OPI "Your Web or Mine?"

 

"Your Web or Mine?" 

OPI The Amazing Spider-Man Collection, Summer 2012

"The perfect pink for sticky situations." I can't help but LOL at their creative description.  

I would describe this color as a frosty pink coral with hint of sophistication.  It applies evenly for a frosted nail polish. It's not my favorite from the collection because it's a safe wearable, mature color.  I like my polish to be more on the dangerous side. ;)

I do think this shade would make a great little extra Mother's Day gift for your Mom or Grandma!

Wanted: Great Hair!

 Hey everyone!  I found my camera battery!! :)

I've been wanting to share with you some of my favorite hair care products.

These are a few products from the Macadamia Natural Oil hair care line which is available at Ulta (but always seems to be sold out), and online at flatironexperts.com 

I'm a big fan of this site because they offer better prices than any retail stores from my shopping experience.

 I finished my Macadamia Rejuvenating Shampoo ($20) last week and I only have good things to say about it!  It smells like a Hawaiian vacation and I haven't even been to Hawaii. lol I just assume Hawaii would smell this good. :D 

 I pair the shampoo with their Deep Repair Masque (completely worth the $30 price tag) which is equally awesome to the Moroccanoil hair mask.  They both are high quality lines of hair care products.  I had wanted to try this Macadamia hair mask since last year but it was always out of stock at Ulta.  It leaves my hair feeling silky smooth after rinsing.  I judge a good conditioner by how my hair feels after all the product is rinsed out.  I don't have anymore issues with tangles, or dryness especially on the ends of my hair.  I curl my hair almost everyday now that it's longer so I really am trying my best to take good care of my ends.

 I finished one full bottle of the Macadamia Shampoo, but I still have ton of the hair mask left and I used it just as much as the shampoo. :)  It has a creamy consistency and it has a shimmering look to it.  I use this everyday because I absolutely love how it makes my hair feels.  Every once in a while I will leave it on longer and let it work its hair mask magic, but I feel I get the same results when I use it as a daily conditioner.  If you are mad at your hair right now, make up with it by investing in the hair mask and healing oil by Macadamia or Morrocanoil.  You will be so happy at first use!

The Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment is a product I've tried in the past, and I love it!

It smells so so good!! A little bit of this thick oil goes a long way so don't over do apply!

I just used about half a pump, and rub the product between my hands and apply starting at the ends of my hair.  Afterwards, I blow dry or let air dry.  It really helps heal your hair and moisturizes the ends of your hair.  This is one of those MUST TREAT YOURSELF TO products! 
I love the Morroccanoil and Macadamia products equally, it really all depends on which one you can find in stores and online.  I do prefer the smell of the Macadamia Healing Oil, but it's all personal preference.  They work the same magic on your hair though. ;)

 I'd suggest you try the hair mask, and the healing oil first. :)

I really cannot live without the hair mask conditioner now.

My next shampoo to try is a brand new one by Yuko (Yuko Salon in Beverly Hills).  It's from their latest Anti-Frizz by Yuko Home Hair Care Kit.  I've used their original leave-in conditioner in the past and I loved it because it helped with my hair stay healthy.  I stayed in contact with Marcelo at Yuko and we recently reconnected.  He introduced me to their latest hair care line, and has even offered me an opportunity to hair model next September when Yuko Salon visits Seattle for one of their hair academy classes. ^_^

I'm always excited to try a new shampoo and conditioner because your hair will instantly feel different after the first wash and condition.  I really have my fingers crossed for the Yuko products.  It's my first time trying any of their shampoo or non-spray conditioner.  Wish me luck!

 

 Quick Tip about the Anti-Frizz Leave-In Conditioner from Marcelo: "The Leave-In Conditioner is a heat activated conditioner, so some heat is required to get the full effect. The meadowfoam seed oil activates at around 200ºF, which can be achieved by blow-drying your hair. I understand that not everyone likes to iron their hair, but ironing will definitely get the best results. Try both methods as well as no heat and see what you think." 

