Nail Experiment Fail

Well, darlings, it was worth a shot. If you read Monday's post, you know I was trying to see if a new tip I'd read about would help make my manicure last longer. But as I was leaving the house to head to a doctor's appointment this morning, I noticed the first chink in my nail polish armor. Wah! By the way, I did my nails on Sunday night, and this happened this morning. So, what is that, three days?

It was one nail, but isn't that always how it starts? The rest of my nails were fine, and I was holding out hope they would last.

Alas, a particularly busy and stressful day at work did its damage. Remember how I said my bad nail habit was to chip away at my nail polish when I'm nervous or stressed? Yeah, it happened. I'll spare you the gory aftermath picture

Oh well. I'm not giving up hope. I'm going to keep trying for a longer lasting manicure. It's not because I don't lilike changing my polish often, but I'd rather it be my polish ADD and not because my nails are all chipped and trashy.

I've read up on some other tricks. I'll see what works and report back.

My trip and shopping in NYC

Large building in the Rockefeller area (top left),  random street art (top right), statue I saw somewhere (bottom left), St. Patricks Cathedral (bottom right)

You might have noticed last week that I was a bit MIA from the blog. I was on a quick business trip to New York. I managed a post on Monday, but work, packing, and a super-early bed time made it difficult to sit down and write. While I was there, I was busy exploring, so instead I tried to keep in touch via Twitter and Instagram. But I know it's not always the same.

I had a great time during my down time in the city exploring some Fifth Avenue shopping and just walking around. I only had a few hours to myself to explore, so there was only so much I could do. Pictured above are some of the places I visited. I walked by St. Patrick's Cathedral about a million times before I realized what it was. It was under renovation and there was scaffolding everywhere, so it wasn't until Thursday morning when I was heading out for breakfast that I realized what the building was and finally walked in. It was absolutely beautiful and I imagine it's only a precursor to what I will see in Italy in October.

The first place I ran to after I dropped off my luggage at the hotel was Bergdorff Goodman. After the walk from my hotel to the store, I had foot cramps (I blame dehydration, I normally drink my full 64 oz a day and I only drank maybe 16 oz that day) on both feet. It made it hard to concentrate inside, but I powered through. That store is a maze, but one I was happy to get lost in. Everything in there was so pretty and the shoe display -  oh my word! I had to sit down when I got up there. Ok, because my foot cramped, but it gave me a chance to really take it all in. Such beautiful shoes!

Perhaps my favorite part of Bergdorffs was the basement level (where the beauty department is housed). You would think I was captivated by makeup, but no. It was the perfume that got me. So many great scents! I'm particularly in love with Kilian Rose Oud. When the sales man first sprayed me I thought it was nice, but I wasn't sold. In fact, I thought it was a bit too strong. But after I left and walked around all day, and kept smelling it lingering on me throughout the day, I changed my mind. After it sat on my skin and the scent developed, my goodness, it was divine. I can't describe perfumes very well, but it certainly smelled decadent, sultry, and seductive. At $400 a bottle, I didn't get it. Heaven forbid something happen to it in transit in my checked luggage! But, it's on my wish list now, and I may just be giving myself a nice little gift sometime in the future when I accomplish some goal I set for myself. For now, I must be content with smelling it on the cardboard he sprayed it on, which I snuck into one of my drawers and whenever I open it -- wow, just wow.

Bergdorff Goodman entrance (top left), NBC News building Rockefeller Plaza (top right),  J.Crew store Rockefeller Plaza (bottom right), Rockefeller Plaza sign (bottom left)

Ok, ok, so I know I said I didn't want to go shopping in stores that I had available where I lived, but I had to break with that just a little. Only a little, don't judge me. Let me explain. First, the Saks Fifth Avenue store where I live is small. It will never compare to the real thing. I had to go in. And I just loved how they have an express elevator that takes you straight to the shoe floor. I had a very similar reaction to their shoe displays as I did at Bergdorff. Gorgeous. Just beautiful shoes. Also, the flagship Saks store carries some brands that aren't available at the Saks at home. For example, I purchased some Burberry makeup. You know, because I just had to. They also had the very covetted Tom Ford line, although I refrained (and it was really hard).

Instead I opted for the new Burberry Velvet Foundation, which is a long wearing, water proof foundation. And by the way, it feels quite velvety going on, so the name is suiting. It just looks and feels so luxe. Even the box it comes in doesn't really feel like regular cardboard, but like really nice fancy thick paper stock. And it looks really great on too. I figured since it's long wearing and waterproof, it would be great for Italy while I'm walking around outside all day long. This is how I justified it to myself. I was pretty surprised it wasn't as expensive as I would have imagined. The foundation was $50 (by the way, I got shade 205). Not cheap, but not much more than the Make Up Forever foundation I use from Sephora, which is $42.

The makeup gal also put some pretty eyeliner on me, and I had to get it. The color is called Midnight Ash and it's a beautiful dark army green that borders on black and has some gold flecks in it. The photo below doesn't really pick it up well, but trust me when I say, it's gorgeous and a fun deviation from my typical black or brown liner. It doesn't really look like green when applied, it's so dark it could pass as a muted black, but those gold flecks just make it pick up light and looks really pretty on. I believe I paid about $30 for it. That's the most I've ever paid for an eyeliner. I was on a trip and I indulged, there's really no good rationale for it. I liked it. I didn't have anything like it. I couldn't get it at home. I bought it. Perhaps I'll eventually find a dupe for it. But for now, I'll enjoy my luxurious makeup purchase.

