Circle Lenses Don't Like Me

Review: Babyliss Pro Diamond Titanium 1" Straightening Iron

BaByliss (l), BioSilk (r) - You can't really tell
from the photo, but the BaByliss iron is
a little thinner and a lighter weight.

I received the BaByliss Pro Diamond Titanium 1" Straightening Iron for my birthday. Well technically I got an Amazon gift card and used that to buy it. Either way, I absolutely love this iron. I have type 3C and 4A hair (some pinky-sized curls, some kinky) and this iron leaves my coarse hair silky and super shiny. Also, it has Swarovski crystals for kirakira power. 


Since I had extensions in 90% of my hair at the time of purchase, I used the flat iron on my friend Andrea. her hair has a natural wave and is dry and damaged at the ends. I think the results are pretty nifty. You can't tell after styling.


Below are a couple of photos of Andrea from when I styled her hair using the BaByliss iron. They're cell phoine pics in crappy lighting, but the purikura post I did a little while back shows her hair in better light with my real camera (Canon 40D).

Mama Gyaru Stuff

Hey gyaru(o),

I can't wait til my next issue of I Love Mama comes. It'll be sent along with Blenda, but I'm especially excited for ILM. I have a new arrangement with my husband. I've been feeling really unmotivated in all things domestic for the past couple of weeks. Our condo looks a mess. When the association decided all the first floor units (like ours) had storage units which weren't up to code, we had to cram a bunch of stuff into our living space. This is a HUGE part of why I can't wait until we move into the new house. Four more weeks!!! Woo hoo!!!

Anyway, the clutter plus all the traveling and running around I've been doing has really gotten me exhausted. I think it's more mental than physical.

So my husband has helped me with an agenda that's structured but not overwhelming. And yay for grown-up motivation. The agenda also makes time for my exercise. Somehow I lost 7 pounds (3.18kg/.5st ) before going on Wheel of Fortune (I won ~$5,000 but I'm legally not allowed to give details so I'll post on the LA adventure instead... later). I think it was stress weight. For example, all I had time to eat before the day before I went on was a bag of trail mix. That's not healthy. I want to lose weight through exercise. That way, I'll keep muscle mass and not go to a flabby thin state. Muscle tone is sexier in my opinion. Hail Xena!

Anyway, in my mission to be a true domestic goddess, I'm happy to have found these sites:
http://organizedhome.com
http://www.heartofwisdom.com
http://www.chorebuster.net/
http://www.childzilla.com/

The last two are sign-up sites (free) that can be REALLY helpful. The first two are blogs full of great ideas. For the gyaru without children, Chorebuster is great for room-/house-mates.

Purikura Attack!

Ignore my lazy katakana. That's a gi not a ki.

50+ Followers Giveaway!

Too Faced - The Quickie Chronicles "The Future Lovers"
Urban Decay Apocalyptic Nail Kit
Red Cherry Lashes #112

GIVEAWAY ENDS SUNDAY November 28, 2010 

Rules

Mandatory

MUST BE A FOLLOWER (duh)
Comment with your email = 1 entry

Extra

+ 2 entries = Post a blog entry devoted to this giveaway (include big image & link), then comment here with link to your blog entry.

+ 1 entry = Follow ShahanaStyle on Twitter and send: "@ShahanaStyle Giveaways are Grrreat!"

 +1 entry = Post sidebar image & link to this post in your blog's sidebar, then comment here with link to your blog.

Method

Random number drawing (via randomizer.org). I will contact the winner via e-mail. Winner has 3 days to respond with shipping information else I will repeat the drawing process and contact the new winner. This contest is open to international followers with the exception of Italy. Sorry, Italians. Seriously.

Get Fit, Gyaru!

Get Fit, Gyaru! by Avy Fergerrific Caplan on Polyvore.com

So one thing I'm really, REALLY excited about with the new house is that we will have a designated mini gym. All it will take is some paint and that roll out rubber gym flooring. This will be in a room off the main area of the basement. I have the images on Facebook but forgot to make a slideshow for the blog. I will do that next, but first I'll type away.

I am the type of woman who's never been satisfied with her body. That stems from being teased for being too skinny, then being over developed at 11, and being taller than every girl I knew and needing a shirt 2 sizes up to fit my boobs into, or having to buy a size up so that bottoms would be long enough... and so on and so forth. So I always perceived myself to be "fat" because I was comparing myself to girls who were 5'4" rockin a B-cup and no muscles. They were what I call skinny-fat. I was a 6ft tall, athletic girl with muscular thighs, broad shoulders and a DD bra. I had little love handles (always have) but I was otherwise just fine.

