Happy Memorial Day!

A little late...but Happy Memorial Day! A big thank you goes out to all the servicemen and women, past and present, for everything they've done. With Memorial Day also comes a three day weekend and the unofficial kickoff to summer! Hope everyone had a great few days, the weather was amazing here!

I spent my day at the beach, which was packed. Seems like the rest of New York was there too. But the weather was perfect and I even got a nice, little tan.

Also...great (unrealted) news, I passed 100 followers this weekend! Thanks for everyone who has read and supported my blog these past couple years. I realllly appreciate it and there will be a lot more from me coming your way!

Lastly, thanks to everyone who entered my Missiko Flat Iron giveaway. It will take me a little while to organize all the entries but I will try to have a winner picked and notified ASAP.

Now, back to work and school for us all tomorrow..boo. Have a great week everyone!

Review: NYX Rouge Cream Blush in Natural

If I had to choose between powder, cream, or gel blush, I would probably pick cream. I think it gives the most natural glow and color to your cheeks. With that said, I still use powder blush most of the time since I think its the easiest- just put some of your brush and apply it to your cheeks and you're good to go. With cream, there's a little more blending involved...not ideal for days when I only have a couple minutes to spare to put on makeup. I still really love the effect of it so I decided to pick up this cream blush by NYX in the color 02 Natural (fyi, NYX products are really great if you haven't tried them..and affordable too!). I purchased this online so I wasn't really sure about the color...I wanted something rosy, natural, and simple and this looked like it fit the bill. Some reviewers liken it to MAC's Lady Blush- I haven't tried that one yet so can't confirm. When I received it, I was really happy with the color. It's a gorgeous soft baby pink that gives a nice, dewy, everday glow to your cheeks. The texture is really, really creamy which makes it easy to apply too much so you have to be careful when you first use it- the first time I used it, my cheek looked ridiculous. I used a stippling brush to apply it, which I thought worked really well. You could also just use your fingers and blend it out. Here is a swatch and the ingredients list on the back:

(+) Pros:

• Beautiful color!
• Cheap- about $6
• Natural looking finish
• Creamy so it can be used on lips too
  

(-) Cons:

• Might be a bit too creamy- easy to apply too much

Overall, I really like this product...might just go back to cream blushes for a bit. What do you guys think about cream blushes?

40 Beauty Questions!

Recently, one of my favorite Makeup Gurus on youtube, Meganheartsmakeup, did the "40 Beauty Questions" tag. I actually learned a few things and it seemed like a lot of fun. It's a tag that I can do on my blog...so here it is!

SKINCARE
-How many times do you wash your face daily? Twice, morning and night
-What skin type do you have? (dry,oily,combo) Dry
-What is your current facial wash? St. Ives Green Tea Cleanser
-Do you exfoliate? Yes, about 2 times a week

-What brand do you use? St. Ives Apricot Scrub…a bit harsh for some but I love it
-What moisturizer do you use? LUSH Celestial
-Do you have freckles? Nope
-Do you use eye cream? No, but I should
-Do you or did you have acne prone skin? Nope
-Did you ever have to use Pro-activ? No

