Cosmetic Case of the Mondays: YSL Touche Eclat

Categories:

Cosmetic Case of the Mondays, Makeup, Things We Love

September 24, 2012

So as you know by now I’m a huge fan of highlighters.  I’m a sucker to think that a powder, serum, or cream will miraculously give me the glow of Eva Longoria.  While that clearly hasn’t happened (yet…wishful thinking), I still can’t get enough.  My cosmetic world was turned upside down when I was introduced to YSL’s Touche Eclat Radiant Touch, the highlighter pen that turned 20 years old this year.  That’s right, TWENTY.  After being on the market for that long, it must not suck, however it wasn’t until I was getting my makeup done at a non-YSL counter when the makeup artists left me to go borrow it from YSL to use on me.  If that isn’t enough, one is bought every 10 seconds worldwide. Holy testimonial.

This amazing pen comes in 12 available shades (I wear #02 for a bright-eyed look, fyi), including 5 shades launched to coincide with the Anniversary.  It is the ultimate illuminator, meets concealer.  It can be worn, applied, and used a million different ways and there is even an Apple app dedicated to providing useful tips, as well as help you find the nearest sales outlet to purchase the pen.

While it’s costly at $40, just keep in mind that the pen really is mightier.

Xo

Leah

 

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Fashion Friday: How to Fall from Summer

Categories:

Fashion Friday

September 21, 2012

I know there were many trends this past summer, but to me there were only two: colored skinnies and neon.

If I admitted to how many pairs of colored skinnies I collected throughout the past couple of months you might think less of me.  We’re not even talking colors anymore, we’re talking shades.  Let’s just say I could be in a Skittles commercial for every different flavor scheme they have: Original, Wild Berry, Tropical Sour, you name it and I can taste the rainbow.  The good news is I only splurged on one pair and the rest I either scored on sale at Saks or they were from the Gap and Forever21.  But I’m not about to retire all of those just yet, I will do my best incorporating them into my Fall looks!  How you ask?  In my non-professional opinion, I think the easiest thing to do is pair with dark colors such as black or navy (as opposed to an easy white button down aka one of the biggest staples in my wardrobe) and whenever possible add in a touch of leopard, it seems to always does the trick.  The Duchess of Cambridge pulled off her salmon jeans in a non-summer look beautifully!

Here are some other ways to accomplish a similar look:

Gap Bright Skinnies. Gap Navy Striped Tee. Old Navy Neutral Scarf.  Steve Madden Leopard Flats.

Neon, Neon.  I think John Mayer may have thought of that song while looking in my closet.  If that song came out this year, as opposed to 2001 (man I’m getting old).  I couldn’t even begin to compile the list of neon items I collected this Summer.  Like seriously, what was I thinking?!  Good thing is I can mix items and still be obnoxiously bright this Fall!  Once again, instead of just pairing the neon with white, try to mix with gray, black, and camel.  One of the easiest way is to simply accessorize with neon:

The Cambridge Satchel Company.  Bangle made with love from Papery & Cakery’s own Niki.  Twistband Headbands.

Good luck Falling from Summer!

Xo

Leah

 

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Henri Bendel Promo

Categories:

Fashion, Shopping

September 20, 2012

Currently at Henri Bendel stores as well as online you can enjoy 25% off purchases over $150 with code FALLHB through September 23rd! Plus receive a 20% off Splurge card valid September 24-October 1 on purchases over $100.

I’ve picked out some of my faves currently on my wish list, hope you enjoy!

1. Effortless Tote – This carry-all looks so chic for your everyday look!

2. She Growls Striped Chiffon Scarf – I’m in love with this chiffon leopard scarf, I’m convinced it would go with everything!  Also comes in a Coral for a pop of color.

3. IIIbeca By Joy Gryson Reade Street Tote -  Another great way  to add a pop of color to any Fall outfit.  Would also be a great bag to bring on all of your errands or could also be a great school bag!

4. Sugarpova Cheeky Bears – I love it when my world’s collide…bright gummy bears from Maria Sharapova’s new sweet line available at Bendel stores.  A portion of every purchase is given to the Maria Sharapova Foundation.

