Instagram + VINE Blog Hop [COHOST]

Welcome to the Instagram + Vine Blog Hop! If you're new here, the Instagram + Vine Blog Hop is a party where you link up your Instagram and/or Vine accounts, find and follow new friends, and be continually inspired by what you see in your feeds! No need to have a blog, just an Instagram and/or Vine account!

Now on to the HOP! How to PLAY:

1. Follow your HOSTS:

Kimberly | Instagram: @anightowlblog | Vine: anightowlblog 

Emily | Instagram: @mrsemshhh | Vine: emily emshwiller 

Angie | Instagram: @blogali | Vine: Little Inspiration

2. Follow your CO-HOSTS:

Lauren | Instagram: @fizzandfrosting

You can find Lauren here: 

Blog :: Facebook :: Twitter :: Pinterest

Amanda | Instagram: @geekyfashionista

 You can find Amanda here: 

Blog :: Facebook :: Twitter :: Pinterest

3. Link up your Instagram Web Profile:

Just link up your new Instagram Web Profile (http://instagram.com/username) -OR- your web viewer of choice in the linky below!

Note: this URL will not let you choose a profile pic from your feed, so be sure you have a picture you can upload from your computer if you use it! If you get a "Error: The requested URL returned error: 500" error that just means it can't find a picture to use NOT that your link is bad. Just click on "Direct Image URL" if you have one or "Upload from Computer". If you still have trouble, try sticking with Followgram or Webstagram to upload your profile.

4. NEW! Link up your Vine Username and/or Video!

Add your Vine username (so folks can find you) to the list below! Or link up a Vine video so we can see your cinematography at work! This is new, so there aren't web profiles just yet, but hopefully they'll be out soon! How do you find your video link? If you post your video on Facebook or Twitter, you will be given a URL that looks like this: "http://vine.co/v/bJegq22datT." Just link that up below with your username so we can find you! If you don't have a URL to one of your videos, simply link up your blog URL, but make sure the title is your Vine username so we can find you!

5. Check out and follow a few fellow Instagram or Vine friends.

Tell folks you follow that you found them through the Hop!

6. Spread the word!

Tweet about it, share it on Facebook or post about it on Instagram!

Tweet

Now let's link up!

Sunday Social: Childhood Memories

This week's Sunday Social is all about childhood memories:

1. Did you sleepwalk as a child? Nope, but I've been told I gnash my teeth - yikes!

2. Did you ever try to run away or sneak out of your house? I often thought about running away because I didn't have the best relationship with mom. I think I only ever managed to leave the house once though. I wandered around the neighborhood for a bit (which I remember being pretty scared) and then came back because I was hungry haha.

3. Did you have any imaginary friends? I think I tried a couple times, but could never keep it up. I always had my sister there to play with anyway so there really wasn't a need to have one.

4. Did you ever go toilet papering? Not as a child...

5. Did you ever sneak tv shows you weren't allowed to watch? Nope. I was more strict on myself than my parents. No PG-13 movies for me until I was actually 13 (Jurassic Park being the exception).

What are some of your childhood memories?

March & April Favorites

Because of my whole laptop incident, I'm a little behind making videos so I decided to go ahead and combine my favorites from both the months of March and April into one video because I'm just crazy like that! Sorry for the funky lighting and my childhood lisp that apparently hasn't completely disappeared xD

PRODUCTS MENTIONED

Kiehls Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser - I left my Aveeno cleanser at home so I've been using this since my New York move. What I really love about it is that not only does it leave my skin feeling so clean and soft after use but it also gradually reduces pores (and I have MASSIVE pores).

Clean and Clear Acne Spot Treatment - I cannot stress this enough - MIRACLE in a tube!! I've been using this little lifesaver since highschool and SWEAR by it!! Put this on your zit, pimple, big ol' acne spots three times and day and watch that baby disappear!

Elizabeth Arden 8-Hour Cream - This was one of the very first department store "high-end" beauty products I ever bought. I forgot how old I was - maybe 16 when I bought it - and I did so because I remember I kept seeing it being mentioned by various celebrities as one of their "must have" items so I wanted to see what all the hype was about. I've probably gone through about 6 tubes of these things since then and this month my appreciation for this wonderful product was renewed. With the cold, severely drying New York weather that I was desperately not prepared for, this product has been another life saver!

