Amore a prima vista e da quel giorno viviamo felici e contenti

È un compatto contenente

• 1 cipria;
• 1 bronzer;
• 1 blush.

A mio parere questo è un prodotto che non deve mancare nel proprio beauty poichè utilissimo per ogni tipo di trucco. Infatti come potete vedere dalle immagini questi sono colori basic e modulabili in funzione del fatto che mentre il bronzer è opaco il blush ha la giusta presenza di shimmer.

A me piace anche il packaging

VOTO 9; € 14,00 e ben spesi!

O sa fiu de data asta succinta! A venit Urban Decaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

Da, au adus ieri (25 nov) in Sephora (in Plaza cel putin). Au primit Book of Shadows vol.2. E fffff misto, misto rau de tot, giugiuc . Trusa costa 170 lei, mi-am luat-o deja, si sunt in extaz.

Am un zambet tamp pe fata pe care nu pot sa-l mai sterg de ieri de cand m-au sunat de la Sephora sa imi zica marea veste: au primit Urban Decay. Da, sunt genul disperat (hai sa-i spunem deosebit de interesata, asta ca sa sune mai bine) care isi da nr. de tel ca sa primeasca un anumit produs. Doamne ajuta!

Deci, Sephora e cheia! Trusa cred ca o stiti deja, nu e prima data cand scriu despre Urban Decay, sau despre Book of Shadows, asa ca go for it! Contine 16 farduri de calitate foarte buna, colorate, pigmentate, rezistente,  bune de pus la inimioara, doua creioane de ochi si un primer (se da pe pleoape inainte de aplicarea fardului, pentru rezistenta mai mare). Plus ca ambalajul/cutia e de mare angajament.

Uite si o poza asa, la despartire. Ca sa stiti pe ce sa dati banii.

I received Philosophy’s Raspberry Sorbet as a gift from my mom who wanted me to test out the most expensive lipgloss she’d ever seen.  I don’t have the heart to tell her otherwise, but this isn’t that expensive.

You can purchase this at Sephora or Sephora.com.  It is $12-$14 for 0.5oz of gloss.  This gloss in in a squeeze tube and not my favorite type of applicator.  I don’t even know what you would call this applicator other than a “smear” tip because that is how you get it on.

It has a rather large opening which makes application even more difficult.  The smell alone is worth the $14 bucks, but that is the only thing this gloss has going for it.  It is very difficult to apply, has very little color payoff and is waaaaaayyy too sticky.  I just don’t like sticky gloss.  Maybe that’s why I’ve never bothered to purchase one of these glosses even though they smell like heaven and taste rather good.  I just can’t get past the stickiness and application.

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. I’m incredibly glad that for once I followed my own advice and got my shopping done before Black Friday.

Last night, which was the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, William and I went to Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax, Virginia.  Fair Oaks is one of my favorite malls, if not my all-time favorite.  This is what we found at the mall last night.  Tremendously organized and well-stocked stores.  Extremely helpful and gung-ho sales people.  No lines to wait in at the cash register or in the restaurants.  A very short line for Santa.  Parking a-plenty.  Even some sales!

Christmas Decorations

The Christmas decor in the mall is the same as it has been for a few years now; life-sized stuffed animals, white lights, and red poinsettias.

In the center of the mall, there is the big snow globe and a very small Santa’s court, with a Polar Express-The Movie theme.  We went through just to get snowed on.  Did we ever.  We were covered with tiny white plastic flakes.  I would not say that was a magical experience, however.  Just a little bit fun.  It could have been, but it was pretty commercial.  It didn’t really say “Christmas” to me.  It didn’t make me go aww! or catch my breath.  You know, back in the day, Santa lands were set apart from the shopping areas in their own little environments.  That’s part of what made it magical; you really felt like you were entering a little fantasy land.  That element was missing from this open style set-up.  You could clearly see stores, and the elevators, and shoppers all around you.  But I think the Polar Express decor also contributed to the plastic and less than magic feel.

