BACK TO SCHOOL: 10th Grade / Sophomore Year

Schedule:

• First semester: Honors World History, Honors Biology, Honors Pre-Calculus, Orchestra, Chinese 3
• Second semester: AP European History, Honors Humanities, AP Calculus AB, Orchestra, Chinese 3
• Honors World History was linked with AP European History (it was essentially just APEH the entire year, it just went under a different name on my transcript; this goes for the classes below too)
• Honors Biology was linked with AP Biology (but I dropped AP Biology so I could stay in Orchestra)
• Honors Pre-Calculus was linked with AP Calculus AB
• Total APs: 2.5

Test Scores:

• PSAT = ~170? (I think? It was definitely not a good score.)
• AP Calculus AB = 5
• AP European History = 4

Tips to doing well academically:

1. Talk to your counselor about your future classes and college plans. You might not want to talk to your parents about your future plans, but try to keep them updated (even if it seems irrelevant to them or they don't agree with you or you know they'll forget anyway). Chances are, they'll actually appreciate it.
2. Sophomore year grades are pretty darn important! Work hard to maintain a high grade point average. Don't rely on a weighted GPA--try to get A's in AP classes too!
3. Take at least one AP class (or self-study). TAKE THE AP TEST!!!!!!!! It's a waste to take an AP class and not take the test as well.
4. Make sure you're taking at least one English, one science and one math class.
5. Plan to take the PSAT this year for practice. Try to practice a bit beforehand (google sites or check out some prepbooks).
6. Attend college fairs and visit local colleges.
7. Update your personal files: report cards, honors, certificates, employment.
8. Continue volunteering! Since you'll probably be more busy junior year than sophomore year, take advantage of this easier year and do more extracurricular activities.
9. Try to achieve leadership positions in your clubs, or at least remain as an active member. You want to show people (colleges) that you're committed to everything you do.

Tips to doing well socially:

• Maintain your friendships, and make some more in your new classes! There may be drama, but try to stay out of it. Definitely don't cause any unnecessary drama!
• Slowly start upgrading your wardrobe; this is a great time to figure out what kind of style suits you best.
• I'd stay natural with the makeup. Instead, focus on keeping a clear, acne-free face.
• Now that you probably know the guys at your school better, sophomore year is a pretty good time to start dating. Not that you have to or need to, but if there's a guy you really like... ;) Just don't let it affect your social and academic life!
• This is a little off-topic, but STAY HEALTHY!! I didn't have anymore PE classes after freshman year, so I gained weight (grrr, stress and snacking) and became really unhealthy. :(
• Work out and make sure you eat healthy foods! You need to take care of both your mind and your body.
• Try to get enough sleep. There's a Chinese legend about how one empress was very busy, so she only slept from 11PM to 4AM everyday. Even with only 5 hours of sleep, she was still very energetic and well-rested. Try to sleep by 11PM. If you're not finished with your homework, wake up early to finish it!

Sophomore year was a lot harder than freshman year for me. I went from doing hardly any homework to studying until 11 for AP Bio tests! :'( At the same time, sophomore year also had more interesting classes for me. I learned so much in both Honors Humanities and AP European History! Both classes really opened my eyes. This year really helped me realize that I'm definitely a humanities person.

Do you have any tips for high school sophomores? :) Let us know!

xo Lucy

Be sure to check out our joint twitter (http://www.twitter.com/neonrouge37) and YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/neonrouge37)!

OOTD: First Day of School

Hey everyone! I started school this week on Wednesday 24th and filmed this on that day, but I didn't have time to edit and upload.... better late than never though! You can watch the video here:

Thanks for watching!

X♥ Lisa

Be sure to check out our joint twitter (http://www.twitter.com/neonrouge37) and YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/neonrouge37)!

Back to School: Heatless Waves

Hey everyone! This is my first hair tutorial! I don't curl or straighten my hair because I don't want to damage my hair. So I came up with an easy way to have wavy hair without use heat! This hair style is easy to do & it's great for back to school! You can watch the video here: 

Step by Step Instructions:
1. Start off with damp hair.
2. Comb or brush through it so there aren't any tangles.
3. Put it into a high ponytail. (On top of your head)
4. Fishtail Braid your ponytail.
5. If you don't know how to fishtail braid, Split your ponytail in half.
6. Take 1 section of hair from the left side. Move it to the right.
7. Then take 1 section of hair from the right side. Move it to the left.
8. Keep doing this until you are at the bottom, secure with a hair tie.

