The Beauty of Fashion

Happy Friday, everyone!!! I am sure you all are as excited for Friday to be here as I am. Normally, I don't get excited over Fridays, because I work weekends! But this Friday puts me one day closer to vacation - one day closer to being on the beach, soaking up the sun and having tons of fun! Can't wait!

My latest addiction is playing on one of my favorite websites: polyvore. I'm sure most of you have heard of it. It's a great website that offers tons of clothing options for you to put together your own outfits. I love it! Granted, most of the outfits that I have created cost over $1000, but a girl can dream, right? Here's a couple of the outfits I created.

Red and Black Fab by AngelR2000 featuring Valentino bags

div>
Sweet Romance by AngelR2000 featuring French Connection


It's so much fun!

However, since the items on that website are completely out of my price range, I will stick with those from my favorite clothing store in the world - Buckle! I love them! My girl, Cassie, at my local store knows how to hook me up! I can simply go in and tell her what I'm looking for (trendy outfit for girl's night out, something a little dressy for a dinner date, etc) and the next thing I know, I'm in a dressing room with clothes thrown at me! And she is the queen of accessorizing! She will put together the absolute PERFECT outfit in a matter of minutes! From earrings all the way down to shoes! She's unbelievable - she takes the guess work out for me!

I love to go on their website. They have a section of outfits already created that you can just point, click and buy. It's great! Buckle has so much to choose from, that sometimes it's nice just to sit back and say, "You know what, I don't feel like putting stuff together, do it for me!" And voila! This is the outfit I am currently eyeing on the website:

Love the colors in it! And check out those shoes! And it's much more affordable - my favorite part! :)

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend! I will be back on August 3rd - unless I can slide a few posts in during my vacay!

Until next time, XOXO!!

Nail Polish Haul for Y'all!

Hi, Beauties! As much as I hate it, the glorious days of summer are coming to an end. Soon, we will be saying good-bye to the hot pinks, bright corals, and fantastics teals & turquoise-colored nails that we have been able to flaunt over the past few months, and hello to the rich golds, browns, and burgundies that define fall. So, I kept that in mind as I was browsing my local Sally's & ULTA stores, searching for new polish. Like I really need any more, right? But they had such gorgeous colors to bring in the fall season that I couldn't resist!

The first color is called Unplugged. It's a very rich brown-bronze sparkly color. Very pretty! Definitely looking forward to wearing this one!

Next up is In Awe of Amber. It looks orange in the picture, but it is actually a golden/bronze color. It kind of reminds me of the Scatterays solar bits from MAC's Style Warriors collection. This color can easily be transitioned from summer to fall. Beautiful!!

This one is one of my favorites! It's called Avalanche, and it is awesome! It's a purple enhanced platinum with a lot of shine!

This one is OPI's You Don't Know Jacques. It's a matte taupe. I'm not quite sure if I'm really feeling this one. I liked it in the store, but now that I look at it at home, I just don't know!

This one is called Black Diamond. It's very similar to OPI's "Baby It's Coal Outside!" The only difference is that this one is not quite as sparkly! I love black/dark polish. Some people think it's a little gothic, but I think is glamorous!

I know this next one isn't a fall type color, but I've been eyeing it for a while. It's Melon of Troy. It's a beautiful shimmery apricot color. Very feminine and pretty!

How in the world I have bypassed this color for so long, I do not know! I mean, look at it! It's called Coconut Kiss. A vibrant shimmery grape color. Another really great transition color!

The whole she-bang! I'm so excited!

You can be sure that these will be coming up soon in my Polish of the Week posts!

On another note, I will be on vacation next week! I'm so excited! I will be heading to the North Carolina eastern coast for a week! So looking forward to sun and relaxation! I will try to have some posts scheduled, but I can't promise. But I will back and posting regularly the following week!

Until next time, XOXO!!

