OMBRE HAIR! JOINING THE CLUB!

   

       Hi there! I know I haven't blogged in a while, but recently I've come across some new blogs that have inspired me to get my fingers moving across this keyboard again! 

      So this topic will probably come as a surprise to those of you who know, how little I know about hair. My hair styling skills are limited to say the least. At age ten I knew I was doomed from the start, when it took me two weeks to learn how to form a standard braid. And to this day that is as technical as I'll get. Okay, Fiiiiine to give myself a little credit, I have somehow managed to learn how to use a curling iron (a three week learning process, that I still can't get right) Never mind me trying to do a fishtail braid, that story ended with about seventy-three knots in my hair. Too be honest I've never given a rats hat about hair. So because of that, I have stuck with the same color and cut for years. 

      Recently a bit of spontaneity has struck and I have decided that in my very near future I'm going to dye my hair. Now I know what some of you are thinking, okay? woopty doo! what's the big deal. Well lemme tell ya! I still have what many would call 'virgin hair'. I know close to nothing about coloring, bleaching, toners, highlighting, developer? (This is just some of the terminology I've heard being tossed around while watching the random hair video) I've just always been put off by the maintenance that colored hair requires. More upkeep? not interested! Since my hair is thick, coarse, curly and dry it's already a pain in the butt to deal with. But suddenly I've felt like I need something to give this black hair some depth, some life! So the time has come ladies and gents (not that there are any men reading this) that I get a bit adventurous with these locks. 

     I can go one of two routes with this. Either I go to a professional (the smart/obvious option) or attempt to color it myself (the stupid option, knowing my history) and save some dolla dolla bills. So here's the game plan! I want Ombre!! Yes I want to join THAT club! Currently my hair is at mid-waist length, so I'll try to keep the length as long as possible but have it trimmed and shaped up with layers. Then, I'll bring in this photo as seen above!

It's subtle, yet noticeable! Looks more highlighted as it goes down rather then a stark contrast from dark to light. The hair near her roots seems to be close in color to mine so I think this is the perfect picture for me to base my hair off of. It took quit some time to find a picture where the ombre isn't blonde. Not that I don't like how that looks, I just think it would be to harsh of a contrast on me. Okay now that I've hyped this up for myself,  I better get it done sooner rather then later before I change my mind! And if all fails I can just chop the ends off, quick fix!

 If you have any tips or thoughts let me know! and who is this in the picture anyway?? 

thanks for reading!

Spring Wishlist!!

Lancome Rouge In Love Lipstick- Okay, so you know those full ads that play before a YT video starts? the ones that make you wait 5 seconds before being able to click skip? (I swear that always seems like the longest 5 seconds EVER!) Anyway so this ad popped up before a video recently and I loved it. It has really up beat music by Brigitte and a fun feel. Before seeing this ad I never even took a second look at Lancome. I've always associated it with cosmetics for more mature women and grandmas. It seems as though Lancome is making an effort to appeal to a much younger audience. Especially with Emma Watson as the new spokesperson and face of rouge in love, how can it not be appealing!! The packaging is beautiful and thoughtfully designed. Can't wait to go have a look at them this weekend. Lancome, you have my attention!

Nars Blush in Amour- This past weekend I hit pan on deep throat, which was my first Nars blush. It isn't anything to celebrate about since I'm actually a bit bummed about it. I hate hitting pan on products I love! But I figure the only way to feel better about it, is to go buy a new blush. So I have my eyes set on Amour. It seems to be a sweet combination of peach and pink. Totes my kinda color!

Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24h- I've recently dabbled into higher end foundations and with the couple that I've tried I have not been pleased. So for the time being I've switched back to my trusty ol' Revlon color stay. But now I'm kinda in the mood to try out another. I've recently heard about this foundation and I'm pretty intrigued by it. It sounds like it has the few things I'm looking for, medium coverage, transfer free and a neutral shade range. If and when I get this I hope it won't be another disappointment, I have high hopes!

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair- One reason I want this. Tanya Burr (Pixie2woo) who has beautiful skin, gave a rave mini review on this product in one of her recent favorites video, and now I feel like I must have it in my life. Yeah that's it, reason enough! right!