MAKE-UP
-What foundation do you use? Youngblood Mineral Foundation
-How about concealer? ELF
-Do you know your undertone color? Yellow
-What do you think of fake eyelashes? Great for dramatic effect
-Did you know that you are suppose to change your mascara every 3 months? Yes I do but I always have a hard time throwing out my makeup
-What brand of mascara do you use? Maybelline
-Sephora or MAC? Sephora
-Do you have a MAC Pro-card? No
-What makeup tools do you use in make up application? Brushes, sponges, my fingers?
-Do you use make-up base/primer for the eyes? Yes
-For the face? Sometimes
-What is your favorite eyeshadow (color or shade)? MAC Satin Taupe (or anything similar)
-Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner? Cream
-How often do you poke your eyes with an eyeliner pencil? Not often since I rarely use pencil
-What do you think of pigment eyeshadows? Great color but messy
-Do you use mineral makeup? Yes, love mineral makeup
-What is your favorite lipstick? Covergirl TruShine in 465 (not sure if this is still sold)
-How about lipgloss? Not big on lip gloss..prefer to use Rosebud Salve is I want a glossier look
-What is your favorite blush to use? MAC Blush in Gentle
-Do you buy your makeup on ebay? I have…wouldn’t really recommend it but do your research and you should be fine.
-Do you like drugstore makeup? Yes, they have some great, inexpensive makeup
-Do you go to CCO's? (cosmetic company outlets) I have but not frequently since I don’t live too close to one
-Did you ever consider taking make-up classes? Nope, but those sound like fun.
-Are you clumsy in putting on makeup? In the beginning, very. But now, I’ve gotten better…sorta…lol.
-Name a makeup crime that you hate? Too much, keep it simple!
-Do you like colorful shades of makeup (lipstick,eyeshadow) or neutral ones? Neutral ones, I’m a plain jane.
-Which celebrity always has great make up? Angelina Jolie, Scarlett Johansson, etc.
-If you could leave the house using just ONE make up item,what would you use? Blush
-Could you ever leave the house without any makeup on? Yes
-Do you think you look good even without any makeup on? Yes, but not as good?
-In your opinion, what is the BEST makeup line? Benefit
-What do you think of Makeup? Can work wonders…(in moderation)

I tag you all! Let me know if you do it...I would love to see what your answers are!

Love & Beauty Nail Polish + Ramble

A few posts back, I blogged about the new hot trend this season...mint nail polish. While I was waiting in line at Forever 21 and bored, I was browsing through the piles of cosmetics from their new "Love & Beauty" line near the registers and spotted this shade...appropriately named Mint. At $2.80, I had to give it test. Turns out I really like it! I loveeeee the color and the quality is pretty good too...might be heading back to F21 for more.

Just an update on my life...I'm back in the city and done with college! Yippeee! I'm really excited for the summer and the start of this next chapter in my life. I definitely have more free time now to blog so hopefully, you guys will be reading more of me in the near future. Let me know if you have any posts you want to see. Don't forget the Missiko giveaway...another 1+ week left. I also have a couple other giveaways lined up for the summer so look out for those. Hope everyone's having a great weekend and enjoying the amazzzzing weather!

Mmmmm....fresh spicy tuna kimbap....I love summer in the city!
Until next time...Little Miss Savvy

Review: Wet n Wild Coloricon Palettes

If you've been browsing through the makeup offerings at your local drugstore lately, you've probably come across these: Coloricon by Wet n Wild. These particular palettes come with 6 shadows (3 matte and 3 shimmer each). I believe I also saw singles and doubles eyeshadow palettes available in this collection as well. I found these palettes at Rite Aid for $4.99 each. But luckily, I got them for buy one, get one free. This week, Rite Aid is having a BOGO on all Wet n Wild products, as long as you have their new Wellness+ membership card, which is free and takes about 30 seconds to sign up for. These two palettes attracted me the most...I saw another palette (not sure of the name) that had mostly neutral browns..which normally I would jump at but after looking at my makeup collection lately, I felt that I needed to venture out of my normal color zone a bit. So the two palettes that I pick up were 248 Lust and 246 Greed. Here's are some more up-close pictures and swatches:

248 Lust

246 Greed

As you can tell, I really liked the color payoff of "Lust" way better. The lighter colors from "Greed" barely showed up on my skin at all, though the black and shimmery gray weren't too shabby. With a bit of primer, these shadows could be great. For $4.99 a piece, they're definitely worth it for those who are just starting to use makeup, want to build up their collection, or just want to play around with some colors. I have yet to really test them so more updates to come on their lasting power. I will be doing some looks with these in the future, so look out for them. Let me know if you've tried these palettes and whether you like them or not!

P.S. Don't forget to enter my Missiko Hana Flat Iron Giveaway!

Havaianas @ Gilt Groupe!

