November 2012
4 posts
5 tags
7 tags
Actively Seeking: Eyeliner
First off: Who doesn’t love a good deal? Urban Decay’s 24/7 Double Eyeliner comes with Zero (blackest black) and Whiskey (a universal warm aptly named brown).
Common eyeliner pet peeves: Gives you raccoon eyes Disappears off within an hour of application Smudges where it’s not wanted Skips while lining
This, my friends, does NONE of the above. It goes on smooth like butter...
7 tags
Night Cream: Not Just For Old Ladies
Honestly speaking, anytime I heard someone drop the word “night cream,” my mind instantly draws up two things: old ladies and Oil of Olay (don’t ask why).
After reading about RoC’s Retinol Correxion Sensitive Night Cream in Allure, I decided to shell out the $20+ in hopes of some major winter skin improvement. After all, #winteriscoming and we all need a little help in...
5 tags
Stila Kitten: MEOW
After searching for the perfect champagne pink eyeshadow for years (literally), I found Kitten by Stila. I only had one question for it: “Where have you been all my life?!”
It stays on through your first few cups of coffee, through a long day of class and yes, all the way through a rough night at the bar. Kitten, you are a true makeup godsend.
It’s fairly pigmented but not...
August 2012
8 posts
6 tags
7 tags
13 tags
Neutrals, Nakeds and Naturals for Fall
In the midst of a beauty world with options such as cherry red lipstick, firecracker glitter nail polish, teal eyeliner and hot pink kabuki blush, sometimes it’s nice to go back to basics. And what better time to return than fall? September marks the time to complement the tan you worked so hard for and accentuate your best features with an effortless disguise. Here’s a running list of...
7 tags
The Lust List
Below are some products that I’m currently lusting after — I just felt the need to share some modern takes on classic beauty staples! Enjoy!
MAC Ruffian Naked Lipstick Cause if anyone can properly execute a nude lip, MAC can.
Deborah Lippmann’s Let’s Go Crazy I like Deborah Lippmann. I like going crazy. I like the looks of this polish cause it looks plain CRAZY....
5 tags
7 tags
Splurge vs. Steal: Metallic Pink Polish Edition
VS.
Butter London’s “Fairy Lights” {VS} Color Club’s “Foil Me Once”
This shimmery metallic rose pink can be rocked with any skintone and by edgy hipsters and girly girls alike. Butter’s will run you about $17, while Color Club’s about $8. Take your pick and get ready to be staring at your nails all day long!
xx
10 tags
Back-To-School {Makeup} Shopping List
NARS Foreplay: The Quintessential Blush Kit With three blushes and a highlighter, prepare to complete your windblown, flushed cheeks, doe-eyed look for the imminent fall season. It includes Orgasm, the universal blush staple, and three shades that make Orgasm (so that you can blend and blend until you have your own unique pigment). With shades of peach, pink and gold and a super cheeky innuendo...
10 tags
Your Ultimate Guide To Concealer
Liquid - Recommendations: YSL Touch Éclat (pen) - Good for under-eye circles - Good for dry skin - Heavy coverage - Apply with fingers or makeup sponge
Powder - Recommendation: Laura Mercier Mineral Pressed Powder SPF 15 - Super light mineral powder - Good for all-over coverage and setting makeup - Perfect for hot/humid summer weather - Good for oily skin (absorbs oil and prevents shine)...
July 2012
9 posts
4 tags
Spotted: Your Summer-to-Fall Transition Nail Color
You couldn’t wait to get your pastel fix on during the springtime and then you couldn’t wait to paint blazing oranges and classy corals on your fingertips during the summer. But what is a girl to do when August dies down, Labor day rolls around, your tan is still intact but your nail color options are played out?
You choose “Don’t Tell Mama” by Deborah Lippmann, of...
7 tags
Dear Essie's Mirror Metallics, I'ma Make You Mine
By now, you must know that I am a metallic addict. Sparkle, shimmer, shine…all things I overuse in my wardrobe and beauty product choices.
