Lipstick & Stockings

Have you ever seen someone else try something on in the dressing room and you instantly fall in love with it? Do you ask yourself: how come I didn’t see that?!

I saw a girl try on this jumper in the dressing room the other day, and I knew I had to have it. Luckily for me, I found the last one in the entire store. I try hard to not lust after other people’s belongings, but for $13.50 I just couldn’t pass it up:

Jumper, Belt, Leaf Necklace, & Owl Earrings: F21. Clutch: H&M. Wedges: Target

How cute are these owl accessories?!

I officially start my pharmacist intern position tomorrow! I’m so excited yet so nervous at the same time. I decided that I needed to take off the bright coral I had on my nails and wear a neutral work appropriate shade instead:

This is Kiss The Bride by Orly. It’s a beautiful soft milky pink. If you are in or attending a wedding this summer, this is the perfect shade for you.

You can find Orly here or at Sally’s Beauty Supply for $5.

I’m off to brush up on my pharmaceutics!

As a thank you for doing her bridal makeup, Sugar Daddy’s cousin gave me a gift card to Ulta. The gift card really burned a hole in my pocket because I spent it the very next day (I have no shame). I had been eyeing the new shadow pencils by Urban Decay, and I was finally able to splurge and try them out:

I purchased Rehab (taupe) and Mercury (gunmetal). Both are beautiful colors that glide on with ease. What really impressed me was how quickly they set. Not only that, but these babies are extremely long wearing and sweat-proof. You won’t get any creasing with these pencils. NONE. They’re also great to use a bases for eyeshadows. I love these so much!

Find these at Sephora or Ulta for $20 each.

This is my new all time favorite lip balm. It’s super lightweight and non-sticky, and the vintage inspired tin lasts forever. Definitely a must have for the summer. Oh, and it tastes delicious :)

Find it at Sephora for $7. 

To the most amazing man I have ever known: thank you for being such a wonderful daddy.

Te quiero mucho, Papi.

(Guatemala, 1988)

The Forever 21 closest to me is humongous. Not only that, but they have half of a floor dedicated to sale items. I was able to find this pretty floral button up dress on sale for only $9:

Dress & Leopard Belt: Forever 21. Leather Bracelet & Hair Clips: H&M. Wedges: DSW.

How cute is this little book?! 

Connfessions of a Concealaholic is a concealer kit  by Benefit Cosmetics. I picked this up last year. It was a great way to try a variety of Benefit makeup products without breaking the bank.

The book consists of: 

• Erase Paste in Medium
• Boi~ing Concealer in Medium & Light
• That Gal Brightening Face Primer
• Eye Bright 
• Lemon Aid Color Corrector
• Concealer Brushes
• And a cute little instruction booklet.

I really loved all of the products in this set, but I particularly enjoyed the Erase Paste and Boi~ing Concealer (which I posted earlier). The Erase Paste comes in a tiny jar, but a little goes a long way; it has lasted me quite a long time. It works like magic to conceal my dark under eye circles. Boi~ing is the perfect creamy concealer to camouflage minor imperfections on my face. I loved it so much I purchased the full size product.

If you’re looking to try some new concealers, I highly recommend picking up this kit. I’m sure you’ll find something in it you’ll absolutley love.

Find it online, or at Sephora for $36.

I saw this clutch at the H&M in Santa Monica, and I fell in love. The faux snake skin and tassel add so much character to the bag. At only $17.95, I couldn’t pass it up.

Find similar Envelope Clutches:

1. JCrew, 2. Aldo Shoes, 3. F21, 4. Asos, 5. F21, 6. DSW, 7. French Connection

Tart Deco is a beautiful bright coral. It’s the perfect burst of color to add to your summer nail polish collection.

