NY in a minute!

Hi guys! I'm finally back with a new post, yey! Earlier this year, my brother, sister and I were crazy planning a trip around the east and west coast. Debating on places we wanted to see and where we wanted to eat. Finally about a month ago, our long awaited plan had arrived! We were so excited to travel to places we've never dreamt of going to and most importantly, to get time off work!! Our first stop was NY and I must say, NY was the one place I was most excited to see! We got to spend 5 days in total there and it was such an experience. All I can say about NY is that everything is go go go! New Yorkers don't play around with time! I felt like I got my years cardio workout in those 5 days walking around NY. LOL. But none the less, NY was sooo beautiful! Even though at the end of our trip, we all suffered with blisters on our feet, we felt so accomplished and were thankful to see all the beautiful places. Taking the subway was the most fun! Not being sure of where we were going or if we were taking the right train was the most exhilarating. Google Maps will be your best-friend!

 I love NY, I can't wait to go back and preferably next time, with a good pair of comfy sneakers! Hope you enjoy my small collection of pictures I was able to snap on our adventures around NY!!

1. DUMBO

This was at the top of my list on the places I wanted to visit! We were there on a Saturday and man was it crowded when we got there! We couldn't get a single shot without someone being right behind us or staring at us waiting for us to be done for their chance to take pictures! I had to beg Paolo (my boyfriend) to come back on Monday at the crack of dawn to get ONE good shot! We did wake up very early that Monday morning and I couldn't be more happy with my shot!

2. Brooklyn Bridge

Visiting DUMBO made it easy for us to see the Brooklyn Bridge at the same time since they are both located around the same area. The Brooklyn Bridge was so beautiful to look at. The weather was so perfect that day! My favorite part was as we walked down towards the end of the bridge, there was a lady selling sliced magoes with lemon and chilli, I HAD TO GET IT. Going to college in the Philippines for 4 years, my all time favorite snack back then was street side green mangoes with soy sauce and salt! What I would do to have one right now! Those mangoes I had at the Brooklyn Bridge were so close to them. YUM. 

3. Grand Central

Grand Central. First thought when I walked inside... this is the place where Lonely Boy saw the love of his life! Gossip Girl fans will know what I mean, lol.

4. Statue of Liberty

Lady Liberty. Most iconic monument! Not gonna lie, walking up the stairs to get to the top was the most stressful for all of us and to be honest, not worth it. For all you first timers out there, if you do plan on visiting Lady Liberty, don't climb up to her crown! You get a better view at the bottom! HA, That's what she said! :P

5.  Best Places to Eat / Grab a snack

✔ Jack's Wife Freda -  Wow, does this place know how to do Brunch right! They had the best Cantaloupe juice and everything tasted so fresh! I love this place!

Address: 224 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10012

✔ Ramen Ya - OMG! Best ramen I have ever tasted in my life! My family and I don't eat pork so it's very hard for us to find good chicken broth ramen, but this one, OH MY GOSH. If you're anywhere near the area, you have to go in and try their ramen! It's the best, hands down.
Address: 181 West 4th Street, New York, NY 10014

✔ Cha Cha Matcha - such a cute little cafe to grab a little snack.

      Address: 373 Broome St, New York, NY 10013

     

 ✔ Refinery Rooftop - such a pretty place for Brunch and very picturesque! 

     Address: 63 W 38th St, New York, NY 10018

✔ Sweet Time Desert Cafe - another cute little cafe we happen to pass by. They serve the cutest deserts and the place is sooo adorable!

Address: 171 West 4th Street, New York, NY 10014

This was such a fun trip and I can't wait to go back!

LA Street Art

Ah, Summer is finally here! Which means it's Vacation time for all my friends out there who actually do get a summer vacay, unlike some of us who are stuck working and can only hope for a 5 day holiday to the least! Lol. I did get to visit LA a couple of weeks ago and as much as I wanted to visit as many murals as I wanted to, my time was very limited! I did manage to get a few shots though that I am very happy with! I hope you guys enjoy and if you were to visit LA this summer, include these places in your agendas! Nothing brings you more happy memories than looking back at pictures that take you back to those moments! Have a memorable summer, my friends and may you make memories to last forever! 

Pink Wings

Artist: Colette Miller

Where to find it: Melrose Avenue in Hollywood

California Dreaming Mural

Artist: Ricardo Gonzalez

Where to find it: 3485 La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

(Be extra careful around this area, it's not the best location but this mural is one for the keeps!)

What Lifts You Wings

Artist: Kelsey Montague

Where to find it: 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608

Mamba On Melrose

Artist: JC Ro

Where to find it: Shoe Palace 7727 Melrose Ave, Hollywood CA 90046

(Shoutout to my photographer for being a champ and agreeing to pose for this picture!)

The Global Angel Wings Project Wall

Artist: Colette Miller

Where to find it: St. Regis Wine & Liquor, 8401 West 3rd Street, Los Angeles

Pink and Green Floral Wall

Store: Joy Rich

Where to find it: 7700 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA

Until next time,

Lala ♡

Is it Spring yet?

