2011 Teen Choice Awards

I just finished watching the 2011 Teen Choice Awards.

Were you able to watch it?

I think it's crazy how these award shows and making posts about them kind of indicate how much time has already passed. Next thing we know, we'll be blogging about the Oscars again = crazy!

Okay, now that I've said that... let's talk about the 2011 Teen Choice Awards. Oh wait, I have a story -- so my younger siblings all made accounts on the Teen Choice website so they can vote, and I wanted to vote too so I started making my own account. At the back of my mind, I was already thinking that maybe I can't vote because I'm not a teenager anymore, but when I entered my birth date, the year 1990 was part of the choices = hooray! So, there I was all happy that I can vote... but when I clicked done, they told me I am "not eligible" because I am not a teen. :(

But oh well, it's okay, that didn't stop me from making sure my siblings voted for Harry Potter in every category they were nominated for. ;)

Anyway, okay, red carpet... blue carpet!

Rachel Bilson - white ruffled Chloe dress and Brian Atwood booties

I loved this look! I think it's very appropriate for the kind of award show that Teen Choice is. I love how fresh, fun, simple, and youthful this look is.

Maggie Q - Max Mara halter sheath and two-tone pumps

She looks fantastic!

Katie LeClerc - BCBG dress and Sergio Rossi heels

Switched at Birth is now one of my favorite TV shows! Katie is very talented... and beautiful!

Elizabeth Banks - J. Mendel dress and Edie Parker clutch

She looks amazing! I love how she made her dress really stand out by keeping everything else simple.

Avril Lavigne - head-to-toe Abbey Dawn

Very simple. Nothing crazy. I like it.

I probably won't wear the shoes though, but they are so Avril.

Fergie - Dolce & Gabbana dress and Christian Louboutin heels

Fergie makes the look work!

Demi Lovato - BCBG Max Azria dress and Christian Louboutin shoes

Not my favorite look, but it doesn't matter. I'm glad that Demi looks beautiful, happy, and healthy! :)

And those shoes = wow!

Blake Lively - Gucci dress, leopard print Louboutin stilettos, and Lorraine Schwartz jewels

I actually like the dress, and I think she looks gorgeous as always, but the shoes and the jewelry are making the whole ensemble kinda off.

JoJo - Marco Marco dress with Penelope and Coco pumps

I didn't really see her on the actual show, and I didn't even know she was there until I saw her blue carpet photos. :/ I wish they made her sing (instead of Selena Gomez... peace to all Selena fans, but her voice is nothing compared to JoJo's).

Taylor Swift - Rafael Cennamo halter dress, Ranjana Khan belt, silver Fendi peeptoes, and Neil Lane jewels

I think she looks pretty and her dress is pretty, but I'm not too crazy about this look.

Anyway, I wonder how awkward tonight must've been for Taylor... Joe Jonas was there, along with his other ex-girlfriends Demi Lovato and Ashley Greene (who sat next to Taylor!). Taylor Lautner was there, and we all know Back to December was written for him. Taylor Swift also went out a couple of times with Cory Monteith and Chord Overstreet (who were both there!). And of course, there's this whole Selena dumped her bff Demi to become bffs with Taylor thing. :/

Selena Gomez - Erin Fetherston mini-dress and Brian Atwood stilettos

I am not her biggest fan, but I usually like her style (or her stylist's style, haha!)... but this look is just too all over the place for me. It's not my favorite.

Nina Dobrev - Dolce & Gabbana gingham dress, Dolce & Gabbana clutch, Salvatore Ferragamo pumps, and Ippolita jewels

I think she's pretty and I love her hair and makeup. The dress is okay, but the print reminds me of an apron. :(

Ashley Greene - black and white Givenchy dress, strappy heels, and Neil Lane jewels

I like her hair and makeup... and yeah, that's it. The rest of the look is just not working, at least in my opinion.

Zooey Deschanel - Miu Miu pumps, tan floral tank dress with black lace trimming

I don't like the look, but I like her!

