Be My Nude-y Valentine

Nude (adj): a hue of unveiled beauty that illuminates in natural light. 

-VerbalClouds

I find extraordinary beauty in things that are raw and genuine. Nudes don't conceal; they enhance, soften, and have a soft shimmer. Being extremely pale, I used to think that I would look like a zombie-girl before I started discovering my own selection of nude hues. Nudes have various shades from flat beiges to delicate peaches. Being on the cool-toned end of the pale flesh spectrum, my skin naturally blushes when I wear peachy nudes or soft orange pinks.

Soooo if you were scared of nudes till now, I think I just saved your life. If you're pale but cool-toned try something with a touch of peach and soon, you'll find your skin falling in love with nudes (and I'd be the genius match-maker). Of course, here are some of the things my picky hands gravitate toward on a daily basis:

Benefit High Beam
Benefit Cream Shadow - R.S.V.P
Innisfree Gloss - Natural Nude
Etude House Nail Polish
Dior Creme de Rose
The Face Shop - Nude palette

Luv, 

Christy with a Y.

Winter Lips

Can we just stop and stare at my tulips for a second? I never knew they faded into such a perfect orange -ish yellow color at the tips! They remind me of the berry-orange cream popsicles I went crazy over as a child. 

I'm loving the gentle nude and berry hues for a polished and delicate look on a daily basis. Every morning, you'll find me mulling over which lip I want for the day. If I feel particularly bold, I put on the dark raspberry color from Tony Moly and you can do some serious layering on with this if you want an intense look. The Lancome Rouge in Love in 220M is probably my most used casual nude lippy because of its soothing and hydrating texture (NARS- Biscayne Park is more of pamper lip for me). Party Proof in the shade Dusk till Dawn is the perfect hazy don't-care nude with more of a brown base. Really good for complimenting both dark and light skin tones! 

What are your go-to lips colors? 

Kate Somerville Skincare Review

 

Here's the thing. I have NEVER felt more satisfied with my skin since I've met these two skin miracles. There was always something a little lacking in most of the products I've tried so far. If it was hydrating enough, it would cause my skin to break out. If it was oil-free, it would be to drying for my skin. BUT! These two are just the perfect combination of hydration and nourishment that still will maintain balance in my skin. 

The goat milk is literally the queerest skincare product I've ever tried. It's the most nourishing cream that won't irritate my skin whatsoever. The antioxidants in this tub provide an amazing shield of protection on my skin and it feels incredibly luxurious. Now, I will warn you that it gets a bit greasy at first but give it a while and everything sinks into your skin beautifully. That's right, every bit of it. I use this only in my PM skincare routine since I don't have that much time to wait for it to sink in during the mornings (#problemsofacollegestudent). If you are familiar with the Korres Greek Yogurt Cream, it's a similar consistency; creamy and a little bit thick, but melts in.

It has a great sanitary and convenient pump that you just push down on for the product to come out. *Tip: don't push it down too fast because it will squirt everywhere! 

As for the Quench Serum, it comes in two versions: one is regular, and one is oil-free. I have been using the oil-free one. At first I didn't expect much since most oil-free products weren't really hydrating enough for me. I was wrong again! It gave me the perfect supple feeling that helped my skin not feel tight as it normally does after cleansing. It made it feel cushiony (cushiony (def.): bouncy, cushion-like, and charged with happiness) enough that I could top it off with the goat cream (again, only PM). I use this day and night underneath different moisturizers and it has definitely helped my skin regain a good amount of plumpness. Oh, and it comes with a pump too! Yay!

Please continue to prove me wrong with skincare products Kate! 

Ingredients for the Goat Milk Creme: Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Goat Milk, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Emulsifying Wax NF, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Water, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Salix Nigra (Willow) Bark Extract, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Mannan, Melia Azadirachta Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Extract, Tetrasodium EDTA, Citric Acid

Ingredients for the Quench Serum (oil-free): Water, Plumeria Acutifolia Flower Extract, Glycerin, Propanediol, Polyacrylate-13, Polyisobutene, Algae Extract, Carrageenan, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Capryloyl Tetrapeptide-3, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Soy Amino Acids, Yeast Extract, Glutamine Peptide, Glutamic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Chondrus Crispus Extract, Polysorbate 20, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Dextran, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol

Color-Fully Positive

So I have this weird thing about me when it comes to getting ready on a rainy or gloomy day. I gravitate towards more colors the gloomier it is. In other words, I wear my solid whites and blacks on a nice sunny day and then when it rains, I take the rainbow out of my closet. I guess it's a way of tricking my mind into thinking that I'm happy despite the oh-come-on-mother-nature kind of weather.

Now I never, I repeat n-e-v-e-r used to wear any yellows. In fact, I was actually scared of wearing any yellows because I thought it made me look like a lemon head. But long behold this sleeveless velour sweater was the first one to make it into the yellow category in my drawers. I think it was the material that intrigued my anti-yellow senses. I also love the way that it has both a pastel yellow and a bright strong yellow mixed together. The structured shoulders were also pleasing details. 

 I mean, even though it's probably is a mind trick, why not use it to pump in some endorphins into a muggy day? I know that it's been working for me ever since I decided to make up this crazy placebo. 

So why not be the happy one? After all, happiness is contagious. 

Lazy Meets White

Nothing speaks better to a carefree soul than a silky yet sulky Alexander Wang t-shirt. The slight v-neck makes the shirt inseparable from the body as it smoothly blends onto the skin.

I'm not too nosey when it comes to shredded jean shorts. Honestly, I think I prefer cheap, comfortable ones over those that have extra zeros on their over-thought price tags. I'm happy with anything as long as they're high-waisted and shredded with gold or brass details. Cheers to Forever21 for making a pair that I will live in as long as the sun is out.

Lancome Teint Miracle (Buff 2W), Almay liquid eyeliner, Nars Orgasm blush, Maybelline The Falsies mascara, Stila Stay All day waterproof eyebrow pen (light), Urban Decay 24hr glide-on pencil (Midnight Cowboy)

So after fighting off the lazy-osis, I make it to a local market. I spent most of my time in this aisle trying to decide on a salad dressing. I ended up getting Caesar. 

Nothing makes me happier than staring at perfectly round tomatoes. Is that weird?

If there's red wine,

you know there's white.

Welcome to my dinner menu. Some salad and a beef sausage or two, accompanied by Vogue.

Cupcakes In the Air

If I were to explain this cupcake cafe in one phrase, it would be"the perfect place to vibe with cupcakes and chill with your favorite people". This is the sweetest, most intriguing cupcake shop I've ever been in my life. Located in Georgetown, Baked and Wired is a sort of hidden cafe that deserves more attention than it actually gets. You can get everything from cupcakes, vegan cupcakes, biscottis, brownies, and pies. The coffee here? Now that's another story. The dark roast lingers in your mouth as you take a bite of the sweet cupcake and it's the perfect match. Oh, one more thing. You can even write notes on a napkin and stick it on their "napkin wall" and half the fun is coming back and looking for it. So there you have it, a great place to stop by if you're in the area.