Friday, February 26, 2010

BIRTHDAY GIRL discloses picture editing secret

It's my 21st birthday today :D

& since I feel generous, I want to share a little secret. Recently I uploaded a new profile picture on Facebook & people have been telling me that they love how the picture looks. They also ask if I edited it on Photoshop. My answer? No.

[Click images to enlarge]

Wish I had the original for comparison
Then what did I use to edit it & give it (as my friend, Kristin, says) an "eclectic feel"?
Answer: Picnik! I've been using Picnik for years & I love it! It's an easy online editing program, which you don't have to download or pay for (unless you want to use some of the premium features). I love editing pictures because even though they might look blah at first, a few changes can really make a picture shine & that's exactly why I edit pictures which I like a wee bit, but not enough just yet.

For the picture above, I don't remember which effects I used, but I can tell I used more than one. However, Picnik is so easy to use that with just one click, you can give your picture a completely different look! Don't believe me? Take a look below. I have edited a picture using effects that I've used the most on Picnik so far.

I thought I'd edit a picture in which I'm wearing black eyeshadow (I was experimenting with the 120 palette), red lipstick (Revlon Matte lipstick in In the Red), & diamond hoop earrings so you can see how the different effects works with certain colours (i.e., brighten up the red or darken the blacks, etc.).

I'm loving the way the red lipstick looks in the Cross Process effect.. hot!
While adding effects, you have the option to make brightness, fade, & a few other changes within different effects, but for the purpose of this post & comparison, the type of effect was clicked just once & saved without making any further adjustments.

Which effects are my favourite?
Answer: The effects that I lean toward using the most are Orton-ish, Cross Process, Lomo-ish. At times I like to use these effects separately, other times I combine a few effects to get the look that I desire. I have to admit that I've never really used the Boost effect because I think it makes the pictures look too loud & in your face, which completely clashes with my personality. I definitely know a few people with awesome personalities who could rock pictures with the Boost effect though.

Picnik also offers other editing features such as crop, rotate, add effects (the ones that I used + more), add text, add stickers, add frames, make a collage, & much more. I also use Picnik to add the watermark that you see in my pictures (I know the watermark can get annoying, but as long as it prevents people from stealing my pictures & using them to make fake profiles, I am content).

So what are you waiting for? Check Picnik out!

Happy experimenting while I go celebrate being 21!!
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Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Contact Me

If you have any questions or comments, use the form below to send me an e-mail & I will get back to you as soon as possible.
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Tuesday, February 23, 2010

The best so far

I haven't applied henna in a while due to lack of time, patience, & the main thing: the availability of good henna. Here's a picture of the henna design that I did last.

[Click image to enlarge]
I think it's my best work yet! Do you agree?

Since I don't apply henna much anymore, I wont be posting pictures of henna applied by me. But for all the henna lovers out there (or those who just like to look at henna designs) I will post pictures of designs that have caught my eye while browsing for henna designs online.
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I ain't a sharp dresser, but I'll still avoid these choices

There are times when we let ourselves go, wear sweatpants & a hoodie all day, funky coloured socks, & the works. Usually this is when we're in the comfort of our homes & want to stay in & relax. But when is it appropriate to leave the house while wearing things such as sweatpants & coloured socks with snowflakes all over?

[Click images to enlarge]

This post was sparked by seeing a bunch of university students wear animal-shaped winter "accessories" on a regular basis.

I've never quite understood why people can't make the effort to put on a pair of jeans or pants. I don't find jeans uncomfortable - that is unless they're a pair of cheap jeans or they don't fit me right! So why do people choose to hide under their "lazy clothes"? & why do some people choose to leave the house wearing animal gloves & hats? It's a mystery that I haven't solved just yet. I have the hardest time trying to figure out why people wear Crocs as well. I've tried them on & thought they were horrific (fashion disaster, anyone?). I don't understand why anyone (besides a child) would wear them unless they're on the beach, boating, gardening, hiking, or they have smelly feet.

