Forever XXI Haul

Hi Dolls!

How are you?

I thought I would share with you some of the clothes I got from F21 in support of their disaster relief fund for Japan. As I previously stated, on March 18, F21 was kind enough to donate ALL of their online proceeds  to Japan. How cool is that? I jumped at the chance to help out; the clothing that came was simply the icing on the cake.

I placed my order on Friday, and early Monday morning the bright yellow package of clothing was dropped on my work desk in what must have been the fastest delivery in history! I couldn't believe it So here is what I got:

First Up is this maxi dress.

 At half off, it was only $14!

I really wish I could've modelled it outside with some budding Spring foliage as my back drop, but I would've been shivering in the snow waiting for that to happen, so my laundry closet door it is:

Next is this floral tunic.($28) Perfect to pair with shorts and wedges, but here I'm rocking it with leggings, as there's no sign of Spring here (yet!). Don't mind the exposed hanger strap, I didn't cut it off or ensure it's secrecy before whipping out the poses.

I love the pattern and draped sleeves!! It gets super wrinkly, super fast though. I need a Tobi!

Next up are a bunch of layering tees; both long and short sleeved.

I can never have enough basic tees in my wardrobe to pair with scarves, big necklaces, vests; etc. They really are the fundamental basis of any great outfit. And F21s are so cheap; these were all under $6.

In short sleeved: olive, purple and black. In long sleeved: a dusty brown and white.

You can see they're a little see through, so proper selection of undergarments is advisable before heading out. (Or posting yourself wearing it online? haha)

I'm loving tucking in fitted shirts to pants with a chunky belt. Try it for a sleek silhouette.

And the short sleeved:

And that's it!
How is the weather where you are? Could you rock my dress FOR REAL, or would you also be hiding inside from the cold?

Lancome Haul & FOTD

Hi, Dolls!

This weekend I visited the Lancome counter to take part in there Free Gift special. Basically, if you spend $34 or more, you get a free gift valued at over one hundred dollars! Not bad, hey?

Before I visited the counter this weekend, I was a complete Lancome virgin, so I was excited to give their products a try. I completely fell in love!

Okay, so here are the things I bought in order to get the free gift:

Left: Water proof Protective Concealer in Claire II. Right: Artliner Eyeliner in Noir

I needed a new concealer and liquid eyeliner, so this worked out perfectly.

The eyeliner was $37, and the concealer $32. A little expensive, but WOW is all I can say. I LOVE both of them!

Here is a swatch of the concealer:

A tiny drop goes A LONG way, and the coverage is amazing!!

And the Artliner eyeliner:

It glides on SO SMOOTH, and is almost mistake proof! It has a sponge tip applicator which I love since the brush applicator can be a little tricky for me.

After purchasing the above items it was then time for my Free Gift =)

I got two silver Lancome makeup pouches, one large and one small. Inside were the following items:

Color Design Sensational Effects Eye Shadow

Colors (l-r,t-b) Drape, Style Selection, Grey Sparkle, The New Black


Left:High Resolution Refill-3x Triple Action Anti-Wrinkle Cream, Right:Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate


Color Design Cream Lipstick in All Done Up

Hypnose Drama Instant Full Body Volume Mascara

All I can say is WOW! This is my new fave mascara!!! Super voluminzing, and able to put two coats on EACH LASH without dipping the wand again. WOW!

** Note - I also received the Lancome Bi-Facil Double Action Eye Makeup Remover, just didn't get a pic of it.

Here is how I looked using the Lancome concealer, eye shadow pallette, mascara, and lipstick:

I love how natural everything looks, and I'm wanting this exact look for my wedding day.



I couldn't be more happy with my Lancome loot, and I'm definitely a new devout fan of their products.

The Free Gift special is on til mid- February, just in case you want some Lacome stuff too=)

Do you love Lancome products?

Let me know what you think of them.

Cheer Up, Buttercup =)

What do you do when you need to cheer yourself up? Do you have any old stand-bys? Here, in particular no order, are the things I do when I need a little pick-me-up after a rough day/week/month:

-Shamelessly indulge in lots and lots of reality tv. This is sure to make you realize that things could be much, much worse than they actually are. Shows of choice are My Strange Addiction, Toddlers & Tiaras, Jersey Shore and The Bachelor. Instant reminder that hey, my life is pretty damn good after all.

-Give myself permission to sleep in as long as I want. On the weekend of course, when I don't have to be at work. Because one thing that would be worse would be getting myself fired for not showing up! On the weekend though, I love to turn off my alarm clock, pull the covers up, and have nowhere to be but right there in my warm and toasty bed.

-Go Shopping. Of course this is cliche, but it's called retail therapy for a reason. Even if it's just window shopping, I love poking around shops aimlessly. My favorite is makeup shopping, I could do it for hours. Whether its Sephora or Shoppers Drug Mart, I always love swatching makeup and picking up a few treats for myself. I also love bookstores and could spend hours in there.

-Watch old crappy horror movies. To get me laughing of course. There is nothing funnier than seeing how silly they used to (and still quite often are)be. This is better if I can do it with someone else, someone who doesn't mind me rewinding the worst parts to laugh at over and over again.

