other masks I've used in the past.

I was a little bothered by the strong perfume smell. I was afraid I would react to the perfume. But I didn't. :) Thank goodness, I am not a big fan of strongly scented skincare due to my skin being super sensitive.

I purchased this single mask on Ebay for a trial test. I'm looking for some good sheet masks for when I go traveling in the summer. My skin will need moisture during flights and after extensive heat or sun exposure.

Overall, I would repurchase this mask. My skin felt moisturized and soft after use. I would recommend this for people with dry/normal or combination skin.

Lifestyle & Travel: What's in My Carry-On? Summer Edition

Nowadays when most airlines charge you extra to check a luggage. I have learnt to pack a carry on luggage in a minimalist style. Here's what I would pack for a long weekend trip (4-5 days). I will mark all the liquids with an "*".

- Toiletry Essentials -

Face & body soap ♥ 2 in 1 knocks two liquids off your 1 quart maximum. For my upcoming trips to San Francisco & Italy I will be using a bamboo charcoal face + body bar by EVERBAMBOO. Made in Canada. Available on Well.ca for $8.

Toothpaste* & tooth brush

Solid shampoo

Coconut oil*- just fill an old lip balm container with coconut oil. This is a multipurpose item. Moisturizer. Chapstick. Hair conditioner. Hand cream. All in one.

Sunscreen*

Makeup* - go for lipstick instead of gloss, skip the mascara, mineral powder foundation rather than liquid foundation

Hand sanitizer*

- Accessories -

Sunglasses

Eyeglasses & Case - contacts, case & solution*

1 necklace, bracelet & earrings

1 skinny belt

1 crossbody bag that is convertible to a clutch is useful

- Shoes -

1 pair of sandals

1 pair of wedges

- Clothes -

1 Sarong & 1 Bathing Suit - I go for a 1 piece as it can be doubled up as a tank top with a skirt or shorts over top. Also the sarong can be used as a scarf also.

1 Black Maxi Dress - can be dressed up or down, pick a thin cotton blend, this you can wash and hang dry.

1 pair of Shorts

2 pairs of Chinos or Capris

2 Tank Tops

2 T-shirts

1 Cardigan - solid neutral colour for mixing and matching, or if all the rest of your clothes are solid colours, then you can choose a neutral print.

Undergarments 4 bras & 5 undies - bring at least 1 convertible bra

2013/03 March Favourites

Beauty:

Clinique Acne Solutions Foundation in Fresh Ivory - I use this foundation for spot concealing

Boots Botanics Rosewater Toner - used after cleansing morning & night

Origins Spot Remover - used to spot treat my acne

NYC Long Wearing Nail Enamel in 147 Lexington Lilac - love this cool tone purple

Blistex Moisture Melt Lipgloss - I saw this commercial at the gym and wanted to try it out, it turned out awesome

Lavanila Pure Vanilla perfume - loving this strong vanilla scent, a little goes a long way

Lafe's Lavender Deodorant - natural and organic is better, especially for the sensitive pit area

Sephora Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover - this melts away my waterproof mascara and eyeliner with ease

 

Music:

Andrew Belle - Oh My Stars

Rihanna - Stay

Ryan Adams - Do I Wait

John Mayer - Gravity

Two Sheds - You

The Bar-Kays - Too Hot to Stop

Maroon 5 - Payphone | Daylight

P!nk - Just Give Me a Reason

Bruno Mars - When I Was Your Man

Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks

Passenger - Let Her Go

Justin Timberlake - Suit & Tie

Muse - Madness

TV Shows:

Rizzoli & Isles

Revenge

Ringer

Vampire Diaries

Mentalist

The Following

Arrow

Hope you found something that you might like on my favourites list for the month of March 2013.

My Travel Must Haves

Today I will be sharing my travel holy grail items. I absolutely cannot live without them.

Ipod & cell phone - keeps me connected and entertained, I usually make sure I have plenty of new tunes & shows to watch. This is how I caught up on the last season of Heroes.

Sunglasses - especially when you are so tired after a 16 hour flight, you can also wear them on the plane while you snooze.

Hand sanitizer - hah! I'm a germ-a-phobe. Currently loving Bath and Body Works Mrs. Claus Apple Pie Hand Sanitizer.

Hand lotion - dry hands drive me bonkers

Chapstick or Lipgloss - I have chronic dry lips, I always need a good Chapstick or Lipgloss. Blistex Moisture Melt gloss.

Hair serum - my chemically processed hair needs extra moisture when travelling. My favourite is Biosilk. Or you can always bring a tiny tub of coconut oil for this same purpose.

Eco Friendly Reusable Shopping Bag - you never know when you will need a bag, these are so handy to have. They barely take up any space.

Mini Perfume Atomizer - I carry my favourite perfumes with me just in case I need to freshen up. Currently filled with Victoria Secret Sexy Little Thing and Lavanila Pure Vanilla

Deodorant - good for before take off and after landing. Lafe's Natural BodyCare deodorant stick in Lavender.

Makeup Wipes & Nail polish remover wipes - chipped polish is one of my pet peeves. I must remove it all if I see a chip. I remove all my makeup before take off. I like the ones from LA Fresh.

A good Moisturizing Serum - I apply this to my face after I remove all my makeup. The flight usually dries up my skin which then leads to break outs and extremely oily skin. Aloe vera also works well if you don't have a serum.

Pashmina - keeps your neck warm, can be bunched up as a pillow or wrapped around you like a blanket.

Other travel tips:

Wear layers - so you can easily add and remove layers as needed

Bring socks and/or slippers - your feet will get cold on the flight, you will make use of these

Hair tie to tie your hair up - good for keeping your hair off your face when you sleep

Happy Travels :)