L'Oreal Linear Intense in Carbon Black - I originally was not a fan of this eyeliner because I prefer a felt tip at the end and this has a brush which isn't as easy to control. However, I've been practicing a bit now with it and I've come to really love it. It's much blacker than my other liquid eyeliners and is perfect if for doing a dramatic winged eyeliner look (which I've been really into lately).

Benefit They're Real Mascara - I got a sample of this mascara in one of my ipsy bags and now I finally understand the hype! It's a great all around mascara with little bristles that's great for coating every lash without getting clumpy - win!

China Glaze "Refresh Mint" - One of my all-time favorites, I'm so happy it's finally spring so I can start wearing it again! I have several mint polishes but this is the one I always end up coming back to because it's DA BEST.

Essie "Lilacism" - Another all-time favorite I like to break out in the spring, this polish is simply the perfect lavender color.

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat - Such an amazing top coat!! It dries SUPER fast and leaves such a nice, glossy finish! I paired this baby with my Essie Lilacism and I didn't chip my nails for one WEEK - you read that right, ONE WEEK. Call me impressed.

Nike Free Run 5.0 sneakers - The best running sneakers ever (and I am picky about my running shoes)! Super cute and super light!! Makes it feel like you are running with no shoes on! 

Toki Doki Marvel shirt - This shirt of various Marvel characters in Toki Doki style is probably one of the cutest things I have EVER seen. Just precious.

House of Cards - Finally jumped on board and gave this show a try and I'm hooked! Still have a couple episodes left but I'm sure I'll zoom through them in no time! This Netflix Original Series is produced by David Fincher (Fight Club, The Social Network) and definitely reflects his tone and aesthetic and touts an impressive cast who all give powerful performances. Watch it.

Silver Linings Playbook and Argo - The only two movies I saw...pretty much the entire time I've been in NYC, but hey if you''re only going to see two movies - I'm glad it was these two pretty freakin' fantastic movies. JLaw was superb and flawless. BCoop - I just made that up - was fantastic and beautiful - yes, beautiful. I was super invested in the characters and storylines of both films and can totally see why they were both nominated (and won) so many awards. If you haven't seen both of these films yet, I highly recommend you do so now.

DailyGrace - Oh, Grace, how I love thee. My latest Youtube obsession, Grace is hilarious, random, and awesome and makes videos FIVE times a week. I don't think I've ever laughed harder than when I watched her "What I Think of the Presidents" video. I've probably seen it a dozen times now and I still laugh EVERY SINGLE TIME.

That's all for this month! What were your March and April favorites?

NYC VLOG: Reunited With My Laptop

Okay, so I basically already had a whole blog post dedicated to this topic but I also did a vlog that day! I know I'm a total vlogging newbie - still trying to feel comfortable walking around in public talking to my phone - but I figure the more I do it, the more comfortable I'll get so I'm trying to vlog once a week. My life's not the most exciting, but it's still New York xD

Weekend in Westchester

This weekend was my little nephew Kendyl's birthday which brought several of my family members including my mom to upstate New York to celebrate.

After getting off work on Friday, I went home and packed for my weekend upstate in Westchester. My cousin, David, and I arrived around 9ish after our hour long train ride and were greeted at my cousin Kim's GORGEOUS mansion with my mother's amazingggg homemade pho which is probably my favorite food in the whole world. After my stomach was more than satisfied, I took a shower and quickly fell asleep in one of the many spacious guest rooms.

Saturday was the big day of festivities. After some mother/daughter time, everyone packed into two cars to head out to the birthday venue at Chelsea Piers in Connecticut. Suffice to say, the place was incredible. It's a HUGE sports center with an Olympic sized pool, batting cages, a running track, indoor beach volleyball, rock climbing, a sundeck, and so much more it was ridiculous. There was also an area that was just trampolines...like the walls were trampolines - I feel like I could be entertained in that room alone for more hours than I'm proud to admit. All the kids in the birthday party went to this mini water park within the center - again, insane - while the older folks like me hung out upstairs in the birthday room eating pizzas and mini cheeseburgers xD Then the kids came back and there was chaos as there is whenever you have 20+ 8 year olds in one contained space. 

