NUIT BLANCHE 2010

Mood [Bored]
Currently Playing [Alicia Keys - Karma]




Toronto's annual sunset to sunrise celebration of contemporary art returns to mark a five-year milestone.

Discover art in galleries, museums and unexpected places.

From building façades and city parks to alleyways and heritage buildings, choose from more than 130 destinations and chart your own path.


This year marks the 5th anniversary of Nuit Blanche and I've been religiously attending it ever since. I remember after the first year of Nuit Blanche in grade 12, I had really wanted to submit an independent project for it. Hopefully in the near future I'll finally have the confidence to fill out the application, since I'll be graduating soon. Then hopefully this will be a stepping stone for me when (or if) I plan to take my MFA. To my Toronto readers, don't be afraid to say hi if you bump into me on Saturday!

BLACKBIRD, FLY

Mood [Happy]
Currently Playing [None]





Capture the Stillness of Silence.
Capture the Beat of Heart.
135 Twin Lens Reflect Camera, blackbird, fly flying, at last.

REMEMBERING IS IN ITSELF A FORM OF FORGETTING

Mood [Weird]
Currently Playing [None]



Forever 21 polka dot hoodie & shorts, UB vest, H&M dotted pantyhose, Pmall booties
I had very intention to update last night, but I convinced myself to take a "nap" just before doing so. However, as you can probably tell, my "nap" lasted for 12 hours. The night before I had only gotten 4 hours of sleep and having more than 6 hours of classes yesterday, I believe it's what contributed to my fatigue. Now I feel like I've over-slept. I'm a bit drowsy and stunned at the moment.

On a side note, I've been trying to look for a new pair of cowboy booties to replace the ones in the above photos. Those pair have been with me for 2 years now and if you know anything about the poor quality of Pacific Mall shoes, you'll realize how long that is. But these booties have seen better days. They have paint all over them because I had worn them to my painting class and the sides are beginning to slouch. Those are definitely on the top of my favourite shoes list because they were only $20 CAD and not to mention that they look so stylish with anything. I can wear them with jeans, leggings, shirts, dress; it's just so versitile. I love cowboy boots and I think every girl should have a pair or a few pairs (like me) in their collection. Now I need to find another pair that's JUST like it. Any suggestions on where to find a pair?



PS, don't forget to enter my giveaway, which ends October 7th for a Coach wristlet. Follow the link on the side bar!

[REVIEW] - ESSIE SEW PSYCHED

Mood [Rushed]
Currently Playing [None]


PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Part of the Essie Fall 2010 Collection


FOR BEST RESULT
One or two coat will be enough. I would start with a base first so the colour will not stain your actual nails. A top coat would also be useful as well because this polish takes a long time to dry.

INGREDIENTS
(unavailable)

WHY YOU SHOULD SKIP THIS PRODUCT
Not sure if I've mentioned this before but I am not an Essie fan. If I have to choose, I would definitely take China Glaze and OPI over Essie. I always find that their polish are too sheer and a few coats are required. But I decided to pick up this colour because it reminded me a lot of the Chanel LE VERNIS 247 Khaki Vert. I've been obsessing over Khaki colours later and anything with a tint of grey. Thus, I couldn't pass this nail polish up when I saw it in Shopper's. I had really hoped that this would be a dupe for the Chanel polish, however, it's not.


Chanel switch by: www.lacquerized.com
Sew Psyched dries darker than it is in the bottle and the swatches on the actual Essie website. The swatch that I made doesn't even come close to the swatch of the Chanel polish. Now I think I need to get my hands on the actual Chanel polish. I'm so in love with anything grey for the Fall season. Another issue that I had with this polish is that it took a really long time to dry. Even though I had applied a quick dry top coat, when I woke up the next morning, there still scratches and dents on some of my nails. Overall, I'm very disappointed at the colour result. The polish looks more like an army green rather than a khaki green. I would only suggest buying this polish if you are looking for an army green.

On another note here are some of the polish that I had picked up for the Fall season. As you can probably tell, I'm loving anything with a hint of grey.

Rimmel's Steel Grey, Sally Hansen's Gray by Gray Essie's Sew Psyched

RATING
Product (2/5) - Very disappointed at the color result.
Cost (5/5)
Ease of Use (5/5)
Packaging (4/5)


PS, don't forget to enter my giveaway, which ends October 7th for a Coach wristlet. Follow the link on the side bar!

