Missing Photoshop

Sooo I was messing around with my blog layout/graphics last night.
Needless to say, I am very rusty with the whole designing thingie.
Not that I was very good with it in the first place...alas.

But anyways, messing around with my header graphic at the top of the page made me realize how much I miss working on Photoshop. Did I mention this already? I probably did cuz I'm getting deja vu right now. But yeahhh definitely miss using that program wish I had more time to go and manipulate photos and such. Miss my graphic design class...-____-
But definitely still an amateur lol

Oh yeah, I'm in the middle of procrastinating so I figured why not blog? LOL

Gives Me Hope + Rings

I'm sure many of you have heard of fmylife.com, but there is a website called GivesMeHopethat is kind of the opposite of FML and has really sweet, inspirational stories. It can really brighten your day. Yeahh my friend and I were reading some of the stories yesterday and we were getting all teary eyed lol.

So I've been doing a lil online shopping...

These rings are from Forever21. I just saw them today and I do think they are pretty <3

The one on the left is $3.50 and the one on the right is $6.80. The right ring comes in white too, but I think the pink one seems a lot sweeter and feminine. Or I just have an affinity for this coral/pink color haha. Actually, I don't have many rings because I seem to always have issues trying to find ones that fit me and such. I guess it's because I've been starting to be more interested in jewelry these days, although I actually own more necklaces than rings. These reminded me of fafinettex3's video on cocktail rings and ever since watching that video I've been checking out Forever21 every once in awhile to see their rings and such.

mini haul :D

Oh so on to my mini haul! I know so exciting first mini haul for this blog. hehehe. I've heard a lot about Maybelline's eyeshadow quad in Chai Latte from xteeener's youtube videos (if you haven't heard of her, you should watch her makeup how-to videos cuz they're pretty cool :] and can't forget michellephan or bubzbeauty while you're at it lol but back to the blog). I figured would give it a shot, so I got one for myself along with one of the Maybelline EyeStudio plush quads (is that what it's called?) in Sunset Seduction. So far, I have found that the Chai Latte quad is quite complimentary to my skin tone and the shades are fairly pigmented. In other words, the color pay off is pretty decent: not too dark, not too sheer, and the color shows up nicely on the lids. I also like how they're not all overly shimmery except for the bronze crease color. As for the Sunset Seduction quad, I have found that the shades are a little too shimmery for my liking. However, you can tell at once when you buy it that they're pretty shimmery so I really shouldn't be saying that :P. I do like the shades though. I picked this particular quad because of the pink and brown shades since they remind me of chocolate and Valentine's Day. I know it's a little late for that lol. I also really like the taupe color next to the pink one, but it doesn't seem to look right when I apply it. I mean, it seems to come out more shimmery than pigmented when it appears to be more pigmented than shimmery. Again, wow.

yay clean brushes!

Yayy finally cleaned my brushes today! So this is pretty much my whole collection haha. Yeah, there's not much to look at...But that's mainly (and obviously X]) because I don't use blush, bronzer, or foundation. Just eyeshadow pretty much. Wow.

I mean, I used to use foundation, but I guess the ones I was using (I would mix shades) made my skin unhappy and my pores more noticeable so I stopped. Ever since then, my skin has more of a "glow" to it (then again I have oily-ish skin...darn it). So I've been thinking of looking into a tinted moisturizer since they're supposed to be lighter and stuff. I do still have that foundation brush that I got for cheap hehe. I use concealer too because I have horrible undereye circles but I am still on a quest for a good concealer. Currently, I use the Sonia Kashuk Hidden Agenda and it's ok and all, but it's not thick or moisturizing enough. I know T-T. Lol anyways, I just have the basic brushes for eyeshadow. You know, the "all-over-the-lid" kind, the one for the crease, and a fluffy blending brush. Yes, I do sound professional and like I know what I'm talking about. Totally not a newbie at all.

Daily Cleansing Routine and Ninja Assassin

I have been using this routine for the past 2 months at least and I have been fairly happy with it. However, my skin still isn't perfect or flawless, but I haven't had any breakouts and I've barely had any pimples except for a couple times due to stress. I have to say that I am fairly happy with this routine :]

I use my cleanser and moisturizer in the morning and night. I found that if I used too many different products every day my skin would not be as "happy," so I only use one main cleanser and one main moisturizer. I do "mix it up" every now and then, but I use only two products consistently. I use Neutrogena Deep Clean Cream Cleanser:



I like how it gives a very refreshing feeling after I wash it off. It helps me wake up in the morning too how convenient lol. The consistency is fairly creamy as the name states so you can produce a fine lather onto your face [did that sentence even make sense...?]. The scent is fresh and clean without that "perfume-y" smell which is nice. Every once in awhile I use Neutrogena Pore Refining Cleanser but I haven't really seen a difference in my pores so I'm not going to pose a picture of it haha. I also got the Neutrogena Visibly Even Cleanser and used it at night a few times just to see if it really does "even out my skin tone" but I haven't used it in about a week and a half but I do plan on trying to incorporate it into my routine.