5. Petite Hand Me Down Stack Ring – Prefer this in the “Black/Gold” version as it is so versatile!

6. Life of the Party Box – Love this leopard clutch to pieces.  Reminds me of a DVF one I’ve been wanting, but love how this one has an optional shoulder chain strap!  Can you tell I’m loving leopard for Fall?

Happy Shopping!

Xo

Leah

 

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Humpday Helper: Fall Pedi

Categories:

Beauty, Humpday Helper

September 19, 2012

So last week I blogged about it officially becoming Fall and that Jim Cantore may have his way of determining the seasons, but I establish it by my nail polish colors.  And after I switched my nails to the fabulous Miss Fancy Pants, I felt it was my duty to communicate that I opted for a different color to put on my toes to go with.  I usually try to match my toes and my nails, however I felt that Miss Fancy Pants would be a tad too light of a color to don on my toesies so I opted to go with Don’t Sweater It which is also in Essie’s new Fall collection, but a bit of a darker shade.  (Heads up, if you go on essie.com, they describe it as “a warm, cozy and creamy mauve,” which I don’t consider accurate in the least bit, so don’t let that fool you!) I loved the end result so I had to share the tip! (As awkward as it is to show a pic of my feet…)

Be sure to check out both shades and hopefully you love them both as much as I do!

Xo

Leah

 

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Young Woman Searches for New Flat Iron, Will Pay Money

Categories:

Beauty

September 18, 2012

So being someone with naturally gross hair, my flat iron is one of my most coveted items (speaking vainly of course) so this weekend when I realized it was on the fritz I panicked.  Luckily if need be I could always rock a bun or attempt to curl my hair (I opt for the wand style curling iron as I can never truly understand how to use a regular curling iron, which I have to say troubles me beyond belief…not only do I crave the perfect curl and wave, when I see people on some reality TV shows – not mentioning any names – accomplishing this, people who I’d like to think I have a little more wits than, I cry a little inside, but that’s another post itself), however a replacement is of course mandatory.  And fast.

So I figured maybe my research could help others out there who are perhaps also in the market for a flattening tool.  Unless of course you opt for the actual iron like Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray (the John Waters version of course, not the Travolta musical version…sorry Efron).

The first place I go to is folica.com.  They always have promotions and I like reading the reviews and being able to compare so many at once.  Right now you can use the promo code FALLTIME for $25 off of orders over $100, plus free shipping!

My initial instinct is to repurchase my current flat iron as I love it and researched a ton of options last time I was in the market.  Let me point out that my current straightener lasted me a little over a year, which isn’t too much to brag about, however I did accidentally leave it on for a considerable amount of time one day.  Good news is the house didn’t burn down, point for the Sedu!

Sedu Revolution Tourmaline Ionic Styling Iron 1’’ – Claims it allows you to create desired hairstyle in half of the time and virtually no damage.  It also has more of a rounded end to allow you to curl easily, however I have yet to master this and thus do not think it’s easy.  I loved how you can control the temperature on this one, as opposed to some with a fix temp.  And it heats up so quickly and keeps my hair much smoother than it probably should be!

Solia Tourmaline Ceramic Ion Flat Iron 1-1/4’’ – Comes in 4 fun colors, but is a tad larger than I like and am used to.  Claims it ensures perfect contact between your hair and the plates, and provides frizz-free silky hair.  Has amazing reviews on folica.com and is reasonably priced compared to its competitors.  Max temp is 400 degrees (some others are 450).

GHD Classic Styler Ceramic Hair Straightener – Claims it’s all you will ever need to create perfect curls, movement and volume.  It auto adjusts for international voltages, however it does have a fixed temperature setting, but one of the best features is a Sleep mode which will turn the styler off if not used for 30 minutes.  To be honest this is the key selling point for me seeing as I run back in the house almost every time I leave just to make sure I turned it off.  I once had to go to my best friend Pam’s house while she and her family went out for the day just to check that she did in fact turn it off.  Pam, buy this.

HAI Convertible Ceramic Flat Iron – This is another moderately priced straightener that claims it “seals in hairs moisture and luster”, which unfortunately just makes me envision my hair to be wet or “moist” (terrible word) which leads me to think of frizz.  I know that’s not what that means nor what they were going for, but moisture and hair shouldn’t go together in a selling point…especially when you live in South Florida.  What is nice is it claims to have a faster heat-up time than conventional coil straightening irons and will heat up in less than 25 seconds.

