Cleaning Inventory, Blog Sale Coming Up!

***edit***
So I'm still going through stuff for my sale and decided to put off posting the sale. It will be up ASAP once I get everything together. Sorry for the delay!

It's time for me to clean some of my inventory in makeup and clothing. I will be doing a blog sale soon. Hopefully it will be up by tonight or the latest tomorrow. I will be selling some shoes, clothing and makeup! 

A Day In The City: Hot Dog Extravaganza

I think it would be safe to say that I truly love food. I usually keep an open mind and will try anything once (for the most part, don't go shoving cooked bugs in my face =P). After watching the Food Network and the Travel Channel, I had accumulated a list of food eateries of all kinds on the notepad of my phone. Among these places were quite a few hot dog joints so after talking with some friends, we decided to make a day of sampling different types of hot dogs from different places in the city. I mapped out each of the locations (and still got lost) but I digress! Let's just say we were quite full by the end of the day.

Gray's Papaya Greenwich Village

402 6th Ave

New York, NY 10011

Known as a classic hot dog, we had to stop by here first. They were probably the cheapest dogs we paid for on this entire trip.

The verdict? Quite tasty. I personally like my hot dogs well done so when you bite into them there's a bit of a snap. Gray's also offers an array of different juices so I had to try the Coconut Champagne. It was very coconut-y and very sweet, coyly sweet. I would try their famous pineapple juice next time.

Japadog

30 St Marks Pl

(between Cooper Sq & Astor Pl) 

New York, NY 10003

If you watch "No Reservations" or "The Layover" with Anthony Bourdain, you might have heard of the next two locations I'm going to mention. Japadog is basically a place where they serve hot dogs dressed with Japanese toppings such as bonito flakes, seaweed and plum sauce. We were recommended to try the Bourdain Special which featured the Terimayo and Okonomi hot dogs. The Terimayo hot dog consisted of: teriyaki sauce, mayo and seaweed while the Okonomi hot dog contained a Kurobuta sausage topped with bonito flakes. Our other friend decided he would rather try the Love Meat hot dog which had the topping of meat sauce fused with melted cheese.

The verdict? I thought the Terimayo hot dog was delicious! The Okonomi was also tasty but had an overpowering fish smell due to the bonito flakes. If you are not a fan of fish smell or fish avoid the Okonomi. If you are more of the adventurous type, I would suggest you try this place. They even a deep fried bun filled with ice cream! I had to save room, so I passed.

Crif Dog

113 St Marks Pl

(between Avenue A & 1st Ave) 

New York, NY 10009

OMG. I love Crif Dog! I had been here before with a friend but with all the possibilities I wussed out and only got the avocado and tomato toppings. This time I decided I would be different and try one of their creations. Let me just say right away that this was winner hands down. Oh man...so good!

I had the Jon Jon Deragon which consisted of cream cheese, bagel seeds and green onions. Me and my girlfriend loved it. The Mister had the bacon wrapped Crif dog with mustard and sauerkraut, and he loved his. My girlfriend got the tsunami, a bacon wrapped hot dog with teriyaki sauce and pineapples. Her hubby had the B.L.T. which was a bacon wrapped dog with tomato and lettuce. My homi got the chili dog which he said was the best chili dog he's had. He also said that those who like meat based chilis would love this one.The verdict? Highly recommend this place. The atmosphere is cool with a bit of grit and the hot dogs are really delicious. And yes, Anthony Bourdain loved it. 

Los Perros Locos

201 Allen St

(between 1st Ave & Stanton St) 

New York, NY 10002

Ok, after getting caught in a downpour, we finally got to our fourth destination, Los Perros Locos. Specializing in Columbian hot dogs, this place offers pretty unique creations. At this point I was getting pretty full, but I ventured on and ordered another dog. I'm going to say that this place needs another chance because the hot dog I selected did not do it for me but the Mister's hot dog was pretty tasty. Now onto the breakdown.

My girlfriend is a tiny little thing and she was quite full at this point so we decided to just split a hot dog. We both thought the Pablo Escobar (bottom right) sounded tasty. The Escobar consisted of salsa de pina, apple chipotle slaw, potato chips, Kewpie mayo and a dusting of cheese. I think the mayo was what turned me off, there was just way too much stuff for my tastebuds to comprehend what was going on.

The Mister had the Spicy Spicy Mango (top right). This concoction of spicy, mango, mojo, melted mozzarella and crushed hot Doritos was really tasty. The salty and sweet melded really well together.

My gf's husband decided on the Amerro-Perro (bottom left). This was a chili dog, the chili made with beer and cocoa infused beef, shredded Vermont cheddar, chipotle kraut, crushed Fritos and ChipZana sauce. I didn't taste this one but the Mister tried and and said it was pretty good.

