Accessories for Your Accessories

When I was younger I begged my parents to buy me a Super Nintento. After I got it along with the Super Mario play pack, I asked for extra controllers so my friends could play together. Then I wanted more games like Dance Dance Revolution...and then of course I needed the stomp pads to hop around on. You come to realize that when making a relatively large purchase, it's never in a vacuum and necessitates the future purchase of other things to go along with it. Accessories begat accessories. These businesses are smart.

After I got my Celine, I fretted about how to protect it from spills, stains, scratches, etc. Gotta protect your investment! The Purse Forum has a hugely helpful community to share resources and I learned about Meltonian Waterproof and Protector Spray. It's worked so far - and didn't alter the color of the purse either. For the inside though, I still worried whether placing heavy items would cause the bottom to bow. Past versions of the Celine with pebbled leather tended to slouch over time and create a saggy butt look = do not want. TPF'ers also mentioned bag inserts for the Mini's which I'd always heard about for organizational purposes but was now more interested in as it had a solid cardboard lining to prevent saggage. The most popular brand seemed to be Chameleon, which I ordered and recently received:

It works fantastically. The top picture of sans insert = sad and droopy. The bottom picture has just the insert inside = standing up straight! There are side cardboard inserts but I removed since it prevented the sides of the Mini to tuck in. I mostly just wanted it for the bottom protection anyway, which it did really well. Yesterday I had carried a ton of stuff in my bag (including a large padfolio, water, pumps to change into, makeup) and the bottom stayed even and flat, no giveaway signs of the weight inside. Plus, it's nice to have all the pockets and zippers to find and store items. I might transfer this into the messy pit that is my Longchamp Pliage for organization.

Chameleon lists multiple sizes and also offers unstructured and structured (has the cardboard) versions of the inserts. For the Mini, the XL fit perfectly with no extra room on the sides.

Another accessory for accessories is my Graphic Image eBook Reader Envelope for the Kindle - I love this! I like the naked feel of holding the Kindle so I opted for a case that I could remove at will instead of a bulkier cover that's stuck to the device. I like Graphic Image (they make the best planners) and trust the brand and quality. Love the sleek design and the lining is soft, nestling the Kindle just right =) Toughest part is choosing from all the colors, but I really liked the mustard yellow which has a nice sophisticated feel. I found mine via MyHabit for $35 so there are definitely other venues to get this for much cheaper than MSRP. Team Kindle!

Weekend Instagram

Hope everyone had a good weekend! I'm disappointed with the switcheroo that CA and NY pulled on me with the weather - it was rainy, gloomy and for the most part, very chilly in the Bay Area, while I jealously read tweets from East Coast counterparts about the 70+ degree gorgeous sunshine.

Top left: Am I the last person to find out about Daiso, Japanese dollar super store? If only I had my own place to decorate. This Saturday, my friend Eveline took me for the first time and I was itching for all the adorable housewares, including cutesy lunch boxes that I can't wait to make into bentoboxes for um, future kids. Foursquare also tipped me off to the beauty section, with its extensive false eyelash selection - will keep these in mind for Vegas or special occasion events. I picked up some hair tie ropes and chestnuts for snacking.

Top right: To honor St. Patrick's Day, I pulled out the only green thing I had, this Yoshi tshirt that was a genius gift for the bf. The bottom words say "games" in Chinese, which is pronounced "yo shi"!

Bottom left: H&M has stepped up its game and is enticing me with all the recent offerings. This is the third time I've bought stuff from the store in two weeks. Today's goods: khaki crocheted sweater perfect for layering over maxi dresses/skirts during summer, breezy black asymmetrical hem top on sale, white vest for layering (pattern emerging: I love holey knits for summer), and a geometric pyramid gray/white bracelet. 

Bottom right: Coachella wristbands are heeerreee! On my shopping list is what to wear for this music festival. Boho, carefree, but mostly being comfortable as I'll be on my feet for the better part of the days. Can't believe it's 3 weeks away.

Have a great week!

Run For Cover: Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer Review

Stress for me this year meant having less than one month to 1) pack four years of NYC living into 16 boxes and three suitcases, 2) find subletters to take over the rest of my lease, and 3) frantically squeeze in and check off as many "bucket list" items as I could...then moving cross country and now daily prepping for recruiting and interviews in CA. Ack! My skin's exhibiting symptoms of stress and while I'm using some trusty acne fighters (Mario Badescu Drying Lotion and Acne.org regimen), there's no replacement (yet) for a great concealer to mask newly-popped or old scars.

