Life as a Color Rebel

If people don't want to dress up in an actual costume for Halloween, most still want to get into the spirit, whether it's through animal ears or a Halloween-esque piece of clothing (ex: a skull t-shirt). One of the ways that I have also seen people get into the spirit of Halloween is dying their hair crazy, atypical colors!
Growing up, my mom never allowed me to dye my hair, and now that I'm older, I realize that I don't want to damage my dark hair by bleaching it just so that it can retain the color. The only other time that I have attempted to color my hair was my freshman year of college when my friends tried using chalk on my hair. It worked on my light-haired friends, but the color did not stay on me. 

When Redken sent me two out of five of their Color Rebel hair dyes to try out, I was a little nervous but very excited. I was nervous that the color wouldn't stay in my hair, but I was also excited at the possibility that it could stay in my hair. 
I received two bottles of color to try: Punked up Pink and Gilty as Charged (gold). 

I was eager to try out the dyes for myself since this would be my first time dying my hair, and I thought it would be so awesome to do crazy colors for this. 

The dyes were pretty easy to use--my friend Stephanie helped out since she was more familiar with hair dye than I was. 
The biggest thing about the hair dye was using the sponge applicator to apply the dye like makeup onto your hair. You set the dye by brushing and air drying or blow drying your hair. If you want the color to stay even longer, you can curl your hair after your hair is completely dry like I did after using the pink dye. 
For the gold dye, I was able to do a temporary ombré without bleaching or committing to keeping it that way for a long period of time. 

I don't have many pictures with the gold dye, but here's how it looked when I first did it!

These dyes are supposed to wash out after 2 shampoos, but the dyes have stayed in my hair well over 2-3 weeks' worth of shampooing (I wash my hair every other day). 
The verdict: I actually really LOVE these Redken Color Rebel dyes. They've lasted pretty long in my hair, considering my hair is so dark and I haven't had to bleach it for the color to stay. But also because my hair is so dark, when it came to the hot pink hair dye, it came out purple in my hair (see first photo at the top of this post). I actually preferred that because I'm not a huge fan of hot pink. 
My only negative comment I have to say about these are that they make it impossible to completely detangle my hair because the dye is so thick and makes my hair look a little dead. 
Other than that, I love these so much and want to always color my hair because of them! I'm a changed woman. 
What crazy colors have you dyed your hair? Do you have dark hair and struggle with coloring your hair too?  Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Redken and Brandbacker. All opinions are my own.

Snow White-Inspired Look

Halloween is this week! I'm so excited to dress up and transform myself, as I have mentioned in previous posts. It's such a great way to really test the power of makeup and see how far you can transform your entire look based on illusion. 
My freshman year, I was Mulan (scroll to the middle of the post) for Halloween, last year, I was Pocahontas, and this year, I plan to be Snow White. However, I also showed another completely different idea for a potential Halloween look: the Dia de los Muertos Sugar Skull. 
My original plan was to be Rapunzel after her hair cut, but I have not been able to get everything I needed for her costume, nor will I have the money before Halloween. 

Instead, I opted for Snow White, another short-haired princess.

If you're a short-haired black-haired or brunette girl, Snow White is a pretty easy princess to look like even if you don't have the costume. 

All you need for makeup: + Your favorite foundation, preferrably in a shade that is at least a shade lighter than your usual shade (this depends on your natural skin color). I sampled the Japonesque Airbrush Foundation in Shade 3 for this look. You want a medium to full coverage foundation to mimic Snow White's "perfect" and porcelain-like complexion. 
+ Eyebrow powder/pencil. Fill in your brows to look dark and to frame your face using whatever you normally use. I used a no-brand eyebrow powder for this look. 
+ Any white and brown eyeshadow. My shimmery white eyeshadow was from Urban Decay's Ammo Palette in "Polyester Bride." This was to make my eyes look bigger and to just add some color to my rather simple look. My matte brown eyeshadow was to add dimension to my eyelids. It was from Makeup Forever's Artist Shadows in color M626 (Neutral Brown). 
+ Liquid liner. Line your eyes lightly and wing out the line just a little. Snow White's eyes look pretty natural, so the liner shouldn't be too heavy either. I used Nyx's Super Skinny Eye Marker. 
+ Your favorite mascara. I've been using L'Oreal's Miss Manga Mascara. It's my current favorite mascara because it's waterproof and friendly to my stick-straight Asian eyelashes that can't hold a curl. 
+ Red lipstick! This is Snow White's signature part about her makeup, so this is very important! I used City Color Cosmetics' City Chic lipstick in Paris By Night. I did a review and swatch of this lipstick earlier this year. To keep the color from feathering I also used a nude lip liner beforehand. It was Nyx's Retractable Lip Liner in Natural. 
+ BONUS: For hair, curl just the bottom ends of your hair to similarly recreate Snow White's hair. You don't have to, but it adds onto the look, especially if you will not be dressing up in her costume. 

