New Years Eve Lookbook for Winter Weather

Hello, world.

We are fast approaching 2014! Can you believe it? 2013 has gone by exceptionally fast. I went to Chicago for the first time in March. Over the summer, I went home to Malaysia, then took a trip to Thailand. In July, I went to New York City for the first time also. When the fall semester started, time went out the window.

I would love to sit and reminisce about how incredible this year has been for me, but thats a story for another day. Todays post is a lookbook for whatever youre doing for New Years Eve. Im doing a winter version because I will be staying in Iowa for mine.

{ Dinner }

Dolce & Gabbana Silk Crepe de Chine Pussy-Bow Blouse, $1,095 | J. Crew Collection Embellished Wool-Blend Coat, $1,350 | Antonio Marras Yellow Wool Midi Skirt, $775 | Yves Saint Laurent Classic Monogramme Clutch in Gold Textured Metallic Leather, $1,090 | Blink Winonah Black Suede Ballerinas, $53

{ Drinks }

Givenchy Medium Antigona Grained Leather Bag, $2,435 | Barneys Womens Real Leather Biker Jacket, $225 | Yves Saint Laurent Tribute 2 Pump, $815 | T by Alexander Wang Leather Jeans, $675 | Toy Watch Toyswing Leopard Watch with Chain, $240 | Coast Rasputin Cami Top, $58 | Guess Black and Gold-Tone Multi-Cord Charm Bracelet, $28

{ Dancing }

Vince Double Breasted Peacoat, $438 | Badgley Mischka Black Chunky Cluster Statement Necklace, $328 | Nly Shoes Sleepless Pumps, $54 | ZLYC Heart Shaped Clutch, $51 | Rickety Rack Glitter Fever Dress, $100 | Urban Outfitters Embellished Metallic Tights, $14

These items are relatively expensive because I used Polyvore to make these collages. Let me know if there is something that you really want and I can find something similar for you.

What are your plans for New Years Eve?

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How to Update Your Wardrobe for the Party Season

Hello, world.

It is the holiday season, and that means that it is also party season. I have compiled a list of ten pieces that will instantly revamp your wardrobe. Since we will be spending most of our money on gifts, I made sure that these pieces are affordable.

{ Pleated Full Skirt }

Asos Pleated Midi Skirt | $35

{ Dark Nail Polish }

Zoya Nail Polish in Sam | $8

{ Statement Clutch }

Nine West Glitter Oval Mindiere | $69

{ Colorful Crop Top }

Love Culture Glitzy Sequin Crop Top | $13

{ Ankle Strap Pumps }

Nine West Fantine | $69

{ Shimmery Rose Lipstick }

Lancome Color Design Sensational Effects Lipcolor in Pink to the Club | $22

{ Ear Cuff }

Asos Slinky Snake Ear Cuff | $11

{ Tuxedo Jacket }

Merona Womens Ponte Blazer | $30

{ Pointed Toe Flats }

Asos Carvela Metal Toe Cap Pointed Flat | $76

{ Pastel Coat }

Zara Masculine Studio Overcoat | $299

Although there might be people out there who could pull it off, please dont wear all of these together.

What would you add to this list?

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Birchbox: December 2013 Unboxing

Hello, world.

It confused me to see this in my mailbox, but when I realized that it was my December 2013 Birchbox, I was immediately excited!

Birchbox usually breaks out special packaging for the holidays, like the one last December, but theyve never done the outside box.

My December 2013 Birchbox includes:

1. Nelson J Beverly Hills Argan Oil 7 Rosemary Mint Moisture Healing Mask
2. Camille Beckman Morelia Monarch Body Butter
3. Greenleaf Starlight Candle
4. Mally Beauty Lip Magnifier in Soft Nude
5. Skin&Co Roma Truffle Therapy Serum Boosting Anti-Aging Serum

Nelson J Beverly Hills Argan Oil 7 Rosemary Mint Moisture Healing Mask | $20 for 4oz

Camille Beckman Morelia Monarch Body Butter | $15 for 5.25oz

Greenleaf Starlight Candle | $17 for 9.5oz

Mally Beauty Lip Magnifier in Soft Nude | $15 for 0.1oz

Skin&Co Roma Truffle Therapy Serum Boosting Anti-Aging Serum | $75 for 30ml

Do you subscribe to Birchbox? What did you get? Have you tried any of these products?

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Glambag: December 2013 Unboxing

Hello, world.

First off, dont forget to enter my Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette giveaway!

It took me by surprise when I came to the realization that this is my first Glambag post. Ive been a subscriber since May 2013, but I guess Im not in the habit of posting more than one unboxing post.