Now that I actually am fat I'm kicking myself. I'm like, "What was I thinking?!" So it's very important to me that lose this extra weight so I can return to my former Amazonian glory. I was damn near like a comic book character (less Wonder Woman, more Xena).

Thinking in gyaru terms, I'm always gonna be the giant gaijin gyaru. I will never be able to buy gyaru brand clothes because I do NOT want to be a size 4 at all. I would go down to a size 8 at the most and even that is highly unlikely. I'm just not meant to be that small.

Like me, many gyaru aren't supposed to be that small. I don't just mean gaijin. I think what a lot of gyaru (Western especially) forget is that the models in the magazine are not the best representatives of what a gyaru body looks like. I don't think there is one shape to be. If anything, look to the shop staff and gyaru on the street.

Just as it's unhealthy to be too fat, it's not safe to be extra thin either. I have two friends who are short and really thin, but one has high cholesterol and the other never knows when she'll get her period! I may be fat but I don't have any health problems so at least I can be happy about that.

Overall, I eat well but don't get enough exercise. Because of this, haven't lost (or gained) any weight lately. My strength has increased due to push ups. My stamina is still good because of dancing. I'm probably the healthiest fat girl you'll know!

So my desire to lose weight is 85% superficial. I want a bigger selection of clothes. I want better prices. I want to not feel the need to wear a cardi with everything. I love layering but this summer would have been more fun if I was thin lol

Blah blah blah. I'm sleepy!

Small Bear Kitchen

Small Bear Kitchen by Avy Fergerrific Caplan on Polyvore.com

Apparently Xavier loves to play kitchen at baby school. can't wait to see him do it at home. You'd better believe I'll be recording his first cooking shows with my little Flip Mino camera.

Wheel of Fortune Outfit

Wheel of Fortune Outfit by Avy Fergerrific Caplan featuring bangle bracelet jewelry

I got these and to where (amongst other things to have in general), but I'd like ideas for bottoms. I have black trousers, but would like to see how a skit and lace stockings would work. That's why I added those shoes. I can't wear a necklace so I like that the top has that bit of bling at the boobs.

There are SO MANY rules about what you can't wear. It's insane. No stripes, plaids, red, small patterns, low-cut tops, dresses, silky fabrics, and jeans... I'm not even really supposed to wear much black. Geez.

We Got the House!

Remember that big news I was [not]talking about? We'll we went to bid on a house Saturday. It's in a much nicer (cleaner, safer, quieter) town just outside Philly. The property taxes are high but the schools are GREAT and just what we want for Xavier. Speaking of X, he basically loves it as much as Erik and I do. It's perfect for us. The previous owner lived there for like 50 years before she passed away and her brother took care of it for her.

It's in great condition, but has an old lady look in some places. The floors are beautiful (hardwood - maple) but are covered with carpet EVERYWHERE but the bathrooms... yes, even the kitchen lol. The kitchen has these gorgeous oak cabinets with cool details in the carving. The appliances are older and the countertop is this hideous coral formica, but that's it for ugly. All we have to do is paint it the colours we want and upgrade the kitchen. In theory, we could just bring our kitchen appliances, but we want to leave them for when we sell this place. It's easier to sell a property with all the goods. Our condo is great, but too small now that Xavier is a big boy with lots of toys. He needs more room to run.

So the house is 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths with a full finished basement, eat-in kitchen, lg. formal dining room and a big living room with a big fireplace. Also, the front porch and lawn are big, but the back patio and yard are huge. I can have a garden and meditation spot, X can have a playground set, we can get a dog and doghouse and still have room to run around. Also, the garage is perfect for Erik and his band mates to hang out. The basement is perfect for my small belly dancing group AND we could add another bathroom down there if we wanted. Oh and there's a bar down there already. Also, all the bedrooms are huge and the middle room opens out to the roof. We're already set on building a deck up there and making that room our office with a GOOD futon couch for guests. I have a lot of computers and tech stuff so it'll be perfect.

I'm tellin you: 27 is gonna be my year. This great news, plus Wheel of Fortune next week. I'm a happy gal. Seriously. I'm so excited. I see us growing old there. We don't intend to have any more kids either so all should be well in terms of space. It really is the perfect place for us. It's plenty big and perfect for having guests over. We take possession in 30 days and I'm just so excited I could burst!

Wheel of Fortune Shopping!!!

So my mama-in-law is taking me shopping tomorrow. We're going to Torrid  and hopefully no place else. I figured I'd post my ideas now and get some opinions. We're meeting at 11am tomorrow. This is the primary outfit I have in mind. I think I'd put a graphic t-shirt under under the jacket and wear some black booties.

