Who Doesn't Love Dressing Up? (Under $30!)

The holiday season always puts me in the mood of dressing up! This is the one time of year where I actually get the chance to dress up--better make the most of it, while on a budget of course.

Here are my favorite wallet friendly finds at Forever 21!


Exposed Back Peplum Dress, $27.80

I absolutely adore this dress! It's sophisticated and sexy while still being elegant. The turtle neck and cap sleeves are both flattering while not sacraficing trendy-ness. Not to mention the skirt, which for people like me (hello wide hips) should flatter the bottom as well! I would pair with pearls and pumps.

Draped Tie Dress, $29.80

Chiffon and satin? Hello perfect holiday dress! This dress drapes in just the right places--making the one shoulder easy to wear while still being classy.  The beading is definitely not over the top, and you can tie the dress on the side or in the back. Less is definitely more with this dress, the elegance of the fabric and style of the dress is enough to leave people ooh-ing and aah-ing.


Ribbed Frill Neck Dress, $24.80

This dress will definitely be one you can flaunt your assets in. I love the ruffle v-neck, universally flattering! And also love the fact that the v-neck is in the back as well! This dress is one you can dress up or down as well--which is always a plus. This would look great with a fun colored pair of tights as well!


Iredescent Ruffle Skirt, $15.80

Pair this with a simple top/blouse from your basic wardrobe and a pair of tights--voila! A fun, flirty alternative to a dress, while still being chic. Textured skirts add shape to the lower half, which can also hide problematic areas--who doesn't love that?!

Happy Holidays Fashionistas!
xoxo

Bare Minimum

Lately my skin just does not have that "fresh face" look it used to. At the age of 23, all of a sudden I have been dealing with mild acne and scarring (not only on my skin, my soul as well haha). In my teens and in high school, I never had an issue with acne--I suppose I am paying my dues now. Next weekend, me and the bf are heading out on a weekend trip and going to Disneyland for a day as well! Thinking about a full day out at an amusement park (and of course me wanting pictures I look decent in) I decided to drop by Sephora to check out the new bareMinerals matte foundation.

The obvious pros are easy/quick application and the SPF 15. Plus, bareMinerals is known for actually improving skin.

I'll admit, back in high school I jumped on the bareMinerals bandwagon and used it religiously. However, I found that my skin was getting "used" to the foundation, so I stopped using it and moved on to liquid foundation. I'm going back mainly because I don't like having to wear liquid foundations or tinted moisturizers when I just want to even out my skin tone--especially if I'm going to be out and about all day. After trying out the Matte, I loved the light feeling it gave me plus after a few minutes of it sitting on my skin-- it blended so well!

I still have to use concealer for my under eyes, but I must say I was impressed with the ease of Matte and the results as well. If you're looking for a good powder foundation, I highly suggest bareMinerals Matte--just make sure you prime your skin before application and blend well!

xoxo

"The Morning After" looses it's negative connotation, all thanks to Rebecca Minkoff!

We've all been there at one point or another--the long night with a male companion, that leads into the early morn, with of course the "morning after look". If you haven't been in this situation before, let me lay it out for you: after the long night, you're walking back with the same clothes you wore out, heels in hand, your smokey eye faded, and tousled hair. Now for many of us girls (especially those in college), the morning after is one of those things your friends tease you about.
Well fear not fashionistas, designer Rebecca Minkoff has given the morning after a good name! The handbag she is most well-known for (also a celeb favorite) is The Morning After Bag. At first sight, I fell in love with this bag (as did the boyfriend, which is VERY rare)--so basic in structure and plain out classic. This is definitely a bag for those of us who like the simple things in life. Here's a picture of lovable Hayden with her Morning After Bag (hereafter referred to as MAB) I snagged off the web:

Here's the description of the bag via www.rebeccaminkoff.com/shop:

The classic Rebecca Minkoff bags remains to be our best selling style. Ideal for work or play; this bag is perfect for staying out till sunrise. Toothbrush not included.

