Ipsy November 2013: Glam It Up

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
20 November 2013
0

I’m pretty pleased with the Ipsy bag this time around, partly because there’s an extra beyond the usual 5! I do think IpsyMatch could have matched me up with something I’d love a lot more, but I’m getting more open to trying some products I don’t usually use.

Ipsy is $10 per glam bag and comes with 5 or so beauty/skincare products. Bags are sent monthly with no option to skip. There’s usually a waitlist to get the subscription. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards free products.

ipsy november 2013 bag items with card including nailtini lacquer in champagne, pixi beauty bronzer in summertime, cailyn mineral eyeshadow in champagne, em michelle phan pillow plush lip balm in strawberry, be a bombshell lip crayon in hot da*n, and starlooks gem pencil in amethyst

collage of em michelle phan cosmetics info card front and back from ipsy november 2013 bag

The Nailtini Lacquer in Champagne looks kind of dark at first, but it applies in a lovely shade that is really subtle and nice. It’s perfect for work when I don’t want to draw attention to my nails but I want them to have some color. It goes well with my skin tone and blends in quite well yet offers a nice sheen to my nails. I like it a lot and I’ll definitely be using it a lot throughout the holiday season!

I’m still debating whether I should open the Pixi Beauty Bronzer in Summertime…I’ve never used bronzer and I don’t want to keep adding to my routine. At the same time, I’m kind of curious how it would look and if I’d like it. I guess since I already have it I might as well try it right? Not like I’d buy one for myself. But I don’t know about adding yet another thing to put on my face – wasn’t the point of BB cream supposed to be that I wouldn’t use all this? I’m still searching for the perfect all-in-one product for that.

I really like the presentation of the Cailyn Mineral Eyeshadow in Champagne, what with its cute sponge tip and loos powder consistency. I gave this a try and while I don’t like wearing eyeshadow, I do like having something like this to put on my skin for a bit of a golden sparkle. It’s really more of a novelty item for me and not something I’d put on the way it was meant to be. I’m enjoying playing around with this and just being silly with it.

Everyone got a bonus item from the em michelle phan line of cosmetics and I got the pillow plush cushiony lip balm in strawberry – perfect! Out of all the products, this would probably be the most fitting for me. I love the subtle strawberry scent and the nice rich texture. It applies well, has a bit of a red tint, and feels nice. The packaging is cute though I think it would have been cool if the lid had a mirror instead of the white background so you can get a glimpse of your lips with it.

The be a bombshell lip crayon in hot dang* is a fun bright red! I never go for something so vibrant and prefer much more neutral colors that blend in with my skin tone better, but I decided to have some fun with this. I don’t know if I’ll ever wear it out since red lips attract too much attention to that area for my liking, but hey now I have just the right thing to apply if I ever need to make a perfect red lip print on something! It’s really smooth and easy to glide on to your lips.

Finally, there’s the Starlooks Gem Eye Pencil in Amethyst. I’m tempted to open it since I love purple, but I really don’t see myself using it. Apparently it can be an eyeliner or eyeshadow. I can see myself trying it for kicks but not actually using it when I go out. Ah, dilemmas. So far I haven’t opened any of the Starlooks items that have come in Ipsy bags so maybe it’s time to try one. I mean, how could I resist amethyst??? One of my favorite gemstones and words…

This might be the second time that I won’t be trading anything from my bag! Would you keep all these items? What did you get in your bag? Sign up for Ipsy if you like what you see!

 

*Yes I changed this word because I don’t curse. I don’t care if it’s the name or not. 😛

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this bag and wanted to share what I got!]

365great Day 250: parasailing

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
19 November 2013
0

365great challenge day 250: parasailingWhen my parents and I were in Cancun, my dad and I went parasailing. It was so amazing to be up in the air like that, floating above the ocean with insane views of the gorgeous waters and coastline. It was very serene, since there wasn’t much to hear except the rustle of the gentle breeze. I hardly felt like we were moving at all and it really just seemed like we were sitting in midair. Everything was so picturesque and perfect that I wouldn’t have wanted to come down were it not for the fact that my feet were getting cold after being still for so long in that harness. It was a lovely experience to share with my dad, whose love of adventure and fun like this shone on his face. I must have gotten that from him, because we were both grinning ear to ear during and after the ride. Not only was it fantastic to try that activity, it was great to share it with my dad.

