Sea Blue Opal Faceted Stone Earrings

A new week and a brand new item in my shop!  These earrings remind me of my trip to Hawaii last spring.  Spooning my shaved ice in the warm white sand next to the beautiful blue water, wish it won't be long till my next trip there (❛◡❛✿)

I really love this sea blue opal shade, it has been the top seller in my shop.  The dangling petite white Swarovski crystal pearls at the bottom adds just a touch of delicacy.  I've been trying to incorporate the use of pearls more into my creations, have I mentioned I love gold and pearls! ( ´・‿-) ~ ♥

See item detail in my shop here.

xoxo

Jia

Crown Tiara Sea Shell Pearl Earrings

I own probably a couple dozen pairs of small pearl stud earrings, in all shapes, sizes and qualities.  There is something about pearl studs, they are just so classy and timeless, very easy to dress up or down with different outfits.

I found these adorable crown tiara earring findings and had to make them into pearl studs.  I love how delicate and cute they turned out to be!  ❤  Here I have them in matte gold and silver finish.

Click here to view details in my shop.

TGIF

Jia

New Item! Swarovski Pearl Cluster Ring

"A girl should be two things: Classy and fabulous." - Coco Chanel 

This dreamy pearl cluster ring is my newest creation, made using all Swarovski elements including faceted crystals, pearls and rhinestone fireball.  I love the use of white pearls with gold hardware, they always speak elegance and harmony to me in a silent way.  See more detail of this item in my shop, click here.

xoxo

Jia

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters Review

Today I'm doing a review for Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters that I recently purchased.  I picked up my first lip butter in the color Peach Parfait after reading a review by Frmheadtotoe, and really loved the sheerness and its soft peachy tone.  So, just the past week, CVS had a buy one get second one at 50% off deal, and I splurged another 4 awesome colors. 

Color swatch, from left to right:

Creme Brulee, Cotton Candy, Strawberry Shortcake, Peach Parfait, Berry Smoothie.

The pinks don't show as much on my lips unless I use a lip concealer.  My favorite is the Berry Smoothie, which is a soft rosy red, just little darker than my natural lip color, an instant complexion booster.  My second favorite is the Creme Brulee, a very sheer nude color, great for everyday wear when I just need my lips to have a healthy glow.  Thank you for reading my review, so what is your favorite color? :)

xoxo

Jia

Sephora VIB 15% Off Beauty Haul

Twice a year I stock up my beauty items during Sephora's VIB sale.  This year, besides my usuals, I also pinked up a few new items that I have read about from beauty bloggers.

From top left:

Clarins Bright Plus HP Gentle Brightening Exfoliator (new)

For a while I have been looking for a gentle exfoliator, after much research, I decided to give this one a try.  The texture of the exfoliator is like a regular creamy facial wash, but with micro pinkish beads.  It goes on very smooth over skin, with light massage, my skin feels smooth and soft afterwards.  I've only used this a couple of times, so far have not seen any brightening effect.

Clarins UV Plus HP Day Screen High Protection SPF 40

This is my favorite sun screen, I'm reaching the end of my third bottle already.  As we all know, sun protection is probably one of the most important things to youthful looking skin, so I'm very religious when it comes to using sun screens.  I have tried countless brands of sun screens, including Dior, Chanel, Shiseido, Clinique and etc.  Clarins so far is the best I have used.  It is very light and does not dry out my skin.

Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2

I have been using this lotion as long as I can remember.  I normally use it only once at night with a cotton pad, after washing my face with Lancome Cream Radiance Clarifying Cream to foam cleanser.  What I like about this lotion on a cotton pad is it rubs off any remaining dirt that is left after the cleanser, and leaves my skin very refreshed. 

Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Mask (new)

I had seen this mask first from this video by BeautyQQ's on YouTube.  She had done a very funny review for the mask, it was so hilarious that I just had to get the mask and try it myself!  The mask claims to release oxygen into the skin by foaming up after applying on skin. My thoughts after a first try: it is super FUN watching the mask bubbles up on the face and mask feels very refreshing, my skin looks brightened after using the mask.

Urban Decay Naked 2 (new)

I am so in love with my Original Naked eye shadow palette, especially the lighter hues, they are perfect for everyday use.   I'm so excited to receive the Naked 2, the use of the metal case and the bigger mirror are really great compare to the original Naked.  (The original case is very pretty but so hard to maintain clean, if you know a good way, please let me know!)  I have not tried the colors yet, probably will do a separate review just for the Naked 2 later.  But so far I found only 1 repeated color between the 2 shadow palette.

 

Smith's Rosebud Slave

This is my all time favorite lip balm.  I have bought so many of them as gifts and stocking staffers.  So far I'm only on my second jar, since the balm is so soothing that I only need to apply once in the morning and once before bed, so I'm consuming the balm at a extremely slow speed.  I don't like super fruity lip balms, so the original rosebud is perfect for me, and I also like the minted flavor one. 

A peek inside Naked 2

Box comparison between original Naked Palette and Naked 2

Color comparison, the top one is Naked 2

Till next Sephora VIB sale ;D

xoxo

Jia

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle & Keira Knightley Inspired Jewelry

Utterly charming, mysterious and daring.  Coco Mademoiselle is made for the feminine, sexy, young and exciting.  With its refreshing, oriental, woody scents, Coco Mademoiselle is adored by the young souls of Chanel lovers.  The perfume was created by Jacques Polge, the nose of Chanel since 1978, and was introduced in 2001.  