After singing happy birthday and eating birthday cake, it was time to go back to Westchester for the after party. My cousin bought TONS of food for guests and while the adults mingled, the kids got to play among themselves. I took this time to film a new video and take a much-needed nap (does that make me old if I get tired watching children exert themselves?). Later that night, my cousin David, my mom and I all headed back into Manhattan where my mother got to experience my six floor walk-up apartment first hand. Despite her doubts, she made it up and got to meet my two roommates. She inspected my apartment with utter disbelief and shock over how tiny it was wondering how we all live in such a small space. I was still very tired but wanted to take my mother out to at least one place before she met up with David to stay the night at his place. Since it was a Saturday, most places were quite crowded but we ended up in small bar and split an order of catfish and wine between the two of us. When my cousin met up with us, we parted ways and I went home to fall asleep.

Sunday, I started off with a lovely brunch with my mom at a cute little cafe near my apartment. I had Eggs Benedict for the first time and it was delicious. Afterwards, my mom and I went back up to Westchester to spend more time together and eat more pho. Sounds like a good end to a good weekend to me :)

How was your weekend?

2013 MTV Movie Awards: Best Dressed

Yes, the MTV Movie Awards were last week so this post is a little late but I couldn't help putting together a little best dressed list of my favorite looks from the crazy and unpredictable night.

Kylie Jenner

LOVE LOVE LOVE!! Kylie here manages to look youthful, chic, and sophisticated. I am totally loving the two-piece crop top look and can't wait to give this trend a try once it warms up a bit here in NYC. I also loved how she accessorized the outfit with a gold chunky necklace, simple bracelets, and nude pumps. Perfection.

Selena Gomez - Julien Macdonald

Selena channeled J-Lo in a stunning gold fringed Julien Macdonald mini dress. I like that she tried to change things up a bit with an edgy do' but I can't say I loved it with this look. I would've preferred her usual perfect loose waves, but props for taking a risk.

Emma Watson - Maxine Simoen

The recipient of the "Trailblazer" award stuck to her tried-and-true printed mini dress with black heels  formula, but I can't complain because it's so cute, fun, and flirty.

Holland Roden - Donna Karan

This dress might seem a lot more demure in comparison to a lot of the other crazy and colorful looks on the red carpet, but I love it! It's deceptively simple - but with it's A-line skirt, deep v-neck, and organza paneling, it's fun and young. Combine that with her sleek pushed back hair, fresh-faced makeup, and black and white color-block peeptoes and you've got a killer look!

Karlie Kloss - Cushnie Et Ochs

Again, with the two-piece crop top and pencil skirt look - and, again, I LOVE it!! Like Kylie, Karlie looks oh so chic while showing off her killer body and that top fits her so well it's like a second skin.

Nicole "Snookie" Polizzi - Snooki Couture

I can't believe I wrote that, but it's true - the new mom pulled it together and showed off her post-baby body in a gown from her own collection. Yes, you read that right - Snooki has her own clothing line. 

JWoww

Really, another Jersey Shore member? What are you on, Amanda? Alas, while JWoww does seem to be spilling out of the top of her dress, I adore the gown itself. Just stunning.

What did you guys think?

Sunday Social

Sunday Social time! Here's this week's bunch of questions:

1. What is your shopping weakness? I've actually been so proud of myself. Since coming up to NYC, I've really resisted the temptation to shop. The only times I've bought anything that wasn't food, was usually at a boutique sale or a consignment store so I guess you could say I have a shopping weakness for good deals haha xD

2. What is your food weakness? I have a HUGE weakness for food truck food and bubble tea. If it's on the menu at whatever restaurant I'm at, I WILL order it. I just love those tapioca balls.

3. What is your go-to movie to watch when nothing is on? Hmmm... I don't really have a go-to movie, but if there's absolutely nothing on, I know I can always count on an old Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode (you can't go wrong with Joss Whedon).

4. What is your go-to breakfast food? My go-to breakfast consists of a cinnamon raisin bagel with cream cheese, banana, and orange juice.

5. Do you drink coffee? If so, how do you take it? I prefer tea, but I do enjoy a good iced coffee from time to time.

Can you believe tomorrow is Monday already?

April Glossybox 2013

Another great box from Glossybox this month. The box is so pretty, and there are some lovely products. 

Full sized Essie Nail Varnish - I really wanted Essie Cute as a button but I just couldn't justify buying it as I had already bought the boujois dupe after seeing it on Lily's blog. I'm so glad that I now have the Essie version as this doesn't have the micro glitter particles that the bourjois one has and I love the Essie Nailvarnish Brushes.

Sleek Blush in Pixie Pink - I already have this blush and I love it. Its such a pretty colour and I'm glad to have double now as I will pop this in my Make up kit.