Burberry Velvet Foundation (No. 205), Burberry Eye Definer (Midnight Ash)

I also went to J. Crew. I know, I know. But hear me out. I used to work for J.Crew in college and several holiday seasons since college. I love J.Crew. I had to visit the mothership in New York. They are the ones that get all the good stuff! Whenever we would get new shipments at my store, there was inevitably a boat load of items that we wouldn't get because of the size of our store and location (hey, we don't really need as many winter coats as they do up north) and I just had to go see the store that got it all. And my darling readers, it paid off! As I mentioned in an earlier post, I received a small $25 rewards gift card from J.Crew (rewards points for using my J. Crew card) and I figured why not go in there and see if I find anything to spend it on. I did. I nearly skipped out of the store squealing. I've been wanting a pair of the Cece suede ballet flats. I had a few colors picked out that I wanted. But whenever they went on sale (which with my employee discount would make them practically nothing and they retail for $138) they never had my size in the colors that I wanted.

Well, you guessed it. They had a pair in my size at the store in New York. They are the purple ones (or as J. Crew calls it, Orchid - they are photographing blue but they are purple) and they were marked down to $69.99. I had a $25 card, so they only cost me $45. I've been in the market for some comfortable ballet flats, and with my honeymoon trip looming, I needed to find them quickly. I did not want to walk around Italy in athletic shoes. Gasp! The horror! I tried not to think about how much better the price would have been if I were still an employee, but the gift card helped, and made it pretty close to what I would have paid if I could still give them my employee number.  So that ladies is my excuse. That is why I went into two stores that I have at home. Forgivable, right?

Clockwise: J.Crew Cece sude ballet flats  ($70), Steve Madden quilted cap toe ballet flats ($63), Joe Fresh yoga shirt ($5), Uniqlo ultra stretch skinny jeans in black ($30), Joe Fresh silk short sleeve blouse ($39), Joe Fresh polka dot cardi ($39)

If you come here often, you also knew I was on a mission to visit Joe Fresh thanks to Felicia at This That Beauty. And people, she knows her stuff. That store was fantastic. It was affordable and they had very cute things. I wanted so much stuff, but stupidly, I did not bring a decent sized suitcase, so I had space limitations. I could kick myself! They had so many cute ballet flats, but none of the things I saw on their website and talked about in my post about them. But that was ok, they still had some cute things. For those of you who don't have a Joe Fresh around you, I'd describe it as a more affordable J. Crew. I guess maybe like the H&M equivalent for a J. Crew or a Gap.

I know a few of my blogger friends will be up in New York for fashion week and some of them want to visit Joe Fresh. A word to the wise, the tops run a little large. Also, get everything you want because you can't order anything online. I wish I had realized that when I was there.

I'm glad I tried stuff on. I ended up with three items, an adorable polka dot cotton cardi (it looks so cute on!), a cobalt blue silk button down shirt (I wanted the green one too, but they didn't have my size and I thought I could just order it when I got home, big mistake), and a regular t-shirt. I got the yoga shirt because the shirt I packed to come back home in was going to be too hot to wear (bonus, it was on sale for $5 from $10, I had no idea until I saw my receipt). Boy am I glad I got it. It is amazingly comfortable. I wanted to go back for more of them, but I got side tracked at J. Crew. If any of my blogger pals hits up Joe Fresh when they are up there next week and wants to do me a solid, get me a few more of those yoga shirts (I'll pay you back girl!).

I was so nervous about fitting everything into my little suitcase, I was conservative in my shopping. I kept thinking I could order online. I'm so sad that I can't. I had the same thought when I went to Uniqlo. They have the most AMAZING ultra stretch skinny jeans. I was in the market for a black pair. It was late when I went into the store (considering I'd been up since 3 a.m. to get to the airport by 4:30 a.m.) and I still hadn't eaten. I went, grabbed the jeans, tried them on, and left. Here's the kicker: I bypassed their cashmere sweaters that were on sale. Seriously, I was out of my mind by then. Should of, could of, would of. Head-desk. But, I'm glad I got the jeans. First, I almost paid three times that for a pair at Nordstrom that I only kind of liked (glad I held off). These are so stretchy and comfortable, I feel like I could do yoga in them. For real. That comfy girls. Amazing. Normally priced at $40, I got them for $30. The only thing is they only come in a 33" length. I'm 5'3" so that's obviously too long. But even if I factor in getting them hemmed they are still way less that what I almost paid and they look a million times better. If only they had e-commerce available on their US website. Why?! Get on that guys!

Finally, I hit up Steve Madden, which is across from Joe Fresh. Yes, I know, I can get Steve Madden shoes everywhere, but there was a sale sign up. So naturally I walked in. I got a new pair of ballet flats. I bought these before I got the ones at J. Crew. My feet were hurting in my sandals and these ballet flats were much more comfortable. They were also on sale for 30 percent off and neutral. Need I say more? Bought them and wore them for the rest of the trip.

Obviously, I went into a lot more stores while I was there. These were just the stores where I purchased something. I walked into so many places I can't even keep track. The Sephora there is huge and amazing, but I only walked in did a lap and walked out (too crowded) and there were few designer specific stores I walked into and admired too. I can't list them all, this post is already epic.

A little thing I learned while I was up there that might benefit a few of my friends going up there soon: Any purchase under $100 is tax free. At least this is what the sales people told me and what my sales receipt showed. So that's kinda nice. Thankfully everything I got fit perfectly in my tiny suitcase and I only had to carry my new shoes in a bag with me on the plane. So, being conservative in my shopping paid off in that sense. Now I just need to make plans for another trip. This time over the weekend so I have more than just a few hours to shop and explore. Remember, I was only really there for a little over 24 hours (and that's including travel time, and time spent in the office working).

What do you think of my quickie purchases?

Manicure Monday: Stefani

Last week I showed you a gorgeous rose gold polish from Julep, which I received in my August Julep Maven* subscription. I changed things up this month, opting for the American Beauty box over the It Girl polishes specifically for Dakota, but also, because when I go for metallic polish, it's usually a gunmetal hue. The American Beauty box delivered.

