If I had to donate my entire makeup collection, these are the two things I would keep!

Long time no see gals and guys! I need not get into how "the hustle and bustle of everyday life kept me away" or "I was a bit overwhelmed with school, work and planning a wedding"..but I will focus on the fact that I have missed my keyboard and the freedom of expression that comes along with being a blogger =D

I have been wanting to do a beauty post for a while now but I honestly haven't been purchasing many beauty items since I am saving for my wedding (hey, every penny counts!) and aside from a great mascara I switched to and an occasional new lip product, nothing really blog worthy has fallen into my hands. That all changed around the Holidays!

It is safe to say, if you read the title of this post, then you know to what high regard I hold these next two products I am about to show you. These are the kinds of finds that make me shout from the rooftops! (ok maybe we shouldn't take it that far lol) In the past month, I have used these each and every day and they are essentially all I would ever need if they were to never run out :)

Drumroll::::::::::

1. The Guy Bourdin for NARS Holiday Collection Cheek Palette

 

• Included are a bronzer in Laguna, highlighter in Devotee, Blushes in Orgasm, Deep Throat, Mistinguette, and Goulue. 
• The Bronzer is a little light for medium complexions like myself, BUT I make it work by layering and it is pretty awesome. 
• There is a shade of peachy pink for everyone--my favorites happen to be Goulue which is the deep pink and Deep Throat which is described as a "flirty sheer peach"
• For old time NARS "devotee's", they also included their best seller, Orgasm which I have in regular compact form as well. 
• After doing the math..you know what, let's just break it down here: 
• A Full size blush contains 0.16 oz. or 4.8 g's of product and run around $29.00. 
• Each of the blushes in this palette contain 0.14 oz or 4 grams of product and with a total palette cost of $65.00, that means that we are pretty much getting 6 near full size products for only $10.83 each !!!!!!!! After doing the math, I was able to justify the price, heck $65 is a lot to spend in one place on cosmetics. 
• The convenience of being able to grab this and go is awesome too....minus the fact that it has the typical NARS packaging and it gets dirty very easily..NARS, switch  it up please :) 

2. The Lorac Pro Palette

• 8 Matte Shades, 8 Shimmer Shades...does anything else really need to be explained? haha
• There are colors that will give you that sexy smokey eye and also colors that you can wear for a fresh face look---I love them all! 
• "Taupe" is the perfect crease blending color for me and "Cream" is what I have been using as my browbone highlight with "Nude" as a nice inner corner shimmer highlight. 
• The only drawback I see is that "White" can come off a little chalky but honestly I have yet to come across a true white shadow that isn't chalky. 
• This goes for around $42 and comes with a mini eye primer as well--excellent deal as I, dare I say it....prefer this over my NAKED 1 palette which was my HG for a while! 

My final thoughts on these babies are this: I am sorry that the cheek palette is a holiday item as I don't think you can get it online anymore--I have definitely seen some still in Sephora stores though so if you're interested, be sure to go check it out. I truly could give away my entire makeup collection (which is mighty hefty these days) and only use these two palettes and a lip product and mascara for a complete look. You can use the black shadow as an eyeliner!

Lorac Pro Palette  Guy Bourdin for NARS Cheek palette Reviews

Happy New Year Friends, wishing you health, prosperity, happiness and love :)

Grab these babies now or be sorry later,

xox

Valentine's Day Outfit Ideas!

There are only two weeks left until Valentine's Day.  For those of my readers who aren't in the US or maybe don't celebrate when we do here, it is on the 14th of February.  Valentine's day has a whole lot of different meanings to different people. For some, like myself, it means spending some extra quality time with your significant other and doing something special for him or her.  I, for one, have cooked my boyfriend a special dinner every Valentine's Day that we have been together.  For others, it can be hanging with loved ones (friends, family etc) and just having a good time celebrating love itself.  Either way, this day can be really fun...if you are open to branching out and thinking outside the box :)

Some cool things to do for V-day that are inexpensive and fun are:

1. Stay in and make a homemade dinner (this is my fav!)
2. Have a picnic in the park with all kinds of special treats (wish I lived in warmer weather!)
3. Re-create the night of your first date...how friggin cute. 
4. Grab a romantic movie, light a candle and enjoy!
5. Have some girlfriends over for drinks. 

