NOTD Essie Van D'go

Hi beauties,
I just got back from vacation and have a lot of pictures and blogs to posts from my vacation. I wore Essie's Van D'go on my nails and this is a picture of the color after 5 days of wearing it (cuticles look a bit sad though)

The color is beautiful and it was perfect for the beach. It's a mixture of peach, pink and coral which makes it very unique. I don't have anything else like it. It lasted very well and it did not chip at all even hours of playing in the sand and the beach, although this could be the result of the Nail Tek top coat. This nail polish isn't perfect though. Although I love the color of this polish, the application of it is extremely hard. I took this color with me to have a manicure and the nail technician said this was one of the most difficult colors he had worked with. It streaks really bad and is very difficult to make it look even. I find that to be the case with most of the Essie polishes I have tried but Essie still has some beautiful colors.

Have you tried this color? What are some of your fave summer polishes?

Hope you all had an amazing week. I have a busy day of blog reading ahead. :)

My favourite nude lipsticks.

Hi lovelies,

I don't know about you, but I love a nude lip. If done right and match the skintone, the nude lipstick can help tone down a smokey eye, make lips appear larger, and have a more put together look.

Here are some of my must have nude lips.

MAC Myth, MAC Creme d'Nude, and MAC fleshpot. MAC myth is a nude with a peachy beige undertone. MAC creme d'nude has a bit more beige than myth but since it's a cremesheen it's very soft and easy to apply and the most easy to use out of these three nudes. MAC fleshpot is a pro item only and it's a nude with a pink undertone. Most people complain that this is hard to wear. I use a lip balm under most nudes because this softens the color and it's not as harsh or chalky.

MAC creme d'nude.

 

Revlon Soft Nude. This is my favourite drugstore lipstick. It has more color than MAC myth, creme d'nude or fleshpot. It has a very pretty peach undertone. While most people have to work with a nude lipstick to make it work for them, this is so simple to use and foolproof. It has enough color so it will not wash out someone's complexion.

 

NYX summer love. This is a close dupe for MAC's creme d'nude. It has a very soft peachy/beige undertone. The texture of this lipstick is soft as butter as are MAC cremesheens so it melts very easily as I'm sure you can see by this picture.

MAC hug me. This is a more pigmented nude type of color. It's a soft brown with a mauve undertone. This is really pretty on darker skintones. I love this color though even when I'm pale. I highly recommend this color if you're looking for a "professional" type of lipstick. This will totally make you look pretty and put together.

MAC "style it up" from the Barbie limited edition collection. This is a more pigmented version of MAC flashpot. It's a soft nude with a pink undertone and it has a lot of sheen to it. I really wish MAC would bring this back.

I love nude lipsticks. I know a lot of people have a hard time applying nude lipsticks, but it helps to have a lip balm or lip primer under the lipstick to soften the color and make it less chalky. It also helps to just tab on the ones that are light or difficult to work with and then just use a brush or your fingers (after sanitizing your hands) to spread it thru your lips. This really helps in getting the nude natural lip without the "concealer" look.

What are your favourite nudes? I know I want to get my hands Gosh Darling which does not sell in the US but what other recommendations do you have?

Hope you all are having a lovely weekend.

In and Outs Number 2

Hi lovelies,
It's time to do a quick in and outs post mainly because I have so many ins I want to share with you.
In:
1. Getting pampered. I haven't been tempted by any cosmetics lately and instead I have used my money to get a few pampering treatments. I got a message, a pedicure, and a facial and I must say it's so nice to get pampered every once in a while. The facial was amazing. I got a clearing/steaming facials and my skin is glowing. Every time I actually get a facial, I always think I should do this more often, but then MAC releases a new limited edition and there goes my money.
2. Relaxing. I am taking a week off work to go to Amelia island, Florida and am so excited. I work in a corporate office of 800 plus people, so it's very fast paced and busy. I am looking forward to having a week of to relax and enjoy the beach. Fingers crossed the weather holds up.
3. Essie Van D'go. I love this color. It's the perfect peach color and much more pigmented then OPI Coney Island Cotton Candy which is too sheer for me and will probably list it on another blog sale. Van D'go is such a sweet and girly color. This will be the polish I'll be wearing on my vacation and the one I'll carry with me.

4. Red polish. On another note, I have always loved red polish. There is something sultry, classy and very sexy about a red polish and lately I have been sporting red nails and absolutely loving it. One of my favourites at the moment is China Glaze China Rouge which is a true stark red. It is perfect for pedicures especially.