Exfoliation 101: Body Scrubbin'

I don't know of anything I love more than the feel of freshly exfoliated, intensely moisturized skin! There is just something about my skin feeling like a baby's bottom that I crave and it gives me a mental high when I know that I have sloughed away dead skin and all that's left is absolute freshness. Your skin is your biggest feature, so you should make it stand out with a radiant, healthy glow of beauty.

My shower indulgence is The Body Shop's Spa Wisdom Africa Spa Salt Scrub. I have been using this product for years, it is my trusty standby. I have yet to find a scrub that makes my skin tingle and feel as incredible as it does after using this product! I have tried so many, yet I always come back to this one.

Since my skin is normal, I generally exfoliate once a week. (Those with more oily skin should exfoliate no more than twice a week. We don't want to overdo it - the benefit is no greater!) I really try to make it a weekly thing for me during the summer, due to the excess perspiration and oil production, which leads to a speedier accumulation of dead cells. Ewww, I know! However, like the rest of you out there, I have a busy life and sometimes a quick shower is all I have time for! Therefore my exfoliation regime consists of a few variations!

#1: If I'm in a super hurry, I will throw on a pair of bath gloves and lather up with Dove soap, using gentle circular motions. I prefer Dove because it is moisturizes as it cleans. I like The Body Shop's Bath Gloves - mainly because I love the color selection. I'm partial to orange - it's bright and cheerful and makes me happy! LOL!



#2: My typical weekly routine - After washing with soap, I use my Spa Wisdom Africa Spa Salt Scrub. I just use my bare hands for this because the scrub contains enough exfoliants to do the job.

#3: If it has been two weeks or more since I exfoliated or if I have been really active (a.k.a. sweating a lot!) - This is when I get intense! After washing with soap, I will use the bath gloves along with the scrub to really get the nasties off. Be careful not to be too harsh! These two together are quite a duo and you do not want to be too abrasive with your skin.

My Dynamic Duo

After each exfoliation, I follow with a deep moisturizer. My fave for the summer is The Body Shop's Coconut Body Butter. It is so rich and creamy and feels like silk! My skin soaks it up and feels absolutely amazing afterwards. Plus, the scent is to die for! It doesn't have the strong, overwhelming smell that some products have, especially those that are supposed to smell like coconut. It's a very light, clean, fresh, coconut smell. It's heavenly, I tell ya!

My Ménage a Trios!

Finish this off with my favorite comfies, a glass of red wine, and a great movie and I'm a happy chic!

Until next time, XOXO!

FOTD: Aquamarine Ice

Hi, all!
With the weather outside being in the high 80's-90's with extreme humidity, this look was an attempt to cool myself down! LOL! Unfortunately, it didn't work. But, it gave me a chance to bring out my Steamy eyeshadow from MAC...a color I truly love, but don't use often. Hope you enjoy it!!

Eyes:
MAC Delft paintpot (lid)
NYX Pacific eyeshadow crayon (lid)
MAC Silver Ring e/s (lid)
MAC Steamy e/s (crease and up to just below brow bone and lower lashes)
MAC Carbon e/s (outer "V" and blended into crease)
MAC Electric Eel e/s (very lightly applied over Carbon in outer "V" only)
MAC
MAC Vanilla e/s
MAC Boot Black liquid eyeliner
Ardell "Santies" lashes

Lips:
MAC Sandy B l/s
MAC Clear Lipglass

Until next time, XOXO!

Polish of the week: OPI Yoga-Ta Get This Blue

Hi, beauties! This week's nail color is Yoga-Ta Get This Blue - a slammin' deep, rich dark blue. I love this color! It's from the India Collection (Spring/Summer 2008). I love to wear it when I have a tan! My tan skin and this blue just seem to compliment each other - therefore, I don't use this color in the winter AT ALL! It just makes my skin look that much whiter - not pretty!!



