All posts in: Review

12 Jun 2016

Beauty for Breakfast Pt. 27

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When it comes to scents, I can never really make up my mind. The last time I did have a signature scent, it was Coach! But then it got discontinued, which is why we found ourselves back at Sephora again trying a dozen samples and trying to put our finger on the next purchase. I was between Chloe’s Love Story and one other one that I can’t seem to remember right now, but what I love about “Love Story” (besides the fact that it reminds me of that Taylor Swift song) is that it’s very light, romantic, and has just a hint of fruitiness/floral. Fun fact about myself: Unless I absolutely can’t live without the scent, I always buy it in rollerball form. Why?

They actually last a very long time!
If you get tired of it eventually, you know that you can always buy another one after
They’re more inexpensive, but more bang for your buck (at least in my opinion!) They are usually between $18-$22.
Super easy to put on. Pretty straightforward. I don’t even have to explain this to y’all.

So this is what we’ve been wearing since January and we’re pretty much in <3 with it.

Style

04 Jun 2016

Beauty for Breakfast Pt. 26

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Going home for the holidays means a lot of things, but one of the best parts is acquiring all of the beauty products that Mom could do without. What would she do without me? Everything would just go to waste! To be honest, in our mid-20’s I still don’t know what I’m doing with most of my products, but I think it’s all pretty good for experimentation and I’m sure someday I’ll find a use for it. The good thing about my mini haul from this past December is that I use all THREE of these products all of the time.

I know that tube of Lancome mascara is small and very clearly a sample, but it’s gotten me through some tough times and is still functional 6 months later… though I think that means we’re close to the end with this one.

I purchased my Bare Minerals lipstick on the right solely for our holiday party last December, but still am very much in love with it. The color is perfect for a night out and glides on so smoothly. I’ve previously found that I get pretty bored with most of my lipsticks, but not this one.

The palette in the middle is also a sample from Lancome. It features powder for contouring, blush, and a highlighter and since this was my first time using it, I definitely had to look up a tutorial online for how to incorporate the three when using it. I still don’t even know if I’m doing it quite right, but A+ for effort…? I usually save this for an evening look, but there are times when I find it to be daytime appropriate. This shade of blush is a very pretty coral pink and ideal for any sun-kissed glow. The highlighter…well, we’re still trying to figure that one out!

Lancome Definicils Mascara in Black – $27.50

Lancome Blush Subtil Palette in 126 Nectar Lace – $43

Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in Live Large – $18

Style

11 Dec 2015

Beauty for Breakfast Pt. 25

It was just last week that I was talking about how in 2015 I was starting to develop a better skin routine for myself and one of those things that I’ve been using is Simple’s cleansing facial wipes. For years, in college and in high school, I would try a number of different cleansing facial wipes, but none of them really stuck. It takes some serious discipline to wash your face every night. I know it’s embarassing to admit, but for the longest time, I would just go to bed with all of my makeup on and convince myself that it would come off in the shower the next morning. What’s really awful about that situation is that everything that builds up during the day and your makeup get onto your pillow and it’s a disaster. I’m almost convinced that it’s one of the reasons why a) my skin breaks out and b) I have to wash my pillow cases so often.

For the last couple of years, I’ve been attending the Grace Hopper Conference and every year we get a pretty nifty swag bag that included these wipes. It was a couple months after I got back, but I found an opportunity to try them and fell in love. If i could, I would order these in bulk and just keep them stocked in my closet so that I have them forever. Whether you’re on the go and traveling or using them at home, they are so easy to work into your skin routine. I like to use them at night right before I go to bed and after a pretty thorough wipe down of the face, I splash some water over it to get rid of any extra residue or build up. The best part about these packets is that they come with a few wipes. When you open the packet (in the front where the text is) you can close it back up to make sure that the rest of the wipes stay hydrated and fresh!

Style

03 Dec 2015

Beauty for Breakfast Pt. 24

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Fall in the Bay Area has been completely unforgiving to my skin this year. I’m not sure if it’s just the way my skin is reacting to the environment around me or if it’s because I’ve been under a little bit more stress than usual, but my skin has taken a turn for the worse. In 2015, I unofficially made it my resolution to do a better job of taking care of my skin and keeping myself hydrated, but turns out drinking 7 glasses of water a day is a tougher challenge than you might think. Since that’s something I’m actively trying to improve, trying to hydrate the rest of my skin is another thing I needed to tackle.

