Saturday, September 29, 2012

Khaki Jacket


We really missed the timing for these pictures. We ended up going maybe half an hour later than we should have, meaning that the sun was going down quickly and mosquitoes were out and about. I ended up getting bitten 14 times at the end haha :(. I guess it didn’t help that I wore tights…

Posing is still extremely awkward for me...hence the lack of pictures of me looking directly into the camera. But Carmen is a good coach and I'm sure I will get the hang of it soon...haha.

We also have an editorial shoot coming in our next post, that features our good friend Katy. Oh and a big thank you to all our new followers  =).






Photography: Carmen

jacket: $7 thrifted 
  t-shirt: don't remember 
 black bracelet stack: $12 zipia 
 rings: skull $6 in korea claw $1 ebay, gold: $6 don't remember  spikes: $12 romwe 
 scarf: gifted 
 bag: balenciaga 
 tights: $3 via ebay 
 wedges: $50 hong kong
  faux fox tail $5 via etsy


Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Earth Tones

Edmonton weather is super unpredictable...you can be wearing layers in the morning, and then strip to shorts and t-shirts in the afternoon, or even wake up to a city of snow after a warm  night. To take advantage of the nice weather, Doris and I went outside for this shoot. We didn't want to go too far from home, so we just chose random locations at the back area of where we live.

I love wearing earth tones during the fall (which obviously shows through my outfit). The colours usually compliment and transition well with other shades. The vest was perfect for the weather! It was kind of chilly, but the sun was out so it was warm at the same time.

Alrighty, enough of my rambling...I gotta get back to my readings. Hope everyone enjoys their week. Bye!


Photography: Doris

Vest: $70 (Original $124) Guess 
Shirt: $5 Forever 21 
 leggings: Gifted 
 Bracelet: $5 H&M 
 Bag: $45 Material Girl 
Shoes: $70 Aldo
-- total: ~$195


Saturday, September 22, 2012

Happy Birthday Chloe :)

I've always wanted a dog, and finally in Februrary 2012, I became a dog owner. Carmen and I would obsess about dogs and animals in general growing up. Our initial plans were to become veterinarians ( I still remember). Yesterday was my dog's first birthday (one month before mine is why I'll never forget) and I'm not too sure how old she is in human years. Some people say the first birthday means she turned sixteen in human years and every year after, it counts for seven years? An online calculator says she is currently ten-and-a-half. Haha, either way, looking back, she has grown so much. Look how curly her fur got, and how plump she's gotten! :). Not to fret animal lovers, Chloe gets at least a walk a day.

Yes, that pose in the first picture is how she sits on a daily basis. As standard schnauzers go, she does have a loud bark, but barely bites. Whenever Carmen comes over however, Chloe is sure to make her presence known. :P

Alright, enough talking about my dog, on to the pictures!

Chloe at 5 months
Chloe at one years old

OOTD Photography: Carmen

jacket: ~$80 zara | t-shirt: $30 aritzia | leggings: $73 uptightso | flats: $129 (on sale) unif from dollskill | bag: vintage gucci (gifted) -- total: ~$312


These are my favourite leggings by far, I just love and obsess over green and black things in general, and what is not to like about these? They are super comfortable, however you can't see it in the photographs, but Chloe did scratch them a bit near my thigh area (which only bothers me when I run my hand over the otherwise smooth fabric). The nail polish I'm wearing is Green Gargantuan Grape by OPI, and I do wish I chose something greener. It was my first time wearing it and a bit of a let down really, as swatches online came out in such a vibrant light green.

These pictures were all taken in our back yard area...I'm not too sure what to call it. We live pretty well at the border of Edmonton and yes, we do hear Coyotes howling at night. A few neighbours have told me, that they saw the coyotes pretty much in the wheat-looking field right behind the fence (refer to second-last picture).

We also could have had a chance to capture those same Canadian geese taking flight (right at us) but as I struggled to remove my camera's len's cap they flew over our heads. Those birds make some obnoxious sounds I tell you - Henry has a theory that in their language they are hyping each other yelling  "Go! Go! Go!" - that never fails to amuse me.



