A few obsessions

Simplistic Makeup: I love the makeup from the Dolce & Gabbana Spring 2014 RTW.  

Long Hair & Bangs

photos: Lily Aldridge & Hailee Steinfeld on 'Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" 

La la links

The Perfect Nap: Sleeping Is a Mix of Art and Science

A Tourist's Guide to French Pharmacy Skincare

I wish I was at an undergrad at UC Berkeley, so I could take a class with Robert Reich.

A Guide to the Double Braid Headband

A video guide to the Celtic Hair Knot.

Beauty Diaster from Lush

A few weeks ago, I dropped by Lush and purchased Dark Angel. I have been using it for about a week and all I can say is this product was a waste of money. It is marketed as cleanser but it is more of an exfoilater that leaves a heavy grey residue. I wouldn't recommend this product to anyone. File this under beauty disaster and a complete waste of money! Since I'm too cheap to throw it away, I did the next rational thing and repurposed it as a foot scrubber!

Total purchase cost: - $15.81

Joey Maalouf Shares His Skin-Perfecting Secrets

Better late then never. I kinda loathe this phrase, but it applies to me and my relationship with makeup. I never cared enough to experiment with makeup in my teens and here I am now in my early 20's experimenting! Hopefully I can bypass the awkward makeup phrase with these few tips from makeup artist Joey Maalouf that he shared with The Zoe Report.

These are the tools:

Tip 1: Use A Sponge For Even Application

Dot cheeks, forehead, nose and chin with liquid foundation or tinted moisturizer and blend with a sponge to ensure an even application. Never pour foundation directly onto the sponge.

 Tip 2: Powder All But Your Cheeks

Apply powder on your forehead, chin, under eyes and around the nose. Avoid cheeks – you want to keep a bit of dewiness on skin for a healthy glow.

 Tip 3: Add A Highlight To Eyes
For a gorgeous luminosity, apply a silvery eye shadow on the inside corners of the eyes on top and bottom.

 Tip 3: Add A Highlight To Eyes
Set the look by blending color with a flat eye shadow brush.

c/o The Zoe Report

6 Simple Rituals To Reach Your Potential Everyday by Amber Rae

1. Drink a glass of water when you wake up. Your body loses water while you sleep, so you’re naturally dehydrated in the morning. A glass of water when you wake helps start your day fresh. When do you drink your first glass of water each day?

2. Define your top 3. Every morning Mike asks himself, “What are the top three most important tasks that I will complete today?” He prioritizes his day accordingly and doesn’t sleep until the Top 3 are complete. What’s your "Top 3" today?

3. The 50/10 Rule. Solo-task and do more faster by working in 50/10 increments. Use a timer to work for 50 minutes on only one important task with 10 minute breaks in between. Mike spends his 10 minutes getting away from his desk, going outside, calling friends, meditating, or grabbing a glass of water. What’s your most important task for the next 50 minutes?

4. Move and sweat daily. Regular movement keeps us healthy and alert. It boosts energy and mood, and relieves stress. Most mornings you’ll find Mike in a CrossFit or a yoga class. How will you sweat today?

5. Express gratitude. Gratitude fosters happiness, which is why Mike keeps a gratitude journal. Every morning, he writes out at least five things he’s thankful for. In times of stress, he’ll pause and reflect on 10 things he’s grateful for. What are you grateful for today?

6. Reflect daily. Bring closure to your day through 10 minutes of reflection. Mike asks himself, “What went well?” and “What needs improvement?” So... what went well today? How can you do more of it?

via 

La la links!

Brown Butter Strawberry Cake photo via 

Books on my reading list: 

• Cold New World
• The Peep Diaries: How We're Learning to Love Watching Ourselves and Our Neighbors
• Tess of the D'Urbervilles. I also want to watch BBC adaptation of the book.
• The Twelve Tribes of Hattie
• The Ages of Miracles 

Retro-inspired wedding invitations

I love stripes!

Free People and Daisy Lowe

Kate Middleton inspired make-up tutorial 

Love the sound of the rain. Try Rainy Mood! 

Tree Bones Resort at Big Sur

Cool blogs I recently found: 

• Summer Wind
• Treasures and Travels
• Peanut Butter Fingers
• Love Eat Food

Articles to read for recent college graduates: 

• New Grads: 10 Goals for Your First 5,000 Hours on the Job
• Colleges Lose Pricing Power
• 6 Steps To Find A Job For Soon-To-Be College Grads
• 10 Need-To-Know Tips For Getting Your Fashion Dream Job

Valuable Lesson

According to herself, my grandma used to be thin and happy. I never believed her as she was always fat, bitter and made everyone around her miserable. I never saw her eat, so she must have been fat because of all the hatred and guilt she kept inside. She used to secretly feed my grandfather valium with his breakfast in order to “keep him quiet.” We were forced to spend holidays with her but hated every minute, her voice and look heinous enough to spoil every chance of happiness — the best china and best behaviour never good enough to generate a smile. Occasionally, between the waves of fear and resentment, I would feel so sorry for her, tried to understand her and make her happy. But to no avail. She was a valuable lesson in how not to be. RIP.

by Christopher Sharpe for Romka Magazine