I’m really loving the nautical trend this season. Here is a super cute sweater I picked up from Forever 21. It has a fuzzy/warm interior which is perfect for the cool summer California nights:

Sail Boat Sweater: $15.80, Leopard Ring: $3.80, Gold Earrings: $4.80, Fedora: $12.80 (Forever21). Jean Shorts: $17.99 (Target)

Last Sunday, Sugar Daddy’s cousin got married in Texas. Months ago she asked me to do her makeup for her special day. I was so nervous, I had never done makeup on someone else for such a special occasion! I decided to overcome my fears and do it as a wedding gift for her. Since I had never done her makeup before I decided to practice on her for her bachelorette party. She looked absolutely stunning for both her party and wedding day: 

On Sunday, I woke up early and started getting the bride ready right away. And while I was at it, I did the entire bridal party…all 5 girls plus the bride! Each lady sported a neautral smokey eye complete with false lashes and a complimentary lip color.  Since I only brought a carry-on with me on the plane, I packed only the essential makeup items. I was able to only use UD’s Naked Palette for all the girls. Look at these beauties:

The MOH was busy doing her duties so I wasn’t able to get a close up of her, but here are the rest of the ladies:

By the end of my session, my feet were killing me from standing up for 6 hours straight, but I felt so rewarded to see each girl’s beauty shine through. The bride was so grateful, and I was so proud :)

I successfully finished my second year of graduate school earlier this week. To de-stress I decided to take an entire day and dedicate it to thrift shopping. The thrift stores where I live never have vintage pieces in stock and are extremely overpriced. I decided to risk my safety and go to the thrift store in the sketchy San Bernardino area. (Don’t worry, I packed my pepper spray)

I’m so glad I went! The thrift store really had some amazing vintage pieces for low prices. I was able to find 4 leather bags for less than $20 total:

Tan leather clutch with two compartments (1970’s) :

Black leather Bare Strap Bag with striped interior & removable strap (1980’s) :

(Found a similar one here)

Gray leather Anne Klein for Calderon cross body bag (1980’s) : 

Brown Patent Leather Handbag with mustard satin interior (1940/1950’s) :

This one is my absolute favorite. It is so Audrey Hepurn-ish. Similar ones retail for $80 on Etsy. This elegant purse is truly a gem!

The leather in each bag is so buttery soft. They are in excellent condition and with a little cleaning they’ll be as good as new. 

It’s crazy to think that each of these purses belonged to a classy/sophisticated woman from different eras. Each handbag comes with it’s own beautiful story. I’m so lucky I found such treasures!

This is hands down the best makeup remover I have ever used. With a shake, the two layers (oil and water) mix together and gently remove even the toughest waterproof eye makeup. Coming from someone who wears tons of eye makeup (and daily waterproof mascara), this remover is seriously the best. 

Find it at Macy’s or Sephora for $26.

Let me start off by saying that it takes a lot for me to really like a product. If a product makes it to my blog, it is because I really love it. ELF brushes are no exception.

I was skeptical at first about ELF products, especially because of their cheap price. Although I haven’t tried any ELF makeup that I actually like, I will admit that their studio brushes are exceptional.

My favorite of the bunch is the Eyeshadow “C” Brush. It is the perfect brush to pack on color to the lid, and works just as good as the Mac #239. I love it so much I bought 3 more.

The black handles blend in perfectly with my Mac brushes, and none of the brushes have yet to shed a single hair (unlike Mac). Each brush is made from synthetic fibers that are extremely soft to the touch. Next to my Mac brushes, these are my second favorite.

Find these online or at Target for $3 each.

Yes…only $3.

Sugar Daddy decided we both needed a new pair of dress shoes. We were able to find a brown leather pair of Steve Maddens for him, and a cute pair of nude heels for me. And since I can no longer find my size in the nude pumps I lusted over earlier, I moved on to bigger and better things: BCBG Accent Mary Jane Pumps

I am absolutely in love with these patent leather shoes. They are a modern twist to Mary Jane pumps with a peep toe and exposed heel. These babies are the perfect nude color to elongate my legs.

Find them at DSW for $60.

This is my lash drawer:

I used to think that wearing false lashes was just too much. I didn’t understand why girls loved them. Fake nails, fake hair, fake tan…and now eyelashes?! I had to draw the line somewhere.

It wasn’t until I found a natural looking pair that I realized what a difference they really make. For someone who is lacking in the eyelash department (thank you genetics), false lashes are a must.

This is my favorite pair of natural lashes by Ardell. I’ve gotten so many compliments on them, and some people don’t even notice they aren’t naturally mine. If I had to pick one set of lashes for the rest of my life, this would be it.

They are made with 100% human hair and are assembled by hand. To prolong their longevity, I never apply mascara nor do I curl them. 

Find these at any drugstore, Target, or Walmart for under $5. 

(this is the same set I’ve worn here, here, here, here, and here)