Nailing It: New Designer Nail Collections
While playing catch up this weekend, I stumbled these AMAZING new designer nail collections that recently debuted at Fashion Week! I have quite a bit of a nail polish obsession (I’ll have to post a picture of my polish drawer one day) so I just had to share. I can’t wait to get my hands (hehe) on these polishes once they launch!
Alexander Wang for Sally Hansen
These pretty pales are the new “nude” and make me wish spring was already here!
Peter Som for Zoya
Zoya is my favorite nail brand so I was super excited to see them land a designer collaboration. Unfortunately, it seems like the Peter Som colors were only available online the day of the designer’s show. Hopefully Zoya will bring them back for good!
Prabal Gurung for Sally Hansen
Another designer collaborating with Sally Hansen, Prabal is one of my favorite designers to follow on the runways! These colors are reminding me why!
Betsey Johnson for Sephora by OPI
A collaboration within a collaboration, this Betsey Johnson collection doesn’t just stop at polish. The colors and accessories are so her, and the packaging is too amazing to throw away!
Oscar de la Renta
Who doesn’t love Oscar?! While these colors look pretty standard in the picture, I am betting that they are some kind of wonderful once they go on.
Images from fashionista.com
Ski Bum
Excuse me for the short post, but this morning I woke up at 5 am to get in a car and head 2 hours north of the city to do this for the day… ski
The last, and first, time to ever put on ski’s was last year so wish me luck that I don’t bust it too bad!!
Hope everyone is enjoying their Presidents Day weekend!
Ode to the Top Knot
I’ve been a bad blogger lately. Truth be told, it’s been a crazy past two weeks getting used to a new job and a new schedule. Longer hours, late nights and having to wake up before the sun requires some getting used to, but getting ready in the morning has been a breeze thanks to the top knot. This week, I wore my hair in a top knot three days in a row to work this week, and its the easiest thing to do in the morning. I rock the top knot when my hair is straight, and also when its wet right out of the shower. All is takes is a ponytail and some Goody Spin Pins, and you have a super easy, chic look to get you through the day. Here are some of my favorite interpretations of the top knot (and other super easy bun styles) right now.
Images from pinterest.com
What We Love: Friday February 17th
Here are a few things we love this week!
1. Bauble Bar’s newest initial baubles. With all the new, fun colors they are offering, we can easily stack these on top of each other. You have to check out their other initial necklaces as they are all amazing!
2. Whitney Houston. With the horrible news this week of Whitney’s passing, we want to remember the singer for her amazing talents and voice. With her classic hits “I will always love you”, “I wanna dance with somebody”, and “How will I know” we know we will be listening to and remember Whitney’s legacy for years to come.
3. Rebecca Minkoff F/W 2012 collection. While neither of us attended the show, we cant help obsessing at what Rebecca Minkoff’s F/W collection has to offer and we are so excited that vibrant colors are here for the long haul!
Images: from fashionista.com
4. Color blocked shoes. In the summer we tend to wear a lot of solids but these instantly spruce up any outfit and add a special pop! They are so much fun!
5. That it is a 3 day weekend!!! YAY!! Hope everyone enjoys their weekend.
Chicken Minestrone Soup
During the winter I love making soups, especially hearty ones filled with goodness. So when I got the new Martha Stewart Everyday Food magazine and realized it was the light edition (as in calories and fat) I was more than happy to try out her rustic chicken minestrone soup. Normally minestrone does not have chicken but with a husband with a big appetite, I figured I would try it with the protein. It was delicious and I will definitely be making it again. My apologies as I had the best intentions to take pictures along the way, but only got the end result. Here is the recipe:
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced small
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 3 cup shredded cooked chicken (I normally roast a whole 7# chicken for the two of us and use the leftovers for this soup)
- 3/4 cup pasta shells
- 3 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
- Grated Parmesan to garnish
- 1 bunch kale, stemmed, cut into 1 inch sections
- 1 medium zucchini, diced medium
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- salt and pepper
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In a large, heavy pot (such as a Dutch oven), heat the olive oil over medium until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until translucent and soft, 6-8 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for a few minutes more. Add the tomatoes with their juice and cook until the liquid is evaporated, 5 minutes more.
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Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil, then add the pasta, and carrots. Simmer for 5 minutes, then add the kale, zucchini, and chickpeas. Cook until zucchini is crisp-tender and the pasta is almost al dente, about 5 minutes.
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Add the chicken and cook until just warmed through. Season to soup to taste with salt and pepper, ladle into bowls, and serve with grated Parmesan.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Happy Valentines Day
In honor of Valentines day, I have pulled together some of my favorite girly pinks and reds to wear today! Or if you are anything like me, any day! Red is a staple in my makeup routine as it adds just the right amount of color and statement to any outfit.
Images from L to R: 1, 2, 3, 4
Hope everyone has a happy, loved filled day!
Getting Camera Ready With Smashbox
So remember when I wrote this post on the new BB cream trend? Well, I finally picked up a BB cream a couple of weeks ago and got the chance to try it out this weekend. Last week was the first week of my new job, and I came into the weekend feeling exhausted! I normally never feel like wearing a lot of makeup on the weekend, but this weekend I honestly couldn’t even motivate myself to look decent enough to leave the house. But then I remember I had my Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream SPF 35 sitting on my makeup tray just waiting to be used.
There are quite a few BB creams on the market right now, all from well-established brands like Clinique, Dr. Jart, Boscia and Too Faced but I chose the Smashbox version because of the brand’s “camera ready” tagline. I’ve said before that I need to wear medium to full coverage makeup, and even before I tested all the different brands out at Sephora, I was leaning towards Smashbox.
According to the Sephora website, Smashbox’s BB Cream,
This multitasking tinted cream formula with SPF 35 hydrates, primes, perfects, controls oil, and protects for flawless skin on set and beyond. Formulated with emollients and optical pearl pigments, this BB Cream gives skin a glowing, ethereal look and provides a hydrating veil for the complexion to maintain moisture on the surface of the skin. With its ultra-smoothing finish, it instantly re-texturizes to create a smooth canvas. Especially when worn under foundation, it enhances the wear of makeup for up to eight hours. Ideal even for oily complexions, this expert formula with UVA/UVB protection helps inhibit oil to prevent the complexion from getting shiny throughout the day without the typical chalky matte finish.
I wore this only with an illuminating foundation under my eyes and found that it really gave me the finish that I was looking for. My skin looked really smooth and the finish didn’t feel unnatural or heavy. It definitely felt like I was wearing a tinted moisturizer but did more for me in terms of giving me a finished look. I did also use some concealer (my face is a bit broken out at the moment) but I don’t think I would even need that once my skin clears up. As of now, I am definitely a fan and this product will become a regular in my weekend beauty regimen.
The only criticism I have of the whole BB cream trend that could be a major issue in the long run if brands don’t expand is that the shades available are very limited. For me, there was very little difference between the “fair” and the “light” shades (and I am very light skinned), and “dark” would never work on a someone with really dark skin (i.e., Black or Indian girls). I would also love to try the Boscia version once I am finished with this one, since I tend to lean more towards natural and blended brands when it comes to makeup and skincare with my sensitive skin.
That being said, I am loving this product so far and I can’t wait to keep using it to get that camera ready look with minimal effort everyday!