I understand that some people believe we need to let ourselves go & not take the way we dress seriously. I believe in that statement too, but to an extent. Yes, it's necessary for us to let ourselves go, experiment with fashion, & try on clothes in styles that we never would have. I mean if we don't experiment, how else will we develop our own style? But I most certainly don't think that anyone should be wearing animal hats & gloves past the age of 16 (or maybe even younger.. I'm being a bit generous with the age here). I don't think people should be wearing sweatpants to school or while shopping either.

Of course everyone is entitled to their own opinions & I know a lot of people will disagree with me, but I've never been the type of person to go out in sweatpants or anything of that sort. I'm not exactly a sharp dresser, but the things mentioned in this post.. well, it's just not me to wear them out in public.

Have a different opinion? Comments are always welcome whether they oppose the topic raised or simply agree.

Have fun dressing.
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Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Got the layout all figured out.. finally!

For a while now, I have been looking for the perfect layout. I find that a layout is one of the most important things about your blog because it is the readers first impression about your blog & can also reflect your style. Some of the things that I look for in a layout are neatness, clean lines, bold titles, colours that complement each other, & overall appearance. I'm glad to say that I have finally found all of those things in a layout after a really long time. It's also made quite the impression on people who visit my blog because I have received tons of compliments, which I'd like to thank everyone for.

I thought I'll take you on a little tour of all the layouts that I've had in the past 1 and a 1/2 weeks.


[Click images to enlarge]


Layout #1: Birdie's Secret Garden by Gisele Jaquenod I really liked the colour palette, the comments section, & pretty much everything besides the birdie, flowers, & grass on top. Visit Gisele Jaquenod's website & browse around her free blog templates or her custom blog & web designs. I love some of the custom designs that she's done.. So talented!

Layout #2: Grunge Theme by Anshul Dudeja
Last week I finally decided to change my layout. I really liked the drop down ribbons & the way the date showed up on this one, but there was still something off. I couldn't quite figure out what that something was till I found...

Layout #3: Aaah Perfection! (haha, kidding. It's actually called..) Template Setembro by Templates Novo Blogger

I love the slider, I love the tabs on top. I love the way all the posts show up on the home page. Love the way the most recent post shows up (bolded title with a different coloured background). Love the wide sidebar. Love the way the quoted text shows up in my posts. Okay, so you get the point.. I love it!

With my layout all figured out I can now resume blogging. Okay, so I still have to make a few minor changes, but that doesn't have to stop me. Point is, when I open my blog now it feels like I belong here & I look forward to blogging more now. Funny how a layout can do that. Or maybe I'm just weird. But anywho, I'm excited about my new layout & upcoming posts. Hope you are too!
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Saturday, February 13, 2010

This Valentine's Day Eve I Bring to You...

30 giveaways instead of a dozen roses :P

Some of you might remember that I used to update my contests & giveaways post regularly to keep my readers updated on the amazing bloggers who gave away amazing things to appreciate their readers. I stopped doing this because I did not receive prizes for 2 of the contests that I won, which really turned me off & I didn't want to be promoting contests as such.

But today, on Valentine's Day Eve I present to you a list of 30 giveaways. Originally the list just had a dozen giveaways, but guess the bloggers have been feeling uber generous around Valentine's Day, haha. They're listed in order depending on which one ends first, so the work's done for you. Aren't you lucky ;) Just click the title of the contest to go to the bloggers giveaway page.


1) Help Awilda Hearts Makeup reach 1,000 followers on Twitter TODAY!

Prize: 1 MAC Viva Glam lipstick: Exclusive colour from Cindy Lauper OR Lady Gaga
Ends: Today
Twitter Page: http://twitter.com/MakeupRepublic

2) 50+ giveaway
Prize: pictures on the blog
Ends: Feb 13
3) A dozen nail polish roses!

