April 'Smalls' Haul

Hey guys :)

Before I begin, here's an update of the week:
1. My friends have been begging me to watch The Big Bang Theory since forever. I finally gave it a try and now I am in love with it! I would have never thought I would be interested in a show like that, as it revolves around Science, and Science to me is meh. Nonetheless, I highly enjoy the show! Howard's hair is absolute perfection, and I admire Jim Parson's ability to keep a straight face through all the jokes and funny bits. If you haven't picked up the message, GO WATCH IT!

2. I finally changed the strings on my guitar after 5 years (when I bought it). The new strings are wonderfully bouncy, and I can't wait to play more songs.

Anyways, today I have my first haul! During Easter break, many shops came out with new Spring/Summer collections. I went shopping several times and picked up some really cool stuff. A few posts ago I mentioned that I would be doing this haul post; technically yes, but not of everything I purchased. The clothing is really hard to capture on camera as they take up a lot of space, which I don't have at the moment. So, I've decided to do smaller things such as accessories, beauty products etc, as the title suggests.

As a disclaimer, I am in no way bragging about the things I have purchased. This haul is for me to give my opinions on the products, and to tell you about the new things in store so you can go pick them up yourselves!

So going back to the last day of term, I went to the Mannings in Shatin Plaza to see if I could find the new The Amazing Spiderman 2 x Revlon nail polishes I saw online. Unfortunately I couldn't, but I came across their mini OPI stand. On the bottom shelf where minis were displayed, there were pairs of polishes that were on offer for $79. I picked a pair up as OPI is normally sold for $70-$80 per bottle in Hong Kong. The colours are 'A Grape Fit' (mentioned in THIS post) and 'Lights of the Emerald City' from the OPI Oz The Great and Powerful collection. I really like 'A Grape Fit' and 'Lights of the Emerald City' is really unique as a glitter topper.

From H&M I bought this pair of floral plimsolls. The pattern is so fun, and the colours go well together.

From Typo by Cotton On, I first bought a tin of mini floral polaroids. I stuck a few on my wall as decoration to add some colour. 

I also got a blue-lid glass jar. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to use it for, but I know I'll definitely use it!

At the checkout there were little basins filled with bracelets for charity. This one in particular caught my eye; I love how the closure plays a big part in the overall design. Also, the colour is really bright and colourful.

Now on to Forever 21! I picked out several items from their, as they have a really big variety of accessories. First, a flower crown! I have been wanting to make/buy a flower crown for ages. This one is perfect because the flowers aren't too exaggerated, so I don't look too weird. 

I was running low on rings because many of them have started turning pink. I got this really cute silver laurel-esque midi ring, and a pair of gold-toned rings. I'm planning to wear the gold ring with red and blue on my right pinky, a little bit like how Alex Turner wears his Death Ramps ring on his right pinky :)

Next, a pack of crease-less hairties. I love these hairties because they don't crease my hair, and they look great when layering arm candy.

Of course if I went to Causeway Bay, I would have to go to Dude's. I bought a small bottle of Air body mist. It smells like pears and flowers, and it's pretty good.

Now for one of my favourite purchases: Baby Lips Electro! The colours I picked out were "Berry Bomb" and "Pink Shock". I am absolutely in love with them because the colours look really nice on my lips, especially "Berry Bomb". 

Online, I found this really cool iPhone case which I desperately needed as my old one was falling apart. This one is so tumblr-y, with the whole 'rad' thing, the polaroid, the TopShop socks...

The best purchase saved for last: new earphones! I was on a minibus going out and I wanted to listen to some music, and I realized the right side of my earphones were broken. I literally was like NOOOOOOO. So I obviously had to get a new pair. I really liked the Cloud earphones that my friend got for me for my birthday last year, so I bought the exact same pair in a different colour scheme. Before owning those earphones, I wasn't that into in-ear earphones. I'm so glad I got used to them because they are better for my ears than... non-in-ear earphones... if that makes sense.

