Skincare Goodies

The other day, I came home and found a box left at my front door. It was a surprise package filled with skincare and makeup goodies! After a long day at work, this definitely made my day. This couldn't have showed up at a better time because I was telling myself a few days earlier that I need to visit Sephora and Nordies to replenish some skincare products.

Lancome Visionnaire Advanced Skin Corrector     1.7 oz     $109

It claims to "correct skin appearance of wrinkles, skin imperfections appear reduced, pores look tightened and complexion more even". Reviewers say that it's one of the best skincare products that people have used, loved it, totally recommend it, would buy again, and it has significantly transformed their skin.

Lancome Huile Douceur     6.8 oz     $37

It's a "remove all deep cleansing oil for face and eyes". Reviewers state it's an excellent cleanser but it's too oily for some people.

Lancome Savon Fraichelle     6.8 oz     $32

It's a body cleansing gel. It smells really strong fresh scent, and has great reviews.

Lancome Color Design Pallette     $49

It is an eye brightening all-in-one 5 shadow and liner palette. I looked online and it comes in a ridiculous number of palette combinations. The one I have is Golden Frenzy 103.

Lancome Hypnose Star Mascara     $28

It's a waterproof mascara that has pretty good reviews.

Lancome Artliner   $30

A liquid eyeliner. I've been very used to using an eyeliner brush with MAC's Fluidline for years and have had no problems. Some people say it dries out, but I haven't had the issue for the past few Fluidline's I've purchased. Instead, I have the drying out problem with my Paint Pots.

Kiehl's Calendula Herbal Extract Toner, Alcohol-Free    $35

It is an alcohol-free toner for normal to oily skin type. I have the 16.9 oz bottle and use it everyday. This was a pleasant surprise because this is one of my routine skincare items that I would have purchased again.

Vichy Laboratories Capital Soleil 50 Sunscreen      $30

Sunscreen is a must, and I was getting bored with my Laura Mercier and Kiehl's sunscreen/SPF moisturizers. This is a non-greasy, non-sticky, air mousse, multi-layer protection from UVA/UVB rays + free radical damage. It's oil-free, alcohol free, non comedogenic, and allergy tested.

I'm very excited to try out all these products, and I'll be doing some reviews.

Side Topic: I bought a pair of pinkish/nude ballet flats from Miu Miu, which I'm still debating whether or not it's a keeper. It's still sitting in the box. I've taken it out to wear around the house twice and feel they are okay. I'm not completely sold on them, as I find the AGL ballet flats (just bought the AGL's after these Miu Miu's) are a lot more comfortable and has good support. The Miu Miu flats are cute, very casual, and I love the color. I'm concerned about how comfortable it will be if for a weekend day out.

First Home

In two days, we are closing escrow! This is my biggest purchase and my very first home!

Here at the accounting firm, it is the busiest of the busiest time of year. This is just about the toughest time I could put myself in the position of going through escrow. Especially being a first timer, I would have definitely chose any other time to purchase if I had known just how much work really goes in to acquiring property, whether it's personal, rental, commercial, you name it.

Luckily for me, I've had so many wonderful friends and family to help guide me through this journey that opens the next chapter of my life. Everyone has been so caring and attentive when I ask for advice. It's such an honor to have amazing people who share their best resources with you and give you advice on decisions as if the situation was truly their own.

To sit back and realize just how crazy I am,  even my boss, who has been really getting into investment property has told agents to stop calling until tax season is over. He's someone who will jump at most opportunities. As for myself, I've been meeting with my agent on weekends, before work, after work, in-between work. Everyday, I find myself yawning and sigh-ing. I'm completely exhausted.

Instead of shopping and lusting over bags and shoes, I find myself at furniture stores and the Home Depot more than I ever thought I would step foot in during my lifetime.

To all you CPA's out there, don't buy a house during tax season unless you have family or assistants of some sort to help you!!

Three things that I've learned:

1. Take one day by one day.
2. Always be positive and smile.
3. Don't be afraid to let go. While packing, I realized how much of a hoarder I am of certain things I should have tossed or donated ages ago. Stop accumulating!!

Happy tax season!

Skincare & Makeup Staples

Everyone goes through numerous skincare and makeup products, but what are some staple items that just stick year after year, bottle after bottle, tube after tube, lash curler after lash curler? My personal skincare and makeup products aren't comparable in quantity when compared to others, but for me, I found a few items of mine that have have become a staple, go-to item that I'd like to share.

