Baseball Hats: Most Understated Statement Piece

Hello fellow interweb friends!

At first, I was not a baseball hat person whatsoever, but lately, in the past few months, I have fallen in love with them! I don't know what it is, but I think baseball hats is the most underrated accessorizing piece. For some reason, baseball hats are just something you can wear with almost everything, make yourself feel comfortable, and it is cute!

With spring and summer coming around the corner, there will be a whole lot of sunshine, and we are going to need some sun protection, besides the funky smelling sunscreen. Baseball hats are definitely a good form of sun protection and it also shades your eyes too, so it is definitely a very practical, win-win piece of clothing. Not only is it good for protecting yourself against the sun, it is also good for protecting yourself from judging eyes on those days where you didn't feel like putting your face on or may not be feeling your best. 

With baseball hats, it comes in all kinds of colors, so you can pretty much have something for every outfit, but I think the best ones are navy colored hats. Navy goes with everything, from neutral to bright colored outfits, and it is definitely a classic piece to have. If it wasn't a classic piece, then I'm sure Ralph Lauren wouldn't be coming out with a new navy hat each season with just a different color embroidery on it! Besides, what guy wouldn't think a girl in a baseball hat is awesome! It means she can stay class but still get down and dirty with the boys when spring break is here!

Until next time,
Uyen

Battle of the Lip Balms: Malin+Goetz vs. Kiehl's

Hello fellow interweb friends!

As you all may already know, I am quite the lip product freak, especially when it comes to lip balm. If you don't remember, you can check out my previous posts about what I keep in my bag and you will understand the plethora of lip products that I carry around on a daily basis. Anyways, I thought I'd share with you something new that I've tried recently and that is the Kiehl's #1 Lip Balm in Vanilla and the Malin & Goetz Mojito Lip Balm. Both of these have the same consistency and texture, same kind of packaging, and are priced around the same range, making them very comparable, in my opinion. 

The Kiehl's #1 Lip Balm is usually around $9 and the Malin & Goetz one is around $12. They are definitely along the more luxurious of the lip balms since they are over $4, but their results are definitely worth the price tag. Between two though, I do think the formulation and consistency of the Malin & Goetz one is better. Both have that oil, jelly consistency, but the Malin & Goetz one definitely feels a lot smoother and less oily on the lips. When I apply the Kiehl's one, I feel like I have oil dripping from my lips, and that is definitely not cute and does not feel fun either. The only bad thing is that the Malin & Goetz one is not as available as the Kiehl's lip balm, but that's only because Malin & Goetz is mainly east coast based. It is definitely worth ordering online if you really want to try it. 

Now you're probably wondering why you should even spend more than $4 on a lip balm. Trust me, the same question's been through my head and my answer was, I don't feel like I constantly have to reapply! Even though it is more expensive, these lip balms do last longer. Sometimes, with the cheaper lip balms, I notice that it constantly makes me feel like I need to reapply because of that drying feeling it gives once it settles. These ones, yes they are double or even triple the price, but I don't feel like I'm wasting product whenever I put some on my lips!

I was lucky enough to get the Malin & Goetz one free in my Ipsy bag last month, but I am definitely open to ordering another tube for future use once I do run out. 

Until next time,

Uyen

Q&A a Day #2: Lesson Learned

Hello fellow interweb friends!

For this Q&A-a-Day post, being that it's right after Tet/Lunar's New Year/Chinese New Year (whatever you may call it), I wanted to share something that is a bit more self-reflecting. It will be a combination of two questions since I did miss a question last week. 

The first question is: 

"What makes 'you' you?"

My response to that, word for word, is my out-going and very trusting personality, with a touch of vibrant language and clothing choices. Of course I had to add the last bit in there because if you can't tell, I love anything vibrant and alive. As for the first part, with a bit more seriousness, I do believe I have a very trusting personality, too trusting to a fault. My policy for myself is that everyone deserves to be trusted, unless proven otherwise. No one should be questioned by their first impression since it is just not fair to them.

