Category Archives: Miscellaneous

My Make Up Forever Makeover

My daily makeup routine is incredibly boring. It takes me less than 10 minutes to do my makeup every morning because I’ve done the same thing for the past 3 years.

All of my makeup techniques and products have come from Lar. She has a lot more patience for finding out what colors look best on us. Just one of the many benefits to being a twin! Although, come to think of it, she might be significantly more pale than me since she hasn’t seen the sun in over three months.

Anywhoodle, to shake things up a bit, I stopped by the traveling Make Up Forever truck at Atlantic Station when it came to Atlanta a few weekends ago and got some great makeup tips and a full makeover. Look at the transformation!

Syretta, my Make Up Forever makeup pro, was great at showing me how to keep things simple. I had made it pretty clear to her from the beginning that I was incredibly lazy with makeup and only bought colors that I had read about “looking good on every skin tone” in magazines.

I only use tinted moisturizer as a base, so I freaked out a little when I saw all of the layers of primer, concealer and foundation. Who needs all that stuff?! I do! At least that’s how I felt after the makeover. None of the stuff made my face feel cake-y or like my skin couldn’t breathe and it looked like I had a perfect complexion (something I haven’t had since my pre-puberty years).

Syretta wrote down all of the products that she used on my face so I could hop on over to Sephora and buy brand new makeup. Since I still have yet to win the lottery, I only purchased a few items: the HD finishing powder (it’s magical!), the Aqua lip liner in 14C and Aqua Rouge in 15.

The lip color is so much pinker than I would have ever thought to use. When I showed Syretta the lip color that I use everyday she said, “Yeah, that’s, uh, very safe.” What do you mean? It matches perfectly with my lip color?!! You can’t even tell I’m wearing it!!

See how much I needed a makeover? Now I embrace the pink lippies and gray eyeliner (I’ve been using black to rim my eyes for a decade). Makeup break-through! Sort of. I still just use tinted moisturizer 🙂

Believe it or not, this is not a sponsored post. I just realized how many times I’ve written “Make Up Forever” in the past 20 sentences. What can I say? It’s a good makeup brand and the products made me look pulled together and glowing in a sheep-printed sweater. Now if that’s not a measure of a successful makeover, I don’t know what is!

__________

Dearest Lar,

I’m so glad you encouraged me to sign up for the makeover. Do they have Make Up Forever in the UK? They must if they have Sephoras. Apart from the HD powder (which I learned about through JennySue Makeup), I had never really heard of the brand before.

Are you having fun in the manor house in west Scotland? Please keep texting me pics! I’m equal parts jealous and excited for you. And I would really hate the fact that you’re not going to be home for Thanksgiving this year, but I know you’ll be here in less than a month!!!!

Do you know how excited I am about that?! I tell complete strangers that you’re coming home. The dialogue goes something like this:

Stranger: Hi. How are you?

Me: My twin is coming home in December for two weeks!!!!!

Stranger walks away.

Skype me as soon as you get some place with the wifis.

xoxo, Cath

Edinburgh Is Sa-weet!

1 • Hanging out with Sara of Suki Bakes at the Edinburgh Chocolate Festival

2 • The best hot chocolate in the world (orange, chili, clove) at Love Crumbs

3 • Nutan at her Bollywood Coffee Box during Diwali, plating up her home-made gulabjamun

4 • The plum cake at Bon Papilion

5 • The palate cleanser (ooolala) at Wedgewood

6 • The Bircher muesli at Falko Konditormeister

For someone who has been trying to cut sugar out of her diet, I’ve done a swell job. Darn you, sweet tooth! Foiled in Edinburgh on every corner. . . but it’s sooo worth it.

—–

Dear Cath,

I thought this would be a good post to squeeze in right before Thanksgiving — get your taste buds prepped for feasting. Hope you have a fun short work week! Are you Black Friday shopping? I’ve always been such a weenie when it comes to that stuff — and too much in a Peking Duck haze to want to shop (good thing I have your prezie already).

I’ll be back in wifi land by Friday evening. Skype date?

xoxoxox,

Lar

 

Pre-Turkey TGIF Link Love


photo

This is what I look like when I walk my dogs. . . I wish!

Hopefully this weekend I’ll get some good quality dog walking in since the weather is supposed to be nice. I’m also planning on preparing my stomach for Thanksgiving by attending this 100 Mile Dinner on Sunday. I can’t wait! What a great way to begin a week of overeating!

• Want to see what it’s like to live in a historic castle, tower or manor home in the UK? Oh and it won’t cost you an arm-and-a-leg! Lar and Matt are renting a Landmark Trust house with friends next week for Thanksgiving.

• Did you know the man who owns Zara is the third richest person in the world? And did you know that Zara massively outsells H&M, Topshop and all the other high street shops? Read the whys and hows here (Nytimes).

• We’re still on the hunt for the best every-day make-up tutorial. We like this one.

• Need a little tehehe at the end of this long week? Visit the Black Acre Brewing page and click “I’m under 21” (SFW, but there’s music. awesome music).

Dr. Lee-Crane, I Presume?