#1: Kiehl's Ultimate Strength Hand Salve

I have really sensitive skin, and when I had my phase of extremely dry hands, this was my miracle-working solution. It's thick and my skin absorbs it immediately, and lasts through a couple of hand washes so you don't have to constantly reapply every time after you leave the ladies room. It leaves my hands feeling very smooth and soft, and most importantly, not disgustingly greasy. It was the only product that I've purchased in bulk just because I was afraid of it getting discontinued...then what was I going to do with my super dry and tight hands? Now, I look crazy with my box full of my lifetime supply. If you're familiar with this product, I personally feel that the new formula from recent purchases is lighter in consistency compared to the older formula which was very thick, but at the perfect 'salve' consistency for me. Over time, I've found my hands less dependent on products and significantly improve.

#2: Kiehl's Sodium PCA Oil-Free Moisturizer

Since I was in high school, I was introduced to Kiehl's. I have combination-oily skin, but very dry and tight when I step out of the shower, especially during winter. This is great as an everyday moisturizer, no fragrance -- gets the job done perfectly.

#3: Origins Starting Over Moisturizer

This is the newest moisturizer that I've tried and so far, it's great. It might have even bumped my long-time Kiehl's Sodium PCA moisturizer down. It is packed with age-erasing properties with mimosa. It smells like oranges and leaves my skin extremely smooth. Very, very smooth.

#4: M.A.C. Fluidline Eyeliner and Paint Pot in Rubenesque

M.A.C. is my go-to for anything makeup for the eyes. It stays put all day, or longer I'm sure, until you take it off. It never creases, melts, smudges, or "disappears". I've tried the Bobbi Brown gel liner but it disappears over time. The Paint Pot is great as it stays put and doesn't budge one bit. I use it as a "primer" and my darker eyeshadows over it and it really brightens my eyes and allows the other colors to sit on and stand out. I find it complements my skin tone and eyeshadows better than regular primers, such as Urban Decay's famous Potion Primer. 

#5: M.A.C. Mineralize Blush in Dainty

This is my favorite blush. It is a little peachy pink with very subtle glitter for a nice glow. It brightens up my face and is a young, casual, and fun. 

#6: Shiseido The Makeup Corrector Pencil

This amazing little pencil has been my daily concealer pencil for the past 8 or so years. It matches my skin color perfectly and looks very natural. I recommended it to one of my friends and she loved it so much she bought a few more and said she keeps one in her white coat pocket during rotations for any mini touch ups!

#7: Laura Mercier Eyeliner Pencil in Black Gold

I saw this beautiful color on a blogger's makeup post and I fell in love with it. I quickly ran to the closest Sephora and it was a must-have. I use it for the inner corners along the bottom lash line, and boy does it make a difference. The only downside is that it slightly smudges so I have to check up on it occasionally.

#8: Cle de Peau Essence Contour Des Yeux Anti-Cernes

My lunch buddy at NM was the product specialist for Cle de Peau. She would tell me to try this and that. One of my favorite products is this eye cream. Here, it's a deluxe sample size that I bring when I travel. Two of the things I love most about Cle de Peau is the soft and subtle fragrance that is just so luxurious, and the beautiful and elegant packaging.

#9: Chanel Precision Demaquillant Yeux Intense & Neutrogena Oil-Free Makeup Remover

Both are the best among the eye makeup removers I've used. The Chanel makeup remover is very gentle and smells great. The Neutrogena is fragrance-free and is very gentle. Honestly, I love them both equally. But if I were to choose, I'll have to pick the Neutrogena due to quality in relation to price point.

#10: Covergirl Lash Blast Mascara

This is the best mascara that I've used. It looks very natural, lengthens, doesn't smudge, and lasts all day. Perfect!

#11: Chanel & NARS lip gloss, Fresh's SUGAR lip treatment in original and rose

The lip glosses have beautiful colors, great quality, great consistency, and great packaging. Fresh's SUGAR lip treatment is the best lip balm/stick I've ever tried. Once I applied it, I just had to have it. It's very smooth and smells great. Lip products cannot have an unpleasant scent, it's just a no-no.

#12: Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler

It's not overhyped. Curls instantly, and holds.

#13: Hair "Patch" from Asia

This is one of the most genius products. It holds up my bangs for every morning and evening routine. Thanks to my wonderful "big sister", she brought this back from Taiwan for me along with some other Asian goodies. This is the most useful product I've used. Of course, other items were all food related.