MAY LUCK PURSUE YOU EACH MORNING AND NIGHT

Mood [Sad]
Currently Playing [None]


October Issue of ViVi Hong Kong Edition
So I finally went out to get the October's ViVi because I was in need of inspiration for Fall fashion. I was really excited to read it because I had forgotten to buy the September issue so it's been a month since I had read an issue of ViVi. However, my excitment for this issue ended when I saw the following pages:





I may be really behind on the news, but after 8 years, Jun Hasegawa (長谷川潤) is graduating from ViVi magazine. This means that she will no longer grace the pages of ViVi and this issue will be her last. She has decided to quit ViVi and move onto another magazine and fashion related industry. I'm actually quite sadden by this news because she has been my favourite ViVi model ever since I started reading this magazine. I had always loved her look because it's so unique. She has a very boy-ish look but at the same time there's girly side to her. I also really like her style because it's a blend of American and Japanese style. I wish her the best of luck in her future and I know that she will be missed. Here are some of my favourite photos of her:





ご卒業おめでとう!


PS, don't forget to enter my giveaway, which ends October 7th for a Coach wristlet. Follow the link on the side bar!

MULBERRY FOR TARGET

Mood [Disappointed]
Currently Playing [Gackt - Journey through the Decade]



On June 9th, Mulberry introduced a limited edition handbag collection, Mulberry for Target. The collection features the designer behind the famed Mulberry Alexa bag. The Target Mulberry collaboration will be available in most stores in the United States and on Target.com from October 10th until December 24th, 2010. The pieces (a total of 8) will be priced from $15 USD to $50 USD, everything will be less than $50 USD. How amazing is that? Some lucky shoppers from Gilt Groupe, the popular invitation-only flash sale site, got their hands on these handbags during their exclusive firstlook sale back in August.

I'm always been such a huge fan of Mulberry and I've been trying so hard to save up for the Alexa. (I'm debating between the Alexa and the Rocco by A.Wang at the moment). I'm just really disappointed that: A) I don't live in the States, B) Target online does not ship internationally. Why is life so cruel? Okay, I'm exaggerating. But if anyone, ANYONE, is planning on going to line up at a Target for this collection or if you live in the States and would like to help me order from the website, PLEASE LET ME KNOW! I'm really looking forward to this collection.



PS, don't forget to enter my giveaway, which ends October 7th for a Coach wristlet. Follow the link on the side bar!

[REVIEW] - PUREDERM BRIGHTENING KOREAN HERB MASK (MYUNG-AN)

Mood [Happy]
Currently Playing [Teddy Geiger - For You I Will]


PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Purederm Brightening Korean Herb Mask (‘Myung-an’) is a hydrating skin treatment that contains Korean natural herbal extracts such as Acanthopanax Senticosus Root, cnidium Officinale Root, Rehmannia Glutinosa Root, Sophora Angustifola Root and Japanese White Birch, which are especially good for dry skin. This unique ingredients penetrate into the skin gently and rapidly to keep a brighter and younger skin.

Expiration Date:
3 years after manufacturing date

Content:
1 sheet (19ml)

FOR BEST RESULT
1. Thoroughly cleanse & dry face.
2. Take out and unfold the mask and apply it on your face.
3. Wear the mask for 15~20 minutes and peel off slowly from the edges.

Caution:
1. Avoid using on blemishes, pimples, irritated or sunburned skin.
2. Stop using and ask a doctor if
- skin becomes red, swollen, itchy during use
- above symptoms persist after use
3. Keep out of eyes. If eye contact, rinse with water.
4. Avoid using on skin which is sensitive to bandage, tapes.
5. Avoid storing under direct sunlight or high & low temperature.
6. Keep away from the reach of children.
7. For preventing dryness, use mask at once after opening pouch.

