christmas surprises!

It certainly has been quite some time since I have made a posts but no worries, I've returned to the blog so that I can share the wonderful treasures received this month. I have obtained so many wonderful goodies that they will have posts of their own in groups of one or two. Thank you to all for being so patient these past few weeks! Here's hoping you had an absolutely wonderful holiday!

These last few days have been full of adventures and during a holiday road trip I stopped at a site in California called Palm Springs, which serves as a picturesque getaway for many west coast inhabitants! As you can tell from my blog's title , my dream is to live in the city one day, but I am always eager to explore new places outside of L.A as well! I have found Palm Springs to be a place of friendly people, natural charm and of course, great shopping opportunities!


Palm springs was speckled with tiny businesses and modern botiques. But One shop that really caught my eye was a store advertising all items for 16 dollars!!!!! It had such a cute arrangement and eyecatching window display that I couldnt possibly window shop without buying something! Everything in the store varied from camisoles, to purses, to jackets, and scarves too! It was probably the closest thing to heaven on earth for a bargain shopper like myself xD. I knew immediatley that I wanted to take home this blue leather bag.


The first thing that caught my eye was this gorgeous color! It was so unique and vibrant that I didnt think twice about the seasonal colors (winter tones) or if the color complimented my skin tone or even if I had enough teal in my wardrobe to wear this beautiful purse with! And I must say that adding silver accents was absolute genius! It looks so luxurious :DDD

You can probably tell that this is a leathery kind of purse which I love because the texture is so chic and rich. It's truly amaing how the leather ruffles tie in perfectly with the design and conceal the zippers .These ruffles also provide the illusion of a bag that grows narrower towards the top . This purse is actually extremely roomy and has plenty of space at the opening.






I have my dad to thank for the scarf in this pic. It was a gift for my fifteenth birthday and I can see that this will make for a wonderful pair. The scarf and purse were practically made for each other in my opinion xD. There are multiple colors infused in the scarf which also proves that this bag will actually look great with a long range of shades other than blue. Who knew that teal was so versatile? I would definatley consider this a purse a new gem in wardrobe!


Thanks for reading :)

Elf Haul

Those who know me know that I am a very big fan of e.l.f cosmetics. It's true, I have more elf products in my collection than any other makeup brand I use. It's probably important to note that half of my elf enthusiasm comes from my love for good deals, and this brand definitely has them! My latest haul included a load of their studio products ( which are supposed to be better quality than essential products?) and I have to say that it was money well spent. The total lot included the studio : Cream Blush, Flawless Finish Foundation, Stipple Brush, Mist and Set Spray, High definition Powder, and Tinted lip Balm.I have had these products for about a month now and I would say that has been plenty of time for testing them out, so here are the reviews! :)


First up is the cream blush which is in the color: Flirt. I heard once during a beauty demonstration that contrary to many beliefs, a bright pink blush is safer with all skin tones than darker tinted blushes. First may I say, WOW. This is a lot of product!. the blush is also very pigmented which means only a little is necessary in order to achieve colored cheeks. The color itself is indeed bright and very pink. True to its' swatch, the color reminds me of a neon-ish color and really it only takes two layers to reach full pigmentation. I use the stipple brush from elf to apply this blush because the white bristles reveal how much product I've picked up (and we all know the difference between rosy cheeks and clown faces is just a bit more blush than necessary,especially with such a pigmented blush as this one!)


Speaking of the E.L.F stipple brush, I also received this little beauty in the same haul as the blush. I really like it because it is big and has two layers of fine hair. As I mentioned before, stipple brushes are extremely useful for high risk makeup like bronzer and blush, as one slip of the hand will have you looking overdone! The semi transparent hair of the top layer of the brush serves as a clear indicator of too much or too little product. The second picture shows how easy it is too see how much product you have picked up. Mine brush is already stained pink from the blushers I use it with :P