Sedu Pro Ionic Ceramic Tourmaline Flat Iron 1’’ – This one has features of many of the other ones discussed, but all in one.  It  has an adjustable temperature (going up to 410), ions renew hair with softness and shine and eliminates frizz.  Claims that hair becomes up to 3 times smoother and silkier than using ordinary ceramic straighteners, as well as cuts your straightening time in half.  Will also heat up to desired temp in less than 25 seconds.  Has amazing reviews as well!

Since I don’t want to be a hair hopper like Tracy, I should probably make my decision asap.  Will keep you all posted!

Xo

Leah

 

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Cosmetic Case of the Mondays

Categories:

Cosmetic Case of the Mondays, Lipstick, Makeup

September 17, 2012

I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend and to my fellow Jewish readers I wish you all a happy and healthy New Year!  I was able to spend time with my sister-in-law (whom I love and adore to pieces) this weekend who was in town for the holiday and I dragged her to the MAC counter to get our makeup done and try out the new collections that had debuted this week.  She doesn’t regularly paint her face as much as I do so I had to coach her along the way, but luckily the new collections were so amazing that I had little convincing to do.

We went into Bloomies originally to test out the new line Office Hours, which features Pro Longwear Eye Shadows, Lipglasses, and Blushes.  These are all meant to last you throughout your busy day (thus the fitting name) and come in great shades, both a little retro as well as neutral.  This all changed when we spotted the limited edition Pressed Pigments (I didn’t sweat the change-up because we were told the Office Hours colors aren’t limited, phew).  Basically these Pressed Pigment shadows are pressed versions of MAC’s crushed Pigments and we just loved them!  They can be applied wet or dry as well as layered on top of one another or with a different shadow.  The possibilities are endless!  One problem: Low supply, high demand (that’s when you know they’re good!).  Moral of the story: If you like what you see, purchase asap!

Here’s the whole collection:

After having the wonderful Ina doll me up, I opted to buy Deeply Dashing, a brown/taupe shade, as well as Light Touch, a champagne shade.  Keep in mind that because of the glitter and shimmer, each color can end up looking differently depending on the skin tone, lighting, and other colors they’re mixed with.  My apologies in advance for what looks like the shiniest shots ever, not sure how my camera even made my uber dry skin look like this.  Just keep your eye on the prize on not your eye on the shine…

We did end up going with one of the new Pro Longwear Blushes featured in Office Hours, Stubborn which is a midtone rose plum. Lastly we paired it with the Sheen Supreme Lipstick color Can’t Get Enough, a beige neutral shade, topped with Lustreglass Luminary gloss.

So, reaching for your wallet yet??

Xo

Leah

 

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Fashion Friday: New York Fashion Week

Categories:

Fashion Friday

September 14, 2012

Happy Fashion Friday folks!

As I’m sure you all know, the Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week came to a wrap yesterday after numerous top designers showcased their Spring 2013 Collections.  Are you like me and are uber envious that you missed out on all the fun?  Well luckily we have many resources that help us feel like we were in the first row at every show!  “Oh thanks for saving my seat, Becks!”  Just kidding…I’d probably opt to sit between Kelly and Joan and pretend to be co-hosting an episode of Fashion Police (and obvi I’d be on a first name basis with them).

You can simply log on to Maybelline’s YouTube channel to see highlights from all the shows as they have been streaming live video throughout the week, how cool is that?  I die. (Speaking of which…)

Some other designers have links to their shows directly on their website’s such as Tory Burch (who is also offering a limited edition e-tablet cover on orders $100+ in honor of FW) as well as full displays of their Spring 2013 line including Kate Spade. 

And of course the stars came by the dozens taking in all the shows and even putting on some of their own, such as Victoria Beckham and the Olsen twins.  Katie Holmes had her first-ever show with her line Holmes & Yang.  Good for her, I’d take a fashion line over a marriage with Tom Cruise any day.

Now we just wait until these incredible lines hit stores next Spring and we can feel like we’re already in the know!  “Oh 50s and 60s styles?  Yea I already saw that when it was featured in multiple lines at Fashion Week” (This is what we call being a polished poser, fyi.)

Until next year!

Xo

Leah

 

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