All posts by Shirley

5 Things to Try This Month – January 2020

01/17/2020 Shirley

Just because the holiday season is over, it doesn’t mean we can no longer have a festive mood. In fact, I think the best way to start a new year is to carry on doing fun and new interesting things that involve glitters and red.

Below are some of the things I am doing in January.

New Nails

Back in November, I had my gel nails done in pink glitters with full-on clear crystals. For years, I’ve always had some crystals on my gel nails, but I had never tried full-on crystals on all nails; I though it would be too overwhelming. It turned out that I liked the look of full-on crystals so much that I decide to make this design as the new alternative to my all time favorite red nails.

Below is my new gel nails for January 2020. It has red, blue, purple, pink, and clear crystals over gold glitters. This, for sure, really elevates my festive mood. It’s definitely perfect for the beginning of a great new year!

(Gel nails for January 2020.)

Red Accessory

Although I don’t have red gel nails with crystals for this month, I have the red strappy suede heel with crystals to keep me company. This is my latest addition, bought during the holiday season. I didn’t get to wear it earlier, but it’s definitely perfect for the upcoming Lunar New Years celebration on January 25.

(Giuseppe Zanotti Harmony sandals in red suede and crystals.)

Lipsticks

Chanel recently released a new limited-edition Rouge Allure lipsticks in eight shades (four velvet and four slightly shimmering textures). When I first tried on these new Chanel lipsticks I was in the mall with my friend. The new lipsticks had just arrived to the store for display/testing only. Nothing was available for sale. I was so glad that I found them on the Neiman Marcus web site right after I got home. I’ve ordered them in a couple of shades and can’t wait to get them in the mail this week.

(Picture of the new limited-edition Rouge Allure lipsticks.)

Daily Adventure

For the past holiday season, a friend of mine, who knows I like shoes, gave me a page-a-day shoes gallery calendar. The calendar features one shoe design for each day of Year 2020. I’ve scanned through the first couple of days in January. It’s interesting to see various designs of shoes. I can’t wait to reveal what’s in place for each day.

(The new page-a-day shoes gallery calendar for Year 2020.)

Cooking

We recently bought a new air fryer. I’ve been testing the new electronic appliance by frying pre-seasoned fries and buffalo wings bought from the grocery store. It’s amazing how we can make crispy food without adding any oil. To take the experiment further with healthy ideas, I made chicken drumsticks by adding the Himalayan pink salt, garlic powder and grounded black paper only. The result was unexpectedly delicious.

(My first homemade/seasoned chicken drumsticks cooked with the air fryer.)

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Running a Blog is a Continuous Learning Experience

01/10/2020 Shirley

I started my Shirley Style Fashion Blog in the Summer of Year 2012. My initial plan with to express my opinion on the handbags and other fashion items I like.

I learned a lot from running my own person blog. With my basic HTML and CSS skills, I can write and edit my blog posts easily. As the blog content expands, organizing the Web site and customizing its look-and-feel became a continuous effort. There are always things to modify and to improve the quality of my blog site.

Writing Shirley Style Fashion Blog was a personal habit. I have a lot of post ideas, but I tend to overthink about how I want to write the content. I end up taking extra time to polish them. But I’ve learned to trust my instinct and write without second-guessing myself. I now also write about my travel experiences and the restaurants I enjoy to dine at.

My Web site has been running fine until recently. The domain has been hacked with malware, which messed up my URLs in the search engine results. My ShirleyStyle.com would show up in the search engines as a foreign bogus advertising site.

I had to hire experts to clean up the malware on my Web site and install a new security system to protect my blog. But with the malicious cyber predators out there, it would probably be a matter of time when some unfortunate things happen again. At least I will know how to handle such situations.

After experiencing the recent incidents, I learned more about how to protect my Web site. I am excited to continue to work on my blog. When I looked at my Shirley Style Web site, I feel proud of what I have done. The Web site might not be perfect, but it’s my work and my accomplishment. The Shirley Style Blog is part of who I am!