I've been wearing my new long hair curly for months, and I think it's time for a sleek change to straight hair!  This hair line is supposed to help achieve gorgeous straight hair. :) I'm going to try and resist using my current hair mask and stick with the Yuko conditioner and leave-in serum and spray conditioner. I'll let you know how I like these products in a few weeks. : )

I'm very curious to try out the hair serum especially because it's new to me.  I wonder how well it will compare with the Macadamia/Morroccan hair oils. 

Yuko is having a promotion for this 4 piece kit, you can get everything for $66 (Regularly $84).  www.yuko-usa.com
The promotion is good through June! Yay!

Check out their website and learn more about this Japanese hair straightening guru salon. :)
I'm on Yuko USA's press page!  http://www.yuko-usa.com/press/

Simple is a new brand to the US, it's a UK brand of skincare that is now available at Target, and most drugstores.  I've bought two packs of the makeup wipes (which I LOVE!) I don't know why I forgot to picture it, but they're really gentle makeup wipes that take off all my eye makeup.  I just need one sheet to remove both eyes' makeup.  I finished my travel size Refreshing gel face wash last week, and I just had to go back for more.  I couldn't find the exact kind, but I did find their Moisturizing and Smoothing face wash, and scrub.  They were $7.99, and buy 1 get one 1/2 off at Bartell Drugs (a local drugstore chain we have here in the Seattle area). I also have the Simple face toner, and liquid makeup remover too! I'm in love with this new to the US brand.

 I have yet to try the two new ones, but I will keep you updated!

I really liked the Refreshing face wash!  The gel foams up and the product itself is very gentle on the skin.  I give this two thumbs up!  I'm going to look for the full size at Target the next time I go.  I'm sure they carry it there.  I plan on rotating the Moisturizing face wash, and the Smoothing face scrub in the shower.  I haven't been using my Clarisonic since the move last February because I can't find it!  I did buy two new Clarisonic Sensitive Skin face brushes for it too.

I finally pulled the trigger and purchased the Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector!

There was a gift with purchase at Macy's at the Clinique counter and I knew it was my time to try it out.  I purchased the larger of the two bottles because the SA told me it takes 1-2 1oz bottles to see full results.  So far, I'm loving the way it feels on my clean skin.  SA told me that I must wear an SPF during the time I use this product because sunlight can actually cause darkening of the existing spots.

Several of my IRL friends have tried this and told me they had pretty good results after finishing one full bottle.  I'm hopeful it will work for me!  My daily face has been this corrector serum, followed by the new Maybelline BB Cream in Medium/Dark (Perfect match for MAC NC40), and Cargo Blu_Ray Powder 20.  I don't think the Maybelline BB Cream ($11 @Target) is working out with my skin.  I get kind of oily towards 5pm.  I've been using it for 2 full weeks now.  It hasn't improved my skin tone, and I'm not a fan of the flowery scent. It reminds me of the smell of the YSL Tient Resist foundation that I can't stand (even though the foundation itself stays on all day & helps my skin look flawless!)

I'll keep you updated on the corrector serum.  I paid a pretty penny for it! I believe it was $79 for the 1.7 oz.  I think it's $73 at Sephora, but I did get the gift with purchase from Macy's and a discount using my new Macy's card.  I've had a Macy's CC since 2009, but I haven't used it since 2009 so they opened a brand new account for me so I got the 20% off new card holder discount.

I've moved my investments from makeup into haircare and skincare products because I'm worth it! lol
I do have quite a few new items posted on my Blog Sale.
 I'm going to try to continue to add new items everyday.

I'm letting go of a lot of makeup, Tory Burch sunglasses, and sandals.
Ch-ch-ch-check it out!

OPI Vintage Minnie Mouse, "I'm All Ears"

Hello!  My nail polish of the week is from the OPI Vintage Minnie Mouse Collection, and it is called, "I'm All Ears."  I adore this shimmery red magenta polish, but it doesn't show up as true to color as it should!  It's more on the deep pink side of colors.  The formula is outstanding because you can get beautiful coats of polish effortlessly. ^_^

 

I don't have any fun pictures to share at the moment as I am iPhone-less, and camera battery less!  After the big move, I cannot find any of my camera batteries. Yikes!

