In Paradise? Partially.

Updating with slightly slow internet from an island called Bonaire (one of the Netherland Antilles--Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire).

I am on vacation with my parents and we are scuba diving!

All sounds well except for the fact that the plane to Bonaire from Newark was a disaster!

I've been to Bonaire 5 times, this is the 5th year and I've never experienced such a problem with Continental airline service...

The plane's weather radar went kaput, and they were not allowed to fly the aircraft with such a condition, thus we turned back around after 30 min of taking off and flying. But the "turning around" took about 2 extra hours: probably due to making sure the new aircraft was ready and "turning around" = circling around.

Landed back to Newark around 3 am, left Newark around 12 am before. The crew promised to quickly board onto the new aircraft, which would take only 30 minutes since the flight was not full, capacity was 140, 70 passengers aboard. Another lie! -_-;

Everyone was waiting in the new gate when suddenly a woman pulled up with her handy dandy golf cart contraption. "I'm sorry but you'll have to take this flight tomorrow morning at 11 am."

Ok... supposedly the crew went illegal and were not supposed to fly within their hours. That's fine. But tomorrow morning at 11am? Why not earlier?

Then everyone went through the whole process of booking hotels through Continental and food vouchers, all that stuff. It's their loss! hahaha.

So I stayed in an airport hotel (luckily it was a nice one!). I didn't have any change of clothes but did have emergency necessities such as: toothpaste, toothbrush, skincare samples, eyedrops, etc etc.

The next morning we departed the hotel at 8 am to be at the gate by 9 am, then leave Newark at 11 am. Everyone was there... but two. I guess they missed the flight, and it took another 20 min for the staff to remove their baggage from the plane.

So, arrival time was 4 pm, lost a whole day of diving, but all was fine! It wasn't an awfully stressful experience at all... The people were cooperating so nicely because they were tired and understanding... haha!

So I'm not really updating on any beauty stuff since this internet is so slow to upload any pictures right now, and I'm ready to pass out any minute! :D

Hope to update again soon and thanks for all comments on my birthday! Love you all :)

Weekend Update - Mitsuwa Summer Festival

So last Saturday 8/8, I went to the Summer Festival aka Natsu Matsuri (夏祭り) held annually at the NJ Mitsuwa in Edgewater. In Japan around the summer months of July and August it is Obon season. Although an Obon matsuri (festival) is a lively event, Obon is a holiday held to honor the deceased ancestors. Usually every weekend in Japan there is a festival in different towns consisting of fireworks celebrations, food vendors, taiko performances, and Bon Odori (bon dance). Unfortunately I wasn't able to attend one in Japan because it was a little too early in the season and I missed the really big Sumidagawa fireworks (also too lazy to go because it was so crowded).

So in these matsuri, usually attendees wear the traditional summer kimono or yukata. A yukata may look beautiful on the outside but actually it is quite painful to wear one... There are two cloth himo (ropes) that must be tied around before the obi (big belt) is put on. They must be tied on very tightly or else the yukata will fall apart. If they are not snug, then the yukata doesn't look nice. At first I felt like I couldn't breathe, but this isn't my first time putting one on so it wasn't that bad. Last year I was constantly nauseous because the obi was so tight but this year was not too bad. I got a little sick when in the car but the standing position is actually the best.

In total there are about 3-4 rope layers before the obi is put on. I put two ropes, then one flat shaped pad to maintain the smooth appearance of the front of the obi.

Here is how I look in my yukata.

Since nowadays nobody wears the kimono as daily wear, many people feel like they are more 'beautiful' when wearing one (in my opinion). It's almost like a treat to wear one and receive so much attention and compliments. After the matsuri I went to a restaurant and everyone was staring because I live in the US, and nobody wears yukata here. I got so many compliments though! It was actually a fun experience.

Here I am with my very good friend, we went together. Some traditional patterns on yukatas are flowers (mine are sakura), fish (like goldfish and carps), and other nature related patterns. My friend's yukata have small goldfish but you can't see in this picture. I also have another light blue yukata with pink goldfish but didn't wear it this time.

These little girls were so cute I had to take a picture! Their obi are not hard like mine, they are like sashes, much softer and more comfortable! The wooden shoes you see on the right are called 'geta.'

I wore my hair in the odango style, the cute white flower hairpin is courtesy of Eki! Haha and if you spot that white thing sticking out of my obi.. that is not part of my obi. It is a napkin I just stuck there because I had nowhere to throw it out! haha! :D

Here is the Bon Odori, as you can see, mostly old ladies are dancing. Oh and if you see that cute guy on the right side, he was really good at dancing! Even better than me.

