Untitled woo.

Woo!

Makeup: When I wake up...

In my makeup... too early for that dress. 

Whoooop, what a blast from the past. No but seriously folks, this post is about makeup. Specifically, powder foundation and a fantastic gift opportunity. For the most part, I am thrifty about my makeup and tend to shop at CVS for my essentials of which there are only a few items: mascara, liquid eyeliner, pencil eyeliner (admittedly this I purchase from Sephora), blush, and some powder (occasionally foundation if it's really a special event).

Now about the powder/foundation: for perhaps no real good reason other than some marketing whizzes telling me it's important, I like to spend more money on these two items. Lancome. All. The. Way. Yes, Lancome mascara and eyeliner is just glorified L'Oreal (love L'Oreal eyeliner and mascara), but I really do think the foundations and powders outshine their drugstore-branded sister label. Maybe someday the veil will be lifted, but until then I will pay extra dollars and those executive fatcats can laugh away at my ignorance.

"But what about those medium priced brands, like Clinique?" you ask? Actually, I really like Clinique's Superpowder as a good, fairly light, easy to apply powder. However, Clinique's Superpowder is actually deceptive in its pricing. One compact case of Clinique contains 0.35oz of makeup vs. one Lancome Dual Finish case with 0.62oz of makeup.

$19 - $22 for 0.35oz Clinique = $54.29 - $62.82 / oz
$35.50 for 0.62oz Lancome = $57.26 / oz

Ah HA! (This is the GMAT'ting influence over me. I am a super biznezz lady.)

So there you go.

Why am I talking about this right now, the eve before my GMAT when I have been studying and doing not much else? Ah, because in my depressed/panicked state, I stopped by Macy's on my way home from work this evening and saw the huge signs strewn about: LANCOME GIFT TIME! Lucky me! I was just in need of some new powder! I believe this is a sign for good fortune tomorrow. I was in fact tempted to purchase a megamillion lotto ticket ($100mm drawing tonight!) thinking that if I won, I could give a big EFF YOU to the GMAT and everything else. Hah. I didn't. BUt I imagined. Oh the joy. But I digress...

So with a purchase of $32.50 or more, you get your choice of six gift items in an ugly bag.

This is the progression of the last thirty minutes:

And with that, I'm off... review a couple more things and then early to bed! Wish me luck!

F*CK!

Nothing to do with French Connection.

This evening my one loyal blog follower (Hi L!) emailed me to let me know it has been awhile since I've updated. Well, the past few weeks have found me in a state of panic, misery, and bouts of self-flagellation. Why? Ah, well I am writing the GMAT this Saturday at 8am! (The self-flagellation for, "Why didn't I start studying earlier/study more?")

Well, so it goes. I'm aiming for a score of 730 and up; I'll be satisfied with a 720; I'll [probably] retake if it's below; I'll definitely retake if it's below 700. The mood in the TIWAW household is bleak. Standardized-testing is no fun. No siree.

WIWT Weekday: White and Gold

Move aside, silver. Hello gold... though a rather dull gold, this one.

The whole outfit included some ankle length black pants and pointed snakeskin stilettos. Skinny pants + stilettos = oh, yeah! I have pointed shoes with stiletto heels! Forgot about those guys. Have been in all platforms all the time.

Eat: What to do with all those tomatoes

This evening I went to grab dinner with a friend in Chinatown. While there, one can hardly avoid the incredibly cheap, incredibly ripe, incredibly abundant produce on display (Listen here for why produce is cheap in Chinatown).

As it is the season for summer tomatoes, I couldn't resist the look of these vine-ripened babies. So, I picked up two pounds of orange (high in beta-carotene!) tomatoes for one buck. Yeah. $1. That's right. $1!!!

What is one to do with two pounds of super ripe tomatoes on short notice? Well, I was going to slow roast them with garlic as I've often done in the past, but I opted instead to make an easy tomato sauce.


Step 1: Blanch the tomatoes. Cut a little x into the skin of each tomato at the stem. Pop them into boiling water for about a minute. Remove and quickly drain under cold water. You'll see the skins start to peel off with ease.