Stefani, the lovely gunmetal polish pictured below, take a bit of a different twist on the shade by including flecks of gold shimmer. It's actually quite subtle, so it didn't pick up that well in the photo, but if you look at the bottle, you can see just the slightest hint of gold sheen in the polish. The gold picks up a bit better in the sun, however, it's still very subtle. I like it, because it's unexpected. I normally expect silver shimmer with gunmetal, so I was happy with this little twist. 

 

As with Dakota, one coat gives you a good color pay off, but the photo above is a two coat shot. Turns out, my base coat was partially to blame with the slow drying time I was experiencing with the rose gold polish last week. However, even with a new base coat, this color also took just a hint longer to dry than I'm used to. Does anyone else experience that? Perhaps it has something to do with the metallic colors. On the plus side, the dry time was no where near as ridiculous as last week, where upwards of 20 minutes later I was still messing up my manicure, which should have been long dry by then. 

This one just took an extra minute or so than I'm used to, nothing earth shattering. Especially since I love a pretty gunmetal polish so much. It always makes me feel kind of like a rock star. And with the gold-flecked twist, Stefani makes me feel just a bit more edgy. All I need now are my motorcycle boots, black skinnies, and a rockin' smokey eye. 

On another note, I'm trying a new nail polish experiment. I read a trick over at This That Beauty. One of the contributors stumbled upon a trick that made her regular manicure last nearly 10 days without chipping on natural nails. That's right, no gel mani. She used regular polish on her real nails. You can read about here experience here. Here's the Cliff's Notes:

1. Paint your nails normally: base coat, two coats of polish, top coat.
2. Wait for that to dry.
3. Apply one more coat of polish over your finished manicure. (This step and the next can be done the next day if you prefer, but do it before you experience any chipping.)
4. Then top that with another layer of top coat and let dry.

According to Christine, her manicure stayed pristine for 10 days and may have lasted longer but she had to change her polish color to something more conservative for a work meeting. She has since tried it several times and found her manicures last a lot longer.

I'm thinking it worth a shot, so I decided that I would experiment with this week's color. After I took the photo above, I added one more coat of polish and top coat. I'll let you know how it works. If it's in fact successful, next week's Manicure Monday may just be Stefani again. Stay tuned!

* This is my personal Julep Maven link. If you join using my link I earn credits that can be redeemed for free nail polish. This is not an offer exclusive to me. Everyone who joins the Julep Maven program receives their own personal link to share and can also earn credits toward free polish. Get your first month for just $0.01 with code COLOR2012 or get two free polishes with code 2COLORS.

Manicure Monday: Dakota

Rose gold is all the rage.And can you blame anyone for loving such a beautiful metal? It compliments pretty much every skin tone, and it's just a different enough from the yellow and white varieties you see every day, that it draws your eyes to it. But, if you can't really afford to go buy new jewelry, why not rock the beautifule hue on your nails? Metallic polish is in for fall. Why not combine the two trends. Check out Julep's Dakota, their take on rose gold metallic polish.

 

 This polish goes on beautifully and the color is more of a feminine take on the metallic trend. I usually see metallics in rock n' roll colors like gunmetal and silver (maybe its because those are the ones I gravitate towards), and this was a nice change of pace. A little boho, a lot feminine, and still a bit edgy.

I'm gonna tell you all a little secret. That picture is one coat (gasp!). Yes, you read that right. One coat. That's all it needed and I stopped at that. But there's a compelling reason for that. Because if you read this blog regularly, you know that even if  one coat is enough, I still go for two. 

Here's the catch: this polish takes forever to dry. Even with a fast-drying top coat (I tried both Sache Vite and Fast Forward), the polish didn't dry and set quickly. I went trough a quarter of the polish bottle redoing my nails (last week and this week) because I would keep getting dings and dents from the top coat drying and the bottom coats staying damp. In fact, last night, I did my nails three times -- apparently not learning my lesson from the multiple attempts the week before. I was trying to do some cool nail art with tape, and would wait a good 15 minutes before trying to tape my nails to add a coat in a different color.. And inevitably, I'd destroy the manicure. Fifteen minutes! How long do I have to wait?!

Eventually I gave up, and decided to just show you this color on its own. I once again removed all the polish and redid my nails. About an hour later, I went to fix the sheets on my bed and my polish shifted. The top coat dry, but not the bottom coats. Luckily, it wasn't drastic and I was able to salvage it, mostly. 

I'm actually rather surprised by it and rather sad that I've wasted so much polish redoing manicures. It's such a beautiful color! I'm going to buy a new base coat in hopes that perhaps it isn't the polish and maybe it's my base coat that just needs replacing (it is nearing the end of the bottle). If that fixes the problem, I'll update this post. 

Update: My base coat seemed to be partially to blame for my extended dry time experience. Replacing my base coast significantly cut down the dry time, although I still found the polish dried a bit slower than other polishes. However, I can apply two coats without a problem now and just have to wait about a minute longer for the polish to dry. 

Has anyone had a similar experience? The same was happening with another metallic polish I got in my Julep Maven August subscription. I'm wondering if its the metallic polish or something else.

Back to School Giveaway!

Super excited to be a part of this giveaway collaboration. Special thanks to Vanessa at vadisrad for organizing this and letting me be a part of it. Watch the video for details and check out the rules below. Make sure you follow them, wouldn't want you to get disqualified!

By the way, I keep getting the participant count wrong in the video. Gah! I can't seem to get it together! So it's really 12 of us total participating. Forgive my video inaccuracy.


