Birthday Recap Part 1: So much love.

Hello everyone! Guess who's finally done with school and not really ready to finally try and find a real job! haha. This past week was quite stressful in finishing up a two-page paper written in Japanese, as well as studying for a final that had a listening, writing, grammar, and kanji section, celebrating the birthdays of my 2 friends' and mine, AND ending the week off with memorizing two 3 minute skits with my partner, and performing one of the two as the "oral exam." (And this sensei is supposed to be the easy one! lol). It was all worth it though. So much love (and support) from family, friends, and you guys, my lovely readers~ ♥

I'm gonna split my birthday recap into 2 or so posts since I have so much to share with you guys. :D I've received so many lovely gifts which I'm so excited to use and try!


I LOVE CARDS. Such cute ones that I've received. :]


Kathy sent me a surprise birthday present two days before my actual birthday! I squealed when I saw it. She's so sweet!


She packed and wrapped it ever so nicely! I was sooo excited to open it...so unexpected! Wahh! :D


She sent me her favorite eyeliner which is the K-Palette 1 DAY TATTOO Real Lasting liner which I've read so many good reviews on! She also sent me the kawaii-est 5 piece Hello Kitty brush set which I have yet to take out of the box since it's so darn cute. XD AND!!! She sent me her extra TokiDoki spoons from Yogurtland in Hawaii since they had a TokiDoki promo time period.


Gahh, thank you so much, Kathy! You're like my make-up older sister here on Blogger. Though we have never met, we have so many things in common, and it still amazes me that I've found someone who has been through the same exact event, allowing the both of us to still be alive here today. ありがとう〜！♥♥ Please do check out her blog! :] (Oh yeah, and I have used the liner already...I just can't find it at the moment... :3)


From my "chingu dongseng". She's got the same kind of love for make-up as I do, and though I don't talk to her ask much as I'd want/like to, she totally read my mind with the bareMinerals mini-brush collection w/brush roll! Super cute!! She also gave me the Hello Kitty compact mirror! :D


(Not pictured: cute little box which I think I will use for my brushes?, cute memo list pad, AND the sweetest framed collage ever! keke)
From my "twinsie", a fellow travel buddy, and a great friend whom I've met in (I think) the 5th grade! We came from a very small private school where each grade consister of only 60 or so students. Who would have though that we'd share the same birthday!! Check out her blog here as well! Super cute multi-chained necklace! Can't wait to wear this with OOTDs! And~ she's a polish lover who loves Sally Hansen sooo~ she included Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear in "Midnight Sky" and "Twinkle, Twinkle" (I'm actually wearing a little bit of "Twinkle, Twinkle" right now~ so pretty!) I gave her the Chanel polish in "Peridot" so I'm hoping she'll have NOTD pics using it soon~ *hint hint*


From another friend who I've known since (I think) 2nd grade. She recently came back from teaching and studying in Korea and we've both reconnected and become great friends again. :] Yummy tea from Insa-dong!


From the friend I call "Yaya". :] She's part of the non-profit organization that I am part of as well. I met her in 2009 and we've been great friends since! She did give me the same Hellz Bellz shirt that I already have, but that's ok! That just means that I can wear the hell out of them. kkk. But aren't those Mickey Mouse earrings the cutest?? They seem so fobby and asian...I love! Can't wear to wear them out! She also gave me two China Glaze polishes: Crackle in "Oxidized Aqua" and this cute pink in "Flip Flop Fantasy". Yay!! More polishes!!


And last but not least, the present-o from my 親友, the one who I've known since 5th grade and have grown ever so close to over the many years of our friendship. ♥ Don't know what I'd do without her!!! /end chessiness. hehe. So, for her present, I looked on her tumblr and got her the UD 15th anni palette. ^^ And for mine, she knew that I've always wanted to try LUSH products but...just never bought any. lol. Oh my goodness, I LOVE the "Skin Drink" moisturizer so far! Haven't tried the Oatafix mask or the Ultrablard make-up remover YET, but I will! As well as the pore strips! Woot! Blackheads be gone! (Not pictured: crazy 8s card game for our next trip adventure, and a cute memo pad)

---- Can't wait to wear/use all of the gifts I've received! While receiving so many lovely presents, I've been celebrating my birthday non-stop with so many friends whom I've met in life, and all whom I'm so grateful to have in MY life. :]

Anyways...there will be a heck of a lot of reviews from and this blog to come! Now that I have more free time on my hands, I do hope to post more often! I have so many post ideas lined up in my head that have been backdated to...I don't even know when. Stay tuned!

Oh yeah, HAPPY SIX MONTHS TO MY BLOG! Wah! Even though I totally skipped the whole month of May, I'm so glad to have come back from my "hiatus" because I've come to realize that I really do love blogging and chatting with all of you. To many more posts to come! :D Thanks for all your support and love!