The Boyfriend is 22 + 5 Best Things About Growing Up with Your Special Someone

Happy happy birthday to the one and only Darell, my crazy boyfriend! He is finally 22 years old and this is my 5th birthday with him! It still blows my mind that I have known him since he was 17 years old. Even though it's weird, I absolutely love that I have gotten to grow up with him in a sense over the past 4 1/2 years.
Some of the best things about growing up with your significant other: 

1. While some people are just meeting those special people, you have been with your person for a few years now. 
This is a huge one for me because so many people at my school meet and marry within a year or so (sometimes months) of knowing each other. I think that it is so special for me that although I haven't known Darell my whole life, knowing him from a younger age just makes me feel special that I've known him for so long.
2. They are there for some major life events. Darell was the first person to let me drive behind the wheel of a car (before we started dating). Although I couldn't be there for his, I was around when he graduated high school, and he was there for me when I graduated from mine. He was the first person I told when I found out my grandma had passed away. He was there when I got the call saying I got into the school I go to now. I remember telling him when I got my driver's license. I was there when he turned 21, and so on. It just comes with the time frame. 
When you grow up with your significant other, you are naturally going to be around for some of the biggest and most life-changing life events in their lives. And of course, they'll be around for yours as well. It's a great thing to experience.
3. You lose track of time. It sounds really corny, but it's true. Sometimes Darell and I will look at each other and it will suddenly hit us that we haven't known each other our whole lives or that it has already been almost 5 years that we have known each other. It's a good thing because you are so close to that person that you two feel like you've known each other forever, even if you haven't. 
4. Well, you grow up. Duh. This one is obvious, but to be more specific, you two literally watch each other grow up, like physically. If you met when you were still awkward looking, they've gotten the chance to see you (and love you) through all of that until you've grown into the wonderful person you are today. Darell has changed his style of dressing and I've started using makeup. I met him when he still had wire-framed glasses and he met me when I wore no makeup and had my cheeks covered in acne. 
5. You get to watch them grow and mature in more ways than one. This, by far, is my favorite part about growing up with my significant other. I've been reflecting a lot lately on both of our attitudes on different aspects of our lives when we first started dating and how we are now, and I cannot believe the progress sometimes. 
From growing up with Darell, I've seen him become more responsible and mature a bit in certain areas of his life. I think back to how he was even a year ago and I'm in awe of what has changed. 
Whenever I think back to one, two, three, or even four years ago, I see how we both were as individuals and as a couple back then, just two weird high school kids from church. Then you look at us now, young adults working towards their college degrees and figuring out what they are going to do for the rest of our lives. I'm just so thankful for everything that we have overcome up until this point. 
I'm so excited to celebrate with Darell and his family today! After this year, I won't be able to count the years on one hand. What a blessing.
Did you grow up with your significant other? If not, how and when did you meet that special person?

Channeling My Inner Model

Two of the things I love about where I live: beautiful backdrops and aspiring photographer friends.  One of my friends, Ian, just got a new camera and wanted to test it out on my roommate and I and build his portfolio as well. He takes mostly landscape shots, but this isn't the first time that he's taken photos of me. He also shot an outfit shoot for me back in February. 

America's Next Top Model is one of my favorite shows, so I decided to channel my inner "Top Model" and werk it. It's a shame that I'm too short and not willing to pose naked otherwise I would totally try modeling out. However, if you live in the Los Angeles/Orange County area and need lifestyle, wedding, or landscape shots, Ian Rosal Photography is the way to go!

All photos are courtesy of Ian Rosal Photography.

DIY: Sugar Skull

Halloween is almost here, and while I hate the scary parts of it, I love that this time of year you are able to turn yourself into any character you could imagine and alter the way you look to fit that character. I love doing that with makeup and face paint. My freshman year, I was Mulan, my sophomore year, I was Pocahontas, and this year I am hoping to be Rapunzel post-haircut. But until Halloween actually arrives, I decided to play around with some face paint and this is what I came up with. 

Sugar skulls have become very popular for makeup artists and others who are proud of their Hispanic culture to celebrate the Day of the Dead. These do not happen in the Philippines, but Filipinos do do something similar where they spend time with their deceased relatives on what is called All Souls Day. My family even has wifi in the home where my family is buried at in the cemetery!

--------------------------------------

It's almost 1am and I am wide awake. So what do I decide to do? I tell myself I'm going to try painting myself into a sugar skull from Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. I've seen the look recreated many times and I was hesitant to do this for that reason, but I thought to myself that I should just try it out anyway. What I painted on my face was completely spontaneous and I had no previous idea of a design planned out beforehand. 

If you're interested in recreating this look, keep reading!

