Mini XMas Haul

Because I received my paycheck a wee bit later than I expected, I ended up doing last-minute Christmas Shopping. It was still great, of course - I loved stepping into the mall and hearing all the chatter as crowds walk past you so that they can also finish their Christmas shopping. Malls are livelier to be in when there's a lot of people there, you know? :)

So I wanted to share my purchases with you because I'm so excited about them. Here they are!


Naked Palette by Urban Decay

$48 @ Sephora

Okay, okay. So I know it's a little late, but I finally got myself the Naked Palette from Urban Decay. It's always been one of those items where I'll say, "I'm finally going to buy it!" and then I always fumble and ask, "Is it really worth it...?" 

I definitely recommend this product to anyone out there - especially for makeup beginners who are starting out with neutrals, this is definitely a great palette to add to your growing collection. Whoever buys it, you won't be regretting spending your hard earned money on this baby. When it comes to makeup, I'm a total neutral junkie, so I already have many eyeshadows that are similar to the Naked Palette. However, Urban Decay provides quality eyeshadow that makes me keep reaching for that particular palette.

Also, I'm totally in love with Urban Decay's Primer Potion that comes with your Urban Decay Naked Palette. Previously I had been using the NYX eyeshadow base in white but I'm totally in with this one like crazy! NYX's base shows eyeshadow color to its maximum potential, but after about two hours, the eyeshadow can fade and you'll have to reapply it. Not with Urban Decay's Primer Potion. I slept with my makeup on, and my eyeshadow was stayed put. For bright colors though, I did notice that NYX did a better job making the colors 'pop' than Urban Decay. 

But still for staying power...isn't that great? I finally understand what all the hype is about now. For those who are interested in buying Urban Decay's Primer Potion, you can buy it HERE for $19.

I'm also aware that the Naked 2 Palette has come out on the Urban Decay Website. Because it is another neutral palette, it's hard to find anywhere 'new' or 'groundbreaking' to go...the colors are similar and whatnot, so I'm still debating on whether I should buy it or not. It doesn't seem like an essential, but the more taupe-oriented palette really does stick out at me. It definitely seems less warm-toned than the first Naked Palette. Has anyone bought the Naked2 palette yet? Would love to read your reviews on it.

 I also got myself: 

Marc Jacobs' Eau So Fresh Rollerball

Marc Jacob's Eau So Fresh Rollerball ($20 @ Sephora)

So I have to admit that I'm not one of those girls who spritz perfume on every single day. When I was younger, I was terribly sensitive to any strong fragrances, so it's naturally been instilled in me to not try out fragrances. Nevertheless, since I am now rolling into my 20s, I thought it wouldn't hurt to get something "safe" to try out. 

I was looking for something subtle yet flirty - definitely not anything that smells old. I was thinking about J'adore by Dior like in my previous post here, but I backtracked when I smelled it again at Macy's. Don't get me wrong, it smells great. But just like clothes or makeup, it needs to represent you. You have to be wearing the clothes and the makeup, not the other way around, right? What might work for some people might not work as well for you. 

And that's how I felt about that. I was looking for something simple but chic that wouldn't overwhelm me. And that's how I came across Marc Jacob's Eau So Fresh. I got the rollerball because I'm just not a fan of spraying things because somehow I end up spraying myself in the face when I meant to spray my neck (haha, clumsy me). 

Of course, Marc Jacob's Eau So Fresh smells AMAAAAZING. I know I say this a lot about many things, but I really do mean that I'm a fan when I say, "If it were edible, I would totally eat it." Why? Because it just smells so good! It's light but still a pleasant smell for anyone looking for a subtle fragrance.

On the other hand, I did notice the staying power wasn't too great. I would roll it on and it's not one of those rare fragrances that linger throughout the whole day after just a spritz in the morning. Even when you put it on aggressively, it just barely manages to linger. Ah well, I still have nothing to complain about because a rollerball is easy to carry in your purse for reapplication throughout the day. :-)

On a similar note, for those interested in purchasing Marc Jacobs rollerballs as well, Sephora is selling a limited edition Marc Jacobs Rollerball collection HERE. It has three rollerballs for the fragrancs Daisy Eau de Toilette, Lola Eau de Parfum, and of course, Daisy Eau So Fresh Eau de Toilette. They're all 0.34oz which is 0.1oz more than the regular rollerball and the price for all three will blow you away...only $38! I'm considering about whether to buy it - I just might because the deal is so great. 