Those are just some of the things I could think of off of the top of my head...there are SO many different ways to partake in the Valentine's Day celebrations though---it doesn't have to be something grand, just something memorable :)

Here are some outfits that I threw together that I thought would assist any of my readers that were struggling with ideas as to what to wear on this day to be festive but remain put together looking. Here is what I came up with:

I always like to wear something either red or pink on this day--even if it is just a red lip or a red heart clutch----I died when I saw this! How awesome! hahaha

Anything you decide to wear I am sure you will look fabulous. Remember looking your best starts with how you feel on the inside--THAT is what exudes confidence ;)

I LOVE you all,

xox

My Holiday Outfits!

The mister is working this year for New Years so I may not really do anything as grand as I have previous years.  Therefore, I am posting this annual post of mine a bit early because it may just end up including these two holidays--if by chance I do end up doing something absolutely spectacular, I will just do a separate post on that ;) Here we go:


Christmas Eve:

Dress: Zara

Stockings: Urban Outfitters (LOVE these!! Had them for a few years and wear them all the time!)

Black Cone Heel Suede Boots: Urban Outfitters

Pink Rhinestone Bow Ring: Vendor at IMATS

Shamballa Bracelets: Gifted from boyfriends Mother

Christmas Day:

Pants: Forever 21

Shoes: Nine West Melitta

Bangles: Forever 21

Blazer: Express

White Tank: Target

Necklace: Macy*s

I didn't really have time to shop for new holiday ensembles this year and I was forced to rummage through my closet for both occasions and I am glad I was! I used things I already and and whipped up two totally new outfits :) Sometimes you just have to look at what you have and pair things together in a new way for a completely new outfit. 

Hope you all enjoyed your holidays!

xox

My Fashions of the Holidays: New Years, Xmas Eve and Xmas Day!

Although I didn't take pics for the sole purpose of OOTD's, I do have pretty decent pictures that show what I was wearing on these three Holidays so I decided to share with you all my three looks :) Some are more fancy, one very vintage classic and another super casual, my sense of fashion is SUPER versatile! Enjoy.

Christmas Eve:

Hymm..I guess I was really focused on something haha

Dress: Express $79.90 Can be found here: http://www.express.com/ruffle-front-dress-43101-22/index.pro

Jewelry: Necklace and Bracelet are some Fresh Water Pearls I was given by my Grandmother YEARS ago :) My earrings were simple diamond studs.

Black Opaque Stockings/Tights: Express $22.90 Can be found here: http://www.express.com/body-shaping-full-tights-1856-39/index.pro

Nail Polish: Essie "Size Does Matter"--A nice Holiday Red :)

Shoes (although unseen here): Plain Steve Madden black pumps that I bought like 4 years ago!

Makeup: LA Splash Eyeshadow Cream Color Base in Highlight with UD Sin all over my lid and some MAC Soft brown blended in the crease, L'Oreal Liquid Lineur Intense Carbon Black winged out liner, MAC Refined Golden Bronzer, L'Oreal Millions of Lashes Mascara, Neutrogena Moisture Shine Lipstick in Poppy Red with NYX in Hot Red as a base :) ---I tried to keep this look minimal because I was going for a vintage look a la Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe Times. The only really stand out color on my whole face was in my lips!

Hair: Side swept bangs and curled with my Conair infiniti curling wand :) I have a review of that already posted so search for it!

Christmas Day: 

Christmas day, since we travel rather far to visit my aunt (almost 2 hours away!), I decided to keep my attire rather casual.  I have tried the whole get decked out thing and it is NOT comfy while you're driving home at 11pm trying to catch a wink of sleep while your boyfriend does all the driving ;) haha

Blazer: Forever 21 in Navy --Not listed on their website anymore, but it came in black and gray as well and was around $24.80??

Jeans: My favorite jeans ever from Banana Republic.  I purchased these years ago as well and can't find them online anywhere.  They are in the petite section of the store, that is all I can recall.  They are fairly priced as well!

White Tank: Simple white tank from Target.  I have about 5 of these tanks in JUST WHITE, that's how much I adore them.  They are seriously the perfect white tank, and they come in other colors as well which I own, I just think a staple white tank is always necessary to have around.  You can view this online here:  http://www.target.com/p/Mossimo-Womens-Microrib-Tank-Core-Colors/-/A-13718928

Necklace (although you can't see it really): A friendship necklace given to me as a Maid of Honor Gift :)

Watch: Michael Kors Rose Gold Watch, can be found at Macy*s here: http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/michael-kors-watch-womens-chronograph-rose-gold-tone-stainless-steel-bracelet-32mm-mk5223?ID=452683&CategoryID=57374

Earrings: Simple Diamond Studs

Boots: Steve Madden Cowboy boots from years ago as well.  Can't for the life of me find these online anywhere either just to even show you all a better pic lol oh well, you get the gist here.