9. Put your braid into a bun. & Go to sleep!
Next Day
10. Unravel your hair
11. Your hair will have a lot of volume but it'll go down in 10 minutes.
12. Scrunch & fix your hair.
13. OPTIONAL: Use hairspray or clay. I'm using Got 2b Sculpting Paste.
14. Scrunch your hair some more.
15. You're done!

I hope you try this hairstyle out! And if you do, send us pictures @neonrouge37 on twitter or email us at neonrouge37@gmail.com !

 xx Lisa

Be sure to check out our joint twitter (http://www.twitter.com/neonrouge37) and YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/neonrouge37)!

BACK TO SCHOOL: 9th Grade / Freshman Year

My own schedule:

• First semester: ENS 3-4 (A/A), Honors English (A/A), Geometry (A/A), Orchestra (A/A), Chinese 2 (A/A)
• Second semester: Algebra 3-4 (A/A), ENS 1-2 (A/A), Internet Publishing (A/A), Orchestra (A/A), Chinese 2 (A/A)
• ENS = PE
• 1-2 = Level 1; 3-4 = Level 2; so on.

Tips to doing well academically:

• Maintain a "B" or better grade point average. (No APs, keep A-average)
• Form study groups and make friends with people who also plan to go to college.
• Attend a college fair. Start gathering information and getting an idea of what kind of college you want to go to.
• Start volunteering.
• Join clubs! It's a time for you to explore. You don't have to stay in them, join a lot and them choose the ones you like the best.
• Stay on track with homework assignments by writing in a planner. Keep all your work together/find a way to organize things so you don't lose your work and end up turning it in late.
• Create a personal file: report cards, certificates, honors, employment.
• Have fun, try new things but don't slack off! :) You want to make good habits now.

Tips to doing well socially:

• Be yourself. You will find other people who like you for you.
• Make friends in the grades above you because they can help you.
• Make friends in your clubs/workplaces/band+orchestra/sports teams/etc.
• Don't go too heavy with makeup! Your max should be: mascara, brown eyeliner and chapstick or lipgloss.
• Dress in what makes you feel most comfortable and confident. :)
• Be nice to everyone. Try not to get a boyfriend freshman year because you should focus more on making friends and getting adjusted to high school.

Freshman year was one of my favorite years (if not, my favorite) of high school. Don't waste it because you'll find the years passing by faster and faster.

Do you have any tips for high school froshies? :) Let us know!

xo Lucy

Be sure to check out our joint twitter (http://www.twitter.com/neonrouge37) and YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/neonrouge37)!

SNSD's "Bad Girl" Makeup Tutorial

Here's the makeup tutorial:

Here's the music video:

Click to see pictures!

Collective Haul

Hey everyone! We went shopping the past week and we wanted to share what we got! So this is a collective haul. You can watch the video here: 

Lisa's Haul :

• Black Converses (Size 8 in Women) - All Star Converse - $45
• Pocket Bac Hand Sanitizer in Sweet Pea  - Bath & Body Works- $1
• Turquoise nail polish - From a friend :)
• White Plain Cami - Forever21 - $3
• Multi Color Floral Shirt - Forever21 - $12
• Medium Washed Demin Shorts - Macy's - $7
• 2 Ear buds - 1 Apple, 1 is Unknown brand - From a friend/ was sent for free

Lucy's Haul :

• Blue Polka Dotted Headband - Claire's - $1
• In-Sole Pads - Forever21 - $3
• Denim Vest - From a friend
• Black Outerwear - From a friend
• Plaid Coat - The Closet - $37
• Teen Vogue & Seventeen - Subscription

I hope you enjoyed our collective haul! Tell us what your favorite item was!

 xx Lisa

Be sure to check out our joint twitter (http://www.twitter.com/neonrouge37) and YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/neonrouge37)!

Nail of the Day: Zoya Charla

Hey everyone! This is my first nail of the day post, but there'll be more to come soon!