My Advise to You..

If you want to start your own blog, but has some hesitation on how to write your very first perfect post, my advise to you is to go ahead get a Web site domain and begin with a post that describes why you want to start your blog. You would be amazed with what you can learn about yourself through your own words!

Start your own Blog is easy and inspiring

All Posts, Beauty, Travel

The Must-have Multi-Miracle Glow Cleanser, Mask and Balm

12/23/2019 Shirley

(DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the product links and make a purchase, we may or may not receive a commission for the referral.)

When I travel, I like to bring skin care products that have plenty of hydrating elements, which is especially important when I travel or stay in hotels with air conditioning blasting on all the time.

For years, I’ve been using some of the Sisley’s skin care products (see my blog post for more detail) when I travel. Recently, I added another beauty product to my travel essentials. This beauty product is called Multi-Miracle Glow Cleanser, Mask, and Balm for Baby Soft Skin by Charlotte Tilbury. (The product is packed with vitamins, floral extracts and antioxidant ingredients.)

As the Charlotte Tilbury’s Multi-Miracle Glow Cleanser, Mask and Balm for Baby Soft Skin product name indicates, this cream-based skin care product is for multiple purposes. You can use it to clean your skin by massaging it on your face and rinsing it out. You can also use it as a facial mask by massaging it on your face, leaving it on to let the product penetrate into your skin, then rinsing it off after 10 minutes. Or you can simply leave it on your skin overnight as a skin balm.

What’s even better about this Multi-Miracle Glow Cleanser, Mask & Balm for Baby Soft Skin product is that it can also be applied to your body to moisturize your skin and add some healthy glow. (I use it on my arms and legs when I go out.)

The Multi-Miracle Glow Cleanser, Mask & Balm comes in a 3.4 oz. container. When I travel, I like to transfer some of this product into a small jar. I’d use it as the second cleaner after I wash my face with Shu Uemura cleaning oil. When my face gets really dry, I’d also use the Multi-Miracle Glow product as a mask and balm for overnight. The floral smell of the product is so pleasant; I found it very soothing. I also use this product on any area of my skin that feels dry.

Of course, I use the Multi-Miracle Glow Cleanser, Mask & Balm for Baby Soft Skin product whenever I want to at home; it’s not only limited to traveling. But if I was stranded on a island and ould only have one skin care product, the Multi-Miracle Glow Cleanser, Mask & Balm for Baby Soft Skin product would definitely be my choice!

For more skin care products I recommend you to try, visit Skin Care page.

All Posts, Top Five

5 Things to Try This Month – December 2019

12/20/2019 Shirley

Year 2019 has been a very eventful year for me. There were some unexpected ups and downs. There were a lot of emotional and frustrating moments, but what matters are that I survived the hardest time in my life and I have my dear family and friends who helped me to get through.

I am not ready for the year to be over, because I want to squeeze in more fun memories. However, I can always look forward to a new start in Year 2020.

Below are some of the things I’d like to do in December.

New Nails

No holiday is complete without festive red nail colors. After a full-on crystal gel nails last month, it’s time to go back to my favorite red glitter gel nails. I like the teardrop crystals I had last month, so I asked my gel nail artist to include it on this month’s gel nails. Instead of using clear crystals on most of my fingers, I have red crystals this time.

New Beauty Product

I can never say “no” when it comes to glittery eye shadow, especially from my favorite makeup brands. Dior’s Holiday 2020 eye shadow has all my favorite eye shadow colors with glitters in one.

Reading Material

I came across the book, “Emotional Intelligence 2.0”, in the bookstore recently. This book reminds me one of the classes I took in my business school. The “Emotional Intelligence 2.0” book will be a perfect reading material while I am on my flight to California this holiday season.

Holiday Tea

I will be visiting my brother in Orange County for the holidays. I’d love to try the holiday formal tea with my family. This will be a great experience for my nieces.

