Wedding OOTD: Cobalt Blue and Lace Up Shoes

This weekend I attended my boyfriends friends wedding. It was a really nice day out so I decided to wear a more warm weather outfit. I wore this dress a couple weeks ago in Atlantic City for a birthday celebration and I just had to wear it again, I loved it so much! The fit is just perfect and I absolutely love the textured pattern.

Here are the details on everything I wore: 

1. Dress: Express 
2. Shoes: Nine West View them here! 
3. Bracelet: Henri Bendel View it here! 
4. Earrings and Necklace: Diamond cluster ball style--given as gift. 
5. Lipstick (since I know someone will ask me lol): MAC So Chaud--you guys know I LOVE blue and orange together!  
6. Nail polish: JulieG Sushi for Two---this is the most beautiful coral orange color. Makes for the perfect pedicure color too! I will be reviewing and swatching the 10 or so Julie G nail-polishes I own very soon! ;)

You can see more of the texture of my dress here, isn't it just to die for?! :)

Recycle the dresses you love ;),

xox

Product Review: Wet & Wild Color Icon Palettes (Swatches and some MAC Dupes!)

Who doesn't love a convenient, inexpensive and pretty accessible makeup product? Even on those days where we may not wear foundation or lashes (hello, I never wear these!) it is almost always a staple to have some eyeshadow in a look that will make you feel fabulous. I saw these as I was food shopping at my local Shop Rite with the mister and at under $5, I had to give them a whirl. Here are some swatches and my thoughts on them:

Wet & Wild Comfort Zone Eyeshadow Palette

Top Photo is the palette's left side, Bottom Photo is the palette's right side

Wet & Wild Petal Pusher Eyeshadow Palette

Top Photo is the palette's left side, Bottom Photo is the palette's right side

Overall Thoughts:

• I love the price point of these--you are getting 8 shadows for under $5, how can you beat that?!
• These shadows are pretty pigmented with the exception of the "browbone" colors that I would say came off a bit chalky and hard to work with at first but other than that the colors are really great!
• I love how convenient these are--according to the labeling, you should be able to get two complete eye looks out of these--perfect for traveling! (I tried a look using the entire left side of the Comfort Zone palette as labeled and I got so many compliments!)
• There are shadows included that are direct dupes for some of MAC's higher end line of shadows which retail for around $15.00 EACH! 

MAC DUPES:

 

Left is MAC's Black Tied, Right is Wet & Wild Petal Pusher Palette (no color name is listed)

Left is MAC's Trax, Right is Wet & Wild's Petal Pusher Palette

Overall, for price and variety of colors with a pretty good pigmentation, I would definitely recommend these. I can't wait to get my hands on some of the other palette's :) If you have these what are your thoughts? For more info on these and other Wet & Wild Products, click here!

Petal Pushers and Comfort Zones,

xox

February Favorites!

I haven't done a monthly favorites in such a long time. I like to really wait until I love a handful of things so much, my excessive use of them makes me have to write a post like this! lol Rest assured, if a product is featured in this post, it is something that I am bursting at the seams waiting to share with you! Maybe we are loving the same things at the moment...you tell me :)

Here we go:

Hair

L'Oreal Ever Strong Sulfate-Free Reconstruct Conditioner

• Smells AMAZING! 
• Nice thick consistency that coats your strands fully for great results
• Leaves hair soft and gives you that great tingly minty feeling on your scalp upon use :)
• Sulfate-free

One n Only Argan Oil

• Great price point compared to some other argan oil treatments on the market at around $10.00
• Smells absolutely fabulous
• Doesn't leave hair greasy
• Leaves hair soft and shiny

Beauty:

Origins VitaZing

• Wonderful moisturizer with a slight tint 
• No irritating fragrance
• Priced at $35 (not too bad for a higher end moisturizer) 
• Gives skin that healthy glow   

MAC Mineralized Skin Finish Natural in Medium Plus

• This stuff has lasted me FOREVER! 
• I not only use this as a face powder on occasion but also a transition color when blending eyeshadows which it works wonderful for!