Today's Nail of the Day is Charla by Zoya. This nail color is really pretty, and even though it looks turquoise, there are green reflects. It's super sparkly and when I remove it, there's sparkle residue left on my nail that I can't really remove with nail polish remover.

I used two coats of this polish and I took these pictures using natural lighting.

Close-up

Green reflects

Far-away

So do you like this nail polish? What's your favorite from Zoya?

✿ Lisa

Be sure to check out our joint twitter (http://www.twitter.com/neonrouge37) and YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/neonrouge37)!

Outfits of the Week #3

So here's the outfits I wore this week from Monday (08-08) to Sunday (08-14):

Monday: After School Blue Lizzy's Outfit

• light blue lace top - China
• wide brown zipper belt - Forever21
• blue denim shorts - Target
• brown glasses - Forever21

Tuesday: After School Red Inspired Outfit

• brown crossmark belt - Target
• blue denim shorts - Target
• mint tribal top - Forever21

Wednesday: Classy Stripes

• black and gold belt - Forever21
• black and white striped dress - China
• LOVE ring - gift from friend from China
• stone ring - Forever21

Thursday: '80s Floral

• blue denim shorts - Target
• white v-neck shirt - Target
• vintage floral top - Mom

Friday: Country Girl

• tan cargo shorts - Forever21
• brown braided belt - Forever21
• fox tail - gift from friend from H&M in China
• blue denim vest - gift from friend from Forever21

Saturday: Bunny Girl

• black t-shirt lace dress
• navy usamimi headband - DIY
• mint usamimi ring - gift from friend from China

Sunday: Class Party Outfit

• black bow belt - China
• black and blue dress - Ross
• red rose cocktail ring - Forever21

Which outfits were your favorite? Want to learn any of the DIYs? :) Let me know in your comments on the video!

xo Lucy

Be sure to check out our joint twitter (http://www.twitter.com/neonrouge37) and YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/neonrouge37)!

Tip Tuesday #4

Hey everyone!

Its Tip Tuesday again! Sorry for not making one last week! This week I have 6 tips to share with you!(: Hope you enjoy this video ♥ You can watch it here: 

Tip #1 - Ugh! You see a red blemish on your face right when you wake up in the morning.  Use redness reliever eye drops on blemishes to remove or reduce redness.
Tip #2 - Don't have any blotting papers? Use toilet seat covers to blot your face.
Tip #3 - Can't ever take off your waterproof mascara and end up having raccoon eyes? Put on a coat of regular mascara before your waterproof mascara for an easy remove.
Tip #4 - Did you run out of eyeshadow? Use blush or bronzer as eyeshadow for a soft glow of color.
Tip #5 - Lost your liquid eyeliner? Take an eyeliner brush and use mascara as your eyeliner.
Tip #6 - Don't have time to put on moisturizer? Fill a small spritz bottle with water and spray your face throughout the day to hydrate it.

So did you learn anything? Hope you try these tips out!

Thanks for watching!

✿ Lisa

Be sure to check out our joint twitter (http://www.twitter.com/neonrouge37) and YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/neonrouge37)!

DIY Cute Fleece Laptop Case

I got a free fleece blanket when I attended KMF LA 2011, so I decided I'd make something useful out of it. Here's the result, a cute fleece laptop case! :)

Hope you guys enjoy! Leave us comments and suggestions below.

xo Lucy

You can watch the video here:

Sweet Tooth?

Are you craving for something sweet but low in calories? Well here's a solution! Banana Ice Cream!

All you need for this recipe is 1 or 2 Bananas!

Step by step instructions! 

1. Pick a 2 ripe bananas.

2. Peel and cut them into small pieces.

3. Put them onto a plate or in a bowl.

4. Place bananas in the freezer for 2 to 3 hours

5. Freeze them until they are solid/hard.

6. Put them in a blender or a food processor.

7. Blend, Blend. Blend! It'll look really chunky at first.

8. Keep blending until you have a creamy consistency. The bananas will get stuck a lot so keep scraping the sides. 

9. Once all creamy and smooth, you can add peanut butter or honey. 

I hope you'll try this recipe out! And when you do, let me know how it is! :)
xo Lisa

Disclaimer: I did not take these pictures and I do not own them.

500 subscribers - THANK YOU!

