CFashion: Sukiired~

Caught red-handed! Once again, I've been exploring the great Taobao for great fashion and brands finds! I've mentioned a shop (Hello Miffy) on a previous post: check it out here if you'd like!

I actually found out about Sukiired a while back, but I really love their style and concept~ Some of their outfits are a bit more "asian," but none the less, they are very comfortable and chic. Their use of color is also amazing!

I actually really like the tier/layers of the dress. It's super simple, yet comfortable-looking. I love black outfits...although they are a bit more "depressing," but I feel that they never go out of style! I'd totally wear this on a lazy day when I don't feel like dressing up, but still want to dress to impress~

Usually, I don't like outfits with coordinated tops and bottoms (like sweats >__<), but I really like this one (although sweats and regular outfits are a different story). The fabric and color are gorgeous! I love the way the skirt flares out a little, and I love the pleats! I'm definitely a pleats girl~ :) 

This outfit is just so adorable! I love the Mickey sweater, I love the plaid coat, I love the flaring black skirt, I love the triangular clutch! My my~ It's just so perfect!! 

Recently, I've definitely gotten into coats and winter-wear. I really love this color and the texture of the fabric. I've never worn such a mustard yellow, but now I really want to try. I'm just afraid that my skin tone may not pair (or fare) well with such a beautiful color.

Luckily, there's more than one color! hehe. I love this blue tone as well! I'm sure that this blue will fare nicely with my black hair and skin color :) I love the contrast of the bright blue over the black! It's a beautiful pop of color~~

Florals never go out of style! I love the black and white contrast. Once again, this outfit uses minimal colors, but the white adds an oh-so-gorgeous touch of femininity and elegance. I love how warm this outfit seems--perfect for a cold day! Sadly, Cali is super hot right now, and I'm dream of a nice, cool, breezy fall weather just so I can wear these gorgeous coats and outfits~~ sigh...

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I want to know a little about you all~ So, the question for this post is...What's your favorite pastime? 

I think I'll start answering my own questions from now on, too, so that you can get to know me more~ My favorite pastime--well, there's a lot, but...--is anything artsy. I love drawing, painting, creating, etc. But sadly, these hobbies are time-consuming, so I rarely have time to do it in during the school year...especially since I have exams every couple weeks. 

I also really like just relaxing, talking with friends, and watching movies, or going out to eat!

Review: Julep it girl nail polish

I decided to try the Maven membership for Julep~ I've heard a lot of great things about this brand. The colors seem so beautiful and unique, too! Here are some of my favorites:

   

Isn't this packaging so adorable? I love how the nail polish colors are their swimsuit colors! So cute~~ Anyways, I really like the gold polish--wouldn't it be so cute overlaying a solid color, like that Lani (aka, "Mediterranean teal blue crème") polish? hehe I also have a thing for glittery polish >__< The lilac/amethyst color is just so beautiful too... kyaaaaaa

For my first box, I got the "It girl" series. I really, really like the colors! They pop out and contrast nicely with my skin~

Libby: Rich teal crème

Elle: Plum frost

Bunny: Crisp white linen with fine gold shimmer

Here's some pictures that I took:

Packaging: Not only did they package the polishes really well, but also the box in which they sent the polishes. I really love the purpleness! hehe. The packaging inside is super chic and glamorous too. I love the use of the white cases, and the design of the nail polishes!

Polish itself: Like I said, I really like the colors! The colors go nicely with my skin tone (usually I can't pull off bold colors!). Have you guys noticed that white nails are becoming pretty popular nowadays? So I'm super excited for that one. One thing I really liked was that the polish dried pretty quickly. My nails also don't feel heavy after applying two coats (like some other polishes >__<).

Some problems that I had with the polish were that it was easy to scratch off by accident and that you need to use a glob of polish when applying a layer at a time. If you like me--very reluctant to use a lot, so as to save the product--then it was frustrating. Since the polish dries really quickly, if you use a thin layer, the polish doesn't apply really smoothly.

The goods:

+ 1 layer is pretty opaque (but 2 is better)

+ dries really quickly

The bads:

- easy to scratch off -- need top coat

- must apply a glob

I'll post up swatches for the other two polishes later!!

