Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Project 10 Pan - COMPLETED!

I've been reading about Project 10 pan for months now and I keep telling myself to do it. So rewind to a month ago, I decided to start. And now I'm done!

(I included body lotions/scrubs/soaps because I had a lot of these products with only a teeny bit left to use up)



*Only item not pictured is the Olay body wash b/c my mom threw it out.

I used up the following items & I give my quick opinion on all of them:

my Clinique facial moisturizing gel
I've used this for years now, but it never helped with clearing my complexion, will not repurchase (I now use Kiehl's, post to come!)

MAC makeup removing wipes
These are decent and have a nice smell to them. I have repurchased.

Olay body scrub
Okay with moisturizing, really nice smell to it. Will eventually repurchase.

MAC Fix Plus
Love it. I have repurchased.

L'Oreal Carbon Black mascara
LOVE LOVE LOVE! Much better than high end mascaras that I have boughten in the past. Make sure you buy it in CARBON BLACK though! I also bent the wand to add a curve to it to help in application.

Biorie Face Wash Scrub
ABSOLUTELY LOVE! Helped clear my skin BETTER than ANY high end face wash I have used in the past...and believe me I've used EVERYTHING. Have repurchased.

Studio Gear face primer
Makes your face SUPER soft and smooth for foundation application. Reminds me alot of Bare Escentuals primer. Since Bare Escentuals primer is less expensive I will not repurchase, but good quality primer, just a little on the expensive side.

Scruples Hair Spray
I've used this hairspray for years. Very strong hold, so if you don't like stiffer hair prob not for you. Have repurchased.

L'Oreal Elnett Hair spray
First time using this after hearing alot of rave about it. Not bad whatsoever, VERY nice hold and doesn't make your hair stiff to the touch. The only downfall for me is the smell. Can not stand it. However, will possibly repurchase in the future.

Dove Spray Gel
Too sticky for me, weighs down hair. The only good thing about it is the fresh smell. Will not repurchase.

UPDATE: It's been found!


Yes, that's right. A very close replica of the gorgeous $185 sweater has been found. And at none other than Forever21! Out of the many blogs I had contacted, one of the very first blogs I first started off following was Cheapalicious. And it was the only blog that even came close to duping the sweater. Check it out above & on the Forever21 website if you wish.

I'll also update this post with a picture of the sweater that I found at my local TJ Maxx for only $25, which is also very similar.

Thanks so much for helping me out on this one! Next time I want to find a less expensive version I'll know who to contact. xox

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

I LOVE this sweater..help me find a less expensive dupe!

Let me start by saying i love the Kardashians! :) There's lots of ppl out there that like to say some horrible things about them, but hey, it's not like their my role models in life. I just love their style, makeup, hair and most importantly their strong family values and closeness as a family. I come from a very large family as well and couldn't imagine it any other way.

Onto my post. I saw a picture of Kim wearing this sweater to a Lakers game last spring. What I love about it is the way the bottom hem of the sweater pulls up on the sides, it's shaped poncho/tunic-like. I also love the oversized neckline and sleeves.

I went crazy trying to find it myself, but to no luck. I even emailed her stylist Monica Rose just for the fun of it to see if she would even respond...well a few days after I had emailed her..she did! :) But since the picture was from over a year ago, she was not working with Kim at the time so no clue as to where the sweater could have been from.




I then moved on to enlisted the help of a few of my favorite fashion blogs. Sure enough, Viva Fashion Blog found exactly where it was from! It was from Singer22.com, it's a Ya Ya Gstaad Poncho Like Sweater in Sunset. Now here's the dilemma..it's on sale from $370 to $185. I feel like that's still too many penny's for me to spend on a sweater. So before I commit, I wanted to compare dupes out there. Still no luck on my end though.

So if anyone out there happens to come across a dupe pleaseee feel free to post! It would be much appreciated! xox

Sunday, November 22, 2009

A Lovely Sunday

I was feeling pretty down today, so what better way to cheer yourself up on a beautiful Sunday then by taking an afternoon trip to the beach! My parents and I treated our dog Madden an hour of running around on the sand.

