You better believe I'm BACK! Back in the New York Groove!

Hey guys! ٩◔‿◔۶

Its great to be back after a long summer hiatus. I took a few summer courses to get ahead in my graduate program and now I finally have some time to sit back and relax. Did any of you do anything interesting this summer? Let me know below in the comments!

I also recently decided to change up my hair a bit- I can never keep the same thing for too long so I decided to go with some honey-blonde ombre. So far I'm really loving it, but give me a few weeks, I'm sure I'll change my mind! ^‿^

Anyway, I thought I'd kick off fall with my current wish list!

1) The Urban Decay Smoked Palette


Image credit: Sephora.com

I've eyed this every single time I've gone into Sephora and talked myself out of picking it up. I really love that its got neutrals in the top row and a beautiful mix of jewel tones on the bottom. Needless to say, I think I'll be caving soon.

2) Living Proof Restore Recovery Regimen

Image credit: livingproof.com

It has a price point I'm still wavering about, but it promises miracles that my hair needs; its also the recipient of the Allure Best of Beauty 2012 award.

3) The Balm Nude 'Tude Palette



Image credit: thebalm.com

I've also talked myself into putting this down every time I go to Sephora but the palette as a whole is very versatile with its mix of shimmer and matte and the colors are pigmented and buttery soft.

4) MAC lipstick in Sunny Seoul

Check out this link for some great swatches

This was literally love at first swatch. However, its been a conspiracy trying to find this color as it seems like every MAC in the tri-state area is either sold out or keeping it from me (lol) I may have to order this online.

5) Statement necklaces

Image credit: zappos.com

Whereas in the past I'd usually shy away, I suddenly can't get enough of statement necklaces.

What's on your wish list for fall?

Milani Shadow Eyez

As soon as I heard about these, I couldn't wait to try them. They seemed like a cost-effective version of Urban Decay's shadow pencils. I stalked CVS until I found them and picked up these two- the neutrals of course!

Top: Champagne Toast
Bottom: Brown Deluxe

These swatched incredibly. They were soft, creamy, and incredibly pigmented. I used Brown Deluxe as bottom liner and really liked it. I will be testing these as eye bases as well. If these work well, I may go back for a few more colors.

Left: Brown Deluxe, Right: Champagne Toast

Have you tried these yet? What do you think?

Valentine's Day EOTD and NOTD

Hey all! I hope you had a great Valentine's Day ♥ !! I did a look yesterday incorporating pink (my favorite color) in honor of the holiday. Here is my EOTD (eye of the day!)

Valentine's Day EOTD

To get the look:
(1) I primed my lids with my favorite primer, Too Faced Shadow Insurance
(2) I then used a flat shader brush to apply MAC Vanilla eyeshadow, which is a satin-finish like cream color all over the lid and under the brow as a highlight.
(3) Next I used a medium brown shadow, MAC Wedge in the crease using windshield wiper motions to blend.
(4) I deepened the "outer-v" with a deeper brown, I used MAC Espresso, which I also used to softly line my bottom lash line.
(5) For the pink glitter liner, I used Urban Decay Heavy Metal Liner in Groupie. (I had to use several layers to get the full on glittery effect I was after)
(5) I then used 2 coats of a mascara I'm loving at the moment, Loreal Voluminous in Carbon Black.
...almost at the finish line!...
(6) The last step was to apply false lashes, I used Ardell Wispies.

I hope you enjoyed this look! I used basic colors that were already in my collection, but if you don't have these exact colors, use what you already have in your collection. There are also some great drug store options, such as the Neutrogena Nourishing Eye Quad in Tea Biscuit which will give you almost the same effect. There are also some great glitter liners by NYX.

Now for my NOTD (nail of the day):

I used OPI's Pink Friday from the Nicki Minaj collection. I've seen watches of this color on other blogs and while I thought it was a pretty color, I felt like I probably had a billion similar colors in my stash, so I didn't feel a need to run out and get it. That was the case until I saw TheBubbleGumPrincess's Nail Polish Obsession Tag video. As soon as I saw it on her, I HAD to have it, so run out and get it I did. This is a beautiful warm pink that would look amazing on absolutely everyone. Application was smooth, but slightly streaky, so I used two thick coats. Dry time was quick thanks to my Seche Vite topcoat. Excuse the wonky application on the pinkie, that was due to an uneven base coat application underneath which I didn't notice because it dries clear and matte...

OPI Pink Friday

Did you do a special look for Valentine's Day? A special manicure? Let me know! ☺