Miami

I got to visit Miami last week because my friend was down there with her family. It was a lot more humid than I had expected (I didn't even know Miami was known for its humidity) but I had a great time and got to work on my tan a little bit (which was kind of silly given that I haven't had a chance to show it off at all here on the east coast!)

Here are some photos from my trip:

Gorgeous South Beach:

Delicious adorable key lime pie from random beachside bar:

Random mannequin with enormous boobs (there's a surprising # of these in Miami!):

Stunning lobby at the Fontainebleau hotel:

Spa at the Fontainebleau - "Lapis" -

My friend and I got "September specials" which were 50 minute massages for $99. I got the Swedish Rubdown and she got the Hot Stone. I was really happy with my experience with my masseuse Parker - I would highly recommend her to anybody interested in checking out the Lapis Spa! She was so professional and the entire experience was lovely. Also, the $99 gets you access to all of the spa amenities (which are gorgeous) and the pool!

Here are some photos poolside at the hotel:

Delectable looking pastries at the Solo coffeeshop in the hotel (I didn't have any because I was trying to be good!):

Cute little jars of honey the spa has out for your tea:

Overall, I really enjoyed my trip to Miami - it has a very different beachy vibe from LA and the water is bluer - I would love to return sometime!

Europe photo dump

I took over 1500 photos in Europe but I am terrible at organizing them, so I just thought I'd share a few of the ones I have on my iPhone!

Not surprisingly, most of them are of FOOD.

My friends who are connoisseurs of Paris told me that I just HAD to try the macarons from Pierre Herme, and they were right! I was not disappointed - they were divine and the fillings were perfectly creamy but full of flavor.

The first stop on our road trip was in Reims, France, where we had delicious garlicky steak with the most AMAAAAZING buttery potatoes. I know I was on vacation but they felt so decadent that I had to give half to my bf ... also partially because he devoured his in 2 seconds and then began to eye mine ...

After which we enjoyed some ENORMOUS profiteroles. They were huge!!! And filled with vanilla ice cream.

Then we made our way over to Germany where I was ecstatic to find limited edition flavors of my absolute favorite chocolate bars. If you've never tried Ritter Sport bars, you must. They are divine. I loved the amarena kirsch - it tasted like cherries and had crunchy bits throughout (I think they were supposed to be the cone?)

At an adorable little cafeteria in Amsterdam, we found this fancy little Diet Coke. It came in a metal can that had been designed by Karl Lagerfeld, so of course I had to get it.

And lastly, I'll leave you with this photo of Amsterdam at night with the moon over one of its many canals. Amsterdam was such a gorgeous picturesque city - I can't wait to return to Europe!

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Latest Skincare Obsession

My skin used to be very oily as a teenager, but as I've gotten older, my skin has gotten a lot drier - to the point where it can feel really tight a lot of times even with a moisturizer. So I went out hunting for a good heavy duty moisturizer, and this L'Occitane Ultra Rich Face Cream has been a godsend.

It sinks in quickly, has a very light scent that doesn't bother me at all, and hasn't caused any problems on my skin. Despite the fact that it's quite heavy, it hasn't caused any acne or any adverse reactions at all! Also, it creates a good base for my makeup - I find that a lot of very emollient moisturizers can "eat through" my foundation after a couple hours, but this doesn't do that at all.

I recently visited Vegas, and I brought this cream along because the desert air can really wreak havoc on my skin. I am happy to say that this cream left not only my skin feeling soft and supple but also worked wonders on my pale Romanian friend who suffers from extremely sensitive skin.

If you have dry skin and have been looking for a soothing rich moisturizer, you should definitely give this a try. I call it "face butter" since I consider it the equivalent of body butter for my face!

New toy

Got this for my upcoming trip to Miami! Should be helpful for blogging.




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Sorry!