Today is my birthday. :]

Yup! August 23, around 2pm today, I officially turned a year older. Celebrating with friends have been delayed a bit due to school, but after this Friday I am totally home free! (Well..hopefully after I get this class out of my way, over and done with!) Quick post of pics from my nice and quiet birthday for now!


Had a lovely dinner with my mom. <3


Oishii cake! Still have one more piece left for me in the fridge. :D


Had a wonderful day! Any resemblance? hehe

Will be back to normal posting possibly Friday! =/ Take care 'til then!

Travel Make-up + FOTD: On the road again~

Hello! Missed this place! Finally back for the week, but will be heading out of town for the weekend. Can anyone guess where I'll be going? Think bright lights at night and extreme heat waves all day long. Kind of looking forward to it though. Mini getaway/pre-party? Definitely going to have to lather up in SPF and keep hydrated. Ahh.

In such extreme heat, minimal make-up/waterproof make-up is essential. Raccoon eyes? NO THANKS! Here's what I will be taking in my make-up bag for the trip:


Eyes: UD Naked palette. All the light/dark neutrals I'll need.
GOSH "BLACK INK" waterproof velvet pencil eyeliner (from swap w/Vicky)
Physicians Formula "Ultra Black" Eye Booster Liquid Eyeliner. Staying power is great!
ULTA highlighting wand stick for the inner corners.

Face: Skin79 Triple Function BB Cream SPF 25
Sonia Kashuk Hidden Agenda concealer palette
Maybelline DREAM MATTE powder in Sand. (Haven't shown you guys this one yet, but loving it so far!)
NYC Matte Bronzer in "Sunny" (Haven't show this one as well...but I like it a lot too!)
Physician's Formula "Natural" Happy Booster Blush
Oil blotting sheets encased in pink

Lips: Sleek "Electro Peach" POUT POLISH SPF 15 (from swap w/Vicky)

My favorite go-to gloss:





Love this stuff! Highly pigmented for a gloss + lip conditioner. Perfect for a quick flush of color on the lips and I'm good to go!

Brows: Lioele Auto-Eyebrow in gray black

Not pictured but still bringing: UDPP (a must!) and I'll probably bring my Smashbox limitless liner in "Orchid" (purple)

AND, this morning I used all the products as they are my go-to favs for everyday.

If you guys are familiar with JewelMint, you'll recognized the necklace I'm wearing! Hopefully will post a video and/or post about my two pieces that I've recently received. :]

One last thing as I wrap this post up. (Skip if you'd like.) Went to Japanese class today and a fellow classmate brought a Japanese girl whom her family is hosting at their home during her stay here. She was super kawaii! And tiny...and her skin was so nice. *jealous* lol. She was so enthusiastic and happy and smiley. Definitely a different feel from the people here in the states. I mean, we're all nice people, but we generally don't show our happiness/expressiveness as much, which I think is a pity. ANYWAYS, she was super adorable and she loves 2PM+2AM since she's studying in Korea and I think she's teaching there too? Or wants to? I forgot, but yes. ^^ When class was over (owarimasu~), the classmate asked if I could take a picture of her, some other classmates, and the Japanese girl. After, the Japanese girl asked me to take a picture with her...and though I felt awkward, but didn't want to say no...I did. lol. Now I she has a picture of me on her phone, though I don't really remember her name and she has no Idea what my name is. XD

So yes, it's been a good day. :D

Here's a list of things to do this weekend:
TRY to relax.
Finish up my sakubun.
Work on the skits in preparation for the oral exam next week.
Study for the final.
Do the homework (shukudai)
Finally catch up on "PROTECT THE BOSS" (kdrama). ♡♡ The pics and gifs are soo teasing! lol.

Especially because of this namja...

Teehee...my ultimate bias in the fangirl world. :P ♥
Umm...explanation will come later....:3

Alrighty, post is gettin' pretty lengthy. Will end this with a special appearance:

Will be back on Sunday so no posts til then/after Sunday! =[

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND!!
And let me know what some of your essentials for travel make-up are. ^^

NOTD + 1st time Kayaking!

Hello! ♥ Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Mine was filled with lots of good company, and of course...FOOD! :D But before I get into my weekend, here's my current NOTD:


Eyeko Punk Polish for Neon Nails from Vicky's swap package ♡ Doesn't seem like the best application from the picture (maybe it's my base/top coat), but I really do like this polish. It's a bit thicker in comparison to most nail polish formulas, meaning that less strokes are needed in order to reach an opaque finish. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the color! It's so bright and cute. I think the best description would be "BARBIE PINK" (yes...I was a fan a Barbie back in the day..XD). Oh yeah, and this color has chipped on me yet since applying. Woooot! But, according to my lovely UK friend Vicky, she said that Eyeko is discontinuing their polishes. BOO! =[

Alrighty~ onto my first time experiencing kayaking! Didn't know what to expect as we were the first to arrive. Watched people go out on their kayaks, still feeling nervous/anxious as ever. lol. First time REALLY going that far into the ocean! It was really cool though since we kayaked in a marine reserve where they have many marine life living. As we were heading out (and as my mom was screaming while the waves kept coming in...LOL), we saw tiger sharks! So awesome!! We saw them coming back as well.

