Monday, June 24, 2013

Start of a New Adventure!

Tomorrow will be my first day interning at Birchbox! I couldn't be more excited :)
I'm going to try to update my blog more often during this summer to document my experience and have something to look back on.

In other news, I purchased a few of the Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids lipsticks so I might put up my first review when I get the chance. I'm so excited to try them out since I've heard amazing things about them.

♥ Katrina

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Exciting News! new goals and the power of perseverance

It's been a looong time since I've last updated my blog and a lot has happened since. While I was still in school, I was ecstatic to find out that I've been accepted to be a Style Guru for CollegeFashionista! My first internship ever! Even though I was super happy about the opportunity, I still wanted to see if I could get another internship for the summer.
Long after the expected period of summer internship applications (Jan-April) and hearing no response, I continued my search, hoping that somehow things will work out. I spent the weeks after I returned home diligently searching InternMatch and Indeed and other job/internship search engines. I even started applying for jobs at the mall in case I'd have nothing. I knew that if I stopped applying, I would feel like I gave up and didn't try hard enough.
After numerous applications and a few interviews, just yesterday, I received an offer from Birchbox to intern for them this summer. It was a long process but I am SOO excited to be given this opportunity.
Going through the process of finding internships or even jobs is discouraging to say the least. You must go through 20+ rejections before even expecting just one interview. BUT NEVER GIVE UP. The old me would have been too discouraged to continue applying for internships especially this late in the game (I applied in the beginning of June!).
For those of you who are on the same boat as me, I encourage you to persevere. Be persistent. Because if you want to reach your goals, it's definitely not going to come easy. The ones who keep trying will see the fruits of their labor soon enough :)

So right now, I finally feel like I have my life on track. 2 internships for this summer and potentially 2 scored for the fall. I couldn't be more blessed!

Another goal I've adopted for the summer is to be more healthy. I've been inspired by Blogilates and even more so when Cassey came to speak at my sorority's convention. Not only do I want to look healthy, I want to feel healthy. I've made some changes in my diet recently, trying to cut out a lot of processed sugar and unnecessary sodium.

I love the feeling of accomplishment. And after all I've been through in the past few years, I'm really happy that things really did work out for me in the end :) 


ps: check out my CollegeFashionista posts here


♥ Katrina

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Spring is here!

Today is the last day of my Spring Break. The one thing that isn't keeping from wallowing in depression is the fact that the semester will be over come mid May. It's actually kind of scary at the same time. I must have applied to 50 internships but not one offer yet :(

Even though it's time to go back to my dingy apartment in Bing, I'm glad I was able to release my urge to bake while at home. I can't bake in my apartment's dirty kitchen. It just doesn't send good baking vibes and I need a good kitchen in order to bake. For some reason, I really wanted to make macarons. Throughout my entire break, I ended up making 3 batches. I made it my personal goal to perfect the macaron. Then maybe someday I'll be able to sell them in my bakery (in my dreams...)!

Today, I was able to make an (almost) perfect batch! Although the shells browned a bit, the texture was on point. I guess next time I'll lower the temperature and bake them for longer. Nevertheless, I'm proud :)

Spring weather is upon us and it's making me very happy and optimistic. Here comes the cute dresses and shorts! I'm hoping to end this semester with a bang. So here's to another month and a half of my junior year!

♥ Katrina

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Fashion Cheats: Rainy Day

Even while Binghamton is pummeling rain and snow on us weary students, I still want to be fashionable in this cold weather. It was one of my new years resolutions after all. The days where I lounged in the same cotton candy pink sweatpants and baggy hoodie are over (for now).

The past few days have been pretty ugly but I managed to cheat some style in my wardrobe.

I believe the easiest way to dress up a rainy day outfit is cute rain boots.

Hunter Wellies are a classic rain boot which come in a range of colors. Although I don't own a pair myself, I've been eyeing their gorgeous violet colored pair for a while. 

Patterned rain boots are also one of my favorites. Simply pairing a cute floral patterned boot like this one can dress up a boring rain day outfit without any effort at all!

Tip: Slipping on a cute pair of socks to peek over your boots adds an extra element of cuteness! 

Thursday, January 10, 2013

December Favs Part 3!

Some of my favorite things about the cold whether are chunky knits, warm drinks, and cozy nights. I love that warm and toasty feeling that comes with winter. AND I love having a reason to wear more clothes :D

Clothes & Accessories Loves!


Knitted sweaters
I've noticed that Grandma sweaters are making a comeback... and I love it. Nothing beats having a cozy knitted sweater in the winter! My favorite one this season is a plain cream colored one I purchased from Forever 21. I wear it with everything! When I'm feeling lazy, I just pair it with black leggings. Feeling dressy? Throw it on top of a black dress with colored tights. (Can you tell I love cream and black together?) I'm sad because I accidentally pulled a thread and it got all bunched up in one area but at least it's not too noticeable.


