Celebrity Inspiration -- Taylor Swift

Whether it comes to songs or fashion, Taylor Swift never fails to impress. Her songs are typically reflections of her own life and this gives them a personal touch. I particularly like "Love Story" and "Mine". Fashion wise, she is awesome too! I'm always amazed by her choice of dresses, especially her signature glittery dresses. Dresses with glitter can sometimes make a person look trashy but that does not happen with Taylor. She always looks so effortlessly elegant and chic. So here are some pictures of Taylor's glittery dresses which I really love:

Collette Dinnigan dress and Prada heels

Reem Acra gown

Kaufman Franco gown (Isn't this just gorgeous???)

Taylor's non-glittery outfits are also fabulous. I love how she completes the boho look with this attire and makeup. Dark eyes with a touch of red on the lips. Jadore her bag as well :)

Here are some of her other marvelous outfits:

Miu Miu dress and Christian Louboutins heels

Ralph Lauren gown

Jenny Packham mini dress and Christian Louboutins

Monique Lhuillier gown and Jimmy Choo sandals

I have noticed that Taylor usually keeps her look simple. No chunky jewelery or bizarre dresses. I love her makeup too. Neutral eyeshadows + eyeliner + red lips = fantabulous! She also has that radiant, dewy complexion which makes her seem to glow *envy :(*  That's what I like about Taylor. She proves that you don't need loads of makeup or over-the-top outfits to make you stand out.

Source of pictures:

http://www.usmagazine.com/stylebeauty/photos/taylor-swifts-red-carpet-style-evolution-2009912

Latest Obssessions

I have been obssessing over a few things lately...

Owl City--To The Sky
I have been listening to this fabulous song non-stop. I'm the kind of person who occasionally gets really addicted to particular songs. I can practically listen to the same song all day long when I'm hit with such obssession. This song is the soundtrack for Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole. Love it! Adam Young has such a great voice. The best thing about this song is that it is soothing, unlike other songs which sound as if pots and pans are being crashed together.

Avatar: The Last Airbender
My cousin sister introduced me to this series. I was initially a bit skeptical. But after watching, I absolutely LOVED it. It has such an interesting story line and fun characters. I especially like Appa, Aang's adorable flying bison. Wouldn't mind having one myself :) I am currently still on Season One (three seasons all together). I typically watch a few episodes before going to bed. This helps relax my mind after a tiring day of studying and doing assignments.

Shopping Urges
I know, I know, I just had a shopping trip recently. But somehow, I'm still itching to go shopping. Stress-related syndrome maybe? I need retail therapy... But no, I will control myself, no more shopping for now! I have spent way too much this month :(  Perhaps when I'm back in my hometown...can't wait! *rubs hands together gleefully* Will have a budget though. It's too dangerous to overspend >.<

Etude House Nail Polish and LuciDarling Over The Rainblusher

When I'm in search of affordable makeup, Etude House always comes into my mind. Etude House is a Korean brand. Its products are of high quality which never fail to impress me. The design of the outlet itself is so cute! It has a lovely pink theme which reminds me of princesses and fairies. Here's how Etude House outlets are shaped in Korea:

Isn't it just divine? The design of the outlet simply beckons to me. It gives me a homey and fantasy-like feeling. I will definitely go in for a browse! Some of the Etude House spokepersons include famous Korean actor Lee Min Ho and actress Park Shin Hye. Don't they look good together?

When I first stepped into Etude House, I got myself a nail polish--Petit Darling Grape Milk Nail Polish. It is a creamy light purple color which I totally adore.

It was sales time and I got it for like only RM2! Boy was I impressed with the quality of this product. I only needed two coats to achieve what I was satisfied with. It lasted for like almost a week before it started chipping. Fabulous. Since then, I have been buying more of their wonderful nail polishes. I also started browsing through their makeup products. And here's what I got:

Etude House LuciDarling Over The Rainblusher in Apricot

Words cannot describe how happy I am for buying this fantabulous product! It was orginally priced at RM 49.90 but once again Sales saved the day. It was reduced to RM34.93. So how could I say NO to such a lovely blusher??? I immediately bought it *clutches it possessively* This product can be used as a blush and highlighter. It gives your cheeks that perfect shimmer to make you look radiant. It is also quite pigmented and finely milled. Love the soft brush that came along as well. All in all, totally a good buy ^^

I'm so glad that I found out about this brand. Huge plus points: Affordability and quality. Etude House is definitely here to stay in my favourite makeup brand list!

