I'll Pink To That

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and whether you'll be engaged in a romantic dinner for two or staying in with the company of close friends and wine, this bright and fun nail look is sure to put you in a festive mood.

Step 1: Apply any base coat to protect your nails from any damage from the polish.
Step 2: Brush on one to two coats of a hot pink polish. (I used The Balm: Hot Ticket Nail Polish in I'll Pink To That)
Step 3: Sweep on top a pink glitter polish just onto the ring fingers. (I used Essie in A Cut Above)
Step 4: Take a toothpick, dip some into a white nail polish, and gently draw in a heart on your pinky finger. (Make sure your pink nail polish is fully dried first!)

Step 5: Apply a clear top coat to finish it off, and allow the nails to fully dry. 

-YK

January MyGlam and Birchbox Unveiled

I got some goodies to share with you today! I have not only one but two different monthly beauty subscriptions from the month of January. So without further ado, I introduce to you..MyGlam and Birchbox. If neither of these names sound familiar to you, let me give you a quick explanation to these awesome deals. They are separate companies but they serve almost the exact same purpose, you can subscribe monthly ($10/mo) or annually ($100-$110/yr) to get a set of 4-5 deluxe beauty samples delivered right to your door every month.

Here's what I received from the January collections.

This package is from Birchbox and for January they focused on the theme, clarity. It's a month to concentrate on taking care of our bodies working from the inside out. Start off the year 2012 with a pure and clean foundation by eating right (something I'm still working on), and by exercising proper skincare. A huge beauty trend I see coming up for this Spring is having a fresh face with hardly any makeup on except for a bright pop of lip color.

The Birchbox collection included:

• Granola by Witchcraft
• Smudge Stick/ Waterproof Eyeliner by Stila in Blue Ribbon
• Eye Serum by VMV Hypoallergenics
• Night Cream by BeFine
• Viva La Juicy Perfume by Juicy Couture
• And a magnet!

January was my first month of trying out MyGlam, and I have to say I was thoroughly impressed. Majority of their sample products were full-size! What a deal! They bundled together a combination of some of the best Eco-friendly beauty products.

The MyGlam collection included:

• Facial Peel-Off Mask by Freeman in Cucumber
• Cleansing Conditioner by Wen in Sweet Almond Mint
• Dual Concealer by Sheer Cover in Light/Medium
• Hot Ticket Nail Polish by The Balm in I'll Pink To That
• And a super cute cosmetic bag!

 Click on the video to get more information and critiques on the products by watching me give my take on the collections. Subscribe to my Youtube channel, YejiLoves to get updated on the latest makeup tutorials and reviews.

-YK

Happy (belated) New Year!!

It's that time of the year again, where we shed off the old and take on the new! By the time December rolls around I spend a lot of time focusing on the next coming year and what improvements or changes I can make for myself. I'm not the best when it comes to accomplishing my set resolutions by the end of the 12 months but there have been times when I felt like I succeeded. I thought I would try something a little different this year. Instead of creating resolutions that only apply to me and are detailed toward the specifics of my life, I thought I'd come up with some resolutions that we all can try out together, and hopefully they will carry on to the years after that. I know I'm a little behind on this post so...sorry!

Here they are...

1. Forgive and move on. Was your heart bruised and torn by someone in the past? Have you spent sleepless nights re-winding and playing the painful scene repeatedly in your mind? One of the most difficult experiences you'll endure some time in your life is the un-tangling of a knotted mess. Life moves on quickly and it doesn't stop for anyone, so don't spend a major duration of your life bitterly holding onto that rotting grudge. We're all imperfect human beings living in an imperfect world, there will be times when we make the right decision and then some terrible ones, so release the mistake that was wrongly brought upon you by that person and make the right decision to forgive. You'll quickly realize how much more full and colorful life is without that ugly memory.