So there's that. :) Just wanted to share that with you and my two purchases that I'm in love with.

What about you? Did you spoil yourself with anything this wonderful holiday? Tell me about it, I want to know! 

Cheers!

Kimova

Post XMAS Entry >> Twilight: Breaking Dawn

To those who celebrate Christmas, MERRY BELATED CHRISTMAS, everyone!!! :-)
If not, then Happy Hanukkah and Kwanzaa or any other holidays that is celebrated during the month of December. 

I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend of relaxation as they spent time with their loved ones. I have to say that mine was pretty good for the most part - I spent Christmas Eve with close friends and spent Christmas with my boyfriend. This Christmas Eve/Christmas 2011 was actually our two year anniversary so we exchanged gifts (I got him sneakers for gym and he got me a gift certificate for a free driving lesson at a local driving school, LOL) and went off to watch Twilight: Breaking Dawn.

(For those who haven't seen it yet, warning: spoilers ahead!)

Can I just say what a cheeseball of a movie it is? The beginning was just so cheesy that even I, a girl, had to look away from the screen and grimace. The look on my boyfriend's face though was so priceless - the occasional sighs, rolling of the eyes, tilting his head side to side, etc. It was actually more amusing to watch him get awkward about the movie than the film itself.

It definitely picked up after Bella got pregnant which gladdened me because it would have been a waste of money otherwise. I think the movie did a great job depicting Bella's 'burning' transformation with great visuals. My other favorite scenes included the fighting scenes with the werewolves. 

After the movie was done, I asked my BF, "Well, it wasn't too bad was-"

"Yes, it was," he interjected. It was really cute. I promise I would watch the next Twilight with my girlfriends, relieving him very much of the cumbersome duty.

We both agreed though that Jacob (Taylor Lautner) was better looking than Edward (Robert Pattinson)...even though Edward is handsome, there's just something very goofy about his face at the same time. He's not the conventional hottie you would see in an advertisement for Abercrombie & Fitch, etc. He's still takes on the role of Edward pretty well though.

And sorry, but Kristen Stewart has never impressed me while playing Bella...she's just too awkward in some scenes. Or perhaps maybe that's the role she was intentionally going for, but regardless, she's definitely a different character than I had pictured in my head of a awkward but still charming and joking Bella. Stewart's acting is awkward and stiff; an actress should be able to have a plethora of facial expressions, but Stewart only has four: being normal, in pain, happy (if you can even call it that), and angry (which happens to also be her "in-pain" facial expression as well). Stewart only amazed me she acted dead - she really did look really dead with her stiff facial expression and unmoving eyeballs. I feel the movie could have been so much better had they actually cast actors who could really act.
Perhaps in the future they'll make a TV series or a remake which will obliterate this series into oblivion??? :P I would actually love to see a TV series because it would be go more in-depth and whatnot. But that's just my opinion, haha.

And Renesmee's baby version looked very fake...but boy am I excited to see her grown-up version in the next movie because she's so beautiful.

My favorite character of all who kept me hypnotized whenever she came onscreen had to be Alice Cullen (Ashley Greene). Isn't she just such a fashionista??? The pale skin and gold eyes really compliment Greene along with the great eyeliner and fashionable pixie cut. I would love to look like her, haha.


So anyway, enough ranting about the movie, haha. Just wanted to share with everyone how I spent my XMas. Again, I hope everyone had a smashing Christmas this year. I'll be posting a Nice&Naughty 2011 List soon along with two scrumptiously delicious (haha, I love that phrase so much) recent purchases as well very soon.

Cheers!

Kimova

Venting About Life plus Zara Blazer!

Sorry this isn't my usual cheery self, but I've just been busy with the new temporary gigs that I've been getting to receive to make some extra cash on the side.

I'm thankful for all the gigs that I have, but it's been stressing me out more than I expected. The transition from being a teenager who didn't have to worry about a thing to slowly taking care of my own money and work is a different ballgame that's actually nothing short but draining.

I used to always scoff that as adults become older, they become more immature mentally. But after all the fryage from dealing with difficult&complicated situations, I actually sort of don't blame them anymore, haha. What a strange paradox and irony.