Eyebrow Routine ft. Billion Dollar Brows

Happy Sunday! I just wanted to interrupt your Sunday to remind you that I have a Youtube channel! I have videos on there that sometimes accompany blog posts (which I always post for you on here), but not all videos do. 
For example, this week's video is my eyebrow routine featuring Billion Dollar Brows! It's a full-on review, first impressions, and demo video so I go in depth about the products. Please be sure to check it out and subscribe if you haven't already! 
This post was brought to you by Billion Dollar Brows and Brandbacker. All opinions are my own.

I Don't Know About You, But I'm Feelin' Twenty, Too!

I AM OFFICIALLY IN MY TWENTIES! Haha. So yes, today is my birthday. And honestly, I wanted to celebrate with you guys with two giveaways! 
BUT FIRST--some fun facts about me so you can get to know me a little bit better. Because why would you celebrate someone's birthday if you don't know them, right? 

Balloons provided by The Flair Exchange

1. I was born at 5:00am PST. So as of right now as I'm writing this post, I am already officially 20 years old!
2. Orange is my favorite color EVER, and part of the reason I love October so much (other than my birthday) is because the dominance of the color orange. I actually just mentioned this in my last post :]

Confetti and Balloons provided by The Flair Exchange

3. Around this time last year, my roommate threw me a makeshift debut, a Filipino coming-of-age party meant for 18 year olds, because I couldn't have one when I actually turned 18. It was something I'd wanted since I was a little girl, but couldn't because of money. My roommate, however, was awesome and made it happen!
4. I just recently started working at Express! 

Confetti provided by The Flair Exchange

5. Other than Express and technically even this blog as far as jobs go, I work for my school's newspaper as an editor, and I am a student blogger for the admissions department. 

October Calls for Pumpkins // Outfit of the Day

My birthday is this week! Other than the fact that it's my birthday month, October is my favorite month of the year because it's one of two (the other being November) months where the color orange is a predominant color in most default color palettes for the month. 
So when my choir went to a pumpkin patch last week, I was convinced that I had to go. I had never been to a pumpkin patch or a corn maze before, so I figured why not, let's go! (I originally didn't intend to go). 

Kimono: Some store in Downtown LA // Purple Velvet Crop Top: Urban Outfitters // Black Skater Skirt: Cotton On // Gray Booties: Macy's // Gray Cross-Body Bag: Forever 21

Count Your Blessings: A Praise Report

As you may or may not know, I go to a Christian university. With that, I have been having an interesting time in my faith for the past couple of years. But, that's a different story for another day. 
God is pretty interesting, isn't he? You honestly just never know what he allows and doesn't allow in your life and how it plays out until you take a step back and realize what has happened as a result. 
Last semester, I wasn't chosen to become an RA for my school. I wasn't devastated, but I was definitely a little sad. BUT, no worries, throughout this semester alone I have seen everything that I'm doing and what I wouldn't have been able to do, had I been given that position. 
I've also recently started tithing, which if you don't know what that is, it is giving 10% of your income back to God, or in this case, through the church back to God. 
*And just for the record, churches should not be forcing you to give any money. I know that a lot of people have the misconception of the church forcing you to fork over your hard-earned cash to them, but honestly, a good church would never pressure, much less force you to give your money to them. My church never makes anyone feel that way and you shouldn't feel that way either.* 
Finances have always been a struggle for me especially because growing up, it was always so difficult for my parents to make ends meet. Now that I'm older and am more capable of supporting myself, I try to do so in any way that I can. 
Since tithing regularly whenever I get paid, God has always provided. Whether it's random gigs or the new job I just got at Express, I am confident that he never fails to provide in any way that you need. 
I'm not saying to start giving your local church your money in hopes of instant blessings, nor am I trying to pressure you into tithing if you don't already. I'm simply just sharing how God has blessed me in my life even though I am still imperfect. All this post is, is simply an encouragement that I hope touches you in some way. 
Money aside, I'm so blessed to get to work with my church as an intern and that I have great people in my life that support me in all that I do. 
Now it's your turn to tell me, what makes you blessed?

The Dean's List VoxBox + First Impressions!

It's the middle of the semester, and so it's that time where I'm beginning to get very tired and exhausted from everything that is happening at once. 
Thankfully, Influenster sent me the Dean's List VoxBox just in time for a little pick-me-up during this time of year. I'm excited to try everything out! My video unboxing and reactions are linked below, but if you'd prefer to read about it or get a more in-depth review on some of the products, keep reading!

This voxbox was pretty solid, if I do say so myself. I have a snack, a few beauty items, a couple new pens (my obsession!), and some lady products. I'd say that this box rounds out pretty perfectly what is necessary for this time of year. It's a combination of treats and necessities that I love. 

Let's get onto the box!

Fall Haul! Barnes & Noble, Cotton On, Sephora, Make Up Forever

I LOVE Fall! And Fall means shopping! 

A couple weeks ago, I got a bunch of things in the mail at around the same time, give or take a few days, and I thought it would be the perfect time to do a haul! I haven't done one in a while so it was the perfect time to do so.  I featured this haul on my Youtube channel so you may watch it if you prefer that below: