All in Good Taste

Notice any changes?

Lately I've been sick of redying my hair and maintaining the violet/blue, so I dyed those portions back to dark brown. I guess my faded ends should be dyed too.

Yesterday after class I went up to SF with Alex, and we did a lot of wandering around. I bought some eyeliner from Ichibankan, only to realize that I didn't buy liquid eyeliner, I bought crayon eyeliner. One thing I want to say is that I don't use crayon liner much anymore, but oh well, got to figure out a way to use it all up. So, now I'll be doing a lot of "Kim Yuna" inspired smokey eyes.



What a gorgeous girl.

Nails done! I screwed up my thumb rose because I slept on it before it cured all the way. I'm so sad, but I'm going to ask Asako if she can fix it. Or at least some advice on what to do about it.

I love it! She was really nice, trendy, and does some nice work. I love the gradations, and I have some plans for my next set of nails.

She's located in New People, between Baby, The Stars Shine Bright and Black Peace Now. I guess it's kind of weird to see the little empty table, but when she fills it up with all her nail stuff, it looks like it belongs. I loved getting my nails done.

Across the street, Alex got a perm. LOL! I don't have a picture, but he got it done by the same person as usual. His hair feels very straight and silky, which is a big first to me. It even swishes when he walks! I can't wait to see what it looks like after the first wash. It looked really nice when it was fresh.

These weren't as intense as I wanted, but that was mostly my fault because I didn't want to spend more time on it and I didn't have a clear view of what I wanted. Next time, I'm thinking white, black, gold, and red. White gradation, black designs, either a gold or red glitter heart or nail as an accent nail, black lace tape or black freehand designs.

I always get a high after finishing my homework. (Alex came by, and pantomimed smoking... NO it's not that kind of "high")

Anyways, bought some patterns off the Vogue Patterns website, since I couldn't find any dresses that were under $100 and made of natural fibers or natural fiber blends. In general, I prefer buying dresses, mostly because I stopped really having a lot of extra time to make them. It's really convenient. But, you can't beat the customization and fit of a hand made dress! And sometimes, it's nice to change it up and make something. Plus, it can be cheaper than buying it from the store.

And I swear, every time I look at my blonde pictures, I get an itch to go back to blonde. It's super ridiculous. I guess it may not be the most flattering color on me (I personally think it looks fine, but I know that there is a "better" color), but I still feel the urge to go and bleach my hair anyways. But then, I always remember the maintenance and how dry my hair always felt. The simplest solution would be to buy a wig, but there are some times when wigs are just so troublesome. But, at least they're less troublesome than maintaining blonde, right? I get the same feeling with pink, too. And light brown. But, must get to goal length, before destroying again. And at point, either the hairdresser will be overjoyed at the thought of virgin hair or have a heart attack at the thought of processing the length.

So, in the meantime, I have moved my obsession of tinkering to contact lenses, of the colored variety.

I'm a little surprised at myself that I didn't really write anything about circle lenses. They're not a new phenomenon, but they're something I use often, and really like.

I understand that they're called "circle lenses" but I always got the impressions that circle lenses are one of two things: colored contacts for dark eyes in general, or the lenses with the black or brown ring on the outside that aren't designed to add any color to your irises, but increase the diameter of your iris.

I remember reading about these in Wired magazine in high school, and wanting a pair. A few girls in school also wore them regularly, but I wasn't really in that crowd, nor did I think to ask.

Anyways, I like circle lenses, especially the colored ones. They're cheap and they show up on dark eyes. Some of the brown ones, especially, blend into your eye color very well, and looks really natural, while enhancing the depth of your eyes. I think of them as cheap, color contact lenses.

They're also really fun to have around, and if you wear contacts, why not get something a little fun?

I find them really comfortable, or at least, they're as comfortable as my regular contacts.

I did a little experiment, since I normally have to wear toric contacts.

Toric contacts are for people with astigmatism, and there are a few brands that make circle lenses for astigmatism. Unfortunately, I still haven't found any brands that sell them as cheap as regular circle lenses (for myopia), because toric lenses are more expensive to produce.

Now, some people are going to get anal on me, and I don't know if I should recommend this, but if you have mild to moderate astigmatism, and you're near sighted (I'm not sure about far-sighted folks), then you can get away with regular prescription circle lens.