JCPenney

We found some great deals at JCPenney (which is where I buy more than half my clothes, but we bought something for someone else, I can’t say who, or she might guess what she is getting!).  So we knocked one person off the list.

The Corner Bakery

Then we had a quick dinner at Maggiano’s Corner Bakery Cafe on the second level of the mall.  It’s one of the better and more affordable dining options at the mall. Our dinner came to just over $10 for both us.  I like it because I can get half a hot reuben sandwich and tomato soup.  William had the plain turkey sandwich.  Let me just say that this is the second time I have had the same cashier and he was, as then, super-nice, especially because I always need help deciding what to get, and he never has become impatient with me.  Do they ever do customer-service right there.  We were happy campers.

Bath and Body Works

Then we headed to Bath and Body Works, on the first level, and that really gets five stars for customer service and selection.  Bath and Body Works is always a Christmas shopping destination because it is the gift that fits everyone and is non-fattening   Everybody loves Bath and Body Works.  Well, the store looked beautiful.  The sales people were incredibly helpful and upbeat.  One gentleman working there made some excellent suggestions for two people on my list who are not easy to buy for, and I got my shopping done pretty quickly.  Still, I had to browse a bit.  This year, they had sparkly lotion in tubes for $5, including my favorite scent of warm brown sugar.  One year, I got everybody sparkly body lotion, not realizing that no one I know actually likes their skin to sparkle — except myself.  I am all about the glitter.  So, I bought this $5 Christmas present for myself and I couldn’t be happier.

The selection was terrific.  Bath and Body Works had pre-packaged gifts for $10, $15, $20, and more.  I did not see a whole lot over $30.  I recommend the lip glosses.  I use the lime one myself and they are yummy and they really add a nice shine and dimension to your regular lipstick color.   This year they are adding them to some $15 gift sets, including shower gel, lotion and fragrance, which is a real bargain because ordinarily just the lip gloss retails for $7.  So snap those up!  They also had stocking-stuffers: 3 for $10 bath products and fragrances and $1 hand sanitizer.  You know you can never have too much hand-sanitizer while flu is going around.  This is one recession-friendly place.  I really think, in comparison to last year, there were more bargains to be had, and nicer packaging.  So, if you have women to buy for (and men, too), this place is defintely worth a stop.

A quick look at Macy’s and XXI

We peeked in Macy’s, not to buy anything, but just to look around.  Just to compare, a nice gentleman there tried to sell me on the Dolce Gabbana new rose scented gift scents ($70 an $90).  Designer status aside, your money could go a lot farther at Bath and Body Works.  I politely passed. The clothes that I saw were nice, however.  Just out of my budget.

With its flashy window decorations and chandeliers, William and I couldn’t resist peeking inside the 2-story XXI.  It’s a fashion store really geared to teenagers and young 20-somethings.  I was surprised that they had a lot of youthful but affordable accessories, like fashion rings and bracelets, some under $5.  I also saw a pewter, lurex, tiered-style, racerback, sleeveless camisole that would look great at a club or party, maybe even over a tissue-weight white or black t-shirt with some skinny jeans, that retailed for only $19.90.  But it’s kind of a young look for me, given that I’m 44!  so I didn’t get it.  But as you can tell, my teenager heart wanted it

A Peek Inside Sephora

I wasn’t buying anything at Sephora, but  we walked in anyway, just to check it out.  I noticed that they had some very nice sets which would thrill anyone on your list who likes makeup.  Go in now and snap up the tiny Sephora compact for $15.  I would have bought it myself, except that the only person I could think of who really would love it was myself.  Since I already bought myself  the lotion, I passed.  But hey: the set is amazing. It has 8 or 10 tiny eye shadows in some fabulous colors, 4 tiny lip glosses, and what looks like a powder blush.  For $15, you can’t beat it. They also had some great little mascara and lip gloss duos.  My favorite set was in the back, and it was called “My First Makeup Kit.”  It had some small sizes of a lot of make up essentials that almost anyone would love.  They also had some other combination sets, including nice ones from Benefit (pricey but worth it – I recommend the concealer kit which has a sample size of their fabulous pink eye-depuffer, lemon-aid, and highlight beam)  And those mini nail polishes (Sephora brand) for $5 are a nice stocking stuffer, too.