Zoe Saldana - Lanvin dress, Alexander McQueen shoes, Salvatore Ferragamo clutch, Jamie Wolf bangles, Lana earrings, and Carla Amorim ring

I'm undecided about this look. But I think I dislike it more than I like it. :/

Raven-Symone - black blazer, harem pants, and black pumps

I guess it's okay, but I'm still waiting for her to wear something really "Wow, that's beautiful!".

Nikki Reed - Etro halter dress and a Ferragamo clutch

This look would've worked... if she wore a different dress. :/

Tyra Banks - Thierry Mugler tube-top body suit

I don't understand. I am so confused.

Why, Tyra, why???

The Kardashians (and Jenners and Odoms)

I think it's cool that they brought Lamar's kids with them.

Khloe - Roberto Cavalli dress, Jimmy Choo shoes, Ferragamo clutch, Loren jewelry

Kim - Givenchy dress, Louboutin heels, Bottega Veneta clutch, Lorraine Schwartz jewels

Kourtney - Blaque Label dress, Louboutin shoes, Chanel clutch, Loren jewelry

Apl.de.ap, Fergie, and Taboo -

I love The Black Eyed Peas!

Shane West!!!

I'm gonna watch A Walk to Remember again, haha! ;)

Justin Bieber -

I'm gonna say this now because I don't think I will ever really blog about Justin Bieber. He is talented and I admit, I know the words to his songs... but lately, whenever I see him, all I see is a rich and famous teenager who thinks he is all that. And I think his and Selena's PDA is more nauseating than cute. Sorry, Beliebers and Selena fans, peace! But yeah, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I prefer Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart over Justin and Selena.

Anyway, HARRY POTTER was a huge winner tonight!

I am loving Rupert's "I <3 LA" shirt!

Daniel Radcliffe live via satellite:

Whose look did you like the best? Whose did you not like at all?

If you watched it, what did you think of the show?

I wish all of you a wonderful week ahead! :D

***images from www.zimbio.com, www.popsugar.com, www.rickey.org**

Sephora Beauty Insider: Birthday Gift :)

Hey, guys!

I hope you are all having a great weekend!

I celebrated my 21st birthday last July 4th, and even though I'm not a little girl anymore, I still get excited for my birthday every year, haha. ;)

One thing I look forward to every year is getting my Sephora Beauty Insider birthday gift!

Yayyyy!!!

I got a Philosophy Vanilla Birthday Cake shampoo, shower gel, and bubble bath. :)

It smells amazing - I love it!

I've only used it as a shower gel, but I think I'll try using it as a shampoo too.

It leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth. A little goes a long way - it lathers up really well. It's a really good shower gel, so I'm pretty sure it will be amazing as a shampoo and bubble bath too.

I will definitely buy this when I am finished with the one I have. :)

I also got some extra goodies: BareMinerals samples!

The salesperson who helped me was so nice -- she gave me these samples as an extra birthday gift! :)

Here are the contents of the sample package:

BareMinerals Purely Nourishing Moisturizer, a cute and tiny BareMinerals brush, BareMinerals Original SPF 15 Foundation in Medium Beige (N20), and BareMinerals Mineral Veil.

I love Sephora!

Are you a Sephora Beauty Insider? Did you get your birthday gift for the year yet? Have you tried any of the products above?

P.S. You may have noticed -- I changed my blog design! I am loving the new look because it's so me, haha. I hope you guys like it too! :)

IMATS: Royal&Langnickel Goodies :)

Happy Friday!

About a month and two weeks ago, the beauty world here in Los Angeles has been all abuzz with talk of who went to IMATS, what they saw, and what they got. :)

You can get these pretty (and sturdy!) bags at every entrance. Having the bags made it easy to carry around the makeup products, samples, and brochures I got.

I mentioned before that Royal&Langnickel had an event for bloggers the day before IMATS. And even though I wasn't able to attend their event, Mary Anne from Royal&Langnickel still gave me the goodie bag for bloggers. Me = very happy. :D

Here's what I got:

Inside the bag was a SILK brow/lash brush, a makeup brush set (!!!), and a USB with pictures.

Isn't it beautiful?!

I can't believe I have a new makeup brush set -- and I didn't even have to spend a dime!

Aaaahhhh, I'm still giddy with excitement just looking at them! ;)

*Sigh* Just getting these was enough for me -- totally made the day worth it.

