****THIS BLOG HAS BEEN MOVED****

Hey guys! I've officially moved The Street Kat onto my own domain. You can check it out at http://www.thestreetkat.com. Thanks for all your support!

My Top 5 Most Addicting iPhone Apps

So you'll probably regret reading this. Because these five iPhone apps have seriously taken over my life. Interchangeably using these apps on the daily has become a regular routine of mine. But all jokes aside, these apps are so fun and addicting, and I'm here to share them with you today.

5. Flipboard

Flipboard to me is essentially the puberty of the app world. As a news app, it's what makes me feel more like an adult and connected with the world. You can basically customize news to read on one single platform. The easy and simple user interface is what makes this app so awesome. With a simple swipe up or down of your finger, its just like flipping through a newspaper (except easier and free)! You can subscribe to your favorite news sources and even connect your Facebook and Twitter news to your feed as well. Sharing interesting articles has never been easier with Flipboard. I can easily tweet an article or share it on Facebook for all my friends and followers to read. I just love how up-to-date this app keeps me anytime and anywhere!

4. Polyvore



Oh my...Polyvore. Every online shop-a-holic's paradise manifested in the form of a mobile phone application. I love Polyvore because it creates a customized feed for me to browse through things like clothes, shoes, accessories, etc. via an initial questionnaire. Did I mention that the products in your feed span from all different shopping sites so you can compare prices of similar items?? There's also a feature where you can put together a virtual outfit from pieces you find on Polyvore. I have yet to utilize this feature but I love looking through other people's Polyvore outfits to see how certain pieces can be put together in a look. But, the main reason I love going through my Polyvore feed is for outfit inspiration and keeping up with the latest trends (not to mention for online shopping as well!). Perfect for the shop-a-holic in me!

3. Unblock Me

Now, I usually get bored easily with iPhone games after a while. Unblock me was one of the first game apps which totally captured my attention. This app has been out for years, and I actually found out about it because I saw my friend playing it. Its basically a puzzle-type game where you have a bunch of different lengths of rectangular blocks in a square. The point of the game is to get the one red block out of the square by sliding all the other regular blocks around. I love these thought-provoking, mind-boggling puzzle games. It's so satisfying when you finally get that one red block out, and that's why this app is so addicting!

2. Hyspherical

This is one of the newer game apps I've gotten, and it. is. so. frustrating!!!! Yet addicting! That's the ultimate conundrum, right? You're supposed to add spheres into rotating circles without letting them touch. Once you complete the puzzle and get all the spheres in rotation together, this game also becomes extremely satisfying.

1. TwoDots

Hands down my all time favorite iPhone game app of all time. This app has become a staple in my nightly bedtime routine. The game appears as a grid of multi-colored dots, and the goal is to get rid of a certain amount of a color, anchor, or ice block. If you connect four of the same color dot in a square, it gets rid of any dot that color. It's so addicting I pretty much play whenever I have some free time. At almost level 200, I guess you could say I've pretty much become a pro TwoDots player! What I love about this game is that it really gets my wheels turning in my mind. So if I need to get my creative juices flowing or simply feel more alert and awake, I just whip out this game. TwoDots is a definite must-try game that I recommend to anyone who enjoys puzzle-solving!

"Women who wear black lead colorful lives" - Neiman Marcus

• 1
• HYPE on LOOKBOOK

One thing is for sure–they weren't kidding about the "cold-shoulder" part of cold-shoulder tops. With fall in full swing now, tops like this flow perfectly in the autumn breeze. This top reminds me of a eulogy to summer fashion. With its summer-y, boho structure but solid black coloring, I was inspired to make this look a lot more dark and enigmatic. 

I paired this with my favorite DIY distressed boyfriend jeans which really complement the looseness of my top, making the whole outfit ultra comfy for lounging around! I slipped on my Steve Madden leopard-print loafers for a tiny pop of pattern and color to break the solidity of the rest of the outfit. 

I absolutely love the look of layered necklaces, and there's a really funny origin of my yin yang necklace. When I went back home this past summer, I found this lying around my house.....Apparently it was my brother's from when he was younger but I literally just swooped and brought it back with me to Seattle. I've been seeing these types of short, choker-like necklaces everywhere lately, and it was extremely satisfying that I just found one lying around the house. But I digress! I doubled this awesome yin yang necklace with my long, silver cross necklace to help elongate my already short frame.

