With Love, Tiffany's Liebster Award

First off, I would like to give a huge thank you to Nhi from Sincerely Blushaholic, Misa from Misaraisu.com , and Tianisha from Chocolate Demon-chan for nominating me for the Liebster Award. I was actually working on Nhi's questions on Monday night and then yesterday morning, I woke up to two more nominations from Misa and Tianisha! You guys are all seriously too sweet! <3

[EDIT: Although I filled this award out nearly a month ago, Tina from Be Bold Be Beautiful was kind enough to nominate me again. So in the spirit of never turning down an awesome award, I've updated this entry with her 11 questions. Thank you so much, Tina!]

I have been on Blogger for almost a month now and I understand that launching a blog takes hard work and gaining a steady following takes time. So I am super grateful to be nominated because the Liebster Award gives bloggers who have less than 200 followers more recognition in the blogosphere and to encourage them to keep blogging. Also, this award is a fun way for other bloggers to learn a little more about the one who was nominated. 

[NOTE: So this may be kind of funny but over the past couple of months, I've been nominated three more times xD This really reminds me of how I used to fill out a bunch of surveys back in those Xanga and Myspace days hahahaSo I just wanted to thank the following bloggers for the nominations and fill out their awards after the jump: every day kawaii, Krystal at Krystal Latte, and Tiffany at Sample Hime for nominating me. 

The rules for this award are as follows: 

1. Each blogger should answer the questions the tagger has set for you.
2. Choose 11 new bloggers to pass the award onto and link them in your post.
3. Create 11 new questions for the chosen bloggers.
4. Go back to their page and tell them about the award.
5. Each blogger should post 11 random facts about themselves.
6. No tag-backs!

Here are my answer's to Nhi's questions:

1. What is one beauty product that you cannot live without?

I absolutely cannot live without lipstick. My mom always used to say that lipstick can be the one thing that makes your face look fresh and awoken when you don't feel like wearing anything else or it can be final touch to a full-face of makeup. 

2. When did you start your blog and why did you start it?

I started my blog around a month ago. It's still relatively new but I've always wanted to run my own public beauty blog. The rise of Youtube beauty gurus has definitely changed the beauty industry and while I'm not video-savvy, my love for writing motivates me to share what I know and love about beauty, food and life as I know it. Also, I've been blogging since the old Xanga days (does anyone remember that?) and have always kind of kept my blogs on the down-low. But now that I'm older and have a little more life experience under my belt, I feel that this is the time to do what I've been really wanting to do.

3. Lipstick, lip balm or lip gloss? 

Lipstick! Of course, before my twenties, i would've chosen lipgloss.

4. What is your favourite TV show?

Game of Thrones! Omgoshhh, I'm seriously crazy about that show and am super thrilled that season 3 is going on right now. The night is dark and full of terrors...gahhh must stop myself from geeking out!

5. Name one of your celebrity crushes.

Michael Fassbender is so gorgeous! I mean, come on, just look at him! I can't wait for the new X-men movie to come out!

/End fangirling

6. Do you have a favourite YouTube guru? Who is it and why?

My favorite Youtube guru would be Jen from From Head To Toe. Not only is she beautiful, she's also super creative and is always coming out with fresh looks. She does k-pop makeup tutorials spot-on and always tries to be informative in her videos. I've been following her for a few years now and despite how big she's gotten in the Youtube world, she still manages to remain sweet and humble.

7. If you could eat one type of food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

I know I would totally regret saying this if this were to happen in real life, but since I'm a dessert fiend, I would say red velvet cupcakes from Sprinkles. If you haven't tried to their red velvet cupcakes before, you definitely have to put this place down on your bucket list. Their cupcakes will change the way you look at cupcakes, I promise you.

8. Android or Apple?

Ahhh, the age old debate of technology today. If you had asked me a year ago, I would've unabashedly chose Apple, but over the past few months, I've acquired the Nexus from Google and I have to say, Android is pretty stiff competition. Hmm, still, until I actually get an Android phone, I shall continue to love my iPhone and Macbook.

9. Name one country that you would love to travel to and why?

Thailand! I've already been to Korea and Japan and both are amazing countries. But there's something so appealingly fun, wild and uninhibited about Thailand. Plus, have you seen their beaches?! 