Alone in a crowd

laelene Posted in general blog，
19 November 2013
0

I got a chance to enjoy a meal by myself today, actually sitting down at a restaurant instead of taking it back to the office. It’s been some time since I’ve done that and I enjoyed sunbathing from my table as I slowly ate my meal. It’s pretty relaxing and a great way to unwind. I had nothing to do but sit there and enjoy my food. It was also a chance to people watch – that couple in the corner by the fake flowers that touched them on their way out to see if they were real, the other girl eating alone nearby, the family across from me that didn’t seem to speak much to each other and sat around for awhile after there was no more food on the table, the colleagues or friends next to me talking about work and personality types…

tree in fall with bright yellow leaves against blue sky

Take some time to notice the beauty around you!

I also took the time to observe the little things – the heat of the sun’s rays on my face, the coziness of the restaurant, the wind blowing the decorations outside, the clatter of workers putting away dishes, the softness of my pasta, and the way that time kind of melted away. I love noticing these random details and taking the time to appreciate them. Perhaps I should go out to lunch on my own a bit more frequently. When you can just get lost among a crowd, it’s not lonely and it’s quite peaceful (at least to me). I like letting the world around me hum along at its pace as I take a step back. People tend to get caught up in their hectic lives and I don’t want to be that way, so moments to myself in the midst of a work week is really nice. I’m also looking forward to a yoga class I’m going to later this week that includes a meditation portion. I’m sure that will be rejuvenating too!

365great Day 249: praying mantis

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , ,
18 November 2013
0

365great challenge day 249: praying mantisI love it whenever I catch a praying mantis. They’re tough cookies, but have an elegance about them in the way they move. Once, I kept one indoors for so long that its eyes went black. It literally went blind on me. I’d put my finger up to its face and get no reaction. I felt horrible, so I took it outside into the grassy area and watched it wander around for awhile. Somehow, miraculously, its eyes recovered and it flinched when I tried to get too near. Soon enough, it scampered away to its natural habitat. Ever since then, I’ve been careful to only play with them for a few minutes before releasing them. They’re surprisingly interested in people and I’ve had more than a few come to me. It’s pretty cool to get that sort of interaction with an insect. I’ve always enjoyed playing with them, so that’s great for me!

SEO Surprise

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , ,
18 November 2013
0

I’m totally geeking out after finding out that one of my pictures is showing up on the Google Image search for “UCLA” at a pretty good position! You may not find it above the fold like I do, but more than likely you’ll find it’s the very first image that isn’t one of Royce Hall, campus, or the various UCLA logos. It’s totally random since it’s the picture of Panda proposing to me at UCLA… where you don’t really see much of the campus at all. Then it links out to my blog posts that are tagged “UCLA” so you don’t even see this picture without a ton of scrolling. However it managed to make its way up the image searches is a mystery to me, but I love it!

google images search results for ucla

Here’s how it went down: my manager and I were sitting talking when the conversation led to the architecture at UCLA. He decided to search for images of UCLA and as he was scrolling through them, I was shocked to find something so familiar – that picture of our proposal! I could hardly believe my eyes and I had to go check another coworker’s computer to ensure it wasn’t just showing up because Google tracks your searches. Amazing how I didn’t do a thing and it managed to creep up to that spot. Who knows what other photos are out there in those searches!

It’s the little wins in life that bring joy to your everyday. 🙂

365great Day 248: random acts of kindness

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , , , , ,
17 November 2013
0

365great challenge day 248: random acts of kindnessMy fourth year of college, for Valentine’s Day, I was super surprised when I got a delivery. My fraternity was doing one of those fundraisers where you can send a flower and bear in a cute little package to anyone on campus. When one of them came to me, I was sooo confused. Who in the world would have gotten me something for Valentine’s? I didn’t have a boyfriend or even anyone I was seeing. Baffled, I took to the web and eventually got a message from a random friend who just thought it’d be nice to send me something, so he bought one for me to support the fundraiser. How sweet is that? Then when I was in the UK, I joined LoveSoc, a club that some students put together where they’d prompt you to do random acts of kindness, like giving hugs or leaving change. It’s those little surprises that can be so wonderful, especially when they’re completely out of the blue. I really should do more of those. As a kid I was very generous – probably even too generous – and I miss those days of bringing a smile to people’s faces. It’s one of the greatest feelings in the world.

