Monday FOTD

FOTD . . . well, sorta. This is more like, reapplying lipstick at the office and felt the need to share. :)

 EOS lip balm in Strawberry Sorbet & Revlon matte lipstick in Pink Pout

My lips are super, super dry. I must have chapstick or lip blam of some kind on me always. I saw a few reviews of the EOS lip balm online and thought the packaging was pretty unique–so I picked one up at Target! So far I like it. It has a nice scent, is moisturizing and the little sphere has proven to be a funny conversation piece. Seriously!

Sorry, this is a crappy picture. But I thought I'd show a bit of what the colors I'm working with are. As you can see, the EOS balm goes clear. Pink Pout, one of my favorite lipsticks, is a mauve-y pink. Some people compare it to MAC's Snob (another fave), but I think it's a bit darker and more matte. It can be a little drying, so I have to pair it with a balm to keep my lips looking smooth.

Haha, exuse my awkwardness! I'm not so great with snapping selfies. I'm trying! If you can tell, the lip balm and Pink Pout blend together to give a natural pink color. It's perfect for work. I try to keep my office makeup fairly simple. Today I used Maybelline Dream Fresh BB cream, my NYX Stick Blush, Benefit's They're Real! mascara, and some neutral eyeshadow from my UD Naked 2 palette. Once I get a better camera, I can start doing some more substantial FOTD posts!

xoxo.

Music City

I've been so terrible about posting these last couple of weeks! Last week was really hard for me to get back into the groove of working and catching up with CP & friends after Nashville. Speaking of, I have yet to share pictures from my trip!

Beautiful, sunny, green Nashville!

Nashville ladies!

Real BBQ. So. Good.

Nothing like line dancing with a real cowboy! (Actually, I'd take dancing with CP :) )

Not our first rodeo . . . just kidding, it was!

PBR gals.

Honky tonkin'.


Nashville is such an awesome city. Great music, food and people. I'd go back in a heartbeat!

xoxo.

Beauty Wish List

I'm back from Music City! I had such a fabulous time. It was such a fun weekend with my girlfriends. I'll save a post about my trip to Nashville once I have some more pictures I can include. :)

Today, I was doing a little online shopping and beauty blog-perusing. Why is it that I always find things that I "need" when I shouldn't be spending money? Hmm. While I'm dreaming away, here's what's on my beauty wish list right now . . .

NYX Super Fat Eye Marker, $10
I don't have the steadiest hand when it comes to liquid liner. In my dance recital days, I used to make quite a mess with it. When I realized how ridiculous I looked, I avoided liquid liners until very recently. (Thank God for cream/gel eyeliner!) I took the plunge a few weeks ago and bought Maybelline's Line Stiletto liquid liner, and it wasn't too horrible of an experience. Now that I'm over my fear . . . I heard good things about this NYX marker from a friend, so it is definitely next on my list!

MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Soft & Gentle, $30
I'm not a huge fan of powder usually. I love my ELF translucent setting powder and a good bronzer (Benefit's Hoola), but I've never been too into the foundation-type powder. Too matte and cakey for me. But when I heard all the hype surrounding MAC's Mineralize line, I knew I had to try it. It's supposed to be a powder/highlighter/froster kinda thing all in one. Sounds like a great multitasker to me!

Benefit They're Real Mascara, $23
I've been obsessed with Maybelline's Falsies mascara for over a year now. It is my HG of drugstore mascaras. Now, I'm feeling like I'm ready to try a higher-end mascara and this one by Benefit has a lot of hype around it. Yes, another Emily Maynard fave! I love Benefit anyways, so I think it's worth the $23. (I've heard good things about Dior's Diorshow Blackout mascara too, so I might need to go to Sephora and make a game time decision).

Real Techniques Core Collection Brushes, $18
I have a newfound obsession with makeup brushes. I love, love, love my ELF studio brushes, but am willing to check out my other options as well. :) I've seen a lot of good feedback about the Real Techniques brushes–and I love that they are synethic and cruelty free. Plus, $18 isn't too bad! I'd like to start out with this collection of face brushes.

