Makes me Happy

There are many things that make me happy. Today it's these:


Rosca cake

In Latin American culture there is a special holiday in January called Epiphany, this holiday remembers the three kings that brought gifts to baby Jesus ( it has it's origins in Catholicism). so on January 6th, families come together to celebrate and distribute this cake.

I like to think of it as the Latin version of a Christmas fruit cake (or more like a bread really), except for one exception! a Rosca cake has tiny baby figures hidden inside so that when the cake pieces are distributed, whoever has a figure in their slice gets money. Yes , I am well aware that having tiny plastic figures in your food is dangerous .....



Kumquats

There's an adorable little kumquat tree in my backyard that has been there all my life. Truth be told I don't really care for the fruit but it breaks my heart to see the Kumquats grow so big then wilt after a few weeks, so I always pick them anyways xD


Fernie


It's so funny how my cat Fernie likes to sit with his paws elevated. I have caught him sitting like this a few times and finally got the pictures to prove it! you can totally see his little paws clearly resting on the upper bar.



What isn't very obvious in this picture is how high he his. My cat is peering over a 10 foot balcony into the backyard!



thanks for reading! :)

Christmas surprises! (4) my christmas e.l.f

Well this is the last Christmas surprises post ! I am pretty sure I have completely bored everyone with my e.l.f hauls and reviews by now... but this was a gift, I swear! A totally unexpected (and very much appreciated) gift that brought with it this post . What can I say? my friends know me all to well! Get ready, because it's a long one!

Left to right : cool coral, rosy raisin, barely bitten, party pink
First up are four E.L.F mineral lipsticks . When I first heard the word "Mineral" I expected more of an all natural/ organic type of product. What it actually meant was that the lipstick had a sort of shimmery affect that was a result of tiny minerals infused throughout the product (oops aha).


This is the E.L.F mineral lipstick in rosy raisin. I was a little disappointed that the swatch was so different than the one online. The actual color is almost an exact match of my natural lip color which kinda of eliminates the whole purpose of a lipstick. However, I suppose this could come in handy some time .... :/ The consistency is creamy, soft, and definitely doesn't drag on my lips. I also appreciate the tiny shimmer in this lipstick because it creates a fuller lip.




Next is E.L.F mineral lipstick in the shade cool coral. I really love this shade because it's so unique yet it looks so natural! you can kind of see the gold-ish veins running through the coral color and there are also some splashes of red running through. I am really looking forward to wearing this shade often :)))



I'm glad I received two very opposite shades. It's a great way to experiment with what colors look best! but I have to say that deciding between them is actually really hard xD. this is the lipstick in the shade party pink, which look very light online but in reality, the shade is rather neutral. It is however, fairly pigmented, as all of these lipsticks are. It definitely looks pink on lips, but it doesn't stand out as bright or lighter than usual. The color also goes well with my medium toned skin despite being a lighter shade. It also looks natural despite obvious pigmentation ( its a pretty confusing shade). Nonetheless, I love it and plan to use it often, though I recommend it with more of a daytime look.


the last lipstick is in the shade barely bitten. this is a deep red color and doesn't take a lot of effort to achieve full pigmentation ( so I have to be a little more careful with this one ! ) This shade is pretty safe for those of us who can't pull of a red lipstick (and I mean RED lipstick) which is exactly what what I have been searching for. This is a good shade for the night but will also go well during the day ( just remember not to wear a super pigmented blush or eyeshadow with this on! )



I also received two lovely blushes from a dear friend in the shades candid coral and tickled pink. I had heard so much talk about the famed candid coral that was supposedly a dupe for the Nars blush in orgasm but I wouldn't know because I don't own Nars blush in that shade anyways :p



The top image is the E.L.F studio blush in candid coral and the bottom picture is the shade tickled pink. I was a bit let down to find that candid coal is rather orange and dark, not exactly my ideal blush . Also ,it has to be applied multiple times for the color to show against my skin. It has a lovely glow to it but i would not recommend it for those with dark or medium toned skin ( like myself) only because it has to be applied several times before pigmentation appears :/ . Tickled pink on the other hand is a very versitile shade and does show on my skin with just one layer. It is not sparkly but tiny flecks of gold in the blush create a very unique and subtle shimmer which I really appreciate.