Makeup: L.A. Splash Cream Eyeshadow Base in Smoky (LOVE THESE!! Review to come soon) UD Gunmetal all over the lid, blended out with MAC Soft Brown or UD Smog, hymm I don't remember what exactly I did that day lol, L'Oreal Lineur Intense Carbon Black Liquid Eyeliner, L'Oreal Millions of Lashes mascara, MAC Melba Blush, NYX Lipliner in Pale Pink, MAC Blankety lipstick on top and then topped off with NYX Megashine Lipgloss in Gold Pink.


New Years Eve:

Jumpsuit: H&M a few seasons ago.

Belt: MY FAVORITE belt EVER!! My goodness I cannot express how much I love this belt.  It is the exact belt that Sarah Jessica Parker wore in the  Sex & the City 1 movie! I fell in love with it, I mean she wore it in almost every scene haha This belt was designed by the one and only Patricia Field, Love love love her as well.  She has such a funky edge to her! Needless to say, I sprung for this belt which was $120!! (Hey a girl's gotta do that a girl's gotta do!) They don't even sell this belt anymore on the website, but no worries, The Budget Babe did a post on a look for less which features an alternative cheaper belt here:  http://www.thebudgetbabe.com/archives/672-Look-for-Less-Carries-Studded-Belt.html#.TwW-yPkUO70

Jewelry: Evil Eye Bracelet (I am obsessed with these, c'mon you guys know this already) and some white gold Bangles.  I am also wearing some chandelier earrings I purchased from Macy*s for a wedding I was in over the summer.

Shoes: Nine West Mellitta (I DIE for these shoes!)

They run around $100 and can be purchased here: http://www.ninewest.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-ninewest-Site/default/Search-Show?q=mellitta

Hair: Triple Waved my hair with my new Revlon Jumbo Waver! I love this new gadget :) $ 24.00 Can be found here: http://www.target.com/p/Revlon-Jumbo-Ceramic-Waver-Black/-/A-13208687

Makeup: UD Sin all over the lid with MAC Painterly Paint Pot as a base.  Blended some UD Buck in Crease just to soften the look, UDhaha I actually really liked it though :) Also wearing winged out eyeliner with my L'Oreal Lineur Intense Carbon Black and my L'Oreal Mascara.  MAC Melba Blush and a little NYC SUNNY Bronzer to warm up my face.  Lips I have on UD Lip Liner in Naked with some Blankety on top and the same NYX gloss in Gold Pink.

Wheewwww that took forever to put together! I never realized how much goes into Holiday looks ;)

What did you all wear for the Holidays? If you did posts on the looks, please link them below!

Wishing you all warmth and happiness,

xox

Holiday Series: A Little Something for Those Unexpected Guests Around the Holidays!

Let's be honest here, if you are hosting any parties or dinners this Holiday season, you know that there are going to be a few people that show up that you didn't account for! This isn't necessarily a negative thing, it could even be a boyfriend/girlfriend of a cousin or niece or nephew who you just didn't think of at the moment. Well, as a good host should, you should have a few of these ridiculously easy to create, gifts on hand for those "HI!, nice to meet you (oh my goodness I have nothing for them) moments".

What you will need:

*Festive Mug (I found mine at the dollar store, and they had tons of different varieties!)
*Candy Canes (plain peppermint full sized ones work best for this because you can swirl them in the hot cocoa and make it a peppermint hot cocoa :)
*Hot cocoa (I got the one without marshmallows in case you end up giving this to a non-marshmallow lover.)
*Mini Marshmallows
*Tissue paper (the same kind you use when wrapping gifts etc.)
*Ziploc Snack bags (make sure they are the ones with the Ziploc seal!)
*Optional but cute- Ribbon or a bow

Let's get started:

1. Wash out your mug thoroughly, maybe just because I am kind of a germ freak, but I think gifting a cleaned mug is always better, even if it is brand new haha

2. Place some tissue in the bottom of the mug as pictured above, this assures that the candy canes etc have enough room to peak out of the mug and look all "purrttty". :)

3. Grab two bags of hot cocoa and place them in the cup together and curved a little (you will see what I mean in the end picture) toward the back of the mug.

