O Canada!

Finally, here it is! As promised, a post about my family's 4-day cruise trip to Canada. How much more befitting is it to publish this on Canada Day. The part of Canada that we headed to was New Brunswick, and Saint John to be more exact. We hadn't gone on a cruise since I was 6, which I don't even remember very well. Cruises are kind of...interesting, to say the least. However, being out in the ocean/middle of nowhere is really nice and freeing.

Onto the pictures! And a fair warning, there are a lot.

Cecille: A Story in Noir

This is a story about Cecille, the only daughter of a well-to-do family, and her transformation into a femme fatale, having grown tired of her boring life. (Let's see if you recognize any of the products in the photos.)

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It was a hot summer's day. The sun shone brightly through the trees, illuminating spots here and there all over the porch, and there sat Cecille. Rocking back and forth on the bench swing, sipping on some ice cold lemonade, she was reading a novel that had just come out, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It seemed that no one was buying it at the bookstore downtown, but something about the face on the deep blue cover drew her in.

"I hope she'll be a fool -- that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool."

As Cecille read over this line, she began to think about herself. Daisy had spoken this line about her hopes for her infant daughter, and it became apparent to Cecille that she was in a similar situation. She had all these expectations and at the same time, a lack of expectations. She was just going to be married off to some millionaire so that her family connections could grow deeper. Everything was already planned out for her, and she couldn't do anything about it.

Or at least, that was what she'd thought. Cecille put down the book and ran back into her room. She headed toward the dresser, on top of which was a clutter of cosmetic products, perfumes, and jewelry. She saw the necklace that her mother had given her as a child: a pink acorn bejeweled with white crystals on a gold chain. It was a symbol of her innocence, her childhood. She examined it peculiarly -- why had she kept it all these years? It wasn't anything particularly beautiful. Why did she even keep all of these frilly things in the first place?

Quickly she shoved everything into the first drawer. She didn't need them. Why did she have to go by the current standards? Do they even matter? She went down to the kitchen and something caught her eye. On the table was a newspaper with headlines in big bold letters plastered across the front. There was a show on Broadway that night, labeled as scandalous and provocative, but a must-see for the new generation. She glanced over at her father snoozing away on the recliner, having fallen asleep after looking through his business papers. Glasses still on. Mother's traveling somewhere in Europe. Brothers are at the company or on some road trip. This is the perfect time to escape, thought Cecille.

She ran into her mother's room and found a lipstick, with a dagger at the end of the bullet. Perfect. She also found a pair of black leather gloves. She went through all the rooms and gathered her new wardrobe. She found a black suit jacket and pants, her brother's black dress shirt, and brought everything to her room. She took out her sewing kit and took everything in. She worked in a hurried daze, pricking her fingers every now and then, but it didn't matter because now, her transformation was near complete. She slipped into her new outfit and found that it fit like a glove, literally.

It was now night time. The hot summer haze had turned into a breezy twilight. She stared at herself in the mirror. The new her. Was she ready for the night? Was she ready to leave behind this comfy, mundane life? She tied her long flowing hair up into a bun and hid it under a hat. It was time to go. She grabbed the money she had been unconsciously stashing away and shoved it into her pockets. After applying the finishing touch on her lips, she headed downstairs to leave. At the door she looked back at her father, still rapt in his dreams.

Sorry, Cecille uttered as she rushed down the porch steps and disappeared into the mystery of the night.

NYC Food Adventure!

This past weekend, my family and I decided to embark on a less-than-24-hour food excursion to not only celebrate the new year, but also because my parents' vacation time was winding down. They picked me up right afterschool on Friday and we drove to New York City. We stayed for one night at the Strand Hotel (which is so swanky, damn) and left Saturday afternoon. For our little food fest, we ate a dinner at Sik Gaek and a lunch the next day at Momofuku Noodle Bar.

Sik Gaek was quite an experience. The waiters all wore ahjumma pants (which was hilarious and cute at the same time) and yelled/blew horns/hazed people with a giant black afro if it was their birthday. There were three victims the night we went. We sat in long shared tables with tall plastic stools. The place looked so purposefully rundown. It was pretty...pretty...one of a kind.

Complimentary self-fried fried eggs.

Hung our jackets on floating coat racks in the middle of the restaurant.

The stools we sat on.

Complimentary tteokbokki.

Live Octopus Sashimi!?! I was too scared to try this, it was MOVING.

Kimchi pancake.

HUGE Seafood hotpot. HUGE.

The claw kept clamping and unclamping over and over again.

Night//Morning - perfect view of the Empire State Building from our hotel window.

Times Square Disney Store -- hadn't been in one in years.

Times Square! The ball was still up.