Part of me feels it is too matchy matchy. I could do a plain pencil skirt to tone that down. I'd be happy to wear a dress and blazer but we can't wear dresses... or necklaces. And what's a dress without a necklace? Also, we're not supposed to wear too much black. Bearing that in mind, I've been thinking about what to pair this top with.

I'm thinking I can tuck it into a belted skirt. I know I'm stuck on military. Maybe I should stick to Mode-kei? Also, I need to figure out if these fall trends will spread well into winter. I need magazines! Well I just need a November issue of Blenda. Time to check the pub date charts.

Just a Few Things

Hey gals,

There have been a number of doins afoot on my end. This weekend was... incredible. I won't mention Saturday because it's still kinda happening. I don't wanna jinx anything. Sunday was great. My grrly Kristen got married and the wedding was great. The reception was even more fun There was a lot going on. The highlight of the night was the ride home. We dropped Tim and the drunk girl off and OMG that girl was sadly hilarious. Being THAT drunk is not cute. Not by a long shot.

There was more to the weekend, but Saturday was the main attraction. If all goes well I will definitely be posting a ridiculously hyper entry tomorrow of Wednesday.

In the meantime, here are some things to expect via this blog:

• Review of the BaByliss Pro Diamond Titanium Flat Iron
• Other Things I Got for My Birthday
• Get Git, Gyaru!
• My Hair Straightening Holy Grail
• Why I Need an XBOX 360
• Purikura Power!

Oh and before I go... OMG!!! Wheel of Fortune is next week!!! I'm so excited.

ラブリ ブログーサ エディション 五

(Lovely Blog-Sa 5th ed.)

Chaudie |  Lu | Tini |  Shahana | Fuyume | Alicia | Suzanne |Ayame | Elena | Tilde | Samei | Tommy | Jenni | Anna | Bexie | Jou  | Breezii |Tricia | Minna | Emy

Elena posted a fabulous entry full of great shopping links. I immediately ordered a pair of circle lenses and I am seriously considering a few foxtail key chain thingies, but I have to be frugal for my trip T_T No eBay shopping spree.

Lu's gets congrats from me for dropping weight instead of gaining now that she's at university. Yay for her indeed. She also made a great informational post reviewing multiple online shops!

Jou went to Hyper Japan and posted a great photo-filled entry. I love, love, LOVE her make up and corset. Nice work, chica!


Tilde got a new powder foundation and it looks great. I really think powders work best for most people when it comes to photos. Even if using a liquid, set it with a powder and the results are incredible!



Bexie made a great Gal Curls tutorial. It should be very helpful for a those who aren't curl-masters.


Alicia did a cute nail deco and tried out a thicker eyeliner style. Let her know what you think!


Chaudie changed her header and did a really sweet love love post dedicated to her husband. 


Fuyume's blog is down (the .net), but it is cached in Google so you should check out the nail art tutorial videos she posted!

Ayame created a group fashion blog and invited me to be a poster. Sweet gal! Check out her post about Pearls of Elegance.

Samei has been posting lots of street snaps, but needs some sort of post-by-post commenting system. (I'm just sayin...)

Tommy got to hang out with some tall, dark and handsome celeb AND she's into fox tail key clippies like moi. 

Jenni has been a busy bee. She's posted a bunch of stuff on her Blogger blog and the one I love most is about her recent shopping trip. Those leggings are cuuuuute!

Annna made a nice summer dress fall-friendly and she also got some beautiful new ballet slippers... but she's another one who doesn't have post-by-post commenting :-p booo Very cute log otherwise! 


Emy did a crazy post full of clothes, nails and make-up images. I <3 Gal Overload!

NOTE:

I left some gals off who just haven't really been posting. Nothing personal, but better luck next time. 

Onee-kei is Sexy!

IGNORE THE HAIR!

So don't laugh at me, but I'm into grown woman stuff.
What I mean is that when I was younger and into banba and rokku-kei, it was okay to be a little sleazy. Short skirts with visible thigh-highs and garters were great! "Get Wild! Be Sexy!" was the mantra.
Alas, I'm not a club kid anymore. I'm a grown woman who's not old, but is certainly no longer barely legal. Sexy had to evolve. I'm into tight pencil skirts and kitten heels with sheer secretary tops (and camisoles). They're the new mini-skirt and halter.

Taking these things into consideration, I'm very happy Fall is here. I love wearing thigh-highs and garter belts, but I no longer let it be obvious that I'm wearing them. If I do, that's because it's time for grown folks business. ^_^

Do You Like the Scarf Look?

I am bored with my hair already. It's only been like 2 weeks!Oh well. I have been thinking of ways to play with scarves and came across these scans from September's issue of Jelly. I hope these will be of use to some of you gals out there. I'd love to see how others rock their scarves. It's also nice to see how the  scarves are worked into different coordinates. Here's a little inspiration!