With that said, it brings me to the next question,

"On a scale of one to ten, how sad are you? Why?"

To this, I responded I'm about a 6.5, with 10 being the saddest that I can be. It has been a while since I've felt so betrayed and taken advantage of. Based on the last question, I gave my trust to a friend, who ended up taken advantage of that and ultimately really hurt my feelings. I won't say that it's just this person's fault since it is also partially mine for not question them one bit. However, it makes me sad that someone I trust can just pull the rug right under me like that. With that said, I definitely have a tougher guard against people now, which, to me, is unfortunate because I believe we should give people the benefit of the doubt and give them some trust.

Moral of the story is, I have learned my lesson and know that I will definitely not trust people as easily as I used to. That may be hard for me to get used to since I can be way too optimistic and may not be able to keep  my trust-o-meter in check. Hopefully, my trust won't be taken advantage of again and maybe my trust in humanity may be proven right again one day, but for now, I can honestly say I will be a bit more hesitant when it comes to giving out my trust, even if the person may seem like the most up-right person I'll ever meet.

Until next time,

Uyen

There Are No Rules!

Hello fellow interweb friends!

I don't know about you, but I think there are so many rules and policies when it comes to what we can and cannot wear, whether it be color combinations or certain colors at certain times of year. That, to me, is a bunch of donkey poo! I'm a huge advocate of wearing colors, for whatever time of year and in as many combinations as you want! 

True, there are certain occasions that are a little bit more restricted like a job interview where you want to look professional or any formal events where there's a prescribe set of attire, but it does not mean you can't add your personal touch to the outfit. It is important to maintain your touch of style, whether it be a statement necklace or a bright colored piece of clothing. For me, I'm always dressed very colorfully, sometimes to the point where my friends question what goes through my mind when I look at my closet, but to me, that's ok since it is my personal sense of style. My closet isn't filled with extravagant and intricate pieces, it is a lot of simple but colorful ones, so when I pair some of the things together, I don't think it looks totally and completely blinding, and that is why I love dressing the way I do. Even when I go to interviews, I may be dressed in neutral colors, but I'm not scared to wear a colorful bag or a statement necklace, just so I don't look so bland! There are so many restrictions when it comes to dressing professionally and for formal events that it makes it slightly boring to get all dressed up! 

Kate Spade

Another very confusing rule that I can never understand is the idea that we can't wear white after Labor Day...?!?!? I never understood why or how or where that rule came from, but I think it is slightly ridiculous, especially since Labor Day is still close enough in the summer when it is still hot out and white is a perfect color to wear to repel heat. I'm not sure if it is a certain shade of white or what, but still, I know for myself, I still wear white after Labor Day and it's not like I'm committing some sort of misdemeanor! It may be a bit extreme to say we can't wear a specific color after a certain holiday, especially if it's white since a lot of colors are white! That's like saying kids can't wear their white colored polo uniform shirts to school. 

For me, I believe you should wear whatever is fitting of your style and the occasion and don't be too restricted by all these rules and regulations set up by those fashion magazines or TV shows because frankly, it's your closet, so have fun and go to town with your clothes! The only thing I have to say though is like what I said in my post about accessorizing, just don't overdo it to the point where it looks like your closet vomited on you because at that point, it just looks like you're a hot mess and it ain't cute!

That's all for now and until next time,

Uyen

Monogram Mania

Hello fellow interweb friends!

How are ya'll doing on this beautiful Monday?! I am definitely procrastinating and writing this instead of reading my book for class, but it is ok! I think it is very important to get this post done today since it is Monogram Monday! If you can't tell, I have quite the obsession with monograms. If it was up to me, I'd probably monogram everything in my sight just because I think it makes everything look that much better, giving it a little bit of sass and class. 

For me, monograms are almost like pearls. They are just a classic piece in your jewelry box that can class up any outfit but can still be worn casually. Here are just a few that I have and that I am totally and completely utterly in love with!

These two are off of Etsy from Vitabravo1's shop. I got an amazing deal on these two!

