OOTD + Botanical Gardens

Here are a few pictures from my day at the botanical gardens and my first outfit of the day. Enjoy!



I look ridiculously short in these pictures but I'm around 5'6". I wish I were taller!

Cardigan: Tahari
V-neck tee: Threads for Thought
Jeans: Express "Zelda Ultra Skinny"
Sunglasses: Hugo Boss
Purse: Kenneth Cole Reaction
Flats: Gap

I love these flats. They are glossy patent on the outside and softly quilted on the inside. They're camel and match perfectly with my purse. I like that they are so versatile; they work with so many different colors and outfits. They're simple but chic and also work well to tone down an outfit. I like that they are patent as well because they add a new texture. I don't have to think too much about these shoes when I wear them, which is a plus. I love those types of pieces- the ones you can simply throw on and be out the door.



I wore my Neutrogena Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup and it photographed really well. The lighting around the gardens and greenhouse was perfect- natural and bright!









We thought it was going to be nice and warm, but the weather was quite chilly and some of the flowers hadn't bloomed yet. I went all the way back to the car and threw on my trench to keep warm!






The ladies of my family all went out to TGIF for dinner that night. I had the Chicken and Cheese grilled with peppers and onions with a side of mashed potatoes. The mashed potatoes were absolutely delicious- creamy, soft, and super buttery. The best I have ever had. The chicken, on the other hand, was not so great. Very mediocre and not cooked very well.



A few days ago, I tried looking for my puppy everywhere and couldn't find him. He didn't respond to me calling out his name around the house and I got a bit worried! Then I finally found him in his old bed downstairs. I think he is just attached to his baby bed because he never uses his new one. This is how I found him, all bundled up underneath the padding...



Haha!

I picked up one of my favorite treats at the Korean supermarket yesterday. They are like cracker/cookie sticks with strawberry cream dip. Sooooooooo good. I found the silly "hidden messages" strangely amusing! lol.



I was a little confused by the chicken one. My mom told me that in Korea, the chicken sound is "kokekokko." I found this really funny and also interesting that other countries have different sounds that are related to different animals. I remember learning about this in a Linguistics class I had taken. In America, "cock-a-doodle-doo" is synonymous with the rooster. I told my mom this and she was just as confused as I was. lol.

Well that's all. Until next time!

Hot red lips :)

I love any kind of gorgeous bright red, and this one is no exception!



I kept the rest of my face clean and neutral. I have fuller lips so bright colors can make me look clown-like, but keeping the focus solely on the lips helps. Personally, I find red lips very elegant and beautiful but there are so many red lip haters out there (my mother being one of them lol) I don't wear bold lippies very often, but I've always loved lipsticks in bright fuschias, reds, corals, purples, and oranges. I admire those women out there who can rock a bright lip in public and feel comfortable doing it.


NYX Hot Red Jumbo Lip Pencil


4 bucks of creamy gorgeousness.
Love it!
Now I just need the lipliner to complete the look :)

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup vs. NARS Sheer Glow

Hi everyone! So the new talk of the makeup community seems to be Neutrogena Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup- a supposed dupe for NARS Sheer Glow. In a recent issue of People Style Watch, Kim K's makeup artist listed Neutrogena Healthy Skin (around $11.99) as a cheaper alternative to NARS Sheer Glow ($42). I purchased the Healthy Skin foundation at Ulta for $11.99. I had a coupon, so I purchased it for around $10.



I've heard that many people in the NC30-35 and NARS Punjab/Sante Fe range used 060 Natural Beige, so I knew for sure I wanted to pick that one up. It happened to be one of the most yellow out of all the shades. They were completely out of 060 and 050. I asked a SA if they had any more in stock, and she directed me to a stand on the other side of the display. These included a free 7-sheet packet of Neutrogena makeup wipes, and they had one 060 left, so I grabbed it up!

For reference, I am currently somewhere between an NC30 and NC35. My skin has gotten lighter since winter, and I hope to stay close this color throughout the warmer months with religious use of sunscreen. I wear Punjab in NARS, MUFE HD in 120, and 060 Natural Beige in Neutrogena. I have oily skin and used a light dusting of powder on the T-zone with both foundations.