Vince Camuto "Marcin" Studded Leather Short Boots
I LOVE these booties. The moment I spotted them, I fell in love. I love the casual toasted brown color and the awesome studs at the heel. asldfjasdklfj I can't even describe how much I love these boots. Not only were they on sale but they only had one pair left... and it was in my size! :') Destiny. You can literally wear these with anything! And they're super comfortable! 


Marled Socks
These socks are my favorite for the winter! Pairing them with boots and have them peek out from the top is the way I like to wear them. There's something so cozy and classic about the way they look and they're super warm so your toes will never get cold! I have a few from American Eagle which I think are meant to be for men but who cares haha. I need to purchase more!


Patterned Tights
During the holidays, places like Gap and American Eagle were having huge sales. I picked up a few new pairs of tights with super adorable patterns. I can't wait to wear them with shorts, skirts, and dresses! My favorite one so far is an oxblood chevron patterned pair that I wear with my black skater dress. Maybe I'll post a few outfits that I've put together wearing them :)

Well that's it for my December favorites! I realized that it was kind of brief and not too specific... maybe next month I'll take pictures and put together some OOTDs!

♥ Katrina

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

December Favs Part 2!

One thing I looked forward to coming home to after the semester was over was FOOD. Good ol' home cooked food... or ANY food for that matter. My apartment at school is always lacking food or more specifically, healthy food. So I always end up whipping up a hearty bowl of instant ramen for those long nights hunched over my books. After being deprived for the last remaining days of the semester, I gorged myself on food once I got home :D

No shame.

Food loves!


popchips
I rummaged through our pantry like a hungry raccoon one night and came upon a bag of these. Curious, I ate a few...then a few more... then before I knew it, the bag has half empty. These are so addicting and yummy!! popchips are popped chips (like their name) instead of being fried or baked which makes them healthier somehow? I don't know but these are just plain addicting!


Matcha
After the holidays, Teavana was having a HUGE sale. I picked up a few cans of their Imperial Grade Matcha for only $8 as opposed to it's original price of $36. DEALZ! I always wanted to get my hands on some matcha to make green tea flavored goodies. After making my own green tea lattes and plain old matcha tea, I am hooked. I've always loved green tea flavored anything but this has rekindled that fire! I'm inspired to do some baking with my new matcha powder! Green tea macarons perhaps? :)


Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa with Marshmallows
While the finals week blues brought me down, cups of hot chocolate with lots and lots of marshmallows on top seemed to be the only thing to push me forward. I think I literally drank this everyday. AND finished a bag of marshmallows by the time my exams were finally over. I used to have a thing against hot cocoa mix because whenever someone made it for me, it'd be watery and gross. However, I can proudly say that I've perfected the ratio of hot cocoa mix, hot water, a splash of milk, a pinch of salt, and a handful of marshmallows. Delicious!

My favorite winter accessories and clothes will be the last of my December Favorites :)

Monday, January 7, 2013

December Favorites!

I can't believe it has already been a week into January! That means one week closer to going back to school. ugh.

I've had a lot of favorites and not so favorite products, food, clothes etc. so I figured this was a perfect way to express my opinions of everything! I'm probably gonna have a series of posts to prevent it from being one long and wordy post that I'm sure no one wants to scroll through.

Beauty Loves!


Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains in Romantic
After debating whether or not to try this out, I was convinced by how great it looked on StyleSuzi to finally purchase it. This has been my staple for the past few months! I love how moisturizing the formula is and how smooth it glides on. Romantic is a warm red shade that looks great on my skin tone. The lasting power is decent. I would have expected it to really stain my lips as it is advertised but because it's so balm-like, I don't mind reapplying it once or twice during the day. I want to try out Rendezvous next :)


Revlon Colorstay Whipped Foundation
After hearing great things about this foundation, I picked it up at the end of summer right before the Fall semester, hoping it would be a staple for everyday easy and quick foundation wear. Thankfully it did what I wished for and more! The texture is very mousse like and actually thicker than what I thought it would be. However, it goes on with a light-medium coverage which can be built up to a heavy coverage if needed. It does not feel cakey at all and the finish is very natural. It has not broke me out and it actually controls the oil on my face very well! My only gripe with the product is the the packaging. While the glass jar feels very sturdy and high class, it can be impractical to travel with and rather unsanitary if you dip your fingers in the pot during every application.



Remington T-Studio Pearl Ceramic Curling Wand (1/2-1")
I've been intrigued by curling wands for a while now and finally purchased this one off Amazon since the reviews seemed mostly positive. This Remington curling wand feels very light weight and almost cheap and plastic-y HOWEVER it does the job and it does it well!! It takes time getting used to how to maneuver your arms and hands to wrap your hair around the conical barrel but it didn't take me long to figure out the best way to hold it. My curls lasted a loooooooong time after using this. I'm talking about curling my hair at night then sleeping on it, then going a whole day with it looking perfect, then sleeping on it again, then going ANOTHER day with it looking nice and wavy and perfectly tousled. Yes, I didn't wash my hair for two days and felt really gross but my curls lasted! and looked better day by day! Now that's saying something since my hair has a hard time holding curls.

Stay tuned for my favorite winter snacks! :)