House of Harlow Stacked Rings- So besides the fact that I love Nicole Richie, I am also obsessed with her House of Harlow 1960 line. There is not one thing I wouldn't want. I love the 60's Bohemian and tribal vibe. Her designs totally reflect her own personal style which I also happen to LOVE. I received one of the sunburst necklaces for Christmas 2 years ago and I wear it all the time. So since I need some new rings I think these would be soo perfect.

Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Sneakers- I love wearing converse in spring and summer with a pair of distressed shorts and a graphic t-shirt. Casual & Comfortable. These shoes are just classic and the white would look so good against tan skin. I have to have these!

Neon Love

NEON & PINK?? what has gotten into me?!

 I seem to be completely embracing the neon trend this season. Well not completely, but I must say it has been quite refreshing to pair these accessories with my typically very simple outfits. I am now a full believer that a small dose of neon can seriously brighten your day. For weeks now I've had this little "arm party" going on and I am loving it! I've also been painting my nails hot pink. Yeahhhh...not the color you would usually see on my nails, but then again it just feels so right at the moment.

Neon Yellow Bracelet-Forever21 . Kate Spade Neon Pink Wallet . OPI Don't Know Beets Me

Love me some Tom Ford!

This Sunday I spent the evening at Barnes and Noble. I sat in the magazine section and happened to spot a plush broken-in sofa seat. SCORE! For a couple of hours I sat there with my coffee and flipped through several magazines. I repeatedly kept coming across articles about Tom Ford. I especially enjoyed the article in Harper's Bazaar Australia. This handsome man is a visionary and can do no wrong in my eyes. After reading the articles and having watched his documentary a few weeks back I have become quite captivated by him. He is just as charming in print as he comes across in the documentary. I feel like everything he says is GOLD. Fun fact! I recently read he is a native Texan and was born in the same city as I was. He was also raised in one of my all time favorite place to visit, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Gah even more reasons to love him! hell yeahhhhh I have something in common with Tom Ford! haha, kidding. but not really ;) Anyway once I got home I did what I do best, went straight to my laptop and read and watched reviews on Tom Ford make up. Just for kicks I even had a bit of fun adding the items to my cart. You don't even want to know the total! Time to start counting pennies! I have compiled a short list of things I am DYING to have! 

1. Sable Smoke Lip Color

2. Cognac Sable Eye Color Quad (pictured above)

3. Flush Cheek Color

Until the day comes that I temporarily lose my mind and save enough to swipe the plastic for these pricey pieces of luxury, I'll just have to marvel at the beautifully rich, striking ads. By the way I love how he allows for the products to take center stage and enlarges them to cover the whole page. Plus the fact that he appears in his own ads just seals the deal!

MUCH LOVE TF MUCH LOVE

My go-to neutral makeup look

So here is my go-to neutral makeup look! As much as I love makeup and applying it, we all have those days that we just want a fresh faced look, something that isn't too over done. I wear my makeup like this so often because it's minimal yet polished and put together. Don't get me wrong I love shimmery eye shadows and bright lips but there are certain times that a simple makeup look like this, just makes you feel pretty. Sometimes less really is more!

So here are the products I used

Foundation: Maybeline Super Stay Makeup 24hr Foundation-Classic Biege
Concealer: Mac Studio Finish- NC35
Eye Primer: Urban Decay Primer Potion
Eyeshadow: Mac Ricepaper & NYC Bronzer in Sunny
Eyeliner: Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Eye pencil- Zero
Mascara: Prestige My Blackest Lashes
Blush: Nars Deep Throat
Lips: Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge- Pink Truffle

Nails of the Night!

OPI Lincoln Park After Dark & Deborah Lippmann Today Was A Fairytale

After weeks and weeks of wearing opaque coats of glitter polish, I still can't get myself to put it away! So I thought a touch of glitter on one nail is just the right amount for a night out. This Deborah Lippman polish in today was a fairytale  is a new addition to my collection! I wore it on New Years Eve on all 10 and absolutely loved it. It is surprisingly very easy to apply. I swipe the brush over my nail and the tiny glitter disperses evenly. The chunky hexagonal shaped glitter does take a little placement work but it is not at all time consuming. It literally takes seconds! The glitter is suspended in a clear polish, which makes it perfect to apply as a layer over another color. The glitter dries flat onto the nails and you aren't left with a gritty feeling once it has dried. I definitely want to get another deb lipp polish in the near future!