I'm trying to get organized but it's just so hard when you just don't care enough about organization!  It's literally an obstacle course getting from my bed to my closet.  I should be embarrassed, but I am not.. :( Why?  It's like days of emotional depression..there's no reason you are sad, but you just can't help but be sad?

 

How can I overcome my lack of will power to clean my bedroom?  I don't know what to do with myself!  I think I need someone to nag at me to tidy up!

 

In other news, Timmy, Wally, and Nickel are back home!  I slept downstairs on the couch with all three dogs last night. lol  Timmy and Wally (2 years old) are trained not to go upstairs so I stayed downstairs with them. :)  I love my dogs!

 

I'm extremely happy the weather is clearing up and getting amazing outside.  We love to take the dogs out to the many Seattle dog parks. Everyday should be warm and sunny, not just 3 months of the year Seattle!

I did get an amazing surprise in the mail yesterday from my customer/friend Joanne. :)

She wrote me a very sweet card, and sent me some very nice beauty products!

I can't wait to try out all the polishes she sent me, especially the yellow OPI polish!  She also sent me the Lioele Blooming Lipgloss!  I've always saw beauty bloggers rave about the blooming gloss and now I have one of my very own.  Thank you so much for the love Joanne!  You definitely know how to make one feel appreciated. <3

I'll try my best to find my camera batteries because I have so many new things to share with you!

I'll catch you all next time. :) Thanks for stopping by today!

OPI Vintage Minnie Mouse, "If You Moust You Moust" and Spider-Man Collection, "My Boyfriend Scales Walls"

OPI "If You Moust You Moust"
Vintage Minnie Mouse Collection

OPI "My Boyfriend Scales Walls" (Polka Dots)

Spider-Man Collection, Summer 2012

Speaking of Minnie Mouse, I thought I saw one of her cousins this morning!

But I was wrong, it turned out to be a little baby kitten.

The fur baby I met this morning!

I woke up at 7:30am because I'm still very much on East Coast time.  Minh and I went to Pittsburgh, PA over the weekend, but I'll tell you more about that later. :)

I spent the morning in the garage flattening out cardboard boxes for the recycle bin.  I opened the garage for some air, and I see this giant black and white cat walking around the neighborhood. I was thinking to myself, that cat walks so funny.  I didn't think much of it, and I went inside and told Minh about the cat (because I share every little detail about animals sightings with him). lol 

I leave the house around 9:20am for my walk, and about 10 minutes in, I see this little fuzzy ball on the sidewalk in front of me.  I was thinking...oh no, not a dead mouse.  I look closer and it's a tiny baby kitten.  He was hamster size! He was just in the middle of the sidewalk by himself.  I felt so bad because he kept crying for mom.  He couldn't walk yet so he was just wiggling and slowly crawling around on the cement.  I could see the umbilical cord still attached to his body.  His eyes were still shut so I knew he might not even be 1 week old.  I didn't want to touch him because I was always told never to touch baby animals because their mom might not take them in if he/she has human scent.

I call Minh, my Mom, and I text my sister, and Van!  I didn't know what to do!  The little thing was so helpless. I didn't want the ravens to visit the kitten either.  I super hate crows/ravens, we have way too many of them in Washington State.  They seriously team up and dig through your trash and spread it everywhere!  They're horrible birds.  Minh and Mom both told me that the Mom was probably moving the kittens around, and she can only carry one at a time.  The middle of the sidewalk is not a very responsible place to leave your helpless baby momma cat! 

  I stand afar (like a weirdo) in the neighborhood and watch the kitten. I see someone walking by and asked him if he knew anyone around who had a cat, and he just shook his head and walked away. I've always notice a lot of cats in our neighborhood (walking around, or through neighbor's windows).  I continued with my walk because I wanted to give the mom cat space to come retrieve her baby, but every time I would walk by, the little kitten was still there.  I call the Seattle Humane Society hoping to get some help, but all I could do was leave a message.  They normally don't open until noon.  I know they would take in abandoned, orphaned animals.  But I knew the mom cat was around since I saw her this morning. I just hoped she would just come back and get her baby already!  I was so mad at her. lol

 She finally came and got her baby 30-45 minutes later.  I was so relieved!   