RULES:
1. Must be subscribed to all 12 of us:

COURTNEY: http://www.youtube.com/courtneysaechao
ERIKA (Me!): http://www.youtube.com/girlythingsbye
GABBY: http://www.youtube.com/glamgabxo
MARINA: http://www.youtube.com/mcubedmakeup
VANESSA: http://www.youtube.com/nessroxx
MELISSA: http://www.youtube.com/ricanborn2plz69
SHERRY: http://www.youtube.com/snhwadden
TRACEY: http://www.youtube.com/themakeupaddict86
THERESA: http://www.youtube.com/theresahuaroto
VANESSA: http://www.youtube.com/vadisrad
JAMIE: http://www.youtube.com/virtualgirlmakeup

2. Contest is open internationally.
3. You must be 18 or have parental permission to participate.
4. Giveaway will end 9/19/12.

Video response entries only! (via YouTube)
You can make one video response to one of our videos.
Show off your favorite fall fashion. Be creative!

PRIZES:
- Procat Backpack by Puma
- Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets
- Clean & Clear Morning Burst Facial Cleanser
- EOS Lip Balm in Summer Fruit
- Soap & Glory Hand Food Lotion
- Remington Hair Elastics
- Zebra Notebook
- Bow Notebook
- Zebra Pencil Pouch
- Sonia Kashuk Studly Haute Hair 5 Piece Set
- Coach Poppy Flower Perfume Pencils
- Victoria's Secret Love Pink ID Holder
- Victoria's Secret Mirror
- Urban Decay Smoked Eyeshadow Palette
- OPI Germany Collection Ger-Minis Nail Polish Set
- 2012/2013 Student Planner
- Colored Gel Pens
- Mechanical Pencils
- B&BW Japanese Cherry Blossom Hand Sanitizer
- B&BW Orchard Walk Hand Sanitizer
- B&BW Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin Hand Sanitizer
- B&BW Hand Sanitizer Holder
- B&BW Love Love Love Lotion
- B&BW Love Love Love Body Spray

My makeup:
Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer - Nude
Sephora Microsmooth Foundation powder - Nude
Sephora cream to powder blush - Coral Flush
Maybelline ColorSensational lipstick - Mauve-Lous
Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara - Extreme Black
CG Lash Blast Volume - Blackest Black
Maybeline Define a Brow - Medium Brown
e.l.f. Finishing Mist

Tutorial: The Easiest Way to Apply False Eyelashes

Many thanks to the gals at The Beauty Department blog who posted this on Pinterest and ended my false eyelash application woes. I didn't shy away from applying the false lash strips, but it was always like a stealth ninja mission for me. I inevitably would put the lash strip, glue and all, just above where I needed to, getting glue on my freshly applied makeup. Never detered, I'd try until I got it right. But now, all I need is one single, easy, quick attempt and voila, I'm done.

Once I read their instructions and tried it for myself, I had to basically tell the world. So, naturally, I filmed a video on how to do it. Hope this helps you as much as it helped me. And let me know if it worked for you!


Makeup:
L'Oreal True Match Foundation - Creamy Natural C3
Rimmel Stay Matte - Creamy Beige
Sephora Cream to Powder Blush - Coral Flush (N2)
MAC Lipstick Ravishing
MAC Black Track
Cover Girl Lash Blast Macara - Blackest Black
Rimmel Lash Accelerator Macara  - Extreme Black
Urban Decay Naked Palette - Toasted, Buck, Darkhorse
Maybelline Define a Brow - Medium Brown

Music by Dan-O at danosongs.com

Songs: En La Brisa and Sunglass Rehab

Haute Look Haul: Amrita Singh

I've been on a statement jewelry kick lately. First the bubble necklace. Now, these great pieces I scored from Amrita Singh on Haute Look a few weeks ago and that arrived yesterday. I only ordered three items because I wasn't that familiar with the brand and wanted to get a better idea of how the pieces looked in person and their quality before I went totally nuts shopping.

I'd seen this brands jewelry many times on flash sale sites, but this particular blow out sale had such amazing prices, I couldn't  talk myself out of a purchase (like I have in the past). Not one of these items cost me more than $20. And all of the items originally retailed for $75 and up. There were  a lot of items I wanted in the sale because they were all priced so irresistibly, but I had to exercise some restraint.

I settled on two necklaces and a pair of earrings.  Now that I have these, I know I'll be keeping a closer eye on future sales.

Amrita Singh Chama Necklace
Original price $100
Haute Look price: $12

I was instantly drawn to the Chama necklace. I originally had the black and gold one in my cart, but then saw what I thought was a pink and gold option and decided I could wear it with so many more items since it seemed more neutral. When I got it yesterday I was surprised to find the fabric was less pink and more of a gauzy beige shade. I'm actually happier with that because its even more versatile in my opinion. My ribbon is a bit frayed, but, that's nothing a little clear polish wont fix. 

Otherwise, the necklace seems pretty sturdy. The beads are made of resin and have a gorgeous gold and white detail, which you can see more clearly in the photo below. I have to admit, I was also surprised by the beads. The photo on Haute Look made it look as though the beads would be metal, since it was so shiny, but I'm still really happy with the product. It has a decent weight, but its not heavy. By that I mean that the material doesn't feel cheap. It feels like a piece you'd buy at a high end shop versus a piece you'd pick up a Claire's (where I imagine it would feel more like a lightweight plastic). Nothing wrong with shopping at Claire's, I'm just using it as a base for comparison. 