A friendly young saleswoman was rocking a unique eye shadow look and I complimented her on it.  She said that at Sephora, they like to teach their customers how to do different makeup looks, and that she would be happy to show me how to get that look.  I passed, but sometime I will take them up on it.  She said usually they do one eye  and then coach you through how to do the other eye.  That sounds like fun to me.

Piccomolo Italian Ice Cream

By that time, we were ready for something refreshing so we walked to the Piccomolo Italian Ice Cream on the second floor (near Hot Topic).  You must check this out if you go to Fair Oaks Mall.  I’ve had their gelato before and it’s wonderful.  Get the small size; it’s huge, and they give you two flavors.  But this time I wanted to try their frozen yogurt.  I had it accessorized with fresh raspberries and it was plenty big for William and me to share for under $5.  Was it ever yummy!  Tangy and not too sweet, no fat, and really refreshing.

What a big news! Bon ça va un peu d’auto dérision ça fait pas de mal

Noël approche donc à grands pas et les cadeaux à faire aussi. Je vais donc vous proposer une série de petits cadeaux plutôt sympa à prix abordables  pour offrir à vos copines.

Kit Smoky Eyes Too Faced - Crédit Photo Sephora

Le kit Smoky Eyes de la marque Too Faced est un Must-Have dans sa trousse de maquillage. Il vous permet en quelques minutes d’avoir le regard de braise dont vous rêvez. En général moi quand j’essaye, on dirait une boxeuse qui vient de se faire cogner alors j’évite mais avec ce kit c’est vraiment un jeu d’enfants! Le kit contient un guide en 3 étapes pour devenir la femme fatale aux yeux de biche.  30€ chez Sephora .

Boîte 100drine pour Sentou Edition - Crédit Photo Made in Design

Pour ranger votre nouvelle palette de maquillage et bien plus encore, je vous propose cette jolie boîte métalique “la boîte à me bichonner”. La créatrice 100drine propose de nombreux modèles avec des messages assez fun et ludique mais j’ai eu le coup de coeur pour celle-ci. En fin d’année on a bien besoin de se bichonner avec ce froid polaire Disponible sur le site madeindesign au prix de 25€.

Trouse "Demain j'épouse Brad" Petite Mendigote - Crédit Photo Monshowroom.com

Dans la série je range mes petites affaires, j’ai fondu devant cette trousse! “Demain j’épouse Brad” est le fantasme de tellement de filles que la marque Petite Mendigote en a fait une très jolie trousse.  Elle se glisse partout donc Brad peut vous suivre n’importe où; elle est pas belle la vie! 29€ sur le site Monshowroom.com.

Dictionnaire du look, une nouvelle science du jeune - Crédit Photo Fnac

On a toute des copines ultra branchouille, super à la mode, fashion etc… Rien que pour être à la page, il existe une multitude d’expressions. Le Dictionnaire du look, une nouvelle science du jeune, décrypte pour vous toutes les tendances que vous vous sentiez Bling Bling, Bobo, Caillera, Geek, Shalala et j’en passe. Tout est passé au peigne fin pour que alliez jusqu’au bout de votre look et de vos envies. A offrir à toutes les fashionistas! 20.90€ sur le site de la Fnac.

