Haul | Rosy Shades

eyeshadow: MAC all that glitters | lipstick: MAC modesty | lip gloss: Marc Jacobs moonglow | lip liner: Make Up For Ever aqualip 3c

Button Down Shirts

Similar: forever 21 | Aritzia 

I've been obsessing over button down shirts recently in the past week.

This shirt was a great find by my friend. This top was under $30! It has a more structured/put-together look to it. This shirt can be worn with jeans or leggings which can dress the look up or down. And it's also perfect for work!

Update | Boots

It's been a total of 3 weeks since I've been sick. After I had gotten the flu, I ended up having viral bronchitis which landed me in the emergency room twice! It was a really scary experience because there were several times I felt like I couldn't breathe. Several medications and breathing treatments later, I am back at work and slowly eating regular meals. I have to say, I've slimmed down a tiny bit since I was sick and my face has cleared up quite a bit thanks to antibiotics; the antibiotics I took while I was sick helped clear some acne and scarring. Killing two birds with one stone.

I'm super excited now that I am better and can finally dress up, go out, and continue my weekly blogging as usual. I haven't put on makeup in over 3 weeks and have a backlog of makeup I have stocked up on before getting sick. Swatches and reviews on beauty products will be coming up... stay tuned!

 Now onto the fashion side... I cannot get enough of these Jimmy Choo biker boots. These have been my go-to shoe for the past couple of weeks since it finally started raining in the Bay Area.

These boots are edgy and chic AND a tall girl's best friend! The biker boots are flat with a slight heel to them. They are super sturdy and made with leather aka water resistant, score! I personally love to wear these with leggings; dressed up or down. I purchased these late in 2014 and they are still looking like new.

OOTD | tbt to Wente Winery

Urban Outfitter top | Zara skirt | Valentino Rockstud Pumps | Chanel boy bag

I had the flu a week ago and have been resting since. I missed out on an entire week of work, warm weather, and my childhood friend's wedding. Anyway, the *fever is finally gone* but I still have body aches. I'm getting ready for my best friend's birthday in a week! My friend is planning on having her birthday at a winery, still undecided. I will definitely post pictures!

Here is a throwback to my birthday at Wente Winery in Livermore.

Gifts from Paris

A dear friend of mine visited Paris a couple of weeks ago and brought me back a couple of goodies. I've been searching for the Chanel compact mirror for some time now and it seems to be always sold out at my local Chanel counters & boutiques! Luckily I got my hands on one, and that too from Paris. And of course, anything that comes in a white Chanel shopping bag is even more special!

 Ladrée macrons | Chanel Miroir Double Facettes

Valentine Goodies

I may not be into the the whole red/pink outfits but I sure don't mind it on my feet!

 

Chanel flats | Ferragamo "Varina" flats

OOTD | Baby Shower

BCBG Max Azria dress | Givenchy Antigona Envelope clutch | Christian Louboutin pumps

Baby Shower

A friend of mine threw a baby shower last weekend and because I find shopping for children fun and exciting, I decided to post my thoughts & gift.

While most people have registries, the registry link I was given had a lot of purchased items so I was left on my own to purchase something else. I ended up taking some of the knowledge I learned working in a children's department and gifting a few key items that I feel every mother needs, at least this is what I've noted when several mothers purchased like items from me, haha. 

A blanket. I'm not a mother but I'm sure when that time comes, I wouldn't want to put polyester-type fabrics on him/her. I purchased an organic cotton blanket; super soft that any baby can be wrapped up in. Check out my other recommendations here & here.

One-piece suits aka onesies. Along with the mothers I shopped with at the department store, I've seen my own family favor onesies over 2-piece suits. At a young age, you don't want to fuss around with multiple clothing items. Placing your baby in one outfit and buttoning them up is the way to go. I've heard from several mothers that these Gap one-piece suits hold up really well- and are true to size! (boy's version here)

Bib. Because you can't have enough- says almost any mother, for quick wipes here & there.

Check out some other popular baby shower gifts:

Swaddling Cloths. after each wash, the fabric gets softer and softer. Why wouldn't you want to wrap your child in this?

MamaRoo.The best gift any mother can receive. This nifty bouncer plays soothing sounds to calm a baby, as well as move in different motions. My favorite? Driving a car motion; a much safer alternative... and you save gas, haha.

WubbaNub. I've probably sold and/or suggested one of these to almost all my baby gifting customers. The little stuffed giraffe or monkey prevents this pacifier from getting lost.

I googled some images of baby gift wrap to get an idea to jazz up my Baby Gap gift box. Taking some twine and some hand-cut images added a sweet touch for the mommy-to-be. Hope she enjoyed it as much as I did shopping for it!

Haul | Tom Ford

I stopped by a Tom Ford counter to check out the Sable Smoke lipstick and walked out with a couple of more items. After trying on several different lip colors, my ultimate favorite has to be Warm Sable. 

Sable Smoke | Warm Sable | Ravish blush

I will show lip swatches in upcoming posts once I get my lighting down.

Wellness Journal- Erin Condren

My new year resolution has always been to control my eating, eat healthy, lose weight... etc. As I stated in my previous post, I am not trying to "diet," I am trying to control my eating habits. This is simply a way to track my snacks and meals so I can later look back to see where I was eating right and where I could have changed things around. In the last 2 years, I used my Erin Condren Life Planner as a meal log, exercise log, and an agenda. Although it did work, it did look chaotic at times... Having my trainer read my meal log and my personal to-do list was a bit embarrassing sometimes.

The wellness journal helps keep everything more organized. Each day contains a spot for: breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, activities, and my favorite- the water droplets, to indicate water intake. The left side has an area to write down any notes, goals, and or rewards; which I find super exciting. Hmm.. now that I think of it, what can I reward myself if I meet a certain goal? Wait, no! I just started. 

