Mini Haul: Bargain Shopping

I'd definitely consider myself a bargain shopper, always looking through the sales racks and feeling discouraged to purchase when an item's not on sale. I recently went shopping and purchased a few very affordable clothes. I decided to do a little mini haul since I've been neglecting my blog these past weeks.

I definitely love the crochet/knit-type designs and a majority of my tank tops have that design. I couldn't resist this cute shirt from F21 with a crochet-like backing. The color is also one of my favorites, a nice bright green, like a level below mint (?). If anybody knows what this type of green is called, please comment below! This retailed around $15 or so.

I think Old Navy has nice "plain" pieces, if that makes sense, that are affordable and timeless (by that I mean I'm pretty sure I could still wear this in 10-20 years without looking odd). This brown-green t-shirt was $5 and I frequently wear plain t-shirts and don't have one in this color so I decided to buy it. 

H&M is basically my go-to store (isn't it almost everyone's?!). I almost never come out empty-handed when I walk in there. Again, I really like the crochet-like design and I actually have something similar to this in a darker blue but I still couldn't help it because this was on sale for $7!

 My favorite purchase has to be this striped dress from H&M that was on sale for $17! I thought it was super cute and it fit nicely. I feel like this is something you could wear to any daytime outing that would look super cute with the right shoes and accessories.

I also bought some black jeans from American Eagle but I thought it'd be too boring to put in the post haha.

Well that's all I bought today. What are some of your favorite stores?

True Blood Season 6 Reaction

Honestly after a very absurd ending to Season 5 (Billith emerging from the pool of blood...uh gross), I contemplated whether I'd continue to watch True Blood or not. I decided to give it another go (mainly because Game of Thrones just ended) and boy am I glad I did!

This season has been the best yet because: 1) Alcide's hardly in it. 2) The plot is moving at a good pace 3) No off-putting overly romantic cheesiness 4) Sookie's not as annoying 5) Nobody likes Bill 6) Tara's not as annoying 7) More focus on the primary characters' storylines than the side ones like Sam 8) Impending Vampire vs Human War...? I think yes!

Just a fair warning if you've never read any of my past TV show reaction posts, I do get quite into these posts so excuse any offensive language. I'll be commenting on any major turning points in the plot. Therefore, if you haven't watched this season, SPOILERS AHEAD.

Warlow:

Well well well of course some guy stuck in a bush would turn out to be some gorgeous dimpled hunk who even broken-hearted Sookie is slightly enamored with. I instantly saw chemistry between the two and (although I freaking love Eric, him and Sookie have had no chemistry...even when he had a mini bout of amnesia) really wanted them to get together until *BAM* we realize he's Warlow--Lilith's progeny who happens to also be a ROYAL fae and a vampire. Say what?! I was initially sad because that meant Sookie and him would never get together. Of course the story unfolds that he is actually sort of a good guy and Sookie's parents are actually wackos (seriously....her dad really tried to kill his daughter...twice) and Warlow wants to be with Sookie, his rightful mate or whatever. Blah blah blah just take your damn shirt off.

Billith:

 Ah yes Bill, or shall I say Billith? He officially went to Crazy Town, USA and his poor baby Jessica, who feels compelled to support her maker. Even though I really didn't like him in the beginning of the season, I'm starting to really like him. For example, he seems nearly invincible now, especially since he's found a temporary way to walk in the sun and he apparently can't die from a stake. I still can't believe Sookie had the balls enough to stake him, I mean who seriously thought that would ever happen? Not me. In the last episode, he decapitated the governor which was a pretty epic scene. He also has visions of the future. A noteworthy one is one with all the vampires (Jess, Tara, Eric, Pam, etc) in jail attire inside a metallic room (later learned to be part of the evil governor's torturing lab chambers) and are exposed to the sun, and they're all set on fire. Definitely going to be part of the season finale.

