Express:: Two Strap Heeled Sandal

I can't remember the last time I was shoe-crazed but now it has gotten the better of me. I occassionally browse through the online shops of stores and see what would be good in their "sales" tab (you would be so amazed). The only bad thing about shopping in the "sales" would be limited quantities of sizing, usually the large sizes are what's left, but that doesn't break my spirit.

Express had these Two Strap Heeled Sandal for the longest time and the first time I saw it, I knew I wanted it but shouldn't get it. I was thinking, the price is a bit too much and it would just be too difficult to choose between the fun colors they had.

I've literally given up and just forgot about it until a few weeks ago...

I went on their website and under the "sale" section, there they were! If you didn't know, Express sales page gives an additional 30% off, so it's cheap on top of cheap. The shoes retailed $49.90 and got dropped to $19.99 and with the 30% off, it came out to only $13.99. What a total bargain! Another great thing was, they had my size! I took no chance and immediately added it to my shopping cart. Little did I know, that on top of the sale and 30% I had some unused reward bucks. So ultimately, my purchase came out to be only $3.99 for each pair...and yes, I got all the colors.

I was extremely surprised and such a happy camper.
What was better was, my shoes came in yesterday.

I always worry about ordering shoes online (I'm not the only one right?). They look great on models and whatnot but the sizing can be so off. I was hoping and praying these would fit perfectly because I don't think Express takes returns on sale items.

I was hoping the shoes came in boxes but I'll live with it since it was only $4 a pair.

The neon yellow and bright pink are such fun colors. They would be perfect for summer. They're also at a pretty good height, 3.5 inches. Super comfortable, which is rare. Oh, and about the fit -- they fit perfectly. I'm between a size 7-7.5 but usually a 7 and that's exactly what I ordered which I can say fits true-to-size.

I've been really digging the ankle straps lately and even had 2 other pairs that are like this.

I know some shoes don't make the straps wide enough for those of us that have wider feet but thankfully Express does.

If you're interested, Express still has these in-stock on their website for $13.99. Still a great deal from the original price.

Long Hair Short Hair 123

I haven't had a haircut for a year and a half already. My splits ends were starting to form in the worse way possible and the tips of my hair were getting irritably dry.

I knew that I had to chop it off some time this year and I was searching around to see which haircut I would want to live in for a couple of months before it starts growing out again. I've dyed my hair in the past which is probably why my ends were drying up.

Uber long hair. Thin also. I'm so jealous of those girls that has thick luscious hair, I feel like I'm thinning out or something.

I have to admit, I do like that "ombre" effect that it gave me since my natural color was growing out. I had it dyed in late 2011 and it took a good 1.4 months to grow out. I was at a point where I was completely ready to get rid of the nasty hair.

So, I was searching around and I remember watching a TVB series where the female actor's hair caught my eyes.

Tavia Yeung in Friendly Fire had this mature bob cut and I thought, wouldn't it be nice to try that out? I had short hair before, more on the A-line bob side but this is just a regular bob. Plus, I always like short hair in the summer, so much easier to manage and take care.

I went to my usual salon and told my hair stylist exactly what I want. Actually, I just showed him a picture of Tavia and he knew what to do. Within a blink of an eye, he took off a good foot of hair with an electronic hair shaver/razor. It hit my shoulder and from there he started trimming and forming the shape of the hair.

Result?

I really dig it.
It a bit lighter and I love it when the wind blows through my hair. The best part is always washing my hair and having it dry within the half hour. I also don't have to worry about having it caught when I wear light jackets or have my bag sling onto my shoulders.

At time it gives me this "cute" look that everyone at my office would tell me. Other times, I can look really mature (but apparently a lot younger) depending on my outfit. I love pairing this hair with my leather jacket, kind of a bad ass chick haha

I might want to keep this length until autumn comes, which means I would need to go back and get it maintained. Do I miss my hair? Truthfully, not at all. Plus, I think I'll stick with my natural color for a while. Coloring my hair is cool and definitely pretty but it eats away my hair which is quite creepy...

From the beginning...

Snapshots of photos since the beginning of the year. Wish I had my own place to start eating "healthy" on my boring days, would actually help out with my workout. But I'll just enjoy it for now.

True piggy at heart. Need to stick to my salads now...