My Glambag for the month includes:

1. Ardell 120 Demi Natural Lashes in Black
2. Be A Bombshell The One Stick in Girl Crush
3. Nicka K Nail Color in Mauve
4. NYX Extra Creamy Round Lipstick in Cream
5. Pop Beauty Bright Up Your Life Eye Shadow Trio in Smokin Hot

Ardell 120 Demi Natural Lashes in Black | $4

Be A Bombshell The One Stick in Girl Crush | $16

Nicka K Nail Color in Mauve | $5

NYX Extra Creamy Round Lipstick in Cream | $4

 

Pop Beauty Bright Up Your Life Eye Shadow Trio in Smokin Hot | $7

Im not sure if anyone noticed, but I dont have a picture of the NYX Extra Creamy Round Lipstick in Cream. I dont even know how I overlooked that when I was taking pictures.

The Ipsy Glambag is a monthly subscription beauty bag thats only $10. This month, the items I got totaled up to $36 so its definitely worth it. If you do decide to sign up, I would love you forever if you used my link. Click here to sign up! You might be put on waitlist but you wont be for long. I got a friend of mine to sign up and she got in less than a month later. She loves her Glambag this month too!

Do you subscribe to the Ipsy Glambag? What did you get? Have you tried any of these products?

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Giveaway: First Blogiversary (Closed)

Hello, world!

I cannot believe that it has been a year since I started ExtraExtravagant! Well, technically, it would be a year on the 22nd, but no ones looking at technicalities.

I want to thank every single one of you for making the past year super enjoyable! I want to thank my sister first of all for encouraging me to take the first step in creating this blog. I also want to give a shoutout to the girls of the Her Campus Blogger Network for the neverending support and company. This network is the reason I got to go to New York (and the east coast in general) for the first time!

Because of all this support, I decided to run a giveaway! I know right I havent had one of these in a looong time.

And this is all perfect timing because a few bloggers reached out to me about a collaborative giveaway!

Yes, we are giving away the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette! If youre as excited as I am about it, enter via the Rafflecopter below!

A few quick rules:

• You must be at least 18 or have a parents/guardians permission
• No multiple entries
• All mandatory fields are required or your entries wont count
• No cheating! We check entries

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Unboxing: Influenster Violet Voxbox

I received these products from Influenster for review purposes; however, all opinions are 100% mine and 100% true.

The email from Influenster saying that I qualified for a Voxbox was one of the best that I have opened in a while. I was honestly not expecting to ever be considered for one again after what had happened with the Mary Kay Voxbox that I qualified for a while back. What happened was that I never got the Voxbox. I contacted them through email and Twitter multiple times, but they never got back to me. I thought that they wouldve dropped me completely since I did none of the activities for it. Anyway, I was ecstatic to find out that I qualified for the Violet Voxbox!

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Sephora Mini Haul

It was disheartening to find out that Bath and Body Works, Sephora, and Victorias Secret did not participate in the Black Friday festivities last week. Bath and Body Works and Victorias Secret only had their usual promotions, and Sephora only had Giftopia. I ended up spending too much.

I made sure to stop by these stores because I had specific items that I wanted to buy. Since I had time to burn, I browsed Express, Forever 21, and Wet Seal amongst others, and they had amazing Black Friday sales! I didnt buy anything, though.

This post will be about the products that I bought at Sephora.

Ciate Mini Mani Month Advent Calendar | $69

I had been lusting after this product ever since I found out about it. I just couldnt bring myself to spend all of that money on it. When I saw it in Sephora, I knew that I had to have it. Today is actually Day Four of the countdown. If you want to keep up to date with what I uncover every day, follow me on Instagram!

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer | $36

I always hear good things about this product, but I never really looked into it until I received a sample in my November Glam Bag. Then, I fell in love with it. When I was in Sephora, I was debating between this and the Color Correcting version. I ended up going with this because I wasnt sure if the other one works well, but I know for a fact that this does.

Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara | $19

I had to wait so long before I could get this product. When I tried it from the Sephora Lash Stash that I bought a while back, I knew I had to have it. The set comes with a coupon redeemable for a full-size of any of the samples so I was debating among this, the Buxom Buxom Mascara, and the Korres Volcanic Mineral Mascara. I decided to go with this one because its more buildable, and I love dramatic lashes.

Do you own any of these products? Have you ever tried them? What are your thoughts?

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Allure 2013 Best Beauty Splurges

The holiday season is around the corner. What does that mean? It means that it is almost time to take all of the money that you have been saving this year and treat yourself to some beauty splurges as a pat on the back for surviving another year. It could also mean that it is time to take all of that money and spend it on gifts for friends and family. If it has been a good year, you can even do both!

