Sunday, April 24, 2011

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone! I'm off to my grandparents' house to celebrate. We're pretty big on Easter -maybe you can tell from the photo above. =P Will be back soon..

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Designer Therapy

Last night, my little sister showed me this super awesome toy of hers. I'm not sure what brand it's from but basically you get a plastic mannequin with some scraps of fabric. You wrap and layer the various fabrics over the mannequin and secure it in the back (where there's a slot to insert the fabric.) I got so into it that I cut up pieces of my own fabric to add a little more spunk into the not-so-great choices that were included in the set.

My Designs..
I've mentioned this a few times but since I was a little girl up until my senior year of high school, I dreamt of being a fashion designer. This was before every girl (and boy) on earth wanted to be a designer. Instead of playing with dress-up clothes, I opted for playing with pieces of fabric and tied and pinned them together to make my own clothes. And before I had fabric, I'd tape construction paper together to make dresses! Here are some of the"designs" that I came up with..

The strapless sweetheart necklines were especially difficult. Most of the instructions in the guide showed strapless dresses but I wanted to put my own spin on everything! I wish I had more fabric.

This weekend, I think I'll stop by the store and pick up more fabric for me my sister to play with.

P.S. I'm finally somewhat done with everything that I have to do. School's been decided, most of the stuff involving the accident is over, I got a new car, etc. BUT, I've got tons of schoolwork to finish this week so I really, really hope to get back to get back to regular posts soon.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Something I've Always Wanted.. (My Name Necklace)

Let me tell you, I've always dreamed of having something with my name on it. When I was younger, I'd go to souvenir store and such only to find adorable keychains and dazzling necklaces with every name in the book but mine. I'd browse the selection and see everything from "Bob" and "Nicholas" to "Samantha" and "Angelina" but there was never ever a "Kali." I've never even met someone with my exact name (same spelling and pronunciation) -it figures why they wouldn't bother with my name.

I first saw the MyNameNecklace months ago after seeing it featured on various blogs. After reading many positive reviews, the necklace immediately held a spot in the "most wanted" section of my wishlist. Because of this, I was thrilled when I was given the opportunity to work with the company a few weeks ago.

I received the sterling silver necklace (on sale for $33.95) and I had it customized to say my name -"Kali." The necklace chain comes in three length choices: 14", 16", and 18" -I went with the 16" and it's the perfect length. It's not too long as I like my necklaces worn higher but it's not too short that it's uncomfortable.

Helpful Hint: If you're unsure about which length will be right for you, try using some tailor tape to measure around your neck. If you don't have tailor tape, use a ruler and cut a piece of string so that it's 18" long. If it's too long, cut off 2" and if it's still too long, cut off another 2" so it's 14" (the shortest length.) This way, you get an idea of how long the necklace will be.

I received my necklace last Friday and have been wearing it nearly every day since. I've already received several compliments and I love that it's so unique -I may be the only one in the world wearing this exact necklace! =P Another major plus is that the necklace stands out without being flashy and tacky. The white gold version is next on my list.

 
If you have a not-so-normal name like mine and have always wanted to own a piece of jewelry with your name on it, I highly recommend this necklace. If not, I still recommend it because the necklace is absolutely beautiful  -and the price doesn't hurt either!

If you're interested in purchasing a product from MyNameNecklace, use the code GIFT or DISCOUNT for 10% off your entire purchase. They also offer free standard worldwide shipping which I'm sure my international readers will love to hear.

Where To Buy: MyNameNecklace

Disclosure: This post contains products sent by the manufacturer or PR. For more information, check out my disclaimer at the bottom of the page.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Presents & Freebies

As you all know, I gave up buying basically anything makeup/fashion related for Lent. However, I have received some random small presents and freebies here and there over the last few weeks.

My most recent present was Quite Cute lipstick from MAC's new Quite Cute collection. He knew that I was really looking forward to this collection and so he asked if I wanted anything. At first, I wanted quite a few products but after seeing all the online swatches and reviews, all I wanted was Quite Cute -a pale lavender lipstick.

Last Friday, I also got a nice surprise in the mail from MyNameNecklace.com. I've been eyeing the customizable name necklaces on their site for months so I was thrilled that they decided to work with me. I've been wearing mine nonstop and have received several compliments!

Two weeks ago, my mom got me a little pink wallet that's perfect for trips to the city when I don't want to carry my huge purse. She also got a pack of six monkey key caps (I love key caps!) and gave me three. She, of course, took all the shades I usually go for (pink, purple, blue)! But I do love the green, orange, and gray that she gave me.

A few weeks ago, I was at the Disney Store and saw a bunch of key chains on sale. I snapped up a "villains" featuring Ursula, Cruella de Vil, Evil Queen, and Maleficent for about $3! I want to go back to get another to give as a present but I'm not sure if they're gone. P.S. THESE are the four characters that should've been featured in MAC's Venomous Villains collection.