People Tree (super-ethical yahoo!) plaid shirt • thrifted vest • old Primark belt • old Next skinnies • old Mango booties • (Matt’s) glasses are Warby Parker • Lab coat, calculator, beaker, and purple gloves via Matt’s lab

I never had a thing for science until marrying Matt. Now I find myself occasionally trying to muddle through the short articles in copies of Nature (how do I live in a household with a subscription to a major science journal but not Vogue?), going to lectures on epigenetics, and wishing I had taken more science classes in undergrad. My comfort zone used to be purely art and design related subjects. I think that whole opposites attract thing has more truth and merit than I originally gave it credit. Thank you, Dr. Crane, for letting me ride on your lab-coat tails.

——

Dear Cath,

Shoot, shoot, shoot! I forgot you have a work retreat the rest of the week! No skype! GAHHH!!! We must skype at least three times this weekend (with video)! Because next week we have NO wifis in the Landmark Trust house we are staying in. Too, too long without Kitcath contact.

Don’t you like those non-latex purple gloves in the photos? So much better than the white powdery things which don’t go with any outfit (ba-hahaha!).

Miss you so very much!!! 30 days — that’s it! 30!!!

xoxoxox,

Lar

Introducing the Tacky Christmas Sweater Tee

I know, I know. It’s too early to start talking about Christmas, but I couldn’t help myself. When Skip ‘n Whistle sent me this Tacky Christmas Sweater Tee I thought it was too good not to share. Since I haven’t put my tree up yet (that won’t happen until after Thanksgiving of course), I figured I’d take pictures some place that was guaranteed to have plenty of Christmas decor. . . Tarjay!

Was it a little awkward taking photos in the middle of the day at a busy Target? Absolutely! But it helped me get in the holiday spirit.

My Snow Deer Tee is only one of many Tacky Christmas Sweater Tees that Skip ‘n Whistle makes. Check out the sale going on at Fab.com to see all the other styles. If the sale is already over by the time you read this, you can find the tees on Skip ‘n Whistle Etsy site.


Photo from Skip ‘n Whistle

If you end up getting a Tacky Christmas Sweater Tee, post it on Instagram and let me know about it, @AsianCajunsCath!

____________

Dearest Lar,

I wish it was warm enough in Edinburgh for you to wear a Tacky Christmas Sweater Tee. The good news is that Skip ‘n Whistle does have Tacky Christmas Sweater Sweatshirts! Other good news? The company is eco-friendly and based out of New Orleans.

I can’t wait to see the your new work clothes you got this weekend. I’m sure you’ll inspire me to dress better at work and get out of my black pencil skirt rut!

Hope you have a wonderful start to the week. I love you!

xoxo, Cath

TGIF Link Love


Michael Stars sunglasses • J.Crew top and jeans • Office shoes
I wore this outfit last weekend to the Decatur Wine Festival. Absolutely no coat – not even a jacket – needed in November. This weekend is supposed to be equally as warm (I don’t mean to rub it in, Lar!). I almost wish I hadn’t packed away my summer clothes.

Here’s a few links to get you into the weekend:

• Waterproof your TOMS

• One of my favorite characters on TV

• Beautiful glitter-dipped feather DIY

• Wish I could experience this real Hitchcock Hallway in person.

• Love the simplicity of these DIY metal cone lanterns

• Navy nails

• The perfect Thanksgiving table

• I want these for my desk at work.

Replace Your Elephants and Donkeys with Ponies and Piglets

Sara, Rianne and I calmed our pre-election nerves by taking a trip to Craigies Farm just a few miles outside of Edinburgh. There’s not much growing in November in Scotland, but we were repeatedly urged to visit the “wee piglets” — ooo how I love a Scottish accent! What is cuter than piglets? Wee piglets! Oh and wee ponies.

——

Dear Cath,

Aren’t these ponies so cute?! I want a pony AND a piglet!

Matt and I are so out of it today because of staying up until 5 am this morning to hear the returns. So much good news to go to sleep to 😉 : first openly gay senator (also the first female senator in Wisconsin), first female Asian American senator, and more female senators than we’ve ever had in the history of congress. WOOHOO!!!

Can we skype sooooon?!

Piggly Wiggly,

Lar

A Cozy Pub and A Walk to the Sea

A walk to the charming little seaside village of Cramond via Lauriston Castle, and then a hearty pub lunch by the fire with furry friends.

Hope you guys have a lovely weekend!

——

Dear Cath,

Is there a pub/bar in Decatur where you can take Tobs, Wheatie and Boo to sit by the fire with you whilst you drink your pint? Okay, maybe Toby wouldn’t enjoy the pub scene so much (Gah! Noise! People! Indoors! Sounds!), but I think Wheatie and Boo would revel in it.

Oh and I just realized we’ll both be festivaling this weekend, right? You at the Decatur Wine Festival and me at the Edinburgh Chocolate Festival!!! I’m helping Sara out at her booth Suki Bakes — and by helping, I in no way mean standing with my mouth open under a chocolate fountain. Nope. Not. At. Allll nom nommm. . .

Miss you like mad! Oh, but let the countdown begin. what is it? Six weeks and counting!

xoxoxoxox,

Lar