Winter Formal 2016 Makeup

Hey guys!

It was an exciting weekend and I attended my school's annual Winter Formal on Saturday. As the Photo Club president, I had great fun taking candids and I also felt really happy seeing fellow schoolmates taking photos in front of our photo booth and posting these pictures on their own social media. However, I also had great fun myself.

I will be showing you some pictures from Winter Formal and my makeup down below.

Squad.

Joy and Annie.

Leo.

Photo Club Officers.

And a sleepover at Nicole's house to celebrate Evette's birthday.

To be honest, what made me really happy, other than the fun I had at Winter Formal and the sleepover that I had, were the compliments I got on my makeup. So, I would like to share my look with you and I will be listing the products that I used. I hope you don't mind the lower-quality photos; I didn't have my camera with me and I could only use my phone.

Face:

Moisturizer: The Body Shop Vitamin E Nourishing Night Cream

Foundation: Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Even Finish Foundation SPF 15 in 2.5 Warm Sand

Concealer: MAC Studio Finish SPF 35 Concealer in NC30, Make Up For Ever Full Cover Waterproof Concealer in 6 Ivory

Face powder: Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in 001 Transparent, MAC Prep+Prime Transparent Finishing Powder

Bronzer: Milani Bronzer XL All Over Glow in 02 Fake Tan

Blush: Benefit Coralista

Highlight: theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer

Setting spray: MAC Prep and Prime Fix Plus

Eyes:

Eyeshadow: Maybelline Eye Studio 24HR Color Tattoo Eyeshadow in 60 Silver Strike, LORAC PRO Eyeshadow Palette, MAC Fluidline Gel Eyeliner in Blacktrack

Eyeliner: Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in Intense Black

Eyelash Curler: Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler

Mascara: Heroine Make Long & Curl Mascara (Pink packaging, but might have been reformulated since I don't see it on their website anymore)

Brows:

Maybelline Eye Studio Slim Precise Eyebrow (Can't find it on the Internet, might have been sold only in Shanghai)

Milani Brow Shaping Clear Wax Pencil in 01 Clear

Lips:

Wet n Wild MegaLast Lip Color in 908C Sugar Plum Fairy

Obviously, you do not have to own everything that I listed above. I noticed that most of the products that I used were high-end but that's just because I don't really use that many high-end products on a daily basis. Furthermore, since it's an annual and special event, I know high-end makeup would not disappoint me. I do, however, would like to give my Milani Bronzer XL a huge shoutout because everyone who complimented my makeup specifically mentioned how good my contour looked. I'm also kind of sad that the Heroine Make Long & Curl Mascara might have been reformulated because it's my HOLY GRAIL mascara, which you can take a look here.

I hope you found this post useful. Thank you so much for reading! :)

Review: Not Your Mother's Clean Freak Refreshing Dry Shampoo

Hi guys!

Today I will be reviewing the Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak Refreshing Dry Shampoo. This dry shampoo is really popular and I bought two bottles last summer. Now that I’ve finished an entire bottle, I have a good idea of how I like it.

Firstly, this dry shampoo is sooo inexpensive. It is only around $5 and you get a lot of product. Like I said, mine lasted me a year (even though I don’t use it every alternate day, but still fairly regularly) so I really have no complaints about the price. The packaging is also simple but striking and you can identify it on the shelves rather easily.

There is no significant smell to the dry shampoo other than a fresh scent, which I like since it makes me seem like I just got out of the shower.

I will now be talking about how I use this product. The NYM Clean Freak Dry Shampoo sprays out to a white powdery form. Since I have dark hair, it won’t look flattering if I just spray it onto my scalp and leave it there. Furthermore, if I just leave the product there, it tends to become flaky and it looks like I have dandruff, so that’s a no. I like to spray it at a good distance such that it does not come off too intense on my scalp but the product is noticeable on my scalp. Next, I like to rub the product on my scalp, allowing it to fade into my scalp. After I have done so, the dry shampoo is not noticeable anymore.

The NYM Clean Freak Dry Shampoo removes the greasy feel from my scalp very well and it feels matte to the touch. Also, I feel like it adds a little volume to my hair. I wash my hair every alternate day and I always like my second day hair after using the dry shampoo.

Overall, I think this is a very nice product that is helpful when you do not have time to wash your hair for whatever reasons. For me, I am looking forward to trying out dry shampoos for dark hair (I assume they are colored instead of powdery white) just because I like trying out different types of products. If you have not tried the Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak Dry Shampoo yet, I really recommend it! There are definitely more expensive dry shampoos that may be even better but I really think that this drugstore dry shampoo performs extremely well and it’s worth it.

I hope this short review is useful. Thank you for reading :)

Hello 2016

Hey guys!

Happy New Year :D

I know this may be a little late since it's already a few days into 2016, but I'd still like to wish all my readers a Happy New Year. 

2015 was a rather eventful year for me. Of course, there will always be ups and downs. I'll first like to share the more significant "good things" and also "the not so good things" that happened to me in 2015. 

The not so good:

• Basketball did not go particularly well.
• Lost a friend who I thought was different. 
• Was blocked by security guards when I tried to get a photo with Jeremy Lin and his autograph. 

The good:

• Made a pass to Jeremy Lin, stood beside him (it was during his game so I couldn't actually talk to him), and he made eye contact with me twice.
• Senior year and college applications went pretty smoothly.
• Had an eventful internship during the summer.
• Visited Hawaii.
• Got to swim in the infinity pool in Singapore.
• Met some old friends.
• Went to Taylor Swift's 1989 concert. 

These are just some highlights from my life last year and there are a lot of other good things and not so good things that I won't be able to list here. 

Obviously, with a new year, I have some New Year's Resolutions. 

1. Exercise more:

I think it's very important to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I don't aim to be as fast as Usain Bolt or anything, but I just want to exercise more regularly. I know that I will be busy at college, but I would like to make sure that I don't get Freshman 15.

2. Make new friends, but keep certain old ones close:

After a recent fallout with a "best friend" back home, I was again made aware of how friendship is a two-way relationship and how difficult it is to find a true friend. I hope that as I enter college in 2016, I would find a small group of friends I can always depend on and trust one another wholeheartedly. However, that doesn't mean that I will forget my dearest and closest friends in Shanghai American School. I've made great memories with them and I look forward to making even more memories in 2016 with them and even after we graduate. 

3. Spend more time with my family:

Since I was really busy with school this year, I would like to spend more time with my family. I will also set a day and time to Skype my family after I have gone to college. 

4. Try something new:

2016 is the year I graduate from high school and enter a new phrase in my life - college. I want to take different classes to learn about things I have never thought about before and I also want to take part in new activities. From taking up a new sport or joining a new club, I think being more adventurous will help me develop new interests and meet new people. 

5. Read more:

Last year was really such a busy year for me that I couldn't spend as much time as I would like with books. This year, I'm determined that I would spend more time with books. I think reading is very therapeutic at times and reading just lets me gain a new perspective. 

So those my New Year's Resolutions! I'm leaving the negative in 2015 behind, and I'm really looking forward to 2016. Once again, I always believe that one has to put in some sort of effort to make great memories in a new year. Sitting around won't help, but doing something will.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post! Once again, to all my readers, thank you for reading my blog and I truly appreciate your support :)