Friday Favorites --- May 17, 2013

Well hello there! I bet you guys are wondering where I've been (probably not)! I don't have an interesting excuse--I've just been busy with schoolwork. If you would like to know more about that, leave a comment and tell me! If not, then I won't digress. Anyway, shall we get on with the Friday Favorites?

Here's the video:

FAVORITE #1

First up, we have the Stila "In the Garden" Eye-shadow palette. I bought this off of beauty.com and have been mesmerized with the shadows since I received the palette in the mail. The shadows are buttery, pigmented, easy to work with, and absolutely gorgeous. For about the past two or three months, I've been obsessed with green, earthy-toned eye makeup looks, and this palette fit right into the madness. Let's take a look at the shadows:

"A confident woman knows her inner beauty will captivate you, and her eyes will mesmerize you." - Sarah Lucero

Look at those colors!

Drool

Colors on top row, from left to right:

"Chinois"

"Breeze"

"Bark"

"Freesia"

"Rosette"

And bottom row, from left to right:

"Nectar"

"Honey"

"Moss"

"Juniper"

And the eyeliner that came with the palette:

Smudge Stick waterproof eyeliner in "Starfish"

I am so pumped to try out all of the eye-makeup looks that came in the little booklet! Love.





FAVORITE #2

The Soap & Glory "A Great Kisser" lip moisture balm in Juicy Peach is very moisturizing and smells like peaches and vanilla. It is supposedly a dupe for the Dior Creme de Rose lip gloss, and that sucker is $27.00 at Sephora, whereas the "Great Kisser" is only $10.00. It gives you a really glossy high-shine finish and it doesn't feel sticky on the lips, yet you can definitely tell that it's there. It is a peachy-pink color in the tin, but it doesn't really show up as anything but clear on the lips. The only downfall of this product is the fact that it is stored in a tin. Bacteria! Viruses! Cooties! Wash your hands really thoroughly before dipping your nasty-ass fingers in something you'll be schmearing on your lips, I beg of you.

How very retro

Look how glossy this lip balm is!

Used all that in one week!

Left swatch: sheared out to a clear gloss;
Right swatch: layered on thicker for a pink sheen.

This product is a winner! I just wish the Sephoras Stateside would import those other three flavors (Chocolate Cherry, Sweet Coconut, and Vanilla Bean)!




FAVORITE #3

I got this bag at Target ($29.99) at the beginning of this week and I've been carrying almost everything I own in it. I usually carry my 13.3 inch MacBook Air, my iPad 2, my laptop charger, a few PB&J sandwiches (don't judge) and a buttload of other necessities all in this tote. The floral fabric is actually a pleather material and the two tote straps are adjustable. This bag is great for work and for play. I plan on using this bag when I go into the city on the weekends--it'll fit all of my shopping acquisitions perfectly.

Merona Floral Tote Handbag - Navy

FAVORITE #4

I got this candle (and also the other one) at TJ Maxx for $7.99. I couldn't find the candle anywhere on the Internet, so I think TJ Maxx is your best bet. The candle just smells very soothing and fresh, a tiny bit warm, but not overpowering at all. It's JUST right. None of those migraine-causing Bath & Body Works three-wick candle fumes from these puppies!

Feathers Citrus Cilantro candle

Soothing and fresh

FAVORITE #5

This song just might be my summer anthem. It's catchy and... I don't know how to describe music. Just give it a listen:

HELL yaaaaah, that's good music

Have a great weekend, everyone! Thanks for watching my video and reading my blog. Aren't you so proud of me for posting this?! Leave a comment below telling me what your plans are for this weekend. Hope the weather's great wherever you are!



xo,
Lucia

Saturday Morning Brunch and All-Day Shopping OOTD!

January 13, 2013


Yesterday morning I went to brunch with some of my friends. The weather was amazing--sunny, but not hot. And the diner we went to was so crowded, but the nine of us managed to get a long table to sit at. I ordered oatmeal because my throat is still a little bit sore and I didn't want anything to scratch it up any more. It was soooo good!

I decided to dress more comfortably, but not too slouchy because it is a restaurant, after all.

Outfit of the day

Outfit

Top: Wildfox Love beach jumper;

Vest: Forever 21 Cordoroy Vest w/Knit Hood;

Bottom: J. Crew Pixie Pant;

Bag: Kate Spade Cobble Hill - Little Minka satchel;

Flats: Target Merona Madge Flat.


I love that this outfit was comfortable and casual, but not inappropriately so. You guys will be seeing these Pixie Pants in a lot of outfits because they are just unbelievable.

BTW, I've been seeing a lot of vests on fashion blogs, and I'm guessing that they're going to be pretty big this spring, so go out and snatch them up before all the stores are sold out! I've had my eye on this pink American Rag one from Macy's and I think I'm going to spring for it soon...