Google tells me that to get my prescription, I need to half my cyclical and add it to my spherical. Which I did, then searched around for a site that not only has them in stock, but ships quickly and for a decent price.

Annnnd I got them in the mail, wore them for half a day, and they seem to feel the same as my toric circle lens, except these tend to move around my eye a little. I am a little more aware of them, but I don't think it's that much different from wearing regular toric lenses. Obviously, they aren't as clear as wearing my torics, and I'm not sure if that's because it's not toric, or because I rounded my prescription down. I think that they're passible, and it's possible to drive with them on in daylight and dusk, but it's a little difficult to see (than normal) once it gets darker. It should be fine for clubbing or going out, though. As long as you're not the one driving, or you don't wear them for super long periods of time.

So, where to get them?

My favorite sites are
Dollfront
Honey Color
demoi_pourvous

Dollfront has the fastest shipping, and they're reasonably cheap. They're based in San Jose, which is a big, big plus for me. They also have some prescriptions stocked, which is good if you want to try something on without waiting a long time to see if the lenses will work out for you. However, they only carry Geo lenses, and if they don't have your prescription, then you're going to have to join a preorder, and I prefer a different site for that. They offer free shipping in the US. All in all, my favorite site if I can find what I want in stock and can't wait for Honey Color to send to me.

Honey Color has circle lenses in all prescriptions in stock. They have very reasonable prices, and they have a lot of brands for circle lenses. They also have customer reviews on lenses, so you can see how comfortable they are, how brightly they show up, etcetera. They take a while to ship, and I'm not entirely sure where they are based. I do like their site for their variety and pricing.

Demoi_pourvous is my go-to for preorders. Hers are the cheapest I had ever seen, and she also offers wholesale prices for orders of ten contacts and more. Right now she has a preorder batch open for Geo and CTK lenses, and I highly recommend ordering some from her, since she offers free shipping and goodies when you buy three or more pairs of lenses. Shipping is also slow, since you have to wait for the preorder to fill, and she ships from the Philippines. However, if you are patient and you can't resist a good deal, or you're stocking up for the year, this is the site to go to.

And, all three companies gives you a free contact lens case to go with every pair of lenses you buy, which is a big plus.

Updated the thing about Google, so please, check it out!

hellangelss is doing a bulk order on Cyperous wigs in this entry. The wigs are apparently very high quality, and there are a lot of nice styles. A little bit pricey, but I'm assuming that since they're a well-known brand in Japan, they are worth the money.

Deadline to order is Feb 19, and deadline for payment is Feb 26.

She also has a couple sales going on with some costumes, so if you're in the size 0~4 range, check her out. She has some that can be work in the bigger sizes.

With that said, I looked over some wigs, since I've been missing my blonde and pink hair. I found a few potential ones to order. 
( Onto the wigs! )And I've also been thinking about going  to Las Vegas from April 3~6 for Easter/ spring break/ my birthday. Not sure if anyone wants to go, or if I even want to invite other people because 1) it's expensive and 2) I'm going to be rooming in my own room, so other people are going to have to get their own. If you book a hotel/flight package from Costco Travel, it is a little less expensive, though. 

With that said, I want to get some BIG BLING. 

( Read more... )

I've been sort of shopping like mad lately.

It's either that, or I'm buying quite a few small things here and there, since I've been starting to enjoy my disposable income.

Just came home from another day of shopping with my dear, and he helped me find a magazine at Kinokuniya for nail art, which I bought along with a magazine for eye makeup. I kind of wanted to buy a hair magazine too, but I feel that there wasn't enough short hair featured that I liked, so it was a pass.

Also went over to Neiman Marcus to oogle at the tree, and also to pass by the Macy's adoption display. Such cute animals! I bought a Chanel lipgloss (omg label whore, kill me now, right?), with the help of Alex and the severe-looking saleslady. After I purchased, the saleslady applied some of the tester on me, and the first thing I noticed was how silky it felt, especially in comparison to other lipglosses. It's definitely thick-feeling, but it's still going strong after two hours and kissing. I chose a very lightly pigmented, non-shimmery lipgloss because I kiss Alex often, and I know he doesn't like my lip color or shimmer on him. It's also keeping his lips moisturized for longer periods of time. Plus, I'm starting to go for more nude lips because I'm wearing a lot of falsies lately.

