Fall Beauty Trends / THE NEW NUDE

I have to say, I feel a little bit of fall fever going around. Just to satisfy my urge to bundle up, I decided to do a little post on some fall beauty trends. I was captivated by this video, where makeup artist Lisa Eldridge did a fall beauty editorial for Chinese Vogue. The six looks were just too good to do all in one post, so I will be splitting up the posts over the course of a week. If you want to, go ahead and look at the video, but only if you want to spoil the surprise.

The first look, THE NEW NUDE / cashmere, caramel, and honey tones.

 For this look, it is all about natural beauty. When doing a look like this, the emphasis should be on making your skin and face look naturally beautiful, like you are not wearing any makeup. Starting with the skin, it should be glowing and natural, yet perfected. You can do this by adding highlighter to your everyday foundation, or you could add a glowing primer underneath (something like the Fresh Twilight Fresh Faced Glow). Add a bit of contouring for a bit of added color with a light bronzer. For the eyes, use three shades. The first shade, a cool toned pinky brown, should be buffed all over the eye and into the inner corner. Next, use a matte golden shade all over the lid, then a slightly darker shade on the outer corner and underneath the lid. For the colors, Lisa used (in order) MAC ground work and Tom Ford eye quad in Cocoa Mirage 03. Next, curl the eye lashes. For the brows, if you have naturally filled in brows, then don’t touch them. If you don’t you can do a bit of filling in, but just a bit to make them look cohesive, not screaming out. Lastly, for the lips, use a nude balm with a matte finish to top of the natural-ness. Finishing up, a bit of face gloss (or highlighter) on the cheekbones, brow bones, and cupids bow finish off the look.

(for more info on the products Lisa used, visit this link)

Birchbox July 2012

Another Birchbox post…

July 2012 / The Senses with Glamour Magazine

 

1 / Color Club “blue ming” “use this green-turquoise polish on fingers and toes all summer long.” ($8)

Notes : since I am not a huge nail polish person, not to mention bright colors, this wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, but the formula is great. It goes on super smoothly and the colors are so pigmented, to the point that you need only one coat! 

2 / Gloss Moderne high-gloss masque “sun, heat, and pollution all strip our hair — happily, this vitamin-rich conditioning complex restores bounce and shine.” ($39)                                                                                                                    

Notes : this is by far my favorite product in the whole box. First, the islandy coconut scent turns my shower into….I don’t even know how to explain it! The scent stays in your hair forever! It makes it glossy, shiny, and healthy looking, not to mention better than it has with any other product. One of the best features: your hair actually looks better the longer it goes with out being washed! Oh, and by the way, it also brings out your hair color!

3 / Harvey Prince eau flirt “the fragrance equivalent of a wink, this fanciful scent layers fresh citrus and jasmine notes over a base of lavender and pumpkin.” ($55-$98)

Notes : honestly, I have not really used this scent. I have smelled it a few times, but it is not really amazing or jaw dropping, but it sure does sound amazing!

4 / Manna Kadar sheer glo shimmer lotion “this cult luminizing liquid adds a supermodel-like sheen to skin. Mix it with your foundation, or apply as a highlighter to cheeks and brow bones.” ($29)

Notes : for now, I think I will stick to my more natural highlighter but sometimes I mix a bit of this with my cream blush and it turns out great. Overall, a great product!

5 / suki balancing kit “this all-in-one set clams and purifies troubled skin, leaving it smooth and hydrated.” ($40)

Notes : because the picture didn’t show it, I received samples of the whole set in my box and I have mixed feelings. I have not tried all of it yet, but from what I have tried, I did not see a huge difference in my skin. I did like the toner, but didn’t like the exfoliating cleanser. I love that it is made with all natural ingredients, but I think I’ll spend the money on something else. 

July Favorites

I’m so sad that July is over and that the start of school is just around the corner, but I am also excited because August is my birthday month and is the start of ballet classes (except for the fact that I am not allowed to dance for August…anyway). Although I had been very busy with ABT summer intensive and all, I did make time to have some new favorites. Here they are and happy August, everyone!

 

1 / St. Ives Apricot Scrub I picked this up in a travel size just to try it because I really needed a face scrub. I had heard so many good things about it and I am now a true advocate. They sandy like texture and yummy scent scrub away all my black heads and leave my skin feeling ridiculously soft and smooth. Available @ drugstore.

2 / Girl Meets Pearl I have been wanting this product for a while now and I am so glad that I tried it. It gives the most perfect subtle hint of pink while reflecting the light perfectly. I am very, very pleased with this highlighter and it is now one of my absolute favorite products…ever! Available here.

3 / Smart Water I must admit, when your dancing all day, the last thing that is on your mine is the water you drink, as long as it’s there. Luckily, Smart Water has added electrolights to increase hydration without feeling bloated and tastes so much better than regular water.

4 / Clinique Redness Solutions Pressed Powder I raved about this powder in this post and here I am raving about it again. Enough said…. Available here.

5 / Emotional Brilliance @ LUSH Again, I talked about the line here, but it blew my mind so much that I just had to talk about it again. The colors are highly pigmented and so versatile, oh yeah, and natural. Available here.

