Messin' with Masks

I was sitting shot-gun in my mother's car earlier last week, talking about my new job in the city, when she abruptly (in true Asian mother bluntness) busted out with "your skin is looking kind of rough and tired, sweetie..." Um, woah. Talk about coming out of left field, right? So rather than get my feathers ruffled at such a seemingly insensitive non sequitur, I broke the awkward silence that followed by promising I'd try to book a facial for myself soon. (and by soon, I really meant when my phantom trust fund decided to finally manifest itself... as soon as I got that first, third paycheck )

But I digress....

So fast forward to Friday afternoon, about 5:30 pm, and I decide to kick the weekend off with a browsing session at the Market Street Daiso , squealing in delight over the plethora of cute/ useless totchkes such as bunny shaped rice molds or little chick shaped soy sauce dispensers, Asians seem to love so much. Strolling down the cosmetics aisle, I come across a curious item that caught my eye:

Instructions thoughtfully provided in 'literal' En-grish

Intrigued, I picked up the package and read the ingredients. Now, normally, I would strongly discourage anyone (including myself) from buying beauty / health products from a discount store unless it was a brand you know and trust. But I've recently been reading many English-written blogs about Japanese beauty products, and almost all of them have been extolling the virtues of the Japanese face masks. Basically, one can confidently use the products because of :the Japanese consumers demand / expectation of quality even in their 'economy priced' goods. (So unlike some other, less-scrupulous countries, the probability of a Japanese made product responsible for disfiguring the faces off its users finding its way into the US market was highly unlikely) Still, being the skeptical, cynical Westerner that I am, trying an unknown face product is a bit like playing beauty russian roulette...

On the other hand, at $1.50 a pop, what did I really have to lose? But just to make sure, I asked the cheerful cashier girl what she knew about the mask, and she thankfully confirmed that no one has come in complaining about a ruined face...yet. Buoyed by that questionable endorsement, I bought two face masks and prayed I would not be losing my fortune in an attempt to be frugal. (ba-dum-dum). Upon arriving home, I 'Googled' the face masks, and read reviews to make sure (again) no one's face melted off. So far so good. By the time I finished blog-hopping, it was way past midnight. I decide to save the 'masking' for Saturday night and make an event of the evening.

Saturday night rolls around, and true to my plans, I decide to go all out and make my own home spa by playing my Norah Jones playlist, lighting my favorite candle, and pouring myself a glass of red wine. I wash my face with Origin's Modern Friction. Toned with A Perfect World and proceeded to mask up.
 

Opening the Package

So I take out the mask and I am immediately struck by the fact that the cotton- paper mask is positively soaked in a liquid that smells a lot like witch hazel. Putting the mask on my face was a lot like putting an icy cold, witch hazel soaked towel on your face. Logistically, the most difficult part I faced was not getting the liquid into my eyes. This was quickly resolved by having a paper towel handy to mop up any small rivulets. I found that it was also helpful to lie down as the suggested time to wear the mask was 30 minutes. Again, the paper towel was handy to wipe up any liquid that may run down your neck.

Well hello, Clarisse. Would you kindly pass the fava beans?

As I'm laying down in my bed, I set the timer on my phone for 30 minutes, close my eyes, and enjoy the scent of candle as I Come Away with Norah. At first, I was momentarily panicked because the mask was causing my face to tingle a bit. It was a very similar sensation to wiping your face down with some Sea Breeze astringent. As the tingling was mildly pleasant, and subsided after about a minute or two, I began to relax..

Face...Off

 



Before I know it, 30 minutes have elapsed (I was drifting toward sleep) and its time to take my mask off. After taking the mask off, I noticed that my face was feeling tighter and my pores looked smaller. I massaged the remaining thin layer of liquid on my face into my skin (per the instructions on the package), waited about 5 minutes till the liquid was absorbed, then finished with a light application of my night time moisturizer.

Admiring my handiwork...

Looking at my skin the next morning, I couldn't help but notice that my face felt much softer and smoother. I kept wanting to touch my face, but had to control myself lest the oils from my hands undo all the previous night's efforts. The small discoloration on my cheek (where I absentmindedly picked at a zit while reading) looked lighter.  I washed my face with my normal, everyday cleanser, put on a thin layer of Cetaphil, and went along my merry way without make-up.





Despite all my initial trepidation over my face melting off, I was really, pleasantly surprised at how soft and toned my face feels. Now before ya'll go running out to Daiso, please note that my face tends to be oily (prone to break outs especially during that time of the month) and is not super sensitive. This product made my face feel less 'greasy' at the end of my day, and for a $1.50 mask, I feel like this is an indulgent STEAL!
With such a positive first experience, I can't wait to try the other masks I saw at Daiso, and see if its a hit or miss. Stay tuned for more reviews, and let me know if any of you have tried this product. If so, what were the results?