2. Take it easayy.. (Nacho Libre's voice). It's a known fact that we are our own worst critics, whether you were grown up that way or just recently started to lay the hammer on yourself. Stop. Close your eyes, and take in a deep breath...and release...feel a little better? It's easy to be consumed by the demands of today, tomorrow, and next week. The world starts to shrink and soon you become trapped by the expectations from your family, friends, work, or school. It's extremely exhausting to go through the days scrutinizing every minuscule detail that's being negatively reflected in your life. Instead take a step back and see the beauty of the bigger picture. Life is meant to be thoroughly enjoyed, no one's putting you under a microscope and inspecting every inch of a decision you make. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, they always allow us to learn, grow, and be stretched to new heights.

3. Stop people pleasin'. Some of us walk through life by trying to play it safe and by never being at fault. You agree to the opinions of other people and quickly pipe yes to any of their questions or favors. You'll soon come to realize that you're setting yourself up for a trap, you'll be deeply wounded by those who you thought were your "friends," and may be taken advantage of. I know that some of you are genuinely generous with your time, money, and heart but you also have to discern what motivation you're doing these acts out of. If it's not out of love, it's out of fear.

4. Value your relationships. We often measure our lives by the strength of our financial status, or by the hefty collection of the latest gadgets in technology. We synonymously define these materialistic items to the word "success," and while we busy ourselves by running after these goals, we forget that the most valuable creations in our lives are the people we love. I believe that life becomes more rich not by how much money is accumulating in our bank accounts but by the depth of our relationships. It's the precious people in our lives that add flavor, excitement, and joy in even the most difficult circumstances.

5. Love who you are. You were made with a purpose, and you're unique in little and big ways. Don't fall into the temptation of comparing yourself to someone else, they have their shortcomings too. I personally have to remind myself every day that my life was given to me as a gift and I'm not showing any appreciation by constantly picking at every flaw I see in myself. I've learned that we first must embrace and love ourselves for who we are so that we can do the same for others.

. . . . .

Once again, I know this is a super late post, but if you haven't seen my New Year's Eve Makeup Tutorial on my Youtube channel yet, check it out, and let me know what you think! You could always save this look for the eve of 2013 haha. :) 

I hope everyone's having a wonderful start to 2012, I'm excited for all the new adventures and memories this year will create! 

-YK

Rockin' NYE Nails

 

These nails brought me back to a childhood memory of when I used to run around in the great outdoors in the glowing summer heat with the neighborhood kids. We would set sail on all sorts of adventures with our vibrant imaginations, there was one time when we would pretend to be treasure hunters searching for "rare" stones. These stones were actually just commonly found black and gray speckled rocks, but what made them so valuable to us was once the rock was cracked open the interior would display an array of sparkling shades, and their sheen would be emphasized by the gleaming sunlight. The simple things are the most beautiful in life, yes?

These two polishes came together as a set, the great thing about the deep blue shade is that you only need one coat to create an opaque cover. The blue is a lovely and bold color by itself but once the special effects lacquer is swept on top, it adds a brilliant, speckled shell of a forest green. These nails will be dazzling accessory to your New Year's Eve outfit. And as always, I will be posting up a makeup tutorial that will go perfectly with these nails, so check back soon! 

Step 1: Apply any base coat to protect your nails from any damage from the polish.
Step 2: Brush on one to two coats of a deep, opaque blue. (I used Nails Inc. London: Kensington)
Step 3: Sweep on top a sparkling, vanilla polish. (I used Nails Inc. London: The Wyndham)
Step 4: Apply a clear top coat to finish it off, and allow the nails to fully dry. (I used Sally Hansen: No Chip Top Coat)

Bless And Be Blessed

With Christmas just around the corner, you've probably got all sorts of celebrations, parties, gatherings that are loaded up and ready to be cranked out. And whether it's an ugly sweater or a swanky soiree type of night, you can add a touch more festivity by trying out this new look. The tutorial is posted on my YejiLoves Youtube Channel.