Coffret D&G La Roue de la Fortune - Crédit Photo Sephora

Parce que j’aime le changement, je viens de tester une des nouvelles senteurs de la célèbre marque italienne et je suis fan du numéro 10 La Roue de la Fortune. Les différents parfums qui composent la nouvelle gamme de D&G reprennent des cartes du tarot de marseille. Celle qui porte le numéro 10 est une femme aventureuse et créative qui se lance de manière intrépide dans le jeu de l’existence. Pour ma part, ça me correspond pas mal Ca, c’était la leçon de tarot, revenos à notre parfum. Il a des notes plutôt orientales avec de la vanille, du patchouli, du jasmin et du poivre rose. Doux et sucré à la fois.

Le coffret comprend un flacon de 100ml d’Eau de Toilette, 5 échantillons des autres essences de la marque ainsi qu’une jolie trousse de toilette siglée. 59€ chez Sephora.

Pour terminer cette petite sélection, je vous propose 2 colliers à croquer!

Collier Fraise au chocolat - Crédit Photo les bijoux acidulés

Collier Cup Cake Philae - Crédit Photo Winaretta

Un peu de fantaisie dans ce monde de sauvage! J’ai trouvé ces 2 colliers super mimi et ça m’a mis l’eau à la bouche. Pour changer un peu de l’éternel sautoir en fausses perles ou le vu et revu collier H&M, je me suis dit que les plus gourmandes d’entres vous craqueraient pour ceux-ci.

La fraise au chocolat, pour les plus audacieuses, s’associe parfaitement à toutes vos tenues, des plus sages aux plus folles Pour 20€, il ne faudrait pas vous priver de l’offrir, sur le site les bijoux acidulés.

Le collier Cup Cake est composé d’un berlingot rouge, d’un joli cup cake blanc, d’une petite cuillère pour déguster votre gâteau ainsi que quelques perles blanches…so glam’. Pour les filles qui n’ont peur de rien et qui assume leur look 60€ chez Philae, disponible sur le site Winaretta.

Voilà les filles, j’espère que cette petite sélection vous aidera à faire votre choix pour vos cadeaux, Joyeux Noël!

]]> http://herfavoritethings.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/shu-uemura-curler/ Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:25:34 +0000 herfavoritethings http://herfavoritethings.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/shu-uemura-curler/

This is a great gift idea for anyone with stick straight lashes like myself.  This is the holy-grail of eyelash curlers.  It’s not heated, it’s not plated in gold and it doesn’t jump onto your face and curl your lashes by itself but what it does is this: It Works!  This gives you perfectly curled lashes without hassel and stress which is the one thing we don’t want in the mornings.

For people like myself who wear glasses, stick straight lashes coated with mascara can be an all day annoyance because they constantly sratch at the lens of your glasses and you can feel them brushing against your glasses all day.  Not cute.  This however creates a perfect curl and somehow helps the curl last most of the day.

The Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler retails for $20 and you can find it at Sephora.com and Sephora stores or anywhere Shu Uemura is sold.

You know how those makeup palettes that they sell at Christmas are always disappointing because they aim for the least objectionable shades — nothing fun, always slightly ruddy looking? Not this year my friends!

Quo’s Treasure Box (pictured above) is the perfect present for makeup junkies. It’s got a colourful collection of 24 eye shadows, eight lip glosses, three pressed powders, a black mascara and a lip liner housed in a jeweled compact. And it only costs $35.

Sephora’s Color Play Palette II sampler comes with 36 highly pigmented powder eyeshadows, 12 lip colors, three powder blushes, and a bronzer for about $24.

If there is just too much selection in the above palettes, consider Cargo’s Hands of Hope Collection, which features nine full-sized brilliantly hued, shimmery, professional quality eye shadows for only $29 (available at Sephora and Murale).

I’m Wired da OPI, para Sephora, coleção Digital Diva (primavera 2009). É um coral rosado, levemente neon. Na foto foram usadas 3 aplicações, pois ele tende a ficar mais falhado. É levemente parecido com o Lost without my GPS, porém mais chamativo e puxando mais para o rosado. Pelo fato de usar 3 aplicações, o acabamento não ficou excelente, e 5 dias depois já estava descascando.