And then finally, we have the freebies. I received the Target Beauty is My Bag freebie last week and have been loving it. In addition to this lovely freebie, I also received an Essie Polish in One Day Without Blues. A few weeks ago, TOMS was having a drawing where they gave away 5,000 bottles for liking them on Facebook. The polishes weren't given to the first 5,000 people -it was actually a drawing. And me being the goof I am, wrote the wrong address on the entry page. I knew I made a mistake but I clicked the submit button without thinking because I was in a rush. Because of this, I told my boyfriend and he entered too. Luckily, I didn't win (it would've been sent to the wrong house!) but my boyfriend did. P.S. I believe winners received an email if they won.


I know these things are tiny but they've really made me happy. I'm also really proud of myself for not buying any makeup or clothes (for myself.) Let me tell you, it's been TOUGH. For some reason, all the deals have been during Lent! They had the GAP Give and Get 30% promo, Sephora VIBS get 15% off (promo: VIBCHIC) from April 14-21, Cherry Culture had a 20% off sale, and in general, there's just been some awesome deals everywhere I like to shop. These are sales I've been waiting months for and they just happen to fall during Lent!! Ugh. I'm mostly upset about the 15% off at Sephora since there are a ton of things that I've been wanting to get with 15% off. The discount ends right before Easter too. =( At least I get to save money though..

Have a fabulous Monday everyone. What have you recently hauled?

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

The Power of the Little Things in Life..


I told you all in one of my recent posts that I've been struggling lately. This week has been nonstop craziness which is why again, I've missed yet another Nudey Tuesday. I have to buy a new car by the weekend, my car is getting towed away in a day or so (it was totaled), school just started, I haven't even had time to buy books or start homework, I'm still deciding which classes to keep/drop, I'm not getting any sleep, etc. After leaving the dealership today, I just sat in the car and cried for a good hour or so. Life's just been a pain in the butt lately and it's hard when I feel like giving up.

So when I got home, seeing this Target Beauty is My Bag freebie in the mail brought tears to my eyes again -but tears of joy this time. I know it's so silly and a little pathetic but it's kind of the only "good" thing that's happened today. I was sad a few weeks ago because I thought these had run out (several folks had gotten theirs early.)

Ooh! And my boyfriend got one today too (I told him about it when I signed up for mine) so I'll most likely be giving away the same makeup bag in my giveaway. I think he wants to use the products inside though because he already used the lip balm. =P

What was included in the package?
  • Sonia Kashuk purple/blue/white makeup bag (full size)
  • Neutrogena Naturals Lip Balm (full size)
  • Pantene Flat to Volume Shampoo (travel size)
  • Nivea Express Hydration Lotion (travel size)
  • Revlon ColorBurst Lipgloss sample
  • Fekkai Shea Butter Shampoo/Conditioner samples
  • Booklet of $25+ worth of Target coupons
If you signed up for this, I hope you get yours soon! Again, regular posts will start up again once I sort my life out. Agh! Hopefully by this weekend. =(

Monday, April 4, 2011

My Boyfriend's Favorite Look

There's a certain makeup look that my boyfriend loves -he's deemed it his "favorite look." I by no means dress up for him but on occasion, I think it's nice to consider what he likes since I too give him suggestions when it comes to his appearance. For instance, I love when he wears camouflage shorts. And when it comes to me,  he likes when I wear very natural looking makeup. The following products contain the essentials to creating my boy's "favorite look."

Eyes
  1. Milani Eye Tech Liquid Liner in Black (review here)
  2. MAC Pearlglide Pencil in Black Russian
  3. Urban Decay 24/7 Pencil in Whiskey (review here)
  4. Shiseido Nourishing Mascara Base
  5. Tarte MultiplEYE Mascara
  6. Make Up For Ever Waterproof Eyebrow Corrector
  7. Smashbox Brow Tech Wax (review here)
Face
  1. Fresh Twilight Freshface Glow
  2. Smashbox Soft Lights in Shimmer (review here)
  3. Milani Baked Blush in Dolce Pink (review here)
Lips
  1. Black Jack Intense Therapy Lip Balm (review here)
  2. LORAC Multiplex 3D in Polished (review here)
The look is extremely simple and fuss free. I basically just fill in my brows, line my eyes, dab on a bit of blush, smooth on some gloss and I'm done. I like to add illuminator and highlight certain areas too to add some depth but other then that, the look is natural looking and adds just the tiniest amount of "pop."

Take a look..

What about when it comes to fashion?

Source (Before)

I read an article yesterday that was fairly entertaining and sort of related to this post. Basically, some guys got to choose some outfits for their ladies. Initially, I thought they'd dress up their women in something tacky or tasteless but surprisingly, the majority of the "after" outfits chosen by the men were a lot better than than the "before" outfits. I don't know if they had help but if this was all them, I've got to give them some major props.

I'm curious to see what my boyfriend would "dress" me in if he had the chance. He usually likes what I wear normally so I think it could be a challenge if he were to try to give me a drastic makeover.

Do you ever dress up (or down) for your significant other? How do your fashion and beauty tastes differ? Have a fabulous Monday everyone. <3