Blog Everyday in May, Day 11: Sell Yourself in 10 Words

I'm not quite sure how to do this.  I was originally going to just list ten words that describe me as a person, but if I am to sell myself I suppose they have to be all positive.  So here I go!

1. Perfectionist
2. Creative
3. Detail-oriented
4. Passionate
5. Prepared
6. Artistic
7. Eager
8. Humble
9. Knowledgeable
10. Fun

Blog Everyday in May, Day 10: Most embarrassing moment (s).

To be dead honest, I don't remember any.  I'm sure there were some little things here and there but maybe my mind has just been able to block those moments out.  Boring, I know.  Sorry!

Blog Everyday in May, Day 9: A moment in your day

Through my friend, Kristine (a makeup artist here in the bay area), I have been doing a lot of hairstyling lately  for one of her clients, Laura of Laly Designs.  This picture is actually from yesterday's shoot, where I wanded  Rochelle's hair and smoothed out the edges.  I actually have another shoot with Laura and Kristine much later this evening, but I wouldn't have been home to blog about it till quite late.  We weren't able to stay for this shoot, but we're all very excited to see the pictures in a few days.  I will be sure to share them here!

Blog Everyday in May, Day 8: A piece of advice you have for others. Anything at all.

I'm not sure if I'm in the position to give any advice, but one that I have always lived by is to follow your heart.  Do what feels right to you.  I honestly don't know how to live any other way.  I've gone through four different majors at University of California Davis because I tried to study economics as my parents wanted me to but I just couldn't do it.  I tried a few other majors that I knew they would be proud to have me study but they weren't subjects that I enjoyed.  In the end I fell back on subjects that appealed the most to me.  And even after I graduated, I ended up going to beauty school and working on a career that I truly enjoy.

Life is short.  Just remember once in a while to do something that makes you happy.

OCC Lip Tar in Narcissus

I've been spending all my blogging time on the Blog Everyday in May Challenge that I've been neglecting my blog for what I created it for: beauty.  I do apologize about that.

Now, normally I would consider this a FOTD post but I've had these pictures for so long that I actually can't remember what makeup products I used.  It's nothing special--just a daytime look with neutral shadows, winged eyeliner, and bright bright lips.

I remember spending the day at home with family when I did this look, so I had been searching for a neutral lipcolor to apply.  I also really wanted to use one of my lip tars because I have a pretty extensive collection and hardly give them any love.  For some odd reason, I thought Narcissus would be a good choice.

Or not.  It looks much more muted in these photos but I remember looking like Nicki Minaj in person.

Sorry for mugging you guys.  I am still taking pictures of myself in a mirror and trying to get used to my new camera.  

Nonetheless, I really like this color!  I really want to wear it to work but the last time I wore a lip tar to work it bled outside my lips and I don't have the luxury of being able to touch it up.  Problematic.

Is this color up anyone else's alley?

Blog Everyday in May, Day 7: The thing(s) you're most afraid of

Today's prompt is pretty easy.  I can think of a handful of things that I am fiercely afraid of.

1. Death.  More specifically, the people I love.  I know the death of a loved one is never easy but I fear that it's something I can never really deal with.  I honestly think I would go insane because I would not be able to handle the grief.  When I was much younger I used to have nightmares about my mother dying all the time and I would wake up crying.

2. Being alone.  I like being around and interacting with a lot of people.  I think I'm happiest when I'm out with friends or family, and when I'm at work.  On days when I don't have work or any sort of gigs, I tend to get really blue and anxious.

3. Failure.  I'm not sure if this fear is because of the pressure imposed by my family and my culture or I simply tend to compare myself to my more successful fears, but I'm afraid of not being able to survive in this big world.  I also get extremely upset when something does not go the way I plan for it to go.  As my boyfriend once put it, I tend to plan things out and leave no room for failure.  So that when something does go wrong, I have a hard time dealing with it.

Then there are also things like bugs, snakes, paranormal activity, zombies, gore, blood.....yeah the list goes on.  But I'd rather just touch up on my biggest fears because I can definitely go on and on and on about everything else.

