In this series, we share local adventures and help you find ways 

to be a tourist in your own hometown

I am guilty of silent tourist shaming. When you watch someone try to maneuver an unfamiliar place...well, let's just say it's quite amusing. There are the confused faces, the camera faces, the awestruck faces when they stare up at a monument you rush past every day. Tourists are very easy to spot, but how come? Perhaps it's their mannerisms or dress -- I mean, who wears ankle socks in the middle of summer?! But that's not quite it. Tourists are easy to spot because they're simply paying attention - to everything. Sounds, signs, storefronts, street art, statues...everything from magical to mundane is worth a few more seconds to think about, look at, listen to, or capture. They are in a constant state of trying to put together as many pieces as possible despite knowing they may never see the entire picture. They are, simply, in a different mindset.

Tourism, done well, has little to do with distance. You could travel to the opposite side of the world and be considered a "bad" tourist. Because, at its core, tourism is all about learning and curiosity driven discovery. And that can happen every single day, right outside your door. I never really thought this was possible until I tried it for myself and it's completely changed how I view my city. So, I'm excited to start this new series that will showcase ways you can capitalize on what your city has to offer. To start, I've gathered a few tips below on how to get your mindset ready to travel like a tourist in your hometown...

Tips | Living Colorfully

I like to capture a colorful life but, I have to admit, I don't always live a colorful life on a day to day basis. How so? Well, my closet is mostly filled with black, gray, and lighter gray. I stare at textbooks with barely any use of color most of the day. And I sit at a desk or in front of a computer, soaking up as much color as I can to compensate for everything else. If this sounds like you too, I'm glad I'm not the only one. But maybe there's hope for us, right? There's gotta be. I've jotted down some quick and easy ways we can both start to put some intentional color into our every day. 

Blogging Boss 101 || #1 || Text Tutorial, Part I

red dress image from Atlantic-Pacific

Hey everyone! Welcome to "Blogging Boss" - my new series of tutorials, tips, and advice on how to improve your blogging material! I constantly get asked how I create my graphic design elements and photography work, so I'm starting this series to help anyone get a solid understanding of the many creative mediums you can use to enhance your blog. I learned how to do everything on my own (including designing my blog and photoshop) and relied on many useful websites and blogs to do so. This series is simply me giving back to the internet world for the countless times I needed to take information from it. If you have any desired topics or tutorials you want me to talk about, just leave a note in the comment box or shoot me an email ([email protected])!

Part I of this tutorial, "Having Fun with Text," teaches you how to put an image inside text. It is one of the first things I learned how to do in Photoshop and it's surprisingly super easy, trust me! Since so many of you love the 'golden' title on my blog, here is a quick tutorial showing you how I was able to create it in just a few steps: 

 

Come back next week for Part II of this tutorial, which will show you how to place text behind an element within a picture (for example, in the image above, how I placed the text behind the woman's head)!

FRIDAY FAVES || #11 || MY MAKEUP STAPLES

After wearing more than usual makeup this past week for my dance performance in Ghungroo -- a large Southeast Asian cultural dance show at Harvard (more on that to come later!) -- I had numerous people come up to me and ask about the makeup I use. As someone who strongly prefers a more natural look, I am quite picky when it comes to  how much and what kind of makeup I use. So here's a little sneak peek into my ultimate staples I've kept around for at least the past year -- once I find something I like, I stick with it! Also, this post felt incredibly strange to write! I ended up feeling like I am so into makeup, but I'm quite far from that but I hope it will still be helpful to some of y'all...

1. Foundation - Make Up Forever Professional High Definition (HD) Foundation - $40:

My foundation is by far the most expensive piece in my staples list, yet no fear! There is more to this small bottle than meets the eye, I promise! I discovered it a bit over a year ago to my surprise because I used to be a powder only type of gal. Not only is there a variety of tones represented in the line, a struggle generally for darker skinned ladies such as myself, but there is also variations within each tone based on 'underlying skin colors', such as peach, beige, yellow, or olive. The best part about this foundation is that a little goes a really long way. Literally. On regular days when I decide to wear a lil' somethin' to hide the minimal sleep I've been getting, about half a small pump is plenty enough. Given that I have had the same bottles for more than one year now and use it on average 2-3x per week, this is definitely a bargain despite the upfront costs. Since I tend to pale a decent amount in this Boston weather but glow quite a bit over the summer, I got two bottles that fit my tone when it's lighter and when it's darker (I suggest having a makeup technician help you with that!). Nowadays, I like to blend the two together and I get a much more natural feel. (Isn't weird that we say make up makes you appear 'natural'? Sorry, that's my philosophical critique coming in...I diverge).

2. Blush - bareMinerals Blush - $19:

I used to be a HUGE bareMinerals fan. I usually bought their $60 starter set and called it a day. The blush that I still have from maybe two (?) years ago was bought in addition to that set. I generally tend to use it only on more important days, like for interviews/events/performances/etc. A little also goes a long way with this. Generally 2-3 strokes with a dab of powder for each cheek does the trick! Given that I've had this for over 2 years and there's still about 1/3 left -- did somebody say amen??

3. Primer - Laura Mercier Foundation Primer, Radiance - $18 or $32:

Okay, I am actually not too into this primer. To be honest, I got it as a free sample when I purchased something online from Sephora last year. Nonetheless, it does work great as a primer for my foundation when I want my make up to go on smoother and stick a little longer. Again, I generally reserve this for more important days. I haven't had many experiences with other primers to say where this is actually all that amazing or not, but I generally suggest using a primer if you are seeking a smoother, less 'cake-y' look or if you struggle with makeup fading throughout the day.

4. Mascara - Make Up For Ever Professional Smoky Lash, Rich Black - $22:

If I had to choose only one thing to keep from my makeup bag, this would be it. Hands down. I have been a steadfast fan of this mascara after trying beyond numerous others -- from CVS to department store to 'designer' mascaras -- and this wins every time. It is incredible at both elongating your lashes and curling them at the same time. Even though it is thick, it does not clump easily unless you try hard enough. I always get the non-waterproof kind because I don't want to struggle even more with taking off makeup, but there's the option for those who want it waterproof or in other colors I can never pull off (or just maybe won't even be visible? Has someone actually successfully worn green mascara?). Anyways, I end up buying this only twice a year so it's a check-plus for me!

5. Eye Liner - Smashbox Limitless Liquid Liner Pen - $22:

I actually don't own this specific eyeliner. The one I have has the label completely work down so I can't even read which brand it is, but I've heard positive reviews about this Smashbox liner and may have to try it out when my current one runs out (especially since I don't even know what it is!). I bought it just right before departing for Brazil and found that I love eyeliner pens. It takes out all the fuss and hassle and sloppyness and TIME. Nowadays, it takes maybe one minute or less to do both eyes without looking like some hybrid between a clown and showgirl in the rain. Definitely try out eyeliner pens if you haven't yet! 

That's all folks! In general, the best advice I can give (which sounds weird since I don't think I would come close to ever calling myself an expert in this realm) is to always play it on the safer side. Less really is more -- not just in terms of how you look cosmetically or the style in which you want to present yourself, but also in terms of keeping your skin healthy after you've covered it all up. That's why I limit how much makeup I use in general, partly because it's not always the best thing for your skin and partly because I don't mind my (for real) natural look! Hope it helps, and sorry again for the delay with posting this Friday's Faves -- what a week it's been!