Hey guys! I was just browsing through Gilt Groupe and found that they have a Havaianas sale going on right now!! Just in time for summer. For those of you who don't know what those are, they are basically really comfortable flip flops. I hear its like walking on clouds. While I really love my Old Navy ones, I've been dying to try these out and grabbed myself a couple pairs. They are as cheap as 2 for $18, which is about 50% off retail. Check them out, if you need an invite to Gilt, link is on the side bar. Sale ends 5/17 at midnight. Happy shopping!

Review: Misikko Hana Flat Iron + Giveaway!

I recently received this Hana Professional 1" Flat Iron from Misikko.com. I usually try to flat iron my hair if I have time or want my hair to look presentable for some reason. If I'm off to class or grocery shopping, I would probably skip that step since my hair is fairly straight to begin with. I just like that extra smooth look. I had been in the market for a new flat iron so I was really excited to test this out. Their claim to fame is that they have the "Best Flat Iron" with their Hana 1". First off, props to Misikko for this adorable packaging- I am a big sucker for cute packaging and they definitely got to me with the bows and plastic roses. Their shipping was very speedy- received it in about a week. My package came with the following items: 1" Flat Iron, Heat Mat, Tin Case, Leather (ish) Storage case, Storage pouch, Shine Shield, and complimentary hand sanitizer and emery boards (standard when you order this flat iron). I got the pink iron which I really loved (yes, i'm kind of a girly girl). While my review may not have a whole lot of merit since I have generally straight Asian hair to begin with, I was pleasantly surprised with this iron. I had never really invested money in a good iron (never spent more than $40 on one), so I could really see the difference between a cheap one and a professional one. It didn't seem to "fry" my hair as much and gave my hair a smooth, shiny look afterwards. Here are some more descriptions from Misikko.com:

• Advanced Tourmaline Ceramic Plates for Accelerated Ion Generation and Maximum Frizz-Free, Conditioning Shine
• Ceramic is naturally hygienic, protects color & retards fading
• Floating 1” Plates Auto-Adjust To Glide Over Any Hair Texture
• Curved Plate Edges For Versatile Styling - Curl, Flip or Straighten!
• Adjustable Temperature Dial - 5 Settings from 140-450° F for All Hair Types
• Flash Heats in Seconds with Instant Compensation for Heat Loss
• Ergonomic Handle Design with No-Slip Grip
• Smooth Grooves Keep Hair Strands Separate and Snag-Free
• Tangle-Free Salon Quality Cord Swivels 360°; Convenient Hanging Loop
• Energy Efficient at 38 Watts
• Independent On/Off Switch
• Made in Korea
• Two Year Warranty

As, you can see, the iron is made in Korean, home of all awesome flat irons, I hear? The flat iron is currently sold for $118 online with free shipping, and includes everything you see in the box above (including the shine shield, which I haven't tested yet but will in another post). Yes, this is a hefty sum. It is a professional flat iron so you get you the quality you pay for. If you're looking for a quality flat iron that you will put in good use and willing to invest in a nice one, this is a great option. If you're just looking for one to play around with from time to time, you can probably just purchase one at Target. If you're interested, Misikko also sells CHI Flat Irons, FHI Flat Irons, and Professional Hair Dryers (sorry, no reviews on those). Also, here are some before and after pics of my hair after using the flat iron if you're interested:

Now, on to the fun part, Misikko has graciously offered to give away the Hana 1" Flat Iron to one of my readers plus all the extra goodies I got as well (basically, everything pictured above minus me). Here's how to enter:

1. Follow my blog (link located in the right sidebar)
   
2. Leave a comment with your name and email address (please make sure you are logged in and use the same email as the one you used to follow this blog). And voila, you're entered!
   
3. For an additional entry, you can do the following: (Please post your name and email in a separate comment)

• Post this on your blog or twitter (Include link in comment)
  
• Follow Misikko on Twitter (www.twitter.com/misikko)
• Join Misikko Newsletter on their website (you will get 3 additional entries for this but you only need to post one additional comment)

Contest will end on May 31st at 12 AM/EST time. US and Canadian entries only please. One winner will be chosen randomly and notified through email. Prize will be shipped directly from Misikko. Please email me if you have any questions. Thanks and good luck everyone!