Baking

I’ve been baking pumpkin cranberry bread for the holiday season for many years. It’s one of my specialties. For this year, in additional to making the pumpkin cranberry bread, I’d like to bake pecan-pumpkin cream pie. (Recipe from the Food & Wine magazine.)

All Posts, Top Five

5 Things to Try This Month – November 2019

11/20/2019 Shirley

As we are getting closer to the holiday season, it’s time to think about what dessert I want to make for the Thanksgiving and stock up on glittery makeup for the celebration days.

Below are the things I’d like to try this month.

New Nails

I just got my nails done the past weekend. I was so tempted to do red glitters again, but I decided to hold off on my favorite nail colors until December. I went for full-on crystals with light pink and silver undertones. The result is a different kind of flashy effect than red glitters. I think it’s a great alternative for this month!

(Crystal Gel Nails for November!)

Beauty Event

On the first Saturday of this month, my girlfriend invited us to the Nordstrom beauty event. At the event they showcased the new beauty products and the current makeup trends. We got our makeup done and had a lot of fun shopping for makeup products!

(Lunch after the beauty event!)

New Beauty Product

When it comes to holidays, one of the many good things is that there are plenty of glitters to shop for. For someone who’s obsessed with beauty products that have glitters, it’s the perfect time to shop. Among many new eye shadow palettes I got this month, there’s NARS’ Inferno Eye Shadow Palette (which has ultrafine blends of shimmer, glitter, and pearl reflect light for eye-catching effects).

(NARS Inferno eyeshadow palette!)

New Coffee

Nespresso released its holiday limited-edition coffee. As usual, the holiday coffee is offered in both the Original line and Vertuo line. My favorite pick for the Original line is the Nordic Cloudberry. The aroma of the Cloudberry reminds me of the Summer time. And my favorite pick for the Vertuo line is the Nordic Vanilla Princess Cake. I like the way the Vanilla Princes cake adds a hint of sweetness to the coffee.

(Nespresso Nordic coffee for this holidays!)

Dinner

Taneda Sushi in Kaiseki is a new Japanese restaurant that opened in Spring 2019 in Seattle. There are only nine seats at the sushi bar. A reservation is hard to get. My dear friends made a reservation for us two months ago. We ate there during the second Sunday this month. In my opinion, everything exceeded my expectations. The food was delicious and the services was great! I highly recommend it.

Read about my dining experience at the Taneda Sushi in Kaiseki.

(Watching sushi chef Taneda preparing our food!)

All Posts, Top Five

5 Things to Try This Month – October 2019

10/25/2019 Shirley

There are a couple of things I wanted to do in Summer and didn’t have the chance to do. One of the things was go to the Victoria, BC. I am glad that we still have some sunny days in the Northwest before the cold raining season kicks in.

Below are the things I am doing in October, which includes the afternoon tea at the Fairmont Empress hotel in Victoria.

Afternoon Tea

I enjoy having afternoon tea and I always wanted to try the afternoon tea at the Fairmont Empress hotel in Victoria, BC. I finally had the chance to experience the afternoon tea when I visit Victoria, BC, in the beginning of this month. I love the atmosphere of the lounge where the afternoon tea was at, and all the desserts that came with the afternoon treats.

New Beauty Product

As we are getting close to the holiday seasons, many beauty product brands are launching their holiday products. One of my favorite makeup artists, Pat McGrath, just released her holiday eye shadow products – Blitz Astral Quad. The Blitz Astral Quad comes in three palettes. One of the palettes, Nocturnal Nirvana, has all my favorite eye shadow colors – green, blue, and purple. Of course, this item goes on my “5 Things to Try This Month” list!

New Sequin Dress

Recently I am into full-on sequin dresses. As we are getting close to the holiday season, there’s no better time than now to start shopping for the sequin dresses. My recent addition is the Kooples’ Epaulettes and Pink Sequins short dress. I can’t wait to try it on when I receive it in the next few days.