Now OPI Lincoln Park After Dark is probably the first nail polish I heard about when I first started watching YouTube videos back in 2008. It seems to be a nail color that everyone has in there collection as a staple, need to have polish. Don't ask me why I took me so long to get it but I'm so glad I finally did! The color is nearly black on the nails but has a deep purple hue to it. I was eating blackberries the other day when I had this polish on and I noticed it is a dead on match. The color is the most opaque polish I own which makes it easy as pie to apply. ha! look at me rhyming. When I have this color on I feel sorta like a badass chick! ;) It's a modern yet chic color. For some reason I feel like I'm channeling Kourtney Kardashian when I have it on,

Hope your all having a nice weekend!
Happy Saturday!

2011 Makeup Favorites

So here they are! The products that out shined all the rest during 2011. I forgot to include a product so just imagine a cute little korres lip butter in pomegranate sitting among the rest.

 FAVORITES
Maybelline Superstay Makeup 24hr Foundation
Mac Studio Finish Concealer-NC35
Mac Mineralize Skin Finish Natural
Mac BlackTrack Fluidline
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Eye Pencil -Zero
Mac Eyeshadow- Ricepaper
Urban Decay Naked Palette
Mac 217 Brush
Mac Melba Blush
Nars Deep Throat
Mac Vegas Volt Lipstick
Korres Lip Butter-Pomegranete

As you can see from the list Mac is the brand that dominated over any other makeup brand during 2011. Ah you can always count on good ol' Mac! I wonder if some of these products will stick around for the long run. I guess we shall have to wait and see till next year!

2011 My Best Year Yet!

New Year's Eve 2011

It snowed! Hadn't happened in years! We got less than 2" but HEY I'll take it!!

Spring Break Trip to New Mexico with my best cousins! We went to Santa Fe, Taos, Ruidoso.

Staying up all night and day to watch the Royal Wedding. Our dessert table set up!

April showers, May flowers! My grandparents garden always has beautiful flowers in full bloom

Michael Buble Concert!

Summer Trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico. I love the adobe architecture there!

Seriously the best meal I had all year! It was at a Tapas Restaurant in Houston, TX

  Gorgeous summer weather into late October and November! That's Texas for ya!

 

 Halloween!!

 

 I turned 20 this year!!

The Holiday Season! Our Christmas Tree! 

Closing thoughts on 2011

I was up till 4:30 last night thinking about this past year. I'm so proud of all that I've accomplished this year. I've learned so much about myself and I feel I've become stronger and more confident in who I am. This year I realized my capabilities, opened myself up to new friendships, traveled and tried not to sweat the small stuff! For once I kept all my resolutions. My biggest accomplishment was losing a little under 50 pounds. That alone has changed my life in more ways then I ever imagined. I plan to continue to work my way to a healthier me. I also achieved all the academic goals I set for myself. For this new year I have set some more goals for myself and I am so excited to start working towards reaching them. This has been the best year yet! I'm looking forward to what the new year will bring. Goodbye 2011 and cheers to a happy healthy and peaceful new year! I'm ready for ya 2012!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Very soon it will be Christmas Day

Just wanted to write a quick post to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!! Here are a few pictures I took throughout the month of December. Mostly of our Christmas decorations at home as well as a couple of pictures I took on our weekend trip to Dallas. Now it's time to get all glammed up for two family Christmas Parties! Tonight Santa comes and tomorrow is finally Christmas Day! I couldn't be more excited!

the perfect black boots

 So I'm sitting in bed right now lusting over these Steve Madden Spinnner Boots. Now just a week ago before the semester ended, I was whining about being sleep deprived. Now that I have all the time in the world to sleep, I can't seem to go to bed at a reasonable hour. It is now 2 a.m. and what am I doing? window shopping! Yeah, not the best idea when you only have a mere $6 dollars to your name. Anyway, back to these beauts. I NEED these in my life and I'll explain why. Firstly, I don't own a pair of black shoes, that alone is completely unacceptable. Secondly, I am now 20 and I think its about time that I use a shoe with a little bit of a heel. Now I realize these only have a 2 inch heel but I can't walk in heels gracefully so I've got to start somewhere! Lastly, Unlike the taupe suede boots I have now, leather is pretty durable so I wont have to worry about ruining them when it rains.