The last (and only) toner I used was by Olay but I stopped using it during the winter because it started drying my skin and such. I might start using a different one again once summer starts, but for now I'm good with just a moisturizer. The one I use is Clean & Clear Dual Action Moisturizer, Oil Free:


It says that it is a "salicylic acid acne medication" so I believe this is why I haven't had many pimples lately. I like how it is a very light moisturizer, but at the same time it dries my skin a little (probably because it has salicylic acid in it and stuff duh) so sometimes I add a lil extra moisturizer to my face from a different brand. If I'm feeling too dry, I use either Dove Deep Moisture Facial Lotion or Olay Active Hydrating Cream:




The Dove Facial Lotion is actually meant for sensitive skin which I didn't know when I bought it (I actually have oily skin haha). The nice thing is that I bought it around fall/winter so my skin was drier than normal and appreciated this moisturizer lol. My skin still ended up being a lil oily but that's just how it goes. As for the Olay Active Hydrating Cream, I originally bought it earlier in the year when my cheeks randomly got super dry from the weather. I put it on my cheeks for 2-3 days and the dryness went away fairly quickly :].

I exfoliate 3 times a week, two times with the IQQU Jasmine Rice Scrub and once with the Neutrogena Acne-Stress Control Power Scrub.

I actually like the IQQU Jasmine Rice Scrub a lot X]. It smells reaallyyy good (like yummy sweet rice <3) and the exfoliating particles are fine enough where it doesn't feel harsh on the skin (should it really be called rice particles?). I never feel like my skin is super dried out after I use it. With the Neutrogena scrub, the exfoliating beads are a tad bigger and a lil "scratchier" feeling on the skin, but it doesn't actually harm my skin. It actually makes me feel more refreshed after using it than the IQQU scrub. It smells a bit minty and I'd like to think it's because of this scrub that I haven't had many pimples lately :].
Sooo that's pretty much it for my cleansing routine!

I just watched Ninja Assassin again today (I saw it in theaters) and what a nice movie it is lol. I mean have you seen Rain's body?? ;] Not that that's the only reason I watched it lol I did enjoy the fighting scenes and everything too X].

Review: Graceling by Kristin Cashore [may contain spoilers!]

I just finished reading this book a lil while ago and I'm kinda bummed it's over. :[ I know there is another book out by Cashore called Fire using the same Graceling universe and such, but as of right now, I don't think I'm going to read it any time soon.

Sooo what did I think of the book? Actually, I think it's one of the better books I've read in a long time [cuz we all know the Twilight series was one complicated exhilarating read...*cough*]. Ok so I've seen the Twilight movies anyway, but the title of this blog is not "Review: The Twilight Saga."

Pros: It was nice to see a very strong-willed female character [in contrast to Bella *cough* oh i do hope nobody bashes me for this post]. The whole reason I was interested in this book in the first place was that the heroine is "Graced" with killing. Ok, how cool is it that a girl has this ability and isn't the normal damsel-in-distress with a bunch of guys chasing after her and she's all "omg what do i do?? *flail*" [and at this point, I am not only referencing Twilight but Asian dramas as well lol]. But on to more professional statements...
Cashore's writing had a steady flow, which meant the story did not lag at any point. The novel kept me anticipating what was going to happen next with the nonstop action and ongoing mysteries, especially with Leck. The plot also unfolded naturally without anything seeming to be contrived that might've lacked a basis from previous scenes or actions. The mythology of the story was developed fairly well and was believable because it was so simple as well as direct. For this book, there weren't a whole bunch of mythical creatures flying around that would've made the book seem mediocre and typical, you know what I mean?

Cons: Actually, it felt like not all the loose ends were tied up at the end of the novel. I'm guessing this is because I don't remember what happened, but it seems it was never explained as to why Leck was torturing all those animals and those girls *shudder*. I wish there was more resolve to this issue, but then again it's possible that I've forgotten about the explanation in the book. If anyone has read this book and can clear this up, please help me X] <3.
I didn't notice this at first, but a reviewer on Amazon brought to my attention how Katsa never wavered in her decision to never marry or have kids. I guess it does make sense that eventually she would change her mind on these subjects after everything she has been through with Po, but perhaps Cashore didn't want the ending to be "cliche" in this manner.
And the thing that bothered me the most was why name him Po? It seems such a cute name for such a manly guy even if it is the name of the trees that turn silver and gold in Lienid X].

I'll end for right now. Have a good day everyone :]
-myeveryday

Revlon Colorburst

Well, I've been wanting a lipgloss with a raspberry color and I happened to be walking down the makeup aisle at the store. [Ok, I didn't "happen" to be walking down the aisle X] I saw the Revlon Colorburst lipsticks and looked at the different colors out of curiosity. And lo and behold, there was a shade called "Raspberry." I took that as fate and bought one for myself :D.

Since I just got it today, I have yet to form a full opinion on it. So far, I like it a lot because a) its packaging is cute and b) the color really suits me and makes me happy lol. It's important that lip products make you happy, right?

-myeveryday