Emergency Cake, Andre, & Other Pleasant Surprises...

I can't believe its already March! EEEEEEK!

They say the older you get, the faster time goes, but I swear, it seems as if time is barreling forward at warp speed...

So there's only 2 more weeks left of school before the end of the Merch. Marketing program and, ultimately, graduation. Nine months have come and gone and its nearly time to give birth to this new career I've worked so hard and sacrificed so much for.

When someone on the school elevator joked this morning, about seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, I couldn't help but wonder (albeit morbidly) if it truly was the light or just the light from the train bulleting toward you. Though I am rarely prone to such melancholy musings, keep in mind this was at 8am and BEFORE I had my morning coffee.

The point is, its the final lap, and though it seems as if every professor is conspiring to pile on as much work as possible in an oddly Sisyphusian attempt to keep us from the finish line, I just gotta keep reminding myself : "Make it Work"
"What happened to Andre?"

But I digress...

While taking a brain break this evening, I decided to clean out the fridge and "found" some 'secret cake' (a chocolate ganache confection from my Mom's birthday, courtesy of Citizen Cake) squirreled away for emergency use only. So I cut a (thinnish) slice, made some tea, and was looking though some recently  streaming headlines and when this delightful morsel in the Huffington Post caught my eye:

Christina Hendricks Models Vivienne Westwood's New Jewelry

::OMGDROPMYCHOCOLATEFORKONTHEFLOORSWOON::

A modern-day Boudica? Or a Titian come to life?

No one can ever accuse Joan of wearing her heart on her sleeve.

According to the press release, "Designs from the collection are inspired by nature and from symbols of paganism -- the acorn, the oak tree and the heart all feature prominently to represent strength, power and hope for change to make the environment better for the future."

Westwood said, "Christina is the embodiment of beauty and we were delighted to have been able to involve her with this new jewelry collection. Her style is just so complimentary to my designs. She has proved to be the perfect model for the campaign,"

My girl-crush + One of my favorite designers + Pagan inspired jewelery = Happiness Overload. (Which is so much better than dinner at Red Lobster)

Happy S.A.D (Singles Awareness Day)

Not the biggest fan of what today stands for, but these images are too fun to resist. Its my gift to you. XOXO




I <3 the mischevious expression on this little one's face





Gives new meaning to the term "Heart Burn"





"Take another piece of my heart, baby"

You'd think these guys would put a sweater or something a bit warmer on rather than burning hearts, but hey...that's Victorian sensibility for ya. 




(All images were found on http://mariesfreebies.blogspot.com/search/label/perfumes%20soaps%20powders%20etc)

A Glass Act

Alright, Glee is over, and I've put this post off long enough...

The first Sunday of the month is always cause for excitement because it signals the monthly pilgrimage to the Alameda Antiques Faire.

A slightly overcast view of SF

 Barring rainy weather or work, you will most likely find me among the throngs of die-hards (or die-hards-to-be) looking for that perfect 'score'. The thrill of ferreting out that fabulous find is a fix I crave, and much of my furnishings & home decor have been courtesy of 'the Alameda'.

A Table Full of Treasures!

There are a few schools of thought when approaching 'The Alameda'. You can wake up at the crack of dawn, get to the site at 6am, and pay $15 to mingle with the hard-core early birds. These are usually the Pros-- interior designers, shop owners and collectors looking for specific items. You can spot the pros because they usually have a large dolly laden with awesome stuff you wish you had found first.

I <3 these fabulous lamps!

Or you can subscribe to my school of thought, were you roll up at around 10:30 with Starbucks in hand, pay $5 and score deals from vendors who are more open to lowering their prices in an effort to avoid having to re-pack all that stuff.

Porters optional with these vintage suitcases...

With 24 rows of vendors, there's TONS of stuff to look at, and you'll be hard-pressed to completely browse all tables. Fortunately, yours truly is a seasoned veteran, and can see all rows in just four (4) hours.

Look! Instant Ancestors!!!

With so much eye candy out & about its easy to be overwhelmed gobsmacked by the assortment of offerings, but this time, I noticed some amazing glassware that I wanted to share:

How adorable are these circus glasses? (yes, even the clown one)

How cool are the graphics on these glasses? If my budget wasn't so tight, I would have snapped them up and brought them home. I hope they found a good home. At least I have the photo. = (

A fun & festive Fall grouping

Its like Josephine Baker meets the caves of Lascaux

A Jazzy Planter's Peanut ?

Of Course glass ware was not the only thing to catch my eye... In addition to some great people-watching the Alameda also provides some awesome vintage fashion inspiration:

Such Lovely & Gracious Ladies

And Handsome Gents...

Someone's been raiding Betty Draper's Closet...

Well Hellooo, Sassy!

All right Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up

Sorry for the delay in posting but my last week of vacation has been BUSY!
In addition to the usual hilarity& hijinx at work , I've been making movies. (No, not the scandalous, TMZ kind, but that of the instructional variety).