• 14" x 8.5" x 9" with a 6.5" drop
• Genuine Italian Leather
• Custom Hardware

Now, I find the idea of the bag to be incredibly cute (there's even a picture of a hot male model on a little business card with a phone number and the name Vincent in the pocket of the bag, which is a cute quirk) but I still have not invested in the MAB. Why you may ask? I don't find the MAB to be incredibly functional. I am a handbag whore, to say the least. I appreciate buttery leather, unique hardware, and handbags that seem chic in every way. To be honest, my handbag collection is mainly designer and I have everything from Chanel to Coach, and I really thought I would buy the MAB with no questions asked.
While scouting them (MABs) out at Nordy's, I realized why I wasn't in total loooove. The shape, although modern and clean cut, is not terribly exciting. Another deal breaker for me was the weight of the bag (which is not disclosed on the website)-- it's terribly heavy! Imagine having an already heavy bag, along with your belongings (which I am the queen of stocking anything and everything in my handbags--note to self: do a what's in my bag post).

As you can see, the MAB is a bit on the boxy side, and if you want your hands free--you have to purchase a strap seperately (then the bag becomes $635). Overall, I love Rebecca Minkoff as a designer, and her others handbags (Morning After Clutches!) I absolutely LOVE. However, the MAB will not be in my handbag closet anytime soon. My best friend took the plunge and got the MAB in grey pebbled leather (she was excited because it even fit her work laptop!) yet she even admitted that the bag itself was quite heavy.

Now for the postives: I absolutely adore the Morning After Clutches. I love the fact that there is a chain strap (hello, Chanel!), and the simple design along with superb leather is perfect for a night out, or even daytime errands. Not to mentions it fits my Marc Jacobs Wallet, iPhone, and Keys with incredible ease (there's even room for makeup!). Say hello to the MAC:

I have one in Grey and another in a deep Purple. If a sample sale rolls around, I would not be surprised if I purchased one in a red or wine color!

Another love from Rebecca Minkoff is the C Ya Later Clutch:

I love unique looking bags. The fact that this clutch is shaped like an envelope was a deal sealer for me! The studs are perfect (not too over the top) and the one I have is a beautiful deep brown color. Perfect for daytime (paired with leggings and boots) or date night with the boyfriend.

If you haven't been able to tell--I love clutches with straps! Who likes holding on to their clutch, along with drinks, phones, or whatever else you may have? Not me! I enjoy being hands free, thank you very much.

xoxo

Product Review: Lash Blast Length

As far as mascara goes, I've always searched for the perfect one. One that isn't too clumpy, not incredibly dramatic (for day time), and one that doesn't smear (ew, raccoon eyes--no thanks). I've ventured in department store brands such as Clinique, Estee Lauder, and Lancome; although they none of them were absolutely fabulous I stuck with Clinique High Impact Mascara and Clinique High Impact Curling Mascara. I find them both a little too dramatic for day, so I ended up mainly using them for my nights out.

Enter Covergirl, and their spokesmodel, Drew Barrymore, with a new ad and a spiffy new mascara called Lashblast. In case you were unaware, Lashblast mascara was the highest launch and had millions of followers within a short amount of time. Yes, who doesn't love Drew Barrymore, but covergirl's success was way more than a good ad campaign, name-dropping, and a pretty face; covergirl launched a fabulous product. When I got the original Lashblast, I loved it. I still didn't use it for everyday, but it didn't clump as much as I expected it to and it added a good amount of volume to my lashes.

However, the new Lashblast Length is FABULOUS. I purchased it on a whim (while grocery shopping at Ralphs) and as soon as I got home to try it, I fell in looove. 1, the brush is fantastic and 2, the revamped formula (apparently with some type of nylon) is lightweight and coats even the teeniest of lashes. This is my new go to mascara for day OR night! It increases the length of my lashes my a good amount, does not clump AT ALL, and if I curl my lashes, they stay intact all day long.