This color can be found at the following websites:

http://www.nailpolishdiva.com/NLI47-opi-yoga-ta-get-this-blue.htm ($7.32)

http://www.ballbeauty.com/opi_india_collection.htm ($6.25)

http://www.hello-gorgeous.net/ ($6.79)


**Sorry for the poor quality - I don't know why it didn't come out very well!

What do you think? Isn't it gorgeous?!?

Until next time - XOXO!!

FOTD: Summer Bronze with MAC Style Warriors

I am really loving the Solar Bits from the Style Warriors collection. For some reason, I did not get them when they came out with the Neo Sci-Fi collection - don't know why! These are amazing! I love anything shimmery and these are definitely that! A little of the product really goes a long way, too! Loves them!
Anyway, I went for a bronzy-summery-shimmery look for today. Hope you enjoy and have a great weekend!!

Eyes:
MAC Indianwood p/p
MAC Arena e/s
MAC Solar Bits in Bronzescape
MAC Solar Bits in Impassioned
MAC Sable e/s (lower lashline)
MAC liquid liner in Boot Black
MAC black tied e/s (over Boot Black)
MAC eye pencil in Ebony (waterline)
MAC Ricepaper e/s (highlght)
Ardell lashes #117

Lips:
MAC Sunsational l/s
MAC Gold Rebel l/g
MAC Liberated l/g

Until next time! XOXO!

My new love!

Ok, rarely do I find a styling tool that works for my hair. I have a lot of hair, but it is very fine and silky - not unlike a five-year-old child's hair. It is nearly impossible to find a tool that will actually do something to it! Hot rollers are a waste of time and the curls of a curling iron generally fall out within a couple of hours! But this product is a God-send!

Behold, the Professional Syling Iron Limited Edition by Zoe:


I bought it from ULTA for $29.99! A great deal! Plus, I love the funky design on it! It has 1" tourmaline ceramic plates (which gives my hair incredible shine), and is ideal for those cool summery beach waves, loose curls, or sleek, chic straightness! It also comes with a cute thermal pouch for traveling...I hate waiting for my curling irons to cool before I pack them up to leave for a trip. I have been known to stick them in the refrigerator to speed up the cooling process! LOL! I cannot tell you how much I love this tool! The best part: my style holds! My waves or curls last all day long!

Check this out!

Before:

After:

Check out your local ULTA store or visit the link to the product on their website. The website is currently offering free shipping on orders of $50 or more!

http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?skuId=2207523&productId=xlsImpprod1380138&navAction=push&navCount=1&categoryId=cat110140&title=Professional+Styling+Iron+Limited+Edition

Until next time! XOXO!

What I am sooooo excited about!!!

Ta Da!

That's right - MAC has gone black! I am so excited about this new release coming out in September! I just love that deep, smokey, Kim Kardashian, "morning after" look. It just oozes with sexiness!

Here is some prelim information about the new Style Black collection, thanks to Specktra.net:

Lipstick ($14.00 U.S.)
*Black Knight- Creamy true black (Cremesheen) (Limited Edition)

Mattene ($14.50 U.S.)
*Midnight Media- Dense matte black (Limited Edition)
*Night Violet- Deep purple grape (Repromote) (Limited Edition)

Glimmerglass ($18.00 U.S.)
*Bling Black- Sheer black with gold pearl (Limited Edition)
*Blackfire- Sheer black with pink purple pearl (Limited Edition)
*Blackware- Creamy true black (Limited Edition)

Mineralize Eye Shadows ($19.00 U.S.)
*Cinderfella- Black with silver pearl (Limited Edition)
*Young Punk- Black with pink purple pearl (Limited Edition)
*Gilt by Association- Black with gold bronze pearl (Limited Edition)
*Blue Flame- Black with blue pearl (Limited Edition)


Grease Paintstick ($17.50 U.S.)
*Black- Intense black (Limited Edition)

Penultimate Liner ($16.50 U.S.)
*Rapidblack- True black (Permanent)

