My Jewelry Storage

I've always loved coming up with different storage solutions; as a little girl, I had a whole collection of various size and shape boxes I used to store my trinkets (and then, piles upon piles of mess on the floor that my mum would go mad about). I enjoy looking at storage ideas on other blogs, so I thought that maybe you'd like to see how I store my jewelry - before I pluck up the courage to show you my whole vanity table/ dresser.


Here's a sneak peek at my vanity; I'm sorry the photos turned out a bit dark, but I guess that's a common problem in apartments in the Seattle area! The dresser is from Ikea Malm range in the birch veneer finish, the same as the rest of our bedroom furniture. The desk also comes with a glass top, but I didn't like the look of it, so bare wood it is. As you can see, I have the bulk of my jewelry in the shallow vanity drawer.


I hang some of the dangly/tangly necklaces and bangles on the cork pin board above my vanity. You can't see it in the photo, but the board has a white dandelions design that is pretty enough to make me feel sorry about covering it with my cards and photos. I got it at the Container Store about a year ago.


Above are two views of my jewelry drawer from opposing ends. In one end, I keep all of my eyeshadow palettes (see the stack of black palettes on the left in the first photo?), then two transparent acrylic containers filled with necklaces and earrings, a drawer organizer box with bangles and bracelets, pins, hair clips and head bands, and some travel make-up bags and brush cases (top of the second photo). All containers/organizers are from the Container Store.

This is the bigger acrylic container where I keep chunky statement necklaces, glass beads and earrings. I don't have enough space to keep everything laid out so most of my necklaces are layered on top of one another, but I can more or less remember where I keep specific pieces.


This is the smaller container where I keep silver and gold earrings and necklaces (umm, and empty eyeshadow pans for pressing?!), pearls and semi-precious stone bead necklaces. This is probably my most worn jewelry, most days I opt for delicate chain necklaces.

I keep my stud earrings in this small box. I try to pin pairs together so that they're easier to find in the morning. I wear these a lot having short hair now. Dangly earrings with short hair are a big statement!

Lastly, this is the drawer organizer with my bangles and hair accessories. My drawer being very shallow and opening only half way, this box is a bit difficult to access, but I also don't reach for most of these pieces very often - I'm having some trouble trying to figure out how to wear head bands with my current haircut.

And that's it! I also keep my more expensive jewelry in their respective boxes at the back of the drawer. I hope you liked this little tour of my jewelry drawer :) How do you store your jewelry and accessories?

Review: Love Alpha Frozen Jelly Eyeshadow

Love Alpha Frozen Jelly Eyeshadow in Rose Pink is another part of my foray into the world of Asian make-up, and the possibly the weirdest eyeshadow texture I have ever come across; literally, it's a thick jelly. I don't really see the 'frozen' part, but it does feel quite cooling on the skin, and the sparkles look very icy, so maybe that's it?


I find the packaging very cute: the outer box is made of nice satin cardboard with vintage patterns and product description. The jar itself is transparent plastic with a plastic silver cap; a bit over the top, but fun nonetheless. The gel/ jelly eyeshadow inside is a sheer light pink base packed full of fine iridescent glitter, which turns gold, silver, pink and lime green in the light. Pretty!


On the skin, the eyeshadow applies as a wash of glitter particles with no base color and feels slightly tacky to the touch. The glitter seems to stick pretty well so there's minimal fallout, and when applied on bare skin, gives somewhat of a wet look. It also works well both under or on top of a powder eyeshadow.


Overall, I think Love Alpha Frozen Jelly Eyeshadow is an interesting alternative to loose glitters: it sticks well, so there's no need for an additional base/ primer. The glitter is fine enough so that it looks quite subtle, and lasts well on the eyes. What is your favorite glitter eyeshadow, ladies?

Disclaimer: The eyeshadow was provided to me for review consideration by kkcenterhk.com. I am not compensated to feature it on my blog nor am I affiliated with the brand. All opinions are my own and 100% honest, as always!

Overview: Natural Acne Remedies

Do not fret, my dears, I haven't switched to food blogging! This is part deux of my spot treatments overview (check out the first part here), this time focusing on natural acne remedies. Obviously, the list is not exhaustive, these are just some of the things I've tried over the years that did and did not work for me. I hope this helps, most of these ingredients are inexpensive and easily found in any kitchen, so they might be worth a try!