Return of Sarah:

Oh no. Not her again. If it ain't (as LaFayette would say...or maybe it's just me) the bible-banging Fellowship of the Sun psychotic biatch (aka Newman's ex-wife)! Apparently she's banging the Louisiana Governor, who's plotting to eradicate the vampire race, even the latest episode revealed they are adding a lethal to vampires only substance in all bottles of Tru Blood, which there is a shortage of. Her and her (now late) boyfriend, who she used because as she said in order to cause change, "you gotta get into politics," run a "research" (aka torture) labratory where they treat them like animals, attempting to study their psychological background and even during copulation, a word Jason did not know (lol). She was also on the brink of mentioning something to the governor and it sounded like she had big news but never truly got around to it but I have a feeling she might be pregnant with his baby but now that she's slept with Jason, she'll claim it's his. I smell trouble.

Eric & Pam

I really love this dynamic duo so it was really annoying when the writers decided to strain their relationship, especially regarding Nora and the governor's daughter. He even released her, which was extremely sad. I was really scared when they were put in that mini torture chamber to fight each other but luckily they both read each others' minds and attacked the government officials instead. I really hope they mend their relationship because I really love their cute father daughter relationship.

The Emma Custody Battle/Annoying Supernaturals-Human Alliance Advocates

When Nora died, her dying wish was for Sam to take care of Emma. Although I believe Emma deserves to be with Sam, as long as she's with Martha and not the wolf pack, I'm okay with that. I still wish he left her a phone number or something to keep in touch rather than straight-up abandoning her but I guess it's for her own safety. Now about those annoying hipster/world peace wannabes, I'm glad the werewolves killed all of them but I'm not glad Nicole managed to escape and is now running away with Sam. I mean, really?? I used to really like Sam but he's been getting more and more annoying each season.

The Bellefleur's 

I honestly never gave a crap about this family until this season. Seeing Andy struggle being a father to his rapidly growing quadruplet girls was amusing, especially with his "number" names. However, it was really sad seeing his heartbreak finding out all but one of his girls were killed by Jessica. Now about his brother Terry......

I get that he was so traumatized by their murders during wartime but man that death scene was just so sad. Poor Arlene. She thought she prevented his suicide by making him forget, which made it even worse since Terry had no idea why he was shot. I wish LaFayette still had a stash of his V which he could feed to Terry to save him. I was basically bawling during this entire scene.

What are your thoughts on this season?

I'm BACK! Seven Deadly Sins of Beauty

Wow I've been absent from my blog for so long and I really do apologize for that. This was due to 1) my summer has been jam-packed with a lot of work and other things 2) I honestly just lacked a lot of blog post ideas. But anywho, I'm back and will hopefully get in the swing of things again.

My blogger's block was helped by Emily from Ahem, It's Emme, who tagged me to do this fun tag. 

Rules
1. Link of the person who tagged you. 

2. Answer the questions on Greed, Wrath, Gluttony, Sloth, Pride, Lust, and Envy. 

3. Tag a many people as you wish, and be sure to let them know. 

4. Let the person who tagged you know by linking your post in their comments.

Greed  What is your most expensive beauty item? 
Definitely my Dior Shimmerstar in Amber Diamond. It was $42 at Sephora! Ridiculous but luckily I did have a gift card so damage was minimized slightly.

Wrath Which item do you have a love/hate relationship with? 
This definitely has to be my Milani Liquif'eye Liner. I like the creaminess and opaqueness of this liner but everytime I put it on my waterline, it definitely smudges a little on the bottom corner of my eyes, which really looks unattractive. The smudginess worsens if it's a hot climate. 

Gluttony What brand makes up the most of your collection? 
I don't usually stick with a particular brand but I do like Revlon and Covergirl products.

Sloth Which product do you neglect the most due to laziness? 
Any type of lip product because I honestly don't see the point of putting on lipstick or lip gloss if you eat or wipe your mouth and the color is gone within an hour or two. I'm not one to re-apply makeup throughout the day, even if it's just a lip product. 

Pride Which product gives you the most confidence? 
I'd have to say mascara because it really opens up my eyes and makes me look awake yet it's very subtle. Undereye concealer is a must-have though when I'm running on little sleep.

Lust Which item is at the top of your beauty wish list? 
The new Maybelline Falsies mascara seems nice, the one with the bottom lash comb. I honestly haven't researched it at all but never tried any of the renowned Falsies collection and my mascaras are definitely near their expiration date! However, I also really want Nars Multiply in Copacabana or the famous Orgasm blush.

