Manicure Monday!

I've aptly titled these my "My Little Pony nails" because that's exactly what they remind me of! So here we have two coats of Essie's Ladylike (from their new Fall collection) and a single coat of OPI's Teenage Dream (from the Katy Perry collection, a universal favorite). I love this combination right now. As a girl it's not too hard to love things that sparkle, ya know? And I love how the camera picked up the glitter in the polish here - so fun!

Arm Party 9.24.11

Stacking your jewelry is one of the easiest ways to accessorize an outfit. I tend to stack bracelets and watches as opposed to necklaces because I can't stand when a necklace gets tangled.

Here's what I'm wearing out and about today: my favorite Michael Kors rose gold watch, and four of my David Smallcombe cuff bracelets (two silver and two gold). I love mixing metals, and I surprisingly really liked the rose gold mixed with regular gold.

Generally when I stack jewelry I leave my other gems to a minimum so I'm wearing a simple Tiffany & Co bracelet on my right arm and a delicate necklace.

Manicure Monday!

Here's what we've got on the nails this week:

Essie's Demure Vixen. I bought this color at random about a year ago, tried it once and wasn't thrilled. Yesterday I was searching for a color to use from my ridiculous collection of nail lacquer and stumbled across this, so I decided to give it another shot. I'm really glad I did, because I love it! The mauvey pink looks great with fair skin and the mild pink duochrome adds a nice touch in certain lights. Essie polishes have a really smooth, wonderful formula that is so easy to apply. 

The color is subtle enough to wear daily, and looks chic when dressed up with a cute outfit and accessories. Loving this polish right now!

Seeing Red (and a few other colors): Fall's Brightly Colored Denim

I remember a few years ago, colored jeans were a big hit. We saw reality "starlets" and a few brave fashion forward girls sporting bright yellow or red jeans but the trend never really caught on, and before we knew it we were on to bigger and better things.

This time around, I'm pretty excited about the prospect of a colored jean. I'm partial to the red, personally, but I think the seafoam greens and the marigolds are going to look amazing on the right person.

J.Brand makes a fab pair of ankle length ones in their 811 style, a classic skinny. They come in a variety of colors and will run you around $170, depending where you shop.

(Photo cred: www.us.asos.com)

While the J.Brands are cute, I'm REALLY loving this borderline salmon-colored pair from a brand called Pilcro, carried at Anthropologie.

(Photo cred: www.anthropologie.com)

This new denim trend is a great way to mix up your wardrobe for Fall and give you an opportunity to play with different color palettes and tops. I know I'll be heading out this weekend to Anthropologie to grab myself a pair of the aforementioned jeans. 

The Pages I Turn(ed) - September 2011

(Photo cred: Google Images of The Hunger Games)

I've never been one for the "young adult" genre. At 24, I feel like reading books about teenagers is a little weird (except Harry Potter, of course), but when I saw my fiance's friend reading the book The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, it piqued my interest. I had worked at a bookstore for a while, and always had people asking me, "Do you have The Hunger Games?" or "Is The Hunger Games back in stock?".

I purchased the first book last month, and I'll be honest, it took me a little while to get into it. After the first few chapters, the story REALLY takes off and I was hooked. The story follows Katniss, a teenage girl living in a time when the fictitious country of Panem has been split into thirteen districts -- each district exporting some sort of good to the Capitol. The story takes place after District Thirteen began a rebellion that ended poorly for the rebels, and caused the Capitol to take on an all-consuming "1984-esque" power over the people. As punishment for the rebellion, each year a  female and male child between 12 and 18 is selected to take part in the Hunger Games, a veritable fight to the death, where only one winner survives.

The Hunger Games is the first in a trilogy, and each book is better than the next. The final book, Mockingjay, has an ending that sparked some anger in fans of the series, and I myself wasn't thrilled with it. I say definitely read it if you've got some spare time; Collins weaves a gripping story. The Hunger Games has been made into a film that just wrapped a few days ago, though short previews are already bouncing around YouTube.

I haven't decided what I'm reading next month just yet, but I have a few more days to figure it out, I gladly welcome any suggestions!