Thursday, September 20, 2012

Keeping It Casual feat. Henry

Here is our first male outfit post! It took us forever to convince Carmen's little brother to help us model this shoot, since he's a little camera shy and always busy with school. Keep scrolling for more images!






T-shirt: $15 Zara 
  Pants: $69 Club Monaco 
 Watch: Fossil (gifted) 
 -- total: $84

Every guy needs at least one plain outfit that fits and frames their body nicely. We love earth tones, so we decided to choose pants that were a soft evergreen colour to contrast with the plain white t-shirt. We could have opted for a t-shirt with a round neck, but we felt that the V-neck helps accentuate Henry's shoulders and collarbones. His hair was left alone for that clean cut and effortless boy look. What type of male outfits do you guys like most?

Henry will be doing some shoots with us every now and then for our occassional male outfits. Keep an eye out!

P.s. We are now on Bloglovin!

xx,
C&D

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Laneige | Water Sleeping Pack EX, Multiberry Yogurt Repair Pack, and Multiberry Yogurt Peeling Gel



For those of you who have tired, dull, and dry skin...read on!


Left to right: Water Sleeping Pack EX,  Multiberry Yogurt Repair Pack, Multiberry Yogurt Peeling Gel



Laneige is a Korean brand much known for their moisture-retaining products such as these packs and others in their many lines. La neige in french literally means the snow and I remember reading about how they emphasized pure and natural skin. For reference, I have normal skin, but let me start off by saying, I would recommend these products to people of all skin types.

Multiberry Yogurt Peeling Gel

 
The smell of this product is just amazing. The color is a faint baby pink and it smells lightly of a yogurt smoothie, so delicious! The gel contains tiny micro beads, which are great for exfoliating. I like this peel because it is not as harsh as other exfoliaters, yet it still does its job. Although I do have to say, I find it difficult for the microbeads to exfoliate areas such as the sides of my nose.

How to use this: Apply on a clean, washed face (still wet) and rub in circular motions. Rinse off with warm water.

Overall, if you are looking for a gentle exfoliating experience that has moisturizing effects...this is the one! I would rate this peel as a 4.5/5.

Multiberry Yogurt Repair Pack



I would say all three of these products have quite different textures. I am not sure if it is the illusion given off by the whiter cream, but this pack feels heavier as well. I typically use this one right after the Multiberry Yogurt Peeling Gel. The texture of this is very smooth and quite a bit thicker than the peeling gel, but not by much. The scent is still pretty much just like the peeling gel but a bit stronger.

How to use: After appling evenly with the included spatula, wait  10-15 minutes and rinse off.

Overall, everytime after using this, my skin feels moist, supple, smooth, and it glows! I would definitely rate this mask a 5/5.

Water Sleeping Pack EX



This has been a much hyped product for awhile now. I was first introduced to this by Doris a couple year ago when she brought back some from Korea and gave me a bit to sample. I saw instant results when I woke up. I believe this is an award winning product in Asia as well.

How I use it: After rinsing off the multi berry yogurt mask, I pat dry my skin and feed it with this overnight sleeping mask. The next morning, I wake up and continue my skin routine as normal (there is no need to rinse, however I do wash my face in the morning). You will wake up with moisturized and supple skin guaranteed. :)

Overall, this has the most gel-like texture to it, and the colour is very close to a light baby blue. I would describe the scent of this product as fresh and light. When applied, this is extremely soothing, and takes awhile to become non-sticky. After you wake up in the morning and rinse the product off, your skin feels extremely moisturized, and from my experience, it gives off a youthful glow. I would rate this mask a 5/5 as well!





Top to bottom: Water Sleeping Pack EX,  Multiberry Yogurt Repair Pack, and Multiberry Yogurt Peeling Gel

Edmonton is an extremely dry city, with harsh winds especially in the winter! I highly suggest investing in these products if you want to keep your skin moisturized through the jarring winters or just to treat your skin. Laneige is a cosmetics and skincare line from Korea, but if you live in Edmonton like I do, you can find Laneige products and many other korean brands at a boutique called Umi & Co. Their address is 10462 82 Ave down Whyte. 