Envy Which makeup product/look is great on others but not yourself? 
I have to agree with the other Emily and say filling in my eyebrows. I have sparse eyebrows and it's only natural to fill them in but it just looks hideous and bizarre. Perhaps I just need to get used to the look. 

I tag:
7% Solution
Elle Sees
The Patch Diaries
fun size beauty
Siri's Life
Jenni My Style

What I'm Watching: Game of Thrones

I've always heard about the awesomeness of 'Game of Thrones'. Since I'm a complete TV junkie, I decided to do a little research. It's based on the novels by George R. R. Martin and considering my lack of interest in anything regarding fantasy, it just seemed like some idiotic HBO show about soldiers with cool accents from the medieval era playing with swords and dragons. My interest wasn't piqued.

Then summer rolled around. School ended. I was bored and every summer I always start a new show. And I couldn't ignore the praises for this show any longer so I decided to make the best decision of my life. I watched the first episode.

Now, this is HBO and I do watch True Blood and am quite familiar with the graphic, animalistic sex scenes present in almost every episode. The same goes with GoT. So children, avert your eyes and do not watch this show! 

Other than the occasional explicit sex scenes and constant nudity, Game of Thrones epitomizes the word 'epic'. It took me a few episodes to truly get hooked onto this show. And once I did, I was addicted. In fact, I finished all three seasons within a week and a half. 

The beginning of the pilot focuses on the Stark family, a noble and powerful family in the North of Westeros, the continent of which the story is set and consists of seven kingdoms. The plot soon splits into multiple storylines (though I still feel as if the Starks are the 'main focus') and each episode centers around the selfish, malevolent Lannisters, who is the family of Queen Cersei; the Targaryens, who are fighting to seize back the throne from King Baratheon, who overthrew their father, the previous king; and the endeavors of the other great houses across the seven kingdoms. Soon after an unforeseeable event, chaos breaks loose and the war known as 'War of the Five Kings' erupts to seize the 'Iron Throne'. Meanwhile, tension at "The Wall", the northern border of the Seven Kingdoms and serves as protection against outsiders known as 'wildlings', intensifies when a seemingly unstoppable species resurrects from extinction. You can find a better summary here.

The amount of ain't-afraid-to-go-there twists, funny quips, and lovable/hateable characters distinguishes this show from others. Martin's creative brilliance is exemplified in each episode. A once hated character can easily turn into a loved character and vice versa. Every episode is 50-60 minutes of greatness. My opinion of this show changed from some nerdy, stupid storyline that only men who play videogames and drink beer all day care to watch to an addictive, mind-blowing, and just plain awesome show.

This isn't one of those shows where you're sort of nonchalant when the episodes come out and you aren't very captivated and could care less about the fate of the characters. No. This show will seriously become addictive, especially if you were like me and had three seasons to speed through. The fact that each season only has 10 episodes and GoT fans must wait one year until the next season doesn't help either. Again since it's HBO, I will warn that some brutality scenes can get quite graphic as well but I wouldn't say it's anything near The Walking Dead. 

 It's nearly impossible to try to articulate how extraordinary this show is in one blog post but all I can say is that if you're into Lost, The Walking Dead, or intense shows like that and can put your mature thinking cap on, you'll definitely love Game of Thrones. Although you may still not be convinced to watch the show, I still recommend at least sticking it out til' the end of season one and then tell me how you like it.

NOTD: Essie Mint Candy Apple

Summer's here so it's time for me to dig up all my bright nail polishes. A color I've been obsessed with lately is mint. I recently purchased Essie's Mint Candy Apple since I remembered hearing so much about it last summer. 

I adore this color and it's a nice mint blue, very reminiscent of the Tiffany & Co. Blue. It's very close to turquoise. I find this color interesting since it looks so different in different lighting. 

Two coats of 'Mint Candy Apple'

I'm always a little apprehensive with Essie since their formulas are always a hassle to work with, at least to me. This polish was a teensy bit runny, like all Essie polishes but I still recommend this color if you're into mint.