 These two monograms are perfect for everyday use, class up an outfit or casual it a little bit. The tortoise shell color with the gold chain makes it very versatile since you can use it with a dress or just jeans and a t-shirt. The bubble gum pink one is definitely a lot more casual than the other one, but it is super cute and sassy for those summer spring days that are coming up. Unless you are like me and living in Souther California where winter is just pretty much summer, the pink one can be used at any time! 

The bag is from Marley Lilly, unfortunately, it is no longer available on the site, but there are still a lot of other things that you can get on there!

Monogram from Baublebar, 16' chain, large pendant in gold. 

 This monogram, unlike the two that I got from Etsy is a lot better in quality, however, it is also a lot more expensive. I got it off of Baublebar, a jewelry shop based in New York that does an amazing job with all their pieces! They have a variety of jewelry designs that are very high in quality, great price range (especially if you get stuff from the Buried Bauble every Mondays and Fridays). The best part about this jewelry shop is that their pieces are very J.Crew inspired, giving it a classic look. The gold monogram that I got is definitely a little bit more formal than the acrylic ones, but I use it both for casual and business attire! In this photo, I paired it with my white Maison Jules pearl-collared button up top just to make sure I look poised, prepared, profession, but still keeping my style. 

Sorry I don't remember the exact Etsy shop that I got the hat from, but I know for sure it is from Etsy!

Now, the last piece that I will share with you is this awesome baseball hat that I got monogrammed! This is my go-to hat when I'm having a lazy day and don't want to fuss with my hair or make-up. I just put this little thing on and go on with my day, without a care in the world!

So pretty much, if ya'll can't tell by now, I love me some monogrammed stuff! It is personal and sassy and just wonderful and I believe everyone should have something monogrammed. It is super versatile and always a classic, well unless when you get married, then you'll have to update your monogram, but there's nothing wrong with that! 

That's all for now, but until next time,

Uyen

Grease Free is the Way to Be

Hello interweb friends!

Let's put it out there, I have super oily skin, so when I'm not careful, my face can turn into a huge grease ball and that ain't cute!

I think I have found a way to keep my face from looking like someone took oil and rubbed it all over. It may be a bit extreme, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do, right? So to prevent my face from running around, I use primers, not one, but two as well as setting sprays and a setting powder. Now, you probably think that sounds like so much crap on my face, but it really isn't because I use very small amounts of it and I also don't use foundation, so there is actually not much going on my face. 

As crazy as it sounds, after I put on my moisturizer, I put on two layers of primers. The first one is Stila Stay-All-Day-Prime-Anti-Shine-Balm. The formula is a gel-like texture and can be used with or without make-up. You can use it as a primer as well as a setting gel to keep your face from getting greasy. For me, I like to use it as the first layer of primer before I apply my face make up. As for my lazy days, I like putting this on my face just to keep it from looking oily because my face gets crazy oils at times, and honestly, it ain't cute looking all shiny and stuff, make-up or no make-up. This product is super compact and perfect to carry around in your bag to do touch-ups whenever you need. It comes on clear, so you don't have to worry about looking like a cake face. 

After the Stila layer, I will put a lit bit of the Benefit's POREfessional just around my nose and t-zone since those are my trouble areas when it comes to grease. Not only does it help with keeping oils at bay, it also helps minimize pores and make my skin a little bit smoother, and since for me, my pores are more noticeable around those areas, I dab a little bit of this on just to make sure I look decent. Now, I only use this when I do a full-faced make up, and usually that means a little bit of concealer and set it with my Bare Minerals loose-powder matte foundation. This primer does have a little bit of tint, so it does help even out your skin tone just a little bit and it smells like melons, so i really like it. My skin must love it too because it hasn't really broken me out or purge my face either. 

And like I mentioned earlier, my make-up routine consists of just covering up my discoloration and what not with a little bit of concealer, so once I've put that one, I seal up my face with the Urban Decay's De-Slick Oil-Control Makeup Setting Spray. I quickly give me face a few sprays, let it dry, and that just seals in everything. I just feel extra secure and ready for the day once I've sealed my face with this, call me crazy lady, but I just gotta do it!