10. Name a make-up crime that you hate.

One makeup crime that needs to stay in high school are raccoon/panda eyes. Please stop abusing your eyeliner and invest in a good eye primer instead.

11. Would you rather leave the house with an obvious foundation line or overdone blush?

Hmm, I tried to imagine myself with both and this was a bit of a toughie. But I guess I would have to go with overdone blush, with the hope that the blush will melt off and fade as the day goes by hahaha :3

Now onto Misa's questions:

1. What is your nickname?

Most people who know me well usually call me "Tiff". That's how I usually know if you're comfortable with me. One nickname that I'm not fond of but seem to get from time to time is "Tiffy". The only good thing that has come out of that nickname is this table named after me.

2. What is your natural hair color? 

Like any other Asian, my natural hair color is dark brown. However, I haven't had my natural hair color since I started highlighting my hair in middle school. 

3. What is your favorite article of clothing?

I would have to say my shorts. Just because they're cute, comfortable and allow my legs the freedom that jeans don't give me. 

4. How do you do your hair every morning? 

I don't. LOL just kidding. But my hair is very low maintenance since it's pretty fine and dries pin straight. I really don't have to do much with it. I just shower, part it to the side with a comb and let it air dry. However, I do wish my hair was thicker ;_;

5. What is your favorite movie? 

Awww man this is tough because I have tons of favorite movies! One of them I can name at the top of my head is Moulin Rogue. I'm a big fan of musicals and come on, can you resist falling in love with Ewan McGregor's voice while he's crooning his love to Satine with Elton John songs? Didn't think so. 

6. What is your guilty pleasure?

Watching the Food Network. Yes, I know I'll never get to eat the food. Yes, I know whatever Ina Garten and Bobby Flay are eating tastes a lot better than my PB&J sandwich, but let me watch in agony and salivate to myself okay?! 

7. What do you love about yourself? 

I would say that I'm a very compassionate person. If someone is in trouble or a friend is feeling down, I can't help but want to help in any way that I can. And I really can't just leave anyone behind. 

8. Do you like sports? What's your favorite?

Honestly, I'm not really a huge fan of sports. I wish I could be and believe me, I've tried to get into football season, basketball season and even soccer season when I was in Korea and the World Cup was going on. 

9. Japanese or Korean food? 

Omgahhh don't make me choose! I love both Korean BBQ and sushi. But if I really had to choose, I guess I would pick Japanese food by a SMALL margin. Only because the majority of Korean food is too spicy for me and the food in Japan is seriously bombdiggity, compared to any other food I've ever eaten.

10. Do you have any pets? 

Nope, not anymore. I used to have quite a few birds but after the last pair died when I was 16, I couldn't bear to keep them anymore ;_;

11. What is your fashion style? 

I would say that my fashion style is definitely feminine, a little flirt yet a little edgy. I don't really conform to any particular style, just whatever I feel looks good on me. I'm still a big fan of florals and lace, but sometimes I like to wear pieces that give off a tougher, more mature vibe, paired with red lips.  

Here are questions from Tianisha:

1. What made you start a blog?

Ever since I was in middle school, I've always enjoyed blogging. I've had a Xanga, Livejournal, Myspace blog, and Tumblr. But I found that while these platforms were great for personal use, ultimately, I wanted to write my own public beauty blog and actually be part of the blogger community. After a while of blogging hibernation, I came out with my blog name, learned some basic html and finally came out with this blog.

2. What's your favorite thing to do?

I have a lot of favorite things to do but I suppose the one I love most is writing. Blogging, yelping, tweeting (okay, maybe not so much on that), I've always enjoyed expressing myself through writing and sometimes prefer it over talking.

3. What's your natural eye color?

Dark brown, like any other Asian.

4. What's a place you would like to go to someday?

I've already said Thailand, so another place I would like to visit is Paris, France. They say Paris is a city  for women and I wouldn't doubt that for a second. When I'm a little more older and cultured, I would like to venture there someday.

5. Where would you love to live?

I'm perfectly fine where I'm living right now but sometimes when my mind wanders, I find myself imagining myself living somewhere in Hawaii near the beach. I love warm weather so much so to live at a place where it's warm most of the time would seem like my own little slice of paradise.