The finishing touch on this look was my dark, vampy lip courtesy of Kat Von D's Studded Kiss Lipstick in Vampira (a cult favorite!). Review is up on my blog already bee-tee-dubs! I really loved the instillment of dark elements all throughout this look because I used to always wear light colors regardless of the season. A refreshing change/experimentation nonetheless! 

Stay tuned for my Style Guru Style article on this outfit coming out next Wednesday on CollegeFashionista!! 

Kat Reviews the Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick (Vampira)

Alright. I'm going to be completely honest with you. I never, ever used to be a lipstick girl. For the simple reason that I always struggled with chapped lips due to my dry skin condition. Counterintuitively, I have also always been an avid fan of the matte dark red lip trend. So, after countless fruitless trips to Sephora wondering if I should just take my chances and buy a higher end lipstick that's more likely to promise more moisturizing effects, I finally made an executive decision to purchase the Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick in Vampira. Don't worry I did my fair amount of research, swatched it in the store, and asked the Sephora employees their thoughts. Little did I know, I had picked up a true cult favorite beauty product! 

Let me tell you. This lipstick seriously took me by surprise. It goes on super creamy and buttery (or as buttery as a matte lipstick can be), and I'm able to get a smooth, matte finish easily with a few coats. My lips don't end up feeling chapped or dry while wearing it. The Studded Kiss Lipstick's staying power is strong in my opinion (unless you're going to be eating or drinking something without a straw). I did find myself having to reapply and touch-up several times throughout the day, but its nothing short of what normal beauty enthusiasts do on the regular. 

In short, this lipstick has started my own internal lipstick revolution. I feel so much more compelled now to expand my sad, minuscule lipstick collection and explore other colors of the lipstick world. I find myself loving to pair this vampy red lip with grunge outfits. It just adds that perfect cherry-on-top touch.

**Note: The lipstick goes on much darker (especially with several coats) than how it appears in the tube. Refer to the picture below for how it looks on!

Style Profile : On Wednesdays, We Wear Grunge

Seattle is the legendary birthplace of grunge. The rain-kissed streets and cool autumn air inspires fashionistas near and far to bust out those chunky boots and beanies. Nothing cultivates a classic grunge look more than vintage and contrasting pieces. Whether it be a vintage band T-shirt or a funky pattern, grunge clothing can be a great conversation starter and can give your outfit some serious edge that’ll get the whole campus buzzing.

This Seattle-grown fashionista completely oozes grunge. She wears a dress patterned with tiny black flowers for some femininity but contrasts it with a straight-fitting, speckled knit cardigan. She also added some black tights for extra warmth. Her chunky, mustard-yellow beanie mimics the autumn leaves and adds a great pop of color. My favorite part of this look are her chunky black boots.

Chunky boots are a quintessential part of a grunge wardrobe, and this Fashionista is totally rocking them. Nineties grunge fashion is all about being comfy, so this look is perfect for class. The more worn-in your clothes look, the better. So don’t be afraid of scuffs on your boots or rips on your pants. Own it!

Style Profile: Early Morning Class

With the new school year underway, the importance of making good first impressions are at an all-time high. What you wear is your ticket to expressing yourself before your words can define you. So, what do you wear for those early morning classes? On the one hand, you could go for maximum comfort in the form of the classic T-shirt and sweats combo— but the Fashionista/o in you calls for more. This Fashionista makes her stylish (yet still comfy) mark that is sure to make a great lasting impression in class. Her colorfully patterned floral crop top is sure to brighten up the classroom in the morning, while her vintage necklaces and arm candy add just the right amount of bling without coming off as overzealous. Her cotton drawstring trousers give this outfit that chic yet comfy touch. Its billowy cotton structure leaves just enough wiggle room to make you feel like you’re still lounging around in bed, but its tapered cuff at the bottom provides a more form-flattering structure. Basically, it’s like the sweatpants’ stylish older cousin. The best part is that after class you can easily transition into nap mode and just kick off your shoes to take a well-deserved nap. Paired with some classic black flats, this Fashionista showed us that you don’t necessarily have to sacrifice style for comfort. Early morning classes don’t have to be a drag if you make it so! Attitude is everything. Your outfit is simply the kickstarter to starting your day positively and, of course, comfortably.

