Rimmel London Lasting Finish Lipsticks (Swatches)

L to R: Drop of Sherry, Airy Fairy, and Bordeaux

Drop of Sherry: shimmery deep rose color
Airy Fairy: pinkish/lilac nude color
Bordeaux: deep red wine color

Photoblog: Independent Spirit Awards 2011 Weekend

1. Amazing accommodations at Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica


2. Bubble bath time


3. Media lounge at the Exhale Spa


4. New Aveeno product line


5. With beauty editor Erika from MakeupBag.net


6. Aveeno's spokesmodel, Summer Raynes


7. With Dr. Jessica Wu, author of Feed Your Face


8. Side bun styled by celebrity stylist, Patrick Melville




9. With beauty editor, Laurie from ProductGirl.com


10. Michelle Tranchenberg


11. Craig Robinson aka Darryl Philbin from The Office


12. Paparazzi shot of Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts


13. Best Supporting Female winner, Dale Dickey (Winter's Bone), drops by the Aveeno tent


14. Jaimie Foxx


15. Best Supporting Male Lead winner, Mark Ruffalo (The Kids Are Alright)


16. Swag

Amazing, amazing weekend. It was both relaxing and action packed at the same time. Loved every single moment of it that it was difficult for me to leave everyone and everything behind.

If you missed my outfit post for the award show, you can peep at it here: Lookbook: Independent Spirit Awards 2011.


FTC: This was a sponsored Aveeno Ambassadors event by Aveeno and Recyclebank.

Lookbook: Independent Spirit Awards 2011

Rose lace top, Forever 21 (buy here)
Stripped lace overlay skirt, Forever 21
Tights, Forever 21
Suede bow heels, Zara
Camel double breasted coat, H&M (buy similar here)

I just got back today from my wonderful trip. I had so much fun these weekend meeting other amazing beauty bloggers and the Aveeno team. I'm really grateful for the wonderful weekend in Santa Monica while staying Shutters on the Beach Hotel, Exhale Spa for our pampering session, and being backstage for the Independent Spirit Awards courtesy of Aveeno and Recyclebank.

It's so amazing to be surrounded by twenty-five other awesome ladies who share the same passion as me. Thank you so much to Aveeno and Recyclebank for choosing me to become part of this great experience and becoming one of the Aveeno Ambassadors.

This past Saturday was the Independent Spirit Awards, and this was the outfit I wore for the event. I had underestimated the weather that day because it was really chilly and windy. But I was just really glad that the rain was not a factor that day. However, the side ponytail had to go two hours later after being blown furiously by the wind.

After a short but fun weekend, I am now dreading the unpacking part. I hope everyone had a lovely weekend, especially with the Independent Spirit Awards and the Academy Awards tonight. Are you tuning in?



FTC: The Independent Spirit Awards 2011 backstage access was sponsored by Aveeno and Recyclebank.

Lookbook: Park Day + Exciting News!

Ruffled pink shirt, abercrombie
Navy blue shorts, Forever 21
Blazer, H&M
Leopard Scarf, H&M
Black tights, Forever 21
Oxfords, Forever 21
Belt, vintage
Clustered flower ring, Forever 21

Updates have been sporadic lately. There is just not enough hours in a day when you're working full-time and you have to deal with grown up stuff when you get home.

San Francisco is such a beautiful city. Since I know I won't be able to survive the harsh winters in the east coast, my second option if I were to move or live anywhere else would be San Francisco.

This is the last outfit I wore while in San Francisco. Thankfully, it wasn't as cold as I thought it would be, but it was still chilly. About this outfit, sometimes I don't know how certain pieces just works so nicely together. I had prepared my outfits prior to the trip to minimize over packing (but of course I still did), and this wasn't the ensemble I had prepared initially. I ended up mixing two outfits together and came up with this. Oddly enough, it still works for me. Ever since I've been blogging about my outfits, I did notice that I'm more likely to mix certain pieces together that I normally wouldn't. Taking more risks I suppose.

In other news, if you haven't heard on Twitter, I have been chosen by Aveeno to become an Aveeno Ambassador! And through Recyclebank's partnership with Aveeno, they have selected me as one of the 25 bloggers who will be attending the Independent Spirit Awards this Saturday! I'm definitely excited about this as it's my first and my blog's big event! I'm also excited to meet my fellow beauty bloggers and do a coverage about the event as well as other festivities to ensue. So make sure to follow me on Twitter!

Two years ago, I would have never thought of an opportunity to come my way because of blogging. But I'm definitely glad that this hobby and passion of mine is giving me a chance to experience something like this. I'm so grateful for it all!! I really, really can't wait!

The Independent Spirit Awards hosted by Joel McHale will air this Saturday, February 26 on IFC 10 PM ET/PT.

Whoo... I still need to pack!