6 / Melvita Floral Rose Water I own the Evian Facial Mist, but I like this one much better. The rose scent is so sophisticated and I just can’t get enough. I plan on buying the full size or there may be a little bit of DIY involved. You can read more about it here.

7 / Clinique Black Honey A classic that I have been dying to try. At first I bought the same product in Lovely Honey in fear that the Black Honey would be too dark. It wasn’t until last week that I realized that I seriously needed a dark lip product and I knew that this was the answer. Seriously amazing! Available here.

Style Watch: Ombre Lip

The ombre trend keeps on popping up every where. From hair, to dresses, nails, and now lips! Here is how to create your own, but in a more subtle and natural way than you would see on the runway (you know me, I’m all about natural). Surprisingly, it’s super easy! Here’s to you trend watchers!!

HOW TO  / OMBRE LIP

1 / Start with any lip color, just make sure it is actually darker than your actual lip color (like a plum or burgundy). Apply it to your top lip only.

2 / Gently rub your lips together to dispence a bit of color on your bottom lip.

3 / Using a cotton swab (or your finger) get rid of some of the color from your bottom lip focusing on the very bottom part and slowly getting rid of less and less until you get to the top lip.

4 / Apply one more coat of color to the top lip and you’re done!

Foodie Friday: French Yogurt Cake

I made this cake one morning before breakfast, and, oh boy, was it good…for breakfast of course! This is now one of my favorites. It’s light fluffy, refreshing, summery, oh, and did I mention it was amazing? This is definitely a must make!

French Yogurt Cake

• nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• 3/4 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a standard (8 1/2×4 1/4″) loaf pan with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Dust with flour; tap out excess. Whisk 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt in a medium bowl. Using your fingers, rub 1 cup sugar with 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest in a large bowl until sugar is moist. Add 3/4 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 2 large eggs, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; whisk to blend. Fold in dry ingredients just to blend. Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top. Bake until top of cake is golden brown and a tester inserted into center comes out clean, 50-55 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert onto rack; let cool completely. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

(via Bon Appetite)

Style Watch: Floral Headbands

It’s summer and what could be more fitting that a pretty floral headband? Pretty and chic, why wouldn’t you want to try one of these?!? From delicate to dramatic, there is one to fit your every need and want.

on the runway…

 purple @ Diane von Furstenburg

in the editorials…

on the celebrities…

on Kiera Knightly

on Kirsten Dunst

on the one and only Blair Waldorf…or Leighton Meester

tips and where to get your own

***When wearing one of these fabulous hair accessories, try to keep things more romantic or laid back. Don’t go for those stick-straight locks that some of you are used to. For those who have the straight naturally, just mess your hair up a bit or through in some texturizing spray.

where to get one…

the pretty white @ etsy

the neutral @ etsy

the “daisies” in a row @ F21

the whimsical fairy @ F21

Summer Celebrating

Hoorah! Today is officially the first day of summer! Summer brings many new things. From popsicles outside to switching up your everyday routine, summer calls more many new additions. I am going to try to help you all out with some of your new additions. As you know, I am newly subscribed to Birchbox and I am super excited. What I love about the site is how they test every product and bring you only the best of the best. Below are some of the products that, I agree, are truely the best, but also below are going to be some products that I am hoping to try out. Enjoy, and, happy first day of summer! Spend the evening outside or hit up the beach, just enjoy those 14 hours and 37 minutes of day light!

products we both love…

Juicy Couture – Juicy Couture Fragrance : a chic, fragrance with top notes of watermelon, passion fruit, and mandarin combine with bright whiffs of marigold and green apple. Rose, vanilla, and yummy caramel undertones anchor the scent. Perfect for everyday or a night out, this will definitely be  your go to fragrance for all your seasons and events.

Larabar : with 9 ingredients max per bar, forget those fillers and preservatives and learn that a delicious snack can be all natural…even with flavors like carrot cake, apple pie, chocolate chip cookie dough, and peanut butter cookie (my favorite).

Luna Bar : if you haven’t noticed already, I am obsessed with bars. These yummy ones pack tons of essential vitamins and nutrients that your body needs all under 200 calories and with delicious flavors (i adore the chocolate peppermint stick and the chocolate dipped coconut).

Viva la Juicy Fragrance : a head turning floral and fruity fragrance that will without-a-doubt make you feel more than glamourous. Top notes of wild berries and sweet mandarin flirt with lady-like middle notes of honeysuckle, jasmine, and gardenia. Warm base notes of caramel, amber, vanilla, sandalwood, and praline hover beneath it all.

products i hope to try soon (in my box)…

Boscia Green Tea Blotting Papers : these all natural blotting papers soak up excess oil and sweat without smearing your makeup. Perfect for girls on the go (or us dancers).

Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream : forget the coffee and get up already! Luckily for you, with  the addition of this eye cream the fast-absorbing formula minimizes dark circles, deflates puffiness, and boosts hydration.