Haha.. Me trying to keep up with the steps. I've done traditional dancing before in Japan one time, I even performed with my other friend (but we messed up and had to go on the stage twice -_-). Even though it looks so easy, it is quite hard to keep up!

This is the Taiko performance. Wow what an ab workout! I can't believe they have to lie down and hit the taiko... They must be so tired after doing two performances. Watch my video to see how they sounded.

Hm if you noticed in the Bon Odori video I said "Video tochatta" hahaha it means "Oops I took a video." in Japanese... I was going to take a picture but then ended up in video.. Oh well that is kind of good, I have something to show you guys now!

Well hope you enjoyed this cultural post, it was lots of fun!

Don't forget to join my giveaway, it ends on August 20th (my birthday!)

I promise to answer questions that all of you asked me in the entries, nice way to get to know me, right? :) Anyway, please try to spread the word and good luck!

Crochet Scrunchies + Life Update

Hey -- Everyone go join Miu Miu's 'What is your HG?' Contest! There are 3 winners and each winner gets amazing products from Skinfood!! :)

Happy Friday everyone! It's finally the weekend... Although I have SAT Literature&World Hist. test tomorrow morning T-T

So I've started making these crochet yarn scrunchies after reading about the whole scrunchie ("shu shu" in Japanese) craze in Japan! They are so cute, I'm definitely going to pick up some in Japan in July. I just started making them yesterday and already finished two!

The first one I made is made from pink mohair-ish yarn with silver sparkly string. Isn't it so cute? Would anyone buy these if I make more? :D

Here it is in my odango hair bun. I love it! Thanks to my Japanese magazine Cutie I've learned how to make these cute scrunchies :) And then I put my X-girl scrunchie that came free with another Japanese magazine. Isn't it so cute but wild? Hehe.

Here are two that I made last night--pink and red/orange one. Right now I'm making a blue/purple one... I'll post them as I finish them hehe.

Second thing is that  I won first place in the Japanese kite contest!! I won a round-trip Continental ticket to Tokyo, Japan!!!!! :D Too bad I just bought a ticket to Japan for July but now I can plan another Japan trip with this ticket! I was so happy when they announced the winners, my hard work was rewarded~ 

Haha, here's a picture of me with my kite--the little tail portion says "Continental Airlines" in Japanese. The yellow lettering is my name in Japanese. The design of the kite is Otafuku--a traditional Japanese face depicting beauty. You might recognize it as the logo of a popular natto brand.

Then a picture of my kite in the air... It flew pretty high! Many of the kites in the contest didn't even fly in the air.

Then later on Monday I gave my friend Heejin a little prom makeup help so she could learn some tips to do her own makeup for the prom which was yesterday, June 4th. She is the same girl who helped me with my Goth Loli entry for Eki's contest.

The look is sexy aubergine/black smoky eye look! I was worried it would look bad because it was my first time doing makeup for someone else. I gave her a little cat-eyed liner with MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack. 

I finished off her lips with Urban Decay lip stain pen and curled her hair a bit so it looks very natural. The bangs were poofed up a bit like a coiff and pinned back.

I hope I did a good job teaching you... Hope your prom was fun Heejin!

I've almost sold all of my things in my makeup sale--check it out here! Thank you everyone who purchased from me :) I'm planning on posting more of my stuff during the weekend so look out for that.

Lovely Package from Yumeko

Hi all! Yeah my excuse is the same as always--busy with school once again. I'm not sure if I will be updating often because the next few weeks are filled with finals and end of the school year is coming up next month. This Thursday I'll be attending my awards brunch for my essay! :)

I'm going to do a quick update on what's been going on lately... Thank you Blair, Zwala, NicNic, and Innerchild (I think that's all, sorry if I forgot you) for tagging me in various things! I promise I will get to them sometime soon hahaha. Also Miumiu, Fuz, and Zwala, I haven't forgotten your help for my blog layout! I'm trying to get to it but everything has been so busy these days for me... Thank you guys for your kindness--I'll have to get to my layout soon.

So, this weekend I've been extremely busy making a traditional Japanese kite (tako) for a Kite Contest my school is holding on June 1st (today.. as it is 1 AM as I am writing this hahah). It took me all day Saturday and today to make the thing, painting, attaching the bamboo structure and the bridle strings.. Ugh.. horrible! I think the outcome is good but it took so much time. I'll show you guys a pic of the kite once the contest is over. The grand prize is a free round-trip ticket to Tokyo, Japan! Wow :) I hope I will have some chance to win haha~

Anyhow, last week I received my brush holder that I ordered from the lovely and creative Yumeko! I ordered the Kuromi print brush holder which is so adorable~~ I love dark/cute stuff. I really love skull prints too, too bad I couldn't get one of the first brush holders she made with the Hello Kitty skull print!