Who knows when I'll finally win the war against breakouts and acne, but for now, I at least have a new weapon to fight my battles with - Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer. I was strolling around SF's adorable Union Street in the Marina district and walked into Sephora, intending to get a replacement for my Nars concealer, but was open to seeing if I could get a recommendation for other products. Nars did a good job color matching to my skin (I used Ginger btw, which is fairly yellow) but after they switched to a new, slimmer packaging, I felt the formula also slightly got tweaked to a drier, more chalky finish = not blended in super well. Meh.

My first stop was the Make Up For Ever (MUFE) counter since I use their HD Foundation, really like how it feels/looks on, and haven't broken out from it. Why not try something else from the line? It'd been good to me so far & I reward performance with loyalty =P I was looking for some heavier coverage to hide fresh breakouts so the Full Cover concealer looked attractive. A rep helping me also suggested Stila but after we did some cheek to cheek comparisons, she said the Stila felt oilier and slid around during application which wouldn't be good for my already oily skin. The MUFE stayed on better - probably due to it being waterproof so it's drier.

#7 was a color match for my skin and I've been using it now for the past 3 weeks to very good results! No adverse reactions from my skin, and great coverage of dark spots, especially older, flat scars. It's oil-free, waterproof, and doesn't feel heavy. As far as long-lasting, it holds up for least ~4 hours but I do see that I would need to reapply in the late afternoon. However, this could be because I don't finish with a powder on top to fully set the concealer (train case is still packed away somewhere!).

One negative is that it oxidizes a bit and gets darker, but I can deal with that. Also, after a few sunny afternoons I've tanned a little and will probably need to go a shade darker for my "summer" tone. The shades don't go in order (ex. #8 is too peachy instead of yellow-based) so I would likely need #10.

Some "after" pictures for results after application - not willing to post "before" pictures, but I definitely have visible dark spots and pitted scars on both cheeks, near forehead, and a few live ones near the eyebrow that are still visible since concealer unfortunately can't magically make the larger 3-D bumps go away. It doesn't make everything perfect - I have no disillusions that any product can actually make you look airbrushed with active acne going on - but as of now, this is my new go-to concealer. At $30, it feels like a good value as a little goes a long way and well, it works! Just wanted to share if you were on the lookout for a promising product =)

The Sun Sets in the West

It's been a hectic start to 2012 - from here on out, Michelle and I are making an effort to be more active in the blogosphere! Regardless how many people read our posts, it's nice to have a little piece of the web to call our own. Also, based on my recent post-shopping experiences where I hunt relentlessly for online reviews of things I buy to justify my purchases, you can never have too many blog posts.

The biggest change in my life: after 3.5 years living in Manhattan and absolutely having a ball, I've moved back to California and am starting fresh! There's no place like NYC and it will have a special place in my heart forever, but I am so excited to explore San Francisco and uncover gems to make it feel like home.

In my last month in NYC, I played tourist (finally attended a taping of Letterman) and basically shopped and ate my heart out. 

Before I left, there were several events planned and I was lucky to attend, my favorite one being the Estee Lauder visit. We got to see and walk around Estee's original office, which was meticulously preserved. Her original choice of furniture, wallpaper (which was completed by hand), and decor are left as it was when she was still there. The upper right picture is of her "secret" vanity and bathroom - it's behind a camouflaged wall panel!

It was super sunny the morning of the big move. I loved and am missing my neighborhood - Chelsea! Had to grab one last cinnamon raisin bagel from Murray's, cappuccino from Joe the Art of Coffee, and enjoy both on the Highline one last time and soak it all in. 

My goodbye gift to self - a Celine Mini Luggage in Souris, which is a taupe-y mushroom greige. February ended up being the month of Celine, with two other friends also getting Luggages (the red is a friend's bag - so gorgeous! and I've let go of the pink).

The leather is scrumptious on this bag; this is the new drummed leather for 2012 Resort which is stiffer than the old pebbled so should retain its shape better. To be on the safe side, I still bought a bag insert to prevent the bottom from sagging. I wish the bag was lighter; even with just my wallet, Kindle, vitamins and a scarf inside, the purse rests on the heavier side and I find myself rotating positions between handheld and crook-of-elbow to alleviate pressure. It's still beautiful though so its negatives are forgiven.  

I've been exploring San Francisco every weekend and it's glorious! The best part is definitely all the people here - my boyfriend also moved west last year, my college and high school friends are here, and so are my family. I'm looking forward to being a ton more outdoorsy here (in Manhattan I counted living in a 5th floor walkup as my exercise) and exploring the distinct characteristics of SF's charming and endearing neighborhoods. I welcome any tips and suggestions!