Anyway, I'm not trying to complain or anything. I just wanted to get this off my chest...and what better place than to do it on my blog? Again, I'm wholly thankful for the work that I am receiving because there are many people out there who are having extreme financial problems and are looking desperately for a job. But the transition from being a child to a young adult isn't an easy one.

Anyone else feel me on this one? Suddenly you have so many responsibilities! How do you deal with them? I would love to read your comments. Please share. :)

----

By the way, on a completely different note, the weather's been pretty chilly over here in California. Hope everyone's bundled up warmly in jackets, coats, and thick scarfs! I went to the shopping mall today and this really cute blazer from Zara caught my eye:

$129.00 @ Zara

(Image from Zara.com)

I'm more of a buttons person instead of zippers, so when I see a really nice blazer like this one that has cute gold buttons on them? Yesss...!

I love how petite people (ahem, moi!) can pull of this blazer because it's not like a trench coat or any other outerwear that can overwhelm small frames. A XS fit perfectly with my small frame which is difficult to find in some clothing stores because I'm a size 0. It was my first time actually stepping foot inside a Zara retailer (I know, lame, right?) but I'll definitely be buying more stuff from this place. It's definitely pricier than your usual Forever21, but it's much better to spend money on good quality clothing that will last you for a couple of years than scrawny clothing that will look worse with each wear because it's just not high quality. 

:) Sigh, I feel much better after sharing that with you guys. Anyways, make sure you're all bundled up! Don't catch a cold!

Cheers!

Kimova

Hand Therapy Collection: Citron - Honey&Coriander

So I went Christmas shopping for the first time this month tonight and I blew more money than I should have at a small shop called Aroma Vera. It was such a cute store that had anything related to aromatherapy; they had everything from candles with flowers and embedded into the wax to pretty much anything that smelled really good.

I was in the mood to spend some money, maybe buy some trinkets for myself because I love shopping...but I ended up blowing more money than I thought. I bought a couple of gifts for a best friend of mine, including a really nice bath/shower gel and hand therapy cream from the brand called Crabtree & Evelyn.

There was especially one hand therapy cream that seriously blew me away called Citron, honey & coriander  from Crabtree & Evelyn's Hand Therapy Collection:

First of all, I just loved the packaging - both the box and the tube. It has a classic English touch to that is very simple yet pleasing to look at. As lame as it may sound, I always enjoy nice packaging since it gives me more incentive and excuse to carry it around with me and use it more frequently. Also, really like how the Citron cream tube is in a lovely shade of green that gives off the vibe that it's made from authentic ingredients! That's another plus for me because packaging really says a lot about what a company's goal/idea of direction.

So, onto other things. The one I paid for is the 3.5oz/100g one that I'll probably be using for the next couple of months. Retail price was $20 for me, but on the website it's selling at $22. Not much difference.

The smell is just so delicious and yummy - when I apply it to my hands, I constantly smell it because it smells so darn good! If it were edible, I would probably eat it, haha. It smells like sweet lemons mixed with honey; a generally sweet smell with a hint of sour lemons. The smell is definitely not overbearing which is another pro for me because I don't want to be applying anything on me that smells too strong or disgusting.

I also was planning to buy other hand therapy creams such as lavender and rosewater as well, but the smell was very faint yet unpleasant at the same time so I didn't end up buying them. What a shame...but at least Citron smells good! :)

Here's a photo of the cream once you squeeze some out. See how creamy it is? Yet it feels nothing close to greasy when you apply it because it's so easily absorbed, leaving your skin feeling like a baby's butt. Ain't that the coolest thing?

On the back of the tube here's what it promises to do for your hands:

Our intensive, conditioning hand cream leaves hands feeling softer with each use. Formulated with macadamia nut oil, honey, and shea butter to moisturise and soothe hands, and myrrh to help condition cuticles and nails. A blend of lemon and herbs refreshes and conditions hands. 

 Pretty packaging, amazing smell, easily absorbent, and smooth hands in an instant? Definitely an A+ in my book!

I definitely recommend everyone buying this especially during this time of the year when the weather is cold and the winds bring on dry skin. If you're interested, you can purchase some HERE.

Anyone else try this cream? Tell me what your experience with Crabtree & Evelyn has been like!