Click here to check out Yumeko's awesome handmade sewing crafts--brush holders, eco bags, Japanese cute accessories and more!

Check that cute bear tape!! I love this kind of stuff.. I always pick up some cute tape&packing accessories in the 100 yen shop whenever I'm in Japan. 

Look at all of the cute goodies Yumeko included! Thank you so so much!! 

The candies are long gone... Funny story when I tried to eat the pink candy... I opened the wrapper and out popped the candy.. onto the ground. T_T I had to throw it out (it was school floor, if it was at home I would've eaten it LOL)

Hehe my brush collection all in this holder! 2 brushes in the middle are so tall so it doesn't close well... The red brush is freaky right? I didn't buy that.. Got it from a relative. 

Here the brush holder is closed... Cute but evil Kuromi!

What an evil look...

Alright, hope everyone had a nice weekend.. I hope I will be updating again soon! Btw, please check out my blog sale (Lancome, DHC, Laura Mercier, Chanel, and more!) --I'm going to try to add some more stuff (clothes, shoes, makeup) this week. I need money for my trip to Japan! Haha~ :) Thank you to all that have already purchased things from me!

Oh and I forgot to tell you guys... but on June 13th I will be attending the Aramis/Estee Lauder warehouse sale in Oakland, NJ! I am so excited but scared that I will be trampled. Hopefully I can find some cool L/E MAC stuff. This event is an invitation only sale, my dad's company is a block away from the Aramis distribution center so he managed to get two tickets for my mother and I. Sorry but I don't have any to offer. It seems that his office workers got excited too x) Did anyone ever attend this warehouse sale before?? What kind of product selection do they have?

EDIT: Check out Mayaari's giveaway! There are two packs to choose from, take advantage of this awesome chance to win!! Click here to win :) 

Also go join ABCgrrL's first giveaway~~ You can win Hello Kitty items and OPI polishes! You know you want to click here...

Weekend Haul + Eki's Love Package + Misc.

Shoutout: I've reached 50+ followers! Thank you to all of the new followers, I'm sorry I cannot thank each one of you personally but I am trying my best. If you'd like, please leave a note in my C-Box should you want a message back.

Happy Weekend everybody!
I finally found some extra time to devote myself to blogging. I haven't uploaded a real post in a while. These days I'm nearing the end of the school year and it's crunch time! :( I took the SATs this morning and felt relieved that this will be the last time (3rd time btw haha). Sigh, and I'm definitely looking forward to AP's next next week. Hah. -_-;

So after the SAT, I went over to Mitsuwa for some much needed lunch and browsing. I really wanted to check out the magazines for that Spring issue with the Jill Stuart pouch! Sadly it wasn't out yet~ However I did get the Maquia and Seda magazine. I'm kind of disappointed in the Maquia magazine, it didn't have many tutorials but I'll try to take some pics of both mags to show you guys. The Seda magazine had a special on Eye Makeup to look HOT haha. The article is called "Mote Eye Make Magic" which roughly translates to "Attractive Magic Eyemakeup."

I also picked up the White Tsubaki Shampoo because it was on SALE for $5.49. Also I was running low on cotton pads so I got the Selena 2-Way (2 Sides) Cotton Pads for about $2.99. Japanese cotton pads/balls are the best! I got some in Japan a couple yrs ago and they were so nice. However I was cheap and just resorted to American brands. It's time to try something new :)

Last weekend (such a long time ago, sorry Eki!) I received Eki's love package in the mail! Thank you so much~ Eki has supported me on blog, email, and on my sale. She's an extremely kind, caring, and loving person! Please support her creative efforts by picking up some ADORABLE bows right here.

As always, Eki gave me some of her new pin designs with the Smashbox Bag, Face Tint, and PN sparkly lipveil. She also put in one of her cute choco pops :) Yummy~

It took several tries to finally get a pic of the pin on my hair, but here I am modeling one of Eki's first pin creations I've received. I'll try to take some more pics but it's so hard to get a good angle.


Last but not least, I've finally received the Giveaway Prize from Annie Nguyen.
I'm sure EVERYBODY knows how this girl has been conducting herself. She even deleted her blog today. Although I have not been a victim of the swapping disaster, I have to say that Annie is an irresponsible person. She has failed to show me her "changes" and does not communicate well at all. It took about four weeks for me to receive this giveaway prize. I've emailed Annie a couple times throughout that time and most of the time, did not receive a response until 2-3 days later. She repeatedly told me that she would send it by the "end of this week" three times.