Nip & Fab Mango body butter - This smells gorgeous. I'm really picky about Body butters as I can't stand the greasy feeling from thick/deep moisturising body butters. This one is for Dry skin so it is very moisturising but it will be great for me to use in the winter for dry hands/elbows and knee's.

Yves Rocher So Elixir Purple - I love little perfume bottles, this is a floral woody smell, not something that I would normally go for but it's ok for an everyday scent.

Sun Sense Daily face - SPF50 - This will be good to try out in the summer.

What did you think of this months Glossybox?

x

April 2013 Ipsy/Myglam Bag

Today, I received my April Ipsy Bag in the mail - yay!! The theme for this month's bag is "Pretty in Pink" and it's probably one of my favorite themes they've done. Pinks look good on just about everyone and it's perfect for spring. The bag was really cute. With a pink theme, they could've made it really cheesy and girly but instead kept it really chic looking with a pink and white color block exterior and pink/white Victoria's Secret-esqe interior. 

In the bag:

• HealthySexyHair Soy Renewal - I love the SexyHair line so while I wasn't sure how this fit into the "Pink" theme, I didn't mind getting this travel-sized nourishing treatment for my hair (I know I need it). It claims to give multiple benefits which include speeding up blow drying time, nourishing and protecting hair from heat, reducing frizz, and enhancing shine. To receive $5 off of $25 or more of SexyHair products, use the code 108888 at Ulta.com.
• Sation Nail Lacquer in Love At First Byte - While I do like the light peachy-pink color, I've heard complaints about the drying time which is a huge factor to me when it comes to my nail polish since I'm so impatient. To save 20% use the code IPSY30 at store.misspn.com.
• Be a Bombshell blush in Sweet Cheeks - I still have yet to use this blush on my face, but I'm already a fan. I love the smooth texture of the blush and was very pleasantly surprised at how pigmented it is. I also love the medium rose pink color. It is very shimmery too, and I can't decide if that's a plus or not yet. Use the code IPSY30 to receive 30% off and a FREE full size pink shadow at beabombshellcosmetics.com/blush.
• MICABEAUTY Mineral Eye Shadow in Earth - The loose eye shadow is a light shimmery pink color that claims to be gentle, stay put for hours without creasing, and be free of preservatives, chemicals, dyes, oils, and other fillers. You can also mix it with clear lip gloss, mascara, or nail polish to add a little sparkle and color. I tried it on my hand and it is very sheer but definitely gives you a lot of sparkle and shimmer. Use the code IPSY30 to receive 30% off your purchase at micabeauty.com.

All in all, I really enjoyed this bag! What did you guys think?

Bourjois New Healthy Mix

I had mixed feelings when I heard that Bourjois were reformulating their Healthy mix foundation, it was already my favourite foundation for glowy, soft skin the way it was, but then on the other there were a couple of downsides to the original formula - it didn't last all day and it was very heavily scented which sometimes caused me breakouts. I was excited to see what Bourjois would change.

I bought bourjois healthy mix foundation in the shade 54 which is the shade I wear in the winter, as it's summer soon I would have rather bought shade 55 but they didn't seem to stock it in my local boots. 
I hate to say it but I preferred the original formula. I'm so glad I ended up with shade 54 as although its light in the tube, It seems to oxidise on me and become darker on my skin. It also doesn't sink as well into my skin or feel as moisturising. I applied it first with my real techniques stippling brush and then the next day with my real techniques expert face brush which seemed to work better. Don't get me wrong, its still a lovely foundation but personally, I preferred the original. 

I also bought the bourjois healthy mix blush after seeing it on Sandra's Blog as its a really good dupe for a lovely Chanel blush, I don't own a coral orange blush and I think this will look so pretty in the summer.

I've now bought so many new hyped highstreet foundations (Revlon nearly naked, the New Bourjois healthy mix, Rimmel True match foundation) which are all pretty good, but to be honest I'm wishing I saved my money and tried Nars Sheer Glow or YSL Touch Eclat Foundation which I've got a feeling that I will love!

Lesson learned I think, these all will be great for the summer and I will use them up but I think the next foundation I buy, will be from Nars or YSL.

Sunday Social: Twitter

I feel like I haven't done one of these in a while! This week's theme is all about our favorite (or at least mine) social media outlet, Twitter! 

1. When did you join Twitter? April 24, 2009 - found that out thanks to http://www.howlonghaveyoubeentweeting.com. Can't believe it's been 4 years and so many of my friends STILL refuse to get a Twitter account.