There is quite a story behind this foundation. I was all to eager to buy a liquid foundation. So even though my shade was sold out, I purchased the next one over which what this color is. The shade is called caramel and it is DEFINITELY not the same color as it appears to be online. In fact, it is two shades darker and certainly doesn't match my skin tone... even in the summer!!! And if this deception wasn't enough, the packaging came to my doorstep with a broken pump applicator which resulted in the foundation leaking out of its' container! ummm wow. Can you spell D-I-S-A-P-O-I-N-T-M-E-N-T? But the let down doesn't end here. After receiving this I emailed the company asking for a refund...that never came. First they told me that I would be refunded, than they said I would receive a new foundation. But nothing ever came! DDDD:. I have to say as disappointing as this was, it's the first mistake I have ever witnessed from ELF so I wont disown quite them yet...

There isn't much to say about the setting spray. I suppose the purpose is to "'refresh " while keeping your makeup in place.I have found it to allow my makeup last about thirty minutes more than it usually does. There is a faint smell which isn't too pleasant but there seems to be a lot of product ! I was relieved to find that it doesn't leave the skin looking or feeling sticky/hardened. It really isn't something I would use daily and if I used it at all it would be in the summer.

thanks for reading :)

my Apologies

Hello all! Hope you are enjoying an excellent winter! I have certainly gotten into the spirit of the season in all that I do! (this includes stressing over the very challenging and super important tests that students receive the week before winter break D:) I may have neglected to mention that I love painting designs on my nails, I have to credit others with the original ideas though . My second nail design this season included a colorful snowflake image on each nail and it looked absolutely fun and fabulous.




I am not a nail biter or anything but under periods of stress my poor nails receive some pretty brutal treatment and I tend to chip away at the polish.( I am very ashamed of this fact.) So while I had originally hoped to display the whimsical design on ALL FIVE NAILS, sadly, days of stressing over school tests have left me with but three fingers left with nail polish on them. Hopefully I can re-apply the design soon and put up some real pictures! Until then, I hope you enjoy!



Thanks for reading :)

my christmas list part one

It is actually quite hysterical that my list is so long this year, I cant remember wanting a thing for my birthday this year yet come Christmas, I am adding things to my list as if my life depended on it. In reality I know that I won't likely get a lot this year given that we are experiencing a post-recession economy and money is being spent on my education as well. however, a girl can dream! Ever heard of Christmas miracles xD. anyways , if I don't get these items for Christmas it doesn't mean I cant save up my pennies and buy them for myself! so without further Ado, here is my Christmas wish list :

To: Santa
This year I would very much appreciate the following:

Furry Earmuff Headphones


I cant think of anything more functional than headphones that block out outside sounds and also keep ears warm! I saw these earphones from juicy couture and fell instantly in love. Definately on the top of my Christmas list.

five Floral Rings


A cute assortment of floral rings . these are adorable and have a vintage sort of look that is so cute and classy! The ones above are from wet seal.

Peppermint air freshener



Yes, Glade peppermint scented airfreshener, not that I need it haha.Because It smells absolutely amazing and very sweet. I really like the smell peppermint when I walk into a room so this is perfect for me! I have concluded that it is the perfect balance of candy and spearmint.

to be continued, thanks for reading :)

My Picks: bonita nail polish in Snow cone

My newest find is one of the most beautiful nail colors I have ever owned. It is the Bonita Nail Polish in the color Snow cone. This color is truly festive as it is an icy blue with a metallic shimmer ( not sparkles!) When applied, it has almost a silvery undertone and looks amazing with a frosty glow when under a clear top coat. Note: only two coats needed to reach full color


In my case, this color was used as a background for the tiny snowflakes I painted on my nails (I can do a tutorial for these in a later post) I loved the color so much I didn't really care that it doesn't match my skin tone xD. I am definitely staying cool this winter in the shade Snow Cone by Bonita

Thanks for reading :)

visions of sugar plums

Hello all! My newest favorite outfit definitely has me smiling :) It includes a couple new finds so here goes...