Style note: Is the chilly autumn weather starting to creep up on you? Just cozy up in class in a knit cardigan! If you foresee a rainy walk back home in your near future, simply chuck on a stylish hooded anorak for a more cold-weather appropriate look.

Straight to the point

I am so ecstatic today because I have finally satisfied my craving for some new shoes! I picked up these pointed flats from Steven by Steve Madden the other day and I am completely in love with them (okay minus the fact that they're a little painful to break in) but that's beside the point! No pun intended. I just love the versatility of the combination of black and white. If you've been reading my past posts, you can tell I've been really feeling this monochrome color scheme! I feel like it's a great transitional style for in between seasons! 

I wanted to showcase these lovelies by keeping the outfit within the black and white color range. I kept it simple with some black cuffed trousers from H&M and my white American Apparel crop tank. I added the belt to add some finesse...and to also help keep my pants up because these are technically not meant to be high waisted but rather loose hip huggers! 

My two cents on these shoes are that, for one, they have a great design. The texture of the material is sort of like a fake snakeskin, but the shoe itself is very sturdy. The only thing is that because it's sturdy the front half and also the back strap digs into my foot for now, but I'm crossing my fingers that they will adjust to the shape of my feet in due time! ....and hopefully that due time means soon....but hey, there is that saying "beauty is pain" right? 

Roadtrippin

Knowing that I'll be driving around in a car and sightseeing all day, my first instinct is to reach for my nearest sweatsuit combo. But what about those quick scenic snapshot stops along the way! In this outfit, I went for comfort so I could lounge back during our long car ride yet still keep it stylish for when I want to take a picture at a stop. I'm wearing my Nike skinny yoga pants pulled up a little so they're more high-waisted (and to make my legs look longer)! These bright blue and highlighter yellow Nike free runs are one of the most comfortable shoes I own so they were the perfect footwear to don on this trip. Once again, my favorite style tool, structure, came into play with my white cropped shirt from Topshop. The rolled up sleeves add a rough and tumble edge to this outfit and takes the classic t-shirt+yoga pants combo to the next level. 

I took this photo at the beautiful and breathtaking (not to mention HUGE) Lake Crescent which is located on the Olympic Peninsula. Did I mention I also got to go to Forks, WA and La Push?? Shoutout to all you Twilight fans! #noshame I remember obsessing over the books in middle school! 

It was definitely reminiscent and a truly awesome experience to visit the places which the book's settings are based upon. 

If any of you are thinking about touring the Olympic National Forest, I would definitely recommend you check these amazing sights out for yourself if you love exploring nature and adorable small towns! Just make sure you come prepared with lots of yummy roadtrip snacks and a tank full of gas! 

♡ Katrina

Farewell summer

photo credit: Aaron Yeung
editing: yours truly

As the cool fall breeze starts to seep its way into the summer air, all the shorts and crop tops begin to get tucked away to gather dust in our closet. To savor these last bits of summer left, I put together this outfit to celebrate summer fashion and all the fun, memorable times we all had this summer! This uber-bright multicolor crop top brings fun and color to this outfit as a nod to all the bright colors of summer. My white asymmetrical skort from Choies provides the perfect blank canvas to undertone the brightness of the crop top. Simple pieces with unique structures and cuts are a staple in my wardrobe! Pointed shoes are also another favorite of mine (as seen with my worn-daily Chloé dupe boots #noshame). They just look so chic and give any outfit a twinge of sophistication and elegance! I've actually been wearing lots of monochromatic outfits lately, but I realized that I should enjoy this season while I can (seeing as how the weather here will soon take a sharp turn downward) and wear more summery colors and styles of clothing!

So, friends, savor the end of summer and wear the heck out of those clothes you can only rock now during this time of the year! 

♡ Katrina

Road trip to VanCity

                               

I call this one: "the first clothes I grabbed out of my travel bag"