I always have an on-going list of beauty and fashion items that I'm lusting for. When it comes to makeup, I like to do my research. I rely on customer reviews and make-up blogging experts to let me know if something is really worth the $$. I've heard great things about all of these products, and will hopefully make them my next purchases!


xoxo.

Hump Day Happiness

No, I didn't forget about this week's hump day happiness! And it's a really happy one . . .

Hello, beautiful Nashville weekend! I am very much looking forward to enjoying a (long) weekend away with my best girlfriends, soaking up some much needed rays! It might be the last 80-90 degree days we see for a loong time.

xoxo!!!

Revlon Lip Butter Review

There is a ton of hype around the Revlon Lip Butters. I am the first person to jump on any kind of chapstick bandwagon (look for an eos review coming soon!). I especially loved the idea of these having a great color pay off. Before I saw any reviews (I'm way too impulsive), I went out and bought my first Lip Butter, Cupcake. Cool/baby/barbie pinks are always the first colors that jump out at me. As you can see my collection has grown in the past few months! I thought, since I've collected most of the pink shades, I'd do a quick review–before taking off for NASHVILLE, that is! Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow!

From left to right: Cupcake, Cotton Candy, Strawberry Shortcake, Sweet Tart
Picking up on a sweet theme? Yup. These have a yummy vanilla scent and slight taste to them. I love scented/flavored lip products so these are right up my alley.

The "quilted" packaging is really cute, and I love that I know which shade I'm grabbing just by the color of the case (although Strawberry Shortcake can be confused with Cotton Candy when I'm in a rush! i.e., this morning).

Cupcake has definitely got the most use! The left three look a lot more similar in the tube than they are on the lips. (You'll see!) I love the consistency of this product. It glides on really smooth and is moisturizing, but delivers a nice color at the same time. My lips have a tendency to be really chapped, so I won't use these on really dry lips, because some of the colors can get clumped in the cracks of my lips. But they are perfect for a touch up during the day, without a mirror!

These swatches are very true to the real-life colors. Cupcake is a blue-based baby pink, with a bit of shimmer to it. It's definitely the most unique color in the collection (in my opinion), and my favorite. Cotton Candy is a light pinkish-nude, but is very gold-toned. This shade is probably my least favorite, since I'm not a huge fan of the metallic-y gold look. It's almost kind of 90's. To me, this tube color was a little deceiving. Strawberry Shortcake is a light, warm pink. It's a my lips but better kinda shade. Love this one, it's very pretty and also natural-looking. Sweet Tart definitely has the biggest color pay-off of the four shades, this baby is bright! It's a glossy hot pink. I'm not the biggest fan of bright glosses, so Sweet Tart throws me off a little bit. But it's fun for when I want a bright lip but don't have time to exfoliate and moisturize my lips before.

All in all, I love the Revlon Lip Butters. It's been a few months since I've purchased one (I was a bit disappointed by Cotton Candy), and I've been holding off on getting another. I have heard good things about the peach shade! Might need to try it out :)

xoxo.

Instagram Lovin'

A few snapshots for today:

Labor Day in Beverly with my favorite cuddle bud.

Sunday night beers at The Draft with my other fave cuddle bud. (sporting a turquoise necklace I've had for about ten years!)

Kip Moore at Toby Keith's Bar & Grille. <3

A glass of sauv blanc and a plate of garden-fresh caprese salad. Yum.


This week is super crazy because of yesterday's holiday, and our trip to NASHVILLE on Thursday! So excited. Hopefully I can squeeze in a couple more posts before I go.

xoxo!

Birthday Gifting

Saturday is my beautiful friend JP's birthday. The big 2-5! To help her celebrate her quarter century, we will be going out on the town (hopefully a patio or deck) for some birthday drinks! I am a terrible procrastinator, and I haven't gotten her a gift yet. For my 23rd birthday, JP got me a beautiful gold and turquoise bracelet. So here I am, brainstorming some good gifts (at work nonetheless). I usually go the jewelry route, and I have some great options in that department. I also have some fun, new ideas! I usually try to stick to a $30ish budget for birthday gifts. However, this one is special! 25, people! I'm willing to splurge on a $50 gift for JP. :) Here we go...

Alex & Ani "Plume" bracelet, $38
All my girlfriends and I collect Alex & Ani charm bracelets. They are a fun twist on the classic charm bracelet, since you stack them on your arm rather than adding individual charms to one bracelet. They are very cute, and I love this one because the feather style different from the usual A&A charms. I am a little hesistant, though, because this gift might be overdone with our group of friends! Get it here.

Lululemon "vinyasa" scarf, $48
I have this yoga scarf from Lululemon and LOVE it. It's stretch jersey and soo comfy. It looks so effortlessly chic on, and you can wear it in a bunch of different ways. I think it would look so cute on JP! Plus, I don't think it's something she'd think to buy for herself or something anyone else would buy for her. Find it here.

J. Crew bubble earrings, $48
JP & I both have J. Crew's bubble necklace. I love the idea of getting her the matching stud earrings, especially because she wears her bubble all the time. Plus, they can be worn alone and look adorable. My only hesitation with this gift is that I bought JP cute stud earrings for her graduation in May. Still adorable! Get them here.

I'm headed to Derby Street (a shopping center on the South Shore) after work to peruse J. Crew, Lululemon and the Paper store–where they sell Alex & Ani. It's nice to have some ideas to go off of, but something might surprise me!

Happy, happy 25th birthday to JP, one of my best friends!

xoxo.

Hump Day Happiness

I had the most delicious banana and chocolate hazelnut crepe at Max Brenner in Boston on Monday night. I don't usually order dessert (I'm always too full), but my girlfriends and I participated in Restaurant Week Boston 2012, which involves a fixed price of $33.12 for a three-course dinner. Some of the most upscale restaurants in the city participate in Restaurant Week. It's the best opportunity of the year to check out some places you wouldn't normally go to. There's only a few days left, but totally worth checking out!

Honorable mention: Dante in Cambridge (a participating restaurant) had some of the best, freshest homemade pasta I've had since I studied abroad in Italy.


Yum! xoxo

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Review

One of my favorite lip products (and one the most hyped) is Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable lip stain. I couldn't resist trying this new hot item after I fell in love with Revlon's Lip Butter (review of those coming later!). I only have two shades right now; but I'm definitely looking to add more to my collection! However, my friends think the amount of lipstick/gloss I own is criminal, oops!

The two shades I have are cherish, a cool, bubblegum pink (on top), and rendezvous, a bright tangerine orange (on bottom). I bought rendezvous first, wanting to try a color I don't usually reach for. I loved the formula so much that I got my standard barbie pink shade too!

The Just Bitten Kissable lip stains, much compared to Clinique's Chubby Sticks, are extremely moisturizing for a stain. I have super dry lips, and they don't leave mine flaky. They also have a tingly, minty smell and flavor that I personally like (kind of like Burt's Bees chapsticks). I haven't tried Clinique's version, but I'm a big fan of these. They last for a long time, which is great for someone like me who is constantly eating, drinking, and biting my lips throughout the day. I don't have to reapply these as much as I do with other products.

This swatch depicts the two colors very well. Rendezvous is definitely a bold color that's a lot of fun for summer. Cherish is more wearable for the every day. The color is also very buildable, getting more intense as you layer the stain on your lips. I would definitely recommend this product, since I'll be going out to get more! I've got my eyes on a lilac shade . . . but be warned! These are often sold out at drug stores near me (it took me weeks to find cherish!). :)

xoxo!

Brothers of the Sun

I'm winding down from an awesome weekend. This year's country fest (as us Massachusetts people call it) was different from any other time I've gone. I was much more concerned with seeing old friends, drinking delicious sangria and enjoying great music. Sorry, forgotten beers and tailgate parties! I had the best time. It's hard to admit that summer is coming to a close, but I couldn't think of a better way to cap it all off.