Não, não. Você não leu errado.

A revista W elegeu as 6 melhores marcas de maquiagem mas sem ser aquelas que nós todas já conhecemos e que vendem no mundo inteiro.
Desta vez eles pesquisaram entre editores de revistas, maquiadores, consumidores e chegaram a uma lista com as 6 melhores marcas “independentes” no mercado dos cosméticos.

Eu não tenho nada de nenhuma dessas marcas, mas se você tiver e quiser compartilhar sua opnião sobre eles, vou adorar.  Assim a gente fica sabendo “de verdade” o que vocês acham.

RMS Beauty

RMS Beauty

Os produtos da linha RMS Beauty são todos cremosos e totalmente naturais.
Este da foto a cima, foi o produto que a revista W elegeu como favorito. Ele é um iluminador,  Living Luminizer ($38), pode ser usado na maçã do rosto, nas têmporas, pálpebras e lábios. Segundo a W ele deixa na pele um brilho levemente perolado sem ser brilhante ou reluzente de mais. (wish list AGORA) – www.rmsbeauty.com

Kimara Ahnert

Kimara Ahnert

Kimara Ahnert é um salão de beleza e eles têm a própria linha de maquiagem (ADORO ISSO). A linha de makeup é toda anti-alérgica e mineral. A revista W diz que o lápis labial da Kimara Ahnert faz milagre – www.kimara.com

BECCA

BECCA

Esta linha de maquiagem é Australiana, isso quer dizer que foi desenvolvida para mulheres mais bronzeadas ou que queiram um toque de sol na pele. Achei bem interessante e apropriado para as brasileiras.
A base tem 30 tipos de cor diferente (se não achar o sua cor de base na linha da Becca, não acha nunca mais…rsrs)
A linha de makeup deles é toda bronze e não cai para o tom alaranjado, o que é ótimo.
 Alguns tem o acabamento levemente mate, mesmo sendo um iluminador, como o Luminous Skin Colour.
O  Shimmering Skin Perfector pode ser usado sozinho ou misturado com a base.
Prometo MUITO procurar onde vende e informar aqui depois, porque fiquei ULTRA curiosa para usar os produtos da BECCA – www.beccacosmetics.com

29 Cosmetics

29 Cosmetics

A linha de makeup da 29 Cosmetics é completa. Mas a revista W elegeu como “top one” o tratamento labial de luxo. 
Um é esfoliante em bastão, o outro um balm de semente de uva e o outro um hidratante labial de mel. 
Pra ficar com a boca mais deliciosa do mundo ;o)
A responsável pela linha 29 Cosmetics é  Lydia Mondavi, esposa do Robert Jr. – www.29cosmetics.com

Hourglass Cosmetics

Hourglass Cosmetics

A linha de maquiagem da Hourglass tem uma diversidade de cores muito versátil. Bacana para usar no dia a dia (tudo combina com tudo)
Os estojinhos de sombra vem com várias cores complementares e além de tudo a própria diretora de arte da W, Nathalie Kirsheh, falou que os delineadores da Hourglass permanecem intactos o dia inteiro até a noite (Isso a gente gosta bastante).
O melhor de tudo, vende na Sephora. – www.houglasscosmetics.com

W3LL People

W3LL People

Já a linha da W3LL é toda “natureba”. Não contém sulfato de sódio e além disso a embalagem é toda feita com material reciclado.
A W3LL foi desenvolvida pensando na praticidade ao usar maquiagem. Este bastão da foto é um produto que pode ser usados nos lábios, bochechas e pálpebras. É a linha Universalist Multi-Use Color. – www.w3llpeople.com

So I went multi-store haulin tonight and found a few nice finds.  From Icing, I got two polishes: Blue Goose & Paparazzi

From Sally Beauty, I got a ginormous remover to store under the bathroom cabinet, a standard remover to store in my polish tools box and the new Fingerpaints Icy Iris.