#14: Dior Anticerne Perfecteur Long-Wearing Moisturizing Concealer - discontinued

The best moisturizing concealer. When it comes to Dior and the word concealer, my eyes light up because this is the product that got me through college and concealed all imperfections due to all-nighters. The makers of this amazing product has changed it to a nude colored tube and introduced them in four shades, instead of three (blue tube edition).

I recently picked up Make Up For Ever's  Duo Mat Powder Foundation. I read the overwhelming positive reviews and decided to give it a try. We'll see if it's a new addition to the staple collection family.

What are some of the best products that have become staple items in your routine? 

Tustin Roadhouse

Ever since I moved down to Southern California, I discovered this amazing thing called BBQ. Before, I never liked attending bbq's, like the ones we have in our court for 4th of July. I was introduced to Lucille's by a friend in college and I was hooked.

I've been going to Lucille's about once or twice every month or two. It's conveniently located just 3 minutes from where I currently live. When I feel like having some southern comfort food, I hop on over. My favorites are their garlic mashed potatoes, sweet potato fries, and mac&cheese. You can never, never ever, go wrong with mac&cheese (unless it's from a box, no thanks.)

A few weeks ago, I decided to try a different bbq restaurant, with hopes of finding something possibly better, and something for comparison -- Tustin Roadhouse.

It's located in old town Tustin. One thing they definitely got right was the "old" part. I felt like I was in a totally different era, considering it's just minutes from South Coast Plaza. Very different people, very different vibe, very different everything.

I appreciate places with creative coasters. This place had cardboard postcards as their coasters.

For two people, we ordered an appetizer, two entrees, and a dessert. It was a lot more food than we could handle, but we wanted to try this and that.

For our appetizer, we ordered the Spark Plug Buffalo Wings. It came with celery + thick and creamy ranch dipping sauce. It was good, but I felt the seasoning was a bit too overpowering.

We also ordered the full rack of St. Louis Spare Ribs. We were disappointed they didn't have the baby back ribs (what we normally order at Lucille's). It was definitely "fall off the bone" satisfaction, but I felt they forgot the glaze. The meat was good, but the flavoring could have been better. I even thought they forgot the bbq sauce? Thankfully there were condiments on the side so we could adjust to our
taste. On the side, it was served with coleslaw, baked beans, spinach (the dark blob next to the ribs), and a slice of their famous blueberry cornbread. Unfortunately, the only thing I enjoyed in this entire entree was the cornbread.

 

I've heard pretty good things about their Buttermilk Fried Chicken. The fried chicken breast was smothered with thyme country gravy, served with Yukon gold mashed potatoes & garlic spinach. I would say this is my favorite dish of all. The thyme gravy was good, but I quickly got tired of it. Then at the end, it was too heavy.

 

For dessert, we ordered their homemade banana pudding. It came served in a mason jar, which was honestly a bit hard to eat out of. The concept was cute, but that was about it. The pudding itself was just alright. It claimed to have real bananas inside, so I was really looking forward to it. Out of the entire jar, I was sad to only have one slice of banana. If you've ever had Marie Callender's banana cream pie, the ripe scent of bananas was there, but it was definitely not as smooth as Marie Callender's. Inside it had Nilla vanilla wafers, which was alright. I would have probably preferred them to skip the vanilla wafers.

Overall, the service was great. They were very fast and friendly. One thing I absolutely can't stand is slow service. Some say I don't appreciate the dining experience, but I'm really there for the food. I wish I had taken pictures of the inside of the restaurant, because I found it quite unique. I'm not a southerner, or had visited anywhere truly southern, so I would need pictures to describe what I saw.

Our conclusion was that it was good, we would go back maybe in a few months, but our favorite is still Lucille's. I know many people have said that there is way better bbq than Lucille's, but until I find another one I really like, I'll be happy to visit Lucille's as my default bbq location. If there's any bbq places anyone can recommend, I'd be more than happy to try!

Fall Favorites

Fall is my favorite season. I love the crisp and chilly morning air as I'm bundled up with a warm sweater and scarf. Here in southern California, the weather has finally taken a turn and the leaves are slowly starting to change color.

The chilly early mornings and evenings remind me of weather back home in northern California and childhood memories where I always visited Starbucks and Noah's Bagels while strolling along University Avenue in downtown Palo Alto with my mom. Now that I'm hundreds of miles away, the cold and crisp air brings back great memories of years that have passed so quickly.

Moving on to things I love about fall... these are a few things that I feel that makes fall, fall!

1. Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte - When this particular drink rolls around the corner, and Starbucks comes out with their red holiday cups, I feel this is the time to start bundling up, and ... start shopping for holiday gifts!!