For those international folks out there, you can get them online over at Sasa and strawberryNET as well.

I imagine a lot of you have probably heard much about these products already. Which Laneige product do you like the most?


xx,
Carmen

Friday, September 14, 2012

Belle En Blanc

So once again, we managed to squeeze time out of our busy school lives to do another editorial post. Unfortunately we did not get too much time, so we apologize for the lack of images. We will make up it up another time, promise. :)

Taking time into consideration, we both agreed upon on doing a simple "all-white" theme. Well...mostly all white. Keep scrolling down for images! 

Model: Carmen
Photography: Doris

On the outfit (Doris): This might be one of the few times keeping our nails bare will work out perfectly. Even though accessories were once again kept to a bare minimum, it is clear they are the true focal point. The watch brought out a whole another dimension to an otherwise one-dimensional outfit. And having tucked in the blouse on one side in, we are able to distinguish denim from cotton. I am not much for symmetry as you might have noticed. I also like to keep things simple, styling one hand usually bare, and the other, with star pieces. However the last picture with C standing with the bag, hair, and arms hang straight down helped create the illusion of  a straight line thus giving the
impression of length.

On the makeup and hair (Carmen): Because the outfit is all white, the makeup was kept a soft, golden-peachy tone.  The starkness and brightness of the true white would have washed me out. My favourite bronzer to use is the Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess in Soft Matte. The color is not too pigmented, buildable, and suits most skin tones. I focused the bronzer on my jaw line, and contoured the face and nose as well. Highlighting the bridge of your nose, brow bones, and your cheek bones with a light off-white shade will give you an amazing glow. I decided to only line my upper eyelid with a bold black gel-liner, and used a brown shadow to line the bottom to create a softer look. Going with the more natural look, skipping false lashes is a must. I recommend going for a light coat of mascara instead!

I have thin hair, so I decided to brush all my hair to one side to create more volume. I teased the hair and then braided it loosely for a casual look. To extend the length of my braid, I added 3 pieces of hair extension in the shade of my current hair color. Note: It's perfectly fine if the braid is messy. In fact,  the messier the braid looks, the better! Once you are done braiding, loosen it up by lightly tugging at the sides for added volume.
 
Products used:

Face:
- Skin 79 Super Beblesh Balm Triple Functions
- Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess in Soft Matte
- garnier eye roller

Eyes:

- Garnier Anti-Dark Circle Eye Roller
- Tony Moly Backstage Gel Eye Liner (BK1)
- Sephora Luxe Noir Palette in Gold
- Estee Lauder Magnascopic Maximum Volume Mascara

Lips:

- Yves Rocher Gloss & Mini Mirror (no number/light pink)


The weekend is finally here! Time to relax, stock up on those study snacks and strap ourselves down for those upcoming assignments and exams. Work hard, and play hard!


xx,
C & D

Monday, September 10, 2012

The Modern Geisha

There is no look more profound for people with monolids than the "Geisha" look. With Doris' unique features, we managed to bring  the traditional Japanese look together with the progressive western fashion. The east and the west came together as one style to create an exotic, elegant, yet casual composition.

An old-fashioned and conventional geisha would be wearing substantial theater makeup. This necessitates the traditional pale skin with a heavy emphasis on vibrant pink eye shadows and a bold red lip. Black eyeliner would be used to hide double eyelids or emphasize the monolids. Heavily-filled in brows would then complete the look.
 





Model: Doris
Photography: Carmen

On the outfit and makeup (Carmen): 
Keeping with the theme, I chose a wrap dress to compliment D's figure.  I didn't want the outfit to be overcrowded with the floral designs so I decided to transform it into a top. By tucking the bottom into the shorts, the look seemed less ceremonial. I chose not to include any accessories in order to bring out the beautiful print of the dress, therefore plain tights were preferred. The bag and the shoes brought out the much needed warmth from the otherwise "cool" palette of colors.

