August 2019 - Reviews and Other Stuff

Month: August 2019

Summer Sandal Favorites 2019

August 30, 2019 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Hi there! Summer will be almost over soon and I am definitely not quite over it. It’s still blazing heat, sun, and sweat from where I am. Although, I have a feeling that it’s all going to change soon. Anyway, let’s take a break from beauty talks for now. I’ve been meaning to share with you some of my favorite sandals this Summer. I’m planning to make this post a two-part (hopefully, if the weather permits) especially because I’ve got some lovely footwear to feature. For this post, I’m featuring some of the sandals I’m currently loving this season. I’m hoping that I will get the second part of this post done soon, and it’s all going to be about my favorite espadrilles.

So without further ado, let’s get this review going. Just a little FYI and overview, the following sandals that I’m going to feature are all flats, and they all have a similar minimalist functional style. I’ve collected them since last year and as you will see, they’re mostly either in neutral, black, or white colors, just because they work well in coherence with my wardrobe. For reference, I’m a true size 7 in almost all shoes/brands, my feet tend to be a tad wide on the front part but I usually fit a normal width. I’m also on the short side at 5’3, and my skintone is light-medium, although my legs tend to be lighter than my arms. So, here they are, check out my favorite sandals this season.

Dolce Vita

Found these beautiful minimalist, comfortable, and easy-to-wear sandals/slides when I was wandering inside Saks Off Fifth. They were on sale at the time I bought them and they’re still on sale now.

Chantel Ring-Tab Slides (29.99 USD) – This sandal is so comfy, so easy to wear, and they make my feet look cute. I love that I can slip this on my feet and go about my daily errands like a breeze.

Cain Sandals (29.99 USD) – Didn’t know I would be a big fan of crossover sandals because at first, it looks a little too dated. But, there’s a reason why this style keeps being on-trend. Simply because it does make the feet look slim.

Tory Burch Miller Flip Flop (198 USD) – Ah, Tory, I have skipped your cult-favorite sandal/flip flops for a very long time. But this year, I pulled the trigger on this because even though I’m not much of a flip flop fan anymore, I do see the need for an elegant easy to wear slipper this Summer. This Tory Burch Miller is a beautiful step up to my usual comfy flip flops. I feel like I could go to a Summer business gathering with this.

Givenchy Logo Slide (295 USD) – This fancy-schmancy slide puts a capital C in Comfort. Also, its minimalist and aesthetically pleasing design look very chic and very put together even on days when I go very casual. It simply elevates the look even when you don’t really care about what you’re wearing. You just put this on and you’d feel very relaxed and very carefree. This pair of slides may feel a bit wide at first, but this is perfect for when my feet start to swell from standing or even sitting all day and I had to slide into something really comfortable.

Madewell

This is my first time wearing Madewell sandals and I really don’t know why I haven’t tried them before. I really love their lace-up sandals this year and they work really well with just about any outfit, plus they add drama to the feet.

The Boardwalk Lace-Up Sandal (On sale 35.70 USD) – This Grecian/Gladiator-style sandal makes me feel Iike I wish I was born in the time of Cleopatra or Jesus. (Ha! feelin’ like in the wrong time period, eh?). Yes, this beautiful pair of sandals really does make you feel like you’re traveling back in time but in a very chic way. It’s got the perfect balance of leather laces crisscrossing all over your feet and ankles. It goes well with cropped pants, jeans, mini skirts, and in this photo, with my favorite polka dot Mia skirt from Reformation in petite size.

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The Boardwalk Woven Lace-Up Sandal (Also on sale 35.70 USD) – A bit similar to the sandal above, but this one has a woven front that you can slip on and it has leather lace-ups all over the ankles. If you’re not much into the Grecian footwear style, then this beautiful minimalist pair of sandals might suit your fancy especially because this also goes well with any outfit and it has a bit of a slimming effect on the feet.