Phew, finally finished! There's a lot of stuff but I have been collecting these things over a period of 1-2 months. Tomorrow's the first day of term and I am genuinely terrified. Before we get back to school, I can't sleep the night before, and I worry about things that I shouldn't worry about. But I do... Anyone else out there who feels the same? :/ But nonetheless, I wish you good luck for tomorrow, whether you're going back to school, to school, to work etc.

That's all for today. Have a good day/night!

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DIY: Washi-Wrapped Cord

Hey guys :)

To start off, I would just like to mention the 'Follow by Email' feature I have added. If you don't have a Bloglovin' account, simply enter your email address into the box, and you will get email notifications whenever a new post has been uploaded. Go ahead and enter your email now!

Anyways, I have another DIY for you today. I have been trying to keep myself occupied this break, and DIYs have taken over. This DIY is an idea to jazz up your cords, whether it's your phone cords or even earphones. I have been dying to try this ever since I saw some decorated cords in a shop once. Of course, they were ridiculously overpriced, so I'm taking matters into my own hands!

the finished product

Let's get started!

You will need:

1. washi tape of your choice

2. a cord of some sort

3. scissors

4. *optional* double sided tape

1. To start off, find your washi tape and decide what type of pattern/design you want. For my cord, I chose a blue-green colour scheme and I wanted the colours to be scattered around. I found my masking tape in Shatin and they were perfect for this DIY. They came in a pack of 10 colours, and the pack was only $40. 

2. Cut 2-3 cm of washi tape, and tightly press it against the cord, horizontally. Making sure the tape is straight, continue wrapping the tape around until the end has reached the coil. Press firmly to secure. I started with the very top of the cord, as you can see below.

Because my cord was round, the washi tape didn't stick securely at the end. To secure it, I stuck on a small piece of double sided tape. 

3. Continue all round the cord until you reach the end. This may take a long time, as it did for me, but be patient and consistent!

And you're done! I love the way how the cord looks; the blues and greens pop against the white. This DIY is relatively easy, so don't stop until you've reached the end :) Make this your own by using different colours or patterns of washi tape. I might do this DIY with my other cord with the pinks and purple.

That's all for today. I wish you all a happy Easter, hope you have fun and stay safe. Have a good day/night!

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DIY: Temporary Cuticle Tattoos

Hey guys :)

Oh gosh, I originally wasn't going to post today as I have fallen sick. As I'm writing this post, my nose is dripping. Attractive, no?

Anyways, I've been planning this DIY post for quite some time (I haven't done one in over a month!). Cuticle tattoos, I think, have been totally shunned. Not a lot of people like this trend, but I absolutely LOVE this trend; it adds a little extra oomph to basic nails. I first learnt about them when surfing the net for nail colours, and have been drawing them on ever since. They are available to purchase online, but with expensive/unavailable shipping to Hong Kong, why bother? This tutorial is super easy, as all my other ones are, so let's hop into it!

Just as a disclaimer, this idea is NOT mine. I've been doing some research on YouTube and Pinterest, and this is what I've found. Credits to whoever came up with this first.

You will need:
1. Liquid eyeliner
2. Liquid bandage

1. To start off, prep your cuticle area. Moisturize them with a cuticle oil, then remove the excess. An oily surface makes it harder for the eyeliner to stay put.

2. With your eyeliner, draw on your design. Easy ones to start with are triangles or lines. They have a cool, indie vibe which is so Coachella-esque.

3. To make the tattoos last a little longer, spray on the liquid bandage to ensure it is waterproof. I was totally boggled when I came across this stuff. Bandages... in liquid form? My mum found this in a Watsons somewhere and it costs around $40-$50. I only use my bottle for this DIY, but it works well on what it is meant to be used for i.e. cuts, scrapes.

And you are done. Three steps, two things needed; it doesn't get easier than this! For once my nails and cuticle tattoos came out right. Normally, they both come out a wreck; the polish gets on my skin, the lines of the tattoos aren't straight. Miraculously, they both decided to behave today. On my nails I have OPI's A Grape Fit from the OPI Brights 2009 Bright Pair collection. It's a shade darker than OPI's Do You Lilac It? which I used to own, but it got lost somewhere after I moved :(

The tattoos last depending on how careful you are. If you rub it off, it'll come off instantly. If you are more cautious, it may last 1-2 days. Eh, you can always redraw them on ;)

That's all for today, really hope you enjoyed this post! Have a good day/night!