Whew! and lastly I recieved the E.L.F everyday eyeshadow palate which sports 12 eyeshadow shades (generally warm colors like purple , brown, and black) . I don't use eyeshadow too often but I am happy to have this nearby before a night out. It's always nice to do something extra during special events or even spontaneously!



Another thing I don't use to often but still nice to have around: an eyeliner pencil. I usually prefer gel eyeliner (and I also do not own a sharpener xD ) but when doing a dramatic look it's better to have a pencil for precision.


Well that's all! my Christmas surprises posts have officially come to and end for the year :) thanks for being patient with me ! And thanks for reading :)

Christmas surprises! (3)

The two Christmas surprises mentioned in this post were the two presents that I had personally asked Santa for. I was so excited to unwrap them on Christmas that I used both immediately upon opening them! So here they are!

A curling wand from Remington





I knew that this was what I wanted as soon as I saw it in the store. I didn't even know it had actual pearls infused in the barrel until I read the packaging. I don't really HAVE to own a curling wand made with real pearls, but it sure makes me feel pretty special when using it! The wand came with this nifty glove to protect myself from the heat , and may I say it was definitely a good thing to "have at hand" (lol it's a pun!)


The wand shows you how hot it is and the highest I have set it to is 356 degrees, though I'm sure it goes higher ! the little bars underneath the digits indicate how far your setting is from maximum heat.


So far I have only used it to give myself waves and medium curls but I 'm never patient enough to create the shiny, bouncy curls I pictured having when I first saw the wand. Since I didn't actually read the packaging or pay attention to the directions on the back of the box when I saw it in the store, it's probably fair to say that what made me want it so badly was the color ( I know, I'm hopeless!)





A rice mask from skin food

The second item I asked for was a rice mask wash off from a new store that just opened in the mall. It's called skin food and it basically sells beauty products made with natural ingredients that are beneficial for your body. I have seen their ingredients vary from egg whites to black sugar. Some of the products are unbelievable, like caviar and gold serum or even salmon cosmetics! Of course there's also a bunch of facial masks that use herbs from distant lands with funny names xD !



The purpose of the rice mask is to gently exfoliate (using tiny grains of rice of course!) as well as soften your skin. When I received some samples I completely fell in love with the outcome as well as the fresh scent that is a natural characteristic of the mask. I also loved how only the tiniest bit of product is necessary for the mask to work! This jar is going to last me quite a long time ( the cheap part of me is very happy about this xDD )

The fact is, this stuff is a great skin softener though you shouldn't rely on it to exfoliate and polish like a sugar maks would ( By the way I can do a tutorial on a great sugar mask later...). This is more of a soothing mask that should be applied to a cleansed face before bed so as to allow its nutrients to be absorbed over night. The best results come from allowing the masks to soak in and settle before applying makeup or a cleanser. I wouldn't use this as a moisturizing method before I wear cosmetics or as a cleanser for removing makeup.

If you don't happen to have a rice mask lying around ( or a caviar and gold infused serum!) my best advise would be to apply lotion or some form of a moisturizer to your skin before you go to bed. Our skin uses sleep to replenish and will allow moisture to soak in during this time.

Thanks for reading! :)

Christmas surprises! (2) and a happy new year

I hope you all had a most wonderful New Years! It's certainly one the best times for getting together with friends and family. In my neighborhood, the kids bang pots and pans in the street and pop small firecrackers at 12 o'clock. I always feel sorry for those who try to get some rest on New Years Eve because I'm sure it's quite impossible xD.

It's always been fascinating to see how other countries celebrate this holiday, I know many places experience New Years hours before the U.S does ! It's so wonderful that everyone in the world can celebrate the new year together .


For Christmas, a friend of mine hand picked a collection of nail polish and chose a color for every holiday of the year so that I would always have a festive color for each season. Of course, the first color she picked was Gold for New Years eve.


I can't think of a holiday with more sparkles, glitter and shine that New Years Eve. From the sparkling shampagne to the shiny confetti, from the fireworks that light the sky above to the evening parties that shine through the streets below, the whole world seems to have a golden glow. And my fingenails are no exception!


Gold is actually very versatile and very forgiving as a nail polish. I would suggest it for all skin tones and all outfits because it seem s to go well with every color!


Gold with navy blue or bronze





Gold with teal


Gold with burgundy

Of course I suggest adding a little sparkle with accessories in order to enhance the color of your nails ( hence the gold chain in some of these pics)

Here's to a happy new year to come!

Thanks for reading :)

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 :)