And last but definitely not least was my friend, B's dog (top left). This poor man ordered the Mas Perfecto which had 10 toppings. It was a combination of almost all of our hot dogs

He looks utterly confused. I am proud of him though, he ate the whole thing!

The verdict? Go on an empty stomach and be sure to go over the menu thoroughly because they will give descriptions of what the salsas are made of, etc., I will say one of the highlights of this place had to be the Coco-Cola! These were imported from Mexico and made with real sugar instead of HFCS. Yummmm

Asia Dog

66 Kenmare St

New York, NY 10012

The last and final stop of our hot dog trip! At this point my girlfriend and her hubby bowed out gracefully while the Mister, B and I ventured forth. Mister had the Mel & Steve (left) which consisted of Asian sesame slaw. I settled for the Wangding (middle) with the toppings of Chinese BBQ pork belly, onions and cucumbers and B had the Ito (right) with Japanese curry and homemade kimchi apples.

The verdict? The hot dogs were unique in their creations. The Wangding was a little salty for me. The Mel and Steve and Ito were better. I recommend this place if you like Asian fusion/Asian food in general.

Whew! What a post! Overall I had an amazingly awesome time with my friends. Great food and great company can make any day better. We are already talking about our next trip! The debate is between burgers or pizza. What do you guys think our next trip should be?

Review: L'Oreal Colour Caresse Shine Stain

So I was pretty excited hearing that L'Oreal introduced a shine gloss that was a near dupe to the coveted and expensive YSL Rouge Pur Couture glossy stains. I already owned two of the YSL glossy stains but at $32 USD a pop, purchasing more could get quite pricey so I thought the L'Oreal version would be a great alternative. I picked up three colors from the L'Oreal line and ran home to try them.

For the review I have included the two YSL Rouge Pur Couture glossy stains I have. I have them in numbers 7 and 15. The L'Oreal glosses I purchased were Pink Perseverance, Rose On and On and Pink Rebellion. Depending on which country you reside in, the names of the L'Oreal glosses may be different.

I have to say, I'm sorely disappointed. While they do have similarities to the YSL version, I had a terrible reaction on my lips to these. Besides the reaction, I wasn't impressed with the color payoff of these either. Out of the three I picked up, two of them looked almost the same on my lips. The other color was too sheer and applied clear with shimmers on my lips. Maybe if I tried different colors, like the reds or coral colors in the line I would have had a better experience with the color payoff.

Pink Perseverance, Rose On and On, Pink Rebellion

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain in Corail Aquatique and Rose Vinyl

As you can see with the color payoff is quite different. I only need one layer for my YSL while the L'Oreal I need to layer at least two times for the color presented.

As for the texture, these glosses are slightly tackier compared to the YSL and left a "wet" sort of feel which I thought was helping to moisturize my lips, I guess I was wrong there! It was as if the product sucked all the moisture out of my lips. I take great care to nourish my lips with my Hourglass lip oil and Dior balm so they were in pretty great shape until I used this. I don't know what they put in it to make it do this considering this is made by the same company! The next day after a whole day of just using the L'Oreal Shine Stain, my lips felt tight and parched with a rough surface. I was pretty livid. The scents are pretty comparable, except the L'Oreal version smells a bit more synthetic while the YSL smells just strongly of rose perfume.

For the L'Oreal products, I layered it twice on my lips. The YSL products was one layer.

As for the stain part of these glosses, each color left my lips a deeper color than normal, which left me with a bitten lip look, cool right? The only problem was the uneven-ness of the stain. I want to say the color was still there, but it was rather patchy and not very flattering. I have to state that I am very particular with the way my lips look with certain colors and felt conscious with the way these looked on my lips. Sorry for no swatches on my lips when it comes to the stain, I totally didn't want to go through that funny reaction again.

I did love the luxe packaging of these glosses. They felt high-end and quite chic to whip out of my purse. I do also like the fact the parent company decided to produce a drugstore version of the YSL glossy stains. Just because these glosses did not work in my favor does not mean they won't work for you or any one. Many of the bloggers I know love this gloss so I may just be one of the few. If you can't afford to purchase the YSL version, try these out, if it doesn't work out, return policies are always there!

Pros:
-Fairly priced, between $7 USD to $10 USD depending on where you go (and sales!)
-Luxe packaging
-Variety of colors
-Good for those who enjoy gloss and stains

Cons:
-Seems to suck moisture from lips
-Can leave uneven, patchy stains
-Smell may seem synthetic to those sensitive
-Color payoff is pretty sheer
-Tacky, but watery feeling

May Favorites

Happy June! The warmer weather is finally here on the East Coast and I couldn't be happier! I've been living in shorts and tank tops since the weather has changed. My favorites haven't changed much from the previous month but I have been incorporating some different items to add some variety to the mix.