And here’s Essie, coming to my rescue (yet again). Essie’s Mirror Metallics line is a dream come true for a girl like me. Have you seen those epic manicures on Pinterest or Tumblr that are so metallic they look like melted gold? Odds are,...
6 tags
Summer Skin, Summer Well
[Full size: $32.95, To-Go size: $10.95]
With summer at its peak, now is not the time to have ragged-looking skin. I’ve recently tried Sukí’s Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser (for the face) thanks to Birchbox.
It eliminated dirt, dead skin and my beef with exfoliators in general. In the past, my experiences with exfoliators/face scrubs have included harshness, drying, rawness and overall...
8 tags
Did You Know... (Eyelash Edition)
Over the past few weeks, I’ve begun to notice that my beloved Shu Uemura eyelash curler has been delivering a lackluster performance. Now, I worship my eyelash curler like some worship holy scriptures…so this little speed bump left me speechless.
So, when I was in Sephora, I asked one of the sales associates about those squishy little pads that go in the eyelash curler, hoping to...
4 tags
How-To Design Your Nails with a Straight Line
Excuse the messy edges and take in my latest stab at a DIY manicure. After seeing all these quirky and creative looks on Pinterest, I decided to make an attempt (instead of live vicarious through Pinterest-ers) using some OPI, Kiko Milano and good ol’ Scotch tape.
The look: - Base layer: 2 coat of Kiko Milano’s #371 (a taupe with an iridescent gold shimmer) - Top layer: 1 coat of...
3 tags
Recycling Manicures
(Yeah, I shamelessly Instagram’d my insta-fix.)
So, I’m the queen of chipping nails. In need of a quick fix, I love to just take some super glittery (and I mean SUPER — big chunks of sparkle and all) nail polish and go over the haggard old polish once or twice. (I highly recommend Urban Outfitters’ “Dust”)
It’s the simplest, easier way to revive your...
5 tags
For The Brown-Eyed Beauties
Sure, teal eye makeup may be hot and on trend, but the key to mastering eye makeup? Flattering your eye color!
Smashbox is making life a little bit easier for all the brown-eyed girls out there this summer. With their Master Class Eyeshadow Quad, you can play up your best feature with some tailored earth tones. Best part? FOR $10.
You can use these shades individually for a naturally pretty...
7 tags
2 tags
June 2012
2 posts
10 tags
The Only Essential For Your Very Tiny Purse
You’re going out on a Friday night and you’re rockin’ a tiny, studded black sidebag or a cute pastel envelope clutch…so the last thing you need is annoyingly heavy beauty products to hold you back.
Enter Stainiac by theBalm ($17). It works as a lip stain and a cheek stain — so you can toss aside the lipstick/lipgloss and blush for the night. Plus, Stainiac is a...
9 tags
May 2012
2 posts
6 tags
Sephora Shimmer Sheets
Shimmer Sheets
Sephora has decided to make “shimmer sheets” (think like oil-blotting sheets) in little booklets so you can bronze, blush and illuminate no matter where you are.
Thoughts? Questions? Concerns? Will you try this new Sephora goodie for summer?
4 tags
A Beauty Junkie's Dream
Say it with me: BIRCHBOX
Think about it — Every month, you receive a dainty little brown box with beauty products like Zoya nailpolish to Ojon hair products to Stila eyeliners to a sample of Bvlgari’s new fragrance.
Safe to say, Birchbox was one of the most rewarding and justifiable impulse purchases of my life (coming from a Sephora junkie and all). For $10 a month, you get a...
April 2012
2 posts
2 tags
For the ladies, what is your signature scent?
7 tags
Great Brand Alert!
KIKO Milano has been one of my best abroad finds yet! Think of a bright and cheerful Sephora setting with all the eyeshadows and lipsticks a girl could dream of…for a fraction of the price.