The next part that was really awesome was the cave we went into. One of the guides helped each of our kayaks into the cave, gave up a quick fact lesson, and guided us out. It was definitely a one of a kind experience. Loved it! Sea lions were basking to the side of the cliff/cave too! REAL LIFE SEA WORLD! :D


I sat in the back, as I didn't trust my mom to do the more intense paddling for the both of us.
It was a great work out though! My arms were really sore/stiff yesterday, but they're ok today. I can feel it a little in my ab muscles though~

The picture that makes me LOL so much...

Getting SUPER close to the rocky rocks...trying to maneuver to the right...but not insync and semi-failing while being so intense in our paddling. XD

Overall, it was a really fun experience. I'd recommend all of you to try kayaking once. It's a great way to bond and to be one with nature and have a greater appreciation for what nature has to offer. Sometimes (I SAY SOMETIMES :D), it's nice to spend money on different things other than clothes and make-up..because, well...where else can you buy such a memory? ^^

Thanks for reading up until this point. The next two weeks are going to be pretty busy/hectic. I will be finishing up my Japanese class next week, while also celebrating my birthday a long with the birthdays of two of my closest friends. Will definitely have to keep up with balancing the fun with the not-so-fun! Ganbarimasu!! :]

UK Swap with Vanity-Fashionista!!

Annyeong! Hope all of you had a wonderful week! It always feels good to sleep in a little~ did a few chores and errands with a little shopping. I felt quite productive. :D I should be working on my "sakubun" for Japanese but, I'll do that....after this? lol

Yes! So! On to the swap I did with Vicky! This was my first time doing a swap and I had so much fun picking out different items and packing everything up. It was also my first time shipping something (other than a card) internationally~! Such a fun experience. Hoping to do it again some day. Major succes!

Vicky mentioned to me that I sent her so much....but look at all that she sent me! (Check on her post on the items I sent her. ^^)

I was so overwhelmed with happiness upon receiving her package since I kept waiting earnestly for it ever since she received mine. It was definitely worth the wait though. :D She included a cute card with an envelope decorated with decotape (funny how we have the same decotape, as I decorated her package with it as well XD)


Lippies: Za Cosmetics PURE SHINE LIPS in 2 Rose Toffee & MUA lipstick in SHADE 4


Eye make-up: L'oreal Color Infallible loose eyeshadow in 014 ETERNAL BLACK; GOSH Velvet Touch Eyeliner in BLACK INK; SLEEK "SUNSET" Divine Eye shadow palette


Inside the palette~ super pretty!!


Cheeks: Sleek Pout Polish in 946 Electro Peach & Sleep Blush in 926 Rose Gold


Etude House Sugar Pink Lip & Cheek


Nail polish: 2 Barry M polishes in 308 BERRY and 318 PEACH MELBA & Eyeko Punk Polish for Neon Nails


Nail stickers: SUPER KAWAII~!


VO5 Hot Oil for the hair


Skincare: Baviphat Applemint Pore Tightening Deep Cleansing Balm; Skin Food + 2 Biore pore strips


FACE MASKS!! AH!


Choccies that I haven't tried yet! I angled the bottom one to show how it used to be a bunny before melting and flaking. Boo. I will still eat it though. :P (and yes, I've already tried the Eyeko polish! ♡)


Accessories: studded earrings and a super kawaii elephant bow necklace; I love wearing studs! I think they just a slight feminine touch to any outfit. :D And the necklace is just too cute. (I've already worn it out~ hehe)

See! She definitely spoiled me! XD Thank you so much again to Vicky for doing this swap with me. She's a great blogger and friend (hoping to meet her some day!) and I'm so happy to have done this swap. ♡♡♡ So many brands that I've been reading about on blogger from other UK bloggers and now I can try them out! Super excited!

Alrighty, time to clean up...XD Have an amazing weekend!

Life: Summer Food and Fun

It's Thursday!! :D End of the school week! Definitely looking forward to the upcoming weekend. Going to head to the Fair this Saturday. Definitely ready to eat some yummy fried food and/or bbq. Nom nom nom. Then, on Sunday, I'll be taking a day trip with my mom, aunt, and uncle for 2hrs of kayaking! I'm...excited but kind of nervous. Never done any outdoor activity like kayaking before. Closest was probably the canoe ride at Disneyland. lol. Looking forward to it though. :D

So yes, I've been trying to have an eventful summer since it seems like this summer is ALMOST nearing its end. -sigh- Here's some pictures of what I've been up to lately (meaning what food I've been eating...XD)


First time trying the Watermelon flavor at Pinkberry. Definitely would recommend it. Very refreshing for the summer.
I still prefer Yogurtland though since it's cheaper with more options. ^^


First time trying Indian food at and Indian restaurant. This place was pretty trendy and it seemed like we needed a reservation but uh...we ended up getting seated anyways...


but in a very tight space. lol. Literally had to climb to sit down since the chairs were so close to the window. Oh well.