Freaknight Festival

Freaknight is an annual Halloween related event in Seattle. It’s basically a large party for adults where almost anything goes. A friend of mine has asked me to go with her to this year’s Freaknight. My mission now is to find a costume for myself!

Entertainment Obsession

My recent comedy-drama television series obsession is HBO’s Succession. The show is about a dysfunctional family who owns a global media and hospitality empire, and how they fight for control of the business. I’ve heard that the show is very interesting to watch and I finally started to watch from the very first episode.

All Posts, Travel

Wynn Salon Suites at the Wynn Las Vegas Hotel

06/26/2019 Shirley

The first time I stayed at the Wynn Las Vegas hotel was in the beginning of 2006, not too long after the resort was opened.

My first stay at the Wynn Las Vegas hotel has forever changed my experience and expectation of the luxury properties on the Strip in Las Vegas! And after going back to the Wynn Las Vegas hotel year after year, the Wynn property is still on my top three favorite hotels list.

The Wynn Las Vegas property has a special Wynn Tower Suites which is separate from the resort’s general guest room tower. And the Tower Suites has its own private drive entrance, registration lobby and access to the exclusive Tower Suites pool.

The first time I stayed at the Wynn Las Vegas hotel, I booked its Tower Suites Tower King Suite. Upon arrival to the Wynn’s Tower Suite front desk, the friendly receptionists welcomed me and offered me a FREE upgrade to the Salon Suites at the Wynn’s Tower Suites. (The Tower King Suites is about 640 square-feet and the Salon Suite is about 1,890 square-feet.) It was a great treat for the beginning of my vacation!

The 1,890 square-foot Wynn Salon Suite has an entry foyer, a private massage room, a separate powder room, a large living room with dining area, and a granite wet bar. The living room and the private bedroom have floor-to-ceiling windows that offer views of the Las Vegas strip. The master bathroom has a glass-enclosed shower, dual sinks, whirlpool deep-soak tub, and walk-in closets.

As a Wynn Tower Suite guest, you get access to the exclusive private Tower Suites pool and daily complimentary breakfast for two at the Tableau restaurant (one of my all-time favorite place for brunch at Las Vegas), and morning coffee and tea service.

That first luxury Salon Suite room experience in 2006 has gotten me hooked on the Wynn Tower Suites. When I go to Las Vegas, I usually stay in one of my four top favorite hotel properties (Wynn / Encore Tower Suites, Bellagio Suites, Aria’s Sky Suites, and Skyloft at the MGM Grand).

If I stay at the Wynn Las Vegas hotel, my top room choice would be the Salon Suites inside of the Tower Suite. A nice thing the Tower Suite staff does to the returning hotel guests is complimentary chocolate with a card placed in the suite.

The Wynn’s Salon Suites is an ideal place when you want a lot of space and some sort of privacy. Once you shut the door, you won’t hear any activities outside of your suite.

The Salon Suites is also a great place to host private parties with friends. Last time I went to Las Vegas with a group of friends, I stayed in the Wynn’s Salon Suites while the rest of my friends stay in other properties of their choice. My Salon Suites became the go-to place after we chilled out by the private Tower Suites pool and ate dinner at our favorite restaurants. As a matter of fact, one of my friends really enjoyed bar-tending for us at the wet bar in my suite.

Each of my stays at the Wynn’s Tower Suites was great! All the service staff were very friendly and helpful. The breakfast at the Tableau restaurant was always consistently excellent. And the access to the exclusive private Tower Suites pool was another highlight for each stay.

If you haven’t had the chance to stay at Wynn’s Tower Suites, I highly recommend you give it a try on your next visit to Las Vegas!