Return to New York: Walk Down Memory Lane

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, photo blog，Tags: , , , , , , ,
17 November 2013
1

I thought I could summarize all of our long weekend activities from last weekend into one post, but as it turns out, there are 77 pictures I want to share, so I’m splitting them up into two posts. First off will be the day we spent revisiting my old stomping grounds and faded memories in the areas of Westchester and Brewster. The rest will come in another post! Now, join me as I go down memory lane…

beautiful day for a road trip with clear blue skies and little traffic on the roads

A perfect start to our trip!

large truck with bales of hay tied down

This reminds me of the time my friend yelled HEY while driving… what she meant was HAY (on a truck), lol.

dillsburg tobacco outlet convenience store with gas station

I’d like a side of gas station with my tobacco outlet please.

driving torwards george washington bridge from new jersey side

Crossing over…

free samples of sliced honey crisp apples at whole foods

A quick pit stop at a ginormous Whole Foods leads us to these yummy apple samples.

free samples of tortilla strips and guacamole dip at whole foods

We totally pigged out on the chips and guac alongside some employees. It had quite a kick!

marinated mushrooms with garlic and herbs at olive bar in whole foods

I was sooo excted when I saw marinated mushrooms, but after buying them and trying them, I found they weren’t the taste I was looking for.

venus flytraps for sale at whole foods market

I *almost* bought one of these, but I’m holding off til we move.

holding cart basket with wheels at whole foods

What a fun basket cart you can wheel around!!

colorful kayaks lined up outside ll bean store

Such pretty colors. I’d love to hop in one and explore a river.

driving along small road with trees growing close on both sides

I’d forgotten what it was like to drive on roads like these.

westchester community college parking lot by academic arts building

The first memory we revisited: Westchester Community College, where I had Chinese school on Sundays. I still remember the parking lot area!

westchester community college academic arts building

And that’s the building where I learned many years of Chinese and took a cartooning class, a paper cutting class, an oil pastel class, and more…

brand new wendy's building with very modern look

Whoa, check out that super modern Wendy’s!

freeway exit sign for brewster

IT’S MY TOWN!!!

brewster train station

Good old train station where we’d pick up my dad after work.

former house in brewster hill

Aww, my old house! We were the first tenants; I wonder how many have lived there since.

former house of pearson's in brewster

I took a quick peek at the house where I used to babysit a family of 5 kids. The only family I’ve ever babysat for!

sunset and lake in distance viewed from brewster hill with steep road going down

Our neighborhood is up on a STEEP hill. I don’t know if you can tell but take a look at the person walking up. Great views from here!

henry h wells middle school panoramic

Hello, middle school. This is where I learned how to make tweeties, played full-contact basketball with the guys, and went to some awkward dances.

brewster hill general store

Across the street from the middle school is the deli that I remember so fondly.

brewster hill general store menu of classic sandwiches

They still have my fav sandwich, the Pesature, which I liked mostly because I knew the people it was named after.

holding up menu for brewster hill general store inside store by deli

I love this place because of the deviled eggs. I’ve never been able to find ones that I like better.

pesature sandwich and deviled eggs from brewster hill general store

So of course, I had to stock up on those eggs! The nice lady threw in two for free when I got half a dozen. NOMMMMM

pretty pinkish sunset through bare tree branches

Such a pretty sunset out here.

panoramic of brewster high school

My old high school, which did not have the left half when I moved away. Too bad I couldn’t see the old part, where I knew everyone in my graduating class (and many in other grade levels too), took way too many classes at once, learned of 9/11 (and got sent home), and always had snacks to share with friends.

fidder on the roof poster and picture of cast from brewster high school 2002 performance

I watched Fiddler on the Roof when I was a sophomore and it was cool to find the poster up, albeit at the far end of the hall where it might get phased out in a few years. I still recognize many people in the pictures!

brewster high school pride of 2004 poster for graduating class

If only I’d stayed to graduate from this school, I might just have made it on this poster.

stone brewster high school sign lit up at night

It was a brief visit, but good to see my old school. Go Bears!

tuned to z100 radio station in new york region

Tuned in to my radio station from back in the day. Over a decade later and I still like what they play.

stew leonard's world's largest dairy store storefront at night

I only vaguely remembered Stew Leonard’s and I really wanted to show Panda the singing cows.

panoramic of stew leonard's interior section with fruit stands

It’s massive inside and like an IKEA, where you follow a single path winding through the store. Tons of electronic animals will sing to you as you pass by or press a button.

stew leonard's checkout aisles

It’s such a homey feel in here.

stew leonard's christmas trees all lit up and stowed away in tented area

As we were leaving, I caught a glimpse of Christmas trees that were hidden away in a tent. I just had to investigate!

There were so many memories that came back to me, like that pizza place we JROTC kids used to walk to and the trek from the middle school to the high school for track practice and the peacock farm near the high school and the hidden trail that we’d run on for gym sometimes and the few driving lessons I took (including the awful mistakes I made) and riding my bike into town and volunteering at the library that was practically smaller than my house and hanging out with the guys from the group home and all my crazy nicknames (like China White, which I’d completely forgotten) and so much more… coming back after getting a better sense of where things are on a map really helped me with my scattered memories. I was able to piece a lot back together and I had a ton of random stories to share. It was a fabulous time!