Starting from left to right:

1) L'Occitane Rose Des Champes hand lotion: Ever since I started lifting weights, the palms of my hands have been very dry. They are also callused as well. So I keep this on my desk and use it every time I wash my hands or when it's feeling a bit dry. It smells of roses and has tiny scent beads. While I really like this, the original L'Occitane Shea Butter formula moisturizes a tad better.

2) L'Oreal True Blend Concealer Crayon in W1-2-3: Smooth to apply and brightens just enough. I do have to powder after application so it stays put.

3) MAC Mineralize Concealer in NC20: I love this concealer. It doesn't settle into lines and stays put. I use this over my MAC face and body for the perfect amount of coverage.

4) Neutrogena MoistureSmooth Color Stick in Juicy Peach: It seems the crayon packaging has become a hit among all these cosmetic brands. Not that I'm complaining! These are great to throw in your purse on the go. Unlike the Clinique and Revlon versions (I haven't tried the CoverGirl version) this contains a bit of shimmer. Like the Clinique version, it is quite moisturizing, unlike the Clinique version it does have a fruity scent.

5) Hourglass Lip Treatment Oil: This is holy grail status to me. I tried it on in store and thought, "meh," it's probably overrated. OMG. I swear in the time I was at the store, it made my lips crazy soft and plump. I was sold. It's quite pricey at $42 USD a tube with 0.25 fl oz so I use it sparingly once a day. At night I use my beloved Dior balm. It smells like lavender/herb medicinal but it dissipates.

6) Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Stain in Honey: Another one I like to throw on and forget about. It's a universal shade that is quite flattering on all skin tones I've seen. It leaves behind a slightly darker stain on lips. Smells minty. This does slightly dry my lips if I reapply too much, but I do love it.

7) Stila All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner: When I want my eyes to stand out more, I do a cat eye with this baby. The liner doesn't budge or flake and applies like a dream. No skipping yet and I've had this for months now.

8) Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden: Unlike the original UDPP, this contains a bit of color to neutralize my lids. Sometimes I wear this alone and slap my Stila eyeliner on and call it a day. The only issue I've encountered with this slight creasing if I apply too much. So I dab a small amount on and blend it onto my eyes with a synthetic brush in layers.

Allow Me To Reintroduce Myself....(50 Random Facts Tag)

1. I'm quite goofy when I'm comfortable around a person, otherwise I'm pretty reserved.
2. I will give you the shirt off my back (or whatever you need) if I care about you.
3. I say sorry way too much.
4. Most Disney movies make me cry (I'm looking at you UP.) 
5. Speaking of crying, the center of my nose turns red if I'm about to cry. My mom always knew (still knows when I'm upset)
6. I've been with the Mister over nine years.
7. I've known him for over 11 years.
8. I want my child to be as cute and chubby as baby Po from Kung Fu Panda (don't judge me!)
9. I bawled watching the flashback montage in Kung Fu Panda 2.
10. One of my favorite kung fu movies is Iron Monkey.
11. I like anime.
12. I love Harry Potter anything.
13. I have three tattoos.
14. I want more.
15. I've reached my goal of doing unassisted pull-ups in three months.
16. I've lived in five cities.
17. I smell my food before I eat it.
18. My favorite boyband was *NSync. 
19. I love K-Pop.
20. Animal lover.
21. Ignorant people just infuriate me.
22. I hate my shopping habit.
23. I've played World of Warcraft on and off for about eight years.
24. I love Ghibli anything really, but have an affinity for Miyazaki films.
25. I like both Star Trek and Star Wars.
26. I got kicked in the face (by accident) during a dance class in college and got a hairline fracture on my nose.
27. I always wanted to be a ninja, I think it was all the kung fu movies I watched.
28. My right knee has a scar from a car accident. 
29. I think scars add character.
30. Makeup is my vice.
31. Do not bother me if I'm absorbed in a book.
32. You can win me over with a really well made cupcake (kinda...)
33. I like to felt, crochet and knit (well attempt to knit).
34. I can quote the Lord of The Rings films, all of them. 
35. I always wanted to be a dancer, or a singer...or both!
36. I graduated with a minor in theater.
37. I'm a wedding coordinator on certain cruise ships.
38. I'm terrified of death, I get anxiety about it.
39. I hate heights.
40. I love to bake.
41. Some people who I wish I could have met: Bruce Lee, Julia Child, Marilyn Monroe
42. My favorites musicals: Les Miserables, RENT, Phantom of the Opera and Jersey Boys.
43. I love food.
44. I'm a firm believer of hard work to achieve the results you want, especially when it comes to fitness.
45. I love Doo Wop.
46. I'm American Chinese
47. I feel like I'm truly myself when I'm alone or with the Mister.
48. I love to dress up once in a while.
49. I love me a good RPG.
50. I think I'm fabulous =)