Buck Eyeshadow from the UD Naked Palette, Stila Kajal Eyeliner in Onyx, MAC Typographic Eyeshadow

• I tweeted about nailing the perfect every time smokey eye and these are the products that made that possible for me. 
• Stila Kajal eyeliners are all so creamy and super blendable
• MAC Typographic is the perfect charcoal gray that one would desire when doing a smokey eye
• Buck is my perfect shade for blending as a transition color in this look (for those with lighter skin tone, naked may work better!)

Revlon Lipbutter in Cotton Candy

• Glides on smoothly and moisturizes well
• Perfect wash of light pink color with a slight sheen to make the lips look "awake" :)

Do we share any of the same favorites?

xox

Product Review/Swatches: Viva Glam Nicki

 

When I first heard about this Viva Glam Campaign I was so excited. Even if you are not a fan of Nicki Minaj's music, you probably know that she is definitely an out there person when it comes to her sense of style. I just knew that the color that would represent her Viva Glam lipstick would be something bright and sassy, and boy was I right!

This lipstick is a mix between corals, bubblegum pinks and sort of a flamingo color, long story short, it is perfect and like nothing else I have yet.  It is a satin finish which I like as well because I find that sometimes the Matte lipsticks are too drying without a gloss etc., with this one, you are pretty good to go with only this.

It has that signature "vanilla" scent as do all MAC lipsticks and most lip products for that matter.  This color called "Viva Glam Nicki" is also VERY pigmented, which again I love.  As soon as this lipstick was finally in my possession I swatched it on my hand and couldn't believe how opaque it was with just one stroke! I then applied it to my lips and it appeared the same as well, a true winner of sorts :)

The Viva Glam Campaign: 

Every cent from the sales of this Lipstick and its partnered Ricky Martin Lip Conditioner go toward Men, Women and Children who have been affected by HIV/AIDS.  For more info visit: MACAIDSFUND.ORG

My Final Thoughts: 

I really love this lipstick. Truth: I am a sucker for buying things that benefit organizations that help others in need, BUT, honest to goodness, I think this color would have for sure intrigued me to purchase it anyway because it really is unlike anything else I have! I think this is a total Spring color and I am so excited to start wearing it soon.  I also love the Ricky Martin Lip Conditioner, I just have way to many of those on "standby" at the moment waiting to be used up so I didn't want to aimlessly just start buying things that I didn't "need" per-say haha I do recommend you check that one out as well though :)

If you don't necessarily like this color or don't think it would work well on you etc., these make great gifts! If you know someone who is pretty makeup/beauty savvy, I am almost sure they would love to add this to their collection, even just as a collectors item.  With every single cent of this purchase going toward providing a better tomorrow for those affected by HIV/AIDS, I don't see how you can really say no!

Wishing you all  a Viva GLAM day,

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

Shop and Tell!

Here is a list of the things I picked up during this run, pictured above:

First Stop in this "Shop and Tell"--Sephora/Target and MAC!

1. e.l.f Cream Eyeliner in Black from Target--I love this so far! It goes on smooth with my angled eyeliner brush and it has always lasted me all day and is super black! For only $3.00 you really can't go wrong. (comes in a few other colors as well)

2. MAC See Sheer Lipstick--I purchased this because it was the perfect sheer medium pink tone for the wedding I was in this past weekend. I was wearing a navy dress and didn't want something so pigmented and matte because I was doing a rather dramatic eye look. On the other side of that, I didn't want to do something that would be too washed out, needless to say this was the perfect choice! It is a great shade that can be layered for maximum pigmentation, but like the name says, it can also be that perfect "bitten" sheer medium pink tone as well :) I definitely recommend this as part of one of your staple lipstick shades from MAC.

3. MAC Painterly Paint Pot--I wanted to try something new and have always wanted to get more paint pots. I use this as an alternative to my Urban Decay Primer Potion. I love this because it is heavier and provides more even coverage on top of being an amazing primer.  I am totally loving this so far and look forward to purchasing most of the other shades as well.

4. Sephora Nano Eyeliners in Pearl Beige and Azure Blue--These little things (literally only a few inches) are great! I love the pigmentation and I really love all the shades they are available in!

