NOTD: Sinful Colors Rich in Heart

I feel like all I have to post lately are NOTD’s, oh well. This nail polish is one that I’ve been cycling through (a long with a few others that I’ve posted) this Fall and Winter..best part is that it was only $1! I got this at Walgreen’s on sale about a month or so ago and it was love at first application. The color is a deep burgundy with a tiny hint of shimmer that looks pretty just sitting in its bottle. It almost looks black, but when the light shines you can see the pretty deep red shining through, my favorite part about almost black polishes.

It goes on quite smooth and you only need 2 applications for full coverage, with a nice top coat the color is simply gorgeous. Dress it up or dress it down looks great either way :)

I always seem to smudge my damn pinky..

 

What are some of your favorite dark nail polishes?

xx,

Mariana

 

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American Eagle Semi-Annual Sale + 20% Off: Really Mini Haul

I always get such a thrill ordering things online! I went looking for a certain sweater on American Eagle’s website that I saw in Shape magazine and was pleasantly surprised to find out that their Semi-Annual sale is going on right now with an added bonus of extra 40% off clearance. I was also lucky enough to find another 20% promo code..as you may have guessed I made a few purchases.

 

First thing I added to my cart was this black cable knit sweater. It looked so warm and cozy I couldn’t pass it up, and for $14.39 why would I?

 AE Cabled Sweater $14.39 (w/promo code)

The second two are a little more Spring-y. The weather here hasn’t been it’s usual frozen tundra, also known as Winter, temps but my day to day wardrobe is still looking pretty dark. I can’t wait to use these pieces to brighten up a bit!  I really love flowers so I can see the floral loop scarf becoming one of my new favorites, and I’ve been dying for a pair of fuchsia pumps or flats. Now the waiting game begins..

AEO Dotted Floral Loop Scarf $15.60 (w/ promo code)

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2012 New Year’s Beauty Resolutions

First off I should say I can not believe yet another year has gone by! 2011 was, to say the least, a very interesting year. There were many ups and downs that brought along both triumphs and “defeats”. One thing I am very proud of myself for having accomplished throughout the year though are the realizations I’ve made about myself and the way I live my life, as well as the type of people I allow into it. I found myself taking a lot more time to reflect on why certain negative situations turned out the way they did and how to make positive changes in my life to learn from them.

Now that we’re officially in the new year I’m carrying over what I’ve learned and have vowed to make 2012 a healthy and happy one. Yes, I know, it sounds cliche but I’m really starting to realize that your own happiness truly does start from within. So with that on to my resolutions..

 

1) Start my journey into a career..

Check! I can proudly say that as of December 27th that this has been accomplished. Yes, I know it was before the new year but I wrote it down as my number one on my resolution/goal list a week earlier so to me it still counts. After graduating college in May and doing some traveling in June/July I started my 5 month job search and was lucky enough to land a position as a Merchandise Assistant for a pretty well known company in the Milwaukee area. Though I don’t start for another week I’m  all sorts of excited to be putting my degree to use and moving on from my part-time job as a waitress(don’t get me wrong there’s nothing wrong with that). Hopefully all goes well!

 

2) Hit the gym..

OK, so I’m sure this is probably 6,473,829 other people’s resolution as well but as I was telling a friend the other day the only thing that can make this not as cliche as it sounds it to actually stick to it! My goal is to do some sort of physical activity at least 3 times a week whether it be in a gym or not I don’t really care. I know you’re supposed to have 20 mins of some type of cardio 5 to 6 times a week but I’m sticking to the “baby steps” route and taking things slow. I’ve had a gym membership for a year now and while I have been going a lot more than I ever use to (which was never..) I’d like to make it consistent. I’m prone to going for 3 months n then disappearing for another 3 (then repeat).

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NOTD: OPI Warm and Fozzie

The first time I saw OPI’s Warm and Fozzie from The Muppets Holiday 2011 collection in an issue of Glamour Magazine I just knew I had to have it. Eventually a few weeks later I saw it while in line at Boston Store and $8.50 later I was able to call it my own.

 The Color.. is a gorgeous metallic copper, very different from the bright glitter polishes that make up half  the OPI Muppet Collection. The coppery mix is made up of gold, pinkish-red (very creative color names I know), and brown flecks–and I swear that in certain lighting there’s a hint of green!  This all makes for an amazing Fall/Winter color, or a perfect alternative to the usual holiday nail polishes.

Keep Reading for swatches..

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Health Store Beauty Haul

While out and about today I made a stop at my local health food store and picked up some goodies. Mostly skin care products as I’ve been really trying to find products I’m actually happy with and don’t irritate my skin as I’ve been breaking out like crazy (thank you dry winter weather).

I’m really hoping that the Alba coconut milk facial wash is as good as it smells/looks because I just can’t seem to find a face wash that I’m really into lately. I recently picked up the one and only Cetaphil face wash, and honestly it was really nothing special. I also hated the fact that one of the main ingredients was Sodium Lauryl Sulfate so it’s a big plus that Alba uses natural, organic and cruelty free ingredients.

Anywho, as you can see I also bought Desert Essence Natural Tea Tree Oil Facial Cleansing Pads, Reviva Hyraluronic Acid Serum (after reading a great review on Miss Natty’s Beauty Diary), Celestial Nutcracker Sweet black tea with caffeine so I can take a break from coffee, Cod Liver Oil (yes sounds gross but is packed with Vitamin A & D to keep skin and hair healthy) and a Celsius.