Question of the post: What's your favorite nail polish brand and/or color?

hehe, shameless selfie...

Disneyland, WORLD OF MAGIC~

Yesterday, after church, I went to Disneyland! It was a fun experience, especially since I haven't gone for over 10 years! Crazy, right? Since I live in nearby (only an hour-ish), I can easily go. Lots of my friends have annual passes, but I don't...My favorite part wasn't really the rides, but being able to hang out with my friend and sister. I really love just being able to walk around together, grab snacks, talk, and play games in (long) lines.

Also, the fireworks and Fantasmic were amazing! What a beautiful display of lights and disney characters!

I won't be posting too many photos--only 1--too busy having fun and forgot to take photos. XD

eeks, look at my squinty eyes >__< sigh...

By the way, Robert Downey Jr. is just totally amazing~~

What's your favorite ride at Disney? Or, what's your favorite thing to do at Disney? <3

Skin care products I want to try for the year~

I realized I didn't have a New Year post, so I wanted to make one regarding skin care products that I want to try for this year. I love looking for new products, so I think this will be a perfect thing for me to post~ hehe

Some of these different types of products may be a little confusing, so I'll be writing description for y'all! I'll actually need them, too... still new to Korean skin care products. ^__^ There's definitely way more product types than in the States.

1. Cleanser 

I don't use make-up (regularly) so I'm not currently interested in buying an oil cleanser, but I know that oil cleansers are great for quickly removing make-up and dirt! Currently though, I'm interested in just the "normal" cleansers. 

I've been wanting to try the Etude House Baking Soda series for the longest time! I want to test out the "Whipping Foaming" cleanser. Not only does it seem fun, but also I've heard that it can help reduce pore size and clean out blackheads (which I desperately need...T___T).

2. Masks

Masks, while aren't super common in the State are quite popular in Asian countries. They are used for deep cleaning and for moisturizing. 

Currently, I'm drooling (is that the right word? >__< ehehehe) over Etude House's I need you series, particularly the yogurt strawberry mask and the white pearl mask. The yogurt strawberry mask is supposed to help with soften and moisturize your skin, and the white pearl mask is meant to brighten your complexion! How perfect for a California girl where the sun can be quite drying for the skin~

Another beauty product I've been wanting to try is Innisfree's capsule recipe pack. While they seem small, each pack can be used up to four times! Hooray~~ Innisfree is famous for their jeju volcanic products (which can help with oily skin and --once again--pore size), so I want to try it! I also want to try the canola honey since that helps with complexion and moisturization. The last one is the sleeping rice pack, which also helps brighten complexion!

3. Toner 

Asian toners are sort of different from American toners. They have the purpose of adding moisture to the skin and maintaining proper pH levels, rather than being used as astringents.

I haven't actually found one that I've really been dying to try...any suggestions??

4. Essence/Serum

These are concentrated treatments for you skin! They penetrate deep into your skin and help your skin look healthier~

Skinfood's peach sake serum sounds really promising. I've heard that it's great for those with oily skin (like me). My forehead is horrendously oily due to my bangs...sigh.

5. Emulsions

Emulsions are similar to serums (but contains less concentrated actives). Their main purpose is to add moisture the skin. The texture is like lotion but not as thick!

The Face Shop's ice flower series is targeted towards oily skin. It really helps keep your skin moisturized without given it an extra shine! The packaging is also so beautiful __ I think it'd make me feel really elegant--like a real lady XD hehe

That's all for today! Hope you enjoy the post~

This post's questions: What's your favorite Korean beauty brand? Which product? <3

Review: Shiseido Skincare 1 2 3: White Lucent Brightening Eclaircissant

For my Christmas present, my mom bought me the Shiseido White Lucent Eclaircissant 1-2-3 starter pack. When I went home for the break, she mentioned that my skin has darkened significantly from school in California, and sadly, that was very true.

So, one day we were walking in Macy's, looking for Christmas gifts for friends and families, and we saw this product. It was still expensive, but being the nice and amazing mom she is, she wanted to give it to me as an early Christmas gift. She told me that I should really start taking more care of my skin, since my nice skin wouldn't last forever with just a plain water wash.

