The Perfect Touch Down

If shopping could be considered a sport-then I would be one heck of an athlete.

I can spend the whole day shopping (with a quick stop at Starbucks for an upside-down caramel macchiato of course).  I tend to shop for items within a specific category, such as accessories, shoes, or shirts.  It helps when entering stores like Forever 21  because they have racks and racks of all of the above. That my friends is considered a game plan, which is a necessity when entering the aggressive and competitive shopping fields.

My latest tackle: shoes

The wonderful thing about them is that a pair of shoes can transform any outfit. Each pair offers its own edge, which allows an outfit to go from day to night. Very convenient when you don't have the time to browse through an entire closet for another outfit.

I bought these at Aldo to wear to the city for a friend's birthday. I got lucky enough to get a 30% discount without even knowing they were on sale! I wore them with a black off-the-shoulder top and black mini-skirt. The color allowed it to pop and the straps added a bit of edge. 

These are definitely one of my favorites! I bought them for a fashion show last year at Spring. They are Aldo's sister store and I absolutely adore them.  They are wonderful for finding a great pair of shoes when on a low budget. This shoe definitely has a lot of character and I try to keep the outfit simple, but it's always fun to get creative with your outfits. 

Pairing the right shoes with your outfit is like having the right quarter-back on your team. They are an essential part of the team and will ensure an automatic touchdown. What are some of your favorite QB's?

I'm addicted to...

Makeup shouldn't be applied to cover up natural beauty-it was created to enrich one's natural features. Like fashion, it is considered a form of expression. It shouldn't be something that you dread putting on in the morning, but rather use it to express your feelings for the day. 

With that being said, I enjoy trying different products. Sephora is one of my favorite shops because they have so many selections and you have someone there that knows the product. 

I don't know how I made it through the day without a primer. One of my perks from my Sephora rewards card was a Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer. It gives a matte finish while the Vitamin C helps even your skin tone. The primer helps my foundation and bronzer last all day. It has definitely become a necessity for my daily makeup routine and a must-have product. It can be purchased for $49.

One of the newest products that I've tried and loved is a bronzer from Benefit. It's called Hoola and it's the perfect way to add enough glow for those cold winter days or to enhance an already summer-dew. It can be purchased for $28.

    

I've become a little obsessed with Benefit and their products. Michelle (my new found friend at the Benefit counter in Macy's), has helped with my latest addiction. I wind up trying most of their products due to her persuasive expertise. The most recent addition to my massive collection is One hot minute, which is a finishing powder. I put it on after I've applied my foundation and bronzer for a long lasting glowing effect. On the days that I want more of a natural look I will put it on over my foundation to give that "dewy" appearance. It can be purchased for $30

These products make a difference when applying your makeup. It might seem a lot to put on your face, but they are all lightweight enough that it doesn't feel heavy or look caked on. Hope you guys try them and let me know how it goes!

Love or Lust at First Sight?

I was at the Ale House with some friends and an interesting topic came up; does love at first sight exist? 


Now, I took a minute to ponder about the question because I remember a much younger me and believing that it did exist and that I would get the chance to experience that because it seemed so magical. I envisioned meeting this "perfect man" and I would instantly know that he would be my husband. But I soon grew older and experienced a broken heart and broke some hearts, which led me to believe that it only exists in movies, which also made me realize how much power the media has on us. 


My two other friends and I concluded that it was not love, it couldn't be. We decided to call it "lust at first sight" because realistically, that's what we feel that is. At first sight technically means the first time you lay eyes on a person, which means that it is a physical attraction. You don't know what type of person he/she is. They can have completely different beliefs, different habits and/or vices, etc. Someone that you may never envision yourself being with, just because you feel in "love at first sight".


My two other friends felt differently. They felt that they could genuinely fall in love with someone the first time they met them and one of them stated that she had. I am a true believer in everyone having their own opinion and if you have the facts to back it up then you should stick with what you believe, but also be open to listen to other people's opinions as well because you might be surprised about what you learn. With that being said, I didn't get much from them except that they believed it was possible. She said that you would just know when you saw that person. Maybe it does exist for some people, but for me I'm content with the love that I've found.


I think that people are more focused on finding this magical love that they forget to look in front of them and actually take love for what it really is. Love is a very complicated and beautiful thing that everyone should experience and you shouldn't hold back because you're looking for that magical 1st moment. 


What do you guys think?

The Price of Beauty

As I was getting ready this afternoon I realized that it would be good to do a post about makeup. I have a lot of my friends and strangers ask me what I use for foundation,bronzer, blush, etc. So, I decided to let you girls know what I use and maybe you'll fall in love with the products like I did.

First I start by washing my face and making sure I have moisturizer (I'll do a post on face washers and all that good stuff later on in the week). 

I apply a liquid foundation to my face first. The one I use is recession-friendly. It's Loreal's True Match. I think this foundation works well and it's such a bargain. You can find it at WalMart for about $6. I've been using it for a few years now and I don't think that you can beat the price. 