I'm sorry I was completely MIA for the entire summer. It was a completely whirlwind few months - I had an amazing internship back home in LA that kept me intensely busy (but also got me a job for post-graduation!) and then my boyfriend whisked me off to Europe for two weeks! We went to Paris, then road-tripped to Luxembourg, after which we drove along the Mosel River in Germany to visit Trier, Koblenz, and Koln - then we took a train into Amsterdam. I am now back to splitting my time between LA and DC, but with a renewed appreciation for life. Despite how exhausting the summer was, it was also wonderful in the sense that it made me realize that I really need to take advantage of every single day because soon I will be a working woman without nearly as much free time.

Once I return to LA with a job post-graduation, I plan on getting an apt by myself - and it will be the first time I've ever gotten to do that! So I have become completely obsessed with interior design - I can't wait to decorate the place to my liking and throw dinner parties (so I've also gotten a renewed interest in the culinary arts.) If you have any recommendations for cooking/interior design/fashion, please drop me a line.

This year is shaping up to be a lot more relaxed and leisurely than the past two years, so I do plan on blogging more. I hope you guys will accompany me on my final adventure into adulthood!

Fell Off the Wagon

My weight's plateaued ... I got so frustrated and splurged yesterday - ate a bunch of junk - ramen, chex mix, and pasta!

Sigh, now I feel like crap AND feel fatter. Getting back on the wagon today ... Gotta eat clean so I can look good for summer!

Sorry for the lack of posts - it's exam season. Just give me 2 weeks and I plan on updating a lot this summer!

Royal Wedding Time!

Congratulations Will and Kate! It was such a beautiful ceremony and Kate's Alexander McQueen dress was stunning! I can see why she has been dieting for the big day - the dress nipped in at the waist and accentuated her figure in such a beautifully feminine way - you know women will be copying this dress forever! I do agree that it is remniscient of Grace Kelly's wedding dress.

Kate's dress:

Grace Kelly:

I thought it was a beautiful classic dress that was very fitting for the occasion. Also, it seems that she really did end up doing her makeup herself. She was apparently so unhappy with her engagement photo makeup that she has been taking lessons from makeup artist Arabella Preston so that she may do her makeup herself for the big day. Those lessons really paid off, because her makeup looked flawless. I want my makeup to look like that for my big day! I loved that it was a little smoky around the eyes - it really brought out her green eyes.

Also, how amazing did the Beckhams look? I love how amazing and appropriate they always look - Victoria is 5 months pregnant but manages to look simply stunning.

Can we bring hats to the states please? I loved watching all the crazy headwear at the ceremony.

I love weddings in general because I think it's simply beautiful to watch a ceremony that demonstrates love and a lifetime commitment to one's soul mate, and this one really lived up to the hype. Also, it's every little girl's dream to become a princess, and it was fascinating to watch Kate really become one!

So once again, congratulations Will and Kate!

Best Feeling in the World

The best feeling in the world is working out, working up a good dripping sweat, then showering, scrubbing down, and moisturizing with BBW Twisted Peppermint lotion.

Usually, I just scrub down with a loofah, but today I used my Philosophy Gingerbread Man scrub and it felt and smelled so divine. LOVE.

The BBW lotion is an addiction of mine - it seriously feels amazing, especially after a workout or on a hot summer day. You feel all relaxed from the workout, and the mint in the lotion leaves you feeling all tingly so that it seems like all the body heat you built up in your workout just melts away. It's a Christmas seasonal product, so I always hoard it whenever it comes out.

It always takes me forever to get my butt motivated enough to get in the gym, but I just force myself to pull on my socks and get myself in -- once I'm in, I get it going! The hardest part is always getting started but I feel so good after, it's worth it!

This is my daily routine and it feels so good that I feel like I'm pampering myself. What do you ladies do to pamper yourselves?

Tresemme Healthy Volume Shampoo Review

I was always intrigued by the Tresemme hair line because they have such cheap prices and I had heard great things about their various products from numerous bloggers. I decided to try it out for myself by getting Tresemme Healthy Volume Shampoo when I was in the market for a new shampoo.