Although I am the one receiving something for free, I do not think it's right to fail in communicating with the other person. I think it is much easier to just be HONEST, tell why you cannot send something, and then make SURE that you specify an exact DATE to send out a package. She neglected to give me a tracking no. because she got confused with the other winner's name and I tried to help the situation. She however took everything offensively and retorted that she did not appreciate "harrassment and schooling in shipping" and did not want to bring up the swapping issue because she wanted to "forget".

Thank you Annie for sending me this prize but I hope that you've learned to communicate better in your future endeavors. It will really come in handy.

Eki's Giveaway Prize

Man.. Blog sales are hard!! Oh well, I'll just have to keep waiting until some desperate soul comes to buy. Haha.. T_T

Anyway, I just got Eki's prize in the mail yesterday and the pins were so adorable! Thank you Eki, much love to you :) We are the Japanese email buddies now hehehe.

So in the package were two lovely handmade pins: one white flower and one pink&black ribbon, a pack of rhinstone stickers (which I used to deco my mirror btw!), two black Kose nose packs (used one already, but incorrectly! T_T), and a cutee handmade ribbon cell phone chain.

Oh and before I forget, many yummy Japanese umeboshi candies, gummies, and butterscotch candies :D I literally ate them all yesterday.

Here are some pics

Ahaha please ignore the history textbook and MARVAL at the rhinstone deco mirror! LOL just kidding... Also ignore the little glue things on the side since I'm a noob at deco.

This is me modeling Eki's cute pins! I don't know where to wear them to though.. People will be like WTF because I don't usually look this cute HAHA :D

I stopped by Mitsuwa in Edgewater yesterday and managed to leave only with the Dariya Velcro hair sticky thing. I always have a problem with my bangs in the morning when I wash my face... I usually use 2 little pins but then they make a mark and it's hard to make my bangs settle in the perfect way. This velcro thing works and doesn't make it too hard to tame my hair back.

Yay I'm getting a haircut tomorrow! What I have in mind for a haircut is this... The person is this model called MEG. I think she just debuted an album. Her expression is very weird. :P But otherwise I guess she looks cute?

The other model is pretty! I'm not too keen to dye my hair again.. I dyed it last July and I'm not sure if my hair is healthy enough to dye. =/

Alright everyone... go check the blog sale

I Can't Decide... MAC or Laura Mercier?

^ Laura Mercier MAC Love Rock ^

I've been seeing MAC's Love Rock from the Grand Duo collection all over the place.. online, in magazines, and in stores. Also, bloggers like Fuzkittie and Mona from Make Me Blushhh are tempting me to get the Laura Mercier Gilded Garden shimmer bloc!! Hahaha, a very good temptation though...

I can't seem to decide which one to get between the two. I'm also worried if I should even bother getting any of them since I just won the auction on ebay for the Jill Stuart Blush Compact in Apricot 06 ($49.99 heh)!! I know the Jill Stuart palette is not as shimmery as the Laura Mercier shimmer bloc and the colors are a little pinker and brighter. MAC's Love Rock is highly pigmented according to various reviwers and most people love it or hate it. I guess I'll have to check out the store to find out which one is more suited for me, or skip out on a purchase altogether! I'm keen on ignoring the latter choice but I did spend some money lately.. T_T

Somehow the two blushes seem a bit similar in a way.. both pink and both have shimmery highlighter shades in them. LM's Gilded Garden is more separated, giving you the option to choose which color to use and the size is bigger. MAC's Love Rock has two sides, one is like "mineralized" and the other is pigmented blush. What do you guys think, which one should I get? Do you suggest skipping out because I got the Jill Stuart blush compact? I'm not sure if the colors are similar..

Anyway, I forgot to post my "fashion of the day" picture from two days ago.. So here it is. Excuse the bathroom background! I don't have a full size mirror except this.. hahaha -__-;

I think this is the first time I posted my full face picture. I was too scared to post anything because these days colleges and companies stalk people's facebooks and blogs to find out more information. I applied for a leadership program in my school and they are known to "research" facebook pics to see what kind of behavior you are exhibiting outside of school!

So, outfit stats:

Purple sweater - UNIQLO

T-shirt - JCREW

Jeans - Hudson (purchased 3 yrs ago at SAKS 5th Outlet)

I just bought the Jill Stuart blush on ebay (as I mentioned before) and the seller offered to get me anything else I wanted from Japan and I requested Majolica Majorca Lash Expander (the basic one.. nothing special). I've been wanting to get those two items ever since I saw them featured in the Japanese magazine CUTIE. The magazine often does "what's inside your bag" spreads and these two items always show up!! I couldn't resist so now I'll be receiving them in 4-5 days~ I can't wait! I will definitely do a post on the two items when I get them.