Dare the World to Save the Planet...One Fashion/Beauty Enthusiast At a Time

As many of you may know, I am working on my Master of Public Health degree, and I can't see myself in any other program right now.  I find it so easy to do my assignments and go to class because I know that someday, I will be an advocate for my patients and for the wonderland around me.

As many of you don't know, Earth Month or Public Health Month (as my school named it) starts tonight at 8:30, March 31, 2012 (by turning off all unnecessary lights for one hour) and lasts all through April.  Because I'm in this public health program, I have already inherently pledged to contribute to the sustainability of our health and environment, but I challenge all of you starting today to incorporate sustainability into your life.  Many of you, my supportive readers, are interested in fashion and beauty, but how do we incorporate public health and sustainability into the fashion world?

I think I found a way for all of us to do just that.

Pretty Mayan Lake from my trip to Progeso, Mexico

You will see soon that my blog will be changing in a different direction.  Thanks to my friends for helping me mull over this idea, I have decided that from now on, I will be incorporating sustainable fashion and beauty tips on this blog.  I have lately been uneasy on the idea that consumerism is so unsustainable, from making the products themselves down to the factory workers who make and put together our fashion products.  What toxic chemicals and fibers do they put in our clothes and accessories?  Have you ever gotten something and you couldn't pronounce what material the clothing item was made out of?  Do the workers who manufacture the clothing get compensated fairly and sufficiently?

I also want to incorporate these tips on this blog because I haven't found any good tips anywhere else online.  Thus, I will be doing a lot of my own research and exploration before I become comfortable with announcing such tips.

Beach Boardwalk from my trip to Cozumel, Mexico

To start off, I have dedicated to purchase only thrifted or "sustainable" fashion items, meaning they may be made out of organic cotton, are made in my country (USA: I am familiar with their stricter regulations on compensating and treating workers, and it's local so less fuel used to import items), are made of plant-based materials, etc.  I am still in the process of exploring what "sustainable" fashion really means, so this is just a preliminary list.

By purchasing these "sustainable" items, we can put our dollar vote towards supporting sustainable fashion and beauty.

Also as a fun thing, I just created my own Earth Hour challenge on YouTube, and if 100 of you pledge to wash your clothes at 30 degrees C (or 86 degrees F) for the month of April, I will let my boyfriend, Jerry, dress me for school/work for 2 weeks and document it on this blog.

Please go here to accept my challenge so I know that 100 of you will wash your clothes at that lower temperature....and will want to see me dressed by Jerry....

There are many other challenges out there that you can pick from!  You can create your own too if you'd like (warning: you only have a few options on the right box.  I just chose the most fashion-related one lol)!

Thank you for taking the time read my blog!  I've become really fond of this blog community, and I'm so ready to marry my two loves: public health and fashion.

heart, alice

"We only have one planet.  You can help protect it. Participate in the world’s largest single campaign for the planet: Earth Hour. It starts by turning off your lights for an hour at 8:30 pm on March 31, 2012 in a collective display of commitment to a better future for the planet.  Think what can be achieved when we all come together for a common cause." -EarthHour.org

Morning Skincare Routine + Mini Reviews

My morning skincare steps in the order I presented them:
(Water + hand towel)
Clearasil Tinted Acne Treatment Cream
Rohto Cool Eye Drops
Bare Escentuals bareVitamins Skin Rev-er Upper Primer (I use it as my day lotion)
Bobbi Brown Extra Eye Repair Cream
Estee Lauder Daywear Advanced Multi-protection Anti-oxidant Lotion SPF 15
Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Cream SPF 55 PA+++


Other products I mentioned:
Lancome Renergie Eye Multiple Action (Light)
Mario Badescu Drying Lotion


Black Mesh Dot T-Shirt (size S)..................................................Zara
White Shorts with Front Rib (size XS)..........................................Zara
Silk Scarf (worn as a headwrap)......................Borrowed from my Mom



Face: Bobbi Brown Face Touch Up Stick (Warm Sand 2.5); Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream No. 23; CoverGirl and Olay Simply Ageless Eye Concealer (Light/Pale); Tarte Smooth Operator Finishing Powder
Eyes: Maybelline Chai Latte Eyeshadow Quad; Urban Decay eyeshadow in Foxy, Bootycall, Half Baked, Snakebite, and Blackout (from Naked 2 palette); MAC gel liner in Blacktrack; Waterproof Maybelline Full and Soft Mascara in Very Black
Bronzer/Blush: Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Blush in Exposed
Nails: chipped and awful....I know


I just realized that in my evening skincare routine, I seemed really nervous and stiff!  Hopefully this video is a breather...I'm practicing little by little guys!  Let me know if this helps and/or if you have any questions in the comment box below!


heart, alice

P.S. This video was dedicated to Jessica Y.  Thanks girl for keeping me on track and motivating me!