 Now I know what you are thinking. These shoes are very similar to the TopShop Ambush boots that have been all the rage on YouTube and the blogosphere. I loved those when I saw them and now I have fallen for these. Only thing with the TopShop boots is that there is no way for me to see them in person to try on. Now with these boots, the only thing keeping me from them is $140 and a 5 mile drive to the mall. Plus Steve Madden shoes have always been good to me.

Unfortunately, I would ask Santie for these but I've already mailed him my list. ;) Since there are only 9 days till Christmas I have a hunch that he has finished all my Christmas shopping. ah what's a girl to do in such a dilemma *sigh* Late night online browsing is never a good idea....

Dear Santa

1. Michael Kors "Runway" Chronograph Watch --- 2. Deborah Lippmann Today was a Fairytale ---

3. Dolce and Gabbana Rose the One --- 4. Kate Spade Black Stud Earings --- 5. Chanel Rouge Coco Shine 55 Bad Romance

Halloweenie!

Since I've been sick since Thursday I spent my Halloween weekend on the couch. Fun, I know. On Monday I had a relaxing night eating way to many chocolates and treats that my wonderful mom made. I spent the night watching my all time favorite Halloween movie, Hocus Pocus. Oh and I finally got to watch Twilight. I have to say, I don't understand peoples obsession with it at all. I felt it dragged on and I don't know, it was just a bit awkward. Anyway I hope everyone had a safe and fun Halloween. October was a nice month, Now on to the next! Looking forward to Thanksgiving, and my 20th birthday! Be good to me November!

a glimpse into my week

LOVE LOVE LOVE this necklace I feel like I actually wear it too much! It's from Nordstrom BP. They have beautiful statement necklaces and I want, no not want, I NEED more.

L'OREAL VOLUMINOUS CARBON BLACK MASCARA. NUFF SAID. 

(ignore my brows. threading appointment soon)

My first Butter London Polishes! Ultas Tuesday deal was buy one get one free. Made my week!

OPI Lucerne-tainly look marvelous. Seriously a gorgeous color! I wore it all week and it's even more complex and interesting in person. It has teeny tiny green, silver and pink shimmers. All week and all day I found myself staring at my nails. I kid you not! OBSESSED.

 My brothers cookie cake! He turned 17 on Thursday! I swear I feel like I was 17 just the other day! how the heck is he 17 now, how is this happening so fast! blows my mind. lol Anyway his birthday is beginning of the celebrations and holidays for the rest of the year! September: his birthday & the first days of fall. October: My youngest brothers birthday & Halloween. November: My birthday & Thanksgiving. December: Semester ends & Christmas. January: New Years. AHH LOVE this time of year!!  LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL!

I LOVE where I live. Even though I drive by this almost every single day I still find myself oohing and awing at how beautiful it is. It never gets old and even though I've lived here all my life I still appreciate this city more and more everyday.

Missoni for Target

A few things I bought from the collection

My shopping experience at Target was cool, calm, and collected but only because I went too late in the day. (1:00 p.m.) While I was there I heard several women asking for the collection, only to be pointed to empty racks and shelves. People who went early in the morning wiped em all out. Luckily I got everything I planned on buying. Other then what I got, I was really only interested in the home decor and kitchenware. I didn't even have the option to decide whether or not I would buy other things since it was ALL gone.

I don't think any one could have predicted the madness on that day. I feel since the line was so highly promoted and advertised that everyone, even people who don't normally follow fashion wanted a piece of some zig-zag. In the past, designer collaborations have really never received the same response. After the success of this collection, I hope this prompts even more amazing designers to jump on, well, beg for the chance to collaborate with Target. It's big business! Anyway I had a fun time anticipating the collection and it was a fun little way to liven up my week!

the bag that got away....