Worst Spaghetti EVER

Hands down. I have NEVER tasted such horrendous spaghetti in my whole life!!! It all began when I went to a dessert shop with my sister and housemate for dinner. Though dessert is its specialty, this shop does sell other food stuff as well. I was not in a mood for anything fried, so I thought hey, spaghetti sounds fab. Thus, I ordered their Cheese Spaghetti.

When the spaghetti arrived, all I could do was stare at it in absolute horror. It was soooo freakin...how do I put this nicely...plain. I literally mean PLAIN. Come on, a normal dish of spaghetti would usually include some ingredients like slices of meat or mushrooms. But NO, this spaghetti stood out in a nasty way. It did NOT have any ingredients in it at all. There wasn't even any nice gravy. Oh and as for the cheese, it is Cheese Spaghetti after all, there was a single slice of cheese placed on the top of the limp strands of spaghetti. How is THAT even possible? I always thought that the cheese is supposed to be melted and mixed with the spaghetti! The cheese used for this spaghetti is the solid cheese which you normally eat with bread (Think Kraft Cheese).

That's not all. I suppose if the spaghetti strands tasted alright, I could force myself to eat the whole thing, cheese and all. But hell no, I could not bear to finish it at all. Why? Well that's because the spaghetti strands itself were sooooo limp, mushy and tasteless. Obviously they had over-boiled it. It felt as if I was eating sodden, left-in-the-larder-too-long noodles! In the end, I could only manage to eat one-third of it. Any more and I would have thrown up >.<

The worst thing is that the spaghetti was rather expensive. Surely such outrageously screwed spaghetti doesn't cost THAT much. Too bad that I forgot to take a photo of the thing itself but I guess you can roughly picture it. I'm never going back to that shop for its main meals ever again. Maybe just for its dessert which was alright.

My Beauty Essentials

It started with just Maybeline's Clear Smooth Shine Free Face Power.

Nothing extravagant. Just simple pressed powder for my daily use. Then fashion magazines, beauty blogs and makeup gurus came along. And everything changed. I began to experiment with more varieties of makeup. I'm glad I did though because after experimenting, I'm now quite sure of what's good for me. So here are several makeup products which I absolutely ADORE:

Maybelline Angelfit Two-Way Cake Foundation

This is one product which I cannot live without. I simply love it and use it every single day! It provides good coverage and evens out my skin tone. If you inspect it closely, you can see teeny tiny flecks of shimmer in the powder. This is what gives your face a luminous glow after you apply it. Seeing the difference it makes on my face never fails to thrill me. Love it max!


Maybeline Angelfit Perfect Concealer

This is also a must have in my makeup bag. I use this product to cover my horrid occasional pimples and redness around the nose and mouth. The coverage it provides is good enough for me though I would say that it does not cover blemishes fully. Still, I have been using this concealer for years and it has never failed me in my desperate times.


L'OREAL True Match Foundation

I have only been using it recently but am already in love with it. This foundation is super blendable and gives me a smooth flawless finish. I don't typically use liquid foundations but this product really comes in handy when I have a break out (Damn you pimples!). It effectively covers all the redness on my face. Using this product eliminates my worries when my face has blemishes.


Maybeline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in Brown

Brown eyeliner is a MUST for me. I don't think I can ever go without it. After experimenting with eyeliner, I found out that brown eyeliner suits me better. Black somehow made my eyes look weird. Way too harsh. This eyeliner is a warm rich brown that totally compliments my eyes, giving them that extra boost. Love love love ♥


Skin Food Salmon Dark Circle Concealer

This is another Holy Grail product of mine. I have rather severe dark circles and I have always been on a never-ending quest in search of the perfect dark circle concealer. And I found it! Mission accomplished. This product is AWESOME. It really, really covers my dark circles soooo well. It has a creamy texture which doesn't crease after a long period of time.