I scored a beautiful dress that is plum colored and super comfy. Paired with some dark blue or purple leggings, it's totally winter -ready.The dress falls about an inch and a half above my knees. It came with a black belt that I can have on or off so that was a total bonus :DDD (oops sorry, my hand is in the pic :P ). The yellow jacket I'm wearing in the picture was a gift from my mom for the windy weather out here. I must say it was crazy hard to find an outfit to match this mustard yellow jacket, but apparently dark purple was the color I was looking for.



The jacket has a really cool ruffle detail on the collar which adds a melodramatic affect to it, though the tailor wasn't very wise to use brown thread to sew the zipper. Good thing it's barely noticeable when I have the jacket on -__- . You can really see the cozy knit on the collar of the dress in this picture.


Another I really appreciate is when an outfit accentuates the waist with a belt. The thick belt causes the jacket to have a nice flair on the lower half , which I find very flattering to my figure. A nice tip is to place a thicker belt snugly across the waist in order to look curvier, I've also heard that placing the belt closer to the bust-line takes off a few pounds.

I've had these shoes for a year but I really only wore them a few times. However, they go very well with my new dress and they look especially nice with leggings. It's a little hard to tell but the insides are softly lined with some sort of furry material , while the outside is a classy purple suede.


I finished of the outfit with a yellow flower in my hair and VOILA! my look is complete. (sorry about the lighting, the picture was taken at night time after I wore this to a party :P )


Thanks for reading! :)

Season trend:luminescents

I think Adele is such a beautiful singer and this photo totally inspires me for winter beauty. It's so great how there is a mix of chic and comfort (referring to that Very warm looking sweater)

When I hear winter, I think of frost. This season a great beauty trend is the use of highlighters, luminators, and shimmer.However, I am not necessarily talking about the warm glow of bronzers . Here are a few face products guaranteed to give you a frosty sheen this winter.If you like blush, I would recommend the Maybelline dream mousse blush. all of their whipped shades have a shimmery affect in the daylight. They look and feel very smooth too!. If you want a little less shimmer, try layering a matte blush over it such as this L.A colors blush in pink


For a similar sheen with less pigmentation try Maybelline Lunar energy liquid shimmer for a luminous look. a little goes a long way and the texture is smooth and silky. liquid luminance can go all over both face and body , while providing a little moisture as well!





If you prefer powders, I recommend the Eyes Lips Face (E.L.F) bronzer in luminance. Make sure to have a nice fluffy brush for even distribution and sweep it LIGHTLY across the surface. This is by far my favorite luminance product and it is a very good bargain too! I hope you Shine like star this winter :)

Thanks for reading :)

My Threads: knitted scarf (oreo)

I have two cats who are VERY different. One is a girl, Oreo. And one is a boy, Fernie. The two of them fight quite often because Fernie is a little ruffian who like to be outside and Oreo is a dainty and shy little thing who never sets foot outdoors! This is Oreo:And in this picture, I have caught her in the act of rolling around in one of my favorite scarves!!!!!!!!! She likes it because it's comfy but she doesn't know that it's handmade and easy to tear! I guess it's true that cats love yarn.And speaking of scarves , tis' the season for them! It's winter time so bundle up and get something warm on! I would suggest adding a hot cup of cocoa. One thing that goes great with knit ware is cable knit patterns and solid colors. the cable knit provides warmth while the knit scarf,hat,gloves,etc. supplies comfort. Just ask my cat! :D
Cable knit is a type of weave that gives the impression of long chords of thick cables that weave in and out of each other. this technique can be achieved through knitting, crocheting, weaving, etc. It produces a thicker material which makes it common in winter-ware.


Here, I've paired the scarf with a solid green sweater that has a cable knit pattern. A good rule of thumb is warm colors on warm colors, bright colors with bright colors (this is a way to play it safe if you have trouble coordinating outfits. You don't have to be matching, but you should stay in the color shade range) many people are able to pull of the warm with bright style, which I've always admired. I'd love to see how others dress warmly for the season too! have fun showing off your style this holiday season :)

Thanks for reading! :)