I was super excited for this product because I've never used anything so high-class before. The only face wash that I've ever bought and completely finished using was the Neutrogena acne stress control power-clear scrub (not that there's anything wrong with the brand or that it doesn't work, but I've never used a brand costing $50 for 3 small bottles)!

Anyways, here's the review:

DESCRIPTION

Brightening cleansing foam: removes dirt, pollution, and impurities without drying out skin. [2.8 oz]

Brightening balancing softener enriched: instantly infuses moisture and perfectly prepares skin for the next skincare step. [3.3 oz]

Brightening protective emulsion (spf 18): locks in moisture and nutrients while protecting skin from external aggressors. [1 oz]

PACKAGING

The packaging is cute and simple but nothing really special. The little bits of pink mades the product very girly and sweet. Of course, this type of packaging is nothing compared to some Korean products out there.

REVIEW

Cleansing foam: at first I thought the product left my skin feeling a little to squeaky clean. I don't particularly like that sensation since it makes me think that I've removed both the good and bad from my skin. I wouldn't necessarily say that the cleanser keeps my face moisturized until all three steps are completed. Another thing I noticed was that the cleanser didn't really prevent acne from appearing. Maybe this happened because classes have started again and I'm getting more stressed, but for the first couple weeks, I noticed that I had a tiny bit more acne than before. This could also be due to the fact that my skin wasn't completely used to using a cleanser (water only). During the 3rd week of using it, the acne did die down.

On a high note, after washing my face, my skin does appears a little brighter. Overall, I liked the product.

sorry~ my hands were wet so the pea size amount of cleanser sort of ran~

Softener: I actually ran out of cotton pads, so I've just been dabbing the solution onto my palms and then patting it on my face. It works out fine this way. I agree with the product description here in that my face feels more moisturized after using it. I really enjoy this step because it's fun!

Emulsion: When I saw the size of this product, I was shocked. It was so small...I felt like I'd use it up in a week. Luckily it didn't turn out that way. However, I also didn't apply it at night. I decided that I'd use normal lotion at night since I wouldn't need the sun protection from the SPF.

FINAL THOUGHTS

haha, I think my face is getting too pale for my body. I'd better start using a whitening body soap too, or else my skin tone won't match! Just kidding. :) Nevertheless, I can tell that my complexion is a bit brighter. However, it's not significantly brighter. I haven't completely finished using it, but I've been using it daily for about 3 weeks now. I really enjoy using it, and even though these products are so small, they last for longer than I expected.

Overall rating:     

Repurchase? maybe, if I feel like splurging.
I'm not crazy crazy over this Shiseido White Lucent Eclaircissant. :)


Question for this post: Have you ever used a whitening or brightening product? Which one? Also, do you have any suggestions for what I should include or take out in my reviews?

Happy (late) Chinese New Year~

Hi guys! Hope y'all doing well! If you didn't know, Chinese New Year was on the 31st! Chinese New Year is a huge thing in China; instead of winter break in December like the States, China has their breaks during the Chinese New Year...for an entire month! How cool~

Chinese New Year is super festive and revolves around spending time with family, eating good food, getting new clothes, and receiving red envelopes. Sadly, nothing like that happened to me. I couldn't go back home to celebrate with my family. If I had all the money in the world, I'd take the plane to go back, but unfortunately, all I can do is video chat with them and wish them a great new year from my school apartment.

Luckily, however, my church friends and I celebrated the New Year together last night. We had steamed fish, dumplings, niu rou mian (beef noodles), and lots of other foods. I forgot to take pictures though.

Last night I also made nian gao, a traditional dish for the new year. Nian (年) means year, and gao (糕) means cake. 年糕 sounds like "年年高生," so giving/preparing 年糕 is wishing a prosperous new year filled with promotions and happiness.

Here's a picture of the 年糕, enjoy~

Also, I've just received the giveaway prize I won in December: nail stickers~ I'm very excited to try them, as they are super cute! I'll make another post about them soon (right now I don't have white nail polish, and the end results will be clearer with a white background). 

For this post, I wanna know: Have you ever celebrated Chinese New Year? If so, how? Did you try any interesting Chinese foods?