FROM PARIS WITH LOVE

Ever since I was a little girl, I have always wanted a pen pal, someone with whom I could share my thoughts with, exchange cultures, and become close friends. My dream was fulfilled a year ago when a sweet girl named Louise came to visit America with her school from France. I was so excited that one of my close friends Nicole was going to host a French student, and I could hardly wait. When the students arrived, I had the opportunity to meet Louise. She was a bit shy and quiet at first, but I found that the time after she left was when we bonded the most. Their trip was a short 10 days, but I made sure to include a card in the present to ask if we could stay in touch. However, I didn't expect too much because we didn't have much time to talk when she was here. About a month later, I was extremely surprised when Nicole handed me a letter Louise had sent to her to give to me. Louise really opened up in the letter and began asking lots of questions which I loved. I quickly wrote a letter back to her, and from then on, we constantly talk to each other. There is truly nothing better than receiving a hand-written letter in the mail that's written with love and care. English is Louise's second language (along with Spanish and Chinese....how come I haven't learned this many languages?) and to see her write long, thoughtful letters never fails to touch me. In addition to writing letters, Louise and I Snapchat which is always a lot of fun as I have the opportunity to see tid bits of her daily life. In her letters, Louise always asks me to come visit her in France, and it is my dream to one day take a trip to Europe. All I can say is I'm truly grateful that I have made such a close friend with a lovely girl like Louise, and I encourage all of you to reach out to someone from another city, country, or continent. The friendship you will develop is so precious and insightful, and it has made me a much happier person today. If any one of you would like to exchange letters with me, I would be thrilled to do that! If so, leave your email in the comment section below or even email me personally at emily.leung158@gmail.com and let's start something up!

Louise recently took a school trip to Rome and sent me a sweet letter and postcard. This is by far the most gorgeous postcard I have ever seen, and it makes me want to visit Europe more than ever.

Nicole went to France and brought me back the perfect Paris key chain that I absolutely adore as it is both functional and beautiful to look at.

 Have you ever had a pen pal before?

-Emily

COLLECTIVE HAUL: H&M, TARGET, ORIGINS, AND LUSH

I have recently picked up a few new purchases, some I bought during my spring break trip in a gorgeous mall in San Diego called Fashion Valley and some I got last week. Now on to the haul.

While I was at Fashion Valley, I stopped by the good ol' H&M. This store has been an extremely dependable and affordable store for me over the past few years. I needed a dress for my journalism banquet last month, and I knew I wanted a black A-line dress, so I was thrilled when I found this piece that was form fitting yet also flared out at the waist. While looking through the store, my eyes also stopped on a simple heather grey t-shirt with a small pocket and slightly cuffed sleeves. The top was extremely soft, and I knew it would match with plenty of items in my wardrobe. I chose to buy my next piece, a light pinkish tan sweater, because I realized I don't own many pastel items. Since it's now spring, why not. I am more attracted to darker colors, thus grey, black, and navy blue appear most in my closet. This sweater is great for offering minimal heat on those breezy spring days . 

Next, I made my way to another versatile and standard store, Target. I went in with the intentions of picking up a few eye makeup items; however, I walked out with this vintage/slightly acid-washed maroon Mickey Mouse tank top. I have always wanted Disney apparel, but I never wanted to pay the ridiculous prices at Disneyland. I haven't picked up makeup for a while; however, I wanted to get black eye shadow for a look that I wanted to do for the banquet. After spending over five minutes deciding with my mom which palette best suited my needs, we decided on the NYX Smokey Fume palette, a gorgeous palette consisting of a set of darker shades perfect for a smokey eye. I have wanted to try out gel liner for a while now, and I decided on the Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in Blackest Black, a highly affordable and praised drugstore eyeliner.

Most will find this quite surprising, but these are my first items from Origins. I had never heard too much about Origins until I joined the blogging world. When I went into the store, the people working there were extremely helpful and suggested the Make A Difference Plus + Rejuvenating treatment (gel moisturizer) and the Spot Remover acne treatment pads for my combination skin. I spent a good 20 minutes in the store as the lady showed me many of their products as it was my first time. The two purchases added up to over a certain amount, so my mom and I received some free samples. I chose a product I have seen countless raves about, the Checks and Balances frothy face wash.

Lastly, I went to Lush in Fashion Valley because I don't have one near me. I can confidently say that I Love Juicy is my favorite clarifying shampoo of all time, and I might add that I have tried quite a few. This shampoo proves to be extremely effective for removing buildup; however, I wouldn't use it more than once a week as some people feel like it strips too much of the natural oils from their hair. I also requested a sample of Ro's Argan Body Conditioner, but I must say I am guilty because I have tried it before. However, I wanted to try it again to see if I really wanted to purchase this expensive product.

What have been your favorite purchases recently? Would you like a review on any of these products?

-Emily