Review: Neutrogena Body Oil

I suffered from eczema as a child and occasionally when it gets really cold it'll flare up again, especially on my legs. A few weeks ago my skin got really bad again, to the point where it was dry, flaky and painful. My regular body lotion wasn't cutting it so I doubled up with this Neutrogena Body Oil and within a few days it was all gone.

Sunday Link Love

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! New Years is less than a week away but in the meantime here's a few interesting reads to pass the time:
BEAUTY 1. 7 Winter Makeup Swaps You Need to Make Right Now by Refinery29 2. The 15 Most Legendary Beauty Looks of 2015 by Byrdie 3. What's in Store for K-Beauty in 2016? by The Klog 4. Once And For All, Is There Really a Difference Between Generic and Name-Brand Beauty Products? by SheFinds 5. 4 Glow Tips to Getting the Most Out of Your Sheet Mask by Glow Recipe
FASHION 1. This Fashion Editor Let Her Husband Dress Her For a Whole Week by Popsugar 2. The 25 Best Fashion and Beauty Stories We Read in 2015 by Fashionista
LIFESTYLE 1. 16 Things You Need to Know About the World in 2016 by Refinery29 2. The 26 Apps R29ers Can't Live Without by Refinery29 3. How to Make a Great Plan for Success in 2016 and Actually Stick To It! by Career Girl Daily

Follow

Photoshoot: Avant Garde Vape Lounge

Merry Christmas Eve everyone! Here are even more photos from the shoot I did for Avant Garde Vape Lounge in the Lower East Side. This time I got to bring my girls with me and we had a ton of fun! Check them out:

Review: SU:M37 Rose Cleansing Stick

As I mentioned in my last post, the first step of the 10 Step Korean Skincare Routine happens to be a two part process. The first part involves an oil-based cleanser (my favorite happens to be the Banila Co. Clean It Zero) and the second part involves a water-based cleanser, like the SU:M37 Rose Cleansing Stick ($25).

Sunday Link Love

Can you believe Christmas is less than a week away? I hope you've finished buying all your presents! Another exciting piece of news, I'll be flying to Wisconsin tomorrow. My lion dance team has been hired to perform in Milwaukee so we'll be staying there until Wednesday. But for now, here's some good reads for this lazy Sunday:
BEAUTY 1. The Beauty Products That Broke The Internet in 2015 by Byrdie 2. Dermatologists Predict 2016's Biggest Skincare Trends by Byrdie 3. Is Social Media Changing the Way We Shop for Beauty Products? by Refinery29 4. The Top 9 Googled Beauty Questions in 2015 - Answered! by Good Housekeeping
FASHION 1. The Most Efficient Way to Hang Your Clothes in Your Closet, Once and For All by SheFinds 2. 30 Items to Cut From Your Closet by Refinery29 3. This is How a French Girl Does Her Holiday Shopping by MIMI 4. The Only Way to Wear Leggings, According to Celebrities by Who What Wear
LIFESTYLE 1. Every 20-Something Needs This Work Advice by Refinery29 2. Pinterest Announces the Hottest Home Trends of 2016 by Popsugar 3. 7 Hacks to Save You Big Money on Amazon by Refinery29 4. 9 Pinterest Cleaning Tricks That Will Totally Ruin Your Stuff by Good Housekeeping

Follow

Review: Banila Co. Clean It Zero

Many beauty experts will tell you that the first step in any skincare routine is vital, and when it comes to the 10 Step Korean Skincare Routine that couldn't be more true. You start with a double cleanse, and as if you couldn't already tell by the name it's actually a two-step first step. Wait, what?

Photoshoot: Avant Garde Vape (Part II)

Here's another batch of photos from my shoot with Avant Garde Vape Lounge in the Lower East Side. Our surprise project is still in the works but I'll be sure to let you all know when it launches!

