Color Craze: Gold

I think it would be fun to center an entire post around a single color.  And, given that we're in the glory days of summer, what better color to start off with than gold (with a hint of bronze)?

Here are some of my favorite things that help satiate my gold obsession:

1. Urban Decay Half-Baked: This shimmery gold shadow doesn't pull orange on my skin, which some other gold shadows have the tendency of doing. This paired with a dark brown in the crease is fierce.

2. Marc Jacobs Daisy roller ball: All I can say is that the full size of this WILL BE MINE! Such a clean, floral (without being heady) scent.

2. NARS blush in Luster: Leaves my cheeks with a warm, golden sheen. Perfect for the summer (and spring, and fall, and...)

3. MAC Melon Pigment: This isn't gold, per se, but when I use it has a highlight, it creates a wonderful golden peachy gleam.

4. Owl Necklace: I picked this up at a costume jewelry store here in town. It adds just a touch of quirky whimsy to any outfit without making you look koo koo crazy.

5: Orly Polish in Rage (rose gold) and Orly gold glitter: Rage makes your nails look out of this world without being in your face, and the gold glitter jazzes up even the most boring of neutrals. It also removes easily, which can't be said for all glitters!

What are you favorite golden adornments for summer?

Current Lip Love: MAC Sheen Supreme in Insanely It

Raise your hand if you love bright lips *shoots hand straight up*. A few months ago, MAC introduced their new Sheen Supreme lipstick line, and I popped by my local counter to check them out. I was a good girl, and only allowed myself one purchase, and I have to say, I think I came out with a winner.

Insanely It is a wonderfully shiny intense watermelon. Perfect for summer, but I love it so much I know I'll wear it all year round. The formulation is extremely shiny, however, I don't find it particularly moisturizing (although, it is by no means drying).

Here's a swatch of it on my lips, however, I think the picture fails to capture the true intensity of this shade.

I love these lipsticks, and I hope to add some more to my collection soon!

Current Mani: Lemony Lagoon (a bit of a fail!)

So, I just painted my nails with two of my favorite colors: Revlon's Blue Lagoon and China Glaze's Lemon Fizz. I thought, in theory, these colors should have gone together swimmingly, but on my nails it just looks blah. Maybe it's too pastel-y Easter egg without enough summer punch. Or, maybe just having the yellow accent nail would have looked better without the dots; they make the manicure look a bit adolescent in my opinion.

Anyway, I thought I'd post it to show you what the colors look like together.

So-what do you think? Are you feeling it more or less than I am?

11 Most Reached For Products

Easily one of my most favorite tags making its way around the internet! The name speaks for itself :)

1. MUFE HD foundation: I LOVE this foundation. It literally covers like a second-skin. I'd classify the finish as a velvet, it leans more matte, but it does have the slightest amount of dewiness. Can't sing its praises enough. It is painfully expensive, but I somehow justify it by saying it's my perfect color-match (#115) and makes my face look flawless with minimal effort.

2. Rimmel Airy Fairy: This lipstick has a HUGE following, and rightfully so. It's a pinky neutral that goes with anything. Throw it on without a mirror and head out the door! My type of cosmetic.

3.Maybelline Dream Matte Powder: Sets my foundation and keeps shine at bay for hours.

4. MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NW20: Pair this super pigmented concealer with a fine, pointed concealer brush, and your blemishes don't stand a chance.

5.  Rimmel Spice lipliner: This is a magical lip liner. Use it alone all over the lips for a classic, polished look. Pair it under ANY lipstick and suddenly the lipstick color is transformed into something wearable yet interesting. I love pairing it with really bright lipsticks to tone the color down without muddying it up.

6. Cargo blush in Miami Beach: Honestly, I don't even know if this is around anymore. But it creates such a great glowy flush on my cheeks. If it is discontinued, let me just say, "you'll be missed!"

7. MAC Patina eyeshadow: This used all over the eye and smudged under the lower-lash line creates a wonderfully simple and modern smokey eye. It also pairs well with lighter colors and can be used as a daytime crease color.

8. Cetaphil: This is such a cheat (my bad!), the little bottle represents BOTH the lotion and the cleanser. I use both religiously and have yet to find a better combo.