Wynn Salon Suite Head Shot — Wynn Salon Suite Living Room

All Posts, Holidays, Travel

A Trip to Del Mar

06/14/2019 Shirley

During the holiday season I went to Del Mar (in San Diego) with my friends for a mini-vacation. The main purposes of the trip were to go to the Del Mar horseracing festival (a first time experience for me), and to have fun with friends (Khwan and Michael) and celebrate the holidays.

Below are some highlights of our Del Mar trip.

Our trip to Del Mar, San Diego, began with drinking mimosas on the flight before it took off at 7:00am. (I don’t usually drink on the flight, but hey, we were on vacation to a sunny place and celebrating the beginning of our mini-vacation!)

After we arrived to San Diego, our first stop was the Old Town area of San Diego, for brunch and margaritas.

(Watch my short video below for the pitcher of margarita we shared and my brunch, Dark Chocolate Chicken Mole.)

Del Mar Racetrack

First day at the Del Mar Horseracing Festival:
After brunch, we went to the Del Mar Racetrack for the horseracing festival. It was my first time to the horseracing and it was definitely an interesting experience.

Horses are one of my favorite animals. It was stunning to see how pretty they were when they walk from their stables to the race track, and watch them race towards the finish line. It was fascinating!

(Watch my short video below for the first day at the Del Mar Racetrack.)

At the Del Mar Racetrack, we had the opportunity to meet my friend’s two favorite TVG Network (American sports-oriented digital cable) hosts and racing analysts, and had a group picture with them! (My friend was so thrilled about this encounter; it was one of the highlights for him.)

(Group picture with the TVG hosts and racing analysts, Todd Schrupp on the left and Simon Bray on the right)

Second day at the Del Mar Horseracing Festival:
We had brunch at the Del Mar Turf Club. Our brunch included a three-course meal and unlimited mimosa (or champagne) and liquor (i.e. vodka and rum). And we have a great view of the horseracing track.

(Group picture taken on the second day of the horseracing festival.)

My friends and I made small bets on each round of the races. Even though we didn’t win much, we had a great time watching the races and cheering for the horses. In my opinion, watching horseracing is a fun group event. It’s just like buying ticket to go to a concert — you are paying for the entertainment experiences.

(Picture taken at Del Mar Turf Club restaurant.)

Fairmont Grand Del Mar Hotel

The Fairmont Grand Del Mar hotel is just as pretty as I expected based on their Web site pictures. The check-in process was quick and easy. And I love my room and the private balcony.

(In front of the hotel driveway, picture taken on the first day, in the afternoon.)

(The fountain in the hotel driveway.)

(Holiday decorations.)

(Picture of my room.)

After I settled into my room and got ready for dinner. I had a pre-dinner party in my friend’s room. My friends have traveled over the world and have great connections with many Fairmont hotel managers. The hotel concierge even sent my friend a complimentary bottle of red wine to their room.

(Pre-dinner party selfie; from left to right: Michael, Khwan, and me.)

Addison Find Dining Restaurant

For dinner my friends made a reservation at the Fairmont hotel’s signature Addison restaurant. Our ten-course dinner (and wine pairing) was delicious and the service was great! I was so full towards the end of the meal, I had to ask my friend to finish some of my food and wine. (Stay tuned for a blog post on my dinning experience at the Addison restaurant.)

(One of our ten-course meal – Duck.)

Like many upscale fine dining restaurants, Addison provided us a printed copy of our ten-course meal and shortbread cookie as parting gift.
(Picture of the menu and cookie)

Hotel Turndown Services

Did I mention that the services at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar hotel was great? When I first checked into my room there were some complementary snacks on the desk. And when I returned to my room for the after dinner, I found a stack of chocolate covered oreo cookies in my room. The housekeeper organized my makeup tools / products and lined them up perfectly when they did the turndown services. They even organized my shoes. (Before I left for dinner, my makeup stuff and skin care products were all over the counter.)