365great Day 247: Dinners for 12 Strangers

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , , , ,
16 November 2013
0

365great challenge day 247: dinners for 12 strangersThis is a fun UCLA tradition that I have participated in both as a student and alumna. You basically get alumni to volunteer to host a bunch of students for dinner. Usually this is at an alum’s home, but sometimes it could be at other venues that they have reserved, like one time when I had a meal at one of the restaurants at the Anderson School of Management. On average, it will be two alumni to about ten students, but of course the number will vary depending on how many Bruins sign up. As a student, it was an opportunity to meet some fellow students, enjoy a free meal, and learn from alum. It was nice to see what some of them had been doing since graduating and getting any advice from them regarding school and/or work. On the flip side, as a host, I enjoyed working with co-hosts to put together the meal, learning about what’s been going on at UCLA since graduating, and sharing my apartment for a night of chatting. For hosting, we were given these cute little cutting boards as a thank you. 🙂 It’s a great way to connect with more Bruins over the years!

Influenster Rose VoxBox

laelene Posted in reviews，Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
16 November 2013
0

got it from influenster badgeFor a long time, I’d been waiting to receive this Influenster VoxBox. Day after day I’d be disappointed when it wasn’t in the mail. Finally, I decided to check my old emails and found that there was a tracking link I’d totally missed back when they sent it out. According to that, my package had been delivered on Nov. 1st! Yet here I was two weeks later with no sign of it… I called the rental office since they receive packages that won’t fit in the mailbox and thankfully, my package was there with them. All this time of waiting when I could have been enjoying it! I miss the days when the post lady left a slip so I’d know there was a package to go pick up. Usually we get a notification slip from the office if we haven’t picked up the package in a few days, but that somehow slipped me by as well. Sooo let’s dig right in!

contents of influenster rose voxbox with vitabath lotion, dr scholl's cozy cushions, rimmel mascara, kiss gradation nail polish kit, lindor chocolates, and belvita biscuits

The Rose VoxBox. These Influenster boxes keep getting better!

I’m pretty excited about this box. Just like the Sunkissed VoxBox, I’m interested in every single item here! I love the variety of products to explore and some of these products are quite novel to me.

Vitabath Spa Day Cucumber & White Tea hydrating lotion – Anything with white tea and I’m in. I love the light refreshing scent of this lotion and its nice rich texture. Perfect for keeping the whole body nourished during the winter months. This is a large bottle that will last for quite awhile! It really does give me a great relaxing spa feel and I can’t stop smelling my skin. 😛 It’s wonderful!

Dr. Scholl’s  For Her Cozy Cushions – Omg when I saw this I was so amused! I had no idea Dr. Scholl’s makes insoles like this (or that something like this existed at all). They’re the best thing you could ask for in boots and other winter wear. When I get my boots from home this Thanksgiving, I’m totally putting these in. This is amazing! I can’t wait to try them out and make boot-wearing so much more comfortable.

Rimmel Retro Glam mascara – I’ve never tried Rimmel products before and I’m looking forward to trying out this fun mascara. I have some others I want to work through first, but I might still open it before those are used up. I don’t use mascara nearly enough to get to it anytime soon, so maybe I should start wearing it daily.

Kiss Gradation polishes – Ah so cool!! I have done a two-tone gradation myself before but nothing quite as fancy as this three-tone one. The colors are a bit bold for my normal wear, but I’ll try them out on my toes and for a holiday party or other special event. Very starry night or wintery sort of feel with this look!

Lindt Lindor milk chocolate truffles – Classic chocolate treat. Always a win in my book! I enjoy Lindor truffles, so I wish they’d included more. That cute little container only includes one ball! Certainly not enough for my sweet tooth.

belVita blueberry breakfast biscuits – I’ve had these in previous boxes and I enjoy them! I should probably actually buy some to snack on. I love that they’re sweet and crunchy for a satisfying burst of flavor when you munch on them. Probably a better way to start the day than with cereal (or, in my case, nothing).

What do you think of the #RoseVoxBox?

365great Day 246: Influenster

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , ,
16 November 2013
0

365great challenge day 246: influensterI finally got my hands on my Rose VoxBox from Influenster and I’m thrilled! It’s been a few months since I received a box from them (all of which are FREE) and I’m excited to dig in. I love the stuff that Influenster gives out and I find it amusing that my entire supply of Dr. Scholl’s has been from them (as of this box I have 3 different insoles). Influenster offers free boxes like these to people who are active on social media, maybe have a blog or vlog, and enjoy sharing great products. You earn a score based on your interaction with their site and what you post online. There are a variety of tasks you can do to boost your score, like write reviews, take surveys, and share on social media. If you’re interested, let me know and I’ll send an invite. It’s a great way to discover cool products just by leveraging your social influence online.

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