INGREDIENTS
Water, Glycerin, PEG/PPG-18/4 Copolymer, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Phyto Collagen, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Angelica Acutiloba Root Extract, Paenonia Albiflora Root Extract,Cornus Officinalis Fruit Extract, Polygonum Multiflorum Root Extract, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Allantoin, Xanthan Gum, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Disodium EDTA, Methylparaben, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Fragrance

WHY I LOVE THIS PRODUCT
I rarely buy any premium face mask (Shiseido, SK-II, etc) because I find them really expensive and as a student, I can't quite afford it. Plus, you only use it once and then it goes in the trash. This is a drugstore mask that I discovered a little over a year ago. Honestly, drugstore masks are getting better and better for moisturizing and whitening. Purederm is one of the brand that's under Adwin Korea Group, which is a company that's from Korea. In Hong Kong, you can find this brand in Watson's, SaSa and many other drug/beauty stores, which is where I first discovered this brand. They have a wide range of masks: Hydrating (purple), Moisturizing (yellow), Brightening (pink) and Refining (green).


This specific mask is the Brightening (pink colour) and when you first open the mask, there is a very light herb scent. This mask is not sticky but it's actually quite slippery. It absorbs really fast and it leaves my skin feeling really soft. It makes my skin looking radiant the next morning. However with that being side, even though this is a whitening mask, the whitening result is not intense. I would recommend My Beautiful Diary masks for better whitening result. You can find this mask in Wal-Mart and they usually sell for $1.50 to $2 CAD each but sometimes they sell them in packs of six for around $6 CAD, which makes each mask for $1 CAD. That's a really good deal!


RATING
Product (4/5) - Just because the whitening results are not intense
Cost (5/5)
Ease of Use (5/5)
Packaging (4/5) - Some of the writings are in Korean and I can't read it.



PS, don't forget to enter my giveaway, which ends October 7th for a Coach wristlet. Follow the link on the side bar!

credit: cohbe.com

JUST A THOUGHT

Mood [Okay]
Currently Playing [None]


Forever 21 Sweet Dot Coin Purse $4.98 CAD
I was just on the Forever 21 website and I couldn't help but noticed this cute little coin purse. For all my readers who are Japanese makeup fanatics, does it remind you of a particular brand that we are all so familiar with? ;)

THE DREAD OF DOING WHAT HAS BEEN DONE BEFORE

Mood [Stressed]
Currently Playing [Bruno Mars - Just The Way You Are]


H&M open blazer, Forever 21 shorts, AE necklace, Chanel tattoos
As some of you may be able to tell, I've added a little horizontal bar to the top of my blog. I've been trying to find a designer to work on my blog for me for the past month, but with no luck, I decided to attempt to fix everything up on my own. There's still a lot that I need to learn about all these codes, html, and etc. Even though I'm an artist, I can't do anything on the computer. I'm not good with photoshop and clearly, I'm still a PC user. It's no wonder I chose Fine Arts over Design in university. (-.-)

But anyways, the reason why I needed to redesign my blog is mainly because I've decided to start selling stuff (I use that word very loosely) over the internet again. Two years ago, I use to sell jewelries and such on Facebook, but that has stopped mainly because I've gotten lazy. I buy from sellers in China, Japan and Korea to get the cutest jewelries and sell them back to buyers in North America. I realized that I have a lot of stocks left over in my room, thus, I decided to restart this business again. So for the next month or so, I'll be working really hard to have all this up and running again. I'll need to design a new logo, name (I think I know what I want to call my line), packaging and etc. I'll need to complete all of this as I attempt to balance school, work and life as well. I will aim to get everything finish by the end of October/November and hopefully have the store set up by November/December. I'm open to any idea/suggestions that you have for me. I do read all my comments! (^__~)


PS, don't forget to enter my giveaway, which ends October 7th for a Coach wristlet. Follow the link on the side bar!

BELIEVING THE UNBELIEVABLE

I finally started using my new camera. I'm loving this Fujifilm Instax Mini 7S to pieces. The quality of the instant film is always so unexpectedly good! I only started taking photos of my stuffed friends because I haven't been able to find anything (around the house) that's worth shooting. Since school started, I haven't been able to go out to do anything that's exciting. I'm still wondering if I should buy a photo album for these photos or should I hang them somewhere...there are these really cute photo albums just for this type of film on Ebay. I also still have to get a case for the camera and a self-shoot mirror/lens for it. And of course, I'll be needing more film soon, I'm thinking about getting the Hello Kitty ones. It'll be so cute! XD

[REVIEW] - SEDONA LACE 88 ULTRA SHIMMER PALETTE

Mood [Sick]
Currently Playing [蘇永康 -越吻越傷心]



PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Long lasting with high quality ingredients suited for professional makeup artists. Includes mirror and two sponge applicators.
* Brand new in retail package 100% new in box
* Wonderful 88 brilliant pearl colors
* Very pigmented
* High quality ingredients
* Black glossy case, with built in mirror
* Two sponge applicators
* Case size: 9" x 6.5"

FOR BEST RESULT
Since these shadows do have a shimmer to them, it's best to use a primer to lock in the shimmer and to ensure that the colour stays vivid and bright.