Sunday Link Love

(Source: We Heart It)

Hope you're all having a wonderful weekend and not stressing out too much over the holidays. If you are, may I suggest taking a look at my 3 Tips for Surviving the Holidays? Now, take the time to decompress and indulge in some good reads:
BEAUTY 1. The 14 Best Blogs and Websites for Learning About Korean Beauty Products by Fashionista 2. 41 Of the Best Beauty Memes on the Internet by Refinery29 3. The Best Vitamins for Women's Skin by Wish Trend Glam
FASHION 1. Ellms Christmas Tree Farm by Extra Petite 2. What's In and What's Out for Holiday Dressing by WhoWhatWear 3. 17 Style Rules Fashion Girls Know Like the Back of Their Hand by POPSUGAR
LIFESTYLE 1. 2016 Printable Calendar by Coco & Mingo 2. The Nifty Trick for Saving an Article to Read on Your Phone When You're Offline by PureWow 3. These U.S. Towns are the Most Christmassy in the Country by PureWow

Follow

3 Tips for Surviving the Holidays

(Source: We Heart It)

'Tis the season for packed calendars, awkward family gatherings and deflated wallets. When I was a kid this was the best time of the year, but as I've gotten older I've started to dread the holidays more and more. A lot of that stress comes from having to juggle my normal day-to-day responsibilities with the addition of gift-giving and more get-togethers than usual.

This year I decided to tackle the stress head-on by getting a jump-start on all the extra tasks that come with the holiday season. Being on top of everything has really helped and I haven't experienced a melt-down (yet). So here are my tips and tricks for keeping your cool during the most wonderful hectic time of the year:

5 Skincare Tips I'd Tell My Younger Self

When I discovered my first pimple as a teenager I literally freaked. The fuck. Out. And as a response, I decided to buy the strongest acne wash and most popular medication I could find. As a result, I piled my face with chemicals that proceeded to ruin my skin. All because of one measly zit on my nose. Years have passed and since then I've learned that just because I have one pimple does not mean I have an acne problem. I realized that instead of waging war against my skin, I should've been pampering it. So, if I could turn back time, here are 5 things I'd want to tell my younger self:
1. Wash Your Face Daily Quite possibly the most cliché of my 5 skin care tips but definitely the most important, washing your face every day is something you should never skip. When I was younger I used to stay out all night, so when I got home the last thing I wanted to do was wash my face. I thought I could just wipe it down with a facial wipe and be done with it. But I soon learned, as my skin started to break out, that a quick wipe down was not going to cut it. Now I've adopted the 10-Step Korean Skincare routine and even though it sounds like a huge time commitment, I assure you it's worth it. My favorite cleanser at the moment is the Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Pore Cleansing Foam ($13.98).

Sunday Link Love

Hope everyone's having a great weekend so far! If all goes as planned I should be in the middle of a photoshoot right now so tune into my Snapchat (@wcmelle) for a live stream. Now onto the awesome articles I found this week:

The Little Book of Skin Care Launch Party!

About 2 weeks ago I got an email inviting me to Charlotte Cho of Soko Glam's The Little Book of Skin Care launch party. As a huge Korean skincare fan, of course I had to RSVP yes!

Review: Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation

Along with the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation ($18), I also picked up this equally well-known Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation ($12.49). As I mentioned in my London Beauty Haul post, I picked this up as a backup in case the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation didn't work out for me. I purchased it in the shade Soft Beige.

Sunday Link Love

Oops! Since I missed last week's installment of my Sunday Link Love series, this one is jam packed with extra interesting articles to make it up to you all:

Review: Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer

Who hasn't heard of the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer? A cult favorite amongst UK beauty bloggers, this concealer is a an affordable high-street buy that works just as well, if not better, than many high-end concealers.

Beautycon 2015 Haul

The moment I found out Beautycon tickets were on sale I scooped one up along with my friend. She ended up being scheduled to work that day so she couldn't join me, but my wonderful boyfriend volunteered to go with me in her stead. So bubbykins, if you're reading this, thank you for spending hours in a warehouse packed full of screaming girls!

Review: Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation

I picked up this well known Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation ($18) during my recent trip to London. As I mentioned in my London Haul post, I made this purchase at the perfect time since I needed a new foundation since my skin was drying up due to the colder weather. I purchased the shade No. 53 Light Beige.

London Beauty Haul

If you're an avid makeup junkie like me, you'll know that there are certain cult beauty products that you can only find in London. So when I got the chance to spend a weekend abroad in London, I took that opportunity to go shopping at Boots! I picked up the following products that I'd heard so much about and was dying to try:

Sunday Link Love

Source: We Heart It

Welcome to the second edition of my Sunday Link Love series/ As I mentioned last week, I've decided to start posting every Sunday a collection of articles that I found interesting during the week. On a side note, Refinery29 killed it this week!

4 Korean Beauty YouTubers You Must Watch

Source: We Heart It

It's no secret that Korean skincare is taking the States by storm. From the 10 Step Korean Skincare Routine to the Sheet Mask craze, Korean beauty is everywhere. However, I think a lot of people still have a lot of questions regarding Korean beauty such as: What are the best brands to buy? Where can I buy products? What are the best products for me?