We would like to THANK YOU so much for helping us reach 500 subscribers!

Both of us had been so excited to simply gain 10 subscribers, so for that number to grow to 500... it's simply mind-blowing. We love making videos (we talk about it all the time!), and it makes us really happy to be able to help others with our videos.

The people on YouTube have been so kind to us. We are super lucky to have followers and subscribers like you!

We hope that you'll continue to show us your love and support as our channel grows. ^^

Please leave us any requests or questions that you have! :)

Thank you all! We love you!

xoxo Lucy and Lisa

P.S. We were mentioned in a shout-out video by dancincayooty. Check it out here!

Be sure to check out our joint twitter (http://www.twitter.com/neonrouge37) and YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/neonrouge37)!

DIY Facial for Redness and Sunburns

We made this video a while ago (a few days after Harry Potter 07/15 came out, we think) but we hope you like it! :)

This facial is great for redness, acne, dry skin, and SUNBURNS!! Watch the video for instructions:

Ingredients:

1. Honey

 2. Oatmeal

 3. Soy milk

As with any facial, don't forget to use moisturizer afterwards! Try this out and let us know how it worked for you. :)

Hope you guys enjoy! Leave us comments and suggestions below.

xo Lucy

Be sure to check out our joint twitter (http://www.twitter.com/neonrouge37) and YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/neonrouge37)!

My Skin Log 1

Song Hyekyo from her Laneige campaign

Hi everyone! I will try to make a new skin log every week or so to let you guys know how I'm doing. :)


So I recently visited the dermatologist to get my skin checked. I've had moderate facial acne problems since I was 11 (I'm 18 now!) but I thought I had finally outgrown them when they (mostly) disappeared a few months ago. Unfortunately, they came back! :(


The funny thing is is that I've had oily skin since forever. But around May of my junior year (16), my skin became really dry and flaky. It was terrible, I still have that problem even now. :( Senior year, my skin went through some crazy changes. I would have red splotches that sometimes itched like crazy, gross flaky skin which led to skin discoloration, cystic acne (okay, I'll admit it, I ditched school once because of this), etc. It definitely wasn't all at the same time, but I don't recall my skin ever being completely smooth.


It's really embarrassing for me to write all of this out, but I want to keep a log of my new routine (prescribed by dermatologist) in case it works (/fingers crossed!). My skin problems were never that discouraging, but I have shed quite a few tears over it. I remember visiting a friend's house once and clipping back my bangs, showing my forehead. My acne was actually "under control" at the time(I thought so, anyway) but she suggested that she'd look in a magazine for tips to help my skin. A nice gesture, but I went home and cried about it afterwards. At least no one's ever made fun of me for it in front of my face?


Type of acne/skin problems:
I get acne on my forehead and temples (little bumps and whiteheads), sometimes a whitehead or cyst on my nose, and sometimes a few small bumps above/below my mouth. I never/hardly get pimples on my cheeks or chin. The majority of it happens on my forehead and temple. Lots and lots and lots of dryness and flaking. Sometimes my skin gets ridiculously red, especially under my eyes/cheeks. My skin is super sensitive to the sun, too.


Bad skin-causing habits that I'm going to change:
- my BANGS (side bangs that sweep to the left, where there are more pimples than the right)
- TOUCHING MY FACE (I can't help it! This is so bad!)
- Staying up late and not getting enough sleep (I'm an early riser but my high school habits prevents me from sleeping earlier than 11PM)
- Not drinking enough water
- Eating spicy, salty, sweet foods. I have a love-hate relationship with junk food.
- Forgetting to apply sunscreen (I try not to!)
- Using dirty makeup brushes (My daily makeup look doesn't require brushes, but I definitely don't wash them often enough!)
- Taking hot, long showers (I've worked on this and my showers aren't as hot/long anymore! Gonna work my way to warm/lukewarm eventually.)
- Not washing my face right after a work out (I work out almost daily so this is really important.)
- Giving up on treatments (I am an impatient person.)

Regimen:
Benzaclin - AM

Atralin - PM
Wash face with water before applying medication. Moisturize with Cetaphil after applying medication all over the face.
I should see good results after 1-2 months (thank god I have summer break until 08/20). Dermatologist warns me that my skin will be extra crappy from purging for a monthish though. Great.

