Lilac Snow

Most people equate pastels with spring wardrobes, but to me it's always been more natural to wear them in winter. My lovely soft Anthropologie scarf arrived and I took the opportunity to wear it with my lavender leather oxfords, which turned out to not be the best idea since it started snowing lightly today! I finished up the look with a few swipes of Barry M Lip Paint in Palest Lavender.

 Anthropologie pink Misen Cowl
Cotton On white button-down placket front tank top
Cotton On star print grey cardigan
Cotton On black velvet leggings
Kimchi Blue Teen Dream lavender oxfords

Happy Monday!

Hello lovelies! So with the advent of the Internet, customary Black Friday sales have since bled over into all-or-nothing all-weekend Cyber Monday sales, and for many of us it's not uncommon to come out with our wallets and bank accounts significantly lighter.

I've been pretty frugal in the past years so this was the first time I went a little crazy! It's just once every 365 days right...and the discounts are pretty great. Here are the highlights of my haul!

 

 TYPO BUTTON ROLL WRAP | FOREVER21 PEARL BOW HAIR PINS | URBAN OUTFITTERS CHEVRON RUG 

ANTHROPOLOGIE MISEN COWL | MAGICAL THINKING ROUND PINTUCK PILLOW 

THE MOON AND THE SEA CICADA EARRINGS | COTTON ON BUNNY TOTE

001. I'll be wrapping my holiday gifts with this cute printed paper and some pink ribbon.

002. These pretty pearl-studded hairpins are the perfect finishing touch when I'm feeling extra dainty.

003. I found this 3x5 graphic zigzag rug to go under my desk at a steal for $20 during the UO Cyber Monday sale.

004. I actually missed the 20% off Anthro Black Friday sale so I wound up paying full price for this...but it's the softest, prettiest lavender-pink shade ever and I have no regrets.

005. I've been eyeing this cute velvet pillow to accent my chair for months but had trouble justifying it because it was slightly pricey. My patience was rewarded when it dropped to $19 for Cyber Monday!

006. As an insect lover, I fell in love with these statement earrings when I first saw the version done by Manhattan jeweler Erica Weiner, but felt the price was a little steep for me at $30. So naturally I was thrilled to discover Etsy seller Nuit Moore selling an identical pair for much less!

007. With the amount of tools and supplies I'm lugging around on a daily basis, I'm always in need of more things to carry them all in. This sweet and quirky bunny tote is perfect for transporting yards of fabric and my bin of sewing implements.

Breton Stripe Redux + Heart Flats review

I have this habit of fixating on a specific article of clothing that I'm fond of and wearing it in endless combinations, perhaps more often than is appropriate...I've thrown on this Breton striped jersey dress by Cotton On three times in this past week. While this probably makes me a bad fashion blogger to post two outfits featuring the same dress one after another, I think it's a great thing to have versatile pieces in your wardrobe.

Cotton On Colette Breton jersey dress
H&M dolman-sleeve slouchy cardigan
Printed Village Black Sheep scarf
Mel Pop Special Blush Heart flats

Let's take a moment to talk about these cute new flats I'm wearing, which I picked up from Modcloth for a modest $45. They're by Mel, the more affordable little sister brand of Brazilian brand Melissa who is known for their adorable vegan jelly shoes and amazing collaborations with popular designers such as Vivienne Westwood, Jason Wu, and Karl Lagerfeld.

Concept-wise these shoes are simple yet charming, a translucent matte muted mauve jelly flat topped with a shiny candy apple red heart. It goes without saying that I love the design which is right up my alley, no complaints there.

But what really hits it out of the park for me is the incredible comfort of these flats. I don't think I've ever had as much of a Cinderella moment as when I first put these shoes on because the fit was perfect--they molded to my feet like they were made for me, and not once did my heel slip out of the back as is common with many flats I've tried. I ideally wear a US size 5 shoe and am often forced to compromise on shoe sizing because most brands don't manufacture anything smaller than a 6, but Mel comes to the rescue again by actually producing my size! Mad props to them for that alone.