I then apply a powder foundation. I feel like using both gives the flawless type feel. (You should use a concealer as well, but I don't. It's on my shopping list) I use "Hellow Flawless!" by Benefit, which can be found at Sephora or Macy's. It costs between $32-$34. It's definitely worth it though!

I absolutely love NARS. I think their products are amazing. While shopping at Sephora, I ran into this palette and I fell in love with it. It has a bronzer and blush. I use the Orgasam/Laguna palette. I feel that it gives you a natural bronze (it's shimmery so keep that in mind) and the blush really highlights your cheek bones. You can purchase it at Sephora for $37, which is a m a z i n g price for the duo. 

I love this pencil eyeliner. It's Cover Girl's Perfect Blend and it's the only eyeliner that I find to be recession-friendly and very effective. You can find this product at WalMart as well for about $5-7. 

I use two types of eyeliner. The liquid eyeliner that I use is from Almay. I use the liquid for the top of my eyelids. I'll switch it up from time to time and use pencil on the top, but I prefer the liquid. I like the felt-tip because I feel that it makes it easier to create a straight line (although it took me years of practice). Again, this product can be found at WalMart for about $7. (Can you tell I'm a big WalMart fan? Hehe)

I constantly try different mascara. The last mascara that I use was Great Lash and I recently ran out and picked this one up to give it a try. It's Rimmel's Sexy Curve and I absolutely LOVE it. I was so surprised when I used it, because it actually extended and separated my lashes. No need for fake eyelashes when you use this product! I think I purchased it for about $6-8 at WalMart. 

As for eyeshadows, I have all different brands. My favorite brand is MAC, but that can get a little pricey for me. They run for $13 a shade. I used to try all different shades of pink, green, blue, black, gray, etc. Right now I'm using earth tone shades because I prefer more of that natural look and I've also matured ;)

 I encourage you girls to fool around with makeup. It's something that is fun and you should experiment with it until you find something that really suits you. I try to keep it neutral during the day and if I go out at night I usually do the smokey look. These products work for me, but they might not for you so don't be scared to try different products. I hope you enjoyed the post! What are your makeup suggestions?

Getting Back on Track

This was my second blog and I really wanted to keep this one updated, but it didn't turn out too well. My camera broke and that was just the excuse I used for not blogging. After reading some of my friend's blogs (Kahlil, Anny, and Adwoa) I decided that it was time to get back to blogging. There are so many topics to discuss and Im excited to restart my blog.

2009 was a year of change and challenges for me. Things happened that I never expected and as painful as they were, I appreciate God for putting me through them. I truly believe that He won't put you through anything that He knows you can't handle. At the time, I didn't know that, but I came out of it alive and stronger that I ever was. It helped me find myself as ironic as it sounds. I'm still struggling with certain issues, but I know with due time that everything will works itself out. I just look forward to what 2010 brings. With that being said, I'm going to list some of my resolutions. I try to keep my resolutions as realistic as possible, no point in trying to do something that I know won't happen.

Resolutions for 2010:

1. Make a healthy lifestyle change. I know this is a very common resolution, but my goal isn't just to lose weight. It's to change my bad eating habits and be healthy with exercise. Your body is very important and we must all take care of it, so I'm focusing it on that. It's not just for 2010, but for the rest of my life.

2. Do things I never did. I want this year for me to be my year. I will be graduating with my BA and I will be stepping into the real world, but before that I want to take advantage of my life before I take that first step. I want to go rock climbing, try different food from different cultures, try being more fashion forward, and anything that will make me happy. It's more of taking the effort to broaden myself.

3. Developing a stronger relationship with God. I do have one, although it may not be as strong as I would like it, I will work on making a stronger one and getting more involved with my church.

4. Taking time for myself. I'm going to use this year to do things that make me happy. This might sound selfish, but I really need to take this time to not worry about what other people think about me or my choices. I'm going to focus on worrying about me and continue to find myself.

5. Forgiving. I need to do this not only for the other person, but for myself. It's something that has been weighing me down and I know that in 2010 I will forgive, not forget because I am human, but to move on and let the past be the past.

I hope you guys enjoyed my new post. Do you guys have any resolutions that you really want to keep?

I've been working every single day and I haven't had much time to do anything, but I've been dying to go to the beach. But, with my luck the only sunny days are on the weekends when I work ALL day. Why is it still 60 degress and raining in June?!? This time last year I remember it was already 90 degrees. Thanks global warming.

I'm excited about my trip to Vegas. I leave on the 16th. We're going for my best friend's (Gaby) brothers wedding. I'm excited to just lay out by the pool and drink margaritas and have no care in the world. I still have some shopping to do, but I have enough time. I'll take some pictures of the outfits I have planned :)

Shopping in the City

My sister and nephews are in town for the week and we haven't seen each other for about a year. I decided to plan a "Mother & Daughters Day" in Manhattan and it turned out wonderful. The weather was gorgeous and it was a perfect day for shopping. We left at 1 pm and didn't get back until 11:30 pm, but it was a very fun-filled day with a lot money spent on handbags and accessories. I don't think any of us thought we would be out the whole day, but it was so memorable that it didn't matter how tired we were, we simply just kept laughing.