Maybelline - Define-A-Brow Eyebrow Pencil

I have been trying to look for another alternative for my brows beside using the MAC brow pencil (they can cost up to $17!). So, I finally was brave enough to venture out and try the drugstore brands. I had past history with brow pencils at drugstore, they either don't match my hair color/skin tone or the consistency is too dry.

I personally like Maybelline products the most when it comes to drugstore, I literally almost tried all their mascaras at some point. So, I walked in a CVS and went straight to the Maybelline aisle, in which I saw the Define-A-Brow and it instantly caught my eye.

It's the type with a twist-up application and not the sharpening type. I know some people don't like to sharpen their pencils because it feels like you're losing some of the product. Plus, this is a lot cleaner since all you need to do is twist.

The point is very fine and you can twist as much or as little you want when you apply. I suggest twisting really little as the tip can break off easily because it's so thin. I really have no use for the other side of the pencil, the comb. My brows aren't long, nor do I want them that long, to be able to comb them.

Maybelline has 4 different shades - light blonde, dark blonde, light brown and medium brown. At first I got the light brown (color on the bottom) which was definitely not the correct shade for my brows. I had to twirk it up a bit with some eyeshadows to make the color work on my face. The medium brown (color shown on top) was a bit more fitting but still on the lighter side. I end up using both to get a more suitable color for my brows which I find to work nicely.

So when in doubt, experience and play around!

The price was a lot more affordable than MAC, at CVS it was around $8 whereas at Walmart (where I got my second pencil) cost around $5. If only I can do all my drugstore makeup shopping at Walmart...

NOTW - Fed Up

Definitely a really sheer color. With two coats and my nails look the same. Though, this is a good polish for french tips.

El'view: It's Skin - Cleansing & Massage Honey Nutri Cleansing Milk

Claims: To cleanse impurities and takes off make-up. It has moisturizing ingredients like honey and ginseng to keep the skin soft and moist. It also removes dead skin cells that are delicate and hard to rid.

Price: About $9-10

Pros: The formula is really soft with microbeads. Scent is quite pleasant, smells like almonds and honey. Has a pump nozzle which dispense a right amount for the entire face.

Cons: Small bottle and hard to find.

Overall: I really enjoy this cleansing milk because it work great for sensitive skin. With two pumps I can get rid of the oils and make-up on my face. If you don't like foaming face wash this would be a nice product to look into. The scent is sweet with a faint honeyness to it. There are also grains of beads which I assume are the honey extract, they dissolve once you massage your face with the cleanser which is nice because the honey extract is suppose to brighten your skin.
I've been using this product for 2 weeks and it had kept my face from breaking out. I like how soft and silky the cleanser feels and it leaves your skin feeling smooth afterward.

Purchase Here

NOTW - Steady As She Rose REMIX

I came across Colette's blog - My Simple Little Pleasures and she does these amazing water marble nails. It pretty much convinced me to try it out myself.

Two different designs on the index nail because I was trying this out for the first time. Finding colors that work with each other was also a challenge. The best part is that I know I'm putting my nail polishes to good use and not wasting them.

Btw, I'm still in love with OPI - Steady As She Rose

NOTW - Steady As She Rose

So, I heard Blogger has been down for maintenance and nearly all the posts that were posted from yesterday or the day before got lost? That totally blows but what can you do? I'm sure Blogger is trying to restore as much as possible. Boy, am I glad I didn't lose any posts.

There were only a couple of polishes from the Pirates of the Caribbean collection that appealed to me. I like how milky and lavender this color looks. I'm really into the mellow, tone-down, pastel colors this season. 

Jewelmint # 2

I got this in the mail yesterday and I absolutely love it.

I get really excited when the beginning of the month is here because I can get to choose a piece of jewelry for myself. I can always get more but I'm limited myself to one piece a month which is pretty good self-control.

The piece shown here is the Soulmate Bangle.

Find your perfect piece of jewelry here -- Jewelmint

OOTD: Casual Comfort

1. Victoria's Secret - Plaid Flannel Shirt

2. American Eagle - Boyfriend Blazer

3. Forever21 - scarf

4. Uniqlo - Skinny Jeans

5. Jewelmint - Forever Yours Bracelet

 

It was a comfortable day with nice weather. I decided to put this outfit together to lunch with my girls in the city. Still a bit chilly but overall bearable!