Lookbook: Faux Things

Been super busy since I got back from San Francisco especially since I’m catching up on some work I missed on Friday after taking the day off. My posts will most likely consist of outfit of the day posts since I’ve already taken plenty of pictures to post over the weekend.

This looks like a picture you'd take back in elementary.




This was me pretty much the whole time trying to fix my tights.



Ruffled top, H&M
Faux leather shorts, Forever 21 (buy similar here)
V-stripped tights, Forever 21
Clustered pearl necklace, Forever 21 (buy similar here)
Faux leather biker jacket, Forever 21 (buy here)
Faux fur, H&M (buy similar here)
Belt, Betsey Johnson
Suede Oxford shoes, Forever 21
Bucket bag, H&M (buy similar here)
Sunglasses, Fendi

Posting outfit related entries is actually helping my closet inventory. It gives me a mental note of what I’m going to possibly keep and which ones will be given away. I’ll need to start purging my closet out since my mom has told me that she’s going to be sending stuff to the Philippines. That means she’s going to be packing that “Balikbayan” box. If you’re Filipino, you know what it means to send box of goodies every year to your family who are in the Philippines. It can get pretty hectic shopping (whether it'd be food, shoes, or clothing) for your loved ones and carefully packing them in a box to be sent off. Amongst other things, we usually send our clothes that we probably don't wear anymore. I  have cousins who are younger than me who usually end up with my stash.

Anyway, I should try shopping somewhere else other than Forever 21 or H&M. But I can't help it since they pretty much have everything I usually want, not to mention they're really affordable to.

Watch Video:





FTC: All clothing items were purchased with my own funds.

Lookbook: Colonel Mustard

While I’m sorting through my pictures and video footage from my recent San Francisco trip, here’s an outfit of the day post from last Friday.

Mustard yellow top, BCBG Girls
Double button skinny jeans in khaki, F21 (buy here)
Military inspired jacket, H&M
Oxford shoes, F21 (buy similar here)
Floral print scarf, H&M
Skinny belt, Mom’s hand me down :]

I had to dress as comfortable as possible on Friday since I have to endure a 5 hour drive to San Francisco. It would normally take 6+ hours from the valley to San Francisco, but that just kind of tells you how fast we were driving down the freeway.

I wasn’t sure how cold it was going to be in San Francisco, but I knew it would be a little colder up north than down here in SoCal. So I just wore my favorite military jacket and pair it with my other favorite scarf. And I’m getting so many compliments over my oxford shoes… during an elevator ride, shopping around, etc… people seem to notice.

One thing I really noticed while I was there, EVERYONE, and I mean everyone seemed on point when it comes to style in San Francisco. I loved it! And Union Square is definitely a hub for fashionistas. Seriously, LA malls are put to shame as I walk around block after block down Union Square. Everything is in Union Square and five times bigger. I was really glad that our hotel was within walking distance from everything.

So this week, I’d hopefully post up reviews of restaurants we’d been to while in San Francisco. We pretty much tried places recommended by friends, the Beautylish team, and Anh (9to5chic). So thank you for the suggestions! I’ll have full reviews on my food blog: AnneAppetite, as I’m trying to keep things separate since this is my makeup, beauty, and fashion blog. But, I will dedicate one long post of our itinerary of the weekend on this blog in case you decide to visit San Francisco. It’ll also be a note for me to list any other places that I haven’t tried and want to try when we go back up. And, since I’m doing Foodie Tours on my YouTube channel now also, I’ll have short video footages of our food and a little of the restaurant with quick blurbs. I’ll stick those videos in along with my food reviews. So make sure to subscribe to my food blog for those!

And I haven’t forgotten, but I’ll announce the winners of my giveaway as soon as I get settled. So hang tight!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Lookbook: Stripes and Jewels

Since I've been going to the gym after work, I've been always too tired or too sore to do anything afterwards. I'm thinking of going in early, but they don't have the classes I want at 5 in the morning and I don't think it's humanly possible for me to wake up THAT early either. I don't know how I did it back when I was in college. But that's the reason why I didn't get to post this one up yesterday.

Striped button down, H&M (buy similar here)
A-line pleated silk skirt, Forever 21 (buy similar here)
Necklace, Forever 21 (buy similar here)
Black tights, H&M
Jewel crusted patent flats, Sam Edelman (buy similar here)

Yesterday’s outfit is a little too “Gossip Girl”, I think. By the way, I finally got a hold of a tripod. Yay! Now I can try to do outfit posts without using my iPhone to take pictures. I don’t know, do you think is this better or stick with the iPhone shots?

I wanted to wear my silk skirt yesterday. It actually worked out because it was pretty warm again yesterday. My only gripe about this skirt is it’s a pain to iron and wrinkles easily. Not to mention, my belt kept sliding up.

Oh, and did I tell you how much I love my Sam Edelman flats? They’ve completely replaced my beat up flats forever. Even though they’re half a size bigger, they actually fit me perfectly because they’re narrow shoes. They’re super comfortable too since they’re a little padded on the bottom. I haven’t gotten blisters on my feet either despite the shoes being made out of patent leather.



