Hair Growth + Fringe + Food Porn

Hey chicas! I hope everyone had an awesome Christmas holiday with their loved ones like moi. It was my first Christmas with hubby in my life.
Hope you guys like these pics I took from my mac book. SWEET! I cut my own fringe the day before X-mas...just got kinda bored...and I was feeling kinda weird about my forehead. (LoL)
Anyways, onto the hair growth situation. For those of you who might be thinking okay this is probably another false hope type of thing but trust me when I say that it's NOT.

It seems like my hair grew 5 inches overnight or something....it's still unbelievable to me how much my hair has grown in the past month! After living with the regret of chopping off my long hair, I decided I will just move on from it and try to make the most of it by spiking it or doing some cool styles that I would not be able to do with long hair. To be honest, I was going through a relationship coma and I thought cutting my hair would wake me up...bad idea! So please ladies if you are dealing with a butt head...don't take it out on your precious hair! Instead do some retail shopping or invest in a punching bag...better yet take on a new hobby. If none of these things work for you then maybe, just maybe it's time to move on!

Forgive me for divulging into matters of the heart. Let's not get sidetracked here. So yeah about the hair...I've been searching for sooooo many products and ways to make my hair grow longer at a faster duration. I've tried Mane & Tail shampoo, oil treatments, mayo treatments, trimming my hair a bit...heck I was starting to feel like my hair might have been snubbing me after I chopped off so much.
I even decided to ignore it! Just don't even look at it or curl it. Don't even get me started on the money I invested on hair extensions. I seriously succumbed to even making my own hair extensions as a way of saving some dough but that didn't work out.
In the end...the best way to grow your hair is to simply not shampoo it every freaking day. YUP that's all it takes ladies. As some of you know, shampoo (especially harsh shampoo) can seriously dry up your hair....well if it can do that to your hair what makes you think it won't do that to your scalp? Yes...all that good moisture and natural oils in your scalp is where your hair gets its nutrition from and by constantly using shampoo you are getting rid of the necessary moisture that helps to grow hair.
Sure you will probably say..."well what about the conditioners Julie?" Well...what about them really? I tell you...these days I even skip on conditioner...because conditioner can weigh your hair down, especially if you add other products in your hair. These days I just put on a pea size amount of my Chi Silk infusion oil and rub on my hair before I use my hair dryer.
Seriously ladies...I wash my hair every 2 days. If the thought of not washing your hair for two days is grossing you out, I believe there are dry shampoos out there that you leave in and don't have to wash off. By the way I use the Tsubaki shampoo (white bottle). ^_^

A couple of days before X-mas my sisters (plus one that we adopted as a blood sister although she doesn't know it yet haha) and myself decided to go satisfy our cravings of the good ol' NYC chinatown grub and of course some well deserve SHOPPING at the Mall of Manhattan. I copped a brow pencil in spiked and a MAC studio fix fluid foundation and some clothes.

Here are the lovely ladies...hehe..I hope they don't kill me for posting this. =P I took this pic as we waited for the Q train to canal st. going to HOP KEE Restaurant.
Now onto the food porn...WARNING: the following images might cause you to salivate uncontrollably, resulting to a seizure effect that might cause you autonomously travel to NYC ASAP! lol


This was my favorite! The duck with lychee and pineapple...makes me wanna drool at the thought of it. FOODGASM!!! NYAHAHAHAH

This was good too...Scallop with bamboo shoots, mushrooms and snow peas.

Oh man...another mouth watering dish! This is a pork chop dish with slices of spicy green pepper.

Of course...gotta have some rice! We had this delicious serving of veggie fried rice and white rice. We drank hot tea to warm us up after walking in NYC for hours.
The servers at the restaurant also gave us 2 free boxes of Jasmine tea and Woolong tea.

Well that's all she wrote.

Tah-tah for now!

What I've learned this year about MAKEUP!

So I was watching some youtube video tuts and it really got me thinking about all the different makeup/beauty techniques or ideas that I learned this year.

This year I learned. . .
1) to give forgotten/dust collecting makeup a second chance. I notice that I tend to overlook a lot of my previously purchased makeup products because somehow it just doesn't work for me as I thought it would, but this year I decided to give a lot of these forgotten makeup another chance. Instead of blaming the product, I figured out many other ways to use the product or to apply it.

2) that piling on a lot of product can make my face break out even more and it also gives off such a heavy look. These days, I tend to just opt for the minimalistic looks. My HG products are as follows...MAC studio finish concealer, MAC msf in medium dark, MAC brow shader in soft charcoal, CoverGirl Lash blast mascara, Laura Geller Spackle face primer, and Carmex for my lips.....Yes that's right ladies..I completely skip foundation! ^_^

3) the best brushes does not necessarily have to be the most expensive ones. The studio e.l.f. brushes are seriously a must-have! They are sooooo soft and picks up enough product. I have MAC face brushes and I haven't used them since I bought the e.l.f. studio complexion and blush brushes. Best thing about these brushes is that they are soooo freakin' cheap!