Overall: Love the new lashblast length more than the original, lightweight, adds a tad but of volume, and doesn't smear. Plus, the new brush is fabulous.

Definitely a 5-star product and a new staple for my makeup bag!

Have any of you tried lashblast length? Let me know what you think!

xoxo

Splendid/Ella Moss Sample/Warehouse sale!

Attention fashionistas! One of my absolute favorite brands is having a sample sale this weekend!


What?: Splendid / Ella Moss Warehouse Sale
When?: Friday, 11/20 - Saturday 11/21 (9am-4pm) and Sunday, 11/22 (10am-3pm)
Why?: Save 50%-70% on Ella Moss, Splendid, Splendid little, Ella moss girls and more in tops, bottoms, tees, outerwear and more
Where?: Cooper Building, 860 S. Los Angeles St., 8th Fl, Los Angeles 90014.

Cash / Credit Card only!

happy shopping!
xoxo

Review: Lush skincare follow up

So earlier I blogged about my fantastic plan to go organic with my skincare and ended up using LUSH products. After revamping my routine for about a month now--I can honestly I am not as impressed I was to begin with. Body wise (i.e soaps, body wash, etc) LUSH is still fabulous, however the Coalface cleanser and toner tabs are not-so-fab anymore.
After consistent use, I noticed my pores are a little more clogged and the Coalface cleanser was making my face more red and just blotchy. The toner tabs were okay with first use (i.e when you steam your face, of course it'll feel fabulous) but after using them afterwards--you can use the toner 3-4 days after initial steam as a normal room temp toner--it didn't do much at all.
Ocean salt is still a good exfoliator, and Angels on Bare skin is a good cleanser; but fair warning--they aren't absolutely amazing.

Bottom line: LUSH face masks, massage bars, body wash, soap--fabulous!
moisturizers, coalface cleanser, toner tabs--not so much.

Basically if you do want to add some organic-ness to your skincare I would recommend the ocean salt and angels on bare skin face cleanser; and all the masks I mentioned before are to die for! Remember, this is just my opinion; obviously everyone's skin is different. LUSH is pretty awesome when it comes to giving samples so test things out before you buy!

And remember, they have a fabulous return policy--who doesn't love that?

I decided to try out the Clinique 3-step skin care line (It was about $8.50 at Sephora for a trial run approx 3 weeks) since I've heard good things about it. We'll see how that goes!

xoxo

House of Harlow 1960--my new jewelery obsession

Nicole Richie's jewelery line, House of Harlow 1960 (named after her daughter, Harlow) became a favorite of starlets & celebs alike (Madonna, Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton, just to name a few). After seeing the line myself, I immediately fell in love. My mom is a HUGE jewelery buff--she's a true believer in diamonds being a girl's best friend and rarely buys any artificial jewelery--I, however like more of the fashion forward accessories/jewelry and dabble in the artificial jewelery every once in a while. I love things that will make my outfits pop and stand out, but I hate sacrificing quality (thanks for life lessons, mom!).
Enter, House of Harlow 1960: the perfect compromise of fashion forward, trendy jewelery without sacrificing quality OR breaking the bank! 14 kt. yellow gold plated, along with leather are some of the materials used to make her jewelery line--not like other lines, where you really don't get much "bang for your buck".

Here are some of my favorite pieces from the line:


Resin and Stone Earrings ($35)



Sunburst Leather Cocktail Ring ($45)



Feather Earrings ($72)



Leather Drop Necklace ($65)

I love the fact that the pieces are casual enough for daytime but can work for a night out as well! And at these prices, I definitely won't complain.

Most of the pieces pictured above are available at Bloomingdales where I found the prices to be the most reasonable (most of the high-end boutiques--i.e Kitson--somewhat jack up the price). The Feather Earrings however, are not at Bloomie's, but can be found at www.shopbop.com

Don't forget, the Bloomingdales coupon code works til 11:59 pm tonight--enter HOLIDAY at checkout for 20% off!

xoxo