Aldo Campodoro Sandals (49.98 – 60 USD) – I’ve been a fan of Aldo shoes for as long as I can remember. I love their affordable shoes and they even get more affordable especially when they’re on sale, and yes, they’re almost always on sale. I got their Campodoro sandals in Gold and Black as a replacement for my old sandals that I’ve worn for years. These sandals have a classic minimal-strap style and they seem to wear very well. I’ve got mine since the beginning of Summer last year and they still look great even at this time.

Hermes Oran Sandals (650 USD) – I have never stopped loving this sandal since the day I first had it. It goes well with almost all of my outfits and it’s very comfortable. The design is unique and minimalist, and the fit gets better with time. The leather tends to mold to the feet and it feels buttery. It also slims the feet and it goes well with cropped/ankle pants and long skirts. Reviewed further here.

That sums up my favorite sandals this Summer and hopefully, I could sneak in my favorite espadrilles this season here on the blog. Cross my fingers, cross my feet, and cross my heart, lol.

Here’s to wishing more sun in this last few days of Summer. Cheers!

Denim and pants shown here are from Gap and/or J.Crew, the Midi Polka Dot skirt is from Reformation, all linked down below.

What are the sandals you’re loving this Summer?

Too Faced Peach Puff Long-Wearing Diffused Matte Lip Color

August 26, 2019 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Hi guys! The Sephora Summer Bonus Event for VIB and Rouge Members is still ongoing, but it’s only until tomorrow August 27th. (Use code SUMMERSAVE instore and online to get 20% OFF for Rouge Members, and 15 % OFF for VIB). Tbh, I haven’t bought much for this sale, but I will be sharing with you the few items I did purchase soon here on the blog. If you’re shopping the current Sephora sale, I do have a new lip product to recommend to you in this post. It’s funny because I didn’t really like this particular lip color at first, but I gave it a second chance and I am now totally in love with it.

The Too Faced Peach Puff Long-Wearing Matte Lip Color (0.07 oz: 19 USD) is the lip color that almost got away. Simply because it felt really drying upon my initial swatch at Sephora. I thought it seemed kind of a fad and it didn’t seem to be very pigmented at all. However, looking back, I think I just didn’t know how to properly use the product at first, and I think I got a very used-up tester when I tried it.

During my last stroll at Sephora, I wanted to give this particular lip color a second chance especially after trying the Nyx Powder Puff Lippie Lip Cream which I reviewed recently HERE. I really wanted to compare this latest Too Faced lip release to the affordable and totally high-quality Nyx Powder Puff. I was still a bit hesitant when I bought three of the Too Faced Peach Puff (I must say that several of the shades seem nice) but I had a really good time swatching them on my arm the second time around so my hesitation definitely almost went away.

The Too Faced Peach Puff Diffused Matte Lip Color is a twist-release pen-type lip color with a smooth puffy applicator. It’s reminiscent of Too Faced’s Melted liquid lipsticks. There is a scent to this lip product, which is a strong peachy scent. It’s very easy to apply on the lips and quite accurate too. The puff feels very plush and the formula feels very cushiony. At first application, it feels very creamy and it sets into a diffused matte look. Also, you can apply this lightly for a more natural look or you can opt for more product and more pigments on the lips.

Each shade is so pigmented that they stain on my arm. It actually took me a while to remove them and still had a stain on my skin the next day. The formula feels very lightweight, super comfortable, and it doesn’t feather or bleed. When comparing to Nyx Powder Puff Lip Cream, this Too Faced Peach Puff feels more mattifying and it sets into a matte formula quite easily than Nyx’s.

Day Drinking– soft rose mauve. The mauve tone looks very natural on me because of my lips’ natural mauve pigment.

Boy Bye – looks like a soft vintage coral rose

Velvet Rope – soft Bordeaux, a true wine-red

In summary, I like this latest Too Faced Peach Puff lip color a lot and I’m glad that I took a second look at it. I highly recommend it especially if you’re into comfortable non-drying matte lip shades. If you don’t mind the strong peachy scent, you will definitely love this one, but if you prefer the non-scented one, then the Nyx Powder Puff might be your thing, and it’s also cheaper. For the high-end one, the Chanel Rouge Allure Liquid Powder (swatched HERE) is also a very very good option for a soft matte blurred look.