1. Clay (in the photo: Pink Kaolin and Green Bentonite). Clay is a skincare ingredient that has been used for centuries, and for a good reason! It comes in many varieties for different skin types and is mostly added to various commercial face masks, but you can also purchase 100% pure powdered clay and make your own masks, knee packs or spot treatments. The common effect of many kinds of clay is tightening of the pores and smoothing the skin, some also help to deep clean the pores by bringing impurities to the surface. It's definitely an effective product that supports the results of other acne treatments, but I honestly doubt it would get rid of anything more than occassional spot or two on its own. I'll be reviewing a natural clay face mask very soon, so keep your eyes out for that!

2. Essential Oils (in the photo: Simplers Organic Lavender Essential Oil): You've surely heard about the acne-fighting benefits of tea tree essential oil, but there are many more than can help diminish blemishes, e.g. lavender, lemon, clary sage, even patchouli. In my experience, applying undiluted essential oils to the skin is not only unpleasant, but can also end up in a pretty nasty irritation. My favorite way of using essential oils is adding them to other skincare products: my cleansing oil blend, toner or homemade masks. Again, I do think they help fight acne when used in conjunction with other products, but don't make a drastic difference on their own.

3. Neem Oil (in the photo: Allafia Basics Neem Oil): I've already reviewed this product in detail here, but let me sum it up for you: neem oil looks nasty, smells nastier, and doesn't seem to do much for me. I know neem also comes in the form of leaf powder, so if you're considering trying it, that might be a better bet.


4. Plain Yogurt (in the photo: FAGE Total 2% Greek Yogurt): Apart from being yummy and nutritious, yogurt can also be an effective acne treatment; if you want to know why, read Brilliant Farmgirl's post on yogurt face packs. What I like about putting yogurt on my face is that it's so cooling and soothing, and my face looks calmer and more hydrated afterwards (this is why it's also awesome on sunburns). I feel that yogurt helps more with redness than pimples, but I still like this method a lot and use it occassionally.

5. Lemon Juice (or other acidic liquids, like Apple Cider Vinegar): Careful, lovelies! Lemon juice has the pH level just above battery acid and can indeed feel like the latter on your skin (i.e., it BURNS). I completely do not recommend putting undiluted lemon juice on your breakouts, it's painful, makes the blemishes angry, and will probably result in peeling. The citric acid in lemons can help exfoliate your skin, but better use it in conjunction with other ingredients.

6. Honey (in the photo: Wedderspoon Organic 100% Raw Manuka Honey Active 16+): Well, I'll be the first to admit that I love honey in general, but it's also a fantastic skincare ingredient. Honey, especially Manuka honey, has hydrogen peroxide antibacterial properties, on top of being a humectant (moisture-binding ingredient). It does help calm cystic blemishes, as well as heals cracked and dry skin (for example, on the lips). If you haven't tried it already, what are you waiting for?


I hope you enjoyed this little overview of natural acne remedies and maybe found some new ideas to try out. Let me know in the comments below what is your favorite natural acne fighter!

$25 Apothica Giftcard Giveaway Winner!

Hello my lovelies, just a quick (and very belated) post today to let you know the winner of my Apothica giveaway! Soo, [drumroll], the winner of $25 Apothica giftcard is...

Number 14: Dee!


Congratulations, Dee! Please check your inbox for an email from me :)

Thanks for participating, everyone! I have to say I was a bit underwhelmed by the number of entries, I'm not sure whether the rules for entering were too complicated (which I have no influence on since they're devised by the sponsor) or is it simply that the blogosphere is saturated already with all the giveaways? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, I'd love your input! Have a wonderful Tuesday, dears.

Rocaille Swatches: Ten Taupe Eyeshadows

Taupe is probably the shade I'm most drawn to in eyeshadow, and I have amassed quite a collection. All taupe eyeshadows that I own seem unique to me, obviously, but I guess you could find some approximate dupes below and save yourself some pennies. I've tried to make the photos as color accurate as possible for you, and I think they turned out pretty close. Enjoy!

Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow in Skinny Jeans (on the right) is obviously not a taupe; what was I thinking?