Geishas have extremely pale, white skin, with exaggerated eye makeup, and red lips. Doris' complexion was just perfect for this look! To keep with tradition, eyeshadow was kept to a less intense. Light pink and light orange were used together with a light hand. This was to prevent it from overpowering the colours of the outfit. I decided to exaggerate the eyeliner, and have it thickened to emphasize her eyes. Blush was kept to a golden pink hue. As a finishing touch, I wanted the colour of the lips to be coral, as this would connect nicely.

On the hair and nails (Doris):
 Since the beginning, the trademark geisha hairstyle has always been a big bun adorned with traditional Japanese ornament strips. The level of skill required to replicate something even seemingly close is just not possible with the time we had. I would have been better off buying a wig. However, the bun I made looks all-too familiar and easily replicable. It's the infamous "messy bun" that has plagued us on tumblr and pinterest alike. After flipping my hair upside down, and securing the half ponytail, I began to pin random parts of my hair with bobby pins. To complete the look, pull out hair gently, from areas you want to "loosen" up and voila! You have yourself a messy bun.

 I was told by Carmen to make sure I kept my nails really simple (apparently I have a hard time doing so). Thus, I chose a blue-based grey. The nail color really blends in well, and I bet before you read this, it was not even noticed. :P Yes, I was as surprised as you were when I picked this up from Aldo a couple years ago. Having a rather decent selection of nail polishes was a nice surprise since they specialize in shoes afterall.


Face:
- skin79 super beblesh balm triple functions
- benefit the porefessional
- physicians formula gentle cover concealer stick
- benefit moonbeam
- estee lauder bronze goddess soft matte bronzer
- sleek makeup blush by 3 in lace

Eyes:

- etude house LUCIDarling fantastic gradation eyes in #8
- kanebo kate gel e/l in bk-1
- sephora luxe noir palette in gold

Lips:

- mac l/s in myth
- nyx l/s in orange soda
- sleek makeup blush by 3 in lace
- hyatt beauty l/g in 8

Nail:

- orly bonder basecoat
- aldo bauhaus architect
- poshe topcoat


Anyways, did you all have a good weekend? Maybe one day Carmen will post about her first day back to school on here so we can all have a good laugh. :) Until next time!

xx,
C&D

Saturday, September 8, 2012

That Cool Girl

Here is our second editorial post! We had a bit more time this shoot so we were able to take more photos before the sun went down. We are loving this theme, the confident "cool" girl you may have seen on the streets. Read on for how you can re-create this look too.




Model: Carmen
Photgraphy: Doris

On the outfit and the hair curling (Doris):
Bronze, copper, black, taupe, and brown. The darker shades of fall, and one might even say it is border-line boring. However, the chic motorcycle jacket added attitude as well as a tailored look to C's small frame. The shorts were fun to work with because of the endless possibilities. I could have opted for a plainer tank, but I decided to risk it with a clashing crocodile print. The blouse was tucked in to give the illusion of an elongated torso. You could always opt for tights underneath the shorts, however I felt that if C wore black tights, there wouldn't be balance. Therefore, C decided to add some loose black ankle socks, which added height and wasn't too overpowering. The wedges and ring were one of the more eye-catching pieces. I really wanted to contrast the coppery bronze in the shorts, so I opted for a golden bag and a lighter blouse.

 I ended up curling C's hair with an Instyler curling iron. With hair a bit below shoulders, the curls ended up creating more texture to the overall look. If you want looser curls, you could brush out the curls.  Since C has thin hair, I mainly curled the hair away from the face for more volume. Unwashed hair for at least a day would hold curls a lot better than freshly washed hair. The natural oils help retain the curls easier as well as creating a small buffer from the heat.


On the hair styling, makeup and nails (Carmen): 
 The overall outfit has an unique edgy-girly look with a tomboyish twist. After D curled my hair, I decided to slick half my hair up to play on the tom-boy side of the look, and leave the other half down to give it that feminine vibe. I'm not exactly a very tall person, so to add to my height, more volume is emphasized at the crown.