MAC Attack: MAC Me Over Fall 2011 collection

If you're makeup obsessed like me, you probably have to keep a close eye on your MAC addiction (or maybe you don't, and power to you!). They're constantly releasing new collections, and it can get pretty expensive. For a while it was getting so bad that I would think of ways to get the day off, or skip lunch with a friend, in order to make sure I could get THE lipstick(s) or THE eyeshadow(s) that I needed to have or my life couldn't go on.

I've since put my addiction under control and have not bought any new MAC item for over a year now! So I felt, today, that I deserved a little break from break from MAC, ya know?

I've perused the MAC Me Over collection a few times, and have ooh'ed and ahh'ed over the berry lipsticks, the cool greys and olives of the eyeshadows, so I sort of knew what I wanted when I breezed into Nordstrom.

I nabbed an eyeshadow quad called Lady Grey, a beautiful palette of a pink/nude, a shimmery purple, a heather grey, and a grey/olive shade. I'm rarely able to focus on my makeup during the week because of my job, not to mention you look a little ridic in full-blown makeup while wearing scrubs, so I was excited that I had the time and a reason (date night) to fix my face.

And since no look is complete without a nice lip, I purchased their lipglass in Good Times, a mauvey-pink (leaning more towards pink) that reminds me of a mix between their ever-popular Oyster Girl and a limited edition from FOREVER ago called Nymph.

(This photo is a little enhanced with Instagram because the color was just NOT coming up otherwise. It's a much more muted color in person)

Anyway, I just love this collection and may have to return to purchase a few of their paint pots and lipsticks I eyed on my way out. This is one of their larger collections that I've seen, so there's really something for everyone!

P.S. how cute is my new phone case?!

This is a NEARLY IDENTICAL replica of the MR DANNIJO (a collab of DANNIJO, a billiant jewelry line, and Man Repeller - she's awesome) Mus iPhone 4 case that sells for $98 on their website. I got mine for $38 in the Nordstrom accessories area. The real thing is always better, but since I'm on a budget these days, this one will do for now!

Jewel Jam: Lulu Frost for J.Crew

In fashion, everyone has their one sub-category that they gravitate towards. Mine happens to be jewelry. While browsing shops online, I found these amazing bangles from the Lulu Frost for J.Crew collection. Lulu Frost is a jewelry brand based out of NYC that started in 2004. I'd never heard of it before seeing this collection on J.Crew's website, but it piqued my interest and after some more research, I'd say I'm definitely a fan!

Statement pieces are something I think every girl needs in her wardrobe - whether it's a bangle, necklace, ring, whatever your style is! These bracelets, starting at $45, are a great way to introduce some color into your wardrobe (color-blocked bangles, anyone?), while keeping it chic and sophisticated (which J.Crew always does!)

Here's my two favorites, below:

(Photo cred: www.jcrew.com: turquoise stone bangle, $68)

(Photo cred: www.jcrew.com: wide Deco bangle, $118

I love the variety in width, color and price. It makes pairing a few, or wearing just one super cute!

Missoni for Target: Hit or Miss?

What did you all think of the Missoni for Target line? It launched today and apparently crashed the website more than once and was sold out most places before noon.

I have to say, I've never been a huge Missoni fan as is, and the items I saw from the collection didn't impress me too much. Maybe it was their zigzag pattern, and maybe it was their color palettes. Or maybe it's just sour grapes that I didn't get anything from it!

Either way, I may stop by tomorrow and see if I can pick up their one item that DID catch my eye -- the throw. There's a Target on my way to work that's out in the boonies and I may have a chance of scoring their cute blanket there. 

Did anybody get anything cool?

Fashion Friday

In lieu of NY Fashion Week, here are a few of my favorite fashion sites to go to!

Style.com - this site is wonderful for catching up on the latest runway shows. They post pictures of all the looks, plus have tons of other great features on their website. Can't say enough how much I love this site!

Who What Wear - I discovered these girls a while ago and LOVE what they do! I purchased their new book What To Wear, Where and it has tons of great ideas on how to put together outfits. Their "Look of the Day" segment is where I get some of my favorite style ideas.

Refinery29 - Any stylish girl I know loves Refinery29. Their website is similar to WWW, as it discusses trends and such, but this one goes area specific (NYC, San Fran, LA, etc.). They've got a lot of great slideshows on the cutest tights to wear for fall, or the best summer dresses to find on sale right now.