I was initially concerned about them rubbing or cutting into my heel with long wear because they were plastic, but I wore them out all day today and they are by far the comfiest first-wear I've ever had with ballet flats.

Possibly my only critique is that when I wore them with sheer tights today I noticed a small amount of sweatiness happening, which is unsurprising since they are plastic, but when I wear them barefoot (which I guess facilitates evaporation better) I have no issues, and since a bit of sweat is to be expected with any barefoot or close-to-barefoot closed shoe regardless of material, I think I'd rather have my shoes be easily washable.

TL;DR--Cutest shoes ever, fit is amazing, I want them in every color.

Florals for...Fall

Since dressing seasonally appropriately is not something I always do...today's outfit was florals. I had a chance to take my new canvas satchel out; it's the perfect size for my sketchbook and pencil pouch, and the clasps are easy to undo--a must for breezing through subway stations and college campus security.

Cotton On Colette Breton jersey dress
Forever21 boxy pink alpaca sweater
Doc Marten Victorian Flowers combat boots
Typo Taylor pink floral satchel

Fairytale

Surely I'm not the only one who, especially since the advent of blogs and Pinterest, found myself in envy of the apparently charmed lives of others. I'd like to do tons of cute DIY projects, make adorably photogenic meals, and sit down in my picture-perfect apartment too! Even knowing that what is portrayed in blogs may simply be a facade of arranged and rare photo-ready moments in someone's life doesn't stop me from yearning for it, since my daily life is so chaotic. Maybe I'll get there someday? For now, a few October buys to prettify my life...

TYPO MY PET BUNNY CASE | PRINTED VILLAGE BLACK SHEEP SCARF 

HARD CANDY GLOW ALL THE WAY LUMINIZER IN DOLL FACE | BIORÉ UV AQUA RICH WATERY ESSENCE SPF 50
 NERDY LITTLE SECRETS PEBBLES BONE HAIR CLIP | HOLIKA HOLIKA BULGARIAN ROSE EYE CREAM

AMERICAN EAGLE EFFORTLESSLY CHIC BABYDOLL DRESS | EFFIE'S HEART CLAUDIA COAT

001. This bunny pencil pouch by concept shop Typo is too cute for a life of being tossed into the bottom of my school bag! It'll have a nice life on a shelf holding my makeup tools.

002. A is a huge fan of this cheeky scarf with its lone black sheep, and likes to prance around our studio with it tossed dramatically over his shoulder. Its pretty turquoise shade is a fresh accent to my cream, blush, and black wardrobe.

003. I'll be relying on this icy pink highlighter to impart an effervescent glow to my insomnia-ridden cheeks.

004. I confess, I'm not the best at remembering to apply sunscreen before going out every day, and even the Neutrogena Dry Touch makes my usually manageable skin incredibly greasy. Cilu over at Spaz & Squee recommended this Japanese sunscreen for its lightweight texture and absorbency, so I have high hopes!

005. I've had this kitschy cute hair clip by Nerdy Little Secrets in my Etsy wishlist for a while, and finally decided to buy it on the last day of their 15% off code! Of course no sooner than I did, did they decide to lower the price...oh well.

006. Korean Brand Holika Holika has always drawn my attention for its pretty packaging; I've bought several new skincare products recently so hopefully I'll have a review of this up soon!

007. I love low-back dresses so it's no surprise that I jumped on this cute AE babydoll when it reduced in price for a short while. It was hard deciding between black and ivory but I went with the ivory in the end since I've been gravitating toward lighter colors lately.

008. I fell in love with this unique printed coat by indie designer Effie's Heart at first sight! Finally I bit the bullet and bought it right before it sold out.


It's not good to dream too much, but I'm enjoying a little time with my feet off the ground...

