Vitamins do a body good.

When thinking vitamins, it's easy to get overwhelmed--there's just WAY TOO MANY (thank the lords for women's mulit-vitamins).

When I was younger, I remember my mom having vitamin E capsules that she would pierce with a pin and apply the gel-like substance to any scars she had. In all honesty, I only remember this because of how cool I thought it [piercing the capsule and what not] was haha. Anywhoo, while roaming CVS waiting for daddy's perscriptions I saw the Nature Made vitamin E capsules and decided to pick them up. I've been using the liquid-gel (yes, I secretly think it's super awesome to pierce the capsule) now for about 2 weeks on my under eyes, eyelashes, lips, and cuticles/hands before bed and I am LOVING the results. After doing some research, I realized vitamin E plays a role in anti-aging (ie making fine lines less noticable--score!) My hands are softer, lips are smoother, and under eyes are way more hydrated! The biggest con about my new found love for vitamin E it how messy it is to apply, it's actually quite difficult and somewhat sticky. In any case, I don't mind it that much since no one sees me while I'm sleeping anyways. Haha.
I am not a nutritionist/health care professional/etc. I'm just sharing my own experiences/research! 

Rachel Pally Sample Sale! 2/19-2/21/2010

Who doesn't LOVE Rachel Pally?!

I love getting the sample sale e-mails from Rachel Pally--true, it is past material, but the pieces I picked up last year are staples for my wardrobe! I got a bubble skirt and a bunch of different tops. In any case, a celeb favorite (and mine as well), this sample sale is not one to be missed!

Check out the details below!

Let me know if you pick anything up--I'll be away for the weekend with the boyfriend but hopefully I can swing by :)

happy shopping! xoxo

Keeping Up With Bebe--Kardashian Style.

Confession: I am a reality television junkie. 

In my defense, I have some standards when it comes to reality tv...wait--is it even possible to have standards? Whatever. In any case--yes, reality shows do top my list. I blame Laguna Hills (when it first started) for getting me addicted, from there of course I had to follow lovable "LC" turned "Lauren" to her spinoff show "The Hills". From then onward, it was a snowball effect. I now proudly watch "Keeping Up With The Kardashians", "Jersey Shore"(seriously SO funny), "Kell on Earth", etc. this list goes on and on, so I'll spare the details.

Anywhoo, (before I forget the actual point of this post) I never really knew who Kim Kardashian was before her reality show--I did however know her father (Robert Kardashian) as a Lawyer from the O.J Simpson case. Ever since she lost some weight, people have been buzzing about her like no other! She's easily one of the biggest socialites at the moment in my book. Although Monica Rose is her stylist (who I absolutely adore) Kim and her sisters (Khloe and Kourtney) do have a flair for fashion (they also own DASH boutique) and have recently launched a line for bebe! The Kardashian/bebe collaboration has been huge so far! And even though I was a bit sketch--the line has a lot of promising pieces. Think shoulder-pads, classy, vintage yet modern (weird I know, go with me). Most of all, a lot of the pieces are just flat out simple and sexy. bebe has always been one of my faves--check out the Kardashian/bebe line here! Here were some of my favorites-- sorry for the small pictures, click the links to see them enlarged and shop the collection!

Kardashians by bebe One Shoulder Pleated Dress  ($129) this was by far my favorite! The shoulder pad seems like a bit much, but this dress fits like a glove, and the structure is glam to the max. 

Kardashians by bebe Sexy Zip Top ($59)This picture doesn't do this top justice at all--it's SO hot in person. It fits like a dream (which is something I noticed with the whole line, come to think of it) and it has that rock'n'roll-ish edge to it. I'm sold. 

Kardashians by bebe Knit Cutout Dress ($98)

 Although I haven't seen this dress in person yet--but it just exudes class (for lack of a better adjective). I can't wait to go in to see what it looks like on! Plus, it's rare that a white dress looks that fabulous on me--I'm crossing my fingers!

Kardashians by bebe Side Shine Dress ($98). The contradiction of this dress is actually what caught my eye. The shoulder is padded and the leatherette/jersey combo is just so...unusual. It's rockable to a casual dinner-date or to a party. Dare I even say--lunch? I don't even know. It's just edgy, simple, and plain out awesome. Paired with my favorite black leather booties, this is gorgeous.

Overall, the Kardashians by bebe line is definitely good in my book. They even have a show at New York Fashion Week! And by the looks of things--the pieces are selling like hotcakes online! Shop it online here, or visit the bebe store closest to you! Let me know what you get :)

happy shopping!

xoxo

Reason to Shop: Free Shipping at Sephora this Weekend!

For all orders over $25 (I guess there had to be some catch). Enter code: "TOUCHDOWN" at checkout!