1. Barry M Dazzle Dust in 'Mushroom' (no. 51): a frosty medium taupe purple (more photos here).
2. Wet'n'Wild Lid Shade from the 'Silent Treatment' trio: a pearly cool medium taupe purple.
3. Wet'n'Wild Lid Shade from the 'We're Blasting Off' Limited Edition 'Dream Weavers' Collection trio: a pearly light to medium taupe lilac (more photos here and an eye look here).


4. MAC Veluxe Pearl Eyeshadow in 'Satin Taupe': a pearly medium to dark purplish taupe.
5. Inglot Pearl Eyeshadow in no. 402: a pearly medium silvery taupe (more photos here).
6. e.l.f. Custom Eyeshadow in 'Moondust': a satin medium brown taupe (more photos here).
7. Accessorize Taupe Shade from the 'High Maintenance' Baked Duo: a shimmery medium to dark silvery taupe (more photos here).


8. Urban Decay Shimmer/Metallic Eyeshadow in 'Toasted': a shimmery rosy brown with a tinge of taupe (ok, maybe not really).
9. Cover Girl Eye Enhancers Single Eyeshadow in 'Tapestry Taupe': a shimmery light to medium taupe silver with silver glitter.
10. Urban Decay Eyeshadow in 'Sidecar' from the Naked Palette: a shimmery medium golden taupe with silver glitter.

Well, I hope this was helpful, or at least fun to some of you like-minded taupe fanatics! What is your favorite taupe eyeshadow?

FOTD: Temps Du Décollage

I'm not being all f(r)ancy-schmancy on you, it's just that I really prefer the French name of the Wet'n'Wild We're Blasting Off eyeshadow trio from the LE Dream Weavers collection; more than that, I think it's genius. I asked you a couple posts ago whether you'd like to see a look featuring these shadows, and while there was no reply, I've decided to do it anyway. This is also inspired by the Mite Perroni for NYX look that Brunette's Heart just recreated on her blog.


I've used all eyeshadows in the trio, the matte pink on the inner half of the lid, a mixture of purple taupe and sparkly aubergine/black in the crease, and the same color as a liner on the upper lash line. I've also patted some of the taupe to transition the dark shade of the crease into the pink a bit better. For highlight, I dabbed some matte cream eyeshadow in the tearduct area and lastly finished off with a coat of black mascara and Benefit Eye Bright on the lower waterline.


On the cheeks, I swirled some Bourjois Délice de Soleil bronzer just above the cheekbone, followed with NYX Mauve on the apples; on the second thought, I would have used something more fuschia though. The lips are NYX Mega Shine Lipgloss in Dolly Pink.


I have to admit that my hands just itched to retouch the many blemishes I've been fighting this past couple of weeks, which are also the reason for a lack of posts featuring more adventurous looks. I haven't been feeling it recently on the blog front, and all in all August was a rather difficult month for me. I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel though, so fingers crossed for some progress! I also promise to announce the winner of the Apothica giveaway very soon. How's August been for you, my dears?

NOTD: Opal Frostbite

I'm not sure what came over me, but I guess that in my longing for fall shades I went straight to winter hues. Because it's what this manicure reminds me of: wintery nights with snow glistening in the moonlight. That, or a figure skater's outfit.


I've swatched China Glaze Frostbite before on this blog and it's still one of my favorite pick-me-up shades. The color is just so vibrant and perfect, I so love this shade of blue! The application's a breeze too. This time however, I've decided to jazz it up even further by applying an ombre-esque glitter effect with the help of Sinful Colors Opal Glitter (yes, the name is rather self-exaplanatory).

Indirect natural daylight

I've wanted to achieve a gradual intensity of glitter starting from none at the nail bed and a whole lot at the tip, but I guess my Opal Glitter wasn't really up for the job due to not enough glitter particles in the polish. I had to apply 4 coats, and the effect is still not very visible. Oh well, does anyone have good cheap glitter nail polish recommendations? As you can see in the photo, my topcoat was also playing tricks on me and the surface of the nail is far too uneven and not shiny enough.

Direct sunlight

I think I'll continue with my glitter explorations, this was so much fun even despite the aforementioned shortcomings. What is your favorite glitter nail design?