6. Do you have a favorite cartoon?

I don't watch that many cartoons nowadays. But I watch Family Guy from time to time whenever there's nothing else on.

7. Do you like KPOP? And if so, who's your favorite KPOP group?

Why yes, I do like k-pop! I'm not as crazy about it as I was a few years ago but I still follow some groups from time to time. My favorite girl group would be SNSD and my favorite guy group  would be Super Junior, although I haven't heard much from either in a while.

8. What's your favorite look?

If we're talking about makeup, I'm really liking the neutral/light smokey eyes and bright lip combo. Either that, or the classic dark brown smokey eye, since you can't go wrong with that.

9. What type of book do you normally read?

Hmm, I really haven't read a good book lately. Nowadays, I usually try to read critically-acclaimed novels or whatever is on the Best Seller's list but the last time I did that, I ended up wanting to throw "50 Shades of Grey" into the trash. The thought of that book still brings a shudder down my spine. I'll probably end up watching the first movie JUST BECAUSE, but like "Twilight", I will probably spend a good deal of my time in the theater bursting out into laughter at inappropriate scenes. Disclaimer: Don't kill me, Christian Grey fan girls.

10. Do you like manga or manhwa?

I used to collect manga when I was in high school and I have a good amount of shelves filled up with the "Nana" series, "Ayashi no Ceres", "Chobits", "Godchild", and "The Wallflower".

11. What's your favorite part of your blog so far?

I would say that I really enjoy making connections with other bloggers. Every time I get a notification for a new comment, I get excited because I love interacting with other bloggers with similar interests and I do write my entries with the hope that they are helpful to other readers.

Omgoshhh, so many questions. I don't know if anyone got through all of these, but if you did, kudos for getting to know me a little better! <3

And questions from Tina:

1. What are you wearing right now?

I'm currently wearing an old shirt I got from Anime Expo 09 and a pair of skinny sweats from Gilly Hicks. Haha I like to mix old school and new school for my pjs =p

2. What time do you go to bed?

Hmm usually around 12-1AM. I need to move my sleeping schedule to earlier though.

3. Where do you get inspiration for writing your blog posts?

Honestly, it's pretty sporadic when I get inspiration. Sometimes I get it when I'm just shopping around and I find something that I think other bloggers would like to read about. Other times, it's when I'm lying in bed and I get a sudden burst of inspiration.

4. What is the most exciting thing happening in your life right now?

Hmm this is sort of hard to answer. I've graduated college already but I'm considering going back to school. Right now, everything is up in the air but I'm ready to make a change in where my life's direction is heading. The next few months are going to be full of decisions, so I suppose that's sort of exciting.

5. Do you like elephants or giraffes more?

I like giraffes more because they're less likely to kill me if I ever visit the safari. LOL I'm just joking, but I've always like giraffes more. Elephants can get so scary when they're angry.

6. Are you a messy person?

.....Yes :3

7. Would you ever dare to bungee jump?

Nooo thank you. Free-falling sounds terrifying to me and I don't think I would be able to muster up the courage to jump off somewhere really high. Can I please choose zip-lining instead?

8. What book do you recommend others to read?

Right now, I'm reading the Game of Thrones series. There are  6 books out so far but a 7th one is coming soon. I'm only on the first book but I'm seriously hooked. People have described it as similar to Lord of the Rings...with more bloodshed and boobs LOL well it's not really like Lord of the Rings at all but let's just say there's something for everyone in these books--love, sex, magic, violence, angst, action, thriller, intrigue, war.

9. Write down three words that best describe yourself--be honest.

Reliable, klutzy, generous

10. What is your favorite weather?

I like it HOT. Clear skies, warm weather, ever-so-slight breeze is how I describe the perfect day.

Questions from everyday kawaii:

1. What's your favorite makeup brand that you use the most?

Definitely Urban Decay. I have way too many Urban Decay palettes.

2. What's your favorite place to go hang and out?

Any place that serves delicious food, drinks and dessert.

3. What's your favorite band?

Hmm, I haven't really been listening to many bands over these years. My favorite band used to be Dir en Grey but my J-rock days are overrrrr. Right now, I'm more into EDM artists =p

4. What music genre do you like the most?

EDM is the way to go!