Step 2: If you're making a sauce (vs a soup), drain the tomatoes. Quarter them and remove all the watery, seedy innards (I usually eat them then and there as they are my favourite part). Totally destroy them if you are not into chunky sauces; otherwise, gently destroy for nice chunk. Set aside.

Step 3: Heat some olive oil. Sautee garlic and your choice of meat or non-meat if you're a veg. I opted for fatty pancetta. Onions are also good. So are peppers. So are mushrooms. Basically, sautee whatever vegetables you want. Throw in some dried spices. Salt, pepper, oregano, whatever.


Step 4: Add drained tomatoes. Simmer. Add cream (or not). Simmer. Add fresh basil (or not). Simmer. Add parmesan (or not). Simmer. Serve.

My version had: tomato, garlic, pancetta, basil, cream, and parmesan (and salt & pepper). I actually made this sauce for no particular reason other than to use up my tomatoes as I've already eaten dinner. I'll be using it tomorrow for lunch, and possibly breakfast. Instead of pasta, I'll be having the sauce over an over easy or poached egg for breakfast and maybe with some steamed lentils for lunch. Yeah, all that work and no pasta!

Ah, Summer!

Eat: "Dukan do it" - DD

Oh, another fad diet. Blah, blah. Yes, well, I'm jumping on this one simply because I really need to be bikini ready pronto and am not willing to go the starvation route. Instead, I will go the low-carb-put-your-body-in-a-tizzy route. Generally, I am quite satisfied with my body--that was until recently when someone snapped some casual photos and the result made my eyes widen. "My arms look like THAT?" Now I think twice before putting on a sleeveless shirt. So enough about me and more about the "diet."*

Hello, "Dukan Diet." It's pretty much a modified South Beach diet so everyone tells me (I wouldn't know since I've never researched the latter). Supposedly it's all the rage in Europe.  Handily, the Daily Mail has summarised all the key tenets of the diet in the following articles. Tomorrow I start. I've already loaded the fridge with chicken, seitan, turkey breast, eggs, non-fat yogurt, and other goodies.

1. Introduction
2. Attack and Cruise Phase
3. Consolidation and Stablisation Phase

Honestly, at the end of the day, these fad diets are just one way of limiting your caloric intake. I mean of course I will eat less if all I can eat (for the attack phase of 3 days) is lean protein and non-fat dairy! There just isn't that much choice of what to eat when those are the only options presented. But there is definitely something to be said for the low/no-carb diets. After all, there is a difference between a calorie of protein and a calorie of sugar. Anyway, wouldn't recommend a strict protein diet for the long-term. Wouldn't want your body to become ketotic!

* If you aren't in a rush, I'd say to do what everyone tells you to do: eat, not too much, mostly vegetables... and exercise. However, I am in a rush and so we must whip out the big guns: adios carbohydrates.

Father's Day

Father's Day is coming up (as is my own pop's birthday). Ceda gave me a great idea for a gift: Netflix subscription! Sign up now and have them delivered to your folks. As a side benefit, you can log in and access the streaming movies--ha! This is definitely a winner for my old man who is a huge movie buff, but a bit of a cheapo when it comes to treating himself to movies. I will also be sending a card so that he does not think this is some kind of mail-gimmick.

I have loaded up the queue thus far with some recent Oscar nominees and critically acclaimed films plus the BBC nature-documentary series, Life. Alas, Netflix only carries the Oprah narrated version (and not even in Blu-Ray!), but regardless, it is a must watch whoever the narrator.

Confirmation of "the secret"

No, not the book. But that bra sizing secret I had mentioned in an earlier post. Seriously, do it. It will change your bra-wearing life.

Ceda X: man, your bra trick totall worked
       I got two 32 C bras
       and they fit better
       with way less side boob spillage

me: WORD
       TOLD YOU lol

Eat: Sweet Paul Magazine

So much for that last post about posting more frequently! Super busy month of May. I'm moving house! So... forgive me but instead of original content, I will give you an amazing link that will get you salivating.

Sweet Paul Magazine - this amazing e-mag is self-published and created! Can you believe it? Certainly is sweet, Paul.

I, for one, plan on making this super easy apple and goat cheese (ahem, "chèvre") salad when I get a chance--that is, after I move. (Oh god, it's already the 21st and I don't even have a set home come June 1st! The dust settles tomorrow. Wish me luck!)