Although the Holidays are an exciting and thrilling time for many who have these parties and celebrations to attend to, for those who don't have an overstuffed schedule booked with close friends and family it's easy to see Christmas more as a day of pronounced gloom rather than a shared joyous occasion. I personally believe the original meaning of Christmas was over-shadowed and lost by America's chaotic shopping frenzy. The Holidays have almost gained a sinister reputation for sucking our wallets dry and leaving us a in a state of questionable regret, for example "did I really need to buy that $500 espresso machine? I mean..it was originally $650, so it's a good deal right?" (I didn't actually purchase an over-priced coffee maker). And by no means am I leaving myself out of this equation, I'm definitely guilty of spending my money on meaningless materialistic items whether it was for myself or for others. And now we're just spiraling into a pit of pessimistic doom, wondering how we'll ever restore the integrity of the Christmas spirit. Well..luckily, not all is lost. We have the chance to give to a greater cause much bigger than ourselves, this can be achieved by shifting around our daily habits, some self-control, a pinch of sacrifice, and a generous portion of a loving and selfless heart. Through this combination, the different types of results are endless. Instead of tossing away the $5 you spend every day on your morning coffee, donate it to non-profit that can provide water, food, and medicine with that same $5 to a person in need. Keep a bag full of new or gently used socks in your car and give it to someone who could really use a new pair. You can still surprise your friends and family by creating inexpensive, meaningful gifts like making a hand-made Christmas card, baking an assortment of Holiday cookies, or even cleaning their house! The list is endless, and not only will they be blessed, you will be blessed in return.

Here are the links to a few non-profits that I support that you can donate to also!

*82nd ministries

*Donor Effect

*One Day's Wages


-YK

Christmas Spirit Fingers!

I'm usually not a big nail polish kind of gal, you can ask my cousin L, in the past she'd hound me on my paint chipping nails almost every time we met. Want to know how lazy I am with my nail maintenance? I kept the same color on from my wedding manicure for a prolonged two and a half months...and I currently still have on my wedding pedicure...it's bad I know. But in my defense, no one ever sees your feet in the winter so it's no biggie right? Right...moving on.

Now that the holidays are in full swing, my inner Christmas spirit can't help but want to be expressed in a number of different ways, and one of those ways was by creating Christmas spirit fingers! You're probably thinking, "spirit fingers? Aren't those so 10 years ago?" Actually, no! These are festive, fun, sparkly and in no way involves corny cheer choreography.

Okay, so here's what to do!
Step 1: Apply any base coat to protect your nails from any damage from the polish.
Step 2: Brush on two coats of a bright, festive, red nail polish. (I used Sephora by OPI: And a Cherry on Top)
Step 3: Stipple (don't brush) on a chunky glitter nail polish on the tips of your nails, stippling the polish will give a more glittery effect rather than sweeping it on. (I used Sephora by OPI: Spark-tacular!)
Step 4: Apply a clear top coat to finish it off, and allow the nails to fully dry.

I have a glamorous and classic holiday makeup tutorial coming up and these nails go perfectly with the look. Here are a couple pics, have fun and happy Christmas spirit fingers!

-YK

Winter Makeup

Hello everyone!

I spent the past few days working on this new video and I'm super excited to share this with you! I wanted to do something that was practical and fun, you can wear this look anytime during the Holiday season and you can even wear this look up in the mountains. I love snowboarding during the Winter and in the past when I wore makeup, it would all be melted off my face by the end of the day. So, I created this fool-proof look that prevents any cosmetic melt-downs while still looking beautiful.
You can watch the tutorial by clicking here.

 To be completely honest, I was super nervous to be finished with this video and to post it up for the public's eye to see. There was a tangle of vulnerability and a fear of judgment that was clouding my mind. I was wrestling with the thought of trying to figure out how to intermingle both physical and inner beauty in a seamless mold, without coming off as superficial. In the end, I realized that as long as I understand and deliver out of my purest intentions, there's no need to be fearful because I know the truth myself. Beauty starts from the heart, that's where the seed is first planted, and from there beauty grows into many different forms for others to see, sense, and receive. It's not meant to be kept to ourselves, it's purposed to flood out and touch the lives of those who don't see their inner beauty themselves. So, be bold, step out in love, and pour into those who rarely receive it, that's where true beauty will be found.

-YK