But, I definitely will reward myself if I get somewhere at the end of the month. The 3 month journal contains an area on the first page to track your start & end weight and measurements for each month. *crosses fingers* Hope all goes well. So far, I am off to a healthier start!

Get $10 off your first Erin Condren order by clicking here. This link will automatically deduct $10 off your first purchase at checkout!

New Year Resolution & Erin Condren Unboxing

Eat healthy. Now this doesn't mean "to diet." It's a resolution I'd like to keep for myself to eliminate the unnecessary sugar and processed food in my diet. I seem to have the exercise part down but the foody in me cannot resist a snack here and there. So time to cut back!

Limit eating out. Eating out has to stop. There is something weird about me that I cannot seem to enjoy the food I bring from home to work. I normally eat out; sandwiches and/or salads but that just adds up from Monday through Friday. I have been looking up quick and easy recipes so that I can begin bringing breakfast & lunch to work starting the new year. If all goes well, I might even blog about it.

Stay Hydrated. When I'm putting all of my attention into work, there are times where I neglect taking breaks; stretching, walking, & especially drinking water. I probably drink half of my water intake than I am supposed to. I will be giving myself little reminders here and there from my phone or even just pausing my work to drink some water. 

 

beautiful packaging by Erin Condren

I recently ordered my 2016 Life Planner along with the Wellness Journal. I'm excited to start logging in the foods I eat in my new Wellness Journal. This will help me keep track of the food I eat and what I can do to improve my diet. No lying, everything I eat, good or bad, will be logged on here. 

Get $10 off your first Erin Condren order by clicking here. This link will automatically deduct $10 off your first purchase at checkout!

Staying hydrated throughout Winter

I tend to turn on the heater in the chillier months which can be very drying to my face. After numerous occasions of waking up to see my face peeling and burning, I've decided to lather my skin with moisturizing products that will keep my face hydrated throughout the night.

Here are a few of my favorite products that keep my skin quenched during Winter months:

diptyque Cleansing Balm. While this can remove makeup off of your face, I use this as my hydrating cleanser. Unlike other cleansers that make your skin feel tight or strip your skin of moisture, this thick balm leaves a nice soft layer from its wax and oils. (a little goes a long way with this pricey cleanser)

Josie Maran Argan Oil. Slap some of this oil onto your face for extra hydration at night. But don't actually slap your skin... tap it in! All that heat at night will suck the moisture out of your skin but this will create another layer of moisture on your skin. If the oil is too rich for you, try the lightweight version.

Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado. The last place you want to apply makeup onto are dry under eyes; where makeup tends to settle in those fine lines. Applying a thick creamy eye cream like this the night before will allow your concealer and/or highlights to be applied on smoothly. And it also plumps those tired eyes from looking saggy.

Vaseline. It has multiple uses but my favorite, is for the lips. I used to use several different lip balms years ago until I realized Vaseline was the only product that kept my lips from getting chapped. I also noticed I don't have to reapply as often as I do with other lip balms. And the best part, it's inexpensive.

L'Occitane Hand Cream with 20% Shea Butter. Don't we all hate ashy hands? And the worst feeling is when your hands hurt due to how dry they are (mine do). This hand cream soaks into your skin instantly and keeps them moisturized. No oily hands or excess perfume/scent lingering around with this product!

OOTD | Star Wars Episode 7

It was so much fun to dress up in our Eleven Paris sweaters to the movies!

Buy your Darth Vader sweater here (on sale!), here, or here!
Buy your R2-D2 sweater here (on sale!) or here!

& if you're into listening to podcasts and want to listen to the review on Star Wars, check it out here! The first 3 and half minutes are spoiler-free!

Sephora Collection Eye Masks

When I was packing for my last trip, I stopped at Sephora to stock up on some travel sized products. Upon checking out, I noticed the Sephora brand eye masks and decided to try them out.

For 5 bucks a pop, these eye masks hydrate the under eye area and give off a feeling of your skin feeling tightened. Some of my favorites include Rose (ultra moisturizing and brightening), Green Tea (relaxing & refreshing, and Lotus (moisturizing and soothing).

I took the Rose eye mask with me to my last trip and stuck on these drenched cotton pads under my eyes towards the last our of my flight. The packet inside contains a lot of product; be sure to squeeze the product out and apply more of that serum onto your mask. As the packet states, after 15 minutes (I kept it on until I felt my skin absorb in the product) I peeled off the strips and tapped the rest of the serum in my face. My skin instantly felt refreshed and tight.

*Tip* These inexpensive eye masks would make great stocking-stuffers. Buy yours here!

What's in my handbag?

I think this is a great topic to start off with for my first blog post. What's in my Celine bag?

Now that we are into the chilly season, I thought it would be appropriate to bring out my favorite Fall & Winter bag, the Mini Luggage in the color Grey (which actually looks more like a mossy/green). This structured tote holds all of my essentials plus more!

Cellphone, the one electronic most of us cannot leave the house without. I have the iPhone 6 Plus. Sadly, this phone does not fit in either of the open side pockets. This sits somewhere in the bottom of my bag.

Wallet, Louis Vuitton Insolite wallet. I've had this wallet for several years now. This hot pink interior is not available in stores but LV offers several different colors and prints throughout each season.

Makeup bag, which I think deserves it's own post.

Sunglasses, Céline Polarized sunglasses in the color black/smoke. I love over-sized sunnies! And although it's gloomy out, the sun still peaks out occasionally in the Bay Area. 

Cellphone, iPhone 6 Plus.

Camera (not pictured), for when I feel like taking pictures.