It has a nice light floral scent that isn't too strong or obtrusive and I really like the way it makes my hair feel. It cleans my hair without drying it out (which is a problem I have with some volumizing shampoos) but also doesn't weigh my hair down at all. This is definitely going on my short list for one of my favorite shampoos!

For what it's worth, I have long Asian hair with some layers. I have an oily scalp but my ends can get pretty dry. I generally use cheap shampoos and leave my splurging for conditioners and treatments (since I feel like shampoos generally just get washed down the drain anyway, and I haven't really had AMAZING results from any expensive shampoos.)

If you are on the market for a new volumizing shampoo, I would HIGHLY recommend this.

MAC Quite Cute

My MAC Quite Cute haul arrived yesterday. I got Playing Koi lipstick and Bubble Tea plushglass. They also sent me some adorable pins along with my lip products.

The pic below shows the lipstick - the pic above actually shows a more accurate representation of the color, as it came out a bit orangey in the pic below. It's a very nude pink. I don't really like nude lips on me so I'll probably only wear it on nights out when I'm wearing quite heavy eye makeup.

I also got the Bubble Tea plushglass, and I think the pic above is fairly accurate. I love this lipglass - it tingles when you apply it, and it's a sheer nude. It doesn't wash me out because it's quite sheer and it leaves my lips looking nice and plump. I can see this quickly becoming a staple.

Did you get anything from this collection?

Sephora VIB

Don't forget, ladies, Sephora's chic week begins today!

Get 15% off your entire order with the code VIBCHIC.

As always, you get free shipping on orders $50 and over (that's the price BEFORE the discount).

What will you guys be getting? I haven't quite decided yet...

Acadiana and Barrister's Ball

Last Friday, my school had its Barrister's Ball, which is like law school prom, essentially. My bf flew in from LA for the event, and we went out for a group dinner before the event to a local DC restaurant called Acadiana. Acadiana is well known for its seafood, and I ordered the New Orleans Style Barbecue Shrimp after seeing that it was voted "USA Today Top 25 Dishes 2005."

Before the food came out, they gave us some biscuits with a sweet and sour sauce/butter mix. The biscuits were nothing spectacular - better than KFC but nothing to write home about. The spread was unique but didn't amaze me either.

We went with a big group, so our food took a while to come out, but the shrimp finally arrived:

I was actually quite disappointed with my dish, as the sauce was much too salty and the food just tasted oversauced. They served a small individual-sized loaf of bread with it, and I think you're supposed to use the bread to sop up some of the sauce. The bread was actually delicious on its own - very soft and tasty without being bland, but the sauce was just too salty and ruined the whole dish.

My friend's duck was much better, and my boyfriend's pork was marginally better. Overall, I'd give this restaurant a B. For the price, I think you could do much better in DC.

Acadiana

901 New York Ave., NW

Washington, DC 20001

202-408-8848

For the ball, I wore a one-shouldered navy evening gown from Ralph Lauren with a jeweled accent on the shoulder. I wore nude bejeweled sandals (not pictured) and carried a small clutch. The ball was held at DC's National Historical Society, which was a gorgeous venue.

It ended up getting REALLY crowded by the end of the night, so I didn't stay that long, but it ended up being a fun night overall.

I actually recycled this outfit the next night when my boyfriend and I went out for a fantastic meal at Adour and to watch a ballet at the Kennedy Center. I'll do another post on that night soon!

Shopaholic

The other night, I couldn't sleep and ended up doing a midnight haul on F21's website. Of course I had to get the free shipping so I got a plain white v-neck (which I shockingly don't own yet, and the following items:

I think I'll wear the dress for casual weekend brunches and shopping, and I'm hoping to wear the necklaces dressed down with some tee shirts and shorts for my summer back in LA!