4) not to focus so much in covering my skin imperfections but instead try to take care of my skin by preventing and pampering it. I cannot stress enough how beneficial drinking water is to skin. Drinking water has improved my overall health and skin complexion. My skin regimen is as follows. . .
MORNING: Aveeno Positively Radiant Cleanser, Eskinol Calamansi Facial Cleanser (Philippine product and I only use it on the days when I have really bad breakouts), Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer w/ SPF 15.

NIGHT: Oxy face wash Acne Treatment 10% Benzoyl Peroxide, Oxy Cleansing pads (optional and I sometimes skip this), Zapzyt

TO REMOVE MAKEUP: Kirkland Daily Facial Cleansing Towelettes (to quickly remove makeup. This can be purchased at Costco) or Ponds Cleansing Cream

5) that I do have dark circles and the best way to combat them is salmon concealer

6) about Tea Tree oil for dry itchy scalp and Bio-Oil for acne scars

7) not to wipe off makeup but instead blot the area first with the makeup remover and then just pat the makeup off.

8) that not wearing sun glasses leads to premature wrinkles and the dreaded crows feet. *GASP*

9) instead of using a makeup remover to wipe off any mascara smudges or makeup mistakes, just dab/brush on some concealer or the same eye makeup on top of it.

10) there are some really good drug store brands out there. You just gotta look up reviews and try them out to see which ones work best for you.


. . . soooo how about you? what have you learned this year pertaining to beauty or makeup?
Care to share??? Thanks!

Sally's Haul and Cheap Idea for a Vanity!

Hey ladiessss!!! here we go now..uh uh lol...seriously whenever I say "hey ladies" I feel like I'm doing an intro for clubbing music! hahahahah Okay enough of my silly-slash-nerdy antics...onto to the Sally's haul....


I went to Sally's on Monday and bought this Palladio rice powder. I can't recall the exact price but I think it was around $5.

It comes with a square puff (cheap kind) and the container itself is made out of hard card board.

2 most important things about this powder....Non-comedogenic which means it won't clog pores (thus possibly reducing the occurrence of pimples) and it is NOT tested on ANIMALS

So I got the powder in warm beige. They have about 2 other colors available and 1 that's translucent. The powder is very finely milled and soft.

At first, I thought that the color would not match with my skin tone but after blending the powder thoroughly, it sorta just melted into my skin without making it look cakey or powdery. So blending is definitely key.

This is how it looks once blended...you can't even see the powder but it does a great job giving a matte look.


I also purchased two (2 for $10) china glaze nail polish colors in Temptation Carnation and Heaven. Although they seem like the same color, they are actually very different. As you can see from the bottle, Temptation Carnation (left) gives off a pink sheen while Heaven is more of a muted cream-peach color.


I'm wearing Heaven... ^_^

Now onto the inexpensive Vanity idea. So I have been shopping around online and in stores for a vanity and aside from IKEA, I have yet to find a vanity that will not cost me an arm & a leg...to be frank I don't want it to even cost one arm or one leg! Haha...again with my weird attempts to entertain you!

So I got this utility desk at Walmart for $25! The brand is called Mainstays. It took my hubby not even 15 mins to put this thing together. I tried to put it together myself but after warning him about a mishap with an IKEA bookshelf that I once put together, he knew better not to let me assemble this on my own..LoL

My hubby also attached the simple square mirror on the wall and it's also by Mainstays and it was around $10. I purchased the smaller mirror with two different magnifications at Costco for $25.

I forgot to take a picture of the flourescent tube light bulb (also purchased at Walmart for around $6) but hubby basically screwed that on the bottom of the shelve. The bulb was encased in this acrylic boxey looking container with a built in switch, so all you have to do is plug it in. It's usually used for under the kitchen cabinets for lighting the counters.



This is my office desk that I can finally designate as my workspace for studying. It really sucked having to put makeup on the same desk where I study so I'm glad I finally filed that divorce.

I leave you with my "weird cat lady" moments....




My cat is actually biting me on this pic but playfully.

Hope you are all having a great week so far!

Week Wrap up + e.l.f. haul

So first the e.l.f. haul. Ta-daaaa! (cheezy I know..oh well..lol)

1	35SHPFREE Free Shipping on any purchases $35 or more
1	7777 Large Red Gift Bag with White Tissue
1	81203 dark
1	81603 ivory/dark
1	83601 blushed/bronzed
1	84002 Complexion Brush
1	83701 Warm Bronzer
1	83801 Complexion Perfection
1	84011 Blush Brush
1	83134 Mellow Mauve
1	81129 Amethyst
1	83153 Buff
1	85011 Kabuki Face Brush

Everything (from the studio line) = $35 w/ the free shipping
Right now I believe e.l.f. has a holiday promo going on BOGO (buy one get one) 50% off! EGBOGOHALF is the code ladies!