5.DUO Lash Glue in the dark tone-- Special Occasions call for lashes! I picked this one up as an alternative to another one I had that was regular white--I love that it dries dark and it for sure held my lashes all night! :)

6. Makeup Forever Mat Velvet Foundation--I used this for the first time last weekend, literally the day after I purchased it. I was nervous, because I have never used a foundation at all before, but figured for a wedding where lots of pics are being taken, I should have something.  I love this foundation--although it is a thicker formula (so I hear in comparison to others) with a light hand, it can give you just the coverage you need. It also kept me matte for the majority of the night! Perfect shade as well. Definitely will use this again.

7.Urban Decay All Nighter Spray--I have heard of this a ton of times and was always meaning to pick it up. Sometimes when I go out for special occasions, I am out well into the evening and want my makeup to last me.  This worked without a doubt for me, 7 hours and my makeup didn't budge at all!

Next up, my final leg of the shopping voyage this week, Bath and Body Works.  I love when my house smells good, it just makes me happy honestly! haha I love the fall because of the wonderful colors and scents that come along with it.  Bath and Body Works is the perfect place to find all of the candles that capture the best scents of the Fall season and you are guaranteed to have a yummy smelling house!

1. 4 oz. Candles in:
       --Creamy Pumpkin
       --Kitchen Spice
       --Smores--MY Favorite of the bunch--oh my goodness, smells JUST like real smores!!
       --Mountain Leaves
       --Pumpkin Caramel Latte--Another Favorite, sweet pumpkin like something from Starbucks haha
       --Homemade Cookies (not pictured because I gave it  to my boyfriend's sister, she's quite the baker! lol)

2. Mini Candle in Marshmallow Fireside--this is a mini that I got free with a coupon but smells so good that I will be returning to purchase the big size asap!

3. Mini Anti-bacterial to-go in:
       --Chocolate Chew (not pictured because I gave this to my boyfriend's sister as well!)
       --Cranapple Crisp
       --Phantom Pumpkin
       --Bat Bite Apple
       --Creamy Pumpkin

4. Wall Flower in Japanese Cherry Blossom (I will insert a pic of it below as I hastily put it up in my bathroom) haha

Well that completes my Shop and Tell.  I hope you all like the setup--I took less space with the pics and did more explaining, because that is what this is about after all right?! :)



Cozy Autumn Smells and Blissful Beauty,

xox

Bridal Party FOTD

Products I Used On Myself And The Girls: 
 

 

1. Bronzer side of the Elf Bronzer and Blush Duo
2. MAC Painterly Paint Pot to prime the eyelids
3. Urban Decay All Nighter Spray to Set the makeup and make it last all night--which it did! :)
4. Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Smog
5.Makeup Forever Matte Velvet Plus Foundation in #45
6. Garnier Dark Under Eye Circle Roller
7. Covergirl Lashblast Mascara in whatever the blackest one is (I forget the name at the moment!)
8. MAC See Sheer Lipstick
9. Prestige Lip liner in Silk
10. Stila Kajal Eyeliner in Sapphire
11. NYX Jazz Nights Palette --This was the main palette used for all of the girls I did--LOVE the colors!
12. MAC Blush in Melba
13. Miss Adoro Lashes in #600 and #28
14. Duo Lash Glue in the Dark tone
15.L'Oreal Lineur Intense Liquid Eyeliner in black
16. Urban Decay Pore Perfecting Face Primer




Well there you have it, the list of ALL of the products used for all of the makeup I did that day including my own.  The makeup turned out spectacular and we all got tons of compliments on it! I had never done makeup for a wedding or even a large group of girls like this, normally I only do my own! It was very nerve wracking at first because of time constraints, but I made it work.  The other good thing is that I was doing the makeup for members of my own family, which made the whole process much easier because I didn't have to worry about using only products for clients and not mixing it with personal use makeup. My main goal was to make the girls look a little more dramatic for the sake of taking pictures, but also make them look themselves and not too out of their normal style. My second largest goal was to give them a look that would last all throughout the evening, and this was achieved thank goodness! The All Nighter Spray really does work! Staying Matte was a third goal and this was also possible for the majority of the evening.  Toward the end I saw a little shininess here and there, but nothing that a little blotting paper wouldn't help in an instant. 


All in all I had a wonderful time doing every ones makeup and it made me excited and happy that my cousin and my sister liked the outcome as well! 


Wedding Bells & Beautiful Belles of the Bridal Party, 

xox