Shoe Crush-Platform Sneakers

 I am currently lusting after some platform sneakers for the summer.

Maybe its all the Japanese magazines I've been reading lately, but I am just loving the combination of a kicky little skirt or dress paired with some big chunky sneaks!  I think that look is particularly cute for short girls like myself.  So, here are some platforms sneakers and looks that I've collected from around the internet. 

(These are not my photos.)

I found these two pairs of platform sneakers on the Charlotte Russe web site.  They are simple, cute, and inexpensive.  I could imagine wearing them with just about anything.

And here are some adorable fashion blogger pics that embody the style I have in mind...  

So, what's your must-have shoe this summer? 

Review- Holika Holika The King of Bean Cleansing Foam

Today I have a brief review of Holika Holika's King of Bean Cleansing Foam.

I got this cleanser as part of this adorable little "Travel Special Kit" that I bought at the Holika Holika store in South Korea.  I got the kit thinking it was a great way to try out a variety of products, but then I tucked the set away with some other travel items and forgot about it.  When it turned up again, I was really happy to realize that I actually owned some of the Holika Holika products that I had previously sampled and liked. 

The travel kit contains small-sized versions of the following products:

• Aqua Fantasy Toner
• Aqua Fantasy Emulsion (check out my review HERE)
• Miracle Real Skin Finish (check out my review HERE)
• Bath Girl Candied Rose Body Wash
• The King of Bean Cleanser 

The kit features some drama or movie actors...K-Drama fans, I hope you will forgive me for not knowing who they are!

So, now onto my review of the King of Bean Cleansing Foam with Black Bean.

Since the packaging is all in Korean, I tried to Google some info about this product for you, but what I came up with was such a terrible English translation that it was just a waste of time to post it.   It said the cleanser contained "King Kong" extract. (OMG-WHAT IS IN THIS STUFF I'VE BEEN WASHING MY FACE WITH?!)  I'm hoping something was lost in translation there and that no enormous gorillas were harmed in the making of this product... 

Aside from the, er, unusual ingredients, this cleanser is what I have come to expect from a Korean facial cleanser.  It comes out of the tube thick and white and creates the lush and frothy foam that I know and love!  I am so spoiled by the richness of Korean facial cleansers that I think I will never go back to American products.  This cleanser is gentle but gets the job done.  I do not use a whole lot of heavy face makeup, other than eyeliner/mascara (which I remove with eye makeup remover) so the King of Bean effectively removes my makeup and leaves my face feeling fresh and clean.  If you wear a lot of foundation or other heavy makeup, you might need some additional makeup remover.  I find this cleanser to be gentler than my previous Missha Creamy Strawberry Latte Cleansing Foam.  The Strawberry Latte always left my skin feeling a little tight, but the King of Bean leaves my skin clean without drying it out.  So, I would recommend this product for those with normal-dry skin.  The scent of the cleanser is mild and pleasant.  It is mostly a light soapy smell mixed with a hint of sweet/yummy aroma.  Overall, the product isn't anything unique or outstanding, but I really like this basic facial cleanser and would highly recommend it.  Because of the youthful trendy vibe of their marketing, I assumed that Holika Holika products wouldn't be as high quality as other Korean brands, but I have been proven wrong! From my experience, all of their products have been stellar.  Holika Holika is a brand that I would buy without reservations. 

So what is your favorite facial cleanser? Why do you love it?

Sample Haul

Hi everyone, I haven't done a sample haul post since the winter, but I continue to receive free samples pretty much every day.  So, I thought I'd show off some of the goodies that are out there for the asking.  If you live in the US, and are interested in getting samples, check out some ideas on how to get them from my previous post-->>>HERE  

These are just some of the samples I've gotten by mail lately....

Olay Fresh Effects Cleanser, Restore Sea moisturizer and eye cream, Benefit Pore Professional and BB cream sample. 

HSI hair oil, Elizabeth Arden serum, Smashbox BB Sampler

A box filled with 7 packets each of Clear Scalp therapy shampoo and conditioner.

2 Tide Pods, 2 Downy, Purex detergent, and a Ruffies trashbag.  

I have always wanted to try Amore Pacific products! This is a really nice sample that includes four products from the same line.  Expect a review when I try it.

Sensodyne toothpaste, Crest White Strips, and Breathe Right strips.

Gevalia K-cup sampler

Essie Cuticle Oil, Dove body wash, and Eucerin face lotion.

Dark and Lovely curl gel (for my best friend who has natural curls), Suave Moroccan Oil shampoo and conditioner, and Fructris Triple Nutrition shampoo and conditioner.

Also, I wanted to mention another freebie resource.  Samplestuff.com is a blog that lists samples as they become available.  I "like" them on Facebook, so now I see sample offers in my news feed as they happen.  I catch a lot of offers that way.  Also, don't forget to friend your favorite companies on Facebook and/or Twitter to see when they post samples and giveaways.

So, what cool freebies have you gotten lately?

Swim Obsession

Lately, I have been obsessed with finding the perfect swimsuit.  I haven't bought a new bathing suit in a few years.  At that time, I was living near the beach in Northern Florida.  I wore bathing suits fairly often so I had quite a few.  (There were a couple of awesome outlet malls near my house.)  However, since I left Florida, I've only found myself needing a bathing suit a few times per summer, so I didn't seen any reason to go out and buy a new suit.  Now, its been at least three years that I have been wearing the same old bathing suits!!! (My basic go-to suit from Victoria's Secret is even older that that!)  Even though I will probably still wear some of my old suits, I want to get a new one this summer.  I have been on a mission to track down the cutest and trendiest one out there!