Eye Kohl ($14.50 U.S.)
*Smolder- Intense Black (Permanent)

Cream Colour Base ($16.50 U.S.)
*Black- Creamy True black (Limited Edition)
*Bat Black- Burgundy black with pink pearl (Permanent at PRO)

Nail Lacquer ($12.00 U.S.)
*Nocturnelle- True black (Cream) (Permanent)
*Seriously Hip- Black with gold particle pearl (Frost) (Limited Edition)
*Baby Goth Girl- Black with pink and purple pearl (Frost) (Limited Edition)

Brushes
*#214 Short Shader Brush- Short, rounded, double-chiselled brush with soft, natural bristles. Can be used with shadow to line and smudge around the lash line and very effective for densely shading lids. (Permanent) ($23.00 U.S.)

Face Products
*Volcanic Ash Exfoliator ($19.50 U.S.)
For all skin types. Volcanic ash (in the form of mineral-rich clay), sugar crystals and natural enzymes combine to exfoliate and remove excess oils from the skin. 3.4oz (Limited Edition)
*Volcanic Ash Thermal Mask ($19.50 U.S.)
VATM contains natural volcanic ash to cleanse and treat the skin. The mineral-rich ash works with oat kernel flour to help absorb excess oil from the skin’s surface. A combo of natural oils (lavendar, sunflower, safflower seed and evening primrose) help lubricate the skin, leaving it feeling soft and moisturized. It helps to even out the skin’s texture and leaves the skin feeling smooth and perfected for makeup application. The unique formula glides effortlessly onto the skin, allowing ample playtime. The mask heats up on the skin when used with water and removes impurities from the surface, leaving skin looking radiant and fresh. Use 1-3 times a week. Derm-tested, non-acnegenic and for all skins. 3.4oz (Limited Edition)

I will post more information and pics as I get them!


This will (unfortunately) be one of those lines that I will have to buy every single product! The only things I may pass on will be the nail lacquers. As wonderful as MAC is, I have yet to fall in love with their polishes. I still have a strong addiction for my China Glaze and O.P.I. polishes!

Better start saving now!!

Too Faced Natural Eye Neutral Eye Shadow Collection

I love it when Too Faced puts out products like this one! Some of you I'm sure remember the Smokey Eye Palette that came out last fall/winter season:


Well, they have now come out with a similar palette for neutral looks! Check it out!


This palette comes with nine eyeshadows as well as an applicator. Everything you need for lid color, highlighting, the outer "V". The package is great for traveling also!!
What I love about these palettes is not only the versatility of the looks you can create, but the fact that they come with pictures and step-by-step directions - which is perfect for those who are new to makeup. No matter what the experience level, anyone can look like a pro!

This product is available for $34 at Sephora.com: http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P241303&shouldPaginate=true&categoryId=4225#

Oatmeal Facial Mask Recipe

Hey everyone! This is the recipe for the oatmeal mask that I use on a weekly basis. It is very simple!!! I mean, VERY simple! It works perfect for my dry skin - not overdrying at all and my face feels amazing afterwards! Hope you all enjoy!

1 ripe banana

1 cup of oatmeal

milk (as required)

Mash the ripe banana, add the cup of oatmeal to it, and mix well. Add enough milk to create a paste. Apply the oatmeal and banana paste to the face and leave it on for about 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse off.
**Extra refreshing tip: While your facial mask is setting, place cucumber slices or even cotton balls soaked in cold water over your eyes. It will do wonders for puffiness! Put on relaxing music, sit back and enjoy!

Until next time! XOXO!

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth!

Wow! Three long months since I last posted - I am so sorry! Unfortunately, life has been crazy. I recently graduated nursing school and passed my board exam, so Yeah! But now I am back and I PROMISE, PROMISE, PROMISE to update more regularly! Now that I have a little more free time I will be able to dedicate it to you all! I've missed you guys!!