American Rag Denim-wash Colored Vest

Makeup of the day 

Makeup I used

Primer: Benefit "That Gal"Brightening Face Primer;

Foundation: Neutrogena Healthy Skin Enhancer in Neutral to Tan 40;

Contour: Bronzing powder in e.l.f. Countour Kit;

Blush: Nars blush in Dolce Vita;

Highlighter: Physicians Formula Powder Palette Mineral Glow Pearls in Beige;

Eyeshadow primer: e.l.f. Mineral Eyeshadow Primer;

Eyeshadow: Base color: Apricot peachy color, second one down on the left column from the Wet n Wild Color Icon palette in Comfort Zone; Color right above the lash line, layered over the base color: Ulta Milk Chocolate MT; Color on outermost third of bottom lash line: Ulta Milk Chocolate MT;

Eyeliner: Maybelline Ultra Liner Waterproof Liquid Liner in Dark Brown;

Mascara: CoverGirl LashBlash Volume Waterproof mascara in Black.


No powder today! Was trying to test out how greasy the Neutrogena Healthy Skin Enhancer would make my face. I will post about that soon.




What did you guys think? What new makeup products are you guys trying out? How do you usually dress when you go out to brunch with the girls?



Leave a comment and let me know!

Lucia

What's in My Bag?

January 12, 2013

Hey guys!

Time for a What’s in My Bag post! I’ve seen some YouTubers do this tag and I’ve thought of doing one but I haven’t because I usually carry around a backpack rather than a purse. I only use purses on the weekend when I’m shopping or walking around downtown with my friends. But Valerie from Scibbles of Valerie (click here to open up her blog!) convinced me to do one, so here we go!

Like I said, I don't usually carry a handbag around, so today before I went to brunch with my friends, I took out what I needed from my backpack and that’s why my handbag is pretty organized. But rest assured, during the summer when I don’t have school, it gets pretty messed up in there.

I have a Kate Spade “Cobble Hill – Little Minka” satchel. I’m a crossbody-bag kind of girl, so I really like that there’s a long strap attached to the bag with which to do this. 

Kate Spade New York "Cobble Hill -- Little Minka" satchel.
Love the longer strap!

The bag has this really classy black and white striped fabric on the inside and is all leather on the outside, and it’s also got a flap that zips up at the top and is a pocket that reaches all the way to the bottom of the bag! 

I usually keep my wallet and phone in this pocket, zip it
up and flap it over so that they can't be pick-pocketed easily!

I got it in black because it’s timeless and goes with everything. Mine’s from Nordstrom, where they packed it up in a beautiful Kate Spade dust cover and boxed it in a huge silver box. I'm very happy that I didn’t get the snakeskin print one because at the time it was $398 and now two months later it’s already been reduced to $199. Whereas the black one is still at $378, what I paid for it two months ago! But I still really want the snakeskin one and now that it’s on sale…

Kate Spade New York "Cobble Hill -- Little Minka" in Natural Metallic snakeskin.
What do you think? Do I really need another?

Anyway, this is what my bag looks like with the flap unflapped:

Main pocket of the bag

I like to keep all of my things in little cosmetic bags:

All of my stuff!
Notice the half-used pack of tissues on the right?

I like to use the iPhone earphones because I feel like they are the most comfortable ones out there. I also have Dr. Dre Monster iBeats earbuds, and the sound quality of those are like no other, but they are uncomfortable in the ear. So I pretty much always use my iPhone earbuds. I have the iPhone 5 earbuds though and they're not as good as the iPhone 4S ones in my opinion...

Spilling out!

In this Target + Neiman Marcus Carolina Herrera cosmetics bag I have (from left to right, top to bottom):

- Bath & Body Works Be Enchanted travel sized body lotion;
- LORAC Croc Palette;
- Philosophy Pink Frosted Animal Cracker lip shine;
- Korres Lip Butter in Plum;
- Maybelline Dream Matte Pressed Powder in Beige Medium;
- TokyoMilk Sugar Sugar solid perfume;
- A yellow telephone cord ponytail holder.
- Lioele Blooming Gloss in #2 Flower Pink;
- A Goody No-Slip ponytail holder;
- Aquaphor Lip Repair + Protect lip balm.

Kate Spade "Classic" Sunglasses in Black.
Look at the eyes at the bottom of the case!

Classic.

I wear my sunglasses every day, even when the sun's not directly out, because at least 80% of the sun's rays are still shining through on cloudy days and I want to protect my eyes and the sensitive skin around my eyes!

Prada Quilted Saffiano Flap Wallet

Fits everything I need it to.

So many card slots!
Just look at that beautiful stitching. Love.