Reunited with a best friend (who I haven't seen in two years!).

My own version of sangria–my favorite so far this summer!

Lots of country girlfriends (and one random stranger dude!).

Loving life & Kenny boy.


Tank: american eagle. Shorts: american eagle. Boots: old. Sunglasses: karen walker.


xoxo.

Essie Turquoise & Caicos

Essie Turquoise & Caicos has been my go-to nail color this summer. I love that it's bright and fun–and looks great with a tan! I found that this was almost always sold out at my local CVS and Target, it's definitely a popular color. What I love most about it is that you can't find a color quite like this from different brands (I feel the same about Essie's Mint Candy Apple).

This photo shows 3 coats, although I think you could get away with two. The first coat is fairly sheer. Essie shades retail for around $8 depending on where you get it, but you can always find them for cheaper on Amazon (especially discontinued shades!).

Looks like my thumb needed a little cleaning up, oops!


xoxo!

YSL Sheer Candy Review

So, I already posted about YSL Sheer Candy #4 a couple of weeks ago under Makeup Musings. Clearly, I have not gotten over it! It's been my go-to lip product since I bought it. So, naturally, I had to have another shade! I went for #9, frequently seen on Rachel from The Pink Peonies (she's beautiful!). I always tend to go for more pink shades, so I absolutely love this one. These are a bit pricey at $30 a pop, but I think they're worth it. Just my opinion! I thought I'd share my review of the two shades.

The packaging is gorgeous. It's very luxurious-looking and feeling. I love whipping these out and applying right out of the tube at work or wherever, I feel so chic!

The two shades I have are #4 – Succulent Pomegranate and #9 – Cool Guava.

As you can see, they're very different shades! In this photo, #4 looks like a candy apple color, but it leans a bit more pink (pomegranate!). #9 is a definite cool pink, but it's much less pigmented than #4. In my opinion, these are the two best colors in the collection!

I know this isn't the best swatch ever, but I think it portrays the color and consistency pretty well! This is a light swatch of #9 (left) and #4 (right). The color is a bit sheer at first, but definitely buildable. It also leaves somewhat of a stain on the lips, so you don't have to reapply to often. It gives off a nice glossy (but not sparkly) sheen. YSL actually categorizes Sheer Candy as a gloss. Did I mention the smell is delicious? Yum.

I would definitely recommend this gloss as a high-end must!


xoxo.

Hump Day Happiness (A Day Late!)

Woops! I didn't post yesterday and totally forgot about my Hump Day Happiness :). It's easy to let a whole work day go by without thinking about something that makes you smile. So here it is . . .

Beautiful pink roses from CP . . . just 'cuz. (In reality, they were because we hadn't seen each other in approximately 4 days, but that's pathetic so we don't tell people that!!) Regardless, they are beautiful and just totally perked up my day/week. Love him.


xoxo.

Divide & Conquer: The Mall

I try not to take fashion too seriously. After all, it's supposed to be fun! And it is for me. But when it comes to a trip to the Natick Collection, I need to have a game plan. JC and I making a trip to Massachusetts' colossal mall today after work–and it's really easy to get overwhelmed here. They have every store you can think of; from Neimans and Nordstrom to Burberry and Louis Vuitton to Madewell and Urban Outfitters. Don't get me wrong, I'm not out to buy a Louis Vuitton speedy today (I wish). But there are so many store options and you only have so much time. Additionally, I don't make it to the mall anymore as much as I used to, or I'd like to. I've started to put together a system for my shopping trips . . . maybe it'll be helpful to other people too!