I happen to have both the NARS Sheer Glow and the Neutrogena Healthy Skin foundation, so I'll let you guys know how I personally compare the two.

Neutrogena Healthy Skin 060 Natural Beige on LEFT, NARS Sheer Glow Punjab on RIGHT:

The Neutrogena looks more yellow in this picture, but it is a more neutral yellow than the NARS, which I find more yellow-yellow. If that makes ANY sense! LOL

Slightly blended on the back of my hand:
I didn't blend in the middle so you could see the difference in finish. You can tell from the picture that the Neutrogena (left) is clearly more dewy than the NARS.


How they are similar:

-Both shades have yellow undertones. NARS has a bit more yellow in real life, but the Neutrogena is still yellow, especially for a drugstore foundation. There are still shades with pinker undertones, but the one I picked is definitely a medium shade with yellow undertones.
-Perfect for Asian skintones!
-Both have a brightening effect.
-No shimmer in either of these formulas. MAJOR PLUS!
-Medium to full, buildable coverage.
-Both contain certain ingredients and antioxidants that help keep skin young and bright over time.
-Both come without a pump, in a screw-top 1 fluid oz jar. (NARS will be releasing a pump-version this spring)

How they are different:

-The Neutrogena feels smoother while blending.
-I need less of the NARS to cover my face.
-Neutrogena is slightly dewy while NARS is semi-matte.
-Neutrogena feels slightly heavier, like a gel, but definitely not as heavy as a cream or a liquid foundation like Colorstay.
-Neutrogena wears about 2 hours longer than NARS Sheer Glow.
-Neutrogena is about 1/4 the price of NARS.
-Neutrogena contains SPF20, NARS doesn't have any SPF.
-Both held up on my oily skin with a powder dusting on the T-zone.

Here I am wearing the Neutrogena Healthy Skin foundation with a light dusting of translucent powder. No highlighter or blush. This is unedited, and I took it early in the morning facing my blinds with a ton of bright, natural light shining through.

I'm usually a lighter shade in the medium skintone range, but the direct light makes me look a bit lighter in the picture than in real life. You can see that natural looking glow from the foundation on the higher points of my face. It photographs very well despite the SPF20 in it.

Overall:

Although they are both beautiful, brightening foundations, the texture is different. The Neutrogena feels a bit heavier, but I'm pretty positive that it may be the dewy finish that makes it feel this way. The NARS feels a bit drier and feels lighter on my skin, but both held up quite well on my oily skin. The end result is very similar, but the Neutrogena is slightly more of a dewy glow than the NARS' semi-matte glow. Both formulas make your skin glow and appear brighter/lighter without any iridescence or shimmer, which is just amazing in my opinion. I was surprised that many people were calling this a light coverage foundation. In my opinion, this is definitely a medium coverage and is buildable to a full coverage. NARS Sheer Glow in Punjab is a *slightly* better match for my skintone since it has a bit more yellow undertones. The Neutrogena is more of a yellow-beige undertone, but it still matches me VERY well, and I can hardly tell the difference, even in direct sunlight. It's the second best match I've found in drugstore and high end foundations, and places second only after NARS. The end result of the Neutrogena reminds me of a dewy but NON-SHIMMER version of Revlon's PhotoReady foundation, which I loved minus the shimmer. The only problem I have with this foundation is that it does not have a very wide range of colors for darker skintones.

Verdict:

This is hands down the best drugstore foundation I've ever tried. Closest thing to an HG I've found, but I'm still convinced that I will ALWAYS be on a search for a HG that just doesn't exist. lol. I completely understand the hype over the Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup. While the NARS and Neutrogena may have slight differences in texture and finish, the overall product is quite comparable. I wouldn't say it is an EXACT dupe, but it is still a really really really good foundation. I will gladly repurchase, and will probably replace my NARS with this since I actually prefer the finish of the Neutrogena. Plus, it's much friendlier on my wallet and also contains SPF!