I love them so much and I think they're so beautiful that I haven't even used them yet, haha! I want to keep them beautiful forever. ;) But I will start using them, and then perhaps I will write a review for you guys. :)

Such a pretty USB!

And I also got a brow/lash brush -- can this goodie bag get any better?!

Well, yes it can...

I was going through the bag (which I should mention is a really good bag -- it's sleek and spacious, definitely something I would use possibly for school or something else)... okay anyway, I took out my brushes and the USB, the bag should've been empty, but there was something else inside... so I thought it was a stray something from my sister's stuff that somehow found its way to the bag. I was wrong -- the goodie bag definitely got even better!

I also got a GLAMCOR Professional Performance Primer!

I will definitely make a review post on this too. :)

Have you tried GLAMCOR Performance Primer? Have you bought anything from Royal&Langnickel? If you've attended IMATS, did you get any awesome freebies?

If IMATS comes to a place near you, it's a really good idea to try and get a ticket for it. You'll have fun -- especially if you loooove makeup and even if you are just starting out with trying different brands. Plus, you'll get a lot of amazing products at an affordable price or even for free!

Here are links to my IMATS Los Angeles posts:

IMATS Los Angeles 2011 Part 1
IMATS Los Angeles 2011 Part 2

I wish all of you a peaceful and relaxing weekend! :D

August = FreeBeautyEvents contest time! :)

Happy Thursday! :D

I've heard of the wonders of Argan Oil from many bloggers, so I think this month's FreeBeautyEvents contest will be a hit with all of us! :)

For the month of August, they will be giving away this awesome set of goodies to 10 lucky winners:

Creme of Nature Argan Oil Replenishing Sheen Spray, Got2b Guardian Angel Finish Flat Iron Balm, and Creme of Nature Argan Oil Gloss & Shine Mist.

This contest will run until the 31st of August, winners will be chosen by September 5th, and notified by September 15th. :D

These are really good products, and I hope you all can join in -- who knows, you might be one of the lucky 10!

If you live in York, PA -- check out your local Rite Aid for their 360 Wellness Grand Opening Event. Demonstrators will be performing free polish changes using Revlon's new scented Nail Enamel and Wet n Wild Megalast Nail Polish -- sounds exciting! Ulta is still hosting the Mustela event wherein customers will have the chance to try out Mustela Hydra Bebe Body Lotion, Ultimate Hydration, and Facial Cleansing Cloths.

All information on these events is available at www.freebeautyevents.com -- all for free!

You can check out product reviews and enter your zip code to find out what makeover, gift with purchase, spa open houses and sampling events are happening near your home. You can also make a posting on their site for free! :)

Follow FreeBeautyEvents on Twitter and like them on Facebook for more information!

I hope you guys have a great Thursday night/ Friday! :D

Wedding Wednesday: Bridesmaid Dresses

Happy Wedding Wednesday! :)

Almost every wedding movie features bridesmaids complaining about hideous bridesmaid dresses. But from wedding photos I've seen from different blogs and celebrity websites, I haven't really seen any 27 Dresses-type bridesmaid dresses. I'm pretty sure most brides, if not all, want their bridesmaids to look beautiful too, right?

Here are some bridesmaid dresses from Shopbop that I think every bridesmaid would looooove to wear (I know I do!):

Notte by Marchesa

Strapless Chiffon Gown with Pleated Bodice (also available in black)

$925

Notte by Marchesa

Strapless Column Dress with Organza Cascade

$1,100

Adam

Long Tiered Dress (also available in white)

$695

Notte by Marchesa

One Shoulder Column Gown with Flower (also available in white and black)

$935

Thread

Allessandra Gown (also available in light pink)

$480

Notte by Marchesa

Column Gown with Draped Silk Chiffon

$880

Notte by Marchesa

Strapless Dress with Organza Ruffle

$795

Notte by Marchesa

Strapless Crepe Dress with Organza Ruffle (also available in red and white)

$695

Notte by Marchesa

Silk Organza Ruffle Dress (also available in black and taupe)

$795

Shoshanna

Ruffle One Shoulder Dress

$276.50

Shoshanna

Sweetheart Strapless Dress

$206.50

Zimmermann

Ruched Bustier Dress

$206.50

Which of these bridesmaid dresses did you like the most?