Momofuku Noodle Bar was a lovely little lunch (hah, alliteration). The famous pork buns were heavenly, the ramen had the perfect soup-to-noodle ratio, and the noodles were perfectly cooked. However, I hate to say it, but it was just a tad overpriced. I did love their restaurant design! The bright wooden (I'm thinking bamboo) furniture was on point. I would go back with friends one day, though, when we can all split the bill. But I will have to find a cheaper alternative to get my ramen fix next time!

Their menus change everyday.

Those famous pork buns!

Momofuku Ramen.

And that concludes my family's mini food feast this past weekend. It was compact but still so complete. With a little advanced planning and a GPS, we can fill our bellies with delicious foods we can't find in Boston! Have you ever gone on a one-day food trip (or just a one-day trip) before? If you haven't, you must! It is quite an experience. Have a great week! :)

Colors Around the House: Soft

Announcer: "And we're back with the second installment in our Colors Around the House series!"

This time I found things that seemed to be rather soft, gentle, and fluffy. I think I might start making each post have a specific theme for what things I pick and find. For this post, I found a creme-colored pleated skirt, one of my many Hello Kitty dolls, and my hunter hat.

I'm quite in love with the muted, soft tones of this picture.

I bought this skirt from Urban Outfitters this past summer. I loved the pleats and the soft, elegant color of the skirt itself. I thought it would be a perfect staple in my closet. I've worn it many times, but the weather has been far too cold lately for this thin little skirt. To match the soft creme of the skirt and its subtle flashes of pinkier/peachier tones, I picked out Revlon Matte Eyeshadow in Vintage Lace, Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in Recess, and MAC Eyeshadow in Naked Lunch. I think Vintage Lace is literally my skirt in eyeshadow form. The pattern on the eyeshadow pan helps with the effect as well.

It's all about the pink with Hello Kitty.

I was quite an avid collector of Hello Kitty in my childhood, supplied mainly by my mom but also by everyone in my family. I was obsessed. But as I grew up, I started branching out to other interests and characters (like Domo) and Hello Kitty fell by the wayside. I didn't play with my dolls as much. Though now I still have to sleep in Hello Kitty sheets, dolls, and pillows...because well, I can't really get rid of them. This was one of my favorite dolls, because of its fluffiness and how it was Hello Kitty in her simplest, most well-known outfit. I focused on the two pinks and picked out The Body Shop's Born Lippy in Strawberry, Tarina Tarantino Lipstick in Showroom, and Revlon Superlustrous Lipgloss in Pink Pop.

Don't you just want to run your fingers through that furriness?

This hunter's hat was basically my BFF in 9th through 10th grade. My dad got it for me from a trip to NYC and I was ecstatic. The faux fur was so soft and smooth and the pattern reminded me of tweed jackets. I've since abandoned this for less-obnoxious beanies, but I think I might give this hat a second chance. I wanted to duplicate the warm patches in the fur with MAC's Cocomotion pigment, and also the two colors in the pattern with Revlon Matte Eyeshadow in Rich Sable and a gray-beige like Benefit's Birthday Suit.

 

I'm digging the Cream Pleats trio, reminds me of soft linens. So I'm getting back into the swing of things with this blog, hallelujah! I'm falling back in love with blogging again. :) What objects or products have been striking inspiration for you recently? Or, what have you been rediscovering lately?

Merry Christmas!

I hope you're all having a lovely holiday/day off with your loved ones. I'm going out to watch Les Miserables today with my family. A really unorthodox, and kind of...y'know sad, celebration but hey, we all love the book so dearly, so we gotta make seeing the movie a family affair! I'm excited.

This Christmas was a lot more low-key and a bit rough (emotionally) for us, but the important thing is that we have each other. For better or worse. 

Didn't really get to photograph any festivities, so here are some recycled snapshots from last year. I've also been too busy to even touch my camera (it's been so neglected this past month).

Merry Christmas! Have a wonderful day, and I hope Santa brought you bountiful gifts. Let's hope you don't get a case of Present Face, though. ;)

Rosettes, Transepts, and Groin Vaults!?

Foreign terms to you, perhaps?

Well, they were pretty foreign to me before I started taking art history this year. I'm not really a religious person either, so churches were pretty far away from my designated niche. However, I've become fascinated with churches as of late. The architecture of these buildings is truly spectacular. There is so much attention to detail in almost every inch of these churches. And so many of them were built a long time ago (some nearly 1000 years ago!), so I am so shell-shocked by how amazing and well-built they are. They are so magnificent and just so beautiful to look at.