Gilt - I joined Gilt back when it was invite-only (I heard this changed...am I correct?) after being introduced by a particularly stylish friend on my newspaper staff in college. If you've been living under a rock for the last few years, Gilt is a discounted high-fashion sale site. Certain designers are featured on given dates and items are offered at a greatly discounted price. It's online, so the only downside is you may not know the correct size to order. I've purchased some GREAT jewelry from their jewelry sales (think Chan Luu, CC Skye, House of Harlow 1960).

Review: Benefit "They're Real!" mascara

Makeup is always something I've adored, starting with blue eyeshadow when I was twelve. My mom never wore much makeup while I was growing up, so I didn't have anyone to really teach me the foundations. Left to my own devices, I, admittedly, made many a faux pas in my journey, but after a few years I had mastered the contours of my own face.

As a beauty junkie, I LOVE to try new products. Last month I ran into Sephora to grab a new tube of mascara and left with Benefit's new mascara, called "They're Real!". The salesgirl assured me it was even superior to the holy grail that is BadGal lash (a cult favorite). Today was my first time using it, and let me just say....I really love it!

(Photo cred: beautezine.com)

Off to the review!

I'm always a sucker for the extra cute packaging that Benefit is known for, and this mascara bottle is no exception. The wand, another important factor while choosing a mascara, is one I am partial to as well. If you've ever used Cover Girl's Lash Blast mascara, the wand for this one is very similar. Sparse-looking bristles. The sparseness is actually a good thing, because it allows for more precise coating (and also makes getting those baby lashes toward your inner eye a piece of cake!). The box instructs you to hold VERTICALLY for separating and curling and HORIZONTALLY to achieve max volume.

(My fave mascara trick: hold the wand horizontally at the very base of your lashes and shimmy it back and forth while slowwwwly drawing it up your lashes. It never fails to make lashes look amazing after nearly one coat.)

They're Real! is available wherever Benefit is sold (Sephora, Macy's, etc) and is a permanent part of their collection. A bottle will run you $22.

Bottom Line: Buy! I have a feeling this will become a permanent part of MY collection as well.

Look at the length! Those are almost cheek-grazing lashes!

Fab Fitness On A Budget

Yesterday's post got me thinking...exercise is really expensive. Now, I know it doesn't have to be, I know that running outside is free. Push-ups are free. Sit-ups don't cost a dime. I get that. But for people who need the extra motivation of a fitness class, or who prefer equipment like treadmills, ellipticals, etc., it can get pretty expensive.

I recently moved out on my own. Living at home, my expenses were minimal and I made good money at my job so I was able to afford a gym membership. Since leaving the nest, I've had to cut costs and make tough decisions (i.e. which do I want more, Netflix or LA Fitness? Netflix, of course).

Here are a few of my secrets to staying fit while on a budget:

1. Take advantage of first-time client deals and discounts! This may be a no-brainer to the fiscally-responsible, but it was a new thing for me. After accepting I can't afford a monthly yoga membership or a commitment to a full-time gym, I shopped around for the activities I DID want to try, and asked about trial classes or first-time client discounts. The Barre3 class I took? 3 classes for $30 as a first-timer, otherwise classes run $20/per and $199/month for unlimited. Many places will offer a free trial class, or at least highly discounted. Just shop around.

2. Speaking of Netflix. If you're an exercise DVD person, Netflix has TONS of fitness dvds on their Instant Watch option. Select a yoga video or pilates and get started.

3. Tone It Up! The lovely ladies of Tone It Up, Karena and Katrina, changed my life. As certified nutritionists, they sell their meal plan for about $150. BUT, they offer YouTube videos that show full-body or area-specific workouts that you can do at home, on a break, or at the beach. They do "challenge" segments that are COMPLETELY free. You sign up and get an email sharing a calendar they created for you that shows what to do for the entire month. They also email special things to cut out of your diet during challenge months, new workout videos they have posted, and healthy recipes to get you excited about exercise and eating healthy. Their Bikini Challenge is what introduced me to them, and got me on a great path. They are starting a new Fall Challenge soon that includes give-aways. So check them out, here!

So there you have it, a few ideas to keep your body guessing and not slipping into the same old routine, while still not breaking the bank.