Prize: You HAVE to see this even if you don't use nail polishes!! Such a creative idea
Ends: Feb 14

4) Spoiled Rotten wants to spoil you rotten! (Ok, that was a wee bit cheesy)

Prizes: A little sneak peak in this post
Ends: Feb 14

5) Showing love when she reached her 500 followers point
Prize: OPI, MAC, Inglot, YSL. See the picture on the blog
Ends: Feb 14
6) 100th Post Giveaway
Prize: 2 sets of prizes
Ends: Feb 14
7) Polish & Fing'rs Giveaway
Prize: So many goodies for your nails!
Ends: Feb 14
8) Lancome giveaway
Prize: watch Michelle Phan's video on the blog - you have a chance to win all
the Lancome products that she's using
Ends: Monday night (Feb 15)
9) Win an Illamasqua Intense lipgloss in Petulant
Prize: as stated in title - go to blog to see the colour of the gloss
Ends: Feb 15
10) Valentine's day mini giveaway
Prize: Super cute bobby pins & more. Check out the blog for the prize
picture
Ends: Feb 16
11) Little Thank-You Giveaway
Prize: Mascara, lipbalm, earrings, makeup pouch
Ends: Feb 19
12) US & Canadian residents have a chance to win some Stila items
Prize: 4 Stila items (as pictured on blog)
Ends: Feb 19
13) 300 readers giveaway
Prize: Visit blog for details
Ends: Feb 21
14) Goodies!
Prize: TheBalm, ELF, etc
Ends: February 25
15) Urban Decay galore!
Prize: A huge UD gift pack
Ends: Feb 28
16) NARS, Sonia Kashuk, MAC, & more

Prize: Products from brands mentioned above & more (picture on blog)
Ends: Feb 28
17) So many prizes & all you have to do is enter!
Prize: Pictures on blog
Ends: Feb 28
18) Canadians, Win a gift basket worth over $500!!
Prize: visit the link to see the goodies in the gift basket. How can you not
want this baby!?!?
Ends: March 1
19) Goodies from Lush & much more
Prize: Loads of pictures up on the blog
Ends: March 1
20) Sarah's 100+ followers giveaway
Prize: a lot of products (pictures on blog)
Ends: March 1

21) Win Korres Lip Butter & Philosophy Acne Kit

Prize: Go to blog for pics & details
Ends: March 1
22) Mini giveaway
Prize: Soap & Glory, MAC, chocos
Ends: March 2
23) 250 followers giveaway

Prize: 1 MAC lipstick of your choice + 1 MAC lipglass of your choice
Ends: March 2

24) 50 followers giveaway
Prize: Lush, Gosh, Sop & Glory, etc
Ends: March 2
25) 200 followers giveaway
Prize: Lush, Barry M, Gosh, etc (picture on blog)
Ends: March 3

26) Makeup, Body care, jewelry, & more

Prize: picture on blog
Ends: March 9

27) Itsura's First Giveaway

Prize: A lot of Estee Lauder products & more!
Ends: March 11

28) Go Green Giveaway

Prize: Earth-friendly products, obviously
Ends: March 15
29) Smashbox, Bourjois, MAC, Rimmel
Prize: the brands listed above (picture on blog)
Ends: March 22
30) Lush, Lush, & MORE LUSH? Oh, & some other things too
Prize: If you haven't guessed already, tons of Lush products & some other
brands including MAC
Ends: April 10

So there you have it. 30 great giveaways! Hope everyone enters.. I know I sure will!

Till next time.

P.S. I am not affiliated with any of the blogs metioned above. I'm just one of their readers so if by any chance you win & the prizes weren't described accurately or up to your expectations, please don't blame me.
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Under Construction


These past few months my laptop kept throwing problems at me right, left, & center. I finally have a new one though, which I fell in love with the moment I saw it & knew I had to make it mine. Now I'll finally be able to edit my posts, pictures, & layout.

I was planning on scrapping this blog completely & switching over to Wordpress because of the amazing layouts (have you seen those beauties? Blogger needs some sexy templates as well!!). I've decided to stick with this blog & change a few things though. One of the changes that you're going to notice is the new tagline: "Indulging in life's pleasures, one at a time!" In other words, I will be blogging more about indulging in various pleasures that life has to offer (more info on this later on). Another big change is that I finally got rid of the birdie layout. Even though the layout was cute, well structured, neat, & had great colour palette, I wasn't feeling the bird & flowers at all. I like a few things about my current layout (the drop down ribbon selections at the top of the page) & the way the date shows, but I'm still trying out layouts so don't be surprised if you see another one.