I'm already thinking up a million uses for this. I think I could easily wear this with a blouse or dress for a dressy look and dress it down with a t-shirt for a casual look. I'm totally stoked and can't wait to take this one out for a spin. By the way, did you notice the huge savings? The 

Amrita Singh Chama Necklace detail close up

I also really loved the Zeia necklace (below). It's a bit less trendy and also a fun piece that could go with many outfits. It's definitely a piece I think I could wear for a while. The beads are woven together by a black string that's really only visible upon really close inspection. Not sure how many people will be getting that close up to my neck to really notice. It's a bit stiff right now, but I suspect it will loosen a bit with wear. The clasp, unlike my knock off bubble necklace, is smooth to open and close and actually particularly big, so easy to operate from behind your neck, and it has a few extenders that allow you to adjust how tightly you'd like to wear it.

I'm kind of wishing I'd gotten the matching necklace. But since it's a simple silver-colored piece, it will easily go with other items I already have. I scored this for a measly $14, not bad if I do say so myself.

Amrita Singh Zeia Necklace
Original price: $100
Haute Look price: $14

Finally, I chose a pair of cute hoop earrings. I love a good hoop earring. Big ones, small ones, and everything in between. I use my plain medium-sized silver hoops to death, to the point the clasp doesn't really work well. I need to get a new pair. But I don't have many gold pieces. I'm more of a silver/white gold girl. But from time to time the occasion calls for gold. These gold-toned Becca earrings fit the bill. They're not too big (really a medium crescent hoop) and simple enough to go with just about anything. They are brass and also came in a silver tone.

So far they seem pretty sturdy. Not sure how they will do if they get wet and I always forget about taking off earrings so I'll have to be careful. I don't think they'll turn green or anything, but I don't want to take any chances that I'll ruin them by forgetting to take them off before I shower since they aren't real gold. I don't have the same fear with the necklaces, only because they are large enough that I'd remember to remove them. I usually forget to remove daintier necklaces. Is that just me?

Amrita Singh Becca Earrings
Original price: $75
Haute Look price: $12

So what do you think? Have you ever purchased Amrita Singh jewelry? What about handbags? I've seen the handbags on sale on Haute Look and TJ Maxx. May need to take a closer look next time I see one.

All in all, I'm really happy with this purchase. The quality of all the pieces appears sturdy and well made. Now only time and wear will tell for sure, but that's the impression I'm getting. I'm sure you all know how different a well made piece feels from a quickie cheap you might pick up at Forever 21. These look like great statement pieces that also aren't overly trendy so they'll remain cool over several seasons. But most of all, I'm totally thrilled with the deal I got for such nice costume jewelry. I would definitely recommend this brand from now on and I suspect I may get asked about these when I wear them. Love them!

Did you happen to shop the Haute Look sale? If so, what did you get?

Fashion Savings: The Bubble Necklace Knock Off

Just two weeks ago I shared my woes with you about not being able do decide on the color J. Crew Bubble necklace I wanted to spend my hard earned money (and gift card) on. You all weighed in and it was still a tie! Seems it really isn't that easy to choose only one.

Well, after I wrote the post, I started searching online because I'd seen a few gals sporting some bubble necklaces that I knew weren't J. Crew. Cute as they are, J. Crew simply didn't put out those colors. I'm not judging you. I just wanted to know where I might be able to score some savings myself. Plus, as I mentioned, I really was kicking myself over not purchasing the royal blue one that J. Crew put out.

My search turned out some happy returns. I stumbled upon many Etsy stores that offered bubble necklaces at a fraction of the cost. I settled on the Blue Bird shop. For one, she had a royal blue necklace! Plus, she is based in the U.S. (faster shipping for me) and she was running a special (free shipping and a free pair of matching earrings). My necklace cost $34. How's that for savings?!

Mind you, if you search "bubble necklace" on Etsy, you will find quite a few shops that sell the necklace for less (I saw some as low as $16). But, most of them ship from China, and I simply didn't want to have to wait.

I ordered my necklace on Friday morning and it shipped the same day (even though the site said it could take up to a week to ship) and I had it in my hands by Monday. I'm pretty happy with my purchase.

Here's what I think of the actual piece:

• It's not as heavy as it's J. Crew counterpart, but that's not exactly something that bothers me considering how much less I paid.
• No visible signs of glue on the bubbles or around them.
• The clasp on mine is a bit tough to open, as though it could use a bit of lube. A bit dangerous for my manicure, but still functional.
• The bubble color is really pretty in person. I'm really glad I found it and got it.

I have to wear mine on the smallest clasp because I'm a bit busty, which makes the necklace hang a bit awkwardly if I try to wear it too long. I could have worse problems, I suppose. I can't wait to include this when I put together different outfits. 

Check out my photos of it below.

Like I said, I'm happy with my purchase and I think I'd definitely purchase from her again. I'm loving the red and kelly green version of this same bubble necklace and she has a gorgeous multi-stone drop necklace on sale that I'm considering in seafoam green.

Do you have a bubble necklace? Did you buy it at J. Crew or find it elsewhere? What color is yours?

Manicure Monday: Megalime

I know last week I was crushin' on a gorgeous purple that could easily serve as a multi-season color. Not neon but still colorful for summer, and just dark enough for fall. I still love it, don't get me wrong, but I had an epiphany. Girl, it's still summer! So I'm gonna keep rocking bright nails. At least this week that's the case.

Thanks to my hubs, who bought me a nail polish set by Free Press (his preemptive peace offering for going to Nordstrom Rack without me), I've got eight new fun-sized polishes to share with you. There are at least three fun brights in the box. Double bonus: I've never used this brand of polish so I get to test it out. I was instantly drawn to Megalime. Why? Well, because I would have never picked the shade up on its own. I'm not usually a lime green girl. But, when I tried it on for size I was pleasantly surprised. I love it. It's bright, fun, loud, and yet somehow not really overbearing. Probably because it's not neon. Check it out:

Alright, so here's the skinny. So far, I like the Free Press polish. It applied well and has a nice even final look. However, this color absolutely required two coats for this finish. The first coat was a little runny and not very opaque, although it merits saying it was not streaky. But who wants a sheer lime green? Not this girl anyway. Two coats it is! (Like I need much convincing). And let me tell you that second coat went on smooth like buttah. It almost didn't need a finishing top coat. But who are we kidding? Every manicure needs a finishing top coat.  I'm just saying it looked smooth, pretty, and relatively glossy for a creme, on its own.