Anyway, we were assigned to pick a church in Boston and analyze it. I chose the Old South Church, which was built in a Gothic revival style in 1874. The exterior isn't very impressive, but I found the interior to be quite lovely. It was intricate, but muted. It was simple, yet beautiful. Something I'm inevitably drawn to: simplicity. This church, in my opinion, was the perfect blend of traditional and modern architecture.

In this "Color Play," I wanted to emulate the warm browns and vibrant jewel tones of the church. These colors in the church itself created such an inviting and welcoming atmosphere.

1. Stila Charmed Eye Palette: Jewel tones and warm coppers? This is basically the church in one palette.
2. L'Oreal HiP Pigment in Valiant: I wanted to imitate the stained glass windows, and this blue was the one for the job. It has such a pretty multi-dimensional effect.
3. MAC Eyeshadow in Moth Brown: This complex purple-gray-taupe was the perfect match for the exterior of the church.
4. L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Smoldering Plum: Y'all know I love this eyeshadow. It's exactly the color of the regal purple robes in the stained glass windows and icons!
5. Covergirl Outlast Lip Stain in Plum Pout: What's Christmastime without a little red?
6. L'Oreal Hip Eyeshadow Pencil in Unmistakable: And some more red!
7. Revlon Beyond Natural Eye Pencil in Brown: The rich, reddish browns of the Cherrywood furnishing.
8. MAC Fluidline in Rich Ground: Another warm, cozy brown that reminds me of the nave of the church.
9. Revlon Matte Eyeshadow in Rich Sable: There were darker brown bricks like this peppered throughout the faces of the church.
10. L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Sahara Treasure: To mimic the intricate caen limestone-carved screen, I decided to use this. The sheen adds some nice extra umph.
11. L'Oreal HiP Eyeshadow Duo in Gilded: A church has got to have some gold, so of course I added gold to my colors. In the church here, the gold is focused in the chandeliers and the cross hanging down from the ceiling.
12. MAC Blush in Loverush: This deep, maroon-y red is another jewel tone color that was used on the stained glass imagery and on the walls.

I thought it'd be nice to share these pictures since it's near Christmas! Like I said, I'm not really a religious person, but I've fallen (hard) in love with church architecture. Growing up I was a little creeped out by churches, but now I've come to really appreciate them! From an architectural and artistic standpoint, they are simply ah-may-zing. Unlike modern-day skyscrapers, these structures have been around for over a thousand years -- that in itself is something. Are you a fan of church architecture?

Giving Thanks

Today was Thanksgiving for us Americans. My relatives came over to our little apartment to take part in my mom's annual turkey feast. The air was filled with warmth, conversation, and laughter. I always look forward to this day every year. I'm so very thankful for my family, friends, food, and the roof above my head. 

My mom's never-dry turkey.

Accidentally bought pre-sliced ham this year, oh well.

Surf clam sashimi and garlic + sesame oil-tossed green beans -- there's always a few Asian dishes.

My brother carving the turkey.

My little plate of food.

Almost full!

Cousins brought over homemade creme brulee, yesss!

Of course my brother and I had to do one of those "re-do" photos. I was probably 4 or 5 in that picture. I crouched instead of tip-toeing hahaha. My, have we grown.

It was nice to take a day off and just cook and eat and relax. I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving with your loved ones (that is, if you celebrate it). What are you thankful for?

Colors Around the House

So today I would like to introduce to you a new series on my blog, Colors Around the House. Basically, it's like my Color Play and Theme Play posts, except these posts will be inspired by things around my house. The objects in our houses can become forgotten, mundane, and everyday, so in an effort to rediscover the gems and lovely things around my house, I thought I'd take them and relate them to makeup -- something I forget about sometimes as well.

Also, it'll be a nice little activity for me to point out the things that make up my house before I leave for college next year. I'll start this off with three things around my house that aren't necessarily forgotten, but it'll do for now (because the things I might find later on could potentially be a little weird): my taupe circle scarf, blue denim shirt, and red heart-shaped sunglasses.

The knit/texture of the scarf really comes through here, doesn't it?

My love for taupes has spread from makeup to clothes and accessories. My knit circle scarf being one of them, I wanted to see if I had any makeup colors like it. Calvin Klein's Sensuous Taupe (line now discontinued) was the first to come to mind. Similar to my scarf, it's a warmer, browner taupe but with a satin finish. Next was Essie's Mochachino nail polish. It has the similar depth as my scarf, but just a little cooler. I wanted to show how taupes are often very purple, so I took out a neglected KATE trio in PU-2 as well. It's a very gray-toned purple color palette, so I thought it fit in pretty nicely.

Just sittin' cozily in the pocket.