Have you, or anyone you know, had to endure a bridesmaid dress that isn't exactly stylish?

Tasty Tuesday: Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Hey, guys!

I hope you are all having a good week! :)

A few months ago, I got a recipe for Apple Cinnamon Muffins from the lovely Sunny&Star. They looked sooooo good, and I instantly knew I had to give it a try. So here is my attempt at making Apple Cinnamon Muffins.

What you need:

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup white sugar

2 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup oil

1 cup milk

1 egg

And of course, 2 apples! ;)

What to do:

- Preheat oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit.

- In a small bowl, beat egg with fork. Stir in milk, vanilla, and oil.

- In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and sugar. Make a well in the center. Quickly mix in the liquid mixture with a fork. Do not overbeat.

- Peel, core, and grate the apples. Stir into the mixture.

Okay, here's where I made a little change because I made the mistake of peeling and coring the apple first. I realized that it would bruise since I won't need it 'til later on, so I put the apples in a bowl of cold water... it made it too soft and mushy to grate. Whooops.

So, I ended up slicing the apples into tiny cubes:

- Fill cups 3/4's of the way full

- Turn oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit

I baked mine for about 15 to 20 minutes.

(or until golden... oven temperatures may differ - just make sure they don't burn, haha)

- Cool and serve.

The house smelled sooooo good while the muffins were baking!

My muffins had a little bit of crunch because I cubed the apples instead of grating them, haha.

Next time, I definitely won't make the mistake of peeling the apples first. ;)

These are perfect to snack on at night, and are very easy to grab in the morning when you're rushing out the door. :)

Have you tried making muffins? Do you have a favorite recipe?

Thanks again to Sunny&Star for sharing this recipe on their blog! :D

Beauty Watch: A Golden Glow + Jergens Natural Glow Review

Happy First Day of August!!!

I can't believe summer is almost over. For some, school will start in a couple of weeks and for others, it may have already started. :/

But despite our summer almost coming to a close, we still have a lot of time to hit the beach (or the pool), read new books and magazines, do absolutely nothing, sleep in 'til 12... basically do whatever you want to do. ;)

For a lot of people, summer means being tan, right? I love being tan, but I've never tried going to tanning salons (and I'm not sure if I ever will), and I also don't like staying under the sun for too long. Luckily, there are ways to get a "healthy-looking tan without the sun". :)

I achieve my tan by swimming and using tanning lotion. I haven't been working too much on maintaining it though, mainly because I have to go out there and try some other brands.

Here are some products People recommend:

1. For Instant Tint: St. Tropez Wash Off Dark Instant Glow Body Lotion, $18

2. Gradual Color: L'Oreal Paris Sublime Bronze Clear Self-Tanning Gel, $10.49

3. Bronzing Blush: Estee Lauder Limited Edition Bronze Goddess Sea Star Bronzing Blush, $34

4. Face&Body Wipes: Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Glow Pad Anti-Aging Exfoliating Self-Tanner with Active Vitamin D, $34 for 20 towelettes

Have you used any of these tanning products? Which of these do you recommend?

The tanning lotion I use is Jergens Natural Glow:

I like this lotion because it helps me keep my tan all-year round. At first, the smell is a bit off, but I got used to it, and it will definitely grow on you.

The thing that I dreaded about using this is waiting for it to dry - it takes quite some time. And I always used to bend my arms, so there was this huge white patch on my arm (the other side of my elbow... is that what it's called?). Yup, not good. And you have to make sure that you always wash your hands after!

I also use their face tanning moisturizer. It works the same way as the body lotion.

I don't really know the actual price, but I'm pretty sure it has to be under $10.

All in all: This is a good tanning lotion to start with. Very affordable, and easy to use. Once you get the hang of this lotion, you can probably move on to another brand if you wish.

Oh, and I think they repackaged this line, so they probably don't look like those photos above anymore, haha. I just picked those photos because that's the packaging I had. ;)

Have you used Jergens Natural Glow tanning lotion? What did you think of it? Any brands not mentioned here that you can recommend?

Have a fabulous first week of August, everyone! :D

***images from Google***