Cheers!

Kimova

**Disclaimer: I bought this out of my own free will and have delivered a review that was written from what experience I had with this product. Nobody paid me to write this review. Thanks!

Talking Twins

Okay, so this has nothing to do with makeup, but I still wanted to share this with you because it's just SO HILARIOUS and CUTE:





Found it on the Ellen Degeneres Youtube Channel. Does anyone watch her TV show? She's so hilarious and lighthearted about everything. Plus, she's giving and so kind to the people who come on her show and it's those components that I think are hard to find nowadays because entertainment has made anger and negativity (i.e.: bashing other people down, etc.) the new sex.

But there's hope for humanity when I see people like Ellen! Haha. Well, anyways, hope you enjoyed the video. :-)

Cheers!

Kimova

Lusting After: J'Adore Perfume by Dior

While I was buying my Dior Diorshow Eyepencil, the kind lady who helped me also gave me a nice sample for Dior's perfume called J'Adore. I had seen the J'Adore ad a couple of times in magazines and was struck by the beautiful photograph of Charlize Theron:

Compared to the bottle itself, Charlize Theron's gown actually mimics the shape and design of the bottle which I totally LOVE:

Do you see the resemblance? Theron's gown has an extravagant necklace and fabric wrapped around her throat that makes her neck look so long and pronounced like the J'adore perfume bottle.

Strangely enough, I never actually went out of my way to unfold the magazine ad and take a sniff. I was always just astounded with Theron's beauty, haha. But after applying the perfume sample on myself, I think I'm in love. I usually am sensitive about what kinds of smells I put on myself, but there is just something about J'adore that makes me want to spritz some more every time.
It's definitely a perfume that can be used for all ages but more for women than girls - the scent is so tempting and sweet yet mysterious. The smell almost makes my mouth water; if it were edible, I would probably try to eat it, haha!

The staying power is pretty enormous too. Even after a couple hours, if I were to put my wrists within two feet of my face, I could still smell it on me.

Unfortunately, this bottle is around $98. Ouchies. So until Christmas, this will be on my lusting list.

Anyone have opinions about this amazing perfume? I'm totally in love with it and would love to hear what you have to say!

Cheers!

Kimova

Macy's Shopping

Hey guys!

So, my birthday passed about a month ago but a great friend of mine gave me a $100 giftcard to treat myself to something nice at Macy's. I wanted to spend it on something special, so I took my sweet time surfing their site for about a month. I know, really lame, right?

I still didn't know what I wanted until I actually got to the mall. I'm really excited about my purchases, so I thought I would just share them with you. I also got my paycheck yesterday so I bought myself a couple extra trinkets as well. Here's what I got: knee-high boots for the winter, waterproof eyeliner, necklace, jacket, purse, and perfume sample.

INC International Concepts Shoes, Marty Boots

So here are the boots that I bought!!! I'm SO EXCITED about wearing them because it's my first knee high boots that don't have high heels. This picture doesn't really do the boots justice, so I'll try to explain it myself. The boots' color is a deep, rich, almost (reddish) mahogany color that definitely draws anyone's eye to your legs. Even a woman who was waiting to get her shoes fitted commented on the unique color of the boots.

The toe area was a little stiff when I tried it on but after a couple hours of wearing, it definitely softened and it's now flexible. The little circular studs plus the buckles really gives it a nice little finishing touch that, again, makes it look unique.

And another thing that relieved me was that it fitted to my legs instead of being terribly loose like others shoes out there. It's always a shame when you find nice shoes, but you can't buy them because it makes your legs look fatter than they actually are.

I do believe it runs a half size larger; I'm a 6.5M but I ended up getting 6M instead.

Oh! Oh! And another thing! Funny how on the website it's listed as $107.60, yet I got it for almost half the price - $59.95. Yup, I love discounts. :-)

But we'll see what happens after a couple of wears. So far it's been treating me well, but I've seen a couple reviews that the shoes started dying on the customers already after the first wear. :-( *Crosses fingers* I hope that doesn't happen to me.

Dior Diorshow Liner Waterproof

Another thing I bought was this Dior Diorshow Waterproof Eyeliner. Retail price was $29 which is considered pretty damn expensive in my book for an eyeliner.