2. Starbucks Salted Caramel Mocha - I tried the salted caramel mocha the other day, and was pleasantly surprised to find the salty and chocolaty goodness in a cup pretty delightful. I'm not a huge fan of mocha, so I'll try it in a soy latte version next visit.

3. Scarves, scarves, scarves - The softer, the better. The more colorful, the better. You can never have too many scarves. Each and every one is very, very different.

4. Kiehl's moisturizers/lotions - My skin gets tight and dry in the cold winter months, and nothing has worked better for me than my go-to Kiehl's collection of moisturizers, lotions, toners, and creams. I've been a loyal fan of Kiehl's since high school, so that's quite some number of years now. Their company has changed, as I feel some formulas have changed as well. But nonetheless, they still make great products especially for people who have sensitive skin.

5. Christmas in SF - Every Christmas, I find myself enjoying the freezing cold air and the holiday spirit in the beautiful city of San Francisco. In high school, my best friend and I would take the 6am Cal Train from Mountain View to San Francisco and spend an entire day there, just walking around, shopping, and eating. After so many years, I still have so much more about the city to discover and find new favorites.

6. Fall Cosmetics - This is the best time of year, in my opinion, to purchase cosmetics. Vendors start coming out with gift sets left and right. I love looking at what they come up with, and have purchased a few as gifts for friends. I also love the fall collection colors for nail polish and eye shadow palettes.

7. Sephora Friends & Family Sale - I think for most "beauty insiders", this is THE time to run into Sephora and grab all your beauty favorites and "stock up". I personally do not "stock up" because everything takes me a while to use. I usually just pick up something fun that I've been eyeing. Yes, this is exactly what kicks me to one side when I'm on the fence debating if I should buy it or not. For me, I'm debating whether or not I should get the Urban Decay Naked eyeshadow palette. Naked or Naked 2? They are both so gorgeous and the reviews on them are equally superb.

8. Neiman Marcus: The Book - It speaks for itself.

9. Friends and Family - Nothing like spending time and catching up with old friends and family at this time of year.

What are your fall favorites? Any recommendations where I should visit when I am in SF?

San Diego Zoo + Hybrid

I don't know about you, but I have not visited the zoo since I was maybe 3 years old?? The only memory I have left was a picture of me when I was very young at the San Francisco Zoo in a stroller.

Over the past weekend, I took my car in for service. She's been great with taking me to and from work everyday, so it was about time to give her a well-deserved spa treatment. In the meantime, I took advantage of getting not any loaner car, but a hybrid loaner. Specifically, the Lexus CT200h. I usually get the identical car, but this time they gave me options. And what do we do with options? We explore! I've been in the Prius before, but never have I actually driven one.

I've been very tense for the past few weeks, so I'm trying to fully utilize my weekends by finding something relaxing to do. I decided to take a day trip down south to San Diego.

We were playing around with the CT, trying to find what speed is the most conservative. It took us under 2 hours to get to San Diego. All I have to say is that the second I drove the hybrid off the lot, I regretted it. It had absolutely NO power for acceleration. Going on the freeway was a PAIN! The big rig behind me even high beamed me and went around me. I was still trying to figure out how exactly this little hatchback was supposed to work in both the city and highway. Yup, so our drive consisted of a lot of people passing by me... The only car that I had to pass was a Prius who was clearly enjoying the scenic drive of views of the Pacific.

The first time I've ever driven a hybrid vehicle, I have to say I was impressed by how incredibly silent it is (almost like a creeper vehicle, great for spying! Just kidding...). I did not like how it felt like it was constantly struggling to accelerate. But I did LOVE taking it to the gas station for a fill up!

First stop: Balboa Park

This is one of the numerous beautiful architectured buildings. Balboa Park is quite large, and is great for strolls and visiting museums. For some reason, this picture really reminded me of the church at Stanford and the pond reminded me of The Oval.

One of the first things I noticed about San Diego is it's humidity. Humidity is one thing that I am not a big fan of. I despise the "stickiness" my skin develops from excessive sweating. Gym sweat I'm okay with, but not humidity sweat.

I really enjoyed admiring the fine details of the architecture. These days, less and less homes have such intricate detail. Everyone is always in a rush and faster is better. These designs really reminded me of how sometimes it's nice to slow down and pay attention to the details. Little details truly make a huge difference!