When it comes to lists, we all know that I always turn to my trusty source, Allure.

Cle de Peau Beaute Rose Synactif | $300

If you gasped at the price, you are not alone. I am not known for splurging on products, and my blog reflects that. Whenever I have a product shown on my blog that has a price tag of more than $100, it is usually in a wishlist. However, this is a splurge list so splurge we shall. Why is this product so expensive even though it is just your average floral fragrance? Well, it apparently claims to help your skin care products work better. I have no idea how true this claim is, but I dont have the funds to test it for myself. Have you tried it? I want to know what you think!

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Anna Sui on Asos ft. Studentrate.com

I signed in to Twitter at the perfect time the other day because Anna Sui (@annasui) and Asos (@asos) both tweeted that Anna Sui beauty products are now on Asos. Then, a few tweets later, I saw the Studentrate (@studentrate) tweet about a deal on Asos.com!

Please refer to the end of this post for a special offer before making any purchases.

The products being offered are:

Anna Sui Asos Exclusive Minnie Mouse Rose Body Balm | $36

Anna Sui Asos Exclusive Minnie Mouse Perfect Mascara | $37

Anna Sui Asos Exclusive Lip Color Palette | $50

Anna Sui Asos Exclusive Eye Color Palette | $50

Anna Sui Asos Exclusive Minnie Mouse Makeup Set 1 | $85

Anna Sui Asos Exclusive Minnie Mouse Makeup Set 2 | $85

I feel like this is all just in time for the holidays. Isnt the packaging for these products just adorable? And as you can probably see, these products are all exclusive to Asos. Buy them for family or friends, or buy them for yourself!

With Studentrate.com, you can get 7% cashback on your purchases. To put it into perspective, if you buy every single item listed here, youll get $24 back! Youll also get $20 off that order because this deal also includes a promotion of $20 off orders of more than $130! :D

If you want to take advantage of this offer, click here to redeem the code. You will have to use this exclusive code to get the 7% cash back.

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Sponsored: Giving and Receiving Made Easy by Ziftit + $10,000 Could be Yours!

This post is sponsored by Ziftit via HerCampus; however, all opinions are 100% mine and 100% true.

We have all been there - you sit in front of your pile of Christmas presents, anxious. Have you been a good enough girl this year for Santa to finally bring you the new Coach Love Eau de Parfum that youve been lusting for all year? You hastily rip through box after box, unearthing the most random assortment of drugstore beauty products, candles, and Bath and Body Works sets. These are great gifts, sure, but there is one problem: you already have all of them.

This is when Ziftit comes to the rescue!

If you are a Shopcade addict enthusiast like me, Ziftit will be your new best friend. The website basically functions like Shopcade - you have the ability to search for products and compile lists. However, there is one neat function of Ziftit that I have never come across in my 21 years of life: send your lists to Santa (I dont mean that literally of course).

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Mascaras Under $20!

Hello, world.

If you are like me, you probably have more mascara than you can actually use. I have my favorites that I wear on a regular basis, but I also have a few that I use so that they dont feel left out, lol. Despite having a ginormous stash of mascara, I cant stop myself from looking for more whenever Im window shopping even because I just might find my new favorite. This drains my bank account because mascaras are surprisingly expensive. This may not be true of all mascara, but I find that the more it costs, the better it works.

I still want to satisfy my mascara addiction without breaking the bank, and I want to spend on mascaras that will actually work so I decided to create a list of mascaras under $20 that has all the properties that you can ever want.

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Sponsored: Frankly Supports the Unedited You!

This post is sponsored by Frankly; however, all opinions are 100% mine and 100% true.

Hello, world.

I am hit with a wave of nostalgia when I revisit the days when my best friends and I would host sleepovers just so we can bond over talks about boy bands and cute classmates. We can talk about anything and everything under the sun because we knew that it would all stay inside the room.

When high school came around and leisure time became a scarce commodity, we started relying heavily on cell phones. Needless to say, sleepovers became a thing of the past. We would try our best to hang out, but one thing or another would always get in the way. Whenever we werent in school, our main medium of contact was cell phones.

I am now in my senior year of college. Being on the opposite side of the world from my sleepover buddies, even text messaging is out of the question. We depend more on services such as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. Messages sent through these platforms are incredibly unsafe. I know this from personal experience, but that is a story for another time.

Privacy related to messaging services is a real concern for me so I was excited to hear about a new smartphone application called Frankly.