In any case, I think most of what i listed are pretty common fears.  What say you?

Blog Everyday in May, Day 6: If you couldn't answer with your job, how would you answer the question, 'what do you do'?

Welcome to Day 6 of this challenge, everyone!  Today, I have to figure out how to answer the question 'what do you do?' without saying my job.  Let's see how this goes....

I dream.  I let my mind roam free and think about a million different "what if's."  What if this were to happen?  What if I had done this differently?  Is this even possible?

I question.  Always questioning how things work and always doubting myself and good things that happen.  Why do certain things happen to certain people?

I create.  I love all sorts of beautiful things.  I enjoy playing music on my Chinese zither, making greeting cards, creating beautiful hairstyles, and of course makeup!  I used to draw and so some watercolor painting, and I love writing in calligraphy.  If I learned how to dance, I would be dancing too!

I look for inspiration.  In order to create beautiful things, one must be inspired.  There is so much beauty found in mother nature, in various forms of art, on pinterest--it's endless!

I love.  I put my heart and soul into the things I create.  I also like to make sure people are taken care of.  I have friends who tell me that I'm as bad as their mother.

I'm sure the list can go on and on and on, as we all tend to 'do' a lot.  But these are the five that call out to me the most.  It was refreshing to step back and really think about this prompt.

Blog Everyday in May, Day 5: Publicly profess your love and devotion for one of your blogger friends. What makes them great? Why do you love them? If you don't have blogger friends, talk about a real-life friend or even a family member

Oy, what a mouthful.  I know it's only day 5 of the Blog Everyday in May Challenge...but I think I may skip this one.

There are a lot of bloggers out there that I admire and I don't particularly want to single one out.  And as for the person I could talk about outside of the blogging community...I don't know if I can do so without being overly emotional.

On a completely different note, happy cinco de mayo!

Post Beauty Buying Ban Sephora and Stila Haul!

I never truly wrapped up my beauty buying ban, did I?  I was doing really well actually.  From January 1, 2013 to mid April, I refrained from buying ANY makeup for myself.  I did invest in some some foundation and pressed powder palettes for my kit which are FREAKING amazing and I really should share with you guys.  

So what happened?  Like I have mentioned before, I had no set end date when I started the ban.  But I did allow myself to buy products and goodies at the annual CosmoProf Hair Show in San Jose.  Maybe I allowed myself to buy a little too much, and you can judge for yourself if you want to have a look at my haul here.  What ended up happening was that I also started buying makeup around that time too and I went a little nuts.  I think the damage rendered my beauty buying ban somewhat pointless.

During Sephora's 15% off sale, I picked up the Urban Decay Wizard of Oz Palettes and a set of lip tars.

Aren't these palettes freaking gorgeous?

Theodora

Glinda

The Urban Decay palettes I've been lusting over during my entire beauty buying ban and I decided not to let them slip through my grasp.  

Liptars I am just very fond of.  This set was a very good deal since they now retail for $18 each, and this entire set was $49.

Stila had a 50% off sale recently.  I grabbed some palettes that really appealed to me (like I need anymore eyeshadow palettes....) and some lip products to try.

In the Moment eyeshadow palette

In the Light eye shadow palette

Afterglow Lip Color in Party Pink

Afterglow Lip Color in Vivid Violet

It's so exciting to buy new makeup again!  My wallet is not particularly happy with me but it makes me happy!

I actually haven't touched any of the makeup shown here yet because I enjoy seeing them in their pristine condition.  Have you guys tried any of these?  What do you think of them?

Blog Everyday in May, Day 4: Favorite Quote and Why You Love It

Welcome to Day 4 in this Blog Everyday in May Challenge.  I'm not going to lie.  This is a little difficult keeping up.....

"Promise me you'll always remember:
You're braver than you believe,
Stronger than you seem,
And smarter than you think."

--A.A. Milne

Pretty powerful quote, no?  Especially in times when you doubt yourself (which is quite often for me) and when you feel like there is something you want to accomplish but unable to.  Oftentimes we have to remind ourselves or count on others to remind us that the barriers we run into are ones that we set for ourselves.  Or sometimes we have such high standards and expectations that we don't leave room for error, and even if we do great things, we don't recognize them because we are so hard on ourselves.

I suppose when I say "we," I am referring to my own experiences.  I think within the beauty industry, there is a lot of competition.  I didn't get into anything beauty related till I was almost 20, which is a very late start.  So I tend to be especially hard on myself when I try to catch up to everyone else who has been doing it for years.  A few months ago, I was looking at pictures from fashion shows I did some time late last year.  I remember when I was actually at the fashion shows cranking out faces at the speed of light, I was very unhappy with the quality of my work.  I felt like none of the models looked good enough for a magazine shoot and thus not good enough for the runway.  When I looked at the pictures some months later, I remember being very surprised at how good the models looked.  I had to do a double take and say to myself, "I did that?"

I'm still pretty hard on myself and I still get blue sometimes and think "I'm not good enough," but I look at this quote again from time to time and give myself a slap across the face and move on.

Blog Everyday in May, Day 3: Things that make me uncomfortable

Goodness gracious.  Where does one even begin?  Discomfort is an umbrella term for so many feelings and ranges anywhere from pain to creeped out to having the incredible urge to pee.  I think I'll just take Jenni's (creater of this Blog Everyday in May Challenge) advice and try not to take it too seriously.

So without further ado, here are five items that make me quite squeamish and uncomfortable.

1. Bleeding/blood.  This makes me sooo squeamish! Yechhh!!!  I can't stand seeing things bleed.  I always look away when I'm having blood drawn or whenever I'm donating blood.

2. Bugs/Creepy Crawlies.  What can I say?  I'm a wimp.  By the way, this include butterflies.  I run like the wind if I see any flying near me.

3. When I'm told I'm beautiful.  I'm not sure why this makes me uncomfortable.  Perhaps I'm still working on that insecurity and self esteem.  But when I'm told I'm beautiful I either blow it off with a joke or I just get really quiet.  It's almost like I don't really believe it, so I can't imagine how anyone can really think so...

4. Marketing myself.  In the beauty industry, getting clients is a lot about marketing yourself, walking up to people and convincing them to let you do their hair and makeup, that sort of thing.  Again, this may be an insecurity thing but it just feels wrong to brag so much and pull people in like that.  I've got a lot to learn if I'm to survive as a hairdresser and makeup artist.

5. Being unprepared/uncertain.  This can apply to gigs, to life, anything.  With that said, I don't like to plan out every detail of my life but for gigs, I like to know all the details before I dive in.  And with life...well...that's another story.  I'll save it for one of the later Blog Everyday in May prompts.

I intentionally tried not to list the most common things people are uncomfortable with such as stalkers, homeless people on the street, etc.  If you have something that makes you feel uncomfortable that most people find odd, feel free to share!

April Empties

I'm going to try to do these posts every month.  I've done one or two in the past but hopefully committing to do these sorts of monthly posts will force me to use up products that I already have instead of constantly running out to buy more.

But here it is, folks!  I actually have some empties worth mentioning this month!

1. Two bottles of Target eye makeup remover.  What can I say?  I love this stuff and it goes down by the bottle.  Last time I ran out I freaked out and bought 15 more bottles.  I should check my stash again.

2. Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Foundation in Bisque 4.  I knew I should have purchased a backup bottle.  I got this on clearance from DF&CCO for $20 since it was a line being upgraded/discontinued.  Great foundation!  Dried to a nice matte finish and was pretty longwearing.  

3. Smashbox Healthy FX Foundation in Light 3.  This one definitely needed to go.  I've had it since 2009.  It was my second bottle but it still needed to go.  I used up every last bit, and it was a very good medium coverage foundation but I'd like to explore other brands.  It made my skin look glowy and healthy while evening out my skin tone.  

4. Paul Mitchel Original Conditioner.  A very good conditioner.  It made my hard very sleek and shiny.  Only problem is.....I was allergic to it.  So I won't be purchasing again.

5. Aveeno Daily Moisturizing body wash.  I'm rather fond of Aveeno products.  This body wash wasn't life changing for me (are they ever?) but it doesn't stink or break me out so I will stick with it.

I have a handful of products that are SO close to being finished but alas I couldn't make it happen for April.  Look forward to seeing those at the end of May!

How about you guys?  Finish a lot of stuffs this month?  Please share!

Blog Everyday in May, Day 2--Do's and Don'ts of Dental Braces in a Nutshell

Hello ladies and gents~

Today's Blog Everyday in May Challenge is to educate everyone on something I know a lot about or something that I'm good at.

I had to really rack my brain on this one because I simply did not know what to blog about!  I could easily do something beauty related but I thought it would be a lot more fun to write about something completely different.  My boyfriend and I threw ideas back and forth before this popped into my head: braces.

I had braces for a little over two years in attempt to correct my overbite.  It never did get corrected and it has gotten a little worse since I stopped wearing retainers (more about that later).  Rather than be your wikipedia on braces, I decided to list some tips/facts about braces.

1.  You need to brush your teeth.  All the time.  Gunk gets stuck up in those brackets very very easily.
2.  Learn to breathe out of your nose instead of your mouth.  This will make appointments seem a lot less like torture.
3. If you have kids and are thinking about putting them in braces, try to do it while they're in middle school or at the beginning of high school.  I think this is when we tend to be less self conscious and it's a lot easier to ship them to their regular appointments when they still live at home.
4. Try not to get hit in the face.  Just try.  Or the brackets will cut up the inside of your lip.  I did have a volleyball smack right in the mouth and it gave me a nice cut right on top of this huge canker sore I had in my mouth.  Glorious, no?
5. While you're trying not to get hit in the face, it also may not be a good idea to kiss anyone else with braces.
6. Try not to overdose yourself on pain meds.  Your tolerance for pain may be stronger than you think.  Just think of it as training for when you give birth.
7. Do NOT chew gum.  It's not worth it.  Especially the super sticky kind that will get stuck IN your brackets.  If that happens, I have no idea how you get it off.  Good luck.
8. Do not bite the person tightening up your brackets.  He/she may get angry at you and inflict more pain than necessary.
9. Do try to eat more soft foods.  You don't need to make the experience any more painful than you need to.
10. Carry a toothbrush and toothpaste around.  Maybe some floss too.  Food gets lodged into those brackets very easily.

Well there you have it, folks--dental braces in a nutshell!  I hope you all find this mildly amusing, but helpful.  Have a great day!

Blog Everyday in May, Day 1: Story of My Life...in 250 Words or Less

Hello fellow blogging buddies!

I am taking on a HUGE challenge this month!  The Blog Everyday in May challenge (pretty self explanatory right?) is really going to test my balls and I hope you will all join me!

And for the first segment...the story of my life.

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I was born and raised in California to a traditional Chinese family.  My parents worked themselves to the bone to provide for my family, making sure we had everything they never had during their own upbringing in China.  They heavily emphasized that doing well in school would ensure that my siblings and I would obtain high paying and stable jobs, and thus secure our future.  Most importantly, my parents wanted to make sure we did not struggle as they had.

Because I was sheltered, my social life suffered.  However, my grades were good until my second year in high school when I got depressed.  I never talked to anyone about it, and my grades dropped.  I slowly picked myself up somehow, and was admitted into University of California, Davis.  Away from the watchful eyes and restrictions upheld by my parents, my grades suffered.  It took me three years to learn to study efficiently.  I did graduate in 2011 with bachelors of arts in Communication and Sociology, and double minors in Chinese and Education.

My mind was set on teaching, though I fell in love with makeup in my early university years.  I applied to teach in Korea to my parents’ horror, but alas I did not receive my diploma in time for the program so I went to beauty school.  I earned my license in 2012, but I continue to seek the stable job I, through my parents, want to have while still doing what I love most—makeup and hair.

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Holy beans that was so DIFFICULT!  I managed to write 250 words exactly but goodness gracious it took a lot of editing.