Kidding! Well, kind of. I woke up early in the morning to drive to Vancouver and ended up getting a little sidetracked along the way with the Tulalip Premium Outlet mall and let me just say--complete bliss! Unfortunately I was with my parents and we were supposed to meet up with some relatives in Canada so I resisted the urge to drop mad money and we continued on our way after only spending a short while there. I actually started out wearing my (all-time favorite) acid wash Brandy Melville muscle tee which I totally abuse and wear multiple times a week. Hey, I can't help it that it's so versatile! Monochromatic clothing has definitely been the style I've been feeling lately. It's just so easy and simple yet classy and chic! But back to the point, I started out with the shirt and my Nike yoga skinny pants because I started the day so early and I just knew I'd be cramped in a car for a long time. Once we were crossed over into Canada, I grabbed out this asymmetrical, steam-clean white Zara skirt (which, believe it or not, my uber-fashionable mama got me) and swapped the Free Runs I was wearing for my (also-abused and worn daily) Chloé dupe booties. I also kept some of my favorite jewelry pieces in my purse so I slapped on a chunky braided silver bracelet and the Tiffany's necklace my boyfriend got me. This is why I love black and white outfit combos! Plain black and white pieces provide enough of a contrast that you don't need fancy accessories and elaborate pieces to look put-together. This is definitely a go-to style for an on-the-go lifestyle! 

Florals mean business

Who said you can't mix florals and business pieces in an outfit? I paired my new long bandage skirt from H&M with this black acid wash muscle tee from Brandy Melville. The business formal of the long black skirt gets a fresh, modern, and sexy upgrade with the mesh stripes revealing some slight leg action. I toned down the formal structure of the skirt even more with the loose, relaxed fit of the Brandy muscle tee. Next, I brought on the floral. For a refreshing splash of color, I added my thrifted floral kimono. The chiffon material was just the perfect coverage for this sunny yet breezy day in Seattle. The flowiness of the kimono topped off this look with just the right amount of a lack of structure. 

I actually created this look for my new internship with CollegeFashionista. We were instructed to take a picture for our Style Guru bio, and I wanted to appear a little more professional yet on my own style terms (since this would be the picture displayed next to my name everywhere on the site). I just love playing around with opposing structures to create multi-toned outfits so this was the perfect outfit to represent my own style and who I am for this new community I'll be giving style advice to. 

Blue Skies☁

Super late post, but I wore this during my birthday celebration weekend when my family and I stayed in SF for the 4th of July. It was an absolutely amazing time and it was so great to spend quality time with my parents since college has kept me from home for so long. We stayed at one of the oldest hotels in the city atop this huge (and scarily steep) hill. The hotel's interior felt so luxurious! I truly felt like royalty for a night during my stay there.

After staying up late watching the fireworks (which were delayed due to the classic SF fog), we made it our mission to hunt down some quality ice cream that next morning. But first! Breakfast. We ate at a cafe near Union Square which had some bomb fresh-squeezed OJ and warm, toasty french toast. 

Back to our hunt for ice cream! We decided to check out Mitchell's in the Mission District on our way home because we heard they had lots of filipino ice cream flavors (and being filipino and prideful of course we had to go try it out). I got the halo-halo flavor which honestly did emulate similar flavors that you would get in halo-halo : ube, coconut, even the jellies! It definitely was a perfect end to a short but sweet trip back home. 

Intro✼

Welcome to my blog! My sweet, humble internet abode for all my creative urges and, well, whatever else comes to mind. And yes, I realize that this blog is a year or so old but I really feel like over the last couple of months I've figured out what exactly I intend to do with it. Seeing as how the limited space in the sidebar doesn't give nearly enough room to properly introduce my blog and everything I put into it, I figured that I should make a formal post about it! 

My name is Katrina and I'm a certified internet addict. I started on Tumblr but realized that Blogspot was a much better medium for putting forth the things I wanted to post (but Tumblr will always be in my teenage heart). In this blog, you can hope to find posts on fashion, skincare, makeup, lifestyle, and, my favorite of all, FOOD! Ootds, deep posts about some things I've learned in life thus far, and reviews on products I've used are just a few samples of some posts which I've already done. Writing is truly a passion of mine, especially writing about the things that I love, and my greatest hope is for my writing to help inspire other people worldwide in any way possible. 

♡ Katrina

Style Profile : Natasha - Summertime Sophistication

Summer style usually tends to consist of casual shorts, skirts, crop tops, and the like, but who says that we have to sacrifice sophistication for comfort? As the summer temperatures start to rise, formal events begin to grow increasingly daunting as the hot weather competes with our need to accessorize and dress up. My good friend Natasha shows us exactly how to solve this dilemma by ditching those bothersome dangling accessories and, instead, utilizing intricate patterns as well as unique structures to polish up her summer outfit.