I got a face powder in buff...this was actually smooth in texture, not too powdery. Reminds me of MAC blotting powder except it's not as sheer/translucent.


I got one eye shadow called Amethyst. This was very pigmented. I would definitely use a base to get the eye shadow's full color potential.


I got one blush called Mellow Mauve. I did some research in youtube and some people are claiming that this is similar to famous NARS Orgasm blush...but after doing a swatch and actually wearing them both..the Mellow Mauve blush is actually more pigmented and darker compared to the Orgasm blush. Plus Orgasm blush is more shimmery and is more on the peachy side.

Here's a pic of mellow mauve (left) and Orgasm (right)


This is the blushed/bronze duo which is comparable to the NARS Orgasm/Laguna duo. I don't own the NARS duo so I can't really compare but this e.l.f. duo is actually very pigmented.

The blush from the duo is probably more similar to the Orgasm blush than Mellow Mauve.


I got this Warm Bronzer and I love it! The darkest color is a great sculpting powder and the one on top of that can be used as a blush. This quad is so versatile and is a definite must-have.


I've heard so many good reviews about this powder...I'm not that crazy about it. I think this would be better for people who have good skin but just wants a more even skin tone. If you have pimples and you use this on top of concealer, it will cake. One brush swipe picks up a lot and I mean A LOT of powder, which is another reason why I'm not too crazy about this product.


So I got this "Treat & Tame" brow gel duo in dark. The "Treat" part is suppose to help you grow out your brows faster and the "tame" part pretty much does what the name says. I haven't really used this enough to make a proper mini-review on it so I will update you guys on this product after I've used it more.

I will tell you this...when I used the "tame" brow gel, it kinda made my eye brows look lighter.



I bought this Eyebrow Lifter & Filler in Ivory/Dark.

It comes with a pencil sharpener built into the cap which is such an innovative idea. The pencil is kinda difficult to use as a brow pencil because it's too big (the size of a NYX jumbo eye pencil)

I do love the "lifter" part of this duo pencil. It really gives a nice lift to my brows.


Onto the brushes....First of all the brushes are SUPER SUPER SUPERRRRRRRR SOFT! Softer than MAC!
I got this kabuki brush cause' it kinda reminds me of MUFE's kabuki brush. This brush is not ideal for buffing because the hairs are too long and too soft. It's also not full enough for buffing. However, there are many other ways to utilize this brush. I think this kabuki brush is better used for sweeping away fall outs, putting on setting powder or loose bronzer (or any other loose powder).


I purchased this complexion brush and I really like it! It reminds me of one of MAC's brushes although I can't recall the number and I'm too lazy to look it up (lol)

This is nicely crafted brush. The ferrule is a sleek black metal color and has an indentation that prevents hair fall outs). The handle is also black and is labeled. It also comes with a protective plastic sleeve.


This is the blush brush. Again, very soft...nicely tapered. Same sleek design as the complexion brush but smaller in size and not as full. I wouldn't use this as a blush brush. I think this is best for applying highlighting powder and liquid foundation.


My hubby went to BIG Lots to buy hangers and he saw this at one of the clearance bins. It's basically the e.l.f. eye set.
It comes with a duo mascara in regular and waterproof, a brow and lash gel duo, and a brightening eye liner.




Week wrap up:

Monday - did group oral presentation and research paper for Micro

Tuesday - Picked up over due and long awaited e.l.f. package at USPS, contemplated going to school to study for finals (epic fail because got sidetrack watching Redbox dvds "Julia & Julie is the bomb!), got invited to hubby's friend's house, played call of duty with hubby and his friends, errrr some green (whistles), hoped that the pouring ice/rain will postpone Wednesday classes, got an e-mail about a student in my school who fired a gun at professor for giving him a bad grade (no one was hurt)

Wednesday - School is cancelled because of the incident from Tuesday, folded clothes, finished SDV 3 page paper for career interview, made a quick trip to Office Depot for blank ink printer cartridge, stopped by local poker game to play for free, ate the best shrimp alfredo ever at the poker/restaurant/hotel place, went home to print out SDV paper

Thursday - stopped by 7/11 for a sandwich, did an oral presentation and handed over paper for SDV, reviewed for pharmacology final (next week), will soon be working on SDV journal entry numero cinco, will heat up a hot pocket as soon as done blogging

Friday - study for finals, do take home assignment (1/2 final) for micro, chill (?)

Saturday - possibly go to hubby's cousin's friend's party if not too lazy...

Sunday - chill some more...review some more for finals...

Some FOTDs..

These days, I just keep it simple and sweet. I just wear my hg mascara (Cover girl lashblast), Nivea lipgloss, MAC studio finish concealer topped off with MAC mineralized duo in Medium/Dark, bronzing powder, and MAC brow shader...