Siren Style

Bubble Tea at The Tea Lounge

2012-02-24T22:50:00.000-06:00

A place called The Tea Lounge opened very recently in the shopping center nearby. It's no more than five minutes away from my apartment. There are quite a few places around Austin to find Bubble Teas; the mall, restaurants, Japanese gift shops (Momoko) etc. Typically these places have a relatively limited selection. They tend to mostly focus on the "tea" or "cream" versions of Bubble Tea. To my surprise The Tea Lounge has these two types and more! They even have the "slush" style drinks and different sizes of tapioca balls!

The lounge looks relatively sparse on the inside. It has some comfy couches as well as a few public computers and a bookshelf of board games. There are also some pretty rad wall sculptures too! The other customers there were pretty chill. People were playing cards, reading magazines and so on. There was even a small group of Lolitas! I thought that was quite cool since I have yet to see much of a Lolita representation in Austin thus far.

The Bubble Teas were pretty good. I got a more traditional Green Tea one (pictured) with big tapioca balls while Cody got a Red Bean Cream style tea. They were running a special so we got a free Lychee Slush too! Yum yum. I definitely plan on going back to this place. Hopefully I can convince some friends to come too!

Geekery: Eden Eternal

2012-02-21T00:35:00.003-06:00

I've been an avid MMORPGer (Massive Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game) for 12 years now. Sometimes when I look back it's hard to believe that much time has passed since I played Ultima Online, my first MMO. I've played everything from UO to the popular and notorious World of Warcraft, and most recently Star Wars The Old Republic. Heck, I even work on an MMO every day of the work week! It's safe to say that my experience with these types of games is pretty extensive.

When it comes to MMOs created or published by asian-based countries, I'm no stranger either. I've played things like Ragnarok Online, Aion and Maple Story. However, as of late I always find myself coming back to Eden Eternal. Created by the Chinese company X-Legend and published by Aeria Games, Eden Eternal is a cute anime-style fantasy MMO. The game has many of the typical staple classes found in an RPG; Warrior, Magician, Thief and Ranger etc. However, one of the unique things about this game is that a player can change their class at any given time once they have unlocked it. This is a system very similar to the one found in Final Fantasy 11.

So what do I like so much about EE? Many things. The classes are fun, distinctive and unique in some ways. The art style is anime, yes, but it isn't too overbearing. Also the class armor and outfits characters wear aren't terrible revealing. (Compared to games like Lineage 2, Shaiya and Tera Online they are downright tame!) Players can group or solo in most areas of the game. There is pvp and player towns as well. Aeria Games also runs many GM hosted events on a weekly basis. This is something I especially enjoy that often gets left out of the bigger MMOs out there. Oh and did I mention you get a pug...?

Isn't he just SO CUTE?!?

Pets such as the pug shown above are used not only as a combat buddy, but as a loot grabber as well. Tired of running up to monster corpses to loot? No worries! The pug (or cat, kirin, reindeer etc.) does it for you! How cool is that?!

I highly recommend Eden Eternal for anyone wanting to try out a cute (and did I mention FREE?) MMORPG. Yes, the game gets to be a bit grindy at times in the higher level range. However, with various buffs offered in game it isn't too bad. More information on the game can be found here: http://edeneternal.aeriagames.com. Until next time, my lovelies!

Dreaming of Spring

2012-02-12T22:39:00.001-06:00

This past week I've been constantly thinking of Spring. I'm tired of winter. I dislike the cold, and the weather here in Austin can be very finicky. One day it's sunny and 70 degrees. The rest of the week it will be overcast and rainy with a high of 45! No fun. To keep my spirits up I've been looking at cute spring trends and fashions online. Many of my favorite brands are starting to debut their newest items. Winter is so drab, the burst of color from these items lifts my spirits. Below are a few of my favorites.

LIZ LISA Cameo Earrings

LIZ LISA Small Caramel Purse

Express Zelda Jean Leggings in Green Grass

Forever 21 Fitted Skinny Jeans in Turquoise

Forever 21 Colorblocked Slub Knit Top

Garage 3 Pack Belt Set

Cute Valentine's Day Picks

2012-02-09T00:34:00.000-06:00

Valentine's Day is next week. I figured I'd pick out a few items that would make nice gifts for a loved one, or yourself. One of the cool things about Valentine's Day is that presents don't have to cost much. A nice handmade card or hand-dipped chocolate berries make wonderful gifts. This is also a time to buy something for the nerd in your life! Splurge on that expensive keyboard or those sweet headphones. Don't have a significant other? That's fine. Valentine's Day is also a holiday where you can buy yourself something nice and be guilt-free. Convinced? Check out my picks below!