4. Place a handful or so of the mini marshmallows into your snack bag and be sure to squeeze out all air and seal tightly.  place this in front of the hot cocoa packets and tuck any of the visible Ziploc seals down, this just makes it look aesthetically better.

5. Take two of the candy canes and place them on opposite sides of the mug and face them outward :)

**An optional step would be to add some fancy ribbon tied around the mug, I didn't have any more ribbon on hand because I used it for my decor already so I just used a gift bow and it looks very pretty.
**You can also include a little note card that states how to make a peppermint hot cocoa (pretty much saying you can swirl the candy cane around when its hot and the candy cane will melt and make your hot cocoa nice and minty.

Final Product:

I made three of these because I refuse to be stuck feeling bad when someone unexpected shows up. I love to encourage people to come over because I honestly love hosting and making little things like this, it shows time and effort and who doesn't like hot cocoa?!

Hot Cocoa Box: $1.99
Marshmallow Bag: $1.00
Festive Mug: $1.00
Ziploc Bags $0.00---Already had these lying around!
Gift Bow: $1.00 for entire bag!
Candy Canes: $1.00
____________________

TOTAL: $5.99!! --and I made THREE!

I even had enough of everything to make at least three more! Now, that's what I like to call a bargain, quick delicious gift :)

Pouring myself some hot cocoa as we speak,

xox

Holiday Series: SUPER Easy Treat to Bring to Holiday Dinner's/Parties!

Although many company parties have passed, my family and a lot of others get together for Christmas Eve.  Whether it be for a more formal party or just spending quality time with one another and sharing a warm meal, I know I always feel obligated to bring something, even if I'm not asked to.  Below is something you have probably all eaten at one point or another and I know I am not the only one who has posted about this, but this was my journey so come along if you wish :)

Peppermint Bark requires NO baking and you can even do it with children, which is another thing I absolutely love.  It pleases a lot of different people because its not too overpowering and has something most (minus myself!) love, chocolate.

Here's the super simple "recipe" I used---way too easy for me to even think of this as a recipe haha:

Things you will need:

*Parchment Paper
*Small Baking Pan (or large if you're going for a larger amount)
*2 16 oz. packages of chocolate morsels--NEVER bake with chocolate you wouldn't eat alone (good quality chocolate)--it just comes out bad. For this you can mix white and milk chocolate or do all of one etc. Totally up to you! This amount makes enough for a small baking pan. Adjust accordingly
*Peppermint Candy Canes or Candies
*optional*--Cute Treat Tin

Directions:

1. Line your baking tin with parchment paper, this makes it so easy to get the chocolate out after it's done.

2. Melt your chocolate in the microwave. I did one minute, stirred it and then did one final minute and it was perfect! You want to melt them separately.

3. In the meantime, grab a food storage bag/plastic bag and put about two handfuls of the peppermint candy inside. Place this bag on top of a cutting board and begin banging away. I used my rolling pin and it worked wonders. WARNING: The bag can tear a little if you go "Incredible Hulk" on it so beware and if you feel like you want to be extra safe, double bag them :)

 

4. After the chocolate for the first layer is smoothly melted, spread it around the bottom of the pan with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.  Try to get as even a layer as possible and smooth it down really well. Place this in your refrigerator for about 20 mins or until nice and hardened. --While you are waiting for this, go ahead and melt your white chocolate morsels :)

5. Spread the white chocolate in the same exact manner, right on top of the hardened milk chocolate.  Do this quickly because the cold from the milk chocolate will make the white chocolate harden pretty quickly.  The reason we want to work quickly is because we want to sprinkle our peppermint crumbles on and have them stick and set in the mixture before it hardens! (As you can see some of the peppermint pieces are bigger than others and some just look like peppermint dust, this is because some people prefer a nice chunk of peppermint and some like just a hint--this way you please everyone!)

6. Grab your decorative holiday tin and line the bottom with tissue paper.  On top of the tissue paper (just on the bottom layer) line that with a rectangle of parchment paper.  (this makes sure you don't have tissue paper directly on your food product.)

7. When your Peppermint Bark has completely hardened in the refrigerator (about another 25 mins to be safe) remove them from the pan and cut into little rectangles or squares, whatever you want. Nicely place them in your tissue lined tin and place another piece of parchment paper over the top before folding the tissue paper over to close.