2. Who is your favorite non-celeb to follow? I'm most interested in the tweets of my closest friends, but I also really like following other bloggers and YouTubers and interacting with them.

3. Who is your favorite celeb to follow? I have two: Zachary Levi because just about everything he tweets is gold, and gets me into a RT'ing frenzy; and Mindy Kaling because I'm kind of obsessed with her...oh, and her Instagram is great too.

4. Have you ever had a celeb respond to a tweet? Only Youtube celebrities haha xD I was most excited by a favorite and then reply from @essiebutton - love her!

5. What is your favorite store/brand to follow? I can't think of one off the top of my head, but I love it when brands give you special discount codes for following them and interact with their followers. Makes me feel loved haha.

6. Give us three tweeps we should be following. @fsufashiongirl, @abbsycupoftea, and @melissarosson. Do it.

Follow me at @siriusambition!

NYU ACE 30 NOVA Fashion & Benefit Gala

Last weekend, my roommate invited me to attend NYU's ACE 30 NOVA Fashion & Benefit Gala. She's a designer who was participating in the show so of course I came out to show my support. I didn't really know what to expect but ended up having a great time.

ACE stands for Asian Cultural Expression which I had no idea until I arrived at the venue and noticed the ethnic majority. It reminded me of being back at FSU where I participated in a lot of the on campus Asian cultural activities (I was in an Asian sorority after all). Unlike many of our events though, you did have to pay to attend this one but the money went to a worthy cause called Musicians On Call, a non-profit organization bringing live and recorded music to the bedsides of hospital patients. There were also great raffles and prizes although I, unfortunately, did not win anything. Boo.

The fashion show featured designs from fashion houses, boutiques and up and coming designers such as Brooks Brothers, Purdy Gurl, Shoptiques, AUH20 and of course my roomie, Janice Hijin Lee (I'm going to put her portion of the show in another post because she's that amazing). In between the different runway sets, there were also performances from musician Phil Good and dancer Neil "Dradle" Schwartz. Both were incredible to watch.

Here are a couple photos I took along with Part One of a recording of the entire show I found on YouTube. Enjoy!

Happy Saturday!

I Got My Laptop Back!!

Finally reunited

As the title says, yes, today I got my laptop back from the Mac repair store. Yayyy!!!! Two Wednesdays ago, my laptop stopped working and my world was turned upside down. Okay, so maybe that's a little dramatic but being without my laptop for 16 days really made me realize how important it is in my life. At one point, I nearly had a breakdown on the phone with my dad. Oh, first world problems...

Honestly, it really shouldn't have taken so long but I won't vent about that frustration here. According to the technician, my laptop had a corrupted operating system so they needed to replace the hard drive. Of course, before doing this, I also wanted to back up all my data which they transferred onto my external hard drive. Unfortunately, none of my Applications transferred over :( which means no Photoshop or MS Office Suite. Sigh. I've spent most of today re-downloading all my old programs or at least as many as I can. Still no MS Office and I'm working with a Photoshop trial until I can go home and hopefully find the original disks.  

Still, I'm going to do my best to make up for these last couple weeks. I have TONS of post and video ideas that I've written down and can't wait to buckle down and churn them out. Please bear with me!

There has been one silver lining during this period: I WON SIMPLY CLARKE'S 1000 FOLLOWER GIVEAWAY!!!! It seemed so surreal - I enter lots of giveaways but NEVER seem to win and then to win THIS!! It was just incredible and so surreal. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

Glad to have my baby home

Have a great weekend!!

Rimmel Apocalips

Rimmel Apocalips in Celestial, Nova and Big Bang.

I picked up three Rimmel apocalips shades after seeing them pretty much all over Twitter, Instagram and Beauty blogs. Rimmel Apocalips are a liquid lipstick, they are creamy, non sticky and amazingly pigmented.

The three colours I picked up were Celestial which is a really pretty every day colour, Nova which is a pretty Pink and Big Bang which is a stunning bold red which I know I will rarely ever brave, but It's such a lovely colour!

I had to prep my lips well first before using the Rimmel apocalips lip lacquers as they really showed up any imperfections and dryness, first I used a lip scrub and then lip balm to make my lips smooth and soft for application. I tried a lip brush and the doe applicator for applying which both worked really well. 

I really like these, they are £5.99 each but were on a 3 for 2 deal when I bought them from boots. I'm really loving Rimmel at the moment and I can't wait to see what they bring out next!