The Too Faced Peach Puff Diffused Matte Lip Color is currently available at Sephora

Have you tried this already? What’s your favorite matte lipstick/lip color?

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Favorite Scented Candles 2019 Edit

August 20, 2019 / HOME & GARDEN / 0 comments

Hey peeps. In this post, I’m sharing with you some of my fave candles this year. I didn’t get a chance to collect a lot this time because I’ve been busy traveling and haven’t had the chance to shop around that much. Besides, I still have some of last year’s candles to burn as well. Speaking of last year, check out my fave scented candles 2018 edit HERE.

This year is still not over and I might still find some interesting scented waxes to obsess with. I will update you soon if there’s any more fragrant candle worth looking into, or you could keep checking my posts here or on my Instagram to see if there’s any new candle featured in the background. But right now, these are my current faves.

Ikea Candles

There are two scented block candles that I love from Ikea, the Lugga and the Blomdroft which are both beautifully crafted candles with very affordable price points. At 5.99 USD, you’d get three very pretty large gradient candles that will surely last a long time. I haven’t burned them all completely and I don’t think I’ll ever will because they’re so pretty and they make for such a nice home decor. Their scents are not the strongest and though they tend to fill the room with their unique fragrance during unboxing, their scents do tend to dissipate easily. However, for their price and size, they’re definitely worth the purchase.

Lugga – has a light powdery scent, love the gradient lavender, white, and pink pastel shades.

Blomdroft – has a nice light floral scent.

I also love the Glasig Candle Dish and Skurar Candle Holder from Ikea, both of which are very inexpensive and very versatile to use.

Tocca Capri – Out of all the Tocca scented candles, this is my most favorite because it has a Mediterranean citrus scent that could fill the room pretty easily. The scent lasts a long time even when not lighted and its size is huge. This puts you in a perfect sunset and vine vibe.

Nest Linen – This candle is the perfect definition of clean. It smells like fresh clean laundry that is not overbearing and definitely not boring as well. I like to keep this candle very close to my clothes just because it’s fresh. I also love to give this to my friends as a gift.

Overose Candles

This is my first time trying Overose candles and I have been so curious about them for a long time now. They’ve been popping all over Instagram and I was really intrigued by their unique names and pretty packaging. I mean, who wouldn’t love a pink scented wax inside a sleek matte-pink glass? I know I do. 🙂 I find these candles to be very long-lasting and definitely worth the money. They fill my room with scents even if I don’t light them.

Nympholia – what an interesting name for a fruity scented candle. It smells like an orange blossom with a hint of honey and something more. It’s sweet, calming, different, nostalgic (like those sweets you so desire to eat during your childhood), and definitely interesting.

Anamorphine – this is the scent that I probably had a hard time discerning at first. It’s as complicated and mysterious as its enigmatic name. I know I love it because it’s just so unique. I definitely think it’s somewhat floral with a hint of something earthy and woodsy, perhaps blended with lavender as well because of its relaxing notes. There is also a bit of freshness to it and something very very mysterious. This is the type of scent that definitely defines me. 🙂

Diptyque Tubereuse – As a Diptyque fan, I still can’t get over the scent of Baies, which will forever be one of my most favorite scented candles of all time. But for this coming Fall, I have my eyes set on this Tubereuse/Tuberose Diptyque candle to burn completely. I love its strong tuberose scent that fills my home. It’s somewhat strong but not heady. It’s got a calming effect on me and its scent lingers everywhere around the house.

As with most candles, the first time you light it, don’t forget to let the candle burn long enough to melt the entire surface on top of the candle for two to three hours. Also, regularly trim the wick to 5-6 cm long to avoid smoke and get a longer burn. Never ever leave a burning candle unattended, and keep it out of children’s reach.

These comprise my favorite scented candles this year (so far). I hope to discover more scented candles somewhere during one of my rambles.

Have you had any of these candles before? What candles have you been loving lately?

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