1. Celli Girl Heart-Pattern Knit Top from Yesstyle.

2. Vintage Gold and Red Enamel Heart Brooch from Etsy.

3. 15 Piece Valentine's Day Heart Gift Box from Godiva.

3. Minecraft Creeper Vinyl from Jinx.

Small Ulta Haul

2012-02-05T00:37:00.002-06:00

Frizz-Ease Secret Weapon Flawless Finishing Creme
Village Naturals Therapy Mineral Bath Soak
Nyx Powder Blush in Mauve
Nyx Extreme Lip Creme in Nude Peach Fuzz
Katy Perry Lashes by Eylure, Sweetie Pie style

Went to Ulta today to pick up a few items. I actually got more than what you see here, but these are the "fun" items. To my delight the new Katy Perry Lashes line was on display right at the front of the store. I had a tough time choosing which one to get. (And I almost bought 2!) I ended up choosing the "Sweetie Pie" style because the lashes look natural, but still full. If these turn out to be quality then I may go back and try one or two of the other styles.

Nyx brand products were buy one get one 50% off so I figured I'd buy a couple. I've never tried Nyx blush before so I'm excited to use the new one I bought. The lip creme grabbed my attention as well. Since I *love* lip glosses I just had to try it! I'm such a sucker, lol.

The Frizz-Ease and bath soak are just "everyday" items that I bought. Again, I've never used Village Naturals brand bath salt before but I wanted to try a new "anti-stress" salt soak. I find myself somewhat irritated/stressed often because of work so I tend to take a lot of baths to relax. This means burning through lots of bath salts!

Milky Bunny's First Album Release

2012-02-03T23:34:00.002-06:00

Recently it was announced that Milky Bunny's (Masuwaka Tsubasa) first album is going to drop on March 21st, 2012 in Japan. The popular former model has certainly made great strides lately to make a name for herself in the music industry. (Which is amazing considering her obligations to other things like her Dolly Wink brand.) Personally I adore her style and her songs are catchy and cute. (I also think its pretty rad that we are the same age!) I plan on trying to order her album although I anticipate it being very very popular in Japan, and somewhat hard to find in the states.

For anyone interested you can find out more info about the album by visiting the official Milky Bunny website here. If that isn't enough then you can go watch the promo for her first single, Bunny Days, below along with the video for her second song, Zurui Yo
.

Review: Mabelline's Baby Lips

2012-01-29T21:08:00.001-06:00

Mabelline's Baby Lips SPF20 Lip Balm

This is a requested review that I have actually been meaning to do for a while now. Mabelline's Baby Lips Lip Balm is my favorite tinted lip balm. You may have seen this product in popular Beauty/Fashion magazines such as Nylon. The balms come in six different shades: Quenched, Peppermint, Cherry Me, Pink Punch, Grape Vine and Peach Kiss. So far I have bought and religiously used the last three.

The best thing about Baby Lips is the texture and color. The balm goes on smooth and lasts a few hours easy without reapplication. The color is sheer and pretty, not garish or childish-looking at all. (Just be sure to use a mirror when you apply any of these. They can be a bit messy if not.) All of the shades I have tried thus far smell and taste great too!

The biggest downside is that these lovelies can be difficult to find. I bought my first one (Pink Punch) from Walgreen's and since then have never seen them restock. I ended up buying my second two (Grape Vine and Peach Kiss) from Target for around the same price, $3.99. (Even then I had to wait a few weeks inbetween purchases because they were SOLD OUT!)

So for anyone looking for a great tinted lip balm I'd definitely recommend Baby Lips. If you want a great deal I'd say check out your local Target. A few weeks ago I saw them selling two packs for like $5.00. (I think the colors in the packs were Pink Punch and Quenched or Peppermint if I remember correctly.)

Until next time, stay beautiful my Lovelies!

Coming Soon: Katy Perry Lashes!

2012-01-25T23:27:00.001-06:00

Katy Perry Lashes by Eylure!

Starting this Feburary Ulta is going to be carrying a special line of Katy Perry falsie eyelashes! Four distinct styles will be available. Oh Honey! and Sweetie Pie are said to be the most natural looking of all four types. The last two, Cool Kitty and Oh My!, are more dramatic and eye-catching. The nice thing about these lashes is that all of four types are natural, handmade and reusable. The price? A cool $6.99!

I'm not sure how these will compare to other popular falsie brands like MAC and Dolly Wink. However, the price and availability alone have those two brands beat. I'm a fan of Katy Perry. I think she has a very unique style. She always comes off as a nice, playful person when you see her in public. She often wears Eylure brand falsies and they always look great on her. Hopefully this means that her own line will be just as good! For more information you can visit Ulta's website.