Also, MAC's latest collection, Quite Cute, just launched, and I'm such a sucker for marketing that I *had* to get something from it. Honestly, I don't need ANY more nude lip products but I just ordered Playing Koi lipstick (which is a satin finish described as "creamy white peach pink") and Bubble Tea plushglass (described as a creamy pale nude). I just couldn't say no since my parents own a koi pond and I used to drink bubble tea all the time when I was in high school and college! I think it's so fun that MAC is releasing this adorable Asian-inspired collection. I would have totally bought the eyeshadows in Moshi Moshi! and Azuki Bean if they were sold as separates, but I just can't justify another e/s quad that I'll never use. I obviously don't need them but once again, I would have bought it for the names. hehhehe *shrug*

Here are some pics of the collection:

To be honest, I was also really tempted to get the pink Mineralized blush but I KNOW I don't need another blush, so I resisted (plus the fact that none of the names struck me as adorable enough hehe >_<). I am also interested in the green and lavender nail polishes, but I have not had very good luck with MAC nail polishes so I'm now on the hunt for cheaper dupes. Any recs?

Are you getting anything from the collection? MAC is currently offering a free ship code! Use socute at checkout to get free shipping!

Lush hands

Lately my hands have been so dry because of this crazy dc weather so I've been using a ton of hand cream and cuticle products. Lemony Flutter by Lush is by far my favorite. It keeps my cuticles moisturizer but sinks in so quickly! I find it much more moisturizing than the Burts Bees version and the tub is huge! I also like this much better than oils because oils leave my fingers all shiny. Definitely give this a try next time you're in lush!


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Twitter

I caved! I got a twitter and I've begun to tweet. Please follow me if you're interested in hearing more of my musings and I will follow you back as I am always looking for fellow beauty and fashion fiends~

My username is soosoobean because my Korean name is Soo and that was a nickname one of my friends gave me.

Do you twitter?

Eight Most Worn

I saw this on my friend MuyBella's blog, and I thought it would be fun.

Untitled by PinkCashmere featuring a louis vuitton tote

Abercrombie Fitch vintage top
$41 - abercrombie.com

Frye boot
$218 - cabelas.com

Louis vuitton tote
$775 - louisvuitton.com

Kate Spade pearl earring
$45 - nordstrom.com

Amazon.com: Paul Mitchell Smoothing Super Skinny Serum: Beauty
$7.50 - amazon.com

THE COSMETIC MARKET :: Makeup :: Nails :: OPI Tutti Frutti Tonga
$8.50 - thecosmeticmarket.com

Amazon.com: OPI NLW42 Lincoln Park after Dark: Beauty
$4.95 - amazon.com

1. Hair Product

Paul Mitchell Super Skinny serum - it smells like green apples and makes my hair silkier while cutting down on frizz. I tried the generic version from Sallys and the original is so much better.

2. Lip Product

Lipbalm! It's been really cold lately here on the east coast, so my lips and hands have been getting really chapped. Nivea's dark blue one is one of my favs because it's so moisturizing. I also love Softlips vanilla and Burt's Bees.

3. Earrings

Pearl studs. They're a little big, so they're fun for everyday while being conservative enough for the legal field.

4. Shirt

I'm obsessed with plaid button-downs lately. I love the ones from Abercrombie because they're so soft but I also got a great deal on an adorable pink one at Old Navy for only $12!

5. Nail Polish

I'm currently loving mannequin hand nail polish! My fav for this look is 3-4 coats of OPI Samoan Sand. On the toes, I'm planning on doing Lincoln Park After Dark this weekend. :)

6. Shoes

The Frye boots I posted about previously. :) They're so sturdily constructed and comfy.

7. Perfume

Creed Spring Flower - it smells so gorgeous and feminine and it's unique enough so that not everybody wears it. I used to wear Chanel Coco Mademoiselle all the time but now I find it too heavy and too ubiquitous!

8. Bag

Louis Vuitton Neverfull. It really never gets full no matter how much stuff I pack into it.

I'd love to hear about your 8 favs!