INGREDIENTS
(Unavailable)

WHY I LOVE THIS PRODUCT
Firstly, Sedona Lace's shadows are SO PIGMENTED! You can see this in the photo below. The swatches I made are just with one touch. For the amount that these shadows cost, (which is only $19.95 USD plus shipping, which came out to around $24.88 USD after everything, I also had a $4 off discount code) the colour payoff is amazing! It may be hard to tell from the photos, but every single colour is actually different. This 88 palette is great for experimenting and to try out different looks. It has so many different colours to choose from that you can virtually create any look that you want. If you were wondering, I can't compare this to Coastal Scents' 88 Palette because I haven't purchased that one.



Second, another reason why I love this palette is the great customer service that Sedona Lace had offered me. The first palette that I had ordered, one of the shadow was damaged during the shipping process. (That's not because the package wasn't wrapped properly, it was probably because the mailman didn't handle with care). I didn't want the broken shadow because it would look so nasty when I do a review of the product. Thus, I contacted Jason from the company and he was nice enough to resend me a second palette as a replacement for the damage. These are the exact photo of what I received. As you can tell, I was not charged at all for the second palette. Also, the shipping was so fast! It took about a week for this item to get to my house from the States and it was also registered mail. Awesome!



This palette has really changed my view on any 88 palettes. For the price and the quality of the shadows, it makes me not want to buy individual shadows or other palettes anymore. I'm thinking about purchasing other 88 palettes from other companies and then maybe doing a comparison of them. Have you tried these 88 palettes? I would love to hear your thoughts of them.

RATING
Product (5/5)
Cost (5/5)
Ease of Use (5/5)
Packaging (5/5)


PS, don't forget to enter my giveaway, which ends October 7th for a Coach wristlet. Follow the link on the side bar!



credit: sedonalace.com

HER WINGS ARE CLIPPED

Mood [Sick]
Currently Playing [Michael Jackson - Billie Jean]



Zara cardigan, Forever 21 shirt & belt & tank & socks, Bluenotes shoes
I didn't even realize that the entire outfit was almost all from Forever 21 until I started listing the items above. Can't you tell that this is one of my favourite stores? Also, I was trying to make an awkward smile to JL when he was taking the second photo. Haha!

But besides that...school officially started for me this week. I shouldn't be complaining because I have a pretty chilled semester. I have Wednesdays and Fridays off and only 4 classes in total, which is pretty sweet. Since I'm taking a stop-out year in Education (meaning that I don't have to take any education courses for this year), I have freed up my schedule. I'm also only taking the minimum amount of credits, which is 30, and I haven't done this since my first year. I've always taken more than 30 credits because I wanted to be ahead. My 3000 level painting and photography class doesn't start until next semester, so that's when all the real work begins. I'm only in a 2000 level painting class this semester because I just needed the credit to graduate. It's great being a 4th year student in first/second year painting course because you have all the prior experience/knowledge that the other students don't have. Haha! So this year is going to be very different and very relaxing. ^^ (I just hope I won't eat my own words later on)


PS, don't forget to enter my giveaway, which ends October 7th for a Coach wristlet. Follow the link on the side bar!

[REVIEW] - G&G BIG DM 23 PINK CIRCLE LENSES

Mood [Happy]
Currently Playing [Labour Day - Cyclone Effect]



ITEM DETAIL
WEIGHT: 0 kg, 100 grams
BRAND: G&G/Dueba
DIAMETER: 14.5mm
WATER CONTENT: 36%
BASE CURVE: 8.6mm
LIFE SPAM: 1 year disposal
MADE IN KOREA


WHY I LIKE THIS PRODUCT
Finally received my first pair of pink circle lens from Kiwiberry last week. I had pre-ordered these back in May because I needed prescription and it took around 4 months to receive them (Another reason why I hate having to need prescription contacts!) ='( Reasons why it took so long was because the order I was placed in closed about a month after I had placed my order and also the post office really hates me! They had originally mailed out the first package in the beginning of August, but that somehow got lost in the mail so I never received it. Kiwiberry had to send me a replacement package near the end of August and I receive it during the beginning of September. So yes, it has been a long wait. However, most of these problems were no caused by the company and they were really nice with communication and also with answering my constant emails.