One note, I get extremely picky about is eyeliner. I've used many eyeliners labeled "waterproof" that I will apply to my lower lashline and it just sucks at staying put. It's especially harder for my eyes because the skin directly underneath my eyes pushes up and touches my lower lash line whenever I smile. I can't even explain it properly but the problem is  eyeliner loves to migrate beyond my lower lash line and give me raccoon eyes. It's really not a pretty sight.

Before this, my HG was Revlon Colorstay, but even that didn't do the job. Here are my Pros and Cons:

Packaging (5/5): It comes in a thin, silver box. And of course, the eyeliner itself is very nice. It doesn't feel flimsy or plastic-y or cheap. It comes as a sturdy metal pencil. I had no problems twisting the automatic eyeliner.
Color (4/5): I'm a fan of black eyeliner that's the blackest of blacks out there. This is definitely not a light black like Urban Decay's 24/7 Zero. After a couple hours though, my lower lashline did start to fade so I'll give it 4 stars.
Staying Power (5/5): If you run your fingers across your eyelid, this won't move. That's how strong it's staying power is. Definitely stayed on my upper and lower lash-line without any problem. It dries very quickly and ten seconds after you apply it, it becomes impossible for you to smudge it. It literally stays and does not move. Which is not a problem for me, but for those who are looking for eyeliner that can smudge, this isn't for you. While this did not smudge for me while I was awake and alert, when I took a small nap, it faded and blotted a little (duh, right?) but nothing too drastic to worry about. It actually made a nice smokey eye, hahaha.
Removal (5/5): Because of it's great staying power, I was a little hesitant about how the whole removal process would be. It pleased me when I saw that just a soft press of a cotton pad to my eye had the eyeliner melting all by itself. It's extremely easy to take off. 5!!!

My new HG - worth every single penny. (:

Anyway, thanks for letting me share my small purchases with you. :) Anyone else have these two things? Would love to know your experiences with them!

Cheers!

Kimova

Eye Base vs. Eye Primer

When I started experimenting with makeup for the first time, I slowly began to use eyeshadows and eyeliner and all that other good stuff. After a couple hours though, I noticed that my eyeshadows would eventually fade or crease, leaving my eyes looking like two huge blobs. It's not a pretty sight, let me tell you. Especially because I was only applying neutral colors, my eyes looked like two darkened black eyes by the end of the day. My dad would always have a good laugh whenever I came home at the end of the day.

So I bought myself eye base, thinking it was the same thing as eye primer. Although they're both used for the eyelids, there is a different purpose for each.

Eye Base
Eye base is applied over the eyelid to bring out an enhanced, maximum hue of eyeshadows. For example, if your gold eyeshadow only gave a 'hint' of color on your skin tone, with eye base it becomes a prominent gold that makes your eyes 'pop'!

Eye base is especially great for when you're using bright colors during the summer or when you go clubbing. One good eye base that I recommend is the NYX Eyeshadow Base:

NYX Eyeshadow Base ($7 on NYX website)

Great thing for NYX is that they have three different colored eyeshadow bases in white, skin toned, and white pearl. You can use each one for a different purpose; white for bright colors that are matte, skin-toned for neutral browns and earth tones, and pearl for any glitter/metallic eyeshadows you've been dying to use. :-)

Now, onto eye primer.


Eye Primer
Eye primer is a little different in my opinion. For those who don't use eye shadow primer, you'll see in a couple hours that your eyeshadow will fade...and you might even have to reapply again in the restroom (as I have done many times in the past). Eye primer's purpose is for longlasting eyeshadow that will stay put whether you have oily lids, sweaty face, etc.

Pretty straightforward, right? Here are some good eye primers:

Urban Decay's Primer Potion ($10 @ Ulta)

This primer potion is very popular; if you go watch any makeup gurus on Youtube, they'll most likely be using Urban Decay's Primer Potion to prepare their eyelids for eyeshadow application. Like NYX you'll notice that this primer potion comes in different colors (Sin, Eden, Greed, and of course, the Original) so be sure to check out all the different ones on Urban Decay.

And that's it for today! Hope it helped a bit!

Cheers!

Kimova

The Power of Makeup (no joke!)