I know in the past that I said that I disliked lipglosses, but now that my skin is better and I've changed my makeup style, I've been looking towards lipglosses to make nude lips more appealing and less harsh.

After all these purchases, I'm looking for my last purchase, which is, of course, short falsies with a hard lashbone. I'm starting to wonder if there is such a thing.

Lately I've also been wearing my bangs off my face in a mini quiff (mini pomp) and the rest of my hair in a ponytail or a bun. Until I get more creative, I guess that's the style I will continue on with.

Back to the lipgloss. As you know, it's by Chanel, and I am one of those people who think that everyone should have at least ONE Chanel cosmetic. Mine used to be the compact foundation, but sadly, even though it sinks in beautifully and makes me look airbrushed, it breaks my skin out. I might try it again just to see if my skin reacts better to it.

The lipgloss I got is the from the Glossimer line, in Glaze. It's bright pink in the tube, but when applied, is supposed to be clearish with a pink tint. Well, I'm assuming that it has a pink tint from Makeupalley, because on my pigmented lips, it's pretty much clear. I tried this with a little concealer on my lips, and I was able to detect a very pretty tint. It's $27, which is pricy for what you're getting, but for what it's worth, it's a very long-lasting gloss.

It does have a very thick texture to it, which is different from any other lipgloss I tried. It reminds me of the old Estee Lauder lipglosses, which was very heavy, but not sticky. At the same time, it's not watery. It feels like gel on the lips, once it warms up and sinks in.

It's very long-lasting, and pretty moisturizing. It also is good for the guys, since there is no scent or flavor to the lipgloss, and if transferred, will not give them a high gloss or a noticeable color. Alex doesn't seem to mind this lipgloss as much as others, since it doesn't gloss him up or transfer anything to him other than moisturized lips.

But, is it worth it for the price? Honestly, for most people, no. I bought this for three reasons: one, because it's Chanel, and thus has the gorgeous, chic, distinct old-lady packaging that I'm fond of, two, because I can afford it, and three, because I think you can't go wrong with Chanel. In other words, very bluntly, I bought it because I can, because it's Chanel, and because I don't want to spend the time to look for glosses when I can spend it looking for foundation (remember the holy trinity: time, quality, and price!). I don't think the fact that I only wear one lip gloss really changes it, because I could've easily gone for a cheaper brand like Bourjois, MAC, or even Lancome or Estee Lauder. If you can afford this, are a HARDCORE lipgloss collector, or are only looking for ONE lipgloss to wear, I would get this, since it does have a nice, hard-wearing texture, great shine and color, and is luxurious. Otherwise, there are other lipglosses that do just fine, such as Bourjois (which also have a very nice texture), and Lip Venom (which helps plump up your lips, but which Alex hates because it stings his lips).

All in all, I personally think it's worth it, for me. Like all products, your mileage may vary. As far as entry lipglosses go, I strongly recommend this product, since it is a very solid lipgloss, and very tasteful.

Get it at Neiman Marcus or other fine department stores or boutiques.

So! I bought the bigger purse after all. Good-bye to two weeks of working, but hello to my first real purse. Now, I want to get another wallet. I'm happy with the one I have now, but can't hurt to look, right? I'm looking at both wristlets and wallets right now, and hoping to visit the Burberry, Coach, and Gucci outlet to rummage through.

I do feel better. Seriously. Buying that thing lifted so much stress off my back. But honestly, after paying for my purse, everything looks much cheaper.

Also, a couple days ago, Alex and I went to go get him a haircut in Japantown with his new-found stylist, Michiaki. If you're one of my Facebook friends, you'll see pictures of him at Mel's Diner. It seriously is a big improvement over his messy hair.

Got a shipment of Urban Decay eyeliners. I got the Velvet Rope set, and I played around with a few colors. I'm convinced that a brown eyeliner is worthwhile to have if you're Asian. I'll post a comparison of different eye effects with both black and brown eyeliners once I get the time, probably on Sunday.

ALSO!

A question:

What purse/ size purse do you carry, and how do you carry it? Slung over your shoulder? On your arm? Crossbody style? Tell me!