While in Santa Fe, New Mexico my mom and I stopped into TJ MAXX. I spotted this Michael Kors bag in the clearance section for only $150, but I say 'only' with hesitation. If it was ONLY $150 that would make it seem as if it was easily attainable for me. BUT unfortunately it wasn't. I saw it, fell in love with it, put it down, thought about buying it, walked away, found myself back in the bag section, tried it on once again, thought about it, put it down, and then walked out. I seriously haven't stopped thinking about the bag since. It had all the qualities I've been looking for...black leather, gold hardware, long straps, bucket style bag. gahh! Now I feel like an idiot for not buying it. I just had to share how much of a dummy I was to pass it up. Now excuse me while I go cry in the corner.

HOUSTON

A peak into our weekend trip to Houston, Texas

A bit of the skyline

Reading on the way over to Houston

The Galleria=Heaven. Tons of designer stores in there. I of course could only admire the designer shops from afar. But I did get a couple of basics at Zara. It was actually my first time shopping there and it is now my favorite store!! I need to save up my $$$$$ so next time I can get more!

Dylan's Candy Bar inside the Galleria. This baby version of the store will do until I get to go to the main store in NYC!

Bought some sweets to take home to my brothers. How cute is this bag?!?!

Driving through the Bel Air neighborhood of Houston. I'll take this house!!

Mongolian beef, chicken & shrimp

After lunch we came to House of Pies. When my dad lived in Houston during half of his college years. He and his friends would go to house of pies all the time. Brings back good memories for him.

and this pie brings back good memories for me! THE BEST PIE EVER EVER EVER! Great recommendation dad :)

Next trip: Santa Fe, New Mexico!

We leave tomorrow at 6 a.m. and I have NOTHING packed. Since we will be gone a little over a week, I need to decide what clothes, shoes and jewelery to bring. If you are anything like me this wont be an easy task.

My Mini Vaycay!

A look into my getaway trip to San Antonio, Texas.

Although I've been to San Antonio more times then I can count. I've never really done much more than visiting The Alamo and strolling along The Riverwalk. But this time we made it a point to find new things to do. After this trip I got to see San Antonio in a new light and was pleased to find out how much more the city has to offer.

Our hotel was located right along The San Antonio Riverwalk, Which is where we spent the first whole day. Even though I've been here before I always love going. So we walked, shopped, had lunch at one of the many restaurants along the river, walked some more, sat, shopped and did I mention we walked? At night we people watched and enjoyed a delicious cheesecake and cherry ice cream cone. After an exhausting day in the hot Texas heat (101 degrees, sheesh!) we walked back to our hotel room and slept like babies. ZzzzZzzZZzz

The next day we went to a museum which may not sound like a fun time to everyone but it's something my family likes to do especially when we are in a different city. I've always enjoyed going so I didn't mind one bit. After that we had lunch here at The Gunether House Restaurant. Which is located in a picturesque victorian neighborhood. The area is also one of the oldest historical districts in Texas. (Pictures of the homes are coming up in the next blog post. The homes are too stunning NOT to post.)

The restaurant room reflects the Art Nouveau style of the 1920's in their use of stained glass ivy window panels and structural and decorative elements.  

The beautiful flowers on our table.

My lunch a simple but tasty club sandwich with a side of seasonal fresh fruit.

I was taking a short nap in the hotel room and woke up to a pink box filled with these sweet treats. My dad's friend's wife just opened up a bakery in SA and sent us some goodies to try out. They wanted us to critique the desserts for them to see if they needed improvement. And of course I was up for the task and MORE then happy to do so. The box did get banged up on its way over to us but who cares, holy heck they were AMAZING!

I mean just look at this close up! like Rachel Ray like to says, YUMMOOOOO

 On our last day in SA we spent all day shopping. For dinner we went to La Fogata Mexican Restaurant. The setting and the ambiance was so lively and relaxed. Here I snapped a photo of the Mariachis waiting to perform as we were waiting to be seated. We were seated at a table outside underneath the patio that was shaded by trees. Lights strung from all across the room which gave the area a nice glow. Shortly after we got our food the mariachis began to play. It was the perfect way to end our trip in San Antonio.

So that was a shortened look at my mini vacation. Proves that you don't have to go miles and miles away from home to have a fun, leisurely and exciting trip. Now, I'd like to conclude with a fun fact of the day-- Tortilla chips are my weakness.