I’ve bought lipstick (in bright magenta), the Unforgettable mascara and a bright orange nail polish for spring — I can safely say I am completely happy with all my purchases.
Though KIKO...
March 2012
1 post
6 tags
Naked2 Equations
Shimmers and neutrals and highlights, oh my! Much like its older sister, the Naked2 Palette by Urban Decay offers endless combination options for a sultry smoky eye or a classic shimmer (depending on the look your going for). Since many of the colors are not in order in accordance with their matching scheme, here’s a few options to start you off:
Office Smoky Eye: Bootycall #3...
February 2012
4 posts
5 tags
Makeup Essentials: It's A Spring Thing
Spring is quickly approaching and as we shed our bulky winter jackets, we’ll be shedding the unnecessaries of our makeup bags as well. So this time around, when doing spring cleaning (of your makeup bag, of course), keep your to-buy list simple but important. Here’s a few new purchases and new main staples that need to be established this season:
Pink Lips
A classic matte pink...
5 tags
Beauty In Flight
While jet-setting and flying off to wonderful destinations seems glamorous, most of the time what you look like getting off the plane is anything but.
One of the biggest complaints I here about flying is how it affects skin. Some say it makes them break out, dries out their skin, makes them look tired or just dulls out their complexion.
Well then, if that sounds like you, then I have found...
2 tags
6 tags
Contouring 101
Cheekbones: the best superpower a girl can have. We all have them, right? So how do you go about defining them? You’ll need a contouring set with a darker shade and a highlight color. Many contouring sets are sold with blushes and setting powder, like the one shown above by Coastal Scents ($19).
- To find the outline of your cheekbones, try sucking in your cheeks (it helps locate the...
January 2012
1 post
9 tags
Dark Circles: Hasta La Vista!
Spring semesters have begun and we’re all bound to see some sleepless nights in our near futures. I’m currently in Madrid studying abroad and there’s a lot of sleeplessness here (Madrilenos don’t go out til past midnight on the weekends!)
So in order to conquer this matter, let’s discuss the pesky and fairly unattractive compadre most of us all deal with now and...
December 2011
2 posts
7 tags
Sparkle Your Way Out Of 2011
With 2012 quickly approaching (just hours away for us New Yorkers!), blogs and tweets are counting down ‘best of of 2011’ and ‘NYE’ lists galore. So as your planning your outfit for tonight, take a minute to consider adding a little sparkle to your NYE makeup without looking like you’ve spent an hour at the MAC counter.
1) Glitzy Manicure Easy and noticeable, a...
4 tags
Naked Again...But This Time Better
Beauty lovers: REJOICE!
Urban Decay has revamped & relaunched their cult-favorite Naked Palette. Naked2 has been selling out every time Urban Decay restocks their website! (Literally, I added this to my cart, went to purchase and it was gone! True story. Sad story.)
Since I have yet to try the glorious and much-anticipated Naked2, I can’t give a 100% accurate review. However, I do...
November 2011
3 posts
8 tags
One-Stop Shop: Sephora's Top 5 Holiday Gifts
As the decorations go up, the Christmas music starts and Black Friday approaches quickly (10 days!), we need to start making our lists…for others and for ourselves!
After perusing Sephora over the weekend, I’ve been making a list of musts for my girls (cough and myself cough). Sephora presents their gift sets in glitzy packaging with various fun products inside.
Here we go:
...
8 tags
Messy Manicures #trysomethingnew
2011 has been a year of experimentation when it comes to manicures. And I love em all. Crackle, magnetic, marble….you name it, I like it.
Sheer boredom and obsession with glitter made me play around with two colors I already had the other day, and voila!
I used Sephora Brand’s Double Platinum for the first layer and Urban Outfitters’ Dust for the sparkle. Here’s...
6 tags
Foundation, For Real
Foundation. The step one. The basis. The…foundation. #gottalovenamesakes
As a loyal Bobbi Brown foundation user for the past year, I decided to branch out. (Change is good, right?!) And it may just have been one of the wiser decisions I’ve made lately.