That's pretty much the only thing that I didn't like about these lens because the actual product is BEAUTIFUL! The pink colour is really, really subtle and it's really pretty! I think because the pink blends with my natural eye colour, which is brown, thus, with some lighting these lens look somewhere in between a brown and violet. It looks very natural and these lens are also comfortable. I've worn this lens for over 12 hours and my eyes were still moist by the end of the day.

Purchase these at Kiwiberry.

Face of the Day:

Face:
-Gowoonsesang BB Cream SPF 30
-Physicians Formula mineral powder in Natural Beige
-NYC Brushable Creme Stick in Plaza Pink
Eyes:
-Dolly Wink Liquid Eye Liner in Black
-Sedona Lace 88 Ultra Shimmer Eyeshadow Palette (Review of this product will come later)
-Ebay Korean lashes
-Canmake Eyelash curler
Lips:
-Revlon Colourburst Lipstick in 070 Soft Nude

RATING
Product (5/5)
Cost (5/5) - $20 CAD for a pair of circle lens is very affordable!
Comfort (5/5)
Packaging (4/5) - I took off a point for the lengthy shipping.


PS, don't forget to enter my giveaway, which ends October 7th for a Coach wristlet. Follow the link on the side bar!

[REVIEW] - N.Y.C BLUSHABLE CREME STICKS

Mood [Sleepy]
Currently Playing [林峰 - 直到你不找我]



Left to Right: Big Apple Blush & Plaza Pink
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Give a natural flush to your cheeks in one quick step! This lightweight formula blends effortlessly to provide sheer, all-over color as well as subtle, shimmering accents, contours and dynamic highlights to your cheeks.

*Sheer crè blusher dries down to a silky powder finish
*Soft and creamy formula blends easily with fingertips to desired intensity and coverage
*Convenient twist up stick for quick application
*Non-drying, oil-free

FOR BEST RESULT
1) Twist blush up and apply to the apples of your cheeks and glide across your cheekbone, blend with fingertips or sponge in a soft circular motion for a sheer flush of color. To build a deeper flush repeat this step again.
2) For a contouring effect use darker shade such as South Street Seashell right below cheek bone and blend outward toward hairline, then use a highlighting shade like Plaza Pink to apply onto the apples of your cheeks and blend outward.

INGREDIENTS
Key ingredients: Vitamins A,C,E

WHY I LOVE THIS PRODUCT
First of all, sorry that I'm really late with this review. I had purchased a while ago and have been using it for at least a month now. However, there were other stuff that I needed to review so these brushable creme sticks had to wait until now. So sorry! I know that some of you have been waiting so long to hear my thoughts about this product.

Okay, onto the actual product. These blush sticks do contain a shimmery sheen to it but it's not that noticable once it's on the cheeks. I think it's very versatile and easy to apply. Though this product is meant to be applied with fingers, but I perfer applying this cream blush with a brush instead. (Sometimes your fingers can be dirty and you wouldn't want dirty fingers to be smudging on your clean face) You can first apply some of the product onto your cheeks and then use a brush to blend or you can dip your brush on the top of the stick and then apply to face. Either way works really well. The colour pay off with this product is amazing. Very little of the product can go a really long way. Here's a swatch of the two different colours:

See how vibrant the colours are with just one stroke? There sticks are very, very pigmented. They are also very buildable. Plaza Pink gives my cheeks a very subtle look to them. It's very pretty and natural. While on the other hand, Big Apple Blush is more noticable because it's a bit darker and has more red pigments. Big Apple Blush looks great with a nude colour lipstick. These blushes also do not feel sticky on my skin and they are very smooth. For around $4 CAD a stick, these Brushable Creme Sticks from N.Y.C are worth every penny.

RATING
Product (5/5)
Cost (5/5)
Ease of Use (5/5)
Packaging (4/5) - The text part on the cap can be easily scratched off.



PS, don't forget to enter my giveaway, which ends October 7th for a Coach wristlet. Follow the link on the side bar!



credit: newyorkcolor.com