I probably sound like a freak now, but we all have that one skin problem that we want to correct to make sure we look presentable! For me, it is my oily skin. This may seem like I'm using a lot of products that can clog up my pores, which can be bad, but since i don't use a lot of it and I don't wear foundation, everything works out just fine. My skin hasn't reacted too badly to all this and I am able to go all day without having to touch up my make-up and no longer need to powder or dab my face to make sure all the grease is gone!

If any of you guys have the same problem and have any products to recommend, please leave it in the comments below! Like I said, I want to keep all oils at bay, so I love trying new things to fix that very problem.

Until next time,
Uyen

Prioritize When You Accessorize!

Hello fellow interweb friends!

Like all y'all, I love me loads and loads of sparkly and pretty things, and especially for myself, the bigger the better! All that just sounded so convoluted, but I'm really just talking about jewelry and accessories. 

Lately, statement necklaces and jewelry pieces have been my obsession, and knowing me, I love everything to be over the top, big chunky pieces with very distinctive, vibrant colors. However, as much as I want to wear all my jewelry pieces, I think there should definitely be a limit to how much we throw on. As we want to believe more is more, when it comes to statement jewelry, more is not more! To me, the bigger the piece, the chunkier the piece, the more muted other parts of your outfit should be, and that's why I think we should prioritize when we accessorize!

Whenever we pick out an outfit, we want to show off specific pieces, and sometimes, we use our jewelry to accent those pieces. However, when you combine way too many pieces, then it just takes away from the specific piece of clothing or accessory that you want to bring attention to! Not only that, the more you put on, the gaudier you'll look, and that just ain't cute!

Dress: Maison Jules, Necklace: Christmas gift, Watch: Marc by Marc Jacobs, Purse: BP Nordstrom 

For me, I love big chunky extravagant pieces like this necklace. However, I want the focus to be on the necklace, therefore, I paired it with a more muted outfit like a faded chambray dress. It definitely keeps the focus on the necklace, but I still get to look cute and put-together with the entire outfit. 

Shirt & Pants: Maison Jules, Necklace: Baublebar, Belt &  Bracelet: J.Crew, Watch: Marc by Marc Jacobs, Earrings: Forever 21, Shoes: Jessica Simpson 

As for this outfit, I was going to an interview but didn't want the professionalism take away from my sense of style, therefore, I decided to wear this white shirt with pearl detailing on the collar. My focus of this outfit was the shirt's collar since it can be considered an accessory to the outfit as well, so I decided to just pair it with my monogram necklace and very small pave/leather bracelet on my hand along with a simpler leather watch. I tied the whole outfit together with a gold braided belt. There is definitely a lot of gold detail in this outfit, however, it is not a gold overload, I don't feel like a leprechaun because kept it balanced and kept my focus on the shirt. 

In both of these outfits, I had a focus piece that I wanted to bring out. For the first one, I wanted to focus on the extravagantly wonderful necklace and for the second outfit, I wanted to show the details of my shirt. The second definitely had a lot more jewelry and decorating pieces than the first, but it doesn't feel like a gaudy overload, which I think is important. When there is just too much going on, not only will you get tired from wearing all the big pieces for long periods of time, it really hurts other people's eyes too!

So pretty much, whenever I get dressed, in my mind, I pick out a piece of jewelry or clothing item that I want to focus on and then I accessorize or dress around that. I like keeping things simple in what I wear but with a little kick. I'm definitely not afraid to wear big, chunky, gaudy accessories, but I prioritize the pieces I want to wear so that I don't look like some kind of horrifying closet vomited all over me and threw everything ridiculous together.

Now, if you, like myself, enjoy big chunky jewelry pieces that can knock people off their feet, you definitely should check out Baublebar! I'm totally in love and cannot get enough of their stuff! Maybe I'll share with you a little jewelry collection with you guys soon!

Hope you enjoyed!

Until next time,

Uyen