The mini bottle is adorable too. I know there are a lot of you out there that don't like mini polishes because they don't have a lot of product. But I think they are great for when you travel and to test out colors. Case in point, I never would have purchased this color on its own full sized. Now I would. Plus, I've rarely reached the bottom of a regular bottle of polish, unless we are talking a base or top coat bottle. Even with my favorite polishes, I don't get much passed the half way point. So, I have no objections to the minis.

So here is the set of minis my husband purchased. Eight polishes with 0.15 fl. oz. of product each. Which colors do you want to see the most?

Left to right (from top): Sweet Pink, Power Plum, Orang Pop, Megalime, Skinny Jeans, Electric Violet, Silver Jet, 24k

Shopping Insight: Shoptiques

I love to shop. That's no heavily guarded secret. But I always feel a bit jealous of all the people in cities like New York, Chicago, Miami, New Orleans, who seem to have a plethora of boutiques to choose from at their disposal. I love the idea that you can get some fun pieces that you can't find at mass distributed chain stores.

I don't know of many boutiques where I live. It could be my fault, perhaps I'm not looking hard enough. But I look forward to shopping in boutiques when I visit cities that have a lot of them and are easily accessible. I happen to love Magazine Street in New Orleans and the fun shops I've stumbled upon in the French Quarter.

With my quick business trip to New York on the horizon, I've been bemoaning to the hubs that I'm a bit bummed I don't get more time to explore because I'd love to find some cool boutiques. And being the thoughtful man that he is, he came home the other day and proudly showed me a new website where I could shop far away boutiques from the comfort of my couch!

And ladies, I'm going to share that with you. If you haven't heard of it already, check out Shoptiques. I was so thrilled with all the finds. Yes, some things are pricey, but they do have a range of products at different price points. I'm currently totally excited about this marine stripped sweater from a boutique in Miami called Prinzzesa. I love that it's a cotton blend and not polyester and the price is quite fair!

Stripped Cotton Blend Blazer $47

I'll spare you another long post filled with pictures of things I liked, mostly because it would be epic! But the options for great buys seems endless. I mean, just check out all the cities participating. Another thing I really like is that returns are always free. I mean, you don't get to try things on, and if you're not familiar with the store, things might not fit as well. So I think this is a great practice that would keep me coming back. By the way, shipping is free on orders of $100 or more. You can even contact Shoptiques and get style advice.

I'm totally head over heels with this site. I can finally have access to new stores and find them all in one convenient place. I'm definitely going to give it a shot and place some orders.

What do you think of this site? Are you excited to venture away from the typical chain stores? to find some more unique pieces? (Not that I don't love my frequented spots too, but I'm excited to venture out). After you visit, tell me what you're favorite boutiques are. And if you happen to be a local in a city that isn't boutique deprived, tell me about your favorite and share their site with me (if they have one)!

Mini Coastal Scents Haul featuring MAC 217 dupes

Coastal Scents had a quick sale on my favorite brush. If you read this blog, you know it well, its the Pro Blending Fluff, which is an excellent MAC 217 dupe. You can read my initial review here and check out my video about affordable eye brushes here. If you follow me on Twitter then you probably saw my tweet alerting people of the sale. The brush was 45 percent off! That made it $2.72. (The sale is still going on until 8/10/12 at 3 p.m. EST) Amazing. I picked up two more, and a couple of other items I've been wanting to pick up.

I paid less than $20 for these items, shipping and tax included. 

Coastal Scents Brush Purifier $4.95 (8 oz.)

One of the first items I wanted to try out was their brush cleanser, which is supposed to condition and sanitize your brushes. I followed the instructions on the back of the box which tell you to add solution to a cup and soak brush bristles for 15-20 minutes (depending on how dirty your brushes are) to loosen up product. I didn't wait that long. But what I did find is that I used a lot of product (it went from a full bottle to the top of the black label) to clean my brushes. Granted, I cleaned a lot of brushes, but still, I used what I felt was a lot. It could be user error, so I'll try a lighter hand next time. 

What I did notice, and this big in my opinion, was that it got my beauty sponges super clean. As in, they look new. The closest I'd gotten to squeaky clean was by using Dawn dish soap on my beauty blender dupes, which only left a few tiny spots of stubborn concealer behind. But after I used this cleanser it was all gone. My SOHO beauty sponge was bright pink again! That alone makes it worth it to me. So I'll be trying to see if I can manage to use less of it when I clean my brushes so I don't blow through this as quickly. 

One note, don't use too much on your sponges. I was squeezing out product for what seemed like forever!

I also picked up two eyeliner brushes in addition to my blending brushes. One is a small angled liner brush and the density super fine eyeliner brush. Each was only $1.95. I almost got the classic angled liner brush, which looks just like my angled Sonia Kashuk eyeliner brush, and I'm kind of kicking myself for not doing it. I'm forever cleaning my Sonia Kashuk brush. Oh well, I wanted to try out the small angled liner so that I could see if I could do better at drawing on a thinner line than I do with a regular angled liner brush. Same goes with the super fine liner brush. Below is a closer photo of the brushes. 

I was rather excited to see that this batch of the pro blending fluff is even more similar to the MAC 217 than the first ones I bought. As I mentioned in my video and my review, the first Coastal Scents brushes I got were a bit pointier and just a tad flatter. This made it easier to get into the crease and draw a more defined outer V, pack on color, all while still blending colors out just as well as my 217. 

