shea butter soap

This soap packaging is so pretty...and with scents such as bourbon & vanilla, tea & tobacco, and sweet pea & clover, I have to say I'm intrigued. The "Bonjour Monsieur" above is a "combination of roasted tea leaves, tobacco, cedarwood & Sicilian lemon." 

Sounds refreshing right?

jacho lip balm

My lips are notoriously dry during Texas summers...and with average temps getting to 105 degrees this week, can you blame them?? The only thing I've found that keeps them moist and hydrated (and believe me when I say I've tried them all) is this lip balm by Morning Calm. It's sort of magical, I'm telling you...not to mention it heals chapped lips like no other. I kind of go a little crazy whenever I leave home without it... 

two for tuesday

Branching out from just food photos...

one: peonies are now in season, huzzah! all girly girls rejoice!
two: my current beauty obsessions - stila convertible color (i think i may be the last person on earth to have discovered this), clinique CC cream, and chloe eau de parfum...seriously just the best.

art nail decals

How fun are these Mark Rothko nail decals? I am a big fan of his paintings and love how he could take any color combination and turn it into something beautiful... 

P.S. Check out these cats!

cat eye

I don't know about you, but I got into the whole "cat eye" game a little late...having never even attempted liquid eyeliner until late in college. I was so bad at it that I gave up for a few years. Off and on, I would try different brands but the combination of my shaky hands + the smudging/smearing (darn my Asian eyelids!) was very discouraging.

But I've finally found one that I can't live without!!! It's by Stila and when they say waterproof, they really mean it. Zero smudging and stays on all day. Plus, it has a marker-style-felt tip that makes it easier to apply for girls like me. I like to use it on most days in place of mascara, since wearing both can be a little too much for me. Now I just have to keep on practicing...

(Photos via here and here)

orange nail polish

Bright orange nails have really caught my eye recently...I may need to get in on this great deal my coworker, Melanie, told me about. $10 for 3 nail polishes, not too bad!

(Photos via here and here)

makeup favorite

My favorite beauty product in the world right now is Benefit's Watt's Up! highlighter...have you tried it? I use it on my cheeks and browbones for a champagne glow...and I've found it's all I really need for my face to look fresh (along with some tinted moisturizer of course).

I'm also a little obsessed with Burt's Bees tinted lip balm, that I got as a stocking stuffer from Kyle's parents...was never really a fan of Burt's but this one just glides on so smooth! And just the right amount of color too:)

two things

Lately, I haven't been able to leave the house without wearing these two things: 1) bright red-orangey lipstick 2) my turquoise patina bracelet.

hand in hand

Pretty packaged soap for a great cause - for every bar of soap you buy, another will be donated to a child in need. Made of grapefruit, orange blossom and eucalyptus...I bet it smells delightful too.

(Via Oh Joy!)

argan oil

My current beauty product obsession is Josie Maran's Argan oil. Have you tried it? I use it in place of eye cream and it does wonders for me, wrinkles be gone! It's also 100% organic, super fast absorbing and is supposed to heal and condition everything from cuticles to split ends. I'm thinking of trying the sunblock next...

Also pictured: Clinique's Moisture Surge moisturizer, my favorite perfume of all time and a Hello Kitty perfume sample that I got from Sephora...which smells surprisingly yummy.

handmade soap

Such pretty handmade soaps from South Korea...I'd love to try the French White Clay, Sweet Tangerine and Bamboo Charcoal bars.