Whenever I sign into Youtube, I'll find recommendations for new videos that I should watch. I found a video clip that was extracted from an Asian television show (I can't tell if it's Chinese or Taiwanese or something completely different, forgive me). Since then, I've watched a variety different clips from this show and here is one of many. I found this very fascinating:

Isn't it amazing? I find it refreshing to see; it's definitely a safer alternative than going under the knife to get something fixed permanently. They both look very different but in a good way. When I see this, it doesn't seem like anything vain; it reminds me that every girl deserves to be pretty for themselves without compromising themselves to paying huge sums of money and pain to reconstruct their face (by all means, if you want to do it though and you know for sure you'll be happy, then go for it as well! Only you know what will make you happy. :) )

So, the moral of this post? Go learn and find your own way to beautify yourself so that you'll leave the people around you breathless. ;)

What are your thoughts on all of this? I would love to read what your thoughts are about this.

Cheers!

Kimova

P.S.: Hope you guys had a great Thanksgiving. :)

Want: Book by NARS

So I was browsing through Facebook because I was bored and came across this on the NARS facebook page:

I probably would have passed by this photo if it were not for the oriental beauty who graced the cover of this hardcover book. Personally in my experience in reading fashion mags and what not, it's hard to find Asian models gracing the covers of anything unless they have the double eyelids and they look more European than Asian. I find it sort of sad how Asians, especially Koreans, are not embracing their oriental beauty and instead going all out to get cosmetic surgery to 'correct' anything that they feel makes them too "Asian" (i.e.: monolids...I have them, but I love mine!)

Anyway, sorry about the off-topic subject. But that is why this cover really fascinated me and caught my eye, haha.

I got this from the Barnes and Nobles website. Here's a synopsis:

...Here Nars combines his expertise in makeup and photography to create a makeover manual that transforms the application of makeup into the ultimate form of self-expression...inspiring readers to re-create his lessons on their own...Employing Nars’s own before and after makeover photographs of a variety of models of all different ages, races, and skin tones—and combining these images with the designer’s instructional sketches on transparent overlays—this volume is the definitive do-it-yourself guide for anyone interested in the transformative power of cosmetics.

The synopsis was pretty long, so I had to cut it down. But doesn't that sound fabulous? I might go and buy this book once I get my next paycheck, heehee.

Is there anyone who has gotten this book, yet? Would love to read what your thoughts were on it.

Cheers!

Kimova.

I have a blog...?

Yup, I have a blog.

Just to let you know, I've tried making so many blogs but ended up deleting each and every one of them. Why? Because I just suck at blogs. I just don't know what to write about, and I just fucking suck at it.

But, alas, I am trying again to see if I can really do this for real and keep up with it because...why the hell not, right?

So, my username is kimova, but my actual name is Alice. I'm Asian, specifically, Korean. I'm twenty years old and I live in the busy part of Los Angeles, California. Pretty straightforward introduction, in my opinion. :)

You can sort of relate me to ugly duckling though I don't look like anything like Tyra Banks or Jessica Stam or anything like that... but what I want to say is that I was the gawky, awkward, depressed, and shy kid who never really opened out of her shell until she graduated high school (<-- random note, hated high school.)
Since then, I feel that I have become much more open and have come to embrace flaws about myself that I thought I never could. I'm glad I'm going towards a better place in life where I am able to accept things that my pride once could not.

Hmmm...what else to add for an introduction? Oh! How could I forget. I'm a dancer - a ballet dancer. Yup, the pointe shoes and everything else inbetween all that mess. -___-;; I'm not in a company yet because I started late when I was sixteen...yeah, pretty late, right? But I've been catching up and it's been working for the past couple of years - but we'll have to see if I really want to pursue this because it's really fucking hard. People who have never encountered dance will never understand the strong discipline that is required of your body and mind to do this shit.

Sorry if I cuss too much. I'm just on a rampage.

Also, I'm a sucker for makeup. Yup, I'm one of those girls... I'm also a fan of Michelle Phan on Youtube. I think she's really great and fabulous - she erases that whole stereotype that makeup is only for the prissy, you know? She gives makeup a whole new meaning - it's a form of self-expression and you get to express yourself anyway you want on your face. And what a better way to represent yourself than to put the art literally on you, right? I'm a sucker for art too, if you haven't noticed.

Anyway, I think that's good enough for an introduction. Nice to meet you. :) This will be the start of me babbling and recording my life on this blog.

Cheers!

Kimova