Let me know what you guys think of this foundation if you happen to try it!

Don't buy your puppy from a pet store or backyard breeder!

Soiled, pest-covered surroundings and maggots crawling under the skin and feeding on dry tissue and confinement to cramped cages and the feeling of feet struggling to balance on wires but never touching solid ground: these are everyday realities for newborns and breeding mothers in puppy mills. Or at least, a reality until they are auctioned to puppy brokers, shipped out, and put out on display to unsuspecting pet store window passersby going gaga over the perfectly poised and pretty puppies. In my opinion, it is truly baffling how anyone could justify putting a living creature through such misery and degradation in exchange for a few hundred bucks.

People love puppies. In fact, there will always be a huge demand for these fuzzy little creatures. Their soft fur, affection, irresistibly expressive round eyes, undying loyalty are just some of the reasons why they make great companions. When I think of a cookie cutter family, the first thought that runs through my head is a perfectly-molded household that consists of the following: mother, father, son, daughter, and of course, a cute little puppy. Fast-forward a year from the day they innocently took home that cute little puppy from the pet store, and they’ll find a new surprise; genetic and emotional problems overwhelm the puppy as it grows ill and eventually passes away. A sad, but true, reality in many pet store and backyard breeder purchases.

I assume that most pet store customers have no idea what sort of an environment the puppies were raised in prior to being shipped out to the store. It’s a simple thought to disregard when you’re busy watching a teacup terrier melt you with its glowing stare and button nose . But most people are ingenuous to the fact that a considerable amount of these puppies have previously lived in horrendous conditions, and these animals are at great risk of disease and congenital defects.

Puppy mills and backyard breeders thrive on profit. They are negligent, ruthless, and inhumane. Consequently, this means that the animals are the ones who suffer while lacking proper nutrition and exercise and hygiene and social contact . Fleas, maggots, and other pests eat away at the puppies’ malnourished bodies. Dogs painfully sit in the summer heat, their exposed bodies cooking on wired cages. Their vocal cords are ruptured with metal poles. Their bodies are covered in their own feces. Their lives are taken away by greed, left aside to rot and decay among countless skeletons. Some manage to survive; many don’t.

Although puppies are exposed to such an abhorrent environment, adult breeding mothers have it worse; these adults—many living only to five years of age—are alive solely to breed. Many mother breeders suffer from hernias with their internal organs fallen down, but they are still forced to reproduce during each heat cycle. Their bodies, decrepit and too weak to reproduce, are killed, smashed, tossed to the side along with all the other unprofitable animals. The commercial dog industry not only fills me with disgust but also makes me wonder how so many people can lack basic moral responsibility and ethical behavior.

These puppies are without freedom, without love, without a voice, without a chance of a future if we do not raise awareness and assume the responsibility to take action against this vile industry. With the overwhelming population of loving animals in shelters, it should be a no-brainer to adopt a pet instead of purchasing one that may support the disgusting ambitions of backyard breeders, puppy brokers, and puppy mills. It is truly a shame that breeders are able to evade the consequences of abusive animal practices. Although the USDA tries to enforce rules and regulations on commercial breeding , thousands of puppy mills are both overlooked and located in remote regions of the country. If you would consider adopting a pet rather than purchasing one from an unknown or disreputable breeder, this decision would spare one puppy’s life, and take away one wrongful breeder’s gain.

I know this is such a random post for a beauty blog, but commercial pet breeding is an issue I take a strong stance on, and I hope this has informed you guys of something you may or may not have already heard about. You'd be surprised by how many pet stores buy from disreputable sources and either work their way around customer questions or blatantly lie to them. Be especially cautious of those puppy stores in the mall. Same thing goes for backyard breeders, who are even more difficult to spot since many of them think of themselves as hobby breeders. Many of these people do not understand that backyard breeding is a problem. In fact, they may be a friend, neighbor, or maybe even you. Backyard breeders actually happen to be the number one cause of pet-overpopulation in the U.S. and account for 2/3 of pets. Ask questions and be informed. Better yet: adopt.