Note: The product mentioned above was given to me for review and the thoughts reflect my own personal opinions.

Review: Zac Posen for Target

The Zac Posen for Target collection dropped nearly a month ago but I only saw it at my local Target this week. Needless to say, I was very excited to take a look at everything in person. I love it when designers make lower end lines for us money challenged folk (well, most of the time). Here are some snapshots I took of the collection:

These three dresses were probably my favorite from the line. The black sweater dress is probably one of the most wearable pieces from the collection- it has that "bandage" dress feel if you like that kind of look. Hugs to your body, very sexy (though can be a bit sheer). I also really liked the look for the floral dress, very cute and adorable and perfect for spring. I was a bit confused by the zipper on the chest but I guess it adds a little spunk. Didn't fit great on me but I'm sure it does on someone. My favorite one was the "snap tape" blue dress. I love the color of it and the black "snap tape"- gave the dress an edgier look. It was well made and fit great- I'm short and it wasn't too long on me at all.

I also thought this blue "chambray" dress was cute but at the same time nothing really special. It also really didn't fit right on me. One thing I really didn't like was this pink Zebra print dress- I know some people really love the color but just not my thing I guess? I also liked the sleek, shiny look of the tuxedo pants but they were out of my size so I didn't get to try it on.


Overall, I liked the collection but wasn't overly impressed. I would definitely wear some of the things I saw, though the dresses ran from about $30- $80. Not sure if I want to shell out that much for a dress from Target, even if it's by Zac Posen. In the end, I decided not to pick up anything but maybe I'll give it a second thought next time I'm in target. I did really like this 'Zac' tank though. Really cute! Might go back to pick that up.

Did you guys see the Zac Posen for Target? Like anything? Buy anything? Hated it? Let me know!

-Little Miss Savvy

Must Haves: Epistick

Epistick! This product has been much raved about on the web for a while and I just had to throw my 2 cents in. I've been in love with this for some time and have been meaning to write about it, just never got around to it. What is a Epistick you may ask? Also called an epilator sometimes, it removes unwanted hair. This particular one in the picture is used to remove facial hair. It's been all the craze in Japan. You could use it on any part of you face such as your cheek, forehead, chin but I use it above my upper lip...to remove that unwanted "mini-stache". It removes the root of the hair too so the idea is that the hair will grow back less noticeable. All you have to do is bend it by holding one side in each hand and then roll up and down. Let me warn you though...it can be tad bit painful or uncomfortable the first couple times you use it but you will eventually get use to it, just like tweezing. Great thing is that you can find them on eBay for less than $2. It's shipped from overseas so shipping maybe take awhile but well worth it. Here's a video I found on Youtube of the epistick in action (sorry, not sure what they're saying):

P.S. Congrats to Ana... winner for my Spring Cleaning Giveaway!!

Going out of Business Sale @ Martin + Osa

Last month, I posted that American Eagle is closing its Martin + Osa brand. The sales have just begun over at the Martin + Osa website and in stores as well. Right now, you will receive 30% off all purchases. There is no specified expiration date. On their website it says:

" All Sales Final :American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. is closing its Martin + Osa concept, including stores and the online business. Thank you."

I suspect that this is only the first wave of price reductions. There will probably be more sales as they move into full closing down the stores and websites. If there's something you really like, grab it now with the 30%. Otherwise, wait awhile and see what cheap finds you can dig up!

Trend: Mint Green Nail Polish

Summer is almost here! One of the looks I've been in love with are pastel colored nail polish, especially a mint green. The look is so fresh and fun for spring/ summer season. It also gives a great pop of color to any outfit you're wearing. I've dug up some high end and low end alternatives for you guys if you're interested!

MAC- Peppermint Patti; Chanel- Jade; Essie-Mint Candy Apple


China Glaze- Re-fresh Mint; Orly-Mint Mojito; ELF- Mint Cream

Also, just a reminder...only a few more hours to enter my spring cleaning giveaway!