To bring out the edginess, I decided to mainly focus on eyeliner. Following the natural lines of the eye with a gel liner, and extending it out a bit will elongate the eye. Finish off the line with a more defined "fish tail" flick will definitely give your eyes more character. Eyeshadow is kept to a minimum, but contouring and highlighting is a must. Lips are kept at a subtle hint of pink for that lady-like look.

The outfit contains very earthy shades which in turn, blend in with each other very well. To add some contrast and some color, I decided to have my nails painted in my favourite mint green and blue. Black and white designs are added so the nails can transition nicely with the colours of the outfit. Rhinestones are added for more dimension.


Face:
- garnier moisture rescue refreshing gel-cream
- laneige shimmer brightening multi base spf 41 pa++
- estee lauder bronze goddess soft matte bronzer
- kiko milano origami face palette

Eyes:
- garnier anti-dark circle eye roller
- kate kanebo reflect mirror eyes br-3
- kate kanebo gel e/l in bk-1
- bobbi brown e/s in steel
- estee lauder softsmudge e/p in black
- estee lauder magnascopic maximum volume mascara

Lips:
- tokyo milk sweet cream
- three custom color specialists l/g in mod 1960
- sephora l/g pencil in 3

Nails:
- rimmel london base coat top coat pro
- sally hansen mint sorbet
- essence you belong to me
- rimmel london black satin
- sally hansen disco ball
- no name white nail lacquer from korea


Keep a look-out for our next outfit posts.
Let us know if you guys want to see any specific styles. :)
Have a blessed week!

xx,
C & D

Friday, September 7, 2012

Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil, Beautymate Nano Cleanser, Clean & Clear In-Shower Facial, Biore Balancing Cleanser

 
    Having good skin is essential for your foundation or any makeup product to work seamlessly, not to mention the confidence bonus! Skincare for me is especially important because of the genes I inherited. My dad has oily skin prone to acne, while my mom has very fair, supple, radiant skin prone to freckles. My mom's skin type is normal, and in her case, she can literally pick up any product from the shelf at a drugstore and it would not cause her any problems. 

The five skin types are: normal, oily, combination, sensitive, and dry. While it is absolutely ridiculous to be so black-and-white in diagnosing your skin type, these categories give you a rough idea of where you stand.

In my case, I believe I have mostly combination skin with some sensitivity. This means that if I were to blot my face after a few hours, I could potentially find my T-zone (area around nose and forehead that form a "T") oily. The sensitive part means that harsh ingredients found in most drugstore brands here in Canada could really dry me out, give me a scaly effect around eyes, etc. I don't know about you, but I feel like I have to fight against my genes to achieve "normal" skin.

B i o r é   C o m b i n a t i o n   S k i n   B a l a n c i n g   C l e a n s e r

Bio Combination Skin Balancing Cleanser 200mL
    I was sent this cleanser in my June Glossybox. I must say that was probably the box that made me want to stop subscription from Glossybox (I eventually did in July). I felt like I was paying $15 on easily accessible drugstore products that I had no say in. It felt like everyone got the same products no matter how unique their profile might have been. Also, most of the cosmetics came in really unflattering shades, I remember reading a blogger commenting on how they must have the shades that couldn't sell, and I couldn't help but agree!  This cleanser and the Wella Ocean Spritz hairspray were the only things worth keeping.

I had some doubts about this cleanser at the beginning (after trying another cleanser from Glossybox- Simple Kind to Skin Refreshing Facial Wash Gel - which felt like it was too gentle), but I was pleasantly surprised. I now use it every morning! First, I rinse my face with a bit of warm water, pump once onto my palm, lather it till it becomes foamy, rub gently all over my face, rinse with some cooler water, and pat dry with a clean cloth. The smell is what morning cleansers should be like, absolutely uplifting.

This product doesn't feel stripping to me at all, and if you have combination skin like I do,  I highly recommend this. Chances are people that gave bad reviews don't truly have combination skin. :P This cleanser is readily available at your local wal-mart or maybe even shoppers. It comes in a 200mL for around $5-6 CDN, a bargain if you ask me.