From Ulta, which was having a Buy 2 Get 1 Free sale on OPI polish.  I got: Lincoln Park After Dark, Purple with a Purpose & Ink.

From Sephora, I scored Sephora by OPI Metro Chic and Benefit’s Bad Gal Lash.

From Target, I bought two Studio Tools brushes.  A skunk & crease brush.

Overall, I wish I would have bought more, but I’m happy with everything I got and it’s always fun to shop with my mom.  She’s an impulse shopper but so much fun!

Acredito que se tem uma coisa mais importante do que saber o tipo de maquiagem que cai bem em você e o que não cai, é lavar os seus pincéis. Eu já falei aqui no blog de todos so tipos de pincéis para make (base, pó, sombra e blush), mas percebi que nunca tinha falado sobre a manutenção deles.

O mais importante disso tudo é entender que os pincéis precisam ser cuidados com muito carinho. Caso contráio eles podem perder cerdas e até mesmo mofar (eww!). Como nós não queremos isso, aliás, queremos mais é que eles durem anos e anos, nada como reservar dez minutos do seu domingo uma vez por mês (ou o quanto você achar necessário) para cuidar bem do seus apetrechos.

Eu disse o quanto você achar necessário, mas acho que o ideal (especialmente para Moças que usam muito os seus pincéis) e lavá-los a cada 15 dias. Intercalar nesse meio tempo uma limpeza mais profunda acho que seria o ideal de manutenção desses instrumentos.

Acho que muitas de nós aqui já ouvimos falar que nada melhor para lavar um pincel do que um shampoo neutro. E é isso mesmo o que eu acho. Eu, por exemplo, uso o Johnson’s Baby Shampoo. Primeiro porque ele é feito para nenéns, como diz o nome, então mais neutro do que isso, impossível! (afinal, que bebê precisa de muitos cuidados capilares, não? O cabelinho deles já é a coisa mais fofa e macia do mundo!). Segundo, porque ele tem uma consistência boa, é fácil de lavar e só um pouquinho já resolve o problema.

Esse produto tem um preço bem bacana, custa por volta de seis reais no máximo em qualquer farmácia do Brasil e faz o trabalho muito bem feito, é claro!

Então o que eu faço é o seguinte: ligo a torneira da pia em uma temperatura mais morna, molho as cerdas (jamais na altura do cabo, okay? Isso porque o molhado ali pode acumular e causar mofo) o máximo que posso, fecho a torneira, coloco um pouco de shampoo na mão e passo o pincel ali em um movimento de vai e volta. Depois disso, bora molhar de novo com água morna par atirar todo o produto. Ah, vale lembrar que apertar um pouco as cerdas para tirar o excesso de água e colocá-las na forma original é uma boa também!

Para secar as opções variam. Eu preciso usar uma toalha mesmo, passo o pincel na direção dele sobre a toalha até eu achar que a maior parte da água saiu. Depois disso deixo em algum lugar arejado para terminar de secar. mas, se você achar que vai demorar muito pode usar um secador de cabelo na temperatura MORNA e de longe (não diretamente nas cerdas) para acelerar o processo.

Mas é claro que isso não é necessário a cada duas semanas. para lavagens mais rápidas sempre vale a pena ter em mãos um produto feito para isso, como os cleaners da Sephora e da M.A.C. São fáceis de usar, práticos (você pula a parte da água e, depois de borrifar o cleaner no pincel é só fazer o movimento de vai e volta sobre uma toalha) e não é difícil encontrar um bom produto por um preço camarada.

O da M.A.C. custa em torno de 11 dólares no gringo enquanto o da Sephora, possui preços que variam entre 6 e 12 dólares. Vai dizer que não vale a pena?

Candy coated eyes and lips are all the rage right now…You can get your own look with these beautiful palettes. They also make the perfect Christmas gift!