5. Teavana tea. I love tea in general, Teavana has some of the greatest teas ever. I'm obsessed with their Apricot Caramel Torte Green tea which is like dessert in a cup. It's so delicious, decadent and reach but yet guilt free and very good for the body. Absolutely delic

Out:
1. Not being able to upload pictures all afternoon yesterday. I was trying to post a nude lipsticks post, but was unable to upload anything in my blog yesterday. It started working late last night though, so all is good in the end.


Thank you all for reading and hope you all are having a great day.

What's in my makeup bag?

Hello lovelies,
I wanted to make a post about what's currently in my makeup bag. I have done one of these before, but for us makeup junkies, this changes all the time.
Here is what I have been using lately:
It has been a much hotter summer here this year than last so I have kept my face makeup very simple and have only been using MAC's MSF in Medium Plus with a little bit of concealer which at the moment is MAC's studio fix. Since I have kept the face soft and matte.  I really enjoy playing up the eyes with natural shimmery colors. To make any eyeshadow more vibrant and shimmery, I always turn to Urban Decay Primer Potion in sin. It's a gorgeous champagne color. It keeps eyeshadows from creasing and it makes it stay on very well even in hot weather. To test it out, next time you're at Sephora or anywhere that sells Urban Decay swatch this, let it dry and try to remove it. It will not come off unless you use make up wipes. I love this stuff. Here is a swatchy goodness:

One of the eyeshadows that I have been using lately is MAC's pigment in Jardin Aires which is a soft peachy gold pigment. This is discontinued but I found mine at a CCO so check your local CCO's. A close dupe would be MAC's Blonde's Gold pigment. 

In my outer crease I have been using Urban Decay Underground. If you are a taupe type of girl, and I most definitely am, you have got to get your hands on this color. This is similar to MAC's Satin Taupe except this is a bit softer. MAC's has a more purple undertone and this has more of a brown undertone. I love the texture of UD deluxe eyeshadows. These have a very soft buttery texture. The only thing I don't like about the deluxe eyeshadows is the packaging. The plastic top came off within a week of using it. Here is a swatch of underground:

This is Jardin Aires and Underground on top of Sin:

I have kept my lips pretty soft wearing MAC's Nude Rose lipstick from the D-square collection or just a balm. I love this lipstick and really wish it wasn't limited edition. A close dupe is MAC's hue.

I love MAC's Hue: Turquatic and it's my "go to" summer perfume. I always take this with me in vacations. This is how the MAC website describes this: Crisp and energizing! A splash of clear, sparkling mineral water brought to a chill through an infusion of fresh lotus leaves and Corsican cedrat, then finished with a warm blend of anemone, orris and blue cedar. I love this and have gone thru multiple bottles of it. I wish MAC would make these bigger.

These are the items that are currently in my make up bag. What's in your make up bag?

Pictures from my weekend

Hi lovelies,
Saturday was my birthday and I wanted to share with you some of the things I did. I am still training for a full marathon and do most of my long runs on the weekend so Saturday was no exception. But when I finished running I was welcomed by a delicious breakfast along with strawberries and champagne all courtesy of my hubby after which he took me out shopping and for a spa day which was very nice and relaxing.
Saturday afternoon we went out to eat in an Italian restaurant called Sole Mio. I spend years by the Adriatic sea so good Italian food is my passion and Sole Mio did not disappoint. It is authentic Italian food. The story of this restaurant is so romantic. This is how Sole Mio came about as stated on there website:

Sole Mio is a romantic tale of three cities. While on holiday, New Your girl meets Italian boy on the Italian Riviera. They fall in love, marry and open a restaurant on the beaches of the Adriatico. Then, they moved to Nashville and Sole Mio is born.

After spending most of the day relaxing, I went for a casual outfit for dinner. I wore a striped gray and white shirt and jeans both from Express and paired it with a Swarovksi crystal ring (same line of ring featured in confessions of a shopholic movie). I love this ring...It's a huge dome full of crystals and it dresses up any outfit.

This is a picture of Sole Mio:

 

Appetizer (this is what happens when I'm slow with the camera), dinner and drink:

 

Along with delicious caramel flan desert, I got my present. This cute silver anchor necklace from Tiffany's. I'm obsessed with anything nautical and beachy themed. This necklace is so cute, simple and girly. It's a 16 inch necklace which is my favourite length.

Leaving the restaurant extremely full and happy.

Before we left, I wanted to get a good picture of Nashville for you guys. There is a place in Nashville called Lover's Circle where you can see Nashville really well. Here is a picture from Lover's Circle (click in the pic to make it larger)

And finally a picture of my beatiful roses:

These were some of the things I did this weekend. What did you do this weekend?