5. What do you like to do the most with your best friend?

I have more than one best friend, so really, I like to do different things with my different best friends. With some of them, my favorite thing to do is to go out, socialize and have fun but also be there for each other while with others, I can just talk all day with them about anything and everything.

6. What products do you use for your face care?

I'm really into papaya soap and Tony Moly products.

7. Do you associate yourself with a certain style? (like harajuku, gyaru, fairy kei...)

No, not really. I'm really into my own style and sometimes I feel like dressing feminine and romantic, while other times I like to go for an edgier look. I do admire some gyaru style but I don't really commit to actually doing it :3

8. What's your favorite food?

So many things, don't make me chooooose! Sushi, Korean BBQ and cupcakes are my top 3 picks.

9. How long do you sleep at night?

I usually end up getting around 6.5 to 7 hours but I actually need 8.5 to 9 hours to wake up and not be on the verge of falling asleep all day.

10. Party or restaurant?

How about party at a restaurant? >:D

Krystal's Questions!:

1. What do you love about blogging?

I love meeting other likeminded bloggers who share a passion for all things beautiful and creative. The beauty community is so large and even though you may not know one another, you get to meet a lot of sweet and talented people.

2. Full fringe or side fringe?

...I currently have no fringe :3 But you know, I'm really tempted to get a full fringe just to see how it looks, but I don't want to go through having to grow it out when I don't want it anymore.

3. Do you have piercings? How many? 

Only one on each year. I had two at some point but it closed up. 

4. Favorite food?

Sushi, Korean BBQ and cupcakes. All at the same time. I'm not joking.

5. Makeup, minimal makeup, or none at all?

Depends on where I'm at. I have a pretty set way of doing my makeup according to the occasion. Going out on the weekends, clubbing, etc. = makeup. Casual outing = minimal makeup. Running errands/having to wake up early = none at all.

6. Righty or lefty?

Lefty. I'm one of the weird ones.

7. What accent do you have?

American accent from Socal. Not like a stereotypical valley girl though, just sayin' =p

8. What do you dislike?

I like to plan ahead for things so it drives me up the wall when people flake at the last minute or are super late. I also don't like people who only talk to you when they want something and bounce as soon as they got it from you. I know people are often driven by self-interest so there aren't really many ways to avoid it, except develop the talent for smelling bullcrap from a mile away.

And last but not least, Tiffany's questions:

1. What is your favorite dessert?

That's kinda hard...honestly, any cupcake that's delicious is good enough for me.

2. If you could have a date with any celebrity, who would it be?

Heh heh, I think the picture of Michael Fassbender up there pretty much sums it up >:]

3. What kind of weather do you like?

Strictly 84 degrees. No more. No less. That is all.

4. What is your favorite foreign makeup product?

That would have to be the Dolly Wink liquid eyeliner. I haven't touched any other liquid eyeliner ever since. 

5. Why did you pick your blog name?

 It took me around 2 months to think of my blog name and I ended up putting off launching my blog because of that. I tried brainstorming for those two months and yet, everything I thought of either sounded dump or looked horrible in a URL. One day, I was reading and came across a letter expressing fondness for another person and signed off with, "With Love". Rushing to the computer screen to claim that name, I was lucky enough to come out with With Love, Tiffany. 

6. Do you play any video games? 

Not really. I used to play DDR back then but I haven't touched the DDR pad in like a decade  Sometimes, I'll play it in the arcade just to see if I still got the moves. I can barely pass D:

7. What are you looking forward to this summer? 

Beach trips. 

8. What's your favorite beauty product color? 

Hot pink/fuschia. Every since going blonde, I have just found that vibrant pinks work best with my coloring. 

9. What do you think about whitening products? 

I think it's really up to preference over whether you want to be light or tan. I have found that it's pretty 50/50 when it  comes to people I know.

10. If you could have one super power, what would it be?

I would want the ability to turn back time and redo certain things. Or fly.

And now for the 11 random facts about me:

1. I'm super crazy about dessert! Whenever I go to a buffet, I'm usually more excited for eating the dessert rather than the actual food. If a buffet serves crappy dessert, then it gets an automatic "F" in my book and I usually use the dessert to gauge whether or not I would return to that buffet. 