The newer ones have a bit more of a rounded top and are just as fluffy (maybe just a bit more so) than my 217. Below is a photo of my MAC 217 in between the Coastal Scents version and another photo close up.

New Coastal Scents Pro Blending Fluff (left), MAC 217 (center), Old Coastal Scents Blending Fluff (right)

New Coastal Scents Blending brush (left), MAC 217 (center), Old Coastal Scents Blending brush (right)

I also wanted you all to see how the other two brushes compare to brushes in my collection. The photo below shows just how much smaller and thinner the angled liner brush is compared to a regular angled brush from Studio Tools. It's a bit flimsier, but I'm thinking its so small, it's going to be great for getting gel liner right up against the lash line. 

The density super fine liner brush took me a bit by surprise. I was expecting it to be really slim, and as you can see form the photo below, the bristles are a bit thicker than my Sonia Kashuk bent liner brush. This makes me a bit nervous. I got it hoping to draw super slim lines, not sure how good it will be at that. But, here's hoping. I can't be sure until I try it. 

This should give you a few other inexpensive brush alternatives to choose from if you are in the market. I totally recommend the pro blending fluff and at 45 percent off, you simply can't beat it. Will you be giving it a try? If you have a beauty blender type sponge, are you curious about the Coastal Scents cleanser?

Window Shopping Internet Style: Joe Fresh

I'm headed to New York in two weeks for a short business trip. I get a little over 24 hours in the city. I fly in, go to an afternoon of meetings, then leave the next afternoon. I welcome the challenge of getting some shopping in fast. But that requires some planning. I can't very well wander around and hope to find something. I need a plan (and then maybe I can accidentally stumble upon something on my way to my destination).

What's most important to me, is to hit up shops I don't have back home. I'm not the type to travel and shop at the Gap. That, to me, is akin to traveling abroad and chowing down at Burger King. I just can't get that to process through my brain. Knowing I have no time to waste, I reached out to one of my favorite bloggers who lives out that way, Felicia from This That Beauty. Her recs for spots in or near Midtown (where I'll be staying): Bergdorf Goodman (gotta hit a NYC flagship store) and Joe Fresh. She's got a great sense of style, so I'm looking forward to checking these out. 

Anxious to see what I might find, I visited the Joe Fresh site. I was pleasantly surprised to find some great prices, which means I may actually get to take some pieces home. I'm not sure how true that will be a Bergdorf. I'm holding on to hope that I may find something that I can bring back with me without forgoing groceries or rent.  But I'll be happy to spend some time sightseeing inside nonetheless. I'm sure its quite beautiful behind those magical doors and an experience in itself. 

In the meantime, here are some pieces I spotted on the Joe Fresh site that I hope to try on for size in person.

Marine Cardigan $39

I love a good stripe. Heck, I worked at J. Crew in college, how could I not? I'm itching to see what the marine cardigan and stripe slouchy tee look like in person. I'm digging the card a lot. I'm wondering just how structured it is, because in this picture it reminds me a bit of a J. Crew jacket I had my eye on and never got (that seems to happen to me a lot). While I don't think it will be as structured as the jacket, I'm hoping it will be a cross between a cardi and a jacket. Nonetheless, it looks like it would make a cute layering piece. As for the shirt (below), does it really need much explanation? It's slouchy and comfortable looking, with a bit of a preppy flair. A girl can't have too many preppy maritime-inspired stripes. They're classic, right?

Stripe Slouchy Tee $16

The color of this sundress caught my eye. It's bright and would look great paired with a denim jacket and a fedora, or even without the jacket and just the fedora, or a cardigan over it... The possibilities can go on and for $24 I'm willing to explore them. Could be a good transition piece, paired with a leather jacket, tights, and some booties.

Gathered Sundress $24

Well, speaking of a fedora, I'm liking this one and the price! I'm not one to pass up a good fedora. It pretty much goes with any of my casual summer outfits. I can't even bother trying to justify it. Yes I have a lot of them. And I'll probably keep getting more. At this price, I won't feel bad about my compulsion.

Straw Fedora $12

I was also really excited to see that Joe Fresh has some beauty items. How can I not be excited? I love beauty products. Have you read this blog?! Ha ha! I have no idea what the quality of the makeup will be like, but I'm excited to check it out.

New Neutrals Face Palette $12

 This palette looks great, especially for the low maintenance gal on the go. Three gorgeous neutral colors you could easily wear naturally during the day and smoke out at night, and that pink blush is just calling to me! Plus, it looks like it has three lip colors, all in wearable neutral shades. The cool eyeshadow quad (below) caught my eye too, but I gotta say, I'm really digging the all-in-one combo above. I keep thinking that if the quality of the makeup is good, it might make a great palette to take with me on my honeymoon where I'm thinking I may just give being a low maintenance beauty girl a whirl.

Eyeshadow Quad Cool Neutrals $10

 The gorgeous raisin color in this gel liner has be drooling. How pretty is that? It's not your typical brown and black liner, and yet, it's still neutral and gorg. It would go great with the eyeshadows in the palettes above.

Gel Eyeliner $8 - Raisin

All I can say about this lipstick hue is wow. It's so pretty. I looks like it would be a perfect fall lip color.   I think berry colors are so flattering a wearable. I'm curious to see how this color will fare in person.

Shine Lipstick $6 - Raspberry

This mango lip tint is bright and fun. It's saying, "It's not fall yet!" It's bright, it's pretty, and I want it. Again, I'm looking forward to seeing it in person if they happen to have it in stock.

Lip Tint $6 - Mango

And yes, they also have nail polish. I have a feeling I'll come home with a few polishes to feature on Manicure Monday. It's a good thing it stays hot in Florida for a while because I use that as an excuse to keep rocking bright colors into the early fall. The polishes are $4 each or 3 for $10. Not bad if you ask me.