Lip Ice Fruity Lip Balm in Strawberry

This lip balm has been with me for like...forever. I started using it when I was in high school to keep my lips moisteurized. Chapped lips are such a pain in the ass. This product seriously protects my lips and keeps them from drying. Another good thing about this product is that it is affordable. It also lasts for quite a long time considering the fact that I apply it daily. This little baby will always accompany me wherever I go.

Makeup has become part of my life. No regrets though. Why refrain from enhancing one's natural looks? A little goes a long way after all :)

Series I ♥

Boredom can be such a cruel thing. It makes people grow restless and makes them want to tear their own hair out. BUT if you have a collection of TV series which you can watch anytime, there will be fewer complains of boredom :) I also like the fact that these TV series helps ease my mind after hours of doing strenuous assignments and studying. Watching my much loved series helps me relax greatly. Here are a few English series which I have been LOVING lately:

Supernatural

I swear, Dean and Sam Winchester never fail to make me laugh and wince at the same time. Trust Dean to render you to tears by laughing too hard. As for Sam, I must say that he has MASTERED the pained look. He always has this particular look when Dean says something stupid. Sure, there are definitely dark moments, even touching ones in Supernatural. And that's what I love about this series. It is a whole combination of horror, family, comedy and good vs evil kind of thing. It makes you laugh hysterically and it also makes you cry. This has got to be one of my ultimate favourites of all time. By the way....Jensen Ackles is sooooo hot!!! *sighs*

How I Met Your Mother

This is definitely another favourite of mine. Every episode is hilarious! I especially love Barney and his awesomeness ^^ This is one of the few shows where I actually like all of the characters. They are just so lovable. Ted, Robin, Lily, Marshall and Barney--They always succeed in making my day a better one. God knows how many times I have rewatched this series....

Criminal Minds

Okay, here comes a more serious one. The thing I like about Criminal Minds is that they actually show how the minds of psychotic and sadistic criminals work. And of course, there's the suspense factor and the fabulous cast. This is another show where I like all the characters. Each of them have their own unique personality, from the ever-serious Hotch to the genius and endearing Reid. Personally, I like Dr Spencer Reid best. He is just too adorable!


The Big Bang Theory

I have just started watching The Big Bang Theory and am already loving it! The four socially awkward characters are simply a pleasure to watch. Their nerdy mannerisms are totally epic. This especially applies to Sheldon who has OCD. He really makes the whole show work. Definitely a must watch!

Bags

I'm not the kind of girl who would go bonkers over shoes. But BAGS, yes indeed! I totally love big bags, especially those with loads of compartments. I adore dark-colored bags in particular but I do occasionally favour white bags. The only downside of white bags is that they get dirty real fast and sometimes it's so difficult to get the dirt off. I am particularly infatuated with Burberry bags. I don't know...something about their design appeals to me greatly! I simply love this Burberry bag ♥ :

Isn't it just GORGEOUS? It's so sleek and elegant, the perfect bag for me! I also adore the one Emma Watson is holding:

I like dark bags with a touch of colour as well. That's why I was drooling over this adorable bag by Burberry. And it is PINK!!! I love pink ♥ I can totally imagine myself strutting down the street with this chic bag hanging on my arm....

Speaking of pink, this fantastic Coach bag caught my eye:

In my opinion, tassles can greatly enhance a bag. They make bags so much more interesting and you can really see the creativity there. Gucci obviously realized this too :

I really love the black one but I also like the white one. Man, I dislike dilemmas like this :( Maybe I should just get both! *Notes the impossibility of such action*

Nude Colors

I absolutely ADORE nude colors, be it eyeshadows or lipsticks or lipglosses. Nude colors are simply divine -- Browns, taupes and nudish pinks...I can't get enough of them! So you can understand why I got all excited thrilled about Urban Decay's Naked Palette...only to remember that there are no Urban Decay outlets in Malaysia *screams with disappointment* Yeah, imagine my utter frustration of not being able to get such a bee-yoo-ti-ful palette of colors! I suppose it will stay on my lust list forever...:( *sobs*

Alright, enough of my woes of having no Urban Decay here. Moving on to lipsticks. I can't wait to try the YSL's Rouge Volupte range of lipsticks. I have seen nothing but positive reviews about these products on beauty blogs. The products themselves look absolutely stunning. Here are three lipsticks which completely caught my attention:

YSL Rouge Volupte Nude Beige

YSL Rouge Volupte Peach Passion

YSL Rouge Volupte Silky Sensual

My eyes practically glazed over with all the beautiful shades of nude, pink and peach. YSL lipsticks are definitely a must have. And I totally look forward to the day when I can finally get my paws on them ^^

Heartwarming Gesture

I was feeling very crappy today. However, my day was made much brighter by my dearest cousin sister. She bought a packet of chocolate chip teddy bear cookies for Ann and I. What's more, she actually pasted an adorable picture of a chocolate cake on the packet of cookies. This personal touch warmed my heart greatly ^^

A simple gesture yet so meaningful... Love you Biao Mei ♥ Thanks for making my day a better one :)

Fabulous Ipoh Trip

My Final Year Project is finally DONE!!! I'm freeeee *does a celebratory dance*

Well not totally free actually beacuse there are still loads of assignments and presentations. But still, finishing my FYP really eases the pressure. So today, I went to Ipoh for a shopping trip with my sister, cousin and housemate. I haven't shopped for ages and I was practically itching to get SOMETHING. Naturally, I got makeup in the end :) I bought a purple shadow liner from Maybeline. It is called the 2-IN-1 Impact Shadow Liner. It's great as this product can be used as an eyeliner or eyeshadow :) I HAVE been wanting a purple eyeliner so this is a worthy purchase!

After shopping, we decided to have Korean food for dinner. The food was simply awesome! We ordered beef and pork to be grilled. Of course the waiters there grilled it for us, otherwise we would have burnt the meat into inedible blackened bits. We wrapped the grilled meat with lettuce together with garlic and some kind of spicy vegetable. Then we consumed the whole bundle of food in one mighty chomp. Freakin delicious!!! We also ordered other dishes like spicy Kimchi soup. Here's a yummy-licious picture of what we ate....

And after we finished eating....



Overall, it was a fantabulous dinner and I enjoyed it immensely. It's real fun to hang out with my dear sister, wacky cousin and hilarious housemate (I swear, those girls are so freakin funny!) Love you gurls muacks ♥ Hopefully there will be more fun-filled times like this!

Makeup Primers

Primers, primers...wherefore art thou Primers?

I simply can't find any drugstore face or eye makeup primers :( Of course there are the high ended primers which are too freaking exorbitant. Poor mortals like me rely on drugstore makeup. Makeup primers helps make your face matte by absorbing excessive oil on your face. This is really crucial for people with oily skin (especially around the T-zone and nose area), me included T_T By the end of the day, my makeup would slip and slide and crease on my face *cringes* Not appealing at all...

I read in magazines that L'OREAL has a face primer. It is called the L'OREAL Studio Secrets Professional Smoothing Resurfacing Primer. Sadly, this product seems to be available only in overseas. I really can't find it here in Malaysian stores *weeps bitterly in disappointment*

Another famous eye primer is the Urban Decay Primer Potion. Many makeup gurus use this primer. Once again, it is really difficult to find this product here. I heard that Sephora will be opening soon in KL. Hopefully it will have an Urban Decay outlet...

Runny makeup is something I really, really want to avoid. There are definitely other makeup primers around but these are usually high ended products. I can't possibly afford expensive primers like Lancome's La Base Pro face primer.

For now, I shall continue my never-ending quest for the perfect and inexpensive face primer....

Horrendous Heat

Heat can be so unforgiving. It turns people's brains into mush and makes them sluggish and slow. And even if they WANT to be productive, Heat will slowly wrap its arms around them and tempt them to just lie there, dormant and useless. I occasionally blame the hot weather for the procrastination of my work (who doesn't?). Seriously, Malaysian weather is atrocious!!! Sometimes, I can even feel the sun burning deep into my skin, roasting it *shudders* Malaysian heat reminds me of the Sahara desert where camels frolic....

Why can't Malaysia have winter? :(



When it gets too hot, all I want to do is curl up and sleep. Brain's not working anyway. Blame the horrid weather for that! Sleep is the only way out. And that's what I'm going to do now. So goodnight! ^^