These are a couple of my old bathing suits that I'd like to replace.  (The pics are from Google, and not mine, but these are my exact suits)

I have been shopping extensively, and it has been so hard to figure out what I want, because there are just so many cute styles out there.  I have narrowed my choices down by focusing on a few of the trends that I like the most.  I also made polyvore sets that showcase a few of the styles that stand out for me.

  

Fringe

Fringe bikinis by artaslife featuring a strapless swimwear



Tribal

tribal by artaslife featuring asos



Geometric, Chevron, and Stripes

geometric by artaslife featuring a halter top swimwear


Bustier Styles

bustier bikini by artaslife featuring hurley bikini

I also thought I'd share with you a few of the stores that I think have a good selection of swimwear.  

Asos has a really large selection, and tons of things are on sale.  Especially, if you have a larger bust, right now they have a bunch of larger-cup sizes that are adorable and on SUPER clearance.  (Great, yet another reason for me to want bigger boobs!) But they have so much variety on there, you are almost guaranteed to find something great in your size and price range.  Another great thing about Asos is that shipping is free!

Topshop has some really nice suits, although they are a little pricey by my cheapo standards.  Still, a quality suit is a good investment.  They have some really trendy and cool stuff.  I really like their caged suits and high-waist retro styles, but don't know that they would flatter me.

The 15dollarstore is a fun little online shop that offers some department store brand items for only $15.  Their swimwear is not the trendiest, but they carry some nice styles from designer and department store brands at $15 for a whole suit! Currently they have a lot of Kenneth Cole and Hobie suits that retail for waaay more than $15! The shipping cost isn't outrageous either, even if you factor it into the price, the suits end up being about $20.  If you like something on there act fast, though, all the suits I was watching are gone now and its only been about a week. 

Zumiez is the store I have been shopping most, and quite a few of the styles from my polyvore sets can be found on that site.  I never shopped Zumiez much in the past.  I was reminded of the store while randomly searching for certain styles of bathing suit.  They sell outdoorsy, surfer girl brands, which I feel are a good choice as far as quality and fit. They are having a Memorial day sale, a lot of swimwear is on sale, and a lot of it is even buy one get one 50% off!  Even better, they currently have an offer of free shipping on everything!!! I have a feeling I will be buying from them this weekend.  They also had a few really sweet surfer-chic sundresses on clearance that were running $15-$20. 

Other stores worth mentioning are Forever21, Delias, Alloy, and American Eagle.

So, what is your must-have swim trend for 2013?  Are there any stores you especially like for swimwear?

   

Clothingloves

Hello everyone!  I'm so excited to be back to blogging after taking a couple of months off.  During my little hiatus, I was approached by two companies to do product reviews.  Since I often review and/or talk about items that I buy or samples that I request, I think it is so awesome that someone would want to provide me with their product in exchange for a review!  Of course, you can be assured that any review I do, whether the product was supplied or bought by me, will be my honest and unbiased opinion.  I also always disclose how and where I get my stuff.

One of the companies that I will review an item for is called Clothingloves.net.  I think I might have seen some reviews of their items out there in the blogosphere somewhere, but I have never ordered from them in the past.  They are an online retailer that sells wholesale clothing.  I checked out their site and they sell a large variety of clothing and accessories.  You can find anything from men's fashion suits to cheap dresses (which are adorable).  All of the women's clothing on Clothingloves is generally really pretty and sweet.  The styles are similar to items from China that I've seen on Ebay listed as "Korean Style Clothing."  So, if you are a fan of Asian fashion like I am, I'm sure you would find tons of really cute stuff on the site.  The prices are pretty cheap, although you also have to factor in the shipping fees when you calculate the cost.  However, the good thing is that they deliver worldwide.  I can't speak on the quality of the items, the shipping, or the customer service, since I haven't ordered from them yet.  I will let you know all of that in my actual item review.

For the review, they told me I can choose an item of jewelry.  So I thought I'd share some of the jewelry pieces that I liked from their site.

This lion chain is probably my favorite since it is so trendy and now. I've been seeing a lot of this style on lookbook these days.

I still love collar necklaces, and this one is so sparkly.  I think it could dress up plain tops or dresses.

I really like geometric styles like these earrings and necklace.

This triangle three-finger ring is edgy but also sleek and refined at the same time.

I'm not sure if the eagle necklace is still in style or not... I've been away from the fashion blogs, but it was so hot back in the early part of this year.  I'm also not sure I can carry off a piece this huge, but I really like it!

So, I would love to hear your opinion, which piece do you think I should I get?

  

    

Be Back Soon!

Hello to all my followers and readers.  If you have commented or followed me lately, I just wanted to sincerely apologize for not responding or following back in a timely manner!   I've been totally away from blogging for the past few months due to an incredibly busy and stressful schedule.  Things are almost back to normal here, and by next week you should expect to see some new posts here on Life as Art.  In the meantime, just wanted to let you know I have not forgotten you!  I have tons of ideas lined up..so please stay tuned.  I appreciate your patience!