My baby: My Prada Quilted Saffiano Flap Wallet. This is probably my most expensive fashion item I’ve ever owned and I am deathly afraid of losing it one day. It is made of the most beautiful quilted leather and the stitching is impeccable. Everything about it is just amazing. I keep my credit card, debit card, library card, and cash in it. I’m pretty sure that white card is an American Eagle coupon.

Other cosmetic bag

Yummmm, LUNA bars!

I got this cosmetic bag from Bendel’s. In it I have gum (the orange one is citrus, which I don’t like), cough drops because I have a cold right now, feminine wipes (just in case), and LUNA bars because I’m always hungry at the weirdest times and these work amazingly at curbing hunger.

Javier!

And this is my Marc by Marc Jacobs iPhone cover on my 4S. Apparently Marc Jacobs has named him “Javier the Owl”. Ok then. I just like it cuz it’s cute and sturdy and looks good against the white phone.

So there you have it! My What’s in My Bag post! OK, not very interesting, but that’s because I don’t use my purse that often.

I would love to see what’s in your bag (in a totally non-creepy way), so leave me a comment and link me to your blog or video!

Thanks for reading!

Lucia

Extra, Extra! Hear all about it! Updated Best of 2012!

January 11, 2013

One of the 2012 Beauty Bests...

Hey guys! I just updated my Best of 2012 blog posts by adding pictures of all of my favorite products!

This is the link to the Beauty post: Best of 2012: Beauty -- Updated (pictures uploaded);

The Fashion post: Best of 2012: Fashion -- Updated (pictures uploaded);

And the Randoms post: Best of 2012: Randoms -- Updated (pictures uploaded).

Hope you like it!

Lucia

Outfit of the Day, Makeup Look

January 10, 2013

Hey guys!

Just thought I'd post an Outfit of the Day today because when I went to the bank, the ladies working there loved it. I usually dress like this almost every day when I have class, so I thought it was very out of the blue, but I guess it's a good idea to show you what I usually wear.

I like to dress comfortably when I have classes because I've found that if you're wearing jeans that are too tight or a shirt makes you feel self-conscious, you can't really focus in class. So I usually wear a soft, baggy top and leggings and very comfortable shoes. I know that it's January, but the weather in North Carolina is unseasonably warm, so I didn't even wear a jacket today.

Outfit

Outfit of the day

Top: Wildfox Sparkle Heart baggy beach jumper (shopthetrendboutique.com);

Bottom: J. Crew Pixie pant (jcrew.com);

Shoes: Sperry Top-Siders (piperlime.com);

Accessories: Ruby infinity scarf (H&M); menorah necklace (gift).

Makeup

Makeup product I used today

Makeup look.
I love the Dolce Vita!

Foundation: Neutrogena Healthy Skin Enhancer in Neutral to Tan 40;

Powder: Maybelline Dream Matte Powder in Beige Medium;

Eyeshadow primer: e.l.f. Mineral Eyeshadow Primer;

Eyeshadow: Wet n Wild Color Icon palette in Comfort Zone. Base color: apricot peachy color, second one down on the left column; Color right above the lash line, layered over the base color: third one down on the left column; Color on outermost third of bottom lash line: bottommost shadow on left column;

Eyeliner: COVERGIRL Liquiline Blast in Brown Blaze 420;

Mascara: Almay One Coat Get Up & Grow in Blackest Black 010;

Blush: Nars blush in Dolce Vita;

Contour: Bronzing powder in the e.l.f. Contour Kit;

Highlighter: pearl shadow in the COVERGIRL Eye Enhancers eyeshadow quad in Country Woods 215;

Lip balm: eos Strawberry Sorbet lip balm.

BTW, you can expect a lot of reviews of beauty products to come out soon!

Lucia

10 Flying Tips from the Weary Traveler

January 10, 2013

I just took a fourteen-hour flight back to the States from China, and needless to say, it was pretty uncomfortable. Unless you’re flying first-class or business, any flight longer than three hours is pretty trying, and an intercontinental one is agonizing. Personally, I believe the worst things about it are the dryness, the toilets, and your butt falling asleep. There’s not much you can do about the toilets—they are what they are. But to make the flight as comfortable as possible, I have a few tips for you flyers:

Partial packing list:

Gum / mints
Magazine / book
Snack
Lip balm
Hand lotion
Eye drops
Hand wipes / hand sanitizer
Sleep mask

1. Bring hand lotion and lip balm (and maybe eye drops)

From left to right: eos Strawberry Sorbet lip balm;
 L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream (travel size, 1 fl oz, 80 mL);
Blink Lubricating Eye Drops for Soft and RGP Lenses.

Crucial! Every time you go to the bathroom, you wash your hands (I hope) and strip your hands of any moisture that they had. Combined with the Sahara-dry air in the cabin, you can start seeing your hands getting chalky a few minutes after sitting back down. Keep your hand lotion (remember, it has to be under 100 mL!) near you, so that you don’t have to keep opening up the overhead compartment and can easily moisturize whenever you start feeling dry.