The Balm – Stainiac : this two-in-one lip and cheek stain gives us a natural, understated flush and helps us get out the door faster. The gel formula looks dark in the tube but delivers a sheer tint. It comes in three shades that complement all skin tones: Beauty Queen is a magenta-toned pink, Prom Queen is a lovely rose pink, and Homecoming Queen is a dewy peach.

Yes to Blueberries Brightening Facial Towelettes : these sweet-smelling towelettes are designed to a) remove makeup, b) cleanse skin or c) moisturize.

Benefit High Beam : a perpetual award winner, Benefit’s High Beam subtly highlights and enhances your features — a necessity when you want to draw a little extra attention.

Jouer Lip Enhancer : it’s deeply moisturizing, smells amazing, and delivers the prettiest hint of sheer pink color. The best part? It minimizes the appearance of fine lines and boosts your lips naturally without that annoying tingly sensation found in so many other plumpers.

Beauty Tricks of the Trade

We all have our own beauty tips and tricks. They can bee something that we learned from another blog (hmmm…Elizabeth), or something that we figured out through day after day of making ourselves look pretty. Here are some of my beauty tips and tricks!

( image via )

1 / Apply your mascara to the outer eye lashes only : this application gives your eyes that fake “cat eye” effect, which is very, very flattering to blue eyes (which I have) and is a quick and easy way to get two looks in one.

2 / Use eye shadow as a softer looking eye liner : using a small angled brush (i love this one ), apply a little water to the brush and then dip it in the eye shadow to create almost a gel-like consistency.

3 / Go cool : after you wash your hair in the shower, rinse it at the end with a blast of cold water. This helps seal the hair cuticle to give it that lasting shine that everyone loves.

4 / The law of minimalism: use a clear gloss for your lips : i love this lip balm, which has a slight glossy quality. I use it over all of my favorite balms and stains to give them that gloss-like quality.

5 / Taming the mane : how many of us wake up in the morning and have crazy, out of control hair. Bumps here and there, frizzyness all over the place, these phrases are used too often. To tame my crazy hair in the mornings, I gather my hair into a low pony tail without using a brush and smooth out all of my hair. I let it sit like this while I have breakfast or brush my teeth and when I take it out, I have beautifully tamed hair. Be sure to use a hair elastic that won’t leave a crease ( like these ).

The Chanel haute couture Diaries

Happy Monday everyone! I hope that you all had a relaxing weekend and, not to mention, Father’s Day.

Today, we will be looking at the runway…the Chanel 2012 Haute Couture Collection in fact, but without having to buy a single Chanel product. From the clothes, to the look, to the fresh faces, be prepared to be completely “CHANEL-ed”.

Fashion

Loaded with tons of feminine, classic, elegant, sparkly, textured, not to mention, blue (over 100 shades of it in fact), the collection was gorgeous and had the perfect ting of spring and summer in it’s look, while still looking au-so-chic.

The Look-Alikes

TOP ROW: Sequin handbag ($15) , Summer skirt ($37) , Full skirt ($20) , Kirra chain earrings ($18) , Peplum top  ($64)

BOTTOM ROW: Metallic jacket ($30) , Feather hair accessory (£25) , Dorothy Perkins lace shirt ($27) , Tiered dot tank ($70) , Dorothy Perkins linen blazer ($39)

Beauty

The Look-Alike

Eyes

1) Apply Jack Wills eyeliner ($9.50) to your upper and lower lash line.

2) Apply the Sephora Collection waterproof eyeliner ($9) above the eyeliner from the first step and blend towards the outer corner of the eye.

3) Put the Eyeshadow ($5) on the inner corners of your eyes and a bit right below your brow bone. Blend out the rest of the eye and apply mascara.

Lips

Korres beauty product ($18)

Nails

Essie nailpolish

Cheeks

Maybelline blush ($6.44)

A Sugary to Glittery Day / 1

Well, I asked you all to vote on a new series that I will be doing. The winner is….”A Sugary to Glittery Day”! I will be doing the other options occasionally, but not as series posts. I hope you enjoy the following post and have “a sugary to glittery” day yourself.

My Day / Week of June 4

A relaxing day with a friend filled with movies, coffee, cookies, and “healthy eating”…

7:10 AM 

Breakfast Quinoa / quinoa, almond milk, maple syrup, a warmed peach, blueberries, a few chopped raw almonds.

7:30 AM

Getting dressed…while checking my favorite blogs of course!

12:30

An amazing lunch with a friend at home. Two corn tortillas, a wedge of laughing cow light swiss, grilled chicken, avocado, tomato, salsa, spinach, and a hint of fresh lime juice.

1:00 PM

Lattes while watching one of the best movies I have ever seen…Aftershock.

3:00 PM

Making Nutella Pillow Cookies.

6:00 PM

Browsing at The Paper Source. Aren’t those Father’s Day cards and notebook so cute!

7:00 PM

New York City Ballet collection nail polish petites at the Cosmetic Market.

7:30 PM

Salads at Whole Foods. Mine had lettuce, chickpeas, carrots, quinoa, spicy thai dressing, chicken, and tomato mozzarella salad on it.