Kawaii-fy Your Phone with CocoPPa

I'm really late to the party with this one (as always), but I just got my first iPhone, which means I can finally indulge in all the mega-cutesy accessories and apps specially made for the most popular phone in the world. I'm still on the hunt for the perfect vomit-worthy-cute case, but for now I've used the notorious CocoPPa app to give my iPhone screen an overhaul. Here it is:

Sickeningly sweet, right? I had a lot of fun just browsing through the icons and saving my favorites; I have some hoarder-y tendencies (hello nail polish collection), and this is a good way of indulging in my proclivity for cute things without cluttering up my tiny studio with unnecessary possessions.

Since the essentials of how to use the app are fairly simple and covered by dozens of existing tutorials I won't rehash that. What I will summarize are the drawbacks and glitches, and give tips to get around them. This will be a text-heavy post so the rest will be after the jump.

Opening Week

Unless you attend a school that enforces a uniform, most students are faced with the task of appearing presentable before their teachers and peers every day in a different set of clothes. I don't know about other people but usually what happens with me is that I make a cursory endeavor to be well-dressed the first few weeks and then the attention put into my clothes slowly declines over the months as the workload piles on, until I'm showing up to class in leggings and an over-sized men's button-down. So while I'm still up to making the effort, here's a week of outfits from September:

click to enlarge!

Monday - H&M dolman-sleeve slouchy cardigan, asymmetrical crepe chiffon tank (over Forever21 cami), Charlotte Russe trouser shorts, Lucky Brand Covela sandals.

Tuesday - Forever21 criss-cross back swiss dot dress, Zara skull print scarf, Wild Diva Timberly combat boots.

Wednesday - Forever21 draped cardigan, Silence + Noise scoop back tank top, Charlotte Russe trouser shorts, Kimchi Blue ribbon tie flats.

Thursday - Piko1988 faux fur drape jacket, Silence + Noise mesh cami, Black Milk Mechanical leggings, Aldo Flomace hi-top sneakers.

Friday - Forever21 boxy alpaca sweater, Line and Dot bird-print silk blouse, ASOS burgundy corduroy skinny jeans, Doctor Marten Victorian Flowers combat boots.


Nothing fancy, as always most of my wardrobe is composed largely of inexpensive pieces from common high-street shops as I lack both the restraint and the patience to entertain the idea of a "capsule" wardrobe composed of a few well-edited pieces. Thus the majority of what I buy tends to be from stores that cater to what is generally considered "fast fashion".

There's a certain stigma in shopping at such stores, namely the notion that clothes from these stores are trendy, shoddily made, and disposable. Often this is true, but it doesn't have to be if you choose and treat your clothes with care--several of the garments I use in these outfits are ones I've owned for years, and I enjoy wearing them and incorporating them into my daily outfits just as much as some of the more expensive things I own.

“Never use the word 'cheap'. Today everybody can look chic in inexpensive clothes (the rich buy them too). There is good clothing design on every level today. You can be the chicest thing in the world in a T-shirt and jeans — it’s up to you.” -Karl Lagerfed

Put Down the Tweezers.

So let's talk eyebrows. If the eyes are the window to the soul, then the eyebrows are probably the curtains framing the windows and making it look nicer. Oft-neglected, your brows actually hold a lot of power over the appearance of your face, and in my opinion is one of the most expressive features. Forget eyes, who--by themselves--can be ubiquitous, enigmatic, and inscrutable. If you're interested in a quick read on someone's mood, check out their brows.

I don't usually treat this blog to many pictures of my face, in part simply because my makeup routine is not that interesting, but also because I shouldn't like to come off as vain or anything (who am I kidding). But showing a cropped picture of my brows in this case wouldn't be particularly useful in gauging their overall presence on my face, so here you are:

Because of the subtleties of brow influence on your face, I have always been an avid groomer of them. Once upon a time I was a fan of the thin shaped arch, which has all the charm of a perfectly pruned garden hedge and is usually the standard pushed by many beauty mavens. You can still see a shadow of that brow here.