9. Blistex: Moisture plus SPF 15-what more does my kisser need?

10. Loreal Voluminous Carbon Black: A classic for a reason. I don't have transfer or flaking issues w/ this. It makes my lashes look fake, but it a good way :)

11. Urban Decay Primer Potion: Don't waste your money or time buying the old packaging. This squeeze-tube is where it's at! No more wasted product, and my shadows don't budge all day!

What are your most reached for products?

Wall Art for The Monetarily-Challenged

So, I'm a graduate student. I live off of a teaching assistantship  that basically allows me to keep my bills paid and fridge stocked with just enough food. I don't have a lot of money left over to add the personal touches to my rental, but living with bare walls depresses me. With a few left over dollars and some creativity, I was able create wall art that is eye-catching (in my opinion, anyway!) without being overpowering. I simply took a walk around my neighborhood and picked some leaves. I then pressed those leaves between some heavy books (which I have a lot of, again, due to graduate school). I let the leaves dry out and then glued them to some basic poster board and hung them in cheap black frames I picked up from Ikea.

It kills me that I didn't straighten these frames before  I took this picture! But hopefully it gets the idea across :)

Hang a bunch of them together, and viola! You've got yourself and organic yet architectural art grouping. Eventually, I'd like to have a large enough collection to completely fill this wall space, but til then, at least I'm not staring at a simply stuccoed wall.

What are you favorite wall decorating solutions on the cheap?

Top Summer Polishes

My nails tend to fluctuate between two extremes during the summertime. I'm either sporting light, pastel shades or bright pops of color. Here are just a few of my favorites:


From left to right (sorry for the awkwardly cropped pic-I need to find a better place w/ natural light to take my pictures):
1. Revlon in Revlon Red: classic, bright red. Love the shade, but this particular formula can stain nails if you don't use a base first.

2. Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Twisted Pink: vibrant hot pink with a touch of microshimmer. I love this nail polish brand and formula in particular. It goes on opaque in one coat, lasts a decent amount of time and has a wonderful price point! This line has some great, trendy colors too.

3. China Glaze in Flip Flop Fantasy: this picture isn't doing this neon hot pink justice. This is the perfect lounging by the pool color. Extremely bright. It also dries VERY matte. If you like that finish, then this polish is definitely for you. However, one coat of a clear topcoat creates a lovely, shiny finish if that's more your cup of tea.

4. China Glaze in Lemon Fizz: delicious, creamy, lemony yellow. I was scared that yellow would make my hands look sickly or lobster red, but this color works wonderfully against my skin.

5. Revlon in Minted: The formulation could be better, but this color is spot on minty. During the mint green nail craze, I wanted to add one to my collection that didn't break the bank, and this one fit the bill.

6. Revlon in Blue Lagoon: This blue has a hint of shimmer that  I only find noticeable when in direct sunlight. I personally love the look of this color against white, and since I tend to wear a ton of white cotton sun-dresses in the summer, I'm guaranteed to be sporting this shade a few times each month!

7. Love & Beauty in Lavender: This is a fantastic, inexpensive shade that I picked up from Forever 21. This creamy lavender has just enough depth to not look chalky, but is still light enough to look perfectly pastel. It's also completely opaque in one coat-for a polish under $3, you can't beat it!

So, those are my favorite polishes of the summer-doesn't it make a pretty rainbow? What are your favorite colors this season?

Back to Mac Love: Ravishing Creamsheen

I recently bundled up 6 empty  eyeshadow pots (de-potted but w/o pan) and headed on down to the Mac counter. Mac have a wonderful recycling program that I encourage you to read up on and take advantage of. If you bring 6 empty plastic containers to the counter, you get a lippie for free!
I knew I wanted to pick up a summery shade. My lipstick collection runneth over with reds, nudes and pinks-orange was what I was after!

I was instantly drawn to Ravishing-and I'm so glad it now sits nicely in my drawer and on my lips! It's just the right amount of Boca Raton granny without being too garish (well, at least for me, anyway!). I can play up the orange my layering over my beloved Revlon Coral Reef gloss or tone it down by slicking on a layer of Revlon's Pink Afterglow.

Either way I wear it, it's my perfect summer lippie!

What summer-y products have you recently acquired?