I've been dying to try the Living Proof Full Thickening Cream ($24, 3.7 oz). On Sephora's website--customers have given it 4.4 out of 5 stars! I am a bit sketch with this particular brand, Living Proof Straight Making No Frizz Styling Cream was an epic fail on my hair. It made my hair feel weird (for lack of a better word) after application. It definitely was not soft and smooth by any means. However, I have high hopes for the thickening cream since I've heard such great things about it!

The NARS Spring 2010 collection is to die for in my opinion! I need to have it...all. The colors are absolute perfection. Even though I have way too many purple nail polishes, Purple Rain ($16) seems to have that extra oomph while still not being too over powering.  The nude pink lipstick, Cruising ($24) seems so gorgeous! I've been looking for a great nude lip (with a subtle pink) so hopefully this looks just as fab on lips as it does in the pictures!

I'm always willing to try a new moisturizer and bliss has come out with a new one! Triple Oxygen + C Energizing Cream (1.7 oz, $54) has a lot of people talking already. It claims that it is "a lightweight gel-cream that hydrates, brightens, and instantly revives dull, stressed skin" (via Sephora's website).

Clearly, I could exceed the $25 with much ease. I suppose it just gives me a reason to shop? Like my mom says, shopping is cheaper than therapy--and way more fun!

Happy Shopping fashionistas!

xoxo

oh skin, why must you betray me so?

Especially at the age of 2-3. yikes.
I believe I've mentioned about my skin being pretty good through my teen years; no acne or any other big problems, but now I believe I am starting to pay my dues. My skin has been going all sorts of crazy lately! My mom even bought me the be.gorgeous vitamins from GNC because she even noticed how uncharacteristic it is for my skin to be behaving in such an awful way. I tried LUSH, as I told you all here, in hopes that going natural would help my skin. Well in my follow-up, like I said, I wasn't too pleased with the results. Although the cleansers are great (angels on bare skin leaves my skin incredibly soft and ocean salt gives me a nice exfoliate every once in a while) nothing was really helping this new acne I was developing on my forehead, chin, and on the sides of my nose. The worst (as of now) is my forehead and chin. I tried the Clinique 3-step routine as well, and that did not work at ALL.
Irritated (mentally and physically) once again, I ventured off to find something new. My worst case scenario was going to proactiv, even though I know how damaging and drying it can be to skin, I really just wanted to get rid of all these bumps! Then I came across Burt's Bees Acne Solutions and dashed over to MUA to see the reviews on it. To my surprise, it had amazing reviews! Since the prices were incredibly reasonable (considering my other skincare products) I was more than willing to give it a go. Here's what I picked up: 

Natural Acne Solutions Purifying Gel Cleanser
at $10 for 5 fl oz. I didn't have much to complain about! It's 99.4% natural, lathers up nicely, and leaves my skin feeling squeaky clean. Here's what Burt's Bees has to say: This soothing natural cleanser is clinically proven to help wash away acne causing bacteria, excess oil and impurities without over-drying or irritating skin. Salicylic acid, derived naturally from willow bark extract, penetrates pores to help reduce acne and prevent future breakouts. Evening primrose and beet root extracts also help soothe acne prone skin resulting in clear and healthy-looking skin, naturally. Dermatologist tested. Noncomedogenic.

 Natural Acne Targeted Spot Treatment
$10.00, the same price as the cleanser, but only for 0.26 fl oz. I was a bit hesistant, but it is 100% natural and I wanted to test it out either way--so I took the plunge and now I'm so glad I did! It is a bit hard to apply (it's liquid so I press my finger against the opening, turn the bottle over--think applying perfume-- and then I dab the liquid on my forehead, nose, and chin.) but it works like a dream. It dried up my pimples, bumps, etc., and really is a great treatment. Here's what Burt's Bees has to say: This natural acne spot treatment is clinically proven to reduce and improve the appearance of blemishes without irritating skin. Salicylic acid, derived naturally from willow bark extract, penetrates pores to help reduce acne and prevent future breakouts. Meanwhile tea tree, calendula, yarrow and parsley extracts help soothe skin and reduce redness and Borage Extract promotes healthy skin resulting in clear and smooth skin, naturally. Dermatologist tested. Noncomedogenic.  

There's also a scrub, moisturizer, and other products that are part of the Natural Acne Solutions line, but I only bought these 2. Overall, these two products are now a must have for me! I've been using them for the past 3 weeks, and my skin has gotten significantly better! I always forget that sometimes drugstore brands outdo department store brands in some cases, and I'm so glad I got reminded! If you decide you want to give Burt's Bees products a try (their chapsticks/lip balms are great as well!) try to buy them from a drugstore (CVS, Wallgreens, etc) because at most beauty supply stores, the price will be hiked up just a tad.

It's natural, Earth friendly, and actually works?! What's not to love?