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OOTD: Bo$$

Hey guys :)

I have finally figured out a posting schedule: every Sunday a new post will come out, and OOTD's may appear sporadically during the week.

Anyways, today was the last day of term a.k.a. start of Spring/Easter break! So relived to get two weeks of down time to write more posts, and make more DIYs. I hung out with a few friends to celebrate, and one of my friends kindly helped me take a few pictures to show you today's outfit.

I'm not huge on the Spring pastel trend, and I don't tend to gravitate towards pastels whilst shopping. In my closet, I own quite a lot of black, blues, and greens; they are definitely summer colours.

T-shirt: Cotton On

Shorts: Cotton On

Shoes: online

Bracelet: Claire's

I love the t-shirt because it's so fun and colourful, but my favourite part of this outfit definitely has to be the shorts. From afar they look like a skirt, but are actually extremely airy and comfortable shorts. Perfect for a sunny day! I will probably get another pair if I get more wear out of them. This pair will be featured in a haul post that I have prepared to post at the end of the month.

Remember to check back every Sunday for a main post, and during the week for OOTDs :)

That's all for today. Have a good day/night!

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Hair Routine and Tips

Hey guys :)

First things first: did you watch the Once Upon A Time In Wonderland finale??? If you haven't, beware, this post contains spoilers!

Oh gosh. I was literally crying the whole way through, partly because of what happened, and mostly because it was ending. I am so glad that Jafar's out of the way in his bottle, Alice and Cyrus weren't killed, and most of all, Will and Ana made it back together! During Alice and Cyrus' wedding, I expected Will to propose to Ana but he didn't. Oh wells. Lastly, the guardian of the Well of Wonders scared the ish out of me, especially since I was watching the episode at around 12 at night! Overall, I enjoyed the finale very much and it was a pretty decent ending (of course, inside I am screaming for the fact that it has ended) :)

Anyways, today's post is about how I handle the bush atop of my head I call hair, and how I make it not so bush-like :) I've also picked up some tips on hair care in general, and I can't wait to share them.

1. Shampoo
A while back, my scalp was extremely dry. I had dandruff, which is equal parts annoying and gross. Recently, I picked up the Clairol Moisturizing Shampoo. It's hydrating, and smells like coconut and orchids, which is awesome. I wet my hair, pump some shampoo into my hands (2 pumps max.), then only massage it into my scalp. A common mistake that people make is lathering it up onto all their hair. I have definitely made this mistake in the past! Shampoo is meant for mainly your scalp, and conditioner takes care or your ends. After trying this method, my dandruff disappeared and my scalp was saved!

2. Conditioner

My hair was feeling really dry and as said above, bush-like. I am using the Loreal Total Repair Repairing Conditioner. After applying it, I rinse it off with cold water. When washing their hair, people tend to use hot water. Hot water opens up the cuticle layer on hair. All the product gets absorbed by the hair, but if the hair cuticle isn't sealed closed, the moisture will dry out. Cold water reseals the cuticle, trapping the moisture in your hair. After doing so, I found that my hair was softer and less tangled. 

3. Serum

I use the Loreal Smooth Intense Anti-Frizz Serum to tame all the flyaways. The average humidity in Hong Kong gets up to 90% so it's vital for me to use serum. If not, my hair literally becomes a bush. 

4. Dry shampoo

On those days when I feel really lazy or I shower really late, I like to use dry shampoo. Batiste's Original dry shampoo gets the job done, and it leaves my hair feeling refreshed. Not many places sell Batiste in Hong Kong, but I found mine at a Watsons in Shatin.

So there's my hair care! I learnt these tips from Pinterest, so credits to whoever posted them first. My hair has improved since, so I recommend you try them out.

That's all for today. Have a good day/night!

Lave a comment down below and don't forget to follow Love From Icy on Bloglovin, or @icygirl79 on Instagram!