4 Steps for Maintaining Your Summer Glow

Source: We Heart It

It's officially Fall and with the season change comes shorter days, longer nights and cold dry weather. I've already busted out my heavier moisturizers and less mattifying foundations, but if there's one thing I'm keen on maintaining past the summer it's my sun-kissed skin. Dry and dull is not a good look on anybody but the Fall and Winter makes it harder to achieve that summer glow. Below are my top 4 tips for maintaining healthy glowing skin:

Sunday Link Love

Source: We Heart It

One of my favorite things to do is to read, and during the week I usually find a lot of interesting articles that I would love to share. A few of the sites I frequent do a blog series where they round up their favorite posts at the end of the week so I've decided to start my own! Welcome to my first edition of what I'd like to call "Sunday Link Love," where I'll be sharing the articles that I found interesting and think my readers would too. Hope you all enjoy these reads as much as I did:

Avant Garde Vape Photoshoot

A few months ago I did a photoshoot for Avant Garde Vape, a vape lounge/art gallery in the Lower East Side. These pictures are part of a bigger project that we've been working on, which I'll reveal at a later date! But for now, here's a sneak peek:

Review: Missha Cell Renew Snail Cream

When the 10-Step Korean Skincare Routine first took the States by storm this Missha Cell Renew Snail Cream ($35) was one of the most widely talked about night creams. It won a Soko Glam Best of Beauty Award and was featured on NBC's Today Show so it has to be amazing, right?

Unfortunately, I'd disagree.

Top 3 Sights in Milan

Milan is, in my opinion, the NYC of Italy as its one of the most modern cities and a fashion capital. This was my second visit to Milan in a little over a year and both times one and a half days was enough for me. Here are my top 3 sights to see in Milan:

MAK Beauty Bar Photoshoot

Not too long ago I got the chance to do a photoshoot for Avant Garde by MMC, a vape lounge/art gallery in the Lower East Side. But before that I had my hair done at MAK Beauty Bar nearby. Eddie did an amazing job so we did a mini shoot for them as well. Check it out:

Review: Lioele Waterdrop Sleeping Pack

Korean skincare has been a hot topic as of late. From blogs to magazines, Korean skincare has been making an appearance everywhere. I've been a fan of Korean products since the advent of BB creams so I've tried my fair share. One of my favorite products I've tried lately is the Lioele Waterdrop Sleeping Pack ($10.87)

Hiking at Bear Mt. State Park

Outfit Details: American Apparel Top, American Apparel Shorts, Nike Roshe Runs A little over a month ago I went hiking with my high school friends at Bear Mountain State Park in upstate New York. I've never hiked before in my life so I was practically dead by the end of it.

5 Must See Sights in Rome

Rome is one of those cities that tops people's bucket lists because of its rich history and culture. However, if you're a 9-to-5er like me than you don't have all the time in the world to fully immerse yourself in all the big city of Rome has to offer. I was lucky to have four days! So here are my top 5 must see sights in Rome:

Review: The Balm Nude'Tude Palette

The Nude'Tude Eyeshadow Palette by TheBalm ($31.99) has been a staple in my makeup collection for years. Many people consider it a dupe for the Urban Decay Naked Palette ($54) but I'd have to disagree. While both contain natural shades, the colors in each are quite different. If you own the Urban Decay Naked then you'd know that the main colors within that palette are a range of browns, purples and grays. However, the Nude'Tude palette holds a range of pinks, browns and reddish browns.

American Apparel Photoshoot

Outfit Details: American Apparel Off-Shoulder Top, American Apparel Running Short, CDG PLAY Converses  Back in June I had the wonderful opportunity to do a photoshoot with the very talented @aagdollaphotography. We took some shots on a rooftop in Brooklyn and by the Kolonihavehus in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Here's some of the pics:

3 Tips for Back to School

(Source: weheartit.com)

It's that time of the year again and although I've been out of school for about 2 years now, I do have some words of wisdom I'd like to pass along to those of you who are readying yourselves for the new semester.

Review: Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit

My wonderful sister was able to get her hands on a few of these palettes and graciously gifted one to me. These Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kits ($40) have been in high demand since they came out a few months ago and they're definitely more than just hype. The contour kit has all the shades you would need to properly highlight and contour your features.