LA Ultimate Women's Expo

I took a little break from school to attend the LA Ultimate Women's Expo with my sister. It was definitely very interesting--there will many little booths selling anything from food to make-up to apparel to teeth-whitening products! Although I was mainly interested in the beauty products and the food, it was cool to see so many different brands ands companies come together to promote their goods.

Having fun at the Expo--btw, did you notice that this was my DIY skirt from the summer? :)

The expo had free samples of Quest Bars! I tried my first bar, and it was super good! These bars actually quite low in calories too--what a perfect and filling snack~ I hope none of the workers there noticed, but I went back to try a second bar >__< Probably not supposed to get two samples, but they still gave it to me :P hehehe

Mai Couture also had a booth there! I love their products, particularly their blush. All you do is tear half a sheet of the blush paper and gently dab it on your face for a natural bit of color. It's super fun and easy to use--and mess free! Now I really want to start using makeup too XD hahaha The booth were selling them at 40% off, so I ended up buying one...for my awesome friend! Hope she'll like it! It's a surprise!!! hehehe

Samples!

My gift for a friend :)

Have you guys ever been to any expo before? Which ones? 

Review: LUSH full of grace moisturizing serum bar

Has anyone heard of LUSH before? I first discovered LUSH as a junior in highschool, walking down 23rd Avenue in Portland (side: if you're ever in the Portland area, check out 23rd avenue!). I was definitely fascinated by the fact that all the products in LUSH are handmade. Moreover, the products don't use any preservative, making them better for you skin.

Last month, I purchased the "full of grace" serum bar for $14.95. I felt a bit guilty for purchasing this because I was on the lookout for birthday gifts for my friends (XD), but the saleswoman told me it'd last for up to 3 months (for both my twin and me)! I couldn't resist and purchased it.

"Full of grace" is made of all natural ingredients, including the featured ingredient: fresh portobello mushrooms! Isn't that interesting? I've only eaten portobello mushrooms. I never would have suspected that they were good for my skin, too! According to LUSH's website, portobello mushrooms are full of antioxidant B and C vitamins and have skin-conditioning properties. How exciting~~

How to use: melt the bar in your hands by rubbing it; then massage the serum into your face.

REVIEW

The first thing I noticed was the smell; it's amazing. I really appreciate the fact that it's not too overpowering. In fact, this scent is very soothing and relaxing. In terms of effectiveness, the "full of grace" bar works quite well; it's very moisturizing and helps brighten my complexion.

However, the bar is difficult to keep sanitary. You'll have to make sure too keep your hands clean before touching the bar and touching your face. Additionally, the serum is a bit thick and difficult to spread; in order to massage the serum into your face, you'll be tugging a little on your skin.

Overall rating:     

Packaging: N/A

Ease of use:     

Effectiveness:     

Ingredients:      (CosDNA)

Hygeine:     

It's not always "no"

The answer is always "no" if you never ask.

This is one of the lessons I've learned this year. I think it's made a big impact on how I interact with people. I know it's intimidating to ask people for things, but if you never try, the answer is always "no." However, if you ask, sometimes the answer may be "yes."

I think we think people will think badly of us if we ask for help, but in reality, most people don't mind. They won't judge us for what we ask. In my experience, most people are open to helping others.

For me, these were some of the ways I applied this lesson:

• asking people for interviews
• asking friends to drive me to the airport
• asking professors for office hours outside of scheduled times
• asking people to donate to a charity

Do you ever feel too intimidated to ask?

I've definitely been too intimidated. I've very shy by nature and often worry about how I'd look if I did a certain thing or asked a certain question. However, I know that people don't care too much about what you do. They might think it funny or strange for a moment, but they'll quickly forget. Don't get caught up with the fear! 

If you don't ask, you will miss many opportunities.

Portland, OR, and a pharm school interview

Hi everyone! Sorry for the long time no-show! It's been crazy busy recently, but I hope to be updating regularly soon~

Last weekend, I went back home to have a late birthday celebration with my parents and to attend my UW pharmacy school interview! It was such a hectic weekend. Right after landing in PDX, my sister and I went to interview people for our Entreprenuership class. Luckily those interviews went very well: the owners were very welcoming and eager to answer our questions! I felt blessed to have the opportunity to learn from them.

If you have the chance to visit Portland, you really must check out Bridge & Burn and Sweet Jayne. Bridge & Burn is a apparel brand and its clothing are very simple and utilitarian; the clothing are on the more expensive side. Sweet Jayne, on the other hand, is a local boutique that carries affordable and cute street wear; it works with some local, Portland designers!

Bridge & Burn; photo from their blog

Sweet Jayne; photo from their Facebook page

So after the fun was prepping for my pharmacy school interview! It was such a stressful process, and I was completely nerve-wrecked. Actually the interview went worse than I expected, and I actually started tearing up towards the end because of a combination of stress, nerves, and sensitive topics on ethics. I was ready to start applying to other schools and prepping for more interviews, but praise God for His goodness! I got in! I will soon be a pharmacy student!

I know pharmacy school will be very hectic and busy, but I still hope to pursue my more artsy passions. I still want to start my own brand or apparel/streetwear boutique sometime within the next couple years, but before that, I really need to get some industry knowledge--that's why I'm taking these entrepreneurship classes!

Anyways, a lot of stress has been lifted. It's back to school work and studying for exams! hahaha. I'm definitely going to start posting more, too!

Crazy enough to be 22

Sometimes stress can be overwhelming, and last week was extremely rough. Even though it was my 22nd birthday, I had no time to relax. It was all study, study, study.

But, I was extremely thankful for a friend who drove an hour to come visit my sister and me, to wish me happy birthday. Her support and kindness really helped me get through this weekend. <3 And of course, I'm grateful towards my parents who were willing to listen to me cry and ramble! hahaha I'm feeling loads better now~

(also, some advertising for my wonderful friend and her new beauty channel: Monolid Monalisa)

look at those huge eye bags XD eeeps!

I have some goals for this year!

• start a fashion blog with my twin! --> TWYNZ 2.0
• learn to sew more complex projects (like patterns from Burdastyle!)
• procrastinate less
• regularly finish some sort of art work (digital, paint, draw, etc.)

Fashion, fashion, fashion industry

You know how a couple days ago I posted about going into the skin care industry? Well, I changed to the fashion industry instead. However, there's no doubt that I would love to be involved in both industries, and I will continue to try to interview and understand the skin care industry. Just for my class concentration, finding an entrepreneur to interview in the fashion industry is much easier than for the skin care industry, since most brands are big brands, making it difficult to contact the founder for an interview.

Anywho, I went to Melrose to find some cute boutiques to ask salesclerks and owners about the fashion industry. They were all very nice and were even willing to take pictures (yay, extra points for my assignment)! How exciting~~ Some of the boutiques had super cute clothing, however, sadly, my wallet is currently pretty sad. I feel bad that I couldn't buy anything when the interviewees were sweet and nice.

I did go to Wasteland though! Wasteland is super cool, but it is on the more expensive side. However, the interior decoration and styles available are totally superb~ Check out the Yelp page here <3

Dress: Cheap Monday ($18) 

Skirt: unknown ($15)

What's your price range for consignment/vintage items?