Didn't feel like showing my mug

SFX Electric Blue, done over a mix of faded Fishbowl, Wildflower, and Cupcake Pink. It's a little bit of a shock having a bright color again. It looks initially looks purple on application and in the bottle, but comes out a reasonably bright blue. Reading reviews, I guess I'll expect it to fade purple, then pink.

EDIT TO ADD: The blue is going incognito during low light! Looks much brighter in light than it does in lower light! :O In lower light, looks blue-black.

( Ramblings on red )

The last time I cut my hair, it was around Christmas, when I did the graduated bob. I finally got to get a haircut yesterday, and I got a lot of the previous damage out, got rid of the grown-out Bettie bangs, and got a trendy gyaru hairstyle that kept my length.

I got it done up in SF's Japantown, at the Japan Center Beauty Clinic on 1825 Post St. #160. It's under the Kinokuniya at the Japan Center. Cost $48, not including tip. I'm assuming that the cost depends on hair length and type, because that was on the lower end of the price range.

The stylists are all very trendy, and the guy I got was very quiet and polite, which I like. I don't really like a chatty hairstylist. The shampoo was extremely gentle, and I liked the cloth on my face, to prevent that awkward looking-up-at-the-stylist-whilst-washing. It also prevented water splashing on my face. The head massage was also refreshing.

The haircut itself was mostly thinning and shaping, and an extremely long blowdry session. I'm not sure why, but it seemed that this guy liked to use two fingers to shift my hair around, instead of the violent and vigorous drying that other salons seem to be fond of doing to their clients. I don't mind, though. His technique is much more gentle on the scalp and hair.

Overall the experience was quite nice. It is the first time I have been to a Japanese salon, and it's very different from Chinese salons. I normally am not specific with my hair instructions (in this case, I asked for layers, keep the length, get rid of bangs, and give me a cut that will grow out nicely, cut off as much damage as possible), and while I'll like the results, I never had one that looked, for the lack of words, so trendy. I'm talking Japanese gyaru, I guess, not fobby Chinese style.

I like the haircut. Pictures to come.

Posted via LiveJournal.app.

Stella: Men are like milk. They have expiration dates
Hayne: That's why I'm waiting for mine to turn into cheese.

By the way, some cheeses give me diarrhea.

Anyways, my hair is angry at me. Used to be. I now know that purple bleaches out WAY easier than atomic pink, how much virgin growth I have, and surprisingly, how much less maintenance purple is. No bleeding, no water turning pink everytime I sweat/shower/get in contact with moisture.

I used Joyride by Special Effects, and Ultra Violet by Manic Panic. I bought the Manic Panic to stretch out the Joyride, since Special Effects is harder to get and more expensive than Manic Panic.


Interestingly enough, it matches my violet shirt. I officially love violet, but I hate purple. Purple is ugly, whereas violet is not. Go violet. By the way... for those people who think that purple and violet are the same color, you also probably think that jeans are categorized into three groups: light, regular, and black, and can't tell the difference between a green wash and a brown wash. Violet is blueish. Purple is more reddish. And harder to coordinate with other clothes... but that might be more because I wear more cool toned clothes than warm toned.

Moving on. Because my hair was so angry, I decided to give it a bit of a trim.

Oh hay there! My mom popped in to show me her project: a black blouse with colorful buttons all around the neckline. It looked pretty ugly. Then, she looked at my bangs.

"What did you do?!? Wait until you go to the salon; don't do it yourself! It's ugly!"

"What are you talking about? These bangs look exactly like yours, mom!"

"No way! Yours are ugly!"

"Hey, isn't that my sundress?"

"Why, do you want it back?"

"No, coz it's ugly."

"Cheeky girl."


Falsies? Check.
Eyebrows? Can't see em, but check.
40's lip? Check.
Big-ass pearl earrings? Check (Mr. Shaull would love those earrings.)
Eyeliner? Nope. Whoops. Tomorrow.

I keep on wanting to change my hair. It's ridiculous. I actually get them when I'm bored and flipping through my old pictures. I miss the pink, I miss the blonde, I miss the dark/light brown, I miss the super dark black. Each time I dyed my hair, it always made me look different, and I really liked that. Maybe I've had black for too long. I always get the itch after a few months. I have a bottle of purple. I'm wondering which is more important: long, healthy, black hair, or processed, purple hair that will fade to silver/white.