Heat Wave

Fluo Blue

Mango

Lime Juice

On top of Felicia's recommendations, I'm also hoping to be able to make a trip to Inglot. Keep your fingers crossed for me. I may be trying to bite off more than I can chew!

If you only had a few hours to shop in New York where would you go? My shopping trip is planned around where I'll be working and staying. If I had more time, I'd want to hit up SOHO. 

So now that I have some shopping plans, I have to figure out where I will go eat!

Photo credits: Joe Fresh website

Manicure Monday: Amethyst

 

Here's a little change of pace for you: todays' Manicure Monday features Sinful Colors. Bet you thought Julep had taken over Manicure Mondays, huh? Well, not to worry. I like to venture from brand to brand. And, thanks to a Walgreens sale, I've got a few Sinful Colors polishes to share with you to break up the brand monotony. 

My Julep Maven box arrived last week, so those are coming too for your viewing pleasure. So essentially, my nail polish drawer is out of control. 

But let's talk about this gorgeous purple nail polish! I'm head over heels. You guys know I love a creme polish and I'd forgotten just how rich and gorgeous a deep purple could look. There was a time when all I ever bought was purple polish. In fact, I thought I had more purple colors because of this phase, But it turns out, I was seriously lacking in this department. I had to fix that and Amethyst did the trick. 

This polish is perfection ladies (and part of the permanent collection too). It goes on smoothly and evenly. One coat is all it takes to get the color saturation you see in the bottle.Yes, that's right, one coat. Of course, I still added a very thin second coat (because I'm a two-coat kind of gal), but I didn't need it. I love that Sinful Color's formula isn't super thin. It rivals pricier brands like OPI and China Glaze. 

It's a great transition color too. It's still bright and pretty for summer, but not so neon that you can easily wear it into the fall. I have a feeling this shade is going to get a lot of use. 

What's your favorite purple nail polish shade?

Review: Rimmel Scandal Eyes Flex Mascara

This is a review of the Rimmel Scandal Eyes Flex Mascara - available at drugstores and discount stores.  I'm wearing about 3 coats of the mascara for this video. That's about as natural as I go. I normally like to layer on different mascaras to build a thicker lash look but I've been wearing this mascara alone lately to test it out and also wanted you to see how it works on its own. 

Makeup I'm wearing in the video:
L'Oreal True Match foundation - C3
Maybelline Dream Lumi Concealer - Nude 
Sephora Microsmooth foundation - Nude
elf Blush & Bronzer duo (used both blush and bronzer)
Rimmel lipstick - Soft Beige (620)
Rimmel Scandal Eyes Flex mascara 
MAC Mineralize Eyeshadow Duo - Love Connection
MAC Fluid Line - Black Track


Music by Dan-O at danosongs.com. Song: En La Brisa

Window Shopping Internet Style: J.Crew

Well, since I was perusing the J.Crew website  trying to choose a bubble necklace, I figured I'd go ahead and check out what other kinds of goodies they had at J.Crew for the fall. And boy were there a few things I just loved! So, I figured I'd share some of them with you. What do you think of my picks?

Blythe Blouse $128
photo: jcrew.com

I absolutely love the Blythe blouse. When I worked at J.Crew over the holidays, I was always eyeing it. And now, I kick myself for not getting it. Don't get me wrong, I got some great stuff while I was there. I just never pulled the trigger on Blythe. I love a flowy silk shirt. It's great for work, a night out for dinner, heck, it's even great with a pair of shorts on the weekend. And now they have it in this gorgeous cobalt blue hue they've named Byzantine Blue. By the way, did you know that the color cobalt is supposed to cheer you up? I believe it. It makes me happy to look at it.

I'm also totally loving the retro jade color that J.Crew is featuring this season. It's absolutely beautiful. And in keeping with my silk shirt fascination, I'm totally lusting after this beautiful tie neck blouse. The tie neck makes it a bit dressy, I wonder how I'd make it work for every day, since I get to work from home and don't have to rock office attire very often. I'm sure if I had this, I'd figure out a way to dress it down and make it casual.

Tie Neck Top $110
photo: jcrew.com

I love J.Crew sweaters and the Tippi sweater with its playful and classic polka dots makes me smile. Another versatile pice that could perk up my wardrobe.

Tippi Sweater $89.50
Photo credit: jcrew.com

And if it's not obvious that I'm totally obsessed with retro jade, here's another piece to prove it. The Tippi cardigan comes in an array of gorgeous bright colors, but I gotta say retro jade is calling my name. While I need another cardigan like I need a hole in my head, I don't care. A cardi is a classic and I love to have one in every color. Cardi me!

Tippi Cardigan $85
Photo credit: jcrew.com

I guess you could say I'm also a bit in love with Byzantine Blue, considering this gorgeous suede satchel is the second item I've featured in this color. You'd be right. I love a bright gorgeous bag. The picture looks like it'd be a good size, but it's called a mini so I wonder just how big/small it is in person. I love the fact that it has both a handle and a shoulder strap too. And how's that for a beautiful pop of color?  J.Crew's leather purses are amazingly supple and rival other high-end brands you see out there. You can't really go wrong. It's a classic bag in a color I think won't quickly go out of style.

Telegram suede mini satchel $258
photo: jcrew.com

You can't close out a J.Crew picks post without at least one cashmere item. If you haven't tried their cashmere you are missing out. It's absolutely to die for. Do I really need to talk up cashmere? Just look at how bright this neon pink is and imagine it all soft against your skin. Tell me you didn't swoon just a little.

Cashmere Boyfriend Sweater $248
photo: jcrew.com

Now all I need are unlimited shopping funds. Good thing I was just window shopping.