After having one of the best facials ever at the Monterey Plaza Hotel this past summer, I decided that I would pamper myself with a facial once a season just to refresh everything and get it all on the same page. Additionally, I’ve been using this Mario Badescu Enzyme Revitalizing Mask on a weekly basis. Instructions suggest you use it 2-3 times a week for 20 minutes, but since I have pretty sensitive skin, I didn’t want to overdo it and am only using it once a week. As a mask, I apply it pretty lightly and take it off right at 20 minutes – only using it in the evening right before bed. Afterwards, I have to try really hard to not touch my face at all. In the end, it leaves my everything feeling pretty relaxed, moisturized, and fresh! I think the scent helps with that part though. 🙂

Style

09 Jul 2015

Beauty for Breakfast Pt. 23

When Sugar reached out to me to see if I would be interested in trying their line of eyeliners, I was thrilled. While I love the ones that I use currently, I’m always looking for a new one that might be a better fit. Currently, I’m using Stila on my bottom and a retired style by Physician’s Formula that I have to order through Amazon because they’ve discontinued them in stores. As you can imagine, it makes things difficult. I thought I’d only be sampling just one eyeliner from Sugar, but I was happy to receive three in my package from them! The first one that I tried was the one that I was most excited about – a matte black liner called “Come Hither.” V. seductive. What I liked about this was that the tip was very soft, gentle, and made a visible line when using it even for the first time. What I’ve come to find in eyeliners is that the first time is never the greatest because sometimes it takes some getting used to. “Come Hither,” however had that worn in type of a feel which made for a seamless application. The only downside to this one was that I would go about my day and when I went to the bathroom and was at the mirror, I was noticing that the top liner was leaving an imprint on my top lid! The worst 🙁 However, this happens to me a lot (except for Physician’s) and it’s really challenging for me to find a liner that doesn’t do this. I’ve read that I might just have sweaty eyelids. If that’s the case, then it’s not Sugar’s fault at all.

The second liner I tried was Entice – a standard black liner. It had a thinner tip than “Come Hither” and because of that, application was a little bit harder. I think this is the type of eyeliner that might need to be worn in a bit because it also didn’t appear as clearly as “Come Hither.”

For a day when I was feeling a little bit riskier, I tried “Hypnotize” – the bright blue! I realized because of my eyeliner eyelid stamp problem, using it on top wasn’t a good idea so this week, I tried it on the bottom. It’s subtle enough in that it shows some color, but doesn’t make you stand out like a sore thumb or that I’m my 14-year old scene kid self again. I’ll definitely keep it around for those nights when I feel like having just a hint of blue.

I’m determined to make “Come Hither” work for me so I’ve even tried doubling up on eyeliners recently. You might say it’s repetitive, but the line that I get from this one is just too good. First, I’ll use “Come Hither” on my top and then wait some time and put on Physician’s Formula’s eyeliner on afterwards to set it so that it doesn’t smear on my eyelid. This tactic has been working pretty well so far! I’m pretty impressed by Sugar though and I’m so excited to be venturing into new brands these days.

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Culture

10 May 2013

Opening Night: Lost Lake Cafe

opening night lost lake

I wasn’t sure if it would be possible to get a seat on opening night at Lost Lake Cafe the other day, but it happened! My former professor and I are huge fans of breakfast for dinner and with a menu that consists of nearly 150 different options, it was tough to settle down on a meal, but I decided with the Veggie Omelette because who doesn’t like that combination? It was a busy evening for the cafe, but I would like to think that since they are open 24 hours, everyone that would want to try it would have a chance. The atmosphere is an upscale diner with a vintage feel and the staff were very pleasant. My only qualm? The menu states that you can have UNLIMITED hash browns if it isn’t the weekend or the holidays and Colette and I both waited to see if we would be offered the unlimited hash browns option if we had finished our first, but we weren’t!

It’s okay – we’ll let it slide…this time.

But of course we’ll be back!

Welcome to Capitol Hill, Lost Lake!

Life

16 Apr 2012

Review: Manhattan Drugs

Last week, Winny and I celebrated my first happy hour of the quarter! Now, we could’ve gone to the Chieftain. We could have hit up Bimbos for a glass of sangria and a delicious snack sized burrito, but Winny and I are classy ladies!

We went to the new steakhouse on 12th called Manhattan Drugs during happy hour and ordered two orders of Macaroni and Cheese at $3 each. Not bad, right? She’s a working girl and I’m still a poor college student so really, not much has changed.

Macaroni and cheese is a meal that many of my friends grew up on as children, but I didn’t even have my first bowl until high school when I bought my very first box of Easy Mac. I’m thrilled to let you all know that I have since graduated onto Kraft, but while all of you have had the luxury of consuming it as kids – this is a meal that still possesses that “WOW!” factor for me.

I kid you not, my co-workers and I actually had a 30-minute conversation on mac and cheese just a couple weeks ago and how even though we love the simplicity of the meal, we’ll still shovel out the bills for a fancier version at a nice restaurant. Manhattan Drug’s was exactly what Winny and I were both looking for in a happy hour meal and didn’t break our wallets either.

All food things aside, the interior of the restaurant is gorgeous. It’s hard to believe that the last time I was in there, it was just a toy store. The restaurant has given the space a complete transformation packed with booth style seats and lounge furniture.