Avy Wants

XCVI, $208 @ Bloomingdale's

Howdy, ladies and gents.  I seriously love online window shopping (wishlisting). It's so much more calming than going to shops and wading through the masses of extremely SLOW-moving purveyors.

This jacket is a fine example. I think I need it in my life. I really just don't need it. I try to be practical. Setting practicality aside, it's obvious this jacket needs to be on me.  I think it has a bit of a military. Those buttons really do it for me. My only concern is that it may be a little short on my long torso.

Next up is this lovely furball of a purse by Marc Jacobs. I know it looks a wee bit ridonculous but I want it. It would be fun to pair it with a fur-trimmed trapper hat. I have a couple of those on my Bloomy's wishlist as well. My main problem with this purse is that it makes me feel guilty for whatever creature it's made of. I think I'm more likely to buy a faux fur knock-off of it and sleep well at night.

Marc Jacobs, $498 @ Bloomingdale's

The funny thing about my dealings in fur, leather, and skins is that I try to find alternatives but will wear the real deal if none are available and I really want the item. I don't feel that way about this bag. It's fun, but not OMGgonnaDIEifIdontgetit!!1!!one!

Anyway, I have to buy something new to wear for Wheel of Fortune. There are so many rules for things you can't  wear. It's crazy. I'm gonna try to not look dull, but they're not giving me much to work with. I'll try to post the info they gave me when Erik brings my camera back home. I let him borrow it for his band and now I'm all stressin over it like it's this super-magical-million-dollar-panda-baby. Yep. Like that.

Shopping for the Chunky Gal

Calvin Klein, $139 @ Bloomingdale's

I happen to be a BIG fan of Torrid, but sometimes I want a more chic look. Sometimes a high brand is in order, or just a brand not carried there. I've been looking for work and lately and feel it's time to really step things up a notch if I temporarily go the way of legal/executive secretarial work. 

Some of you know I'm an Education major now. That's a completely change from the field in which I used to work. I'm pretty much sick of making rich people richer. I want a career where I'm contributing to the betterment of society. Yes, I know how corny that reads. 


Anyway, I always think of high brands as not carrying plus sizes. I was wrong. Some of them do-- and well. The dress pictured is a fine example. It's so basic. That's a good thing. Imagine the possibilities of dressing it up with great jewelry, hot shoes, a classy clutch and sexy hair! This is the type of dress that transfers well from office to happy hour to dinner & drinks. It's all about accessories. And while it looks long, on me it would be a few inches shorter because of my height. Even if it was long on me like everyone else, that's what sewing machines are for: hem, hem, hem! For a bit of fun (cocktails?) the second dress is a must, but an obvious don't for the office. 

Tadashi Shoji, $368 @ Bloomingdale's

Here is a handy list I found at Real Simple whilst looking up sheath dresses. 
Calvin Klein, 14W to 24W, bloomingdales.com.

David Meister, 14W to 24W, davidmeister.com.

Donna Ricco, 14W to 22W, donnaricco.com.

Lafayette 148, 14W to 24W, lafayette148.com.

Talbots, 12W to 24W, talbots.com.

Happy Birthday to ME!

Today is my 27th birthday and it's going to be spent in a super geeky manor. I need to go to sleep now so I have energy for it all. I celebrate my birthday all weekend  (cuz I'm that kinda gal). Saturday was belly dancing, BBQ lunch at Sweet Lucy's, a long walk and run around at the park with my son, hubby, and friend. We burned those calories right off! We headed to Babies R' Us to get some things for Xavier before going home.  After getting him to sleep, Erik and I watched The Blind Side and it was nice. I love mushy movies like that--esp. when they involve sports.

Anyway, tomorrow is horror movie fest. I get to make Erik watch these movies since it's my bithday. Also, no diapers for me. We plan to go to the park again-- but with a tent. Let's hope it's allowed!

Night night!

Nail Deco... Success?

So I did my nails today and I think I did a pretty decent job. I made some mistakes, but overall I'm happy. I used the Fashion Diva nail art stickers by Boardwalk Nails. For polish I chose to just use one colour: Sexy Silhouette (#223) by China Glaze. It's my favorite pink.

Anyway, I have a bunch of rhinestones but couldn't find my tweezers. I managed to do the stickers without much trouble, but those tiny stones require tweezers! Used Sally Hansen Diamond Strength No-Chip nail polish in Clear as a top coat. We'll see if this nail set holds up at least until my birthday, at which time I will get a full set [of fake nails] done. It shall be EPIC.