8. Tape two candy canes on top and slap a bow on and you're set to go! This makes a great gift, is SO inexpensive to make and literally can be done without ever turning on your oven, does it get any better than that? Not to mention that I am not even a chocolate lover, but this my dears is delicious! I will be making this for a holiday party I am attending this weekend, and I can't wait to see how everyone likes it!

To stress-free & yummy Holiday treats,

xox

My Experience Cutting Down My Own Christmas Tree!

I have always wanted to cut down my own Christmas tree but never really got around to it.  As a child I remember watching Home Alone and loving how he went to his yard and cut down the tree haha In many other Holiday movies this adventure is featured as well. I got to thinking this year and did my research to assure that I would be able to make this happen :) Below I am going to post a few pictures of my day at the tree farm, I definitely recommend taking advantage of this type of activity if they offer it in your area.  It is a great way to spend the day with your family/loved ones/friends and really have a relaxed good time!

 

 

Some Highlights From This Day:

• For those of you from New Jersey, the place we went to was called Stonerow Tree Farm.  It was a bit of a drive from my house, but well worth it for sure.  
• It was our first time there so we had no idea what to expect.  When you arrive you get a map of the farm (which is HUGE!) and you park your car in the lot.  Then you grab a hand saw of of the fence
• There were people/families having cookouts outside the trunk of their cars, roasting smores on the campfire that was lit at the farm, playing music, drinking etc. It was like we were tailgating at a football game! I loved it!! Had we known this, I'm sure more of the men of the family would have come knowing they could just flip some burgers and have a drink ;) 
• The map is divided into sections called "fields" according to which variety of tree you are looking for.  My boyfriends mother was looking for Blue Spruce and I was looking for something other than Douglas Fir because that's what I always get, but of course the one I fell in love with (and that was big enough for my high ceilings) was a Dougie haha 
• You walk through fields of trees and choose the one you want.  Mind you you are on your own, there is no "supervisor" around to assure that you know what you're doing, although I'm sure if you needed help someone could assist you in the beginning. 
• Once you choose your tree you (or your strong husband/dad/boyfriend/friend etc) get on under there and begin sawing.  My boyfriend said it was easier than he thought it would be, which is always good to know.  After your tree is cut, you drag it to the dirt road, just a few feet away and walk back to where the holiday festivities are going on.  A truck will come pick up your tree and you claim it with your claim ticket back at the beginning within a few minutes.  
• I loved that this farm also had a gift shop called the Merry Moose Gift shop.  They had all sorts of fun decorative Holiday things in there, I was in my heaven! They also had a little "canteen" type thing inside where you could get hot cocoa, chili, hot dogs, coffee, tea, etc! 

Overall I have to say, after experiencing this once, going and buying a pre-cut Christmas Tree will never do it for me anymore.  I am sure that I will return to this exact place next year. It was so welcoming and overall just wonderful from beginning to end.

Driving home with TWO trees on the roof of your SUV on the highway,

xox

Shop and Tell : MAC/Bath & Body Works!

 

* Swatches above (left to right) : Shadowy Lady, Festive Delight, Trax, Lighfully, Fun!, Black Tied

I haven't been really buying any beauty items lately because I know during the Holiday season I am going to go crazy with purchases.  I figured I would leave it until then, but also wanted to grab at least one item from the ever so coveted MAC Holiday Collection.  I was torn  but definitely knew I wanted to get one of the palettes.  I liked the other one they offered as well, but felt that this one had more "holiday-like" colors.  I love the packaging and although I have only done one look with this palette so far, I love the holiday sparkle in all the shadows :) Is this a palette I could use everyday, probably not because of all of the glitter, but definitely a fun one to say the least.  

When it comes to Holiday scents and decoration, I am a SUCKER.  I just had to stock up on some of my personal favorite things to smell during this season.  I always light my candle while I read at night or clean or watch TV, and I love my house to smell cozy and warm :) The above scents are for sure divine!

*Clockwise the candles are [Gingerbread, Marshmallow Peppermint, Tis' the Season, Sleigh Ride]

*Wallflowers, not seasonal, are Japanese Cherry Blossom (my FAVORITE!) and Cranberry Pear Bellini, DELICIOUS!

Sending You Holiday Goodness, 

xox