The wait for the food was long, but boy did the meal make up for it. SO FREAKING GOOD! Loved all the spices used. It was my first time trying Chicken Masala and I loved it~ definitely want to go back here again!


I had a Groupon that was expiring the next day, so I took my mom out for lunch. Service wasn't the greatest since there was only one poor girl running all over the place, but the food and tea was decent. We both go free desserts at the end. Yay!


And this is me today. ^^ Took a little shopping trip with a friend, but didn't buy anything. Finally got to swatch the UD 15th anni palette...SO PRETTY! -sigh- Anyways, we ended the night at Yogurtland since today's the first day for the My Melody and Kerropi spoons! :D I got the My Melody one so...must go one more time to get Kerropi!

Tomorrow I'll be working on the swap post I had with Vicky. :D I've been trying some of the things she sent me and I love 'em already! 'Til then~ see ya'll later! ^^

Review: MAC Triple Feature Lip Bag "It's A Girl"

YO YO YO! ;D Hope you guys had and/or are having a fantastic day. Back again with a post! I'm seriously on a roll for this week. Yay! For this post, I wanted to share with you guys the lip bag I ordered/purchased from the Nordstrom anniverary sale that just ended on August 1st, with a more in depth review with pictures. It was very much an impulse buy, but it was also my first MAC purchase and I figured why not! I think it was the fact that it was LE that had me sold. -sigh- I think I'm a real sucker for LE things. lol. I originally wanted the "Reel Drama" one, but it was the first to sell out, so I settled for "It's a Girl."



Each bag contains a Cremesheen lipstick, a Dazzleglass Creme lipgloss, and a full-sized Cremestick Liner (mechanical lip liner). ($38) I like the bag a lot since it quite compact, but opens big enough to fit a lot of things inside. I like the yellow beige piping as well as the grayish blue fabric on the outside. It's also fully lined inside. The zipper also has MAC engraved on it, which adds a nice touch. A very casual, chic make-up bag indeed!

Dazzleglass Creme lipgloss in "It's a Girl."



Not sure how I really feel about this gloss just because of how it contains real glitter flecks. They do make my lips look a bit irridecent/holographic, which is kind of cool. It does have a light pink pigment, which is nice. I don't know if I'd wear it alone though since it is so glittery. The consistency isn't bad though. It's a little sticky, but I don't mind.


Not a big fan of the applicator. I feel like it's a bit hard, pointy, and not as nice as a regular doe foot. I guess it's because it's for the glitters not to sink into it.

Cremestick lip liner in "Cream O' Spice."



I actually like this lip liner. I wore it here and even though it looks like a dark brown on the swatches below, I feel like it can be used as a neutral liner since it has a muted red/orange undertone that can in fact go with a lot of lip colors. Even if it is a bit dark, it can be easily blended out. I like how it's a mechanical twist liner too. No need for a sharper!

Cremesheen lipstick in "Innocence Beware".



Love this color a lot! It's a re-promote from MAC's Venemous Villains collection that came out towards the end of 2010. (Wish I could've picked some of those items up because of the packaging...I LOVE DISNEY <3). I really like the formula of this one as it feels very moisturizing on my lips. My lips are a bit pigmented already so I feel like the pigmentation of this pink lippie actually covers up some color of my lips and makes them a nice, baby pink.

This pic is a little old (from the time I first went to Yogurtland to get the HK spoon), but just to show how it looks on my lips. :]


Swatches:

Dazzleglass "It's a Girl", Cremestick lip liner "Cream O' Spice", Cremesheen lipstick "Innocence Beware"

OVERALL: I'm happy with my purchase. I really do like the lip liner and the lipstick the best. I want to try more MAC products...but that will be for later times when my funds aren't so lacking. ^^ Slowly, but surely I will! And for next year, if ever I see something that I really like from MAC, I will be sure to go bright and early the morning of!

--- Weather was pretty hot today. I don't know but whenever there's extreme heat or when it's gloomy and cold, I feel so tired and sleepy even after sleeping a good amount of hours the night before. Meh. Japanese test tomorrow. Takusan benkyoshimasu! D; Hopefully it won't be too bad. I did pretty well on my last one after guessing the meanings of the kanji words that I didn't know. lol. Let's hope I can do the same for this one!

See ya! ♡