2. Most people describe themselves as a "dog" or "cat" person but I'm really more of a "bird" person. I used to keep lovebirds and parakeets and I even hand-trained my own cockatiel. Whenever I'm sad or in a bad mood, looking at video clips of birds usually makes me feel better. Such as of this adorable baby owl here. Ahhh squeeee I want a baby owl now! xD

3. I am and always will be a Disney dork. I know all the words to the songs in "The Lion King", "Pocahontas" and "Mulan". I'm often tempted to break out into song and dance whenever I hear them =x 

4. I love Yelping! I've been active on Yelp for a while now and I'm always on the lookout for new and interesting places to try and review. Feel free to add me as a friend here if you have an account :) 

5. I'm not really much of a t-shirt and jeans kind of girl. I prefer to wear dresses and shorts, especially when the weather gets warm. I don't know what it is, I just enjoy the feeling of freedom on my legs and skin; I find jeans are too stuffy and constricting. Since I'm only 5'0 tall, it's pretty hard to find jeans that fit perfectly and that don't make me look like a stump. 

6. I started wearing makeup after high school. As in, wearing makeup properly. During high school, I thought it was acceptable to take an eyeshadow stick, smear it over my eyelids and be done with it. 

7. I have an irrational fear of mummies and zombies. Yes, I know they're technically dead. No, I will not watch The Walking Dead, like everyone else. My friend tried to cure me of my fear by sitting me down and making me watch "The Mummy". It didn't work.

8. I like One Direction! Yes, I am a proud One Directioner :3 Hahaha my guy friends rag on me for squealing like a fangirl and dancing to their songs when I hear them on the radio or see them on TV but you know what's weird? I never really got into Nsync and Backstreet Boys during the 90's boy band era, so maybe I'm just making up for lost time :D

9. I studied abroad in Korea for a summer during college. It was seriously such a blast and one of the best summers of my life. I'm quite sure that I may never have another summer like that again. If you ever get the chance to study abroad, I definitely recommend you do it! It's truly an experience like other to take yourself out of your element and live your life in a foreign country. And of course, party with new friends who are all in the same boat as you. :D

10. When I was in high school, I was in an all-girl's show choir. We did a lot of singing and dancing, sort of like in Glee. Except not with cool music. Or awesome dance moves. Just with more sequins. A lot more sequins. 

11. I'm a bit of a ghost hunter nerd, so I really enjoy watching Ghost Hunters, My Ghost Story and whatever other ghost shows there are (not Ghost Adventures though). Now I know I would be way too scared to ever do any of the hunting myself, but I still find it interesting when people catch paranormal things on camera. 

And now my questions for you are:

1. What do you like best about being a blogger? 

2. What is your dream job? It doesn't have to be whatever you are pursing now but if you could be anything you wanted, what would you choose? 

3. Are there any makeup or beauty faux pas you have ever committed? If so, what were they? 

4. What is your favorite genre of music? 

5. What is your guilty pleasure TV show that you like to indulge in when no one's watching? 

6. What is your favorite season and why? 

7. Do you have any special or unique talents? 

8. What is your favorite Disney movie? 

9. Would you rather give up foundation or eyeliner for a year? 

10. Are you more of an introvert or an extrovert?

11. Who is your style inspiration? It can be a celebrity, fashion blogger, youtube guru, etc.  

And I would like to nominate these awesome blogs for the Liebster Award. Please check them out!: 

Natalie Cherie

Le Beauty School Drop Out

Once Upon A Time They Lived Happily Ever After

Karen Lives High

! Be Inspired - A blog about beauty, fashion and lifestyle

Emily's Elixer 

Polished Pinay

ellie lalala

Words for The Bumblebees

Xlicious Girl

MeltyMilkyStar

Wow.....did this take long or what? I'm pretty bushed from writing this entry, but it was pretty fun as well. It sort of reminded me of those surveys I used to take on Myspace and Facebook :3 Anyways, I hope you enjoy this smorgasbord of information about me. I know this entry is REALLY long and I'm not sure if anyone will make it through the whole thing, but I would just like to say thank you for reading and also, thank you again to those who nominated me. <3

With love, Tiffany