First Experience: Gel Nails!

2012-01-23T00:09:00.005-06:00

This past Christmas I was given all of the CND (Creative Nail Design) brand materials I needed to do gel nails. Having only recently heard of gel nails, I was a bit hesitant to do them myself. Surprisingly enough they were very easy to do! I think I actually SAVED time. Typically when I do my nails with regular polish I go through 1 - 3 tries until I get the perfect color and application. With gel nails it was a one shot thing.

My nails did not turn out *perfect* but they look pretty good. I learned a lot about what to do and what not to do. Below are some tips for doing gel nails based on my experience.

Tip #1: Make sure you have all of the proper materials.

This may sound like common sense, but it's easy to be confused by all of the different materials you need. To do gel nails you will need the following; Nail Cleanser, UV Base Coat, UV Color Coat, UV Top Coat, Cotton Rounds and a UV Lamp.

Tip #2: Slow and steady is best.

Shellac doesn't begin to dry until it is put under a UV lamp. This gives you plenty of time to go through each step with care. Don't go fast. Fixing mistakes is much more difficult and time consuming than taking your time and going slow.

Tip#3: Use a THIN coat of your choice Color Coat.

I can't stress this tip enough! Using a thin coat of whatever color you are painting is very very important. If the color coat is too thick then the nail will not cure properly. This leads to some of the color lifting in the last step when you clean your nails of any remaining tackiness.

Tip #4: Seal off the end of each nail tip.

In order to prevent chipping, make sure you seal off the end of each nail. You do this by quickly swiping horizontally across your nail tip with each coat.

Tip #5: Gel nails are much easier to apply on longer nails.

I like to keep my nails short since I use a keyboard all day at work. When I started doing my nails I did not realize how difficult sealing the nail tip would be with short nails. A few times I accidentally got the color coat on my skin, but it came off about as easily as normal nail polish. Next time I'm going to make sure my nails are a bit longer!

I hope these tips help you guys out if you are thinking of ever doing your own gel nails! For more information on CND products you can visit their website here.

Review: Rimmel London's "Stay Glossy" Long Lasting Lipgloss

2012-01-20T00:03:00.004-06:00

Rimmel London's "Stay Glossy" Long Lasting Lipgloss

(As you can see, I'm changing up the way I format review posts. Hope you all enjoy. Let's get to it!)

If you know me well you know I burn through lip glosses like no one's business. I love to try different types, colors, brands etc. My current favorite's are C.O. Bigelow's Mentha Lip Tint in Violet Mint and Lancome's Juicy Tubes in Rose Fishnets. Previous to these I was all about Smashbox's Lip Enhancing Gloss in Illume. (But I ran out of it!) While all three of these are great for different reasons, I wanted to try something new.

In comes Rimmel London's Stay Glossy Long Last Lipgloss! These lip glosses come in an astounding spread of 24 different shades. The shades range from bright pink to nude to black. My favorite is Non-stop Glamour. This shade is perfect for anyone wanting a shiny nude lip that has just a hint of color. While the advertising for this product claims that the lip gloss lasts for up to 6 hours, I can tell you that this is not true. One application lasted about two hours max when I wasn't drinking something consistently.

However, all things considered I really like this lip gloss. The formula is easy to apply and goes on smooth. Your lips don't get all sticky either. (I HATE when lip glosses do that!!) The best part is you can find these little beauties almost anywhere and they retail for about $4.00!

A More Natural Approach

2012-01-15T18:39:00.002-06:00

These days I'm trying more and more to use natural beauty products. We already have to battle exposure to icky stuff like pollution and synthetics on a daily basis Why make it worse? Below is a short list of my favorite "natural" beauty products. Most of these can be found at your local CVS or Target.

Burt's Bees Super Shiny Grapefruit and Sugar Beet Shampoo and Conditioner

This stuff is quite amazing. My hair always looks super shiny and soft after I wash my hair with these two products. And the SMELL! I always joke that I want to eat the stuff it smells so good. The best part? This stuff is 98.8% natural and SLS- Free!

Retails for about $8 at Target.

Yes to Carrots Repairing Night Cream

I always try to remember to put this stuff on nightly. If I forget too often my skin gets too dry. (Blame the winter weather!) The consistency of the cream is nice- not oily. Key ingredients? Organic carrots, Vitamin E and Dead Sea mud. Awesome.

Retails for about $15 at Target.

Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps, Peppermint Bar Soap

Even wrapped this soap smells lovely! The fragrance is strong, but not overwhelmingly so. The other great thing about this bar is the lather it produces. Even using only a small amount of water the soap produces an enticing clean lather. When you rinse your skin feels great afterward, not chalky or dry. Retails for about $.50 on http://www.drbronner.com

Aveeno Smart Essentials Daily Detoxifying Scrub

I'm a very big fan of Aveeno products. I've used everything from their sunscreen to their shaving cream and almost everything in between! However, as of late I am the most impressed with this product. The scrub is very effective. One of the ingredients, Southernwood, is a natural antioxidant. After just a few days I noticed my skin looking drastically better in the morning.

Retails for about $9 at Target and Ulta.

CoverGirl NatureLux Mascara in Very Black

There are some mixed feelings about this mascara on the internet. Personally I love it. The formula is light and applies easily. The color is very dark so your lashes definitely stand out. The best part? The synthetic polymers found in most mascaras has been replaced with beeswax and tapioca. How cool is that? Retails for about $7 at Target and Ulta.

Bang Inspiration

2012-01-14T19:30:00.009-06:00

I have an appointment to go to the salon tomorrow. I don't plan on getting anything drastic since I'm trying to grow my hair out. My bangs, however, are getting on my last nerve. They're too long and too thick!

Below are some of the "bang inspiration" pictures I found while searching the web. I always really like the "choppy" bang look but my hair is too thick for it, I think...

Naris Up Love Chou Chou Cheek Powder

2012-01-11T21:54:00.000-06:00

A month or so ago I visited an adorable Japanese goods gift shop named Momoko. (More on that later!) While browsing through various Studio Ghibli, Tokidoki, and Sanrio goods, I came across a few interesting looking cosmetics. Always intrigued by new items of this nature, I just had to check it out. I ended up choosing...

Naris Up Love Chou Chou Cheek Powder (Orange)!

They actually had the "Strawberry Pink" color as well. In retrospect I wish I had gotten both colors because this is probably one of my all time favorite blushes! The color of the blush itself is very rich. It's orange without being TOO orange. Using the cotton puff provided you can apply the product lightly for just a kiss of color, or you can put a bit more on to make a bold statement.

Cosme Land actually sells all three colors (Orange, Strawberry Pink and Peach Pink) on their website for a cool $10.99 each! Not too bad considering the item comes from Japan. I'd definitely recommend these blushes for anyone looking to try something new.

My Dream Hair Color

2012-01-09T21:32:00.001-06:00

Do you have a DREAM hair color? I do. I've had my hair a multitude of different hues over the years; brown, black, blue-black, dark auburn etc. However, there was never a color that I'd really ever lusted after. That changed about a year ago when I came across this Liz Lisa picture on a japanese fashion blog I follow. Instantly, I fell in love with the model's hair color. Currently my hair is dark brown... pretty close to my natural color. While the color in the picture is lighter I don't think it would be too much of a departure. One day when I decide to fork up the money I'm going to go to a reputable salon and get it done.

What do you think? What is your dream hair color?

TokiDoki Sephora Finds

2012-01-08T19:31:00.000-06:00

Anyone who knows me well knows I adore just about anything Tokidoki. While at the Sephora near work the other day and I encountered a few must have items. The first is something that I have actually had on my Amazon Wish List for over a year...

Luminosa Powder

I've been using this powder everyday since I bought it. I absolutely LOVE it! It gives a very light and lovely sheen to the skin that lasts throughout the day. For the price ($22) I definitely think it is worth the purchase.

Royal Pride Safari Heart & Cross Bones Bobbi Pins

The second item I bought was a pair of super cute Tokidoki bobbi pins. I haven't worn these yet but I plan on wearing them this week. The best thing about these is that they retail for a cheap $5! Considering how expensive many Tokidoki items are, I definitely think these are worth it.

First Post!

2012-01-08T18:09:00.001-06:00

After many delays and moments of indecision I have decided to quit my old blog and begin a new one. Why? Because my old blog's content is, for the most part, archaic in nature. I'm done with school and I've been in Austin for a year now. It's time for a change. I have had the itch to write as of late so I've decided to pursue blogging seriously.

So what can you expect to read on this blog? Everything. Ok, well not QUITE everything! I plan on blogging about what I call the "Siren" lifestyle. Things I like (fashion, makeup, shopping, art, reading, gaming etc.) and places I like to go. I feel like I have a unique perspective on these things because I exist in the realm between the "geek" and the "chic". I've never truly been one or the other. I'm hoping this blog will be a fun haven for those just like me.

Anyway, enough with the introduction, on with the fun!