The letters HD on Make Up For Ever’s bottle always intrigued me. After chatting up the sales associate at my local Sephora...
October 2011
5 posts
11 tags
Swag & A Steal
I’ve scoured the differed “value sets” on Sephora’s website time and time again. Yet, I never found a kit that was all-encompassing. There was always that one product that I didn’t need/want/have a use for.
Then Benefit’s “I’m Glam…Therefore I Am” kit appeared in the ‘Just Arrived’ section. It includes some of the...
3 tags
Nails Trends...Gone Rogue: Magnetic Nail Edition
From the crackle polish to marble manicures, quirky nails have been every girl’s fix in 2011. Now we can introduce another experimental manicure into the mix: the magnetic manicure.
The Nails Inc. magnetic polish gives nails a 3D effect, making it look ridiculously edgy and almost trippy. You can play with texture with two fun colors (dark grey and purple). The magnet is attached inside...
7 tags
4 tags
7 tags
For The Most Divine Liquid Line
I need black eyeliner like most people need oxygen. Melodramatic? Maybe. True? Entirely. I’ve had my bouts with pencil, I used to be a loyalist to the Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner (and still sometimes use), but I’ve developed a trust in liquid liner.
I’ve tried the array of brands that Sephora carries. Some proved decent but many caved to the normal complaints with liquid liner:...
September 2011
4 posts
8 tags
Goddess Eyes That Will Make You Swoon
While I’ve been seeing a multitude of warm neutrals, bronzes and olive greens for the autumn season, NARS’ Delphes Eyeshadow Trio works with cooler colors for true goddess appeal.
The limited edition eyeshadow trio comes with: “a sparkling sheer peach, matte dove grey, and frosted sage.” Inspired by the earth goddess herself, the palette can be used for a more...
8 tags
Soft Feet, Soft Hands (Come On, You Know You Want...
Temperatures are dropping and naturally, skin starts getting drier. (Hold on a moment while I cry about not getting to lay out on the beach til next May. Okay, I’m done.) So colder weather surely brings the unattractive aspects about autumn/winter (life can’t all be cute sweaters and pumpkin spice lattes, you know). For example, dry skin, chapped lips, rough hands and feet, etc.
...
11 tags
Designers Do Maybelline Great Lash Mascara
In honor of NYFW, this post is dedicated to 3 fabulous designers (BCBG’s Max Azria, Tracey Reese, and Vivienne Tam) who redesigned the iconic Maybelline Great Lash mascara tube for a limited edition collection for Target.
There classic green & pink tube has a touch of lace (from Max Azria), a hint of floral (from Tracey Reese) and a Chinese character (from Vivienna Tam).
So...
5 tags
Freebie Alert: Burberry Body Perfume Sample
Recently I went on a fragrance shopping hunt to find me a new scent. And while I ended up with a bottle of Balenciaga, I discovered Burberry’s free sample offer on their Facebook page a mere week after my large purchase.
By liking Burberry’s Facebook fan page, you can easily request a sample of their new fragrance — Burberry Body — by giving basic info like your name,...
August 2011
9 posts
7 tags
Optical Illusion: Cheekbone Edition
It’s no secret that not all of us have been blessed with cheekbones as some models with unpronounceable Russian names have. That’s where a little contouring with makeup comes into play. Kim Kardashian has been known to contour her makeup to maximize the appearance of cheekbones. Here are some tips on how to sculpt your face using the contrast of dark and light makeup: (*Keep in mind...
6 tags
8 tags
7 Follow-Worthy Beauty/Fashion Accounts On Twitter
With the advent of the Internet, fashion and beauty blogs are a dime a dozen. You can watch how-to videos, get suggestions on where to find organic makeup, and look at glossy street style photos on pages with infinite scrolls until your eyes glaze over. But how to differentiate between the brilliant and the lackluster (especially when they’re all so aesthetically pleasing?!)? I struggle with...
