Fun with Models

I've been having fun with H&M's Fashion Studio.You can pick your own model and style her (or him) with various H&M clothes and accessories. A fun way to check out new fashions without breaking open your wallet.

Clay Masks

A few months ago I met a girl who had just about the most perfect skin I had ever seen -- absolutely poreless, smooth, and flawless. Looking at her was like looking at a doll. Now we're the same age, but my face alas, a few small wrinkles starting to form. Nothing serious, but definitely next to her my skin doesn't fare too well. Ever since then I vowed to take better care of my skin.

I started using a clay mask. Those little tubes can be rather pricy and I found a very cheap alternative! Mountain Rose Herbs sells different types of clay very cheaply and you can make your own masks for pennies. Not to mention they also sell different products (salts, you can make your own salt scrub; wax, tea, etc).

How to Tie Scarves

For those of us living in colder climes, winter is the time to pile on the layers. Once the temperature takes a nosedive, I never leave the house without a scarf.

I only have two ways of wearing a scarf -- either looping in around my neck or folding the scarf in half so the ends meet and then slipping the ends around the loop that the middle of the scarf makes. Ta da! I know, isn't this exciting?

This is why I was so excited to see that ModCloth (which is one of my favorite places to shop online) had a series of lessons on how to tie scarves on YouTube. There are four lessons total and they cover different types of scarves.

Now be ready to step out looking chic.



I love this video because I have a couple long scarves that I didn't know what to do with.

The Woman Behind the Cotton Mask -- Epielle's Facial Essence Mask

Today I was introduced to Epielle's Facial Essence Mask. It's a disposable cotton mask. There are three different kinds of masks: green tea & aloe, vitamin C for firming and lifting, and vitamin E for collagen. It's for all skin types.

You clean your face. Take out a mask from the packet. The mask is folded, so you carefully unfold it and you'll see that there are holes for your eyes, nose, and mouth. You apply the mask on your face and leave it on for 20-30 minutes.

I tried the green tea and aloe mask and I must say that I quite like this product. My face was moisturized and very soft. At $1 a mask, it's a very cheap way to pamper yourself a little. You can find Epielle's Facial Essence mask at Korean grocery markets.

Let it Snoflake!

Oh, the weather outside might be frightful, but Snoflake is so delightful! The East Coast is covered in snow and freezing cold, but the weather in Los Angeles is positively spring-like! Well, Los Angelinas might think it's cold, but nothing, that a warm pair of tights and a jacket can't fix. Which is why I bring to you -- Snoflake!

It's a little ridiculous to think about short summer dresses this time of year (unless you're living in the Southern hemisphere or a transplant from colder climes living in Southern California), but Snoflake is have a holiday 20% sale and free shipping.

I came across Snoflake while living in Toronto. Also an independent fashion design, just like Dagg & Stacey, based in Toronto, Snoflake makes lovely sophisticated fun clothes for young women.

And because they're based in Canada, all prices are in Canadian dollars, which means they're actually lower for us Americans! You can purchase Snoflake online or you can go on their website and see if your city carries Snoflake.

Temptu -- Temptingly flawless skin

"Doesn't my skin look fabulous?" I demanded as I sat down for a belated dinner with a friend I hadn't seen in a while.

She looked up from her menu and did a double-take. She was a bit flabbergasted and gasped, "Oh my goodness, it's amazing. You look terrific!"

I'm a minimalist, even when I go all out for a big night out on the town. I hate wearing foundation. Creams look like I just smeared something on my face and powders look like just that -- that I'm wearing powder on my face. So I normally go without. My skin color isn't too uneven so I feel okay about going out in bare skin.

Every once in a while I think to myself that I should give foundation another try. I go into a store, someone helps me out and the end result is usually my saying, "I guess it's better than nothing."

This was not the story with Temptu. I was in Sephora to find some other product actually. I took a look at Temptu and a sales rep offered to try it out on me. I agreed because I had some time to kill, but I really wasn't expecting anything. Temptu applies foundation (blush and highlighter) by airbrushing. You pop in one of these sleek looking pods into the airbrushing machine and begin the magic.

When I saw the finished product -- my face -- in the mirror, I was astounded. For once in my life, I was completely blown away by make up. My skin was luminous and beautiful. The airbrushing erased all of the little flaws off my skin and left with me with a perfect canvas. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the mirror. For once, I looked like one of those models with flawless skin.

My friend kept on looking at my face all throughout dinner, murmuring, "You look amazing." At the end of dinner, she decided that she too was going to Sephora to try Temptu. The machine costs $225, but seriously well worth the money because I've never seen anything that gave me perfection like this.

Nio -- Salt & Oil Scrub

I discovered Nio last year. Nio makes beautiful luxurious skin care treatment products; what they are most known for are their wonderful salt-and-oil scrubs.

I was shopping at the Union Square Christmas Market, when I walked past Nio's stand. They offered to wash my hands and I thought, "Why not?" I sniffed each of different scrubs (Eden, Milk & Honey, Lavender, and Jasmine) that they had and finally chose Eden.

I've used scrubs before, but haven't been impressed because of the gritty feel. I also couldn't feel the difference afterwards. Not so with Nio! The salt crystals are very fine. The oil gives a luxurous decadent feel. Warm water washed off the scrub and hands dried off. My skin was so soft and smelled sooooooooo good afterwards. I kept on petting my hands and bringing them up to my face to breathe in the delicate perfume of Eden. The luxurant feeling lasted several hours.

Nio offers five different scents, but my favorite is Eden. Eden is a unisex scent. I can't describe it, except it's clean and light. I can wear it all day long without tiring of it nor offending other people with a heavy cloying scent. I just love it.

A small jar costs $35 and a large $45. It's a great gift for family, friends, and/or yourself.