Next week is way too busy with university, but I have the week after that off & I plan on finalizing whichever layout I choose & making a few posts as well! Anyway, that was my little update & I'm looking forward to blogging somewhat regularly once again. Till then, you can follow my new twitter page to receive updates (the link is in the sidebar).

So how do you like the current layout & colour palette? Liked the old one better? Any suggestions?

Much love.
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Thursday, October 29, 2009

Revlon Runway Collection Nails Review

To promote the Revlon Runway Collection nails the Assistant Brand Manager from Revlon, Janet Lai, sent out the nails to various bloggers to try and review. Lucky for me, I was one of them as well. Even though a lot of bloggers have reviewed the nails already, I think some people might be interested in this particular review because it was my first time trying out glue-on nails! Let me start off my review with a picture of the result.

[Click images to enlarge]

The review is a bit long because I wanted it to be detailed & filled with pictures, so I've added a little summary of my review (list of pros & cons) as an introduction or for those who don't have the time to read it all.

PROS:
  • Looks like you just got a manicure done - simple & from the comfort of your own home
  • Many designs to choose from - simple, to glittery, to bold
  • Medium length is just perfect!
  • Many different sizes provided, so you're bound to find sizes that match your nails pretty closely
  • Great price
CONS:
  • Annoying air bubbles - people might not be able to tell from far, but I know they're there & that's good enough to bug me!
  • Glue dries a bit too fast to apply an even layer of glue on your nail & the fake nail & then figure out how to put it on, causing a bigger mess
  • Glue got on my fingers & wasn't easy to take off
  • The maroon colour of the Mystic nails wore off the edges - I suspect that this might happen to the Studio nails as well
  • Gems weren't all centered in the Mystic nails
  • Like all glue-on nails, they're hard to take off (you have to soak them in acetone or an acetone based polish remover) & they damage your real nails

Here I've attached the PR flyer that Janet Lai e-mailed me before sending me the nails. I was excited to try the nails just after seeing the flyer!
From looking at the flyer, the collection sounds pretty good, doesn't it? The price seems reasonable for the product that they're offering as well. Keep reading to see more pictures of the nails & read my review on them.


When I opened the package that Janet Lai sent me, I found not only 1 or 2 packages of the Revlon Runway Collection nails, but I found 6 different designs! Of course, I was stoked! There's a close-up of the nails later on, so you can have a better look. But for now, here are the nails that I received.
Each package includes the following items: buffer, nail glue, manicure stick, & 24 nails (although, Starlet has 28 nails).
Glue - dries a bit too fast to give you the opportunity to apply an even layer on both your nail & the fake nail & then apply the nail.
Manicure stick - was very useful in trying to separate my skin from getting glued on to the fake nail, since I put too much glue at times that oozed out all over & made a mess by getting on all my other fingers & nails.
Buffer - a bit rough so I ended up using my own since I didn't want my nails to go through any more damage that they would be going through already.
More nails - a variety of sizes available, which is amazing because you can find a match that fits closely to your real nail without having to worry about filing the nail down to match sizes.

Here's a close-up of the 6 designs that I received
The designs range from simple that you can wear everyday, to bold that you can sport on a night out. Mystic was the first set that I tried because it matched my outfit on Eid (religious celebration, which was a few days away). I didn't think I'd like the dark colour so much for everyday wear, but surprisingly, once I had them on, they actually looked awesome & matched most of my outfits! However, they didn't look that great just after 4 days of me having them on...
I don't have a picture of them on, but I have the nails that I wore so I just took a picture of those. In the picture you can see that the edges of the nails are worn off, which was quite disappointing. Another disappoint was that all the nails with the gems didn't have the gems centered, but I got lucky & found nails with centered gems in the sizes that I needed. I wore the nails with the gems on my index & ring finger & both of them fell off within just 2 days!! Of course I wasn't going to sport these worn off nails on Eid, so I decided to try out my favourite design of the bunch: Sequins (91087).
I thought since it's my second time applying the nails, I would get better at it & there would be less air bubbles, but no such luck! (For reference, look closely at the picture above). Others couldn't really tell that I had air bubbles from far, but I knew better & saw my nails up close all the time, so the air bubbles looked disgusting & really annoyed me!