I mean, isn't everyone just ready for the cold to leave?! I know I am! I had this vision in my head of spending my day off work in the sunlight, with a good cup of coffee in hand and just taking a breathe of fresh air. As I stepped out of my apartment, 20mins towards our destination, it started raining! I basically hate rain. Every time it rains, it just changes my entire mood. I feel lazy, I feel sleepy. I BASICALLY WANT TO SPEND THE ENTIRE DAY IN BED! Lol. But, today I refused to allow myself to feel that way. You always have the power to change a bad situation into a good one. As we entered Caffe Streets (which is the cutest coffee shop I've ever been to!), I ordered myself a Turmeric Latte, which I've never had before! And a warm banana oatmeal bread. Perfect combination for a gloomy day! I definitely recommend everyone to at least try spending a day out of your home on a gloomy day, a day where you don't feel like leaving your bed, it will completely change your mood and towards the end of the day, you will feel like you've accomplished a lot. I bring my camera everywhere with me and I hope you catch a glimpse of how a part of my day went! Enjoy and may you always have the best day ever, whether it be sunny or gloomy! ♡

Turmeric Lattes are my fav at the moment!

I mean, this banana oatmeal bread thoughhh!

These shots are no joke, THEY WILL LITERALLY CLEANSE YOU'RE ENITRE BODY! Okay, I might be exaggerating a bit, but it does cleanse your throat really well!

A little detail on the outfit, not weather appropriate but super cute for Spring? Hehe.

2016 has been such an adventure for me. An adventure in the sense that I was able to explore and find a lot of my holy grail makeup items! I thought it would be a fun idea to dedicate a single post on the few makeup products I've been loving through out the year! These items, I kid you not, are ones that I've been reaching out for almost every single day for the past year. I hope you guys enjoy this little post and I sincerely hope that this new year is filled with happiness and love for you guys! Happy New Year, let's show a lot of love this year! 

Primer

I discovered this primer earlier this year and I fell in love with it. It's prefect for those who tend to have dry skin. It has coconut oil in it, probiotics and all those good stuff for your skin! Definitely give it a try if you're someone who battles dry skin!

Foundation

My two favorite foundations this year has both been from the drugstore! I find that drugstore foundations work better on my skin and it's super affordable. 

1. Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous Foundation

2. L'Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Matte 24HR Foundation

Concealer

This concealer is by far the BEST concealer out there! It's easy to blend, conceals literally EVERYTHING. It has the best formula in my opinion. For a while, I was obsessed with the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer but it was far too pricey to keep purchasing over and over again. The Tarte Shape Tape Contour Concealer is basically half the price of that and is so much more better! It is usually out of stock, but if you ever get your hands on them, make sure to stock up, you'll love it!

Setting Powder

I've pretty much been using the same translucent setting powder for 2 years straight! The Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder has been my go to setting powder! It sets your face perfectly, prevents creases and keeps your face matte all through out the day!

Blush

I've never really been one to purchase a lot of blushes, I would say that it is my least favorite beauty product. But the two blushes that I've been using through out this year would be the Benefit Dallas o' Powder Blush and the Mellow Face Blush in Peach. They both give out a natural flushed look and is super easy to blend!

Highlighters

OH MY GOSH!! THESE HIGHLIGHTERS ARE SOMETHING ELSE. If you've never tried the L.A. Girl Strobe Lite Strobing Powder, I highly suggest that you do! These highlighters are THE best highlighters I've ever tried. You literally need the lightest hand to apply this, their pigment is ridiculous! On top of that, it is super affordable! It comes in so many different shades for different skin tones. That to me deserves an award!!!!!

Anastasia Beverly Hills  Modern Renaissance Eye Shadow Palette

I think everyone fell in love with this palette this year! I love all the warm colors. The pigment is insane, it has such a creamy texture and blends like a dream. I think this might be my favorite palette of all time!!

Mascara
I think mascaras are another great purchase from the drugstore! Maybelline always carries the best ones, this one in particular has been my fav for a few years now. It adds a lot of volume and makes your lashes look fuller! I gave a few of these to my girlfriends for their birthdays and they all loved it as well.

Eyebrows
Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade in Medium Brown! BEST.THING.EVER.

Eye Liner
I love the Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Eye Liner. It glides on so smoothly, dries matte and stays all day! I guess they got it right with their name! ;)

Lipstick
This year has literally been all about liquid lipsticks for me. These NYX ones are so easy to apply and so easy to take off. Colourpop has also been my favorite, but is so difficult to take off at the end of the day. NYX did a great job with the formula and has easily been my go to liquid lipsticks this year!

Another brand I've discovered this year is Ofra. They kill the game with their formula! On top of that, they smell like cake batter! This one in particular is in the shade Havana Nights.


I hope you guys enjoyed this blog post and I hope that the new year brings all of you happiness and love! Let us all remember that it is never too late to start on things we want to change for the better and to let love grow in places we find hard to let in. Happy New Year, let's make 2017 a great one! Love you guys!

Lala ♡