Gradually over the past year though I've grown to favor a heavier, more natural brow. Arches are classically beautiful on some, but they simply don't suit my features as well as a minimally shaped brow. As of now, just well-filled brows are a strong enough look alone that I don't feel the need to wear any other makeup (although in the above photo I still am!).

Courtesy of Benefit Cosmetic's book Raising Eyebrows

Being Asian, I've inherited fairly shallow eye sockets and a high-set inner corner of my brows--point A in this handy diagram. Furthermore, points B and C are almost level with point A, since my brows run nearly horizontally to my eyes with almost no natural arch to speak of.

Since forcing a high arch is both risky and high-maintenance, I've since chosen to simply work with I have...which isn't to say that Asians can't achieve arched brows--my favorite Chinese runway model Fei Fei Sun pulls them off stunningly, but I simply haven't got the natural arch she does, and am unable to achieve a high arch without drastically thinning my brows. So I've chosen, slightly painfully at first and then later joyfully, to put down the single-blade razor and Tweezermans, and go au naturel.

Since adopting my new (old?) brows, I've received a several kindly (and a few not-so-kind) suggestions that perhaps I should shape them into arches; had I ever heard of tweezers? Luckily I'm liking this new brow look a lot--perhaps austerity suits me? Or I just prefer a little more Audrey than Marilyn. I'm pretty okay with that.

School is in Session

Sorry for the long silence! For those of us still in school, classes start up again soon so I hope you've had a nicely relaxing summer vacation because it's back to the grindstone. As disappointing as it is that I can no longer spend the entire day playing video games if I want to, there is a certain excitement in picking out all new notebooks and erasers. Also, naturally there is the thrill of back-to-school clothes shopping. All I have to say is that my shoe collection has grown...but best of all, each pair actually came in my proper size, which is hard to find.

WILD DIVA TIMBERLY FLORAL LACE-UP COMBAT BOOTS | H&M VELVET SKULL HEADBAND 

FOREVER21 DOUBLE BOW HAIR CLIPS | NYX EXTRA CREAMY ROUND LIPSTICK IN BRUISED

 BP SIDNEY OXFORD | QUPID PUFFIN PLATFORM BOOTIES

001. I live in my 1460 Victorian Flower Dr. Martens, but these calf-high boots with ribbon laces are a dead ringer for Dr. Martens 1914 Triumphs with a brighter, cherry red color.

002. Hairbands are one of my favorite accessories due to my ineptitude in hair styling, and this oversized velvet bow reminds me of a macabre Minnie Mouse.

003. These pink crepe bows for when I'm feeling extra girly.

004. Although high-maintenance goes against my preferred makeup style, I love the look of a vampy lip.

005. I've admired these adorable leather oxfords from afar for a year now, and I finally managed to snag them during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale for a sweet discount!

006. I rarely stray from flat sandals during the summer, but once it gets cooler these pretty pink boots will be getting far more attention.

 

Good luck in the new semester guys!

 

Delicate

I've been on the hunt for the perfect lavender for weeks, and it felt like I was never going to find it.

I wanted something pastel, but not chalky. Something that was clearly purple, but not too saturated. And it couldn't be too pink, or too blue, or too grey.

In the end, I found my perfect lavender...but not in a store. I found it in my existing stash!
Hoarder.jpg

This is another beautiful Forever21 Love&Beauty polish, named "Dusty Lavender". It is the daintiest pale lavender with a whisper of fine magenta shimmer that only comes out in the sun. Shown here I've layered 2 coats of Sally Hansen Glass Slipper, an ethereal clear flakie, over Dusty Lavender.

Dusty Lavender has a really awesome pigmented formula that's 3 thin coats to opacity. You'd probably be able to pull off 2 if you do thicker coats, even more impressive considering how it's such a pale pastel. Application is a breeze, and this polish unexpectedly dries with a matte finish which is very nice on its own, almost a suede or velvety feeling and less chalkboard-like.