It's my YouTube debut (at least that I know of), and since its posting this morning, I've already gotten 40 hits, and none of them my mom, thankyouverymuch. Hopefully, this will be the first of many "How-To" video series, so let me know what you think or if you have any suggestions for future videos.

In the meantime, I'm just editing the photos I took at last Sunday's Alameda Antiques Faire and will be posting my finds real soon, so stay tuned.

All Knotted Up

So I started my first week of vacation in style by trying this whole "ladies that lunch" concept with my dear friend Beth. She and I had a fantastically down-home (and points racking) meal at the Lakeshore Cafe. Once seated in their charming courtyard, one of the topics we discussed was the AMAZINGLY GORGEOUS website from Hermès. (Yes darling, that Hermès)...

J'aime Mon Carre pays homage to those oh-so-covetable pieces of wearable art: The Scarf.




Now I know that some observant fashionistas will flashback (no, no the good kind) to Burberry's "Art of Trench", and say "biters", "recyclers", but I gotta give Hermès credit for attempting to lure in a whole new generation of devotees to this iconic, heritage brand.

Stunning, Inspiring, "insert favorable adjective here". "A" for effort, Hermès!  What do I care if one of your scarves = my rent + utilities? Spot on for dancing away from your traditional customer (the real 'Ladies Who Lunch") and showing some foresight by identifying / targeting aspirational, fashion conscious, educated females between the ages of 25-35. I just love the fact that I'm picking up some tips & tricks on how to tie and wear my scarves with a little more je ne sais quoi                    


                                                                                                  

So what if your idea of regular 'it' girls are all pouty, off-duty supermodels shown cavorting around the most glamorous cities in the world on the back of their equally off-duty supermodel BF's vespas? That's some disbelief I'm willing to suspend....




After brunch, we promenaded (ok, I rolled) down the block, partly to enjoy some retail therapy, but mostly to avoid the embarrassment of passing out right in the cafe's morning glory canopied fountain. I was just congratulating myself for making it out of the Gap without purchasing something, when something caught the corner of my eye while walking past Juniper Tree. On a little table, tucked to the side of the store, I spotted this little gem:

 And two of little gem's friends:

Seriously, though each scarf was less than a happy meal, their graphics, colors and vintage appeal score high style points. And given the economy's current state, its about as close as I'm going to get to achieving that Hermès look for less. Totally happy with my loot, and inspired by the stuff I learned on the site, I gleefully spent the evening trying different knots to achieve different looks:

Please Allow Me to Introduce Myself...I'm A Girl with a Wealth of Taste

and I require far less sympathy than that pitch-fork wielding fellow...but all joking aside, WELCOME EVERYONE (all 5 or so of you who know about this blog) to my very first post.

This blog serves as an outlet for me to creatively exercise and chronicle my three greatest loves in life: History, Fashion, and Food. Its main purpose is to share with you some of the things I like to do, to go, and to eat, but its still a work in progress and a tremendous labor of love, so bear with me while I get the lay of Blog-land.

As some of you may already know, I'm starting my second quarter at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) in San Francisco in two weeks and one of the best things about being surrounded by like-minded, passionately-creative individuals, is that every little conversation, exercise, or mere observation (especially in the Student Lounge) serves as inspiration. In Trend Forecasting class, I did an analysis on the "Retro Revival" so hot in F/W 2010. Below are some drool-worthy examples:

These LV Ads are my kind of "Bringing Sexy Back". I seriously covet & <3 everything in these ads...

Scarlett channeling her inner Marilyn

Guess' Homage to the young, 'greaser' set...

What delights me most about this season's 'trend' (and I say that very cheekily) is that its encouraging pushing people to put their best face / foot forward in these tough times. Sure, the economy is going down the toilet, but do you have to reflect it by looking like something that needs to be flushed? Or do you meet the challenges head -on with a cool, confidence & poise that suggests a mastery / control of one's surroundings? For once, those who love vintage fashions are ahead of the curve because its only now that everyone else has caught on to vintage's true allure: that of transformation.

I like to think that my generational cohor't's (all those born after Carter and before the Clinton administration) enthusiastic embracing of a more polished, refined look is in response to a misspent youth in the 90's where baggy shapes & flannel reigned supreme. "Dressing up" is not just relegated to the whole 50's / 60's  retro look as online retailer Piperlime tries to convey in their recent & controversial Ads:

 

Bravo Piperlime for holding us accountable for such fashion crimes such as wearing pajamas out in public (you know who you are...) and though I will never permanently trade in my jeans for a girdle, I sincerely hope that what people take away from this 'trend' is a greater appreciation for looking 'top drawer' by 'dressing to the nines' to 'put their best foot forward'. In other words, dress up every once in a while and see if you don't stand a little straighter, have more confidence, and project a slightly, more perceptively perfect you.