First week (No pictures, sorry! I'm way too embarrassed for that.):
Day 1 (07/28): Saw the dermatologist today so I'll just be applying Atralin at night. Doesn't feel too bad. I just have pimples on my forehead and temples right now.
Day 2 (07/29): I don't see a difference. Applied Benzaclin. It kind of stings the acne, but that's good, right? I'm a firm believer in "No pain, no gain." It's weird, but I accidentally brushed my face and the gel/moisturizer rubbed off on my fingers. Except it's a dirty gray. Ewwwwwww, is this my skin purging? Put on Atralin at night, acne looks... angry.
Day 3 (07/30): My face always looks nicer in the morning. Acne hasn't changed much, maybe it's a bit smaller? I have two pimples below my lip though. Applied the Benzaclin. IT STINGS AND BURNS SO BAD ALL OVER HELP ME. Moisturizer does nothing to soothe it. Looked online, people say you're supposed to use only a TEENYYY bit. Whoops. Also, rubbed off a bit more of it to see if I was right. It's a dirty yellow now! It really must by my skin purging. By the time I put on Atralin at night (which stings a bit less), my face looks/feels like it's been sunburned. And it's swollen. I was really sad about today because I was supposed to go to a SD Berekley party and got invited by a friend to sleepover, but I had to give up both because of my scary looking face.
Day 4 (07/31): Skin stings and feels a bit stiff/swollen, but much better than yesterday. The pimples at my temples are gone! The ones below my mouth are almost gone too. The smaller bumps on my forehead seemed to have disappeared too, but the larger ones are getting larger. I think this is a good thing. :D Used only a teeny, teeny, teeny bit of Benzaclin this time and skipped my cheeks area (hurts sooooo bad there) because I never get acne there anyway. Tried rubbing off some gel, but I can't! Hope this means my skin has gotten rid of all the dirtiest top layer stuff. :) At night, the bumps seem to have been reduced to just one red bump below my mouth, a few tiny ones on my nose, and a small cluster of pimples on my forehead. There's just one big whitehead in the cluster. (lol it grosses me out just to type this; at least it's not pictures!) I also realized that the two dark moles on my forehead have faded to a light brown. Dang, this is potent stuff.
Day 5 (08/01): No more bumps on my nose! I'm experiencing skin discoloration around my mouth, cheeks and forehead, which kind of bothers me. I did the same thing as yesterday and only applied a teeny bit. The sting is much more bearable now (it actually goes away after two hours), but applying moisturizer brings back the pain (ironically). Skin is really flaking around the mouth and eyebrows, but moisturizer keeps it at bay. I actually went to the mall/friend's house for a good 7 hours! :) Experienced a bit of flaking and oily skin, but nothing moisturizer and blotting sheets don't fix. Even the pimples on my forehead aren't too terrible to look at (my bangs cover most of them anyway). I am pleasantly pleased by my skin's progress. There's not too much change by the time I apply Atralin at night.
Day 6 (08/02): I just counted the number of bumps I have left on my forehead! About four very small bumps! They're so small that if there were just one, it wouldn't be noticeable at all. The whitehead from before is completely gone! I am ridiculously pleased because I plan to be holding a closet sale with my friend tomorrow as well as attend a beach party (can't forget the sunscreen!!). I didn't want my skin to prevent me from going to these things. :') I'm so happy! The bump below my mouth is just a red mark now. Stinging was the same as yesterday (I wonder if it's going to sting forever? It's really unpleasant.) By night, there are a total of nine significant bumps/whiteheads. Despite my skin worsening, I feel a lot better about it. Everything's getting purged!
Day 7 (08/03): Applying Benzaclin doesn't hurt my skin anymore. There's around four small bumps left (note, my skin always looks better in the morning). Thank goodness there's nothing too hideous because I'll out a lot today. Even though my skin's supposed to be extra sensitive to the sun, it didn't freak out today thanks to constantly applying sunscreen. :) I have no more pimples on my nose or mouth area! Whoohoo!


I AM SO PLEASED! :) I'll be continuing my skin logs for all of you so that you can "see" the progress I make. Maybe I should take pictures/make a video? Let me know what you think! :) What do you want me to talk about in my next skin log?


xo Lucy