Top notes: orange, bergamot, mandarin, Tunisian curaçao

Middle notes: morning rose, Italian jasmine, ylang-ylang, mimosa, florentine iris

Base notes: Indonesian patchouli, Haitian vetiver, Bourbon vanilla, white musk, opoponax, tonka bean

In 2007, Chanel launched its new advertising film starring Keira Knightley as the spokesmodel.  I have been a long time fan of both the perfume and the actress, I'm truelly excited for this brillent collaboration.

Inspired by the modern spirit of my favorite Chanel perfume, I present to you these lovely earrings made with faceted glass stones and cubic zirconias to my shop.  Click here to view item details.

xoxo

Jia

Jun Ji-hyun Married Today

Congratulations to Jun Ji-hyun, my favorite Korean actress, for getting married today in Seoul with husband Choi Jun Hyuk!  Wish them happily ever after!

Ji-hyun looks absolutely gorgeous ❤ beautiful dress, hair and makeup!

Looking forward to her wedding photos and story in May issue of ELLE.

xoxo

Jia

Claire Pettibone Beau Monde Bridal Inspiration Jewelry

Words could not describe how excited I was when I first laid my eyes on the wedding gowns from Claire Pettibone's 2012 Beau Monde bridal collection.  I just love Claire and her over-the-top romantic creations.  Her collection has been described as a sultry exploration of French-infused antique lace, flirtatious bodices and gold trimmed ruffles.  Brides will be inspired by her ultra femme collection.  These vintage inspired, bohemian style wedding dresses are the perfect thing for any shabby chic garden weddings.  To see her full collection, click here.

Finally, here is my Claire Pettibone inspired bridal jewelry set ❤  Click here to visit my shop

xoxo

Jia

Skin79 Hot Pink Super Plus BB Cream Review

I've been a long time user of Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream #23 and like the product.  One issue I have with Missha is it leaves a slight gray tint on my skin, and the texture is thicker than I would prefer.  What I normally do is mixing it with my sunblock to lighten the texture and coverage to get a sheerer effect.  After reading many good things from beauty bloggers raving about how they love Skin79 Hot Pink BB cream, I finally decided to explore my options and give it a try.    

First, let me start with a little background history of BB cream.  BB stands for Blemish Balm, is a popular cosmetic item sold mainly in Asian countries, however started to gain popularity in the Western market in the past year or so.  Originally formulated by a German dermatologist in the 1950’s, BB cream was initially used to protect and provide light coverage for skin after laser procedures and surgeries.  BB cream has been heavily endorsed by Korean actresses, and perceived as their secret to dewy flawless skin, thus its large popularity in the Asian markets.

Most BB creams are marketed as a moisturizer, primer, foundation, and sunblock all-in-one product, aimed not only to provide coverage for the skin, but contains vitamins and minerals which heals and treats the skin at the same time.  Some leading Asian BB cream brands include Missha, Skin79, The Face Shop, Etude House, Skin Food and etc.

I purchased my BB cream from eBay with Accessorieswhole, the item along with 3 samples were shipped to me from Korea in lightning speed.  Item was well packaged and brand new as claimed by seller.  My skin type is between normal and combination.  Comparing to Missha #23, I like how Skin79 has a smoother, lighter, less creamy texture.  The color enhances my complexion without leaving my skin feeling covered up, there is a slight gray undertone initially, but goes (oxidases) away after a while.  So overall, I prefer Skin79 Hot Pink over Missha.

The Skin79 Hot Pink BB cream I purchased is an upgraded version of their original hot pink cream.  The product comes in a more compact container and is claimed to have an upgraded formula with better ingredients.  I think depending on individual need, this BB cream may not be the best choice for everyone.  Have fun exploring and find the item that best fit your skin type.  Most importantly, remember to eat and live a healthy balanced life style, beauty products enhance our look, but nothing beats a good foundation.     

xoxo

Jia

Shabby Chic Easter Nail Tutorial with Konad Plate m71

Here's my Easter pastel pink inspired nail tutorial, using Konad nail art image plate m71.

Base color: Essie (not just a pretty face)

Stamping color: Konad (white)

Base and top coat: ULTA salon formular nail lacquer (clear)

Happy Easter! 

xoxo

Jia

Anna Sui Rose Cheek Color 301 Dream Rose Review & Swatch

In an earlier post I mentioned about Anna Sui's Spring 2012 makeup collection Rose Fairy, you can find the post here.  For a while I have been searching for a good multicolored blush palette.  It is interesting that multicolored blush palettes are very popular and common among Asian makeup brands, but I seem to have a hard time finding any that are by western makeup brands.  After some consideration, I purchased the Rose Cheek Color in 301 Dreamy Rose.  

This palette comes with 4 different shades of blush colors, I love that it has a good range of pinks and orange hues.  With the colors scattered I can easily mix and match to create varying blush colors.  Also, almost all of the Anna Sui's makeup products that I have used have a hint of rosy smell to them which I adore! 

  

And here is the color swatch for you ❤

blended...

xoxo

Jia

Green Tea Kit Kat

I'm a big fan for Japanese snacks and chocolates, especially green tea flavored items.  I found this green tea Kit Kat at my local Mitsuwa market, and I knew I had to take it home!

12 mini chocolate bars

Very rich creamy green tea flavor with crispy wafers ❤

xoxo

Jia