Goodbye 2011!!

Time to say goodbye to 2011. It's been a year full of tough challenges and wonderful achievements. I'm extremely grateful for all the opportunities I've received. Hopefully this new year will provide even more opportunities for everyone. 

Happy New Year!!

casual day out

casual day out by momo-san92 featuring a gold belt

Outfit of the Day: Christmas

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!!

D.I.Y: Simple holiday gift idea

 There's a way to get gifts for all of the fashionistas in your life without breaking the bank. It's as easy as 1, 2, 3. These simple bracelets look elegant and can be worn separately or stacked. Here's what you'll need:

 

• metallic beads 
• clear beads
• assorted black and grey small beads 
• elastic cord
• scissors

1. Measure the elastic cord using your wrist. Make sure you leave 2 extra inches so it'll be easier to tie the ends. 

2. Layout your pattern and string the beads. 

3. Tie the ends.

Christmas Wishlisht

Christmas Wishlisht by momo-san92 featuring cut out shoes

Make up wishlist

Make up wishlist by momo-san92 on polyvore.com

I've been so busy with school work that I haven't had time to think about what I would like for Christmas. I'm not really a big make up junkie but once I do find something I really enjoy I make a really big deal out of it. I would say that the top item on my wishlist is the Naked Palette from Urban Decay. My friend tried it on me and I fell in love. I like this palette so much because it's very versatile. It has a variety of matte and glittery eyeshadows that can be used for soft natural make up or for more dramatic smokey eyes. Second on my wishlist are the three cheek and lip stains from Benefit. I chose all three because they're all such wonderful shades. I'm incredibly obssessed with lip stains because they're so long lasting. I'm very no fuss and I hate reapplying make up so long lasting make up is a must for me.The last item is Miss Dior cherie perfume. This one has such a soft delicate scent. I would also describe it as very feminine and sweet.

Mini Haul

I've worked insanely hard this semester and I think a little Christmas present is in order. Lately I've been obsessed with accessories in bold prints and I was lucky enough to find some animal print oxfords on sale for only $17. They were so freaking adorable that I just had to buy them.  I think that these shoes will add the right amount of pop to any outfit. Since the pattern is so bold, I've been thinking of pairing them with more monochromatic outfits. I can't wait to wear them, but it hasn't stop raining.

Animal Print Oxfords from Pac Sun

A few weeks ago I also got some lip products. My lips tend to dry up easily so I'm always on the look out for tinted lip balms. The one I got is from Hard Candy and it's in the shade Starfish. I was very drawn to this shade because I think it is very subtle for a coral shade. Since I don't like to wear bold make-up for school, this one works perfectly for me. I got another coral shade, but this one is a lipstick. It's from Model Co's Satin Lip Couture in the shade Coral. This shade tends to be a bit more of the pink side and it has a very light sheen.

Hard Candy's Tinted Lip Balm in Starfish and Model Co's Satin Lip Couture in Coral

Along with the lip products I purchased two nail polishes. The first one is Rimmel's Lasting Finish Pro in Steel Gray. I was really drawn to this shade because I've been looking for a very understated matte gray. I think this shade looks very elegant and polished, so it would be one of my first choices for any job interview or formal event. The other nail polish is NYC's Long Wearing Enamel in Plaza Plumberry. This one is a very rich and luxurious dark plum. I think dark plums are a great alternative to black nail polishes since they still add an air of mystery and elegance to nails.

Rimmel's Lasting Finish Pro in Steel Gray and NYC's Long Wearing Nail Enamel in Plaza Plumberry

The End of the Semester

Yesterday I finished the hardest class of all: design workshop. After putting so many hours of effort (and two sleepless days right before the hand-in) my final project was ready. I couldn't have been more excited for this one. I had to design a lighting fixture based on the designs of Zaha Hadid. I had been obsessing over her work lately and it was an absolute thrill to find out that she was my chosen inspiration. It was such a challenging project right from the start, from picking the materials to setting up the lighting system. I created a set of three lamps made from strips of white poster board and I'm so excited about the results that I just needed to share them with you guys.

 

After all of the hard work, I look back and I'm surprised. Never in my life I thought I could accomplish all of the things I've done during this semester. It was tough and there were a couple of meltdowns on the way but it was all worth it. I'm finally sure that this is the career path I want to follow.

Embrace the curls

This holiday season toss aside your blowdryer and flat iron because curls are the new spring trend. So if you have natural curly hair don't be afraid of letting your curls loose. Some of the looks included very defined curls and others had very soft barely there waves.

Shiny and sleek curls at Prada

Big barrel curls and lots of volume at Anna Sui 

Loose curls at Elie Saab

Images via style.com

 

Maintaining natural curly hair can be quite a task. I've struggled with it for many years, but after countless hits and misses I've finally learned how to take care of it. I've learned how to embrace it instead of trying to turn it into something it wasn't. It's very hard to find useful beauty advice in regards to this and well I've had to figure somethings out on my own. This is why I decided to share all of my findings.

1. Don't wash your hair everyday. Curly hair is naturally dry and needs plenty of moisture. If you wash your hair everyday, you're taking away essential oils that can lead to over drying, frizz, and split ends. If you can't go a day without washing your hair, I suggest using a sulfate-free shampoo. Sulfate-free shampoo cleanses without the use of foam and harsh chemicals. As for conditioner, I recommend leave-in conditioners. These provide and extra bit of moisture and make styling a lot easier. You can also use regular conditioners and add weekly deep conditioning treatments. Both of these options provide great results.

2. Don't use hair brushes or style your hair when dry. Some experts agree that curly hair shouldn't even be styled. Many suggest using your fingers to comb through it. I don't like this method so I use a wide tooth comb. Wide tooth combs tend to separate hair without necessarily breaking it. You'll get more defined curls and minimize breakage.  If I need to fix my hair when it's already dry, I use a little trick. I take a spray bottle and fill it with some leave-in conditioner dissolved with water. I spray a little bit on the area and comb through it.

3. Stay away from styling products that contain alcohol. Hair gels are curly hair's worst enemy. Their high alcohol content dries out hair and leaves it crunchy. Instead of using gels, use hydrating styling cremes or mousses. My favorite products include Tressemés' Flawless Curls mousse and Fekkai's Smooth Hair Cream.

4. The final trick that I picked up was creating little twists with wet hair. Divide your hair into as many sections as you want, it all depends on how big you want your curls to be. After that you divide each section in two and twist them similarly to when you're braiding hair. You should leave it to dry for about 30 to 45 minutes, but don't wait until the hair's completely dry to remove them. If the hair is completely dry, then you can't make any arrangements to them.