Hope you all had an amazing week

                                

MAC desert rose and a suprise

Hello lovelies,

I received the most amazing gift yesterday in the mail and a very nice surprise. One of the girls I follow here on blogger, Laura at http://www.youaresoprettylaura.com/ posted last week that she had MAC's desert rose blush but didn't want and it was up for grabs. I have been eyeing this blush for a while so I answered first and she send it to me. It got here extremely fast considering she is in UK and I'm in US. She also included an extra item in the package that really made me smile...I love it. I was very touched by her generosity and it made me realize that blogging isn't just about expressing thoughts and opinions on  makeup, clothes, travels, etc.  It's also about connecting with like minded individuals and making friends. Please check out her blog http://www.youaresoprettylaura.com/ and follow her if you haven't already.

Here is a swatch of MAC's Desert Rose:

I absolutely love this blush. I put it on yesterday as soon as I got it and I really love it. I would describe this as in between a red and a burgundy. It's a very soft burnt red color. It works very well with my skin tone.  This is the type of color that warms up your face the moment you put it on and it gives that overall look of a happy/healthy face. It's a matte finish which is my fave type of MAC blush finish. It stays on really well. The swatch in my hand for this picture had to be taken off with MAC wipes. I like that because I don't have to worry about retouching my make up through out the day.

Laura also included the most beautiful card and a very beautiful necklace, which I also put on as soon as I got it (I was very excited...can you tell?). The necklace is 16 inch (my fave length) and it features a cute little owl.

I have already thanked Laura but thank you again Laura. Have you tried MAC Desert Rose? What have you done lately to make someone's day?

July Favourites

Hi lovelies,
Here are some products that I have enjoyed using most of July:
1. Urban Decay Naked Palette. This palette is so hard to find. It sold out immediately online and in most stores. It is not limited edition so hopefully once the hype is over, it'll be more available. It has 12 different shaded some of which are permanent and some of which are not available in the Urban Decay permanent line. There is a mixture of matte and shimmers and no glitter shadows. I love Urban Decay but I do not like their glittery shadows such as the likes of Midnight Cowboy due to all the glitter fallout. I'm happy to report that there are no shadows in this palette I wouldn't wear. Below are some pictures of this palette.

The packaging of this is just gorgeous. It's a soft chocolate velvet cover with gold letters. The palette comes with an Urban Decay primer potion. The primer potion is a great product. It keeps the shadow on for hours with no smudging, smearing or creasing. The only negative about the primer potion is the packaging. It's a small potion type bottle which is cute in theory but so much of the product gets left behind.

The palette also has two urban decay pencils in whiskey which is a pretty bronze brown color and zero which is a black. I have used Zero before and love it. It goes on creamy but stays on for hours without any smudging.

The two I have used the most from this palette are virgin and darkhorse (Virgin is the first color to the left and Darkhorse is the 8th color on this palette). Below are some swatchy goodness of these two colors:

2. MAC's 217 brush. I highly recommend this brush. When I go on vacation, and don't want to bother carrying too much makeup I can get away with carrying only this brush and a blending brush. It's fantastic to put shadow on. It packs the shadow on and it's one of the few brushes I have found to work well to put color on all over the lead but also on the crease.

3. MAC Mineralized skinfinish in Medium Plus. This is all I have worn during the month of July. With temperatures as high as 105 degrees, I can't bother wearing a liquid foundation. This gives perfect coverage and it's light on the skin. You can build this up and get the perfect flawless coverage.

4. Sephora Professionnel (it's really spelled that way =)Retractable Travel Powder Brush #51. I use this brush to apply my MAC MSF in the morning or during the day for any touch ups needed. This is perfect to put in your makeup bag mainly because of it's retractable feature which keeps it clean.

4. Chanel Particuliere-This is very similar to Sephora by OPI metro chic which is one of my fave polishes and the one I get most compliments on when I have it on. This is a muddy taupe/brown type of color. Sounds very unappealing but looks great on. A close dupe is Barry M Mushroom. We don't have Barry M in the US so for all of you that have Barry M, I'm very jealous. I love this color and am always drown to these type of dirty/rich type of colors.

These are some of my fave products for the month of July.

Have you tried any of these products? What have you worn the most in the month of July?

Hope you all are having a lovely week.

Inspired by autumn

Hi everyone,
Hope you all had a great Monday. We had very autumn like weather here over the weekend. It rained heavily, and the weather cooled off a bit. As I was sitting outside reading, I noticed this tree in my backyard that really made me think of autumn.

So I pulled out my very autumn like nail polish which is Chanel Vamp. This is such a beautiful rich berry color. Chanel was one of the first to come out with these sort of dark and rich colors that are so popular now and are now advanced to the very dark black nail polish. I absolutely love this color.

What's your favourite fall/winter nail polish?

Hope you all had a lovely week.