Afternoon Tea: Scarlet Tea Room in Pasadena

I never went to a tea room before and I received a voucher to the Scarlet Tea room in Old Town Pasadena for my birthday. So my mom, sister, and I decided to try it. I documented some pictures on my sister's iPod so the photo qualities are mediocre.

The restaurant was very classy inside and I believe it is a Russian themed tea house since there were pictures of Russian mosques on the walls. The service was great and so was the food. I was a little worried the portions would be too small, not leaving me very full but I was more than full by the end. We went into a little side room, where some foreign 1950's-ish themed music was playing over the speakers. There was also a white grand piano in the main entry room but there was no pianist at the time.

Cute tea glass case with a mini buddha

Pretty flower chandelier

Dainty sugar cube container

Our voucher allowed us a 3-tea ceremony meal (at least I believe that's what it was called...3-course I honestly don't remember), for two people. You are able to choose 4 finger sandwiches and one pot of tea with and a scone (each so 8 sandwiches and 2 scones but the tea is shared). We ended up choosing the Fiji tea, a fruity one, which was quite nice but I'm a little picky with teas so I wished we would've stuck with a traditional jasmine or green.

 

Our tray

Bottom Left Clockwise: Walnut Pesto Chicken, Apple and Cream Cheese(?..some type of cheese), Sundried Tomatoes Puree with Mozzarella, Fig and Goat Cheese (my favorite!)

Orange Cranberry and Lavender White Chocolate Scones (this one tasted like a regular scone to me)

Strawberry preserve, lemon curd, and Scarlet cream (just regular homemade cream) for the scones

Ignore my chipped nail haha

Our meal also came with strawberry romanoff, which was very refreshing after the filling scones.

Since the 3-course tea ceremony is only meant for 2 people, my mom ordered the Lobster Cobb Sandwich (bacon, lobster cobb, avocado, tomato and a spring salad). I had a bite, it was delish!

They even gave us an advertising sticker. And yes, it's on my thigh.

This restaurant did automatically take 18% tips from the original price (which was $72 but luckily with the voucher it turned out to only be $32..whew) since we had a voucher. I really enjoyed the ambiance, service, and food the restaurant had to offer. Now I want to try many more tea rooms! 

Dior Shimmerstar: Amber Diamond First Impression

So I recently made a big splurge at Sephora and bought the a very hyped-up product, the Diorskin Shimmerstar in Amber Diamond.

The packaging was super nice (well, duh, it's Christian Dior.) In the box, it came in a cute velvet pouch and inside the actual product.

The product retails for around 45$ or so, which is ridiculously expensive but I needed a highlighter and I never actually bought a Dior product due to the big price tag but I wanted to indulge a little since the reviews were so amazing.

The product comes with several shimmery colors (the picture just doesn't do it justice). As you can see, it goes from a nice shimmery white and darkens while fading to a nice tan brown. 

 I want to apologize for the poor photos of the swatches. I was hesitant to post them since you can't even see them due to my crappy camera and pale skin. For some reason, it was incredibly difficult to get the right lighting and my camera isn't some expensive professional one. I can't even explain to you how how much these photos don't do the product justice. It really is a nice tan shimmer.

Again, I'm so sorry for the bad photo.  The photos don't do the product justice. It looks beautiful in real life.

This product wears nicely on the face by giving it a nice shimmer. I have really dry skin so it's nice to make my complexion glow a little more. I'm not sure how well it would work on oilier skin tones though. I personally don't think it's overly obvious or anything if that helps.

The versatility of the colors is what makes this product great. You can use the lightest shade as a highlight on the inner corner of the eyes or underneath the brow bone, each color as an eyeshadow, maybe even a shimmery bronzer  and of course, a highlighter (each one separately or mix em' all together). 

The steep price tag was the biggest drawback of this product and I haven't had it long enough to say whether it's worth it but I know I'm going to like this a lot and many reviewers seem to say the product lasts long. 

If you are willing to splurge for a good-quality highlighter, I'd do some thorough research but I can say that most (I myself included) reviewers will say the product is absolutely worth it. (I'll update this post if it's not)

Vampire Diaries Season 4 Finale Reaction

Two words.

Holy shi*.

I apologize for my language but this TVD's season 4 finale was so epic and mind-blowing there are no words to even explain the intensity and plot twists of the episode. I've never been on the edge of my seat so much.

In fact, there were so many twists I'm just going to jot down all my thoughts in a list of events (SPOILER ALERT) :

--Katharine taking the cure: Halllelujah. Elena actually does something right for once! I used to really like Katharine but she's just gotten incredibly annoying as the season progressed with her whole "free me from klaus" speeches. At long last, she is the last thing she wants to be: mortal. I'm wondering how this will affect her seemingly strained relationship with Elijah (which btw is repulsive, eli can do way better). I somehow suspect Katharine won't stay human, which would've been a waste of the cure.

--Delena: Ah yes every Delena fan jumped and screamed and kicked their joy away when Elena finally confessed to Damon, who she is not sired to anymore, that she loves him. Though I was a huge Delena fan, I honestly wasn't very excited. For some reason, their whole storyline just got played out and I really wasn't interested anymore. Plus, I really hate Elena but love Damon and he deserves 10x more than what Elena offers (though Nina Dobrev is absolutely stunning of course). 

Yes, you are welcome.

--Dead Supernaturals' Stint at Life: This was by far my favorite part of the whole episode. I was giddy and squealing when my favorite dead supernaturals came back to life when Bonnie dropped the veil. It was amazing, I mean: Lexi, Alaric (whom I missed dearly for Damon is a sad puppy without his good ol' drinking friend...anybody remember when Damon told someone Alaric's old bar seat was taken..*tear*), and Jeremy (well actually he was just okay). I really wish they somehow had Lexi or Alaric stay and it was painful to see them go but the producers decided to keep Jeremy instead in exchange for Bonnie (which I don't mind since I never liked that witch). 

--Matt and Rebecca (Mabecca?): I honestly didn't see this one coming. Not their budding relationship but me actually wanting them to get together. I mean Rebecca has such an old soul about her (well duh considering she's centuries old) but Matt brings out the sweet, young girl inside her who just wants to go to prom and raise a family. I totally ship them, especially after that whole bomb trigger scene. Super cute.

--Stefan's Doppelganger: This was definitely the biggest surprise of the night. I mean, what. the. f*ck!? Silas is Stefan's doppelganger?! Huh?! I don't understand but I'm sure more details will unfold with Season 5. And you would think Stefan's vampiric strength would allow him to break free from that safe but I guess not (seriously?). I think it's going to be very interesting to see Silas take over Stefan's life and see how long it will take for anyone to notice. I can definitely see an intense confrontation soon between fake Stefan and Damon or an epic entrance from the actual Stefan.

--Klaroline: Are you joking? Writers, directors, producers or whoever has strung Klaroline fans along this whole season and all you give us is a measly peck on the lips WHICH U DIDNT EVEN SHOW. All we get is the sound of some pucker. NO. Just no. We do not deserve this. I swear when Klaus said something along the lines of "[Tyler] was your first love. But I intend to be your last," I could hear memes being created throughout the Internet. I'm so disappointed Caroline isn't scheduled to appear in The Originals, which I'm dying to see. But whatever, our patience is being tested and hopefully Klaroline will kindle their relationship once again.

Hi I'm Klaus and I'm irresistible but I decided to be a slut and now have baby on the way so I'm juts gonna be an idiot and allow my one true love be with the guy she is convinced is her one true love because I'm just that logical. Oh yeah and even though I love her like crazy, I'm just not gonna be all coy about it because I'm too much of a prideful bitch. 

Sorry for any cuss words throughout this post I get really into this show sometimes. I hope you enjoyed it and I cannot wait til' October for the next season!

Etsy First Impression/Haul

So I recently came across the awesomeness of Etsy due to funsizebeauty, and I fell in love with their concept of homemade/vintage jewelry. I can't believe I've never purchased from this site before. I decided to buy jewelry (mainly earrings) from this site.

The biggest nuisance is having to order separately from different shops, which is understandable but it was annoying to pay for nearly four orders, each one with an expensive shipping price with it, so basically i spent 20 bucks on shipping which was sort of ridiculous. The ones that were made in the US arrived within a week, UK a week and a half, anywhere else between 2-3 weeks. Overall, I was happy with all the merchandise. 

These Mickey and Minnie earrings are my absolute favorite pair of earrings now. I adore them!

 These elephant earrings come in four different colors: lime green, bright sky blue, brown, or pink. I opted for the blue, which gives plain outfits a subtle pop of color.

 Yes. I'm a Star Wars fan.
I squealed when I saw these R2D2 earrings and received them as a birthday present. Thanks to my great friend Nicole! 

 Ah more nerdiness. Let's face it, I'm a major geek (though in my eyes I don't see how liking Star Wars or Harry Potter makes you a geek). I couldn't resist buying these HP Deathly Hallow earrings, gotta rep my Potter love.

 The epic nerdy streak continues.
I fell in love with this HP braclet online but I find it difficult to clasp since the claw itself has no chain attached to it which can make it a little difficult, especially since I have tiny wrists and really need to get close to the bracelet. It's still lovely though.

Celebrity Tag

So I was tagged by my lovely friend Emily to do the celebrity tag she came up with!

Instructions:

1. Tag and link 3 or more people to do this. (Don't tag someone that's already been tagged.)
2 Leave a comment on their blogs telling them that you've tagged them and link your tag. 
3. Make sure you credit and link Ahem, It's Emme, and the person who tagged you on your tag post.
4. You must answer all of the questions!
5. Copy and paste the instructions and the questions onto your post. (Make sure you copy and paste the questions portion by itself too, so it's easy for the people you tag to do this tag!)

Questions:

1. Who are your top two celebrity crushes and why?
2. Have you met any celebrities? If yes, who and where they're from if others may be unfamiliar with them. (Pictures would be great.)
3 .Do you personally know any celebrities? If so, any fun experiences?
4. Which TV show cast would you most want to be friends with and why?
5. Which movie cast would you most want to be friends with and why?  
6. Which movie character would you most want to portray and why ? 
7. Who is your celebrity style inspiration and why?


1. Bradley Cooper and Christian Bale. I wouldn't consider Cooper as a celebrity crush considering he's my husband and all :).  I'm pretty sure most girls in my age crush on Justin Bieber and whatnot but there is just something about Phil and Bruce Wayne that make them irresistibly attractive. I've always been a huge fan of Bale and his movies and I mean, who doesn't have a crush on Batman? Cooper just has this cute boyish charm about him. 

2. Unfortunately, I've never properly "met" any celebrities (actually, I did meet Nicholas Braun and had a one sentence conversation with him) but I have been in the same proximity (by that I mean we were either in the same room) within a few I've been very very close to the actor who played Esteban in Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Snoop Dogg (Lion), Alyson Stoner, Cody Linley, and Jeremy Sumpter. Yeah, not exactly any A-listers (minus Snoop), which is really sad since I'm relatively close to LA.

3. Sadly, no.

4. Although Friends is by far my favorite show, I'd definitely say the Boy Meets World cast since they've slowly deviated from the spotlight (though they'll be back soon for 'Girl Meets World') and seem like down to earth people.

5. The Notebook most because of Rachel McAdams, who is basically my role model. Having Ryan Gosling as a friend wouldn't be that bad either ;)

6. Any of the Bond girls from the Daniel Craig Bond movies. Haha. Just kidding. Probably Anne Hathaway's character in The Devil Wears Prada. I think it'd be interesting to do research for that part and I'd be able to work with Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt!

7. Too hard to choose but check out my Fashion Role Model series.

I tag:
funsizebeauty
Jenni My Style
It's What I'm Feeling

Of course, anybody reading can do this tag! Have fun :)

NOTD: Revlon Midnight

I love the Revlon Colorstay nail polish line since one coat is opaque and shiny enough already so I usually stop there.

I painted my nails in the color Midnight (a dark blue) and layered a coat of this blue multi-colored sparkle polish from PacSun (the brand is Black Poppy). Sadly, there was no name anywhere on the bottle.

 Of course, I topped my nails off with Revlon's Quick Dry Top Coat.