(Photos didn't come out so well..my dad isn't the best photographer & it was reallyyy windy.)



He was exhausted on the drive home. Isn't he precious!?




Hope you all had a relaxing Sunday! xox

Saturday, November 21, 2009

My Secret to a Fresh/Dewy Complexion



The following products (left to right):

Soft Force by MAC from their Style Warrior Collection (LE)
Benefit MoonBeam
Benefit High Beam
Phloof by MAC
All That Glitters by MAC

I can't tell you how long I've been trying to achieve a 'dewy complexion.' We've all seen glamorous stars like Rhianna and Hayden Panterrie grace every tabloid picture fresh faced and glowing. I'm no expert, but I can tell you what I use and what works best for people with more medium complexions like myself.

First, mix a little drop of MoonBeam with a drop of your own foundation. I use DiorSkin Nude foundation b/c it's not a matte formula. This helps towards achieving your desired look.

When using HighBeam, a small dab goes a longgg way. Put a dab on your ring finger and tap onto the highest part of your cheekbones until it settles into your skin. Also use another dab along the bridge of your nose and above the cupid's bow on your upper lip.

Now for the 3 MAC eyeshadows:
Fair skinned, I suggest using Phloof.
Light to medium try Soft Force.
Medium skin or darker, I'd suggest using All That Glitterz.

Ok, once you've chosen your correct e/s to use, take some product onto your ring finger and set the High Beam that you dabbed on your cheekbones earlier.

And VOILA! You should see a difference. Everyone's technique is different. This is what I found works for me, after much trial and error.

Let me know if any of you have any other tips and tricks to achieve this fresh look. xox

Lions and Tigers and...Dogs?



Don't get me wrong, I love dogs. I'll eventually post up a pic of my precious little puppy Madden. Until then, check out the picture above. Is that not the cutest thing? Fran Drescher likes to get her dog shaved like a teddy bear. It's too precious haha. Thought I'd share with all of you. Hope this puts a smile on your face, Enjoy! :)

You'd NEVER believe where I got these bad boys from...









Guesses anyone? Zara? Forever21?
No and no...these babies are from WALMART! I had to order them online though since I could never find them in stores. But get this, shipping was only $1.00 eachhhh! Anddd it only took 2 days for my shipment to come in.

Now I know what some of you might be thinking...it's probably cheap b/c it's crappy material. That is always a BIG concern of mine when looking for budget friendly options when it comes to stores like Walmart, Forever21, Wet Seal, etc. USUALLYYY the cheaper the price, the cheaper the materials. That was NOT the case with these. However, I did have to order a size up because they do happen to run small. I ordered these in a size 9.

Now onto how much...

The black ankle boots...$18.00
The material is a velvet finish.
The heel is a chunky 4" which give the boots a sturdy feel.
You can't tell from the picture, but the front part of the shoe has a slight platform to it and make the heels easier to walk in.

Onto the 2nd pair....$20.00
Has a cute wedge that gives it a nice shape and comfortable to put em on and run out the door.
Gorgeous leathery brown color, the material is not cheap and flimsy whatsoever.
They hit just below the knee.


These were a GREAT find. My grand total came toooo...$39! Hope this helps and shows that you don't always need to buy high-end to get a quality pair of shoes! :) Until next time...

Allow me to reintroduce myself

Hi Everyone!

I'm a big beauty obsessive and fashion junkie. This blog is the place to get rid of all my shallow wants and needs out of my system...all for the sake of vanity of course. ;) But there's nothing wrong with that!

For the past year, I've been an avid fan of following anything beauty/fashion related via YT & blogs of course. Since I've learned so much from so many lovely gurus, I wanted to get my chance to share tons of beauty tips and hints to find trendy pieces without the designer price. Buttt don't get me wrong..we all splurge on some NARS..MUFE..MAC...and TopShop now and then. ;)



Stay tuned to see/learn more!

I'll get to posting more and more when I get this blog up and running. xox