H&M March 2012 (just released): My Picks + Review

The dressing room I was assigned to in H&M was awfully cramped, so I tried to make do with my crappy lighting and dusty mirror in my roomy bathroom....so please keep in mind to excuse the lousy lighting (makes the colors inaccurate) and my poor editing skills (still a noob).

I was so impressed with H&M's just-released clothing line and Angie inspired me to post some pics up!

 1) Black cotton tee with rhinestoned peter pan collar size S ($17.95) + 2) Champagne tweed mini skirt size 4 (has a slight metallic sheen) ($29.95)

 I've been adoring anything tweed lately, but 99% of the time, it's too expensive or it's not the color I was looking for.  So when I found this tweed mini skirt that stayed on my waist, was made of thick tweed material, lined, and was the champagne color I was looking for (it looks pink in the left photo, but I promise it's champagne with a balance of beige and pink tones), I just knew I would get a ton of wear out of it.  Since it is a bit on the short side for work, I would pair it with opaque black/brown tights and voila!  Work appropriate galore.  This H&M tweed skirt seems to run small, since I usually take a size 2 for an H&M skirt to stay on my waist.

The black tee with the swagged-up champagne collar, on the other hand, is a possible return.  I'm in love with the unique, blinged out collar that catches the light so nicely, but I find it kind of weird that this well-made, sturdy collar was stuck on a plain black tee.   Ok, I admit, it does dress up the tee, but....it's still a cotton tee.  Also, the tee is really boxy and unfitted when not tucked in (boxiness not pictured).  I just don't know...what do you guys think?  Is it a keeper?  

 3) Mesh Dot Black Shirt size XS ($17.95) Returned

When I bought this green, high-waisted skirt from my previous Express haul, I had an image in my mind that it would totally rock with a black mesh dot shirt and nude pumps.  As evidenced by the photos, I adore them all together!  With this straight cut on the cotton part of the shirt (as opposed to a sweetheart cut), it makes the shirt less sexy/girly and more clean/minimalistic, which I prefer.  I agree with Angie on the pricing though...I'm not sure if it's a keeper yet.  I just can't seem to find a more affordable mesh dot shirt besides this one and Zara's, which isn't quite perfect but it's a buck cheaper.  This shirt is well-fitted since it's stretchy, and seems to run true to size.

4) Cobalt Blue Fitted Blazer size 4 ($34.95)

I was actually wearing this neon, chartreuse sweater that day and by sheer accident, I was replicating a combination from bcbgmaxazria's spring line! (as pictured below) I have been on the hunt for a cobalt blue blazer like the one from J.Crew (as pictured below), but the J.Crew was way out of my price range.  This H&M one is surprisingly well-fitted, lined, and made of sturdy material.  My only gripe is that it is just slightly too long for my preference (I like when my blazers end right at the top of the hip).  Being 5 times cheaper than J.Crew's, I'm pretty sure this H&M blazer is a keeper.  This style seems to run true to size.

Bcbgmaxazria Spring 2012

J.Crew Spring 2012

5) Slim Black Trousers size 4 ($34.95)

Gals, I know this may sound bizarre, but this was actually my favorite find.  I've been looking for slim black, sturdy trousers ever since I started working, and these surprisingly go beyond my expectations.  The material is so covetable (on H&M's standard) since it's so thick and structured; it has belt loops; the length is perfect on my proportionally short legs; and it is fitted but has a little "give" (definitely not squeezing like leggings, though the pictures suggest they are taut over my butt and thighs...I promise my butt and thighs have room to move).  A well-fitted, already-tailored trousers for below $40?  Hell yes.

6) Cap-sleeve V-neck Black Crepe dress size 4 ($34.95, but I used a 20% off coupon...so it was $27.96)

 I actually purchased this dress 2 weeks ago from H&M, but I figured why not include it in this H&M review since this dress is still available for sale.  (Sorry it is a bit wrinkly!)  I love the cut and silhouette on my body!  Not too tight, but still fitted enough to flaunt my curves.  I love the cap sleeve style on my small, bony shoulders and the v-neck to give me shape on my rather shapeless chest.  This is going to be my one and only LBD (aka little black dress) after I sell my strapless black dress from Zara (if anyone is interested, I'll post a picture below).  I know this dress will go a long way since it's such a timeless staple.

The Zara dress I'm selling (as mentioned above): SOLD

Selling this Zara strapless bodycon black dress with crisscross pattern (can't see this detail in the picture) for $10! Has a slight sweetheart neckline, and is a size XS. One of my bf's favorite dresses on me, but I found another black dress recently that's better suited to my body type (referring to the H&M one).

Overall, I was super impressed with H&M's newly released line, especially the quality and sturdiness of some of the pieces.  I never really considered H&M a "quality" option, but this review/haul is starting to make me think otherwise.  Let me know if this review was helpful :D

heart, alice

P.S. In case you were wondering, the nude patent pumps in the photos are Target Versie size 7 and the black patent pumps are Ann Taylor Perfect Patent Pumps in size 6 1/2.