(Picture of my organized bathroom counter, after the turndown services. )

My overall experience of our mini-vacation to Del Mar, San Diego, was great! I had such wonderful time with my friends, Khwan and Michael, and we had so much great food and great drinks. It was definitely one of the memorable trips I’ve had!

(Picture taken by one of the fireplaces in the Farimont Grand Del Mar Hotel.)

(The Christmas Tree in the Fairmount Grand Del Mar Hotel lobby.)

All Posts, Top Five

5 Things to Try This Month – May 2019

05/27/2019 Shirley

Among all the exciting things I did and am going to do in May, the highlight was a trip to watch Celine Dion’s final show in Las Vegas with my girlfriends and experiment with new gel nail design.

See below for some of the other things I am doing this month.

Gel Nails

After having fun with the purple glitter gel nails last month, I am still in the mood of experiencing more design and colors before I switch back to my favorite red. My latest gel nail design is brightly colored with sequins. The sequins on each finger are arranged from lighter to darker shades.

Celine Dion Concert

Celine Dion has been performing her show in Caesar Palace Las Vegas since the year 2003. She is ending her Las Vegas show residency in June 2019. Celine Dion is my favorite music artist and I am very happy that I watched her final show in Las Vegas this month.

(An up-and-close picture I took while she was on the stage.)

Beauty Product

Charlotte Tilbury launched a new makeup palette for face and eye. This palette comes with blushes in peachy and pink shades, and contour colors. It can also be used as eye shadows.

Coffee

Nespresso launched a mild and fruity coffee, Esperanza de Colombia. This coffee is part of Nespresso’s Reviving Origins program created to partner with Colombia farmers to improve their infrastructure and agricultural practices.

Reading Material

I came across a new book written by Melinda Gates, “The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World”. I’ve always admired both Melinda and Bill Gates and the philanthropic work they do. I am looking forward to read about what Melinda has to say about her personal experience and the inspiring people she encountered in her life.

(The feature picture of this blog post was taken at Caesar Palace, right after I watched Celine Dion’s performance.)

All Posts, Top Five

5 Things to Try This Month – April 2019

04/15/2019 Shirley

When I think of April, the first thing comes to my mind is the image of blossom flowers in various color. The second thing I associate April with is starting of the longer daylight time. I love waking up to the morning light shinning through my window blinds!

Below are five of the things I’d like to do for April.

New Facial Toner

I have a dry combination skin so I need to exfoliate my skin regularly. I recent found a new facial toner which has lactic acid and salicylic acid. The product is supposed to exfoliate, hydrate, and balance the pH of the skin to prepare the skin for the skin regimen. The toner is called Lotion P50 Original “1970” by Biologique Recherche. I just bought a bottle of this toner and can’t wait to use it tonight!

New Gel Nails

If you know me, it would be no surprise to you that I have my gel nails done in glittery red most of time. After having glittery red gel nails (with different design and accessories) for two months, I am forcing myself to switch to something else. For this month, I decided to go with glittery purple and white colors.

Seasonal Mille Crêpes

For the month of April, Lady M is offering a seasonal Mille Crêpes in pistachio flavor. Pistachio is one of my favorite nuts, so I had to try the pistachio mille crêpes. My verdict on trying the pistachio mille crêpes is that I really like it. The pastry cream in the cake is made with pistachio paste and it goes greatl with a cup of my Nespresso coffee.

Michael Bublé Concert

Michael Bublé is one of my favorite music artists. He will perform in the Seattle area this month and I can’t wait to see him. I’ve been thinking about what to wear to Michael Bublé’s concert, and I have it narrowed down to a couple of choices. I probably will wear my blue velvet blazer with a lace dress.

New Marvel Movie

After watching Marvel’s Avengers: The Infinity War last year, I’ve been waiting for the next Avengers: The End Game. The movie release date is April 26. I bought the pre-sale tickets to watch the movie on the night before the release date. I can’t wait to watch it!

(The cover image for this post was taken at the Michael Bublé’s concert.)

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