Another item I pulled from my house is this much-loved denim shirt. It was actually my mom's from the 90's, but now it's mine since she doesn't wear it anymore. It's faded and worn so well -- it goes well with everything! Inspired by the more masculine look and fit of the shirt, I took out the Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm in Lemon & Chamomile. I also picked out Lancome Le Crayon Kohl in Le Bleu de Jim and L'Oreal HiP Pigment in Valiant to show the variations of blue in a denim shirt.

My window shades look kinda scary in the reflection.

My heart-shaped sunglasses have just been sitting around since summer ended, but every time I see them, I instantly smile. Just the sight of the sunnies are so cheerful, so I thought I'd pick out some cheerful reds. As NARS Flamenco lipstick is my only red lipstick, it had to go in. It's a juicy red that can be sheer or built up. The other two are deep, but bright colors: Tarte LipSurgence Natural Lip Tint in Enchanted and Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Plum Wine. Enchanted applies like a balm as a reddish-pink, but stains to be a light red color. Plum Wine is a deep plummy red, but is still very vibrant and lively.

So, what do you think about this new series? The idea struck me this morning when I looked at those sunglasses above. I can't wait to show you some of the other knick-knacks I find in my home. It's really interesting to see how the things we're attached to can be right next to things we're not. What are some objects in your house that strikes up inspiration? 

Overcast Blues

The past two weeks here in Boston have been gray and rainy. The ever-present clouds made me appreciate the little peeks of blue sky even more than usual. Clouds really do have their own kind of beauty. Their different shapes, sizes, and intensities can really make a day feel gloomy or cheery. They could be an eerie sign of forthcoming rain. Or they could just be stray clouds wandering the bright blue sky.

Another snap from last week's little hike.

It was a beautifully, clear, cloudless sky today, though, which made me miss them a little bit. I thought I'd put together some colors to remind me of the skies of yesterday.

I pulled together a few dark, cool-toned eyeshadows. They consisted of blues, grays, taupes, and a few other muted colors. There was nothing too loud in the colors I picked out. There's always this fragile serenity to clouds, so I used that conceptualize my colors.

1. Avon Big Color Eye Pencil in Bluesmoke: Like the name suggests, this is a nice, deep navy blue with this gray smokiness to it. I think this would create the perfect navy blue smokey eye along with Revlon's Matte eyeshadow in Riviera Blue (3).
2. MAC Pigment in Deep Blue Green: This is one heck of a pigment. It has a rich, deep bluish-charcoal base, but then it also has this gorgeous teal duochrome that makes it just so pretty.
3. Revlon Matte Eyeshadow in Riviera Blue: I remember I thought these eyeshadows were the bomb when they came out. Oh silly young, makeup noob me. It's a nice, deep gray-blue color in the pan, but applies so unevely.
4. Urban Decay Deluxe Eyeshadow in Frigid: In the pan, Frigid looks like a very promising, unique indigo color. However, it applies more purple rather than indigo. I still quite like it, though, because it's still a really different color. 
5. MAC Eyeshadow in Moth Brown: I received this from Dovey this past week. I've never had much luck with giveaways, so this was such a pleasant surprise! Moth Brown definitely did not disappoint. It's this complex purple-gray-taupe that's so darn pretty, she explains it better here.
6. MAC Eyeshadow in Satin Taupe: Between the two cooler taupes, Satin Taupe looks so much more brown. It adds a layer of complexity to the colors I gathered.
7. Revlon Colorstay Eyeshadow Quad in Sandstorm (the last shade): This is a deep, almost completely gray taupe. This really reminds me of dark rain clouds.
8. Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in Birthday Suit: I thought the group needed a little light, and this was the best fit. As a champagne color, though, it's not too bright nor too dark, which was perfect here.
9. Rimmel Lipstick in Airy Fairy: This is a cool-toned, mauve-pink with a gold sheen. It's such a unique shade because the color itself is very cool, but the gold sheen warms it up and creates a lovely lip color.
10. Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Pink Truffle: What's a fall/cloudy color palette without a deep lip color? This is like my beloved Revlon Soft Rose's younger sister! It's a browny-rose pink that I just adore.

Is it just me, or would 5, 6, 7, and 8 make a lovely quad? I'd totally buy it.

Some close-ups of the swatches.

(I was too lazy to swatch it on my nails.)

Also, befitting with the theme is this Essie nail polish in Power Clutch. It's a rich, charcoal color -- totally reminiscent of smoke and dark clouds. 

The other goodies she packed into the package.

I really want to thank Dovey for hosting such an awesome giveaway and for being so generous with the samples! As you can tell already, I'm lovin' Moth Brown. I hope you guys enjoyed this post. It's been a while since I last played with some colors, huh? Have a great rest of the weekend! :)