What I loved about the nails is the medium length. It is perfect! They're not too long to interfere with your daily activities, such as texting, typing, &/or writing, especially if you're not used to having long nails or having fake nails on. They really don't take long to get used to at all. They're not too long to look tacky either & you don't have to waste time trying to file them down to the right size.


& here's a little snippet of information, that's not directly related to the review:
Most people don't know that Muslim women can't pray with nail polish on. Actually, that's a lie... you can't perform ablution with nail polish on & you're supposed to perform ablution before your prayers. That's a whole different story, so I wont talk too much about that besides saying that the only time I can wear nail polish is when I'm menstruating. This is also means that I can only get a manicure during that week & the timing never works out, so I've never gotten a manicure done either!
I didn't mention all that just 'cause. I said it because the Revlon Runway Collection nails made my hands look like I just got a manicure & I could do it at home without having to worry about going to get a manicure done when I get my period. Now that was an automatic bonus for me!

Now, the question that's left is would I buy the nails again?

Personally, I don't think I would just because I don't like the damage that is caused to my real nails by the glue. Also, to take the nails off, you have to soak the nails in acetone or an acetone based polish remover. Acetone dries out your skin & I wouldn't want to use too much of it.

However, I still look forward to trying out the rest of the nails. I'm thinking I'll be bold & try Studio first. Or maybe Stella for a very simple look? Just hope I can keep the air bubbles to a minimum this time around.


Have you tried these nails before? Which one is your favourite design? How did you like the nails?

Hope this review helps anyone who wants to try these out.
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Friday, October 9, 2009

M.I.A

Hi everyone,

I know I said I'd try to blog once in a while even though school has started and I'm busy but I haven't really been doing that. I would have but there's just a tiny little problem.. I don't have my laptop! It took 4.5 weeks to repair it and when I got it back, it was still giving me problems so I've sent it back again hoping that it will be repaired and returned to me before I have to start researching for and typing up my essays, research proposals, papers, etc.

I miss blogging so much that I'm blogging via my iPhone now. It would be a pain to edit pictures on here though, so even though I'd love to share some pictures with you, that will just have to wait till my laptop is fixed and running properly again!

I do have a picture on my phone that I'd like to share with you though. It's a picture of me of course. I decided to go back to my blunt bangs/fringe because I think they really suit me and I have received TONS of compliments on them when I've had them before. So here I am sporting the new (well, not exactly new anymore) hairstyle...


I've also been wanting to blog for a while now, especially about the smudgeliners by Annabelle cosmetics that I've been using recently! Also, I want to do a picture post of all the different haircuts that I've had to date which should be neat. And I've also had the chance to try out the Runway Collection nails by Revlon which most bloggers have had the chance to try already, but I still want to review them. Maybe the review will be a little different than the other reviews since it was the first time that I've tried glue-on nails, so it's from the perspective of a beginner.

All that and more coming up. Just don't know when though.

Hope you have a great Thanksgiving weekend!


- Posted using BlogPress from my fabulous iPhone
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Saturday, September 5, 2009

It's henna time!

This henna post will be a little different than the previous ones. In this post I have 2 pictures. The 1st picture was taken right after the henna is applied and some of it is still wet. The second picture was taken the next night after I had left the henna on overnight, woke up and brushed it off, went to a wedding, and got home at night and decided to take a picture of it.

[Click images to enlarge]
The thing with henna is that the longer you go without getting your hands wet, the darker your henna will get. So after you apply henna, it is best not to do the dishes or shower for a long time. However, lately I have noticed that way too many chemicals are being added to henna cones that I get. Since more chemicals are being added, the henna comes on really dark the day after you put it on and its almost gone in around 3 or 4 days. In the past, henna used to fade away slowly in about a week. But now the colour doesn't stay on for too long in the beginning, however, it stays on for way too long for in the end. And it looks disgusting and blotchy at the end as well.

I really do wish that they'd stop using all those chemicals and what not to make the colour come on that dark. I hardly apply henna anymore because my hands look pretty for about 3 or 4 days and then they look disgusting for a week or more.

Personally though I like henna when it's wet cause of the dark colour. It almost looks like a tattoo. A 3D tattoo that is :)
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