12 Dec 2011

Review: The Romantics

pic cred: InStyle

While perusing Netflix today, I came across a new film called The Romantics (2010) now available for instant watching. I like romantic comedies. The story revolved around a group of close friends from college reuniting for a wedding between Anna Paquin and Josh Duhamel, but then it occurred to me that this wasn’t the first time I had heard of this film. In June 2010, the cast of The Romantics did a photo shoot for J. Crew and I had even made a post about it. Those facts about the movie, alone, are all great, but I think the main reason why I was attracted to watching this film today was because of Adam Brody. The cast is a pretty intriguing one featuring the ones I’ve already mentioned, Katie Holmes, Malin Ackerman, Dianna Agron, Candice Bergen, Elijah Wood and a couple that I have never recognized before. The film centers on a complicated love triangle between Anna, Josh and Katie, but I was more fixated on the dynamic characters that Malin and Adam portrayed. They were both married or engaged to people in the group of friends that didn’t make any sense to me.

It’s an interesting film and I’m still trying to find closure on it, but I won’t press on it to much because it was the only movie I watched today to pass some time.

22 Oct 2011

Restaurant Review: Momiji

When I first learned that Steve Han (owner of Umi Sake House) had plans to open up a new sushi restaurant on Capitol Hill just blocks away from my school, I was PUMPED. Umi Sake House is considered one of the best sushi restaurants in the Seattle area along with my personal favorite Wasabi Bistro. Together, those two dominate the sushi scene, but it isn’t always easy for college students to make their way down to Belltown. I try to avoid it if I can. The people down there have “the eyes” – seriously everyone lurks. I’m not just talking about the people you assume lurk, but it’s also the people that go clubbing down there too. Anyways, to put it simply – it’s a trip and a pretty inconvenient one at that. It made sense for Han to open up Momiji on 12th though because its only competitors are Chao Bistro, Octo Sushi and Genki Sushi. Let’s be real though – those are not serious competitors. Sorry.

With Momiji taking over the old Dawson Plumbing, the space was soon to be transformed into a beautiful space reminiscent of Umi Sake House’s atmosphere. The 100-seater restaurant is one of the largest (if not the largest) restaurants in Capitol Hill and surrounds a beautifully designed landscape with strong Japanese accents. You have to see it in real life. A restaurant on this scale will need double of everything to make sure it keeps running. Using such things as commercial refrigeration companies, large food delivery services, air-conditioning throughout, etc. will help the restaurant thrive in its climate.

The restaurant had their opening on a Wednesday a few weeks back and unfortunately, I couldn’t make the actual opening day. My four friends and I tried that following Thursday after opening day and found ourselves in an hour and a half wait so we retreated to Skillet Diner instead, which was still a great choice to us – no disappointment there. Kevin and I went exactly one week after the opening and surprisingly it wasn’t all that crowded anymore. We probably didn’t even need to make a reservation, but since I was concerned about getting shut out again, I made one to be safe. Kevin and I ordered two rolls – one that we knew we would like and one that was a little outside of our comfort zone along with pieces of our favorite sashimi and gyoza for him – miso soup for me. Sadly, they were all out of the black cod, one of our favorite items on the menu. As expected, we loved the roll we knew we would enjoy and struggled bussed a little bit with the second roll. While we had some trouble adjusting to the taste of the second roll, we decided that it had nothing to do with how it was prepared or created. We didn’t enjoy the taste, but we’re sure that other people probably would – it just wasn’t for us. I was talking to a member of staff and they were lovely, we talked about the process of getting the place set up. She told me that they had so much to organize and were glad they found great quotes for their businesses energy bills. It allowed them to open when they did, they got their quote from a price comparison website similar too Usave.

Two days later, I found myself at the restaurant once again – this time for Happy Hour with two of my girlfriends. I ordered the Seattle Crunch Roll something – which is your standard salmon, cream cheese, avocado dipped in tempura batter. They serve this at nearly every sushi restaurant in Seattle, but Wasabi Bistro was the first to actually create it. In addition to my roll, I ordered a sampling of nigiri featuring my favorites: eel, salmon, tuna, albacore and yellowtail. This was the first time that I was ever able to find a sampling that included everything I wanted at a decent price. Overall, I was pleased with their happy hour. The menu was extensive. The portions were the perfect amount and I didn’t break my wallet. Would I eat at Momiji again? Of course I would it’s like a foot away from me!

12 Sep 2011

The Art of Getting By

I finally had the opportunity to watch The Art of Getting By today and I kind of loved it. No surprise there! I failed to convince Jeanette to see it with me over the summer so had to settle for watching it solo. Worth it. I’ve always been a huge fan of Emma Roberts ever since her days on Nickelodeon’s “Unfabulous” and Freddie Highmore is like the international version to my American version of Logan Lerman.

The Art of Getting By was originally titled “Homework,” but after seeing the film, either title would have worked. I think the new title probably suits it better though since the emphasis on art in the film and how it relates to George’s (Freddie Highmore) life makes more sense. Basically George is a teenager that gets constantly lost in his own thoughts and because of this, he never does any of his homework. He’s a slacker that keeps getting slack from his principal, but he is dangerously close to not graduating at all. The angst-y teenager then meets another girl from his school named Sally (Emma Roberts) and soon after the two become great friends and he starts to develop feelings for her. Whether those feelings are reciprocated or not – you’ll just have to watch!

The movie is a little slow, but it is so indie it hurts my stomach and I love it. The soundtrack is fairly decent and though at times I felt annoyed with some of the characters, there were other moments that I grew invested in them.