Frankly is available for download in the Apple Store and the Google Play Store. Unfortunately, it is only compatible with Apple and Android devices for now.

{ Features }

Frankly may sound like a typical instant messaging service, but it actually has features that set it apart:

• The name probably suggests this, but this app allows you to be frank. Whatever you send over this app, be it messages or images, self-destruct upon reading. Once that happens, thats it; nothing is saved on the servers. This is perfect for times when you want to share something personal with a friend but dont want to run the risk of someone else pulling it up.

• Everyone remains anonymous when you start a group chat. Youll be able to see the people included in the group, but you wont know whos saying what! I feel like this would be a great way to do a virtual intervention or something, lol.

• There is one final feature of Frankly that a lot of you will love (I know I do)! It has happened to all of us - we send something, then immediately regret sending it. With Frankly, these mistakes are easily rectified. Just cancel the message, and it gets deleted!

{ Uses }

Frankly works like any other messaging app so its super user-friendly. Here are ideas of how you can utilize this app:

• Gossip! Admit it; we all do it. Now, you can do it knowing that itll never leave your phone.
• Group chats! Say whatever you want without fear of it getting leaked.
• Chatting in a crowded setting! This is my biggest pet peeve when it comes to texting in public. You never know when people are looking over your shoulder (like when youre in class). Frankly lets you read messages and view images whenever you want.

{ Verdict }

What do I think of this app? It actually blew my expectations out of the water. I went into it thinking that it was going to be a waste of time, and that this app is just going to be like any other instant messaging app. I was very wrong. A few girls and I tried out this app, both the one-on-one feature and the group chat feature. We found some pretty interesting things:

• It tells you when someone takes a screenshot! Yes, it actually shows you that someone has taken a screenshot immediately after they do it. If youre speaking in confidence and you see the message pop up, you know its time for some butt kicking.
• Avoid looking away from the screen once you decode a message because itll self-destruct before you read it completely.
• We had no idea who was who in the group chat. No picture shows up or anything, just the anonymous text whoever sent.

I highly recommend Frankly as the next instant messaging app that you download. Its free! And your secrets are safe with us. (;

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Allure 2013 Beauty Breakthroughs

Hello, world.

Allure has always been my source numero uno when it comes to product recommendations. I have found countless holy grail products through the magazine and the website, and I have no intention to switch print sources.

Magazines are known for rating anything and everything, and Allure is no different. One of the lists that I look forward to anually is the Beauty Breakthroughs list. Since the winners are nominated and voted for by readers, it is a trustworthy source.

In this post, I will be featuring three beauty innovations from the Allure 2013 Beauty Breakthroughs list that I want to try for myself.

{ Number Three }

Smashbox Always Sharp Waterproof Kohl Liner in Storm | $20

I love kohl, but it has one flaw that annoys me: it is impossible to sharpen perfectly. Being so soft, the end dulls out quickly. When I attempt to sharpen it, the end either turns out uneven, or it is so pointy that it breaks off immediately. With this product, when you put the cap back on, a mold in the cap reshapes the soft kohl.

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Birchbox: October 2013 Unboxing

Hello, world.

It has been a while since my last unboxing post all the way back in April, but I have a valid excuse! My May and June boxes were lost in the mail since I moved. I contacted Birchbox about it, and they were gracious enough to send me replacement boxes. Unfortunately, they were out of inventory so they refunded the $10 for my May box. For my June box, instead of reimbursement, they just made my August box free, and they threw in 100 Birchbox points as well! They have excellent customer service, and its also why Ive been so loyal to the company.

My July, August, and September boxes are sitting in my apartment somewhere. Ive used some of the samples but not all of them. I seem to have misplaced my camera charger so I couldnt post even if I wanted to. I finally decided to use my phone to take pictures until I can afford a new camera. So, we are back on track!

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Metal Accents

I have been seeing metal accents everywhere!

Posse Lina Stud Crossbody in Olive | $319

This is a good example of a mixture of two trends: metal accents and mermaid colors. The green is a lovely standout color, and the metal chain and studs give an edge to the crossbody. I would wear this with a rocking pair of leather pants and some black booties.

B-low the Belt Pyramid Studded Clutch in South Beach Black | $350

This is a casual clutch that would go great with everything. I would play up the tame look by mixing and matching more pieces with metal accents.

Nila Anthony Metal Corner Crossbody in Sky | $69

This is another example of mixing two trends: metal accents and geometric shapes. The metal accents in this crossbody complements the edgy geometry really well, and to offset the edginess, I would pair this with a tan trench or white denim.

How are you rocking metal accents in your outfits?

Image source:

MyHabit.com

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