-Go out for my favorite meal. For me this is sushi, and I had it on Tuesday night. I love my sushi, and the fact it's not calorie loaded also cheers me up

-Surround myself with visually appealing things. For me this means "cute", but for you it could be intriguing, mysterious, serene, etc. I love anything kawaii, so this and Japanese mag scans always lift my spirits!

-Surround myself with a trusted support system. There are people who will genuinely care for you and what you're going through, and then there are people who will pretend to care but will be secretly delighting in your misfortune.(Sounds sinister, I know, but it's quite true) So know who the real ones are, and lean on them accordingly, even if it's only one person. These are the people who usually help the most.

-Read some inspirational quotes. They always make me feel better. There were/are a lot of wise people on this earth who's words truly transcend time. Click Here if you're so inclined.

I'm so glad tomorrow is Friday, I'm sure I will devote this weekend to doing ALL of the above and then some!

So, what do you do to cheer up?

Shopping Bag

3 mini perfume set from Shoppers

-Halle 'Orchid'

-Glow by JLo

-DARE ME by BabyPhat

this one is my absolute fave!

It smells like a combination of candy, vanilla, and pina colada=) I've liked it since it first came out. I could've got the full Dare Me set with lotion for the same price, but wanted the additional two scents instead. Glow is old but I still like the smell.

Clairol nice'n easy hair color in Natural Dark Brown

Don't worry, I'm not dyng my hair .. It's finally growing out and I love my natural brown! These boxes of color are to darken my hair extensions which are now a dark blonde. I'm love with mile long dark hair right now, so can't wait to have a head full of it=) Stay tuned for a post on that process (dying the extensions)

Maybelline Define A Brow in Dark Blonde

I've been using this for ages but decided to get a lighter color. I like it a lot more as I can make my eyebrows a lot fuller without them being too dark and over powering.

Revlon Top Speed Nail Polish in Metallic

L'oreal Selftanning lotion and Pretanning Scrub

L'oreal makes a really good self tanner. I've been using their original tan skin tone enhancer for years and decided to try this new one. Its works really well; I wasn't surprised.

Here are some of the other Self Tanners I have at home and my opinions on them:

Left: L'oreal Sublime Glow Daily Moisturizer in medium.

Love this stuff. It's so affordable, barely streaks, has a nice smell, and a nice shade!

Middle: Karhashian Glamour Tan Self-Tanning Gel

This is a decent fake tan .. has almost a pine needley smell to it which was surprising. Doesn't streak which is great

Top Right: Clarins Creme Delicieuse Auto Bronzante

Don't like this one at all. Overly expensive, streaks, and doesn't last

Right: Clarins Gelee Auto Bronzate

Although this is from the same comapany as the above one, it couldn't be more different. It's Sephoras #1 self tanning seller and I can see why. It doesn't streak, and goes on nice. Only bad thing is it's still quite expensive and doesn't last long.

My Fave:

L'oreal!!

What is your fave tanner?

Do you tan indoors?

I've been more and more tempted with the -20 weather and the fact that I'm ghostly white to hit the tanning salon, but know it's bad for my skin .....

Walmart Shopping Fix

Who doesn't love Walmart? They've got beauty, blankets, books and bananas. Oh, and also McDonalds, and now, a spa! I've yet to have a bad time trolling their aisles in search of my next bargain.

Above, my latest beauty haul from the world's wealthiest corporation:

-Maybelline Lash Stilleto Mascara - it's cool - the casing is shaped like a stilleto heel =)

-Clean & Clear Soothing Eye Makeup Remover

-Revlon Photo Ready Foundations in Shell

-Rimmel 60 Second Nail Polish (my fave) in "Night Before"

When I got home I decided to organize my shoes (actually had to clean 'cause we were having a showing) and of course took a picture for blogging purposes:

I can't wait to FINALLY get a walk in closet at our next place.
Do you love random Walmart shopping as much as I do?

Face - L'oreal "For Light Eyes" Palette.

MAC Studio Fix N5 foundation

Erase Paste 1 concealer

L'oreal "For Light Eyes" palette in "Forest Light"

Rimmel Glameyes Professional liquid liner (black)

Revlon Kohl black liner

MAC Viva Glam Gaga Lipstick

I actually like the palettes L'oreal designs for the different eye colors. Made my eyes pop!

***

I did some beauty shopping at Sephora this weekend also:

CLARINS Delcious Self Tanning Cream

I will do a review on this soon, as I used it last night. It smells so good and is the most luxurious self tanner I've ever used.

It looks and smells just like desert, and glides on the skin beautifully.

Benefit Scene Queen Annie Collection Makeup Palette

It has High Beam highlighter, a coral gloss and 4 nice shadows.

Lady Million eua de parfum by Paco Rabanne:

Who is Paco Rabanne? I've no clue, but his perfume is to die .. Smells so good. I spritzed it in the store and immediately fell in love =) He's right at home with the others:

AND .. I finally reached 500 points on my Beauty Insider card! Yay =) I've never gotten the smaller gifts, always saved up for the big ticket item. And here is what I got:

It's a Bare Escentuals Sample Kit with shimmering face powder, baby pink lip pluming gloss, black mascara and brush. Not bad for a free gift! I'm really liking the lipgloss =)

Hope your Monday is off to a good start .. as good as can be expected.
Let me know how your weekend was.