1. Make a list of what you're looking for.
It may seem obvious, but it helps to keep a list of what you need to buy. I make one mostly so I don't get carried away and forget what I came for! Here's a look at today's list:

2. Look up the store directory ahead of time.
I always do this. Unless I'm going to my hometown mall (where I know all the stores and their locations by heart), it helps to know exactly what stores are at the mall I'm going to and roughly where they're located. When it comes to the Natick Collection, theres a gagillion stores and it's a huge place. This helps me pinpoint which stores I definitely want to go in (for ex: Madewell, which I never get to shop in person) and which ones might have what I'm looking for (for ex: aerie will have a strapless bra). I can also tell which sections of the mall I'll avoid so I don't waste time.

3. Browse online before you go.
This might be a little over the top, but I like to check out the selection a bit online. It's not a sure thing, since stores will have some different product than the website. But sometimes you see something online that you could miss in the store! You can also compare prices since those can differ as well. This also helps me to narrow down which stores I want to go to even more. For example, American Eagle can be hit or miss for me (lately it's been a hit!). When I browsed online, I saw a lot of cute stuff and a lot of great sales, so I know I'll definitely be stopping there.

I love the colors in this open-back dress. Plus, it's on sale for $40! See it online.






4. Get more detailed.
You're probably starting to think I'm a crazy person now. So, stop here if you don't obsess over mall trips as much as I do–it shows how little I actually make it to a real store! With the info I have from step #2 and #3, I can make my shopping list even more detailed. I can start pinpointing what store has or might have what I'm looking for. I've almost got it down to a science! Here's my list in more detail:

As you can see, I have a few stores that I'm feeling pretty good about. It might seem like an over-the-top process, but it definitely helps me personally. Chances are, there will be some surprises along the way too!



xoxo.

Weekend Recap

Girls weekend was such a great time! I absolutely love my friends from college; they are so much fun and low key at the same time. Friday night consisted of a delicious dinner (and lots of delicious drinks) at CM's dad's Irish pub restaurant. It was so nice of CM and her family to treat us! I will definitely be going back there soon–I can't get enough of patio eats & drinks! We followed dinner up with a couple of brews at our local dive bar; trashy but necessary!
Saturday we trekked up to my parents' house on the North Shore. The sun didn't really want to place nice with us, so we made strawberry lemon sangria and chowed on pizza by the pool. Heart to hearts in the hot tub = a necessity. Saturday night we headed back to Boston for sushi and drinks. We met our guy friends out in Fanueil Hall to celebrate a couple of birthdays. I even got sneak in some one on one time with CP (which included some beautiful pink roses). All in all, a fabulous weekend!
Outfit wise, I stuck to my first outfit idea for Friday night to a tee. Saturday, I adjusted and went a bit more casual to suit our plans. Lounging by the pool called for a Trina Turk suit and a J Crew maxi. Perfection!

Choc martinis, best friends & J Crew chambray :) (plus Essie polish and Alex & Ani bangles!)

Thanks Mr. M!

Happy discovery: Shipyard Pumpkinhead is out! (Cinnamon sugar rim is a must)

Matching J Crew bubbles & reuniting with an old best


xoxo x100!

Girls Weekend!

I'm having a super hard time concentrating at work today, thanks to some fabulous weekend my plans. My best friends from college have planned a girls weekend, full of our favorite things to do. Tonight, CM is treating us to dinner/drinks at her dad's restaurant. It's so sweet of her and I'm so excited to go. I need some girl time! We'll probably do a night out in Boston afterward. Saturday, we are trekking up to the North Shore (again!) to spend the day at my parents' house by the pool. Sangria, please! :) Most likely there will be another night out in Boston to celebrate some friends' birthdays. It's not too often that we all get together on one weekend! Sunday calls for a little shopping and maybe some more sun by the pool. I cannot wait!
Of course, I've been occupying my time with planning outfits (typical). I thought I'd share my ideas for Friday and Saturday nights' looks here (via Polyvore). Not sure if they'll end up turning out this way, but it's certainly a fun way to envision the outfits!

Friday night dinner & drinks

Saturday night out in Boston

Wooo! Too excited. I'll be sharing pictures of the actual outfits on Monday.

Until then, xoxo!