Maybe I'll meet the mom cat and her kittens again if she's nesting in our neighborhood.  I'll constantly on 'hood watch when I go on my morning walks. lol

Minh on AIM:

cat stalker
she probably took her kittens far away from you
so you don't cat-nap her kids


He's such a hater.

DIY Hair Color! Burgundy Plum

 I decided to change my hair color (DIY) after a good few months of getting the ombre hair color (professionally done).   I'm very happy with my new vibrant hair color!  My inspiration came from Pinterest. I really love looking at beautiful photos of burgundy, and purple hair colors.  I figured why not combine both!  Another combination I was thinking about was a purple black, but I'll save that one for next Fall...if not sooner! hehe

*Update* I have been getting so much feedback from this hair post, thank you so much Pinterest!

If anyone has any questions, please feel free to e-mail me. dskbeauty@gmail.com

 I'll try my best to help. :D

*Update* 11/05/12 I will be dying my hair again DIY style with black and purple!
Stay tuned for that post!! ^_^ I'll post it on Pinterest as well. ;)

I purchased my hair dyes at Sally's Beauty Supply.  I also purchased a coloring bowl, brush, gloves, and cape.  I asked the sales associate for help and she picked out the developer in 20 volume for me.  I went with the popular Ion brand.  Everything cost me $15-20.

-Ion Sensitive Scalp Developer 20 Volume
-N Rage Color Purple Plum
-Ion Color Brilliance Liquid Medium Intense Red 41R-44.66 (the cream and liquid work the same).

I used a BaByliss Pro Ceramic Tools 2 1/4" hair curler (from Cosmo Prof) to achieve my curls. :D  I'm obsessed with the Cosmo Prof store!  Vannie usually takes me when I'm in town, and we go crazy buying (cosmetic license) discounted beauty products. lol  It's our girl time. :)  Our significant others wait in the car and fall asleep. We get them bubble tea before we go so they crash from the sugar and sleep longer in the car. :D 

But back to the hair color, the mixing ratio is 1:1 (equal parts). I also added about 1/4 of the Purple Plum dye into the mix for my medium length hair. *Please note that I have thin hair, and bleached ends from my ombre highlights*

 You do need a hair dye brush to fix your dyes.

I left my hair color on for no more than 30 minutes. I just watched some of my favorite new ABC show GCB (Good Christian Bitches).  It's such a funny show!  I really like Revenge too.  What are some other good shows to start?  After the time was up, I went to wash my hair.  I washed out all the hair dye, and then I conditioned my hair with a 99 cent conditioning packet by Ion.  

My ends still felt a little coarse from the hair dye so I conditioned my hair again with the Macadamia Oil Hair Mask (which I love using as a conditioner every other day, it's comparable to the Morroccanoil Hair Mask which I also love!!).  They say you're not supposed to shampoo your hair immediately after you dye it.  You're only supposed to condition it, but I couldn't help myself and I used a tiny bit of my Macadamia Oil Shampoo because I can't help but shampoo my hair everyday.  I'm almost out of my shampoo so I will be posting my review on the Macadamia Oil hairline soon.  Everything in the line smells like a vacation! Afterwards, I conditioned the ends of my hair yet again with Joico K-Pack Reconstructor (Thanks Vannie!).  My hair has never felt more soft after coloring!  I feel the most important part of coloring your hair at home is to condition, condition, condition it post dye.

Check out Posh Beauty Blog because she is going to follow my hair dye recipe soon! :)

In puppies (that are actually dogs) news, Timmy and Wally turned 2 years old on April 8th. They're currently with their grandparents along with Penny, Nickel, and Ty.  Everyone in the Tran family adores Timmy.  He's such a needy dog and he makes everyone feel special. He's also very obedient.  Wally is more of the wild child dog. lol  Minh and I are headed to Pittsburgh, PA for a couples days so momma and poppa Tran are babysitting Timmy, and uncle Tony, and cousin Ty are watching Wally for us.  I don't think we could have afforded boarding for all 3 dogs for a week!  Thank you Vancouver family!  I'm excited for a getaway.  Life has been so busy for us with both our work.  We are planning on starting a new business together by the end of this year.  I'm really excited about it.  ^_^  