Her style is simplistic, consisting of a blue patterned peplum top from Zara paired with an ultra-chic asymmetrical white skort and comfy white sandals. The abstract blue pattern on her top adds boldness as the focal point of the outfit. Its black, white, and blue randomized slashes adds movement and complexity to this piece atop her plain, white skort. The high neckline exudes an aura of elegance while the peplum cut helps to accentuate her curves. But what really caught my attention was her trendy skort which really embodies the beauty in simplicity with its layered asymmetrical structure which adds further definition to the unique streamlining in this outfit. The white skort complements the entire composition of the outfit by acting as a blank, white canvas underlining her vivacious peplum top. For all you ladies (or gentlemen) out there looking for inspiration for a comfortable yet polished summer outfit for more dressy summer festivities, give Natasha's style a try!

♡♡ Katrina

SUMMER FASHION ❤

Hey guys! Here's a video I made for you guys for some summer fashion inspiration! Enjoy :)

❤ Katrina

❤Check out my YouTube

❤Lookbook : http://lookbook.nu/katrinaisabelle

❤Tweet me : @ohhhkatrina

❤Instagram : @katrinaisabelle

Movie Review : Maybe This Time (2014)

     Today I had the opportunity to watch my very first Tagalog movie in the movie theater. I've seen a couple Tagalog movies before but never in a theater setting. It was truly a magical moment of getting back to my roots and witnessing the corny yet heartstring-pulling moments we all love and hate in Asian dramas. I won't talk much about the story because it's truly one you should see and experience for yourself. The adorable Sarah Geronimo, the sexy Ruffa Gutierrez, former Miss Philippines, and the studly Coco Martin come together to create an epic love triangle. The story starts out extremely corny and so cliche that it just seems like a Hollywood love story, but then circumstances drive them apart and the story switches up and eases into a more comfortable storyline letting you know love can't be that perfect so easily and simply. The story not only focuses on their love triangle, but also upon family values and friendship as well. The comic relief comes predominantly from Tonio (Coco Martin)'s gay housekeeper who is so flamboyant and witty I couldn't help but break down in laughter every time he spoke. From the minute he met Steph (Sarah Geronimo), he knew she had a thing for Tonio and teased the two of them about it. Steph's friends prove as an added comic relief as well as they naggingly teased her about her past with Tonio. 
     As a huge Sarah Geronimo fan, I'm obviously a little biased but the theme song, "Maybe This Time", is simply amazing. Her true vocal talent is really expressed well in this song and went along perfectly with the movie. The song is entirely in English but regardless of language it is a truly beautiful song. You can listen to it in the video above which is the music video for the song as well. The best part of it was that there were English subtitles for us folk who are not quite so fluent in Tagalog. Overall, I would really recommend this to people of all ages. I loved it, and I watched this with my mom and she loved it as well. If you'd like to watch a Tagalog movie full of cheesy romance, a love triangle, and, of course, tear-jerking scenes, then give 'Maybe This Time' a try!

Review : Skinfood Acai Berry Mask

"A wash-off mask with a delightful jelly-like texture, making it easy to spread all over face. Packed with Vitamin C and antioxidants, Amazon Acai Berry intensely hydrates skin from deep within to combat premature skin aging and its accompanying symptoms. Apply a generous amount of Acai Berry Mask on cleansed skin, leave on for 5 minutes and then rinse off with warm water. Recommended for dry and normal skin types" (Skinfood).

     

Pros : 

• Brightening
• Deep moisturizing
• Leaves skin feeling supple and bouncy
• Shrank my pores
• Quick 5-minute mask
• Exfoliating bits mixed into mask
• Cute packaging
• Evened out my complexion

Cons : 

• ????

Rating : 10/10

I truly love this mask. I couldn't even think of any cons for it because I was so happy with the results. My skin has still been facing the aftereffects of my sleepless finals week, but after using this mask, it left my skin looking smooth and bright and much more awake. My skin has also been facing dry patches and just a general lack of moisture in general which this mask helped to fix as well. The consistency is somewhat of a thicker gel with little exfoliating bits that I wasn't quite expecting because it didn't explicitly describe in the product description. It takes a thorough wash with lukewarm water to really get the mask off but it's truly worth it. I would definitely recommend this to people with sensitive, dry skin who tend to get enlarged pores and skin that loses its brightness very easily. And the best part about it is that it only takes about 5 minutes and then voila!