Next stop: San Diego Zoo

The Skyfari:

The Skyfari is sky lift that brings you well above the zoo to observe the beautiful scenery of the city and Balboa Park. The breeze was really nice (as I mentioned, humidity is a no go for me. Breeze = outdoor AC.... kinda?)

We got to see polar bears! There were two. One was extremely lazy and lying on his back and flopping from one side to another. And the one pictured was very friendly and walked around.

I'm not kidding about being friendly! Isn't he cute??

Below is one of my favorite pictures...

If only she turned around and the glass was removed... hahaha

Next up: Pandas!

How relaxed is this panda? He's even using one elbow to prop himself up. If you look to the left of the tree, you see a giant fan blowing in his direction. He was taking a nap up above in the tree with the fan blowing. Then he woke up, propped himself up by the elbow, and slowly climbed down to walk around. There's actually a camera all over the Panda exhibit for researches to observe and study pandas and help protect these endangered species.

Doesn't he look like Kung Fu Panda?

There were actually two tigers. They were very playful. I've never seen super duper professional DSLR's that looked like telescopes. I'm not kidding. They're even wrapped in waterproof-like-cloth material. They snapped at least 10 pictures or more per second. No joke! There were a lot of people with them, camping out at the tiger exhibit, taking endless pictures of the tigers playing in the water, fighting, and action shots.

This little bear was hibernating earlier. We finally got to see him when we were on a double decker bus tour. He reminds me a lot of myself. Loves to eat, be lazy, has a bad hair day.

There was a papa giraffe, and a couple baby giraffes. The papa giraffe was extremely tall and dark. The darker the giraffe spots are, the higher level of testosterone.

Armor Rhinos. They are not even full grown yet.

Mama Jaguar and two jaguar cubs playing. The mama jaguar was a bit scared of one of the feisty little ones.

The two baby jaguars

The elephant exhibit made me a bit sad. As you can see, the electric wired fence really tore my heart. The elephants are also under observance by researchers.

Lion King sleeping. Very lazy that day.

For dinner, we wanted to try something different. Something we don't have at where we live. Moroccan food! We had dinner at Kous Kous. The food is definitely one of the most flavorful and heavy ones I've had. It's very good, but very very heavy.

We had a long day, so we ordered right away. We ordered the Chicken Tangine and the Berber Lamb Shank. Both are very savory. I'm VERY picky when it comes to lamb, and we both agreed that the lamb was made fairly well. While we were waiting for our entrees, they served "spiced" carrots, which were surprisingly good. You can probably guess the orange plate that is empty was where the spiced carrots were. After a few bites, you get very used to the spice. This is probably one of the only ways I would just eat carrots, straight up.

They make their own spice sauce (in the plastic container). It went well with the carrots. Again, flavor bursting in your mouth. It really prepared us for the entrees.

This is the Chicken Tangine. The sauce went really well with the bread. Alone, it was a bit too much flavor for me. The chicken just fell right off the bone. Tangine is a dish that is marinated for at least 48 hours and cooked in a personal sized clay dish that it gets cooked in. It's dome like and really retains all the flavor.

This is the Berber Lamb Shank. The meat also just fell right off the bone. Great dish.

Any recommendations on what relaxes you? Great places to spend the weekend here in Southern California?

Macaron Madness

Last week before my boyfriend left for vacation to Europe, we decided to hop on over to our local mini downtown and grab a bite. Since we still had time after dinner, we decided to get something for dessert. We were waiting in line at the extremely popular ice cream parlor that has a unique environment that reminds me of Mary Poppins (Yes, they do wear those flat top hats! and the full on outfit like in the 60's!) but we got tired of waiting and heard from my friend that it's not worth it, simply overhyped. We walked around and found this super cute macaron and cupcake shop!

This was my first time stepping foot inside a macaron shop. The display and the setting of the store was just beautiful. I loved how they used very soft yet vibrant colors. I think I was more into the decor of the store than the actual desserts.

The cupcakes looked so perfect and the frosting looked SO marshmallow-y and squishy!! I didn't get one to try. I'm not a huge fan of American sweets, as most of them are too sweet for me.

The macaron display -- it looked like a pastel color palette. So pretty!

At the back of the shop, they had their cakes and macaron displayed for customers to admire from afar. 

A macaron tower -- I absolutely adore the soft pastel colors. Okay, I can't stop emphasizing how much I love the color, the decor, everything I love love love! The shop was just really cute.

Isn't this store just so pretty? There's a few more really famous macaron shops in LA that I haven't had the chance to visit yet.

What is your favorite bakery and what is your favorite macaron flavor?