Also remember to keep your lip balm in your pocket when you’re sitting and apply copiously and constantly. Nothing feels worse than cracked lips, and the dry air in the cabin definitely doesn’t help. Keep your lip balm within easy reach and don’t be afraid to slather it on!

And if your eyeballs are prone to drying out (ewww), I recommend you bring a little bottle of eye drops to keep those bad boys lubricated (ewwwwwww).

2. Bring an empty water bottle and drink as much water as you can

From left to right: empty Aquafina bottle; empty CamelBak water bottle

Sometimes security checks your bags at the boarding gate, so to avoid them confiscating your water and/or bottle, make sure that the bottle’s empty when you’re boarding the plane. Then, when you’re in the air, politely grab hold of a flight attendant and ask him/her to please fill up your water bottle. Take a sip every few minutes to ensure that you’re not dehydrated, and have them fill up the bottle again as soon as you finish all of your water.

3. Bring hand sanitizer or antibacterial hand wipes

Wet Ones antibacterial hand wipes (citrus scent, 20 wipes)

Airplanes are bacteria cesspools. Bring hand sanitizer or antibacterial hand wipes to clean off your hands every hour or so because you will be touching your face and you might be eating, so keep the germs at bay! I personally prefer hand wipes because hand sanitizer just doesn’t make my hands feel as clean, and sometimes even makes them sticky.

4. Move around

Just stroll around the cabin once the pilot has turned off the seat-belt sign. Walk to the back of the plane and stretch your legs. I’ve found that after sitting for more than an hour, my butt starts aching, so I need to walk around to keep my legs from numbing over.

5. Bring a [paper] book or magazine

Teen Vogue, February 2013.
The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck. 

This one is important because from the time that the flight attendant announces that all electronics must be turned off and stowed away to when you’re allowed to turn them back on, could be anywhere between 20 minutes to an hour. Unless you’re planning on sleeping or talking with someone, you should prepare non-electronic books or magazines to fill the time when electronics are not allowed so that you’re not stuck sitting there, staring down the aisle while your eyes glaze over.

6. Dress in layers

I’ve found that during the summer months, planes usually keep the cabin temperature really low, so it's uncomfortably cold. And during the colder months, they blast the heat and you’re definitely going to feel hot and stuffy if you’re dressed for winter. Dress in layers so that you can add and subtract pieces of clothing easily.

7. Bring a sleeping mask

Sleeping mask

Let me tell you why sleeping masks were invented. It’s because even though they’ve dimmed the cabin lights and pulled down all of the window shades indicating that it’s time for beddy-bye, chances are there’s still one person in the cabin with his/her reading light on, illuminating everything in his/her vicinity. And as experience indicates, that person is probably sitting right next to you.

8. Wear comfortable shoes

My UGG Dakotas in the color Chestnut

For flights longer than three hours, you really need to be wearing some cozy, comfy shoes. I usually wear my UGG Dakotas, because they’re sooo soft and fuzzy inside. If you don't want to be stuck walking around the airport in slippers, just pack a pair of house shoes into your carry-on luggage and pull them out when you're airborne.

9. Bring a snack

LUNA bars.
Flavors from top to bottom: Blueberry Bliss, S'mores, Caramel Nut Brownie, Chocolate Peppermint Stick

It’s always a good idea to bring a snack such as a granola bar or pita chips to keep your blood sugar from plummeting. My personal favorite is the Luna bars, especially in the flavor “S’mores” and “Chocolate Peppermint Stick”. Kosher and nine grams of protein? Yes, please.

10. Bring a small cosmetics bag or tote to keep all of your things together

All of my stuff fits in my Bag-in-Bag!

Front of the Bag-in-Bag

Back of the Bag-in-Bag

There’s nothing worse than walking off the plane and realizing that you left something in the little pocket in front of your seat. You can usually get it back, but it may take several minutes, or they might even have to mail it to your final destination, so the best way to avoid all the hassle is to keep track of all of your belongings. Since you’ll probably have to keep track of hand lotion, hand sanitizer, eye drops, gum, your water bottle, lip balm, mp3 player, earphones, book, etc., and make sure that you have everything with you when you’re leaving, you should have a little bag in which everything can fit and won’t fall out. I always bring a Bag-in-Bag to put all of my plane essentials in because I hate having to stand up, open the overhead compartment, and sift through my bag searching for my lip balm. Just put the bag in the seat pocket in front of you, or between yourself and the armrest, and you’re good to go! My Bag-in-Bag has handles, so I can hang the bag from my armrest or from the little hook that keeps the tray in front of me up.

Tell me about some things that help you get through long flights and how you pass the time! I'm eager to read your tips!

Lucia