I'm 25 now, and I want to use my full potential moving forward towards the future. You know how they say your friends influence who you are?  I think it's true.  You should always surround yourself by hard working, inspiring people.  They rub off on you! You can learn so much from them, and see the results of hard work pay off! Once you see how hard your friends work, you never want to waste a minute being bored or lazy.  There's always something to be done to improve your future.  Speaking of improvements, I'm on my 3rd set of Invisalign trays.  I also got my buttons yesterday.  I finally feel my teeth moving!  They also filed between my lower teeth.  That was a little bit scary and unexpected.  I never went through teeth shaving with regular braces!  But to save yourself the trouble of orthodontist visits as an adult, wear your retainers teenagers!  I have a total of 16 sets of trays which sounds like a lot to me.  I only have two teeth that have rotated since my braces, but it sure is taking a lot of time to get them back in line!

Please check out my DSK Jewelry line!

www.dskjewelry.com

www.dskjewelry.blogspot.com

I accept custom orders too! Please e-mail me at dskjewelry@gmail.com!

I work with the finest .925 Sterling Silver, and Swarovski Crystal Jewelry. ^_^

On my nails: "Kim Konfidential"

The perfect honey nude creme polish!

It reminds me of my liquid foundation color as well. lol

 The cherry blossoms are in bloom!  Cherry Blossoms are definitely one of the perks of living in  Washington State.  The blossoms make my days so much better.

My new hood.  ^_^

It's normally full of mom's and little ones during the day, but I think it's best to not photograph them lol.

Did I tell you Minh and I got bicycles?!  We also bought a red bike rack for his car!  Now we can take our bikes out on the trails, and maybe even Alki Beach this summer.

I think micro blogging (Instagram, Twitter) has really taken away from my blog diary! *guilty*

Do any of you feel that way?  It's so much easier to follow everyone's lives on FB, Twitter, and Instagram.  It's so instant, and so easy!  I do still enjoy reading blogs, but I spend most of my free time on my phone on Instagram looking at pretty pictures. :)

My Instagram photos: http://instagrid.me/dskjewelry/ 

Thank you for reading! -Steph

OPI Vintage Minnie Mouse! [It's my birthday!]

Today is my birthday!  Thanks Mom & Dad!

I turned 25 years old. ^_^

Thank you to all my family and friends for the wonderful birthday wishes.
I always feel so loved on my birthday. <3

I was also very happy to see the press release announcement of the OPI Vintage Minnie Mouse Collection!

I saw some photos of this four polish collection last month and I was ecstatic because I love Minnie Mouse, and I know many of you do too!

I'm super super excited for the glitter polish especially, how about you? 

Minh + Stephanie = Minnie! lol

Maybe I will have a "Minnie" me someday in the wonderful future.
Or a new "Minnie" dog! haha

The line features a pink crème lacquer, one frosted red shade, a shimmery fuchsia, and a heart glitter confetti:

 Nothin’ Mousie ‘bout It
Don’t squeak it – SHOUT IT! This confetti light pink is tops!

I’m All Ears
Tell me how much you love this magenta shimmer.

If You Moust You Moust
You gotta pink what you gotta pink.

The Color of Minnie
You had this little mouse at “red.”

OPI’s All Ears!

OPI Announces New Limited Edition Minnie Mouse-Inspired, Nail Lacquers

            OPI launches Vintage Minnie Mouse, including four limited edition nail lacquers, for summer. Created in honor of Disney’s beloved character, the colors encapsulate Minnie Mouse’s irresistible charm in playful, pretty shades of pink and red. 

 “OPI is so excited to collaborate with Disney and draw inspiration from one of the world’s most popular characters,” explains Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director.  “This collection brings together the expertise of OPI and the iconic style of Minnie Mouse to inspire the distinct palette of vibrant, feminine shades for summer Nails will pop against summer skin in these classic, saturated hues – holding their own alongside the bold prints of the season.”

           I can't wait to get my hands on this collection!  You will definitely see swatches soon.

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to visit me!  My birthday plans are a quiet dinner with two of our good friends. =^_^=  See you on Instagram [dskjewelry]! ;D