FTC: All items on this post were purchased with my own funds.

Lookbook: Stud Muffin

Not going to lie, but I've worn the same ensemble before. But you guys haven't seen it so it only counts as once.

I didn't get to take proper pictures that day, so I had to steal these screen shots from my friend Jarmaine's YouTube video.  I'm glad she did an outfit of the day of me so at least you're able to see my somewhat favorite outfit (it must be if I have worn it twice already).

Miltary-inspired jacket, H&M (buy similar here)
Striped top, Cotton On (buy similar here)
Destroyed jean shorts, Hollister (buy similar here)
Black tights, Forever 21
Grey socks, H&M
Studded Military combat boots, Forever 21 (buy similar here or here)

Most of the items I'm wearing here were purchased a year or two ago. The only most recent purchase I'd say are probably the combat boots, but I found similar items online. My style on the weekends and weekdays are almost night and day sometimes. Thank goodness for the weekend because I can wear my favorite combat boots. Anyway, it's really not fair how I'm posting almost summer outfits.



FTC: All items on this post were purchased with my own funds.

On My Nails Right Now: O.P.I Teenage Dream and The One That Got Away (Katy Perry Collection)

My nails are ready for Valentine's Day! So I tried giving myself a french tip on my own, but as you can tell I'm still in need of practice. But with O.P.I flat brush, it actually makes it a wee bit easier to apply the tips some what evenly. By the way, this took about 2 hours to make and plenty of trial and error.

I've combined my two favorite nail polishes (aside from Shatter) from the Katy Perry O.P.I collection. I love pink nail polishes and this is just perfect for Valentine's Day! I mean how girly can this be.

On my nails...
Base: O.P.I Teenage Dream
Tips: O.P.I The One That Got Away
Base and Top Coat: Sally Hansen Continuous Treatment

With flash

Without flash

So what are your big plans for Valentine's Day, if any? Are you getting in the "spirit" or is it just another (Hallmark) holiday for you?



FTC: Products mentioned on this post were purchased with my own funds.

Makeup Tutorial: Valentine's Day Inspired Smokey Look

February 14 is coming up which means it's Valentine's Day (or Single Awareness Day). Yes, it's a Hallmark holiday and everyone should celebrate love everyday, but with all the cute and pink things on every shelf of every store, I can't help but love it even more and be just be festive.

I have a few more tutorials that I'm in the process of editing for this Valentine's day. Hopefully, it'll give all of you some ideas when you go out to dinner and such. If you've missed my post on my hair tutorial pictured below, you can read up on it here: Hair Tutorial: Easy Braided Low Bun Updo.

Watch the Video:

More images and product breakdown after the jump.

Swatches: MAC Wonder Woman Collection

Yesterday, Vanessa (NessasaryMakeup) invited me to go with her to MAC's Wonder Woman release party. I haven't been to a release party in awhile. The last one was probably... I don't even remember when was the last time I've been to a MAC store. With the kajillion collection they seem to come out with every year, it was just difficult for me to keep up.

Off I went to the party still since it gave me a chance to catch up with Vanessa. It was just like the good old swatching days.

Going into the release party, I haven't really checked out any swatches that was available online. I've seen the packaging and it really didn't appeal to me too much. Although I like Wonder Woman as a character, the packaging for this collection reminded me of kid's makeup. So, I passed up on this collection completely and left the store empty-handed. Well, I walked out with swatches on my arms.

Makeup Tutorial: Purple Smokey Eye Look

I almost didn't want to upload this tutorial because it took so many tries before I could finish editing the video since Windows Live Movie Maker refused to cooperate But now it's done, so here's my purple smokey eye look.

When I'm going to go out at night, my night look is either a smokey or a purple eye look. But this time, I just combined both. I love purple on my eyes just because it's so flattering. It's my second favorite color for that reason and because it matches with pink.



Watch the video:



For more images and detail on this finished look, click below.

O.P.I Katy Perry Collection (Review and Swatches)

O.P.I's collaboration with Katy Perry was probably the most anticipated nail polish collection for me. I'm not one to search high and low for a nail polish, but this was definitely an exception. With all the buzz and press release images that's been floating around the web for Shatter a few months ago, I knew I had to get my hands on it.

Click on the link below to see what I have to say about this collection.

O.P.I Katy Perry Nail Polish Collection (Swatches)

Over the weekend, I finally got a hold of the whole Katy Perry O.P.I collection that I've been waiting for since I heard about them a couple of months ago. I was mostly excited about the Shatter nail polish because of its the cracked effect. A review will be coming up soon, but for now, here are some swatches. Click here for the review: O.P.I Katy Perry Nail Polish Collection Review.

So I've decided that from now on, I'm going to separate swatches and product reviews into two different posts. Just so I can break down the number of pictures loading in single post.