Clean & Clear Soft In-Shower Facial

Clean & Clear Soft In-Shower Facial 141g (Discontinued)
    This is something I leave in the shower shelf when I feel like deep cleansing. A lot of people rave about the St. Ives Apricot Scrub, and I would say it is a much gentler alternative. Actually, having just googled the makeupalley reviews which you can see here, I would sleep better at night if people stopped using it.

What you do is apply this in a thin layer all over your face, wait for one minute or so, (I usually leave it on a bit longer so it doesn't feel so abrasive when I wash it off) and gently rinse off. Sometimes I follow up with BeautyMate PURIFYING & BRIGHT Nano Cleanser for double cleansing. 

As with most exfoliants, please exercise caution and only use this three times a week, max! (I probably only use this once twice a week at most) Any more and you could be doing your face more harm than good. Usually after cleaning so thoroughly, I like to follow up with a face mask.

I would recommend this but sadly it's discontinued.

 BeautyMate PURIFYING & BRIGHT Nano Cleanser

BeautyMate PURIFYING & BRIGHT Nano Cleanser 100g
About the product:
"Beauty Mate PURIFYING & BRIGHT Nano Cleanser contains black pearl powder which can provide whitening effect; Morus Nigra Leaf Extract, it minimize dark spot from formulating. Applying nano technology, nano particles purify pores deeply and eliminate dirt and grease and leave a refreshed look."
- SaSa.com

    This might be my third or fourth tube of this cleanser. I reckon each tube lasts around 2-3 months. I ordered this through SaSa for around $5.50 USD for 100g of product. This is a white gel-like consistency cleanser, and in the past I've only stuck to cream cleansers because they are what I find to work best for my skin type. Perhaps later I will invest in a Clairisonic, but I will have to do more research that.

To use this, you wet your face with lukewarm water, squeeze out a tiny bit, lather in your hands and again, rub gently all over your face, and lastly, rinse off. 

However my loyalty might have to end at this tube because in the past few months I felt it was a bit harsh and too drying on me. I only use this at night and perahps my skin chemistry changed but for some reason I am not getting along with this like I have before.

Perhaps I better go back to cream cleansers..

Shu Uemura Sakura Cleansing Oil

Shu Uemura Sakura Cleansing Oil 50mL
    This is my first cleansing oil, so I'm not sure how I would compare it to any others. However, this is also probably one of the most famous. Mine comes in a 50mL bottle for ~ $13-14 (you can see the comparison to my hand), perfect for traveling and what not. It also comes in 150mL for ~ $30-32 and 450mL for ~ $80. Pretty pricey stuff. As with most things, you can find this on eBay.

I do not use this too often, mostly as a last resort, and also because my bb cream usually comes off through double cleansing alone. I have used this as a replacement for my eye makeup remover when I ran out, and I do use this to remove super stubborn mascara though, and it works really well.

Now, don't be fooled by the "oil" in this name. To use this, you have to make sure your face is completely dry. Now untwist the cap and you will notice there is a hole (much like the toners where you pour on your palm and pat on your face). This is the same concept, and really, a little goes a long way. Now gently massage your face, eyes (making sure not to get it inside) for around a minute. Now wet your hands with water and massage your face again, you will notice the oil is coming off in a milky white color, this is normal and you simply re-wet your hands and massage again. Repeat a couple times, and then actually wet your face with the water. Everytime I use this cleansing oil, I follow it up with another cleanser just to remove any traces of oil left over.

This works really well and I have had this for six months and only used up one-third of the bottle. However, I might not repurchase this simply because it is mineral oil based. A makeup remover I would really want to try right now is Taaj HImalaya Micellar Water, all the reviews make it seem simply divine (but is near impossible to get).

    These are all of my current cleansers, and remember what works for me might not work for you. If you think there is a cleanser out there that I'll love, please let me know!

What is your skin type? And what are some of your favourite cleansers?

xx,
Doris
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