Can’t wait to start trying these products out and share my reviews on them with you all :)

xx,

Mariana

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Shoe Mint Launch

What girl can pass up the offer of a good pair of shoes? Now add rewards into the mix and you’ve got my 100% attention.

I came across something pretty awesome on AlphaBlonde’s blog this afternoon and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to share it with you all. ShoeMint, which features an exclusive shoe collection created by Rachel Bilson, her celeb stylist Nicole Chavez and Steve Madden (I don’t think you can go wrong with that trio), will be launching their website this Friday, November 25th!

As the other mint websites it’s free to look but will be an exclusive members only website in regards to amazing deals and promotions. By signing up you not only will help me get referal points to get amazing deals like $25-$45 off your first pair or a year supply of ShoeMint, you’ll also be given your own referral link so you can do the same. It’s really a win win situation if you ask me :)

Go ahead and sign up HERE if you’re interested in the deals, or just want to check out the website.

xx,

Mariana


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Scent Obsession: Lovestruck by Vera Wang

I’ve been bombarded by ads of Lovestruck by Vera Wang in the pages of magazines for months now and really never took more than a second glance. Finally while wandering around Boston Store this weekend I decided to see what all the fuss was about. So I did the usual test spray on the fancy little strip the ladies behind the counter gave me and went about my wandering. By the end of the day I may have well taped it to my nose because I found myself smelling it over and over again..then again throughout the week (talk about long lasting). This fragrance has made its way to the top of my wish list for the holidays as I am head over heels in love with it at the moment.

Lovestuck has a rich floral scent, not to be compared with your grandmother’s. There are  hints of pink guava, mandarin, tuberose, lotus blossom, precious woods and sheer musk.  The Eau de Parfum is Vera’s interpretation of love, a modern day twist on Romeo and Juliet. The scent is meant to channel that heart pounding, sweaty palm, spontaneous rush you feel as you’re falling in love and while I experienced none of these side effects I must agree that it is a very romantic, feminine fragrance. First date worthy or if you just want to feel a little sexier.

And even if you don’t like the fragrance the bottle is pretty amazing..

 

xx,

Mariana

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Deep Cleaning Your Makeup Brushes(Easy and Cheap)

If there’s one major downfall in my makeup routine it’s that I’m horrible at remembering to clean my makeup brushes. Gross, I know. Recently though I’ve been noticing my skin breaking out a lot more than usual and after spending a lot of time looking in the mirror and growing increasingly irritated I thought that maybe it was time to do something about it. Obviously I can’t change certain things like genetics (thanks mom)  and weather which play a part in all of this but there are some pretty simple things I can do to keep blemishes at bay. One of them being cleaning my makeup brushes regularly, so I thought I’d share with you my routine of doing so.

First things First..

You’ll need:

  • All of your makeup brushes
  • Shampoo (Try Johnsons Baby Shampoo) OR anti-bacterial dish soap
  • Olive Oil (so the bristles won’t over dry)
  • A small bowl to mix the two
  • Towel for drying
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Vichy Dermablend Corrective Foundation Review

Conveniently I was on the search for a new foundation when I stumbled across Lisa Eldridge’s video which is a tutorial on acne covering make up (follow the link to check it out). Among other products she used the Vichy Dermablend Corrective Foundation, and no more than five minutes later I began to do a little research of my own to see what it really had to offer and what others thought of it. Before I go on I should mention that I did purchase this product to use as a concealer more than a full face foundation (I’m more the powder type girl when it comes to that) but did use it both ways before writing this review.

A little background on the product..

Per the description you should be able to enjoy 12 hours of lightweight flawless wear (16 with the setting powder). The corrective foundation is said to be a total coverage foundation marketed towards those with sensitive, acne prone skinwhich is a category I unfortunately fall under. It’s recommended for minor to moderate imperfections such as redness, acne scars,  and pigmentation issues.

Some of the other pluses are the added SPF 20, the fact that it is dermatologist/ophthalmologist tested, and non-comedogenic. All are attributes I look for in a foundation since I feel a lot of them that aren’t non-comedogenic tend to make my skin look unpleasantly oily after a few hours and/or make me break out. None of which I enjoy. Oh, and I’m all for the SPF, I can’t remember the last time I let my face go without.

Lastly, the color range..or lack there of. Vichy offers four, yes four, measly color options. The lightest is Opal 15, the two “mid-range” colors are Nude 25 & Sand 35, and the darkest is Gold 45. I choose to go with Sand 35 since winter is creeping up quickly and whats left of my summer tan is on it’s way out. Also, I did read a few reviews from women who had purchased the Gold 45 shade and could tell it would be way too dark.

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The Big Chop- My Lob Haircut

So I finally did it! Something I’ve been debating back and forth about for literally months-chopping my hair off. Not just my usual inch or two, but a solid 7 inches of my brown locks.

To some people a haircut is simply just a haircut and to others, like myself, their hair is their pride and joy..therefore, I better be walking out of the salon with a smile on my face..or else. With that being said it’s pretty understandable as to why it took me so long to finally decide to go through with it. I decided last week it was time to grow a pair and finally go through with it, after all I trusted my hair stylist and I was in need of some sort of change.

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