Real: Sephora Collection Ultimate Blockbuster Eyeshadow Kit, $62.00 at www.sephora.com

Steal: Eyes Lips Face 141 Piece Master Makeup Collection, $40.00 at www.eyeslipsface.com

"Out of my way, bitches! These sheets are MINE!"

When November 1st rolls around newspapers, billboards and TV commercials are invaded by Black Friday deals. They have you drooling over discounted cashmere sweaters, luggage sets for 65% off and 2 for 1 shoe bargains. My heart races every time a new ad pops up on my Facebook page. Half priced makeup at Sephora? A new TV for cheap at Wal-Mart? A diamond sale at Kay’s Jewelers? (Perhaps I should email this to my boyfriend…).

But of course this all comes at a price. You have to be up before the sun rises, usually in the freezing cold, and you have to fight your way through all the other women who are after the same deals you are.

Every year I find myself pulled in two directions. On one hand I want those deals and I want them bad, but the other part of me just doesn’t have the strength to battle the crowds when I am barely getting any sleep writing essays and getting ready for finals.

It’s pretty obvious: I’m Torn.

Love It:
An entire day devoted to shopping, what could possibly be better? Stores offer ridiculous deals, and the early bird specials reward those with the willpower to make it there at the crack of dawn with even further discounted stuff and special offers. For a deal-savvy fashionista, the advertisements for Black Friday are like invitations to a shopping competition, where only the strongest survive. And while you may have to wrestle those pumps out of that lady’s sweaty paws, all of us women who have braved the Black Friday sales share a bond. It’s an unspoken one. A slight smile before you both dash for the clothing rack, a nod as you direct the woman entering the store towards the best deal as you exit.

And how fun is it to reconvene with the girls for lunch, as you all scarf down a sandwich and a shot of espresso, triumphantly sharing your merchandise, swapping tips on the must-hit stores, and then disperse for the afternoon session recharged?

Sure, it’s hard work, but nothing is better than spreading all your purchases out on your bed when you get home and reveling over the fact that you got it all at 80% off.

Loathe It:
Having your alarm ring in your ear at 3:30 am? Having to chug watered down coffee that you made at home because even Starbucks isn’t open yet? Not to mention employing your defensive driving course as your weave through traffic and race to find a parking spot. And all that is before you even get there.

Once you’re inside the mall it’s a madhouse. Crowds of women pushing and shoving, merchandise strewn all over the place. And if you aren’t quick enough you’ll be forced to suck in and squeeze into the LBD swearing you’ll live in the gym until Christmas or justifying the fact that you are swimming in that winter jacket with, “I’ll be warmer with more fabric…right?”

If you bring the wrong shopping companion, you’ll both be miserable (read: the huffy boyfriend who stands in the corner checking his Blackberry or the claustrophobic pal who starts hyperventilating the minute she steps foot inside the mall). Even if you bring along your shopping obsessed roommate, chances are the stress of the day will have you bickering over which stores to hit and who spotted those Charles David suede boots first.

Plus, a lot of stores offer online deals too, so why not sleep in and shop in my bunny slippers? It’s much easier to enter my credit card number than wait in line for 45 minutes with the woman who took all eight of the coach purses all up in my shiz.

What do you guys think?  Is braving the stores on Black Friday worth it or should we all pass?

Ik heb afgelopen zaterdag lekker kunnen shoppen in Groningen, ik ben goed geslaagd. Het was niet superveel maar wel waard om even te laten zien. Here it comes!

Ik had dit taupe kleurige vestje al gespot op de site van H&M en toen vond ik hem al heel leuk, maar in het echt is ie echt nog veel leuker! Toen ik hem zag hangen bij de H&M in Groningen -die trouwens echt mega groot is- heb ik hem meteen gepast en toen ik daar helemaal tevreden over was meteen ook afgerekent. Ik heb er 19,95 voor betaald.

Ik heb deze imitatie Bailey Button uggs al in het grijs en die bevallen me zo goed -ze lopen lekker en mijn voeten blijven ook heerlijk warm- dat ik ze ook in het zwart wilde hebben, en ik heb ze gevonden! Ik heb voor deze fake uggs 39,95 betaald.

Ook heb ik nog een aantal spulletjes bij Sephora gekocht. Ik heb hier geen goede plaatjes van kunnen vinden, maar de producten die ik gekocht heb waren 2 douchegels, Grapefruit en Mint, een babyroze nagellak en 2 badbruistabletten in de geuren Cocos en Passion Fruit. En omdat Sephora een jaar bestaat in Nederland kreeg ik nog eens 20% extra korting. Kijk, dat is nu nog eens leuk shoppen!

Dit was dus een korte shoplog, hope you like my new stuff!

Are you tired of getting cotton pad fibers stuck in your eyes and eyelashes?

So was I. I finally found the perfect facial cotton pads for removing make-up. Shiseido’s Facial Cotton is about ten times better than your average cosmetic pads.

I guess the Japanese have a hold on cosmetics on top of their technology hold.

The Shiseido facial cotton pads are 100% cotton, are square, and are thicker and softer than the regular pads. They work very well. I definitely won’t go back to the regular kind, unless it’s just for my nails, but even then.

The Shiseido pack that I bought is a bit more expensive than the fibrous variety, but you get more in the package, and, they are simply superior.

You can buy them at Sephora or at Shoppers Drug Mart where I found them. I’m sure there are other retailers out there as well.

I’ve actually been removing my eye-makeup properly now that I have these. No more pillow case eyeliner for me!

~Darleya~

Just like our wardrobes with each season our scent should vary as well. The winter-time crisp, cool air allows us to be a bit more bold in choosing our perfumes. Think about it… mid-summer, with the humidity level at it’s highest, the last thing we want to do is suffocate ourselves with a strong scent-which is why we usually opt for lighter, floral scents. However, come winter time just as we begin to layer our clothes, add the tights and accessorize with scarfs (or snoods), our scents should coincide and become a bit stronger as well.

I’ve been to the best place on earth (Sephora) and I sniffed around to find the best winter scent for me- I simply could not decide. Instead  I found something amazing… A fragrance sampler for everyone to test out and determine their own “signature scent”. Enjoy!

*The fragrance sampler shown here from Sephora includes: Aquolina-Pink Sugar, Donna Karan-Cashmere Mist, Juicy Couture-Viva la Juicy, Prada-Infusion D’Iris, Dior-Addict 2, Emilio Pucci-Vivara Variazioni Acqua 33,Kenzo- Kenzo Flower, Stella McCartney-Stella Nude, Dolce & Gabbana-Light Blue, Harajuku-Lovers G, Michael Kors-Very Hollywood, and Versace-Bright Crystal

I was a little annoyed this morning at having to wake up on a Sunday at 6:45 for a work meeting, but it was nice to get to meet alll of my coworkers (and there are many!) at Sephora. Also the holiday Sephora exclusives made me want to spend my entire paycheck! Uh oh! I’m loving this new job and hopefully this work environment will be as drama free as Clinique (before our evil dictator stepped in to place). So I’m thinking since I had to wake up so early I will get things accomplished today and be productive.

I’m posting my most recent creation, it just sort of happened and now I have been in the process of designing more necklaces like this. Some I will do on 14kt and sterling, but this one is just basemetal and stones. I apologize about the grittiness of this photo, my new camera is on it’s way in the mail (soooo excited!), so there will be many more to come.

In this piece I have included an amethyst, gaspeite, pink coral branch, and turquoise (This piece is going in my personal collection, as I am IN LOVE with the colors…I know it would ideally be more of a spring/summer necklace, but it’s just so fun to wear I don’t care if it is almost December! But, I did make another identical piece to this one which will be available to purchase soon on my up and coming etsy shop as soon as I have enough pieces made to list on the site)